Writer's Meme

[brightly_lit]

Because it looks SO FUN!

Put a number in the comments and I’ll answer accordingly. The mission for those of us who answer the questions, should we accept it, is to stay positive about our writing and ourselves, but to also be fair about our shortcomings.


1. Of the fic you’ve written, of which are you most proud?
2. Favorite tense
3. Favorite POV
4. What are some themes you love writing about?
5. What inspires you to write?
6. Thoughts on critique
7. Create a character on the spot... NOW!
8. Is there a character you love writing for the most? The least? Why?
9. A passage from a WIP
10. What are your strengths in writing?
11. What are your weaknesses in writing?
12. Anything else that you want to know... (otherwise known as Fill in the Blank)

Comments

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

10 please!

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Strengths, eh? That's funny--I thought about what I would say in answer to the weaknesses question, but I haven't thought about this one at all!

Let's see .... I think I've figured out how to get across what I'm getting at pretty well, and when I put my mind to it, I feel like I can create a metaphorical level parallel to the purely material one. And I HOPE I manage to evoke a lot of emotion with what I write.

Thanks for playing! I saw you and pretty much everyone else on my f-list doing it and I couldn't resist. :-)

[septembers-coda.livejournal.com]

I want #7!

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

YAY, I was really hoping someone would ask for this one! Here you go--a drabble for you:


It's not that Burt wanted to see the Winchesters die. They'd done a lot of good hunting, those two--killed a lot of monsters. Rumor had it one of 'em even prevented the apocalypse. Yowsa. Good hunters. The best. That's why he was loading up his pistol outside their hotel. That was why he was finding the best possible vantage. That's why he was was going to try to kill them--he had to know if they were really as good as they all said.

[septembers-coda.livejournal.com]

Holy--!
What the!!!
Son of a--!

This is awesome! You even write great drabbles! BUT THIS COULD BE A FIC, IT COULD. :-)

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Aww, you're so sweet!

I guess it COULD be a fic, but I figure Sam and Dean would pretty much kill his ass after he got off one shot. :-}

[kalliel]

I LOVE THIS. I LOVE BURT. <3333 Random hunters ftw. And I for real have a soft spot for anyone who makes death threats towards, or actually succeeds in killing, the Winchesters. Idek. XD

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

ME TOO. I think fondly of Gordon up on the rooftop, aiming a sniper rifle, because aww, Gordon, you batshit crazy son of a bitch. C'mere, you.

[kalliel]

Yesssss Gordon! I probably have like, raging unspoken Gordon Walker love hiding deep inside me. When I was first watching Show, I was doing it with my one friend exclusively. And she HATED Gordon Walker (no idea why). So I never got to express me LOVE FOR HIM. XDD

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

I can see hating him--he's so awful and relentless and irrational, but as a character he's SO. MUCH. FUN.

Doncha hate it when you feel one way about something and the people you're watching it with feel exactly the opposite so you don't get to revel in it?? That has happened to me SO often, because I always seem to feel differently from everyone around me ...

[kalliel]

God he's HYSTERICAL, THOUGH. XD I mean, not all the time. But yes, exactly, he is so much fun. And for a crazed lunatic, pretty incredulous of the crazed lunacy of others. (His reaction to Kubrick's revelation that Sam Winchester is the anti Christ = priceless. XD)

I HATE IT VERY MUCH. ): And sometimes it gets me so nervous/distracted that it's hard to actually enjoy the thing I'm watching and I know I'd otherwise be enjoying.

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Yes, hysterical! Increasingly as time goes on, too.

BAHAS I forgot about his reaction to Kubrick--because that's the thing: Gordon IS smart and competent and rational after his fashion; it's that his perspective is skewed JUUUST far enough that he's, as previously mentioned, batshit. But you can see how he got to that point, which is yet another thing that makes him such a great fucking character.

And sometimes it gets me so nervous/distracted that it's hard to actually enjoy the thing I'm watching and I know I'd otherwise be enjoying.

YEEESSS.

