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Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 05:07:54 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Debby Stark <debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: Badfic <g>
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That was so bad I could taste it (the story, not the chicken,
I'm mostly a vegetarian).

All I have left to say is more--MORE! Yes, write more, right now.

Your fan,

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
fan

who suggests you post it to the general fanfic writers lists
to show all those people who write for "anime" and "transformers"

     yeah, "huh?"

what *real* fanfic writers can do!

     ...okay, when *real* fanfic are drunk maybe, but still!
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Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 05:53:47 -0600
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From:         Debby Stark <debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
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At 10:24 PM 5/28/98 -0400, Gary wrote:

[snip]

>Well this Nfic reader is mildly confused...

I was complaining on IRC how all the nfic that doesn't have an A plot seems
all the same to me. This excludes Molly's brilliant, creative efforts, of
course. Why not try something different? I typed. Why not... Clark
interested in
sexual intercourse only, oh, 20 minutes each month?

Perhaps due to the ensuing uproar, I failed to add that he'd be interested
in cuddling, but beyond that... it just wasn't his time of month.

At my initial suggestion, IRCers were appauled and proceeded to tell me that
their sex lives were thrilling, not boring!

But for L&C it's the same thing every time, said I. Yawn city. L&C are
happy, fulfilled, satisfied, gushy--every time. They have perfect sex every
time. Like Zoom and Mr. Zoom (hey, that's what she claimed).

You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
newsworthy. For me, it's a dead end. Where's the conflict and adventure if
it's perfect every time?

Okay, admittedly, I'm *way* behind in my reading, and my wish for, well,
something truly interesting to happen to L&C while they're having fun may
have been answered.

So, that's the story... which is: where's the story?

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 11:01:44 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         No Name Available <Attalanta@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fanfic Review, "Meet Me in Kansas City"
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Chris wrote:
<< I hope you all didn't mind that I shared some of my thought processes and
behind the scenes stuff with you.

This was a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading more discussions about
other fanfics.>>

I agree- this is a lot of fun and personally, I like that you shared your
behind the scenes stuff with us. I know I usually put a lot of myself in the
characters that I write, and I'm sure other people do, too, and it's nice to
hear *where* it is. When you don't know someone very well (or not at all),
you
can't know where they put their personal experiences and feelings in the
story. I think it enriches the story when you as a reader know what the
author
was thinking when they wrote it.

Sandy wrote:
<< Jeez, why can't I drum up this interest in my own work?  Ah-h-h well,
what
can I say.  It's my lot in life.  Always doing for others.  Never thinking
of
myself....>>

Since I'm a big fan of Sandy's writing, I went back to check the stories of
hers that I have saved, and, besides the S5 episode, they're all nfic. Hm...
Is it okay to discuss "tame" portions of nfic on the list or not? Or maybe
I'll have to reread the S5 episode...

-Christy
 Attalanta@aol.com
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Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 11:08:58 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Gary <gar8434@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU>
Subject:      NFIC rated (Re: once a month...)
In-Reply-To:  <2.2.16.19980529045500.2687298c@swcp.com>
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At 05:53 AM 5/29/98 -0600, you wrote:
>At 10:24 PM 5/28/98 -0400, Gary wrote:
>
>[snip]
>
>>Well this Nfic reader is mildly confused...
>
>I was complaining on IRC how all the nfic that doesn't have an A plot seems
>all the same to me. This excludes Molly's brilliant, creative efforts, of
>course. Why not try something different? I typed. Why not... Clark
>interested in
>sexual intercourse only, oh, 20 minutes each month?
>
>Perhaps due to the ensuing uproar, I failed to add that he'd be interested
>in cuddling, but beyond that... it just wasn't his time of month.
>
A meeting of 'Men Who Want to Cuddle' Anonymous:
 "Uh, Hi, my name is Clark, and I like to cuddle."
"Hi, Clark!" <group hug>

>At my initial suggestion, IRCers were appauled and proceeded to tell me
that
>their sex lives were thrilling, not boring!
>
Well, mediorce sex is better than no sex at all...

>But for L&C it's the same thing every time, said I. Yawn city. L&C are
>happy, fulfilled, satisfied, gushy--every time. They have perfect sex every
>time. Like Zoom and Mr. Zoom (hey, that's what she claimed).
>
I wouldn't say it's perfect, more like NHL Hockey, the fastest thing on ice.
If you count only the duration of coitus, then they do only have 20 minutes
each month. And yet somehow they're sweaty, breathing heavy and shivering?
And speaking of stealth orgasms...anyone who can tell me what the true name
and use of the mini-soccer balls the guy had in "The Source" will get a
guaranteed to win a Kerth Award (n)fic idea.

>You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
>newsworthy. For me, it's a dead end. Where's the conflict and adventure if
>it's perfect every time?
>
I agree, they don't fight enough.

>Okay, admittedly, I'm *way* behind in my reading, and my wish for, well,
>something truly interesting to happen to L&C while they're having fun may
>have been answered.
>
There have been a few good ones, such as "F**k the Kerths".

>So, that's the story... which is: where's the story?
>
>Debby
>Debby@swcp.com
>

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu <http://www.rit.edu/~gar8434> |
|  "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH  |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 13:08:36 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Sandra McDermin <SMcDermi@NAS.EDU>
Subject:      FR: "MMIKC," "YEMK," + "the kitchen sink"
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> I can almost "see" Lois studying fiercely in her room trying to drown out
her parent's bitter arguments until she, too, finally opted out by leaving,
putting a distance between herself and anyone who could hurt her.
Dysfunctional families sometimes produce super-achieving children just for
these very reasons.<

Gary said:
>>>I can see the public service anouncement now...
"Help your child do well in school, fight with your spouse in front of
them."<<<

Ha!

Well, since Chris brought up something personal with regard to her story,
I'll bring up something personal regarding my response to Genevieve's
story.  Although my family does not mirror Lois' specifically -- nor my
upbringing -- I did have somewhat of a dysfunctional childhood (who
hasn't?) and I did use school as an escape.  I was a pretty high achiever,
but I don't think it had as much to do with natural intelligence as it did
with self-protection to get away from "family problems" and the
less-than-ideal environment I was raised in.  Reading was a big escape for
me too -- to the point where my grandmother once threatened to throw all my
books away.  Imagine that, having a grandmother complain that her
granddaughter was reading too much!<g> Well, to give my grandmother her
due, I think that she was afraid I would have no social skills if I didn't
interact with anyone....  And, she was right.   I have no social skills.<g>

By the way, if you want to know a little bit about my feelings about my
upbringing, you'll find it in the Marigold character in "Charity Begins at
Home".  A good friend of mine read the story and saw the connection
immediately.  (And, there I was thinking I was being clever.)

Here are two excerpts that I think tipped my friend off:

>>   "I don't mean to sound so melodramatic," Marigold continued with a coy
smile, "but I grew up on the mean streets of New York and dragged myself
out of the gutter through a combination of stubbornness and smarts. Midwest
State University was like another world to me, and, I must admit, I both
resented the people I found there *and* the life they lived.  At the root
of it, I suppose, was a certain amount of jealousy." Marigold's eyes, which
had been primarily focused on Clark swept over Lois. "You see, most of the
people I met there had something I wanted."
     Lois raised a brow, fancying that she could guess just what that
something might be ... *or who*.  "Such as," she innocently prompted.
     "*Oh*, stable families, a sense of community, a safety net of love and
caring."
     "Marigold, you would never have become the dynamic, successful person
you have without the obstacles you faced growing up.  Adversity isn't *all*
bad," Clark reminded her.<<

BIG SNIP

      >>.... Clark told me of your past -- of the rough times your family
had
while you were growing up, the handouts they had to take.  I thought you
*of all people* would understand the need these people have."
      "I understand it, and when I was growing up, I resented it.  I
resented always having to ask for things, always having to be grateful.
The government, the rich, even your so-called "do gooders", they talk about
the importance of charity, and then they turn around and condemn the very
same people they claim to want to help -- condemn them for being lazy,
shiftless, morally bankrupt, you name it," she said, her bitterness
fighting with her tears.  "When I finally clawed my way out of poverty, I
promised I would never look back....<<

***********
Chris said:
>><Psst! Sandy, the check's in the mail, my dear ;-)><<

I could use it.  I just bought some new furniture.  New furniture, but *no*
computer.  What in the world's wrong with me? <g>

>>"Meet Me in Kansas City" came about for a lot of reasons.  I've always
liked the Clark character more than the Superman character,<<

Same with me.  I liked that about your story.

>> A very "early years" story didn't feel right to me, and besides I don't
think I could compete with Margaret Brignell's stories in that vein.  They
are really great.  She has a wonderful "feel" for what young boys and men
are like, as I've told her before, and I'm glad she shares that with us.<<

I agree.  I thought about doing something along these lines, only dealing
with Clark and Lois' son -- a little boy who begins to suspect that he's
Superman's son (not *Clark's* son but Superman's) and charmingly tries to
follow in his "father's" footsteps.  I thought I could make it cute and
funny -- a little Super"man" rescuing birds and puppy dogs -- but with an
underlying bit of melodrama over his mistaken belief that the daddy he has
always known is not really his daddy.

>> One other thing in the Pilot that I will mention as a clue which I think
helps prove Lois has already begun to trust Clark: when she tells him that
she's broken all three of her rules.  She
didn't have to do that, and she certainly didn't have to go into the detail
that she does.  It's obviously not an easy thing for her to talk about and
yet she tells this guy, whom she's only know for two days, one of the most
intimate details of her life. Why would she do that if there wasn't already
some connection between them? <<

Well, actually I chalked up Lois' "gregariousness" here to the fact that
she was very angry and let herself get carried away.  You know how it is
when you're very upset about something and you let yourself go on and on,
saying more than you ever meant to.  I do that *all* the time.  Anyway, as
you point out, Lois was very regretful the next day.

>>Sandy and I had a great time talking over L&C, fanfic writing and writing
in general one afternoon.  I wish I'd been able to spend more time visiting
with more FoLCs.<<

Yes, I enjoyed that a great deal to.  I especially liked that we were able
to talk one on one.  To be perfectly honest, I'm a pretty shy person, and I
don't do crowds well.

>>I can understand what you're saying there, Sandy.  Maybe you're right
about that, but when I was writing it and seeing in my mind what Lois was
seeing, it didn't seem too far-fetched to me that she would believe him.  I
could picture her getting all these "clues" together on some subconscious
level and then having it all gel while Clark was telling her about his home
planet, etc.  I felt that all the details he was able to give her--his
parents' names, the name of the planet,
the red sun vs. yellow sun stuff--would lend a certain authenticity to the
whole story.<<

But, you know -- sometimes people who are "off the deep end", so to speak,
have a very rich, detailed imaginary life.  They can describe that
spaceship down to the last rivet<g>.  (I keep thinking of those cult
members who killed themselves to get to "the next level".)

>>I'm glad you shared with me what worked for you, Sandy, and what didn't
because it's a great way for me to learn.  I also very much appreciated
what Zoom, Donna, Erin and Melissa had to say about MMIKC.  As Erin so
rightfully put it, we writers "LIVE" for feedback. :-) I hope you all
didn't mind that I shared some of my thought processes and behind the
scenes stuff with you.<<

Well, I think this kind of discussion -- as well as discussions about
outlines, POV, character sketches, writing from a "personal" POV vs.
journalistic writing -- is what *makes* a writing list.  It doesn't even
matter if you're not writing about L&C.  I'm very happy that you showed up.

Sandy
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 13:58:49 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         No Name Available <Larus2407@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: FR: "MMIKC," "YEMK," + "the kitchen sink"
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In a message dated 98-05-29 13:07:44 EDT, you write:

<< I agree.  I thought about doing something along these lines, only dealing
 with Clark and Lois' son -- a little boy who begins to suspect that he's
 Superman's son (not *Clark's* son but Superman's) and charmingly tries to
 follow in his "father's" footsteps.  I thought I could make it cute and
 funny -- a little Super"man" rescuing birds and puppy dogs -- but with an
 underlying bit of melodrama over his mistaken belief that the daddy he has
 always known is not really his daddy. >>

So, Sandy, are you going to write this one or leave it for someone else? I'm
just curious cause it sounds like one I'd very much like to read; as you
know,
I don't write.

