Musings about Genfic and Writer's Block

[readerravenclaw]

The hp_gen_ch gen challenge for the month of April is Transformation. I've had dozens of ideas for this challenge, so many possible characters that I'd love to write about. But I find myself facing a peculiar sort of writer's block. There are quite a number of characters that I just can't bring myself to write about - including Snape, Remus, McGonagall,

Comments

[jan_aq]

Aw, I'm sorry. :( I think that every writer ultimately has to face that when working on fanfiction for a series that is in progress. It's the little things, a character's last name, a previous job, ect that just changes. I say just go with it and do what you want. For the short time that we don't know, people will explore it with you by means of your story. :) And even afterwards, it will still be a fun look at what could have been, or what still could be. The next books might not change it.

I say just go for it. Don't worry about it so much, you'll be able to read it later and look back and see what insights you used to have.

[readerravenclaw]

Somehow I missed this comment earlier.

Thanks for the encouragement; I really appreciate it. I think I've decided, though, that with HBP so close, I'm just going to wait the two months before working on any "iffy" one-shots. I should be spending the time on my WIP anyway. :)

[jan_aq]

:) Yeah it's cruch time! Hehe. :) I guess this way you'll be more likely to have your "iffy"s more canon. I hope that canon works out for you! *crosses fingers*

[author_by_night]

Hey! Tunxeh rec'd me your LJ, so I added you. :)

As for writing characters, I think I feel a slightly similar way about the trio. I love working with characters we don't know as much about, but part of me almost feels as though we know too *much* about the tio. That makes writing them difficult, because it's so easy to go OOC. (Granted, you can do that with minor characters, too).

And I like AU's, even when they're not quite the usual definition, like yours. As long as the author acknowledges it isn't canon, but still uses canon stuff, I think it's great. :) Do you have the fic up?

[readerravenclaw]

It's a WIP, but what's written so far is posted.

Summary:

The Death Eater had pulled his head out of the bell jar. His appearance was utterly bizarre, his tiny baby's head bawling loudly while his thick arms flailed dangerously in all directions, narrowly missing Harry, who ducked. Harry raised his wand but to his amazement Hermione seized his arm.
"You can't hurt a baby!"
Even if the baby is Voldemort?
Tom Potter, oldest son of Harry and Ginny, is off to Hogwarts at last. But why was his father so worried that he'd be in Slytherin? Why does the Sorting Hat seem to think that he'd already been sorted? And why does Professor Snape, the most feared teacher at Hogwarts, seem almost... scared... of him?

Link: http://www.sugarquill.net/read.php?storyid=2308&chapno=1

[readerravenclaw]

The truth is that for me, it's only Harry that I'm hesitant to write. Hermione, Ron... the story isn't written from their POV, so I would be okay with writing a story about one of them. (In fact, I'm getting a Ron plot bunny as I type this....) But I do have that issue with Harry, and I have the whole hang-up with writing backstory for characters whose backstory I just don't know. What can I say - I don't like to be wrong. :) Which is a bit pathetic, really. :) Who cares? But I just can't bring myself to write something so close to HBP that might be made obsolete.

[readerravenclaw]

Third time's the charm. :)

I was checking out your userinfo and journal (as I do before adding someone back) and I noticed that you have several genfic communities on your list. I'm a big fan of gen as well; everything I write is gen, and I also read mostly gen. Do you have any favorites you want to recommend? :)

(And btw, LJ must be acting up or something, because I noticed my name on your "Also Friend Of" list, so your adding me must not have worked.)