[Meme]
Stole a fanfiction-related meme from Kainoliero, because why not.
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?
The first fandom that I remember writing for was definitely Digimon. I'd read fic for other canons before - mostly Star Fox 64, also some Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time) - but Digimon is definitely the series that got me writing.
I think that the reason it was Digimon that I fell for, rather than LoZ or SF64, is that it had a large-ish cast of characters who were all developed to some degree. It was also easier to access character-related information and extras. LoZ and SF64 had tons of information on the internet, but a lot of it was related to gameplay, and back in 2000 it isn't like you could look up cut scenes on youtube, you know?
2. Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it. (Or as many of them as you want to write about if you have many fandoms.)
Digimon: I wrote about 60 stories in that fandom. ...I just checked ffnet and they're still up. Oh gods, why. Well, I'm not going to delete them, but I'm probably not going to write for that canon again, either. (Though, who knows. Maybe some day I'll revisit it and feel some stirring of nostalgia.)
Weiss Kreuz: I wrote about 10 stories in this fandom. Let's not talk about them. I still love this canon, though, and I still re-watch it every now and then. Maybe some day if I get better at plotting, I'll try to write it again.
Hetalia: My archive says I've finished 145 fics. Not bad! Let's aim for 200. :) I'm still writing in it, still active in this fandom, I don't know if I'll ever give it up.
Legend of Zelda: I wrote one fic when I was a kid. Now, I'm trying to write for this canon again. I have something that's maybe 50% drafted, and I really want to finish it, because I love Link and I love Hyrule and I love Zelda and goddamnit, I love the LoZ series so much.
3. For each of the fandoms from # two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Digimon: Koushirou and Jyou, man. I shipped them so hard, and I loved writing both of them.
Weiss Kreuz: Aya and Schuldig. Mostly because they were my favourites. It would not be the same if I picked them up these days, though.
Hetalia: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands. Used to love writing Poland and Estonia, too.
Legend of Zelda: Ravio is a ton of fun. It's too bad he's only in the most recent game. Also, I love writing Link. Which is kind of weird, since he's a silent protagonist. Then again, that gives a ton of options, so you have a lot of room to do whatever you want.
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?
... No? I write about Norway a lot, though. Like, more than any other character that I write. But I can write stories without him in them (and to be honest, sometimes those stories are the best ones.)
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?
Er, no. Though there have been times when I've discovered that a character's role needs to change or be expanded beyond what I originally expected. I'm working on a case like that right now, actually; a long romance fic with Norway in it. He's close with Netherlands in the story, and their friendship becomes important for the plot later, but I've come to realize recently that I need to develop their friendship more in the beginning of the story. Otherwise, it won't be believable to anyone who isn't myself, since they don't really have any interaction in the comics. Their real-life relations are good, but I'd say not as well known compared to Netherlands' relationship with Denmark. So, in order to make it convincing that they'd be close, I've found that I'll have to expand on their relationship and put Netherlands in more scenes and all that stuff. It isn't what I had originally planned to do at all.
6. When you write, do you prefer writing male, female, or non-binary gendered characters? Or do you have no preference?
I write characters as whatever they are in canon. Most of my favourite characters are guys, so I... mostly write guys. But most of my original fiction characters are female, and I have a lot of fun with them, though it's been a while since I've written anything from that.
7. Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Of my own stuff, well, I didn't care very much about Norway until I wrote him. Then Kainoliero's fics made me like him even more (though I can't remember which one it was). I think I didn't care much about Estonia until I tried writing him, either. Germany, too. All in all, writing a character is a pretty good way for me to get myself to like them, because spending some time thinking about their thoughts and personality and motivations makes me appreciate what puts them together.
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 feel that "Mary Sue" is an outdated and overused term that people often apply when it doesn't really fit.
Anyway. Sometimes I write OCs in fanfiction. Hetalia is a series that's pretty good for it, since even though there's presumably a personification for every country, we don't have official characters for every nation yet. In a way, it makes it easier than creating an original human character from scratch, because when you research for writing a country, you have that nation's "life" laid out in front of you, and you can use that to try to decide what kind of person they would be, rather than starting from a completely blank slate. ... You need to think of them as if they're an actual person.
Recently, I wrote Czech Republic in Vltava. But she isn't actually in the story as much as I would like. Originally, it was going to be twice as long, and part of it was going to be from her point of view, but it just wasn't going to fit, so I had to cut that. As a result, I don't actually "know" her. I have no idea what her personality flaws might be. I have no idea what her mannerisms might be. I have no idea what her virtues are. Does she hold grudges? Is she sometimes very petty? Is she direct when she's angry with someone? I think that she's the kind to stand her ground even when someone is putting pressure on her - like a siege, be it real or metaphorical - but while that's a brave stance, I don't think it would solve her problems (be they personal or otherwise), at least not all of the time.
