2006 fanfic meme
The 2006 fanfic meme, with questions posed from my charming readership. Enjoy my rambling!
What was the most difficult character to get down?
I have a few. In the Buffy 'verse, it's Xander. I'm never sure what to make of his character, which is why I take a long time in writing his stories. The other one that sticks out is Richard in Anita Blake. Maybe it's how he's portrayed in the books (Anita doesn't really seem to know what to do with Richard most times) but I never know how far he'd go, if he's a coward or he's misunderstood or what's going on. So I cast about and hope what I write makes sense.
Have you had any editing moments when you've gone *headDESK* these people would never do that?
Hell yes. I have these all the time. Then I get the lovely task of deleting all that I've written, as I cannot abide OOC characters. The way I write helps me avoid straying too far into crazy land -- I tend to write about 2,000 or 3,000 word at a time, and then I re-read. If I find myself going off on a tangent, then I can delete without losing much time.
One way I avoid this is to plot out what I will be working on in advance. Have a rough chapter outline, go over it in my head, so that I can hopefully see any potential pitfalls. It helps to smooth the process.
Only once have I had to delete a whole chapter's worth of work, and that was in early days. I have learned since then.
Which story did you most enjoy working on?
Dawning Light. It has a certain level of cuteness to it that is an antidote for the hard stuff to write. The main character (Dawn) may be book smart, but she doesn’t see the darkness that pervades Anita's world, and that makes things easier to deal with as a writer.
Of all the characters who's perspectives you've written hard, which was the hardest? Which was the easiest?
If I'm reading this correctly, the question is which of the main POV characters is hardest to write and the easiest. At this point, Harry in Inevitable is the hardest to write. I'm still not sure of his voice, mostly in relation to Ron and Hermione. I'm never sure if I'm hitting the teenage part of teenage boy.
The easiest is Anita, and I think it's because I write her so often. Her flaws are very much on the surface, as are her strengths.
Which story do you wish wouldn't end (because you just love writing it)?
Inevitable (and I’m not just saying that because it feels like I'll never finish). The story has so many turns and twists that it's hard to keep track of, but it all falls together nicely. At heart, it's a story of a young boy who is a hero, and his voyage to this realization. How can you not like such a story?
At the same time, there is a sequel mapped out for Inevitable, which hopefully I'll get to soon. So really, the Inevitable universe *will* never end.
When do the most interesting story ideas come to you: Morning, Noon or Night?
Night. I have a habit of putting on my headphones and going for a nightly walk in the neighborhood, impersonating a traffic hazard, and play out stories in my head. I have more of my better ideas this way.
What's the oddest place or method in which you've written?
Once I mapped out an entire chapter of Inevitable, voiced into my mp3 player's recorder, while waiting in line to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and being heckled by my "friends".
Were there any plot ideas that you didn't mention to your avid readers for fear of being encouraged to actually write them? If so, how many were there?
Oh man, probably. I've forgotten. Or maybe not -- I'm a big attention whore and like to put the ideas out there. Hopefully so I can get feedback on reaction. My Gilmore Girls/Supernatural crossover was one... I think the reaction was mixed, mostly with "work on the damned WIPs".
But one way I do the plot ideas for feedback is to write a small one-shot, between 2,000 and 5,000 words, an intro to the story. Hubris was the first. More recently, it was Wasted Potential. Write the idea, see if my mind takes me beyond, and go from there.
Is there any fandom you love but don't write in, for whatever reason?
You all know I like crossovers (understatement much?) and I tend to like to write in the worlds that I can cross. As such, I don't write in these fandoms that I love: Earth 2, Profiler (anymore), Babylon 5... in book land, the Tanya Huff books, mostly because it's weird to write fic on books when I've met the author. Oh, and Dark Angel. I'm not really sure how to add to the story that already exists.
And how much do you plan your stories? Does it vary depending on the length, or do you have one method regardless of drabble or epic?
Prior to starting, I have a general idea of how things will flow. If I'm being all extra-curricular, I will lay down the plot points per chapter, so I can make sure that I'm on the right track and that I have a point and plot to the story. Then, when I sit down to write, I review the notes and barrel on full steam ahead.
How does your muse inspire you? In very visual scenes? Or do you think of the overarching plot? Or does it vary?
The first idea usually is just that -- an idea of a pairing or a scene or a moment frozen in time. The plot develops from there, my mind catching on the scenes that may follow from this main idea. How things may develop from the brilliant idea :D Plot always follows.
