Fanfic author meme!
A rambly fanfic author meme:
1. How about a brief introduction of yourself?
Intro, you say? Well, I'm Riikka, 22 years old, an university student/movie geek/lazyass/cat-owner. Yeah. I get easily excited but also, if I don't want to do something, I'm very good at procrastinating.
2. Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?
Uh, I'm not even sure anymore! It was such a long time ago... Um. I read fanfics occasionally before but LOST and Charlie/Claire was the first fandom/pairing that got me into active search of fics. When my sis got me into Japanese rock and pop, I slowly started to read NEWS fics. Then I found jrockyaoi and aliceinloveland, and ever since, I've been an eager reader. Writing came into the pictures around year later. I've always liked writing and somehow using "pre-made" characters made writing so much easier.
3. I see, so what kind of fanfiction do you like to write?
M/M, mostly, although lately I'v been getting into het too. A mixture of romance/fluff/drama is my favourite recipe but I can go from angst to humor, if I get a good plotbunny.
4. Do you write the same pairings/characters? Or are you a fandom whore?
I have to admit that it's quite rare that I get out of my comfort zone. Tora, Saga, Isshi, Nao, those are my favourites. Lately I've tried expansing my list of characters a bit.
5. What is your most popular fanfic and why do you think people like it so?
I don't know, I don't keep statistics of such things :D Hmm, Baby Makes Three has gotten a lot of comments, as well as some of the Kagrra, oneshots. BMT is absolutely silly and fluffy, and I guess people like their escapism that way in our fandom. And when it comes to Kagrra,, there aren't many writers to begin with, even less for Isshi/Nao, so maybe people are happy to see something show up?
6. Forget other people, what is the fanfic you’ve written that you’re most proud of?
Maa-a... I like Tokyo Dumplings a lot, even though it's still unfinished. The story is my best so far I think. I also like some of my short drabbles and ficlets, like I KNOW and Loved -I like writing plotless musings.Killing is also special to me because it's one of my first het one-shots.
7. Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the most difficult aspects of writing you struggle with?
Writing is easy when it's easy and it's hard when it's hard. I don't write when it's hard, unless it's been like half a year since the last update. Then I sit down and force something out of me, so that I will not give up on writing completely. Those stories are usually quite bad but it normally helps with the writer's block. Sometimes I have tens and tens of ideas and time to execute them, which is nice.
8. Write a few sentences or so of your favourite pairing or character.
I'm most known for my Tora/Saga stuff so maybe I choose them for this question. It's also my oldest Jrock OTP and the only one of the first ones that is still... well, my OTP XD (f.ex. with Kagrra,, I started off pairing Nao/Izumi.) With them, it's the very basic attraction of opposites: dark/blond, shadows/light, gloomy/cheerful. They're sexy in a grown-up, manly way, and they're equal in strength which is something I don't see happening with the other A9 pairings. Also, in reality, the guys are SUCH DORKS WTF♥ that it's possible to write anything with them, even the crackiest of crack, and make it credible, because wtf, one word: Mokkori!! 8D
So, shortly, they're versatile, which I like, but also steaming hot, so what's there not to like? :D
9. Are there any fanfiction trends/clichés you can’t stand or are just sick of?
Complete OOC-ness. I don't like it when adult, grown up men are described crying and weeping in their heartache. Angst and drama is good but when the guys are 30+ old, people should try to bring the angst into the story in other, less explicit ways than making them cry their eyes out. Woobifying=takes credibility from the writing. 30+ years old men work differently than 15 years old girls!
AAALSO, prostitution fics are so often so horribly cliché.
And, sometimes I read fics that could be about anyone; I could replace the character names with other names, and the story would stay exactly the same -generic, neutral. I like it when writers add personal details that distinguish the characters from the others and... You know, like, if you covered the names with black boxes, I could still tell who the writer is writing about.
10. Are you guilty of any of the fanfiction trends/clichés you now hate? Or are there any other ones?
I'm trying to avoid the above-mentioned things with my best ability. However, I know I repeat certain words and phrases a lot, and sometimes I feel my Kagrra, fics are very similar to each other -Nao goofs up and Isshi follows and fixes things. I'd like to bring more variety into my writing as well.
11. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Do you still like/participate in it?
