michelel72 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
michelel72) wrote2019-11-13 08:32 pm
michelel72) wrote2019-11-13 08:32 pm
Entry tags:
Random questions about posting original fiction
I just spent two weeks sitting on my couch and typing. Once upon a time, I used to talk to people, or so I hear. So I figured, I've got some questions about writing and I'm curious what folks might think, for those who have the time and interest to consider them.
- Do folks see much point in posting original fiction to AO3? What I'm working on isn't going to be marketable, so I'm leaning that way, but I know the hit rate is much, much lower for original fiction than for fanfic. (AO3 is the forum I know; my only other outlet would be here, and no.) What if it's "AO3 or drawer" -- does that change any answers?
- How to tag original fiction? It seems like the only way non-fandom fic would ever be found would be through tags, but the wall-o'-tag approach certainly has its critics. Tags are used for filtering, but they also color the reader's decision whether to dive in even when not used for filtering. Major themes only ("friendship", "low self-esteem")? Minor content/setting as well ("good cops discussing bad cops", "Boston")? Depends on the size of the tags?
- Speaking of tagging, how deep should one go in terms of tagging potential triggers? I work long but not usually *this* long, and my running list of "hey maybe I should mention that" has hit a full page. "DIY mental health care" should probably be flagged, for example, but by tag or by pre-story note or by pre-chapter note or ...? If a 1985 character spends a short paragraph thinking about Cold War topics, should that be warned for? What about a few passing lines about a 2014 schoolchild's current-events fears? Post vague trigger warnings (such as by category) and a "contact me for details" disclaimer? Post them in a separate document? Put them in the end notes? Put them chapter-by-chapter, even if they're extensive and some apply to every chapter?
- Beta? When I was young and emphatic, I was adamant that a beta was always needed, but really, I just meant that stories should be reasonably clean in terms of SPaG and, ideally, language/dialogue flow. I have had stories improved immeasurably by betas. I've also been emotionally wrecked by the beta process, for mostly unrelated reasons, and hesitate to seek it again. I don't know that I could find a beta for a very long "original" work in the first place; the "economy" is completely different. (Fanfic is free and betas work free, both sides to get fanfic out there to share. Original fic has different rules. I'm not opposed to paying a real editor ... but I'm not going to do the work to make this story actually marketable, so would that be a waste of their time and my money?)
- Posting WIP? I tried it once. It didn't go well, for various complicated reasons; and in that case, I actually thought I had a completed first draft. On the one hand, feedback/enthusiasm might keep my enthusiasm up. On the other ... low hit rate, plus what if I (cough) discover something in the late story that needs to be supported with early-story edits?
- If you're posting to AO3, and if you want to be up-front that what you're posting is unpolished, how much (if any) process discussion would you put into chapter notes? If none, would you put that discussion anywhere, and if so, where? I kinda hate when people post fanfic with "I wrote this on my phone at 2am" disclaimers, honestly; am I kidding myself not to realize it's the same to say "here's an alpha writing project I'm posting mostly for myself but also to see what kind of reception it gets from the people who run across it"?
- Do folks see much point in posting original fiction to AO3? What I'm working on isn't going to be marketable, so I'm leaning that way, but I know the hit rate is much, much lower for original fiction than for fanfic. (AO3 is the forum I know; my only other outlet would be here, and no.) What if it's "AO3 or drawer" -- does that change any answers?
- How to tag original fiction? It seems like the only way non-fandom fic would ever be found would be through tags, but the wall-o'-tag approach certainly has its critics. Tags are used for filtering, but they also color the reader's decision whether to dive in even when not used for filtering. Major themes only ("friendship", "low self-esteem")? Minor content/setting as well ("good cops discussing bad cops", "Boston")? Depends on the size of the tags?
- Speaking of tagging, how deep should one go in terms of tagging potential triggers? I work long but not usually *this* long, and my running list of "hey maybe I should mention that" has hit a full page. "DIY mental health care" should probably be flagged, for example, but by tag or by pre-story note or by pre-chapter note or ...? If a 1985 character spends a short paragraph thinking about Cold War topics, should that be warned for? What about a few passing lines about a 2014 schoolchild's current-events fears? Post vague trigger warnings (such as by category) and a "contact me for details" disclaimer? Post them in a separate document? Put them in the end notes? Put them chapter-by-chapter, even if they're extensive and some apply to every chapter?
- Beta? When I was young and emphatic, I was adamant that a beta was always needed, but really, I just meant that stories should be reasonably clean in terms of SPaG and, ideally, language/dialogue flow. I have had stories improved immeasurably by betas. I've also been emotionally wrecked by the beta process, for mostly unrelated reasons, and hesitate to seek it again. I don't know that I could find a beta for a very long "original" work in the first place; the "economy" is completely different. (Fanfic is free and betas work free, both sides to get fanfic out there to share. Original fic has different rules. I'm not opposed to paying a real editor ... but I'm not going to do the work to make this story actually marketable, so would that be a waste of their time and my money?)
- Posting WIP? I tried it once. It didn't go well, for various complicated reasons; and in that case, I actually thought I had a completed first draft. On the one hand, feedback/enthusiasm might keep my enthusiasm up. On the other ... low hit rate, plus what if I (cough) discover something in the late story that needs to be supported with early-story edits?
- If you're posting to AO3, and if you want to be up-front that what you're posting is unpolished, how much (if any) process discussion would you put into chapter notes? If none, would you put that discussion anywhere, and if so, where? I kinda hate when people post fanfic with "I wrote this on my phone at 2am" disclaimers, honestly; am I kidding myself not to realize it's the same to say "here's an alpha writing project I'm posting mostly for myself but also to see what kind of reception it gets from the people who run across it"?