fandom q+a Three Winning Writers Q&A

[Chengar Qordath 67]

Do you often find yourselves living within the minds of your characters as you work with them?

 

To an extent, yes. The fact that I use first person PoV probably contributes to that.

[Standard User 2,127]

Oh, thought of another one: assuming you fall prey to it at some point, how do you get over the "I don't feel like writing today" slump? Because I get that more often than not and simply can't convince myself to put down even one hundred words of a random scene.

 

How often do you write/edit/etc. per day? Do you set aside time for it, or do you just work on stories when the mood strikes you?

[Will Guide 21,325]

To an extent, yes. The fact that I use first person PoV probably contributes to that.

 

This story I have in mind involves first-person POV of our main character, but I feel that I might need to switch occanionally to another's POV to fully show and tell the story. When and/or how the best way to switch POV?

[Chengar Qordath 67]

If you wanted to highlight other MLP fanfiction authors who should get more attention who would you recommend?

 

(And no, that isn't a request for shameless self promotion. Although if you -really- wanted to....)

 

Trinary is an awful writer, and you shouldn't read anything he writes. Ever. 

 

Not even the guest chapter he did for Tales. Or all the awesome stories he wrote that I helped him with. 

[Ponibius 57]

All three of you can feel free to answer this, but I think Chengar answered a lot of what I was originally going to ask in this response, so I'll ask something a little different.  Seeing as I write a crossover, a very extensive and lengthy one, I'm curious, if any of you read them, what you believe the biggest problem with crossovers, either on Fimfiction or in fanfiction in general, is?  What also makes for the best type of crossover in fanfiction in your opinion (and that can be in execution, premise, whatever)?

 

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed a number of crossovers. I think the biggest problem with crossovers is the writer knowing the source material for both pieces of fiction thoroughly. If the writer is weak in either area then their story will likely suffer in characterization or plot. It's tricky balancing the tools you get from one show, much less two. Especially when they can often have very different tones and worlds.

 

The best crossovers are the ones that tell a good story. Whatever premise you go with, it's the execution that is key. I've seen ponies crossed over with the nuclear wasteland of Fallout, the noir style adventures of a Chicago wizard in Dresden Files, the story of an alien invasion slowly crushing human civilization in XCOM, and even actual historical figures crossed over for very entertaining stories that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's all about the writing and how the concept is pulled off.

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

I have another question, and I apologize in advance if this is confusing, but I just thought I'd take a shot and ask.

 

How do you deal with lofty expectations for your stories? What I mean is that recently one of my stories kind of exploded in popularity far more than I could have imagined, and I've had people commenting saying things like "Oh, this is one of the best stories I've ever read!" or "I hope [this] happens!" followed by "I hope [this] doesn't happen." or things like "Why didn't you do [that]?"

 

I know I can't please everyone, but the fear that I could royally screw this up though no fault of my own is making it harder to put word to paper.  

[Chengar Qordath 67]

Oh, thought of another one: assuming you fall prey to it at some point, how do you get over the "I don't feel like writing today" slump? Because I get that more often than not and simply can't convince myself to put down even one hundred words of a random scene.

 

How often do you write/edit/etc. per day? Do you set aside time for it, or do you just work on stories when the mood strikes you?

 

Sometimes you do need to just take a day off. A big part of why I always try to have an unedited chapter or two in reserve is so I'll have that buffer for if I hit a slump, get sick, have RL stuff, or anything else that would keep me from writing for a while.

 

That said, often the solution is to just sit down and make yourself write. In my experience, writing is all about momentum. The hardest part of any story is when you're sitting there staring at a blank page and trying to figure out how to start it. Usually the further I get into a chapter/story, the easier the words come.

[Ponibius 57]

If an OC character is the main character, how do you keep it balanced?

 

It depends on the type of story you're writing. The biggest thing is to make sure the OC is a well developed and thought out character on tier with the characters s/he is interacting with. If the character isn't of the same quality in terms of personality, goals, motivations, appearance, and so on as those in the show, then you need to rethink what you're doing. You also need to make sure to avoid all those nasty Mary Sue tropes. Really, it comes down to creating a solid story, and a solid OC. If you have those down, you should be good on that front.

[Batbrony 15,994]

Classical and classic rock. Mixing Aerosmith and opera on the same playlist makes for a fun experience.

