Random reflection on what made a fic 'popular'
Finished the VK fic the other week. I can't believe how popular that one is/was -- it got a lot more attention than I was expecting. ^^; Then again, it was an entirely PWP / lemon fic (I made myself write it that way to get over my stupid squick about writing intimate scenes). I'm wondering about writing a sequel, but not for a long time. Nothing' ( Read more... )
In my opinion, your VK fic got a lot of attention for a few reasons. Fist being that it was very well written and quite honestly that is a rare thing in that fandom over on FFnet. It was mature, well thought out, far from OOC, and something different from the usual stories that make up the most recently updated. Secondly, the pairing that you picked is one that few do,or do well.
Your sex scenes were very well executed and quite honestly this story did not have a PWP for me. You showed the emotional side of Yuuki's choice, not only with its effects for her but also Zero, the headmaster, and Kaname. Please never feel that the way to a great story is sex scenes. lol (though I don't believe that you were serious btw). I think that a lot of writers make that mistake and in the process end up overlooking other areas of their work that need improvement or just find it as an easy way to gain hits and reviews.
-takes a deep breath after what was just said lol- I would really love a sequel or even see you dabble again in the VK fandom, so till the muse hits ya, good luck and I will be checking out your others fics, even if they are in fandoms I don't normally read.
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You're right, I wasn't entirely serious when I (smart-alecky) said I'd toss the plot on the rest of my fics & turn 'em into porn-capades. XD But I do, honestly, think that part of the novelty of ALITD was the intimate-content. I actually haven't read any VK fic, so I wasn't sure if I was writing something that may have already been 'done' or 'cliche-d'. I just wrote what came to me. (I'm not as familiar with the VK fandom compared to say, Avatar or SaiMono. Even SaiMono I've lost touch with.) When I went to read through some VK fics after writing ALITD and reading your comment above, though... I kinda see what you mean by the 'well written' and 'few do the pairing'. It looks like the fandom has a greater penchant for Zero x Kaname, hahaha! (And, please forgive me for putting it this way, but that segment of the fandom is a little younger than I am... and possibly less experienced, both life-wise and patience-wise in regards to writing.)
I found myself writing some scenes of ALITD from a teenage girl's POV, a young man's POV, and a parent's POV, alternately. (Hence the different affects it had on each of the characters, as you mentioned!) Because I've been a teenage girl, I am a parent... and.. Hmmm... Maybe I was an emotionally-constipated-young-man-who-was-turned-into-a-vampire??? too at some point in a past life? XD I guess I found different parts of myself coming through as I went through ALITD, and it got me thinking about how I or a friend of mine may have acted in those circumstances. At one point I sat back and read the section with between Zero and the Chairman and kind of did a double-take; I hadn't realised how much thought I'd put into that scene between them until it came out on the screen. Funny things happen in fiction. XD
But just to let you know, your comment really lightened my spirit and made me look at that fic in a much more positive light than I'd originally (personally) painted it in in my head. I don't often get such thoughtful, well-reasoned, and well-written (honestly!!) comments & reflections about my stories, so when I do, I try to write back with something equally well-thought out. (Though it does take me a few days to think things through. I'm sorry I'm so slow!)
So thank you very much, nothingsorrow!!! And yes, I think now I _will_ dabble in the VK fandom again. (A bit busy / muse-less right now, grr, but hopefully around New Years after I've had a chance to socialise again I'll have a new fic plotted out & ready to work on. Well, that's my plan, anyway. ^^;; )
Thank you, and have a super week! :D
PS: Hope you don't mind, I've added you to my f-list.
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Oh how I wish it were the case. XD *LOL*
(I ship both Zero x Kaname and Kaname x Yuuki as you know. ;D)
The fandom mostly goes for Kaname x Zero, very few people write Zero x Kaname.
But fans of those two are lucky to have some of the very best writers of the fandom writing them (especially Blackened Wing), while Kaname x Yuuki usually have less luck, hence why people were so delighted when they saw your lovely Kaname x Yuuki fic. X3
Unrelatedly, I ADORE your portrayal of Aidou. XD *still laughing at his misadventures in the latest fic*
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I've heard the name Blackened Wing often in the fandom, but I just never seemed to get into yaoi and shonen-ai the way so many of my friends did. ^^; I keep meaning to go through ff.net to look for fics to read to familiarize myself more with the fandom, or to look for a shonen-ai/yaoi fic that is 'lighter' -- hopefully I'll get a chance when the Christmas holidays arrive here. ^_^b
And I'm so glad you liked Aidou in the latest fic -- I have too much fun torturing that poor little vamp! (hee hee!) ^_~ I hope more Kaname x Yuuki fans get into writing fanfic--er, patient, well-written fanfic-- to help alleviate the 'drought' of 'good' fic for the fandom. ;)
Because the fact that I may be one of the 'best' is kind of terrifying. XD
(OH NO! I'll really start writing that "Cockblocker Aidou" series afterall! AAAAAHHHH!)
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Don't worry, I'm afraid the vast majority of the authors on FFnet don't realize that the order matters, as it indicates who is topping (the first name listed) and who is bottoming (the second name) in the fic, whether it's physical or just mental dominance.... XD *lol* So most of the time pairings in summaries etc are listed wrong and it's often a bit weird, hahaha. XD;; *is used to it*
Blackened Wing is a lovely friend and in my opinion the best writer in the whole VK fandom. :D
If you're not really into yaoi, you might want to try her fic "Five Hundred Miles" first. ^_^/ It has Kaname x Zero and Zero x Kaname too, but it's Kaname & Zero with Yuuki, and not just with each other, so it might be easier for you than the fics where it's just guy on guy. :D
If you want to try one despite it having guy x guy in it, I recommend her other series, "Crimson Door". It only has Kaname & Zero sex later on, and feelings-wise there's wonderful amounts of Kaname x Yuuki as well, (more feelings, they almost sleep together but they don't finish what they sorta started, because Yuuki is still not quite ready and so Kaname stops. :D) (FHM is a sequel to Crimson Door, but it also works as a stand alone. So they're all together in FHM, and not yet there in Crimson Door. :D)
OH NO! I'll really start writing that "Cockblocker Aidou" series afterall! AAAAAHHHH!
YAY~~~! XD Oh, I so look forward!! *LOL*
There's almost no one portraying Aidou properly on FFnet, save for very few people, and your portrayal of him was both hilarious and frighteningly believable based on how wonderfully stalkery of Kaname he is in the drama CDs, hahaha XD
Have you heard them? XD I love the recent one where he's gluing onto Kaname so badly that Zero actually interrupts to ask Aidou if he's in love with Kaname. *rotfl* And Kaname calmly --albeit tiredly-- tells Zero to just ignore Aidou's creepiness. XD XD *rotfl*
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Writing in alternate POV can be both a challange and fun I have found. It really does stretch the ability of a writer to actually get into a characters head. hmm maybe one day I might actually get the nerve and the creative muse to dabble in this fandom, I do have a few plot bunnies just not too sure if I could ever write something worth while with them.
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I noticed that Anne Rice & Laurell K Hamilton are both on the 'fanfic ban' list on ff.net! Damn professionals stifling our creative outlets. ;) VK's still open to you, and I do hope you dabble a bit. Especially since you seem like the type to take care and pride in your writing. You'd make a good addition to the fandom, imho, for your recognition of those writing aspects alone! (Or, if you don't want to write for it, consider beta'ing! I really enjoy it and do it for a number of my friends. It helps we're all super-critical and brutally honest with each other. I've learned so much from working with them!!! :D)
Come on, you know you want to help 'heal' fanfic/fandom sometimes. XD
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