meme

[maderr]

Technically more for fanfic, I think? But I liked it. ^^;

The Fic Writers' Meme:


The Goods:

1. The fic you're happiest with, relationship-wise: Prisoner. Dieter and Beraht is still one of the hardest couples I've ever had to write, and maybe I'm too-fond of that story but I do not care ^__^


2. The fic you're happiest with, plot-wise: I don't believe any of my stories are terribly strong plot-wise, but I'm told Kidnapped is tight and for all it's pretty simple I was way happy with Always There.

3. The fic in which you're most happy with the characterizations: Always There, I think. That story was hard, because I had to work triply hard to show but not say, and it's really fracking tricksy to show something the characters themselves don't realize.


4. The fic you didn't expect to have so much fun with: My DwtD dragons. I thought I'd write the one story and be done. Heh ^^;;


5. The fic that was the hardest to walk away from: Heh. Dance with the Devil. I sense I will always play quite happily in that sandbox.


6. The fic you (secretly) wish everyone would read: I think people tend to read just about everything? I was always sad Rumors got such a cold reception. To this day I think Sammikins, Beej, and Maile are the only ones who really really like it.



The Bads:

1. The fic you wish you'd never written: Meant to Be. I've always known, right from Kidnapped, what was and would be between Pyotr and Jade. I decided about the same time to never write it. However, I never thought Kidnapped verse would be so popular, and I gave in to pleading and pressure and wrote Meant. I'll finish it, because I can't not at this point, but I do wish I'd left it in my head.


2. The fic you wish no one knew you'd written: Umm. None? Maybe some of my dumbass fanfics x_x I should really take those down.


3. The fic you wish you could rewrite, because it should have been better: Stone Rose. All the other LG stories cooperated, but that one did not, and I hate even looking at it, which makes me sad.


4. The fic that seriously disappointed you: None ever posted.


5. The fic that got the loudest negative reactions: I think people bitched at me a lot when I rewrote The Rose and the Fox. People still bitch at me, and I don't much fucking care. The second draft was better than the first.
.

6. The fic that didn't get the reactions you wanted at all: Hmm...it didn't get a reaction I didn't want, so much as I never expected Kidnapped to be so popular. For various and sundry reasons, I don't even really like that verse anymore. I feel it's no longer mine, and what I feel about it matters not, so I dread just looking at it. I wrote it once because I don't like sci-fi and wanted to see if I could write sci-fi I did like. Bits of it are also lightly poking fun at sci-fi and/or anime, and for a long time I liked it. Then it just got...too big, I guess, and I stare at it not knowing what to say or do. Never expected it to reach the proportions it has, or to acquire the fandom it has ^^;; Overwhelmed, me.



The Hopefuls:

1. The thing you most want to improve on in future fics: I still say I need better plots. Everyone else rails at me for description. So those I guess.


2. The pairing you most want to write: Gille & Stregoni, believe it or not. They're the only part of Embrace I really care about.


3. The story you most want to write: Unequal Children. This story is my baby, but it's difficult enough I'd have to stop working on everything else -- and for a very long time. So, it'll likely not get written for a very long time (if, sadly, ever).

Comments

[stardance.livejournal.com]

I'm sad you don't like Meant to Be. I love Jade (and by extension anything with him in). I suppose I would still have been happy with him in Kidnapped, though, because I didn't love him any less back then.

[broken-moons.livejournal.com]

Argh, shiny meme, and that when I was about to do housework.

I liked Rumors, but I think I was still a bit lurkerish, then. Or I might have commented but forgot. Or thought I'd commented but didn't. I get that a lot. (Twice with the bits of unbeta'd Fahima's story you posted >.>)

The changes to The Rose and the Fox were such that it confused the hell out of me when I read the edited version not long after reading the original. I kept having this really weird disjointed deja vu feeling, because half of it was really familiar, and other aspects I was sure I'd never seen before, and help am I going insane? But I did like it. *hugs*

[avalon13.livejournal.com]

2. The pairing you most want to write: Gille & Stregoni, believe it or not. They're the only part of Embrace I really care about.

Okay, honest, honest? I'm waiting the most for that pairing too. <3

Also I adored Rumors, and I'm pretty sure I read it in my lurking days. Heh. Feel old. Loved it, wish there was more, but understand the fact it must end there to finish itself nicely.

