I've been writing for a good long time now and I've been posting my stories for people other than me to read for over a decade. And yet, having one of my stories be really well-received still shocks the hell out of me.
As is obvious from my last few posts, I have been very into Once Upon a Time fanfic lately, both writing and reading. The most recent story I wrote, a little three-chapter deal titled "Can You Help Me," turned out, to my surprise, to be one of the most popular stories I've ever written.
The idea for the story was simple, really. It came from a song by the same name by Vertical Horizon that became one of my favorite songs of all time pretty much the first time I heard it. It's a lovely song, and as I was driving to work one day, the lyrics in the chorus gave me this little inkling for a post-curse Once Upon a Time story with a hurt and guilty Snow White trying to reconnect with a defensive and walls-up Emma.
It was just supposed to be a one-shot -- a complete story told in a few thousand words -- but as I wrote, it grew too long to post as a one-shot. I quickly decided to make it a three-parter and wrote the whole thing in about a week and a half.
I posted the first chapter less than two weeks ago, and the reader response to it has been overwhelming. It's been put on more alert subscriptions (which meant the readers wanted to be notified via email when I updated it) than any of my others, and it is the 4th most-favorited story I have on the ff.net archive.
To put things in perspective, I've been posting to ff.net since 2001. The three stories that are ahead of it in terms of being favorited are "Sorry" and "Locked Out," two Supernatural stories I wrote in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and the magnum opus for SVU, "The Heart of the Matter," which I wrote in 2005.
To have a story take off this quickly is flippin' insane to me. I'm thrilled to pieces, don't get me wrong, but it's insane.
It's just that it surprises me what strikes a chord with a readership. Like I said, "Can You Help Me" was a little idea I got on the drive to work. "Sorry" was based on, no lie, a real game of Sorry that happened in my family that I translated into a cute little pre-series Supernatural story, and "Locked Out" was an idea about a preteen Dean locking himself and Sam out of the motel room during a rainstorm that came quite literally out of nowhere. And "The Heart of the Matter"? I still have no idea why that story is so popular. It's a half-casefile, half-personal relationship, slow-burn Casey/Olivia story that I really don't think is anything super-special. Apparently, though, it is, for reasons completely unknown to me.
But things like that that also give me confidence. Having something that I don't think is in any way special resonate with an audience is an amazing feeling.
Showing posts with label supernatural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supernatural. Show all posts
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Trouble With Mainlining and Writing at the Same Time
I mentioned in my previous post that I had an idea for a pre-series Supernatural fanfic, one which I hoped would kickstart my creativity again so I could get back to work on The Witch of November. And I also mentioned that this idea came about because I'd been mainlining Supernatural for the better part of a month.
Well, there's been a little unanticipated problem with that: it seems I have been watching too much Supernatural for the idea as I had it to take off. Want to know why? Because Adult Boys have been talking at me for the last month or so, and that's making it difficult for me to find the proper voices for Wee Boys.
Now, don't get me wrong ... I tend to mainline while I'm doing fic. Mainlining is what helps me get the characters right (or as right as I can make them) in the first place. The issue is I've had various seasons of Supernatural on my television for over a month now, and very few of those episodes include flashbacks. Wee Sam and Wee Dean are, apparently, easier to find for me when I haven't been listening to Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles for a month straight.
But this doesn't mean I'm giving up on the fic. Oh no. It just means I have to set it within the series' timeline and make it a casefile fic instead.
Best I can figure, I should set it somewhere in the early part of season three. For story purposes, I need it set at the start of a school year. Season one starts in October/November of 2005, which is too late. The boys are occupied with Zombie Angela in late August/early September in season two. There is a small time jump, though, in season three between "Sin City" and "Bedtime Stories" that could work in my favor.
See? Really wasn't kidding with that "geek" thing.
Well, there's been a little unanticipated problem with that: it seems I have been watching too much Supernatural for the idea as I had it to take off. Want to know why? Because Adult Boys have been talking at me for the last month or so, and that's making it difficult for me to find the proper voices for Wee Boys.
