Writing Meme Answers
rotrude asked for L: Is there a section of canon above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?
For Merlin I don't think there's one particular section that inspires me more than any other. There are scenes and episodes that I like and can inspire me, like Merlin's goodbye speech to Arthur in "Le Morte d'Arthur", "The Last Dragonlord", simpleton!Arthur from "The Sword in the Stone" part 1.
For Teen Wolf since Scott/Isaac is my favorite pairing I definitely get inspired by the moment Scott tells Isaac he doesn't want him to get hurt in "Raving", in "Battlefield" several moments like when Deaton shows Isaac that he can absorb the dog's pain, Isaac tells Scott he trusts him, and when he shows up at the lacrosse. I'm definitely really inspired by Isaac moving in with Scott in "Unleashed."
the_redjay asked for H and W.
H: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.
This was a hard one to figure out. So I'm going to cheat and choose four.
The first one is a Merlin/Arthur bit from my story "Don't Be Scared, It's Only Love." I like it because I think banter is one of my strength and this one has great banter and really establishes Merlin and Arthur's relationship.
“While I am more than appreciative of what you’ve done for my father and am willing to look after you while you’re staying here, I would be remiss-”
“Where did you go to school?”
Arthur furrowed his brow. “Why?”
“I’m guessing it was private school? You always sound so formal, as if you’re getting ready to give a speech to the Queen at all times, even in the elevator when you were insulting me. I wasn’t even sure I was being insulted at first, it sounded so nice.”
“Do you have a problem with how I talk?”
“Well, you could dial back the rudeness a little bit.”
Arthur’s head snapped a little. “I barely even said anything. You were the one who rudely interrupted me.”
Merlin grimaced as he sat up a little. “Let me presume to surmise what proclamation you were about to deliver. Did I say that right?” Arthur just glared at him. “You would like it if while I’m staying here, I keep out of your hair as much as possible. You would prefer it if I was seen rather than heard, though you’d prefer it if I wasn’t seen either. And I should refrain from stealing everything that’s not nailed down. Did that cover everything?”
Arthur felt embarrassed that, not only was he so transparent, but hearing Merlin say it he realized how condescending his planned speech would have been. He sighed deeply. “I don’t think you’re a thief, Merlin.”
“But you don’t want me here, either.” Arthur didn’t insult Merlin by denying it. Merlin smiled genuinely at Arthur. “Look, Arthur I don’t blame you. You don’t know me at all and now you have to spend time taking care of me when you’d probably rather be spending time with your father. I didn’t ask to stay here. Your father insisted and I didn’t want to refuse him. I’m not going to be a bother, I promise.”
Arthur stepped fully into the room. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such an arse. I’m sure you won’t be a bother.” Arthur attempted a smile, but he wasn’t sure of how successful it was. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m a bit hungry.”
“I thought you had gas?”
“Yeah, but I’m still hungry.”
This time Arthur’s smile was genuine. “What do you want?”
“Just a regular sandwich would be alright.”
“Anything in particular you’re craving?”
Merlin shrugged. “Hmm….surprise me.”
Arthur looked skeptical. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright.” Arthur went to leave, but Merlin stopped him.
“Except...do you have any pumpernickel bread?”
Arthur nodded. “That should be no problem.” He walked another few inches.
“And marmite?”
Arthur clenched his hands. He looked over his shoulder. “Sure. Any particular type of cheese?”
Merlin shook his head. “No.”
Arthur took two steps before he was called back again. He took a deep breath and counted to three before he turned around.
“Can you cut the crusts of?”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “I'm sorry. I was under the impression you weren't a toddler. Why on Earth would I do that?”
Merlin adjusted his covers. “I just don’t like them. But if it’s too much trouble, you don’t have to bother.”
“No trouble at all.” Arthur lied. He paused. “Anything else?”
Merlin thought for a moment and then shook his head.
Arthur made it to the doorway.
“Oh, wait!”
“Merlin!” Arthur said warningly. He turned back. “You saved my father’s life. I would hate to have to poison you in the same week.”
