For the fic writer asks i am actually curious about your writing sabbatical. I remember you were on fic sabbatical for a while this year. What was it like? were you tempted by certain fics during it? What has been the effect on your writing after it? (well i guess i assume there the sabbatical ended if it hasnt then disregard that one. 😅🙈)
Ah, thank you for asking @teitpp! ❤️
Fic sabbatical was wonderful. I worked on an original novel and I loved the freedom to fully create characterizations and relationships and histories and dynamics. I loved getting to choose places and occupations and quirks. I loved not being encumbered to any canon but my own.
During sabbatical, I was tempted by a Pikeuna fic that I actually still haven’t written and don’t know if I ever will.
I think the main effects the sabbatical had on my writing is I am more comfortable with the past tense (since the novel was in past tense) and I’ve changed my em dashes to not have spaces on either side (as is more typical in novels and less typical in online writing). After the sabbatical (which I gave up kicking and screaming), my fic writing expanded to more varied fandoms, and I’m not sure if that was an effect or a coincidence.
I do want to return to fanfic sabbatical and the novel, but the amount of time and concentration required by a novel is orders of magnitude above what I need to write fic. There are only so many hours in the day.
I will say that a fanfic sabbatical was good for me, and I hope everyone who wants to give something like it a try will similarly benefit from a purposeful step away (and some cleansing breaths therein).
Thank you again for asking, @teitpp! ❤️
