How does one say: "Yes, I'm writing..."

[maharetr]

"...I'm writing fanfic."?

I was waiting for the second train this morning, when one of my old creative writing tutors came out of nowhere. We did the "Hi, what are you studying/doing now?" (The uni equivalent of 'Gosh, nice weather') and she not-unsurprisingly asked if I was still writing.

In that split second between thinking and speaking I composed and discarded: "Yes, yesterday after I couldn't bear to look at my assignment anymore, I wrote nearly 500 words of an X-men fic; I'm catching a late train this morning because I woke up with a Supernatural bunny, shhh! don't scare it away... and spent ten minutes sprawled awkwardly in bed scribbling."

Instead what I said was something along the lines of: "Oh, I've got notebooks of ideas but no time to write them," because even just saying "Yes" would have inevitably lead to "what are you working on?" and I really didn't know how to handle that one. Mostly I have a prepared answer of 'fantasy', but people tend to sniff at that one, which irritates me.

I'm all curious now: those of you on my flist who write fanfic, or fanfic and pieces for publication, how do you handle the "what are you writing?" question?

ETA: Further to the Supernatural bunny, I'm after information about selling your soul, and Google and Wiki are being uncoperative. I have an example of a ritual I can mutilate for my purposes, but I want to know what happens after you've done the selling. Can you cross salt lines? step on blessed ground? touch holy objects etc? Any ideas?

Comments

[akire-yta.livejournal.com]

depends how you sold it, who you sold it to, the legal fineprint, etc.

I did read a story years and years ago that had a vain man sell his soul to the highest bidder for eternal youth, only to discover without a soul he couldnt see himself in the mirror. Cue screaming and gnashing of teeth ;)

[juffles.livejournal.com]

What's actually wrong with just saying "...I'm writing fanfic"?

At least you're still writing and still being creative. Much better than saying (and having it be true) "No, I don't write any more because my job at Maccas takes all my creative energy." :)

I used to hide the fact that I was a serious gamer until I came to the conclusion that a) it's no different to playing chess, which has a lot more credibility, and b) it has a lot more relevance to real life than people think - and it's not my fault they don't know that.

Hunt your old tutor down, and say "Actually I'm writing fanfic, and it's great." >:)

[maharetr.livejournal.com]

Cue screaming and gnashing of teeth ;)

Hee! I shall keep that in mind!

Some thoughts...

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Both Robert Leroy Johnson and Tommy Johnson were reputed to have sold their souls for musical prowess. They lived normal lives but I gather the point was that when they died they would have to pay.

Faust, who was fictional, sold his soul in return for service from the Devil. I don't think he was cursed though, he just owed his soul when he died.

Some views of witchcraft described making a diabolical pact with the Devil in return for powers. I think these witches traditionally were the ones who had a non bleeding spot on their bodies and couldn't drown.

Shakespeare's witches could fly, I don't remember if they could be repelled with holy words or anything though.

There seems to be some sort of idea that if you sold yourself to a demon then it would mark you in some way - a scar perhaps and that your aura would reflect your damned state.

I don't think you get any cursed symptoms until after the soul is collected - which presumably is when you die. Presumably, if you sold it in return for supernatural powers you would not so much be in a cursed state as an empowered one - until the time came to pay up.

Re: Some thoughts...

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Also; wild horses wouldn't get me to admit to writing -anything- but that's just because I'm so self conscious that trying to tell someone would probably cause spontaneous combustion.

I don't think writing fanfic has less credibility than writing fantasy or other forms of popular fiction.

I guess the issue might have to do with how you want to be perceived as a writer - of 'serious' stuff?

[ascetic-hedony.livejournal.com]

You could say that you're writing romance from a feminist perspective, or possibly romance with empowered female characters.

Dead Witch Walking and it's sequels make use of a 'demon mark' - which also shows in the aura.

Would selling your soul change personality, at least in terms of ability to express compassion and so on?

Maybe you can touch holy items, but only if you're about to insert them into an orifice.

[quiet000001.livejournal.com]

Since the person generally asking is my dad, and I generally write slashfic that tends towards kinky, my response to 'what are you writing' is generally some variant on 'nothing, nothing at all!' because dude, I do NOT want him asking to read my latest.

[maharetr.livejournal.com]

Hi,

"I do NOT want him asking to read my latest"

Hee! Yes, I'm in a very similar situation: I just spent the weekend locked away with my laptop, teasing out a fic and generally being esctatic that things were pulling together just so and not saying a word...

[maharetr.livejournal.com]

Hee! then it's a toss up between which sounds 'worse', writing slash or writing romance :P

Also, Maybe you can touch holy items, but only if you're about to insert them into an orifice. you're a dirty man, which is why I love you [grin]

Re: Some thoughts...

[maharetr.livejournal.com]

Woo! Thanks for the research!

The 'serious' thing is my sticking point, I guess. There's still this credibility gap in my head between being a 'writer' and being a 'fanfic writer'. I'm workin' on it :)

[maharetr.livejournal.com]

Hunt your old tutor down, and say "Actually I'm writing fanfic, and it's great." >:)

*squares shoulders* You've got some excellent points here, thank you :) (and I'm working on the courage thing [grin])

Re: Some thoughts...

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Another thought.

Since fanfic, by it's nature, is not going to be published for money then it will probably retain a patina of amateur writing regardless of the quality. There seems to be this idea that 'real' writers can make enough $ off their writing to buy cookies and pay rent.