meta | fic: writing multiple, varying "takes" on the same characters and events

[expositionary]

1 School starts again for me on the fifth; I'm wasting the remainder of my summer by reading a lot of fic and writing a lot of horrible original fiction and fic. This week I'm doing a bit of volunteering -- the type you actually have to wake up early for -- so that should get me sorted on a regular sleep schedule again. Hopefully. Judging from the

Comments

[dropsofviolet]

1. Have there ever been certain fics that establish a "this is whathappened" feeling in your mind?

On occasion I really hit these, and look for them in fic, but not when writing. I make myself ignore them, or I'll copy another writer's canon, and that's a no-no...

2. Does this personal canon influence what you can/can't acceptas "believable" when you're reading a fic that doesn't comply?

Occasionally it really hits me in the face, but not always.

Questions for Writers
1. Have you ever found certain ideas/plotlines/themes "bleeding over" from fic to fic, if you write often about a certain character/set of characters?

Yep, especially when I'm first establishing myself with these characters.

2. How do you deal with this? If something (i.e. a get-together, a death, a separation) happens a certain way in your mind, and you write it, how can you write another story in which it happens differently?

You know, when I read the question, I thought no. And then I thought about my 30_lessons submissions, and realized that my characters got together

[expositionary]

Thanks for answering the questions -- it's always interesting to see what runs through another writer's mind.

I make myself ignore them, or I'll copy another writer's canon, and that's a no-no...

Is that always a negative thing, though? One of the things that fascinates me about fandom is the "fanon" aspect -- the entire collection of little non-canon ideas, details, and character traits that seem to stick around just because everyone begins to believe them, for one reason or another. If you're referring to entire plot sequences/specific events, though, I can see what you mean, and I avoid doing that myself. :)

[dropsofviolet]

I'm fond of fanon as well, but sometimes someone comes up with something totally unique that I love to death. For example, a friend of mine is writing Cardcaptor Sakura/Harry Potter crossovers, using Clow as the catalyst, since he's a wizard who was alive for a very long time. I've seen this before, but this is the first time I've heard of Clow being a Slytherin at Hogwarts, and it fits his character very well! If I were to write a HP/CCS fic featuring Clow, I would want him to be a Slytherin, but I would feel as though I would have to credit for the brilliant idea. I hope this makes sense, as I doubt you are active in my fandoms and you have no idea who Clow is... ^^

[expositionary]

Actually, I DO -- I have an anime-obsessed friend, and CCS was her first fandom. So, naturally, I heard a lot about that. xD Of course, I'm still sort of clueless and just think that the drawings are rather pretty...

[sodzilla]

1. Have you ever found certain ideas/plotlines/themes "bleeding over" from fic to fic, if you write often about a certain character/set of characters?

Absolutely. In every new fandom I tend to create a database (sometimes literally) of details about the various characters. Much of it I might never use in fic, but it's helpful in characterization nonetheless.

2. How do you deal with this? If something (i.e. a get-together, a death, a separation) happens a certain way in your mind, and you write it, how can you write another story in which it happens differently?

By characterizing it as an AU of my own personal canon, which as I mentioned above is waaay bigger than the real one in most cases.

3. When you write fic, what do you go for? The "snapshot" idea (i.e. focusing on a certain theme, character trait, ship, and developing it) or the "entire life" idea (i.e. long fics, or a series of cohesive short fics, developing an entire character)?A bit of both. I've never actually written a whole novel-sized fic, but I'd love to... and

[expositionary]

In every new fandom I tend to create a database

I admire you. I admire you SO MUCH. :D I've always wanted to do something along those lines, but usually I only end up with a few scattered notes on loose-leaf before I give up -- not enough dedication on my part. Which universes have you created these "databases" for, I'm curious to know?

By characterizing it as an AU of my own personal canon, which as I mentioned above is waaay bigger than the real one in most cases.

That's an interesting way to look at it -- I'll try it in the future, might work. Do you write stories mostly in your personal canon, then, and only occasionally dip into those AU stories?

[ravenna_c_tan]

I write original fiction (which I publish under other names) and HP fanfic. I was very drawn to your questions because my theory of fiction writing is that tehre is not one single possible outcome for a character or story. There is not just "one true right" version of events, which means that when I write a book or a story involving my own characters I have at least a modicum of influence over what happens. Sometimes they get out of control or drag things in a direction I didn't expect, but when that happens I take it as a sign that there is more to explore that my subconscious hadn't dredged up yet. It does mean that when an editor says "the pace is too slow here" or "the ending didn't quite bring it all together" or whatever, that I have the flexibility to go back to the piece and work on it, tweak it, find hidden motivations for the characters, etc... I am not shattering the perfect construction of my story by doing so. I am applying my craft and my imagination to form the materials into a cohesive whole that fits within a realm

[expositionary]

Ooh, thanks so much for this; I was hoping that someone would answer from the perspective of writing original fiction, and this was really interesting to read.

