So I'll start things. I have this little thing, called "Ex Marks The Spot" (working title). It's based on an eons-ago prompt fron tielan about "Maria and the exes, from Clint's POV". He watches her chatting up his various former flames in the cafeteria, and it's all kinds of funny (with my usual slightly darker undercurrents). And I know that she's doing it because she wants to know whether he is decent enough potential partner material for ...

And this is where I am stuck.

I can't decide whether Maria is doing the vetting to determine whether he can be partnered with Natasha, set up for a date with Fury's EA Laura (who has a secret crush), or whether Maria is interested in a quick fling herself. Literally. Can. Not. Decide.

Help??

I'd go with Laura, because I love the farm and domestic Clint.

I do too, but my last few stories were Clint/Laura and Clint/Kate so maybe I need to get back to my roots... I dunno.

Yeah but there is tons of Clint-Natasha out there. We need more farm goodness. ;)

There's never enough Clintasha ... \0/

Maybe Maria trying to work out how he does it? As in how he has this many exes but he still keeps getting interest, like what's his secret? So just curosity. But then she could still decide after all her musings to have a date with him herself or that she knows just the person to set him up with, so that's not very definitive *shrugs*.

I like crazy4orcas suggestion that it's in aid of keeping the team functioning, that feels very in character.

*muses*

I love the idea of Maria just trying to look out for Clint a little! Especially since I often think of their dynamic as sensible older sister and goofball younger brother :)

Edited 2017-01-22 03:25 am (UTC)

Hmm. That is an angle I hadn't considered... Intriguing.

That's okay - I got it! :-) Hope you are feeling better. I'm inclined to think Natasha now too, just because the world really needs more Clintasha than it's been getting.

There's a kernel there that I can use... :-)

\o/

Ooooh! I like this as the premise.

:) I guess I wasn't completely stoned out of my mind then!

I haven't truly written any fic for years. I used to write Smallville substantially. But Netflix's Daredevil and the MCU in general has made want to start up again.

I have two huge novels, one Daredevil and one Hawkeye, planned out. But I never get anywhere with them. I find my biggest problem to be over editing. It takes me an hour to write one paragraph because I can't stop tweaking each and every sentence over and over again.

How can I get past this?

I also find myself without confidence. I've read so much fantastic fic that I can't see how I could possibly measure up.

Any advice on that front?

There's a lot contained in your comment, so let me unpack it a bit.

First, the lack of confidence, Do NOT compare yourself to other writers. Ever. You are your own creator, not there to equal or supercede the work of people who think, write and ARE different from you. I get the willies when I see people producing great pieces overnight or effortlessly creating dialogue or scene-settings I would die for, but then I realize that working at my wn pace and in my own style is what makes me unique. Not necessarily "fantastic", but different enough that some people might enjoy what I produce in addition to all those other stories that look better than my own.

That over-editing thing. It's a symptom of the uncertainty, a tool that will allow you to procrastinate. I am the queen of procrastination in that regard myself, which is why I participate in so many exchanges - they take that cop-out opportunity away.

And the solution when I find myself trapped like that is to do what I call "laying down text" - without editing, to get at the story arc and scenes before I sweat the details. Those I fix in edits. It's a bit like sewing a garment, you cut out the rough shapes at first and then do the fitting, and the trimmng, and the refitting. Or like wallpapering, where you never measure the pieces precisely but cut to fit after they're up. So, plan to edit AFTER you're done, secure in the knowledge that you can fix all those imperfections later, when you have much more of the bigger picture of your story anyway. And yes, sometimes it's a slog (I laboured far too extensively on Locust Wind and Seventh Crow...)

So my suggestion is to take a hand at the Valentine's Day promptathon (make something you alrady have in your WIP folder fit one of the prompts), just to get the confidence back.

PS: Hawkeye novel for the win!!!!!

Sorry, I took so long to respond to this. I really do appreciate your advice. I have read in other places about just writing and not allowing any edits until I'm finished. But my confidence has plummeted to the point where it can take me two hours to write one paragraph.

