snowflake challenge #5

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Challenge #5:

In your own space, talk about an idea you wish you had the time / talent / energy to do. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I would love to learn to make fanvids and gifs, because then I could do so for some of my favorite rare ships, but I don't think I have the patience. I always have so many ideas for songs that would work for certain couples yet I can't summon up the willpower.

For fics, I always have so many ideas bouncing around in my head and just not enough time for all of them. The main ones:

Clark/Lois fake dating fic set in s5- this is the one that has been in my head for the longest, but I can't decide how to rework certain aspects of canon so it stays in my head.

A Clark/Oliver fic that has Clark kidnapped by an evil version of Oliver and then when he is saved, he has some attachment issues that Oliver tries to help him get over (and is pining). I think the problem here is it would be slightly darker than anything I've written and I don't know if I could pull it off.

Sam/Bucky IW/Endgame AU where they survive the snap and Steve (and someone I haven't thought of yet) don't. I was going to do this for a Big Bang story I signed up for last year, but couldn't put it together, because I didn't know how I would work out the time travel situation.

DCEU/Aquaman/WW fic where Atlanna ends up in Themyscira instead. The problem is that I don't have a solid plot or where to go. I just think it would be neat lol

I've definitely stated making note of my plot bunnies as to not forget, but we'll see if I ever get around to doing any.

Comments

[ultra_fic]

I have an ideas folder on my computer for fanfiction. Every document is a different fic idea, some just a sentence or two, some a whole lot of notes, some even a half or whole first chapter but little else. Currently, there are 35 documents. There are not enough hours in the day, and there are certainly not enough hours/days when I have the motivation to work on all these things, but the ideas? Never short of those!

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Oh yes, I used to do that too! I have so many word docs that are in the same state and when I was going through them last year, I was surprised at how many I have forgotten about (or even written!). Now I just put them in a private post so I don't forget and they're not too spread out.

there are certainly not enough hours/days when I have the motivation to work on all these things
Somehow free time and motivation rarely work together and happen at the same time.

Haha the ideas do not care about how much time you have!

[ultra_fic]

Somehow free time and motivation rarely work together and happen at the same time.

Oh my goodness, I have lost track of the number of times I have said this! lol So, so true!

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Haha it seems as if it is relatable sentiment! Motivation always seems to strike whenever I am anywhere except in front of a computer? 1 am when I'm trying to sleep? Sure. Saturday afternoon when I can be in front of my computer? Nope, not a word lol

[lambourngb]

I desperately want to learn how to gif, but yeah, I don't know if I have the patience. Solidarity!

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*fist bump* I've read tutorials but I can't bring myself to try and work it out. I run a sideblog on Tumblr for Clark/Oliver and I keep thinking it would be useful if I could make my own gifs and it'd be more active but then I just ... don't do that. :D

[bradygirl_12]

My notebooks are filled with notes/story ideas. Some sit there for years before I work 'em out, but I'm in no hurry. :)

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That's a good place to store them!

I'm in no hurry. :)
Also the best way of looking at it. We don't always have to rush. :D

[brokenhighways]

If I can't figure out a way to rework the canon, I just pivot off a certain point. You could try that for the Clark/Lois fic (and it's not like the show didn't just jump all over its own canon half the time, lol)

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That's a good way to do things. I just don't want Clark and Lana to be together because I don't care for that background tension, but I can't decide when I want to split them up. My plot was basically that there are rumors about Lois & Jonathan during his campaign and Clark gets mad/blurts out *he* is dating Lois and it goes from there. Also, I don't want Jonathan to die but I also don't think he would be good at politics if he won so I can't decide what to do about that either. Decisions, decisions.

and it's not like the show didn't just jump all over its own canon half the time, lol
I mean, you're not wrong lol

[brokenhighways]

Omg, I love that idea! For Clark and Lana, you can have them never getting together at the beginning of season 5. Lana finds out Jason is dead and is stricken with grief and goes to stay with Aunt Nell forever (lol). (Seriously, how was it that she was so in love with him but never really cared about the fact that she killed his mother and that he died in the middle of her n(ex)t boyfriend's house?!)

