Sam Carter /Jack O'Neill Ship Appreciation Thread 2.0

[SamJackShipper93]

I had a run-in with a person on another fandom today (on FB). She was highly derogatory and rude towards fanfic writers, calling them either "little girls" or "fat, middle-aged women". Then, she finished up her tirade by stating that "Fanfiction sucks."

I've heard people dismiss it, and make fun of writers, but never with this kind of vitriol. So, I have to ask. Do most people on this page read fanfic? Or do some of you like participating in the fandom without caring much for fanfic?

I'm just wondering, since fanfic is what brought me to Gateworld in the first place.

Ugh. Sometimes I try to write out a short response, and then ... this happens ... Sorry.

I’m going to preface this by saying that my response is full of generalizations of fanfiction in the Stargate fandom and in other fandoms, and it is only reflective of my personal experiences that shape my opinion. No disrespect is meant to others who may write or read fanfiction for books/shows/movies other than Stargate.

I love fanfiction. I love reading it (though I don’t review nearly as much as I should! ), and I love writing it (though not much sees the light of day).

However, though I’ve dabbled in reading fanfic for the other shows that I enjoy (Sherlock, Downton Abbey), I’ve found that Stargate fanfiction just works … better. The premise of the show is easier to write fanfiction for (since fanfic writers can write their own episodic adventures), implicit character development on the show gives fanfic writers the opportunity to dramatize it, and (and this is the biggest thing), the writers are people who treat the characters with respect and often try to write stories with intelligent plotlines.

I’m not saying that all Stargate fanfiction is great (but by now I know where to look for the good stuff!), but in general, I see the authors using care when they write stories for Stargate, which I have found is not as present in other fandoms.

In fact, when I go looking for fanfic for other shows, I’m usually inundated in fanfiction written by (forgive the stereotype and the generalization) “those” people that your Facebook friend/acquaintance described. Sherlock is the best example that I can think of, because there is so much that’s been written, but most of what I’ve found is very poor writing, very childish ideas, or stuff that’s just plain smut. (P.S. If any of you read Sherlock fanfiction and you’ve found good, well written stuff with no smut, send it my way! )

Obviously, like I said, even my own experience with other fandoms is a generalization. I have found some great Sherlock fanfic (in fact, I just found out that Sally Malcolm wrote a couple pieces when the series first came out!), it’s just that I had to sift through so much crap to get to get to it so I finally just gave up.

But in essence, I don’t have a problem with fanfiction. I truly believe that it’s a natural inclination that people have when they read a book/watch a movie or TV show that they like. They want to know what happens next, so the lazy fans demand a sequel, and the creative fans write the sequel themselves.

Fanfiction has existed much, much longer than the internet has been around. I know that I just mentioned on the Sam/Jack Fanfic Thread that Jane Austen’s family used to speculate on what eventually happened to the two unmarried Bennet sisters, Kitty and Mary, after the end of “Pride and Prejudice” (If I remember correctly, those speculations were written down by one of the family members). That is fanfiction, even if it isn’t identified as such.

Another example: right now, I am working as a dramaturgical assistant at a regional theater. For whatever show we’re working on, I do a lot of research on the script and the characters, and I’m amazed at the number of actors who spend a lot of time speculating on what happens to their characters after the show is over. They may not realize it, but that kind of speculation is fanfiction.

Like everlovin said, everyone has their own ways of expressing their love for something. I don’t do too much cosplay, I can’t make fanvids or artwork, and I don’t post a lot of fanfic, but in case you haven’t noticed (), I like to analyze everything in a TV show and then discuss it with others. My mom always says that I “think deep thoughts,” and I like to think deep thoughts about things that I love. That’s why I’ve been on GW for so long, because so many other people like to do the exact same thing.

Ultimately, I find it very disheartening that there is such a stigma surrounding fanfiction as a whole, since it can be done very well. There are many talented fanfic authors out there – people who have majored in creative writing, gotten their works published before, or just have a great grasp of storytelling – and I think it’s so sad that those stigmas regarding fanfiction are applied to them as well.

I don’t read or promote the less-than-great fanfiction that exists out there (though I love that many young people use fanfiction to practice their writing), but I’ll never condemn fanfiction as a whole. I’ve found way too many great authors and stories out there to do that!

[Akamaimom]

I agree that there is a lot of bad fanfic out there--I went looking for Castle fic the other day and it was mostly (basically) porn. But there are a ton of amazing writers out there. I found one today (ironically, since that's what brought this up) who is writing for The Last Ship who is quite good.

