InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "We don't need rings."

Britin (_alicesprings) wrote in qaf_coffeeclub,
@ 2009-06-06 11:26:00

Because I am Just a Poser...
Writers out there, how do you get in the mood to start writing a new fic? How do you get your ideas?

Do you watch episodes? Read fic? Read your own fic? Meditate, levitate, hyperventilate?

Obviously, "I have talent and I just do it" won't work for me.

Thanks!

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	noteverything 2009-06-05 08:41 pm UTC (link)
	"I have talent and just do it" is all I've got. Sorry... ;-) I've tried everything, really.. I need a prompt most of the time, but sometimes ideas just sort of pop into my head. Sometime something someone mentions in passing jumpstarts me, but usually I have to have a prompt. That's why I like drabbles and challenges. Gives me a starting point. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	_alicesprings 2009-06-05 08:43 pm UTC (link)
	LOL! Eek, I actually agree with you, I need a prompt too. Trouble is, the prompts I signed up for are too vague, I need more of a starting point. I think that might be my problem actually. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

fun_demented
2009-06-06 12:40 am UTC (link)

I would be happy to help you with prompts. If you'd like to email me since it's for an anonymous challenge? fundemented@gmail.com

You can specify if you want one word. Or a phrase. Or I can start with a list of words and you can pick one and say, more. Give me definition for this.

I am happy to help in anyway I can with words (I don't screencap or anything). And you will never annoy me. So like, if you sent hundred emails asking a hundred questions. Or if you ignored my email altogether, or anything in between. I am cool with it.

Or if you just want to vent. Or have me read stuff as you go along.

Once I helped a friend write a story, by just asking her questions as she went along. This was through chat.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fun_demented 2009-06-06 12:43 am UTC (link)
	Sometimes it's just your own expectations getting in the way. Sometimes it helps just to have someone read as you write to nod at you as you go along. Even if you don't email me, perhaps you can try this with someone you're used to writing with or beta'ing with? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_alicesprings 2009-06-06 12:53 am UTC (link)
	Sometimes it's just your own expectations getting in the way I am definitely my own worst enemy, but I'm trying to get over that. It's hard though :( (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fun_demented 2009-06-06 01:33 am UTC (link)
	Nods (Reply to this) (Parent)

	_alicesprings 2009-06-06 12:52 am UTC (link)
	Thank you for the offer! Xie actually just helped me come up with a new direction via email, so I'm going to try and give that a go. But I really appreciate your offer! If I don't have any luck with this new direction, I will definitely call on you for help! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fun_demented 2009-06-06 01:32 am UTC (link)
	Awesome! (Reply to this) (Parent)

frantic_quest
2009-06-05 09:42 pm UTC (link)

Prompts and challenges work the best for me. But even with a pretty solid prompt or theme to work with, I usually need a little something extra. Most of the time, I'll use a specific scene or timeframe from the series as a jumping off point.

And...although some may view this as pathetic and sappy...I will often hear a particular song or lyric and use that as inspiration. I don't write a fic around the whole song, maybe just a phrase or two or sometimes just the title is enough.

Hope this helps you!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	_alicesprings 2009-06-05 10:40 pm UTC (link)
	It does, thank you! I think I'll think on a few specific scenes and maybe a few songs in scenes I really like, and hope something jumps out at me! (Reply to this) (Parent)

netlagd
2009-06-12 08:33 pm UTC (link)

I see something that sets me off.

Some "What If" ideas - but not so much tied to what if they wrote this instead of that for the series.

I write a LOT of AU so I like making up certain circumstances and seeing if there is anything there.

I have a couple of started things that I haven't completed (but I'm working on my current WIP before I go down that path).

I've posted several ideas in the bunnies section.

Also, I've read several fics where I like the premise, but would have written it another way.

I would think that it would be fun to have a challenge where you take a basic idea and have folks write it their way.

Here are some of my past bunnies - feel free, no one else took me up on the offer:

Not Quite Death in Venice:
It's strawberry time in North Carolina which always makes me think of the continual imagery of over-ripe strawberries that Thomas Mann uses throughout Death in Venice. Of course, the over-ripe strawberries are a symbol of the decay that surrounds Venice and the impending death from the Cholera Epidemic in the short story.

But it got me thinking, it could be fun to do a twist on the short story with Brian and Justin.

Upon his 30th Birthday Advertising and Media man Brian (the Gustav von Aschenbach character) goes to Venice to "die young and leave a beautiful corpse". Brian takes a vacation to Venice where he stays at the Grand Hôtel des Bains on the Lido island. While there, Brian has a strange obsession with a young man named Justin (the Tadzio character - a few years older).

When an epidemic breaks out, Brian whisks Justin back to Pittsburgh.

(Reply to this)

and here is the rest of the post - more ideas

netlagd
2009-06-12 08:34 pm UTC (link)

twins separated at birth? Ethan and Russell Brad:

After seeing Russell Brown on Comedy Central and David Letterman recently, I am struck by how much Russell Brand looks like a bad incarnation of Ethan without the violin.

It would be amusing to have Brian and Justin somehow meet Russell Brand and have Brand pursue Justin -- much to Justin's dismay and Brian's annoyance.

**************

Brian and Justin take Oprah's sex quizzes:

No time to write it, but it begs to be written.

As part of her Best Life series, Friday is sex day with a therapist on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

So it seems to me that Brian wouldn't touch this type of thing with a ten foot pole.

But I can see Brian walking into the diner where Emmett and Ted might be discussing the show and the quiz.

I can see Justin looking it up on line when they get back to the loft.
http://www.oprah.com/survey/relationships/sex/pkgsex/20081113_tows_male

I can see Justin filling it out and Brian mocking him.

But wait, something catches Brian's eye - the sex toy quiz (which sex toy is best for you?)
Yeah, it might be a lark, but Brian would fill out this one, even if it was just for a joke.
http://www.oprah.com/survey/relationships/sex/pkgsex/20081113_tows_sextoys

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What would happen if Brian met Sarah Palin?

************************

I have no time to write it... Hippity Hoppity, I was working on my current WIP when I was struck by the idea of a ficlet -- and correct me, this may have already been written -- where Brian tries to get Lloyd's of London to insure Justin's ass.

maybe a bit crack!fic-ish

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Mattresses
I stayed with a friend over the christmas break who had a temperpedic mattresses throughout the house in all the bedrooms.

I tell you, the reason people sleep so well is that they can't move.

I thought about writing a fic about it, because quite frankly, with the amount of fairly rigorous workouts the boys tend to have, this would introduce quite a challenge to the daily routine.

So I offer up to you a plot bunny where Brian get's a new temperpedic mattress for the loft and brian and justin's love life goes down the tubes due to the fact the mattress halts, hinders, hampers their ability to get on with their normal activities.

Such a fic could start with Brian purchasing the mattress due to a bad back strain or not being able to sleep at night or some such nonsense. Or perhaps Justin complaining that the old mattress had an errant coil that was sticking him in the back. let's face it, with as many miles as have had to have been on that mattress, it's a miracle that he wasn't swapping them out every other month.

And speaking of which, a friend of mine participated in a research study where they did swap out her mattress every 2 weeks to determine what mattress was he most comfortable. Justin might come up with participating in such a study, although he'd have to be persuasive enough to get Brian to comply.

there you go, hop away little bunny!

**************************
(Actually, I think that I found a WIP of this in my recent travels, I know it was not finished)
Okay, this may actually exist, but I couldn't confirm it, so here it goes...

Think The King and I

Brian is King (of course)
Justin is the school teacher hired
Gus of course is number one son

(Reply to this)