That moment when your favorite fanfic finally updates
Fanfic writer stares at pictures of Richard Armitage for inspiration, in OTP. Screencap.
The third episode, which I thought was not as good as the first two, posted a few days ago. This screencap could totally be me, I write on a Mac, too, although I am neither thin nor red-haired.
Jen Rasmussen recently wrote about the trend toward serialized stories. Reading such (albeit free ones) has become a major feature of my day. I read a lot of multi-episode stories on A03 and subscribe to them. When I’m aggravated during the morning, I know that I can log on at lunch time and expect to find that one or two of them have updated in the interval. It’s a sad day for me — it has happened a few times recently — when none of my stories has updated.
Detour: did anyone else’s grandmother talk about her favorite soap operas as “her stories”? That just flew across my mind.
Anyway, recently, I noticed that a story I had really been enjoying had stopped updating. Then it suddenly reappeared. Explanation? The author had been grounded. Grounded! (When I was a kid that meant usually that you could only leave home for school and church. I guess now one gets virtually grounded as well?)
Yes, I, Servetus, am addicted to the stories of someone young enough to be grounded! What a delightful intergenerational moment!
Me + Richard Armitage 
LMAO
I wish I was smart enough to have been grounded from writing when I was young enough to be grounded!
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When we were kids it would have been hard to have been grounded from writing … I mean, what would they have done? Take away our notebooks? I think it might be easier now 🙂
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Reading and writing fan fiction is such a wonderful escape from real life. Even editing (“beta”) work can be a lot of fun. I just recently joined AO3. It’s a great site. I’ve already spent a lot of time reading some wonderful stories there, and that’s my excuse for the current disarray everywhere I look in my house.
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yes, it’s a serious joy, and I love that the stories are such that they go on and on, but also give me the opportunity just to pick up a little bit each time. I also feel unobligated by them — if I don’t like a particular story and decide not to spend any more time on it, I don’t have the whole big rest of the book making me feel guilty that it is unread …
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That’s a picture of me waiting for people to update their work! I need some new stories. There are some great writers on AO3 and watt pad i just need to find them as most of the ones I have been reading are either completed or abandoned.
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We were chatting at Guylty’s a week or so ago about trying to revive the fanfic recommendation roundrobin thingie …
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What a delightful story! I enjoy fanfic (hobbit fanfic, mostly) and AO3 is one of my favorite places to hang out and read. I’m amazed at the talent of some of the writers, and so glad that their stories are free.
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Got any favorites you’re willing to share, Serv (or anyone else)? I’m always looking for good fan fiction
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I’d be honored if you’d consider giving my story a try. It is on AO3. It is a Guy/Marian AU and is complete. I’ve posted the Prologue, and the first chapter will go up today. It’s called, “I Chose You.” http://archiveofourown.org/works/3872953 It’s rated M for mature themes, but it is not explicit.
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Thanks a lot for the link. I’m always delighted about romantic stories concerning RA’s characters and I’m really impressed how well written they are. Btw, I like this blog and the discussions with he whole spectrum of different opinions.
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Thanks for the comment, and welcome!
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Thanks for the link. I’ve enjoyed it so far and look forward to reading more
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Thanks for leaving the link!
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I know exactly what you mean. I was so excited when I checked in last night and Chapter 15 was up on the one I have been reading for awhile. It made my day.
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Yes, my southern grandmother used to watch “her stories” every day. I spent a number of idle hours at my grandmother’s house during the summer waiting for them to be over! I hadn’t thought about that in about 25 years, so thanks for that memory.
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LOL. I had female family members who did that, too.
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The age thing gets me every time in fandom, someone who writes like a freaking angel could be twenty years younger than me, and someone who talks like a twelve-year old could be twenty years older. Fun and eye-opening regarding my own assumptions in some cases.
My favorite ships have mostly been quiet these past few weeks, sadly. Fanstuff slowed down since BOTFA, but will hopefully pick up some on November. Happy to hear one of your favorite fics has been updated! And I do love that about fandom, re: no obligation, and how people are generally encouraged to just scroll past if they encounter something that isn’t for them.
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I notice regular lulls, too — around exam time in the US, for instance. Or then there’ll be huge swells, like the Tuesday after Easter — everyone was home all weekend and writing I guess 🙂
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What sort of fanfic do you read, or is that too personal a question?
This screencap could totally be me
That screencap could NEVER be me. She has far too little wine in that glass!
Punishment in my house means taking away electronic devices. I don’t call it grounded, though. I just call it NO MINECRAFT FOR YOU, SUCKER!
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Just about anything. Anything involving Richard Armitage or a Richard Armitage character, RPF, het, slash, gen. I have a secret love for Johnlock, and I also like some slash Supernatural stories. Star Trek: TOS every now and then. I prefer a story to have some sex in it, but no sex is not a dealbreaker if the relationships are well written or the story is inventive in other ways. I like hurt/comfort a lot, even if I don’t know the universe all that well.
What do you read?
and — WHAT? NO MINECRAFT??!??
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What do you read?
I’ve actually never read any fanfic. I blame that one time like fifteen years ago when I bought a “sequel” to Rebecca and it was such an abomination that I can’t even go on right now without tears and rage.
