That fandom meme

[pensnest]

I've been mostly-absent from LJ for a few days, for reasons I'll probably explain in a week or so. But I'm intrigued by the fandom opinion meme, so here goes:

Ask Me My Fandom Opinion

How it works:

Ask me one fandom-related question in the comments. This can be fandom specific, general, or about fandom/lj stuff/fic writing/etc. in general.

Just one question, please, but it can (and perhaps should) have sub-parts.

That's it. It can be as normal or odd as you like.

I'm basically into popslash, as you undoubtedly realise; also enjoying Dr Who (new) and Torchwood. My first fannish love was ST:TNG, and I never really got into the 'fandom' side of Buffy, Angel or Firefly, except for going to a few conventions. So, nicely restricted list there. Have at it.

Comments

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

do you find there's a difference between your popslash writing and your media-fandom writing? If so, do you think that's the fps/rps divide, or some factor in your life, or the people reading or ???

[pensnest]

Hmm. I think perhaps my ST:TNG stories had less explicit sex more plot. I suppose, also, that I had a pretty clear idea of who I thought Data was - he being my Adored One at the time - and so my characterisation of him was more consistent than what I do in popslash, where there is more wiggle room.

Also, it was gen and het then! Dear me, how things change. (Though I think by nature I'm probably a 'gen with adult overtones' writer rather than a slasher or hetwriter or whatever.)

I very definitely feel there is a stronger influence by the fans around me, now that I'm in popslash and on LiveJournal. There is a lot more feedback. Stories published in zines, of course, got none. I did post on the ST fanfic newsgroup, and had a delightful time at a convention when one of my pornier stories got passed around, but overall there is definitely more reaction now. Also, I'm interactively influenced by what other people write - I got an idea who these boys were from fanon before I even saw any canon - and by what they want to read, eg stories with Kevin, probably because of turps33 and turloughishere, and occasional ChoLa because of you!

Popslash is also, even now, more *actively* encouraging of stories than ST:TNG, I think. Don't know why that is. Challenges, fic_requests etc, have all inspired stories out of me. And it is a great environment in which to write complete and utter crack... not just because there are so many lunatics around who love reading it, but also because of the nature of canon. With my Data stories, and my rare ventures into other stuff, I wanted to be authentic, getting canon and characterisation right. I did have a sense of humour in most of my stories, certainly, but crack was the rare exception. With a non-fictional world, being 'non-canon' comes easier.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I'm partially responsible for more Kevin fic in popslash! I'm so proud right now I have to go preen a little before I can even think of something to ask :D

[pensnest]

You're a Bad Influence! Be proud. ;-)

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

also : hope you're okay.

[pensnest]

Yeah, I'm fine. :-)

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

You and I share a favourite sparkly boy but I don't think I've ever heard you explain why you like Lance, so that's my question: Why Lance? What is it about him that hooks you? Was he your first sparkly love or did he supplant someone else?

[pensnest]

Hmm. It's hard to remember pre-Lance-love, but I think that initially, I was more inclined to be interested in JC and Chris. I can't really remember what my order of reading was, and of course that would make a difference. Possibly, I read some excellent TrickC stuff early on, and found good Lance stories later.

The Chris love has remained, but I'm less interested in JC nowadays, because I have the impression that he's most often paired with Justin, who is the one who interests me least. JuC is always the last pairing I read, if I have a choice.

I'm not quite sure how I came to be more interested in Lance. It could have been through finding a treasure trove of Trickyfish, or possibly it was through joining the Lance icon challenge community and therefore spending time looking at him! I know I had a preference for writing Lance *before* I signed up for the fanfic100 challenge.

As to why I find him the most interesting, that I can answer: contradictions. Partly, contradictions in the way he's written - I think there are more different Lances in fanfic than there are different Justins, for instance. Partly also, contradictions in the way he *is* (or, appears to be, I suppose I should say). Science geek/MySpace global village idiot, businessman/innocent abroad, pragmatist/romantic... There's just more to explore with Lance. Also, he is incredibly beautiful. That fascinates me, but it's less important than it might be, because as a rule my celebrity crushes are not beautiful. Consider Data, and Gene Wilder, who are Just My Type.

[duoshinigami.livejournal.com]

What do you think makes a bad characterization in fiction? Perhaps to the point where it isn't even readable.

[pensnest]

Hmm, interesting question. I suppose the easy answer is "I know it when I see it"...

Ignoring canon is one way to achieve a bad characterisation. eg Data using contractions, or wittering on about his feelings (note: the ST:TNG movies Did Not Happen!). In popslash, that kind of thing is definitely harder to define, as we don't have a laid-out "this is Character X" canon to follow. Real people are much more complicated than fictional constructs. I suppose that any behaviour that makes me roll my eyes and think, No Way, is bad.

Lack of depth, lack of subtlety, lack of detail. In not-really-serious fic - crack or very short stuff - it's reasonable to use 'shorthand', just the broad brush basics. But a longish story that never includes any telling little details just hasn't made convincing characterisation. There need to be specifics, examples of the way the character behaves, or speaks, or thinks, that can make the reader think Oh yes, that sounds like X. And ideally, Oh yes, that's True. And, naturally, those specifics should fit with the *character*, not with the author. For instance, if 30-year-old JC is getting excited about some animé show, the author had better have worked very hard to get me to believe that this is JC-the-animé-enthusiast, not her own enthusiasm creeping in.

