musings on the pairing thing in SGA

[tielan]

One of these days, I'm going to have to write something Liz/Ronon that isn't crackfic. Because I really like this pairing (even if they're not going to do anything with it in the show).

My dream scene right now is to see Liz sleepily taking a call from the control room one morning, before the camera pans back and we discover Ronon in bed with her. If that ever happened, I'd call up one of the writers and squeal in his ear. Which is almost certainly why they never will. Can you think of the meow-boom? Dudes. Chimera (or, hell, Divide and Conquer) in SG-1 would compare to it like a car-bomb on the West Bank to the A-bomb in Hiroshima.

Brr. Fangirls. *g* Guess I'll just have to become adept at working non-canon pairings, eh?

Absently *prods* all the people who followed me over from SG-1 fandom: are you guys actually reading this LJ? Or has my foray into weird and wacky pairings instead of your OTP dissuaded you from reading anything here?

It's my observation that het-fen tend to stick with an OTP religiously. (I can say this because I was a het OTP fan once-upon-a-time - still am when it comes to that specific pairing) There's no crossover, no alternate pairings, no open options - they read exclusively: it's X/Y and if it's not that then they're not going to touch it with a ten-foot pole. The only reason they'd respond to a Y/Z pairing is if it's subtly X/Y at the same time.

This primarily comes from my experience in SGA: gen, slash, and femslashers appear considerably more open to a multitude of pairings. I hate to say it, because most of the people I consider my friends in the fandom are still het OTPers - which is also why I'm curious if any of them are actually reading this LJ. The broad readers in SGA aren't really the people who I think of as shipping the het pairings. Tell you true, I'm somewhat tickled to discover that most of the people who've friended this LJ are slash-oriented folks.

Incidentally, not all het OTPers are teenybopper girls. Some of the friends I mentioned are thirty, forty, fiftysomethings - not all of them are female, either.

And if they ever do land Liz with Ronon, remind me that I have to call someone up and squeal in his ear. should be fun. *g*

Comments

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

That's sort of a weird observation, especially in this fandom. It used to be a three ship fandom and now it's sort of exploded with variety. All on the het. If you're someone writing homoerotica and you want to get read? Your best bet is still to write McKay/Sheppard. McKay/Sheppard is how slash fans sell other slash fans on SGA (without even showing them the episodes or telling them about SG1, sadly enough). So I suppose to see someone say the het people are mad OTPers seems a little odd to me. *g*

Incidentally, I'd really enjoy seeing Ronon/Elizabeth. I just can't read your fic because I only made it about 50 pages into the first Anne Bishop novel and I absolutely detested every single overblown word of it. So even though I'm certain your fic is great (all the rest of them have been!), I can't force myself to read To Serve a Queen because the entire premise is sour for me.

[tielan]

Well, I was never that involved in the slash side of things in any fandom, so I can't say anything about the slash OTPs - this is just my observation from the het side of the fandom. :)

It's kinda funny. Right now, I rather like all the het relationship possibilities except the most popular one and what's becoming the second most-popular one: Shep/Weir and Teyla/Ronon. The first is just too squee for me (and I don't like how they're doing it) and the second has sibling vibes that ick me out.

Interestingly, I could almost see Shep/Ronon if I was inclined to slash, more for the 'alpha-alpha' thing and the warrior understanding between both. (It works for Shep/Teyla and worked for Teyla/Ronon until one scene just made me go "zomg! big sister/little brother EW!") But I just can't see Shep as gay - it doesn't work for me.

And Shep/McKay? Way out in my left-field for all that they have great interactions. The argument-conflict-best-friends dynamic doesn't do it for me.

I'm sorry you won't read TSaQ, but I'm definitely trying to find other Ronon/Liz scenarios - and the time to write them!

That was a really long answer, wasn't it?

[sjhw-tolerance.livejournal.com]

Hmm...well, you know I read this. I'm rather open in SGA, though I tend to view myself as more of a noromo; none of the potential pairings really seem valid to me, except perhaps John/Teyla. I like the wildness of Liz/Ronan, mostly because I think there's a wild side to the carefully controlled Elizabeth that Ronan could tap into. Ronan is even more of Alpha!male than John could ever be to Elizabeth.

