XF fic meme
aloysiavirgata posted these very interesting questions about (XF, but could be applied to other fandoms) fic writing, and I thought I'd take a shot at answering them.
1) What is/are your least-favorite fic(s) that you've ever written? If you're comfortable, share why and what you would have done differently.
Hmm. I think I would pick a couple of my earlier fics. They were attempts at paying homage to some of my favorite episodes, but in some respects they just ended up being slightly fleshed-out transcript-y scenes. Perhaps if I had expanded them a bit more, I would like them better now looking back at them.
2) What is/are your favorite piece(s) that you've written? If you're comfortable, please share what you like about your work.
For short fics, I think I'll say "Breathe." Even though it was one of my first (or at least one of the first ones I posted to Ephemeral and Gossamer), I think it really manages to capture what I was after when I wrote it.
For longer ones, I think I might go with "The Way You Are." I still sometimes can't believe I ended up writing it, but I like the way it turned out. It's very odd, but I think I kept M&S in character, and I had fun!
3) Is there anything you'd never want to write? Would love to write but can't figure out how to approach?
I'm 99% sure I will never want to write anything but MSR (or UST, I suppose), for XF fic. I have no idea if I will ever write anything that could honestly be given an NC-17-type rating. At this point, it looks very unlikely. I just don't think I could make it work, since I generally don't even seek it out to read.
4) Do you find that being a writer limits your ability to enjoy characterizations that don't mesh with your own?
Hmm. To some extent, I suppose. If a writer's characterization of M&S (and to a lesser extent, secondary characters established in canon) really just does not mesh with how I see them, I might well have trouble getting through their fic. If it's just a little different from how I see them, I don't think I usually have that problem. In fact, it often can help me take another look at the characters.
5) Do you write things other than X-Files fanfic? Any differences in how you tackle those pieces when compared to fanfiction?
Yes. I have written Doctor Who, and crossovers between XF and DW. I've also got an idea for a Dollhouse fic - but I probably shouldn't start another project at the moment. I also write original fiction, though it's been a while.
For other fandoms, the process is mostly the same. For general fiction, the main difference is that I have a huge problem actually finishing it. I'll get up to a pivotal scene in the plot and just have NO idea how to continue. I have eight or so stories on my hard drive that I wouldn't consider 'dead' but that I just have no idea how to finish. Other than that, I think my writing style is about the same.
6) What appeals to you about writing fanfiction?
For XF, since it was the show that first spurred me to write fic, it was how very hard I fell in love with it - especially Mulder and Scully and the complexities of their relationship. From there, I guess it just grew into a way to fill in empty spots I saw, or try putting the characters (in XF and DW) in situations we didn't get to see them in on screen.
1) What is/are your least-favorite fic(s) that you've ever written? If you're comfortable, share why and what you would have done differently.
Hmm. I think I would pick a couple of my earlier fics. They were attempts at paying homage to some of my favorite episodes, but in some respects they just ended up being slightly fleshed-out transcript-y scenes. Perhaps if I had expanded them a bit more, I would like them better now looking back at them.
2) What is/are your favorite piece(s) that you've written? If you're comfortable, please share what you like about your work.
For short fics, I think I'll say "Breathe." Even though it was one of my first (or at least one of the first ones I posted to Ephemeral and Gossamer), I think it really manages to capture what I was after when I wrote it.
For longer ones, I think I might go with "The Way You Are." I still sometimes can't believe I ended up writing it, but I like the way it turned out. It's very odd, but I think I kept M&S in character, and I had fun!
3) Is there anything you'd never want to write? Would love to write but can't figure out how to approach?
I'm 99% sure I will never want to write anything but MSR (or UST, I suppose), for XF fic. I have no idea if I will ever write anything that could honestly be given an NC-17-type rating. At this point, it looks very unlikely. I just don't think I could make it work, since I generally don't even seek it out to read.
4) Do you find that being a writer limits your ability to enjoy characterizations that don't mesh with your own?
Hmm. To some extent, I suppose. If a writer's characterization of M&S (and to a lesser extent, secondary characters established in canon) really just does not mesh with how I see them, I might well have trouble getting through their fic. If it's just a little different from how I see them, I don't think I usually have that problem. In fact, it often can help me take another look at the characters.
5) Do you write things other than X-Files fanfic? Any differences in how you tackle those pieces when compared to fanfiction?
Yes. I have written Doctor Who, and crossovers between XF and DW. I've also got an idea for a Dollhouse fic - but I probably shouldn't start another project at the moment. I also write original fiction, though it's been a while.
For other fandoms, the process is mostly the same. For general fiction, the main difference is that I have a huge problem actually finishing it. I'll get up to a pivotal scene in the plot and just have NO idea how to continue. I have eight or so stories on my hard drive that I wouldn't consider 'dead' but that I just have no idea how to finish. Other than that, I think my writing style is about the same.
6) What appeals to you about writing fanfiction?
For XF, since it was the show that first spurred me to write fic, it was how very hard I fell in love with it - especially Mulder and Scully and the complexities of their relationship. From there, I guess it just grew into a way to fill in empty spots I saw, or try putting the characters (in XF and DW) in situations we didn't get to see them in on screen.