Hey, this time it's *not* a rant!
Apr. 27th, 2016 07:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cairistiona(I can hear y;all sigh with relief, don't think I can't....)
I posted another chapter on Mr. Fix It, if any of you here are reading that one (usual places, Ao3 & ff.net) and got a review yesterday that, despite its brevity, makes me smile:
"Holy poo you're an amazing writer."
That was it. That was the review. XD Much as I love the detailed ones, sometimes the short ones are just as gratifying. I think I'll whisper this one to myself in times of doubt.
Now for some writerly blather about Captain America fic and my own methods and how writing these characters is screwing up my method pretty thoroughly. Read on only if you're interested in reading how another writer agonizes over All The Things...
I'm teetering on the edge of panic with this story because I'm breaking my three personal rules of fanfic writing:
Rule 1: Finish the story completely before posting so you don't leave anyone hanging if you can't finish.
- Yep. I'm writing a chapter at a time and posting it as soon as it's back from beta. I've never done it this way and it SCARES ME TO DEATH. I hate the thought that I might not finish it and leave my readers frustrated and angry.
Rule 2: Don't write while canon is still unfolding.
- This is why I don't write TV series fanfic until after a series is cancelled. But Marvel movie and comic canon will NEVER stop unfolding. So it's either plunge in and enjoy the wild ride or skip it altogether, and my brain will not let me do the latter.
Rule 3: Keep it as canon compliant as possible.
- My only hope is that I'm at least writing Bucky in character as far as inner strength, fortitude, loyalty, drive to do the right thing, bravery, black sense of humor, tendency toward being totally soppy when he's in love, etc. I know that according to that list, I'm keeping Bucky in character in Mr Fix It, even if the details of him hiding out in St. Louis are completely AU. Comics reboot character stories constantly, so I'm okay with playing with the 'what if' scenario I've come up with. What I'm really worried about is that the emotions I'm sure to feel when I finally see CA:CW will totally shut down the muse for my AU's. I've been keeping myself as spoiler free as I can but still reading a few early reviews and reactions and my word, everyone is exploding over how amazing, gripping, emotional, fun, etc etc it is. It has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is... unreal. All are Good Things. But it might not be such a good thing for my little story. Sebastian Stan's own non-spoilery quotes during the press junket about his character's arc and mindset have already altered the tone of it. I had intended for it to be all fluff and comfort but, dadgum, Bucky's hurting and still oh so very messed up even 2 years later. It's hard to keep to a light "oh look he's discovering modern life" tone, especially given the way I love angst.
Oh well. I'm going to keep on writing the thing and hope it all works out in the end. I'm trying to frame it so an ending could be as near as the next chapter. That at least gives me some comfort, that I *can* wrap it up in a hurry if need be (a hurry meaning I'll end it soon, not that I'll hurry through the actual writing and leave it a sloppy ending). But I don't really want to end it any time soon... or if I do wrap this one up, I want to explore other ideas in the same time frame and setting.
*sigh* Such are the challenges of writing fanfic.
For the rest of you who skipped all that navel-gazing, here's one of the cutest pics of Sebastian Stan to come out of the big CA:CW press tour....
Such a cute little ray of sunshine, that man.
I posted another chapter on Mr. Fix It, if any of you here are reading that one (usual places, Ao3 & ff.net) and got a review yesterday that, despite its brevity, makes me smile:
"Holy poo you're an amazing writer."
That was it. That was the review. XD Much as I love the detailed ones, sometimes the short ones are just as gratifying. I think I'll whisper this one to myself in times of doubt.
Now for some writerly blather about Captain America fic and my own methods and how writing these characters is screwing up my method pretty thoroughly. Read on only if you're interested in reading how another writer agonizes over All The Things...
I'm teetering on the edge of panic with this story because I'm breaking my three personal rules of fanfic writing:
Rule 1: Finish the story completely before posting so you don't leave anyone hanging if you can't finish.
- Yep. I'm writing a chapter at a time and posting it as soon as it's back from beta. I've never done it this way and it SCARES ME TO DEATH. I hate the thought that I might not finish it and leave my readers frustrated and angry.
Rule 2: Don't write while canon is still unfolding.
- This is why I don't write TV series fanfic until after a series is cancelled. But Marvel movie and comic canon will NEVER stop unfolding. So it's either plunge in and enjoy the wild ride or skip it altogether, and my brain will not let me do the latter.
Rule 3: Keep it as canon compliant as possible.
- My only hope is that I'm at least writing Bucky in character as far as inner strength, fortitude, loyalty, drive to do the right thing, bravery, black sense of humor, tendency toward being totally soppy when he's in love, etc. I know that according to that list, I'm keeping Bucky in character in Mr Fix It, even if the details of him hiding out in St. Louis are completely AU. Comics reboot character stories constantly, so I'm okay with playing with the 'what if' scenario I've come up with. What I'm really worried about is that the emotions I'm sure to feel when I finally see CA:CW will totally shut down the muse for my AU's. I've been keeping myself as spoiler free as I can but still reading a few early reviews and reactions and my word, everyone is exploding over how amazing, gripping, emotional, fun, etc etc it is. It has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is... unreal. All are Good Things. But it might not be such a good thing for my little story. Sebastian Stan's own non-spoilery quotes during the press junket about his character's arc and mindset have already altered the tone of it. I had intended for it to be all fluff and comfort but, dadgum, Bucky's hurting and still oh so very messed up even 2 years later. It's hard to keep to a light "oh look he's discovering modern life" tone, especially given the way I love angst.
Oh well. I'm going to keep on writing the thing and hope it all works out in the end. I'm trying to frame it so an ending could be as near as the next chapter. That at least gives me some comfort, that I *can* wrap it up in a hurry if need be (a hurry meaning I'll end it soon, not that I'll hurry through the actual writing and leave it a sloppy ending). But I don't really want to end it any time soon... or if I do wrap this one up, I want to explore other ideas in the same time frame and setting.
*sigh* Such are the challenges of writing fanfic.
For the rest of you who skipped all that navel-gazing, here's one of the cutest pics of Sebastian Stan to come out of the big CA:CW press tour....
Such a cute little ray of sunshine, that man.
