Fanfiction: There is no end to the making of revisions

[nebroadwe]

Everybody else has NaNo; I've got "In My End Is My Beginning":

2,132 / 10,000 (21.3%)

I'm upping the potential final word count to ten thousand, partly because it's a nice, round number; partly because I'd love to have something that long up at FF.net to draw in more readers; and partly because the rewritten bit is already 355 words longer than it was in the original and I've got my eye on three other sections that will require beefing up on a similar scale. Argh. But Winry's internal monologue is flowing more smoothly now that I've figured out what's bothering her in relation to what's bothering Ed, so the opening isn't just all about plot exposition. ("It has to go somewhere!") I still want a better title, but maybe one will pop up later.

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I just spent five minutes reading the quotes to that movie and thinking, "I really need a copy of that movie...."

[nateprentice.livejournal.com]

"In my end is my beginning". Sums up George Bush and where he keeps his face these days.

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

Nothing I ever want to reaches 10,000 words. The things I expect to get done in 3,000-4,000 tend to get away from me. Bah.

...And since we're on the subject of fanfiction, uh... when's your birthday? I know it's late spring bur I got a hell of a plot bunny tonight, and my second thought was "Damn, that'd be PERFECT for nebroadwe's birthday..."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Me, too! That and the uncut version of Muppet Christmas Carol, if it ever gets properly released on DVD.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Oy! No political wank when I'm trying to discuss my Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, please!

[nateprentice.livejournal.com]

Muhahahahaaaaa......

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Nothing I ever want to reaches 10,000 words. The things I expect to get done in 3,000-4,000 tend to get away from me. Bah.

I had no idea this one was going to burgeon out like this. Herds of teal quadrupeds, grazing all over the hillside. The only thing I've tried that's come close is the also-still-unfinished "Winry and Paninya go to the movies" novella. (Gotta get back to work on that one ...)

...And since we're on the subject of fanfiction, uh... when's your birthday?

Front end of May. I get all nervous about putting personal information out on the open Internet (which probably means somebody has already stolen my identity by some lower-tech method, like going through my junk mail or something. Absit omen.)

I know it's late spring but I got a hell of a plot bunny tonight, and my second thought was "Damn, that'd be PERFECT for nebroadwe's birthday..."

Oooh. Fanfic for me? [hops about in barely restrained anticipation] Here's to getting older, one story at a time. :-)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, Muppet Christmas Carol. MMmmmm.

I'd really love to have The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock on DVD. So. Much. Fun. *points at Sprocket in icon*

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Hey, you want your kids babysat on December 14, or no?

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I missed Fraggle Rock completely -- no cable. But I loveloveloved The Muppet Show. I have the Vincent Price and Alice Cooper episodes on VHS.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Oh, Fraggle Rock was so...silly. And colorful. And very playful. No guest stars but a lot of fun.

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

I had no idea this one was going to burgeon out like this. Herds of teal quadrupeds, grazing all over the hillside. The only thing I've tried that's come close is the also-still-unfinished "Winry and Paninya go to the movies" novella. (Gotta get back to work on that one ...)

Both Halloween Fic and Sinking In did that to me. I ended up cutting an entire section with Ling out of Halloween Fic AND a whole section with more medical/automail physiology, because I was afraid people were going to revolt, and Everything STILL came out a like, 7000 some words.

(which probably means somebody has already stolen my identity by some lower-tech method, like going through my junk mail or something. Absit omen.)


Well considering that it's already happened to me you think I'd be more careful... (it just occured to me this weekend to go back and flock some entries where I'd maybe said more than I'd intended to)

Oooh. Fanfic for me?

Well - not that I necessarily think you're that picky - but I wanted to write you something other than basic Ed/Winry foof, and really, how often do I accomplish anything else? So I did come up with something else, and I'm actually kinda pleased with the hook. Here's hoping I don't screw it up OR chicken out on it before May...

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

OMG I remember Fraggle Rock! Fraggle Rock was win! ...And now I want the theme as a ring tone. Damn.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

good luck. That's an interesting theory, I have so many people tell me they wished I wrote shorter things since they hate to read anything 'long' (watch me roll my eyes)

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I know -- I'm always looking for the long stuff, myself, so the fact that people prefer drabbles and flashfics always catches me off guard. But I figure I'd catch more flies readers with a wider range of stuff and breaking the 10000 word barrier has kind of been a goal for me for a while now ...

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Both Halloween Fic and Sinking In did that to me. I ended up cutting an entire section with Ling out of Halloween Fic AND a whole section with more medical/automail physiology, because I was afraid people were going to revolt, and Everything STILL came out a like, 7000 some words.

