Dawdling

[sanginmychains]

Title: Dawdling
Author: sanginmychains
Rating: R
Summary: Well it had to happen eventually.
Thanks to resourceress for the beta work

Comments

[kel_reiley]

o yeah
that's all i got, but this works so well!

[sanginmychains]

Thank you! It was my attempt to contribute to Pornsplosion. It's sort of porn fail, but hey, it's something. I'm liking the exercise of writing shorter smutty things that don't have to be overthought; maybe it will give me enough momentum to actually finish my big WIP before my time and energy get otherwise claimed.

[kel_reiley]

and yet, it's still thinky (and not porn fail at all!)
too much of the 'just smut' out there is... boring and pointless, even the actual porn is pointless b/c the characters seem as bored as the reader

this is WAY better than that

[notevery]

So I was reading along thinking a few things like: hey, I really like this reading of Gwen and Jack, and that's hot and the details are lovely--and then, the ending? Actually took my breath away.

“I never do.”

God, it's just amazing.

There was a meta that was pulled up on metafandom ages ago (I don't know if you follow it) that talked about stories which end on an emotional suckerpunch. I love that, and this story totally fulfils it.

The meta is here: . Much of it is irrelevant--for instance, I don't think this ever really even pretends to be harmless--but this bit fits perfectly for me:

And then comes a simple line -- understated, nothing in itself, but it's inescapable and true and everything clicks into place and it's horrible; almost offhand and without any fuss or melodrama this harmless, quiet story turns vicious. It's like the jerk at the end of a rope, the sucker-punch after you've let your guard down -- and you have no defense because all the story is doing is reminding you of some quality of character or society or

[sanginmychains]

I read the meta -- thanks for the link. It's an interesting exercise, finding those moments, those lines or thoughts that cinch the whole piece together.

Not entirely a suckerpunch, though -- there are at 4 cues to the reader that this isn't the first time they've done this. I had a fun time experimenting with equivocal phrasings to write those without giving the game up.

I also find it interesting how fandom moves in waves. It's such a social activity, everyone reading each others' stuff and discussing it, having their independent thoughts, writing those up -- neat to watch the formation of ideas, the fossilization of ideas in some cases, the chiseling down of old interpretations and their being supplanted with new ones -- very cool.

If you have links to any interesting retcon stories, send me links by PM -- I'm intrigued about what people are doing with the concept.

[verasteine]

Nice. And I don't even like Gwack, so that's saying much. Great job, I could really see it, even in such a short piece.

[sanginmychains]

Thanks! I'm not generally a fan of the pairing, but it always depends how it's done, right? I can totally buy them as dysfunctional. Written that way, it works fine for me.

[51stcenturyfox]

Ooh, so glad to see this. I am in a het-tastic mood lately.

He’s from the future. He has a lot of practice looking surprised at the things that he knows are coming. It makes it easier for everyone else.

That's really fantastic. Sexy and messed up, my favorite combination.

[sanginmychains]

Mine too! My second favourite is "sad and turned on" (invisible_lift is excellent at producing that one).

[lucy_locket]

Wow. I kind of stumbled uupon this, and it's the first Jack/Gwen I've ever read. So, yeah. I kind of really like it. A lot.

[sanginmychains]

There is definitely some good Jack/Gwen out there, but it's a bit rare to find one that doesn't either do away completely with canon or trash a character to get to the sexy part. It's fun to try and find a way for their clear interest in and desire for each other to express itself without falling into either of those sandpits (um...assuming I didn't fall into those sandpits).