Another writing post
Further to my last writing post, about Ao3, I can see I need to work on my fic summaries. Also, it seems that if I wanted the stories I was posting on the site to get mentioned on, say, su_herald, I should have been putting today's (or whichever day it was's) date on them, as killerweasel said. Is that right?
Anyway, not what this post is about. No, this post is about trying to write stuff (in fanfic, I mean, as I've never written anything else) you don't actually believe, and whether the results are ever convincing, and also about unintentionally writing stuff you never meant to. More behind cut, with spoilers for some of my own stories, should anyone care about those.
I know this is probably going to sound a bit ridiculous, but I don't really think of myself as a Spuffy 'shipper. Obviously, I am one, as opposed to being any other sort of 'shipper, when it comes to Buffy and canon het relationships, because I find her relationship with Spike more interesting than her relationships with Angel or Riley. But I've never managed to convince myself that she meant what she said to Spike in the flaming hands scene in Chosen. I didn't believe it at the time, and now, after however many years it is of Joss-endorsed very bad comics, I believe it even less.
That doesn't of itself matter. After all, there are still many years of the relationship (however you define that word) to write about, and okay a lot of it is very dark, but I did come into reading fanfic through the dark slashfic route, so I can deal (or mostly. Depends who is writing. You can usually tell if the writer hates either character, or hates the 'ship. If they do, I'm not interested.) I've also written some pretty dark Spuffy myself (dark enough to end up on my evil twin's LJ).
On the other hand, there have been times when I've had a great idea for a fic, but of necessity (needs of the plot, see?) it involved Buffy meaning what she said in Chosen. A prime example of this, for those familiar with my fics, is Heroes in Hell. Or at least, I thought it was a necessity at the time I wrote it. Looking back, I think it was just as likely, had Buffy known Spike was stuck in hell, she would have gone to rescue him anyway (she did in season 7, after all), without having to be romantically in love with him. But at the time, I didn't see that, so I included her having meant what she said in the story.
I don't know if it's convincing, though. Someone else would have to tell me.
And of course it isn't the only time I've written something I didn't believe. I don't believe for a minute, for instance, that Buffy would have done what I had her do in my Spuffy dark fic. Any more than I believe that Spike and Giles would ever have a sexual relationship, or that Spike and Wesley would (jury's still out on Spike and Angel, seeing as it was canon 'that one time'). But I'd like to think that while people were reading the story, they could believe it, even if afterwards, they thought, "Nah! Just...nah!"
Likewise, sometimes things you mean to write don't come across like you meant. Recently, I wrote a short piece set in season 6 for a sb_fag_ends prompt. It was this, if anyone's interested. It's rated PG13/R. Re-reading it, I think I make it look too much like Buffy is at fault, when I meant to make Spike very gittish, and her running a little scared of that, and everything bitter and difficult - a car crash waiting to happen, in fact.
But again, I don't know. Maybe I just made Buffy look like a user. Again, someone would have to tell me.
Anyway, just some brief thoughts.
ETA: Clearly, this is something that only applies to fanfic, when the source material is not under the writer's control.
Anyway, not what this post is about. No, this post is about trying to write stuff (in fanfic, I mean, as I've never written anything else) you don't actually believe, and whether the results are ever convincing, and also about unintentionally writing stuff you never meant to. More behind cut, with spoilers for some of my own stories, should anyone care about those.
I know this is probably going to sound a bit ridiculous, but I don't really think of myself as a Spuffy 'shipper. Obviously, I am one, as opposed to being any other sort of 'shipper, when it comes to Buffy and canon het relationships, because I find her relationship with Spike more interesting than her relationships with Angel or Riley. But I've never managed to convince myself that she meant what she said to Spike in the flaming hands scene in Chosen. I didn't believe it at the time, and now, after however many years it is of Joss-endorsed very bad comics, I believe it even less.
That doesn't of itself matter. After all, there are still many years of the relationship (however you define that word) to write about, and okay a lot of it is very dark, but I did come into reading fanfic through the dark slashfic route, so I can deal (or mostly. Depends who is writing. You can usually tell if the writer hates either character, or hates the 'ship. If they do, I'm not interested.) I've also written some pretty dark Spuffy myself (dark enough to end up on my evil twin's LJ).
On the other hand, there have been times when I've had a great idea for a fic, but of necessity (needs of the plot, see?) it involved Buffy meaning what she said in Chosen. A prime example of this, for those familiar with my fics, is Heroes in Hell. Or at least, I thought it was a necessity at the time I wrote it. Looking back, I think it was just as likely, had Buffy known Spike was stuck in hell, she would have gone to rescue him anyway (she did in season 7, after all), without having to be romantically in love with him. But at the time, I didn't see that, so I included her having meant what she said in the story.
I don't know if it's convincing, though. Someone else would have to tell me.
And of course it isn't the only time I've written something I didn't believe. I don't believe for a minute, for instance, that Buffy would have done what I had her do in my Spuffy dark fic. Any more than I believe that Spike and Giles would ever have a sexual relationship, or that Spike and Wesley would (jury's still out on Spike and Angel, seeing as it was canon 'that one time'). But I'd like to think that while people were reading the story, they could believe it, even if afterwards, they thought, "Nah! Just...nah!"
Likewise, sometimes things you mean to write don't come across like you meant. Recently, I wrote a short piece set in season 6 for a sb_fag_ends prompt. It was this, if anyone's interested. It's rated PG13/R. Re-reading it, I think I make it look too much like Buffy is at fault, when I meant to make Spike very gittish, and her running a little scared of that, and everything bitter and difficult - a car crash waiting to happen, in fact.
But again, I don't know. Maybe I just made Buffy look like a user. Again, someone would have to tell me.
Anyway, just some brief thoughts.
ETA: Clearly, this is something that only applies to fanfic, when the source material is not under the writer's control.