How do I get mself into these messes?

[krickets]

I am such a one-shot offender. I never write long fics and here I find myself like 60% through this big bang and my brain has turned to mush and I have to wonder if it's even going to be worth it. (Define "worth it?" I don't even know!) I feel like I would get just as much satisfaction from writing a shorter fic, so why bother? I don't know. I will probably feel differently once I've filled in all the holes. And the sad part is that this is not even as long as some fics I've seen. Only 10,000 words!

[Poll #1779134]

Comments

[rabiya-al-basri.livejournal.com]

I can't speak to the writing side of it, but as a reader, I generally prefer shorter fic. I feel like there's an implication in your post that you're somehow deficient as a writer for not writing longer fic, and I guess I would want to challenge that, you know? I don't think there's anything inherently better or worse about long vs short, any more than a novel is a 'higher' art form than a short story. (fanfic has the advantage over non-fan work (what is the contrasting term here?), too, that with pre-established characters, you can do a lot of character work in a short piece, which you can't really do in most short stories)

OTOH, there are things you can only do in longer works that can be really fun and rewarding; when writing essays or longer blog posts there's a huge satisfaction in pulling a bunch of disparate strands together or pulling apart a really intricately woven web of oppressive discourse or standing what you thought you knew completely on its head--things that often take quite a lot of words to accomplish--and I there can be a similar pleasures in writing fiction. So, basically, YMMV as far as whether it's worth it, but don't feel like your mode of artistic expression reflects on your worth as a writer.

[rabiya-al-basri.livejournal.com]

and I there can be a similar pleasures in writing fiction.

ack grammar. I wrote that two ways and they got smushed together by accident.

and I know there can be similar pleasures in writing fiction.
and there can be a similar pleasure in writing fiction.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Oh no, I definitely didn't mean to imply that. I mean, I do feel like this is a little bit more of a challenge for me personally, but I know that some writers find writing shorter things more challenging. So it evens out in the end.

I think with longer fics there is so much more potential for mistakes and contrivances and I personally end up being more critical of my longer (but still relatively short!) pieces in the end. For that reason. Maybe that is why I prefer shorter fics. Less room for error. Everything has to be perfect.

I know that when I'm through I will be happy I did this. I just need to get through it!