For waterfall8484
1) Why do you write fan fiction?
Because I like to write, and I'm still experimenting with characterization. I have ideas for original fic, but I'm still afraid my OCs are boring and not well developed. I want to practice more.
Also, I like to explore the "what if" in the various fictional 'verses that I fangirl. Places that the story can't go... but I want it to. This explains the idea of the crossovers :D
1.1) Why do you write for the fandoms you do, and are there fandoms you like but just can't write fic for?
The fandoms I write, I feel they have so much missing back-story, or the potential for stories that the show can't follow. Rarely, I will write fic because I want to pair up people that we won’t see on the show (Sam/Ellen from SPN).
There are fandoms I can't write fics for... mostly because the story is complete. I can't write in the X-Men movie universe (Magnolia ignored) because the story has totally been told. Well, the story may not be complete, but the storylines, the characters that I fangirl, are complete.
1.2) Conversely, are there fandoms you don't like that you write fiction for anyway?
Hrm. Not really. When I get bored with a fandom, I stop writing it. Hopefully, the story is near completion when that happens.
2) Why do you write crossovers?
I like the idea of making connections, cross fandoms, cross worlds, all kinds of connections. It started out as a challenge, but now it's habit.
2.1) Why do you cross the fandoms you do, and are there some fandoms you like but can't seem to cross with anything?
I can't really cross Highlander, but I think that's because it's been a while since I've seen the show. Sometimes the mythologies can't mesh, mostly the vampire stories. Supernatural vampires are the hardest to mesh with others... like Buffy vamps and Anita Blake vamps. Not that I don't write them anyway, but it's harder.
2.2) Also, are there fandoms you don't like that you still think would make great crossovers?
Not really sure... I don't pay attention to fandoms that I don't like, so I'm not sure. Does that makes sense?
3) Are there things you can do with crossovers that you can't do with other fics, and vice versa?
I can spend more time exploring the external actions of characters, instead of dealing more with the internal characterization. There's also a certain amount of making the universe new again, with a crossover.
4) Why do you focus on the characters you do (for instance Dawn or Anita?)
A very good question. I think it's because I sympathize with them. It's easier to write emotionally fragile yet strong women. I tend to want to write the story from the point of view of the person who is least in-the-know, or who is the most emotionally fragile. There's a reason that Dean is the POV character in If You Go Into The Woods.
5) What do you think characterizes your writing style, and what influences it?
Sometimes I try and echo the style of the author... other times, I just try and have the voices of the characters as strong as I can. Different characters speak in different ways, or see things that others don't.
5.1) Do you think your writing style changes with the fandom and/or crossover?
Totally. Mostly depends on the characters, what they say, and how they want to say it. I do write all my stuff mostly in the dialogue style, more back-and-forth. I'm not much for the narrative.
Inevitable
What color are Reese's dad's eyes?
Grey.
What wood is Rowena's wand made of? (sorry if this has been answered in the story.)
Cherry and unicorn hair :D
If Anita wasn't a factor, would Harry and Nathaniel have a romantic future together?
Well, if no Anita, Harry would never have met Nathaniel. Or he'd have been eaten by a werewolf, which has pretty much the same result. But I can tell you this... it's not a totally lost cause. Ooh, slashy goodness.
What did the moon look like the night Harry was scratched by Richard? (for example: was it red? ringed? clouded over?)
It was the night of the full moon, with a few sparse clouds in the sky.
Balancing Act
What is Bill Harris' middle name?
Susan
Why didn't Jack find Sandra's purse when she was kidnapped?
She’s one of those young ladies who carries everything in her backpack, that the werewolves tossed in the car with her at the time.
When fighting the werewolves in the woods in Balancing Act, was Jack wearing boxers or briefs, and what color were they?
Blue boxers with tiny yellow rubber duckies on them.
Promises
How did Merry Gentry and the Unseelie get a whole vanishing planet to themselves without anyone really talking about the fey? Why has everyone forgotten about magic?
I figure that Merry, with her special skillz, was able to convince Fairie to move. After all, she's always going on how the essence of Fairie is in... something, can't recall what, so she'd take Fairie with her when the Earth died. As for the forgetting of magic, the victors rewrite history at their whim. I'm sure that Merry and company would be quite happy to let everyone forget about them... to save their way of life.
