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Blind muse running through a maze
16 years ago
General
Haven't written a whole lot in a long while, I know. I have several things in production (as usual), but I don't get the drive to come back to them.
Oddly, I recently got the drive to do something, but I was stalled by my utter lack of direction. I know what I wanted, but I had no plot, conflict, motivation, or decisiveness on characters to write with. It's like being hungry, deciding to cook, and you have an empty kitchen. This is, interestingly, similar to what happened with Handcuffs and Lace; I have a desire for something specific, and yet I struggle to build something around it.
My fear is that my motivation and inclination will wither before I really hammer something out. And considering how long it usually takes me to write anything... yeah.
Another cause of hesitation is the selection of species. I generally try to pick species based on the rarity of them, my like of them, and the mood/feeling I get from the story and the characters. At the same time, I realize how my readers may react to what I select. If the reader, for instance, just can't be attracted to the species because the species causes certain hangups, then you have a problem.
The particular species is Rat. I rarely, rarely see rats. Honestly, I only see them paired with mice, for the innate distinction. But, I have the feeling that not a whole lot would find them attractive, in an anthropomorphic sexualized circumstance. The species' reputation (dirty/diseased, cruel and nefarious) and a few unflattering characteristics (the naked hands, which I find kinda creepy, the harsh hairy rat tail). It makes me hesitate to use the species as a main character.
A smaller facet of this is my own self-consciousness over furry imagery. Everyone has their personal tastes as to how human vs. how animal an anthro should be, from personality to appearance. For several characteristics, I lean rather heavy to human - plantigrade feet, no hooves (because I like shoes and long legs), human head-hair (because I think hair is sexy). I often wonder how this can cause reluctance in a reader when your furry representation isn't what they like.
And of course the above also leads to the threat of "humans in fursuits". I have set in several panels where the panelists say that "If there's no reason for the characters to be furry, if they literally act like humans with tales, there's no point in having them be anthros". Which is a point, but one that doesn't lose me any sleep. Still worth a thought, however; I've read many stories where the person is So Clearly consumed with "Furry Fandom Culture" that it makes me feel... put off.
In addition, I feel that my story production is going to get even slower. That I will not be putting anything out within the next year because of Grad school on the horizon. It has become such a low priority.
So that's what is going through my brain the last few days.
Oddly, I recently got the drive to do something, but I was stalled by my utter lack of direction. I know what I wanted, but I had no plot, conflict, motivation, or decisiveness on characters to write with. It's like being hungry, deciding to cook, and you have an empty kitchen. This is, interestingly, similar to what happened with Handcuffs and Lace; I have a desire for something specific, and yet I struggle to build something around it.
My fear is that my motivation and inclination will wither before I really hammer something out. And considering how long it usually takes me to write anything... yeah.
Another cause of hesitation is the selection of species. I generally try to pick species based on the rarity of them, my like of them, and the mood/feeling I get from the story and the characters. At the same time, I realize how my readers may react to what I select. If the reader, for instance, just can't be attracted to the species because the species causes certain hangups, then you have a problem.
The particular species is Rat. I rarely, rarely see rats. Honestly, I only see them paired with mice, for the innate distinction. But, I have the feeling that not a whole lot would find them attractive, in an anthropomorphic sexualized circumstance. The species' reputation (dirty/diseased, cruel and nefarious) and a few unflattering characteristics (the naked hands, which I find kinda creepy, the harsh hairy rat tail). It makes me hesitate to use the species as a main character.
A smaller facet of this is my own self-consciousness over furry imagery. Everyone has their personal tastes as to how human vs. how animal an anthro should be, from personality to appearance. For several characteristics, I lean rather heavy to human - plantigrade feet, no hooves (because I like shoes and long legs), human head-hair (because I think hair is sexy). I often wonder how this can cause reluctance in a reader when your furry representation isn't what they like.
And of course the above also leads to the threat of "humans in fursuits". I have set in several panels where the panelists say that "If there's no reason for the characters to be furry, if they literally act like humans with tales, there's no point in having them be anthros". Which is a point, but one that doesn't lose me any sleep. Still worth a thought, however; I've read many stories where the person is So Clearly consumed with "Furry Fandom Culture" that it makes me feel... put off.
In addition, I feel that my story production is going to get even slower. That I will not be putting anything out within the next year because of Grad school on the horizon. It has become such a low priority.
So that's what is going through my brain the last few days.
Sure it's a glib answer, but wouldn't the problem arise no matter what you want to write -- not just furry fiction?
Apples and oranges, at least for me. I can't just sit down at the keyboard and let my mind wander. I actually spend a <I>lot</i> of time thinking about my stories, it's just usually that thinking is when I <I>can't</I> write; usually when in the car, or in bed.
As the creator of Jimmy Lee Starbird, I'm probably a bit biased about the attractiveness of rats, sir.
A character's sexiness resides in the way you choose to describe the character. Or am I being glib again?