Writing Survey for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
veggiebelle
Jun. 30th, 2004 04:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
agilebritThe lovely and effulgent veggiebelle is conducting a writing survey for fanfic writers. My answers were apparently too long for LJ to handle, so I thought I'd pimp the survey here as well as answer the questions.
How did you first come across fan fiction?
The first fanfic I ever came across was on the Studies in Words transcript site (which looks like it's now defunct), and I think the fic was called SlayerImmortal, or something like that. It was wild, and I never finished it. But I started looking around for more, and somehow or other stumbled acrossjerib_78's Raison d'Etre and was hooked.
What do you look for in fan fiction?
Good characterization and plot, and good writing. I can handle a few typos here and there, but if the writer doesn't have a good grasp of grammar, the ex-English-major in me has a hissy fit and starts concentrating more on the mistakes rather than the story.
What do you see as the best aspects of fan fiction, in general or with specifics?
There are so many gifted writers out there that have added a lot to my enjoyment of the fandom. Fanfic allows us to explore aspects of characters that maybe the show didn't go into, and to explore what-if scenarios that could never happen onscreen. And it's fun.
What do you see as the worst aspects of fan fiction, in general or with specifics?
There are some people who take out their hatred of a certain character (Riley comes to mind, poor man) by making them out to be the most horrible hideous person they possibly can, whether they ever acted that way on the show or not. Wild out-of-characterness is a huge problem. Mary Sues/self-inserts who come in and make everything all better irritate me too. I don't mind a well-written original character (I've written a four-part AU that employs quite a few OC's), even if they wind up with a canon character, but Little Miss I'm A Better Slayer Than Buffy And A More Powerful Witch Than Willow? She needs to go.
(For Writers Only) What inspired you to begin writing fan fiction?
I had a plot that grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I wrote it and got some nice feedback about it (although I now realize just how flawed the thing is, and I'm going to redo it when I get the time), and I've been writing ever since.
(For Writers Only) Why do you write fan fiction?
First and foremost, because it's fun. Fanfiction comes with its own challenges and rules, and it's good writing exercise to try to write within those rules. As stated above, it lets me explore characters or plots that can't or won't be explored more extensively on the show, and helps me get into the characters' heads a little more to see if I can suss out what motivates them.
(For Writers Only) Do you write NC-17 fic? Why or why not?
I'm going to say no, because the only thing I've ever written that might be able to be rated NC-17 was a Wes/Lilah light bondage drabble that wasn't explicit. For me, I just can't imagine writing anything that gets into anatomy without dissolving into a fit of giggles. I don't like watching explicit sex (it's none of my business, unless it reveals an aspect of a character or a relationship that can't be done any other way), and I much prefer fade-to-black in both my stories and my onscreen experiences.
(For Writers Only) Do you write "slash" fic? Why or why not?
Again, I'm going to say no--with the caveat that I wrote a humor drabble that had Spike and Angel in a "compromising position" (not actually in bed, but naked in the same room) and Buffy walking in on them--but that was more my way of sticking my tongue out at the WB for cancelling my favorite show. It's just not my thing; the idea of two guys (or women) going at it, no matter how hot they are, just doesn't do anything for me.
Is there anything else you'd like to say on the subject? Anything at all?
I find it interesting that fanfiction seems to be held in contempt by many "real" writers. You can't be creative, they say, if you're stealing someone else's characters and worlds. They conveniently ignore the fact that there are really only about 35 plots, that get recycled over and over and over again, and there's really only so much you can do with characterization. There is nothing truly original under the sun, and we all borrow from each other shamelessly. Fanfiction writers just admit that we do it. Another thing is that what could be called "fanfiction" gets published all the time. Star Wars, Star Trek, Spiderman--and Buffy...these all have spin-off novels published and sold in bookstores all over the world. So the line between fanfiction that gets published, and fanfiction that doesn't, is actually pretty thin. And I've read some fanfiction that was better than what I'd seen actually published.
May I quote you? If so, by what name would you like to be referred?
