Original Fic, and Alan Rickman

[thrihyrne]

After having an unexpectedly candid conversation with my S.O. last night about our lives and my discontent, toward the end of the conversation we discussed my writing original fiction and *WHAM* along came an idea. Got up this morning with a wee bit of a headache (had had a few glasses of wine prior to said conversation) but the beginnings of the story. So here 'tis.


It was at her fifteenth Star Trek convention in as many years when she decided to rebel. Arwen (groan) E. (yes, it stood for Evenstar, how could her parents have done this to her? She told her friends it was one of those obscure names popular in the 1800s and, not surprisingly, her friends believed her) Potts had had enough. Her father had been bringing her to these geek-fests her entire life, and her mother was no better with her Society for Creative Anachronism friends and celebrating the Elvish New Year.

A somewhat dumpy boy around her age dressed as a crew member from the first season of The Next Generation came into her line of vision and attempted to start up a conversation.

“Where are you from?” he asked hopefully.

“Vulcan,” she retorted, and returned to the pile of fanzines she had been flipping through.

He took the hint and left, but only after making a V-sign with his index and ring fingers, the Vulcan gesture for greeting. To Arwen’s relief, he did not accompany the hand motion with the expected “Live long and propser” phrase. She poked through some of the stacks of fanfiction, stories written by fans about the Star Trek characters as well as some other, more obscure TV shows. The cover art on some of them was appalling, but Arwen was looking for particular authors rather than illustrators. When they were on vacation the previous summer she had discovered that some of the writing was surprisingly good. She had taken the newest Harry Potter book, but two days into the holiday she had read it once, then reread it, and then found herself with nothing else to read except for a couple of fanzines her father had brought.

“There you are!”

Arwen turned to see her father approach the dealers’ table where she was standing. Per their agreement, she acknowledged that they were related, and he was not dressed in any kind of Star Trek regalia. Except for his “I Grock Spock” button.

“Hi Dad,” she replied, looking at the bag he was carrying. “What did you buy that you didn’t already have?”

Her father’s study was filled with action figures, replicas of various starships, and, of course, the entire Star Trek series and the movies on videotape.


***it is at this point that the author needs to consult with her friend who has actually gone to several ST conventions to figure out what her father would have bought.***



So anyway- looks like I’m going to try my hand at original fiction after all. I’ll need to map out what happens, as this is obviously only a very beginning kernel of a story: I think her dad will come down with some kind of cancer, which will completely disrupt their lives, and maybe she’ll have a friendship go sour at the same time, all to be resolved in about 200 pages or so. Just your general coming of age story, set where I spent my grade school years, in Wenatchee, WA. Conveniently I can consult with my local friend about the ST stuff, I can draw on my own knowledge for the Tolkien-loving mother, my dad and stepmom for what Wenatchee was like about 4 years ago (I haven’t lived there since 1981 and it was very different then but I think I can get a handle on it) and my sister the MD for cancer and hospital stuff. And my stepdaughter (age 13) can tell me whether or not it’s believable and whether or not she would read it. She has acknowledged that a lot of what wins awards in YA literature just isn’t all that great. She can be my beta reader. *grin* She’ll certainly keep me honest. And for once, my heroine will not have red hair.

And on a completely different topic:

I watched “Rasputin” last night, an HBO biopic with Alan Rickman, which was why I got it. I was surprised to find myself crying at the end of it, even though I knew that they were going to kill the Tsar and his family in cold blood. It just seemed so terrible, just one more instance of man’s inhumanity to man. Will we ever evolve and be less brutish? It was traumatizing.

Weirdly, despite my emotional angst I also found myself figuring out why if Alan Rickman showed up at my door I would beg him to stay and ask to have his babies. He wasn’t very good looking in this movie, which was why I was surprised at how compelling I still found him.

1) His crooked teeth. It’s an endearing trait found among non-Americans that they don’t fix their teeth. I don’t think the citizens of any country are as anal as we are about having straight teeth.

2) His gaze. I’m wondering if in the HP films they’ve had him wear dark contacts or something, because in Rasputin I found myself staring at his very beautiful, very green-hazel eyes. Or maybe I need to see the movies again to confirm that I remember them as darker.

3) His voice. Ranging from burlap to satin and to softest silk. The man has the most expressive, sexy voice I think I’ve ever heard. And the fact that there’s a slight lisp to it just makes him unbearably hot. Especially as Snape, but in other films as well. Gah. Must resist the urge to write him a fan letter.