The next three are from my Torchwood story "Stop All the Clocks" which was a Torchwood version of Four Weddings & A Funeral. It wasn't my first story, but it was the first one I'd written in over ten years and I would think that it would make me cringe more than my other stories, but I went over it and I actually quite enjoyed it. I'm proud that it, at least for me, still holds up, and that while I used a lot of dialogue from the movie, I made up a lot on my own.
This next bit is one of my favorites. When I was looking through stories for my favorite bits of dialogue I read Owen's line about asking invasive questions and not getting punched in the face and laughed. I think it's very Owen.
Owen took a sip of his champagne and almost choked when the older woman asked, “Are you gay?”
Owen swallowed. “Good Lord, woman! Do you always begin conversations this way?”
“No. But this has seemed to work out well for me tonight, so I thought I’d try again…So, are you?” She said with no embarrassment whatsoever.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I’ve just got out of a relationship recently.” He looked at her and added, “With a woman.”
Estelle nodded. “Why did the relationship end?”
Owen just stared at her. She stared back at him. He shook his head. “You know I can’t wait to get older, so I can ask incredibly invasive questions without getting punched in the face for it.”
Estelle laughed. “Does that happen to you often?”
“Occasionally.” Owen answered.
I just like the banter in this one, especially from Ianto. Also when I started I wasn't sure how to transfer the wedding dress montage in the movie to the story and make it work for suits, but I like the outfits I wrote for Jack.
Jack came out like he was on a runaway and did a little spin for Ianto. He was wearing a long grey jacket with tails, a white dress shirt with a grey waist coat over it, with a matching grey striped tie. Topping it off, he had a grey top hat on. “What do you think?”
Ianto chortled softly. He thought it was impossible that Jack could ever look truly bad in anything, but this outfit just didn’t suit him. “You look handsome.”
“I kind of feel like I’m a Member of Parliament.”
“Trust me, no King could pull that off the way you do.” Ianto offered.
Jack grinned. “Thanks. It just doesn’t feel like me.” Ianto nodded in agreement. “Ok, don’t worry. We’ve only just begun!”
A few minutes later he came out with his head bowed. “You don’t even have to say it?”
Ianto stifled a chuckle. Jack was wearing a white buttoned up shirt, with a black bow tie and red velvet jacket. “You know, I think it’s quite perfect.”
Jack looked up at him, a mixture of horror and astonishment on his face. “Really?”
“Yes. That isn’t for the wedding though, is it? Because I thought you were also planning on hosting a game show from the 80’s.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” Jack went back into the fitting room.
Ianto felt like an eternity went by before Jack came back out again. This next outfit might have been even more ridiculous than the last. “I had a fight with the sales girl for about twenty minutes because she insisted that this dress was just perfect for a gay wedding. And because I’m wearing a suit jacket, it’s “quite formal.” The suit jacket was black with what looked like glitter all over it, a sheer tight shirt, studded belt, and black pants with more sparkly glitter.
“All right…and you decided to humor her by wearing this, instead of killing her because…”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I just wanted to see what it would look like. And I thought if I just put it on, she’d finally shut up about it.”
Ianto got up and examined the ensemble closely. “She does realize you’re getting married and not going clubbing at studio 54? This is just horrid.”
“On the bright side, she did say that the pants really highlighted my crotch.” Jack said, gesturing at the area with his hands.
Ianto immediately looked down at Jack’s crotch. “Hmm, she may actually have a point. On second thought, maybe you should take this, just don’t wear it at the service.”
Jack laughed. “Come on. Help me pick something out that isn’t hideous.”
Ianto was still looking at his crotch. Jack snapped his fingers in Ianto’s face. “Oh, right. I shall do my best.” As they walked to the back, Ianto told Jack. “You know, my father was a tailor…”
I like the Doctor's speech in this. I think it's very him and sweet without being cloying.
River stood next to the Doctor, staring at him. He was gleefully watching his friends go forth on their mission. “That was a great speech.”
“Yes, very poetic I think.” The Doctor nodded absently.
