The real spiel

[lobelia321]

After over a year of slash, here I offer some random thoughts, some of which have already been previously aired in various LJs and emails:

1. I am more interested in the slashy fictional characters than in their real-life counterparts. My imagination is populated with Jenn's Orli and with Brenda's Dom and with Belinda's Harry and with Demelza's everybody , not with the real life actors. And foremost, of course, it's populated with my own creations.

2. The real life actors when they pop up on my TV screen are illustrations to fic come alive. This sends a strange RPS shiver up my spine: what other authors have this experience (unless they have movies made based on their books?). But it is also disconcerting because, inevitably, the actors will be out of sync with my characterisations. They haven't read the script, after all.

3. Fuck research. I like it (it's my vocation, after all; it's what I do all day and love doing) and I have done loads of it in the past but, in the final analysis, to me, true-to-lifeness in fic doesn't matter. A) because we know practically nothing about these actors' real lives. And, more importantly, B) because the characters need to be true to the fic more than they need to be true to some spurious so-called 'real life'. So if the research enhanced the fic value: great. But I don't need it.

4. It's only been a year and already I feel bored with the fandom. Most of the fics seem to be merging into one. The pairings are getting more, not less, mainstream. The situations, dialogues and sexual escapades are tediously repetitive. The people I love to read seem not to be writing very much. And even if they are, they often write more mainstream pairings. Hell, *I* don't seem to be writing very much. I trawl other fandoms for relief but that doesn't seem to help, or only sometimes. Luckily I've got some unread fics of yesteryear stored up on my computer.

5. Karl's hand, however, is still sexy as fuck.

6. So is the string holding up Richard's glasses.

Comments

[alisalohv.livejournal.com]

*stands on a chair to applaud you*

I know, you weren't looking for applause or a pat on the back. I was just doing that because it is all so true. I'm here and there - not reading much LotR RPS at all because it's morphing. I don't want to decipher and weed through who is writing to write or who is writing to push what they think is the RL deal. I just like my fiction with fiction and these guys, though they are real people, are characters in my stories. Characters that I can mold and shape and have them do things that I would love to be able to videotape them doing if I ever had the chance in my lifetime.

I know I'm bored but I am in love with these men and I have stories that I still need to tell. So I am still here. And I probably will be until I say all that I need to say. But variety is the spice of life and I do dabble in other places because this place can be so insane, if I dwelled here entirely I would go mad. (Wasn't so bad in the beginning, but it's a madhouse now.)

In short (yeah, right), I agree and I agree. And I appreciate you posting this today. I needed to read it.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Of course, as soon as I posted this I got some lovely emails and read a great fic so felt like going to delete it, but now can't because I'd delete everybody's comments, too! And I'll probably be back to this opinion by tomorrow morning at the latest, anyway. *g*

[ia-ne.livejournal.com]

I am more interested in the slashy fictional characters than in their real-life counterparts.(...)And foremost, of course, it's populated with my own creations.

In the end, that's the only thing you really can be interested in anyway, isn't it? I think there are only very few 'celebrities' who give you more than a glimpse of their real life, so you just have to make it up. And that's cool, because when you write or read slash or make up mary-sue after mary-sue in your head (as I do all the time), you can try out things you wouldn't in real life. And of course it's about the process of writing, too, and many other things. But, you know. Er, do you?

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Er, yes. *laughs*

[azewewish.livejournal.com]

Some of us are trying...well, hopefully so...to grow & stretch & dabble in odd pairings & different ways of speaking. But, yes, you're right. This fandom has become about 3 things:

VigOrli, BillyDom & DomLijah

Let me contain my enthusiasm right now.

*wrinkles nose*

[alisalohv.livejournal.com]

BillyDom

Hey!!! I resemble that remark! Is there something wrong with liking that pairing or what?

*licks your nose*

Re:

[azewewish.livejournal.com]

*giggles*

No, there's nothing wrong with liking that pairing & you know it. *grins* I just like...variety. When *every* single piece of fic is B/D, D/E & V/O, my eyes glaze & I wonder why the fuck I'm still in this fandom.

Lots of pretty boys, lots of friendships. Cha.

