Writing questions

[louiselux]

Reviving an old meme...

Ask me anything about my stories and/or writing process: inspiration, process, characters, what the hell was I thinking, etc. No limit on questions, just ask away.

Comments

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, I like this meme. I've been thinking about it for myself, too.

1. What is the magic of Saiyuki for you? What makes it irresistable to write in?

2. If you could write any story at all - possibly under another name to keep your secret safe - what sort of thing would you write?

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

1. Mainly it's the characters, and the skill with which they are given layers. I love the archetypes they represent and the way they are given a twist: the happy, simple kid who is really a monster, the bad priest who is very wise, the bad boy who is just looking for someone to love and the polite, quiet one who mixes the mundane with the horrific and hides scary things behind his smile. I just want to know more about them-- this is something that drives me to write about them, amoung other things.

I also love the idea that they are reincarnations of gods, because we see how they've changed and been shaped by their human lives. Something else that sets it apart for me is the feeling in the manga that as a reader you're required to look past the surface a lot of the time. Oh, and the reinc thing means it's possible to write endless crazy AUs! And I shouldn't forget to mention the fact that I love that they are all friends and form a little family, even if some of them refuse to admit it. Oh yeah, and they are really pretty.

2. Gojyo and the Tentacle Monster. Or, hmmm. This is a tough one. I don't know - I seem pretty good at conquering my shame recently.

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

Yay for the endless crazy AUs! *fangirls Bat!Sanzo* And the family feeling - and the pretty, oh, the pretty - really doesn't hurt either!

[crystal-lilly.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Okay, here goes:

1) Are you still working on the Secret Perversions challenge? (I'm not being pushy or saying hurry up... I'm just curious.)

2) Is there a time of day that you prefer to write during? Do you write better when you're stressed/tired/strung out? Or do you need to be calm, cool, relaxed, etc.?

3) How do you come up with such hot ideas? (This is less of a question and more of me seriously fan-girling all over you and your fabulous writing ability.)

4) And related to #3, have you actually seen the entire Saiyuki series? Read all the manga? Or do you just have an inate sense of exactly how to write Hakkai and Gojyo?

Ummm... I'm sure I'll have more questions later. For now, that's all.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

1) I am! I want to defintely finish them, it's just that illness got in the way really. But I will do more of them soon.

2) Anytime, anywhere, really. I definitely need to know I have time to write, but otherwise I can write when tired and stressed, or when I'm calm and happy. Although, that said, I probably write different sorts of things in those differing states.

3) Thank you! I'll tell you anyway, cos it's quite helpful for me to think about it. My process for writing hot things involves shutting my eyes and letting the scene play out in my head, and then when I'm writing it trying to focus down on the specific things that actually make me think this scene is hot. It's sort of like meditation. Porn meditation.

4) I am obsessive about reading and seeing all the canon and fret if I think I am missing something. So... I suppose everyone has a slightly different interpretation of the characters, but I'm glad you like the way I write them!

[scribblemoose]

It's sort of like meditation. Porn meditation.

I can relate to that.

We should sell porn meditation instructional videos... bet they'd be popular. ^_~

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

It's a license to print money. Meditate your way to better porn!

[crystal-lilly.livejournal.com]

It's sort of like meditation. Porn meditation.

*snicker* Now there is an interesting prompt idea for Sanzo someone to explore.

[hibem.livejournal.com]

Ukoku's already got that one covered ♥

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Extensively covered! In great detail. And with bunny dolls.

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

It's sort of like meditation. Porn meditation.

You are wise, Louise-sensei!

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

And by wise I know you mean perverted.

[emungere.livejournal.com]

If Gojyo was a pirate, what would the name of his ship be?

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, Jolly Roger suddenly seems awfully appropriate. No, wait, that was the name of the flag, wasn't it? How about Goddess of Mercy? And he would definitely have an I ♥ Mom tattoo.

[emungere.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, yes he would. I like the Goddess of Mercy. It would confuse people, and it could have a figurehead of a shirtless woman with long, dark hair and a bit of a smirk.

[miss-eade.livejournal.com]

Do you feel that the way you write in and use your livejournal has changed over the years, perhaps as you've acquired a bigger and more diverse audience?

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

I use my journal a lot more for fic now, as I write a lot more than I did. It is much more of a fandom journal these days, although I do post about just my life too. I like contributing to fandom by collecting links to interesting stuff and enjoy thinking that I can be a jumping off point for people to find good fic and intersting thoughts about Saiyuki. I've alwys liked playing that role, even in a small way.

I tend to try not to worry too much about what I post, although I often hold back from posting about things that annoy me as I hate online arguments. So in that sense I am a bit of a wuss.

[devikun.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Goody! Quiz Lou-chan time!

1. When writing an AU, how do you retain the original story/characters do you retain, and how do you decide which elements to work with?

2. If you get one choice, who would say is really your favourite Saiyuki character (and why!)?

3. What parts of your writing (technique or style) would you personally like to improve on?

4. Did you know I think you are utterly awesome? ♥ ~_^

[devikun.livejournal.com]

Eh. Question number one was in English the first time I wrote it... Couldn't be bothered deleting it, so just ignore the kooky grammar, yes?

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

okay *g*

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

1. I think I go by the characters. I like to try and show the characters as being the same as in the original, but also shaped by the AU I have put them in. Recognisable but maybe slightly different too. Also, it depends what I want to do in the AU itself and what sort of plot I want to use.

With the Saiyuki and batman crossover I purposely took lots of elements from the story and just retold them in a new setting, and actually Saiyuki is good for that because it has such strong themes: of trying to live and acceptance of your life and yourself as you are, isolation and angst, feeling like something is missing and unlikely friendships. I did the same thing with the British schoolboys as well, pretty much, although others, like the Soapland one or Hooker Gojyo, which are all about the meeting and the instant attraction, rely on the element of destiny that you can take from Hakkai and Gojyo's (well really Tenpou and Kenren's) relationship. That they will always meet, whoever they are (and they will always want each other *g)

2. I want to say Gojyo, but actually I think it is Hakkai. Why... I like that I don't know very much about what goes on in his head. He's a mystery and that just sucks me in completely.

3. I'd like more confidence in plotting - I don't trust my instincts in plotting in the same way I do with, say, dialogue. I'd also really like to be able to come up with the occasional really good metaphor and improve at description and action generally. I tend to rely too much on dialogue to tell a story, I think.

4. I think exactly the same about you *g*

[lybra87.livejournal.com]

Hi, I just wondered, when you started, how did you know how to write smut? Did you read a lot of other writings, do research or just went with imagination?

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

The easy answer to that is that I didn't know. I had very meagre writing skills beyond the basic talent for putting words in front of the other. It didn't seem to stop me though - the very first fic I wrote had sex in it-- full of cliches and not good. After that I got into a fandom (GO) where I didn't want to write so much explicit sex, but Saiyuki fandom really bring out my inner pervert for some reason, and I've written a lot.

I read a lot of erotica and porn, fandom and non fandom, and it taught me what it is that turns me on in a story, and I use that knowledge a lot. And also my imagination. Basically I think about sex a lot and I write sex scenes in my head, just for fun. I think all this helps me work out what to put in a sex scene.

[hibem.livejournal.com]

Which of your own fics is your personal favorite and why?