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The Writing Of... |
million_moments
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| Posted on 03-04-2007 14:34 |
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A thread for fic "commentries". I've seen them around but never read any. They are (I think) a bit like director commentries, basically the suthor writes what they were thinking as they wrote the fic. I think it'd be really interesting to see inside other writers heads!
I plant to do one for misconception. If we put a link to the fic then do the actual commentries in spoilers?
Sounds like fun?
Analysing the methylation-status of phytoplasma infected plant DNA since 2007. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
dahan
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| Posted on 03-04-2007 21:51 |
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It really does sound like fun, but should we open it to individual questions as well? Sometimes I think some of the replies I get to reviews I leave should be posted somewhere as they are actually very awesome commentaries. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
million_moments
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| Posted on 04-04-2007 06:25 |
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It really does sound like fun, but should we open it to individual questions as well? Sometimes I think some of the replies I get to reviews I leave should be posted somewhere as they are actually very awesome commentaries.
Ok, cool. So people can both ask questions on this thread about a particular ifc, authors can make commentaries on fics and of course we can have responces to the commentaries as well!
Analysing the methylation-status of phytoplasma infected plant DNA since 2007. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
Keenir
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| Posted on 04-04-2007 15:22 |
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million_moments wrote:
Ok, cool. So people can both ask questions on this thread about a particular ifc, authors can make commentaries on fics and of course we can have responces to the commentaries as well!
so....do we take turns asking questions, take turns commenting, or...?
*is very lost*
"Rufus, I think some serious physics just happened here." -Ron.
"The FBI doesn't have jurisdiction over golf courses." "Who does?" "I don't know, try the PGA." -Booth, Bones.
"Yeah, believe me, Doc, you scare me just the way you are." "Um, are you being sweet or sarcastic? I can never tell." -Shego, Drakken. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
million_moments
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| Posted on 05-04-2007 14:56 |
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so....do we take turns asking questions, take turns commenting, or...?
*is very lost*
There are no rules! If you want to ask a question, go ahead.If you want to write a commentary for one of your fics, just do it! Oh well there is one rule, use spoiler tags 
Analysing the methylation-status of phytoplasma infected plant DNA since 2007. |
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RE: The Writing of Misconception |
million_moments
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| Posted on 14-04-2007 14:25 |
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Here is a little essay on the writing of Misconception, which can be found and complete here: http://mcweir.com/archive/viewstory.php?sid=294&PHPSESSID=4accf4f62c8b3d4ec56515b27ddd64db
I've done it chapter by chapter.
Chapter 1
[spoiler]The character of Dr. Ivana Petrova-Taylor came to me as I walked home from work in the summer of 2006. I realised she could be used in a pregnancy themese fic I was just conceiving rather then Weir as I thought it would add a nice twist. The chpater was written that evening but then remained abaonded cause I was afraid I had created a Mary-Sue[/spoiler]
Chapter 2:
[spoiler]Upon re-entering the fabaled fic writing zone I managed to bash out chapter 2 that I had started in summer 06 as well.I had plans for the machine to be much more complex and capable of other things such as engineering a child with ATA but decided it would need to be kept simple so the characters wouldn't catch onto what was really happening. After checking with my beta I hadn't made a Mary Sue I published the first two chapters together.[/spoiler]
Chapter 3:
[spoiler] I made a biology mistake in this chapter, shame on me! Ana is testing the blood that was taken from her the week before after her experience in the fertiliy machine. hCG would not have been detectable at that time as the embryo had yet to implant. Rather than insert an explanation in chapter 4 when the majority of people would not notice the nmistake, I just decided in my own head the machine had dosed her with hCG to stop her entering the luteal phase and Ana had obviously retested her blood anyway to be sure. I would offer this if anyone spotted the mistake.
Rosseau is, as implied in the fic, based a bit on Poirot but more of a ladies man! I quite enjoyed writing him and having Ana exploit his wekness for women for her own purposes.[/spoiler]
Chapter4
[spoiler]I worried in this chapter, and throughout the fic, that Elizabeth was a bit to hard, to cold. She's not, I just assesed her as the kind of woman who has no problem with abortion and thinks that it would be best in these circumstances. I decided to create a character who was pro-choice but who's choice was to never have an abortion and this is obviously Ana and could never have been Weir. I needed a really good reason for why she thought the rules would never apply which is why I made her a lesbian![/spoiler]
Chapter 5
[spoiler] I had trouble with this chapter, which was originally two separate chapters: one with Weir and McKay and one with Sheppard and McKay. I combined them so I could make each conversation shorter, I'm not a big fan of dialogue!
