The Examination: Daasgrrl
There are a lot of good Housefic writers out there who can deliver a devastating scene of tragedy with just the right touch that will leave readers in tears.
There are others who can deftly dash off the most absurd bits of humor that they make laugh until you cry.
Not many can handle both, but consider daasgrrl and her fics which make it seem easy to bridge the gap between despair and crack.
From Grieving:
House stands awhile, then pulls up a chair. He can be patient when he wants to be. He’s going to stay here and wait for Wilson to give in and draw breath again, for his eyes to flicker open, his mouth to quirk up in a triumphant smile at the success of his deception. And when he does, House is going to kill him for wasting his time.
Then to recover, there’s the sheer insanity of picturing House’s prized possessions being … possessive in Inanimation:
"Hmph," sniffed the Red Coffee Cup. "Then why does he spend so much time swearing at you? Now, me, he's always pleased to see. He caresses me with his lips, and tells me how beautiful I am, which is more I can say for any of you."
"It's not you he loves, it's the coffee!" the BOUO cried, surprising all of them. "And you don't deserve him, you slut! I've seen Chase sticking his spoon into you, and Wilson holding you in his hands, and you liked it!
daasgrrl is a multi-fandom fic writer, who luckily enough now lists “House” as her current obsession. She’s a House/Wilson writer primarily (you can find her fics here) who has played with perceptions of reality while also maintaining a solid hold on canon moments.
She’s also another Australian writer - what is it about “House” that draws so many Aussies, anyway? - who has been active in House fandom for a few years now.
You do a lot of fics which fill in scenes for the episodes, or pick up immediately from the end of the episode. How do those start? Is it intimidating to try and follow almost immediately from an established scene?
I hadn't actually realised I did this, but upon reflection, you're right!
I would say if anything, it's easier. You kind of have all that nice canon just sitting there fresh and ready to go, full of new possibilities. If nothing else, you know it hasn't been done to exhaustion. And it is fun trying to work fic around canon.
And speaking of those scenes ... you're in Australia, right? I'm going to guess you have means of accessing episodes before they're shown there. Is it frustrating to know you've got even a slight delay when you know you could log on to LJ and see all these bits of tidbits from what the U.S. and Canadian viewers have already seen?
I'm evading this question a little, but yes, there are ways even if you live overseas. And those ways are surprisingly efficient. At times, I have finished watching the ep before the West Coast (USA) people! So the delay is extremely small. But yes, I do try to avoid checking my flist for a few hours on House days, even though everyone is generally very good about spoiler cuts.
What drew you to writing House fanfiction?
Much the same things that drew me to write XF fanfic, I guess - there were ideas I thought would be interesting to write, and it was also a way of participating in the community and getting to know people. Less generally speaking, of course for me it's all about the H/W relationship.
How does a story start for you? A specific scene? A plot? A snatch of conversation?
Hmm, I'd say it's just the basic idea(s), which can come from anywhere, and everything develops out from there. Or not, as the case may be. I usually don't start anything without at least a rough idea of how I'd like it to go.
Some of your fics -- whether for humor or straight-up drama -- have an element of the fantastic about them. Wilson seeing himself in two diffferent places in "Intersections," for instance or the "crackfic" of "Metastasis" with RSL's fictional counterparts seeping through into House's world. Do you do this intentionally or is it something that seems to come in from other fandoms? (Either way, it sets up some interesting fic potentials, on both the drama and humor side.)
I have always enjoyed fantasy and SF fiction, and these are fairly standard elements in those genres, so it wasn't a huge leap to think of them in relation to fanfic. I wouldn't say it's a deliberate choice so much as that kind of thing simply interests me. Also, yes, XF, my first 'real' fandom, was quite big on AU/crack/meta fic, so it seemed natural to transfer some of that to House, even though the show isn't as inherently suited to it.
I’ve got questions on a couple of different storytelling angles ... when you're writing something that's aiming for crackfic, is it hard to present that sense of humor and "crack?" It seems to me that part of the problem with bad crackfic (if that term can be used) is that writers don't fully commit to it.
I think the thing with crackfic is that the characters are still (or should be still) recognisably the same. I think it works along the same lines as AU - how would the characters cope if this happened? The crackfic/AU I most enjoy reading is where they act very normally in a bizarre/different situation, and I try not to lose sight of that.