[kalliel]

I maintain that Gordon Walker was then what other hunters probably feel the Winchesters are now.

"Good hunter. BUT DON'T YOU WORK WITH THEM. THEY ARE PSYCHOPATHS."

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

This is such a great point. And that's such a wonderful moment with Ellen, "Sure, he's a good hunter--NO, DON'T WORK WITH HIM!" She does, after all, say people tend to get hurt when they do. Maybe that's what all hunters eventually become ...

As I recall, Sera was the one who really got the good stuff going with Gordon. And watching S2, I'm growing convinced she's one of the few who really knows how to write Dean, too. (Come back, Sera!)

[kalliel]

Omg, circa S6 fandom spoke AT LENGTH about how much of a Samgirl Sera was and how biased she was towards him vs. Dean and I was like ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Sera is the Deanest of all Dean!girls and a H/Cer to boot. XDD Though I will give Carver credit for picking up for S9, because I like what he's doing (and not doing) with Dean right now quite a bit. Not that being a hot mess is at all flattering, I mean. But I think it should be allowed.

Butttttt Sera will forever be the only writer I've ever trusted to the ends of the earth; Kripke included. In interviews she could say the dumbest things--things that I knew she knew were not even true--but at least I also knew that the place from which she spoke was very rarely the place from which she actually practice and wrote. XD Oh Sera. <3

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

SERA GOT THEM BOTH but you are so right, she SOOO gets Dean. That's so funny that fandom was saying that. Well, not FUNNY, but, you know, cringey.

(I'm going to whisper here that I didn't trust Kripke at all and with a couple of exceptions his scripts weren't so good BUT HEY, THE SHOWRUNNER DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A GREAT WRITER, JUST A GREAT SHOWRUNNER AND HE WAS.)

I would be interested to hear what these dumb things were that she said. Carver says dumb things, too, and Singer; I think maybe behind-the-camera people get overexcited and blurt out something when they don't know what to say or something. Except Edlund. Dude talks like he thinks in uber-intellectual poetics.

[kalliel]

Kripke nailed horror, and I will always respect him for that, but if SPN were stranded on a desert island I would send Sera to save it. XD

Ahaha omg, Sera. Well, the summer between S5 and S6 I wasn't spoiler-free yet, and I swear to god she just kept talking. XD I'm reasonably certain we knew the plot to over half of S6 before July was out. But she'd say things like, oh man, Dean's that guy who just likes to have fun!

And I'd be like, Sera. We're halfway through S7. Sam is Great Wall of Sam-ing it, Castiel was Godstiel and is now (however temporarily Deadstiel), Bobby's dead, they're wanted by the FBI, they have no Impala, people have expressed concern over Dean's mental health in every single episode so far, and he's expressed suicidal ideations in like, half of those--up to and including threats of murder-suicide. THIS IS PROBABLY SO FAR FROM THE OPPOSITE OF FUN IT WOULD BE STUPID TO EVEN THINK ABOUT "LIKING TO JUST HAVE FUN." XP I KNOW YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT.

Ahhh, Sera. <3 Oh yeah, Carver totally stays dumb things, and Singer possibly the dumbest, though he often opts not to say anything at all, which I respect, baha. I have complicated, wary feelings about Edlund. XP

[balder12.livejournal.com]

4!

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Ooh, great one, and always interesting to see people's answers to. Unusual people, outcasts, misfits. Desperate circumstances. People who are broken emotionally and seeing how they've (maybe not so functionally) stitched themselves back together. What people are able to see in others--or what they think they see that isn't really there.

Great question--thanks. :-)

[kalliel]

Unusual people, outcasts, misfits. Desperate circumstances. People who are broken emotionally and seeing how they've (maybe not so functionally) stitched themselves back together. What people are able to see in others--or what they think they see that isn't really there.

You are in the right fandom, gurl! :P

[reggie11.livejournal.com]

Number 1!

