New Year - Writing Round-Up

I did not post as much as I ideally would have liked in 2009, but it was still more creativity-oriented effort than I've ever engaged in before except perhaps the headiest days of my fanfic-writing days. I did write more non-NaNo original fiction than ever - two connected short stories, some more UFPE, and some RP with an original character of mine I've had in the back of mine for forever now. I've got a much better handle on her now that I've been forced to write her interacting with people and doing things. I may have written other things too, but those are what stand out - again, aside from my two fanfiction pieces, one revived and one started for a friend's birthday.

So overall, I count this blog a success! I'm not going to make a formal resolution on the subject because that's probably the best way to make me procrastinate, but I'm going to try very hard to write more in this blog and more in my Creativity folder in My Documents. My main ideas for this year are: more UFPE and a new story, which is currently called "Alien UN story" in my head.

UFPE: There's so much to do! Perhaps my most important goal is to figure out exactly what tone to take with this burgeoning epic. I have enough genuinely cool things that I want to write it as at least a halfway serious story, but the whole point of the UFPE originally was to indulge in the kind of overwrought prose I do so love writing. That has been a lot of fun! If UFPE were too serious, I might have to spend a few less paragraphs (that is mild exaggeration) describing A's color-changing eyes and Z's long-winded affections. That would be a tragedy.

I want to re-write the first volume. I have to re-write it at least to add a lot more punch to the opening scenes and to improve the pace of the story generally, and I might have to re-think the story extensively because I want a posse for A to travel with, at least for awhile. There's just too much internal monologue, even for a Parody Epic. I should sketch the other characters more fully - I know A and L pretty well, I know Z less than I should, and the others (aside from the Prince I interviewed on this blog) remain foggy figures. In fact, I should sketch more characters period, especially a posse for A. She does have that nymph who appears periodically, but she's too flighty and alien. Hmmm.

I also want to write some short stories set in the Ten Free Cities. I had a wonderful time naming and describing the Ten Free Cities in a notebook, along with the central character in each city that the short stories will revolve around. Each is based extremely loosely on an existing city. I have to say, my excitement for writing fantasy has jumped with my reading of the latest "Wheel of Time" volume, which encompasses both the excellent and the meh in fantasy.

Alien UN: this story was first inspired by my viewing of the first season of "Babylon 5." I want to create something like a United Nations of aliens, except it's completely useless. Okay, more useless than its critics today say. They're purely a figurehead so the powerful races can wreak havoc and the weak races can feel like they aren't total chumps. Except one day, for reasons I've not yet fully comprehended, they suddenly are forced to become relevant. Do I know where this is going? Not really. But I love the idea, and I really want to try my hand at some original science fiction. I also have a character, the RP character I mentioned earlier, who's been in my head for years but unable to find her own story. She would not be one of the diplomats; I think she would be first mate on a spaceship run by a shady bounty hunter. I think there's going to be a huge disaster, natural or otherwise, that wipes out a LOT of the races' leadership, and the Alien UN are so desperate for info/communication/travel/whatever that they basically commandeer this bounty ship. Wacky antics ensue! I don't even know where the focus of the story will be; it could even be several interconnected tales.

So those are my goals! I'm not sure which is my priority, but I should poke myself to post something here once a week or so and to write... well... more often than I do now.

Promises, promises

Lack of posting for the past couple days is due to social engagements and now illness casting its grey fog over my brain. See, look at the kind of metaphors it's producing. Creativity is a high priority for me, but indulging in laziness during times of illness is even higher.

When the noxious tide of disease recedes, I'll get back to posting. Until then, I'll be hacking and aching and generally praying for a swift, merciful end.

Short story - summary

No post yesterday (counting this day as finished when I go to sleep) and no substantive post today, but I have an excuse - I've been writing the short story of Jemma and her unhappy adventures. I meant to post it to the workshop page today, but alas, my connection makes these things difficult. It is the roughest draft I have submitted to the group, and so I am more than a little nervous to put it out for their collectively keen and critical eye. But these things must be done, and I do embellish the critique for dramatic effect. It's invaluable criticism, even when I disagree with one point or another.