And for the other storytelling issue ... I know it's been a while but you've done some fan vids as well, including the classic "Brokeback Hospital." How do you approach telling a story via vid, compared to fic? (Find links to the vids here
Vidding is very different from writing, for me. It's (obviously) very visual - you do rely on the inner context of the scene to some extent, but how it looks is very important - a glance here, a smile there. A scene may have been riveting in canon, but stripped of the dialogue it's just boring to watch. And you have to depend very heavily on having some kind of visual memory for scenes and/or the patience to skim through dozens of episodes looking for that particular two seconds you want. You can't just make it up, much as you'd like to. The time commitment in comparison to writing is huge (at least, for me). Fractions of a second count.
I do like to think all my vids tell a story, but it's kind of like having a huge novel in front of you, and then painstakingly finding, cutting out and rearranging selected phrases in order to form your own short story. It's almost entirely unlike writing.
What's the hardest part of writing for you?
Incidental movement within a scene. I'm often at a loss as to what the characters are doing - fiddling with their pen, reading the paper, etc. Ideally, all movement should reflect directly on the scene, but sometimes I just don't know how to make that happen. And I'm reluctant to leave it out altogether, because otherwise it ends up very dry and dull, imo.
What's the easiest?
Many people have said this, but it's no less true - dialogue. Yap, yap, yap.
What do you look for in fic that you read?
I don't read much anymore, but then I'm not writing much either. What I generally enjoy: smut, angst, hurt/comfort and humour. Preferably all rolled into one. I will also go for a really good/interesting plot/premise/idea, regardless of the above elements. Grammar, spelling and word choice are important on a basic level. I also read depending on my mood - some fic I've just not been in the mood to read at the time it was posted, but gone back later and found it excellent.
Lastly, but really something that overrides all of the above - the ability to make me give a damn. That goes for all media, really. And it's a quality that's a little abstract - there are some writers (this goes outside of fanfic) who could probably itemise their laundry list in a fascinating manner, and some people who can make the most interesting topic in the world seem rather dull.
If you could steal one fic writing capability from, say, three of your favorite writers, what would they be and why? (In other words, I wish I could write plot like X or dialogue like Y.)
I'd say these things are all attributable to more than one author, and I wouldn't say that they are necessarily characteristics of my favourite writers because so many factors go into that - rather, these are stylistic qualities I admire and covet.
- the ability to write poetic descriptions and metaphor. I completely suck at this. I know there's a fic of mine where I use exactly ONE simile somewhere in the middle, and it always sticks out to me, because it's so unusual that I do it. I tend to think very literally.
- detail. I always feel I struggle with incidental detail, as noted above - too much can bog a scene down, but detail lends atmosphere. It's like, you can talk all you like, but what are you doing? I also feel that not living in the US hampers me a little here, because the everyday reference points can be very different.
- the ability to really develop a good, solid plot - I've gradually managed to work my way up to slightly longer stories, but it's very difficult to hold all the strands in my head at the same time the way I'd really like to.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I don't *g*. I would say it's my natural state not to write, and then sporadically I really want to. I'm not one of those people who keeps diaries, writes original fic, and so on - I've tried.
Has writing fic changed the way you watch the show?
Oh, definitely, if only in the sense that I pay way more attention to the H/W nuances than I did when I was just a casual viewer. I almost completely failed to notice Wilson when I originally started watching the show...
What would you change on the show if you had that power?
LOL, I don't think I'd change anything major, but I'd like a lot more Wilson backstory and focus, eventually. And of course more H/W slashy goodness.
I also think they tended to not make the best use of the arcs they had - I thought House's ketamine arc as his leg improved and then regressed again could have sustained an entire season, for example. It would have been amazing to have seen that gradually played out in the background and to have seen the kind of psychological impact it had on House.
I know you're a House/Wilson writer primarily, but as an Aussie is there anything that fic writers get wrong about Chase? (Other than that cliche "womat" term?)
YES. Not that I've read a lot of Chase fic, but even from what I've seen people have the same problems I do in attempting to write US fic - the cultural references are different. In some cases, not as different as you might think, and in other cases, more different than you might realise. Australia is heavily exposed to American TV, and I'm familiar with a lot of basic elements of US history and culture just from watching TV. And while I acknowledge TV/movies hardly constitute a profound insight, the reverse exposure for an average US person to Australian media would, I imagine, be considerably less. And there are some things even research won't do for you.
Some errors are just laughable - like the fic with completely clueless Steve Irwin references, but some are very subtle (and possibly arguable). I'm reluctant to mention them individually, since they really only amount to nitpicks about excellent stories, but I have noticed them.
Also, in general it's difficult to write slang/idiom convincingly unless you actually run it by an Australian. Many terms have very specific usages, and/or are only used by certain types of people. It's usually safer to have him just use US expressions he's picked up, because that does happen very easily. But basic things like 'mum' tend to stick. Most people get that right, at least.
