My dear friend Ben (Vice President of S.Q.U.E.E and mastermind of Operation W.I.B.B.L.E) is currently embroiled in a rather interesting discussion (read argument) on a message board regarding fanfic.
In order to enable him to argue more effectively he sent me a quick questionnaire and asked me to fill it in. I asked if he would like some more responses from other fanfic writers and he was suitably delighted by the suggestion:
Therefore, if you could spare a few minutes to answer these questions I and Ben would be grateful. You can either send them to me by email or you can email them direct to Ben. He will treat all responses as confidential.
Please also post your responses on your LJ, or here as a reply, if at all possible as I'd love to see what everyone's thoughts are on this:
Quick Slash Writer's Quiz
*1*. Why do you write slash? What do you get out of it?
*2*. Do you consider/Have you considered the theoretical aspect of slash writing - eg, slash as a political statement or a way of correcting implicitly homophobic or obviously censored texts? Has that ever affected the way you've thought about slash?
*3*. Why slash, as opposed to ordinary fanfic?
*4* Are you opposed to slash that is not One True Pairing oriented, or do you not care as long as it's well-written/hot?
*5* Why one fandom over another?
*1*. Why do you write slash? What do you get out of it?
In short: It turns me on. Het sex doesn't do much for me unless in very particular circumstances. Good written porn is hard to come by and extremely beneficial. There should be more of it. If I find two characters that I find attractive together and I can slash them..I will!
To lesser extent I write slash because I see sub-text in TV shows or films or books or comics and I want to write the sub-text story. Or because there are things that happen as canon in a series or film which I want to put my own interpretation/spin on it...particularly if I don't like what the actual writers are doing.
Occasionally I will just fall in love with a character and want to write about them. This is probably most noticeable with Methos as I find the actual character so fascinating. This is why I am tending these days to leaning toward slashing Methos with just about anyone.
Or to quote![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lastrega "Methos is the little black dress of fandom, he goes with anyone"
*2*. Do you consider/Have you considered the theoretical aspect of slash writing - eg, slash as a political statement or a way of correcting implicitly homophobic or obviously censored texts? Has that ever affected the way you've thought about slash?
Not really no. Most of the time I view this type of argument as people making excuses for the fact they are writing porn about fanfic characters. I don't feel I need to justify what I do. If you want to write gaycentric stories as a statement you would be better off writing original stuff and trying to get it published.
I can see why it its a valid argument, its just not one I particularly subscribe to.
Occasionally, for a laugh, I (or others) have slashed a character who is held out as being uber-masculine but infact is in my (or others) eyes very camp, or so *obviously* doing it with [insert character name]. Very occasionally I have been known to write drabbles just to piss people off. This is usually in response to overt "he/she
can't possibly be gay are you on crack?" Or "all slash is evil" type posts or comments.
To be honest I tend to have more problems with the fact that I like BDSM. That area of fic tends to get singled out for abuse and I will often write BDSM fic as a statement to show how it should be done or to prove that there is a lot more to it then most people realise.
*3*. Why slash, as opposed to ordinary fanfic?
Because I like sex. I particularly like the idea of hot sex between two men or two women.
No sex in a story tends to bore me.
*4*. Are you opposed to slash that is not One True Pairing oriented, or do you not care as long as it's well-written/hot?
I have preferences for particular pairings such as Methos/Duncan, Methos/Kronos, Obi Wan/Qui Gon, Budd/Exley, Robin/Will, Lucius/Snape, Aragorn/Boromir, Maturin/Aubrey, Jack/Will, Wolverine/Gambit etc but on the whole I'll read anything so long as its well-written and hot. I am a fandom slut.
There are very few things/pairings which squick me and which I wouldn't at least give a go..
*5*. Why one fandom over another?
Depends if I find a character or premise that stimulates the creative juices! *grins* On the whole it tends to start with me finding a character attractive and then it goes on from there.
Fandoms where I fail to get interested in the idea and story premise don't tend to hold my attention for very long, however strongly I like one of the characters.
If I find a character attractive and I get interested in the universe they inhabit then I can get obsessed very quickly.
Ben's Email is: bastard_apotheosis@hotmail.com
In order to enable him to argue more effectively he sent me a quick questionnaire and asked me to fill it in. I asked if he would like some more responses from other fanfic writers and he was suitably delighted by the suggestion:
Therefore, if you could spare a few minutes to answer these questions I and Ben would be grateful. You can either send them to me by email or you can email them direct to Ben. He will treat all responses as confidential.
Please also post your responses on your LJ, or here as a reply, if at all possible as I'd love to see what everyone's thoughts are on this:
Quick Slash Writer's Quiz
*1*. Why do you write slash? What do you get out of it?
*2*. Do you consider/Have you considered the theoretical aspect of slash writing - eg, slash as a political statement or a way of correcting implicitly homophobic or obviously censored texts? Has that ever affected the way you've thought about slash?
*3*. Why slash, as opposed to ordinary fanfic?
*4* Are you opposed to slash that is not One True Pairing oriented, or do you not care as long as it's well-written/hot?
*5* Why one fandom over another?
*1*. Why do you write slash? What do you get out of it?
