I mock you with my monkey pants! Fanfic discussion thread

[KingofCretins]

Restarting from main site. I'll re-ask the same question I asked on BuffyWorld: does anyone that's written in both have thoughts on the merits of a screenplay vs. narrative prose style for a virtual season?

[Llywela]

Interesting question. I remember asking something similar a long, long time ago.

I've written both. I prefer narrative, but did write a story set in the Wishverse as a script, mostly as an experiment with the format, and found that there are pros and cons to both.

With script I found it a blessing to be able to intercut scenes rapidly in a way that could never happen in the narrative style! It's a fairly minimalist format - you have to work hard at showing what's going on, laying it all out for your viewers in as visual a manner as possible while writing (if that makes sense), just stage directions and dialogue. It keeps you honest, because you have to make sure that those directions and dialogue carry all the exposition your readers are going to need. Whereas narrative is a much richer format because it allows you to really get into the nitty gritty of analysing the emotions and motivations of the characters, following their thought processes and describing events and thoughts in as much depth as you want. Plus, you can cheat a bit with the exposition, slipping it into the odd establishing paragraph here and there, instead of having to make your characters spell it all out

[KingofCretins]

I've never attempted to write a screenplay before, other than the quite bastardized version I use to do the Season 8 transcripts, so it's a bit intimidating.

[Llywela]

I would say 'go look at the 'official buffyworld season 8 in archives' because that's a great example of how to write script really well But alas you can't, because the stupid forum is down again.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

So, transferring talk from the VIP...tangent mentioned something about a Norse-connected Buffy/Who fic...?

At the moment I'm mulling over various Who crossover options. I think what's attracting me to xovers so much at the moment with Who is that, because the season hasn't finished yet, I'm loath to dive in in case my story gets "disproved" (if you know what I mean) by what's to come...but with a Crossover, I feel like I'm going outside the canon anyway so, doesn't matter so much.

Mulling over ideas at the moment such as...

- Doctor regenerates as a woman (Tamsin Greig!), gets Xander as a companion (because I think Xander sparks off women well, and I've always wanted to see a female doctor).

- Jack/Xander slash (though not sure I can bothered to write that...somehow, mind can fill in the blanks already so, why write it down!)

- Xander/10 fic exploring ten's humanity, with reference to Xander's experiences with Willow and Buffy and their humanity or lack thereof...would be a bit talky though, but interesting. There should be a name for this...for discursive fic...kind of almost an essay, but with characters talking...hmmm...

Then again, I'm quite keen on doing some more just season 8 fics or straight doctor who fics.

[tangent]

Hah found it.

Really should be sticky this thread, Anyhoo i have been mightily inspired by the excellent drabbles and ficlets regarding dr who that have appeared on here.

I was thinking of writing a longer crossover Buffy/DW peice. Specifically i can see a Nordic sort of themecoming through from DW, wioth the fire and ice, coming storm thing. Just seems very...mythic to me.

anyon agree or have i finally flipped?

[KingofCretins]

I've got a couple of Season 8 fic ideas in mind, one dealing with Giles finding out

Spoiler:

about Ethan being murdered.

[tangent]

At the moment I'm mulling over various Who crossover options. I think what's attracting me to xovers so much at the moment with Who is that, because the season hasn't finished yet, I'm loath to dive in in case my story gets "disproved" (if you know what I mean) by what's to come...but with a Crossover, I feel like I'm going outside the canon anyway so, doesn't matter so much.

The thing to me that makes DW such a juicy choice for X-over is that it's very hard to be disproved. You could set the story with any doctor and theres nothing to say that it hasn't happened at some point but we just haven't seen it. You can mess about with time and causality cos he does.

Having said that the only thing that could be held sacred are regenerations. We know that thus far he only gets 13. we also know all 10 that he has had. Of course there's nothing to say waht weould happen if he slipped into a different dimesion.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

I was thinking of writing a longer crossover Buffy/DW peice. Specifically i can see a Nordic sort of themecoming through from DW, wioth the fire and ice, coming storm thing. Just seems very...mythic to me.

anyon agree or have i finally flipped?

Not at all...there's definitely something of the Loki in the Doctor. Go with it! I see the Doc as much more mythic than Buffy. Buffy subverts myth...the Doctor does sometimes too...but not as much as she does.

I've got a couple of Season 8 fic ideas in mind, one dealing with Giles finding out

Spoiler:

about Ethan being murdered.

That is a BRILLIANT idea, would love to read his reactions to that. Please!

[tangent]

Here's a couple of general questions re ficcing and writing in general.

