more ramblings

[dbskyler]

-- So I went ahead and changed the story summary on Teaspoon for "On the Benefits of Having an Attic." For the curious, the original summary was simply the first line of the fic: Have returned home with K-9. Very happy that the Doctor sent him to me as a gift. At the time I figured that the first line would serve as an introduction to the idea of the fic, but in retrospect I think it's a pretty uninformative summary. The new summary is: The Doctor sent K-9 to Sarah as a gift. Now what's she supposed to do with all the other stuff? Hopefully that does a better job of telegraphing what the fic is about, and giving people an idea as to whether they might want to read it.

-- I generally have a really hard time coming up with good story titles and good story summaries. Anyone else have difficulty with this?

-- Got to see the first episode of "Merlin" series 2 yesterday -- yay! It was great to see the show back. I had to laugh at SyFy's marketing, though. They're really trying to pretend that the show is completely new and original and never-before-broadcast-anywhere. I don't see the big deal about admitting that it's a U.K. import, but then again, I like U.K. imports.

-- I'm feeling like I'm the only person in the Doctor Who fandom who hasn't seen "The Eleventh Hour" yet. Am I crazy for wanting to wait for the BBC America broadcast? Maybe I'm just old, but I really prefer to watch TV on the TV -- i.e., not on the internet/computer. It's just not the same for me. I also want to support BBC America since I'm lucky enough to have access to the channel (unfortunately many Doctor Who fans in the U.S. don't -- even I have to pay extra for it as it's not part of my regular cable lineup). This will be my first full season (series) after getting on LJ, though, and I can see already that it's going to be an interesting challenge to be two weeks behind everyone else. At least I've succeeded in remaining pretty spoiler-free so far. I have picked up a few hints about the changes to the TARDIS, but that's it. Hope it stays that way!

-- Some of you know this already, but for those of you who don't, fic_rush is this weekend! It's really a wonderful time -- come out and write!! I'll be there, working on 50ficlets and hopefully picking up again on my long-neglected WIP, "Turn Again."

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I hate thinking up titles - usually I labour over them!

Congrats on holding out, so far, on The Eleventh Hour!

HOORAY for more of Turn Again! *gets excited* I might pop in on fic_rush on Sunday - depending how tired I am by then.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I hate thinking up titles - usually I labour over them

Glad I'm not the only one! It's like all my creativity will suddenly go out the window, and I'll sit staring at the fic thinking, "I've got nothing."

HOORAY for more of Turn Again!

I'm still amazed that you even remember that fic, actually, let alone still want to read it -- but happy that you do!

I might pop in on fic_rush on Sunday

Oh, yay! Hope to see you there!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I often try to find the title while I'm writing...

I'm still amazed that you even remember that fic, actually, let alone still want to read it -- but happy that you do!

I do - remember AND want the rest!! *looks at you, all hopeful-like* :D

Oh, yay! Hope to see you there!

It basically depends on how much work knackers me. :(

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched Eleventh Hour yet. I am so far behind on so many shows! I don't get BBC America, either. And I much prefer to watch "live" on TV, but in my case that isn't possible. I hope to get to that episode by this weekend, though.

I often think of titles before I write the stories. If I have to come up with a title after I've finished the fic, I generally have trouble.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched Eleventh Hour yet.

Really? That makes me feel better. Maybe there are a few of us left!

I don't get BBC America, either. And I much prefer to watch "live" on TV, but in my case that isn't possible.

Sorry to hear you can't watch "live." That's the downside to the switch from SciFi SyFy to BBC America. SyFy has a much larger penetration. On the other hand, I'm crossing my fingers that BBC America won't be cutting the show. It's looking good so far -- schedule says 70 minutes for Eleventh Hour!

[pitry.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally get your wish to watch it on television. If I had a television... (now that I actually live in a country that shows it not 10000000000000 weeks after original broadcast. Apparently, back in Israel, they have finally shown The Next Doctor last Saturday. My sister is now also watching the premiere of Children of Earth. I mean, really.)
But yeah, I know what you mean. I promise to never put a toe out of spoiler tags!