How this relates to Sam/Jack is obvious to me--as is how it relates to most shows where there are angsty story lines. People watch the show and fall in love with the characters and want to explore them further. It reiterates the greatness of a show to have a loyal fanfic and/or cosplay community.

Also, I just volunteered to teach creative writing in a club at my kids' school, and had nearly 30 kids sign up. What did a LOT of kids want to write? Fanfic! Kids today aren't given the opportunity to do much creative writing, and fanfic is a terrific way for them to be able to start writing something other than essays and five-sentence paragraphs. Fanfiction is a great way to get people thinking about imagining their own stories and bringing them to fruition.

I don't know. Maybe (probably) this wasn't the right place for the question. It just irked me that some people are so dismissive of the art. (And yes, it's an art.)

Anyway, Jack and Sam forever!

[hedwig]

Ok, so jumping in with re-watch...

First of all, does no one else notice that when Apophis opens the gate and comes through to Earth that the gate never shuts down during that scene? He comes through, they steal the female officer, kill everyone, and they walk back through the gate which has remained open while they are all standing on the ramp. Granted, it isn't established until later that the wormhole is one-way in either direction. But, in the next scenes when Jack sends the kleenex through and when Daniel sends it back, the gate automatically shuts down after the object comes through.

I could be wrong, but I think this was explained in the Final Cut. The "theory" is that Apophis or Teal'c had one of those automatic gate openers like Teal'c had in "Continuum", and that was used to open the gate in the Original Cut so that Apophis, Teal'c and the others could escape. There's a scene in a corridor just before Apophis & Company escape where we can hear the gate going through the sequence of opening. I could be wrong; it's been quite awhile since I watched that version. I guess I'll have to go watch it again.

[hedwig]

I had a run-in with a person on another fandom today (on FB). She was highly derogatory and rude towards fanfic writers, calling them either "little girls" or "fat, middle-aged women". Then, she finished up her tirade by stating that "Fanfiction sucks."

I've heard people dismiss it, and make fun of writers, but never with this kind of vitriol. So, I have to ask. Do most people on this page read fanfic? Or do some of you like participating in the fandom without caring much for fanfic?

I'm just wondering, since fanfic is what brought me to Gateworld in the first place.

I'm a big fanfic fan, though it's restricted to Sam/Jack fanfiction or SG1 team fanfic. I've read some absolutely horrible stuff that makes me wonder if the writer ever heard of an English class or if they even went to school, to what I consider some of the best writing out there, regardless of the subject.

So I would be a bit offended by the person you describe, but I might try to give her some reasons to alter her opinion, and if she didn't I 'd just stop communicating with her.

I've had "discussions" with a few of the authors out there and some of them have been wonderful to chat with and others it was like talking to a wall made out of trinium or one of those other metals SG1 discovered. The "wonderful to chat with" are few and far between, but they make up for the others.

[IamDKScully]

I found fanfic through GW.

We are very lucky in the Stargate fandom. We are spoiled by great writers! I dove headfirst into reading fanfic and like iiradned said, I read it almost everyday. And, our fandom does seems to have a much more talented pool of writers than others. For example, I love Sanctuary, but very few writers can write the complexity of Helen Magnus so I find myself bored or constantly shaking my head because she is so OOC. I gave up trying to find something I liked. Same goes for Star Trek. Most of the good stuff is the older stuff (late 80s early 90s), though I haven't tried reading anything relating to the new universe. (If you like STNG I can recommend a couple of fave people, though I too had to wade through a lot of mediocrity to find them.) I do keep trying to give other fandoms the benefit of the doubt, but I always come back to reading favorite S/J over the other stuff that's less than stellar.

I never knew about fanfiction before Stargate. And Stargate writers have set a very high bar!

Personally, I have been a writer all my life. Mostly I write poetry. Fanfiction gives me a creative outlet that I desperately need, a reason to write, and people to push me to do so. Not only have I found great friends to talk Stargate with, I have found wonderful and supportive writers to work with. Writing for this fandom has really helped me grow as a writer. So to those people who don't think that fanfiction is creative, I say that they don't know anything about writing.

The same can be said for Fanart (right SCIMM ). I joined the Artwork for All thread here on GW a couple of years ago. I have amazed myself with what I've learned to do. Most of that is through the support of other fanartists who've been encouraging and supportive.

[houghtam]

I had a run-in with a person on another fandom today (on FB). She was highly derogatory and rude towards fanfic writers, calling them either "little girls" or "fat, middle-aged women". Then, she finished up her tirade by stating that "Fanfiction sucks."

