Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RokofAges75]

Do you incorporate songs into your stories, and if you do, how so?  BSB songs or songs by other artists?  What's your opinion on doing this?  Is it corny?  Appropriate in some instances? Both?
I used to put song lyrics in certain stories, like at the beginning or end of a chapter (or sometimes in the middle), but I've stopped doing that after realizing that 1) I scroll right past lyrics in other people's stories without reading them, so why should I expect anyone to read them in mine? and 2) It can be really corny and downright distracting, especially if they're placed in the middle of a chapter.  I am not knocking anyone who does use song lyrics that way, though, because I totally get why.  I love music, and when I find a song that inspires me or really fits the scene, I want to include it!  Broken and BMS had huge "soundtracks" of songs I used in them, enough to fill six CDs (because I burned them all one time, because I have no life LOL).  A lot of them are really cheesy songs that I've since come to dislike, though.

I still include music in my stories, but only if it fits into an actual scene - like if the characters are actually singing or listening to a song on the radio or something.  Sometimes I can cheat and include songs that inspire me that way... I did that with Queen's "Show Must Go On" in Curtain Call when I had Nick listening to it on his ipod before a show.  It made sense in the scene, but it was also my personal anthem for that story, and I just really, really wanted to reference it.

I use a combination of BSB songs and songs by other artists - whatever fits, really!

Do you ever imagine songs while you're reading a fanfic, even if there isn't a mention of the song in the story itself?

I was going to say no, but then I realized that stuff reminds me of songs all the time!  I am constantly singing to myself when I'm alone LOL.  Usually it's as a joke, though, and often it's something from South Park, because I can make a South Park reference to just about anything.  I can't remember the last time it happened when I was reading a fanfic, but I'm sure it's happened.  I don't think I've ever read something and thought, "This song would be perfect playing in the background of this scene!" though.

[RokofAges75]

New question:  What do you do in real life, and what impact does it have on your writing?  Do you tend to include things you know a lot about from your job and/or hobbies in your stories?  Are you an expert at anything that comes in handy when writing fiction?

[Carter-Orange]

Do you prefer writing/reading a female centered fic or male centered and why?

I like them both equally, both reading and writing.  Obviously it's easier to write from a female point of view because I know how they think lol.

[mare]

New question: What do you do in real life, and what impact does it have on your writing?  Do you tend to include things you know a lot about from your job and/or hobbies in your stories?  Are you an expert at anything that comes in handy when writing fiction?

I have been a music teacher/singer for a long time now and it does help writing in this fandom because I understand how music works and know lots of musicians both in the industry and out of it. I have a pretty good handle on how the business works seeing how some of my friends have dealt with the spotlight on occasion. Also knowing how horrible the business can be has helped me come in at things from an insider's point of view. I guess that's where I use my 'expertise' I don't really use the teaching aspect too much. I have only made one character a music teacher in all of my novels.

As for hobbies, most of them revolve around music so I guess by default, I do kind of include them in my stories lol I don't really do much else except music type things besides reading and writing. Maybe I should take up a sport... yeah, I couldn't even finish typing that without laughing.

I am an expert at awesomeness! And it does come in handy, often!   

[Carter-Orange]

Do you incorporate songs into your stories, and if you do, how so?  BSB songs or songs by other artists?  What's your opinion on doing this?  Is it corny?  Appropriate in some instances? Both? I don't usually incorporate songs into my stories, but I have kind of in one.  I've used a few song lyrics as poetry that Nick was writing in a letter to someone.  I can't remember if it was BSB lyrics or someone else's.  Maybe it's corny, but I like corny sometimes lol.

Do you ever imagine songs while you're reading a fanfic, even if there isn't a mention of the song in the story itself? Can't say that I have imagined a song as I'm reading, but I know that when I listen to Song For The Unloved, I think of Song For The Undead

[Carter-Orange]

New question:  What do you do in real life, and what impact does it have on your writing?  Do you tend to include things you know a lot about from your job and/or hobbies in your stories?  Are you an expert at anything that comes in handy when writing fiction?

