alyndra

Not much interesting to say, just that I'm still alive though not likely to suddenly start producing mass quantities of fic. (Ha!) Did a little LJ flist pruning, may start shifting to Dreamwidth more, or may vanish entirely and come back years from now. Wrote a bitty commentfic here where JD meets Jack Sparrow.

It's been grand!

Ok, as I mentioned before in that one dismayingly whiny post, I've been reading Pirates of the Carribean fanfic.

Like all fandoms, there's a range of fic quality, though overall I've been pleased with what I've been finding. There's a lot of really good stuff, and I'm not being at all exhaustive.

But here're three exceptional stories.

First: The Final Fate of Bootstrap Bill (Jack Sparrow Remix) by butterflykiki. This is the funniest thing I've read in ages. Jack Sparrow telling a tall tale -- the voice, the details, are perfect. It's all him talking, but you can hear his audience too...

Quote: Right. So-- Undiscouraged, Bill labored to free himself with every fiber of his half-dead body, but it didn't do him a bit of good. He'd still be down there, straining at those chains-- or possibly squashed like a stranded jellyfish-- if it hadn't been for the shark.

The shark that ate him, a'course.

It did, I say. Gobbled him up, and the cannon too. They'll eat anything, sharks will. Fish, boats, anchors, goats, men, cannons, swords. All the same to them, they're the devourers of the oceans. You'd know that, if you ever met one. But then if you ever met one, we prob'ly wouldn't be having this conversation....

I particularly loved the fact that, on rereading, there were a couple of delightful references that get missed on the the first go-round.

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This next one is completely and utterly different. salt, the content of my heart by d_r_o_n_e. Lack of capitals and use of ellipses in this are a stylistic choice (as well as the iambic rhythm and frequent repitition of phrases, which may actually make you feel a bit seasick to read) to evoke the voice of the ocean, and not just retarded netspeak laziness.

Lots of people try to use lack of capitals as a stylistic choice and just manage to look stupid. This writer shows us what it should be. Try reading this aloud. It could stand on its own as an original work, so even if you've never seen the movie, this is worth reading. And if you have seen the movie, it works that way too. It's poetry with a story to tell, which I've always vastly preferred to poetry for the sake of the words.

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And after two very specific genre pieces, here's one that's just a great adventure: A Pirate's Life by elspethdixon. (This one is multi-chaptered.) Summary: When Mary Rose's husband is murdered by pirates, she asks Commander Norrington to avenge him. Will, attempting to do a favour for Jack, unwittingly places himself in Norrington's line of fire, and Elizabeth realizes that she may lose both of the men she loves.
Ships: Will/Elizabeth, Jack/Elizabeth, eventual Jack/Will, eventual Norrington/OC
Warning: This story contains killing, stealing, lots of angst, an OC, and a non-evil Norrington. It also contains drinking, swearing, a male/male relationship, and an eventual threesome. Sadly, it will not contain any hot, steamy sex scenes.

I know that the gut reaction in fandom to any OFC is to sprint in the other direction. I do that, too. Give this fic a chance anyway, please? If you're really not sure, you can start at the second chapter, which is all Elizabeth and Jack and Will. *g*