(writing like a historian...)
Sep. 20th, 2004 02:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaI wonder if the process of writing-- or caring-- about a character like Draco (or Luna, Neville, etc) as compared to Remus (and Sirius, Snape, Ron, Hermione, etc) is just qualitatively different in terms of approach. I've always found it pretty effortless to write about Draco, because he has these base emotive driving forces in his mind, to me (rage, need for attention, frustration, fear, envy, compulsiveness), whereas a character like Remus (or Harry, say) is so much more... complex and uncertain. It's like the difference between starting out with primary colors and then mixing them into unique combinations vs. starting out with a pre-made palette, with the edges hemmed in and the boundaries well-defined. All you need is your own spin on the line-art that's there, shading included.
I'd actually never had a -spin- in terms of having an idea of what I think about a character or a dynamic of several characters before writing them. I just start writing and see what seems to 'work' in my head at the time. It seems like to write a more complex character (like Remus), one really does need an idea of where one is going, though, and what one is trying to say on a conscious level.
Interestingly, though, I think I've finally reached the point where in my mind, (my) Draco is as complex as canon!Remus, so I do end up thinking consciously about my characterizations lately.
I've never thought of myself as being good at writing -fanfiction- in particular; it's always been a struggle. I always thought the people who said that fiction & fanfiction require somewhat different skill-sets were definitely on to something. I suppose I wonder if writing canonically more or less complex characters requires different skill-sets within the fanfic range, too.
I find that with more primary characters, I prefer analysis to creative interpretation. They seem so -there- that to write about them seems more like the job of a historian than a lyricist (which I think is mostly what I am). One invents a history and a coloring on the story that already exists, instead of basically largely writing the major formative events from scratch (like you can still get away with with Draco at least).
I feel like Harry is obviously one of those highly complex and well-realized canonical characters, and in fact I'd had a very hard time writing him until a year ago, around the time of the new canon infusion. My writing of him became a way of dealing with what I saw as his 'canon issues', which was a radical shift in how I wrote fanfic in general. To this day, I don't really write to deal with 'canon issues' for anyone but Harry, because even though I may see them in terms of analysis for other characters, I just don't -feel- them as much; not even with Draco.
It seems like Harry grew on me slowly, not in terms of conscious understanding or degree of affection on my part, but rather my ability to feel like I can -write- him. Especially before OoTP, I couldn't just pick an emotion and run with it-- which might be why I loved OoTP so much. It gave Harry such an intense emotional focus-- which is how I bond with and understand characters. Suddenly, he was really really real; even though (because?) he was in so much pain, he was -alive-.
In fandom, this sort of difference of approach to fanfic usually gets called canon-extrapolative (i.e., the historian spinning stories in harmony with facts) vs. supplementary (i.e., something of a revisionist history where one fills in what canon seems to lack). Neither actually covers how I approach the issue though, 'cause I only get inspired by canon, but neither in a 'positive' ('yeay canon!') or negative ('must fix canon!') sort of way. I tend to say something like, 'ooh, canon-- yeay, fodder!' It's like, a plug-in situation where I have my own interests and canon may or may not serve them, and if it doesn't I just don't -write- about those aspects.
I wish I could write Remus or Snape; I'm so interested in them. It's just that they're so... multi-faceted, I guess. Too real, almost, to be -mine-. It's like... I have -my- Harry and -my- Luna and -my- Draco and -my- Ginny, etc. These are not the words of a fanfiction writer, but it just appears to be how I write: I use the existing world in a passive sense, yes, but I don't mess with it, really, or feel the need to change where I think canon is going except for the single issue of whatever fanon pairing I'm writing. On the other hand, I appropriate the characters, especially since (my idea of) fanfic is so character-driven (rather than idea-driven) by nature. Perhaps if it -was- idea-driven, I would find I can finally write like a historian....
I'd actually never had a -spin- in terms of having an idea of what I think about a character or a dynamic of several characters before writing them. I just start writing and see what seems to 'work' in my head at the time. It seems like to write a more complex character (like Remus), one really does need an idea of where one is going, though, and what one is trying to say on a conscious level.
Interestingly, though, I think I've finally reached the point where in my mind, (my) Draco is as complex as canon!Remus, so I do end up thinking consciously about my characterizations lately.
I've never thought of myself as being good at writing -fanfiction- in particular; it's always been a struggle. I always thought the people who said that fiction & fanfiction require somewhat different skill-sets were definitely on to something. I suppose I wonder if writing canonically more or less complex characters requires different skill-sets within the fanfic range, too.
