genfic recs (SGA)

[astridv]

Hmm... I had to take down my header post here on DW because it wouldn't allow me to post out of order - but on LJ it works just fine. Needs more testing. Anyway...
more genficathon recs:
Darkest Before the Dawn by wildcat88
Where the White Lilies Grow by rhymer23
On the Wings of an Eagle by rhymer23

Darkest Before the Dawn by wildcat88
Gen; PG-13; Angst; Word Count: ~10,700 words
Summary: Some things have to be accepted; others have to be fought with everything you've got. A tragic off-world mission rocks Atlantis and shatters John. Struggling to pull the pieces together and move forward, he discovers he has one chance to set everything right.

Why rec'd: The feelings of grief and guilt... and of love, are explored in a way that feels honest and real. Beautiful team story that shows the bond between them. I also liked Kanaan's characterization very much - even though he has only a few lines, he somehow feels more present to me here than he did on the show.

Where the White Lilies Grow by rhymer23
gen; PG; AU; 44,400 words
Prompt Clarke's Law (i.e. "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic")
Summary: People tell stories about the wonders of the Time Before. They tell stories, too, about magical creatures with long, fair hair, who emerge from the hill and can turn you to dust in an instant. But John Sheppard has never been one to believe in stories...

On the Wings of an Eagle by rhymer23
gen; PG; historical AU; 50,000, plus 6 pictures
Summary: It started with a man crashing into a herb garden. Soon a misfit band of four exiles are caught up in a wild ride of sword fights, sewing, rescue missions, shopping trips, high treason, lute-playing, changing the face of scientific knowledge forever, the imminent risk of hideous death, and comfits.

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Page 6 is still kicking my ass. I've spend a considerable part of today scribbling lines and erasing them again, and I'm still looking at a blank page. But I'm determined to have a layout standing before I go to bed; tomorrow I have to get back to work on my project. At least I went running today so I don't feel completely unaccomplished. :P

Comments

[carolyn_claire]

Can I try posting it here, instead? You can screen it, if you want.

[astridv]

Sure, go ahead. If it doesn't go through here, you can also just go over to LJ to the mirror post, or message me.

[carolyn_claire]

Okay, here I am, again. I'm so busy/tired/distracted, lately. But I'll be more present after July 4. I hope. *sigh*

So, illo idea. This actually flashed, fully formed, into my head during the Teyla/Rodney thing-a-thon, while I was coming up with prompts. Then I thought, hey, what if I get Astrid to do my prompt! And she were to draw this! And then I got you for my giftee, and I thought, hey! Maybe they matched us! But, no. *g* But now I can trade with you! :)

For my "romantic dancing" prompt, I saw Rodney and Teyla in formal garb, dancing in Atlantis. It's a fancy do, some kind of big, celebratory thing--maybe they defeated the wraith and found a zillion ZPMs and united the galaxy into a progressive federation, etc. Bigwigs from the Milkyway and Pegasus are both there, including the IOA and the SGC. Sam will be looking lovely in plunging, cobalt blue and dancing with a very distiguished-looking Jack (which Rodney may be a little, ever-so-mildly insecure/jealous about.) John has talked Larrin into coming, though she keeps him waiting and fidgeting through half the party; then, when she finally shows up, she's all smoking hot and exotic and a great match for John in his dress duds, and chemistry abounds. John gets over being annoyed with her when he sees her; he doesn't even mind when she keeps trying to lead when they dance. *g*

Rodney arranged for Teyla to be his "date", possibly in part so that he won't be dateless in front of Sam. He's a little uncomfortable in his tux, though John tells him he looks great as he helps him tie his tie, that it does good things for his shoulders (Rodney is pleased) and hides his gut well (Rodney is annoyed. *g*) Teyla is really interested in attending this Terran-sponsored dressy party, seeing how the other galaxy lives, and Rodney's wondered, briefly, what she'll wear; he's imagined her in something Pegasus-y and exotic, but tasteful, or at least as tasteful as her daily outfits are, which do tend to bare a lot of skin.

When they meet in the "ballroom" (something with vast space and huge windows and balconies overlooking the ocean--any large room in Atlantis, in other words) he's startled into speechlessness to see she's ordered something from Earth to wear--a sleeveless black gown with a deep v-neck that's just this side of provocatively plunging, soft and draping but slim, with a long slit up one leg. Simple, streamlined and sophisticated, with no jewelry--she's the jewel in the setting of the dress, and Rodney's dazzled. They look amazing together, and they dance beautifully--she can follow like a dream and really makes him look like he knows what he's doing. She's a revelation to him, and she's obviously admiring of his tux-clad self.

