Wed Reading Meme or rather writing meme

[shadowkat]

Not really reading anything new, doing more writing actually. Finally ironed out the action scene that seemed to be going on forever and I'd gotten myself a bit entangled in. Action scenes are harder for me to write, I prefer dialogue and descriptive passages. But I do like the challenge, and I admittedly prefer to read them over long descriptive passages. Also, it doesn't make sense for a first person narrator who is an adrenaline junkie and action oriented to write long descriptive passages.

Today, I got a bit angsty about the whole writing thing. For one thing, the words felt a bit stuck in the old gullet at work. I was trying to write business emails...and they just weren't flowing. Flowing now. Maybe it was the business writing that was stumping me? Switching styles can occasionally throw me off. For another, I wondered who in the hell I was going to ask to beta my book once I finished the first draft. It's science fiction, harder to find readers for science fiction. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Along with whether it can be published, who will publish it, and who will bother reading it. A sure way to end up with writer's block is to start asking yourself these types of questions.

I'd share passages from it with you all, but alas, I fear your response. So no. Probably not a good idea. Another sure way of getting writer's block. Fanfic is easy to share online, so too is meta, but original work...not so much, for some reason. I think - it's not as safe. There's no well boundary between the writer and the work. I mean with fanfic writing, you're writing about someone else's world, their characters, etc -- and it's just your interpretation or take on them. Sort of like meta in that way. It's not quite as "personal". While an original work -- it's all you. Everything came out of your head. The trick, of course, is not to invest your ego in it -- which I'm working on, but it's hard.

Reading wise, I'm in a bit of slump. I can't really find anything that is hitting my mood --- so am re-reading a bunch of books. It's not like I don't have a lot of books to choose from, which I own.
Just can't seem to get myself to read them. So, I've got what amounts to "reader's block", I guess.

If you read this far, are there any new television series or novels that you are excited about? How about movies? Feel free to share.

Comments

[cjlasky.livejournal.com]

Go see Kubo and the Two Strings.

It's from the same film company (Laika) that made Coraline and Paranorman--so, of course, it's a marvel of craftmanship. The story is about storytelling, how legends are passed down from generation to generation (and how each generation interprets the legend), and how the bonds of family give a legend its power.

The first two-thirds of the movie are virtually perfect. There are just eyepopping scenes thrown at you one after another, combined with some sly metahumor and outstanding vocal performances from Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey. (Amazing chemistry, and they were probably never in the same room together.)

I couldn't bring myself to go all in on Kubo's final battle, because I don't think the kid's antagonist got enough of a backstory. (But maybe that's just me. )

Again, just see the movie. And stay for the credits: there's a brilliant version of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Regina Spektor (yes, another reinterpretation of a legend) and a live-action time-lapse sequence of the Laika team at work--pulling the curtain back and letting the storytellers take a bow.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's been getting great reviews, and Neil Gaiman touted it on Twitter. But, alas, I'm leery of watching kid movies in movie theaters...may wait for it to arrive on "On Demand" like I did Zootopia. OTOH - animation is often better on the big screen.

(Not that I see many, if any, movies in the theaters at the moment. The last one was in Martha's Vineyard - it was great. Florence Foster Jenkins - hilarious. But the only one seen all summer.)

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

I'd second CJL's recc on Kubo. And if you want an experienced science-fiction reader to beta your new book, I'd be glad to do that for you. I keep on hoping that someday I'd be able to write a book myself. Probably never happen, and if it did, it might never get published, but I write for myself first-- if others like it fine, if not, that's fine too.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec and the beta offer. Will definitely keep the offer in mind.

but I write for myself first-- if others like it fine, if not, that's fine too.

That's how I write as well, for good or ill. I tend to write what comes to me and it has to get out, and I want the story. Sometimes I wish someone else wrote it and I can just sit back and read the thing, be a heck of a lot easier than having to write it myself.

My last self-published book is being read by people. Some love it, some like it, some don't, two hated it - but they sounded a bit deranged in their reviews, so I've decided not to take it seriously or personally. The trick is not to care too much or take it personally, and not to invest too much of your ego. Hard thing to do, a lot of writers fail miserably at that part.

My current fear - with the book I'm writing - is if I ever publish it, people will nit-pick it to death. That's the problem with sci-fi, a lot of people expect things to be factually accurate, which is odd, considering it is fiction and factual accuracy and science-fiction are sort of oxymorons. Non-fiction, sure, but you aren't going to get accurate information from a fictional work. Fiction writers make shit up, that's the whole point of fiction and most of the fun. To embellish and make stuff up.

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

My current fear - with the book I'm writing - is if I ever publish it, people will nit-pick it to death. That's the problem with sci-fi, a lot of people expect things to be factually accurate, which is odd, considering it is fiction and factual accuracy and science-fiction are sort of oxymorons.

The skill to acquire in this regard, frankly, is to have a good beta reader and/or editor that actually understands the basic sciences, and can help the writer work around technical accuracy issues without compromising the essence of the story, and yes, that can be done.

That being said, if a reader is a hard-core, purely scientifically minded reader, said person will likely find that very little SF reading material (or TV or movies, for that matter) will completely satisfy them. Therefore, you, as a writer, shouldn't worry if they pick at your work. It's about them and their needs, remember, not you and yours.

While I personally lean to the scientifically accurate side for stories that intend to be that, I have no trouble with stories that aren't, as long as they're well-written and satisfying to read.