“It’s a shame you don’t take your own advice.”
The Doctor glanced at her quickly. “What are you talking about?”
River took a deep breath. “You could get married just as easily as they could.”
The Doctor laughed. “Don’t be silly. I’m already married.”
River’s eyebrows shot up. “And pray tell just who is this mystery woman that in five years I've never met. I’d like to call her and see if she can take you off my hands.” She said half-jokingly.
The Doctor turned to her fully. “It’s you Melody. I think I’ve been married to you since the first time I met you and you convincingly argued why Cleopatra would eviscerate Hercules in a fair fistfight.” River laughed. “We may not have had a fancy pants ceremony, but I think we’ve made our vows to each other over the years. I vowed to stop complaining when you clean guns at the kitchen table. And you vowed to never interrupt me when I’m reading something interesting, like “The History of Cheese.” River shook her head, but was still smiling. “You can be insufferable, stubborn, and crazy. And that’s only the beginning of your good qualities. I didn’t think we needed to stand up in front of our friends and say what they, and you and I already know- we’re perfect together and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” River looked away, wiping away a stray tear. “I think the others need to find someone, I don’t. But if you really want to get married officially, we can. I was ordained online, remember.”
W: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?
This one might be easier to answer for which one of my fics I DON'T want to revise. So many of my fics were done in procrastination and usually my first draft is what I end up posting, so for most of my stories I want to go and revise some part of it. I think the story I'd want to revise the most would be "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" It was another story that I rushed. I got closer to the posting date and I ended up writing it really fast and had to shorten it considerably. So I didn't end up really posting the version of the story I had planned.
the_redjay and bm_shipper asked for P: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?
For right now that answer is definitely Merlin/Arthur. The show's been gone for awhile now and I still have so many ideas and still love the pairing as much as I ever did.
bm_shipper asked for C: Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?
I think that would be scat. I'm not a fan of watersports or scat, but I've surprised myself and read one watersports thing that didn't bother me. I doubt I'd ever write it, but I'm more willing to give that a chance than scat.
Stacey
For Merlin I don't think there's one particular section that inspires me more than any other. There are scenes and episodes that I like and can inspire me, like Merlin's goodbye speech to Arthur in "Le Morte d'Arthur", "The Last Dragonlord", simpleton!Arthur from "The Sword in the Stone" part 1.
For Teen Wolf since Scott/Isaac is my favorite pairing I definitely get inspired by the moment Scott tells Isaac he doesn't want him to get hurt in "Raving", in "Battlefield" several moments like when Deaton shows Isaac that he can absorb the dog's pain, Isaac tells Scott he trusts him, and when he shows up at the lacrosse. I'm definitely really inspired by Isaac moving in with Scott in "Unleashed."
the_redjay asked for H and W.
H: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.
This was a hard one to figure out. So I'm going to cheat and choose four.
The first one is a Merlin/Arthur bit from my story "Don't Be Scared, It's Only Love." I like it because I think banter is one of my strength and this one has great banter and really establishes Merlin and Arthur's relationship.
“While I am more than appreciative of what you’ve done for my father and am willing to look after you while you’re staying here, I would be remiss-”
“Where did you go to school?”
Arthur furrowed his brow. “Why?”
“I’m guessing it was private school? You always sound so formal, as if you’re getting ready to give a speech to the Queen at all times, even in the elevator when you were insulting me. I wasn’t even sure I was being insulted at first, it sounded so nice.”
“Do you have a problem with how I talk?”
“Well, you could dial back the rudeness a little bit.”
Arthur’s head snapped a little. “I barely even said anything. You were the one who rudely interrupted me.”
Merlin grimaced as he sat up a little. “Let me presume to surmise what proclamation you were about to deliver. Did I say that right?” Arthur just glared at him. “You would like it if while I’m staying here, I keep out of your hair as much as possible. You would prefer it if I was seen rather than heard, though you’d prefer it if I wasn’t seen either. And I should refrain from stealing everything that’s not nailed down. Did that cover everything?”
