How Many Active Stories do you Have?

[KassX]

3 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

More extensive than that, I’ve got a bunch of XML files, one per character/group/event, and a bit of custom software that spits out browseable HTML with links and each character’s family tree.  That, and I’ve got a random date generator to come up with birthdays

NICE. I’m not that technologically literate so I think I’ll stick with my dinky spreadsheets lol. Is it bad that I match character personalities to the closest horoscope sign and pick a date in that range when I have to come up with birthdays? 

[Desiderius Price]

1 hour ago, KassX said:

NICE. I’m not that technologically literate so I think I’ll stick with my dinky spreadsheets lol. Is it bad that I match character personalities to the closest horoscope sign and pick a date in that range when I have to come up with birthdays? 

It comes down to the whole character creation process.  I’ve got trouble with blank bits of paper or blank documents, so I’ll create lists of randomized traits/dates/names/etc, and use those to jumpstart my shaping of the character.

[pippychick]

3 hours ago, JayDee said:

 The thing is, I worked out who you are.

Arghh! *unhooks the phone, puts the chain on the door, severs the internet* … *...sighs and turns the modem back on again*

3 hours ago, JayDee said:

 I worked out how your story ended.

You did? *sidles closer* Whisper it to me…?

3 hours ago, JayDee said:

You… you objected. You want a different ending.

*pulls back* Wow… that bad, huh?

3 hours ago, JayDee said:

I guess “You!” is on hiatus so… 1? If I ever finish it.

Seriously, though… playing aside, I hope you will finish it, no matter how long we have to wait. *throws some inspiration confetti at you*

[pippychick]

Damn… well, I just had a quick look through my profile here. Discounting fic I have going that is joint fic, I have 12, of which 10 I fully intend at some point to finish (if I ever get around to it). Of my joint fic, I intend to finish all of those, which total another three. I also have a number of stories that I haven’t posted on my hard drive that I need to work on, and most of those are original, which brings the grand total to around 18 altogether.

*hides*

I am awful… I know. I swear I have finished some! There are some finished stories on my profile!

[KassX]

36 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

It comes down to the whole character creation process.  I’ve got trouble with blank bits of paper or blank documents, so I’ll create lists of randomized traits/dates/names/etc, and use those to jumpstart my shaping of the character.

The more stories I try to write, the harder the character creation process seems to get! I don’t want them to sound too much like each other (and since I’m almost always writing in first person, differentiating protagonist povs makes me cry fr). Maybe I’ll try that! 

27 minutes ago, pippychick said:

Damn… well, I just had a quick look through my profile here. Discounting fic I have going that is joint fic, I have 12, of which 10 I fully intend at some point to finish (if I ever get around to it). Of my joint fic, I intend to finish all of those, which total another three. I also have a number of stories that I haven’t posted on my hard drive that I need to work on, and most of those are original, which brings the grand total to around 18 altogether.

*hides*

I am awful… I know. I swear I have finished some! There are some finished stories on my profile!

2

Daaaang @CloverReef just exploded into skittles somewhere… That’s actually really cool if you can manage them well, but I can imagine all of it getting really overwhelming really fast.

[BronxWench]

Let’s see…

Joint fics: 2

Fan fiction: 1

Original fiction: 2

Stuff I need to finish and send to my publisher: 3

NaNo stuff I’m ignoring because it sucks: 2

Nope, Pip has me beat!

[CloverReef]

2 hours ago, KassX said:

Daaaang @CloverReef just exploded into skittles somewhere…

Yeah but I gobbled them all up, so my head is whole again. Because that’s how it works.

[Desiderius Price]

2 hours ago, KassX said:

The more stories I try to write, the harder the character creation process seems to get! I don’t want them to sound too much like each other (and since I’m almost always writing in first person, differentiating protagonist povs makes me cry fr). Maybe I’ll try that!

I find it helps, especially on making them different, otherwise, I’d likely make them all the same.  (Though main characters in my stories develop a common liking to go around naked, maybe that says something about … me?  )

[KassX]

41 minutes ago, BronxWench said:

Stuff I need to finish and send to my publisher: 3

NaNo stuff I’m ignoring because it sucks: 2

 

Oh sweet, you have a publisher! NaNo is rouuugh and not in a good way!

4 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

I find it helps, especially on making them different, otherwise, I’d likely make them all the same.  (Though main characters in my stories develop a common liking to go around naked, maybe that says something about … me?  )

If it says something about you, then it says something about me too 

39 minutes ago, CloverReef said:

Yeah but I gobbled them all up, so my head is whole again. Because that’s how it works.

