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General Art The ZD Writing Discussion Thread

Joined
Jun 3, 2011
I have been noticing a lack of activity here lately. In order to bring some life to this section of ZD, I have decided to make a place for everybody to discuss their stories. If you guys have any fanfic ideas you want to brainstorm, or you're having some writer's block, feel free to share your ideas here, and we might be able to help you.

So, to kick things off, I'll just ask everybody this- is there a particular genre or theme you like reading/writing about?

When it comes to my own writing, I tend to prefer more contemporary settings. Occasionally, I will delve into fantasy/sci-fi, but I prefer to not stick to a specific genre. I feel that themes can more often than not restrict the story than it does enhance it, but that's just my opinion. What about you guys?

(On that note, please keep all trolling, spamming, or non-constructive responses out of this thread. Thank you!)
 

DekuNut

I play my drum for you
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Location
Tangent Universe
Sounds like an idea.
Outside of fanfictions (got two going on right now), I like to write what I call "high fantasy" (my Dungeons and Dragons campaigns), original superhero stories, some realistic fiction, and a zombie thing here or there.
I move around some.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Sounds like an idea.
Outside of fanfictions (got two going on right now), I like to write what I call "high fantasy" (my Dungeons and Dragons campaigns), original superhero stories, some realistic fiction, and a zombie thing here or there.
I move around some.
Well, seeing as I write Zelda fanfiction myself, I would also firmly place myself in high fantasy... when I solely stick to that universe. What sort of superhero stories, out of curiosity?

It's definitely a good idea to broaden your horizons and experiment with different stories and storylines that you like. :)
 

DekuNut

I play my drum for you
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Location
Tangent Universe
Well, seeing as I write Zelda fanfiction myself, I would also firmly place myself in high fantasy... when I solely stick to that universe. What sort of superhero stories, out of curiosity?

It's definitely a good idea to broaden your horizons and experiment with different stories and storylines that you like. :)

May do fanfiction sometime (the only story I have planned there isn't very mainstream anyways), and I have two separate superhero universes: one is a parody, with superheroes with useless powers who do more harm than good but are loved anyways and a more serious one. I'm trying to stay away from magic in the second, but it's so hard to have a realistic, semi-original backstory for everyone.

And yes, yes it is. Most of these are only planned and not written, but they're planned if I ever want to do them.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
May do fanfiction sometime (the only story I have planned there isn't very mainstream anyways), and I have two separate superhero universes: one is a parody, with superheroes with useless powers who do more harm than good but are loved anyways and a more serious one. I'm trying to stay away from magic in the second, but it's so hard to have a realistic, semi-original backstory for everyone.

And yes, yes it is. Most of these are only planned and not written, but they're planned if I ever want to do them.

Ah, so you're more of a planning type of writer? That never really worked very well for me. I'm one of those writers who just writes and sees which way the characters take the story, although I do think it's generally a good idea to have some idea of where you're going with the story and what you want to get out of it, just so you have some sort of foundation.

I love parodies. Maybe one of these days, I'll write some humor fic and see where it goes. Good luck with your projects, regardless. :)
 

Mamono101

生きることは痛みを知ること。
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Location
The Makai
This is a great idea!

Generally I don't write fanfics. I usually find myself struggling to come up with original content based on the preexisting world the fic is based on. I have a strong preference for drama and horror themed stories and often like them to be based somewhat in the real world but see no reason why genres cant be blurred to create something new and exciting. I also prefer to write in third person but over the years have attempted to write a few short stories in first person. I've also been trying recently to see if there's some way a first person perspective can be integrated into a narrative written in third person.

When it comes to what I read, I'll read almost anything if it's something that I find myself enjoying. Thematically, I really enjoy reading about characters who are suffering in some way due to an internal conflict with themselves or with external stresses that they need to overcome. I also find myself incorporating similar themes into what I write but usually find my ideas stagnate because I don't explore enough alternate concepts.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
This is a great idea!

Generally I don't write fanfics. I usually find myself struggling to come up with original content based on the preexisting world the fic is based on. I have a strong preference for drama and horror themed stories and often like them to be based somewhat in the real world but see no reason why genres cant be blurred to create something new and exciting. I also prefer to write in third person but over the years have attempted to write a few short stories in first person. I've also been trying recently to see if there's some way a first person perspective can be integrated into a narrative written in third person.

When it comes to what I read, I'll read almost anything if it's something that I find myself enjoying. Thematically, I really enjoy reading about characters who are suffering in some way due to an internal conflict with themselves or with external stresses that they need to overcome. I also find myself incorporating similar themes into what I write but usually find my ideas stagnate because I don't explore enough alternate concepts.

Depending on the fandom you're working in, that is very true. While I can come up with all sorts of idea for the Zelda universe, I have not had much luck coming up with stuff for Batman. Then again, the themes of those two fandoms are like day and night, and sometimes literally. It's cool that you like to do more original stuff- that's quite respectable, and I should probably do that more often.

