CloverReef

I love the idea of a creative writing class, just for the pure educational value of it. Learning is always valuable. But for me and people like me, it’s not an option for feedback for two reasons. Price is the first one. Personal interest classes generally run $100 and up. Actual programs will run a lot more than that (where I am). There are online free options, but those are best for independent learning rather than getting any honest feedback. Second reason is simply the subject matter. If I were to write a story for a class, I would not write the sort of things I prefer to write. I wouldn’t write anything close, because gay-themed smut does not seem like an appropriate subject matter for a creative writing class. I certainly wouldn’t have the balls to put one of my stories forward even in an open-minded university environment, much less in a very conservative small town lol. So the class could be awesome for honing skill if one can afford it, but perhaps not ideal for the sort of feedback we’re griping about lacking. 

Absolutely, lack of feedback makes me change stuff! Sometimes the change is as simple as pulling the story. Sometimes it gets more complicated as I attempt to read the minds of readers to figure out what the problem was. And seeing as how I’m a pretty shitty psychic, I end up changing a lot of things in a panic until the story is unrecognizable or just not what I wanted to begin with soooo either way it’s usually a terrible decision on my part lol. But doubt does that to me. Makes me make terrible decisions.

Write it and the appropriate readers will (likely) come along and enjoy it.

I’d like to be able to fly. Just because really.

I now follow the author dedicated to fighting her on Twitter, so I can follow the insanity without adding to her follower count. So I can be amused/baffled/angry daily. 

No, not ‘Will you marry me’. I’m talking about the REAL big question. You’re all fellow nerds and geeks, you should know this! 
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I need to know. Because I thought of mine, and that made me wonder about yours. If I had a super evil super power, it would be the ability to control people’s words. Not their thoughts, their action, or their message. I pretty much just want to edit the way people talk. Especially the way they talk to me, because lack of tact and TMI moments in public really grate on my nerves lol. Okay, supervillains, talk to me! (I guess you heroes can talk too, but… you know, use your inside voice.)

@Anesor Beautifully said… But seriously, buttermilk is gross. 

That’s an interesting (and kinda depressing) take on it. I’m not sure that I agree that it’s the only way to avoid stagnation. I think if you feel stagnation setting in, taking a break as I think you’re suggesting, is absolutely one way to handle it. Take time away so you can come back and look at things with fresh eyes, but it’s not the only option. You can fend it off by taking risks, writing in a different genre, or indulge in something you wouldn’t normally indulge in. For some writers, writing exercises and prompts help. 
Also, I just wanna say I love your definitions. 

Agreed, but some fans are weird enough to like it for the creepy, cloying feel.

@Anesor Beautifully said… But seriously, buttermilk is gross. 

I had to think about this a bit, but stopping writing altogether is not the way to stop the stagnation. That only ossifies the problem and makes it even harder to start again. I think stagnation is another flavor of block. I think a writer or two that I really liked in an earlier fandom, kept reskinning the same period and setting. The writing was still good, the new leads had  different issues, but the spark was either missing in the writing or the reading-repeating. If you don’t figure out why you’re in a rut, you will just repeat that cycle later in a new rut… until you find the off-ramp by luck. Some paperback writers make solid careers of a marketable rut.
Stopping writing is like selling your car because you’re sick of the daily commute to work. It misses the issue with dramatic overkill. It only makes new problems, especially if you live somewhere without a good rapid transit.
Is the stagnation because you keep writing the same kind of story over and over? (does it shift back to ‘a script’) Or because no noticeably different stories appeal to your muse? (you can’t force your right brain to follow your logical plans)  Listen to that muse, it doesn’t speak clearly, but it gets bored in ruts. Look for fresh air in a new fandom, new genres, or even strike out into original works to sell. Those will refresh everything.
The basic romance that is the core of a large portion of fanfic is a formula, a rut, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel stagnant.  Pride and Prejudice are as much in the genre as Twilight, so there is a LOT of elbow room in that genre.
A new penname is only useful if your fans will not be willing to accept a change in your writing.  And maintaining them as separate can be a lot of work, and alienate them anyway. One writer I liked their earlier penname better, and since then they abandoned that subgenre, I’ve gradually stopped reading them and the newer ones are really in ruts.  Chasing after the other pennames got too confusing and tiring. (I plan to keep only two, fanfic and original fic) 
If all you write are kidnapping hedgehogs and are thinking of changing but afraid your fans won’t accept your story of stopping the evil milkmaid empire, start with a smaller story to test it. Your fans may surprise you and thrive on buttermilk! (this was supposed to be a short answer but...)
 

