[dooood...le...]
Oct. 6th, 2005 06:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaMan, I really miss the days I couldn't help doodling on the backs of my fanfic print-outs. Silly little things, usually in pen so that they don't look too good as I can't fix anything... but I feel all sentimental, even though this doodle pretty much sucks. Heh. But I -really- really really really REALLY LOVE ECLIPSE. :>
~~
EDIT - Well, um... maybe I should also ramble about what I love about `Eclipse', picky-ass H/D reader that I am. Just because.
It's definitely not, as I saw one reviewer say, that it has no sex or that I need a break from the smut (...). And it's not that it's IC, precisely-- not quite. Basically, it's because it tries to answer the question I always want a serious H/D longfic to answer, but especially post-OoTP: why would Harry want Draco (and vice versa). It does this without relying on overt plot-devices outside of plausible events, without relying on other characters pushing, and without focusing overmuch on anything but Harry and Draco's relationship (while still having an interesting & integral plot). It doesn't rush the development of any romance, doesn't rely on hormones to speed things along, and doesn't cheat in any blatantly obvious way to get Harry and Draco to like each other. It just -happens-, and it happens naturally. And that naturalness while remaining IC-- that sense that of course they'd like each other, look, they're so good together-- that's all I really want from an H/D fic, and that's what I generally don't get. (Insert me crying 'WHY GOD WHY WHY WHY??!?!' here.)
It also has obsessed-with-revenge!Draco (something I was -dying- to see-- and write-- post-OoTP and before, too, and something for some ungodly reason no one seems to write-- except, hahahaha, JKR), manipulative-and-resilient-yet-vulnerable!Harry, an adventure exploring/escaping through the wilderness (yeee!), and lots of mind-magic and different sorts of bonds (double wheeeee!!) There's forced sleeping-together-innocently-with-the-enemy (kink!!), rescuing-each-other-from-certain-death (YEAY!) and snarky!Draco along with snarky!Harry (heeeeeee). Ohhhh yesssplease.
I think a lot of times when you have a long plotty IC fic where the build-up is slow, it has a large cast of characters and lots going on outside the relationship angle, & thusly we can draw out the tension between the leads by distracting them; so basically it's not really just a relationship story anymore and thusly I don't want to read it as much-- And when it's a plain romance, usually the conflict in the story is some sort of relationship angst (like 'does he -really- love me??' or 'can't we be together, omg??!' or 'I can't believe I'm in love with -him-, oh noes!! *denialdenialdenial*') and I'm so, so, so sick of that. You've read 5 romance stories of this sort in -any- pairing, and you've read them all. What I -really- want, have -always- wanted, is a story where the issues between Harry and Draco are -only- Harry & Draco's issues; you could not substitute them for any other couple, and you couldn't pretend these issues don't matter.
(And I can't help wondering if this fixation/preference makes me weird and 'different' among H/D shippers... I mean... when I read the few S/R fics I've read, comparatively, they don't feel so -generic- as a lot if H/D fics do-- so I'm wondering if it's something about H/D as a pairing or what. *sigh*)
In `Eclipse', there's absolutely -no- 'avoiding the inevitable' by distraction of any sort-- the romance just happens, not so much as a product of UST, but more as a product of real bonding between two people who've grown to need and depend on each other. It's not that the sexual/romantic element was suppressed or avoided or strung out-- it just didn't make sense happening until it happened, and then it simply did, quite naturally. And much as I love UST, after seeing every single fic in the fandom using it as a device, it really grows old-- but see, it's not the porn that I'm tired of, it's the reliance on it as a plot-device in romance stories, and especially H/D. If nothing else, I find it largely irrelevant as far as issues go between them. They have many, MANY other problems to deal with.
Another thing that bothers me with how straightforward romances between teenage boys tend to work (that is, fics dependent on UST and relationship melodrama) is how a lot of them end up feminized so much it hurts. Meaning, they talk about their feelings, no matter how embarrassing, without batting an eyelash, they make sappy declarations complete with rings and roses, and they basically act like such walking-talking female fantasies that it embarrasses -me- as a reader.
