In which I rant at the DW fandoms lack of post-TCI genfic...

[drakyndra]

Now, despite my obsessive fannishness over many things, and my rather epic Links Lists (speaking of, it's three days since my last one, and I already have 15 more links. I am boggled), I don't often get hugely meta on my LJ. Reviews and occasional wank and randomness aside, there seems very little.

But seeing as I have very little to think on at the moment apart from finding a bloody house, my thoughts have been taking a bit of a meta-y route.

So...it might just be my long-term exposure to the Harry Potter fandom, with it's obsession for minor characters, and throwaway references to names create huge amounts of fic and debate (Hello, Blaise Zabini), but I am completely bewildered by the fact that there is almost no post-The Christmas Invasion fic that doesn't focus around the main characters.

I mean, I understand perfectly well why there is so much fic focused around the Doctor and Rose, shippy or not. We finally have some idea of the characterisation of the Tenth Doctor, and so all those people who have been holding off writing him can get started. So we get introspective Ten fics, and Rose reacting to the new Doctor fics. There are even a few "Jack catches up with them and reacts to the Doctor" fics.

And, of course, the absolute explosion of Doctor/Rose shipfics. From reacting to the apparent loss of a loved one, to new relationships developing, from the canon-esque subtext to out and out smut, there is now heaps of it.

Don't get me wrong, I like shipperfics, I wouldn't be a member of of time_and_chips if I didn't. Look at all the shipfic on my Links Lists, and all that.

It's just...I also really like genfic. And minor character fics.

And the thing is, TCI has created this absolutely massive opportunity for gen and minor character fic. And yet there is hardly any out there. And believe me, I've looked.

What I mean by opportunity is the immense amount of characters and ideas that fic could be worked around that aren't all about Rose and the Doctor.

I mean, if you still want to write about those two, fine. But move out a little more. We have Jackie and Mickey. Where are all the fics detailing their reaction to the changed Doctor? You have Jackie who seems to have done a complete 180 in her opinion of the Doctor. From slapping him to hugging him, nursing him, calling him sweetheart. When did this happen, why did this happen? What were her thought processes when she was caring for him, when he showed up better, or at the dinner, or the ending when he took Rose away again? And what on earth was she thinking about Rose's breakdown?

And I will get seriously annoyed if there isn't a single Jackie POV fic for the time between when the TARDIS is beamed onto the Sycorax ship, and when she sees Rose again.

Look at Mickey, who has changed so much in one season, from utter coward to defender from Trees Of Doom and the guy who rushes to see what Rose is screaming about. What was he thinking when this all happened? And you can't not have his reaction to the regeneration (that snark about him not changing his face really endeared Mickey to me, despite loving the Doctor), and to Rose and Jackie's nursing, to his time on the Sycorax ship,watching the fight - and bringing himself to actually hug the Doctor...

Though the Mickathon gives me hope, I still say there could be so much more Mickey fic out there. Particularly considering the spoilers for the upcoming season...

What about taking another step back? There we have Harriet Jones, Prime Minister (we know who you are...). How is it possible there is so little Harriet fic around? I mean, what about the backstory, her election to Prime Minister, the political angle of it all (for someone who can't stand RL politics, it fascinates me in fic)? How did she find out about Torchwood? And her thoughts on the events of TCI, from the Sycorax threats to witnessing Death on the Sycorax ship, to re-meeting the Doctor and seeing the sword fight and all.

To the big thing: her order to Torchwood, and it's fall out. It obviously grieved her hugely to do this, so what was she thinking here, why? What about in the face of the Doctor's anger, the fear and sadness when he is whispering to Alex and walking away. And once those six words get out...

Take another step back. RTD has a genius for minor characters, I think, and TCI's were no exception. Where are the stories on them? I mean, take a look at them all...
- Daniel Llewellyn, the nervous, skeptical scientist, who if you take the Guinevere website as canonical, has a background, a family, interests and aspirations. Who takes on the guilt of the blood control, and is killed in trying to appeal to the Sycorax's better instincts.
- Major Richard Blake of UNIT, authoritative, in charge and it seems with a strong sense of justice which got him killed. Who comes off as a big Doctor fanboy: "...the stuff of legend." Personally, he sees to me as someone who has never actually met the Doctor before, but who had heard stories and gossip and read the UNIT files, and oh, how very much I want to know how he knows these things, who he spoke to.
- Alex Klien, who seems to be Harriet's assistant, yet has access to UNIT files (UNIT liason to the PM, perhaps?). Who had contact with Torchwood, that fascinating mystery. Who denied it to Harriet's face, yet let out those six little words that caused so much trouble.

These people are perfect for fic, and yet I haven't seen any. Well, maybe one with Alex in a minor role, but never getting deep into his motivations.

