Pain Still lots of dates if anyone wants one, please email or PM me.

(in the) ass

Ohh! You mean you are not starting another silly game thread? Sorry.

No, worries, I should have been clearer. It's been a long morning, already.

No problem Amethyst. I was just playing. It was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the prompt. I was imagining Jinpei being himself annoying Jun by bringing critters into the J.

[unrecoverable text]

KT: LOL ... I suppose that's a rite of passage for a lot of kids, misunderstanding the noises from mom and dad's room.

Ohhh, it is so good to finally know Ken and Jun managed to sort themselves out. Now how long do you think it will take for Jinpei to sort out what it was he was hearing?

OKAY, whew, not sure how this goes with the prompt -- I used the word "pain"? But this story has been playing in my head forever, and it is unedited (typed in the comment box) so please forgive if it makes no sense. Also, when I write Gatchaman I feel almost no desire to stick to the original imaginations of the uniforms, hence the "black feline mask" that appears. Also, I really tried to be less impressionistic and do more actual narration this time, when I wrote. Because does my writing even make sense??? I wonder sometimes. ANYWAY: __ "You're almost twenty-four hours late checking in," Nambu's voice crackles from the transmitter. "I couldn't get away," Ken replies, scanning the horizon. There's nothing but white snow swirling in all directions, except a few low bunkers, just gray shapes in the distance. His home for the last three weeks. "That commander I told you about. He watches me pretty closely. I know my quarters are bugged." Nambu's voice is suddenly sharper. "If you suspect the mission is at risk--" "It's not," Ken insists. "I'm fine. I don't think I'm getting any special surveillance that the other enlistees aren't getting." A few moments pass. Ken hears a soft whine in the snowy air that he knows, with a pilot's sixth sense, is an aircraft in descent. "What's the status of your investigation?" Nambu asks finally. "Have you made any progress determining Berg Katse's whereabouts?" Ken watches the small, sleek aircraft land in the distance, and something inside him clenches painfully. "I have to go." "Ken," Nambu says sharply over the static. "I have an extraction team standing by. If you use the signal--" "I'll contact you in two days," Ken says, and clicks the center of the small gold locket to kill the transmitter. The chain hangs around his neck, tucked under his gray pilot's uniform, directly beneath the red insectoid sigil of Galactor. _ The flight deck lieutenant wears a black geometric mask that frames his jawline with two huge fang shapes. Ken hasn't seen his face the entire time. He barely nods as Ken checks in for his shift in the hangar. The officers never show their faces, and even the soldiers wear their masks off-duty. Ken spent his first few nights pretending to sip whiskey with them, prodding for information. He quickly realized his technician's labcoat - and his bare face - set him apart in their eyes. He still isn't sure whether it's a sign of lower status or a privilege that the science and technical staff don't wear masks, but either way, he's grateful for it. Truthfully, it's probably part of why he was - noticed. A few minor improvements to their Leopard mini-jets, and suddenly he was getting summoned to meet a commander. His mission was progressing even more quickly than he'd imagined. Getting the first summons wasn't the biggest surprise. Getting summoned back the next night was. Ken frowns at the exposed wires he's untangling, lying on his back under one of the sleek black Galactor Leopard-fighters. He can't second-guess himself now; he's already made his decision to keep going. He wants to tell Nambu everything, but Nambu -- wouldn't understand. Not yet. He'd call off the mission, Ken is certain. And he's so close, so very close to something -- "Airman Oshiro." The lieutenant's horned shadow falls over Ken. "Orders for you, from high command." There's a note in his voice that Ken can't identify as he proffers the sleek red envelope. Ken suppresses a shiver. The paper inside reveals only a time: 21:00. He's in control. He can end this at any time. _ He's entered the shadowy, oval-shaped suite before, exactly seven times, but his adrenaline doesn't spike any less this time. The guards escorting him stop just before the door and turn to wait outside, stone-silent as always. The door hisses shut behind him. Ken's eyes take a moment to adjust to the gentle glow of the huge spherical lamps. The long black table in the center of the room reflects their light sleekly. A black-clad figure sits at the head, sipping wine. "Approach me," Berg Katse commands. Ken does, stopping several feet away to bow. "My lord," he says carefully. Up close, Ken studies the smooth jaw under the black mask with its shadowed feline eyes, the only glimpse of the person beneath. Everything else is covered in black - even the long fingers that caress the wine glass, and motion for Ken to sit. So, they are continuing from where they left, last time. Ken had wondered. He wants, so badly, to ask where Katse has been for the last two days, to ask what he's here to discover, but he swallows hard and waits. One wrong move, one overly direct question, and he'll lose everything. And questions make Katse unpredictable. If anything, he's learned that. "White or black?" Katse smiles. Ken's hand doesn't shake as rotates the chess board between them. Katse gestures graciously. "Then begin, my very promising young pilot. And you may speak." He raises his glass to the slim bow of his lips. "Do not forget that you're here to amuse me." "I won't forget," Ken says softly. __

