Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: mare on September 25, 2013, 05:35:59 PM
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Thought I'd change the title since we really aren't asking a question of the day anymore LOL
Here's an interesting question: As a writer, when you leave feedback do you tend to leave it from the POV of how you usually write? For instance, if you are a suspense writer and leaving a review for a sci fi writer, do you tend to ask questions about something in the story that might seem unimportant for sci fi but you catch it from your suspense eye?
When you read your reviews, do you ever notice that happening to you? Can you tell when someone outside of the genre you have written is reviewing just based on what they ask and say?
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Hm... I don't know if I do this myself, but I do notice it in reviews from my readers, so I probably do. My readers who are romance fans tend to comment on the relationships between the characters, even if they haven't blossomed into a full-fledged romance, whereas the readers who don't like romance tend to ignore that part and mention other things. My medical drama lovers will comment more on that aspect of my stories.
I am probably one of the latter when I review other people's stories. I live for drama and horror and gore, so my reviews for Mare's current story are basically all, "Sorry, Creepy Tim, I love you and all, but I'm pretty sure Nick is bleeding internally and needs more than aspiri- OMG, WOLVES!!!"
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I live for drama and horror and gore, so my reviews for Mare's current story are basically all, "Sorry, Creepy Tim, I love you and all, but I'm pretty sure Nick is bleeding internally and needs more than aspiri- OMG, WOLVES!!!"
Omg I laughed so hard at this.
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LMAO
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Lmao I love you Julie.
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:)
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I have noticed that I tend to think there are twists coming in EVERYTHING because I usually add twists. So when I leave comments I put questions out there that might be twist related. I do notice I tend to ignore somethings and pull out other aspects when commenting, if I catch something to comment along the lines of a twist, or something unusual or what not. I remember with Julilly's story "30 Days" I kept wondering when the break up was going to happen which I guess would be a twist for a romance/drama LOL.
BTW I think Julilly needs to do the challenge and use that story and they need to have broken up ;) lol
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BTW I think Julilly needs to do the challenge and use that story and they need to have broken up ;) lol
Bahaha! I love how passionate you were about your desire for them to split up, too! Maybe the twist was that it seemed obvious they would, but they didn't! :P
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I know I am guilty of always doing this which is why I asked in the first place. I'll almost always look at the suspense angle of everything even when there is not an ounce of suspense anywhere to be found in the story. I might concentrate on something like why someone said what they said or if something is mentioned in a room I might think "hrmm that's weird she mentioned a cat toy without mentioning a cat. Maybe something sinister is going to happen involving a dead pet?" lol
I do notice people doing that as well, just like Julie said above. I've noticed it more with this new one then anything else I've ever written. The medical people focus on Nick's issues, the romance people focus on the happier elements, and then the suspense horror people want those wolves to come and that damn fire poker to be used! LOL
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Bahaha! I love how passionate you were about your desire for them to split up, too! Maybe the twist was that it seemed obvious they would, but they didn't! :P
Perhaps it was the twist after all. I just did not like the female lead. Lol
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I know I am guilty of always doing this which is why I asked in the first place. I'll almost always look at the suspense angle of everything even when there is not an ounce of suspense anywhere to be found in the story. I might concentrate on something like why someone said what they said or if something is mentioned in a room I might think "hrmm that's weird she mentioned a cat toy without mentioning a cat. Maybe something sinister is going to happen involving a dead pet?" lol
I do notice people doing that as well, just like Julie said above. I've noticed it more with this new one then anything else I've ever written. The medical people focus on Nick's issues, the romance people focus on the happier elements, and then the suspense horror people want those wolves to come and that damn fire poker to be used! LOL
You always latch on to random details and minor characters, like Hambelina in Curtain Call LOL, or want the female characters to be psychopaths.
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You always latch on to random details and minor characters, like Hambelina in Curtain Call LOL, or want the female characters to be psychopaths.
Think about how much more fun Carrie would have been if she had been a psycho nurse who killed her patients and then fed them to her pet pig? Just a suggestion for the five years later challenge! lol
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Think about how much more fun Carrie would have been if she had been a psycho nurse who killed her patients and then fed them to her pet pig? Just a suggestion for the five years later challenge! lol
LMAO!!! OMG, so tempting! Maybe Nick's death sent her over the edge, causing her to suffer a massive mental breakdown...
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^ that's what I was thinking too! LOL
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Stephen King was on The View today and they ran down a list asking him "where did you get the idea for..." So my question is this - what was your most unusual bit of inspiration, something that lead you to include it either as a major plot point or small addition to a story?
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That's a great question, but it requires some major thinking. lol
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I know I am guilty of always doing this which is why I asked in the first place. I'll almost always look at the suspense angle of everything even when there is not an ounce of suspense anywhere to be found in the story. I might concentrate on something like why someone said what they said or if something is mentioned in a room I might think "hrmm that's weird she mentioned a cat toy without mentioning a cat. Maybe something sinister is going to happen involving a dead pet?" lol
I do notice people doing that as well, just like Julie said above. I've noticed it more with this new one then anything else I've ever written. The medical people focus on Nick's issues, the romance people focus on the happier elements, and then the suspense horror people want those wolves to come and that damn fire poker to be used! LOL
I'm one of those who wanted the wolves to nibble on someone and for Tim to get battered with the fire poker lol.
I'm not sure what kind of reviews I leave, it depends on what I'm reading really. I know that I like to try and guess what's going to happen.
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Stephen King was on The View today and they ran down a list asking him "where did you get the idea for..." So my question is this - what was your most unusual bit of inspiration, something that lead you to include it either as a major plot point or small addition to a story?
The song Resistance by Muse inspired me to write a World War 2 story set in Poland about a Jewish couple torn apart and later reunited just in time to be executed in the gas chamber (morbid, I know!)
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^ that sounds like a great story! Is an OF? Is it online somewhere?
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It's not online, it's kind of OF. I did originally write it with the guy being called Jason (from Take That), but it's not a Take That story and he was nothing like him either, it's far too AU to have been him.
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Well, it sounds like a great and very sad, depressing plot! LOL
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LOL it was! I'm quite proud of that story :)
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I have a few answers to the where did you get the idea for... question.
One night while watching Grey's Anatomy or a show like that, one of the doctors said "They aren't out of the woods yet but it looks like they'll make it." and it got me thinking about where that saying might have come from. What if before people died or were in a coma they were literally in the woods and had to fight to get out of them in order to survive? And hence the story Shadow Woods was born. :)
Beautiful Girl came about after seeing how far some fans tended to take their obsession with the boys. This is when I used to frequent LD on a daily basis and was sometimes scared to death by some of the things I would see posted. I kind of based her on an amalgam of some of the more obsessive fans of all the boys but Howie, Brian and Nick in particular.
Protect and Serve came about because I had always wanted to write a story where Nick was a really little kid but to make it believable I had to have it be an AU and nothing was more appealing to me than the thought of Kevin as an FBI agent so I went with it. LOL
Why I'd Do it all Again came about because I always wondered what it would be like to follow them around 24/7. I was tired of never knowing the answers to some of the questions I had about their lives so I figured I'd just make it happen myself.
Hope happened because of all the talk about lack of a good old fashioned bus crash story or medical drama. I thought it would be fun to combine them both into one and then alternate pairings to make everyone happy.
I'm sure there are more but I can't think of any right now. LOL I might be back.
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on AC you guys were all talking about cranberry sauce one time, I found it funny so apparently it has become a running gag for me. I have used it twice so far. Once in my 1000 Ways entry reindeer games....he got run over by a reindeer because.he just had to have canned cranberry sauce. Th other time was in Finding Carter during Christmas.dinn er at the Littrells house.
The AC forum gives me quite a bit of inspiration these days :)
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I've finally a question to make. Wow, my first. lol
Thanks to the last episode of Glee, I went back into the fanfiction fandom. One of the most popular one is called "Little Numbers", it's a Klaine (Kurt/Blaine) and it's narrated only through text messages. I've tried to read it but I've never understood why it's so popular because it lacks of everything since you can't describe situation or scene through a text message. (it's so popular that some have tweeted and asked Ryan Murphy if he ever read it. O.o) So, my question is: what would you think about a story that uses only text messages? Would you ever write one?
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Hell no!
I really feel I need to describe the surroundings and stuff for a scene or story to be considered good in my mind.
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Hrmm I'm kind of torn on that one. I think depending on the skill of the writer, that might actually work. The idea itself is pretty creative when you think about it, but it's all in the execution. I mean there is a way you can be descriptive enough to convey emotion within a conversation. In that way it's really no different from reading a script format or simply dialogue. I remember once I issued a dialogue challenge on the forum where you had to write an entire short story ONLY using dialogue and an admission from me, when something is too overly wordy and descriptive and I have invested time in it and want to know what happens, my eyes go straight to the dialogue to help move the chapter along. Kind of like this answer is being too overly wordy lol
So, to sum up, if it was written by an author I knew was pretty good and the the plot itself seemed worth it, I'd give it a try, but if there was no substance to it, I'd click away and never look back and shake my head about a missed opportunity. LOL
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To answer my own question, I've tried once to write it, though it wasn't text messages but messages left by Brian on Nick's phone. And I admit that, while at first it seemed a great idea, I found myself having to change it and start adding scenes of descriptions and dialogues because I felt I couldn't give the perfect image of what I wanted to say.
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I imagine writing in texts would be the same as dialogue. I've done that dialogue story challenge twice, once in HS and once with you guys. The one I wrote in HS won an award bc I was still able to paint a picture of the scene without using any description. That's the basis of "show, not tell" after all, just have the characters describe the scene in a way that isn't awkward. So I think a text would work the same!
Also, Tracy, I'm sure with two thanksgiving holidays and Christmas upon us there will be further cranberry arguments/discussions lol
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Thought I'd change the title since we really aren't asking a question of the day anymore LOL
Here's an interesting question: As a writer, when you leave feedback do you tend to leave it from the POV of how you usually write? For instance, if you are a suspense writer and leaving a review for a sci fi writer, do you tend to ask questions about something in the story that might seem unimportant for sci fi but you catch it from your suspense eye?
When you read your reviews, do you ever notice that happening to you? Can you tell when someone outside of the genre you have written is reviewing just based on what they ask and say?
I meant to answer this but haven't yet lol. I think I usually latch on to whatever torture or bad thing that's happening at the moment and LOL. Or I cheer for the villain/fall in love with him like I have with Mare's lately. Which isn't really based on the genre's I write, more that I'm just a touch crazy.
Stephen King was on The View today and they ran down a list asking him "where did you get the idea for..." So my question is this - what was your most unusual bit of inspiration, something that lead you to include it either as a major plot point or small addition to a story?
Most unusual? That's a good one. Probably 1000 Ways To Kill Nick Carter. That literally came from twitter and me thinking since so many authors are mean to Nick we should just turn him into "Kenny" and kill him repeatedly LOL. 00Carter came from talking about hot cocoa while trying to defeat Tanja... and RMTW was literally a "what if" that came from nowhere LOL.
A lot of 00Carter is virtually random things we decide to mock LOL.
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I imagine writing in texts would be the same as dialogue. I've done that dialogue story challenge twice, once in HS and once with you guys. The one I wrote in HS won an award bc I was still able to paint a picture of the scene without using any description. That's the basis of "show, not tell" after all, just have the characters describe the scene in a way that isn't awkward. So I think a text would work the same!
Also, Tracy, I'm sure with two thanksgiving holidays and Christmas upon us there will be further cranberry arguments/discussions lol
I did that once, and it wasn't as easy as I expected. You gotta be able to let the dialogue not only tell the story but who's speaking. I can see texting be the same concept.
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Of the guys (not their misc...), do you find you have a hard time torturing one of them but not some of the others? Are there things you refuse to do to one that you would have no problem doing to another?
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No I find I'm pretty fair to all of them. At least in terms of HOW I torture. The rate is pretty skewed in Nick's direction lmao.
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I kill Howie easily but have a hard time physically torturing Kevin..um I think I do pretty even with the torture of the other three
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I'm an equal-opportunity torturer LOL. Nick and Brian are usually my victims of choice, but I have made bad things happen to all of them. Of the five, Howie has suffered the least, but I have a story in the works where I will make up for that, so not even he can escape my evil clutches. I don't really have any sort of boundaries or restrictions anymore. Nothing is off limits.
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Of the guys (not their misc...), do you find you have a hard time torturing one of them but not some of the others? Are there things you refuse to do to one that you would have no problem doing to another?
I'm pretty equal opportunity but come to think of it I don't think I've tortured, maimed or killed anyone but Nick!
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I tend not to hurt Howie, which is funny because I always plan to but my favorite victims are nick, brian or Kevin.
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I'll torture them all and I'd probably kill them off too. Gone are the days when I had boundaries lol.
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I tend not to hurt Howie, which is funny because I always plan to but my favorite victims are nick, brian or Kevin.
lol I quote you because we're similar. I never hurt Howie, mostly because I tend to forget about him *pats Howie on the head* Obviously, my favorite victims are Brian and Nick. And no, I don't have boundaries. When you start torture, you can only go further and further. LOL
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I realized that I never tend to seriously injure Kevin ever. In my Protect and Serve series, AJ and Brian were shot, Howie was pummeled with a bat, Nick..well good Lord but Kevin was pretty much unscathed. That tends to happen a lot with him. LOL
What about reading? Do you enjoy reading one being hurt over the others? Is there someone you can't deal with being bodily harmed?
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What about reading? Do you enjoy reading one being hurt over the others? Is there someone you can't deal with being bodily harmed?
Reading?
Brian.
Brian.
Brian.
And Brian. LOL
The one I can't deal with being harmed is Nick, but only because I've used up all my patience for all the stories when he's the one being harmed. lol Lately I'm like "Oh God, not again." LOL
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I will read about anyone being tortured, I am not really biased, torture in general is always a good read.
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I tend to torture Nick the most, because it's the most fun, LOL.
I hardly ever hurt Kevin, because I don't like to "see" him weakened or in pain.
Therefore in almost every review I leave for "Hope" by Mare, I tell her she's being mean to him ;)
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As long as the torture makes sense to the plot I don't care who it is LOL
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I know this sounds kind of weird coming from me, but I don't really enjoy reading about any of them being tortured physically. Mentally I love it, but the physical stuff makes me all squeamish! LOL yes, I know!
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I tend to torture Nick the most, because it's the most fun, LOL.
I hardly ever hurt Kevin, because I don't like to "see" him weakened or in pain.
Therefore in almost every review I leave for "Hope" by Mare, I tell her she's being mean to him ;)
Yes, you do but once again the most I have done to him physically is given him a broken ankle lol
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I enjoy reading about any of them being tortured, especially Brian and Nick LOL. And when I say "tortured," I don't mean literally tortured, as in the gory stuff. That's fun too, but there are many kinds of torture. I enjoy reading about them in anguish, let's just say that.
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Yes, you do but once again the most I have done to him physically is given him a broken ankle lol
You say that like it doesn't hurt, LOL. Meanie.
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You say that like it doesn't hurt, LOL. Meanie.
I know but compared to what I am willing to do to the others... lol
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I enjoy reading about any of them being tortured, especially Brian and Nick LOL. And when I say "tortured," I don't mean literally tortured, as in the gory stuff. That's fun too, but there are many kinds of torture. I enjoy reading about them in anguish, let's just say that.
Yes, same here. Although anything too extreme I don't enjoy one way or the other.
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Here's a few more questions designed to maybe help motivate people to update their stuff.
How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
If the author tends to take a long time between updates, do you find you have to go back and reread the previous chapters before reading the new one?
If the author takes too much time to update, do you find yourself less excited to read when it is finally updated or hesitant to read something else by that author?
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^This question is on good timing. I was just actually thinking of updating TOSONC this week because of you. Not because you are a reader but because of your story hope. I thought 1 week is too long and can't wait for your next update then it hit me. It takes me months before I post an update, what if there is someone anticipating my updates like I do for Hope. What if there us someone visiting the site and hoping for an update of my story. So even though that 'someone' doesn't exist, I will try my best to update as much as I can. :)
Now to answer your questions:
If I really like the story, I won't give up on it regardless if the author updates only once a year. lol especially if it is a suspense type and there are questions that yet to be answered. In romance stories, I can make up my own ending but not on suspense/thriller ones.
Yes, especially if there are characters that I vaguely remember.
It depends again on how much I like the story, there are few stories in AC that until now I wait for updates even though the last update was 2011 or 2012, I think. :)
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Hmm....I feel like this one has my name written all over it, and the updates HAVE been very few and far between this week. Alas, I plan to update soon! On with the questions!
How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
-If it's a story I'm really into, I'm not really likely to give up on it at all, unless the updates never come and I'm forced to do so. If it's something I'm just reading casually, I don't find myself getting too frustrated until it's been months (like 2-3 or more).
If the author tends to take a long time between updates, do you find you have to go back and reread the previous chapters before reading the new one?
-I almost always go back and read the immediate previous chapter (at least skim it) just to refresh myself on where we left off, so that way, I usually end up basically reading every chapter twice. If there's a plot point I don't remember after that, I assume it must have not been that important anyway, lol. I know not everyone's memory works like that, but it works for me. Of course, that depends on what you call "a long time." If we're talking a year or more, I'll usually go back and skim the entire story, not necessarily taking a lot of time, but refreshing myself on the whole thing. There is one story I started reading a couple years ago that was updated some this summer then slacked off again. I'm waiting until it's finished to go back and read the whole thing.
If the author takes too much time to update, do you find yourself less excited to read when it is finally updated or hesitant to read something else by that author?
-Depends on the story and the author. If I was really into the story, it's quite the opposite, I get really excited to read. If it's something I really wasn't that into anyway, I'm less likely to keep reading. Though, usually, I've made that judgment call closer to the beginning of the story before the updates start getting further apart.
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What about reading? Do you enjoy reading one being hurt over the others? Is there someone you can't deal with being bodily harmed?
Again, I don't mind if they are hurt (mentally or physically) as long as I'm enjoying the story, then the writer can do what they want to the boys :)
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How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
If I'm really enjoying the story then I won't give up on it.
If the author tends to take a long time between updates, do you find you have to go back and reread the previous chapters before reading the new one?
Sometimes I might go back and quickly skim over the previous chapter just to refresh my memory.
If the author takes too much time to update, do you find yourself less excited to read when it is finally updated or hesitant to read something else by that author?
It depends on the story, there are some stories that when I see them updated after a long time, I actually can't wait to click and read. It wouldn't stop me reading something else by that author, as long as I know they haven't vanished from the world of fanfic writing.
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^This question is on good timing. I was just actually thinking of updating TOSONC this week because of you. Not because you are a reader but because of your story hope. I thought 1 week is too long and can't wait for your next update then it hit me. It takes me months before I post an update, what if there is someone anticipating my updates like I do for Hope. What if there us someone visiting the site and hoping for an update of my story. So even though that 'someone' doesn't exist, I will try my best to update as much as I can. :)
Now to answer your questions:
If I really like the story, I won't give up on it regardless if the author updates only once a year. lol especially if it is a suspense type and there are questions that yet to be answered. In romance stories, I can make up my own ending but not on suspense/thriller ones.
Yes, especially if there are characters that I vaguely remember.
It depends again on how much I like the story, there are few stories in AC that until now I wait for updates even though the last update was 2011 or 2012, I think. :)
Thank you so much, Ritz! It makes me tingly that you look forward to my updates! :) And just so you know, I do still look forward to yours as well!
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Hmm....I feel like this one has my name written all over it, and the updates HAVE been very few and far between this week. Alas, I plan to update soon! On with the questions!
I think many people reading this question thought the same thing lol Which is why I asked!
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How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
Usually when I commit to a story I will see it through to the end but lately I have decided that some I will read only once they are complete because of sporadic updating and not being totally sure the author will actually ever finish it and I don't want to invest my time in something that's not going to be finished.
If the author tends to take a long time between updates, do you find you have to go back and reread the previous chapters before reading the new one?
This is another thing I have had to rethink as I've gotten older and grown less impatient. lol My thought is, if I can't remember what happened, then maybe too much time has gone by and I would do what I said I would do in the above answer. I sometimes will skim the previous chapter to get a sense of what I missed but even that sometimes doesn't help. Honestly, sometimes I don't even remember a single thing about it. That's when I just decide to abandon it all together.
If the author takes too much time to update, do you find yourself less excited to read when it is finally updated or hesitant to read something else by that author?
It depends on how invested in the story I am. To this day, when "On the Rails" gets updated I get all giddy! And that hasn't been updated in ages!! The only time I would stop reading something by an author is if they have a habit of constantly abandoning their current stories to work on new ones. "I ain't got no time for that!" lol
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I think many people reading this question thought the same thing lol Which is why I asked!
*raises her hand embarrased*
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How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
Never. I'm very picky so when I start reading a story or an author it's because I know I'm gonna love it so I'm willing to wait even years for an update. I'm loyal like a dog :D
If the author tends to take a long time between updates, do you find you have to go back and reread the previous chapters before reading the new one?
Yep, I do, especially if it has Brian as the main character. If I really love a story, I tend to read and read and read it over and over again.And let's say it helps with learning new words. LOL
If the author takes too much time to update, do you find yourself less excited to read when it is finally updated or hesitant to read something else by that author?
Nope. The opposite. If I see a new update, I get all excited. lol Even if it's a new story, I'm just glad to have something to read and, especially, something that I know I'm gonna love it.
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*raises her hand embarrased*
Exactly! I think so many of us fall into the I don't update enough category that we can easily feel like uh oh... lol
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How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
Usually when I commit to a story I will see it through to the end but lately I have decided that some I will read only once they are complete because of sporadic updating and not being totally sure the author will actually ever finish it and I don't want to invest my time in something that's not going to be finished.
:'(
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What are you crying about? You aren't even posting anything until it's complete anyway! lol
Seriously though, is there anything worse than getting all consumed in a story that is never updated? I am still hopeful that one day Eboni will update Prisoners of War or that Maria will update Yesterday's Blue Skies!
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How long are you willing to wait to read an update before you give up on a story?
If the story's good, I'll wait for it, period. I don't really have a set time limit.
If the author tends to take a long time between updates, do you find you have to go back and reread the previous chapters before reading the new one?
Yes - if it's longer than a few weeks, I usually have to refresh my memory.
If the author takes too much time to update, do you find yourself less excited to read when it is finally updated or hesitant to read something else by that author?
Usually, yes. There are some stories that I really like, but because so much time goes by between updates (years, in some cases), it takes so much effort to go back and reread and refresh my memory that I have decided to just wait until they are finished before reading any more. I'd rather go back and reread them all in one shot than keep reading a chapter every few months or years and then forgetting what happens.
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I feel like I can run naked through this forum it's so dead. I feel like that kid in the Home Alone movies.
I have no question, I just didn't know where else to say that. lol
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I want to know about the premise behind your Halloween avy. Are you a closet Brian girl, or is this a throwback to homicidal "One Phone Call" Brian? Also unrelated to the topic of this thread.
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I usually have the screaming banshee as my avy this week but I couldn't find her anywhere and I had made this Brian avy a long time ago and always thought he looked great in that pic, so I went with this one instead. He does kind of look homicidal in this picture as well which is always a plus.
I also have a Halloween chihuahua one if anyone wants this Brian one I'll gladly take the dog one.
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Hey ladies! Just dropped in to say hello and ask a question.
Does anyone else feel like they have lost their writing mojo? Not just for fan fiction in general?
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Yes Erika, my mojo seemed to vanish a long time ago :( I've written a couple of short stories for challenges and that's it! I really need to stop watching so much TV and get my story finished.
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I've been busy but thankfully I haven't lost it! I just need time to actually write lol.
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Last month I hit a bad writer block, first time that I've actually spent a whole week without writing nor having an idea. Thankfully, the block is gone and I'm busy finishing an Italian story.
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I feel like I have lost it in terms of BSB stuff.
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Mine is completely gone.
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I don't think I've even opened one of my stories since August. :( It's not that I've lost my mojo or that I don't want to; it's just that I haven't had the time or energy. I'm now getting my master's, on top of working full time, so the time I used to spend writing or trying to write on weekends is now spent doing homework. I can't even stay caught up on reading anyone else's stories, let alone write my own. It sucks.
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Mine is completely gone.
You lie! You just wrote a brilliant story!
Me, on the other hand, I'm toast lol
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You lie! You just wrote a brilliant story!
Me, on the other hand, I'm toast lol
Wrote as in past tense. I thought I had more umph but turns out I'm umphless lol I haven't even wanted to read anything.
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I don't think I've even opened one of my stories since August. :( It's not that I've lost my mojo or that I don't want to; it's just that I haven't had the time or energy. I'm now getting my master's, on top of working full time, so the time I used to spend writing or trying to write on weekends is now spent doing homework. I can't even stay caught up on reading anyone else's stories, let alone write my own. It sucks.
That sucks but at least it's not because of lack of interest which means at one point you'll be able to write, even if it's not until June! lol Let's hope it happens sooner than that though!
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The way things are looking, I may not be writing again until July! I guess there's always Christmas break.
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I hope you do find some time Julie :)
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Thanks, me too! :)
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For the people in a writing funk, what is something that would help get you out of it? Why do you think you ended up in a writing funk in the first place?
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For the people in a writing funk, what is something that would help get you out of it? Why do you think you ended up in a writing funk in the first place?
To me, it helped so so much all the pictures and videos of Brian and Nick from the cruise and now from the European promo. ;D ;D
As for the reason why I end up in a funk, it's pretty simple: my insecurities. I started thinking that what I was writing just sucked, then that all of my ideas were bleah and no one would really read them or like them, even myself. Plus being half sick and always out of home.
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I think if I had a story idea I was really into, I would probably make more of an effort to write during the free time I do have in the evenings after school or on weekends. When I was writing Curtain Call, I sometimes wrote on school nights because I was so into it that my enthusiasm made up for my lack of energy. I also wrote By My Side throughout college, student teaching, and my first year of teaching, which couldn't have been any less busy than this year has been for me. The difference is, I cared so much about that story that I made the time to write, whereas now, forcing something out on one of my in-progress stories that I'm already kind of "meh" about feels like way too much effort, so I usually choose to watch TV instead LOL. I think if I were to be hit with a truly inspired idea or a wave of inspiration on one of the stories I've started, I would start writing again.
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I don't actually know what would help me get out of it. I thought the new album would help a bit to click my brain back into BSB mode, and it did but it didn't last long enough for me to complete Thesis of a Cruel Angel, even though I think I do have 5 or so chapters of that sitting in my folder unposted.
I was also banking on the cruise to bring back some of my BSB mojo. I even worked my butt off to finish a 1D story before that because I was so sure I'd be back into BSB mode afterwards. But that didn't happen.
I actually did open up Running Up That Hill last week and read over the entire thing, and I wrote about 100 words on a new chapter of it before getting bored/frustrated with it and giving up.
I don't know what it is because it's not that I don't like them anymore, I really do and I still keep up with them and I listen to IAWLT often. But for some reason, writing 1D stuff is a lot more appealing to me - oh and that's another issue I have. With BSB I largely write about Nick and it's always been that way, I've never had much interest in writing about the other guys (which is part of the reason Running Up That Hill is such a big challenge for me) but in 1D I will write about any one of them or any combination of them as main characters. So I feel like I have 4 more main characters to play with rather than just one in BSB.
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I know that if someone came and stole my TV, that would get me out of this slump. I've become a real TV junkie!
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A lot of it is TV's fault! lol
I'm just too tired really. When I have the time to write which is the weekends, I tend to opt to catch up on shows I missed during the week or watch a movie or mainly nap. Like Julie said though, if I found myself incredibly inspired to write on something I most likely would like I did with my last one. I have never really been that into a story before. I do have ideas waiting but I guess I'm not as excited about them as I thought. Plus the cruise always makes my love of BSB wane a bit. I'm hoping maybe after Christmas I'll get that jolt back.
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Damn you TV!!! lol
I've kind of got the idea for a romantic comedy story, but not sure I will write it yet. I've also made a start on my challenge story but the TV drags me away with all it's good autumn shows!
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LOL I think it would help my writing if someone stole my TV too!
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I'm somewhat glad I'm not the only one. I am truly sad I've lost my BSB mojo though and I feel like I should be more inspired with Kevin's return. Instead I'm not interested at all. I recently started a story and thought I was really going to start writing again since I'm really into the idea, buuut I can't find the inspiration in anything and I am so busy that I can't find the time to write or concentrate enough. I barely remembered that I asked a question here lol.
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I have been frustrated with myself because I haven't been writing since the cruise. I have things started, it is just personal thoughts holding me back. I struggle with that a lot and it is something I need to work on, the self bashing thing. People will praise me but in my mind it sucks. It pisses me off to think like that.
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this is the first time I have been on a computer since work on Halloween and I am typing one handed since Lucas wants to be held and I can't deny him. I am hoping I can get some mojo back but my desk is blocked... I brought my computer downstairs to get on to do some paperwork for work heh.
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I can't imagine trying to write with a newborn around! Even if he does sleep a lot, I'm sure you're exhausted, Lore! Especially with another kid and a hubby to take care of, too! I'm tired all the time, and I only have myself to take care of! LOL
I have been feeling the urge to write lately, so maybe I can get something going this weekend. I don't even know what to try to write, something in-progress that I should be updating or something I've started but not posted, so there's no pressure. That is part of my problem; I have too many projects and no focus.
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Have you ever held back on writing or posting something because you were worried about the reaction it would get?
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The only time I was ever hesitant with posting a story was "It Stays" because I felt like it might have been a little too dark. Luckily everyone in this fandom is as crazy as I am though so it all worked out. LOL
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I initially held back on posting Running Up That Hill because it was way out of my comfort zone and I was really nervous about what the reaction would be.
I wasn't even going to write Forever Like This until my friend Jess convinced me to.
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No, I don't hold back on posting something, I just hope people don't think I'm too much of a weirdo for some of the stuff I do write lol
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I didn't want to post Figured You Out at first, because I was a bit worried, that was the first story where I went completely left field from what I was writing at the time, which was romance lol. I am glad I posted it though.
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No, I don't hold back on posting something, I just hope people don't think I'm too much of a weirdo for some of the stuff I do write lol
This is what I worry about sometimes... but then...
Luckily everyone in this fandom is as crazy as I am though so it all worked out. LOL
...I remind myself of that and write/post it anyway LOL.
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I am not afraid to post anything. .. if it gets read it gets read. If not... well I don't write in the genre that is everyone cup of tea already so...
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Thought I'd just put a bunch of questions in here now since some of us have time off and it's been so dead.
How would you describe your writing style?
How do you tend to portray each of the boys?
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters?
What do you feel are the most overused things in fanfic?
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write?
Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why?
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone?
What made you decided to write it?
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback?
Do you plan on completing it?
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel?
Overall were you/are you happy with the result?
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How would you describe your writing style?
My writing style is descriptive and dramatic. I almost always write in past tense, usually in third person, though occasionally I will write in first. My style tends to differ depending on what point of view I'm writing in.
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters?
I tend to put a piece of myself into my female characters, but I try to use different pieces for different characters to make them different from each other. So while there may be some similarities between some characters, most of them are pretty different. I don't know that they follow any specific pattern.
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write?
I think one misconception in fanfic in general, as well as in the genres I write, is that it's just a way for us to write out our ridiculous fantasies. Most of the stuff I write is far from a fantasy.
Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions. The last story I worked on that is currently online is my BSB/Harry Potter crossover, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Backstreet Boy," so that's what I'll answer these questions about.
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why? LOL Not at all. I started writing this story during spring break 2012 and was on such a roll with it that I decided to start posting it that same week. Of course, as soon as break ended and I got busy with work again, I stopped writing it and lost my flow. I stopped posting it after the first three chapters, even though I had more written, and decided to wait until I got on a roll with it again to keep posting. I haven't updated it or written regularly on it since.
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone? Completely out of my comfort zone. I am a huge Harry Potter fan, but I don't usually write fantasy, I've never written a true crossover (that wasn't just a spoof) before, so those elements make it something very different for me.
What made you decided to write it? I love Harry Potter, but never got into Harry Potter fanfic. I did, however, attempt to write a Harry Potter/BSB crossover about ten years ago. I didn't get very far on it (maybe 2 chapters?) and don't really remember what the plot was going to be, but the basic premise of a HP/BSB crossover stuck with me. Somehow this idea for one came together, and it was a lot better than the original idea could have been, so I decided to give it a shot.
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback? The first three chapters that I posted back in 2012 got a few reviews, and people seemed interested. I also posted it on fanfiction.net and have gotten a few reviews there.
Do you plan on completing it? Yes. I actually finished Chapter 8 a couple of weeks ago and figure I'm about a quarter of the way through it. I have a pretty solid outline for the rest, so now it's just a matter of actually writing it.
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel? In a way, this is sort of a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but I don't plan to write any subsequent stories.
Overall were you/are you happy with the result? I do really like this story so far, and I love the ideas I have for it. I just need to be in the right mindset to continue writing it.
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Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions. I'll based my answer with the only story I am working on: The other side of NC
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why?
Sadly, No. Aside from I don't have time to write because I have a baby, err, toddler, render overtime at the office everyday, and started a small business; I am stuck with my current storyline. I mean, I have the ending/resolution to the current mission but I feel like there should be a chapter or scene between the last posted chapter and my ending. I just can't figure out how to write that.
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone?
I know I am a romance writer but writing TOSONC doesn't feel like it's out of my comfort zone.
What made you decided to write it?
I loved the idea.
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback?
Just a few but all of them matters. It really means a lot when someone appreciates your work.
Do you plan on completing it?
Yes! Definitely. I have ideas for new stories but I told myself that I will not start writing new stories until this one is finished.
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel?
Yes. If the readers would like the plot for the sequel.
Overall were you/are you happy with the result?
Yes.
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How would you describe your writing style?
Dialogue and action driven, multiple points of view, usually in first person. When I use third person I tend to be more descriptive.
How do you tend to portray each of the boys?
Pretty much the same from story to story. I try to keep them very much how I perceive them to be and not too out of character.
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters?
Any other lead in my stories end up being a villain. lol
What do you feel are the most overused things in fanfic?
Banners. Not even joking.
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write?
My answer is pretty much the same as Julie's. I hate when people speak for everyone in saying they write to fulfill their fantasy life. I'm pretty sure my fantasies do not include maiming the guys. LOL Other people...maybe .
I'll answer the others later.
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I didn't answer the overused things in fanfic question because I feel like I've answered that one so many times before, but after watching Dexter today, I thought of a new one - though I don't know if it's so much overused as just a pet peeve of mine that applies to not only fanfic, but fiction in general, especially TV shows.
I HATE when writers feel the need to ruin a perfectly good couple with the following overused storyline:
1. Life is going well for happy couple.
2. New character comes in and "befriends" one half of happy couple.
3. Other half of happy couple becomes suspicious and jealous, while significant other insists they're "just friends."
4. Annoying new character has ulterior motives, wants to be more than friends.
5. Annoying new character makes move; old character who has always been faithful suddenly becomes weak and cheats on his/her significant other.
6. Love triangle ensues.
7. Happy couple temporarily breaks up, but inevitably gets back together once cheater finally comes to his/her senses and sees annoying new character's true colors.
I hate these storylines whenever they happen in my favorite TV shows (The OC was notorious for this - Oliver, Johnny, etc.), but as I was thinking about it, I realized I've been guilty of doing this too (with Jamie in BMS). I guess it's just an easy way to create drama in a romance.
So I guess the question that comes out of this is, what have you done in your own stories that really annoys you in other people's stories? (And feel free to rant about totally unnecessary love triangles, too!)
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I really stay away from stories that use that as a point of 'drama' or 'suspense' (using quotey fingers for those because I find the use of the word suspense in those love triangle/romance plots ridiculous) but it's hard to escape in TV though. That plot shows up pretty much everywhere, sadly and it almost always makes me mad. lol
As far as the actual question, I'll have to think on that. At the moment nothing is really coming to mind but I'm sure there is something, probably many things lol
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How would you describe your writing style?
Descriptive. Emotional and psychological. I'm not good with action scenes and I do tend to let the characters speak and think. I rarely use the 1st person, always third person and I tend to shift from pov to pov.
How do you tend to portray each of the boys?
Pretty much the same in every chapter. Some things may change because of the plot or because it's an AU but there are some elements that never change.
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters?
I rarely use other leads. Mostly, new characters are always the villains and the only pattern that I follow is that they are crazy. lol
What do you feel are the most overused things in fanfic?
The overused plot where a girl meet one of the guys and they immediately fall in love and said girl has a horrible past behind her. :plugears:
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write?
