I had never heard of fan fiction before I “discovered” Richard Armitage in the summer of 2012. Suffice it to say, I had no idea what I was missing! I became an avid RA fan fiction reader, hunting down stories about any and all ChaRActers on fanfiction.net, Wattpad, Tumblr, LiveJournal and finally Dreamer Fiction and an Archive of Our Own (If I’m missing any, please do tell!) . There is a massive variety of stories from fluffy and sentimental to seriously sexy to downright raunchy. (here’s another caveat for you…caveat lector – Let the reader beware – My personal policy: Don’t like? Don’t read.)
In retrospect, this was no great leap for me really, since I have been a consumer of “romance novels” for decades. I was in 6th grade, frantically trying to scrub the images of Steinbeck’s The Red Pony from my brain when a classmate slipped me a purloined copy of Rosemary Roger’s Sweet Savage Love.
The purple prose, the bodice rippery, crinolines, cravats, the eventual happy ending for the handsome hero and beautiful heroine, …I was hooked. I was also eleven, so my interest in what my mother, to this day calls “smut books,” had to be kept on the Q.T. Looking back, I know that at the time I didn’t understand most of the excessively euphemistic sex scenes, or the scenes of rape and abuse, but I became addicted to the formula.
Fast forward a bit. The added incentive of stories about characters played by the oh so delicious leading man Richard Armitage was irresistible. About six months after my entrance into Armitage World, I decided to take a stab at writing a fan fiction of my own – a “one off” in fan fic lingo, about John Porter in a life after Strikeback. I’ve written reams of academic papers, and for the past decade I’ve spent an enormous amount of time correcting other people’s writing. Consequently, I’m a pretty strong writer in terms of mechanics, but I’d never attempted creative writing. I guess that I just need the right inspiRAtion! Over the past few months, I’ve tapped into my inner storyteller, and as it turns out, she has a lot to say and she is often not G-rated. 🙂
John Porter – Strikeback S1.5
Courtesy of richardarmitagenet.com
So then, why do I warn, Caveat scriptor (Latin for “Let the writer beware!”)? It all started with “The Longest Night,” my story about John Porter and an original character named Lindsey Tate. I won’t give the details away in case you’d like to read it for yourself, but suffice it to say that sexy times ensued between Porter and Lindsey. When it was finished, I gave it to my husband to look over for general readability. I guess I did a pretty good job with sex scene in the story since I’ve had to beat him off with a stick since he read it… “I had no idea,” he says 😉 So, if you’re considering taking the plunge into writing RAcy fan fiction, Caveat scriptor: you may want to make a little room in your schedule before letting your significant other in on your new hobby!
Ancient Armitage 
“Caveat scriptor” indeed! I think a lot of Significant Others owe Richard for the newfound sparkle in their ladies’ eyes, for the side-effects of fan fiction from which they benefit. My mother once said of men that it does not matter where they get their appetite as long as they eat at home. I think the same applies to women. The hope is that the Significant Others recognize the benefit, and that their participation is as passionate and appealing as that of the fictional heroes.
It was an unforeseen, but not undesirable side effect…is that vague enough? 😉 (I don’t want to over-share)
That’s perfect. Just to say you’re not alone 😉
I’ve heard before that husbands are frequent beneficiaries of fires stoked by Armitage!
😉 A new line of Thank You cards starts flooding the fan mail…
Hahahahaha! You are hilarious. Maybe we should have Heather create a t-shirt for all the Army husbands that says: Thank you for inspiring my wife to write fanfics, Richard! You can all snap pictures and send them to someone specific who would then mail the box to Richard. You could also include pictures of all the babies who were conceived thanks to him! 😉
LOL…No babies here these days! My husband has been a very good sport. He was only weirded out for a little while, now he’s just riding the wave… 🙂
I never let partners read the racy scenes in my stories – then and now. It’s strange that although I don’t mind other people reading them, it’s something that’s between me and my characters, and nothing I’d willingly share with the significant other…unless they stumble upon it themselves or put more effort in finding out the saucy raunchy details.
