dejadrew | Entries tagged with writing

My first professionally published short story from 2012, Said the Princess, originally published in Daily Science Fiction, has now received a reprint as a full cast audio podcast recording from Podcastle! I am... deliriously excited and it is actually making it hard to do the Serious Author Self Promotion thing, which I am never especially good at under any circumstances. But I just listened to it and it is SO GOOD. So good! I am trying to type sensible self promotion things but internally I am just wildly Kermit flailing.

All the cast did an amazing job, but I'm especially impressed with Andrew K. Hoe for managing to take a passage consisting entirely of the phrase "and the Princess took another step" repeated twelve times (sorry about that, Mr. Hoe) and somehow turning that into a suspenseful dramatic monologue. Dang, sir.

Go give a listen. And then listen to a bunch of other episodes, because all the Escape Artist podcast productions are amazing. And then come back to listen to the Said the Princess episode again on a constant loop for the rest of the day. That's probably what I'm going to be doing. KERMIT FLAIL.

NEW STORY PUBLICATION DAY! Daily Science Fiction has just put up my latest, Seven Reasons Your Blind Date is Staring at the Mysterious Iron Ring on Your Hand.

I went through a period of experimenting with lists in my writing warm ups. I'd take a prompt, and pick a suitably satisfying number, and I'd run through multiple variations on the prompt. The idea was to keep me from getting attached to my first idea, learn to keep things flowing, all that good stuff.

For some reason when I sat down to write reasons why your blind date is staring at your mysterious iron ring, instead of it being seven separate variations on a theme, the entries in the list all started... talking to each other. There were recurring characters, and world building, and it built to something.

I wasn't entirely sure what that something WAS, mind you, and I'm still not. But I'm very proud of it, and I'm glad folks get to read it.

I have a flash fic up today at Cast of Wonders! Three Monsters that Are Not Metaphors, part of Cast of Wonders episode 450, Little Wonders 28: Metaphors and Allegories. Give it a read and/or a listen, along with the other excellent story I'm honoured to share this episode with, This Is Not My Adventure, by Karlo Yeager Rodríguez.

It's always an exciting treat to hear my stories read out loud by someone who is not me. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's the most tangible possible proof that someone else HAS read it. Or possibly it's the chance to hear what my words sound like in someone else's head. Maybe it's just my misspent youth in community theatre coming back to me. Or maybe it's the thrill of power? Like, ooh, the actress made a noise like a wail there! Because that's what I wrote and she had to! Dear god, I could write anything and the narrator would have to read it and do what it said! Dance! DANCE PUPPETS! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Anyway yes go give mine and Mr. Yeager Rodriguez's stories a listen.

I don't quite seem to have the hang of this "blogging" or "regular posting" business... ah well.

I've snagged a bundle from itch io that I couldn't resist. That's happened a few times, they do these occasional massive charity bundles where you can snag dozens (or on one memorable occasion last spring, over a thousand) games for ten bucks or so and the money goes to a good cause. In this case, the bundle is called Solo but Not Alone, and it's a collection of single player TTRPGs with the money going to an anti suicide charity.

I love TTRPGs, but I haven't always been able to find people to play with (I got lucky this year when my brother in lawnce started up a Fate campaign over zoom, it's been a massive sanity saver this past year). I also struggle sometimes with deciding what to write about. (Especially this past year. And change. Man, it's technically over but so far it feels like 2020 just keeps on going, don't it)

So a big fat stash of journalling games and writing prompts seems like just the ticket. A chance to be creative, but with some guidance and the reassuring framework of "just a game" to let me relax and play around without worrying about getting stuck. Sounds like a plan.

I am increasingly weirded out by the fact that there does not appear to be any fanfic for 4theWords. Like, does that seem bizarre to anyone else?

For those unaware, 4theWords is a game for writers. It's built around word count. The basic mechanic is, you face various monsters, and the monsters have a health bar measured out in word count. The more words you type, the lower the monster's health gets, and if you type enough words within the time limit, you win, beat the monster, and get loot. There are quests, there's a storyline, you get cool cosmetic items to dress up your avatar, it's a pretty standard RPG except that you fight with typing instead of with spells and combat abilities.

