Time to 'fess up...

[shimotsuki]

Okay, I'm sort of blocked on my next fic for the current Jumble at metamorfic_moon.

I suspected I would have a harder time with this one, since I usually write character studies (or one- or two-chapter fics where whatever plot I manage to write is really just an excuse for some poor hapless characters to undergo an experience of my choosing so I can watch them deal with it). For this Jumble, I swore up and down that if I got action/adventure for my genre prompt, I would go for it, because I want to learn to handle more genres.

Well, I did get a/a. Trouble is, days have gone by and I'm still at the point of choreographing various scenarios in my head, waiting for that feeling of "aha, there's the plotbunny I'm going to follow." Nothing I've thought of so far feels like it's something that wants me to write it.

I've already had a look at the a/a writing discussion at metamorfic_moon. That was extremely helpful, especially the suggestions by jesspallas, whose a/a fics Oblivious and Imperius are some of my favorite long fics ever. So I've got some technical ideas I'm dying to try, but NO PLOT.

Here are some ideas I've been pushing around. Any opinions? Does anything stand out as something you think you'd like to read?

a/a plot sampler

• It's OotP year. Fred & George have just quit school. They show up at 12GP and worm their way into the Order. Remus and Tonks take them out on what is supposed to be a basic training mission, but complications arise and a/a ensues.
  
  Possible sources of said complications:
  • Tonks and Remus get separated from the twins, and then some Death Eaters, um, do something, which F&G have to handle on their own until the group all find each other again. (Too boring? Too much Fred & George?)
    
  • The mission is to find something (document?) in some large and fortified building (St. Mungo's? the Ministry? Gringotts?) while sneaking around and avoiding both bureaucrats/goblins as well as the Death Eaters who are also loose in the building. (Too much like the Feral Institute scenes in Imperius?)
    
  • Each of the four ends up tailing some different Death Eater or suspicious character around Diagon and Knockturn Alleys, with various and sundry near misses and narrow escapes. (Might be too many details to keep track of for my first a/a?)
  
  
• It's HBP year. Remus needs emergency help related to his mission with Greyback's pack. Tonks is with the twins at the time and enlists their help. Everyone runs around avoiding, and possibly also fighting with, (untransformed) werewolves. Things are not good between Remus and Tonks; possible comic relief if the twins don't realize what's wrong with them. (Too clichéd?)
  
  
• It's Sept 1 of DH year. Remus is visiting Fred and George at WWW's new Hogsmeade branch when a werewolf who knows Remus from his HBP-year mission spots him and runs up to warn him that Greyback is planning to meet the Hogwarts Express. Tonks is on duty in Hogsmeade and gets involved. (Problem here is it's guaranteed to be made non-canon when DH comes out, but maybe I shouldn't let that worry me. Also, it feels clichéd again. But honestly, all of these ideas do, which is one reason I'm feeling stuck.)

Anything sound appealing? Any other ideas? I'll keep thinking; maybe inspiration will strike after all.

Comments

[godricgal.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind me popping over here, mrstater mentioned that you'd posted about a fic dilemma, so I thought I'd pop on over.

I haven't much to offer on the individual scenarios, because they all sound like they have great potential. What I have to suggest is that you look at each of your options and see how you can tie them in with canon; even the tiniest throw away line can sometimes give the inspiration for a full length fic, and will give you something to harness your story to.

I had no idea what to do with my prompts until last night when I started to think how they could tie into canon events, and now I have a plot.

Hope this helps, even if it wasn't what you were asking for.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind me popping over here -- I'm delighted! Thanks so much for coming by to help me out.

Your suggestion is an excellent one. I really should have thought of that before, especially since I've used that trick in the past for non-a/a fics. I will think through various loose threads in canon tonight and see if anything catches my eye. (Now, how was that for some clunky mixing of metaphors?)

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

Have to second godricgal's suggestion about thinking of a prompt element in relation to canon. That was exactly how my plot unfolded from wondering what to do with Snidgets to a POA-era mystery fic with loads of canon tie-ins.

Of your ideas, I actually really like the first one best. But it's up to you. Trying to force a plot can be really hard on you as a writer, but if you can think of some ties that will make in unfold more organically, it can be a little easier.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for weighing in with suggestions.

