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femme4jack
Is there anything you've always wanted to ask me? About my life, my views of the universe, my writing, anything?
femme4jack Is there anything you've always wanted to ask me? About my life, my views of the universe, my writing, anything?
Snowflake Challenge Day 2
Jan. 2nd, 2012 09:27 amDay 1 is here.
Day 2
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them.
Wow. I don't think I find this easier than yesterday, primarily because I really don't know who's Known and who isn't. I used to know this but I've stopped paying attention really. Or caring. And so... ye stuffe. I'm reasonably sure these are obscure.
femme4jack self-rec'd this one yesterday BUT I DON'T CARE, IT'S THAT GOOD: For the Beauty of the Earth. It's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of the way the Autobots are portrayed in canon. They're too good. So it's nice when someone messes with that, and that's what happens here. This is a dark, creepy version of Hound. But sometimes when people do dark!'Bots (or good!'Cons), I have a hard time seeing the connection between the canon character and the dark version. This one, though, is done really well. What would it really be like for an alien to fall in love with Earth's ecosystems and want to preserve them? It might well not be as nice and sweet as we'd figure. Cue this fic. Dark and creepy and atmospheric and best of all it makes sense.
Fighter by Sphinx01: I always felt a little disappointed with Cosmic Rust for making Megatron such a wimp. It doesn't make sense with how I see him at all. This story fixes that in a wonderful way, showing you his internal struggle to fight off the infection that is killing him -- and the strategy those around him use to help. I really like Starscream here. Not only are the things he does clever and unexpected, but they're also hilarious.
War Memorial by Blue Buick R: I love the sense of loss in this one. It's not often that a writer tackles what it means to the Decepticons to have lost their home. I guess because they're Big and Mean and Nasty. But I love it when someone touches on it, on how it affects not just the Good Guys but the Bad Guys. What regrets they might have. Or if they have no regrets, whether they made a choice to refuse regret. That kind of thing. Anyway, I love the wistfulness of this. I love that we see two characters who would usually be at odds with one another sharing quiet, solemn time. And the thing that puts this over the top for me is the speech Starscream quotes at the very end. I love the idea that the Decepticon cause really meant something to everyone in the beginning, and I love the implications about what it means that everything went so terribly wrong.
Day 2
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them.
Wow. I don't think I find this easier than yesterday, primarily because I really don't know who's Known and who isn't. I used to know this but I've stopped paying attention really. Or caring. And so... ye stuffe. I'm reasonably sure these are obscure.
femme4jack self-rec'd this one yesterday BUT I DON'T CARE, IT'S THAT GOOD: For the Beauty of the Earth. It's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of the way the Autobots are portrayed in canon. They're too good. So it's nice when someone messes with that, and that's what happens here. This is a dark, creepy version of Hound. But sometimes when people do dark!'Bots (or good!'Cons), I have a hard time seeing the connection between the canon character and the dark version. This one, though, is done really well. What would it really be like for an alien to fall in love with Earth's ecosystems and want to preserve them? It might well not be as nice and sweet as we'd figure. Cue this fic. Dark and creepy and atmospheric and best of all it makes sense.Fighter by Sphinx01: I always felt a little disappointed with Cosmic Rust for making Megatron such a wimp. It doesn't make sense with how I see him at all. This story fixes that in a wonderful way, showing you his internal struggle to fight off the infection that is killing him -- and the strategy those around him use to help. I really like Starscream here. Not only are the things he does clever and unexpected, but they're also hilarious.
War Memorial by Blue Buick R: I love the sense of loss in this one. It's not often that a writer tackles what it means to the Decepticons to have lost their home. I guess because they're Big and Mean and Nasty. But I love it when someone touches on it, on how it affects not just the Good Guys but the Bad Guys. What regrets they might have. Or if they have no regrets, whether they made a choice to refuse regret. That kind of thing. Anyway, I love the wistfulness of this. I love that we see two characters who would usually be at odds with one another sharing quiet, solemn time. And the thing that puts this over the top for me is the speech Starscream quotes at the very end. I love the idea that the Decepticon cause really meant something to everyone in the beginning, and I love the implications about what it means that everything went so terribly wrong.
Snowflake Challenge
Jan. 1st, 2012 02:54 pmI'm not entirely sure what a Snowflake Challenge is exactly, but there are a few new faces on my friendslist now and whatever it is seems interesting. Sooo:
Day 1
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Drop a link to your post in the comments.
