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So I was talking to

my_daroga the other day and we each thought of something there needs to be fic for. Mine was silly but when I couldn't get to sleep last night in PMS-induced insomnia, I decided there were all sorts of things that should have fic, and don't, and if there is you need to point me to it, and then I need to whine about how there's not enough of it.

Fandoms, canons, and subjects there should be fanfiction for:

MICELLANEOUS

-Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH. This was my_daroga's idea and I agree whole-heartedly. Actually, I'm a little wary of rat!sex fic, but there should be gen. There should be way more gen of kids' books, like:

-The Little Princess. This is my favorite book ever from childhood, and no one ever fics it. The thing is, I can't fic it, because I have no idea for new things to happen. It is actually very Perfect In Every Way. But I still want more! *stamps foot*! My idea for what there needs to be fic of was:

-Fate. Actually, when you think about it, RPS is Fate!fic. But there needs to be people manipulating Fate and making her do things, in a literal sense, but also metaphorically. Actually, RPS as Fate!fic makes me think of Fate as matchmaker, which makes me think of:

-Enchantress from the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. Actually, I have a series of BatB short stories that fit together in a loose fashion, which I plan on publishing one day (*coughs*) and the Enchantress is a big character. Ask me, she's the most fucked up character in that story. Who does she think she is, anyway? But back to the concept of Fate, there needs to be more:

GREEK MYTHOLOGY FIC.

-Hades/Persephone. I've read a couple, but there needs to be more. spuffyduds did a great Hades/Persephone poem. I wish I could compel everyone cool I've ever met to read Mother Love, by Rita Dove. I tend not to appreciate poetry so much, but that collection restored my faith in it; it's about the Hades/Demeter/Persephone triangle. It's like reading some of the very best fanfiction ever, which is so much funner than reading a lot of original fiction. Speaking of Hades/Persephone, though, there should be:

-Hades/Orpheus. Persephone/Orpheus. Hades/Eurydice. Persephone/Eurydice. H/O/P, H/E/P, E/O/P, E/O/H. H/O/P/E. Look at what that spells. Jesus, best fic ever. Oh, and and:

-Hades/Zues. I know they're brothers, but those Greek gods were all incestuous anyway, and you know you like that element of it. Plus, Light/Dark, with Hades so jealous Zeus got the sky. It would be sososo good! Plus you could throw in /Poseidon just for kicks. Or Persephone. God, I love Persephone. As long as we're on this kick:

-Greek Mythology/other religions cross-over. My first friend in fandom ever (Jane Austen friends!) created this 'verse in which Ma'at (Egyptian god of justice) was strong of course, because she has to make all these judgments, but secretly so wibbly inside because she hated having to choose, and doubted her decisions, and felt the weight of the world against her feather (the feather your soul gets weighed against when Anubis sees if you can go to the Underworld). So she sought out the help of Hades, who was sarcastic, ironic, and cruel to the extent that he could give you exactly the kind of talking down you need when you get emo and self-involved. In other words her Hades was Snape.

MA'AT: I've totally gained the weight of the world. Anubis says it goes straight to my thighs.
HADES: (coldly) I see no difference.
That!Hades would have all the dialogue, devil-may-care, wit of Oscar Wilde's like, Lord Goring, but all the Secret Inner Emo-ness of the Phantom of the Opera. Although there's this whole Monty Python spoof in my head where he goes around saying, "Bring out your dead!" and Persephone is saying, "I'm not dead yet! Really, I feel better already!" and someone is beating a cat. Speaking of Oscar Wilde, there should be:

DEAD AUTHORS (AND SOME PHILOSOPHERS) RPS AND RPF:

-Oscar Wilde crack RPS, by crack I mean with no reference to the fact that he was married to Jennifer Ehle and had that affair with Jude Law, and later changed his name to Gordon, Gordon and panted after David Boreanaz in Bones. Maybe I don't want RPS after all because from what I can tell from that movie (Wilde), his RL was kind of sad. But there should be more, like, Lord Goring/Robert Chiltern slash, and Jack/Algy, and stuff. Oh, and Gwendolyn/Cecily. Everyone is so gay in Wilde. It should be easy. Get to work. But speaking of dead author RPS, there should be:

