late to jump on the bandwagon, as usual
Jul. 23rd, 2003 11:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
salixbabylonI know, I know – how much more self-indulgent can I new writer be? But still, I've been so prolific lately, and I've been thinking more and more about process, so I decided to do the "how you write" meme anyway. I gacked it from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
isiscolo, who seems to have gacked it from cursescar
One!
What's the first fandom you wrote fic for?
This one, since this is the only fandom I follow at all.
What's the most recent fandom that you've written fic for?
This is the only one
What's the title of your first fanfic?
Virulentus Somnium
Does it suck beyond the telling of it?
Well... Some parts of it make me cringe. Other parts I think are some of the best writing I've ever completed. I'm still immensely impressed with myself that it's the first story of more than 20 pages that I've ever finished. Ever.
Is it slash or het?
Het - Just Say No
What was your first 'ship?
I don't really consider myself a shipper. I suppose at first I was quite taken with Harry/Draco, and then Harry/Snape, and then Snape/Lupin, and then Snape/everyone, and now everyone/everyone. I'm easy. Just drastically opposed to het.
What's your fave 'ship now?
I really don't have one. Maybe Snape/everyone, if pressed.
What 'ship makes your eyes bleed and your loins turn into monkey guts?
Draco/Hermione makes me ill. Really, I'm just very allergic to het.
What is your most common fic pairing?
Not that I've written enough to really have this count, but I guess Snape/Lupin. They both have such angsty pasts, and the ability to be painted in different lights depending on what I want... Their pasts are hinted at enough in canon to make some guesses, but not so much that there's not room to play.
What pairing did you swear that you'd never write, but eventually did?
None yet, but I can't foresee ever writing het, nor ever writing Draco. I love him, but I can't get in his head. Or he in mine. Whichever.
What pairing do you swear you will never, ever write, even if your favorite character promised to make sweet love to you in their crypt/hotel/van/haunted apartment/prison cell/flat if you did?
Wow, I think I'd do just about anything if Snape paid me a visit with lascivious intent. Never say never!
What's the wackiest fanfic situation you've put the characters in?
Wacky... I suppose "Swish" is a bit wacky. Again, I don't think I've written enough to answer this yet.
How many times has magic solved/created the main problem/plot in your fics?
I think I'm 3 for 3, so 50% of the time.
What pairing do you hate to admit to actually indulging in, against your better judgment?
Well, not written, but I've READ Harry/flobberworms and Snape/Draco/squidparts, so I think I abandoned any moral high-ground a long time ago.
Can you remember the first fanfic you ever read?
I read Ailei's "The Devil Wants" and it completely, totally, utterly caused a meltdown in my brain that only a year of therapy and fanfic have been able to start healing. I blame (and thank) her for everything.
How long have you been involved in internet fandom(s)?
I started reading in May 2002, lurking in groups and such in March of this year or so.
Best crossover fic you've read?
Hm... I don't tend to read those very often, but I did like Mimine's "5.8 Months," a Snape/Spock fic and Calico's "Double or Nothing," a Twins/Lance-from-Nsync-who-I'd-never-heard-of-before fic.
What pairing do you want to write, but don't think you could?
Harry/Draco... I just can't get into that blond boy's head.
Two!
What was the last fan fiction you read?
I confess to re-reading things a lot, but the most recent new-to-me-fic that I've read is "Lather, Rinse, Repeat" bymonthofsundays. Cute H/D fluff.
What was the last fan fiction you wrote?
Still working on "Card Games" for the SS FQF.
Who is the character you most enjoy writing?
Snape, hands down. Pale, long-fingered, delicate hands. Stroking... *drool*
Which character do you wish you could write?
Still Draco. He's too rich and spoiled and pretty and confident for me to understand. I need brokenness to write. (Not that he isn't broken, just... too foreign.)
What style of writing do you prefer to use? (Drama, Humour, Darkfic, Smut, etc).
