big bang flail (not the droids you're looking for)

[aria]

I have figured out what is wrong with my stupid due South AU s2 F/K/V polybigbang fic, and it is that I fucking doomed myself with Magnetic. Seriously, I wrote the first draft of that thing inside a week, while attending classes, and though it went through two drafts and a bit of overhaul before it was functional, it was still ... possibly the easiest thing I have ever written, one of those rare gifts where the actual writing process was actively fun. And it was awesome but it means that now I am doomed, as I said, because to a lesser extent no other due South fic I ever write will be that joyous, and to a greater extent I'm now sitting here going, "Fraser! Rays! You're in the same room! I expect a perpetual high of writerly delight and possibly some easy banter, please." I am even sure I might get back there eventually, but in the meantime because I am very foolish I actually thought writing a universe where Kowalski meets Fraser-and-Vecchio-as-partners would be interesting, and it is but it means I have to do all sorts of legwork to get them to the Fraser-and-Kowalski comfort levels the show has. Gnahhh.

I may also be suffering from "oh god, it's getting too long" syndrome, which I have not trained myself out of despite understanding that plotty due South fics are necessarily massive. The thing is, though, that I've hit 10,430 words in the doc and the corresponding section of outline is ... 400 out of 3575 words. Which means, um, if my math is correct and the ratios are anything like corresponding, that it'll come out around 93,218 words. Dear lord no. That's two Dreamwidth posts! Even DW does not exceed 50,000 words! And neither did either of the Doctor Who seasons, nor do I actually want to kill oliviacirce nor sionnain's souls when I send it over for beta.

AH WELL I SHALL CARRY ON.

Comments

[everysecondtuesday]

I hope you know that in response to:

"Which means, um, if my math is correct and the ratios are anything like corresponding, that it'll come out around 93,218 words"

I made a sound like "!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm not sure how I made it, but I blame you, and I am very much looking forward to lots of delicious and amazing fic.

[aria]

Heh, no pressure then! Part of me is really excited about writing something massively long, but the rest of me is just ... ah god so many hours of my life!

Somehow I forgot/did not know you knew due South! Fancy that.

[everysecondtuesday]

Whatever you write, I am sure it will be fabulous. While your betas may briefly hate you, they will also be full of glee at long fic. I tell you only truths.

And haha, you said that the first time you started talking about the awesome that is due South and I went all gleeful at you over it. I just don't spend a lot of time talking about it because every journal entry I tried drafting about my recent re-watch started off fairly incoherent (stuff like, "And then Fraser's hair! His hair! And Diefenbaker! How can so much fabulous be in such a small, furry, fantastic little space! And Ray! Also with his hair!") and devolved quickly into two word not quite sentences and even more exclamation marks.

I think I sent you recs at one point? Though it was along the lines of "Read everything Resonant and Sperenza have ever written in the fandom."

[aria]

Yes, that's right! I'm terrible at keeping track of things like that. I think possibly my policy in all fannish activity is "assume whoever you're talking to has probably seen at least some due South at some point in their life". XD

I love my betas! I hope they will not want to kill me with sticks, because I probably would.

[aralias.livejournal.com]

wow, like bertie botts every flavour beans and every flavour, when you say long, you mean it. but if you're happy to keep writing, keep writing!

[oliviacirce]

You never know, maybe this will be one of those stories where I tell you to cut out 15,000 words in the middle instead of adding a bunch of scenes! Um. Possibly that was not helpful. ♥!

[aria]

God I HOPE so! Right now everything I am writing seems relevant, because I am remembering that Kowalski doesn't know them and I am trying to get him knowing them as gracefully as possible and without too much unnecessary exposition, but maybe in beta it will become unnecessary? So honestly "cut 15,000 words out of the middle" might be damn helpful, although I've reached only about 11,000 so far. XD

[oliviacirce]

Well, my impression from the outline is that the beginning probably does need all that time and explanation, because, as you say, Kowalski doesn't know them, but that the pacing in the middle should probably move a lot faster. We shall see how it goes! <3

[china_shop]

it means I have to do all sorts of legwork to get them to the Fraser-and-Kowalski comfort levels the show has

*much much sympathy* I have the same problems with my F/K AU that's been in beta for over a year. In the show I find it very easy to assume they're already attracted to each other, so the step from there to them actually doing anything is relatively small. If they're meeting for the first time, you have to get them to that place and it's haaaard!

/belated response; I've had this tab open forever

[aria]

Heh, yes. I mean, I am automatically programmed to explain how and why the Rays should be attracted to each other, but faced with trying to get Fraser and Kowalski to the appropriate comfort levels, I come up against the wall of but-this-is-obvious-to-me. Ah well.

[china_shop]

If it's any consolation, it's probably also obvious to many of your readers. :-)