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[RokofAges75]

The thing is, I was a late starter to fanfic and only discovered it in 2007 (god knows how I never came across it before).  Anyway, on the site I discovered fanfic, all the writers there wrote about themselves with their favourite member of Take That, all the stories were romance and all had banners with the author's picture.  I thought that was the way it was done, lol.

That just goes to show that every fanfic site is different and has its own "culture."  I realized that when we were frequenting a site called Refresh, where Tanja was stealing our stories and reposting them as Busted or McFly fanfics.  That forum was full of teenies, and they all cast each other in their fanfics.  Like, they would almost do casting calls - "I need this many people for these roles in my fanfic; who wants in?" - and other teenies would give their names and physical description, and they would end up being the writer's main characters.  We thought that was kind of weird too, but that's because we're cynical and judgmental on this forum.  

[julilly]

that's because we're cynical and judgmental on this forum.  

And judging from the comments on Mare's banner hate we're also VERY sarcastic! lol

[colorguard_diva]

If someone wants to put themself on a banner, well ok. To each there own. Really a banner or no banner doesn't make me choose to read a story. Some banners without a perdon's pic are just weird, too. LOL. If it makes someone happy than, who am I to judge. I read any story from any genre because it captures me into a story line. Sometimes a pointless Mary Sue, boy falls for girl, everything is rainbows and puppies dogs is what I want...lol. Sometimes I read to escape reality and maybe get a few chuckles. I don't always want to read about death, drama, fighting,etc.

[mare]

That just goes to show that every fanfic site is different and has its own "culture."  I realized that when we were frequenting a site called Refresh, where Tanja was stealing our stories and reposting them as Busted or McFly fanfics.  That forum was full of teenies, and they all cast each other in their fanfics.  Like, they would almost do casting calls - "I need this many people for these roles in my fanfic; who wants in?" - and other teenies would give their names and physical description, and they would end up being the writer's main characters.  We thought that was kind of weird too, but that's because we're cynical and judgmental on this forum. 

I LOVE horses!!! lol

[Carter-Orange]

That just goes to show that every fanfic site is different and has its own "culture."  I realized that when we were frequenting a site called Refresh, where Tanja was stealing our stories and reposting them as Busted or McFly fanfics.  That forum was full of teenies, and they all cast each other in their fanfics.  Like, they would almost do casting calls - "I need this many people for these roles in my fanfic; who wants in?" - and other teenies would give their names and physical description, and they would end up being the writer's main characters.  We thought that was kind of weird too, but that's because we're cynical and judgmental on this forum. 

The site I used to go on was very similar to that!  Except we were all in our 20s or 30s.  I remember the first story I ever wrote, one member PM'd me asking if she could be in it as Gary Barlow's wife!  I really didn't want to do it, because it was my story, but I was a complete pushover and didn't want to offend her (wish I had!).  She used to be on to me constantly about what she wanted her character to do, so in the end I wrote that he had a fling with someone else because she pissed me off so much and I was beyond caring if I offended her.

Rachel, you are right.  We all like different stories.  Wouldn't it be boring if we all liked exactly the same.

[RokofAges75]

I LOVE horses!!! lol

DOUGIE!!!!

[Mellz Bellz]

That just goes to show that every fanfic site is different and has its own "culture."  I realized that when we were frequenting a site called Refresh, where Tanja was stealing our stories and reposting them as Busted or McFly fanfics.  That forum was full of teenies, and they all cast each other in their fanfics.  Like, they would almost do casting calls - "I need this many people for these roles in my fanfic; who wants in?" - and other teenies would give their names and physical description, and they would end up being the writer's main characters.  We thought that was kind of weird too, but that's because we're cynical and judgmental on this forum.  

Actually funny you should say that but as someone who has followed fan fic loosely for about 11 years I definitely can remember a time when BSB fic was EXACTLY like that with the casting calls. I think the fan base as a whole at that point was a LOT younger too. I would say on average of 13-19 (?) So I guess masybe it depends on the age group of the writers?

[Purpura Lipstick]

I was asked and yes I've put people I know into stories, but usually just their names.  There is only one person I've actually put her in the story but she's a good friend.  I use her when I'm stuck ... so how would you respond if one of the boys said this to you? or how would you act in this situation.  I think it just helps me to get past some writer's block.  I still reserve the right to do whatever I want with the person I put in the story though it is, after all, still my story.  

[Mellz Bellz]

Catching up so just a few points I wanted to make:

-About girls who put pics of themselves in banners? Drives me nuts! Makes the story so much less credible in my mind and screams teeny. I think the biggest insult was someone actually asked me if the girl in my UMS banner was actually me. Not only clearly is it a professional picture of a model, but would you think I'd do that? Ha maybe I should've taken it as a compliment!