I think that the biggest misconception is that we fanfic writers only write to realize a fantasy. It might work for half of the time but there are a lot of authors who work really hard to build a solid plotline. As for the slash... aside for being called "not inappropriate", "offensive", I think that a lot just believe that it's porn. Nope.
Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
I'll go with the last story I've worked, though it's not on this archive. Well, it is but i have yet to translate all the chapters. lol
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why?
I don't update regularly. I'm ver bad with updates, there are times when I could update every day and others when I couldn't even write a single word. Why? Inspiration. Insecurity. The positive side is that I always know how the story has to end when I start write on it so, sooner or later, it's sure that said story would be finished.
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone?
It's not something I normally write but it isn't out of my comfort zone. It started as it, because it was supposed to be a series of messages left on the phone answering machine but... it didn't work out. lol
What made you decided to write it?
The ansgt factor (being a story where Nick died and Brian had to go on alone) but the most challenging factor was to keep the reader very far from how the story would end. I didn't know if I was able to pull it off but I did and the shock of the readers was amazing. (Now I know how Moffatt feels when he writes episodes where you want to kill him. lol)
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback?
Sadly, in the Italian fandom I've only two faithful readers. The reviews were just amazing, especially the ones for the last chapter. I loved being insulted. lol
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel?
There are plans for a sequel. I've left a lot of things unsaid and, given how it ended, I owe a sequel to the readers.
Overall were you/are you happy with the result?
Overall yes. There are chapters that I could have written better but the main aim of the story was to shock the readers at the end and I've managed it.
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Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
I'll use Hope is the Last Thing Ever Lost
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why?
I updated very regularly
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone?
It was pretty much right in the middle of my comfort zone.
What made you decide to write it?
The idea was in my head for a while and I just decided why not? The words just started pouring out of me so I went with it.
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback?
I got really good feedback on this one and gained a lot of new readers. It was the first time I didn't always have to rely on my regulars to comment because there were always new people popping up which was good since some of my regulars disappeared for this one.
Do you plan on completing it?
It's all done!
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel?
Nope
Overall were you/are you happy with the result?
I was very happy with the final product.
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Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
I am using Dark Side of the Sun for this as it is my most recent story I am working on.
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why? I have not been able to update it regularly. I thought I might have more time to work on it but my brain is tapped right now with weariness and TV....
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone? Nope not out of my comfort zone, just trying something new by not introducing a female character to tell most or all of the story through. So I guess slightly out of my comfort zone for that aspect.
What made you decided to write it? The storyline has been playing around in my head for awhile. I've been wanting to flesh it out and see if I can get a storyline going...
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback? Nope I don't get a lot of feedback at all. It hardly gets read but that doesn't bother me.
Do you plan on completing it? Eventually, yes I plan on completing it. It is just going to take me more time then I thought and well the thought of writing a Kevin romance and a suspense story keep tempting my muse when I do want to work on it. That and my OFs that I want to work on.
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel? No I don't have plans for a sequel but we all know that I don't plan on making sequels but then turn around and leave them open ended for a sequel... *sigh*
Overall were you/are you happy with the result? So far I am happy. Howie has made himself a bigger character than I intended but it is working. :) I hope I can get more written soon as I quite enjoy it so far.
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How would you describe your writing style? I'm not too sure how I'd describe it, kind of simplistic maybe.
How do you tend to portray each of the boys? I try to keep them real but sometimes tend to exaggerate parts of their personality, like AJ will be a drama queen.
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters? I don't use the same characters for the female lead, sometimes they might be a little like me, other times they'll be my complete opposite.
What do you feel are the most overused things in fanfic? I'm not sure, possibly boy meets girl and fall in love instantly. But that's not to say I don't like that kind of thing, because sometimes I'm all for a bit of romance!
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write? People think we're all a bunch of crazy nutters who need to get a life lol, but that's so untrue.
Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why? I haven't updated in so long, I don't even know why. I hate that I've left it this long, and I never thought I'd be the kind of person who did it. Maybe my mojo will return soon, I'm going to have to make a real effort to re-read it and carry on.
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone? Parts of it are right up my street, but other parts are a little out of my comfort and knowledge zone and maybe that's the problem. I need to do some serious research for it to seem accurate I think.
What made you decided to write it? I've always been interested in historical drama/romance with a bit of suffering thrown in, so figured I'd give it a go.
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback? Yes, I think it's got quite a few reviews which I'm shocked and happy about.
Do you plan on completing it? I will definitely complete it as I hate leaving things unfinished.
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel? No plans at all, I like to wrap it all up in one story.
Overall were you/are you happy with the result? I'm happy with it so far I suppose.
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How would you describe your writing style?
Dramatic with a hint of comic relief. I wouldn't say my stuff is overly descriptive but I like to think that what I lack in descriptions I make up for with dialogue and characterizati on.
How do you tend to portray each of the boys?
I tend to portray them how I think of them, and for the most part that has stayed the same since I started writing fanfic (except for Nick who I no longer think of as the perfect boyfriend LOL)
Nick - Stubborn with good intentions, but kind of self-destructive.
Brian - Overly devoted family man.
AJ- Comic relief with a very addictive personality.
Howie - The glue holding the whole group together.
Kevin - A know it all who likes to give advice whether it is asked for or not.
Cliche characterizati ons, probably, but that's usually where I start and then the specific story changes each of them a bit.
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters?
I really try not to. Admittedly some of them have the same characteristic s, but I do try to make them different in some ways. I especially tried to make Brittany different when I invented her, and to accomplish that I tried to make her a female version of Nick, actually.
What do you feel are the most overused things in fanfic?
I guess the broken girl who meets a BSB Nick and falls in love is kind of tired. I am personally also sick of the Coffee Shop AU. There is nothing glamorous about working in Starbucks. There is everything glamorous about being in a boyband and I'd rather read about that! lol
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write?
Probably that it's mostly porn and that us as writers are super creepy for writing in real person fandoms. I think a lot of people, especailly people who write fan fic for fictional characters don't get that it's not about what we wish would happen in real life or specifically to these people. It's just about taking celebrities that we find interesting and utilizing their character traits and what we see in them to craft a story. A lot of the time I find myself thinking "what if..." before I start a story, and that's probably why I tend to write more canon stuff instead of AU. Of course all of us are different and write for different reasons but I don't think any of us actually want anything horrible to happen to any of the boys!
Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
I will use Thesis of a Cruel Angel since it's my most recently updated story on AC.
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why?
I was doing pretty well when I first started posting it and then I totally fell off. I still have 5 or so chapters left unposted, which means the story is about half written.
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone?
Way, way, way out of my comfort zone. I don't usually write sci fi, action or have a female lead who's so abrasive. The only thing that's keeping it in my comfort zone is the copious amount of Nick angst, and there's a lot of it.
What made you decided to write it?
After I saw one of the Evangelion movies I thought it'd be fun to drop Nick into that universe and see how I could play around with it. I outlined the entire thing and wrote the first two chapters in a day. Then I dropped it, never posted it until I picked it up again after being inspired by Make Believe. I was chugging along on it really well too!
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback?
People seemed to like it, which was cool.
Do you plan on completing it?
Yeah, I do. I just don't know when my BSB inspiration is going to come back. I wish it would. Maybe after I see their movie?
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel?
There are no plans for a sequel, it will wrap up without the need for one.
Overall were you/are you happy with the result?
Yes, I am very happy with what I've written on it so far and doubly happy that I have a very detailed outline for it.
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How would you describe your writing style?
-Variety, I write in so many different genres, but I love using a dash of comedy in everything.
How do you tend to portray each of the boys?
-Nick: usually shy, a bit stubborn but also self deprecating at times. Thinks that everyone is against him, or annoyed easily. Always cracking jokes and sometimes the one who makes light of things. It depends on the story.
Brian: The optimist of the group. Always a perfectionist but won't admit his own flaws or speak up against others until he reaches a boiling point.
Howie: most of the time he doesn't exist. When I do include him he is either really mean or he just kind of watches out for everyone in the background.
AJ: usually the one Nick goes to for advice. A smart ass at most times but has a sweet side when he needs to. Has many layers and usually is mysterious.
Kevin: the father figure, stern....has a short fuse. sometimes funny in a sarcastic kind of way. He is the go to guy in the group.
If you do use a female lead or any other lead besides the boys, do they tend to follow a pattern? Do you tend to use the same characters?
-I don't write a lot of females but if I do, they are overly bitchy...psych otic, or very sweet natured. They are always different.
What do you feel are the most overused things in fanfic?
-Girl goes on tour, falls in love with Nick/ other Boy, girl becomes backup dancer, falls in love with one Boy, girl has troubled past and Boy is her "knight in shining armor", girl has secret past, Boy finds out, they break up and then eventually get back together. (seeing a trend here? All romance plots LOL)
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions in fanfic or maybe the specific genres you tend to write?
- That all fanfic writers write trashy romance stories and want to sleep with BSB, that we are all psychos, or that we are obsessed with BSB.
Use either the last story you worked on or the one you are currently working on to answer the following questions.
I'm using In A World Like This.
Have you updated it regularly? If not, why?
-I was being really steady with chapters but then I got stuck. Also November is normally a challenging month in general. I go through a period of depression every November, I can't really explain but it has affected my writing a bit.
Is it something you normally write or is/was it out of your comfort zone?
-I am not used to writing canon so that could be it as well.
What made you decide to write it?
-I wanted a canon idea for a long time and Julie was talking about bus crash stories, so I wanted to give it a try.
How were the reviews? Did you get a lot of feedback?
-At first yes, but it seemed like after a while people stopped because I wasn't updating regularly.
Do you plan on completing it?
-Yes I do.
Are there plans for a sequel or was it a sequel?
-No, I don't think there will be a sequel for this.
Overall were you/are you happy with the result?
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I'm sad this thread hasn't been updated in a few weeks! I can't think of any good questions, so I'll just post a general one for everyone.
What's your current status as far as fanfic goes? Are you reading anything? Writing anything? Thinking about writing anything? Just post an update!
I have been pretty out of the fanfic loop since August. Work plus grad school has kept me busy, and I just haven't had a lot of time or energy to devote to it. I can't say I am really reading anything regularly right now. I'm not writing anything regularly either, although I have been thinking about writing for the last few days, since I'm on break. That's a start, anyway. I actually did write a few sentences on my Harry Potter crossover this morning... and then the Breaking Bad marathon started, and I stopped. TV is my fanfic kryptonite. I have another story I have been playing around with since August that may one day amount to something worth posting... or not. I have lots of ideas these days, just not enough drive to get any of them off the ground. So that's where I stand.
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I really am out of the fanfic loop as well. Honestly, I've given up on reading anything because I'm tired of waiting forever for updates. I just don't have the patience to wait months for a chapter of something I would end up having to reread to remember so I'm probably just going to stop reading the ones I have been trying to keep up with until they are complete and maybe pick them up in the summer.
As far as writing, I had all these big ideas but then once I completed "Hope" I made the mistake of not writing on something right away and now I'm like eh, maybe this summer lol so in short, I don't plan on doing much fanfic wise until the summer. Hopefully by then my whole "YAY I love BSB and fanfic" feels will come back. Usually the reading challenge helps with that. We shall see!
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I've been so busy with work that I hardly have time to.write much, which in turn has scared off the last of my readers. Things have just been crazy so it's my fault. I am reading two stories but don't have a whole lot of time. I was also sick Christmas week which didn't help either. I am hoping things slow down at work a bit soon so I can get back into things properly.
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I haven't read or written anything in a while and feel out of it right now. Christmas is always a busy time though and I never have time to do anything as always out visiting and stuff like that.
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Now that the year is coming to an end (Thank the lord Jesus) What are some things you learned about yourself this year that you maybe didn't realize before? Obviously this doesn't have to be totally fanfic writing or reading related but maybe try to include at least one fanfic related thing if you can.
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I have learned not to take myself so seriously as a writer... or maybe not to take my subject matter so seriously. Looking back at everything I wrote this year, the majority of it was written as a joke, for a challenge or April Fool's Day or just my own amusement. Besides the updates I posted on stories I started prior to 2013 (Guilty Roads, Song for the Undead, Footprints), just about everything else I posted this year was a joke. The jury's still out on how serious the slash story was supposed to be, but everything else was just silly. And that's okay. I'm known for writing novels about serious stuff, so it was kind of nice to take a break from those and write some funny short stories.
The downside to not being as serious about writing is that I was much less disciplined this year than I have been in the past. Believe it or not, there was a time when I not only wrote every day, but updated every day. I was really bad about that this year. I had a hard time staying focused on one story (or any story) this year. I've spent all year jumping around from project to project and haven't finished anything except short stories (though I did write more of those this year than I usually do). I learned that TV is my kryptonite (as I sit here on Day 3 of the Breaking Bad marathon), and I just haven't been able to muster up the mental energy to turn off the TV and write more than a few sentences at a time.
I have also learned that there are no longer any lines I won't cross in terms of content. I've discovered that if it's interesting and serves my storyline, I'll do it.
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What's your current status as far as fanfic goes? Are you reading anything? Writing anything? Thinking about writing anything? Just post an update!
Um... very slow moving? LOL. I didn't turn my computer on for nearly a month. I was writing a Christmas story but I only made it about three scenes in before I got too busy and never finished it. I just finished posting a 1D story I had written over the summer, and I have another one I could get around to posting that I wrote in October, but I'm lazy to go back and edit. As usual I am stuck on all of my BSB stories and haven't had any inspiration to continue writing on any of them.
I have an idea for an original novel that has been floating around in my brain that I'd really like to write but I've been thinking about it for so long that I've almost hyped it up in my head to be better than it could ever be so I haven't even started that yet. I'd really like to though, if I had time.
As far as reading goes, I was reading Pengi's Christmas story but I fell behind on it due to being very busy and haven't caught up yet.
As far as what I learned about myself this year? That's difficult because as far as self-improvement goes I didn't do awesomely at that this year. I guess when it comes to fan fic I really just accepted that I write when inspiration comes and I don't have a lot of discipline to finish something I told myself I would. Part of my issue is getting distracted when I get very busy at work and have to work a few evenings, I lose my momentum on a project and I have a very hard time picking it up again.
I've also really wanted to try writing something original like I mentioned above. I think I've found kind of a safety net in fan fic and writing something totally new where the characters are all new and the audience for it isn't built in is frightening! Also the lack of writing workshops or classes in my city is kind of annoying.
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Well, I had a nice, long reply typed out yesterday and clicked "post" right about the time the server went down, I think. To recap, when it comes to fanfic, I'm a slacker at the moment. I know I have people waiting on me to update a couple stories, and I've been thinking about those stories, but lately, when I have free time, I'm spending it just trying not to lose my lunch (the first trimester is so lovely--NOT), and for whatever reason, writing doesn't factor into that equation right now. I was reading one story on the most recent page, but it's finished now. There are a few I'm sort of following but even when updates are posted, I'm not too eager to read right now. Honestly (and this is going to sound really selfish), I'm not too excited about the fandom right now because I know it will be at least a year before I'm able to see the guys in any capacity if the opportunity even arises (and maybe even longer than that). I've set myself a soft headline of getting a couple stories done before the reading challenge this summer. I thought that was really fun! We'll see if I actually get there. I have a feeling that if this pregnancy is anything like the last one, I'll end up with some time where I really don't have anything else to do but write (though I would NEVER actually wish for bed rest--here's hoping that does NOT happen this time!).
As far as what I've learned about myself as a writer, I guess maybe I can write some stuff worth reading when I'm on my "A game." I've been really surprised at the response I've gotten with my writing on this site. I'm also happy to have gained a little circle of ladies I can call my friends on here!
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I just realized I never answered my own question.
I learned a lot about myself this year, mostly personal stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with fanfic, but something I did realize this past year is if I don't keep myself to a schedule, I start to lose my mojo. While writing "Hope" I had myself on a strict writing schedule. Every morning I wrote, it was the very first thing I did and even when school started I made sure I did that on the weekend. I also stayed a few chapters ahead of myself the entire time which made me feel less stressed out about not updating regularly. That's another thing I really noticed, how mad I get at myself if I miss an update.
Same with reading. I found if I had a routine, I was a much better reader. I always read in the morning, right after taking a break from writing. And then again, once school started I did the same on the weekends.
I am a creature of habit. lol But that much I already knew.
Something that did surprise me which I am trying to change in all aspects of my life, is how negative I have become. Makes sense when you go through a few years of hell, but I noticed how it effected the way I looked at even my writing. Instead of focusing on all the good things people were saying, I found myself dwelling on people who weren't reviewing, or stopped reading or people who normally read my stuff but skipped this one.
Baby steps lol
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That last bit of what you said kinda hit home for me Mare. I tend to think about that stuff too much and it ends up demotivating me. I want to fix that, I just need to get back into a writing schedule. I would crank out chapters daily...then for some reason I stopped. Part of it is that I am my own worst critic.
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I read this article about R.L. Stine reviving the "Fear Street" series earlier today: http://www.thebigthrill.org/2014/01/special-to-the-big-thrill-r-l-stine-and-the-return-of-fear-street-by-dawn-ius/
In it, he gives the following advice to adult writers:
“Figure out your audience. Go into a bookstore and pinpoint where your book belongs, where it will fit on the shelf. It drives me crazy when authors talk about writing for themselves, or writing from the heart. I’ve never written a single word from my heart—why would I? I write to entertain people. To tell a great, scary story.”
He has a point - obviously, none of us write solely for ourselves, or we wouldn't post our work online for others to read. But my question is, how much do you write for yourself, and how much do you write for other people? When you're planning a story or writing a chapter, do you think about what your readers' reactions will be or how it will be received? Do you care? Does it ever influence your writing?
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That last bit of what you said kinda hit home for me Mare. I tend to think about that stuff too much and it ends up demotivating me. I want to fix that, I just need to get back into a writing schedule. I would crank out chapters daily...then for some reason I stopped. Part of it is that I am my own worst critic.
Yeah, I think we are all our own worst critics and sometimes focus too much on the negative. It's hard to change that thinking.
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Thank you Mr. Stine! I've always said that the "I write for myself" line is a big peeve of mine because like you said Julie, if we wrote only for ourselves we wouldn't be posting our stuff on the internet and then complaining when we think people don't read it. It drives me nuts when people say that!!
I write very little for myself and more for what I think would make my readers happy. What motivates me isn't the joy of writing but the joy of watching the reaction my writing will get. It's always what I think about when coming up with plot twists. Sometimes I will actually write something solely for the purpose of one person's reaction to it. That person tends to change from chapter to chapter or story to story but if I know someone is a devoted reader and thinks a story is going in one direction, I will sometimes change it just to make them say "I didn't see that coming!"
I actually give the people who never get reviews credit for continually posting their stories. I'm not sure I could do that. Maybe at the beginning of my fanfic writing career when you just are looking for that first bit of feedback and then when you get it, you squee! But I honestly can say I'm not sure if I would continue to post a story if I got zero reviews. I would if I knew at least one person was reading and reviewing but if I got nothing, I am pretty sure I wouldn't keep writing on it, which only shows I do it for the readers more than for me.
I guess that would be a good follow up question, what about you? If you continually got zero reviews for your story, I don't mean only one or two but where it says reviews there is a big, fat zero. Would you still continue to work on that story and continually update it? Or would you put it on the back burner and move on?
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I would argue that we are more in a position of being able to say we are writing for ourselves because it's a hobby. For an author, whose lifestyle depends on book sales, says they don't write for an audience it's a bit of a stretch because let's face it, they write to make money. None of us are writing for anything more than reviews, and many people posts stories that have absolutely no reviews, so I don't think it's unreasonable to think maybe they didn't actually care what other people thought because they liked the idea.
I have a couple stories that have less than 10 reviews and that doesn't really bug me because it was more about the enjoyment of the process. That's why when I stop enjoying the process I have a hard time finishing stories because I'm not completely writing them for the reader, no matter how much they may want them finished.
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I think the reason I take issue with people who say that is because it's usually after they complain about lack of reviews. They end with "Ah well...I just write for myself" which is clearly not true. lol
Out of curiosity, is there anyone who regularly posts on the forum that has a story with zero reviews? which isn't as one shot?
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I have two novels that only have two reviews, but none with zero.
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All of my stories have at least 2 reviews, and all of my novels have at least 5. I have posted chapters that got no reviews, but not whole stories, at least not on AC.
I think in the beginning, I did write more for myself because I thought it would be fun, not for anyone else. I was so uncomfortable with the idea of anyone reading my work that it took a lot of guts for me to submit my first story to a website - but I eventually did, obviously, because there was a part of me that wanted to see what kind of reaction it would get. It took a month for me to get any feedback, and I was so thrilled with that one email that it didn't matter if I got any others. Now that I'm a more established writer in the fandom and am used to getting feedback, I do think it would bother me if I consistently posted updates with absolutely no feedback.
I still write because I think it's fun, but part of the fun does come from entertaining people. I don't think I would quit writing a story if I was having fun with it, regardless of how much feedback it got - 00Carter is proof of that - but getting feedback does make it more fun, so I think there is some correlation between the two.
On the other hand, there are stories that I've gotten a good amount of feedback on but haven't enjoyed writing. Guilty Roads is the most recent example to come to mind, but there have been others over the years. In those cases, I'm torn between forcing myself to write out of obligation to my readers and stopping because I'm not having fun with it anymore. I'm like Julilly in that sense. It's a lot easier to finish something you're enjoying writing, regardless of who's reading it.
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I partially write for myself but like some of you said, I like to entertain people. I don't have any stories with 0 reviews. If I didn't get a single one, honestly I probably would stop posting all together. It really bothers me when I see people give up on mine cause I don't update all the time. I feel terrible about it and then overthink it. I do plan on finishing. just right now there is no motivation to do it.
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I'm in what I consider a "no pressure" situation when it comes to writing right now. I haven't posted anything in so long that I know no one is really expecting an update from me, which takes the pressure off and [some of] the guilt away and frees me up to write what I want, when I want. The problem with that is that, without any pressure on me, I end up being lazy and writing a whole lot of nothing LOL. Going back to what Mare said in her post about what she's learned about herself, I have never been one to give myself deadlines, but I do tend to work better under pressure, when I know people are waiting on me. That said, I don't want to make promises I can't keep and start posting stuff, only to get too busy when class starts again and fall behind on writing and updating.
What about the rest of you? Do you write better under pressure or when the pressure's off?
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I write better under pressure. If I know people are waiting it motivates me more to get things done. Not just in writing but in general.
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I haven't been around here much lately so I'm behind with a lot of questions.
What's your current status as far as fanfic goes? Are you reading anything? Writing anything? Thinking about writing anything?
I've had a little bit of block, something that happens a lot to me because I tend to have a lot of ideas and I end up not writing because I don't know what to write. I guess that I needed that break because it made me miss writing so now I'm full inspired. I've posted a chapter of a story that was supposed to be a birthday gift... in summer. lol I'm bad, I know.
As for reading, in the BSB fandom I'm not reading much because, sadly, there isn't really much interesting to me. But that's so me, right? Loving a pairing a character and a genre that no one, aside me write about. So I'm reading a lot in the Sherlock fandom and, sometimes, I change the characters and I picture Brian and Nick while I'm reading. That's sad, I know. lol
Now that the year is coming to an end (Thank the lord Jesus) What are some things you learned about yourself this year that you maybe didn't realize before? Obviously this doesn't have to be totally fanfic writing or reading related but maybe try to include at least one fanfic related thing if you can.
I learned a lot last year. I really feel like I'm a totally different person, guess that losing 20 kilos does that to a person. lol Most of all, and it can be fanfiction related, I've learned that I can beat any obstacle if I set my mind on a goal. I've wanted to change and be better and I've done it, even if there had been a lot of times when I wanted to give up. And something like that happened with writing: before last year, I've thought that I would never be able to write in English, not at least at the level that I wanted. But I've tried and I think I've succed, even if I'm still really insecure about it.
Another thing is that I really really pretend too much from myself. And if it doesn't come out as I wanted (a story, a cake, whatever), I feel bad and kinda discouraged so I kinda want to leave whatever I'm doing because I think that I can't do it. This is something that I really need to work on and it's the main reason why I don't update too much or why a lot of my ideas linger in my mind because I think that they suck.
But my question is, how much do you write for yourself, and how much do you write for other people? When you're planning a story or writing a chapter, do you think about what your readers' reactions will be or how it will be received? Do you care? Does it ever influence your writing?
Obviously, I can't say that I don't care if other people read or not my stories. lol But I write first for myself. Writing is my sanity, writing is really a sort of therapy so, even if I don't post anything online, that doesn't mean I don't write. I'm always writing.
I write because I want to tell a story and, in a way, I want to entertain those crazy minds that would read my story. lol I don't particulary write thinking about what one person would react and I've noticed that if I try to please readers and try to write something that I don't like, I find myself totally demotivated and blocked.
I know that slash isn't something that a lot of people would read and it had happened that I would totally change a story so that people would read it. But I'm not able to write about Brian and Nick without the slash part (and that's the reason why I can't go on on "Battle Born"), I love, love writing them in that particulary light and I've long decided that I don't really care if only two people will read my stories.
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I've had a little bit of block, something that happens a lot to me because I tend to have a lot of ideas and I end up not writing because I don't know what to write.
This is my problem too! Too many ideas and not enough focus on any one of them.
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The weirdest thing is that all those ideas are written and completed in my head. lol it's only when I start to write them that I end up blocked because I don't really know how to write it as I imagined them. So I keep jumping from one to another and, in the end, just wasting time because I don't write really anything. lol
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That is exactly how I am too. I usually have stories outlined in my head, if not on paper, and can envision whole scenes playing out in my mind, but when it comes time to actually write them down, I get stuck.
I don't think it's true writer's block as much as it is me either overthinking things or just losing focus, because once I put my mind to it and get into a groove, I can hammer out a whole scene without stopping. It just takes me a long time to get to that place. I just finished writing a scene that I've had playing in my head all week, and it turned out more or less like I imagined it, but it took me literally all day to get to a point where I could write it. I had to get all my usual distractions - TV, music, social media, excessive research, and the internet in general - out of my system first, and then I was able to write just fine. But even that only works with stories I really want to write.
My other problem is that lately, even if I like my ideas, I don't like actually writing any of my stories. I just want to have that one story that I'm obsessed with writing, and I haven't really had that in a couple of years, so I keep flitting from one idea to another, hoping to find that one that's going to keep me inspired.
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I came up with a few ideas last night that I know will only ever be just ideas. lol
Something else I learned about myself is I do get more inspired after reading something really well written and interesting fanfic wise. I never really thought that helped but it does. Like that story "Brothers" that hadn't been updated in over a year. I stayed away from reading the update initially because like I said up there earlier ^ I'm tired of reading one chapter and then having to wait 6 months to read another one so I kind of made a vow to not read something unless at least two updates happen within quick proximity to each other or that the author seems like they are committed enough to finish it. Since she posted three chapters within a week of each other I finally read the update and it got me wanting to read about the boys since the actual boys haven't done much for me lately! Last night I found myself thinking about story lines again because of it.
So, I really need some of you to step up your updating of the stories I am reading or write something I really want to read so this way I might want to write again! LOL It's all about me...me...me!! :)
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That is exactly how I am too. I usually have stories outlined in my head, if not on paper, and can envision whole scenes playing out in my mind, but when it comes time to actually write them down, I get stuck.
I don't think it's true writer's block as much as it is me either overthinking things or just losing focus, because once I put my mind to it and get into a groove, I can hammer out a whole scene without stopping. It just takes me a long time to get to that place. I just finished writing a scene that I've had playing in my head all week, and it turned out more or less like I imagined it, but it took me literally all day to get to a point where I could write it. I had to get all my usual distractions - TV, music, social media, excessive research, and the internet in general - out of my system first, and then I was able to write just fine. But even that only works with stories I really want to write.
My other problem is that lately, even if I like my ideas, I don't like actually writing any of my stories. I just want to have that one story that I'm obsessed with writing, and I haven't really had that in a couple of years, so I keep flitting from one idea to another, hoping to find that one that's going to keep me inspired.
I can't write if there is too much silence so I have to have at least the music on, though on low volume. But I have the same problem, when I'm into writing I really get sucked in and can write an entire scene in a day. But it takes really so much to get in that mood that, usually, I end up not writing at all. lol
That's something that I really want to change.
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So, I really need some of you to step up your updating of the stories I am reading or write something I really want to read so this way I might want to write again! LOL It's all about me...me...me!! :)
:D :D :D
I'm bad, I'm really a bad writer when it comes to update.
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You are not alone! LOL
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Lol mare maybe if you smack me around a bit, I might be able to make this work :p I have been doing terrible at being focused on writing. I miss reviews, miss writing, but can never focus lol
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I can bug you if you really want me to but be careful what you wish for lol
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I came up with a few ideas last night that I know will only ever be just ideas. lol
Something else I learned about myself is I do get more inspired after reading something really well written and interesting fanfic wise. I never really thought that helped but it does.
That has always helped me too. Reading great stories tends to inspire ideas of my own and motivates me to write better.
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I can't write if there is too much silence so I have to have at least the music on, though on low volume. But I have the same problem, when I'm into writing I really get sucked in and can write an entire scene in a day. But it takes really so much to get in that mood that, usually, I end up not writing at all. lol
That's something that I really want to change.
I'm like that too. Because it often takes me all day to accomplish anything, if I don't have a whole day to write, I usually don't bother, unless I'm really inspired. Last week I thought I'd try writing for an hour before bed every night, in place of reading, but I tried it one night and got absolutely nothing written because of that hour deadline hanging over my head. It was like, well even if I get on a roll, I'm going to have to stop in an hour, so why bother? It usually takes me more than an hour to get started on a scene from scratch. If I'm in the middle of a scene, it's easier to pick up where I left off and keep going. Sometimes I deliberately stop in the middle of a scene so that next time I sit down to write, it's easier to get started because I already know what comes next.
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What's your weirdest writing habit?
I do a lot of thinking in the shower, and I tend to get inspired and start writing scenes in my head while I'm taking a shower, but then I would get out and lose my flow by the time I got to where I could write the words down. So, at a friend's suggestion, I invested in a set of bathtub crayons from Toys 'R' Us - the kind little kids can use to draw on the tub walls - and I keep those in my shower for when inspiration strikes. Sometimes my bathroom looks like a crazy person lives there because if you look closely, there are words scribbled all over the shower walls. Bathtub crayon, I've learned, does not wash off as easily as it should. So that's going to be fun, trying to remove all traces of fanfic writing from the walls when it comes time to move out of this place. But I still do it because, hey, it actually does help! I just wrote a whole paragraph down one wall and now have a beginning for a new chapter of a story, which I wasn't sure how I was going to start before I stepped into the shower. So that's one weird habit I have. What are yours?
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I am a shower writer, too! The shower is just where I do my thinking and relaxing, and for whatever reason, the creative juices totally get flowing while I'm in the shower. I'll write entire scenes in my head while showering then sometimes write them down, sometimes not. It had never occurred to me to actually write in the shower with bath crayons. I love that!
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It's fun!
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Do you usually set your stories in a specific time/year (whether past or present) or try to be vague about when they take place?
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All of mine have a very specific timeframe because I like to incorporate real-life BSB events into all of my stories.
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I tend to set my stories in the past but I am also generally vague when it comes to things going on like tours, album releases etc... because I have a bad memory for those things unless it's important for the plot.
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I used to keep it vague or just write in the present, but nowadays I'm more like Emily, with a specific time frame in all of my cannon stories. Usually I write more or less in the present, but I've discovered the fun in writing in a specific era of the past too. I like to incorporate the real life events and pop culture stuff from those eras, especially if I'm going way back.
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It depends.
If it's linked to a certain situation, video or picture, I usually use a specific time or period. Otherwise, I tend to be vague and not to give a date.
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Have you ever recycled one of your own storylines? As in, written a story with a plot that was essentially the same or similar to another one of your stories?
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What's your current status as far as fanfic goes? Are you reading anything? Writing anything? Thinking about writing anything? Just post an update!
I can't remember the last time I checked the most recent page. Mare's Hope was the last fan fic I read. I have been transferred to the head office which is a little strict with internet. I have no internet connection even during lunch breaks. I can't check AC during lunch breaks like I used to. When I come home, with a toddler running around and a little business that needs attention, I don't have time to read. I received a book last Christmas but I can't get past chapter 1.
The good news is, I just finished a chapter for The Other Side of NC. But I won't be posting anything until I finished at least 3 chapters, or until I can convince myself that I could write weekly again. It really sucks when I want to write but I just can't. :(
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Have you ever recycled one of your own storylines? As in, written a story with a plot that was essentially the same or similar to another one of your stories?
Even though I know it's not true, I feel like that's all I ever do. Not sure why but every single time I am writing a story I feel like I'm just copying myself from an earlier novel and I'm sure at points I have done that, even stolen my own lines. LOL
I know one thing I always tend to do even when I don't want to, is make Nick the focal point of every story. Even the group ones usually end up more focused on him than the rest. It just kind of happens that way so I let it. I think I just find it easier because I love his interactions with the other guys more than all the other pairings so making him my center really helps when it comes to the flow of the actual story. It's probably unusual since he's not my favorite member of the group although a very close second, but I've never written about him because he's 'totes hot! or I want to have ten thousand of his babies, or I have a ton of posters of him on my walls'
Just something I kind of noticed while writing on "Hope" this summer that everyone probably noticed a lot sooner than I did. lmao
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I have noticed that you tend to focus most on Nick even in your group stories, but there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I bet the majority of readers prefer it that way. We all probably have that one guy that we tend to center our stories on, and not necessarily because he's our favorite. Nick's not my favorite either, but I have written more stories centered on him in the last decade than I have any of the other guys. He's just fun to write about and makes for an interesting character.
As far as recycling storylines goes, I do it too. I don't set out to, but I've noticed it's become sort of a pattern with the novels I've started writing in the past few years. Almost all of them could be seen as recycled versions of my older stories if you look at just the basic premise. Maybe that is just what happens when you run out of ideas; you start recycling the old ones LOL. The reason it doesn't bother me is that I feel like I am improving upon my old writing that way, by taking an old premise and putting a new spin on it, writing it better than I did the first (or second, in some cases LOL) time around. It's never the same story twice, even if the storylines are similar.
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Yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as it's not just the same old same old.
Has anyone ever thought about taking one of their older stories and doing a completely different take on it? I don't mean just rewriting on it to make it better if it's something you had written a long time ago. I mean completely changing it plot wise? Using the same moment in time but taking a different story away from it?
For instance, taking my story "The Apartment" and using that same time and place but move it into a suspense setting. Something happens while Nick is staying with the guys over Christmas break. (Just an example. I have absolutely NO plans to do that. lol)
This might actually make a good challenge idea.
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Ooh, that would be a good challenge idea! I have never thought of doing that, but you've got me thinking now.
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I would love to take one of my old stories and do something new with it, just to see what it turned out like.
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Maybe I will mention it in the challenge section then. That would be a fun idea.
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Has anyone ever thought about taking one of their older stories and doing a completely different take on it? I don't mean just rewriting on it to make it better if it's something you had written a long time ago. I mean completely changing it plot wise? Using the same moment in time but taking a different story away from it?
I did something like that for my very first story. It was really bad, short, no research and it was long before I found out about this heaven called slash. lol So, after a few years, I took it and change it into a slash maintaing only the basic plot.
And yep, it still waiting to be finished. LOL
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That is a really cool idea actually! I have thought about it before.
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I've noticed new sequels and spin-off stories popping up on the most recent page again lately. What story or characters would you most like to read a sequel or spin-off about? And if you were to write one of your own, which of your stories/characters would you do a spin-off/sequel about?
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I would like to do one about Brian from Finding Carter and kind of get in depth with his character more. Since writing the companion story for the last forum challenge, I have been thinking about his character a bit.
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J.K. Rowling said in an interview that she regrets putting Ron and Hermione together and that she should have had Harry and Hermione get together instead... which I totally disagree with, but that's for another thread. Here's the article of anyone's interested in reading it: http://www.hypable.com/2014/02/01/jk-rowling-ron-hermione-relationship-regret-interview/
My related question is, have you ever looked back at one of your stories and regretted writing a major plot point? If you were to go back and rewrite, what would you do differently?
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Why does she regret that? Harry and Hermione had too much of a sibling type friendship.
Um, I won't say regret but sometimes I get curious if I could've done things differently. Like after updating Undead I thought of what would've happened if Dee had stayed writing with us. I remember we were debating about Nick and if he'd go better with Riley or Kayleigh. And if Kayleigh would've turned out a lot differently. If we would've had different major plot points, that sorta thing since there'd been a lot more debating when it was the three of us.