I've heard people dismiss it, and make fun of writers, but never with this kind of vitriol. So, I have to ask. Do most people on this page read fanfic? Or do some of you like participating in the fandom without caring much for fanfic?

I'm just wondering, since fanfic is what brought me to Gateworld in the first place.

I read fanfiction ALL THE TIME!!! While everyone is entitled to their opinion, being nasty is just not cool. I look at fanfiction as the stories we never get to see and other stories that are like extra seasons!

[houghtam]

Branches...

Spoilering for length. . .

Spoiler:

To the best of their recollections, it was the first time they'd ever been stuck in a tree.

"Got any rope Carter?"

Carter's branch waved a little as she turned, her delicately raised eyebrow telling him that he was definitely barking up the wrong - oh. He watched as she squiggled a little, getting a firmer hold on her precarious perch. It was doubtful that the branch would sustain her weight much longer.

"As luck would have it, Sir," she grumbled, "I left my rope in my other pack."

Grasping the tree trunk tighter, Jack leaned out to survey the ground beneath them. Yup, still covered with the scorpion looking bugs.

He squinted over at Carter, "Daniel and Teal'c still on PS3 J29?"

"They were due to come back tomorrow, Sir."

After a few minutes Jack saw the gate activating on its hilltop a kilometer away. Glancing down at the monster arachnids from Hell, he muttered a prayer to whomever might be listening that Teal'c and Daniel had decided to return a day early. Slowly, to keep the tree branches from shaking any more than they had to, Jack reached for his walkie.

"Daniel... Teal'c... Anyone there?" He waited, but his query was met with only static-y silence. "Apparently not."

Suddenly, Jack heard a cracking sound from of one of the branches.

"Carter!" Reaching over, he clambered onto a nearby branch, thicker the one Sam was on, and directly below her. "Hang on!"

"I'm good, Sir," she muttered breathlessly as she quickly repositioned her hands and feet, watching the piece of branch she'd just been grasping fall noisily to the ground.

Looking up, Jack spotted a couple of Jaffa exiting the stargate.

"Uh-oh... I guess now is the time when the real fun begins," said Jack. He looked up to see Sam shimmy towards the trunk, then slide down towards where he straddled the tree.

Jack and Sam looked up at the sound of an Alkesh approaching the gate which then lowered rings and picked the two Jaffa before leaving and the gate shut down leaving them alone again.

"Well, that was weird." Sam lowered herself to sit next to the Colonel on the branch. "The Goa'uld must have a camp somewhere on the planet."

Realizing their luck was going to run out sooner rather than later as either the branch would break or the Goa'uld would make an unwanted appearance, Jack whispered, "Carter... you're sure using a Zat on these pesky buggers below us will make them explode?"

"Well, given their average size and the relative force with which energy is expelled from a zat," she looked him in the eye, forcing him to pay attention to her explanation, "I can't be certain, but I'd say it's pretty likely that it wouldn't be a pretty sight."

"Well, we've either got to get out of here, or figure out a way to get them off the tree."

Sam followed his gaze to the base of the tree where some of the bugs were making their way up the trunk. She inched away by instinct, her side gently pressing up against the colonel's. "On earth, certain bugs can be repulsed or even killed by electromagnetic waves." She mused. "But the method has only been used on much smaller insects as an alternative for pesticides."

Noticing the glare on the Colonel's face at what she supposed was his annoyance at the "chatter", Sam pulled out her zat, aimed at the two highest bugs, and fired.

"Ouch! That had to hurt..." muttered Jack, "... reminds me of bugs splattered on a windshield."

Carter aimed at the next bug down, "Yeah, well, better them on the windshield than us."

"You go girl." He flashed her a cheeky grin as he pulled out his own zat and started destroying the bugs on his side of the tree.

Sam aimed and blasted, then did it again and again, until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something emerging from the branches above. A huge, weirdly shaped creature (the queen, perhaps) similar to those Sam was destroying began crawling towards the Colonel. She yelled, "Sir! Look out!"

Jack looked up and managed to twist out the creature's way enough to avoid injury, but it had managed to snag his vest to knock him off-balance before it fell to the ground.

She'd be embarrassed about it later, but Sam squealed, then threw herself further, down the branch, grabbing at the Colonel's arm. Sheepishly, Jack whispered, "Thanks for the catch, Carter ... Now zat the big one and let's blow this popsicle stand".

