Storytelling Rut

Have been writing a horde of WIPs and noticed that a plot point tends to repeat? I don't know, maybe it's some deep-seated indication of where your head's at, but for reason a multiplicity of my plots focuses on or revolves around a very specific sort of love triangle. Character A likes Character B, but they're either estranged or just still at the "will they or won't they?" stage (read: no nookie). Thus, Character A gets together with Character C, but realizes that Character C isn't right for them and thus they need to be with Character B. Commence the Countdown to Nookie (Dear DC, GET ON THIS. Issue 2 and we still don't know whether the nookie is going to be Dick and Kory or Dick and Babs. THE SUSPENSE!).

I started this journal to try new things and do things differently, so in lieu of extensive rewriting, I've resolved to try to watch out for that in the future and if I think up a plot that can't work unless there's A/B/C (easy as 1/2/3) shenanigans, I'll put it on the backburner until it seems more fresh to me or I figure out another way to get my point across.

In somewhat related news, I ended up excising most of the Dick/Kara material from the amnesia longfic. It just seemed too much of a narrative detour, like "why are we reading about a Dick/Kara gropefest when Dick/Babs is the OTP? Where's the author going with this?" And it turns out I can go where it's going with much less time taken (Barbara refers to it as a one-night stand, then horrifiedly realizes she Went There). I may end up spinning it off into its own fic later, a straight-up fluff piece where it has more time to work. Because there were all sorts of interesting twists I thought could be done on a Dick/Kara date, like Owen Mercer thinks Dick is taking advantage of his little sister (who, for the purposes of this fic, could be easily aged up to 18. Score! Dear DC, GET ON THIS TOO*.) and Batman goes into the by-now-familiar "WHAT THE FUCK DICK ARE YOU THINKING WHAT NO WTF ARRRRRRRRRGH!" Because those would be fun complications to write, but in the context of the amnesia fic, it has fuck-all to do with Dick/Babs and their Epic Love Affair of Dooooooooooom and Smoooooooooooochies.




*I really don't understand what the point is of Kara being 16 plus or minus the Missing Year and her time in the future and however much time has passed canonwise since S/B, since she doesn't go to high school and there's really no narrative reason for her to be under the age of consent other than to squick everyone out when she gets drawn like a whore.

(no subject)

Benjamin Franklin on why the rattlesnake should've been America's symbol.

I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretentions of quarrelling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenceless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defence, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?

Ben Franklin: FUCKING METAL!

And, for a crisp of fried gold, Dio:



Lastly, Neil Patrick Harris. Sweeney Todd. It had to happen.

Watch on YouTube

Finally, that Harold & Kumar/Broadway RPF crossover we've always hoped for... is canon.

Fandom terminology for dummies: A how-to guide for the rest of us

Recently, I've heard some talk about labeling slash. You think it'd be a simple system, but no! We can't have nice things. Some people are saying that slash... is any non-canon pairing.

So, for instance, if I were writing a POTC fanfic and were pairing Elizabeth with a gentleman who she wasn't romantically or sexually involved with in canon, like Captain Jack... like Commodore Norrington... like Captain Sao Fang... damnit, that girl gets around. Okay, like Captain Barbossa. Now, wasn't in the movies, so it counts as slash by this definition. Let's say I call it that. What do I do when the people who are looking for some hetfic go "meh" and the people looking for slash click and go "wait, Barbossa/Elizabeth? Where's the buttsecks?"

Conversely, let's say I write about characters who are gay and together in canon, like Billy and Teddy from the New Avengers. That could quickly lead to something out of an Abbott & Costello routine.

"I'm looking for some hot slash."

"Well, I wrote some Billy/Teddy, but it's not slash."

"But it's about Billy and Teddy as a couple?"

"Yes."

"So it's slash."

"No, it's about Billy and Teddy, the gay couple from the Young Avengers."

"So in your fic, they're romantically involved?"

"Yes."

"So, you're slashing them."

"No."

"THIRD BASE!"

This isn't so much a great big socially social issue as it is a knowing what the heck people are SAYING issue. If I say slash, people know I mean men getting it on with other men. If I say history, people know I mean things that happen before now. Now, maybe "ourtory" is a better word because it's more inclusive and blah blah blah, but when I say history, everyone knows what I'm talking about.

If I say I'm writing slash, the people who are looking for slash know how to find me. If I say I'm writing gen, then no one's looking for me so I can bask in my isolation. (I like to call it my alone time.)

There's an old saying where I come from... if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's amazing enough that all the varied, sundry fandoms have managed to agree on fanfic terms to the extent we have. Let's not go breaking that fragile peace just because it seems politically correct.