It's A FanFiction Q&A
Stole this from waltzmatildah because I love meme's (I know, shocking, right?) and because I write more fanfiction than I probably should. ;)
Which is your favourite story?
It's hard to say. There are elements about all my stories that I like, just as there are elements in them all that I dislike. I always have a soft-spot for whatever I've most recently finished or posted. I guess if I absolutely had to choose, though, it would be Nothing to Worry About, a Vampire Diaries fic I wrote back in August-September. It's about the growth and development of Damon and Elena's friendship in Season 1, but from Jenna's point of view. This is the story I probably go back and read over the most. I'm just proud of the voice and the way I wrote Jenna. I like the idea behind it as well.
Which is your best-received story?
There are two. First, Chasing Butterflies, a Gossip Girl story I wrote way back in 2008. It's 12 chapters long and I wrote it in about two and a half weeks. I received more reviews for that story than I ever had before or have since. I think people really enjoyed the characters, which was awesome considering they were all original creations.
Second, is the aforementioned Nothing to Worry About. Not only do I love this story, but apparently other people do too. I still get regular reviews/comments/favourite alerts/etc, and I see it linked and mentioned in the most unexpected places. It's just really encouraging because it started out as such a random idea, and I just plugged away at it whenever I had some spare time and didn't feel like writing my novel. Readers have said they really enjoy seeing Damon and Elena's relationship from a point of view they normally wouldn't. Makes me pat my muse on the back. ;)
Which is your worst-received story?
Haha. Glee: Confessions. I wrote two stories around the confession theme, the first for Vampire Diaries, the second for Glee. Got a fair amount of feedback for the VD one, but I think only a handful of people read the other, and only one person commented. Yep. I was a little disappointed, because I really enjoy both of them, but what can you do? *shrugs*
Which is your angstiest story?
The one I'm writing now. No, seriously. There wasn't meant to be, but there's some serious angst in the air. It's for VD and not posted yet, obviously, and won't be until about February, because it's for vd_exchange. Authors are to remain secret until the big reveal. Look out for it, though, because it's a different kind of story than I usually write and I like where it's going.
Oh! And there's Cruel Reminders as well. I'd totally forgotten about that one. Haha. It's a Glee fic concerning Rachel's inability to fall pregnant and her irrational hate for Puck, Quinn and their baby.
Which is your funniest story?
Uhh...good question. Because humour really isn't my forte. Probably... Apples and Berry, a Glee fic about Puck buying apples for Quinn, who's craving them. It's totally random and I wrote it for story_lottery. The prompt was "souk", which made me think of Aladdin, which made me think of the apple Jasmine tries to steal. Yeah. I told you. Random.
Smuttiest?
None. Well, that is to say, I don't write smut. Ever. Because I can't. For reasons unknown, thinking about my characters engaging in sexual acts of any kind is akin to a parent thinking of their child doing the same. You know it happens, you just try to put it out of your mind. The closest I've come to smut is Silent Contemplation, a VD fic which definitely toes the sensual line.
Fluffiest?
Probably I Want You, the very first piece I ever wrote for Glee. It shows.
Have you ever made someone cry with a story?
All. The. Time. I regularly get reviews from people telling me I've made them cry. Ironically, it makes me smile, because it means I've done my job right. :)
Which story frustrates you the most?
Whichever one I'm currently writing. There are always problems to be overcome, and even after it's done and posted, whenever I go back and reread I always find things I'd change. Writing is an imperfect art in that there's always room for improvement.
Having said that, however, I've never been more consistantly frustrated by a piece of fanfiction that I was by Flying Sparks, the sequel to Chasing Butterflies. I think the idea was sound, but for some reason the characters just weren't right, and the story wasn't coming together. I always intended to finish it, but the frustration turned into a quiet hate, so I abandoned it and deleted it from where it was posted. I think it's fairly safe to say it will never be seen again.
Which story was the most fun to write?
I love the act of writing, so they're all fun in their own way. The most fun, though...probably Nothing to Worry About. I love Jenna's character, and I love her cheery outlook on life. Getting inside her head, watching her squirm as she watched Damon and Elena. Yeah, that was probably the most fun.
