The accuracies of this post is terrifying. When I try to explain something super basic, like the dimensions of a part from work, it drives my dad mad because I use 1000 words for a 10 word description.
And it's not that I try to sound smart, it's just that I feel like i can't accurately explain the object with fewer than 1000 words.
OH
hey i was hoping for some advice on how to stop planning fics and actually START?? like i feel like i have to plan out every chapter and then just feel paralysis at actually starting at the fear of the fic derailing into something else (which is part of the beauty ik) any advice helps :â(
HELLO NONNY! First of all, totally flattered you'd want to come here for advice. Second, gosh, yes, this is one of the most difficult parts of fic writing. Happy to try to help out, though this might get long!
So I see that you're primarily concerned with multi-chaptered/longfics here! It's been a minute since I've hunkered down to work on one of those myself--but this is a good warm-up question for me, as I've got a couple current ideas (including original work) that would necessitate more long-term planning.
When you're writing and publishing a longfic, you pretty much have three options, each with a varying degree of rigidity.
Plan your entire fic (however you like--outline, flow chart, etc.!) and finish writing it in its entirety before posting on a schedule per chapter. Benefits here include the ability to let your plot/characters grow organically without being bound to something you've already posted. No worries about a plot "derailing" if you're able to course-correct something earlier in the midst of it! Also, you're able to write in genuinely any order in this case. Downside, though, is that motivation can be a struggle here.
Plan your entire fic roughly and start writing at the beginning. Give yourself a few chapters of leeway (maybe 3-4 ahead of posting??) and post on a schedule while working on future chapters. You'll still be able to account for organic growth, here, but you are more bound by items that have already been posted. A good plus, though, is the motivation you might get from readers along the way.
Plan your entire fic, start writing at the beginning, and post chapters as they're finished without leeway. GREAT for feedback, but it's super easy to get yourself stuck as new ideas develop.
For an original work with the goal of publication, obviously, I'd use option one. For fic writing and posting on AO3, though, I'd make it my goal to pursue option 2. It's a really nice balance of keeping yourself and your plot on track but also picking up some sweet serotonin along the way.
Regardless of your posting method, it also seems like you'd benefit from hearing how I plan longfics in general. Using a typical indentation format, I start with the bare-bones structure of the plot to help determine chapter breaks (which can change as the actual writing occurs) and overall actions. Once I have the main ideas spelled out, I'll go back and fill out each section into as much detail I have in mind at the time. This will definitely vary chapter section by chapter section. Some ideas will already be specifically developed! Others might stay bareboned.
From there, I head to the opening chapter, as I personally write in order (you might not!). I'll fill in the chapter section with as much detail as possible (scenes, dialogue, in-depth prose notes, etc.) to make actually writing out the chapter as easy as possible for me. Using an excerpt from one of my longfic outlines, here's how a ready-to-be-written chapter section might look:
also note how messy they actually are lol
Once I have that level of detail done, I'll write the chapter. It really helps because while the planning was still "planning," it becomes a lot easier to translate the Plan into actual prose. After the chapter drafted and then finished, I'll move on to the next section and flesh it out exactly the same way before writing. Rinse and repeat!
That way, I have my overarching framework all good to go, but the little living details are the ones that can change as the work itself is completed! I think it's a happy medium between rigidity and natural flow, in which neither really impedes the other.
Bottom line, though? Best way to start writing is to just start. Easier said than done, and something that's really hard for my brain to accept as well. It's a universal struggle. But when you find the tools that work for You, it's fantastic!
God this got so much longer than I intended. Apologies and thanks if you sat through all of this without your eyes glazing over. As for me, I'm off to keep agonizing over planning and actually starting various one-shots, lmao.
slap!
Every countdown day is the same backgroundâŚ. Except one day
Fanfic writers, I need some advise. How do you format your characters internal monologue?
This is a frighteningly coordinated assault. I donât know what to say.
I admit it, I misjudged the ability of the Russian Army more than slightly. I'm still of the view that it'll have logistical problems well east of Kyiv and that it has no idea what it's signed up for even if it doesn't have opposition. This is a part of the world that withers away armies that had far less need for logistical support than Russia will need here.
But that opening assault? Yeah. I was wrong on a very big thing and it's frightening to realize just how wrong. O.X
Horizontober is a bit like Inktober, but it's all about the wonderful world of Horizon! Posting the list a little bit early so ya'll can ruminate on that.
Shatter
Scientific
Melodic
Rebel
Full
Green
Mighty
Small
Incompetent
Aspire
Fire
Sail
Batty
Combat
Curve
Elderly
Bloody
Alike
Heavy
Game
Malice
Roar
Water
Spirit
Smoke
Jar
Love
Shock
Mark
Gaudy
Spooky
For anyone wanting to participate, the tag Iâll be using for this year is #horizontober2022
Iâll try check out that tag every day in October, and Iâll absolutely be reblogging everything I find, though the fandom is getting so large that I might not be able to see every entry!
All art forms are welcome in Horizontober! Fic, poetry, gifsets/gifs, digital/traditional, animation, music, photomode, videos, nail art, Horizon flavored memes, cosplay, jewelry, mood boards, tattoos you wanna show offâŚ. Uhhhhh, scrapbooking?? Horizon themed meals! Staged scenes of any figurines or Funkos you have?? Flower arrangements! And other things I canât think of right now! As long as itâs something you created or captured and relates to the prompt and the Horizon world somehow!
All participation levels are also welcome! You wanna try for every single day? Awesome! You just wanna do one or two prompts that speak to you? Fantastic!! You discover this event halfway through October and wanna catch up on all the ones you missed and post 3 a day for a week? I actively encourage it! I made one of my best internet friends that way! :)
Aang: Coughing, fever, dehydrated, almost catatonic from the flu
Azula wanting to help but refusing to get within 6 feet of him so she doesn't get sick:
saw a post abt HBO removing shows that suggests ppl just âburn dvdsâ but everyone doesnt know how to do that so here is one way to do that
- get blank dvds (Both +R or -R work, I think +R is slightly cheaper, the difference is rewritability), these are not very expensive for the amount you can get in bulk (if you are in the US 100 of them is about 30$ at walmart)
- an external DVD drive that plugs in via usb is also around 20-40$ (it tends to be closer to 20)
- download DVDFlick (free)
- if you donât already have the mp4/mpeg of whatever media you want to burn, you can download movies/shows off of sites like gomovies.sx and soap2day
gomovies.sx will have a download button that looks like this
below the video you can choose one of these
if you click streamlare for example and then the download button it will take you here where the mp4 is
(if youâre on an iphone/ipad, clicking download will save it to your files app)
- if you cant find the download button on soap2day you can also install a video downloader extension which will find the movie for you
- at this point you can drag and drop it into a google drive or keep it on your computer but if you still want it on dvd ->
- open dvd flick, drag and drop the video
- click âproject settingsâ
- give it whatever title you want, you can change encoder to ânormalâ (default is below normal if you are doing other things on the computer). you dont need to change target size or thread count (unless you want to)
- insert a blank dvd into your drive, make sure you click âburn project to discâ
- click accept then click âcreate dvdâ next to menu and project settings. it will create a destination folder and this dialogue box will pop up when you click âcreateâ on more dvds, just click âyesâ and then âokayâ on the box that appears after it
itâll take a couple hours, once its done take a sharpie & write whats on it and stick it in a case . or dont . im not ur mom
He/him, 28, all around nerd. HUGE ATLA, Bionicle, Digimon and HZD/HFW fan. Most posts will be about these things. Enjoy!!đ
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