NaNoWriMo Updates and Two Top Ten Lists
I had a 3,000 word day yesterday, and I had another one the day before that. If I can keep this up for a couple more days, I won't need the word count I got from the fic I attempted to write at the beginning of the month to pad my final word count. Things are moving along nicely. My story has had lots of visits from the exposition fairy, which I don't try to reign in one bit. I've done almost no world building for this project, so whenever my characters start rambling about past events or other kingdoms or how magic works, I let them. It's world-building by the seat of my pants, and it's deliciously entertaining.
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caedhe and I finished our Robin Hood series 1 rewatch last night. It's been fun for me to go back and watch those old episodes again, but... I still can't watch "A Clue: No" without feeling my heart just break for Guy. Once again, he came within a hair's breadth of doing the right thing and telling Marian that Richard's return was a hoax, but out of fear, and (yes, I'll admit this...) out of cowardice, he didn't. (Also, speaking of truth-telling, he never actually lies to her about going to the Holy Land... the scene where she confronts him about that is interesting that way... and it's obviously weighing on him that he's keeping it from her.) I think he thought that if he told Marian the truth about the imposter, he would never again get the chance to make her his wife. But for a moment, that didn't matter. He was going to tell her anyway. He went over to her house with every intention of telling her the truth, and then, two things happened. First, he thought she wasn't there and thought she had broken her promise, which pushed every insecure button he's got, and second, her father told him that she was excited about the wedding. (Since when does excitement cause one to fall into an exhausted 'just got stabbed and poisoned and nearly died' sleep, hmmm, Edward? Worst. Lie. Ever.) And in that moment, though, Guy thinks that for the first time... well... ever, someone is actually happy about the prospect of spending time with him. (And it's not just anyone... it's MARIAN. And it's not just an afternoon she'd been spending with him, it's the rest of her life. The idea that she would actually look forward to that blows his mind a little.) And he can't let that fall apart. So he doesn't tell her father what's really going on, and things run to their logical conclusion. It's the little awkward things that get me, too... the way he has no idea what weddings are supposed to be like and Marian has to shoo him off into the church and the way he talks about having no family... kills me every time. Marian says to Robin somewhere in this episode that Guy has been deprived of love and affection, and boy did the writers and RA manage to get that across. One last thing that never fails to break my heart is the scene after Marian has run out of the church and Guy picks the ring up off of the floor. One of the guards asks if Guy wants them to chase her, and he says no. I think that deep down, he knows he deserved to get punched in the eye, and that going after her would only make things worse. He knows he's lost her, and not only has he lost her as his fiancee, he's lost her trust, as well. (Of course, then the Sheriff got a hold of him and started making fun of him, and the next thing we know, Guy's burning down Knighton... stupid Vasey.)
It's strange to me that no matter how many times I've seen this episode, no matter how well I remember exactly what's going to happen when, I still get really upset every time I watch it. There are actually a lot of fandom moments that do that to me, and I'd love to know what does this to other people. So... if you want to...
List five fannish products (episodes, books, movies, etc) that are still as heartbreaking today as they were when you first saw them. Here are mine...
(These are all things I've seen multiple times over the years... I have a feeling that in a few months, The Robin Hood Episode With Meg and Torchwood: Children of Earth will be joining these.)
5. The "Raised me?" scene in the Magnficent Seven episode "Witness." This one has gotten worse over the years. I used to just feel a little bad for Ezra. These days, I'm so upset on his behalf and so angry at Maude I can hardly see straight.
4. The Firefly episode "The Message." I know that Serenity the movie has some really sad moments and kills off two crew members, but I can watch the movie without tearing up most days. I am always just on the edge of crying by the time the end of this episode rolls around. I think it has something to do with Jonathan Woodward's really brilliant delivery of the "And if you can't crawl, you find someone to carry you" speech. It gets me. Every. Damn. Time.
3. Fred's death in Angel. Joss Whedon has been responsible for much of my major fannish sadness, but this... this hurt so much I can barely watch the episode where it happens.