Take another step back. We have Jason and Sandra, the couple from Rose's estate who Rose knows, who were on the roof (Jason under control). Or Sally from UNIT. Or Howard the grocer who keeps fruit in his dressing gown. (Come on, if there ever was a set up for a humour fic, that was it) Or the Royal family on the roof, for God's sake!

Take another step back. What about all the people on the Powell Estate, who saw the TARDIS crash? You know some of them are going to start wondering about how that thing always turns up when a disaster's about to happen. What about the people in the market with the Santa attack? What about the UNIT people, reacting to a third of their staff being out of commission? What about the bloody Sycorax? (There needs to be more Sycorax writing)

Or even to Harriet Jones's television appeal, which as numerous people have pointed out, looks very, very odd if you don't know of the Doctor. And what about the Doctor's old companions, how would they react to the Prime Minister asking for the Doctor? This is one of the ideas that fascinates me the most, and I am dying to read a good fic where Sarah Jane sees the appeal (though this I am willing to wait until after School Reunion to see, so it remains canon-esque and all) But come on, to all those people who have known the Doctor, that TV appeal must have brought back some fascinating memories.

Take another step back, and look at the everyday people of Britain. How would they react to alien attacks, those who are unfamiliar to strangeness? To the proof of alien life. The entire universe is a new place now, and I would love to see how things change, what games the kids play, how lessons are taught at school, what the news and radio and papers are full of, how pop culture gets affected...

Take another step back, to a real wide view. The entire world was effected by the Sycorax. The entire freaking world. You couls write anything and everything in response to that. Don't know anything about Britain? What about people reacting to the blood-controlled people, to the news reports, to the eventual discovery that aliens are real, and they have been here? That happened everywhere. You could write a reaction of people from Paris, Rome, Cairo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, Melbourne, your home town. Anywhere. Because the Sycorax came and the world turned upside down and everything has changed.

But no-one is writing it!

And this disappoints me greatly.

Come on, fandom, get to work! Use some of these ideas, or start your own, but please, please show me that this fandom really is as good as I always thought it was.

And before anyone asks why I'm not writing these things, I would like to inform that I have certainly considered it. I'd like to, and I probably will at some point in the future. BUT RL is somewhat hectic right now, and so I don't have the time or the energy to concentrate on writing fic right now.

But who knows, maybe one of you will inspire me...

If this makes no sense, than I blame nostalgia_lj, who kept on distracting me when I was trying to write it.

Comments

[livii.livejournal.com]

I adore genfic, and minor character fic, to start. But my problem is that those are all good ideas, but for most of them the only thing I could think to write would be very generic angst. Jackie while the TARDIS disappeared? "Oh angst angst." Mickey's internal monologue during TCI? Nothing particularly compelling (and I love the guy and grumped out loud to myself when you called him a coward, heh...) I'm willing to see people have a different take on it, but to me most of these don't lend themselves to anything more than internal angsty monologues and that bores me to bloody tears. I don't think I could take another piece like that.

There have been a few very good Jackie pieces before, but I think only quite skilled writers can take on some of these prompts without producing dreck; so in a way I'm glad most people aren't attempting it. I dunno.

The problems with the prompts about the Powell estate, or the whole world is that when you move away from the main characters so radically it becomes much less of a DW fic and while I'll often read that, I know most people won't. For example I wrote Shareen and Jack and it got way less reviews than a Doctor/Rose piece I wrote. I don't think you should just write for reviews, but I can understand the reluctance to take on a huge prompt like the one about the world's reaction to the aliens knowing that most fen will not care one bit (especially if you include your hometown, because then it gives on Mary Sue vibes, rightly or wrongly). I mean, I love that last prompt, but I ain't going to tackle something like that. Plus, all I can think of is Independence Day and that's been done.

Maybe I'm burnt out from lots of badfic lately, but, meh, that's my ramble and that's how I feel. Yeah, the Royal Family was on the roof. I loved that bit. I don't think it needs any more to it, though. Or Howard the grocer, you know? (But I would read fic about previous Companions seeing the appeal on TV, oh yes - because that's much more DW, you know?)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I'm saying that people have to write the things I have here, just that these are a few starting points from which ideas could expand. I just want to prod people in the right direction. And when I say I want to know what people are thinking, I don't mean stream of consciousness or entirely internal monologues - more the classic third person limited perspective, telling the tale "over the shoulder" of a character, with an in on their thoughts.

And the idea that an internal monologue must be angsty baffles me. Mainly because my own personal internal monolgue is rarely angsty, and tends rather towards hyperactive and crackily all over the place. But I do have a fascination with what goes on in people's heads, I always have. Why I like alternate POV fics and character studies, and why I am studying Psychology in RL: the way people think intrigues me.

And the thing is that as far as I can tell, really bad authors tend to stay away from this sort of thing. So that sort of prompt doesn't get ficced often, but tends towards the higher quality fic, I've found. Bad authors stick with crappy romance and Mary-Sues, usually. Or wangst.

