FFC #33 - The stakes did it

TGRF's Fan Fiction Chronicles - Entry #33

There usually comes a point during the development of a fan fiction, after the development is complete, I've taken a break, and I look back over the whole thing in preparation of creating the outline, that I begin to realize all the places I've gone wrong (and then much later Bigga makes me realize that I didn't realize the half of it).

I'm sorry to say I usually let these moments fade from memory. There are a few reasons. I am writing fan fiction, which by its nature is a trial and error method. It's not meant to be perfect. Also (and for the same reason), I can't go back and try to perfect every fan fiction I write, because I know that by the time I finish the development and look at it, there will be something else wrong I'll want to fix. I would never get anything actually written.

Occasionally though, I'll recognize that something is too wrong to be ignored. This happened with Ragnak, which resulted in Bigga turning the fiction around around via a single PM and a bowl of ice cream.

And the same thing has happened with Let Go. The realizing something is wrong part, that is. Not the turning around. Not yet.

I give you, my greatest nemesis in the field of writing: STAKES.

I keep telling myself I understand stakes. I have to keep telling myself that, because I keep proving myself wrong. I understand the principles of stakes quite well. I've been over them enough times. But putting them into practice... it's always been a nightmare. It got to the point where I actually removed the 'stakes' section from my writing process, and replaced them with stand-ins from other areas. It sort of worked. But no longer.

I have realized that the stakes in Let Go, while present, were nowhere near powerful and logical enough to justify the ending. I therefore cannot continue with the fan fiction in it's present form.

I therefore need to do two things: figure out once and for all how to create stakes, and then decide if I'm going to redo the characters, stakes, and most of the plot of Let Go, or if I'm just going to scrap it and start fresh. Starting fresh is a real possibility, since I have a story in mind.

At the moment, either course of action could be the one I take. Right now, my focus is to drill down on a method for creating stakes which works and is foolproof. Once that happens (and I feel that I'm close), I will decide where I'm headed.

I'll keep you updated.

~TGRF.