Straight Shooting

Zine
Title:	Straight Shooting
Publisher:	Spin Dizzie Press
Editor(s):	Marilyn Johansen
Date(s):	1987
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Professionals
Language:	English
External Links:
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cover by Marilyn Johnson

inside page sample

Straight Shooting is a het and gen 136-page Professionals anthology.

The Connection to "Mixed Doubles"

It was a LoC by well-known fan named Sue-Anne Hartwick that, among some other things, was one of the events that caused the editors of Mixed Doubles decide to cease publishing.

Submission Request

"A Professionals zine to premiere in the Fall of '86. X-rated, yet NO same-sex or death stories please! (Get the title? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!) We will accept material based on other roles the actors have played. Poetry, Fantasy pieces, art work are needed."

Contents

• art by Karen Eaton, Denise Habel, Marj Ihssen, Kate Nuernberg, Marilyn Johnson
• Editorial (2)
• Water Under The Bridge by Viv Alexander (gen) (Jane of Australia wrote an epilogue to this story, see Rainbows Always End.) (5)
• Reprimand by Marguerite Krause (gen) (32)
• Rough Cut, poem by Jane Kaufenberg (33)
• Double-Edge, poem by Sue-Anne Hartwick (34)
• On My Own, poem by Sue-Anne Hartwick (35)
• Relentless by Jenna Bruce (het) (36)
• For the Sake of the Game, poem by Susan Sizemore (62)
• Three’s Company by Leia Mahon (het) (64)
• Bad Boys by Susan Sizemore (gen) (73)
• The Other Side Of Involvement by Dani Lane (gen) (81)
• Games We Played in the Dark by Deborah June Laymon (gen) (93)
• The End of the Magic?, poem by Marilyn Pulley (136)

Reactions and Reviews in the Letterzine "Mixed Doubles"

[See reactions and reviews for Games We Played in the Dark.

[Relentless]: As a public service to all "/" fans, I present here a list of the TEN WORST MARY SUE STORIES IN PRO'S FANDOM, AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID THEM. I'm not listing the author's names, though... in most case they've all ready done that themselves, and I can't see compounding the guilt. So, without further ado: 1) "Relentless" (in the zine, STRAIGHT SHOOTING) — this is so badly-written, and with such a dippy "heroine", I'm at a loss for words. One point of interest is that the virginal lady is described as practically being Ray's twin (she goes to bed with Bodie). Hmmm- mmm... [...]

[zine]: I have a burning question I'd like to ask; one that was 'inspired' by my recent reading of the new Pro's zine, STRAIGHT SHOOTING. This question is directed towards all your writers of 'Mary Sue' stories out there: Why do so many of you feel you have to portray B&D as practically hating each other?! I can see where you'd write yourself into the story as a 'Mary Sue' character because you want to play out your sexual fantasies with one (or both} of the guys; personally, I like to keep my own sexual fantasies involving my favorite actors private, but to each her own...but WHY do you always have to write the guys as being so antagonistic towards each other? Is it that you really only care for one of the guys (presumably, the one who's involved with the Mary Sue heroine), and you hate his partner so much that you feel you have to write the guys as hating each other? If that's the case - if you really think they hate each other so much - what attracted you to the series in the first place? Even on the series, when one of them was involved with some woman or other, they never acted as if they couldn't stand the sight of the other! OR - do you write B&D that way because you're so appalled by the very thought of B/D that you're afraid to have them show any caring or friendship or affection towards each other for fear it'll be 'misconstrued'? ... If anyone was to ask me why I write B/D, I wouldn't need to hesitate in explaining: it's because I love them so much together - WITH EACH OTHER - I couldn't ever bear to write anyone else coming between them - not even me, as a 'Mary Sue'!