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I think so too - Harry and Hermione didn't have that kind of chemistry. They were definitely "just friends"; there was no spark between them. But Ron and Hermione seemed meant to be, and I like that Harry ended up with Ginny. I think it's so weird that after blatantly shooting down the Harry/Hermione shippers, she's now turning around and saying the complete opposite.
And I do think Undead would have turned out differently if Dee were still writing with us. Kayleigh would probably still be alive, because I don't think she would have let us kill her LOL. And you're right; we hadn't decided who Nick might hook up with. But I think everything has turned out for the best, and killing Kayleigh was a good move. Stories like this need major character deaths to be realistic. If we hadn't killed Kayleigh, we probably would have had to kill Hemophilia Howie. ;)
For me, the one regret that came to mind was how I had Nick and Claire break up in By My Side. I think they needed to break up for the story to work out the way I wanted it to, but I could have had it happen in a way that didn't force them both to break character. I would like to think I've learned my lesson and will never make the mistake of not staying true to my characters again.
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Yeah her death was a major plot point and I don't think Howie would've matched up. Poor Hemophilia Howie :(.
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Now I see what you were talking about on twitter. I honestly would have loved to see Hermione end up with Malfoy lol but I loved him, I so wanted he and Harry to become best friends after all that. I didn't like Ginny, I kind of wanted her to die instead of one of the twins.
Why is she even rethinking these things? That's not a good sign, JK! Let your characters go. We don't need a sudden rebirth of the series and then a subsequent spin off of a spin off of a spin off....
I think the only real regret I have is letting Ariana die at the end of Scars. It would have been nice to rehabilitate her and have her become part of the family but then again she was a nut case and needed to die for it to feel realistic-ish. lol Not that the story itself was realistic.
Oh I think another one of mine is not just leaving Mizpah alone! I really just wanted the story to end with Nick still kidnapped and no one having a clue what happens to him. I HATE myself for writing the sequels to that one! It was just my first story and I was easily swayed by the reviews and begs for more.
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I think JKR knows enough not to write another HP sequel or spin-off. I do hope she writes that encyclopedia she's talked about doing, and I wish she would write a Marauders era prequel series, but that's just wishful thinking. As much as I would love more books, it would be a bad idea to write more about Harry and co. The epic part of his story has been told; there's nowhere to go that would be as good as the original seven books.
It's so easy to get sucked into writing series, especially when you're just beginning and don't know any better. That's when I wrote most of my sequels too. I don't even know why; it's not like I was getting enough feedback in the first place to make me think that writing a sequel would get me more, and I definitely didn't suffer from a lack of ideas. I think most of my sequels were written just because I enjoyed writing the first story and wanted to keep it going, and others were written (or started and never finished) because I got sick of writing the first story and decided to end it early and save the rest for a sequel. Bad idea! The last novel sequel I wrote was BMS, and that's the only one I don't regret writing, although obviously there are parts I wish I had written differently.
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I'd like to hope JKR knows better.
The talk of sequels made me think of one regret I do have. It was ending Just Another Day the way I did. Originally it was supposed to be a lot longer but then I got it in my head that it needed to be split up into three stories. Probably cause it was my first "major" story. Since I never plan on actually picking up the sequels I can easily say without regret my plans were for the couple to get really serious, the lead girl dies, and then the last fic was supposed to be Nick going deep into his own problems and trying to claw his way out. Basically the plot of the full story needlessly split up into three fics.
Instead I ended the first fic on a fluffy note. Go figure LOL. The original idea was way closer to how I typically write things. Diving into a Nick who lost his reason for changing up his life and getting out of his Depression would've been some fun characterizati on.
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Now I see what you were talking about on twitter. I honestly would have loved to see Hermione end up with Malfoy lol but I loved him, I so wanted he and Harry to become best friends after all that. I didn't like Ginny, I kind of wanted her to die instead of one of the twins.
Omg me too! Same brain.
I regret major plot points in a lot of my stories lol especially once I finish them and then then "damnit why didn't i do (that)?" Which is part of my motivation for writing in full before posting now. I've gone back and changed major points that I changed my mind about later.
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I'm actually getting ready to do something in one of my stories that perhaps I'll end up regretting... I'm doing it anyway, because I think it's relevant and helps solidify one of the major plot points. I fear my readers may think I've "jumped the shark" with this one, but it sounds like a good idea at the time. Time will tell, I guess.
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Since I never plan on actually picking up the sequels I can easily say without regret my plans were for the couple to get really serious, the lead girl dies, and then the last fic was supposed to be Nick going deep into his own problems and trying to claw his way out.
Ooh, you were going to kill off Cally? How?
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Emily's post brought up another question: Have you ever "jumped the shark" with one of your stories? For anyone not familiar with the phrase, it comes from an episode of Happy Days where Fonzie literally jumps over a shark on water skis, a storyline so ridiculous that it marked the decline of the show. So have you ever had something so ridiculous happen in one of your stories that it ruined the rest of the story? Or have you ever changed your mind about writing something because you realized it would be jumping the shark?
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Ooh, you were going to kill off Cally? How?
Car accident. Nick would've been driving.
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Ouch! Yeah, that would pretty much destroy him. :)
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I like the smiley face at the end of that lmao.
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Of course! You know how much joy I get out of destroying Nick. :)
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Me too. Still amazed at the fact I didn't do it. LOL I suppose every person needs at least one story where Nick isn't destroyed psychology, killed, maimed, or tortured...
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Which do you enjoy more, the process of writing or the finished product/story that results from it?
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Whoa that's a pretty great question. I have never thought about it actually.
I think the writing process excites me but it's more the reaction from the readers that I most look forward to so I guess that would end up being the finished product?
I do get that tingly excited feeling when I'm really into writing something though. That feeling of "I can't wait to be able to continue writing on this!" thing can feel like the best drug in the world. I'm going through withdrawal at the moment though. :( Which is funny because I'm in a total writing mood today.
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For me it varies from story to story. There have been stories like Broken and BMS that I loved writing so much, I can honestly say I enjoyed the process as much as or more than the final product. Then there are those stories, like Secrets of the Heart, that were a total pain in the ass to write, but once I finished them, I loved the final product.
I also look forward to the readers' reactions, which makes me want to rush through the process just to get to a product I can post. I'm trying to make myself slow down and just enjoy the process.
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Hi! Thought I'd join in. I can't speak much about BSB fics but I've always loved the process of writing. When I finish something, I get a feeling of satisfaction and relief because I don't have to worry about meeting a deadline or anything but the writing process is always fun! Plus, reading people's reviews chapter by chapter can be really motivating!
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I agree! I think that's the best part about posting while you're writing; the feedback is so motivating! I can't imagine how hard it must be for published writers to have to wait so long for people to read their books!
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Writers constantly have people reading their rough drafts and getting feedback, although not as fun because it's mostly Change this, do that, remove this, add that lol
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Yeah, I know, but that's just it - the people who are reading their work are like beta-readers and editors, not just READERS. They're looking to pick it apart, not just enjoy it. It has to be hard to wait so long for the general public to read your book just for pleasure!
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Yeah, that must be horrid. Doing my thesis it's been 'no you're doing it wrong' 'your spelling and grammar are atrocious" "why'd you put that in there? There's no point" etc etc. Very demoralising at times.
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If you were a celebrity, how do you think you'd be perceived? Would you be loved, hated etc... I was thinking about this after reading people's comments on Nick missing Angel's wedding and then Jared Padlecki getting hammered for speaking his thoughts on Justin Beiber and Philip Seymore Hoffman's death.
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Hm... I think I would be one of those character actors who flies under the radar. No one would know my name, but they'd recognize my face. "Oh, she's the girl from..." I wouldn't get much press, but maybe someday I'd get a Best Supporting Actress nod.
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LOL I would definitely be hated hahaha Or maybe have a mixed audience like Mark Wahlberg - you either hate him or you love him
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I'd get heat lol. I'm too opinionated but is be the one who's pick weird roles like Johnny Depp.
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I think I'd definitely fly under the radar but might be one of those polarizing ones that you either love or hate but mostly when asked people would say, "Who? Oh her..." lol
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Hmm, I'd be the kind of person who no one really took notice of, kind of in the background lol
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I would be that person people go "do you know that girl Tracy what's her face?" "yeah she was in that movie with the guy, i cant remember what it was" LOL.
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"What's her/his face?" is my favourite question to ask when I don't know a celeb. That and 'you know that guy?' lol
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What type of actor/actress would you say others would be?
I'll be back with my answer when I'm on my computer instead of my phone lol.
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Don't quite get the question. I think I need someone to spell it out for me :-[
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I think it's just a part two of my question which was how do you think you would be perceived if you were famous. Now how do you think some of the other authors would be perceived? That's what I think she meant anyway lol
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Basically lol. I'm here on my phone and I'm a lot lazier typing wise.
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I don't know that I would disagree with what anyone said about themselves. Most of us had similar answers about flying under the radar or blending into the background, which is kind of funny, but I don't think any of us are attention-seeking enough to attract strong opinions. Writing is very much a "behind the scenes" kind of craft, so maybe that's why. We all enjoy discussing our writing with each other and getting feedback from readers, but in that case, it's about our stories and characters more than us personally. That's why I think a lot of us would be "character actors" - the kind of people whose faces you recognize from their roles without knowing their names or anything about them personally.
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I thought of a really interesting question. What genre do you feel as a writer is the most challenging to write, and what genre is the easiest?
You can speak for your own writing experiences or just your opiniona, I am really curious.
For me I think the most challenging is sci fi and romance. With sci fi you need to come up with your own universe and sometimes own laws, or even a society....it takes a lot of creativity.
Romance has been done so many times that it is hard to find a new way to do it and not have it be similar to another idea, you need it to catch people's attention. Romance requires a lot of creativity.
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Good question, Tracy.
My answer is going to be very similar to when the kids ask me which instrument is the easiest and hardest to play. I always have two different answers. One based on general perception and one based on actual experience. Same with this one!
My answers as a writer are going to be totally different from my answers as a reader.
As a writer, I personally think the easiest genre to write is action/suspense. I have just always found it really easy. Once I get going on an action scene, the words just flow and my typing speeds up and it becomes very visual to me. The hardest thing for me to write is sci fi. It's one of the few genres I've tried where I actually needed to really plot a lot before writing it. Most of the times, you're creating a whole new world that needs to be really layered and complex and if it's not well thought out, it won't really have the desired affect of being at least semi realistic.
Now as a reader, not knowing anything about how hard or easy it is to write. I would say the easiest would be romance, unfortunately because most of the ones I have encountered seem kind of bland and one note. There's never anything overly complex happening or layered and the characters aren't really all that authentic and creative. It's more like reading about someone's day to day life. It seems like the most complex would be AU. Just having to come up with a different reality for characters and throw them in to that life while trying to keep them as them. On paper seems like a hard thing to do.
I have tried writing in just about every single genre now and I think I can say I've read something from each one as well.
If something is really well written and thought out, it should appear effortless to the person reading it.
There's my thoughts lol
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writing wise for me I find Suspense and AU easiest. I love AU because there is so much to play with and experiment. I find hardest to me would be fantasy, i haven't done that genre yet for that reason.
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Based on my personal experience, I would actually say suspense is one of the hardest genres to write! It requires a knowledge of pacing, whether you're building that slow suspense or writing an action-packed wild ride that never stops. It also takes a lot of creativity to write your characters into holes and find ways for them to get out again, as well as to keep your readers guessing. And finally, I think writing a multi-dimensional villain that people can both believe and relate to is tougher than writing a hero who's that way. I love reading suspense, but I have always struggled to write it well.
Based on perception, I would also say sci-fi and fantasy are hard to write because, like Mare said, you often end up creating different worlds or at least changing the rules of our world, so it requires a great deal of consistency and attention to detail. I haven't written enough sci-fi/fantasy to really know firsthand though.
For me, the easiest genre has always been drama. The storylines tend to be simpler and slower-paced, and there usually aren't as many characters outside of the Boys to juggle with. The focus is less on action and more on characterizati on. I feel that romance is similar to drama in that respect, although romance has the added challenge of trying to do a unique take on a universal storyline. That said, it takes a strong character writer to do drama and/or romance well. So I think the question of which genres are easiest and hardest really comes down to what your strengths as a writer are.
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Follow-up to Tracy's question:
What has been your hardest story to write, what has been your easiest, and why?
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I'll come in to answer these when I get home to my computer :).
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I have to put some thought into those.
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Hmmm, for me the hardest story to write for me would be Finding Carter because it had so many elements and layers. AU requires a lot of creativity for me. That story took a lot of research, and plotting because it was a novel. Nick's and character took a long time to perfect because of his psychological issues and to make him grow as the story progressed, not to mention it was his POV, something I am still trying.to get comfortable writing.
Easiest story to write for me was When I Grow Up because.it was an homage to 13 Going On 30, i knew the storyline already.
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I'll play. I've only written two stories so this should be easy. Hardest one is Brothers, easiest one was the other one I did which I am totally blanking on the name right now. Soooo proud of that one as you can tell lol
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LOL Jess!
I think my hardest story to write has been Guilty Roads. Everything about it has been hard - plotting, researching, writing, and staying inspired to write. If I didn't like what I have done of it so far, and if others didn't like it, I would have quit on it a long time ago.
Easiest... probably Broken. Broken basically wrote itself. There were parts of it that were hard to write, but I never really got stuck or lost my inspiration on it. I was like a machine, churning out chapters until it was done. I wish I could write that way all the time. I probably could if I just stuck to Nick cancer stories because Curtain Call was my other choice for easiest LOL.
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Cancer stories are so painful for me to read and write. There's just something about cancer that gets to me. I always stay away from cancer stories whether it be in books, fanfiction, TV or movies. You'd have to be pretty gutsy to write cancer, so to be really bogan 'Onya Julie!'
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Follow-up to Tracy's question:
What has been your hardest story to write, what has been your easiest, and why?
My hardest? Oddly enough Walked Out Of My Dreams gave me some serious hell. It was my first attempt at a "Brian" story and while it turned into more a Brian/Nick novella, I think it shows towards the end I was having a bit of a rough time. I don't channel Brian nearly as well as I can channel the other four. I don't know why really, but its rough getting into his head sometimes.
What's funny about that though is my easiest story was Remember Me This Way. That story flowed so well it was ridiculous. It took only a lil over a year to write and part of that was because of work and school and a bunch of other stuff getting in the way lol. But the story was supposed to be "written" by Brian, but it was my easiest story to write out of all of them. So go figure. I think part of it was because in some ways it was well in my comfort zone. As someone who's studied psychology for years I've done research into alzheimer's/early onset alzheimer's and I knew where to look, did even more research and so it it felt natural to slip into Nick's head (who I always have an easy time with) and give him that disorder. I love characterizati on and I feel that in the heart of that fic it's really characters and their angst carrying it along.
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I thought of a really interesting question. What genre do you feel as a writer is the most challenging to write, and what genre is the easiest?
You can speak for your own writing experiences or just your opiniona, I am really curious.
For me I think the most challenging is sci fi and romance. With sci fi you need to come up with your own universe and sometimes own laws, or even a society....it takes a lot of creativity.
Romance has been done so many times that it is hard to find a new way to do it and not have it be similar to another idea, you need it to catch people's attention. Romance requires a lot of creativity.
In my personal experience, I'd probably say suspense. While I haven't posted one, I have had ideas but even getting one going is horribly hard LOL. You have to have every little piece thought out so you can drop the tiniest of clues along that no one truly picks up on and the villain needs to be believable. I don't know how Mare does it so often. I end up scrapping my ideas or nudge them aside cause it's so far out of my comfort zone.
Easiest? Probably horror and sci-fi. I love my horror. I love torture LOL. I sound psychotic saying it but I just have all sorts of ideas of cruel new ways to kill, maim or torture the Boys and one of my goals is to eventually write a good ole' horror story rather than just a oneshot because I think it'd just be fun.
As for sci-fi, there's a lot of freedom that comes with it. Because you create your own worlds, your own future (if that applies), creatures, all sorts of things. You get to set up your own rules and as long as you have them in your outline so you don't break them, it's fun starting your new reality from scratch. It takes a lot of details and attention but I really enjoy it. It can be tiring though which I think is why I end up taking "breaks" from it and dabble into other genres.
Here's a good question. What are your strengths as a writer? Weaknesses?
What would you say are the strengths of other writers?
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I think the hardest story for me to write was "It Stays With You" because it was so disturbing to me. I'm not big on the whole torture thing. Watching it or reading it makes me squirm so I knew it was going to be really hard for me to write about Brian having to torture Nick in this one. Plus writing this from Brian's POV was an added challenge as well. I also struggled through "Whatever The Night May Bring" because of the whole sci fi element of it.
The easiest I believe was "Hope is the Last Thing Ever Lost" I'm not exactly sure why but I didn't struggle with this one at all. The words just came almost effortlessly. Maybe because I had taken a nice long break in between stories so it felt refreshing to write. A close second would have to be "Why I'd Do it all Again" That one was a piece of cake for me because I had always wanted to create some of those scenarios and couldn't wait to do it. LOL
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More good questions that I have to ponder, Rose lol
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Cancer stories are so painful for me to read and write. There's just something about cancer that gets to me. I always stay away from cancer stories whether it be in books, fanfiction, TV or movies. You'd have to be pretty gutsy to write cancer, so to be really bogan 'Onya Julie!'
I have always loved medical drama! My two most popular stories happen to be Nick cancer stories, so that's what I'm best known for, but I do write other things too LOL. I don't see myself doing another cancer story because I'm not sure where else I would take that storyline, but I will always write medical drama.
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Hardest story for me to write is Maybe Tomorrow because of all the historical stuff, and is probably why it's still unfinished.
Easiest was Save A Prayer as it just flowed out of me. Perhaps I should just stick to torturing the boys lol
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I think historical fiction would be hard to write. I've never written a true historical fiction, but just researching all the Amish stuff for Guilty Roads was a pain in the ass.
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Historical fiction would be SO awesome! If I was into romance I would write one set in the Middle Ages and in the middle of the Crusades - ya know, the whole knight in shining armour thing.
Ooh, can anyone ask a question? Because I have a history nerd question!
So, if you could pick an era to put the guys in, which era would it be? Can't say 21st century because that's no fun! lol
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Yep, anyone can ask a question! That's a good one! I'll answer when I have more time to think about it.
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I'd like to see 1950-1960's era. You know, the original boybands- doo-wop groups, the Beatles, the Temptations. I can see a "That Thing You Do" type story being fun to write.
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I loooove That Thing You Do. I'd like to see them in the Revolutionary time as minutemen or living in colonial times when America was first starting as a country.
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Those are both great eras! I would put them in the 1860, leading up to the American Civil War. Florida was a part of the Confederacy, while Kentucky, as a border state, was technically neutral, so it would be interesting to put the Boys on different sides. So much drama!
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I think historical fiction would be hard to write. I've never written a true historical fiction, but just researching all the Amish stuff for Guilty Roads was a pain in the ass.
That was all I wrote when I first started writing fanfic. By far, AU historical is my favourite genre. I've written a couple historical fics in the last decade (as I think you know since you're the only person who likes one of them haha) and I always have ideas for more! My favourite era is early 20th century but back in "the day" I did write some medieval action :P
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Those are both great eras! I would put them in the 1860, leading up to the American Civil War. Florida was a part of the Confederacy, while Kentucky, as a border state, was technically neutral, so it would be interesting to put the Boys on different sides. So much drama!
That is such a great point! Good answer! I've never really read any historical fanfic, but I can see myself enjoying something like that if it was written well!
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Thanks! I love history, but have never been a big fan of historical fiction, oddly enough. It takes a lot of talent to write it, though! And I do love Satin and Silk, Julilly! :)
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Those are both great eras! I would put them in the 1860, leading up to the American Civil War. Florida was a part of the Confederacy, while Kentucky, as a border state, was technically neutral, so it would be interesting to put the Boys on different sides. So much drama!
If someone wrote a story like this I would definitely read it.
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I really wouldn't be interested to read about the guys in any other time period besides the ones they are actually alive in. Just not into the whole AU thing or a super huge history buff so reading a historical fiction with them wouldn't be high on my to read list. I used to love me some history channel but I am more of an Ice Road Truckers or doomsday special girl. lol
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I wouldn't mind a civil war fic...
But as I'm sure this will shock no one, I want futuristic sci-fi time period fics lol.
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I wouldn't mind a civil war fic...
But as I'm sure this will shock no one, I want futuristic sci-fi time period fics lol.
I have a fic that, if I ever start posting again, is full of civil war flashbacks lol
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If someone wrote a story like this I would definitely read it.
I actually have had a story idea semi-outlined since 2001 about reincarnation that takes place half in the Civil War era, but I have never gotten very far with the actual writing of it. I think it's what I said about historical fiction - I'm not a fan, even though I love history. But maybe someday?
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^^ I've had the same problem with reincarnation ideas that've come to me. I love Historical fanfic but I never end up writing it lol.
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I actually have had a story idea semi-outlined since 2001 about reincarnation that takes place half in the Civil War era, but I have never gotten very far with the actual writing of it. I think it's what I said about historical fiction - I'm not a fan, even though I love history. But maybe someday?
Well now I have to finish History Repeating before your someday comes and we end up using the same ideas Lol
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LOL Don't worry, I will probably never get around to using it, or if I do, it'll be original fiction. You have no competition from me!
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Here's another question speaking of time periods and all.
If the boys were in your high school which one(s) if any would have been in your click? And how would you have perceived the others?
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That's a FUN question, Mare! I think Howie would be in my clique lol. I would see Brian as dorky but funny. Kevin I'd probably be intimidated by - ya know that sexy serious guy who's friendly with everyone but there's just something about him that makes me want to idolise him lol. AJ I would see as just an outcast - changing hair colours, piercings, all that jazz (very stereotypical of me) but once you get to know him you realise he's not that scary and he's actually a really sweet guy. Nick would be one of those popular guys that has absolutely no ambition in school and would rather be elsewhere lol
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Howie would definitely have been in my clique. I was the honors student/choir girl/drama club geek, which seems like the type Howie would have been too LOL. I would have seen Kevin and Nick as being out of my league, the popular jock types. AJ would have probably hung out with punk or goth kids, not really my type. I think Brian would have been the social butterfly type who flits between different circles - the jocks, the Jesus freaks, the choir/band kids, and so on. He would have been the class clown who got along with everyone because he's funny.
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I was a nerd in high school but a semi-popular one LOL. My best friend at the time was popular so I ended up being that social butterfly more cause of him, with friends in each group. I flitted around which was sorta funny cause when I talked to the goth kids I'd get teased about being a sore thumb cause I usually liked bright colors and then everyone there was wearing black lmao. So I probably would've been pretty good friends with Brian, and Howie cause I was on yearbook and the newspaper and he seems the type I would've been in honors courses with LOL. AJ would be one of the goth kids who'd tease me about being that bright color in the sea of black lol.
Kevin and Nick I may know casually but it'd be more like, "Brian's friends" so to speak. Totally out of reach and likely my crushes LOL.
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I can see Howie completely fitting in with my inner circle of high school friends. I came from a really big click that was kind of multifaceted. Most of us had music in common or some form of the arts but we also had a fair amount of jocks in our click as well, the smarter ones. So I also could see Kevin in my click and of course I would have a huge crush on him and I'd look to him for approval. Brian would also fit in with my group of friends but I could see everyone kind of excluding him from things because he would always feel the need to bring along his girlfriend which I'm sure everyone would hate!
Nick would be what I'd like to call my 'secret' friend. The really popular, cute guy who feels most comfortable being around all of us but never lets on. We'd be buddies though.
AJ would be the guy I'd pass in the halls and then whisper "What's up with that kid? He's so weird!" LOL
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Your post just cracked me up Mare, especially the AJ part. :D
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Hmmm I could see me and Nick being friends because we are both nerds. I could see me hanging with him and Brian because we all like basketball. Brian would be the cute friendly jock that hangs out with anyone. Kevin would be out of my league cause he is mysterious so I would want to know him but never get.the courage to talk to him. AJ would be that kid I would say hi to in the hall to be nice but wonder what was with him. Howie seems like he would be the quiet one in class that was always observing everyone else. I don't see him in my group of friends either.
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I have a question which probably has been asked before, but since I'm fairly new to the forums, I am curious to know your answers.
So, what fics will you absolutely not read? Genre-wise or whatever.
To answer my own question, I only have two types of fics that I won't go near: Romance of any kind (I even hate it when the wives/fiances are in it too much) and fics with diseases that lead to death because they terrify me lol
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I don't think there is anything I wouldnt read. I would have said slash but I have read it. I will pretty much try anything once.
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I pretty much have tried everything. I have no real desire to ever read a slash again or romance in general. Also not a giant AU fan either and I also tend to stay away from overly gory stories and also don't really enjoy it when one or more of the boys die or are physically tortured. I'm a very picky reader. lol
I do stay away from stories that do not have one of the boys as the main character. I don't really give a rat's ass if Chastity Bellbottoms is having a rough llife but thanks to AJ it's getting better. Yay? Who cares? lol
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There's nothing I absolutely won't read. I like certain genres better than others, but I have read at least something from every genre. I tend to not read slash, really "out there" sci-fi/fantasy, and fluffy romance.
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There's nothing I absolutely won't read. I like certain genres better than others, but I have read at least something from every genre. I tend to not read slash, really "out there" sci-fi/fantasy, and fluffy romance.
Same here!
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I've missed a few!
OK, so as for the time period I'd love to see the boys in...I'll go for medieval England. Think Merlin-type stuff and I'd love to read/write that :)
Howie would probably be in my circle of friends in high school. I was sort of unpopular and a bit of a nerd lol.
As for which genre I won't read, I used to say slash but I've read a couple of decent ones. Therefore there is nothing I won't read :)
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I'm a very picky reader. And while there's genres I don't click on, if something is intriguing enough I give it a shot. Like Julie's current Slash, which is something I never thought I'd say haha.
But typically I won't read romance as I prefer it as a subplot, and slash. Mainly because I have a really hard time making it gel in my head. It's too out there a thought. (Even more so than fantasy lol)
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I pretty much have tried everything. I have no real desire to ever read a slash again or romance in general. Also not a giant AU fan either and I also tend to stay away from overly gory stories and also don't really enjoy it when one or more of the boys die or are physically tortured. I'm a very picky reader. lol
I do stay away from stories that do not have one of the boys as the main character. I don't really give a rat's ass if Chastity Bellbottoms is having a rough llife but thanks to AJ it's getting better. Yay? Who cares? lol
I second everything you said Mare, except for the part about AU. Isn't AU (my understanding is that this is an Alternate Universe) the main genre for some of your stories though, like Protect and Serve for instance?
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I second everything you said Mare, except for the part about AU. Isn't AU (my understanding is that this is an Alternate Universe) the main genre for some of your stories though, like Protect and Serve for instance?
Yup! I like to write them but not read them lol honestly, I tend to like AU's only if the boys are related in some way because it's the brotherly aspect of them that I enjoy. When that gets taken away there's really nothing else for me to cling on to.
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I forgot about Julie's slash. I might try that one this summer if it's part of the reading challenge.
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I was listening to a radio discussion on films or scenes that make you cry. Thought it would be interesting here.
What fanfic gets you all choked up, and what scene if you could choose one.
What fanfic makes you bust out laughing and what scene?
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There are so many stories and scenes that have made me cry over the years, but I've gotten so cynical in my old age that stuff that made me cry as a teenybopper now seems cheesy to me (like the DWLYN coma scene in Where Can We Go From Here that I make fun of all the time, even though I love it). One scene that can still make me cry is the epilogue of "Cover Me With Dreams." I just tested this theory and read it cold, having not read the whole story in several years, and it still got me teary-eyed. I love that ending so much that I may have borrowed the idea for the end of By My Side... I'd like to think of it as a homage more than flat-out copying, but it is what it is LOL.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also many parts that have made me laugh, but the first one to pop into my head was The Backstreet Baby series, specifically the part where the guys are talking about what they would name their kid, and AJ says he's going to name his kid ShaTed BoNathan, and the other guys all scream, "Shithead?!" And then Nick says he wants to name his kid Kahb after the other guys' initials, and the other guys are like, "Cob Carter? OMG, how many beatdowns would this kid get? You know you'd make fun of a kid named Kahb." Cracks me up every time!
For our newer members who maybe haven't heard me gush about these stories a hundred times before...
Cover Me With Dreams: http://www.dreamers-sanctuary.com/dwlyn/cmwd.html
Backstreet Baby Series: http://www.dreamers-sanctuary.com/dwlyn/bsbbaby.html
Where Can We Go From Here: http://www.angelfire.com/ky3/perfect_fans/wcwgfhintro.html (Chapter 11... classic!)
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This one's going to take some searching, but what has been your most reviewed chapter, and why do you think that was?
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Wow, that is going to take some researching lol
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If you go to your Account Info, then View Your Statistics, then click on your number of stories, and then click View Chapters at the top, you can scroll through and see the number of reviews for each chapter pretty quickly.
My most reviewed chapter is Chapter 1 of Curtain Call with 37 reviews, which I think is a combination of people legitimately reviewing the first chapter and also people submitting a review for the whole story after finishing it, since those go to Chapter 1 by default. Curious to see who else's is a first chapter for the same reason.
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I have a feeling most will say chapter one for that very reason. I know I always tend to have the most reviews my first chapter so maybe we should also go with most reviews that isn't a first chapter?
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That's a good point! I think last chapters tend to get a lot of reviews, too.
My most-reviewed chapters that weren't first chapters were also for Curtain Call; there were four of them that tied with 20 reviews each: Chapter 9, Chapter 35, Chapter 45, and Chapter 55. 9 and 55 were both big moments in the story, and 45 was the lead-up to a big moment, so I can understand why those got so many reviews. Not sure why 35 did. It was a cute chapter, but nothing special.
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Oh, I forgot about this. Going to go check now.
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Okay well for first chapters two of my stories tied.
A Million Little Things and Protect and Serve both had 27 reviews for first chapter with What Lurks Around the Corner coming in with 26. I was kind of happily surprised about Protect and Serve. I thought Why I'd Do It All Again would have been up there.
As far as non first chapters - chapter 28 of Why I'd Do it All Again had the most at 19. It's the stunt sandwich chapter where Nick accidentally throws his cellphone out the window and then falls out the window when he tries to get it. Everyone loved this chapter.
Chapters 45 (The Midnight Adventures of Nick and Brian) & 48 (The Corner Deli Eye Rolls Have It!) of Why had 18 each
The deli one was also a chapter that many of you talked about which might have sparked people clicking on it out of curiosity. Where the boys are all eating at the deli and Nick is caught with a shake. I'm not sure why the Nick and Brian one was as popular, maybe because it's Nick and Brian? Who knows.
I had a lot of stories that had 17 reviews on certain chapters but they aren't labeled and I was too lazy to read them to see what they were all about. LOL
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Figured You Out has several chapters with 13 and 14 reviews each. The chapters with many reviews are more towards the end but not at the very end which was surprising.
I think because those chapters were probably where Nick was being tortured, thar could be why LOL. It's always a reader grabber.
For a follow up question, what story of yours has the most reviews and which.has the least?
For me Figured You Out has 300+ and the second would be You Give Love A Bad Name which has almost 150.
The least reviewed are always challenge stories and one shots because they are one chapter each.
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I am just going to go by novels.
The most is Why I'd do it all Again with 692
the least is hard because a lot of my novels I transferred over to this site long after they were originally written so while they got a lot of reviews there, they got next to none on this site. So I'm going to go with one that I posted here as I was writing and that was The Lion's Den with 82.
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My most reviewed chapter that isn't a first chapter is Chapter 32 of Forever Like This, "The Malibu House." That was the one where Nick died. People didn't like that lol
Forever Like This is also my story with the most reviews at 235. The novel with the least is My Happy Ending with 140.
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My most reviewed story is Curtain Call with 1,245! My least reviewed novel is Not Another Teenybopper Fanfic with 1 review, but I think I posted that all in one day. Like Mare said, I added a lot of my older stories to AC long after they'd been posted on my site, so they don't have many reviews. I actually only have one other finished novel that was posted as I was writing it, and that's Secrets of the Heart. It has 135 reviews.
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My highest reviewed chapter is Chapter One of Song For The Undead. Part of it is probably because it's a first chapter and the title we had at the time was so vague because we didn't reveal it was going to be a zombie story.
Non first chapter is the Epilogue of RMTW with 17. Probably because it's the end cause I had several reviews on that from people who read it in one sitting or hadn't reviewed in a bit dropping in to give feed back. Not not counting last chapters then it's Chapter Ten of RMTW with 15 reviews. I looked to see why and I honestly don't get it LOL. The beginning was Nick in the studio recording "Scream", and the second half was their actual soundcheck. Maybe it's because of the question I wrote a fan asking, about what he'd remember most about being a BSB because at this point of the story only Kevin knew and he wasn't on tour with them. I don't know.
As for most reviewed story it's Song For The Undead which has 627. The other one is RMTW which has 487.
The least I'm gonna go with one that has a substantial number of chapters. In my early days here I had a horrible habit of starting too many ideas without following through. And while I haven't deleted them I have several from like 2002 with less than ten chapters that weren't even remotely close to being finished.
So the least is Divisions of Reality which was an old sci-fi collaboration that while its like 25 chapters in my cowriter dropped out and I tried to keep it going but never kept up with. It only has 31 reviews and I feel like part of it was A) it's a sci-fi, and B) you could really tell who wrote what. It made it choppy looking back and I've grown a lot since then. I was like 15/16 while the majority of that thing was being written LOL.
The least reviewed finished story (not counting oneshots) is Walked Out Of My Dreams which had 70. It was only 15 chapters however and a more Brian centered story, so considering those I feel like it did well.
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What is it that makes a story truly interesting to you? For instance if you like one type of story will you read it no matter what? Suspense, angst, slash etc...
I love a great suspense/action fic and of course bromances and even though I might click on most of the ones I come across I won't necessarily read them all the way through.
I think for me, it's depth of character.
I have to really feel the emotions of the characters and feel like their personalities have been caught in a way that I find interesting and appealing to make me want to really continue on. If the the boys are flat and one note and the plot is too predictable, I find myself losing interest. It's the thought of "Where are they taking this?" that makes me continue. If I can guess that within the first few chapters or find myself caring less and less about the answer as we go on, then you've lost me.
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Bromance is a must for me but it has to be very specific bromance. I can't have death being the main theme and no romance. I like action/adventure too...and that's about it. LOL. Lucky for me, Mare has the library in what I go for :)
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LOL thanks, Jess!
What you said is a good example of what I'm talking about because normally I would never read a story where Nick is dead from the beginning but I am currently doing just that because it's so well written and the author has done a great job with depth of character. Will I finish it? Unsure depends on where it goes but if the boys personalities weren't captured as well as they are, I probably wouldn't have gotten past the first chapter.
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You all know I love medical drama! I am drawn to any story that includes medical drama - Backstreet Boys being injured, getting sick, etc. That said, it has to be well-written and believable. It doesn't work if I don't care what happens to the characters, and if the medical info is blatantly made-up instead of well-researched, it becomes more of a joke than a serious story. I'm always entertained by medical dramas, but I'll be honest: sometimes that entertainment comes from mocking the bad ones.
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Mare, your last post brings up another question.
What is something you normally wouldn't read (a certain genre, storyline, lead character, etc.)? Have you ever actually read that kind of story? If so, what got you to read it? If not, what would it take to get you to read it?
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Mare, I know which story you're talking about. I read the first chapter, absolutely fell in love with the writing but couldn't continue - I'm a massive sook lol. I wanted to leave a review but I didn't exactly know how that would be taken. Like "Hey, love your writing, but can't continue because I can't do death fics", kind of like a slap in the face. I hope she writes stuff more my genre though!
Julie, I wouldn't read romance, I wouldn't read storylines with one of the main characters being dead the whole way through and I wouldn't read a a fic with AJ or Brian as the lead (sorry guys). I did read a Brian centred story once, but I never finished it. I have never read a romance but I have read stories where romance is in there but it's not the main theme. I stumbled on mpreg once when I was reading HP fics - that was weird lol and kinda funny.
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Mpreg is one subgenre I just don't really "get." I feel like I may have stumbled across that in HP fanfic first, too, before I ever saw it in BSB, but I may be remembering wrong. There's a lot of weird stuff on fanfiction.net LOL.
I don't think there's anything I absolutely won't read, though I find things like mpreg and slash hard to take seriously. The suspension of disbelief factor prevents me from fully enjoying those storylines.
