Overtaken by events

[Cacatua_Galerita]

I had a story that was almost overtaken by real-world events. I even stopped writing to wait and see what happened to my top-boss antagonist. So, I’m tempted to jump on this segue and ride it like a stolen Segway, but I already did that in a previous thread.

Writing historic fiction is more insulated from current events, but not entirely so. Imagine all those prehistoric pulp fiction and comic strip authors from the 1920’s ~ 1960’s when some uppity anthropologist told everyone “Well, actually, we now know that dinosaurs and humans never…”

 

[Katie_Mae]

While working on the shorter of the two novels tonight, I thought of a better plot device that only requires throwing away a couple of pages (from the novelette). And it gives a better mood for the ending.

Plus, I was more productive than I expected, and now the novel is only one chapter from its conclusion (again, in first draft).


--Annie

I have a story set in the near future. (ok, 2069... because 69 is the sex number. lol)

Since starting it, a building I used for reference (It's an illustrated story) was demolished, a policy about national identity cards has changed (the old policy features in the plot of the story) and Lit changed it's rules on illustrated stories, meaning the illustrations of naked adults having lots of fun, glorious sex, which used to meet the site's guidelines, no longer do.

The first two issues weren't really significant until the third happened, and for some reason when the third happened I got into a bit of a funk about the first two. "I took so long to write this they demolished the freaking building part of it is set in!" type of funk. Like you, annoyance, but no catastrophe.

But then I drew a funny, silly picture and got over it. The first two issues are not large at all and easy to rewrite. Besides, stories are just as much a product of when they're written as when they're set.

I no longer intend on posting the illustrated story here (because of the third issue), but when I got out of the funk I did see the story in a new light and saw changes that I could make which would improve it.

I sympathise with your feelings from your first post and am glad you've found a way round it. Sometimes getting in a bit of a funk about something and working on something else gives your subconscious time to work away at it.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

On a totally different topic: this could lead to stories.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/29/s...addresses-and-exposing-accounts-to-takeovers/

Apparently you can easily take over someone's account that controls their app-managed sex toys.

--Annie