It lives!

[wordwhacker]

Yeah, so I've been avoiding my writing journal. I know this. I would drivel on about how I haven't had any inspiration, blah blah blah, but I won't bore you with it.

Amazingly enough, I actually have... a project.

Gasp! Shock!

What's even more frightening is that there are three whole chapters of it in existance. Harrowing, I know. I find it pretty creepy myself.

I had a couple of things in mind when I started writing this piece. Firstly, I wanted something character driven. This wound up meaning "first person perspective". I'm glad I went with first person as opposed to limited third person, my usual writing space. It opened things up hugely for me as far as the perceptions and biases of my main character are concerned.

Second, I wanted something that would have structure enough to give it some movement and drive, but I wanted it to be open enough that it falls short of having an actual discernable "plot". This is what usually gets me, see: I like having the space to just play around, but this usually leaves me with no direction. I need a structured plot, but then I lose the inspiration to create and write and blah blah blah. So I'm focusing on the characters and their growth/interaction/situations/etc, and I'm enjoying how it's starting out.

For the first time that I can ever genuinely recall, I can honestly say that my characters are "coming to life" for me. (I just hope the readers can get wind of some of that, heh. I guess that will test my skill as a technical writer.)

So things are shaping up nicely, I think. If nothing else, the whole thing is a fun experiment for me both from a writing perspective and an exploratory "human interaction and behavior" standpoint.

Here's a general lowdown of the 'plot', characters and themes I'm playing with:

So the whole thing springs from the fact that I'm tired of never seeing straight-ish guys with butch-ish girls. You have big, beefy man and little, femmey gal. Okay, there's some leeway on both sides, I'll be generous. But I can't recall ever seeing "big, mostly beefy guy" paired up with "little, mostly beefy gal". It's like there's no such thing as a straight girl who is butch - or at least, who is allowed to actually be seen as both butch and actively paired up with a guy.

Ya know what I'm sayin'? Righto.

So the whole thing has sort of grown and mutated and turned into a story setting within which I can noodle around with ideas of gender, sexuality, perception, etc. Which is, for me, a terribly fun place to play.

Especially considering the fact that my main character, Jon, is a total novice to these ideas. He's not stupid - he has some inklings - but he doesn't really have a grip on the scope of it.

So his brain is going to be mush for a while. Muahaha.

For folks wanting to read this nonsense: bear in mind that I, personally, have a positive/open outlook on topics of gender, sexuality, etc. So that's where I'm writing from. My characters don't necessarily think that way, of course. Makes it more fun that way, anyway, dontcha think?

The story be here, for sooth! All three whopping chapters of it. Chapters 1 and 2 are only about 1,200 words each. Chapter 3 clocks in at 2,500 words (and that's roughly the length I'm aiming for on average from now on.)

Comments, either here or on Fiction Press, are VERY welcome, especially concerning the clarity of my writing and the like. If something seems really off to you, or just doesn't work, let me know. I may tweak things right away, or simply thank you profusely and take them into account for future writing. More than anything, this is a learning process for me (on a variety of levels) and I appreciate any and all input.

Comments

[storyfish.livejournal.com]

ooooooooh! this is great stuff, Cassers! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story-beginning.

I disagree that this "falls just short of a discernable plot" (or however you put it). Just because it's character-driven doesn't mean there's no plot. It just means it's more along the lines of literary fiction than ...say... sci-fi. Right now, for instance, your plot is the typical "boy-meets-girl"...with a twist. I get a feeling that the more complex the twist, the longer your story will be. But I'm kinda hoping you'll keep it shorter....this is shaping into the premise for an excellent short story.

I hope you don't mind, but I've gotta give some constructive criticism as well...personally, I've found it makes the compliments all the more meaningful to know they're not just being slung around for the fun of it. ;-)

In the first chapter, Jon says/thinks/narrates/y'know: "I don't think I even realized that I was homophobic until I was 16, when Ryan told me he was gay." To label oneself "homophobic" is really uncommon...it's a pretty derogatory term. I think that the only way a person would use the term (applied to his or herself) is in the extreme past tense--in a "how uneducated I was way back when!" way. It would also take a lot of introspection and a high degree of self-knowledge. I just don't see Jon at that point yet. He's still unsure about how he fits with his gay friend and in gay environments. It's unlikely that he'd apply the term to himself when there's still traces of "phobia" left. If I were Jon--and heck, he does remind me of myself at points, the whole conservative background but surrounded with gay friends thing--I'd stay as far away from the word "homophobic" as possible, out of fear it might still apply.

I know, I know, nitpicky. But think of it as a compliment. You've done a great job making realistic characters...so good that anything that even smacks of being potentially "out of character" is easier to pick up on.

Keep writing, Cass/Jaden! You've got me hooked.

Yay!

[cassaclyzm.livejournal.com]

Yay! Constructive criticism! I lay awake nights hoping that someone will say something other than "Gee, it's good!" ;-)

Seriously, coming from you, this is a huge compliment. I've always loved your writing. Heck, I loved it enough to go out of my way to contact you, waaaaay back when. This happens almost NEVER for me. ;-)

Thanks for pointing that out - I kinda felt uncomfortable with it at first, and wound up just leaving it because I wasn't sure what else to do. But I completely see what you mean. Jon *has* sort of figured it out since then, but he'd still be reluctant to use a term as technical as 'homophobic'. That's definately something I'll try to work with in later drafts. (If they ever exist. *laughs*)

I think these characters are going to be bouncing around in my head for a while, but I'll probably try to keep the story short-ish. Just deal with the "boy meets girl" aspect this time around, and start with a fresh slate if I want to do anything else with them. I think it's mean to expect readers to commit to a long, ongoing, eight-million-chapter epic that never seems to end. *laughs*

But again - THANK YOU! Maybe I'm a freak, but this has totally made my night. *laughs*

Your new icon rocks, by the way!

Re: Yay!

[storyfish.livejournal.com]

Nah, doesn't make you a freak to like people to comment on your work. Makes ya a writer. ;-) Rock on, chica.

And if you go to Egypt, you too can have an icon of yourself in front of a pyramid!!! BWAHAHAHAAA!

Re: Yay!

[cassaclyzm.livejournal.com]

You realize that, should I ever go to Egypt, I simply must find that very same pyramid and pose in front of it. Just 'cause.