observations

[lyssie]

I've been thinking about this for a while. I don't write for the feedback.

If I wrote for the feedback, I'd produce the same romance-novel-style shit that garners such love on the Sam/Jack list, Kara/Lee communities, and McKay/Sheppard places.

I write for me.

I finish and post for the feedback.

There are, at an estimate, 500 unfinished stories on my hard drive (770 files in the folder, estimate a chunk are random note files, collections of drabbles and fic prompts, and finished stories I haven't moved to a different folder). And most of those, I will never bother finishing. Because no one wants to read them, or will care, and I know how they end.

Same goes for my graphics. I have three months' worth of icons from contests and random bits of inspiration I've never bothered to post. And probably never will.

Comments

[meeshy.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this the other day when I did that fanficwriters meme thing. I wrote a fic I hated once, a sickening fluffy thing that everyone and his dog loved, yet I still hated - it was GETTING all that feedback going "OMG we love it!!!oneone!" that prodded me sharply into realising I did not like it. At the same time I posted that I posted an angsty, bitter, thing that I adored. Of course, I don't think it even got a single comment (of course, it might have just sucked! *G*) but since then I haven't written fluff. I don't want gushing appreciation of something that I practically wrote with my eyes closed and didn't enjoy or stretch myself writing. I want to write angst and god dammit I don't care if people don't want to comment (or if I suck really bad at it!).

I have loads of fic (though not as much as you, omg!) unfinished, because its angst, its bitter and nasty and twisted, and no one will care but it's mine, and when it's on my computer in it's unfinished state: I don't care that no one loves beaten, bruised and completely fucked up Lee who doesn't love Kara

[splash-the-cat.livejournal.com]

I write for me.

I finish and post for the feedback.

That's an excellent observation.

[mtgat]

I write for me.

I finish and post for the feedback.

Yep. Every single time.

[surreallis.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell yes. Great distinction. If you only cared about feedback, you'd write McKay/Sheppard. My one barely shippy story I wrote of that pairing gets more feedback than anything else I've ever written. To this day. To be honest, it sort of freaks me out.

However, if some of those stories languishing on your hard drive have potential--and you'd know which those are--you should finish them, even if you never post. You SHOULD.

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Well, the other thing that I totally meant to add, but forgot, is that most of my fic is shallow. There's no world-building, no depth to the characters. It's all surface.

I can get away with that, in my head.

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Actually, if I really only cared, I'd write boyslash for any fandom. Or give my fic actual substance.

[musicforcylons.livejournal.com]

POST SHIT, WOULD YOU?

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

I have.

[musicforcylons.livejournal.com]

(Meep! I was teasing. *scurries away to hide under a rock*)