30-day Fanfiction Writing Meme – Day 30

[aadler]

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

Day 30: Do you have a favorite fic you’ve written? What makes it your favorite? And don’t forget to give us a link!

I’m not shy about providing links, as my previous entries will attest. But my favorite self-written fic? They’re all my favorites. (Well, not all. Some satisfy me quite a bit less than others. They’re the exceptions, however.)

Some candidates:

• “Point of Focus” – my first-ever Buffyfic, a dozen years old by now, and still holds up solid. It also inspired a sequel, four and a half years later, and has picked up four separate online awards over the years.
• “Solitaire Till Dawn” – The first story to take me to a place entirely different from where I thought it would go. Powerful and haunting, IMNSHO.
• “Whisper of a Moment” – The most ambitious fic I had ever attempted up to that point, and I believe I hit all the targets I was addressing. Plus, the most prominent example of a long-standing practice of mine, letting important facts gradually soak in without ever explicitly saying them.
• “Seeking the Woman” – A short piece, done in (I think) two days, that absolutely hit the mark I was aiming at. My second explicit crossover, and the first that put a Buffy character in someone else’s world. And it worked.
• “the Human Touch” – Because I always wanted to see Nancy (from the Season 3 episode, “the Wish”) get more attention, and this one does it.
• “Dusk Over Pompeii” – Because it’s sad, and it works.
• “Beg to Differ” – I’ve never had another story get so much online response without ever receiving any awards. I can understand why not (what category would be right for this one?), but it broke new ground for me.
• “First Do No Harm” – Because it’s Harmony. As the main character. Messing with people’s heads. I love Harmony.
• “Walking After Midnight” – Because it’s my first remix, but doesn’t suffer from going first. It was also the first time I’d ever written Angel (though not Angelus), which wound up being more enjoyable than expected.
• “Otherwise a Perfect Sky” – Read it and you’ll know why. Currently the leading candidate for Best Story I’ve Ever Written.
• “Icarus” – The only non-Buffy story on this list. Written in a single day, as the result — literally — of a dream. An unexpected look into a very well-known character.

Okay, that’s not a short list. But, believe me, it could have been longer. I write the kind of stories that I like to read. I like these, and most of the others, so I’m a happy man.

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?
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?
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End note – I plan to add a 31st question when I reach the end of this meme, and I urge others to do so also:

Day 31: Which fanfic authors and/or stories have had the most influence on your writing?

Furthermore, sroni has suggested yet another:

Day 32: Are there any stories you want to write that you’re afraid to tackle? If so, what and why?

Day 31