The other OC in Hetalia that I've written the most is Åland in Worth Waiting For. I'm pretty comfortable with her as a character, because I spent more time thinking about her (I've even roleplayed as her), so she feels more "real" to me.
9. Pairings - For each of the fandoms from question two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Just going to answer for the current fandoms since they're the only ones that are relevant.
Hetalia: Norway/Denmark, Norway/Sweden, Norway/whoever
LoZ: ... crap, I'm starting to ship Link/Ravio, this is not as planned.
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?
Lots of times. Sometimes I'll write a pairing that squicks me, just to figure out if I can do it in a way that I'll be happy with. So, I've written some Russia/Estonia. Still don't like the pairing, but that fic turned out okay. I've also written Germany/Norway - that pairing used to be a huge squick for me, but after writing it, I fell completely in love with it. I guess that's because I was writing it in a context that I wanted to read (consensual/modern day) rather than the few fics that I came across (which were mostly WWII noncon).
I'm also pretty good at writing Sweden/Finland apparently, even though I don't even ship it really.
11. Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Well, I write a lot of romance. I write so much of it that I'd say it's my default genre. But some of my best fics, and the ones that were the most satisfying to write even if they made me tear my hair out, are historical stories. Stuff like Sound Dues and Vltava, basically.
Ideally, what I'd like to do is write longer stories in historical settings. Romance doesn't have to be modern, after all. (Some pairings are almost impossible to write happily at certain points in time. But that doesn't mean there can't be buckets of ust, even if they're trying to bash each other's brains in.)
12. Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
I'm not a fan of that kind of AU, really. I like it in fanart, but I'm not interested in fic.
I do like crossovers, though - the kind where characters from two canons meet - and the nice thing about Hetalia is that it can be crossed over with lots of other canons that are set in the real world (or the "real world", with alterations). I haven't finished any yet, but right now I have a Hetalia + Trolljegeren crossover that I'm working on.
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 generally adhere to canon.
Hetalia is kind of an odd fish though, because the canon is a lot different most of the time than the stuff that I write. I mean, it's really cracky and silly and there's a lot of stuff that doesn't make much sense. The stories I write, on the other hand, aren't really humour, and even the fluffy modern romances have more of a serious tone than the silly comic strips. So I don't stick that closely to canon when I write; it's just not possible. But I'm not interested in the larger, overarching fanon stuff, either.
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?
Well, I've written lots of porn, so obviously 18+ is the highest I'm willing to go... Though there is something to be said for the reasons for an 18 rating; rating something 18 for sex is a lot different than rating something 18 for violence, and I doubt I will ever be comfortable writing something that requires an 18+ rating for violence. ... Then again, sometimes I surprise myself, so who knows. But, probably not. Even though I enjoy writing battle scenes (when I challenge myself enough to do it), graphic violence is something that can really upset me, so it's not likely.
There have been a few times when I've written something, intended to put sex in it, and then decided not to. Equilibrium is an example of that; I originally intended to write it out, and in fact started to write the next scene, but decided to cut it out because the ending felt complete as it was.
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?
When it comes to ratings, I generally find that less is more. Warning for the big stuff - sex, violence, noncon, and permanent death - is usually enough for me. Sometimes it's useful to be a little more detailed, like labeling what kind of sex or what kind of violence, but it's 50/50 as to whether I throw that into the summary/extra details/etc rather than the rating/warning field, because those things serve to function just as much as advertisement as they do for warnings. (I.E. if I write double penetration or graphic 17th-century battle violence, I'm probably going to label that, because while there are some people who won't read it, there are also some people who will love it. I want to attract those people.)
But warning for every tiny little thing - no. I feel that it's really unnecessary, and I won't do it. Though I do understand that people have their particular squicks, and if someone drops me a note asking for more details about the contents of a particular story I'd be happy to oblige. ("You labelled Vltava for violence; are there any descriptions of eye injuries?" "No, it doesn't have anything like that in it") But that hasn't happened. Probably isn't likely to happen, but who knows.
I don't usually write things that need warnings beyond the basics (sex, violence) but recently there was an occasion where I was a little stumped. "Consensual, non-negotiated breathplay". It sounds like an oxymoron. But it's honestly the best way I could think of to describe the kink in Breathe and Abide. How else could you put it, when the person on the receiving end is surprised by it, but okay with it? I dunno.