Now, this isn't to say that `Eclipse' is hardcore and non-sappy to the max or anything, or that it doesn't fully satisfy my romantic yearnings, quite the opposite, in fact-- what I actually like is how much genuine emotion between Harry & Draco gets captured without relying on declarations and romantic gestures. There are -some- sappy moments, but they feel natural when they come because the characters' -reactions- remain predictable-- that is, it's still the same Harry saying these things awkwardly yet sincerely, and not some pod-person who suddenly knows all the right moves (or conversely, melodramatically messes everything up). It's honestly touching without being overwrought, and that's v. v. VERY rare, especially in H/D romance fics (as I suppose it's a melodramatic sort of pairing).
So yeah, basically... `Eclipse' gave me a story that was wholly focused on Harry & Draco without distracting me with subplots, without stringing me along with the oh-so-common 'will they or won't they' device, without the ubiquitous misunderstandings in most romances (which mostly serve to put off the so-called inevitable-- can you tell I'm sick of that??), without bullshit about 'twue wuv at first sight omg', without white-washing Draco's nastiness or creativity or loyalty or love for his parents, without making Harry into a wimp or a total dom-badass who just needs a fuck, without insulting my intelligence, without creating stupid triangles to create suspense, without bullshit about 'waiting for sex' as an excuse not to have it-- it was, quite simply, the story I wanted to read, so my love is both quite subjective and utterly predictable. And now I've read it (up to the epilogue) even though I haven't actually -written- one as I'd wanted, and it's over, and... well... good-bye and thanks for all the fish, H/D. I'll still finish my novellas, but.
It's been one hell of a trip (in the wilderness), and no matter what, boys, no matter what: you know I won't leave you. In retrospect, the King is dead-- long live the King.
~~
EDIT - Well, um... maybe I should also ramble about what I love about `Eclipse', picky-ass H/D reader that I am. Just because.
It's definitely not, as I saw one reviewer say, that it has no sex or that I need a break from the smut (...). And it's not that it's IC, precisely-- not quite. Basically, it's because it tries to answer the question I always want a serious H/D longfic to answer, but especially post-OoTP: why would Harry want Draco (and vice versa). It does this without relying on overt plot-devices outside of plausible events, without relying on other characters pushing, and without focusing overmuch on anything but Harry and Draco's relationship (while still having an interesting & integral plot). It doesn't rush the development of any romance, doesn't rely on hormones to speed things along, and doesn't cheat in any blatantly obvious way to get Harry and Draco to like each other. It just -happens-, and it happens naturally. And that naturalness while remaining IC-- that sense that of course they'd like each other, look, they're so good together-- that's all I really want from an H/D fic, and that's what I generally don't get. (Insert me crying 'WHY GOD WHY WHY WHY??!?!' here.)
It also has obsessed-with-revenge!Draco (something I was -dying- to see-- and write-- post-OoTP and before, too, and something for some ungodly reason no one seems to write-- except, hahahaha, JKR), manipulative-and-resilient-yet-vulnerable!Harry, an adventure exploring/escaping through the wilderness (yeee!), and lots of mind-magic and different sorts of bonds (double wheeeee!!) There's forced sleeping-together-innocently-with-the-enemy (kink!!), rescuing-each-other-from-certain-death (YEAY!) and snarky!Draco along with snarky!Harry (heeeeeee). Ohhhh yesssplease.
I think a lot of times when you have a long plotty IC fic where the build-up is slow, it has a large cast of characters and lots going on outside the relationship angle, & thusly we can draw out the tension between the leads by distracting them; so basically it's not really just a relationship story anymore and thusly I don't want to read it as much-- And when it's a plain romance, usually the conflict in the story is some sort of relationship angst (like 'does he -really- love me??' or 'can't we be together, omg??!' or 'I can't believe I'm in love with -him-, oh noes!! *denialdenialdenial*') and I'm so, so, so sick of that. You've read 5 romance stories of this sort in -any- pairing, and you've read them all. What I -really- want, have -always- wanted, is a story where the issues between Harry and Draco are -only- Harry & Draco's issues; you could not substitute them for any other couple, and you couldn't pretend these issues don't matter.
