I really enjoy blackchaps too. In fact, her 'Guilty as Charged' series is a big part of why this got started: I was loving her incredibly slow developing story of Toby getting on his feet, and Toby and Elliot getting together, but it wasn't finished at that point, and the next big bang was a long wait. I desperately needed more. And an ending. And (of course) there were different things I wanted to play with. So I had to write it myself. (Originally with a caveat that I was just scrawling down some notes and a few scenes for myself, because I'd never, ever write a story that long...)
So happy you like Holly! She doesn't get to do a lot on screen, but she's Toby's one unwavering lodestone of humanity, and the one bit of character we do get is that no matter how much talk there is of how screwed up she is, her face lights up every second she's with her dad. It melts me every time. It's convenient to shuttle the kids out of the way to write a story where Toby wallows in self-destruction, but I don't completely buy any fic where he's out of prison and isn't trying very hard to be part of their lives. (Ditto Elliot.) It's my impression that plenty of writers who write great adults think you can write kids as cliches because they haven't had enough character-shaping events. Which I think is completely untrue, and nobody thinks of Holly. Her life is incredible. I think that's why this is the first fandom I've been in where I've been eager to read kid-fic.
Oh, it means a huge amount to be reassured on the slang. I spend a lot of time in the US, so I pick up plenty of American language, but it's much harder to root out language that *isn't* American. I know a lot of Australianisms creep in, but it means a lot to know I'm balancing it out on the other side.
I think I can honestly say that I write for myself these days, and enjoy the hell out of doing it - I would never have gotten this many words down otherwise - but the impetus to actually fill the gaps and make it work and edit it together, all the boring hard stuff gets done because I want to find people who will enjoy reading it and want to chat about Holly. (Or whatever other bit catches their eye.)
I think I can say I speak for everyone who's ever written anything ever, that really: long/kind/effusive comments are totally okay. This post totally made my day. I'm so excited to find another person reading and enjoying this and occasionally being left in a puddle of raw emotion. This is what makes it all worthwhile. I'm glowing. Thank you so much!
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2015-01-06 03:52 am (UTC)Wow. Thank you so much edub!
I really enjoy blackchaps too. In fact, her 'Guilty as Charged' series is a big part of why this got started: I was loving her incredibly slow developing story of Toby getting on his feet, and Toby and Elliot getting together, but it wasn't finished at that point, and the next big bang was a long wait. I desperately needed more. And an ending. And (of course) there were different things I wanted to play with. So I had to write it myself. (Originally with a caveat that I was just scrawling down some notes and a few scenes for myself, because I'd never, ever write a story that long...)
So happy you like Holly! She doesn't get to do a lot on screen, but she's Toby's one unwavering lodestone of humanity, and the one bit of character we do get is that no matter how much talk there is of how screwed up she is, her face lights up every second she's with her dad. It melts me every time. It's convenient to shuttle the kids out of the way to write a story where Toby wallows in self-destruction, but I don't completely buy any fic where he's out of prison and isn't trying very hard to be part of their lives. (Ditto Elliot.) It's my impression that plenty of writers who write great adults think you can write kids as cliches because they haven't had enough character-shaping events. Which I think is completely untrue, and nobody thinks of Holly. Her life is incredible. I think that's why this is the first fandom I've been in where I've been eager to read kid-fic.
Oh, it means a huge amount to be reassured on the slang. I spend a lot of time in the US, so I pick up plenty of American language, but it's much harder to root out language that *isn't* American. I know a lot of Australianisms creep in, but it means a lot to know I'm balancing it out on the other side.
I think I can honestly say that I write for myself these days, and enjoy the hell out of doing it - I would never have gotten this many words down otherwise - but the impetus to actually fill the gaps and make it work and edit it together, all the boring hard stuff gets done because I want to find people who will enjoy reading it and want to chat about Holly. (Or whatever other bit catches their eye.)
I think I can say I speak for everyone who's ever written anything ever, that really: long/kind/effusive comments are totally okay. This post totally made my day. I'm so excited to find another person reading and enjoying this and occasionally being left in a puddle of raw emotion. This is what makes it all worthwhile. I'm glowing. Thank you so much!
S.