rhondacrockett (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rhondacrockett) wrote2004-06-17 11:25 am
rhondacrockett) wrote2004-06-17 11:25 am
Further to my last entry
It's alright, people! I finally got in touch with my supervisor last night (damn man's so hard to get a hold of) and he explained that the letter I was sent was a form letter, constructed for people at an earlier stage in their PhD, and nothing in it applied to me - well, apart from the date and time. So no 3000-word application for me!!! *Sighs of relief all round*
But dagnamit, they shouldn't SCARE me like that! *Beats Brian Caraher around the head with a big stick*
What's the last thing you wrote? The last original fiction piece (complete) I wrote was called "The Soul Ties Its Shoes". The last piece of original fiction (incomplete) was the opening to a story about a girl eloping. The last piece of fanfiction (incomplete) was a rape scene involving Bobby Goren from "Law and Order: Criminal Intent". Apart from that, I have also noted down details for several fanfiction plots.
Was it any good? I like the idea of "The Soul Ties Its Shoes" and the main character, but the ending needs to be rewritten, the middle needs editing and clarifying, and I suspect that the story ought to be lengthened to give it a proper "story" feel. Also I'm horribly afraid that the title is pretentious (if there's one thing I hate in writing, it's pretension). The elopement story could grow into something very interesting. As for the rape scene, I would like to edit one paragraph, but I'm really pleased with the rest.
What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have? A poem I wrote called "My Dionsaur [sic]". I was five.
Were they any good? Why don't you judge for yourself; here's the first verse:
I once had a dinosaur
All covered in spots
Except for his tail
Which was covered in dots.
...Hey, I was five years old! My parents thought this was genius!
Write poetry? *Points above* I wrote poetry throughout primary school, quite a bit in secondary school, and just occasionally now.
Angsty poetry? In secondary school and my first year at university. The angst has faded now, thank goodness. I look back on it and I wince.
Favourite genre of writing? Novels.
Most fun character you ever wrote? Malcolm, from my short story "Learning Curve". He was based on a guy I knew when I lived in halls. He was lovely.
Most annoying character you ever wrote? Max, Reiko, George, Pamela, John, Chloe... shit, I just named the entire main cast of my novel! That's not good. They just feel so damn hollow. Max and Reiko are the biggest problem. They're supposed to be violent gang members and I can't get into them at all.
Best plot you ever wrote? The plot for "Learning Curve". It's the only story that I've written, where I had the plot shaped in my head before starting.
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote? Hm. I don't think I've written any yet. I have ideas for plot twists. I wonder if the ending I had planned for "Deus Ex" would count, or would it be too obvious?
How often do you get writer's block? I got it several times while doing my Master's, which was on creative writing. Right now, it's not so much writer's block as I have too much other stuff to do, and the writing gets pushed to the side.
How do you fix it? I just sat down and forced myself to write. Once I got into the rhythm, it started coming together. I also wrote in the library instead of at home in my room; I found that when I was alone, I got bored, but having people around helped me concentrate better.
Write fan fiction? Yes, but none of them are complete. Most of them don't even have beginnings; I have a tendency to start in the middle, at a particular episode or scene which has grabbed my imagination, rather than at the start of the story.
Do you type or write by hand? Write by hand first, making adjustments as I go along, then type it up, continuing to make adjustments, then take a look and see if I want to repeat the process. Yeah, it's long and laborious, and I don't understand how I can type up academic essays from scratch but can't do the same with my fiction, but it's what works for me.
Do you save everything you write? Yeah. I have notebooks and file pages squirreled away in various different places. You never know when you'll come back across them and be inspired.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? Yes.
What's your favourite thing that you've written? My favourite complete piece is "Learning Curve". I'm also proud of some paragraphs and episodes which I've scribbled down, but which don't go anywhere. The writing in them just feels perfect.
What's everyone else's favourite thing that you've written? My mum adores a poem I wrote called "City by Night/Journey", but I'm not happy with it anymore.
Do you ever show people your work? While I was doing my Master's, I had to. But usually, I keep my work very, very private.
Who's your favourite constructive critic? Probably Katherine Martin; she took the Master's along with me and we just got each other. Keith McManus was nice too.
Do you have a web site for your writings? No.
Did you ever write a novel? Well, I do have the first six chapters of one written, and I intend to continue with it once this PhD is over.
Ever written sci-fi, fantasy or horror? I mostly write fantasy and sci-fantasy. I don't know enough science to write proper sci-fi, though I've had ideas in the past. I don't think I would be good at horror.
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama? "Learning Curve" was kind of angsty, but it was more university student angst. I wouldn't trust myself to write romance when I haven't experienced it yet.
What's your favourite setting for your characters? I like overturning my characters' ideas about the nature of their world. So I either stick them into a completely bizarre environment or I face them with the revelation that there are strange and unknown elements underlying what they had taken for normality.
What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will? Slash. Oh, and plays.
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Apart from my PhD, none.
