Why yes, I am still writing my hols fic ...

[blamebrampton]

Writing for fests makes Brammers crazy.[Poll #1314580]

Comments

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

although i took it, i can't fully stand behind this poll. you should've you ticky boxes instead of radio buttons - how can you force me to choose ONE answer?? :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Good point! Next time I will provide you with multiple ways to reassure me that I am functionally bonkers!

[arcanetrivia]

Seconded. Can I not turn to Google AND shriek?

*SHRIEK*

[furiosity.livejournal.com]

I said "offputting" in the first question, but only because you said detailed. I have yet to come across a fanfic where detailed description of setting (where said setting is not integral to the storyline) didn't put me off. If you hadn't said "detailed", I would have picked "great for scene setting".

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I like your fine distinction!

It's something that came up for me tonight as I was both writing and beta-ing; I realised that both my friend (who is not English) and I (who still am if I can only let go of my love for warm Australian winters) include lots of 'bits', like the geography, or current events from when the story is set.

I quite like them in her stories, because she works hard to make them accurate, and I like popping them into mine as they are a sort of love letter to the country I am cheating on, but then I remembered a story I read earlier this year written by someone who was clearly not English and where I found some of the inclusions really threw me out of what was otherwise a very fine story.

I think that your distinction is the key one; there was too much detail in that other story, and it went from scene building to 'Look at all the research I did!'

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

If the description is detailed, yet reasonably succinct or interspersed with dialogue/action, it's great for scene setting. If it goes on for pages, a la Tom Clancy, I find it offputting, and my eyes glaze over.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHAHAHA! I had forgotten Clancy's writing! Thanks for bringing it flooding back (in eyeball searing glory ;-)

[pingrid.livejournal.com]

Hi, you! I just realised it's a month since Florence. How strange!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I know! It feels as though it was only yesterday! I want to go back!

I actually left off the real answer for the last one above: so I can get on with writing my Florence round-ups!

BTW, J thinks Olso sounds like a good idea, so you never know your luck!

[absynthedrinker.livejournal.com]

Her non-Jewish/Catholic guilt alas, my dear there is no such thing.

I know the British are convinced as a race that there is but,......... NO! Sorry, and welcome to the tribe!

Peace,
Bubba

PS I wanted to answer with A and B for the second question but that wasn't an option.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have to confess that I wouldn't mind being either Catholic or Jewish ;-) (And the latter would certainly fit my eating habits, while the former would fit my vocal range ...)

It's my first poll, now I have learned from the experience I will allow ticky boxes from now on ;-)

[sassy-cissa.livejournal.com]

I feel your I'm not finished with my hd_hols fic pain - even tho I am...

But still I understand and have firmly placed my #1 resolution as NO MORE FESTS.

*cheers you on*

You can do it!!!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I CAN! And Congratulations!!

As to the fests, I will support you if you will support me. We can have little personal fests where there are no deadlines and you can write whatever you like!

[astarael02.livejournal.com]

Maybe a strange thing to jump out at me when I read this poll, but- is pretentious really a britword?? O.o
Or have I just misunderstood that sentence completely? (Quite possible, I admit :) )

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I've been watching too much American TV this year, and pretentious is the word that is trotted out every time an American character is fed up with a British character. I believe there may be a manual of TV scriptwriting that mandates this ;-)

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

"Writing for fests makes Brammers crazy."

Me too. Meh on fests. I'm going go severely cut back on my fest participation next year. Of course I said the same thing last year...

And I love real life details of British life in fics, as long as they are a believable part of the wizarding world. It's only when they are clearly Muggle details that I get tweaked.

Re: As usual, Sir Wm Schwenck Gilbert has anticipated us all.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I'm fine with Muggley details when they need to be there, but yes, I do find myself wondering why the average witch would want an Oyster card ...

You would be welcome to join the Minimalist Fest Club with Sassy and me, we will run the occasional fest where we put up banners in support of each other finishing or starting any story. No deadlines, of course!

[romaine24.livejournal.com]

Um, my usual answer for details, it depends on the fic. LOL

I saw Seshetta mentioned Clancy. My eyes glaze over.

I guess I personally love when details come out naturally. One thing I dislike is a history and whatever lecture that has little to do with the story. This seems to happen when h/d or any ship visits a museum, aquarium, or the like that the author has been to. A little can go a long way. A lot makes me skim it over.

Go write! Just think of your poor recipient opening up LJ every morning hoping their gift is posted. Yeah, I'm Catholic, too.

[vaysh11.livejournal.com]

*hugs Rom just so*

[vaysh11.livejournal.com]

I like to read particular things about the setting and characters of a fic, and I know you will write it naturally and not as a history or mentality lesson, so - I'm all for inclusion of odd British quirks and historical-cultural details.

And I feel your pain - I GOT MY STORY IN!!!!!!

I am all for "no fests perhaps one in 2009" but smaller non-deadlined, write-whatever-you-want fests. My guilt-ridden Catholic conscience is better when I know someone is actually waiting for a story. Needless to say, I've written more fic in one year in HP than in four years of LotR-fandom. The reason being: no fests in LotR, at least not back then.

My one go at Florcen fic will hopefully show up at the AS/S-fest any time now ... We should have a little H/D-Florence, no-deadline-stress fest in January.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

YAY YOU for submitting!

