Lucy Talks

Today's topic in a writing comm was:
Over the years we have all produced fic. Some of it has been rewarded with kudos and comments. There's not always a clear reason why some fics 'make it' into the readers acclaim or why. When public acclaim is taken into account: what are your best fics? Don't hesitate to post links.

I answered based only on top fics according to AO3 stats. I don't really pay much attention to ff.net. I post things there, then forget about them.

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What is your current project or projects?

Ha. Way too many to count - dozens of fics in some version of progress. I'd like to finish the second half of Some Assembly Required, though. That one's languished since I posted the first half.

Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?

I generally try to be comfortable to write. I have a very expensive office chair, which I purchased way back in the days of jobs and money, and it has held up well. I've gotten my money's worth out of this baby.

I have a card table set up in the living/dining area, and for now, that's where I write. Eventually, I'll get back in my room, but I'm currently reorganizing.

Mostly, I write on my laptop. My typing speed can almost keep up with my muse when I'm really in the zone. However, when I need some extra energy, I will go and sit in a restaurant and eat or have a snack, and write in a composition book, of which I have easily half a dozen, because I use them for many, many things, not just for longhand writing of fiction.

Music: Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?

No. No. No. Yes. :D

I cannot write while listening to anything with words or lyrics. It drowns out the voices in my head, and makes writing way too much work.

When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?

I post everything to AO3, no matter where I get the prompt and whether or not it's BSG. Most of my BSG fic also gets posted to my fic journal, unless it's too long. I hate the formatting part of posting as regards to LJ, so if I have to break a post up into parts, it feels like way too much work.

I post very rarely to ff, and only G or PG things. I much prefer the tagging capabilities on AO3, so anything above PG gets thoroughly tagged when I post it.

I post commentfic to bsg_kink and bsg_epics and to other comms when I'm responding to a challenge.

Sequels: Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?

I love sequels!

I have written sequels, both intentional and unintentional. Sometimes I write a fic, and don't realize until I'm done that it actually fits into a particular verse. And sometimes, I go into a story knowing it is in the same timeline as something else I've written.

I love reading sequels, too.

When you have ideas, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for later use?

It depends. Sometimes, I get a prompt, and I know it's going to become a story, but I don't get anything at first other than the idea. Those I set aside in a prompts doc.

Sometimes, the characters start talking, and when they're done for the day, they go away, or a different fic's version of those characters replaces them.

Basically, I write what's in my head - it's all about the voices in my head - and I rarely write the same way twice.

Titles: Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?

Titles are my least favorite part of writing. I can come up with awesome titles, as long as I'm helping someone else, but when it comes to my own work, titles are hard. And no, unless there's a reason each chapter needs its own title, I don't title them. Numbers work just fine for me, in both reading and writing.

Warnings: What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?

I might have a tendency to overtag or warn for too many things rather than too few.

Getting hit by a trigger when reading a fic is not a fun experience, and I'd feel more than a bit like leaving someone after a scene with no aftercare, and that's just not right.

The person reading has the best idea what triggers he or she has, and I warn for them. If I'm not sure, I post a link to AO3 and tag the frak out of it there, and let the reader decide.

As far as the strangest thing? I don't know. I don't freewrite tags, so if it's something weird, I'd probably put it in the summary or opening notes.

Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?

I have my pet headcanons, and some fanon has probably sunk into my fic-writing-psyche.

I use the source material as a way to gauge my voices, make sure I'm giving an authentic Kara or Lee or Karl or whoever, as far as possible.