-Thoreau/Emerson, which is really my first slash pairing ever, only I didn't slash them. And my first RPS even though I didn't actually ever write any down. But I invented entire stories around them in my head, how Emerson disappointed Thoreau, because he was so much more of a theorist than an activist, and how Emerson lamented Thoreau, because there was an innocence and idealism in the latter doomed to be destroyed. Of course, Emerson was the idealist between the two, but note he's not the one who went off to Walden Pond either, you know? Not that when it gets down to it Thoreau was that active. He only got arrested for like one night. DUDE. Thoreau!prison!fic. There was "The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail" which is an excellent play that I enjoyed much better than Walden. But anyway, more dead author RPS:

-Socrates/Plato. Because you know Plato was so not platonic with him! I once said, "You really can't tell where Socrates ends and Plato begins," and a friend said, "When they were alive that might've been literal" . . . and it still cracks me up. And another dead author:

-Alexander Pope. Because I dunno, the stories in my head about him are so much less clever and so much more tragic than anything he ever wrote. Irony, I guess. Making something so Romantic out of such an Augustan. Which reminds me how there should be:

-Jane Austen/Charlotte Bronte time-travel. Because Bronte hated Austen, and Austen would've laughed in Charlotte's face. And I love them both and want to smoosh them. It would be like the Hades/Ma'at story I described, where Jane teaches Charlotte not to take herself so seriously, and the latter learns to laugh, but in doing so falls headlong in love, as passionately and violently as you totally would think Charlotte would do it, and of course Charlotte is all melodramatic and tragic about it, as if she never learned anything from Jane at all. Poor, poor confused, gooey-wibbly-so-melty-inside Charlotte. I have such heretofore unknown affection for characters who are confused and shamed and shaken by falling desperately in love with someone they never thought they would. It's like Harry/Draco in a way. Not just Draco and Harry falling for each other but me falling for them, because I never thought I would. OMG the parallels in us all. *brain bursts* But right, more dead authors RPS:

-Shelley/Keats, especially Shelley chasing after Keats and Keats all, but I don't feel that way about you! Fanny! Fanny, save me!, and Shelley wanting to have threesomes with him and Mary, and Mary all like, the fuck, Percy?, and there could be lines from Adonais in it. And if you wanted to do gen there could be:

-that famous meeting of the Shelleys and Byron at Lake Geneva, you know, where Mary started writing Frankenstein. Though that doesn't have to be gen, either. I mean, Byron is there. Which reminds me, I totally ship:

-Byron/his sister. Even though it's wrong. Because it's wrong. And one of these fics should at least include:

-Leigh Hunt. Oh, and for the het crowd:

-Mary Wollstonecraft/William Godwin. Oh, and out of nowhere: John Stuart Mill/Harriet Taylor. And speaking all historical here, there should be:

HISTORICAL FICTION/FACT CROSSOVERS WITH BUFFYVERSE

I believe

frimfram did one with Sherlock Holmes? I haven't read that, but I really want to, and there should be more like that. 'Cause speaking of Romantic poets:

-Coleridge/Buffyverse cross-overs. Because Christabel could be about Darla. Geraldine is probably actually in fact Darla's real name, because we all know she had Daddy!issues. And that also explains why Coleridge is so afraid of women. And since Angel said he met him, there should be:

-Angel/Baudelaire. Why isn't there? Not that I know enough about Baudelaire to actually really appreciate it, but there could be Darla/Poe or something, that whole crowd. And speaking of those Frenchies:

-Phantom of the Opera/Fanged Four. I mean, just because you can. Speaking of Mother Love, by Rita Dove, which we no longer are any more, that's professional fanfic, and there should be more of that, because it keeps alive things like:

THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR

There's pretty much new "fic" for this in the print or in film every five years, but there's so much more yet to be discovered. On ff.n there's about 1,500 fics for that newest King Arthur with Clive Owen, which isn't very much for total fics about the legend. Mists of Avalon still wins imo (okay, in my seventh grade opinion, which is when I last read it) for being the best King Arthur fic. Fic is the wrong term, because there's no definitive canon, but you have to admit King Arthur stuff reads like fic. That's how Guy Gaveril Kay got those parts of the Finovar Tapestry trilogy thing to feels so heavy, even though he way over-used the "stars in her eyes" phrase. Oh, Guinevere. But I mean, there obviously needs to be more:

-Arthur/Lancelot, Arthur/Guenivere, Guenivere/Lancelot, G/A/L. I wish someone would do a version where Lancelot is in love with Arthur, and Arthur is straight, and in love with Guenivere, and Lancelot sleeps with Guenivere just to piss him off. Oh, and Arthur/Lancelot/(Guenivere). And then there should be one that's those three but also Buffy/Angel/Spike, just for me. That's not even talking about the whole:

-Mordred. OMG, Mordred. I only just last night realized how unfairly he's been treated. He's totally the Connor of the 'verse. And now Mordred totally looks like VK in my book which means people should fic him even more. OMG, what if Mordred just wants his Daddy to love him, and Arthur does love him, so so much, but Mordred has been raised on too many lies and--and--! OMG, so sad. Especially the way Arthur murdered all those children to kill Mordred when he was a baby, but that could be part of Arthur's Eternal Shame, or maybe he didn't do it and Mordred was raised to believe that, to believe that he was unwanted and oh! Though the Mordred/Arthur angle is even sicker when you consider Morgana's Arthur's sister, but there should be:

-Morgana. Morgana fic, and Morgana with anyone, but Morgana/Arthur makes me sad. I liked how in Mists of Avalon Arthur actually loved Morgaine best but couldn't be with her, and never would. That was tragic. Tragic! Except for the whole Morgaine loving Lancelet thing 'cause I didn't like the Lancelet so much. I thought she should hook up with the new Merlin, Kevin, (even if his name was Kevin and people named Kevin are never cool), because he loved her. Until that whole Nimue thing. But anyway, there could also be:

-Gawain/Galahad.

-Galahad/Mordred. OMG, Christ/anti-Christ boy love. That is the saddest of the sad, and Galahad would be so golden, and Mordred would just hate him, and love him, and it would be so Harry/Draco in a way. ZOMG. And:

-Guinevere/either Galahad or Mordred. OR BOTH. Because of their fathers. OMG. Why is not one writing this? *sheds tears*

And before you say it, yes. Yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want you to write EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE.

No pressure.

I want someone else to have written them all so I can just read them.

Get to work!

What a wonderful idea.

-Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH. This was my_daroga's idea and I agree whole-heartedly. Actually, I'm a little wary of rat!sex fic, but there should be gen.

I actually tried to write NIMH fanfic once upon a time (it was perhaps my first fanfic attempt?), but I don't remember any of it, and I have no idea where it went, and I wouldn't foist it on anyone in any case. But other than that, yes, please. I would love to see some NIMH fic.

-Thoreau/Emerson, which is really my first slash pairing ever, only I didn't slash them.

I slashed them before I knew what slash was. They were clearly a True Pair, though. I think a lot of academics slash them without knowing what slash is, too.

-Jane Austen/Charlotte Bronte time-travel.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

-Arthur/Lancelot, Arthur/Guinevere, Guinevere/Lancelot, G/A/L.

In my head, Aurthur/Guinevere/Lancelot is canon already, and all the stories are really about Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arthur's totally unacceptable threesome love. That's why things went wrong: because the world wasn't ready to accept a polygamous king.

I actually tried to write NIMH fanfic once upon a time

You should try again!

my_daroga said she'd think about it. *crosses fingers*

I think a lot of academics slash them without knowing what slash is, too.

Really? Because yeah, I was into them so hard, except for the whole sex thing. But I seriously thought for long long periods of time about how much I loved their friendship, and ways I wanted to see them interact, and they made me ache long before I ever thought they should have lots of sex.

all the stories are really about Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arthur's totally unacceptable threesome love.

Mists of Avalon put it in its canon. Yeah, I much prefer to think of them all loving each other and it being impossible than, say, Excalibur's version of events.

Mists of Avalon put it in its canon.

Really? Perhaps I should read it.

Like I said, I read it when I was in seventh grade, so what I once thought was so awesome may turn out to suck, but yes, there was threesome sex had by those three. And nicely treated lesbian relationships/sex scenes (again, from what I judged at the time) too with some other characters. It's also fascinating, the way Marion Zimmer Bradley takes the legend and reforms it into a story about the disappearing culture of the Celts, their pagan religion, and the power and mysticism of women in their society (not historically accurate, but thematically matches some of the sense of the time, as much as we can know what that might've been). I think I might be highly recommending it here. But again -- seventh grade!

YES. All of these. And also, Dickens RPF. Because Dickens was in love with his wife's sister, and it was all very very screwed up and wonderful.

Oscar Wilde crack RPS

That pretty much already exists in a play called Naked WIll, which is also Shakespeare/Fair Youth RPS--it's reallyreally roughly based on "Portrait of Mr. W.H."--and is amazingly bizarre. But there should be more.

Because Dickens was in love with his wife's sister, and it was all very very screwed up and wonderful.

Now that you mention it I seem to recall knowing that at one time, but I'd forgotten. Tragic! Very.

Naked WIll,

That sounds awesome! I'll have to check it out sometime.