[tielan]

I like the wildness of Liz/Ronan, mostly because I think there's a wild side to the carefully controlled Elizabeth that Ronan could tap into.

Exactly!

And my favourite scene between John and Ronon was the one in 'Conversion' where John outlasts Ronon and they have this great, funny moment of banter where you see the competition between them.

[terrie01.livejournal.com]

Well, for what it's worth, there are some serious OTP slashers in SGA. The McKay/Sheppard types are die-hards. Since I write a lot of M/S friendship fic, I get a lot of "But.... But.... Where's the SEX?" *rolls eyes*

[tielan]

LOL. I may have to read some of your stuff. I want to write some John/Teyla friendship fic. Never mind that most of the J/T folks are 'sex or nothing' types - there's just a much much smaller subset of them than the McK/Shep fen. (I can't see M/S without thinking 'Mulder/Scully' from the XF!)

[aaricia.livejournal.com]

It's my observation that het-fen tend to stick with an OTP religiously.
I'd say it's a 50/50 thing with me. Take SGA - in my mind Shep and Teyla are totally exclusive to each other, while I can see Liz with pretty much anyone (except John and/or Teyla, what with them being exclusive and all).
And, sadly, I can't get into any slash pairings in SGA - I've tried, it just ain't happening.

[(Anonymous)]

I have NO idea what you guys are talking about, it is like you are talking in codes!!! I only can say that I liked Ronon and Liz from the start (I have a lot of imagination), and got to this LJ by chance, surfing the net, looking for stories and I am grateful for that...Story for Ronan/weir ... well they could get stuck for some reason on some planet .... or while visiting a planet, the king's daugther wants Ronan to be her husband and Elizabeth, not Teyla for some reason, has to pretend to be his wife ...I cannot write but I have ideas, stupid ones maybe ...Thanks for your stories, I enjoy them! Nat

[tv-elf.livejournal.com]

I think it also depends on how you were introduced to fandom. I was shippy, but reminded regularly that my friends saw different ships (if any at all), and we could all be right.

[tielan]

Almost certainly. I guess I haven't been all that multifandom until the last 18 months, before that I was a one-show fan and a one-ship shipper, with some miniscule dabbling elsewhere but nothing worth talking about.

[pixiesio.livejournal.com]

I read this journal, but I admit I've not been reading your crack!fic. I'm sure it's good ('cause I know you're damn good :), but I just don't have the squee on that particular pairing. *shrug* They're kinda amusing on the show, and there's a bitty bit of potential, and I wouldn't meow-boom if they did more with it on the show, but I'm finding more and more these days I'm going off choosing an OTP and sticking to that one and that one alone. I'd much rather just enjoy the show for what it is than be all "omgwtfhowcanyousaythey'renotmfeo!!!111???" ;) Seeing potential pairings is just the icing on the cake, which, really, was always the way I went into watching ANY show. Fandom just fraks with all of that, hence the staying waaaaaaaaaaaaaay outta it these days. ;)

Okay, I've babbled enough methinks. <g>

[tielan]

It would probably be safest if they never touched 'ship on Atlantis at all, but my evil/wicked/naughty side is hoping for a meow-boom caused by at least one of my preferred 'ships. ;)

*hugs* If it wasn't for the fic and fandom, I'd probably never ever get into a show at all.

[snoggingpicard.livejournal.com]

It's like you are reading my mind! Holy crap. I see Sheppard and Teyla as my primary ship for Atlantis, and I feel that they have the most going for them as far as a pure, lovely relationship goes. It could actually work out if the writers choose to pursue it. I LOVE your fics for this pairing, since I find the same problem with a lot of Shep/Teyla fanfics as you -- not enough of the nice, UST, flirting, pre-relationship stuff and too much "married with kids" or explicit fics. Not my cup of tea. You write these two sooooo well that it scares me sometimes. I love this ship, and to see it put into words as lovely as yours is just wonderful. I always look forward to your fics for this pairing -- please write more! And even with all of the talk about developing a Shep/Weir relationship this season, I still see little indications of Shep/Teyla in nearly every episode. It is there, and their connection in season one especially cannot be explained away. I LOVE these two together, and are kind of an exclusive ship for me.

