30 Day Fanfiction Meme - c'est finis!
Since I just randomly disappeared for two years in the middle of that fanfiction challenge, I figured the best way to come back to LJ would be to finish it up. So here are the last 11 days that I never got to. :-D
Day 20 - Do you ever get bunnies from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Yes, I'd say I do. Sometimes ideas will come to me from art or stories, sometimes it's just the general inspiration to write. For example, something will evoke strong emotions in me and I just HAVE to write. It may not be something specifically from that story. Often it is not.
Day 21 - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
I have not at this point. I've said that I may write a sequel to several stories but I've not gotten to a point where I can follow through. I started writing the sequel to Silence is Golden but I haven't gotten far with that yet. I've been really busy with four major fics for the last couple years (well, one of them is new within the last 6 months) and I've just gotten one of those finished, leaving three. I have a list of about 20 fics I want to write right now and the list is ever expanding. Sequels are not very high in the cards. I like sequels, I really do. It's just that I don't have time for them...yet. I never say never. Several folks now have asked me for a prequel to Claimed by the Wolf and I am disturbed by that. I don't even grasp at this point in my life how I got into a headspace dark enough to write THAT story...let alone a prequel where presumably horrible things have happened to Draco (though I've never been convinced that Greyback wasn't lying to Lucius that whole time in order to break him).
Day 22 - Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you’ve thought about doing? And if not, why not?
I did a Torchwood "Last Author Standing" once. The prompts weren't very good and my stories were shit. I'm just not very good at writing on demand. I have had some great prompts over the years from friends and I still haven't done a single one of them justice (if I even finished them at all). I just have to write the stories that speak to ME, sadly. This is probably the reason I haven't done any sequels, as well. Oh, but I did do Mirror Mirror for a challenge on Pornish_Pixies once. I was pretty happy with that one.
Day 23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Fanfiction.net, AO3, my other Livejournal, and back in the day to Restricted Section...though I also have Silence is Golden up on Restricted Section 2. I used to have a site of my own as well, back in the day of Geocities. :-D
Day 24 - Betaing - How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren’t any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Zero. Zip. Zilch. I am my own worst critic and I edit, edit and edit some more until I'm completely happy. Then I let a year pass and edit again. Repeat ad infinitum. I will run sections by my friends sometimes though as I am writing them, just to get their opinions...and often I act as a beta for other people - whether they want me to or not. :) I'm a grammar NAZI, it might as well be of use to someone.
Day 25 - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain “mood” to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
I get "in the zone" when I'm writing and I block everything else out. If there's music playing, I'm not listening to it. I like to write in restaurants, so there is often something playing in the background but I couldn't tell you what it was if you asked me afterward. I don't really need it to be quiet, though I do like quiet.
Day 26 - What is the oddest (or funniest) thing you’ve had to research for a fic?
Period correct (for the late 1700s) lube to be used for anal sex (and it was for het, not slash...go figure).
Day 27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Answered this already. I like to write in restaurants. When I lived in the PNW, my favourite place of all was Shari's - with bottomless Dr. Peppers coming as needed. Meetings of the Rabid Beavers literary guild were traditionally held at Taco Del Mar. When I lived in the Bay Area, I went either to Chipotle (because I'm obsessed with their steak tacos or burrito bowl) or Quiznos (because I could walk there from my house and I liked their salads). Right now, it's Chipotle again because I haven't found any other place I really, really like. If only Wawa was a sit down restaurant. :-P
As for the second part of the question, I do both. I will always prefer to write by hand...but I will often add in sections on the computer. Sometimes it's just easier to do all of the writing on computer so that I can move things around. Still, I have tons of pens and notebooks hanging around. Oh, and in case you're wondering about my favourite pen...it's Tul roller ball from Office Max, medium blue. It MUST be blue ink. Did I mention I have OCD?
Day 28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Not really, but I would love to have an artist work on a piece about my fic! Absolutely love it! I asked an artist that I knew to draw a picture of a scene from my Tavington fic that was in my head that I could SEE so vividly...but when she brought it to life, it was just not what I wanted. That's the only time I've had anyone willing to take my vision on. I was supposed to co-author a Torchwood comic with a gal (my story, her art) but that just never happened. :( Other than that, the only time I've collaborated with anyone else, it was a play back in my college days with my BFF and some stories back in high school with a few of my friends.
