Wibbling about Only Time, plus poll

[rynne]

Only Time reviews
Chapter eighteen up! After the defeat of Voldemort, Harry is tired. He is offered the chance to rest, relax, and have fun…by going back in time to 1977 and becoming his parents' DADA teacher. But things don't stay relaxing for very long...
Harry Potter - PG - English - Action/Adventure/Suspense - Chapters: 18 - Words: 55187 - Reviews: 1001 - Updated: 2-10-04 - Published: 7-29-03

Why must people like it so much? Why can't people ignore it so I can forget about it? *wails* My characterizations are horrible and the plot is cliche and the only thing I can think of for chapter nineteen is stupid and the characterizations are horrible!

I think that might be my real problem with continuing this fic--it's been so long since I've updated that since I have, I've grown into some clear views of my own on how to characterize James, Sirius, and Remus (still have no idea how to characterize Harry, though, which is a definite problem as he's one of the POV characters), and I either have to change everyone in Only Time radically to fit those new views, or continue along with the old ones that I can't imagine fitting the characters anymore.

I like this story, though. I've always loved time travel fics, right from the beginning of my foray into my very first fandom years ago, and I like teacher!Harry stories, and MWPP stories (no, really? :p). And I like combining all of those together. That's why I won't abandon this story, completely aside from how many people want to read the climax and ending when I'm the only one who knows what it's going to be (and believe me, I've got a very clear picture of everything that happens from chapter twenty onwards).

But I started this fic when I was still new enough to fandom that I was writing cliched R/S crap as well and had no idea how to characterize anyone, and so went with how I wanted them to be characterized rather than how I might characterize them so that they fit in with what we know of canon. OT!James, OT!Sirius, OT!Harry...they're not JKR's James, Sirius, and Harry, and they're not even mine anymore.

Thing is, I don't know what to do with them anymore. The way I see it, I have several options, which I'm putting together in a poll, and which I'd like your opinions about, please. You don't even have to have read Only Time, I don't think.

[Poll #343191]

Anyone who has an opinion, even if it's just to tell me to get off my ass and finish the fic, please share it. Seeing those reviews on ff.net (thankfully, Schnoogle has a less scary amount of reviews--only approaching four hundred), now into the quadruple-digits...I really need to decide where I'm going with this thing, and it's not fair either to me or to the readers to keep postponing it.

Comments

[latentfunction.livejournal.com]

Ok, I was going to tell you to just merge the two characterisations, but then went and reread your post and actually caught the "radical changes" bit, so there goes that.

How much longer is this going to be? Are we talking five more chapters, or ten, or what? (I haven't read it in a long time, probably since when you last updated it, so I don't really remember :P) If it's not too much, I'd continue with the old characterisations just to have it finished. If you've still got half or a third of it to go, though, I'd rewrite it.

Well, how hard would it be to rewrite it? What would change? Just dialouge and minor interactions between characters, or would big plot things need to change?

Pretty much, I'm looking at this based on how much more work you'd have to put into it. If continuing in icky characterisations would be about as much work as redoing it to make it where you like it, then I'd redo it.

Don't know that that helped at all, but whatever. I didn't vote because I'm really not sure which one this would fall under, but don't abandon it. Finishing things = good. (This comes from me, who hasn't updated in pushing a year, but shhhhhhh)

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Five more chapters sounds about right--it's not going to be more than twenty-five total, at least, and it's at eighteen now. Two more chapters (chapter twenty is just something I want to write and it fits in to the story, even if not precisely connected to the plot) and then I can start getting into the climax, though how long the climax will be, I don't know. It's just the one thing I'm really looking forward to writing, even if extremely unrealistic in terms of what might have actually happened that year.

I'm now sure how much work continuing the icky characterizations would be, though. They're not characterizations I like, obviously--Sirius is responsible o.O--but characterization is one of the major parts of any story. I don't think big plot things would need to change, but dynamics would be completely different now, and some of the little events around the big plot would definitely change, and I might end up having to make a list of everything that happens and whether it would change or not if I were to rewrite with the characterizations I like better...oi.

But yes, finishing things = good, if only for the knowledge that I've actually completed a long story, which I've never done before. :D

[latentfunction.livejournal.com]

That list might be a good idea. The more I think about it, the more I think rewriting it would be the best idea. Well, that probably depends on how long/involved the things on the list wind up, but if you go and recharacterise it, then you'll wind up with something that you're happy with rather than just something that's done and you're ehh about.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

[driveby friendsfriends]

Ok, I haven't read it and don't plan to unless/until it's finished. (I have a serious kink for time travel fics, but I also have a serious aversion to WIPs. On the other hand, I'm not a Remus/Sirius fan. So. But ooh, time travel!)

But you know - you're not going to do a good job with writing the rest unless you enjoy it. It shouldn't be work. So either rewrite it as you want it to be, or abandon it (and let people know). Because it sounds as though you're not happy with what you have and where you're going with it now, and writing it will be torture and unpleasant and you'll hate it and be embarrassed by it, and will probably abandon it later on if you don't now.

And ps check out hp_wiplash.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

First, thanks for the input! And just so you know, it's mostly gen with a side of Lily/James, and will contain no other pairings unless one wishes to see the subtext, so you wouldn't have to worry about Remus/Sirius if you want to read it should I complete it. I have the same kink for time travel, though not the same aversion to WiPs :).