Thanks, daasgrrl. Any other questions out there?
There are others who can deftly dash off the most absurd bits of humor that they make laugh until you cry.
Not many can handle both, but consider daasgrrl and her fics which make it seem easy to bridge the gap between despair and crack.
From Grieving:
House stands awhile, then pulls up a chair. He can be patient when he wants to be. He’s going to stay here and wait for Wilson to give in and draw breath again, for his eyes to flicker open, his mouth to quirk up in a triumphant smile at the success of his deception. And when he does, House is going to kill him for wasting his time.
Then to recover, there’s the sheer insanity of picturing House’s prized possessions being … possessive in Inanimation:
"Hmph," sniffed the Red Coffee Cup. "Then why does he spend so much time swearing at you? Now, me, he's always pleased to see. He caresses me with his lips, and tells me how beautiful I am, which is more I can say for any of you."
"It's not you he loves, it's the coffee!" the BOUO cried, surprising all of them. "And you don't deserve him, you slut! I've seen Chase sticking his spoon into you, and Wilson holding you in his hands, and you liked it!
daasgrrl is a multi-fandom fic writer, who luckily enough now lists “House” as her current obsession. She’s a House/Wilson writer primarily (you can find her fics here) who has played with perceptions of reality while also maintaining a solid hold on canon moments.
She’s also another Australian writer - what is it about “House” that draws so many Aussies, anyway? - who has been active in House fandom for a few years now.
You do a lot of fics which fill in scenes for the episodes, or pick up immediately from the end of the episode. How do those start? Is it intimidating to try and follow almost immediately from an established scene?
I hadn't actually realised I did this, but upon reflection, you're right!
I would say if anything, it's easier. You kind of have all that nice canon just sitting there fresh and ready to go, full of new possibilities. If nothing else, you know it hasn't been done to exhaustion. And it is fun trying to work fic around canon.
And speaking of those scenes ... you're in Australia, right? I'm going to guess you have means of accessing episodes before they're shown there. Is it frustrating to know you've got even a slight delay when you know you could log on to LJ and see all these bits of tidbits from what the U.S. and Canadian viewers have already seen?
I'm evading this question a little, but yes, there are ways even if you live overseas. And those ways are surprisingly efficient. At times, I have finished watching the ep before the West Coast (USA) people! So the delay is extremely small. But yes, I do try to avoid checking my flist for a few hours on House days, even though everyone is generally very good about spoiler cuts.
What drew you to writing House fanfiction?
Much the same things that drew me to write XF fanfic, I guess - there were ideas I thought would be interesting to write, and it was also a way of participating in the community and getting to know people. Less generally speaking, of course for me it's all about the H/W relationship.
How does a story start for you? A specific scene? A plot? A snatch of conversation?
Hmm, I'd say it's just the basic idea(s), which can come from anywhere, and everything develops out from there. Or not, as the case may be. I usually don't start anything without at least a rough idea of how I'd like it to go.
Some of your fics -- whether for humor or straight-up drama -- have an element of the fantastic about them. Wilson seeing himself in two diffferent places in "Intersections," for instance or the "crackfic" of "Metastasis" with RSL's fictional counterparts seeping through into House's world. Do you do this intentionally or is it something that seems to come in from other fandoms? (Either way, it sets up some interesting fic potentials, on both the drama and humor side.)
I have always enjoyed fantasy and SF fiction, and these are fairly standard elements in those genres, so it wasn't a huge leap to think of them in relation to fanfic. I wouldn't say it's a deliberate choice so much as that kind of thing simply interests me. Also, yes, XF, my first 'real' fandom, was quite big on AU/crack/meta fic, so it seemed natural to transfer some of that to House, even though the show isn't as inherently suited to it.
I’ve got questions on a couple of different storytelling angles ... when you're writing something that's aiming for crackfic, is it hard to present that sense of humor and "crack?" It seems to me that part of the problem with bad crackfic (if that term can be used) is that writers don't fully commit to it.
I think the thing with crackfic is that the characters are still (or should be still) recognisably the same. I think it works along the same lines as AU - how would the characters cope if this happened? The crackfic/AU I most enjoy reading is where they act very normally in a bizarre/different situation, and I try not to lose sight of that.
And for the other storytelling issue ... I know it's been a while but you've done some fan vids as well, including the classic "Brokeback Hospital." How do you approach telling a story via vid, compared to fic? (Find links to the vids here
Vidding is very different from writing, for me. It's (obviously) very visual - you do rely on the inner context of the scene to some extent, but how it looks is very important - a glance here, a smile there. A scene may have been riveting in canon, but stripped of the dialogue it's just boring to watch. And you have to depend very heavily on having some kind of visual memory for scenes and/or the patience to skim through dozens of episodes looking for that particular two seconds you want. You can't just make it up, much as you'd like to. The time commitment in comparison to writing is huge (at least, for me). Fractions of a second count.
