WIP challenge: day 13 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

I am just dragging myself through this week -- hope the rest of you have been more energized!

Poll #8073 WIP challenge day 13 check-in

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

View Respondents

How's it going today on your fic?

View Answers

All right
5 (71.4%)

Better than all right
0 (0.0%)

Don't even ask
2 (28.6%)

& what have you done?

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Wrote
3 (42.9%)

Edited
3 (42.9%)

Posted
1 (14.3%)

Researched
2 (28.6%)

Sent to beta
0 (0.0%)

Took the day off
0 (0.0%)

Ticky box!
2 (28.6%)

Rate your feelings about your fic from 1-10, 10 being best:

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Mean: 6.29 Median: 7 Std. Dev 1.83

1		0 (0.0%)
2		0 (0.0%)
3		0 (0.0%)
4		2 (28.6%)
5		1 (14.3%)
6		0 (0.0%)
7		2 (28.6%)
8		1 (14.3%)
9		1 (14.3%)
10		0 (0.0%)

& just one word about your fic?

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For discussion, let's return to the flamingo for something that came up in comments here a couple days ago:



[Background — a six piece pie style colour split in three shades of pink. Foreground — the long neck and face of a pink flamingo.

Top text: LOOK UP FIC FOR OBSCURE FANDOM, FIND NOTHING

Bottom text: NEVER LOVE AGAIN]

Do you need fannish buzz to propel you through writing things? How easily do you write in a vacuum, as it were? Do you feel less pressure writing things you think there's no fandom/audience for?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

Long workday today involving 3 hours on trains, so not much energy to do anything at all. I did my 750 Words for the day & wrote a snippet using an idea a friend mentioned once, that I think could be really cool -- so progress in that I might actually keep the snippet.

I'll write things w/no fandom, if the story is one that's kind of burning inside of me & I have to let out, y'know? & all my fandoms are small, so it's not like there's masses of fannish buzz ever anyway. Though now that I'm in a small but still rather active fandom, I know that buzz can be quite motivating at times for me!

I don't think I would, say, let canon errors slip in just because I was writing something that I didn't think most people would know. It might make me more confident in trying something new, structure-wise or plot-wise, if I thought the fic would die a quiet death unnoticed in a corner, though!

[jagnikjen]

I think it's harder to write when there's no fandom love. We all want that feedback and the more talented authors get it. If there's no fandom, there's no love.

Yeah, sure, we are all writing because we love to, but it's easier and more fun when you know you're going to get a response of some kind.

[bay_alexison]

Urgh, so far the past couple of days I wasn't able to get some writerly stuff done due to many things going on. Today I was planning on doing a lot of editing for my Big Bang, but my mom wanted me to take care some stuff for her after I got off from work and most of tonight I was trying to calm down a friend who was stressed over a lot of stuff with her life. I was able to get a bit of editing done, but not enough as I really want to make some good progress on my Big Bang. Hopefully things at my end will calm down.

As for the discussion question, pretty much what jagnikjen said. There might be a couple times I feel more pressured writing things for a big fandom if there are a lot of well known writers who I think will comment on my fics, but in the end I'll write what I want and not worry what the other fans want.

[rebecca2525]

Got some more editing done. I'm now 1/3 through.

For me, the perfect writing fandom is small, but with some activity going on in some comm or other. I'm generally a lazy person, and in big fandoms where there's enough stuff for me to read that fits my tastes, I don't bother writing myself. I mostly only write when I've run out of fic to read and am still craving for more. It's still nice though to have places for fannish discussion and shared squee, and to have *some* other fic to read to sustain my own excitement.

I *have* written fic for non-existant fandoms (and of my own accord, not for challenges or exchanges.) There's something... adventurous? special-snowflake-y? about the idea of being the first to have written something, or the only one to ship something. *g* But it doesn't happen too often.

[lullabymoon]

I really took most of yesterday off from seriously doing my big bang. I clearly needed it but urgh if I don't feel bad as the deadline approaches. That said, I managed to go back and get a couple of details fixed as well other editing and a couple of hundred words added.

Also, I came up with a plot for the smallfandombang I signed up for which eases nicely into the discussion question. The book series I'm writing for has no fandom at all.