-I actually have never killed Nick in a story or really done anything remotely torturous to him outside of maybe making him hold out on sex LOL jk. Haha... Maybe I should start? I had his girlfriend murdered once, but was probably about it.

-I have a question for romance writers. One of the things that I struggle most with is introducing a couple and getting them together. I hate when writers have like Nick meet this girl, they take one look at each other and poof they are in love! It's completely unbelievable because it takes time to develop a relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes taking that time can cause a story to drag which is why I much rather prefer to write a story about an already established couple. Then I feel like you miss out on those critical beginnings of a couple. What are your feelings on this?

[RokofAges75]

Actually funny you should say that but as someone who has followed fan fic loosely for about 11 years I definitely can remember a time when BSB fic was EXACTLY like that with the casting calls. I think the fan base as a whole at that point was a LOT younger too. I would say on average of 13-19 (?) So I guess masybe it depends on the age group of the writers?

I think age is definitely a factor.  The Mary Sue self-inserts used to be even more common than they are now in our fandom, too.  I did self-inserts and cheesy banners too (though never with my own picture) when I was a teeny.

[RokofAges75]

I was asked and yes I've put people I know into stories, but usually just their names.  There is only one person I've actually put her in the story but she's a good friend.  I use her when I'm stuck ... so how would you respond if one of the boys said this to you? or how would you act in this situation.  I think it just helps me to get past some writer's block.  I still reserve the right to do whatever I want with the person I put in the story though it is, after all, still my story.  

I used to give cameos to readers who gave me feedback, which saved me the trouble of thinking up random names for minor characters, and I've even written stories with friends as major characters.  It was always my decision, though, rather than them asking me to.  I don't think there's anything wrong with the whole casting thing, if that's how the writer wants to do it; I just remember thinking it was interesting how everyone on Refresh seemed to do it that way, when I'd never encountered that kind of thing much before.

[RokofAges75]

-I have a question for romance writers. One of the things that I struggle most with is introducing a couple and getting them together. I hate when writers have like Nick meet this girl, they take one look at each other and poof they are in love! It's completely unbelievable because it takes time to develop a relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes taking that time can cause a story to drag which is why I much rather prefer to write a story about an already established couple. Then I feel like you miss out on those critical beginnings of a couple. What are your feelings on this?

That's a good question.  I've struggled with the same thing; I think that's another reason I never write pure romance, because I like to start with the couple meeting each other and show how their relationship progresses, but like you said, it can't happen instantly or it's unrealistic, and if you slow it down to make it more realistic, it gets boring... unless there's something else going on in the story.  That's why romance tends to be more of a subplot in my stories, second to whatever other drama's going on that can keep the story moving.

I think I've only written one story where the couple was together at the beginning... but then AJ got murdered in one of the first chapters, so they weren't really together long LOL.  I like it better when they start out apart because I think it's easier to show their development as individual characters, as well as a couple.  As a reader, I care more about the couple when I've traveled that journey with them, instead of just hearing about it after the fact.  I like it best when it takes them a long time to finally get together, because it's so much more satisfying when they do!

[Mellz Bellz]

I agree on the satisfaction part Julie! But it is definitely hard to do in pure romance as I'm discovering. So this may be another issue with the romance category.

[Carter-Orange]

Catching up so just a few points I wanted to make:
-I have a question for romance writers. One of the things that I struggle most with is introducing a couple and getting them together. I hate when writers have like Nick meet this girl, they take one look at each other and poof they are in love! It's completely unbelievable because it takes time to develop a relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes taking that time can cause a story to drag which is why I much rather prefer to write a story about an already established couple. Then I feel like you miss out on those critical beginnings of a couple. What are your feelings on this?

Love does take time, but lust at first sight happens!

[RokofAges75]

I have two "rules" I tend to follow when I do include romance in my stories.

The first is the Doug and Carol rule.  Doug and Carol are my favorite couple from ER, my favorite show, and even though they were clearly meant to be, they didn't get together until Season 4.  When they finally did, it made their relationship that much better, because it had taken so much time and so much drama for it to happen.  The lesson I took away from that was to draw it out (without making it too boring or infuriating), to make it more gratifying in the end.

The other is the Jack and Rose rule.  I remember taking a trivia quiz on Titanic in a magazine, shortly after it came out, and one of the questions was, "How many times do Jack and Rose say 'I love you' to each other?"  I think the choices were 0, 1, or 2; I just know I picked 2, obviously, because they were so in love, it had to be the maximum number of times, right?  I was surprised to find the answer was only 1; Rose says it once, when they're in the water and she's saying her goodbyes.  Jack never says it at all.  That fact makes the one time it does get said that much more meaningful.  The lesson I took away from that was to use the L-word sparingly, to make it count more when it does finally get used.

It's tempting to rush it, but more satisfying if you don't.