This is just idle curiosity, really. I was wondering how many of us have written for other fandoms, and what differences you've observed between writing for L&C and elsewhere. Do you use the same style here as there? Do you tend to address the same themes whichever fandom you write for? Or do you find yourself adopting a completely different approach for each fandom you write in? And what attracts you to those other fandoms, from a writing perspective - in other words, what have they got that we haven't?

Yvonne

Seeing as how I don't write much fanfic, I'm not sure if I'm even qualified to answer here, but why would I let that stop me?

Aside from L&C, I've written for The Pretender. In fact, my longest and most ambitious fic was set in the Pretender universe. I have, however, not been active in that fandom.

I do use the same style, generally, whatever fandom I'm writing for. Due to the difference between the shows, I don't address the same themes, really, because I don't see the point. I like being able to explore premises with tP that I could not explore with LnC and vice versa. But I think that what attracts me to both LnC and The Pretender is the dynamic between the two leading characters and, specifically, the female main protagonist on both shows.

What I like about writing for The Pretender is that I generally don't have to watch content and language, because 1) that fandom doesn't tend to be as strict as this one when it comes to that type of thing and 2) the characters on The Pretender are more likely to use stronger language than the ones on LnC. I find that especially dialogue can be enhanced if you're allowed to use whatever vocabulary you like and don't have to limit yourself to whatever is deemed PG in order for your story not to wind up in the nfic category due to one word or phrase.

I'm not going to go into whether or not I find this fandom to be too prohibitive in regard to this type of thing, because I accept the rules and I'm not going to argue with them. I can always go play in another fandom if I don't feel like sticking to them .

*raises hand*

I started writing for a different fandom - Doctor Who - a few months ago, and though I haven't given up L&C or anything - I'm still here! - I really like it there.

I find that Doctor Who provides a lot more scope for different plots, and has different elements and characters that L&C doesn't have, which are fun to explore. Of course, the same goes both ways! But I've been a L&C fan for about... wow, 10 years now and a writer for two or three, and this is just something new.

Another thing is that a lot more plots are acceptable because while L&C is a very romance-centered show, Doctor Who is a family sci-fi show, and though it has its little romantic moments, it's not a crucial part of it. So it's different in nature.

And, of course, due to being a) British and b) a show about travelling through time and space, we get lots of change of scenery, which is nice. <g>

I do think I write a different story when I write for DW. Even if I do look at the romantic POV of the show (which I do, a lot <g>) - the characters are different characters, with different backgrounds, different morals and different opinions. What's acceptable for them won't be for L&C and vice-versa. They also live a very dangerous lifestyle, so the words "seize the day" really take on a new meaning... They've seen more death and seen their lives flash before their eyes more times than Lois or Clark ever have, and while L&C is a very wholesome happy-ending show, Doctor Who is very much different (and for that reason, by the way, deathfics and such are pretty common there).

Then, also, there are different relationships you can build, not just with the two main characters. I can think of four different ones offhand. Lois and Clark is only one pairing (two if you count alt-L&C, but I don't <g>). So I can pair anyone up with anyone (to a point ), which opens another window for different plots.

Because the show contains so many different themes, some of them pretty dark, sitting down in front of a Word document can lead anywhere. And I mean... any time, anywhere.

Julie

I've written extensively in two fandoms and dabbled in five others, counting L&C. Each fandom definitely has its own culture and its own set of rules, both written and unwritten, and my personal approach now is to lurk and observe any fandom I'm interested in for a minimum of six months before attempting to post a story or become "involved" to any extent.

As for Yvonne's specific questions...

1) Differences between L&C and elsewhere: Well, there are a couple of biggies, actually. First, there's really only one major ship here. Certainly there have been great stories written that explore relationships among the minor characters, but overwhelmingly, the people who are here are here because they ship Lois and Clark. This cuts out an unbelievable amount of wank. It has always baffled me how, well, fanatical fans can be about their OTP's, but omigosh...they really are. And they have these screaming, eye-scratching, hair-tearing fights about it, as if a) the people they're talking about are actually real, and b) it matters whether someone else agrees with their completely subjective opinion. The absence of any of that here is just...bliss. And if there has been any in the past, I don't want to know about it. Everyone I've encountered here so far seems much too reasonable to engage in shipping wars, but I still find it nice that the temptation isn't much there.

The second major difference I've noted is that the relatively small size of the fandom allows for one central archive, and that one central archive not only requests that stories be properly edited but is committed enough to providing quality stories that it provides you with an editor. Wow! I'm still boggled that someone who doesn't even know me is right now editing something I wrote, bless her heart. It sure doesn't happen everywhere, and as a reader, especially in a new fandom, it can be awfully tiresome to have to wade through the dreck to find the diamonds. Being able to go to the L&C archive and know that anything I find will at least be spelled correctly, punctuated correctly, etc., is so nice.

