As I was fighting my way through the latest chapters of my first long fan fiction, Recovery I realized that it is much harder to write a coherent, interesting plot, than it is to piece together a series of sexy vignettes.
Just look at all the diagrams and schematics that go into plot writing..
When I first started thinking about how to write a fan fiction that would incorporate elements of John Porter’s life as an SAS operative with the life that I had created for him, it was actually my husband who gave me a number of interesting avenues to follow about mercenaries and proprietary military technology. I really enjoyed laying out this plot, unfolding it slowly, introducing twists here and there to keep it interesting, but it takes a lot more time and mental energy to keep it all straight, not to mention research. A look at my browser history will find info on Blackwater operations, automatic weapons, fiber optic cabling, Syrian insurgents, British fleet movements, fatal knife wounds, etc….an uninformed eye might seriously question what type of mischief I’m up to! In a summer when I had difficulty carving out an hour or two here and there to write at all, it often took me two or more weeks to piece together a 2000-3000 word chapter. One RA friend and reader remarked that the majority of people reading on DreamerFiction probably don’t care all that much about plot…although I doubt I’m completely alone in enjoying a number of longer fics with developed plot lines, looking at the readership of the story, it’s pretty clear that the chapters with “sexy times” are read (or re-read) a lot more often.
Recovery is now at a point where much of the plot has been resolved (I still have a few surprises up my sleeve though), and some RAcy chapters have resumed. What kind of research do I need to do to write these? Well…there’s this
John Porter (Richard Armitage) Strikback S1E4
Source: http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
Or this…
A rare-ish John Porter smile..Strikeback S1E4
Source: http://www.richardarmitagenet.com (my crop)
A quick double check of this for variety…
and then a little more of this…or maybe a lot of this…
Yep, that one, right there!
Source: My crop of Servetus’ cap (http://meandrichard.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/places-i-would-like-to-kiss-richard-armitage-a-non-exhaustive-list/)
and most definitely this…
John Porter and Katie Dartmouth…S1 E2
Source: http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
A little John Porter-style inspiRAtion and I am off and running…2000 word of steamy scene written, edited and posted in less time than it took to figure out the difference between a Tech-9 and a 45.
I wouldn’t have written this story any differently, but I have to admit, sexy does win out over plotty in certain instances. 🙂
Ancient Armitage 
MMMMMM!
never enough Porter teres in circulation!
that’s for sure. Odd, since it’s so large, you’d think there’d be plenty to go around …
Well, after I take my fill, I’m not sure how much will be left…I’m kind of greedy that way 🙂
yeah, I’m pretty sure that one already has teethmarks in it and bites missing, they just airbrushed them out 🙂
Exactly!! How is anyone supposed to resist even a tiny nip at that?!
Uh-uh, nope, never.
Other than Recovery, what ‘s your favorite longer plotty story on dreamer fiction ?
There are a ton of really good ones, but I think my favorite is “The Gruinard Effect” by Khandy.
Welcome, and thanks for commenting!
Sorry to be shallow, but I’m afraid I do prefer the RAcy to the plotty. Although both is a plus. I love Morrighan Muse’s stories and they are both RAcy and Plotty. Haven’t read Recovery. Sorry! Not on DreamerFiction. 😦
I don’t think it’s shallow…it’s it own genre after all 🙂 Yeah, MM is a great example of combining both. Do you want to join Dreamer? I’m happy to recommend you – it’s a pretty easy process, you just send an email to the admins with your preferred username and they’ll set you up. There is a lot of good stuff there that isn’t posted elsewhere.
Sure I’d be great for you to recommend me! How is that done?
I believe you just mention me in the email that you send to the admin…or alternatively, just send them proof that you are over 18 years of age. Happy reading 🙂
Thank you for the shout-out regarding my stories 🙂 Glad to know people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them
They are great stories!
I think you prove to Obscura you are over 19 and she makes the referral. I proved my age by quoting the song lyrics from an old TV show.
Re: Terses: I’m going to have to see both of them to be convinced it’s not some sort of growth or something. Exactly what repetitive exercise would build up that particular muscle? I think this is a question for MM or maybe Gigglepants.
