Questions Answered

Part 3

Question 1: Character doesn't want to say the right thing to move the plot. How do I get past it?

Normally I would have waited to answer this one since it came later in the queue, but I've put off so many of these for so long, and I don't want you to be waiting for an answer from me when you need help with your story! (Yikes, super sorry about that).

I've had this problem a lot in the past, and it sometimes still does happen to me. So know you're not alone in this. What it really boils down to is how badly you want to stick with the plot you have in mind. If you have this grand idea that hinges on a particular character's dialogue in a particular moment, then make sure the things leading up to that will make that crucial piece of dialogue seem natural.

What the hell do I mean by that?

So when I sit down to plot out a story, I do it one of two ways (usually a little of both). I'll give some examples with older chapters of Cross Point. I was going to do spoilers for this part, but I decided that you guys seeing the plotting part when you've already seen the finished chapter might work a little better.

1. I write scenes. The things that are happening in the scene, background information. Pretty much, anything that isn't dialogue. Sometimes it's in paragraph form, and other times it isn't. Either way, this part is whatever comes to mind while the scene is in my head. What I see or hear or feel from a character's perspective. This is the outline from chapter 9 of Cross Point, before Lucy finds him on the rooftop and they start dating, and what I used to help guide me when I started writing the chapter.

Four days after previous chapter:

Raijinshuu returns from mission, Bix is stressed. Had a hard time focusing on the mission, Ever got hurt because of it. Totems reminding him he's only got a couple days left to meet his goal while he's walking around after leaving the guild that night. Feeling shaky, etc. Sees his dealer, (make note of tattoo on dealer's forearm, to be referenced when Laxus kills the dealer in Ch. 19), tries to ignore him.

Dealer calls out to him, and Bix caves. Spiralling thoughts while he shoots up in an alley, hearing totems telling him he shouldn't be doing it, what would Lucy think, etc.

So those couple paragraphs ended up being a good chunk of the chapter. These are short, open-ended, and left a lot to the imagination when it came time to actually write the chapter. I got to decide how I wanted the scene to really go, what the voices he was hearing would say, and so on, while I wrote the chapter. This is definitely a crucial scene, because he's shooting up when he was trying so hard not to, but all that matters for the story to progress is getting through it and showing the scene and that he actually shot up. And of course, I had to have the description of Axel's tattoo in this chapter so that I could reference it later in the story. I don't always have little hints like that in my outlines, but I plotted most of this story out before writing it.

Regardless, what this ends up becoming is a lot of narration in the actual chapter. Only a couple paragraphs turns into thousands of words because what I've showed you here is only the outline. It isn't every single thing that'll happen, just a base for me to work from.

2. I write the dialogue. This part of plotting is almost always in shorthand with incomplete sentences and things like that when I narrate between the actual dialogue. A quick emotion or movement that comes to me when writing the dialogue itself. So here's an example from a different part of that same story, toward the beginning. This is what I'd originally had outlined for chapter 1 of Cross Point. Those of you who have read it might notice that this dialogue didn't come in until chapter 4.

K: "Did you just say... Never mind... What's up? Did you call to chat now that your hubby's awake? Because you know we're not opposed to giving you two a do not disturb sign if you need to work off some pent up energy. Call it physical therapy."

B: "Can't do a damn thing with this catheter, Kitty Kat."

K: "Oh, Lucy. He sounds as sexy as he looks!" she giggles. "The nurse should be by soon to take that out."

B: "Can I just do it myself?"

L: gapes. "Ew! No! You wait for a professional."

B: "I've done it before, and my dick has survived..."

L: "That's not the point and you know it."

K: laughs. "See? Deny it all you want, sugar. You two are so in love."

B: when Lucy goes to speak, he laughs and says, "Yeah we are so in love. Why do you think she's still here?"

L: "Because I'm delusional, and a total bleeding heart," she mutters. Turns and scowls at him. "And because you scared the piss out of me!"

B: "True, but that wasn't my intention, Cosplayer."

K: croons, "Oh? You're his Cosplayer, huh? What's the last thing you dressed up as?"

L: "A cheerleader," she answers automatically, her face turning bright red when Bix chuckles and waggles his eyebrows. "I-It wasn't like that though! We were in public! Oh god. I mean, I was like that on a stage in public... Damnit... Hey! Stop laughing at me!"

K: giggles when she hears small masculine grunt. Sees nurse going toward their room. "Nurse Joy is on her way."

L: calls back. "Thanks, Kat!"

