Meta: Drabbling
Mar. 21st, 2008 12:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneSo I really want to support the LJ boycott/strike, but I suck at meta. What I like to do is drabbling. *g*
So, what you get is an attempt at meta about drabbling. ;)
I used to be quite envious of drabblers. It seemed like the perfectly satisfying story form, not requiring a huge investment of time and effort, yet still keeping the muse active. I thought that telling an entire tale in only 100 words was out of reach for me, until I actually began doing it.
I've seen people say that they 'can't' drabble, that their muse is too long winded, and that may be true, but I suspect it's one of those things that, like everything else, comes with practice.
So here's how I drabble:
1. Take as many words as required to tell the story. That may be 120 words, that may be 160 words, but however many it is I don't worry about that at the beginning. I figure I can always trim, and I have found it's easier to trim than pad.
2. Try not to get too attached to favorite words and phrases. That's better said than done, however, more often than not I find that as I trim I can find a more succinct way to say something.
3. If you need to, start in the middle of the story. Generally you don't have time to give a lot of background in 100 words, so I don't. I just assume people know where I'm coming from and write. Oftentimes I do have an entire background worked out in my head, but it's not on the page.
4. Try new pairings. It's only 100 words, what can it hurt, right?
5. Have fun! And really, if it's more than 100 words and you can't bring yourself to trim, post it anyway and call it a ficlet. *g*
And if any of you have anything to add, please do!
META FRIDAY: Content Party on IJ
So, what you get is an attempt at meta about drabbling. ;)
I used to be quite envious of drabblers. It seemed like the perfectly satisfying story form, not requiring a huge investment of time and effort, yet still keeping the muse active. I thought that telling an entire tale in only 100 words was out of reach for me, until I actually began doing it.
I've seen people say that they 'can't' drabble, that their muse is too long winded, and that may be true, but I suspect it's one of those things that, like everything else, comes with practice.
So here's how I drabble:
1. Take as many words as required to tell the story. That may be 120 words, that may be 160 words, but however many it is I don't worry about that at the beginning. I figure I can always trim, and I have found it's easier to trim than pad.
2. Try not to get too attached to favorite words and phrases. That's better said than done, however, more often than not I find that as I trim I can find a more succinct way to say something.
3. If you need to, start in the middle of the story. Generally you don't have time to give a lot of background in 100 words, so I don't. I just assume people know where I'm coming from and write. Oftentimes I do have an entire background worked out in my head, but it's not on the page.
4. Try new pairings. It's only 100 words, what can it hurt, right?
5. Have fun! And really, if it's more than 100 words and you can't bring yourself to trim, post it anyway and call it a ficlet. *g*
And if any of you have anything to add, please do!
META FRIDAY: Content Party on IJ
