two questions

[tielan]

Other than ubiquitous_girl (who I know is reading this), are there any Elizabeth fans still reading this LJ?

--

If you had to categorise me as a fic-writer, how would you do it? Say, you're describing me and my work in SGA to someone else, how would you go about it?

Comments

[ryf.livejournal.com]

Me?

[ryf.livejournal.com]

Oh, there was a second question. And I can't come up with an answer. Too early in the morning :)

[tielan]

You got all day to think about it and post later, then! :)

[world-of-blade.livejournal.com]

I would say that you have some amazing Sheppard/Teyla stories, even though they are not my personal ship. I would also tell anyone and everyone to come and read your story with Weir/Ronon that was based on "The Black Jewel" trilogy.

Also, I am always reading your stuff. I guess I just need to do better at commenting. :)

[tielan]

I admit, I'm beginning to wonder if anyone reads anything I write these days.

I suspect quite a lot of people in fandom have read that story.

[world-of-blade.livejournal.com]

Well, it is an amazing story!

As to people reading...I think everyone goes through stages where they kind of stop commenting. I will try to do better since I know that comments are what keeps a writer going. :)

[tielan]

Curious question, I hope you're not offended but... Are you of Indian/Pakistani descent?

It's just...your icon...

[world-of-blade.livejournal.com]

Nope. (Don't worry, it dosen't offend me) I am white, white, white. LOL I have always been very intrested in foregin films and have recently gotten into Hindi (Bollywood) films. They are my newest addiction. :)

[tielan]

And, in addendum to my comment above, thank you for the compliments. :)

Sorry, I have a tendency to focus on one thing and not answer anything else. :-/

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

Define 'fan'? If you mean people who still really like Elizabeth...?

[tielan]

Good question.

I guess I'm thinking more of people for whom she's the one and only reason they ever watched SGA. Or maybe a seriously primary reason.

[marag.livejournal.com]

I like Elizabeth :)

[tielan]

I guess I'm thinking more about the people for whom she was the only reason SGA was any good and who aren't going to be watching in future for that reason.

[marag.livejournal.com]

Do people really feel that way about one character? I mean, if I only liked one character on a show, why would I bother to watch? Especially if it's an ensemble show.

[tielan]

I'd say that, since quite a few fans of the character are threatening not to watch, yeah, there are people who feel that way.

The same thing happened in Michael Shanks' absence during SG1 S6.

[marag.livejournal.com]

See, I just don't get that. Now, if the show as a whole were taking a direction that annoyed me or didn't interest me, that's one thing, but just because one character is gone...::shrug::

[missyvortexdv.livejournal.com]

Even as an Elizabeth fan I think that'd be real depressing to think ;P As much as I loved her S1 and SG1, nowadays it's mostly her potential I like, I don't think they've written her well the past 2 seasons, with her acting off for who they defined her to be and also not using her much or as we were promised. She's not what she should be and hence if I viewed her as the only reason, I'd feel that the whole show can't be that great overall...

[tielan]

To be honest, I'm not convinced that the show is that great overall. It had places to go and people to explore and it missed out on most of the more interesting opportunities in the first three seasons.

I enjoy it, sure; but 'really great television'? It will never be that.

[missyvortexdv.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe great was the wrong word. I guess my point was that if Elzabeth is the high point over all else then that says even less of the show in general.

I'd agree with you, it could have been so much more and I think maybe that's why the big fandom - everyone is seing the potential of it.

[tielan]

I think maybe that's why the big fandom

And here I thought they were all innit for da secks. Or all that slashy McShepness. Yanno?

:/

My opinion has always been that TPTB are great at creating fascinating characters, just not so good at writing them.

[missyvortexdv.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry if I dumbly pointed out something blindly obvious. :(

Really can't tell the tone of your reply but you sound kind of annoyed or biting about it and I realised my reply had probably been stupid. But I'm not sure, not a good judge since I'm showing signs of what I'm hopnig ain't tonsilitus right now and should probably be at home today.

[tielan]

Sorry, I wasn't intending to mock you, so much as the extremely slashy fandom.