I hoped you enjoyed! Me rambling... that's what I do. I can't wait for all the fic 2007 holds!
What was the most difficult character to get down?
I have a few. In the Buffy 'verse, it's Xander. I'm never sure what to make of his character, which is why I take a long time in writing his stories. The other one that sticks out is Richard in Anita Blake. Maybe it's how he's portrayed in the books (Anita doesn't really seem to know what to do with Richard most times) but I never know how far he'd go, if he's a coward or he's misunderstood or what's going on. So I cast about and hope what I write makes sense.
Have you had any editing moments when you've gone *headDESK* these people would never do that?
Hell yes. I have these all the time. Then I get the lovely task of deleting all that I've written, as I cannot abide OOC characters. The way I write helps me avoid straying too far into crazy land -- I tend to write about 2,000 or 3,000 word at a time, and then I re-read. If I find myself going off on a tangent, then I can delete without losing much time.
One way I avoid this is to plot out what I will be working on in advance. Have a rough chapter outline, go over it in my head, so that I can hopefully see any potential pitfalls. It helps to smooth the process.
Only once have I had to delete a whole chapter's worth of work, and that was in early days. I have learned since then.
Which story did you most enjoy working on?
Dawning Light. It has a certain level of cuteness to it that is an antidote for the hard stuff to write. The main character (Dawn) may be book smart, but she doesn’t see the darkness that pervades Anita's world, and that makes things easier to deal with as a writer.
Of all the characters who's perspectives you've written hard, which was the hardest? Which was the easiest?
If I'm reading this correctly, the question is which of the main POV characters is hardest to write and the easiest. At this point, Harry in Inevitable is the hardest to write. I'm still not sure of his voice, mostly in relation to Ron and Hermione. I'm never sure if I'm hitting the teenage part of teenage boy.
The easiest is Anita, and I think it's because I write her so often. Her flaws are very much on the surface, as are her strengths.
Which story do you wish wouldn't end (because you just love writing it)?
Inevitable (and I’m not just saying that because it feels like I'll never finish). The story has so many turns and twists that it's hard to keep track of, but it all falls together nicely. At heart, it's a story of a young boy who is a hero, and his voyage to this realization. How can you not like such a story?
At the same time, there is a sequel mapped out for Inevitable, which hopefully I'll get to soon. So really, the Inevitable universe *will* never end.
When do the most interesting story ideas come to you: Morning, Noon or Night?
Night. I have a habit of putting on my headphones and going for a nightly walk in the neighborhood, impersonating a traffic hazard, and play out stories in my head. I have more of my better ideas this way.
What's the oddest place or method in which you've written?
Once I mapped out an entire chapter of Inevitable, voiced into my mp3 player's recorder, while waiting in line to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and being heckled by my "friends".
Were there any plot ideas that you didn't mention to your avid readers for fear of being encouraged to actually write them? If so, how many were there?
Oh man, probably. I've forgotten. Or maybe not -- I'm a big attention whore and like to put the ideas out there. Hopefully so I can get feedback on reaction. My Gilmore Girls/Supernatural crossover was one... I think the reaction was mixed, mostly with "work on the damned WIPs".
But one way I do the plot ideas for feedback is to write a small one-shot, between 2,000 and 5,000 words, an intro to the story. Hubris was the first. More recently, it was Wasted Potential. Write the idea, see if my mind takes me beyond, and go from there.
Is there any fandom you love but don't write in, for whatever reason?
You all know I like crossovers (understatement much?) and I tend to like to write in the worlds that I can cross. As such, I don't write in these fandoms that I love: Earth 2, Profiler (anymore), Babylon 5... in book land, the Tanya Huff books, mostly because it's weird to write fic on books when I've met the author. Oh, and Dark Angel. I'm not really sure how to add to the story that already exists.
And how much do you plan your stories? Does it vary depending on the length, or do you have one method regardless of drabble or epic?
Prior to starting, I have a general idea of how things will flow. If I'm being all extra-curricular, I will lay down the plot points per chapter, so I can make sure that I'm on the right track and that I have a point and plot to the story. Then, when I sit down to write, I review the notes and barrel on full steam ahead.
How does your muse inspire you? In very visual scenes? Or do you think of the overarching plot? Or does it vary?
The first idea usually is just that -- an idea of a pairing or a scene or a moment frozen in time. The plot develops from there, my mind catching on the scenes that may follow from this main idea. How things may develop from the brilliant idea :D Plot always follows.
