let the rain / wash away / all the pain of yesterday

[afteriwake]

Appropriate song for the post, since it was lyrics from the original version of this song that were the prompt for the contest. I won first place for the contest at hyouhakuzai_fic for my Byakuya/Yoruichi and Renji/Rukia fic "Threats And Declarations," and I was happy about it. I told my mother and her reaction was "Since you won you don't need to award the prize

Comments

Re: fandom

[afteriwake]

Every fanfic writer loves to write the characters, and we do get joy from it. We wouldn't write it if we didn't because we don't get paid for this and we don't get recognition from the creators most of the time. Every fanfic writer will agree to that. But ask any writer, fanfic or regular, if they like to get feedback on their work, if they like to get recognition, if they like to know that someone else read what they wrote and thought "Yeah, I get that." They'll all say yes, it's important to them. I've been writing fanfic for 14 years this June and I've found that feedback encourages me more than anything else, even if it's concrit like "I like the story but I don't think so-and-so would have done that." Lack of feedback has stopped many fanfic writers from continuing in a fandom.

This used to be my personal journal, so the reason I included the bit about my mother's reaction is so that those friends of mine who've been here a while can see that yup, she's still not caring about the fandom stuff. I get no support offline for my fandom endeavors, and I really haven't in the entire time that I've been writing fanfic. She wants me to write original stuff over fandom so I can get money for it, plain and simple. My issues with my mother are probably better expressed at my personal journal, and I guess that's where I'll continue to speak about it.

I'm sorry if I seem whiny about it but this is how I feel on the matter.

Re: fandom

[benshee]

Not at all, as I said, there's much about fandom that I don't understand. I haven't been a writer/blogger for more than ... 5 years at most? And even then, intermittently and without the passion you clearly have for the artform. I respect that, and I say it's a pity your mother doesn't see it in you.

There is enjoyment, undoubtedly, in fanfics and fandom writings generally, I suppose it all depends on your personality and world view. Personally, I've never been strongly committed to writing a story based on characters which already exist, but the merit must exist because those experiences and interpretations, the fixed characters are something shared with thousands and millions of other fans and readers.

I prefer to create my own characters, and yeah, it requires more effort and more character development, and other things which I know little of. I have much to learn, and I implore you not to stop writing about your offline/personal experiences, because that's where I find my interest, not in these fictional stories, but in the true stories of the people behind the stories. If you know what I mean.