And it's really helpful, honestly? It has helped my productivity a LOT. It's really useful and motivating to have clear concrete goals and rewards in my writing. Big abstract goals like "write a story" are hard to grasp and manifest, but "write 444 words to beat up a Wignow and get enough leaves to turn in this quest" is clear and solid. And once you get started, before you know it you've beaten up a dozen other monsters and written thousands of words and huh, I think a first draft happened.

But 4theWords DOESN'T HAVE ANY FANFIC.

A game for writers, in which EVERY SINGLE PLAYER IS A WRITER, and this game has not one fic, as of this moment, on Ao3. None on fanfiction dot nest of voles! And that... how?

Honestly it's... kind of damning, really, with regards to the game's writing and lore. All these creative types using it, and not one of us is actually inspired to create anything ABOUT it? I admit, I barely understand anything about the plot or remember the name of any of the characters. It's pretty generic RPG fantasy, I think, albeit with a reasonably cute art style.

Maybe it's that gameplay and plot are so divorced. Like, within the game world, I think our characters are supposedly just fighting with swords and spears like in a regular RPG game, and the words we're writing are this completely separate thing that has nothing to do with what happens in the world. Like how pushing a button on my keyboard in WoW makes my rogue stab a mob, pushing ALL the buttons on my keyboard makes my character beat up leaf creatures in 4theWords. If they'd actually tied in creativity and making words to the core concept of the story, would we actually be paying attention to it?

I have no idea. I just know it's WEIRD.

For what it's worth, I absolutely do recommend 4theWords as a way to set goals, stay motivated, and feel accomplished while writing. I just... wish I could recommend it as a world and an inspiration for that writing?

A follow up to the previous rant that felt like a separate post. Tips for accepting critique. This is how I approach the process, anyway, and I feel like it helps. Note, this is only for dealing with feedback and critique that you specifically asked for. If somebody is showing up and picking your work apart without an invitation, to heck with them.

BEFORE THE CRIT

1. Only submit a story for fixing if you actually think it might be broken, and you can't fix it yourself.

This ties directly into the previous rant. If you already believe this story is complete and perfected to your satisfaction, then skip critiquing. And if there's a problem you already spotted and already know how to fix, ideally fix that first so your critiquer doesn't waste time pointing out issues that are already gone in the next draft.

2. Prepare some questions in advance about issues that worry you, but don't ask them in advance.

Sometimes there are problems you can see for yourself but you DON'T know how to fix them. Or you can't be sure if they're problems or not. What I do is, before I go to meet my critique buddies and hear what they have to say, I make a list of three questions I have about the draft. Things that are worrying me, like, is this character annoying? Does this story start in the right place? Is this line of dialogue cheesy? Whatever.

Now, I do NOT give these questions to the critiquers until AFTER they've read it and AFTER they've given me their own thoughts and opinions. If I give them the questions before they read the story, or before they give their advice, then they'll be focused on answering those questions, consciously or unconsciously, and I won't be getting their genuine natural response to the work. They might miss a different problem, or be swayed by my neuroses to consider something a problem which actually wouldn't have bothered them if I hadn't pointed it out.

But having those questions ready so I can spring them on them at the end is useful. I probably DO have specific concerns or fears, so getting specific advice is helpful to settle them. Looking for specific problems I'd like help addressing helps me look at my draft in a troubleshooting frame of mind. And the fact that I am looking for and seeing problems myself keeps me from getting defensive. "OH NO THERE ARE THINGS IN MY STORY WHICH THEY DO NOT LIKE" "Well yes anxiety brain there are things in this story which I also do not like that is why we are here what's your point"

DURING THE CRIT

3. Listen.

You're here for a reason and that reason is to find out what impact your work has on a reader and what adjustments you might need to make based on that information. You can't do any of that if you don't pay attention. Take notes. Write down things that they said which sound particularly useful/interesting/surprising. Scribble, doodle, and underline things on a copy of the manuscript. Think of more questions based on what they tell you and add them to your list of questions to ask at the end.

