In which I wibble about my writing.
I've been working on my femgenficathon for weeks now. It's a long, involved one-shot that I haven't quite finished yet but that I rather like. It uses my prompt in exactly the way I wanted to, and with a character I've always loved but never written. It's also in the second person and uses some literary themes I've always liked. So for those reasons, I do like the fic and intend to finish it.
I have reservations, though. It's a fic about Molly after the final battle, and I'm not sure all of fandom will love the way I've portrayed her. She's not a perfect mother in my fic, not quite as strong as she's often portrayed. Not that I think Molly is weak, hell no she's not, but this isn't a happy "look how strong I am after the war!" character I wrote. This version of Molly does recover but it's not easy and it's not pretty. I don't know if that's something that should be put into fandom period (I like fandom a bit lighter and happier), much less into a ficathon that celebrates the strength of women.
I hope I'm expressing myself properly. I feel like I'm writing such convoluted sentences right now.
Let me try again. Let me start from the beginning.
In the past I've refrained from posting fics that I think are too dark or depressing. I just don't want those things in my fandom. Not that I only do happy fics, I think any of you who have read my offerings know I'm not all smiles, but I like the depressing parts of my writing to have a purpose. If I can't justify the darker themes (like a suicide mention in my Peter fic, or references to what Luna survived in captivity in countless fics) then I edit them out or keep the fic to myself. Does that seem reasonable? Do any of you do that?
But I think the dark stuff in this current fic is justified. How could Molly be anything but shaken after that battle?
Just because it's justified, though, that doesn't mean it's appropriate for a fest that celebrates women. Or am I being silly? Do you think it would insult anyone if I were to post this fic--a fic that keep Molly firmly in the mother/sister/wife/caretaker role and one that shows her struggling with what's happened to her family--to a community meant to portray strong, complex, engaging women?
My Molly is strong, though. And it's women who make her stronger when she isn't strong enough. That ought to work for femgenficathon, yes? I hope so, because I gotta get this thing done and off to a beta.
Any takers on that, btw? I know I've done a terrible job of selling the fic but let me know if you can help me out a bit, once I've sorted out the ending and polished everything up.
ETA: Just spent way too long changing pronouns. Fic is now in third person. Kinda disappointed I couldn't make the second person work but the fic flows much better now. Guess my next fic will have to be my return to the second person.
I have reservations, though. It's a fic about Molly after the final battle, and I'm not sure all of fandom will love the way I've portrayed her. She's not a perfect mother in my fic, not quite as strong as she's often portrayed. Not that I think Molly is weak, hell no she's not, but this isn't a happy "look how strong I am after the war!" character I wrote. This version of Molly does recover but it's not easy and it's not pretty. I don't know if that's something that should be put into fandom period (I like fandom a bit lighter and happier), much less into a ficathon that celebrates the strength of women.
I hope I'm expressing myself properly. I feel like I'm writing such convoluted sentences right now.
Let me try again. Let me start from the beginning.
In the past I've refrained from posting fics that I think are too dark or depressing. I just don't want those things in my fandom. Not that I only do happy fics, I think any of you who have read my offerings know I'm not all smiles, but I like the depressing parts of my writing to have a purpose. If I can't justify the darker themes (like a suicide mention in my Peter fic, or references to what Luna survived in captivity in countless fics) then I edit them out or keep the fic to myself. Does that seem reasonable? Do any of you do that?
But I think the dark stuff in this current fic is justified. How could Molly be anything but shaken after that battle?
Just because it's justified, though, that doesn't mean it's appropriate for a fest that celebrates women. Or am I being silly? Do you think it would insult anyone if I were to post this fic--a fic that keep Molly firmly in the mother/sister/wife/caretaker role and one that shows her struggling with what's happened to her family--to a community meant to portray strong, complex, engaging women?
My Molly is strong, though. And it's women who make her stronger when she isn't strong enough. That ought to work for femgenficathon, yes? I hope so, because I gotta get this thing done and off to a beta.
Any takers on that, btw? I know I've done a terrible job of selling the fic but let me know if you can help me out a bit, once I've sorted out the ending and polished everything up.
ETA: Just spent way too long changing pronouns. Fic is now in third person. Kinda disappointed I couldn't make the second person work but the fic flows much better now. Guess my next fic will have to be my return to the second person.