--Laurie (who also read a lot as a kid, and whose mother actually told her
as
a teenager that she didn't have any social skills)
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 14:12:28 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Gary <gar8434@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: FR: "MMIKC," "YEMK," + "the kitchen sink"
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At 01:08 PM 5/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>> I can almost "see" Lois studying fiercely in her room trying to drown out
>her parent's bitter arguments until she, too, finally opted out by leaving,
>putting a distance between herself and anyone who could hurt her.
>Dysfunctional families sometimes produce super-achieving children just for
>these very reasons.<
>
>Gary said:
>>>>I can see the public service anouncement now...
>"Help your child do well in school, fight with your spouse in front of
>them."<<<
>
>Ha!
>
>Well, since Chris brought up something personal with regard to her story,
>I'll bring up something personal regarding my response to Genevieve's
>story.  Although my family does not mirror Lois' specifically -- nor my
>upbringing -- I did have somewhat of a dysfunctional childhood (who
>hasn't?) and I did use school as an escape.  I was a pretty high achiever,
>but I don't think it had as much to do with natural intelligence as it did
>with self-protection to get away from "family problems" and the
>less-than-ideal environment I was raised in.
>
Me too, except I was raised in an ideal environment, so I guess that makes
me overly emotionally sensitive. I remember in kindergarten figuring that
if you don't do well in school you get yelled at and if you do well you are
pretty much left alone. And, frankly, that's the way I like it.

>Reading was a big escape for
>me too -- to the point where my grandmother once threatened to throw all my
>books away.  Imagine that, having a grandmother complain that her
>granddaughter was reading too much!<g> Well, to give my grandmother her
>due, I think that she was afraid I would have no social skills if I didn't
>interact with anyone....  And, she was right.   I have no social skills.<g>
>
>

Same here. Most kids get grounded for punishment, I got thrown out of the
house.
Being sent to my room wasn't punishment for me, I'd just read a book.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu <http://www.rit.edu/~gar8434> |
|  "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH  |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 16:44:47 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         The Zoomway <Zoomway@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
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In a message dated 98-05-29 07:54:04 EDT, debby@SWCP.COM writes:

<< At my initial suggestion, IRCers were appauled and proceeded to tell me
that
 their sex lives were thrilling, not boring! >>

Whoa, I gotta make a serious correction here<g>  What Debby said was that
"orgasms" were boring<g>   I don't think anyone on the channel would have
been
'appauled' had Debby said that sex or 'perfect sex' or whatever could be
boring, but the orgasm -- well, I can't imagine that being boring, sorry, I
just can't.  It's not like climbing Mt Everest, you don't desire it just
once
to prove you can make the conquest<g>  Sex itself can be like 'Everest'
(there's a metaphor for ya ;) in that sometimes you're not in the mood, but
you don't want to let your partner (excuse the expression) down.  The "big
O"
is not always achieved.  But with Clark ("making you happy makes me happy")
Kent and Lois ("If you only knew how different you are from other men")
Lane,
I get the feeling Clark tries to make sure Lois achieves that elusive event
as
often as possible<g>

>>>They have perfect sex every
time. Like Zoom and Mr. Zoom (hey, that's what she claimed).<<<

Deb, thanks for giving me an excuse to use one of may favorite Lois Lane
lines
regarding Clark Kent ;)

Elise:  "Look, Ms. Lane, if you've found the perfect man, then I'm
happy for you."

Lois:  "No, he's about as far from perfect as you get, but I'll tell
you the difference between him and Calvin. I know that he puts
my happiness above his own."

That about sums up how I feel about my husband, though I wouldn't have
distanced him quite as far from "perfect"<g>  The point is, I can't think of
many women who wouldn't rather have a "generous" lover even over a handsome
lover, or well built lover, etc. And by generous I mean a man who makes sure
that his partner gets just as much out of the lovemaking as he gets out of
it
because it means a lot to him that she be satisfied too, because he loves
her.

>>>You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
newsworthy.<<<

Fortunately I don't read nfic for "newsworthiness"<g>  However, the same
could
be said of a lot of "vignette" style fanfic.  If it has no A plot, where is
the story?  But straight B plot fanfic is very popular whether it fits in
one
e-mail or twenty, and I think that it then becomes a credit to the story
teller regarding how much joy is garnered from the vignette more than what
actually is transpiring in the vignette. There's a ton of revelations
stories
in the archive, and so you could as easlily say "another revelation -- yawn"
but how the stories get to that point is what makes them singular and worthy
in and of themselves.

I've read outrageously funny nfic, very lusty nfic (believe it or not, not
all
nfic has a 'lusty' quality ;) bizarre nfic and nfic where Lois and Clark
seem
way out of character, but I don't lump all of the nfic into a heap no more
than I would lump all fanfic into a heap.  When you do that, you're leaving
out the most important element, the writer.

>>Why not try something different? I typed. Why not... Clark
interested in sexual intercourse only, oh, 20 minutes each month?<<<

Well, I may be remembering the incident incorrectly since Julie was writing
nfic at the time, and I like to give my attention to the writer's efforts
(wooo ;), but to me it seemed as if you were saying that sex was boring and
that limiting it to once a month for say 20 minutes would somehow make it
more
special.  To me, each time Lois and Clark kissed, they seemed to be as
deeply
involved and into that moment as they were the first time they kissed, and I
feel their lovemaking would be the same way.  It is not 'boring' to them.
It
is only one of many ways they express their love for each other.

Zoomway@aol.com (who now understands how Lois could go psycho and trash a
super market<g> She was heard screaming "Just once a month!" as she turned
over the vegetable bins, and screamed "Only twenty minutes!" as she
defrosted
the entire freezer section ;)
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 18:08:54 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Annette Ciotola <AMCiotola@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
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In a message dated 5/29/98 4:46:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Zoomway@AOL.COM
writes:

<< >>>They have perfect sex every
 time. Like Zoom and Mr. Zoom (hey, that's what she claimed).<<<

 Deb, thanks for giving me an excuse to use one of may favorite Lois Lane
lines
 regarding Clark Kent ;)

 Elise:  "Look, Ms. Lane, if you've found the perfect man, then I'm
 happy for you."

 Lois:  "No, he's about as far from perfect as you get, but I'll tell
 you the difference between him and Calvin. I know that he puts
 my happiness above his own."

 That about sums up how I feel about my husband, though I wouldn't have
 distanced him quite as far from "perfect"<g>  The point is, I can't think
of
 many women who wouldn't rather have a "generous" lover even over a handsome
 lover, or well built lover, etc. And by generous I mean a man who makes
sure
 that his partner gets just as much out of the lovemaking as he gets out of
it
 because it means a lot to him that she be satisfied too, because he loves
her.

 >>>You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
 newsworthy.<<<
  >>

I just want to throw my $.02 here.

Talk about a discussion going full circle with a discussion. This excerpt
comes from one of my all time favorite fanfics. I think Chris hit it head on
about the definition of a perfect relationship in MmiKC. I don't know if
this
exactly fits in with this discussion but here goes <forgive me, Chris ;)>

***********************************
She kept her voice low and level, as if she were just telling a story.
"It's easy to get caught up in the moment, you see, and you
can forget that 'being perfect' isn't the same thing as being
perfect for you."
        Lois reached forward with her other hand, placing it at
his waist on his right side.  This time she heard a slight,
sharp intake of breath as she touched the damp fabric of his
shirt.  His eyes hadn't left her face, as if he were trying to
see into her soul, the way he had on the night they'd first
met.  This renewed openness on his part greatly encouraged
her.
        "That's what makes the inevitable disappointment that
much harder to bear, and it may take a while to understand
that while a Mr. Perfect is just a dream (and would probably
drive you insane if he *were* real), there's someone else who
may be as far from 'perfect' as you can get but ... he'll be
kind to you, and gentle with you.  He'll tease you and protect
you, and make you laugh ... and he *will* be perfect, because
he'll be perfect for you.  And then you'll know that *he's*
the one you want in your life."
*********************************

There is a difference between having the perfect (looking) relationship and
having the perfect significant other. This difference is finding the one
that's perfect for you. So, yes, maybe Lois and Clark seem to have the
perfect
relationship (or perfect sex every time) but to me that just means Lois and
Clark are perfect for each other and that's what I like reading about. It's
what keeps me coming back for more. I don't think it is at all boring.

Did I make any sense? <g>

Anne :) (who someday hopes to find the man (Dean?) who is perfect for her)

/me snaps outta her fantasy!
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 18:05:12 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         NO 1 Vicky <NO1Vicky@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Meet Me in Kansas City
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In a message dated 98-05-28 05:45:11 EDT, you write:

> At 02:28 PM 27/05/98 -1000, Jamee Jones wrote:
>  >Hi!
>  >
>  >With all this talk of the fic "Meet Me in Kansas City" I'm dying to read
>  >it.  I went to the archives and for some reason I can't get to that
>  >page.  It will only load as far as the "L's" then it comes up netscape
>  >error.  If possible can someone email this fic to me?  I would greatly
>  >appreciate it! :)
>  >
>  >Thanx,
>  >j-me
>
>  Are "me-toos" permitted on this list? <G>
>
How about me-threes?  My internet access is screwed up and I can't even get
to
the archive.
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 19:44:13 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Anne Carlson <ACdrift@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Carom/Carob
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In a message dated 98-05-28 22:31:26 EDT, you write:

<< Jeez, why can't I drum up this interest in my own work?  Ah-h-h well,
what
 can I say.  It's my lot in life.  Always doing for others.  Never thinking
 of myself.... >>

I was going to spend some time rereading "Love As a Blonde" and "Taken".  I
really enjoy your stories, Sandra. They are included in some of the few
fanfics that I have saved on disk.  I just feel like I have to do some
research in order to jump into your "Graduate Course of Fanfic Reviews".
You
have brought up some very interesting points in the two stories you have
reviewed so far.  Unfortunately, with report cards coming up and classroom
business to attend to,  I can't delve into this discussion like I want to
do.
Just two more weeks!  ( My current chant )

I catch up soon!
Anne (ACdrift@aol.com)
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 20:31:11 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Sandra McDermin <SMcDermi@NAS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: FR: "MMIKC," "YEMK," + "the kitchen sink"
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In a message dated 98-05-29 13:07:44 EDT, you write:

<< I agree.  I thought about doing something along these lines, only
dealing
 with Clark and Lois' son -- a little boy who begins to suspect that he's
 Superman's son (not *Clark's* son but Superman's) and charmingly tries to
 follow in his "father's" footsteps.  I thought I could make it cute and
 funny -- a little Super"man" rescuing birds and puppy dogs -- but with an
 underlying bit of melodrama over his mistaken belief that the daddy he has
 always known is not really his daddy. >>

>>>>So, Sandy, are you going to write this one or leave it for someone
else? I'm
just curious cause it sounds like one I'd very much like to read; as you
know,
I don't write.

--Laurie (who also read a lot as a kid, and whose mother actually told her
as
a teenager that she didn't have any social skills)<<<<

Well, I would very much like to write it, but, not being around children,
I'm not too confident about my ability to write them (even if I did manage
to bluff my way thru two other stories which had children in them<g>.)  My
first problem is I'm not very familiar with the "mental" ages of the
average child.  (Of course, *this* child would have to be very precocious.)
That is, the child in question would have to be old enough to have some
kind of complex thoughts about "his" parentage, i.e., be able to grasp the
general concept of illegitmacy -- even if he has it wrong.  He would also
have to be old enough to act upon his desires, i.e., get his hands on and
dress in a "Tiny Tots" Superman Halloween costume and act out the role.
However, he would also have to be young and innocent enough not to find
this activity ridiculous or "uncool".

What age would this be?  8?

To be honest, this story idea didn't start out this way.  If you want to
see how it started out, here is the text of a scene I began and abandoned
quite a while ago.  Only recently, have I revisited it and thought about
changing it to fit what I have outlined above.

                                  ******
     Jonny heard the older girls giggling, but he refused to acknowledge
them.  His best friend, Wyatt, was pulling his collection of action figures
>from a makeshift toybox and  setting them up for a dastardly attack on
Jonny's.  He tried to concentrate, but the girls high pitched voices
demanded his attention.
     "That's what I heard Mrs. Lankowski say," Rebecca informed her
playmate. "She told my mom that Jonny isn't Mr. Kent's son.  She said he's
Superman's illegal kid."
     "Illegal kid!  What's that?"  Wyatt's sister Kathleen asked.
     "You know!  When a lady has a baby without being married."
     "*Stu-u*pid!  Mrs. Kent is married!"
     "Well, I asked my sister and she said, like, illegal means that the
mom and dad aren't married *to each other.*  She said, like, Superman is
the dad and Mrs. Kent is the mom."
     "Like, really!" Kathleen giggled, her eyes widening.
     Jonny closed his ears to the words flowing passed.  He grimaced,
feeling a sharp tingling in the corners of his eyes.
     "Really!" Rebecca assured.
     Jonny swallowed heavily, looking over Wyatt's head to the whispering
girls before lashing out at the action figures laid out in front of him.
They tumbled over at the swipe of his hand.
     "He-e-y!"  Wyatt protested, but Jonny was already climbing to his feet
and barreling towards the two girls.
     "You're a liar, Rebecca!" Jonny shouted as he pushed passed them and
ran toward home.  Hauling open the back door of his house, he slammed it
behind him with every ounce of his strength causing his mother to spill the
soft drink she was pouring and quickly drawing his father's eyes from the
words of the Planet's sports columnist.
     "What the...?" Clark said, as Lois called to their son, making
tentative movements to follow.  The pounding of the stair steps told them
he wasn't listening, and Clark got up to scrambled after him, leaving Lois
behind.
     The shut door of Jonny's room looked just as unyielding as its
occupant could be, however, this was not an obstacle to such a father.