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

I'd have to say "Inescapable," (http://brightly-lit.livejournal.com/24472.html), because it's a genre I don't usually write (action) set in a place I don't like (Vegas) with a main character who makes me kind of shudder, and it's got sex that's more graphic than I almost ever write, so it was really hard! But as a result, it was ultimately that much more satisfying.

Thanks for asking!

[monicawoe.livejournal.com]

5

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Mostly life experiences or things I'm struggling to deal with, but also of course other works that I think are awesome (like SPN!). Also, people who fascinate me often inspire original characters. Sometimes a character or idea brought up in another show that were the most interesting part to me but that weren't explored very deeply, so I go exploring.

[kalliel]

Also, people who fascinate me often inspire original characters.

Yes!! Have you ever had that moment where you find someone extremely attractive, and then you're like, but wait. They're not attractive in that I want to bang them... I just want to write them? XP

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Kind of exclusively! I've gotten all too often mixed up between whether I like someone as an object of desire or as simply an aesthetic prototype. Mmm, damn sexy aesthetic prototypes ....

[deceptivemirror.livejournal.com]

I admit to being curious about number six.

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

I read a very interesting interview with a musician whose brother wrote a novel. Her album and his book influenced and inspired each other. She was asked how they handle it if they don't like something in the other's work, and she said they don't feel a need to say anything, because they figure the other one already knows if something isn't working. I realized, I think that's usually the case (especially with people who are practiced enough at their craft to know pretty well what they're doing, such as the amazing writers on my f-list), so unless I were asked specifically for a hardcore critique, I see no point in making negative comments--not to mention that something that doesn't work for me sometimes is working great for other people, so who am I to judge? The important thing is that people are creating, adding to the collection of artworks in the world, making something beautiful, enjoying themselves, all those wonderful things about art.

That's not what I expected to come out when I first saw that question! This meme is so cool for that reason; it's making me think through and articulate things I never really have before.

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

I read a very interesting interview with a musician whose brother wrote a novel. Her album and his book influenced and inspired each other.

Haunted/House of Leaves?

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

You got it!

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

♥ Poe was awesome.

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

8!

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I was hoping someone would ask me this one!

I really love writing for Sam. All too often on the show, it seems like he doesn't have a voice, plus he seems so misunderstood by so much of fandom, so I love getting to make all those internal mechanisms more explicit and hopefully sometimes explain something about his character to people who don't like or understand him usually. Also, John; he's such a rich character in the series despite how briefly he was on the show, legendary, having reached almost mythical standing by this point; I love going back to when he was just a father trying to raise a couple of boys and keep them safe and alive.

I find Crowley hard to write for, because all his clever quips are so English and I just know I don't know enough about the way that kind of English guy would talk to do him justice. :-]

Thanks for commenting!

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

All too often on the show, it seems like he doesn't have a voice,

Aww, yes. I've been watching season 1 back, and it's honestly surprising me how angry and passionate and willing to speak his mind Sam is in it. I'd actually forgotten. :(

[alexisjane.livejournal.com]

12!
What is the most important thing you think you've learnt from writing fanfic that you would pass on to other writers?

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

OOH, A TWELVE--I was really hoping for an original question! And a great one it is. This took some thought, but I think the most important thing I've learned is not to try to write what I THINK people will like, because it'll take the story in a less authentic direction. I say, write what you really most want the story to say, not worrying about the audience; people seem to like that better, anyway, and even if they don't, at least you end up with a story you really love that's all you wanted it to be. And now I want to ask this same question of everyone here, STARTING WITH YOU! :-D

[alexisjane.livejournal.com]

OMG that's not the way it works is it!
Actually, my answer would be tifaching's answer which is virtually the same as yours, which is really interesting.
When I was super blocked and was freaking out coz I couldn't write anything but really nasty stuff which I didn't want to write as I felt strongly that I wanted to be a positive person and writer, tif just said to let it go and trust my muse, to write what she wanted me to and that it would be okay. So I did and it was! Admittedly I wrote Gods and Monsters and it freaked me out and still does but you can't say I was trying to second guess what people would like coz I'm surprised anyone makes it through it.
But it really helped me to let go of my expectations of myself. I only ever wanted to be a writer, maybe if I had specified not a writer of horror and angst, I would have got that. But accepting that my muse has horns has been the best thing I've learnt so far.
And not to make stupid jokes about men on tricycles that could spiral out of control. Also that : ) x

[kalliel]

Guys, don't have anything to add but a few dozen amens, but I really love this thread. And you both! <333333333

[kalliel]

/scrolls through the comments to see what numbers haven't been taken yet

ELEVEN.

