#demon priest would sooooo have reader do this

[monstersholygrail]

Reader playing dress up with Demon Priest

by Valéria van der Ko

[spnfanficpond]

January 2019 Pond LiveChat Recap

We had a great time chatting today with @sis-tafics!!! Thank you so much, Jill, for joining us!!

We talked about the different types of fan fiction stories, and some of the challenges each genre presents. A rundown from the chat, as well as upcoming stuff, is below the cut!

Q: What's the easiest type of fic for you to write, Jill, and why?

Jill: It varies a little. I started out writing angst early on. I find it super interesting because it pulls you in. Now I think smut is the easiest for me to write. Why? I would say because I like what it can add to a story. Fluff is extremely hard for me, but there is definitely a place and a need for it.

Q: What do you think it is about fluff that's hard for you? What gets you stuck when you're trying to write it?

Jill: Fluff is hard for me to write because there is such a vulnerability in it and so much happiness attached to it. I think in SPN there are so few glimpses of happiness that it is hard for my brain to connect with it when writing stuff that is close to canon. If I write an RPF, it is a little easier.

Q: Keeping track of clothing and body parts and where everything is makes writing smut very difficult. And every time you add a body, the challenge increases exponentially.

Jill: I mean, there are only so many different ways you can write peg into hole lol. I generally let the reader connect how we got there, it is just like writing an action scene.  Poly is something new I have started writing and holy hell is that a challenge. But, like when you write Dean walking, you don't track every single step. It's hey, he staggered to the door. Just like it's he thrusts, not in, out, in, out, in, out.

Q: Fight scenes and smut scenes are hard just because you're trying to explain everything without getting boring or technical.

Jill: I agree, and I think that's the time to take that step back. Focus on how their heart beats, how that situation makes them feel, are they scared? Focusing on sensory brings readers to that moment.

Q: Switching to fluff, one of the biggest challenges I see fluff fics face is staying away from the extra sugary sweetness. For example, a lot of fics are great, but then keep going, adding a wedding or proposal, or a baby or a pregnancy, when the story was good without it.

Jill: I believe fluff varies so much depending on the pairing. And tooth rotting fluff is difficult without something to balance it out. It applies across anything you write, I think as the writer you need to know when enough is enough. If the story only needs 800 words, don't force anything else. If it is a complete one shot, don't get pressured into making it a series. I've read 400 word fics that are just as powerful as 25 part series. It depends on the story that needs to be told.

General discussion turned to using a beta to help you know when you’ve got fat to cut from a story. One participant admitted to struggling with always wanting everything to be perfect before posting.

Jill: never let perfect get in the way of pretty damn good. Readers forgive small errors, and she's right, get a beta that wants to help, not one who is just looking to read.

@babypieandwhiskey: You are all giving very good advice. A beta is very helpful in writing smut scenes, fighting scenes, angst and even fluff. I have noticed some betas a better at one type of fic more than others so it is always good I think to get to know your beta a little before sending it to them. Know what they are good at and know what they are comfortable with. Some are really good at hashing out fight scenes while others know how to pull the emotion out of a story for a smut scene. 

Q: One thing some new writers seem to do is decide what type of fic they want to write before they have a story idea, especially in bongo fics. It’s a fluff bingo, so the writer goes into it with fluff in mind, and you end up with something as sweet, but as flimsy, as cotton candy. Or if it’s an angst bingo, you get a story where the girl dies, then the character discovers she loved him the whole time and was pregnant. It feels like just throwing logs on a fire that’s burning out, hoping something will catch.

Jill: I'm not saying it is a bad thing, it just does not work for me. I have a story and I go back and see if it fits anywhere on the card. I enjoy joining bingo but I also never finish them.

@canadianspnhunter​: Tropes have their place, but sometimes it needs a careful hand to achieve anything.