2) Do I use the same style here as I have elsewhere? Well, pretty much, though I've experimented with things along the way. The story I posted here recently, however, was very much in my comfort zone as far as writing style and content, and that was deliberate. My own time constraints make being ambitious impossible just now. If I want to write at all, I have to write fast and then get back to real life.

3) Do I tend to address the same themes? Yes, I would say so. I write romance, and I write what makes me feel good, and that's usually a blend of humor and angst with a happy ending. This is a hobby, and I need it to be fun. This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy reading stories that address weightier or more significant themes, but I don't generally attempt to write them. I've consistently written het, across seven fandoms now, and I made a conscious decision years ago not to publish anything I'd give stronger than an R rating. Again, I'm comfortable reading stronger material and certainly don't condemn others for writing it, but I don't choose to write it myself.

4) What attracts me to other fandoms? Interest in the source material is a pretty obvious starting point, but usually what draws me into the fandom is a strong base of well-written fan fiction about a ship I'm interested in. I like fandoms that both interest me as a reader and challenge me as a writer. I want to be nervous when I post a fic because I know that the readers there are accustomed to high-quality stories - and that was certainly the case here. I'm also drawn to fandoms that seem to be populated with civilized, mature people, as is probably obvious from my earlier comments. I adore my children, but I need a break from them, too. Fandom is where I come to get away from childishness, and if I can't do that, I don't want the bother.

As an aside, L&C is the only fandom in which I read the fan fiction before I ever encountered the source material. I had a then-seven-year-old son who was interested in Superman, and I rented him the first of the Chris Reeve movies. Because we didn't let him watch PG movies without one us with him, I watched, too, and when we were done, I wondered idly if there was any Superman fan fiction out there. Wasn't there a Superman TV show with Teri Hatcher a few years back? I bet someone's written some fan fic about that... I was blown away by the quality of the stories I found, and from there I went and bought the first DVD, which I think had just come out.

And I'm not sure what that had to do with anything, but there ya go.

Shutting up now,

Caroline

When LnC first aired I was a huge fan of the show. Somewhere in season three, though, they lost me. It was that darn Clois. It was just... icky, on so many levels, and I had no patience for writers jerking my feelings around. Rather coincidentally at that same time X-Files was moved from Friday night to Sunday night. When I had to choose between the two shows it was a no-brainer.

It took me another year, though, to find XF fanfic. Somewhere at the back of my mind I wondered if there was LnC fic, but I never went looking for it. I was happy in the Phile-dom for almost three years and wrote several stories (vignettes, PWP, case files... it varied). I made some great friends, went to a few conferences and, especially, became very close to two of my betas.

Then, in October 1999, my husband died and I lost all interest in writing or doing anything else for a really long time. The only thing I kept from those days were the two wonderful friends who I had met through writing. I still keep in contact with both of them.

When the DVDs for LnC came out. I kept thinking I should go buy them since I had loved the show so much when it aired. Finally, in January of this year, I broke down and bought them on sale. Once I started watching them, I again started wondering if there was fanfic. It took me until March to actually go looking (I'm lazy, what can I say?).

I read a few stories and then stopped cold. It wasn't that the writing was bad - it was way too good. I wanted to write my own story, but I didn't want to know what I was up against. So I stopped reading and started writing. Once I get the writing bug out of my system, I fully intend to start reading again (and suffer some massive anxiety).

Are there similarities between what I wrote then and what I write now? Maybe a turn of phrase or stuff like that but they're two completely different shows and four completely different characters. I think what attracted me about Mulder and Scully (the unresolved sexual tension or UST) is kind of the same thing that drew me into LnC as well. Which might be why all my stories take place in those heady days before Lois knew. <shrug>

There was a definite hierachy in the Phile fandom, although I got to know most of the authors from email and a few "writer's conferences" and they turned out not to be the egomaniacs that some people (including me) expected. We didn't have a feedback board - all the feedback was done as email, but if you responded to the list server, everyone could read it. Or there was a weekly roundup of reviews? It's amazing how much you forget. One thing I haven't forgotten - the first person to reply to my first story. In XF it was a girl named Rachel E. Here it was Jackie K. (Hi, Jackie! )

I, too, was pleased with having a general editor to go over my stories before they were archived. Heaven knows I need it, and I can't tell you how many XF stories lost me over things like vice/vise.

It feels good to be writing again. And I can't even begin to express how much it means to me that everyone has been so wonderful about the stories I've posted. It makes me feel like maybe it wasn't a bad decision to get involved in the fanfic world again.