...DIETER FTW

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

I liked Rumors. In fact, it's one of those ones that I'll wander over to your site and reread sometimes. I think I commented on it when you posted. I remember wanting to comment on it even if I never managed to do it.

[tsubaki-dono.livejournal.com]

I'm seriously going to get addicted to the Kidnapped universe now. I read some of the DwtD fics and I'm looking forward to finding the original story behind the Devil and his Consort now...

On MtB, I found it on your amasour site and I was rather surprised to find all the fics there. I'm going to read them all! Before the new year, too, just you wait. I did actually go to read MtB a bit now and I see... that the coming together between Jade and Pyotr was cut so short. They finally succumb to each other but the emotion of it was lost. In that particular instance, a lemon would have sealed their passion and really brought out the attraction between them all the more. Maybe not even a full lemon, just the before and immediate after, really. Not the MORNING after and Jade was gone. I'm looking forward to the end of that one very much.

Rumours: Never saw that one. I'm sure I'll like it though. Must find! (will be raiding your LJ later)

Embrace: I do care about the Gille and Stregoni angle, but I do want to see what your initial main characters get up to. That still excites me.

Wishing you all the best and happy writing.

[gossymer.livejournal.com]

The characterization and relationship in Prisoner pwned everything - though I have high hopes for Weathermage XD

And your DwtD Dragons? I actually had skipped on them initially 'cause the DwtD verse wasn't quite my thing - but then I did end p reading them and now they are sort of a signature set of yours. I think Dragons and I think of you (and whenever you use those dragon!icons I made, I get bouncy XD)

I always likened Rumors to an iceberg - in that what we read was only a snapshot of all the emotions, social situations, relationships etc. Though it's something that could translate very well into a visual piece (animation/video). But that's just me.

On a side note it seems like everyone's doing these creator!memes - fic writers about their stories and icon makers about their icon progress. LOVE.

[lokiloo.livejournal.com]

I feel terrible that you dislike MtB, since I'm pretty sure I'm some of the people pressuring you to write it. I know how it feels when you don;t want to do something, but other people want you to...

I'M SORRY M. ;___;
*offers mint tea and porn*

[i-hate-reenters.livejournal.com]

I have to wreck havoc on that cruel, cruel misconception that Rumours isn't liked outside of the mentioned circle. Totally untrue!!

Rumours is actually my favourite short story you've ever written. It has this mystical beauty to it. I love the jester/riddler and the prince pairing. I always seem to overlap Elric with the prince though (don't know why -_-;;)

I actually hope you write more about that pair, or at least more stories in that line.

Anyway, I like your writing style and the character creases you bring in. Hope you write more!

-anin

[scary-sushi.livejournal.com]

Haha, stepping out of my stalker lurker ways to say I had just re-read Always There just the night before (I do so worship your website) and I was reminded of how awesome it was, and how sad I am that we don't yet have any Chastaine and Lyon drabbles. Or a Kodey and Brice sequel, for that matter. *wink wink nudge nudge*

Rumors was one of those darker re-tellings that felt like a snippet, just the surface of emotions that ran deeper and actions that extended beyond what you showed. I adored it though, the way you dealt with Rune was, for lack of better wording, very tasteful and delicate. Plus, hey, if you're happy with it, does it really matter what other people think? They can go and write their own if they bitch about it ^.^

I was wondering: I thought Black Magic was one of your finest universes, any chance we might get to see Koray the necromancer and his paladin happily sex!sweaty in the near future?

[the-rue-morgue.livejournal.com]

6. The fic you (secretly) wish everyone would read: I think people tend to read just about everything? I was always sad Rumors got such a cold reception. To this day I think Sammikins, Beej, and Maile are the only ones who really really like it.

I don't dislike it, I just always felt like it was only a piece of the puzzle and I always wanted to see the rest XD


2. The pairing you most want to write: Gille & Stregoni, believe it or not. They're the only part of Embrace I really care about.

They're really the most vibrant part of it XD; *still goes to re-read drabbles of them every so often >_>*


1. The thing you most want to improve on in future fics: I still say I need better plots. Everyone else rails at me for description. So those I guess.

I think your plots are good as they are XD (though I find from experience that other people often love what you yourself hate or think is sub-standard). But I guess if you keep challenging yourself to write more and more different things and move away from your own patterns you'll get there. May end up with a lot of scrapped writing first, though . . . . Why does growth always seem to work like that?

