After reading yourlibrarian’s post about how people are writing Shanshu!Spike, I decided to brush off these very old thoughts I’d been having about pre- and post-canon
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I just want Spike to have a happy ending, or at least to put right some of the slights done to him, in or outside canon timelines or parameters. I don't read much pre-canon (or, mid-canon in the case of the vamps) because we know what happens later. I really think Spike and Xander make the most obviously suited and fun pairing, but I wouldn't attempt to write it because others have already done it so many times, and so well. I would be in constant danger of plagiarism. Also, I don't think I know american culture well enough to make Xander realisitc in terms of references, and I don't think I could make him funny.
I don't read much pre-canon (or, mid-canon in the case of the vamps) because we know what happens later. Yeah! That's a good point everything was evolving and changing - you can hardly recognise the Spike of BtVS 2 against the Spike of AtS 5, say. I guess, on the other hand, tying the things that don't match together could also be fun (or at least when it works!). I really think Spike and Xander make the most obviously suited and fun pairing, but I wouldn't attempt to write it because others have already done it so many times, and so well. Yeah, exactly and that's the same with a lot of pairings. And I find myself sitting down thinking - a lot has been said, what more can be? Also, I don't think I know american culture well enough to make Xander realisitc in terms of references, and I don't think I could make him funny. LOL! I appreciate that too. The best writers of Spander, or even just Xander, seem to have this endless stream of cult references that I can't even come close to ;)
I like to stick to canon as closely as I can but, as you rightly said, there are still quite a few possibilities to be explored that haven't had much airing. Post NFA, I'm keen to exlpore what might happen to Drusilla and Connor. Canon has given us Darla's ending but not Drusilla's and it left the door wide open for what might befall Connor. I have a few options in mind in the WIP but haven't finally decided on any of them, each has its merits and deserves some exploration.
Post NFA, I'm keen to exlpore what might happen to Drusilla and Connor. Canon has given us Darla's ending but not Drusilla's and it left the door wide open for what might befall Connor. Yeah, exactly these are two characters that it seems there are a wealth of possibilities to explore. Yet, I guess, if you really focussed on one of the really well explored characters (I'm thinking Buffy) I'm sure there are things that could be thought about post-NFA too. I have a few options in mind in the WIP but haven't finally decided on any of them, each has its merits and deserves some exploration. I wish you good luck with those. And it makes me kinda giddy to know that people are still coming up with ideas.
I do wonder if the vast amount of post-series fic comes from the fact that people no longer have to worry about being Jossed... there's infinite freedom there, and any one interpretation is (theoretically) as likely as another. And it is, as you say, the opportunity to write your own ending, in the way that you wanted things to go, and probably never be officially contradicted.
And speaking for myself, I no longer feel compelled to write BtVS fic because, to me, the story's over, the book is closed, and ultimately, I was happy with it, and I would think that that kind of feeling would kind of lead to avoiding mid-canon fic--that story's been told. But then, I'm not reading a lot of BtVS (or AtS) fic anymore, either, post or mid-season, for much the same reason. Though that may be a whole separate issue, and not really what you're getting at here, but hey. :)
I do wonder if the vast amount of post-series fic comes from the fact that people no longer have to worry about being JossedI think there's a lot to that. I'm reminded of the reaction when Spike's last name was revealed. Although I know much of that came from people's unhappiness about the name chosen, I can't help thinking that part of it was that it also affected hundreds (maybe more) of stories which had had to weigh on what that name was. I also noticed some anxiety about the announcement that Joss plans to write a post-Chosen Buffy comic in the next year or so
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Therefore their motivation comes less from wanting to "fix" something when it happened than change things post-canon. Or, vice-versa, people who really hated canon developments and used to write for the fandom have since moved on and no longer are writing those mid-canon stories? Yes this is also a possibility, but then there's me making conscious efforts to try and squeeze things inside series because I don't see it being done that often elsewhere. The seasonal_spuffy was my concerted effort to do that, but hey, I could just be crazy. *g* I guess getting Jossed just doesn't affect me somehow but maybe I haven't thought of it too much. A good story always remains a good story, although I can appreciate how radically altered say S2 Spike fic that got written while the show was going on can appear now.
I think you're right that canon has already been written about so extensively that writing pre or post series is an opportunity for a writer to really cover new ground.
I noticed that after Buffy ended, on top of the post-"Chosen" fic, there seemed to be an explosion of AU fic. I remember wondering at the time if part of that didn't arise from the lack of ongoing canon to draw from.
I do think there are different requirements for fic set in canon and pre- and post-series fic. In the former, you've already pretty much got the setup to work with, so what's interesting is what grows from it. In the latter, you have a lot more freedom, but also need to have a really well-thought-out approach to the story, since there's not much existing structure to work with.
