[ SECRET POST #2964 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2964 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 066 secrets from Secret Submission Post #424.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

01. http://i.imgur.com/ZlO0WMJ.jpg

[sarillia]

At least you're still writing. My writing gets neglected for things that aren't productive at all.

[(Anonymous)]

*sigh* I hear you, 'cause it's the exact same thing with me.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not quite sure why you feel that you need to leave one to pursue the other. They're not mutually exclusive. I'm a fandom member, an aca-fan, and a multi-published author. I exist within all three identities, and am known across them. You can still publish while participating in fandom. They provide different outlets of creativity at times, or feed into one another at other times.

[dinogrrl]

Yeah, this. I have one big original project going on, and lots of fandom projects. I may work on one exclusively for a while but that certainly doesn't mean I've given up the others, it just means that's where my inspiration and flow are at that particular time. Right now I'm in my original fic zone, but that's mostly research rather than writing; while I'm doing that, if I happen to come across something fandom-related that I find interesting, I just bookmark it for later when I'm in fandom-zone.

If you're getting more out of fandom right now, then do what makes you happy. If you really want to work on your original stuff but thrive with outside feedback, I'd suggest finding a writing group online and/or a local writers' group. Or maybe find a club relevant to your story's genre or theme or somesuch, maybe talking to members will give you inspiration to work on your story.

[(Anonymous)]

Not everyone has the time or mental discipline to compartmentalize their life effectively. It may be an either or situation. Heck I feel this way every time I write for more than one fandom.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't get the impression that's what OP means? I took it as OP meaning they just don't get the same support from writing fanfic that they do in writing original fic, something I have found to be true myself.

[(Anonymous)]

Because not everyone has the time and/or energy to work on several projects at once.

[(Anonymous)]

Correction: YOU can still publish while participating in fandom, it doesn't mean everyone else can multi-task that way. I for one have a tough time of it for similar reasons as the OP. Fandom feels more like fun, with lots of discussion and other people to talk to. Original writing is mostly solo. You can have a writing group (and I do) but that's not the same thing as bunches of people who are all into the same universe and characters, sharing enthusiasm and ideas. For me, it's harder to juggle both things, so I take a leave of absence from fandom so I can concentrate more on my own work.

OP clearly isn't like you, or they wouldn't be bemoaning the fact that they're having difficulty doing both at the same time. Maybe you're trying to help, but I have NO Idea why you'd tell them duh, of course they can do it because you can.

[othellia]

I feel the same way. After a long day at work, do I work on my personal stuff that won't truly see the light of day until AT LEAST another year (and that's assuming I sat down and committed myself to it every single night)... or do I work on a chapter that I can post in about a week or so and get instant hits/comments/favorites/follows/etc?

One solution might be to get a writing group and/or show what you have so far to real life friends. You have no idea what their reactions will be, but it's something.

[feotakahari]

If you have a beta reader, they may be interested in looking at your non-fandom work. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd have finished without her.

[(Anonymous)]

This is a really good suggestion and I'm glad you found someone who would do both.

[(Anonymous)]

Try finding a writing group, or take a writing class - I'll warn you it sometimes takes a while, it took me years to find a good group (albeit without looking as hard as I could've been), and while I liked my classes, some of them were more "this is how you should write."

It's definitely a bit jarring when you get to the real world, though.

[(Anonymous)]

My writing group has been invaluable. It gives you accountability, deadlines where none exist prior to being contracted. After contract, though, you have to learn to bend your life and your writing schedule around someone else's timeline. Each step in the writing process is about learning, expanding, and delving into areas you might not be comfortable with at first. And, in time, I think you can definitely still have fandom and original fiction as ongoing components of your life. It's about balance.

[snowcipher]

I've had writer's block for fic for over a year and I still don't work on my original stuff like I should :/

[(Anonymous)]

I completely understand this.

Fanfic
- supportive online communities
- comments flow like water, immediate and sometimes even helpful
- regular discussions about writing with your fandom friends
- new fic challenges around every corner
- you retain complete artistic control
- generally welcoming to newcomers

Original published fic
- very little day to day feedback unless you're an established author with your own editor
- what feedback you get tends to be negative (change this part or we won't publish!)
- the very real possibility of bad reviews, if you even get any at all
- editors who change your words without telling you before it's too late and it's already gone to print
- zero input over the cover images used for your book, unless you're a huge author, and then still probably very little
- can be actively hostile to newcomers (there's only so many paying readers to go round)

It's less that fanfic is to blame than that the published book world can only suffer from the comparison.