And NINE.

:D

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

11:

We've talked before about how I probably don't trust my audience enough. Sometimes I see weird wild ideas you and indiachick come up with, and I'm reminded, Oh, YEAH, you can do ANYTHING in writing! It inspires me to do something more experimental, but left to my own devices, I stay very material and representative, keep my feet on the ground instead of my head in the clouds, alas ...

9:

Sam mentally corrected Dad and Dean's assumptions about this rare monster as he turned the page. He remembered the last time they hunted one of these things, they’d shot it with a salt round, believing it to be vulnerable to salt, but from where Sam stood, it had looked like it was the impact of the round that had slowed it temporarily, not the salt itself. Now Dad and Dean were making all kinds of plans involving showers of salt that Sam was 95% sure would be completely ineffective ... although it could be kind of entertaining to watch it all play out (salt everywhere, Dad and Dean hysterical--Dean made this hilarious face when he turned out to be wrong about something hunting-related, his eyes and mouth comically wide), if these monsters weren’t so spectacularly dangerous.

“I’ll come with you,” he said suddenly. This way, they could have their salt and he could kill the monster, too.

“Sam, you’re still just a kid,” Dean said patronizingly over the back of his seat. “And these guys are dangerous. Sit this one out.”

Dean didn’t think he was too young to regale with the most appalling details of his romantic liaisons, or of their goriest hunts, the hypocrite. He was only saying it because Sam’s supposed youth and vulnerability were all that, at least until Sam got a little older, let Dean have that one part of their Dad to himself. Sam stared meaningfully at Dean. Dean knew Sam would never ask to come on a hunt unless it was really, really important, right? Dean wavered, because loyal Dean wanted to make everybody he loved happy. It was the best thing about him. Trouble was, Dad and Sam were so different, it was almost impossible to make them happy at the same time. Sam didn’t understand why Dean bothered to try so hard to make Dad happy, because he had to practically make himself into someone else to even come close. At least with Sam, he could be himself.


I completely forgot about this fic--thanks for reminding me of its existence!

[kalliel]

Lol, it's funny you say that, because as far as ideas go, that is often what I think about myself, too! XD A few years back, I had this group of friends who could write just like, the most amazing, far out, dazzling ideas-fic (all Cas!girls). And I just thought that was the coolest thing, because I'm often not much of an ideas person; I'm a 'these characters sitting in a room failing to sleep, having inarticulate conversations and being vaguely emotionally damaged/unhinged' kind of person. Which, I mean, I love that. I love that kind of thing possibly even more than I love great ideas fic. But it's not dazzling at all, and often isn't terribly pleasant. And it's just not SHINY and EXCITING and COOL like ideas fic is. So I've always thought that it would be really cool to be an ideas fic kind of person, though ultimately I don't really think I am. I play in the sandbox from time to time, though. XP


And awww, little Sammy. <333 Much love for him. I love the understated attitude Sam's got building in him, as he's watching his family get bogged down in ridiculousness he's already parsed out, but can't get anyone to pay attention to. He's correct, but also a little self-righteous, but also very loving.

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also, I can't write graphic porn to save my life.

[kalliel]

LOL, ME TOO. Luckily the world has absolutely no dearth of people who are plenty willing and able to supply that market! XDDD

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm very fortunate I had septembers_coda's help with that aspect (and others) of my RBB, or my sexy romance would have been NOTABLY DEVOID OF SEX.