The McKay/Sheppard was planned, way back when in 2006, to be alot more hurt/comfort but now it has been made clear in canon how useless Sheppard is at that kind of thing. I changed it to Sheppards POV so we could see how he wanted to help, but actually had Rodney talk himself out of it.[/spoiler]
Chapter 6
[spoiler]Shorter than I planned but sometimes that's just how things go. I always imagined the Athosians to be very pro-life because of their circumstances and would actually have no concept of abortion at all.[/spoiler]
Chapter7
[spoiler]I was always going to kill Ana, she was doomed from the moment of her creation! To do it I did it mainly cause it saved me alot of trouble, rather then the angst factor. If she had lived there would have been many more consequences and I'd have had to write the procedure dealing with her "crimes" and legally what should be done with the child. And I've said before I've always wanted to kill a character in childbirth because its super angsty and I am evil.[/spoiler]
Epilogue
[spoiler]I actually wrote the epiulogue just after chapter 3 I believe to stopme from changing my planned ending.However, I did forget my own main characters full name which is why the child is called Anastasia. Couldn't be bothered to ammend the epilogue so just wrote it that way in chapter 7  [/spoiler]
And that is that!
Analysing the methylation-status of phytoplasma infected plant DNA since 2007. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
dahan
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| Posted on 14-04-2007 17:49 |
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I'm just thinking how quickly you would have reached the 2000 mark had these commentaries been posted as each chapter was posted millions.
Nicely done!
Question...(with partial spoiler)
[spoiler]
I take it from the lack of a mention of a sequel the kid won't be making an appearance in any other fic huh? Cause the paddlecar thing really was a cute image.
[/spoiler] |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
fififolle
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| Posted on 14-04-2007 18:18 |
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This is a very good idea, and has reminde me that I need to catch up on Misconception... I think subconsciously I must have been avoiding the inevitable, sorry! *dashes off now*
My SGA portrait courtesy of RogueDragon, many thanks!
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RE: The Writing Of... |
million_moments
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| Posted on 15-04-2007 04:06 |
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Well Dahan I wasn't planning any sequels no. I can't think of any good story line but if you have one feel free to suggest it!
Analysing the methylation-status of phytoplasma infected plant DNA since 2007. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
million_moments
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| Posted on 15-04-2007 07:24 |
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I enjoyed writing the one for Misconception so here is a quick one for You Weren't Kidding about Chapter 10: http://mcweir.com/archive/viewstory.php?sid=295&PHPSESSID=76846672072f59942bbc3f2a98b8daf0
[spoiler]I wrote this for Rhi, who had asked for McKay/Weir fluff as her only specification. As I was writing the very angsty Misconeption at the time I decided to write a fic that defined fluff. I think I managed it though it was a bit to fluffy/cheesy.
I wrote it on the train. It took me ages to come up with the idea as I hadn't any idea but randomly the thought of writing something about the famous chapter 10 came to me and it just flowed from there. Its my first fic where there is an implication of sex, I don't normally write RST, but I don't think I did bad.[/spoiler]
Analysing the methylation-status of phytoplasma infected plant DNA since 2007. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
Purpleyin
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| Posted on 15-04-2007 09:38 |
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I've seen these done and they do look interesting but i've no clue which story of mine I' start with.
Credit for icon goes to bethyj_graphics. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
fififolle
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| Posted on 15-04-2007 16:48 |
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It's got to be 'It's Just There'
I usually write whatever needs saying in Author Notes, LOL. Although mine aren't as long as some I've seen, hahaha, like the ones where the notes are longer than the fic LOL!
Actually, dahan, if you see this, how on earth did you decide on rhyming humor?
My SGA portrait courtesy of RogueDragon, many thanks!
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RE: The Writing Of... |
dahan
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| Posted on 15-04-2007 18:52 |
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Well I certainly wasn't going to absurdly rhyme dramatic horror fifi! Actually the best and only answer I have is that it just worked out that way... that and the sandbox was overflowing and it kind of had to go somewhere.
