30-day Fanfiction Writing Meme – Day 07

[aadler]

The meme continues (originated by elfflame, brought to my attention by jedibuttercup).

Day 07: Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?

Sometimes and in some ways, yes. As I write a character, he/she continues to develop for me, even when it’s someone else’s character. This can be accentuated by the fact that for a long time I focused on minor or briefly-depicted characters, filling in and fleshing out things for which there were previously only hints and glimpses. Examples would be Sheila (“Come to My Window”, “Shadow and Substance”, “… Than Meets the Eye”), Sandy (“Shadow and Substance”, “None So Blind”), Kendra (“Solitaire Till Dawn”), Parker Abrams (“Hell Hath No Fury”), Hank Summers (“Tip of My Tongue”), Dalton and Nancy (“the Human Touch”), Gwen Raiden (“Phase Shift”), Marcie Ross (“Yet to Be Seen”), Virginia Bryce and Rebecca Lowell (“Kirlian Logic”), Nancy Doyle (“Unbidden the Day”), various Potentials (“Precious Cargo” and “Zero-Sum Game”), Nina Ash (“Hungry Like the Wolf”), and even Willy and Merle (“An Eye to the Future”).

The same thing can happen even with more important characters, especially when it’s a long fic (the most prominent examples would be Cordelia, in “Glass Ceiling” and in “God Save the Queen”/ “Queen’s Gambit”, or Joyce Summers in “Point of Focus” and “All Ye Who Enter”).

In the largest sense, though, I would have to say no. Either my stories reflect my own views of the characters, or any effect my writing might have on my perspective is so stealthy that I can’t even recognize it.

Other Questions:

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?
2 – Name the fandoms you’ve written in, and how much you’ve written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
3 – For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
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?
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?
6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
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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?
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 – Beta-ing – 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!

Day 08