Fanfic Writers' Virtual Water Cooler

[Cold Fuzz]

Frank seems like a wonderful balance of being thoughtful, well-spoken, but also being a fighter. Just his dialogue in your exchange with him speaks volumes.

I've become quite attached to my three sheriff's deputies and their British friend. When Broken Silence is finished--and it will be finished before this year ends--I will miss them all greatly. There are short stories and other adventures for all of them involving the Doctor and others. But they won't be nearly as long as Broken Silence. They know that when the war is over, I'll be coming back to their story again and again because winning their war will ultimately help me win mine.

I've tried to make them as likable as possible but as real as possible as well. The three of them are wonderful but flawed, as most people are. I realized just right now that their flaws are linked into how they handle emotion. Because of his unique origins, one of them has bouts of powerful emotions and doesn't know how to handle them sometimes. Another doesn't want to feel emotion anymore. Another has spent much of his adult life hiding from his emotions because that's what was expected of him. He's now found that he can't hide from them any longer. The last one is so young and so unsure of himself that he's still trying to find his place in the world. He becomes so painfully and humorously awkward. None of them are related, but they might as well be.

All of them (including the British friend) display a level of bluntness I think is appropriate for their chosen profession. But like O'Neill (and I imagine Frank too), they are much more intelligent than most people would give them credit for. That's why I really want to get the story of their war right. I owe it to the all of them as I believe you feel like you owe it to Frank too.

[SF_and_Coffee]

Frank seems like a wonderful balance of being thoughtful, well-spoken, but also being a fighter. Just his dialogue in your exchange with him speaks volumes.

On his behalf, thank you.

Frank is just a little bit of the old-fashioned gentleman at heart, and given to introspection as well. Jack, who has known him since they were both twenty-four, describes him as being somewhat quiet and reserved on a personal level until he gets to know the people around him, at which point he is quite willing to speak his mind. The exception, of course, is when Frank is in command mode, which is what we saw as he arrived outside Cheyenne Mountain in "A Matter of Time", and also in his encounter with Janet upon entering the SGC. Command-mode Frank is not someone you want to mess around with, no matter who you are.

He's been an avid reader since boyhood and is intelligent enough to have impressed Jack, whom I think we all know is no intellectual slouch himself, no matter how hard he tries to act befuddled at times -- and it is an act. Both men are educated, holding bachelor's and master's degrees (historically in the US military, promotion to or beyond major during the time they were both climbing the ranks was rare for anyone without a graduate degree), although their academic fields of interest are different.

As partners in a number of Special Operations training scenarios (they met in that training), it quickly became obvious that they worked well together because they balanced each other's strengths. Jack is more daring and given to the use of unorthodox methods to achieve a goal; he's kind of a loose cannon compared to Frank, who tends toward caution and is much more the "straight arrow" type. Rumor has it that Frank spent most of their training year worried that Jack -- ever the class clown -- would pull some prank implicating both of them and get them kicked out of the program, while Jack spent most of that year clowning in an effort to get Frank to loosen up. The crucible of Spec Ops training forged a deep friendship bond between them that was only broken by what happened in Iraq, and Frank spent the next eight years regretting his mistake and wishing for some way to atone, as he felt unable to forgive himself. To be honest, that experience exacerbated the touch of PTSD he most likely already had courtesy of earlier events in his career (something Jack shares as well).

When Frank and his team were assigned as one of three outside teams to be used as last-ditch security should a foothold situation or similar crisis compromise the SGC, and were briefed on the existence of the Stargate and what their duty might entail should the worst occur, he knew it was... well, only a matter of time before he might get his chance to save Jack's bacon the way he'd failed to do in Iraq eight years earlier.

I've become quite attached to my three sheriff's deputies and their British friend. When Broken Silence is finished--and it will be finished before this year ends--I will miss them all greatly.

It's similar for me with Frank, which is why ATWLB is now only the first (and longest) in a series of stories featuring him. There will also be another story centered on one or two of the original characters Frank met during the events of ATWLB and giving their history -- sort of a prequel to their involvement.

I've tried to make them as likable as possible but as real as possible as well.

That's what I strive for, too.

The three of them are wonderful but flawed, as most people are.

I realized just right now that their flaws are linked into how they handle emotion. Because of his unique origins, one of them has bouts of powerful emotions and doesn't know how to handle them sometimes. Another doesn't want to feel emotion anymore. Another has spent much of his adult life hiding from his emotions because that's what was expected of him.