@ KT - Sounds like Jun is getting sorted out in a major way. Ahem.

Very interesting. Another story I would love to see continued. Leaving me with so many questions. For instance ... Why does it appear Ken is disobeying orders? He has located Katse, what reason does he have for not giving the signal?

Lunulet: Well, it wasn't confusing, if that's what you're worried about. Ken sounds like he's slowly reeling himself into a world of trouble there, heh heh.

KT...LOVE IT! I am cracking up at Jinpei's interpretation! Lunulet- very interesting- an undercover mission for Ken? You definitely left me wanting to know more! I have so much catching up to do around here! When I thought of pain, I thought of Joe at the end of the first series...he's the poster boy for pain. Pain could be taken literally for the pic I drew...or Joe could have just said, "Katse, you pain in the ass! Uncuff me and face me like a man!"

Hehe, Joe definitely doesn't look happy there, so "pain play" doesn't fit.

Lunulet... kudos to Ken for not blowing the whole mission and killing Katse there and then, that means there's much more going on behind the scenes. will there be another part to it? I really want to know where it's going. Springie...I suspect there are many here who would like to find the Condor in this position...

Originally posted by clouddancer Very interesting. Another story I would love to see continued. Leaving me with so many questions. For instance ... Why does it appear Ken is disobeying orders? He has located Katse, what reason does he have for not giving the signal?

Good question!! I should've put that in. Ken never expected to actually MEET Katse, and was really there to discover Katse's main base location or anything else of value - so of course when he gets summoned to the commander's quarters and it's KATSE, Ken's first instinct is to kill him on the spot. However, for two reasons, Ken doesn't. 1) He sees a chance to go after the bigger target - Sosai X. And 2) Katse isn't what he expected. (Which is really the whole point of the story... in my mind Ken eventually stops hating Katse and actually begins to see him more as a victim of X. Wait, no, of course he hates Katse! ...etc angst angst angst.) Sorry to spam you! I really want to write this whole thing actually.

Springie, that is sinfully gorgeous. Sorry, Joe, not going to uncuff you. Nope. You're going to stay just like that.

Originally posted by ChrisW Lunulet: Well, it wasn't confusing, if that's what you're worried about. Ken sounds like he's slowly reeling himself into a world of trouble there, heh heh.

Eh, I guess I just never get much writing feedback - except on Gatchamania, you guys are so supportive!! I'm just wondering what specifically I should work on to improve.

Lunulet, I too would not say it was confusing. Only leaving many questions. Which of course can not all be answered in one short segment. How you could improve? Continue writing this lovely piece so we can get some answers. Springie that piece is great. Now I want to see one with the Eagle .... so I can enjoy him while he is in the same predicament. Is he in the room beside the Condor?

KT, that's perfect! I'm so glad Jun is getting ehr time with Ken! Lunulet, this piece intrigues me. I agree that Katse can be written in a number of different ways, one of them sympathetic (as a victim of X). I think you have a great plotline here. Springie, how did you know I had Joe cuffed up in my house?

KT -- Lunulet -- I'm interested! How did Ken get to this point, an what happens next? I can't wait to read more!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Springie, how did you know I had Joe cuffed up in my house?

Hmm....it looks like I'll just have to rescue him and try all sorts of things to get him in a better mood!

TJ- I guess that means you will now be having a large crowd coming over to visit. My question to you ... how did you get him into your lair? I am only wondering on the off chance of me entrapping one of the boys of my own.

