Where has this comm been all my life?

[hickumu]

Hey there, folks! I'm Hicku. I write both fanfiction and original works, whatever comes to mind. I play video games, I watch cool shows, I volunteer, and I'm studying Cybersecurities in college. I'm trying to get into running, I'm trying to get good at knitting, I'm trying to learn how to make clothes, and I'm trying to at least pick up drawing as a hobby again, but on top of school stuff, it's all slow going. As I mentioned in the subject line, this seems like one of those comms I didn't even know I wanted at first, but now I'm wondering how I ever did without.

I'll do my best to offer support to anyone who needs it, even if I might not be the greatest on advice! Group support got me jogging - group support can get us all clacking away at the keys! Heck yeah! *fist pump*

So, I'd like to warm up the comm a bit with some bemoaning. And that bemoaning is this - it's the editing that's the hardest part.

How do you guys do it? I have two manuscripts - two manuscripts with the potential to be something great, I know it, I can feel it - but they can't be that something special without some polishing. It's been a couple of years, now.

For one, I know basically how I want the plot to go, but...where do I start? That's always what I find myself wondering. How do I do it? Do I delete and retype a scene? Isn't that just starting me over again? Do I just change words that don't sound right? Is that enough?

And for the other...urgh. The plot hinges on time travel, but it turns out I suck at writing it. I need to figure out a way to explain things better, but I can't figure out what sort of explanations or buildup is needed. Have any of you guys ever gotten yourselves in over your head like that? And, if so, how did you get yourselves out?

For a couple of my other lingering works, one I just keep getting bogged down in minor details. The other...I know the characters, I know all the characters, but I can never settle on a plot! They've been damn near everything by this point, but it's never right, and by now I hesitate to even try something new because I know I'll probably just wind up scrapping the idea fifty pages in.

Commiserate with me, guys. I can't be the only one here. If you have any advice, excellent. My personal goal is to get one of these suckers done and submitted somewhere by the end of the semester...but it's looking like quite a daunting slog.

Comments

[kalloway]

I've done (and won) every NaNo since 2003 including both 2011/2012 Camp NaNos. I think I've gone back and properly edited... er, I might be working on my third one. A couple others I posted as rough drafts, and the rest have just been lingering in my WiP folder.

I had a friend tell me during a phone call that I needed to work on description. She'd thought it all along but didn't want to leave a comment because she wouldn't be able to immediately clarify/have vocal inflection on her side. And she was totally right and I love and appreciate her criticism and encouragement. I know I'm far from perfect so I sometimes feel awkward when no one is mentioning anything I could improve on.

I think with NaNo, there's that whole 'gotta get this word count in, no time to sit for five minutes and think about what color their curtains are and if they match the rest of the furniture, whatever it looks like - it'll be something to fill in later!' mindset. Which is, indeed, what Editing Time is for. ^^;;

[hickumu]

O_O That...is a very impressive track record. Even "only" editing three. *applause* You have my admiration.

That's definitely the trend with NaNo - get the word count down, get it done around everything else you have to do on any given day, edit later. The writing and the story is the thing. Which is not a bad philosophy, because it does get you, well, writing. Or at least, that's what I rely on it for.

But it does make Editing Time especially important ^-^;;.

[kalloway]

Thanks. ^_^; I guess part of my frustration is that the two that I think are amongst the 'best' are two of the ones lingering. And another that could be spectacular but it needs about 150,000 words more to really be complete. (I generally fuck around during Camp NaNo, so maybe I'll just work on it this year?)

I definitely think I'd rather have the words out of my head to polish later than not have them out at all and keep thinking about 'i should write...' So yay for NaNo for that.

[hickumu]

Yay to NaNo for that!

I generally fuck around during Camp Nano, too, which is a shame. Two extra months, and theoretically an additional 100,000 words, can only be a good thing, right? Maybe it's because it's during the summer months, so I have even less structure to my time.

Definitely planning on giving it another go this year, though! o7 Best of luck to you! Always worth it to at least try, right?

[kalloway]

Looks like this year's first Camp NaNo is April! I suppose I can come up with something, but I might just work my way through some of my plotbunny list~