You're appreciated!

Just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who read my stories.  It's a pleasure to see the viewer stats on my website soar whenever a new story gets posted, and I wanted to let you know how much that warms my heart to know that the tales I spin in my head for my own delight also please others.  So -- thanks for reading!
Yours,
Denise

Hi Denise,

Well, an enormous thanks for taking the trouble and the huge amount of effort I know it takes to write such stories. Writing is a hard and sometimes very misunderstood and underestimated skill to undertake.

During my previous career I must have written hundreds of technical papers, strategic plans, specifications and technical publications - very different in style and content with a message that is generally either right or just plain wrong, but has a generally recognised structure and expected format. Sure, much of this work was judged and edited by peers prior to publication. But either way it's hard to put your 'life and soul' up there for folks to read, quiz, summarise and critique.

Speaking personally, I find creative writing much more of a challenge. Sure, you have much for freedom - maybe that's part of the problem, but for me the result is a great deal more satisfying. I know some writers like an organic approach to their writing, and indeed many do not know the outcome or indeed plot whilst they are writing.

Maybe it's my technical background, but I really enjoy the research, planning and mental 'chess' that goes into the work - sometimes more so than the writing itself - which by this method is sometimes an embellishment or by-product of the initial work.

Anyway, thank you! Please keep it up and the same to all the other writers' out there.

G

--- In [hidden email], "Neesierie" <neesierie@...> wrote:
>
> Just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who read my stories.  It's a pleasure to see the viewer stats on my website soar whenever a new story gets posted, and I wanted to let you know how much that warms my heart to know that the tales I spin in my head for my own delight also please others.  So -- thanks for reading!
> Yours,
> Denise
>

Griff posted;

Maybe it's my technical background, but I really enjoy the research, planning
and mental 'chess' that goes into the work - sometimes more so than the writing
itself - which by this method is an embellishment or by-product of the
initial work.  Griff


I was very interested to read that point you made Griff. I enjoy research as well, in fact  sometimes more than the actual writing, which sometimes  merely seems an adjunct to the  preparation. At the moment I am doing serious research for The Shepherd, and until I get the background correct, I don't feel I can write any more as it will not `ring true'. It would be like describing Ed Straker with brown eyes!  Might be interesting to do, but not accurate!

Some research is easy, (and great fun as well)  as in  Breathless  - exactly what does vodka feel like in the mouth and what does it  taste like and what are the after-effects!  I had to try a couple of different brands  as well .. Such hard work !

And some is much more difficult. Trying to get inside the mind of an amnesiac homeless person is not easy, but, I try to stay true to the characters in UFO and, as far as possible, true to canon. That in itself poses restrictions. I could finish The Shepherd next week, but it wouldn't be the way I want it to be. And I would be lying to myself and to readers. Furthermore  I would never want to read the story again.

 Of course, not all stories need much research, many writers base their work  on  personal experience, but  even so, it is important to be as accurate as possible.. I look at the superb models that fans  make and I am astounded by the time and patience that is involved in creating such wonderful objects. So, as a writer, I owe it to any readers out there to put as much care  and accuracy into my work as possible.  Models makers go to extreme lengths to get those  almost infinitesimal details correct. And so I try to do the same (not always successfully I have to admit!).  I don't write for money, but I try to put the same effort into what I do write as if I was doing it for publication.  It has to be the best I can do  at the time. It is a matter of personal pride.

However there are times when research is just not  possible (Glitch!). Then, well, I hope that my imagination is good enough!
 
As for `mental chess' ....yes..  I was never any good at chess!  Perhaps that is why I am taking so long to work out the plots for various stories!  But, despite thinking earlier that I maybe I was `slowing down', I have ten ( how worrying!) stories either being worked on or in the planning stage.    I hope I can get all the research done!

LtCdr

--- In [hidden email], "griffwason" <griff@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Denise,
> During my previous career I must have written hundreds of technical papers, strategic plans, specifications and technical publications

Griff,
I love technical writing!  I almost made a career of it, but the siren song of creative writing was just too hard to ignore.  My hubby doesn't mind too much, because he likes to see me happy and writing does that for me.  But he wouldn't mind me getting a paycheck for my work. *grin*  So it's a trade-off, isn't it?  (I suppose I could write that sci-fi romance novel I keep trying to work on, but for some reason I can't stay interested when the protagonist isn't a white blonde workaholic with gorgeous blue eyes and an attitude!)


>But either way it's hard to put your 'life and soul' up there for >folks to read, quiz, summarise and critique.

Oddly enough, I don't have so much trouble with this part.  Although in all fairness, it could be because I've always excelled in the field of literature and know that, by comparison, my work is above average.  I've always been picky about my favorite authors, because I demand a certain level of skill and technique in what I read, so I've never worried too much about criticism of my work.  If a story I write passes my own stringent self-tests, then I'm sure most others will like it too.  And after skill is accounted for, the rest is simply a matter of taste, isn't it?

> I know some writers like an organic approach to their writing, and >indeed many do not know the outcome or indeed plot whilst they are >writing.

You bring up an interesting point.  I prefer having a solid plan (and even an outline!) going into a story, because for me, I want to know ahead of time the themes and symbology I'm working with so that I can utilise them while I'm writing.  But occasionally, I'll wake up with an entire scene fresh in my mind that begs to be written, even though I have no idea where I would go with it.  'One Night Stand' was that way and the first chapter came to me while I was very busy doing other things.  But even after I got it written, it sat for a bit, because I had no idea where the story wanted to go from there.  Well, my brain never gives me rest for long, so a perfectly delightful premise formed out of that snippet and I ran with it.  But most times, I'm more comfortable knowing ahead of time what Straker's going to be up to in my stories. *grin*

 
> Maybe it's my technical background, but I really enjoy the >research, planning and mental 'chess' that goes into the work

Well, obviously if I like technical writing, I'm a fan of research!  I can't get enough of studying the millions of totally odd places in the world, and this obsession bleeds into my writing all the time.  The Bermuda Triangle, Stonehenge, Dracula's castle, etc.  I'm always on the lookoout for a new and strange place.  I strongly believe that setting either makes or breaks a story. So since I have a slightly twisted sense of humor, I like to visit these odd places in my mind (and in reality whenever possible!) and take my readers along with me for the ride.  Hopefully they find it as entertaining as a virtual roller coaster ride!
 
My other research is just on minor details and doesn't take up a lot of time.  Although I won't deny that I'm a stickler for detail and will sit on a word or phrase until I'm certain that it's in the correct vernacular for the subject matter.  But that's not really the meat of my research in the end, since location plays a much larger role for me.

Anyway, thanks so much for your thoughtful remarks about creative writing!  It's not often we writers get to give our readers a glimpse 'behind the curtain' and let them see us pulling the levers. *grin*  

Take care!
Denise