The Teyla/Ronon thing is completely brother and sister to me as well at this point. It wouldn't exactly bother me that much, but I have gotten absolutely nothing from their interaction besides just friendly banter, and the events of "Trinity" are not exactly conduicive to building a lasting romantic relationship. Plus, maybe it's just me, but Ronon doesn't seem the type to "settle down" with someone, even someone he cares about a lot, while Teyla strikes me as a person who would take relationships very, very seriously. I don't find them compatible in this way at all.

And of course, Shep/Weir. I don't see this at all. It's so dang popular that I conciously make an effort to find evidence of this ship in every episode, and I can't get past the personal "ewww" factor for me. They seem to relate to each other on a purely professional level, and I almost get a mom/teenage son vibe from them at times, which is just wrong. I honestly can't see this thing happening and being a mutual interest. This ship makes me so frustrated, and it actually is scaring me a little because of the overwhelming popularity that it has with the audience. If I saw it at ALL in the show, I wouldn't be so resistant against it happening, but I think I'd be very disappointed if it pans out, especially with the way they seem to be developing it now. I don't want Weir's character sacrificed for the sake of ship, and her constantly worrying over Shep is one way to do it very quickly. It's not a good way to build a ship but it's a sure-fire way to kill a strong female lead. Yeesh.

Um, but yeah, Ronon/Weir? I think it's safe to say that you are well on the way to converting me! These two have a very interesting dynamic -- love their scenes in "Aurora" and "Duet" especially -- and they are quite cute together. I'm hoping that this works out along with Shep/Teyla...it's rapidly becoming my secondary ship!

[tielan]

It may be that the huge following of Shep/Weir (added to the pure SQUEEness of most of the fen) puts me off the pairing. I can see how it would work, I just don't like it.

And I don't like the way they're portraying Weir->Shep much either.

[jenna-corinth.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry yourself. For all their blather, there's no way the writers are ever going to canonically pair anyone with anyone on this show - the fallout would just be too huge.

They enjoy playing the field too much, be it with McKay/Sheppard, Teyla/Ronon, Shep/Weir or my most hated pairing ever - Shep/Teyla. Choosing one definitively means they would lose that. It's also not LoveGate and I think they've finally cottoned on after the Sam/Jack debacle that subtext is definitely the way to go.

Pair whoever you want with whoever you want and everyone's happy.

[tielan]

Pair whoever you want with whoever you want and everyone's happy.

Well, I'll pair whoever I want anyway, in despite of canon and just for the heck of it. And I don't expect an awful lot of the Stargate writers: they're not exactly known for their bold and cutting-edge storylines.

[jalara.livejournal.com]

*waves* Checking in to say "Yes, I read this journal." I haven't yet read the Liz/Ronon because I like to wait until a story is finished before I dive in. I am looking forward to doing just that when the last part is posted.

As far as being a het fan that stays with one OTP, I guess I may be odd. I'd say that my OTP is Sam/Jack BUT I've read lots of fics where Sam was with someone else - and if the fic is well-written, I love seeing Sam paired with all kinds of other people. In fact, some of my favorite fics have Sam with someone else. Maybe I should say I'm a Carter fan with a strong leaning toward S/J.

The same was true with ST:Voyager. Janeway/Chakotay was my OTP, but I loved lots of fics where Janeway was with someone else. In fact, the stranger the pairing, the more I like some fics. Maybe it's because it takes a really good writer to make an odd pairing believable and good writers turn out good fic.

I think I tend to look for a female hero. There are so few females in pop culture who are true heroes that when I find one, I don't care who they are with, I just want more of them.

