|
|
Post by dzero on Dec 14, 2009 15:42:31 GMT -5
people still watch commercials?  A dvr is a huge time saver  , you'll thank me later. I think the crime solving eps do stand up. It's escapist fare to be sure but that's all I'm looking for. More problematic for me are the terrorism eps, it's just harder for me to cut them any slack plotwise. If one of the crime themed eps has something illogical or hard to believe It doesn't tend to bother me but the terrorism eps it just drives me nuts. Also it seems that the writers are more inclined to be over the top in the terrorism eps, the most infamous example now being the great Gibbs Flash impersonation of 2009  . Would they have done something so over the top in one of the crime/murder eps? |
|
|
|
Post by dzero on Dec 14, 2009 15:55:16 GMT -5
Hm… I kind of half agree with that actually, I mostly prefer their routine case-solving without too much of their personal life drama. (Especially the overdramatic Gibbs flashbacks) So when you think back to an episode, do you remember it by the cases and who did it rather than the team? I think of the eps in terms of the case they are working on. For me the stuff with the team is so separate that I can't really connect them with the cases though. I'll remember that in one ep they dealt with a nympho in a psychiatric hospital and I'll remember that in one ep Tony had that spring break picture of Kate. Now these are from the same ep ( I just watched last night ) but when I think of those two details (the crime and the back and forth between Tony and Kate) unless I had just rewatched that ep then never in a million years would I remember that they happened in the same ep. Not sure if I explained that well but its a Monday  Interesting  , I don't really draw a distinction. For me it's all divided into crime/terrorism. |
|
|
|
Post by mari on Dec 15, 2009 17:49:48 GMT -5
I think of the eps in terms of the case they are working on. For me the stuff with the team is so separate that I can't really connect them with the cases though. I'll remember that in one ep they dealt with a nympho in a psychiatric hospital and I'll remember that in one ep Tony had that spring break picture of Kate. Now these are from the same ep ( I just watched last night ) but when I think of those two details (the crime and the back and forth between Tony and Kate) unless I had just rewatched that ep then never in a million years would I remember that they happened in the same ep. Not sure if I explained that well but its a Monday Hm, I guess I do the same at least partly and escapist yes, but remember more the team moments. I think the crime solving eps do stand up. It's escapist fare to be sure but that's all I'm looking for. More problematic for me are the terrorism eps, it's just harder for me to cut them any slack plotwise. If one of the crime themed eps has something illogical or hard to believe It doesn't tend to bother me but the terrorism eps it just drives me nuts. Also it seems that the writers are more inclined to be over the top in the terrorism eps, the most infamous example now being the great Gibbs Flash impersonation of 2009 . Would they have done something so over the top in one of the crime/murder eps? Yes:-) It kind of feels as if they felt obliged to throw in the terrorism plot episodes because of the shows setting but they're usually not as well-thought. Maybe it’s because the crime cases are more small-scale, can be solved plausibly in an hour / episode (as in some twist of dead marine, find out wife had an affair, killed him and will be arrested) when the terrorism cases usually have some international involvement that would be much more complicated in reality... and it seems as if they don't have the patience for that mostly. |
|
|
|
Post by mari on Dec 16, 2009 14:15:25 GMT -5
As far as your questions I couldn't begin to answer as I've never tried to really create anything, so I'll pass on positing an opinion. Despite the fact that I find things like plot, narrative and character development fascinating I don't have an original or creative bone in my body. I've long felt if I were ever to attempt writing anything it would have to be speech writing or journalism, then again there but for the grace of God go I. You mean you never created anything verbally? Isn’t that mandatory when going through school and didn’t you like it? writing, like acting and singing, is something accessible to everyone and ought to be practiced by only a very few. Unlike playing an instrument, which takes at the very least some weeks/months/years to acheive any recognizable sound or tune -- anyone can get up, open up his mouth and start to sing So what is this about writing? Is it different for those who write because they love to weave a story about things of interest to them? Do some people do it for attention? To release their demons? To hope they'll achieve fame and glory? ... This is something I’ve obsessed about a lot and even more so since English isn’t my native language, so I’m constantly doubting my judgment. (How am I