30-day Fanfiction Writing Meme – Day 17

[aadler]

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

Day 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?

I like titles a lot, and want each one to be good. Sometimes that’s a real problem, but usually not. In the first few years of my fanfic production, I went back and changed several titles after I’d already posted the stories … but that was a long time ago, and nowadays I’m more inclined to play around with the title before posting.

I’m pretty well satisfied with most of my titles, but not all. “Voices in the Dark” and “None So Blind” — the latter of which was, itself, my third attempt at a title for that particular story — just seem too generic, and “Jasmine Tears” feels like it came close to the mark while still missing. My favorite titles are probably “Solitaire Till Dawn”, “In Ev’ry Angle Greet”, and “Otherwise a Perfect Sky”, and I personally feel that “Seeking the Woman” was the cleverest (but for reasons that are just obscure enough that nobody has ever indicated that they got the inside reference).

I do not, and have never been tempted to, name each chapter of a multi-part fic. For me, that would just be masochism.

*Now “Objects in the Mirror” (yes, I renamed it again).

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?
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?
---
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 18