"I would, Sir," She reached down to help him back onto the branch, "If you could keep yourself out of harm's way."

"Snarkiness is not a good look on you, Carter," Jack teased, as he zatted the big one and slowly climbed down the tree looking for any movement as he went. Looking upwards, he watched as she made her way down after him - smiling appreciatively. "Although, from this angle, it's not so bad."

As Sam joined him on the ground Jack asked, "Do we need to do anything else or can we just head for the gate and get out of here before more of those critters show up?"

Turning to face him, Sam grinned, then calmly pulled her zat and fired.

Stunned, her lurched forward as he fell, his expression one of irked incredulity.

"He is sooooo not going to be a happy camper when he wakes up..." Carter mumbled as she kicked away the bug that had been quietly crawling up O'Neill's shoulder.

[houghtam]

Love the idea, Britta! Not sure how much I will participate, but will definitely keep an eye out and lurk behind the scenes.

[webbo]

I read fanfiction. I love fanfiction. And I disagree that fanfiction is poorly written. Of course it can be, but there are a lot of really fantastic ones out there. The difference is fanfiction writers don't have professional editors or endless amounts of time to perfect their idea and draft. They are doing it for the love of the fandom, for the continuity of something that ended too early, too unfinished. Also, fanfiction can help an individual practice, perfect, enjoy the art of writing. Its more than a hobby for many.

Fanfiction opened a whole new world to me, where my two favorite characters actually could, and did get together. I tried my hand at a few, and besides the personal satisfaction of having written something not for school, not for work, not for any paid purpose, it has brought me joy, and enjoyment to other who get the ship.

So, if you hate fanfiction with a passion, move on. But don't judge people who read fanfiction, and definitely don't bash those who write it. They're top notch in my book.

[webbo]

Now, for my post on the rewatch....

normal_sg1_101_1425.JPG

Look at the shoulders touching while they cheer together on Chulak! It gave me the shippy feels.

[Akamaimom]

Now, for my post on the rewatch....

[ATTACH=CONFIG]40960[/]

Look at the shoulders touching while they cheer together on Chulak! It gave me the shippy feels.

I don't think I've ever noticed that touch. Wow. Good eye!

[hedwig]

Now, for my post on the rewatch....

[ATTACH=CONFIG]40960[/ATTACH]

Look at the shoulders touching while they cheer together on Chulak! It gave me the shippy feels.

I noticed that the first time I saw that episode.

[iiradned]

Branches...

Spoilering for length. . .

Spoiler:

To the best of their recollections, it was the first time they'd ever been stuck in a tree.

"Got any rope Carter?"

Carter's branch waved a little as she turned, her delicately raised eyebrow telling him that he was definitely barking up the wrong - oh. He watched as she squiggled a little, getting a firmer hold on her precarious perch. It was doubtful that the branch would sustain her weight much longer.

"As luck would have it, Sir," she grumbled, "I left my rope in my other pack."

Grasping the tree trunk tighter, Jack leaned out to survey the ground beneath them. Yup, still covered with the scorpion looking bugs.

He squinted over at Carter, "Daniel and Teal'c still on PS3 J29?"

"They were due to come back tomorrow, Sir."

After a few minutes Jack saw the gate activating on its hilltop a kilometer away. Glancing down at the monster arachnids from Hell, he muttered a prayer to whomever might be listening that Teal'c and Daniel had decided to return a day early. Slowly, to keep the tree branches from shaking any more than they had to, Jack reached for his walkie.

"Daniel... Teal'c... Anyone there?" He waited, but his query was met with only static-y silence. "Apparently not."

Suddenly, Jack heard a cracking sound from of one of the branches.

"Carter!" Reaching over, he clambered onto a nearby branch, thicker the one Sam was on, and directly below her. "Hang on!"

"I'm good, Sir," she muttered breathlessly as she quickly repositioned her hands and feet, watching the piece of branch she'd just been grasping fall noisily to the ground.

Looking up, Jack spotted a couple of Jaffa exiting the stargate.

"Uh-oh... I guess now is the time when the real fun begins," said Jack. He looked up to see Sam shimmy towards the trunk, then slide down towards where he straddled the tree.

Jack and Sam looked up at the sound of an Alkesh approaching the gate which then lowered rings and picked the two Jaffa before leaving and the gate shut down leaving them alone again.

"Well, that was weird." Sam lowered herself to sit next to the Colonel on the branch. "The Goa'uld must have a camp somewhere on the planet."