 

I just got done watching Gurren Lagann, so this is still fresh in my head; you might actually really like "Libera Me" From Hell (of course, you might have heard it before).  It's not classic rock mixed with classical, but still, the opera mixed with rap here is pretty sweet if I do say so myself. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7aUT13qtM

 

Alright, let's see... this question is largely directed at Chengar.  With some of these background characters, be it Cloud, or Derpy, or Blossomforth, or whoever, besides whatever random thoughts with them were going through your head, what kind of initially determined what you wanted to do with them, like the most basic elements of their characterization that you started with in the Winningverse?  Physical appearance, the few cameos they'd made, just wanting to run with a seemingly random characterization, what?  

[Trinary 18]

Trinary is an awful writer, and you shouldn't read anything he writes. Ever. 

 

Not even the guest chapter he did for Tales. Or all the awesome stories he wrote that I helped him with. 

 

Exactly! Just like any time you see Chen crossing the street, you should totally never ever ever break for him.

[Chengar Qordath 67]

I have another question, and I apologize in advance if this is confusing, but I just thought I'd take a shot and ask.

 

How do you deal with lofty expectations for your stories? What I mean is that recently one of my stories kind of exploded in popularity far more than I could have imagined, and I've had people commenting saying things like "Oh, this is one of the best stories I've ever read!" or "I hope [this] happens!" followed by "I hope [this] doesn't happen." or things like "Why didn't you do [that]?"

 

I know I can't please everyone, but the fear that I could royally screw this up though no fault of my own is making it harder to put word to paper.  

 

Write the story you want to write, and let people judge it how they will. If you're not having fun writing it and don't believe in the story you're creating, then you're a lot more likely to burn out and have the quality plummet as a result. Even if you manage to keep up the quality and hold the fandom's interest, you'll probably end up as one of those writers who ends up hating their story and characters, and wishing they had the guts to just kill off the entire main cast and close it all out.

[Comma-Kazie 58]

* What is it like to be such recognized authors in the fandom? Do you get a lot of fan mail, requests for assistance, etc. or is it pretty quiet overall?

 

* How long do you sit on an idea before actually writing anything for it? Is it a relatively instantaneous process, or do you (like me) mull the idea over for a few days/weeks to get it "just right?"

 

* What are your favorite authors outside of the fandom (i.e. Tolkein, Lovecraft, Adams, etc)?

 

I admit to a little pride, for for me it's generally pretty quiet. That said, I'm nowhere near as prolific an author as Chen or Poni, so there may be a correlation there.

 

For my stories, it depends--I don't leave an idea in my head too long lest I lose it, but actually fleshing it out beyond brainstorming can take anywhere from a week to a month or more.

 

Jim Butcher is the obvious contender, though I also enjoy Robert Greene (of The 48 Laws of Power), Roger Crowley (Empires of the Sea), HP Lovecraft, RA Salvatore, and Stephen King.

 

 

When you're writing your fanfics, do you try and view them from a readers point of view, and has there ever been parts you've written that you were worried might not go over so well with some?

 

Not really, no. I (and I think I speak for all of us) write a story that I and the Winningverse group would want to read. If others on FimFiction want to read it, awesome. If not, that doesn't bug me. I'm a firm believer in the free market of ideas.

 

 

I was kinda wondering about something UNwriting related... if I may? What is your preferred genre/style of music?  

 

It depends on the mood I'm in, but I usually enjoy strong orchestral scores like Denny Schnidemesser's work, symphonic metal like Nightwish, or else fandom/geek culture-oriented stuff like from Miracle of Sound.

 

 

Do you often find yourselves living within the minds of your characters as you work with them?

 

Pretty often. It helps my stay in character and choose how a story progresses based on the choices they would make.

 

 

If you wanted to highlight other MLP fanfiction authors who should get more attention who would you recommend?

 

Hyperexponential. He only has two stories under his belt so far, but they're criminally underrated.

[Standard User 2,127]

 

 

That said, often the solution is to just sit down and make yourself write. In my experience, writing is all about momentum. The hardest part of any story is when you're sitting there staring at a blank page and trying to figure out how to start it. Usually the further I get into a chapter/story, the easier the words come.

 

Ah, yes, momentum and my total lack thereof. Oh well. 

 

 

One more before I have to leave for a while.    How lenient should writers be with taking creative liberties in the way they present the story? I've seen authors use colored text for different characters, gratuitous bold and italicized words, and even cutting up paragraphs partway through to show characterization (somehow). Where is the line, or does it all come down to how well good the story is in the end?