One reason (not the only one, mind you) that I like your journal is you write female heroes. Teyla and Liz are both underutilized in SGA, as you've mentioned on more than one occasion. You write them as fully formed characters, as heroes. I haven't yet fully embraced and emersed myself in SGA. I think it has to do with the fact that I do not think that Teyla or Liz are portrayed as the heroes they should be. They haven't grabbed me the way Kathryn Janeway or Sam Carter did. I'm hoping one of them will, but until then, I probably won't seek out SGA fic or any specific pairing fic for SGA.

I am open to any pairing at this time. Liz/Ronon is intriging as are Shep/Teyla, Shep/Liz, Liz/Caldwell, and Teyla/Ronon. I even like Liz/Teyla, but I don't get Shep/McKay at all.

Unfortunately, for me, it seems that most of SGA fandom revolves around Shep/McKay. McKay still annoys me to no end, although I'll admit he has redeeming qualities. But I don't want to read fic about him. I see enough of him on the show.

I've recently had the pleasure of meeting some die-hard slash fans in RL. They love Shep/McKay. I've tried to get it, but I don't. I'm just not looking for fics that explore the feelings between two men like they do. I still want my female hero. So, we've just agreed we want different things out of the show and its fic. We are ok with that. I've found the whole thing quite interesting, though. I'm beginning to think that different types of fen actually see different shows, because their individual filters are so different. Each one of us sees what we want to see - and I think that's fine. We are all entertained differently and I find it cool that one show can appeal to different types of fen.

However, I'm getting off the subject. I'm glad you are writing the female hero stories for SGA. They will probably make me like the show more.

[tielan]

Thanks for checking in, J. I sorta know you read this LJ since you responded to another meta post a while back, but it's good to hear from you all the same!

I think I'll probably continue to write the 'girl stories' mostly because I really like the girls. I just can't manage Liz/Shep and Teyla/Ronon: they break my brain. And I want to write a few more gen stories for the girls, individually and together. And a few more het stories, too.

I'll dedicate the Skywalker Paradox to you, if I ever get it written! :)

[bugly42.livejournal.com]

Hrm, the great ship question. I've got to say that I give them all a chance, though I tend to stay on the het side of things due to the fact that slash and femslash tend to degrade into being more about the (usually) poorly-written sex than the plot. Though my Liz pairing is either McKay or Sheppard, that's more because they have that sense of a harmony between two people that makes me not care whether they're friends or more than friends.

Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but sometimes the worst thing you can do for a relationship is go beyond the little displays of caring like hand-holding, food-mooching, etc. into graphic, sweaty, messy bedroom antics(or wherever the twisted mind in question places things). I can't read or write sex without remembering a married mother of 5, with the youngest in months, making a comment of "The last time I saw a throbbing member, my husband had hit his thumb with a hammer."

Now, I'm also primarily a crossover person, which means pure shippyness for me is very odd. I may like certain leanings when I watch the shows, but some of my favorites are totally off the wall. You try explaining Willow/Snape to someone who doesn't understand the crankypants appeal.

[tielan]

See, I see most of Shep/Weir and Weir/McKay (or, hell, Shep/McKay) as being mostly conflict rather than harmony. I see the Shep/Teyla dynamic (or the Shep/Ronon, Teyla/Ronon dynamic) as being more harmonious.

I don't mind the bedroom antics, but sometimes I'd like a little bit more than 'and then they kissed and then they had sex'.

[mice1900.livejournal.com]

I dropped by for the meta. I write slash almost exclusively these days, though I've written some gen and het here and there (under another name in another fandom). The thing is that I write bifictionally -- meaning that most of my characters are conceived as bisexual and that sometimes hetsex happens in an otherwise slash story.

My primary interest is Beckett/McKay, and I've written a hella lot of it, but I also write other slash pairings (and moresomes) in my stories as well. My last story, a Zelenka/other story, also had hints of Teyla/Lorne that just came out of nowhere and my readers really seemed interested in seeing that develop. Considering that most of them are slashfen, that surprised me a bit, but I was also pleased with it.

Personally, I could really see Shep/Ronon, but in my ongoing series Shep's straight (at least he thinks he is so far) but he's probably going to end up with a straighboy!THING for Ronon, because damn, how else can you interpret some of those LOOKS he gives the guy?

