How do you try to make your fic immersive? Also how do you stay motivated?

[SugarCoatxMarblePie 701]

That's why people enjoy Skyrim mods, 'immersion' and scientific studies show that immersion is what makes videogames good for the brain in some capacity. Then I saw a stream for Mane6 and their stages are nice, and they said that their stage influence was from other parts of the world and that real life is stranger than fiction. So I figured, how does it work, because real life is immersive and wondrous at times, just because our lives don't seem it doesn't mean its not like that elsewhere in nature. Like them adding lighting effects at night is immersive, and shadows on the characters. They want to add sounds for different surfaces they trot on to make it more immersive. They didn't use the word immersive tho.

And the only times I wrote good fiction(defining it as more likes than dislikes on fimfic lol) were when I focused on immersion (well, one was a gimmick but the other times it was immersion).

But I can't think of decent immersive scenarios. I want to explore some concepts or ideas or just throw in some chaos or such, but then it caused inconsistency which broke people's immersion despite the random tag.

 

Also I just can't find the patience to write it all out, if I can think it its like 10x faster than typing it. I type at an above average speed according to a test I did, but I only use index fingers and a thumb.

 

Then when I need to be meticulous when writing it can stress me out. That serves as a negative incentive. But if I lazily yolo a fic, it gets more dislikes. I have a list of like 50 fic ideas, but I can't bring myself to write them. The last one I wrote that was well received (35 likes 5 dislikes, like 10 put it in their favorites folder) but I was meticulous and it wasn't fun writing it. Then if I write something for myself, or fun for me, I worry its going to be shallow and poorly received. Granted I didn't try 'cute' fics yet so, maybe that could be fun and well received, I am still hesitant.

 

Also what may be a little relevant is in English classes I tended to be bullied more, so I may have a small complex against writing. My essays were always minimally sized, and to the point, I mean I can get wordy if its a topic I like, but idk how to translate that to fiction consistently. But I guess it is an avenue.

Edited March 29, 2017 by CuriUndersXeno

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I write simply because I enjoy writing. If anyone likes it, that's just icing. If they don't, who cares?! 

[ReverieRiver 526]

12 minutes ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

I write simply because I enjoy writing. If anyone likes it, that's just icing. If they don't, who cares?! 

Well, basically this.

You should write because you enjoy writing, not to impress others. What I mean is, you need to be writing for yourself as much as you're writing for the people you want to share it with. If you're writing something you think they'll enjoy at the expense of losing the fun of writing it for yourself, then there's just no point. Especially when writing fanfiction is just a hobby that you should be doing for fun above all else. If you have fun doing it, after all, you'll want to do it more. Which I think is the problem if you're not enjoying it anymore for wanting to impress other people.

You want to get immersive with your writing? That's cool. Try grounding some aspect of the scenario in reality. Even if it's something absurd. Because after all, sometimes absurd things happen in reality, anyway. If there's just some part that your reader can connect to on some level, I think that's when immersion happens. I can't really say I'm an expert, though, I'm extremely rusty when it comes to fanfic writing.

It's totally cool to want to improve, that's 100% natural. But when it becomes less fun and more of a chore, then it's just not worth it. You do you. Write what you want. Put it out there to show the world, or don't. I always feel better getting it down on paper, so to speak, regardless.

[SugarCoatxMarblePie 701]

I guess I have a similar problem with gaming. Like trying for skill then losing interest instead of trying fun stuff. Like I gotta find the overlap is what it is probably.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

59 minutes ago, CuriUndersXeno said:

But I can't think of decent immersive scenarios. I want to explore some concepts or ideas or just throw in some chaos or such, but then it caused inconsistency which broke people's immersion despite the random tag.

If you're struggling with inconsistency and randomness then I would suggest that you try and work out a certain consistency to the randomness you introduce to the story.

 

To take one example, have a read of Whom the Princesses Would Destroy... by GhostOfHeraclitus. It's a comedy where the main 'random' element (and thus a lot of the comedy) is the existence of a very real-world civil service in the high-magic fantasy world that is Equestria. So you have cabinet briefings, press briefings, politics and interminable paperwork interwoven with a land of magical ponies, and it works because it is consistent. It makes sense that it is the way it is (mostly, anyway - there are some bits that I think are a bit weaker and go a little too far out, but that is a minor complaint.)   

Or even go and watch some episodes with Discord in them - he may be chaos incarnate, but he still acts in a fairly consistent manner (again, with some episodes where this is less the case.)

 

1 hour ago, CuriUndersXeno said:

Also I just can't find the patience to write it all out, if I can think it its like 10x faster than typing it. I type at an above average speed according to a test I did, but I only use index fingers and a thumb.

Maybe you should just throw together a plan and write down the components in detail as and when you find the time and motivation.

 

In the more general sense, though, if you don't have the motivation then I would say that you have three options:

1. Don't do it. If you're writing for fun and it's not fun then there is no point to it.

2. Change medium. I sketched out three stories, in varying amounts of detail, only one of which I finished (very much a trial run of something simple) and the other two I never did anything about; I never found the time to sit down and write. In the end I incorporated them into a roleplaying game I was running, to reasonably good effect (I think) - conveying the story as read-only text alone didn't work for me, but having a group of people interact with the world and follow / create the story really did click.      

3. Keep at it. Even if it isn't particularly enjoyable, if the payoff is worth it then you should persevere.