ci5hq | Reading Pros fic and Pros fic recs

byslantedlight.livejournal.com posting in

I seem to be in a need-more-Pros-in-my-life stage, and am going to try to make a Pros post every day. Today it's the turn of

ci5hq because I keep asking people to post about the Pros fic they're reading - and I'm not doing it myself... *g* So, some of my recent Pros reading...

Somewhere between the bullets and the tea I fell in love by Carmenamatorium
I don't know this author (at least not under this pseud!), and I liked this alot. Doyle has just been released from hospital, and Bodie has taken him home and got him something to eat, and it's the perfect balance of sweet but not soppy at all, properly our lads. One of my favourite lines:
He’s been buying milk in cartons for the last few weeks.

This Christmastide by Jessebee
I wish

jessebee had written more Pros fic (and Astreiant!), but she seems to have moved on for now. The lads are at home again, and it's Christmas. There's a bit more sugar to this one, but it's still the lads.
It didn't look like ordinary wool, either, but something softer. Something … touchable. Doyle's fingers itched. He took a bite of his sandwich instead.

Bread upon the Waters by Esgalnen
Another new Pros author to me, but probably not someone I'll look out for. The writing was mostly fine, but even though it was listed as Bodie/Doyle any relationship between them was barely touched on. Doyle was knocked out after a few paragraphs, and it became a Bodie het story - and even then the focus was mostly on the original female character. Bodie was also a bit too super-Bodie for my liking, I prefer it when our lads are properly human. So not my cup of tea, but if you're really a Bodie fan you'll probably like it.
Lisa managed a wan smile up at him, “It was them or us, Mr Bodie.”He didn’t respond, merely bent down and kissed her again. This time it was gentle and tender and she felt Bodie’s hand gently cup her cheek.

Selection Box by Jojo
Well, it's Jojo writing Pros, so it's hard to go wrong. *g*
“You're going to like it, all right? Open nice and wide.”

So - anyone else read these stories? What do you think?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

firlefanzine.livejournal.com

Good to have some story talking. :-)

I've read that story some time ago, and thought that there are some nice basic approaches. But for me it was a bit too superficial.

But let's see your arguments.

"...but even though it was listed as Bodie/Doyle any relationship between them was barely touched on..."
Surely I don't need sex scenes (in every story), and I don't need too much talking about their feelings for each other.
And in this story there are some nice hints of their relationship, that's often enough for me. But yeah, more is more fun! ;-)

"...and it became a Bodie het story..."
Het? There is not more than a little flirting as much as I remember. Right? And me and Doyle don't blame Bodie for a nice-uncle-kiss on the cheek! ;-)

"...and even then the focus was mostly on the original female character...."
I always enjoy a good (female) minor character! But of course the main focus should be on Bodie and Doyle.
And I think it's very hard to find that line between 'too much' and 'right'. Especially because a writer with a strong female character in a story,
is always on the edge to be thrown into the pothole with all those so called Mary Sues... :-P

"...Bodie was also a bit too super-Bodie for my liking..."
I can't agree here. Bodie is hurt and weak and really no superman here. As you pointed out, the focus is on the woman.

I hope I remember it all well! As I said above, it's some time since I read it.
Maybe I'll have another look in the evening.
And I need to read your other recs.

Thank you!!!

From:

byslantedlight.livejournal.com

Good to have some story talking. :-)
Yes! I've missed story talking - no one seems to want to start any these days...

I've read that story some time ago, and thought that there are some nice basic approaches. But for me it was a bit too superficial.
Yes, I think I'd agree with superficial too - there were alot of things going on, and I think it needed to be much longer to develop them properly. Better not to have mentioned some things. I didn't like that Pyotr seemed to change character quite drastically, but for no apparent reason...

But let's see your arguments.
Lol - my opinion, not arguments. *g*

"...but even though it was listed as Bodie/Doyle any relationship between them was barely touched on..."
Surely I don't need sex scenes (in every story), and I don't need too much talking about their feelings for each other.
And in this story there are some nice hints of their relationship, that's often enough for me. But yeah, more is more fun! ;-)
No, I don't need sex scenes or talking about their feelings in stories either - but there are other ways of showing that there's a relationship between the lads, and I don't think Esgalnen did that successfully (to the point that I don't think they meant to in the first place). She describes Bodie looking at Doyle tenderly a couple of times, and has him ask after "my partner" a few times, but I didn't feel anything between them, and especially not compared to the way Bodie treated Lisa. Lisa was kissed three times, and at the end of the story Bodie tells Doyle to get some sleep, squeezes his hand, and then goes to sit with Lisa again, whose hand he holds as they drive away.There's no sense that Bodie's worried about Doyle any more than he would be about anyone else he knows. So - for me it's not B/D at all.