Gazette. And no, I haven't written anything with them at least in the last year or two. I lost interest in their music and their gloomy PR image and drifted out of the fandom.
12. Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.
Tora/Saga -They're my pick when I want to write epic romantic/sad romance, or quiet, warm attraction. I've written them the most, so I feel the most comfortable with them, and these days, when I get an idea for a T/S fic, the characters began living their own lives. It's fascinating. I can tell immediatelly if I've written a line that doesn't fit the images I have of them. As a pairing, they aren't... noisy/overly flashy, you know? It's easy to write epic love story with them in a silently realistic way.
Isshi/Nao -my comedy duo! They fit perfectly together because although Isshi is the nerdiest nerd everrr, he's also the voice of reason that keeps Nao in control. Nao is such a lovable, accident-prone, selfishly stubborn, idiotically proud and cheerful mess of a person, it's so much fun to work with him and his love worries.
Tora/Hiko, Saga/Rei, Kiyoharu/Ayu -these are my het pairings. A9xDanger Gang pairings are something me and my sister enjoy. Kiyoharu/Ayu originates from the ep of AYUready where Kiyo was as a guest. Girls do girly stuff, girls work like girls, and not all the plots can be executed with M/M -so, sometimes it's fun to explore the dilemmas and chemistries of a M/F relationship.
Tora has said in an interview that he'd like a girl he could protect -well, Hiko doesn't quite fit into that category but somehow, I can see Tora appreciating Hiko's independency. And Saga, oh, he just seems like a guy who would pick an extremely cute girl like Rei and play family with her :D
13. What would you call your writing “style”?
Lingering. Lazy
14. Do you read other people’s fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?
I read Alice Nine, Kagrra, MUCC and Kiyoharu, some occasional SCREW, and PSC crossovers. If there's a Isshi/Nao, I'm definitely going to read it, no matter what the plot is. With the other bands, I'm quite picky. The summary's grammar has to be above decent because if the summary has bad grammar, the story itself will likely have as well, and that doesn't sound very tempting. Also, NO mpreg for me. I'm not big on fantasy either, although there are expections to every rule. AU in general is a guilty-pleasure of mine.
I like realistic romance the most, and smart/wicked comedy the second best.
15. Name one thing you’d love to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do.
I've been wanting to write action/crime/murder for some time now, and a week ago I finally felt I could possibly pull it off. I don't really write smut because heck, I would suck at it. It's so hard to write sex and make it sound passionate and SEXY instead of lulzy and cliché, thus it's probably better not to try.
16. Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego?
I love concrit. 1)I know there's a lot to improve, so I'm always ready to discuss the weak points of my writing, and 2)I'm ESL, so my knowledge of English grammar ain't perfect. However, I don't accept plain stupid comments -homophobia, for example, or someone asking me to write my stories with different pairings. I want the concrit to have some ground under them, and just posting something like, "This sucks", "the others write the pairing better", or "wth is this pairing" makes me bang my head against the wall. Also, I'm a little irritated at simple comments like "LOL" and nothing else. It gives the impression you're laughing AT the writing, not at the incidents IN the writing.
17. When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?
Music. Must!
18. What inspires you?
Music, movies, discussions with friends, good fanvids/fan art and hot photoshoots. Also, blog entries and video comments are good sources for ideas.
19. Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?
I'm impatient, and tend to have too many projects going on at once. I've gotten lots of wonderful and insightful comments, which is amazing and encouraging. Also, I've had some great discussions on characterization etc, of which I'm grateful. I haven't gotten comments from any truly obnoxious jerks, so that's something to be thankful about too. Also, it gives a nice feeling when I've posted something experimental and a few people comment anyway.
My sister's support has been a big thing that has made me continue. She's a harsh-mouthed biatch who will surely say if something sucks, and I appreciate her comments and remarks.
20. Tag some friends, because they’ll hate you for it.
Nah. But if someone wants, feel free to grab :)
Now I could (and should) actually write some fanfiction instead of writing about writing fanfiction 8D;;
My speech went well today! I fumbled a bit with my words BUT I didn't need to look at my cue cards, which was superb. Yeah. I hope Juha will find this news fantastic too because I would like to have some ice cream and there is none in our freezer. I'm quite sure he doesn't appreciate getting me some after getting from work -which would be around 10pm, hehe.