See, I've written in third person myself for a very long time, but a few months ago, I tried to break out of my comfort zone and try first person works again. When I shared my work with my class, they came up with a very good suggestion for me- write in present tense, not past. It makes it seem less like someone is telling a story and more like they are experiencing events as they occur. I've found that it really improved my writing in that tense quite a bit. :D
 

TatlTails

WANTS HER VMS BACK
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Location
Ente Isla
Honestly, I would love to write some stories here, maybe even some of those ones where I ask for other people's OCs (because I usually write with mine, and don't want to alienate others), but I am such a ****ing procrastinator. I can write a few paragraphs of something, then completely lose interest and just plan in my head and never write it down. Even though I still think the idea is really good!

I can write in any genre, and usually choose third person over first, but I mostly stick to pseudo-fantasy modern styles. And admittedly, even my original work is technically fanfiction, because I borrow heavily from the concept of a particular book series and all my OCs were born and raised in its lore. So yeah, maybe someday I'll try to write something for you guys, but I doubt it would get far unless I have some serious ideas.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Honestly, I would love to write some stories here, maybe even some of those ones where I ask for other people's OCs (because I usually write with mine, and don't want to alienate others), but I am such a ****ing procrastinator. I can write a few paragraphs of something, then completely lose interest and just plan in my head and never write it down. Even though I still think the idea is really good!

I can write in any genre, and usually choose third person over first, but I mostly stick to pseudo-fantasy modern styles. And admittedly, even my original work is technically fanfiction, because I borrow heavily from the concept of a particular book series and all my OCs were born and raised in its lore. So yeah, maybe someday I'll try to write something for you guys, but I doubt it would get far unless I have some serious ideas.

Have you tried outlining a story? That might be a good idea for you, as it would let you brainstorm your idea while building a basic framework for your plot.

My problem isn't so much procrastination as it is simply not having the time. College will do that to you. >:
 

TatlTails

WANTS HER VMS BACK
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Location
Ente Isla
Have you tried outlining a story? That might be a good idea for you, as it would let you brainstorm your idea while building a basic framework for your plot.

My problem isn't so much procrastination as it is simply not having the time. College will do that to you. >:

I've never been very good at that, always doing it in my head. But that's a good idea, I'll have to try that more often...

And oh gosh, I'm starting college soon. Very scared for that.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
I've never been very good at that, always doing it in my head. But that's a good idea, I'll have to try that more often...

And oh gosh, I'm starting college soon. Very scared for that.

It would be worth a shot, at least. To be fair, I don't use them myself, as I prefer to write stuff down and see which way my muse goes with the story. Sometimes it works out wonderfully, while other times it does.

Now, I'm just throwing this out there for the sake of discussion, but do you guys use thesauruses at all when you write?
 

Heroine of Time

Rest in peace, Paris Caper...
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Location
Whiterun
Gender
Take a guess.
I could talk about my writing/reading preferences for hours if given the chance... This post was 1000+ words long before I realized that no one would read it. :P

As I writer, I am firmly entrenched in the fantasy genre. I don't think I've ever really ventured out of it except for minor projects here and there. It can be anything from high fantasy to contemporary, fanfiction to original stuff. I kind of took a year-long break from writing, but NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) suddenly motivated me like never before. I've been writing a lot more since then, even finishing a chapter of my fanfic I'd been neglecting for a year and a half and almost ending a oneshot that I halfway completed back in March. I'm pulling up old and new ideas from everywhere and even considering dabbling in fandoms other than Zelda for once... and I'm possibly reviving an old Wizard101 fanfic I wrote when I was like twelve or something.

As a reader, on the other hand... I pretty much read exclusively fanfiction. It used to be entirely Zelda, but lately I've been more than a little obsessed with Danny Phantom. I'm really fond of dark stories, especially thoses where the hero must go through some kind of internal conflict. And I adore tragedy and irony. Even so, I'll read pretty much everything. The only thing I really don't like with consistency is pure romance. Romance is fine when combined with something else, but simple fluff is just... boring, in my opinion. Oh, and I hate Dark Link. Hate him. End of story.

I'm not really involved on ZD though... as a writer OR reader. I entered the writing competition a few times back in the day but since then I haven't really done anything on the forums. I feel like I'm going to get more recognition on ff.net. Maybe my next oneshot I'll post here too?

Now, I'm just throwing this out there for the sake of discussion, but do you guys use thesauruses at all when you write?
Yes. XD They're lifesavers. When I'm writing a scene that requires a lot of the same emotions, especially. For example... you have a scene where numerous characters are suffering from some kind of terrifying revelation or something. You can only use the words "numb horror" so many times before you really need a thesaurus or something to keep the emotions in the scene without being repetitive.

Also related to the current discussion... I've never really been an "outlining" person. Tried it once, got bored. I do have to plan though -- it makes my chances of completing a project SO much higher. But I do it in a far less orthodox fashion. I start a note on my iPad, write down the basic plot, and then begin asking questions, over and over, brainstorming ideas until I have a decent concept. It works really well for me, especially when I have plot holes I need to fix.
 
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Location
Between Hyrule and Termina
I won't even lie. I have not written a single short story of any genre is quite some time. I used to write everything from alternate realities of irl, fan-fics, and went all over the place. Then "It" happened. I got writer's block on such a grand and massive scale, I gave up writing for several years. and it shows alot of times. And now I feel I need to learn how to write creatively again. And I was looking through blogs, and heard about the revival of the writing section, and I am all for it. I would like my try at writing again, and contributing.
 

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