"...and it became a Bodie het story..."
Het? There is not more than a little flirting as much as I remember. Right? And me and Doyle don't blame Bodie for a nice-uncle-kiss on the cheek! ;-)
A bit more than flirting and kissing on the cheek!
"she felt Bodie’s arm snake around her waist, and then he was pulling her towards him in a hard, fierce kiss"
"He didn’t respond, merely bent down and kissed her again. This time it was gentle and tender and she felt Bodie’s hand gently cup her cheek. "
"Bodie laughed softly and then cupping Lisa’s neck pulled her towards him for another hard, fierce kiss, he released her and then grinned, “Christ, woman, you unman me.”"

"...and even then the focus was mostly on the original female character...."
I always enjoy a good (female) minor character!
Oh I do too, but I'm reading Pros fic for the Bodie/Doyle relationship, so if one of them is unconscious throughout a story, and the story focuses on the original female story, then it's not what I'm looking for in my Pros fic!

But of course the main focus should be on Bodie and Doyle.
And I think it's very hard to find that line between 'too much' and 'right'. Especially because a writer with a strong female character in a story, is always on the edge to be thrown into the pothole with all those so called Mary Sues... :-P
Yes, and I do think that Lisa might have been a bit of a Mary Sue. Granted she's Russian military, so she should be strong and smart, but... let's just say that I bet the author's a Bodie fan. *g*

"...Bodie was also a bit too super-Bodie for my liking..."
I can't agree here. Bodie is hurt and weak and really no superman here. As you pointed out, the focus is on the woman.
For me it's the whole wounded-but-can't-possibly-rest thing. Maybe I've just read too much of it...

Like I said, it wasn't a bad story or anything, but it wasn't what I'm looking for in Pros fic. *g*

From:

siskiou.livejournal.com

It's so nice to have some story discussion again!

I remember reading the story and being disappointed.
We were "told" that Bodie cares for Doyle, but "shown" that he was very attracted to Lisa. I had the impression at the end, that their relationship would continue.
It felt to me as if Doyle was "gotten out of the way" by the author, so the story could concentrate on Lisa, and Bodie.

I'll read the other stories as soon as I have a moment. The titles don't sound familiar at all.

Edited Date: 2018-04-20 12:18 am (UTC)

From:

byslantedlight.livejournal.com

That's exactly how I felt about it, sadly...

From:

firlefanzine.livejournal.com

"...so if one of them is unconscious throughout a story, and the story focuses on the original female story, then it's not what I'm looking for in my Pros fic!"
Ok, I agree! ;-)
But it can be beautiful from a good writer. Just look at 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller' by P.R.Zed.
Doyle isn't even there and we have this wonderful Brenda in it. ;-)

From:

byslantedlight.livejournal.com

Just look at 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller' by P.R.Zed.
Okay, I found that one. I'd still prefer Doyle there, although I can read it with just Bodie - but for me it's not quite the same. It's 1000 words, barely a snippet really, whereas Bread Upon the Waters is 6000+ and has an actual plot. But no Doyle!

Plus... you really lost me at Doyle isn't even there, which was kind of my point! It's like... I know that Catch 22 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22) is supposed to be an amazing novel, but I've just never been able to get into it, it's just not my thing. Same with Pros stories where Doyle isn't even there...

From:

firlefanzine.livejournal.com

Just go and read '...traveller' again and tell me there is no Doyle in it(though he isn't even there)...
There is not one moment, Bodie isn't thinking of him!

THAT makes the difference!

Edited Date: 2018-04-22 10:13 pm (UTC)

From:

byslantedlight.livejournal.com

Yeah, but like I said above it's not quite the same as the situation in Bread Upon the Waters. In 1000 words a person thinking about someone else can sometimes add up to two people. In 6000+ words, a person who thinks about someone but snogs someone else three times and ends up holding their hand in the back of a car while the first person is left on their own... is a bit different.

From:

gilda-elise.livejournal.com

Well, of course for anything by Jessebee or Jojo, though for some reason I didn't have either of these stories saved, so I'll have to read them again. *g* Hadn't heard about Carmenamatorium either, so I'm looking forward to reading that, too.

From:

byslantedlight.livejournal.com

You're quite right, you must read those fics again! *g* Actually that's how I went back to them - I was going back through Pros posted to A03, and downloading my favourite authors, and a few experimental new ones... *g*