I'm glad I found all of you. My only regret is that it took so long.

Sue

I've never written for another fandom. I have always enjoyed writing and story telling. When I was a kid back in school, my best friend and I had a 45-minute bus ride to and from school everyday. We used that time to make up stories. One story we created spanned the whole school year. It was a joint effort and we added to it every day. By the end of the year, kids would sit around us on the bus and listen to us tell our story. It was a lot of fun.

In highschool, I took every writing class I could get my hands on...poetry, short stories, journals, I loved them all. I managed to get one of my poems published in a magazine called "New Wine". One of my poems also won a poetry contest and a greeting card company (I don't remember if it was Hallmark or who, it's been too long ago) took the rights of my poem with the option to use it in a greeting card. Not that big of a deal, I know, but I thought it was neat.

In two of the writing classes I took, we made a book of everything we wrote, which I still have. But otherwise, all my writing has just been a "personal pleasure/release" sort of thing.

This is the first place where I've written something and put it out there for others to read and comment on. And honestly, this place is awesome.

I love that it has strict guidelines to protect young people, and people who just don't want to read stuff above PG-13. Why force something on someone who doesn't want it? When they can choose to view it elsewhere (at Annesplace).

I also absolutely love that there are so many hard working FoLC's out there who are willing to act as editors for our stories, so that the very best writing we can produce is what ends up on the Archive. Those of you who fill this position amaze me and have my admiration and thanks for what you do.

Anyway, I think I've prattled on long enough. This was a very interesting topic though, and I wanted to share my story.

Thanks -- DJ

I haven't written for other fandoms, although I have read some fanfic in other fandoms. And two things have stood out between other fandoms and this one (aside from the obvious differences of other sorts of characters, pairings, and situations, as mentioned above).

Both of these differences have already been mentioned, as well. The first is that yes, this fandom has well-edited stories and that makes a HUGE difference in my willingness to read something.

The second is that the nfic is separated out and unaccessible to underage readers - that isn't always the case. And I'm not sure I'm going to say this so that it's clear - I like reading nfic, mind - but the majority of the LnC nfic that I have read is... not depraved, gross, or - well, you probably get the idea. I stumbled onto some nfic in a different fandom that was hardcore porn, and it pretty much tainted my perceptions of the fanfic written for that particular show.

~Toc

I think my first fanfic stint was with Frasier a number of years ago, iirc. I started writing story after story in my journal just because I needed more Frasier during the summers lol. It never even occurred to me that other people did this sort of thing as a hobby. I thought I was a lone crazy person with a pen. Then I slammed into a Frasier fanfic archive one day and realized that comparatively, I was sort of normal. :p It was organized, but in the here and now, I've never found anything that tops the L&C Archive. I wrote some way different themes in Frasier. God, did I used to write romances? I think so! Those are foreign words now that I think about it. I also wrote a lot of...rewrites, continuations, and things that messed with the ongoing show on tv.

For some reason after I found the Frasier archive, it never even occurred to me that other tv shows might have similar followings. After I wrote myself out on Frasier, I started up with L&C, again not realizing that other people did this sort of thing. The whole reason I started writing L&C fanfic was because I couldn't *stand* not knowing what was going to happen when Clark left for New Krypton!! I pretty much spent all summer coming up with senario after senario.

I haven't written anything in over a year, but oddly enough, what I like to write (comedy) has absolutely nothing to do with the Krypton themes that I started out with. Over the years, writing has just turned into a big 'what if' for me, and it's ranged from kidnapping nuns to drunk superheroes to spoofs. Just whatever inspires me from real life. Although I've never kidnapped any nuns. I do wonder why I've never felt the need to mess with rewrites and such. God knows, there's a shortlist I'd change with the real show. :p

I used to write a little bit for Charmed, but I only ever posted one fic. There was no rhyme or reason to any of the Charmed boards I hung out at. Actually, there were too many fans, and it was always sort of crazy.

Overall, what do they have that you don't have? Well, these days, nothing. I've had several fanfic communities dissolve, and this one's still kicking. It's certainly the most organized archive I've ever seen, website, editors, et al. If my muse ever comes back from sipping Mai Tai's on the beach, she's coming straight here. And that's incredibly easy for me to do since I write comedy. In such a genre, I don't find myself limited by themes, canons, characterization, etc, etc.

Ok, this is like the most I've ever said in a post. Mouth is closing haha.
Jen

I've written a Tekken fic, and it's almost a year that I've been reading and writing Harry Potter fic as well. Currently, it's the HP universe that my writing is focused on the most (because I want to finish my post-Book 6 story before Book 7 comes out, LOL.).