                                   *****

That's it.  I never got any further than that.
Sandy
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 20:30:26 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Pam Jernigan <jernigan@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

>> You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
newsworthy. For me, it's a dead end. Where's the conflict and adventure i=
f
it's perfect every time? <<

Well, you know, that's interesting... I was thinking about this in a
broader perspective (and I may be twisting Debby's meaning too far out of=

context; my apologies) and I disagree.

'Perfection' is what I look for, it's what I search out.  I suffered
through the less-than perfect times on the show, I loved the moments when=

perfection was achieved, however fleetingly.  A perfect kiss, a perfect
moment of understanding, perfect harmony between L&C.  Perfection isn't
permanent, but for me, it's the goal.  Some people love to see L&C fight,=
 I
understand that, and that's fine.  But I much prefer them when they're "i=
n
synch" <g>

(That's probably why I don't overmuch care for the Holy First Season - I
can see the potential for a perfect match but they can't, and they flail
around hurting each other and themselves.  It's a taste thing <shrug>)

So I like fanfic that takes the characters through a journey that lets
them achieve a moment of perfection, and I also like fanfic where the
journey is unseen and all we get is a vignette of perfect joy, or comfort=
,
or understanding, or trust.  (although I think I'm overusing the word
'perfect' here; this'll turn into badfic if I'm not careful <g>)

PJ
(who wants to contribute a fanfic review if only she could get time
and motivation together all at once...)

!^NavFont02F04C1000FMGJHG8DMG8FHKC3DD72

  E-mail from: Pam Jernigan, 29-May-1998
  jernigan@compuserve.com / ChiefPam on the IRC
~~~~~
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jernigan/folc.html
~~~~~
"Are you under the care of a qualified psychiatrist, Constable?" =

-- "The Ladies' Man", Due South
"Women and cats will do as they please and men and dogs =

should relax and get used to the idea." -- Robert A. Heinlein
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 22:25:32 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Gary <gar8434@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU>
Subject:      Vignette Fanfic: Watch Out
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        Clark Kent leaned against the doorway and watched his wife putting
her
jewelry on. He checked his watch. His new watch. Lois had given it to him
for his
birthday. A birthday that they were about to celebrate with dinner.

Lois looked over at her husband.

"I'm almost done."

Clark stopped staring at his watch.

"I'm not in a hurry, just looking at my present."

"Do you like it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Oh?"

"I mean, I liked my old watch, but I've tossed it aside in favor of this
one."

"I don't think you've hurt its feelings, Clark."

"No, it's not that, but I didn't want a new watch, wasn't expecting one.
But..."

"But?"

"But I like this one, not because it's better or new, but because it's a
gift, from you."

"Aww, that's sweet."

"No, it means I'm whipped." Clark sighed.

"Well that can be arranged for later tonight." Lois giggled.

"And that's another thing. You enjoy that more than I do, too."

"What?" Lois wasn't sure she heard Clark right.

"I give and I give but..."

"But what?"

"I don't know..."

"You don't know?! Clark what are you saying?"

"We're gonna be late for our reservations."

"Why would you want to eat with a woman who is smothering and selfish in
bed?!"

"Are you going to cry now?"

Lois did just that and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Fine. I wasn't hungry anyway."

Clark changed into the suit and went on patrol, and he took his old watch
with him.

************

"Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" By John Gray PhD
Chapter 6: Men Are Like Rubber Bands

"When a man loves a woman, periodically
 he needs to pull away before he can get closer."

"A man automatically alternates between needing intimacy
and autonomy."

"To a certain extent a man *loses* himself though
connecting with his partner."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu <http://www.rit.edu/~gar8434> |
|  "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH  |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 19:34:04 -0800
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Leanne Shawler <volterra@SD.ZNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: FR: "MMIKC," "YEMK," + "the kitchen sink"
In-Reply-To:  <3.0.1.16.19980529141228.4a5f8a5e@vmspop.isc.rit.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>At 01:08 PM 5/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>> I can almost "see" Lois studying fiercely in her room trying to drown
out
>>her parent's bitter arguments until she, too, finally opted out by
leaving,
>>putting a distance between herself and anyone who could hurt her.
>>Dysfunctional families sometimes produce super-achieving children just for
>>these very reasons.<
>>
>>Gary said:
>>>>>I can see the public service anouncement now...
>>"Help your child do well in school, fight with your spouse in front of
>>them."<<<
>>
>
>Same here. Most kids get grounded for punishment, I got thrown out of the
>house.
>Being sent to my room wasn't punishment for me, I'd just read a book.

Ye gods. Sandra gets yelled at by her gran for reading too much and Gary's
getting sent to his room is a luxury ....

And I didn't get yelled at (re: this -- there was some yelling f'sure) but
was often asked "Don't you *ever* get your head out of a book?" and "Don't
you *ever* leave your room?" and if I couldn't read, then I daydreamed. I
did a lot of that in the car (when I wasn't singing *very quietly* along to
ABBA) because we weren't allowed to distract Dad by talking/yelling/etc. I
outwitted my brothers in countless car games of "giraffe" (hey, who needs
to talk when you're *daydreaming*!) ... Heck, even when we went camping,
when I hit my teens I was less interested in trekking over the same old
grounds (we almost always went to the same place) than I was in re-reading
"Jane Eyre" in a stuffy tent. (I'd read outside until the March flies drove
me inside. Nasty buggers.)

*Anyway*, being sent to my room wasn't a punishment for me either. So Mum
had to resort to making me feel bad by saying "I'm very upset and
disappointed in you" etc etc .... Oh, and I was one of those who always had
to do her best in school -- although I hardly ever came first in anything.
(French and Ancient History)

Leanne
(who emigrated to the US from Australia with 24 or so boxes, easily half of
which were books she "couldn't" give up)

Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com)
Web Design: http://www.znet.com/~volterra/design/webdesign.html
Home Page: http://www.znet.com/~volterra/leanne.html
Midnight Dreaming: The Original Anthony Warlow Home Page:
http://www.zweb.com/volterra/anthony.html
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 20:43:36 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Debby Stark <debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Charity Begins on L&C Fanfic List (was Re: Carom/Carob)
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At 07:49 PM 5/28/98 -0400, Sandra McD wrote:

[big snip...]

>Jeez, why can't I drum up this interest in my own work?  Ah-h-h well, what
>can I say.  It's my lot in life.  Always doing for others.  Never thinking
>of myself....
>
>St. Sandra

Dear St. "S":

I just finished reading Charity Begins at Home (S5, #19) (I *said* I was
behind in my reading...). I have only one comment.

               Wow.

More?

               Stupendous.

More???

Geesh.

Okay.

I enjoyed all the detail. I enjoy the long, newsy, character-growing, action
and emotion and comedy-in-the-right-doses stories you write. You obviously
put a lot of time and thought into these efforts--to your readers' delight.

Your Lois is comical... but while this would be handled in a back-handed
manner by some (paid) writers, making Lois a buffoon and the butt of jokes,
you show us that in facing potential disaster that she is a strong and
resourceful person. The jokes (i.e,. the shower) may seem to be on her (she
was sure it would be a big joke), but somehow she fades aside so no cream
pies hit her. Instead, she rises under your patronage to see a silver
lining: her realization that the gifts were for a real baby--*her* real
baby. Before this all the other writers have had her happy at being
pregnant--but only now, in this one moment of this one story, did I have the
feeling that Lois at last realized what the heck was going on and that it
was really miraculous. Add to it that all the women around her really did
like her and really wanted to be there for her. That was so sweet! Later on
in the story she expressed this realization to Clark, doubling my reading
pleasure. I know we would never have seen anything like this wonderfulness
for Lois on the show (unless they contracted you to write it). Thank you.

Your Clark is big hearted. We already knew this, of course, but you reminded
us of this basic trait of his in several different, ingenious ways. You
bring up, expand upon and use the idea that he set up the Foundation to
distribute the wealth his image had generated (the show should have dealt
more with this...). The money will go for only good things even though there
might come a time when L&C need help. When he was affected by the red
Kryptonite, he became super acquisitive... not for himself but out of worry
for the future of his family (and even then, in fighting the RK's influence,
it was like he was, deep down inside, confident about that). His RK-induced
solution was to try to assure financial stability, though in several
unorthodox ways. Finally--and *at last*, in all the series--he faces his own
gullibility and wow has he been dunderheaded, gullible over the years, and
*not* all the time because of having a big heart... However, this time it
was because of his basic trust of people. Lois explores this, contrasting
him with herself (though she doesn't sound self pitying, whew). Then she
brings him back around in an honest, nonpatronizing, strengthening manner.
She also tells him what to do but in the end it's his decision. Great stuff.
S5 and TUFS writers have written many excellent scenes showing how and why
L&C make great partners and this was yet another of them.

I'm glad you had lots of women in the episode, allowing all of them at least
a few lines that reminded us of their complex characters: Cat as savvy
reporter and social observer; Betty as fun at parties--but quick to jump to
her friends' defense (I could almost hear her accent); Alice as having come
back to life and having fun at the party. Martha... lightly drawn (I liked
the brief scene in Lois's Jeep), and thank you for not overwhelming us with
her. Ellen... trying her darndest, holding her tongue when saying something
mean would have hurt others, and at last finding a job that really does suit
her strengths: her organizational skills and her fierce loyalty, both traits
that would scare Lex and Mindy combined. The Foundation is safe in her
hands. Bravo all around.

You did very well with Jimmy. As I read the various short scenes that he was
in, I thought that I should encourage you write a story focusing on him.
Consider yourself encourage. And, hey, think about write a story for Perry,
too. :)

I like how you write complex plots yet manage to make them all seem simple
and flowing. There's a kind of frenetic energy in the atmosphere you build.
I feel like I'm being pulled along and there's almost too much to see--and
yet I want to see it all. This is particularly true, for example, in the
scenes with Lois at the Daily Planet, trying to get her investigation in
gear, shouting at Jimmy, and Jimmy trying to second guess her to save time.
Your scenes with Clark and Superman don't have this same flavor, which is
good since neither of them are/he isn't that kind of person despite his
superspeed.

Dislikes...?

The Red Kryptonite plot made me nervous at first, but I realized eventually
this may be because I wasn't in the mood to read about anyone suffering.
This reticence on my part made me stretch the reading of #19 out over
several days, and each time I'd return to it hoping that L&C would figure
out quickly what was going on and get all that over with and get to the
shower/party ;) To my delight, you used Dr. Klein very well in solving the
mystery; the scenes at the lab saved the A plot for me :)

Well.

I hope you're happy now.

I am :)

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
who notes that there was just a commercial on Fox for Mad TV
on which they're going to do some kind of parody of Superman...
(on Saturday night's show, 5/30).
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 29 May 1998 23:15:23 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         No Name Available <Larus2407@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Charity Begins on L&C Fanfic List (was Re: Carom/Carob)
Mime-Version: 1.0
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In a message dated 98-05-29 22:43:59 EDT, Debby wrote:

<< I enjoyed all the detail. I enjoy the long, newsy, character-growing,
action
 and emotion and comedy-in-the-right-doses stories you write.  >>

See, Sandy, I told you this when you sent me the first part--this is why I
don't write. I can't do what you do so well--paint a moving picture in
words.
:)

--Laurie
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 05:33:31 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Debby Stark <debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
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At 04:44 PM 5/29/98 EDT, Zoomway wrote:

>In a message dated 98-05-29 07:54:04 EDT, debby@SWCP.COM writes:
>
><< At my initial suggestion, IRCers were appauled and proceeded to tell me
>that their sex lives were thrilling, not boring! >>
>
>Whoa, I gotta make a serious correction here<g>  What Debby said was that
>"orgasms" were boring<g>

I said, and I quote from my log:

     > some day L&C are *not* going to have perfect sex... then it
     will be interesting.

then a few moments later, I said:

     > What if, due to being an *alien*, Clark needs all the
     foreplay and Lois has to slow down?

then, a few moments after that, an IRCer who I won't identify here said...

