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What's your writing white whale?

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sootfoot5 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sootfoot5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2019 at 7:41pm
I can't understand why people fear drama (as a writing genre -- not as something happening in their life!)  Drama is in everything.  It occurs in juxtaposition to comedy to make comedy stronger.  It is what builds almost every other genre.  How would horror be horrifying without drama?  What suspense would there be without the drama included?  Even romance includes drama--it is that dot dot dot that leaves you breathless.  

Drama is what we have all experienced in our lives.  Perhaps that is why some writers fear it.  Maybe, just maybe, they are afraid to touch that inner part of themselves with their powerful pen.  (naughty, eh?)

I'd be thrilled to get drama next challenge.  But I really hope for Historical Fiction.  I've been doing this comp for more than 10 years and never been assigned that.  BRING IT!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chrissie0707 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2019 at 7:45pm
Originally posted by sootfoot5 sootfoot5 wrote:

Drama is what we have all experienced in our lives.  Perhaps that is why some writers fear it.  Maybe, just maybe, they are afraid to touch that inner part of themselves with their powerful pen. 


It's a genre I wasn't necessarily fearing, but I wasn't looking forward to it. Then I pulled Drama in the second round of SSC this year and just...YES. Because this is EXACTLY what happened. The only world my prompts begged me to explore was my own, so I did. And despite the fact my story wasn't successful enough with the judges to move on to the final round, I dug into something personal that was difficult, but so worthwhile. I welcome Drama again. I'm game.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote juliaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2019 at 7:50pm
Originally posted by Lord Xoon Lord Xoon wrote:

Romance and Rom Com are my greatest fears. I don't think I can build a compelling story in either.

Drama would be difficult also.

I feel like I at least understand  the other ones.

I dread the idea of rom-com as well...the genres that oblige the writer to instill a certain emotion in the reader always seem like the hardest because you have to write for specific sensibilities (I guess this goes for horror as well). I have no idea how to write a 'good' rom com, let alone one that would please the judges!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sootfoot5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2019 at 8:34pm
Originally posted by chrissie0707 chrissie0707 wrote:

Originally posted by sootfoot5 sootfoot5 wrote:

Drama is what we have all experienced in our lives.  Perhaps that is why some writers fear it.  Maybe, just maybe, they are afraid to touch that inner part of themselves with their powerful pen. 


It's a genre I wasn't necessarily fearing, but I wasn't looking forward to it. Then I pulled Drama in the second round of SSC this year and just...YES. Because this is EXACTLY what happened. The only world my prompts begged me to explore was my own, so I did. And despite the fact my story wasn't successful enough with the judges to move on to the final round, I dug into something personal that was difficult, but so worthwhile. I welcome Drama again. I'm game.


It has also been my experience that many of my stories that didn't quite fly here are the ones I've been able to get published while the higher scorers sit lonely on my cloud and hard drive.  

If you haven't already, go back and look at the drama tale with a fresh eye.  Then submit it .  It would be a dramatic ending to your own "dramatic" tale, don't you agree?  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BarbaraFL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Sep 2019 at 6:46am
Mine was political satire and then I got it and it didn't totally work out LOL

I'd really just like a good drama prompt at this point
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nemmo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Sep 2019 at 7:41am
I'd really love to get horror - I read an awful lot of it, and have written a fair few short horror stories. But perversely, I feel like I'd completely bomb in it due to the increased pressure of expecting to do well. When I got action/adventure and thriller - which I had no clue how to tackle, and went in with a "meh, I can only do my best" mindset - I scraped a HM both times, so was pretty pleased. 
SSC24 R1 G57: Into the Woods
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