30-Day Fanfic Writing Meme - Complete!
I finished it finally!
1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
I started reading Harry Potter in 2004 and loved the characters of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. I was on a HP website that had fics on the characters (I didn't really know what fanfiction was at that point). This led to another site that had Remus paired with several characters, and it's an understatement to say I was intrigued. Eventually, I noticed the abundance of Remus/Sirius fics. Honestly, I hadn't thought about them as a couple but I couldn't deny that it didn't seem possible. Who cares about canon? And that was it--I was hooked.
The pairing of these two guys who are opposites but yet very similar is what pulled me in. Sirius is the brash, arrogant, cool guy who can have anyone he wants, and Remus is the quiet, studious, shy guy who would be an outcast if not for his very best friends, including Sirius. Together, they're smart, loyal, mischievous and very hot. And that, canon-wise, they share a wonderful friendship during their school years, a tense period post-graduation, and a delicate, tender, though short, relationship years later just adds so many layers to such a dynamic coupling. This is also one of those opposites-attract pairings that I have a weakness for. And there were (and are) some fantastic writers who created such beautiful and charming fics for these two when I started in this fandom, and I became addicted.
2 - Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Remus/Sirius (Harry Potter): I've written a good number of one-shots and two chaptered fics. I will occasionally write in this fandom but only for holiday fests now.
Zach/Shaun (Shelter): I've only written 2 one-shots. Who knows if I'll write more?
Luke/Reid (As the World Turns): I've written several one-shots and one chaptered fic. Currently working on my 2nd long fic. I love this ship and will/hope to write more in it.
3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
R/S: Sirius, Remus, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Potter (who I turned into a total fangirl)
Z/S: Zach, Shaun, Gabe
L/R: Reid, Luke, Katie, Lily (who I try to redeem because I think the show and other writers are generally hard on her)
4 - Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
For my current fandom, LuRe, Luke Snyder would be my muse, though Reid is a close second. They're both always featured in the fics, obviously, so they don't have to be forced in. Even though some of my fics are from Reid's POV, I tend to more often than not write a LuRe fic because of Luke. He didn't get too much airtime or stuff to do on the show so I feel I have to make it up to him and his very hot doctor boyfriend by creating many, many stories for them.
5 -If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Yes! This happened with my chaptered fic, On Second Thought. An OC was only supposed to be in it to antagonize my characters for a while, but she took over and I let her. I'm glad I did, though, because the response to her was very strong and I had a ball writing her. She was an effective villain.
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I don’t prefer one over the other, but I do write more male characters so I guess I’m more partial to them. As a woman, it’s a lot of fun to get into the mind of a man and write his actions, thoughts, and so forth.
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Writing Chris Hughes (ATWT) proved therapeutic for me. He was the character I least liked at the end of the soap, but in writing him, particularly in my chaptered fic, I liked him. I made him less of a jerk and the way I think he should’ve been written on the show.
8 - Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
I rarely do, and they’re always minor OCs, like a character’s parents, ex-boyfriend, co-worker or such. I think I avoid major OCs so as to avoid Mary Sues.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
R/S: Remus/Sirius, Lily Evans/James Potter, Alice/Frank Longbottom
L/R: Luke/Reid, Lily/Holden, Chris/Katie
Z/S: Zach/Shaun only. Not enough other characters!
10 - Pairings - Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
I tend to only write pairings I like and I haven’t had any problems so far. There are 3 pairings I didn’t particularly like but I love/loved writing them:
Chris/Katie (ATWT) - I HATED Chris on the show and I kinda HATED Katie on the show for loving him. In fics, though, I have a blast writing them. They’re so much fun to write opposite Luke and Reid.
Casey/Allison (ATWT) - They weren’t too good together on ATWT but they’re so good together in fics. They’re adorable when they’re focusing on each other or their friends in fanfic instead of on murderous psychos or cheating women as they did on the show.
MWPP James Potter/Lily Evans (HP) - I liked Harry’s parents but I didn’t think they were all that great a couple in the Hogwarts era. Writing them, though, was enjoyable. James is silly and arrogant and Lily is shrill and conceited but together, they’re perfect.
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
No preference, but I tend to write romance and fluff (I just love that word: “fluff”) and some angsty drama.
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Actually, yes, kind of. I wrote a 2-part LuRe fic based loosely on It’s a Wonderful Life with Luke as George Bailey and Reid as his Mary.
13 - Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
I would say fanon because 3 out of the 4 characters in my top 2 pairings are dead in canon so naturally, I prefer fanon in that case. And one pairing (Remus/Sirius) was never officially canon so fanon is the way to go! Fanfic has definitely influenced how I see the original characters in their original material (whether on the soap or in the book/movie). It hasn’t necessarily “changed” how I view them, though. The characters are still the characters as originally created BUT I do tend to sometimes associate things (characteristics, history, etc.) with them that I read about in fanfic or that I myself write in a fic that aren’t actually true or “canon.”
