30 Questions Meme (updated 3 November)
I have nothing else to do with my time, okay? It's supposed to be thirty days but I don't have an attention span that's that long so I'm doing it all at once. Don't judge me.
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?
Holy crap you're asking me this? It was Tokio Hotel. I loved the German language and the pretty boys that played songs in said language so I started reading and eventually writing fiction based on them. None of it was very good but it was a very open minded fanbase so there was definitely never a fear of being judged by anyone for anything I wrote.
2 - Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
I've written a load for TH, as I've said before (upwards of a dozen pieces, multi-chaptered, drabbles and one-shots). I dabbled in Repo! the Genetic Opera and Invader Zim (No more that 5 stories between them). I'm currently writing several MCR fic (at least a dozen total) and am toying with the idea of Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco because they're just too closely related not to.
3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
TH: Gustav, all the way. He was an amazing character study.
Repo!: hm.... Graverobber. Duh.
IZ: I didn't get too far out of the common characterization of Dib. I suppose Gaz would be fun to write...
MCR: Uh... I have a ton of fun with Gerard and writing Mikey is always a unique experience.
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?
Muse? Not particularly. Neither in fanfic nor original fic.
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?
This hasn't happened yet. Not with fanfic. In my original fiction I have a character named Till- he does not like to be left out of anything, the attention whore, so I usually let him have his way or give him a face and name. He's more the Helpful Trickster archetype than a specific character.
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I prefer to write male characters but I think I need to try my hand with women. I think I'd be better at it than I want to admit. There's something Freudian in here somewhere.
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Yes! I read an incredible character study on Gustav when I was part of the TH fic community that transformed him from sort of bland and strong to almost a sociopath with incredible intelligence and depth.
I also wrote a fic from Toro's point of view recently... I don't think I did very well with it but I think that I'd like to try writing him again. I will do much better in the future.
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 don't believe in copious OCs in fanfic because of the tendancy to develop Mary Sues. It's usually much easier to use the established persons as templates to build one's own characters off of. Once a writer has done that for long enough they feel comfortable detaching themselves from the templates. They they're able to come up with their own names and traits for believable OCs.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
This again? Okay...
TH: Bill/Gustav
Repo!: Graverobber/Amber Sweet
IZ: Gaz/Tak
MCR: Am I allowed to say everything? Top: Frank/Gerard, Bob/Frank, Mikey/Frank (Also any interdimaneional AU with the Killjoys/MCR. That shit's the coolest.)
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?
Liked and Couldn't Write: Ray/Mikey, Frank/Pedicone
Disliked and Could Write: Bill/Tom
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Fantasy, AU, Drama, Mystery (ish... barely), Sci Fi. I tend to write all of the above.
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Nope. That is plagiarism and against my morals so I don't do that... though I have read some totally awesome fic written in that fashion. (Never let me English teacher see that. XD Hell never let her see this whole post... fuck.) I have been inspired by a line out of a film and a basic plot idea or two before.
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 enjoy both, I suppose. I'm not too clear on the difference. Writing fanfic has made me view the people I write about as just that- people- but even more so because I'm very set on keeping reality separate from fiction. (Never break the fourth wall, y'know?)
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?
I can write anything through PG-13. I don't know why but I'm incapable of writing porn, het or slash. I'm sure it's some kind of mental block and I'm very slowly working through it. I feel like I ought to write more PG-type fic. Just cute, fluffy shit because the MCR fic archives don't seem to have enough of that. We're a very angsty fanbase for such happy people!
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?
Warnings are great- they keep people from being triggered and it also serves as advertising. Sometimes people are looking for specific kinks or dramatic aspects and that can attract readers as well as protect those who are sensitive to those things.
The strangest warnings I've ever posted? Wings and ratty couches, respectively. (I love making up goofy warnings sometimes. Don't judge me.)
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
If a fic summary blows I won't read it. It doesn't matter how amazing the writing is- if the author can't advertise well they aren't ready to be read.
I hate writing summaries because they put a lot of pressure on the author but that's how it should be. You're selling your material- be it to an agent or a bunch of kids online- and you need to put forth the distilled best of your piece in a few sentences at the most. It takes me a while to come up with a summary and I tend to try to make them witty or, at least, attractive in some way.
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 have a love/hate relationship with titles of all kinds. Some come to me straight away and others take months to devise, various names getting scrapped or reworked as time passes. The right title, though, fits like that perfect new bra and you never want to get rid of it.
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
My friends... they prompt me with random shit once in a while that works out really well. Sometimes a line from a film or a poem will do the trick... other times it's the things I study like mythology or history or grandiose themes in literature.
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Both. It depends on whether or not the story has already been started, how excited/scared I am to write it, and how far the plot has progressed in my head by the time I pick up the pen. I like to outline things sometimes.
