Fic writing (or rather the lack of it)

[shapinglight]

I realised that I haven't had a good moan about fic writing (or rather my inability to do any) recently, so here goes.

Feel free to skip if you want. I know it gets tedious.



As I have probably stated with monotonous regularity (though possibly not on LJ for a while, I can't remember), I have so far failed to produce any fanfic this year. This, after five years of being fairly prolific. It makes me sad, but I can't seem to do anything about it.

I don't think it's writers' block exactly. It's more writers' can't be bothered. Or writers too bloody tired. For instance, I've found myself unexpectedly on my own this weekend (I was supposed to go to a family function but cried off). Until this year, I would have been rubbing my hands with glee about this because it would give me lots and lots of time to do some writing. However, though I fully intended to give it a try yesterday and again today, I've ended up doing nothing. It's not even that I don't have any ideas at all, (though I'm going through a very bad patch where I get plot bunnies but don't know how they end. Usually, I know how a story's going to end before I start writing it, or I don't start writing it in the first place). It's more that I lack the will/energy to actually buckle down and do the graft.

At the moment, I have one plot bunny involving Spike and Robin Wood (still not sure I'm brave enough to tackle that one) and another I picked up last week, thanks to hello_spikey, which is Spuffy set in BtVS season 4. However, I can't seem to work out coherent plots to go with the ideas so there's no point trying to start either of them. Meanwhile, my ongoing Spike/Giles story (Safe and its two sequels so far) is stalled. Meh!

Of course, it could be part of my current Buffyverse fandom malaise. I don't much feel like reading meta in the fandom either, or re-stating opinions I've held for years yet again. But that's just laziness, and unfair on newcomers to the fandom.

Anyway, I hope I get over it some day. I like writing. I think I was okay at it (not great, but okay), and it's about the only thing I am okay at, so it would be a shame if I never went back to it. Also, I hope the fandom malaise in general wears off, because much though I love many other shows, only BtVS/AtS have inspired me to write fic or meta, and I really don't see that changing.

I mean, it's hard for me to see how you would write meta about True Blood. It's lots of fun, but what is there to say beyond, how on earth do these people manage to have so much sex when it's so bloody hot all the time? Also, though I'm sure there's True Blood fanfic out there, I feel no incentive to read it or write it, because the show's done a pretty good job of including everything I might have wanted to write fanfic about anyway. :)

Onwards and upwards.

ETA: now I think of it, it would be possible to write stuff about the comparisons between the vampire/human conflict in True Blood and the Christian fundamentalist/secular conflict in America, but I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to do that.

Comments

[dalmeny]

I've had some seriously dry years. I'm amazed I'm back writing so happily again, in fact. If I knew what caused me to switch back and forth, I'd tell you.

[shapinglight]

Well, if you work it out, I'd be glad for some tips. And I hope we'll still get to see your season 7 fic at some point. IMO it's too good not to share.