Originally posted by Lunulet Eh, I guess I just never get much writing feedback - except on Gatchamania, you guys are so supportive!! I'm just wondering what specifically I should work on to improve.

That one was quite smooth. I found the wingfic one a little confusing. I'm generally happy to beta if you want to send me stuff.

Originally posted by clouddancer TJ- I guess that means you will now be having a large crowd coming over to visit. My question to you ... how did you get him into your lair? I am only wondering on the off chance of me entrapping one of the boys of my own.

But... if I reveal my secret, then everyone will be nabbing the boys! And I want Joe to stay right here....

You are welcome to keep Joe, I was thinking about Ken or Ryu for myself. You can just whisper it to me, I promise no one else will read it.

KT-Silly bit, although one has to wonder, if Jinpei would really be all that naive. Lunulet-Very nice, if a little rough around the edges. Something that a good beta, or even just another pass before posting might catch. Felt some tense shifts here and there, but some nice description, if a little heavy on the expostion. But really quiet well done for just typing it directly into the comment box. Keep up the good work! I'd love to see more of this tale. Springie, another fabulous pic. Thanks for sharing!

Popping in to say how much I LOVED Springie's pic!

[unrecoverable text]

EW, I am not sure who I feel the most sorry for !!!! Another interesting addition.

Oh I definitely feel sorrier for Joe! The Galactorrat deserves what it gets!

LOL EW, you outdid yourself on this one. I was waiting with, uh, baited breath to see just how Joe ended up biting the rat, and that last line from Ryu was a perfect ending.

Love it EW...great bit, had me smiling from beginning to end.

EW -- Classic example of the old journalistic adage: it's not news when a dog bites a man, but when a man bites a dog. And what a man, may I add...

[unrecoverable text]

Awww she's going to be in trouble now.... they'll never believe she doesn't know anything, and know she's lying if she tells them she's forgotten!!! How is she going to get out of this? Great piece again K2, roll on next week!!

Poor Iona! I hope the others find her quickly!

I really feel for Iona. Hopefully Tiny realizes quickly that she is missing and calls for help so she can be relocated and helped.

k2p2: Meep. Scream, Iona, scream!

Thanks for all of the great comments guys, I've been having trouble logging into the site so I am going to lump my responses together with the hope that they post rather than the 505 error limbo...not sure where they go when that pops up. TJ-I think Iona hopes that this gets resolved in her favor as quickly as possibly too. CD-Not sure yet if and when Ryu (Tiny) realizes she is gone quite yet. Chris-Iona's recieved a not insignificant blow to the head, not counting the emotional shock of seeing her mother with the Blackbird onboard. She's trying to think clearly, just isn't quite there yet.

The last two days that 500 error has been popping up for me a lot. Taking two or three attempts to get on to this site. Although this morning it seemed to be fine as I got in on my first attempt.

I had quite a bit of trouble this morning. Then it said there were 12 new posts, and when I clicked on them, it said there weren't any... Sent a message to Cep about it.