I started out with that first plot and then got cold feet, but it seems to be catching people's fancy, so I'm feeling motivated to give it another chance this evening. (Actually, another problem when I tried this was discovering I had already written 1000 words and everyone was still sitting around the Grimmauld kitchen talking about the mission and whether Molly was going to let the twins go or not. But what that really means is, I just have to rein in my dialogue muse a bit more. Heh.)

[jncar.livejournal.com]

I'm a little late to reply, but I agree that your first idea has lot's of potential.

Some other ways that you could make that one work would be:

-at some point, unbeknownst to the twins, Tonks morphs, and they end up attacking her thinking she's a DE.

and/or -Remus uses some sort of innovative Marauder-style tactic to save the day and the twins gain newfound respect for him

Those would probably work best with either the training mission idea or the Diagon/knockturn alley idea.

I don't know if that helps you any, but that's what sprang to mind when I read your first idea. Good Luck!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to help me brainstorm.

Remus uses some sort of innovative Marauder-style tactic to save the day and the twins gain newfound respect for him -- Yeah, I was kind of thinking along those lines. Except that in the version of the HP world in my head, the twins already hero-worship Remus (after finding out about the Map (http://www.sugarquill.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=8066&st=170&p=396529&#entry396529)); Remus finds this a bit puzzling, but it amuses him. So I was thinking about making the twins really excited to go on a mission with Remus, and eager to prove that they can keep up.

People do seem to like that first scenario, so maybe I'll see where that takes me. Thanks again!

[jdbracknell.livejournal.com]

I really love the first one - but I think the third option for that plot could be very complicated to write, with potentially multiple POVs, or tracking multiple characters who are doing something at the same time but not together.

If you went with the 'they get seperated' one (which I don't think is boring at all) you could really simplify the plot, by having Tonks and Remus frought and on the hunt for Fred and George, and Fred and George running from the DEs and flip between the two, and then make it a piece about the actual action and how all the characters react to it. Are Fred and George as gun-ho when it comes down to it as they seem? I think something like that could be really interesting.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks for helping me think about this!

having Tonks and Remus frought and on the hunt for Fred and George, and Fred and George running from the DEs and flip between the two

Yeah, that could really work. I'd also been considering having the whole fic alternate POVs between Fred and George, although this would mean I'd have to invent actual personalities that distinguish the two (a fun project, but maybe not in the space of 2-3 days!). Right. Maybe I had better just pick one twin and one of R/T and follow those POVs instead.

This planning process has also gotten me wondering about what makes a story R/T. If a fic isn't about their relationship per se, and half the time the action is following other people, is it really still R/T, or have we crossed the line into genfic? I like writing genfic, it's not that, but I'm wondering if I'll end up taking all my prompts and writing myself a story that doesn't qualify for the Jumble in the end anyway.

[eshesh.livejournal.com]

I don't have a strong opinion about the different plot ideas you had. All of them sound pretty good; the second one would probably be my choice if I was writing it. I just wanted to pop in to offer some commiseration and moral support, 'cause I'm having a lousy time of it, too. *encouraging pat on the shoulder*

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Hi! Thanks for the moral support; here's a shoulder-pat right back. I see you've got a/a as one of your options, too, heh. This sure will stretch my brain if I ever get through it. (Which is the idea, I know!)

I'm happy you liked story idea #2, because last night in the shower I made a fair amount of headway working that one out. I even got my "healing paste" prompt worked in plausibly. I think I'm going to give #1 (my first plan; I've actually got some chunks written up) another try, because it seems like it ought to work, in theory, and now I've got some new ideas for it. But #2 is my backup plan, and actually, maybe I'll write that one later if I don't use it for this round of the Jumble.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

I haven't got anything to say about your fic dilemma - I'm working on the fact you've probably written it by now, and anything I say will therefore be distinctly unhelpful, as well as annoyingly late! Besides, your last comment suggested you were going for either 1 or 2, which both sound distinctly interesting to me so I'll just say I hope it's going/gone well.

Actually what I've butted in for, and I hope you don't mind, is to ask if it's all right if I friend you? I really enjoyed your Valentine's fic a great deal.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

going for either 1 or 2 -- In the end, I decided to go for 2; it felt more doable in a short time. But I'd still like to try plot 1 another time.

I'm so glad to hear that you liked the Valentine's story. I would be delighted if you friended me; may I friend you back as well? I've really enjoyed your posts here and at rt_challenge.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

Please do. :) And I look forward to reading number 2!