Fandom Discussion: Rarepairs and Response

[themostepotente]

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and I've just now gotten around to posting about it.

What is it about certain rarepairs and a lack of feedback that has some wondering; Is it worth my time to continue writing them?

I'm talking Snape/Lucius, Snape/Draco, Lucius/Sirius, Snape/Filch, and a host of others I can't think of right now, because fuckin' A it's 4 a.m., time for us vampiric types to be in their coffins.

But I mean c'mon -- Snape/Lucius? WTF, people. So effing hot, but every time I see a SS/LM fic, it gets next to no feedback. It doth boggles thy mind.

Snape/Draco is another one. I've seen some GORGEOUS Snaco, and yet the feedback SUCKS MY CYBERCOCK.

Not very encouraging, I can imagine, if you've ever wanted to attempt something different.

Someone once told me that Snarry, Harry/Draco, and Remus/Sirius comprises the backbone (skeletal system) of fandom. But man, what about the other systems?

So if you are a rarepairs writer, does the lack of feedback influence your writing them? Or do you just say 'Fuck the masses. I like it, and I'm still writing it!'

--P

Comments

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

Huh... I would have thought Snape/Lucius would have been a popular pair!

But as a writer of rare pair slash, you just gotta do it for yourself. I know, if I wrote the Harry/Severus, (with lots of rape and kiddie porn) I'd probably draw in the feedback, but it's just not my colour.

Love the feedback, but it doesn't inspire creation. Only publication.

[xochiquetzl]

What she said, pretty much. Okay, I'm writing a bunch of Snape/Lupin lately and while my non-HP-fandom friends scratch their heads at me and ask if I'm nuts and tell me how random and bizarre that is, it's not that rare, IMHO. I used to get a lot more feedback in Stargate fandom, but I was writing the most popular slash pairing there. And I was writing humor to start with, which always gets more feedback than anything else.

And yes, I suspect that if I was writing very schmoopy Sirius/Remus first times set at Hogwarts when they were 14 or 15, Harry/Severus chan, or Draco/Harry "Draco isn't bad, he's just misunderstood and needs the love of a good man!" I'd get tons more feedback. My one Sirius/Remus fic, a short-short set during the first war when they suspected each other of being the spy, pretty much bombed. But it was a gift fic and the recipient liked it, so that's what counts.

I write stuff I want to read. Then I impose it on everyone else.

What I find discouraging is when a friend says, "Ewwwww. Well, I won't be reading that one!" Then I get the fuck over it and write it anyway. I take heart that no matter how rare and weird it is I can probably force my partner to read it. ;)

P.S. iibnf, I love your Snape/Hagrid fic.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

But as a writer of rare pair slash, you just gotta do it for yourself. I know, if I wrote the Harry/Severus, (with lots of rape and kiddie porn) I'd probably draw in the feedback, but it's just not my colour.

We like our Bernice just the way she is, thankyouverymuch :-)

[snapetoy.livejournal.com]

Bernice, I totally agree. A lot of the stuff I've written qualifies as rarepairs, I write it for myself - for the challenge of doing it, or because particular characters touch me in some way.

Love the feedback, but it doesn't inspire creation. Only publication.

Exactly.

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

I love the rare pairs.

Of course, the other side of that is that fans of that pairing are usually so happy to get a story, that they are more likely to give feedback than those who are spoiled for choice with a more popular pairing.

A smaller pool, but a more enthusiastic one.