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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 13 2008, 01:12 PM (1,548 Views) | |
| Jessi | Aug 13 2008, 01:12 PM Post #1 |
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DOES SOMETHING
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The staff has compiled a list of attributes pertaining to different authors and the different stages we go through in our writing. Each of you should be able to identify yourself in at least one of them. ^_^ Feel free to let us know which one you think best describes you. We've found that we're stuck somewhere between one or two - or even three (Gubby *cough*) :P Stages of Being an Author: Verbal Vomitteers: Wherein you write and write and write, just to get the ideas out of your head. Think of your mind as a dangerous pond, and your pen as the subpump; you need to empty it. This is a typical stage for beginning writers, however it has been known to attack those who have active imaginations and like to observe all angles of a situation. At this particular stage of your writing, you are prone to unfinished projects, brilliant and intricate ideas and, most commonly, carpel tunnel syndrome. Odyssean Adventurers: Wherein you will find big, descriptive words, hard-hitting dialogue and very precise grammar. Think of all the things you contemplate in your head, choose one and write a story based around nothing in particular, but still clinging to that one idea by a fine hair. This stage is typical for the more brainy writers, the ones who like to influence their characters with adjectives and adverbs, while using similes and metaphors to describe an idea and thought process in secret coding. At this particular state of your writing, you are prone to being overly verbose, too descriptive and forgetting the more finer points of writing a novel - the actual plot. Sound Checkers: At some point, there will no longer be solely words forming in your mind, but patterns, as well as something distinctly similar to melody. This is typical especially for those who experiment with verse, too. At some point, whatever you shall write, NEEDS to sound good, and it is not just the flow, or rhyme, or rhythm... It's the combination of said elements, and that's the overall sound. If it sounds smooth and song-like, with tempered pace and all the right pauses in their respectful places, the product in the end will sound much like music to your soul. After all, we are all on the tracks of that perfect sound, aren't we? Words alone don't cut it in the end. Paranoid Perfectionist: You've got all the ideas, you've got your plot lines, and your characters more or less fleshed out. But you've thought too much, you've given yourself no room to maneuver. And now, you can't write. This stage involves having everything ready but losing the words in the preciseness of your planning. Despite yourself, you just. Can't. STOP! You need everything perfect, but perfection comes also with improvization. Challenge Chaser: You just can't help but ooh and aah at all the cool ideas people give you - how can you not write a story using the song, or that ship? And then you form ideas in your head. And you're obsessed with this one idea, and you are just about to write... when you go on to see if there are more cool challenges. And of course, because you're signed up at about 500 different fanfic sites, there are! So now you're obsessed with this new idea... and it just keeps going... and going... Inspiration Gatherers: You are looking at everything as a possible plot. The sun seems to tell you a story and the grass is whispering encouragement. You want to write, you think you have a million good ideas - and each of them are flowing nicely from your pen. But, wait a minute, you still need more! You cannot write without prompts, you cannot stay motivated without a challenge. And so, you fall into the routine of taking on more and more challenges, posting more and more for prompts or inspiration... you just got a friend to dance around in a banana suit and your plot has completely changed! If this is you, you are having a hard time deciding where your words best fit: story a, story b or story c. Stationaries: Where did all the plot bunnies go? Wait... there's one - reach out and grab it - ohhh, too late! You absolutely cannot grasp onto an idea for longer than is necessary to jot down the general thought. And, what's worse, you've formed the idea completely in your head, maybe a bit loosely, but it's still there - and yet, you cannot find the words to put it on paper; the idea changes and evolves and you get lost and confused by your own story... finally giving up hope that it will be written. And so the cycle continues. If you are in this group, you are frustrated and can't even bear to read a story, lest you feel inadequate by your mediocre words. Graphics Stalker: Ohhh, what pretty colors! What sort of story would THAT be? You, my friend, are a Graphics Stalker. How do you write a story specifically for a graphic? You know exactly how! Writing to fit the quote, the mood, the characters that may or may not be there. Stalking UFG banner topics, you're searching for more inspiration, more plot bunnies. Just to display that gorgeous graphic on your page. Rut Dwellers: Whence you constantly are writing the same thing with different words. Sally loves Bill. Sally's heart belongs to Bill. Sally stares at Bill longingly. It all means the same thing and yet, you have written three different stories. You have considered having these stories deleted, but reflecting upon them, they really did have the intention of being different from one another. And so, you are stuck in a rut; always the same thing, never branching out into the many possibilities. If you are a member of the Rut Dwellers, you tend to have a specific idea in your head that you can't quite gather into the right words. This leads to face-palm tendencies, along with severe outbursts that look similar to a disco-dancing monkey. Pity Partiers: If the phrases, "my writing is awful.", "no one will want to read this crap!" or "ugh. *headdesk*" are a common part of your dialogue, you may belong in this group. You can write, and you have fairly good ideas, but you feel that your execution is well off and everything you write turns to crap. There is nothing subtle in the way your words jump out at you and scream "you suck!" Sometimes, all it takes to get out of this funk is sending what you've written to a friend and boosting your ego just a little more. The most common characteristics of a pity partier are moping, headdesking and constant use of the delete button. Exhaustive Abuser - You've been entranced by a certain ship, era, character - or all three! And now you absolutely must communicate every possible way these three things can make a fic! You're ecstatic about the thousands of plot bunnies inspired by these new concepts! Weeks, months - even years - later, you set out to write one more. ... But it doesn't work. The ideas you had, the plans you made - the words aren't coming to you. Why? Because you have exhausted all creative faculty you had with these common themes. Countless fics later, you just can't write more; not to finish that series of one-shots or that novella you've grown so fond of. You've milked every plot out of these things, and now... sadly, it's time to move on. |
