Author's Notes
This is the page for those of us that love getting the "what inspired this, what does the person who wrote it really think about it, what in the hell where they thinking?" stories. I decided to give my notes their own page because while I love reading and sharing this stuff, I know not everyone else wants to read it. In truth, I don't like reading it till I get a chance to read the story for myself in a somewhat unbiased way. There is a little bit on each story on the story page itself from when they were posted on other sites, but I try to keep that to a minimum. Here are the bits I have been wanting to share of my "creative process", I will use both terms loosely, and have not because I didn't want to ruin things for those that do not like that much info...but on this page my egomania can run rampent. If you don't want to know about it, don't read it...LOL
My first ever fanfic, never been posted anywhere because I ain't entirely happy with it. I am posting it here because like all my writings I am proud of it and it is a part of me and, well, it is my site and I want to.
I wrote this one because I wanted some River and Jayne stories and they are somewhat scarce. I am a Jayne/River shipper, love the cannon couples too much to mess with them much so that kinda leaves my two favorites without anyone and that just doesn't seem right to me. So in my mind I put them together. I have to admit though that I tend to think of them getting together a bit further down the road from where the series was ended. Can't quite see them hooking up right away, too much "stuff" between them for that. Ariel, River being all crazy, Jayne being a bastard, River being way too young...you get the idea. So I thought, why not look into the future a bit and see what might be? If Jayne and River ever did hook up how might that happen? Also, what would happen if they were in peril and River had to save Jayne...that kinda intrigued me and off I went writting.
I am fairly happy with the structure of this one, that actually came out like I heard it in my head. I am not as happy with how my characterization came out. It's closer then I really could have hoped for on my first attempt after such a long time not writting at all, and first time trying this kind of writting. But River seems way off to me...it was hard trying to keep her "River" while also trying to show her as having improved, ie. not so crazy anymore. In fact I wanted her not crazy at all, but still a bit damaged by what had happened to her. Jayne came out a bit better, at least in the middle. In the beginning he is meant to be somewhat drugged and tortured, so a bit out of it...actually I think that part turned out pretty good too...and the middle where he is getting a bit more aware I like, kinda think I lost him near the end though...I blame it on the blood loss he suffered...LOL
I originally had a lot more of the Blue Hands in here, since I was playing with the notion of them being prototypes for River and that the process damaged some part of the psyche, which causes them to need a bond with another to become stable. Which is why River bonds with Jayne, it is her attempt to create her own stablization.
Actually just re-read this one again, not as bad as I remembered it...yea, it isn't great by any means but it does have a certain..."charm". Who knows, might just post this somewhere someday...if I can polish it up a bit. I did try intergrating it with "Ballad Of Jayne" but that turned it into a royal mess so I gave it up and went back to it's original form. Which is much better, trust me...LOL
Well, I done it, this story is now posted on FFF.net in addition to here. It is an exclusive for that site, dedicated to jebbypal who's kind comments convinced me it was good enough as it is. So it is to be left as it is, no more threats to change it will be made.
My second fanfic. Actually inspired by a scene in the first one.
"And then there were the ones that weren't memories, couldn't be because he was there and had no matching image from his side. Floating down to Mal standing on Serenity's hull and other sittin' at the table times and fields he'd never seen before and looking up at his own laughing face as he handed her a package wrapped very badly in pretty paper....but other then him not rememberin' them they felt the same as the memories."
After I wrote that all I could think of was...what is in that package??? Plus I had been wanting to write a history of Jayne kinda thing. When I started I had visions of it being a continuation of Back To Serenity. River and Jayne already a couple. Not quite how it turned out...it's more of an AU to Back To Serenity...what if River and Jayne had never been caught by the Blue Hands.
Actually this one had a lot of things go not quite how I originally planned, it was supposed to be one short chapter, the package was to be revealed at the end of Jayne's reminence. But it didn't want to come out of hiding till I wrote more. It is in 5 chapters, which is most clear in the FanFiction.net postings. Love how that one is set up for chapters. It is there that I think this story really should be read. Much happier with how this one turned out, my Jayne is developing quite nicely *I think* and River is better here, though still somewhat elusive. I suppose that is to be expected from her. One of these days I will figure out if I am trying to make her too lucid or not lucid enough. All I know right now is the best River line in that story was written by someone else...LOL
I think my favorite chapter is the last one, Jayne and Simon in the mess afterwords. I like the vibe between those two and if I ever write a slash piece I just know it will be a Jayne/Simon one. After finishing this one I decided to attempt writing from other peoples perspectives for a bit. I think I need to fight it out with River a bit more before I attempt another Jayne/River piece, least, from their PoV. Though I can't help thinking that I need to get them together on a horse sometime...hmmmm...
My third completed fanfic. I have a Mal PoV-"Objects In Space" coda that I started before this one but it's being a mite tricky. I do tend to prefer writting stories that take place after the series, gives me more leeway to play with them like I want, but this one takes place after "War Stories".
