Sawing off the serial numbers in the fanfic chop shop

[icarus]

Welcome to the Fanfiction Chop Shop, where fanfics are taken apart and turned into "real" fiction for the sake of creative writing instructors.

Here we demonstrate that the fanfic author can write, so that said professor will allow a certain fanfic author (namely, me) to include Nanowrimo as part of the creative writing class in the fall.

Cool, huh?

Here's the trick: It can't even look like fanfiction by the time I'm done with it. In fact, he's even iffy about genre fiction, but willing to observe a genre fic that has strong characterization and a plot that doesn't hinge on the cool sci-fi/magical shit.

This means the story I slice apart and buff a little (or a lot) needs to demonstrate:

1) I can write plot, a discernable story arc
2) I can write believable characters (trickier than you think with fanfiction, because we're riffing off canon we already know)
3) I can write setting
4) I can write a clear and consistent character POV
5) it can't be porn

Damn. Yeah. That last one's a toughie. That just took out almost all of my stories (so much for Beg Me For It).

So, the chop shop door is open. Seedy-looking criminals are ready with the grinders, welding equipment, and paint to take a story apart. Now I just need your opinion. Which story or stories should I try to turn into "original" fiction? What's doable do ya think?

[Poll #811473]

ETA: Sorry this is so wide. I wrote my own poll code and didn't know the text box would do that. Grgh. It won't let me edit the poll.

ETA2: Darn. I forgot to include Traces Through Time. Pretend it's there.

Comments

[theemdash]

From someone who has taken fic and done the chop shop thing, I think First Time a Soldier would be workable. You'll need to do some work filling in back story, but the voices of the characters are really strong adn the arc is totally in place and beautifully subtle.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea, yeah. I'll try that one next.

Sonic Boom... not so much.

Icarus

[theemdash]

Ha. Yeah.

Do you not have any original fiction written or has your writing just grown so much since the last time your wrote something original? (The second is my problem.)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

My original fics are very short, except for one unfinished underaged gay porn story that I certainly can't send. Oh, and then there's that action fic, but I'm not pleased with it, it's definitely more the beginning of a novel than a short story.

Icarus

[theemdash]

I totally understand. Sometimes you just have the wrong thing.

Me? I have a lot of the wrong thing. *sigh*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and a lot of my fanfics would work great. It's just a matter of, well, them working at all....

I think "First Time A Soldier" can be de-fanficced. But making up a reason for Daniel to be on a team with Jack is, well, interesting. I'm hoping I don't have to add a briefing room scene just before Daniel gets back from the first mission to explain what this "team" is all about.

What I've got though is a counter-terrorism unit that's part military, part peace corps, designed to establish relationships, develop intel, and essentially use the techniques various terrorist groups use against them. In some areas, these organizations are the only people the locals can rely on.

The idea's based on 12-man Special Forces Marine A-Teams, whose job it was to teach and equip locals to be their own insurgency. In this case, the A-Team is joined by (8?) Peace Corps-type specialists whose job it is to figure out what the local village needs and get those needs met. Basically building infrastructure in most cases, setting up schools....

Any "contacts" (people with family and friends in one of the known terrorist groups) are to be passed up the chain of command to specialists who handle that. The "Sha're" character is a contact that would only talk to Daniel, however.

On their first mission, well, it was called a qualified success, but they were forced out of the village under fire. Essentially the local (Syrian?) baddies figured what they were doing, that it was successful, and decided to put a stop to it. Daniel Then the (Syrian?) government stalled on letting them back in.

I have this (slightly vague) backstory of Daniel attempting to talk down a nutjob who spoke Farsi holding Jack and some other people hostage in a bank, and ending up shooting the guy. Jack then recommended Daniel for this new kind of team.

Is that weak?

Icarus