50 (Plus) Reasons to Write Fic
28 Feb 2009 01:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
promethia_tenkSo, the other day I was talking with an old friend and attempting to explain what I do with myself lately. She's an avid writer herself, so of course I had to tell her about my discovery of our little writers' community. I found myself brought up short, however, by an assumption I'm sure everyone here has had to deal with at some point: that the only reason to write fic is because you are lame.
And so I began ranting (in my head) that there are *plenty* of reasons to write fic besides the fact that I am lame. In fact, I bet that I could come up with 50 different reasons for writing fic . . .
1) To show your love for a show, book, movie, etc.
2) To show your hatred for a show, book, movie, etc.
3) To fill in the blanks and tie up the loose ends the writers left behind.
4) To explore different facets of a character.
5) To tear a character to pieces (literally or just metaphorically).
6) To heal a character.
7) To work out your own issues.
8) Because a universe created over a span of years by hundreds of different people working together will have a richness of backstory and emotional resonance you will never produce on your own.
9) So you can be part of a community of fellow writers.
10) For the love of language.
11) For the love of smut.
12) For the love of angst.
13) For the love of funny.
14) Because you are an inveterate shipper.
15) Because you can't stop asking "What would happen if . . ." [Example from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
darlingchaos : Because you're just dying to see what would happen if two people had a whole bar's worth of alcohol to themselves and one was a horndog and the second was on a dry spell (Sorry Ted and Barney)]
16) Because your different fandoms are too awesome to be kept apart (crossover fic).
17) Because it's better than dealing with work/school/etc. [darlingchaos : bored out of your mind on AP psych; da_phoenix13 : Because you've got a paper due in the morning.]
18) Your roommate is overseas.
19) It's midterm break (free time on your hands).
20) You haven't written anything in 2 months.
21) You've just had 2 glasses of wine while watching 'Girl with a Pearl Earring (inspiration through alcohol).
22) You're listening to a one-hour long hip-hop mix track (inspiration through music).
23) You've read too much fanfic and feel you need to give some back to the universe.
24) You're not happy with the way things turn out in canon.
25) The show's on hiatus for far too long.
26) You have an extremely overactive imagination.
27) DRABBLE-A-THONS.
28) Because someone requests it.
29) Because there's a SMUT DUEL.
30) Because you're addicted to the outpouring of comments following the posting of one (comment whore). [Thanks toroland44 for #18-30]
31) Because it's suddenly become impossible *not* to write fic.
32) Because sometimes a character just needs offing (I'm coming for you, Ranjit!).
33) Because the 4th wall is just *asking* to be broken.
34) To make two straight, pretty-boy characters bum each other for your amusement.
35) Perversion. [ Thanks toidioticonion for #34-35]
36) Because it gives you a chance to practice playing with different structures and styles, as the characters are already pretty developed.
37) Because fic allows you to have fun with a story that's already structured. You can dip your toes in instead of having to dig, brick, and fill the pool first.
38) Because fic is an outlet into which you can pour your HATE AT THE WORLD IN GENERAL by hitting a character with a bus, or getting him shot, or getting him pumped full of evil chemicals by a psycho greek woman. (Sorry, Barney).
39) Because fic allows you to develop a personal style of writing which can then be applied to original works.
40) Because it's fun, dammit! [snogged : Because the world is more fun with fanfic.]
41) Because you make friends globally that never would have happened otherwise. (*tips hat to idioticonion and roland44 and others)
42) Because... what else are you going to do after watching a season one marathon while sick at home puking? Knit? No. You're going to take that inspiration-lemon and make freaking lemonade.
43) Because some fic, sorry to say, is just bad. And it's your job as a brilliant writer to kill the lame-writer stereotype by putting out Good Fic. Which there is tons and tons of on LJ. Yay! [Thanks todarlingchaos for #36-43)
44) To practice writing.
45) Because sometimes your brain just gets crazy ideas, and if you keep that crazy contained, you'll spontaneously combust. [darlingchaos : Because little things that happen provide inspiration that must be acted upon and written out!]