Jonathan wins the election, but realising he won't do a good job and also taking his ill health into consideration, he decides to step down. I'm not sure *who* would be governor after that. He could still appoint someone in his place while he recovers? And then you never mention it again. :D

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Thank you! It's not so secretly my dream fic. That is a very good suggestion! I did want Clark and Lana together, because I had plans for the background tension and a potential misunderstanding for later, but I can use that idea and definitely see her factoring in Clark's almost death as a reason for a breakup. You're right that it was weird how they didn't address it, but clearly the show didn't care, much like Lois doesn't really react to Grant's death either. For a show that has the characters deal with a lot of traumatic events, they sure are lazy in trying to address the aftermath.

I like that plan! Thank you! Maybe he has the heart attack and survives, and that triggers him backing off. This is definitely something I could work with though. I appreciate the suggestions. Now I feel like this is a fic that could be written instead of just lingering in the back of my mind forever. ♥

[tellshannon815]

I'm now trying to think back to season 10 of Smallville and wondering what the late Oliver Queen from Clark Luthor's universe had been like, the only thing I really remember is that Jonathan Kent had no opinion of him although he wasn't necessarily evil. It's a couple of years now since I went back and watched those episodes (and even then, it was for a fic where Earth 2 Jonathan Kent got accidentally pulled into Earth 1, so Oliver Queen wasn't strictly necessary to the plot and I didn't give it much thought then) - but I might be tempted to use that Oliver as a starting point if I was doing that fic. Love the idea!

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The Luthor AU world is very interesting! I really thought that the show would've benefited from a two parter for Luthor so we could see more. That Oliver Queen could make for a good case study, because, as you said, we don't know much. He seemed to want to do good but didn't know how to go about it- also looked to be very lonely outside of Lois. There is room to play around there and you should totally go for it. Good luck if you do!

[senmut]

That Aquaman/WW sounds AWESOME.

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Thank you! It was one that came to mind when watching the Aquaman movie- I just don't know where to go with it. :D

[tsuki_no_bara]

sam and bucky surviving the snap while steve doesn't is intriguing!

>>because I didn't know how I would work out the time travel situation<<

honestly, i don't think the russos really knew what they were doing with the time travel either, so you could probably get away with anything.

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Thank you! I don't know where it came to me anymore, but I thought it would be fun to see how that played out.

I mean, you're not wrong about the Russos lol I think the bigger part is if I would them to go back five years or have them fix things in the present like the movie did, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. I guess if I ever come across the opportunity to write it, I will think about it then.

[peaked]

Clark/Lois fake dating fic set in s5- this is the one that has been in my head for the longest, but I can't decide how to rework certain aspects of canon so it stays in my head.
GIVE MEEEEEEEEEEE. This is my favourite season and it had so many great Clois moments. (The Red Kryptonite episode lives RENT FREE in my head.) THIS'D BE EPIC. 🥺🥺🥺🥺

re: your dark idea—I felt (and feel, I won't even lie) this way wrt writing darker fic. I was so in my head about it that I just stopped myself from exploring those aspects of character and canon for the longest time. But then I figured out why I was stopping myself and started to push through that, and I've written some stuff that I feel is dark (and hope to go a little darker).

What makes you think you can't pull it off? I'm sure you can! It's definitely scary to write something out of your comfort zone and it might feel like you're trying to walk on ice in socks, but I think if you let yourself do it, be rough and messy and imperfect, you'll get the imperfection out of your system and be able to fine-tune it to what you want.

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It is legit my dream fic. I love fake dating as a trope so much and it would be really fun with them, especially at a time when the feelings weren't quite realized/there yet. I do enjoy the scenes they had in s5 (the Oracle 'piggybank' conversation is near and dear to my heart). The Red K episode was in a different season though (6) but also you're right about it being great! Clark and Lois were really fun, and I just love how soft red k Clark is when he's around Lois. :D

That's good that you were able to figure out what was stopping you and be willing to push your boundaries. It is beneficial to try new things- I know that in my head at least.

The thing is I'm not really a fan of dark fic in general. I don't read it and I have never really felt the inclination to write it before. Sometimes, I get the idea and I worry I will fluff down serious issues too much, because I can't bring myself to go to extremes.

it might feel like you're trying to walk on ice in socks
I do like the way you worded this! And that's really solid advice. I will definitely keep that in mind and maybe give this or something I wouldn't a try. Like you said, at least it is a chance for it to be out of my system instead of just wondering "what if". Thank you!

