The Mys needs some fic advice, 'elp

[heavenlyxbodies]

I hate this. I've been working on the pauldron!fic and making headway even. And, well, since it was supposed to be for the Merlin BB I kinda want to complete it as such, though depending on what happens in the near future with the fic and with Arthur I may have to forego or get the art later, but that part is beside the point. The point is that 'm at 23k and only have two (I think) scenes left and both of those are partially done, so I really don't see how this is gonna hit the 30k mark. What I'm trying to decide is whether or not to fight it? I mean, I'm think this is gonna bottom out around 25-26k (which I think still qualifies as the longest thing 've ever written, my DCBB was 24k), which is kinda far from 30k, I mean, I usually write around 1-2k for a normal fic- yes I know Arthur and Merlin seem to be stretching that for me, but still. And I really don't think I could eke out another 5k for this. If it hits closer to 28k then yeah I might struggle for those last few words, but 25k...

So what 'm asking is should I let this end where it ends or should I keep pushing to hit 30k?


And on completely separate note if anyone involved is wondering, yes, I plan to get my ass back over to the merlin_land challenges before they die, it's just the pauldron!fic has come back to life after months of silence and I kinda wanna let the muses talk while their talking, and quite frankly I'm not sure I have enough words for both the pauldron!fic and the Discussion, but I will make an appearance, I promise.

Comments

push or let it be

[phnx-reader.livejournal.com]

Is the length required or requested/suggested?

I think I would let it be the length it wants to be; if the length is required and it's important to me to meet that requirement, I might try an alternate ending that meets the criteria.

An epilogue? A "10 years later ..." kind of thing?

Re: push or let it be

[heavenlyxbodies.livejournal.com]

There's a 30k word minimum for the Merlin BB, which I had to drop out of, so it's just a goal at this point.

My only trouble with epilogues are a) I suck at them, usually, and b) if I did an 'X years' later it'd be in an era of fandom I prefer to deny exists *fingers in ears* (I ignore any existence of the words King and Arthur in conjunction with each other... even if I've written the stray fic in that era)... of course there's also the chance that the last scene 'm working on will turn into a mini epilogue and having two epis is just kinda funny, lol.

[mialoco.livejournal.com]

Since you are no longer constrained by the rules of the BB, why don't you just let your muse(s) decide on how long it will be? I find it is always better to placate my muses than to box them in by rules. I don't generally like how they retaliate when they don't get to call the shots.

[heavenlyxbodies.livejournal.com]

Lol, they do get awfully bitchy when you push them and tend to run away or go lock themselves in their rooms and make out and snog and not let me watch. :( *pouts*

[thecheekydragon.livejournal.com]

Cheeky says let it be the way it is gonna be. Don't push it to 30k if you're happy with what you end up with, whether 25k or 28k. You're an awesome writer and so you know what feels right. Let the muse speak ♥

And we're holding the castle at ML so don't worry. But it's always better when you're there :)

[heavenlyxbodies.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm rather proud of myself for getting all 16 comments and the fridge magnets done last night... in the middle of the night, lol.

I can't decide, but right now I think 'm gonna do what comes, read over it for the hundredth time, probably delete a shitload and have a small breakdown then decide. *nods sagely*