I find that with more primary characters, I prefer analysis to creative interpretation. They seem so -there- that to write about them seems more like the job of a historian than a lyricist (which I think is mostly what I am). One invents a history and a coloring on the story that already exists, instead of basically largely writing the major formative events from scratch (like you can still get away with with Draco at least).
I feel like Harry is obviously one of those highly complex and well-realized canonical characters, and in fact I'd had a very hard time writing him until a year ago, around the time of the new canon infusion. My writing of him became a way of dealing with what I saw as his 'canon issues', which was a radical shift in how I wrote fanfic in general. To this day, I don't really write to deal with 'canon issues' for anyone but Harry, because even though I may see them in terms of analysis for other characters, I just don't -feel- them as much; not even with Draco.
It seems like Harry grew on me slowly, not in terms of conscious understanding or degree of affection on my part, but rather my ability to feel like I can -write- him. Especially before OoTP, I couldn't just pick an emotion and run with it-- which might be why I loved OoTP so much. It gave Harry such an intense emotional focus-- which is how I bond with and understand characters. Suddenly, he was really really real; even though (because?) he was in so much pain, he was -alive-.
In fandom, this sort of difference of approach to fanfic usually gets called canon-extrapolative (i.e., the historian spinning stories in harmony with facts) vs. supplementary (i.e., something of a revisionist history where one fills in what canon seems to lack). Neither actually covers how I approach the issue though, 'cause I only get inspired by canon, but neither in a 'positive' ('yeay canon!') or negative ('must fix canon!') sort of way. I tend to say something like, 'ooh, canon-- yeay, fodder!' It's like, a plug-in situation where I have my own interests and canon may or may not serve them, and if it doesn't I just don't -write- about those aspects.
I wish I could write Remus or Snape; I'm so interested in them. It's just that they're so... multi-faceted, I guess. Too real, almost, to be -mine-. It's like... I have -my- Harry and -my- Luna and -my- Draco and -my- Ginny, etc. These are not the words of a fanfiction writer, but it just appears to be how I write: I use the existing world in a passive sense, yes, but I don't mess with it, really, or feel the need to change where I think canon is going except for the single issue of whatever fanon pairing I'm writing. On the other hand, I appropriate the characters, especially since (my idea of) fanfic is so character-driven (rather than idea-driven) by nature. Perhaps if it -was- idea-driven, I would find I can finally write like a historian....
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-20 05:21 pm (UTC)I've always been fine about working with extraneous sources-- like fairy-tales-- it's only a question of how in-depth the source is, for me. I'm fine if it's skeletal, 'cause skeletons are what I myself am often sloppy at creating. But if it's more unwieldy, I get intimidated. Though really it's more about that fear than a lack of ability-- 'cause really, ability grows with practice and determination, I know that. Which is why I -am- trying to write Remus. :>
I just have a feel for Harry now. It was difficult, but I think I did it-- it's like, he feels whole to me now. He used to be untouchable, but now he's just... contradictory. Which isn't all that weird 'cause I'm rather contradictory myself~:)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-20 06:54 pm (UTC)Oh God, totally. I think that's the point I'm at now (and probably have been for the past year or two) with my writing. It's just...I get this idea and I go with it but inevitably it starts running away on me - ahhh! - and then I just balk and can't go on. It really used to be that I felt, like, refreshed after writing cause I could sit down and just finish it if it was something short, and I would have the energy to eventually get it done if it was something longer. But lately it's just been frustrating cause obviously I still get all these ideas and then they just...stop. It's not really like I lack motivation to finish it, so much as that I'm afraid of it - I think? - like, that it'll turn out crap.
So I suppose that's one of the ways I stumbled onto this writing fanfic thing. Cause somehow writing was starting to be a bit stifling in a sense, to me, and I refuse to let it get to that actual point because I love writing and all, y'know?
Which isn't all that weird 'cause I'm rather contradictory myself~:)
Hee, one of my best friends calls me "the great walking contradiction". It's good to embrace these things, ahaha. And besides, I think that's one of the reasons I relate to characters like Harry - that range of emotions and motivations and all.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-20 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-21 01:06 pm (UTC)Yeah, exactly. I think that's the point I was getting to and I just can't allow myself to be in that place, y'know?
I actually didn't tend to write stuff based on characters but rather ideas or images
It's always interesting to me to hear how other people write/what they like to write about/etc. Cause I know I've always related so completely to emotion that I always tend to write about people rather than things - opposite from you. Very cool though. This kinda stuff fascinates me - and yes, you already know how nerdy I am. Haha. :)