Currently, I'm working on a short story. Or trying to anyway. The world building and the plot are giving me fits. Mostly the plot--because I come up with something and then ten minutes later think: "This is so stupid." I think I just need to sit down and write the damn thing without any worries like Nanowrimo. Speaking of which--
Novel writing and dream crushing. The writer likens Nanowrimo to "an abusive husband that I can't will myself to leave." For me, a more apt comparison might be that of a lover who comes around once in a while, an itinerant carnival hawker with a kink for knife play--it's going to hurt, but it's going to hurt good. Sure, it's demoralizing to not finish the challenge, but I think the participant who even manages to start will get something out of it. I've finished all of the Nanowrimos that I've participated in, but it's quite the opposite with Script Frenzy. Each year, I fail to complete a script, but far from feeling beaten, I'm glad I tried. Because each year, I learn something new about script writing and get more comfortable with the format (which still feels quite alien to me).
On the subject of chromosomes. There is a subset of female writers, I've noticed, who only feel comfortable writing male characters. Interesting, but mostly whatever. Other writers can do whatever they want as everyone's writing processes are different. I view writing characters as people description--regardless of gender. Of course, I'm going to worry about whether or not the characters will sound realistic. But my problem, though, is more of which point of view to use.
RESPECT - Have a little why don't you? My feeling on most things--including getting things done in lab--is to get it done in the most efficient way as possible. How you get those things done is left to the doer's discretion. As for writing, I've done pantsing and outlining. What works best for me is having a framework to guide me yet giving myself freedom to deviate from it, if necessary. I've put some of my prepwork up on this site--for some people it's way too much. For others, it's not obsessive enough. Which is totally fine (in either case). I'm not telling anyone to do it a certain way--I'm just showing some of my own thought processes on writing.