That’s an interesting (and kinda depressing) take on it. I’m not sure that I agree that it’s the only way to avoid stagnation. I think if you feel stagnation setting in, taking a break as I think you’re suggesting, is absolutely one way to handle it. Take time away so you can come back and look at things with fresh eyes, but it’s not the only option. You can fend it off by taking risks, writing in a different genre, or indulge in something you wouldn’t normally indulge in. For some writers, writing exercises and prompts help. 
Also, I just wanna say I love your definitions. 

That’s an interesting (and kinda depressing) take on it. I’m not sure that I agree that it’s the only way to avoid stagnation. I think if you feel stagnation setting in, taking a break as I think you’re suggesting, is absolutely one way to handle it. Take time away so you can come back and look at things with fresh eyes, but it’s not the only option. You can fend it off by taking risks, writing in a different genre, or indulge in something you wouldn’t normally indulge in. For some writers, writing exercises and prompts help. 
Also, I just wanna say I love your definitions. 

Based on my personality and plethora of anxieties... The ability to fade from attention. Like a stranger sees me and is all like "that creature looks totally approachable and not terrified of me at all so I'd better make it converse with me." Then i could just smile and nod and with my epic power i could make them lose interest and go away. I think I'd get that power because i already kinda do it with awkwardness. 
Edit: excuse the errors. Wrote this on my phone. 

Definitely! If the author wants to show off, or wants to indulge in a fantasy language they created, or they’re just obsessed with languages and enjoy playing with them, all the more power to them. I respect that kinda passion and creativity. I probably won’t enjoy that part of their stories, but I grudgingly accept that not everyone and everything needs to cater to me. 

Definitely! If the author wants to show off, or wants to indulge in a fantasy language they created, or they’re just obsessed with languages and enjoy playing with them, all the more power to them. I respect that kinda passion and creativity. I probably won’t enjoy that part of their stories, but I grudgingly accept that not everyone and everything needs to cater to me. 

Definitely! If the author wants to show off, or wants to indulge in a fantasy language they created, or they’re just obsessed with languages and enjoy playing with them, all the more power to them. I respect that kinda passion and creativity. I probably won’t enjoy that part of their stories, but I grudgingly accept that not everyone and everything needs to cater to me. 

Oh my goodness!!  I love it!!  While I personally have difficulty with using a ‘created language’ in my writings, I most definitely and absolutely spend an enormous amount of time researching and developing the various aspects of culture for my original works.  Just like in ‘real life’ there are so many different cultures, I want that same ‘richness’ in my stories, complete with social customs, beliefs, politics, etc.  I think this ‘setting of mixed cultures’ helps to build and expand the possibilities for creating tension, intrigue, and other things that can pull the reader into the story.  It gives them ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ to both love and/or hate as they root for whichever one ‘does it’ for them LOL
I also brought this topic up in a discussion with a few other writer friends of mine and their feelings were pretty similar to mine, as well as something you said about ‘slang’ terms.  I brought up in that discussion one of my favorite authors, Mercedes Lackey and her Heralds of Valdemar Series.  There is a group of people in her story that most definitely have their own entire language, but she didn’t use it a lot in the story, just dropped a word here and there when a character from that particular group of people could not think of how to express something to someone outside of their group.  But she would have that character go right into an explanation of what that word meant in their language.  That worked out really well in my opinion.

This is AFF, we love stories around here, especially if there’s stripping involved
In the Potter fanfics that I did write, I’d switch a bit too often, IMO, between 1st and 3rd.  Since then, I’ve kinda formed my own rules.  I’ll avoid 1st because there’s a lot of “I’s” not to mention it’s tougher to remember the main character’s name.  When I started SR, I did a utterly detached, third person, no-mind-reading, but I’ve come to let a bit slip in if it saves a lot of awkward exposition/dialogue, or as a hint to the reader (ie, “lied” or “changed subject”) so they know there’s something off.  I think it came down to .. I want the narrator to be truthful, always truthful, but the characters can lie and get it wrong
So, which dialect of Klingon are you’re looking for?     A google search claims there’s at least eighty.
If the author is really wanting to show their bilinguistic skills, there’s no reason they can’t have English subtitles when it’s meant to be understood.
 

