when the river meanders to the sea; the dresden files, original fic, and other things.

[templemarker]

Yesterday, upon checking my friendslist, there were quite literally ten posts in a row linking to the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy trailer.

Allow me to be a gleeful lemming:

Click to view

Oh, that's just going to be brilliant. For a John Le Carre novel set in the era of bad hair, anyway.

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You may not know this about me, but I am a rabid fan of The

Comments

[mementis]

FWIW, a major reason I am not writing fanfiction is that I am absolutely terrified of getting the characters wrong somehow. When I wrote (which used to be often, if not always well) inventing characters was one of my favorite things. So I don't know if this works in lieu of "wisdom," maybe more as an enticement: just think of it - your characters could be anyone! They could do anything! They can choose not to re-enlist, or stop hunting, or quit their jobs and go mountaineering. Their friends could be anyone. Their cars could be anything. You could even start with a beloved character and call him or her a type then completely reinvent their world and who they are in it. Good luck, and I can't wait to read your work :)

I'm fascinated by this comm you link to, also. I admit, I'm much more leery of non-(semi)pro original fic than I am of fanfic - so if you know of good rec sources or zines or comms or whatnot, do share :)

[templemarker]

But anything is EVERYTHING. THEY COULD BE ALL THE THINGS--how do you choose? At least with Generation Kill, you're making Marines be vampires, but they were originally Marines and everyone gets it when you make your Marine-vampires drink Ripped Fuel-True Blood cocktails.

That being said, it's the challenge of it that appeals, so hopefully I can get over myself and make it happen.

RE: original fic, it's a funny thing because you don't encounter it that often within fandom itself. But when you do, especially when it plays on the tropes and things we love about fandom works, it's exciting to discover. I haven't read much original fic outside of the SSBB, only when I come across it here and there, but here's what's from my memories:

Straight Girls by norah; the tease in this is just hot and so familiar.

Covered in Rain, or How We Really Said Goodbye by scrunchy; it's like a window into celebritas, all the things we try to achieve when we write RPF, only with original characters.

Exog by resonant8 is no longer online because she wanted to develop it

[mementis]

Having read the notes for it, I actually would really like to read Exog - so if you have it somewhere, drop an email or whatever works? Thanks! :)

[templemarker]

And, having said that, I just stumbled across what is basically original fic that just blew me the fuck away this afternoon:

if your heart is a bad, bad thing. by paperclipbitch; God damn. This story is the expression of every person who has ever fallen in love with someone that was a terrible idea but impossible to resist. Run, don't walk; I just. Gaping fish, here, after this story.

[mementis]

Thank you so so so so so much!! OMG. Thank you :) Bookmarking them all, starting with the last.

Here's one I liked, way back: Original (actually... I'm pretty sure it's just Untitled. hmm.) Beautiful and complicated and gritty and messy best-friends-grow-up-together sort of story. Long enough to really sink into.

Also, Lassiter's The Reservoir - more fanfic to a song (not songfic) than original, but it's beautiful.

Both of these are of a certain "coming of age" variety, but that's just a coincidence. It just seems to be what I've come across so far.

I want to add some comments to what you've said about original-fic that lives inside the fanfic space but I'm way too high on Sudafed to make sense right now. I may come back though!!

[mementis]

OK, so I'm reading it but (derailment!) your comment is reminding me of this thing that you should watch because, well, it fits. It's Matt Nathanson and I... really don't like Matt Nathanson, and it's from SXSW which... OK, I'm fine with that, but it's "Faster," which is really, really not a great song. Not the point though!! You may like the song and the man, I dunno, sorry if I offended just now, just... The point is that he has this little speech at the beginning that's just adorable and right-on all about this very topic! Falling for crazy people and all that ;)

OK, going back to reading now. Thank you :)

[templemarker]

HA. That is exactly it.

I'm lukewarm on Matt; I like him sometimes and then not at others.