2. James Norrington's death in PotC: AWE. I still haven't watched the third PotC movie all the way through since it was in theaters. And this is why.
1. Marian's death in Robin Hood. I could have filled this list with RH moments, but this one eclipses all of them (Yes, even the show's finale.). I love her and Guy too much not to have this hurt like hell every time I watch it.
And now that you're thoroughly depressed, to cheer up, list five fannish products that are still as good as they were the first time you saw them. Here are mine...
6. (Yes, I know I cheated.) The first two seasons of Burn Notice. I've seen most of the episodes more than three times in the past few months, and I'm not sick of them yet... rewatch value, thy name is Michael Westen.
5. "Out of Gas" from Firefly. This is one of my favorite Firefly episodes, and it doesn't get old. I catch something extra every time, and it's great at playing with linear storytelling.
4. "Walkabout" from Robin Hood. I... never cease to be amazed by this episode. It's everything I love about the show. It's got the best Guy/Marian moments in the history of ever, brilliant Allan moments, and a really fantastic Vasey subplot. And it's shot gorgeously, too.
3. "Bad Wolf" and "Parting of the Ways" from Doctor Who. I've probably seen these more times than I've seen any other Doctor Who episodes, and these are just... wow. Really good. Tight, intense story telling, really great performances from everyone, Daleks, regeneration, the TARDIS merging with Rose and messing with the laws of time and space... I LOVE it.
2. The Buffy Episode "Fool for Love." In which Joss Whedon turned all of our expectations about what Spike was like as a human. The flashbacks are awesome (especially when coupled with "Darla," the Angel episode that aired the same week), the fight scenes some of my favorites, and the ending with Buffy and Spike sitting on the porch together is understated and awkward and wonderful.
1. PotC: Curse of the Black Pearl. I've probably seen this a hundred times. And I'm not exaggerating. And every time, when Jack appears on the horizon, steps onto the dock, or asks, "Why is the rum gone?" it makes me smile. This was back when Jack was a trickster and not a joke, James was stern but beautifully honorable, and Elizabeth and Will were uncomplicated and sweet. The first movie is quick-witted, fun, and has enough twists and turns to be suspenseful without leaving the audience wondering why they should care who's on whose side now. It is and will always be one of my very favorite fandom stories.
caedhe and I finished our Robin Hood series 1 rewatch last night. It's been fun for me to go back and watch those old episodes again, but... I still can't watch "A Clue: No" without feeling my heart just break for Guy. Once again, he came within a hair's breadth of doing the right thing and telling Marian that Richard's return was a hoax, but out of fear, and (yes, I'll admit this...) out of cowardice, he didn't. (Also, speaking of truth-telling, he never actually lies to her about going to the Holy Land... the scene where she confronts him about that is interesting that way... and it's obviously weighing on him that he's keeping it from her.) I think he thought that if he told Marian the truth about the imposter, he would never again get the chance to make her his wife. But for a moment, that didn't matter. He was going to tell her anyway. He went over to her house with every intention of telling her the truth, and then, two things happened. First, he thought she wasn't there and thought she had broken her promise, which pushed every insecure button he's got, and second, her father told him that she was excited about the wedding. (Since when does excitement cause one to fall into an exhausted 'just got stabbed and poisoned and nearly died' sleep, hmmm, Edward? Worst. Lie. Ever.) And in that moment, though, Guy thinks that for the first time... well... ever, someone is actually happy about the prospect of spending time with him. (And it's not just anyone... it's MARIAN. And it's not just an afternoon she'd been spending with him, it's the rest of her life. The idea that she would actually look forward to that blows his mind a little.) And he can't let that fall apart. So he doesn't tell her father what's really going on, and things run to their logical conclusion. It's the little awkward things that get me, too... the way he has no idea what weddings are supposed to be like and Marian has to shoo him off into the church and the way he talks about having no family... kills me every time. Marian says to Robin somewhere in this episode that Guy has been deprived of love and affection, and boy did the writers and RA manage to get that across. One last thing that never fails to break my heart is the scene after Marian has run out of the church and Guy picks the ring up off of the floor. One of the guards asks if Guy wants them to chase her, and he says no. I think that deep down, he knows he deserved to get punched in the eye, and that going after her would only make things worse. He knows he's lost her, and not only has he lost her as his fiancee, he's lost her trust, as well. (Of course, then the Sheriff got a hold of him and started making fun of him, and the next thing we know, Guy's burning down Knighton... stupid Vasey.)It's strange to me that no matter how many times I've seen this episode, no matter how well I remember exactly what's going to happen when, I still get really upset every time I watch it. There are actually a lot of fandom moments that do that to me, and I'd love to know what does this to other people. So... if you want to...