(And I can't help wondering if this fixation/preference makes me weird and 'different' among H/D shippers... I mean... when I read the few S/R fics I've read, comparatively, they don't feel so -generic- as a lot if H/D fics do-- so I'm wondering if it's something about H/D as a pairing or what. *sigh*)
In `Eclipse', there's absolutely -no- 'avoiding the inevitable' by distraction of any sort-- the romance just happens, not so much as a product of UST, but more as a product of real bonding between two people who've grown to need and depend on each other. It's not that the sexual/romantic element was suppressed or avoided or strung out-- it just didn't make sense happening until it happened, and then it simply did, quite naturally. And much as I love UST, after seeing every single fic in the fandom using it as a device, it really grows old-- but see, it's not the porn that I'm tired of, it's the reliance on it as a plot-device in romance stories, and especially H/D. If nothing else, I find it largely irrelevant as far as issues go between them. They have many, MANY other problems to deal with.
Another thing that bothers me with how straightforward romances between teenage boys tend to work (that is, fics dependent on UST and relationship melodrama) is how a lot of them end up feminized so much it hurts. Meaning, they talk about their feelings, no matter how embarrassing, without batting an eyelash, they make sappy declarations complete with rings and roses, and they basically act like such walking-talking female fantasies that it embarrasses -me- as a reader.
Now, this isn't to say that `Eclipse' is hardcore and non-sappy to the max or anything, or that it doesn't fully satisfy my romantic yearnings, quite the opposite, in fact-- what I actually like is how much genuine emotion between Harry & Draco gets captured without relying on declarations and romantic gestures. There are -some- sappy moments, but they feel natural when they come because the characters' -reactions- remain predictable-- that is, it's still the same Harry saying these things awkwardly yet sincerely, and not some pod-person who suddenly knows all the right moves (or conversely, melodramatically messes everything up). It's honestly touching without being overwrought, and that's v. v. VERY rare, especially in H/D romance fics (as I suppose it's a melodramatic sort of pairing).
So yeah, basically... `Eclipse' gave me a story that was wholly focused on Harry & Draco without distracting me with subplots, without stringing me along with the oh-so-common 'will they or won't they' device, without the ubiquitous misunderstandings in most romances (which mostly serve to put off the so-called inevitable-- can you tell I'm sick of that??), without bullshit about 'twue wuv at first sight omg', without white-washing Draco's nastiness or creativity or loyalty or love for his parents, without making Harry into a wimp or a total dom-badass who just needs a fuck, without insulting my intelligence, without creating stupid triangles to create suspense, without bullshit about 'waiting for sex' as an excuse not to have it-- it was, quite simply, the story I wanted to read, so my love is both quite subjective and utterly predictable. And now I've read it (up to the epilogue) even though I haven't actually -written- one as I'd wanted, and it's over, and... well... good-bye and thanks for all the fish, H/D. I'll still finish my novellas, but.
It's been one hell of a trip (in the wilderness), and no matter what, boys, no matter what: you know I won't leave you. In retrospect, the King is dead-- long live the King.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-10-06 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-06 11:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-13 05:16 pm (UTC)*meeble*
*tackle-glomps*
I can't believe I missed this...
*falls over*
*speechless*
*gives chocolate-covered!Draco*
no subject
Date: 2005-10-13 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-13 05:27 pm (UTC)Could you... er... maybe copy it to a schnoogle review-post? I got a flame yesterday, and I'm still kinda reeling from it. Seeing your LJ post here really made me feel a bit better.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-13 05:37 pm (UTC)And I'm glad it cheered you up :>
no subject
Date: 2005-10-13 05:45 pm (UTC)http://www.livejournal.com/users/mijan/29786.html
I love your icon, btw. *schnoogles it*
no subject
Date: 2005-10-13 09:22 pm (UTC)