Olympics and rambly stuff

[selenay]

For once, I am actually paying attention to a major sporting even that doesn't involve cycling. Sort of. OK, so there is Olympic cycling, but that's not all I'm watching. I'm a little grumpy that Nicole Cooke didn't win on Sunday (why the hell did you switch across the road like that in the sprint for bronze? You could have gone through in your original position and then you move into a place where you were totally blocked - makes no sense), but I can't begrudge the Aussies a win and Team GB didn't stand a chance in the men's road race.

Anyway. I've been rather mesmerized by the gymnastics (why yes, I have set the video for the women's team finals tonight), I'm paying attention to the swimming and I'm looking forward to the archery. I'm even watching Olympic Report late at night. It was rather amusing to wander through the house last night and hear Clare Balding's voice coming out of every room. Apparently we were all watching Report last night, but of course we couldn't watch in the same room because that would be too weird :-)

paranoidangel42 is Evil. She's tempting me into signing up for Redemption '05 next year. Evil woman.

I am getting a little despairing of Stargate fanfic. I try not to review the same authors all the time so I always make an attempt to read all the new fic that appears at the big archives. When you've closed three fics in a row because you simply couldn't get into them, it gets a little depressing. They weren't fics with mistakes in that made my eyes water (that's a completely different rant). One of them, admittedly, was dumped when Daniel began crying on the fourth page about big mean Jack not loving him. Hmmm. Obviously that one had been doing 'selective viewing' of episodes, or possibly watching a totally different show from the one that I watch. The remaining two didn't have big, glaring characterisation faults or canon problems. They even had semi-interesting plots. They just didn't hold my attention. The writing didn't have that 'spark' that keeps me in the fic. During both of them I was flicking into other programs to take a break because I was getting bored. I simply couldn't get up enough enthusiasm and interest to finish them. I love Stargate fanfic and there are some fabulous authors out there, but it gets depressing when so many new fics are unreadable. If a fic is boring the pants off me, it's unlikely that I'll review it and I see no point in forcing myself to finish it. That makes reading fanfic into a chore and I'd never want that. I often read and finish fics that I don't review for some reason, but I don't feel any obligation to finish something that I have no interest in.

This might be the reason why I'm being a bit of a fannish butterfly at the moment. I'm loving the Harry Potter and picking up a few things recced on crack_van. The fics that I'm reading are shiny, fresh, new (to me) and I'm finding plenty to keep me amused. I've only read three new SG fics over the past month or so that I've really enjoyed and had fun with, despite the volume of stuff being produced. All three were by established authors rather than newbies. Have I become overly critical or is SG going through a dry patch for good, new fic and authors?

In thoroughly dull news, I have submitted an assignment. This means that for my big course, I only have a final project to submit before being done. In relational databases I have one assignment and an exam. Even the project course is getting there; got to do the project and hand in the report followed by one last assignment. I may actually finish, graduate and return to the scary world of employment. On the one hand, there's the regular income thing. On the other hand, there's the employment and less mucking about on the Internet time. Oh, to win the lottery and avoid the employment thing completely.

Huh. Maybe it would help if I actually played the lottery.

Comments

[jooniper-pearl.livejournal.com]

I can completely relate to the stargate fic thing. Actually, it's been aplying to most of the fandoms I'm active in. I go through cycles like this. I think I just need to find a new fandom to imerse myself in. That will make it all shiny and new like. I did go read Lady Grey's slash fic. Some of it was awesome, and some of it had Weepy!Daniel. Do the writers that write Weepy!Daniel watch a different show than us? Cause I just don't see where he's all teary and bawly.

And the lottery thing...I soooo feel you on that. Need to play to win. I should remember that!!

[selenay]

Do the writers that write Weepy!Daniel watch a different show than us?

They must. It's the only explanation. There's this AU-Stargate that gets broadcast at the same time as our Stargate and select individuals pick that one up instead. They also buy the AU-Stargate DVDs because that's the version they're used to seeing. The rest of us get confused with the references to Daniel crying in every episode and Sam being a bitch because we get the good version ;-)

Maybe the cycle thing in fanfic is why I have my phases of fanfic reading. Sometimes I find lots of lovely SG stuff and go through a complete SG period. Then it starts getting a little old and samey so I wander off into another fandom that's got shiny new fic and return to SG fic when I get lonely for the characters. It doesn't help if I'm going through an SG phase when there's very little new stuff to read :-(

[alicambs.livejournal.com]

Stargate ff is, like most fandoms' ff, variable, but I do think you go through a patch when you need out, and you need something new. I'm still recc'ing good stuff on my recs page, a lot of it gen interestingly since I prefer J/D. When I need a break I wander off to indulge in Bodie and Doyle, Mulder and Krycek (yum, yum) and, she says slightly shamefaced, Harry/Draco - I have a thing for enemies colliding as you can see from my M/K love. H/D has some absolutely appallingly written ff, but it also boasts some great authors who explore the characters motivations and issues with ingenuity.

I'm not much of a fannish butterfly since I prefer to know the fandoms and characters I read in, otherwise I'm might as well be reading original fiction. Have you read Each Ecstatic Instant by Dith? It's a fascinating and well written J/D story.

[selenay]

::bookmarks::

Thank you :-) I prefer J/D or Sam/Janet when I'm reading SG although I do read the odd gen fic - I just end up missing the relationship dynamic in them.

I'm quite happy to read fanfic for any show that I've watched, although a lot depends on pairing. My venture into Kirk/Spock territory was not successful :-) I don't often read fanfic for a show that I haven't watched because I want to read about characters that I know. I'm reluctant to read any book-based fanfic (er, yes, I am slightly shame-faced about the HP thing and the LotR thing) and, for some reason, I find it tough to read fanfic for shows based in RL like Law and Order or CSI. So maybe I'm a restrictive fannish butterfly :-)

I guess I just need to accept that Stargate ff is as variable as any other ff. I have been in an SG mood for the past couple of weeks, but the weekend's disappointment has dampened by SG fanfic reading impulse for now. Maybe I need to stop feeling guilty for wandering off into other fanfic phases every now and again :-)

[paranoidangel]

paranoidangel42 is Evil

And you've only just noticed

I tend to go through phases of fan fics. I have a load of LOTR ones that I'm following to read the latest chapters of and I just can't work up the enthusiasm at the moment. I'm sure I will, once the Harry Potter phase wears out.

[selenay]

And you've only just noticed

You look so innocent and that outer appearance masks your more evil tendencies.

So I'm not the only person with fic phases. It makes me feel better :-) Er, yes, I have been reading fanfic for five years and only just noticed that I'm not the only person with fic-phase tendencies :-)

[paranoidangel]

You look so innocent and that outer appearance masks your more evil tendencies

So many people make that mistake... I'm good at looking young and innocent for the purposes of haggling though - I've often not payed full fare in taxis :)

[selenay]

:-) I can well believe that. 'Cos you look innocent and stuff so taxi drivers would never suspect that you might be using that innocent appearance for nefarious purposes :-)