In short: It turns me on. Het sex doesn't do much for me unless in very particular circumstances. Good written porn is hard to come by and extremely beneficial. There should be more of it. If I find two characters that I find attractive together and I can slash them..I will!
To lesser extent I write slash because I see sub-text in TV shows or films or books or comics and I want to write the sub-text story. Or because there are things that happen as canon in a series or film which I want to put my own interpretation/spin on it...particularly if I don't like what the actual writers are doing.
Occasionally I will just fall in love with a character and want to write about them. This is probably most noticeable with Methos as I find the actual character so fascinating. This is why I am tending these days to leaning toward slashing Methos with just about anyone.
Or to quote
lastrega "Methos is the little black dress of fandom, he goes with anyone"*2*. Do you consider/Have you considered the theoretical aspect of slash writing - eg, slash as a political statement or a way of correcting implicitly homophobic or obviously censored texts? Has that ever affected the way you've thought about slash?
Not really no. Most of the time I view this type of argument as people making excuses for the fact they are writing porn about fanfic characters. I don't feel I need to justify what I do. If you want to write gaycentric stories as a statement you would be better off writing original stuff and trying to get it published.
I can see why it its a valid argument, its just not one I particularly subscribe to.
Occasionally, for a laugh, I (or others) have slashed a character who is held out as being uber-masculine but infact is in my (or others) eyes very camp, or so *obviously* doing it with [insert character name]. Very occasionally I have been known to write drabbles just to piss people off. This is usually in response to overt "he/she
can't possibly be gay are you on crack?" Or "all slash is evil" type posts or comments.
To be honest I tend to have more problems with the fact that I like BDSM. That area of fic tends to get singled out for abuse and I will often write BDSM fic as a statement to show how it should be done or to prove that there is a lot more to it then most people realise.
*3*. Why slash, as opposed to ordinary fanfic?
Because I like sex. I particularly like the idea of hot sex between two men or two women.
No sex in a story tends to bore me.
*4*. Are you opposed to slash that is not One True Pairing oriented, or do you not care as long as it's well-written/hot?
I have preferences for particular pairings such as Methos/Duncan, Methos/Kronos, Obi Wan/Qui Gon, Budd/Exley, Robin/Will, Lucius/Snape, Aragorn/Boromir, Maturin/Aubrey, Jack/Will, Wolverine/Gambit etc but on the whole I'll read anything so long as its well-written and hot. I am a fandom slut.
There are very few things/pairings which squick me and which I wouldn't at least give a go..
*5*. Why one fandom over another?
Depends if I find a character or premise that stimulates the creative juices! *grins* On the whole it tends to start with me finding a character attractive and then it goes on from there.
Fandoms where I fail to get interested in the idea and story premise don't tend to hold my attention for very long, however strongly I like one of the characters.
If I find a character attractive and I get interested in the universe they inhabit then I can get obsessed very quickly.
Ben's Email is: bastard_apotheosis@hotmail.com
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
Enjoyment, mostly. I don't deny that I *really* get off on other people's fic, too, but as for me writing it, I enjoy writing it, I enjoy creating the situations for the characters to deal with, and in most cases, there's a very explicit chemistry or bond between the characters in the first place that makes me consider writing slash about them, and it's the exploration of that bond/relationship that makes slash so much fun to write. And, did I mention the sex?
*2*. Do you consider/Have you considered the theoretical aspect of slash writing - eg, slash as a political statement or a way of correcting implicitly homophobic or obviously censored texts? Has that ever affected the way you've thought about slash?
Actually, only once. I actually wrote a couple of fics dealing with the overturning of the sodomy laws, and how the characters reacted and felt better about themselves, because their feelings/relationship was no longer an illegal/dirty thing, but as a general rule, no, I don't. The only things I worry about are ages of consent when necessary.
*3*. Why slash, as opposed to ordinary fanfic?
Because ordinary fanfic is boring, and as a very sweeping generalization, most regular fanfic forgets about characterization and everything else in favor of self-insertion for the hero. And that's just not my thing. I watch a show/movie/book etc for the characters, not for myself. If I want to read about myself banging Jack Sparrow, well that's what I've got a fantasy life and a vibrator for, know what I mean?
*4* Are you opposed to slash that is not One True Pairing oriented, or do you not care as long as it's well-written/hot?
that actually depends on the fandom and who the pairing is. For example, my current fandom is Smallville. I'll read pretty much anything in Smallville. I'm addicted that way. The only things I won't read are Pete Ross/Male, because that just doesn't jive with me. Doesn't mean I haven't thought it on occasion, but overall, that's not how I see the character. Otherwise? Bring it on.
In the Buffyverse, however? I have only a few pairings I'll read and that's it, mainly because I either don't like the character (Angel/Angelus) or I don't think the relationship is sexual (Buffy/Giles? Ewww!! Joyce/Giles, yes. Buffy/Giles, ewwww).
*5* Why one fandom over another?
Because it's a fandom I like. It's as simple as that. If I watch a show, I like it, and I see the chemistry between the characters, then I write it. There's shows I watch that I've written normal (heterosexual) fanfic about, but it's the ones with slash chemistry that really draw me, because I like a show and an atmosphere where guys are comfortable enough to show affection with each other.