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| GubraithianFire | Aug 13 2008, 01:51 PM Post #2 |
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OHMYROWLING
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Actually, I think I'm
[size0]SIX. Plus the one I JUST added in the staffy forum because I was stupid and hadn't seen this was actually POSTED. So that makes SEVEN. :lyn: |
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| Em | Aug 13 2008, 02:03 PM Post #3 |
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RUT DWELLER MEEEEE!!! Haha. I've been there for ages! I need to switch stages badly! :P |
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| Romina Stephanie | Aug 13 2008, 07:17 PM Post #4 |
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grow up, grow on, grow out
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Paranoid Perfectionist Stationaries Exhaustive Abuser (where is that Ronmione novella? will I ever find it? :unsure: ) yeah, those three above are those I've been in for at least... well, a couple of months it seems. *sigh* |
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| Violet | Aug 13 2008, 07:19 PM Post #5 |
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Oh dear, I'm too many of these. :ph43r: Definitely used to be a "Odyssean Adventurer", but now I'm a "Sound Checker", a "Inspiration Gatherer", a "Pity Partier", and most definitely definitely a "Graphics Stalker". There's a lot of times I make the banner before even writing so that I get the right inspiration. These are hilarious! :devil: |
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| Lyn | Aug 13 2008, 07:30 PM Post #6 |
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[[ just. loves. projects ]]
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Yay! It's ready! :D Major funfunFUN!! So, I am ... 4/11. I'm first and foremost a Paranoid Perfectionist. Biggest proof - my novel, which I have been outlining for two years now, and NOTHING I write seems to be good enough ... <_< Then I am definitely an Inspiration Gatherer. I want more an more ideas, and I always think the new is better than the old, but then think better, and back again. :crazy: Finally, I am a Sound Checker and a Rut Dweller (a lot of the time, unfortunately). |
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| Arzu | Aug 13 2008, 08:11 PM Post #7 |
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Paranoid Perfectionist Challenge Chaser x_o |
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| Jessi | Aug 13 2008, 08:31 PM Post #8 |
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DOES SOMETHING
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I've definitely been in nearly all of the above. :lyn: But, at the moment, I'm with the sound checkers, stationaries and pity parties. :D |
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| Little_Plebe | Aug 14 2008, 12:25 AM Post #9 |
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Tahi, teh CrazySupreme Ruler of Everywhere. Resistance is Futile
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Verbal Vomitteer Sound Checker Challenge Chaser Inspiration Gatherer Stationaries Graphic Stalker Pity Partier Exhaustive Abuser Did I just type all of them here? :blink: :lyn: Yes, I am almost all these! Presently, though, I am a Challenge Chaser, Graphic stalker and Pity Partier. lol. |
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| bluestickie | Aug 15 2008, 01:05 AM Post #10 |
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I'm definitely a Stationary and a Pity Partier. Pity that putting a name to it won't help me :lol: :D |
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| GubraithianFire | Aug 15 2008, 10:39 PM Post #11 |
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OHMYROWLING
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I think we can all agree that admitting you have a problem/are stuck in a rut is the first step to solving it :lyn: So, other than/in addition to the proferred advice, does anyone else have any solutions for any of the stages? For Exhaustive Abuser (coughMEcough), I say go into one of the personalized challenges and get something completely random but pretty specific (:P) to branch out into something you don't do/haven't done before ^_^ And for all Pity Partiers - definitely asking a friend to advise/fangirl about your fic serves as inspiration and ego-boosting *attacks Jessi in regards to Tedissa :love: * Yeah. That's the only one I think I've moved on from. :lyn: |
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| hekate101 | Aug 15 2008, 11:21 PM Post #12 |
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Home again, home again!
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Stationary Odyssean Adventurer Nobody seems to be just one...but I've got to agree with Stickie. Doesn't really help so much to put a name to it. |
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| SilverThimble | Aug 18 2008, 09:21 PM Post #13 |
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Odyssean Adventurer, Stationary, Pity Partier. Some of those actually sound pretty fun :P |
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| lia_2390 | Aug 24 2008, 10:21 PM Post #14 |
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Paranoid Perfectionist and Stationary. I used to be a Verbal Vomitteer but at times I can't even get the words on a page :( |
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| Elf_ears13 | Aug 24 2008, 11:11 PM Post #15 |
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INTJ ftw
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There's only one stage for me: Paranoid Perfectionist. It's sad that I can't even fit myself into any of the other stages ... ever. :P |
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