14 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
As high as possible. I usually know the rating for the story I’m writing so no, it never veers from a G to NC-17 or vice versa.
15 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Actually, I could do without warnings altogether. I don’t usually post in mine, and I don’t think I’ve had any strange warnings for my fics.
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
These I do like. I need to know what I’m going to read. That will either turn me on or turn me off. I use them every time and come up with one sentence that will encompass my whole fic.
17 - Titles - Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
I hate thinking up titles; it’s hard. I always leave that to the end. In my R/S chaptered fics, I did name each chapter individually but not anymore. Like I said, it’s hard.
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Anything and everything, mostly shows. If I see an episode of a certain show I watch or if the characters do something interesting, I’ll think of writing something similar for the characters I write for. Movies too! And sometimes, I’ll see a comment or post about stories that people want to read so I’ll write one or two of those.
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Depends. If I can’t stop thinking about the idea-as in I start forming scenes and dialogue in my head right away-then I’ll write it that day or the following. Other ideas might be too big or not fully formed so I’ll set those aside.
20 -Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
It happens, yes.
21 - Sequels - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
One or two, I believe. If I can’t say everything I wanted to say in a fic, then I’ll think about a sequel. Nothing wrong with sequels. I’ve had someone request a sequel to one of my one-shots and I obliged because the original wasn’t as satisfying to her nor to me.
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’m currently writing my fic for my first Big Bang. I like the deadline. And I hate the deadline.
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
My journal and the communities for the particular fandom I writing.
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?
Never used one! But now I will be getting a beta for my Big Bang challenge and maybe for my other fics too. I just need to find someone I can trust.
25 - Music - 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’ve tried this but it fails. I can’t concentrate on writing dialogue if the music is too loud.
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
The craziest, wildest gay sex positions imaginable! And the probability that taking illegal substances causes blindness.
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
In my room on my PC, period.
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
I contributed to a friend’s story because she needed help with it, but it really was more helping than collaborating as it was her idea and plot. Never used artists.
29 - What is your current project or projects?
*Luke/Reid Big Bang fic
*2 Luke/Reid one-shots for friends
*Luke/Reid multi-chaptered Witness Protection Program fic
*Shelter angst one-shot for a challenge fest
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
I can’t choose! That’s like asking who my favorite child is . . . if I had children. Hmm, one that’s silly and crazy and that I’ve read multiple times is this one: Killing Reid Oliver. It was therapeutic for me since I was so angry at the show for how it handled my OTP. I'm proud of this one.
1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
I started reading Harry Potter in 2004 and loved the characters of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. I was on a HP website that had fics on the characters (I didn't really know what fanfiction was at that point). This led to another site that had Remus paired with several characters, and it's an understatement to say I was intrigued. Eventually, I noticed the abundance of Remus/Sirius fics. Honestly, I hadn't thought about them as a couple but I couldn't deny that it didn't seem possible. Who cares about canon? And that was it--I was hooked.
The pairing of these two guys who are opposites but yet very similar is what pulled me in. Sirius is the brash, arrogant, cool guy who can have anyone he wants, and Remus is the quiet, studious, shy guy who would be an outcast if not for his very best friends, including Sirius. Together, they're smart, loyal, mischievous and very hot. And that, canon-wise, they share a wonderful friendship during their school years, a tense period post-graduation, and a delicate, tender, though short, relationship years later just adds so many layers to such a dynamic coupling. This is also one of those opposites-attract pairings that I have a weakness for. And there were (and are) some fantastic writers who created such beautiful and charming fics for these two when I started in this fandom, and I became addicted.
2 - Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Remus/Sirius (Harry Potter): I've written a good number of one-shots and two chaptered fics. I will occasionally write in this fandom but only for holiday fests now.
Zach/Shaun (Shelter): I've only written 2 one-shots. Who knows if I'll write more?
Luke/Reid (As the World Turns): I've written several one-shots and one chaptered fic. Currently working on my 2nd long fic. I love this ship and will/hope to write more in it.
3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
R/S: Sirius, Remus, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Potter (who I turned into a total fangirl)
Z/S: Zach, Shaun, Gabe
L/R: Reid, Luke, Katie, Lily (who I try to redeem because I think the show and other writers are generally hard on her)
4 - Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
For my current fandom, LuRe, Luke Snyder would be my muse, though Reid is a close second. They're both always featured in the fics, obviously, so they don't have to be forced in. Even though some of my fics are from Reid's POV, I tend to more often than not write a LuRe fic because of Luke. He didn't get too much airtime or stuff to do on the show so I feel I have to make it up to him and his very hot doctor boyfriend by creating many, many stories for them.
5 -If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Yes! This happened with my chaptered fic, On Second Thought. An OC was only supposed to be in it to antagonize my characters for a while, but she took over and I let her. I'm glad I did, though, because the response to her was very strong and I had a ball writing her. She was an effective villain.
