liz_marcs | Boring writerly post...

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Boring writerly post...

I feel like I lived a month in a week.

I've been rare online, and I apologize. Part of it is I've been feeling like crap (some sort of stomach thing is taking me to the cleaners), part of it is that allergies are the ho0r, and George, my once independent bird has turned into a needy little feathered thing (*sniff*).

I've got bills up the wazzoo that need paying. A pile of laundy that needs doing. And none of it got done because of aformentioned stomach thing. Let's not talk about the Tufts hospital charges for Gracie (insert scream when I saw $700-plus bill). Honestly, I can't say I was overcharged because they did do a lot of work between X-rays, infusions, medications, physical checks, and stay in the incubator. George, at least, got a free ride. My brother and my parents are kicking in $200 to help out (thanks guys!) so that leaves me $500 to work out in payment plan to Tufts.

I am working away on Living History. I finally polished up Kennedy's Q&A the way I want and I'm overall happy with the result. Damn my knee jerk for refusing to bash characters. While I wasn't crazy about the character, I never got the hate she garnered. I don't like any of the "new editions" for S7 because from a storytelling POV they sucked time away from the characters I cared about, but it seems Kennedy really had the knives in her back from fans.

I also finished some key connecting scenes, except, of course, the next one that needs to be posted (Willow and Xander have a discussion). Problem is, it's big time key because it leads to Willow making an executive decision (hugs Willow).

So, once again, I'm writing ahead when I really need to be concentrating on the next part. I can't *wait* to get to the bits that are written (the ending bits) because then my life will be easier.

A few people have asked for author's notes on this story (Why? I have no idea...) because they liked the author's notes I had for Whisper.

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin on author's notes for this story, so I've actually considered just saying, "Okay, if you've got questions, toss 'em at me and I'll post the answers in a week."

[sarcasm]No. That doesn't look egotistical at all.[/sarcams] *rolleyes*

The only good thing about yesterday is I got to moan on the couch and finish up the first disc of Sledgehammer and commentaries on discs one and two for the series. Heeee! All the funny hits me in wonderful ways. And the commentary was pretty good. From what I understand David Rashcle does do either a commentary or an interview on one of the discs (probably disc four).

Everyone's been talking about Veronica Mars and I stupidly missed the show. I'm going to have to check it out this time around. Even though I haven't seen Lost, I honestly can't drum up the interest in seeing it.

Nice rambling post. I have to go back to bed...

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Damn my knee jerk for refusing to bash characters. While I wasn't crazy about the character, I never got the hate she garnered. I don't like any of the "new editions" for S7 because from a storytelling POV they sucked time away from the characters I cared about, but it seems Kennedy really had the knives in her back from fans.

I have to wonder how much of that was sort of like the early-Oz backlash -- when they first set Oz up with Willow, there was all this screaming from Willow/Xander fans until the writers put in the cute little speech in the van, and then when Tara came along, "But she's not Oz!" &c &c. But we got to know and love both Oz and Tara, but Kennedy was a minor character only on for a season and so there wasn't the chance to get to know her.

I have to wonder how much of it also was the actress -- she was a hottie and basically competent, but it just didn't seem like the right fit for the part. I think there was the same problem re Monica Reyes (another much-hated last-minute addition) being played by Annabeth Gish -- when I read transcripts of Monica's lines, or think abt how she fits into the XF as a character, I don't have nearly as much of a problem with her. When I see her onscreen.....uccch. I've noticed I can tolerate Kennedy a lot better in fic than onscreen.

Maybe what you're twigging onto is that in a sheer storytelling sense they needed Kennedy in S7 -- they needed a leader for the baby slayerettes, Joss wanted to fix Willow up with someone so she'd be happy, and there was no way to do that without introducing a new character. I have to wonder if all the Kennedy-hatred isn't due to a kind of automatic dislike for "OC" in fic somehow....

Anyhow, I'll be interested to see yr Kennedy Q&A, definitely.

when they first set Oz up with Willow, there was all this screaming from Willow/Xander fans until the writers put in the cute little speech in the van

Wow. You mean, these fans weren't sold by the "ask you out" dialogue before Buffy's birthday? Or the "No, actually, it explains a lot," comment re: vampires are real?

Personally, I was sold on Oz at, "See, I like that you're unpredictable."

With Oz, I think a lot of the old-school W/X'shippers had convinced themselves at first that he was nothing more than either an obstacle in the path of W/X-twuwuv4eva! (I'm only teasing you, any W/X'ers reading this) or a necessary step in Willow's journey so that the "inevitable" W/X ending could happen. Y'know, somebody who was interested in Willow for Willow, and with whom a relationship could build up Willow's self-esteem, confidence, and belief in herself. The W/X yahoogroup's message board still has messages dating back to the third and fourth seasons, and it's interesting to see how many at the time were convinced that Oz/SG's departure after "Wild at Heart" was clearing the way for W/X to happen. Of course, they weren't counting on a few things, like Anya sticking around, Xanya becoming a more serious canon ship, or Tara, for that matter. (Oddly enough, W/X'ers regarded Willow's interest in Tara and girls in general as less of a threat to W/X than Xander and Anya's engagement.)

