Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard Appreciation/Ship/Discussion Thread

[ddc]

The thing is, for a story this big, you need to have a plan going in so you know how the story ends and how you're going to get to that end without wandering all over the place. I've got all that, it's just a matter of fleshing out all those one or two line summaries for each scene.

I plot my stories out in my head before writing anything. I've done that for years on school and work writing too. Outlines I've only ever done when they were required for school -a term paper to get the topic OK'd or in high school English as a stand alone assignment to learn how to write one. I do jot down some notes, mostly so I don't accidentaly re-use OC's names or for things like road numbers or place names when a story is set on Earth.

[Scary Kitty]

Good morning, Sparkies! Happy Canon Monday!

And not quite but sorta connected in a roundabout way... HD Theater (a cable channel run by the Discovery Channel here in the US) has a series called Sunrise Earth, where each day for about 50 minutes, they show a sunrise in some location in the world. No narration or anything, just the sights and sounds that you'd see if you were there. Today's episode is on the Vancouver Inside Passage-- yep, that's right. Planet Stargate for the win! Though I'd imagine they don't have cruise ships or speedboats zooming up the waterways in Pegasus.

Scary Kitty,can't believe I missed this fic . Just read it and what a good ending to First Strike that would have been. Loved the strength Elizabeth protrayed, especially in the manner she dealt with Ellis. Also John realising the implications of his actions could have resulted in the loss of Elizabeth and Atlantis. All together great, thanks for providing the enjoyment the fic gave.

Wow, I'm still kinda surprised at the great response this one has gotten. But I guess I shouldn't be 'cause, well, it pwned TPTW. Thanks for reading!

[Regularamanda]

Good morning, Sparkies! Happy Canon Monday!

And not quite but sorta connected in a roundabout way... HD Theater (a cable channel run by the Discovery Channel here in the US) has a series called Sunrise Earth, where each day for about 50 minutes, they show a sunrise in some location in the world. No narration or anything, just the sights and sounds that you'd see if you were there. Today's episode is on the Vancouver Inside Passage-- yep, that's right. Planet Stargate for the win! Though I'd imagine they don't have cruise ships or speedboats zooming up the waterways in Pegasus.



Wow, I'm still kinda surprised at the great response this one has gotten. But I guess I shouldn't be 'cause, well, it pwned TPTW. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for the heads up Kitty I didn't even know we had that kind of thing but I looked through the channels and I do have it...cool!

I'd love some linkage to this fic that you've been talking about, please

[Scary Kitty]

Oh, that is so annoying!
I also carry a notepad with me, but I usually think stuff up when I'm driving my car and it's kinda difficult... not to mention dangerous... to write stuff down when you're driving. So by the time I get to my destination, I've either forgotten about it or get distracted too much to remember to write it down.
Then when I get home, I usually beat myself up for forgetting about it...
There's also a notepad on my bedside table, cause I also think stuff up when I'm half asleep and I need to write that down immediately, cause I will have forgotten about it by morning.
It can be so frustrating.

Gah! I get ideas right when I'm drifting off to sleep too. Soooo annoying, because, well, I'm a kitty, and kitties like their sleep time, darnit. Rawr.

I have 'story bibles' for some of my stuff. Part of the reason why Testament isn't finished is because I have to keep going back and rereading the story bible/story in order to remember who did what.

It's quite time consuming on its own.

Same here! Although, like was mentioned earlier, sometimes those rereads can spark some inspiration, so it can be useful.

I plot my stories out in my head before writing anything. I've done that for years on school and work writing too. Outlines I've only ever done when they were required for school -a term paper to get the topic OK'd or in high school English as a stand alone assignment to learn how to write one. I do jot down some notes, mostly so I don't accidentaly re-use OC's names or for things like road numbers or place names when a story is set on Earth.

And then there's stuff like notes on how many people are in Atlantis, what kinds of science teams might there be, how and where the expedition has set up the inhabited areas, etc. Details, details, details. And I'm not even sure if I'll ever use it all!

[Scary Kitty]

Thanks for the heads up Kitty I didn't even know we had that kind of thing but I looked through the channels and I do have it...cool!