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

You're aware of Yuletide, right? I know there's Beauty and the Beast fic from 2006 that kind of fits your criteria. There's probably some Greek myth stuff in there, too. And Arthur.

I am in love with your Hades+Persephone Python spoof idea. And most of the others, but especially that.

I think I must go away and write my own "Fics I Want" list. Cool beans.

Really! I never really looked at any Yuletide fics. I shall have to go a-searching.

Hades+Persephone Python spoof

ha, I know. The thought of Persephone trying to hop around convincing Hades she's not actually dead is extremely amusing to me.

I think I must go away and write my own "Fics I Want" list

Awesome! I bet you would have some cool ones.

Here's the best Yuletide link. Scroll.

And here are my favourite BatB stories:
In a Dark Wood
Rough Diamond

Wow. I really loved both of those. A whole whole lot. I feel like they both could've been publsihed.

Now I really really want to write my short stories!

I never really looked at any Yuletide fics.

WAIT. WHAT?

No, no. Yuletide was designed for you! It is the place where awesome Little Princess fics lay in waiting.

Please read this Judas/Jesus, Judas/Satan (http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/archive/18/aceldama.html) fic immediately. Thank you.

Also, this Murphy Brown fic: http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/archive/29/butliquor.html

Also, this Hunt for Red October Fic: http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/archive/29/vera.html

Also, this Northern Exposure fic: http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/archive/28/dostoevskywas.html

Thank you. Good night.

I found it big and thus scary.

But omg! Judas fic! And actually in my long musings last night I decided there needed to be Murphey Brown fic. And I used to do Hunt For Red October fic in my head. So cool!!

Northern Exposure, however...I wasn't allowed to stay up late enough to watch it when it was on...

Thanks for the links!

I wasn't allowed to stay up late enough to watch it when it was on...

Heeeeeeeee. *pinches your bottom*

And you are very welcome!

OMG! Icon! <3!

Ok, wow, so I'm reading this FAQ, and I did *not* know Yuletide was just for small fandoms. I should learn what a thing is before I fear it. This is so awesome! Why didn't I know! Gah!

But you know now! YAYAYAYAY!

Someone already wrote Angel/Baudelaire.

But since I no longer remember who or where or why, it's fairly useless.

Really! Gee, some help you are! No, really, I was actually surprised that I'd never seen it or heard anyone say "that should be written" before, because it's one of the only historical figures that anyone explicitly says they met.

*waits for Spike/Billy Idol slash*

There is Spike/Billy Idol slash. I'm on the hunt for it right now.

And now Mordred totally looks like VK in my book which means people should fic him even more.

Reading just now this made me realize that Mordred has *always* looked like VK in my head. Weird creepy foreshadowing...

You could read Salman Rushdie's The Ground Beneath Her Feet, in which a Freddie Mercury-like character plays the role of Orpheus and a Cher/Madonna crossover is Eurydice. Except that, you know, it's Rushdie, so you'll end up reading 10 times more words than necessary.

Reading just now this made me realize that Mordred has *always* looked like VK in my head. Weird creepy foreshadowing...

You mean he looked like VK before you knew what VK looked like?

He always had black hair, black eyes, a very thin pale face, very thin pale lips that sneered a lot. In fact he looked like a young Snape, in my mind.

I've never actually read any Rushdie.

Get out of my brain.

I've shipped Hades/Persephone since I was twelve but I've never read a book that satisfied the way I saw them.

Also, I shipped Arthur/Guinevere, because Lancelot was just rock star hero worship.

And, I've wanted to read fic on Mary Shelley/Byron since I saw Haunted Summer in the early 90's. Byron is the original bad boy, and his mother issues are enormous. Plus, I'd sort of like to read about him and his sister.

There is "A Little Princess" fic. Unfortunately I can't tel you how good or bad it is, because every piece I've seen links to is shipping of some kind, and there are some things I just don't want to see sexualized.

Yeah, actually, I have seen a link or two to Sara/Becky and to Miss Minchin/Amelia. I admit that when I was little I imagined Sara growing up and meeting a Dashing Hero, but now all I really want is lots and lots of gen of her playing with the Large Family and looking at rooftops with Ram Dass and taking care of Mr. Carrisford or when she was still all wretched and stuff, talking to Melchisidec and making stuff up for Becky and seeing Lottie and Ermengarde on the sly.

*sniffles*

Arthur/Lancelot, Arthur/Guenivere, Guenivere/Lancelot, G/A/L

Yes. Yes, please.

