The Examination: Cryptictac
Humor, angst, het, slash, drabbles, epics or vids, cryptictac does it all, and makes it all seem easy. Or maybe not easy, especially in the case of some of her fics which may tear out your heart, but at least with Ticcy it all seems real.
Well, at least when Ticcy intends for it all to be real. After all, The Mysterious Tube of Lube was all about taking a pointed -- and funny -- look at how fic sometimes forgets about reality.
House: Oh, boy, look at us getting hot and heavy.
Wilson: Oh god, yes. Rub me harder with your sexy stubble, you naughty boy.
House: [rubs his chin and cheek hard across Wilson's face, neck and chest] Considering you're still married and I've been pining over Stacy, and considering we've both never been with a guy, it's amazing how gay we are, isn't it?
Things typically don't proceed as expected in Ticcy's fics. Childbirth is a messy affair, sex is ... inconvenient, and hurts are rarely followed by an easy bit of comforting. Even love isn't simple. From The Fourth Time:
Now he was beyond confused. He stalled for time by slowly returning the ring box to his pocket while he tried to make sense of what point Amber was trying to get at. "Wait a minute, wait a minute," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Are you... Are you upset because I proposed to you? Or because I brought you here?"
"I'm not upset," she said. "I'm disappointed because you don't know me."
"What does that even mean? Of course I know you. I wouldn't be asking you to marry me if I didn't know you."
"What makes you think I want to get married?"
"So... you're upset I proposed to you," he said slowly.
Life is rarely perfect in cryptictac's fics, but then the characters on "House" aren't perfect either. You can find her fics here.
How did you come up with the House/Cuddy/Wilson/Amber drabble-a-thon? Were you happy with the response?
Laziness, mainly. I wanted to read fic, but was too lazy to write any fic myself, so I made a drabble-a-thon to hopefully make everyone else write some. I didn't really expect many people to be interested; I was surprised it got as much of a response as it did.
You're a multi-shipper. What is it as a writer that you enjoy exploring about the show from different 'ship perspective?
Each character on the show brings out something different in House, because each character has their own significant role in his life. I like exploring how different characters impact him in different situations. And in non-House pairings (Wilson/Cuddy and Wilson/Amber), I like to explore their dynamics, both related and unrelated to House.
Do you find writing from just one 'ship too confining? Or is it simply that you can believe in more than one 'ship? Do you have a favorite? (Sorry. Does that sound too much like asking a parent to name his/her favorite child?)
'Shipping one 'ship, to me, is like trying to draw conclusions about a situation without getting all sides of the story. Do I have a favourite? No - I have preferences, but not 'favourites'. I love all the 'ships I follow just as much as each other, but each for their own reasons.
Do different plot ideas lead to writing from a different ship? Or do the different ships create all new plot bunnies of their own?
It's a bit of both. Sometimes, I think up scenarios and find myself automatically placing a particular 'ship into said scenario, which leads to a plot bunny. And sometimes I just want to explore a particular aspect of a 'ship, which leads to me to thinking about a scenario that allows me to explore that aspect, which leads to a plot bunny.
How does a story start for you? A specific scene? A plot? A snatch of conversation?
I get scenario ideas, usually, then a plot begins to form. Sometimes, the opening line of a story pops into my head, too - that can also prompt me to think up a plot. I never have fully formed plot ideas just come to me - I have to think for a long while before a plot idea fully fleshes out in my head. And then I usually take even longer to getting around to writing the fic, if at all. I'm pretty slow like that.
I'm going to cheat here and steal a comment you used in an author's note for Channel Surfing just because I love it: "I get sick of fandom's ideal of sex and all the perfection and the fact that nothing ever goes wrong. And grandiose, synchronised orgasms." So sex, obviously, can be both real and hot. Care to expand on that?
