Thirty Days of Spam...Day 30 - Favorites
The other day I was hiding my from my family WHO ARE STILL HERE VISITING OMG WHEN WILL IT END and managed to spend a bit of time with my favorite slashchat ladies. And the subject of favorite fics came up. Well, it came up because I brought it up, but that's beside the point. Anyway, I was thinking that I never did end up reccing some of my absolute favorite fics. Which makes sense really when you consider that I was making recs for fic people likely wouldn't expect to see from me. But still, it seemed a bit unfair.
Then leela_cat noted that she was always curious about "how long it takes a story to go from 'I enjoyed that' to 'that's one of my favorites'. If it's a comfort thing that comes from many re-readings" or if it was something people recognized immediately.
I had actually planned to discuss something entirely different today on my last day of spamming. But I'm fascinated by this question and am very curious to see how other people decide on their favorites.
Do you like something immediately or does it need to grow on you? Do your favorite fics tend to stay your favorite over time or do you change favorite fics as often as your socks? Have you ever re-read a favorite and realized that your affection is more nostalgic than actual appreciation?
For myself, I am a "love at first sight" kind of girl. True favorites are immediate and forever. Even nostalgic favorites are held in the same regard long after I've seen all their flaws. I like a lot of what I read, but true favorites are extremely rare.
That said, there have been many, many fics that have grown on me. Fics that I'll pull out from time to time when I'm looking for something I've enjoyed in the past or are associated with a specific time period or event. I often re-read fics. Some only when I'm reminded with a nudge from a recs list or when I'm not in the mood to try anything new. But I always have a small list of favorites.
And because I felt like I couldn't do a post about favorite fics without mentioning some of mine, here are a few of my "I read these once a month without fail - yes, even this month when I didn't even have time to read my flist" fics:
1) The Dreaming Spires by dementordelta
2) Something to Live For by Accio Snape. You'll need a password, but it is worth it. Please pay attention to the warnings on this one.
3) Esse Quam Videri (To Be Rather Than to Seem) by torino10154
4 & 5) At the Heart of Things/The Thief and the Sorceress by Empathic Siren
6) Second Best by Rae Whit/joanwilder
7) The Fourth Year by Calligraphy
8) The Same Coin by Meri/meri_oddities
9) The Perfect Wife by LinW/Nesting Hedwig
10) A Nick in Time by tiranog
Please tell me about how you go about choosing your favorites. And if you want to give a shout-out to some of yours, please do. ;D
Then leela_cat noted that she was always curious about "how long it takes a story to go from 'I enjoyed that' to 'that's one of my favorites'. If it's a comfort thing that comes from many re-readings" or if it was something people recognized immediately.
I had actually planned to discuss something entirely different today on my last day of spamming. But I'm fascinated by this question and am very curious to see how other people decide on their favorites.
Do you like something immediately or does it need to grow on you? Do your favorite fics tend to stay your favorite over time or do you change favorite fics as often as your socks? Have you ever re-read a favorite and realized that your affection is more nostalgic than actual appreciation?
For myself, I am a "love at first sight" kind of girl. True favorites are immediate and forever. Even nostalgic favorites are held in the same regard long after I've seen all their flaws. I like a lot of what I read, but true favorites are extremely rare.
That said, there have been many, many fics that have grown on me. Fics that I'll pull out from time to time when I'm looking for something I've enjoyed in the past or are associated with a specific time period or event. I often re-read fics. Some only when I'm reminded with a nudge from a recs list or when I'm not in the mood to try anything new. But I always have a small list of favorites.
And because I felt like I couldn't do a post about favorite fics without mentioning some of mine, here are a few of my "I read these once a month without fail - yes, even this month when I didn't even have time to read my flist" fics:
1) The Dreaming Spires by dementordelta
2) Something to Live For by Accio Snape. You'll need a password, but it is worth it. Please pay attention to the warnings on this one.
3) Esse Quam Videri (To Be Rather Than to Seem) by torino10154
4 & 5) At the Heart of Things/The Thief and the Sorceress by Empathic Siren
6) Second Best by Rae Whit/joanwilder
7) The Fourth Year by Calligraphy
8) The Same Coin by Meri/meri_oddities
9) The Perfect Wife by LinW/Nesting Hedwig
10) A Nick in Time by tiranog
Please tell me about how you go about choosing your favorites. And if you want to give a shout-out to some of yours, please do. ;D