Sorry attempts at multi-tasking, Pt. I
First, just a quick note: I added another point to 'Yes Virginia, you ARE a Mary Sue'. Numbers 14 and 15 have altered.
Well, here's where I tell people what the heck is going on with my WIPs. I have about five HP fanfictions floating around in my brain and on my computer. Lessie...
(1)
...the first is called Meant to Say, and it's my first attempt at pure humour. Like a lot of my stories, it starts off with a very standard plot device - in this case, an accident in Potions - and gets more interesting from there. It really is nearly complete, except that I haven't figured out a funny or quirky way of ending it. It's really rather short when you look at my other work - probably not more than fifty pages when all is said and done. And I hate the title with a passion, as usual.
(2)
The next fic I feel a bit less confident about. Draco Malfoy is the main character, which is difficult in and of itself, if you don't want to turn him into a complete fandom cliche. There just isn't much to work with from canon, so I've had to work from my own understanding of what it must be like to grow up the way that he did, and base his actions/personality off of that. (I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it is VERY tempting to write him as that cliche!) The tone of this story is really quite quirky and will likely produce an immediate love-hate reaction. It's humour on a much more subtle level, a level that is meant to read as almost old-fashioned. The other main character is Hermione Granger, though they won't be paired. Dumbledore also plays a big role. It's the sort of story I feel like I have to wait on, because though the idea is good I almost feel like I'm not quite ready to do it justice. This is the only thing I've written in recent memory that doesn't have Snape as a main character - even Harry and Ron are more peripheral.
(3)
Ye gads, there's more. This is one of the stories I really want to turn out well. It's a Severitus, but a distinctly off-kilter one. So far the following characters play a major role: Petunia, Percy, Charlie, and Snape; I chose characters I thought needed a bit more love & attention and shoved them into my storyline. This one has moments of sheer brilliance (in comparison to my other writing as of now), especially in the humour department. I don't know where I got Charlie, but I need to start carrying him in my back pocket wherever I go! The issue with this story is that somehow I managed to write Ron in what seems to be a completely different voice. How did that happen? So until I sort him out, I feel I can't continue. So many people ignore Ron or don't do him justice that I feel I can't be one of them.
(4)
*Sigh...* Now you begin to see how my mind works. There's another. This one's the latest one, and I can't help but feel its promise. Ron and Draco of all people are the two main characters. I've broken a lot of my own internal rules to write this story, and because of that it's been really entertaining (albeit slow-going) to write.
Rules broken by this story?
1) Never write a post-Hogwarts fic. The vast, vast majority of them are horrible. Part of what's so great about the stories is the fact that they exist in a school, with school rivalries, classes to puzzle over and pass, and school friendships. Harry going to visit Ron and his wife, for example, just doesn't have the same feel as Harry rolling out of bed and shaking Ron awake. Some of the closeness is just lost. Also, people writing post-Hogwarts stuff tend to think of Harry as some sort of playboy. Wheee. What indubitably influenced my re-thinking of this particular genre of fics was Transfigurations, which is a very atypical post-Hogwarts fic, which you should read. Now. Or you can take a look at my review of the story on my forums on ff-dot-net.
2) Don't write Ginny. She's boring as hell. Okay, so I'll admit to giving the girl short shrift. I'm sorry, but Harry's gut-monster ruined her for me for life - not to mention her incredibly outdated way of garnering Harry's attention. I just get the feeling that she's never shown anyone who she really is... which I suddenly realized made her interesting, and not incredibly lame as previously assumed. ;)
3) Never start a story with any of your main characters dead; that is dark and therefore overdramatic. Oh, geeze. Did I ever throw this one out the window!
4) Never write characters who are insane; they are overdramatic. See above.
So I know I haven't given you much to go on, but what would you like to see continued? Right now I don't expect to get too many responses because this LJ is so new, but hopefully some of my readers will have found their way here. The sequel to Secret of Slytherin isn't an option right now. I have ideas for that story - some of them written, even - but so far only one chapter is worth keeping. It's stagnant. Swamp-stagnant. So, rate a ten if you think it sounds like the coolest thing ever, five if you're indifferent to that particular idea, and a one or nothing if that sounds like a horrible idea to you. You let me know what you want, and I'll deliver! Until my capricious muse dictates I move elsewhere.
