Lately, an old Harry Potter fic of mine, Reunion has resurfaced.
It's MPreg. Yes, I wrote a genre I can't stand.
A little history. Back in the 80s, two famous poets debated whether or not the limerick was the lowest of form of literature in history. The one teased the other that "Pfft. You don't like them because you can't write them."
They made a bet, and together they published a book of dirty limericks. (His friend still said it was the lowest form of literature known to mankind. :D)
After reading an addictive, beautifully written (and yet still horrifying) MPreg by![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nimori, I decided to follow their example: I wrote MPreg. But got rid of everything that I made me shudder.
I made no promises about finishing it though.
The gleefully shuddersome tropes of MPreg I set about dismantling:
- The all-important BABY.
The baby is sooo important that ordinary life ceases once The Pregnant One conceives. Heaven forbid ordinary life goes on, or that there's anyone who couldn't care less about the all-important baby. This frees The Pregnant One from all responsibility to indulge in vapors.
In my fic, ordinary life and problems (divorce, job issues...) dominate the story, and the pregnancy is (a rather dumb) solution. The coming baby is overshadowed by the children the guys already have. Oh, and the MPreg will end before we see any baby.
- The inconvenient husband.
The Impregnator plays little role. He's either tragically dead, or against the pregnancy, or uninformed for Very Good Reasons. This means that The Pregnant One can remain center stage; it's not a partnership.
My fic is about two guys whose lives didn't turn out the way they wanted. It's about both of them and two intersecting messes. Overlapping divorces. Two families. Five kids. Two financial problems. Two different styles of raising children. Two very different ex-wives.
- Whoopsie, how did that happen?
The Pregnant One never plans to get pregnant, oh no. There's no culpability, and no effort involved. Often, it's even the first time with the Impregnator (the one true love).
Reunion, pregnancy is premeditated, difficult, takes many tries, and done for complicated, pragmatic reasons.
- The protective bubble.
Outsiders are against the pregnancy (or uninformed for Very Good Reasons), creating a stark line around The Pregnant One between the Supporters and the Outsiders. This further increases the importance of The Pregnant One.
No one's particularly against it, but most who know of the plan think they're idiots to try. Most people just ask, mystified: Why?
- The virgin (or near enough).
The Pregnant One is usually pure and untouched. He or she has no history or former lovers to contend with.
Yep. Five kids and two divorces (with plenty of baggage) took care of that one. But if that weren't enough, they're ex-lovers getting back together. And it wasn't a great relationship to begin with.
*gazes over the list*
Notice this could be a synopsis of the last Twilight film?
It's MPreg. Yes, I wrote a genre I can't stand.
A little history. Back in the 80s, two famous poets debated whether or not the limerick was the lowest of form of literature in history. The one teased the other that "Pfft. You don't like them because you can't write them."
They made a bet, and together they published a book of dirty limericks. (His friend still said it was the lowest form of literature known to mankind. :D)
After reading an addictive, beautifully written (and yet still horrifying) MPreg by
nimori, I decided to follow their example: I wrote MPreg. But got rid of everything that I made me shudder. I made no promises about finishing it though.
The gleefully shuddersome tropes of MPreg I set about dismantling:
- The all-important BABY.
The baby is sooo important that ordinary life ceases once The Pregnant One conceives. Heaven forbid ordinary life goes on, or that there's anyone who couldn't care less about the all-important baby. This frees The Pregnant One from all responsibility to indulge in vapors.
In my fic, ordinary life and problems (divorce, job issues...) dominate the story, and the pregnancy is (a rather dumb) solution. The coming baby is overshadowed by the children the guys already have. Oh, and the MPreg will end before we see any baby.
- The inconvenient husband.
The Impregnator plays little role. He's either tragically dead, or against the pregnancy, or uninformed for Very Good Reasons. This means that The Pregnant One can remain center stage; it's not a partnership.
My fic is about two guys whose lives didn't turn out the way they wanted. It's about both of them and two intersecting messes. Overlapping divorces. Two families. Five kids. Two financial problems. Two different styles of raising children. Two very different ex-wives.
- Whoopsie, how did that happen?
The Pregnant One never plans to get pregnant, oh no. There's no culpability, and no effort involved. Often, it's even the first time with the Impregnator (the one true love).
Reunion, pregnancy is premeditated, difficult, takes many tries, and done for complicated, pragmatic reasons.
- The protective bubble.
Outsiders are against the pregnancy (or uninformed for Very Good Reasons), creating a stark line around The Pregnant One between the Supporters and the Outsiders. This further increases the importance of The Pregnant One.
No one's particularly against it, but most who know of the plan think they're idiots to try. Most people just ask, mystified: Why?
- The virgin (or near enough).
The Pregnant One is usually pure and untouched. He or she has no history or former lovers to contend with.
Yep. Five kids and two divorces (with plenty of baggage) took care of that one. But if that weren't enough, they're ex-lovers getting back together. And it wasn't a great relationship to begin with.
*gazes over the list*
Notice this could be a synopsis of the last Twilight film?