Oh, I guess angst. I also try to aim for a touch of humor and I need the smut. I'm always disappointed when my boys pull the curtain just as things get steamy. The muses don't always respect my needs for hot boysex. Teases!
What style of writing do you prefer to read? (Drama, Humour, Darkfic, Smut, etc).
Smut, absolutely. Smut with humor is probably my favorite combination – I'm a big fan of PWPs.
Which author do you aspire to write like?
I try rather hard to not emulate other fic writers, to be honest. I want to have my own voice, mush as I admire them. I do sometimes steal little tidbits to throw in my stories (the black rose petals from Rhysenn's "Irresistible Poisons" for example), but that's more homage than imitation.
Which author inspires you?
I think I'm blown away by the honesty, forthrightness, and creativity of a lot of my favorite writers, but if I started to list them, it would be a list of just about everyone and I'd inevitably feel bad for leaving some out. People who write about hard things, angst that makes me want to tear my hear and beat my breast and sob inconsolably. Or about things that are so funny I actually do ROTFL. Or about sex so hot I get up form the desk and go pounce on my husband. I'm inspired by people who make me feel.
Do you think you've influenced anyone's writing?
Gods, no – no one even knows where my fics are hiding, let alone reads them!
What was the first fan fiction you read?
answered above
What was the first fan fiction you wrote?
answered above
What would you most like to see taken out of fan fiction? (Aside from the obvious; Mary Sues, OOCness, etc).
I'd say the flaming and egos, but I don't really pay attention to those so they don't really impact me. I do think the massive fangirl action on the writers is silly, but then I do get all figuratively tongue-tied when I post a comment to someone's lj who I really admire.
There are two things in the stories themselves that most readily spring to mind. One, the bodily-perfection standards; everyone is lean and muscely and perfect. And while yes, that is more hot than soft and pot-bellied and hairy... it's so far from any reality I've ever seen as to be annoying when the writer spends a lot of time on the descriptions of perfection. I think many different types of bodies and faces are attractive, and I think it's boring to keep perpetuating the same old model stereotypes. It's not very creative. I also think it's indicative of mass-marketed media icons and poor body image issues, but I'll stop now before I get really carried away (too late!).
The other thing that I'd like to see change is the concept that Harry can do everything, that he's superhuman, and that every talent he has is directly inherited from Dear Old Dad. I know it's canon, but it's uncreative, robs him of any individuality, and bugs the heck out of me. So there. :P
What would you like to see more of in fan fiction?
Smut. Please?
Three! – I deleted most of the questions that were repeats or didn't apply, since I've never really been in other fandoms.
2. What is the most recent fandom to catch your interest?
Pirates of the Caribbean. Arrrr!
6. Fandoms you're curious about, but never had the chance to get into?
I've read some LotR fanfic, and some Buffy, and some X-Men, but in general... The characters and worlds just don't appeal to me as much as HP.
10. Are you looking for a new fandom, or actively avoiding getting sucked into something new?
I definitely do NOT need a new addiction, thankyouverymuch.
Four!
Do ideas come in little tiny pinpricks and then get expanded, or do they start great big and scopy and then get refined?
Wow. I honestly don't know. I guess that I start with an image or a conversation in my head that I can't resist writing down. A drabble, I guess. And then when I'm writing it down, it grows and becomes an outline, or a series of conversations and scenes. Then I have to go back and fill in the in-between bits. So they start small, explode outwards, and then get refined and smaller/shorter than the original outline would have implied. I always know where I'm going, but I'm not always sure how I'm going to get there.
Why do you choose to write in the tenses you do (present tense, or first person POV, or third person) and how do you choose particular styles for particular stories?
I have no idea. It's never a conscious choice, at least not at first. If there's a lot of angstyness, then I feel the characters need to be heard first-person. I try to keep most things in the present tense, because I like the feeling of immediacy. Lately I've been working with having less interior-monologue and showing how the character feels rather than having them say "I feel XYZ" directly, or even in their own heads. Sometimes it's dependant on my needs though; a lot of writing is therapy for me embarrassingly enough.
