Fanfic musing

[shapinglight]

I don't know why I said I needed an icon for my fic writing whinges when I have this one. Not that this post is a whinge. More of a muse.

So, the other day, brutti_ma_buoni said that she's written 300+ fics in the last five years, which got me to wondering how many fics I've written in my eight years of fanfic writing (I think it's eight anyway). I haven't counted them, though, but instead got to musing about Buffyverse fanfic and fanfic writers in general.



When I think how much Buffyverse fanfic there was around in the early days compared to now it makes me a bit sad. There used to be so many websites out there -slash, het, yet more slash - whereas now - well, there are an awful lot less. I actually came into fic writing myself rather late in the day. I didn't post anything until after AtS ended. There was still a lot of fic being posted then. Those writers who'd survived the various shocks Joss had doled out along the way - like hiving Angel off into his own show at the end of season 3, or changing his mind about who sired Spike, or killing Tara, or lumping Spike (and thus Spuffy) with the AR - weren't ready to let go just yet.

So when I first dipped my toe into the Buffyverse fanfic writing waters, it was a pretty big pool with a lot of fish in it. Now, though, the pool has shrunk to more like a puddle, though -perhaps fortunately, perhaps not - there are a lot less of us to fill it. I can't think of many fic writers still in the fandom who've been active longer than I have (there are probably more still around than I realise as I'm not, for instance, friended to any Bangel writers), and not many who still only write Buffyverse stuff.

Which leads me to wondering why it is that the Buffyverse is still the only fictional world invented by other people that I want to fanfic? Am I just hidebound and complacent, do you think? Or are there still lots of meaningful things to say about the Buffyverse and its characters? Or, if not meaningful (because it's fanfic, after all) novel and interesting?

This post partly brought to you by my having fiddled with my rekindlespangel fic after all, even though I told myself to leave well alone, but ending up still thinking the premise pretty much smacks of desperation.

Hmm, this post sounded better in my head. Thoughts? Are there still new stories worth telling? Does it matter if there aren't? Is this post really whinging after all?

Comments

[shapinglight]

It is. Thank you. I had read lostboy_lj's post, which is far more interesting than mine. I'm glad mine sparked it, though.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I am too, partly because his meta expands your original question a bit beyond fanfic to the fandom in general, and this pleases me because non-fiction is more my forte as a writer (as much as I love fiction as a reader).

which is far more interesting than mine.

That, however, is nonsense. (And, stop sounding like me, it's depressing. ;) )