06/02/2009: American Ramble
If you didn't know, I'm on a visit to the United States right now (I'm with my boyfriend, visiting his dad, who lives in Indiana). That means I've been having rather limited computer access and no access to the Quest for the Legends Word document. Really, all I'd need is the last couple of paragraphs I actually wrote of chapter 48 so I could continue properly where I left off - I just don't remember precisely where I was, and it's annoying to write something from vague memory of what I last wrote and then discover the ends don't quite match up. At least, I am happy to announce that I am writing this from my shiny new laptop we just bought, and when I get home I'm going to move or at least copy the Quest for the Legends Word document to it so that I will be able to write on any future trips.I was thinking a lot about the fic yesterday (more specifically, just mentally refining and adding to an already prepared scene relating to the Letal subplot). I really want to finish chapters 48 and 49 soon, because I know I'm going to enjoy writing chapters 50 through 55. Really, I'm going to enjoy the end of chapter 48, too, but there's quite a bit of battle to go before I get to that, and I'm probably going to need some figuring to get it to end believably as planned. I never really like writing my way towards a predefined conclusion when that conclusion should be affected by the details of what happens before it, as I like to think a story ought to try to be a realistic simulation of what would happen given some initial characters and situations in a given world, and any sort of "authorial intervention" trying to arrange events specifically so that they can lead to a particular conclusion in the future undermines the reality of the simulation.
…okay, that probably isn't very clear, but basically here I'm not sure if having the characters make their logical in-character decisions in the battle is going to lead to the conclusion I want, which could be problematic. Usually when I write battles, I don't actually have a specific conclusion planned; I just write the battle and essentially see how it turns out, knowing at most that I want one party to win in the end and sometimes not even that. Here the idea is to end with a very particular situation in the battle; actually, the chapter 47 battle was similar, as I had previously decided it should end with Ditto vs. Charizard with Aaron having one severely injured Pokémon left. Basically here I have another such prepared ending situation, and it's looking like it could be a bit more problematic to get the characters' strategies up to that point to both make sense and end up in that situation. I could theoretically move that part to earlier in the battle, but it works better as a climax to the chapter.
I'll stop babbling now.
COMMENTARY DONE
Comments
Pure Umbreon (06/02/2009 23:52:35)
… You're in Indiana? wow, that's only a state away from me.
… yah, TMI I know. Anyway, that's cool that you got a new laptop! :D
SlowCrow (06/03/2009 01:11:08)
Well, it sounds to me that your problem stems from the fact that you're trying to work around established facts rather than new concepts. What I suggest is using a vaguely established factor to influence your character's actions, seeing that introducing anything new into the fic's “enclosed sphere of interaction” would seem seriously forced and would bother you to no end. Seeing how you did this before with the fic's myth arc, I think you could pull it off here as well.
chaoslugia (06/03/2009 16:51:52)
Indiana? cool. I'm in Virgina I'm four states away!
Lugia (06/03/2009 21:36:34)
-wishes she knew anything about America-
huh… so you're a long way from home? Don't get homesick, it's nice to be out and about sometimes x3
ShadowDusk (06/05/2009 03:01:57)
cool i live in Florida nice to know your in the states.
SilverLatios47 (06/07/2009 21:42:26)
At least you're alive :D I'm from AZ, lol. I can't stop rereading TQFTL and I've been pondering writing another Pokefic, the old one was hideous and cliched and totally a pathetic fic from a hopeless TQFTL fan. oops, I've gone and rambled. Good luck, can't wait for the next chapter!!! ~^^
Sapph (06/12/2009 20:55:42)
Cool I live in the states too In NY