New F&F fic

[gwyn]

I've posted the new Fast and the Furious story, On Beds of Sorrow at my web site. Yes, this is the death story, but... see rant below, because to me, it's a lot more than just that, and I hate labels and this is why. It's a bit over 12,000 words. The title comes from a William Blake poem (And men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night: Restless they turn on beds of sorrow;) that I paraphrased in the story. The blurb for the story is on my main page, but even then it doesn't say much more than "features character death."

Why am I such a meanie? Well, because. I just am. (ETA: I just wanted to add that the reason I am ranting about labels isn't to passively-aggressively pick on anyone I know personally. It's just all about something that comes up every time I write something Sad with a capital S, and I like Sad, so I get it all the time. It's not nothin' personal to my peeps, 'cause they're my peeps, yo.) I hate labels, warnings, keywords, disclaimers, all of that craptastic nonsense that really got going with fandom on the web and quickly spread out of control. I'll spare you my rant against the uselessness of disclaimers and the stupidity of the other things, but the reason I hate labels like "deathfic" and like that is that it's so monumentally reductive and insulting to have a carefully crafted piece of fiction dismissed as one thing because it features that one theme or topic in it. Yes, I know, most people are not as talented as we might wish and do not have multiple layers in a story, or many people find labels helpful so they can avoid things they don't like, such as male pregnancy -- and yes, I know that with the thousands of people "writing" fanfic, labels might help people choose. I get that, I do. But they also dismiss and degrade the work, I believe, especially when there's much more to a story than just death or angst or non-con or whatever. A label just reduces fiction to its lowest common denominator, and I hate that. This story has so much more than just character death -- it's got a great Brian/Dom reunion full of lovey-dovey stuff, smut (69 smut!), a road trip (my favorite thing in the world), reVENge, Warpath!Dom, and postcards. Postcards! And lizards! (Not as many lizards as I'd hoped for, but it ended up not fitting as much, but still -- lizards!) But a label doesn't encompass those things, and that is why I hate them. So there. (I also find it weird that the people who often scream the loudest for reductive labels on fic are often the people who whine and moan if you "spoil" things even by something as simple as saying you liked it. I do not get why it's okay to spoil the story, but they'll scream bloody murder if you say anything about the show.) Death is the only thing I put a warning on, and that's only on the main page with the story blurbs -- and the only reason I do it is because my friends whine, and sometimes I even like my friends, so I defer to their phobias. Otherwise, you're on your own. ;-)

Comments

[maygra.livejournal.com]

I thought it was beautiful (and I was grateful for the warning). This kind of story, in this retrospective mode..not the kind of story that disturbs me...argh. I want to talk about the story but I'll do it privately beasue I really did like it. But this is...stories about grief don't bother me in the same ways that stories about death bother me, if that makes sense.

I thought you did an amazing job with this and I'm glad you posted it.

[kriken.livejournal.com]

Beautifully written, hun. I've got this sad little smile on my face... You made me happy for them, even knowing the outcome.

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

I am SO with you on the 'can't-stand-labels/warnings/disclaimers' feeling!

You said it very very well, thank you :)

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

And lizards!

I thought those were new. *LOL*

And blowjobs while driving! That's one of my kinks.

Off to post...

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Lyk, OMG gwyn, yur so meen! Kuz what if some1 reeds yur storey and seez that a charakter dyz, and iz lyk tramatized 4 eva?!

---

(Hope I made you laugh.)

[spasticat.livejournal.com]

It's funny how you posted this about "labels, warnings, keywords, disclaimers, all of that craptastic nonsense" because the other night I was pondering this subject. I came into fandom via Jossverse and watched as a story that at first began with a title, author, and pairing suddenly acquired disclaimers and warnings and other nonsense that far outweighed the content of the story. Gimme the story! ;)

I'm all about the surprise. But I understand people wanting to know this stuff. Yet I also understand that it can take away from the impact of the story. Or as you said, the reader doesn't even get to the story because they've dismissed it based on the label.

In popslash I see less with the disclaimers. Fic announcements are pretty basic and usually seem to only give a plot synopsis, pairing, and some form of rating like R or PG. It seems to be a fandom thing. The only time I usually see the flag of disclaimer raised is when it's mpreg.

Anyway, I'm wholeheartedly agreeing with you.

And now on to the serious stuff ...

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Wow.

I liked the structure of the story immensely. Bam. First paragraph. Brian is dead. And then the slashbacks of how the relationship had come together and grown.