I'd have read the medical/automail physiology bit, but I'm like that. :-)

I keep staring at "In My End" and thinking, "Is there anything in here I should cut?" But there doesn't seem to be. Dual narrators and the fact that it's set seven years after the end of the manga seem to be responsible for most of the bloatlength. Things that I summarized the first time around are demanding that I give them their due this time, and it does seem to be working better that way. I'll see what my beta has to tell me.

Well - not that I necessarily think you're that picky - but I wanted to write you something other than basic Ed/Winry foof, and really, how often do I accomplish anything else? So I did come up with something else, and I'm actually kinda pleased with the hook. Here's hoping I don't screw it up OR chicken out on it before May...

I'll try not to peer eagerly over your shoulder and ruin your concentration. :-)

I seem to be running out of inspiration for Ed/Win foof at the moment, myself. I've done my take on the obvious moments (angsty pre-relationship; first kiss; "hey, we are in love!"; etc.), and I don't like to repeat myself (though I really should write "Ed and Winry have a snowball fight" even though it overlaps thematically with "Light the Traveler Home" because I've got it all laid out and it's amusing). "In My End Is My Beginning" only got written because seven-years-on Ed/Win brought up a whole different set of issues to play with. (And if I ever get the courage and can handle the research issues, I'm going to try twenty-years-on Ed/Win from the POV of an OC getting the first automail heart transplant. Heh.)

[nateprentice.livejournal.com]

Ouch. Balckmail. A truly political means of handling my previous comment, eh?

;)

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

If you can't beat 'em ...

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on this, mind you. I prefer longer works (look at the epic I'm churning out now which has hemorraghed readers because it's long)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's available now, since the first season was just released on DVD.

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

There are SO MANY shows I want on DVD. *sigh*

I'll guess I'll have to be content with my Statlor and Waldorf ornament from Hallmark this year...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I got Sapphire and Steel from the used DVD store around the corner from my Mom's house, which made me Much Pleased. I still want Robin of Sherwood on DVD...but only the first two seasons, if I could get away with that - oooo, and Emma Peel's The Avengers</>. Mmmm. Emma Peel.

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

I seem to be running out of inspiration for Ed/Win foof at the moment, myself. I've done my take on the obvious moments (angsty pre-relationship; first kiss; "hey, we are in love!"; etc.),

I know EXACTLY what you mean - I covered pretty much everything when I went through 52_flavours, so sometimes ideas run thin. On the other hand, I have a perfect scene in my head - that's actually been in my head for a while now - involving a Ed and Winry and Garfield and a lightning storm, but I have no plot to go with the scene. Sometimes you can't win.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

There are SO MANY shows I want on DVD. *sigh*

This. I just keep spending all my fun money on anime, though. (And books.) Fortunately, my family is willing to purchase the U.S./U.K.-originating stuff for my birthday every now and again.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Yay Avengers! I might get that for my dad for Christmas this year; we used to watch those together all the time, when I was little and independent t.v. stations showed that sort of thing. That and The Rockford Files and The Wild, Wild West ... [drifts off into a fog of pop culture reminiscence]

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

That would definitely be one I'd like to have. *laughs* I remember, when I hung out at the Condo o' Mystery (my boyfriend's place) in the '80's, we used to reminisce about how wonderful The Avengers was.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

That I just don't get. If it's a good story, who cares that it takes an expansive view of the plot?

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, I have a perfect scene in my head - that's actually been in my head for a while now - involving a Ed and Winry and Garfield and a lightning storm, but I have no plot to go with the scene. Sometimes you can't win.

Sometimes I write that sort of thing up as "Sketch: [Whatever]" (like the afterstory for Lieutenant Ji that jumped me this morning on the way to work, insisting that he survived the battle at the North Pole but got transferred into a Somme-like standoff down in the Earth Kingdom thereafter, and just manages to hang on long enough to see the change of regime, which exists solely because I liked Ji and think he deserves closure, not because I actually have anything to say about him. Yet. Gotta finish my Ozai-in-prison drabbles first).

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I take it as a sign of mental laziness personally but that might be cynical

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Just a touch. :-)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

snort

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I write that sort of thing up as "Sketch: [Whatever]"

...DUH.

Now we just need to see if the punchline works a a punchline and not just as a moment in a longer fic.

(...Hey, you're not trying to get me to talk you out of writing Avatar fic, are you?)

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Now we just need to see if the punchline works a a punchline and not just as a moment in a longer fic.

[crosses fingers, because there needs to be more good stories featuring Garfiel]

(...Hey, you're not trying to get me to talk you out of writing Avatar fic, are you?)

I don't think you could. Crazy Ozai drabble sequence, coming right up ...