Though I have plans for a fic that'll blow that warning out of the water if I ever manage to get it written. "Asphyxiation, consensual death (impermanent), and necrophilia". I haven't started writing this one yet, but I want to try to get started soon.
16. Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
I haaaate writing summaries. Then again, I think most people do. They're hard! It doesn't matter how long the fic is, I find them difficult. When I'm responding to a kink meme prompt, it's easier, because I can just put the original prompt and then provide a short one-liner that gives a little more information, if the fic has some plot to it aside from the kink. But without that... I tend to just slap down whatever fits, honestly.
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?
In a few rare cases, I have a title in mind before I start writing. Sugar Rose was one of these. But I often end up slapping a title on at the last minute. I agonized over what to call Vltava for like an hour before I gave up. Same thing with Sound Dues. But these days I try to make a title easy to remember, at least.
18. Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
It depends on the fic. Kinkfics... well, usually the inspiration comes from the kink meme. Though sometimes it comes from the anon meme too. Worksafe romance fic usually gets inspired either by the anonmeme, twitter conversations, or the kink meme (which is more like a prompt meme really). And history fics... well, from reading history, usually! Sometimes I'll see a tiny one-line mention of something in a book and find it so interesting that I need to find Every Single Thing I can about it, and then write it. Oh, and sometimes inspiration comes from music too - well, I'm thinking Sabaton specifically. They have done so many songs about events that I hadn't heard about until hearing their music.
19. When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
I rarely have the time or energy to just sit down and write something. I usually need to put it away for later. ... Sometimes much, much later. There was over a year of time between me getting the original idea for Vltava, and when I actually started writing it, for example.
Sometimes, it isn't just because I lack time; it's nice to just let ideas sit for a while, I think. It means I get to look at them from different angles.
20. Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
I'm more likely to get ideas from roleplay sessions. Occasionally I do borrow characterization ideas from other people, though; I used to take lots of inspiration from Kainoliero as to how to write Finland and Norway, especially in the early days. These days, I also take a lot of inspiration from a particular anonymous writer who does a great Denmark.
Sometimes I do get inspired by specific stories, but... usually it's because I like whatever idea the author is going for, but I feel like they executed it badly, and I want to try to do it differently.
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 have, but not in a while. Starry Night was a sequel to Small Hours, because I wanted to continue the story and explore how Estonia and Poland's relationship from Small Hours would actually turn out. Some people wanted me to write a third installment, but I never got around to it.
The "never getting around to it" part is why I usually don't write sequels. Sometimes I'll have an idea, but I have so many ideas that I usually don't get to it, and I get distracted by something else. I want to write a sequel to Matters of Attraction, exploring the development of Norway and Germany's relationship as it changes from being only sexual to having a romantic element in it as well, but I don't know when I'll get around to it....
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 haven't done a Big Bang before - to be honest, I don't trust that I would be able to reach the word count - but I've done plenty of fests! I hold Nordipalooza every year, and have participated in various other fests and exchanges. Probably the first time I held Nordipalooza was the best; I was so excited and even if we ran into a few snags, it was still awesome. Though this year's fest was awesome too, I think.
I tend not to have luck with exchanges, though. Well, I mean - the ones that I've done, I received some great prompts. But I've found that I prefer not to receive fic; I just want the prompt. Heh.
I've thought about running a historical Hetalia exchange, like that old historyswap. Or maybe just a fest - that'd probably be better. But I don't know how I would go about it, and I have too much on my plate already.
23. When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
I post everything at my DW archive:
roesslyng. Everything. Even the (rare) original stuff. Occasionally I crosspost to FFNet and Ao3. And sometimes little things for challenges get posted on tumblr. To be honest, I usually prefer not to bother crossposting to archives; I usually get very little feedback, and I hate the exposed feeling that comes from seeing my stuff in the main fandom sections or on the recently-uploaded feeds, so I have to be extremely selective and particular about only posting the works I'm most proud of, otherwise I make myself very uncomfortable. It's better for me to just post at Roesslyng, because then I have everything in one place.
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?
