Camp NaNo

[tielan]

Sedoretu is pretty much a bust. I can't get it moving the way I want to, Maria doesn't want to talk, Natasha doesn't know enough, Steve is being obstreperous, and Bucky's still finding his fee.

I'm struggling. I have for the entire month, and all the more because there's really nobody to talk Steve/Maria with anymore, and nobody who wants to. (It's never going to get anything more in canon, and I don't have anyone to bounce off regarding her character, which is most of what I want.)

I'm two days away from going into Camp NaNo, with the goal of writing 50K to Shadowkin: Seabirthed. Carlos is part-Hispanic, Australian, half-Shadowkin, and struggling with the changes to his life - his mother dead, his father remarried, his stepmother expecting, his grandparents hostile. He's solitary and bullied at school, and it's only when he stands up for someone else, and she reaches back out to him that things start getting better. (No, she's not the romantic interest; for starters, they're about 12 years old, and she's the protag of the next book.)

I've started his story at least five times, maybe as many as ten times.

But I feel like I have nothing to tell, that nobody would be interested in my stories, that even if I managed to finish a manuscript, I could never find anyone to buy any story I'd want to tell in any case.

Comments

[alexseanchai]

I hear that last paragraph SO HARD.

[tielan]

It's very demoralising.

[alexseanchai]

I know.

And the stories kick at the inside of my head anyway.

What's "Shadowkin" in this context?

[tielan]

Magic users, kind of wizarding world - living alongside but hidden from 'normal people' who are Humankin. Five types of Shadowkin: Seabirthed, Changeling, Fireborn, Bloodkin, and Nightwing - mostly, they present as human, they just have extra powers and abilities.

[alexseanchai]

Cool!

Fascinating premise.

[kore]

But I feel like I have nothing to tell, that nobody would be interested in my stories, that even if I managed to finish a manuscript, I could never find anyone to buy any story I'd want to tell in any case.

Man, that is like Being a Writer in less than 100 words. I am convinced everyone who's ever wanted to write feels like this and writing just happens in the times when you can beat it back.

[tielan]

I am convinced everyone who's ever wanted to write feels like this and writing just happens in the times when you can beat it back.

Probably accurate. *sigh*

[beatrice_otter]

Wish I could help. :(

[shorti]

You know you can contact me at any time right? I haven't had much free time because of work and profic writing to work on my fic but I'm always happy to talk shop.

I agree with what everyone else has said about being a writer. It's hard getting appreciation for anything you write.

[tielan]

I figured you were busy. I'll keep it in mind in future...

Also, you might like to keep up with siu_lin which is my writing-specific journal.

[shorti]

Busy is an understatement! Sometimes I come home from work and just lie on the couch for a few hours doing nothing else. Comatose. But always happy for fic talk.

Didn't realise you have a whole journal for writing. Awesome.

[tielan]

I haven't used the writing journal in years, TBH. It was mostly a dumping ground for ideas and thoughts that I didn't have anywhere else to put, or that I wanted to discuss with people.