Your Vengance!Dom is wonderfully calculating and scary. He's had the hot flare of wrath and worked through it into something much darker. A banked fire waiting for that gust of air to make it go hwoom!

The conclusion of bringing us back to the beginning was beautiful. I loved the use of desert images and the fact that Dom has worked through his grief. Brian is gone and he is not and you pick up the pieces and keep stepping through. And you still love and you don't forget. You just have to keep moving.

[labgirl2076.livejournal.com]

*sighs*

omg....this was so sad it made me cry. but it was worth it since it was utterly beautiful. i don't even think i would classify it as death fic. it's just amazing. thank you!

[lierdumoa.livejournal.com]

Lovely story! I can't really think of one specific thing I liked about it, but it was just lovely all around.

Two of my favorite HP fic have character death in them. I can't say the same for any of my other fandoms, but I don't usually shy away from any sort of fic, including deathfic. I love angst. Well written angst just does it for me. In some cases, the only good way to end an angst fic is with death. I prefer if the story ends happily, but if death is the only ending that makes any sort of sense, I'm not going to complain.

I think for me this was more of a coping fic than a death fic. By which I mean I felt the same about it as I do fic in which a main character is, say, permanently paralyzed from the waist down or goes blind and the story centers on that character and their friends, family, etc. having to cope.

Have you already posted this to quarter_mile? Are you going to? If not, I'll go over there and recc it.



Also, check your e-mail. I sent the vid. It's approx. 23 MB.

[firstgold.livejournal.com]

I read "On Beds of Sorrow" because it was rec'd to me by mlyn. Other than her TFatF fics, I haven't read anything in that fandom, and this fic just blew me away.

These were the bones of loss, memories and regrets so stark white and brittle, lying scattered on their beds of sorrow. Something once formed in the shape of a person, of love. In the end they would be scoured and buried by the sand of time blowing in on a desert wind.

You use such powerful imagery, and by the end of this, I was was all teary-eyed.

And I totally hear you on the labelling of fic thing. I like my fic Sad with a capital S too, and this story was just everything that I could have ever asked for and more in an intelligent and emotional fic.

[(Anonymous)]

This is a beautiful story, beautifully written. Love the images you've conjured up. I could feel the intensity of Dom's pain. I'm glad you wrote this and I'm glad I read it! (Although, I was a little apprehensive at first,with your warnings and all). Anyone who passes this by, is really missing something special.
Thanks!!!!
Catty

[(Anonymous)]

This is a beautiful story, beautifully written. Love the images you've painted. I could feel the intensity of Dom's pain. I'm glad you wrote this and I'm glad I read it! (Although, I was a little apprehensive at first,with your warnings and all). Anyone who passes this by, is really missing something special.
Thanks!!!!
Catty

[quitesparkly.livejournal.com]

This fic is so beautifully written. I don't really know what I feel. Sad, that's for sure. And love. I love this fic. I feel the love Brian had for Dom and how much Dom loves Brian. And also the love you have for Dom/Brian. I'm very happy that you wrote this fic despite some fans are greatly against deathfic. Personally I care less about deathfic, I just want to feel the emotions between the characters and throughout the stories. You got it right. You made us feel the sadness, grief, loss and emptiness that Dom had. And we grieve with him, ache for him and Brian.

I'm glad that I'm into this small fandom to read those beautiful stories written by those talented writers. Thanks again.

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

mori307 wrote, I feel the love Brian had for Dom and how much Dom loves Brian. And also the love you have for Dom/Brian.
Yes! exactly.

An incredible story and an incredible experience to read. *Much* love and thanks to you for writing it.

[dine.livejournal.com]

I admit to tearing up by the end of reading this - but they were exactly the right sort of tears.

I'm madly in love with Dom&Brian, but this story actually expanded on that love - Dom's grief made their relationship feel that much solider, and the way he processed (or didn't) his loss felt very Dom-like to me. seeking revenge was perfectly in character, but I was quite happy that he stopped short - I would have been disappointed in a way if he had followed through with his initial plan.

you quite surprised me when the Feds arrived - I guess I hadn't thought that one through, although it made perfect sense, and some sort of justice was received in the end for Brian.

in your hands, these guys always wow me. thanks for providing something a bit different!

[midnytebloodlus.livejournal.com]

I am just going to comment on this story. This was so lovely and i admit made me cry. The grief was palpable and i am happy how you ended it.