46) A need for catharsis.
47) Boredom.
48) Insomnia. [Thanks toda_phoenix13 for #44-48. She didn't mention insomnia herself here, but we've heard her bring it up enough elsewhere.]
49) Because sometimes your ideas are better than what the writers think of.
50) Because you can turn the characters into puppets and make them dance! [Thanks tosnogged for #49-50.]
And that makes 50! Yay! Let's see how much further we can get. N.B.: There are now officially more reasons to write fic than there are to have sex, so adjust your priorities accordingly.
51) Profit.
52) As a gift.
53) Curiosity.
54) Put your English/Fine Arts degree to good use.
55) To be the first to make a character or characters do [fill in the blank].
56) Repressed feminist anger.
57) Just got a new MacBook and want an excuse to use it more.
58) Because sometimes you do feel guilty about it, which turns you on in a weird way.
59) Because you don't have any other creative outlets.
60) Because it's just another way to analyze your shows, and TWOP sold out so you can't hang out there like you used to.
61) Because you've just read a brilliant fan fic, and you need to flesh it out more (aka riffing, or fan fic for fan fic).
62) Because it's never going to happen in canon and you NEED TO SEE IT.
63) Because you're horny, and writing about two attractive characters having sex is very fulfilling.
64) Because original fic is too hard. [Thanks tootempora42 for #61-64.]
Think of one I missed? Please post below. Will credit all contributions.
Cheers!
And so I began ranting (in my head) that there are *plenty* of reasons to write fic besides the fact that I am lame. In fact, I bet that I could come up with 50 different reasons for writing fic . . .
1) To show your love for a show, book, movie, etc.
2) To show your hatred for a show, book, movie, etc.
3) To fill in the blanks and tie up the loose ends the writers left behind.
4) To explore different facets of a character.
5) To tear a character to pieces (literally or just metaphorically).
6) To heal a character.
7) To work out your own issues.
8) Because a universe created over a span of years by hundreds of different people working together will have a richness of backstory and emotional resonance you will never produce on your own.
9) So you can be part of a community of fellow writers.
10) For the love of language.
11) For the love of smut.
12) For the love of angst.
13) For the love of funny.
14) Because you are an inveterate shipper.
15) Because you can't stop asking "What would happen if . . ." [Example from
darlingchaos : Because you're just dying to see what would happen if two people had a whole bar's worth of alcohol to themselves and one was a horndog and the second was on a dry spell (Sorry Ted and Barney)]16) Because your different fandoms are too awesome to be kept apart (crossover fic).
17) Because it's better than dealing with work/school/etc. [
darlingchaos : bored out of your mind on AP psych; da_phoenix13 : Because you've got a paper due in the morning.]18) Your roommate is overseas.
19) It's midterm break (free time on your hands).
20) You haven't written anything in 2 months.
21) You've just had 2 glasses of wine while watching 'Girl with a Pearl Earring (inspiration through alcohol).
22) You're listening to a one-hour long hip-hop mix track (inspiration through music).
23) You've read too much fanfic and feel you need to give some back to the universe.
24) You're not happy with the way things turn out in canon.
25) The show's on hiatus for far too long.
26) You have an extremely overactive imagination.
27) DRABBLE-A-THONS.
28) Because someone requests it.
29) Because there's a SMUT DUEL.
30) Because you're addicted to the outpouring of comments following the posting of one (comment whore). [Thanks to
roland44 for #18-30]31) Because it's suddenly become impossible *not* to write fic.
32) Because sometimes a character just needs offing (I'm coming for you, Ranjit!).
33) Because the 4th wall is just *asking* to be broken.
34) To make two straight, pretty-boy characters bum each other for your amusement.
35) Perversion. [ Thanks to
idioticonion for #34-35]36) Because it gives you a chance to practice playing with different structures and styles, as the characters are already pretty developed.
37) Because fic allows you to have fun with a story that's already structured. You can dip your toes in instead of having to dig, brick, and fill the pool first.