Do you want to write for a living? That is the dream.
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? Yeah, but nothing major.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? A few prizes for my poetry when I was younger, the usual school competition type stuff.
Ever written something in script or play format? No. I wouldn't even know where to start. One of my tutors for my Master's is a playwright and I developed an incomprehensible terror of him. I'm not sure whether this terror transferred to him from his genre or to his genre from him. Either way, the thought of writing a script just brings up Daragh's face.
What are your five favourite words? To use when writing? Depends on the piece. I probably overdose on adverbs, though. I know I do in my ordinary writing. It's something I'm trying to control.
Do you ever parody? I can be teasing about stuff in my stories, but I don't think I've ever parodied anything out right.
What's your favourite thing to parody? See above. In my fanfiction, I usually tease about the odd affinities that can be found between characters from disparate storylines.
Do you actually like that thing, or are you spitefully making fun of it? I like it.
Do you ever write based on yourself? Quite a lot in my realistic fiction. Sometimes it's character traits; sometimes it's particular events or incidents which have happened to me. Then there's my daydream alter-ego, Perdita, who's involved in this convoluted, multi-fanfic-embracing plot which I carry around in my head, which will never be written because copyright and liability would be hell.
What character that you've written most resembles yourself? If you combine Martha and Perdita (NOT daydream-Perdita, but a minor character with the same name) in "Learning Curve", you would get pretty close to me.
Where do you get ideas for your other characters? From the people and events around me; from books, TV and movies; and from the nature of the fictional world I've created for the characters to live in.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? Yes. I have several plot outlines written down somewhere which are based on dreams. The most developed one is "Deus Ex", based on a dream I had about a machine which could alter reality depending on what was written on it.
Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? Most of my endings are happy, or at least contented. I think the important thing is that the ending should not betray what has gone before. If the story is leading towards a happy ending or a sad ending, then that's where it should go.
(You could argue that all endings are cliff-hangers; even "they lived happily ever after" has an "after" part to it.)
Have you ever written based on an artwork you've seen? I have thought up an entire fictional world based on a piece I saw on Elfwood, but I haven't got around to writing about it yet.
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Yes. I am a complete pendant.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak? Dear Lord, no.
Entirely in L337? AAAAHHHH!!! Be gone, thou unholy thing!
Was that question completely appalling and un-writer like? YES.
Does music help you write? I don't think I've tried writing fiction with music on before. I suspect it might distract me. But when I listen to music, I often imagine it soundtracking certain episodes or scenes.
Do you have a weblog or livejournal? No, I'm writing this in empty space :P
Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well? I don't know. Are you?
Quote something you've written. The first thing to pop into your mind. [...] the tearing noise as the match caught. Can't remember what came before the ellipsis.
But dagnamit, they shouldn't SCARE me like that! *Beats Brian Caraher around the head with a big stick*
What's the last thing you wrote? The last original fiction piece (complete) I wrote was called "The Soul Ties Its Shoes". The last piece of original fiction (incomplete) was the opening to a story about a girl eloping. The last piece of fanfiction (incomplete) was a rape scene involving Bobby Goren from "Law and Order: Criminal Intent". Apart from that, I have also noted down details for several fanfiction plots.
Was it any good? I like the idea of "The Soul Ties Its Shoes" and the main character, but the ending needs to be rewritten, the middle needs editing and clarifying, and I suspect that the story ought to be lengthened to give it a proper "story" feel. Also I'm horribly afraid that the title is pretentious (if there's one thing I hate in writing, it's pretension). The elopement story could grow into something very interesting. As for the rape scene, I would like to edit one paragraph, but I'm really pleased with the rest.
What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have? A poem I wrote called "My Dionsaur [sic]". I was five.
Were they any good? Why don't you judge for yourself; here's the first verse:
I once had a dinosaur
All covered in spots
Except for his tail
Which was covered in dots.
...Hey, I was five years old! My parents thought this was genius!
Write poetry? *Points above* I wrote poetry throughout primary school, quite a bit in secondary school, and just occasionally now.
Angsty poetry? In secondary school and my first year at university. The angst has faded now, thank goodness. I look back on it and I wince.
Favourite genre of writing? Novels.
Most fun character you ever wrote? Malcolm, from my short story "Learning Curve". He was based on a guy I knew when I lived in halls. He was lovely.
Most annoying character you ever wrote? Max, Reiko, George, Pamela, John, Chloe... shit, I just named the entire main cast of my novel! That's not good. They just feel so damn hollow. Max and Reiko are the biggest problem. They're supposed to be violent gang members and I can't get into them at all.
Best plot you ever wrote? The plot for "Learning Curve". It's the only story that I've written, where I had the plot shaped in my head before starting.
Coolest plot twist you ever wrote? Hm. I don't think I've written any yet. I have ideas for plot twists. I wonder if the ending I had planned for "Deus Ex" would count, or would it be too obvious?