I work for an IT company as a service desk analyst (one of those people who remotes on to your computer and tries to fix it).  I don't think it has much of an impact on what I write about, I prefer to write about something other than computers lol.  Whenever possible I like to write about places I know, although that doesn't happen when writing BSB stories.  I'm an expert at nothing!

[FrickingKaos]

I am pretty sure you all know this already but I have been working at Taco Bell for about 11 years and White Castle for about 8. I have written about my job in Tales From The Drive Thru...other than that I do not really mention my job much in my writing.

As a kid I played basketball so whem writing At The Beginning i incorporated this. I usually try to use my hobbies and interests in my stories. I write about what I know.

[RokofAges75]

I'm a 4th grade (9- and 10-year-olds) teacher, but aside from making a few of my characters teachers, I don't use much from my job in my writing.  If I wrote more child characters, I probably would.

I'm far from an expert, but I have some background in music from years of taking piano lessons, playing the clarinet in band, and singing in choir, and that has come in handy for scenes when the guys are singing or playing music.  I can read music and have a pretty solid knowledge of musical terminology and structure.  I don't know much about the music business, though, besides what I've learned just from years of being a fan, so I find that aspect of it a lot harder to write.

I don't really have any other big hobbies besides writing, but I've been interested in medical stuff since I was kid, and that obviously comes into play in my stories a lot.  I don't have much real life experience to draw on, but I have taken anatomy classes, watched a lot of medical shows on TV, read a lot of books, and done a lot of research on that kind of stuff so I can use it in my writing.

[emilo]

I have incorporated songs into my stories before.  Mainly, I have my characters actually sing them, but I end up making the lyrics relatable to the current theme in the story.  I agree that it's kind of corny, but in real-life, when there is a song on the radio that I'm digging, I end up either somehow relating it in my head to something I've gone through, or even creating a story in my head to go with it, so I think it's fun to translate that over to fanfic.  The only time I've ever actually used BSB songs is when I'm writing about their performances or album production.  Or there was the time I wrote about Nick hearing his own song on the radio and jamming out to it. haha.  I don't tend to imagine a certain song when I'm reading a story, but I have, on occasion, been known to play an appropriate song in the background while I'm writing a particular scene.

In real life, I'm a pharmacist.  I work part-time at our local hospital and stay home with my almost three year old the rest of the time.  I have definitely incorporated some medical knowledge into my fics, and some "toddler knowledge" too.  Like a lot of the rest of you, I do have some background music knowledge, and I'm somewhat of a vocalist (like church and the company talent show at this point).  I was also in band and choir (show choir, actually, so I know how to put on a production..lo l). 

[emilo]

New question for all of you veteran fanfic writers (so, like, everyone but me. lol)  If you are a sequel writer, how much of the previous story do you reveal in your sequel? 
The reason I ask is that I'm writing one right now, and it's going to be a totally different genre from the original, so I feel like I may have a bit of a different group of readers this time around who may not particularly enjoy reading the original.  I don't want to completely confuse them by leaving plot holes in the story that can only be explained by reading the original, but I don't want to give away so much that if someone decides to go back and read the original, they already know everything that's going to happen.  This is a completely selfish question, but I thought it would also be appropriate discussion for this thread.

[mare]

New question for all of you veteran fanfic writers (so, like, everyone but me. lol)  If you are a sequel writer, how much of the previous story do you reveal in your sequel? 

Hrmm I guess it depends on the nature of the sequel. As you know for Scars, it's more of a continuation of the first story and really can't stand alone.  When I came up with the idea, I always knew it was going to be a two story arc and designed it that way. So, I really don't think anyone could read the second story without feeling totally in the dark unless they read the first one. I haven't written a whole lot of sequels, but I think the three I have done all follow this similar pattern.

So, I guess it really depends on the nature of your sequel. Is it a continuation of the story from the previous one or is it just the same characters in a different situation? If it's the latter, you could probably get away with letting it stand on it's own as long as you spent some of the earlier chapters re-introducing your characters and their relationships to one another.

I can't really think of any fanfics that have done that because well...surpris e surprise... I tend to not read series or sequels with a very few exceptions. But, I will use Dan Brown as an example, even though I'm not a huge fan of his latest book, you can read all the Robert Langdon books out of sequence and they would still make sense because Brown always does kind of a quick this is what you missed in the last book, type of explanation when it comes to his characters. 