I feel compelled to mention mulubinba, who has Armitage’s physique and its condition always close to her thoughts 🙂
I do not know…I still think there is some sort of positioning that is exaggerating it a bit…maybe holding the shovel or something…not sure – anatomists in the crowd?
If he was digging, then both teres muscles would have gotten a major work out, hence it is pretty buffed up. The teres major and the latissimus dorsi muscles are what you call your “handcuff muscles” which allow one to basically get handcuffed – and that’s rotating your inwards or medially. Michael Phelps has really developed lats and teres major muscles because his favorite event is the butterfly, which involves a lot of medial rotation of the shoulder. For us regular folks, it would mean closing the refrigerator door.
The teres minor and the infraspinatus (the muscle just below the spine of your shoulder blade – if you were to place your hand on your shoulder blade, you’ll notice a bony “spine” that sticks out diagonally) are responsible for rotating your shoulder outwards or laterally. Much like opening the refrigerator door at 3am when you’re in need of a snack.
In Porter’s case, he’s just been digging the graves, so all those 4 muscles are working hard and hence they’ll be pretty buffed up. I did notice that on RA when he played Lucas North and when he removed his shirt to show off his muscles that first time he already does have pretty defined teres muscles.
So to answer Perry’s question whether they’re normal or not, his teres muscles are just fine 🙂
Here’s the Lucas North pic with the defined teres muscles, and you get the border of the latissimus dorsi muscl as well:
*just getting up from thud* Morrighansmuse waves pix* double thud
thud.
Thanks MM! This is exactly what I was hoping for! I find myself inexplicably drawn to that muscle group, so it’s nice to know that it’s not an aberration!
All this naughty medical jargon is steaming up my reading glasses. 😉
LOL I can continue with more if you like – complete with John Porter and Lucas North diagrams 😀
I mean, why on earth would I want you to do that!? 😉 (And, yes please. Thank you. 🙂 )
Last I looked, I noticed that no one yet mentioned a particular indoor sport that can effectively build up those shoulder muscles.
Bring out the saucy minxes I know and love! 🙂
Hmmm…I wonder what this indoor sport may be? My mind is swirling with all the possibilities!
Curling? Bowling? (I think I’m very funny 🙂 )
As if I would ever believe such a statement from a writer such as yourself. 😉
This just might need its own blog post 😉
*drumroll* take it away! 🙂
My husband retired military…plot line…take off clothes. have sex. go to sleep.
I am ex-military -plot line dinner, foreplay–take off clothes–more foreplay-sex–afterplay–snuggle–more afterplay– snuggle-sex-watch the sun come up.,,
Forget the tech stuff that’s for the civilians….who work for the military. LOL
I had to do a bit…certainly not enough to fool anyone who knows anything about those topics, but I couldn’t just have John Porter fixing toilets and flower pots all the time. 😀
I like plot and erotica to come together in a fluid, cohesive whole. You’re doing it with “Recovery” and I love it.
Thanks Leigh…I tend to gravitate toward the plottier stories myself, and I’m happy to hear that others are enjoying Recovery, I’m having a lot of fun writing it. I also love that one shots are always plentiful when one needs a *er* quick fix…
I love the one shots for a fix as well, but the long form combination of plotty and sexy is what really makes my day. I’d love to read your Recovery, so will have to organise access to DF (by the way, I have commented once or twice on your blog as *Astera* but that name was taken when I signed up to WordPress. Don’t know if your blog will recognise me from last time – am using the same email). Happy schematics!
:). I had that same problem when I started on WordPress – it looks to me like you’re coming up as Astera.
Let me know if you need any info on accessing DreamerFiction…there is so much great stuff there…some that is elsewhere, some that is not. My motto is, I’ll sleep when I’m dead..tonight I’m reading fan fiction!”
Ok it – WordPress – has picked me up as astera instead of the alternative username based on my email address it told me I had to use, so sorry for the confusion!
Τίποτα
Afraid I don’t speak greek, despite the affectation of my username. Google to the rescue! It’s nothing!
Like “de nada” in Spanish (I don’t really speak Greek either – mostly just Greek food, although I can get around OK 🙂 )
[…] Obscura reflects on the research necessary for her Porter fanfic, “Recovery.” […]
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