Who is your favourite OC you've ever created?
It's a toss up between Jack Humphrey and Mia Waldorf-Bass, both from Chasing Butterflies. Jack was definitely fan favourite, even though he did some things over the course of the story to anger a lot of readers. But he came through in the end. He was really easy for me to write as well, in that he stepped up and played the role I needed him to without any fuss. From the very beginning, I just knew Jack. I understood him. The same can be said for Mia. There was something about her that I just got. She had a lot of insecurities, though, which made writing her a challenge, and she was the POV character, so I guess I'd have to go with her.
Are you better at one-shot or multi-part?
For fanfiction, one-shot, a fact which continually baffles me; for original fiction, it's novels or nothing. LoL. I'm virtually incapable of writing original short stories. For fanfiction, though, I think it's because I love writing little "in-between" scenes. That is, scenes that might have happened, but were never shown. There's something about fitting my creation into the wider world of the story that gives me a thrill.
What character do you think you're the best at portraying?
I've heard from a lot of people that I'm good at getting Damon, from VD, right. I don't know how true this is, but I'm proud of how I've written Damon in the past, and how I'm writing him currently.
What character is the most difficult to portray?
Damon, again, because he's such a lesson in contradictions. He's dramatic, but subtle. He's sarcastic and violent, but vulnerable. He's a "self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities", but if he considers you a friend, he's loyal to a fault. He claims to need no one, but yearns for love himself. And, as if that weren't enough, he has a very distinct voice. Damon is the most complex character I've ever written fanfiction for, and I always think that I've missed the mark. Then everyone tells me I got him spot on, so I guess I'm just too hard on myself.
What story do you want to write, but you haven't (yet)?
I have numerous ideas and even already-written beginnings for fics. Just a heads up: they're all for Vampire Diaries. LoL. But they're there and ideally, I'd write them all, if I had nothing else that needed to be done. As it is, though, I'd like to write some of the more original ones, those being the ones I like the most (of course). Some of the others require some more thought before they're ready to even think about writing. But you'll definitely being seeing more from me.
My fanfiction masterlist can be viewed here. If you read anything, please let me know what you think. :)
----------------
Now playing: Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love
via FoxyTunes
Which is your favourite story?
It's hard to say. There are elements about all my stories that I like, just as there are elements in them all that I dislike. I always have a soft-spot for whatever I've most recently finished or posted. I guess if I absolutely had to choose, though, it would be Nothing to Worry About, a Vampire Diaries fic I wrote back in August-September. It's about the growth and development of Damon and Elena's friendship in Season 1, but from Jenna's point of view. This is the story I probably go back and read over the most. I'm just proud of the voice and the way I wrote Jenna. I like the idea behind it as well.
Which is your best-received story?
There are two. First, Chasing Butterflies, a Gossip Girl story I wrote way back in 2008. It's 12 chapters long and I wrote it in about two and a half weeks. I received more reviews for that story than I ever had before or have since. I think people really enjoyed the characters, which was awesome considering they were all original creations.
Second, is the aforementioned Nothing to Worry About. Not only do I love this story, but apparently other people do too. I still get regular reviews/comments/favourite alerts/etc, and I see it linked and mentioned in the most unexpected places. It's just really encouraging because it started out as such a random idea, and I just plugged away at it whenever I had some spare time and didn't feel like writing my novel. Readers have said they really enjoy seeing Damon and Elena's relationship from a point of view they normally wouldn't. Makes me pat my muse on the back. ;)
Which is your worst-received story?
Haha. Glee: Confessions. I wrote two stories around the confession theme, the first for Vampire Diaries, the second for Glee. Got a fair amount of feedback for the VD one, but I think only a handful of people read the other, and only one person commented. Yep. I was a little disappointed, because I really enjoy both of them, but what can you do? *shrugs*
Which is your angstiest story?
The one I'm writing now. No, seriously. There wasn't meant to be, but there's some serious angst in the air. It's for VD and not posted yet, obviously, and won't be until about February, because it's for vd_exchange. Authors are to remain secret until the big reveal. Look out for it, though, because it's a different kind of story than I usually write and I like where it's going.
