Meme Answers Part 1 (& Tredegar House)

[smallhobbit]

First of all my answers to stonepicnicking_okapi who asked me these questions:

#4: What's better (or the least bad), character over plot or plot over character?
Plot every time.  A good plot will excuse somewhat dodgy characters - if they are totally OOC, then no.  If the plot is poor then no matter how good the characters I will be bored.

#21: Would you like to write an alternative ending for any of your favourite shows/books/etc
I write fanfic, of course I would.  Which isn't to say I don't think the ending was right in its own way.  My Hobbit fics are Everyone Lives/No-one Dies and yet I think Thorin's death is entirely appropriate in the book/film.

#19: Do you think major character deaths are ever appropriate.
This was asked rather tongue in cheek, since I had just killed Watson for most of JWP this year.  Even disregarding this, yes, I do.  Death is a fact of life.  On the whole I do prefer to keep my characters alive - I write Spooks fics, where both my main charactors died in canon.  But if I write a war fic I will not guarantee my characters will survive, because wars kill.  I have let both Holmes and Watson die at the end of a long life, which has been bittersweet.  So yes, used correctly I do think major character deaths are appropriate.

Full list of questions is here.

~~~

On Saturday we went to visit Tredegar House.  It was an enjoyable last day out of the summer:

Comments

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! What a very nice house! It looks lovely do they do it up for Christmas? That looks like it would be a nice house to do up for Christmas.

Holy fuck, Adam and Lucas DIE?!!! I did not want to know this. :(

Thank you for answering my questions! I think I knew or could guess most of it, but it was still lovely to hear more about you.

[smallhobbit]

I suspect they do do it up for Christmas, a lot of them are.

They're actually only in one episode together (Adam dies at the end of that one!). And the series in which Lucas dies is one where fandom pretends it didn't exist. But as far as I'm concerned they both live and are happily together.

I thought you'd probably guess most of my answers :)

[melagan]

Interesting. I will take character over plot every time.

[smallhobbit]

I think it depends on what one looks for in a story. I like casefics, and a bad plot will ruin a fic.

[scfrankles]

I am also somewhat taken aback that your favourite Spooks characters die in canon ^^"

My Hobbit fics are Everyone Lives/No-one Dies and yet I think Thorin's death is entirely appropriate in the book/film. I think that's such a positive attitude to have - you can appreciate canon while still enjoying alternatives.

...since I had just killed Watson for most of JWP this year. *gives stern look*

[margaret_r]

Interesting answers! The propensity for characters to die in Spooks meant that I didn't get beyond the first series, which doesn't stop me from reading fics where everyone lives;) And I agree that plot is the important factor. I've read books where the main character has annoyed me but the overarching story has kept me there.

Tredegar House looks very nice.

[smallhobbit]

I did think of you as I killed Watson! My excuse is mafief made me do it and then a significant portion of the watsons_woes comm encouraged me!

[smallhobbit]

I only ever watched Spooks series 7 to 9 (and the odd episode elsewhere) - nearly all the main characters died in those three series. So I just write as if they're all still alive

So long as the main character is too annoying I will continue to read, because I want to know what happens with a good plot.

[debriswoman]

I think you have a very accommodating view of life and deaths:-)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you - I do prefer my characters to live, but sometimes it's inevitable.

[luthienberen]

I haven't been to Tredegar House for years! Glad to see it is still very beautiful.

Re Death fics, I agree with you. Death is a part of life and can have an emotional impact in fics, so I have no inherent issue with death fic. It all depends on how it is handled, which can be said about any genre or trope.

I am in two minds re plot vs OOC. Depend on my mood (or how desperate I am in a small fandom and/or pairing *cough*).

[smallhobbit]

It was our first visit to Tredegar House and we really enjoyed it - so much so we had to run when we realised we'd overstayed our parking.

I'll accept a lot more for a small fandom.

[luthienberen]

Running for the car is a good sign you enjoyed yourselves! Was it very busy when you went?

Small fandoms on one hand can be wonderful for that close community feeling, on the other the small pool of fic and art means I'm not so picky...

[smallhobbit]

Even though it was a Saturday it wasn't overly busy. There was a market outside, which seemed quite popular, but we got a table in the café both for lunch and for cream tea without any hassle, and the guides in the rooms in the house had time to talk to us. We'd have been okay if we hadn't decided to wander round part of the lake, which was when I suddenly realised what the time was.