Navel exercises
Jan. 21st, 2004 11:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indriI shouldn't be allowed to post after midnight, but last night I did. I asked myself some fairly flippant questions and for some reason ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
roquelaure and rahirah are expecting me to answer them as well.
So here goes:
Why do you keep choosing countries you've never been to as settings?
Because of the kinds of story I find interesting to tell. I find it very easy to imagine all sorts of Buffy-related stories but I usually only bother writing them down if (i) they're consistent with canon, (ii) they say something I haven't already read in other fanfic, and (iii) they are technically challenging to write.
This means that I often find myself concentrating on peripheral characters and/or writing about central characters from what I hope is an unusual perspective. One of the easiest ways to write new stuff about Spike is to write about his life outside Sunnydale, and
because I prefer to interpolate canon rather than extrapolate, this has led me to writing about the places we know he's been: China, South America and now Uganda. It would be so much easier for me if Spike had ravaged Australia...
I'm often surprised at what stories haven't been told. Why has no-one written much about Nikki Wood, for example? Has anyone written about Faith's calling and her first watcher's death? The fate of Clem's cousin? I couldn't have been the only person (other thanmissmurchison) who wondered about Spike and Joyce's relationship but I couldn't find any fic that considered it at the time I wrote DeNile.
Why do you never (well, hardly ever) write in your OTP?
Because I can't think of anything to say about Spike and Buffy that's new. Too many talented authors have already done it all. Also, I didn't read much romance fiction as a kid so I have no feel for it. I can only seem to write romance obliquely or with heavy irony.
Why do you never write slash, given that you enjoy reading it almost as much as your (het) OTP?
Partly it's the fact that I prefer to work within canon (thereby drastically reducing the number of possible pairings) and partly it's because, as with Spike/Buffy fiction, my favorite slash pairings have already been done far better than I could manage. I sometimes toy with the idea of writing Buffy/Angel/Spike because I can make that work in my head but I doubt I'm motivated enough to actually do it any time soon.
Why has it taken you a %%^#& year to write your current fic?
I've had a sick partner, an intercontinental move, four months of living at no fixed address and a new job since I started. Also, I can't write decent fiction in snippets. I always need a sort of "warmup hour" before I can immerse myself enough in my fiction to write decent prose so I have to have a few good hours in a row before I can write. And then I rewrite and polish and rewrite a bit more and, if I'm really unlucky, I'll write long sections that I ultimately have to throw out. I think the out-takes from Hotel Lavear were about as long as the finished fic. Fortunately, that hasn't been nearly so much a problem with the present fic.
Would you ever consider writing in another fandom?
I've written fanfic of sorts since I was quite small. I still have a book of Dr Who songs written when I was about eight. Then I wrote much more stuff that's too embarrassing to mention here, but only two items ever saw print, a couple of Klingon poems, so help me God. (Hangs head in shame and goes to stand in the nerd's corner with Andrew.) I have no interest right now in working in another fandom.
Why are you obsessed with the idea of Spike as a representative of Empire?
Because I'm a Brit who grew up reading too much Victorian and Edwardian adventure fiction while growing up inthe former colonies of the United States and Australia. I made the mistake of starting school in the US just as they began teaching about the US War of Independence. I swear, I had kids come up to me and shout, "No taxation without representation!" as if I were personally responsible for the policy decisions of George III. But what strikes me now, whenever I return to the UK, is a combination of pride ("Yes, we ruled an Empire once") and a poor understanding of what that meant to other peoples. How can I not see Spike, the educated and occasionally gentlemanly Victorian-age marauder, as representative of Empire? I love his Britishness, but my own complicated attachment to my native country colours how I see him, the guilt and glory of my nation.
Dracula represented the British fear of the sophisticated Continental. Spike is our yobbish export.
Given that you were attracted to BtVS by the strong female characters, why don't you write about them instead of Spike?
I don't know. I wish I did. We need as many stories about strong women as we can get. I could write about Buffy, but where's the room to manoeuvre? I suppose I could write fic set over a Scooby summer. And Willow---I used to love Willow but I completely lost the sense I had of her during Season 6. She's a closed book to me now. Maybe Tara would be a good character to work with.
Dru, though. Dru's fun. I like writing Dru. She pops up a lot in my fic.
Aren't you bored of Spike yet?
Maybe, nearly. I think I've very nearly written everything I want to say about him. But I reserve the right to change my mind :)
Why do you suck so badly at providing feedback?
Because I could be using that time to read or write fanfic instead. I like to send better feedback than "Gosh, I liked that" but anything more substantial takes me hours so I almost never do it. Bad Indri.
Why do you keep writing for what seems to be an audience of fifteen?
Because that's fifteen times as many people as read my other works of fiction. Duh :)
Actually, I have no idea how many people read my stuff. I suppose I could put up a hit-counter on my website, but I have stuff archived all over the shop so I doubt it would tell me much. Besides, that way lies a whole different kind of paranoia.
And the truth of it is that I intend to stop writing fanfic after the present piece is done. I'd like to write something that could be appreciated by a more extensive coterie and that could perhaps be published commercially. I'm feeling a little burnt out, Buffywise.
Why aren't you in bed, when it's past midnight in South Australia and you're clearly rambling?
No idea. Must be the caffeine.
roquelaure and rahirah are expecting me to answer them as well.So here goes:
Why do you keep choosing countries you've never been to as settings?
Because of the kinds of story I find interesting to tell. I find it very easy to imagine all sorts of Buffy-related stories but I usually only bother writing them down if (i) they're consistent with canon, (ii) they say something I haven't already read in other fanfic, and (iii) they are technically challenging to write.
