Hey everybody!!
As we promissed, it is time for a new challenge! We are totally thrilled about the idea and hope for some really good fics and ideas from you!
For this challenge, we want you to really think, wrack your brains and give your best, because this is going to be a little different:
For this fic you will (blindly) choose a place/ location where the fic takes place and you will also choose a number to get a year or a time period in which this whole fiction must be situated.
Maybe this means that you have to start reading about the last century or even earlier times in order to integrate your story into a temporary context.Of course most things are still fictional - made up and created by you - but there have to be hints at least that show us (the readers) where we are.
Also: This is going to be a writer's challenge for you but also an example to show you something more than simple creativity! This time, we really want you to plan your fic.
1. Characterize your main characters in advance
2. Think about a plot that makes sense
3. Create a storyline and jot down a few words and plans. Where are highs and lows? Create an area full of tension!!
4. What happens to your main characters? Put them into a difficult situation, give us realistic conflicts that almost break them/ their lives/ their love apart
5. Always keep in mind: What would your reader NOT expect to happen?
For example: They meet at a counts court, you want them to fall in love. If he is the handsome duke and she is the typical shy (or the equally typical strong, independed) beauty from abroad it might become a little boring (well, maybe if she falls for his son but is supposed to marry the father... or if you manage to create some cruel count that really gives her a hard time, maybe locks her up in her room and abuses her, or maybe he goes to war and dies and she is then ruling his people... okay, I have to admit, there are a few ideas in that too, but it might be a little hard to avoid clichee with any idea...)
6. Conflicts, conflicts, conflicts, but realistic... Force your characters to react and act in ways they wouldn't dare in an ordinary/ all-day situation.
Ask yourself: What are their characteristic features? How would they react to a certain bad situation? And then we want you to think: What happens if his/ her way of acting/reacting is impossible? How far can your character go and for what reasons will he/she? The biggest problem in a life is not "he did not call!"
Noa wrote a simple fic based on one of our starters to discuss all of this on the basis of a challenge-fic itself.
Maybe we manage to discuss her plott, the characters and their ways of reacting before you start planning your own fic and you will by that avoid some stumbling stones.
We will upload the fic part by part and discuss it point by point, starting tomorrow.
If you want, we can do the same to your fic, discussing it openly with the whole blog...
Some more info for you: Usually we give you about a month, take at least three for this one! The reading, structurating and also planning might take more time and we want you to give it a try without too much time-pressure.
So you got till the end of July to try and finish your story and send it in (We don't take it that serious, if this challenge gives you an idea and you really wanna work on it and create a long fic, we don't mind waiting for a few months :) )
We have 2 Starters waiting for you and as usual a few things to choose from. After the first fic is discussed you get your own starter and get started on the planning!!
Totally excited,
Steffi and Noa
6 comments:
I'm gonna be fair (coz I love it here so much :p); I do have mixed feelings about this post/recent comments.
I know you girls mean well and want to get the best writing on here and I love you for it. I prefer reading a good decent story too and I'd love to give pointers or tips if people want them.
But the term 'differently' kinda bugs me; you girls been using that a few times now and to me it kinda seems that it means you want loads of drama or else a story just isn't good enough.
I, personally, like a good love-filled fic just as much as one that has a lot of reality hits in them. Too much drama can really put me off. Life isn't necessarily all peachy (trust me, I know all about it) but it's not all bad either and I kinda like the idea that a story leaves me with a happy fuzzy feeling.
Maybe it's just me and it just came across wrong; that's the thing with the written word but yeah, I just felt I had to mention it. I kinda like the fact that there's a bit of everything on here y'know ;)
About the challenge; do I dare say... I have mixed feelings about that too... eek! Sorry lol
I do like the fact that you're encouraging to plot, to think of characters and situations and such but then it also kinda creeps me out. I usually do a little plotting but a lot also comes to me just while writing. I find that if I over plot I easily get stuck. Somehow with the plotting I'll get it out of my system and I find it hard to get back in the story.
Goes to show I'm not really much of a writer I guess lol Writing is just a thing I like to do for fun and this kinda makes it feel like I'm doing it as a chore. But then I've seen Kara plot on her last fic and that has taught me a lot (and made me admire her even more so! She absolutely rocks, it has to be said! *spin-off spin-off* :p)
So yeah, mixed feelings.
I guess I'm gonna see how this'll evolve and then go from there ;) Who knows, y'all might convince me otherwise. I do adore the historical theme.
I really ought to finish my other challenge fic first though before I start working on a new one...
HI love the idea, but I really dont have time for all the planning with 3 kids my day goes fast. When I have an idea I start writing and get back to the story whenever I have time.
1 question about the challenges. Last time I recerived one there was a starter aswell, do we have to use it or is just to inspire?
oooops It was lullu who wrote that not meant to be anonymous
I usually do a little buit of planning but like Monique said, more ideas come to me while i'm writing and i tend to change stuff as i go.
I agree with what Monique said, sometimes life is good and sometimes things work out in the end.
I do like a loved up fic as much as one with a bit of drama and tension. I also think getting people to structure and plan their stories is a good idea but they dont need to write loads and loads. Just a breif outline of what you want to happen to a certain character and then build it from there. At least thats what i do when i write anything.
I'd like to give the challenge a go, and i think you know which era i want haha
I'm game!!! And it won't take me 3 months to finish, I can tell you that...
Can I get my challenge items now?
Having said that... I tend to scribble down anything that comes to mind and plot the story a lot before I write... just like Monique said.
The story ideas come to me, not necessarily in the same order the story ends up written. For example, I can think of how they met and then think of the conflict moment right away... leaving me to fill everything in between. I write it all down so I don't forget what I was feeling/thinking at the moment. And then I do make changes or twists as I write it down for the actual fic, but it doesn't change the overall turn of events. I still stick to the main frame of the story... the path to a certain moment can change, but not the moment itself. I dunno if I am making sense.
I think the 3 month gap is a good thing. I mean, if it's historical at least do a little research on your time period first. Take it easy and then write the stuff.
I suddenly get the idea of this sexy count...
Is it okay to get the Challenge and try it out i cannot promise i Will b able to dó it as well as everybody Else as im a bit hung up with my babies
Lullu
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