(no subject)

[icarus]

I shit-canned my current version of chapter one of Snape Manor ten minutes ago. It was driving me crazy, so I read it aloud to wilderness_guru. He agreed with my assessment.

Speaking of discouragment. I came home really energized and ready to write, too.

Dammit.

Comments

[puella-deville.livejournal.com]

My condolences. I thought it was quite an adequate intro and was waiting happily for the meat of the matter -- i.e., the details about the manor itself (one of the things I loved most about OotP was the descriptions of the Black manse and its contents) and the continuation of the Snape/Harry relationship.

Out of curiosity: what dissatisfied you about it?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

No, no. What I've put up is fine. That was the prologue. Chapter one, no one has seen besides my boyfriend and myself.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I started Snape Manor before OotP came out. As I read JKR's sections about the Black's manse and contents, my jaw hung open and I couldn't believe it. It was so close to what I was writing, it unbelievable. I didn't have the infestations of little critters... but everything else....

What was before OotP a rather original premise, became just a repeat of what she's already done. That's been the problem.

Icarus

[puella-deville.livejournal.com]

That sucks. I guess the question is whether you want to

1)continue writing your version of Snape Manor knowing that it's a variation on the Black home (nothing wrong with that, besides having to deal with the "It's not a riff, dammit" frustration of knowing you came up with the whole concept before the novel was out), or

2) twist the Manor and its contents/problems into something else entirely (which has the potential to deform the rest of your already planned-out work).

There's nothing wrong with the first situation: being overtaken by canon, and thus ending up with a variation on an already-done idea. The trajectory of your story is very different from that of JKR's books, and so the similarities between her 12 Grim. and your Snape Manor shouldn't be a problem. It's straight-out, purposeless idea copying that's annoying, and I've read enough of your stuff to be sure that's not what you'll produce.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck with it!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Those are both very good points, and gave me something to think about last night.

I admit, I was pleased at the originality of Snape Manor. It was going to be a foray into something that hadn't been explored much in fanfiction or JKR's books and a terrific opportunity to make up a lot of random magic.

What I can do is emphasize another aspect of the story (the part that I thought OotP was going to mess up). Now... what to do about Harry...

Icarus

[puella-deville.livejournal.com]

You can still make up lots of random magic and neat items, of course.

What's the problem with Harry? Is it a canon-vs-not-quite-AU thing -- e.g., his OotP exposure to dark magic and his general emo-ness? Or something else entirely.

Hope you don't mind the questions. I just get so curious about WiPs and other peoples' writing processes/tribulations. Helps contextualize my own.

Awww woobie!

[barbana.livejournal.com]

I hate it when that happens. I've been throwing away sketch after crappy sketch the last few days. Bah!

I know work on a strange pairing, you like those and it could be fun. I'd like to see you do some more Ron/Neville actually. I mean think about it, he's only a gnat's eyelash removed from Harry and it's all Voldie's fault...

Hope ya get the angle on Snape Manor that you're looking for.

Re: Awww woobie!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

It's just JKR wrote my premise. It was almost identical to what I had, her descriptions of the Black manse. *sigh* It also messed up a lot of Harry's part as well, and that's what's wrong with chapter one. If it were just my writing, that would be one thing. But it's not the writing, the writing's lovely.

I thought I had a solution, but no.

I've never thrown out a story before. Never.

Icarus

[guntar.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry; doing that always sucks, and is disheartening. But everything I've read of yours is incredible--you've always amazed me with your vivid descriptions, your masterful characterisations and great insights into the characters. I'm sure that, when you finish Snape Manor, it'll be incredible.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I've never thrown away a story before. This really is a first. The prologue's fine. It's just chapter one that doesn't work.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I wrote chapter one before OotP came out, and I had to do major changes and adjustments to account for the new facts. JKR's writing the Black's residence just wiped the entire premise for the first chapter, and a lot of the premise for the rest of the story.

Once I accounted for this, the chapter just... pllbt.

Icarus