Arthur felt embarrassed that, not only was he so transparent, but hearing Merlin say it he realized how condescending his planned speech would have been. He sighed deeply. “I don’t think you’re a thief, Merlin.”
“But you don’t want me here, either.” Arthur didn’t insult Merlin by denying it. Merlin smiled genuinely at Arthur. “Look, Arthur I don’t blame you. You don’t know me at all and now you have to spend time taking care of me when you’d probably rather be spending time with your father. I didn’t ask to stay here. Your father insisted and I didn’t want to refuse him. I’m not going to be a bother, I promise.”
Arthur stepped fully into the room. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such an arse. I’m sure you won’t be a bother.” Arthur attempted a smile, but he wasn’t sure of how successful it was. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m a bit hungry.”
“I thought you had gas?”
“Yeah, but I’m still hungry.”
This time Arthur’s smile was genuine. “What do you want?”
“Just a regular sandwich would be alright.”
“Anything in particular you’re craving?”
Merlin shrugged. “Hmm….surprise me.”
Arthur looked skeptical. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright.” Arthur went to leave, but Merlin stopped him.
“Except...do you have any pumpernickel bread?”
Arthur nodded. “That should be no problem.” He walked another few inches.
“And marmite?”
Arthur clenched his hands. He looked over his shoulder. “Sure. Any particular type of cheese?”
Merlin shook his head. “No.”
Arthur took two steps before he was called back again. He took a deep breath and counted to three before he turned around.
“Can you cut the crusts of?”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “I'm sorry. I was under the impression you weren't a toddler. Why on Earth would I do that?”
Merlin adjusted his covers. “I just don’t like them. But if it’s too much trouble, you don’t have to bother.”
“No trouble at all.” Arthur lied. He paused. “Anything else?”
Merlin thought for a moment and then shook his head.
Arthur made it to the doorway.
“Oh, wait!”
“Merlin!” Arthur said warningly. He turned back. “You saved my father’s life. I would hate to have to poison you in the same week.”
The next three are from my Torchwood story "Stop All the Clocks" which was a Torchwood version of Four Weddings & A Funeral. It wasn't my first story, but it was the first one I'd written in over ten years and I would think that it would make me cringe more than my other stories, but I went over it and I actually quite enjoyed it. I'm proud that it, at least for me, still holds up, and that while I used a lot of dialogue from the movie, I made up a lot on my own.
This next bit is one of my favorites. When I was looking through stories for my favorite bits of dialogue I read Owen's line about asking invasive questions and not getting punched in the face and laughed. I think it's very Owen.
Owen took a sip of his champagne and almost choked when the older woman asked, “Are you gay?”
Owen swallowed. “Good Lord, woman! Do you always begin conversations this way?”
“No. But this has seemed to work out well for me tonight, so I thought I’d try again…So, are you?” She said with no embarrassment whatsoever.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I’ve just got out of a relationship recently.” He looked at her and added, “With a woman.”
Estelle nodded. “Why did the relationship end?”
Owen just stared at her. She stared back at him. He shook his head. “You know I can’t wait to get older, so I can ask incredibly invasive questions without getting punched in the face for it.”
Estelle laughed. “Does that happen to you often?”
“Occasionally.” Owen answered.
I just like the banter in this one, especially from Ianto. Also when I started I wasn't sure how to transfer the wedding dress montage in the movie to the story and make it work for suits, but I like the outfits I wrote for Jack.
Jack came out like he was on a runaway and did a little spin for Ianto. He was wearing a long grey jacket with tails, a white dress shirt with a grey waist coat over it, with a matching grey striped tie. Topping it off, he had a grey top hat on. “What do you think?”
Ianto chortled softly. He thought it was impossible that Jack could ever look truly bad in anything, but this outfit just didn’t suit him. “You look handsome.”
“I kind of feel like I’m a Member of Parliament.”
“Trust me, no King could pull that off the way you do.” Ianto offered.
Jack grinned. “Thanks. It just doesn’t feel like me.” Ianto nodded in agreement. “Ok, don’t worry. We’ve only just begun!”