I look forward to the Florence story! I'm still trying to come up with something for the lads to do there aside from gawp at art and try on fashion. A no-stress fest could be just the thing!

You cannot imagine I shd pick any other choice.

[wemyss.livejournal.com]

Given that I spend my time urging the gospel of Britpicking on them that walketh in darkness. To little avail, I may add.

Re: You cannot imagine I shd pick any other choice.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have been giggling merrily to myself as a series of British voters cheerfully skew the results.

One of the women I beta for regularly has what can only be described as a mission to insert correct English flavour, to the point that she has emailed tourism authorities asking for details. That's the spirit!

[gabe-speaks.livejournal.com]

I can't see anyone in HP world not appreciating the detail a writer gives us regarding brit life. I mean, that's part of the charm of the HP books [and the whole debate on how much they should have edited for Americans]. I know that's one reason i liked your Aussie story—wait, that was you, innit?—because part of my love for reading sis in being taken somewhere I haven't been or haven't been in a long time.

So... I welcome it... especially when it's done by the right people.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It was me, thanks for remembering it!

And your opinion is very close to my own. I loved Seven Days in June because of its travelogue elements, as well as because it was a good story. The Britishness of HP is one of the great charms of the books, and I think that writers who step too far away from that are asking for trouble. Of course, writers who vie for an authentic feeling by having Draco declare that 'I am off to the Tesco to purchase a curry' are in a different pile of trouble, too ...

[mizbean.livejournal.com]

Cheers you on. I'm, er... still working on mine.

As to the topic at hand. I favor a sparser type of prose, but I do appreciate it when a writer can interject details into their fics so that the reader can get a real sense of location. It's something I cannot do since I'm not British and don't even try for fear of getting it all wrong. However, too much window dressing and my mind grows fuzzy. Then I start wondering where the porn is!

Also the Muggle-ness of some overly Brit-centric fics can drive me crazy sometimes. Yeah, you've got all the shops and tube stops in London properly named, but would Wizards even go there?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent point! I don't mind it when they are in the Muggle world for some reason that's integral to the plot; the cafe scene in Deathly Hallows worked really well for me for that reason. But yes, when it's just a recitation of research, it can be rather tedious.

Oh dear, looking for the porn ... er, I have jokes! Many jokes!

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

XD I think I'm in agreement with most of the other commenters: details are lovely, but only when not abused

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Dammit, there go 3000 words on the limestone hills of the north ... ;-)

[frantic-mice.livejournal.com]

I think there are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many things I don't knoe about it would be the worst kinda silly if I got bugged whenever I found one. SO! It's super dooper funtastic to read about ENGLANDS and places I've never heard about. Yeah, sex is coolness 'cause all metaphors for loveintimacypassion are teh coolness. BUT!! so is learning baout places. Not in a RLY pretentious OMGAWD I'm teaching all you lowly mortals! kinda way because yeah nobody wants to be spoken down to but in a way that is TOTES about sharing and being liek OMG GUYS LOOK AT THIS MAJORLY COOL SHIT I BRINGETH TO YOU IS THIS NOT HELLAFABULOUS?!?! so yeah.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Hee, that's what I hope I manage at times. Because who wouldn't want to know there is a place named Mt buggery?

[jadzialove.livejournal.com]

And to help you procrastinate further, I insist you go to this site and read the Twilight funneh: http://www.cracked.com/article_16878_if-twilight-was-10-time-shorter-100-times-more-honest.html

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

VILE VILE ENABLER! (That was hilarious, BTW ...)

[thisgirl-is.livejournal.com]

Details, like everything in fic, are great when done well. It depends a bit on walking the line between scene-setting and info-dump. And also accuracy. I recently started reading (I almost always at least skim to the end, but this one got back-buttoned) an epically long fic which had all the HP names, eg Little Whinging, but was very clearly set in the American Mid-West. It even included the local Deputy Sheriff. (!!!)

Whereas you piled quite a lot of detail into Snatched, and it was glorious. So, when it comes to you, I vote for details. I caught a reference to Seven Days in June in the comments, and completely agree - in that context, including lots of details fit the story.

Question 2 definitely needed ticky boxes. I went for "Understand in context" but would have also ticked "Turn to Google" and "Pull out notebook". Holiday tips! :o)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Deputy Sheriff?? Oh good grief.

And you flatterer, you. Bless you, keep it up. ;-) I agree that ticky boxes would have been a better approach. This was my first poll, I have learned!

[i-autumnheart.livejournal.com]

Many of us love your writing (and rather like you yourself a lot as well, of course) but I'm pretty sure you're allowed to not do the fests if they get too annoying...

Re. question 1, I will never say something can't work in a fic, because I know quite well that you can make any concept turn cartwheels if you so choose.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's my own fault for thinking that the end of this year would be smooth sailing and full of creativity, when I knew it would actually be exhausted and full of mindless rushing about (to whit, still have not caught up with you!)

And while you are very kind, you must have missed the recent musical, because that was mad, even for me ;-)

[maya231.livejournal.com]

I love the details, for richness and flavor, unless they take me out of the story. Question number two, I both understand in context (usually) and go for Google. I'm a bit obsessive that way.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I think that's fair enough, I do the same when I remember to!