Creative cranking.

[hannah]

It's terrifically frustrating to realize one of the reasons I'm presently struggling with a new piece of writing is I don't have anyone to talk to about it. The person I talked to through my last big project hasn't been online in a while - which, honestly, is the right call given her real life responsibilities - and I haven't been able to find someone else to help me out through conversation. In part I don't know who to ask about it. In part I don't know how to ask about it.

Some of me feels like I should be able to manage this without the back and forth, that it was just that one project and the rest should be able to keep going as I've done before. Some of me feels like I'm spoiled in several senses of the term to want that kind of thing again. There's questions about time, too: time zones and free time. Free space in people's heads. As though it's too much to ask people for. Especially in regards to the people I know, because I know them, and it's hard to ask someone to start doing that kind of thing for you. At least, I've found it difficult. Writing to an individual, the Stephen King "ideal reader", is a good way to get the juices flowing, and right now, I'm feeling readerless. It's making it difficult to parse out certain choices, because I can't talk them over with anyone. I'm looking at the wall because rubber duck debugging isn't working right now.

Maybe I just need a couple nights' good sleep. I hope that's all it takes.

Comments

[slaymesoftly]

I'm a big fan of sleep! I hope it works for you. While I have/have had some wonderful betas in my time, I'm not big on collaborative writing. To me, it seems a very personal thing to do. I might ask someone I trust if what I'm planning makes sense, or expect them to call me on it if/when it doesn't, but that would be the extent of discussing a fic. I respect your having had a good experience and missing that back and forth, but if you've done it before by yourself, you can probably do it again. Try the sleep thing!