Do you have music that inspires your writing? (That you listen to while writing, or certain songs that remind you of certain characters.)
I listen to either classical music of new agey Enya-esque type music – no words, something that blocks out distractions, something otherworldly or "reminds me of England."
How do you brainstorm what comes next in a story?
I get of lot of thinking done at the gym, in yoga class, and driving to and from work.
What do you do when you hit a road block?
If I'm suck on something, I try making the characters talk to me – stop thinking about it and start listening to the muses whispering in my head. Sometimes it's just a matter of patience (which I seriously lack) and faith that it will all work out. Or, conversely, of forcing it, just getting words on the page, and then fixing the mess later.
How often do you end up deleting a whole bunch of already-written stuff, and how hard is it to let that stuff go?
Not very often. Usually having an outline done saves me from that. Of course, some may argue that I should cut out more than I do, and they may be right. I try very hard to stay on the plot, though.
What if you really, really want to include something but part of you is saying it's not right for that particular story?
Take it out and see if it reads better without it. If so, set that part aside and see if it wants to become a story on its own, later.
Do you take notes longhand, and if so, when?
Oh yes, all the time. I have a notepad in my gym/yoga bag, one in the car, and a hand-held cassette recorder to talk into so I don't kill anyone (or myself) trying to write with a pen driving on curvy mountain roads. And I do all my editing by hand – I see my mistakes so much better in print than on the screen.
Do you use challenges by other people to inspire you?
Yes! It's been a really fun experiment, the last four fics that I've written. It's easier in a way because you've got an idea already there. And harder, because you have to make it work, even if it's sluggish and doesn't want to.
Do you do anything in particular to get you into the right mindset to write a certain character or characters?
Not really. Sometimes I just reread what I've already written to try and get back into that voice. Spend a few minutes, eyes closed, hearing them whisper in my head. Space out, basically.
Which characters are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
The adults. I just can't really sense the depth of the kids as much, and I need flexibility in my characters' personalities.
Which ones are hardest, and again, WHY?
The kids, because they're so flat in the books and I have a hard time figuring out what their motivations would be.
Which characters are most like you emotionally?
Ack, I don't know! On all those Quizilla tests I get Remus a lot, or Snape if I'm in a grouchy mood. I'm complicated. Then again, so are of the characters, kids included, or at least they have the potential to be. Every human is complicated, I think; I'm not special.
How often do you feel like what you're writing is fulfilling some emotional need - ie, when you're writing comfort, is it because you often feel that you don't get it IRL?
Hm... I'd say all the time, but not that example. Writing fulfils an emotional need of mine, usually when I need to explore a thought or idea in my own life. But it's never so simple as "I'm not getting laid so I'll write about sex." It's more like "I'm having trouble letting go of guilt – how can I explore that?" or "I'm questioning some ideas about consent, I wonder what Sirius thinks?"
What about writing smut - do you find it easy, difficult?
I find it thrilling! I love writing sex scenes, especially based on sex I've actually had (or near approximations thereof). I find it hard to keep it real, to not be overly detailed, and to have it stay hot. Writing sex is a challenge, but one I'm ready to try and meet any day!icarusancalion has a great "How to Write a Good Fuck" on her lj.
What kinds of smut are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
I dunno. I've written f/f and m/m and m/f. I guess I fret most about m/m since I've never been a man having sex with a man, but in general I've read a lot and I know what I like. I don't find any flavor to be more difficult than the others.
Which of your stories is your favorite and WHY? Least favorite?
I don't think I'm qualified to answer this yet. It's not been long enough, nor do I have a large enough body of work to be able to be objective.
Which of your titles do you like the most/least, and why?
Currently, I'm deeply entertained at having named one fic "Swish." "Notes" is such a boring title.