I'll try to answer your questions, Yvonne - they're very interesting and I enjoy reading other people's replies too. But personally, I'm not sure I *can* answer.

Hmm, dunno. I think I do, for the most part.

If by 'themes' you mean particular actions/activities etc., no, not really. If you're talking about the nature of the stories, though I wouldn't say it's really the same, there are some similarities and some common ground between the stories I've written for the two fandoms. For example, when I write about a pairing (be it Lois and Clark, or a pairing from HP), I usually write about their relationship up until they get together. When they have actually gotten together, they're not as attractive to me.

Often, my 'romance' stories don't even result to the characters getting together - they're just kind of missing scenes with a vaguely romantic nature (someone contemplating about the one they're in love with, or something). In L&C, these stories have always been WAFFy - in HP I've written a few angsty stories too. It might have to do with the pairing - not all pairings have the same history.

Your question about approach is very interesting. Both universes allow space for all kinds of stories (ranging from humour to angst to action etc.). In both fandoms, there are people who write only in a certain genre - just humour, just angst, just action etc.. I'm not like that. In both fandoms, I've taken a shot at most genres, whether in individual stories or in stories that include more than one genres. I don't know if maybe I'm better at one genre better than the other, but I get ideas 'universally' for both fandoms.

Though I think it's notable that angst has worked better for me in the HP fandom than in the L&C one. I don't know if it was the plot ideas I chose each time, that my L&C angst was among the first things I wrote (and admittedly, my first stories were far from fantabulous), the fact that HP is, as a whole, an angstier fandom, or something else.

I think it's the fact that, in HP, there's an awful lot of things happening 'behind the scenes' - we know they've happened, but we don't know *how* they happened. There's a huge quantity of interesting background/side characters we don't see enough, so many ways and layers of interpreting the same fact, it just begs you to write about it. If you find an event that will trigger your writing insticts, then sooner or later you start to explore the other events too, and there's just so many of them.

To tell you the truth, before Book 6 I wasn't very interested in reading or writing HP fanfic. I'd tried it a few times, but never really got into it. Then, in Book 6, appeared a lovely (imo) pairing, on whose background we had very, very little information. That was my cue - a pairing I like and we don't know how they got together! Not to mention a certain fact of the book that could be explained in a thousand different ways... I started writing a behind-the-scenes-of-Book-6 story, and then branched out to other stories too.

I must say one thing, though - FoLCdom is DA BEST Not just about the quality of fics (which, really, is astounding, and, while I don't have much experience, I doubt there are fandoms who can rival us about it) but also about the quality of people populating it. We don't have trolls bugging us, and people here are nice, gentle and helpful. Now, I understand that everyone has the right to flip out at some point or other, because we're not saints; I know things haven't always been easy and there have been ugly moments. But (at least, as far as I've seen) even then there have been people mature enough to find a solution and minimize their effects on the fandom as a whole. I guess it's one of the perks of the FoLCdom being relatively small.

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Jen, I nearly spewed coffee at my screen when I read this. It describes my fan fic experience to a T.

LOL!

Caroline, a crazy person with a laptop

I think many of us have been there, Caroline

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Mind you.... I haven't seen more parts in my mailbox lately

Jose

I started making up stories in my head and putting them down on paper at an early age, but it wasn't until I was 16 or so that I discovered the concept of fanfic. I knew that others made up stories in their heads and wrote them down of course - those were called novels - but it had previously never occurred to me that you could do it with other people's characters.

During that summer though, I became a big fan of the original Star Trek series through reruns. And while browsing through a local bookshop on Saturday afternoon I discovered a copy of ST: The New Voyages - a published collection of fanfic. Not only were the stories incredibly well written, but that was my introduction to the whole fascinating notion that instead of making do with playing the same TV adventures over and over and over again, you could make up your own. And share them with others! Wow.

Naturally enough, it wasn't long after that that I started writing my own fanfic and over the next decade or so I wrote a wide range of fanfic, for all kinds of shows, and had them published in various fanzines.

But I think the first show I wrote for where I built up a significant body of work was the western The Young Riders. Which was my big love just prior to falling in love with LNC. Since LNC, although I've moved on to become obsessed with other shows - Buffy, Angel, Stargate (Classic - don't talk to me about S9 ), BSG and others - I've never felt the urge to write fanfic for them.

I don't know why this is, exactly. Whether it's simply been a side issue of the fact that currently I have no urge to write anything at all or whether it's because I've invested such a strong emotional commitment and attachment to the non-writing side of FoLCdom - the friends I have here, the community etc - that I don't want to move on in that sense.

