A Question

[soncnica]

*raises hand* I have a question: so, do you think that if you have 10k of a draft for a story, is it possible to get up to 20k!? Like easily up to 20k or will I have to sweat blood and tears and make up words that aren't even in the English dictionary!? I reeeeeally want to do this year's BigBang but I'm afraid that I'm focusing too much on a story that might make it up to 20k, while I could concentrate on a different story that also MIGHT get up to 20k.
*sigh* the worries of a writer ... no one said it was easy, huh?
So any advice, any experiences anyone would like to share?! :) I'll take it all!

Comments

[dont-hate-me01.livejournal.com]

I have a problem in writing short stories, so for me taking a draft from 10k to 20k is very easy. What I do find is that I need to really like what I'm writing, to make me want to write more. If I'm writing because of the sake to finish a story, then I tend to procrastinate and then in the end, I have to sit down for hours and work in order to get the story done.

What also works for me in getting some words down, is to mix the scenes up that I still need to write. If I know that I still need to do a fluffy scene and a fight scene, I'll pick the one I'm in the mood for, write it, save it and put it to the side. When it's time to add that specific scene I just take it in put it in. Sometimes it is necessary to change it a bit, but at least then the bulk of the work has been done.

Good luck with your writings, I do hope you get your story out there! :-)

[soncnica.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I love writing long stories, I mean du-uh, lol, but I never know if the PLOT of the story is 20k long. It could suddenly stop at 15k and ... then what?! Make stuff up!? No, because that would ruin the story. Add more words!? That would ruin the story too. I love what I'm writing, otherwise I wouldn't even go and write it, ya know!? I'd feel like 'ah this is crap, no need to bother with it, store it in a folder somewhere' aahhah :)

About the 2nd part -> oh I do that too!!! Hhahahaha, how cool is that!? Yeah, yeah just write scenes and then add to them when you are in the mood for that kinda topic :) awesome! :)

Are you doing BB this year!? :D
Thank you very, very much for all your thoughts. I appreciate them, because it's nice to see that other writers work/think the same way I do!!! Sooo awesome!!! :) Thank you :D

S.

[dont-hate-me01.livejournal.com]

It's a neat trick to write scenes out of order, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!

I'm not taking part in this year's BB. I've mostly moved on from the SPN fandom, although I always make sure I take part in the reverse bang. I'm more into NCIS now, and dabble in the Musketeers as well.

Good luck with your writings, I'm rooting for you all the way. :-)

[soncnica.livejournal.com]

It really is a neat trick, because you can't ruin any scenes, because you basically write the ones you're in the mood for. You don't struggle writing a cuddly scene, when you're actually in the mood to write something more dark :)

I don't watch NCIS or the Musketeers, although I do hear Musketeers is a good show. I'm not really in the SPN fandom, like I don't engage in any activities, except write stories&watch the show, but SPN is the only show that inspires me to the point of making me want to write :)
oh damn reverse BB, ugh, forgot about that one!!! So many stories to read, so little time :) :)

Thank you, my dear! :) And good luck with your writings too :D
S.

[herminekurotowa.livejournal.com]

Don't ask me.

I wrote less than 4k in eight weeks *sighs*

[soncnica.livejournal.com]

That's okay, because then in like a week you'll write 15k and be like: "What is this sorcery?" :D :D
I TRUST IN YOUUUUUUUUU!!!! *hugs you*
S.

[somer.livejournal.com]

(NO WRITER! BUT YOU KNOW I'LL CHEER YOU ON, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DECIDE!)

[soncnica.livejournal.com]

*SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE* :D :D

[septembers-coda.livejournal.com]

Is there a part you could add to the 10k draft, a plot point you didn't explore or a character who needs some more page time? Are there sexytimes? It might feel like a cheap trick, but this could be an opportunity to write sex scenes to your heart's content. :-)

I'm with dont_hate_me, I have a hard time keeping stories short enough... but then again, if the draft feels complete, it might do the story a disservice to write more just to fill a word count. So I would say the integrity of the story comes first, and if you feel you can write 10k more words while honoring that, do it! And if not, write a new story, and if that one doesn't make it to 20k either, at least you have another story. <3 <3

[soncnica.livejournal.com]

I thought about the 1st question you asked in your comment and then I wrote a scene that's 5k long. *headdesk*
And no, sorry, no sexytimes in this story. It's purely a gen story, with the boys just being friends in a small town. :) and IT IS a cheap trick, using a sex scene to fill in the blanks, and I actually feel strong resistance towards that. Even when in a story (and you can totally tell) the sex is just used for some ''fill the blank spot'' I skip it and continue reading the next scene. It just cheapens the story. I'm sorry, I just have very strong feelings about using a sex scene just so that the empty spaces can be filled. :D :D Ignore me :)

Exactly, agree with you. In some stories you can actually pinpoint the exact scene that was written just because the author didn't know how to make the fic 20k (for BB). And then I'm like: ''really? was that necessary?'' because it totally ruined the flow of the story. I don't know ... *Sigh*

LOL, you're right; even if I don't reach 20k, I will still have a story that I could post on my own without BB being attached to it :)

Thank you for all your input!!! I appreciate it; a lot! :) thanks :)

S.

[meus_venator]

Hmm. I'm not sure I have any advice to offer that hasn't been offered. I think you really have to know what kind of draft you write. Is it loose with lots of things still to flesh out, or is it pretty tight and there isn't much room for extra description or embroidery?

My idea of a draft is when I'm almost done I start writing bullet point items of all the things I have to make sure I squeeze in before the end. Those bullets could be 5k each or 1k, or a sentence, but I tend to run long, so 3/4th, 35k almost done usually ends up being 50k finished.

But if you write tight and all that's left is fact checking and plot holes and spell check then to double that is asking a LOT. It's really all about your writing style.

I wish you luck thought : ) *waves pom poms*

[soncnica.livejournal.com]

Heya :)
Thanks for stopping by with some good advice. I've added 5k to my 10k draft already, so now I'm at 15k draft, well more now, since I've already edited one chapter so now I'm at like 16k total. So now all I have to do is, add 4k more and I'll be at 20k and goal achieved (if my math is correct, but no one should rely on my math, because my math skills suck so bad!) anyhow ... thanks so much for giving a little insight on how YOU write. It's incredible how many different techniques people use - very interesting :)

Thanks!
S.