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Reading a post about writing on a mailing list has made me think. Advice was given that you should just write a story, do it all then go back and edit, change things etc to make it read better once the story is done. That's so different to how I work. I write, then re-read and mess about changing things then write some more until the story is done, at which point it's sent to my betas. I doubt I could keep writing knowing something wasn't how I wanted it to be. I can see the appeal in one way. I've been stuck on my TS story for so long as I just can't get a scene how I want it. Maybe just writing something to move the story on then changing things after would be the way to go. I suspect the reason I don't like the idea is because I hate editing. I love the actual process of writing, it's the going back and changing things that I dislike. The thought of writing a story and changing things after isn't appealing at all. However, it's something I'm seriously going to think about to get my AU going again.

I've been reading all the Thanksgiving posts and am quite jealous. I want to eat turkey and celebrate tomorrow, it seems unfair that some people get two festive days...sigh. (/jealous streak) Guess I'll just have to celebrate virtually with all the American's on my flist. Any of you that do turkey day set me a plate will you ;)

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Aw, poor Terri; I never thought of holiday jealousy... (lol)

OK, just for all the non-Americans on Terri's flist: Thanksgiving is actually the oldest American holiday, celebrated on the third Thursday of November. It commemorates the initial cooperation between the colonial pilgrims and the native American indian tribes. The pilgrims had exhausted their resources crossing the ocean, and were unprepared for winter in the wilderness. First contact was made with local tribes, and a friendship was formed. The indians served a magnificent feast to the starving pilgrims, and educated them in how to live off the land. The tradition now is to come together as family (& friends) over a grand meal, and "give thanks" for the good fortune enjoyed over the past year, just as the first settlers gave thanks for making their journey and the help of their new neighbors.

Oh yeah I'm jealous. Mainly because I've been sitting reading all about what people are going to eat. I do however have a deep suspicion of pumpkin pie and candied yams :(

I like the concept of giving thanks too, and the reasons behind it.

...by practically wiping them off the face of the earth!

It's sick, when you think about it, a holiday to celebrate almost exterminating an entire race. We bloody yanks....

But, like the infamous Spike line, it wasn't like Alexander the Great said "I came, I saw, I conquered, I felt really bad about it." People will inherently do whatever they need to survive, or get what they want.

Ignore me, Stuffed, tired and drunk. Hope everyone had a good holiday!

Jenny

It's always good to see your take on things *g*

But it sounds like you had a great day, so that's good :)

And Terri, on the writing thing:

I totally relate; it sounds like you write in the same way I do, reviewing and editing as you go along. Which works fine, as long as the story stays coherent in your head. I actually often end up reading the _entire_ story up to where I'm at, then continue writing. Helps me keep chronological details straight, etc. I understand how you feel about editing, but it's a necessary evil. And think of it this way, your "messing about" with what you just wrote is also editing. I'd say you just need to find a middle ground you're comfy with, scribble something down that says what you want, even though it's incomplete, and press on from there, knowing you'll come back later not to _change_ it, but to flesh it out to say what you want HOW you want it said. Just get it said first, editing is just changing the phrasing to fit your (editor's) ideal, and that's what you already do, one bit at a time.

Hope this helps, talk to me about it! I LOVE writing discussions!

The way you write sounds exactly the same as I do. I've tried other ways, for example how Jenny writes with scenes all over that she joins later, and it just doesn't work for me.

I know editing is needed, I just don't like doing it. That's actually one way that I know that I've improved as a writer. A couple of years ago I'd write and post, now I go back and edit then send to my beta and do it again.

It's a good idea to get base facts down and go on, at least in stories where I'm stuck. I'll have to try it once my SeSa is done.

I like talking about writing too, only good can come of it.

Don't feel bad, I have to work the entire holiday weekend, and the day after Thanksgiving I have to work twelve hours! Whee!

Gah!

Retail after Thanksgiving BAD!!