Anyway, I do think the fandom is dominated by McKay/Sheppard. Shep doesn't do much for me, but I write him into the stories more as background -- because I do a lot of missing scene/between stories fics. We *see* all the Shep interaction on screen. I like to think about what's going on with the less up-front characters. Writing McKay/Beckett in this environment is... interesting at times. There are very few spaces where it's actually safe to discuss McKay/Beckett without people turning around and going "but.. but.. MCSHEP." Seriously. I've seen people head for the fringes of SGA fandom because of the huge McKay/Sheppard influence.

Me, I'm gonna keep writing McKay/Beckett and my other stuff around the fringes until the cows come home because how can I not love Carson? Really?

[tielan]

in my ongoing series Shep's straight (at least he thinks he is so far) but he's probably going to end up with a straighboy!THING for Ronon

See, I think I could get behind that idea. I think. :)

[wickedwords.livejournal.com]

Coming from the slash side of the force, one of the reasons that I think that slashers have become so much more open to het and gen in this fandom is due to the sga_flashfic community. Started by slashers, it nevertheless delivers het, gen, and slash stories into my flist on a nearly-daily basis. So I get a lot more exposure to other parts of the fandom than I would if I stuck with a pairing-only community-based world.

I also think that the harlequin challenge flashfic, and then harlequin_sga has just added to that; for those that like romance, the harlequin stuff is like the best things ever, reguardless of pairing. Personally, as long as the story is character-driven and the intereaction is interesting, I'm up for whatever. In fact, although I read the first bit of your "to Serve a queen" that was posted to flashfic, I have no idea that there was more of it until the rec came through on the harlequin community; but I really enjoyed catching up. *g*

I never would have known that I could enjoy this pairing if you hadn't posted to flashfic. It's really the only completely cross-pairing, cross-character fandom-based community that I am a member of, but I really love the variety that I get from there. And I feel so much more comfortable about writing gen now.

[millefiori.livejournal.com]

Coming from the slash side of the force, one of the reasons that I think that slashers have become so much more open to het and gen in this fandom is due to the sga_flashfic community. Started by slashers, it nevertheless delivers het, gen, and slash stories into my flist on a nearly-daily basis. So I get a lot more exposure to other parts of the fandom than I would if I stuck with a pairing-only community-based world.

I totally agree, and I think this is true for the SGA Newsletter, as well. I've always been (a little rabidly) anti-segregationist when it comes to fandom. Although I can see how het/gen/slash-only or pairing-only venues might make it easier for fans to find the exact thing they're looking for, as a fan who likes a little bit of everything, and doesn't have umpty hours free to troll the net for six million different sources, I much prefer all-inclusive fandom lists/communities/archives. If a fan enters fandom by way of a certain pairing (which I usually do, and did in SGA), it can be very difficult to even find anything to read, look at or talk about that isn't focused on that pairing. And that's only if said fan knows/suspects of the existence of something else to go looking for.

This may be overly-optimistic thinking on my part, but I also think that all-inclusive fandom areas tend to be more tolerant and accepting. I've found in my old age that very negative "Ew, squick!!" type rants tend to spoil my fannish pleasure, even when I agree in principle with the ranter.

[hardlyfatal.livejournal.com]

As someone who finds slash profoundly boring (esp. the glut of McKay/Sheppard-- YAWN) I have to say that I've been completely turned off reading SGA fic apart from the gen and het stories listed on sga_newsletter. And it's a shame, because I'd like to participate more, both in writing and reading gen and het fic, but it sometimes feels like there's no point, as there's like 4 people who'll read non-slash and of them, it's not their pet pairing so maybe 2 of them will read it.

Combine that with the overtly "EW HET" attitude I observe in a lot of the slashers in this fandom and I just can't be arsed. Makes me sad that there's no reciprocal tolerance-- if someone went around going, "EW TEH GHEY" they'd be shit on from all sides for being homophobic. I guess it's ok to be a bigot if the bigotry is against the majority or mainstream.

"White guilt" is an established concept, by now; perhaps "straight guilt" is much the same.

[tielan]

as there's like 4 people who'll read non-slash and of them, it's not their pet pairing so maybe 2 of them will read it.