I do want to at least finish this story, though, because like I said, I love all the single elements that come together in it, and it's the one fic longer than 7000 words that I have. I just know that I've definitely matured as a writer since I started it, and it's hard to reconcile how I wrote before with how I write now, and how I see the characters now as opposed to how I wanted them to be before. I am leaning more towards rewriting it, though (assuming I should find the time, sigh), as there are things that I'd like to change, but I'd like to finish it first, both so I don't have to worry about the ending nagging me, and so my readers don't crucify me for the long wait it would have to be :). It will probably be harder than it would have been six months ago after my last update, but as I commented to my beta when she was looking over the last chapter I posted, I forget how much I love writing this thing until I'm actually writing it. I don't think that feeling will have gone away, precisely, even after the long wait between chapters, but the climax and ending, at least, is something I've been looking forward to writing and posting for nearly as long as I've been writing the fic, and I'd hate to cheat myself of the satisfaction of that! *g*

*cough* So basically what I'm saying amongst all the babble is, thanks for the advice, and I probably/might rewrite it to suit my new character images better after I've finished it.

[paradox01.livejournal.com]

You wrote that story? I found you through your oneshots at FA.. and found that story through FFN ...and I never connected the two. Wow. I am slow.

I think a rewrite right now would be easier to do then waiting till it's completely done.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Heh, yes, that story's mine--it's also at Schnoogle under Rynne.

Don't know if a rewrite would be easier now than later--I'm not really motivated right now, whereas I might be later, after I finish...

[ashesofautumn.livejournal.com]

Well, I voted for you to finish it with the same characterization as ch. 1-18 and it's done. However, if the characterization seriously bothers you then you might as well re-write it with the new?

Although it really depends on how much you want it to be done vs how much you want the characterization to align with your current views of characters.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Well, after over a year by now, I most want it to be done, and I want to not have to worry about it anymore. But I also want to be happy with it and happy with the way it's gone when I've finished, and I don't know that I will be, if it stays like it is. Right now I'm leaning towards finishing it like it has been, and if I later have the time and inclination, to rewrite it.

[webbapettigrew.livejournal.com]

Gee...I wish my stories were beloved as much. Finish the thing. Don't let all those people down.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Well, I want to finish it, at least. It's just bugging me the way it is now...

[shopfront.livejournal.com]

I answered the poll as a reader, however as someone who likes to write (I don't like to call myself a writer as that implies some sort of writing accomplishment which I don't feel I've achieved but back on topic) I would rewrite it.

A very large flaw I find with fanfic is that it's so easy to publish online when in RL there would usually be a much more extensive editing process, more rewrites and a lot more time is taken to reflect on your work. Fanfic writers don't usually have or take this luxury and so while if your writing style or characters change half way through the story you can rewrite or at least tweak the first half with original work, but with fic it's already essentially half published and it's hard to change things without the possible guilt of a disgruntled readership. After all I think most (if not all) fanfic writers put their work on the net to be read. Why else would you bother if you didn't want your work read and feedback given?

This isn't really a definite answer (sorry) but I guess it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons for yourself. How important is it to you to not risk losing your readership? How important is it to maintain your views on the characters? It's hard to say yay or nay without having read the fic or knowing much about what changes would occur. I find writing such a personal thing that I can't really imagine letting other people in on the decisions. Good luck whatever you decide.

[shopfront.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* I sat there and stared at that comment thinking there was something I forgot and couldn't for the life of me remember it until I'd hit post. Isn't that always the way. Another thing you might want to take into consideration is whether you can maintain the remainder of the fic with the same enthusiasm and quality of writing if you aren't fully comfortable with continuing the same style/characterizations.

[mysid.livejournal.com]

Continue it! We who have read the first 18 chapters are addicted; we need the rest. (I know, I know. I'm one to talk with my epic WIP's, but you seem to have a better grip of what will happen next in "Only Time" than I do in my stories.)

Continuing it as is will get you (and your readers) to the finish line fastest. After you finish it, if you still want to rewrite it, feel free, but I have an idea you'll be too busy with other stories by then.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

That's more along what I'm leaning towards now--finishing it the way it's been going, and go back to rewrite it later if I have time. And it's true, I am waiting for this story to be finished so I can get started on this epic R/S I want to write...

[antosha-c.livejournal.com]

Have read through the first half of Only Time (which is a particularly brilliantly ambiguous title for that story, btw--I've come up with at least three possible readings for it) and I think I appreciate your difficulty. You've got a wonderful premise here--a very gratifying combination of a Marauders fic and a post-Hogwarts Harry fic, giving the younger Mr. Potter the chance to hash out some of his own issues regarding his parents and their friends. I can see that the characterization and language lacks some of the sophistication you've shown in your more recent writing. But I don't think it makes sense to abandon the project entirely--if only for the gratification of completing a 60,000 word+ story, which is quite an accomplishment in and of itself, let me tell you.

I voted for you to finish the fic and then go back and edit. This seemed to make the most sense to me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's difficult to know what further changes you may want to make without completing the 'draft.' Looking at it as whole will help you decide what changes, if any, you want to make. If you've had further thoughts on the characters, let that inform your writing as you move forward--worry about consistency later. (Think of this as a first draft.) Secondly, I think you may find that, once you're done, the piece stands on its own merits, and that you have other things you'd rather spend your creative energy on. But if you don't finish the novel, you'll never feel free, say, to start up another novel-length piece.

:-)

Two random comments, one related and one not:

• Like you, I have a time-travel kink (http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Antosha/), and a teacher!Harry kink. (http://www.astronomytower.org/authorLinks/Antosha/Facing_Backwards/) Unlike you, I didn't have the authorial chutzpah to combine them. :-)
  
• Stage combat bruises? We used to use all sorts of things, from comfrey creams (comfrey is an herb that aids in tissue repair) to a nasty solvent called DMSO that could take down swelling like nobody's business, but made you taste garlic for days >.< I'd suggest an ointment called Trauma Creme, which you can find at most health food/natural health stores. It seems to do a great job of lowering swelling, speeding healing and decreasing discomfort.