I do like to think all my vids tell a story, but it's kind of like having a huge novel in front of you, and then painstakingly finding, cutting out and rearranging selected phrases in order to form your own short story. It's almost entirely unlike writing.
What's the hardest part of writing for you?
Incidental movement within a scene. I'm often at a loss as to what the characters are doing - fiddling with their pen, reading the paper, etc. Ideally, all movement should reflect directly on the scene, but sometimes I just don't know how to make that happen. And I'm reluctant to leave it out altogether, because otherwise it ends up very dry and dull, imo.
What's the easiest?
Many people have said this, but it's no less true - dialogue. Yap, yap, yap.
What do you look for in fic that you read?
I don't read much anymore, but then I'm not writing much either. What I generally enjoy: smut, angst, hurt/comfort and humour. Preferably all rolled into one. I will also go for a really good/interesting plot/premise/idea, regardless of the above elements. Grammar, spelling and word choice are important on a basic level. I also read depending on my mood - some fic I've just not been in the mood to read at the time it was posted, but gone back later and found it excellent.
Lastly, but really something that overrides all of the above - the ability to make me give a damn. That goes for all media, really. And it's a quality that's a little abstract - there are some writers (this goes outside of fanfic) who could probably itemise their laundry list in a fascinating manner, and some people who can make the most interesting topic in the world seem rather dull.
If you could steal one fic writing capability from, say, three of your favorite writers, what would they be and why? (In other words, I wish I could write plot like X or dialogue like Y.)
I'd say these things are all attributable to more than one author, and I wouldn't say that they are necessarily characteristics of my favourite writers because so many factors go into that - rather, these are stylistic qualities I admire and covet.
- the ability to write poetic descriptions and metaphor. I completely suck at this. I know there's a fic of mine where I use exactly ONE simile somewhere in the middle, and it always sticks out to me, because it's so unusual that I do it. I tend to think very literally.
- detail. I always feel I struggle with incidental detail, as noted above - too much can bog a scene down, but detail lends atmosphere. It's like, you can talk all you like, but what are you doing? I also feel that not living in the US hampers me a little here, because the everyday reference points can be very different.
- the ability to really develop a good, solid plot - I've gradually managed to work my way up to slightly longer stories, but it's very difficult to hold all the strands in my head at the same time the way I'd really like to.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I don't *g*. I would say it's my natural state not to write, and then sporadically I really want to. I'm not one of those people who keeps diaries, writes original fic, and so on - I've tried.
Has writing fic changed the way you watch the show?
Oh, definitely, if only in the sense that I pay way more attention to the H/W nuances than I did when I was just a casual viewer. I almost completely failed to notice Wilson when I originally started watching the show...
What would you change on the show if you had that power?
LOL, I don't think I'd change anything major, but I'd like a lot more Wilson backstory and focus, eventually. And of course more H/W slashy goodness.
I also think they tended to not make the best use of the arcs they had - I thought House's ketamine arc as his leg improved and then regressed again could have sustained an entire season, for example. It would have been amazing to have seen that gradually played out in the background and to have seen the kind of psychological impact it had on House.
I know you're a House/Wilson writer primarily, but as an Aussie is there anything that fic writers get wrong about Chase? (Other than that cliche "womat" term?)
YES. Not that I've read a lot of Chase fic, but even from what I've seen people have the same problems I do in attempting to write US fic - the cultural references are different. In some cases, not as different as you might think, and in other cases, more different than you might realise. Australia is heavily exposed to American TV, and I'm familiar with a lot of basic elements of US history and culture just from watching TV. And while I acknowledge TV/movies hardly constitute a profound insight, the reverse exposure for an average US person to Australian media would, I imagine, be considerably less. And there are some things even research won't do for you.
Some errors are just laughable - like the fic with completely clueless Steve Irwin references, but some are very subtle (and possibly arguable). I'm reluctant to mention them individually, since they really only amount to nitpicks about excellent stories, but I have noticed them.
Also, in general it's difficult to write slang/idiom convincingly unless you actually run it by an Australian. Many terms have very specific usages, and/or are only used by certain types of people. It's usually safer to have him just use US expressions he's picked up, because that does happen very easily. But basic things like 'mum' tend to stick. Most people get that right, at least.
Thanks, daasgrrl. Any other questions out there?