The Examination: Deelaundry

[namasteyoga]

House is a smart guy. So is Wilson. Their banter drew - and continues to draw - a lot of people into “House,” the show, and House, the fandom.

But here’s the thing. It’s hard to write that banter. Some shoot for “sarcastic,” but end up only sounding pissed off. Others who attempt humor end up missing the point completely.

deelaundry is one of those writers

Comments

[purridot]

These interviews are fun!

1. So often original characters risk coming across awkwardly in fanfic; but you've written several charming OCs, like Jack, Drycleaner et al, even the stripper at House's bachelor party. What is the trick?!?!

2. Some of your stories have unabashedly unhappy (but not emo!) endings. Are they hard to write, or are they somehow cathartic for you?

[purridot]

... on second thought, maybe I should change #2 above to "melancholy" rather than "unhappy". I think my point was trying to be, "Is it hard to write non-fluff?"

Since Gena asked several questions, I'm going to throw out another!

3. If HL and RSL agreed to act in a film of any of your stories, which one would you pick?

[deelaundry]

3. Ooh, can you make it happen? Please?

For a film, my not-so-secret wish is that someone (Stephen Fry? You don't happen to be reading this, do you?) would adapt "My Fathers' Son," with HL and RSL acting in it.

For a scene on House itself (or in the DVD extras - Katie Jacobs, are you reading?), I would love to see what HL & RSL would do with "Proposing" (ver. 1 - ending could be adapted to be friendship only!), or "The Registry."

Purridot, is there one you'd like to see?

[purridot]

MFS would definitely play to the wistful, longing looks that HL and RSL are so good at. Mmm. I wonder who would make a good Jack.

It would also be fun to see them take on the more intricate spoken language of Pillory -- and there are great opportunities for eye!sex there too. For physical comedy, maybe something from the Domestic/Big Game universe? And for sheer angst, oooh, A Drop of Water. And to scoop up the Best Visual Effects Oscar: Not Angels :-)

[genagirl]

Very informative!!! I have a couple of questions for you. Is there any other House fanfic author's style you wish you could emulate? Why? What do you think of your work once you've finished a story and set to work on the next? What kind of fics (House or otherwise) do you avoid? And lastly, What kind of non-fandom stuff do you read? Okay, that was more than a couple but I'm curious.

[deelaundry]

Is there any other House fanfic author's style you wish you could emulate? Why?

There are definitely writers that have talents I don't (physical descriptions, conveying mood through environment, getting into emotional characters' heads), and I admire them for those talents, but I'm actually pretty happy with my style overall. I'll continue to try to grow and stretch, but am content with the voice I've found.

What do you think of your work once you've finished a story and set to work on the next?

Does it sound narcissistic to say I usually really like it? I write what I want to read, so a fic's not finished until it's something I'd read again.

What kind of fics (House or otherwise) do you avoid?

Purple prose. It makes my eyes spin.

I can't read "straight" the fics in which characters act not just unlike themselves but unlike any adults ever, but those fics do make great MST fodder.

And lastly, What kind of non-fandom stuff do you read?There are just not enough hours in the day - I haven't read out of fandom in ages. I

[deelaundry]

I have written House/Cameron! ( After the Fourth Wedding - "really good" or not is for you to decide.) I've also written a House-Cameron friendship fic ( FunctionFor me, the first critical thing is to get Cameron out of House's department. The "young ingenue" thing Wilson was spouting in S1 (in the Clinic exam room with "Do Her or You're Gay" guy) is boring, and we've seen how much that didn't work on that horrible "date." Cameron has to get out and establish herself separately before House giving her the time of day can be believable

[roga]

A couple ore questions :-)

1. Which of your stories are you proudest of (not necessarily best, not neccessarily like best, but proudest), for whatever reason?

2. How much editing do you do after finishing a first draft of a fic, and how?

3. What do you do immediately after posting?

[deelaundry]

1. I'm proud of my Tritter voice in Ass. I went broad on the characterization, yep, but I think the voice came out well.

Pillory was a challenge that I think I rose to well.

The story in My Fathers' Son is one that I haven't seen elsewhere, inside of fandom or out, and would like to. I'm also proud that I was able to create a believable OC, and keep his characterization steady through so many ages.

But the fic I'm most proud of is Around the World and Back Again (Grace Jones’ Polar Opposite Remix), a remix of thedeadparrot's Singapore. I wanted so much to stay faithful to the original, to make my fic the other half of the coin, and I truly think I did it.

2. The amount of editing varies depending on what it needs. Even for the smallest ficlets, I always re-read and make adjustments where needed. Most fics go through a second or third read by me and a beta by the ever-awesome daisylily; I edit as needed after that. Very long, or complex, or anxiety-provoking fics get a read-through by some wonderful people on my f-list. Snowglobe and Commitment

[asynca]

Very interesting interview.

I'm interested in hearing more about your voices. You said once that you'd expected to discover that the majority of your fics would be from Wilson's POV - which turned out to not be the case. Do you choose the POV as a dramatic device to suit a story you want to tell? Is it a conscious choice for you, or more of a natural 'this feels right for the story'-type decision?

I'm thinking specifically of how Locked Up and Set Free would be from a Wilson POV.

[deelaundry]

POV is usually what feels right for the story. There are exceptions, of course: "Around the World" had to be House POV because I was remixing a story in Wilson POV. "Pillory," in which Wilson takes the "station" of a woman, had to be Wilson POV, first person, so that I could avoid gender pronoun issues.

Locked Up and Set Free was always going to be House POV, because it's House's story. I wanted to explore what House would do if Wilson "got over" House and quit doing all the relationship work. I wanted Wilson's motivations to stay unexplored, unless House got off his butt and asked about them. And he, for the most part, didn't.

I'd be interested how a talented author such as yourself would write the events of "Locked Up" from a Wilson POV. Blackmare wrote a nice companion piece from Wilson POV that takes place after the fic ends. A Wilson POV during "Locked Up" from another author would be intriguing

[deelaundry]

Sorry, that first sentence above should be "The POV is usually a natural 'what feels right for the story' decision."