#but i really have liked it! the writing and the sherlock & john dynamic is so refreshing

[ohwatson]

HAVE YOU LISTENED TO "SHERLOCK AND CO"?

I’ve listened up to (I think?) episode 4 or 5 and had been enjoying it but have been so busy that I haven’t done any further yet! I WANT TO THOUGH ☝🏻🙂‍↕️

[userautumn]

You are always 100% right and valid btw. Because like buck and Tommy are broken up, but you also have several interviews released today where Ryan calls Buck and Eddie “brothers” and where Oliver explicitly says Eddie is straight so they will most likely continue to be just friends. So if it wasn’t for Buddie, what was the point in throwing away a relationship the audience was actually behind??

Yeah, this has always been my problem with the idea of Buck and Tommy breaking up and, now that it's happened, I can finally unload all my thoughts.

Listen, my Buddie mutuals are very assured that Buck and Eddie will get together and have this lush and beautiful arc where they settle into a relationship and feel out the kinks in their dynamic and really blend together, and I respect that. I would love to see that happen. But I don't have that same confidence. Don't get me wrong, I DO think Buck and Eddie will probably get together, I just don't think it's going to happen until the last episode of the last season in a way that's more reminiscent of Johnlock "canon" (for those who did not watch BBC Sherlock: John and Sherlock continued to live together and raise John's daughter, but this was revealed in a montage without ever actually seeing them get together, or confirm that they were in a romantic relationship) than anything.

Why? Well, because it's easier to tease your audience than it is to follow through.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Tim is teasing the fandom in a malicious way, and—if nothing else—I know he is very aware of what these boys and the implication of their relationship means to people. 9-1-1 has always handled their relationship with a particular gravitas, and I don't see that changing now. But Tim has been writing Buck and Eddie for years. He knows what gets people going, he knows what this fandom likes to see, and what they'll read into. So why would he rush into making them "endgame," especially if he knows he already wants to take them in that direction? He has no incentive to make it happen Right Now because everyone will lap up what he puts out anyway.

And I get it, because I do love Buck and Eddie's relationship. I love the way they interact with each other and, yes, I will lap up any scene between them. But that's the part I find so draining too. I'm going to be honest, I've never liked a "will-they-won't-they" couple. As a personal preference, I've always liked to have a clear vision of a story's trajectory when I go into it. That's how I write, and that's what I gravitate toward in fiction. So the idea of going through any number of love interests until Buck and Eddie are "ready for each other" (so sick of that phrase. sob.) is literally... exhausting to me, and not in a fun way. Because this is a loop that could theoretically continue on, and on, and on, until whenever the powers that be decide enough is enough.

Sure, Eddie is happy and free now. Great. But he still doesn't know he's Queer. What happens when he does realize that? Does he need to date a guy first in order to be "ready" for Buck? Similarly (because their romantic arcs always run parallel to each other), when Buck fucks and sucks his way through Los Angeles, does he stumble upon a hot girl/guy and date her/him until Eddie's "ready" for him? How many times, exactly, am I going to sit through another love interest until they're on the same page after, by my count, three false starts? You know?

I'm obviously along for the ride. Always have been, always will be, and I fought too hard over the summer to maintain my love for these boys and their relationship to let it waste away now. But I desperately, desperately need Tim to give me something substantial that CLEARLY, and EXPLICITLY indicates IMMEDIATE strides toward ROMANTIC Buddie Canon. And I mean crystal clear. Not "building a thousand words of meta off a single line/moment" clear. Not "this look probably definitely means Eddie was thinking about ripping Buck's clothes off" clear. I mean, I want it so damn clear, a sixty-five year old grandpa with cataracts can see it.

Otherwise I'm just going to get really annoyed.

[toastsrambles]

One of the Best Sherlock Holmes Adaptations No One Seems to Know

I know that I’ve been mostly (read: only) doing Moriarty the Patriot metas, but I wanted to talk about something different.

I’ve been obsessed with Sherlock Holmes for… a while. Seriously, everyone I talk to is sick of this Victorian detective by now. I’ve also encountered my fair share of adaptations (shoutout to A Study in Emerald, a short story by Neil Gaiman and 221B, a poem by Vincent Starrett, for being some more of my favorite adaptations). But I’ve seen no one - no one - actually talk about my favorite - and in my opinion, one of the best - Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

Sherlock: the Musical (2022)

With a book by Stefan van de Graaff and Denning Burton, and Music and Lyrics by Denning Burton. It’s currently touring, with the full musical available, professionally filmed, on YouTube. The official cast recording is available on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

I could geek out about this musical for literal hours, so some of my favorite highlights will be under the cut. Spoilers ahead, so if you really want to go in blind, listen/watch first.

Now, important to note that this is not an adaptation of BBC Sherlock, like the name might imply. This is an adaptation of the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Firstly, the opening song, Streets of London.

This song gives you the perfect insight into all the major characters (sans Moriarty).

Sherlock Holmes, the famous consulting detective, is completely confident in his abilities. No criminals can escape: “not when you're messing with Sherlock and John/you just lose your freedom”.

John Watson is Holmes’ loyal companion, his Boswell. Whereas Holmes sets them up as partners, John sees things a bit differently: “right by his side is my spot/and I’m just fine writing lines of what he did”.

Lestrade is impressed by “this Baker Street detective”, while fellow Scotland Yard officer Alice is a bit more judgemental and skeptical: “he doesn’t have any friends”.

We also get this lovely chorus (00:54):

”Streets of London hide

Nothing from Sherlock’s eyes

This darkening plot

Is not what you thought, so

Are you watching close enough?

Blink you’ll miss this mystery unwind

He won’t be undone

Sherlock Holmes, always one step ahead of them

There’s only one you can’t outrun in London”

This song establishes the two main conflicts of the musical: the public perception of Sherlock Holmes and Watson’s relationship to Holmes.

Now, Holmes and Watson have a duet, Elementary, where their chorus reads:

“It’s elementary

Without a doubt, we’re the greatest duo sround

Elementary

The higher we go, the further they fall down

It’s just like gravity

How do we do the things we do?

It’s a natural phenomenon

That the best things come in two

It’s elementary”

And yet, Watson still says in the bridge: “behind every legend stand dynamic friends”. He’s behind the legend, in that he’s responsible for Holmes’ fame, but he’s also behind the legend; he’s just… not as important as Sherlock Holmes.

And, in case you didn’t notice: in Streets of London, the ensembles sings Holmes’ praises. Not Watson’s. The only person who notices Watson’s contributions is Holmes. Not even Moriarty does, not all the way.