Question for you for "Just a Theorem"
[spoiler]
What's the percentage of Mary Sue in your OC? Be honest! 
[/spoiler]
Actually can I vote for a commentary for "A Mutual Feeling" PY?
(Question with slight spoiler for story)
[spoiler]
I'd really like to know the future'verse that you had in your head when you wrote it. Every person who's ever read it has their own but I'd like to know your's.
[/spoiler]
Edited by dahan on 15-04-2007 18:53 |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
fififolle
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| Posted on 16-04-2007 07:55 |
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dahan wrote:
Question for you for "Just a Theorem"
[spoiler]
What's the percentage of Mary Sue in your OC? Be honest!
[/spoiler]
Well, dahan, really that character is not actually an OC - she is a canon character  The fact that I...
[spoiler]blatently turned her into a 90% Mary Sue is totally irrelevant 
You know, in the first draft, she really was outrageously 99.9% Mary Sue, with special skills, the lot. My second ever fic, I hasten to add. Then I read more about fanfiction and realised what I'd done So I made her 90% Mary Sue instead and waited six months before I posted...[/spoiler]
Ah, nice to see another chapter on RYD awaits me...
My SGA portrait courtesy of RogueDragon, many thanks!
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RE: The Writing Of... |
Purpleyin
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| Posted on 19-04-2007 16:11 |
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LOL, Fi, I think the writing of is gonna end up longer than the story for It's Just There! Not much to say - I forget how the phrase was coined but it was thrown about and I think I'd written "Just Not There" as anangsty piece and decided to counter balance that with "It's Just There."
I have some vague recollection that a song inspired "Just Not There," I think a the Pulp song "Like A Friend" but less malicious in intent, nevertheless that one was angstridden and I wanted to do feel good. Plus it was a drabble challenge response and I'm sure about that time I'd been making screencaps and going/squeeing over the episode in question with Iona (laurelisland on ff.net). So, rambling sweet geeky scientists were on my mind and I always thought it was notable (and cute) how Rodney reacted in the must tell Elizabeth scene, edging out Radek in a strange show and tell way, seeking her approval.
And now, "A Mutual Feeling" writing of, at least a little bit. This one was in my head for weeks before I gave in the urge to write. I was hesistant because it was so different from what I'd done before, at the time, but I really needed to write it out for my sanity - plot bunnies only ever seem to go away once you've given in, made them real. 
I think in many ways what I wanted out of AMF was for it to be plausible, to be something that could be in canon or fit in with canon, after the show ended depending on how it is to end. Juding from the responses of non-shipper who read and enjoyed it, I think it's shippiness was downplayed or portrayed realistically enough that people could believe it, unlike views of fluffy shipfic and that was what I hoped for, to have it be something you could see as possible. It's not a happy ending but it's meant to be one that you would believe could easily come to pass for them.
As for the universe it was set in, I saw it as one that didn't deviate from canon much. Obviously there are things written in the fic we never saw in canon and looking back can't even be suggested as missing scenes now, but at the time they could be implied as possible future extra scenes. I never thought the Rodney and Elizabeth of AMF had any outright admissions of anything more than that they cared, if that, they did their jobs, they were friends and then they ended up back on Earth where there were, not knowing what to do with themselves. In the fic, Elizabeth knows, but unlike Rodney who's finally reached breaking point, she can't do anything about it, won't change their relationship because it's in her opinion too far gone for them to attempt more than they have. Of course Rodney can't go on as is, he can't deal with it now he's painfully aware of what everything means to at least him.
I had planned another possible chapter but left it at one because my muse didn't strike again for this one and I hadn't figured out what chapter 3 would conclude with - all I had was a further angstier chapter, a big decision and no clue how to resolve the whole thing. Thought it better left as the angsty one shot.
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RE: The Writing Of... |
Cleverness_Renamed
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| Posted on 20-04-2007 12:04 |
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I thought I might post something for A Promise for a Week, since I've been having so much trouble on it. This might get my creative juices going.
