Re: Re: FIC: Dream House

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Mad,

The header said "FB makes the world go round." I believe you've just
spun me out of orbit. That was very sweet.

Normally, I don't reply on list. I figure the fic is my contribution,
the fb yours, and I just send personal thanks (and go off on tangents)
in private. But this I have to acknowledge in public.

I've had this one sitting for a month. Wrote it while I was hacking
through the angst of "Straight Through the Heart" Chapters 2-3 (which at
that time I thought was one really long chapter), and I just needed an
antidote. It's meant to be fuzzy, in both senses of the word, because
it's pretty far in the future and also because I'm hiding the baby until
the end, even though she's there all the time. So I just have about 10
oblique references to people holding Eve.

BTW, in case it isn't clear (and of course it requires a second reading
to find things like "cast several purification and barrier spells,
despite Buffy's reservations"--i.e., Buffy didn't want Willow casting
powerful spells while she was pregnant), Willow is holding Eve during
the first half of the story. That's what the "Here you go" that starts
the 3rd section is, Willow handing Eve to Buffy before going outside.
But as I say, it's meant to be a little hazy. "Dream House", after all.

Jane gets them to open up because she's good, and also because there
wouldn't be much story without it. Well, I guess it could have been
longer and slower, but it wasn't meant to be written that way.

Let me also thank all those who sent fb: Sam, Melinda, Sarah Meyers
(off-list) and Nathan Campbell. You're all great. Special thanks to
Nathan for becoming my champion in the imagery and scenery debate. At
this point, I'm sort of where the debate has settled: "Straight Through
the Heart" was in somewhat of a physical vacuum, but who knew they'd
spend 7 chapters on one talk? I certainly didn't, and when I found
myself running real long, I was reluctant to add to the already
prodigious length, and of course focused on the relaitonship and history
issues, rather than thinking about the setting. Which may well have
been a mistake.  

"I Understand", on the other hand, was written in a blurt when I viewed
the scene again, suddenly realized that the look could be Willow saying
she had to move on, and started channeling the feelings of being
unworthy of love, letting my chance go by, etc., that the fic's Buffy
experiences. Since the writing was cathartic, I had no inclination to
go back for a polish, feeling it should stand as is. I couldn't think
of anything but the emotions; Buffy can't see anything but Willow's
face. And I like it being stripped-down, some things should be.

Also, of course, since that's an actual scene, people can see it easier
in their minds. That may be a bit of a writer's crutch, but I'm not too
proud to use it.

However, in "Dream House", Alan's desire for sharper imagery led me to
do a rewrite that I think enhanced it. I still didn't want to describe
stuff merely to create a greater sense of place, but I added all those
things about Jane standing in front of items or touching them as a
subtle sales technique, so you could learn more about Jane as well as
the house. If looking for opportunities to insert scenery leads me to
find ways of enhancing plot or characterization points, I'm all for it.
So, thanks, Alan.

And Mad, if you want to view traffic accidents, just come by my place.
I've a lovely view of the adjoining gas station, and the intersection
beyond it is a bit of a demolition derby. But it's better now that
they put in the extra lights a half-mile away; you don't get people
revving it up to 50 mph (80 kph) to get to the nearby freeway and then
careening through the light when it changes nearly so much these days.

Once again, thanks for the great fb, and I'm honored that I've helped,
however little.  

Tuesday night (Wednesday am in Europe) should bring something entirely
different, barring WebTV freakouts and such.

Best to everyone,

Dan

--- Begin Message ---

• To: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: Re: FIC: Dream House
• From: Mad-Hamlet@xxxxxxx
• Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 08:16:23 -0000
• 01: 16:25 -0700 (PDT)
• 08: 16:25 -0000
• 08: 16:24 -0000
• Delivered-to: danspector@xxxxxxxxx
• In-reply-to: <24638-3B8AFC0A-193@storefull-127.iap.bryant.webtv.net>
• Mailing-list: list buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; contact
• Reply-to: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• User-agent: eGroups-EW/0.82

Greetings,
Y'know, today was proving kinda tense. 
Woke, wife was going to school to teach, first day of lessons for the 
kids hereabouts all that. I have to take a bus to a city nearby I 
don't know, surrounded by people who use a language I havn't quite 
mastered, too sign a contract for my new job. So..as I said..kinda 
tense. 

Then I read this and am now so chock full of WAFFY goodness I could 
whistle a hymn while watching a four car pile up. 
Okay, that's a tad extreme.

A head on, I could stand to watch a head on with a grin.

Nice, fuzzy, a bit real, a bit not. The little things again stood out. 
Hypen jokes, 'Summers Eve' another nice touch. I noticed a..certain 
inversion of almost every 'Summers/Willow' child factor. Buffy being 
the more motherly, the child being a blonde, etc..etc..
That's good. Change is good.

I've never met a real estate agent before though, are they really so 
open? Figure you have to be, get a link with prospective clients fast, 
get them to spend vast amounts of cash. So that's all good too.

Good show here.
Really.

Now, I have a hymn in mind and am going to wander off onto the 
sidewalk to see if their are any stupid drivers about, gotta test the 
theroy y'know.

I remain, as always,
Mad-Hamlet



Community email addresses:
Post message: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subscribe: buffywantswillow-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Unsubscribe: buffywantswillow-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
List owner: buffywantswillow-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shortcut URL to this page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow

Official archive for the list:
http://www.geocities.com/slayerhacker/ 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 

--- End Message ---