1. How about a brief introduction of yourself?
Intro, you say? Well, I'm Riikka, 22 years old, an university student/movie geek/lazyass/cat-owner. Yeah. I get easily excited but also, if I don't want to do something, I'm very good at procrastinating.
2. Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?
Uh, I'm not even sure anymore! It was such a long time ago... Um. I read fanfics occasionally before but LOST and Charlie/Claire was the first fandom/pairing that got me into active search of fics. When my sis got me into Japanese rock and pop, I slowly started to read NEWS fics. Then I found jrockyaoi and aliceinloveland, and ever since, I've been an eager reader. Writing came into the pictures around year later. I've always liked writing and somehow using "pre-made" characters made writing so much easier.
3. I see, so what kind of fanfiction do you like to write?
M/M, mostly, although lately I'v been getting into het too. A mixture of romance/fluff/drama is my favourite recipe but I can go from angst to humor, if I get a good plotbunny.
4. Do you write the same pairings/characters? Or are you a fandom whore?
I have to admit that it's quite rare that I get out of my comfort zone. Tora, Saga, Isshi, Nao, those are my favourites. Lately I've tried expansing my list of characters a bit.
5. What is your most popular fanfic and why do you think people like it so?
I don't know, I don't keep statistics of such things :D Hmm, Baby Makes Three has gotten a lot of comments, as well as some of the Kagrra, oneshots. BMT is absolutely silly and fluffy, and I guess people like their escapism that way in our fandom. And when it comes to Kagrra,, there aren't many writers to begin with, even less for Isshi/Nao, so maybe people are happy to see something show up?
6. Forget other people, what is the fanfic you’ve written that you’re most proud of?
Maa-a... I like Tokyo Dumplings a lot, even though it's still unfinished. The story is my best so far I think. I also like some of my short drabbles and ficlets, like I KNOW and Loved -I like writing plotless musings.Killing is also special to me because it's one of my first het one-shots.
7. Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the most difficult aspects of writing you struggle with?
Writing is easy when it's easy and it's hard when it's hard. I don't write when it's hard, unless it's been like half a year since the last update. Then I sit down and force something out of me, so that I will not give up on writing completely. Those stories are usually quite bad but it normally helps with the writer's block. Sometimes I have tens and tens of ideas and time to execute them, which is nice.
8. Write a few sentences or so of your favourite pairing or character.
I'm most known for my Tora/Saga stuff so maybe I choose them for this question. It's also my oldest Jrock OTP and the only one of the first ones that is still... well, my OTP XD (f.ex. with Kagrra,, I started off pairing Nao/Izumi.) With them, it's the very basic attraction of opposites: dark/blond, shadows/light, gloomy/cheerful. They're sexy in a grown-up, manly way, and they're equal in strength which is something I don't see happening with the other A9 pairings. Also, in reality, the guys are SUCH DORKS WTF♥ that it's possible to write anything with them, even the crackiest of crack, and make it credible, because wtf, one word: Mokkori!! 8D
So, shortly, they're versatile, which I like, but also steaming hot, so what's there not to like? :D
9. Are there any fanfiction trends/clichés you can’t stand or are just sick of?
Complete OOC-ness. I don't like it when adult, grown up men are described crying and weeping in their heartache. Angst and drama is good but when the guys are 30+ old, people should try to bring the angst into the story in other, less explicit ways than making them cry their eyes out. Woobifying=takes credibility from the writing. 30+ years old men work differently than 15 years old girls!
AAALSO, prostitution fics are so often so horribly cliché.
And, sometimes I read fics that could be about anyone; I could replace the character names with other names, and the story would stay exactly the same -generic, neutral. I like it when writers add personal details that distinguish the characters from the others and... You know, like, if you covered the names with black boxes, I could still tell who the writer is writing about.
10. Are you guilty of any of the fanfiction trends/clichés you now hate? Or are there any other ones?
I'm trying to avoid the above-mentioned things with my best ability. However, I know I repeat certain words and phrases a lot, and sometimes I feel my Kagrra, fics are very similar to each other -Nao goofs up and Isshi follows and fixes things. I'd like to bring more variety into my writing as well.
11. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Do you still like/participate in it?
