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Fandom History & Inspiration Meme - Day 24
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?
Short answer: I don't have a beta, and 95% of the time, I don't use one.
Long answer: My reasoning for this is twofold:
(1) There is nobody in the world who is more critical of my work than me, of this I am convinced. I am very, very hard on myself (it's a character flaw) so my personal bar of acceptableness is set very high. This is why it takes me so long to actually finish a story (and even longer if its a multichapter). I am constantly second-guessing myself, and this was something that was exacerbated by being in the middle of the ultra-critical IY fandom. I made myself sick over some of my IY stories, and all that needless stress was one of the reasons I ran away to smaller pastures.
Anyway. My work goes through several stages of revision, from the moment inspiration strikes to the moment the final version is posted. I am constantly looking at characterization, plot, flow, as well as stuff like spelling and grammar. I'm not perfect - I have the occasional typo that shows up in the final draft - but I'm pretty confident in my ability to catch stuff like that. When I'm actually writing a story, I'm very sensitive to it/about it, and well aware of its flaws, so to have someone else come in and point them out to me is just going to make me hate the work even more, and potentially abandon it. And, considering my output has slowed WAY down lately, I don't need something else holding me back.
(2) Another scar the IY fandom left on me was regarding feedback, and lack thereof. It got to the point where I'd convinced myself that if people weren't commenting, they weren't reading. I still hold onto this idea today, even though I know and understand that this simply isn't the case. But, still, this is what makes me hesitant to ask for beta work if I need a fresh pair of eyes ~ if my potential audience is already small, then why am I going to risk making it even smaller by having someone read my work before its done? *shakes head*
I'm getting better about asking for help when I need it, though. Being a member of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
awenish has been helpful, and there are lots of wonderfully supportive people around me, so I rarely hesitate to ask if I'm stuck. And - how's this for weird - I enjoy beta'ing for other people! :P And I try to be gentle, because I've heard too many horror stories about betas to be anything other than.
So...yeah. IDK. I don't have a regular beta, and I don't use them unless I get stuck and frustrated. I never claimed to be normal or rational about this stuff, LOL :P
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?
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?
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?
Upcoming....
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!
Short answer: I don't have a beta, and 95% of the time, I don't use one.
Long answer: My reasoning for this is twofold:
(1) There is nobody in the world who is more critical of my work than me, of this I am convinced. I am very, very hard on myself (it's a character flaw) so my personal bar of acceptableness is set very high. This is why it takes me so long to actually finish a story (and even longer if its a multichapter). I am constantly second-guessing myself, and this was something that was exacerbated by being in the middle of the ultra-critical IY fandom. I made myself sick over some of my IY stories, and all that needless stress was one of the reasons I ran away to smaller pastures.
Anyway. My work goes through several stages of revision, from the moment inspiration strikes to the moment the final version is posted. I am constantly looking at characterization, plot, flow, as well as stuff like spelling and grammar. I'm not perfect - I have the occasional typo that shows up in the final draft - but I'm pretty confident in my ability to catch stuff like that. When I'm actually writing a story, I'm very sensitive to it/about it, and well aware of its flaws, so to have someone else come in and point them out to me is just going to make me hate the work even more, and potentially abandon it. And, considering my output has slowed WAY down lately, I don't need something else holding me back.
(2) Another scar the IY fandom left on me was regarding feedback, and lack thereof. It got to the point where I'd convinced myself that if people weren't commenting, they weren't reading. I still hold onto this idea today, even though I know and understand that this simply isn't the case. But, still, this is what makes me hesitant to ask for beta work if I need a fresh pair of eyes ~ if my potential audience is already small, then why am I going to risk making it even smaller by having someone read my work before its done? *shakes head*
I'm getting better about asking for help when I need it, though. Being a member of
awenish has been helpful, and there are lots of wonderfully supportive people around me, so I rarely hesitate to ask if I'm stuck. And - how's this for weird - I enjoy beta'ing for other people! :P And I try to be gentle, because I've heard too many horror stories about betas to be anything other than.So...yeah. IDK. I don't have a regular beta, and I don't use them unless I get stuck and frustrated. I never claimed to be normal or rational about this stuff, LOL :P
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?
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?
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?
Upcoming....
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!
no subject
Aw. I sympathize. I think it's pretty shitty how one fandom seemed to do this to people.
And we are our worst critics. I think if you're ultra-critical of your own work but know when to ask for help, then you're doing the right thing. It's okay if you don't always think you need "help" with your fic. And when you do need help, you can go to people you trust.
I love beta-reading for other people too. Though I always worry if I'm being too harsh. :P
no subject
Yeah, this is what's so hard to wrap my brain around after my stint in IY, LOL. I always felt weird and like a bit of a renegade that I went it alone and still managed to garner some recognition for my stories. The way some folks fetishize betas just made me go o.O and slowly back away...
Usually I can figure out what's wrong with a story if I poke at it enough. There are plenty of things I've written but not posted because my gut tells me it's wrong.
no subject
I've never been a big fan of critique groups or writing circles (sooooo much bullshit running rampant), but