Fanfic Meme - Days 6 to 30
A bit of housekeeping before I move on. I started this damn thing in July and never finished it so before I move on I'll answer the rest. I'm shifting gears a bit fandom wise, my Lambliff big bang fic is finished, and it looks like I'll be writing hockey RPS for the forseeable future so without further adieu, the Fanfic Meme.
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I'm in it for the male characters. If there's a female character thrown in it's usually an ex-wife or girlfriend that doesn't have a lot to do except move the story along.
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Hmmmm, I've had fic I loved so much it made the characters my OTP for YEARS. See previous post as an example as well as Tennesse by Cimerene which got me onto Orli/Viggo forever. OMG, and the zombie apocolyse fic that got me shipping Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff.
Other than that, I generally read fics involving characters I like. If it's someone I don't like or who I don't think are hot together I won't even go there. I need a rec to try something new.
8 - Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
I've written a few OC's but never as main characters. I stick with my OTP's as a rule and I don't write a lot anyway. Having said that, I've read fic with OC's who are absolutely amazing and make me fall in love with them. Thinking of Michael in Tessa's The Way We are in the Lotrips fandom.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
In Lotrps I wrote only Orli/Viggo, in Adam Lambert only Adam/Tommy, and now in hockey rps it looks like I'll be writing a big old Crosby/Ovechkin. I'm not enough of a writer to dabble in any alternate pairings in my current fandom.
10 - Pairings - Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Again, I'm not enough of a writer to try it although I can see it being a really exercise in characterization etc. I just write about the OTP I am currently day dreaming about. They are my muses and when I get bored with them I go on to the next.
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
I guess I'd have to say AU's. I've written a few sci fi type AU's. And also I like future fic's, thinking about the characters in a few years time and where they've found themselves.
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Yes. My LBB this year is sort of a Road Warrior story though it does stray from the source material.
13 - Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Definitely with reading fanfic. Void, by Wax Jism, made we actually watch The Faculty. A gifted writer can completely transcend the source material.
For writing I'd have to say......maybe fanon. Although Adam/Tommy practically wrote themselves, bless them. I read a lot of fic and don't follow the fandoms as closely as many peeps do so I probably rely on fanon a lot for my writing.
14 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
I'll write a NC-17. It felt a little weird at first but it's gotten easier. Sometimes I write it and think, this isn't really going anywhere, and take it out except for a brief mention. I get bored with the mechanics if there isn't something emotional going on in the background.
15 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
I think the most important things to warn for are the ones that really polarize readers; things like non-con, rape, BDSM, deathfic. I for one don't want to read deathfic. It depresses me and I'm in fanfic for fun and entertainment. Oddest warning from me? Um, maybe het? Or mPreg.
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
I don't spend a lot of time on summary's, just briefly outline what it's about. I'm probably kind of indifferent to them.
17 - Titles - Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Again, I don't put a lot of thought into them. Something sort of appropriate usually pops into my head and I use it and then never give it another thought.
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Hmmm, probably reading other fics. I read quite a lot. And there are theme's that really appeal to me like missed opportunity, hurt comfort, being afraid to say what you feel, that pull me in. I kind of pull them all together and paste them on my latest OTP.
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
I generally only work on one story at a time and I'll daydream about it for days/weeks before I write anything. Usually it's almost fully formed by then and then I work away at the chapters and fill them out as I go along.
20 -Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Definitely. I loved that zombie appocolypse fic so much I kept thinking up more scenes for it and had to right and eventually post one of them. I think that's what's great about fanfic; we all inspire each other to do more. That's what eventually made me decide to try to write. I'd gotten so much enjoyment out of reading fics that I wanted to contribute something to the community.
21 - Sequels - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Not sure. I sometimes have the intention of writing more but haven't done it yet. I generally get attracted by the next shiny object before I get around to the sequels.
22 - Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Yup. Two big bangs. I loved having an artist to work with to put a visual to my fic. It adds another dimension. I really like Christmas fic exchanges too in a community. They are a lot of fun.
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Just LJ. Usually to a community but I've got a master list of my fic on my own journal. Haven't used an archive yet.
24 - Betaing - How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
I'm don't use a lot of beta's because I'm not really active in any of the communities and so don't have a lot to rely on. I definitely think more would be better and would LOVE to have more people to beta my stuff.
I had an amazing beta for my first LBB and she really helped me a lot! She was ruthless. Gave me really good critique and I think it helped the fics. Stuff like uncharacteristic or unrealistic behavior, poor character development etc.
25 - Music - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
No music or playlists. Everything is going on in my head. I like to think up stories while I drive. Quiet is good, but not necessary.
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
That would have to be the stuff about hermaphrodites for my mPreg.
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
I dream up stories while I'm driving and then I write them on my laptop where ever I am. Could be camping, at night watching TV, or at a pool on vacation.
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Artists for big bangs but that's it. I would be fun to write with someone else but again I'm not that closely tied to the communities to get into it.
29 - What is your current project or projects?
LBB ready to post, a Crosby/Ovechkin angstfest I've got sketched out, and a few sequels to my Adam/Tommy mPreg in mind.