As for description. I happen to think you do fine, but I guess that depends on what you look for in a story. There's a balance in story-writing . . . . (If you want an example of too-much detail go pick up Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame I can especially speak for.) I think you have to find what works for you, because if you try to artificially put more in just to please a reader or so you may end up interrupting your flow.

The line between what's telling too much and what's not is very blurred. I think it's probably different for everyone as well. Some people like to imagine more details for themselves, some people want it sketched out for them.

It's a difficult balance to reach, really. And you'll probably never make everyone happy.

____________

This may sound odd, but I sort of feel relieved that you don't like Kidnapped all that much ^^; I've always seen so much about it, but never really been able to get much into it myself ^^; For various reasons, among them that it's just not my cup of tea ^^;

[sixpence1323.livejournal.com]

What? People didn't like Rumors? I haven't been around for very long but I always remember liking that one. It's so... I don't know. Mysterious. I love the images presented. They were very strong to me.

And I am sorry you hate Kidnapped so much. You do really write it very well. And I am especially sorry you don't feel it's your own. I have had that feeling about my stories before. However, since I don't have a fanbase, I just dump them.

But I really think you constructed that universe well - I'm not a fan of sci-fi either. In fact, I really hate it. But I was amazed at how much I liked Kidnapped. That was one of the stories of yours I had to force myself to read. But then, as it went along, I found that it became easier and easier.

And the real thing is Meant to Be is even better. I don't know. You and I don't know each other very well, so this could mean near to nothing, but I really think you did an awesome job. To me, it's one of your best, even though you hate it so much. And I feel like you put careful thought into it, just like you did with Prisoner.

So yeah. My ten cents.

And for the last one, for some reason, I really thought you would say NAAW. Don't know why. But Unequal Children has always been untouchably sexy to me. I can't wait to see how you write it.

[aqua-eyes.livejournal.com]

I quite like rumours. XD! I think I read it on your site, and therefore didn't give feedback. Lol.

And yey! Gille & Stregoni! ♥

[koneikaa66.livejournal.com]

Even if not my favorite, Rumors is still one I really like : part of it because the story told by Rune is based one of my favorite fairytale and I like the interesting way you used it and enjoy the way of your story : it's a really fine, good and enjoyable fairytale.
I'm kind of sad that you don't enjoy the Kidnappedverse as much as us readers and hope one day your feelings may change...
I told you I wanted to wait to develop my thought about one of my remarks the other time and truth to be told it was about "description" (also told you other people may have already told you about) so I'm happy it's one of your "hopefuls".
Last, I hope we'll see one day this "Unequal Children" it would be too sad that the story you want most to write will stay an unborn baby...

[wide-eyed-raven.livejournal.com]

It's funny because I think Rumors is my favorite of your fairytales... I have this weird obsession with jesters, and I adore Rune.

[iyreia.livejournal.com]

I'm at work right now; should not be posting, but can't resist!

Ya know how you mentioned that you yoink names for your characters from your work? Well I'm (supposed to be) writing up a report for some of our patients, one of whom is named "Dieter".

Me is in teh giggles ;) Ya know, I giggle every single week when I see him; he's gotten used to it *thumbs up*

Oooh, Meme ^^

[shattereternity.livejournal.com]

I liked Rumors! (but i found your stuff late, soooo...) And personally, I'm glad that you ended up writing Meant, but now feel guilty that you don't like it >.<

Does that mean kidnapped got out of hand like the blasphemous movie-version of Frankenstein's Creature?

::eyes zone in on hopefuls:: *__* well at least i know you have motivation when it comes to Gille and Stregoni cause i'm waiting for either that or Paradise Lost <3

And I REALLY hope you find the time for Unequal Children...when i finally got up the courage to read the unfinished storyline, the prologue caught me hook, line and sinker ^__^

[jejazzikaput.livejournal.com]

It's not that I don't like Rumors. I actually really do like it. I don't really understand it...when I read it I was hyped up on pain meds and it was really late at night--so I got a little bit freaked out. Okay, so I got really scared, and now I'm afraid to go back and re-read it to figure out what was going on.

P.S. You have no idea how happy I would be if you wrote Stregoni and Gille. Oh dear lord! Please please please.