I always used to think I would never be able to get into an AU, but I've found that when an AU is well-written and the Boys are portrayed as the same guys we love who just happen to be living different lives, I can buy into it. "Between the Lines" is the story that changed my mind about AU, though it took me at least two tries to really give that one a chance.
I'm also not a big fan of sci-fi or fantasy, but every once in awhile I come across one that is well-written and interesting without being too "out there" for me to enjoy. "On Nightingale Hill" comes to mind.
I will read romance if there is a bigger, more interesting storyline to accompany it, or if the characters are so compelling that I actually don't mind just reading about their relationship - a rarity for me, but it has been known to happen. My favorite fanfic is "Cover Me With Dreams," which is Romance with a capital R, but it has the right combination of good writing, dynamic characters, subplots, and plenty of drama to keep me interested. That one changed the way I viewed romance.
I also don't usually read Kevin or Howie-centered stories, but I will if they're paired with Brian or Nick (in a non-slashy way) or maybe if it's a medical drama.
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I have pretty much tried just about everything, even if I didn't make it all the way through them. I noticed that when I have to do too much suspension of belief while reading, it ends up being something I don't enjoy and for me that's M-preg, slash, sci-fi fantasy and AU. But in every genre, there have been some standouts just because of the writing. Which brings the point that no matter what the genre, if it's truly well written and the characters are dynamic enough, you'll get readers. Case in point, "Yesterday's Blue Skies" which is a sci-fi AU. Love that one!
There are several things I shy away from but if they are written by people I know to be very talented I'm more apt to click on it then I am by people who I have never heard of. Starting that reading challenge was the smartest thing I have ever done for this forum I think. I know I would have never checked out Emily's stuff and I would have missed out on her great writing style for one.
I know from experience that AJ and Brian bore me to tears in most fanfics so I tend to stay away from stories where they are the main characters. In fact, the same can be said for Howie. Nick, Kevin or group fics are the ones I enjoy the best no matter what genre. It's more about the boy. Romance as long as it's boy centered and not girl centered I am more apt to at least try depending on the author. And all the boys have to be in it, not just the one.
AU I avoid unless the boys are brothers or all doing the same thing as five people and not scattered all over the place. If they aren't portrayed as their real ages (like making Nick the oldest and Kevin the youngest or all of them quintuplets etc..) I'm not interested. I do get the fun of writing those kinds of stories because I do it myself and it really gives you freedom as a writer to be uber creative but as a reader, I skip them. Although the exception is "On The Rails." I LOVE that story and it has everything I hate! But again, the writing is so strong it's worth it.
I also stay away from overly gory or angsty stories where it involves a death. (I really am picky lol) but again, if they are really well written I'm on board, minus the gore. I'll never be on board with gore! Maybe a random scene at the most but not an entire story.
I guess I feel the same way about comedy too. That one's a tricky genre because it can so easily go the way of too stupid. I'm more of a dramedy person.
Oh and also...
LMAO kidding. I think by now we have all established that I'm a picky reader.
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Mare, I know which story you're talking about. I read the first chapter, absolutely fell in love with the writing but couldn't continue - I'm a massive sook lol. I wanted to leave a review but I didn't exactly know how that would be taken. Like "Hey, love your writing, but can't continue because I can't do death fics", kind of like a slap in the face. I hope she writes stuff more my genre though!
Julie, I wouldn't read romance, I wouldn't read storylines with one of the main characters being dead the whole way through and I wouldn't read a a fic with AJ or Brian as the lead (sorry guys). I did read a Brian centred story once, but I never finished it. I have never read a romance but I have read stories where romance is in there but it's not the main theme. I stumbled on mpreg once when I was reading HP fics - that was weird lol and kinda funny.
Yeah, I know what you mean, Jess. I am always second guessing myself when it comes to leaving reviews like that which is another great question I think.
If you commit to reading something and just stop, do you bother to explain to the author why? Or do you just kind of shrug it off? Because I know for me as the author I'll spend so much time wondering why people who always reviewed just suddenly stopped, it sometimes sucks the fun out of it for me. I personally would love someone to come in and say something like that in a review. If for no other reason, I'm not left hanging and wondering why. I know that's just me but what do some of you think?
I have done it for some and for others I have just stopped with no explanation.
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I usually don't leave reviews to explain why I won't be leaving any more reviews. If I stop reading or fall behind because I'm busy or because the author updates so infrequently that it's hard to follow the story, I'll tell the author that, but I don't think I've ever left a review that was like, "I just don't like this anymore" or "I've lost interest." Maybe I should?
I dunno, have any of you ever gotten reviews like that? If so, do you appreciate knowing the truth, even if the truth hurts?
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I guess it's all in the wording. If I stopped reading something because it was just not a good story, chances are the author never knew I was reading in the first place. I tend to not leave a review unless I feel like I can commit to a story. If I stop reading just because I don't have the time, I don't really mind letting the author know that especially if they complain about lack of reviews, although I've also noticed when I hear that those people rarely ever do go back to reading and finishing it off, I know I'm guilty of that. For something else, like "I really was enjoying this story but then it became female centered and I just can't get into that." I truly believe something like that isn't offensive to the author but just really honest. I know some people can take it and some can't. I wouldn't mind reading a review like that personally.
"I really thought this was great but I had to stop because I couldn't take all the cliffhangers." Or "I'm just not into reading about the villain's point of view." or "There's not enough Brian and AJ..." which tends to be me. lol
I think it's less offensive then someone who just stops without explanation but I'm also weird like that. 9 out of 10 times though someone might say "I still have been reading but just not reviewing." However weird that one is, at least it's an explanation lol
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Is it really that noticeable when someone stops reviewing? I honestly don't think I would be able to be like "oh, so-and-so hasn't reviewed the last couple chapters" I'm so not observant enough to remember who has reviewed what chapters.
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I am talking about people who review every single chapter not so much the random people who come in and out or review here or there because that's what you expect with them. I think it's fair to say that everyone kind of counts on their regular reviewers. I think we all have them. Those 1 or more people who review every single chapter of your story. When they suddenly stop it's a downer. At least to me because I look forward to hearing their thoughts. When there are no more thoughts to hear you can't help but wonder why.
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I definitely notice when people stop reading and to be honest it kind of demotivates me, especially if it is more than one person. One person I will likely not notice but I often get discouraged. I know that sounds dumb. I haven't been able to write in a while because I keep trying too hard. I find it hard to even get motivated to write lately and I feel bad for the stories I have left unfinished.
Is there a way I can get my inspiration back, anyone have any suggestions? Cause I feel like I have tried everything. Have you ever gotten so stuck o. a story you thought about a complete re do?
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I have gotten those honest reviews that explain why someone won't be reading anymore, and I guess it is nice to know the reason why. I don't take offense to that, but I also don't get offended when someone stops reading or stops reviewing. It would only bother me if everyone suddenly stopped LOL. Then I would be like, "Uh... what did I do wrong?"
Tracy, I've been in the same boat with a lack of motivation and too many unfinished stories. I've found that while you can force it to some extent, if it doesn't start flowing after that, it's best to just take a break and move on to something else, whether it's a different story or a different project altogether. I hate leaving stories unfinished too, but we write for fun. We shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves with deadlines or quotas; we should just write what we want, when we went, and not worry about it so much. So if you're stuck on a certain story and not having fun with it anymore, admit that and move on. You can always come back to it later if your inspiration returns, and sometimes it will after you've walked away from it for awhile.
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I am talking about people who review every single chapter not so much the random people who come in and out or review here or there because that's what you expect with them. I think it's fair to say that everyone kind of counts on their regular reviewers. I think we all have them. Those 1 or more people who review every single chapter of your story. When they suddenly stop it's a downer. At least to me because I look forward to hearing their thoughts. When there are no more thoughts to hear you can't help but wonder why.
I don't think I have ever had regular reviewers other than you guys lol that's probably why I have never noticed!
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I don't think I have ever had regular reviewers other than you guys lol that's probably why I have never noticed!
Ah yes, well that makes sense then. lol
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Something that I just won't read is male pregnancy lol. I used to say slash, but I've since read one or two which were really good, but that doesn't mean I'm into slash in any way.
There are stories which I've started reading and have every intention to carry on with, I just haven't had a lot of time for reading recently and am unable to read in work anymore, which sucks because I used to do the majority of my reading whilst in work lol.
Most reviewed chapter would have to be chapter 3 of Save A Prayer which had 12 reviews :)
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This forum has been way too dead lately!
Here's a new topic to discuss: Have you ever written a story that attracted a completely different groups of readers than your regulars? Why do you think that was? Have you ever gone outside of your box to try to attract different readers?
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I don't know if I've ever attracted a completely different group of readers from my normal ones. I tend to have a few faithful people that tend to read whatever I write but I have noticed that from time to time, depending on the story, I might get a few people who are more vocal than others. I really wish there was a way we could monitor who is reading besides just going by reviews because we know how people sometimes just don't bother to say anything. I have a feeling we'd all be surprised by some of the people who read our stuff that we might think do not.
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I have been writing fan fiction gosh for 13 yrs or something rather and I think I have tried it but it failed miserably...li ke tanked really bad so I just stuck to writing what I know and that seems to work some what I am not completely talented unlike some of you other ladies here but I try and write from experience and then take it to other places...for example "All Of Your Life" most of that happened...I met my current fiance in World Of Warcraft...mov ed with barely knowing him and had a couple of miscarriages but no other kids other than the two current ones from a previous relationship, but my next stories could be different but I mostly write on experiences..i t seems to help in ways with dealing with a lot of stuff that i dealt with as a child
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I'm not sure if I attract different readers, and it's been so long since I actually wrote anything :(
I've also written stuff that came from personal experiences, like places I've been etc.
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Maybe this question has already been asked, but I might as well ask again to hopefully spark some discussion.
How do you feel about giving spoilers away in your summary? How do you decide what to give away and what to keep until it's actually revealed?
I'm writing something right now that will have a pretty significant twist. While I definitely don't want to give it away in the summary, I don't really want to blindsight anyone into thinking that the story is going to go one way when it's going down a completely different path. So yeah, let's discuss lol
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Yay! A new question and a good one too!
Personally, I think the summary is always the hardest thing for me to write. I spend way too long thinking about it. I'm not a big fan of giving too much away. I hate when I feel like I don't need to read a story because the summary just basically told me exactly what was going to happen but at the other end of the spectrum, I tend to shy away from stories that give a really vague summary and get annoyed when they give a misleading one.
I think if you have a major plot twist in the story, to keep it authentic, and a real twist you shouldn't give anything away in the summary, except maybe to say there are some twists and turns along the way. The thing is, if you really are going in a completely different direction then what the reader may think, and it's written really well, the reader will still follow along. You can always say something like "Things aren't always as they seem." maybe not as cliched as that, but you know what I mean?
I'm about to start posting a new story myself but the thing that's really keeping me from doing it is the stupid summary as well lol Seriously, it's my real weakness. I need a course like summary 101 or something.
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I don't like to give anything away. I am all about that mind-blowing moment when the reader finds out the story she thought was going in a certain direction has just taken a huge turn in a totally different direction. Granted, in my stories, that twist usually comes in the form of some deadly disease or another, so that's probably starting to become predictable. Maybe someday I'll do the opposite and write a cancer story that turns into some crazy suspense thriller. :)
Just keep it vague, Steph. The summary doesn't have to be misleading, but it also doesn't have to give any direction for the story. Think of it more as a tagline or a teaser, rather than an actual summary.
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I like to keep the summary a little vague, I don't really give much away.
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I myselg try not to reveal anything important...ca use to me that would defeat the purpose of reading but i try to come up with a summary where there is enough information and then also not a lot. I am not good with summaries either so it can be hadd for me sometimes.
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Just read an interesting article that suggests people express themselves better when writing longhand instead of typing.
The Joys and Benefits of Cursive Writing: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cynthia-dagnalmyron/john-boy-was-write-the-jo_b_5440013.html
As a teacher, I think children should still be taught cursive, as well as typing, but as a writer, my experience has been completely different from that of the author and the researchers quoted in the article, who say that writers are more creative and productive when writing by hand. I find writing by hand to be tedious and frustrating. For me, it takes longer than typing, it makes my hand hurt after awhile, and it's much harder to edit as I go. I never write stories by hand, unless the power is out or my computer's down and I have no other option.
What about the rest of you? When it comes to writing stories, do you prefer typing or writing by hand?
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I'm pretty sure if I wrote anything by hand that notebook would be a complete smudged mess of erased and rewritten words.
I definitely feel much more creative when typing! Maybe if I was writing in cursive I'd think a bit more before writing down that sentence, because I go back and change things and rewrite sentences a couple times before I'm satisfied with them.
I also like to change things around, go back into paragraphs and add more detail. And yeah, my hand would also hurt after a while. When typing I can go for hours. (I will probably end up with carpal tunnel due to how many hours of the day I spend typing.) And that is when I personally feel the most creative, when I have a large chunk of time to sit and dedicate to writing without interruption. Which I could only accomplish with a computer so yeah lol
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Same here, on all points! LOL
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Lol i am the odd ball...i cannot stand to type while i am writing....i like it on paper..so everything i write is put onto paper and then when i type it out in word document i will make my edits, add or change something at the last minute. I dont know why i do it this way cause my hand hurts like a mofo afterwards but i feel i gues my creative juices flow better...i have a whole three ring binder full of fanfictions, plots, lyrics i have used for stories...i am starting to think i am just a tad ocd lol....but also i think a lot of it is too its my back up if i lost something on the computer and i couldnt get to the internet... i am just reallllly weird like that lol
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I do not have the patience to hand write anything anymore. I like to change and add things as I write and typing makes that so much easier. I used to have such nice penmanship but ever since I really started writing via the computer, it's gone downhill! Lol
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LOL Same here. Ironically, though, I took an old notebook from college that I thought was virtually unused to school and opened it up today to find several pages of handwritten fanfic in it, I think part of "Footprints." I don't know if I thought I was being creative writing on paper or if I wrote it during a power outage, but I had forgotten all about it! Glad I found it before some kid did LOL.
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I have a whole stack of notebooks from when i wrote in high school. I then moved onto computer, on one of my old hard drives is the original draft of Figured You Out, I had been browsing through some files when i decided to finally publish that story. I liked writing in the notebooks but computer was easier for editing.
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I don't write longhand as much as I used to. But when I'm really stuck and I can't seem to do anything I'll sometimes grab a notebook and just write. I don't always use it or I change a lot of it later. But having that pen and paper can help me really channel a character at times and get into their heads the way I want.
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New questions for you!
If you could only pick one story to represent the writer you have become what would you choose and why?
As a reader, do you agree with the picks your favorite authors chose? Or would you pick something different by them?
On the opposite side of this - what is one the one story in your catalog that you feel is least like the writer you are today?
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Good questions!
I would pick Curtain Call because I think it best represents me as a writer currently. It fits my niche of medical drama with a hint of romance, it has strong characters, and I think it's one of my best-written stories up to this point.
The story in my catalog that is least like the writer I am today is an old one called "The Other Child." It's not posted on AC, but it's on my archive site. I wrote it in 2001, and it was my first AU. It was a twist on one of those "long lost sibling" stories (which I hate, btw) about Brian having a sister, only he was the long lost one, having been abducted as a child so he never became a Backstreet Boy. The idea was not mine; it was given to me by a reader, and so it never totally felt like my story. I got bored writing it and threw an ending on it just so I could be done, and you can tell. It's not very well-written and doesn't reflect me as a writer at all.
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I guess I would say Finding Carter for myself because that story I did a lot of research and it was one of my best stories. I took a lot of time developing the characters. Plus it is AU which is my strength.
As for least....i would say When I Grow Up because it was a side project. Something i just threw together for fun and it wasnt very well written like my other work.
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I have a hard time narrowing it down to one. I almost want to name two. But if I'm sticking to one is say Remember Me This Way shows where I am currently. It's a bromance, I torture the hell out of Nick, and the emotional aspect is very strong in that one. Runner up is Undead due to the gore, the horror, and characterizati on.
Least representative is by far this half finished romance called Rehab. It's a mess and honestly I don't know what I was thinking beyond the fact Just Another Day had gone well so I thought I could pull off romance twice? Definitely not lmao. Bad idea, bad writing, and you can tell I got to a point where I was just over it.
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You know, I come up with these questions and then I have the hardest time answering them. LOL
I honestly am not sure if there's one novel I have written that represents me completely. I think if I combined two of them they would but that would also be cheating. Writing wise, I would probably go with Hope Is the Last Thing Ever Lost. I believe my writing was at it's best for that story and pretty much captures what I'm all about. Telling the story from all five points of view. Putting a lot of twists, turns, action and suspense in there. Having a good, old fashioned psychopath that hopefully people were sympathetic with and of course tons of mean cliffhangers along the way. The only thing missing from this one that I feel also is a very big part of me is humor. Not too many haha moments in this one, but I'm choosing it anyway!
As far as the one least like me, I'd probably have to go with Comedy of Errors. I would hate to have someone read that ridiculous hot mess and think it was all I'm capable of. LOL
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With all the talk of old stories lately, here's a few questions for you.
Is there a 'classic' story you have always wanted to read but never have gotten around to?
Is there a 'classic' story you have read because everyone recommended it but when you read it, you didn't like it?
Name five stories you consider 'classics' and why you think people should check them out.
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Good questions. I think I have read or at least tried to read every classic that sounded appealing to me, but maybe reading other people's answers will remind me of some I haven't.
One classic story I finally read after seeing it nominated everywhere back in the day was "A Tale of Two Popstars," and while it was better than it sounded, I didn't like it after I found out that the author had posted like five other versions of the exact same story featuring different boyband members (from other boybands). That just made it feel so cheap and ruined the characterizati on for me.
My top five classics would be:
1. Where Can We Go From Here - the bus crash story that started 'em all! A little cheesy, but still worth the read, if only for the extreme Millennium-era nostalgia it will bring about. It's pretty well-written for a Millennium era fanfic, too.
2. Between the Lines - This is one that I resisted reading for a long time because it's an AU about the Boys being baseball players, which did not sound like something I'd be interested in, but I ended up reading it for Mare's fanfic club and LOVED it! It's actually one of the best-written fanfics I've ever read and about way more than baseball.
3. Cover Me With Dreams - Another story that took me a couple of tries to get into, I finally read this one at a reader's recommendation and, again, LOVED it! It's probably my favorite fanfic of all time. It's a great romance, but again, it's about more than just that. I love the characters, and it's very well-written!
4. Faceless - I know Mare hates this story (in fact, this may be her answer to #2 LOL), and I can understand why, but it's still an old favorite of mine. It's basically like a fanfic version of Beauty and the Beast about Nick going into hiding after a horrific, fiery crash leaves him badly scarred.
5. Signal to Noise - One of the best suspense stories of all time! It's about a psycho stalking the Backstreet Boys, using their song lyrics as threats online, and trying to take them down one by one.
Links to all of these stories and more can be found on my favorites page here: http://dreamers-sanctuary.com/stories/favorites/
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4. Faceless - I know Mare hates this story (in fact, this may be her answer to #2 LOL), and I can understand why, but it's still an old favorite of mine. It's basically like a fanfic version of Beauty and the Beast about Nick going into hiding after a horrific, fiery crash leaves him badly scarred.
*nods* lol
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A follow-up question that came to mind as I was thinking of classics was, what qualifies as a "classic" in your mind? Does it have to be a story of a certain age? If so, where do you draw the line? If not, what constitutes a newer classic?
I tend to draw the line around 2003, but hell, that's 11 years ago! I think that's just my own personal cut off because it coincides with a major change in my life, graduating high school and starting college, as well as me coming into my own as a fanfic writer. I tend to divide my own work into two eras, pre-Broken and post-Broken, since Broken is the first truly popular story I wrote and was a lot better than anything I'd written before it. Some of you probably weren't even involved with fanfic then, though, so I'm curious to see what you consider classic.
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*nods* lol
:)
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A follow-up question that came to mind as I was thinking of classics was, what qualifies as a "classic" in your mind? Does it have to be a story of a certain age? If so, where do you draw the line? If not, what constitutes a newer classic?
I tend to draw the line around 2003, but hell, that's 11 years ago! I think that's just my own personal cut off because it coincides with a major change in my life, graduating high school and starting college, as well as me coming into my own as a fanfic writer. I tend to divide my own work into two eras, pre-Broken and post-Broken, since Broken is the first truly popular story I wrote and was a lot better than anything I'd written before it. Some of you probably weren't even involved with fanfic then, though, so I'm curious to see what you consider classic.
I was going to make this a fourth questions but decided not to. LOL great minds...
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I was going to make this a fourth questions but decided not to. LOL great minds...
LOL Indeed!
I also realized after I posted my answer that 2003 was also in the midst of the big hiatus, which separated "Chapter 1" of BSB's career from the Never Gone era and beyond. When I think classic BSB, I think of their pre-Never Gone albums, so I guess I think of fanfics the same way.
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Is there a 'classic' story you have always wanted to read but never have gotten around to?
I'm pretty sure all the classics I wanted to read I have. I guess the only one that's still alluded me is that one with Brian and AJ. I can't remember the name of it and I didn't read it because it's Brian and AJ but everyone really seemed to love it. LOL
Is there a 'classic' story you have read because everyone recommended it but when you read it, you didn't like it?
Yeah, Julie was right. I picked Faceless to read for FFF because of the glowing reviews and regretted every single chapter of it, except the first one. I liked the newspaper article. (sorry person who wrote it. I feel bad but I'm sure there's someone out there saying the same thing about my stuff too. lol) I also wasn't a fan of Signal To Noise either though. Too disturbing for me.
Name five stories you consider 'classics' and why you think people should check them out.
1) Ground Zero - probably the best oldie suspense fic out there. Seriously, without reading this one, I'm not sure I would have ever even considered writing.
2) Seven Days - My all time favorite action story. Loved the plot and pace and the villain was awesome as well.
3) Documentaries - My all time favorite short story. Just a really great emo plot. I still think Izzy writes the only AJ I really enjoy reading lol
4) Come Together - The best how the band got together story.
5) Can You Keep A Secret - My favorite medical/bromantic story. So many cute moments between the guys. Just lovely.
I probably would have included Where Can We Go From Here on my list as well. Loved that one!
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I think for me a classic isn't really about a specific time period, but more how the story seems revered. If people do nothing but go on and on about a story, it ends up being a classic, whether it was written in 1999 or 2014. Or you mention the name of an author and the first words out of someone's mouth is, "Oh they wrote...so and so..."
I would personally consider Broken a classic. I think when people hear your name, it's one of the first stories that will pop into people's heads. The girl who wrote Broken.
That would be another great question. When you say a certain author's name, what's the first story that pops into your head?
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Is there a 'classic' story you have always wanted to read but never have gotten around to?
"Between the Lines" by Carrie.
Is there a 'classic' story you have read because everyone recommended it but when you read it, you didn't like it?
"Enigma" by Paulla. It was on a lot of rec lists at the time. Very intriguing story about Nick who is plagued by a recurring nightmare. He and the other guys go on an adventure to try and help him and what they discover is "out of this world." The plot was unlike anything I had read at the time; however, it was a hard read for me because the flow of the story seemed to be off....it felt and read really choppy.
Name five stories you consider 'classics' and why you think people should check them out.
Wow....tough one!
1. ) "Ground Zero" by Chaos - While on tour, Nick goes missing and is found and reunited with the other Boys. However, Nick's kidnapper wants him back!- The suspense in this story makes it timeless! It grabs the reader's attention and does not let go of it. And though it is completed now, when I first read it, it was the one story I had to check to see if it was updated!
2.) "Several Days in the Life of the Backstreet Boys or Two Weddings and a "Fine Mess You've Gotten Us Into!" by Marly. - Marly's stories are funny, but there is also a little drama. But what I think makes this a classic is the writer's internal dialogue for Nick. His thoughts provoke laugh out loud, belly laughs for me. It was also one of the first stories I read where there was no Frick-and-Frack dynamic.
3.) "The Legend" by Whitney. - Two tattered worlds. A legend long forgotten. A galaxy on the verge of annihilation. A group of unlikely heroes who never asked for the task that fate has bestowed upon them…
These ten alone are the only ones who can save their worlds, but to do so they must embark on a journey of peril and hardship that will take them across the stars and test their faith in themselves and everything they have ever believed in. All they know is that they must survive to fight the ultimate battle of good against evil, for if they do not triumph all will be lost. - This story was a bunch of firsts for me....first sci-fi, first AU, and first crossover (Nsync is included) and would be the story I would recommend for anyone who has not tried these genres. The writing is stellar and it's just a good read!
4.) "The Answer is Yes" by Eboni. - Nick Carter and Justin Timberlake are kidnapped by aliens. Now they must work together to get back home. Another sci-fi story added to my list! This story is not a group story but a Nick and Justin story and would probably not be the most would name when talking about Eboni. However, what makes this story a classic is the writing. Eboni's descriptions of these aliens and alien worlds are vivid and are easy to see in the mind's eye. Her original characters are likable and she almost made me like Justin Timberlake.... almost.
5.) "Snapshots" by Jennifer Stevens. - One Backstreet Boy goes missing in Washington, D.C. "Snapshots" is a character study of the Backstreet Boys. There are five chapters to the story and each chapter heading used a word to describe the subject of that particular chapter: Gorgeous - Kevin, Loving - Howie, O? - Brian (can't remember), Rebel - AJ, and Youth - Nick. Each chapter gives the reader the characters' innermost thoughts and you get a glimpse of the friendship that makes the Backstreet Boys. And while you're reading this, you still have the drama of the missing Boy.
This was hard just narrowing down to 5, but these were the first to pop into my head.
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Signal to Noise - One of the best suspense stories of all time! It's about a psycho stalking the Backstreet Boys, using their song lyrics as threats online, and trying to take them down one by one. - Julie
Signal to Noise is a great story. I'm glad have a hard copy of it. Many of Bobbi's stories had a sexual component to them, and with Signal to Noise, there are some sections I skip.
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1) Ground Zero - probably the best oldie suspense fic out there. Seriously, without reading this one, I'm not sure I would have ever even considered writing.
2) Seven Days - My all time favorite action story. Loved the plot and pace and the villain was awesome as well.
3) Documentaries - My all time favorite short story. Just a really great emo plot. I still think Izzy writes the only AJ I really enjoy reading lol
4) Come Together - The best how the band got together story.
5) Can You Keep A Secret - My favorite medical/bromantic story. So many cute moments between the guys. Just lovely.
"Seven Days" - I think that was the first story I read where the villain was female!
"Come Together" - Another great story and it has baby Nick! I don't remember reading any other band formation story.
"Documentaries" - I almost added "Under Pressure" to my list.
"Can You Keep a Secret" - Is this the story when Brian comes back on tour after heart surgery and Nick is sick but keeps it secret?
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I almost included Snapshots on my list. I loved that one!
Can You Keep a Secret is that one you mentioned. Brian is back and Nick suddenly gets sick but hides it because he doesn't want to get Brian upset. At one point Kevin gets sick as well. There's a whole lot of 'sick' lol That part at times is a bit unbelievable. I love it more for the actual bromantic moments in there.
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Good questions. I think I have read or at least tried to read every classic that sounded appealing to me, but maybe reading other people's answers will remind me of some I haven't.
One classic story I finally read after seeing it nominated everywhere back in the day was "A Tale of Two Popstars," and while it was better than it sounded, I didn't like it after I found out that the author had posted like five other versions of the exact same story featuring different boyband members (from other boybands). That just made it feel so cheap and ruined the characterizati on for me.
My top five classics would be:
1. Where Can We Go From Here - the bus crash story that started 'em all! A little cheesy, but still worth the read, if only for the extreme Millennium-era nostalgia it will bring about. It's pretty well-written for a Millennium era fanfic, too.
2. Between the Lines - This is one that I resisted reading for a long time because it's an AU about the Boys being baseball players, which did not sound like something I'd be interested in, but I ended up reading it for Mare's fanfic club and LOVED it! It's actually one of the best-written fanfics I've ever read and about way more than baseball.
3. Cover Me With Dreams - Another story that took me a couple of tries to get into, I finally read this one at a reader's recommendation and, again, LOVED it! It's probably my favorite fanfic of all time. It's a great romance, but again, it's about more than just that. I love the characters, and it's very well-written!
4. Faceless - I know Mare hates this story (in fact, this may be her answer to #2 LOL), and I can understand why, but it's still an old favorite of mine. It's basically like a fanfic version of Beauty and the Beast about Nick going into hiding after a horrific, fiery crash leaves him badly scarred.
5. Signal to Noise - One of the best suspense stories of all time! It's about a psycho stalking the Backstreet Boys, using their song lyrics as threats online, and trying to take them down one by one.
Links to all of these stories and more can be found on my favorites page here: http://dreamers-sanctuary.com/stories/favorites/
A few of those are on AC, also! I actually not that long ago randomly read BTL again and WOW it really stands the test of time!
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Is there a 'classic' story you have always wanted to read but never have gotten around to?
I'm pretty sure all the classics I wanted to read I have. I guess the only one that's still alluded me is that one with Brian and AJ. I can't remember the name of it and I didn't read it because it's Brian and AJ but everyone really seemed to love it. LOL
Whitney's Nowhere to Run, maybe? It's about Brian and AJ getting stuck in a convenience store hold-up. It's good.
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I would personally consider Broken a classic. I think when people hear your name, it's one of the first stories that will pop into people's heads. The girl who wrote Broken.
Thanks :)
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Signal to Noise - One of the best suspense stories of all time! It's about a psycho stalking the Backstreet Boys, using their song lyrics as threats online, and trying to take them down one by one. - Julie
Signal to Noise is a great story. I'm glad have a hard copy of it. Many of Bobbi's stories had a sexual component to them, and with Signal to Noise, there are some sections I skip.
Yeah, I can understand why Mare said it was too disturbing for her.
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A few of those are on AC, also! I actually not that long ago randomly read BTL again and WOW it really stands the test of time!
It really does! The fact that it's AU also makes it timeless; it's not grounded in a certain era like a lot of other stories are, so it doesn't seem dated.
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Whitney's Nowhere to Run, maybe? It's about Brian and AJ getting stuck in a convenience store hold-up. It's good.
Yes, that was the one! I thought it was called Nowhere to Run but wasn't positive.
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With all the talk of old stories lately, here's a few questions for you.
Is there a 'classic' story you have always wanted to read but never have gotten around to?
Is there a 'classic' story you have read because everyone recommended it but when you read it, you didn't like it?
Name five stories you consider 'classics' and why you think people should check them out.
To the first question it's"Between the Lines" by Carrie. I've always meant to.
To the second, I know there's fics but I can't remember them right now. Probably for a reason LOL.
1. The Answer is Yes by Eboni - Pammy described it perfectly so I don't need to LOL.
2. The Legend by Whitney - Ditto to the above for this one.
3. Seven Days by Refuse - Honestly it's simply an amazing action/adventure story.
4. Sammy by bluecloud - this might surprise a few but I always found this story endearing and adorable. Brian comes across this little boy on his own and does whatever he can to keep him safe despite the dangers now after both of them.
5. Survivor (Can't remember the authors right now) - it's a BSB vs NSYNC story and honestly it's hilarious. Basically whatever group loses is supposed to disband but they end up with more than they bargained for.
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I think for me a classic isn't really about a specific time period, but more how the story seems revered. If people do nothing but go on and on about a story, it ends up being a classic, whether it was written in 1999 or 2014. Or you mention the name of an author and the first words out of someone's mouth is, "Oh they wrote...so and so..."
I would personally consider Broken a classic. I think when people hear your name, it's one of the first stories that will pop into people's heads. The girl who wrote Broken.
That would be another great question. When you say a certain author's name, what's the first story that pops into your head?
I agree with you, just like when I think of Mare my thought immediately goes to Why I'd Do It All Again, and Fly Fishing LOL.
To add on to this because I agree "current" stories can be classics for me too. List a couple fics you think are modern classics. (Aka probably written after 2005/Post Never Gone)
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Thanks, Rose. I always wondered if it's Why that people attach to me or not. I'm kind of glad it is and not all the groundhog stories! lol
Modern classics - hrmm this is a tough one because I don't really pay much attention to when things were written, but I shall do my best.
Broken - It was one of the first stories that I can say I enjoyed the female lead throughout the entire thing. The way Julie introduced Clare was so subtle and she became so real, that by the time that relationship turned into an actual relationship, I was already a fan. Plus it had such a creative storyline, I mean we've all seen the cancer thing done a thousand times, but to chop Nick's leg off was a pretty epically awesome idea. I know she does not agree, but I still think it's Julie's best story.
Save a Prayer - Loved the premise and before it, we were greatly lacking a plane crash survival story. Plus all the New Kids bite it! What's not to love? I think what I loved most about this story was the role reversals. Don't get me wrong, I love me some in peril Nick, but it was refreshing to see him in the hero position this time around. Being the one to come up with the brilliant ideas and saving everyone. I mean he dug bot flies out of Jordan's head! Gross, but still...
On The Rails - Again, I have to call this a classic because it's the only historical AU that has ever kept me wanting to read more. It has everything I hate in it and I mean loathe - the guys are not the guys, there are no bromantic moments. It takes place way back when, it's mainly about a female and Nick. Yeah...I know! Right? But I ADORE this story. I actually squee when I see it on the most recent page. Which is not nearly enough!
Yesterday's Blue Skies - What a great Sci Fi AU. Another one that has a ton of things I usually hate and if truth be told if Maria wasn't one of my best friends, I probably would have never read this story because of that... but it is so well written and the characters are so compelling and the world she creates is so bleak and desolate. You just want to know what's going to happen! I hate that most likely we will never find out. Even though it's not complete (like On the Rails) this is one of the only stories that if she waited fifteen years before updating, I'd still rush to read the next chapter.
Those are the only ones I can think of at the moment. I'm sure as people list theirs I'll be like "Oh, yeah...I forgot about that one!" lol
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I don't really know any classics =( and if I did remember its been so long I have probably forgotten all about them by now =/
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The fly fishing story always reminds me of Mare too. Or anything to do with fishing in general.
Classics for me would be Ground Zero by Chaos, Swollen Issues, Nick and Lizz series, Perfection. Plus any of Mare's old stuff.
All Nick torture and suspense stories obviously LOL.
Modern classics: Song for The Undead, Curtain Call, Remember Me This Way, and any of Mare's newer stuff (maybe I'm a biased lmao)
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I love you, Tracy lol
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I have virtually read just about everything you have written on the site so can ya blame me lol I always tell you you're my favorite author at AC. I mean it.
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lol aww Tracy you rock.
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I have virtually read just about everything you have written on the site so can ya blame me lol I always tell you you're my favorite author at AC. I mean it.
I appreciate that! :)
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Thanks, Rose. I always wondered if it's Why that people attach to me or not. I'm kind of glad it is and not all the groundhog stories! lol
Modern classics - hrmm this is a tough one because I don't really pay much attention to when things were written, but I shall do my best.
Broken - It was one of the first stories that I can say I enjoyed the female lead throughout the entire thing. The way Julie introduced Clare was so subtle and she became so real, that by the time that relationship turned into an actual relationship, I was already a fan. Plus it had such a creative storyline, I mean we've all seen the cancer thing done a thousand times, but to chop Nick's leg off was a pretty epically awesome idea. I know she does not agree, but I still think it's Julie's best story.
I think of your suspense stories first when I think of you, Mare, maybe because that's what I read first and what I've read most by you, but probably just because you do it so well!!
And thank you!
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Aww, thank you! I would hope people think suspense and mean cliffies when my name comes up. LOL But fishing and Nick falling out of windows is okay too.
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Modern Classics - I can't remember when it was written but I'd definitely say It Stays With You, and Why I'd Do It All Again. "MINE" is a moment never forgotten and Why is just hilarious LOL.
I'd also say Curtain Call, it's just an amazing story I hope is always associated to Julie cause even though I adore Broken, I do think CC is the better story. Finding Brotherhood is another. I wish Mersey had that posted here! But at least it's still on the internet so I'm okay with that.
Mare, I fully agree about YBS. It's one of those rare stories where yes she can update in 10 years and I'd still go reread and read the update! LOL
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I was going to say Finding Brotherhood, but I thought that might have been too old to be considered a modern classic. LOL
Thanks, Rose! :)
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I can't remember when it was written so I decided to hell with it LOL.
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In the oldies thread, Pammy posted a great question so I'm re-posting it here!