38) Because fic is an outlet into which you can pour your HATE AT THE WORLD IN GENERAL by hitting a character with a bus, or getting him shot, or getting him pumped full of evil chemicals by a psycho greek woman. (Sorry, Barney).
39) Because fic allows you to develop a personal style of writing which can then be applied to original works.
40) Because it's fun, dammit! [
snogged : Because the world is more fun with fanfic.]41) Because you make friends globally that never would have happened otherwise. (*tips hat to idioticonion and roland44 and others)
42) Because... what else are you going to do after watching a season one marathon while sick at home puking? Knit? No. You're going to take that inspiration-lemon and make freaking lemonade.
43) Because some fic, sorry to say, is just bad. And it's your job as a brilliant writer to kill the lame-writer stereotype by putting out Good Fic. Which there is tons and tons of on LJ. Yay! [Thanks to
darlingchaos for #36-43)44) To practice writing.
45) Because sometimes your brain just gets crazy ideas, and if you keep that crazy contained, you'll spontaneously combust. [
darlingchaos : Because little things that happen provide inspiration that must be acted upon and written out!]46) A need for catharsis.
47) Boredom.
48) Insomnia. [Thanks to
da_phoenix13 for #44-48. She didn't mention insomnia herself here, but we've heard her bring it up enough elsewhere.]49) Because sometimes your ideas are better than what the writers think of.
50) Because you can turn the characters into puppets and make them dance! [Thanks to
snogged for #49-50.]And that makes 50! Yay! Let's see how much further we can get. N.B.: There are now officially more reasons to write fic than there are to have sex, so adjust your priorities accordingly.
51) Profit.
52) As a gift.
53) Curiosity.
54) Put your English/Fine Arts degree to good use.
55) To be the first to make a character or characters do [fill in the blank].
56) Repressed feminist anger.
57) Just got a new MacBook and want an excuse to use it more.
58) Because sometimes you do feel guilty about it, which turns you on in a weird way.
59) Because you don't have any other creative outlets.
60) Because it's just another way to analyze your shows, and TWOP sold out so you can't hang out there like you used to.
61) Because you've just read a brilliant fan fic, and you need to flesh it out more (aka riffing, or fan fic for fan fic).
62) Because it's never going to happen in canon and you NEED TO SEE IT.
63) Because you're horny, and writing about two attractive characters having sex is very fulfilling.
64) Because original fic is too hard. [Thanks to
otempora42 for #61-64.]Think of one I missed? Please post below. Will credit all contributions.
Cheers!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 07:23 pm (UTC)2. Perversion.
Perhaps that's just me. ;-)
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 07:33 pm (UTC)I had the weirdest dream last night. Remind me to pm you about it.
;)
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 07:34 pm (UTC)Thanks for the help!
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 07:55 pm (UTC)Remember, the safe word is Banana.
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:15 pm (UTC)I recently read Henry Jenkin's article "Normal Female Interest in Men Bonking," which is about why we write slash. It was pretty enlightening for me.
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 07:39 pm (UTC)Because fic allows you to have fun with a story that's already structured. You can dip your toes in instead of having to dig, brick, and fill the pool first.
Because fic is an outlet into which you can pour your HATE AT THE WORLD IN GENERAL by hitting a character with a bus, or getting him shot, or getting him pumped full of evil chemicals by a psycho greek woman. (Sorry, Barney)
Because you're just dying to see what would happen if two people had a whole bar's worth of alcohol to themselves and one was a horndog and the second was on a dry spell (Sorry Ted and Barney)
Because fic allows you to develop a personal style of writing which can then be applied to original works.
Because it's fun, dammit!
Because you are bored out of your mind in your AP Psych (insert whatever class you choose) and want to write something other than notes
Because little things that happen provide inspiration that must be acted upon and written out!
Because you make friends globally that never would have happened otherwise. (*tips hat to idioticonion and roland44 and others)
Because... what else are you going to do after watching a season one marathon while sick at home puking? Knit? No. You're going to take that inspiration-lemon and make freaking lemonade.