Unfortunately, I'm no longer friends with the person who used to be my primary typo-catcher. And the person that I used to be confident that I could rely on to provide useful suggestions and input on characterization is... pretty much never available. So I'm currently in a frustrating position with regards to second readers. Ideally, I like to have someone look over it either while I'm in the process (if it's a longer story) or after I slap down the main draft, so that we can check for characterization and internal logic/consistency. And then at the end, I like to use someone to go over it and check for spelling/grammar errors. But right now, this isn't possible, and I've had to do my own typo-catching for a while now. :/
Usually what I end up doing now is, if I'm writing something with a particular character and I need input on characterization/voice/internal logic, I'll grab a friend familiar with that character and ask for input. If I'm writing Germany, I'm confident that I can grab Wald and get some amazing advice. If I'm writing Sweden, I'm sure Clara will have something useful to say. Or if it's something about a particular historical event, I'll ask someone who's familiar with that - Tik was amazingly helpful when I was writing Vltava. But this really isn't an ideal situation... I always feel like I'm bothering people.
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 can't listen to music while I write; not when I do anything that requires concentration, actually. It just makes it so that I can't hear myself think, and having something in my ears (headphones) doesn't help either.
I work best when I have ambient noise, and there are people around, but they aren't interacting with me. So I do a lot of my writing in cafes, sandwich shops, and casual restaurants. (Being out of the house is also something that helps, noise aside; at home, I get distracted). There's just something about being around people, and the sounds of the cafe or restaurant, that I find simultaneously soothing and inspiring. Most of Breathe and Abide was written at my favourite sushi joint. Obviously I don't have much qualms with writing NSFW stuff in public either... if someone is close enough to read my screen, then they're close enough that they are the one who is a problem.
26. What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
I haven't had to research anything all that weird. Probably the most specific things would be: is the Øresund actually narrow enough that you'd be able to get a good view of a naval battle taking place in it if you're situated in a tall building, with or without a spyglass? (The answer is yes). Or more recently, are the parapets along the side of the Charles Bridge in Prague low enough that you could push a tall man off of it without much trouble? (Results were inconclusive)
27. Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Already mentioned above, but - cafes, sandwich shops, and restaurants! Though libraries are good too, back when I had access to a university library (right now I don't have easy access to any at all, alas). I used to write mostly by hand, but these days I usually write on my netbook (which I don't really use for anything else). To be honest, it's useful in more than one way; I love taking my computer with me when I go to eat out because that way I feel more comfortable eating alone. There's so much social pressure about how it's "weird" to go out and do things by yourself. But if I'm writing on a computer, then it's okay, because even if I'm actually writing gay country porn, I look like I'm Working on something that is Very Important.
28. Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
I haven't done a collaboration, but sometimes I wonder if it'd be fun to try it. It might be an interesting experiment; I don't know how well I would work with someone else. And it how well it might turn out might depend on the kind of fic we were writing. There are a handful of people I would say "yes" to if asked, but I won't name names.
There have been other things though... Still Intrepid did a choral arrangement of the poem in Poppies and Rye. And two of my fics (Chain of Freedom and Bide Thee, Night) have been translated into Chinese, though Chain of Freedom is the only one out of those that was posted publicly.
29. What is your current project or projects?
I have a few different things that I'm working on right now.
-A long Norway/Germany fic about them establishing a new relationship together and dealing with the problems that come along with it. It's in response to a prompt on the kink meme. It's turned out... very long. Right now it's 20k, and the estimated length will be 50k. I'm determined to finish it, but it's going to take a long time.
-A long Norway and Belarus friendship fic, crossed over with the film Trolljegeren. It's a straight-up crossover, rather than a fusion, so it's the type where both canons take place in the same story and the characters meet. So far it's going okay, but I need to re-watch the film because I'm not sure how to characterise Hans. (And I need a refresher on Trolljegeren's worldbuilding).
-A Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds fic that started out as me trying to write action/horror but is turning out to be more about exploring Link and Ravio's friendship. I want to finish it, but it's going to need a lot of reworking.
Aside from that, some things on my to-write list as the necrophilia fic that I mentioned above (it's going to be Norway/Denmark). And something about Norway vs Sweden and the battle of Dynekilen. And I want to write more Czechia, but I don't know what; maybe some modern romance with Sweden, heh heh.
30. Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
Most of my favourites are the ones that I put especial effort into writing. They aren't my most popular, but I planned them out and tried really hard and, in some cases, did a ton of research.
Vltava
Sound Dues
Silence and a Thousand Words
Sugar Rose
... And then there are the kink fics. I kind of consider them separately because I don't feel proud of them in the same kind of way that I do with the above. Mainly I'm just pleased because they turned out exactly how I wanted them to, and because (for some of them) they're a little bit longer than my writing usually is.
Matters of Attraction
Negotiations
No Need For Reality
This entry was originally posted at http://yuuago.dreamwidth.org/3327885.html. You can comment here or at the original entry.
