Inspiration is returneth
Feb. 16th, 2022 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jajalalaAs per usual with my inspiration doldrums, the solution was, in fact, a long shower where I focus on the issue at hand. I'm good now, don't feel like abandoning my current WIP anymore.
I think I was too caught up in the plot, which in all honesty is not my favorite to write. I think my most favorite thing to write is character interactions and situations, so I love plot insofar as it can facilitate interesting situations for characters to interact. I know some folks like getting into the weeds of how things happen and what days they happen and what events it opens up for the future but like... for me, I try and keep things a lil vague and flexible, and am not tryna do too many big plot twists. So for this project, I had a whole chapter or two that was focused on moving a plot that had been mostly background up until then along, since I wanted to get to the end faster. But then to do that, I kind of ignored the main romantic pairing I wanted to write, so I was just writing plot and no love... ahahaha so that's why I felt like I was slogging. I've gotten through that hump of plot (mostly by inserting some fun platonic interactions with other characters) and maneuvered back into the romance-zone, so now things are flowing again!
Eventually I'd like for Hilda to help lift Marianne's burden (AKA fighting demonic beasts in the woods every night) so that they can have a happy ending... but that means I had to get Hilda to investigate and figure out where/how the beasts are being made, so that she can address and stop them at their source.
And although I had Marianne involved at the beginning of the investigation, it ended up making no sense for her to help out with Hilda getting in dangerous situations, so I had to have her distance herself again. Which sucks! Because I like them interacting, but I needed to get Hilda out there figuring out what was going on WITHOUT Marianne. But it was so boring to just have Hilda sneaking around alone... So I struggled until I realized this was a prime opportunity for Claude interactions! So that carried me for a little while, because even when investigating I could have fun writing Claude and Hilda being flirts who would never get together, with a side of Claude/Lorenz angst as well...
Then I was like "Okay, it's about time Hilda learns who Marianne is (AKA Werewolf), the most dramatic way for that to happen is to have Marianne injured while protecting Hilda, and Hilda staying by her side until she wakes up in the morning as a human." But then I had to plot to get them into that situation... auguegueh
Another shower later I figured out that I could have Claude accompany her into the woods, then create a lil extra Claude/Lorenz drama (and a monster fake-out) by having Lorenz find them. So that was fun to write! Then there was the chase and actual monster fighting though which.... Agh I'm alright with what I wrote, but action is very much not my wheelhouse! HOWEVER, I ended up surprising myself by finding an excuse to get the whole Golden Deer gang to investigate the attack, which ended up making for a very sweet bonding chapter between all the Golden Deer? Where they support Hilda and (unknowingly) Marianne as well? At the start of the story I sort of emphasized Hilda getting to interact and be friends with each member, but in recent chapters a lot of them have fallen to the wayside... so it felt fitting for them to bring them back for a climax!
And as much as I thought this would be the climax and I could start wrapping up the story... Hoo boy no I cannot. There is still the big resolution plot point I need to solve (stopping the demonic beasts for good, probably requiring at least one more fight), and I have discovered a WHOLE NEW ANGLE to go at Hilda/Marianne. This whole time Hilda's been sweetly oblivious while Marianne flusters and fusses over her... I have found that a werewolf reveal may give an opportunity to flip the tables.
This is tagged "slow burn". 50k words is too soon for them to realize their requited feelings and kiss. I know some folks hate when things get dragged on unnecessarily, but now that I've unlocked a new angle I am compelled to milk it dry with some comedic/fluff/angst chapters (potentially some plot. Maybe. Gotta keep it moving so I can actually finish this eventually).
Now I'm back to working on this properly instead of procrastinating with other WIPs... back in my wheelhouse of characters in juicy situations, and sprinting ahead towards eventually finishing!