I am not seeing the problem here, is that not how it works? 

[JayDee]

6 hours ago, CloverReef said:

Yeah but I gobbled them all up, so my head is whole again. Because that’s how it works.

“Taste the brainbow!”

[pippychick]

9 hours ago, KassX said:

Daaaang @CloverReef just exploded into skittles somewhere… That’s actually really cool if you can manage them well, but I can imagine all of it getting really overwhelming really fast.

The atmosphere in all of them is completely different, so really it’s not overwhelming… even if I think of them all at the same time. They all have a different character as a story. The two I’ve had to drop forever are the two that I don’t remember where I was going. That can happen. But it’s like having a wardrobe full of different outfits. I like that sensation of choice.   Some of them I work on and don’t post, so some of them have future chapters, and are just waiting for me to write the linking chapters to them so that I can post more.

[KassX]

Just now, pippychick said:

The atmosphere in all of them is completely different, so really it’s not overwhelming… even if I think of them all at the same time. They all have a different character as a story. The two I’ve had to drop forever are the two that I don’t remember where I was going. That can happen. But it’s like having a wardrobe full of different outfits. I like that sensation of choice.   Some of them I work on and don’t post, so some of them have future chapters, and are just waiting for me to write the linking chapters to them so that I can post more.

Nice, I can totally see the appeal of having choice when you write. When I get burned out I have nothing else to work on which in turn makes me feel like a useless sack of shit lol.

[Anesor]

On 2/24/2018 at 4:14 PM, KassX said:

Oh, like an excel sheet? That’s smart. I’ve been trying to organize better, myself.

I have far too many cool ideas for my time and RL ability to record them.  On occasion I manage to farm them to another writer in a story comment.  Got one adopted just last night.  I only use Excel during a complex plot or combat. For story ideas, I keep ideas in plain text files by broad topic areas. Right now I have one for original fiction, for Star Wars fics, for DA, and for NWN. I also have a folder on my desktop where I drop shortcuts for possible blog posts. These files all grow faster than they shrink.

But answering the original posting (got the digest late today)  I have three SW fics, one big and two smaller, posted within the last month. Two others are ready to start as soon as I close at least one down.

I have a whole bunch of hiatus’d stories, that I want to continue. Most stopped from block, and some as I realized that juggling more than three brings me to a stop in all of them. Of course I don’t like having only one as swapping stories lets me sidestep block most of the time. Three stories seems to be my sweet spot.

Raw Counts: Book4 choices, Book3 AMT, side novella AMT, DA2 alt, another DA2 alt, Serial original novella. And two original novels awaiting enough cash to get an dev editor.  Only one or two SW are hiatused, and I know one will start the sequel before Easter. I’m getting better at keeping a lid on new stories. All hiatused are less than seven years, most less.  Three active, ten hiatus, and 2 in between. I think I’ll stop babbling now.

[KassX]

Just now, Anesor said:

I have far too many cool ideas for my time and RL ability to record them.  On occasion I manage to farm them to another writer in a story comment.  Got one adopted just last night. 

1

Wow, I think I’m such a jealous bitch I’d rather kill my babies than let someone adopt them. You can totally quote me on that when I end up on the news someday 

Super impressive, and yes, I love that having multiple projects lets you work on something else for a while if one blocks you out; I’m starting to rid myself of the irrational terror of having more than one active story, haha. You guys with your 7 year hiatuses and I don’t even think I’ve held on to any single idea for that long, lol. 

[Anesor]

13 hours ago, pippychick said:

The atmosphere in all of them is completely different, so really it’s not overwhelming… even if I think of them all at the same time. They all have a different character as a story. The two I’ve had to drop forever are the two that I don’t remember where I was going. That can happen. But it’s like having a wardrobe full of different outfits. I like that sensation of choice.   Some of them I work on and don’t post, so some of them have future chapters, and are just waiting for me to write the linking chapters to them so that I can post more.

Yeah, I had a three week block on one story as I stopped in the middle of a speech where one char was setting up a prank that tied into the final challenge and close. When I came back to the tale, all I had was the look of mischief in one character’s eyes and the sinking feeling in the POV that they might not find the learning experience was not going to be fun for them.

And that was ALL I remembered about the next sentence and scene. I knew where the tale would end, but this is fluff with serious undertones, so it was no joy buzzer prank.  So I really empathize with getting lost.

