*loves being a writer*

[yappichick]

Wait a minute, maybe I don't. LOL

I think the most daunting idea of writing an original fic is just that. It's original. There is nothing to prop your story up, it's just the words on the page that need to do the story that is so vivid in your head justice.

Then there is the whole idea of what is too much...or too little.  I love Lord of the Rings, but there is absolutely no way I would ever, EVER write anything as detailed as Tolkien. Ick. 

It's a weird thing because a good story doesn't require a ton of backstory, which in a world with wikis about everything seems a bit foreign to me.  But look at Alice in Wonderland, for example.  No one wanted/needed to know the history of the Mad Hatter or how the Queen of Hearts came into power...the story was just that. A story.

*hits head on desk*

Forget it, I'm staying in my fanfic box. :P :P

Comments

[layrenelement.livejournal.com]

It IS pretty daunting, but you know? There's lots of help out there for struggling writers. One, we have our support group here on LiveJournal, two, there are forums all over the place. Three, the sandbox is super huge over here on this side of the fence! Like woah!

I'm only just starting to realize this myself, but if you can tell a good story, all the other stuff is just background to make it interesting.

I'm no Tolkien either, I got bored reading Fellowship because of all the description and put it down and never went back to it.

But to be a good fantasy it doesn't necessarily need all that, what it DOES need is connection to human emotions. Without that, there's not a lot of point.

And fanfiction is still a great sandbox. :D I just like this one over here more for the moment. ;)

[azure-horizon.livejournal.com]

What I hate about original fiction is establishing characters. I can excel in elaborating pre-existing characters until the cows come home (*ego inflates :P*) but the act of creating a whole shiny new one that is believable and interesting and just as faulted as the ones I love so much form fandom?

*shakes head*

I'll take my broken and angsty fandom characters any day ;p

[darth-kittius.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty much 50/50. I hear what you're saying, and am not particularly good at original writing, so grain of salt... but I find something a bit liberating about original writing. When working with someone else's world and characters, I always feel like I'm on a losing end of the battle to keep a character "in character" and to remember every single detail in however many volumes (and/or shows, movies, etc) has been completed by the *real* author. In a way, with good judgment, you can decide for yourself if you need the history of the Madd Hatter, but you can't ignore that Draco tried to kill Dumbledore.

[anuna-81.livejournal.com]

You know what, I'0m pretty certain that my original characters will, some day, wear a stamp of fanfiction characters I have written about. There will be this unwillingly heroic guy who sacrifices without saying a word, and his boasting, arrogant best friend, a lady who governs her5 emotions and pouts her duty first, a woman who balances reality and her desires beautifully.... they sound familiar? Hehe.

You don't have to be Tolkien. He was unique. But you are unique too and I'm sure there is a whole exciting world in you, waiting to get out. So, someday, when you're ready ...? Until then it's completely okay to enjoy fanfiction.