For all of his intelligence, personal strength, and command experience, Frank has a streak of insecurity that runs deep. Some of it is the result of elements in his childhood -- his relationship with his father was somewhat distant due to his father's own issues stemming from his experiences as a soldier in WWII -- and some is linked to a series of tragedies that occurred in Frank's life between the ages of fifteen and his early twenties, such that by the time he met Jack, he had almost no family ties remaining and was somewhat adrift except for his commitment to the Air Force and the sense of belonging he had there. The severing of their friendship some thirteen years later renewed Frank's feelings of insecurity, which he countered by becoming what his men might politely term -- in private and well away from his hearing -- a "hard-ass SOB". The events of ATWLB represent Frank's journey out of that valley and the restoration of balance in his life.

All of them (including the British friend) display a level of bluntness I think is appropriate for their chosen profession. But like O'Neill (and I imagine Frank too), they are much more intelligent than most people would give them credit for. That's why I really want to get the story of their war right. I owe it to the all of them as I believe you feel like you owe it to Frank too.

I know just how you feel, because yes, it's the same way for me.

[Falcon Horus]

*runs past with a whole slew of Titanic inspired plotbunnies chasing after her*

ARGH.... Leave me alone!!

[SF_and_Coffee]

*runs past with a whole slew of Titanic inspired plotbunnies chasing after her*

ARGH.... Leave me alone!!

Run! Run!

*lays a trail of carrots going in a different direction in hopes of distracting plotbunnies*

[Starfist]

*runs past with a whole slew of Titanic inspired plotbunnies chasing after her*

ARGH.... Leave me alone!!

Titanic inspired plotbunnies...

I've no doubt next week there will be a whole load of programmes and other related items on the televison here in the UK. I know that ITV1 is showing a 4 part drama at the moment.

[Whytewytch]

*Sigh*

*headdesks myself 3x*

I should've realized that deviating from my normal writing techniques was going to open the door for some baaaaaaad issues. Instead of composing the dialogue first and then writing the prose around it, I tried to write the two simultaneously. *adds another head desk for good measure*

I initially wanted to do the "write-through" method because I didn't want to be dependent on the technique of writing out the dialogue first. But this was a chapter when the dialogue-first technique was absolutely necessary because every time I would write dialogue and then tack on the prose, the flow of the scenes was lost. I couldn't capture the emotional hot points in the dialogue. I think that in fast-paced scenes, I have to do the dialogue first or the direction will just splat in more directions than the main character's blood after being shot.

I have about 5,900 words written. I'm not going to dump it as it represents 6 days worth of solid work and I could very well re-use some of the dialogue and prose later.

OK, I think the water cooler needs something a little stronger than water for me right now.

/rant

I rarely do the "write through" method. Once I've written the dialogue, I can go back and hear it in my head and then picture the actions much more clearly. Good luck to you, Fuzz!

[Falcon Horus]

Titanic inspired plotbunnies...

It's the downside of being a Titanic-geek! which entails the whole ship and not just the films

I've no doubt next week there will be a whole load of programmes and other related items on the televison here in the UK. I know that ITV1 is showing a 4 part drama at the moment.

I'm watching that miniseries... it's going too fast. It wants to tell too much in too little time. Though I love it nevertheless.

But I'm always surrounded by something Titanic no matter what time of year.... but the bunnies haven't been this plenty for a while... must be that time of year...

[Whytewytch]

*runs past with a whole slew of Titanic inspired plotbunnies chasing after her*

ARGH.... Leave me alone!!

Run for your life! JK! I love the story of the Titanic--the actual story, not necessarily the movie. My great-uncle was a survivor. According to family legend, he climbed onto a door and was later picked up. I about fell off the couch when I saw this used to save Rose in the movie.

[Falcon Horus]

I love the story of the Titanic--the actual story, not necessarily the movie.

Same here... I'll read and watch anything I can get my hands on.

My great-uncle was a survivor. According to family legend, he climbed onto a door and was later picked up. I about fell off the couch when I saw this used to save Rose in the movie.

I was gonna say cool... but that didn't seem appropriate.

[Whytewytch]

Same here... I'll read and watch anything I can get my hands on.



I was gonna say cool... but that didn't seem appropriate.

How about "awesome"? He did survive, so I and many of my cousins--third, fourth, removed, whatever they are--are pleased.

[Princess Awinita]

Have your characters ever done this ? Basically they pull off a Marx Brothers move and break the 4th wall, literally and talk directly to the readers ? I have on several occiasions. In fact one of my stories was simple.

Jim stood and started pacing, "So you think this will work ?" Jim stopped pacing as he asked the question to his fellow, Johnny just smirked and looked at the camera

"How do you like that, not on the job two m inutes and already he's paying me to think!"

