Mini Meta Month: post the first
Pairing characters versus exploring canonical subtext
Both are good! I tend to have a harder time pairing characters from the same thing when I write unless I do believe that at least one of them wants it to happen. So I guess generally I go for subtext. But occasionally there are times when I just think the characters would be so good together that they OUGHT to want it, even if there isn’t much indication of that in canon. And then there are the cracked-out crossover pairings, where canon has no backing as they aren’t from the same thing, but you just know they would be so awesome together. And then of course there’s the difference between hardcore OTP shipping, and flexible shipping, and liking the thought of it, and enjoying it for the length of a random fic, shipping in canon versus shipping in fic, and all the different levels inbetween. And subtext comes in different levels, too. From the deliberate subtext to the omg-I-can’t-believe-they-don't-know-what-they're-doing subtext to the ambiguous subtext to the in-your-head subtext to the tee-hee-wink-wink subtext, and everything inbetween. And sometimes, there’s pairing subtext I can see and seeing it makes me HATE IT even more. So yes, there are times when pairing for me is because I see it in the story already, and a few times when it’s because I decide something else would be a better story.
Some brief examples: I can’t watch Smallville without believing that Lex is in love with Clark and Clark ought to love him back. How does the show make any sense without that? How can anyone not see it? Hardcore OTP canon shipping. With Sky High, I think it’s pretty clear in the movie that Warren and Layla are not actually interested in each other. But I think they could be, the pre-shipping seeds are there, and it would be great, and I imagine them getting together sometime in the future when they are both grown-up. Semi-canon/semi-fanon flexible shipping. For Leverage, I like the canon het ships during the show but don’t want to read fic about them. I read gen, Parker/Hardison/Eliot, or any femslash pairing/moresome. In canon I don’t think Parker and Sophie are about to jump each other, or Parker and Hardison and Eliot are about to all hook up, I just think such things are fun to imagine. Very flexible dilettante enjoyment rather than actual shipping.
That's 395 words according to Microsoft Word, after I added lots of hyphens, but I couldn't condense it much more. skuf, I know when you said 300 max you meant 400, riiiiight?
In other news, the electorate has spoken, my Big Bang has been chosen, and I wrote 500 words of it last night.
Also, I am wearing these shoes, which means every new pair of shoes has now been worn at least once. The steampunk button ones even went out dancing.
And a meme.
Comment with the name of a female character and I'll tell you why I love her. In return, you can do the same in your journal.
Comments on DW.
Both are good! I tend to have a harder time pairing characters from the same thing when I write unless I do believe that at least one of them wants it to happen. So I guess generally I go for subtext. But occasionally there are times when I just think the characters would be so good together that they OUGHT to want it, even if there isn’t much indication of that in canon. And then there are the cracked-out crossover pairings, where canon has no backing as they aren’t from the same thing, but you just know they would be so awesome together. And then of course there’s the difference between hardcore OTP shipping, and flexible shipping, and liking the thought of it, and enjoying it for the length of a random fic, shipping in canon versus shipping in fic, and all the different levels inbetween. And subtext comes in different levels, too. From the deliberate subtext to the omg-I-can’t-believe-they-don't-know-what-they're-doing subtext to the ambiguous subtext to the in-your-head subtext to the tee-hee-wink-wink subtext, and everything inbetween. And sometimes, there’s pairing subtext I can see and seeing it makes me HATE IT even more. So yes, there are times when pairing for me is because I see it in the story already, and a few times when it’s because I decide something else would be a better story.
Some brief examples: I can’t watch Smallville without believing that Lex is in love with Clark and Clark ought to love him back. How does the show make any sense without that? How can anyone not see it? Hardcore OTP canon shipping. With Sky High, I think it’s pretty clear in the movie that Warren and Layla are not actually interested in each other. But I think they could be, the pre-shipping seeds are there, and it would be great, and I imagine them getting together sometime in the future when they are both grown-up. Semi-canon/semi-fanon flexible shipping. For Leverage, I like the canon het ships during the show but don’t want to read fic about them. I read gen, Parker/Hardison/Eliot, or any femslash pairing/moresome. In canon I don’t think Parker and Sophie are about to jump each other, or Parker and Hardison and Eliot are about to all hook up, I just think such things are fun to imagine. Very flexible dilettante enjoyment rather than actual shipping.
That's 395 words according to Microsoft Word, after I added lots of hyphens, but I couldn't condense it much more. skuf, I know when you said 300 max you meant 400, riiiiight?
In other news, the electorate has spoken, my Big Bang has been chosen, and I wrote 500 words of it last night.
Also, I am wearing these shoes, which means every new pair of shoes has now been worn at least once. The steampunk button ones even went out dancing.
And a meme.
Comment with the name of a female character and I'll tell you why I love her. In return, you can do the same in your journal.
Comments on DW.