Intermission - Venting, and a fic challenge if anyone wants to take it up.

[kriadydragon]

My gosh I hate slash. I've been scrounging around for some good Sheppard torture, H/C stuff lately - stuff that isn't easy to find because it isn't located at a site like FF.net or Wraithbait. I've even sent out requests for such fics. But all I can find that I haven't read already is slash, slash, slash (or Rodney centered stuff but we won't go there). Now, if you read or write slash, I'm not trying to dis you or anything. I neither read nor write slash, so get frustrated when I stumble on a story that looks good, only to have it end up being slash. I have a bit of tolerance for pre-slash because sometimes the writer leaves it up to interpretation, and many of such stories can be just as easily seen as a freindship piece. But straight up slash - no. Same with Romance. Both genres tend to involve very explicit scenes either involving make-out sessions or sex scenes, and I don't go for that.

It's getting kind of depressing. I've read everything there is to read John, non-slash or romance related in pretty much every SGA fanfic site I could find, and now - barring WIPs - I have run out. I'm also pretty sure I'm not alone in the boat on this one either.

So if any who read this don't mind, I'm issuing a bit of a challenge. I'd put this in the Sheppard H/C community but it felt a bit presumptuous and I don't know if I have to ask permission or what, so am playing it safe and posting it here. If anyone knows if it's okay to post this challenge in Sheppard H/C, please let me know.

Challenge - A John centered torture fic. Lots of physcial and mental abuse. Preferably a slave fic involving no slash and/or rape (though attempted rape is fine as long as it's nothing explicit - Example; his shirt was removed but not his pants before something interrupted what was about to happen.) Romance is fine as long as there are no explicit sex scenes. There's no deadline, so feel free to take up and post where ever and whenever you want. I'm not the only non-slasher out there, so this challenge isn't just for me. It can be a one shot or chapter fic.

I'm writing a slave fic myself, but it's on hiatus until I work out some problems with it. I'm tempted to scrap it and try a different approach, but refuse to give up on it. Slave fics are an interesting concept with lots of angst potential, but they don't have to all be slash.

Please do not burn me for this. Like I said, I'm not the only non-slasher out there in need of some goos non-slash Shep whumping.

Comments

[nat-am-drachen.livejournal.com]

I actually have several stories I have been working on for a while. Eons is more like it. I can't ever finish them. They were all gen'ish, but I keep getting stuck. One story in particular was actually a Sheppard and Beckett whump story. I still can not figure out how to get from Point A to Point B in the storyline. Like you, I may have to scrap the idea and start over. I am trying to get up the nerve to actually let someone see it so it can be ripped apart. Maybe then it can be put back together in an actual story.

BTW, adore your stories. I always mean to comment, but you know how that goes. *ducks head in shame*

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Don't be ashamed. I have a hard time commenting because I never know what to say *shrugs*.

I'm totally in the same boat as you. The reason I did the whole slave request thing is because I'm working on a story that involves Sheppard as a slave, but I've been having such a hard time with it. I put it aside for a time and began work on another fic. At first I was going to chuck most of the chapters then start over, but after some careful thinking I realized what needed to be done while at the same time allow me to keep the chapters written. Fixing the fic is going to involve a massive overhaul. But I've already started and I'm already liking the results.

Sometimes you just need to step back and avoid writing the story for a while. Leave it be for a bit, then read over what you have, see where it's going or trying to go. If you have to start over, then start over, but with the plot outlined either on paper or in your head. Sometimes stories go in an entirely different direction than where you wanted it to go, and the best thing to do is give in and follow where the story's trying to lead.