I'd say my favorite three fanworks of mine right now, heavily weighted toward the new stuff, are:
Surplus - Prior to writing this one, I hadn't really been interested in Megatron/Soundwave. I found Shockwave came easier to me and I really saw the two ships as similar. (Essentially, Megatron approves of his competent minions and occasionally rewards them with pettings.) But someone prompted me to try these two and the idea really took hold of me. I've always had something of a virginity kink and had read a lot in both fannish and feminist circles about how that's not okay... and I really enjoyed ignoring that little "too taboo" voice in my head. While I know it doesn't always work this way in real life (and it didn't for me, either), I enjoy writing capable, self-aware virgins. I think it's really unfortunate and weird that the kink is assumed to focus on confused, scared people. I had a lot of fun writing Soundwave as someone who hadn't done anything not because he's nervous or scared or too young not to be squicky but because his usual detachment -- and his fear that Megatron doesn't think of him "that way" -- kept him from experiencing things he wanted.
Trickery - Although Megatron/Starscream is one of my two OTPs (Megatron/Optimus is the other), I don't always get excited about writing them. When I do, it's because I've had some new idea that is vivid enough and disturbing enough to do justice to the twisted, creepy, yet respectful nature I see in their relationship. I get darkly gleeful when I think of something that ups the stakes without making me feel that I'm just going gorier or harsher or harder or creepier to outdo myself or someone else. I loved writing this one because the whole Combaticon situation really did up the stakes for them in canon, and they really did go through a period of not being sure what to expect since everything wasn't routine. It gave me a chance to go all Bigger, Better, Faster, More for a reason rather than just work to outdo myself. I had a great time with it and really liked the result.
Desiderata - I really enjoy thinking about how Megatron and Starscream meet and how their relationship got to be as intense and as twisted as we see it in most continuities. I've written many times about their beginnings, but I like this one best of all (with the possible exception of my old collaborations, but this is supposed to be "tell people you're awesome" day, not "tell people it was amazing to write with someone who kicks ass at M/SS" day.) It's very rich and intense and a fair bit darker than most of the rest. And it gave me a chance to write about a kink of mine I'd been neglecting. (I'd call what's going on in Part 2 consensual resistance, though it's clearly not negotiated beforehand so I wasn't quite sure what to label it. I could see how it might squick people, and so might the idea that Starscream really is asking for it, so... consider yourselves warned.)
Day 1
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Drop a link to your post in the comments.
I'd say my favorite three fanworks of mine right now, heavily weighted toward the new stuff, are:
Surplus - Prior to writing this one, I hadn't really been interested in Megatron/Soundwave. I found Shockwave came easier to me and I really saw the two ships as similar. (Essentially, Megatron approves of his competent minions and occasionally rewards them with pettings.) But someone prompted me to try these two and the idea really took hold of me. I've always had something of a virginity kink and had read a lot in both fannish and feminist circles about how that's not okay... and I really enjoyed ignoring that little "too taboo" voice in my head. While I know it doesn't always work this way in real life (and it didn't for me, either), I enjoy writing capable, self-aware virgins. I think it's really unfortunate and weird that the kink is assumed to focus on confused, scared people. I had a lot of fun writing Soundwave as someone who hadn't done anything not because he's nervous or scared or too young not to be squicky but because his usual detachment -- and his fear that Megatron doesn't think of him "that way" -- kept him from experiencing things he wanted.
Trickery - Although Megatron/Starscream is one of my two OTPs (Megatron/Optimus is the other), I don't always get excited about writing them. When I do, it's because I've had some new idea that is vivid enough and disturbing enough to do justice to the twisted, creepy, yet respectful nature I see in their relationship. I get darkly gleeful when I think of something that ups the stakes without making me feel that I'm just going gorier or harsher or harder or creepier to outdo myself or someone else. I loved writing this one because the whole Combaticon situation really did up the stakes for them in canon, and they really did go through a period of not being sure what to expect since everything wasn't routine. It gave me a chance to go all Bigger, Better, Faster, More for a reason rather than just work to outdo myself. I had a great time with it and really liked the result.
Desiderata - I really enjoy thinking about how Megatron and Starscream meet and how their relationship got to be as intense and as twisted as we see it in most continuities. I've written many times about their beginnings, but I like this one best of all (with the possible exception of my old collaborations, but this is supposed to be "tell people you're awesome" day, not "tell people it was amazing to write with someone who kicks ass at M/SS" day.) It's very rich and intense and a fair bit darker than most of the rest. And it gave me a chance to write about a kink of mine I'd been neglecting. (I'd call what's going on in Part 2 consensual resistance, though it's clearly not negotiated beforehand so I wasn't quite sure what to label it. I could see how it might squick people, and so might the idea that Starscream really is asking for it, so... consider yourselves warned.)