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I don’t prefer one over the other, but I do write more male characters so I guess I’m more partial to them. As a woman, it’s a lot of fun to get into the mind of a man and write his actions, thoughts, and so forth.
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Writing Chris Hughes (ATWT) proved therapeutic for me. He was the character I least liked at the end of the soap, but in writing him, particularly in my chaptered fic, I liked him. I made him less of a jerk and the way I think he should’ve been written on the show.
8 - Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
I rarely do, and they’re always minor OCs, like a character’s parents, ex-boyfriend, co-worker or such. I think I avoid major OCs so as to avoid Mary Sues.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
R/S: Remus/Sirius, Lily Evans/James Potter, Alice/Frank Longbottom
L/R: Luke/Reid, Lily/Holden, Chris/Katie
Z/S: Zach/Shaun only. Not enough other characters!
10 - Pairings - Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
I tend to only write pairings I like and I haven’t had any problems so far. There are 3 pairings I didn’t particularly like but I love/loved writing them:
Chris/Katie (ATWT) - I HATED Chris on the show and I kinda HATED Katie on the show for loving him. In fics, though, I have a blast writing them. They’re so much fun to write opposite Luke and Reid.
Casey/Allison (ATWT) - They weren’t too good together on ATWT but they’re so good together in fics. They’re adorable when they’re focusing on each other or their friends in fanfic instead of on murderous psychos or cheating women as they did on the show.
MWPP James Potter/Lily Evans (HP) - I liked Harry’s parents but I didn’t think they were all that great a couple in the Hogwarts era. Writing them, though, was enjoyable. James is silly and arrogant and Lily is shrill and conceited but together, they’re perfect.
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
No preference, but I tend to write romance and fluff (I just love that word: “fluff”) and some angsty drama.
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Actually, yes, kind of. I wrote a 2-part LuRe fic based loosely on It’s a Wonderful Life with Luke as George Bailey and Reid as his Mary.
13 - Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
I would say fanon because 3 out of the 4 characters in my top 2 pairings are dead in canon so naturally, I prefer fanon in that case. And one pairing (Remus/Sirius) was never officially canon so fanon is the way to go! Fanfic has definitely influenced how I see the original characters in their original material (whether on the soap or in the book/movie). It hasn’t necessarily “changed” how I view them, though. The characters are still the characters as originally created BUT I do tend to sometimes associate things (characteristics, history, etc.) with them that I read about in fanfic or that I myself write in a fic that aren’t actually true or “canon.”
14 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
As high as possible. I usually know the rating for the story I’m writing so no, it never veers from a G to NC-17 or vice versa.
15 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Actually, I could do without warnings altogether. I don’t usually post in mine, and I don’t think I’ve had any strange warnings for my fics.
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
These I do like. I need to know what I’m going to read. That will either turn me on or turn me off. I use them every time and come up with one sentence that will encompass my whole fic.
17 - Titles - Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
I hate thinking up titles; it’s hard. I always leave that to the end. In my R/S chaptered fics, I did name each chapter individually but not anymore. Like I said, it’s hard.
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Anything and everything, mostly shows. If I see an episode of a certain show I watch or if the characters do something interesting, I’ll think of writing something similar for the characters I write for. Movies too! And sometimes, I’ll see a comment or post about stories that people want to read so I’ll write one or two of those.
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Depends. If I can’t stop thinking about the idea-as in I start forming scenes and dialogue in my head right away-then I’ll write it that day or the following. Other ideas might be too big or not fully formed so I’ll set those aside.
20 -Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
It happens, yes.
21 - Sequels - Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
One or two, I believe. If I can’t say everything I wanted to say in a fic, then I’ll think about a sequel. Nothing wrong with sequels. I’ve had someone request a sequel to one of my one-shots and I obliged because the original wasn’t as satisfying to her nor to me.
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’m currently writing my fic for my first Big Bang. I like the deadline. And I hate the deadline.
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
My journal and the communities for the particular fandom I writing.
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?
Never used one! But now I will be getting a beta for my Big Bang challenge and maybe for my other fics too. I just need to find someone I can trust.
25 - Music - 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’ve tried this but it fails. I can’t concentrate on writing dialogue if the music is too loud.
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
The craziest, wildest gay sex positions imaginable! And the probability that taking illegal substances causes blindness.
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
In my room on my PC, period.
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
I contributed to a friend’s story because she needed help with it, but it really was more helping than collaborating as it was her idea and plot. Never used artists.
29 - What is your current project or projects?
*Luke/Reid Big Bang fic
*2 Luke/Reid one-shots for friends
*Luke/Reid multi-chaptered Witness Protection Program fic
*Shelter angst one-shot for a challenge fest
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
I can’t choose! That’s like asking who my favorite child is . . . if I had children. Hmm, one that’s silly and crazy and that I’ve read multiple times is this one: Killing Reid Oliver. It was therapeutic for me since I was so angry at the show for how it handled my OTP. I'm proud of this one.