Moriarty first becomes known when he plants a bomb that even Sherlock wasn’t able find- it was Watson who found it. However, the bomb never went off. Still, the story somehow makes it to the paper that Sherlock stopped the bomb.

The song Read All About It is something of a reprise of Streets of London, both in music and theme. It drills in the fact that Sherlock works alone, that it’s him and him alone who can save London. The way the public is whipped into a fervor of idealism is almost similar to Moriarty the Patriot, actually.

However, while the public places their faith in Holmes, he worries:

“Terror in London Nowhere to hide, fear in the streets, people are running Running to me How could I not see it coming? How do I not know what’s coming?”

See, the climax of this musical is the song One Step Ahead. Moriarty has lured both Holmes and Watson to Reichenbach Falls under the assumption that the other is in danger. Moriarty then holds Watson at gun point and tells Holmes that if he doesn’t jump, he’ll shoot Watson. In the end, Holmes agrees, and the song ends with this exchange:

“Holmes: I have to save John

So this is how it ends

Not enough time

Maybe death will be a friend

Moriarty: You? You don’t have any friends-

Watson: This time I’m one step ahead of you!”

Watson then tackles Moriarty off the cliff before Holmes can jump, leaving Holmes alone on the cliff.

The next song, Love Someone, is just- it’s so good. It can be read as both platonic or romantic, but the underlying fact is that Watson has shown Sherlock how important loving someone is, and how important it is to hold the ones you love close because “time is yours before it slips away”.

And, some more of my favorite lyrics from this song:

“It was love that took all my fear away If that love could be here and here to stay How would things change?”

“Love someone Love can hold the world until healing comes The greatest conclusion yet, when all is said and done”

“If you’ve prayed for a moment, pled to take their place And yet how quiet it felt, when you imagined their face Pure love, unchanged, a peace that carries your pain Time is yours, before it slips away”

And of course, the last line: “things have changed now”. The acknowledgement that Holmes is fundamentally different without Watson, and maybe can’t even be Holmes without Watson. It’s so incredibly touching.

Of course, though, Watson isn’t truly gone. We learn shortly after his funeral that he managed to survive by holding onto a ledge he spotted when making his way up the cliff in the first place.

This is where we truly learn how much everyone underestimated Watson. See, while Moriarty was the only one to see Watson’s importance to Sherlock, Holmes was the only one to see Watson’s true value. Watson is smart and competent; when Moriarty planted a bomb, he was the one who jumped on top of it with no hesitation (a la Captain America).

We wrap up with Streets of London (Reprise), where Holmes and Watson accept a new case and return to 221B.

Honorable mentions of stuff I ADORE about this musical:

Watson’s song Into the Shadow. Not only are the vocals superb, this song perfectly encapsulates how Watson has faded into Holmes’ shadow in the public eye. But his solemn acceptance of this - “if it saves your life/and they forget mine/then I don’t mind/stepping back into the shadows” - just makes it heartbreaking.

The fact that every single musical number is just awesome. A Different Story, where Holmes, Watson, Lestrade, and Alice interrogate a suspect? A Most Unusual Case, where we see the people who come to Holmes for help? The Greatest Mind, where Holmes and Moriarty first face off? ALL OF THEM are great, including the ones I didn’t just list. The lyrics, instrumentation, and vocals just blow me away.

The references to other cases! For just two examples: in A Most Unusual Case, the blue diamond in a coat sleeve is a reference to The Blue Carbuncle; and in Streets of London (Reprise), the recently engaged typist with a mysteriously vanished fiancée is A Case of Identity.

Also, Watson making deductions in Streets of London (Reprise) is just great :D

The way Watson supposedly dies at Reichenbach, and the subconscious message that it doesn’t matter that it was Watson who died instead of Holmes; either way, Holmes and Watson are dead. The death of one is the death of the other.

The way minor characters like Mrs. Hudson and Mycroft are portrayed is amazing. Seriously, I love the characterization here.

Just… I love this musical so much. It just feels like a love letter to Sherlock Holmes, and the passion behind it is astounding.

So, yeah. If you like Sherlock Holmes, give this a watch/listen. (Please, I really need to know that more people are aware of this masterpiece).

[plish-plash]

I love Jonklock as much as the next person but…John and Mary are actually so cute together.

It makes sense that the people who wrote the Sherlock, John, and Mariana found family dynamic could write beautiful chemistry between John and Mary too but I didn’t expect it to make me feel like this after one date.

Also the fact that Mary is the first of all his loved ones to listen to and support the podcast and his work the first time he asked(he didn’t really ask this time but if we want to make it angsty we can say it was because he doesn’t want to feel like he’s bothering anyone or getting his hopes up).

However I am still concerned that this won’t work out super well especially because of his comment of being a crutch, therapy, and her talking about her poor dating choices in the past(not saying can’t heal, change, or grow just that they both have previous relationship traumas to match with their war traumas but maybe that’ll just help them bond? Who knows). There is also something to be said about her being a client right now and usually in media that creates weird dynamics/complexes.

Looking forward to the future and especially seeing the whole group interact together in their India trip.

[strawberrywinter4]

Five Favorite Fics I’ve Written:

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Thank you for the tag @naefelldaurk :) Here are my favorites that I’ve written (no particular order).

A Lovely Day in London (Johnlock. G, 2,408)

A 101 Dalmatian AU. Like the movie, it’s from Sherlock’s dog, Hugo’s, point of view. He decides Sherlock is in need of a companion since he’s noticed his owner’s loneliness and constant, unhealthy investment in his work. Hugo spots John Watson and his dog enjoying a walk along the street, and an idea comes to mind.

This is one of my favorites because I love the original film and this was a lot of fun to write. Also, this took a lot of time to put together since I wanted to get it as accurate and in character as possible. I liked how it turned out :)

Pick and Choose (Johnlock. M, 2,861)

John tries out speed dating, hoping to find a decent date. The only problem is, Sherlock arrives unexpectedly, striving to deduce all of John's potential lovers. Frustration on John's part is evident. And longing for the detective, but of course, John won't admit that.

This turned out a lot better than I thought it would. Even when I was proof-reading it, I made myself chuckle in some moments. This is from my Tumblr prompt list.