B: laughs when Lucy swats at him and misses. "Oh, you should so dress up as a cat next..." Tongue sticking out when Katya laughs and line cuts off.

L: Sighs and shakes her head, smiling up at him.

There's minimal narration there, it's mostly dialogue and moves us through the scene quickly because I'm only focused on what the characters are saying and not every little detail.

So what does this have to do with the character not saying the right thing and holding up your story?

Well, the scene I just showed is kinda crucial. We're getting to know Bickslow and Lucy in this universe through their conversation. I could have changed this if I really needed to, but it was something that I wanted to keep in the story. And because I wanted to keep it, I needed to have good reasons for them talking like this. If I'd put this dialogue in the first chapter like I'd originally planned, we would have missed out on everything Lucy went through while Bickslow was in that coma. We wouldn't have known his side of things while he was unconscious. The humor would have seemed really out of place, even though Bickslow is a bit of a jokester, because at this point they've never talked to each other. But because I took the time to push this dialogue to a later part of the story, it wasn't out of the blue or out of character for them in this story.

In your own story, take a look at what's come before the scene you're struggling with. If you can get yourself back into that same mindset, then the words should just flow. If they're not, then there's something else you can try.

In a new document, copy a few paragraphs that precede the dialogue you're struggling with, then just start writing. This is a separate document, not the actual chapter, so you can do whatever you want with it. Let the characters speak for themselves. If you have a character that really just wants to say something, don't stop that character from doing it. Write out that dialogue and see where it takes you. It's hard to do when you have a specific plot in mind, but part of writing is allowing yourself to just go crazy every once in awhile. Plot be damned. Let the characters talk and see how they react to what's happening as you write it.

You might find that this new direction is just what you needed for the story, and decide to keep it this way instead of how you'd originally planned. You might realize that everything you wrote in that separate document is a bunch of bullshit and it'll never make it into the story. Don't worry, we all do that.

I've had to cut out whole scenes, several thousand words worth of writing, because it wasn't fitting with the story.

Do you remember the cheating part of Cross Point? Originally, I had about four thousand words worth of them talking to each other and reconciling right away. There was a lot of Bickslow apologizing and crying. But when I went to write the chapter, Lucy and Bickslow did something I didn't expect. He decided to turn on her and walk out. He didn't stay to apologize and explain everything. He just left, like you guys saw in the final product. So all of that shit I'd written before, got tossed. Because when I looked at the two drafts, I liked him walking out and not instantly fixing things a whole lot more than I liked them sobbing all over each other.

(This is also part of the reason my chapters take a little longer to come out sometimes, because I end up having to rework things during the writing process. Also, because I need to talk with my Triplets and have them reassure me that letting things just happen can make the story better. Sometimes, they help me pull it back when things get out of hand as well.)

But let's say you're adamant about having that planned dialogue. It's essential to the story. Maybe what you wrote on the side is good, and maybe it fits in the story, but you still need that one key piece for what you have planned next.

If that's the case, then consider this:

Is there enough information leading up to this dialogue you need? Is this really how that character would react or talk?

You always have the option of having that character say what you want them to and still letting the other characters around them speak or react however they want. It might make your story better that way. It might take you in new and interesting directions, too.

I hope this answered your question. The biggest thing to remember is that these characters we're writing have voices of their own, and sometimes the author has to just step back and let them take the reins for a little bit. You can always go back during revision to calm them right the fuck down. Sometimes they get a little too crazy.

Question 2: Posting stage fright.

You know, I had this problem for a long time before I started posting on FFnet. For months, I'd been reading NaLu and GaLu fics and wishing I could find some other really great stories to read. One day, I was driving home from work - it was an hour-long commute without traffic - and I got an idea for a Bickslow and Lucy story. That damn Taylor Swift song "Shake Shake Shake" was on the radio, and I just got this picture in my head of Lucy singing it to Bickslow with a huge gash running down her leg from her hip to her ankle.

I just had to write it, to figure out what in the actual fuck had happened to her. I don't think I'd read any BixLu stories at that point. Still, I was scared to write it. I read stories from Leoslady4ever and Toxineena and so many others, and it just didn't seem like I could really make a go of writing my own story.

I was scared as hell to write it. Not even post it, just write. Weeks went by with me thinking about that story idea. Every time I heard that song (and even now when I hear that song), I'd picture that one scene. I figured out how Lucy got the injury to her leg while driving. I figured out that they were soulmates, and a good part of the lore for He Might Be the One, while driving. After way too long, I couldn't take it anymore. It's all I could think about while I was at work. Since I was a Data Entry Specialist - typing information from customers' life insurance applications for eight hours every day - being distracted was really starting to affect me and my quota.

