Forced creativity

[locker_monster]

I really like my Fiction class, don't get me wrong. It's a smaller class so I actually talk with other people and the prof knows who I am. The assignments aren't ludicrous, and hey, writing for marks! Can't go wrong with that.

But there is one problem. Writing is what I do when I have homework to do or, more specifically, writing is what I do when I should be doing homework. Ten page essay due by Monday? Meh, let's work on that Firefly fic. Of course, now that creative writing is being marked and writing is homework, too. Suddenly the thing I like doing in my spare time is something I find myself avoiding because it's school related.

So I have a third story due Monday and it's only half done. I'm going to have to force myself to be creative all this weekend and I hate doing that. Forcing a story in creation. I find my writing becomes a lot less natural; words sort of just get thrown onto the page because words need to be there.

Thankfully my last story isn't due until April so I have some time to think about it and to slack off. And I think joining LJ has given me a story idea...

Comments

[lorelei-frolick.livejournal.com]

But there is one problem. Writing is what I do when I have homework to do or, more specifically, writing is what I do when I should be doing homework. Ten page essay due by Monday? Meh, let's work on that Firefly fic. Of course, now that creative writing is being marked and writing is homework, too. Suddenly the thing I like doing in my spare time is something I find myself avoiding because it's school related.
OMG, you sound like a carbon copy of me. I do the exact same thing. I took a creative writing class this year to try to force myself to write stuff that's not fanfiction, and for the first assignment I had no idea what to do. I ended up writing a fanfic about myself. It's a Five Things that includes each major fic genre. It was fun.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

It's good to know that I'm not alone in this. :-D I know I should be writing, heck, I should be working on my story right this second, but the moment my brain relates something to school I avoid doing it. Or maybe I'm just a slacker.

That sounds like a fun story. I've never read a "Five Things..." story before.

[lorelei-frolick.livejournal.com]

No? I like the "Five Things that Never Happened" genre because the stories are often intense and insightful. They're almost always imaginative, since that's the whole point, really. Also, they're short. I'm a slacker even when it comes to fandom and don't like committing to reading long fics.

My sister blueanddollsome has written a few I really like:
Four Things That Never Happened to Giles in a Kitchen and One That Did
Five Things That Never Happened to J.

I'd also really recommend Five Movies Faith Never Saw by zandra-x.