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is there such a thing as a rec being too niche? recently i decided to try my hand at writing a full-fledged novel, and the process has been illuminating in so many ways. it’s given me way more appreciation for the rigorous conditions under which stories are written, whether it be in visual media or literature (especially the ones that end up being good).
so far, what’s proven most gratifying to me as an aspiring storyteller is ordering the events non-chronologically. though it’s a bit unkind to my freewheeling compulsions, it’s challenging me to conceptualize events with more foresight, as the chosen disruption of continuity requires me to be more intentional with the details of particular conversations and pivotal events. even if it never sees the light of day, i’m grateful to be indulging my creative mind again :)
Jan 10, 2025
Related Recs
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Possibly if you were on a stricter, parent-controlled and technology-restricted diet, you might have to replicate that by forcing breaks between episodes, only playing the album at home (no portables). Just a hypothesis I have, not tested.
Otherwise, acknowledging that now you are more keenly developed, you need more acute stimuli. I suppose as a kid, stories were far more foreign and therefore wondrous, but having grown up, it's all been seen and so the stories have lost some lustre? In that case, best to seek more complex, nuanced stories and engage with them more purposefully to really extract inspiration ("meaning"). On my end, I've been writing on Goodreads and rym. Is this "cheating" by "forcing" a sense of wonder? Only to the extent that you don't see it as something you'd like to do. Otherwise, it's just an adult version of doodling your favourite heroes fighting their nemeses, play acting, etc. Analysis of this kind is only cold and incompatible with the warmth of imagination if conducted with academic rigidity (in fact even then, I might disagree ... haven't fully settled my thoughts on that).
Feb 10, 2025
I almost exclusively write short stories. I have a few out in the world and another being published soon.
I’m really fascinated by the form and the experience of short fiction, which I find to be much more than just a proving ground for the novel. I love how a story can grow and deepen with care and attention, that every word and moment matters, and how intimate and urgent it feels to experience a glimpse of a world/life in a single sitting. I’ve written a few screenplays and have been chipping away at a novel, but the short story is where I feel most inspired.
As for process: the more I write the less emphasis I place on the premise. I used to think a sticky, original idea or scenario was everything…now I’m much more engaged by character and language. I find if I give my full attention to those things, the story starts to grow in ways that surprise me, and becomes more uniquely meaningful than if I were trying to manufacture meaning. Ive been writing seriously for nearly a decade, and I still find it mysterious, sometimes joyful, always difficult, and totally worthwhile.
May 3, 2024
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at least for me, writer's block occurs when i feel like i've exhausted thoughts, ideas, motifs, etc. that used to fuel creative output previously – but changing your perspective (either by changing your influences, or your environment, etc.) will put more gas in your tank to write new, exciting things, and to experiment with how you write about those things
in the artist's way, julia cameron mentions how a core tenant of the program is "artist dates" where you go out on a solo excursion to give yourself more creative "input" like novel life experiences, new perspectives on familiar experiences, etc. that can then funnel into creative output
i think a similar effort is just reading more; for example, i like sci-fi as a consumer, but when i was reading parable of the sower by octavia butler for a book club, i was so inspired by it that previous projects in that genre i had parked because they felt uninspired became exciting to work on again. new sci-fi projects came to me and gave me some runway to outline / draft them. same for fantasy, non-fiction, etc
the more you're inspired (either by your experiences or your influences) the easier it will be to write more, because exploration will often take less effort than refinement. both are essential parts of the process, but if you're exclusively refining based on a body of work limited in scope, it's going to take more time / be more agonizing / feel less worth it; if you can expand that scope, there'll always be something to say on the page
Feb 10, 2025
Top Recs from @bulkyheadphones
cartoonishly gory and melodramatic it may be, i have found a lot of catharsis in living vicariously through araki‘s articulation of queer angst, and how life in rural america can literally feel like stepping into hell itself; if you like irreverent protagonists and seeing bodily harm done to nazis, it’s a must ^_^
Aug 1, 2024
depending on the day of the week, (usually a random wednesday on which i feel the more ravenously coveted releases of SAW vol. 1&2 can be overlong and at times unwieldy), drukqs is to me the most evocative distillation of aphex’s predilection for acid-break brutalizations and madcap sonic textures.
it is, somehow, one of the albums i return to most and yet one of the last i’d ever recommend to a sane individual — and ironically, one of the worst to listen to while stoned. i can’t vouch for it enough
Oct 2, 2024
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so far, turning 24 has brought with it the sobering realization that my life won’t simply happen to me, and all the boring, healthy, ritualistic sh*t—once seeming like baseless naïveté spouted unanimously by people who had this epiphany far sooner than i—actually works. so far, 24 has been about catching up to the me that i wanted to be by now, and giving myself grace for keeping her waiting.
that baboon from bojack horseman might’ve been onto something. it does get a little easier, on the condition that you keep trying. i’m gonna go make some tea
Oct 1, 2024