supposed to know if a story is good when I have less of a language feeling than a native…) Don’t know if I agree with the ‘only a very few… or too which limits. I guess I would agree that only a few should do it on a professional level (and maybe that’s what you implied) I’d rather compare fic writing with people who join a choir (or simply meet) just for the fun of singing, spending their free time with a hobby they enjoy, people with whom they connect, but not with the ambition to become famous and make their living of it. And like with the people writing fic, there’s a range of skill and talents. (I loved singing in music lessons when I was a kid but even I myself can hear that I’m terribly off-key (and I’d much, much rather cure my accent (and you know how unlikely that is) than being able to sing in key) so I stopped doing even the proverbial shower (or car) singing) It seems the thing that makes the variety of skills in fic-writing much larger and lets people with little or no talent go on for much longer is finding a medium and place to do so, the anonymity of the internet which gives just everybody a place to post. So if only those who really have the skills for it should sing and write professionally, where do you draw the line? (Which I know wasn’t your direction, but just something about which fic made me think) Those who get published or are in some way able to sell, even make a living? Maybe it’s just my whacky judgment, but it seems that some fanfic is equal or better and deeper than some kinds of books (from really cheap and clichéd to populare crime serials) that nevertheless find a buying audience. Another comparison in that row. What about all the people selling their artsy stuff, pottery or paintings on street fairs or markets or even little shops? A lot of it is nice-looking, most of it is overprized and something the ordinary skilled person could fabricate too with some practice. But some of the paintings for example may be really good and just coincidence that the painter landed there instead of a good art school or a gallery… (And hey, in this line, what about cooking? Which kind of falls out because connected to basic survival but still…) (Complete over-analysis of your post and sorry about that, maybe by coming from a country that doesn’t only separate between E and U music but applies the entertaining vs. serious art opposition to pretty much everything) ... ... which is how some of the meanest "reality" shows have made it on to TV for audiences who love seeing someone get up in front of everyone and bomb, terribly. And thankfully at least there seems to be less of that kind of meanness in fic-communities – though I guess only because no competition, no winner, no prize to win, not the trial situation and no audience who waits for some kind of freak show to satisfy their need for gleefulness. And yet another random thought about comparing writing, singing and playing an instrument: Writing seems to be a more generally practiced skill than playing an instrument or even something as basic as opening your mouth to sing. Pretty much everybody in industrialized countries has around 9-15 years of first learning to write and then learning to write fictional stories and then in the next years practicing daily to write all kinds of texts. So maybe people feel a bit more comfortable or practiced? All this geeky over-thinking (and pedantic pea-counting of Shy's post) instead of substantial NCIS discussion. |
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Dec 19, 2009 11:53:17 GMT -5
A couple real fic recommendations this time! (can't wait go come back & hash thru the discussions here and respond, but am drowning in work and this is my well deserved break to throw in some laundry <how sad that THAT'S exciting> and to read a couple mini- fic...) And in doing so I found a list of NCIS recs that have a couple authors worth noting: www.fanfiction.net/u/1560298/Belker -- I read two of (I assume) hers and am impressed -- they have a wonderful pacing, a quality of being swept up and rushed along with the fic. The two I read were www.fanfiction.net/s/4954145/1/McLoafer and www.fanfiction.net/s/5322771/1/Casanova (sorry, too lazy to work out the prettier links) and enjoyed them both. Also found a well-written story by the author, www.fanfiction.net/u/1791779/Zee_Viate -- (more in the hurt!Tony mode but kept me reading...) Enjoy! (and I plan to too, when I can get this #$!!$@%&% project done!  ) |
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Feb 20, 2010 9:59:37 GMT -5
An extraordinarily well written story, Better Than Old Times, shows us what we SHOULD have seen on the show from Ziva's rescue and after. Super-well written, has all the characters done perfectly, and done with restraint. Check it out! |
|
|
|
Post by Mr.Clark on Feb 20, 2010 16:00:36 GMT -5
I have to say someone should write a story based on Phil's (or was it Tim's) idea for a finale this season. That was pretty brilliant and far to bold for TPTB to ever consider but would make for excellent Fanfic.