     <____> I've read nfics where L&C don't have "perfect" sex.
     In fact, i kind of did that in "_______" a little, where
     Lois muses that it wasn't the most intense orgasm she's
     ever had, but it doesn't take away from the tenderness she
     feels for him.

to which I replied, using the word "orgasm" for the first time:

     > that's still sort of boring, __, that she has an orgasm
     every darn time...

Just setting the record straight from my POV and log. IRC connections and
speed may have caused Zoomway to get these words in a different order. Hey,
she might even have seen different words.

>I don't think anyone on the channel would have been
>'appauled' had Debby said that sex or 'perfect sex' or whatever could be
>boring, but the orgasm -- well, I can't imagine that being boring, sorry, I
>just can't.

Good for you. I didn't say that I thought you would find it boring for
yourself or that L&C would find it boring. I perhaps should have added
that I find the predictability of their perfect sex lives boring.

[snip]

>I get the feeling Clark tries to make sure Lois achieves that elusive event
as
>often as possible<g>

Good for him. That's normal and to be expected and it's not even boring.

But what if he failed? What if he had a string of failures? What if Lois
wasn't in the mood? What if it the results weren't so predictable, such
that the only thing that seems to change (in those Nfics I've read) is
the setting? What affect, if any, would some failure to perform, to satisfy
have on their relationship?

>>>>They have perfect sex every
>time. Like Zoom and Mr. Zoom (hey, that's what she claimed).<<<

>Deb, thanks for giving me an excuse to use one of may favorite Lois Lane
lines
>regarding Clark Kent ;)
>
>    Elise:  "Look, Ms. Lane, if you've found the perfect man, then I'm
>happy for you."
>    Lois:  "No, he's about as far from perfect as you get, but I'll tell
>you the difference between him and Calvin. I know that he puts
>my happiness above his own."

I'm sure she reflected long and hard upon that thought (for at least...
20 minutes?) after she realized that he let Lex take her away in
Double Jeopardy. :p

>That about sums up how I feel about my husband,

I'm glad for you. Your great feelings for Mr. Way don't change my opinion
about the predictability of many of the nfic stories I've read.

>>>>You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
>newsworthy.<<<
>
>Fortunately I don't read nfic for "newsworthiness"<g>  However, the same
could
>be said of a lot of "vignette" style fanfic.  If it has no A plot, where is
>the story?  But straight B plot fanfic is very popular whether it fits in
one
>e-mail or twenty,

Yes, I know. I'm happy for the writers and the readers.

>and I think that it then becomes a credit to the story
>teller regarding how much joy is garnered from the vignette more than what
>actually is transpiring in the vignette. There's a ton of revelations
stories
>in the archive, and so you could as easlily say "another revelation --
yawn"

And sometimes I have. Ditto with the wedding stories.

>but how the stories get to that point is what makes them singular and
worthy
>in and of themselves.

Most Nfic stories, from what I've read, don't go real far to reach any point
but the two main characters being really happy at the end.  In the other,
non
Nfic stories, the author usually tries to tell a story and rarely start out
with "Well, this story doesn't have an A plot at all--enjoy!"

>I've read outrageously funny nfic, very lusty nfic (believe it or not, not
all
>nfic has a 'lusty' quality ;) bizarre nfic and nfic where Lois and Clark
seem
>way out of character, but I don't lump all of the nfic into a heap no more
>than I would lump all fanfic into a heap.  When you do that, you're leaving
>out the most important element, the writer.

Don't count me in that "you". I admire all unpaid fanfic writers because it
takes a great deal of courage to post any story but most particular Nfic
stories. However, in posting, writers must realize that people are going to
read their stories and that people are going to form opinions about them.
I've formed an opinion about what seems to me to be the typical, predictable
outcome of Nfic stories: two happy people who have perfect sex nearly all
the time, and it would be 100% of the time if Jimmy or someone didn't rush
in and threaten to reveal things. Now whether you & Mr. Way could withstand
this kind of challenge with the same applomb as L&C, well...

>>>Why not try something different? I typed. Why not... Clark
>interested in sexual intercourse only, oh, 20 minutes each month?<<<

>Well, I may be remembering the incident incorrectly since Julie was writing
>nfic at the time, and I like to give my attention to the writer's efforts
>(wooo ;), but to me it seemed as if you were saying that sex was boring and
>that limiting it to once a month for say 20 minutes would somehow make it
more
>special.

What I said was (and I don't expect you to remember this, I just want to
help your memory and help the other readers along):

     > hmm, what if... Clark's sex drive was cyclical and he was
     interested, *really really interested* only about 20 minutes a
     month? hmm...

I didn't say "sex was boring", I said that Lois having an orgasm every time
was sort of boring. I didn't say limiting CK's being really, really
interested to 20 minutes a month would make it more special, I said "what
if...", continuing on my earlier "what if"s. Perhaps I should have enlarged
upon what "it" could be--anything from cuddling to the intercourse and an
orgasm for him--but IRC was slow for me that night.

>To me, each time Lois and Clark kissed, they seemed to be as deeply
>involved and into that moment as they were the first time they kissed, and
I
>feel their lovemaking would be the same way.  It is not 'boring' to them.

And did I say that this was? No. I said that her having an orgasm every time
was sort of boring. Indeed, perfection is boring.

On the other hand, striving for perfection is not boring and telling stories
about the striving, the efforts, the set backs, the little victories and the
big ones... all that, that's what I find interesting.

>It is only one of many ways they express their love for each other.

Yep. I'd never argue that.

>Zoomway@aol.com (who now understands how Lois could go psycho and trash a
>super market<g> She was heard screaming "Just once a month!" as she turned
>over the vegetable bins, and screamed "Only twenty minutes!" as she
defrosted
>the entire freezer section ;)

Yes! That's it! See how interesting *that* is? What if, on top of Clark not
telling her first that he was Supes before proposing, he waited until after
the wedding (the 2nd one, not the chicken one) to mention that he was
"*really really interested* only about 20 minutes a month? hmm..."

Would she divorce him? Would she love him any the less? Would she... learn
to cook?

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
finally reading something interesting
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 14:13:59 EDT
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         No Name Available <Attalanta@AOL.COM>
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<< Zoomway@aol.com (who now understands how Lois could go psycho and trash a
super market<g> She was heard screaming "Just once a month!" as she turned
over the vegetable bins, and screamed "Only twenty minutes!" as she
defrosted
the entire freezer section ;) >>

Debby wrote:
 < Yes! That's it! See how interesting *that* is? What if, on top of Clark
not
telling her first that he was Supes before proposing, he waited until after
the wedding (the 2nd one, not the chicken one) to mention that he was
"*really
really interested* only about 20 minutes a month? hmm..."

 Would she divorce him? Would she love him any the less? Would she... learn
to
cook?>

And of course, some months those 20 minutes would have to come at some
pretty
inopportune times <g> -- at the Planet, during a Super rescue, when Lois &
Clark are having dinner with Sam or Ellen...

-Christy
 Attalanta@aol.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 16:35:52 EDT
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         The Zoomway <Zoomway@AOL.COM>
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In a message dated 98-05-30 07:33:51 EDT, debby@SWCP.COM writes:

<< I said, and I quote from my log:

      > some day L&C are *not* going to have perfect sex... then it
      will be interesting. >>

But see, there have been stories where that has been true, but if you had
nothing but stories where they never had 'perfect sex' (whatever that is
exactly ;) then that would be likewise boring.  It's why I loved the mild
blooper they left in Soulmates where Clark (dressed as Superman) sets Lois
on
the bed, and then he starts to make his move, only to find his cape is
caught
on his boots and Dean has to strain a bit to try and free the cape and Teri
finds it amusing.  It demonstrates, in a genlte way, some of the foibles one
might encounter bedding a superhero who is dressed in full turnout gear<g>

>>then a few moments later, I said:

     > What if, due to being an *alien*, Clark needs all the
     foreplay and Lois has to slow down?<<<

Clark's 'alieness' has definitely been used in nfic stories.  However, if
you're going to set up a scenario where sex sounds or seems more
entertaining
for just Clark, or at the very least sounds like Lois has to 'do all the
work'
so to speak, then there would have to be a likewise sufficient payoff for
Lois
if we're to have the woman who attacks Clark in elevators or while cooking
breakfast be believable<g>

>>then, a few moments after that, an IRCer who I won't identify here said...

     <____> I've read nfics where L&C don't have "perfect" sex.
     In fact, i kind of did that in "_______" a little, where
     Lois muses that it wasn't the most intense orgasm she's
     ever had, but it doesn't take away from the tenderness she
     feels for him.<<<<

Actually that's true, and very good, though it's the same as Lois's "great
date" with Clark ... "it wasn't the wildest or the funniest ..."   It
doesn't
always have to reach the "pie in the sky summit" but that it is the two of
them, I think that's why it makes it 'perfect' even if it isn't the most
'intense' every single time.  Julie wrote one where Lois literally passed
out
and it scared Clark, so that was 'intense' but not necessarily something
Clark
would like to see happen often<g>

>>>to which I replied, using the word "orgasm" for the first time:

     > that's still sort of boring, __, that she has an orgasm
     every darn time<<<

As was discussed above, the "big O" isn't always created equal and just
because one occurs doesn't necessarily mean it was 'perfect' and even that
is
subjective in itself.  Maybe it's perfect for Lois because it is Clark, and
vice versa, and nothing reaally more deep than that ;)

>>Good for him. That's normal and to be expected and it's not even boring.

But what if he failed? What if he had a string of failures? What if Lois
wasn't in the mood? What if it the results weren't so predictable, such
that the only thing that seems to change (in those Nfics I've read) is
the setting? What affect, if any, would some failure to perform, to satisfy
have on their relationship?<<<<

Have you read Sheila Harper's nfic version of A Shot in the Dark?  I'm
assuming you haven't from the above paragraph and you really might want to
give it a read.  Lois was paralyzed by a gunshot wound, but of course Clark
still loves her, and is still sexually attracted to her, but he's afraid to
make a first move, and Lois reads that as disinterest, and that he no longer
finds her sexually attractive.  It's a sensitive subject handled
exceptionally
by Sheila.  However, you ask what if Clark tried "but what if he failed" ...
I
think the fact that he tried means he didn't fail ;)

>>I'm sure she reflected long and hard upon that thought (for at least...
20 minutes?) after she realized that he let Lex take her away in
Double Jeopardy. :p<<<

Wow, until you typed in 'Double Jeopardy' I thought you were talking about
the
first season finale<g>

>>>Most Nfic stories, from what I've read, don't go real far to reach any
point
but the two main characters being really happy at the end.  In the other,
non
Nfic stories, the author usually tries to tell a story and rarely start out
with "Well, this story doesn't have an A plot at all--enjoy!"<<<<

Since when?<g>  I mean we had a long thread here on Meet Me in Kansas City,
and that very long story has no A plot and yet fans voted for it repeatedly
in
I believe six categories and it won in every single category it was
nominated
for.  Lois and Clark as a television series was character-driven, as opposed
to say Mission Impossible, which was probably as plot-driven as you could
get,
and so L&C fanfic mostly becomes a character study just as was the case on
the
series.  To me, everything else was backdrops and props on the series. If
the
characters don't ring true in a fanfic story, then I don't care about the A
plot because for me, the author missed the boat.

