Listening to: The Pretty Reckless - Heaven Knows
Mood: dipping my toes back in the water
Writing: One-shots/cut scenes for Chronicles of Derenvere
I don't know if any other writers out there do this, too.
I picked up this habit on fanfiction sites such as Twilight Tales and Fanfiction.net.
Whenever I try to get into, or back into, a fandom, I start off with one-shots.
One-shots according to the online dictionary:
1. Occurring, appearing, done, etc, only once.
2. Achieved or accomplished with a single try.
Or, in more defined writing terms as explained by JustPeachy on
Yahoo Answers:
~A different meaning of "one-shot" is often used by authors who write series of stories, generally in their own alternate universe of a given fandom. Often an author will write several disjoint series, but additionally, single stories (of any length, but generally comparatively shorter) which are standalone, not tying into any of the writer's other continuity; these are called one-shots, as the author doesn't plan to extend or revisit them.~
A note for readers on FF.net - please go reread that last sentence there, and spare one-shot-addicted authors the pain of gritting their teeth and ramming their heads into their desks and lamenting about people not understanding what it means when a story is listed as 'complete'. Thank you kindly.
Where was I....
So I start off with one-shots, both to test the water and see if I can write the characters in-character (which is not always an easy feat), but mostly to test the water. To see whether I'll be burned with fire or welcomed with chuckles and head shaking by the fandom. Thus, I write humour as my introduction to a new fandom.
Son of Sparda Mode is a prime example (and also my most liked one-shot with 33 people having added it to their favourites, whoo-hoo!)
Once I've got my foot in the door, I dish up some more one-shots of differing genres. Sometimes it's to try my hand at something new such as cropping an adventure into a one-chapter story, but most of the time it's to get to know the characters better. Test them in various situations, put them in other genres, and see how they tick.
Which is why the habit of one-shots has stuck and follows me into both fandoms and original projects.
So!
In short, I'm starting work on one-shots for Chronicles of Derenvere to get back into my character's mind. Here, have a
read. Be warned, it's not a funny one to start off with.
Happy writing and reading! :)