Twelve Questions About My Writing meme

[aragarna]

Yay, let's play with all the cool kids!

Choose a number, any number, and I will give you a very likely long-winded answer. :)

The mission for those of us who answer the questions, should we accept it, is to stay positive about our writing and ourselves, but to also be fair about our shortcomings. Feel free to request a number if it's already been requested, and I'll try to expand upon the answer already given or come up with a different angle/answer. (Also, feel free to request multiple numbers if you're having a hard time choosing!)

And feel free to adapt the questions to art and vidding too.

1. Of the fic you’ve written, of which are you most proud?
2. Favorite tense
3. Favorite POV
4. What are some themes you love writing about?
5. What inspires you to write?
6. Thoughts on critique
7. Create a character on the spot... NOW!
8. Is there a character you love writing for the most? The least? Why?
9. A passage from a WIP
10. What are your strengths in writing?
11. What are your weaknesses in writing?
12. Anything else that you want to know... (otherwise known as Fill in the Blank)

(With a season finale that I'm sure will be intense and a busy weekend away, I'll probably answer only next week. But I WILL answer, so come play!)

Comments

[nieseryjna.livejournal.com]

ONE

Edit: oh okay so I will take 11 please :)

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

Finally you got #1 (11 has been asked below).

So, which fic am I the most proud of?
I didn't write many long multi-chapter fics. The three of them are true accomplishements to me, but the one I would be the most proud of would probably be Hell And High Water (http://aragarna.livejournal.com/28831.html)

But I'm also very proud of my silly or short fics. I'm particularly proud of It's Hard to Explain (http://aragarna.livejournal.com/47554.html) because it did make people reconsider Peter a little. ;-) (Not that I actually write to make people reconsider characters, but I was really touched by the responses)

[elrhiarhodan]

Tell me about #1 #10, please

[nieseryjna.livejournal.com]

Lol we write at the same time, and edit too.. good we didn't choose the same second time too :)

[elrhiarhodan]

Hee!

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

wow that's a tough question! My strenghs in writing...
I honestly don't know, and I definitely don't consider myself as a strong writer. But I think I'm good at being fair to the characters, and I feel like I understand them, and their struggles, well enough, and it shows in what I write.
And this is probably why I write more Peter than Neal, because I feel like I understand intuitively Peter better than Neal.
Oh and maybe, I'm good at seeing the show as "gen", and platonic friendship. ;-) The fandom needs some of that too, which I'm happy to provide. :-)

Yes, I think I know. My strengh is to fulfill the "gen, Peter centric" niche of the fandom. :-)

(I feel like I'm not giving a very satisfactory answer. Well, no wonder why I suck at writing cover letters!)

[elrhiarhodan]

These navel-gazing questions are hard and I agree - you do write terrific Peter-centric stories - about the ordinary things in his life, and you never fail to capture his inherent decentness.

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

awww thanks ♥ :-)

[winterstar95.livejournal.com]

11

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

My weaknesses in writing. That one is much easier to answer than the above!
Not that I'm particularly "I suck at everything" kind of person, but weaknesses are the things you generally struggle with, as opposed to thinking "oh I'm so good at this!"

So, my biggest weakness is probably my English. It's not my mother tongue, and even though it's good enough for a conversation and for fandom interaction online, it's far from being good enough for literature. I mainly lack the proper and precise vocabulary. A lot of times, I know the exact word, or phrase in French, but I don't know the exact equivalent in English. So, I need to look for a translation. Which sometimes works fine, and sometimes gives an awkward result.
In the end, I often use the same words and the same formulations, which I have often picked in reading other fanfics.
And there's just so much a beta can do.


My other weaknesses is that I'm sloooow. Sometimes I can put a short fic together in 2 days, but most of the time it takes me ages. Which makes it difficult to write episode tags that won't stand after the next episode because I have ideas, but can almost never have them written on time...