-K
P.S. - Most annoying post EVER. I officially hate polls.
Poll Which appeals to you more?
Well, here's where I tell people what the heck is going on with my WIPs. I have about five HP fanfictions floating around in my brain and on my computer. Lessie...
(1)
...the first is called Meant to Say, and it's my first attempt at pure humour. Like a lot of my stories, it starts off with a very standard plot device - in this case, an accident in Potions - and gets more interesting from there. It really is nearly complete, except that I haven't figured out a funny or quirky way of ending it. It's really rather short when you look at my other work - probably not more than fifty pages when all is said and done. And I hate the title with a passion, as usual.
(2)
The next fic I feel a bit less confident about. Draco Malfoy is the main character, which is difficult in and of itself, if you don't want to turn him into a complete fandom cliche. There just isn't much to work with from canon, so I've had to work from my own understanding of what it must be like to grow up the way that he did, and base his actions/personality off of that. (I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it is VERY tempting to write him as that cliche!) The tone of this story is really quite quirky and will likely produce an immediate love-hate reaction. It's humour on a much more subtle level, a level that is meant to read as almost old-fashioned. The other main character is Hermione Granger, though they won't be paired. Dumbledore also plays a big role. It's the sort of story I feel like I have to wait on, because though the idea is good I almost feel like I'm not quite ready to do it justice. This is the only thing I've written in recent memory that doesn't have Snape as a main character - even Harry and Ron are more peripheral.
(3)
Ye gads, there's more. This is one of the stories I really want to turn out well. It's a Severitus, but a distinctly off-kilter one. So far the following characters play a major role: Petunia, Percy, Charlie, and Snape; I chose characters I thought needed a bit more love & attention and shoved them into my storyline. This one has moments of sheer brilliance (in comparison to my other writing as of now), especially in the humour department. I don't know where I got Charlie, but I need to start carrying him in my back pocket wherever I go! The issue with this story is that somehow I managed to write Ron in what seems to be a completely different voice. How did that happen? So until I sort him out, I feel I can't continue. So many people ignore Ron or don't do him justice that I feel I can't be one of them.
(4)
*Sigh...* Now you begin to see how my mind works. There's another. This one's the latest one, and I can't help but feel its promise. Ron and Draco of all people are the two main characters. I've broken a lot of my own internal rules to write this story, and because of that it's been really entertaining (albeit slow-going) to write.
Rules broken by this story?
1) Never write a post-Hogwarts fic. The vast, vast majority of them are horrible. Part of what's so great about the stories is the fact that they exist in a school, with school rivalries, classes to puzzle over and pass, and school friendships. Harry going to visit Ron and his wife, for example, just doesn't have the same feel as Harry rolling out of bed and shaking Ron awake. Some of the closeness is just lost. Also, people writing post-Hogwarts stuff tend to think of Harry as some sort of playboy. Wheee. What indubitably influenced my re-thinking of this particular genre of fics was Transfigurations, which is a very atypical post-Hogwarts fic, which you should read. Now. Or you can take a look at my review of the story on my forums on ff-dot-net.
2) Don't write Ginny. She's boring as hell. Okay, so I'll admit to giving the girl short shrift. I'm sorry, but Harry's gut-monster ruined her for me for life - not to mention her incredibly outdated way of garnering Harry's attention. I just get the feeling that she's never shown anyone who she really is... which I suddenly realized made her interesting, and not incredibly lame as previously assumed. ;)
3) Never start a story with any of your main characters dead; that is dark and therefore overdramatic. Oh, geeze. Did I ever throw this one out the window!
4) Never write characters who are insane; they are overdramatic. See above.
So I know I haven't given you much to go on, but what would you like to see continued? Right now I don't expect to get too many responses because this LJ is so new, but hopefully some of my readers will have found their way here. The sequel to Secret of Slytherin isn't an option right now. I have ideas for that story - some of them written, even - but so far only one chapter is worth keeping. It's stagnant. Swamp-stagnant. So, rate a ten if you think it sounds like the coolest thing ever, five if you're indifferent to that particular idea, and a one or nothing if that sounds like a horrible idea to you. You let me know what you want, and I'll deliver! Until my capricious muse dictates I move elsewhere.
-K
P.S. - Most annoying post EVER. I officially hate polls.
Poll Which appeals to you more?