[(Anonymous)]

- editors who change your words without telling you before it's too late and it's already gone to print
- zero input over the cover images used for your book, unless you're a huge author, and then still probably very little

Those two aren't true.

Some of my books have been published by publishers you've probably never heard of, and I had a great deal of input in my cover. Equally, I've never dealt with an editor who makes changes that you can't check over before a book goes to print.

- what feedback you get tends to be negative (change this part or we won't publish!)

What, you mean rejections and/or suggestions to revise? That's not negative, that's just the process. If you think that's negative, then you're probably not in a position to submit work at all.

Yes, there are some big negatives to the pro-fic world (closed off and hostile to newcomers I'd absolutely agree with -- at least from the point of view of other writers, not publishers or agents) but some of this is just incorrect scaremongering.

[(Anonymous)]

It sounds like you've internalized a lot of negative myths about how publishing works. Do you understand that a lot of your "cons" are misconceptions? Please don't discourage people from trying to publish their writing based on misinformation.

[(Anonymous)]

I left to focus on my original writing and then came back to fandom precisely because of the instant gratification of feedback/likes/kudos.

While I know there must be some supportive pro-writing communities out there, a lot of them appear very cliquey and whether or not the accept you depends on either who you know within the industry or your credentials (and, obviously, a new author rarely has either). Fandom, for all its faults, it far more egalitarian. After my break I came in as a literal nobody, knew nobody else in fandom at all, wrote some fic, and began gaining traction almost immediately.

What I will say, however, is that within fandom there's a pretty substantial part of it that only consumes. There are people who don't write or draw, but enjoy reading and seeking out art. Within pro-writing groups, everyone is a creator, so the dynamic is different, and potentially more difficult to navigate.

So I don't think you're necessarily at fault for finding fandom more gratifying in terms of getting a response, OP. Unless you're lucky enough to find a drama-free writing circle, then writing original work can be a lonely, shouting-into-the-void sort of experience.

[purpleseas]

I do both, or three things, really. I have some fanfic I've been working on for years and a new project, a het romance novel because I'd like to make a living at writing eventually, and my "real" original work that's never going to make me a living. I get burned out if I work on one thing exclusively, especially if there's some degree of stress attached to it, like the first story I published. The fanfic keeps me from getting bored silly by the novel, frankly, because I just can't get used to writing about relatively normal people in relatively mundane settings, lol. If you can only focus effectively on one project at a time, that's one thing, but it doesn't have to be either-or.

[(Anonymous)]

It's easy to make the switch! Here's my foolproof plan:

Find a fandom that makes you miserable and gives no feedback!

Find a fandom that is one big clique and makes you feel unwanted!

Find characters you love and can't leave in one or both of these fandoms!

Wallow in misery!

Repeat!

Attempt original fiction, deal with the difficulties of not getting lots of feedback or feeling particularly wanted and realize...Holy heck, this is no worse, and nobody is telling me what to write now!!

Me bitter? Heck no!

[(Anonymous)]

This is pretty much my experience as well. I still dabble in some fandom-related things, but I'm no longer "active" (as in, writing meta, participating in discussions, following fandom people on Tumblr or Twitter) as I used to be.

If anything else, only relegating my fandom activity to making fan art has done wonders for my own productivity with my original works. Probably because I don't feel a pressure to constantly try to keep up with everyone and tow the fandom majority line, so now I have much more time to devote to my non-fandom projects than before. It's kinda nice, tbh.

[lb_lee]

*sratches head* I must have an unusual reception on this, since I get roughly the same feedback on original and fanwork.

I mean, sure I get more 'likes' or 'kudos' or quickfast comments on fanfic, but the original stuff seems to get fewer, more substantial responses. Maybe it's just me.

--Rogan

[sarillia]

I know you sell comics but do you publish prose too? How do you make any of that work? I mean with promotion and how you make it available and everything? I'm just curious about different methods of being professional at this sort of thing in one way or another.

Transcript

[(Anonymous)]

Image: two cats, a seal-point Siamese and an orange-and-white taby, playing with bubbles

Text: I want to leave fandom and work on getting my own writing published, I really, really do. But fandom is shiny and getting feedback on my fics is much more rewarding that working on my own stuff all by myself.

I know it’s not fair to blame fandom because it’s my own fault. But I still blame fandom a little. :(