At it's best, Lois and Clark would have a 'premise' that the writer wanted
to
explore, and so an A plot (whether deep, flimsy, or humorous) would be built
to accommodate that desired premise exploration.  Premise: How would Lois
and
Clark interact in a situation of forced intimacy? Exploration: Honeymoon in
Metropolis.   Premise: How would Clark and Lois react if Lois suddenly
started
chasing after Clark?  Exploration: Pheromone, My Lovely.  Once Lois and
Clark
started building their romantic relationship, then a premise could be
reused,
but the bar was lifted higher in order to explore the added dynamic of their
relationship. The forced intimacy premise was used again, but with Lois
agreeing to date Clark, and thus the idea that she's 'interested' in the guy
with the glasses, The Phoenix becomes more intense.  I have read some good
plots or well-drawn villains in fanfic, but as with the series, how well
this
works for me in any given story, is how well the writer captures the
characters from the series.  A few writers freely admit that their Lois and
Clark only bears a cursory resemblance to the couple from the TV series,
that's fine, but if that's what they want to do, why not just rename them
Tilly and Gus?<g>

>>>However, in posting, writers must realize that people are going to
read their stories and that people are going to form opinions about them.
I've formed an opinion about what seems to me to be the typical, predictable
outcome of Nfic stories<<<<

I think there are fans who don't like certain genres, you don't like nfic
because the few you've read were 'predictable' from your point of view.  I
don't like 'deathfic', but I did read one that I found quite good.  Fan
tastes
are just gonna be vary ;)

>>>Yes! That's it! See how interesting *that* is? What if, on top of Clark
not
telling her first that he was Supes before proposing, he waited until after
the wedding (the 2nd one, not the chicken one) to mention that he was
"*really really interested* only about 20 minutes a month? hmm..."<<<<

Oh boy, then have we got a badfic for you<g>  It has the 20 minutes and
everything! Woo hoo ;)

Zoomway@aol.com (and charades! ;)
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 14:18:56 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "K.C. Boyd" <miracles4me@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: FR:
Content-Type: text/plain

Sandy wrote:
>Well, since Chris brought up something personal with regard to her
story, I'll bring up something personal regarding my response to
Genevieve's story.<
What story?  I thought I had read all of chris's stories and I have no
Idea what started this conversation.
A very confused K.C.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 14:22:08 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Sara Kraft <likemoo@AZSTARNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
Mime-Version: 1.0
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<snip>
>
>And of course, some months those 20 minutes would have to come at some
pretty
>inopportune times <g> -- at the Planet, during a Super rescue, when Lois &
>Clark are having dinner with Sam or Ellen...

Hmmmm...

At the Planet:
    "Lois, I'm hungry, Let's go out to lunch.  *Now*"
    "Now?  It's 9 in the morning?"
   "Yes, now. RIGHT NOW"

