Since you like chicks, do you look at yourself naked in the mirror all the time?

[fan_elune]

So. greenie_breizh and I just watched Chasing Amy, as the quote right here might have hinted. When we saw the last goodbye scenes, I could not help but once again notice that I was more touched by the bit with Banky than the bit with Alyssa, and it ties up quite well with stuff I've been wondering about lately, due to a couple of discussions that were going on on cgwriting's and khohen1's LJs regarding slash.

I've always felt more at ease writing male characters than female, for some reason. They just come to me much more easily. Quite in the same way, there is something about well-written slash that is so very interesting. Something in a bond between two men, instead of being between two women or a woman and a man, is much more interesting to me. It seems to resonate within me much more. And I just have to wonder why that is. My hypothesis is, that it's because a male-male bond (should it be love or friendship or what-not, this goes beyond slash actually) is something that I cannot by definition experience. Hence being more interested in it.

greenie_breizh remarked that another factor might be how unconventional male-male relationships are - even friendship, says she. It might play a role, but I remain to be convinced. I think the "unknown" factor plays much more in it. But I wonder whether there's anything else in it. Or maybe it is that women are on the whole less well written than men - with some wonderful exceptions of course! Far from me to think that women are not beautifully portrayed on a daily basis... but maybe they're still, on the whole, given less thought than men.

But then where does my difficulty writing them come from? It's not that I can't - it's that I find less pleasure, less interest, less challenge in it. Is this it then? A challenge thing? Or are they on the contrary more difficult to write because they are too close to me and I can't step back enough? I just don't know.

Have you noticed how my thoughts are going in circles and not getting anywhere? People, I need your input here. What are your thoughts? How do *you* view slash? What are *you* more interested in reading, and why do you think that is? Can you suggest any reason why interaction between men is so very interesting to me? Anything is welcome.

Very slightly related: I watched The Doctor Dances. Which was a brilliant episode. So the_swordman, did you mean "Captain Jack" when you were telling me of Doctor Who and the first male bisexual character on British telly (though so far, he hasn't said he is bisexual, it's just the Doctor making assumptions)? (And might I point out the irony of Rose calling him Captain Jack... especially for those of us who have loved firesignwriter's Moonverse series.)

Comments

[hardlyfatal.livejournal.com]

Funny, we're just discussing this at khylarenelf's journal.

When I write a character, it's always more about the aspects of their personality that I can relate to, and thus render more realistically. According to some, I have a pretty good grip on Buffy, on Haldir, on Miroku, on Norrington, blah blah. On some level, there is something of them in me, something that calls to me so that I can just channel them. Gender doesn't matter. But for me, it never really did-- I fall for the soul, not what the soul is wearing :)

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say that I base my choices on gender either. It just so happens that I tend to feel for male characters easier. Even when I write female characters, they tend to put up a front to hide their weaknesses... rather like a lot of male characters. Faith, Kate (Lockley, from Angel - no, I still haven't given up on that LotR crossover involving Faith and Kate!), Ivanova, and the list could go on.

Now I wonder why I wrote Willow so often, for so long. Not that I won't write her anymore, mind you... Just not as predominantly. I think she was probably linked with a less mature phase in my writing... and I'm getting off topic here.

Thinking on what I write these days, indeed, I never write "weak" female characters. (The inverted commas are there because of course they still have weaknesses. They're just not what I call weak.) Very seldom do I write weak male characters, too...

I think I might just be trapping myself into all this reflexion and all those questions, by clinging to the labels of gender. As you say, it's not what the soul is wearing that matters.

[kowaio.livejournal.com]

hi, i'll try to write that i think about it.

First, " What are *you* more interested in reading, and why do you think that is? "

I just hope i'm not H.S ( Hors sujet in french but with my very good english i dunno ). So, for me, the more interested in reading are feelings i had already felt when i was a child. ( *hiding* I was a jedi ). Yep, i wrote some episodes of my life but in french *laughing*. [ Btw, i'll try to find it for the holidays. ] It was funny to remind me that i felt years ago when i was at the hospital or, like i am reading today, the first time i went to the doc'. But i really think i'm HS no ? About men so?
Okay, i never write an fics about this but it's not a bad idea it's really interesting. So, yeah, i think fealings or games with the different characters, perhaps some sex too *lol* can be very enjoying to write this, interesting of course.

To make a link with your second question which was : " Can you suggest any reason why interaction between men is so very interesting to me? "

My first answer will be, because you aren't a guy, my dear-great-grand-sister-lady :) ( I don't know how saying "belle soeur" in english )
So, in my opinion, it's always interesting to write fics about things that we don't know and maybe we don't understand. I've got some others ideas but i prefer to tell you this in frnt of you and why not in english ;) It will train me.

