Persuade Me

[alixtii]

Part of me is tempted to sign up for inlovewithnight's Hearts & Flowers Valentine's Day Fluffython, but the other part of me remembers how difficult it was to write my fic for the Simon/Kaylee fluff-a-thon. Conflict is what makes a story a story, but pretty much any conflict is a big anti-fluff.

So please, flist, persuade me either to sign up for this 'thon or tell me "Don't be silly, Alixtii, any pairing turns into angst in your hands. Go write some Dawn/Giles instead."

Also, any thoughts you might have on what makes a fic "fluff" and advice on how to write it will be extremely appreciated.

Come on, my beloveds. I'm relying on you.

Comments

[wisdomeagle]

Well, I did Hearts+Flowers last year and my brain completely imploded from my assignments, which were Spike/Xander/Anya and Wes/Angel (and I'm a person who thinks "Angel kills Wesley by drinking his blood" is a pretty fluffy Wes/Angel fic), but I did it.

I think... I think fluff doesn't mean there's no story-arc, it just in some ways limits the possibilities for that arc. Fluff can encompass romantic comedy and hurt feelings and hurt/comfort, but for me the thrust of it is, fluff ends happily and the stuff in the middle's not too bad. Fluffy stories can be about things like picking the right gift or working up the courage to ask your girl out, or about the pain of separation and the joy of being reunited.

How to write it:
1. Fluff's easier for me to write in established relationships, so I start with that. If it's in a pairing I don't see, I have to just assume for the course of the fic that it's there, and not think too hard about how it got there. Ditto with Angel-pairings that are pretty much ignoring the Curse, etc.

2. Since Big Evil Character Issues aren't things to do in fluff, I focus on littler character issues. There's a fic in my memories, "Worrywarts" (W/G) where I pastede off most of the mytharc stuff and left Willow worrying about getting her thesis done on time and what she's going to do after graduation. In the storyverse those are serious questions, and they hang unanswered at fic's end, but I think of it as fluff because the core of the fic is Giles comforting her, and the strength of their bond is the emotional center of the fic.

3. When all else fails, I go for dialogue. I can usually write my assigned characters bantering and subtexting with each other and it feels in character, even if it isn't, because of the value we put on getting character voices right.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I'm almost thinking that a pairing like S/X/A would be easier to write fluff for than something like Simon/Kaylee or Wes/Fred. With the latter pairings, the reader already believes they are in love (or not, but okay), and what is there to do with the fic. Whereas with a more challenging pairing, the reader's skepticism can almost stand in for dramatic conflict. And I agree that fluff lends itself to established relationships.

I like your distinction between big and little character issues, and it seems that it basically boils down to those that are intrinsic and extrinsic to the character--am I on base here?

A lot (if not all) of what you say here makes sense. Thanks for the advice!