I know the feeling. *grimace*

Personally, my issue with most of the het is that:
a) it's badly written -lacks grammar, spelling, storytelling art,
b) it's badly characterised - they don't resemble the characters at all,
c) it's Shep/Weir - which I can't seem to get at all: I can see where people are coming from and why they like it - hell, I write Shep/Weir threads into my stories, but it leaves me stone cold as a pairing,
d) I don't want to risk my plotbunnies - they can get thrown off a story very easily.

But yes, I've come across the 'ew, het' concept as well among slashers. I guess, if you took a percentage of slashers willing to read het and compared it to a percentage of shippers willing to read slash, the percentages would work out about the same: but there are a lot more slashes on the net numerically, and hence numerically more of them willing to read het than shippers willing to read slash.

[alliesings.livejournal.com]

Every time I see that you've updated TSaQ, my inner CrackShipper starts squeeing, but I am not in the market for a new WiP right now. When you're done, I'm going to be one happy Ronan/Weir shipper.

[tielan]

It's finished and will be all posted by the end of the month. Promise. :)

[seekergeek.livejournal.com]

*wandering over from the sga_noticeboard*
I'm a person that leans toward the slash end of the spectrum, and I'm an avid John/Rodney fan. However, I've also read a great deal of gen and even a tad bit of het. Even though my favorite pairing is John/Rodney, I'm all for any pairing that gets my woobie Rodney some warm fuzzies, no matter how far fetched. Weir/Rodney is rare, though, and Teyla/Rodney is rarer still in the het fandom. Teyla/Ronan work as a logical pairing for me but I'm not enthused about it. Weir/Ronan and Weir/Caldwell also work as logical pairing because those are the only two dudes on the show not really directly under her command and because both guys get under Weir's skin in ways that really irritate the hell out of her and she needs someone who she can not possibly take for granted, even for a second. Whoa, run-on sentance there, sorry. Shep/Weir and Shep/Teyla (het's most popular combos) leave me dead cold bored and disinterested. Aside from the mega-meta rant I have about Weir (and its a long one, trust me) I have a hard time seeing any woman putting up with Shep's antics and extreme emotional reservedness without going bat-shit crazy in a few seconds and throwing him off a balcony. Really, I mean it. Yes, he's hot and all, but good grief, the emotional baggage that boy is apparently carrying around. I can see him prefering guys because they won't expect him to be as interactive as women demand him to be. Shep doesn't open up easily or well and that turns me off any het pairing that has him in it. Additionally the het fic of the Shep/Weir and Shep/Teyla variety that I have skimmed through has been almost universally poorly conceived and written. Maybe I'm just unlucky. Or maybe my dislike of the popular het pairings and one particular character leaves me with not much het to to like. *shrugs* Wow, this has been a rambler of comment. Sorry for the disturbance. We now return you back to your regularly scheduled LJ.

[permetaform]

Additionally the het fic of the Shep/Weir and Shep/Teyla variety that I have skimmed through has been almost universally poorly conceived and written.

See, I wonder about that, because I sorta get the same sense. I wonder if it's because I'm just clicking on the wrong fic, but the thing is I don't know any good recs pages for good het fic and I don't know anyone who recs good het fic. I wonder if the het shippers complaints about slash is the same, that they simply haven't found where to find the good!fic (and some of that good!fic is pretty well hidden if you're not in the lj slash fandom, whereas if you *are* then it's getting recced EVERYWHERE).

At times, granted, I have a higher tolerance with shuffling through bad!fic that's slash than bad!fic that's het, mostly because the bad!fic that's het piss me off so very much (on the level that I'm a girl and I don't want to see girls portrayed all frilly and brainless). ::shrugs::

[permetaform]

Speaking as a McShep shipper, I want to say thank you for your Ronon/Weir fic 'cause I ship them too. They really ought to be written more, because Ronon pretty much the only one that catches Weir flat-footed and their interactions just makes me smile.

Also I find the way that you've integrated the two universes facinating and they way you've shaded the characters via the fusion of universes very neat.