'Course, I worked 9 Christmas seasons at Toys R Us, so anything else oughta be a piece of cake, right?

Oh, it's not as interesting as retail. I'm a dispatcher. So I'm going to go to a basement that's lit like a funeral home and sit there with my thumb wedged firmly up my butt for twelve hours, probably exhausted from the notnearlyenoughsleep of the night before.

Bleh. Happy holidays.

Oh that sucks! I hope you're getting overtime for it at least.

Nope. We don't even get holiday pay. And it's likely to be swamped.

I'll set a big ole plate for ya and smoosh it through the keyboard. That sound good?

N

That sounds perfect!

I'll be sitting waiting *g*

We're eating out. Don't do the family thing on Thanksgiving. We go to the coast and relax instead. Nice long holiday, plenty to be thankful for. :)

As to writing vs editing. I'm one of those write now, erase later if you don't like it. As long as I'm writing, I keep the fingers from rusting. LOL. Most of the time, whatever I replace my original text with reads better. However, we all produce different *types* of stories. I wonder if that makes a difference? Case story vs a great deep emotional piece?

Enjoy your weekend, no matter what you're celebrating.

I get the feeling that despite how cool Thanksgiving sounds to me it must be a hassle to actually organise it. Eating out sounds like the perfect thing to do.

I'm really interested in all the ways that people write. See I can't imagine just writing and not stopping. I keep stopping and changing things as I go along, which inevitably get changed again later.

I'd think that case stories would have to be written without editing as you go. In those you have a plot that needs to be stuck to so continuity doesn't get screwed up. You'll have more leeway with an emotional piece I'd imagine.

Hope you have a great weekend too!

*dies laughing*

Yes, the organization is usually less than fun. And then there's all the dishes, and everyone is in a tryptophan coma by that point, so no one wants to fdo them...

Thank goodness my mom's an obsessive/compulsive cleaning machine, lol.

Our house is the central locale for the family, so we always host Thanksgiving, which means the parents cook, they just bring all the food here. Works for me. *grin*

And writing, yeah, I write in fits & starts, editing as I go, and the story more or less writes itself. Which means I absolutely SUCK at writing mysteries/case stories, lol

That's cheating getting your mom to cook and bring the food to your house.

But a very cunning plan, Lance would be proud ;)

No worries about missing turkey day, I ate enough for the both of us!

Y'know, you CAN just get a turkey and celebrate, even tho you are a limey wench. I'd think everyone in the UK would celebrate getting rid of us pushy yanks! lol

Jenny

No worries about missing turkey day, I ate enough for the both of us!

LOL, well thank you! Glad to know you ate my share *g*

It's a nice idea to get a turkey anyway but it was just a normal day here. Everyone at work, nothing special. And celebrate getting rid of pushy yanks. Why on earth would we want to do that? ;)

I don't think there is one set way for everyone to write. You just have to do what works best for *you*.

I mean, the way I write drives Josh CRAZY, but that's what works for me. I bounce back and forth between scenes, working on whatever the muse wants to write, then fill in the spaces later. I would absolutely NOT be able to write a fic straight through from beginning to end. I write what wants to be written at the time. Sometimes, the muse takes it in a TOTALLY different direction. I sit down to write a scene, and it comes out completely different than what I had planned. The end of "Frozen" was like that. It was going to end up with Brennan and Jesse happily ever after, but when I went to write it, the muse insisted on the unhappy ending. Ya just got write what comes to you, in whichever order it does.

Write whichever way works best for you, but just WRITE! :)

Jenny

Heh.

I Agree.

Just write. And write. And write more. And ask questions and edit and do research and all that other stuff, and bit by bit, you will improve as a writer.

See I can't write straight through, but I can't write like you either with scenes everywhere. I guess what I have to do is just plod on the way that I always have, it seems to have worked so far.

Write whichever way works best for you, but just WRITE! :)

Yes Ma'am! *Salutes*

LOL, I missed this pushiness ;)

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And they thanked them by...

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