Oh! And there's Cruel Reminders as well. I'd totally forgotten about that one. Haha. It's a Glee fic concerning Rachel's inability to fall pregnant and her irrational hate for Puck, Quinn and their baby.
Which is your funniest story?
Uhh...good question. Because humour really isn't my forte. Probably... Apples and Berry, a Glee fic about Puck buying apples for Quinn, who's craving them. It's totally random and I wrote it for story_lottery. The prompt was "souk", which made me think of Aladdin, which made me think of the apple Jasmine tries to steal. Yeah. I told you. Random.
Smuttiest?
None. Well, that is to say, I don't write smut. Ever. Because I can't. For reasons unknown, thinking about my characters engaging in sexual acts of any kind is akin to a parent thinking of their child doing the same. You know it happens, you just try to put it out of your mind. The closest I've come to smut is Silent Contemplation, a VD fic which definitely toes the sensual line.
Fluffiest?
Probably I Want You, the very first piece I ever wrote for Glee. It shows.
Have you ever made someone cry with a story?
All. The. Time. I regularly get reviews from people telling me I've made them cry. Ironically, it makes me smile, because it means I've done my job right. :)
Which story frustrates you the most?
Whichever one I'm currently writing. There are always problems to be overcome, and even after it's done and posted, whenever I go back and reread I always find things I'd change. Writing is an imperfect art in that there's always room for improvement.
Having said that, however, I've never been more consistantly frustrated by a piece of fanfiction that I was by Flying Sparks, the sequel to Chasing Butterflies. I think the idea was sound, but for some reason the characters just weren't right, and the story wasn't coming together. I always intended to finish it, but the frustration turned into a quiet hate, so I abandoned it and deleted it from where it was posted. I think it's fairly safe to say it will never be seen again.
Which story was the most fun to write?
I love the act of writing, so they're all fun in their own way. The most fun, though...probably Nothing to Worry About. I love Jenna's character, and I love her cheery outlook on life. Getting inside her head, watching her squirm as she watched Damon and Elena. Yeah, that was probably the most fun.
Who is your favourite OC you've ever created?
It's a toss up between Jack Humphrey and Mia Waldorf-Bass, both from Chasing Butterflies. Jack was definitely fan favourite, even though he did some things over the course of the story to anger a lot of readers. But he came through in the end. He was really easy for me to write as well, in that he stepped up and played the role I needed him to without any fuss. From the very beginning, I just knew Jack. I understood him. The same can be said for Mia. There was something about her that I just got. She had a lot of insecurities, though, which made writing her a challenge, and she was the POV character, so I guess I'd have to go with her.
Are you better at one-shot or multi-part?
For fanfiction, one-shot, a fact which continually baffles me; for original fiction, it's novels or nothing. LoL. I'm virtually incapable of writing original short stories. For fanfiction, though, I think it's because I love writing little "in-between" scenes. That is, scenes that might have happened, but were never shown. There's something about fitting my creation into the wider world of the story that gives me a thrill.
What character do you think you're the best at portraying?
I've heard from a lot of people that I'm good at getting Damon, from VD, right. I don't know how true this is, but I'm proud of how I've written Damon in the past, and how I'm writing him currently.
What character is the most difficult to portray?
Damon, again, because he's such a lesson in contradictions. He's dramatic, but subtle. He's sarcastic and violent, but vulnerable. He's a "self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities", but if he considers you a friend, he's loyal to a fault. He claims to need no one, but yearns for love himself. And, as if that weren't enough, he has a very distinct voice. Damon is the most complex character I've ever written fanfiction for, and I always think that I've missed the mark. Then everyone tells me I got him spot on, so I guess I'm just too hard on myself.
What story do you want to write, but you haven't (yet)?
I have numerous ideas and even already-written beginnings for fics. Just a heads up: they're all for Vampire Diaries. LoL. But they're there and ideally, I'd write them all, if I had nothing else that needed to be done. As it is, though, I'd like to write some of the more original ones, those being the ones I like the most (of course). Some of the others require some more thought before they're ready to even think about writing. But you'll definitely being seeing more from me.
My fanfiction masterlist can be viewed here. If you read anything, please let me know what you think. :)
----------------
Now playing: Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love
via FoxyTunes