Melodies in the Dark (Lokius. E, 40,594)

A Rock Star AU. Rising rock star, Loki Laufeyson, is having difficulty keeping his reputation in check. His manager hires him one of the industry's most wanted agents, Mobius. M. Mobius. Loki is displeased by this arrangement and does everything he can to change this nonchalant man's mind about being his agent. However, Loki is struck with a growing attraction to the agent in this process. To his secret enjoyment, Mobius seems to be experiencing the same feelings.

Yes, this fic is still in the works, but it’s one of my favorites so far. I’m liking where it’s going and I only have five more chapters until I’ve finished it! So I’m really excited.

Beyond the Bay (Johnlock. E, 25,697)

Recently retired police officer, John Watson, stumbles upon an odd man named Sherlock Holmes when traveling by train on his way home. He concludes the detective is insane after having only one conversation with him, but can't help but be intrigued. Ignoring John's hesitance, Sherlock brings him along on an exciting case. Through this adventure, Sherlock doesn't bother to hide his palpable obsession with John while John tries to hide his growing feelings. What will happen when they both break, following their desires?

This was a blast to write, oh my goodness. I loved where this story took place and I loved the dynamic I established between these two. In the future, a second part is to come.

Unleash (Johnlock. M, 6,375)

Sherlock gets himself into a dangerous predicament, and John realizes how far he'd go for Sherlock Holmes, to protect him and keep him safe.

This was a deep-dive into John’s character and how one shouldn’t be fooled by his soft jumpers and friendly smile. I loved writing this.

Tagging: @totallysilvergirl @weeesi @lisbeth-kk

[cryptic-science]

okay, trying something new and im going to write all my thoughts down while listening to the ep :3 here we go gamers:

- the singer is absolutely one of my favourite bits

- "podcasting is cool >:(("

- "just go oil your beard >:( idiot."

- god i fucking love sherlock and johns dynamic

- sherlock is so me

- "my doctorate in gooseology"

- "watson is this absolutely necessary- OOO !! get these !!!! lovely"

- i love it when they "argue" so much

- JOHN YOU DICK GIVE SHERLOCK HIS BISCUITS

- circuit failure ??

- jesus christ 10,000 for a watch

- OOOOO THAT WAS SICK

- i love them so bad

- TWO BIRDS ONE STONE

- wait oh my god the dead goose was definitely a decoy. they never pulled the gem out of it. they dont know if its for sure the real gem. its a decoy its a decoy

- "or yknow whatever it is that goes after geese. lion ? i dont know." how is one man so babygirl.

- SHERLOCK STIMMING

- HE SAID THE THING !!! HE SAID NO SHIT SHERLOCK !!! I MEAN HES LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW THERE IS NO SHIT BUT STILL !!

- "YOUR GOOSE IS CONSTIPATED !!"

- "alright heather, just gonna- just gonna take a quick peek at your ass."

- i was so right i was so right im foaming at the mouth hehehehe

- sherlock mic time

- john whispering sweetly to heather and comforting her. i love you so much john. "hey its okay heather(? i think he says heather i am struggling to make out what hes saying), we all get sore bottoms from time to time"

- wait was i wrong ??

- oh god sherlock.

- MIC UP HEATHERS ASS.

- OH MY GOD IT WAS HIS WATCH NOT A DECOY I WAS SO CLOSE

- john stick your hand up that gooses ass !!!!

- poor heather

- WAS THE SQUELCHING NECESSARY.

- HAHAHAHAAA HES SO PISSED

- sherlock: "long old day really"

john: " just dont talk. just. dont even talk."

sherlock: "when do you want to eat ?"

john: "hmm. im gonna go wash my hands again."

- this is such a married couple "fight" if im being honest with yall

- immediate whiplash from the sudden christmas vibes

- my heart is so full.

- :(( their dinner has been interrupted :((

- "does your know no bounds? you can beg all you want." GOD I LOVE WHEN SHERLOCK GETS LIKE THIS

- YEAH BRO LET THEM GET BACK TO THEIR CHRISTMAS DINNER

- GIFTS !!!!!!

- SHERLOCK IS SO HAPPY IM GONNA CRY

- JOHN GOT HIM FUCKING CUSTOMIZED EAR DEFENDERS IM FUCKING SOBBING.

- HE GOT JOHN A GIFT TOO HE GOT JOHN A GIFT TOO

- sherlock.

- JOHN.

- he is wearing and enjoying the watch.

- OBVIOUSLY IT FUCKING SMELLS JOHN.

- this podcast is gift enough for us john

- JOHN RIPPING INTO THE SINGERS ASS HAHAHAHAAAAA

- shout out to adam for having incredible vocals though. such a good singer. that was very pretty.

my heart always feels so fucking full after every sherlock & co episode. i love this pod so much.

[honourablejester]

With all the discussion going around about kids and reading again, and just because I’m in a nostalgic and reflective mood, I thought I’d have a quick look back over books that had an influence on me over the years. You know. I trawl back through my childhood and later memories for those books that stuck out. Not necessarily because of quality, but because they had something that stayed with me, for one reason or another.

Rambling below the cut:

The Shannara trilogy, by Terry Brooks. The original one, so Sword of Shannara, Elfstones of Shannara, and Wishsong of Shannara. Plus the prequel, First King of Shannara. For a lot of people, Lord of the Rings was their first big fantasy series, but mine was Shannara, because my parents were big fans. We wore those books out. Wishsong and Sword, in particular. The copy of First King we had was a hardback, so it held up better, and Elfstones for some reason was everyone’s least favourite, so it got read a bit less, but the other two were in tatters from everyone reading them. I can’t even remember how old I was reading them, but it was pretty young? Less than 10, for sure. I loved Wishsong in particular so much as a kid.

The Knight of the Word (Word & Void) trilogy, also by Terry Brooks. Again, my parents were big fans. I remember this one, though, because I bounced off it as a kid, and had to come back to it later when I was bit older. Because KotW is much more … adult than Shannara. Not in the sense of more sex and violence, but in the sense that it was set in the real world, and there were a lot of adult topics in there that I didn’t get yet. Things like towns slowly dying as the money dried up, and complicated family dynamics, and bigotry, as well as the more fantastical elements of the demon hunting Nest and the apocalypse looming behind John Ross’ dreams of the future. I had to come back to this trilogy as a teenager, when I had a bit more framework for it. It’s been merged into Shannara as a prequel in the years since, but honestly I never really agreed with that. Knight of the Word was its own vibe, its own bitter, dying, small town fantasy of damaged bloodlines and slow decay. I think, of all the books I read as a kid, this one probably had the most long-term influence on my writing. There’s a tone in it that feels like it comes back to me sometimes.

Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien. It wasn’t my first fantasy, or my most formative, but our house also went through several copies of this trilogy too. I actually miss them, we got new ones after the movies came out, but those one just don’t look or feel as nice as the ones we wore out. I do have an absolutely gorgeous illustrated copy of the Hobbit, though, and it is a prized possession.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. My dad had a massive green hardback collection of the stories, so big that I could barely lift it as a kid, and I loved it. He still has it. I’ve got my own fancy leatherbound copy now, a Christmas present, but that big battered green hardback is such a piece of my childhood. Reading the Holmes stories young has had weird influences here or there, some odd context for history learned later, and a willingness to read older fiction.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne. It was the first book I ever got out of the library. I remember it so clearly. I was seven when my mam first got me a library card, and I remember being so overwhelmed by the number of books around me that I just sort of ran in, grabbed a couple nearly at random, and ran out again. The two I picked were this one, and a book called ‘The Tribe With No Feet’, which I can’t remember the author of, but it was about the indigenous americans meeting white settlers for the first time and calling them the tribe with no feet because they wore shoes (again, I have no idea who wrote this, but this was the mid-90s). I don’t remember much else about that book. But I remember Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Most specifically, I remember the expedition climbing down through the tight caves at the start, and I remember the subterranean prehistoric sea. Which. I feel like people might recognise as an influence for a few things? Heh.

The Famous Five series, by Enid Blyton. In case anyone gets the idea that I was reading mostly fantasy and classics as a kid, nah. Like I said, I got a library card when I was seven, and I read a lot. A lot of what the library had were older books, this was again small town Ireland in the 90s, so they tended to prioritise long series and older series. I read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Goosebumps, the Babysitters Club, you name it. I also, perhaps more weirdly, read some of the Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. Because for some reason our library had a lot of british children’s series from like the 50s? Hence, again, Famous Five. But I did enjoy them, so I don’t know what that says. It also meant that Harry Potter was nothing particularly new to me, because I had read a lot of the old boarding school series that it was somewhat inspired by.

A couple of other kids books that have stuck with me:

Strange Hiding Place, by Graham Marks. Kid’s sci-fi about a kid finding a crash-landed alien on the run from a war and trying to help him. I mainly remember the bit in the first book where they’re camping, and Dez (the kid) does the old camping prank of spinning in the dark with his torch pointing up at his face to scare the alien, and Yakob (the alien) having a complete meltdown because he’s a traumatised guy on the run on an alien world where nothing is familiar and can you not do that, please and thank you! And Dex realising that this adult alien is stressed to fuck and scared and in real danger, and realising a bit more genuinely that he needs to help him.

The Luvender trilogy, by June Considine. I don’t remember too much of the plot of these, but they were just spooky as hell in such a cool way, and I loved them. The basic plot is kids in an old seaside town called Merrick having to deal with an evil sorcerer and his minions (the titular Luvenders), and there were possessed dolls, and the ghost of a girl who was a champion against him a hundred years ago, and then a massive mudslide that nearly wipes out the town and the old wrought iron town gates being carried away by it. I got those books out of the library many times.

The Giltspur trilogy, by Cormac MacRaois. I seriously you doubt you can get these outside of Ireland these days, or even within Ireland, but they were just my favourite casual kids fantasy as a kid. Irish mythology, spooky scarecrows, and brave kids. I loved them.

The Forbidden Game, by L.J. Smith. As we got a bit older and graduated from Goosebumps to more young adult fair, one of my sisters and I were obsessed with the Point Horror books. We tried a bunch of them, but easily our favourite, and the one that stuck longest, was the Forbidden Game trilogy. Which is actually a love story masquerading as a horror book, about a girl who buys a game from a beautiful young demon boy and then has to play it for her and her friends’ lives, while also falling for said demon. Despite this, I was still shocked when I found out, literally just now, that the author went on to write The Vampire Diaries. Huh. But, you know. Still a great trilogy!

Then, as I got a bit older:

Discworld, by Terry Pratchett. One of my dad’s friends heard I liked fantasy (again, Shannara, LotR, but by this stage I’d also started reading the massive fantasy tome series out of the library) and loaned me Guards Guards, and the rest is rather history. Shannara was my first, LotR not long after, but despite arriving late when I was a teenager, Discworld stuck hardest. It’s the one of all of them that I reread most often. I adore this series, and I will cheerfully fight people over it.

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. When I say I’d started reading massive doorstopper fantasy series out of the library … I actually don’t mean these two. They came later, when I started buying my own books, mostly out of second hand shops. I still have a massive stack of Wheel of Time books in the bottom of a wardrobe somewhere. I never actually finished the series, but then neither did Robert Jordan? I … I’m not sure if I recommend Wheel of Time, in hindsight there’s a lot of … he definitely had a weird view of women, and relationships, but it was a pretty formative step in my independent reading. And Janny Wurts … Okay. Do you enjoy potentially overwrought whump fic? Read Janny Wurts. I also somewhat blame her for my over-reliance on italics when writing. But. If you would like a doorstopper fantasy series about a beautiful fantasy prince tortured by his (quite literal) empathy while mired in a war with his half-brother by a curse, have I got the series for you!

More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon. As you may have gathered, I haunted the sci-fi/fantasy section of the library as a kid. And a lot of the books I read went over my head. This one was a bit like Knight of the Word when I’d been younger, I did not get it. I mean, I read it, I understand all the events that happened in it, but it was one of those books that didn’t actually mean anything to me until much, much later. But it stuck, and I’m still not sure why. But if anyone wondered why telepathy is a theme in some of my work, it does probably go back to this book.

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I have read … a fairly eclectic selection of classic novels over the years. Random ones here or there, starting from Sherlock Holmes as a kid. But Les Miserables was probably the second most influential of them. I heard the musical first, again because of my parents, but when I went to college and got access to the college library, it was the first time I got to read the book. Or the brick, if you prefer. And I really, really, really loved Javert. So.

It was also via the college library (and the classics shelf of the bookshop in the college town) that I ran into both the Arsene Lupin stories by Maurice Leblanc and the Fantomas stories by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre. Which, if you enjoy early French pulp crime stories? Excellent choices. The college library also let me watch the early (as in 1910s) Fantomas silent movies, which I also definitely recommend! (I do think Verne being such an early influence inclined me a bit towards French genre fiction for a bit).