I'd love some linkage to this fic that you've been talking about, please

It's a neat show; they've gone to all sorts of places, like the glaciers on Iceland, to Angkor, to Venice, to a balloon ride (in Vermont, I think). Lovely scenery.

And the First Strike AU fic is on my LJ.

[Scary Kitty]

Hmm... Eri, do you think it's time for some Vengeance discussion questions?

[Eri13]

Hmm... Eri, do you think it's time for some Vengeance discussion questions?

I will try to whip some up today. I'm afraid it's a very busy few weeks for me--football season is only 2 weeks away.

[Scary Kitty]

I will try to whip some up today. I'm afraid it's a very busy few weeks for me--football season is only 2 weeks away.

Football! John's favorite time of year.

[Scary Kitty]

This is a subject we've touched on a few times here... There's a thread on What do you wish they would have done on Stargate Atlantis before it ended?

And here's my answer. Have a look, then if you like, post the things you would have liked to see in Season 6 and beyond.

[Eri13]

This is a subject we've touched on a few times here... There's a thread on What do you wish they would have done on Stargate Atlantis before it ended?

And here's my answer. Have a look, then if you like, post the things you would have liked to see in Season 6 and beyond.

Done!

[lizabeth39]

This is a subject we've touched on a few times here... There's a thread on What do you wish they would have done on Stargate Atlantis before it ended?

And here's my answer. Have a look, then if you like, post the things you would have liked to see in Season 6 and beyond.

Put my tuppence worth in too.

[Eri13]

Vengeance Discussion Questions

1) This is the 'penultimate' or 'next to last' episode of Season 3. Do you think it served well as a penultimate episode, or would you have preferred a two part cliffhanger, as we had in S1?

2) Vengeance seemed to have been developed as a true action-based horror adventure, with a 'Resident Evil' or 'Silent Hill' feel. Did you think it came out that way?

3) Vengeance brings back Michael. How did you feel about seeing him again? Was he an effective villain? Did this story suit him?

4) How did you feel about the Super Wraith? Would you have liked to have seen more of this enemy?

5) Vengeance makes the Taranans--the race saved by Atlantis in Season 2's penultimate episode, Inferno--as the victims here. Why do you think Carl Binder chose them? And how did you feel about having the victims be a race of people you were familiar with, rather than a random group as some other stories have done? Are you sorry they were all killed? (Funny sidebar: Binder wrote both Inferno and Michael--does that have something to do with it?)

6) Michael tells Teyla that because he no longer fits in anywhere, he's going to find his own place to fit in--and he blames Atlantis for any deaths that occur at his hands. Do you think he is justified in feeling this? Was Teyla justified in telling Michael he and the other transformed Wraith deserved to die in Misbegotten?

7) There are two interesting scenes in Vengeance that say a lot about characters. In the first, Ronon argues with John about killing Michael. Breaking this down:

a) Who's choice of action do you agree with here--Ronon's (kill on site) or John's (set your gun to stun)?
b) Did you like Ronon taking the stand here and debating the ethics of a mistake made by Atlantis? OOC or in character?
c) Why is it that John still seems to be trying to justify Michael's creation?

8) The second scene is John's confrontation with Michael. Breaking this down:

a) Were you surprised at John's hesitancy to shoot Michael, despite knowing he's committed mass murder?
b) Do you think Michael has a desire to die?
b) Is John as tough as we've been led to believe? How does this contrast with his rampage in The Eye? Can you reconcile the two perspectives of him we've seen?

9) Unlike some other 'stand-alone' episodes, Vengeance gives us a few scenes of ethical debate as a wrap up. Did you appreciate this addition? Was it needed?

10) This is an episode penned by our old friend Carl Binder. How does it work for you? What does it add to his abilities as an SGA writer, based on what you remember of what else he's done?

Sparky bonus:

a) What did you think of the first scene, with John and Elizabeth finishing each other's sentences? How did that rate on your Spark-o-meter?

b) Binder keeps Elizabeth to the back in this episode--but what Sparky moments did you pick up on in Vengeance, even if it wasn't blatant?

c) How does the final scene work for you?

Super fun Sparky bonus!!

d) Let's pretend that Carl is always looking for a way to subliminally prod Sparky along. Where can you see subconscious hints of Sparky in Vengeance? Have fun with this one!!!