A few minutes later he came out with his head bowed. “You don’t even have to say it?”
Ianto stifled a chuckle. Jack was wearing a white buttoned up shirt, with a black bow tie and red velvet jacket. “You know, I think it’s quite perfect.”
Jack looked up at him, a mixture of horror and astonishment on his face. “Really?”
“Yes. That isn’t for the wedding though, is it? Because I thought you were also planning on hosting a game show from the 80’s.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” Jack went back into the fitting room.
Ianto felt like an eternity went by before Jack came back out again. This next outfit might have been even more ridiculous than the last. “I had a fight with the sales girl for about twenty minutes because she insisted that this dress was just perfect for a gay wedding. And because I’m wearing a suit jacket, it’s “quite formal.” The suit jacket was black with what looked like glitter all over it, a sheer tight shirt, studded belt, and black pants with more sparkly glitter.
“All right…and you decided to humor her by wearing this, instead of killing her because…”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I just wanted to see what it would look like. And I thought if I just put it on, she’d finally shut up about it.”
Ianto got up and examined the ensemble closely. “She does realize you’re getting married and not going clubbing at studio 54? This is just horrid.”
“On the bright side, she did say that the pants really highlighted my crotch.” Jack said, gesturing at the area with his hands.
Ianto immediately looked down at Jack’s crotch. “Hmm, she may actually have a point. On second thought, maybe you should take this, just don’t wear it at the service.”
Jack laughed. “Come on. Help me pick something out that isn’t hideous.”
Ianto was still looking at his crotch. Jack snapped his fingers in Ianto’s face. “Oh, right. I shall do my best.” As they walked to the back, Ianto told Jack. “You know, my father was a tailor…”
I like the Doctor's speech in this. I think it's very him and sweet without being cloying.
River stood next to the Doctor, staring at him. He was gleefully watching his friends go forth on their mission. “That was a great speech.”
“Yes, very poetic I think.” The Doctor nodded absently.
“It’s a shame you don’t take your own advice.”
The Doctor glanced at her quickly. “What are you talking about?”
River took a deep breath. “You could get married just as easily as they could.”
The Doctor laughed. “Don’t be silly. I’m already married.”
River’s eyebrows shot up. “And pray tell just who is this mystery woman that in five years I've never met. I’d like to call her and see if she can take you off my hands.” She said half-jokingly.
The Doctor turned to her fully. “It’s you Melody. I think I’ve been married to you since the first time I met you and you convincingly argued why Cleopatra would eviscerate Hercules in a fair fistfight.” River laughed. “We may not have had a fancy pants ceremony, but I think we’ve made our vows to each other over the years. I vowed to stop complaining when you clean guns at the kitchen table. And you vowed to never interrupt me when I’m reading something interesting, like “The History of Cheese.” River shook her head, but was still smiling. “You can be insufferable, stubborn, and crazy. And that’s only the beginning of your good qualities. I didn’t think we needed to stand up in front of our friends and say what they, and you and I already know- we’re perfect together and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” River looked away, wiping away a stray tear. “I think the others need to find someone, I don’t. But if you really want to get married officially, we can. I was ordained online, remember.”
W: If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?
This one might be easier to answer for which one of my fics I DON'T want to revise. So many of my fics were done in procrastination and usually my first draft is what I end up posting, so for most of my stories I want to go and revise some part of it. I think the story I'd want to revise the most would be "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" It was another story that I rushed. I got closer to the posting date and I ended up writing it really fast and had to shorten it considerably. So I didn't end up really posting the version of the story I had planned.
the_redjay and bm_shipper asked for P: If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?
For right now that answer is definitely Merlin/Arthur. The show's been gone for awhile now and I still have so many ideas and still love the pairing as much as I ever did.
bm_shipper asked for C: Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?
I think that would be scat. I'm not a fan of watersports or scat, but I've surprised myself and read one watersports thing that didn't bother me. I doubt I'd ever write it, but I'm more willing to give that a chance than scat.
Stacey