Comments

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Voices are definitely important for sexiness

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Yes, they are. I would never kick him out of bed for anything. Except maybe snoring. Or maybe in my incredibly vivid fantasy life I could have him and Billy Boyd alternating in reading the phone book to me. Or Shakespeare. Or anything.

[llembas.livejournal.com]

I'm already prepared to buy this book, and to stand in a line at a bookstore to get it autographed by you. :-) Star Trek convention. Arwen E. Potts. *dies laughing* I love it.

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

I'm already prepared to buy this book, and to stand in a line at a bookstore to get it autographed by you.

I don't deserve friends like you. I guess I need to write more than a few paragraphs before I get my hopes up about being published, but I would place a bet that there just aren't that many aspiring YA authors who would actually write sympathetically about fanfiction writers and the geeky souls who attend conventions and RenFairs and whatnot.

I thought it was pretty hilarious, and I'm glad you do too.

Have watched all of season one of QaF. Like it! It's kindof like a queer soap opera, or gay-centric Thirty-something. I'm hooked. Now have to get the rest of the season. Love Brian Kinney, except he's so awful. He is SO BAD. But you still want to believe there's a heart of gold in there, which is why Justin, the child, keeps hanging around. Well, that and the fact that he is absolutely gorgeous and he can take off his clothes anytime.

God must love me if I was able to befriend you this year. I hope that things are going okay in your neck of the woods. I should drive back down to LA and visit. We could stay up all night and watch QaF and have chocolate.

original fic

[cim-halfling.livejournal.com]

sounds very promising! I too would stand in line to buy this book and wait for your autograph. have two teenagers who might beta for you too. (and me!! I'd beta for any of your writings if you want...)

Re: original fic

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Ooh! More potential teenager readership! Excellent. I've been thinking about how the plotline could go, and since I have tomorrow off, I'm planning on doing much writing and we'll see how things go. Only a current teenager would let me know how close or far off from the mark I am. So glad to have you here on LJ!! :D :D

[helveticat.livejournal.com]

Your story is brilliant. *wants more, after biting off fingers at the knuckles to keep from choking with laughter*

"I Grok Spock"? Oh man. What birds you've killed with that freakin' huge boulder. :-)

Also, if you've never seen 'An Awfully Big Adventure,' please do so. I'm guessing you might've, but it can't hurt to promote a film with a beautiful, strapping blondish Alan Rickman in it. He plays an actor. He plays an actor who plays "Captain Hook" in a stage play. He is gorgeous in it.

Which brings me to Point #3--simply that the parallels between your Mr. Alan and my Mr. Jason are extraordinary. Slytherins, Captain Hook, magnetic eyes, magnetic voice, magnetic villains--seeing a pattern yet? like a "come to meeeeee" sort of pattern? Yep. And they're going to be in another movie together, called Manchester United Ruined My Life. I have no idea what it's about, but it doesn't matter, does it?

I think, if we can ever decide to get together, it should for an Isaacs/Rickman conjuring sort of purpose. I'm sure I could find a spell...

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

"I Grok Spock"? Oh man. What birds you've killed with that freakin' huge boulder.

*giggles* Heh. Yeah. Who else is going to try and write about fringe culture within a YA parameter? It's why it Just. Might. Work. If nothing else, perhaps those people who resemble the parents would buy it just to see themselves represented in a sympathetic light. Good lord knows we need it after "Trekkies."

Also, if you've never seen 'An Awfully Big Adventure,' please do so.

I haven't seen that. Good thing I have tomorrow off from work; guess I'll be renting it! Thanks heaps!

Which brings me to Point #3--simply that the parallels between your Mr. Alan and my Mr. Jason are extraordinary. Slytherins, Captain Hook, magnetic eyes, magnetic voice, magnetic villains--seeing a pattern yet? like a "come to meeeeee" sort of pattern? Yep. And they're going to be in another movie together, called Manchester United Ruined My Life. I have no idea what it's about, but it doesn't matter, does it?

No, it most certainly doesn't. I could watch Mr. Isaacs for extended periods of time as well- yes, another sinfully delicious quasi-villan with a voice that should be outlawed due to its ability to make my knees weak. And they're both beautiful in their rather odd, "wish I could be in an AU where these worlds exist" worlds. Not that I'd want to be a child, and not that there's a place for adult women in these films, but GAH. Bottle up his voice and I'll take it as medicine every day.

I think, if we can ever decide to get together, it should for an Isaacs/Rickman conjuring sort of purpose. I'm sure I could find a spell...

I would expect nothing less. We'll have pizza and not speak, just look at each other, and giggle, and eat more pizza, and write/draw/stay up until insane hours of the morning, and watch the beautiful men.

When can I come visit??