[alisalohv.livejournal.com]

I do know what you're talking about, though. And I'm into Billy/Dom but even I don't read a lot of it. Only if I know specific authors whose style I like. Viggo/Orlando, even fewer authors and for the most part, I don't really read it. There is also a lot more SB/VM out there and I find I'm bored with that as well. *shrugs*

I'll just keep mixing it up and see if people like what I'm doing. And if not, at least I do. *winks*

Re:

[azewewish.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Word on the Sean/Viggo. I know there are some amazing fics out there, but I just can't muster the enthusiasm.

And hey, remember...we'll *all* writing for ourselves. No one else.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Hm, *are* we all writing for ourselves? Why post if that is true? I can see how it's true on one level because we write what *we* like and the enjoyment of the actual writing is quite solitary, but then we do post and we do crave the feedback and the exchange and the discussion. And we're not writing origfic, we're writing fanfic which by definition can really only be truly appreciated and loved by other fans.

Re:

[azewewish.livejournal.com]

No, we *write* for ourselves. We post to share our ideas & create discussion. And that's true of original fic, too.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly!! Not only is the variety in terms of pairings dwindling but also the variety *within* fics! Every Seanbean is the same, every Viggorli identical. Half the fics I open I can predict the next ten paragraphs from the opening line.

I suppose my yearning for added pairings is just one way of saying, I yearn for something new and fresh. And a new pairing is the most efficient way to achieve that because it forces the writer at least to think *a little* about characterisation and plot. But the newness can, of course, also be achieved via mainstream, but at the moment that's happening rather rarely.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Exactly, exactly, exactly! It's the fucking variety that seems to have gone missing. It didn't *use* to be the case that every single fic had the same pairing (or one of a trio). There was Dombilly but there was also Seanlijah, and Vigbean, and Vigdom, and Harrydave, and everyone-together-orgies and all sorts of pairings.

Lots of pretty boys, lots of friendships
The greatest thing about the LotR fandom is (or was, and should be) that it's so much larger than other fandoms. There are literally hundreds of guys (and gals) to choose from. This is not The Sentinel! It seems a perverse self-limitation to pull down the shutters and use only one percent of what there is.

Anyway, that's what LotR means to me. Lots and lots. Heh, that's why it's called LOTr.

[alisalohv.livejournal.com]

Let me also add that I can certainly flex my pairing muscle because I have written:

Sean/Elijah, Dom/Elijah, Dom/Billy, Dom/Viggo, Dom/Orlando, Sean B/Viggo, Sean B/Dom (which I liked). Oh, and Miranda|Viggo. I have some other stories I'm deciding if I want to tackle or not. So I'm not so much into the TTT actors because, well... I'm just not. Nothing wrong with that.

But really, it depends on who you are into. I'm not into Viggo/Orli, so that is not who I am writing (unless I have some freakish Muse moment). On the other hand, I like Billy/Dom a lot. A LOT. And of course, I make no apologies for it. People just like who they like and that is who they write. *shrugs*

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Yes, but it's not about individual Dombilly and so forth (and who am I to talk? Dombilly is how I started out in this fandom!) but that those standard pairings seem to be the *only ones* around these days. It's the whole fandom, not just individuals. Stuck in those ruts. Why call it LotR? When it's just about a handful of guys. And yes, god, people can go on writing them, and I may even read a few here and there, but I would love more *variety* overall.

But if you write some Duck/Viggo, for example, I'll *guarantee* I'll read it. *winks*

[alisalohv.livejournal.com]

I understand that, completely. The thing with that is, I write about who I am enamoured with so my stories focus on the men that catch my fancy or whose relationships I think are interesting (and you know I don't mean it like that..).

In my head, Billy and Dom are interacting, being the goofy guys that they seem to be and a lot of people, myself included, write about things that we see. So I may read an article or see an interview and it sparks something off. Not that nothing else has gone on with any other people because I know that isn't true but, that is why I write about who I write about. I don't and can't pull people out of the air that I don't know anything about. I don't know Richard, nor anything about him (not saying I don't want to). I'm just saying you like the fringe and there is a very obvious mainstream going on here. Some I like (meaning a pairing that many others may like) and a lot I run like hell from.