[Chengar Qordath 67]

This story I have in mind involves first-person POV of our main character, but I feel that I might need to switch occanionally to another's POV to fully show and tell the story. When and/or how the best way to switch POV?

 

By starting a new chapter. It gives a nice, clean break.

[Ponibius 57]

* What is it like to be such recognized authors in the fandom? Do you get a lot of fan mail, requests for assistance, etc. or is it pretty quiet overall?

 

* How long do you sit on an idea before actually writing anything for it? Is it a relatively instantaneous process, or do you (like me) mull the idea over for a few days/weeks to get it "just right?"

 

* What are your favorite authors outside of the fandom (i.e. Tolkein, Lovecraft, Adams, etc)?

 

It's certainly flattering for so many to read my stories and really helps keep me motivated to keep writing.  I get a little bit of fan mail, but not too much. Mostly one or two messages a month. I do get a number of requests for assistance which I try and follow through on. Overall it isn't too bad at all.

 

I generally mull over an idea for at least a couple of weeks to over a year, depending on how things like up. I have a list of stories I want to write for a reason. Mostly it comes down to when I can fit a story/chapter into my writing schedule, and then spending time developing it with an outline and then actually writing the story.

 

Looking at my bookshelf, I would say Jim Butcher, David Weber, and R.A. Salvatore are all writers I thoroughly enjoy to read. I've also been getting into Terry Pratchet as well as reading several classics as of late to increase my own diversity.

[Comma-Kazie 58]

Oh, thought of another one: assuming you fall prey to it at some point, how do you get over the "I don't feel like writing today" slump? Because I get that more often than not and simply can't convince myself to put down even one hundred words of a random scene.

 

Write anyway. Once you start, it'll help remove the block and the words will start to flow.

 

 

How often do you write/edit/etc. per day? Do you set aside time for it, or do you just work on stories when the mood strikes you?

 

I'm generally editing things piecemeal every day, though when someone puts out a Last Call, I burn through the chapter from start to finish in an evening or two.

 

 

How do you deal with lofty expectations for your stories? What I mean is that recently one of my stories kind of exploded in popularity far more than I could have imagined, and I've had people commenting saying things like "Oh, this is one of the best stories I've ever read!" or "I hope [this] happens!" followed by "I hope [this] doesn't happen." or things like "Why didn't you do [that]?"

 

I know I can't please everyone, but the fear that I could royally screw this up though no fault of my own is making it harder to put word to paper.  

 

If you have editors, proofreaders, or collaborators, listen to them; you don't have to agree with them, but know that they're trying to help you make your story the best it can be.

 

The comments section you can take or leave, though do leave yourself open to feedback and constructive criticism. As I said previously, write the story you want to write--only write what someone else wants if you're being commissioned.

[Chengar Qordath 67]

I just got done watching Gurren Lagann, so this is still fresh in my head; you might actually really like "Libera Me" From Hell (of course, you might have heard it before).  It's not classic rock mixed with classical, but still, the opera mixed with rap here is pretty sweet if I do say so myself. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7aUT13qtM

 

Alright, let's see... this question is largely directed at Chengar.  With some of these background characters, be it Cloud, or Derpy, or Blossomforth, or whoever, besides whatever random thoughts with them were going through your head, what kind of initially determined what you wanted to do with them, like the most basic elements of their characterization that you started with in the Winningverse?  Physical appearance, the few cameos they'd made, just wanting to run with a seemingly random characterization, what?  

 

I do like that song. And Gurren Lagann for that matter.

 

Blossom and Cloud they started off as the classic "The Crazy One and the Straight Man" duo. Cloud was there to be zany and lovable, while Blossom was the more grounded and serious one who suffered through her antics. Derpy was pretty close to her usual fandom (and now canon) portrayal as a lovable clumsy goofball. From there, a lot of their characters just kind of grew organically as the story progressed. Once I started filling out background information like "Who were their parents" and "Where did they go to school" a lot of other things started taking shape, which helped really flesh them out. Cloud being from a big family with a massive legacy formed a big part of her character, after all.

[Batbrony 15,994]

I admit to a little pride, for for me it's generally pretty quiet. That said, I'm nowhere near as prolific an author as Chen or Poni, so there may be a correlation there.