Now THAT would be interesting. <eg>

Sara
---------------------
Sara Kraft
likemoo@azstarnet.com
<http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/3192>

~~~  Triumph is just a little umph added to TRY. ~~~~~

-----------------------------
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 08:43:29 +1000
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Jenny Stosser <jenerate@OZRAMP.NET.AU>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
In-Reply-To:  <199805302122.OAA13745@cepheus.azstarnet.com>
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Gary:
there's a story written by Mackteach where Lois has a headache and is just
*not* interested, even though Clark is very interested...  Ask for "Read my
lips".  Mind you, I had permission to show the story to Joe and he *still*
didn't get the point <G>
--
Jenny Stosser -*- jenerate@ozramp.net.au -*- (Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC)
-*- My ICQ# is 11477318 -*- This message is umop ap!sdn -*-
Photos of David (5) and Megan (2) on the Stosser Family HomePage:
http://geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4583  Please sign our guestbook!
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 18:46:25 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Debby Stark <debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: NFIC rated (Re: once a month...)
Mime-Version: 1.0
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At 11:08 AM 5/29/98 -0400, you wrote:

[snip]

>A meeting of 'Men Who Want to Cuddle' Anonymous:
>"Uh, Hi, my name is Clark, and I like to cuddle."
>"Hi, Clark!" <group hug>

prologue:

     location: Daily Planet, Perry's office

     Perry - I've got an assignment for you, Clark. I want you to
investigate this new outfit, [tosses local weekly newspaper on desk; it's
opened to the tiny-print "Personals" pages] Cuddlers Anonymous. Sounds
suspiscious to me.
     Clark - Me, Chief?
     Perry - Yep. I took a poll of all the women in the office. 98% of them
think you're the most cuddleable man in the building.
     Clark - Huh?
     Perry - Yeah, yeah - but I came in a close second! If anyone needs to
be cured of this, um, affliction, it looks like it's you. Get out there and
investigate.
     Lois - But put in some practice first, eh?

>>At my initial suggestion, IRCers were appauled and proceeded to tell me
that
>>their sex lives were thrilling, not boring!

>Well, mediorce sex is better than no sex at all...

I'm not going there...

[snip]

>And speaking of stealth orgasms...anyone who can tell me what the true name
>and use of the mini-soccer balls the guy had in "The Source" will get a
>guaranteed to win a Kerth Award (n)fic idea.

I beleve the man's name was Wick and I believe the soccer balls may have
been a variant on the Chinese "Baoding" iron balls. They are metalic and
have a kind of bell inside. The user takes both in one hand and rolls them
around. They touch various accupressure points and promote healing.

The bell inside sounds like "bao-ding" while the balls are moving, and the
metal of each exterior, clashing together, also makes an interesting sound.
For the show, I suspect they used some other kind of no-sound ball-shaped
prop.

>>You see, L&C's perfection is not interesting to me; I don't find it
>>newsworthy. For me, it's a dead end. Where's the conflict and adventure if
>>it's perfect every time?

>I agree, they don't fight enough.

I don't want them to fight unless it's a logical consequence of what's
happening in the story. I would like to see some "conflict" as a way of
showing that the story is dealing with people who are different from each
other and not in predictably sync 110% of the time.

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
who will read all the stories eventually...
hopefully before installing Win98 :)
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 21:18:00 EDT
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Mar Smith <MarBrian@AOL.COM>
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The story in question (Chris') is "Meet Me In Kanas City"
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 23:57:18 -0300
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Vanessa <vsantana@BR.HOMESHOPPING.COM.BR>
Subject:      Re: NFIC rated (Re: once a month...)
Mime-Version: 1.0
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At 18:46 30/05/98 -0600, you wrote:
>At 11:08 AM 5/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>And speaking of stealth orgasms...anyone who can tell me what the true
name
>>and use of the mini-soccer balls the guy had in "The Source" will get a
>>guaranteed to win a Kerth Award (n)fic idea.
>
>I beleve the man's name was Wick and I believe the soccer balls may have
>been a variant on the Chinese "Baoding" iron balls. They are metalic and
>have a kind of bell inside. The user takes both in one hand and rolls them
>around. They touch various accupressure points and promote healing.
>
>The bell inside sounds like "bao-ding" while the balls are moving, and the
>metal of each exterior, clashing together, also makes an interesting sound.
>For the show, I suspect they used some other kind of no-sound ball-shaped
prop.
>

Actually they say that the ball will have stronger effect if you can roll
both of them with one hand rapidly and it makes no sound. Maybe they had
this guy rolling these ball to give us an idea of his persanality as a very
smart person or something like that. I don't know if you ever rolled these
balls, it's not that easy.

Vanessa.
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 10:51:44 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Gary <gar8434@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: once a month...
In-Reply-To:  <3.0.1.32.19980531084329.0071125c@mail.ozramp.net.au>
MIME-version: 1.0
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At 08:43 AM 5/31/98 +1000, you wrote:
>Gary:
>there's a story written by Mackteach where Lois has a headache and is just
>*not* interested, even though Clark is very interested...  Ask for "Read my
>lips".  Mind you, I had permission to show the story to Joe and he *still*
>didn't get the point <G>
>--

Yes, I've already read that one, it is very well done.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu <http://www.rit.edu/~gar8434> |
|  "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH  |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 11:10:25 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Gary <gar8434@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: NFIC rated (Re: once a month...)
In-Reply-To:  <1.5.4.32.19980531025718.00683f54@pop-gw.homeshopping.com.b r>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 11:57 PM 5/30/98 -0300, you wrote:
>At 18:46 30/05/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>At 11:08 AM 5/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>>And speaking of stealth orgasms...anyone who can tell me what the true
name
>>>and use of the mini-soccer balls the guy had in "The Source" will get a
>>>guaranteed to win a Kerth Award (n)fic idea.
>>
>>I beleve the man's name was Wick and I believe the soccer balls may have
>>been a variant on the Chinese "Baoding" iron balls. They are metalic and
>>have a kind of bell inside. The user takes both in one hand and rolls them
>>around. They touch various accupressure points and promote healing.
>>

Close. Chinese? Yes. Are they meant for hand use? Well, that is what you are
supposed to tell naive folks when they ask what they're for, although I
supposed it is a legitimate purpose all by itself. However, my hands never
felt better using them. (Not that I've used them. ;-)

>>The bell inside sounds like "bao-ding" while the balls are moving, and the
>>metal of each exterior, clashing together, also makes an interesting
sound.
>>For the show, I suspect they used some other kind of no-sound ball-shaped
prop.
>>
>

'bao-ding' is the sound they make not a Chinese word, right? The Chinese
word
or term I've heard of is "ben-wa", I don't know the translation. Although
Clark
probably would know.

>Actually they say that the ball will have stronger effect if you can roll
>both of them with one hand rapidly and it makes no sound. Maybe they had
>this guy rolling these ball to give us an idea of his persanality as a very
>smart person or something like that. I don't know if you ever rolled these
>balls, it's not that easy.
>
>Vanessa.
>

I think flipping a coin would've demonstrated his character more clearly.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu <http://www.rit.edu/~gar8434> |
|  "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH  |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 10:28:57 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Farah Meitzen Chisham <fchisham@INDIANA.EDU>
Subject:      thanks!
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I am working feverishly and thanks to all who
responded!

farah :)
fchisham@indiana.edu
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 12:01:40 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Peace Everett <peace9@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Desktop Themes
In-Reply-To:  <19980514202700.13788.rocketmail@send1d.yahoomail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Well, I don't have any sort of formal theme, but the wallpaper on
my computer is a black and white version of the wallpaper on my
homepage <http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/7137>
(linedrawings of Lois & Clark) and my screensaver, courtesy of
VuePrint, is screencaptures of L&C (mostly them kissing <g>).

I don't have sounds on my computer, and I prefer my cursors
to be the Windows default (I've found the others... distracting ;)

Peace

A FoLC Named Peace
Come visit me, and read my  Lois & Clark fanfic
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/7137
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 12:09:34 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Peace Everett <peace9@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Desktop Themes
In-Reply-To:  <NOKNIGOOMFFFAAAA@mailcity.com>
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> p.s. I just need to have a L&C screensaver to complete the whole thing.=
 So if
> anyone of you have one, please help me and tell me where to find one, =
please.
> Thanks.
> ---
> Joan aka dmj

and
> >color schemes.  I do not however, have a screen saver idea but I would
> >LOVE to have one (It would just drive my family crazy!) so if you ever
> >do find one it would be great if you could send it my way . . . :)
> >-Caroline Amberson    supersticky@hotmail.com

Okay, I'm way behind on reading my email, but I'm noticing a number of
people wanting an L&C screen saver.  I have a program called VuePrint
which I downloaded from <http://www.hamrick.com/>  Among other
things, it has a screensaver option -- you point it to any subdirectory =
on
your harddrive and it goes through and displays every image it finds in
that subdirectory -- with a number of different options as to how it disp=
lays
them.  I have mine set to random order, random location, so that the
effect is like someone tossing photos out onto a tabletop.  It looks pret=
ty
cool, and I can change the pictures any time I want.

The program is shareware -- you have to register it, which costs about
US$40, if I'm remembering correctly.  But it's a program I use a great
deal, so I consider it to be worth the price.  :)

Peace
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 14:27:20 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Frances Coogan <FCoogan106@AOL.COM>
Subject:      New badfic - LnCgoPC
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LnCgoPC

(or for the benefit of the abbreviationally challenged, "Lois and Clark go
Politically Correct").  This is an intentional badfic of the PC variety
(politically correct, not personal computer - they're all that, aren't they?
Personal computer, that is, not politically correct.  Which isn't to say
that
all fics aren't politically correct, but not that they necessarily all are,
either).  Good.  So now that's clear.  .... Or not...

But seriously, this isn't.  Serious, that is.  Just the product of a hot
Sunday afternoon after reading badfic and spotting the politically correct
dictionary on the bookshelf.  I hope you enjoy it, and if not, well, it's
mercifully short!

LnCgoPC

        Lois gasped as she pushed aside the nontraditionally ordered garbage
can
behind the substandard housing to reveal the terminally inconvenienced body
of
Joey Bermuda.

        "Oh God, Clark.  He's metabolically different!"

        Clark rolled over the nonviable person and exposed the bullet hole a
few
inches below his left shoulder:

        "And it wasn't an anomoly, either.  Look: he's been terminated with
extreme
prejudice!"

        "I bet it was Mindy Church.  She's not the cerebro-atmospheric
individual she
looks!  Not that she'd do it personally, of course, but it could be a member
of her career-offender cartel."

        "You can't be certain that she's ethically disoriented, Lois."

        "Oh yes I can.  You may be taken in, but you're differently logical.
I sense
the nondiscretionary fragrance of a rodent-American every time I'm around
her!"

        At that moment Clark's superhearing picked up the sound of a distant
radio.
"I gotta go!" he exclaimed.  "A plane's about to fail to maintain clearance
>from the ground and if I don't go now there'll be an energetic
disassembly!"

        "Okay, go!" Lois urged.  "I'll go talk to those persons across the
street
presenting themselves as commodity allotments within a business doctrine.
Maybe they saw or heard something."

        "Okay.  Be careful."

        "You too."  They kissed briefly before Clark ducked behind the
crumbling wall
to spin into the suit and fly off.

*****

        When Clark returned to the office two hours later, Perry was
finishing one of
his work-harder-to-increase-subscriptions talks:

        "... and anyone temporally challenged, or generally not pulling
their weight,
will be joining our career alternative enhancement program.  There's no room
at the Planet for people of torpor.  Got it?"  he concluded.  Everyone
mumbled
motivationally dispossessed responses, and Perry crossed to Lois's desk,
where
Clark also now joined them.

        "How's the story on Joey Bermuda's arbitrary deprivation of life
going?"
Perry asked.

        "Er ... it's in the early stages of finalization, Chief," Lois
assured him.

        "Oh.  That bad."  He returned to his office.

        "I saw how you averted that controlled flight into terrain on the TV
news,"
Lois commended her husband.  "Nice work."

        "Yeah, it's a good job I heard the radio report.  A few more seconds
and the
plane would have had a sub-optimal coming together with a nuclear plant and
probably caused a super-prompt critical power excursion!  So did you find
anything out?"

        "Not much.  It seems everyone around is optically challenged and
aurally
inconvenienced.  Hardly surprising really, given the number of undocumented
residents and people with pharmacological preferences in the area, but one
involuntarily undomiciled person did say he saw a differently hirsute, skin-
color genetically dominant world majority man acting suspiciously last
night.
He seemed to be talking to a female member of the mutant albino genetic-
recessive global minority; but she was just waiting in a limousine."

        "So it could be Mindy."

        "Yes.  It's funny - I didn't know Joey was out."

        "I checked on the way back.  He was on the list of self-released
clients of
the correctional system."  Clark was thoughtful.  "Or maybe the
health-alterer
helped break him out so that he could carry out the preemptive
counterattack."

        "Preventing him from telling us what he knew about Kryptonian
viruses," Lois
added.  "I think you're right.  I talked to Mindy, who claims to be a
knowledge-base non-possessor on the subject, but that's a total
counterfactual
proposition."

        "But we've achieved a deficiency when it comes to proving she's
terminologically inexact, so we'll just have to keep her under surveillance.
How about we have a break and go help my parents exploit Mother Earth?"

        "Good idea," Lois agreed, and they headed for the storage cupboard.
"It's so
nice to have a flying superperson as a significant other," she enthused as
they flew out the window.

The end - unless anyone needs a glossary<g>

Frances.
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 15:00:15 -0400
Reply-To:     NightSky@erols.com
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Genevieve <NightSky@EROLS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fanfic Review: "Yet Each Man Kills"
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So many posts I want to respond to, and so little time.  I think I'll
answer Sandy's comments on my story, and take on the "twenty minutes"
things some other day...

Sandra McDermin wrote:
>
> As soon as S5 was in the can, so to speak, I wanted very much to go onto
> the TUFS website and read Genevieve's solo effort and her work with Pat.

For myself, I'm looking forward to finishing up TUFS, so I can read all
of S5.  I've read a few stories, but no where near all of them.  I did
read Sandy's story "Charity begins at Home," and have to agree with
Debby's assessment of it.  It was an incredible story.  Sandy has a gift
for comedy, which showed up in Charity as well as in Love as a Blonde.
After reading Charity, I was feeling very humble.  (See, *I* can say it
without stuttering! <g>)

On to what Sandy said about Yet Each Man Kills.  For anyone who hasn't
read it yet, you can find it at my website
<http://www.erols.com/nightsky> or at the TUFS website
<http://members.aol.com/thenando/tufs.htm>.

> First off, I thought  Genevieve's "Yet Each Man Kills" was a good, tight
> story, with A and B plots that complemented each other very well.
> Different from most fanfic I've read, Superman and L&C are confronted with
> a credible, real-life problem (spousal abuse).  I must admit, I think
these
> type of "A" plots are harder to write because you can't wrap them up as
> easily with magic or superpowers.  Genevieve shows this nicely by
providing
> us with a believably ambiguous ending.  We aren't sure if the people in
> trouble here will end up living happily ever after just as we can't be
> certain in our own lives.

Some of people didn't like the ambiguity -- I received a few comments
>from people that wanted to see an ending scene with the two women at the
abuse support group.  But I deliberately left the ending ambiguous,
because if I *had* written it, it probably would have disappointed them
even more.  You see, I don't think there was a happy ending at all.  I
suspect Sarah (who is being taken off to the hospital after being beaten
up by her husband) goes home with her brute of a husband, when he shows
up at the hospital, saying how sorry he is, and how much he loves her --
and he does love her, as much as he's able.  And Ellen will find the
leaflets about counseling sessions that Lois stuffed in her purse; shake