Still, I didn't write it, because I was scared. I didn't want to fuck it all up. I lost my job (for personal reasons, not related to thinking about the story). In June of 2014, I started going to college. Still, I didn't write out that story, even though it hadn't left my brain. Four months after I started school, when I was supposed to be writing an essay about Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, I sat down and wrote the first chapter. I couldn't stop myself from writing it at that point. It was driving me insane. For nearly a year, I'd had it in my head, teasing me with hints of scenes.

So I had to write it. And when I'd written it… God, I was so wet behind the ears. I thought the first chapter was pure gold. I didn't know that I needed to revise things aside from looking for spelling or grammar errors. I didn't have a clue what it was really like to try and construct a plot or tension or anything else. I went from one chapter to the next and explored what was in my head. And I had so much fun doing it.

When I finished that first chapter, I was proud of it. I was proud of what I'd done. And I wanted to share it with other people, because back then, there really wasn't a whole lot in the way of crack pairings that were being written. In the past three years, this fandom has definitely grown in regards to the different pairings available.

But I figured out how to get the story uploaded on FFnet, and then I stared at the screen for an hour. I thought of a million reasons not to publish the story.

It isn't good enough. Other authors are so much better than me. I'm new to this and I don't know what I'm doing. I admire Leoslady4ever and her writing is leagues ahead of mine (this is before I'd ever spoken to her or LittlePrincessNana, and before the three of us realized we're "The Triplets". There was some serious fangirling that commenced when we all talked for the first time), and oh god what if she sees this and thinks I'm a horrible writer? What if no one likes it? What if all I get is hatred for writing it? What if no one ever reads it or reviews?

But I published it anyway. Because in the back of my head, I had one thought in mind.

I want to be a writer.

The fact that it got the attention it did, still baffles me. In the first day, I got five reviews. I was ecstatic. I screamed every time someone said they liked it. I wrote chapter 2 that night and posted it; it got four reviews that day, and one of them was Leoslady4ever. I screamed louder. An author I admired was enjoying my story?!

When I was starting out, every review I got made me want to keep writing. So I did. It wasn't as scary, knowing that people liked what I was writing.

And I know that my experience isn't the norm on this site. There are some amazing authors on FFnet that don't get the recognition they deserve. Maybe it's because that story in particular handled the whole NaLu vs. NaLi shipping dilemma right away, and made sure to put reader fears to rest concerning the "Lucy gets kicked off the team" and "Lucy is shunned now that Lisanna is back" that permeated so many stories back in 2014. I don't know.

But for those of you who want to write, I say go for it.

For those of you who are scared to post your stories, I understand. It's scary as hell letting your brain baby out into the world for other people to read and possibly get all shitty about. We all get the shitty reviews, and sometimes that's what makes people stop writing altogether. I'm fortunate enough to be able to mentally tell the shitty reviewers to suck my chafed, shit-covered, post-diarrhea asshole - only when they're not warranted comments or constructive criticism. Others aren't like that.

I've gotten a lot of requests from readers to check out their stories, to give pointers on things, and all that. Some of them are in that same boat, where they're scared as hell because I just posted my first story ever! and I totally understand that. Whenever I get a request to read someone's story, I open it on my phone and it sits there until I have time to read it. But I always read up to the most recent chapter, and I try to give the best advice that I can in regards to those specific stories.

I might even do a chapter in this of some of the reviews I've given of things I've seen that could use improvement. Maybe.

But the point is this:

Even if you're scared to post it, do it anyway. Get that story to the point where you're like, "This is fucking awesome. I'm so stoked to write more!" Then post it. Just do it.

Someone out there will like that story, even if your grammar isn't the best or if you misspell some words. There are readers that can look past half-cocked plots and all the other missteps we make as writers, because they want to read something. Maybe people will go in thinking, "Well, let's at least try it." And that's all you need. Someone willing to give it a shot.

So go for it. And if you want me to read that first chapter, let me know. I can't promise I'll read every chapter after that, unless it really catches my eye and makes me want to keep reading it, but I can at least read that and tell you what I think.

I'm not a writing genius. I only know what I like, and things that I've found that work. If there's something I say that you don't agree with, then so be it. That's for you to decide, and I won't be offended if you never take any advice I give. Because what I write in those reviews is just that, advice or a suggestion. It's up to each author to decide whether the things they read will sway their view on the story.