Now, don't get me wrong ... I tend to mainline while I'm doing fic. Mainlining is what helps me get the characters right (or as right as I can make them) in the first place. The issue is I've had various seasons of Supernatural on my television for over a month now, and very few of those episodes include flashbacks. Wee Sam and Wee Dean are, apparently, easier to find for me when I haven't been listening to Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles for a month straight.
But this doesn't mean I'm giving up on the fic. Oh no. It just means I have to set it within the series' timeline and make it a casefile fic instead.
Best I can figure, I should set it somewhere in the early part of season three. For story purposes, I need it set at the start of a school year. Season one starts in October/November of 2005, which is too late. The boys are occupied with Zombie Angela in late August/early September in season two. There is a small time jump, though, in season three between "Sin City" and "Bedtime Stories" that could work in my favor.
See? Really wasn't kidding with that "geek" thing.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Writing Exercise #2
A timely little exercise tonight. Happy Halloween, everyone!
Prompt: coma
Fandom: Supernatural
Character(s): Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester
Set pre-series; Dean is twelve, Sam is eight.
-----
Sam Winchester watched with a half-amused, half-exasperated expression as his older brother Dean tore into their trick-or-treat bags with a fervor most kids reserved for Christmas morning. “Dude, we made a killing tonight,” Dean exclaimed as he began separating the candy bars--his favorite--from the rest of the individually-wrapped pieces of hard candy and little packets of candy corn.
“Whatever,” Sam muttered as he began pulling off the accents to his costume. Dean had dressed him up as a shadow wraith, which turned out to be a super-lame idea because everyone thought, due to Sam’s all-black outfit, that he was going as a ninja. For his part, Dean had gone out as a werewolf. Everyone knew immediately what he was.
“We’re not doing this next year, Dean,” Sam argued, yanking off his black hoodie, revealing the black T-shirt underneath.
“What are you talking about?” Dean asked, looking up at his little brother in surprise.
“I mean I’m done with the dressing up and knocking on doors.”
“But … Sam.” Dean gestured at the piles of candy surrounding him as if he couldn’t understand why someone would willingly pass up this opportunity. “The whole point of tonight is to get ourselves enough free candy to put ourselves into a sugar coma for the next week.”
“But it’s dumb, and I hate it.”
Dean blinked hard. Next year he would be thirteen, too old to go out trick-or-treating on his own. He’d been counting on being able to use the excuse of having to take Sam around for the next couple of years, at least. He opened his mouth to argue but he could tell just from the look on his little brother’s face that he meant business.
So instead he tossed a Milky Way, Sam’s favorite, to his brother. “We’ll talk about it next year. Right now? It’s candy-coma time.”
Sam held his determined expression for just a moment before tearing into the Milky Way, plopping down next his brother, and eagerly digging in.
Prompt: coma
Fandom: Supernatural
Character(s): Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester
Set pre-series; Dean is twelve, Sam is eight.
-----
Sam Winchester watched with a half-amused, half-exasperated expression as his older brother Dean tore into their trick-or-treat bags with a fervor most kids reserved for Christmas morning. “Dude, we made a killing tonight,” Dean exclaimed as he began separating the candy bars--his favorite--from the rest of the individually-wrapped pieces of hard candy and little packets of candy corn.
“Whatever,” Sam muttered as he began pulling off the accents to his costume. Dean had dressed him up as a shadow wraith, which turned out to be a super-lame idea because everyone thought, due to Sam’s all-black outfit, that he was going as a ninja. For his part, Dean had gone out as a werewolf. Everyone knew immediately what he was.
“We’re not doing this next year, Dean,” Sam argued, yanking off his black hoodie, revealing the black T-shirt underneath.
“What are you talking about?” Dean asked, looking up at his little brother in surprise.
“I mean I’m done with the dressing up and knocking on doors.”
