Did you ever write a story...

[foxmonkey]

...that was nothing like the story you had in your head? And not neccesarily in a good way?

Scotty and were talking, and I confessed that The Age of Love is nothing like the "private love affair" story I had in my mind. I wondered where the hell I'd gone wrong, and we bounced it back and forth a bit, but the upshot is, no, the story that's currently unfolding isn't the vision I originally had.

So what happened? I have no idea. But I do know that I'm not cut out for (as I put it) "watch me while I write" writing, and that's probably the main reason I don't post snippets, and it's why I'm such a slow writer.

My writing is a bloody, messy process. I come up with an idea, write it, chop it up, put it through a blender and take another look. Most probably it will go through another few butchering processes before I'm ready to have another pair of eyes take a look. And then I edit again.

It's beyond slow, and it can be very frustrating - especially when something I'm still working on shows up in someone else's story - but it's just the way I write. The LJ experiment has definitely been fun, and even though I'm not writing the story I envisioned, I'm still writing, and I'm sharing in a way I usually don't, so it's been a success that way.

I'll finish the story, but it's not the story. And I think coming to terms with that will kick the hell out of the block that's coming between me and the end of this thing.

I love writing, love it, love it, love it, even the twisty horrible bits that make me pull my hair out. I've been writing since I could hold a pencil, and I doubt that I'll be stopping anytime soon. Dancers gotta dance, singers gotta sing, writers gotta write. I write, therefore I am.

It's horrible and wonderful, and I love it, I hate it, and I'll never give it up.

Comments

[scot-ty.livejournal.com]

Since Marshall's cleanin' out his closet and Fox is cleanin' hers, I might as well jump on the bandwagon. I have no fewer than six stories sitting on my desktop that need to fish or cut bait. I just haven't had the courage to dump them. Tonight is as good a night as any.

[kaelie.livejournal.com]

Hmm! In honor of your post, I will forego my reason for logging on to LJ tonight, which was to nag you for more of the Age of Love. ;-)

My writing is a bloody, messy process. I come up with an idea, write it, chop it up, put it through a blender and take another look. Most probably it will go through another few butchering processes before I'm ready to have another pair of eyes take a look. And then I edit again.

I can so relate. :) That's exactly what I go through. Add some neurosis along the lines of "god, this SUCKS!" and you could have been perfectly describing my process.

I'm very glad you're not giving up on your WIP though. I'll be sorry not to watch it happen, so to speak, but it'll make the anticipation for the finished product that much more sweet.

:)

[ibythetide.livejournal.com]

But you're growing and adapting with this story which is a good thing. Sure, it's not what you had planned for it to be exactly, but this isn't the story that sits for weeks, marinating in your brain until you get it just right. And I know you've come to terms with everything, but I just wanted to put my nosey 2 cents in.

Also: do you know where I could find a picture of a jar of butterscotch? I only ask because you always have such awesome pictures for your stories and icons. I'm working on a new layout and all. And I not only opened Everything, I wrote paragraphs! Actual paragraphs, not just a sentence here and there. Just for you.

[shaggyncurly.livejournal.com]

[pokes head in LJ]

Did you ever write a story...
...that was nothing like the story you had in your head? And not neccesarily in a good way?

Hand-to-God, that's how most of my fics work, dude. Like the one that has been kicking my ass as of late, it was supposed to be sad, I had this sad idea brewing, all that good stuff. But it evolved into this...'super-sad, ultra-difficult hybrid' story that I just don’t even want to deal with anymore! :-P So um, to answer your question, yes, all the time.

My writing is a bloody, messy process. I come up with an idea, write it, chop it up, put it through a blender and take another look. Most probably it will go through another few butchering processes before I'm ready to have another pair of eyes take a look. And then I edit again.

Oh! I get this little spark of hope when I read the other better writers, like you, go through that kind of stuff, too!

But I must say I don’t like writing, loathe it. But I *love* seeing the finished product of my killing spree, that’s why I keep on keepin’ on, yo.

[happypen.livejournal.com]

Well since you mentioned AOL (hee I love that your story has the same first letters as the ISP from hell.lol) I just read it for the first time. Yes I'm veeeeery slow. But I loved it. And I'm praying that there will be more soon. Please oh wonderful Foxmonkey don't make me wait too long. :D