This sin is definitely not a behavior I'd recommend and I hope I never find myself in the same situation.
A few years ago, I got an assignment that I drew an absolute blank on. Sparse requests, likes and DNWs, no letter. And I could think of absolutely NOTHING to write.
Usually as soon as I get my assignment I start jotting down ideas, but this one had me just sitting in front of a blank document and staring.
It didn't faze me at first, because I figured I had time, but life and other exchanges distracted me. And I was eager for a gift in one of my fandoms so I did not want to default... and then the no penalty deadline passed... and I still had nothing on the page.
Then it was two days before THE DEADLINE. Still absolutely stony blank nothing.
I panicked, and ended up dredging up a drawerfic I had written for a megafandom ages ago that I had never posted due to falling out of love with the fandom. I did a find and replace for the character names and posted it.
I used the editing time to tweak it, and found that the scenario was actually pretty IC for the requested characters, and just cut out the bits that didn't apply, renamed a few places, etc... and still had a well above the minimum fic.
The recip absolutely adored their gift, and the fic was recced in several different places. But deep down I still felt face-burning shame and was tempted for the longest time to anon the story.
Re: Your Yuletide sins
A few years ago, I got an assignment that I drew an absolute blank on. Sparse requests, likes and DNWs, no letter. And I could think of absolutely NOTHING to write.
Usually as soon as I get my assignment I start jotting down ideas, but this one had me just sitting in front of a blank document and staring.
It didn't faze me at first, because I figured I had time, but life and other exchanges distracted me. And I was eager for a gift in one of my fandoms so I did not want to default... and then the no penalty deadline passed... and I still had nothing on the page.
Then it was two days before THE DEADLINE. Still absolutely stony blank nothing.
I panicked, and ended up dredging up a drawerfic I had written for a megafandom ages ago that I had never posted due to falling out of love with the fandom. I did a find and replace for the character names and posted it.
I used the editing time to tweak it, and found that the scenario was actually pretty IC for the requested characters, and just cut out the bits that didn't apply, renamed a few places, etc... and still had a well above the minimum fic.
The recip absolutely adored their gift, and the fic was recced in several different places. But deep down I still felt face-burning shame and was tempted for the longest time to anon the story.