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[RokofAges75]

Rose and I were chatting about this just now and thought we'd throw it out there for all the writers on the board to answer.

What's your fanfic trademark or niche?  That is, what's the one thing you always seem to write about, the thing readers are likely to find in most of your stories?  Why do you choose to write about that?  Where does the inspiration or infatuation come from?

Just thought this would be an interesting topic.

[Rose]

I love this topic. 

I know when I was younger, I used to always write about twins, or in some cases, triplets. You can see it in some of my early stories in fanfic too even. But most of that was in my prefanfic days. I'm not sure why either. My mom says I had an imaginary twin when I was little, instead of an imaginary friend. So it'd been like that for awhile. She'd joke I was a twin in a past life. Even now you see me sometimes put them in there even as a small thing, like in RMTW, AJ has twin daughters. But I really don't do the twin thing anymore.

As for what I always tend to write about, or have in fics now... I dunno. I used to have an answer to that, but lately I don't. Character wise, I know in "my" Nick, he always sings either to have fun (we're talking about outside professional performing) or when he's upset/nervous.

I think we should also say what we feel other's author's niches are in fanfic too. I'd like to know that.

Like with Julie, I think you know we all feel you're one of the best with anything medical.

[RokofAges75]

Thanks

Definitely mine is the medical stuff LOL.  You will find at least a little of that in almost all of my stories, even if that's not the main plot.  I don't know exactly why, except that I've just always been interested in medical stuff and enjoyed stories that involve that.

Even when I was very little, one of my favorite picture books was "Curious George Goes to the Hospital" LOL.  I watched Rescue 911 all through elementary school, and then I started watching ER from the beginning, when I was in 4th grade and it was a treat just to be allowed to stay up late enough to watch it on Thursday nights, and that was my favorite show for the 15 years it was on.  I grew up with ER!  I read all of Lurlene McDaniel's books in middle school, all the sappy young adult novels about kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, and she was my favorite writer for a long time.  She has had a lot of influence on me as a writer, for sure.  I always loved learning about the human body and dissecting stuff in science.  Even now, I still give all the new medical shows a try, although I haven't found one worthy of ER's replacement yet (though the new documentary show Boston Med is awesome!).

I think if I hadn't come from a long line of teachers (my mom is one, my grandma is a retired teacher, her mom was a teacher, and so on), I probably would have gone to medical school or done something in the healthcare field.  I was torn between medicine and education up until the time came to choose a major when I was filling out college applications, and I chose the one that pays a lot less - go me LOL.  So I think writing about the medical stuff in my stories is a way to satisfy that fascination for me, and it's been a fun challenge for me to try and do it better and better in my stories, as far as researching and making it as realistic as I can without actually experiencing it.

[RokofAges75]

I know when I was younger, I used to always write about twins, or in some cases, triplets. You can see it in some of my early stories in fanfic too even. But most of that was in my prefanfic days. I'm not sure why either. My mom says I had an imaginary twin when I was little, instead of an imaginary friend. So it'd been like that for awhile. She'd joke I was a twin in a past life. Even now you see me sometimes put them in there even as a small thing, like in RMTW, AJ has twin daughters. But I really don't do the twin thing anymore.

Twins are fascinating.  There's just something interesting about them, especially when you go with all the twin mythology that's not really true, but interesting nonetheless LOL.  Like the psychic connection and all of that.  There was a made-for-TV remake of "Escape to Witch Mountain" that I remember watching as a kid, and the kids were twins in that version and along with being telepathic and all of that, they made purple light whenever their hands touched.  It was a cool twin movie LOL.

Brooke and Bonnie in Undead were also your idea LOL.

Maybe you have a parasitic twin inside you!  Like that movie Unborn (which I haven't seen, but isn't that the premise?).  Maybe that's really your muse, instead of a psychic penguin named Bob (who also happens to be a twin LOL).

[Rose]

Twins are fascinating.  There's just something interesting about them, especially when you go with all the twin mythology that's not really true, but interesting nonetheless LOL.  Like the psychic connection and all of that.  There was a made-for-TV remake of "Escape to Witch Mountain" that I remember watching as a kid, and the kids were twins in that version and along with being telepathic and all of that, they made purple light whenever their hands touched.  It was a cool twin movie LOL.

Brooke and Bonnie in Undead were also your idea LOL.

Maybe you have a parasitic twin inside you!  Like that movie Unborn (which I haven't seen, but isn't that the premise?).  Maybe that's really your muse, instead of a psychic penguin named Bob (who also happens to be a twin LOL).

