Wow, what an interesting post! Kudos for evaluating where you are right now. It's a sign of a good writer to do this occasionally. :-) Hope you don't mind a few comments?
I discovered that I can't even read House fan fiction written by other authors (with only one exception) because it interferes so completely with my own writing ability; I'm a chameleon, if I allow myself to be.
I understand your concern about how reading others' fics might affect your own writing. When I'm writing, I don't read fic for precisely that reason. When I'm not, I like to see what others are doing. Sometimes it stimulates my own writing, eg if I see in a story an undeveloped idea that I might want to explore.
So my challenge now, I suppose, is to attempt to say the same things about the same characters in the same situation--in different ways. Because all my creative eggs are most definitely in the House, MD basket, and that is where they are destined to stay.
I hear you on being a "one-note" writer. On one hand, you become expert in it, and readers come to expect it from you. OTOH, it eventually becomes stifling, retreading the same old ground. I find it's good to break out and try something different on occasion. Trying a new fandom, genre, or characters, all help me stretch my writing muscles (well, when I'm writing, heh). I also find I can go back to my favorite characters, themes and tropes, and see them in a different light.
It's good to be aware of one's strengths and weaknesses as a writer. We all have preferred characters and themes because we write what resonates with us. There's always room to grow within our favorite sphere--to a point. I, for one, think you'd be very successful at trying other genres or characters in the House fandom. Readers will understand what you're trying to do. I'm not saying you should do anything you don't feel comfortable about--I'm saying that you're too good a writer to limit yourself. You may never know. :-)
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Date: 2008-11-09 06:38 pm (UTC)I discovered that I can't even read House fan fiction written by other authors (with only one exception) because it interferes so completely with my own writing ability; I'm a chameleon, if I allow myself to be.
I understand your concern about how reading others' fics might affect your own writing. When I'm writing, I don't read fic for precisely that reason. When I'm not, I like to see what others are doing. Sometimes it stimulates my own writing, eg if I see in a story an undeveloped idea that I might want to explore.
So my challenge now, I suppose, is to attempt to say the same things about the same characters in the same situation--in different ways. Because all my creative eggs are most definitely in the House, MD basket, and that is where they are destined to stay.
I hear you on being a "one-note" writer. On one hand, you become expert in it, and readers come to expect it from you. OTOH, it eventually becomes stifling, retreading the same old ground. I find it's good to break out and try something different on occasion. Trying a new fandom, genre, or characters, all help me stretch my writing muscles (well, when I'm writing, heh). I also find I can go back to my favorite characters, themes and tropes, and see them in a different light.
It's good to be aware of one's strengths and weaknesses as a writer. We all have preferred characters and themes because we write what resonates with us. There's always room to grow within our favorite sphere--to a point. I, for one, think you'd be very successful at trying other genres or characters in the House fandom. Readers will understand what you're trying to do. I'm not saying you should do anything you don't feel comfortable about--I'm saying that you're too good a writer to limit yourself. You may never know. :-)