How do you choose titles for your stories?
I'm horrid. I ask my betas and friends for help and they make suggestions which I ignore because they don't "feel right." And then eventually I come up with something out of the blue that I don't hate, and go with it. I don't like titles.
Do you write differently with a cowriter than you do alone? Is it easier or harder?
Frankly, I don't even comprehend how co-writing happens. My betas are great; they ask good questions, help me hammer out awkward places, but I don't understand how two people can both contribute major ideas for a story. I guess I just don't share very well.
Do you write original fic differently from fanfic (if you write it at all)?
Not really – pretty much the same process, only without the helpful betas and community support..
For series and long works, do you decide a goal in advance to stop at or are they open ended? If you do choose a goal, how often do you stick to it?
I decide in advance, during the outline phase. Generally it's all written in my head before the outline phase anyway. I've never changed my goal, but in fanfic usually my goal is "and then the shag like rabbits," so it's not like I ever WOULD change my mind. *grin*
When a scene feels forced, what are the first few tricks you try to fix it?
Let it rest of a few days and come back to it. Or let it rest and spend some time mentally mulling it over, begging the muses to tell me what they are thinking or feeling. I guess the first step before that is to figure out why it feels flat, what it's missing. Then if I still can't get past it, ask the Wonderful Betas. Occasionally ask other non-fandom related friends.
Are most of your fixes deletions or additions?
Additions, usually. Clarifications of emotion, tone of voice, back story.
How long does it usually take you to write a story? How many revisions do you go through?
That depends entirely on length. I'd day it takes me about a month to go from random concept to outline to meaty outline to actual story to first draft ready for betas. Then depending on how fast my betas are, I like to get responses from everyone, make changes, resubmit to them and see if they have any further comments. So maybe... one to three months. Writing for the fests has really shortened my story length and increased my writing speed.
Do you use beta readers?
God yes. I can't actually imagine not having them, to help with ideas and save me the humiliation of submitting a story with "them" instead of "then" in a key moment. I love them, I need then, I grovel in worshipful awe at their feet. Plus, they're really great writers, too!
isiscolo, who seems to have gacked it from cursescarOne!
What's the first fandom you wrote fic for?
This one, since this is the only fandom I follow at all.
What's the most recent fandom that you've written fic for?
This is the only one
What's the title of your first fanfic?
Virulentus Somnium
Does it suck beyond the telling of it?
Well... Some parts of it make me cringe. Other parts I think are some of the best writing I've ever completed. I'm still immensely impressed with myself that it's the first story of more than 20 pages that I've ever finished. Ever.
Is it slash or het?
Het - Just Say No
What was your first 'ship?
I don't really consider myself a shipper. I suppose at first I was quite taken with Harry/Draco, and then Harry/Snape, and then Snape/Lupin, and then Snape/everyone, and now everyone/everyone. I'm easy. Just drastically opposed to het.
What's your fave 'ship now?
I really don't have one. Maybe Snape/everyone, if pressed.
What 'ship makes your eyes bleed and your loins turn into monkey guts?
Draco/Hermione makes me ill. Really, I'm just very allergic to het.
What is your most common fic pairing?
Not that I've written enough to really have this count, but I guess Snape/Lupin. They both have such angsty pasts, and the ability to be painted in different lights depending on what I want... Their pasts are hinted at enough in canon to make some guesses, but not so much that there's not room to play.
What pairing did you swear that you'd never write, but eventually did?
None yet, but I can't foresee ever writing het, nor ever writing Draco. I love him, but I can't get in his head. Or he in mine. Whichever.
What pairing do you swear you will never, ever write, even if your favorite character promised to make sweet love to you in their crypt/hotel/van/haunted apartment/prison cell/flat if you did?
Wow, I think I'd do just about anything if Snape paid me a visit with lascivious intent. Never say never!
What's the wackiest fanfic situation you've put the characters in?
