What to Do?

[kelly_chambliss]

Hmmmm....What to do?

I'd planned to let myself sign up for three fests this spring, and I'd planned for them to be femmefest, hp_beholder, and hp_rarities. I've already signed up for femmefest, and hp_beholder is a given.

But the hp_rarities sign-ups have opened, and they already have 30 participants. Last year's fest featured excellent stories with pairs like Umbridge/Filch and Snape/Regulus. And while I know I will enjoy reading stories for many of the pairings that people have requested this year, so far, there are only a couple of prompts that I'd find really exciting to write. At a totally non-scientific, skimming guess, I see that about 90% of the requests are for pairings of characters from the Trio era and/or next-gen. There's the occasional request for Snape or a Marauder or Lucius, but not many. I've gotten to the point at which I enjoy being challenged to write new characters or pairings. But when I think of the new pairings I'd like to write, they usually feature at least one teacher or older person or oddity like Dudley or Goyle. When I think about actually trying to write Blaise or Theodore Nott or Angelina or Cedric or Dean or Zacharias or Teddy Lupin, I'm not sure I could capture my own attention. So perhaps I'd be better off signing up for something else...

...like springtime_gen -- the sign-ups for which are still open for another few hours. And there are some fabulous prompts there already. But I love exploring relationships in stories; I'm not sure I could do justice to gen. On the other hand, one of my writing resolutions for this year is to write more gen...But if I sign up, will I regret not doing hp_rarities when all those requests for Irma and Umbridge and Moody and Neville and Walburga and Arthur and Aberforth and Augusta start pouring in? (and I am not going to sign up for both; I'm going to be strong.)

Am I a completely pathetic, compulsively-indecisive waffler who needs to get an RL?

Evidently. /g/

Comments

[lordhellebore]

I can only say that I find too much trio generation and next gen extensively boring to write, so I understand that perfectly. The older characters are so interesting...

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

The older characters are so interesting

Aren't they, though? I've certainly read good Trio-gen and next-gen fic, but my heart lies with the (sometimes way) over-30s.

[ink-smudged.livejournal.com]

There's a valentines day fic fest opening up soon....

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

That might be good incentive for me to finish one of my other fest fics early.... (although if I did, I think it would probably kill those kind friends who constantly have to deal with my procrastination).

[tetleythesecond]

Well, gen doesn't mean you can't explore relationships; it just depends on the kind of relationship. Think of the Firenze fic over at hp_holidaygen, or the one about Regulus and Walburga. And from the signups it looks as if there were quite a few combinations on offer that would allow for relationship dynamics (if perhaps in the non-romantic/non-sexual sense.) Mind you, you can always do a nice rarity at hp_beholder...

There, be badgered a little bit while you ponder:

[woldy]

Well, gen doesn't mean you can't explore relationships; it just depends on the kind of relationship. This is what I was going to say, because there are great gen fics about relationships between friends or family. I'd love to read gen fic about Minerva's relationship with Dumbles, or Augusta's with her son and grandson, or about the dynamics between the teachers during DH. In particular, my favourite feminist stories tend not to be about a pairing, like Maggie's The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and Five Dead Women by snegurochka_lee, and I too really enjoyed Majesty.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be a great fic :-)

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I love "Five Dead Women"! (and her "Women Who Hate Fleur," too -- can't recall the title.) You and Tetley are right about the gen. I've thought it over and signed up. Thanks for the input.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA! Snape as Augusta!!! And the way his little lock of greasy hair sways to the music. God, this is classic. Hilarious.

You've convinced me -- springtime_gen it is!

[tetleythesecond]

Hurrah! *does the happy Ron Weasley dance*

Reading those signups that came in during the last few hours of the signup made me grin with happiness - and it's not even eight in the morning!

[lash-larue.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of new on your flist, but I'm fairly certain that you have an RL.

Don't sign up for either, and pick a prompt from one of them that you really want to write, and write what you want.

Seriously, anything that you write will be well received anywhere that you post it. I understand that it can be rewarding/challenging to harness your imagination to someone else's desire, but as a reader of yours I have to say that I really want to see more of what your mind comes up with when you simply let it go where it will.

Just my take, but you did ask.
L

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

you did ask.

I did indeed, and I thank you for your advice! You're absolutely right about the liberation that comes with just letting your mind go where it will. So I am going to compromise: I am going to let myself write a fic this semester that springs totally from my own brain, like Athena from the head of Zeus. (I'm rather feeling like writing some Jane Austen fanfic, actually. I was going to write an Austen story for my partner for Christmas and didn't get to it. Now's my chance.)

AND, since I'm still really enjoying the direction provided by the fests, I'm going to do those, too, while they are still fun. (I can see how they will get old eventually).

