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Some perspective
Oct. 14th, 2019 08:41 pmI've been feeling pretty bad about not keeping up with Fictober this year. Aside from the fact that I've been busier/more tired than I was at this time last year, this year's prompts just didn't speak to me. They didn't lend themselves easily to my imagination, even when paired with other prompts (mainly Inktober prompts, because many of them seemed like they would work well together. Operative word there: seemed), and writing a story around them has felt like extracting teeth. Teeth with very long, curved roots.
Tedious. Painful. Just not fun.
I'll give a few more prompts a try, but I've resigned myself to not completing Fictober this year. But that's all right, because I've accomplished so much this year already. Truly! I sat down on Saturday, all gloomy about my Fictober failure, and listed the stories I've completed, both original and fanfic, and that one odd poem, and I came up with a number that totally floored me. Metaphorically, of course.
179,237.
179,237 words. As of today, that is how much I have written since the beginning of the year.
I finished up my first multi-chapter (and, to date, longest) story. I wrote four other multi-chapter stories, one of them breaking the 50k word mark. I've written drabbles and prompt responses and a poem. I've expanded the stories of characters I love, and waded into the lives of characters I've created. I've had pleasant surprises and satisfying completed plans. And, most importantly, I've written.
Two years ago, this number would've been unthinkable. Hell, it still is, but two years ago, I didn't write anything. Sure, I tossed around ideas and jotted down snippets, but nothing came together. I was working too hard at it, worrying about every detail. I wasn't having fun.
This year, on the other hand, I've enjoyed so much of my writing time. I've pushed myself to try new things, and, for the most part, I'm happy with the results. I do think I've gotten better in some areas -- particularly character voice, in regard to fanfic -- which will hopefully lead to more coherent and enjoyable stories.
I'm just rambling now. XD The point of this post is to say that gaining some perspective on my creative output over the past ten months has alleviated the guilt and frustration I was feeling over Fictober. It's all about perspective -- and 170k+ words.
Still gawking at that number. Let's hope I can continue to be productive and have fun doing so! I'm eager to see what my year-end total might be, now! :D
Tedious. Painful. Just not fun.
I'll give a few more prompts a try, but I've resigned myself to not completing Fictober this year. But that's all right, because I've accomplished so much this year already. Truly! I sat down on Saturday, all gloomy about my Fictober failure, and listed the stories I've completed, both original and fanfic, and that one odd poem, and I came up with a number that totally floored me. Metaphorically, of course.
179,237.
179,237 words. As of today, that is how much I have written since the beginning of the year.
I finished up my first multi-chapter (and, to date, longest) story. I wrote four other multi-chapter stories, one of them breaking the 50k word mark. I've written drabbles and prompt responses and a poem. I've expanded the stories of characters I love, and waded into the lives of characters I've created. I've had pleasant surprises and satisfying completed plans. And, most importantly, I've written.
Two years ago, this number would've been unthinkable. Hell, it still is, but two years ago, I didn't write anything. Sure, I tossed around ideas and jotted down snippets, but nothing came together. I was working too hard at it, worrying about every detail. I wasn't having fun.
This year, on the other hand, I've enjoyed so much of my writing time. I've pushed myself to try new things, and, for the most part, I'm happy with the results. I do think I've gotten better in some areas -- particularly character voice, in regard to fanfic -- which will hopefully lead to more coherent and enjoyable stories.
I'm just rambling now. XD The point of this post is to say that gaining some perspective on my creative output over the past ten months has alleviated the guilt and frustration I was feeling over Fictober. It's all about perspective -- and 170k+ words.
Still gawking at that number. Let's hope I can continue to be productive and have fun doing so! I'm eager to see what my year-end total might be, now! :D
