hrhrionastar (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hrhrionastar) wrote2011-07-04 02:01 pm
hrhrionastar) wrote2011-07-04 02:01 pm
Entry tags:
30 Day Fanfic Writing Meme, Day 4 and 5
Day 1, 2, 3
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?
This is a difficult question for me, because a lot of what I write isn't entirely consciously planned out - I don't do outlines, for example. I know where I want things to go, but sometimes the characters will take me the scenic route.
In general, main characters have a way of getting themselves mentioned. If I'm writing a fic about Cara set in or after season 2, I will almost certainly at least mention Richard and Kahlan.
But if the muse character is the one that makes you write, I suppose for me it's probably Kahlan. The first LotS story I wrote that I felt really strongly about was Lady Rahl, which was at least partly in response to all the Reckoning fic out there that focused on how horrible things were for Kahlan, how she'd rather die than let Darken Rahl touch her, but she had no choice, because it was for Richard, etc. Even if that was her initial position, I find it hard to believe that having a child with someone wouldn't change one's opinion of them, that one's emotional state would remain exactly the same for twelve years, and that the worst part of Reckoning for Kahlan was sleeping with Darken Rahl, instead of, say, losing Richard or living in fear of her own son.
(Since then, of course, I've read much better Reckoning fic that focuses on some of these issues - Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
brontefanatic, Hide your face so the world will never find you by ivanolix, and Until You Invite Me by dorothydeath, for example.)
So I think Kahlan is my muse character because she makes choices, such as her plan to sacrifice her own child in Reckoning, which I don't agree with, and I try to figure out why she makes such choices; because she is often faced with pretty serious moral dilemmas; and because she says confidently things which absolutely can't be true (Zedd says he'd only ever seen the good in Richard, to which Kahlan replies, "There is only good in him," for example), and I want her to realize her own hypocrisy.
Hence, Kahlan does sometimes end up even in fics that aren't really about her...and the pairing Darken/Kahlan sneaks up on me, too. (I seriously didn't see that coming in Destiny Swap :D)
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?
I let the story go where it wants to go. And I hope it ends up making sense :D
6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
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.
9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
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?
11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
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?
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?
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?
16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
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?
18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
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?
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?
23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
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?
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?
26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
29 – What is your current project or projects?
30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
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?
This is a difficult question for me, because a lot of what I write isn't entirely consciously planned out - I don't do outlines, for example. I know where I want things to go, but sometimes the characters will take me the scenic route.
In general, main characters have a way of getting themselves mentioned. If I'm writing a fic about Cara set in or after season 2, I will almost certainly at least mention Richard and Kahlan.
But if the muse character is the one that makes you write, I suppose for me it's probably Kahlan. The first LotS story I wrote that I felt really strongly about was Lady Rahl, which was at least partly in response to all the Reckoning fic out there that focused on how horrible things were for Kahlan, how she'd rather die than let Darken Rahl touch her, but she had no choice, because it was for Richard, etc. Even if that was her initial position, I find it hard to believe that having a child with someone wouldn't change one's opinion of them, that one's emotional state would remain exactly the same for twelve years, and that the worst part of Reckoning for Kahlan was sleeping with Darken Rahl, instead of, say, losing Richard or living in fear of her own son.
(Since then, of course, I've read much better Reckoning fic that focuses on some of these issues - Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth by
brontefanatic, Hide your face so the world will never find you by ivanolix, and Until You Invite Me by dorothydeath, for example.)So I think Kahlan is my muse character because she makes choices, such as her plan to sacrifice her own child in Reckoning, which I don't agree with, and I try to figure out why she makes such choices; because she is often faced with pretty serious moral dilemmas; and because she says confidently things which absolutely can't be true (Zedd says he'd only ever seen the good in Richard, to which Kahlan replies, "There is only good in him," for example), and I want her to realize her own hypocrisy.
Hence, Kahlan does sometimes end up even in fics that aren't really about her...and the pairing Darken/Kahlan sneaks up on me, too. (I seriously didn't see that coming in Destiny Swap :D)
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?
I let the story go where it wants to go. And I hope it ends up making sense :D
6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
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.
9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
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?
11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
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?
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?
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?
16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
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?
18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
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?
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?
23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
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?
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?
26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
29 – What is your current project or projects?
30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!