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dynapink said in her feedback on Lessons Learned for the Feedback Exchange got me thinking. She said ’ I was somewhat less convinced by some of Nine's characterisation [ ] I have a hard time buying Nine gruffly ordering Jack into his bedroom (in front of Rose, especially) to "punish" him for irresponsible behaviour. The first half of the story almost seems more kink than characterisation, although oddly enough the second half, where most of the actual sex is, seems much closer to the actual characters.’
This made me realise that, because I move in a fairly limited circle on LJ, I actually write for a fairly specific audience. I expected most people who read Lessons Learned to be familiar with the work of other people who write kinky, D/s Jack/Nine. (Especially as most of my friends are also friends of a certainbecky_writing who somewhat specialises in that genre! *g*)
And yet, I’d like my stories to be accessible to readers coming to the idea for the first time. So now I’m wondering if I need to put a bit more setting-up stuff into stories like that.
Any thoughts?
dynapink said in her feedback on Lessons Learned for the Feedback Exchange got me thinking. She said ’ I was somewhat less convinced by some of Nine's characterisation [ ] I have a hard time buying Nine gruffly ordering Jack into his bedroom (in front of Rose, especially) to "punish" him for irresponsible behaviour. The first half of the story almost seems more kink than characterisation, although oddly enough the second half, where most of the actual sex is, seems much closer to the actual characters.’ This made me realise that, because I move in a fairly limited circle on LJ, I actually write for a fairly specific audience. I expected most people who read Lessons Learned to be familiar with the work of other people who write kinky, D/s Jack/Nine. (Especially as most of my friends are also friends of a certain
becky_writing who somewhat specialises in that genre! *g*)And yet, I’d like my stories to be accessible to readers coming to the idea for the first time. So now I’m wondering if I need to put a bit more setting-up stuff into stories like that.
Any thoughts?
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That's all I can say to that *nods*
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I just found it interesting. I do tend to assume everyone's familiar with the same things I am, and of course not everyone is. :-)
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*is very philosophical today*
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In short: Maybe.
With more detail: I've been thinking about this issue lately, and while I think it's perfectly fine to write 'established relationship' sex/PWP, where it's not the character's first time together, and the dynamic's shaken out before, there does need to be some indication that they've gotten to that point (inside the fic and in the header) and how they got there. ESPECIALLY with Kink, and if you're assuming it's not something that's not generally familiar to the character.
But I'm not sure set-up's the right word for it, either, since you don't really have to 'get them together' every single time on the page, either. Just. Weave it through. Even a line to indicate what's going on, in narrative or dialogue, is often enough to pull the reader through, to the place the character's you're writing are, and to give them something to suspend their disbelief from.
Also, honestly, and this is only slightly on topic: Definitely, definitely, writing BDSM fic, familiar with my stuff or not, will limit the hell out of your audience.
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writing BDSM fic, familiar with my stuff or not, will limit the hell out of your audience.
Starting at the end... Oh yes. I know that. But the circle I (we) move in, even if it's not really their thing, are at least relatively familiar with the idea and I tend to forget that there are a lot of people who aren't.
I'm not sure set-up's the right word for it,
No, probably not, and I didn't mean a bit spiel at the beginning or anything, just getting the info in surreptitiously throughout the fic - and, as you say, in the header.
Of course, Lessons Learned (though that's not the only thing I'm referring to here) is interesting in this respect because it is a first-time fic, and I felt the setting up was done in the fic. But maybe I was assuming that everyone else saw angry, scary Nine as really hot and dominant (which was my starting point for the fic), when actually they don't. Of course they don't!
In not-first-time fics, I would normally include a little bit of the history - like in Constant there were references to Nine/Jack etc.
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And she did say nice stuff about the latter part of the story. :-)
Have you had your feedback back yet? I keep meaning to have a look.
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(Btw, I'd never come across bandom before this - definitely a tiny bit squicked!)
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Anyway, off home in a min as we have friends coming round with their 8 month-old son whom we haven't seen yet and then we're all going out for tea/dinner together. I'll be back later this evening but I'd hope you'll actually be getting some sleep by then!
Hope you feel better. :-)
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Everyone views characters differently. Yes, the group of us that tend to live on each others journals probably have more of a similar look/intrepretation than others might but that's immaterial. Even if you spend 3 paragraphs setting up the scene and characters to behave in the way you wanted there are some people who still would have problems with it.
I tend to have radically different ideas on the characters than most, yet I can happily read any good fic no matter how differently the author intreprets the character than I do.
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Ah well, I shall go on sharing my discoveries with you all, even though you're all obviously so far ahead of me!
And I know I shouldn't expect everyone to like my writing - and I don't - it's just when it's my characterisation that's criticised, that feels less like a personal thing and more like something I could do something about. Since I do try to support my characterisation in the text.
Ack. I think I've had enough of Lessons Learned. It was certainly aptly titled, though! :-)
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I suppose it does just come down to personal taste.
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You're going to be even more tired than I am! :-)
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And then just as I was thinking I could finally turn in they showed it *again* I made myself go to bed around 3am in the end.
OTOH I have sat down this morning and done the writing - I seriously think I may have to label it Mirror Universe or blame the alcohol because it got ever so UM 'dark' very quickly :S
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Oooh, new writing, though - that's good. And dark is even better. I love dark.
As for me, I just sat down when Jack went down for his nap and started writing. Two hours later, I've written 1434 words and have got to the end of MP-ch7, barring the coda.
'Scuse me while I bounce a while! *g*
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I dunno how you do that...
I don't know that it's dark in a good way - it's just kind of everyone freakily not quite themselves but not that either...
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What? Bounce? *g*
Or d'you mean the writing. I don't know how I do it either. And I don't care! Because it's awesome!!!!! (And yes, I have been spending too much time around Becky - I never said 'awesome' till recently!)
Well. Actually, it would be useful to know how to make it happen when I want it to happen, but I suppose that's asking a bit too much.
I don't know that it's dark in a good way - it's just kind of everyone freakily not quite themselves but not that either...
I have no idea what that means but it sounds fascinating. :-)
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I'm so going to post it unbeta'd and be damned. It's got that urgency to it you know??
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