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?
The first fandom that I remember writing for was definitely Digimon. I'd read fic for other canons before - mostly Star Fox 64, also some Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time) - but Digimon is definitely the series that got me writing.
I think that the reason it was Digimon that I fell for, rather than LoZ or SF64, is that it had a large-ish cast of characters who were all developed to some degree. It was also easier to access character-related information and extras. LoZ and SF64 had tons of information on the internet, but a lot of it was related to gameplay, and back in 2000 it isn't like you could look up cut scenes on youtube, you know?
2. Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it. (Or as many of them as you want to write about if you have many fandoms.)
Digimon: I wrote about 60 stories in that fandom. ...I just checked ffnet and they're still up. Oh gods, why. Well, I'm not going to delete them, but I'm probably not going to write for that canon again, either. (Though, who knows. Maybe some day I'll revisit it and feel some stirring of nostalgia.)
Weiss Kreuz: I wrote about 10 stories in this fandom. Let's not talk about them. I still love this canon, though, and I still re-watch it every now and then. Maybe some day if I get better at plotting, I'll try to write it again.
Hetalia: My archive says I've finished 145 fics. Not bad! Let's aim for 200. :) I'm still writing in it, still active in this fandom, I don't know if I'll ever give it up.
Legend of Zelda: I wrote one fic when I was a kid. Now, I'm trying to write for this canon again. I have something that's maybe 50% drafted, and I really want to finish it, because I love Link and I love Hyrule and I love Zelda and goddamnit, I love the LoZ series so much.
3. For each of the fandoms from # two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Digimon: Koushirou and Jyou, man. I shipped them so hard, and I loved writing both of them.
Weiss Kreuz: Aya and Schuldig. Mostly because they were my favourites. It would not be the same if I picked them up these days, though.
Hetalia: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands. Used to love writing Poland and Estonia, too.
Legend of Zelda: Ravio is a ton of fun. It's too bad he's only in the most recent game. Also, I love writing Link. Which is kind of weird, since he's a silent protagonist. Then again, that gives a ton of options, so you have a lot of room to do whatever you want.
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?
... No? I write about Norway a lot, though. Like, more than any other character that I write. But I can write stories without him in them (and to be honest, sometimes those stories are the best ones.)
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?
Er, no. Though there have been times when I've discovered that a character's role needs to change or be expanded beyond what I originally expected. I'm working on a case like that right now, actually; a long romance fic with Norway in it. He's close with Netherlands in the story, and their friendship becomes important for the plot later, but I've come to realize recently that I need to develop their friendship more in the beginning of the story. Otherwise, it won't be believable to anyone who isn't myself, since they don't really have any interaction in the comics. Their real-life relations are good, but I'd say not as well known compared to Netherlands' relationship with Denmark. So, in order to make it convincing that they'd be close, I've found that I'll have to expand on their relationship and put Netherlands in more scenes and all that stuff. It isn't what I had originally planned to do at all.
6. When you write, do you prefer writing male, female, or non-binary gendered characters? Or do you have no preference?
I write characters as whatever they are in canon. Most of my favourite characters are guys, so I... mostly write guys. But most of my original fiction characters are female, and I have a lot of fun with them, though it's been a while since I've written anything from that.
7. Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Of my own stuff, well, I didn't care very much about Norway until I wrote him. Then Kainoliero's fics made me like him even more (though I can't remember which one it was). I think I didn't care much about Estonia until I tried writing him, either. Germany, too. All in all, writing a character is a pretty good way for me to get myself to like them, because spending some time thinking about their thoughts and personality and motivations makes me appreciate what puts them together.
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 feel that "Mary Sue" is an outdated and overused term that people often apply when it doesn't really fit.
Anyway. Sometimes I write OCs in fanfiction. Hetalia is a series that's pretty good for it, since even though there's presumably a personification for every country, we don't have official characters for every nation yet. In a way, it makes it easier than creating an original human character from scratch, because when you research for writing a country, you have that nation's "life" laid out in front of you, and you can use that to try to decide what kind of person they would be, rather than starting from a completely blank slate. ... You need to think of them as if they're an actual person.
Recently, I wrote Czech Republic in Vltava. But she isn't actually in the story as much as I would like. Originally, it was going to be twice as long, and part of it was going to be from her point of view, but it just wasn't going to fit, so I had to cut that. As a result, I don't actually "know" her. I have no idea what her personality flaws might be. I have no idea what her mannerisms might be. I have no idea what her virtues are. Does she hold grudges? Is she sometimes very petty? Is she direct when she's angry with someone? I think that she's the kind to stand her ground even when someone is putting pressure on her - like a siege, be it real or metaphorical - but while that's a brave stance, I don't think it would solve her problems (be they personal or otherwise), at least not all of the time.