So that's the image--she and Rodney dancing in the middle of a large open space--maybe still indoors, with most people still around the sides of the dance floor, or maybe they've danced out onto one of the balconies, alone under the stars, and the party is a bright glow through a wall of glass and open doors. He's still sort of wide-eyed and awestruck by her, and she's glowing and happy, and there's a connection happening between them that's evident to anyone who sees them.

And that's what popped into my head when I came up with the prompt for the thon, full blown. This is how I write 9,000 word stories in two days. *g* I bet I even do write the story after you illustrate the idea--or maybe your illo will be the story, and I won't need to. :)

So! Nothing too specific, there, right? *g* So, what kind of prompts do you have for your Sam/Rodney story? Prompts are good, so do share anything that would please you.

[carolyn_claire]

Okay, it was some kind of Noscript mess on my end, but just with this post. Argh! I have no idea why. It said something about a crossposting attempt, and "zoom" and "filtered" and stuff like that. So frustrating. *sigh*

[astridv]

So! Nothing too specific, there, right? *g*

LOL
Oh, this is a great prompt! I can see it in front of my inner eye. It's going to be a few weeks at least, but I think I can already do the preliminary sketches when I'm finished with this project, in two weeks or so.

I haven't given mine any specific thought yet; let me see if I can think up some prompts.

but just with this post.

I just remembered: all my previous posts were crossposted from here to LJ, except this one (because of the whole mess with my pre-dated header). Maybe that has something to do with it. Could be a general problem with the coding, maybe... I'll try to post some longer comments in my older posts.

[carolyn_claire]

I'm going to need to wait to actually sit down and write your story for a few weeks, too, but as soon as you have some prompts for me I can start percolating ideas and making notes. And then I'll write it in two days. *bg* No, I'll take more time, this time. I was happy with Confluence, but I always second guess myself when I don't spend longer with a story. (Or, without a deadline, I spend forever editing it to death and start to hate it, which isn't actually much better, so.)

My mental image of this prompt is so clear, and I even see it in your drawing style--I always have. Must be meant to be. *g*

I copied the first version/attempt of the post, then pasted it into all subsequent attempts; the version that worked I pasted elsewhere and "plain text"-ed it, but still got the error message, which I had to override to get it to post. But not the smaller "oh, no!" messages, they went through fine. *shrug*

[astridv]

and I even see it in your drawing style

Yeah, me too. Heh. :)

'kay, here's mine

[astridv]

Alright, my story... I actually don't have any specific story prompts in mind (my mind is still occupied with Pirates (ARRrr) for another week or so...) but generally I love fic in which Sam and Rodney actually get to be scientists, do some solving of unsolvable problems, figure out some elusive technology. I love the professional rivalry and the bickering, and the mutual respect and hidden affection underneath the bickering. If there's shippiness, it can be but doesn't have to be overt... I like to see them as friends just as much.

Other than that, I'm always partial to classic action-adventure fics, offworld teams getting into a SNAFU, also time travel & time loop stories. I'm a sucker for h/c scenarios in which Rodney is the hurt part (just, um, no head wounds... (yeah, I'm weird ;)). I've also come to like AUs of any kind. Oh, also stories that involve the Daedalus and its crew. (Hehe, or you could also throw Daniel Jackson in there, make them a bickering scientist trio.) [edited 'cause Jackson's not a physicist... well, not that the actual field of work matters much with the Gateverses science folk - they all get to be some kind of jack-of-all-trades...]

But really, these are just some ideas that came to me as I was typing this; feel free to skip them all and do your own thing. I'm really completely open.

Sam and Rodney can be on their own, cut off from everybody else, or there can be other characters (I just wouldn't want John and Rodney to be anything besides friends, if John is in the story.)

Re: 'kay, here's mine

[carolyn_claire]

I got this! It's just more of that busy stuff I was talking about, before. But I see it! *makes notes* This...is pretty much what I thought you might say. :) I'm glad I've read some of your het faves, already--I'll look at some more, I think. And if anything else strikes you, feel free to add.

Science! I'm terrible at science. *g* Hmmm. Anything action-y with these two probably will need to feature science to some extent, I think--Trio-style, hmmmm. Of course, Tabula Rasa didn't, so much, because they forgot a lot of it. *cogitates* Okay, I'm thinking of something; I'm going to poke at it and see what develops. (Not a bruise, I hope.)