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icarusHow to guarantee I will not write a particular story:
- Bug me about it.
- Encourage me to read the pairing to get me back into it.
- Bug me about it.
- Bring it up in conversation.
- Bug me about it.
- Put down another character I'm interested in writing.
- Bug me about it.
- Put down a second character I'm interested in writing.
- Bug me about it.
- Offer to help with canon issues.
- Bug me about it.
Why getting me to read the pairing doesn't encourage me to write it:
I tend to write pairings that no one else is interested in, because I write my own reading material. I don't write Harry/Draco because there's plenty of reading material out there for those two. Back when I wrote Harry/Snape there were only a handful of novel-length Harry/Snape stories. Showing me how much Harry/Snape there is out there now does not encourage me to write it, especially as so much of it is excellent. I feel no need. I'm inclined to recline, pour myself a nice cold lemonade and read to my heart's content. I am fundamentally lazy and won't lift a finger where someone else has done it for me.
Why bugging me is foolish:
Bugging me about it is unwise, because I'm stubborn. If I start to feel pushed or dragged, my heels shall inevitably dig in and you will have better luck getting stories out of a mule.
Why putting down other characters I'm writing doesn't redirect my efforts:
As far as putting down other characters I'm intereted in writing, well, that does effectively kill my enthusiasm for particular stories from time to time.
But this doesn't move my enthusiasm neatly to another story. It kills my inclination to write altogether. Because the stories that are there, that want to be written, are the ones that are there. I don't want to be writing Lucius
Gen, but the story is there. It is not like weeding, where if you get rid of the unwanted characters/stories/weeds, your favourite flower will flourish. It's more like pouring concrete on the entire garden. Nothing will grow at all.
As for offering to help with canon issues, that is doomed from the start. My problem with certain stories is not that I need to coordinate with canon. It is that they are no longer even remotely original because JKR and I were thinking along the same lines (i.e., she foreshadowed successfully, I anticipated successfully and -- surprise, surprise -- we arrived at the same place). This has happened twice now, and with the same WIP. It rather takes the fun out of it when my story becomes a dry retread of canon.
The next person to bug me about either Snape Manor or Reunion will be treated to Filch/Kreacher porn... or perhaps a very limp G-rated story about Colin Creevey collecting water lilies to photograph. Or perhaps nothing.
I'm really getting soured on those stories and pairings, and I'm beginning to understand why Dien Alcyone abandoned Season of Healing.
- Bug me about it.
- Encourage me to read the pairing to get me back into it.
- Bug me about it.
- Bring it up in conversation.
- Bug me about it.
- Put down another character I'm interested in writing.
- Bug me about it.
- Put down a second character I'm interested in writing.
- Bug me about it.
- Offer to help with canon issues.
- Bug me about it.
Why getting me to read the pairing doesn't encourage me to write it:
I tend to write pairings that no one else is interested in, because I write my own reading material. I don't write Harry/Draco because there's plenty of reading material out there for those two. Back when I wrote Harry/Snape there were only a handful of novel-length Harry/Snape stories. Showing me how much Harry/Snape there is out there now does not encourage me to write it, especially as so much of it is excellent. I feel no need. I'm inclined to recline, pour myself a nice cold lemonade and read to my heart's content. I am fundamentally lazy and won't lift a finger where someone else has done it for me.
Why bugging me is foolish:
Bugging me about it is unwise, because I'm stubborn. If I start to feel pushed or dragged, my heels shall inevitably dig in and you will have better luck getting stories out of a mule.
Why putting down other characters I'm writing doesn't redirect my efforts:
As far as putting down other characters I'm intereted in writing, well, that does effectively kill my enthusiasm for particular stories from time to time.
But this doesn't move my enthusiasm neatly to another story. It kills my inclination to write altogether. Because the stories that are there, that want to be written, are the ones that are there. I don't want to be writing Lucius
Gen, but the story is there. It is not like weeding, where if you get rid of the unwanted characters/stories/weeds, your favourite flower will flourish. It's more like pouring concrete on the entire garden. Nothing will grow at all.
As for offering to help with canon issues, that is doomed from the start. My problem with certain stories is not that I need to coordinate with canon. It is that they are no longer even remotely original because JKR and I were thinking along the same lines (i.e., she foreshadowed successfully, I anticipated successfully and -- surprise, surprise -- we arrived at the same place). This has happened twice now, and with the same WIP. It rather takes the fun out of it when my story becomes a dry retread of canon.