As for Kennedy, one factor in audience dislike for her, I'd wager, is the relative speed with which both her relationship with Willow and her apparent prominence as a character were established, compared to both Oz and Tara. It felt less natural or organic and more like it was being done to serve the plot, much like Riley's relationship with Buffy and his prominence in Season Four felt like they were pushed through in order to serve the Initiative plot. Plus, the announcement that ME made in-between seasons six and seven that Willow was definitely gay and not going to be interested in men may have been meant to kill off one bird (the renewed hope that season six ended with Xander telling Willow that he *was in love with her* and not just telling her he loved her platonicly) but killed off two (Kittens who were dead-set that Tara had to be brought back somehow and wouldn't accept Willow with any other woman).

Ah, shipper wars. Makes you long for the days of prime-time soaps when everybody was sleeping with everybody else just 'cause they were in it for the sex, no matter how apoplectic that may have made the family values crowd.

--skippcomet

I hope you feel better soon. Get yourself feeling better -- I mean, we've been waiting for how long for Living History to finish? Another week isn't going to hurt anyone. =P

Take care of yourself, kid.

Sympathies for all the real-life crapola (bird issues, bills, laundry, tummy trouble). Hugs be unto you.

Re: Kennedy...she was just another piece of the bad-writing issues that dogged season 7. She wasn't particularly likable, and it was hard to see what Willow saw in her, except that she was gay, and there. She does seem like a poorly written original character in fanfic, who is tossed in to fill a plot hole, but not really written into three-dimensional characterhood. Maybe if we'd had more time to get to know her, and for her character to emerge, but that season was so crowded with Slayerettes and Buffy-angst and Buffy-bitchiness taht there really wasn't time for Kennedy to be developed. I'd love to see some fanfic that explores her background and her relationship with Willow. I can't picture the two of them together long-term, but the why and how of their breakup could shed some interesting light on both of them, post-Chosen.

anyway. I hope you feel better, and I'm looking forward to more Living History.

Veronica Mars was pretty good. Not great, but good. It'll fill the Tru Calling void probably better than Tru Calling did, but it's a younger show.

Hope ya feel better! Back-to-school sicknesses seem to abound in our household as well. Go to King Richards, it's good for what ails ya. The Fire-Eater / Juggler lighting torches with his flaming nipple is not to be missed! (Yikes!)

I kinda liked Kennedy. She was the only Potential that seemed to have any balls at all. She was abrasive, insensitive, outspoken, opinionated, and totally perfect as a teenaged Potential with a sense of entitlement, who'd been training to be a Slayer for years and had zero tolerance for whiny newbies or spoiled wanna-be cheerleaders. Unlike, say, Rhona, she did more than just complain, she actually did stuff. She backed up her cocky attitude with action, instead of just jumping on a bandwagon to complain when everyone else did.

Willow falling for someone more like Tara would have looked pathetic to me. "We can't resurrect her, but we can tramp all over her memory, while simultaneously insulting the fans who liked Tara, by bringing in Tara 2.0. as her replacement to shut them up."

Author's notes. Huh. I thinked I liked Whisper more before I read the Author's notes, cause it messed with my preconceptions, and I ended up liking where you'd originally conceived going even more than where it did end up going... But the grass is always greener. Had you gone that route, I'd probably be saying the same damn thing... :)

Set

Sorry to hear that you're feeling poorly. Get lots of rest, and take care of yourself.
Happy to hear that more Living History is on the way.Damn my knee jerk for refusing to bash characters. While I wasn't crazy about the character, I never got the hate she garnered. I agree, I really don't understand why she was so reviled. I guess it is a variation on the Riley hate that happened. I appreciate authors who try, as you do, not to bash characters they don't like. I think it is hard to write those characters, but it seems like a cheap shot to bash them just because the writer dislikes them. I remember reading over at

honorh's OBAFU story that a good writing exercise is to take a character you dislike, and write them without bashing or making them the villain of the piece if they are not that in canon.

Sorry about your bird. I've had pets die before and it sucks beyond belief. Don't watch "Veronica Mars". The writing is bad and the acting is terrible. I only made it half-way through before tuning out. And I don't think Paris Hilton being on will help.

Sad when pets leave...

Nate Reish.

P.S. Looking forward to new "Living History".

Oh dear. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Care bill for pets, ouch! You have my sympathies. My feelings of stupidity for forking out large amounts of money dissipate into thin air when they come bursting out the vets door with tails wagging. It's a "Priceless" moment.

Kennedy fall into the same category as Robin & Andrew for me. There's a deep lingering resentment re: taking screen time away from other characters-okay- yeah I admit it- Xander.

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