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
I don't really have a favorite other than the one I'm immersed in at the time. Once they are posted I don't really go back to them or read them again. It's all about the now. They are all indexed on my LJ if anyone wants to read them.
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I'm in it for the male characters. If there's a female character thrown in it's usually an ex-wife or girlfriend that doesn't have a lot to do except move the story along.
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Hmmmm, I've had fic I loved so much it made the characters my OTP for YEARS. See previous post as an example as well as Tennesse by Cimerene which got me onto Orli/Viggo forever. OMG, and the zombie apocolyse fic that got me shipping Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff.
Other than that, I generally read fics involving characters I like. If it's someone I don't like or who I don't think are hot together I won't even go there. I need a rec to try something new.
8 - Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
I've written a few OC's but never as main characters. I stick with my OTP's as a rule and I don't write a lot anyway. Having said that, I've read fic with OC's who are absolutely amazing and make me fall in love with them. Thinking of Michael in Tessa's The Way We are in the Lotrips fandom.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
In Lotrps I wrote only Orli/Viggo, in Adam Lambert only Adam/Tommy, and now in hockey rps it looks like I'll be writing a big old Crosby/Ovechkin. I'm not enough of a writer to dabble in any alternate pairings in my current fandom.
10 - Pairings - Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Again, I'm not enough of a writer to try it although I can see it being a really exercise in characterization etc. I just write about the OTP I am currently day dreaming about. They are my muses and when I get bored with them I go on to the next.
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
I guess I'd have to say AU's. I've written a few sci fi type AU's. And also I like future fic's, thinking about the characters in a few years time and where they've found themselves.
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Yes. My LBB this year is sort of a Road Warrior story though it does stray from the source material.
13 - Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Definitely with reading fanfic. Void, by Wax Jism, made we actually watch The Faculty. A gifted writer can completely transcend the source material.
For writing I'd have to say......maybe fanon. Although Adam/Tommy practically wrote themselves, bless them. I read a lot of fic and don't follow the fandoms as closely as many peeps do so I probably rely on fanon a lot for my writing.
14 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
I'll write a NC-17. It felt a little weird at first but it's gotten easier. Sometimes I write it and think, this isn't really going anywhere, and take it out except for a brief mention. I get bored with the mechanics if there isn't something emotional going on in the background.
15 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
I think the most important things to warn for are the ones that really polarize readers; things like non-con, rape, BDSM, deathfic. I for one don't want to read deathfic. It depresses me and I'm in fanfic for fun and entertainment. Oddest warning from me? Um, maybe het? Or mPreg.
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
I don't spend a lot of time on summary's, just briefly outline what it's about. I'm probably kind of indifferent to them.
17 - Titles - Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Again, I don't put a lot of thought into them. Something sort of appropriate usually pops into my head and I use it and then never give it another thought.
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Hmmm, probably reading other fics. I read quite a lot. And there are theme's that really appeal to me like missed opportunity, hurt comfort, being afraid to say what you feel, that pull me in. I kind of pull them all together and paste them on my latest OTP.
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
I generally only work on one story at a time and I'll daydream about it for days/weeks before I write anything. Usually it's almost fully formed by then and then I work away at the chapters and fill them out as I go along.
20 -Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Definitely. I loved that zombie appocolypse fic so much I kept thinking up more scenes for it and had to right and eventually post one of them. I think that's what's great about fanfic; we all inspire each other to do more. That's what eventually made me decide to try to write. I'd gotten so much enjoyment out of reading fics that I wanted to contribute something to the community.
21 - Sequels - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Not sure. I sometimes have the intention of writing more but haven't done it yet. I generally get attracted by the next shiny object before I get around to the sequels.
22 - Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Yup. Two big bangs. I loved having an artist to work with to put a visual to my fic. It adds another dimension. I really like Christmas fic exchanges too in a community. They are a lot of fun.
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Just LJ. Usually to a community but I've got a master list of my fic on my own journal. Haven't used an archive yet.
24 - Betaing - How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
I'm don't use a lot of beta's because I'm not really active in any of the communities and so don't have a lot to rely on. I definitely think more would be better and would LOVE to have more people to beta my stuff.
I had an amazing beta for my first LBB and she really helped me a lot! She was ruthless. Gave me really good critique and I think it helped the fics. Stuff like uncharacteristic or unrealistic behavior, poor character development etc.
25 - Music - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
No music or playlists. Everything is going on in my head. I like to think up stories while I drive. Quiet is good, but not necessary.
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
That would have to be the stuff about hermaphrodites for my mPreg.
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
I dream up stories while I'm driving and then I write them on my laptop where ever I am. Could be camping, at night watching TV, or at a pool on vacation.
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Artists for big bangs but that's it. I would be fun to write with someone else but again I'm not that closely tied to the communities to get into it.
29 - What is your current project or projects?
LBB ready to post, a Crosby/Ovechkin angstfest I've got sketched out, and a few sequels to my Adam/Tommy mPreg in mind.
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
I don't really have a favorite other than the one I'm immersed in at the time. Once they are posted I don't really go back to them or read them again. It's all about the now. They are all indexed on my LJ if anyone wants to read them.