Visual Storytelling and Experimentation in Prose

Okay so...don't do blogs often like I've said lol BUT...

A couple thoughts about some stuff in my fics:

 

I've been thinking about experimenting quite a bit more in some of the stuff I'm writing to challenge myself as a writer (God knows I don't do that enough already lmao). Two of the things I was thinking about were visual storytelling and doing weird things with my prose, which I guess I can try and explain but I'm at explaining things.

 

Visual Storytelling

This one's easy and doesn't serve much benefit except it looks really good IMO. If you've read Sunrise Drive or Kiss Land that's what I'm talking about - adding images/visuals to accompany parts of the story where appropriate. I'm not sure if it's something I'm gonna do loads of but one of the big advantages of a platform like AFF is the ability to do stuff like and not have it look terrible like in print books lol. I kinda liked the idea of the post-it note in Sunrise Drive (you'll know what I mean if you've read it)

 

Experimenting in Prose

This is also pretty straightforward. Just me doing weird things with my writing lol. I think the big one I've already used is dialogue without quotation marks or attribution tags, which I've actually got really good feedback for (I used it in Often and Sunrise Drive now and probs some more in the future) and I really enjoy the sort of atmosphere it creates - kind of dreamy/hazy, and a little surreal at times. I'm also thinking about doing some cool things with text spacing/layout (like indicating two characters arguing/talking over each other at the same time by putting the text at separate sides of the screen, if that makes sense.) Kinda like this:

Blah Blah!

Blah!

Blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah!

 

Although I know this looks a little silly and idk how to feel about it lol.

Anyway lemme know if y'all have any opinions on this sort of stuff since I don't wanna be writing the same stuff again and again :)

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lalaland111
#1
I just found this. And I think you're a very, very intelligent writer (although, I just discovered you). You might (honestly, you already did in a way) make it into my list of favorite fanfic writers.



Nonetheless, I'd recommend using color to represent the speaker (pink for Irene, yellow for Seulgi, etc.) whenever they're talking over each other; it'd make it a more pungent experience for the reader, knowing already the semiotic interpretation of such colors within the fandom.



Something that I've played with, - not on this site, not under this username, - is to put myself a series of restrictions or goals while writing (take some emotions and paint it all over the pages, - or stop using a series of particular words, e. g. adverbs ending in -ly, - or to create the illusion of tension, to make others feel breathless with short, very short sentences).



Run.



No.



No...


In short, take an idea, an image, and make us feel it, see it, or take a thought, a feeling and make us see or hear it, - it can take as many or as little words as you'd like. Use music, - create the music with words, - like poetry.



Or make people spiral with ideas...



You can also always choose a core (philosophical) concept, something to write around and about, - a sort of thematic skeleton. For instance, if you like comics, you might have noticed that some heroes are the archetypal representation of a concept; and they seem to be always fighting their direct opposite. Batman is Order, the Joker is Anarchy, - and because there exists one, there rises its opposite. One cannot exist without the other, - yet one destroys the other.



If you don't enjoy that idea, you could always research about Semiotics and use it to your advantage, - sow a mystery with colors and symbolism, your readers will pluck the results and build a plot for the story in their minds.



Or a plotless story...



Maybe heavy social commentary... with images and colors, and characters that seem more alive than ourselves.



You should check out Greyella's work (on Fanfiction(dot)net). She's a wonderful wordsmith, - and might give you some (experimental) inspiration. Or even Pynchon and his verbatim... or a few pages of Finnegans Wake and ia Woolf.



Or make it a mathematical experience.



This might be the worst advice you've ever received (you might've already known or used or hated all of these things I wrote about). But... I thought, why not? I lose nothing.
WolfieGrowler #2
Aha! This is awakening my literature nerd side. Frankly speaking, both techniques have their places in the world of prose and poetry. They are only limited by the skill and sensitivity of the writer- which you’ve done well with! Everything else is really left up to taste. I’ve noticed that you have a tendency to create very dense text, sensory and plot-wise. With the exception of some parts of that historical fantasy Seulrene romance that you did (hella angsty). I wonder if you’d be willing to try something very minimalistic, perhaps even experiment with visual placement of the words on the space? Lol. I was a very experimental writer in uni (back when I still did prose and whatnot) and even incorporated elements such as altered manga pages, etc.

Just suggestions! Be adventurous. :)
Universe12345
#3
The first one is fine. But there are times that I'd want the stuff to be left to my imagination. Maybe there are times where those will help but I think there are times where it would just kill the immersion. Let's give it a try though.

The second idea can be very useful because there are times where it can get confusing about who's who (Seoul City Vice on the first few chapters, and I don't know you... When they're having short exchanges) often's was good. You should do it more. I've yet to read sunrise drive so I can't really give my opinion on that.