Writing about fanworks: A Three Weeks for Dreamwidth prompt idea

[enchantedsleeper]

 It's almost Three Weeks for Dreamwidth again! Here I was so focused on Archive April that I didn't even think about another blogging event that's coming up this month. I'm grateful that I saw bluedreaming's Mastodon post about it or I wouldn't even have realised that it starts tomorrow.

After the event had finished last year, I came up with a blogging prompt idea that I really liked, but it was too late to use it myself, so I waited until now to share it xD (I know I could have posted it any time, but I thought it would have less chance of getting lost in the shuffle this way). It's a prompt for anyone who fancies writing about fanworks (though it can apply to original works, too!)

Here's the idea:

1. Make a list of all of your fanworks (or original works) - up to you what counts as a fanwork, it can be anything you'd like to write about! These don't have to be in a particular order.
2. Give each work a number.
3. Every day (or every other day or however often you'd like to do it), roll some dice* or generate a random number, and then look for the work that corresponds to that number.
4. Write a post about that work - sort of a DVD commentary, maybe talking about how you came up with it, what it means to you, why you created it, how it came together, etc. Anything you feel like!

*Probably several dice depending on how many works you have. It's probably an advantage if you're a D&D player who has lots of dice with different numbers of faces xD

This could be done with any type of list, so you could do it with a list of recs, too, if you'd like to write about other people's creations. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share this idea for anyone who's looking for 3W4D inspiration (or general blogging inspiration!). For other ideas, ysabetwordsmith has created a really extensive list of prompts and questionnaires. I might also share some 'Blanket Boxes' from Pillowfort - lists of prompts to build your blog (known as a fort :D).

Is anyone looking to take part in 3W4D, and do you have a theme/set of prompts in mind?

Comments

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> It's a prompt for anyone who fancies writing about fanworks (though it can apply to original works, too!) <<

That is a brilliant idea.

There are online dice rollers for generating random numbers.

>> I might also share some 'Blanket Boxes' from Pillowfort - lists of prompts to build your blog (known as a fort :D). <<

Yes, please! That sounds very useful, and I would love to see it. Also worth crossposting to reddit_refugees.

>> Is anyone looking to take part in 3W4D, and do you have a theme/set of prompts in mind? <<

I'm planning to make a questionnaire using the random question generator. I also hope to make some anchor posts, but I'm not trying to do a whole matched theme this year.

I customarily do an intro post for Three Weeks in my communities, so folks there can join if they want to.

Re: Thank you!

[enchantedsleeper]

That is a brilliant idea.

There are online dice rollers for generating random numbers.

Thank you so much! And of course - I should have thought of that xD I remember using some for creating RP character traits in the 00s. (It wasn't D&D per se, but used a similar character creation setup).

Yes, please! That sounds very useful, and I would love to see it. Also worth crossposting to reddit_refugees.

I'll try and post them up today so that people have them for the beginning of the challenge ^^ Oh, I hadn't thought about cross-posting! I'll check out the comm. I also did a post on Pillowfort and in the process learned about a new (to me) community, booknook :D

I'm planning to make a questionnaire using the random question generator. I also hope to make some anchor posts, but I'm not trying to do a whole matched theme this year.

I customarily do an intro post for Three Weeks in my communities, so folks there can join if they want to.

That sounds like good fun! I enjoyed using a random question generator for the "Ice breaker" challenge in the Snowflake Challenge this year.

It's great to have posts going in communities, too. The mod of booknook is planning to run a friending meme for 3W4D ^^

Re: Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'll try and post them up today so that people have them for the beginning of the challenge <<

Yay!

>> That sounds like good fun! I enjoyed using a random question generator for the "Ice breaker" challenge in the Snowflake Challenge this year.<<

That's the generator I used.

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth 2024 Questionnaire

>> It's great to have posts going in communities, too. <<

I agree. I've found several already and linked them on my gather post, so more people can find them.

>> The mod of booknook is planning to run a friending meme for 3W4D ^^

Thanks for the tip! I've added this to my gather post and hopefully I'll spot the post itself whenever that goes live.

[vriddy]

For now I'm mainly planning to participate via the bnha_fans comm, we usually run a rec fest for this event :) Enjoy the fanwork prompts, sounds fun!!

[enchantedsleeper]

Oh yes, I've seen that and thought it was great! It's too bad I'm not familiar with BNHA xD

I hope you have fun! \o/

[vriddy]

Thank you! :D

[kitarella_imagines]

That sounds like fun! I don't think I talk about my own fanfics enough, I should be more forward and not hide in the shadows all the time 😂

[enchantedsleeper]

Definitely give it a go! I used to see fic writer asks going around on Tumblr and feel bummed because I wanted to answer those questions but didn't think anyone would want to ask me. Then I sort of went... okay, but what if I answered them... just because I wanted to? If it's fun for me, then that's the main thing, right? I think that's partly what inspired this prompt idea.

[kitarella_imagines]

When does this challenge start?

Yes, we can just make our own posts and write about what we want, can't we. I always think 'who could possibly be interested in my fanfic or real life?' But when do I ever get to talk about myself in real life? I'm always looking after other people. So Dreamwidth can be about ME!

Are you doing this challenge too then? I will like to read your answers.

[enchantedsleeper]

It started on the 25th and runs until the 15th! And yes, exactly. Plus I find that writing about something I don't find engaging is just a slog, so, better to write something I have real interest in ^^

Thank you very much! I've been going back and forth on doing it myself because I've been writing about archiving a lot, so is more writing about old fic too much? But it's really great to hear that someone else is interested ^^ I think that I will do one every few days, to preserve the novelty. And if you do it too, I'd love to read your posts!

[kitarella_imagines]

Oh right that was yesterday!

I made a list of my fanfics and picked out the ones I feel the most strongly about. Once I started writing about each one, I remembered why I loved/was moved/changed by it.

I will post one soon.

Yes, go for it. Because it doesn't matter what you write on your own blog. If people don't like it, they can scroll past. DW is (hopefully) not like social media where people just pick on us for no reason.

[enchantedsleeper]

Yay, I'm excited that this grabbed you too! \o/ It can be really fun to revisit past fics and what inspired them. I look forward to seeing what fics come from your list ^^

[kitarella_imagines]

I don't know if you're talking to me or Enchanted Sleeper but I'll reply anyway!

Yes it is fun, when I was ill the other week I read two of my longer ones and really loved them 😊