The Age-old Question: Why Fic?

[holdouttrout]

Why fic? Why not original stories?

Ahem. These are original stories. Just not original characters, situations, or, er--universes, for lack of a better word. Mostly, it's about love. I love the characters/situations/universes, and I want to spend more time with them. Same reason I watch/read the source material, really: I love it.

Do you, as a fanfic writer, write for feedback?

No. I write because I must. I write because stories bubble up inside me and spill out my fingers (I WISH, although that might be a little weird, come to think of it). I write because I can't not write.

Do you post fanfic for feedback?

Partly. I love like think feedback is okay. All kinds of feedback--even the ones that annoy me, because I know someone read it and cared enough to drop me a line or two.

Do you expect reviews?

Never. Sort of. I have an assumption of how many reviews a piece might get, but I never expect any one person to reply. And if fewer people respond than I think will, I have to assume the fic didn't resonate the way I hoped it would, or that I was mistaken about its appeal. I never assume the problem is with the reviewer who didn't respond, but with the story.

Why else would you post fic?

I post it because I write it, because I want to share it, because I hope that it will satisfy something in the reader, like writing it satisfied something in me. I post it because to do otherwise means that no one can read that story/interpretation/mood and recognize it and share it with me. I post it because I love it, because I want others to love it, too.

Comments

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I'm not sure I've got anything more than that, really, but I might steal this and make a meme of it, perhaps. I'm always curious to analyze why I write and see why other people do.

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you did. I suspect that each person has a slightly different answer for why they write fic, and what they expect out of it.

[katcorvi.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you write fic and share it with us out here in cyberland. Thank you for doing so. I love the immediacy of the internet and the chance to interact and learn more about why you wrote what you did, or what turned out not as well as you'd hoped, and what you just love. I love these characters and I'm so glad that there are creative authors who do, too.

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that other people, do, too. Especially since posting that first fic can be so scary. :-)

I love the immediacy of the internet and the chance to interact and learn more about why you wrote what you did, or what turned out not as well as you'd hoped, and what you just love.

I have to say here, that I'm in fandom because of all the other awesome people in fandom with me. It's not just that the show is love, but that I've met so many wonderful, thoughtful, and interesting people like you.

[pepper-field.livejournal.com]

What Kat said – I'm glad you're posting stories, too, for whatever reasons. I get a squeeful feeling when I see you've posted something – it doesn't really matter whether it's a sad or a happy or a cracky or a whatever story. They make me happy in potentia.

And when reading, of course – that goes without saying. ;)

I'm pretty sure my love for Stargate would have waned by now, if it weren't for fandom, and in particular fanfic. Well, in fact, I wouldn't have got into Stargate if it weren't for crossover fanfic – but if I had got into Stargate, and all I had were the shows, I'd find it a hell of a lot less interesting. Stories add so much more texture to a show.

It's been the same with other fandoms I've been involved in – if the fandom is dead, or tiny, or nasty and full of infighting, I tend to skedaddle pretty fast, and my active interest tends to peter out once I've run out of episodes to watch / ideas for fic of my own. A large part of the reason I'm involved in fandom is for the sharing of stories.

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

A large part of the reason I'm involved in fandom is for the sharing of stories.

It really is kind of like our modern equivalent of the campfire and stories about familiar ghosts or gods or what not. Any campfire that is filled with unpleasant people tends to die rather quickly. *is possibly stretching metaphor too far*

There are a few shows I don't need the extra incentive for--Lost (which is odd, because it HAS all sorts of online presence), BSG, Farscape (although I probably would have been in that fandom had I watched it at the right time.) But for others, like Pretender, or Stargate--the fandom is an essential part of the experience for me.

it doesn't really matter whether it's a sad or a happy or a cracky or a whatever story.

Hee. I was just telling someone that another author was even worse about writing summaries than I am, but that I never noticed--I was always too squeeful about the fic to worry about such mundane details. It's the same with a lot of authors, yourself included.

[luzitasg1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing your feelings about writing. As someone who's lately become wrapped up in creating fiction (ahem, in the idea of it, anyway; don't seem to be doing much actual writing lately), I'm very interested in the motivations of others. I'm going to steal this meme, if you don't mind.

By the way, regarding the first question, do you have any thought of maybe going professional? Just read one of your ficlets and found it wonderfully subtle and evocative. Honestly, there are so many talented people writing fic on LJ, I often wonder why more don't go the professional route.

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

Steal away! I'm very interesting in what other people have to say, too.

*blushes at compliments* Thank you.

I do think about going professional. For one thing, it would be awesome to be paid. For another, I would love to do the "extra" work of creating characters. As much as I hate the idea that fanfic is just training wheels, I do think writing fanfic has made me a better writer by allowing me to get past myself and write and share and revise.

That being said...I haven't actually done a lot of original writing yet, which is something I was supposed to be working on this year. *cringes*

there are so many talented people writing fic on LJ, I often wonder why more don't go the professional route.

I wonder the same thing...

[luzitasg1.livejournal.com]

That being said...I haven't actually done a lot of original writing yet, which is something I was supposed to be working on this year. *cringes*

I so relate! One of my goals for this year is to SELL (not just write, but SELL) an original story. The one I haven't even started writing. And I'm not writing much fanfic, either! *hangs head*

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I even joined a comm that was a writing group for this purpose...and none of us have really commented.