But to the point of this thread - I do confess that I've always found LNC a lot more restrictive to write for than previous shows. Simply because over the years I'd become used to working in a much larger playground than is available to me with LNC, such as a large ensemble cast of 6 or 7 characters I could use. Or a wide range of locations, rather than mostly just the Daily Planet, Clark's or Lois's apartments. Sure you can send them to Hawaii or the Swiss Alps now and then <g>, but in the main you're limited to just a few places to play in.

Also, there was no limit to the possible themes I could write about - it's true that you can write about darker themes in FoLCdom, but you do have to accept that generally speaking you'll find less readership for them because it's just not what the majority of readers want to read. Whereas in most of the other fandoms out there anything goes for the most part.

And with previous shows, the characters' early lives were usually missing for the most part, which meant you could have a lot of fun playing around with filling in the blanks of their early years. Which of course is not possible with Clark Kent and even most of Lois's early years were filled in with LNC, so there's not much to explore there either. Which isn't to say there aren't gaps to explore - and many authors have - but just that in comparison to what I'd been used to it was less of a challenge.

So, yes, I have found it more frustrating at times to write about LNC and much harder work than any fandom I've previously written for. But they're worth it. And although it was a drastic change from what I'd been used to, it was also probably the most writing fun I've had through the years, too. Sometimes, more difficult is more rewarding.


LabRat

Oh, dear. Yes. I've written for a whole lot of fandoms than this one. *laughs* In fact, I'm probably most active in Harry Potter.

Let's see now... I've written for SWAT Kats, Harry Potter, Press Gang, Back to the Future, Sailor Moon and, of course, FoLCdome. So that makes what? six fandoms. Oh, plus a couple for a fandom I never posted the fics in. Gee, I *am* insane!

If you'd asked me this question any time up to just over six months ago, my answer would have been an emphatic no: never written in any other fandom, never had any desire to.

Then everything changed.

Now, like Julie, I write in the Doctor Who fandom - the new Who, with the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. And Julie said just about everything I would have about the differences between DW and L&C and what appeals to me about the fandom.

So what to add? Well, there are some differences in my style between here and there. For some reason, I began writing a lot of present-tense stories. Most of my short stories and character studies in DW are in present tense - which I know drives some people bonkers. Why? I have no idea. I began writing one character study and the opening passage just came out in present tense. I even began a couple of stories in past tense, only to go back and switch to present because for some reason it flowed better for me in that tense. I have even written a 13-chapter story in present tense!

Most of my long DW stories are in traditional past tense, however.

What can be difficult about writing in DW is that there is - at least among the writer friends I chat with - an expectation that some awareness at least is shown to the fact that this is a programme with a 40+-year history, and that the Doctor didn't just appear out of nowhere in his ninth incarnation. I did watch the series as a kid, so am not completely clueless, though I don't remember a lot about it. Because I want to be taken seriously as a writer in the fandom, though, I do research and try to include 'classic-series' references wherever I can.

While Superman is also a very long-running franchise, there isn't that expectation within L&C, mainly because L&C doesn't happen in the same universe as the comics and/or the movies. The comics aren't Clark's past; not in the same way as the classic series is the Doctor's past.

I'd agree with those who've said that L&C is somewhat more restrictive in many ways; while I do mostly write romance or romantic subtext for the Doctor and Rose, I include other themes and other characters as well, and there are other 'ships' available to be written. As Julie mentioned, deathfics are more common - death is a constant theme of the Doctor's life, as was made clear in the very first episode of the revived series:

There's also the fact that any romantic relationship in DW is doomed: he will outlive any partner, for one thing, and for another he is not the settling-down type. Companions come and go. So, in most of my stories, even where the romance is overt, there's that underlying understanding that this is for now, not for ever:

So, if nothing else, there's so much angst potential there.


There probably are other differences, and other things which - currently - appeal to me more, but that's enough for now. Probably one of the biggest draws for me at the moment is that I've been writing L&C for about eight years and I'm just stale. I feel I've said just about all I have to say about the characters, and read just about every scenario that can be written. I've been around this fandom a long time. DW is still fresh and new for me as a writer, and that's just so nice.


Wendy

As I'm only writing my second fanfic ever (and I have yet to finish that one) I doubt I'm qualified to answer this, but I had to chime in anyway.
I lurked on these boards for several years before ever posting, because there was just so much great fanfic to read, I love to read, I love LNC, and it was such a great escape. But I was nervous to join in. I guess it's just the whole idea of the internet in general being such a vast place.

After a while, though, it seemed like I had read so much that the characters, I can literally hear them in my head when I read. And with all the great fanfic in this fandom, it was easy to spark creative juices just from reading other stories.