All this talk about old stories and writers has made me nostalgic and has made me go on a scavenger hunt for some of the old stories. It has also made me reflect on my "fan fiction life." I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here's my question for all of you: What was it like for you, both as a reader and/or writer, to send/receive that first feedback?
As I've mentioned before, my first feedback was sent to Chaos for "Ground Zero." I had the feeling that I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what to say. I just didn't want to sound stupid! So in an e-mail, I said I'm loving your story and thanks for sharing. I know, totally fangirl, right! But I really didn't know what to say. But, to my surprise, I got a reply from Chaos saying thanks, I would did I really like about the story. If not for that reply, I think most of my feedback/reviews would be like that first one. But I was given permission to discuss my thoughts with the creator of the story.....it was pretty heady for me!
So, what was your first time like?
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Good question! I remember the first piece of fanfic I recieved for the first story I posted anywhere, Heartache. It came about a month after my story was online, which was super exciting for me because I wasn't expecting feedback at all. I don't remember exactly what it said, but it was an email from a girl named Heidi, who went on to become my first online friend after I replied to her and we started exchanging emails. It turned out she was a Brian fan too and liked the same kind of stories I did. She wrote, too, and had a website, so she started hosting me, and eventually I started my site and started hosting her, and then we starting writing together. I guess the fact that we became friends through a piece of feedback shows how much it meant to me.
I don't remember the first piece of feedback I sent, but it may not have been until after I started writing (in fact, it may have been to Heidi, for all I know). I don't think I realized how little feedback most fanfic writers actually get and how much it means to them until I started writing myself. Plus, I was probably a little shy about sending emails to total strangers. It seems silly now, but I was only 14 and paranoid about giving out any kind of personal info over the internet (which I wish today's 14 years olds still were!).
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It seems silly now, but I was only 14 and paranoid about giving out any kind of personal info over the internet (which I wish today's 14 years olds still were!).
I teach at an elementary school, and the number of kids who have facebook and twitter accounts, and post selfies and their locations is scary! :o
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I don't actually remember who I sent feedback to first, technically but I do know it was either Jenna and Swenglish or Chaos. The whole idea of emailing strangers was kind of weird to me as well, Julie. I was kind of shy and so new to this whole fanfic thing, I had no clue what I was even going to say.
I think my first review was probably really generic, like I really loved what you wrote blah blah blah! I don't think Chaos ever wrote back to my original one because in all fairness to him I read it off of a site where Ground Zero was actually not complete so who knows if he ever even got the email. I was really happy when Swenglish answered my feedback though. I'm not sure if I heard back from both of them. I think it was just Kris that replied.
I also sent feedback to Kat and Amy for Can You Keep a Secret and they responded right away.
I think when I started writing, the first real feedback I got in the form of an email was from Kat as well as Swenglish which I did fangirl over as well. LOL
We all developed a bond through mutual admiration and it stayed strong for many years. Sadly, I lost touch with Kris but I still consider Kat and Amy two of my best BSB buds. I love them both to death and would have never ever gotten to know them if it hadn't been for giving them feedback and responding to feedback. Which is once again why I think it is so important! I honestly think that's how I became friends with mostly everyone in this fandom! Because I took the time to either review their stuff or respond to their reviews and obviously they did the same.
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Good question! I remember the first piece of fanfic I recieved for the first story I posted anywhere, Heartache. It came about a month after my story was online, which was super exciting for me because I wasn't expecting feedback at all. I don't remember exactly what it said, but it was an email from a girl named Heidi, who went on to become my first online friend after I replied to her and we started exchanging emails. It turned out she was a Brian fan too and liked the same kind of stories I did. She wrote, too, and had a website, so she started hosting me, and eventually I started my site and started hosting her, and then we starting writing together. I guess the fact that we became friends through a piece of feedback shows how much it meant to me.
I know feedback is the reason why most my online friendships occurred! We'd exchange e-mails about a story and move onto conversations about health problems and exchanging recipes. ;D
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I teach at an elementary school, and the number of kids who have facebook and twitter accounts, and post selfies and their locations is scary! :o
I agree! In fact I put my twitter on private because I get too many of them trying to find me on there! Same with facebook! Ugh these kids grow up too fast!
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I teach at an elementary school, and the number of kids who have facebook and twitter accounts, and post selfies and their locations is scary! :o
I know!! I didn't know you were a teacher too! :) What do you teach?
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I agree! In fact I put my twitter on private because I get too many of them trying to find me on there! Same with facebook! Ugh these kids grow up too fast!
My twitter is private, but not my facebook. :shrug:
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My twitter is private, but not my facebook. :shrug:
I never approve them and tell them they have to wait until I'm not their teacher anymore. I do have a lot of former students as friends on FB now but not while they are still IN my school.
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I know!! I didn't know you were a teacher too! :) What do you teach?
I run the computer lab at my school. Can you imagine how frustrating it is to try to teach correct keyboarding skills to kids who are use to sending text messages using their thumbs?! This coming school year, I'll be celebrating my 20th year at my school. The kids can be frustrating, but they keep me young! Also, they introduced me to the Backstreet Boys.....gotta love them for that!
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I never approve them and tell them they have to wait until I'm not their teacher anymore. I do have a lot of former students as friends on FB now but not while they are still IN my school.
I usually tell them that if they want to be my friend or add me to their friends' list, I need a note or phone call from Mom or Dad. The weird thing is that I more times than not get parental permission.
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That's neat! I just think it's funny that they even want to be our friends. I don't think I would have ever tried to friend one of my teachers if facebook existed when I was in school. lol
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I don't think I would want to friend any of my teachers, either, at least while I was in school. It's funny that I'm friends with two of my former teachers now. I think a lot of it is about "collecting" friends. There's usually not a lot of conversations going on. But, I did have one student message me and asked me to print a report for him because he had run out of ink at home. So I guess facebook could be a useful tool in education.
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I didn't have any favorite teachers in school....most of them weren't nice...so my school experience sucked for most of my life...but I see friends adding their kids' teachers to facebook and I dont see the point I think they should have their privacy and not be apart of their business. I may just be the weird one though lol.
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I run the computer lab at my school. Can you imagine how frustrating it is to try to teach correct keyboarding skills to kids who are use to sending text messages using their thumbs?! This coming school year, I'll be celebrating my 20th year at my school. The kids can be frustrating, but they keep me young! Also, they introduced me to the Backstreet Boys.....gotta love them for that!
Oh, I bet!! I teach 4th grade, and most of my students are terrible at keyboarding. It takes a week for them to type one of their stories or essays, which are typically only 1-2 pages long (using size 20 font LOL).
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I don't accept Facebook friend requests from students... or their parents! (I had a couple of those this year too.) I already censor myself on Facebook now that my coworkers (and boss) and older family members are on there, but I would feel even more obligated to make sure everything I posted or "liked" was appropriate if I knew my students and their parents could see it, and that would take all the fun out of it. My first class of students are going to be juniors in high school this year... I figure when they get out of high school, if they still want to be Facebook friends, I'll friend them then, when we're all adults LOL.
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I don't post a lot on Facebook. And when I do, it's usually school related or something really generic, like going to the local produce store and they have fresh blackberries. But yeah, I do censor myself when I do post. I will like pictures, but rarely comment unless it's something like "Happy Birthday."
And Julie, my first group of kids have graduated college and started their professions. I even have a few with kids! I told you all before, I'm the old lady on this board!!! :D
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I have kids out of high school and college as well. They are the ones that I have allowed to friend me. When I start teaching the kids of the kids I used to teach is when I will officially start to groan! LOL
I've actually gotten to the point where kids I started teaching in Kindergarten are now in college! I've made it through a full school cycle! lol :o ???
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Lol I haven't managed to stay in a job for longer than four years! I can't imagine doing the same job for that long.
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It's pretty crazy but also kind of awesome. LOL
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Yeah, it's fun to see them grow up! My first class are driving and getting jobs now, so that'll be interesting when I start seeing them working around town.
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It's pretty crazy but also kind of awesome. LOL
:) It's never boring!
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For my new story, I have noticed my word counts have dramatically decreased because for this story, it just seems like I don't really need to say as much as I normally do. It was something I struggled with at the beginning though because in the past I have been very anal about page and word counts.
So this is my question, which I'm pretty sure has probably been asked and discussed at some point, but not for a while.
When you write a chapter, how much emphasis do you put on page numbers and word counts? Do you feel like you need at least a certain amount of words to make a successful chapter? As a reader do you prefer longer or shorter chapters?
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I don't feel as though I NEED a certain number of words, but I find that I have a hard time writing a chapter that is less than 1000 words. Most of my chapters range from about 1500 - 2200 words simply because of the amount of description that I like to include. That being said, if I go to post a chapter and I realize that the word count is only around 1000 - 1200 words I will always go back and re-read to see if there is anything else that should have been included.
Mare, I suppose that I'm kind of like you in the sense that I struggle with the idea of posting chapters that are a bit shorter. I always second guess myself about whether or not I haven't included enough description.
As a reader, I prefer longer chapters. I like details!
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I try for my chapters to be 1500 words or more, but it varies with the story. The last story I wrote, each chapter was coming in around 2300, so that became my goal for each chapter and it was very easy to meet.
As a reader I tend to enjoy chapters that fall in that range as well. I don't mind longer ones if they serve a purpose. Though lately I've been reading a lot of one shots and not a lot of chaptered fic.
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I don't feel as though I NEED a certain number of words, but I find that I have a hard time writing a chapter that is less than 1000 words. Most of my chapters range from about 1500 - 2200 words simply because of the amount of description that I like to include. That being said, if I go to post a chapter and I realize that the word count is only around 1000 - 1200 words I will always go back and re-read to see if there is anything else that should have been included.
Mare, I suppose that I'm kind of like you in the sense that I struggle with the idea of posting chapters that are a bit shorter. I always second guess myself about whether or not I haven't included enough description.
As a reader, I prefer longer chapters. I like details!
I think that's my issue with writing shorter chapters as well, I'm afraid I might not be giving enough detail and like you I don't think I could ever post a chapter less than at least 1,000 words unless it was just an interlude type thing or a prologue/epilogue. Looking back on most of my other stuff, I used to range easily between 2,000 - 3,000 words a chapter so this is kind of a dramatic drop for me, minus some of my very old stuff which the chapters were a lot smaller.
I think reading Unwinding Truth by Steph and Lore is a perfect of example of how you can say exactly what you need to say in less than 2,000 words without that feeling of this is missing something.
As a reader, I prefer to read shorter chapters. I'm not really big on a whole lot of details unless they are completely relevant to the story. I'm not a big fan of "and her hair waved in the wind with each single strand flowing as if they were spaghetti in a pot of water...flowin g endlessly....n eedlessly....u ntil the timer goes off and they are drained and put in a bowl....a bowl of flowing hair......that's what her hair looked like to me....flowing. ...did I mention her hair was flowing...yes. ...flowing...l ike spaghetti in a bowl..." lol But I'm also not a huge fan of being told everything either. I like open endings.
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I try for my chapters to be 1500 words or more, but it varies with the story. The last story I wrote, each chapter was coming in around 2300, so that became my goal for each chapter and it was very easy to meet.
As a reader I tend to enjoy chapters that fall in that range as well. I don't mind longer ones if they serve a purpose. Though lately I've been reading a lot of one shots and not a lot of chaptered fic.
One shots I like longer. I used to try to have all my chapters equal the same length as well. LOL
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I usually fail at having all my chapters the same length. "Important" ones for me usually come in about 1,000 words longer. So if you want to know where something comes to a head in one of my stories just look at the word counts LOL.
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As a reader, I prefer to read shorter chapters. I'm not really big on a whole lot of details unless they are completely relevant to the story. I'm not a big fan of "and her hair waved in the wind with each single strand flowing as if they were spaghetti in a pot of water...flowin g endlessly....n eedlessly....u ntil the timer goes off and they are drained and put in a bowl....a bowl of flowing hair......that's what her hair looked like to me....flowing. ...did I mention her hair was flowing...yes. ...flowing...l ike spaghetti in a bowl..." lol But I'm also not a huge fan of being told everything either. I like open endings.
:D ROTFL - This just made my morning.
I'm not a fan of unnecessary details either. Although, your ode to spaghetti has made me want to have pasta for lunch.
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I usually fail at having all my chapters the same length. "Important" ones for me usually come in about 1,000 words longer. So if you want to know where something comes to a head in one of my stories just look at the word counts LOL.
I'll have to keep that in mind! LOL
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:D ROTFL - This just made my morning.
I'm not a fan of unnecessary details either. Although, your ode to spaghetti has made me want to have pasta for lunch.
I was hungry when I wrote that! Maybe you should have some ooey, gooey marshmallows as soft and white as pillows made of baby bottoms and fairy dust. Round, circular, oval and gelatinous gobs of goodness! :) LOL sorry...I had to!
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For me, it varies a lot from story to story how long my chapters are and how I choose to break them up. In the last few novels I've written, I've written from the perspectives of several different characters, alternating each chapter, which can be challenging as far as chapter length is concerned because I usually can't just cut the action off and finish it in the next chapter like I could if every chapter was about the same characters, written in the same perspective. Not that I would necessarily want to. I usually like every chapter to be about one "thing," whether it's in one long scene or several shorter scenes that go together. Because of that, I focus more on content than word count. I won't end a chapter in the middle of the action just because it's hit a certain length, unless it makes sense to leave a cliffhanger. So even though I do like my chapters to be similar in length across a whole story, I tend to have a wide range for what is acceptable. I'd say my average word count tends to be 2000-4000 words per chapter for most stories, but there are some stories where the chapters run on the shorter side and some where they're longer.
As a reader, I couldn't care less about word count. It's not something I usually look at, and the only time I notice it is for super short chapters (under 1000 words). Like Mare said, if a chapter is under 1000 words (other than a prologue or epilogue type chapter), it's usually lacking in something... like detail! Chapters that are mainly dialogue tend to be shorter than ones that have a lot of description in between the dialogue, and while I'm not into over-the-top descriptive passages like Mare's spaghetti hair example LOL, I do like some description in there. I don't want to feel like I'm reading a script (and even good scripts have more description than some stories I've seen... just saying! LOL). Long chapters don't scare me. The only time I would even notice that they're long is if I get bored reading them, and in that case, I wonder why I'm bothering to read that story anyway. As long as the writing is entertaining, I'll read chapters/stories of any length.
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I usually fail at having all my chapters the same length. "Important" ones for me usually come in about 1,000 words longer. So if you want to know where something comes to a head in one of my stories just look at the word counts LOL.
LOL I think that's true for me too. That's where I just say "Screw word count" and let my chapters be like 8000 words long because whatever's happening is too important to cut off.
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So, logical next question: What is the longest chapter you've written, and how long was it? One-shots don't count; it should be a chapter of a larger story. If you want, you can also tell your shortest chapter that wasn't just a prologue, epilogue, or special interlude type chapter.
The longest chapter I have on AC is "Episode 19" of Code Blue, which is 19580 words long, but since that is a collaboration, it's a combination of a bunch of different people's scenes. The longest chapter I've written by myself is the "Post-Epilogue" of By My Side, which is 9307 words. The last ten or so chapters of that story tend to be really long because I am a little OCD and didn't want to go over 200 chapters... in fact, I wanted to end ON 200 chapters, so I crammed a bunch into the last few and invented a "post-epilogue" so as not to end up with 201 chapters and an epilogue. Instead, I have 200 chapters, an epilogue, and a post-epilogue LOL. The post-epilogue needed to be all one chapter, no matter what number chapter it was, but I definitely could have broken up some of the ones before it more.
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My longest chapter is Chapter 22 of Running Up That Hill at 3887 words. Which is where Brian and Kevin go visit AJ in rehab. That's an incredibly long chapter for me actually lol.
I just took a quick look for shortest chapter, but it's in In Pieces and it's 1028 words (if we're not counting prologues or epilogues) Which makes sense as there were a lot of filler chapters in that story and it's one of the first ones I wrote. I've noticed that my chapters have gotten a little longer as I've written more stories. This is probably a combination of improvement with description and writing the whole story now before I post. If I'm caught up to myself I feel pressure to get the chapter complete so I can post, and they usually end up shorter because of that.
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I was hungry when I wrote that! Maybe you should have some ooey, gooey marshmallows as soft and white as pillows made of baby bottoms and fairy dust. Round, circular, oval and gelatinous gobs of goodness! :) LOL sorry...I had to!
^ Excuse me while I gag in a corner ... would you like me to write a descriptive piece about that?!?! LOL
For me, it varies a lot from story to story how long my chapters are and how I choose to break them up. In the last few novels I've written, I've written from the perspectives of several different characters, alternating each chapter, which can be challenging as far as chapter length is concerned because I usually can't just cut the action off and finish it in the next chapter like I could if every chapter was about the same characters, written in the same perspective. Not that I would necessarily want to. I usually like every chapter to be about one "thing," whether it's in one long scene or several shorter scenes that go together. Because of that, I focus more on content than word count. I won't end a chapter in the middle of the action just because it's hit a certain length, unless it makes sense to leave a cliffhanger.
^ Perfectly said!!
In relation to the part about alternating POV, I have found myself looking at the chapter lengths and worrying that I'm not giving each character an equal amount of "voice time". For instance, if I write a Nick chapter that's 3000 words long and then I write a Howie chapter that's only 1500 words long then I feel as though I've short-changed Howie. I find that I feel this way even if Howie's chapter was way more action packed then Nick's. I know it's about the content and not about the word count, but it still nags at me. Perhaps that's a little bit of OCD coming out though. :P
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^ I agree about the different pov's as well. For stories where I am writing in all five of their points of views, the chapters tend to be a lot longer because obviously there's more to cover than when I'm just writing from one angle.
I should say that I do enjoy reading stories with all kind of varying word counts. It's not something I usually seek out unless I know I'm pressed for time. for instance, I like to read first thing in the morning, but if I look at a word count and see it's over 2,500 words long, I might skip it and wait until I can devout more time to reading and reviewing that chapter.
The best chapters to read for me are the ones that might be long but you hardly feel it. That tells me that there is no unnecessary fluff in it. When they feel long and I find myself scrolling down the page to see how much more I have to go, then it's a big fail! Doesn't mean I'd stop reading but I do admit in those instances, I have been known to start browsing and not really read the entire thing. In which case the dialogue becomes my saving grace! lol
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^ Excuse me while I gag in a corner ... would you like me to write a descriptive piece about that?!?! LOL
^ Perfectly said!!
In relation to the part about alternating POV, I have found myself looking at the chapter lengths and worrying that I'm not giving each character an equal amount of "voice time". For instance, if I write a Nick chapter that's 3000 words long and then I write a Howie chapter that's only 1500 words long then I feel as though I've short-changed Howie. I find that I feel this way even if Howie's chapter was way more action packed then Nick's. I know it's about the content and not about the word count, but it still nags at me. Perhaps that's a little bit of OCD coming out though. :P
Um...no, you may skip that! And poor Howie. He always gets short changed by people! LOL
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Julie all your questions always involve research! LOL I have a gazillion stories on this site I'd have to go through to answer that question. But now I'm curious so I'll have to go check!
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LOL I just did a quick scroll through mine and only the ones that I knew had long chapters. I figured it would either be BMS or Undead. I've been surprisingly more concise with the stuff I've written more recently.
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In relation to the part about alternating POV, I have found myself looking at the chapter lengths and worrying that I'm not giving each character an equal amount of "voice time". For instance, if I write a Nick chapter that's 3000 words long and then I write a Howie chapter that's only 1500 words long then I feel as though I've short-changed Howie. I find that I feel this way even if Howie's chapter was way more action packed then Nick's. I know it's about the content and not about the word count, but it still nags at me. Perhaps that's a little bit of OCD coming out though. :P
LOL I am totally like that too. Oddly enough, it was Nick who was getting the short end of the stick at the beginning of my new Nick/Howie fic, but only because Howie's parts were just more interesting. Yay Howie!
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So I went and did a search and decided to not even bother looking at my way older stories for the longest chapters and I figured it would come from Why I'd Do it All Again and I was right. Chapter 20 titled "So that’s why God invented Garbage Bags and Backpacks" was 4,762 words. I don't even remember that chapter lol but there ya go!
As far as shortest I was almost positive it was Mizpah because I was a writing hot mess when I wrote that one and sure enough the second chapter weighed in at a whopping 243 words!! lmao I probably thought that was SO long when I wrote that. You guys have to remind me to submit this one into the reading challenge next year because I would love to get a present take on this one! 243 words *snort*
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LOL! Girl, I got you beat - I found one of my old chapters (Chapter 5 of "Where You Are") that is only 228 words! Can you believe it?
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LMAO!!! That's awesome!
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Look how far we've come LOL.
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We should have written a collab back then! LOL maybe together we would have been able to make at least a 500 word chapter!
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Longest chapter for me was chapter 28 of Finding
Carter where Nick learns to drive and finally gets his driving license, and then gets Brian to call his mother because he's been avoiding her. A lot of the chapters in that story are pretty long and over 1,200 words too which for me is long. Shortest chapter is probably the prologue of Figured You Out.
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We should have written a collab back then! LOL maybe together we would have been able to make at least a 500 word chapter!
LMAO!
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My longest chapter is from My Answer Is You with 2100+ words in chapter 18. I tend to like shorter chapters. I have a hard time reading as it is in general and with longer chapters I have a hard time focusing without just going completely burned out. Even though I am a binge reader .
Even when I write I know I leave out a lot of detail...and that is probably due to my inability to be able to describe something in general. Seems silly but I have always had trouble but now that I have rambled I prefer smaller chapters :)
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As a reader, I never take notice of the word count. It's not how many words are used, but how the words are used. I need the words to supply the images in my head. For example, if the scene is set in a kitchen, I really don't need every appliance described; however, if the scene is set in the woods, I want to know what the character hears, is the area dense with trees, etc. I don't have a preference of chapter lengths, either. As long as the story flows, I'm good.
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^ It's always great to get the reader's perspective on things. :) Thanks, Pammy!
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:)
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Yeah as writers I feel we're way more OCD about things lol.
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I have come to notice that depending on the boy we enjoy the most, sometimes our view of how they get along with the others is different. For instance, I tend to notice how most Brian fans still think Nick and Brian are really tight and very Frick and Frack-ish while maybe Nick and Howie fans tend to think he and Howie are best buds. And of course those of us that love Kevin and Nick's relationship to each other. (Even though I am one of those people that think Nick and Howie are BFFs lol)So this leads me to my question.
When you write about the boys, how do you lump them in terms of friendship? Do you tend to think back to the cliched days when it was Frick and Frack, AJ and Howie and Kevin left all alone or do you see it as some other way? Are they all equal relationship wise or are some closer than others? Just curious what everyone's take is on this.
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I used to think of them as Frick and Frack, AJ and Howie, and Kevin with a stick up his ass, wondering how he got stuck in the same group with them LOL. Nowadays, though, I don't think of them in terms of who's BFFs with whom. It seems like they are all good friends. That's not to say they're all necessarily equal relationship wise; Nick and Howie do seem especially tight these days, and Kevin has been hanging out with them a lot since coming back too.
As far as writing goes, I tend to focus on whichever relationships best serve my story. As a Brian girl, I love writing about Brian and Nick's friendship, but my current novel is a Nick/Howie one, and that's been fun for me too. I have an idea for a Kevin story down the road, and I would probably focus mainly on Kevin and Nick's friendship in that one.
I've always really liked Brian and AJ paired together too (not in a slashy way). They are like a yin and yang - they're such opposites, but they compliment each other so well. I've probably posted this before, but this video sums up Brian and AJ for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwfTuzEkNkQ The way they just bounce back and forth off each other is hilarious.
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I said this earlier today in a review, but I will say it again now. I think every single fanfic writer needs to write at least one Nick and Kevin story in their lifetime. Just for me! LOL and they both have to live, they aren't mounting each other and no girl is involved. I'm picky and demanding!
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LOL Yes ma'am!
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YAY!
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I said this earlier today in a review, but I will say it again now. I think every single fanfic writer needs to write at least one Nick and Kevin story in their lifetime. Just for me! LOL and they both have to live, they aren't mounting each other and no girl is involved. I'm picky and demanding!
No.
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Boo!
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In terms of answering my own question, it depends on the time period I'm writing. I don't think I've ever written quite the cliched way with Nick and Brian in one corner, AJ and Howie in the other and Kevin off to the side, but probably because Kevin has always been my favorite. LOL I think when I do write past tense fics, I tend to make Nick and Brian very close along with Kevin. I've never really gotten the whole AJ and Howie thing. Even back then I would have put Howie and Kevin together and AJ off to the side.
In present day, I do think they all have a special connection to each other. I mean how couldn't they? They've been together for so long now. I think each one of them share a connection with one another maybe with the exception of Brian and Howie, but even those two I think try to share their love of God, church and family as a common thread. I do think Nick and Brian will always have a special bond but I have always felt that while Nick clearly worships the ground Brian walks on, it's never fully been reciprocated. I tend to showcase the bond between Howie and Nick more these days because to me they seem to be pretty close although as a threesome including Kevin, that works too.
I agree that I think AJ and Brian have a special connection as well. I also think Kevin and AJ have a lovely friendship. Unfortunately for AJ though, since I hardly ever feel him creatively, I don't usually go down his road very much. (sorry AJ)
I haven't really explored Nick and AJ's relationship either for that reason. I really want to because I think those two have a great chemistry as well.
Everyone knows Kevin and Nick will always be my favorite relationship to showcase though. ^ see above.
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When I first became a fan, I always saw the group as being kind of divided. For me, it was Brian and Nick, Kevin and Howie, and AJ was like neutral ground (happy on his own or as part of either of the two other groups). I actually find it a bit strange that everyone seemed to see AJ and Howie as being a strong pair. I never saw that. Weird.
In terms of writing, I love bringing the cliche Frick and Frack pairing into the present day. Since I'm a Brian girl, it's hard for me not to see Brian and Nick as being close. I know that they definitely weren't for a long while, but it seems like they're becoming closer again (or perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part).
I also love writing Brian and AJ together. Let's face it, the two of them are kind of hilarious when you pair them up.
Even to this day, I will group Kevin and Howie because they are the oldest and come across as being the most calm and level headed. I can actually see them getting along really well in real life.
I don't really see a big connection between AJ and Kevin. Nor do I see one between Brian and Howie. Those are the pairings that I will avoid because I really have no idea what I would write about (other than a fight scene perhaps - LOL)
I said this earlier today in a review, but I will say it again now. I think every single fanfic writer needs to write at least one Nick and Kevin story in their lifetime. Just for me! LOL and they both have to live, they aren't mounting each other and no girl is involved. I'm picky and demanding!
This would be nearly impossible for me! While I love the Nick/Kevin pairing, I don't think that I could write a whole story just about the two of them. Although it may work out if I were to have them "mount" each other ... LOL - KIDDING!
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I think the AJ/Howie thing stems from the fact that they knew each other before the group started. I do think they were good friends back in the day because of that, but I'm not sure now. Obviously they're still friends, but I don't see them doing stuff outside of work like Howie and Nick have been known to do. You would think Howie and Kevin would be a thing, since they were the two adults when the group started and have always seemed a lot more mature than the other three, but that's not a pairing I've seen explored much in stories.
I do think AJ and Kevin have a special connection that comes from the whole rehab thing and AJ crediting Kevin with saving his life by forcing the issue. Kinda like the story of Kevin giving Nick that book that he finally read years later and wrote about in his book.
I'm with you on the Brian and Howie thing though... which is weird, considering how similar they are, at least in terms of being so devoted to their families, religious, etc.
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I don't think I have done any other conbo than the Brian/Nick one because I really enjoy writing group stories. Although I did explore some in one shots. That's something I'd like to tackle eventually because I have tried so many things already.
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People probably shy away from writing Howie and Kevin because it seems like most people tend to have trouble writing those two in general. I love putting Kevin and Howie scenes in my stories because I do think they are pretty tight as well.
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^ LOL That would be me. I am trying to branch out of my little Nick, Brian, and occasionally AJ bubble, but still, the thought of writing a story solely about Kevin and Howie and their friendship is not very appealing to me. I think they're more interesting when paired with one of the others.
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Another question: Of the stories you've written, list how many are Group centric, Nick centric, Kevin centric, AJ centric so on and so forth. Not including one shots, only novels.
Have you ever made a conscience effort to try to write in one boy's point of view that you usually do not and how hard was that for you?
Do you find of those novels depending on the boy you center it around, is one more popular than the other reader wise?
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^ LOL That would be me. I am trying to branch out of my little Nick, Brian, and occasionally AJ bubble, but still, the thought of writing a story solely about Kevin and Howie and their friendship is not very appealing to me. I think they're more interesting when paired with one of the others.
There is no way I would be able to maintain an entire story about just those two. I need Nick in there at least lol
Really, I would only feel comfortable doing a duo type story as long as Nick is one of those two people. He's just so easy for me to write and channel. The others I'm not too sure of. I also go by the adage of "Would I want to read this if someone else wrote it?" And the answer is usually no when it comes to other pairings like AJ/Brian or Kevin/Brian. Totally forget about Howie and Brian. lol that story would be a completely awkward snooze fest!
It is weird how Brian and Howie to me seem to have absolutely no chemistry together since they seem to have the most in common. Go figure. lol
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Approaching this from a reader's perspective, I don't think that I would ever click on a story that was solely about Kevin and Howie. Even if the writing was amazing, the two of them just don't interest me enough. The same is true for a Brian and Howie story. Although I adore Brian, I could not read about just him and Howie. Quite honestly, I don't think that anything would happen plot wise aside from maybe a conversation about their kids. LOL
In all fairness, I didn't really think that I would ever read a Nick/Howie or a Nick/Kevin story either, but Mare and RockofAges have made me think differently. I'm hooked on both of their stories at the moment. ;D
I do think AJ and Kevin have a special connection that comes from the whole rehab thing and AJ crediting Kevin with saving his life by forcing the issue. Kinda like the story of Kevin giving Nick that book that he finally read years later and wrote about in his book.
I thought that this was an interesting point. It seems as though Kevin's relationships have stemmed from "saving" the youngest members of the group.
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I think AJ and Nick both kind of look up to Kevin as a dad/big brother figure where Howie is more of a friend. I feel like that has been in play a lot longer with Nick and Kevin but like Julie said, post rehab for AJ. And especially now that he is a father, I think they have used that as a new bonding point.
Yeah Howie and Brian...now THAT would make a good challenge! Although I can't see anyone who would actually want to read the results lmao (sorry Howie and Brian)
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Aww and thank you! Erika, I'm glad you're enjoying Nick, Kevin and Howie. LOL
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Whew, that took some counting!
Of my novels, I have:
14 group stories
10 Brian stories
6 Nick stories
2 AJ stories
2 Brian/Nick stories
1 Brian/AJ story
1 Nick/Howie story
0 Kevin or Howie-only stories :(
Before Sick as My Secrets, I had really only written a lot from Howie's perspective in 00Carter, which is a lot different from a normal fanfic because he's the supervillain LOL. So this is my first time really writing in Howie's point of view. I didn't start that story out of a desire to write about Howie; he just fit the role best, which is how I always decide which Boys star in my stories. That said, I am actually really enjoying it! I have probably enjoyed writing his parts more than Nick's, which has been surprising to me. Maybe there will be more Howie stories in my future!
I have never written a true Kevin story outside of one short story a long time ago, and I don't have any desire to write a story just about Kevin, but like I said in an earlier post, I do have an idea for a Kevin/Nick one. Again, just another case of me getting an idea that worked best with those two - yay Kevin!
As far as your last question about popularity, I would definitely say my Nick stories and group stories have been the most popular, but my results are also somewhat skewed because of how my writing habits have changed over the years. When I first started writing, I wrote almost exclusively Brian stories, and I averaged about a "novel" a month, so they racked up quickly. They aren't popular because they're super old and not well-known and also not very good LOL. Most of my Nick novels were written more recently and are a lot better in terms of writing, so it makes sense that they'd be more popular. Really, I've only written novel in the last ten years that was not about Nick or the whole group, and that was my Brian/AJ one, which was also an AU - I think that affects popularity too. That said, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if other people found that their Nick stories were more popular no matter what. Nick is The Chosen One LOL.
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All Hail Nick! :notworthy:
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Totally forget about Howie and Brian. lol that story would be a completely awkward snooze fest!
It is weird how Brian and Howie to me seem to have absolutely no chemistry together since they seem to have the most in common. Go figure. lol
LOL I am a Brian girl, and even I'm with you on that one! No thanks. I like Brian paired with any of the other guys, but the only Howie pairing I really like is Howie/Nick. I really do like their relationship.
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LOL - Nick is definitely the chosen one!! I think just putting his name in the character list will earn you a few guaranteed reads. :P For me, I love a good Brian story. Julie, maybe you should try writing another Brian story now that your writing has improved. You will for sure have at least one reader!! ;)
Mare, I can totally see AJ and Kevin bonding over being daddies. Honestly, the two of them are so adorable with their children that I can hardly stand it! I especially love how cute AJ seems with Ava. She totally has him wrapped around her little finger.
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Quite honestly, I don't think that anything would happen plot wise aside from maybe a conversation about their kids. LOL
LMAO!!! You're so right.
I thought that this was an interesting point. It seems as though Kevin's relationships have stemmed from "saving" the youngest members of the group.
I think there's a lot to that! That, for me, is what makes the Kevin/Nick relationship - the huge age difference between them and how it's changed over the years as Nick has matured and Kevin's mellowed. They seem like equals now, whereas it used to be more of the big brother/little brother thing. They'll always have that too, but they seem to be able to relate to each other more now.
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Hmm.
I have done one Nick/Brian centered story (Finding Carter)
forces of nature is a Nick and AJ story.
when I Grow Up, Jizzle Of Oz, incomplete, Figured You Out, At the beginning, not the other guy, you give love a bad name, still the one, and from this moment on are all Nick centered.
In a World Like This and Weird World are group stories.
I just realized I barely write Howie other than for challenges or one shots. Probably because I cannot write him well. I just have never been able to channel him :(
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I think there's a lot to that! That, for me, is what makes the Kevin/Nick relationship - the huge age difference between them and how it's changed over the years as Nick has matured and Kevin's mellowed. They seem like equals now, whereas it used to be more of the big brother/little brother thing. They'll always have that too, but they seem to be able to relate to each other more now.
Nailed it!! - Perfect summary of their relationship right there!
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In all fairness, I didn't really think that I would ever read a Nick/Howie or a Nick/Kevin story either, but Mare and RockofAges have made me think differently. I'm hooked on both of their stories at the moment. ;D
Thank you! :) I remember feeling the same way when I read Mare's story "The Importance of Fly Fishing," which is also Nick/Kevin. That's one of the first Kevin stories I remember reading. That and Louise's "Garden," which is also Kevin/Nick centered. I guess as long as The Chosen One is in there, that makes it worth reading LOL. I didn't used to read many Nick stories either, though! Back in the beginning, I was all about Brian. Nick grew on me. Plus, there are a lot more Nick stories to choose from, especially nowadays.
That leads me to a couple of other questions.
How have your reading habits changed over the years, as far as which boys and what types of stories you like to read?
What would it take to make you read outside your comfort zone, as in a different boy/pairing or genre than you typically read?
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I just realized I barely write Howie other than for challenges or one shots. Probably because I cannot write him well. I just have never been able to channel him :(
You know what is weird... when I think about the guys in terms of their personalities, I am much more similar to Kevin and Howie than I am the other three, but those are the two I don't care to write about, even though they should be easy to channel. Easy to channel doesn't always equal interesting, though. I guess part of the fun and challenge of writing is channeling a character who has almost nothing in common with you.
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As far as my stories:
Group stories: 10
Nick stories: 9
Kevin stories: 3
Howie stories: 1
Brian stories: 1
AJ stories: 0 (sorry AJ)
combo of Nick/Kevin: 1
combo of Nick/Kevin/Howie: 1
combo of Nick/Kevin/AJ: 1
combo of Nick/AJ: 1
I think my group stories are the ones that are most popular in general but people also really enjoyed my Brian story too.
The only time I really forced myself to write something out of my comfort zone was my one Howie novel which remains my least favorite novel I've ever written to date lol
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In response to Julie's question:
My tastes when I began reading fanfiction were mostly Nick or group stories. I read anything Nick was in. Some good and some bad ones too. But if Nick was in it I'd click on it. I always stayed away from Howie stuff.
Now however I have read almost everybody but I tend not to read Howie stories with the exception of Sick as My Secrets and Secrets That We Keep because they have the other boys in it. So my tastes have branched out beyond just Nick but the Howie part is the same.