However, I do think that the really large fandom is more because of the Shep/McKay dynamic than because of the unfinished characters.

My bad. *hugs and wards against tonsillitis*

[missyvortexdv.livejournal.com]

Okay, don't worry.

I know a lot of people go for Shep/McKay as the reason why they love the show (either slash OR friendship) but I think for anyone not drawn to that specifically (and it's hard to estimate but sadly you're probably right that it's low) then it's the unfinished characters that have a reasonable amount to do with it - plus Shep/McKay are largely unfinished too still. I know there's more canon wise to define them than others but with the amount of stuff left out by TPTB the versions we see by fandom are quite different entities often enough, even if they are following on logically from the shows roots.

But yeah, I'm probably not writing this well, still not at my best but I'm awake so I'm in need of occupyin my brain with something. No tonsilitus whee! Instead I got an upper respiratory tract infection, boo. :(

[tielan]

Instead I got an upper respiratory tract infection

Argh. :(

Get better soon!

[teh-gandu.livejournal.com]

Me. I've just been waaaay to lazy to catch up on my f-list *g*

Hmmm, I'll have to think about that *g*

[tielan]

Well, I'm curious as to how people classify my writing, compared with how I classify it.

[missyvortexdv.livejournal.com]

*hans up*

I'd probably categorise you as a Teyla, John/Teyla, Weir/Ronon writer mainly but with ace gen and team fics too (and even rarer, able to do that with a pairing in the mix) and very good at writing female characters in particular, which isn't often found since they're rarely the focus in SGA fics. A real gem of a writer overall, and especially for anyone who likes Elizabeth or Teyla.

[tielan]

You know, if I stop and think about it, I haven't written any Ronon/Elizabeth fic in the last six months, if not longer.

However, I suspect the label of a Ronon/Liz fan will dog me to my dying day. :)

[goodisrelative.livejournal.com]

Okay... I really enjoyed Elizabeth S1 and S2. (I have yet to watch S3, but I have it all recorded.) But, I can't say she is THE MAIN reason I watch the show... it's an ensemble cast and I can't say that I'd stop if any one character left. And I don't really get that idea some have... that only one character in a large ensemble cast show like SGA is enough to make people stop watching. Like someone else pointed out above, it'd be different if the whole show took a turn I didn't like... but then it would still depend on how far that turn was.

As for you and your fics, I gotta also agree with someone above... I REALLY SUCK at commenting on fic. I really need to work on that. Like your post yesterday to lostcityfound with 10-12 stories... you'd never know I read them all yesterday, but I did.

I was pointing you out to a friend yesterday and she knew your work and we squeed about it, but it got me thinking and now this q today really got me thinking about your work and I realized something yesterday. I would have classified you as a Sheppard/Teyla writer, but after reading that post I just mentioned, I realize you are quite the multi-shipper and gen writer too. It's changed my idea of your fic, actually. I think To Serve a Queen really imprinted itself on my brain and painted you with a Weir/Ronon and Sheppard/Teyla brush, but you write SO MUCH MORE.

So now I just categorize you as the AWESOME WRITER OF SGA FIC. You always have cute stories that are great reads and great pick-me-ups. Your AU's rock and are sweet and fun and keep the characters so perfectly in character. You are really great at romance and cuteness, but are excellent too at the darker side of fic and I love them all.

Hope that helps and is more coherent than it seems to me right now. :)

[goodisrelative.livejournal.com]

OH! MORE TO ADD!
I also love how you write the Female characters... strong in so many ways, but able to break a bit too and lean on someone. They're not bitchy (without reason) and shirll, they are excellent female role models that embody the strengths and weaknesses we all have. Which is another reason I really love your SGA writings.

So keep it up. :)

[tielan]

Yes, it helps. And thank you. :)

[goodisrelative.livejournal.com]

You are welcome. :)

[raisintorte.livejournal.com]

I consider myself and elizabeth fan, however I won't stop watching the show if she's not on it. Then again it takes *a lot* for me to give up a show.

As for your stuff I associate you with Weir/Ronon, John/Teyla, and really well developed female characters. If someone asked for a rec for someone who writes the female side the best - you'd be at the top of the list.