Also in college, I discovered that I really love short horror fiction. I love ghost stories. I have several hardback collections of classic ghost stories on my shelves these days, because if I’m in the mood to buy a book, but not in a specific mood, I usually can’t go wrong with one of those. And college was also were I discovered Project Gutenberg, an online archive of classic works, which introduced me to some weird and wonderful classic horror fiction. A particular one of which that I remember was the Carnacki the Ghost Finder stories by William Hope Hodgson, an early entry into the paranormal investigation/weird fiction genres. As in, again, 1910s. They’re weird, and very early-20th-century, but they’re also fascinating and cool. For example, Carnacki made a lot of use of multicoloured electric light tubes as warding materials, because they were new and fascinating in the 1910s. The stories are on Project Gutenberg still, definitely give them a shot. Unfortunately, that version doesn’t have my favourite of the stories, The Hog, which has the most weirdly terrifying demonic pig you will ever encounter in a story.

The Flashman series by George McDonald Fraser. I had read his book The Pyrates before, my dad loved it, and the bookshop in my college town had large chunks of this series, written in the 60s-80s, about a cowardly British soldier during the Imperial conflicts of the Victorian era. So I read them. Again, Sherlock Holmes as a kid laid a bit of groundwork. And … They’re not for everyone. Flashman, the title character, is a horrible man, though Fraser quickly backs off from some of his more horrific qualities in the earlier books (he rapes someone during a battle in I think the second book?). But. They’re pretty well written and historical fascinating, and I learned a lot about a lot of the darker and smaller conflicts of the British Empire through them. Which I remember because it actually came up in class, and made me sound like I’d done a lot more of the reading than I had. We were discussing Lebensraum and the concepts of national expansionism in a lecture, and the lecturer was asking why the land routes through Russia and Asia were considered so important to many European countries, and I was there with Flashman’s experience of British India and Afghanistan floating in my head, so I piped up ‘British navy’. And he was all, yes, thank you, someone’s done the reading. Which, uh. I decidedly hadn’t. Or at least not the class reading. Heh.

Honor Harrington series by David Weber. Somewhat linked to the previous, by way of things like the Hornblower and Aubreyverse books in a similar vein of ‘military historical fiction’, I also discovered military science fiction as a genre via second hand bookshops in college. And Honor Harrington was the one that stuck, mostly because of several characters (mostly Havenite, a couple Manticoran) that I latched onto hard. The series starts out very obviously as ‘Hornblower in space’, but after the first four books or so starts to swerve hard and picks up much more of its own identity.

The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Again, somewhat linked to the previous. As a kid, it was the fantasy half of the science fiction and fantasy section that fascinated me. Later on, I started to venture more into the sci-fi side. And Vorkosigan, like Harrington, has a lot of the bitey, toothy, ‘the bonds and ravages of loyalty’ themes that have rather stuck with me. When you weigh your honour and your loyalty on the scales of war, how much of them, and you, comes out intact? Again, you might recognise some themes I enjoy here.

The In Death series by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts). Completely different, now, but … these were more my popcorn books, the ones I got out of the library in college and even still when I just want something more low-effort to read, but they’re not bad for all that. They are very much romance fiction tropes in an urban sci-fi coat, but they’re eminently readable for all that. Heh. The main romance is questionable, especially in the early books, but it settles into something more equal and less potentially-skeevy as it goes, and the crime plots are actually pretty interesting here or there. They very much are ‘Law And Order Twenty Minutes In The Future’, with a healthy skeleton of Mills & Book underlying that, but if you want a book to read in an hour or so, you can do a lot worse.

The Charlie Parker series, by John Connolly. If you want horror crime instead of science fiction crime, definitely try these. And by that I do not mean urban fantasy ‘detectives and vampires’, I mean horror crime. As in gruesome crimes where something dark and supernatural lurks around the edges of the world. The books get increasingly bogged down the further into the series you get, but the early books have a spectacular atmosphere to them.

The Philip Marlowe books by Raymond Chandler. Now. Most of the reason I love noir as a genre was because of Batman: The Animated Series as a kid, and then the odd movie here or there later (L.A. Confidential, The Big Sleep, Casablanca), but libraries are a girl’s best friend, and when I stumbled across these, I gave them a shot. And it was definitely worth it. Chandler has a really light, pulpy style that’s quick and snappy and fun to read, and there is definitely a mood and an atmosphere in his work. If you want to see what all the noir parodies were referencing, do try him, he’s excellent. (I never tried the other big pulp hardboiled author, Dashielle Hammett, and I keep meaning to).

… Reading this back over, it’s so obvious that I was a genre kid. It’s all fantasy, science fiction, horror, crime, and then hybrids thereof. Heh. And I’m also noticing a lot of older fiction, as a result of reading what was available to me in a small town in the 90s as a kid, and then being willing to chance older stuff as a result of that as I got older.

Another thing I’m noting is that I read a lot of books that I didn’t get, because while I had the reading ability for them, I decidedly didn’t have the experience or context for them. But the thing with those is, they often stick longer when you do gain the knowledge or experience or understanding for them later on and go back.

Anyway. Apologies for the random trip down memory lane and through my childhood and later influences. Carry on!

[raina-at]

Year in fic review 2023

Total number of completed stories: 4, I finished Spare Parts in 2022, just finished posting in 2023.

Total word count: About 50 k (published, god knows how many words of unfinished WIPS and abandoned one-shots)

Fandoms written in: BBC Sherlock, I'm a one-trick pony these days ;-)

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?

Hm, I suppose less? And not the things I expected. I started writing a lot of long, plotty fics but apparently, it wasn't the year for long and plotty fics. I suppose I didn't have the brain space for long and plotty.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?

Probably Nothing Gold Can Stay, because I had this idea months and months ago, of John having a bit of a crisis before his wedding. I had this one piece of a core of a fic, the whole nucleus where John tells Sherlock nobody ever sticks with him, ever. And then I had three different fragments of fics trying to make it work, and every one had something amazing in it, but I just couldn't make it gel. And then I thought of the famous The thing you wanted to say, say it now, and the scene on the bench in TSOT, and bam, I had a fic. It came out in stops and starts of 200-word chunks, while John laboured with whether and how and when to trust enough, to have faith enough to actually say how he feels. I'm really proud of how it came out in the end, and I'm very happy you guys responded to it the way you did.

Did you take any writing risks this year?

I don't know about risks, but I wrote 31 ficlets in pretty much a month, which came out to 26000 words, and that was no mean feat. And I actually still like most of them. Gave me a bit of writers' burn-out, I won't lie, but what a ride!

