Fan Theorists

[Dormouse]

I haven't posted any stories here, but I have on other boards. As it happens, I can't post a story in instalments as I like to go back and polish the story before posting anything. When I start to write a story I have a good idea as to how it will end and just have to fill in the details in the middle. This means the story is all fully written before I've posted anything.

This was just as well on the most recent story I posted on the Naked Fiction Storyboard, where I fell ill halfway through writing it and it took me a year to complete. (And I hate it when people start posting a story and lose interest after a couple of instalments.)

[DrWhoFanJ]

I can’t help but notice that this thread was started just 34 minutes after I just did exactly that thing in this very section. Was I the (or at least a) trigger, or was that purely a coincidence?

I have found this to be a very supportive community. Trigger or not, I wouldn't take it personally or let it keep you from posting relevant, positive, and supportive comments.

I simply meant “trigger” in the sense of “something that causes something else to happen” rather than the newer meaning where the “something else” is specifically a negative emotion, but thank you for the kind words.

[DrWhoFanJ]

Hmm.

Well... The funniest thing just happened...

The very next thread I checked after giving my two cents here was the thread for my current WIP story, and the latest comment was a near-perfect prediction of how I've been planning my story to end.

So.... can I change my answer?

It's the strangest thing. I've had people predict stuff in my stories before and it's always felt fun to know I'm going down a track people will enjoy.

But now I'm kind of faced with writing the same thing that has already been said in the thread, just in a more drawn-out way.

And no disrespect to the reader in question - there was obviously no ill intent with their prediction, and besides, I clearly like the way they think! But I do have to admit it's knocked the wind out of my sails a little. I really have got a kick out of seeing accurate predictions about things in my stories in the past, but apparently someone predicting the end game and the steps leading up to it, where other readers will read it before the actual ending... I don't know. For all intents and purposes, the ending's there on the thread now, and I don't feel like I'd be adding enough to justify spending the time writing it. Maybe I should just move on to a new story?

Forgive me, I genuinely am very, very sorry if I’ve caused you any issues; I simply followed the story to its most logical conclusion, and thought “What else does she still have to lose?” and that presented itself as the only real answer. I’d be perfectly OK with deleting/spoilering it if you want. Just LMK whatever you wish.

[TheBlushingPrincess]

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[Executionus]

In my experience in ENF writing, usually when somebody made a prediction/suggestion about one of my stories it wound up being WILDLY incorrect. I don't know why, but often I get guesses that dramatically break from the characters in the story (Like turning kind characters mean). There's only been a few exceptions and I think I've only had it once ever where a situation was accurately predicted.

The weirdest "prediction" ever was in the first Thirst Games where somebody made a fairly ridiculous suggestion early on revolving around Virgin being trapped in endless vibration from a boobytrapped outfit (since items were sent by the fans). I replied saying that I wasn't using trapped items since that broke from fairness. Late in the story Virgin wound up trapped in endless vibration due to the actions of Bully and LARPer. It amused me greatly to have actually satisfied that suggestion even though I never expected it myself.

In my fantasy writing that I do in real life, however, I've had a handful of twists predicted by my friends. One made me mad because it was set up to be this huge dramatic mid-battle reveal, but my brother caught one of the clues and guessed it. I've never tried to change my stories in any way to escape being predicted, because the original plan was good. Fucking with the original plan would likely produce something not as good, or not good at all. Ever see the end season of Game of Thrones? That's what happens when a bunch of crack-chugging assmonkeys are obsessed with being unpredictable instead of being focused on being good.

On the other hand, I tend to be VERY good at predicting plots and twists myself if I try (and sometimes without much effort) so I tend to avoid making guesses in public much. I damn-near broke my friend's heart one day when I told him that I figured out the true identity of one of his mystery villains months before he was named, and why I had done so (it was not intended to be foreshadowed). We made it a plot point that one of the genius characters figured it out the same way I did and therefore prepared a countermeasure for him.

[edithdick]

Fucking with the original plan would likely produce something not as good, or not good at all. Ever see the end season of Game of Thrones? That's what happens when a bunch of crack-chugging assmonkeys are obsessed with being unpredictable instead of being focused on being good.

I think I might look at this like a challenge to find something better. That’s mostly because my default setting is ‘lazy’ so I often overly rely on clichés which tend to be highly predictable. Having a fan point that out might push me to try and do something original instead.

[CaughtOfLore]

Fucking with the original plan would likely produce something not as good, or not good at all. Ever see the end season of Game of Thrones? That's what happens when a bunch of crack-chugging assmonkeys are obsessed with being unpredictable instead of being focused on being good.

I think I might look at this like a challenge to find something better. That’s mostly because my default setting is ‘lazy’ so I often overly rely on clichés which tend to be highly predictable. Having a fan point that out might push me to try and do something original instead.

I guess what I've learned is that it depends. When someone guesses something, it does ignite that "ooh, a challenge to subvert expectations!" spark sometimes. But if it's something which you've sown several seeds of groundwork to get to, then on occasion, changing direction and abandoning that groundwork might risk making all those sown seeds seem like meandering loose threads when they suddenly have no reason for being there. But yes, to me it seems that it definitely depends on what sort of prediction you're faced with. OR I just need to get more subtle at sowing seeds!

Forgive me, I genuinely am very, very sorry if I’ve caused you any issues; I simply followed the story to its most logical conclusion, and thought “What else does she still have to lose?” and that presented itself as the only real answer. I’d be perfectly OK with deleting/spoilering it if you want. Just LMK whatever you wish.

As you know I already messaged you about this but it's probably good to mention here too.... I know your prediction wasn't done with any malicious intent, you simply picked up on the details I wanted you to and ran with them in the same direction that I've been casually strolling toward. I'm happy you worked it out and seem excited about it, and I also really appreciate your offer to hide that prediction from the thread in the interests of the story being able to surprise other readers with what unfolds next.

Also I’m sorry if I came across as trying to be a buzzkill. I’m equal levels of excited and anxious for you to see it all play out as your prophecy foretold, and hope my additional detail in the finished chapter makes it a worthwhile read!

[Executionus]

OR I just need to get more subtle at sowing seeds!

Honestly I saw the original prediction before it was cleared, and you had made it fairly obvious (to me at least) that this was the direction you were heading thanks to various elements in part 2. The key clue was when we learned specifically what was required from the store.

It doesn't matter though. It should be an awesome read!

[CaughtOfLore]

You’re right, I did figuratively and literally provide a shopping list for the reader. I guess I just didn’t realise how obvious the next steps and subsequent escalation of events would be to the reader. I’m taking this all on as constructive feedback, and hopefully I can fine-tune some of these things before posting the story elsewhere.