Just can't stop writing that car porn

[gwyn]

I know there are only about five people here who are interested in this, but the first part of the jumbo new Fast and the Furious story is now up. Ciudad de Estrellas part 1 is at my web site, not posted here, sorry. It's just under 10,000 words and takes place right after the movie ends. I am essentially lazy, and the idea of adding extra line breaks, coding all the italics by hand because I don't know how to do macros for formatting, and all the rest of the posting a long story in LJ crap means I don't much enjoy posting stories here, even though I know people expect that these days.

Of course, by not posting it in LJ, I suppose I am assuring myself of even less fb, if that's possible, but laziness wins the day every time. This is a remarkably silent fandom so far, I've found. I guess I got used to the conversations that sprung up all the time in Buffy, and it spoiled me. There's not much in the way of negative or positive here, it seems... it's just nothing, so it's like sending things out into a vacuum. Well, a vacuum with five other people. Anyway, some of this unfortunately hews a little close to maygra's wonderful Unfinished Business, which she just recently "finished" up at her LJ -- I emailed her in a panic realizing that we were going in similar directions on some things. I'm nothing if not paranoid. I guess that's another thing about this fandom -- there's not a lot you can do with the story and the guys without going totally AU. And I'm not much for AUs outside of the "what if" variety; you won't likely see Dom and Brian racing carriages in Victorian England, I think, from me anyway. It seems like there's really only about three stories you can tell, so you just have to trust that your characterization or writing style will be enough, since plot originality isn't like to happen.

This story is going to take a while to write -- the movie in my head is quite long in its unedited director's cut format. I'd say that this one starts at about a 7 on the angst dial, and those few people who know my other fanfic will know that my angst dial goes all the way to 11. I plan to dial it all the way up eventually. Nothing is more fun than taking characters I love to hell and back, and Dom and Brian seem to just scream for trips to Hades, if you ask me. While I don't write death stories very often, I've always believed that in fandoms, you can never truly love someone until you have to kill them, so making characters suffer is always the first order of business. There's so much torment to put them through in this fandom! I started thinking of this when I was working on the Stripped vid, so a lot of the images to come kind of got inspired by pieces of the movie as they changed with application to the lyrics of the song.

Thanks to mlyn for the beta, and such speedy service! If only I could write that fast! And many, many thanks to shellmidwife and bientot for the medical assistance. Both of you gave me great ideas, and I long ago learned that everything I write with injuries is always better with the help of Nurse Agnes!

(BTW, the title means City of Stars, and the link to Pt 2 doesn't go anywhere yet and won't until I put the next one up)

Comments

[umbo.livejournal.com]

As you know, I haven't seen the movie, so I'm not going to be able to give you good feedback. I did glance at it though, since I at least contributed a tiny bit, and it looks like your usual excellent work!

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Aiiiuuggghh! You beat me to it! I just realized when I was off doing something else that I forgot to thank you and Agnes for the help. I really get into the physical trauma stuff, so it was greatly appreciated.

[maygra.livejournal.com]

:::THUD:::

Oh my heavens...my heart is just pounding after that. This is a great set up, Gwyn...I forgot I was reading after like the first ten paragraphs, the whole thing playing in my head like a movie. Voices, locations, personalities...it's really golden. I even hit the link to part two in the wee tiny hope that it would like ...pop up previews or something.

Seriously happy. I think I may dream this tonight.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you -- I'm still a little tentative about how close things are veering towards Unfinished Business, but hopefully I can keep it going enough so that it's not too similar or makes you want to throw up your hands and shake your head in despair. ;-)

[quitesparkly.livejournal.com]

I'm certain that there's not only five people who are interested in your fic!

