The Grim Reaper's Friend

TGRF's Fan Fiction Chronicles - Entry #69

In the years I've been writing fan fiction, there have been a lot of ideas I've come up with for stories which - for one reason or another - don't make it. Those story ideas usually fade away as others take their place. But of all the stories I've come up with and failed to write, there are two (well really one) which refuse to go away. They keep nagging me, suggesting that there's more to them than I originally thought, and that they need to be written.

I wanted to share those two (one) story ideas with you, because for now, there's a good chance they will combine to give you the next fan fiction. And no, they won't spoil anything.

The first story was created back in 2017. I had finished aCoS earlier that year, and was casting about for any story which would stick. It would be nearly two years until HiS came around.

One such story I considered was originally the result of this post....

TGRF's Fan Fiction Chronicles - Entry #68

While I've been saying for a few years that I'm nearly ready to write novels, and that I'm working on the last few things I need to fix in my fan fiction, the reality is that I keep writing fan fiction, and my novels remain in the unformed halls of my imagination.

This might lead the inquisitive among you to wonder if, in fact, I will ever stop writing fan fiction, and if I will ever write novels.

The answers to those two questions are 'I don't know,' and, 'yes, I plan to.' While writing fan fiction and novels at the same time is - regrettably - unlikely, I'm not specifically planning on stopping one just because I start the other. But that's far in the future. What I really wanted to mention in this FFC is WHY I am continuing to write fan fiction instead of novels.

I've said before that there are 'things' I want to improve/fix in my writing style before I write novels, and that fan...

TGRF's Fan Fiction Chronicles - Entry #67

When I posted my most recent fan fiction, Valkyrie, I said there was a lot of stuff which had happened with my writing which I was eager to share. Now, I know most of it probably isn't that interesting, and honestly a lot of it is just untested theories. But there is one bit I've come to realize recently, which I intend to experiment with in whatever I write next, and which I hope will help my writing a lot. I'd like to share it.

It concerns the TV show Poldark. Now if you haven't seen the show, I won't spoil anything. But I will say that you need to see it. It is just an awesome show. Free on Amazon Prime.

Poldark is one of those British drama shows, in the same vein as Pride & Prejudice (albeit with substantially more action, and vastly more relatable plots). Every part of it is written well, and the plots are amazing. But it shines in two areas above all else: viewer investment, and character...

TGRF's Fan Fiction Chronicles - Entry #66

As of last night, the posting of my latest fan fiction, Valkyrie, has commenced. The thread can be found here.

In my last FFC, I said I almost certainly would not be writing this story. See, this is why you can trust nothing I say.

I realized that the story had some issues, and following a slump in interest, decided that I should move on. So I did. For a few weeks.

But randomly, I looked back at the story, and the issues, and started toying with ways to fix them. I came up with what I would need to do, and saw that the fixes weren't massive rewrites or huge edits. Interest came back, and I decided that as long as I had the interest, I might as well fix the fiction and see how far I got.

And here we are.

Now, as with any other story of mine, there are some big issues, and as always, I intend to fix those in whatever I write next. But there were also some...

TGRF's Fan Fiction Chronicles - Entry #65

In my last FFC, I explained how I needed to change my thinking from always focusing on 'the next fan fiction'. I realized that I needed to switch my focus to where my interest lay - and my interest isn't always on writing.

So I've done that. I've told myself that if I get an idea for a story, and the idea sticks around, I'll look into writing it. But if I don't, then I won't try to force things. As a result, I've been paying attention to where my interest currently is: developing games (don't expect anything to come of this; it's merely a creative outlet so far).

Now, while my interest is not on writing, my thoughts do turn there every now and then. And recently, I've been taking a look at my writing as a whole, and what I need to work on.

In my last FFC, I said I was going to finish up Valkyrie and post it. Now, I'd say there's a 90% chance that will NOT happen.

Valkyrie...