At one point, I got a wonderful review on this little Writing Corner from kurahieiritr JIO, that I wanted to share with you all.

"As someone who was writing since the 80's, mostly as a means to vent pain and sorrow at the time, I have learned something about the writing impulse I'd like to share with you and everyone else. Some of us write for the expression of our own desire for entertainment and creativity yearnings, while others ARE AUTHORS. If you find you can best express yourself through type, then you are probably an Author, and it does not matter if you ever make a penny doing what you can no more stop doing, than you can stop breathing. So many people get discouraged if they cannot write the great novel from day one. They get upset when critiqued and lose their way. Yet it is the one who takes real critical input and cries in a corner for a week, only to find their brain sorting out the criticisms and contemplating them grows like an oak tree. The need to see if the complaints hold merit sink in and they fix their raw drafts. Such writers evolve into real authors. Trial and error should be the stuff of challenge and excitement for all of us being the point I'm offering here. Writing has style and grace. Learning and embracing changes is the spice of the writer that gains the most pay off."

This is something that I totally and completely agree with.

"Yet it is the one who takes real critical input and cries in a corner for a week, only to find their brain sorting out the criticisms and contemplating them grows like an oak tree. The need to see if the complaints hold merit sink in and they fix their raw drafts."

Man, this one's getting long! Alright, let's get one last question in here.

Question 3: When will you be publishing some original works?

It's funny you ask that. I started finally working on my novel trilogy this past November, for NaNoWriMo. I got 50k into the first book and by the end of the month, I was exhausted. You all know that I don't write just one story and stick to it. I've never been like that. I'm a serial writer, and I jump from one finished chapter to the next story. So it was a real test of my endurance to work on only that novel every single day for an entire month.

I've gone back to read it a couple times and every time I do, I love where I was going with it. At the same time, I already see things that I'll need to remove for the time being and put later in the story, or later in the series itself. But I've had to force myself not to touch it. I'm not letting myself revise any of it past, "Oops, that's the wrong name for this character," or "Shit, I spelled that three different ways. I should probably sort out the spelling on it now before I get too much further."

Aside from that novel, I have one other story that is not fanfiction at all. It's currently only a short story, but I can't see it staying that way. One day, I'll go back to it and make it into a novel-length thing.

As for getting legitimately published, it's something I'd love to do. I'm still working on getting to that point though. Part of what holds me back is that I spend so much of my free time writing fanfiction that I don't work on my own original pieces. I'm really dedicated to my readers here on FFnet, and even though I've had several people tell me that they'd buy a book I released, it's a matter of forcing myself to step away from fanfiction to actually work on that damn thing. At this point, it'll be a bit before that happens.

I don't want to leave all of you guys hanging. I feel really guilty for things really easily, so even if no one asks, "When are you gonna update?" I still have it in my mind that there's a whole gaggle of readers staring at the screen going, "What the fuck are you doing?! Where are my stories?!" Which, in turn, makes me feel like an asshole for not updating faster. Which is why I apologize at the beginning of pretty much every chapter in every story for the long wait on an update.

So, um… I'll publish a novel eventually. I can't write "real" short stories to save my life, so the shortest anything I publish would be is a novella.

You can rest assured though. Whenever it happens, whenever I finally finish that novel, and when I find a publisher that'll take it on, or if I decide to self-publish… I'll be shouting that shit from every social media platform and letting everyone know about it.

I've even considered getting my work published under this pen name, to be honest. Because, in my eyes, it'll make recognizing the author that much easier for some people. For those of you who don't know my real name, but you know my username on FFnet or tumblr or Facebook, seeing a book written by "Gem Nika" would be pretty damn telling on just who wrote it. I don't know. We'll see when the time comes.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm still trying to get through the questions, and there really have been some great ones in the reviews! Feel free to keep asking.

As a side note, CoLu Week 2017 has been announced. I'll be posting the details on my profile in the coming week, and will create a CoLu Week 2017 story soon, even though the event isn't until August.

Also, I might not have time to write anything for my stories this coming week. I have to read the first 200 pages of a novel by Thursday, as well as create a 5 minute video presentation that analyzes the (insert technical mumbo jumbo) of a director of my choosing... Totally making a video about Rob Zombie. For anyone who's interested, I can put a link to the Vimeo page on Tumblr and Facebook, and I'll edit this chapter with the link as well once it's finished on June 4th.

So, I'll be super busy this week. I hope I can get some writing done soon though. This is the last thing I have I my finished queue.

Until next time!

~~GemNika.