Day 29 - What is/are your current project or projects?
I'm currently working on three very long-term, probably novel length fics. One that I just started back in March (-ish) is an AU story set 5 years after the HP books where Ginny has become the auror and Harry has become the quidditch star - and the both of them have VERY complicated love lives. Harry has recently began receiving gifts from a secret admirer, but he has no idea who it could be. The second fic is a Severus Snape/Regulus Black that I really hope to be the ENTIRE story of their friendship from meeting during Sev's second year until after the Dark Lord is defeated. Yes, it is a love story. I am trying to weave it through canon as much as possible. We'll see how successful I will be. It promises to be an epic tale. :) The last fic started out as a slave!Harry story...but I didn't want it to be your run of the mill slave!Harry story. It starts with sex (including some incesty bits between Lucius and Draco) but as it evolves, Draco starts to realize that he wants to be dominated by Harry, rather than the other way around. I know how that one ends, but where it goes in the middle is still a bit of a mystery - one that I am really looking forward to exploring when I have the time. Oh...and I'm writing a real person fic for one of my very good friends that is about our kidnapping Benedict Cumberbatch from DragonCon and him developing a lovely case of Stockholm Syndrome...but I can't discuss that. Hehehehe.
Other than those, I have a bunch of little things I need to do, as well as some original stories I'd really like to move forward on.
Day 30 - Do you have a favorite fic you’ve written? What makes it your favorite?
Gosh, I like them all. Mirror Mirror turns me on like there's no tomorrow but I really, really like Dragon's Fire. I re-read through certain sections of that and say "Oh my God, this is good! I wrote this?!" I'm also quite fond of Whatever Lucius Wants. I've always loved the dynamic of Lucius trying to seduce a young Severus...and the closet scene...mmmm...
The two most popular, at least from my viewing numbers at fanfiction.net and AO3 though are Where Angels Fear to Tread and Claimed by the Wolf.
Day 20 - Do you ever get bunnies from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Yes, I'd say I do. Sometimes ideas will come to me from art or stories, sometimes it's just the general inspiration to write. For example, something will evoke strong emotions in me and I just HAVE to write. It may not be something specifically from that story. Often it is not.
Day 21 - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
I have not at this point. I've said that I may write a sequel to several stories but I've not gotten to a point where I can follow through. I started writing the sequel to Silence is Golden but I haven't gotten far with that yet. I've been really busy with four major fics for the last couple years (well, one of them is new within the last 6 months) and I've just gotten one of those finished, leaving three. I have a list of about 20 fics I want to write right now and the list is ever expanding. Sequels are not very high in the cards. I like sequels, I really do. It's just that I don't have time for them...yet. I never say never. Several folks now have asked me for a prequel to Claimed by the Wolf and I am disturbed by that. I don't even grasp at this point in my life how I got into a headspace dark enough to write THAT story...let alone a prequel where presumably horrible things have happened to Draco (though I've never been convinced that Greyback wasn't lying to Lucius that whole time in order to break him).
Day 22 - Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you’ve thought about doing? And if not, why not?
I did a Torchwood "Last Author Standing" once. The prompts weren't very good and my stories were shit. I'm just not very good at writing on demand. I have had some great prompts over the years from friends and I still haven't done a single one of them justice (if I even finished them at all). I just have to write the stories that speak to ME, sadly. This is probably the reason I haven't done any sequels, as well. Oh, but I did do Mirror Mirror for a challenge on Pornish_Pixies once. I was pretty happy with that one.
Day 23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Fanfiction.net, AO3, my other Livejournal, and back in the day to Restricted Section...though I also have Silence is Golden up on Restricted Section 2. I used to have a site of my own as well, back in the day of Geocities. :-D
Day 24 - Betaing - How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren’t any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Zero. Zip. Zilch. I am my own worst critic and I edit, edit and edit some more until I'm completely happy. Then I let a year pass and edit again. Repeat ad infinitum. I will run sections by my friends sometimes though as I am writing them, just to get their opinions...and often I act as a beta for other people - whether they want me to or not. :) I'm a grammar NAZI, it might as well be of use to someone.
