INTERACTIVE: 30 DAY FAN FIC MEME || DAY FIVE

[slytherincesss.livejournal.com]

DAY ONE
DAY TWO
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DAY FOUR

05 –If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?

We welcome your participation! There is no minimum or maximum requirements for your answers -- they can be as long or as short as you'd like. I will include my answer as a comment.

Comments

[slytherincesss.livejournal.com]

I will do just about anything possible to work Pansy Parkinson into a fic, in any capacity . . . well, okay, not any capacity . . . I don't usually put her into degrading situations (until now, mwah! But I cannot say more than that, alas.) but one fic I am currently working on (and since I have five going at once, I don't mind admitting this) Pansy pushed her way into the plot/fic in a hardcore way, against every original intention I had, in a way that is making it exceptionally difficult to execute the overall goal of the fic. While I was original enamoured of Plot A in this fic, Pansy pushed her way into Plot B, which I quickly became ga ga over, and now I'm having a hard time refocusing on Plot A. But I'm going to have to fully override my adoration of Plot B and rekindle my love for Plot A. Actually, over the past week it's been shifting, so that's good. Finally, I was reinvigorated and excited about writing Plot A and have been working on it diligently.

In the fic I most recently wrote, Benefaction, I was surprised that Scorpius Malfoy pushed his way into the story and plot in a way that I had not originally planned. I hadn't really planned for him to be involved in the fic really at all, but then I wanted to show a bit of Malfoy family time, so he was necessary for that, and he kind of inserted himself from there. I'd never written any of the next gen kids before; he wasn't any more difficult to write than any other OMC (he may have a canon name, but there's no canon on him . . . at least not yet . . . so he's essentially an OMC). I'll save my thoughts on writing original characters for the OC question coming up. If bananas count as a character, then I will say the bananas in Benefaction just cropped up on a whim and kind of pushed their way into being woven in and out of the storyline.

In a fic I'm writing, Epitaphs, which is the sequel to Under the Cold, Wan Moon, I had a bunch of OMCs march into the story. They're useful and necessary, but I hadn't originally planned on giving them as much backstory and screentime as they've gotten.

I often will get a whim to write in a character for humor, such as Argus Filch. I love writing Filch! He's so hilarious in his blustering glory. As a side note, I noticed that Hermione actually refers to Filch as a wizard in Half-Blood Prince, stating he "isn't a very good [one]." So it seems reasonable to consider that Squibs actually are witches and wizards; they just don't have as powerful of magic as their average counterparts. Well, they have to be witch or wizard . . . otherwise they'd just be Muggles. < / obvious > But if any character comes knocking at my muse, I try and let them in, because there's usually a reason they're there.

In my fic Muggle Studies, Harry actually wormed his way into the story in a much more prominent role than I'd originally intended. When I was writing Muggle Studies, I was on a huge Harry/Pansy kick, and I think I subconsciously started setting up the story to go that route. Now this was right as Order of the Phoenix came out, so the shipping ANVIL SIZED HINTS were still falling (funny, none of them hit me . . . ) but it's clear by Deathly Hallows that really the only reasonable Harry/Pansy has to be AU and post-Hogwarts. There's that little matter of her trying to turn him over to the Dark Lord *cough* yeah . . .

In my fic Strange Darkness Comes Creeping, Astoria Greengrass and Theodore Nott wormed their way into the story unexpectedly.

I generally think that when the urge to insert a character strikes there's usually a reason why and it can mean a better story. I think the subconscious of the mind works in interesting ways, so when I get a strong urge to go in a certain direction with a story, I typically follow it and see where it leads. Often I'll be typing along and I'll get this A-ha! moment and like the plot just falls in place in my mind. That's the joy of going with the flow when a character tries to worm him or herself into a fic. You might just end up with something really delightful and fun, or something that just works.

[deirdre-aithne.livejournal.com]

Ginny fucking Weasley. *grumbles*

When I was working on Pandora's Cauldron, I had not planned to ever fix her relationship with Hermione. She was meant to not be mentioned and left alone, and then, in the middle of writing one of the last few chapters, Ginny suddenly insisted she get a bit of screen time - two chapters in a row, no less - to fix the drama between her and Hermione from earlier on in the fic. But, after I wrote it and looked at it, I couldn't toss her back out on her ear because it made the fic a little bit better. So I try to listen to pushy characters these days.

[amt149.livejournal.com]

Ron Weasley.

I don't know why, but I just can't seem to leave Ron alone once he sticks his ginger head in xD I have a WIP put on hold right now that started with pretty much one scene with Ron. It was just a way for me to get Harry and Draco together. Then, Ron decided to go and make the whole story a triangle of unrequited love and hire Draco as a spy. I can see Ron being in nearly every chapter now. O.o

Sometimes if I add an OC to a story, they will ask for more screen time as well. I don't know why. More mystery, I suppose?

[kinky-kneazle.livejournal.com]

Remus Lupin. He's pushed his way into a couple, but most memorably when I was writing Squid/Snape fic. It was meant to be complete crack - it had the Giant Squid in the pairing, ffs - but Remus kept poking his head in and all of a sudden it was this kinda poignant, angsty, mpreg with heavy Snupin undertones and has become one of my most popular fics, especially amongst Snupin fans. Since I love him a lot, I never mind when he pokes his head in.

[meglw0228.livejournal.com]

Yep, Scorpius just recently did. I had been trying to insinuate a Harry/Teddy pairing or even no pairing at all, and then all of a sudden Scorpius shows up in Harry's room naked! And I completely let him stay!

For the most part I let the characters control the story. They run the show not me!

[rebecca_selene]

I guess my fics have been so short and focused so far that I haven't had room for pushy characters. Although, in an original fic for NaNo I was writing, one of my minor characters decided to become a main character, and his whole background and motivation came to the forefront. I was pretty happy about it though, because he's become one of my favorite OCs.

[crazyparakiss.livejournal.com]

I go with the flow. If a character pushes their way in I allow it because chances are I need them there if the idea keeps popping up in my mind. :D Draco is usually that character. Sometimes Ron who pushes in and becomes the voice of reason.

[uniquepov.livejournal.com]

I write them. If they're that insistent on being included, I bring them in.

One of the charity H/D fics that I'm working on right now, I could not get past the 500-word mark, and I had Ron jumping up and down in the background. The moment I let him talk, the words flooooowwwwed.

[hpfangirl71.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the muse wants what it wants and I try hard not to fight it as long as it doesn't turn into a crack fic!! Plot bunnies are always welcome here!!