A Fanfic Writer's Reflections
Jan. 19th, 2026 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redfiona99Last year I only managed to publish 10 fics on AO3, which is less than the 12 I aim for.
But that's okay because I spent most of November and December tidying the fics that had been ported in from WWFSML. (Here's where I say thank you again tobring_me_sugar and Julie from the Open Doors project for all their hard work)
Reviewing fics you wrote 25 years ago is definitely an intriguing torment.
I downloaded and then deleted the ones that couldn't be quickly fixed and fixed the ones that could be fixed.
Things I have noted:
1) I still can't spell occasionally. But I have learnt to use a spellchecker.
2) I have improved.
3) Part of that, I think, is that I'm now more willing to go, "actually, yeah, that's a gen fic."
4) I think I always cared about character voice. I think I'm better at it now.
5) There's one structure of a fic that I am reusing, not deliberately, but because that was always how that fic was going to be structured. That's not changed, I still believe in shape and structure and architecture.
6) I used to be a lot more spontaneous. I think that's partly in ~ 2010 I decided to write the notes for every idea down so I didn't lose ideas anymore. There's several fics that can only be found in notes lost in various house moves. The downside is that I'm now working on fics I had the ideas for in 2013.
7) I used to be obnoxious. Several of you are still around from back in the day - please accept this apology. I didn't notice at the time and I have worked to become less obnoxious over time. If I am still being obnoxious, at any point, please say and I will try to stop it.
But that's okay because I spent most of November and December tidying the fics that had been ported in from WWFSML. (Here's where I say thank you again to
bring_me_sugar and Julie from the Open Doors project for all their hard work)Reviewing fics you wrote 25 years ago is definitely an intriguing torment.
I downloaded and then deleted the ones that couldn't be quickly fixed and fixed the ones that could be fixed.
Things I have noted:
1) I still can't spell occasionally. But I have learnt to use a spellchecker.
2) I have improved.
3) Part of that, I think, is that I'm now more willing to go, "actually, yeah, that's a gen fic."
4) I think I always cared about character voice. I think I'm better at it now.
5) There's one structure of a fic that I am reusing, not deliberately, but because that was always how that fic was going to be structured. That's not changed, I still believe in shape and structure and architecture.
6) I used to be a lot more spontaneous. I think that's partly in ~ 2010 I decided to write the notes for every idea down so I didn't lose ideas anymore. There's several fics that can only be found in notes lost in various house moves. The downside is that I'm now working on fics I had the ideas for in 2013.
7) I used to be obnoxious. Several of you are still around from back in the day - please accept this apology. I didn't notice at the time and I have worked to become less obnoxious over time. If I am still being obnoxious, at any point, please say and I will try to stop it.
