Twist on the "how you know it's me" meme

[amanuensis1]

I like the "top ten things that tell a reader it's one of my fics" meme, but I'm not so clueful as to recognize these elements in my own stories. You guys are boggling me with how insightful you are towards your own writing style. I mean, sure, I write certain characters a lot, and there are themes like smut and non-con, but I don't think about writing style when I write--I think about the specific story and where it's going and that's pretty much it. I just...write, the way that I do because that's what I do and how it comes out.

So, fine. A number of you have said you were able to peg my stories in the anonymous fic exchanges right away. Help me out here: tell me how. Yes, that's right, I'm asking you to do the meme for me. This is not a roundabout way of asking for compliments; I'd really like to know what I do that not everyone does in order to understand style better. And if it's just, "Well, you write those characters and you write non-con," let me know! That way I can know it's that simple and there's no other magic to it. (Well-meaning negative feedback is certainly welcome as well.)

Comments

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have to go look up this "the alpha male and the runway" of which you speak.

Yes, I agree that the tight POV is one of my characteristics! Sometimes I'm going for serious "look at the ironies of the universe" voice (whether for drama or humor's sake) and then I'll go off into lofty-narrator voice, but otherwise, yeah, I do that.

I am just plain pleased by your finding the endings satisfying and oddly, strangely pleased by your understanding the characters, the latter because it's not something I'd dare to credit myself, if you see what I mean.

[ter369.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have to go look up this "the alpha male and the runway" of which you speak.

It's an archetype in historical romance, particularly in Regency and Georgian settings. A World Not So Black Nor White fits it. The classic example is Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades.


Yes, I agree that the tight POV is one of my characteristics!

This may be why readers will respond, "I don't usually read (some extreme element, to them) but I was drawn into this story."

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*facepalms* Okay, I took the word "runway" to mean "runway" like what an airplane take off from. I didn't extrapolate runaway! Am so literal-minded sometimes. (Mm, These Old Shades. Fun book!)