I don’t really have an issue finding things to write about. I do have an issue doing the writing. I try and write every day but so often I read back what I have written and despair that it’s too bad to allow anyone to read. Not always too badly written, often it is because it comes across in an overly combative stance or because while I understand what I’m trying to say, how I have written it doesn’t do justice to the argument or point I’m trying to make. I self edit or outright delete things I want to say.
One day, hopefully soon, I’d like to write more than I do, get some of the many ideas that pop into my head on a regular basis written down and if not published at least visible here or on some of the other fiction or creative writing websites out there. Of course gaining a publishing deal and selling movie rights would be amazing. But that isn’t my aim, I just want to be able to read the books I want to write.
I’m not sure I have a muse, probably not I certainly don’t have writers block, more like writers fire hose. I seldom wake up without a new idea for a character or situation. Some I can apply to an existing character or story. Others are new characters or “realities”[1]How I describe what many authors describe as a Universe. eg Man Kzin wars by Larry Niven (and others) are described as being within the Known Space Universe., often I spend time trying to work out if this is something that can be a story in it’s own right, if it is something an existing character or an existing stetting needs to flesh out other events. Or if as is indeed oftn the case I need to throw it away as unworkable.
At any one time I may have 4-6 working settings and stories within them rolling around in my head at once. Sometimes the setting is “stolen” from another author, so I have to try and create my own setting that has enough of the original to work with my character or event but yet is dissimilar enough that even a fan of the original won’t read it and immediately recognise it’s origin. Then I have to like what I have come up with enough to write it down, and like what I write enough that once written I don’t delete it in disgust.
I have managed to write down some of the things I come up with. Many are fantastical, most have some sort of gender change in them (though I am trying to wean myself away from this) and many are at some level wish fulfilment. Yes that does mean what you probably think it means.
I generally don’t enjoy fantasy as much as sci-fi for reading and I feel much the same in my writing. “Magic did it…” is so unfulfilling. So much as one of my favourite authors managed to write about typical fantasy creatures in proper sci-fi books[2]The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey., most if not all of my own will follow a similar line, if and when I ever write them.
Site Update:
In other news I added a footnotes plugin, and changed my theme… still not 100% happy with it, but it’s better than the previous one.