[tielan]

Thanks!

I'm trying to write a few more pieces, but the muse is stalling nine ways to heck.

[toasteronfire.livejournal.com]

Well, I am a het fan (and nearing 30!) and I prefer McKay/Weir overall. I read the fic and I make icons, so I guess it's my OTP. I'm not adverse to other ships though, even "competing" ones. I'm also interested in McKay/Sam, Weir/Zelenka, Weir/Caldwell, and Weir/Beckett. There aren't that many fics out there for those ships but I do read them if given the chance. I don't care for ships with Shep, especially Shep/Weir, because I don't care much for Shep period and he seems like the type that always gets the girl anyway so any ship he's in just isn't that novel to me.

I'm not a big slash fan and therefore I don't read the fic. I do enjoy a well-written OT3 though, especially Shep/Weir/McKay or McKay/Weir/Zelenka or even McKay/Weir/Carter, as long as it's a legitimate OT3. I've read enough fics where McKay seems snuck in as an afterthought and that leaves me cold.

[(Anonymous)]

OK I get what Het and slash means but what does OTP means? I am new to this fanfic universe, the only site I knew about was fanfiction.net and by surfing the net, I've discovered other sites and I am grateful but there are lots I still don't get...I cannot stay I like the slash stories but I did try to read some. I like mostly Weir as a character so I read the fanfic concerning her, it does not have to be relationship related! I read the other stories also, but mostly Weir related. And did I mention that I love Weir/Ronan? Nat

[tielan]

OTP = One True Pairing. It's a term for when you've got a pairing-focus rather than being spread out all over the place.

Off-topic, have you been commenting twice on some of the story posts? There are several comments that are signed 'Nat' and the IP address is pretty close.

[miera-c.livejournal.com]

*waves*

still loving TSaQ, btw. I was so happy when I logged on over the holiday weekend and found two new parts. My little island of happy amid family stress. :)

It's my observation that het-fen tend to stick with an OTP religiously.

As someone who pulled a big flouncy exit from a group that became too rabidly OTP for me to tolerate, I tend to agree, though I know several seemingly intelligent fans who refuse to read anything other than Sheppard/McKay. I've never understood blocking off avenues of entertainment like that.

And no one will ever convince me that the popularity of Weir/Zelenka is unrelated to the fact that it conveniently removes not one but two obstacles to Sheppard/McKay. even if no slash is ever mentioned in the story, as long as it leaves the option open, it doesn't interfere. Whether that means the slash population is actually not as open minded as they may seem is debatable.

The McShep pairing freakin' ATE the entire slash fandom for a long while. Fortunately a little tiny backlash has started to gain traction (I get S/M, I just am sick of reading it. There are only so many variations on a theme, you know?) I like the idea of Sheppard getting involved with Beckett m'self, which has about a thimble's worth of canon so it's a bit of a stretch.

Also I am, as everyone knows, a pairing whore who will read just about anything. (Ironic that I enjoy Weir/Sheppard but don't really like Sheppard/Emmagan, and yet I love your writing. *g*) I have the same reservations as you about pairing Weir with anyone openly - they already skate on a lot of thin ice as far as her actually being in charge of the city.

And I pray fervently that the writers on SGA have in fact learned from their mistakes on SG-1 but it makes me nervous that history might repeat itself (OMG everyone thinks Sheppard and McKay are doing it! We have to suddenly have him pining for Elizabeth or Teyla!) *sigh* Say it with me people: No. Canon. Ship. Let us have our fun!

[tielan]

I have it from a reasonably good source that they're not planning anything for or against the various pairingnesses during Season Three.

The question is what they will do between *now* and the end of Season Two.

And then, too, I have huge issues with the portrayal of the 'minor' characters (Teyla and Ronon specifically, Elizabeth in an off-side) and hero-Shep, who is beginning to get on my nerves. The guy could do with being a helpless handmaiden or needing to be rescued by someone who isn't Rodney. Just for a change.

And the writers wonder why there's so much slash in the fandom.

[skyebanshee.livejournal.com]

There's a very good chance I'm completely missing the point of your query, and I blame that on the close-to-imploding point of my mind with essays and finals and such.

