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Fandom History & Inspiration Meme - Day 21
Day 21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Ahhh, yes, the infamous (at least in my mind) debacle of Memento Mori :) I wrote a story and I loved it, and basically the minute people started clamoring for a sequel, I caved. I spent about three months trying to figure out how to write a sequel to a story that was never intended to have one, and, though moderately successful in finding my answer, I learned a great deal from the experience. Mostly, I learned that I am terrible at production under pressure. Anytime people start having expectations about my work (that they share with me, at least), I start to crumble. It's something of a double-edged sword, because I love getting feedback, and it's been a fine line to walk between feeling complimented/flattered/appreciative of reviews, and feeling pressured into writing something that I have no further interest in.
I don't have anything against sequels, in general. I was planning to write one to my very first IY fanfic, in fact, but I became involved in other projects and eventually just dropped it. I'm not so sure it would've been a wise idea anyway, since an original character would have been heavily featured. I have little interest in reading about others' OCs, so how could I expect anybody to give a damn about mine? LOL.
I think one of the most important things for us to learn as writers is where the story ends. There has to be a stopping point - a goal to be reached, a quest to be conquered, a conflict to be resolved - so that there can be a road map for the plot. This is especially true for long multichapter stories, but even for shortfic - anything beyond slice-of-life vignettes - there has to be something driving the plot. So many times, I think people just get caught up in whatever world they're building, and they just want to keep adding to it and adding to it and adding to it, until they've bypassed the original point of the story altogether.
If you're doing it right, readers are always going to want more. You, as the writer, are the one driving the bus, though, so stop when you get to your destination. Maybe there's something more to explore, but that's what new projects are made of, hehe :)
All that being said ~ I pretty much don't write sequels unless I'm interested enough to do so. My stories are complete when they're marked complete. Rare is the person these days who can talk me into writing a sequel for a story I consider complete. (I have a hard enough time fulfilling commissions, LOL.)
I *do* have a sequel to a current WIP in the works, but it's a separate, discrete story that simply builds on the characterizations from the first. Which, I think, is what all good sequels (and prequels) do.
Previous....
Day 1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
Day 2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Day 3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Day 4 – Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
Day 5 – If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Day 6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
Day 7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Day 8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Day 9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Day 10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Day 11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Day 12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Day 13 – Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Day 14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
Day 15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Day 16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
Day 17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Day 18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Day 20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Upcoming....
Day 22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Day 24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Day 25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Day 26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Day 28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Day 29 – What is your current project or projects?
Day 30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
Ahhh, yes, the infamous (at least in my mind) debacle of Memento Mori :) I wrote a story and I loved it, and basically the minute people started clamoring for a sequel, I caved. I spent about three months trying to figure out how to write a sequel to a story that was never intended to have one, and, though moderately successful in finding my answer, I learned a great deal from the experience. Mostly, I learned that I am terrible at production under pressure. Anytime people start having expectations about my work (that they share with me, at least), I start to crumble. It's something of a double-edged sword, because I love getting feedback, and it's been a fine line to walk between feeling complimented/flattered/appreciative of reviews, and feeling pressured into writing something that I have no further interest in.
I don't have anything against sequels, in general. I was planning to write one to my very first IY fanfic, in fact, but I became involved in other projects and eventually just dropped it. I'm not so sure it would've been a wise idea anyway, since an original character would have been heavily featured. I have little interest in reading about others' OCs, so how could I expect anybody to give a damn about mine? LOL.
I think one of the most important things for us to learn as writers is where the story ends. There has to be a stopping point - a goal to be reached, a quest to be conquered, a conflict to be resolved - so that there can be a road map for the plot. This is especially true for long multichapter stories, but even for shortfic - anything beyond slice-of-life vignettes - there has to be something driving the plot. So many times, I think people just get caught up in whatever world they're building, and they just want to keep adding to it and adding to it and adding to it, until they've bypassed the original point of the story altogether.
If you're doing it right, readers are always going to want more. You, as the writer, are the one driving the bus, though, so stop when you get to your destination. Maybe there's something more to explore, but that's what new projects are made of, hehe :)
All that being said ~ I pretty much don't write sequels unless I'm interested enough to do so. My stories are complete when they're marked complete. Rare is the person these days who can talk me into writing a sequel for a story I consider complete. (I have a hard enough time fulfilling commissions, LOL.)
I *do* have a sequel to a current WIP in the works, but it's a separate, discrete story that simply builds on the characterizations from the first. Which, I think, is what all good sequels (and prequels) do.
Previous....
Day 1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
Day 2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Day 3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Day 4 – Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
Day 5 – If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Day 6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
Day 7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Day 8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Day 9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Day 10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Day 11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Day 12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Day 13 – Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Day 14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
Day 15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Day 16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
Day 17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Day 18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Day 20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Upcoming....
Day 22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Day 24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Day 25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Day 26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Day 28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Day 29 – What is your current project or projects?
Day 30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
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So I wrote one. It was a bad, bad idea. I just wasn't as inspired to write it and I pretty much hated it. It didn't get much of a response either and I knew it was a mistake.
Lucky for me, the website hosting the stories collapsed shortly after the series ended. No more embarrassing X-F stories!
Also, since then I've stuck relatively well to my guns about not doing sequels if I just don't want to. And I haven't wanted to, yet! :)
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