Because some fic, sorry to say, is just bad. And it's your job as a brilliant writer to kill the lame-writer stereotype by putting out Good Fic. Which there is tons and tons of on LJ. Yay!
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:17 pm (UTC)>Because it's fun, dammit!
*forehead!desk* Man, it would have been embarrassing to leave that off.
>Because some fic, sorry to say, is just bad. And it's your job as a brilliant writer to kill the lame-writer stereotype by putting out Good Fic. Which there is tons and tons of on LJ. Yay!
Preach it, sister!
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 11:16 pm (UTC)those are my reasons for writing, anyways
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 07:44 pm (UTC)1. Because you've got a paper due in the morning.
2. To practice writing.
3. Because sometimes your brain just gets crazy ideas.
4. Because if you keep that crazy contained, you'll spontaneously combust.
5. A need for catharsis.
6. Boredom.
You've already covered most of my reasons, actually. I've probably used most of them as reasons for writing at some point.
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:10 pm (UTC)2. Because sometimes your ideas are better than what the writers think of
3. Because you can turn the characters into puppets and make them dance!
(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28 Feb 2009 08:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 1 Mar 2009 12:54 am (UTC)Because it's never going to happen in canon and you NEED TO SEE IT.
Because you're horny, and writing about two attractive characters having sex is very fulfilling.
Because original fic is too hard.
(no subject)
Date: 1 Mar 2009 05:32 am (UTC)>Becuase you've just read a brilliant fan fic, and you need to flesh it out more (aka riffing, or fan fic for fan fic).
*head!desk* How could I forget riffing?
>Because you're horny, and writing about two attractive characters having sex is very fulfilling.
Somebody had to say it.
(no subject)
Date: 1 Mar 2009 10:24 am (UTC)What can I say? I am without shame.
(no subject)
Date: 1 Mar 2009 08:07 am (UTC)>58) Because sometimes you do feel guilty about it, which turns you on in a weird way.
Heh..yeah!
(no subject)
Date: 1 Mar 2009 04:02 pm (UTC)>58) Because sometimes you do feel guilty about it, which turns you on in a weird way.
Heh..yeah!
Writing fic is like the most illicit thing I do. Is that sad?
Trying to figure out if I want to give this a wider posting and, if so, where. Thoughts?
(no subject)
Date: 2 Mar 2009 02:03 pm (UTC)I don't care anymore. The relative anonymity makes up for it.
himym_fic and ninjareport probably =P
(no subject)
Date: 3 Jul 2009 04:22 am (UTC)- Because you thought up an awesome sentence involving much loved character(s) and feel the need to put it in context.
- Because they cut to commercial right before the good part.
- Because a character mentioned something but there was never a flash back/it was never fully explained.
- Because class is really boring but your professor gets suspicious when you read fanfics and keeps walking by so your only choice is to write one and pretend you're taking notes or else you'll just die of boredom.
- Because you've always secretly wanted to be one of those douchey people that type in public coffee houses but you can't think of a screenplay and you were watching [insert show here] on your ipod that morning.
(no subject)
Date: 16 Jan 2011 11:08 am (UTC)Lessee - 1, 7, 10-14, no, 10-15, (9 is good but it's not why) 17, 28, 30 (all right, no denying it, *squirms*), 31, 33, 35, (not 34, oddly; it feels more like I'm doing it for their amusement than mine), 40, 41 (hello!), 43-47, 50 (like drunken giraffes), 53, 55, 56, 58, 59, 63 and 64.
Unfortunately everything I can think of to add is really a subset of 7.
(no subject)
Date: 16 Jan 2011 11:13 pm (UTC)30 (all right, no denying it, *squirms*)
I worry someday that someone will find out how I abuse the "refresh" button in the days after I post something . . . no self-control whatever *shakes head* But we're all comment whores, deep down, I am convinced.
(not 34, oddly; it feels more like I'm doing it for their amusement than mine)
You are a true humanitarian *nods*