Writing Stargate Slash is Hard
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|---|---|
| Title: | Writing Stargate Slash is Hard |
| Creator: | James |
| Date(s): | June 21, 2004 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | |
| Topic: | Fanfiction. Stargate SG-1, Slash |
| External Links: | Writing Stargate Slash is Hard, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Writing Stargate Slash is Hard is an essay by James.
It is part of the Fanfic Symposium series.
Excerpts
I am often presented with a quandry when faced with a story idea for Stargate SG1. I enjoy writing fanfiction (in all my fandoms) which does not contradict canon, but pushes the limits of extrapolating from reality without coming right out and saying "no, that piece of canon never happened."No, I'm not talking about anyone dying. I'm talking about a thing called fraternising, and the regulations against it. Additionally, there is the problem of "this is the military and despite anyone's pretensions about homosexuality, we don't like it and don't want it."
I love the idea of Jack and Daniel being in the same room together. They can be doing anything - talking, not talking, being naked, not being naked. Slash, gen, I don't care. They're adorable and I want as much of them as I can get. So when I see an episode that says to me "there is a missing scene from this episode wherein Jack and Daniel are naked in bed talking about the ramifications of recent events" I want to write it down and share.
Then realism rears its ugly head and I stop. If Stargate is set in this (our) reality, then I honestly do not see the two of them being together as a couple. Friends, brothers, yes. Lovers? No. Even if they were both interested, I don't see it being possible given Jack's background as a career military officer. I certainly don't see other members of the SGC being happy for them, or willing to pretend they don't know. The way the current US military culture is, as soon as they had sex then several things would occur which would, essentially, destroy SG-1 as a team (if not Jack's entire career).
But I really like the way they interact. I think Jack and Daniel really are great friends and get along well and, for my own personal interest, it is very, very appealing to get them naked together. My own inner culture doesn't agree with US military culture, and if I were designing the world I wouldn't have taboos and restrictions about men sleeping with me, and people serving together but not allowed to sleep together. When I write fanfiction, there isn't anything stopping me from re-painting the world to be that way. Except for one thing.