An apology, a fic, and a question.

[bironic]

...The other possibility for this past weekend was to go completely MIA and not respond to posts or comments at all. In fact, that's what I'd originally written at the end of Friday's post, but figured that if I said I'd be disappearing I'd actually end up hanging around LJ far too much, so I warned you about that instead. Oh well. Those replies will be coming eventually.

For those of you who may be interested and haven't seen it already, I posted a quick House/Wilson friendship fic yesterday that I wrote while on break from the slashfest one. It's in the "Five Things..." format and it's called "Four Times James Wilson Heard Gregory House Play the Piano (And One Time He Didn't)." It's one of the shortest stories I've ever written and also boasts the longest title.

And now, a question for all you writers out there:

Have you ever wondered what your reaction would be if it were somehow possible to read a story you wrote as if you hadn't written it -- as if it were someone else's? I mean, if you could write a fic and then have the memory of it erased and then come across it for the first time? Would it be like reading the ideal story and you'd be head-over-heels in love with the phrasing and premise and characterization and be moved by the emotion(s) depicted? Does it depend on the particular fic we're talking about?

Comments

[bell]

Have you ever wondered what your reaction would be if it were somehow possible to read a story you wrote as if you hadn't written it -- as if it were someone else's?

I don't bother wondering because I already *know*. I've been writing fanfic since at least 1995 (earlier than that, actually-- I'd experimented a couple of styles and series at age 10ish. Though I only made it into a hoby once I discovered the internet and fandom) and I've stumbled across things I hadn't looked at in years. Hell, I've stumbled fanfic of mine that I didn't know even EXISTED. As much as I comb my memories I can't remember having written that particular a fic-- and it was long, multiple chapters over a period of several months. Yet it bears my nickname at the time and it *sounds* like me. That was kind of embarassing, actually, realizing that I still sound like myself from age 15. XD

Does it depend on the particular fic we're talking about?

It does depend on the fic because we don't always write at the same quality. :) Yet another fic I found-- but remembered existing-- I'd forgotten pretty much the entire contents of. I'd refused to look at it for so long because I was so embarassed over it. When I went to reread it... I was pleasantly surprised. Not head over heels, but it definitely did my self-confidence good. And the ending-- which I'd forgotten-- had a deliciously creepy bit I was proud to have discovered that I'd written.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

What I actually like to read and what I'm capable of writing are two very different things, so, I think that'd be a pretty strong no. Writing is intellectual, reading is emotional :)

[catilinarian.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not sure whether having the memory of writing the fic erased wouldn't let me enjoy the fic more, because it would rid me of that nagging sense that I never really manage to convey completely the images in my head. I think it might - I'd be taking the story on its own terms, and not as an approximation of the perfect thing it could have been.

Assuming, of course, that it's a decent fic to begin with. :)

Got to go - I forgot I was running the bath and just looked over to see a GIANT BUBBLE CREATURE attempting to escape over the side.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Diiiiiiiiiiidja get it?

[bironic.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I was thinking when I asked the question. The part about erasing the dissatisfaction of not having achieved what you wanted, that is, not the part about the bubble monster.