Sure. :-) I'm agilebrit on LJ and babies-stole-my-dingo on FFN; you can refer to me by either of those, or both.
veggiebelle is conducting a writing survey for fanfic writers. My answers were apparently too long for LJ to handle, so I thought I'd pimp the survey here as well as answer the questions. How did you first come across fan fiction?
The first fanfic I ever came across was on the Studies in Words transcript site (which looks like it's now defunct), and I think the fic was called SlayerImmortal, or something like that. It was wild, and I never finished it. But I started looking around for more, and somehow or other stumbled across
jerib_78's Raison d'Etre and was hooked.What do you look for in fan fiction?
Good characterization and plot, and good writing. I can handle a few typos here and there, but if the writer doesn't have a good grasp of grammar, the ex-English-major in me has a hissy fit and starts concentrating more on the mistakes rather than the story.
What do you see as the best aspects of fan fiction, in general or with specifics?
There are so many gifted writers out there that have added a lot to my enjoyment of the fandom. Fanfic allows us to explore aspects of characters that maybe the show didn't go into, and to explore what-if scenarios that could never happen onscreen. And it's fun.
What do you see as the worst aspects of fan fiction, in general or with specifics?
There are some people who take out their hatred of a certain character (Riley comes to mind, poor man) by making them out to be the most horrible hideous person they possibly can, whether they ever acted that way on the show or not. Wild out-of-characterness is a huge problem. Mary Sues/self-inserts who come in and make everything all better irritate me too. I don't mind a well-written original character (I've written a four-part AU that employs quite a few OC's), even if they wind up with a canon character, but Little Miss I'm A Better Slayer Than Buffy And A More Powerful Witch Than Willow? She needs to go.
(For Writers Only) What inspired you to begin writing fan fiction?
I had a plot that grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I wrote it and got some nice feedback about it (although I now realize just how flawed the thing is, and I'm going to redo it when I get the time), and I've been writing ever since.
(For Writers Only) Why do you write fan fiction?
First and foremost, because it's fun. Fanfiction comes with its own challenges and rules, and it's good writing exercise to try to write within those rules. As stated above, it lets me explore characters or plots that can't or won't be explored more extensively on the show, and helps me get into the characters' heads a little more to see if I can suss out what motivates them.
(For Writers Only) Do you write NC-17 fic? Why or why not?
I'm going to say no, because the only thing I've ever written that might be able to be rated NC-17 was a Wes/Lilah light bondage drabble that wasn't explicit. For me, I just can't imagine writing anything that gets into anatomy without dissolving into a fit of giggles. I don't like watching explicit sex (it's none of my business, unless it reveals an aspect of a character or a relationship that can't be done any other way), and I much prefer fade-to-black in both my stories and my onscreen experiences.
(For Writers Only) Do you write "slash" fic? Why or why not?
Again, I'm going to say no--with the caveat that I wrote a humor drabble that had Spike and Angel in a "compromising position" (not actually in bed, but naked in the same room) and Buffy walking in on them--but that was more my way of sticking my tongue out at the WB for cancelling my favorite show. It's just not my thing; the idea of two guys (or women) going at it, no matter how hot they are, just doesn't do anything for me.
Is there anything else you'd like to say on the subject? Anything at all?
I find it interesting that fanfiction seems to be held in contempt by many "real" writers. You can't be creative, they say, if you're stealing someone else's characters and worlds. They conveniently ignore the fact that there are really only about 35 plots, that get recycled over and over and over again, and there's really only so much you can do with characterization. There is nothing truly original under the sun, and we all borrow from each other shamelessly. Fanfiction writers just admit that we do it. Another thing is that what could be called "fanfiction" gets published all the time. Star Wars, Star Trek, Spiderman--and Buffy...these all have spin-off novels published and sold in bookstores all over the world. So the line between fanfiction that gets published, and fanfiction that doesn't, is actually pretty thin. And I've read some fanfiction that was better than what I'd seen actually published.
May I quote you? If so, by what name would you like to be referred?
Sure. :-) I'm agilebrit on LJ and babies-stole-my-dingo on FFN; you can refer to me by either of those, or both.