[peaked]

OF COURSE I GET MY SEASONS MIXED UP LMFAO. Seasons 5-6 is where I think Clois started to tease me with the potential of finally getting together back when it was airing and I was so frustrated !!! that they weren't !!! kissing!!!! MAKE THEM KISS EARLIER, PLEASE.

I hope you write it! Lois and Clark fake dating would be catastrophic and amazing all at once.

I completely get you re: not wanting to fluff it down. Maybe consider tackling just one issue that interests you and how far you're willing to go into it. You're totally allowed to explore a dark concept to the limit that works best for you. If you wanted to explore Clark's struggle to trust his friend, you don't have to show it to the extreme level where Clark is having a panic attack if you don't want to. If your comfort is showing it by having Clark struggle with being this superpowered beefcake who knows he should trust his friend but can't and Clark avoiding Good!Oliver or requesting Arthur join them on a little mission, then that's still a great way of delving into the ramifications and exploring darkness. Dark may just be delving into Clark's psyche and getting to explore him feeling betrayed without having the CW filter on it.

Go as deeply as you want to go. I think as long as you don't say "Yeah, Clark's totally fine and his PTSD is over now that they're holding hands", you're all good. 😉

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That is totally me with s1-3 at this point. It is all a blur. And yes, especially in s6, after that hospital scene in 'Zod', I had such hopes! Before that, I was convinced that the show would end with Clark going on his training and a time jump and the hints were as good as it got. In s6, with Chloe with Jimmy and Lex with Lana, I thought Clois was going to get closer, romantically, and then Oliver showed up. I very much resented him for getting in the way initially lol I definitely support the idea of them kissing earlier! I mean, technically they did in s6 but Lois didn't know! I wish we could've seen them have *that* conversation.

I am totally going to do it. What the heck, now or never, right? We'll see about getting it finished. I really need to finish my last Clois WIP before I start posting a new one.

I worry because I totally used to tone down red k Clark in the past, because I couldn't stand making him that much of a jerk, so he didn't totally come off as without inhibitions. I mean I hope that now I will be able to do more, because it was a while ago but I am always nervous to try new things.

That is good advice. And yeah the "okay, everything is fine and they're in love now" route would definitely not happen immediately, though it'd be much easier. The plan was to go the Stockholm Syndrome, where Clark is both distrustful and attached to Good!Oliver, mistaking him for the evil one, and Oliver feels it is his responsibility to help him recover/move on. Your ideas are great too! I could definitely see myself using those if I wrote this. It is weird- we have seen the characters go through traumatic events but for the vast majority, we don't know how they process their trauma and Clark in particular tends to internalize it, which is why I don't know how to keep him IC while having him go through a healthier path to recovery.

Dark may just be delving into Clark's psyche and getting to explore him feeling betrayed without having the CW filter on it.
A fair point. I guess I could just start writing it and see where it goes.

Thank you for listening to me ramble! :D

[peaked]

OMG LOL. I think I also felt the same wrt Oliver... and then I was really upset that they broke up Lois/Oliver since I loved that ship so much. You could never really win with Smallville!

Happy to listen to you ramble any time! ♥ Dealing with his Stockholm Syndrome would be a lot of fun to write and read, especially because of the points you raise re: how Clark deals with trauma. The show never really let him deal with it unless it worked for plot convenience, which is unfortunate. Smallville's Clark feels so human.

Good luck with it!

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I knew he was hot but I was annoyed he was getting in the way of Clois/convinced he was going to break Lois's heart. And then when he did, I was sad about it too! They really were great and had a ton of chemistry, plus ED really sold her heartbreak in both "Justice" and "Siren". I did enjoy the friendship that the ended up with in s9/10 too.

Aww, I appreciate that! And right? It's an interesting concept and now that I'm thinking about it, might work with how Clark deals with things, like you said.

The show never really let him deal with it unless it worked for plot convenience, which is unfortunate.
Too true. I remember in s7, he went through a kidnapping, being sacrificed and deciding to let Braniac wipe his existence in a five episode span or something and it was really never addressed again. But he does feel very human and I wish they let him be for reasons that wasn't his doomed relationship with Lana.

Thank you!