But as with most anything, it's just a matter of self-discipline. I have the whole story plotted out in my head and on paper, I just have to force myself to write. Not edit, not cop-out and go read, just write.

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I going to take your advice and try to find time for the Valentines Day promotathon.

Thank you again!

*applauds* What alphaflyer said.

You're writing your stories. I'd add that when it comes to fandom we're here because we love something so much we want to create things for it and share them, we want to talk and write meta and share picture, we want to contribute in some way, join in. You're here. You're creating. You've already measured up. To borrow words from Neil Gaiman: "The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before."

And the old adage: don't get it right, get it writtten. Just to just get a draft before the editing bug kicks in, telling yourself you'll sort it out later. Prompting events and similiar can help if having finished something else gives you a boost. Deadlines help some people (so I hear *grins*) if you wanted to set yourself goal posts. And always encouragement - we'll be sat here waiting for your story :)

Edited 2017-01-22 10:51 pm (UTC)

Thanks for the encouraging wisdom. I will work on not letting fear and insecurity stop me, because ultimately that's what I'm doing

As I told alphaflyer, I'm going to take your advice and do more promotahons. Maybe stringing my story out in a series of short prompts will get my rolling.

Thanks so much again.

Hopefully it helps a bit, and you should give the current Valentine's promptathon a go :) Look forward to reading your fic!

Oh, comparing and confidence... the bane of my existence. You have not idea how many fic links I've posted and then deleted because who the hell wants to read my crap? But, ahem. This is not about me.

For the over editing, I've found when I do that (SO MUCH) I have to turn the text a pastel shade or highlight it out in grey or do something visually to "get rid of it" so I don't touch it and I keep on keeping on with the rest of the fic. It's the only thing that works for me.

Graying out the text is one I've never heard before. But I could see how it would help. Harder to see, harder to agonize over. I'll give that a try if I find myself stalling with over edits.

Thanks so much for the advice.

I've wanted to continue my florist/tattoo AU for ages but can't find the right plot. Steve delivers flowers for Clint, Natasha and Bucky open a tattoo shop next door, in the end the stars align, etc. I want to bring Kate into the sequel, but don't know how. The WIP I have sets up with Steve leaving the flower shop and surreptitiously hires Kate in his place, causing bro drama. I guess I'm just not super convinced that this is enough basis for an interesting story? Or, rather, it sets up things for Clint to deal with, but doesn't give me anything to do with Natasha. So I'm not married to the idea slash would love feedback and/or suggestions!

So... Steve leaves. Kate fills in at the shop for him. There's conflict with Clint getting used to this on various levels. Am I getting that right? I'm finding that interesting enough on it's own. :)

If you wanted to be more inclusive of Natasha... Could Natasha be Clint's sounding board as he deal with the changes? His 'bro' in Steve's place? And that brings them closer?

That's sort of what I'm thinking. I originally though I wanted Natasha to be having some sort of struggle of her own (and maybe something will pop up while writing) but for now I think I'll just give this a whirl and see what comes out!

Well. So, here's my take: A strip mall -- added advantage, you can fill the neighbourhood with other whimsical neighbours of choice... Clint has a tattoo parlour, with a rather precocious apprentice (Kate). Steve runs the flower shop; Bucky (vet with PTSD) is the guy hired by the block's owner (N. Fury) to act as a janitor, finds himself cleaning up after the flowershop rather more than he should. Natasha owns a Nespresso bar, which doesn't really fit in the neighbourhood (too upmarket) but she endears herself by letting the other folks in the block have coffee from her sample machine. Like Clint and Kate. And Steve.

Also, there's Tony's garage (really run by his accountant, Ms Potts), with a corner occupied by that Scandinavian dude who's into artisanal blacksmithing. (His little brother is a bit of a shit). And of course the bookshop with the map section, run by Jane and her scatter-brained assistant, Darcy.

And then, even as Kate has decided to get Clint and Natasha together, money starts disappearing from people's tills, and everybody suspects the janitor ...