I think having a fandom buzz, even if it's only one or two people, never hurts and can certainly be encouraging. The lack of one I think definitely takes the pressure off your writing but I think you have to reach a stage in your writing where you are fairly comfortable and confident with it before you can really write without that fandom support and actually finish the piece and put it out there.

Personally, I don't mind writing in the vacuum so to speak and I don't find it any less pleasurable but sometimes I think it's not always got the same sense of urgency to finish, unless it's for a fest. In fact, sometimes I find it more pleasurable, especially when I get a comment or kudos or something when I really wasn't expecting anything.

[elistaire]

Coming from a fandom that was winding down to a fandom with high energy--I'm pleased as punch *every day* when I look at kudos/comments/hits (mine, and others). I feel all caught up in the rush, along with everyone else. I hope it never ends.

[ficwriter1966]

Back in the day, I wrote fic purely for myself, because I NEEDED to write it - and I didn't know anyone who'd want to read it. Didn't know there was such a thing as fandom. Later on (in pre-Internet days) I had two or three readers amongst my friends.

But I think I've been spoiled by the availability of an audience on the Internet. I've gotten so accustomed to having readers close at hand that I don't know if I'd want to write something that no one would read. And yes, the encouragement of readers very much inspires me to keep going. There's nothing like a little cheerleading to keep the Muse awake and happy!

[meridian_rose]

Do you post these first fics anywhere? I'm not just thinking about to general fic comms or even a comm for the specific fandom in general [that's thus far been used for squee and graphics], also but sites like ff.net and AO3? With the possible rigmarole of having to ask for a new tag at ff.net? (I think AO3 will let you tag with new fandoms and a tag wrangler will later make it offical so it appears in the drop-down boxes, but I'm no expert on that.) Is that too much work, drawing too much attention? Or part of the joy of doing it?
I haven't yet done this, but it's something that definitely makes me pause when I think about writing for a non-fic fandom, the terror of going first :P So I think you're rather brave, even if you do only post them to your journal :D

[lilly_c]

Yesterday I posted that other prompt ficlet. It was a lot shorter than I thought it would be but the little bit of research on cemeteries in Glasgow was interesting in a non-morbid way even though I didn't need it in the end :)
I made a few notes from the DVD for my smallfandombang fic, but I need a few more re-watches to make sure I get everything in.
Today I've not done much writing wise yet but I've been out most of the day sorting out things at uni (still have some more to do) and also p/t job hunting (really hard, Aberdeen's job market is very competitive). I do have a few fic-related things to work on, so I'm going to crack on with them :) I'm also going to post both pieces to my AO3 as well because I never remember to post there.

I actually prefer to write for small fandoms because most of mine actually are small these days. I've written in big fandoms too but I find that the pressure in some of them is intense. I don't really feel pressured one way or another, if the idea is there I'll write something for it even if the pairing is uncommon (by traditional canon standards). I also write for my own benefit rather than other people but I'm always pleased when I do get feedback.

[meridian_rose]

I relate to this, from pre-fandom and pre-internet days to the current situation of 'ohmygod-how-did-I-research-before-the-web?' and 'but no-one will read this weird crossover if I write it'. Knowing there are readers out there is a double edged sword.

[katzenjamming]

Jumping in here, but while I'm not so active on A03 yet, I've e-mailed the FFnet admins about adding new fandoms or editing character lists, and it's never been that much of a hassle. I simply shot them an e-mail saying that I'd like to add whatever, and it'd probably be in this category (and that was probably too lengthy, but I always felt the need to point to sources and such), and within a week I would get a reply and see that whatever changes had been made. It was a lot easier than I'd initially thought it would be!

(Sorry for deleted comment -- pressed the "enter" key way too early @_@)

[littlebutfierce]

Yeah, feedback helps a lot -- though even in established fandoms, sometimes there are just things I want to write that aren't popular & I write them because I have to, knowing they won't get much of a response (if any). It does make any comment or kudo the sweeter though!

[littlebutfierce]

Sorry all the other stuff has gotten in the way for you! Hopefully things will calm down soon.