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You know what is weird... when I think about the guys in terms of their personalities, I am much more similar to Kevin and Howie than I am the other three, but those are the two I don't care to write about, even though they should be easy to channel. Easy to channel doesn't always equal interesting, though. I guess part of the fun and challenge of writing is channeling a character who has almost nothing in common with you.
I think part of my problem with Howie is the fact I hardly know anything about him. I like him but I know almost nothing. Kinda makes it a bit harder I suppose.
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I don't even think I've ever read a Howie-centered story...
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How have your reading habits changed over the years, as far as which boys and what types of stories you like to read?
What would it take to make you read outside your comfort zone, as in a different boy/pairing or genre than you typically read?
In order for me to read something out of my comfort zone, the writing has to be really good. This is the case with Mare and Julie's most recent stories. If the writing is amazing then I will most likely continue with the story because I will be engaged with the characters.
At first, I would only read Brian or group fics. Now, I will read pairing stories if they are well done. I will also read a Nick only fic now. I'm starting to enjoy Nick now that he's older and there seems to be more being done with his character.
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Thanks! :) Back at you, although dead Nick will lure me in any day LOL. That said, I would only stick with a well-written story, and Dodging the Daylight is fantastic!! I'm gonna have to check out A Dash of Cinnamon one of these days too, after reading Julilly's survey in the challenge thread. I haven't read a good Brian romance in a long, LONG time!
For me, it's a combination of good writing and an interesting plot. Most of the few Kevin stories I've read involved car crashes and cancer and that kind of thing. I would read a well-written medical drama about any of them just because that's what I like.
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Thank you! :) I remember feeling the same way when I read Mare's story "The Importance of Fly Fishing," which is also Nick/Kevin. That's one of the first Kevin stories I remember reading. That and Louise's "Garden," which is also Kevin/Nick centered. I guess as long as The Chosen One is in there, that makes it worth reading LOL. I didn't used to read many Nick stories either, though! Back in the beginning, I was all about Brian. Nick grew on me. Plus, there are a lot more Nick stories to choose from, especially nowadays.
That leads me to a couple of other questions.
How have your reading habits changed over the years, as far as which boys and what types of stories you like to read?
What would it take to make you read outside your comfort zone, as in a different boy/pairing or genre than you typically read?
Yes, that story would not have been as entertaining if Howie and Kevin went fishing! LOL The chosen one needed to be included!
My reading habits haven't really changed at all, sadly lol I think with me, I have come to realize what I like and dislike in fanfic and just tend to stick with what I enjoy. As much as I'd like to say I'd love to expand and go out of my comfort zone, the bigger issue of 'Why bother?' comes in to play. The only time I would ever really consider reading something that I most likely wouldn't otherwise read and enjoy are for these challenges. I can't see myself clicking on a random Brian or AJ centered story for any other reason. No matter how well it's written or who it's by. No matter what, those two do not interest me so I wouldn't care to read an entire novel based on them. Nick centered, group centered is where it's always been for me. If you want me to read something by you, write a Kevin/Nick bromance lol I'll always check out at least the first chapter! LOL
Just like genres, I know I don't enjoy romance or AU's so I stay away, unless (I say this so much you can probably finish what I'm going to say here) the boys are portrayed as brothers/ best friends. And of course I'm not a fan of stories where the boys are killed or overly gory fics. I think once I figured out what I enjoyed, there was no reason to look any further. Does it limit me? Possibly but I find I don't really read all that much fanfic now anyway.
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I read mostly Brian and group stories back in the day, but nowadays I read a lot more Nick stories. Like I said earlier, there are more to choose from, which helps. There were also a lot of Frick & Frack stories back in the day that I read for Brian, but it got me used to reading about Nick. I think it was reading Swollen Issues during the Now or Never era that made me start seeking out Nick stories; that was when he really started to grow on me, and that's when I started writing more Nick stories too.
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Awwwww thanks so much! I'm actually really enjoying writing Dodging the Daylight. Even the Howie chapters haven't been too painful for me. Although, they are still a struggle.
It's funny that you mentioned that dead Nick would draw you in. From what I've heard after posting the fist chapter of Dodging the Daylight, killing Nick is usually of a no-no if you want most people to keep reading your story. LOL
I agree that I would read a well-written medical drama about any of them. However, medical dramas tend to touch on the relationships between all of the guys (which I love). Pretty much if there is bromance in your story, I will read it. Hahaha!
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In order for me to read something out of my comfort zone, the writing has to be really good. This is the case with Mare and Julie's most recent stories. If the writing is amazing then I will most likely continue with the story because I will be engaged with the characters.
At first, I would only read Brian or group fics. Now, I will read pairing stories if they are well done. I will also read a Nick only fic now. I'm starting to enjoy Nick now that he's older and there seems to be more being done with his character.
Aww thank you! I agree with what Julie said about Dodging as well.
I forgot to say that in my last post! The writing has to be pretty stellar for me to stay interested no matter what I'm reading. Even if it is a bromance/suspense. If it's not well written I won't last past the first chapter. LOL
and on another note, Tracy just made me realize that Julie and I both have the word secret in our titles. I never realized that! LOL
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LOL Dead Nick sucked me right in! I love the drama, and reading about the guys' reactions to that was what I was looking forward to. That's interesting that you say that, though. What are some other things you guys see as immediate turn-offs or big no-nos if you want to keep an audience? (Besides writing a Brian/Howie or Kevin/Howie story, apparently LOL.)
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Awwwww thanks so much! I'm actually really enjoying writing Dodging the Daylight. Even the Howie chapters haven't been too painful for me. Although, they are still a struggle.
It's funny that you mentioned that dead Nick would draw you in. From what I've heard after posting the fist chapter of Dodging the Daylight, killing Nick is usually of a no-no if you want most people to keep reading your story. LOL
I agree that I would read a well-written medical drama about any of them. However, medical dramas tend to touch on the relationships between all of the guys (which I love). Pretty much if there is bromance in your story, I will read it. Hahaha!
Killing any of them has always been a no no for me which goes to show how well written your story is, because I wouldn't have even bothered staying past chapter one if you didn't do such a great job sucking me in.
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and on another note, Tracy just made me realize that Julie and I both have the word secret in our titles. I never realized that! LOL
LOL I didn't realize that either. This is my second story with Secrets in the title, which is kind of confusing, but I guess it make sense, cause that seems to be a common theme across many of my stories, keeping secrets.
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Killing any of them has always been a no no for me which goes to show how well written your story is, because I wouldn't have even bothered staying past chapter one if you didn't do such a great job sucking me in.
Awwww *blushes* - I'm glad that I was able to keep you interested.
Any reference to slash used to be a huge no-no for me. However, Julie has kind of proved me wrong about that one because I'm loving Sick as My Secrets!! Although, the slash is more alluded to as opposed to outright described (which makes it more approachable for me).
I think if you get any of the guys characters wrong then I will stop reading. (That may sound harsh, but for me it's a huge no-no).
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LOL Dead Nick sucked me right in! I love the drama, and reading about the guys' reactions to that was what I was looking forward to. That's interesting that you say that, though. What are some other things you guys see as immediate turn-offs or big no-nos if you want to keep an audience? (Besides writing a Brian/Howie or Kevin/Howie story, apparently LOL.)
Oh I have such a long list of no-nos lol
~ One or more of the boys dying will detract me from a story even if I'm in the middle of it.
~ I know this is going to sound hilarious, but the boys being physically tortured. I know...I know...I like to write it but I am not a fan of reading it.
~When the guys are written too out of character
~The presence of the Carter family for an extended amount of time.
~A nice Leighanne
~ A female centered story
~ vampires
~ zombies
~ NKOTB or NSync as central characters unless they die a horrible death within the first chapter! lol
~ If I see a story has ten sequels already lol
~ huge banners! with movie stars as the female 'lead'
~ song based fics
~ I freaking hate those Charmin bears too! So keep them the hell out of these stories!
~ orbs!
lol I'm sure there are more!
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Slash is an automatic turn-off for me, although I think I'm becoming more open-minded about that. It's never been a gay thing for me; it's more of a believability thing for this fandom. I've never bought into the idea of any of them as couples, and that's why I have a hard time with slash.
Another one for me is Mary Sue names in the summary. The mention of a female character in the summary isn't an automatic turn off, but if she has a Mary Sue name - a weird name or a normal name that's spelled weird - I usually keep scrolling. My favorite fanfic of all time is probably Cover Me With Dreams, and it took me two tries to get into it, partially because I couldn't get past the female lead being named Ciara, especially spelled like that. Being a teacher now, I have learned to be more accepting of unconventional names, cause god knows the world is full of them today, but I would still prefer reading about a normal-seeming girl with a normal-sounding name that has a normal spelling LOL.
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Oh I have such a long list of no-nos lol
~ One or more of the boys dying will detract me from a story even if I'm in the middle of it.
~ I know this is going to sound hilarious, but the boys being physically tortured. I know...I know...I like to write it but I am not a fan of reading it.
~When the guys are written too out of character
~The presence of the Carter family for an extended amount of time.
~A nice Leighanne
~ A female centered story
~ vampires
~ zombies
~ NKOTB or NSync as central characters unless they die a horrible death within the first chapter! lol
~ If I see a story has ten sequels already lol
~ huge banners! with movie stars as the female 'lead'
~ song based fics
~ I freaking hate those Charmin bears too! So keep them the hell out of these stories!
~ orbs!
lol I'm sure there are more!
"A nice Leighanne" - I'm cracking up over here!
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Any reference to slash used to be a huge no-no for me. However, Julie has kind of proved me wrong about that one because I'm loving Sick as My Secrets!! Although, the slash is more alluded to as opposed to outright described (which makes it more approachable for me).
I think if you get any of the guys characters wrong then I will stop reading. (That may sound harsh, but for me it's a huge no-no).
Thanks again!! :) Maybe what I just said about slash is why so many non-slash people are reading SAMS LOL. I didn't even give it the slash label because, technically, there is no romantic or sexual relationship in the actual story. If there was, I would have put the label on it, but I didn't want to scare off potential readers who are like me and don't want to read slash. The whole idea came about from a conversation on here last summer about slash that got me wondering if I could find a way to write it that would seem halfway believable, just to stretch myself as a writer. I'm glad I went there, and it's made me more likely to go there again in the future, with the right idea.
I'm with you on the characterizati on thing, too. The guys need to seem like themselves, or I don't see the point of calling it fanfic. Like Mare said about AUs, even if their circumstances are different, I still want them to have the same personalities and relationships with each other.
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"A nice Leighanne" - I'm cracking up over here!
LMAO well it's true!
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~ I know this is going to sound hilarious, but the boys being physically tortured. I know...I know...I like to write it but I am not a fan of reading it.
HYPOCRITE!!!
LOL Your list cracks me up. I still cringe every time I see the word "orbs" used in one of my old stories because of you! Not that I used it a lot, but there is definitely one occurrence in Broken that comes to mind. No Charmin bears, at least!
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Thanks again!! :) Maybe what I just said about slash is why so many non-slash people are reading SAMS LOL. I didn't even give it the slash label because, technically, there is no romantic or sexual relationship in the actual story. If there was, I would have put the label on it, but I didn't want to scare off potential readers who are like me and don't want to read slash. The whole idea came about from a conversation on here last summer about slash that got me wondering if I could find a way to write it that would seem halfway believable, just to stretch myself as a writer. I'm glad I went there, and it's made me more likely to go there again in the future, with the right idea.
I'm with you on the characterizati on thing, too. The guys need to seem like themselves, or I don't see the point of calling it fanfic. Like Mare said about AUs, even if their circumstances are different, I still want them to have the same personalities and relationships with each other.
Which is probably the best way to handle slash. I do plan on reading this story. I might just wait until it's complete first. You know, to make sure no Charmin bears appear in it or anything! LOL
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HYPOCRITE!!!
LOL Your list cracks me up. I still cringe every time I see the word "orbs" used in one of my old stories because of you! Not that I used it a lot, but there is definitely one occurrence in Broken that comes to mind. No Charmin bears, at least!
I know! :( I can't read that stuff. I actually squirm!! Go figure! I can have Brian carve MINE into Nick's skin but I can't tolerate watching Brian get hit in the head with a door. LOL
And orbs...ugh! lol
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Which is probably the best way to handle slash. I do plan on reading this story. I might just wait until it's complete first. You know, to make sure no Charmin bears appear in it or anything! LOL
Aw, thanks! I will promise you no Charmin bears and, fingers crossed, that it will be finished someday! I don't wanna go all Guilty Roads on you again. This one feels more like a Curtain Call though, as in the type of story I will finish in an acceptable amount of time. Maybe in time for next year's reading challenge?
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^ That's what I'm hoping for!
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Aw, thanks! I will promise you no Charmin bears and, fingers crossed, that it will be finished someday! I don't wanna go all Guilty Roads on you again. This one feels more like a Curtain Call though, as in the type of story I will finish in an acceptable amount of time. Maybe in time for next year's reading challenge?
I'm going to have to wait a whole year to find out how it all ends!! Ahhhhhhh that seems like a really long time! LOL Seriously, as long as you finish it I will wait it out. ;D
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Aww, thanks!! I'm thinking it's probably about halfway done now, but don't quote me on that. I wrote most of it really quickly back in like January/February and then just got too busy and am trying to get back to it, but if I can get on another roll, I don't think it will drag on too long.
I also typically write the same story for years, so if I can get one done in under two years, that's no small feat for me! LOL
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You know, if you aren't ever going to finish Guilty Roads, I think you should give us an end summary! LOL
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You know, if you aren't ever going to finish Guilty Roads, I think you should give us an end summary! LOL
I'm not ready to say I'm never going to finish Guilty Roads... I would still like to, but I know it's not going to happen any time soon because I'm more interested in my other stories. If I decide to officially discontinue it, I'll let you know what I envisioned happening in the end.
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Excellent! lol
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Aww, thanks!! I'm thinking it's probably about halfway done now, but don't quote me on that. I wrote most of it really quickly back in like January/February and then just got too busy and am trying to get back to it, but if I can get on another roll, I don't think it will drag on too long.
I also typically write the same story for years, so if I can get one done in under two years, that's no small feat for me! LOL
I hate it when real life gets in the way of my writing time! I just banged out two chapters of Dodging last night and I was super proud of myself. LOL
Fingers crossed that you get on another roll and pump out some more chapters semi-quickly. :)
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I hate it when real life gets in the way of my writing time! I just banged out two chapters of Dodging last night and I was super proud of myself. LOL
Fingers crossed that you get on another roll and pump out some more chapters semi-quickly. :)
2 chapters, wow!! You go, girl!
I have it open and read over the last few chapters earlier and did a bunch of research, which is a start. I seriously have not written a word of it since spring break in March, and the part I left myself off on is ridiculous. That's probably the longest I've gone without writing any fanfic - so sad! It sucks having to be an adult sometimes!
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Being a grown up sucks! lol
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When you guys sit down to write, do you just literally sit down and start writing, or do you do anything to get yourself going first?
I will sit down and start writing if I'm really inspired, usually if I've been on a roll and am already in the middle of a chapter, but usually I do a bunch of things that are meant to inspire me and really just waste time, like re-reading, "researching," and listening to music. Sometimes it does help, especially when it's been awhile and I need to refresh my memory, but there is a reason it takes me so long to finish stories LOL.
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Being a grown up sucks! lol
Seriously, I wish I could just sit at home and write about the Backstreet Boys all day, every day!
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When you guys sit down to write, do you just literally sit down and start writing, or do you do anything to get yourself going first?
I will sit down and start writing if I'm really inspired, usually if I've been on a roll and am already in the middle of a chapter, but usually I do a bunch of things that are meant to inspire me and really just waste time, like re-reading, "researching," and listening to music. Sometimes it does help, especially when it's been awhile and I need to refresh my memory, but there is a reason it takes me so long to finish stories LOL.
I've gotten into a routine where the very first thing I do after feeding Egypt in the morning, is sit down and write. I find if I do that before I come on here or twitter or anything else, I tend to b a bit more productive. It's worked for the most part. I usually get at least a page written every morning. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I also do all my reading first thing in the morning as well (fanfic wise) I do wake up at 3:30 nowadays so I have a lot of time to kill. Of course now I'm starting to feel zombie like. lol
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Seriously, I wish I could just sit at home and write about the Backstreet Boys all day, every day!
Imagine if we could get PAID for that?!?!?!
When I sit down to write, I always have to reread the last chapter that I wrote. I hate cutting myself off in the middle of a chapter because then I'm so confused when I come back to it. If that happens, I often find myself rewriting huge segments of the chapter because I have completely forgotten where I wanted to go with it. When I'm in the mood to write, I want no distractions (music, FB, husband, etc.). Although, a distraction free environment rarely happens for me.
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^ I always have to read what I have written before hand too! And it also needs to be very quiet. No music or tv sounds in the background.
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I've gotten into a routine where the very first thing I do after feeding Egypt in the morning, is sit down and write. I find if I do that before I come on here or twitter or anything else, I tend to b a bit more productive. It's worked for the most part. I usually get at least a page written every morning. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I also do all my reading first thing in the morning as well (fanfic wise) I do wake up at 3:30 nowadays so I have a lot of time to kill. Of course now I'm starting to feel zombie like. lol
That is what I need to do too. I think that is actually how I managed to be so productive on this story in the beginning, because during Christmas break and then on the weekends, that is exactly what I would do - before I got online, I would try to write, and usually I would have more success. Twitter, Facebook, and these forums are horrible distractions for me! I love them, and that is the problem LOL. It's too tempting to stop writing and go check Twitter when I don't automatically know what word comes next, and as soon as I do that, I can easily waste half an hour checking everything and replying.
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I'm actually quite productive in the morning. I find that my energy level decreases sharply after 2:00 in the afternoon. Like Mare, I tend to write the most in the morning. Although, I have to check FB first! If I don't then I can't concentrate because I'm wondering what news I've missed. LOL Thank God I don't use Twitter ...
Also, Mare, out of curiosity who is Egypt? Dog, cat, bird, child? Also, why are you awake at 3:30?!?!
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I can write with music sometimes, but usually only instrumental music. It varies from story to story whether music is helpful or not. Lately, not so much. I think music makes my writing more melodramatic, which doesn't work for first person POV stories - too cheesy. If I'm really inspired, I can write with any music or the TV on, but not usually. Quiet and distraction-free works best for me too.
I usually re-read either the last chapter or the current chapter up to wherever I left off before I try to start writing. I actually prefer leaving off in the middle of a chapter/scene, assuming I know what comes next, because then it's easier for me to get started again the next time. But then there's also the OCD side of me that would prefer to wrap it up and at least know I'm leaving off on a finished chapter.
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I write best either first thing in the morning or late at night... or, in the summer, late at night on through til the morning LOL. Afternoon is my worst time of day too.
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I'm actually quite productive in the morning. I find that my energy level decreases sharply after 2:00 in the afternoon. Like Mare, I tend to write the most in the morning. Although, I have to check FB first! If I don't then I can't concentrate because I'm wondering what news I've missed. LOL Thank God I don't use Twitter ...
Also, Mare, out of curiosity who is Egypt? Dog, cat, bird, child? Also, why are you awake at 3:30?!?!
Egypt is my kitty! And I'm awake by 3:30 because my body hates me! LOL
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LOL I didn't realize that either. This is my second story with Secrets in the title, which is kind of confusing, but I guess it make sense, cause that seems to be a common theme across many of my stories, keeping secrets.
A story I'm currently writing has secret in the title...for about 15 minutes until I change it so I'm not one of the sheeple.. LOL
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~ I freaking hate those Charmin bears too! So keep them the hell out of these stories!
It is not their fault that sometimes little bits of toilet paper get stuck to their furry bums.
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A story I'm currently writing has secret in the title...for about 15 minutes until I change it so I'm not one of the sheeple.. LOL
One of us... One of us... Gooble gobble, gooble gobble...
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HYPOCRITE!!!
Right? I guess I waited long enough to get into H&H before I put a bag over Nick's head. She'd be too committed to quit by that point. Muahahaha!
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It is not their fault that sometimes little bits of toilet paper get stuck to their furry bums.
That's not what even bothers me most about them. It's the fact that they love toilet paper as much as they do. Something's not right there! And I'm sorry that kid bear is a little too old to not know how to properly wipe himself.
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I write best either first thing in the morning or late at night... or, in the summer, late at night on through til the morning LOL. Afternoon is my worst time of day too.
Late at night is my best time, which is why I am terribly bad at writing as of late. Having a regular schedule which involves going to bed at 10pm means I'm not up late enough to write.
I couldn't imagine writing first thing in the morning! Basically whenever I have time free during the day I want to be at the gym, so writing needs to be time after winding down for the day.
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That's not what even bothers me most about them. It's the fact that they love toilet paper as much as they do. Something's not right there! And I'm sorry that kid bear is a little too old to not know how to properly wipe himself.
His arms aren't even long enough to reach!
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Right? I guess I waited long enough to get into H&H before I put a bag over Nick's head. She'd be too committed to quit by that point. Muahahaha!
That's not true. It's never too late to quit a story! I believe I did take a short break after the killing. lol I am pickier now though. If that's even possible.
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His arms aren't even long enough to reach!
His arms are plenty long! He's just a little perv!
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Late at night is my best time, which is why I am terribly bad at writing as of late. Having a regular schedule which involves going to bed at 10pm means I'm not up late enough to write.
I couldn't imagine writing first thing in the morning! Basically whenever I have time free during the day I want to be at the gym, so writing needs to be time after winding down for the day.
That is my problem during the school year, too. I'm too tired when I get home, and by the time I get my second wind, it's time for bed. First thing in the morning only works for me when there's nowhere I have to be. I don't do well with time limits.
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The only time I ever even consider writing during the school year is on the weekends which is why I only tend to do a new story in the summer now. lol
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I don't even think I've ever read a Howie-centered story...
You guys were chatty today. I had three pages to catch up on LOL.
I will say that ive never read a Howie story either. Ive read all the others. I love Howie but not reading about him. Sorry Howie lol
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When the kids are in school i can put on my music and just write until my poor little hands get tired lol. During the summer i tend to write after 10pm cause thats when my mil goes to bed and i have free reign on the internet (long story lol). Sometimes i write during the day when they are home but its useless most of thr time lol. I keep a binder or paper near me most of the day so if i thinknof somethig i can write it down real quick so i dont forget it. I always have notes written down too. It helps me think lol.
I always listen to music while writing/ reading. My playlist has 2700 songs so it juat kind of plays. I am kind of a music freak ;)
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I typically write best late late at night when I am on my down time at work or when I am home and cannot sleep, which is usually the case. However I've had trouble getting myself motivated to write. I was hoping the reading challenge would help but it hasnt unfortunately.
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Holy convo LOL. I'm catching up on the main points.
Another question: Of the stories you've written, list how many are Group centric, Nick centric, Kevin centric, AJ centric so on and so forth. Not including one shots, only novels.
Have you ever made a conscience effort to try to write in one boy's point of view that you usually do not and how hard was that for you?
Do you find of those novels depending on the boy you center it around, is one more popular than the other reader wise?
Group: 5
Nick: 8
Kevin: 0
Nick/Kevin: 1
Brian: 0
Brian/Nick: 2
AJ: 0
Howie: 0
For some reason I thought I had more but they were oneshots LOL. Geeze. This is bad.
My group story thing has definitely been a more recent love. Before they would have a Nick focus while playing with the relationships with the other Boys. Like RMTW. Walked Out of My Dreams was originally JUST Brian but for some reason that wasn't working so I swapped it to Nick/Brian which I felt became a lot better LOL. I'm trying a Nick/Kevin story (well focused on those two, it does feature the group) but it's a AU/Sci-Fi so yeah.
Here We Stand was the first "canon" story I wrote in the POV of all five Boys. With 00Carter, Undead, and Code Blue while the personalities stayed the same, it was still AU. I get this urge to challenge myself sometimes, so when I had this idea I ran with it. It ended up a great exercise cause it was neat trying to write their POVs while making sure their voices were as true as I could make them. Brian's was the hardest but I feel like "present day Brian" is just hard to write. Brian in the 90s is easier, in theory. I haven't tried it just yet LOL. Oddly enough Howie's was easier because as the "ignored" BSB it gives me a lot to play off of.
I don't think I could write "just" a Howie story. Or even just an AJ story because while he had similar issues AJ does best for me as a supporting character. I might try a canon Kevin/Nick story someday. Their relationship is something I love to play with because of their mirroring roles in family vs BSB. The other one I love is the Frick and Frack idea. Mainly because you have how tight those two were then compared to now and it's a neat bit of dysfunction lol.
As for what I've noticed popularity wise - Nick is the chosen one. Period LOL.
I'm done rambling now!
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Thank you! :) I remember feeling the same way when I read Mare's story "The Importance of Fly Fishing," which is also Nick/Kevin. That's one of the first Kevin stories I remember reading. That and Louise's "Garden," which is also Kevin/Nick centered. I guess as long as The Chosen One is in there, that makes it worth reading LOL. I didn't used to read many Nick stories either, though! Back in the beginning, I was all about Brian. Nick grew on me. Plus, there are a lot more Nick stories to choose from, especially nowadays.
That leads me to a couple of other questions.
How have your reading habits changed over the years, as far as which boys and what types of stories you like to read?
What would it take to make you read outside your comfort zone, as in a different boy/pairing or genre than you typically read?
Um as far as reading habits although I'm pickier in terms of quality, I'd say I've gotten more open minded about the types of stories and genres. I never would've touched SAMS for example back in the heyday. Now it depends on the idea and/or the author.
Sometimes like I said, if it's an author I know writes great stories I might click just because. Other times it takes a really good idea.
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Oh I have such a long list of no-nos lol
~ zombies
:-[
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When you guys sit down to write, do you just literally sit down and start writing, or do you do anything to get yourself going first?
I will sit down and start writing if I'm really inspired, usually if I've been on a roll and am already in the middle of a chapter, but usually I do a bunch of things that are meant to inspire me and really just waste time, like re-reading, "researching," and listening to music. Sometimes it does help, especially when it's been awhile and I need to refresh my memory, but there is a reason it takes me so long to finish stories LOL.
I have this same problem of "inspiration" leading to distraction.
Case in point - For "Show Me A Reason" I've been watching old videos to either use old bits or get a certain vibe on things. Or ya know, inspiration. What usually ends up happening is that I watch videos half the night and take forever to actually write something LOL.
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I write best either first thing in the morning or late at night... or, in the summer, late at night on through til the morning LOL. Afternoon is my worst time of day too.
Mine is late at night. I can't write crap in the morning. It's always stay up as late as I can writing. Afternoons are a crapshoot LOL. Evenings have a decent chance of working out for me. As long as it's dark outside basically.
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:-[
Is this a surprise to you? I have only said it a gazillion times lol
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And I do have to clarify about my stories I have listed that all of them with the exception of most of the combo ones, do have all five guys thoroughly in the story. Lion's Den is my Howie centered one, but they are all in there and Nick had his back. Like it would have been very easy to turn it into a Howie/Nick centered fic. Just the main POV was Howie.
That's exactly what happened for Cough Medicine which is the one I listed for Nick/AJ. It was originally going to be an entirely AJ centered story. He was the one who was going to escape while Nick was caught but as I was writing it, I quickly figured out I wouldn't be able to handle that so I switched it to Nick instead. I did try, AJ! I promise! lol
Kevin has been my lead in my AUs Protect and Serve, and Scars because he fit the bill best. The Apartment was also told through his eyes, but once again the other guys were all over all three of these. The Apartment and Scars could have also been considered group fics.
My only Brian one was obviously, It Stays and again, all of them were predominantly involved in that one as well.
I don't think I would ever write a story featuring only one boy and maintain it for an entire novel, because like I said way before in here, unless it's something I'd be willing to read, I wouldn't write it. LOL (Minus the torture! I will write it but if I was a reader, I'd skim through the torture!)
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I was just thinking about it today, I haven't written a story where it was just one guy. I always have to have one or more of the other boys in it, even for my one shots. Thats interesting. I dont know if I could write anything with one BSB in it.
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When I think of stories with only one BSB it almost always is romance where Summer Summerall is on vacation and encounters Nick in the villa next door, type stuff. lol
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Is this a surprise to you? I have only said it a gazillion times lol
No but it still hurts! LOL
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No but it still hurts! LOL
Aww, I'm sorry! But if it makes you feel any better at least zombies don't have any feelings! lol
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When I think of stories with only one BSB it almost always is romance where Summer Summerall is on vacation and encounters Nick in the villa next door, type stuff. lol
summer Sumerall lmao thats so funny. I think of a cheesy romance too!
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I think that's really the only time it makes sense for it to be just one boy over the course of an entire story. Even though I will never ever get it, but that's okay. LOL
Or I guess unless you're going for one of those Gravity or that dumb Tom Hanks movie where he talks to a volleyball the entire time? Type stories.
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I have this same problem of "inspiration" leading to distraction.
Case in point - For "Show Me A Reason" I've been watching old videos to either use old bits or get a certain vibe on things. Or ya know, inspiration. What usually ends up happening is that I watch videos half the night and take forever to actually write something LOL.
Ugh, I have that problem too!! I have been known to put on an episode of ER for "research," and before I know it, I've watched like four episodes of ER and written nothing.
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I don't think I've ever written a novel that only had one boy in it either. The other guys are always in my stories, even if they focus mainly on one or two. Even in Secrets of the Heart, which was very AU, I managed to work Howie, Nick, and Kevin in.
I like romances that do this too. One reason I love Cover Me With Dreams so much is that, even though it's a Nick romance, the other guys are in it a lot, and it basically tells the story of the early days of BSB right along with the story of Nick and Ciara's relationship.
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Yeah, I like to call that tricking people who don't enjoy romance, to read. Where there is romance but enough of the guys that if need be non romance people like myself can skim or skip over the romance stuff to get to the guys parts. Which is what I admittedly do in those situations lol unless the actual romance plot line draws me in (which happens never or very very rarely)
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i dont think i have ever written a story that didnt include at least one of the other guys. I know Gone Country only has Brian and I think the mentions of Kevin but thats as far as it went i think. But most of my other stories include the guys i dont think its a BSB story without at least one of them lol.
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^ Yeah, that's been my argument forever. It has to have more than one of the BSB to really be considered a BSB fanfic. I feel that way about a girl centered story too although as long as there is enough of the guys in there, I have softened on that a bit. Still won't read them, but doesn't quite drive me as crazy as it used to. lol
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Here's another question then:
What makes something a BSB story for you? Have you ever started to read a story and then find yourself saying "This is good but it's not really a BSB fanfic?" What does there need to be to qualify being called a BSB fanfic?
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I would say if it had three or more members it can be considered a "real" fanfic for me. Although if its an alternate universe i think its different cause they arent really "backstreet boys" if that makes sense lol. But if you are going to write about the boys three or more for me.
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^ Yeah, that's been my argument forever. It has to have more than one of the BSB to really be considered a BSB fanfic. I feel that way about a girl centered story too although as long as there is enough of the guys in there, I have softened on that a bit. Still won't read them, but doesn't quite drive me as crazy as it used to. lol
But what if it's not BSB fanfic but is, for example, Nick Carter or AJ McLean fanfic. Each one of the boys is a celebrity in his own right and being a Backstreet Boy is just one of many jobs. If they are just themselves, who happen to have the occupation of being a Backstreet Boy and it's not a group fic, then it's reasonable to think that although it's not BSB fanfic, it's still fanfic.
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I don't have a set number of Backstreet Boys that must be in a story for me to consider it a BSB fic. Like Julilly said, it could just be about one of them, and I would still lump it in that category of being a BSB fic because it's about a Backstreet Boy. It should be about at least one of them, though, and not some random girl. The main character should be a Backstreet Boy. If there's a female lead, the main Backstreet Boy should have at least as much story time as her.
What I have a hard time with are AUs in which the guys are portrayed so differently from their real life selves that the only thing they really have in common with the Backstreet Boys are their names. I don't mind AUs, but when I read an AU, I still want to recognize the guys in their different roles. I want their personalities to be the same, and I want them to have the same type of brotherly/friend relationships they do in real life. If they don't start out that way, they should be developed over the course of the story. Whether they're a boyband or not, if the guys don't seem like the Backstreet Boys, it's hard to consider it a BSB fanfic.
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But what if it's not BSB fanfic but is, for example, Nick Carter or AJ McLean fanfic. Each one of the boys is a celebrity in his own right and being a Backstreet Boy is just one of many jobs. If they are just themselves, who happen to have the occupation of being a Backstreet Boy and it's not a group fic, then it's reasonable to think that although it's not BSB fanfic, it's still fanfic.
Yup, that's why I said BSB fanfic and not just fanfic. You are correct. If it was labeled as a Nick Carter fanfic or an AJ McLean fanfic, then there ya go! but if it's actually labeled as a BSB fanfic, that's where the ugh-ness comes in for me. LOL
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What I have a hard time with are AUs in which the guys are portrayed so differently from their real life selves that the only thing they really have in common with the Backstreet Boys are their names. I don't mind AUs, but when I read an AU, I still want to recognize the guys in their different roles. I want their personalities to be the same, and I want them to have the same type of brotherly/friend relationships they do in real life. If they don't start out that way, they should be developed over the course of the story. Whether they're a boyband or not, if the guys don't seem like the Backstreet Boys, it's hard to consider it a BSB fanfic.
I agree with this 100%. If the boys are so out of character you can't even tell it's them, to me it's not a BSB fanfic. They don't have to be a singing group but they should still have enough of their own personalities shining through that no matter what, you can tell BSB is in there somewhere. Their relationships to one another is what makes them who they are to me, so if that's missing, then in my opinion they are missing which is probably why I feel that way about what I stated earlier concerning only one boy in a story.
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I have a few alternate universes myself. Cowboy Take Me away for instance Brian isnt a backstreet boy but my intention is for him to be a country artist with Nick being a good friend and Kevin still being his cousin of course. I always have Brian being something else when i write a Brian fic dunno why lol.
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Yup, that's why I said BSB fanfic and not just fanfic. You are correct. If it was labeled as a Nick Carter fanfic or an AJ McLean fanfic, then there ya go! but if it's actually labeled as a BSB fanfic, that's where the ugh-ness comes in for me. LOL
We don't provide people that option when labeling their stories, actually. Maybe we should!
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Maybe! I never realized that but it's true. You have to select Backstreet Boys for their names to pop up. We could put them in the music category as separate entities from BSB.
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I agree with this 100%. If the boys are so out of character you can't even tell it's them, to me it's not a BSB fanfic. They don't have to be a singing group but they should still have enough of their own personalities shining through that no matter what, you can tell BSB is in there somewhere. Their relationships to one another is what makes them who they are to me, so if that's missing, then in my opinion they are missing which is probably why I feel that way about what I stated earlier concerning only one boy in a story.
Though I would argue that their relationship to one another is subjective. There are a lot of things that you see within their relationships or qualities about them as individuals that I don't (like Kevin's existence) and vice versa so if I portray a character trait that I can imagine but maybe you can't, is that not where a suspension of reality (especially when considering AU) comes into play? #devilsadvocate lol
I suppose I don't believe that, as characters, the boys only fit into one particular stereotypical mold, that they have to be the person they are in the public (which I don't really accept as 100% reality) in order to be accurately portrayed. Years ago, many people would never have portrayed Nick as a junkie because based on what we knew that was out of character, but it wasn't really.
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All of this is subjective so yes, we may portray certain aspects of the boys differently. For instance going back to the whole frick and frack thing. I view that relationship differently then others so when I write the two of them, it may be differently then someone who still pictures that relationship from before.
I think everyone (including myself) are able to suspend reality when it comes to certain stories (especially AU) because that's what AU is all about. You can make Brian a villain who lopes off people's heads for fun and then feeds them to his rabid monkeys but I think we'd also agree that while Brian wouldn't do this in real life (I hope!) unless there is some of his personality in there, it's not Brian. Maybe he does his annoying Micky Mouse impersonation before he kills them. Maybe he prays to God for their soul and then kisses his wife as soon as he's done doing the deed. Whether we all agree on how they are in real life or not, we all do have these perceptions of them. We all know Brian loves his family and is religious. He's hyper but also business minded. These are things whether we enjoy about him or not, we know as fact. So if some facet of that is thrown in, it makes it easy to ignore the rest.
You could also take who wrote it into consideration. When you go in knowing what the writer thinks about the boys and their personalities that helps as well. Like I know you hate Kevin (still don't know why. I know why you hate his voice but not him lol) so obviously he's never gong to be the same kind of Kevin I would write, but I'm sure I would still recognize some traits in your Kevin that would be Kevin across the board, if that makes sense.