It had been years since I had written anything before I posted here, and I was terrified of the response I would get because I felt so amateur compared to some of the other writers here. But everyone on these boards is so supportive and friendly, it seems. I think even writing here can be addictive, esp. for someone like me who can practice on their writing craft without total fear of being torn limb from limb.

Well, that's my two cents.

Marcy

This is a really interesting question, and one that I am looking forward to seeing many more answers to

For myself, I had no idea there was such a thing as fanfic until I was searching the web desperate to find out what happened after the baby cliffie that LnC ended off with - which of course led me to the 'virtual' seasons of LnC, which in turn led me to the archive, and from there a whole new world had been shown to me

I read voraciously and then came up with the bright idea to try to write something of my own. My first effort of course was not very good, specially when I go back and read it now cringing, but I kept trying and I like to think that after some time I got better. Then the ideas for some crossovers came to me, and then from there I read other fandoms and thought about what I might write for them... and now I have written in a few fandoms. Sentinel, Robin, Batman, X-men, Mag 7, Batman Beyond... and now I have some ideas bouncing around with Stargate and Buffy-ish stuff there <g>...
(hmmm maybe I just need an attention span better than that of a gnat )

Well keep penning everyone, no matter who you are writing about,

Marns AKA Bumpkin
~pobody's Nerfect

MAG-7, Marnie? One of my friends turned me on to that one by buying me S1 on DVD for Christmas. Now, I'm waiting for S2 to be out, which she'll buy me as a belated birthday gift. (Although one of our cable channels is going to start re-running it shortly, so I won't be able to resist tuning in meantime.)

What name do you use? I'm not into the fanfic at the moment, but I know that Lyndsay is. Maybe she's read some of your work.

LabRat

Well, I'm late to the party but I wanted to chime in here anyway. I write for all sorts of fandoms <g>. I don't actually finish things in all sorts of fandoms, but I start them

I've written most... successfully? <g>... in FoLCdom, I think in part because of the enthusiastic reader base and the support of friends I have here. But I've written for Star Wars (Han/Leia, Luke/Mara, and some miscellaneous things), Gargoyles (Goliath/Elisa), Aida (the musical), Star Trek TNG (Crusher/Picard). I think I even wrote some Matrix fanfic long long ago.

And heck, now that I think about it, as a child I remember writing about Rainbow Brite, The Little Mermaid, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Rats of NIMH. I even went so far as to write the author of NIMH and ask permission, because I understood that what I was doing was copyright infringement <g>. She was very kind and wrote back and told me to go ahead

My writing style does change somewhat from group to group, as the audience's expectations and preferences are different. I remember being a little upset, after working exclusively on In Dreams for a year and a half, that I seemed to have forgotten how to write in any other style! But I remembered eventually. And I'm a romantic, so most of my stories tend to focus on relationships, regardless of the fandom.

I've just started writing in the last year and I've currently written stories for LnC and Star Trek Voyager, I might try brancing out to other fandoms but those are the two that I'm currently concentrating on.

I think that my writing style stays the same but I find that I'm more familiar with the characterization of my favorite voyager couple than LnC. I like to write romances where they get together and have a happy ending. I throw in a little angst but the general theme is a happy one.

Heyya Labby

Yeppers, Mag 7 and for the most part I use Marns Rowe, Marnie Rowe or Bumpkin for all of the many fandoms that I dabble in. I think the only published Mag 7 one I have up is on the Ezra archive...
(http://www.all-ezra.com/)

I can't recall where I submitted it to seeing as there are three very good archives that I tend to frequent for Mag 7 stuff...

BlackRaptor
(http://www.blackraptor.net/m7fic/index.htm)

and

Lady Angel's
(http://lalibrary.net/m7/index.html)

... and of course I plopped it up on FF.net for giggles.

Of course when I talk about all the fandoms I have written in, I am not counting all the fandoms that I have wip's in... that could just get scary...

keep penning all,

I came to this particular archive/writing fandom fairly late. Well, that's not entirely true. I had written L&C stories prior to posting in October, but they were not very good

Other fandoms however I have been writing and posting in for YEARS now. In fact, I'm far more active in other fandoms than I am in this one (though I love L&C to death).

On my fanfiction.net account I currently have 10 stories up.

One is my L&C fic "Revelations in Captivity"... two are Buffy/Highlander crossovers (one is a sequel), five are just straight Buffy fics and one is a Harry Potter/Angel crossover (I think that's ten right?) Oh and I have a Doctor Who fic up.

That's just what I have UP. I have been writing Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Remington Steele, 21 Jump St. and various other fandoms for just...well, forever.

What's the appeal? Well Buffy is far more open in terms of what is acceptable story-wise and character wise. You can kill more characters off, play with different pairings, it's easier to write crossovers, etc. etc. etc.

