I'm working on my stories for the fan fiction exchanges. They aren't due for quite awhile! I wonder if it is my responsibility to hide my identity as an author. (For example, by not using the word "uvula."
I'm somewhere between "be as anonymous as possible" and "don't worry" for the first answer -- I mean, most fests are intended to be anonymous, for fun, hence the frequent admonition not to write something that's clearly connected to one of your other stories. But style is difficult -- I'm not going to contort myself to write in a style that's not mine, for instance.
I hope you aren't saying this about the radio buttons thing, which was meant specifically to make you laugh. AAAAAAARRGH! Made friend feel bad instead of laughing!
Nope, I'm refering the comment I made before which I destroyed a bit too late where I was saying something I shouldn't have said relating to your previous locked entry.
This is all me being really, really stupid and not realising that one post was locked and the other not, and that there was a reason for such thing.
I am pretty well in the middle of the choices there on #1. I do try to disguise--and have written some of my best stuff when I'm pushing away from my usual, so--but also I know there are things that are relatively distinctive that I can't not do (compound sentences; fragmented speech; speaking while giving blowjob...uh, I mean my characters... :D), and I also know some things will cause recognition without being particularly distinctive; for my Springsmut, chazpure said it was use of "Well." as a complete sentence that tipped her off. Heh. So. Try not to be dead obvious; don't totally push so hard against tendencies so as to break the fic; and try to write what the recipient wants. *nods*
a result determined by talking the words in question around my fingers in my mouth, or, less often, around some other likely object. Ahem.
WHAT?
Also, how does one breach a uvula. I can see, y'know, boinking it, so to speak, but I would think it would be difficult to actually puncture/break. Especially with a penis. Blunt instrument for the task. :D
I'm completely amazed that anyone could guess anonymous fic, by the way. Maybe I haven't been reading long enough? But the image of you reading through a fic and thinking, "Wait, she doesn't usually do featherplay," makes me laugh at the absurdity of it all. If that's what you do, I'm astounded and very impressed. Maggie
No, no! It's not that you recognize someone's style IN SPITE of the fact that they are using a new kink. It's that you recognize someone's style because they always use the same OLD kink. Or same old plot device, or same old characterization. Sometimes, same beloved characterization.
Ahhhhh. I get it. (Really, in RL, Maggie's a bit smarter than the average bear. It's just online that she's slow. I'd blame the internet connection if I could.)
You're not beating yourself up over something right now, are you? (Just saw the very exemplary rules for life.)
It would be funnier if you recognized someone's writing style and they were using some bizarre and unaccustomed kink. Like if I wrote watersports, for example.
I'm not beating myself up any more than usual. That rule is one I have a lot of trouble with in general, and i notice that I'm not the only one.
I'm thinking about mistakes also because of the time of year on the Jewish calendar.
I don't try to do much different: I figure the exchange will come and go, the recipient may and may not be pleased (though I do stick to the request), but the story will be with me a long time.
Er. I fail at anon, as has often been noted, though.
Welcome back, Busaikko! I just posted my comment and saw yours below.
I'm hopeless at guessing anonymous authors, by the way, but if there's anyone I might suspect, it's you. (Feel free to take that as a compliment, by the way. I think it is, albeit an odd one.) Schemingreader thinks she's obvious but doesn't actually use those give-away scientific terms as often as she thinks she does.
Hope you enjoyed your vacation. We've missed you 'round these parts.
I can't get any work done on the computer these days, it seems, but the notebooks are filling up. I seem to have three stories on the burner, plus Walk/Ocean to finish.... When I met Schemingreader and Islandsmoke this summer, I offered them the choice of two Walk/Ocean endings, and they both chose the same one, so at least I know how very badly it will end! Though now that I am doing it as a story and not daily bits, I'll have to go back and edit for consistency, argh.
I have to say I'm always slightly distressed at how early you're up. I just got off the phone with my friend in Tokyo a few hours ago, and he was just going to bed.
Oh, speaking of instant messaging: the big news in the Magnetic Pole household is that Schemingreader taught me how to use instant messaging. (If you're reading this, thanks, Schemingreader!) I tell you, fandom has made me technologically competent. Sort of.
I'm dreading Walk on the Ocean a bit, by the way. I went back and re-read it recently and can just see disaster coming. I wish I could quit you, Busaikko. *wink*
busaikko goes to bed at eleven and wakes up at six, every day, without fail: smoothly running schedules bring me perilously close to joy, to quote. I fear it is your friend who is burning the midmight oil!
busaikko does not know how to InstantMessage, and probably ought not to learn. She has a hard enough time just managing e-mail....
I've never tried any of this, so I have no idea what my answers are worth :). If I would write for a fic exchange (which I've never done because I doubt I could write solely by virtue of *wanting to*, LOL), I don't see why I should try to disguise my identity by deliberately changing my style... I also doubt that I would be able to identify other people's writings, but that may be because I have never tried such a thing. Maybe I know more than I think :D.
I don't usually make much of an effort to be anonymous, because I figure I'm too small a fish to be readily identified. *g* That said, I *did* make a conscious effort on this past Reversathon fic, because I was using the same alias as I had the previous year, and I thought I ought to try to muddy the waters a bit. The main thing I did was switch from my usual term for penis to "prick" - which I had never used in fic before. Don't know if it made much difference - _lore spotted me. ;-)
My radical idea for trying to be anonymous is to try to write what the recipient wants. Since you're not the recipient, that's likely to be at least somewhat outside your usual style.
Yes, that does work. I mean, all the stories I wrote for reversathon were in precisely my usual style. So much so that i would certainly have been found out. But there wasn't anyone to recognize me, because the people who read my stuff aren't big fans of het, or Remus/Sirius.