[dine.livejournal.com]

got steered here by maygra and despite her warning that it wasn't finished, clicked on the link to part 2, just in case.

hints at the Brian backstory have me intrigued; I want to learn more about his life almost as much as I want to see how they rescue Mia.

this is a fabulous 'after-the-movie' story; I could *see* events playing out, and can't wait for the next bit. in fact, I'm gonna friend you, cause I don't want to miss out when you post it.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the link thing -- it didn't occur to me that people would click it. I always add the link to the next part on my Buffy WIP because I don't want to repost the part again, and this saves me a lot of work since I have slow crappy dialup from hell.

But I'm also glad that you enjoyed it enough to want to see if there was more! ;-)

[dine.livejournal.com]

oh, I knew that it was probably a futile effort, but had to check, 'just in case'! I'm joining the group who'll be gleeful when you post the next bit.

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

you won't likely see Dom and Brian racing carriages in Victorian England

Oh god, I just envisioned them as the casting choices for Plunkett and Macleane. Need to watch that again.

You're welcome for the beta! That reminds me, I started going through it again and found more stuff to say. Of course this happens after I send it back to you. I won't be able to finish it by tonight, though, so maybe I'll just bring it up this weekend.

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Psst! M'Lyn, and lo there was the AU ...

I love good AUs. And since you're a good writer ...

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

Hehehe. I'm not sure if I want to go there. Anachronistic AUs, if you want to call them that, are not my favorite thing. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with them, except perhaps race carriages. Thanks for the compliment, though!

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Horse racing. Steeplechasing. Fox hunting. Highwaymen.

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

None of which I'm all that familiar with, particularly the second. Steeplechasing??

[thisisbone.livejournal.com]

Oh boy! I am printing this out to read tonight

It's exciting to see this fandom heat up, and it's great to see such GOOD writing!

I love it long and meaty. The fic, I mean. What did you think I was talking about?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Meaty, I can only hope for, but at least long, I know it will be. I have a tendency to write long anyway, and most of my recent stuff has been shorter than I often do, so I figure the long thing is itching to get out. Uh... that sounded more suggestive than I intended... ;-)

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Gwyn, I'm much happier that you actually *DONT* post your fic on LJ.

The indexing and finding tools on LJ are crap, and I'm sick of writers who post only in their LJ's and never move it to the web proper.

I can always find a webbpage if I'm out at the desk or not at my regular computers with my fleet of bookmarks.

I have a bitch of a time finding stuff that was posted in somebody's LJ a few weeks or months back.

Bless you.

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Just finished part one and ... wow.

I cannot wait for part two.

I like the characterization of Tanner. You got his "pissed off Dad" attitude down pat.

Love the slow build on the UST between Brian and Dom.

(One thing though, and this is just me, but when I read about Mr. Gregory, for some reason I kept thinking of the Armenian with the foot-fetish from The Shield and got the giggles something fierce. Well, at any rate, I hope Mia has had a pedicure recently.)

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Hah! I should so totally do that. I actually based the character on a bunch of different characters in a number of movies and crime show episodes, all kind of smooshed together, and the Armenians in the Shield never even occurred to me. And I wasn't planning to bring him in until later, but you know... I could have Meanwhile Back at the Ranch type interludes, where he's torturing Mia with non-con pedicures and foot massages. Bwah haha haha!

And thanks for the comments -- this will be one long slow UST build for pages and pages... I can drag that crap out forever, I think. Also, I have to find ways to keep having Tanner in, because I just love him to pieces.

[kriken.livejournal.com]

Brand-spankin' new to this little corner of LJ (like, I read my first TFATF story last week), but I have to say I'm lovin' it so far, which is, in part, your fault.

Hopped over to your site and sped through the B/D stories you've got up, including this wonderful, new WIP. I have to say that I really enjoy the voices you give these characters. And in general, your build up to whatever you're aiming for is done really well. At the very least, it's got me hooked on this new one ;)

And on that note, I'm gonna go friend you so that I can keep up. Would hate to miss anything :)

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yay, a convert! Whoo-hoo! Hopefully I can keep it going enough to make it worth your while. I'm already pretty sure where it's going, but the getting there is the tough part, sometimes.