There are so many taboo things with L&C that I always found it easier to write in other fandoms where I could let me imagination really go anywhere.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Lois and Clark and I have a LONG story that I will be posting here fairly soon, but there is only so much you can do.

I guess I've always been a multi fandom nerd. I am in so many sci-fi/fantasy communities now it's hard to keep track of them all. And I always crave more.

You guys have been so welcoming and so nice and just so wonderful that I've wanted to post more here just so that I'd be a part of this already amazing archive of stories that exists here. I'm excited for this next fic I have coming and maybe one of these days I'll get around to that L&C/Remington Steele crossover

So yeah...that's my opinion.

Like a lot of others, when I was writing LnC fic, I couldn't imagine writing anything else. (Or reading, for that matter.) I never thought I'd write fanfic for any other show. Then, with time, I sort of grew tired of LnC. I felt like I'd run out of ideas for the characters, or at least, I ran out of energy for writing the ideas I had. My interest in other fandoms grew and eventually I wrote stories for CSI (the original Las Vegas cast), Law and Order: SVU, and Xena: WP.

I think, in general, my writing style remains the same, but I tackled very different issues in other fandoms. I was able to branch out and write characters who were very different than Lois and Clark.

I have to say though that I really missed this fandom, even when I wasn't really interested in the stories (writing or reading). I think this group is uniquely unified and supportive as well as talented. For a long time, the quality of the writing here was really unparalleled to anything I saw in other fandoms. I would grow so tired of sifting through hundreds of stories just to find something that didn't make me cringe. When I discovered the Xena fandom, I was thrilled because the writing there is superb. Many, many of the writers in that fandom have gone on to become published romance authors, which is nice not only because it indicates the quality of their fanfic, but also because it's inspiring to someone like me who hopes to make that jump someday. But what I didn't find there is the centralized community that we have here. That fandom is SO large and so spread out among various listservs, that it isn't welcoming the way this one is. Although I very much enjoy the entertainment and inspiration that fandom provides, it's never been a place where I have socialized.

It's been a year or so now since I have written any fanfic (aside from a vignette here or there) and I'm really trying to focus on writing original fiction. I enjoy it, but I definitely miss the community and resources that this fandom had to offer. Which is why I can't help but pop back in every once in awhile, even if I'm not writing anymore.

Caroline wrote:

Now, I know I'm showing a terminal case of ignorance here, but what the heck is "ship" in this context? Is it anything like "grok?"

Besides all that, this is a fascinating discussion.

I'm not sure what "grok" is, but I know "ship."

'Ship is short for relationship, and has since become a verb in many fandoms. To "ship" Lois and Clark means that you're a fan (diehard, even?) of their being together. Shipper is the noun. I'm an L&C shipper. As in the Smallville fandom there are, for example, "Clana shippers," which essentially translates to people who want Clark and Lana to be together.

Sara

Thanks for the explanation, Sara. Couldn't figure that one out on my own.

As for "grok," it's a made-up word from the pen of the late Robert A. Heinlien. In his novel "Stranger in a Strange Land," he introduces a character who was born on Mars, loses his human parents and caretakers, and is raised by Martians, who have a view of the universe which is quite different from that of any human. To a Martian, to "grok" means to comprehend the totality of something. When one "groks" another person, one knows not only the physical form of that person but the mind, the psyche, the inner motivations, and the secret aspirations, along with anything that might reside in other dimensions or realities.

Weird, huh?

I write for most of the fandoms I like, more often than not as Buffy crossovers.

A full list would be pretty long - several TV series, comics, books, etc. I had five fandoms in one story, plus little appearances from another four or five. The stories I'm currently working on include my Lois and Clark / Highlander / Batman thing, a Buffy / Stargate crossover, a Buffy / Wallage and Gromit crossover, and a Buffy / St Trinians (a VERY old British film comedy series) crossover. I just don't have much time to write fanfic at the moment, since I'm working on a lot of role playing games too, but at the end of the month I get four weeks off work, and hope to get a few things finished then.

This is TOTALLY off-topic but I couldn't resist...

Heh. There is actually a word "groak" which is a person who stands around and watches other people eat in the hopes that they'll be invited to join them.

Years ago I was given a book of obscure words as a gift. Ah, the hours of merriment we had with those words. We started calling my sister's boyfriend her "groak" (later her husband, but the name stuck).

My favorite from that deck of cards? Mirkin - a wig for, um, private parts. As the definition said - "can such things really be?"

I wonder where that book is...

