Fluctuating Favorites · 1:34am Jul 27th, 2014
I guess that I shouldn't be surprised. I've pretty much always went by the philosophy of the story I'm writing is the story that needs to be told. Honestly, when it comes to my writing I have a plot planned, but depending on the characters, how they interact, and what happens sort of determines how the story itself is going to shape out. I try to keep true to the plot, and major plot points usually make it in, but not always in the way I originally intended. Writing is often a very fluid and living thing to me.
That said, I've often given the advise to other authors, including fan fiction authors, that you have to stay true to the story that you're telling. If you decide to change that story just because of someone dropping it, a bad review, or because someone says that they feel uncomfortable with what's happening then you're doing a disservice to yourself. I've always rationalized that changing the story, altering the story that wants to be told because of something being said or done is like selling out.
Then I had a massively popular story on Fan Fiction.net called New Gods Of Olympus. It was an amazing popular, for a Justice League fan fiction, story and I had the most reviews, Private Messages, favorites, follows, and everything else that I ever had on Fan Fiction with that story... Right until it became obvious that the story wanted to become a Batman and Wonder Woman ship story. I'm not a solid shipper. I just move with how the story wants to flow, and in this case this was the story that wanted to be told. When that happened... several people dropped the story. I got more private messages telling me how disappointed they were in the story, and how could I ignore how Diana could have helped Clark.
The problem was that wasn't the story that wanted to be told. So, now with fan fiction I've struck lightening again with Hellblazer of Equestia, and like New Gods Of Olympus I'm facing something similar.
No one's messaged me yet to tell me how disappointed they are, but there's been several people dropping, and no one telling me why. I want to know why, but at the same time I want to stay true to my story. I want to tell the story that wants to be told. In truth in my original notes for the story I had no intention of putting John with anyone. I wanted to have some flirting between him and Twilight, maybe a little between him and Rainbow Dash, but I honestly didn't have any intention of putting them together.
The characters simply started moving in that direction, and I followed. Now... I'm questioning my own philosophy. I'm actually wondering if there's something I should change, but then again I don't want to feel like I've sold out in order to just keep favorites. I want to tell the story that is wanting to come out. I'm wanting to present what the characters are saying, what they are screaming, and what they are feeling here. I write characters. I believe that Character is one of the most important if not the most important part of a story. The plot can change a little, but the characters should grow, and they should expand. They should become far more than they started, and the story is a means to do that.
I don't know... I guess that I just needed to get this out there.
Thanks for listening, and seriously... Thanks for being the incredible, and amazing group of people that you are.
LF
Well the fluctuating favorites may be due to people just not liking the direction you take the story, and as much as it sucks that's part of writing. However, myself and what I assume are quite a few others, due still follow this story and praise you about it. So basically people just stopped liking it so they stopped following, but the important thing is that you still have a good amount of followers here. That means you are still doing something right and writing an enjoyable fanfic for us all, keep at it! Who knows, maybe you will do something spectacularly right in the future and everybody will favorite this story like crazy.
Also on a sidenote, I have recently been reading Hellblazer and I am on issue 10, I cannot thank you enough for helping me find this gem of a comic!
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Thanks. A good of writing that was just to get it out. I'm also glad that I was able to introduce you to Hellblazer. I love the comic. It is without a doubt one of my favorite Vertigo imprints. I find John Constantine to be an incredible and complex character.
But again,
Thanks
LF
2320222 No problem, and I do agree with you, John Constantine seems a lot more...human I guess than the other heroes of DC comics.
He just seems so...real, like he is just a guy with strengths and weaknesses. He isn't just generic Comic Book Hero #387.
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He is one of the most human characters. I'm not going to spoil things for you for Hellblazer, but John is one of the few characters, in all of comics, that has to deal with the decisions he makes permanently. He does make mistakes, and often those mistakes causes someone close to him to die. Sometimes that mistake is being a little arrogant, but regardless of what it is he has lost several friends over the years because of them.
In several ways Harry Dresden reminds me of John Constantine. They both tend to have to deal with the real world and real consequences for their actions.