Hey.

[tocryabout]

I'm putting this in my userinfo, but it merits a mention in its own post.

For those who know me from waterstrider: I really and truly do not want or expect you to friend this journal UNLESS you actually do read my writing and/or fandom musings. There's a reason for the separation. I feel weird writing with an audience composed partially of people who don't especially like X-Men, don't like fanfiction, don't like the particular weird blend of the two that I specialise in.

Basically, there's no reason to friend me unless you like those things. I don't friends-lock often on this journal, and when I do it's just because I'm jabbering about writing a particular sort of thing and I'm pretty confident that no one cares very much. So if you're just mildly curious about the sort of writing I do, pop by and take a look. You'll notice that most of the entries are just "Chapter X is done, take a look", anyway. Friending, as some sort of online "seal of approval", is unnecessary.

If you're curious about my writing and wondering whether I'll ever post about original fic, the answer is "Possibly eventually." Honestly, I think most people don't care about original fic unless and until it's published/publishable. Fanfic has an element of familiarity that makes it more appealing, so I post it.

I'm not trying to scare anyone off, and I'm cool with people crossing the "great divide" to read here, but just be aware that it's not necessary to friend me out of loyalty or anything.

Cool? Cool.

Comments

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I haven't friended this journal, though I check it regularly to see if there is more Aphanes to be read.

It's true what you say about fanfic having a built-in familiarity that will draw readers. I wouldn't make that a reason not to post original fic. Even if only a few people read it and appreciate it, that is certainly better than not giving those people the positive experience and you the experience of having readers.

The Aphanes is practically original fic! I've never read an X-fic where the main character was an OC and I love it. Does your original writing ever contain SF elements? You balance the hardcore real world with the fantastic elements very believably.

I will friend this journal so I don't miss anything from this half of your life!

[to-cry-about.livejournal.com]

It is practically original fic, you're right. I feel odd about that, like I should write more straight-ahead fanfic to prove I can work within those constraints. Maybe I'm being silly.

I've written a lot (or tried to write a lot) in sci-fi and fantasy genres, and never really had it gel for me. Maybe the problem was trying to write in an entirely fictional universe and getting bogged down in world-building, because I LOVE writing this way, combining the real with the unreal. That's part of what draws me to X-Men. I love Charles DeLint for the same reason, even though his books often piss me off.

Anyway, thanks. :) If I write any original fic of a manageable length, I'll post it and see if anyone's interested.

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

Phil promptly decides to keep to_cry_about friended.

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

Good. I'd be interested in hearing what someone who's somewhat outside "fandom" thinks of fic like this, so be sure to give me your thoughts sometime.

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

Of course. Would you like me to give you my opinions of the things I've read before? Or just start now?

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

Anything; I'm terribly gay for meta discussion of fan works. If you haven't yet encountered the worst excesses of fanfic, I can point you towards the more horrifying stuff.

Also I'm very curious about what someone who knows me (if only online) makes of my own writing. I suspect that a lot of my tricks are very transparent to someone who reads my regular journal.

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

Well, push me towards something horrifying...I'm intrigued. And then we can discuss to your little heart's pleasure, if you promise me something - I'm about to post something from my book I've been working on for awhile - I need an honest opinion. Fair?

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

How about...Family Guy angst (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1969131/1/)?

Or, hell, I may be a prude but MPreg (http://mpreg.brain-insane.com/) is just never good.

And I don't mind giving feedback. Email it.

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm frankly stunned at the material from the family guy story. I really didn't expect to be reading that or anything like it at all, I was expecting angst... I suppose that's what you intended though, isn't it? To be shocking and stunning on such a heavy topic by placing it in a setting that's normally completely different?

I liked it, as much I suppose as someone can enjoy a story about wife-beating. It took me a good 10 minutes of staring off at nothing and thinking before I could put my words down.

Very well done. Run on sentences and sentence fragments mean pensive thought as I write.

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

WHOA hey I did not write that Family Guy story. Yikes. Is that what you think of me?

Ho-lee shit.

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

*smirk*
It's late, give me a break, I reread it...and I figured it out that it wasn't you when I saw no reference to anything you would normally say or do in the author's section there. Soulful-sin doesn't sound like an Alex thing in the least. Then the whole male-pregnancy thing...yeah.

Mind you my critism of the family guy thing stands.

Anyway, I've seen my share of bad fic, in fact someone is writing a Phil/Giant Squid slash fic right now. I was hoping you'd link me to something you've done, anyway.

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

As an aside, no that's not what I think of you... this is why it was...shocking.

Perhaps critiquing should be done when I'm not so tired.

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

I was hoping you'd link me to something you've done, anyway.

I HAVE DONE. >:( You're definitely too tired for this conversation. (I am kidding, but we should both be in bed.) I don't currently have anything online except The Aphanes, as I'm just getting back into fanfiction over the last year or so. And I'm monomaniacal when I get going on a project.

Anyway, I am relieved. Though strangely pleased that even if I did write a Family Guy darkfic, people would be polite.

I really am going to write Phil-in-Home-Depot slash at some point, although it might be hard to get Gambit up to Kanata. The reclusive F.A. MacNeil does not back down from a challenge!

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

ARG. A GRAMMATICAMATIFANICAL ERROR! I AM tired...whoa.
Yes, we should be in bed.

... I'm leaving that last line in despite the double meaning it might hold...pervert.

So you'd worry that I'd see you poorly because of something like that? I'm curious, because as a fellow writer, I oft wonder if people look upon a person favourably or poorly because of their subject matter.

Seriously...do it. I'm going to link to it when you do, I expect to be ravished quite thoroughly, or at least have a very hot makeout scene. I'm serious too.