The more I read (and write) fanfiction, the more I'm becoming interested in the writing process and in different writing styles, sometimes even more than in the story plot!
I've recently read Hide and Drink by Shay Savage. I was impressed not only by the very original plot she created, but also by her amazing writing style; so I immediately continued to read her other works. Unespected Circumstances, still in progress, caught my attention because of the attention that the author gives to every detail to develop the main themes of her story (Edward and Bella deal with their fears of rejection, the discovery of their bodies, the bases of a relationship that started in an unusual way, at least for a modern reader).
And then, this outstanding author started another story: Could Be Worse, Right?
This new twific is made by short chapters and is updated every day, often more than once a day! At the end of her 12th chapter, Savage wrote:
"Writing like this is completely new to me, and I'm learning a lot from doing it this way!"
So I wondered: "What does she mean? How is it changing her writing process?". I sent her these questions via Twitter and...she's been so kind that in a matter of minutes (!) she answered with a post on her blog!
I found her answer brilliant and inspiring and I think it elicits many new writing questions. What do you think about it?
WOW, I have read the post by Savage "Writing lesson for me" and I am .... confused. If she was not such a good writer I would say, "bullshit, this cannot work". Because my experience as a reader is that when authors don't know where they are going (or know it just in a vague way) and, if they update so quickly as not to have time to be betaed or pre-read, their stories are full of mistakes, incoherent and more often than not abandoned midway, because they had a good idea initially, but did not know how to bring it to a conclusion. So when I read in the notes that the author asks the readers to tell her/him what they want to see next, more often than not I run away.
ReplyDeleteBut, obviously, it works for Savage... So, what can I say? I follow a completely different method, and don't post until I have drafted everything. When I write a multichaptered story and I am stuck with a difficult chapter, I leave it and go forward, to come back when I get the right idea... so, obviously, I can't start posting and then leave a hole.
Surely, in this way I miss the interaction with the readers. Since I am very opinionated I don't think it would affect what I write anyway (arrogant, much?). However, I did change something occasionally due to reviews, and I ackowledged it gratefully, even if I had to go back and modify slightly an already posted chapter...
So this is the way I write, but I have to admit that Savage's stories are fantastically good. This debate inspires me to offer a little of my writing experience to My Reading Lounge ... when I manage to write it.