Comments | housefic_meta: The Examination: simple_

namasteyoga in housefic_meta

The Examination: simple__man

Jun 12, 2007 20:02

Browse ff.net (if you dare) and you see them everywhere. House has a kid! Who's just like him! Only a girl! With an attitude! And even smarter!

Thank goodness there are writers like simple__man to help cut through all that cloying bad!fic and find something plausible within even the worst cliches.

From Brilliant.

"As I'm sure you've been told, your son is ( Read more... )

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Comments 43

pwcorgigirl June 13 2007, 01:08:36 UTC

Nicky! You're famous! :)

Okay, here are the very serious writerly questions for you:

Fic in a domestic setting is both one of your strengths as a writer and something you mention as enjoying to read. Those who haven't read your journal may not know that you have a close-knit extended family with a tribe of cousins from baby-age on up. How much would you say being in a family, and especially regularly around children, contribute to your writing?

Also, because you've written things that made me laugh until I was helpless, what (aside from a natural sense of humor) aids in writing funny, snappy dialogue?

simple__man June 13 2007, 01:35:19 UTC

Lowly. Crawling. Wriggling on my belly with lowly crawlingness ( ... )

pwcorgigirl June 13 2007, 02:02:08 UTC

You're welcome!

I think you hit it on the head with your answer about having an ear for dialogue and cadence -- it's very much like the writer's version of an ear for music -- because people who are good storytellers also tend to be good "story listeners." They know a good story when they hear it in process, even if it's something overheard in the next aisle over in the grocery store.

simple__man June 13 2007, 02:14:19 UTC

Yes, absolutely! My family is the biggest bunch of drama queens imaginable, where even the most mundane of tasks (taking out the garbage, swatting a bug, buying Girl Scout Cookies) becomes this extravagant, over-the-top, stage-ready affair.

And for me, it's a matter of taking that same mentality, and transferring it into writing. A lot of storytelling is growing up with stories, but it's also done by studying people and immersing oneself in stories, just like a person who is steeped in music as a child and beyond but who also has a natural ear for music.

dropsofviolet June 13 2007, 01:26:59 UTC

First of all, before any questions, I'd like to say that I'm squeeingly glad that there's someone else around who has a faucet for a muse-- it's either on or it's not. Gives me hope that the d*mn faucet will switch back on soon.

Now to questions.
You mentioned that you didn't like House/Foreman because it felt like "cheating" to you. Since House/Wilson seems to really be your main OTP, I was wondering if you had any others in the fandom?

Which do you think helps you more when writing Church fic: being in a similar relationship to House and Wilson, or being from a big family with a lot of kid antics?

Did you ever consider making Church a girl, or did his character just kind of have to happen the way it did?

I hope these are okay.

simple__man June 13 2007, 01:46:14 UTC

These are absolutely wonderful, thank you for asking them ( ... )

dropsofviolet June 13 2007, 18:17:35 UTC

Thanks for answering them! I have seen a touch of that House/Cuddy-- just a touch-- and I was actually going to ask you about that, lol, but I forgot. ^_^

simple__man June 13 2007, 22:07:12 UTC

Not a problem! *grins* Just a touch, yeah, but Cuddy's definitely my girl ^^

flynn_boyant June 13 2007, 01:37:22 UTC

Yeah! Nicky! You're a star--well, we always knew that but now the world knows it.

Here's my question: If you could rewrite any episode of the show which one would it be and why?

simple__man June 13 2007, 01:57:42 UTC

*blush* Thank you, dear! I'm so not, but I appreciate the saying of it ( ... )

phoenixangel13 June 13 2007, 18:40:58 UTC

i think they made a lot of people hate a rape victim, i sure hope they weren't trying to make people think they were going to hell for hating her, lol.

simple__man June 13 2007, 22:08:00 UTC

*laughing* Who knows. I never figured out the purpose of the episode through all the b.s. ^^

little_himself June 13 2007, 03:11:18 UTC

We all know since you keep telling us that you base characters off family members in real life. So who do you base characters off of, first of all, and how much of each would you say goes into making the characters both yours and staying in character at the same time? (Okay maybe this is a loaded question)

By yours I mean when you write in what is obviously an AU. (the Churseverse, but also the AU of Continuum as well)

Also, I think that a Continuum fic set earlier in that universe might be interesting. Something showing House and Wilson in an earlier incarnation perhaps. What do you think?

simple__man June 13 2007, 03:47:31 UTC

Be still my heart. You, commenting on a post? You must love me or something ( ... )

little_himself June 13 2007, 23:43:03 UTC

Oh shut up. I would hate for your ego to wither and flail or something of the like.

...

I am not the mouth of the south. That title I believe belongs to you.

I can definitly see all the family refrences, except the curls. Where you say that Just and myself, and then the others as bases for Church. There isn't a curl in our clan. Of course, those would come from Lisa and House, but still. Church's curls do stand out in my mind.

What about Miss Ashley?

And as far as Continuum goes, did I bother you enough about it today? *smirk* Because I know you haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

deelaundry June 13 2007, 03:36:52 UTC

Thank you for the comment on crying. I read, absorbed, and then went back and excised the crying from a draft I have. It's much better for it.

Namaste asked the questions I wanted to ask, so guess I'll just give a fangirly squeal that you're writing Housefic again. (Even if you broke my heart with Sink or Swim so badly that I couldn't even comment.)

Wait! One question: Any chance your muse will take you back to the tbc "post-mortem drabbles" (last one here: http://simple--man.livejournal.com/121870.html) or to finish up Cheating? Please?

simple__man June 13 2007, 03:56:34 UTC

Not a problem, no problem at all. I'm glad that it helped. Mind you, I'm not saying that crying is never permissible. Sometimes it works.

You have the cutest fangirly squeal! ^^ I heart it. Oh, I didn't mean to break it. Would a sequel or followup help? (Did I say that out loud??)

Oh, you read my mind. I'm going back to Cheating within the next day or so, because it's been chewing at my brain. Like they do! ^^ As for the post-mortem, I probably will, but they clammed up on me there at the end, and I've never really gotten any further. Gods spare me from characters that think entirely too much on their own!

Thanks, luv! It's always great to talk with you.