Writing meme answers

[dbskyler]

Here are my answers to the writing meme:



4. Which has the most "you" in it, however you'd define that?

Well, everything I write has "me" in it, but if I had to choose just one fic, it's Miles from Aberdeen. It was the need to tell that story that got me into writing fanfic again, and it specifically got me into writing fanfic for Doctor Who. Over time I've come to realize that the story is, at its heart, a "fix-it" fic, and although it was prompted by "School Reunion," it's really about fixing the end of "Hand of Fear," which broke my heart when I was young.

6. Idea that you always wanted to write but could never make work?

This is more a type of story than a specific idea, but "Five Things"-type fic is something I have tried over and over again, and it never, ever works out. I just cannot write fic in that format, and I have no idea why not. It baffles me.

11. If I'm showing off just one of your pieces to someone, which one should it be?

This is a surprising answer -- at least, it's surprising to me -- but I'm going to go with a Red Dwarf story I wrote for Yuletide, Upgrade. It's very much a humor fic, but it also has a plot, and I think I did a good job with it. My second choice (am I allowed to have a second choice? Probably not, but oh well) would be Fallacy Somewhere, because it's one of my more popular Doctor Who fics, and it was the first fic of mine to be recced on Calufrax .

16. 3 favorite comments ever received on fanfic.

Okay, cheating a little here, but the first one I'm going to share with you isn't strictly speaking a comment I received, but rather it's something someone wrote about one of my fics in a public bookmark. I came across it and it made me so happy, I saved it to my computer. Here's what the person said:

This was written by someone who really knows and loves Sarah, and it shows: there are a ton of amazing classic series references in it and a great understanding of Sarah's character. It's sad -- left me a bit weepy -- but also completely beautiful fic about moving on and becoming your own person, but not letting go of the people you love. Seriously good.

The fact that the person who wrote that didn't write it for me to read just makes it that much nicer. The second one I'll share was a comment I received when I was having a bad day at work:

This fic is absolute GENIUS. Just so you know.

It was just a great comment at a great time. I also love how it says nothing at all about the fic -- it's not genius for any particular reason; apparently it just is? ;) And last, I'll choose the very first review I ever received on the internet, because it meant so much to me, and it encouraged me to write again:

*claps and cheers* I loved the episode and I love this. It's just so perfect I feel compelled to fav it ;-)

And wow, that felt awkward to copy-and-paste super-positive comments about my fic into my journal to brag about. But then, the meme did ask for my favorites, and it's only to be expected that comments like these would be my favorites, right?

13. Are there any things that might have happened in any of your stories, but you changed them at the last minute? (So-and-so dies, they don't actually kiss, main character has long extended ballet-based dream sequence, etc.)

Ah, interesting. Let me think about this. Well, in "Miles from Aberdeen," the Doctor and Sarah were only going to hug, and then I put a kiss in at the last minute. That's the only one I can really think of. I don't tend to change things at the last minute, or do any of my writing at the last minute. Writing and editing is usually a long, somewhat torturous process for me.

14. Would you want to write canon for any of your fandoms (like be hired by showrunner to do an episode)? Which one?

I would love to write a Doctor Who episode, but I'd also be worried that it wouldn't be nearly as much fun as it looks. I'm sure that actually writing one involves all sorts of compromises -- budget compromises, casting compromises, fitting-into-the-arc compromises, etc., and having to work your episode around all that stuff might suck the joy right out of it. That would be very sad. On the other hand, Neil Gaiman seemed to have a good experience. So, I'm willing to chance it. : )

20. Go nuts, and talk about writing.

I'm a very slow writer, and I'm also a very haphazard writer -- I frequently go through long dry spells where I'm not writing anything at all. But I've noticed that if I go for too long without writing, I start missing some deep creative outlet that I really need and can't get any other way. Creative writing is just an amazing thing, and it's really important, and I need to remind myself of that more often.

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for answering ALL four questions I asked you! And that was some great feedback you quoted.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Thanks for asking! It's a fun meme.

[thisbluespirit]

Interesting answers, thanks! And now all that's left is for me to write to Steven Moffat and ask him to sign you up (and you've even told me which stories to send him to impress him here) and \o/ I'm sure your ep will be excellent.

(Or something like that. I'm not entirely sure he'd take any notice of me, even if I told him I loved Press Gang.)

:-)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

LOL, you should send Moffat your Press Gang story "Improbable Angels," and then I'm sure he'd listen to you! And probably sign you up to write instead of me. Then I'd get to watch your Doctor Who episode, which would be awesome.

[thisbluespirit]

No, no, no, you get first crack at the episode! I don't think I could cope with all the internet criticism yet! ;-)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

If no one complained about my Doctor Who episode, then I wouldn't feel I'd succeeded in writing a Doctor Who episode. ;) Of course, the majority would have to like it, or that would definitely suck out all the joy.

[thisbluespirit]

:lol: I'm sure you would achieve just the right ratio of hate to squee!

[john_amend_all]

And wow, that felt awkward to copy-and-paste super-positive comments about my fic into my journal to brag about.

As I recall, when I had to answer a similar question, I just copied the first sentence of the review and linked to the whole thing :-)

And I enjoyed reading your other answers. It's an interesting meme.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

It is interesting, isn't it? I enjoyed reading your answers, which is why I decided to try it too.