Seven Days of Promoting Others Meme – Day 1

[aadler]

 
snickfic has done it again: just as I finished her Self-Promotion Meme, she lays out another one, and — once again — I’m biting.

“And now, to complement the self-reccing meme, a meme for reccing things made by other people! As always, fully customizable.”

The Days:
1.

Something old:

No question here. “Not Even Jimmy Olsen”, by blairprovence, was written in Spring of 1999, right when I first discovered that this ‘fanfiction’ thing existed, which accords with my memory that it was among the first Buffyfics I ever encountered. It made a powerful impression on me, especially in that the OC narrator was not inserted into the proceedings as a dominant figure, but found herself very much an extra in a drama that wasn’t about her. I’ve occasionally attempted to create the same underlying sense in one of my own stories, most notably the recent “Maxima Culpa”.

An alternative would be “One Morning in Sunnydale” by A.E. Berry, which can be found here or here. Unlike the OC in “Not Even Jimmy Olsen”, Joe the janitor had his own comfortable role within the outré goings-on at Sunnydale High, but his morning routine was still used to offer an alternative viewpoint on the Scooby Gang, rather than to set him up as a competing operator.

Both stories together gave me a good example for the value of an outsider’s perspective, which I’ve done my best to take to heart in my own writing, and both are still well worth reading fifteen years later.
- - - -
2. Something new
3. Something for your fav character/pairing
4. Something for a character you don’t like / pairing you don’t ship
5. Something that’s underappreciated by the universe
6. Something that’s a gateway drug
7. Something you reread/rewatch/look at again

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I love finding out about the stories that inspire you. I also greatly enjoyed reading your entries for the Self Promotion Meme.


Gabrielle

[aadler]

I’ve got to where I don’t even bother looking for good fic anymore, I simply follow the recommendations of people whose taste I trust. Passing that along just seems like basic good manners. Happy if it helps you.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Followed the first link (all I have time for right now) and loved it. I can see how that may have inspired you to devote your writing to OCs and minor characters. Thanks!

[aadler]

Not so much inspired me to DO it — I was already inclined in that direction — as showed me some of the right ways to do it. But I have indeed tried to live up to the quality of those earlier examples.