Me, I can only write about what interests me and I'm sure that it doesn't interest a lot of other people. If Richard catches my eyes at sometime or if I can come up with a reason why I would want to write him, then you may see me write about him one day. *g*

And this comes from the girl who has been in the pairing minority of practically EVERY fandom I have ever been in, including this one with Sean/Elijah who has a contingent that doesn't mind sending you hate email if you write them. Not that I am the only one who writes them but this pairing is certainly not a widely liked one. Not like I care. ;)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Oh, and don't get me started on the anti-Seanlijah brigade... I like Sean, I don't find him in the least bit slashy but why on earth those of us who do shouldn't write him for all he's worth... it's a mystery to me. So he's married, so he has kids -- so do loads of the other men who get slashed. And one of the greatest fics I ever read was Seanlijah (Cimorene).

[alisalohv.livejournal.com]

And something funny, for whatever reason, LJ wouldn't choose the right icon so don't think I was poking fingers at you with the Billy/Dom icon. *cracking up*

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm glad it's not only happening to me. I was thinking my account was all over the place. I deleted all my pics and re-uploaded them and tested icons -- but it's LJ overall. *phew*

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Brenda, you are the reason I deleted the word 'all authors' and substituted 'most authors'! Woman!!! Don't even justify yourself. You are the reason I even discovered the non-mainstream to begin with (back in the days when knowing who Harry was, was truly bizarre), and now I'm stuck there!

And yes, the three things. *yawns*

[azewewish.livejournal.com]

*smiles* Well, I've kind of gotten into my own little non-mainstream thing, so I thought you might've meant me.

What the world really needs is a Marton/Dave fic. *nods*

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

What the world really needs is a Marton/Dave fic.

Well, the world's had one of those (I wrote it). What it needs now, is more of them!

Heh.

And I started to read Consorted last night -- more per email but I'm smiling gleefully and loving it!!

Re:

[azewewish.livejournal.com]

Gah!!! You're so right...dunno how I could've forgotten that fic, as it's, like, one of the best ones you've ever done. D'oh!!!

But yes...more!!!

*nods*

*waits patiently for email*

[hjartad.livejournal.com]

I agree with you somewhat, Lobelia. And welcome back, by the way!

I adore Dom/Billy stories, and I still remember when I could hardly find any of this pairing (perhaps I didn't know where to look). There's been an explosion of them lately... and lots of them are written by excellent writers, so I've just been in lala land lately in that respect. But along with that pairing, I also love Karl/Vig, Bean/Vig, Dom/Orli, Karl/Dom, Duck/Orc, etc... I like to balance my Dom/Billy with doses of mixed hobbit and manly men. I personally don't think I could ever get bored of it, but maybe that's because I'm so easily fulfilled. It's a day to day thing...

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Oh happy you! Well,it's nice to know that not everyone is jaded and genteely applying their palms to yawning mouths. Because it would be very sad for all those writers out there if they posted and posted and got no fb at all. But as for me: I just yearn for more variety. And I don't seem to be seeing it.

Is it hidden somewhere where I'm not looking? And do you know where that somewhere is? *g*

[hjartad.livejournal.com]

Oh happy you!

Heh, why do I get the feeling that there's some sarcasm behind that?

I just yearn for more variety. And I don't seem to be seeing it.

Well, you definitely won't find it on certain mailing lists. Manly Men being the exception, of course. The variety I come across is usually due to recommendations on LJ, and there are definitely a good variety of pairings on Contrelamontre (sometimes). Wasn't there a rare pairing fic list at some point?

[msilverstar]

I'm still brand-new to RPS, but am reading like mad because it's caught me so intensively. I am having a hard time understanding why it gets to me, I think there's something about these people fits into our collective and individual consciousness.

In my admittedly limited experience, the quality of LOTR RPS is enormously better than most of the other fanfic out there, even with the overdone pairings. Sure, there's a lot of dumb stories, but the world is full of dreck: to me, the amazing thing is how many excellent ones there are.

Maybe it's just newbie enthusiasm.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Oh, enjoy that newbie enthusiasm! Am almost envious but then enthusiasms wax and wane, and although I'm not devouring everything any longer, as I used to, and giggling to myself maniacally at odd hours throughout the day, I still do read the occasional wonderful story and I still often laugh out loud.

I've been through the whole 'why slash' thing and come to the conclusion that it's genetic, because basically I can't think of any other reason and can't be bothered pondering it any longer. For me, it's the slash that goes way deeper and way further back than the fandom part of it, so fps, rps, not much matter as long as there's manly action.

Otoh, am also increasingly reading het these days and long convoluted plotty stories. And have my pairings predilections just like everyone else. *g*

Anyway, welcome to the fray!!!