It was inspired after I watched "The Message" and noticed a tattoo on Kaylee's back. When I posted about it on FireflyFans.net I was informed that it is Jewell's tattoo. Kaylee's back had been shown in another episode and there was no tattoo to be seen and Jewell has a Unicorn *that is what I have been told it is anyway* tattoo on her lower back. My first thought was to write this as taking place before they got Simon and River but that made no sense what with the tattoo not showing up before and I wanted to write this as if it had not been someone in wardrobe forgetting to hide the actor's tattoo, but rather that the character really had gotten one...which meant placing it later in the series and a bit before "The Message".
I knew instantly that Jayne would be the one to "dare" Kaylee into getting it, just seemed like something he would do and it gave me a chance to explore his "crush/protectiveness while still being a total ass" towards her. Much as I may downplay it in my River/Jayne stories I do believe Jayne has a crush on Kaylee...I don't think anything will ever come of it, I hope nothing ever comes of it. That would leave poor Simon with only River to comfort him and csi is a scary thing indeed. Plus, I want better for River then Simon...I want her to get better and hook the sexiest guy on Serenity, damn it! Hasn't the poor girl suffered enough? She deserves sexy!
But I digress...I think this story might be as close to perfection as I am currently capable of. It turned out just the way I planned it. Kaylee was sweet, sexy, strong...and just a wee bit clueless regarding Jayne. But she gets it a bit at the end. Jayne was gruff, crude, tender and protective of Kaylee even while he teased her about Simon. It is meant to be fluff, it is proud of it's fluffyness. It may have a coda of it's own someday if Simon ever gets to see that tattoo for himself.
I wonder how Kaylee will tell him Jayne paid for it?
Ok, got Jayne and River on a horse in this one, what more needs to be said? ~giggles~
Well, that Mal PoV never happened, it sort of morphed into this one night after I heard "Delta Rain" by the Blessing at work. That song just struck me as perfect for River and Jayne. Not that most every song I hear doesn't get related back to them some how, way, shape and form. I think this is some serious obsession I have going on. But, this is meant to be my ultimate tristess on the River and Jayne dynamic. Honestly, I think almost all of my future River and Jayne stories will be based in this 'verse. Except for that pesky little AU I got stewing in the back of my beady little mind. (Thank you so much Cassie E and Tori Death_Angel, for the mating of your plot bunnies that inspired that one)
So many things I have been wanting to explore ended up in this piece. And I drew from many sources of insperation. Many of my fellow fan fic writers have added little odds and ends to my views on River and Jayne here, silk1's presence is probably felt the strongest. But Cassie E, Starrbaby, jebbypal and many, many other writers, plus every single person that has ever reviewed me, all get some credit. I would not still be writing if you all didn't encurage me. It also starts getting a tad more in depth on certain things I first played with in Back To Serenity, like the bonding thing. I got the idea in the back of my mind once I started realizing where this one was heading of re-writing Back To Serenity as a sequel to this one. ~sighs~ Ya, I think about re-doing that one a lot. Of course, then jebbypal convinced me it was good enough to post as it was so it ended up on FFF.net for her. So much for that idea. It is getting a sequel though, and I am further exploring the Blue Hands theories I had...anyway, back to this story.
I used my family shamelessly for bit's and pieces, my brother and sister, the elder twins that tormented my childhood, obviously show up a little bit in Jayne and Timmy. Even though neither of them are much like either of those characters, still, they did give me the twin idea. My nephew Chris, who more directly inspired some River bits. Like her obsessive/compulsiveness on the knitting...though sadly I probably could have just used my own behaviour while writing these things.
Oh, funny little tidbit on the knitting thing, just watched the outtakes from OMR for the second time, first was right after I got the DVD's, and realized River tells Simon she will knit for him while trying to convince him they should marry. And here I was thinking that bit was just about wanting to show River having a connection to Jayne's Ma and a way of showing she still wasn't quite right. Plus it makes a great way of helping her center herself. hehehe...
Also got to play around a bit more with the other pairings, Mal/Inara, Kaylee/Simon and Wash/Zoe. It was fun weaving little bits about those couples in with their observations on River/Jayne. I have Sarah J. to thank for giving me a little push to get into the Wash/Zoe one a bit more.
Again, I am playing with the bonding thing with Jayne and River. Started dropping more little hints on my Blue Hands theory. As in, it is the bonding with Jayne that is enabling River to stablize herself. Also pulled back in the notion I used in Back To Serenity that they are all bonded to each other, all needing the connections between them to become whole. Though that will likely become more obvious in the sequels. Here I was mainly trying to have some fun, start laying down my vision of why River and Jayne belong together. The only real plot is them getting together. I will be trying to do more "plotty" stories after this, so far, with the exception of Back To Serenity, they have all been more vignettes then stories. Well, that's how I see them anyway. Little glimpses into the heads of these fascinating characters. Mentally setting them up so I know how they will react once I start putting them into situations.
Also the last story I am likely to write without a beta by my side, thanks to Cassie E.
If you wish to comment on any of these stories email me at [email protected]