Wacky... I suppose "Swish" is a bit wacky. Again, I don't think I've written enough to answer this yet.
How many times has magic solved/created the main problem/plot in your fics?
I think I'm 3 for 3, so 50% of the time.
What pairing do you hate to admit to actually indulging in, against your better judgment?
Well, not written, but I've READ Harry/flobberworms and Snape/Draco/squidparts, so I think I abandoned any moral high-ground a long time ago.
Can you remember the first fanfic you ever read?
I read Ailei's "The Devil Wants" and it completely, totally, utterly caused a meltdown in my brain that only a year of therapy and fanfic have been able to start healing. I blame (and thank) her for everything.
How long have you been involved in internet fandom(s)?
I started reading in May 2002, lurking in groups and such in March of this year or so.
Best crossover fic you've read?
Hm... I don't tend to read those very often, but I did like Mimine's "5.8 Months," a Snape/Spock fic and Calico's "Double or Nothing," a Twins/Lance-from-Nsync-who-I'd-never-heard-of-before fic.
What pairing do you want to write, but don't think you could?
Harry/Draco... I just can't get into that blond boy's head.
Two!
What was the last fan fiction you read?
I confess to re-reading things a lot, but the most recent new-to-me-fic that I've read is "Lather, Rinse, Repeat" by
monthofsundays. Cute H/D fluff.What was the last fan fiction you wrote?
Still working on "Card Games" for the SS FQF.
Who is the character you most enjoy writing?
Snape, hands down. Pale, long-fingered, delicate hands. Stroking... *drool*
Which character do you wish you could write?
Still Draco. He's too rich and spoiled and pretty and confident for me to understand. I need brokenness to write. (Not that he isn't broken, just... too foreign.)
What style of writing do you prefer to use? (Drama, Humour, Darkfic, Smut, etc).
Oh, I guess angst. I also try to aim for a touch of humor and I need the smut. I'm always disappointed when my boys pull the curtain just as things get steamy. The muses don't always respect my needs for hot boysex. Teases!
What style of writing do you prefer to read? (Drama, Humour, Darkfic, Smut, etc).
Smut, absolutely. Smut with humor is probably my favorite combination – I'm a big fan of PWPs.
Which author do you aspire to write like?
I try rather hard to not emulate other fic writers, to be honest. I want to have my own voice, mush as I admire them. I do sometimes steal little tidbits to throw in my stories (the black rose petals from Rhysenn's "Irresistible Poisons" for example), but that's more homage than imitation.
Which author inspires you?
I think I'm blown away by the honesty, forthrightness, and creativity of a lot of my favorite writers, but if I started to list them, it would be a list of just about everyone and I'd inevitably feel bad for leaving some out. People who write about hard things, angst that makes me want to tear my hear and beat my breast and sob inconsolably. Or about things that are so funny I actually do ROTFL. Or about sex so hot I get up form the desk and go pounce on my husband. I'm inspired by people who make me feel.
Do you think you've influenced anyone's writing?
Gods, no – no one even knows where my fics are hiding, let alone reads them!
What was the first fan fiction you read?
answered above
What was the first fan fiction you wrote?
answered above
What would you most like to see taken out of fan fiction? (Aside from the obvious; Mary Sues, OOCness, etc).
I'd say the flaming and egos, but I don't really pay attention to those so they don't really impact me. I do think the massive fangirl action on the writers is silly, but then I do get all figuratively tongue-tied when I post a comment to someone's lj who I really admire.
There are two things in the stories themselves that most readily spring to mind. One, the bodily-perfection standards; everyone is lean and muscely and perfect. And while yes, that is more hot than soft and pot-bellied and hairy... it's so far from any reality I've ever seen as to be annoying when the writer spends a lot of time on the descriptions of perfection. I think many different types of bodies and faces are attractive, and I think it's boring to keep perpetuating the same old model stereotypes. It's not very creative. I also think it's indicative of mass-marketed media icons and poor body image issues, but I'll stop now before I get really carried away (too late!).
