July 3: Writing Project Rambles

[kinetic_elaboration]

I’ve been obsessing a lot about productivity and lists and organization and so on these last couple of days–just going through one of those phases where I’m like, hey, I haven’t made or even really consulted a list in a little bit, I should do that, perhaps. I may have reached my limits on contemplating tasks rather than doing tasks today, so hopefully I can return to my existing lists and get out of my head soon.

But in honor of, or at least reflecting, this mood, here are some obsessive meta-thoughts about my current writing projects, as a treat.

I have set myself up a list of seven projects that I cycle through randomly and when I’ve worked on all seven I start again. It’s working okay as a system I think. None of these are projects I want to work on exclusively until they’re done, so taking out the choice of the thing is helpful. But it would probably work better if I cycled through them a little faster. I think that’s the aspect that trips me, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the randomization aspect or even the number seven.

 

Five of the projects are Daria-related and the other two are T100. Which, mm, there’s barely a fandom either objectively or in my own head but I like and miss my old ideas as ideas and I feel like it brings some diversity to my list. Plus I’m a stubborn bitch.

T100 fics:

I truly picked the most random ones here, the ones that stuck out to me on a whim when I was making the list. No logic about readership (lol) or even personal favorites here!

AWWNH Pt. 3: the problem with this is that I’m not really “writing” it because I need to sort through the large amount of material already associated with it first. Which I started doing and then… dropped off. I don’t even know what this is doing here in a way because writing it was always really hard. Why am I signing myself up to do more of that? And yet I suffer under the delusion it will be easier this time or more enjoyable in some way. Anyway, officially on the list, but writing work is happening only in THE most attenuated sense.

B/E AU: A fic for a pairing I have never really written for and don’t really like but I have wanted to do this fic for ages regardless and I picked it for the list for a few reasons. First, headcanon dump that I would like out there for posterity. Second, the Vibes of it match what I want to write now and also can’t be found anywhere else in my current work. Status: outlined and I have started writing the first scene. I think I like how it’s developing so far and I like what writing it feels like. It is a oneshot with a specific outline but I suspect it will be, sigh, long.

Daria fic:

Grad School AU: I think about this one a lot less than I used to a little while back, which is in some ways perhaps better. I was asking it to hold too much. Not knowing how long this will be or exactly how it will develop–not having an outline for it–is less, mmm, freeing than when I started it last summer. But I have a scene brainstorm list that has given it some contour and shape and helps me feel better. But I still can’t really gauge progress per se. I’m chipping away at it, trying my best. Trying not to be intimidated by it. It is, after all, my creation.

College AU: This one was stuck in the mud a long time. I think I’ve unstuck it, and am somewhere in chapter four. This one started out being my, like, low-key fun side hustle. I don’t know that it still feels like that but nevertheless I’m trying to keep it light in tone and not overthink it and have fun. Even though I have several chapters written, because it’s not properly outlines, and because I’m still not sure I’m committed to finishing, I don’t want to post anything until I decide if I’m (probably) finishing or (definitely) abandoning.

D/J/T High school story: I don’t even have a good working title for this. It’s not my most impressive work, I don’t know if I like it,I think the pacing’s going to be really wonky, but it has an outline and a definite ending point so I must and will continue. I’m almost to the end of ch 3 of 7, at which I’ve been toiling a while. Ch 4 is already kicking my ass so I am worried about it. But once I get through it I think the last arc will be easier.

Alternate POV: I’m excited for this one! I’m almost to the end of ch1, I think and it’s been fun to write so far. Maybe it’s just because it’s early days but I think it’s my favorite of my current projects at least atm.

[Redacted]: This one is on the list but I don’t know if it really counts as a ‘current project’ per se. It’s more of an as the spirit moves me thing. But I’m keeping it as a placeholder at least.

Anyway. Someday I will post things again. Maybe even a whole bunch of things at once as I am sort of accidentally collecting a lot of drafted, unedited work. But we’ll see! A part of me misses caring about it and another part is like, yes, finally free, finally seeing writing as a process for me, not a product for others.