4. Nod and Smile and don't argue.

I am not saying agree. I am not saying everything your critiquer says is right. I am not saying you should do everything they tell you. But arguing with them is counterproductive and rude. You wanted their feedback. You are getting their feedback. Even if you think they are completely wrong about what your story needs, they are giving you important data. They are telling you ways and places in which your story did not work for THEM. That tells you something. They may be wrong about how to fix it, but they are still telling you things about your story which you can use. Arguing cuts you off from that flow of information and it's rude to someone who is doing you a service which you specifically asked them to perform.

5. Ask your questions

Again, wait until after the critiquer has had the chance to give their own opinions. You might be able to cross off a few questions that you prepared in advance if they address it without your input (that also tells you something. If you saw a problem but they didn't, it might not be as big a problem as you feared. Conversely, if you and the critiquer both saw the same issue, then your instincts were right and it definitely needs addressing.) Sometimes if they found a problem, I think of a couple ways I could fix it and sound them out as to whether those solutions sound like they might work.

AFTER THE CRIT

6. Say thank you.

You asked for help and they tried to help you. Whether you found their specific advice useful or not, they stepped up for you. Thank them!

7. Let it sink in and do NOT touch the manuscript right away!

Give yourself a few days to ponder what you've learned. Did something they said ring true? Why? Did something they said seem completely wrong and off base? Why? That last one is still helpful. If you know they're completely wrong about something, then that means that you know on some level what the right answer is. Just process for a while, sifting through what was said and thinking about ways you can use what you've learned to make your story better.

8. Apply SOME of their advice (probably not all, probably not none)

Once you've sorted through what they've told you, sit down and start making changes that make sense to you. Your critique partner almost certainly is not completely right about what you need to do. But they almost certainly told you SOMETHING about your story that you didn't already know, one way or another. And you can find a use for it.

9. No harm in trying

No draft has to be forever, you know. You can always go back to an earlier draft if a particular change doesn't work. Save the current draft under a new name (draft 2_03 the version with the home invasion) and then TRY things. Did your critiquer suggest something drastic and scary but you wonder if maybe they have a point? There's a way to find out! And it won't kill you OR your story. Save a separate draft, as if you were saving your game before a big nasty boss fight. Then try the strat. Cut a thousand words. Add a scene. Remove a character. Then if it didn't work, reload and try something else. Even something that doesn't work might teach you what you need to do instead.

And that's roughly it. A critique is an information gathering process to get the data you need to help you make a weak story stronger. Go into it with that mindset firmly in place. Absorb as much of that information as you can so that you can use it as you deem fit.

Captain Awkward's latest post got me thinking about a particular phenomenon I see in writing groups and critiques, and I felt like putting a rant down in words.

Writers, artists, fellow creative types?

If you think a work is already perfect, DO NOT SUBMIT IT FOR CRITIQUE.

If you think the work is already everything it needs to be? If you think it's saying exactly what you need to say, in the way you need to say it, and is ready to be published and presented to the world as a complete finished work? Then you should not be submitting it for critique. You should be submitting it to a publisher.

I've done that! I've skipped the critique process and gone straight to publisher submissions before on a couple of occasions, and on some of those occasions I turned out to be right and the story sold!

Other stories, I have held off and sought out the feedback and critique. And the difference is, in those cases, I knew that the story was NOT perfect. That it COULD be better. But I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it on my own, beyond a vague sense of "not there yet", and I needed another set of eyes/ears/neurons. I didn't always take the advice I was given. I didn't always agree with the advice I was given. But if I'm seeking advice, I know I need it, and I never argue with the person giving it, because whether or not I think they're right about the solution, they are helping me figure out the problem, and that is exactly what I was asking them for.

Critiquing is troubleshooting! It is problem solving! If you are refusing to even accept that your work has any problems, why are you wasting yours and the critiquer's time? What are you even hoping to get out of the process? Be honest with yourself. Do you want someone to just stroke your ego and confirm your own opinion? Why? If that's something you need, then you need to get your ego out of the weird halfway place that it's in. If you are a brilliant perfect genius creating masterpieces that need no improvement, then you need to be able to tell YOURSELF that. Don't hope other people will say it for you and get mad if they don't. Get a mirror or a nice motivational poster to tell you how awesome you are.

If you are a flawed human creating flawed works, and can acknowledge that, that is when you can reach out to other humans for help.