Do you have any fanfic goals for the new year?

I want to finish my Christmas fic. I would like to re-visit the Nothing Gold boys because I think there's meat on these bones and I always wanted to do a series of shorter fics that hang together. So maybe I can do something with that. But last year was so stressful at work and I don't see this year going any better (we have three big conferences this summer, so it's probably going to be So Much Worse). So, I'll be grateful for what I can accomplish, and accept that it might not be everything I want.

Most popular story of the year?

Nothing Gold Can Stay for sure.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:

Hm, I got a lot of lovely feedback this year, so I generally feel loved and appreciated by fandom. My May ficlets especially got a lot of responses here on tumblr, and I loved that dynamic interchange between writing and reading and commeting, especially with the others who did the challenge.

If I had to pick one underappreciated story, my Spare Parts 'verse January 29th fic The Stars Walk Backward didn't get a lot of eyeballs, but it's understandable given that it's a one-shot in a 'verse that not that many people are famliar with in the first place. It's a bit of a stepchild of a 'verse, but I love it, and I love this story for its unabashed sentimentality. It's very sweet and very calm and has a lot of 'we're back together and I don't want to fuck this up again' energy. I love re-visiting this fic if I need a quick pick-me-up, so. You know.

Most fun story to write:

Most of the ficlets were fun to write, and Tipping Point was somehow the opposite of Nothing Gold Can Stay in that it came out in a big rush over four days, like a writing tsunami. But my Christmas fic is also super fun to write, I just hope I can sustain the fun and actually finish it.

Most unintentionally telling story:

Probably Nothing Gold Can Stay, I suppose. Grief is really complicated, and it's difficult to come to terms with the fact that you can sort of stumble into pockets of it, and that you sometimes grieve things that are technically still there but have changed a lot. Essentially, the story is about a John who has to stop running away from his grief and turn around and face it, and a Sherlock who sees that if he wants to truly get John back, he has to face it with him.

Biggest disappointment:

With myself for being unable to finish the many, many, many fics I've stared but didn't remotely finish. But also gracious to myself for letting life happen.

Biggest surprise:

Not surprise but gratitude for the love and support of this fandom. You guys are awesome. I'm so grateful whenever someone tells me that something I wrote made them Feel Something(TM). It's the greatest compliment a writer can receive, and I feel truly blessed that I heard this a fair bit this year. I write because it makes me happy, and if people reading my fics experience something similar, then that makes me even happier. So thank you, fandom.

[trickybonmot]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers.

(this was an askbox meme but @tiltedsyllogism made it tags and tagged me)

I think my favorites change from day to day and year to year, but RIGHT NOW I'm fond of these ones:

At the End of the Road (the Untamed, Wangxian) I like this one because I feel it was a successful fulfillment of my artistic ambition, which was to write a sexy and unhinged fill for the prompt "practice edging". It basically wrote itself, I didn't overthink it, it's hot and funny and even has emotions! Also it has by far the most kudos, so it's my favorite in the way that your favorite child is the one who brings home lots of awards from school.

2. A Heady Cocktail (the Untamed, Lan Wangji/Jiang Cheng) is also Just Smut, but I am fond of it because it's my manifestation of the one specific flavor of this ship that I like. Two prickly characters who only know how to soften up in the presence of their mutual beloved, alone together and figuring it out. I had a good time playing with how Wei Wuxian was involved in their dynamic even while not physically present. Also I just wanted to describe modern Jiang Cheng looking great and making negronis, for Reasons.

3. My Apple Tree, My Brightness (The Untamed, Wangxian) This fic is hella good and makes everyone cry, even me! It's a science fiction AU where post-siege LWJ, in seclusion, runs simulations to try to figure out how he could have saved Wei Wuxian. Spoiler: he couldn't, but it turns out to be worthwhile, anyway. The ending is especially well written, IMO, and the sci fi worldbuilding is pleasingly deft. I put this third on the list but it's possibly actually my favorite.

4. Veritas (the Untamed, Wangxian) A Fake Dating fic where a pining Lan Wangji agrees to be Wei Wuxian's "terrible" fake date to the Qin Su/Jin Guangyao wedding. Some parts of it feel rushed or underdone to me, but I'm proud of the humor and the climactic set piece, and The People do seem to really like it! I don't naturally think of myself as a humorous writer, but perhaps I am...good at it?? Oh, and, fun fact, I did more research for this fic than any other (not counting listening to a lot of vintage goth music for the Quiet Room).

5. Anchor Point (Sherlock, Johnlock) I'm only giving one slot to Sherlock fic in this list, and it has to go to this weird cool thing I made. It was for a kinkmeme prompt, a Sherlock/Truman Show fusion where Sherlock is Truman and "John" is an actor hired to play his John Watson. Mycroft is the mastermind. Writing this fic was a really educational exercise in making it seem like something Really Big was going on while not being able actually explain the details (a trick I learned from Moftiss, LOLLLLL) It was very tricky and fun and I'm still quite proud of it.

As usual I'm very ??? about tagging people but how about @porcupine-girl @impossibletruths @veliseraptor @dulosis @sophia-helix and please do tag me if you do it!

[musical-chick-13]

unpopular opinion: I loved Eurus Holmes. She made s4 so much better and she had great chemistry with Sherlock. I feel like people only dislike her due to the old “a woman wrote by Moffay?? must hate!”

BIG AGREE!!

I mean, this is basically the Problematic Women Blog, so this comes as no surprise to anyone, probably, but as many issues as I had with season 4 (one of which, I will admit, was the way they hand-waved how she could, for all intents and purposes, mind control people), I greatly enjoyed watching her. She was smart, she was terrifying, and she was incredibly vulnerable too! All of which is a hard balance to strike well, but I think it really worked here.

The reveal of her identity-and that she was the woman John had been texting-was wonderfully done, and the scene where Sherlock hugs her while she's having her breakdown legitimately had me in tears the first time I saw it. She added a lot to the Holmes family dynamic, and Siân Brooke did a fantastic job of not making Eurus a direct clone of either of her brothers.

One of my biggest pet peeves is how people immediately dismiss (or actively, vitriolically spew hatred at) any woman in a Steven Moffat property just for the sake of talking about how much they hate Steven Moffat. Which it's fine if you hate him or think he's a terrible writer. But I think it's reductive and unhelpful to automatically write off every single female character in his shows and to refuse to consider them on even the slightest deeper level.

send me controversial or unpopular opinions and I'll tell you if I agree or disagree

[jolieblack]

For the Sherlock and co ask game:

🌟 👤 🔎

Thank you for the ask!

