#--which happens to be my favourite kind of story thanks to ease of consumption but layers are there ready when u r.but is also quite ironic

[divinekangaroo]

was also reading an article on agents predicting a sharp rise in high concept fiction and i groaaaaaned

Snipped Definition from Somewhere Probably Wikipedia: What Is High Concept Fiction? A high concept story is one with a clear, easily-communicable premise. It typically involves a premise that is easy to pitch and driven by a straightforward plot. This is in contrast to low concept stories, which tend to be more character-driven with less of an obvious narrative hook.

I mean nothing fundamentally wrong with high concept really, as well as the fact that high concept can be used very cleverly too: it's actually a pretty damned original concept; it's high concept but it's a contraversial concept that adds something new; it's high concept but the author is a master of subtext and you get to enjoy TWO types of stories at once.

But I know very well that this is not what is meant here: agents predicting a sharp rise in the current trend for overly simplified, sanitised and pseudo-moralising fiction, is what it really means.

#i'm also always laughing that high concept is what i'd call simple/clear fic and low concept is what i'd call complex/blurry fic #because even the descriptors of high and low carry certain Connotations and where did these terms come from; wiki doesn’t know #FWIW PB as a story is what I consider passing as high concept (plot-action-driven) but low concept elements (character driven-complex)-- #--which happens to be my favourite kind of story thanks to ease of consumption but layers are there ready when u r.but is also quite ironic #--considering how much effort tommy puts into passing: the story and the character both play with special kinds of camouflage/subterfuge

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Interview with the Writer #2

Hello lovely people,

welcome to my second episode of Interview with a Writer. 

Apparently there are others who enjoy talking about writing. 

Today we want to shed a little light on @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse who is one of my favorite writers on tumblr and someone I look up to when it comes to writing, planning and other things.

Please welcome her warmly.

As you can see in her name, the blog is manly a star trek blog, but don’t despair if you’re not a die hard trekkie, because you can find a lot of other treasures too.

Just take a look at her Masterlist . You will find Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and even Supernatural (even though I don’t know that fandom) and I’ve also seen some Top Gun, Agents of Shield and all the tiny little fandoms Karl Urban has stumbled into during his acting career. 

Q: Did I sum up your blog right, dear or do you have something else to add? Please correct me if I’m wrong, this is your chance to compliment yourself.

Oh my god, Wow. I’m still so incredible floored when someone says I’m one of their favourites. Uh, yeah, that sounds about right. I actually started writing fanfic (well, fanfic for public consumption) in the Marvel universe. I think you’ve got me covered - essentially, it’s a whole ‘oooh, he’s pretty’ kind of fanfic world over here.

Q: Now I know your writing is very diverse. I’d like to dive deeper into my favorite fics in another interview (if you’re up to that) but for now, your writing style: I’m amazed by it. I’ve bought and borrowed a lot of books in my life so far and I can tell you that it’s a rare thing to pick up a book which writing style catches you and won’t let you go until you’re done. You write like that. Captivating, humorous and with a lot of empathy. You hint at things that happen (or not), make me believe something only to make me see that I’ve been a fool. And, something that is very very very important to me: You make me want to read it again. There are a lot of your things that I go back and read again, just because I know how I will feel at ease in your stories…. but I’m rambling…. 

The Question I have for you: What makes your writing style different? What do you see in other stories that you’d like to be able to write and what are things that you don’t shed a light on? I, for example, struggle with dialogues and just don’t write about smut. What about you?

First off - sure, we can totally go into specifics on your favourites sometime!

What makes my writing different? Facetiously, I’d like to say it’s because I’m old. But the honest truth is that is probably actually true. I always wanted to be a writer, which means I started writing when I was about 9 or 10. I wrote my first ‘novel’ at 11. I filled countless notebooks full of stories as I grew up, and honestly, never stopped. I also took as many university creative writing courses as I could get away with, sucking up as much as I could from each writer that taught me. And I read a lot, and when I really love what I’m reading, I will go back and read it again, simply to dissect what it was that resonated with me. I used to struggle with description. So it was something I spent a lot of time working on - telling a story about communication between two people without allowing any dialogue. Forcing myself to show and not tell a story. When I felt that I was competent with that, I allowed myself to start allowing dialogue in again. Dialogue has always come easy for me. I wish that description came as easy. 

As for my HUGEST discomfort? I seriously sit and blush the entire time I write smut. You’d think for a woman with two kids and never mind how many partners in the past, I wouldn’t be so awkward about it, but it never gets any easier. 

Q: Thank you. Now, there’s something else I want to ask. Your stories have that feel to it that when I read the first word of the first chapter, the end is already decided. Are you really that good at planning? What is your trick to that? Do you only write if you know what’s going to happen?

