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

[gmth.livejournal.com]

Your interpretation of Lucius is what did it for me during smutmas_elves. He's very... smooth. And in control. Which doesn't help, I know, since a lot of fen write him that way. And the unbroken!Harry.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh! You know, that does show me something. Lucius is (I think) my control fantasy. Maybe all of my protagonists are, actually, now that I think of it, but Lucius is that way particularly, because of his implied elegance. What I mean by "control fantasy" is that he's competent, he's poised--even if something happens to take him off guard I'll show him recognizing his weakness and moving to compensate for it, the consummate "I meant to do that" kinda guy. He's clever enough to get subtle hints (and to lay subtle hints) that I deliberately make vague, because I don't want the reader to get all of their nuances--because I'm saving up a surprise for the reader and don't want to tip the story's hand completely. Yeah, I want to be that way. Super-competent.

This makes sense, the more I think about it. Even in the Lucius/Dementors story I couldn't reduce the guy to humiliation. He processed what was happening and that's what saved him from breaking all the way.

I think, for all my fondness to see humiliation in sexual fantasy, I may break characters in body and submission and spirit but I won't ever snap their minds. They may weep and submit and even go all the way to acceptance, but there's always the spark of self-awareness that can analyze their lot and not be truly broken. They can always say, "How far I have fallen," and aren't in danger of mindlessness. Interesting.

[phantomminuet.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with this. Your Lucius is a joy to read. So elegant, so deliberate, so completely self-aware...even when he's being a total bastard. Especially when he's being a total bastard.

And, of course, he always speaks with such grace and erudition. :-) You're the writer that made me a Lucius/Harry fan.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

You sweetheart, I can't tell you how much that means! And I'm looking at your icon and saying, "YES! You get it!" in sheer delight. *hugs you*

[phantomminuet.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I made a whole series of HP "Seriously in need of" icons, simply to amuse myself.

I also love your Draco/Harry fics, but Lucius/Harry is currently my favorite pairing.