The Best Thing About Writing Fic?

[radio_silent]

Might just be the chance to watch lots of fanvids and call it "research." : )

Which begs the question, fellow fic writers (of any fandom) -- how do you realign with the characters? Do you ever feel like you need to take a step back and remember who you're writing about? Do you go back to cannon, to other fic, fanmixes--what inspires you?

For now, at

Comments

[dragonflylady77]

Hehehe
This is a fandom I know nothing about!!

And your default icon makes me want to watch The Fall again. Haven't watched it since that Wednesday night I watched it with my 6yo (and posted on LJ about it, invisible post).

[radio_silent]

I probably maybe definitely know too much about the Merlin fandom! If you ever want a 411, just let me know. : ) And watch the "You're The Voice" video, which is the two lead actors goofing around in between takes. It requires no knowledge of cannon, and it's really adorable.

Also, The Fall is (obviously) made of awesome! I don't think I've seen it nearly enough times. : )

[dragonflylady77]

Me and my 6yo watching The Fall and How to turn your 6yo into a fangirl.

I don't think we have it here. Do tell! I am curious!!

I'm not sure how many times I've seen The Fall but I'm sure it's not enough times. I LOVE to see it on the big screen. *dreams*
It's the only DVD of all the DVDs I own that lives in my special drawer instead of on the shelf.

[radio_silent]

Merlin is basically, and pardon my french here, a bastardization of the Arthurian mythos, where Merlin is a "young man" (17 years old, according to fandom) who ends up working as a manservant for a 'prattish' young prince Arthur (21 years, supposedly). Merlin's job is to do all these maids tasks, like polishing armor and dressing Arthur, but what he actually does is save Arthur's life a whole lot using magic--even though in this version of Camelot, magic is completely banned. So he has to be very secretive about it. Arthur doesn't even know about his magic

[osprey_archer]

I always realigned my characters by watching (or rewatching) the canon material - which is why I haven't written any fic since Yuletide, because I've been so busy.

I've been meaning to watch Merlin, though. *pokes Netflix queue thoughtfully*

[radio_silent]

You should tell me all about what you've been up to since then! Or, I suppose, I could go skim lots of your journal. : )

Merlin is very, very cute, and lots of fun. Season one a bit more so than season two. (season two has its moments, but it's a lot of me staring at my TV screen and saying "Writers, please stop trying to force other dynamics over Arthur/Merlin, okay? Please work with what works!") But, yes, it's a very cute show with a very active fandom, because it's just so much fun.

Also, I may or may not have read interesting things about Torchwood series 4 rumors. Have you heard anything about that?

[osprey_archer]

Until June I was working on big history projects for school, and since June I've been interning at a museum.

Entries since June have gotten infrequent partly because I'm working six days a week and partly because I'm living in a cabin with no internet. NO INTERNET. But it is a cabin, so that's cool.

And you should totes skim my journal. I have no new fanfic but some of the entries are awesome. :p

I haven't read anything about Torchwood series 4. I'm not sure what they would do, considering they've killed everyone but Jack and Gwen... nothing against Jack and Gwen, but I feel that they don't have enough oomph to carry a show all by themselves.

But! Maybe they'll bring everyone back to life! More Tosh! (They never made enough use of Tosh.) More Owen! More Ianto! I like this idea! I feel it is extremely unlikely but who cares!

[radio_silent]

Both sound really exciting! What kind of a museum are you working at? Are you doing neat things there? And they need you to live in a cabin? WITHOUT INTERNET? : )

(Cabins are cool!)

I'll definitely take a new look at your journal.

Haha, um, I think the big scoop was that there will be a Torchwood series 4 at all--and that it's going to be aired on Starz. : P
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/06_june/07/torchwood.shtml

[articulatedream]

I tend to rewatch the series, or particular episodes. (For example I wrote tons of willow/oz while watching seasons 2, 3 and 4.

I also like to read through some of my favorite fanfics.

I hadn't thought of vids before, but thats an excellent idead. *ponders*

[radio_silent]

I often write little mini-fics while re-watching a favorite show. But then it's a question of whether those turn into full-fledged stories, you know?

Reading though fic is a really good idea. I think fanvids are a bit more shameless--I guess they're good for getting the tone of a ship, but they don't usually contain dialogue so it's nothing like going back to the original cannon. But, on the other hand, they're really fun!

[wildalyss]

I usually try to rewatch episodes if I can, just one or two in order to get my mind back into character. Though it depends on how long its been since I watched said show.

I also create little soundtracks via grooveshark and will play them as I write. Fanvids are also helpful :)

[radio_silent]

Makes sense! I've also found, in icon-making, that just looking at screencaps can satisfy my craving to see a certain episode again. Not so much for writing fic, when I'm trying to figure the characters' voices. But looking at caps gives you a really good sense of how each scene fits together to make a particular episode, if that makes any sense. : )

Soundtracks sound like a great idea, too!