Sometimes! Sometimes I start and I know exactly how many plot points there are, what the conflict is, where the climax will happen (uh, no pun intended). Other times I go off on my own merry path, uncertain what will happen. For example: Always On My Mind (Gavin) - I know EXACTLY what is going to happen next, I know what happens after that, and I know how it ends. On the flip side, Lead Me On got away on me and the characters switched gears and I have no idea what the fuck is going on there now.

Q: Now I know that you’re a hardworking woman and I also know that you have children, am I right?

I do. I have two kids - an 11-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. The boy’s birthday is in 2 months! We just did kindergarten orientation today!!! And my girl just had her first period. So she’s not my baby anymore. Gah. It makes me feel so old. I also work full-time as a nurse, am the seneschal (president) of our local SCA branch, and have just been appointed Bethel Guardian of my daughter’s Job’s Daughters group.

Q: Well, how do you do it? How do you make time to write this much? Or do you just write really really fast? Or very very slow and there’s a giant databank from where you pull your old stories? 

Both? My Five Minute Ficlets started as a desperate attempt to squeeze a quick drabble out. I usually write them when I’m waiting in the car somewhere, or watching a kid’s activity that doesn’t require my full attention, or on my breaks at work. Which is why they vary in length so much. The average FMF actually takes 20-25 minutes, if I am truthful about it - but that doesn’t sound as enticing as Five Minute Ficlet, does it? Imagines are something else - I used to carry a 5-10 request waitlist but that got overwhelming to the point of anxiety attacks, so I don’t often take requests anymore. Technically my inbox is always open to them, but your mileage may vary, depending on whether inspiration strikes. Any of my fics with an OC are from back ‘back catalog’ - I used to post everything on FFN, although I recently pulled down everything from there. And it’s still up on AO3. So the Marvel stuff is older - none of it is older than my boychild though - I started writing again when I was on bedrest during my pregnancy.

Q: Where do you get your ideas? Do you have to look for inspirations, prompts, plots and other little bunnies or are you the type of person who puts her feet on the ground in the morning and has a mind filled with ideas?

Again, I think the answer is both. I don’t necessarily wake up with a mind full of ideas, but I pull inspiration from every day life. I can almost guarantee that every story with a nurse character in it is drawing from personal career experience. Some of the more embarrassing experiences some of my characters have had occur are that much more vivid because I have lived through them myself. And other things come up because I love the absurd - I think you need to be able to imagine the ridiculous as well as the sublime to actually truly capture realistic characters. And so I will sometimes play with the characters in my head just to see what silliness will occur.

Q: Do you have any other secret to share? About writing, your favorite character of all fandoms ever or just a wish for more (or less) requests? 

I wish my followers understood how important this blog has been to my grieving and healing process. Something I’ve learned in the last couple of years is that I really pull back when I am hurting. I didn’t really get that before my Mum died, but I was sitting in my living room the other day, thinking about how lonely I am for social contact - I have my kids, and the manthing, and I have the girls at work, but when I was at my lowest after Mum passed, I pushed my closest friends away because I... I don’t really know why? Because I am ashamed of my grief? That sounds really stupid, but I suspect that might be it. Anyhow, I pushed a lot of my really close friends away, and bless them all, they were good friends because they just let me, and now that I’m functioning again, they are right where they’ve always been, just waiting for me to be a ready participant in our relationships again. But I have been lonely, and this blog has been my support. This blog is where I wrote out the tears. This is where I made friends that didn’t have to see me ugly cry, which was somehow less embarrassing. So I think that’s my big secret. That my followers have helped me make it through the past few years. From June of 2015, to November of 2016, to now.

My favourite character of all time? Thor. I just... I don’t write him well, but that might be because I like to keep him to myself. 

Finally - My inbox is always open. I love receiving random commentary. Tell me about your tuesday, or tell me about biology exams, or what you’re eating for dinner. I’m into that. Bug me for head canons. I love that shit. Ask me what I thought of Kevin Smith (he was SO cool) or Karl Urban (smelled amazing) or Nichelle Nichols or Sean Astin. Tell me I’m an obnoxious whore (you won’t be the first, won’t be the last, and I guarantee I’ve probably been called worse by better... :D). I seriously love hearing from my followers. Those interactions are precious to me.

Thanks dear. Time’s running out and we’re thanking you for this chance to get to know you and your writing a little bit better.

Well thanks for asking me to do this. I feel like a real live legit writer now :D

Have a very nice writing time.

This weekend I’m off to a medieval event. When I inevitably need time away from people because I’ve become more easily overwhelmed my crowds, I will try to come up with something good :D

Thanks, @dirajunara-archive, for inviting me to do this! <3