“But … Sam.” Dean gestured at the piles of candy surrounding him as if he couldn’t understand why someone would willingly pass up this opportunity. “The whole point of tonight is to get ourselves enough free candy to put ourselves into a sugar coma for the next week.”
“But it’s dumb, and I hate it.”
Dean blinked hard. Next year he would be thirteen, too old to go out trick-or-treating on his own. He’d been counting on being able to use the excuse of having to take Sam around for the next couple of years, at least. He opened his mouth to argue but he could tell just from the look on his little brother’s face that he meant business.
So instead he tossed a Milky Way, Sam’s favorite, to his brother. “We’ll talk about it next year. Right now? It’s candy-coma time.”
Sam held his determined expression for just a moment before tearing into the Milky Way, plopping down next his brother, and eagerly digging in.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Writing Exercise #1
In order to help get my creative juices flowing a little bit, I've decided to do some writing exercises using one-word prompts, which I'm getting here and here. The rules, as I've set them up for myself, are as follows:
-Fanfic and original characters are both fair game
-No agonizing over it. This includes: no worrying about word count, no editing the hell out of it, no fiddling with it.
Basically, the idea is just to write whatever pops into my head and post it. I'm hoping this will help me get back in touch with my style and normal voice.
Anywho. Here is the result of the first exercise, using a prompt given to me via Facebook:
Prompt: windows
Fandom: Supernatural
Character(s): Sam Winchester
Set during Season 1, Episode 5: “Bloody Mary”
-----
It was said that mirrors were the windows into the soul, that mirrors provided the one true reflection of yourself. As a matter of fact, Sam had told Dean something similar just a few hours ago. It had to be true, though, because Sam hated what he saw in the mirror.
The figure staring back at him was something other than human. A freak who got dreams that told the future. A scared little boy who had ignored those dreams, refused to believe them. Refused to believe that Jessica would meet the same fate as his mother. Tried to convince himself that the nightmares were stress-related.
But deep down, he knew the truth, and he’d let her die. All because he’d been too afraid to lose control, too afraid to admit that the life he’d fled was catching up with him. He’d done nothing to stop it, nothing to warn her. And he’d left her alone.
Out of all his transgressions, leaving her alone was the one for which he’d never forgive himself.
Never.
Mirrors were definitely the windows into the soul. The one thing that never lied, that always showed you the truth.
Sam was ready. He shifted the crowbar in his hand, and began to chant: “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary …” He paused just a moment before uttering the final, “Bloody Mary.”
-Fanfic and original characters are both fair game
-No agonizing over it. This includes: no worrying about word count, no editing the hell out of it, no fiddling with it.
Basically, the idea is just to write whatever pops into my head and post it. I'm hoping this will help me get back in touch with my style and normal voice.
Anywho. Here is the result of the first exercise, using a prompt given to me via Facebook:
Prompt: windows
Fandom: Supernatural
Character(s): Sam Winchester
Set during Season 1, Episode 5: “Bloody Mary”
-----
It was said that mirrors were the windows into the soul, that mirrors provided the one true reflection of yourself. As a matter of fact, Sam had told Dean something similar just a few hours ago. It had to be true, though, because Sam hated what he saw in the mirror.
The figure staring back at him was something other than human. A freak who got dreams that told the future. A scared little boy who had ignored those dreams, refused to believe them. Refused to believe that Jessica would meet the same fate as his mother. Tried to convince himself that the nightmares were stress-related.
But deep down, he knew the truth, and he’d let her die. All because he’d been too afraid to lose control, too afraid to admit that the life he’d fled was catching up with him. He’d done nothing to stop it, nothing to warn her. And he’d left her alone.
Out of all his transgressions, leaving her alone was the one for which he’d never forgive himself.
Never.
Mirrors were definitely the windows into the soul. The one thing that never lied, that always showed you the truth.
Sam was ready. He shifted the crowbar in his hand, and began to chant: “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary …” He paused just a moment before uttering the final, “Bloody Mary.”
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