Weekly Update of Whatever
May. 27th, 2020 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deemoyzaI got several hundred words written this week, but I may just scrap them. More on that later. First, a little Animal Crossing.
No major developments. I've just been working on decorating my island, building bridges and inclines, and spiffing up the exteriors of my villagers' houses. I can't quite bring myself to fence them in, though, especially since I find everyone using everyone else's garden furniture -- why would I deny them that pleasure? ;)
But I did find out that Olaf has a whirlpool tub that lights up! Bright purple! The "Casa de Olaf" (his words) is quite the happening place. I've found Audie there a few times, sitting on the couch and thumbing through magazines.
Speaking of thumbing through reading material, I couldn't resist snapping a shot of Mira, engrossed in her book.
Blathers has a rather dark sense of humor. XD
Figuring out how to use Harv's Island, featuring my Alpine Quintet! (I'm just waiting to get my hands on some lederhosen so the guys can join in, too.)
And finally, the cutest thing happened last night:
Not only did Buck sing for Gladys (with Audie busting out her super-cool backup dancer moves! ... or simply exercising), but Gladys also returned the favor shortly thereafter! :D
I love these little creatures. So. Freaking. Much. ❤
I'm satisfied with the progress I'm making so far (I'm up to two stars now, without giving in to Isabelle's suggestion to increase the population), and as I'm collecting more furniture and recipes, it's getting easier to satisfy the decorative requirements within the parameters of my own vision for the island.
And I'm still addicted to fishing. And earning bells. :)
Now, to the writing. Total words written this week: 689, but I'm not sure if they're good for anything. I continue to stagnate creatively, and even the asks I've received from a prompt meme on Tumblr aren't helping. When it comes to original fiction, I simply can't summon the energy to create characters and settings. And when it comes to fanfiction, I feel like I've forgotten who the characters are. This is troubling, considering how much I love some of them.
And then there is the vague sense of melancholy that seems to pervade all of my attempts, lately. For example, this past week I focused on trying to fill one of the Tumblr requests, which involves Rinoa, Laguna, and a funny little prompt. This should be, by virtue of the characters' personalities and the prompt, a silly, lighthearted story. Instead, I have a chilly, somber, half-finished rumination on memories, love, and familiarity, all centered on Julia.
I'm torn. I don't hate it; in fact, it's been an interesting topic to explore. But I'm not sure how in-character it is. I'm not sure where the FF8 characters end, and strange, random OCs begin. And considering Rinoa is one of my favorite video game characters, it's really frustrating that I can't seem to get a handle on her personality and motivations at the moment.
Furthermore, I'm not sure how well this story would be received, even if I managed to finish it -- you mention Laguna, and there are certain expectations (even though the murkier corners of his past, personality, and motivation make for some intriguing questions and headcanons). I wish I could write the silly little story this prompt demands, but it seems that right now, my creativity is sitting in a dark room with the curtains drawn, listening to dirges on a rusty old gramophone. Willingly.
I'll keep trying to haul myself out of this writing funk, but in the meantime, I have cutesy little animals to buoy my spirits, and a lovely little island make my own. Thank goodness for Animal Crossing! :)
No major developments. I've just been working on decorating my island, building bridges and inclines, and spiffing up the exteriors of my villagers' houses. I can't quite bring myself to fence them in, though, especially since I find everyone using everyone else's garden furniture -- why would I deny them that pleasure? ;)
But I did find out that Olaf has a whirlpool tub that lights up! Bright purple! The "Casa de Olaf" (his words) is quite the happening place. I've found Audie there a few times, sitting on the couch and thumbing through magazines.
Speaking of thumbing through reading material, I couldn't resist snapping a shot of Mira, engrossed in her book.
Blathers has a rather dark sense of humor. XD
Figuring out how to use Harv's Island, featuring my Alpine Quintet! (I'm just waiting to get my hands on some lederhosen so the guys can join in, too.)
And finally, the cutest thing happened last night:
Not only did Buck sing for Gladys (with Audie busting out her super-cool backup dancer moves! ... or simply exercising), but Gladys also returned the favor shortly thereafter! :D
I love these little creatures. So. Freaking. Much. ❤
I'm satisfied with the progress I'm making so far (I'm up to two stars now, without giving in to Isabelle's suggestion to increase the population), and as I'm collecting more furniture and recipes, it's getting easier to satisfy the decorative requirements within the parameters of my own vision for the island.
