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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Oct 16, 2006 14:56:37 GMT -5
There's a constant drone of criticism in the anti-fanfic parts of the blogosphere, saying that writing fic is easy, just taking characters and situations where all the hard work has been done by someone else and putting them through their paces. I can't imagine how these alleged writers deal with their own stuff, if they think it's easy to keep their original characters consistent and recognizable throughout their story, if they are trying to keep them convincingly human and individual. Adding "in character with canon" to that, and fic is harder, not easier, at least in my experience. Mireille is a master of characterization, and she's taken on, for friendship, a tough challenge: Xander/Andrew, post-Chosen. There's a substantial amount of Andrew slash out there, and all too often, when he's part of the primary pairing, he's a parody twink, entirely submissive and utterly foolish. That may be a reasonable reading of his canon characterization, but it's also really boring to read, at least to my taste. And it forces the other half of the pairing to be equally cartoonish; too often what results is D/s kink fic of the "humorous" sort. There's a reason you haven't seen a lot of Andrew fics recommended here. Stages of Love (adult but not pornish, link goes to the last chapter with earlier chapters linked in headers) is something else entirely from the general run of Andrew slash. The ways in which Xander comes to value Andrew, to need him, to desire him, and finally to understand the importance of their relationship are convincingly gradual and cumulative. Andrew is a bit stronger and saner than he'd been in Sunnydale, but he has vulnerabilities which Xander has to deal with; Xander has weaknesses which anyone who watched the series can recognize and appreciate, and he, too, has to get past them to be in a relationship with a chance of lasting. It's a delight, really. Julia, always happy to have my preferences subverted
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Oct 17, 2006 21:01:13 GMT -5
Another fic that had gotten lost in the shuffle: "Settling In", by Mireille719, G/X early s4, R. Willow and Buffy are settling in to dorm life, and Giles and Xander are at loose ends: mireille719.livejournal.com/1354039.htmlJulia, short, sweet, and with Mireille's usual incisive observation of Giles and Xander's characters and guyness in general
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Oct 22, 2006 10:38:54 GMT -5
OK, third Mireille rec in a row, which says something (says, among other things, that much of my flist is writing McShep and TS fics, or original stories)."Eyes Without Speaking Confess" G/X, a slow and gradual unfolding, ending at post-Chosen, where six people find out that Giles and Xander think of themselves as a couple: mireille719.livejournal.com/1370816.html?style=mineLovely characterisation, PG-13ish, sweetly humorous and tenderly emotional. Julia, and fine, damned fine
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Oct 29, 2006 11:45:27 GMT -5
Wesleysgirl has written a fic for the Watcherlove (G/W) ficathon, around NFA. "The Road Not Taken" has a repeated line which is a door out of Cyvus Vale's lair, and a relationship which respects Wes's ties to other characters, and is, as should not need saying with WG as author, precisely expressed and full of understated emotion: wesleysgirl.livejournal.com/670935.html?style=mineJulia, and as good a start to a Standard Time morning as could be asked
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Nov 16, 2006 19:59:59 GMT -5
Savoy Truffle! She's written a new Spander Fic! Being a PhD candidate in the dissertation-writing phase of grad school, and an instructor of Philosophy, and a new home-owner, she hasn't written much lately, which is a shame. Or Forever Hold Your Peace takes us to Xander's lonely bachelor party, where he's the only celebrant until Spike suddenly shows up. Link goes to LJ Memories, so may not always be there. If you have trouble viewing her page, add ?style=mine after the html for each chapter. Julia, Live Journal is being a bit of a bitca of late.
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Nov 19, 2006 22:59:44 GMT -5
Shadowscast has written a post-NFA S/X for fall for S/X which includes an already-gay Xander and shanshued Spike, and made it entirely different from the Fragments-verse, her story series including the incomparable "How the Light Gets In." That doesn't mean that this story is less impeccably characterized and convincingly plotted; the whole trick of fanfic is stretching canon a bit while not straining or distorting it. Differing emphasis can produce very different effect without distorting character or circumstance, and this story remains very close to the people and events we know. Sock Puppet, nine chapters in memories, complete. S/X, hard R. Julia, and nobody does it better...
