If you found success

Here's a nifty little thought concerning those of us here writing original fiction across varying media. (And I know there are quite a few here of various genres and capabilities.)

How would you react if you found out your works were published/broadcast/made into a movie/whatever and were massive successes?

The first thing I'd do is tell someone to slap me to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Among the next things I'd do is edit the TV Tropes page of my work to include the phrase "Would you believe that this was written by a troper?" Beyond that, I'm not sure.

So I'll say again, how would you as creators here react if your works found success? If you already have, tell us how you felt.

I'd keep out of the limelight. Publicity can be intoxicating and I like to live without drawing too much attention to myself. Still, you might find me smiling a little harder than usual..

I'd probably start throwing fits about stupid fanfic pairings.

And go around talking about autistic kids and how you should encourage them to build on their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses, using myself as an example.

Plus explaining what I meant by stories and raging whenever someone mentioned Death of the Author.

I would be extremely tempted to write a Troll Fic of my own work for the lulz.

I'd hide (physically) from the public because I know I'd just make a clown of myself. I haaaate being in front of people and my defense mechanism, if running away isn't an option, is to be an idiot.

If I found an online community rich with fanfic about my work, though, I'd become a hardcore troll. Bad fanfic everywhere! All the shitty ideas that didn't make it into the story? BAM! The cliche sexy night keeping warm in a cabin in a snowstorm? BAM BAM! Start rumors. Try and fire up pairing wars.

edited 26th Apr '11 10:05:36 AM by Bur

I'd post on the forums every day, struggling under the weight of expectations.

I'd want to be a part of my fanbase, if only as sort of an omnipresent "thing." I'd probably take a fairly active role in running my official fan-forums, and I'd occasionally browse my own fanart.

@Bur: Not badfic, exactly, but JK Rowling's done exactly that: Go incognito into Harry Potter chatrooms and such, and start discussions based on her "theories" (based on either her abandoned idea, or ones she might use). Sounds like fun.

The correct answer is ... get back to work. You're only as good as your last piece.

I have no clue. Spent so much time chasing after it, I'd probably feel a bit deranged after getting it.

I'd make a different handle for my "published" profile, only telling my true identity to my friends in confidence.

Aside from that everything is all up in the air.

• Eldritch is my name
• And chaos is my game.

Praise the Æsir and go running around my house screaming like a madwoman.

I'd let the fame go to my head, use the money to form a crippling drug addiction, start worshiping an obscure winged snake god, and phone late-night talk shows to rant about my opinion on immigration, political correctness, the plague, and teen sex. After I'd hit rock bottom and started sleeping with hobos in dumpsters, I would try to rebuild my reputation but never attain the success I had before. I would appear in a mediocre ensemble C-list celebrity reality TV show, which would have a short-lived spinoff, then I'd spend the rest of my years giving writing seminars to eager youths with more talent than me.

And I'd buy you a green dress (but not a real green dress, that's cruel).

edited 26th Apr '11 1:57:11 PM by Ronka87

Don't get me wrong; fame as a published science fiction/fantasy author would be awesome. I'd probably just be reading all of the stuff that the fans come up with as I come up with new tales to place in the Aetherverse. The place is pretty big, but the storyline I have planned out doesn't delve too deep into it...

Buy a cigar and a bottle of scotch to celebrate, then

I would like to think that all of the success wouldn't go to my head, or I'll channel that energy/success to buy 15 Lamborghinis or something like that, but alas, I wouldn't know.

And buy...really expensive ketchups too.

edited 26th Apr '11 3:25:04 PM by Arctimon

Personally I would be positively suprised if my work gets popular enough to be Rule 34'd since I'm only drawing and writing as a hobby and nothing more. As long as the executives are agreeing to my terms, the only thing I would be interested in is my share on the revenues. As for fanfictions and Rule 34 the fans can go wild as they please, I couldn't care less.

edited 26th Apr '11 3:27:36 PM by AdeptusAlpharius

If my work found success I think I would:

a)Freak out

b)Thank Jesus

c)Quit my job*

d)Go on The Late Late Show

e)Have a Book Signing/Blood Drive/Food Drive at the Monastery

f)????

g)Write some more

.* unless I already have an incredibly cool new job by then

edited 26th Apr '11 4:28:05 PM by HistoryMaker

I would go to schools everywhere saying "LEARNING IS FUN AND SO IS BEING TOLERANT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T SHARE YOUR OWN VIEWPOINTS, MMMKAAAAAAAAAAY?"

Also I would not condone a movie in which I did not play the role of the mild-mannered Author Avatar and Supporting Protagonist. Or where someone else made all the fashion decisions.

Bask in the success for a while the get back to work. Rinse and repeat.

I'll created a great persona for myself. I'll go to a lot of interviews, answering questions about what will happen in my series with teasing, vague, or flat-out answers:

edited 26th Apr '11 7:44:22 PM by chihuahua0

I'd buy a nice wine, some gourmet chocolate, get a little drunk, Google my name a few hundred times, and then I'd write something else.

Oh, and assuming this success came with any type of money, I'd probably try investing it somehow… right after I buy a shitload of expensive art supplies. And maybe some medical insurance.

Laugh like an egomaniac : Check! laugh in front of television : Check! Check forums on net : Check! Buy things I want to buy : Check! Thank to Allah : Check!

Cool it down. One time its praise other time insult. Zen time. All just illusion. I am not succeed yet, this is only hypothetical. Plan for next novel.

edited 26th Apr '11 8:24:07 PM by Roofslepttroper

Fuck it! I read the first post and "Misery Business came on my playlist, with the chorus "Whoah it was never my attention to brag.. but god does it feel so good, cause' I got what I wanted now"

(ironic in this sense I guess, even at a somewhat different interpretation)

Anyway, I would be like:

"HAHA FUCKERS AND HATERS! I FINALLY DID IT! FUCK YOU! HEY EVERYONE WHO HATED ME, LOOK AT THIS! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU FAMILY FOR NOT GIVING A FUCK. FUCK YOU HATERS WHO MOCKED ME AS I WAS WRITING! I BEAT YOU ALL! WHO IS LAUGHING NOW?!"

I would be in that fucking limelight all the damn time, be pushing for a movie adaptation, and climbing to the top baby! I'd be working that next book and the side stories and expanded universe and be the next George Lucas!

That is, if it was for my Magnum Opus. If it wasn't, I would still be like 'sweet' and use the success to work on said Magnum Opus.

Firstly, I would use a pseudonym. Like, layers of fucking pseudonyms. All of the pseudonyms. Secondly, I would troll my fans and make fun of my own work. Thirdly, I would immediately use the head start from my book to try to get into some sort of comedy writing, because making people laugh is truly what I like to do best. Finally, I would also use the success to play around with more straight horror, because scaring people is the other thing I like to do best. In fact, I'd probably be very happy writing horror comedies.

This, but with additional hookers and cocaine.