This means that I often find myself concentrating on peripheral characters and/or writing about central characters from what I hope is an unusual perspective. One of the easiest ways to write new stuff about Spike is to write about his life outside Sunnydale, and
because I prefer to interpolate canon rather than extrapolate, this has led me to writing about the places we know he's been: China, South America and now Uganda. It would be so much easier for me if Spike had ravaged Australia...
I'm often surprised at what stories haven't been told. Why has no-one written much about Nikki Wood, for example? Has anyone written about Faith's calling and her first watcher's death? The fate of Clem's cousin? I couldn't have been the only person (other than
missmurchison) who wondered about Spike and Joyce's relationship but I couldn't find any fic that considered it at the time I wrote DeNile.Why do you never (well, hardly ever) write in your OTP?
Because I can't think of anything to say about Spike and Buffy that's new. Too many talented authors have already done it all. Also, I didn't read much romance fiction as a kid so I have no feel for it. I can only seem to write romance obliquely or with heavy irony.
Why do you never write slash, given that you enjoy reading it almost as much as your (het) OTP?
Partly it's the fact that I prefer to work within canon (thereby drastically reducing the number of possible pairings) and partly it's because, as with Spike/Buffy fiction, my favorite slash pairings have already been done far better than I could manage. I sometimes toy with the idea of writing Buffy/Angel/Spike because I can make that work in my head but I doubt I'm motivated enough to actually do it any time soon.
Why has it taken you a %%^#& year to write your current fic?
I've had a sick partner, an intercontinental move, four months of living at no fixed address and a new job since I started. Also, I can't write decent fiction in snippets. I always need a sort of "warmup hour" before I can immerse myself enough in my fiction to write decent prose so I have to have a few good hours in a row before I can write. And then I rewrite and polish and rewrite a bit more and, if I'm really unlucky, I'll write long sections that I ultimately have to throw out. I think the out-takes from Hotel Lavear were about as long as the finished fic. Fortunately, that hasn't been nearly so much a problem with the present fic.
Would you ever consider writing in another fandom?
I've written fanfic of sorts since I was quite small. I still have a book of Dr Who songs written when I was about eight. Then I wrote much more stuff that's too embarrassing to mention here, but only two items ever saw print, a couple of Klingon poems, so help me God. (Hangs head in shame and goes to stand in the nerd's corner with Andrew.) I have no interest right now in working in another fandom.
Why are you obsessed with the idea of Spike as a representative of Empire?
Because I'm a Brit who grew up reading too much Victorian and Edwardian adventure fiction while growing up in
Dracula represented the British fear of the sophisticated Continental. Spike is our yobbish export.
Given that you were attracted to BtVS by the strong female characters, why don't you write about them instead of Spike?
I don't know. I wish I did. We need as many stories about strong women as we can get. I could write about Buffy, but where's the room to manoeuvre? I suppose I could write fic set over a Scooby summer. And Willow---I used to love Willow but I completely lost the sense I had of her during Season 6. She's a closed book to me now. Maybe Tara would be a good character to work with.
Dru, though. Dru's fun. I like writing Dru. She pops up a lot in my fic.
Aren't you bored of Spike yet?
Maybe, nearly. I think I've very nearly written everything I want to say about him. But I reserve the right to change my mind :)
Why do you suck so badly at providing feedback?
Because I could be using that time to read or write fanfic instead. I like to send better feedback than "Gosh, I liked that" but anything more substantial takes me hours so I almost never do it. Bad Indri.
Why do you keep writing for what seems to be an audience of fifteen?
Because that's fifteen times as many people as read my other works of fiction. Duh :)
Actually, I have no idea how many people read my stuff. I suppose I could put up a hit-counter on my website, but I have stuff archived all over the shop so I doubt it would tell me much. Besides, that way lies a whole different kind of paranoia.
And the truth of it is that I intend to stop writing fanfic after the present piece is done. I'd like to write something that could be appreciated by a more extensive coterie and that could perhaps be published commercially. I'm feeling a little burnt out, Buffywise.
Why aren't you in bed, when it's past midnight in South Australia and you're clearly rambling?
No idea. Must be the caffeine.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:12 am (UTC)Which are?
I sometimes toy with the idea of writing Buffy/Angel/Spike...
I wish you would. Most of my friends are polyamorous, but it's hard to find good 3+ people relationship fics.
Dracula represented the British fear of the sophisticated Continental. Spike is our yobbish export.
Hee!
I'm feeling a little burnt out, Buffywise.
Mm, I hear ya. Makes me kinda sad.
Thanks for answering. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 02:28 pm (UTC)You know, I feel a bit odd calling W/T slash at all. Part of the appeal of slash seems to lie in its perceived transgressive nature and W/T feels about as transgressive as socks to me. B/S feels much slashier by comparison. It just seems odd to separate stories out by their protagonists' current sexual preference.
But that's a whole other topic...
And Giles/Anya. I know you were asking me about slash, but I always appreciate a good G/A. Or Spike/anything.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 09:49 pm (UTC)Dracula represented the British fear of the sophisticated Continental. Spike is our yobbish export.
I LOVE this. I think it is wise, and pithy, and, speaking as someone on the other side of the colonial equation, I think it is a remarkably astute observation to make. In fact, i'd love to read an essay on colonialism and the buffyverse. or just a brit writing about the buffyverse brits.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-31 03:00 pm (UTC)Thanks :)
'd love to read an essay on colonialism and the buffyverse. or just a brit writing about the buffyverse brits.
Me too. I'd consider doing it myself, but I feel curiously underqualified these days, as I've spent so little of my adult life in the UK.
The "it's been done factor"
Date: 2004-01-23 06:40 am (UTC)that by not reading fic in the area I'm writing. So, since
I don't write slash, I read it.
I think you'll always have something to say, if you follow the
words of "Bull Durham" and "Relax and concentrate."