Then I know at least they made an effort to find out what rocks my boat 😉
You know, since he read the first one, I’ve been less inclined to let him read others…it’s weird – like he’s reading my diary or something even though they’re fictional characters, it’s almost too personal. I’m not quite sure how to explain it.
That’s why I don’t willingly let partners read them. Whether it’s fan fiction or original fiction, there are certain things that are better left in the dark between two real people (i.e. racy scenes between fictional people); the same things or racy scenes that are simply “ours” alone, even if theoretically, we are sharing it to the readers.
But then we are not invested emotionally as we are with our real life partners, hence the raw open-ness in our writings – because we really are writing such passages for ourselves.
I get what you mean…I have no problem with people who don’t know me reading them, but as much as I’d like to share this creative outlet with friends, I’ve thought about it, then decided no, too much exposure. As far as husband is concerned, I don’t think he really wants to read anymore, which is fine by me. I don’t want to exclude him, but I also think it’s ok for individuals in a relationship to have separate interests. He’s happy enough with the benefits of his position as research assistant 🙂
“Research assistant” — I like that. In a relationship, I find that there is enough personal history and baggage that doing is not the same thing as writing (just as the reality and the description cannot be equivalent), and writing is not necessarily something to share with a SO or a close friend.
Yep…I think initially, he just couldn’t quite fathom what it was I was scribbling away at…now that he knows, he seems to have lost any “need” to read. Which, in the long run, benefits us both ;).
Especially when he sees you step away from the computer with the “rowrr” in your eyes.
😀
I remember reading what my husband and a young son 1 (about 4) called smut, Harlequin romance books. Hardly smut if my aunt (who sent the books to my grandma) and grandma where reading them. But I remember being in about 6th or 7th grade and finding romance books and reading a lot of them. Now I really don’t have the time to read much more than my textbook and one of my british magazines and I have a stack of them to read. I have thought about reading fan fic and maybe over the summer months, as reading is on my list of things to do.
There is certainly a plethoRA (sorry, I just can’t help myself) out there if and when you get around to it 🙂
This is a very well timed Blog Post! Im currently attempting to write a fan fic after discovering them a few months ago when I met Richard (had never DREAMED of reading them before that, and I havent actually picked up a book since!) And yes, who would have thought reading fanfic (especially the “mature” ones *ahem*) would have an effect on other areas of my relationship with my husband?! (there, was that put delicately enough?)
Another “victim” of fan fiction addiction :). I tend to think that each couple has to find their own comfort zone and boundaries for a lot of things, and this fits into the mix…if it works for both partners? Read / write on woman! 🙂
He has no idea though!!! I havent told him Im reading/writing about RA (or more often than not Thorin!)
Heaven knows, I’m no relationship expert, but yours might well be a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” 😉
LOL indeed! Some things are best left unsaid.
I probably would have left it there too if he hadn’t been practically looking over my shoulder through the whole process. All’s well that ends well I guess ;). (I have a million of them..I’m thinking about doing a course on “almost forgotten idioms”). 🙂
Bahahahaha! All’s well that ends well is one of my favourite sayings!!! Luckily my Long Suffering Husband leaves me in the study doing”my thing” and goes and plays the xbox! (how romantic)
Yeah, we’ve been married 15 years, so I had gotten quite accustomed to having plenty of time to do my own thing…his renewed interest in all things ME is mostly terrific, but sometimes irritating :). “Isn’t there a new Call of Duty or something you can entertain yourself with while I write ‘my stories'”. Hmmm, there’s an idea 🙂
LOL! my husband and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniverary last weekend. I think he suspects that RA is behind my new…er…’interest’ in things but he hasn’t said anything. Although I’ve noticed he has a new stubble thing and has started parting his hair on the side. Bless.
LOL…they’re usually not as clueless as they sometimes seem are they?!
No indeed!
However, it is well known that video games deactivate testosterone and destroy time sense.
That explains a lot actually – interestingly, the PS3 has been gathering dust for some time now 😉
Not in this house!
