I wrote 500 pages of meta on Buffy, every character, analyzing the story and characters from every angle imaginable.
That is impressive! Is any of it still available online?
I wrote a lot of meta as well as fanfic. Some of it is still on my AO3 account, most is long since lost in the graveyards of the internet. I don't rmemeber ever making a cosncious decision to explore something in meta rather than fanfic or vice-versa. That is partly because my processes for both are very different and the questions I am answering with fanfic are more character based while in meta I am normally expounding on some detail of anachronism, continuity or plotting. But there are exceptions in both directions.
My creativity comes from I place I can't quite explain. A friend of mine thinks I'm channeling, which, uhm, I'm agnostic or highly skeptical of. An interesting question. Channelling a strong personal emotion can certainly make the process of creating easier. Whether it produces better art and whether it can be done at will are other questions. Generally speaking I have a rational mind and dislike expressing emotion, but learning to use my emotions in my music has shown me that it can achieve things that are utterly impossible any other way, and is extremely pleasurable as well. In music, writing and art I would never wish to completely give up the control and attention to detail that my rational mind enjoys. But I am also discovering that allowing oneself to use emotion is one of the most powerful tools in our toolboxes, and possibly the only one that can make a difference between craft and art.
A creative writing prof said I was rather interesting as a writer -- since I was most interested in exploring the difficult motives of people, or the why. That is a good motive to have! I am slightly envious. I also think it is interesting that the prof implied it was unusual. I would have thought that he had many students whose motives were character based, but maybe it is much rarer than I assume.
All I can say is the characters start talking to me and I have to get their stories out. I've told myself stories orally since I was 5. Whereas I'm a world builder, and characters only exist to populate the world. I think this is why I will never be an addictive writer and why I will always envy those who see writing through character not place.
Is any of your writing available online? I would very much like to try whatever you consider your best work.
Re: Writing
That is impressive! Is any of it still available online?
I wrote a lot of meta as well as fanfic. Some of it is still on my AO3 account, most is long since lost in the graveyards of the internet. I don't rmemeber ever making a cosncious decision to explore something in meta rather than fanfic or vice-versa. That is partly because my processes for both are very different and the questions I am answering with fanfic are more character based while in meta I am normally expounding on some detail of anachronism, continuity or plotting. But there are exceptions in both directions.
An interesting question. Channelling a strong personal emotion can certainly make the process of creating easier. Whether it produces better art and whether it can be done at will are other questions. Generally speaking I have a rational mind and dislike expressing emotion, but learning to use my emotions in my music has shown me that it can achieve things that are utterly impossible any other way, and is extremely pleasurable as well. In music, writing and art I would never wish to completely give up the control and attention to detail that my rational mind enjoys. But I am also discovering that allowing oneself to use emotion is one of the most powerful tools in our toolboxes, and possibly the only one that can make a difference between craft and art.
That is a good motive to have! I am slightly envious. I also think it is interesting that the prof implied it was unusual. I would have thought that he had many students whose motives were character based, but maybe it is much rarer than I assume.
Whereas I'm a world builder, and characters only exist to populate the world. I think this is why I will never be an addictive writer and why I will always envy those who see writing through character not place.
Is any of your writing available online? I would very much like to try whatever you consider your best work.