Awwww.....thank you all for most encouraging comments! (Yeah Burnie! You and I reeeeeeally should take ourselves by the collar and START WRITING, right?)

Anyway....as usual my mentor, my idol, sweet Treydoggie just put a spell on me...(.or was it forwarded from Athynae?)

And so I've sort of started outlining chapter 8. I think what stopped me has been that I do have a great deal of the chapter already written, but there has been a deep river between where Serene is now and how to get to the point that I already have written about!
But the spell has showed me a way.....yay

So beware and be very afraid ( ) Serene will soon be back!

PS goddamnit, such a bad english, plz forgive me

Congrats to everyone who has picked up the proverbial pen again and graced the forum with your talents again!!

Yes mALX and where is YOUR next installment????? HHMMM???? We are waiting.

Agreed--I like what Olen said about writing it out--that's something I've discovered a short time ago when I was going through that ghastly Block... But I got around it much quicker than usual by that advice!

Also, writing everyday is something I would have to endorse--even if I can't write out a story, I write ideas, and sort of brainstorm--if only to keep the creative juices flowing! I've noticed that those times when that dreadful "B" word strikes is after I've had a day or two of not being able to write or even to think about writing.

RL can sometimes get so busy we tend not to think about our stories, and what not--but we should, if we are able, set aside even five or ten minutes just to brainstorm ideas. Or think about it while you're sitting down to lunch--even if you can't write it down, just thinking about it--how you would write it--helps tremendously.

Anyway--now that I've gotten all of that out! *whew, sigh of relief!* Minque--I am glad we all convinced you to keep writing. As a writer, never forget--you must write for yourself, not for anyone else. Share it with us, because we love it! But never write for someone else--do it because you want to do it, because you are moved to do it. I have not read much of Serene's story, but what I've seen is excellent. Once I get caught up on all the other stories I've already been reading, I intend to pick up a couple more to read, and Serene's is one of them at the top of my list!



My dear, you sound like my kind of person! lol. Love it!

This post has been edited by Lady Syl: May 29 2011, 08:36 PM

GAAAAH! (Whew! No hair balding spells threatened ... yet !!! )

This post has been edited by mALX: May 29 2011, 07:00 PM

Writer's block, how I loathe thee!

So what do you do about a story that has two very separate story lines? Should they get different threads? Or just keep them combined?

I am going to answer a question with a question. (Don't you hate that?) Wait- that's TWO questions!

How close are the story lines? Will they "come together" at some point in the future? If so- one thread should do.

Depends on how close they're meant to be to begin with. If they have little to do with each other, there might be the most minuscule of cross-overs, but if they rely on each other (Say, Arena and Battlespire), then I could imagine having a combined story.

I think I just found the cure for writer's block! I went on vacation for two weeks, and I've come back to more new material than I've ever seen in that space of time. Slow down, please, I need to catch up!

Friends!

I...think I got over it now! The Block I mean! Wish me luck, I have material out for editing now and if it comes through....it will be POSTED!

Yaay minque!

3 CHEERS!!!!! HIP HIP HORRAY!!!! HIP HIP HORRAY!!!! HIP HIP HORRAY!!!!! That is news worth toasting with vintage wine!!!!!!!



This post has been edited by Athynae: Aug 9 2011, 04:45 AM

No. No. No. NO! Minque, having read your work I can assure you that ‘if it comes through’ should never make it past your internal BS detector. You are a writer . . . plain and simple. Your recent block did not arise from an inability, only disinclination. I implore you to have as much confidence in yourself as the rest of us have in you. Congrats and I look forward to seeing the new stuff!

I was planning on making a topic, but here seems the appropiate place to ask. I am planning a story that will expand for four centuries. Revolving around two vampiric characters who were born with vampirism into a noble Cyrodilic family. While in their home, they are raised and instructed in the ways of the Order. I got those chapters written down, but as for story, I am totally lost. I had ideas of throwing in a College of Cyrodiil lore and Arcane University as a potential story arc in the first century of the story.

What, as readers, makes you interested in a story?

This post has been edited by Darkness Eternal: Aug 15 2011, 01:11 AM

What pulls my interest more than anything else are good characters. Make them believable: with goals, likes, dislikes, faults, and and strengths. Which is to say, like real people. Nothing is more boring than an uber character, or one who is otherwise too happy, or too nice, or has everything go their way all the time. Make them people that we can somehow identify with, and feel empathy for, and you will have succeeded. Lady Syl does a wonderful job of this with her character of Syl in her fan fic. Syl is a character that can be pretty well described in one word: evil. Yet in LS's tale, we find ourselves feeling sorry for her as she suffers horror after horror, and cheering for her when she strikes back.

I see. And yes, I have read most of Lady Syl's work, "Memoirs of a Madwoman" on the other Bethesda forum. And I usually try to justify "darker" characters. I was always a staunch supporter of such things, but I don't want to be too selfish when writing a story. Syl's story was superb compared to other fan made stories I've read. But we can only do so much with "Anti-heroes". Since the majority of people can't compare with power-hungry megalomaniacs with justified goals as to why they are that way.

I agree with SubRosa. Character is always a good place to start. As long as the characters are interesting I find that I will follow them just about anywhere. I like the idea that you plan to go with, especially the part about them being born with vampirism instead of contracting it the usual way. I think that sets you up for some very interesting views of the characters toward their vampirism.

However I would point out that four centuries seems like a long time to spend without falling into gratuitous angst. There is nothing more tedious than the whining of a vampire at the emptiness of spending eternity alone, especially when all he/she has to do to end it is step outside in the morning.

I see. And true, true. Vampire stories can get very tedious, dealing with various scenarios well-known to us such as vampire falling in love with woman, or vampire not accepting his vampirism or vampire trying to save the world. But don't worry, I got extensive knowledge on Elder Scrolls vampires, more than the usual person

And besides, Cyrodilic vampires can survive in the sun, if well fed. But thanks for the response. I will get to it.

Edit: Oh, one more thing. When you guys write stories, do you update your story by going along and adding new scenarios, or do you already have it all written down and just post regularly?

This post has been edited by Darkness Eternal: Aug 15 2011, 04:05 PM

It can go either way depending on the author and the story. When I first started writing mine, I had nearly 20 chapters written before I began posting. I kept writing a little at a time while I was posting the early chapters.

Now at this point I try to write about a chapter ahead of my post. I have about a month's worth of posts already written, and am trying to find the time to write the next chapter. So it's a little of both at the present moment for me.