Marcus wrote:
Do you mean "Wallace and Gromit" with the claymation inventor and his brilliant canine companion? If so, how in the WORLD can you possibly cross that with anything Buffy? I mean, you must be totally brilliant! There's no way I could pull that off!

As for a "mirkin," I can't imagine ever needing one of those. As my teenage daughter likes to say, "That's just so wrong on so many levels. Ewww!"

Well, it would be easy enough, I guess. Clearly strange and mysterious things happen in Wallace and Gromit's town, just as they do in Sunnydale. If there are WereRabbits running around attacking defenceless veggies...what else could be lurking out there in the night?

LabRat

Well, it's WIP and a long time since the last update, but if you really want to see the full horror it's The Right Technology .

I'm new here, and I'm actually just working on my first L&C fic. The first chapter of 9 will be ready for posting in the near future.

I've been described as being "omnivorous" in my reading habits, and unpredictable in my writing habits! *grin* I started writing fanfic when I was about ten +/- (wish I could remember exactly) and kept it secret for a very long time because I thought writing stories in someone else's universe was illegal and they might arrest me if anyone knew about it. So I had a secret journal of He-man and Thundercats fanfic that I hid under my bed. I still have it, somewhere. Complete with illustrations. Bad ones.

I've written stories about Disney's Gargoyles, X-files, Misty Lackey's Valdemar (and the authorized print zine they were for promptly folded so they're not available), CBS' Beauty and the Beast, Buffy, Star Trek, Quantum Leap, Highlander, and a few crossovers and probably some stuff I'm missing. I've also written quite a bit of original fiction.

L&C is actually a bit intimidating because the quality of the work in the archives is so very high. I've read a LOT of fanfic and I don't think I've ever seen a fandom with such a consistently high level of work available. It's inspirational and a bit scary.

Mouse

My fanfic origins are incredibly shameful. Actually, I always say that but I really shouldn't. I started out at the age of 13, writing *NSync fanfiction because I was so desperately 'in love' with Justin Timberlake. lol! I started a hundred stories and never finished any of them. Looking back, they are all 'Mary Sue' stories. However, I learnt a lot from writing them, and they helped me shape my never-ending imagination!

A few years later I wrote some O-Town fiction. As my tastes changed, (not necessarily for the better!) but I got bored of writing the same type of story.

Then I discovered dear Tobey Maguire, and my writing style changed completely. I now write fiction for TMO (Tobey Maguire Online) message-boards, and have really grown thanks to the useful feedback and advice that the members always give.

That's pretty much why I am here. I want to continue writing about subjects, and characters that mean a lot to me and excite me. I've been a L&C fan for ages, much to my parents and older sisters annoyance, and feel I want to write something that will keep me from watching my season 1-2 DVD's all the time, (it really is a bad habit!)

The only problem is all the stories I can find are so clever, imaginative, well thought out, and, not to mention, well written, that I am kind of intimidated.

I agree, Metro!

I don't currently write for other fandoms*, but I do read a lot of other fandoms, mainly Harry Potter and Pride & Prejudice, so I just wanted to throw in my .02 about one thing even though it is technically off topic.

*(although I did put up one in the Superman Returns forum at fanfiction.net, but that is so closely related that I don't think it counts)

I love this fandom, for lots of reasons: because it is so tightly knit, with veterans like Labby and Pam and Wendy who care and show us newbies the way, not to mention going above and beyond with things like editing; because the quality of the writing here blows me away; because the collaboration between this message board, Annesplace, and lcfanfic.com is like having three great places to hang out all in one home; because the nfic section is lovely nfic, not porn nfic; and finally because the people here are intelligent, providing interesting conversations and no flaming. So, thank you to everyone who makes it that way!

EDIT - Whoops, just found the Reading other Fanfics thread; this should have gone there. Sorry!

Er I write for other fandoms, but I haven't written for L&C.

I write for Angel but my fanfic is mostly Cordelia/Angel centric.

I've also written a couple of fanfics for Bones and I'm in the midst of writing a crossover story between Bones and Angel (it's for a competition and being co-written by myself and two friends..otherwise I would never have attempted it by myself).

Whilst I thought that it was difficult to write a character who can never die and in some cases if you follow "cannon" religously also never achieve "perfect happiness" lest he turn evil again ... I've found that L&C has it's own set of problems or "cannon" to follow or not as the case may be.

There isn't a fanfic yet that I haven't read at the boards, that I haven't enjoyed.

On the whole, I've found Lois&Clark fanfic writers to be an extremely talented bunch.

Just my two cents worth.

take care, sarahk_4005

I haven't actually posted L&C fanfic, but I will soon. I do write Harry Potter, and I use a different style from L&C, because I feel as if the syle for one just won't fit the other-you know? I also have written for the Superman movies.