humans need healing time

[beccaelizabeth]

I just read a fic which featured in quick succession

a) drowning and CPR, complete with cracked ribs
b) concussion with bleeding head wound and
c) sex, followed by snuggling... with the injured guy underneath.

and no, there was no time for it to get better before the sex, they'd just been sent from the infirmary to get some sleep after getting back from the mission.

all hot or snuggly thoughts were chased out by the ow ow ow thoughts.

I understand h/c lives in a happy magic world of its own, but still.



On the plus side it does value the actual body shape and age of the participants, using accurate terms and talking like soft curves are hot on a guy, rather than doing that thing where everyone's a twenty year old bodybuilder once their clothes come off. I do not understand fic that does that. If they don't think they're hot as is, why write about them?

Comments

[baronjanus]

Re first part: I would have mocked and sputtered.
On the other hand, I just posted a fic about a guy healing from being shot in the head, which is, while medically possible, not really easy. And then I was poked into writing the same process from the healing guy's pov, and it's surprisingly lucid. So I'm gonna plead kettleness here.


On the second note: I'm currently writing a series where there are four guys in different ages, stretching over... uh, a lot of years. A lot. Even if you go by character age and not actor age, which is older, and even factoring in the fact that all of these guys are in pretty good shape for where they are (...actors). So I really, really care about these things*, and I always cared about it in other people's fic, especially when it's very clearly Looks Nothing Like the characters they write about. Most "better" fics just get away by not describing much at all, while the worse, as you said, are "doing that thing where everyone's a twenty year old bodybuilder".

So, ah, all this talk just to basically say "This" or "Word" about your line "If they don't think they're hot as is, why write about them? "


[*= really care about the realistic looks. bending the laws of nature just a little to make All Sex Spectacular, because it's a pwp series and must keep objective in mind! but the rest, really trying to keep sense.]

[shahar-amar.livejournal.com]

Ouch! I'd much prefer a story where after b) the characters either try and stop when it's too painful or simply go to sleep with the promise of later. I mean even superstrong Spike wasn't up for another round with BuffyBot right after Glory tortured him, so surely a mere human can do with a good nights sleep (or three), right?

If they don't think they're hot as is, why write about them?
1) The writer is young and fit and so selfcentered/inexperienced, they can't imagine (and therefor describe) anyone with a different bodytype.
2) The writer likes the idea of what these characters represent for them, but can't/won't face the reality of people outside the current pysical ideal.
3) The writer knows these charcters and this pairing are popular, so they write about them in order to gain readers and comments, but acurate descriptions would be too much work.
4) The writer knows these charcters and this pairing are popular, so they edit an old story of theirs, written in another fandom that vaguely fits and don't bother with the details.

There are probably some more reasons why someone might seemingly write about specific characters, but alter them beyond recognition. And some people simply haven't yet realized, that lovehandles can help you handeling all that love. :o)