Realizing their luck was going to run out sooner rather than later as either the branch would break or the Goa'uld would make an unwanted appearance, Jack whispered, "Carter... you're sure using a Zat on these pesky buggers below us will make them explode?"

"Well, given their average size and the relative force with which energy is expelled from a zat," she looked him in the eye, forcing him to pay attention to her explanation, "I can't be certain, but I'd say it's pretty likely that it wouldn't be a pretty sight."

"Well, we've either got to get out of here, or figure out a way to get them off the tree."

Sam followed his gaze to the base of the tree where some of the bugs were making their way up the trunk. She inched away by instinct, her side gently pressing up against the colonel's. "On earth, certain bugs can be repulsed or even killed by electromagnetic waves." She mused. "But the method has only been used on much smaller insects as an alternative for pesticides."

Noticing the glare on the Colonel's face at what she supposed was his annoyance at the "chatter", Sam pulled out her zat, aimed at the two highest bugs, and fired.

"Ouch! That had to hurt..." muttered Jack, "... reminds me of bugs splattered on a windshield."

Carter aimed at the next bug down, "Yeah, well, better them on the windshield than us."

"You go girl." He flashed her a cheeky grin as he pulled out his own zat and started destroying the bugs on his side of the tree.

Sam aimed and blasted, then did it again and again, until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something emerging from the branches above. A huge, weirdly shaped creature (the queen, perhaps) similar to those Sam was destroying began crawling towards the Colonel. She yelled, "Sir! Look out!"

Jack looked up and managed to twist out the creature's way enough to avoid injury, but it had managed to snag his vest to knock him off-balance before it fell to the ground.

She'd be embarrassed about it later, but Sam squealed, then threw herself further, down the branch, grabbing at the Colonel's arm. Sheepishly, Jack whispered, "Thanks for the catch, Carter ... Now zat the big one and let's blow this popsicle stand".

"I would, Sir," She reached down to help him back onto the branch, "If you could keep yourself out of harm's way."

"Snarkiness is not a good look on you, Carter," Jack teased, as he zatted the big one and slowly climbed down the tree looking for any movement as he went. Looking upwards, he watched as she made her way down after him - smiling appreciatively. "Although, from this angle, it's not so bad."

As Sam joined him on the ground Jack asked, "Do we need to do anything else or can we just head for the gate and get out of here before more of those critters show up?"

Turning to face him, Sam grinned, then calmly pulled her zat and fired.

Stunned, her lurched forward as he fell, his expression one of irked incredulity.

"He is sooooo not going to be a happy camper when he wakes up..." Carter mumbled as she kicked away the bug that had been quietly crawling up O'Neill's shoulder.

With Jack still unconscious, while gathering the gear that had gotten dumped during their initial mad scramble up the tree Sam saw that her GDO had a crack in its casing and the display was dead. She hoped that Jack's wasn't too badly fried when she had to zat him.

[Samantha-Carter-is-my-muse]

[...]

The same can be said for Fanart (right SCIMM ). I joined the Artwork for All thread here on GW a couple of years ago. I have amazed myself with what I've learned to do. Most of that is through the support of other fanartists who've been encouraging and supportive.

Exactly had it not been for my interest in trying to make fanart, I never would have tried to figure out first Paint Shop Pro and later on Photoshop. The Artwork for All thread has also been the place where I found challenges and tutorials that helped me get better.

As for fanfiction, I read it almost every day. There is of course a lot of bad fic out there, but the same can be said about published work: books, tv episodes and movies. We are indeed lucky in the Stargate fandom to have very talented writers who continues to be willing to explore the universe and our favorite ship

[Nonnie88]

I have been reading fanfiction for about 15 years... (started when I was 12). I spent most of my time in the local library using their internet so I could read just a couple of stories before heading home to do my homework...
I now read it before bed and when I am up feeding my daughter during the night.

I have written (and read) for so many fandoms... and there are some REALLY good stories out there...
I am new to Stargate fanfic, but everything I have read so far blows me away (Lie to Me* is a close second to this fandom right now). I have even dabbled in some writing myself.

The one thing I don't like about people saying they hate fanfiction is they probably haven't even read it themselves. My OH is a perfect example of this... He hates that I read stories that other people have made up from characters that he knows... He doesn't understand 'fangirling' as a term and he just can't wrap his head around the fact that we might want the characters to take a different route from where they were actually taken... (this is making no sense... blahhh)

Anyway... I'll shhhh now, but in my opinion fanfiction rocks and so do you guys LOL!