And I'm still addicted to fishing. And earning bells. :)
Now, to the writing. Total words written this week: 689, but I'm not sure if they're good for anything. I continue to stagnate creatively, and even the asks I've received from a prompt meme on Tumblr aren't helping. When it comes to original fiction, I simply can't summon the energy to create characters and settings. And when it comes to fanfiction, I feel like I've forgotten who the characters are. This is troubling, considering how much I love some of them.
And then there is the vague sense of melancholy that seems to pervade all of my attempts, lately. For example, this past week I focused on trying to fill one of the Tumblr requests, which involves Rinoa, Laguna, and a funny little prompt. This should be, by virtue of the characters' personalities and the prompt, a silly, lighthearted story. Instead, I have a chilly, somber, half-finished rumination on memories, love, and familiarity, all centered on Julia.
I'm torn. I don't hate it; in fact, it's been an interesting topic to explore. But I'm not sure how in-character it is. I'm not sure where the FF8 characters end, and strange, random OCs begin. And considering Rinoa is one of my favorite video game characters, it's really frustrating that I can't seem to get a handle on her personality and motivations at the moment.
Furthermore, I'm not sure how well this story would be received, even if I managed to finish it -- you mention Laguna, and there are certain expectations (even though the murkier corners of his past, personality, and motivation make for some intriguing questions and headcanons). I wish I could write the silly little story this prompt demands, but it seems that right now, my creativity is sitting in a dark room with the curtains drawn, listening to dirges on a rusty old gramophone. Willingly.
I'll keep trying to haul myself out of this writing funk, but in the meantime, I have cutesy little animals to buoy my spirits, and a lovely little island make my own. Thank goodness for Animal Crossing! :)
no subject
Date: 2020-05-29 01:34 pm (UTC)And when it comes to fanfiction, I feel like I've forgotten who the characters are. This is troubling, considering how much I love some of them.
I feel you so much on this :( more or less in the same boat.
I'm also super intrigued by this fic of yours you're working on! Laguna and Rinoa and Julia are all a great topic with so much to work with. I did a fic a few years ago about Julia trying to move on after Laguna disappeared and it's... yeah, as heartbreaking as it sounds :( for two characters (Rinoa and Laguna) who are very outgoing and so forth, they have incredibly dark moments that I feel both the game and fandom don't explore enough of. Makes it difficult when you're trying to fulfill a silly prompt :( I hope it all goes well no matter what direction it goes in. 100% feel you on all of this 💕💕💕
no subject
Date: 2020-05-31 02:55 am (UTC)Regarding fanfiction, it's strange how we can be so invested in a character, in their motivations and backstory and possible futures, and occasionally lose the voice in which to express it all. I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with this, too. Knowing it's only temporary is all well and good, but it doesn't do much to mitigate the frustration in the moment. :(
As for the Rinoa and Laguna fic I'm working on, I managed to finish a draft I'm satisfied with yesterday afternoon. I've reworked the dialogue and gave it a slightly more upbeat ending, so I'm hoping it can work for the prompt, after all (I love twisting prompts, anyway!). But yes, the thing I love about both Rinoa and Laguna is how they put forth a happy and energetic personality despite the tragedies and complications they've dealt with (and, in Rinoa's case, are still dealing with). There are definitely some coping mechanisms at work here, and I think both of them probably need to break down somewhere quiet every once in a while, but just knowing what they've experienced certainly gives their characters a depth that contrasts so well with their outward appearances.
And Julia is such a perfect character for fanfic! Though she was incredibly important to several characters, we only see her through Laguna's eyes for one evening out of her life, and neither Laguna nor Rinoa are equipped to give us an objective view of who she was. Both really only have an idealized snapshot of her, and have built their memories around that; as such, it's all too possible for their constructed versions of Julia to clash at some point. Outside of what they choose to remember and reveal, it's up to each of us to decide how her interaction with Laguna affected her, how she felt about Caraway, and what kind of life she made for herself, and learn more about the characters she touched along the way.
Thanks for the well wishes on this; I'm determined to figure out this tricky fic! :)