And you forgot Tristram and Yeseut! Or, Tristan and Isolde, to be all English and modern. King Mark needs love! Actually, everyone there needs love, exept Tristan and Isolde. These two need a reality check. *sigh* I know only one such fic, and it's professional, written in Polish and was never translated into English (For some reason Andrzej Sapkowski is translated into German, French and even Portuguese, but not English. Weird people). But it's really good. Extremely bizarre, named La Maladie and you would've liked it, if one can judge by the things you write.

These two need a reality check.

Agreed, which is why I have difficulty being interested in the 'verse. Well, okay, yeah, in that movie they just put out I totally wanted Mark to get some, but Tristan and Isolde themselves just really bug me. The thing about Lancelot and Guinever is that they *could* be very similar to those two, but I've seen enough versions where they're far more mature, so I tend to respect them more.

I know only one such fic, and it's professional, written in Polish and was never translated into English

Ack! Too bad. I'd read it.

I love so many of these ideas!

-Jane Austen/Charlotte Bronte time-travel.

Yes, please let there be fic.

Coleridge/Buffyverse cross-overs. Because Christabel could be about Darla. Geraldine is probably actually in fact Darla's real name, because we all know she had Daddy!issues. And that also explains why Coleridge is so afraid of women. And since Angel said he met him, there should be:

I would totally read that. Maybe there could me an opium/laudnum/Orpheus angle too? Oooh, weird trippy fic.

On ff.n there's about 1,500 fics for that newest King Arthur with Clive Owen, which isn't very much for total fics about the legend.

I've been saying for ages that all these King Arthur stories are basically fanfic anyway. I've always loved the stories but i have to admit that film made me want to spork my own eyes out. The thing that bugged me most was all the talk of historical accuracy, when they kept getting everything wrong. I was pretty familiar with the era and areas it was meant to be set in and it was worng, wrong, wrong. Um, sorry about the rant, clearly two years later I'm still feeling tha pain.

Mists of Avalon still wins imo (okay, in my seventh grade opinion, which is when I last read it) for being the best King Arthur fic.

I'm with you there. I read it when I was sixteen and was so immersed in it I doubt anyone could communicate with me for a week. I tried to reread it years later and just couldn't get into it. It's still the best version of the story IMO, but whan I was older and had been writing myself I found the writing style bothered me.

Have you ever read the trilogy of books that Mary Stweart wrote from Merlin's POV? Again I haven't read them since I was a teenager, but I remember loving them.

-Arthur/Lancelot, Arthur/Guenivere, Guenivere/Lancelot, G/A/L. I wish someone would do a version where Lancelot is in love with Arthur, and Arthur is straight, and in love with Guenivere, and Lancelot sleeps with Guenivere just to piss him off. Oh, and Arthur/Lancelot/(Guenivere). And then there should be one that's those three but also Buffy/Angel/Spike, just for me. That's not even talking about the whole:

Mmm, yes. I think in Mists of Avalon Lancelot was in love with Arthur, there was even a threesome with Guenivere. Either that or my imagination just added it...either way, there should be fic.

-Mordred. OMG, Mordred. I only just last night realized how unfairly he's been treated. He's totally the Connor of the 'verse.

::gives poor Mordred coco with marshmallows and runs away fast::

-Galahad/Mordred. OMG, Christ/anti-Christ boy love. That is the saddest of the sad, and Galahad would be so golden, and Mordred would just hate him, and love him, and it would be so Harry/Draco in a way. ZOMG. And:

-Guinevere/either Galahad or Mordred. OR BOTH. Because of their fathers. OMG. Why is not one writing this? *sheds tears*

::nods like one of those nodding dog toys in the back of a car on an exceptionally bumpy road::

Also, there should be mountains of Morgaine femslash. I've been wishing for some for the last sixteen years, where is it?

Maybe there could me an opium/laudnum/Orpheus angle too?

There needs to be way more historical fics with opium in 'em, imo.

The thing that bugged me most was all the talk of historical accuracy, when they kept getting everything wrong.

It was grossly inaccurate, but I think the point was supposed to be that Arthurian stories were always set much later, while historians now do agree that the lengend probably comes from a guy who united Britain against the Saxons after most the Romans left.

I tried to reread it years later and just couldn't get into it. It's still the best version of the story IMO, but whan I was older and had been writing myself I found the writing style bothered me.

This is why I'm so afraid of rereading it. The style enamored me so in 7th grade that I'm pretty sure it would turn me right off now.

Have you ever read the trilogy of books that Mary Stweart wrote from Merlin's POV?