Day 25 - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain “mood” to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
I get "in the zone" when I'm writing and I block everything else out. If there's music playing, I'm not listening to it. I like to write in restaurants, so there is often something playing in the background but I couldn't tell you what it was if you asked me afterward. I don't really need it to be quiet, though I do like quiet.
Day 26 - What is the oddest (or funniest) thing you’ve had to research for a fic?
Period correct (for the late 1700s) lube to be used for anal sex (and it was for het, not slash...go figure).
Day 27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Answered this already. I like to write in restaurants. When I lived in the PNW, my favourite place of all was Shari's - with bottomless Dr. Peppers coming as needed. Meetings of the Rabid Beavers literary guild were traditionally held at Taco Del Mar. When I lived in the Bay Area, I went either to Chipotle (because I'm obsessed with their steak tacos or burrito bowl) or Quiznos (because I could walk there from my house and I liked their salads). Right now, it's Chipotle again because I haven't found any other place I really, really like. If only Wawa was a sit down restaurant. :-P
As for the second part of the question, I do both. I will always prefer to write by hand...but I will often add in sections on the computer. Sometimes it's just easier to do all of the writing on computer so that I can move things around. Still, I have tons of pens and notebooks hanging around. Oh, and in case you're wondering about my favourite pen...it's Tul roller ball from Office Max, medium blue. It MUST be blue ink. Did I mention I have OCD?
Day 28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Not really, but I would love to have an artist work on a piece about my fic! Absolutely love it! I asked an artist that I knew to draw a picture of a scene from my Tavington fic that was in my head that I could SEE so vividly...but when she brought it to life, it was just not what I wanted. That's the only time I've had anyone willing to take my vision on. I was supposed to co-author a Torchwood comic with a gal (my story, her art) but that just never happened. :( Other than that, the only time I've collaborated with anyone else, it was a play back in my college days with my BFF and some stories back in high school with a few of my friends.
Day 29 - What is/are your current project or projects?
I'm currently working on three very long-term, probably novel length fics. One that I just started back in March (-ish) is an AU story set 5 years after the HP books where Ginny has become the auror and Harry has become the quidditch star - and the both of them have VERY complicated love lives. Harry has recently began receiving gifts from a secret admirer, but he has no idea who it could be. The second fic is a Severus Snape/Regulus Black that I really hope to be the ENTIRE story of their friendship from meeting during Sev's second year until after the Dark Lord is defeated. Yes, it is a love story. I am trying to weave it through canon as much as possible. We'll see how successful I will be. It promises to be an epic tale. :) The last fic started out as a slave!Harry story...but I didn't want it to be your run of the mill slave!Harry story. It starts with sex (including some incesty bits between Lucius and Draco) but as it evolves, Draco starts to realize that he wants to be dominated by Harry, rather than the other way around. I know how that one ends, but where it goes in the middle is still a bit of a mystery - one that I am really looking forward to exploring when I have the time. Oh...and I'm writing a real person fic for one of my very good friends that is about our kidnapping Benedict Cumberbatch from DragonCon and him developing a lovely case of Stockholm Syndrome...but I can't discuss that. Hehehehe.
Other than those, I have a bunch of little things I need to do, as well as some original stories I'd really like to move forward on.
Day 30 - Do you have a favorite fic you’ve written? What makes it your favorite?
Gosh, I like them all. Mirror Mirror turns me on like there's no tomorrow but I really, really like Dragon's Fire. I re-read through certain sections of that and say "Oh my God, this is good! I wrote this?!" I'm also quite fond of Whatever Lucius Wants. I've always loved the dynamic of Lucius trying to seduce a young Severus...and the closet scene...mmmm...
The two most popular, at least from my viewing numbers at fanfiction.net and AO3 though are Where Angels Fear to Tread and Claimed by the Wolf.