I think I was too caught up in the plot, which in all honesty is not my favorite to write. I think my most favorite thing to write is character interactions and situations, so I love plot insofar as it can facilitate interesting situations for characters to interact. I know some folks like getting into the weeds of how things happen and what days they happen and what events it opens up for the future but like... for me, I try and keep things a lil vague and flexible, and am not tryna do too many big plot twists. So for this project, I had a whole chapter or two that was focused on moving a plot that had been mostly background up until then along, since I wanted to get to the end faster. But then to do that, I kind of ignored the main romantic pairing I wanted to write, so I was just writing plot and no love... ahahaha so that's why I felt like I was slogging. I've gotten through that hump of plot (mostly by inserting some fun platonic interactions with other characters) and maneuvered back into the romance-zone, so now things are flowing again!
Eventually I'd like for Hilda to help lift Marianne's burden (AKA fighting demonic beasts in the woods every night) so that they can have a happy ending... but that means I had to get Hilda to investigate and figure out where/how the beasts are being made, so that she can address and stop them at their source.
And although I had Marianne involved at the beginning of the investigation, it ended up making no sense for her to help out with Hilda getting in dangerous situations, so I had to have her distance herself again. Which sucks! Because I like them interacting, but I needed to get Hilda out there figuring out what was going on WITHOUT Marianne. But it was so boring to just have Hilda sneaking around alone... So I struggled until I realized this was a prime opportunity for Claude interactions! So that carried me for a little while, because even when investigating I could have fun writing Claude and Hilda being flirts who would never get together, with a side of Claude/Lorenz angst as well...
Then I was like "Okay, it's about time Hilda learns who Marianne is (AKA Werewolf), the most dramatic way for that to happen is to have Marianne injured while protecting Hilda, and Hilda staying by her side until she wakes up in the morning as a human." But then I had to plot to get them into that situation... auguegueh
Another shower later I figured out that I could have Claude accompany her into the woods, then create a lil extra Claude/Lorenz drama (and a monster fake-out) by having Lorenz find them. So that was fun to write! Then there was the chase and actual monster fighting though which.... Agh I'm alright with what I wrote, but action is very much not my wheelhouse! HOWEVER, I ended up surprising myself by finding an excuse to get the whole Golden Deer gang to investigate the attack, which ended up making for a very sweet bonding chapter between all the Golden Deer? Where they support Hilda and (unknowingly) Marianne as well? At the start of the story I sort of emphasized Hilda getting to interact and be friends with each member, but in recent chapters a lot of them have fallen to the wayside... so it felt fitting for them to bring them back for a climax!
And as much as I thought this would be the climax and I could start wrapping up the story... Hoo boy no I cannot. There is still the big resolution plot point I need to solve (stopping the demonic beasts for good, probably requiring at least one more fight), and I have discovered a WHOLE NEW ANGLE to go at Hilda/Marianne. This whole time Hilda's been sweetly oblivious while Marianne flusters and fusses over her... I have found that a werewolf reveal may give an opportunity to flip the tables.
This is tagged "slow burn". 50k words is too soon for them to realize their requited feelings and kiss. I know some folks hate when things get dragged on unnecessarily, but now that I've unlocked a new angle I am compelled to milk it dry with some comedic/fluff/angst chapters (potentially some plot. Maybe. Gotta keep it moving so I can actually finish this eventually).
Now I'm back to working on this properly instead of procrastinating with other WIPs... back in my wheelhouse of characters in juicy situations, and sprinting ahead towards eventually finishing!
no subject
Date: 2022-02-17 03:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-17 08:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-17 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-17 05:08 pm (UTC)I've found my best work tends to be the work I've had the most fun writing... so getting stuck in plot and slogging through stuff? Always a good sign to pull back and find a way to maneuver back to the fun stuff! (Though sadly plot is unavoidable sometimes...)
no subject
Date: 2022-02-17 10:08 pm (UTC)And yes, for me personally I find the advice that "if it's not fun to write, it won't be fun to read either" often is true. Fine balance!!