The other thing that I'd like to see change is the concept that Harry can do everything, that he's superhuman, and that every talent he has is directly inherited from Dear Old Dad. I know it's canon, but it's uncreative, robs him of any individuality, and bugs the heck out of me. So there. :P
What would you like to see more of in fan fiction?
Smut. Please?
Three! – I deleted most of the questions that were repeats or didn't apply, since I've never really been in other fandoms.
2. What is the most recent fandom to catch your interest?
Pirates of the Caribbean. Arrrr!
6. Fandoms you're curious about, but never had the chance to get into?
I've read some LotR fanfic, and some Buffy, and some X-Men, but in general... The characters and worlds just don't appeal to me as much as HP.
10. Are you looking for a new fandom, or actively avoiding getting sucked into something new?
I definitely do NOT need a new addiction, thankyouverymuch.
Four!
Do ideas come in little tiny pinpricks and then get expanded, or do they start great big and scopy and then get refined?
Wow. I honestly don't know. I guess that I start with an image or a conversation in my head that I can't resist writing down. A drabble, I guess. And then when I'm writing it down, it grows and becomes an outline, or a series of conversations and scenes. Then I have to go back and fill in the in-between bits. So they start small, explode outwards, and then get refined and smaller/shorter than the original outline would have implied. I always know where I'm going, but I'm not always sure how I'm going to get there.
Why do you choose to write in the tenses you do (present tense, or first person POV, or third person) and how do you choose particular styles for particular stories?
I have no idea. It's never a conscious choice, at least not at first. If there's a lot of angstyness, then I feel the characters need to be heard first-person. I try to keep most things in the present tense, because I like the feeling of immediacy. Lately I've been working with having less interior-monologue and showing how the character feels rather than having them say "I feel XYZ" directly, or even in their own heads. Sometimes it's dependant on my needs though; a lot of writing is therapy for me embarrassingly enough.
Do you have music that inspires your writing? (That you listen to while writing, or certain songs that remind you of certain characters.)
I listen to either classical music of new agey Enya-esque type music – no words, something that blocks out distractions, something otherworldly or "reminds me of England."
How do you brainstorm what comes next in a story?
I get of lot of thinking done at the gym, in yoga class, and driving to and from work.
What do you do when you hit a road block?
If I'm suck on something, I try making the characters talk to me – stop thinking about it and start listening to the muses whispering in my head. Sometimes it's just a matter of patience (which I seriously lack) and faith that it will all work out. Or, conversely, of forcing it, just getting words on the page, and then fixing the mess later.
How often do you end up deleting a whole bunch of already-written stuff, and how hard is it to let that stuff go?
Not very often. Usually having an outline done saves me from that. Of course, some may argue that I should cut out more than I do, and they may be right. I try very hard to stay on the plot, though.
What if you really, really want to include something but part of you is saying it's not right for that particular story?
Take it out and see if it reads better without it. If so, set that part aside and see if it wants to become a story on its own, later.
Do you take notes longhand, and if so, when?
Oh yes, all the time. I have a notepad in my gym/yoga bag, one in the car, and a hand-held cassette recorder to talk into so I don't kill anyone (or myself) trying to write with a pen driving on curvy mountain roads. And I do all my editing by hand – I see my mistakes so much better in print than on the screen.
Do you use challenges by other people to inspire you?
Yes! It's been a really fun experiment, the last four fics that I've written. It's easier in a way because you've got an idea already there. And harder, because you have to make it work, even if it's sluggish and doesn't want to.
Do you do anything in particular to get you into the right mindset to write a certain character or characters?
Not really. Sometimes I just reread what I've already written to try and get back into that voice. Spend a few minutes, eyes closed, hearing them whisper in my head. Space out, basically.
Which characters are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
The adults. I just can't really sense the depth of the kids as much, and I need flexibility in my characters' personalities.