And also, I'm not very good at writing complicated, plot-driven stories. Often, I just have ideas about a scene, an image in my head, but writting a full logical context around it isn't easy.

[anodyneer]

#8 :)

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

8. Is there a character you love writing for the most? The least? Why?

Heee, well, obvious, isn't it?
I love writing Peter. Because I love Peter as a character (which I've explained in great lengths before) and I usually write things I'd enjoy reading. Peter is the character I can relate to the most, and I "get" him. In a lot of ways, Peter is the kind of person I'd aspire to be more like. So the result is both that I love him the most, and I enjoy writing him the most.

It's like I "feel" what Peter goes through whether it's his moral dilemna or his insecurities or whatever... While for Neal, it's more of an intellectual understanding. I find him very interesting and complex as a character, but I think that in real life I'd relate less to someone like Neal than someone like Peter.

Plus Peter is just plain adorable. Who wouldn't like writing that?


Now, there isn't any characters that are my least favorite to write. It's generally just that I'm less interested in writing them. I love all the characters on the show, and I love seeing them all. I'd hate for the show to be just Peter and Neal.
But as much as I love them all, I don't have the same relationship to them. I don't have the same soft spot that I have for Peter.
So the fact that I write less of the other characters is more by lack of fangirl love.
I think I only wrote one real scene with Mozzie and it was a delight to write it.
I would probably have a harder time writing things that focus on the secondary characters, but I don't think writing them in stories that focus on Peter-Neal or Peter/El would be a problem. Because the show actually does a great job at characterizing all the characters.

(really love your new icon by the way!)

[sinfulslasher]

#5, please!

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

5. What inspires you to write?

Tim DeKay's infinite ways of looking adorable?

More seriously, I'd say, just the awesomeness of the show, which provides quite the exact right dose of character stuff (always on the edge of enough/not enough, you know, like they do give it to you but also create the desire for always more). Fanfics, and actually, any sort of arts is a way to extend the experience of the show and exploring the awesome characters they've created.

And also, the fandom. I've been on other boards, in other fandoms before. White Collar isn't my first obsession. But it is the first community I'm so creatively invested in. I just love that positive vibes of give and take. I want more White Collar ('cause really, 13 or 16 episodes a year isn't enough) and the wonderful people in the comm provide that. Whether it's just talks, meta, pics, or fanfictions which fill in the void for the other 39 weeks of the year. And then, I also want to give back. And fanfics can also become a diagonal way to talk about the show, and the characters.
So, yes, positive fandom interactions are a big part of making me want to write more.

[angelita26]

#3 :)

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

3. Favorite POV

Subjective. I think that's what others called "limited third person". In any case, one of the character' point of view.
What I like particularly is viewing a character through the eyes of another. Neal from Peter's point of view, Peter from Neal's point of view. El from Peter's point of view...

Then of course, Peter being my favorite, his point of view is generally my favorite and it's probably the one I get the more right.

[embroiderama]

#4?

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

4. What are some themes you love writing about?

I love the emotional part of h/c (and mainly the comfort part of it). Nothing too drastic but just mainly angst and friendship and love. Peter or Neal fighting for each other's life. Realizing how important they are for each other. This kind of things.

I also love fluff and light stories. Especially when writing Peter/El. I love the positiveness of their relationship. They work. That's what I love.

And I really enjoy writing episode tags, as a way to extend the study and struggles of the characters. Or the fluff, too. ;-)

So, I guess emotional angst and fluff. :-) And more importantly, things that'll make you feel good.

[embroiderama]

Oh yes, I love all of those things too. ♥

[leesa_perrie]

#7?