Sex without emotion and realism in fic is utterly sterile to me. I cannot relate to sex being continually mindblowing, or sex with lots of badly written dirty talk, or sex where both parties have extreme and utter confidence in their ability to fuck, and shag like porn stars. If I read a fic, I want to be able to relate to it. Which is why I write “realistic” sex - I write about stuff I can relate to, sex included. I see no point in writing about something I can't relate to.
What drew you to writing House fanfiction?
The characters and the relationships they had/have with each other, which I assume is what draws most people to writing fic.
What's been the hardest fic for you to write?
My Turn Off The Night 'verse. I found those fics very emotionally draining to write. I went to a dark place in my head when I wrote in that universe. I have so much more I want to write in that 'verse, too, but it's because of how draining I find it that I haven't.
What's been your favourite of your fics?
I have two so far:
- Despite what I said above, Turn Off The Night 'verse. I enjoy writing honestly, and that 'verse is the most honest that I've ever written. I really wanted to present House and Wilson's situation in those fics with as much rawness and ugliness as possible - because there is nothing pretty or nice or dignifying about the situation they were in. There's absolutely nothing dignifying about being incapacitated and having to rely on another person to help you function day to day. I drew on a great deal of my own personal experience with looking after someone I loved that was sick, so TOTN is very personal to me. I felt I did the subject matter I was writing about justice.
- My House/Cuddy Heatwave 'verse ( Shockwave) - I have an absolute blast in that 'verse. Writing should be something fun and enjoyable and not a chore, and the Heatwave 'verse is so enjoyable and so much fun. I don't even care if no one really enjoys that 'verse, because it's a fic I've written for myself more than anything else.
Have you ever have a fic surprise you during writing? Did the plot take a turn you didn't expect? Or do the plots and characters usually behave for you?
They never behave. I'm pretty sure the same applies to a lot of people who write fics. I usually write in a linear process and tend to discover new themes and issues to explore and address while writing, which almost always alters the direction and shape of the story. In my dialogue-heavy fics, I write the dialogue first. Kind of let the characters “talk out” their thoughts and guide the story through what they say and reveal to each other. Then I write the narrative in. This always leads to the fic going in places I don't expect it to, too.
Do you have any fics that you'd like to go back and rewrite?
Not really. I don't see the point in rewriting fics, unless it's a redux challenge. If you've told a story, why the need to retell it? There are fics I would like to expand on, though, but not rewrite.
You've referred to using fic to purge your own emotions (I'm thinking of "Ashes to Ashes" here, specifically, but it does seem to me that tapping into those real emotions does help to ground a fic and make it "real," even if the characters are not. (I suppose realistic sex scenes fit in this concept too.) Do you see those issues as coming back to the idea of "write what you know?"
Writing is my coping tool. I find it cathartic to put characters I care about in a situation that I can relate to. I feel most confident in what I write when I'm basing the story on something that I have personal experience in. Empathy is so important in writing, imo. If the writer can't empathise with the situation they're writing about, how do they expect the audience to empathise with what they've written?
What do you look for in fic that you read?
The same most people look for in fic - believability, strong writing and good characterisation. I'll read any 'ship, so long as they have all of these qualities. Nothing makes me hit the back button faster than a fic that lacks any of these things.
What would you change on the show if you had that power?
All the missed opportunities the writers could have taken to expand into a great storyline. House getting shot, for example. A little continuity would be nice, too. And I'd probably redo the Tritter arc. That whole arc was such a waste of time, with how it was “resolved” and how little point there seemed to be to the whole thing. It was like the writers had no idea how to resolve the situation, so they just hit the reset button once Tritter was gone and everything went back to normal.
Now that the House/Cuddy/Wilson/Amber ficathon is over, do you have any other challenges you've laid out for yourself for future writing projects?
If the bigbang challenge is on again this year, I'd like to write for that. I was going to last year and never got around to it (I made a vid, instead). And maybe one of these days, I'll actually get around to writing all the plot bunnies I have. Until then, however, I'm happy to roleplay, which is where most of my writing efforts go these days.