In fact, I think that if an author is writing a serious story and *can't* think of any of the kind of details I'm talking about, *can't* find a personalised turn of phrase or idiosyncrasy, she hasn't really found a characterisation. When you've got it, the details flow.

[sola-fiamma.livejournal.com]

Is there one of the Nsync guys that you have a harder time writing than the others? And, if so, why do you think that is?

[pensnest]

At the moment, JC is the one I find hardest to write, at least if I'm trying to present him seriously. (As I mentioned to duoshinigami above, it's different with crack, where there is a license to use 'shorthand'.)

I haven't quite figured out the balance I want to find, between the dreamy, flaky gay and the intelligent, grown-up man. I think both are true, and to leave either out wouldn't be satisfying. I *loved* the characterisation in the AU 'A Hell of a Yarn' in last year's DWNOGA, which kept JC's adorableness and also made him smart and effective. But I haven't managed to do that.

Partly, it's lack of practice, as I haven't tried any serious JC for quite a while now. I spose the thing to do is have a try at it...

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Humour is obviously one of your strengths and you write it often. So, turning that around, what genre do you dislike writing the most, and why is that so?

[pensnest]

Angst, definitely. I started my Wallow over a year ago in a fit of determination to Write Angst, and it (a) stalled, and (b) changed quite a lot. I think there's a fine balance between heartrending and Oh, Poor Widdle Me, and I'm not at all confident of my ability to find the right line.

I suspect that none of my stories would be described as angst, even where I thought that that was what I'd be writing - it just doesn't seem to be something I can do.

[luxshine.livejournal.com]

Ok, first of all, I'm glad to hear again from you and I'm hoping you're ok.
Second.. question... mm..
Why did you got in popslash in the first place?

[pensnest]

Yeah, I'm okay, there's been some unexpected Stuff lately, but on the grounds that 'It's not real until you've talked about it on LJ', I'm saving it up for a while.

As to your question, ah, that's easy! It's all nopseud's fault. We were at a convention, and I was painting her face, she told me about popslash. I was dubious, but eventually handed over my email address, and she sent me her carefully-crafted intro-to-popslash recommendations, and I read them. Then I asked for more links. Then I started finding links for myself. About six weeks later, I started my own LJ and wrote my first story...

[luxshine.livejournal.com]

*hugs again*

It's funny, but I'm finding that if anyone did a most recent tracing of how a lot of the writers in my flist got into popslash, nopseud would be to blame for a lot of them. Must send her a basket of porn of thanks, then.

[pensnest]

I bet she'd like the basket of porn more than another toaster! Hee.

[cardalia.livejournal.com]

Do you have a favourite (or favourites) among all the popslash you've written and why? It doesn't necessarily have to be your "best" but the one you love the most anyway.

[pensnest]

My babies! *anguish*

Hmm. I suppose... I mostly write fairly insubstantial stories, so I think the ones I most cherish are usually the ones that took the most effort - serious beta work, involving actual rewrites, that kind of thing. Also, when I look at them, all my most substantial stories to date are 'long-term pining Trickyfish', which is obviously what I like most.

I'm very pleased with 'Thirteen Years and Counting', written for the Reunion Challenge, and my first substantial fic in this fandom. It may, possibly, be my favourite. Or 'Prone', because I had to work so hard to write it, and it turned out well. 'Round Dance' was a challenge in a technical sense, because of the Point of View difficulties, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. 'Prize', my first DWNOGA story. Hmm. I have a permanent soft spot for 'Merchandising', because it's probably the funniest story I've written, and it still make *me* laugh. To My Secret Shame, I like to imagine the sparkly boys reading it...

Also, for completely different reasons, I'm very fond of 'Backstage'. I'm pretty sure it's unique.

Really, it'd probably be easier for me to define which stories I'm not that fond of!

[cardalia.livejournal.com]

Heh! I actually read 'Thirteen Years and Counting' last night which is what really made me ask the question. I was giggling at Chris in the Larry King interview. ;-) It's a great story, as is 'Merchandising'.

To My Secret Shame, I like to imagine the sparkly boys reading it... Now there's an image. :D

I'll have to read the rest with an eye out for the things you said. It'll be interesting!

Really, it'd probably be easier for me to define which stories I'm not that fond of!

You're welcome to, if you want. I'm always curious to know what writers think of their stories.

[pensnest]

Glad you enjoyed TYaC. :-)

As for my least favourites, they'd have to be:

'Separate Trajectories'. This was written for a challenge, and 'inspired' by a haiku (actually there's a long post on sky_pie explaining how I found it really hard to figure out what the story was about), and my heart wasn't really engaged.

'Ripples' and 'Oops', two attempts to write JoeC, I don't think I really pulled it off, in fact I tend to forget I wrote these.

'Dinner' is nothing special, nothing new to say.

'What You See May Not Be What You Get' - I'm pleased with a lot of this, I like the format and Lance's reactions, and yet... really, I *ought* to have gone with an unhappy ending. I intended, originally, to make this an 'explanation' for them all scattering in different directions, with hiatus, only I don't *like* unhappy endings and I wimped out. In fact, maybe it really ends where the first story ends, with no anding (a) or (b) tacked on. So, I didn't get it right. It niggles.