Taking fic requests!

[amatara]

In theory, I still want to write that New Who fic. Mainly because I know that (apart from a few exceptions like Babylon 5 and - sometimes - Trek) the stage where I'm fannish enough over a series or character to actually write fic tends to pass quickly. With the Ninth Doctor I'm in that stage right now, but who knows how long it will stay that way - so it may be now or never!

In practice, though, I'm still miles away from having any usable ideas, let alone that I could start writing something up. Even worse, for some reason I'm also finding myself fresh out of B5 plot bunnies! *panics* 

Only one solution for that: for the time being, I'll take... requests. Yessir. So, if there's anything in particular you'd like me to write, just ask the question and I'll see what I can do! (I don't dare to make binding promises at this point, though.)

Since writing is first and foremost an indulgence for me, there are conditions, the nature of which will surprise no one who's come here at least once before *g*: 

• Requests should be B5-related, and have at least Londo and/or G'Kar and/or Vir in it. Gen, slash or het - just no Londo/Vir, please. *shudders*
• Specialties: angst and h/c. For myself, I tend to go easy on the h/c because I'm afraid of appearing too self-indulgent (does that make sense?)... But I do love the genre, so if anyone does want something sappy, I'd be glad to (try and) provide it.
• I've never done explicit het or slash, though there's a first time for everything, so if someone asks, who knows. *g* Crackfic I don't think I can do. 

Plus, any suggestions for a short New Who story, Nine era, that doesn't require diligent Old Who research, are welcome too!

Comments

[maspalio.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, do you happen to know any existing h/c fics with Londo and/or G'Kar?

I've been browsing my bookmarks but I don't think I know of any such fic. Except maybe for these two snippets (http://andrastewhite.livejournal.com/180539.html) by andrastewhite, which could be considered h/c... in a way.

Looks like yours will be the first real h/c in the fandom, then. :)

[amatara.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, those snippets are fabulous! Spider = severe psychologycal hurt and trauma, no? ;)

First h/c for the pairing... oh, my. So I'll either be setting a new trend, or chasing folks away screaming. *veg* It's weird stuff to write, in any case: I'm having a great time, but I also need to remind myself constantly to reign it in, because, um, Other People Will Be Reading This. Yes.

*writes 100 times "I shall not pour all of my fantasies into this fic" as penance* ;)

[maspalio.livejournal.com]

I certainly hope you'll be setting a new trend. *g*

Also, what are fics for except pouring all your fantasies into? Except for the whole "other people reading it", of course... (I knew there was a reason I never publish my bad, self-indulging fics...)

Spider = severe psychologycal hurt and trauma, no?

Spiders are the worst thing ever. Seriously. I so need a bodyguard to protect me against spiders.

[amatara.livejournal.com]

I love bad, self-indulging fics! And now I'm of course dying to see yours. *g* (I'm sure they're not as bad as you're claiming, by the way.)

That's always the big dilemma when writing fic, isn't it? On one hand, you know that people like fluff and h/c, even if it's not that good and/or waaay over the top (how else do you explain all those hair-raisingly bad mpreg stories on fanfiction.net with 100+ comments?). On the other hand, once you've started down that alley as a fic-writer, there's probably no turning back - reputation-wise, I mean. ;) So what I do: there's the stuff I publish, right, which I try to keep decent; and then there's my Big Green Private Notebook, which exists purely for the purpose of self-indulging, and is chock-full of shameless h/c that will never see the light of day. (If it did, I would die right then and there. Yes. :) )

Status update on the fic: reached the 1500-word mark; still no snuggling, though. In fact, I'm starting to consider keeping the snuggling in subtext only - that seems slightly easier to do.

Spiders I can bear, usually. Unless they're really big and hairy, and they land on top of your head when you're in the bathroom. Wasps on the other hand - those I hate with a passion that cannot be imagined.

(By the way: silly discussions like these makes me insanely happy. Please, don't stop. *squees*)

[maspalio.livejournal.com]

So what I do: there's the stuff I publish, right, which I try to keep decent; and then there's my Big Green Private Notebook, which exists purely for the purpose of self-indulging, and is chock-full of shameless h/c that will never see the light of day.

I do more or less the same thing, except my good stuff is original fiction, not fanfic. Seriously, my fics are quite bad. Also mostly unfinished, because I can't seem to write short pieces and end up plotting long, epic stories to justify the h/c. And then I lose interest before finishing the first half. And I write in French, because writing in English is so hard - I don't know how you manage it.
I admit I do feel a little guilty sometimes, because I love reading all these fics and never produce anything in return. Maybe one day...

Wasps on the other hand - those I hate with a passion that cannot be imagined.

I don't mind wasps, but I know a lot of people who hate them. I think it's a matter of legs. I can't stand anything that has more than six legs. Spiders in particular make me scream like a little girl. I have no shame. *g*

[amatara.livejournal.com]

Original fiction? I'm impressed! That's something I'm absolutely incapable of, given that I have near-zero patience for things like plotting and character setup. Do you post it somewhere public, or are you still saving it until you find the courage to? If the former - I'd love to take a peek, even though my French will almost certainly not be up to the task. :) Writing in English - gosh, just a matter of habit, I think... I've always loved the language, as it's so much more precise and compact and poetic than my own, and I honestly don't think I could manage to write a decent story in Dutch anymore. French is, perhaps, a language that lends itself better to storytelling? In any case, judging from what I've read, your English is just as good as mine, so maybe you should just give it a try! You could always sign on to babylon5_love for a drabble or something of the kind... *wink wink nudge nudge*

But seriously - don't you find it harder to write a good original story than a good fanfic? The nice thing about fanfic, to me, is that you can jump right in - the reader knows who you're talking about anyway! Of course, with fanfic there is the temptation to, um, indulge... but on the other hand, there's something very rewarding about writing a fic that is meant to be posted, just because of the discipline it takes not make it (or at least not exclusively ;) ) about your own fantasies. Does that make any sense? (geez, I am getting serious here, aren't I?)