Do we really know how they are in real life? No, but we obviously have a mental image of how they act and even if we agree or disagree on things, we can still believe certain elements of their personalities. If you make Brian a serial killer with absolutely no recognition of Brian then it's just a guy named Brian. I would imagine if you're writing a BSB fanfic, you'd want to at least try to include something that makes them who they are, if not then why not just write an OF?
And as you were saying before, even if we perceive them differently it can't be so completely different that he couldn't be recognized at all. I would find that very hard to believe.
Now, do I enjoy reading things like that? No lol but that's just my personal preference.
On a side note - what are you still doing up? You have a long ass drive tomorrow! Go to bed! lol
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Maybe he does his annoying Micky Mouse impersonation before he kills them. Maybe he prays to God for their soul and then kisses his wife as soon as he's done doing the deed.
On a side note - what are you still doing up? You have a long ass drive tomorrow! Go to bed! lol
That made me laugh so much, moreso because I could picture Brian doing that! I totally agree with you, but I enjoyed the discussion LOL
I really need to go to bed. It's 11:30 and I'm getting up at 6 for an 8 hour drive to the booming metropolis of Bangor.
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LMAO, Mare! You just described the plot of your songfic for "One Phone Call," didn't you?
I think you both have great points. There are a lot of different ways each of the guys can be portrayed that still fit with the personalities they've shown us and how we interpret them and their relationships with each other. That said, I also think there are certain aspects to them that are based more on fact than interpretation and shouldn't be changed in a fanfic unless there is a logical explanation for it. I guess that's what writers of fanfic that's based on fictional source material (books, movies, etc.) would call "canon."
For example, Brian is religious. That's not just how some writers see Brian; it's a fact, stated and supported by Brian himself. So it doesn't make sense to have Brian committing mortal sins without remorse, unless you justify it by giving him a good reason to forsake his religion or reveal that the religious stuff was just a facade to hide his inner demons, whatever. That could be an interesting story if handled the right way, but because it's such a stretch, it would definitely take some explaining to make it seem even halfway realistic.
I think it's okay to change one of the Boys through the events in the story or put your own spin on some aspect of their lives or personalities, but I don't like when writers completely ignore what could be considered canon.
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That made me laugh so much, moreso because I could picture Brian doing that! I totally agree with you, but I enjoyed the discussion LOL
I really need to go to bed. It's 11:30 and I'm getting up at 6 for an 8 hour drive to the booming metropolis of Bangor.
Have fun, and I'll see you Friday! :)
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That made me laugh so much, moreso because I could picture Brian doing that! I totally agree with you, but I enjoyed the discussion LOL
I really need to go to bed. It's 11:30 and I'm getting up at 6 for an 8 hour drive to the booming metropolis of Bangor.
Yes you do really need to go to bed! LOL safe travels and text me when you get there!
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LMAO, Mare! You just described the plot of your songfic for "One Phone Call," didn't you?
Quite possibly! LOL
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Quite possibly! LOL
It's too bad we didn't vote Track #10 for the challenge, but regardless, you need to write this! For me? LOL
P.S. It's Donald Duck that he does, not Mickey Mouse. For authenticity's sake and all! ;)
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I knew it was at least a Disney character LOL
Maybe I'll make that my Nick and Brian story next summer. Brian the serial killer on a road trip with a clueless Nick! LOL
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LMAO
In the words of Brian doing Donald Duck: "Ohhh boy!!"
I love it!!
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A quick teaser:
"Hey Brian, what's with the monkey?"
"Oh, I got him as a pet, his name is fang."
"He's foaming at the mouth."
"That's normal for monkeys."
"Oh okay...cool!"
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LMAO!!! See, this is entertaining! I'm cracking up already!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y53okMd3zQ
LOL...here is Brian singing in his donald duck voice...i couldnt help myself ;)
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OMG, hilarious! I love how the other boys are completely ignoring him LOL. Nick just keeps right on talking!
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there are some other videos of him doing this at sound checks..appare ntly this happens quite often.. my hubby does the donald duck thing all the time lol..cracks me up!
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LOL Yeah, I've heard him do it before, but hadn't seen that one. I'm glad that, despite the vocal issues, he can still do Donald Duck. Maybe he should just sing all their songs in that voice! :) (Kidding.)
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And this is why I used the word annoying. LOL
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To be honest i am behind the times of the whole vocal abilities. What exactly happened?
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In a nutshell without completely sending this thread way off topic. Brian's voice has taken a nose dive in a huge way and there hasn't been any explanation as to why. He's been sounding better but not anywhere near what he used to sound like.
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Ah ok i see...back on topic ;)
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When writing a scene or a chapter, what tends to make you stuck or give you the most problems? Is it descriptions, dialogue or something else?
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Descriptions. I can think it in my head all i want but when it comes to it going onto paper or typing forget it. Sometimes its grammar as well like if something doesnt sound right it will stump me
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I just have trouble getting started sometimes, but once I do, I am usually good to go.
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I just have trouble getting started sometimes, but once I do, I am usually good to go.
That's the same with me. It seems almost overwhelming at first trying to think of how to get the picture in my head on "paper" but once I start rolling it's hard to stop.
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I will say, looking at the last question again while I'm actually writing, I am much more focused and write faster when I'm writing scenes with a lot of dialogue, versus scenes that are heavy on the description. I find that if I know exactly what word/phrase/sentence comes next, I will go ahead and type it just so I don't lose it, whereas if nothings pops into my head right away, I will "take a break" to check Twitter, etc., and then get totally distracted. When I'm writing dialogue, I usually just go with the first thing to pop into my head because I figure that's what will sound the most natural, so it's easy to write a whole conversation at once, whereas when I'm writing description, I overanalyze everything and play around with the wording to get it just right, and so the words usually don't flow out of me as well as with dialogue. So I guess, even though I like writing description, that is what gives me the most trouble.
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Ok, I have a question and my apologies if its been asked already but i didnt go through all 36 pages lol..but do yall find it easier to write in first person or third person?
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For me it depends on the story what POV is easier. Like say in Song For The Undead if we'd done 1st Person outside of the journal entries I think it would've been a lot harder. Third person was perfect. And then I get a story like Here We Stand where it's really about how they see things as Kevin comes back to the group and I wanted their personal thoughts and feelings.
I don't think either one is harder for me. I think sometimes I question myself more with first person. But that's because I'm really hard and picky with myself in terms of characterizati on, so I want to be sure each voice is unique and it's believable.
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I used to write almost exclusively third person, but I've started writing more in first person and enjoying that too. I like third person because I can be more descriptive and write "pretty," but I like first person because feels more personal and makes it easier to get inside the characters' heads. Like Rose said, I think it depends on the story which I prefer. For simple, character-driven stories that only focus on one or two characters, I'm starting to prefer first person, but for stories with several main characters and a lot going on, I think third person is best.
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LOL pretty pretty writing!
See this is how you end up with novels four times the length of Moby Dick.
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Yes, yes it is! LOL
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I seem to be better at first person myself...i dont exactly know why maybe it seems more personal i guess? In third person I have noticed I have major issues but with Southern Comfort, with what i have written on it anyway, seems easier me to write and it almost flows better.
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Have you guys ever written the start of a story in both POVs to see which you liked better? If so, which did you pick?
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Southern Comfort is prime example. I think I wrote almost six different prologues to it because 1) I had so many ideas and 2) i wrote one in third person and then one in first person. I chose to write it in first person. I wanted something different for this story cause I love the concept. If I find this story to be easy to write I may just stick with the first person for awhile with all of my other stories I have ideas for.
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I find writing in first person a lot easier than third. I love living inside the character's heads. I also enjoy the challenge of writing action and coming up with creative ways to figurr out how to include scenes that the main character might not be privy to.
The above actually answers Julie's question as well because I have started plenty stories in first person but had to change to third because of the plot twists etc. Most of my stories are first person or have started that way.
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Actually I haven't Julie lol. Normally I know what it needs to be going in. RMTW was gonna be 1st person but I immediately realized as I was working out my "outline" that I'd write myself into a possible corner. My compromise was third person but with "Brian" as the author. Which was a neat thing to try and do.
I haven't really changed my mind when I started a story what POV to use. Sometimes I'll use a prologue in first but then switch to third for the rest of the story until the epilogue. But that's always planned LOL. I love living in the character's head.
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I usually don't do that either. I constantly edit as I go, but I hate rewriting and doing major revisions, so I try to avoid that if I can by planning ahead. The only time I have written two different versions of a story, one in first person and one in third, was with Unsuspecting Sunday. I started writing it in third person originally, but it got weird when I started getting to the slash stuff - too many male pronouns, and it just sounded so (for lack of a better word) freaking GAY! So I rewrote it in first person, and it was much better! Less confusing about who was doing what to whom, and I could pretend Howie was a chick without getting too weirded out about what he was doing to Nick. Yay! :) I don't know how slash writers write in third person LOL. I'm thinking slash, for me, will always be done in first.
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I don't have that much experience with first person POV, but I have been making an effort to get better at writing it through one shots, so I can try to write all the boys that way. Finding Carter was my first novel completely in first person from start to finish and I was so afraid it would not turn out well but I think it did.
I guess third person is just easier for me to do, but I am trying to branch out.
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I always have to make revisions because i will think of something else while typing. Or i will make notes on paper.
Here leads to another question do you guys plan out chapters with outlines or just go with the flow of things?
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I have never outlined a story before. I don't really do much planning before I set out to write it, I give myself a general idea what I want to accomplish and just wing it because I write completely from my cell phone. It's a bit
harder for me to outline.
I know I keep mentioning Finding Carter but that also was the first story where I actually planned it and did a lot of research for.
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i am OCD about certain stuff...and story writing is one of those OCD things lol.. i have a whole notebook of ideas and everything is outlined and summaries are written. If i change something I make sure to add a note or something in there so i can remember. I have lyrics for songs I have used in previous stories and things like that. I feel some times I am a bit of a freak lol.
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I usually have some kind of outline, but how detailed it is depends on the story and how much wiggle room I have when getting from Point A to Point B. I almost always know how a story is going to start and end, but the middle tends to evolve as I go. For most of my medical dramas, my "outline" is really just a bunch of information from my research and a timeline of events in the story, so I can keep track of when things happened. For stories with more complex plots, I will outline chapter by chapter. Either way, I find that having an outline is helpful because it gives me a vision for where the story is going and reminds me where it's been.
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i am OCD about certain stuff...and story writing is one of those OCD things lol.. i have a whole notebook of ideas and everything is outlined and summaries are written. If i change something I make sure to add a note or something in there so i can remember. I have lyrics for songs I have used in previous stories and things like that. I feel some times I am a bit of a freak lol.
I kept a notebook like that for one of my stories, Broken, but now I just put everything in one giant Word document. The notebook was fun though because I never erased anything or ripped pages out of it, so you can see all the crazy rambling ideas I came up with that I DIDN'T write, along with the ones I did.
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I usually have a couple documents going for a story at once, one that is the actual document of the story and one that is the "Notes" document. And the notes document is typically a huge mess. It has partially written scenes in it that I needed to throw somewhere as I came up with them, it has a "brain dump" of everything that has to happen in the story and it's usually just me typing in a ramble. The story I just wrote has a big twist halfway through, and I have a bullet list in that notes document called "Before the twist!" of all the things I needed to make sure I included in the first half of that story.
I don't really outline by the chapter (the only exception is Running Up That Hill because certain things have to happen on certain days because that's where they happened in real life) but I definitely make sure I have a clear direction of where the story is starting, going and ending. I find that when I start a story without knowing those things, I fall off right away. There are things that change along the way, of course, but the main points always stay the same.
As for first person vs third person, it's funny. In BSB fandom I will typically write one-shots in first person without even giving it a second thought. But usually when writing something longer I stick with third person.
I don't know how slash writers write in third person LOL. I'm thinking slash, for me, will always be done in first.
This amused me, Julie, because my prime reason for writing in third person now is because I don't think I could ever write a slash in the first person! The male pronouns are definitely a pain, though.
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My stories come out of my ass! Seriously I do not outline or do notes. I know I want it to start & generally how I want it to finish, but the middle is usually a crap shoot lol
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I am so ocd with my notebook that every story has its own divider lol and has character profiles..its sad really lol
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What has been your best idea, but poorest execution? Meaning, the idea itself was good, but it could have been written so much better.
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In A World Like This. I wish I had planned that better. I was thinking about a rewrite but I wasnt sure if anyone would be interested in reading it. IIt was gonna be an old school type bus c crash story.
Also When I Grow Up, I thought I could have done so much better in writing that. I hate doing rewrites but I would like to fix that story up eventually, not rewrite all of my stories ive written, but fix the ones that failed.
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^ I think the only bad thing about a rewrite is the expectation of people being interested enough to go back to read it. As long as you're doing it for your own satisfacton, then rewriting I think is almsr a great form of therapy. I know I wouldn't reread anything revised, personally. Once & done for me lol
The reason I said all that was because I have thought about a redo of Mizpah, which is my answer to Julie's question. I feel like I could execute the whole plot much better now then back then, but I decided to leave it be because for better or worse, it brought me into the world of fan fiction. I loved the whole idea behind the meaning of Mizpah and tying it into the bible but I could have done it better.
Now Shadow Woods I did a complete redo since I went OF with it but even changed the main twist and reason for being in the woods as well as introducing Kevin's girlfriend as a lead character. Sorry Howie lol
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What has been your best idea, but poorest execution? Meaning, the idea itself was good, but it could have been written so much better.
Born to Be. It was one of my more creative ideas, take 1999 Nick and throw him into another universe where he'd been dead for years. But I didn't have any sense of where I was going with it. Not even the journey LOL. It was me winging it which meant bad writing.
I don't really do so much outlines as background info (if there's original characters or it's AU), the beginning, the end, and events I know need to happen during the journey of the story. Born To Be definitely needs an outline and it didn't get one. Hence the fail. I love the idea enough to have stopped when I realized this and rewrite cause I wasn't far into it, but I haven't done it yet LOL.
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Exactly I dont think anyone would read it but I feel like I could do better you know? So it would be more of a personal Growth thing for me.
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Born to Be. It was one of my more creative ideas, take 1999 Nick and throw him into another universe where he'd been dead for years. But I didn't have any sense of where I was going with it. Not even the journey LOL. It was me winging it which meant bad writing.
I don't really do so much outlines as background info (if there's original characters or it's AU), the beginning, the end, and events I know need to happen during the journey of the story. Born To Be definitely needs an outline and it didn't get one. Hence the fail. I love the idea enough to have stopped when I realized this and rewrite cause I wasn't far into it, but I haven't done it yet LOL.
I remember reading Born To Be. I am sad you didnt finish that one, its a cool idea.
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I wanna redo it someday but I need to sit down and work out where the story will go.
But right now I have other ideas I'm more inspired for so I'm rolling with those LOL.
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I know you know this already but I am really enjoying your latst story :) its awesome.
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Aww thank you. :)
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I find it easier to write in third person but I know I have first person out there because it fits the plot line better.
I did start Chronos Project in first and third, it would have been a completely different story in first as it would have been a different plot completely. The third person POV flowed easier and faster so that is what I stuck with.
I would probably want to go back and fix Chronos Project. I like the idea but I think I rushed on some points and really think I should have thought other things through.
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How does everyone come up with scenarios? Tv? Real life events? Things you see in the neighborhood?
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I pull from all over, books, movies, TV shows, life, my dreams.. thinking about 'what if' situations.
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What has been your best idea, but poorest execution? Meaning, the idea itself was good, but it could have been written so much better.
I thought of this question yesterday when I was listening to music while getting ready and the song "I Hope You Dance" came on my playlist, which was a blast from the past and reminded me of a story I wrote that was inspired by that song, "Beside the Ocean." It's about Nick, who is a depressed hot mess who has attempted suicide, befriending a girl with an inoperable brain tumor. They fall in love, of course, and she teaches him to appreciate life. It's kind of cliche, but I have always loved the pairing of this person who hates his life so much, he was ready to throw it all away, with someone who loves life and desperately wants to live, but knows she's going to die. There's a lot of angst in that, and I know I could write it with so much more emotional depth now than I did when I was 16. It's not a horribly-written story, but it could be a lot better. I don't think I would ever try to re-write it, though. I've found it's hard to stay inspired when re-writing something.
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How does everyone come up with scenarios? Tv? Real life events? Things you see in the neighborhood?
Honestly, I tend to draw inspiration from other stories, whether they're in fanfics, books, TV shows, or movies. I try not to copy other people's ideas, but a lot of my stories started off as a twist on something I'd read or seen.
Sometimes I just start with a genre or a type of story I'd like to write and see if I can come up with an idea for it.
Once I get the premise for the story figured out, I use more real life inspiration for the smaller scenarios, settings, and characters within the story.
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Honestly, I tend to draw inspiration from other stories, whether they're in fanfics, books, TV shows, or movies. I try not to copy other people's ideas, but a lot of my stories started off as a twist on something I'd read or seen.
Sometimes I just start with a genre or a type of story I'd like to write and see if I can come up with an idea for it.
Once I get the premise for the story figured out, I use more real life inspiration for the smaller scenarios, settings, and characters within the story.
I am the same way. All Of Your life was compleltly based off when i met my hubby in world of warcraft. And then i just added to that. Jane is based off my mil even though we all know nicks mom is terrible my mil isnt at times lol.
Southern Comfort came from watching the ID discovrry crime channel lol. But i watch a lot of tv so most of my ideas come from there. I have a hard time reading books i read poorly so its hard to get into a book sometimes
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What has been your best idea, but poorest execution? Meaning, the idea itself was good, but it could have been written so much better.
Sadly this is probably Running Up That Hill. I think the idea of writing something about the boys being on the Black and Blue break was good, with the additional insight of it being ten years after the fact (well uh it was when I started writing it LOL) but placing the restrictions of having each chapter be equal to one day of them break and having all 4 POVs in those chapters made it a very limiting way to tell the story and is definitely the reason it's taken me so long to finish it.
How does everyone come up with scenarios? Tv? Real life events? Things you see in the neighborhood?
My ideas come from a variety of places. Usually they come from songs, sometimes events in real life that I extrapolate and create a story around.
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Southern Comfort came from watching the ID discovrry crime channel lol.
Haha, that's awesome! I love the ID channel.
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Sadly this is probably Running Up That Hill. I think the idea of writing something about the boys being on the Black and Blue break was good, with the additional insight of it being ten years after the fact (well uh it was when I started writing it LOL) but placing the restrictions of having each chapter be equal to one day of them break and having all 4 POVs in those chapters made it a very limiting way to tell the story and is definitely the reason it's taken me so long to finish it.
*gasp* I disagree!! I can see why you would say the way you wrote it was limiting, and I do wish you would finish it, but once you do, it's going to be amazing! I wouldn't consider it poorly executed at all!
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Well thank you :) I have been working on it off and on lately, actually. I think I only have 6 or 7 chapters left to write before it's complete.
There's a question: What story took you the longest to write?
Because for me it's Running Up That Hill going on 4 years lol
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Oh yay!! That's great to hear! I didn't know if you were still working on it or not.
If I only count stories that are finished or definitely will be finished in the foreseeable future, the one that's taken me longest to write is Song for the Undead. Rose and I started writing it almost exactly six years ago and are hoping to be done by October.
On my own, By My Side and Secrets of the Heart both took me almost four years to finish. The difference was that I worked consistently on BMS that whole time, while Secrets was always just a side project until the summer I finished it.
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I think my answer is you..took me almost two years. I started it when I was pregnant...wor ked on it throughout my pregnancy...ha d Luke..got pregnant four months later with Alana.and it didnt get finished until a little after she was born...then took a six year hiatus on writing
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Lol my longest story to write is Undead. Bush was still president when we started that story :-P.
And I fully agree with Julie about Running Up That Hill.
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Thanks Rose :)
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Do you ever feel like everything you write reminds you of something else you've already written? I feel like I am always recycling storylines or at least certain elements from other stories.
What has been your most unique (for you) story and why?
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How does everyone come up with scenarios? Tv? Real life events? Things you see in the neighborhood?
It depends, sometimes I pull from real life events tat happen to the boys mostly. Like when they lived together in that house in London (Scattered Pictures) or when they were back together after their hiatus (Why Id' Do it all Again) but mostly things just kind of pop in my head, usually in the form of dreams.
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Do you ever feel like everything you write reminds you of something else you've already written? I feel like I am always recycling storylines or at least certain elements from other stories.
What has been your most unique (for you) story and why?
I really do, especially lately. I have a couple new ideas for novel-length fics but they're just very similar to things I've done in the past. I have used the friends to lovers and forbidden love tropes a few times each now. There were unique elements to each of those stories that made them different but I still felt like I was writing very similar scenes a lot of the time.
The one I just finished was probably the most unique for me because it was a cancer fic and I'd never written a medical drama before. All of that was new for me and because it felt fresh I really enjoyed writing it.
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I don't know if I recycle ideas. I have been on a serious bromance kick lately lol, but I still try to keep it fresh. By far my most unique is RMTW though, or Undead.
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Do you ever feel like everything you write reminds you of something else you've already written? I feel like I am always recycling storylines or at least certain elements from other stories.
What has been your most unique (for you) story and why?
I feel like I am constantly stealing my own ideas or sometimes I'll come up with a line and then think "Wait, did I use that already?" lol
As far as unique storyline. You're probably talking about novels and not short stories but I felt like my haunted house story was by far the most unique thing I've ever written. I have to say I've never written in a house's POV before. As far as novels, probably Whatever the Night May Bring because it was my first whirl at sci fi. Even though it's not really the most original storyline, for me it was... just because of the genre.
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Do you ever feel like everything you write reminds you of something else you've already written? I feel like I am always recycling storylines or at least certain elements from other stories.
What has been your most unique (for you) story and why?
all the freaking time! "All Of Your Life" & "My Answer Is You" is almost the same story really. Only difference is how Nick was met lol. My Answer is You was written while i was pregnant with Luke i was maybe only 2 months along or something like that. I came up with this storyline and I just ran with it.
All of Your Life was written on how my life is kinda based now. I really did meet Art in World of Warcraft...and I do have two kids...and I had miscarriages.. and my MIL can be a physco at times lol. So All Of Your Life is more unique i guess to me cause most of its "real" to me lol.
Right now Southern Comfort will be an interesting write as well once I get going on it. I got my idea from ID Discovery and I am excited to write it lol.
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I'm glad it's not just me! I think certain genres that tend to follow more of a "formula" give you that feeling. Steph, it's funny that you mentioned your medical drama because, for me, those are always the ones that give me that feeling like "I've written this before" - but that's because I probably have! Once you've written a few of those, it's kind of all the same old stuff with slightly different situations. I could see romance being the same way.
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As far as the unique storyline question, it could be any kind of story. The one that came to mind first for me is my short story Hybrid, the killer monkey one I wrote for the April Fool's challenge a few years ago. It was a sci-fi, which is not a genre I usually write it, and I wrote it in present tense, which is also not how I usually write, so that made it really unique for me.
If we're talking novels, mine would be 00Carter because of all the crazy action, suspense, and sci-fi stuff I've written for that - totally out of my element, but that's what makes it fun. I don't think I've ever had that feeling of "Haven't I written this before?" with that one LOL.
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Okay why did 00carter slip my mind? Lol. That story is definitely the most random novel I've been a part of.
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I was enjoying reading the conversation about concrit in the challenge suggestions thread and thought it would be a good topic to discuss more generally in here.
What has been the most helpful piece of constructive criticism you've gotten, and what has been the most (for lack of a better word) hurtful?
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Most creative story I have ever written? Not sure I have a answer for that one.
But for concrit, the worst one was not even in a review, it was something I saw online. It was said out of anger and although I finally did get an apology, someone saying your writing is shitty kind of affected me. I have not been able to get motivation to write since. I also know that my writing is NOT shitty, but it still hurt. I am my own worst critic.
The most helpful came from Rose during the reading challenge this summer. I have trouble with dialogue tags sometimes. I appreciate her trying to help me with that because I do want to be a better writer.
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None of the concrit was really hurtful i was just more or less sad. I didnt realize my writing had gone to crap so to speak. My grammar is all over the place lol. But Mare did help me figure some stuff out and i am exremely greatful :)
I am just my own wordt enemy when i write espeically when it was about my own personal experiences. Maybe another reason why i took it so hard.
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I wish I had an answer for concrit but sadly I really don't, fanfic wise. No one really ever gives me concrit. I'm not exactly sure why. I even make sure I submit my older stories just to get some thoughts about what I could have done better but it never really happens. I know I need improvement on things I just usually get people who focus on what's going on in the story instead of the actual writing, which I also enjoy! but for challenge purposes, especially on the older stories, it would be nice. I mean, I also get why sometimes things aren't mentioned because if you are someone who has read most of my stuff, you could probably see improvement in which case, it makes sense not to bring attention to things, but for people who hadn't read a whole lot of me and just had one of my really crappy stories like my Cough Medicine one to judge, it would be nice to hear someone say "Yikes! What was that all about?" lmao yes, I'm asking someone to tell me I suck!
I did greatly appreciate Erika and her feelings towards my over-use of Kevin calling Nick "Baby" That was and is incredibly creepy but at the time I thought it was endearing and saw lots of fanfics where he did that. LOL
Most helpful concrit didn't come from fanfic world but from Brian Thorton who is a fellow writer and editor. He suggested that I forget the word 'very' existed to try to force myself to come up with as many adjectives as possible to replace it. Same with any other word that you might use too many times. In my case it was very. lol
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I did greatly appreciate Erika and her feelings towards my over-use of Kevin calling Nick "Baby" That was and is incredibly creepy but at the time I thought it was endearing and saw lots of fanfics where he did that. LOL
You're welcome! Hahaha - the nickname "baby" irks me in general. :P
Mare, I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that people don't give you concrit on your older stories because they know that you have improved. This was especially true for me while I was reading you story for the challenge. I knew that it was an older story and I had read (and loved) Hope, so I already knew that you had grown as a writer. Also, I think that concrit is a bit harder to give when, as a reader, you are truly invested in the story line. If the plot is really interesting then I tend to gloss over small mistakes and just focus on what is happening to the characters.
Most helpful concrit didn't come from fanfic world but from Brian Thorton who is a fellow writer and editor. He suggested that I forget the word 'very' existed to try to force myself to come up with as many adjectives as possible to replace it. Same with any other word that you might use too many times. In my case it was very. lol
I love this piece of advice!
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Not to sound like I'm stroking my own ego but I do think all my story ideas are fairly creative ... though 00Carter is the most random HA!
The most hurtful 'concrit' I've received wasn't really what you'd think of of concrit... My mom asked my friend Amanda, when she was talking about helping me edit Chronos Project to maybe make it OF, if I learned how to write the middle of a story yet... ouch....
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You're welcome! Hahaha - the nickname "baby" irks me in general. :P
Mare, I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that people don't give you concrit on your older stories because they know that you have improved. This was especially true for me while I was reading you story for the challenge. I knew that it was an older story and I had read (and loved) Hope, so I already knew that you had grown as a writer. Also, I think that concrit is a bit harder to give when, as a reader, you are truly invested in the story line. If the plot is really interesting then I tend to gloss over small mistakes and just focus on what is happening to the characters.
I love this piece of advice!
As I was writing my reply to Julie's question, it kind of dawned on me that it was most likely that scenario because I have done the same thing. Also, I guess when a story is older people sometimes go into it thinking, well it's old it's not like what I have to say is going to make her change things... lol
When I read, most of the times I concentrate more on plot and storyline as well and less on grammar and technique unless the need occurs. If it's a really workable plot, I tend to ignore small things too. I just tend to get overly picky on the challenges. Eh, it's my job I guess. lol
Oh, Brian also said this - when writing in someone's POV, never use things like "He thought to himself" because that is already implied. Also avoid mentioning who the person is talking to if there is only one other person in the room.
Of course the huge one is try avoiding "he said" after a quote. "I really suck at that one!" I just said! LMAO
Instead put that person's name inside the quote even when it's multiple people it breaks up the monotony of he said , she said etc...
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Not to sound like I'm stroking my own ego but I do think all my story ideas are fairly creative ... though 00Carter is the most random HA!
The most hurtful 'concrit' I've received wasn't really what you'd think of of concrit... My mom asked my friend Amanda, when she was talking about helping me edit Chronos Project to maybe make it OF, if I learned how to write the middle of a story yet... ouch....
Your Mom said that? Ouch!
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The most helpful concrit I've gotten came when I was writing By My Side, and it was about characterizati on. BMS is my one big epic Nick romance, and I knew that in order to make it epic, I needed to break up Nick and Claire so I could bring them back together by the end of the story. There were some logical reasons for them to break up, but the way I went about it was all wrong. Never Gone had just come out, and I was in love with the song Siberia, and I was in my "song lyrics in stories" phase, so I decided to use the Siberia scenario for their break-up in the story... even though it went against everything Claire stood for as a character. She was set up as someone who said what she meant and would stand by Nick through anything, so there is no way she would have just up and left him with "just note left on the stairs." Except she did, because I made her. At least a couple of my more vocal readers were not very happy about that, and one of them told me quite bluntly what was wrong with that scenario. It was harsh, but it was honest, and it was true. I was probably kind of hurt by it at the time, but looking back, I know she was right. I learned a valuable lesson about being true to your characters and letting them take the lead instead of forcing them to do what you want them to do. I may be goddess of my little fanfic world, but I still want my characters to have free will.
Like Mare, I really haven't gotten a ton of concrit, and I can't think of anything that has just devastated me, but probably the most "hurtful" comment was someone comparing 00Carter to Agent Cody Banks LOL. Now, I haven't actually seen Agent Cody Banks, so maybe it was intended to be a compliment, but I don't think it was. I was a little bummed out by that because I love 00Carter. But I think it's easier to accept constructive criticism after the fact, for stories that you're farther removed from. Even though this was years ago, we're still writing 00Carter. BMS is old news by now, so even though I still love it, I can look back in hindsight and go, "Yeah, I shouldn't have done that. I would do it differently now."
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Not to sound like I'm stroking my own ego but I do think all my story ideas are fairly creative ... though 00Carter is the most random HA!
The most hurtful 'concrit' I've received wasn't really what you'd think of of concrit... My mom asked my friend Amanda, when she was talking about helping me edit Chronos Project to maybe make it OF, if I learned how to write the middle of a story yet... ouch....
Aww... moms can be so hurtful sometimes, without even realizing it. I won't let my mom read my writing for this reason, but on the rare occasion that it comes up, she'll say stuff like, "You're not still writing about the Backstreet Boys, are you? When are you going to write a real novel?" It's not like it really hurts my feelings because I know she just doesn't get it, and that's fine with me because, like I said, I don't want her reading my stuff anyway, but it's just annoying.
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at least your mom acknowledges that you can write. according to my mom, my brother J.P. is the author in the family. She just loves everything he's written. I've talked to my brother about this and he says that he doesn't know what she's talking about, he's read my stuff and thinks it's decent. I need to send him chapters of what he was reading now that I think about it... he's helping me edit.
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Aww. Well maybe you need to make your mom read your stuff so she can see what it's really like!
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The best piece of concrit I ever got was from Julie, actually. It was for "Born To Be", way before I realized I needed to stop, and figure out where it was going. She told me, if I remember right that she loved my descriptions. The world I was setting up and how vivid it all was. But she also pointed out I was having some tense issues and problems in the flow of my writing. I want to say this was at least six or seven years ago LOL. It got me to sit down and really examine my style of writing.
I really grew as a writer because of it.
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My mom was the only person who knew outside of the internet that I wrote fanfic. At first she didn't get it till I really explained it to her. (So she wouldn't think I was nuts LOL). Often she'd ask to read things and tell me what she thought. I didn't show her everything for obvious reasons LOL. Her favorite story was RMTW. She said I really should rewrite it and see where I could go with it as an OF. She'd also say me and my friend should try the same with Undead.
She was always convinced that one day I could get something out there as a writer. So if it ever does happen, I'm totally dedicating that first book to her.
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^ Aww, that's really awesome, Rose. :)
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Aww that's sweet!
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:). She also thought that Drums doll was one of the funniest things ever Julie LOL.
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My mom doesn't like the writing stuff. she feels most things I like to do are stupid. However my dad is very supportive, he even helped me with the ending to Figured You Out. He said when I won the Felix award I should print it out and frame it. He told my Aunt Nancy on the phone he was really proud of me for winning an award for my writing.
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My parents thought it was stupid too. My parents never supported anything i did anyway so fan fic was a release away i guess. My mother in law thinks i am a total basket case and i am lusting over them and its a sin blah blah blah. Art is the only person in my entire life that has ever given a crap and has supported me.
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My sister knows I write fanfic. She actually hasn't ever read any of it, but she also never really read my book. Not a really big reader, my sister. She doesn't really have an opinion one way or the other about it.
Two questions relating to this! (even though most of us just answered it. lol)
How many of your real life friends/family know about your fanfic writing?
Also
How different is your online fanfic/BSB obsessed author-self to the you who people see everyday? Do you keep your two worlds completely separated?
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They know i write fan fic like i said before mil thinks its lust and shouldnt be done since i am with Art parents think i need to grow up.
My two worlds arnt seperated. My computer has a bsb theme background and my ringtone is i want it that way. I probably dont seperate them because it was a time in my life when i was happy. I am happy now but there was no stress like there is now.
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Um I think I'm slightly crazier online. I'm not afraid to really go there with my dark humor. in the real world I'm little worried I might offend someone who doesn't know me well enough to know I'm kidding. My zombie love is well known lol, and my coworkers know I like BSB but perhaps not how far it goes. Like they have no clue I'm going on the BSB cruise, for example. Or how many times I've met the Boys, that sort of thing. And no one now knows I write fanfic.
So real world me is like...fanfic me lite?
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Rose and Rose zero! lol
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LMAO yes. I'm only at full "crazy" around those I've met through the fandom in person. Mainly because I know y'all won't judge me.
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My sister knows I write fanfic. She actually hasn't ever read any of it, but she also never really read my book. Not a really big reader, my sister. She doesn't really have an opinion one way or the other about it.
Two questions relating to this! (even though most of us just answered it. lol)
How many of your real life friends/family know about your fanfic writing?
Also
How different is your online fanfic/BSB obsessed author-self to the you who people see everyday? Do you keep your two worlds completely separated?
Figured I'd jump and join in on this convo, hahaha; kinda goes hand in hand with me being back.
When I first started writing, my family "kinda" knew I was writing fanfic... they knew how much I loved writing in general, and to them, they viewed me writing fanfic as an easier way to just get better with what I had loved to do. I wouldn't mind sharing with them at first, sometimes even reading the comedic stuff I had wrote to my sister and my sister actually getting a kick out of it. But, somewhere along the lines, that all changed and I wanted no one to know about me writing fanfics.
They all knew I was a huge Backstreet Boys fan back then; they'd buy me stuff and respected it. It was shortly after Black & Blue era, maybe pre Never Gone era, that I became a closet fan. No one knew I was on forums chatting about the guys or getting news about them, no one knew I still wrote or read fanfic... it was a world I was beginning to think no one would understand, and I didn't really want them to.
I won't say I'm BSB-obsessed, because I easily fall wayside with this fandom; case it point, being gone from everything for the last four years or so. And I was completely okay with that, but deep down inside, I was still a closet fan, lol. Seeing them and listening to their newer music didn't really strike my fancy, but it's slowly growing on me. Ya'll know I'm an AJ girl, and his fashion and looks as of late had me questioning like how did he become my favorite BSB, but once he opened his mouth to sing, I was quickly reminded of why, lmao. I'm just glad he trimmed his Osama looking beard again, lmao. I'm horrible, I know! Lol. I gotta admit, there was even a point where I had asked myself how I was even a fan in the first place; how was I chatting in forums or writing fanfics about them; but their music was my reminder.
No matter how bipolar I am with this fandom, no matter how far I stray or how long I stay away from this fandom, no matter how comfortable I am with not being as much as a fan as I once was, there's absolutely no denying the impact BSB has had on my life and in my generation. Having that said, and ending my dramatically epic speech, I live two separate lives when it comes to this. Back many years ago, when I first joined forums and fanfic, I didn't want people to know too much about me... not like I made stuff up about myself, lmao, it took me forever to disclose my actual first name (not sure if anyone remembers it, lmao), and I wouldn't want to post pics of myself and whatnot. Very few know who I am, what I look like, etc. If you were to actually know/see me, and its sad admitting this, you would have never guessed that I was a BSB fan, or on forums, or wrote fanfics. I keep it completely separate... except for the times that I'm feeling BSB music and want to put them on blast at work or at home or in my car or whatever, lol. I take everyone down memory lane with me, lmao. Like I said, blasting it at work, had all my coworkers reliving their preeny 90's self, and even caused our customers to be in better, happier moods waiting in line, even dancing! Lol. The power of music is great! ;)
But yes, my two worlds were definitely kept separate.