Well, the moving away from main characters thing is probably another thing I picked up from HP: I very much like the outside view, the Muggle view of magical events. And I do agree that less people read or review these things, but I really don't see how that matters. I'd rather write something unique and original that few people saw than something popular that has been done before. Like I said, I wrote a minor character fic for HP. It got about half the hits and reviews as a romance one I did. However, I cringe at the romance fic, and I don't of the minor character one. I think it's a hell of a lot better, and don't care if no-one else ever reads it, I'm happy in my work.

And the ultimate in a wider scale fic would be something along the lines of Legend, which I consider one of the most clever and original fics I have ever read.

Like I said, though, I just wrote this as a jumping off point, to prove that there a million things people could write about, a million ways they could go from here. If any fic comes out of this, I'll be happy. (And the companion one still is my very favourite idea. Someone bloody well better write one sooner or later...)

[livii.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why internal monologues have to be angsty either, but I see it all the time, frustratingly enough. I think I might have been looking at too much badfic before responding to your post, heh. I guess I also have a bit of a bias against monologues or third person limited perspective because I'm not too keen on exact retellings from a different perspective - like, a woman I know wrote an epic piece retelling PoA from Remus' perspective. That's nice, and all, but I couldn't read that - I've already read PoA. But that's a bias of mine. Perhaps if something stunningly new and interesting was added, that would be good, but even though she's a perfectly competent writer, there was nothing I couldn't have deduced from my own consideration of Remus' character, you know? That's also a problem - I spend a lot of time thinking about different characters' motivations and feelings, and so unless it's written terrifically well I find it boring as I've already usually considered things out. This puts me off a lot of more traditional fic as well.

Of course it shouldn't matter if you get less reviews, but I think you're in the minority if you honestly don't care if anyone reads your work. I know that I like to get at least a bit of feedback. So there's writing minor character fic, which I'm okay with the level of feedback you get, and then there's going right out there and treading uncharted waters...which requires a lot more commitment to the craft.

Anyway, I wasn't trying to argue, just musing out loud. Of course people can write whatever they want, and I want to see more gen/minor character fic, but I want it to be good stuff I want to read, heh. Snob!

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Badfic can do that to one. It is not fun at all, really. And the thing about different POVs is that if they are the same story as the original, they have entirely missed the point, which is to be different.

Oh, I do like it if people read and review at all, but if they don't, it doesn't bother me quite as much. It's probably a bit of a throwback to all my school issues - I spent far too many years being unnoticed and invisible for it to bother me hugely anymore.

And as I said, all I was trying to achieve was make people think, so if you are thinking about it - even if you disagree on points - it's working. And as much as I hope that any ideas that come of this are good - and I'm generally a fairly optimistic type, so I believe this'll probably be the case - even not so good fic is a step in the right direction. Everyone has to start somewhere, and people improve as they go.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

I dunno how much minor-character gen we could get away with, as a fandom. I want to try, but I'm a bit unsure about whether it'd just sink into repetition after a while - "oh, look, someone reacts to the invasion. again. that's... nice." *frets*

Also, they'd have to more or less sit about and panic and wait for everything to get better.

[speshulduck.livejournal.com]

The Doctor and Rose, even if the whole point is them getting down and dirty with each other, generally tend to go on adventures and have fun in fanfic. Minor characters? Uh, Mickey became a mechanic. Jackie got a grocer fuck-buddy. Not exactly topping the charts of action-adventure stories.

Also, they'd have to more or less sit about and panic and wait for everything to get better.

Alas, why I found TCI rather boring because there was so much of that.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

Alas, why I found TCI rather boring because there was so much of that.

"Omg, Doctor, wake up! ...seriously, it's starting to drag a bit, so it'd be good if you'd wake up or something. Please?"

[speshulduck.livejournal.com]

Rose: Help me, for I cannot deal on my own! Woe!
Doctor: [wakes up and blows shit up]
Audience: Hey, it's the Doctor!
Doctor: [goes back to sleep]
Audience: ...damn.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

That commentary .mp3 from off of the BBC site has a bit where they were told to put in more bit of the Doctor asleep in case people forgot he was in it.

*sad cries*

[speshulduck.livejournal.com]

What, did they think we would go, "Huh, why is this show called Doctor Who again? I don't see any doctors."

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

There was a bit during Parting of the Ways where I was honestly surprised when we saw the Doctor again. "Oh, is he in this?"

For true.

Xmas I was just like "I'VE SEEN ROSE. SHOW ME NEW THINGS, BITCHES."

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but that's why fanfic works for this sort of thing - because you can show the things that will never be on television. And it is my experience that a good writer can amke a person just as interesting as some crazy alien invasion.

And it does depend in whic chracter you focus on, too.