Writer's Workshop General Chat Thread

[LightningTopaz]

I have had multiple episodes that have written themselves, but one of my first ones stands out in my mind.

It was late at night one weekend, and I was working on the fifteenth episode of my first fic (some of you might remember "The Heart of the Cards: A Pokemon TCG Adventure") I was wanting Brock to have a crazy romantic moment, but none of what I brainstormed was working.

As is my custom even today, I had the radio on, which was tuned to the oldies station. At this time of night, a block of 50's rock and roll was on, and just before I called it a night, the song "Personality" came on. (hear the song)

I heard the lyrics and thought That sounds like something Brock would sing!

The rest of the episode wrote itself--I had Brock do an elaborate song and tap dance routine for Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy to an "extended" version of that song, complete with an epic chorus line. I then had Team Rocket sneak into the chorus line to make it even more over the top.

That episode is one of my favorite fic episodes I have ever written

[Lugion]

Yup. Generally, when starting a new fic, it tends to write itself for the first chapter, and occasionally a few afterward.

[ectoBiologist]

yeah, it happens mostly when you're starting a new fan-fiction. like with the devil's gift i wrote the first two chapters up with no problem but it got harder as i went along xD.

[TheLlama]

I find everything to come with a flow, so long as I actually manage to sit down, throw off any distractions. I suck at doing that, but when I do, I easily write 3-6 thousand words in a day, doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when.

Today I've been quite busy reading up on disorders relating to androgynism and hermaphroditism - most specifically, androgen insensitivity disorder. For those curious as to what it is:

It's a disorder which prevents masculinization of the body, even if the person in question has a Y chromosome. For genotypic females (XX chromosomes), it hardly does anything, as it doesn't impair female sexual organ growth (we all start out as females at the fetal status anyway) but for genotypic males (XY chromosomes) it can result in either:
- Complete AIS: A person who is essentially a woman, having all the external female genitalia. She/he has underdeveloped testicles which are hidden, lacks ovaries and a uterus, thus being infertile. Often it presents with (ironically enough) increased female traits; round hips, clear skin and larger breasts. Secondary male sexual characteristics do not present either, most often lack pubic hair, and naturally there's no menses.
- Partial AIS: A person who has partially developed external male genitalia. It could range from close to CAIS, to close to MAIS (below) in both that and the traits mentioned above.
- Mild AIS: A person who has normal male external genitalia. This usually only presents with infertility, and is much rarer.

The interesting thing is, a person with CAIS can effectively live an entire life without knowing they are genotypically a male, since external female development happens normally (or better than normal), that fact is what got me interested in it. Though I reckon most would check for what's causing missing menses, or in some cases a minuscule vaginal depth - or cancer in the undeveloped and undiscovered testes (which is quite common).

Why I would read about something like that? Heh, I like knowledge. Could spend an entire year just reading and reading about stuff. That, and it's related to some original writing I'll be doing, which deals with gender issues.

[adiosToreador]

Hm. I'm a psion in the one campaign I've ever played (and am playing). Have only been through a few sessions so far, and it's as fun as I'd expected it to be. Feeling I'm doing pretty good for my first campaign.

Ooh, a psion. What class?

Heh, I've got no delusions of grandeur for the awards. It was really flattering for Teddy to be nominated best supporting character, but I really doubt I'll win. I'm just glad I was nominated.

Usually I'll get a scene or two in my head that will write itself, but rarely a full chapter, and even more rarely the next part I need to work on. I'll get ideas for scenes WAY further in the story, or at least a few chapters away, and it takes up so much time and effort to get to those scenes that I often end up losing them because I'm trying not to concentrate on them.

[Flaze]

Like Lady Lucifer said, it usually happens when I start a fic. However it does happen sometimes while I'm writing, but alas I'm too lazy to keep it going, eventually I stop to do something else and then I lose it. Like last night, I had finally gotten myself into writing SYR again and then I had to do something, when I got back I couldn't get myself to write anymore.

[Red]

Yeah, like you guys said, the first chapter pretty much just writes itself, it's crazy. But as you go on and continue with the story, it does get harder.

[Flaze]

Yeah, like you guys said, the first chapter pretty much just writes itself, it's crazy. But as you go on and continue with the story, it does get harder.

Well it's actually pretty simple, it's the same thing as a new car or a new game, it's awesome when you start but it starts to get boring after a while, the reason for this is that when you write the first chapter the story is still new. However from that point on you begin to plan more stuff out and the more you plan the more you know what's gonna happen and the more you know the less exciting it feels.

[TheLlama]

I feel the opposite. The more I know about the story, the more I want to write it. The less I know, the more I want to plan it rather than write it.

[Red]

@Llama_Guy; Hey, wanted to ask you something. I think I read or heard somewhere that Norwegian kids are like the smartest kids in the whole entire world, but their school days are only like 2 or 4 hours long. You being Norwegian, should know if this is true or not.

[ectoBiologist]

i think it's because when you first start writing, you're inspired but then you lose inspiration as you go along. i usually have to listen to music or watch something to get my inspiration back.

[Flaze]

I feel the opposite. The more I know about the story, the more I want to write it. The less I know, the more I want to plan it rather than write it.

Exactly but that's also why you lose interest. It's logic the more you want to write a specific part the more interest that other parts lose. If you want to write a part of the story so badly then you'll become obsessed with getting to that amazing point and will get bored of the things that stop you from reaching it. Another aspect of is this is when you plan something that you really want and you keep playing it over and over in your head, but once you reach that point it's hard to write because while imagining it you never thought about what you'd do when you had to write it and since you've already played it in your head over and over again it becomes less awesome.

[TheLlama]

@Red; hahahahaha x) Sorry for the laugh, but that is incredibly silly, and based off the average stereotype that Norwegians are through-and-through awesome. Norwegian kids score average at best at international school performance studies. As for intelligence I wouldn't know, but I guess it's about the same average as other western countries. Scandinavian people generally know more languages than other countries, as we've got mandatory third language education from (the equivalent of) junior high, and start learning basic English already in first grade.

As for school hours, we've got, uh, 4-5 hours a day in elementary, 6 a day in junior high (8th-10th grade), and 7-8 a day in high school. One school "hour" is 45 minutes long.
@Stellar Haze; except I don't, and that's my point. I know what my epic moments are like, and I know what they sound like, and I know how to write them. I take interest in them because I've seen them so many times.

[R0-S3]

I always have a lot of trouble getting started with a story! The first chapter is always difficult, and after that (provided I've planned it out properly), it just gets easier and easier.

I generally prefer the later chapters because that's when the mechanics of the world are established and I can start getting things done without needing to fuss about it. Luckily, my current story is PMD-based, which means my amnesiac main character is a convenient bucket into which exposition can be poured, and I can explain everything within the first couple of chapters.

(I'm working on the first chapter of said story right now, and I actually had to go and write several scenes which occur later in the story before I felt confident enough with my characters and their voices to go back and write the first chapter. And I still hate that damn thing!)

[TheLlama]

@R0-S3; Out of curiosity: why write if you hate?

On a related note, what do you guys think of this piece? Currently working on learning it. Hard stuff, but insanely cool. The original song it's based off on is also really pretty. Learned a slow piano version of it a few years ago.

(also, hooray for 250 posts)