Monday, March 14, 2011

Are We Having Fun Yet?

I know when I started publishing my first story it was for a fun, creative outlet.  Well, as with most everything that is worth doing, it turned out to be more work than I had ever imagined I would dedicate to this little hobby.  But I do still consider it a fun escape and I guess if it ever stopped being that, I would stop writing (or at least stop publishing). 

It is a strange phenomenon that once you publish a story people automatically assume that you think you know what you're doing and aren't insecure about your work.  All of a sudden, by the click of one button you have become a "writer".  For me, publishing my first story did two things.  First, it made me realize that all those other stories I had been reading and enjoying were just written by normal people like me who probably had the same misgivings as I did (at least that's what I told myself).  And second, it totally got me hooked!  In answer to the first realization, I started trying to review stories more and talk to people instead of just "lurking" around like I had done for several months.  For the second, I began to write, write and write.

Is this the fun part?  My current story, if you happen to be following it, was supposed to be a "fun" little break from the more serious post-ROTJ relationship saga I was trying to work on with my other stories.  It has become FAR longer than I ever imagined it would and although I have this grand finale in my mind, I am very nervous about getting it out on paper and have only a vague outline of it so far.  One of my weaknesses in stories is action scenes; I'd much prefer a nice conversation or argument over a gun fight or lightsaber battle.  I am a hopeless romantic and if it doesn't end in a kiss, well, it's just not worth writing about, right?

Well, I am going to have a hard time avoiding some sort of battle in my current story and it scares the hell out of me and makes it seem not-so-much-fun.  But maybe that's a bit of a lie, because even writing about it now just gets my adrenaline pumping in a nervous, excited kind-of-way.  Pushing our boundaries keeps it from getting stale, too - I guess.  Maybe that's why this story came to me, to force me to work on something outside of my comfort zone.  And there's no rule stating that a lightsaber battle can't end in a kiss...

Anyway, I guess I'd better get to work, because - yes, I do have a day job.  I certainly can't retire on the money that I'm raking in from fanfic.net.  Not yet, anyway.  :-)

10 comments:

  1. Well, since we are always lamenting about lack of feedback, I should comment, right? ;)

    First, I will say that there are no rules that a lightsaber fight can't end with a kiss, for sure! Though probably not between the two combatants. Second, I'm glad that you got hooked and I'll be interested to see what you do with the action scenes. I don't think you're as bad at them as you think you are. Third, as your beta reader, I'd just like to say that you had a very appropriate use of semi-colon there, good job. And lastly, if you find a way to retire off your money from posting Han and Leia stories online, please let me know!

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  2. Thanks for the comment! But I think you are being kind on my semi-colon usage because I couldn't find a one in that post! :-)

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  3. You could write a kissing battle, haha. :P

    The action that I have seen you write seemed fine to me, at least I wouldn't have guessed you were insecure about it. One sticks out in my mind...I think it was in "Shifting Impressions" (which by the way I would kill to see more of),although it was a very small sequence, I still have the image in my head.

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  4. Thank you, I do intend on completing "Impressions" some day, but nothing is coming to me as to how... As for my action scene in the that story, Zyra helped me out greatly with it and I am not only eternally grateful to her for that, but I am counting on the same assistance when I get to the action in my current story. :-)

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  5. You're welcome :) And seriously, you don't know where the semi colon is?

    "... action scenes; I'd much prefer a nice..."

    It's right there!

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  6. Okay, you got me. I just did a quick scan. See? That's why YOU can't trust ME to beta your stories for grammar. :-)

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  7. Please finish "Impressions". I loved it! I was actually reading it last night and I noticed something a little familiar about it. But we can discuss in private Push. ;)

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  8. For the one small lightsaber battle I wrote, I quite enjoyed it. Although, I might have cheated as I spent an hour before hand with a random selection of Star Wars books and read only the battle scenes in them. Got myself in the fighting frame of mind :D

    It is difficult in that you can't really draw on from personal experience. Well, I certainly couldn't. The last time I held (played with) with a lightsaber, I ended up on crutches for weeks! (...seriously!)

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  9. I guess i could get my boys and the neighborhood kids together and do some real life research. I hate to end up on crutches though.

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  10. Yes, it wasn't fun. Well, attacking my sister with a lightsaber was fun. The injury was not!

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