LMAO were they really? I forgot. Okay see, maybe I do still do it lmao. But at least they're never the main premise anymore. Used to be they were haha.  I remember the made for TV version. I loved that movie! I wish it was on dvd somewhere.

LMFAO maybe, though siamese twins were never my thing. I never saw that movie either actually LOL.

[Pengi]

I tend to write the lead character as an underdog turned hero - or, in fan fiction's case, Nick. In my stories, Nick is always the underdog, the one no one expects to win... for example, the entire premise of Saving the Day for Blondes is that the other Boys don't believe in Nick, but he ends up being the one they all rely on. I guess it's Cinderella-syndrome! Even in The Time Watcher, Nick is a hero only because he is forced into it by "what he is" - making him a reluctant hero. There's a major part of the plot coming up soon that will test Nick's motives and goals with the ability he's been given. Nick is always pushed to the limits and forced to discover that he can be the hero, despite everyone else's reluctance to believe in him.

I also tend to make AJ be the very sexually-focused character. If anyone's gonna make a sex joke, it's gonna be AJ! And the others will only make similar jokes when it is purposely done in an out-of-character way.

I have issues writing 3-dimensional girls, too, for some reason. So most of my stories tend to focus on the relationships between the guys themselves - friendships being tested, tried, and found to be made of steel.

[mare]

Good topic ladies. I don't think we've actually ever dicussed this before.

I guess my thing is family dynamics, more specifically siblings. Growing up I always wanted a big brother more than anything in the world. I guess a younger brother would have been good too but I didn't actually have any male role models of any kind growing up so it's something i've always longed for. I notice I usually kill one or both of the parents when I write things lol my sister pointed that out to me. Probably because of the way I was brought up. So, I tend to center things around the siblings and since I feel more confident writing boys, it's usually brothers. I hate the sterotypical big brother little sister thing so you will NEVER see me do that! Even though I want to be that sterotypical in real life! lmao

That's probably why I latched on to the boys personalities. Normally when I love a group I don't really care much about them as people lol I know that sounds terrible. You know what I mean though? I know basics but that's usually about it but because of their dynamic in interviews, their age differences and how they clearly acted like brothers, I was kind of drawn in.

I tend to only watch shows that have some kind of family (brothers in particular) dynamic included as well. Minus the reality shows of course.

It's the element I feel most comfortable writing in. Well that and erotic Brian porn LOL!

[Kentuckychickrk]

Well I'd say I definitely tend to steer towards the angsty category.  I like to write a good tearjerker every now and then.  I also tend to use medical situations (like Grace having cancer in the Nick and Grace series) and Jess being a pediatric nurse in 525,600 Minutes, oh and the transplant situation in Someone's Miracle... so yeah... there's a lot of that 

Don't really know why, I too was always fascinated by that type of thing/situation when I was younger (and still) I love medical shows and honestly, if I could stomach the gore, I would have loved to have been a nurse or a doctor myself.  Instead I just write about it.

[RokofAges75]

I don't think it's the gore that would bother me; I couldn't handle the emotional aspect of it.  Giving people bad news, dealing with families who are upset, watching people die and then having to tell their families.  And of course I'm imagining ER; there are lots of doctors who have private practices and probably don't have to mess with that stuff very often, but you'd still have to do it for a rotation in med school, and I don't think I could handle that side of it.  I don't even like having to talk to parents when their kids are having trouble in school LOL.

Not to mention, it's a LOT of work and a LOT of long hours, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that commitment.  Teaching is not an easy job either, but at least I have my weekends and my summers.

[Purpura Lipstick]

I don't know if I have a "niche", I like to write stories that have some kind of twist to them, you think one thing and whoop I twist it to be something else. I guess that would be my "niche" then huh?

[RokofAges75]

Why not.  It's M. Night Shyamalan's niche - or used to be, till he started making crappy movies instead. LOL

[honey]

Romance! Romance! Romance! Woot woot! Cheesy, sappy, romance!


Rose and Mare, don't you dare throw tomatoes at me! 

[Carter-Orange]

Mine would have to be romance too.  I just can't help it

[mare]

It's your thing, no reason to throw fruits or veggies. lol

[VeeLynn]

Hmm I'm not sure what my niche would be.  Maybe story wise my stories are Hodgepodge like.  Yeah there's usually romance in there but other stuff too, Drama, Suspense, etc.  I'd like to think if you read my stories there's something for everyone.  At least most of them. Character wise.  I always make Brian the bad guy? Except my new one Everlasting.  I made his wife the bad one. lol  It's early I can't think. lol