Fanfiction Writers Meme
Got tagged by aishuu to do this, so here it is!
How about a brief introduction?
Name, Sailor Mac. Age, never you mind. Amount of time as a fanfiction writer, ten years. TEN YEARS! I swear, I never, ever thought when I started writing that I’d be at it this long.
Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?
Believe it or not, Mystery Science Theater 3000. I was an MST3K fan since the early 90s, and when I was out of work, I amused myself and passed the time by reading fan MSTings. After going through all the MSTings of fanfics based on properties I was familiar with, like Star Trek, I started reading the anime ones. I began to wonder what made Sailor Moon so fascinating that there would be just so much fanfic about it. This led to me tracking down the anime itself, and then A Sailor Moon Romance - where I was dismayed at the quality of the fanfiction in the adult section of the site (most of which, in those days, was rapefic and badly written PWPs). So I decided to try my hand at it myself - and the rest is history.
I see. So what kind of fanfiction do you like to write?
In a word? Lemons. I still enjoy doing adult fanfiction after all this time. Most of the stuff I write wraps the sex in some kind of full-blown plot (usually relating to the show’s subject matter or involving mild relationship angst, I don’t get into heavy angst), although lately, I’ve kind of been having a blast churning out short PWP-ish pieces for the D. Gray-Man Kink Meme.
Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the aspects of writing you struggle most with?
For the most part, I find writing easy. What’s a challenge is getting some characters in a show to “talk” to me. I will usually have a couple of characters that are extremely easy for me to write - usually my OTP - and others who just won’t cooperate. Like, with Kaikan Phrase, Towa and Atsuro came easily, Sakuya I couldn’t write if my life depended on it. (Seemingly cold characters used to be the hardest for me to write, but they’ve gotten a lot easier for me now - Kanda is one of my favorite characters to write now, in fact).
Write a few sentences or so of your favorite pairing or character.
“Allen!” Lavi nudged the boy in the train seat across from him. “Hey, Bean Sprout, you’re not allowed to fall asleep! You gotta keep me company, it’s a long trip back to headquarters! And Yuu’s hiding from me!”
Allen just made an “mmm” noise, his head lolling toward his shoulder again. Lavi sighed, it was a lost cause. Well, the boy did take out half the Akuma they encountered. He was entitled to the rest.
Lavi slipped onto the seat next to Allen, and Allen dropped his head onto his shoulder. “You’re gonna burn yourself out one of these days, you know that?” Lavi said. “What are you thinkin’ when we’re out on missions, Bean Sprout? Never seen anyone go after Akuma like you . . . like it was some kinda holy crusade or somethin’.”
Allen just made another little noise and snuggled closer against Lavi, draping an arm over him. Lavi sighed and stroked the soft, white hair.
People said as a Bookman, he was supposed to know everything. Allen Walker was something he figured he’d never know everything about - which was part of the reason for the endless fascination.
Of course, there was the small matter that Allen had put the knowledge into his head of the one thing a Bookman was never supposed to know firsthand - what it was like to fall in love.
Are there any fanfiction clichés or trends you're sick of or just can't stand?
I wasn’t too fond of the drabble craze. It pretty much got people out of the mindset of really developing plots and characters, and led to people saying that a 20-page fic was “way too long.” In fact, I don’t like the slow and agonizing death of the epic fanfic, period - they used to be the norm, and now they’re almost extinct.
Are you guilty of any fanfiction clichés you hate? Or any other ones?
My early Sailor Moon fics are full of all kinds of things that are considered horrible sins against fanfiction nowadays - tons of OCs that could be considered Gary Stus, a major character getting an OMG MAKEOVER, dub names for characters who, at the time, never had dub names, etc. If I were to write “Hot Controversy” and “War of Dreams” today, they would be very, very different.
What was the first fandom you wrote for, and do you still like/participate in it?
