Said it Before But I'll Say it Again

[kriadydragon]

Why the fudge can't original fic be like fanfic! Which is a rhetorical question because I already know why - fanfic is easier. You have everything you need, and because it's mostly done for fun and self-gratifying purposes, you don't stress over whether or not people will like it (well, not as much as you do with original fic).

I'm getting rather frustrated. Here I have this original fic that I do enjoy writing, with characters I'm really loving, a plot all planned out that I'm happy with, I'm already half way through the story... and now I've hit a brick wall.

And I can't figure out what the problem is.

I'll admit that it's probably not the most exciting story, at least compared to books like the Dresden Files. It's a modern day fantasy but what I like to call light fantasy, in that the fantasy elements are not as thick and permeating as they are in The Dresden Files. It's more a mellow presence that plays a major role but without being in-your-face about it. There isn't much world-building involved and the focus is more on the characters and what they are going through. It's more a... mystery with some fantasy, rather than a fantasy with some mystery, if that makes sense.

And I like it, I do, but lately I've really been dithering over all these aspects of it. You see, I plan to make this story into a sort-of series. Not a very involved series, just something to have if I'm in need of something to write but nothing else is ready. Something I can add stories to without it being an obligation. Something simple.

And I think it's that simplicity that's been bothering me. Because while I believe people would enjoy this story, a part of me feels that I could - even should - do something so much better and more interesting. I've always been about world building and trying to take fantasy to interesting places, and I guess I feel like this story just isn't doing that. I also feel that if I'm going to do an ongoing story, there should be a lot more to it than what I have. Except that really shouldn't matter since I think people would enjoy it as is, anyway.

But I think what really bugs me is that there's always something, even when a story is good, I'm enjoying it and I could totally complete it. It shouldn't matter that it's a simple story, what should matter is finishing it, because my goal is to have more completed original fic than uncompleted. That was the whole point of me choosing this story to write next - because it was something simple I could write and finish while I got other stories ready to be written.

Hopefully having vented about it will get my brain to shut up and just let me finish this story. I'm getting really tired of my brain trying to find reasons not to finish anything.

Comments

[areth-lovejoy.livejournal.com]

Aw, I hope you are able to get past the brick wall.

Almost every writer I know/ have read always say that finishing a story is the hardest part. So, know you are certainly not alone in that.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I definitely know this is a universal problem. I think what really bugs me about it with this story, though, is that there's just no reason for it this time. I'm being uber picky. but I think talking about it helped me to sort some things out, and I'm really hoping that next week will see the return of my motivation.

[sholio]

These days, there are so many multi-layered fantasy epic series that it's kind of a treat to find a simple story without anything grand holding it together. Okay, granted, I do love epic fantasy ALSO, but I certainly don't think a novel can't be simple in premise and execution. Even a simple idea can carry a series very easily as long as the characters support it.

I know what you mean about getting stalled out, though. I'm trying to focus myself on finishing some of the (many, many) projects I've started, rather than starting a million new projects. There are so many ideas nibbling at me, but I'm absolutely terrible at following through to the end.

Good luck getting past your block!

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Even a simple idea can carry a series very easily as long as the characters support it.

Yeah, and part of my motivation to keep going is because of the characters. But I think it's resulted in a conflict of interest between the half of me that likes complicated fantasies and the half that's more than happy to take what I have and run with it.

What I really hate is when you get an idea so similar to a previous idea that you have to choose between them, but both ideas have some really great elements going for them.

But so goes the way of writing :/ I did manage to write some today and that's gotten the creative juices flowing again, so hopefully they'll keep flowing.