Yes. I didn't really enjoy them nearly as much, but they were interesting.

I think in Mists of Avalon Lancelot was in love with Arthur, there was even a threesome with Guenivere.

The threesome did happen. I'm not sure whether Lancelet was in love with Arthur, though--I never could understand that character's motivations in that book.

Also, there should be mountains of Morgaine femslash. I've been wishing for some for the last sixteen years, where is it?

Ha, since the Morgaine/Raven scene in Mists of Avalon? Part of the problem with Arthurian legend is that there are so few big female roles. In fact the only one I can think of slashing Morgana with is Guinevere. Or the Lady of the Lake. That could be cool.

while historians now do agree that the lengend probably comes from a guy who united Britain against the Saxons after most the Romans left.

True, and even though history gets pretty sketchy after the Roman period that was till no excuse for what they did in the film, or the rather bizzare existance of what looked like a huge glacier in southern Scotland! Also, as a lot of it was based around ex legonaries living round Hadrian's wall they should have done much better because they have huge quantities of evidence about what life was like for them. In one of the forts they even found hundreds of letters from the Roman period that had been thrown away. Um, sorry, it seems that film still has the power to get me all ranty *g*

This is why I'm so afraid of rereading it. The style enamored me so in 7th grade that I'm pretty sure it would turn me right off now.

It's always so sad when that happens. I still treasure the story though, it had a big impact on me at the time. Especially as a year later I went to Glastonbury and just kept drifting around in a romantic teenage daze thinking about the book the entire time.

I'm not sure whether Lancelet was in love with Arthur, though--I never could understand that character's motivations in that book.

Yes, he was pretty hard to figure out, but for some reason I was still convinced he was painfully in love with Arthur and just couldn't say so. I wasn't even looking at life through slash tinted glasses in those days.

Ha, since the Morgaine/Raven scene in Mists of Avalon?

Exactly since then. I really wanted that scene to go for, well y'know, a few chapters :-)

In fact the only one I can think of slashing Morgana with is Guinevere. Or the Lady of the Lake. That could be cool.

That would be cool, and both of those pairings could be wonderfully angsty and complicated. Mmm. I always loved the Lady of the Lake too.

it seems that film still has the power to get me all ranty

haha I understand. It is pretty atrocious. Even so, I watched it again recently, because I didn't know the first time through that Horatio Hornblower was playing Lancelot. It does not improve on further acquaintance.

Especially as a year later I went to Glastonbury and just kept drifting around in a romantic teenage daze thinking about the book the entire time.

Eee! So cool! That book was *definitely* what birthed my Anglophilism.

Yes, he was pretty hard to figure out, but for some reason I was still convinced he was painfully in love with Arthur and just couldn't say so.

It's possible! My vision was so unslashy in those days it might've been explicitly written in, and I would still miss it.

I really wanted that scene to go for, well y'know, a few chapters

Since I was pretty young, I kept wishing she'd get past all the sex and onto the story! ;o)

I always loved the Lady of the Lake too.

One can do so many interesting things with who she might've been or *what* she might've been. I loved Viviane in MoA.

Okay, real quick before i leave work, I promise I'll come back, but..

EVERYTIME I THINK I LOVE YOU YOU DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME LOVE YOU MORE

*pant*

Okay, Mists of Avalon is still totally awesome, and I know because despite the fact I TOO read it in 7th grade, I have read it since and it worked EVERY SINGLE TIME.

And... I know there's a buffy/poto thing in me somewhere, I just haven't found it yet.

More later.

hee! hi! did you get my email thanking you and complaining about PoM?

That is *so* crazy you read MoA at the same age I did. I always thought it was quite young, not so much insofar as reading level, but content. It took me FOREVER to figure it out it was a take on the King Arthur legend--as I wasn't that familiar with the legend itself. What's funny is my love for that book has never flagged--when they came out with the new edition hardcover several years back I bought it straight away. I've just never read it again out of fear. I'm glad you still love it upon rereading--I'll have to brave it some day!

And... I know there's a buffy/poto thing in me somewhere, I just haven't found it yet.

awesome. Even more awesome than the AtS vid in my head to the tune of ALW's "Angel of Music". *nods*

hee! hi! did you get my email thanking you and complaining about PoM?

Yes, I did! And I totally forgot to answer any of my email. Heh.

My 7th grade social studies teacher gave me the book to read. I realize now she was this hippie lesbian person, but at the time I wasn't thinking about that. I just read it, and let my eyeballs fall out. First sex inna book, for me. I think.