...And ooh, I actually think your new summary is better :) It sounds so cute! But then again, the whole story is cute. I have to admit I'm with ghost2 though. Usually the title comes to me at the same time as the story idea. Summaries though... eurgh.

Andandand! Turn again! Finish it finish it finish it! *it is still sitting neglected in my favourites waiting for the update ;)*

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

back in Israel, they have finally shown The Next Doctor last Saturday.

Now THAT's a long wait. And suddenly, two weeks seems like nothing! : )

I actually think your new summary is better

That's nice to hear -- thanks! Part of me wondered if the summary was worth fixing at this point, but the old summary had started to bother me, so I decided to go ahead. It's probably long past the time when it would make a difference in the hit count, but I feel better about it.

Usually the title comes to me at the same time as the story idea.

I never get the title at the same time as the story idea. If I'm lucky, I'll get an idea for the title at the same time as the story idea, but never the actual title -- e.g., I'll think "the title should reference Gilbert and Sullivan somehow," but that's it. Usually though I have no title at all, not even an idea for one, and I don't come up with it until I'm finished with the fic. It makes for some interesting file names before I change them! For example, I recently wrote a drabble that is still sitting in my fiction folder as "He tried to look casual as he rejoined them.doc." And "Turn Again" still has files named various versions of "tls" (for "Turn Left story") from before I named it.

Turn again! Finish it finish it finish it! *it is still sitting neglected in my favourites waiting for the update

Wow, TWO people who want to read it! Okay, I'll definitely have to work on it this weekend, then. : ) No need to keep it in your favorites waiting for the update, though, because I will be shouting the news from the rooftops when I finally post the next chapter!

[pitry.livejournal.com]

I never get the title at the same time as the story idea. If I'm lucky, I'll get an idea for the title at the same time as the story idea, but never the actual title -- e.g., I'll think "the title should reference Gilbert and Sullivan somehow," but that's it. Usually though I have no title at all, not even an idea for one, and I don't come up with it until I'm finished with the fic. It makes for some interesting file names before I change them! For example, I recently wrote a drabble that is still sitting in my fiction folder as "He tried to look casual as he rejoined them.doc." And "Turn Again" still has files named various versions of "tls" (for "Turn Left story") from before I named it.

Oh, I definitely have weird file names! But that's mostly because my titles are often too long/weird to be a file name. The only difference is that what you;re describing actually makes some sort of sense... my earliest fanfic file names used to be things like "moo". THATS how creative I am 0_0

Wow, TWO people who want to read it! Okay, I'll definitely have to work on it this weekend, then. : ) No need to keep it in your favorites waiting for the update, though, because I will be shouting the news from the rooftops when I finally post the next chapter!

YAY! *is happy*
Oh it's sitting there in the favourites from when you started writing it, I just never took it out because I was hoping it would be updated.. one day... soon...:D

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

As with the others, I've slightly less problem thinking up a title (though sometimes the title I assign it changes in the writing, so I've taken to calling it a WT rather than a final one), but a summary can be a real bear.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

The summary is always hard for me, too. I'm jealous that you get title ideas more easily, though!

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Eh, getting a title I'm happy with, and that matches the story, is another matter - that's why it's always a working title.

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

I'm terrible at story titles. I've been known to spend weeks, even months, trying to find something that conveys a story's atmosphere properly - and not always succeeding at the end of that. *g* Lately, I've become more likely to just pull a semi-random quotation out of my head...

(This is not helped by my working titles, which are always completely unusable; I've got drafts called things like "1x01 Odo's bag trick" and "Thrush moon thingummy" and "silerlightdrabble". And One More Time was actually called "Reverse the Polarity" until I went to post it and realized I couldn't possibly blow the punchline like that! *g*)

Summaries are equally hard, but at least they don't have to be as mellifluous...