[perverse-idyll.livejournal.com]

Heh, you're succumbing to fest anxiety. It hits the best of them. (Not me. I have total fest neurosis.) Also, what about friendship fic? It's still a relationship, and can be just as complex and intimate and fucked-up messy (sorry, imposing my own preferences here), and it can skirt very near the dynamics of a sexual relationship.

Any fic that focuses entirely on teenagers is going to lose me, and I have zero interest in next gen or walk-on characters. I have another reading life outside fandom populated entirely by original characters, so I don't need HP to fill that niche.

hp_beholder is one of my favorite fests of all time.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

No doubt the day will come when fests will be more of a burden than a pleasure, but right now, I'm enjoying them thoroughly (despite the anguished screams of Procrastinator's Remorse that I periodically post here when the deadline is upon me, like that Lady of Shalott's curse).

You're right that gen offers all sorts of tantalizing possibilities for lovely fucked up messy friendship stories. So I've decided to cast my lot with springtime_gen and turn my back on the teens at hp_rarities.


hp_beholder is one of my favorite fests of all time.

I found that fest (or actually, its 2008 masterlist) last year when I was still very new to the fandom, and I was nearly overcome with fannish glee at the quality of the writing. Up to that point, I was still floundering around mostly on FFN and in the occasional archive and was beginning to think I'd never find much HP fic worth reading. I missed the sign-ups last year, but once the 2009 posting started, I practically swamped the comm with ecstatic commentary. I'll be among the first in line this year.

[sibyllevance.livejournal.com]

For what my opinion is worth, Majesty was one of my favourite fanfictions last year - you write gen exquisitely and I'd be sorry to lose you for I've been waiting with bated breath for another gen piece from you.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've gone ahead and signed up for springtime_gen, and I know I won't be sorry (well, not once the fic is written and the deadline met, anyway!) So many excellent prompts.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

I looked through hp_rarities yesterday and realised I wasn't interested in many of the pairings mentioned. I'd love to have some fun with it, but I'm picky about characters given I don't have the books on me - I'd feel more comfortable if I had them with me while writing. I've only completed one fest before and I'm not sure I want to enter one with so few pairings I'm interested in.

I'll check out gen. I do enjoy writing gen and not having the pressure of pure romance... I'd like to write more of it, too. I'm trying to stick to one writing project at a time, even though I'm tempted to do more than one just to get me writing again.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I saw your sign-up at springtime_gen. I'm looking forward to this. (Of course, I'm sure that at some point I'll wake up in the dead of night and say, "What was I thinking? I could have been writing Pansy/Blaise fic right now!" Or, um...maybe not.)

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

I hope you have a lovely time with it. :) This time I'm going to try to write my fic at least a day ahead... Sheepish grin. At least I was awake with someone else working on her fic, and we got to beta for each other! That was a definite plus. So my first fest AND my first beta. It turned out lovely. You may have got me hooked on these. We'll see if in the end I come out appreciating you or shaking my fist at the sky. :P Giggles.

[fox-murphy.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I'm having the same issue over whether or not to sign up for hp_rarities. I'm sure there's plenty that I'd enjoy reading, but I just haven't yet seen any that I'd enjoy writing.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I've decided to forget "Rarities" and go with "Springtime Gen." I can write hot old-woman porn later.

[perverse-idyll.livejournal.com]

I can write hot old-woman porn later whensoever I damn well please.

There. Fixed. *beams at you*

Of course, this is assuming that one has oodles of time in which to write. Never a safe assumption, I've found. *sighs*

[fox-murphy.livejournal.com]

Haha problem solved then.

[miss-morland.livejournal.com]

Hee, I just signed up for springtime_gen. Why don't you join the party? I'll bet you'd write awesome Umbridge fic...

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

Hem-hem. I'm in. Judging from the writers and prompts, I think a fine party time will be had by all.

[selmak.livejournal.com]

Well, I signed up for some old gen fic at springtime_gen so hopefully someone will want to write Moody, Sluggie, Minnie, Filius or Albus (the Real Albus. How it drives me crazy when I read fanfic descriptions involving Albus and it's actually short hand for Albus Severus).

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

Ah, great choices. Glad you've signed up. I know what you mean about Albus = Albus Severus. I was totally flummoxed the first couple of times I saw it. (Albus/Victoire? What the...?)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Whee, I saw you succumbed :). Which I hoped you would, but I've been doing the whine over hp_rarities myself. If only I had a time turner. Or better, three of them ;).

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

It's going to be fun! -- any number of excellent prompts and fine writers.

I'd love a time-turner myself, or actually, I'd probably settle for just not having to work for a living. If only I were a parasite on the hide of the world, I'd have time to sign up for every fest going.

[purplefluffycat.livejournal.com]

When I think about actually trying to write Blaise or Theodore Nott or Angelina or Cedric or Dean or Zacharias or Teddy Lupin, I'm not sure I could capture my own attention.

That's such a lovely way of putting it; i concurr exactly :-)

PurpleFluffyCat x