Thanks Ticcy. And the floor is now open for your questions.
Well, at least when Ticcy intends for it all to be real. After all, The Mysterious Tube of Lube was all about taking a pointed -- and funny -- look at how fic sometimes forgets about reality.
House: Oh, boy, look at us getting hot and heavy.
Wilson: Oh god, yes. Rub me harder with your sexy stubble, you naughty boy.
House: [rubs his chin and cheek hard across Wilson's face, neck and chest] Considering you're still married and I've been pining over Stacy, and considering we've both never been with a guy, it's amazing how gay we are, isn't it?
Things typically don't proceed as expected in Ticcy's fics. Childbirth is a messy affair, sex is ... inconvenient, and hurts are rarely followed by an easy bit of comforting. Even love isn't simple. From The Fourth Time:
Now he was beyond confused. He stalled for time by slowly returning the ring box to his pocket while he tried to make sense of what point Amber was trying to get at. "Wait a minute, wait a minute," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Are you... Are you upset because I proposed to you? Or because I brought you here?"
"I'm not upset," she said. "I'm disappointed because you don't know me."
"What does that even mean? Of course I know you. I wouldn't be asking you to marry me if I didn't know you."
"What makes you think I want to get married?"
"So... you're upset I proposed to you," he said slowly.
Life is rarely perfect in cryptictac's fics, but then the characters on "House" aren't perfect either. You can find her fics here.
How did you come up with the House/Cuddy/Wilson/Amber drabble-a-thon? Were you happy with the response?
Laziness, mainly. I wanted to read fic, but was too lazy to write any fic myself, so I made a drabble-a-thon to hopefully make everyone else write some. I didn't really expect many people to be interested; I was surprised it got as much of a response as it did.
You're a multi-shipper. What is it as a writer that you enjoy exploring about the show from different 'ship perspective?
Each character on the show brings out something different in House, because each character has their own significant role in his life. I like exploring how different characters impact him in different situations. And in non-House pairings (Wilson/Cuddy and Wilson/Amber), I like to explore their dynamics, both related and unrelated to House.
Do you find writing from just one 'ship too confining? Or is it simply that you can believe in more than one 'ship? Do you have a favorite? (Sorry. Does that sound too much like asking a parent to name his/her favorite child?)
'Shipping one 'ship, to me, is like trying to draw conclusions about a situation without getting all sides of the story. Do I have a favourite? No - I have preferences, but not 'favourites'. I love all the 'ships I follow just as much as each other, but each for their own reasons.
Do different plot ideas lead to writing from a different ship? Or do the different ships create all new plot bunnies of their own?
It's a bit of both. Sometimes, I think up scenarios and find myself automatically placing a particular 'ship into said scenario, which leads to a plot bunny. And sometimes I just want to explore a particular aspect of a 'ship, which leads to me to thinking about a scenario that allows me to explore that aspect, which leads to a plot bunny.
How does a story start for you? A specific scene? A plot? A snatch of conversation?
I get scenario ideas, usually, then a plot begins to form. Sometimes, the opening line of a story pops into my head, too - that can also prompt me to think up a plot. I never have fully formed plot ideas just come to me - I have to think for a long while before a plot idea fully fleshes out in my head. And then I usually take even longer to getting around to writing the fic, if at all. I'm pretty slow like that.
I'm going to cheat here and steal a comment you used in an author's note for Channel Surfing just because I love it: "I get sick of fandom's ideal of sex and all the perfection and the fact that nothing ever goes wrong. And grandiose, synchronised orgasms." So sex, obviously, can be both real and hot. Care to expand on that?
Sex without emotion and realism in fic is utterly sterile to me. I cannot relate to sex being continually mindblowing, or sex with lots of badly written dirty talk, or sex where both parties have extreme and utter confidence in their ability to fuck, and shag like porn stars. If I read a fic, I want to be able to relate to it. Which is why I write “realistic” sex - I write about stuff I can relate to, sex included. I see no point in writing about something I can't relate to.
