Month: December 2016

Writing

Transformative Fiction in the Mainstream

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Most people aren’t going to be familiar with the term “transformative fiction.” That’s because it’s better known as fan fiction, or fan works if we’re talking about the larger group of art and content that fans create for their shows. I cut my teeth writing transformative fiction, and I’ll admit that I have a personal fascination with it as a statement about what cultural groups are looking for in their media, and where mainstream media is missing the mark. I’ll discuss that in a different post than this, one, though.

With the Star Wars reboots happening right now, transformative fiction is getting put into the limelight. Both Rogue One and Episode VII: The Force Awakens have credits stating the stories are “based on characters created by George Lucas.” In the early days of fan fiction (or at least when I started writing it), statements like that would preface a story in a disclaimer. These new stories are putting transformative fiction into a legitimate and mainstream role that, I think, will drastically change how transformative fiction and the people who write it are viewed.

Advice, Writing

Constructive Criticism

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When most creative people hear the word “criticism,” I think we tend to shy away from it. There’s something inherently terrifying about sharing something that you’ve put time and effort and love into, and then asking people to tell you what they think of it. It’s a vulnerable position to be in, and one that many of us do our best to avoid. But as I’ll talk about in this post, criticism is an important part of growing as a writer, and learning how to accept and build on criticism will help refine your voice and talent.

Status Sunday

Status Sunday #3

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This has not been a productive week for me. My day job has decidedly gotten in the way of my writing, which is just a part of life.

Here’s what I’ve accomplished this week:

  1. I got my cover for Burner
  2. Continued to work on Reader

Here are my plans for this week:

  1. Make better progress on Reader
  2. Touch base with outstanding artists about pieces for the book/Kickstarter
  3. Follow up with readers to see if they have any comments/impressions on Burner so far.

Personal

Balance

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I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to write about today. I know I was supposed to post yesterday, but this week has been kind of hellish. I kind of find comfort in having an outlet to vent, but I also don’t want to discuss work here. Safe to say, it’s been an exhausting week, in every sense of the word. Current plan is to head home tomorrow in the late morning or early afternoon, but that depends on some other moving pieces that I don’t have any control over. We’ll see what happens.

Writing has, unfortunately, taken a backseat to the exhaustion. I’ve set out every night to work on Reader, and so far I’ve succeeded once. I’ve thankfully given myself enough time to get my rough draft done, though the subsequent drafts and edits have much shorter timelines, that I’m not losing a whole lot of ground by not working that hard on it this week. I hate the feeling of losing momentum, though, and I know that’s what’s happening right now.

It’s also been kind of interesting seeing the intersection between my day job and my writing. I’ve mentioned before to my coworkers (we’ve grabbed dinner together the last two nights) that I have to get back to the hotel so I can get writing done, and besides one asking me if it was because I was taking a class, there’s little to no interest in the subject. It honestly feels really awkward to talk about it, even in the abstract of “I have to go write later.” It’s likely a combination of their disinterest and my anxiety disorder, but it leaves me feeling very vulnerable and off-kilter.

I do need to go and at least open my draft. I’m already in bed, though, and the urge to just lay down and read or sleep is quite strong. Maybe I’ll just try to make up the difference on Saturday…

You all have a good evening. Next post will be less introspective and about me, and more about writing.