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I don't hide my BSB stuff really. Even on Facebook now and then I post about it but Twitter is more my fangirling spot. I am the same in real life but in real life I think I am more quiet. A lot of people know about my writing, most of them think it's cool. I get the occasional person who thinks I want to marry Nick now and then but most of the time it's good natured joking around.
One if my managers at work, the first thing she said to me last night when I saw her was "Nick followed your Twitter how excited were you?" lol
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aww lol
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I'm going to have to play question catch up!
The most valuable piece of concrit I received was being told that my stories started off too slowly based and caused the reader to lose interest. I definitely am a fan of the slow build, but hearing that made me realise that I needed my first chapters to have some kind of hook in them to get the reader's attention and not leave them wondering when the plot was going to start or if there was actually going to be one.
I don't know if I've ever received a piece of concrit that was really hard to swallow. I haven't ever received any criticism without having asked for it beforehand, so any time I've gotten it I've known what I was getting into and prepared myself for it. Though, the hardest piece of writing advice for me to follow has actually come from Stephen King's On Writing book. He says not to use adverbs and instead to use a stronger verb. My works are littered with adverbs so yeah... difficult.
How many of your real life friends/family know about your fanfic writing?
My family knows about my BSB fan fic writing. My boyfriend (who I live with) knows about both BSB and 1D because it's hard not to when you live with someone.
I also use sakabelle for all profiles and I have a couple of closer work friends who follow me on twitter. I generally don't talk about fan fic on there - I talk about writing but nothing very specific.
There was a moment a couple weeks ago where I brought my broken personal laptop into work and one of my friends was laughing at my broken keyboard asking how anyone could possibly wear out a laptop keyboard. Another one of the guys who follows me on twitter was like "She types a lot. Believe me." And then we shared a knowing look in which I told him to not speak another word about what he may know LOL.
How different is your online fanfic/BSB obsessed author-self to the you who people see everyday? Do you keep your two worlds completely separated?
I feel like I'm quieter online than I am in real life. At work and at home I'm very very chatty. I don't talk a lot on twitter or spark up conversations online really. I don't know why, I just feel a lot more awkward doing that online than I do in person.
I wouldn't say I keep my BSB obsessed self and online self separated. People know I like BSB. I don't really care. To a lesser extent they know I like One Direction as well but I would never broadcast that on facebook for example. But I have a group of pretty good friends at work so I don't really care if they know about my love of travelling for concerts.
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I really keep my two worlds very separate.
No one really knows I enjoy BSB as much as I do, let alone have a forum and run a site dedicated to them. Most of my real life friends think I'm completely computer illiterate. Which I am to a certain degree but maybe I play off of that a little more just to keep my fanfic batman identity a secret. They all know I'm a writer but not of fan fiction. And no one calls me Mare. I'm Marianne to everyone. The ironic thing is, If I was honest, I could probably get hooked up. LOL
Personality wise I'm pretty much the same across the board. Although I am not as assertive in my real life. I am just as anal and tend to be the first to always be done with my grades, planning, always first and waiting for my friends etc...
I did the same thing Reb did at first. I really didn't want anyone to know what I looked like and what my real name was and any real information, that's why I called myself Mare. It took me a really long time to share pictures of myself. I think once I realized that none of you were ax murderers I started to feel more comfortable. Back then there was a real stigma with just talking to people online without really knowing them. I may have told a few white lies when I first started out in this fandom which I never bothered to correct. But when I went into this forever ago, I never expected to forge real bonds with people. Who knew, right? LOL
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How many of your real life friends/family know about your fanfic writing?
Also
How different is your online fanfic/BSB obsessed author-self to the you who people see everyday? Do you keep your two worlds completely separated?
My parents and sister are the only ones in my real life who know I write BSB fanfic. I still shared a room with my sister when I started writing, so it was hard to do it without her knowing. She was a fan way back in the day, so I know I showed her some of my early stories. She made fun of me, but not in a mean way. She actually wrote a short story that I hosted on my site when I first started it; it was a spoof of the kind of stories I wrote. I wish I still had that, cause it was pretty funny for her only being about twelve at the time.
I have never talked about fanfic with my dad, but I'm pretty sure he knows I have a site and all that because my mom definitely does. I don't talk about it with her either because she doesn't understand, but it's come up before. She bought my domain originally because I was only sixteen and didn't have a credit card, though I had to pay her back each month LOL.
Other than that, I have always written under a pen name to keep my identity secret from my real life friends. When I was in college, I lived in a dorm for two years and then in an apartment with three friends for a year, and none of my roommates ever knew. Luckily, my dorm roommate was a dancer and always had rehearsals at night, so I would write while she was gone. I had my own room in the apartment, so that was easier. But that was back when I was writing Broken and BMS, and I had like over a hundred links about cancer and amputations and whatnot bookmarked, and I was so paranoid about one of the roommates or their friends getting on my laptop while I was at class and seeing that shit that I had that thing on lockdown - password protected, hidden folders, and all that. It's nice not to have to worry about that anymore LOL.
I keep my two worlds fairly separate. My real life friends know that I like the Backstreet Boys, but they have no idea how obsessed I really am, let alone that I write fan fiction about them. My closest friends and family know that I have a pretty twisted sense of humor, but I save my dark, dramatic side for fanfic. If people in my real life knew how much time I spent writing about Backstreet Boys having cancer or HIV or losing limbs or dying in funny ways, they would be like, WTF? So I save my weirdness for all you other weird people who seem to get it and even enjoy it LOL.
I post stuff about my personal life online from time to time, but being a teacher, I am also careful to keep some things private. I don't want my students to be able to find me, just as I don't want random strangers on the internet knowing exactly where I live and work. I just feel better about keeping it separate.
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I really keep my two worlds very separate.
No one really knows I enjoy BSB as much as I do, let alone have a forum and run a site dedicated to them. Most of my real life friends think I'm completely computer illiterate. Which I am to a certain degree but maybe I play off of that a little more just to keep my fanfic batman identity a secret. They all know I'm a writer but not of fan fiction. And no one calls me Mare. I'm Marianne to everyone. The ironic thing is, If I was honest, I could probably get hooked up. LOL
Personality wise I'm pretty much the same across the board. Although I am not as assertive in my real life. I am just as anal and tend to be the first to always be done with my grades, planning, always first and waiting for my friends etc...
I did the same thing Reb did at first. I really didn't want anyone to know what I looked like and what my real name was and any real information, that's why I called myself Mare. It took me a really long time to share pictures of myself. I think once I realized that none of you were ax murderers I started to feel more comfortable. Back then there was a real stigma with just talking to people online without really knowing them. I may have told a few white lies when I first started out in this fandom which I never bothered to correct. But when I went into this forever ago, I never expected to forge real bonds with people. Who knew, right? LOL
LOL yeah the only thing I really used to use back in the day was my real first name. Mainly because Rose could easier be a first name or a random username. I didn't really share any pictures of myself online. At least, not until the whole karaoke thing happened. After that there was just no point because I found pics of myself doing that on random freaking fansites, videos were on youtube, etc. At that point I gave up LOL.
Thankfully no one in my real life knows about that, or to look for it, besides my parents. Oddly enough when my mom and dad heard about it they both thought it was like the coolest thing ever. Which it was LOL. I just didn't think they'd agree.
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aww lol
I smile like an idiot whenever someone said that. This older lady I am friends with on Facebook asked me the day it happened when I came into work "your lover boy followed you!" things like that make me so happy that people are supportive.
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So real world me is like...fanfic me lite?
I feel that way too, like I am most "myself" online, which is really kind of sad LOL. I have always been kind of shy and reserved in real life, though, and I'm not like that online. I care too much about what people think of me in real life, whereas I don't worry about being judged by random people on the internet because I know who my real friends are and who gets me, and that's all that matters. But I wish I could be more open like that in real life. Then again, I might scare people LOL. And while there aren't many consequences online, there are in real life, especially when you work with children and are supposed to be seen as a role model. I think some of the shit I write would make people wonder about me in real life LOL.
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I feel that way too, like I am most "myself" online, which is really kind of sad LOL. I have always been kind of shy and reserved in real life, though, and I'm not like that online. I care too much about what people think of me in real life, whereas I don't worry about being judged by random people on the internet because I know who my real friends are and who gets me, and that's all that matters. But I wish I could be more open like that in real life. Then again, I might scare people LOL. And while there aren't many consequences online, there are in real life, especially when you work with children and are supposed to be seen as a role model. I think some of the shit I write would make people wonder about me in real life LOL.
LOL awww.
Yeah I know a lot of the stuff I/we say or joke about might get people wondering wtf is wrong with us and we don't need that. I've gotten better over the years but I used to be shy in person as well. It's funny, cause like just before we first met in person I was scared LOL. Because I wasn't sure how we'd vibe in real life or if I could still be like my random crazy self. Obviously that wasn't a problem but it's funny how online you can just be you without any issues because there's less consequences.
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I am a bit reserved in real life too Julie, it takes me a minute to get comfortable with people because of my social anxiety, but once I do I am like how I am on Twitter. Twitter has helped me be more comfortable with talking to people and I am working on that in real life too.
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It was shortly after Black & Blue era, maybe pre Never Gone era, that I became a closet fan. No one knew I was on forums chatting about the guys or getting news about them, no one knew I still wrote or read fanfic... it was a world I was beginning to think no one would understand, and I didn't really want them to.
This is when it changed for me too. During the Millennium era, everyone liked the Backstreet Boys. All my friends were fans, my sister was a fan, even my parents and grandparents put up with them because they knew how much we liked them. When I first discovered fanfic, I showed all my friends, and we actually read it together. I just never told them when I started writing it.
By the time Black & Blue came out, most of my friends had moved on. We had started high school, and I guess they sort of grew out of the BSB thing, and I didn't. So that's when I became more of a closet fan because I felt like I was being immature for still loving this boyband so much. Now I'm a lot more open about liking them because it's become kind of cool again, like a 90s nostalgia thing. I don't care so much about people judging my taste in music; I get that most adults still like the music they grew up on, and for me, that's BSB. But the fanfic thing takes it to another level, so I will always keep that in the closet LOL.
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Dude I freaking love how 90s nostalgia is cool again. I hid my fandom from NG till the last couple years or so. Thanks to the nostalgia and "This Is The End", it's okay to openly like them again. I don't get judged for it the way I was around B&B so I acted like I moved on LOL.
Fanfic will stay in the closet though. It's just not something I want to share openly.
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Though, the hardest piece of writing advice for me to follow has actually come from Stephen King's On Writing book. He says not to use adverbs and instead to use a stronger verb. My works are littered with adverbs so yeah... difficult.
I've read this book too, and it's good, and I love Stephen King, but I don't think adverbs are so bad. Obviously, strong verbs are great, but I don't think adverbs are terrible unless you structure every sentence exactly the same way, always subject verb adverb. J.K. Rowling has been criticized for overusing adverbs, as well as overusing dialogue tags like "said," which Mare mentioned earlier, and I think she's a brilliant writer.
I think the main thing is to vary your sentence structure so it's not repetitive. Use dialogue tags when you need them, but not after every line of dialogue, and change them up, so it's not always just "said." But I think "said" is okay sometimes. It's simple, and simple can be good. It sounds silly when you go out of your way to find alternate words, when "said" would suffice.
(And when I say "your," I don't mean YOU specifically, Steph, but anyone reading this. Just general advice!)
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I did the same thing Reb did at first. I really didn't want anyone to know what I looked like and what my real name was and any real information, that's why I called myself Mare. It took me a really long time to share pictures of myself. I think once I realized that none of you were ax murderers I started to feel more comfortable. Back then there was a real stigma with just talking to people online without really knowing them. I may have told a few white lies when I first started out in this fandom which I never bothered to correct. But when I went into this forever ago, I never expected to forge real bonds with people. Who knew, right? LOL
Same here. I was obviously still a minor when I started posting my fanfic, as many of you were, and I was paranoid about talking to strangers online. There was definitely more of a stigma to it than there is now that social media is a thing. Back then, it was just email and IM. I made up a fake name and fake birthday and fake names for my family. I think I may have even had a fake dog at one point? LOL That was more me being 14 and silly than me being paranoid, but I am glad I at least kept the pen name now that I'm a teacher because it keeps my kiddos from finding me. But it made it really awkward when I did start making actual friends online and then had to find some way to tell them I had lied to them about my name and so on. Luckily, they all understood, and some of them had done the same thing too. But for real, who knew we would end up making such good, lifelong friendships out of this silly fanfic thing? LOL
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LOL awww.
Yeah I know a lot of the stuff I/we say or joke about might get people wondering wtf is wrong with us and we don't need that. I've gotten better over the years but I used to be shy in person as well. It's funny, cause like just before we first met in person I was scared LOL. Because I wasn't sure how we'd vibe in real life or if I could still be like my random crazy self. Obviously that wasn't a problem but it's funny how online you can just be you without any issues because there's less consequences.
Yeah, meeting online friends in person for the first time is always an interesting experience. It doesn't really faze me anymore, but the first couple of times, I was definitely nervous. It's weird because you feel like you've known this person for a long time, you talk every night, and yet, you've never actually been in the same room before. And sometimes people are different from how you imagine them when you're just typing back and forth. I'm glad we clicked in real life too; it would have been sad if we hadn't!
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Have you guys met online/fanfic friends in real life? If so, who was the first one you met, and what was it like?
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Yeah, meeting online friends in person for the first time is always an interesting experience. It doesn't really faze me anymore, but the first couple of times, I was definitely nervous. It's weird because you feel like you've known this person for a long time, you talk every night, and yet, you've never actually been in the same room before. And sometimes people are different from how you imagine them when you're just typing back and forth. I'm glad we clicked in real life too; it would have been sad if we hadn't!
I know! And yes, it would've been very sad. But it did so hooray!
:wave:
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I've met online friends before I met fanfic ones. The first time I met any was on the first BSB cruise and it was mainly people I'd known from LD or TDS. I was very new to meeting people I'd known online for so long.
The first fanfic person I met was Erin/ForeverFrick cause she ran into me on the cruise but it was a short meeting LOL. So like in "real" meetings, I'd say you Julie, Julilly, Sakabelle, Jen, basically everyone I ran into on the 2011 cruise. Before that I'd never met anyone from the fanfic world in person. It's been crazy in an awesome way.
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The first online friend I actually met in real life was Laureen. She doesn't write fanfic, so some of you don't know her, but she does read it and had read my stuff and sent me feedback, which is how I got to know most of my online friends LOL. Anyway, we used to chat on AIM just about every night, and she lives just a couple of hours north of me and had gone to a lot of the Chicago shows I'd gone to, so we finally decided we needed to go to a show together. That was in 2008. It was the first time I drove up to Chicagoland for a show by myself, which was really nerve-wracking, but the experience of going with another devoted fan instead of one of my family members or a friend I'd dragged along was totally worth it. It was weird because she was different than how I'd imagined her from her IMs, but we still got along great and are still friends today; I just hung out with her this past weekend, actually.
The second one I met in real life was Jen (FrickFrackGirl) later that month for another Unbreakable show, and then I don't think I met anyone else until the 2011 cruise, which is when I met Rose, Steph, Julilly, Hannah, and a bunch of people!
We really do need to have an AC convention someday for people who can't do the cruises!
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The first time I met anybody was last cruise. I met Sakabelle, Julilly, Julie, foreverfrick, and Jennay too. I was really really nervous because of my anxiety. I think I didn't talk enough lol. I am sorry! But it was super amazing meeting everyone for the first time.
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The first online friend I actually met in real life was Laureen. She doesn't write fanfic, so some of you don't know her, but she does read it and had read my stuff and sent me feedback, which is how I got to know most of my online friends LOL. Anyway, we used to chat on AIM just about every night, and she lives just a couple of hours north of me and had gone to a lot of the Chicago shows I'd gone to, so we finally decided we needed to go to a show together. That was in 2008. It was the first time I drove up to Chicagoland for a show by myself, which was really nerve-wracking, but the experience of going with another devoted fan instead of one of my family members or a friend I'd dragged along was totally worth it. It was weird because she was different than how I'd imagined her from her IMs, but we still got along great and are still friends today; I just hung out with her this past weekend, actually.
The second one I met in real life was Jen (FrickFrackGirl) later that month for another Unbreakable show, and then I don't think I met anyone else until the 2011 cruise, which is when I met Rose, Steph, Julilly, Hannah, and a bunch of people!
We really do need to have an AC convention someday for people who can't do the cruises!
Yes we do! And since everyone wants to come to Vegas I'm very okay with this LOL.
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Vegas seems like a good place to go because it's easy to find cheap flights there even in areas like mine that don't have direct flights to a lot of cities. I'm speaking for people in the States, of course. I would love to meet people from outside North America, too, but that would be a lot more expensive.
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went to Vegas when I was like 21. I loved it out there. Been meaning to go back.
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Have you guys met online/fanfic friends in real life? If so, who was the first one you met, and what was it like?
The only person I've ever met through this fandom was Sel (luna610). It was actually through LD, and I found out that we both resided on the same island, not too far from each other! Then, it just so happened that the boys were coming down to Hawaii for the PGA tour, and Sel talked about wanting to go to see Brian and AJ. She had asked me to go with her, but I had explained that I didn't want to meet them, as crazy as that sounds, which most of ya'll know that side with me, lol.
Anywho, she told me that she had two tickets cause her husband was supposed to go but ended up not going or whatever, which left her with an extra ticket that she wanted me to go with her and use. From there, we decided to meet up over coffee at Starbucks near where I lived (during this time, I only had my permit and didn't have my own car). She drove out to me, and I took my parent's car to meet up with her. Now, this is when the story gets crazy funny:
So, on my way out, I noticed a cop tailing me behind; I was nervous because I only had my permit with no license driver, but thought nothing of it. As soon as I had pulled out onto the main road, the cop flashed his lights and signaled me to pull over. I was seriously ready to gas it and run from the cops, lmao!! He pulled me over for an expired safety and found out that I was driving with only my permit. While he had gone back to his cruiser, I called Sel and had explained to her what had happened... my first time ever meeting up with a fellow fan ended up with me being pulled over by the cops, lmao!! Luckily, the cop let me go and I had met up with Sel at Starbucks and had her follow me back to my place. There, we just sat outside and talked about the fandom and about going to the PGA tour, lol.
I'mma text Sel tomorrow and have her join in on this convo, lmao! I texted her today talking about the fandom... I totes miss that girl. :( She was the only fellow fan I've ever met, and she's the reason why I had gone, met and took pictures with AJ and Brian; hell, she gave me a ticket that was paid for, wanting nothing in return! For those of you who don't know, I don't want to meet the boys and didn't want to take pictures with them when they came down to Hawaii; Sel was the one that talked me into taking a picture with them because I would forever regret not doing it. I'm forever indebted to that woman. <3
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I really keep my two worlds very separate.
No one really knows I enjoy BSB as much as I do, let alone have a forum and run a site dedicated to them. Most of my real life friends think I'm completely computer illiterate. Which I am to a certain degree but maybe I play off of that a little more just to keep my fanfic batman identity a secret. They all know I'm a writer but not of fan fiction. And no one calls me Mare. I'm Marianne to everyone. The ironic thing is, If I was honest, I could probably get hooked up. LOL
Personality wise I'm pretty much the same across the board. Although I am not as assertive in my real life. I am just as anal and tend to be the first to always be done with my grades, planning, always first and waiting for my friends etc...
I did the same thing Reb did at first. I really didn't want anyone to know what I looked like and what my real name was and any real information, that's why I called myself Mare. It took me a really long time to share pictures of myself. I think once I realized that none of you were ax murderers I started to feel more comfortable. Back then there was a real stigma with just talking to people online without really knowing them. I may have told a few white lies when I first started out in this fandom which I never bothered to correct. But when I went into this forever ago, I never expected to forge real bonds with people. Who knew, right? LOL
I feel a twinning action going on right here Mare, lmao!! Everything from our alter egos to our roller coaster fandom... our differences being you're one of the best writers I know and you don't take years to update; nor do you particularly fall off the face of the earth like I did! :P Lol.
I kinda like having it kept separate, a secret life so to speak, lol. I like the mysterious person I've created for forum purposes, but how I am here isn't very far from who I am. I'm just as crazy and talkative, and I love to make people laugh. Like I said, only a good handful of people know what I look like and know about my personal life, you wouldn't think I've chat on fandom forums and wrote fanfic. Before, when people first started calling me Reb (for the life of me I can't figure out who dubbed me with that name, lol) I was just like maybe I should just give my real name, it wouldn't hurt... but the name really stuck with me ever since, and I've come to love this alter ego known as Reb; gets me excited and makes me happy whenever I see it, lol.
I had a different penname for Vaffel (I think it had rebel in it somewhere, lol) and had changed it when I came over to AC; simply put, it was during my rebellious years of trying to figure out and find who I was, but not wanting to blend in with the norm and I'd do whatever to stand out in my own way; guess that's another reason why I really love the name Reb that was given to me, lol.
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Same here. I was obviously still a minor when I started posting my fanfic, as many of you were, and I was paranoid about talking to strangers online. There was definitely more of a stigma to it than there is now that social media is a thing. Back then, it was just email and IM. I made up a fake name and fake birthday and fake names for my family. I think I may have even had a fake dog at one point? LOL That was more me being 14 and silly than me being paranoid, but I am glad I at least kept the pen name now that I'm a teacher because it keeps my kiddos from finding me. But it made it really awkward when I did start making actual friends online and then had to find some way to tell them I had lied to them about my name and so on. Luckily, they all understood, and some of them had done the same thing too. But for real, who knew we would end up making such good, lifelong friendships out of this silly fanfic thing? LOL
I know! I never thought I would forge these bonds. So, when you see these people in real life do they call you Julie or use your real name? I've always wondered about that. LOL
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I have met four people online.
The first people I met were Amy, Kat and her good BSB friend Stacey. I had been talking to Kat for years and when I decided to go back to Nashville for a visit while Brian's HHC golf Tournament was going on. Kat and Stacey were going to the event as well as Amy so we all met at the hotel and hung out together. I was nervous because it is kind of a nerve wracking thing, wondering if it will feel weird or strange but we just kind of clicked. We ended up spending all our time together. I drove them all over Nashville and showed them everything. It was a blast. Kat, Stacey and I also did a weekend at Hershey Park, and Scranton to see the boys and we all went to the Poconos during Thanksgiving break with Kat's parents and her older brother.
I have also met Maria which was AWESOME! She came out to see me during last year's Christmas break since she has family that lives in Jersey. Again I was nervous because even though I consider her one of my best online friends, English is not her first language and I was so afraid there would be a language barrier but not at all. We spent HOURS just talking! I'm hoping she'll make it up this way again this year. I ALMOST got to meet Julilly face to face. She was stopping in Buffalo during her marathon trip, but I missed her by one day!
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Vegas would be nice. I know I probably can't afford it, but it seems like a more likely possibility than a cruise ever would be. As long as it wasn't anytime soon like within the nest two or more years.
You can all come and have a convention in my apartment! LOL I would definitely be able to show up to that one!
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I know! I never thought I would forge these bonds. So, when you see these people in real life do they call you Julie or use your real name? I've always wondered about that. LOL
It's really funny cause the first time we met in person I think I called her Julie by accident once or twice. After that it's been a non-issue LOL. Calling her Julie in person just feels weird. I have her by her real name in my phone and everything. But it'd feel SO weird calling her anything but Julie on yahoo or online in general. So, go figure.
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Vegas would be nice. I know I probably can't afford it, but it seems like a more likely possibility than a cruise ever would be. As long as it wasn't anytime soon like within the nest two or more years.
You can all come and have a convention in my apartment! LOL I would definitely be able to show up to that one!
Does it help most flights here are cheap cause Vegas wants tourists? It'd end up a lot cheaper than a cruise.
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Does it help most flights here are cheap cause Vegas wants tourists? It'd end up a lot cheaper than a cruise.
a tiny but but also hotel/food etc... It's more of a not totally out of the question thing at least. It's only semi out of the question. LOL
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I've read this book too, and it's good, and I love Stephen King, but I don't think adverbs are so bad. Obviously, strong verbs are great, but I don't think adverbs are terrible unless you structure every sentence exactly the same way, always subject verb adverb. J.K. Rowling has been criticized for overusing adverbs, as well as overusing dialogue tags like "said," which Mare mentioned earlier, and I think she's a brilliant writer.
I think the main thing is to vary your sentence structure so it's not repetitive. Use dialogue tags when you need them, but not after every line of dialogue, and change them up, so it's not always just "said." But I think "said" is okay sometimes. It's simple, and simple can be good. It sounds silly when you go out of your way to find alternate words, when "said" would suffice.
(And when I say "your," I don't mean YOU specifically, Steph, but anyone reading this. Just general advice!)
That is great advice, Julie! I definitely try my best to steer away from the adverbs especially in dialogue tags. Actually every time I use "said" I try to change it. One of my high school English teachers had a poster on her wall that was titled "Said is Dead" (LOL) and it listed out a whole bunch of other verbs to use in its place. I think back to that poster often, haha.
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Have you guys met online/fanfic friends in real life? If so, who was the first one you met, and what was it like?
I think the first people I met off of AC were Ashley and Rachel in Minneapolis back during the Unbreakable tour. I didn't actually hang out with them that much because I wanted to roam around and see the state fair and they wanted to chill out by the venue and wait for the boys.
However when Julia and I met up to go see NKOTBSB it was sort of on a whim. I didn't want to go to another BSB show alone so I asked if she was going to the Toronto show. She said she was and we ended up going to so many shows after that and clicked pretty much instantly. So that was wicked.
I have met a whole bunch of other people through cruising as well - Julie, Rose, Tracy, Chrissy, Jen, Hannah. It's sort of a weird experience having all your online friends in the same room! I remember having the urge to check twitter (because I am a terrible addict) when we were at that mexican restaurant in 2011 and realising that 90% of the people whose tweets I cared about were sitting right there.
Also, I am suuuuuper stoked because this summer I finally get to meet up with my friend Jess who is my 1D partner in crime. We are going to a show in Chicago and I often forget about the concert when I think about my excitement for that. LOL.
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I have never met fanfic friends in real life. I dont have a lot of good friends period lol. It takes me so long to warm up to someone and when i finally have i grt hurt. As much talking i do online i still tend to back off a bit. I also live in missouri and who would want to come here? Lol.
I feel talking online is easier for me because no one knows who i am or what i look like. (Very self causous lol) and i rarly post my real name with the exeption on facebook lol.
I am probably the only one likr this. I am weird lol
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a tiny but but also hotel/food etc... It's more of a not totally out of the question thing at least. It's only semi out of the question. LOL
My Aunt lives in Vegas. I can stay with her if I want to. I went for a week last time I was out there. Stuff is not too expensive when cost of a hotel is eliminated but if people Chipped in for a hotel together that helps reduce the cost too. That's what I am doing for my Florida trip.
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I've not met any of my fanfic friends online but I was "stalked" by Karin, Mautim, online. She found out that me and a couple other girls lived in Colorado and wanted to meet. I was a bit freaked cause of all the internet stuff and predators and what not but I decided to risk it and she came to my house. She was gutsy for coming to my place too, I could have been a predator... ha!
oh wait, I HAVE met Dee, I totally forgot about her... yeah... lol met her on AC and found out she was in Colorado and met up with her...
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I know! I never thought I would forge these bonds. So, when you see these people in real life do they call you Julie or use your real name? I've always wondered about that. LOL
They call me by my real name, but I know I am in some people's phones as "Julie-my real name" LOL. I don't really care either way; I'll answer to anything.
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That is great advice, Julie! I definitely try my best to steer away from the adverbs especially in dialogue tags. Actually every time I use "said" I try to change it. One of my high school English teachers had a poster on her wall that was titled "Said is Dead" (LOL) and it listed out a whole bunch of other verbs to use in its place. I think back to that poster often, haha.
That's awesome! I have a poster like that in my room too that my kids love. This past year, we made a graveyard of overused words around Halloween. They worked in groups to make tombstones ("Said is Dead" was my example) for each overused words and wrote "juicier" synonyms underneath it.
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I'm gonna go ahead and post Reb's questions from the other thread in here:
What was your guys' favorite "old school fanfic" method/plot to read? Do you guys think there were more of those kind of plots back then versus now; if so, why do you think that is?
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Here is another question...and i am only asking cause i am sittig here thinking about it. Have you ever found a scene that is just hard to write? Like no matter how much you try it just doesnt seem right?
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I'm gonna go ahead and post Reb's questions from the other thread in here:
What was your guys' favorite "old school fanfic" method/plot to read? Do you guys think there were more of those kind of plots back then versus now; if so, why do you think that is?
I didnt read a whole lot of old school to be honest. But i know there were a ton or romance...now i think there is a lot but a lot of people are writing more suspence. There is only so much happy ever after stuff people can take.
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I'm gonna go ahead and post Reb's questions from the other thread in here:
What was your guys' favorite "old school fanfic" method/plot to read? Do you guys think there were more of those kind of plots back then versus now; if so, why do you think that is?
My favorite old school plot was the kidnapping one. One or more of the guys get kidnapped and have to figure out a way out! I prefer them all to be in deep doo-doo as opposed to just one. LOL It was always more fun seeing them try to figure a way out of their jam together.
There are way less of these nowadays, like I said in the other thread, because now real life gets in the way. Now that they all are married and have kids, it makes it tough to give realistic reasons as to why they would constantly be sans those people.
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Here is another question...and i am only asking cause i am sittig here thinking about it. Have you ever found a scene that is just hard to write? Like no matter how much you try it just doesnt seem right?
My God, yes! Last summer when I was writing Hope.
There were a lot of scenes in the crashed van. One scene I had a hell of a time writing was when the wolves finally showed up and jumped on top of it. My main problem was I kept visualizing this stupid van different ways and in my head it was a lot bigger than it actually was meant to be. Like almost tour bus big! I had it sitting on its side and because of that, I had a real problem with consistency when it came to those damn wolves jumping up on the hood of the van since they would have really needed suction cups on their feet to do that! Ugh that damn van gave me nightmares! LOL
I tried my hardest to change my mind but since I started writing that story, that scene had always been stuck in my head and you know how it goes, when you have something stuck in your head! I was just thinking "Welp, maybe they won't notice!" LOL
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My top three favorite old-school plots were the kidnapping stories, the crash stories (bus, car, plane - loved them all!), and the Brian heart problem stories. I read so many of those!
I agree, Mare, it's definitely harder to come up with situations in which you can get the Boys all together without any of the family members around. I love that they rented that house in London to write for IAWLT because it shows that the scenario of having them go somewhere all together to get away or get some work done is still realistic.
But remember the teenybopper stories that had them all living in the same house? Usually right next door to the house that Mary Sue and her four BFFs lived in? And across the street from NSYNC's house? LOL
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LMAO I can honestly say I have never read a story like that!
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My God, yes! Last summer when I was writing Hope.
There were a lot of scenes in the crashed van. One scene I had a hell of a time writing was when the wolves finally showed up and jumped on top of it. My main problem was I kept visualizing this stupid van different ways and in my head it was a lot bigger than it actually was meant to be. Like almost tour bus big! I had it sitting on its side and because of that, I had a real problem with consistency when it came to those damn wolves jumping up on the hood of the van since they would have really needed suction cups on their feet to do that! Ugh that damn van gave me nightmares! LOL
I tried my hardest to change my mind but since I started writing that story, that scene had always been stuck in my head and you know how it goes, when you have something stuck in your head! I was just thinking "Welp, maybe they won't notice!" LOL
I didn't notice! LOL
I am anal about that kind of stuff too, trying to be exciting but also realistic. I remember when I was writing one of the early chapters of Song for the Undead, I had two characters trapped in a car, surrounded by zombies, and I was going to have them crawl out of the moonroof. I started to write it, and then I was like, I wonder if they would really be able to get through the moonroof quickly enough to escape the zombies? So I drove out into the country late at night, parked my car alongside a cornfield, and climbed out my moonroof just to make sure it could be done LOL.
What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've done for the sake of a story?
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LMAO I can honestly say I have never read a story like that!
I really did read at least one story that was just like that. There was a girlband, and they lived next to the Backstreet Boys, who all lived in the same house, and NSYNC lived by them too. They all went on tour together, and each girl had a love triangle with a Backstreet Boy and an NSYNC member. And I read the whole damn story. It was like a poorly-written boyband fanfic soap opera.
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Here is another question...and i am only asking cause i am sittig here thinking about it. Have you ever found a scene that is just hard to write? Like no matter how much you try it just doesnt seem right?
I cannot think of a specific scene right now, so my short answer is yes, this happens to me all the time. Usually I'm able to work through it and it turns out okay, though. I'm trying to think of a scene I had to scrap because it wouldn't turn out the way I wanted it to...
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I didn't notice! LOL
I am anal about that kind of stuff too, trying to be exciting but also realistic. I remember when I was writing one of the early chapters of Song for the Undead, I had two characters trapped in a car, surrounded by zombies, and I was going to have them crawl out of the moonroof. I started to write it, and then I was like, I wonder if they would really be able to get through the moonroof quickly enough to escape the zombies? So I drove out into the country late at night, parked my car alongside a cornfield, and climbed out my moonroof just to make sure it could be done LOL.
What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've done for the sake of a story?
WOW that's hardcore right there! I would have loved it if a policeman saw you and asked you what you were doing. "Well Officer...I'm practicing just in case a zombie attack were to happen and I had to escape out of my moon roof!" LMAO
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WOW that's hardcore right there! I would have loved it if a policeman saw you and asked you what you were doing. "Well Officer...I'm practicing just in case a zombie attack were to happen and I had to escape out of my moon roof!" LMAO
LOL I know, right! That's why I made sure I did it late at night in the middle of nowhere, so no one would see me and be like, WTF?
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I don't think I've ever done anything that crazy actually. I guess the most I do is say my dialogue out loud before I type it up so I'm sure my neighbors either think I have multiple personality disorder or think I'm talking on the phone to people who constantly get themselves into hot water!
Who is this Nick and why is he always getting kidnapped? LOL
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^ LOL! Poor Nick. I will say dialogue out loud sometimes too, not all the time, but usually just when I'm trying to figure out if it sounds right or not.
If the car thing was my craziest, probably the weirdest thing I've done is when I was writing Broken, I would walk around my dorm room trying to imagine what it would be like to walk with a prosthetic leg so I could describe it from Nick's perspective. LOL Nowadays I could just watch a video, but this was back before YouTube was a thing.
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I didn't notice! LOL
I am anal about that kind of stuff too, trying to be exciting but also realistic. I remember when I was writing one of the early chapters of Song for the Undead, I had two characters trapped in a car, surrounded by zombies, and I was going to have them crawl out of the moonroof. I started to write it, and then I was like, I wonder if they would really be able to get through the moonroof quickly enough to escape the zombies? So I drove out into the country late at night, parked my car alongside a cornfield, and climbed out my moonroof just to make sure it could be done LOL.
What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've done for the sake of a story?
Dude I didn't know you did that. That's hilarious and awesome!
Craziest thing I've done for a story. Hmm... There is a mental hospital that wasn't far from where I knew the community college to be. I had to go in and volunteer anyway as part of an assignment. So I did ask if I could see or work around the dementia patients because I was in the early stages of writing Remember Me This Way. (I'd told them it was because I was also doing a paper on it, which was true too LOL). I wanted to witness it for myself. One ended up being an alzheimer's patient which worked out perfectly. So I did see some of it first hand so I could apply some of those behaviors later.
I don't think I would've done it had it not been an assignment but I did use it to my advantage.
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I talk out my dialogue all the time to make sure it sounds right. My family had long ago become used to it back when I was a teenager LOL.
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Dude I didn't know you did that. That's hilarious and awesome!
Craziest thing I've done for a story. Hmm... There is a mental hospital that wasn't far from where I knew the community college to be. I had to go in and volunteer anyway as part of an assignment. So I did ask if I could see or work around the dementia patients because I was in the early stages of writing Remember Me This Way. (I'd told them it was because I was also doing a paper on it, which was true too LOL). I wanted to witness it for myself. One ended up being an alzheimer's patient which worked out perfectly. So I did see some of it first hand so I could apply some of those behaviors later.
I don't think I would've done it had it not been an assignment but I did use it to my advantage.
Hey, why not? Field research!