FANFICTION WRITERS MEME

How about a brief introduction for yourself?

I'm Deb. I have hypographia. When I'm not writing fanfic, I'm typing nonsense syllables on the keyboard.

Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?

Before I knew what fanfic was, I wrote a story about HG Well's War of the Worlds. I was 12. I found out what fanfic was when I started combing the internet for X-files spoilers. I started reading it when my son got into DBZ. I started writing it when some fanficcing women dared me. I'm the sort of person who takes dares. I do indeedy. I WROTE DRAGONBALL Z PORN.

I see, so what kind of fanfiction do you like to write?

I write about characters I love in situations I find psychologically challenging and gosh, I write teh fluff and teh pr0ns and the vignettes and the occasional chaptered fic. Can't say that I really LIKE to write any of it--it's more of a burning compulsion to get the ideas out of my head to stop the SHINGIGAMI voices from haunting me.

Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the most difficult aspects of writing you struggle with?

Writing is a bitch.  The more you practice the more some aspects get easier. I was never a natural with dialogue. Struggled with dialogue all in Creative Writing school. Took having an actress for a beta for three years as a fanfic writer to help me get a real grip on
dialogue. Now I find dialogue easier than other aspects of story-telling.

Write a few sentences or so of your favorite pairing or character.

No. I don't want to. Like I said, I'm stuck.

Anything I'd write right now would go... let's see... ISHIDA IS NAKED, HE IS SO NAKED, HE IS NAKED ALL OVER.


Are there any fanfiction clichés or trends you’re sick of or just can’t stand?

If there's something I can't stand, I don't read. I know about the trends, but I'm more interested in them from an anthropological point of view than a literary one. I like to see what sets them off. Like--is the trend from some event in the source material or from some very popular fic or fanon idea?

Are you guilty of any fanfiction clichés you hate? Or any other ones?

I'm certain I'm guilty of cliches.  People tell me quite often, though, that they've never read stories like mine before. I think that OCCASIONALLY I do write weird, innovative stuff. This may be because I totally fail at following genre convention--like writing good porn, for example. I try to write honest porn a lot of the time--where girls don't have orgasms and people fart. I don't think I write sexy porn.

What was the first fandom you wrote for, and do you still like/participate in it?

Dragonball Z.  I still love the series. Rarely will I read fanfic though. Only if one of my old favorite authors writes something.

Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.

Ahhhhhhh.

Ishida and Orihime.  Their most wonderful canon moments were in the SS arc--teamwork, devotion, she made Ishida less uptight, she seemed to blossom with competency in his presence--they were both such goofy adorable dorks. I ADORE THIS COUPLE. They seem made for one another.

Shinji and Hiyori.  I've just rediscovered them. quaedam made me fall for them so long ago, and Shinji was the only character I ever RPed. There's something timeless about their dynamic. Aggressive affection, yeah.

Renji and Ishida.  My first yaoi pairing in Bleach, believe it or not, even though I've written more of others. My first yaoi story was Renji and Ishida even when it was total crack. They just looked so damn fine together--very classic seme uke. Lately their canon interactions in the HM have just made me crazy. Renji's been so protective of Ishida and their interactions have been so funny and damn cute. I LOVE EM.

Ishida and Ichigo.  Damn if I didn't think this was a boring couple but I started writing them and the dynamic was irresistable--it's the push and pull of water droplets and planets, like Kubo described in their volume poem. Even if its not sexual (and it's just plain fun to make it sexual), it's a great relationship of opposites.

Aizen and Gin.  Mr. and Mrs. Evil? There's so much unknown about them so it's hard to play them as major characters in a story but I loooove writing this pair. Every word tastes good as its being realized in an Aizen and Gin dialogue.

Urahara and Yoruichi.  I've had so much fun with these two.

Chad.  The king of the one-liner in an ensemble fic.

What would you call your writing “style”?

Over-done.


Do you read other people’s fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?

I love to read fanfic; sometimes I read fanfic for series where I'm not familiar with the source material.  I like filler canon material.  I tend to shy away from a/u unless its stuff done with sensitivity for the characters like syneiam's IchiRuki romances. I love a good romance, but a good adventure is even better. incandescens writes the most amazing Bleach stories.

Name one thing you’d LOVE to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do.

I'm not shy about anything. I've even taken on my biggest squicks. Failed--but at least I faced them head on. I wish I could write porn better. The detailed stuff that is goal-specific without sacrificing story or character. sublimeparadigm and nehelania write this sort of thing; there are yaoi writers who are very adept at the porn. I envy their mad skilz.

Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego?

I cut my teeth in some of the cruelest graduate school workshops ever and hell, fandom's been WORSE. "You suck." "You think you're hot shit." "You aren't a very good writer." "People lie to you when they tell you you're good." You would not believe the ton of negativity I've gotten. I live for honest feedback and I've gotten some wonderful cc--from good writers like hardlyfatal and from a recent beta. I don't pay much attention to the random mail and comments on ff.net much anymore.

Bloated ego?  I know of no artist whose ego stays inflated very long--it fills and deflates like a frog's throat and sings its croaky little song.

When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?

I have to stay off INSTANT MESSAGING.


What inspires you?

I'd like to say the characters themselves. I love, love, LOVE the source material. But sometimes a fanfic or especially a fanart can inspire me. Sometimes just a random image, a passage of music, the smell of cornbread, feeling hungry or horny or something like that. You know, the usual things that inspire people.


Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?

I used to be a "real" writer and ran away screaming. Fanfic has helped me heal my relationship with my imagination. I'm a better person for writing it.

Tag some friends because they’ll hate you for it.

Whoever. Go for it. And don't hate me.