I guess I sound like I'm on a 'soap-box' here, but it's like I was saying to a friend of mine, shortly after I finished reading STRAIGHT SHOOTING: if zine editors have to put 'warnings' on B/D zines, because of material that some may find 'offensive' - why shouldn't editors be bound to also 'warn' unsuspecting readers that a story (or an entire ZINE!) is 'Mary Sue'! They'd be doing an invaluable service to those of us who choke on such stories! I got a contrib copy of STRAIGHT SHOOTING, and I still felt ripped off - that's how bad it was in the 'Mary Sue' aspect. The two worst offenders in that category were GAMES WE PLAYED IN THE DARK and RELENTLESS - words fail me. The 'heroines' were bad enough, but what I thought was even worse was how cold, distant, and hatefully B&D acted towards each other throughout. And those were two of the longest stories in the zine!

It is possible to write a good 'straight' story - ever) if one of the guys IS involved with a woman - good 'relationship' stories for the guys. Viv Alexander knows how to do that; her story in STRAIGHT SHOOTING, called WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE, is a fine example of that, and the best story in the zine, the only excellent story in the zine. Doyle's involved with a woman in that one, but the character is not a 'Mary Sue', and his relationship with Bodie is never ignored, either. Whenever 'Viv' writes a 'straight' Pro's story, she always writes'em that way. Valerie De Vries always writes good 'relationship' stories for the guys, too, without ever straying off into 'Mary Sue'. The 'straight' Pro's stories from ENIGMA were excellent, too - the zine, MIXED DOUBLES #1 - both issues of DEAD RECKONING - and all three issues of THE SMALL PRINT (#3 is currently out, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read good relationship stories). It is possible to write good 'straight' stories without having the guys be dry-as-dust with each other; it is possible to write them as being completely 'straight', and still not have anyone think they might possibly be (GASP!) lovers - good writers know how to write expressions of 'brotherly' love and caring and friendship, without ever 'going over the top', and without having to resort to including any 'Mary Sue' characters in order to prove how 'macho' the guys really are!

To be fair, there was one other good story in STRAIGHT SHOOTING: THE OTHER SIDE OF INVOLVEMENT by Dani Lane. I was surprised at how good it was, actually, since Dani's 'straight' S&H stories are usually dry-as-dust, and the guys are never completely in character - but this one was a very good 'relationship' story, and a thoughtful 'alternate' look at that episode. Also, all the artwork in the zine was lovely, especially the covers. I just wish that most of the contents were worthy of such fine artwork.

[many more general comments about "The Professionals" and "Starsky & Hutch" snipped]

Like beauty, truth is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. As the writer of one of the stories in STRAIGHT SHOOTING which Sue-Anne Hartwick hated so much, I would like to be allowed to present an alternate viewpoint. First, I must state I in no way wish or expect to change [her] opinion about the story, and I agree with her that Viv Alexander story is easily Best of Zine. However, I knew when I wrote the story that Sue-Anne was going to hate it. I never expected '/' - only readers would want to read it nor do I feel Doyle fans would find it of much interest. But I do urge those of you who normally would read non-'/' Bodie-focused fan fiction to read it and judge for yourselves.

[...]

I believe that love can be deep enough to not need display. I also feel that anyone wanting to come between their love for each other (whether '/' or straight) is proving they don't truly love them. But if they are lovers, cannot each have friends (male or female) they also love, and if they are friends, cannot they each have lovers without destroying the friendship? A love that admits no others is too claustrophobic for me.

And finally, how can I defend myself against a charge of Mary Sue? It's sure nothing I could say would change Sue-Anne's opinion, but what about the rest of you? I swear the lead female character is not me, but I can't prove it, unless the word of those who know me and helped me on the edits (one straight fan, one '/' only, and one half-and-half, along with the editors who did not know me before I sent then the story) will do. The character simply isn't perfect in any way, has no extra powers, end saves no one. Bodie is not her reward; he is her healer. And she is not me.

Please judge for yourselves. Don't we have enough labels, as it is? While I read and write both '/' and straight, I do appreciate that people want to avoid what they don't like, but how far should we go? What about those who hate death stories, hurt/comfort, get-'ems, Bodie-only or Doyle-only stories, sex without plot stories (I hate those, and I don't care if they're '/' or straight), non-relationship stories, etc? And who is to judge each story to determine into which category they fit?