Tagged by @victorineb. Thank you, lovely! <3
Where do you publish your work? For Hannibal, I've forayed into AO3 and Tumblr. My writing for the the vampire-verse of True Blood is on Fanfiction.net and I keep a Wordpress too. I also have a couple Avengers/Thor fics there too.
What medium/application/etc. do you write in or with?
Word, although when inspiration strikes I'll jot lines or plot ideas in Evernote. For original works, I’m now a HUGE fan of Scrivener. Like, seriously, best thing ever for book length work.
Do you collaborate with others? I haven't yet, although I plot bounce with a friend/fellow fic writer.
How much editing do you do before you publish? A ton. I don't use a beta and I'm extremely particular about my writing (I swear I’m laid back about most other things though). I edit as I write. I reread and edit each time I sit down to continue writing. I edit again once I stick the text onto the website to upload because the text looks different and that helps me catch errors. There's always some that slip through and I try to fix them after I post. If you ever see a typo or something goofy, let me know!! (I know there are a couple floating out there even now...ack!).
Do you listen to music when you write? I cannot think straight with other words in my ears. I want almost absolute silence while I write, however I do often use music as inspiration, especially to find the right mood/tone for a scene, and I frequently have musical references in my chapter titles or the actual content.
How do you decide what to write about? I usually start with an idea about a particular encounter between characters or often a single line of dialogue that intrigues me. I start wondering: why did s/he say that? How did they get to this point? What's going on around them? That's about as much planning as I do. Then as I write I let the characters take over, keeping in mind who they are and how they tick. I'm just as surprised as you about what happens and where they lead me. Writing Will Graham has been absolutely fascinating - he's one of the squirreliest characters I've ever played with! He does all sorts of crazy unexpected things. I.e. In Breaking the Waves, I had NO idea until he told ME that he'd worked vice as a cop before he moved to homicide. Can you even imagine what a disaster that must have been?! I still want to write a fic just about that...
When do you write?
Any time, but my muse is a fickle, cruel mistress. I've been known to wake up early to put some words down or stay up until 4am. Whenever I get writing, I am usually locked in for long stretches. Think immobile for a whole day bad.
How often do you write? In fits and spurts, partly because of the answer above.
Do you take requests? Why/why not? I do! As it happens I'm working on my first (sort of) request fic for @victorineb, who suggested I ought to write about Will singing. I'd love to have people drop me prompts. I can't promise that I'll fill them in a timely fashion or do the ideas justice, but I'd like to do more quick drabbles. I am super new to Tumblr, so pop by with an ask or a PM!
Is there any genre or type of story you want to write but are hesitant to? "Alchemical Marriage" was going to have my OC having an affair first with Hannibal, then a threesome with Will and him, but Hannibal got pretty pissy and territorial and wouldn't let me. Had an opportunity not opened up for him to get closer to Will, I'm pretty sure Antonia would have been on the menu just for kissing Will. I also chickened out about including OC sexytimes because I was worried it wouldn't be well-received; it seemed pretty AU. Maybe I'll go back and write a Hannibal/Antonia outtake from her POV?? I'd like to explore how creepy/hot it would be to be romanced by him, not knowing what he is. In retrospect, I realize this fandom is super chill and welcoming and open to pretty much whatevs though, so it's probably just my trauma left over from the True Blood fandom where I experienced a ton of trolling/hate mail/kink-shaming over one of my stories that featured (a canonical!) slash pairing. How wonderful and weird and important it is that a gentleman cannibal killer brings out the best of humanity and brings together the loveliest bunch of slash-lovin, it's-that-kind-of-party, people!!! ;)
Any inspirational quotes, videos, tricks, articles, etc. that help you stay motivated?
I get my motivation from researching and reading intensively when I write. I'll have no idea what music, art, poetry, etc. a character will like or make references to until I get into the moment. I.e. Hannibal making an insane sex tableau based on a Baglione painting was absolutely unplanned. I didn't know anything about that painter until I went down the Google rabbit hole following one idea/link/possibility to the next. When I wanted Will reading something on a beach, I read a bunch until he told me he liked the Whitman I'd pulled up because of all the water references. If I'm doing something historical or set in a region I don’t know, I try to understand the period/place and what technology/context is appropriate.
Go to page 7 of your WIP, skip to the 7th line, and share 7 sentences.
I don't have a WIP that long in the Hannibal fandom at the moment! So here’s the 7th line plus more for context. Hannibal is a lying cannibal. This is tentatively called “Savage Love” and will be the 3rd installment of what I’m now calling the Archipelago Series (which starts post-fall with “Wounds We Leave in the Sea”).
One morning, Will caught Hannibal folded over the dingy bathroom sink, bent and panting. “How long has this been going on?” he demanded, grinding his jaw in annoyance.
“Please, allow me a moment. I merely twisted my transversus abdominus when I went to lift the seat of the toilet.”
Will pushed the door wider with the flat of his palm. The seat was down. “Didn’t get very far. Why didn’t I hear you drop it?”
Tag someone: I think this has made the rounds, but if you want to participate, please do and tag me so I can read your responses!