People above have noted being turned off by the style... I don't know. Last time I read it was probably 4 years ago, and I still really really loved it. Funny thing was, I checked it out at the library so I could keep one copy at work and have one at home. But when I got home, I found the book open on Sean's bed. He'd started it the same day as me!

Even more awesome than the AtS vid in my head to the tune of ALW's "Angel of Music".

I... don't know how that works. Hmm.

Let's see. I'm totally wanting Bronte/Austen fic. Yes. I still have what is probably a good P&P fic in my head, but I'm too lazy to write it.

It's been so long since I've read NIMH. I'd have to read it again to write fic. Movieverse, I totally ship Mrs. Frisby/Justin.

Just want to make sure you know I got it.

I can't believe your 7th grade *teacher* gave you that book. It was the most sex I'd read in a book up 'til then, too.

So funny you started rereading same day as Mr. Daroga!

You don't know how it works that Angel is the Angel of Music? And Spike spends all day singing about him? Really? 0_o

I reread NIMH just a couple years ago. I shipped Mrs. Frisby/Justin movieverse too. Cross-species romance! But the book is so much better than the movie. I disliked that amulet thing.

Yeah. I really want to look up that teacher and ask her WTF she was thinking. I mean, she's clearly awesome, but... couldn't she get fired for that?

You don't know how it works that Angel is the Angel of Music? And Spike spends all day singing about him? Really? 0_o

How did you know what expression I had on my face? Incredible!

But the book is so much better than the movie. I disliked that amulet thing.

A thousand times, yes! I like the drawings; I think both Mrs. F and J turn out pretty cute. But... oh damn, there's an essay I read YEARS ago about how the book is this communal ideal and the movie is about divine gifts... or something... I wonder if it's still around...

I can't believe I found it. Frisby-Turned-Brisby: the Resolution of Ambiguity in The Secret of NIMH by Paula T. Connolly.

couldn't she get fired for that?

I had a sixth grade teacher give me a book that had a sex scene in it, but it wasn't as graphic as MoA. I was pretty surprised. But I knew she didn't know the scene was in the book--she gave me it to read because she was reading a bunch of books to try to decide what to assign one of her classes, and she gave me that one 'cause she trusted my opinion. Which made me feel all cool.

I like the drawings

The drawings are great except, imo, Nicodemus, the owl, and Jenner--especially Nicodemus. He horrified me as a kid and even though I'm no longer scared of him I still find him too kind of, gross looking to like. But of course that builds up his kind of mysticism and "royalty" which omg, that essay does such a good job discussing. Likewise with Jenner; I thought he was made too evil-looking.

But yeah, dude, that essay is AWESOME. I felt like writing something similar when a few years back I read the book and bought the movie, and then I was like...who's gonna be interested in an essay about rat mysticism vs. rat communities? But anyway, I love the central issue about independence vs. interdependence; I hadn't thought about it in quite that way before, and it's so true.

Did you ever read any of the NIMH sequels?

The drawings are great except, imo, Nicodemus, the owl, and Jenner...

YES. I should have mentioned that; all the "mystic" or evil characters get shafted. It's so blatant, too, and you'd really think we could stop teaching our children that ugly is scary, etc. Cute little Frisby, and hot stud Justin, are harmless and fun! Also conforming to "helpess female" and "macho hero" stereotypes. Mr. Daroga always gets funny when she fights her way out of the birdcage and loses her cape.

"There's something about creatures in danger saving themselves," he muttered last time we watched it. "I mean, I know she's a mouse, but..."

who's gonna be interested in an essay about rat mysticism vs. rat communities?

*blink*

independence vs. interdependence

Yes. As the essay spells it out, the philosophical distinction between the two versions is clear. I'm usually the first to cry out when I think something's being read into too much; but this is really telling. I wish this sort of thing got more play in the media.

Did you ever read any of the NIMH sequels?

I keep forgetting to ask you the same. Yes, at least Racso and the Rats of NIMH. I don't remember if I read the other; how many were there? But I was about 10 at the time, and don't remember a lot. I remember Racso loved chocolate, and it had stunted his growth (either that or that's what his mum always told him), and they're living on a cliff or something? Anyway, I remember them being rubbish.

Fanfiction is all very well, but why is it that so much published fic is so much worse than the stuff we write for each other? Is it the commerical aspect (i.e. what sells to the mass public isn't the same as what we as fans require of the text)?

Well...I felt like Nicodemus is supposed to be good and he's ugly and scary.

"I mean, I know she's a mouse, but..."