I originally wrote most stories with rotating 1^st person POV, and I got to calling each persona like a Lon ballcap I could put on, and then the next lead’s ball cap.  I’ve noticed the ballcaps were stronger the characters had a stronger voice and smaller canon. The SW ones now are wispier. Anyone else remember the Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd toon where new hats kept landing on their heads and they’d swap from hunter to judge to bride and groom? That’s the way I handled it for a while.

[Desiderius Price]

56 minutes ago, Anesor said:

I have far too many cool ideas for my time and RL ability to record them.

I try to keep a notebook on hand so that I can jot the good ones down when I have them.

[Anesor]

28 minutes ago, KassX said:

Wow, I think I’m such a jealous bitch I’d rather kill my babies than let someone adopt them. You can totally quote me on that when I end up on the news someday 

I’m trying to slowly kill that. You can give two writers, ten writers the same idea/prompt and get at least ten different stories.  There are SO many stories that take different paths if X scene went differently. The more annoyed the fandom, the wider the divergence. They may be similarities, but each writer spins it differently. The plagarists aren’t that bright and don’t drift further away as the story goes on.

My ideas are stories I’d like to see, and there’s plenty of writers who can do them justice. And if they don’t, I may take a crack in a few months when I get a slot open.

[KassX]

Just now, Anesor said:

And that was ALL I remembered about the next sentence and scene. I knew where the tale would end, but this is fluff with serious undertones, so it was no joy buzzer prank.  So I really empathize with getting lost.

 

You’ve just described my worst fear as a writer in three lines, lol. I’ve jumped out of a shower before to jot down breakthroughs so I don’t lose them. 

Quote

Anyone else remember the Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd toon where new hats kept landing on their heads and they’d swap from hunter to judge to bride and groom? 

1

Pepperidge Farm remembers…

Just now, Anesor said:

I’m trying to slowly kill that. You can give two writers, ten writers the same idea/prompt and get at least ten different stories.  There are SO many stories that take different paths if X scene went differently. The more annoyed the fandom, the wider the divergence. They may be similarities, but each writer spins it differently. The plagarists aren’t that bright and don’t drift further away as the story goes on.

My ideas are stories I’d like to see, and there’s plenty of writers who can do them justice. And if they don’t, I may take a crack in a few months when I get a slot open.

1

1

NO. 

Lol, jk that’s actually a good way of looking at it. 

Edited February 25, 2018 by KassX

[Anesor]

2 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

I try to keep a notebook on hand so that I can jot the good ones down when I have them.

Oh, I record them in files backed up in the cloud, as I lose notepads and have trouble writing with pencil anymore. The only ones I lose are in the bath.

[KassX]

Just now, Anesor said:

Oh, I record them in files backed up in the cloud, as I lose notepads and have trouble writing with pencil anymore. The only ones I lose are in the bath.

See, you just gotta drop whatever you’re doing and find a place to jot it down, and your family is just gonna have to deal 

[Anesor]

1 hour ago, KassX said:

See, you just gotta drop whatever you’re doing and find a place to jot it down, and your family is just gonna have to deal 

No, it’s more a RL living situation where nothing can happen on the fly. We each have different physical issues, so no one can jump. At least I have no shortage of ideas.

[KassX]

Just now, Anesor said:

No, it’s more a RL living situation where nothing can happen on the fly. We each have different physical issues, so no one can jump. At least I have no shortage of ideas.

Oooh, I see, well at least you’re prolific anyway! 

[CloverReef]

6 hours ago, KassX said:

I’m starting to rid myself of the irrational terror of having more than one active story, haha.

It’s only irrational if the stories aren’t really out to get you.

I dunno, these fic-jugglers still give me panic attacks. I’m just going to hide in the corner and grumble bitterly to my pug about all these crazy multitasking shenanigans going on around here. He gets me. I think… It’s hard to tell. Sometimes he snores when I’m talking to him with his eyes wide open.

Edited February 26, 2018 by CloverReef

[KassX]

17 minutes ago, CloverReef said:

It’s only irrational if the stories aren’t really out to get you.

 

NOW you tell me?! I already started another one! THEY OUTNUMBER ME NOW-

[CloverReef]

 

4 minutes ago, KassX said:

NOW you tell me?! I already started another one! THEY OUTNUMBER ME NOW-

OMG Runnnn!!!!!  (I tried to find a horror emoticons, but little kids are creepy so… yeah.)