[tielan]

See, I don't know that I consider myself an Elizabeth-fan. I love the character, sure, but... *wince* I think I've been a bit burned by the full-on Elizabeth fans. It's just a bit too obsessive for me to identify with them.

If someone asked for a rec for someone who writes the female side the best - you'd be at the top of the list.

*bows*

It's nice to know! Even if no-one ever asks for people who write the female side the best. Have you seen some of the recent posts on metafandom? Quite a bit of discussion about the alleged dearth of "well-written female characters".

[raisintorte.livejournal.com]

You raise a very good point. I think Elizabeth fan is probably the wrong term. I like the character of Elizabeth Weir, I wish they had done more with her, but I like the idea of her.

Honestly? Sam Carter is my favorite stargate female character. I love Teyla, Vala, and Elizabeth, but Sam is just my favorite.

Have you seen some of the recent posts on metafandom? Quite a bit of discussion about the alleged dearth of "well-written female characters".

I have not. I tend to only skim metafandom, and when I get busy, it's the first thing I cut. I'd rather read fic. :-) I'm sure reading those wouldn't raise my blood pressure at all.

[tielan]

I'm sure reading those wouldn't raise my blood pressure at all.

Actually, they're pretty good posts, raising some interesting questions.

The meta presently going around is not so much "there is a dearth of well-written female characters" as "why do people say there's a dearth of well-written female characters, when I can name a dozen or more, and the male characters in series are often just as badly-written?"

I found it pretty interesting. And not blood-pressure raising at all. Honestly? Fic's more likely to do that for me with the way some people write the characters...

[fairestcat]

I consider myself an Elizabeth fan. But a sort of feral one, since I hang out mostly on the slash side of fandom and am not into John/Elizabeth at all, which seems to be where most of the Elizabeth fans are assumed to be.

If I had to categorize your work, I'd describe you as a writer of mostly but not strictly Teyla-centric het and gen, with a really good handle on the character and her various relationships.

[tielan]

I guess I'm making a differentiation in my head - I tend to think of "Elizabeth Fans" as the people for whom Elizabeth is the be-all and end-all of the show. She is their sun, their moon, their shining stars - they dwell in darkness without her!

Although, technically, I suppose, such people are more "Lizzie Luvvers" - the obsessive side of fandom. I really like Elizabeth, I'm just a little burned as far as the sheer adoration/obsession about her goes.

Sometimes I worry about my portrayal of Teyla - do I Mary Sue her? Does she become the be-all and end-all of my writing abilities?

[pixiesio.livejournal.com]

Me!

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

I love Elizabeth. *g*

I'd say that you write a lot of Teyla, a lot of het, and a lot of shorter pieces.

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

I still like Elizabeth (and Teyla and well, everybody)

[sugargroupie.livejournal.com]

I am an Elizabeth fan.

I'll also admit that I stopped watching SGA long before the Elizabeth spoilers came out; so regardless of her status, I have mixed feelings about tuning in to the fourth season that have nothing to do with her.

I'd classify you as a gen and muti-ship writer.

[alliesings.livejournal.com]

"Tie writes strong female characters, especially Teyla, although her Weir is awesome, too, and by extention Weir/Ronan!!! I'm pretty sure Shep/Teyla would be her OTP if she had one, and every week I wish I had more time to read her new stuff. I don't think another single author has influenced the way I see the women of Atlantis more than her."

I wrote most of that before I read the other replies and realized that I'm not really a big-picture reader of yours. I basically ignore what I dislike and focus on what I do like with the result that I have no idea what you write except for what catches my eye.

[tielan]

I basically ignore what I dislike and focus on what I do like

I suspect that's the way most people read - not just my work, but anyone's.

[alliesings.livejournal.com]

I think one difference, though, is that most of my friends are OTPers and you're not really. So, if I see that so-and-so has posted, I can predict what the pairing will likely be, but that's not the case with you because you do so many minor pairings and such.

[tielan]

See, that's an interesting assessment.

Because I still think of myself as an OTPer. I may not write a pairing exclusively, but that's the way I think of myself, oddly enough.

I guess it all comes down to definitions again.