|
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Feb 20, 2010 16:27:07 GMT -5
I have to say someone should write a story based on Phil's (or was it Tim's) idea for a finale this season. That was pretty brilliant and far to bold for TPTB to ever consider but would make for excellent Fanfic. What Mr. Clark means is this: Phil's post on Special Ops, S7 Speculation thread: Rather than having the entire team arrested, have it simply be Gibbs. If they're truly going for "controversial" as Shane Brennan has stated, then the crime that Gibbs is arrested for should be murder - likely either Colonel Bell or Ms. Hart - ... and Gibbs is guilty.
We know that they're building up for a confrontation with Bell, so I'd have the stakes get raised somehow - killing off Damon Werth as a message to Gibbs in the finale's teaser would work, I think - and have Gibbs faced with a situation where he has to act or the rest of his team is put into danger. For example, they kill off Werth in the teaser, which immediately causes angst within the MCRT - Tony feels guilty because he didn't trust the man and was so eager to see Werth gone in "Jack Knife," Ziva feels bad because her friend (however the heck he's defined) is now dead, Gibbs feels like he's lost another ally or something - and then, members of Bell's respective teams take shots at the various team members.
Because he's never hurt (it's always Gibbs, Tony or Ziva who get "whumped"), I'd have Tim McGee take a bullet (don't worry; he'll survive since bullet wounds in NCIS-land are usually mere flesh wounds, not career-ending injuries.) This causes Abby to freak out, Tony to turn into Scary Tony (ala how he was at the beginning of "Kill Ari"), Ziva to start turning back into Assassin Ziva, and Gibbs to start to panic as they try to find the shooter. Another attempt is made on a member of the MCRT - Ziva, perhaps, since they like to have her go all ninja on people, or maybe Ducky who is saved by the prompt response of the rest of the team - and they figure out that it's Bell who is responsible. Gibbs' relationship with Hart is revealed to be him trying to gain intel on the man, but as it has backfired, it leads to Scary Tony (which everybody but Weatherly himself seems to like) freaking out at Gibbs (ala the confrontation in "Cloak") and blaming him for Tim's injury. Gibbs, convinced that this is the only way to resolve this issue, goes after Bell alone. They have a confrontation that doesn't involve them fighting but does have Gibbs shoot the man in cold blood (we already know he's capable of doing this as the flashbacks from his undercover ops have shown it, plus he's a sniper & basically murdered the guy who killed Shannon and Kelly.) End FOOF has Tony being forced to arrest Gibbs.
While I'm pretty fond of this scenario, I honestly can't see a way they could get Gibbs out of this predicament and back on the team ... although it would certainly be an interesting way to begin season 8, with Tony in charge of the MCRT and Gibbs incarcerated.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr.Clark on Feb 20, 2010 23:21:55 GMT -5
An extraordinarily well written story, Better Than Old Times, shows us what we SHOULD have seen on the show from Ziva's rescue and after. Super-well written, has all the characters done perfectly, and done with restraint. Check it out! That is an excellent story, there really is never enough good angst out there. Far and away my favorite flavor of fanfiction it always feels impossible to find the well written gems among the seemingly endless $5 romance novel quality mush fests. |
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Feb 21, 2010 0:38:43 GMT -5
An extraordinarily well written story, Better Than Old Times, shows us what we SHOULD have seen on the show from Ziva's rescue and after. Super-well written, has all the characters done perfectly, and done with restraint. Check it out! That is an excellent story, there really is never enough good angst out there. Far and away my favorite flavor of fanfiction it always feels impossible to find the well written gems among the seemingly endless $5 romance novel quality mush fests. This one not only has a great story line, but the writer has done a lot of things that are interesting from a technical POV -- for example, she set this up to alternate chapters between one of the other characters -- it opens with Tim's POV -- and a chapter that is a Tony & Ziva chapter. It works really well here and moves seamlessly from one chapter to the next. She also does a lovely job of catching the best part of each character's personality and building on it, and it's all very low key while, as Mr. C notes, pulling on the angst strings. But don't avoid it if the term "angst" would normally put you off -- it's not over-the-top angst at all, but subtle, which results in making it a much more touching story than the usual chest-beating stuff. READ, peeps! ;D |
