Maximum number of self-created fanworks for an unpopular fandom/ship

[g_uava]

What's the upper limit of fanworks you've created as a self-sustaining fan? That means relying on yourself primarily to sustain your own interest to complete your creative projects since your fandom/ship/favourite is so obscure that feedback and other fanworks to inspire you are hard to come by.

Also, would you have wished to have created more for the same unpopular fandom/ship, even if there remains few others who are just as invested?


The most I've created is around 30,000 words of fics and fewer than 10 non-writing fanworks (icons, gifsets, fanvideos) for a rare pair from an old fandom. It's so rare that there were (and still are) no other English language fanworks for the ship aside from what I've created.

I'm satisfied with what I've created and am glad to move on to another canon that involved tackling a new challenge in my fanworks. But if I were to write for the ship again, I'd more deliberately include a larger variety of fun fanfic tropes in my fics.

Comments

[linky]

That's a good question and an interesting topic for discussion! In my case here I'll be talking about a niche ship in an already niche fandom: Harlock. (At least in the english speaking side, but even in other countries like france or japan where the series is vastly more popular, the ship is still niche.)

For my one Harlock ship I've drawn countless pieces of art for them (I truly cannot count, but my guesstimate is 200+ if I had to combine things also not posted and things both drawn traditionally and digitally across the years), and have written quite a few fics too! (Not all publicly posted either since some are really old.) My entire website also has a dedicated section to the ship, and I've done other things I can too at times. Small graphics like website buttons, and I've done a ship manifesto too!

Even though I'm deep in the toku zone right now, I still think about them and have doodled them still. I'm happy creating things for myself and the maybe 3 other fans who like the pairing. It's how I met my one friend from Japan! Even if the feedback I get is very limited, I still love creating for them. They just make me really happy!

[g_uava]

Must be wonderful to have created fanworks in the triple digits!

I'd like to do the same and 'touch base' with old ships on top of creating for new ones. I thought putting out drabbles is like the writer's equivalent of drawing doodles but so far it isn't as easy!

[linky]

It is a really nice feeling! :D

I've found that trying to get out even 100 words when you don't have an idea and/or the creative energy is tough! (It can be the same with doodling too.)

[g_uava]

My barrier for completing microfics is presenting non-generic characterisation within a super short work. For doodles, it seems that the minimum artists have to do to create 'in character' work is to draw the characters as resembling their canon selves.

[linky]

Yeah! That is one of the barriers to a doodle, as well as (at least for me in my own experience, I'm sure it's different for each person who draws) having any semblance of an idea what to draw. Even the vaguest and simplest idea like "a headshot". XD I always need at least some form of direction to start with when drawing, even if it ends up changing as I'm drawing.