Which ones are hardest, and again, WHY?
The kids, because they're so flat in the books and I have a hard time figuring out what their motivations would be.
Which characters are most like you emotionally?
Ack, I don't know! On all those Quizilla tests I get Remus a lot, or Snape if I'm in a grouchy mood. I'm complicated. Then again, so are of the characters, kids included, or at least they have the potential to be. Every human is complicated, I think; I'm not special.
How often do you feel like what you're writing is fulfilling some emotional need - ie, when you're writing comfort, is it because you often feel that you don't get it IRL?
Hm... I'd say all the time, but not that example. Writing fulfils an emotional need of mine, usually when I need to explore a thought or idea in my own life. But it's never so simple as "I'm not getting laid so I'll write about sex." It's more like "I'm having trouble letting go of guilt – how can I explore that?" or "I'm questioning some ideas about consent, I wonder what Sirius thinks?"
What about writing smut - do you find it easy, difficult?
I find it thrilling! I love writing sex scenes, especially based on sex I've actually had (or near approximations thereof). I find it hard to keep it real, to not be overly detailed, and to have it stay hot. Writing sex is a challenge, but one I'm ready to try and meet any day!
icarusancalion has a great "How to Write a Good Fuck" on her lj.What kinds of smut are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
I dunno. I've written f/f and m/m and m/f. I guess I fret most about m/m since I've never been a man having sex with a man, but in general I've read a lot and I know what I like. I don't find any flavor to be more difficult than the others.
Which of your stories is your favorite and WHY? Least favorite?
I don't think I'm qualified to answer this yet. It's not been long enough, nor do I have a large enough body of work to be able to be objective.
Which of your titles do you like the most/least, and why?
Currently, I'm deeply entertained at having named one fic "Swish." "Notes" is such a boring title.
How do you choose titles for your stories?
I'm horrid. I ask my betas and friends for help and they make suggestions which I ignore because they don't "feel right." And then eventually I come up with something out of the blue that I don't hate, and go with it. I don't like titles.
Do you write differently with a cowriter than you do alone? Is it easier or harder?
Frankly, I don't even comprehend how co-writing happens. My betas are great; they ask good questions, help me hammer out awkward places, but I don't understand how two people can both contribute major ideas for a story. I guess I just don't share very well.
Do you write original fic differently from fanfic (if you write it at all)?
Not really – pretty much the same process, only without the helpful betas and community support..
For series and long works, do you decide a goal in advance to stop at or are they open ended? If you do choose a goal, how often do you stick to it?
I decide in advance, during the outline phase. Generally it's all written in my head before the outline phase anyway. I've never changed my goal, but in fanfic usually my goal is "and then the shag like rabbits," so it's not like I ever WOULD change my mind. *grin*
When a scene feels forced, what are the first few tricks you try to fix it?
Let it rest of a few days and come back to it. Or let it rest and spend some time mentally mulling it over, begging the muses to tell me what they are thinking or feeling. I guess the first step before that is to figure out why it feels flat, what it's missing. Then if I still can't get past it, ask the Wonderful Betas. Occasionally ask other non-fandom related friends.
Are most of your fixes deletions or additions?
Additions, usually. Clarifications of emotion, tone of voice, back story.
How long does it usually take you to write a story? How many revisions do you go through?
That depends entirely on length. I'd day it takes me about a month to go from random concept to outline to meaty outline to actual story to first draft ready for betas. Then depending on how fast my betas are, I like to get responses from everyone, make changes, resubmit to them and see if they have any further comments. So maybe... one to three months. Writing for the fests has really shortened my story length and increased my writing speed.
Do you use beta readers?
God yes. I can't actually imagine not having them, to help with ideas and save me the humiliation of submitting a story with "them" instead of "then" in a key moment. I love them, I need then, I grovel in worshipful awe at their feet. Plus, they're really great writers, too!
