*smile*

[alixtii]

I found the notebook that had the Buffy/Giles in it! Now I'll just need to transcribe those portions, not have to recreate them from scratch (not that it would be difficult to do so, but one is never satisfied with it as much when one writes it the second time, because one always has an idealized version of the first time--as I'm sure you all know). I'm absolutely positive I left the notebook with second half of the Amanda/Dawn in it at school, so that'll have to be completely re-written from memory, but at least I won't have to do that for two fics.

Comments

[faith-chaos.livejournal.com]

but one is never satisfied with it as much when one writes it the second time, because one always has an idealized version of the first time--as I'm sure you all know

Really? Cause it's kind of the other way around for me, I'm often more content with my writing when I have to start over from scratch. Guess I'm just weird like that.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Objectively speaking, the two versions are probably always about the same--indeed, when I find the first version again afterwards, just how similar the two are is almost always shocking. I have two notebooked versions of a TLiH scene (one where Fr. Marcus picks up Faith, Kennedy, and Maddy at the airport) which are almost exactly the same, even the points which I thought were new and innovative. It's scary.

This is very different than when I write a second draft--for example when I make changes or add embellishments while transcribing something I notebooked. Those are all improvements--obviously, since I wouldn't make the changes otherwise.

But when I don't have access to a draft anymore, and fear I will never have access to that draft anymore, I tend to ideallize. I know that some of the turns of phrase I come up with the second time 'round are improvements, but I also know other fall short of my first version--there are always transitions which seemed natural in the first version, but are forced in the second version so as to artificially parallel what was already created organically the first time.

[faith-chaos.livejournal.com]

Huh. I guess it all comes down to me not making drafts. I write stuff and that's it, there are no drafts and usually not even a clear idea of what I am going to write before I sit down and do it. Other times I have a pretty clear idea of what I want, and again, I'll just sit down and write it. Of course there's editing and checking for grammar and spelling, but the story is always the same. So, when I lose a story [and it happens to me pretty often cause I have kids and they have a tthing for shiny shiny computers and pressing the wrong buttons], and I have to start over from scratch, because I already had the previous idea all developped, I can sort of build up on it. And if I'm unhappy with a story, I usually start over fom scratch instea of changing what I think is wrong, cause I am crazy like that.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

If I'm writing for a 'thon (and pretty much everything I post anymore is for a 'thon), I make sure I have some idea of where the story's going before I start writing, because I don't have time the night before (or, more commonly, the day of) to explore. When I'm working on other pieces, I might let myself explore, but less so than when I started writing fic; usually I do most of that in my head. I guess there's a sense in which I always have that "first draft" in my head, though, when I'm writing for a 'thon.

I don't usually make drafts, but if I'm writing on the train I don't have a choice because then I need to notebook it and transcribe it later; and I write on the train a fair bit because the train ride is boring otherwise. (And when I transcribe, I also often have to go back and put the prompts in, because I can never remember what they were supposed to be all that well when I'm on the train.)

Also, sometimes when I'm notebooking on the train I'll just start writing and explore, because it's not like that's lost time; I have to be on the train anyway so I might as well amuse myself however I see fit. "By Her Side" was really written like that; it wasn't due for several days still, but I started playing around with an idea. Which probably explains why the first draft jumps around so much (see what I mean here) compared to the sadly lost first draft of "The Eyes of Love."

And I think all of us, even those of us without kids, know the experience of losing a draft on a computer!

[faith-chaos.livejournal.com]

If I'm writing for a 'thon [...], I make sure I have some idea of where the story's going before I start writing, because I don't have time the night before (or, more commonly, the day of) to explore.

Yeah, I do that too, I just think about stuff, with whatever prompt or ide I'm going to write about on my mind. I do that for a while, usually while doing house chores to, you know, avoid getting bored, and then at night, after everyone's asleep, I'll sit down and just write. It sort of worked like that for every fic I've ever written. I just don't do drafts, and I tried hand-written a story once [that was supposed to be all Xander/Faith high-schoolness and ended up being all Giles/Faith sort of inappropriateness, btw] and after a while I sort of gave up, because while I knew what I was wanted to write, irt was really annoying nmot being able to change words, or the paragraphes sequence and all that. I just do better when I can type, I guess, but I blame my teachers growing up, they never really asked me to handwrite much [I was home-schooled during elementary/middle school].

I admit though, to scribbling down a couple of lines, if only to remaind my brain that this idea goes with this story with this character and for this person. Example [copied from my fic tiny yello notebook - the one with the pretty butterflies on it]:

Fraternizing ficathon thingy - House MD

Quote: "You have plenty of courage, I am sure," answered Oz. "All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty." L Frank Baum *

*Ask Mark H. bout quote.

After I aked ozma914 about the quote, knowing he's a fan and that he wasn't going to make fun of me for noit having read the book, I added this:

Oh. Duh. Be brave. Tinman/ScarecrowLion thing.

Note: the strikethrough is cause I've only seen the movie once and I wasn't sure which character was which and I had to ask ozma914 again.

But that's me, I only use a few words [sometimes a line one of the characters is going to say] to remind myself of what I'm supposed to write.

In any case, it's a one-go thing. I write and that's pretty much it, the first draft is the fic and I don't think I could do it any other way. At the same time though, the re-wrioting of things lost is a bit easier cause I know for sure what I did, but I can only do that if the original is totally gone. Sometimes I'll write a story, and it turns out to be what I was aiming for but I don't like it so I delete the whole thing and I just sort of start over, with the same idea, but try for something else.

And wow, I would be a very happy writer if I could do that. Seriously, I can't jump around like that, I write it all in one go, and when I do the chaptered fic thing, I can only write one after I'm done with the previous. I'm a freak.