Current Mood: frustrated

Wrestling with a few themed anthologies coming up. I can't seem to find any ideas for the themes that grab me. Which is frustrating and oddly embarrassing. I always say ideas are the easy part, dangit, and they are. And I normally love writing within challenges and prompts. But these prompts aren't sparking anything.

Feh. Quitter talk, dangit. Maybe I'll try adding MORE rules somehow and treat it as an exercise. Maybe give myself a pool of words I have to use or a strict word limit and then I'll be more worried about the mechanics and less worried about a brilliant expression of the theme.

Current Mood: grumpy

I saw Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse yesterday and IMMEDIATELY came home and started writing fanfic for it? Which is... New. I've never actually finished or published fanfic. For some reason I find it scarier than original fiction. A lot of people find original fiction more intimidating because you have to do everything, you don't have any pre-made toys or tools to play with. Which, I can sort of see that. But for me, I think fanfic has always been scarier because since it's not mine, that means I could get it WRONG. It's impossible to get canon WRONG when it's your own canon.

... But I really REALLY wanted a particular epilogue scene that is not in this movie and there's one version of it on Ao3 already thank goodness but I had already been thinking about what I wanted to happen all night and it wasn't QUITE right and WAIT WHERE THE HELL DID THIS FIFTEEN HUNDRED WORDS WORTH OF SPIDER-FICTION IN MY WORD PROCESSOR COME FROM oh shit now I have to do something with it don't I...

Also it's a really REALLY good movie and you should go see it even if there's apparently a heightened risk that fanfic might happen.

I successfully completed 50,000 words in the month of November! A winner is me! As someone who normally writes short stories, this is at least ten times more words than I have ever written together in a row before, and I am slightly dazed.

Unfortunately, the actual STORY isn't finished yet, which flummoxes me somewhat. As a writer of short stories, this... isn't exactly the kind of writing problem I'm used to. When you write three thousand word stories or flash fiction, usually the end of the story is way back there somewhere. I assumed I'd have trouble with running OUT of story before I hit 50k, not that I would have a surplus. Just... It's not over? It was supposed to be over! That was the plan! I'd write for fifty thousand words and then I'd have a book! Not a GOOD book, but a book! And now I still don't have a book? When will it be a book? HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO KEEP DOING THIS BEFORE IT BECOMES A BOOK?

It's like I was running a marathon and crossed the finish line, but someone yelled "Great! Time for SECOND finish line!"

"Wait, SECOND finish line? No one warned me about second finish line!"

"It's fine! Just keep going!"

"Which way? Where's this second finish line? How far away is it?"

"Eh, over there, someplace, probably. If you keep running you'll probably trip over it eventually."

"THAT IS NOT HELPFUL. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COLLAPSE AND DRINK GATORADE AND EAT IBUPROFEN AND WHIMPER HEROICALLY UNDER A PILE OF ICE PACKS BY NOW."

"You can do that once you get to second finish line!"

"BUT WHEN WILL THAT BE?"

"Soon! Maybe! Eventually! I dunno, just keep running! You like running!"

"ARGhhHHhh....."

I am confused and frightened at having somehow accidentally unlocked the writing marathon secret special bonus level. Send help.

EEP I HAVE TO SELF PROMOTE um um um

My latest short story just came out today on the Cast of Wonders podcast as part of their Banned Book Week showcase of stories on the theme of Tales Against Tyranny! It is called Bibliopothecary, and it is about books that help you keep going, and also about the best job in the world to ever not exist.

Read and/or Listen to Bibliopothecary by Dani Atkinson here!

My thanks to Marguerite Kenner and the Cast of Wonders editing team, and to M.K. Hobson for her fantastic reading. You guys, I made a Nebula nominated actual novelist say my words! Out loud! I feel weirdly smug and drunk with power.

If anybody somehow goes from here to there, come back and let me know what you think!

If you came from there and found your way here, HI! I'm Dani, and this is my still somewhat sorry excuse for an author blog. I also want to know what you think! Be patient with me, writing stuff about myself instead of about monsters or fairy tales is confusing and hard. Wouldn't everyone rather hear about Molly Whuppie? I have Opinions.