I find the whole fanfic thing cool from afar, though. I think maybe I wouldn’t like anyone but the author writing about most characters, but I think the concept of a lot of people writing stories in the same world is really neat.
and — WHAT? NO MINECRAFT??!??
It wouldn’t be a punishment if it was easy. 😀
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Some author (I didn’t catch the name) was talking about fanfic on NPR this week and she said something about it being “popular magical realism” and I thought that was a really cool insight (akin to something I wrote here sometime back)
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oh, and Harry Potter. I especially like the kind (I forget the tag) where Severus Snape turns out to be nice, and/or befriends Harry Potter.
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It could absolutely, 100% be me – I’ve already downed my first glass of red wine, now on to the second 🙂 – The last thing I do before bed (besides checking up on posts on Me + Richard Armitage of course 😉
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🙂 long live red wine 🙂 I just read an article about how Danish women are the happiest in the world or something 🙂
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It’s an old chestnut, really 🙂
Not necessarily red wine-induced, but I believe any excessive happiness could be attributed to – at least in part – our well-fare.
Also, the ranking was for both men and women.
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aha. Can I say I don’t care that much about how happy men are? Does that make me sexist? 🙂
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😜 Only additional info. The guys are apparently happy, and when they’re happy, we’re happy and the other way ’round. 😀 It’s a load of rubbish.
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Although I’m just “meh” about this web series, I think it’s great that people are inspired by established characters, stories and actors to create new (and FREE/profitless) work. It’s a little bit like Peter J. expanding on Tolkein’s book to enhance the Hobbit story (Tauriel, additional scenes, etc.). Some of the fan fic I’ve read is interesting and I hope the writers (many of them truly talented) move into creating their own characters and stories, if they haven’t already.
But some of it… WTF? A threesome with Thorin, his brother and their pregnant sister? Poor Prof. Tolkein would be apoplectic (based on what I’ve read about him). I guess the built-in voting system on many websites is the best indicator of whether a story/video has popular appeal. I don’t think erotic fan fic is always bad, though the plot (if it’s truly going to be called a story) is often underdeveloped and has very little conflict. I know– different strokes for different folks (no pun intended). And yes, erotica is only a fraction of the fan fic universe, so there are many choices for reading, and many levels of quality among the categories. It’s a treat to find a fan fic writer who can concoct a good story.
BTW, great job on your blog! Love reading different perspectives from people on topics that may start with RA, but reflect other things about life, as well. Your thoughtful subscribers and contributors reflect well on you 🙂
And, yes, my grandmother was fiercely loyal to “As the World Turns.” If I was visiting her during the telecast, I knew she was unavailable during that hour and I could climb the trees in her apple orchard and ride my bike wherever I wanted without detection!
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Thanks for the comment and welcome.
As the World Turns!!!! That was my mom’s story when I was a little girl. Hope Brady was about my brother’s age in 1974, but she quickly, quickly outgrew me, lol.
and yes — I often think the comments are the best thing about this blog. We’re really learned to talk together over the years, or at least I hope we have.
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I am a ff addict. It is the first thing I check on (updates,fist pump) and barely read anything else. I also try to leave encouraging comments to the authors to show my appreciation and maybe as a bonus, they might update more often.
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That’s really super nice of you — nothing a writer appreciates more than a kind word that shows someone is out there, reading. I don’t always leave comments, especially if a story goes into more than 20 installments, but if a writer says specifically that they are suffering for lack of comments, I always try to say something.
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Love it! I’m currently reading “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” fanfic.
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But I don’t know that any of them were young enough to be grounded. 🙂
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LOL
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I’m a teacher with a teen writer’s group. I had to hand a story back when I realized I was reading 50 Shades fanfic written by a 14 year old. Sadly, the writing (what I read of it) was much better than the actual author, but I just can’t be reading “some” things written by a student that young for legal reasons. I’m actually amazed and encouraged by the writing abilities of a lot of te kids in the club.
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That would be awkward. I think if I were a teacher, too, I might be inclined to be worried about a lot of the stuff that gets expressed in fanfic if I knew the author personally.
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They are normal freshmen teen boys – smart, nerdy boys – one of them is writing “adult” My Little Pony fanfic (I had no idea there was such a thing or that boys would like MLP) but he is to embarrased to show me. I suspect they’ve probably been into dad’s porn stash and think that that is what passes for authentic “adult” relationships in real life. I’m not certain any of them even have a real girlfriend yet. Boy, are they in for a surprise when they have to deal with a real person.
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Oh my Guy. You totally crack me up! That’s something that would happen to me, finding out my favorite writer is a kid.
Not my grandmother but my mother called her soaps her “stories”. Does that mean I’m old? ~bites nails~
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Did you see that Luke is finally leaving General Hospital? (laughs)
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Ah, yeah, I like me some fanfiction as well. 🙂
Oh, and I practice virtual grounding with my kids as well. If they really misbehave, they risk a 24 hour no-screens-allowed grounding and they HATE that.
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that would be rough if it happened to me. 24 hours is a long time in the virtual world.
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LOL! I don’t think I read fanfic of anyone young enough to be grounded but I really don’t know. I have only recently gotten into the fanfic world and I am blown away by some of the excellent writing. I’m finding I prefer stories that are finished because I like to binge read. I have a hard time being patient and waiting for updates 😉
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Totally rational. I’m very busy mourning the apparent abandonment of a story that I’ve reread a dozen times now …
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