Although I agree with the time sense thing, I often wake at 2 in the morning and my husband is still on the computer terrorising dragons or zombies! But I find just being on the computer I lose track of time – especially when richarding or tweeting.
Fanfic – the dark side. I discovered it about 14 months ago, and it was fanfic that actually made me come out about my RA obsession. I just felt I had to share with other fans rather than just ogle silently at home. *ggg* I have made a couple of forays into fanfic myself – some just vaguely innuendo-based fun, a group write, actually, and then another one for myself (and RPF, therefore not publishable). And much like you, Obscura, I have found that my new-found knowledge gained from the perusal of NC-17 fanfic *quite* beneficial in my own relationship *ahem*.
However, I would never let Mr Guylty read my fanfic. Yes, it is far too personal. And I would worry that he’d confuse fantasy with reality and believe that what I write about is something I actively want or pursue. That is just always the danger with fanfic – by writing smut, you *seem* to be giving insight into your own interests in the bedroom department. That may actually not be true at all, but the assumption is easily made by the reader. And I do not want Mr Guylty to think that I want a bit of rough courtesy of Sir Guy or some sexy time with a celebrity actor with an imaginary massive p…ackage… But I very much like admitting to what I read here in this context. After all, we are all united in our interest…
My sister!! 🙂
“by writing smut, you *seem* to be giving insight into your own interests in the bedroom department.” – I have a whole separate post coming about that one! Stay tuned…
We have to defend ourselves in the same way that Nabokov was constantly having to deny accusations of pedophilia just because he wrote “Lolita”. Just because you can write it does not mean you want it or feel it yourself, and people need to KNOW that writing is a creative art form, that fiction is fiction, not a statement of who you are as a person.
“fiction is fiction” is central to the discussion I think. It was what husband had to be made to understand…this is fiction, not even fantasy most of the time, but fiction. It might spin off from fantasy initially, but the further I delve into a story, the more I am purely creating scenes and interaction that make sense (to me anyway) for the characters.
Brilliant. I look forward to that!
If the people who knew me had any clue what this little mind can think up, they would be SHOCKED. I don’t even see myself putting anything on paper, I am to shy that way. I do have a wild imagination which I owe to all the reading I have done over the years. I have no problem reading smut, but sometimes a hard time watching even a kiss on a TV show, even when I am watching by myself. But not so much RA.
As for my husband, what he don’t know will not kill him, but some how he knew about this Richard thing. OK maybe listening to Richards audiobooks every Sunday while cooking dinner was a dead give away and that the CD’s sat by the CD player for a year. I put them away when I cracked a CD case. I was so busted in front of his oldest nephew on 14, December, 2012. Then I was asked after I took the younger boys and myself to TH the next day if my guy died this time, I knew who he was talking about. He has watched most everything that I have that RA is in. But I draw the line if I do get a chance to read fanfic not while he is around. I don’t let him look at the blogs either.
I agree about blogs…to me it feels like conversations between gal pals (and the occasional like minded guy pal 🙂 ). I am part of a couple, but I remain an individual, with my own interests separate and apart from my husband – I don’t need a break down from him of everything that goes on at deer camp either 😉
It has taken me along time to remember I am a daughter, wife and mom, but I am an individual. Not that my husband has not been telling me that for years, it took me that long to figure it out for me. That is why I choose to go to school now, it is for me, I also like my down time on my own too.
What happens at deer camp … stays at deer camp … 🙂
Precisely!
I think if we all got to enter other people’s minds, we’d all be equally shocked by what we’d find there LOL
I agree! I didn’t even realise what I was capable of thinking until I met Richard!
[…] Side effects of writing racy Armitage fanfiction. […]
I cant register in dreamer fiction to read “the longest night”, Can you help me?
It’s been awhile since I registered, I believe you send an email to admin@dreamerfiction.com which includes the screen name you’d like and if possible, proof that you are over 18 years of age…one of the admins will reply with your password. If you’ve done this and are still having trouble, let me know…
Thanks for you interest in the story!