The story took a couple unexpected turns, but I was generally able to keep it within the very rough outline I had envisioned. I am least happy with the ending, but I cannot see how to change it without drastically altering the story - and adding far more to the end than I like. Not only does the ending make me nervous, but the style is much different from what I'm comfortable with. I'm trying to write suspense, and suspense does not come naturally to me.

Rough draft, I'll tell myself through gritted teeth as I smile through my flensing. Rough draft.

Character Building - Plot Walk

Tonight's is a short post, partly because I must retire soon and partly because I got my daily dose of creativity on a walk I from which I just returned. I have very good luck with walks and inspiration - the best plot twists and world building ideas I ever have come from walks and conversations. Getting my body moving gets my brain moving in new ways, I think.

The story was again the Ultimate Fantasy Parody Epic, and the MC again was Bad Guy L. I thought up the rough outline of his flight from home (which ties into the larger story) and his first experience with human beings. It's almost completely a positive experience too except for one tiny sour note, and that little bit of rejection is enough to eventually convince him to wage war on all of humanity - not just the guilty parties who may have destroyed his kin.

He also learns the human tongue along the way, and yes, all the people in this land do speak the same language. For some reason, in my head he sounds a little bit like the Japanese international students in some of my classes, and for equally unfathomable reasons, the people he meets up with have southern accents. It's all inexplicable but made for very amusing exchanges in my head.

And now - to bed. I plan on a more substantive post tomorrow.

Setting out measuring spoons

And so on, to begin a new blog! My goal is to keep this as a creative journal - the point of posting it online is to keep myself accountable to the world at large, whether or not that world actually participates at all. In the past day, I've changed my mind about keeping anonymous; the point of this journal is creativity, which is never a solo effort.

So, creative journal. I'm not quite sure what this entails; all I know is that I'll try to keep the personal drama to a minimum. I think the point is to explore what's on my mind, what recent days have brought, what has surfaced from the morass of memories... and to see if any of that proves interesting.

And so - not much time today; I have reading yet to do tonight, but I can spare a few minutes.

Things on my mind:
Intellectual property, romantic authorship, property rights - who gets what? Who should get what? Why? I'm not a postmodernist to say that "the author is dead," but certainly the author owes much to the subject, to the environment, to learning. Are they ever compensated for these contributions? Via the canon of literary works? Via works that eventually (maybe) fall into public domain?
Advice on writing - knitters do not leave a tail at the end of a day's knitting, contrary to the assertions of one author who insists that aspiring writers should stop cold when they've reached a day's quota. Anyone who knows anything about knitting knows that this is nonsensical. It's not just wrong; it doesn't make sense. I'm as guilty of pretentious philosophizing as anyone, but I hope I don't say things as grossly wrong as that.
Looking ahead - responsibility comes crashing down on me again, but compared to many, the burden is light. Opportunity may come a-knocking. The world is brighter here.

Things recent days have brought:
People here and people there - All the things that circle around in my head make so little difference in the daylight. I don't know what to think about that. I dwell, and I dwell, and when it comes to pass, it always happens in such a different form than I could have expected. Do I berate myself for dwelling? Do I expand my expectations?
Re-emergence into the world after a long vacation - my physical space is smaller, but my world is larger. I like it that way. If I didn't, I would never have left Home and come Here. My things are concentrated, but my feet carry me further.

Things that have surfaced:
People now and people then - I've always dwelled, and I've always dreamed up ludicrous things that never happen. None of this is new. Did I ever see things as clearly then as I do now? Is there a necessary period of cooling before the lines of today's eruptions, eventually hardening and shaping the landscape of the past, can clearly be traced? Oops, more dwelling - and grandiose metaphors on the top of it. Moving on, moving on.
Remembering my habits of this life after picking up vacation habits - I like settling back into my life. Some people find routine irritating and stifling, but I find it comforting. I tend to be flexible with my routine, so there's room for change if I want it. And if not, I know what to fall back on.
Examinations and questions about some friendships I hold - outside the context of romantic relationships (thorny jungles they may be), is the idea of a person to be preferred to the manifestation? Ideas of people are easier to deal with. I wish... I wish... I can't in good conscience wish the manifestation away; do I adjust the idea?

Good enough. Only a little editing (and today is an exception, allowing even that much); I do enough of that as I go along, even when I try to turn off the Critic That Lurks. Back to reading.