i've said it before and i'll say it again:

[lirazel]

You know what is hard?

Plot is hard.

Characters are easy and setting is super easy and big! emotional! moments! and awesome tiny details are easy, but the actual this-happens-and-then-this-happens is haaaaaaaaaaaaard. FANFICTION, YOU AND YOUR LOVELY ONE-SHOTS HAVE RUINED ME.

This...has been a post.

Comments

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Aha! That explains! I don't know how to play chess and I'm miserable at chemistry! No wonder I suck at it!

But seriously, that's good advice. My problem comes when I have the characters and setting (I loooove setting. Love it) and little details...but I don't know what the central conflict is. Like, Buffy has vampires to kill. The Doctor and his Companions travel through time and save people. But when I can't even get that basic premise, I have such a hard time figuring out where to start. *sob*

I NEED TO CATCH UP ON THE BORGIAS. I AM LIKE THREE EPISODES BEHIND. BUT I LOVE LUCREZIA AND CESARE TOO MUCH TO DESCRIBE AND I WANT TO READ YOUR FIC.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

I'm THE WORST at chess, too! I'm okay at chemistry (it's been forever so who knows now?), but honestly I don't even think that's an adequate analogy.

My favorite way of visualizing it is to think of it as horseback riding. Only it's a sport in which you first create the horse (your characters as the living animal, the setting as terrain) and then you tap your heels against the horse's flanks. Essentially, to steal River's perfect words, you "watch us run."

For me, plot comes from two places: what kind of story do I want to tell, and what would these characters naturally do (be true to the characters). My two stories that have a lot of plot started from two very basic ideas: 1) Season 8 needs Spuffy -- how do I make it Spuffy ==> TYSK; and 2) great love in fic doesn't need nc-17 to be powerful ==> chivalry + feminism ==> Fin Amour.

That question is my starting point and once I know what the story is about (what am I trying to say, what's my driving impulse), I then look to my characters to see how they'll run that race.

But when I can't even get that basic premise, I have such a hard time figuring out where to start. *sob*

I KNOW. It's so so so hard. I feel like the answer is already there, it just hasn't floated to the surface yet, but you'll find it.

AND YES CATCH UP PLEASE SO WE CAN FLAIL TOGETHER!!!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I love reading your writerly thoughts. Have I ever told you that? They make me so happy.

It's so so so hard. I feel like the answer is already there, it just hasn't floated to the surface yet, but you'll find it.


YES. YES.

I will catch up shortly! I downloaded both episodes last night!

[angearia.livejournal.com]

I'm glad! I worry about blathering on about writing. (Heh, I'm watching Sherlock rn -- note the British-y-ness of me!)

YAY THEY'RE BOTH SO GOOD