The Essay That Wasn't - Part I

[superplin]

What the hell. I keep mentioning this essay, but considering that I started it about a year and a half ago and it's still languishing, it will probably never be finished. There are 3 or 4 very long parts already done in (very rough) draft form, though, so I might as well post what I have. You non-fandom people will want to look away right about now

Comments

[wisewoman]

I'm sorry, plin, I don't think I can read it. The first paragraph made me miss BtVS so much that I started to cry...

Must be menopause, I guess. I'll try again later.

;o)

[superplin]

I'm sorry, plin, I don't think I can read it. The first paragraph made me miss BtVS so much that I started to cry...

Oh, I so get that. Part of the reason I abandoned it probably had to do with having a hard time rewatching old episodes and even reading quotes. I still mourn my beloved show.

And because I am very lazy: it's not a very common surname, but more so than I once thought. There are even a couple others out there with my same first and last name, combined, which is kind of freaky!

[scarlettfish]

Glad you posted this...love it so far! On to part II.

[gobi_rex]

Nod, nod.

Do you think that Kendra had more 'bookish' knowledge and Buffy had more practical knowledge, what with the improvising and harassing the demon bar owner (can't remember his name) and etc?

I would love to know where the essay takes us.

[superplin]

Do you think that Kendra had more 'bookish' knowledge and Buffy had more practical knowledge, what with the improvising and harassing the demon bar owner (can't remember his name) and etc?

Yes, absolutely: Kendra could quote extensively from the Slayer's Manual and the "canon" of slayer studies, but Buffy operated strictly on a "need to know" basis. Of course, she could allow herself to work that way, because she had the support of others who could help her--and knowing where to go to get the information you need is a quality of an expert, moreso than trying to accumulate all the knowledge yourself. The Scoobies are the embryonic version of Buffy's distributed power model that came to fruition after Chosen.

(That, in a nutshell, is basically where this essay is going. Or would be going, if it were finished.)

[avrelia]

I find the mall shopping no less requiring certain amounts of prowess and endurence than night-to-night slaying. and Buffy is good in both! Amazing girl, she is. ;)

The spotting vampire in the crowd is so "Buffy" - wrong (according to established practice) means, right result, and it sets up one the most important character traits perfectly.

[superplin]

I find the mall shopping no less requiring certain amounts of prowess and endurence than night-to-night slaying. and Buffy is good in both! Amazing girl, she is.

Absolutely! And that shows that she's expert at being "just a girl," as well as being the slayer. It just takes her a while to figure out how to be both without sacrificing either. Which is what growing up is all about.

The spotting vampire in the crowd is so "Buffy" - wrong (according to established practice) means, right result, and it sets up one the most important character traits perfectly.

I totally agree. I love that scene, for those exact reasons.

[profshallowness]

Ohh, interesting points about 'knowing' and Buffy, looking forward to see where you go with this. (Hi, I found links to this set of essays...somehwhere that I forget. Sorry for being random.)

[superplin]

Hey, random is good! It's like Christmas... in June. Hee.

I do wish you knew where you found the links, because I'm wildly curious (and rather shocked) that anyone bothered to point to these, but such is life.

I'm impressed you've had the fortitude to read this poor abandoned set of notes. Thanks for that, and for commenting.

[profshallowness]

It might be metafandom or it might be someone's memories!?