It actually started in this manga I read once, called Kareshi Kanojo no Jijyo. On the first edition, on the back, the author added a smaller short story. It was about a really shy girl who wore big glasses and did everything she could to be unnoticed. One day when she was running home from the library, she bumped into a guy in her class who did nothing but get noticed, even if he didn't mean to. Her glasses fell off and he accidentally stepped on them and the doctor (almost wrote Doctor), said she couldn't repair her glasses for a whole week.
So yeah, the plot is kind of taken from that, but I swear, I only took the whole not being able to see for a week thing. I don't really think Elizabeth is into the whole shy thing.
Well, the idea for a fic like this had been on my mind for a while and I always read stories where people already have their fics mapped out, unlike me, where I just write as I go. I decided 7 days for 7 chapters would be good, maybe an epilogue, but at least I'll know when I end.
As shown, it didn't really work, and I just started something I probably would never finish.
The hardest part about this fic is the fact that I can't describe anything using sight and the narrative portion of my fics has become a part I love, because it's interesting how you can describe things in odd ways. I like to think that it brings a bit of humor in. So pretty much, having to depend on dialogue and thoughts was pretty crappy, but also got me thinking about how Elizabeth really is just another person inside, although she does wear that mask of a leader on at all times. Also, I just wanted to write a scene where Rodney attempts to feed her, but she retaliates by throwing the food at him.
Monday was a bit better for me. Since it was starting out on Liz's journey with no sight, a lot of narrative was written in, describing how she felt, although I had a hard time avoiding things around her until she touched them.
Tuesday is driving me insane, to tell you the truth. I can't think of anything. which is fun, when it's been like 2 months since the last update. I'm also a bit odd about beta. I feel really awkward about letting other people read my works, so most of my editing is done alone, and I didn't even know what a beta was until a few years ago and I didn't like the idea. Some fics I'll make an exception, but most of the time, all my fics are written and heavily edited by me.
Hope you fell asleep by now.
Well that's what best friends do sometimes. |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
fififolle
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| Posted on 26-04-2007 17:37 |
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Definitely not asleep, just a bit busy! Sorry 
I hope you get some ideas for Tuesday, Cleverness. I think the fic is so great! Maybe you could go back to that Manga and see if you can swipe any more bits We won't tell! Or you could make a little plan for each day, like how far you want them to open up to each other, or what things you want to happen, until the end.
I'm not one to usually plan things out, they are usually in my head, but when I get stuck (like now! grrr! on my three WIP!!! grrrr!) I may just do that. I bet it will help.
I know what you mean about beta. I'm always reluctant to send stuff, a) pride, embarassment, probably and don't like bothering folk. But I know, from experience, that they always make things better in the end. And if I beta it makes me feel good! Swallow pride and send it. To me, if you like!
I had to revisit 'Just Not There', Purpleyin, and that was rather traumatic. Such a great piece, so angsty. How great that out of that came 'It's Just There'.
My SGA portrait courtesy of RogueDragon, many thanks!
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RE: The Writing Of... |
dahan
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| Posted on 26-04-2007 22:45 |
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Thanks very much PY and Cleverness for those bits, very awesome!
Can I vote for you doing one about "Couch Forts" Cleverness
It's weird, on some level I kind of consider "It's Just There" and "Just Not There" kind of in the realm of the classic McWeir fics. Makes it sound like I'm really old in regards to the ship... |
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RE: The Writing Of... |
fififolle
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| Posted on 09-06-2007 03:45 |
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Here's a little story for you.
I once spent so long at the computer (like yesterday, which reminded me) and our laptop was sitting on the coffee table, and I had my elbow resting on my knee, propping my head up. I was probably reading and writing, for hours one night. When I got up, my knee was totally wrecked. I couldn't walk right, I couldn't bend it to go upstairs without being in agony. Well, not agony, but it was pretty sore.
I got to thinking, Elizabeth has weak knees, right? I bet her knees 'go' sometimes. And the resulting fic?
Please, God, Don't Let It Be Kavanagh!
I try to sit properly at my computer now
My SGA portrait courtesy of RogueDragon, many thanks!
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"What did you touch?"
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RE: The Writing Of... |
dahan
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| Posted on 10-06-2007 15:29 |
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Gotta love that story
I actually thought about that "and Elizabeth was complaining about her knees..." moment from Rodney in "The Storm" when I read that one fifi. Nice to know the real story behind it
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