This follows Prompt #88--Battered. This is also being posted in two parts. (the prompt word is in the second part. LOL) I took some liberties with the Crescent Coral Base. I thought it would be logical that they might have a bit of green under the sea--seeing how studies say being away from nature can possibly be detrimental to ones mood,etc. (IMHO I think being locked away in the base with no view of the sky or anything green would be bad.) Here we go. Hope you enjoy: ************************* Prompt# 57--Pain Jun found him in the small greenhouse, sitting upon a wooden bench that faced a rock lined pond, with water lilies floating atop its surface. At one end was a waterfall that helped pump filtered recycled water into it. The air was warmer in here than the rest of the base, a little more humid, and she welcomed it. She was a bit surprised to find him here, instead of the targeting range, but she could understand why he did, for it was peaceful, the sound of the rippling water soothing. She had done so many times herself when she was upset or needed someplace to think and clear her mind. "Joe....?" she asked tentatively, not wanting to startle him. He was slumped over, muscular forearms resting on his jean clad thighs. He shook his head, not even looking at her. "Don't, Jun. Please." Eyes narrowing slightly, she realized his game. He was trying to push her away; a typical protective reaction from the Condor. Well, she certainly wasn't going to let Joe just shut her out, especially now. Ignoring his request, Jun slid onto the bench next to him so their thighs touched, studying his chiseled profile. Joe stared blankly ahead at the pond. His mouth was turned down, worry lines creased his forehead, his clasped hands hung between his legs. As much as they argued and were as different as night and day, Ken and Joe were as close as blood brothers. Even though their gunner usually put up a good front, she knew how upset he was, and how much be blamed himself for the situation at hand. "You shouldn't have hit him." he said flatly, the corner of his mouth briefly tugging up in a self depreciating smirk. "The kid's right. " "Don't listen to Jinpei." Jun told him quietly. "You know how attached he is to Ken. He didn't mean it Joe. " Joe turned to her his eyes stormy with a mixture of worry and anger; anger that was directed at himself. "Sure he did. " he replied his voice growing thick with emotion. "It is my fault. I was supposed to have his back ." Over the years he had been on the receiving end of some nasty glances by the shrimp, but never one quite like this. Today there had been a glimpse of real animosity written on the Swallow's features. If it hadn't have been directed at him, and under other circumstances, the Condor would have been proud of him for producing such a look. "It should have been me, Jun." he told her in a hoarse voice, trying to get her to understand. "I'm expendable, Ken isn't. Everyone needs Ken. Anyone can be a second." He paused. "And I even managed to fuck that up...." She gently lay her hand on his forearm, thumb casually caressing his skin. Immediately feeling the tense muscles jump beneath her touch; Jun knew he was going to pull away from her, but she held his arm fast. "Joe..." He shook his head once more, mouth set in a hard line, before briefly closing his eyes again. "Yes, we all need Ken, but the team needs you too. Even Jinpei." He snorted softly in derision, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "You all need me to push the red button is what..." "Not to mention, I need you. " Jun told him , cutting him off and gently turning his face toward her. His grey eyes lifted to meet hers, . "Joe, who else could I lean on if you weren't there? I can't depend on Jinpei or Ryu like I can you. What would I do without you?" His lips moved to form the words she knew he was going to say, and she lay a finger against them. "Don't say it. " Jun pleaded, her voice breaking. "You know he would never..." Her eyes filled with unshed tears. "If you were gone, Joe--who would love me then? You already know the answer, and it's no one." Joe felt a an unbidden lump rising in his throat. Dammit. He wanted to tell her she had it all wrong, it was he that relied on her. She[I/] was [I]his rock. He reached out and pulled her to him, clasping her close and burying his face in her hair. Jun leaned into his solid warmth, her arms looped around his waist. The two of them remained that way for several minutes just taking comfort in each other's presence. The only sound around them, the splashing water caused by a frog in the pond. "Listen to me," Jun told him quietly, pulling away from him slightly, as she wiped beneath her eyes with a finger. "Hakase came to talk with us, right after you left." Joe looked down at her, worried eyes searching her face. "Dr. Nambu said Ken had smoke inhalation related injuries, a slight concussion and some burns to his back, but that he'd recover. The doctors had placed him under heavy sedation in order for his body to try and recuperate." She saw some of the tension leave Joe's shoulders, saw him relax slightly and she leaned forward so their foreheads were gently touching. "He's not going to die." ********************

