Fic as meta
May. 1st, 2017 10:04 amI was writing a fic yesterday (another Bill fic, I know, apparently I love her that much) and I was reflecting on the things that trigger me to write about a particular character or fandom. I mean, there are a lot of characters out there that I love, but I never write fic for them. Ditto for fandoms and universes. Why do particular ones grab me and make me write?
And one of the conclusions I reached is that I use fic as a way of writing meta. I'm not a person who writes meta essays particularly well. It's not my thing. So when I need to think about a character and their reactions or backstory or my headcanons for them, it comes out most effectively in the form of fic.
Sure, I'm shallow, and sometimes I just want to write a silly or fun story. I've got a fair few of those.
But a huge chunk of my ficcing is about me working through thoughts about a particular character, or relationship, or fandom universe. Even my AUs seem to stem from that.
And I think that's why I'm writing Bill fics right now, because I have so many thoughts and feelings about her and there are so many things I want to explore about her. It's the first time I've had a Who companion I wanted to write about since Donna! I loved Amy, but I never had that itch to write fic for her because I didn't feel any great need to expand on what I saw onscreen. There was nothing in her character that made me think.
But Donna? And now Bill? Even when I wrote my one Clara fic, it was actually about Bill, because it was the only way I could discuss what I was feeling about her. I have thoughts. So many thoughts. And writing them into a meta essay isn't a format I'm comfortable working in, but putting them into fics?
That's how I meta.
And one of the conclusions I reached is that I use fic as a way of writing meta. I'm not a person who writes meta essays particularly well. It's not my thing. So when I need to think about a character and their reactions or backstory or my headcanons for them, it comes out most effectively in the form of fic.
Sure, I'm shallow, and sometimes I just want to write a silly or fun story. I've got a fair few of those.
But a huge chunk of my ficcing is about me working through thoughts about a particular character, or relationship, or fandom universe. Even my AUs seem to stem from that.
And I think that's why I'm writing Bill fics right now, because I have so many thoughts and feelings about her and there are so many things I want to explore about her. It's the first time I've had a Who companion I wanted to write about since Donna! I loved Amy, but I never had that itch to write fic for her because I didn't feel any great need to expand on what I saw onscreen. There was nothing in her character that made me think.
But Donna? And now Bill? Even when I wrote my one Clara fic, it was actually about Bill, because it was the only way I could discuss what I was feeling about her. I have thoughts. So many thoughts. And writing them into a meta essay isn't a format I'm comfortable working in, but putting them into fics?
That's how I meta.