Friday Rants and Raves - March 14

[sarillia]

It's that time again! I don't know about you but the weeks are just flying by for me. It's kind of scaring me.

These weekly posts have been helping me. I got some work done yesterday because I wanted to be able to brag about it today. :p

I hope you're enjoying them too.

Today's picture is called The Wounded Angel by Hugo Simberg.

Comments

[sarillia]

I've started a new story that I will hopefully be able to submit to one of the open calls that agilebrit was nice enough to tell us about.

I was having another one of my "I suck and no one is ever going to want to read anything I write" crises of confidence but I think I'm getting past it. I think I know what's at the heart of it now. It's a worry that my writing is shallow, like a little kid playing house without understanding what it's really like to be an adult. I feel like I don't have enough life experience to make my characters' problems feel real. But I'm going to do my best and I really should stop writing it off before getting anyone else's opinion. So now I'm just going to write.

[inkdust]

I know what you mean about not having enough life experience. Whenever I try to write a character going through things I really, really haven't experienced, and especially characters considerably older than me, I feel like I'll be seen as a fake. But I try to trust the idea of "collective human experience" and the fact that feelings are feelings no matter what sparks them. You definitely have the right attitude - just write.

[sarillia]

Yeah, I'm trying to draw from personal stories I've heard from other people and other books I've read and movies I've seen as well as extrapolating from the emotions I felt from the things I have experienced. I guess that's mostly what anyone does, even when they have more life experience than me.

[splinteredstar]

I think I've noticed that with older characters as well. I mean, younger than me? I remember being 15 well enough. But 45? No idea how that works.

[agilebrit]

That painting is oddly apropos of one of my WIPs. Which I will get back to one of these days, when I finish these other projects. That part where I Am Not A Novel Writer? Yeah.

My current thing is driving me crazy. I have, at least, figured out how to "skip the boring parts," but it doesn't change the fact that my protagonist is not exactly protagging in this--he's reacting, rather than acting, and at the end he's the damn Princess who needs rescuing. I really need to rectify this. Somehow.

[sarillia]

Making my main characters proactive rather than spending all their time doing nothing but reacting is something I've been working on for a while. I think it's been worth the effort and I hope you find a way to make your story work.

[ayumidah]

I've been getting a little accomplished here and there, real life is being tricky again, but I'm managing.

Then the other night I got hit with a fic idea and an original story idea at the same time and had to type them up really fast before they bled together and confused me, haha.

[splinteredstar]

This week has been frustrating and occasionally infuriating, of the "I would set you on fire with my mind but i have ice cream at home" variety. I have been self-medicating with rock music and Discworld novels.

But early in the week I started...a thing. I was bored and started writing, which is how my ideas start. I have no idea what it is, or if it will even be a thing, and it is so far veering wildly between horror and comedy. But involves a rebellious teenage boy who sneaks out to speak to his grandfather. Who is a eldritch Elder God who doesn't want to rule mortals (like his daughter and son-in-law) as much as he'd like them to get the hell off his lawn. Nevertheless, he has a certain fondness for his mixed-species grandson, as long as the kid brings a live rabbit and the good whiskey.

I don't know what the story behind this set up is, but just the set up amuses the hell of me, so I'm going with it.

[lady_phenyx]

My week's been incredibly frustrating. I've been sick all week and too muzzy headed to do much more than play a mindless game or two to pass the time. I wish I was kidding, but it's the truth. Spent a lot of time asleep or wishing I was. Today's the first day I've been clear-headed enough to try writing. Getting back on the routine is tough after falling off. I forgot where I was taking the story I need to finish, to add to my frustration.

[splinteredstar]

Aaaha, yeah, I've had that happen. Hope you feel better!

[lunabee34]

What a creepy painting. That boy's gaze is so malevolent. *shivers*

Glad you got some work done!

I did too; I wrote a draft of a personal essay and got great feedback from my group in terms of expansion. I'm going to work on a new piece for our next submission round and then work on revising this essay for the following. I think if I alternate new pieces and revisions, it'll keep me (and the group!) from getting bored.

[splinteredstar]

You read that look as malevolent? Huh. I read it as upset or possibly "fuck this thing is heavy but my mom says I have to carry it"

Then again, facial expressions are hard.

[lunabee34]

Ha ha ha. "You will carry that angel, son. And sweep the garage while you're at it." LOL

Yeah, IDK. My immediate backstory is that these two boys have just hurt the angel and are carrying it off for more torture. Perhaps I should examine why I instantly go to the scary dark place.