20 -Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
ALL THE TIME. That's an exaggeration... it does happen, though, but I'm usually too afraid to ask existing authors if I can write fanfic for their fanfic- I'm afraid I won't do the original justice, y'know? Other times there's a thematic element of the story that sticks or a particular role- same situation. I'm scared that I won't do the original genius justice.
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?
I love well-written sequels. I'm working on one right now and I hope I do it well. It serves the purpose of tying up loose ends from the plot of the first story so it definitely isn't unneeded.
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 doing Bandom Big Bang right now, God help me. I'm thrilled about it and I can't wait to be done with it and get on to next year so I can do another. Knowing that I can produce such a large volume of words to order is gratifying.
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
I post to my livejournal and my dreamwidth. Both are under the same screen name: vinvy.
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?
I have about four friends who lovingly stalk my fic (not all at once, usually) as I write it then comment when I finally post. They keep me from making absurd medical mistakes or getting too indulgent or putting things on hiatus. Once in a while they keep me from getting too carried away with plotholes.
I beta things, too, though not officially. I'll take on almost any challenge.... there's one exception- it was a Frank/OFC fic where the OFC was the first person narrator and a total Mary Sue. There was no clear plot. It was formatted as blocks of text with unclear dialogue tags and I wanted to shoot myself in the face. I gave up on it within one page.
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?
Sometimes I need mood music. I like to leave the TV on and muted....
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
How to get gum out of one's hair.
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
I write in a journal that is specifically for my fanfic and I write on my ancient laptop that I always pray will live through the next day. I write on the couch and in my room, mostly.... if I write in public it's longhand.
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Yes and so far nothing has ever been finished writing-wise.
For BBB I'm supposed to get picked by an artist, I think? I'm thrilled about that. One of my betas has a friend who's supposed to render something from a story I wrote and if it pans out I will owe them both half of my soul or something of equal value- I'll be that flattered and grateful
29 - What is your current project or projects?
A Giant Secret BBB Fic, a mafia!fic, a HS AU from Mikeyway's POV, and an orphaned domestic drama and an orphaned dustverse fic. It is highly likely that I'm forgetting about something.
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
My favorite fic? My BBB is up there... Otherwise it's my toaster-related fic.
*You have to let me know that you read this nonsense (or at least clicked the cut) so I know to write free things for you. Okay?
<3 <3 <3 <3
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?
Holy crap you're asking me this? It was Tokio Hotel. I loved the German language and the pretty boys that played songs in said language so I started reading and eventually writing fiction based on them. None of it was very good but it was a very open minded fanbase so there was definitely never a fear of being judged by anyone for anything I wrote.
2 - Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
I've written a load for TH, as I've said before (upwards of a dozen pieces, multi-chaptered, drabbles and one-shots). I dabbled in Repo! the Genetic Opera and Invader Zim (No more that 5 stories between them). I'm currently writing several MCR fic (at least a dozen total) and am toying with the idea of Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco because they're just too closely related not to.
3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
TH: Gustav, all the way. He was an amazing character study.
Repo!: hm.... Graverobber. Duh.
IZ: I didn't get too far out of the common characterization of Dib. I suppose Gaz would be fun to write...
MCR: Uh... I have a ton of fun with Gerard and writing Mikey is always a unique experience.
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?
Muse? Not particularly. Neither in fanfic nor original fic.
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?
This hasn't happened yet. Not with fanfic. In my original fiction I have a character named Till- he does not like to be left out of anything, the attention whore, so I usually let him have his way or give him a face and name. He's more the Helpful Trickster archetype than a specific character.
6 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I prefer to write male characters but I think I need to try my hand with women. I think I'd be better at it than I want to admit. There's something Freudian in here somewhere.
7 - Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Yes! I read an incredible character study on Gustav when I was part of the TH fic community that transformed him from sort of bland and strong to almost a sociopath with incredible intelligence and depth.
I also wrote a fic from Toro's point of view recently... I don't think I did very well with it but I think that I'd like to try writing him again. I will do much better in the future.
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 don't believe in copious OCs in fanfic because of the tendancy to develop Mary Sues. It's usually much easier to use the established persons as templates to build one's own characters off of. Once a writer has done that for long enough they feel comfortable detaching themselves from the templates. They they're able to come up with their own names and traits for believable OCs.
9 - Pairings - For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
This again? Okay...
TH: Bill/Gustav
Repo!: Graverobber/Amber Sweet
IZ: Gaz/Tak
MCR: Am I allowed to say everything? Top: Frank/Gerard, Bob/Frank, Mikey/Frank (Also any interdimaneional AU with the Killjoys/MCR. That shit's the coolest.)
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?