(Sherlock & Co Ask Game is here, if anyone else wants to play!)

🌟 - Favorite main character?

I'll have to say Sherlock, because it's always Sherlock in every adaption I'm familiar with so far. I love John, too, and what they mean to each other, but I relate more to Sherlock.

They were so brave to make him canonically neurodivergent in this version AND to do it so sensitively, not just for laughs or to make him smol and pathetic (affectionate) on purpose.

I also like that he's not necessarily a super-brain in every way, just has very specific gifts and talents that make him a brilliant detective.

👤 - What character are you most excited to see that we haven't yet?

I'd have to say Inspector Lestrade - Mycroft would be the most obvious choice really, but he's such a dark horse at the moment, we don't even know that he actually exists, so I'm less curious about him.

Lestrade, on the other hand, has already been given a gender and several personality traits that all make me want to meet her so, so badly. I hope it happens soon.

🔍 - Have you guessed the solution to any of the mysteries?

I'm too familiar with the ACD stories and with classic crime fiction and the theory of mystery writing in general not to see most of the solutions coming, I'm afraid. So for me, the joy in listening is not so much "gasp Oh HE'S the murderer!!" but more "Ah, I love how they did that, I love how they translated that dynamic/that technology/that modus operandi to our modern age". I definitely didn't see coming that Robert (in Noble Bachelor) was in on it, and I didn't guess that the killer in Golden Pince Nez was related to one of the main characters inside the house.

[ultraviolet-ink]

I’m so happy to find another HomuMiko shipper on here! You seem to adore them. Since you’re writing the long fic based on the Sherlock stories, can I presume you read those too? I got into them thanks to Letters from Watson, a “raring by email” thing. It was a very strange and good coincidence that I got into Ace Attorney and Sherlock at the same time because it turns out I really enjoy the mystery genre. 💖

HomuMiko really lives rent free in my brain and I love it! To answer your question, yep! I've read the stories countless times, ever since I was 13! The Great Mouse Detective really got me interested in mysteries when I was a kid and I was really big into BBC!Sherlock pre-hiatus (Now my favorite adaptation is the Granada series staring Jeremy Brett as Holmes and David Burke (Adventures) and Edward Hardwicke (Return-Memoirs) as Watson). I even got to go to the Sherlock Holmes museum in London on a school trip once (and yes, it has 17 steps!!). When I finished DGS, I really fell back in love with Sherlockania, especially with the little easter eggs that were put in the game from VR to the napoleon bust, to even the notes pinned to the mantle by knife and persian slipper! And that's just in 221b alone, there's a TON outside of that humble flat. I even own a deerstalker, lol! I love LFW so much, it's such a creative way to share the stories with people, especially since a lot of the canon were short stories that were published periodically! It's very victorian, and I can't help but feel a little kinship with a reader from well over 100 years ago (though, luckily, I can read Empty House right after Final Problem rather than wait 10 years in uncertainty lol) I believe Takushu is a big fan of Holmes/the canon too, and I can definitely see the influence in the way that the games he was part of are like that (especially Ghost Trick, which is very good!!) I'm glad that you're enjoying the stories, they really are brilliant, and I love how they've inspired other authors/artists ever since (Sorry ACD, if you didn't want me to love that duo so much, they shouldn't have been so endearing XD) If you're looking for a modern retelling of the stories, I cannot recommend Sherlock and Co. enough! I absolutely love John's style of narration, as well as his dynamic with Sherlock and their secretary/manager, Marianna! I think my favorite in the series so far has to be The Adventure of the Gloria Scott, though the Solitary Cyclist is a close second (especially in part two, but I won't spoil it! ;) ). It's a podcast, but I believe they upload the episodes on youtube as well!

[vostok3-ka]

Ahhh thank you so much for the tag @sadeyedlady-writes!! I'm going to have so much fun doing this <3

1. Three non-romantic duos: OOO I cannot choose! For one, it has to be Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers, they're so sweet with each other, and their friendship is one I can only dream of having. The trust they have is beautiful and I think that special sort of brotherly love they have is very precious.

For the second one it is Sara Howard and John Moore. I love their dynamic, and although I haven't finished watching the second season of The Alienist, I am already in love with them being together. They get into trouble together, and complain about Lazlo together, they're a very fun pair and I adore them so much!

The third one is Sherlock Holmes and John Watson but from the Russian adaptation from the 70s specifically. They're so kind and good with each other, and they're both so funny. I love this adaptation so much, and I think it is the best television portrayal of the characters. They're so lovely, and they truly care for each other.

2. A ship that might surprise others: Honestly, Maria Hill and Steve Rogers. I don't know why, something about it is just perfect, and I love it, and they are so good together, and I want to see them interact more.

3. Last song: Мальчик мой by Chernikovskaya Hata

4. Last Film: Sharper (2023) I will admit, I started watching it because Sebastian Stan was in it, but I quite enjoyed the premise, and it was overall a pretty fun heist film!

5. Currently reading: The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. It's a very difficult read, and the English is really hard, even harder than classics, but it's super good, and I was craving a good old thriller, and this one scratches that itch perfectly. I am also reading The North Water by Ian McGuire, and it's so on the edge of your seat suspenseful, and somewhat graphic, but it's so so so well written, and the atmosphere simply seeps through the pages like nothing else.

6. Currently watching: The Alienist. It's such a well written show, and I love the costumes, and it's all so historically accurate so far. I love the dynamics between the characters, and I love love love psychiatric history which this show has so much of in it, and of course, it has some incredible actors as well!