Kiss for joey and you, see you soon and i'm sorry for my marvelous english :) You can correct me if you want, i will progress like this ;)

Your cute and really beautiful sister's boyfriend (some joke of course -_-)

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

"HS" in English is "OT" for Off Topic. And "belle-soeur" is sister-in-law... but it was a nice try. It sounded almost Buffyesque (which is a compliment!).

That being said... first off, thanks for replying, and making the effort to do so in English! You've got courage, which I admire. Don't ever apologise for your English. You're trying, and that's the only way to get better. I applaude.

So what you're saying is that you never gave a try to slash, but you'd be ready to? I'll make a slash-whore out of you in no time, babe, be careful. ;) You mention games - and that's what it is, really. It's all about playing with pre-established characters.

Hmm, now I wonder what your other ideas are, that you wouldn't be ready to say them here... Are they that bad? ;) Because yes, I do think part of it is because I cannot experience male-male relationship (sex or other) myself, but I don't think that's the end of it.

But I think maybe I'm just thinking about this far too much.

[thewatch.livejournal.com]

I have sometimes wondered why I prefer slash and why I find two men in any kind of relationship together so interesting. I thin for me you have hit the nail on the head.

It something that I cannot experience, only observe and read about, and I have found that has caused to be fascinated by other things too. I like two men being comfortable enough both with themselves and each other to flirt or talk about feelings or even just shoot some pool. Also, when it comes to the writing, I find it often easier to write women than men. Unless I have a very clear character to work from.

Captain Jack is a nice addition to the TARDIS. I reckon after 900 years the Doctor is probably pretty good at judging people. Jack was coming onto Rose quite strongly before, as well as being with the Army man. The Doctor may also have encountered other 54th century humans to know too.

There is some lovely playful flirting between Jack and The Doctor in last Saturdays ep too.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

I like two men being comfortable enough both with themselves and each other to flirt or talk about feelings or even just shoot some pool.

Exactly! It's not about sex - actually, I often skip the sex scenes in slash, unless they're really well-written. It's about interaction. It can be about picking up coffee in the morning, discussing the latest football scores, whatever. Slash is just the fanfiction genre where it's easiest to find some well-written male-male interaction, but of course you have to find the good stuff. So much slash out there is just crap.

Oh, I really do want to believe the Doctor's right on this one... so I shall, until proven otherwise. ;) I can't wait to see this week's episode! I don't want this series to end, although I'm quite curious to see how David Tennant will fare.

[thewatch.livejournal.com]

The little things isn't? Just being aware of each others likes and dislikes, being thoughtful in a thoughtless kind of way. My favourite is Anna S's Subleties, It's such a nice relationship between the two, and often the sex isn't really described in a lot of detail.

Often in some fics the sex doesn't live up to the rest of the relationship. It really is worth wading through to find the good stuff!

I reckon I'll cry when the Doctor "dies". He's so great!

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

My favourite is Anna S's Subleties

What fandom is that? And even if I don't know said fandom, can I get a link? I always like to give a try to good fiction.

And tell me about it. It happens quite a lot that I just skip the sex parts. Unless they're really well written. I just get bored with it - which proves that slash for me isn't about seeing two hot guys together (though it's an added bonus, when well-written... but then that stands for slash, het or femslash really).

I know! I bet they'll give him a brilliant death. And I'm not surprised they got to flirt in that last ep - Russel T Davies was back to the writing gig. ;) Seriously though, I love that writer. *glares at the episode that is failing to download* Just get to my computer, dammit!

[thewatch.livejournal.com]

It's Buffy fandom, a Spike/Xander fic that is quite long, like most of her work, but some of the best there is in my view. she has a site: http://www.drizzle.com/~eliade/btvs_slash.html and her LJ eliade.

Sometimes I do just feel in the mood to read some hot sex, but even then it still has to be good.

As soon as the box set comes out with the extras, and is an affordable price I can't wait to get it!!!! I really hope they start doing some good DVD packages for the other Doctors too!

There should be a market for them now this series has been such a hit.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

Spike/Xander... I never could get into that pairing, but I'll give it a try if you say it's that good.

Affordable is the key word. But yes, I'd love to get that. Hopefully with lots of commentaries... Russel was ever so good on the Queer as Folk commentaries, and I bet hearing him and Christopher together would be a treat! (Plus, Russel is a true Doctor Who geek.)

[thewatch.livejournal.com]

I missed the commentaries on QaF, I'll see if I can get them from the library, I can imagine him being good, lots of stories and anecdotes and such.

S/X is one of my fav pairings, so I guess I'm biased, but I think her writing is top notch anyway. She has done some Spike/Buffy and a Spike/Riley too.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I keep forgetting to ask. I've been trying to find that Dr Who song from the con, but I just can't! All I manage to find is the theme song to Dr Who. Any special name it goes by or anything? Cheers.

[thewatch.livejournal.com]

I don't I'm afraid.