Ah. Welp, I got A LOT of that during Blind Dating as well, that Chris was “rescuing” Zach all the time (or that he was in need of rescue in minor situations of distress b/c he’s blind), which really wasn’t the case. I guess people miss our points sometimes!
Uh, other than the Great Beach and Dog Fiasco wasn’t the point that Zach was really very capable and loved Chris in part because Chris allowed him to do things for himself, and got pissy when Chris didn’t (e.g., airport)? Ah well. I guess you’re right.
I wrote Zach to go into dark place sort of during the crisis, and Chris to do it after, when everything is finally fine but suddenly your knees don’t work. I’m definitely Chris in this situation (nearly faint when the doctor tells me my baby who fell on her head will have a black eye but no lasting damage), my husband is definitely Zach. These differences are real, but there’s no judgement in them. Ah well.
that’s weird. I never thought of Zach as weak, just that he was coping in a very internalizing way, which is something I DEF identify with. I think some people, esp those of us who deal with abandonment issues, tend to just buckle down try to get through hard things because counting on someone else is both unexpected and terrifying. That’s likely why Bleary appeals to me personally so much.
Thanks, Suede. I certainly never meant to portray him as weak (quite the contrary). But if you look at the comments on that chapter, a lot of people read it as Chris saving the day and Zach being soft and sort of needing rescuing. I’m hoping by the time the multi-chapter arc was over, people didn’t see it that way, but the fact that some readers had that interpretation showed me that my intent and what was “on the page” so to speak didn’t quite match up. Your read is much more of what I intended, but it wasn’t universal. Which I guess I can’t expect. But still, I love Bleary!Zach and he’s not weak, so I was unhappy I wrote him in a way that he could be seen that way.
9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic? Like, where Miles comes to his senses and begs Zach to come back after a week in LA and he does and Chris just throws himself into his work, becomes increasingly cynical, remembers those two crazy weeks in the hotel suite in Pittsburgh with fond regret, and sends “cool uncle” gifts to Nathan for the rest of his life? No. Nothing like that. There are a few scenes that started out differently than they ended up, but that was mostly minor tweaking of voices or explanations during arguments. And there have been a few scenes I had to abandon, like the deleted scene from “Walk Through The Park”, which I loved writing but decided was just indulgent on my part and messed with the pacing of the story. And normally I’m super indulgent (this is a hobby for me, and so if it’s not fun I really can’t be bothered), so if it was so indulgent that even I thought it should be cut…well you can see where I’m going with this.
12: What do you like least about this fic? I think there are a few places where I was trying to show differences in how Chris and Zach dealt with stress, but it came out looking like Zach was weak or needy or uncertain and Chris was strong or maybe too aggressive in his independence. One time is when Zach comes into Chris’ business meeting And Chris reacts not just with gratitude but with a bit of frustration and anger at not being in on the plan. I got some criticism for that, though I still think Chris’ reaction was reasonable. The other was when Nathan got sick, and Zach coped by just really focusing on him, and Chris coped by staying busy doing things and not thinking about the scariest potential outcomes until it was over. People interpreted that as Zach being weak, and really, I think facing those fears as it’s happening is also strong, just different. I never meant to make Zach look weak, but I must have because so many people interpreted it that way. I just think people can deal with crises in different ways, and wanted to show that the boys were complementary, not that one was better than the other. I’m not sure what it would take to fix it, but if I were ever to go back and revise, those would be the places.
14: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic? That sounds sort of premeditated… I don’t really see it as my job to teach readers, but I will say that there were themes I was exploring, that readers might explore them with me. In Bleary, it’s really the idea that little choices can have major outcomes in your life, and it’s not always bad (i.e. your mistakes don’t necessarily “ruin” your life). I don’t believe in fate, and I definitely don’t believe that everything happens for a reason (unless you count physics), but I do believe that there are lots of ways to be happy, if you embrace the stochastic events and look for the things that bring you joy (i.e. “surf that wave”). Zach might not be where he expected to be at the beginning of the story, but he’s genuinely happy with where he is. As is Chris.
In Cleaving, I’m really exploring the idea that even in basically good relationships, misunderstandings and resentments build up. We are all busy people with complicated lives trying to balance the personal and professional challenges and responsibilities. It’s easy to just “take care of business” (whether that be professional or life overhead) and forget to check in with your partner. And once those resentments and assumptions built up, you sort of have a choice of working your way back through compassion and communication and seeing if there’s still something there worth keeping, or clinging to the resentments and throwing in the towel. Falling in love is not much of a choice, but staying in love really is. This from someone who’s been with my partner for 24 years. We all make mistakes and get caught up in our lives and are neglectful or say things our partners take in ways we never intended because of whatever other stresses are happening in their lives. Those things are real, and when it becomes all there is, they can be fatal to the relationship. But sometimes by being mindful and trying to see what your partner is dealing with and focusing on what you loved about each other in the first place and making time for each other, you can go from “you and me against each other” back to “you and me against the world.” And sometimes, once you see the full context, it’s easy to let those resentments go and the relationship is stronger for the experience. So yeah, that’s all a little heavy for a “Christmas fic” but that’s what I’m looking at there. I’ve gotten at least a few comments indicating that the readers are seeing it and appreciative, and so that’s been just wonderful.
1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?
2: What scene did you first put down?