The other OC in Hetalia that I've written the most is Åland in Worth Waiting For. I'm pretty comfortable with her as a character, because I spent more time thinking about her (I've even roleplayed as her), so she feels more "real" to me.
9. Pairings - For each of the fandoms from question two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Just going to answer for the current fandoms since they're the only ones that are relevant.
Hetalia: Norway/Denmark, Norway/Sweden, Norway/whoever
LoZ: ... crap, I'm starting to ship Link/Ravio, this is not as planned.
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?
Lots of times. Sometimes I'll write a pairing that squicks me, just to figure out if I can do it in a way that I'll be happy with. So, I've written some Russia/Estonia. Still don't like the pairing, but that fic turned out okay. I've also written Germany/Norway - that pairing used to be a huge squick for me, but after writing it, I fell completely in love with it. I guess that's because I was writing it in a context that I wanted to read (consensual/modern day) rather than the few fics that I came across (which were mostly WWII noncon).
I'm also pretty good at writing Sweden/Finland apparently, even though I don't even ship it really.
11. Genre - do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Well, I write a lot of romance. I write so much of it that I'd say it's my default genre. But some of my best fics, and the ones that were the most satisfying to write even if they made me tear my hair out, are historical stories. Stuff like Sound Dues and Vltava, basically.
Ideally, what I'd like to do is write longer stories in historical settings. Romance doesn't have to be modern, after all. (Some pairings are almost impossible to write happily at certain points in time. But that doesn't mean there can't be buckets of ust, even if they're trying to bash each other's brains in.)
12. Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
I'm not a fan of that kind of AU, really. I like it in fanart, but I'm not interested in fic.
I do like crossovers, though - the kind where characters from two canons meet - and the nice thing about Hetalia is that it can be crossed over with lots of other canons that are set in the real world (or the "real world", with alterations). I haven't finished any yet, but right now I have a Hetalia + Trolljegeren crossover that I'm working on.
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 generally adhere to canon.
Hetalia is kind of an odd fish though, because the canon is a lot different most of the time than the stuff that I write. I mean, it's really cracky and silly and there's a lot of stuff that doesn't make much sense. The stories I write, on the other hand, aren't really humour, and even the fluffy modern romances have more of a serious tone than the silly comic strips. So I don't stick that closely to canon when I write; it's just not possible. But I'm not interested in the larger, overarching fanon stuff, either.
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?
Well, I've written lots of porn, so obviously 18+ is the highest I'm willing to go... Though there is something to be said for the reasons for an 18 rating; rating something 18 for sex is a lot different than rating something 18 for violence, and I doubt I will ever be comfortable writing something that requires an 18+ rating for violence. ... Then again, sometimes I surprise myself, so who knows. But, probably not. Even though I enjoy writing battle scenes (when I challenge myself enough to do it), graphic violence is something that can really upset me, so it's not likely.
There have been a few times when I've written something, intended to put sex in it, and then decided not to. Equilibrium is an example of that; I originally intended to write it out, and in fact started to write the next scene, but decided to cut it out because the ending felt complete as it was.
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?
When it comes to ratings, I generally find that less is more. Warning for the big stuff - sex, violence, noncon, and permanent death - is usually enough for me. Sometimes it's useful to be a little more detailed, like labeling what kind of sex or what kind of violence, but it's 50/50 as to whether I throw that into the summary/extra details/etc rather than the rating/warning field, because those things serve to function just as much as advertisement as they do for warnings. (I.E. if I write double penetration or graphic 17th-century battle violence, I'm probably going to label that, because while there are some people who won't read it, there are also some people who will love it. I want to attract those people.)
But warning for every tiny little thing - no. I feel that it's really unnecessary, and I won't do it. Though I do understand that people have their particular squicks, and if someone drops me a note asking for more details about the contents of a particular story I'd be happy to oblige. ("You labelled Vltava for violence; are there any descriptions of eye injuries?" "No, it doesn't have anything like that in it") But that hasn't happened. Probably isn't likely to happen, but who knows.
I don't usually write things that need warnings beyond the basics (sex, violence) but recently there was an occasion where I was a little stumped. "Consensual, non-negotiated breathplay". It sounds like an oxymoron. But it's honestly the best way I could think of to describe the kink in Breathe and Abide. How else could you put it, when the person on the receiving end is surprised by it, but okay with it? I dunno.