Red. Hazy. Searing. Pain. That's all he felt, that was the focus of his world. He didn't want to open his eyes. Each breath was a struggle. His lungs burned like he had swallowed liquid fire, his chest was a leaden weight. The pain was unbearable. On the periphery of his hearing he heard muffled talking, and shuffling noises. He tried to ignore it, wanting to fall back into the comforting, warm darkness from which he came. But the noises grew louder, invading his silence and demanding his attention. Forcing him to the surface of consciousness. He felt so heavy, that he was swimming though mud and his limbs wouldn't work. Why was it so hard to think? He was choking, drowning. Panic set in, he couldn't breathe. Couldn't call for help. Couldn't move. It was then he heard someone calling his name. The voice sounded far away at first, like a whisper at a distance, then steadily grew louder, until he could block it out no more. Ken .....Ken.....Ken . Ken opened his eyes, lids fluttering at the sudden bright light that blinded them. The world around him was filled with cold whiteness and light. Wincing, he immediately clamped them shut, before slowly attempting to open them once more. There was a cool hand on his forearm, and when he was finally able to focus a little, he saw the tired, lined face of Dr. Nambu staring down at him. In his muddled state, he could have sworn the man's glasses were askew. "It's alright Ken, you're safe. Listen to me. You've suffered some bad burns and smoke inhalation, as well as a minor concussion. We placed you on a respirator and sedated you. " He paused, waiting to see if the words sank in, then continued. "You'll be alright, but you need to rest." Ken heard rather than saw, someone sniffling at his other side and he felt a small, skinny hand wrapped around his. Jinpei. "Are you in any pain?" Dr. Nambu asked, studying him carefully with a critical eye. It was a struggle, but he managed to incline his head once. He watched as his foster father turned and fiddled with a setting on his IV pole. He then drew out a syringe and a vial from his lab coat pocket, and injected something directly into his IV line. "I've increased the drip rate on your painkillers Ken. You should start...." Ken felt the sudden rush of drugs as they hit his system. Felt his muscles melt, weighing his body down, yet feeling like he were light as a feather. He saw vague colorful blobs in the shape of numbers, standing at what he surmised to be the end of the bed. They were chattering madly in high pitched tinny voices and dancing about before his eyes. He groaned, turning away, their antics making his head hurt. ****************** Joe watched as Jun carefully brushed the tousled hair off Ken's forehead, his blue eyes closing. He looked away and silently berated himself. Here he was, the Condor, jealous of a small sign of affection Jun was giving to their Commander. Their injured Commander. At the moment it didn't matter to Joe that two nights ago Jun had spent her evening, not to mention the following morning, in his arms. He sighed, feeling like a heel. It was just her way, he knew. Jun would have shown the same concern for any of them for she was the glue that held their family together. She was the one who always tried to smooth things over when things went wrong between them, trying to make them see reason. It was one of the things that he loved about her. "I think we should leave Ken for the night, everyone." Dr. Nambu announced sternly from his place at the foot of the bed. He picked up Ken's medical chart, giving it a perfunctory glance before heading for the door and turning back to look at them. "Take a few minutes to say goodnight, then it's time for all of you to get some rest of your own." In a little voice, unlike his usual tone, Jinpei told his big brother that he'd come by around lunchtime the next day, to keep him company for a couple of hours. That he had found some new bugs for his collection a few days ago that he forgot to tell him about before their last mission. He wiped at his face, then scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. Dried tear tracks could be seen that had cut through the grime on his face. Ken nodded vaguely in acknowledgement, obviously on the edge of succumbing to the sleep his body desperately needed. Ryu slipped forward and gently lay a hand on his shoulder, bidding him goodnight, then steered Jinpei out of the room. "Hungry kid?" he asked, clapping his hands on Jinpei's shoulders. "Yeah...." Jinpei sniffled, wiping his nose on his arm. "Come on, I'm sure one of the cafeterias are still open....." "We'll come back tomorrow too, Ken." Jun told him softly. "Try and rest...." But Ken was already asleep, the drugs having taken affect. His dark hair lay limp against the stark white of the pillow beneath his head. The lines of pain which had been etched on his features, had softened in slumber. She backed away from the bed, slowly turning to Joe who was waiting by the closed door. Dr. Nambu and the others had left the room, leaving only the two of them with the Eagle. "He looks so pale. " Jun murmured, gazing at Ken. Joe silently agreed. He placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around and wrapping his arms about her, holding her close. She was cold, her civvies T-shirt doing nothing to keep her warm and she shivered in his embrace. "He'll be alright Jun." Joe reassured her, rubbing a hand across her back. "Dr. Nambu said as much. And you know Ken is a fighter." "I know." she replied, pulling back a little to look at him. "It's always hard to see one of you hurt though..." Joe stared down at her, into her green eyes. They were red, bloodshot with fatigue and he could tell she was at the end of her rope. Hell, they all were. It was definitely a trying day, and he was ready for it to be over. "Ready to go?" he asked her quietly, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead. "I think so..." she sighed. He leaned down and brushed his mouth against hers with a lingering kiss, which she answered. Reluctantly he pulled away, and ushered her to the door, a hand against the small of her back. Jun walked out into the hallway ahead of him, arms wrapped around herself. Joe flipped off the overhead light, leaving Ken bathed in the small circle of illumination at the head of the bed and gave one last look to his commander before carefully closing the door behind him.