[Falcon Horus]

How about "awesome"? He did survive, so I and many of my cousins--third, fourth, removed, whatever they are--are pleased.

Awesome it very much is indeed...

[Cold Fuzz]

For all of his intelligence, personal strength, and command experience, Frank has a streak of insecurity that runs deep. Some of it is the result of elements in his childhood -- his relationship with his father was somewhat distant due to his father's own issues stemming from his experiences as a soldier in WWII -- and some is linked to a series of tragedies that occurred in Frank's life between the ages of fifteen and his early twenties, such that by the time he met Jack, he had almost no family ties remaining and was somewhat adrift except for his commitment to the Air Force and the sense of belonging he had there. The severing of their friendship some thirteen years later renewed Frank's feelings of insecurity, which he countered by becoming what his men might politely term -- in private and well away from his hearing -- a "hard-ass SOB". The events of ATWLB represent Frank's journey out of that valley and the restoration of balance in his life.

Wow! There's some intriguing parallels between Frank and Bainbridge. If these two guys ever met, I think they'd get along pretty well. Bainbridge is not in a good place in his life when Broken Silence begins. Like another character in the story, he had risen higher than he ever had before... and then fell so much further, into a terrible place where he was basically hanging on by a thread. The events in Broken Silence are his gradual ascent out of his valley and reaching a place that was even higher than what he had achieved before: starting a new life. But he has to fight fiercely for that new life. Along the way, the people who help transform him into something greater are themselves transformed. By the end of the story, virtually none of the characters are the same as they were in the beginning.

[Princess Awinita]

*runs past with a whole slew of Titanic inspired plotbunnies chasing after her*

ARGH.... Leave me alone!!

*shrieks in fear!!* NOOOOO!! No nightmares tonight, PLEASE!!!! *Hates anything to do with Titanic with a vengeance* I will personally take getting the WTC to fall on me than going down in a ship!

[Princess Awinita]

Run! Run!

*lays a trail of carrots going in a different direction in hopes of distracting plotbunnies*

Thank you!!!!! *hugs and follows the new trail to see where it leads....* YAY!!!

Abbott & Costello anyone ???

[Starfist]

I have a Titanic fact for you.

Dr. Robert Ballard, the guy who found the Titanic was on BBC Radio 2 earlier today here in the UK. And he was speaking about the search for the Titanic.

Did you know the search was funded in part by the US Goverment ?
He found the Titanic after completing a job for the US Navy who had lost 2 submarines in the same area during the Cold War. After finding the submarines he was allowed to search for the lost liner. Which they found by following the debris field from the wreck.

[Sealurk]

I have a Titanic fact for you.

Dr. Robert Ballard, the guy who found the Titanic was on BBC Radio 2 earlier today here in the UK. And he was speaking about the search for the Titanic.

Did you know the search was funded in part by the US Goverment ?
He found the Titanic after completing a job for the US Navy who had lost 2 submarines in the same area during the Cold War. After finding the submarines he was allowed to search for the lost liner. Which they found by following the debris field from the wreck.

On a closely related note, anybody interested in undersea exploration might do well to check out Bob Ballard's book "The Eternal Darkness". I thoroughly enjoyed it, and if I'm remembering correctly it covers Ballard's career and interest in deep sea exploration, such as the search for the Titanic, a brief history of undersea exploration in general including the Trieste touching down at Challenger Deep, the tragic loss of the Thresher and the subsequent search for it and the astounding story of the Glomar Explorer and 'Project Jennifer'.

Anybody else remember Dr. Ballard presenting those short factoid segments over the end credits of the first season of seaQuest DSV?

[Starfist]

Anybody else remember Dr. Ballard presenting those short factoid segments over the end credits of the first season of seaQuest DSV?

Yes I do. I believe Dr. Ballard was an advisor on the show.

[Falcon Horus]

I have a Titanic fact for you.

Dr. Robert Ballard, the guy who found the Titanic was on BBC Radio 2 earlier today here in the UK. And he was speaking about the search for the Titanic.

Did you know the search was funded in part by the US Goverment ?
He found the Titanic after completing a job for the US Navy who had lost 2 submarines in the same area during the Cold War. After finding the submarines he was allowed to search for the lost liner. Which they found by following the debris field from the wreck.

That's cool!

*stores info in brain*

Anybody else remember Dr. Ballard presenting those short factoid segments over the end credits of the first season of seaQuest DSV?

I LOVED THOSE!

[Starfist]

I enjoyed watching SeaQuest DSV. Especially the episodes with Darwin the Dolphin.