Though I have plans for a fic that'll blow that warning out of the water if I ever manage to get it written. "Asphyxiation, consensual death (impermanent), and necrophilia". I haven't started writing this one yet, but I want to try to get started soon.
16. Summaries - Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
I haaaate writing summaries. Then again, I think most people do. They're hard! It doesn't matter how long the fic is, I find them difficult. When I'm responding to a kink meme prompt, it's easier, because I can just put the original prompt and then provide a short one-liner that gives a little more information, if the fic has some plot to it aside from the kink. But without that... I tend to just slap down whatever fits, honestly.
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?
In a few rare cases, I have a title in mind before I start writing. Sugar Rose was one of these. But I often end up slapping a title on at the last minute. I agonized over what to call Vltava for like an hour before I gave up. Same thing with Sound Dues. But these days I try to make a title easy to remember, at least.
18. Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
It depends on the fic. Kinkfics... well, usually the inspiration comes from the kink meme. Though sometimes it comes from the anon meme too. Worksafe romance fic usually gets inspired either by the anonmeme, twitter conversations, or the kink meme (which is more like a prompt meme really). And history fics... well, from reading history, usually! Sometimes I'll see a tiny one-line mention of something in a book and find it so interesting that I need to find Every Single Thing I can about it, and then write it. Oh, and sometimes inspiration comes from music too - well, I'm thinking Sabaton specifically. They have done so many songs about events that I hadn't heard about until hearing their music.
19. When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
I rarely have the time or energy to just sit down and write something. I usually need to put it away for later. ... Sometimes much, much later. There was over a year of time between me getting the original idea for Vltava, and when I actually started writing it, for example.
Sometimes, it isn't just because I lack time; it's nice to just let ideas sit for a while, I think. It means I get to look at them from different angles.
20. Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
I'm more likely to get ideas from roleplay sessions. Occasionally I do borrow characterization ideas from other people, though; I used to take lots of inspiration from Kainoliero as to how to write Finland and Norway, especially in the early days. These days, I also take a lot of inspiration from a particular anonymous writer who does a great Denmark.
Sometimes I do get inspired by specific stories, but... usually it's because I like whatever idea the author is going for, but I feel like they executed it badly, and I want to try to do it differently.
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 have, but not in a while. Starry Night was a sequel to Small Hours, because I wanted to continue the story and explore how Estonia and Poland's relationship from Small Hours would actually turn out. Some people wanted me to write a third installment, but I never got around to it.
The "never getting around to it" part is why I usually don't write sequels. Sometimes I'll have an idea, but I have so many ideas that I usually don't get to it, and I get distracted by something else. I want to write a sequel to Matters of Attraction, exploring the development of Norway and Germany's relationship as it changes from being only sexual to having a romantic element in it as well, but I don't know when I'll get around to it....
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 haven't done a Big Bang before - to be honest, I don't trust that I would be able to reach the word count - but I've done plenty of fests! I hold Nordipalooza every year, and have participated in various other fests and exchanges. Probably the first time I held Nordipalooza was the best; I was so excited and even if we ran into a few snags, it was still awesome. Though this year's fest was awesome too, I think.
I tend not to have luck with exchanges, though. Well, I mean - the ones that I've done, I received some great prompts. But I've found that I prefer not to receive fic; I just want the prompt. Heh.
I've thought about running a historical Hetalia exchange, like that old historyswap. Or maybe just a fest - that'd probably be better. But I don't know how I would go about it, and I have too much on my plate already.
23. When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
I post everything at my DW archive:
roesslyng. Everything. Even the (rare) original stuff. Occasionally I crosspost to FFNet and Ao3. And sometimes little things for challenges get posted on tumblr. To be honest, I usually prefer not to bother crossposting to archives; I usually get very little feedback, and I hate the exposed feeling that comes from seeing my stuff in the main fandom sections or on the recently-uploaded feeds, so I have to be extremely selective and particular about only posting the works I'm most proud of, otherwise I make myself very uncomfortable. It's better for me to just post at Roesslyng, because then I have everything in one place.
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?