Jun and Joe linked up, eh? What's going to happen when Ken's on his feet and realizes he lost his chance?

Waking up on a respirator has to be disturbing ... It's good to know Ken will recover, even though at the moment he probably doesn't feel like that'll happen. Curious to see Ken's reaction at Jun and Joe being together (not to mention Jinpei's). They can only hide it for so long. "You know he would never" sounds kind of like she's chosen Joe because she can't have Ken, rather than because it's only Joe that she wants. No wonder Joe's jealous.

Yes, Joe & Jun hooked up. You'll have to wait to see what happens next Becky.....

Originally posted by ChrisW"You know he would never" sounds kind of like she's chosen Joe because she can't have Ken, rather than because it's only Joe that she wants. No wonder Joe's jealous.

Eeek...I knew someone was going to question that bit of dialogue! I was unsure of the wording myself so I'll need to clean that up a bit later on. Nah, Jun does want Joe--and not because she can't have Ken. Besides, I think Joe has too much pride to be with someone who views him as a "substitute".

Originally posted by Redbird Eeek...I knew someone was going to question that bit of dialogue! I was unsure of the wording myself so I'll need to clean that up a bit later on. Nah, Jun does want Joe--and not because she can't have Ken. Besides, I think Joe has too much pride to be with someone who views him as a "substitute".

Eh, she was speaking off the cuff, not from a script, so it's okay that she didn't put it quite right. It gives you a little room for angst too if Joe ever doubts how things are going. Now the fun question is who Ken wants ...

I think Jun could just as easily have feelings for Joe as she does for Ken, but in canon (in the first series, anyway) she seems more focused on Ken... at least in that he is the one she turns to when she needs emotional comfort. That being said, I could easily believe that emotional comfort isn't the same thing as more intimate feelings, particularly with Joe generally being so standoffish, meaning that it would take more time for a bond between them to develop. It all depends on how it's written, and I think what's here is a good start. Looking forward to seeing what happens!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun I think Jun could just as easily have feelings for Joe as she does for Ken, but in canon (in the first series, anyway) she seems more focused on Ken... at least in that he is the one she turns to when she needs emotional comfort. That being said, I could easily believe that emotional comfort isn't the same thing as more intimate feelings, particularly with Joe generally being so standoffish, meaning that it would take more time for a bond between them to develop. It all depends on how it's written, and I think what's here is a good start. Looking forward to seeing what happens!

Thanks for the input TJ. I always appreciate any comments or ideas/thoughts/tips! They can only help me. As for this "story"....now, this is a prime example of what I was getting at when I said "I suck at beginnings". Out of the blue something will come to me about a story; an idea about the middle or the end--never the beginning. When I started doing the prompts (the first one was Dawn) what came to me was Jun & Joe. At some point I'll need to figure out just how they got to where they are currently--Maybe one day they'll tell me. Right now I'm running with whatever the prompts inspire and wherever they lead me.

That's the point of the prompts, though, Red. You get to just muck about however you want. When writing stuff you're not posting immediately, you can just insert scenes where needed.

Yeah, I know...I just hate it that my brain refuses to work in sequential order when it comes to this stuff. Don't know how far I can take my ideas but eventually when I have enough prompts written I'm going to string them all together (see how they look as a story) and hopefully it'll all make sense. Thanks for the support Chris!

I totally hear you. Trust me, I wanted to cry when I realized that after 3 drafts of book 2 I really needed to do book 1 before proceeding! (original fic project) My Raven series (on gatchfanfic) started the same way. Posted one of the middle stories, then backed up and did more than one prequel. So far it feels like you have the solid bones for a sequential story. You'll just have to fill in a few gaps, I bet. (If it makes you feel better, multi-bestseller Diana Gabaldon writes in a completely random order and stitches it all together when she's ready. There really is no "Right" way.)

Aw ... nice to see some G-2 / G-3 action, although I strongly suspect that Ken's going to have something to say about this and it ain't gonna be pretty, folks. At least, that's what I'm anticipating ...

Nice! I always enjoy a good Condor/Swan story...your dialogue is great...I could hear their voices as I read. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the team's reactions!