Okay that is scary, too.

I wish this sort of thing got more play in the media.

me too.

No, I never read any sequels! I was terrified of them not being as good, and I read the summary for the next one and thought it sounded stupid. This was when I was older, probably 16 or so...I read it in elementary school but kinda forgot about it completely until I picked it back up again much later.

Fanfiction is all very well, but why is it that so much published fic is so much worse than the stuff we write for each other? Is it the commerical aspect (i.e. what sells to the mass public isn't the same as what we as fans require of the text)?

I think the commercial aspect is definitely part of it. Part of it is also that we just don't read bad!fic. I wonder if also it has something to do with intent...fanfic, being non-profit, is generally done out of love. Even if the published fic author loved the source material they're seeking to capitalize on it, and in doing so they seem to try to produce something really diffferent or "better" than the source, which is lame, imo.

Well...I felt like Nicodemus is supposed to be good and he's ugly and scary.

I know. That's why I included "mystic" along with evil.

No, I never read any sequels! I was terrified of them not being as good

I'm pretty sure I read them in late elementary school, when I didn't know no better. And yes, they sucked.

Part of it is also that we just don't read bad!fic

Well, I'd *hope* that decided what gets published would rule out the pro equivalent of bad!fic. But that's foolish and naive of me.

I can imagine myself wanting to publish "fanfic" out of love for the source material. I might not be read that way by everyone, but I'm sure I'd intend well.

I can imagine myself wanting to publish "fanfic" out of love for the source material. I might not be read that way by everyone, but I'm sure I'd intend well.

Yes, well...I write fanfic because I need to. I want to know stuff that could happen, or sort out the characters in my mind. I wrote it before I found out other people did it. So I do it for myself, and I post it for shits and giggles. Yeah, I want other people to like it, but no great big if they don't.

Motivations for publishing just seem more extensive. Yeah, I could claim I'm just trying to reach a broader audience, but even with that, it's then *also* about reaching audience, and not just about you and your love affair with the canon. Know what I mean?

Anyway there's some good published fanfic out there that I think shows a serious love for the source material; I just think it's more rare than with online fanfiction that other stuff doesn't get in the way.

So I do it for myself, and I post it for shits and giggles

But you still post it. I mean, even if it's "for fun," you're still putting it out there. I don't doubt your motives, but I know that mine are muddled very very much by popular opinion.

For me, posting fanfiction is *already* also about reaching an audience. For better or worse.

Anyway there's some good published fanfic out there that I think shows a serious love for the source material; I just think it's more rare than with online fanfiction that other stuff doesn't get in the way.

I agree with this, though.

What I meant is that the greater the audience you're trying to reach, the greater the chance is that you'll be concerned with crowd pleasing. Whether you allow that to affect your writing, the quality, is an entirely different matter. But it seems to me with an original work it's less of a factor--you don't know your audience and they don't know the story you're trying to tell and what to expect from it. I would think it would be easier to just try to focus on writing a good story. Though I think that would be less and less true the more well known you get to be as an author, or more you write in a genre or universe or series. I would hate to be JK Rowling right now.

...

I love Harry Potter. I hope the last book is good. I hope Neville doesn't die.

What were we talking about?

tkp, you have opened my eyes to the wonder that is fanfic. =)
Seriously, it's not until people point out all the possibilities that het and slash offer that I realize, wow! There are so many stories that could be written!
I would love to write about The Little Princess, but I agree with you that the story seems perfect. I wonder if The Secret Garden would be easier to work with?
I TOTALLY agree about writing Jane Austen/Charlotte Bronte. It should be done! =D
And I also agree about more Beauty and the Beast fic, and more mythology fic. If I ever come up with any brilliant ideas, I shall write them. =)

Agree about the Beauty and the Beast fic. I know you're a McKinley fan, so I assume you read Beauty. I'm trying to write an original novel that is also a take off of Beauty and the Beast. In the replies to this post someone linked to some great BandB stuff. Here it is again:

In A Dark Wood (my favorite retelling, besides McKinley's Beauty

Rough Diamond

Thanks for the links! I shall investigate them! =)
I have read Beauty and Rose Daughter, and I loved them both. The way I get by without Beauty and the Beast fanfic is by reading fairy tales and folk tales from all over the world- some of which have similarities to B&B. I have far too many fairy tale and folk tale collections, and since I work at a library, there's always more that I can read! I also like reading about mythology, especially creation mythology. I find all of these subjects fascinating!
When you write your novel, you should let me know, and I will buy it! =)

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