3: What’s your favorite line of narration?
4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?
5: What part was hardest to write?
6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?
7: Where did the title come from?
8: Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?
9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?
10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?
11: What do you like best about this fic?
12: What do you like least about this fic?
13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?
14: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?
15: What did you learn from writing this fic?
Hey nonny, I feel a lot of John love coming from my fic requests this week. I don’t have a whole lot for your particular narrative thread, soooo let’s just go with some BAMF!John stories, and hopefully something in here will do! 😉
BAMF!John Fic Recs
Northwest
Passage by Kryptaria, 95 k, explicit. AU – John is retired from
the Canadian army living in an isolated homestead. An old military connection, Mycroft Holmes,
calls in a favor. He must house his younger brother Sherlock while he detoxes
from drugs. BAMF!John, PTSD, hunting, flirting and sex – oh my.
Under the
Gun by justacookieofacumberbatch (buffyholic), 24 k, John is an
assassin sent to eliminate Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, John finds himself
too fascinated with his target to complete the mission. Good plot and very hot!
Bamf!John.
A Reckoning by Purdu, WIP, slow build.
This fic takes being “pretend boyfriends for a case” to new highs. Set post series
3, the story finds John joining Sherlock in his dangerous six month mission in
Eastern Europe. John becomes a BAMF secret spy, while Sherlock plays the
undercover nerdy scientist. Slow burn, bed sharing, British men being British,
wrapped up with action-movie style case fic and sexy sexiness – wows!!!
The Acquisition Of One
John Watson by lookupkate,
17 k, explicit. Sherlock watched John looooooong before they ever met. John has
a secret … John is a vigilante.
Best Assignment Everby
wendymarlowe, 9 k, explicit. John is a special ops agent assigned to take one
Sherlock Holmes to bed. He isn’t sure why, but the assignment is something he
is thanking his lucky stars over. Spy BAMF!John is excellent here!
5 Times John Got the Girl
(and lost her) and 1 Time John Got the Guy (and kept him)by LiviKate, 21 k, mature.
John has always had good luck with the ladies. He’s charming, friendly and
funny, not to mention great in bed. However, his usual skill with the opposite
sex is constantly being thwarted by Sherlock and his outbursts. How will John
ever get a leg over when Sherlock is always cockblocking him?
Watson. John Watson by CaptainDog, 3 k, teen.
Agent 3 Continents is wounded in action, but M’s got a new mission for him . .
. babysitting is little brother.
Ridiculousby KateAtTheClose, 5 k,
teen. John is the best retrieval expert the British Army has, and so naturally
it’s him that’s sent in when some man with little sense of self-preservation
keeps getting himself taken hostage – again, and again, and again.
In Which John is a BAMFy MoFo,
OMG! By Kantayra, almost 2 k, rated teen. Cute little short. John’s
BAMFness and Sherlock’s damsel-in-distress act are caught forever on camera. So
Scotland Yard can mock. A lot.
In Which John is a Cuddly BAMF Assassin by notbeloved07, 10 k,
teen. Cracky, funny AU where Sherlock is still a detective, but John is an
assassin, and they meet and begin dating in a bizarre transatlantic cat and
mouse sort of way. Sweet, and odd. Some plot, romance and good character
development.
Sherlock, Overwhelmed by wendymarlowe, 5
k, explicit. BAMF!John gets a chance to show off a bit during a case. Sherlock
realized he likes being manhandled just a bit more than he ought to for someone
who insists he has no interest in his flatmate. It turns out John specializes
in deducing attraction, though, and Sherlock can’t keep it a secret forever.
Not even through supper, in fact.
Crossfireby AbbyBanks, 2 k, teen. In
which BAMF!John comes to Sherlock’s rescue, and Sherlock wonders who the hell
his flatmate really is.
I Will Take Care Of You by SailorChibi, 16
k, teen. Two years after Sherlock’s death, John comes to find him on the sofa.
Wounded and ill, Sherlock is convinced he’s hallucinating and refuses to share
any details about Moran or the fact that Mycroft has been compromised. That
doesn’t stop John from stepping up and taking care of the last of Moriarty’s
web, BAMF-style.
Indelible by abundantlyqueer, 3 k,
gen. Lestrade invites John along to a yearly ritual of humiliation at
paint-ball. Sherlock wouldn’t miss this for anything.
My Will’s Not My Own by SailorChibi, 50 k,
mature. The bomb exploded, and Sherlock was kidnapped in the immediate
aftermath of the Great Game. Moriarty has come up with a plan to discredit him,
and it works perfectly, but Moriarty is still out there – and he’s making
promises to come back. Now that John, Lestrade and Mycroft have found out
the truth, they’re going to do everything they can to protect Sherlock and give
Moriarty what he deserves.
An Unnecessary Study in
Grief by taelynhawker,
17 k, explicit. Sherlock is only doing what’s necessary to keep John safe. John
is doing what’s necessary to keep going.
Given In Evidence by verityburns, 97 k,
mature. Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new
case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing… rebuilding a friendship
quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same…
(un)remarkable by intrinsicness, 1.5 k,
teen. BBC Sherlock Kink Meme fill – Basically I want a fic where John is like
this nice but seemingly boring guy who you’ve known for years but never really
bothered to get to know much about because it’s obvious that nothing
interesting ever happens to him. In reality though his life is fascinating.
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