I started writing my first fanfic today (YAY! for getting started) so went to your Writing Tip Page (I'd bookmarked it but hadn't read it yet) and it's SO GOOD!!
Really, really helpful - and I've only read the first page of entries so far!
My fic is a pretty cracky little number so the stuff on angst etc. isn't really helpful right now but I find all that stuff so interesting! And it helps me understand the angsty fics I've read in the past too which is also useful for my future writing. The stuff on plot was very useful for right now though! - I've always been awful at planning ahead in any aspect of my life so any help there is fantastic! I loved that article you shared about how "we always hurt the ones we love" - a bit worrying but so very true.
I forced myself to read the bit on cutting even though I feel really queasy now. I know this is like, "classic response that one feels stupid and kind of patronising in saying" but I need to say because I uh.. care? *awkward but genuine smile* - I hope you're OK now and it's very brave of you to've shared that *big hugs* It was very interesting too - I've only ever heard the somewhat cliched stories of 1. cuts 2. gets found out 3. calls parents into school. This is how all the cases I've read about and witnessed have gone so it's interesting to see another side to it (apologies for over-using the word "interesting" - it's an addiction it seems).
Reading all those entries actually made me feel a lot better about myself especially the part about signs and symptoms of depression. My doctors etc. have said I have depression but I never really believed them, thinking my illness wasn't a proper "thing" - I couldn't name it. I mean, I've started to believe it over the past few months, got over my denial or whatever it was but when I read your list there in sort of.. black and white it made me feel oddly comforted to know that I can relate and that it's actually a genuine thing and people aren't going to make fun of me for being weak.
The signs and symptoms distinction was definitely very helpful also for if I ever write something like that. Well, they say "write what you know" so maybe one day I'll write a character with depression - and now I'll be able to think "OK, so what are the signs people see as opposed to the symptoms my character feels?" IRL I'm always worrying about what people see in me and if they can tell if I'm ill etc. and I always go wayy OTT with it, thinking "OMG THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING - they're JUDGING me!!"
"Many mental illnesses involve a high degree of intelligence" - that just made me feel pretty good about myself. Many doctors have told me that in the past and I've been all "Psh! You're just trying to make me feel better - I'm STUPID. I can't even be normal. How is that intelligent?"
So yeah. Maybe my mental illness isn't one of those intelligent things but still.. maybe those doctors aren't the LIARS (albeit kind ones) I thought they were ;)
Phew! Sorry this is so incredibly long and contains so many unwarranted details about my life but uh... you helped me a lot and I wanted to thank you ^_^
P.S. I'm commenting on here because I don't have a blogger account - hope that's OK :)
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Really, really helpful - and I've only read the first page of entries so far!
My fic is a pretty cracky little number so the stuff on angst etc. isn't really helpful right now but I find all that stuff so interesting! And it helps me understand the angsty fics I've read in the past too which is also useful for my future writing. The stuff on plot was very useful for right now though! - I've always been awful at planning ahead in any aspect of my life so any help there is fantastic! I loved that article you shared about how "we always hurt the ones we love" - a bit worrying but so very true.
I forced myself to read the bit on cutting even though I feel really queasy now. I know this is like, "classic response that one feels stupid and kind of patronising in saying" but I need to say because I uh.. care? *awkward but genuine smile* - I hope you're OK now and it's very brave of you to've shared that *big hugs* It was very interesting too - I've only ever heard the somewhat cliched stories of 1. cuts 2. gets found out 3. calls parents into school. This is how all the cases I've read about and witnessed have gone so it's interesting to see another side to it (apologies for over-using the word "interesting" - it's an addiction it seems).
Reading all those entries actually made me feel a lot better about myself especially the part about signs and symptoms of depression. My doctors etc. have said I have depression but I never really believed them, thinking my illness wasn't a proper "thing" - I couldn't name it. I mean, I've started to believe it over the past few months, got over my denial or whatever it was but when I read your list there in sort of.. black and white it made me feel oddly comforted to know that I can relate and that it's actually a genuine thing and people aren't going to make fun of me for being weak.
The signs and symptoms distinction was definitely very helpful also for if I ever write something like that. Well, they say "write what you know" so maybe one day I'll write a character with depression - and now I'll be able to think "OK, so what are the signs people see as opposed to the symptoms my character feels?" IRL I'm always worrying about what people see in me and if they can tell if I'm ill etc. and I always go wayy OTT with it, thinking "OMG THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING - they're JUDGING me!!"
"Many mental illnesses involve a high degree of intelligence" - that just made me feel pretty good about myself. Many doctors have told me that in the past and I've been all "Psh! You're just trying to make me feel better - I'm STUPID. I can't even be normal. How is that intelligent?"
So yeah. Maybe my mental illness isn't one of those intelligent things but still.. maybe those doctors aren't the LIARS (albeit kind ones) I thought they were ;)
Phew! Sorry this is so incredibly long and contains so many unwarranted details about my life but uh... you helped me a lot and I wanted to thank you ^_^
P.S. I'm commenting on here because I don't have a blogger account - hope that's OK :)