List five fannish products (episodes, books, movies, etc) that are still as heartbreaking today as they were when you first saw them. Here are mine...
(These are all things I've seen multiple times over the years... I have a feeling that in a few months, The Robin Hood Episode With Meg and Torchwood: Children of Earth will be joining these.)
5. The "Raised me?" scene in the Magnficent Seven episode "Witness." This one has gotten worse over the years. I used to just feel a little bad for Ezra. These days, I'm so upset on his behalf and so angry at Maude I can hardly see straight.
4. The Firefly episode "The Message." I know that Serenity the movie has some really sad moments and kills off two crew members, but I can watch the movie without tearing up most days. I am always just on the edge of crying by the time the end of this episode rolls around. I think it has something to do with Jonathan Woodward's really brilliant delivery of the "And if you can't crawl, you find someone to carry you" speech. It gets me. Every. Damn. Time.
3. Fred's death in Angel. Joss Whedon has been responsible for much of my major fannish sadness, but this... this hurt so much I can barely watch the episode where it happens.
2. James Norrington's death in PotC: AWE. I still haven't watched the third PotC movie all the way through since it was in theaters. And this is why.
1. Marian's death in Robin Hood. I could have filled this list with RH moments, but this one eclipses all of them (Yes, even the show's finale.). I love her and Guy too much not to have this hurt like hell every time I watch it.
And now that you're thoroughly depressed, to cheer up, list five fannish products that are still as good as they were the first time you saw them. Here are mine...
6. (Yes, I know I cheated.) The first two seasons of Burn Notice. I've seen most of the episodes more than three times in the past few months, and I'm not sick of them yet... rewatch value, thy name is Michael Westen.
5. "Out of Gas" from Firefly. This is one of my favorite Firefly episodes, and it doesn't get old. I catch something extra every time, and it's great at playing with linear storytelling.
4. "Walkabout" from Robin Hood. I... never cease to be amazed by this episode. It's everything I love about the show. It's got the best Guy/Marian moments in the history of ever, brilliant Allan moments, and a really fantastic Vasey subplot. And it's shot gorgeously, too.
3. "Bad Wolf" and "Parting of the Ways" from Doctor Who. I've probably seen these more times than I've seen any other Doctor Who episodes, and these are just... wow. Really good. Tight, intense story telling, really great performances from everyone, Daleks, regeneration, the TARDIS merging with Rose and messing with the laws of time and space... I LOVE it.
2. The Buffy Episode "Fool for Love." In which Joss Whedon turned all of our expectations about what Spike was like as a human. The flashbacks are awesome (especially when coupled with "Darla," the Angel episode that aired the same week), the fight scenes some of my favorites, and the ending with Buffy and Spike sitting on the porch together is understated and awkward and wonderful.
1. PotC: Curse of the Black Pearl. I've probably seen this a hundred times. And I'm not exaggerating. And every time, when Jack appears on the horizon, steps onto the dock, or asks, "Why is the rum gone?" it makes me smile. This was back when Jack was a trickster and not a joke, James was stern but beautifully honorable, and Elizabeth and Will were uncomplicated and sweet. The first movie is quick-witted, fun, and has enough twists and turns to be suspenseful without leaving the audience wondering why they should care who's on whose side now. It is and will always be one of my very favorite fandom stories.