|
|
|
Post by dutch on Feb 21, 2010 2:18:54 GMT -5
An extraordinarily well written story, Better Than Old Times, shows us what we SHOULD have seen on the show from Ziva's rescue and after. Super-well written, has all the characters done perfectly, and done with restraint. Check it out! Great story, very well done. |
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Aug 5, 2010 0:57:35 GMT -5
... there really is never enough good angst out there. Far and away my favorite flavor of fanfiction it always feels impossible to find the well written gems among the seemingly endless $5 romance novel quality mush fests. I found another amazing NCIS fanfic (and writer) I have to recommend -- but for several reasons, many of you won't want to read the story I think you should read: it's still in progress, and character death is involved. But, oh my, it is really worth it, even with both these elements. It's Scar Tissue, by FiveforFighting09. The author has another amazing set of stories that are ansgt-filled and heart-wrenching: The Leaving Rhapsody, the Finding Symphony, the Shaping Melody and the Unknown Song -- ah, really something. The angst in all her stories is deep and sad, but quiet and dignified -- really worth a try. |
|
|
|
Post by mari on Aug 5, 2010 5:45:05 GMT -5
... there really is never enough good angst out there. Far and away my favorite flavor of fanfiction it always feels impossible to find the well written gems among the seemingly endless $5 romance novel quality mush fests. I found another amazing NCIS fanfic (and writer) I have to recommend -- but for several reasons, many of you won't want to read the story I think you should read: it's still in progress, and character death is involved. But, oh my, it is really worth it, even with both these elements. It's Scar Tissue, by FiveforFighting09. The author has another amazing set of stories that are ansgt-filled and heart-wrenching: The Leaving Rhapsody, the Finding Symphony, the Shaping Melody and the Unknown Song -- ah, really something. The angst in all her stories is deep and sad, but quiet and dignified -- really worth a try. Ohhhhh, yes... Quite efficient in making me forgot the beans on the stove... This doesn't happen to be the one you mentioned last weekend? (That I never got to read because once I accidentally closed that conversation on my little computer ersatz everything was gone) |
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Aug 14, 2010 8:38:55 GMT -5
I found another amazing NCIS fanfic (and writer) I have to recommend -- but for several reasons, many of you won't want to read the story I think you should read: it's still in progress, and character death is involved. But, oh my, it is really worth it, even with both these elements. It's Scar Tissue, by FiveforFighting09. The author has another amazing set of stories that are ansgt-filled and heart-wrenching: The Leaving Rhapsody, the Finding Symphony, the Shaping Melody and the Unknown Song -- ah, really something. The angst in all her stories is deep and sad, but quiet and dignified -- really worth a try. If any of you stayed away because this fic was unfinished, your time has come -- it's now complete. Very much worth your time! |
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Aug 14, 2010 8:45:57 GMT -5
I found another amazing NCIS fanfic (and writer) I have to recommend -- but for several reasons, many of you won't want to read the story I think you should read: it's still in progress, and character death is involved. But, oh my, it is really worth it, even with both these elements. It's Scar Tissue, by FiveforFighting09. Ohhhhh, yes... Quite efficient in making me forgot the beans on the stove... This doesn't happen to be the one you mentioned last weekend? (That I never got to read because once I accidentally closed that conversation on my little computer ersatz everything was gone) No, that was before I found Scar Tissue -- maybe Nine Lives ...? Good story too, but frustrating in that the updates aren't fast and the story is very intense, suspense-filled, edge of your seat race against time, just the wrong sort of story to require a wait! |
|
, you'll thank me later.
. Would they have done something so over the top in one of the crime/murder eps? 
, I don't really draw a distinction. For me it's all divided into crime/terrorism.
)