7. Currently consuming: A caramel and chocolate icecream sandwich and it's so so good.

8. Currently craving: Oh, I want sushi so badly. Some good laks (or lox) as well!

I’m going to tag @writethewolvesaway @catcoffeeenjoyer @mohich and everybody else who sees this and wants to do it! Don't feel pressured to do it if you don't want to as well! <3

[governmentofficial]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER WELL CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER. REPOST.

name. Harry

pronouns. he/him

preference  of  communication. Ideally, Tumblr IM until we’ve got some plotting going on, and then swap to Discord, then Discord from then on. Remaining on Tumblr IM is fine, though - I’m just slower to reply there

name  of  muse. Mycroft Holmes ❤️ And then on my multi I have John Smith (Doctor Who AU/OC), Prof Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes, inspired by various version), Siger Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft’s dad), Sullivan Grey (Doctor Who OC, works as fandomless OC too), and Charlie Lazarus (detective OC)

rp  experience  /  how  long. Probably 15 years total? I’ve been writing Mycroft for over 10 years straight now - at least one reply almost every day over that entire period, no hiatus. The other characters on the multi have been around for various periods, but I’ve had some long breaks on some of them

best  experience. I am a simple man and the experience that I love the most is always when a friend sends me a plot idea or something that reminds them of my character without any kind of prompt 

rp  pet  peeves  /  dealbreakers. Anyone that talks to me on discord is well aware of these :) The tl;dr for peeves is lack of communication. For dealbreakers: no about page, not trimming threads, getting publicly involved in ooc drama

fluff,  angst,  or  smut. Depends on the day. Ideally a bit of both. I like angst that leads to fluff a lot. Never really done smut. I’d give it a go but tbh I don’t think any of my shipping partners are interested in actually writing that stuff out and I don’t particularly feel the need to do so either. If I write a ship, I do like to consider the dynamics that would potentially be involved

plots  or  memes. 100% plot. Come and plot with me, work out how our characters interact, and then a mix of plotting and sending memes in once we have an idea of how things work between the two of them

long  or  short  replies.  Medium? Like, 3-5 paragraphs? I like longer things too, but I think 3-5 is usually the sweet spot

best  time  to  write. Whenever I probably should be doing something else haha

are  you  like  your  muse. In some ways, but not in others. I would hope I’m not as big an arse as he is! But we have similar tastes in a lot of ways. I think it’s hard to write a character in the long term if they’re not like you in at least a few ways

tagged by: @collidingxworlds tagging: @bertievi @libdemdisaster @lord-irving-braxiatel

[bakerstreetbabble]

Some thoughts on Sherlock vs. Elementary

I will be the first to admit, when I first saw Elementary on CBS, I wasn't impressed.  The BBC's Sherlock had captivated me from its very first scenes, and Elementary didn't compare...at least on my first viewing.  However, after the second season of Elementary was almost halfway done (and I was still waiting for the third series of Sherlock to begin), I decided to give the show another chance.  And I'm glad I did.  After I took the time to "live with" the characters of Holmes and Watson as they are portrayed on the American show, I found myself really enjoying it, albeit in a completely different way from how I enjoyed the British show.  So here are some of my thoughts on the differences and similarities between Sherlock and Elementary.

 The most obvious similarity between the two shows is, obviously, that on both shows Holmes and Watson (and some of Doyle's other characters) have been brought into the 21st century.  While this may seem to some Holmes fans to be a bold move, it is certainly not unprecedented.  The famous series of films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson also placed the characters in what was then a modern setting: the era of World War II.  Indeed, Holmes and Watson ended up pitted against Nazis and German spies, as well as the infamous Professor Moriarty.  So updating the setting from Victorian England is not as innovative as it may seem.

Sherlock does, I suppose, have a stronger link to the quintessentially English flavor of Doyle's work, as Holmes and Watson still work in London.  Elementary's New York setting is a bit more divorced from the source material, and having Sherlock be the only British character among a mostly American cast gives the stories a more American "flavor."  Meanwhile, the choice of Elementary's creators to transform Dr. John Watson into former Dr. Joan Watson lends a completely new dynamic to the duo. Perhaps that's why I initially preferred Sherlock to Elementary: the Holmes/Watson relationship in the British show is far more similar to Doyle's characters. 

Then there's the structure of the shows: each episode of Sherlock is like a feature film, while Elementary is structured more like an American CSI drama.  The episodes of Elementary are quite clearly structured with an eye towards commercial breaks happening at certain points in the story.  Sherlock has a more sustained dramatic flow.  Overall, the feel of Sherlock is more like a feature film, while the feel of Elementary is more like a typical American CSI show.  

Finally, there's the matter of how each show makes use of "canonical material."  Sherlock is loaded with references to Doyle's characters and plots; most of the episodes of the show thus far have paid some sort of tribute to stories from the Holmes canon.  Elementary gives the occasional nod to characters or situations from the canon (Captain Tommy Gregson, Charles Augustus Milverton, and Silver Blaze leap to mind), but for the most part, the plots are all original material, with Holmes and Watson as the protagonists.  Most interesting in this regard is probably how Elementary handles the characters of Moriarty and Irene Adler.  (SPOILER ALERT!)  Combining the two characters into one woman is a clever idea, and just as the dynamic between Holmes and Watson is changed by making Watson female, so is the dynamic between Holmes and his archenemy drastically altered.  Having Moriarty turn out to be Holmes's former lover whom he believed dead adds new layers to the relationship.  It will be interesting to see if the Moriarty plot is developed further.

Summing it all up, we have in Elementary and Sherlock two modernized Sherlock Holmes series, that approach the source material in very different ways. In my opinion, the British show is a bit more sophisticated in its style and writing, but the American show has much to recommend it to the Holmes fan.   I will attempt in later posts to discuss the differences between Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller's approaches to the character of Holmes, and the differences between Martin Freeman and Lucy Liu's handling of Watson.

[mydaroga]

saw you reblogged the fanfic ask game: B, N, R! :)

Indeed I did! I just answered N, so here's the other two:

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?

I mean I think they all are in the sense that, if I'm writing from someone's POV, it's in part mine, even if I'm trying to put myself in other shoes. If that makes sense. I expect I tweak the thought processes of my characters to be in some respects closer to mine, even when I'm imagining someone very different. Also, with the Beatles, my understanding of their dynamics is very much colored by 1) having been in a band and currently fronting a group creative effort and 2) being in a long relationship with someone whose traits, for good and ill, dovetailed closely with both John and Paul in various ways.

The modeling fic I plan to write will very much be from my experience, though deliberately BAD, in the sense that I think Paul would be the worst art model ever. (And I, of course, am very good.)

There's a way in which my fic feels a lot like acting, as in, the act of doing both feels related. So in a way, I think acting informs writing and vice versa. And not just because I've played Kirk and Luke and Sherlock Holmes on stage. But it's a much more general thing.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

Not really. I don't actually think much when I write OR read, so I'm sure I'm very influenced but my writing (like my acting) is very instinctual and I never have anything particular in mind. I'm sure it's all there, filtered through me, but my brain doesn't analyze things in quite that way.

I suppose you and @inspiteallthedanger inspire me by encouraging me and being my friends, and all my conversations here and in the discord fire me up, but it's not a specific "oh I looked at so and so and thought, I'll do this."

The fanfic ask meme