Ask the Author: vinylroad

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Ask the Author: vinylroad
Interviewer:
Interviewee:	vinylroad
Date(s):	November 10, 2008
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	Supernatural
External Links:	interview and comments are here, Archived version
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vinylroad was interviewed for Supernatural Roundtable.

Some Excerpts

I got involved with Supernatural fandom in the summer of 2007 after I read a Dean/Jess fic recced by a friend. I'd been watching Supernatural from the very beginning, but I was completely removed from fandom (aka I didn't even know it existed until I read that first fic). A week later, I wrote and posted my first fic (a Sam/Jess). Although most of my early stuff is gone now, I'd say that altogether I've written over 100 pieces of fic in SPN. I used to be far more prolific than I am now.

I mainly write het, but I also write slash and quite a few stories that are a mix of both. I also write winsister fic. I have a strong love of SPN AUs, particularly AUs that are very different than the SPN universe (I've written Sam and Dean as both Fishermen and Cowboys/Outlaws). I write shorter pieces, usually between 1,500 and 7,000 words. I'm always amazed and jealous of people who can write big bang length pieces.

I tend to write a very wide variety of pairings, but I would say that I do write quite a bit of Jo. I typically like to experiment with the characters that get a somewhat chilly reception from fandom (like Jo, Bela and John), in part because I enjoy them as characters, but also because I feel like many of them have a great deal of untapped potential. I also love writing original characters, particularly OFCs, even though they get a pretty bad rap from fandom as well.

Re: Betaing:

I'm sort of worried because my thoughts about this are kind of convoluted. Personally, I dislike betaing quite a bit. I have two or three people who I go to if I think I really need a beta because they are amazing at it and I'm comfortable with them. But the betaing process is really stressful for me in a number of ways, mainly because I feel my fic is being judged, which is a huge stress trigger for me. The betas I use are incredible and non-judgemental - I totally know that it's my own issues. I also tend to resist changes to the fic in the betaing process unless it's something that I specifically want to look at or that I'm unsure about. I know this sounds weird and pretentious, but it just feels like I'm mucking around with something I've created. It definitely not perfect, but it's... mine? So even if I do get it beta'd, it's usually strictly a typo/grammar beta.

I also tend to post things RIGHT after I finish writing them or I'll chicken out and it will go into my pile of fics that I've finished and never posted. If given enough time to rethink my fic, I will. And often I have to wait for my betas. And then I feel guilty for having them beta stuff I never end up posting. Ahhh.

I guess my general feelings really depend on what the original author is trying for. I have NO problems with people who like to beta their stuff throughly - I think betaing is a very good and necessary thing most of the time. However, I think sometimes people let betas influence the final story too much in the pursuit of this idea of a "perfect" fic. Sometimes I really love reading an unbeta'd fic because it feels like there have been less filters on it, that I'm reading something in its pure form. And yeah, you have to deal with the occasional typo sometimes, but I don't mind. Obviously there are people who really need betas (and who knows, I'm probably one of them), but I've read a couple fics by people I know that have been betad by other people I know and I can hear/see/read/whatever the beta's "voice" in the plot/style of the fic. And I know that sometimes I start to dislike or rethink parts of my fic because I beta has told me they don't like it or that they think I should change it. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. And half of the time, the parts that I don't change end up being the parts that people like the most. People's reactions to stories are very subjective. So basically? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MY FINAL THOUGHTS ARE. See? Convoluted :/ I think betas provide an incredibly vital service in fandom and they're GOOD, but I also think that the "flaws" can be the best part of a fic. Good god, longest response ever. And I know you're going to be like, "SHUT UP KAT, YOU SHOULD BETA YOUR FIC, THE END."

Re: Feedback:

Oh man, this is such a touchy subject. I think wayyyyyyy too much importance is given to feedback. And I am just as guilty as everyone else is when it comes to this problem. I really REALLY hate the idea that some people seem to give credence to that # of comments [equals] quality of fic. Some of the best fic I've read is also stuff that has very few comments. I've also seen people go nuts over not getting enough comments which often just makes me not want to comment. I hate feeling forced by an author to comment on something and I never ever want anyone to feel that way about leaving feedback for me.

Part of the reason why I don't feel so horrible about not betaing all the time is that I really do write the fics for myself. I post them and if people like them, that's a TOTAL bonus and it makes me smile. But I don't feel bad if it's not perfect either and I don't expect or demand that people comment.

However, sometimes I want to post my fic with comments disabled because I can get bad with equating the response to the worth of the fic and that's unhealthy. But part of what I like most about LJ and fic writing is being able to interact with people about my writing and knowing that people have enjoyed it. So it's more about changing my own reaction and thoughts than trying to change anything about the actual response.