Writing

[clocketpatch]

 

Snatched shamelessly from memorae’s LJ, I thought this little questionaire was a bit neat. So, this is a survey on how I feel about writing. Or something.

 

 

What's the last thing you wrote?

The last thing I wrote was a sort of experimental draft chapter for a Seven+Ace/Hex story I’m contemplating… The last thing I finished. Hmmm. You know I honestly don’t know? I’ve been a bit slack of lack on actually finishing things

Was it any good?

The Seven+Ace/Hex thing? (must get an actual title for it, or at least a working title, ‘Seven+Ace/Hex’ is unduly clunky). Yeah, I think it was good. It’s a draft though, and not particularly posh. I like the plot I’ve got worked up so we’ll see how that goes.

What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?

Hmmm… there were some random poems I wrote when I was seven (well… dictated, does that count?) that got published in a junior poetry competition. I’m pretty sure my Mum has the newspaper clippings somewhere. Oh, and I’ve still got my school journals from when I was eleven or so. I wrote an epic story about a stink bug named Tally and got in trouble because it took up my whole journal and I didn’t do any of the actual journal assignments I was supposed to do…

Write poetry?

See above. Yeah.

Angsty poetry?

Sometimes… *bashes head against wall* but I prefer not to think about that

Most fun character you ever wrote?

As far as fanfic goes I love writing the Doctor. You can just do so many things with the character. Original? I had this crazy drunken dude ‘The Toadstool Count Baghollie’ who amused me greatly… and his protégé Vi. I really must get around to finishing that…

Most annoying character you ever wrote?

Gah… Sohpo… who is an annoying and thoroughly unredeemable portrait of teen angst in one of my original things. I smith thee Sohpo. I smith thee with a thousand bolts of smitiness!

Best plot you ever wrote?

I’m quite fond of the plot of ‘Somnambulists’. It’s an origin story for the Doctor combining all of the convoluted theories from the books, audios, random fansites and my own head… I really was pleasantly surprised when it actually turned out somewhat coherently and not completely bogged down in wank.

 
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote?

I like the plot twist at the end of ‘Somnambulists’. That story was one of the few times where I knew the twist well in advance and so was able to plant the seeds for it from the beginning of the story. Yeah… I really like how that one turned out. It’s my baby.

How often do you get writer's block?

Always.

How do you fix it?

Banging my head against the wall.

Do you type or write by hand?

Type. My handwriting is atrocious. I coined the word loopuler to describe it, but it can’t really be described, and it can’t really be read either, least of all by me.

Do you save everything you write?

Mostly. I’ve got folders and folders on my hard drive, and stored in random email attachments… and some hard copy note books. I don’t get overly upset when I lose things though. I lost an entire novel once – 90.000 words – when my computer crashed. Oh well.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?

Actually… once I’m done banging my head against the wall and adding little red dots to the wall paper, the second step in my cure for writer’s block is to go futz with all of my various abandoned drafts

What's your favourite thing that you've written?

And I come back to ‘Somnambulists’, because, from a technical standpoint, that is my favourite story. Most proud of… probably ‘Vallaway’ which would be a god-awful fantasy novel I wrote when I was sixteen. Never published. Never gonna be published. But I’m damn proud to this day that I finished the thing. I’m also inordinately proud of my short story ‘Are you afraid of the sun?’ for being the first thing I ever got published and paid for (and the last thing up to this point, but shhhh…. Don’t tell!).

What's everyone else's favourite thing that you've written?

Hmmm, probably ‘Valerie for Forgetfulness’ since that got recc’d to Calufrax (which made me all tickled pick inside).

Do you ever show people your work?

Well… I post it online don’t I? Well, the fanfic anyway. The odd bit is, no one in RL sees the fanfic, and no one on the internet sees the original stuff (unless it gets published in random e-zines that is…). I have trouble showing real life people my work though. I have a very religious family and some of the stuff I cook up just wouldn’t meet with their approval. (I wasn't allowed to read Harry Potter books while growing up). I’ve also had a few bad experiences wherein I query someone to read a draft for me and they somehow come away from the text with the idea that I based a character on them, or something, or that the story is some kind of elaborate insult against their mother or… ???

Who's your favorite constructive critic?

Ann_blue, for always taking the time.

Did you ever write a novel?

One finished, dozens unfinished and rotting, and one lost (but that one wasn't finished).

Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror?

Yes, yes, and yes. Though I mostly stick with the first two. I find genres quite malleable though, and things tend to blend.

Ever written romance or teen angsty drama?

A bit of romance, ish, but teen angsty drama??? Oh please just shot me now.

What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will?

Teen angsty drama. Unless you count Sohpo the annoying. Is it still teen angsty drama if the characters are aliens clambering through caves haunted by goblins and giant maggots???

How many writing projects are you working on right now?

Um… *stares blankly* what was the question again?

Do you want to write for a living?

Wouldn’t that be nice? No though, because if writing became work I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much, and that would be a great loss.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Er… maybe? Do random grade school contests that I can’t half remember count?

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?

Yup.

Ever written something in script or play format?

Yup.

What is your favourite word?

Gallimaufry! As in, the rambling eccentric amassed a gallimaufry of queer bibelots. I’m also quite fond of pastiche, pluvial, and dendroid.  

Do you ever write based on yourself?

Ah… well. I do try not to Mary Sue, but I do write from experience quite a bit. Well… considering I write mostly SF and fantasy, not experience experience, but I try to give everything a grounding in true life. And I have been known to work out my real life issues through the avatars of my characters (oh dear... does that Sue-ify them???).

Which of your characters most resembles you?

Um, all of them? I thinking of writing sort of like acting on paper, and like said above I’ve been known to work out my issues through the characters but I do feel a bit of a connection with the character of the Doctor, which is probably why I’ve fallen so head over heels with his fandom. Though... my connection might be more with his wonky dress sense than his actual character... or perhaps with the actors playing him... (what? some of them *are* a bit pretty...)

Where do you get ideas for your characters?

The copy-righted to other people characters are shamelessly stolen out of their rightful source material. My OCs come from various bits and bobs pasted together, though, really, character building has never been my forte.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?

Always. All my best story ideas come when I’m asleep.

Do you prefer happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?

Depends on my mood. I don’t really care as long as it’s well written.

Have you ever written anything based on an artwork you've seen?

Don't think so – um… unless you count those random maps I used to draw (based on Tolkien’s maps of Middle Earth), ‘cause I used those to inspire some story…

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Always!

Does music help you write?

I am the worst multitasker in the multi-verse. I can’t listen to music and write. Heck, I can’t even listen to music and walk without banging into something.

Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well?

Occasionally. Which always amuses me. I think I come across as a touch slow in day to day life. I don’t tell them I write fic though… that's my little secret ^^