Unfortunately, I'm no longer friends with the person who used to be my primary typo-catcher. And the person that I used to be confident that I could rely on to provide useful suggestions and input on characterization is... pretty much never available. So I'm currently in a frustrating position with regards to second readers. Ideally, I like to have someone look over it either while I'm in the process (if it's a longer story) or after I slap down the main draft, so that we can check for characterization and internal logic/consistency. And then at the end, I like to use someone to go over it and check for spelling/grammar errors. But right now, this isn't possible, and I've had to do my own typo-catching for a while now. :/
Usually what I end up doing now is, if I'm writing something with a particular character and I need input on characterization/voice/internal logic, I'll grab a friend familiar with that character and ask for input. If I'm writing Germany, I'm confident that I can grab Wald and get some amazing advice. If I'm writing Sweden, I'm sure Clara will have something useful to say. Or if it's something about a particular historical event, I'll ask someone who's familiar with that - Tik was amazingly helpful when I was writing Vltava. But this really isn't an ideal situation... I always feel like I'm bothering people.
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 can't listen to music while I write; not when I do anything that requires concentration, actually. It just makes it so that I can't hear myself think, and having something in my ears (headphones) doesn't help either.
I work best when I have ambient noise, and there are people around, but they aren't interacting with me. So I do a lot of my writing in cafes, sandwich shops, and casual restaurants. (Being out of the house is also something that helps, noise aside; at home, I get distracted). There's just something about being around people, and the sounds of the cafe or restaurant, that I find simultaneously soothing and inspiring. Most of Breathe and Abide was written at my favourite sushi joint. Obviously I don't have much qualms with writing NSFW stuff in public either... if someone is close enough to read my screen, then they're close enough that they are the one who is a problem.
26. What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
I haven't had to research anything all that weird. Probably the most specific things would be: is the Øresund actually narrow enough that you'd be able to get a good view of a naval battle taking place in it if you're situated in a tall building, with or without a spyglass? (The answer is yes). Or more recently, are the parapets along the side of the Charles Bridge in Prague low enough that you could push a tall man off of it without much trouble? (Results were inconclusive)
27. Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Already mentioned above, but - cafes, sandwich shops, and restaurants! Though libraries are good too, back when I had access to a university library (right now I don't have easy access to any at all, alas). I used to write mostly by hand, but these days I usually write on my netbook (which I don't really use for anything else). To be honest, it's useful in more than one way; I love taking my computer with me when I go to eat out because that way I feel more comfortable eating alone. There's so much social pressure about how it's "weird" to go out and do things by yourself. But if I'm writing on a computer, then it's okay, because even if I'm actually writing gay country porn, I look like I'm Working on something that is Very Important.
28. Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
I haven't done a collaboration, but sometimes I wonder if it'd be fun to try it. It might be an interesting experiment; I don't know how well I would work with someone else. And it how well it might turn out might depend on the kind of fic we were writing. There are a handful of people I would say "yes" to if asked, but I won't name names.
There have been other things though... Still Intrepid did a choral arrangement of the poem in Poppies and Rye. And two of my fics (Chain of Freedom and Bide Thee, Night) have been translated into Chinese, though Chain of Freedom is the only one out of those that was posted publicly.
29. What is your current project or projects?
I have a few different things that I'm working on right now.
-A long Norway/Germany fic about them establishing a new relationship together and dealing with the problems that come along with it. It's in response to a prompt on the kink meme. It's turned out... very long. Right now it's 20k, and the estimated length will be 50k. I'm determined to finish it, but it's going to take a long time.
-A long Norway and Belarus friendship fic, crossed over with the film Trolljegeren. It's a straight-up crossover, rather than a fusion, so it's the type where both canons take place in the same story and the characters meet. So far it's going okay, but I need to re-watch the film because I'm not sure how to characterise Hans. (And I need a refresher on Trolljegeren's worldbuilding).
-A Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds fic that started out as me trying to write action/horror but is turning out to be more about exploring Link and Ravio's friendship. I want to finish it, but it's going to need a lot of reworking.
Aside from that, some things on my to-write list as the necrophilia fic that I mentioned above (it's going to be Norway/Denmark). And something about Norway vs Sweden and the battle of Dynekilen. And I want to write more Czechia, but I don't know what; maybe some modern romance with Sweden, heh heh.
30. Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
Most of my favourites are the ones that I put especial effort into writing. They aren't my most popular, but I planned them out and tried really hard and, in some cases, did a ton of research.
Vltava
Sound Dues
Silence and a Thousand Words
Sugar Rose
... And then there are the kink fics. I kind of consider them separately because I don't feel proud of them in the same kind of way that I do with the above. Mainly I'm just pleased because they turned out exactly how I wanted them to, and because (for some of them) they're a little bit longer than my writing usually is.
Matters of Attraction
Negotiations
No Need For Reality
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