The very first one I wrote for was Star Wars, when I was a teenager, but those were drawerfics - thank God, because they were horrible Mary Sues. My first online fandom was Sailor Moon, and though I may not actively participate in it anymore, it will always have a special place in my heart and I still belong to a couple of the fan communities.
Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.
These are my favorites of the pairings I’ve written:
Sailor Moon: Usagi/Mamoru (or, as they were called in my fics, Serena and Darien). There’s just something about the idea of a love strong enough to transcend death, rebirth, numerous brainwashings and half the pairing being written out of the series for an entire season that just warms the heart. Small wonder there’s only one other het pairing in all my time in fandom that has had as big an impact.
Weiss Kreuz: Ken/Omi. My first-ever yaoi pairing. There’s just something so sweet about them - their relationship is definitely of the best-friends-turned-lovers variety - and so tragic, especially in the light of Gluhen. They should have a happy life together, but it’s just not going to happen.
Hikaru no Go: Akira/Hikaru. If ever there were two people who were soul mates, it’s these two. They’re so much alike, yet at the same time so opposite - they are the true yin and yang, pulling and pushing each other. They’re two halves of a whole - neither will be able to reach his goals, in Go or in life, without the other.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Russell/Ed. They have chemistry to burn. My friend dragonscholar has likened their dynamic to that of the leads in an old-Hollywood screwball romantic comedy, and that’s a very apt description - there is something THERE beneath all the bickering and insulting and challenging (which showed up most poignantly in their final moments on-screen together: “Come back alive!”)
D. Gray-Man: I actually have two pairings here, one yaoi, one het. The yaoi one is Lavi/Allen, which is reminiscent of both Russell/Ed and Ken/Omi in many ways, but has a special dynamic of its own, largely because they’re two people who really shouldn’t be in a close friendship - since Allen’s life is devoted to saving the souls of the Akuma, and Lavi’s to being a Bookman - but end up drawn to each other anyway. And I just can’t wait to see Lavi’s portion of the current anime arc on screen, because that’s when their relationship shines brightest.
The het pairing is Kanda/Lenalee. These two have a long history together, and while they aren’t on-screen together all that much, when they are, you can see that history. She alone can keep him under control, he alone refuses to worship the ground she walks on and treats her like a woman, not a goddess. It’s a rare and beautiful thing in a shonen manga to see a man and woman who truly respect one another..
What would you call your writing style?
I think it’s pretty straightforward, with a few ruffles and flourishes here and there - like a typical suburban ranch home with a little bit of gingerbread trimming along the roof.
Do you read other people’s fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?
Yes, I do, although most of what I read was written by my friends. I have a few favorite authors as well, like Miko no Da, whose RabiYuu fics are a thing of beauty. I do tend to read most of the fics posted about my favorite DGM pairings nowadays.
Name one thing you'd LOVE to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do.
I think the DGM Kink Meme has taken care of the “shy” part. ~_^ But seriously, I’d love to do something that explores, realistically, the development of a true three-way romantic relationship, but the sheer weight of such an undertaking - there’d be a tremendous amount of psychology involved, that’s for sure - has intimidated me.
Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego?
Honest concrit is the very best thing that can happen to a writer. If anyone offers me sincere help with something I’m doing, I’m glad to take it.
When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?
I am extremely picky about my writing conditions. I can’t multitask - I have to concentrate completely on what I’m writing. I set aside a set block of time at night to write, and I have music on - usually “Weather Channel music,” which I’ve found makes a great “brain cushion.”
What inspires you?
All kinds of things, really - stuff that comes up in random conversations, things seen on the news, incidents in real life. Actually, most of my best ideas come about when I’m free-associating and just letting my thoughts run wild in the shower!
Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?
I’ve had a lot of fun writing - and fun is exactly why I do it. Fanfiction, to me, is like “play pretend” for grownups. It’s nice when people tell me they like my stuff, but that’s just icing on the cake to me.
Actually, the very best thing that’s come out of my experiences as a writer has been all the friends that I’ve made. The fandoms I have the fondest memories of are always the ones where I met people I shared good times with.
