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Darn it. Skating fic isn't cooperating. I had this funny scene, but I didn't buy it at all. Why would John do that? So I've scrapped it and I'm writing something different.
In the meantime, something came up in a conversation with Harvey.
Do you as a writer ever write something you'd never in a million years read?
There's such a difference when you experience a story as a reader where you have to live through the events of the story, and the god-like perspective of a writer who can stand outside, know exactly where the events are headed, and explore misery from a safe distance. My motives as a writer are completely different from my motives as a reader.
As a reader I read fanfic for fun. I like porn (the boyfriend gets mauled if it's particularly good) with plenty of interesting characterization, and I have fondness for entertaining plots with either magic or cool technology. While I will occasionally read something a little darker, humor is an essential leavening element. Stories I've written that I would actually read are:
( Stories I've written that I would actually read are: )
A lot of these are not my best stuff. But for me as a reader the quality of the story takes a back seat to "does this story give me what I want?"
( Stories of mine that, if I hadn't written them, I would never ever read: )
Looking at it as a writer, what are my favorites? I have a completely different set of criteria. I want something that's different from my norm, where I stretched, where I think I've captured something interesting or, sometimes, the story was just difficult to pull off. Of the stories above, I've starred my writer-favorites.
Interesting pattern, isn't it? There's no relationship between my favorite stories as a writer and my favorite stories as a reader.
So what are the stories that I hear about most often from other readers, even years after they were written? I'll bold those.
It's curious, isn't it? There's no relationship between what other people like and what I like.
The evidence leads us to a very obvious point: our tastes in stories vary wildly. If you're a decent writer and post enough so that you're not completely lost in the mass of fanfiction, chances are that no matter what you write, you will find someone who enjoys it.
This says to me that what appears to be popularity and can be mistaken for excellence as a writer is, in reality, a simple intersection of interests. Once the interests intersect, skillful writing will keep readers and draw in more with the same interest. But mutual interest is the primary driving force of fanfiction.
It's humbling.
In the meantime, something came up in a conversation with Harvey.
Do you as a writer ever write something you'd never in a million years read?
There's such a difference when you experience a story as a reader where you have to live through the events of the story, and the god-like perspective of a writer who can stand outside, know exactly where the events are headed, and explore misery from a safe distance. My motives as a writer are completely different from my motives as a reader.
As a reader I read fanfic for fun. I like porn (the boyfriend gets mauled if it's particularly good) with plenty of interesting characterization, and I have fondness for entertaining plots with either magic or cool technology. While I will occasionally read something a little darker, humor is an essential leavening element. Stories I've written that I would actually read are:
( Stories I've written that I would actually read are: )
A lot of these are not my best stuff. But for me as a reader the quality of the story takes a back seat to "does this story give me what I want?"
( Stories of mine that, if I hadn't written them, I would never ever read: )
Looking at it as a writer, what are my favorites? I have a completely different set of criteria. I want something that's different from my norm, where I stretched, where I think I've captured something interesting or, sometimes, the story was just difficult to pull off. Of the stories above, I've starred my writer-favorites.
Interesting pattern, isn't it? There's no relationship between my favorite stories as a writer and my favorite stories as a reader.
So what are the stories that I hear about most often from other readers, even years after they were written? I'll bold those.
It's curious, isn't it? There's no relationship between what other people like and what I like.
The evidence leads us to a very obvious point: our tastes in stories vary wildly. If you're a decent writer and post enough so that you're not completely lost in the mass of fanfiction, chances are that no matter what you write, you will find someone who enjoys it.
This says to me that what appears to be popularity and can be mistaken for excellence as a writer is, in reality, a simple intersection of interests. Once the interests intersect, skillful writing will keep readers and draw in more with the same interest. But mutual interest is the primary driving force of fanfiction.
It's humbling.