Well, you're right on the mark there with your final comments. There is the danger of the freedom, but at the same time you really have to hook the reader in somehow that everyone doesn't throw their hands up at the unbelievability. I noticed that after Buffy ended, on top of the post-"Chosen" fic, there seemed to be an explosion of AU fic. I remember wondering at the time if part of that didn't arise from the lack of ongoing canon to draw from. Two really good points, but at the same time unless you're only writing one really explored character there is also a lot still to draw on from canon! Hmmm...
I think it's very difficult to fit long stories successfully into canon, because you're very limited in the kind of character development you can do, and because any event significant enough to base a long story on is almost certain to be significant enough to affect the way canon events would play out later. It's not impossible--you could set it during the summer, or, if you're as good as Kalima, in the cracks of the mid-season episodes where nothing much happens. But my favorite in-series stories tend to be the ones which start with canon and branch off from it in a logical way.
But my favorite in-series stories tend to be the ones which start with canon and branch off from it in a logical way. Yes, I do agree with you there, and perhaps it's a matter of getting the best of both worlds - satisfying events in canon but also having circumstances/situations/character changes/whatever play out that never happened in the show. I guess the possibilities really become endless then.
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I really think Spike and Xander make the most obviously suited and fun pairing, but I wouldn't attempt to write it because others have already done it so many times, and so well. I would be in constant danger of plagiarism. Also, I don't think I know american culture well enough to make Xander realisitc in terms of references, and I don't think I could make him funny.
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Yeah! That's a good point everything was evolving and changing - you can hardly recognise the Spike of BtVS 2 against the Spike of AtS 5, say. I guess, on the other hand, tying the things that don't match together could also be fun (or at least when it works!).
I really think Spike and Xander make the most obviously suited and fun pairing, but I wouldn't attempt to write it because others have already done it so many times, and so well.
Yeah, exactly and that's the same with a lot of pairings. And I find myself sitting down thinking - a lot has been said, what more can be?
Also, I don't think I know american culture well enough to make Xander realisitc in terms of references, and I don't think I could make him funny.
LOL! I appreciate that too. The best writers of Spander, or even just Xander, seem to have this endless stream of cult references that I can't even come close to ;)
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Yeah, exactly these are two characters that it seems there are a wealth of possibilities to explore. Yet, I guess, if you really focussed on one of the really well explored characters (I'm thinking Buffy) I'm sure there are things that could be thought about post-NFA too.
I have a few options in mind in the WIP but haven't finally decided on any of them, each has its merits and deserves some exploration.
I wish you good luck with those. And it makes me kinda giddy to know that people are still coming up with ideas.
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And speaking for myself, I no longer feel compelled to write BtVS fic because, to me, the story's over, the book is closed, and ultimately, I was happy with it, and I would think that that kind of feeling would kind of lead to avoiding mid-canon fic--that story's been told. But then, I'm not reading a lot of BtVS (or AtS) fic anymore, either, post or mid-season, for much the same reason. Though that may be a whole separate issue, and not really what you're getting at here, but hey. :)
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Yes this is also a possibility, but then there's me making conscious efforts to try and squeeze things inside series because I don't see it being done that often elsewhere. The seasonal_spuffy was my concerted effort to do that, but hey, I could just be crazy. *g*
I guess getting Jossed just doesn't affect me somehow but maybe I haven't thought of it too much. A good story always remains a good story, although I can appreciate how radically altered say S2 Spike fic that got written while the show was going on can appear now.
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Would really REALLY appreciate an answer as I am totally out of the post-series loop and this is news to me.
Thanks!
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I noticed that after Buffy ended, on top of the post-"Chosen" fic, there seemed to be an explosion of AU fic. I remember wondering at the time if part of that didn't arise from the lack of ongoing canon to draw from.
I do think there are different requirements for fic set in canon and pre- and post-series fic. In the former, you've already pretty much got the setup to work with, so what's interesting is what grows from it. In the latter, you have a lot more freedom, but also need to have a really well-thought-out approach to the story, since there's not much existing structure to work with.
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I noticed that after Buffy ended, on top of the post-"Chosen" fic, there seemed to be an explosion of AU fic. I remember wondering at the time if part of that didn't arise from the lack of ongoing canon to draw from.
Two really good points, but at the same time unless you're only writing one really explored character there is also a lot still to draw on from canon! Hmmm...
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I would love to see more of these, myself.
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Yes, I do agree with you there, and perhaps it's a matter of getting the best of both worlds - satisfying events in canon but also having circumstances/situations/character changes/whatever play out that never happened in the show. I guess the possibilities really become endless then.
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