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.