I said 'Other' for most answers, because basically, I think you should find a balance between writing something you're comfortable with (in terms of style, kinks, whatever) and writing something the recipient wants. For me, it's not about hiding my identity from the masses; it's about making the recipient happy. If they ask for flashback!fic, for instance, and I don't usually write flashbacks, I'll give it a go. If they ask for uvula-style sex words or top!Remus or graphically hairy werewolves, I'll try to do those things, regardless of my usual style. Does that make sense?
Also, what busaikko said: it's your story at the end of the day, long after the recipient remembers anything about it. Without straying from what they actually asked for, I think it's important to write a story you want to write. :)
Never done a fic exchange, so not only couldn't I say, but if I did do one, no one would recognize me - don't write enough and what I do is totally ordinary.
But if I did, I wouldn't try to change my style (hard, anyway, when you don't have one), just try to write what would please.
As for guessing, I don't read enough to recognize authors, except snegurochka_lee and once, busiakko. *waves* Actually, I once read through the list of requests, and guessed which one Lee took before it ever showed up in my inbox. (Also guessed her second choice.) *feels smug*
So, as busiakko said, it's your story. Do your best and let people guess if they want. I'd rather be good than clever. (Heck, I'd settle for either!)
Hmm. I've never done an anonymous fest before, though of course I'm doing Snupin Santa this year. I think using one's own voice is important, because that's what makes the fic unique. I don't think the author should go out of her way to make it obvious who she is, but I also think it's sort of fun to guess at author identity.
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Date: 2006-09-13 10:51 pm (UTC)...
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Date: 2006-09-13 09:56 pm (UTC)This is all me being really, really stupid and not realising that one post was locked and the other not, and that there was a reason for such thing.
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Date: 2006-09-13 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 10:15 pm (UTC)Whoops. Who wrote that?
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Date: 2006-09-13 10:25 pm (UTC)"Mmgah lmmmm ygh."
a result determined by talking the words in question around my fingers in my mouth, or, less often, around some other likely object. Ahem.
WHAT?
Also, how does one breach a uvula. I can see, y'know, boinking it, so to speak, but I would think it would be difficult to actually puncture/break. Especially with a penis. Blunt instrument for the task. :D
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Date: 2006-09-13 11:31 pm (UTC)Well.
I suppose I shouldn't use the phrase again anyway, as I think I've already used it twice...
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Date: 2006-09-13 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 09:49 pm (UTC)Okay, maybe not.
Phony accent?
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Date: 2006-09-13 10:41 pm (UTC)No? New kinks wouldn't work, you don't think?
I'm completely amazed that anyone could guess anonymous fic, by the way. Maybe I haven't been reading long enough? But the image of you reading through a fic and thinking, "Wait, she doesn't usually do featherplay," makes me laugh at the absurdity of it all. If that's what you do, I'm astounded and very impressed. Maggie
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Date: 2006-09-13 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 11:02 pm (UTC)You're not beating yourself up over something right now, are you? (Just saw the very exemplary rules for life.)
Maggie
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Date: 2006-09-13 11:30 pm (UTC)I'm not beating myself up any more than usual. That rule is one I have a lot of trouble with in general, and i notice that I'm not the only one.
I'm thinking about mistakes also because of the time of year on the Jewish calendar.
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Date: 2006-09-13 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 09:58 pm (UTC)Er. I fail at anon, as has often been noted, though.
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Date: 2006-09-13 10:50 pm (UTC)I'm hopeless at guessing anonymous authors, by the way, but if there's anyone I might suspect, it's you. (Feel free to take that as a compliment, by the way. I think it is, albeit an odd one.) Schemingreader thinks she's obvious but doesn't actually use those give-away scientific terms as often as she thinks she does.
Hope you enjoyed your vacation. We've missed you 'round these parts.
Maggie
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Date: 2006-09-15 09:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 09:37 pm (UTC)I can't get any work done on the computer these days, it seems, but the notebooks are filling up. I seem to have three stories on the burner, plus Walk/Ocean to finish.... When I met Schemingreader and Islandsmoke this summer, I offered them the choice of two Walk/Ocean endings, and they both chose the same one, so at least I know how very badly it will end! Though now that I am doing it as a story and not daily bits, I'll have to go back and edit for consistency, argh.
* offers you some breakfast *
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Date: 2006-09-15 10:02 pm (UTC)I have to say I'm always slightly distressed at how early you're up. I just got off the phone with my friend in Tokyo a few hours ago, and he was just going to bed.
Oh, speaking of instant messaging: the big news in the Magnetic Pole household is that Schemingreader taught me how to use instant messaging. (If you're reading this, thanks, Schemingreader!) I tell you, fandom has made me technologically competent. Sort of.
I'm dreading Walk on the Ocean a bit, by the way. I went back and re-read it recently and can just see disaster coming. I wish I could quit you, Busaikko. *wink*
Maggie
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Date: 2006-09-15 10:48 pm (UTC)busaikko does not know how to InstantMessage, and probably ought not to learn. She has a hard enough time just managing e-mail....
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Date: 2006-09-14 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 12:28 am (UTC)Now I am on the lookout though, so you might not be able to impersonate someone that easily again.
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Date: 2006-09-14 12:54 am (UTC)Also, what
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Date: 2006-09-14 01:57 am (UTC)But if I did, I wouldn't try to change my style (hard, anyway, when you don't have one), just try to write what would please.
As for guessing, I don't read enough to recognize authors, except
So, as
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Date: 2006-09-14 05:24 am (UTC)