her head, muttering something about "daughters who don't know enough to
mind their own business"; and tear them up.

OK, I admit I like angst, and sad stories, and gritty reality.  One of
the reasons I didn't include those scenes in the story was so those
FoLCs who like happy endings could imagine one.

Sandy went on:

> Today, I got an e-mail from Genevieve that contained the following:  "I
was
> surprised I didn't get more 'Sam and Ellen would never act that way' posts
> for YEMK."  Uh oh.  I guess I'm going to  live up to your expectations, as
> I did have a little trouble with the Sam and Ellen portrayals.  In your
> efforts to contrast and compare between couples and show the full range of
> spousal abuse, I did think you made Ellen seem more submissive than I
would
> have expected and Sam more unthinking.  No doubt, Sam had been unthinking
> in the past, and was disrespectful to his wife, but I thought he was
> turning over a new leaf....

Ah, see, that was where I had problems.  I saw Sam *appearing* to turn
over a new leaf, but I never quite believed it.  Zoom recently posted
that there was supposed to be a "Sam sees Clark and Jonathan together
before the Clone wedding, and realizes he's missed something." in INPY,
but it got cut.  It wouldn't have mattered.  I can see Sam trying to
build a relationship with Lois, his adult daughter and one who is his
intellectual equal, but I couldn't see any good reason for him to try to
get back with Ellen.  So I looked beyond the obvious and saw something
that no one else in the world would probably see.

I've never really trusted Sam Lane.  Well, that's not true.  I trusted
him in RFAS, when he handed Lois a tape and said "write your story."  At
that point, I thought he was actually seeing his daughter (maybe for the
first time), as an adult, as someone he could count on.  But ever since
then, there has just been something phony about him, something that made
me feel he had ulterior motives, or a hidden agenda.

After RFAS, we next see Sam Lane in HIWTHI, the third season Christmas
episode.  Lois and Clark have just gotten engaged, and Sam is trying to
come back into her life.  (To check out her new finacee, maybe?  Who
knows?)  Sam shows up, but not alone.  He had brought *his* fiancee with
him.  Now, if he had brought a normal fiancee, say, a forty-year old
sensible woman, it would only have been slightly embarrassing for
everyone.  If he had brought a young woman -- sort of a Mindy Church
type -- every would have been *very* embarrassed, but they might have
rolled their eyes and put it down to middle-aged men's foolishness.
Does Sam do either of these normal things?  No.  He brings a robot, Baby
Gunderson, and introduces *it* as his fiancee.  Is he making a comment
about Ellen here -- I'd rather be with a robot than *you*?  Or about
Clark -- there are two new fiancees at the family get-together.  Or
about Lois -- you're not the only one who can get engaged.

Baby Gunderson obeys his every command perfectly.  And what does he ask
her to do?  I can't remember exactly, but doesn't she go stand in the
closet?  Look foolish all lit up like a Christmas tree?  Doesn't he tell
her to be quiet at one point?  And she does.  Instantly.  Without
question.  If what Sam wanted is instant, unquestioning obedience, he's
found it.  And he seems to delight in ordering her about, telling her to
do things that would embarrass a real person, and dominating her.

And yet that doesn't satisfy him, because we never see Baby Gunderson
again.  What is it that Sam wants that she didn't give him?  Could it be
that it isn't obedience he wants, but rather, he wants a challenge?
Someone he can hurt when he tries to dominate her?  (And, yes, I am
aware of the corollaries that could be drawn to Lex Luthor, here.)  Sam
wants the challenge of controlling a person, making them think what he
wants them to think.  And Sam does it, to some extent, by bullying.  A
controlling partner doesn't like to see his victim leave him; he likes
to have someone to control.

Baby Gunderson has no emotions, provides no challenge, so he gets rid of
her -- it -- and looks around for a real person.  And as Lois's wedding
approaches, he runs into Ellen again and again.  And he becomes suave
and charming and somehow, convinces Ellen to come back to him.  Isn't it
in FMN where they are in Africa or something?

Why would Ellen agree to go back to Sam?  In one year we go from Sam and
Baby Gunderson (HIWTHI) to Sam and Ellen (Mxymas)?  In between we saw
that Ellen was still very bitter against Sam, still looking for
revenge.  ("Your father will pay for all the loose flowers and greens,
Lois -- he owes us for years of neglect.")  It doesn't make much sense.
Those of you on AOL who are enjoying the new "Gossip" folder on the
message boards -- there seems to be a good deal of discussion about
someone who is a less than a perfect husband, quite a bit like Sam,
actually, cheating on his wife and treating her abominably.  Everyone is
wondering why his wife stays with him.  We can ask the same question in
our fictional world too:  why would Ellen go back to Sam?

My view of Ellen is actually based on someone I know.  She's about the
same age as Ellen, and her husband left her for a younger woman a few
years ago.  Listening to her talk for a number of years now made me
realize something: she believes her entire life has been a failure
because her husband left her.  She has a good job, years ahead of her,
but all she's interested in is: 1) taking her ex for everything he's
worth and 2) getting another boy-friend as quickly as possible, and
making sure everyone knows that she has male companionship again.  She
was brought up in the fifties to feel that her goal was to get married
and "be a good wife and mother."  She got married in the 60's, had
children, made a home, and enhanced her husband's career.  When he left,
it was a way of saying that everything she had done was a failure, that
*she* was a failure.  Her entire vision of her own self-worth and her
self-esteem were tied up in what *he* thought of her, and how society
saw her as a wife.  Does Ellen feel this way?

I think so.  She put up with a lot from Sam when Lois was a child,
enough so that Lois swears she won't put up with it from *her* husband.
When Sam asks Ellen, "Can we try again?"  Ellen must have jumped at the
chance, seeing an opportunity to redeem her life, to prove that the 20
years she spent with her husband weren't a failure, to show that she
*can* be a good wife.  And what's more, she's *grateful* to him for
giving her a second chance.

So Sam and Ellen are "trying to get back together again."  How sweet.
The "happy-ever-after" crowd was pleased.  I don't remember the two of
them in STG, particularly, but the scenes in Mxymas and Family Hour did
not make me think that the reunion was particularly successful.

In Mxymas, we see Ellen Lane come in to the Daily Planet, all bothered
and upset.  What was it Sam had done?  Stood her up at the train
station, where they were supposed to be going on a wonderful trip
together.  Ellen is in a state, furious.  When Sam does finally show up,
she's all smiles and happy.  I know we were just supposed to say "Oh,
look.  Myxptlyk has been defeated, all's right with the world, everyone
is happy," but I didn't.  I looked at Sam, smiling at Ellen, and at
Ellen, who was so pitifully grateful to him, and said, "You no good
so-and-so!  What do you mean by standing her up like that?  And then you
just come in here, and expect her to take you back?"  I didn't see a
Waffy ending or a wonderful Christmas for them -- I saw a controlling
husband, masterfully manipulating his wife's feelings.  I guess maybe it
could be considered a happy ending -- Ellen is happy:  "You did come;
you do care."  And Sam is joyfully thinking, "Boy, I really had you
going.  I had you in the palm of my hand, sweetheart.  Just wait till
next time."

Like I said above, I don't trust Sam.

The episode that pulled it all together for me was Family Hour.  I was
surprised, the day after it aired, to see that everyone on LOISCLA
thought the Ellen scenes were hilarious.  I didn't.  I hadn't been so
embarrassed for a character since Jimmy had stood naked on a nightclub's
stage.  I thought it was terrible how everyone -- even Jonathan and
Martha to a degree -- had treated Ellen with such disrespect.
Whispering about secrets in front of her, giving lame excuses when she
tried to call them on it, making her feel like an outsider in her own
family.  And I felt such sympathy for her.

I saw Ellen being victimized by her own family, with Sam as the
instigator, and Lois as an unwilling accomplice.  I saw Ellen trying to
regain her role as wife and mother, no matter the cost or the
humiliation.  And I didn't think it was funny.  I wanted to try to help
her, somehow.

I can already see Zoom, reaching for her keyboard to tell me it was all
done for humor or sight-gags or something.  And, as far as the writers
were concerned, it probably was.  And many people probably did see Sam
turning over a new leaf.   But that wasn't the way I took it, and that
is where the ideas in YEMK came from.

=============

OK, I'll be posting all of that over on LOISCLA, and if anyone wants to
discuss it, let's do it over there.  Now to get back to the fanfic side
of things:

I had worked all of that out in my head before I ever started YEMK.  But
when it actually came to writing YEMK, I couldn't say all of that.
That's an essay for the List, not a scene in a fanfic.  I had one scene
to get Sam across as a spousal abuser.  Sandy quoted part of that scene,
saying that it seemed abrupt.  She's probably right.  I worked hard on
that one scene, re-writing it a number of times, and I was never really
satisfied with it.

I tried to make it obvious from the beginning of the scene that Sam and
Ellen were fighting when they arrived, and that things were already
tense between them before the final put-down at the dinner table.  And
it had to be something big, something that would cause Sam to drop his
"public veneer" in front of Lois, and finally open Lois's eyes.  So I
had Sam say something really nasty, nastier than I think he would have
been, but I wanted the readers to realize what was going on, and I was
afraid to be too subtle.  Ellen's reaction -- mental confusion, avoiding
a confrontation -- was what made Lois realize that something unhealthy
was going on.

I couldn't think of a way to get all the examples from the show into the
story.  A montage might have done it, when Lois is "staying awake,
thinking far into the night," but Sandy's already complimented me on not
wandering too far from the story line. <g>

>I haven't read all of TUFS so perhaps the
> relationship had backslided from 4th season. <snip>  I will have to
> read more of TUFS, however, to see if there is some evolution
> in their relationship which is playing out here.

No, it wasn't brought out in TUFS.  (Continuity hasn't been one of TUFS
strong points, IMO.)  I did ask one of the other writers who had Sam and
Ellen in her story to include a scene with the two of them sniping at
each other and embarrassing everyone else in the room, but it didn't
come off as strongly as I'd hoped.  And then, everything I'd said about
Sam and Ellen was negated in the very next TUFS story ("Forever and
Ever, Amen"), when Linda said: "Since her parents had gotten back
together, Lois realized that Ellen Lane had since dropped her analyst
and her medications, and the resulting woman was a lot more fun to be
around than Lois could ever remember."

So I guess you'd have to consider YEMK as a stand alone story.  I also
know that I'm not touching on this aspect of Sam and Ellen in the TUFS
last episode, which is still unfortunately called "Full Circle."  Sam
and Ellen are together, putting their best foot forward, and, if they
have problems, keeping them out of the public view.

> All in all, a great job though. I enjoyed it.

Thank you kindly.  And thank you for your comments.

This was an interesting story for me -- I'd written one in-betweenie
before, but it was the first complete story I'd written.  I knew I was
going to be going against most people's view of Sam and Ellen when I
wrote it, but that's never stopped me before, but being in the  minority
has never stopped me before. <g>

I had a lot of fun writing it.  The "A" plot was easy; the abuse "B"
plot was one I'd worked out well in advance.  But sitting down and
writing a
fanfic was very different from just day-dreaming it.  For one thing, one
of my editors is an English teacher -- I now keep a grammar book and a
dictionary right next to the computer.  It's amazing how many basic
grammar rules I had forgotten in the 25 years since I've graduated from
high school.

I had a terrible time coming up with the names in the story.  The main
characters, the Chiswicks, was easy -- I wanted a name with historic
implications, and Chiswick House is the name of the very first Shelter
for Battered Woman.  But all the other names were driving me crazy until
I glanced at a children's book my daughter left on the floor.  It was
"Peter Rabbit."  The names because easy after that, and were fun to
think up, as all of them had something to do with Beatrix Potter.  The
Department stores because "MacGregor's" and "Benjamin's"; one of the
bad-guys was actually named Jeremy Fisher, which I though would give it
away.  I even went so far as to get a biography of Beatrix Potter and
use both her married names.

I had a lot of fun with some of the little details I could put into the
text.  I enjoyed thinking of ways Clark could use his powers
unobtrusively, like heating up the potatoes after the Big Fight at the
dinner table or putting a blanket over Lois at super-speed as he left to
do Superman stuff.  (That was one *hard* paragraph to write!)  Nobody
ever
mentioned these little things.  I don't know if they weren't noticed,
or if they were noticed, enjoyed and then forgotten in the light of the
whole story.

> Oops.  This has gotten so long that I think I'll do "Paradise Lost" a
> little later  -- *if* people are interested in continuing this sort of
> thing.  Don't be shy.

Your post got long?  Look at this one!  A true exercise in Narcissism,
telling you all what I thought about my little story.

Rest assured, Sandy, Pat and I are eagerly awaiting to hear what you
have to say about Paradise Lost.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genevieve    (NightSky@erols.com) ; <http://www.erols.com/nightsky>
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 30 May 1998 14:00:00 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Peace Everett <peace9@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: New badfic - LnCgoPC
In-Reply-To:  <d0c3944c.3571a109@aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Oh, Frances,

That's so bad... and I mean that in the best possible sense ;)

Peace
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 16:18:25 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Sandra McDermin <SMcDermi@NAS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Fanfic Review: "Yet Each Man Kills"
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>>For myself, I'm looking forward to finishing up TUFS, so I can read all
of S5.  I've read a few stories, but no where near all of them.  I did
read Sandy's story "Charity begins at Home," and have to agree with
Debby's assessment of it.  It was an incredible story.  Sandy has a gift
for comedy, which showed up in Charity as well as in Love as a Blonde.
After reading Charity, I was feeling very humble.  (See, *I* can say it
without stuttering! <g>)<<

I can't think of anything funny, or self-deprecating, to say, so I'll just
say thank you.

>>The episode that pulled it all together for me was Family Hour.  I was
surprised, the day after it aired, to see that everyone on LOISCLA thought
the Ellen scenes were hilarious.  I didn't.  I hadn't been so embarrassed
for a character since Jimmy had stood naked on a nightclub's stage.  I
thought it was terrible how everyone -- even Jonathan and Martha to a
degree -- had treated Ellen with such disrespect. Whispering about secrets
in front of her, giving lame excuses when she tried to call them on it,
making her feel like an outsider in her own family.  And I felt such
sympathy for her.

I saw Ellen being victimized by her own family, with Sam as the instigator,
and Lois as an unwilling accomplice.  I saw Ellen trying to regain her role
as wife and mother, no matter the cost or the
humiliation.  And I didn't think it was funny.  I wanted to try to help
her, somehow.<<

Genevieve, I'll respond later to some of your other comments.  But, I just
had to say here that I couldn't agree with you more.  I, too, felt very
sorry for Ellen in "Family Hour".  (She almost seemed to be fulfilling the
part of the goofy sidekick.)  I've played Ellen for laughs, but I've tried
to avoid making her a total buffoon.  In LaaB, I was walking a *very* fine
line, (but everybody was a bit ridiculous in that story).  Even so, I had
her begin a new exciting relationship in that one, and, in CBaH, a new,
exciting career.

>>Rest assured, Sandy, Pat and I are eagerly awaiting to hear what you
have to say about Paradise Lost.<<

Maybe I should wait until I see you guys and enjoy your fine company before
commenting<g>.  (Le-e-tle joke, there.)  I liked Paradise Lost.  The only
major problem I've had with it is that everytime I type the title, it comes
out "Paradise Lois".

Well, off to visit "Mr. Calder" as I mentioned to you earlier.  Feed those
kids!!!<g>

Sandy
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 17:22:24 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Anne Carlson <ACdrift@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NFIC rated (Re: once a month...)
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Hi All,

I had to take a break from writing report cards to comment on Debby's
disscussion of Nfic.  I remember catching up with the Dawning Series last
fall.  I wrote her an e-mail asking if she was planning to go nfic with her
story since she got so close in Dawning 16.  She said no, that others could
handle that genre.  She prefered to have a well developed story line and let
the readers use their imaginations beyond that.

We, fortunately, have quite a few writers that use their imaginations quite
well.  It's fun to read about the escapades of our favorite couple.  Must I
must agree, however, with Debby's point about completely mapped out stories'
use of nfic.   Whether there is an A plot or not, the longer plots are much
more tantalizing with the nfic than the short stories.

I noticed that Peace posted her nfic with Piper "Heir Return" on Zoom's list
yesterday.  Well, talk about confict and resolution....that one certainly
focuses on the problems that L&C could experience.  The nfic was amazing.
Demi's story, "Heavens Prisoners" is all A plot - but boy, what a ride.

So, I suppose I am agreeing with Debby's POV about the light and airy nfics
that are nice but not memorable.  Maybe seeing Clark turned-on for 20
minutes
a month might make are interesting story......

Back to work :(
Anne  (ACdrift@aol.com)
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 1 Jun 1998 00:00:55 +0500