No. 1 rule for h/c justification: don't. *g* No, seriously - I think some of the best h/c, or fluff, or pwop or other inherently cliché-type stories, are the ones that acknowledge shamelessly the premise is cliché, and then prove that said cliché can be made into a great story! One example I'm thinking about is this (http://andrastewhite.livejournal.com/160551.html) fic, which andrastewhite for some reason never put into her list of fics (but that didn't stop me from discovering it anyway *evil grin*). Cliché: certainly; but the execution is perfect! Still, I see your problem - which is why I usually start writing a story somewhere in the middle, right when it becomes interesting, and only add the introductory stuff later. :)

Why should you feel guilty about not producing fanfic? You read other people's fics, you leave comments and feedback - what more could a person ask? Writing should be a hobby, no? The moment it becomes an obligation, or something you feel guilty about when not doing it, something's not right, I'd say.

(Hmm. Re-reading this, I notice all of it is so serious! Must be sleep deprivation or something... *shakes brain hoping silly joke will fall out*)

[maspalio.livejournal.com]

Still working up the courage to post something public, I'll let you know if I ever get to it. The thought of perfect strangers reading and judging my work is scary. -_-

French is, perhaps, a language that lends itself better to storytelling?

Actually, as a reader I think English makes for better storytelling. As a writer though, I find it hard -I have to stop every few words to think about the best way to say what I want to say, while in French it all comes naturally to me. It's just more fun.

But seriously - don't you find it harder to write a good original story than a good fanfic?

Not really. I have original characters and settings popping up in my head all the time, so I feel like I'm writing fanfic, only my readers don't know the fandom yet and I can show them how cool it is. Also, plotting is fun. It's probably my favourite part of writing. I love coming up with stories.

There's also the fact that people all over the world are already writing about fandom characters, and I feel I should use what little self-discipline I have to work hard for my original characters, because if I don't, nobody will. Which is quite silly, especially since nobody except my family and a few close friends are allowed to read it. (I swear I'll work that courage someday. Yes.)

(You're making perfect sense, btw.)

No. 1 rule for h/c justification: don't.

You're probably right, those things work better without justification. But as I said, plotting is fun. *g*

(Hmm. Re-reading this, I notice all of it is so serious! Must be sleep deprivation or something... *shakes brain hoping silly joke will fall out*)

Now, we can't be silly all the time, can we? *g*

[amatara.livejournal.com]

Since nobody except my family and a few close friends are allowed to read it.

You know, I think it's kind of amazing that you're saying this - not because I'm not scared to let strangers read my stuff, because I am (you should see me when I get back a beta'ed story *g*) - but because my feeling is exactly the opposite: I find it much harder to let people I know read it! A stranger can say some harsh words, perhaps, but in the end they can't really touch you. Family and real-life friends, though - they know me, and letting them read a story would feel so intimate, in a way, that I don't know if I could bear the thought. I never let my parents read anything from me, not even when I was younger; and it took weeks before I let my husband (geez, that makes me sound old! Haven't been married long, though. *g*) lay eyes on those Londo & G'Kar stories I wrote. (He did like them, btw, though not quite in the same way I do. *g*) I mean - I find it incredible that you can do it, share these things with people close to you - but I find it very, very hard. That's also one of the reasons why I have no real-life friends on my LJ flist (okay, that and the fact almost none of them knows the fandom anyway :) ).

But seriously, the step from there to posting on the web is not such a big one, I think. In any case, people only tend to comment when they like your stuff, so the chance you get negative feedback is pretty small anyway. (Hell, I haven't gotten any yet, even though I've asked people for it *g*)

As a writer though, I find it hard -I have to stop every few words to think about the best way to say what I want to say.

Oh, that's certainly no different with me! And you're right, it is frustrating sometimes to see that some people around here are capable of churning out a fic daily, so to speak, while it takes me ten times as long only to finish a rough draft. But I'm starting to find I actually like the thinking and pondering and polishing, no matter how slow it is. And it does get easier, after a while.

Also - now I'm positively jealous of your plotting skills! Maybe we should strike up a kind of fanfic collaboration: you suggest the plot, I take care of execution, we split up the profit? :)

[maspalio.livejournal.com]

But seriously, the step from there to posting on the web is not such a big one, I think.

As it turns out, all I needed was a little nudge. Here's my first published work (http://www.inlibroveritas.net/auteur12683.html), if you're still interested. *Waits anxiously for feedback.*

Maybe we should strike up a kind of fanfic collaboration: you suggest the plot, I take care of execution, we split up the profit? :)

Heee. I'll let you know if any idea pops up.

[amatara.livejournal.com]

Ooooooo, great!! Congratulations, by the way!

Just, um, I can see your author profile, but not much else... No story, in any case. :( Am I doing something wrong? Or is there a magic link somewhere that I'm overlooking? *scratches head*

[maspalio.livejournal.com]

Sorry, my mistake. I wanted to correct some small mistakes and didn't realise I had to submit the story again.
Anyway, here it is :

http://www.inlibroveritas.net/lire/oeuvre25340.html

[amatara.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, that's much better! I might need some time to read this, as it's been a loooong time since I tried any book in French. But I will read, and feedback - on plot, at least; stylistic-type comments I'm afraid I'll have to leave to someone who speaks the language properly! ;)