 

This question is directed at you Comma.  One of your more unusual stories compared to your usual fare is "The Incredibly Valuable Contract of a Sellsword Changeling."  What motivated you to write that story?  You're certainly no stranger to tragedy in your stories (most apparent given the name of the fic-verse you originated  ), but this fic was most unusual given whose POV it was from.  Writing from a villain's POV is nothing new, but was it difficult getting in this particular changeling's head and trying to present how they would perceive such a grim and horrible task?

[Ponibius 57]

Hello there!

 

When you're writing your fanfics, do you try and view them from a readers point of view, and has there ever been parts you've written that you were worried might not go over so well with some?

 

I do that during the planning phase for a story and during the editing process. I like to make my readers think now and again with my stories, and I have to make sure that my stories don't have content that is inappropriate for the story. So that necessitates looking at it from the readers' point of view now and again.

 

And yes, there have been things that I've written that I've worried wouldn't go over well with readers. Especially when I'm challenging them with one concept or another. I'm very aware where the safe areas of writing are, but I like to challenge my readers, which means going into areas that are likely to make them uncomfortable. I think taking risks now and again is good for a story, but that can also lead down a path where you fall on your face if you fail.

[Comma-Kazie 58]

 How lenient should writers be with taking creative liberties in the way they present the story? I've seen authors use colored text for different characters, gratuitous bold and italicized words, and even cutting up paragraphs partway through to show characterization (somehow). Where is the line, or does it all come down to how well good the story is in the end?

 

Anything you do, especially stuff like that, should have a reason and fit within the context of the scene, character, dialogue, etc. Too much of it without a good reason will make your story hard to follow.

[Chengar Qordath 67]

Ah, yes, momentum and my total lack thereof. Oh well. 

 

 

One more before I have to leave for a while.    How lenient should writers be with taking creative liberties in the way they present the story? I've seen authors use colored text for different characters, gratuitous bold and italicized words, and even cutting up paragraphs partway through to show characterization (somehow). Where is the line, or does it all come down to how well good the story is in the end?

 

Generally, the line with creative formatting is that it shouldn't become a hindrance to reading the story. If my eyes water every time I see the glaring yellow font someone put all of Fluttershy's lines in or I can't follow the dialogue because it's so chopped up, I'm not going to keep reading.

[Trinary 18]

Do you think there's any sort of bias towards longer or shorter stories? Short stories (especially comedies or tragedies) tend to get a lot of promotion on, say, Equestria Daily and get a huge number of readers. At the same time, sometimes it feels like longer stories can't attract readers outside of a hardened fanbase who were on board when you started writing. There are exceptions like Past Sins or Fall Out Equestria, but those were some of the earliest major, well-written works in the fandom. Do you agree/disagree?

[Ponibius 57]

If you wanted to highlight other MLP fanfiction authors who should get more attention who would you recommend?

 

(And no, that isn't a request for shameless self promotion. Although if you -really- wanted to....)

 

Some writers whose work I enjoy are shameless self promoter Trinary, AestheticB, Capn_Chryssalid, Ponydore Prancypants, Cold in Gardez, Paleo Prints, The Descendant, Eakin and Visiden Visidane.

[Chengar Qordath 67]

I do that during the planning phase for a story and during the editing process. I like to make my readers think now and again with my stories, and I have to make sure that my stories don't have content that is inappropriate for the story. So that necessitates looking at it from the readers' point of view now and again.

 

And yes, there have been things that I've written that I've worried wouldn't go over well with readers. Especially when I'm challenging them with one concept or another. I'm very aware where the safe areas of writing are, but I like to challenge my readers, which means going into areas that are likely to make them uncomfortable. I think taking risks now and again is good for a story, but that can also lead down a path where you fall on your face if you fail.

 

Personally, I'd rather take a chance with a story and have it fail than feel like I always have to play it safe...

 

And now I'm tempted to go find a YouTube clip of that awesome speech by Q in "Tapestry"

 

In fact, I think I will: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeLrqLP1DJk

[Ponibius 57]

Uhm, hiya... again... again...

 

I was kinda wondering about something UNwriting related... if I may?

 

What is your preferred genre/style of music?  

 

(And don't give us that 'oh I like a bit of everything' jive; that's a cop-out.)  

 

But I do like a little bit of everything!

 

But seriously, I like classical, metal, some rock, and some pop. At least that is what I listen to most of the time.