How often do you get writer's block? I got it several times while doing my Master's, which was on creative writing. Right now, it's not so much writer's block as I have too much other stuff to do, and the writing gets pushed to the side.
How do you fix it? I just sat down and forced myself to write. Once I got into the rhythm, it started coming together. I also wrote in the library instead of at home in my room; I found that when I was alone, I got bored, but having people around helped me concentrate better.
Write fan fiction? Yes, but none of them are complete. Most of them don't even have beginnings; I have a tendency to start in the middle, at a particular episode or scene which has grabbed my imagination, rather than at the start of the story.
Do you type or write by hand? Write by hand first, making adjustments as I go along, then type it up, continuing to make adjustments, then take a look and see if I want to repeat the process. Yeah, it's long and laborious, and I don't understand how I can type up academic essays from scratch but can't do the same with my fiction, but it's what works for me.
Do you save everything you write? Yeah. I have notebooks and file pages squirreled away in various different places. You never know when you'll come back across them and be inspired.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? Yes.
What's your favourite thing that you've written? My favourite complete piece is "Learning Curve". I'm also proud of some paragraphs and episodes which I've scribbled down, but which don't go anywhere. The writing in them just feels perfect.
What's everyone else's favourite thing that you've written? My mum adores a poem I wrote called "City by Night/Journey", but I'm not happy with it anymore.
Do you ever show people your work? While I was doing my Master's, I had to. But usually, I keep my work very, very private.
Who's your favourite constructive critic? Probably Katherine Martin; she took the Master's along with me and we just got each other. Keith McManus was nice too.
Do you have a web site for your writings? No.
Did you ever write a novel? Well, I do have the first six chapters of one written, and I intend to continue with it once this PhD is over.
Ever written sci-fi, fantasy or horror? I mostly write fantasy and sci-fantasy. I don't know enough science to write proper sci-fi, though I've had ideas in the past. I don't think I would be good at horror.
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama? "Learning Curve" was kind of angsty, but it was more university student angst. I wouldn't trust myself to write romance when I haven't experienced it yet.
What's your favourite setting for your characters? I like overturning my characters' ideas about the nature of their world. So I either stick them into a completely bizarre environment or I face them with the revelation that there are strange and unknown elements underlying what they had taken for normality.
What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will? Slash. Oh, and plays.
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Apart from my PhD, none.
Do you want to write for a living? That is the dream.
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? Yeah, but nothing major.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? A few prizes for my poetry when I was younger, the usual school competition type stuff.
Ever written something in script or play format? No. I wouldn't even know where to start. One of my tutors for my Master's is a playwright and I developed an incomprehensible terror of him. I'm not sure whether this terror transferred to him from his genre or to his genre from him. Either way, the thought of writing a script just brings up Daragh's face.
What are your five favourite words? To use when writing? Depends on the piece. I probably overdose on adverbs, though. I know I do in my ordinary writing. It's something I'm trying to control.
Do you ever parody? I can be teasing about stuff in my stories, but I don't think I've ever parodied anything out right.
What's your favourite thing to parody? See above. In my fanfiction, I usually tease about the odd affinities that can be found between characters from disparate storylines.
Do you actually like that thing, or are you spitefully making fun of it? I like it.
Do you ever write based on yourself? Quite a lot in my realistic fiction. Sometimes it's character traits; sometimes it's particular events or incidents which have happened to me. Then there's my daydream alter-ego, Perdita, who's involved in this convoluted, multi-fanfic-embracing plot which I carry around in my head, which will never be written because copyright and liability would be hell.
What character that you've written most resembles yourself? If you combine Martha and Perdita (NOT daydream-Perdita, but a minor character with the same name) in "Learning Curve", you would get pretty close to me.
Where do you get ideas for your other characters? From the people and events around me; from books, TV and movies; and from the nature of the fictional world I've created for the characters to live in.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? Yes. I have several plot outlines written down somewhere which are based on dreams. The most developed one is "Deus Ex", based on a dream I had about a machine which could alter reality depending on what was written on it.
Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? Most of my endings are happy, or at least contented. I think the important thing is that the ending should not betray what has gone before. If the story is leading towards a happy ending or a sad ending, then that's where it should go.
(You could argue that all endings are cliff-hangers; even "they lived happily ever after" has an "after" part to it.)
Have you ever written based on an artwork you've seen? I have thought up an entire fictional world based on a piece I saw on Elfwood, but I haven't got around to writing about it yet.
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Yes. I am a complete pendant.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak? Dear Lord, no.
Entirely in L337? AAAAHHHH!!! Be gone, thou unholy thing!
Was that question completely appalling and un-writer like? YES.
Does music help you write? I don't think I've tried writing fiction with music on before. I suspect it might distract me. But when I listen to music, I often imagine it soundtracking certain episodes or scenes.
Do you have a weblog or livejournal? No, I'm writing this in empty space :P
Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well? I don't know. Are you?
Quote something you've written. The first thing to pop into your mind. [...] the tearing noise as the match caught. Can't remember what came before the ellipsis.