What makes good angst; I have two cents.
So, there I was, reading The Good, The Bad, and The Undead, by Kim Harrison. Vampire book, second in a series. I liked the second one better than the first, and I think I know why.
Angst.
It seems to me that the core of angst fan fic -- slash, het, femmeslash, maintext or subtext -- is the tension between knowing what you want and knowing that it is the worst idea in the world.
Your love object is straight. You love object is gay. Your love object is related to you by blood. Your LO is the enemy. Your LO is a junkie/addict/ vampire/killer, whatever, they're gonna kill you. To a lesser degree -- your LO is in mourning. Your LO is married. Your LO is your commanding officer/subordinate.
You get the idea.
Some kinds of manga, oh, you know, I can't remember the name -- chick manga. Mars, or Karo Kine, f'r instance -- do this angst very well. And for-bloody-ever, I mean, my god, Mars went on for how many volumes? Ooodles.
I think it is this maintext angst that leads to some great slash angst.
And now for my two cents, and a question for the readers of this fine community --
Who do you think make good femmeslash angst? Who doesn't work at all? And, my favorite part, why do you think that?
My thoughts --
Buffy/Willow -- usually not a lot of angst. Though I did see one once set during WIllow relationship with Oz, in which she really didn't want to hurt him and wouldn't go be with Buffy. Waaaaay angst.
Birds of Prey tv series Helena/Barbara -- usually great angst, since the mentor relationship throws a wrench into things.
Faith/anybody -- usually good angst, since Faith is like a walking angst package, torn between what she wishes for and what she knows she deserves.
Anyway.
Angst.
It seems to me that the core of angst fan fic -- slash, het, femmeslash, maintext or subtext -- is the tension between knowing what you want and knowing that it is the worst idea in the world.
Your love object is straight. You love object is gay. Your love object is related to you by blood. Your LO is the enemy. Your LO is a junkie/addict/ vampire/killer, whatever, they're gonna kill you. To a lesser degree -- your LO is in mourning. Your LO is married. Your LO is your commanding officer/subordinate.
You get the idea.
Some kinds of manga, oh, you know, I can't remember the name -- chick manga. Mars, or Karo Kine, f'r instance -- do this angst very well. And for-bloody-ever, I mean, my god, Mars went on for how many volumes? Ooodles.
I think it is this maintext angst that leads to some great slash angst.
And now for my two cents, and a question for the readers of this fine community --
Who do you think make good femmeslash angst? Who doesn't work at all? And, my favorite part, why do you think that?
My thoughts --
Buffy/Willow -- usually not a lot of angst. Though I did see one once set during WIllow relationship with Oz, in which she really didn't want to hurt him and wouldn't go be with Buffy. Waaaaay angst.
Birds of Prey tv series Helena/Barbara -- usually great angst, since the mentor relationship throws a wrench into things.
Faith/anybody -- usually good angst, since Faith is like a walking angst package, torn between what she wishes for and what she knows she deserves.
Anyway.