Liked and Couldn't Write: Ray/Mikey, Frank/Pedicone
Disliked and Could Write: Bill/Tom
11 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Fantasy, AU, Drama, Mystery (ish... barely), Sci Fi. I tend to write all of the above.
12 - Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Nope. That is plagiarism and against my morals so I don't do that... though I have read some totally awesome fic written in that fashion. (Never let me English teacher see that. XD Hell never let her see this whole post... fuck.) I have been inspired by a line out of a film and a basic plot idea or two before.
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 enjoy both, I suppose. I'm not too clear on the difference. Writing fanfic has made me view the people I write about as just that- people- but even more so because I'm very set on keeping reality separate from fiction. (Never break the fourth wall, y'know?)
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?
I can write anything through PG-13. I don't know why but I'm incapable of writing porn, het or slash. I'm sure it's some kind of mental block and I'm very slowly working through it. I feel like I ought to write more PG-type fic. Just cute, fluffy shit because the MCR fic archives don't seem to have enough of that. We're a very angsty fanbase for such happy people!
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?
Warnings are great- they keep people from being triggered and it also serves as advertising. Sometimes people are looking for specific kinks or dramatic aspects and that can attract readers as well as protect those who are sensitive to those things.
The strangest warnings I've ever posted? Wings and ratty couches, respectively. (I love making up goofy warnings sometimes. Don't judge me.)
16 - Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
If a fic summary blows I won't read it. It doesn't matter how amazing the writing is- if the author can't advertise well they aren't ready to be read.
I hate writing summaries because they put a lot of pressure on the author but that's how it should be. You're selling your material- be it to an agent or a bunch of kids online- and you need to put forth the distilled best of your piece in a few sentences at the most. It takes me a while to come up with a summary and I tend to try to make them witty or, at least, attractive in some way.
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 have a love/hate relationship with titles of all kinds. Some come to me straight away and others take months to devise, various names getting scrapped or reworked as time passes. The right title, though, fits like that perfect new bra and you never want to get rid of it.
18 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
My friends... they prompt me with random shit once in a while that works out really well. Sometimes a line from a film or a poem will do the trick... other times it's the things I study like mythology or history or grandiose themes in literature.
19 - When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Both. It depends on whether or not the story has already been started, how excited/scared I am to write it, and how far the plot has progressed in my head by the time I pick up the pen. I like to outline things sometimes.
20 -Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
ALL THE TIME. That's an exaggeration... it does happen, though, but I'm usually too afraid to ask existing authors if I can write fanfic for their fanfic- I'm afraid I won't do the original justice, y'know? Other times there's a thematic element of the story that sticks or a particular role- same situation. I'm scared that I won't do the original genius justice.
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?
I love well-written sequels. I'm working on one right now and I hope I do it well. It serves the purpose of tying up loose ends from the plot of the first story so it definitely isn't unneeded.
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 doing Bandom Big Bang right now, God help me. I'm thrilled about it and I can't wait to be done with it and get on to next year so I can do another. Knowing that I can produce such a large volume of words to order is gratifying.
23 - When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
I post to my livejournal and my dreamwidth. Both are under the same screen name: vinvy.
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?
I have about four friends who lovingly stalk my fic (not all at once, usually) as I write it then comment when I finally post. They keep me from making absurd medical mistakes or getting too indulgent or putting things on hiatus. Once in a while they keep me from getting too carried away with plotholes.
I beta things, too, though not officially. I'll take on almost any challenge.... there's one exception- it was a Frank/OFC fic where the OFC was the first person narrator and a total Mary Sue. There was no clear plot. It was formatted as blocks of text with unclear dialogue tags and I wanted to shoot myself in the face. I gave up on it within one page.
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?
Sometimes I need mood music. I like to leave the TV on and muted....
26 - What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
How to get gum out of one's hair.
27 - Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
I write in a journal that is specifically for my fanfic and I write on my ancient laptop that I always pray will live through the next day. I write on the couch and in my room, mostly.... if I write in public it's longhand.
28 - Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Yes and so far nothing has ever been finished writing-wise.
For BBB I'm supposed to get picked by an artist, I think? I'm thrilled about that. One of my betas has a friend who's supposed to render something from a story I wrote and if it pans out I will owe them both half of my soul or something of equal value- I'll be that flattered and grateful
29 - What is your current project or projects?
A Giant Secret BBB Fic, a mafia!fic, a HS AU from Mikeyway's POV, and an orphaned domestic drama and an orphaned dustverse fic. It is highly likely that I'm forgetting about something.
30 - Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
My favorite fic? My BBB is up there... Otherwise it's my toaster-related fic.
*You have to let me know that you read this nonsense (or at least clicked the cut) so I know to write free things for you. Okay?
<3 <3 <3 <3