How about a brief introduction?
Name, Sailor Mac. Age, never you mind. Amount of time as a fanfiction writer, ten years. TEN YEARS! I swear, I never, ever thought when I started writing that I’d be at it this long.
Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?
Believe it or not, Mystery Science Theater 3000. I was an MST3K fan since the early 90s, and when I was out of work, I amused myself and passed the time by reading fan MSTings. After going through all the MSTings of fanfics based on properties I was familiar with, like Star Trek, I started reading the anime ones. I began to wonder what made Sailor Moon so fascinating that there would be just so much fanfic about it. This led to me tracking down the anime itself, and then A Sailor Moon Romance - where I was dismayed at the quality of the fanfiction in the adult section of the site (most of which, in those days, was rapefic and badly written PWPs). So I decided to try my hand at it myself - and the rest is history.
I see. So what kind of fanfiction do you like to write?
In a word? Lemons. I still enjoy doing adult fanfiction after all this time. Most of the stuff I write wraps the sex in some kind of full-blown plot (usually relating to the show’s subject matter or involving mild relationship angst, I don’t get into heavy angst), although lately, I’ve kind of been having a blast churning out short PWP-ish pieces for the D. Gray-Man Kink Meme.
Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the aspects of writing you struggle most with?
For the most part, I find writing easy. What’s a challenge is getting some characters in a show to “talk” to me. I will usually have a couple of characters that are extremely easy for me to write - usually my OTP - and others who just won’t cooperate. Like, with Kaikan Phrase, Towa and Atsuro came easily, Sakuya I couldn’t write if my life depended on it. (Seemingly cold characters used to be the hardest for me to write, but they’ve gotten a lot easier for me now - Kanda is one of my favorite characters to write now, in fact).
Write a few sentences or so of your favorite pairing or character.
“Allen!” Lavi nudged the boy in the train seat across from him. “Hey, Bean Sprout, you’re not allowed to fall asleep! You gotta keep me company, it’s a long trip back to headquarters! And Yuu’s hiding from me!”
Allen just made an “mmm” noise, his head lolling toward his shoulder again. Lavi sighed, it was a lost cause. Well, the boy did take out half the Akuma they encountered. He was entitled to the rest.
Lavi slipped onto the seat next to Allen, and Allen dropped his head onto his shoulder. “You’re gonna burn yourself out one of these days, you know that?” Lavi said. “What are you thinkin’ when we’re out on missions, Bean Sprout? Never seen anyone go after Akuma like you . . . like it was some kinda holy crusade or somethin’.”
Allen just made another little noise and snuggled closer against Lavi, draping an arm over him. Lavi sighed and stroked the soft, white hair.
People said as a Bookman, he was supposed to know everything. Allen Walker was something he figured he’d never know everything about - which was part of the reason for the endless fascination.
Of course, there was the small matter that Allen had put the knowledge into his head of the one thing a Bookman was never supposed to know firsthand - what it was like to fall in love.
Are there any fanfiction clichés or trends you're sick of or just can't stand?
I wasn’t too fond of the drabble craze. It pretty much got people out of the mindset of really developing plots and characters, and led to people saying that a 20-page fic was “way too long.” In fact, I don’t like the slow and agonizing death of the epic fanfic, period - they used to be the norm, and now they’re almost extinct.
Are you guilty of any fanfiction clichés you hate? Or any other ones?
My early Sailor Moon fics are full of all kinds of things that are considered horrible sins against fanfiction nowadays - tons of OCs that could be considered Gary Stus, a major character getting an OMG MAKEOVER, dub names for characters who, at the time, never had dub names, etc. If I were to write “Hot Controversy” and “War of Dreams” today, they would be very, very different.
What was the first fandom you wrote for, and do you still like/participate in it?
The very first one I wrote for was Star Wars, when I was a teenager, but those were drawerfics - thank God, because they were horrible Mary Sues. My first online fandom was Sailor Moon, and though I may not actively participate in it anymore, it will always have a special place in my heart and I still belong to a couple of the fan communities.
Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.
These are my favorites of the pairings I’ve written:
Sailor Moon: Usagi/Mamoru (or, as they were called in my fics, Serena and Darien). There’s just something about the idea of a love strong enough to transcend death, rebirth, numerous brainwashings and half the pairing being written out of the series for an entire season that just warms the heart. Small wonder there’s only one other het pairing in all my time in fandom that has had as big an impact.
Weiss Kreuz: Ken/Omi. My first-ever yaoi pairing. There’s just something so sweet about them - their relationship is definitely of the best-friends-turned-lovers variety - and so tragic, especially in the light of Gluhen. They should have a happy life together, but it’s just not going to happen.
Hikaru no Go: Akira/Hikaru. If ever there were two people who were soul mates, it’s these two. They’re so much alike, yet at the same time so opposite - they are the true yin and yang, pulling and pushing each other. They’re two halves of a whole - neither will be able to reach his goals, in Go or in life, without the other.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Russell/Ed. They have chemistry to burn. My friend dragonscholar has likened their dynamic to that of the leads in an old-Hollywood screwball romantic comedy, and that’s a very apt description - there is something THERE beneath all the bickering and insulting and challenging (which showed up most poignantly in their final moments on-screen together: “Come back alive!”)
D. Gray-Man: I actually have two pairings here, one yaoi, one het. The yaoi one is Lavi/Allen, which is reminiscent of both Russell/Ed and Ken/Omi in many ways, but has a special dynamic of its own, largely because they’re two people who really shouldn’t be in a close friendship - since Allen’s life is devoted to saving the souls of the Akuma, and Lavi’s to being a Bookman - but end up drawn to each other anyway. And I just can’t wait to see Lavi’s portion of the current anime arc on screen, because that’s when their relationship shines brightest.
The het pairing is Kanda/Lenalee. These two have a long history together, and while they aren’t on-screen together all that much, when they are, you can see that history. She alone can keep him under control, he alone refuses to worship the ground she walks on and treats her like a woman, not a goddess. It’s a rare and beautiful thing in a shonen manga to see a man and woman who truly respect one another..
What would you call your writing style?
I think it’s pretty straightforward, with a few ruffles and flourishes here and there - like a typical suburban ranch home with a little bit of gingerbread trimming along the roof.
Do you read other people’s fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?
Yes, I do, although most of what I read was written by my friends. I have a few favorite authors as well, like Miko no Da, whose RabiYuu fics are a thing of beauty. I do tend to read most of the fics posted about my favorite DGM pairings nowadays.
Name one thing you'd LOVE to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do.
I think the DGM Kink Meme has taken care of the “shy” part. ~_^ But seriously, I’d love to do something that explores, realistically, the development of a true three-way romantic relationship, but the sheer weight of such an undertaking - there’d be a tremendous amount of psychology involved, that’s for sure - has intimidated me.
Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego?
Honest concrit is the very best thing that can happen to a writer. If anyone offers me sincere help with something I’m doing, I’m glad to take it.
When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?
I am extremely picky about my writing conditions. I can’t multitask - I have to concentrate completely on what I’m writing. I set aside a set block of time at night to write, and I have music on - usually “Weather Channel music,” which I’ve found makes a great “brain cushion.”
What inspires you?
All kinds of things, really - stuff that comes up in random conversations, things seen on the news, incidents in real life. Actually, most of my best ideas come about when I’m free-associating and just letting my thoughts run wild in the shower!
Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?
I’ve had a lot of fun writing - and fun is exactly why I do it. Fanfiction, to me, is like “play pretend” for grownups. It’s nice when people tell me they like my stuff, but that’s just icing on the cake to me.
Actually, the very best thing that’s come out of my experiences as a writer has been all the friends that I’ve made. The fandoms I have the fondest memories of are always the ones where I met people I shared good times with.