I have been accused by some of a certain, how can i put it... mopiness in my fics which seems to be something i can't help. Anyone any tips on how this can be balanced?

also i recently wrote a none ficcy piece fro a competion but never got the chance to enter it, can't get on to my LJ site to post it there. Anyone any ideas? (It's a sci-fi piece.0

[Wolfie Gilmore]

The thing to me that makes DW such a juicy choice for X-over is that it's very hard to be disproved. You could set the story with any doctor and theres nothing to say that it hasn't happened at some point but we just haven't seen it. You can mess about with time and causality cos he does.

True...though I feel you do need to respect emotional continuity. I don't know much about previous Who's (can't remember a lot of detail from when IWas a kid, and have only seen the odd Tom Baker), but with 9 and 10, definitely would need to respect their different arcs. But yeah, could fit a lot within that and still feel canony.

Having said that the only thing that could be held sacred are regenerations. We know that thus far he only gets 13. we also know all 10 that he has had. Of course there's nothing to say waht weould happen if he slipped into a different dimesion.

Maybe if 13 was a woman, she could have kids? Do we know how timelords reproduce??

[KingofCretins]

Try writing a short fic about something benign and fun. A Season 2 fic of the gang watching a movie or something.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Here's a couple of general questions re ficcing and writing in general.

I have been accused by some of a certain, how can i put it... mopiness in my fics which seems to be something i can't help. Anyone any tips on how this can be balanced?

Add some jokes. Add some more jokes. Then some more. That's what makes Buffy great...it never mopes for long, always moving along to the funny from the sad. Ok, most of the time.

also i recently wrote a none ficcy piece fro a competion but never got the chance to enter it, can't get on to my LJ site to post it there. Anyone any ideas? (It's a sci-fi piece.0

Why don't you post it here?

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Try writing a short fic about something benign and fun. A Season 2 fic of the gang watching a movie or something.

That's a good idea. Or a simple demon fighting fic - with the gang working together. Teamwork is unangsty.

[KingofCretins]

Write that, then re-read it to see if it is at all mopey.

[tangent]

Thanks guy's great advice. I have feelings of inspiriness.

can we post non ficcy stuffe here? thought it might be against the rules? (one warning if i so the first word in the reply on it fom my lovely beta was: bleak!)

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Thanks guy's great advice. I have feelings of inspiriness.

can we post non ficcy stuffe here? thought it might be against the rules? (one warning if i so the first word in the reply on it fom my lovely beta was: bleak!)

Hmm....maybe post elsewhere in the misc section? But I'm not bothered by fic that's not fan in the fic section...what do others think? Could ask nikki?

I'm musing on my Doctor-regenerates-as-woman fic, and figuring that, as the regenerations get towards the final numbers, the process becomes unstable, ergo sex change.

[Dorian's Kitten]

Add some jokes. Add some more jokes. Then some more. That's what makes Buffy great...it never mopes for long, always moving along to the funny from the sad. Ok, most of the time.

Jokes are good. Buffy jokes are hard. I've been trying to work out like a classification system for the types of jokes that seem authentic Buffy. For example there are the classic take something literal jokes and the mispronounce something so it sounds bad jokes. I have also been noticing that often what made something funny on the screen was more in the delivery of the line than in the words. Which of course only makes the task of the fan fic writer tougher.

Thanks guy's great advice. I have feelings of inspiriness.
can we post non ficcy stuffe here? thought it might be against the rules? (one warning if i so the first word in the reply on it fom my lovely beta was: bleak!)

Bleak isn't necessarily a bad thing. Your beta might just like bleak.


So I've discovered that I have a horrible hard time coming up with an interesting back plot. You know, I know where I want the characters to go and even the steps that get them there, but the causes are hard. I feel like I'm just going "hmmm ok so there's some baddies and what are they doing-well something bad that allows character A to say a snazzy line that I already wrote and makes character b mad enough to do that thing I want him to do. But why are the baddies doing these things? " Does anyone else have this problem? Or even better does anyone have a ton of back plot ideas they would like to share?

[KingofCretins]

What are you shopping for, DK? I am pretty good at backstory and phlebotenum.

[Dorian's Kitten]

I know that my baddies (there's a group of them) are willing to go to any lengths to get something (don't know what) back from the slayers. Meaning the slayers have something of theirs. I know that they are going to cause some pretty serious damage. What I need is a who they are and what they want. What exactly did the Slayers take from them? I am trying to avoid the obvious: they are plotting to take over this dimension and need that to bring back their demon god or such.