A writing question

[kronette.livejournal.com]

As you're writing, does anyone else have trouble reading their story as if you had no knowledge of it? I keep getting stuck because I'll have whole passages written, then realize I haven't explained or described anything because it was crystal clear in my head. I (sometimes) know the outcome of the story when I'm working on the beginning, so I have the endgame in my head as I'm writing, but that doesn't always translate into actual descriptive words.

Anyone else have this problem, or am I just an overly visual person trying to relay what I see in my head onto (virtual) paper?

Comments

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I do this all the time (or I go the other way and end up completely over-writing passages trying to get across what I mean). In some ways it's not such a big deal with fanfiction because as long as you throw in a couple of clues to what season you're basing a fic in, you don't need to describe it in detail. Particularly with Red Dwarf, readers will already know what your characters look like, what sort of thing they'll be wearing, what their surroundings look like etc.

[kronette.livejournal.com]

That's true for the most part, but if you're straying from canon a bit too far (I'm talking strictly RD), and the setting is the same yet not quite the same, you have to point that out. And this story I'm struggling with is juuuuuust five hops to the left of the established universe, so it's harder to convey a difference.

I've actually cut out a few paragraphs in my trouble spot and its helped move the story along. It's part of me writing out what I see/think should happen, so I can get a better idea of what is necessary for the reader.

I treat my stories very seriously for being a hobby ;)