Gazette. And no, I haven't written anything with them at least in the last year or two. I lost interest in their music and their gloomy PR image and drifted out of the fandom.
12. Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.
Tora/Saga -They're my pick when I want to write epic romantic/sad romance, or quiet, warm attraction. I've written them the most, so I feel the most comfortable with them, and these days, when I get an idea for a T/S fic, the characters began living their own lives. It's fascinating. I can tell immediatelly if I've written a line that doesn't fit the images I have of them. As a pairing, they aren't... noisy/overly flashy, you know? It's easy to write epic love story with them in a silently realistic way.
Isshi/Nao -my comedy duo! They fit perfectly together because although Isshi is the nerdiest nerd everrr, he's also the voice of reason that keeps Nao in control. Nao is such a lovable, accident-prone, selfishly stubborn, idiotically proud and cheerful mess of a person, it's so much fun to work with him and his love worries.
Tora/Hiko, Saga/Rei, Kiyoharu/Ayu -these are my het pairings. A9xDanger Gang pairings are something me and my sister enjoy. Kiyoharu/Ayu originates from the ep of AYUready where Kiyo was as a guest. Girls do girly stuff, girls work like girls, and not all the plots can be executed with M/M -so, sometimes it's fun to explore the dilemmas and chemistries of a M/F relationship.
Tora has said in an interview that he'd like a girl he could protect -well, Hiko doesn't quite fit into that category but somehow, I can see Tora appreciating Hiko's independency. And Saga, oh, he just seems like a guy who would pick an extremely cute girl like Rei and play family with her :D
13. What would you call your writing “style”?
Lingering. Lazy
14. Do you read other people’s fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?
I read Alice Nine, Kagrra, MUCC and Kiyoharu, some occasional SCREW, and PSC crossovers. If there's a Isshi/Nao, I'm definitely going to read it, no matter what the plot is. With the other bands, I'm quite picky. The summary's grammar has to be above decent because if the summary has bad grammar, the story itself will likely have as well, and that doesn't sound very tempting. Also, NO mpreg for me. I'm not big on fantasy either, although there are expections to every rule. AU in general is a guilty-pleasure of mine.
I like realistic romance the most, and smart/wicked comedy the second best.
15. Name one thing you’d love to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do.
I've been wanting to write action/crime/murder for some time now, and a week ago I finally felt I could possibly pull it off. I don't really write smut because heck, I would suck at it. It's so hard to write sex and make it sound passionate and SEXY instead of lulzy and cliché, thus it's probably better not to try.
16. Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego?
I love concrit. 1)I know there's a lot to improve, so I'm always ready to discuss the weak points of my writing, and 2)I'm ESL, so my knowledge of English grammar ain't perfect. However, I don't accept plain stupid comments -homophobia, for example, or someone asking me to write my stories with different pairings. I want the concrit to have some ground under them, and just posting something like, "This sucks", "the others write the pairing better", or "wth is this pairing" makes me bang my head against the wall. Also, I'm a little irritated at simple comments like "LOL" and nothing else. It gives the impression you're laughing AT the writing, not at the incidents IN the writing.
17. When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?
Music. Must!
18. What inspires you?
Music, movies, discussions with friends, good fanvids/fan art and hot photoshoots. Also, blog entries and video comments are good sources for ideas.
19. Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?
I'm impatient, and tend to have too many projects going on at once. I've gotten lots of wonderful and insightful comments, which is amazing and encouraging. Also, I've had some great discussions on characterization etc, of which I'm grateful. I haven't gotten comments from any truly obnoxious jerks, so that's something to be thankful about too. Also, it gives a nice feeling when I've posted something experimental and a few people comment anyway.
My sister's support has been a big thing that has made me continue. She's a harsh-mouthed biatch who will surely say if something sucks, and I appreciate her comments and remarks.
20. Tag some friends, because they’ll hate you for it.
Nah. But if someone wants, feel free to grab :)
Now I could (and should) actually write some fanfiction instead of writing about writing fanfiction 8D;;
My speech went well today! I fumbled a bit with my words BUT I didn't need to look at my cue cards, which was superb. Yeah. I hope Juha will find this news fantastic too because I would like to have some ice cream and there is none in our freezer. I'm quite sure he doesn't appreciate getting me some after getting from work -which would be around 10pm, hehe.