30 Day Fanfic Meme
1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
2 - Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
4 - Do you have a "muse" character that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
5 -If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
8 - Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
10 - Pairings - Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like and found you could?
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
13 - Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Alright, here's the thing. These two are NOT mutually exclusive and in my opinion should be used in concert to tell a more complete story. Canon is vital for me to understand why a character does what they do. Those are the events that make that character who they are. Ignoring that (unless it's an AU and then that's a completely different thing) to me is cutting a character off at the knees. BUT fanon serves a very needed purpose too. It gives you those little details that aren't necessarily vital in the canon but can be very important in a fic, or not important but they add an extra layer of realism or depth to things. Or fanon fills in the blanks on some plot hole or misstep by the creators.
Now, obviously in my primary fandoms, canon is... well, intimidating and malleable. I mean, if the creators can ignore large chunks of it (I'm looking at you, Bendis!), why can't the fan fic writers? Well... we can. I try not to and luckily for those moments when I can't remember who did what to who and when, there's wiki (a wonderful tool for comics fandom, let me tell you!), but it brings a different challenge than something with a closed (or at least more structured) canon, like HP or a movie or an ended TV show. The canon is always shifting and you could write something this week and next week, canon contradicts itself and everything you wrote is now wrong. Not that I let that bother me. ;)
With closed (or more structured) canon though, it's the same thing. I take the details that weren't in the book/movie/show from fanon, but the big events and things that ARE in there I keep (again, unless it's an AU). I have a really easy time remembering mundane canon stuff and I rather enjoy little canon tidbits so... getting that stuff in there is half the fun for me. lol
Has writing these characters changed the way I look at canon? Hmmm... I don't think so. I was making up stories about a lot of the characters I now write well before I started sharing them or even writing them down. I've always looked to "fix" things, fill in the plot holes, consider What ifs. So I'm still interacting the same way I've always done and I think I still look at it the same way, or at least a very similar way.
So... uh, to sum up. Canon and fanon work best when you mush them together and I have a lot of thoughts on this. LOL
14 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
15 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
17 - Titles - Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
20 - Do you ever get bunnies from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
21 - Sequels - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
22 - Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
24 - Betaing - How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
25 - Music - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
29 - What is your current project or projects?
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
2 - Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
4 - Do you have a "muse" character that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
5 -If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
8 - Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
10 - Pairings - Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like and found you could?
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
13 - Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Alright, here's the thing. These two are NOT mutually exclusive and in my opinion should be used in concert to tell a more complete story. Canon is vital for me to understand why a character does what they do. Those are the events that make that character who they are. Ignoring that (unless it's an AU and then that's a completely different thing) to me is cutting a character off at the knees. BUT fanon serves a very needed purpose too. It gives you those little details that aren't necessarily vital in the canon but can be very important in a fic, or not important but they add an extra layer of realism or depth to things. Or fanon fills in the blanks on some plot hole or misstep by the creators.
Now, obviously in my primary fandoms, canon is... well, intimidating and malleable. I mean, if the creators can ignore large chunks of it (I'm looking at you, Bendis!), why can't the fan fic writers? Well... we can. I try not to and luckily for those moments when I can't remember who did what to who and when, there's wiki (a wonderful tool for comics fandom, let me tell you!), but it brings a different challenge than something with a closed (or at least more structured) canon, like HP or a movie or an ended TV show. The canon is always shifting and you could write something this week and next week, canon contradicts itself and everything you wrote is now wrong. Not that I let that bother me. ;)
With closed (or more structured) canon though, it's the same thing. I take the details that weren't in the book/movie/show from fanon, but the big events and things that ARE in there I keep (again, unless it's an AU). I have a really easy time remembering mundane canon stuff and I rather enjoy little canon tidbits so... getting that stuff in there is half the fun for me. lol
Has writing these characters changed the way I look at canon? Hmmm... I don't think so. I was making up stories about a lot of the characters I now write well before I started sharing them or even writing them down. I've always looked to "fix" things, fill in the plot holes, consider What ifs. So I'm still interacting the same way I've always done and I think I still look at it the same way, or at least a very similar way.
So... uh, to sum up. Canon and fanon work best when you mush them together and I have a lot of thoughts on this. LOL
14 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
15 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
17 - Titles - Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
20 - Do you ever get bunnies from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
21 - Sequels - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
22 - Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
24 - Betaing - How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
25 - Music - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
29 - What is your current project or projects?
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!