Now for a more down-to-earth post

[hafital]

So, the last post was the happy, preeny post, (and you all are great with the congratulations and whatnot!!! *hugs you guys*), and now a bit of a reality check. heh.

I'm *almost* done with this thing (as done as it's gonna get for the thesis part of thesis-writing, and gradumacation). I will be turning it in sometime next week.... EEEEE. However, I'm not yet happy with the first chapter, which had to get rewritten quite extensively and is still not there, and the whole thing needs hammering, some characters need to be more realized, and subplots could do with a go over. Some of this will get done before I turn it in, and some of it not. I'm happy with it, though. There are bits that I love, and much I don't, but that's how it goes, and yay.

Also, I always get this note from instructors re: my original fiction. The "What is this about?" note (meaning, theme, I guess) and I'm always blindsided by the question because I'm like, "well, it's about what it's about!" (duh). But they're quite insistent about this -- and I can't really argue with it. A story needs to answer the question "What is this about?"

I'm thinking this is a handicap I have in my writing, largely because I write from character, and relationships and really hardly pay attention to theme. To me, the answer to the question is that it's about these characters. I never write from theme. I don't need a theme, to write. And many times a theme pops up, but usually it's sort of an accident, or something that develops naturally. Possibly this is because I started writing fannishly first, before original fiction? And with fan fiction, I'm all about the relationships.

Anyway, so, here's a poll:

[Poll #1157097]

Comments

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Oh, geez. I write mostly from character or relationships, but there have been instances when I wrote from plot/idea. In fact, I think in a way, that caused some miscommunication with a beta reader on one story, in kind of the reverse of what you're talking about. I was exploring an idea, and she wanted the character element, and when she'd ask me what I was trying to do, I'd kind of blink and say, "Really, I think I'm just trying to tell this story." But I can understand the confusion, because I almost never have plot as a focus. Half the time, I don't even have one.

[lferion]

I put character, but I think I would actually say that what I write is character in relationship to (something) -- and that something may be internal conflict, or history, or another person, or an event or fill-in-the-blank. The dynamic is important, but the character comes *first*.

For example, I wrote Eclipse to explore Methos' relationship with lunar eclipses over time, how his attitude toward the phenomenon has changed, and how it hasn't.

It is more complicated than that, of course, and certainly pairings and plot have a hand in my writing, and thematic elements are always present -- but they tend to grow out of the writing, rather than being the impetus for it.

[taraljc.livejournal.com]

I checked "Plot/Idea" but it's really also tied into Character for me. So both Plot/Idea and Character? I think I can't do one without the other--or if I do start with just the character, I still need to work to make it story-shaped before I'm happy with it.

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I write plot-first, but relationship dynamics are part and parcel of that for me.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

by "plot/idea" I mean "evocative phrase". That is the way about 90% of my stories start.

[banbury.livejournal.com]

It's so complecated :-) Usually to begin to think on something, even if it's an article, I have to find an idea in any form - idea as a phrase to begin with, as a character to think of, as a plot, as a picture even... just to have something as a foundation

[destina.livejournal.com]

Almost 100% character driven. Sometimes, plot or idea will spark something, but it generally starts with a character.

[amonitrate.livejournal.com]

I tend to think, in ff as well as original fic, that if theme is established prior to anything else, it will come off as anvillicious. I believe theme should organically grow out of plot/character/relationship. And often the artist/writer isn't as aware of theme as the reader anyway, and different pieces can have different themes to different readers.

just my 2 cents!

[rhi]

Er, I need a button for 'all of the above, depending on the story.'