Ah I love these ideas!! I think I wasn't clear enough in that the first part of this is already done and posted, so this is the sequel I'm trying to generate. A few characters have already been referenced, but I love the idea of Fury owning the block, and also of Jane owning a bookstore! I think that will really help me expand the universe :)

Sorry - I missed that bit! Plus, I basically got carried away and couldn't stop... :P I'll look what you've done already up on AO3..! :-)

Back from an internetless weekend (oh, that was soooo good for my psyche!) and Alpha pointed me here reminding me there was an ATTF.

I've got a T'Challa/Natasha fic with a pretty solid middle but have yet to figure out a start or end. It's basically Natasha landing in Wakanda to plot with T'CHalla and Steve on a rescue at the raft. The smoldering heat between them flares again, they sleep together, Nat confesses she's got more complicated relationships and she can't commit, T'Challa gets it, they move on. But I'm having a hard time getting them from Nat landing to the flirtatious "let's go to bed" bit. I don't want it to be overly long or complicated but can't seem to get even the slightest hook or anything going. Likewise, I don't want to get to the actual rescue but can't seem to get it to end neatly or in a good place after they talk about not being able to be in a real relationship at this time. Gah!

Wakandan liqueur has amazing powers that defeat Natasha's usual resilience to booze ...?

That could possibly bridge the gap to get them from plotting and planning to a more flirtatiuos moment... hmmmmmm.

dooooo iiiiiiit....

Oooh! Pretty inspiratonal post! :)

Ah, finally getting around to this!

So, this topic was made for me and my Eternal List Of WIPS. But there are two I really really want to finish that I've just been super stuck on for awhile. One is a mash-up of a post-Ultron 616/MCU superhero AU with Jess, Carol, Kate, Nat, Clint, etc. Each chapter is divided by POV (Clint and Nat are together in this, obviously) and I have a bunch of it written but I basically have no idea what to make of the actual plot. As it stands now, Clint gets rescued (of course) and then they're supposed to find some big mission to fuel the rest of the story and I have NO idea what it could be. Maybe something AIM related? Ugh.

The other idea is a long-standing promptathon request for Clint/Nat reincarnation. Same thing...I've reached a point where I just don't know where to go with the story, where they keep popping up in different scenarios/different timelines.

How about the big mission being about someone suggesting the Secretary of State being a Russian an AIM plant, and proving that the Sokovia Accords were just a tool to neutralize a pro-Western fighting force? And the undercurrent is of course about reconstituting the Avengers.

I was scrolling through the comments and saw reincarnation ...I freaked out a little! :P I feel like one of the problems with the reincarnation plot is that it's hard to tie everything together? Hahaha idk. I'm trying to write a Clint/Nat reincarnation AU too and I feel like what works for me is making a list of when (and where) I want to write them, and absolutely(!!!) sticking to it.

As for your other WIPs, the mashup sounds really interesting. :D

I WANT TO FINISH IT. I have a good chunk done, but I'm just stuck on how to make it a story. If that makes sense. I may revisit it this weekend and try to work through a plot...

This mash-up thing, to give you an idea of how long it's been a WIP, was started before AOU because it was supposed to be an AU about what happened after Ultron. I am determined to get it out of google docs.

Would your reincarnation AU thingy work as a 5 + 1 type fic? 5 times they were reincarnated and the 1 time as their first life?

That way you wouldn't necessarily need to have anything weaving the sections together?

What crazy4orcas said. And/or in terms of a common thread weaving through the stories is a curse - a la Ladyhawke? An increasing recognition that they are meant to be together, but consistent frustration until the last one (maybe with a twist of Loki being the one who breaks the "spell").

Normally I'd be ALL OVER the 5 times idea but it's me and I already have 2Kish written and I've lived with the idea for like 2 years, and in my brain, I just can't not think of this being at least a 10K one shot. ;)

But I like the common thread idea!!

Ohh, WIPs. Should I talk about the Turing Test fic? The Clint/Bucky/Nat? The Kate is the first Hawkeye AU? The comics/MCU crossover? THERE ARE TOO MANY.