Originally posted by ChrisW I totally hear you. Trust me, I wanted to cry when I realized that after 3 drafts of book 2 I really needed to do book 1 before proceeding! (original fic project) My Raven series (on gatchfanfic) started the same way. Posted one of the middle stories, then backed up and did more than one prequel.

Really? I didn't know that about your Raven series. I read it and enjoyed it very much. It was wonderfully dark. My heart broke for poor Ken--you deconstructed him very well. jublke, we'll have to wait and see what transpires! Aw, thanks Springie! I'm glad you're having a good time reading it. One of my main hurdles is that I feel most everything has "been done" already. You know, the old saying "There's nothing new under the sun." So no matter what I write, it's already been written by another person. More on that later or at another time....must run to work. Ugh....

Originally posted by Redbird Really? I didn't know that about your Raven series. I read it and enjoyed it very much. It was wonderfully dark. My heart broke for poor Ken--you deconstructed him very well.

Thanks!

One of my main hurdles is that I feel most everything has "been done" already. You know, the old saying "There's nothing new under the sun." So no matter what I write, it's already been written by another person.

Given the vast history of humanity, that's true for all creatives. Ideas are so non-unique, really, that they can't even be copyrighted. It's all in the execution. Give a detailed prompt and everyone will write something different.

Originally posted by ChrisW Given the vast history of humanity, that's true for all creatives. Ideas are so non-unique, really, that they can't even be copyrighted. It's all in the execution. Give a detailed prompt and everyone will write something different.

True. It's something I've always had a problem with though, even in other hobbies. While I like being inspired by other people's work, I don't want to feel as if I'm "copying" something. Personally, I've always been told that I should look at things from another angle, to try and find one that hasn't been utilized before or to its fullest, in order to make something "fresh" or new.

It's good to strive toward uniqueness, and looking for a different angle is good advice, but it's easy to get a bit neurotic worrying about being too similar to someone else. If you're heavily inspired by someone for a fanfic, you can mention it in the author's notes and give them an acknowledgement. (Doing things like using their world or original characters generally should involve asking permission unless they've already stated they don't mind. I don't think that's what you're talking about, though.) There's also the option of showing your work to someone whose judgement you trust, who can give you some feedback on whether they feel it's too similar to something else. Sometimes I get more worried that I'm writing the same thing over and over again. That's a whole different problem.

Originally posted by ChrisW It's good to strive toward uniqueness, and looking for a different angle is good advice, but it's easy to get a bit neurotic worrying about being too similar to someone else. If you're heavily inspired by someone for a fanfic, you can mention it in the author's notes and give them an acknowledgement. (Doing things like using their world or original characters generally should involve asking permission unless they've already stated they don't mind. I don't think that's what you're talking about, though.)

Correct that's not what I'm talking about. I can't imagine using someone else's characters for a fic. Though if you think about it, we're doing just that --using Tatsunako's creations for stories.

Originally posted by ChrisW There's also the option of showing your work to someone whose judgement you trust, who can give you some feedback on whether they feel it's too similar to something else.

True, that's what I use beta's for as well.

Originally posted by ChrisW Sometimes I get more worried that I'm writing the same thing over and over again. That's a whole different problem.

I totally understand that! I think it's something that a lot of us here probably struggle with--no matter what fandom we're writing for. FWIW, I've only read the Raven series, some of your Club Aphrodite pieces, and the new one with "Mystery Ken"--personally, I don't see any repetitiveness (unless you're referring to other works you've done in general).

Yeah I'm thinking about a broader pattern of my work, and the many stories I don't end up writing because I realize they're way too similar. (Somewhere there's a thread on here discussing this issue of themes that recur in a writer's stories.)

Originally posted by ChrisW (Somewhere there's a thread on here discussing this issue of themes that recur in a writer's stories.)

Is this the thread you mean Chris? http://www.gatchamania.net/thread.php?threadid=4005&sid=

Originally posted by ChrisW Yeah I'm thinking about a broader pattern of my work, and the many stories I don't end up writing because I realize they're way too similar. (Somewhere there's a thread on here discussing this issue of themes that recur in a writer's stories.)

Oh I remember seeing that thread! I think someone mentioned pregnancies. Funny how we're all drawn to certain concepts....(a psychologist would have a field day analyzing them all!)

That's it, thanks KT!

Thanks for the link, KT. *goes off to read thread*