Jill: Tropes are awesome, if you can spin them to your style. I use friends to lovers all the damn time, but I write it differently each time. Do you write chronologically, or a few scenes and connect them later? I usually write the end first and figure out the rest. And I almost always write the smut last. I think that is a good check, because it makes you answer, is the smut actually adding to the story or am I just writing it to write it?

Q: The one thing we haven’t touched on, yet, is AU’s. AU’s are hard, between world building and making sure the characters stay in character.

Jill: I am going to throw out the disclaimer that I am sooooo picky when it comes to AU's. And I'm not talking A/B/O or anything in canonverse… It is so important that they are still the characters they are when you put them somewhere else. There are specific things that make Dean Dean, and things that make Sam Sam and those things need to freaking stay. I'm totally ok with whatever ship you want to write, I may just not read them. But like Dean will always be a touch based person who hates himself on some level. Sam will always feel ever so slightly out of place.

@mrswhozeewhatsis: My AU was Cas as a priest. He grew up living next door to the Winchesters and being their friend, so I had to change my Cas to someone who knew all of the pop culture references, because there's no way Dean would let him get by without them. But he still needed to be Cas. World building is hard, too. Gosh, figuring out which characters would be in Cas's family haunted me. It seemed so obvious, until I started writing, and then I was like, "Nope...that's gonna work in my story...."

Jill: I don't think that is as important because I think writers, especially newer ones, get hung up on every single detail. Like who the character's third cousin is, but if it doesn't add something or if they don't play a part, do not feel forced to have them in the story. (Not a note on your story, just generalizing a little for new writers!)

Q: We forgot to talk about squicky words!

Jill: In my opinion, the rule is if it sounds like something a middle schooler would say, don't use that variation. And unless it is medical, don't use the technical term either.

General discussion followed about the usage of words like cunt, pussy, dick, and cock. One point made was that the POV will change the language you use. For example, a man’s POV will use dick more often than a woman’s. The recent resurgence of the phrase “painted her walls” to describe the male orgasm was brought up. Michelle reference her rant on that and “hot seed” which you can read here. Further discussion about how humiliation kink with the brothers seems OOC unless it’s either in a scene (where it would be followed by loving reassurance), Demon Dean, or Soulless Sam. Discussion ended with no one in the room liking Michael!Dean in bed, much. Pretty, but creepy.

Other News

Angel Fish Award nominations are due soon! Click the link for the list of raffle prizes! Remember, every nomination is an entry! So far, we’ve only received two or three nominations. If you have sent in a nomination, but have not received a private message confirming we received it, we didn’t get it. Send it in again! Be sure to use Submit instead of Ask!

SPNFanFicPond Season 14 Weekly Episode Writing Challenge - New prompts go up after every new episode, and there’s no deadline! Check out the prompts and rules on the link!

Say hi to January’s New Members!

Check out the new Beta Program! If you want to be a beta, now’s the time to fill out the form and get yourself added! If you’ve been thinking about finding a beta for your own writing, check out the spreadsheet of betas and pick one that suits you!

Coming in February!

One piece of feedback that we received a while back said that the mentor-ship part of the Pond has been lacking. These LiveChat events were one way we’re working towards bringing members together, and now we’re adding another way. Starting in February, each Big Fish will host time in the chat room every month. This won’t be formal, like the LiveChat events, it will just be time that they will be available in the chat room to chat about anything. Times will be announced before they happen so you will have the chance to join and chat if you want. The first of these will be Rhi, @kittenofdoomage, on Sunday, February 3rd.

In order to keep track of these informal sessions, plus the LiveChats, and anything else we want to keep track of, the Pond now has a CALENDAR! It’s a Google calendar, which offers a lot of features, such as showing you when things are in your own timezone! Since we’re an international group, that’s a definite plus!! We’re also trying to keep track of new episodes and conventions and anything else that might be of interest to our members. So, if there’s something you’d like added, just let us know!

Next month’s LiveChat details will be published as soon as we know them! Hope to see you there!