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Dec 4, 2006 11:57:59 GMT -5
What's the line? "This is the sort of thing you'll like a lot, if you like this sort of thing?" I think that's it. Soft Princess, "Fly With Me" Wes/Angel, post NFA, PG-13, no details how it happened, much very nice use of language and sharp characterization: soft-princess.livejournal.com/334658.htmlJulia, slowly working my way through my flist, this was from a recommendation from Flaming Muse
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Dec 14, 2006 18:06:20 GMT -5
Savoy Truffle, "Best Alternative to a Negotiated Settlement", S/X, post NFA, post-ship, R, with funny bits and angsty bits and Spike having learned to be still and Xander almost able not to babble when nervous: savoytruffle.livejournal.com/77438.html?style-mineJulia, and quite wonderful, to be honest
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Post by Lola m on Dec 14, 2006 22:19:33 GMT -5
Savoy Truffle, "Best Alternative to a Negotiated Settlement", S/X, post NFA, post-ship, R, with funny bits and angsty bits and Spike having learned to be still and Xander almost able not to babble when nervous: savoytruffle.livejournal.com/77438.html?style-mineJulia, and quite wonderful, to be honest Ah, and it's so wonderful to see something new by her. I'm a happy woman.
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Dec 22, 2006 21:18:16 GMT -5
Reremouse is a writer of infinite flexibility; she primarily writes Xander and Spike centric slash, and a lot of Spander, but her mind encompasses the deathly dark of "Drowning not Waving" (cowritten with Tabaqui, and even though I betaed I've got no idea who wrote what) and then turns around and writes a blithe, hopeful, and wryly humorous piece like Scoffs at Gravity, a X/S take on AtS s5, where Xander, instead of accepting the job in Africa, is sent to observe the goings-on at W&H and report back to the Council of Watchers. Spike shows up to snark and watch HiDef with lots of channels, and the course of canon is slowly changed by the presence of their history. This was written at my request, and I'm very glad I asked for whatever it was I asked for. Julia, a fic like a nice cat to snuggle in the lap
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Dec 27, 2006 0:47:28 GMT -5
I'm never going to get caught up, y'all know that, right? This fic is from the "Nobody Knows" Giles/Xander ficathon, written by Antennapedia for Soft Princess, a very PG look at the end of the summer after "Chosen" when people are getting a bit saner and beginning to talk to each other. Cloud Animals: antennapedia.livejournal.com/148943.html?format=lightJulia, very nice piece of writing
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Dec 27, 2006 0:56:41 GMT -5
I'm never going to get caught up, y'all know that, right? This fic is from the "Nobody Knows" Giles/Xander ficathon, written by Antennapedia for Soft Princess, a very PG look at the end of the summer after "Chosen" when people are getting a bit saner and beginning to talk to each other. Cloud Animals: antennapedia.livejournal.com/148943.html?format=lightJulia, very nice piece of writing
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Jan 22, 2007 2:02:53 GMT -5
Mireille719 and "Post Finals Tradition;" Connor's roommate is a little old for a freshman, and he feels that he's way too normal next to Oz: mireille719.livejournal.com/1433799.html?style=mineJulia, PG-13-ish, a little pot, a little exploration, and a girlfriend at Evergreen who dumps Connor about midterm Fall quarter.
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Feb 12, 2007 19:05:39 GMT -5
Tabaqui has a way with whimsy, and with the darker side of fairystories, and nowhere is that better demonstrated than in 2006's Neverland, where Spike and Xander meet by way of Peter Pan, who's lost what sense he had and is looking for the ultimate weapon against Hook. She's put up an epilogue showing Spike, Xander, and Tink happy in that other haven for lost boys, San Francisco: tabaqui.livejournal.com/112678.htmlJulia, NC-17, and warnings for horny Tink.
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Mar 1, 2007 16:08:49 GMT -5
Ah. I do like Spike/Oz (I like most pairings with Oz, het or slash, to be truthful) and I do most sincerly love authors who can be sensuous and sensual and serious and all without falling prey to the climactic climax, ifyaknowwhatimean, and Sottovoce is one of those writers. In Philosophy 420 Spike is drinking and critiquing the inadequacies of the LA Neopunk scene, post-Destiny in AtS s4, when Oz's band takes the stage. What comes after, well, read it, you'll like it, I promise. Julia, unless you're looking for PWP in which case sorry, I'm sort of bored with the stuff
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