[Janet Fraiser]

Hola, Sparkies. I'm just wondering, do we have an annual ship day like the Sam/Jack shippers do on their appreciation thread? That would really motivate people to write fic, make artwork, vids, etc.

*whew* It's done. I said I was going to make a trailer for my fanfic, and darn it if I didn't do it.

The trailer for Light in the Dark.
Now this is my first ever attempt at vid making of any kind, so you guys tell me what you think.

*applauds* This can't be your first vid. It was too good!

The idea I came up with is pretty darn epic, so it'll definitely fill up the word count... The trouble for me is getting the idea out of my head and expanding the outline into a full-fledged story. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth.


Just think, whenever they get tired, they can go back to their quarters and snuggle up together in bed for a little nap. Aaaahhhh, snugglebunnies.

*bounces* I still can't wait to read your story!!
Mine is pretty epic too as I'm rewriting most of what happened in SGA
But you're right... getting the ideas in your head on paper is sometimes very difficult. And if you try to force it, it just feels wrong.
Having a stubborn muse who takes way too much vacation is very frustrating at times



Hehe, so very true



Yay, can't wait for that day to come

Totally agree. For me, when I write I need an outline. 1. Because I'll think of things that I so have to put in it, but if I don't write it down I'll forget. 2. It helps keep the story moving because you know how far you want to get in each chapter. And you'll also be aware of how you want it to end, so when the fic writing mojo is down, you can pull out the outline and it occasionally helps spark the mojo

For those of you that can write without outlines...I tip my Phillies hat to you

Seriously, I've taken to carrying a little notepad and pen in my purse at all times to jot down the random plot bunny that strikes when I'm out on the town.


I used the SG-verse Continuity & Viewing Order thread as a starting point, then added in the novels, the magazine short stories, and the audio dramas. One thing I've found is that once SG-1 and Atlantis start overlapping (Seasons 8-10 of SG-1 and Seasons 1-3 of Atlantis), events from episodes of both series sometimes happen simultaneously, rather than one after the other. Which can get very messy to keep track of. And don't even get me started on the time jumps between episodes; anywhere from only a few days to several months!

Speaking of messy...



And really, it's such a pain to try to clean bloodstains out of upholstery. The moral of the story? Proper prior planning is the Sparky fan's best friend.

It IS like pulling teeth. But, unlike you guys, I don't use an outline. Ever. Just for school when writing essays. In fact, I've hardly considered doing so, but judging by the sheer amount of details, as you mentioned, in the Stargate universe, and when you have a complex story of epic proportions, yes, I think it'd be wise to use one.

Of course, I haven't written any amazing long stories, because that requires MUCH more effort (which is something I really have not given to Sparky or any story yet, but which I have seen in the stories written by all of you) so I haven't exactly found the need to create an outline. Or so I think. o_O

KrisRussel, I get the same feeling when I'm trying to force an idea from my head onto paper. That's why I've been feeling stuck with my writing lately; I have some ideas, but I can't figure out how to deliver them in the right way.

Regularamanda, I tip my hat to those of you who do the outlines. A for effort, there.

ScaryKitty, so write your notes on-the-go too? And others here do as well.. that's cool. I use the 'notes' app on my ipod but god knows that's not reliable when it's out of battery. So.. thank you for the seemingly obvious idea of carrying around a small notebook, lol. I will do that now.

And thank you for the link to that thread.

This is a subject we've touched on a few times here... There's a thread on What do you wish they would have done on Stargate Atlantis before it ended?


And here's my answer. Have a look, then if you like, post the things you would have liked to see in Season 6 and beyond.

I hope you don't mind.. I quoted your answer and added one more point of my own - since I really liked your ideas and I haven't yet thought long and hard about what I would have liked to see differently. All I know is that I wish Elizabeth were still there. That would have been good enough for me, methinks.

--end note--

My ramblings are all over the place. I apologize if this post was boring/confusing/long winded

[Anuna]

Hey guys. I'm sorry for disappearing on you all, I had to leave urgently. My grandma died, and I had to go to Bosnia. I'm back now. *huggles you all*

[Regularamanda]

(((Anuna))) I'm so sorry to hear that