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Killing your babies


It is weird to revisit stories written. Kind of like wondering down the street you used to live on as a kid. There are a lot of memories bound up in the words. The gloss of nostalgia is tempered with the clarity of experience.

 

Its hard to say what my aim was with the stories I wrote. I do know that if i were to write them today they wouldn't be the same. Who knows maybe there is yet still another draft or two living inside of Living in surreality. Decimate it to the basics of the story, and build it back up stronger and better than what it is.

 

I spent too much time trying to emulate domluka, trying to mimic CJames. the truth is I can't. I get lost in Dom's interrelationship intricacies. I utterly lack Cj's flair for plot building and tension. So I have to wonder what am I left with? a characters personal struggles, seems the most obvious. Perhaps that is what I should focus on. Jacob and Matt both want to ditch there past. Poor Valerie is just along for the ride. She needs to fight harder against the change that rushes at her. Can she accept that change in the end and remain a friend? That seems a more compelling story than just a willing cheerleader.

 

But everyone needs a cheerleader, especially Matt who seems so left without.

 

And then there is Cody, suck waiting to find who is outside that door. Trouble with Cody is that everyone wants him, when he truly wants no one. I need to cut out all the chasing boys and focus on Cody. The big problem is I just don't know where to start.

 

from the beginning. Thats always the best place.

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NotNoNever

Posted

Well, I don't remember the whole story as it's over a year since I read it, but I do remember that I liked it a lot.

 

We should never say never, but my advice would be to leave LWR alone. You'll gnaw at your own bones and disable yourself. You'll never be satisfied with it because you're dissatisfied now. Sometimes I think that going back to fix something you're not even certain how it's broken is like wading through quicksand: difficult, exhausting, and ultimately you only get back onto firm ground rather than the cloud you want.

 

The other thing is the opportunity cost. Fixing it (or not) means you don't give yourself the chance to start on something new, with the experience you have gained to make it better.

 

You're a good writer. But every good parent comes to realise, in the end, that their babies have to stand ir fall on their own. Far better to let them fail in their own way, than to kill your own babies.

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wildone

Posted

You know there is a few of us that would love to see what happens with Cody. Even if it is a re write.

 

If you do though, you have to tell us who was at the entrance of the doorway. Was it his brother Benjamin, was it Johnathan? Did he actually die in the bathroom? Maybe it was Joe, who forgot his key and since Cody was out all night with Zach. Maybe it was Damon?

 

LOL, it doesn't matter.

 

I never knew you wrote to be like Dom or CJ :unsure: I always found your writing distinctly different than both. Your focus on the emotions and the scenery was unmatched by either. Maybe you could equate the teenage angst of Dom or the use of the occasional cliffhanger to CJ, but I would say I've always thought of you as Steve, not the others.

 

Many people have left since you were around, I'm sure though if you started writing again, for pleasure and the escapism, you would have just as many fans as before with old and new following.

 

Good to hear from ya ;)

  • Like 1
layla

Posted

I once attented a writing workshop where the flyer handed out at the begining of each class one took there, had a section on it titled "Don't kill babies" and it was about how looking at a story negitivly could kill the writers passion to finish a story and/or the sense of joy and accomplishment felt in a finished story. I never realized how true that was until i tried to 'salvage' a piece of work that I felt hadn't ended up turning out the way I'd planned. I ended up putting aside a project i had started with a great deal of enthusiasm, on my quest to 'fix' the previous one. in the end, i ended up with a half finished, mangled 'salvage' effort, and an outline, rough draft, and character sketches that were never worked on again. I think you should write from a feeling of motivation and joy to create and just let yourself run with what comes to mind, without worrying about trying to redo past pieces. Just 2 cents from someone who saw the title of the blog and felt inspired to check it out.

Krista

Posted

You have your strengths my dear.. and maybe it was only you that thought you were trying to emulate others. I thought you distinctly different from both as well. You're a bit poetic and thoughtful. Surreality has more depth than any of my stories... for sure.

Warrior1

Posted

Well, while I did enjoy reading D&CW more than I enjoyed reading most other fictions (though it was often too bleak for my taste), I'll offer some constructive criticisms here. I think, while the prose, characterization, psychological depth and everything was top notch in the story, the plotting got a bit ... how do I put it ... convoluted and jumped into all directions, like a soap opera. Still, whatever is left is an excellent piece of work, but I do believe you can make it even better with a more well-constructed plot, which means you might need to start from the beginning.

 

P.S. Good to see you post something after a very long time.

 

P. S. S. Please don't ruin Jacob and Matt's (since you brought them) relationship here :P ... and it might be silly to ask, but GIVE CODY A HAPPY ENDING!!! :D

 

edit - As for rewriting stories, once a story is done, I think it's better to keep it that way. Sure, if one wishes to hone their writing talent, it's better to try that out with a new story and a few new people in it, than over-critique their former works. Once someone goes into that kind of territory, it will never cease to stop disturbing them, and they will want to rewrite and edit their works forever, no matter how many times it's been done. Living in Surreality is perfect with all its imperfections (which are bound to be there on an art form).

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