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

7. Create a character on the spot... NOW!

Despite a life of hard work in construction, George Burke was still a solid and tall man. Strong jaw, dark eyes darting under thick eyebrows and a deeply wrinkked and large forehead, a tick white hair, he had something of a grumpy old thing. That is, until he broke in a smile. Then he would suddenly appear like a living teddy bear. George was proud of the life he had lived. He was of the generation of those who lived the civil right movements, those who made America a better country. Born in a modest and rural family in Kentucky, he had moved to the state of New York to make a living. They never earned much, but with his lovely wife Sue, they always made sure their children had everything they needed. And they raised them well, teaching them the principles dear to his heart - challenge the powerful, protect the vulnerable. And Peter and Katie grew up and went beyond his greatest expectations. They were probably George's proudest accomplishment. Katie was a doctor, and Peter became a federal agent.

That day though, George's heart was bleeding, and despite himself, he couldn't help a shiver as he walked through the corridors of the prison to the parlor. His son, Peter, has been accused of murder and he's. When George saw him walk in, in an orange jumpsuit, hand cuffed like a simple criminal, he felt his heart cracked and his blood boil. This was all wrong. How dared they treat a man who defended the system so strongly that way?


--------------

hmmm not very good at this. I hope you still like it?

[leesa_perrie]

Oh, this was good! I liked it very much! :)

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Just noticed there's a piece of line missing. :-/ Oh well that was a "on the spot" thing...

[lov-pb.livejournal.com]

# 9 please. :)

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

He was about to turn the knob, but stopped short, hesitant, in front of the door. His heart was pounding hard in his chest. This was his last chance, his last hope. If Mozzie wasn’t there, it’d mean he had left the city. For a moment, Peter was afraid to look inside. He wanted to hold on to that hope, that Mozzie was here, just behind this door. It was unfortunate that it was the last of his safehouses that Peter checked, but at least, it would all work out in the end. They would give Keller the treasure and Keller would let Elizabeth go.

Peter took a deep breath, and with a febrile hand, he finally opened the door. The moment he glanced inside, Peter knew. Sunday was empty. Like all other six of Mozzie’s safehouses. Mozzie was gone. So was the treasure. It was all gone.

Peter stood on the threshold, unable to move. His breathing was harsh and hollow. He felt a cold drop of sweat running down his spine. His heart missed a beat and his vision got blurry. He blinked.

“Mozzie!”

It was pointless, but he refused to believe what his senses were telling him. Mozzie had to be there. He had to. It was their only chance, his only choice to get Elizabeth back safe and sound. Mozzie had to be here.

Peter ran frantically around the small apartment. Forgetting all his Quantico training, he rushed into all the rooms, smashing open the doors, calling Mozzie, turning around, checking the same rooms again and again. The place was empty.

The room started spinning. Gasping for air, Peter leaned on the closest wall and slid to the floor. He closed his eyes and held his head into his hands. His heart was aching, his head was burning, and his mind was paralyzed.

Images of Keller’s cruel smile and Elizabeth’s soft gaze danced around and mixed behind his eyelids. He felt sick. He clenched his jaw very hard to stop it from shattering. His whole body was shaking as he tried not to think of what a cold blood killer could do to his wife.

What if they didn’t find Mozzie, what if they didn’t find the treasure in time?

[lov-pb.livejournal.com]

Wow! I'm anxious to read more ...
Your description of Peter's despair and fear sent a chill down my back.

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

Thanks!
Actually there isn't more for now. But I do hope to finish it some day. :-)

[treonb.livejournal.com]

I'll go for #12: What comes first, the art or the fic?

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

Ooops! Sorry I realized I forgot to answer yours.

If you're talking about fic and the matching cover art, definitely the fic. cover art is just to make it look beautiful. :-)

But if you're talking about art vs. fic in general. They're both totally independent. For artwork, often it's just that I find a great picture (generally of Peter) and I want to make something of it to put on my desktop.

For fics, it's ideas of scenes or dialogues playing in my head. But I rarely translate them into art work. My art rarely tell stories (except for the RBB). So art is just decoration, fic is telling a story.

Does that answer the questio?

[treonb.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm talking about both. There's cases where it's obvious, but I sometimes ponder between doing something as fic or vid.

And yes, you answered my question :-)