I've never been in a big fandom -- I find the idea of it a little intimidating, heh!

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for the progress on the edits!!!

I agree -- small fandoms are great, but some activity that's not just me is pretty important! I do have that drive to write things that I am pretty sure no one else will -- I haven't been in large fandoms so I don't know if I would end up not writing much in them because it would be likely that someone else had already done it (or could do it better than me).

(I also agree it's kind of fun to be the only person writing something, though!)

[littlebutfierce]

I hope the break was good for your writing brain!

but I think you have to reach a stage in your writing where you are fairly comfortable and confident with it before you can really write without that fandom support and actually finish the piece and put it out there.

That makes a lot of sense -- although I also wonder if it might go the other way sometimes too? Like if there was no fandom, in a way it might feel easier to write as you'd feel like no one was watching.

Then again, I started writing fic through an anon kink meme, & w/o that anonymous space to try stuff out (& then feel bolstered by positive feedback), I don't know if I would've kept going. A fandom of one/none means no anon comment fic...

I do agree that when the one or two people who like your fic for a micro-fandom take the time to let you know, it's a fantastic feeling!

[littlebutfierce]

That makes sense! For the first time I feel quite part of a fannish community for a show currently airing -- it's a small fandom, but a relatively active one, & having people to squee w/& float fic ideas around w/is so much fun.

[littlebutfierce]

Cheerleading definitely helps!

I do occasionally get story ideas that just have to be written even though there's little audience for them (I've never written for anything that I didn't know of at least one potential reader, though). But having the community & potential audience helps a lot!

[littlebutfierce]

Knowing there are readers out there is a double edged sword.

This is so true!!!

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for posting the other ficlet! &, well, they say there's no research wasted -- maybe it will end up being used by you some other time!

Good luck w/the job search. ^^;;;

I can certainly believe the big fandoms are really pressureful! To be honest I'm not sure I'd be confident enough to write much in them (or I'd end up going for the unloved, minor characters -- which I sometimes tend to do in small fandoms anyway, heh). Being in small fandoms is frustrating because there's so much you're excluded from in terms of exchanges, fests, etc. but it definitely has its rewarding moments & I think I'd prefer it as well.

[littlebutfierce]

IIRC adding new fandoms on AO3 is easy as well -- I think you can just type in the new fandom's name & can post straight away, & then in a short while it shows up on the fandom list & eventually gets tag-wrangled so the formatting of the name, etc. is right. I've only added one fandom to AO3 & it was a while ago, but I think that was how it went. Just thought I'd chime in for info's sake!

[katzenjamming]

The last week or so has been slow going; too much IRL stuff has been stealing my time and motivation! I managed to write a few hundred new words today, which seems like the most I've gotten down in a while.

Fanfic Flamingo <3

A few current WIPs are in smaller/dead? fandoms. The lack of a possible readership both worries me because, like mentioned above, I'd like to have some feedback. However, I do feel there's more leeway to try something different, since I feel like no one's really watching. Also, like someone said above, if it seems like everything's been done in said fandom, I'm a lot less likely to go out and try writing something myself.

On the flip side, as a reader I feel like being part of a slow/dying/dead fandom has lowered my expectations. For a few fandoms, I've found that I get excited over just about anything new posted there, even if it's absolutely horrid. (Then again, I'm partial to badfic, so that might be telling!)

[littlebutfierce]

Ugh, sorry RL stuff has been challenging! Good on you for getting some words down despite that.

I know what you mean about lower expectations as part of a small fandom, heh. Though sometimes I just get irritated & hit the back button anyway.

[rebecca2525]

You are right re AO3: You just enter the new fandom and everything else gets done behind the scenes, so it's no trouble at all. And then seeing that fandom on the fandom list with that little (1) next to it, that's part of the fun and a bit of a compensation for the fact that I'm not going to get many comments, if any at all. :D

I don't find it scary because those few people who are going to read my fic have nothing to compare it to, and they are probably mostly glad that they found *something*.

[rebecca2525]

Yeah, I defintely read fics I wouldn't normally read in my small fandoms. Though I got the impression that smaller fandoms tend to have less of the really bad stuff. Or maybe I'm just lucky with my fandoms...