Snowflake Challenge -- day fourteen

[turps]

Day 14

In your own space, share your love for something fannish: a trope, cliché, kink, motif, theme, format, or fandom.

I'm sure many people will think I'm going to talk about h/c, but nope!

Instead I'm going to talk about AUs, which I love, especially writing them. It's one of my favourite things to do, think up a new world, be that one based in reality, in space, in magic, the possibilities are endless, and put loved characters into that world, and make them fit as if they've always meant to be there.

So many of my stories have started with.... what if....

What if Ray had a gardening firm?
What if Frank was a bodyguard assigned to a famous male model?
What if you could travel the galaxies on sound waves?
What if Frank died and met Mikey via a dating agency in the afterlife?

So many what ifs, and then I can sit and think them through, shuffle ideas, keep some, delete others, even more remain for my amusement and entertainment only. The point is, the only limits are your imagination and I love that so so much.

I also enjoy reading AUs for the same reasons and there's not a AU I'm not willing to read.... well, wait, I lie. I've only ever found two things that I was very much NOPE! about. Mikey and Gerard with their ages swapped and Frank being Gerard's brother instead of Mikey, but both of those are more to do with my Way bro feels that the actual AU idea itself.

If you think the Way bros could be cattle farmers on Mars, I'll read it.
If you think Ray is an international spy by day and leather-chaps wearing pole dancer by night, I'll read it.
Hell, if you think Frank is really a magical being created from fannish loves and wishes, I'll read it.

Imagination is this amazing thing, and AUs are amazing too. So, that's why I say, bring them on!

Especially leather-chaps wearing pole dancing Ray

Comments

[akamine_chan]

Hell, if you think Frank is really a magical being created from fannish loves and wishes, I'll read it.

Are you trying to tell me he's not?

I think that's pretty much how all AUs start out.

What if Frank turned into a ferret for 3 nights out of every month?
What if Gerard was a mad scientist and Frank his amazing assistant?
What if Frank and Gerard were hosts of dinosaur nature shows?
What if Ray was a professional wrestler and Mikey was a wrestling fanboy?

:D

[turps]

I'm pretty sure Frank is made of fannish wishes. He's magic like that.

Ray the professional wrestler is such an appealing image *_____*

[turlough]

I wonder if maybe what differentiates a writer like you from a non-writer like me is that while I can come up with lots of ideas like this I can never take the next step and answer the what if. I need someone else to do that for me :-)

I too have Way bros feelings but I think I'm mostly against those things because they don't make any sense! If you change those things you change who they are and why would I want to read about some people who have no likeness to the real Gerard and Mikey?

You should totally write about the Way bros as cattle farmers on Mars!!

ETA: Since we're talking about Way bros: I think you'll like this little thing. It's so much fun. (This artist does lots of Mikey art so take a look round if you have time.)

[turps]

It's interesting thinking about the differences between writers and non-writers. I mean, you write really well, express yourself beautifully and I have no doubt you'd have the technical side of writing down, but somehow there's not that final push to get those stories out. Same with art and me, I could go out and learn the techniques, but you need much more than that, you need that artistic brain to actually express art that's effective and has impact.

If you change those things you change who they are and why would I want to read about some people who have no likeness to the real Gerard and Mikey?

I'd imagine some people would argue AUs are changing who they are, but to me it's a very different thing. And to you too it seems. Yes, they may be space pilots etc, but their brotherly bond is something that never changes no matter the setting.

Way bros cattle farmers on Mars would be cool. I think the cattle should be able to communicate, too. For that extra amusement.

Oh, that is a lovely link! I've tabbed it and am about to go have a look around. Thank you!

[wenchpixie]

Interesting! I work similarly, although I tend to start with an image in my head and work back to a "what is this, why does Gerard have a bat on him?" rather than a what if. Isn't it so much fun? :D :D

[turps]

That's a cool way you write, too. It is fun, I love how writing fic lets us explore like that.

[pensnest]

If you think Ray is an international spy by day and leather-chaps wearing pole dancer by night, I'll read it.

Hell, so will I.

[turps]

Ray the international spy by day and leather-chaps wearing pole dancer by night is a very appealing image!

[glitteryv]

LOL LOL LOL, you got me, T.! I was so sure that you were going to write about H/C. Especially because you+H/C= OTP. *g*

AUs are the BEST! I too like playing the what if game and, yes, that's how plot bunnies begin to multiply in my head.

Aside from my squicks, the one thing I cannot stomach is the Waybros being estranged from one another. FTR, that's not something I can deal with in regards to the entire Bandfamily, but particularly the Waybros. It's something that does not compute for me. AT ALL.

[turps]

Well, if I'm honest I would have usually written about h/c, but on that day I didn't have time to do the subject justice. I know the challenges don't have to be answered on the actual day, but I was striking as the iron was hot. And my h/c feels are a bit more extensive than AUs *g*

The Way bros being estranged hurts to think about. I can take a little of that as long as I know it's a situation that'll be fixed by the end of the story. Simply because in no universe can I ever imagine those two ever being on the outs permanently.

[sperrywink]

AUs are so delicious, great choice!!

And you do your What-if ideas so much justice!! You have written some truly excellent AUs, but now that you have reminded me of Soundwaves, I think that is right up there for great ideas.

[turps]

I really do enjoy AUs.

I still love the space story loads. The idea itself and I also think technically it's one of my tighter stories, simply because Anna worked me so hard in beta.