Just Suppose: A Pep Talk
SPN has spoiled me. I've spent most of the last four years emeshed in its cuddly coils, surrounded by hordes of like-minded fangirls ready to coo and hug and welcome the fics that dripped from my pen. Not every fic---Hereafter the Balance was mostly ignored, ditto Iron and Faith and a few others, but out of the 50---yes, I counted them---50+ SPN stories and crossovers that I've posted, they've by and large gotten an enthusiastic reception. IE, my comment-whore self was satistied.
Mind you, when it comes to writing/posting in fandom, I started out in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which is about as much of a cult fandom as you can get, branching out to Johnny Depp fandoms at large...and knowing nothing else, I was fairly pleased by the response I got.
This was all over at ff.net before I found my way to LJ. I spent about a year tapering off Depp and flirting with other things---Brosnan's Bond, Vin Diesel, who/whatever caught my fancy. I didn't start posting fic here until I got into House, MD, which was an eye-opener. It was my first experience with a mega-fandom, the kind with a vast and voracious audience.
My infatuation with House proved to be fairly brief, about six months with the occasional follow-up ficlet since, because Supernatural had ensnared me. SPN proved to be even more satisfying than House, for me. Lots of comments on LJ, lots of hits at ff.net...this has become the norm.
And now, I seem to be falling in love with Justified, which seems to be more of a cult thing so far, ala OUaTiM. Correspondingly, the two fics I've produced haven't gotten the kind of response I've become accustomed to.
I know, it's not supposed to be about the comments. It's supposed to be about the characters, and making them ring true. It's supposed to be about taking canon and adding to it, about crafting a satisfying coda to events, a prequel that will lead to the truths we already know, something new that blends in with the original. It's supposed to be about the words, refining their inflection and cadence to evoke feelings and images for the reader that make it as believable as the on-screen scenarios. It's supposed to be about love of the fandom---whatever fandom.
Perhaps that's naive of me. My ego certainly wants to stand up and demand recognition. It tosses its head and says, Well yes, they *were* very nice reviews, but there were only FOUR of them. This completely ignores the forty-odd years I spent with no audience whatsoever except the occasional friend I could corner and force-feed my scribblings. How easily we are seduced by fame!
Clearly, it's time for me to suck up my pride and get back to basics. I will write what's in my heart and not concern myself with audience participation. (Easier said than done!) I will be thorough in my editing and not rush to post. I will remember the words of Hemingway, who said, "Write the truest sentence you know", and Leonard, who said, "If it sounds like writing, (I) rewrite it.". And I will try not to be too damn vocal about the whole process.
So mote it be.
.
Mind you, when it comes to writing/posting in fandom, I started out in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which is about as much of a cult fandom as you can get, branching out to Johnny Depp fandoms at large...and knowing nothing else, I was fairly pleased by the response I got.
This was all over at ff.net before I found my way to LJ. I spent about a year tapering off Depp and flirting with other things---Brosnan's Bond, Vin Diesel, who/whatever caught my fancy. I didn't start posting fic here until I got into House, MD, which was an eye-opener. It was my first experience with a mega-fandom, the kind with a vast and voracious audience.
My infatuation with House proved to be fairly brief, about six months with the occasional follow-up ficlet since, because Supernatural had ensnared me. SPN proved to be even more satisfying than House, for me. Lots of comments on LJ, lots of hits at ff.net...this has become the norm.
And now, I seem to be falling in love with Justified, which seems to be more of a cult thing so far, ala OUaTiM. Correspondingly, the two fics I've produced haven't gotten the kind of response I've become accustomed to.
I know, it's not supposed to be about the comments. It's supposed to be about the characters, and making them ring true. It's supposed to be about taking canon and adding to it, about crafting a satisfying coda to events, a prequel that will lead to the truths we already know, something new that blends in with the original. It's supposed to be about the words, refining their inflection and cadence to evoke feelings and images for the reader that make it as believable as the on-screen scenarios. It's supposed to be about love of the fandom---whatever fandom.
Perhaps that's naive of me. My ego certainly wants to stand up and demand recognition. It tosses its head and says, Well yes, they *were* very nice reviews, but there were only FOUR of them. This completely ignores the forty-odd years I spent with no audience whatsoever except the occasional friend I could corner and force-feed my scribblings. How easily we are seduced by fame!
Clearly, it's time for me to suck up my pride and get back to basics. I will write what's in my heart and not concern myself with audience participation. (Easier said than done!) I will be thorough in my editing and not rush to post. I will remember the words of Hemingway, who said, "Write the truest sentence you know", and Leonard, who said, "If it sounds like writing, (I) rewrite it.". And I will try not to be too damn vocal about the whole process.
So mote it be.
.