What drew you to writing House fanfiction?
The characters and the relationships they had/have with each other, which I assume is what draws most people to writing fic.
What's been the hardest fic for you to write?
My Turn Off The Night 'verse. I found those fics very emotionally draining to write. I went to a dark place in my head when I wrote in that universe. I have so much more I want to write in that 'verse, too, but it's because of how draining I find it that I haven't.
What's been your favourite of your fics?
I have two so far:
- Despite what I said above, Turn Off The Night 'verse. I enjoy writing honestly, and that 'verse is the most honest that I've ever written. I really wanted to present House and Wilson's situation in those fics with as much rawness and ugliness as possible - because there is nothing pretty or nice or dignifying about the situation they were in. There's absolutely nothing dignifying about being incapacitated and having to rely on another person to help you function day to day. I drew on a great deal of my own personal experience with looking after someone I loved that was sick, so TOTN is very personal to me. I felt I did the subject matter I was writing about justice.
- My House/Cuddy Heatwave 'verse ( Shockwave) - I have an absolute blast in that 'verse. Writing should be something fun and enjoyable and not a chore, and the Heatwave 'verse is so enjoyable and so much fun. I don't even care if no one really enjoys that 'verse, because it's a fic I've written for myself more than anything else.
Have you ever have a fic surprise you during writing? Did the plot take a turn you didn't expect? Or do the plots and characters usually behave for you?
They never behave. I'm pretty sure the same applies to a lot of people who write fics. I usually write in a linear process and tend to discover new themes and issues to explore and address while writing, which almost always alters the direction and shape of the story. In my dialogue-heavy fics, I write the dialogue first. Kind of let the characters “talk out” their thoughts and guide the story through what they say and reveal to each other. Then I write the narrative in. This always leads to the fic going in places I don't expect it to, too.
Do you have any fics that you'd like to go back and rewrite?
Not really. I don't see the point in rewriting fics, unless it's a redux challenge. If you've told a story, why the need to retell it? There are fics I would like to expand on, though, but not rewrite.
You've referred to using fic to purge your own emotions (I'm thinking of "Ashes to Ashes" here, specifically, but it does seem to me that tapping into those real emotions does help to ground a fic and make it "real," even if the characters are not. (I suppose realistic sex scenes fit in this concept too.) Do you see those issues as coming back to the idea of "write what you know?"
Writing is my coping tool. I find it cathartic to put characters I care about in a situation that I can relate to. I feel most confident in what I write when I'm basing the story on something that I have personal experience in. Empathy is so important in writing, imo. If the writer can't empathise with the situation they're writing about, how do they expect the audience to empathise with what they've written?
What do you look for in fic that you read?
The same most people look for in fic - believability, strong writing and good characterisation. I'll read any 'ship, so long as they have all of these qualities. Nothing makes me hit the back button faster than a fic that lacks any of these things.
What would you change on the show if you had that power?
All the missed opportunities the writers could have taken to expand into a great storyline. House getting shot, for example. A little continuity would be nice, too. And I'd probably redo the Tritter arc. That whole arc was such a waste of time, with how it was “resolved” and how little point there seemed to be to the whole thing. It was like the writers had no idea how to resolve the situation, so they just hit the reset button once Tritter was gone and everything went back to normal.
Now that the House/Cuddy/Wilson/Amber ficathon is over, do you have any other challenges you've laid out for yourself for future writing projects?
If the bigbang challenge is on again this year, I'd like to write for that. I was going to last year and never got around to it (I made a vid, instead). And maybe one of these days, I'll actually get around to writing all the plot bunnies I have. Until then, however, I'm happy to roleplay, which is where most of my writing efforts go these days.
Thanks Ticcy. And the floor is now open for your questions.