Drabbles galore!

[melagan.livejournal.com]

Have a fondness for McShep Match? Want to dip your toes in the water? The McShep Drabble Tree is open! Here!

It's for everyone to join in and have fun with. It will run until June 8th so there's time for lots of drabbles. :)

It's also a perfect time to talk about story length. Is there a perfect story length for you? I admit I love it when the word count is posted along with the title etc. (what is that little blurb of information called anyway?)

I know immediately if I have time to read before breakfast, will need to bookmark the story for evening or - make it my weekend reading.

I do love a drabble though. It's a sharp, crisp picture of the moment. I used to shy away from stories with a high word count. This worked out because later I found a treasure trove of long stories when I finally had the time to relax and enjoy them. (ereaders are marvelous things)

What about writing? Podfic? Vids? Does size matter?

Comments

[ldyanne.livejournal.com]

I was hesitant to write drabbles the first time. It's really hard to write something that's complete in itself with just 100 words. But I found it to be a lot of fun the first time I tried. I usually end up writing a few drabbles for the McShep match drabble tree. That's the only time of the year when I write drabbles though.

I, too, like it when the word count for a fic is included in the header info. I like long stories, but I don't always have time for them.

I do like longer fic though. If I enjoy the story, I always want more, and with longer fic, you get to spend more time in the author's world.

[melagan.livejournal.com]

Hee, yes drabbles can be a challenge. I'm always 6 words over or 2 words under and tweak -add- subtact...well you know. It's very satisfying to have managed it when you're done though.

Header Info YES! my mind was drawing an absolute blank. Thank you!

[ldyanne.livejournal.com]

It is so satisfying! Sometimes getting those 100 words right is just as hard as any longer fic.

[popkin16]

I like fics of all length, though I confess I do prefer longer stuff. I like to disappear into a fic and come out several hours later, surprised to find so much time has passed. But short fic is great too! A moment captured, a peek into the lives of the characters. I find it really difficult to write drabbles; I'm a very wordy person, so my stuff tends to run long. Plus my ideas lend themselves better to long fic....

Basically: size doesn't matter to me - I like both short and long fic, podfic, video, etc. I revel in the glory that is fandom~

[selenic76.livejournal.com]

I read every length, from massive +100k stories to ficlets of a few hundred words, but a lot depends on how much I have time, or if the story manages to hook me. This is especially true for long stories, and I sometimes feel like I might miss something good in the end, just because the beginning is boring.

As for writing, I think I'm at my best with short ones, that come into being relatively fast. The longest fic I have (around 50k so far O_O) is still in the works, has been for years, because when I write something longer, I take it more seriously.

I'd love to do more longer stuff too, but longer fics mean more plot and details and scenes and... it just takes so much more time, than a spur of the moment fic that I feel I can do just for fun. But I still want to write longer fics too, and will more and more, as my writing skills develop. Plus I'd really like longer fics to be betad too, and it's not always easy to find someone with the time and skill needed for a more in depth commentary.

But I'm happy sticking to short fics for now ^_^ (Will try to come up with something for the drabble tree, sounds like so much fun!)

[melagan.livejournal.com]

I revel in the glory that is fandom~

and we love you for it!

[melagan.livejournal.com]

I too have come to love stories of every length. And while we on the subject, it's posting time for the SGA Reversebang stories! How did it get to be June already?

[selenic76.livejournal.com]

Are you taking part? Have to keep an eye out for the fics then :) I decided it was too much of a challenge for me at this point.

Actually, everything is in this weather! I mean, I love that summer is here, but 27 degrees celsius outside as well as inside my flat is too much... Can't wait for the first real thundery rainstorm to arrive (There's always something terrifyingly fascinating about thunder.)

[melagan.livejournal.com]

I am taking part! Stories will be posting on DW so as soon as the posting starts I'll make an announcement here on sga_squee

[popkin16]

At least I'm loved for something :P

[aqualegia.livejournal.com]

I will read practically any length story (or series of stories), And if I've enjoyed it I will always leave feedback.

As for writing, I've written all types of length, except a Drabble, in various fandoms over the years; some of them before the Internet was available.

[melagan.livejournal.com]

Feedback is the coin of the realm and so important. :)

...some of them before the Internet was available.

I sit here impressed. I don't know that I'd have ever written anything without the ease and the encouragement I've gotten via LJ.

Now, as for drabbles - this is the perfect time to give it at shot!

[aqualegia.livejournal.com]

I started writing for newsletters and fanzines which were typed out on stencils and duplicated... I've been in one fandom or another for a very long time. LOL

[aqualegia.livejournal.com]

It took me days to write a coherent 100 word story, and I think I was a little late posting it - but at least I achieved my goal :)

On the upside, I've also got the start, and notes, for two longer stories out of the process, which is a very unexpected by-product of the whole experience.

[melagan.livejournal.com]

Go you!!! The true 100 word drabble is tougher than it looks. But getting the ideas for longer stories from it is fantastic!

I think our brains automatically want to expand those story ideas. No doubt part of why drabbles are so darn hard to write.

[aqualegia.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad I gave it a try. :)

I think our brains automatically want to expand those story ideas.

Yes, that happened last Xmas, my sga_santa story got rather long. I was aiming at somewhere between 5-10,000 words and finished up with just over 18,000 LOL