I'm predominately a het-reader, only because when I do read slash (usually only for M7 though), the characterization just goes out the door and that...just bites for me :P. But I usually have an OTP pairing that I enjoy reading the most about, doesn't mean I won't read others, so long as I'm giving fair warning (I tend to hyperventilate if someone switches a pairing mid-story...get all bug-eyed and everything, rather not pretty). I'm just weary of reading any of the characters of said OTP paired with somoene else cuz I'm afraid I'll be swayed to other types of pairings...especially if it's good writing...cuz I'm far too easily influenced. And there's only so much time I can allot to reading fan fiction, otherwise I'll never make it to grad school o.O;;.

Right, shutting up now...love your writing...would read more if my seminar classes weren't kicking my butt.

[violetvision78.livejournal.com]

HI, I read over everything and still come back to my original thought.

I read slash and ship. I have only written het and ship myself, but love reading other people's slash.

I first thought the Weir/Shep thing could not work because she had a man on Earth, but now he is gone.

Shep seemed to like Teyla, and she liked him...then he went after that Ancient woman. For some reason, I felt sorry for Teyla that she was shoved to the side.

Then we have Ronon/Teyla. He walked into the room with his arms braced on the sides and she started fluttering on the bed with her hand at her chest, and I thought hmmm. I saw that face he gives Teyla sometimes given to Weir. The only brother sister thing I saw was when she gave him advise about not telling the others about his killing. Then his friend said they would make a great match and they did the face thing again. I remember the way Weir reacted when she thought Ronon was leaving, and she fluttered around.

I also like the idea of Cadman/Beckett...anything to get McKay in a huff.

Well, I try to look at this as if it were kind of a scifi RL thing. They are a group of hot people at the top of their game in a survival situation. I guess in the end, I could see all of them with each other under different situations...but I like Shep/Weir Ronon/Teyla, and Cadman/Beckett.

When I read or write, I know I am looking at it from my point of view of the show and thousands are looking at it from their own. I like to be suprised, but I feel strange when people change the character to their opposite in order to write their story...I tell myself that it is an alternate reality and continue reading. LOL!!!

[ryf.livejournal.com]

I'm late for the party, but still want to comment :)

It's my observation that het-fen tend to stick with an OTP religiously

Some, maybe. And usually, they are the most vocal. For me, I have been into fandoms for 6 years now and I have never had a real OTP. I came close with Marita/Krycek in The X-Files, but everything I shipped until SGA were underground-ships (like Daniel/Sam and Daniel/Janet and Sam/Martouf on SG1) on Stargate, so definetely not OTP material.

I know a few OTP shippers, but most of them are slashers, actually. Of course, there will always be the ravbid, most vocal bunch, the one that ruined everything Sam/Jack for me, for example. But i wouldn't call it a majority.

[thelana.livejournal.com]

I have never been an exclusive shipper. I think it is mostly because I have an unhealthy tendency to be drawn to unpopular couples. Which means that there usually aren't enough people around to keep up a steady enough influx of new materials. So I usually ship a combination of several unpopular couples because in the end it means more fic for me :)

Plus, I have OTC tendencies, where I like a character and I like their interaction with everybody and see fic or ship potential between them and everybody. I have a history in the soap opera fandom so I'm used to characters having more than one pairing, different pairings all having their pros and cons and being charming in their own way.

I occasionally have an OTP, but I always have a rangle of ersatz OTPs that I like as well (another advantage of that is that it doesn't break your heart too badly when your main OTP doesn't work out and you get your ersatz OTP instead).

I'm surprised when people don't do it like that, since to me the advantages of non OTPing always struck me as so obvious. I can understand that if a pairing is popular, you could read them all day and still always have no fic, so you wouldn't have to go out and go looking for other pairings. But that would still mean to me, if I was in that situation, that I wouldn't have other ships because of lack of time/attention and not for ideological reasons. But I guess I'm weird that way.

(for the record, I do have Anti-OTPs and I do get just not being particularly interested in a certain pairing or dynamic)