The next person to bug me about either Snape Manor or Reunion will be treated to Filch/Kreacher porn... or perhaps a very limp G-rated story about Colin Creevey collecting water lilies to photograph. Or perhaps nothing.
I'm really getting soured on those stories and pairings, and I'm beginning to understand why Dien Alcyone abandoned Season of Healing.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 04:32 pm (UTC)In the interest of reverse persuasion, please do not write this (because if someone bugs you to do so, you won't right?)
I think there are certain pairings that have lost their edginess now that the world and his missus is writing them. I started in SS/HG when it still had a bit of edginess left. By the time I left, it was mainstream with silly crap with Sevvie looking after the toddler whilst watching Barney. So, no I am not going back, never. I do not think SS/HP has quite gone that far down the u-bend, but for my part I only like Snape pairings if they are edgy and ever so slightly unnerving. The minute there is too much fluff, I'm off. And I'd never write SS/HP because there are enough brilliant stories, anyway.
So hi-diddle-dee - it's rare, bizarre or crack pairings for me.
like Snape/Pettigrew*coughs*, or Snape/Rosier (which I am doing) or (grab onto something solid) Snape/Palpatine (which I did), I did Snape/Umbridge too. No wonder the guy's utterly batshit.I do not think anyone should be told not to do any pairing, or whatever kind of story. I mean, if it is not to my taste, I can always look elsewhere, but I'd rather read what the writer was interested in, myself, that something that was produced as a response to pleading.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-14 02:52 am (UTC)Oh god... it is doable, isn't it? I mean, if Filch were to catch Kreacher up to no good and Dumbledore told Filch that Kreacher would only truly obey Harry, and Filch demanded Harry tell him to punish himself?
The grizzled head of Argus Filch pushed into the common room, dragging behind him a squirming house-elf. Then he stood there, peering about as if had every right to be on the wrong side of the portrait hole. Which he probably did, but it had never occurred to anyone. The Gryffindors stared at the sudden intruder. Kreacher yanked free of his grip and cringed away, spitting muttered curses.
"You," Filch's eyes landed on Harry. "The headmaster says this one's yours." He pointed accusingly. "Tell it to punish itself."
"Why? What did he do?" Harry asked in surprise.
Lip curled in a look of utter disgust, Filch paused. Finally he leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear. Harry wrinkled his nose.
"Ew."
Ron glanced between them. "What? What did he do?"
"The blood-traitor asks what is none of his business," Kreacher said to the wall, "oh how my Mistress would weep to see me associated with such..."
"You really don't want to know," Harry interrupted, brushing the question aside with a gesture. He turned to Filch. "So what am I supposed to do about it?"
"What did he do?"
"Harry," Hermione was already turning on him, "you can't make Kreacher punish himself! House-elfs have been oppressed --"
"The filthy mudblood vermin speaks..."
Filch cut them off. "If you're too much the coward to discipline your elf, Mr. Potter, it will continue and all the house-elfs will think they can defy me, just like you lot!" He waggled a bony finger in Harry's face.
"That's very unlikely!" Hermione complained. "House-elfs are the nicest, most obedient --"
"Forced to serve mudbloods in a traitor-wizard's school..." Kreacher said.
"Not this one," Filch snarled.
No one had an argument for that.
Harry paused. Hermione glared at him while Ron tipped his head in a curious bemused look. It was not likely either of them would ever be in this position. What did one do with a house-elf like Kreacher?
"What do you suggest?" Harry asked, stalling a little.
"Give him to me," Filch sneered, "and I will teach him some manners."
It did get Harry off the hook, not ot mention Kreacher did deserve... well, okay, no one deserved Filch, but he could make sure that... "All right, Kreacher. You are to serve Filch for one week. You can't say anything about me or my business -- or my friends', or Dumbledore's. Or do anything against us." Harry thought fast to make sure the treacherous house-elf couldn't squirm out of it. "You are to do your duties for Dumbledore and then serve Filch just in the evenings."
"Poor Kreacher..." he whinged, "he must now serve a lowly Squib..."
Harry glanced at Filch's suddenly bulging eyes with alarm and quickly added, "And you can't do anything that'll cause you physical harm."
Filch cast him a murderous glance at this last restriction. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as Filch dragged the elf out of his presence. But whatever Filch did to Kreacher, he was pretty sure he wouldn't want to know.
Okay, there you go. :D
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2005-08-14 04:27 am (UTC)you dared... i looked at the link, cringed, made a face, postioned my cursor over it, and clicked, not believing i was about to read filch/kreacher..
thank you SO MUCH for not giving ANY details..i was worried, but i had to read it... i'm so relieved though... *phew*