Reply-To:     mulders@mindspring.com
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Bob or Chris Mulder <mulders@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Itty bitty fanfic (1)
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Hi, FoLCs,

I spent part of the weekend cleaning up old computer files and
rearranging things on my hard drive--something I've been meaning to
get to for a long time.  It's not yet as tidy as I'd like it to be,
but that's not your problem and you probably don't want to hear about
it anyway. <g>
While I was moving things around I came across a couple of short
little fics that I'd written a couple of years ago while I was in the
middle of writing DoL.  I had shown them to Pam back then and we'd
talked about the possibility writing a story together which would
include a lot of everyday kinds of things in L&C's married lives.
Whether we would have included these or not, I don't know.  They
would more than likely have to be re-written to fit whatever
storyline we came up with.  In the meantime, I guess there's no
reason not to share them with you all. :-)

So, I've dusted them off, and polished them up a bit.  Hope you enjoy
them.  Both are from Lois's POV, as you'll see.

==================
Lois Says (1)
by Chris Mulder

I'm reading a silly, but entertaining book while the man I love
sleeps next to me.  The night is quiet, thankfully, and I'm guarding
his sleep.  He's been out too often lately, trying to do too much,
and I don't care that he's Superman, or that the world needs him.
He's my husband, Clark, and tonight *I* need him.

Here--with me.

I'm married to the most selfless person I've ever known, so sometimes
I have to be selfish for him. He's entitled to a good night's sleep
once in a while and I've found that if I sit or lie close to him and
rub his back or play with his hair he sleeps so deeply that his
superhearing has a harder time waking him up.  He doesn't know that I
do this, and I don't do it very often, but I'm doing it tonight.

This really is a very silly book and I put it aside, turning my full
attention to Clark.  Moving over even closer to him I concentrate on
keeping a steady rhythm as I stroke his hair.

I cannot put into words how much I love this man.  The emotions rush
up from somewhere deep inside me and flood my being before I can
identify or catalog them, never failing to bring tears to my eyes and
a tightness to my chest.  I love him so much, more than I ever
thought I'd be capable of loving anyone.  Being with him, listening
to his voice, feeling his touch, his kisses ... all of these things
are such a part of my life now that Iwould do *anything*, go to *any*
lengths to keep what we have.  I have become very protective of him
and of the time we spend together.

I know he has to fly off to be Superman.  I understand that he's
needed not just for what he can do but also as a symbol of hope for
people all over the world, and I support him wholeheartedly.  Having
said that, though, I must admit that at times I resent that same
world and all those people--interfering with the life Clark and I are
trying to build together.  So, I was thrilled to discover that I can
(on occasion) override his superhearing.

It was a dark and stormy night.  Nah, just kidding!  It was actually
a beautiful late-spring night and Clark had flown back all tired and
dirty from helping out at a huge forest fire.  He'd been pretty busy
all that week actually, and as a newlywed (well, we'd been married
about nine months), I was getting a little fed up.  I had planned to
give him a piece of my mind, but when I saw how exhausted he looked
all the fight went out of me.  I helped him get cleaned up and tucked
him into bed then lay next to him, stroking him until he fell asleep.

I could still feel a tenseness in him, though, just below the
surface, as if he considered himself always "on duty," so I kept on
rubbing his back and combing his hair with my fingers until
gradually, oh so gradually, he slipped deeper and deeper into
dreamland.  I imagined that I could see him sinking farther into the
bed with each breath, his body giving up the fight to be alert "just
in case."  He slept for six hours that night, hardly stirring, and
I'd won a small victory.

I'm smiling to myself now, remembering other times, other nights.
When he's sleeping like this he looks so innocent and sweet.  It's
easy to forget that he can be the biggest tease I've ever known--that
those eyes canpositively gleam with mischief and that that mouth can
shape the most infectious grins.

There was another night, another book, and I was trying to read.
Clark was dozing next to me when he suddenly sat up.

"What is it?"

"A siren."

I couldn't hear anything, of course.  It's interesting to be around
him when he does this.  His eyes take on an intense look and I know,
that to him, it's as if the siren and attendant vehicle are right
there with him.  He concentrated on it for a few seconds and then
settled back down on the bed.

"It's okay.  False alarm."

"Oh."

He lay on his side watching me.  "Whatcha reading?"

"It's a book Lucy gave me.  She was raving about it, but I just can't
get into it."

He twisted his neck a little so he could see the cover.
"Well, I can see what there is about it that appeals to Lucy."

I laughed at the rather disgusted look on his face.  "You don't have
any romance in your soul?"

He glanced again at the overly endowed couple writhing in libidic
ecstasy on the cover of my book.  "That's not romance."  He reached
out to lay a hand on my arm.  "You should work on your book again."

I was surprised, but pleased, that he remembered my "novel."

"Weeelll, I've tried to go back to it, but the plot seems just too
ridiculous now.  Besides, they say you should write about something
you know and I don't know about unrequited love anymore."  I leaned
down and kissed the tip of his nose.

That gleam I've come to know so well was starting up in his eyes.  He
laid a hand on my stomach and said quite innocently, "So what would
you write about now?"

Someone's in a playful mood, I thought, as I tossed the book onto the
floor and turned towards him.  I affected a contemplative attitude as
if I were seriously considering any number of options.  "Oh, I don't
know.  There's always the hero saves the heroine storyline, but
that's been done ... and done.  I could do one where the heroine
saves the hero for a change."

"That sounds very PC."

"Yeah.  I'd have to decide what kind of couple I'd want to write
about, the setting, what sorts of adventures they'd have, all that
stuff.  And ..." I leaned towards him provocatively, "I'd probably
have to do some research, gather background material, try to immerse
myself in my subject matter ... you know what I mean?"

The gleam in his eye became even more pronounced.  "Oh, I hope so."

I felt my nightgown strap slip off of one shoulder and watched him
watching it.  I stroked his chin with one finger tip and moved even
closer to him.  "Research can be so time-consuming and tedious
though, don't you agree?  Having the right kind of assistant can mean
the difference between success ..." I lightly kissed his lips, "...
and failure."  I sat back up and pulled up the strap on my nightgown.
"I'm not sure if I can find the time or the help that I'll need. Too
bad."

I pretended to reach for the book and felt him snake his arm around
my middle, pulling me back towards him.  "Let's don't be too hasty
here.  I'm sure we could come up with something."

He had rolled me onto my back, and as I lay looking up at his
laughing eyes I could feel the giggles rising up inside me, but I was
determined to play the role that I'd set for myself, so I kept my
voice as serious as I could.  "You really think so, Clark?  I'd have
to spend a lot of time on it, you know."

He was nodding as he slipped that strap off of my shoulder again.
"Yes, I do, Lois.  You know that I'd support you in anything you
wanted to do."  He kissed my shoulder.

"I'd want to use primary sources, of course," I said as I ran my
hands up his arms and linked them behind his head.

"Of course," he said, and I felt the other strap going the way of its
predecessor.  He kissed that shoulder, too, and then raised his head
to look into my eyes.  "Just how detailed does this ... research ...
have to be?"

"Ohhh, pretty detailed."  My hands were moving over his shoulders
now.  "I might have to dig pretty deep ... to be sure that I get all
the material I'll need."

He kissed the hollow above my collar bone.

"I do want my first book to be good, Clark."

His voice was getting husky now. "So do I, Lois.  So do I."

He was kissing his way down my breastbone, and I started running
my hands through his hair. "I'm so glad that you agree with me,
sweetheart.  Thank you."

He was pretty involved in what he was doing and made some noise which
I supposed I could interpret as signifying agreement.  It was getting
harder to focus on the conversation, so I figured I'd better throw in
the punch line now.  "I'll advertise for a research assistant
tomorrow then.  Of course I'll need someone big and strong ..."

He looked up in surprise.  It was all I could do to keep a straight
face.  "... to help me carry all those books and other stuff, you
know.  And he and I may have to work late some nights.  You won't
mind, will you Clark?"

It only took him a moment to realize he'd been had and by then the
jig would have been up anyway because I was giggling all over the
place.

"You ... you heartless wench, you."  He was laughing, too, as he
rolled onto his side, pulling me towards him.  "I'll show you how to
conduct research."

And he did.

You know, it's funny.  I've been researching that novel for months
now, but haven't written a single word.  I'm such a stickler for
getting the details just right.

================

That's it for this one.  The other one will be coming along in a
separate email. :-)

--Chris

 mailto:mulders@mindspring.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 31 May 1998 21:14:39 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Caroline Amberson <supersticky@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: FR:
Content-Type: text/plain

>Being sent to my room wasn't punishment for me, I'd just read a book.

>*Anyway*, being sent to my room wasn't a punishment for me either. >So
Mum had to resort to making me feel bad by saying "I'm very upset >and
disappointed in you" etc etc .... Oh, and I was one of those who >always
had to do her best in school -- although I hardly ever came >first in
anything.

----------------------------------------------
Sorry, I don't know exactly who said these things (I just got back from
vacation and had SO MUCH email to sift through) but I can relate.
When I got in trouble as a child my mom sent me to my room with one
condition: no reading whatsoever.  I thought she was a messenger from
Satan himself on those occasions, and often took every opportunity to
tell her so.  This brilliant course of action usually resulted in only
more punishment.

-Caroline Amberson  supersticky@hotmail.com

p.s.  Can anyone tell me the last time that the archive was updated?

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 1 Jun 1998 00:18:30 +0500
Reply-To:     mulders@mindspring.com
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Bob or Chris Mulder <mulders@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      itty bitty fanfic (2)
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Hi again,

Here's the second one ...

==================

Lois Says (2)
by Chris Mulder

It was the kind of day that just sucked--start to finish, all day
long--the kind of day where you tell yourself, If one more bad thing
happens, I'm going to kill myself.  And then, one more bad thing
happens and you think, Well, that must be it now, because what else
could possibly happen?

Later on, you wish you hadn't asked yourself that question.

The topper for that day was going to the dentist for my 6-month
check-up.  I wasn't going to go, because I figured with the kind of
day I was having, I'd probablyget hit by lightning while sitting in
the chair.  That was until I realized I'd better get all this stuff
over with because I didn't want to have any bad karma hanging around
to slip over into another day.

An hour and a half later, I slammed the front door of our apartment
with despairing anger. I wanted to tell Clark all about it, but he
wasn't there--no note, so he'd probably gotten sidetracked from work,
rather than from home.

Damn!  I needed to talk to him.  I wanted to be held and sympathized
with.  I needed to vent, so where was the ventee?

As if on cue, I heard the soft "whoosh" of a landing and looked
towards the balcony door.  For a moment, as he walked through the
door, I was distracted from my internal litany of disaster by the
thought of how much I loved him, how proud I was of him ... how
nicely that flashy suit showed off his--

"Hi, Lois!  I'm glad you're home.  I've haven't seen much of you all
day."

Yeah, that had been part of the problem. "I know ... I hardly
recognized you."

He laughed, and hugged me.  "Let's see if we can refresh your memory
a bit."

He was leaning in for a kiss, but that was too easy.  If I let him
kiss me, I knew I'd get distracted.  After all I'd been through
today, I'd earned a rant, and, by god, I was going to have one.

"I could hit you."

"Excuse me?"  He was smiling still, but his eyes were wary.

"You have perfect teeth, Clark, absolutely perfect teeth.  When I
think of how many times you used to use the excuse that you had to
see the dentist or were just coming back from the dentist when, in
actual fact, the poor man would have to go on the dole if his
livelihood depended on you, and ..."

"What did the dentist say, Lois?"

"Don't use that patient tone with me, Clark Kent."  At that point I
launched into my vent.

I can't really remember now all that I vented about.  The dentist
thing stands out in my memory, but I think there was also a
story-related rant (there usually is), and another inter-personal
problem rant about one of the other reporters at the "Planet."  The
rest of the day is kind of hazy now, which is probably a good thing.
I do remember Clark standing there and patiently taking it all.

Eventually I got through my entire program and was back to the
dentist thing.  By now we were in the bedroom.  Clark was on the
bed--at some point he'd changed into jeans and T-shirt.  I had been
stalking around, going from bedroom to bathroom and back again,
slamming drawers and closets, and throwing things on the floor as I
changed clothes.

"And to top it all off, Dr. 'I-love-to-drill' Blanchard found a
cavity, so now I'll have to go back ..."

"That's too bad, Lois."

"It's *terrible!*  You don't know, Clark!  It's just terrible:
they put some awful-tasting stuff on your gum which is supposed to
numb the spot where they're going to give you the Novocain, but it
doesn't work.  And then they stick you with this syringe and you feel
like ...!  And the noise from the drill, not to mention the smell!
You don't know how bad burning tooth enamel can smell, Clark.  It's
so bad that you think there should be smoke pouring out of your
mouth."

I could see him starting to grin all of a sudden.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, hands on my hips and my head thrust
forward in the classic confrontational posture.  "I am talking about
pain here, Clark."

"I'm sorry, honey, but I just got this mental image of a tiny
fire engine and miniature firemen ..."

"I could hit you ... except then I'd have a broken hand, and I'd have
to go to a hand doctor ...  It's not fair."

I threw my dress at him.  He caught it without half trying. "And
that's another thing ...  Why do you have to have such great
reflexes?"

He stood up from the bed, holding my unfortunate garment.  "The
better to catch flying dresses with, my dear."

I watched him walk to the closet and hang up the dress.  "It's not
fair."  I was half grumbling to myself by now--still angry at the
world, but it was more of a smoldering kind of anger.  The "world"
wasn't there, though, and my poor, hapless husband was bearing the
brunt of my anger instead.  "And why do you have to be so strong?"

He walked over towards me.  "The better to put up with you, my dear."

He smiled at me and I wanted to smile back, but I wasn't over my day
yet.

"Why can't you get cavities, too?" I asked, in a half-pouting,
half-pleading voice.

He shrugged slightly and his smile got even wider.  His eyes were
gleaming with suppressed laughter as he slid his hands around my
waist on their way to the small of my back.

"It's not fair," I repeated.

He shook his head.  "No," he agreed softly as he kissed the tip of
my nose.  "It isn't."

"You might as well stop kissing me because I don't like you
anymore."

"Okay."

He pulled me even closer, and started nibbling on my ear. I had to
suppress a sudden giggle.

"And that won't work either."

I pushed against his chest, but not very hard.  I could feel him
smiling against my neck.

"Really?" he breathed into my ear.

"Well ..."  I snaked my arms around his neck and moved as close to
him as I could.  "I can't tell yet.  It might ..."

"I guess we'll have to keep trying then, until we find something that
*will* work."  He looked down at me lovingly and all of a sudden I
couldn't remember why I'd been angry.

"Hmmm, I guess."

He leaned in again for a kiss, and this time I allowed myself
to be distracted ... it seemed the least I could do.

Much later, as I was lying next to him, contentedly tracing the
outline of his arm and shoulder muscles with my finger, the memory of
something he'd said earlier popped into my mind, and I chucked
softly.

"What are you laughing about?"

"You," I said, as I started laughing harder.  "You ... and your tiny
fire engines."

=============

That's it ... hope you got a chuckle or two out of these. :-)

--Chris

 mailto:mulders@mindspring.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 1 Jun 1998 00:31:14 -0400
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Pam Jernigan <jernigan@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject:      Lois's backstory
Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com
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Hey, can someone refresh my memory...?

When did Ellen & Sam get divorced -- how old was Lois?  Was she in
high school?  And I've a vague memory of a comment Lois made in Lucky Leo=
n,
that she had a big fight and moved away from home -- when was that?  =

And how do I reconcile the girl who was in chess club & math club &
never played hooky (PML) with the one who dated the quarterback and was
friends with the popular kids (IASWAA)? :-/

Thanks for any and all responses! :-)

PJ

!^NavFont02F017A0007MGHHH7C4A0D

  E-mail from: Pam Jernigan, 01-Jun-1998
  jernigan@compuserve.com / ChiefPam on the IRC
~~~~~
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jernigan/folc.html
~~~~~
"Are you under the care of a qualified psychiatrist, Constable?" =

-- "The Ladies' Man", Due South
"Women and cats will do as they please and men and dogs =

should relax and get used to the idea." -- Robert A. Heinlein