For waterfall8484
1) Why do you write fan fiction?
Because I like to write, and I'm still experimenting with characterization. I have ideas for original fic, but I'm still afraid my OCs are boring and not well developed. I want to practice more.
Also, I like to explore the "what if" in the various fictional 'verses that I fangirl. Places that the story can't go... but I want it to. This explains the idea of the crossovers :D
1.1) Why do you write for the fandoms you do, and are there fandoms you like but just can't write fic for?
The fandoms I write, I feel they have so much missing back-story, or the potential for stories that the show can't follow. Rarely, I will write fic because I want to pair up people that we won’t see on the show (Sam/Ellen from SPN).
There are fandoms I can't write fics for... mostly because the story is complete. I can't write in the X-Men movie universe (Magnolia ignored) because the story has totally been told. Well, the story may not be complete, but the storylines, the characters that I fangirl, are complete.
1.2) Conversely, are there fandoms you don't like that you write fiction for anyway?
Hrm. Not really. When I get bored with a fandom, I stop writing it. Hopefully, the story is near completion when that happens.
2) Why do you write crossovers?
I like the idea of making connections, cross fandoms, cross worlds, all kinds of connections. It started out as a challenge, but now it's habit.
2.1) Why do you cross the fandoms you do, and are there some fandoms you like but can't seem to cross with anything?
I can't really cross Highlander, but I think that's because it's been a while since I've seen the show. Sometimes the mythologies can't mesh, mostly the vampire stories. Supernatural vampires are the hardest to mesh with others... like Buffy vamps and Anita Blake vamps. Not that I don't write them anyway, but it's harder.
2.2) Also, are there fandoms you don't like that you still think would make great crossovers?
Not really sure... I don't pay attention to fandoms that I don't like, so I'm not sure. Does that makes sense?
3) Are there things you can do with crossovers that you can't do with other fics, and vice versa?
I can spend more time exploring the external actions of characters, instead of dealing more with the internal characterization. There's also a certain amount of making the universe new again, with a crossover.
4) Why do you focus on the characters you do (for instance Dawn or Anita?)
A very good question. I think it's because I sympathize with them. It's easier to write emotionally fragile yet strong women. I tend to want to write the story from the point of view of the person who is least in-the-know, or who is the most emotionally fragile. There's a reason that Dean is the POV character in If You Go Into The Woods.
5) What do you think characterizes your writing style, and what influences it?
Sometimes I try and echo the style of the author... other times, I just try and have the voices of the characters as strong as I can. Different characters speak in different ways, or see things that others don't.
5.1) Do you think your writing style changes with the fandom and/or crossover?
Totally. Mostly depends on the characters, what they say, and how they want to say it. I do write all my stuff mostly in the dialogue style, more back-and-forth. I'm not much for the narrative.
Inevitable
What color are Reese's dad's eyes?
Grey.
What wood is Rowena's wand made of? (sorry if this has been answered in the story.)
Cherry and unicorn hair :D
If Anita wasn't a factor, would Harry and Nathaniel have a romantic future together?
Well, if no Anita, Harry would never have met Nathaniel. Or he'd have been eaten by a werewolf, which has pretty much the same result. But I can tell you this... it's not a totally lost cause. Ooh, slashy goodness.
What did the moon look like the night Harry was scratched by Richard? (for example: was it red? ringed? clouded over?)
It was the night of the full moon, with a few sparse clouds in the sky.
Balancing Act
What is Bill Harris' middle name?
Susan
Why didn't Jack find Sandra's purse when she was kidnapped?
She’s one of those young ladies who carries everything in her backpack, that the werewolves tossed in the car with her at the time.
When fighting the werewolves in the woods in Balancing Act, was Jack wearing boxers or briefs, and what color were they?
Blue boxers with tiny yellow rubber duckies on them.
Promises
How did Merry Gentry and the Unseelie get a whole vanishing planet to themselves without anyone really talking about the fey? Why has everyone forgotten about magic?
I figure that Merry, with her special skillz, was able to convince Fairie to move. After all, she's always going on how the essence of Fairie is in... something, can't recall what, so she'd take Fairie with her when the Earth died. As for the forgetting of magic, the victors rewrite history at their whim. I'm sure that Merry and company would be quite happy to let everyone forget about them... to save their way of life.
I hoped you enjoyed! Me rambling... that's what I do. I can't wait for all the fic 2007 holds!