I'm late to the party, and signing up was a spontaneous thing. I'm still not sure how I feel about it: hopeful? scared? desperate? excited? - Possibly all of the above. My expectations are really low, though. In so many years I've only written a handful of drabbles when it comes to fanfic, and original fiction has gotten reduced to RPing with a friend -- which is much fun, btw, and I couldn't wish for a better writing partner... but it's still not the same as a story in prose. And I miss that. There's an origfic-shaped hole in my life, so to speak. I've considered joining challenge communities before, but usually they didn't allow for original fiction, or they had weekly prompts or such a tight deadline that I crumbled into an insecure heap just from reading the profile. I'm terrible with deadlines. Or pressure. Actually, let's just call it "I'm a bundle of writing-related neuroses" and be done with it. As your community has "NO PRESSURE!" practically written in bold red letters over it, my goal is as follows: I will hopefully finish something from my bingo card. And then I will feel accomplished because 1 > 0. \o/ The end.
So, what can you expect?
For one, my stories all started out as something to entertain myself with when I'm bored or before I fall asleep, so they don't have as much structure as, say, some novel you're planning. Basically, I'm writing snapshots. There might be a connecting story arc but there's lots and lots of "free space" available inbetween.
Two, the relationships and character development are more important than the worldbuilding or plot. Which doesn't mean I don't care for that sort of thing, or that there weren't constants and facts ... but they take a backseat and I don't keep a box of notes or online wiki somewhere. (Perhaps I should?) Usually mood and imagery are the driving force. (On rereading, this sounds terrible, like I'm just a hack trying to find excuses why he doesn't have to keep up with characterisation and stuff, but I don't know how to explain it any better.)
Three: I tried to write characters that weren't queer in some way, but it just doesn't work. I seem incapable of having totally straight main characters. Later it turned out I can't have 100% gay or lesbian main characters either. I'm not doing this because of the misguided and ultimately condescending opinion that "everyone's bi at heart" -- thankfully I outgrew that phase in my teens *cough cough*. It's just that a) I think sexuality and desire are both more complicated and complex than we're generally told, and b) somehow the charas grew that way. I mean, even the ones I thought to be gay or straight eventually piped up with "well, that one time at college..." or "okay I'm not into women but if I was I'd totally [gushing description of adored female person]". Or "but we were drunk!" *hands* (To be honest, I like them that way.)
Four: a lot of people described their stories and I tried, but it only made me think I'd suck as someone in charge of advertising. Goth vampire has a silly sense of humour! Watch him feed his frogs! Grumpy ex rock star struggles with abusive past! Is also kinky! Guy who had a crush on ex rock star in their teenage years is now happily married but the couple is open for moresomes! And kinky. There's really lots of kink, actually, but mostly in the "After doing the dishes, I hurt my lover in ways we find exciting, and they told me I look sexy in my Birkenstock's and grey sweater that my dog had gnawed on again" way. There's also magical tattoos and dead brothers and longevity treatment and laser-guided amnesia and dude someone shoot me already.
This got way longer than intended.
So, what can you expect?
For one, my stories all started out as something to entertain myself with when I'm bored or before I fall asleep, so they don't have as much structure as, say, some novel you're planning. Basically, I'm writing snapshots. There might be a connecting story arc but there's lots and lots of "free space" available inbetween.
Two, the relationships and character development are more important than the worldbuilding or plot. Which doesn't mean I don't care for that sort of thing, or that there weren't constants and facts ... but they take a backseat and I don't keep a box of notes or online wiki somewhere. (Perhaps I should?) Usually mood and imagery are the driving force. (On rereading, this sounds terrible, like I'm just a hack trying to find excuses why he doesn't have to keep up with characterisation and stuff, but I don't know how to explain it any better.)
Three: I tried to write characters that weren't queer in some way, but it just doesn't work. I seem incapable of having totally straight main characters. Later it turned out I can't have 100% gay or lesbian main characters either. I'm not doing this because of the misguided and ultimately condescending opinion that "everyone's bi at heart" -- thankfully I outgrew that phase in my teens *cough cough*. It's just that a) I think sexuality and desire are both more complicated and complex than we're generally told, and b) somehow the charas grew that way. I mean, even the ones I thought to be gay or straight eventually piped up with "well, that one time at college..." or "okay I'm not into women but if I was I'd totally [gushing description of adored female person]". Or "but we were drunk!" *hands* (To be honest, I like them that way.)
Four: a lot of people described their stories and I tried, but it only made me think I'd suck as someone in charge of advertising. Goth vampire has a silly sense of humour! Watch him feed his frogs! Grumpy ex rock star struggles with abusive past! Is also kinky! Guy who had a crush on ex rock star in their teenage years is now happily married but the couple is open for moresomes! And kinky. There's really lots of kink, actually, but mostly in the "After doing the dishes, I hurt my lover in ways we find exciting, and they told me I look sexy in my Birkenstock's and grey sweater that my dog had gnawed on again" way. There's also magical tattoos and dead brothers and longevity treatment and laser-guided amnesia and dude someone shoot me already.