Here's another question for you which relates to Emily's!

 How do you feel about sequels and series in general? Do you write them and or read them? Do you know ahead of time that you will be writing a bunch of stories or do you make that decision later on?

[emilo]

As far as sequels and series go, I like them when I've fallen in love with the characters from the original and care about what happens to them next.  That being said, I tend to prefer when the same characters are put into a different situation instead of just having a continuation of the story, especially in a romance.  I tend to get a little bored with a continuation of a romance story, with the exception of a few what can stand on great writing alone.  So, to answer your questions within the answer to my question, I'm putting my characters into a different situation, but there are some big, plot-related references to the old story that readers need to be aware of so that they understand the premise of the second story.  So..... I think maybe I have a plan.   Thanks!

[RokofAges75]

In real life, I'm a pharmacist.  I work part-time at our local hospital and stay home with my almost three year old the rest of the time.  I have definitely incorporated some medical knowledge into my fics, and some "toddler knowledge" too.  Like a lot of the rest of you, I do have some background music knowledge, and I'm somewhat of a vocalist (like church and the company talent show at this point).  I was also in band and choir (show choir, actually, so I know how to put on a production..lo l). 

You are actually what inspired my question, after the review I left you on FILA and your response to it.  I could tell you knew your stuff when it came to the medical aspect of it, and what impressed me most was how detailed you were with the medications, knowing the right dosages and whatnot, so it makes total sense that you're a pharmacist.  I wasn't sure, but also suspected you must be a mom, because the way you wrote Drew also seemed spot-on!  Same with the musical stuff, now that I think about it, especially the parts where they were arranging songs and recording.  You had the perfect background to write that story realistically!

[emilo]

This is true!  Now to attempt to branch out and write about something I don't know so much about!

[RokofAges75]

New question for all of you veteran fanfic writers (so, like, everyone but me. lol)  If you are a sequel writer, how much of the previous story do you reveal in your sequel?  
The reason I ask is that I'm writing one right now, and it's going to be a totally different genre from the original, so I feel like I may have a bit of a different group of readers this time around who may not particularly enjoy reading the original.  I don't want to completely confuse them by leaving plot holes in the story that can only be explained by reading the original, but I don't want to give away so much that if someone decides to go back and read the original, they already know everything that's going to happen.  This is a completely selfish question, but I thought it would also be appropriate discussion for this thread.

I haven't written many sequels in the last ten years, mainly just By My Side, but when I do sequels, they're almost always, like Mare said, a continuation of the last story, so I assume that the people who will be reading them are the same people who have read the first story.  In fact, I usually put some kind of a disclaimer in the beginning warning readers that they better have read the first story first.  For that reason, I don't do a lot of recapping, but I do realize that even readers who have read the first story might have forgotten some of it, so I put in little reminders about things that have happened or reference specific parts from the first story to keep them fresh in my readers' minds if they're going to be relevant later.  I used little flashbacks sometimes in BMS, which is kind of a clunky way to do it, but it's still effective.  Just having the characters reminisce either in their thoughts or in a conversation works too and is more realistic.

In your case, Emily, since your sequel is going to be a totally different genre and you're wanting it to sort of stand alone so you can attract other readers, I would suggest giving just enough information that people who haven't read the first one can figure out who the characters are and what their relationship is to each other, but don't retell their whole back story.  You don't want to bore readers who have read it already, and you also don't want to spoil the first story for new readers who might want to go back and read it later.  If you just drop some hints at important things that have happened in the characters' pasts without revealing everything, you may even attract some of those new readers to WANT to go back and read about what really happened.  You got me to do that with The Sisterhood of the Red Sweatpants - I had to do some inferring about the characters, but I really had no trouble understanding that story even without reading its companion, but I found myself curious about the characters and how they got to that point, so I ended up reading Falling in Love Again anyway.  And in that story, the little hints you dropped about Annie's back story (especially regarding Andrew) kept me reading, mainly because I wanted to find out the whole story of what happened.  It's good to keep your readers guessing and wanting to know more.  Use that same strategy in your sequel, and you should be good to go!