I think that, in terms of plotting, I can bring the alternate-universe theory to bear on what I'm writing, but only until the plot is established. After it's written and finished (I suppose for you that would mean "published"?), that's when I can't touch it any longer. The way you're able to to treat it as something flexible, though -- I admire you. xD

I try to find plots that fit into a small enough piece that people will read them, but that are meaty enough that they have some room to show character development and change.

This is one of the bits I find most difficult when writing fic, actually. When I write, I tend to be -- not able to stop. As in, I need to tell the whole story, not just what feels like a snippet of it, or I don't feel like I'm getting enough character development. And then I end up with these looong fics that will take me forever to finish and that no

[ravenna_c_tan]

This is one of the bits I find most difficult when writing fic, actually. When I write, I tend to be -- not able to stop. As in, I need to tell the whole story, not just what feels like a snippet of it, or I don't feel like I'm getting enough character development. And then I end up with these looong fics that will take me forever to finish and that no one will read because the word count will scare them away. ;)Hey, if really long fics are what you like to write, they float your boat and make you happy, then I say, why hold back? But there is some satisfaction to be had in learning to shape what you show to the reader, so that you give a limited view which stands as a whole, but implies a whole lot more. Just as a painter only has so much canvas and has to decide where the frame goes, or the photographer developes the eye to decide what to capture on film and what to ignore, it's a nice talent to develop in writing, to be able to frame the piece of writing for the audience and craft just that piece to knock their socks off. (And then

[my_daroga]

Toddled on over here from metafandomWhile I'm not active in the reading/writing of Harry Potter, I can say that fic in my own little fandom corner generally follows one of two paths: it expands on something (thematically, character-driven) that I've done before, so there's a thread of consistency not in the fic itself but in my development; or I'm reacting *against* something in fandom or fic. Some fic reveals the years (literally) I've been living with these characters, and some reveals my anger at another interpretation/neglected aspect

[expositionary]

Oh, no worries, that's a fascinating question. :D

How can the brain not only not explode from these paradoxes, but how can we also believe them all simultaneously in concert with the original?

Honestly? I have no idea how people can keep a handful of universes that are very, very different straight in their minds. Even with two separations -- major "fanon" ideas and the canon facts -- I find that they bleed over into each other; I have to double-check all of what I think is canon just to make sure that my mind isn't playing tricks on me. So I don't think I'm much help in answering that question.

At the same time, my approach to fic and canon materials is more "filling in the blanks". I tend to read/write/be interested in stories about what happened to a certain character during a time of "lost years", where it's really ambiguous what went on. That way one can create a storyline of his/her own while still allowing it to fit into canon

[javajunkie13]

Here via metafandom.

As a reader only a few small pieces of my personal canon influences what fic I read (I have trouble getting through fics where Peter is ignored or treated as less important to the other three, especially in their school years, and I tend to like my Lily and Sirius to be friends). But with bigger character events, such as how exactly The Prank happened or how Remus and Sirius got together, I can read any number of fics about them and not feel that it's interfering with my personal canon. (Although, oddly enough, it definitely affects my reading of the books as there have been a few times while re-reading that I've had to stop and remind myself that some of my own personal canon picked up from reading/writing fics is not real book canon

[expositionary]

God, I'm sorry for getting back to this so late. School started, and you can imagine what that meant for my online time.

I've had to stop and remind myself that some of my own personal canon picked up from reading/writing fics is not real book canon

Ah, I have to do that all the time. It's not so horrible when it's the Trio era, for me, because I read mostly in the MWPP times -- but whenever that era's mentioned in canon, I have a huge amount of trouble sorting through what's canon and what's not. I don't understand how anyone can keep it sorted out, really -- because my brain synthesises it all as one body of knowledge, no separation.

'snapshot' fics, which I enjoy working on more because I don't have to worry about an arc of developmentIt is easier to concentrate on those snapshot fics, though, isn't it? Whenever I work on longer pieces I tend to get "lost" somewhere along the way, and what I wanted to say... never ends up getting said, because I have to worry about all of those other elements

[javajunkie13]

No worries. :) School takes up far too much time, somebody needs to inform them all about the Importance of Fandom in Our Lives. ;D

I always get lost with longer fics as well. And then I usually have trouble finishing them because I get frustrated that the story I wanted to tell just isn't getting across because of all the other things that have come up along the way.

Oh, thanks for the rec, I'll definitely check it out. :D