I admire that: that you’re putting so much effort into what you feel you need to improve. I could tell a story about how I discovered and grew to love 3rd limited POV, but I won’t because I don’t wanna annoy the mods. Yes. I have a story. I’m that much of a writing nerd. 
I’m not so sure my personal rules for languages would apply to fandoms like Star Trek or anything Tolkien, just because of what you mentioned. In fandoms where there are complex languages, the fans have already developed their love for something that you’d need to ease them into if it were an original. I don’t read or write high fantasy or deep sci fi, but I’m not sure my rules would apply there either. Obviously, since it worked for Tolkien, some original writers are able to do things other writers would balk at, and do them successfully. Though, in my not-so-humble opinion, plenty do them unsuccessfully too. 
You know your audience, and you should absolutely give them what they love. 

Of course, there’s many instances where people would not be using English. But if the perspective character understands the language, there’s no reason the reader shouldn’t be able to read it in English. Personally, I think there are many ways to show a rich history and culture without actually writing out another language. As a reader, having to rely on exposition to understand dialogue is tedious and takes me out of the story. I get more culture out of a well placed insult or endearment than lines of what would be gibberish to me. 
I love other languages. I love when other languages and cultures get represented in fiction. I’d like to enjoy that representation and get absorbed into the story without exposition or confusion kicking me out of it. Doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Doesn’t even mean that I will hate it if you have conversations written out en francais. Just means I probably will hate it lol, but there’s a small chance that a writer could do it so epic and awesome that it sucks me right in. 

Of course, there’s many instances where people would not be using English. But if the perspective character understands the language, there’s no reason the reader shouldn’t be able to read it in English. Personally, I think there are many ways to show a rich history and culture without actually writing out another language. As a reader, having to rely on exposition to understand dialogue is tedious and takes me out of the story. I get more culture out of a well placed insult or endearment than lines of what would be gibberish to me. 
I love other languages. I love when other languages and cultures get represented in fiction. I’d like to enjoy that representation and get absorbed into the story without exposition or confusion kicking me out of it. Doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Doesn’t even mean that I will hate it if you have conversations written out en francais. Just means I probably will hate it lol, but there’s a small chance that a writer could do it so epic and awesome that it sucks me right in. 

The trouble with made up languages is that it’s very hard to guess how much your audience will tolerate or enjoy.  I was having fun making up language/culture for my original story, but realized much later that it was going to force readers to keep referring to a glossary or they miss important emotional context of the story.
I hate that myself, and it takes a really special story to make me put up with it for long.
When a published romance opens with a eight page phrase book, I put it down.  Few there avoid pretentious overuse, instead of a spice.
Yeah, there’s some geek subcultures where there is an existing language or two. (I would not like to get caught between some klingons and elves) but I want to remember that I want to appeal to more than the ubergeeks. (so next time I tackle revisions of that novel, I’m going to gut the language)  I use an occasional existing slang or invective from my current fandom, but even now I’m considering using a longer quote because using that other language has an extra emotional weight for the one character that literally cannot be said by that character otherwise. I’ve been testing it in snippets for my own use, and expect to put translations in a chapter afterward… for that chapter.  But how common does a slang, or how clear the context have to be, before I’m a sleemo if I don’t offer a translation?

I admire that: that you’re putting so much effort into what you feel you need to improve. I could tell a story about how I discovered and grew to love 3rd limited POV, but I won’t because I don’t wanna annoy the mods. Yes. I have a story. I’m that much of a writing nerd. 
I’m not so sure my personal rules for languages would apply to fandoms like Star Trek or anything Tolkien, just because of what you mentioned. In fandoms where there are complex languages, the fans have already developed their love for something that you’d need to ease them into if it were an original. I don’t read or write high fantasy or deep sci fi, but I’m not sure my rules would apply there either. Obviously, since it worked for Tolkien, some original writers are able to do things other writers would balk at, and do them successfully. Though, in my not-so-humble opinion, plenty do them unsuccessfully too. 
You know your audience, and you should absolutely give them what they love. 

I admire that: that you’re putting so much effort into what you feel you need to improve. I could tell a story about how I discovered and grew to love 3rd limited POV, but I won’t because I don’t wanna annoy the mods. Yes. I have a story. I’m that much of a writing nerd. 
I’m not so sure my personal rules for languages would apply to fandoms like Star Trek or anything Tolkien, just because of what you mentioned. In fandoms where there are complex languages, the fans have already developed their love for something that you’d need to ease them into if it were an original. I don’t read or write high fantasy or deep sci fi, but I’m not sure my rules would apply there either. Obviously, since it worked for Tolkien, some original writers are able to do things other writers would balk at, and do them successfully. Though, in my not-so-humble opinion, plenty do them unsuccessfully too. 
You know your audience, and you should absolutely give them what they love.