More thoughts on the K/S writing experience
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| Title: | More thoughts on the K/S writing experience |
| Creator: | Shelley Butler |
| Date(s): | January 1997 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS, K/S |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | |
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More thoughts on the K/S writing experience is a 1997 Star Trek essay by Shelley Butler.
It was printed in The K/S Press #5.
Some Topics Discussed
- K/S fiction is a genre unto its own, and is specifically tailored to its fans
- telling a good story with emotion is more important than perfect prose and punctuation
- comments on the purpose of critique and feedback
- encouraging new writers to create
- wanting to read K/S until she is very old
From the Essay
More thoughts on the K/S writing experience — perhaps that says it all. It's the K/S writing experience. Not the professional, not even the amateur. It's K/S. That means it's a specialized style or type just for us. It's not even "romance" writing. And don't mistake what I'm saying. The fact that K/S writing is meant just for us does not mean that it is inferior or any less well-written than other forms of writing. I think it means that certain criteria have to be met. First and foremost, the writing must touch us emotionally. And even though each of us has our favorite emotional spot to be touched, we all know what it is when we feel it.
So to sum it all up, at least in my way of thinking—point-of-view be damned. And omniscient narrator be damned. And punctuation be damned. And all writing rules be damned. Just gimme lots of emotion, sex and plenty of eye contact and I'll be a happy camper!
Without confusing the issue, a K/S story is always better when well-written, of course. But there have been many times when I've read one line in a poorly written story — just one beautiful perfect line — and the entire story came alive for me.
Please, please — to all budding or near-budding K/S writers out there — we want your stories! You can do it. I can only relate my personal experience with this writing thing — I didn't know a POV from a POW when I wrote my first stories. I thought the best things in them were "towering jade pole of desire" and "engorged shaft" which gave my husband an endless source of amusement and teasing. And I thought that I was the only one who had ever thought of the scenario of Kirk going to the Shore Leave planet and conjuring up a Spock. And I felt like I'd won the Hugo Award or something when I had a story published [in a zine] (actually I still do — it's such a thrill that I hope I never lose).
But I did it. And even though like I've said before, I would prefer all my earlier stories stay put in Mr. Atoz's vault, I'm so glad I started writing. The experience has been like nothing else. I get completely immersed in Kirk and Spock when I write, maybe more so than when I read a story. I learn so much and feel so accomplished when I've written just two pages, let alone an entire story.
I also realize that the prospect of LOCs and reviews of your story might seem scary. All I can say is don't worry about it. Regardless of what any of us think of your story — (excuse the French) — fuck 'em. Myself included! There will always be someone who hates it when Spock dominates Kirk and that happens to be your favorite thing! All of us have and are going through the "what will so-and-so think of this?" in our heads as we write. Well, fuck 'em.
I urge you to try writing a story. Not to discount real talent or extraordinary writing ability which of course some do have, but we've all started the same way.... I, too, want to be a 90 year old woman still reading K/S! But we won't be that if more of us don't write the K/S for our frail little 90 year old bespectacled eyes to read!