The state of writing... muse or no muse?

[glenmered]

 There is an overwhelming malaise regarding writing new stories for MFU. I know it's been a hard season for so many people, and by season I actually mean the last two years, plus or minus a few months.

Section VII has had a ten year anniversary this past February, and I've been writing fan fiction for twelve years. I would love to think that I'll write another story and yet it seems that Real Life has usurped my desire or motivation for it.

Anyone have the same issues?

Is there anything we can do to revitalize the writing bug? I know Muse gets a lot of credit but, it is really about that? Is there a way to make writing new fiction the therapy we all need to overcome some of our inability to put words to paper, so to speak?

Ideas are welcome, and perhaps we might interject some real life into the fiction. What about a Journal Challenge. What would Illya write about his own life if he were journaling? How much would Napoleon reveal about his state of mind if he wrote it down in a very secret diary?

If you don't have a feel for what the men might tell us, maybe April or Lisa Rogers, or Angelique? Now that's a diary that would make for interesting reading.

If you're up for the challenge, let us know. It can be stand alone or multi-chapter in style. I think it could be writer's therapy in a new way, the UNCLE way.

Comments

[threecee]

Interesting idea. I'll see what I can do with it, but I'm not promising anything. I'm having trouble writing anything my own journal these days. Partly Real Life, but mostly a lack of energy.

[glenmered]

It doesn't need to be long, probably most of the men are pretty brief ;)

[dancingpony]

That’s a very interesting idea, although I think the security risk of any UNCLE employee keeping a journal would be pretty high. Imagine such journals falling into Thrush hands….

Just to offer up another idea, one that isn’t even mine, vysila recently mentioned on her DW journal that one of the Star Wars fandoms is running a “Bingo” challenge. It was described as a very low stress challenge, because there aren’t any stated parameters as to story length, plot, characters, format, etc. — just a Bingo card with simple prompts, and a full year “deadline” to write five entries to achieve “Bingo.” It might be motivating to try that for MFU, if anyone were interested.

[glenmered]

In another world it might be risky, but we're not going to let that world interfere with our fun ;). St. Crispins has a story where Illya gives Napoleon's daughter a journal that chronicles their escapades and a few personal observations. I yield to her judgement since she's our resident real expert on the fandom.
If you've never read any of her stories you can find them here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160407184400/http://file40.net/file40g/crispins/cris_page.html

The Bingo card sounds fun, something to consider for another season when we've convinced everyone to write. Thanks for sharing it.