[vera-dicere.livejournal.com]

i'm not sure how much weight the opinions of a lurker warrant, but i'll put in my two cents the same as everyone else.

there are definitely quite a few of us out here who really love rumors, it seems. i don't know if i was lurking about when you actually posted it, but when i first found your journal, i was always hesitant to comment since i didn't know you outside of your stories. not that i do now, either, but i figure i've lurked long enough that it's okay every now and again. ^^; one of my favorite things about rumors is how you maintained the dark sort of air that pervaded the orignal fairytale without letting it overwhelm the story. i've also got to agree with others and say that if you ever have plans for expanding the story, i would dearly love to see more. :)

i see your hopefuls and must admit i'm really hopeful that you'll pick up embrace again. it is honestly one of my favorites of your stories and i'd love to see more of it, even if you go back and do an overhaul of it. i really loved aubrey and was looking forward to more of his developing relationship with ruthven. and gille and stregoni always intrigued me, because they seemed such an unlikely pair. i do hope you decide to go back to this story one day.

anyhow. i hope my comments aren't unwelcome, but i just thought i'd share. good luck with whatever you're focusing on at the moment! ^^

[maderr.livejournal.com]

Comments are never unwelcome, and yours is a friendly and always good to see face (or alias, or whatever).

I am surprised so many liked rumors. The original tale was always a favorite, and it was the dark aspect of it that intrigued me. Honestly if I could see a way to expand Rumors, I would be willing to try, but simply adding to it wouldn't work, and sticking stuff in what I've got would be awkward.

I have overhauled it, in fact. I rewrote the prologue, or at least most of it, but have not gotten further. I confess Gille is a favorite char of mine; part of hte reason I stopped was knowing that way back I could not do the story justice. Hopefully I'll do better now.

<3

[vera-dicere.livejournal.com]

yay! nice to know i'm a friendly face. perhaps i'll be a bit more vocal in the future. ^^

also, despite the wishes that there could be more of rumors, i totally understand what you mean. i agree with others in that it feels like there should be more, probably just because we all love the relationship that we see blooming with gelan and rune, but i agree that there isn't a really good way to go about expanding it. it really seems too bad, though. i'm quite fond of those two.

seriously can't wait to see what you do with embrace. it was one of those stories i read and then just about cried because there was no more. also, i think that triggered my love for the name aubrey. and i'm sure you'll do brilliantly! ^^

well. now you know the danger to my comments...i have a slight tendency to ramble... ^^;

[gwaihiril.livejournal.com]

Hm, I'm yet another one who was lurking/came after Rumors was posted. I honestly don't remember when I first read your stories, only that I lurked a while before actually responding. I think that I read it on your website, not LJ, which is why I never commented. The fairytale on which it's based has always been a bit scarier for me - I read Robin McKinley's retelling of it in Deerskin when I was thirteen, and as much as I like it I admit that I might not have been ready for all the topics in it. I do like your retelling, though, and I think it captures the eeriness of the original.

I would agree that you did a great job with the characterizations in Always There. The interplay and bickering between Chastaine and Lyon captured my attention immediately and made me really like the story.

Dance with the Devil is an awesome 'verse and I hope you always play in that sandbox!

[(Anonymous)]

I didn't like Rumors when I first read it because I didn't really understand it, but I recently reread it (ok, so I was rereading everything, but still) and it has grown on me.

I like the rewrite of the Rose and Fox to a point, its a totally different story then the original and I like seeing the new perspectives but the original was the first story of yours I ever read and what made me fall in love with your writing. So I wish I could read it again just one more time. But still goodness, I think the reason I was so against the rewrite at first was because it was so totally different and I got confused and was all 'wtf mate?'; but like Rumors, it has grown on me. I think thats enough rambling now.

[ramble-corner.livejournal.com]

Hi Maderr,
I stumbled across your fiction site a while back and since that have taken to stalking lurking around your LJ while gathering up my courage to comment.
This post of yours gave me the opportunity to say that I really loved all of your stories that I have read so far *grin and I am really becoming a fan of your writing.
and from the above I could see that there are some stories that I have missed out ^__^ *went off to look for them
Hope you don't mind another unknown person adding your LJ to my flist as I'm enjoying reading all the bits and drabbles that you are posting here

[perseid.livejournal.com]

Gille & Stregoni, believe it or not. They're the only part of Embrace I really care about.

Yes, I really hope you get around to writing them again soon. =3

[aetheraestus.livejournal.com]

Rumors!!!! I read that the first time a while back, when I first stumbled across your website (this was back before I was even lurking on here :P) One of my favorite stories of yours ever, hands down. The entire set-up was great, and I really like where the ending left it. Would still love to see more of them. Rune made my heart ache.