30-day Fanfiction Writing Meme – Day 13

[aadler]

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

Day 13: Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write?

To reiterate, almost all my fanfic output (90%, or 45 stories of 50) is set in the Buffyverse, so the answer here is basically limited to that universe. Deeper than that, over 80% of the Buffyverse stories themselves belong to my Backstage Series, which is explicitly designed to fit into canon without contradicting it. Over time, the Backstage stories have developed their own internal structure which, while not incompatible with canon, does not explicitly appear therein, so I’m progressively developing my own personal fanon. I have not, however, particularly followed anyone else’s. In fact, I’d have to say I don’t really know of any body of even generally recognized fanon.

All the same, a few things have crept into my writings, which could be classified as fanon even if I didn’t consciously set out to do them.

• In several places I’ve depicted ‘Buffy’ is short for ‘Elizabeth’, even though canon not only doesn’t say so but seems to specifically rule it out. Sorry, I stand on that. Joyce Summers just doesn’t strike me as the kind of flake who would stick such a name on a child, and Hank Summers also seems too conventional for such silliness.
• I identify Spike’s assumed accent as Manchester (though in “Point of Focus” I had Joyce erroneously classify it as Cockney; I know better, but she didn’t necessarily).
• Working off Buffy’s never-quite-clarified history as Slayer while at Hemery High School in L.A., I’ve set her as still being fifteen when she first came to Sunnydale.
• I tend to present Slayer healing as being rather more robust than is strictly shown in canon.
• Even though, to my recollection, the only time in canon I ever saw a vampire killed by a sword — by decapitation — was in “Becoming, Part 2”, with a sword that was depicted as special in itself, I’ve frequently shown vampires killed by ‘ordinary’ swords in my stories.

Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?

Not at all, not in the least. I may try to look deeper into the characters and history, but I see that as extension and extrapolation, rather than alteration per se.

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?
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?
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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 14