30 Days of Writing: #1

[lathriel]

I've been tagged by Pete to do the 30 Days of Writing meme, so here goes! (this should be interesting)

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you've worked with and why.

Hard question! I'm terrible with chosing "favorites" in any subject, so let's just deal with that. The project/universe that will always have a special place in my heart, though I don't think it will ever be a viable series unless totally rehauled, is my Lotus Children universe. I used to write sci-fi-fantasy only- space operas mostly, and this seven book series was the focal point of all that hard work. The first book, which became book 4 in later revisions, had about 4 drafts that were each completely different. Basically, it was a story about a lost race of warriors with power over the 5 elements (water, fire, air, earth, spirit), their leader Malcom Khensu, and his children (they were called Siraia, but since they were born with a lotus flower-shaped birthmark they were also referred to as "lotus children.") There were parallel worlds, and (lots and lots and lots of) drama, and totally nutso omnipotent dudes, and prophecies, and a forbidden romance that nearly brought about the end of existence when their baby turned into a goddess... but it has never really worked out. I don't know if I'll ever go back to it- maybe when I'm older and wiser. Right now I'm saving it as a bed time story to tell my children (if I ever have any). Or maybe that will be my next web serial project ;)

Speaking of web serials though, my favorite project that is still viable is definitely The Poppet and the Lune. I have had such an amazing, spiritually awakening, creatively unfolding experience with this project, this fun little idea that I never intended to publish that has garnered more readers than I ever expected... it has made me realize again and again the magic of creativity, of writing especially, and the value of creating stories that make your heart sing, both as the writer and the reader. It's changed the way I tell stories- changed the type of stories I want to tell. I wil always write because I love to, but in working on this project I have come to realize how much I want to write the kind of stories that stick with you forever. I came up with TPaL one night in Batavia, just searching for Burton-esque ideas as an exercise in brainstorming... and then it took off. And then, bored one night in England, I decided to post it online for you all to read it as I wrote it. And I'm so glad I did :)

Comments

[roofpig13.livejournal.com]

Yay for the start of the meme! I only knew one other person doing this, so I finally get to see someone else answer these questions. :-)

It's so funny how similar your Lotus Children project is to my Dragon Slayer one. I think there's something about that first big writing project that you just take on too much to handle at the time, and you don't realize it until you start writing something else. I don't know about you (maybe it's the case with TPaL), but everything I've written since then has been much simpler and cohesive. Maybe a writer just needs to get that initial explosion out before streamlining.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[lathriel.livejournal.com]

I think that's true- I know Sarah has one that she may or may not have put away like mine, and I've heard of other writers too.

Maybe it was just me, but I could come up with ridiculously fantastical and complex stories as a child, and I remember enacting them with friends, or toys, or by myself. You sometimes hear children doing this, and their stories, while inventive and imaginative, are also meandering and self-satisfying. I don't think first-love-story-ideas are quite as bad as that, but they're certainly more like imagination explosions rather than the refined stories we've created since using our honed craft.