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Interviews and catalysts
I'm feeling chatty this week (well, chatty for me, which may still count as taciturn) so I'm going to go ahead and offer to do the Character Interview meme. If you have any questions for any of the characters in any of my stories -- all 5.5 years worth -- fire away and I will see to it that they answer you.
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Whilst I've been reading lately, both HP badfic and SG-1 goodfic, and trying to gear up for writing some SG-1, I've been thinking about how people get together in fanfic.
IRL, people can hook up in a lot of different ways. They meet through friends, through online services, through mutual interests, etc. They date. They form relationships.
In fanfic, since we're usually pairing up two canon characters, they're normally already working together. And normally, in a situation where it might not be wise to date and very well might be against some sort of regulation. For slash, add that we're dealing with characters who are not generally canonically out as gay or bi.
It's a little different in HP fic, if you're writing about the kids at school. If you want to write Draco/Hermione, you do have to deal with the whole "will looks overcome 5 years of intense hatred?" issue, but still and all, Draco can ask Hermione out. But he can't just ask Harry out, even if the 5 years of intense hatred are somehow worked out.
So, getting two characters together often involves some sort of catalyst. The catalyst doesn't (usually) cause the two to love each other, but it causes them to act on feelings they already have.
(BTW, I'm being serious about this, not mocking. These things can be cliche, but they can be used subtly as well.)
Alcohol or drugs
The classic inhibition lifter. Often combined with other catalysts to smooth the way, but sometimes used on its own for a good, old-fashioned drunken screw.
Life change
One of the characters has some sort of strong experience, like dying and coming back. (I won't even try to start listing all the characters that's happened to.) Or getting transferred. Or having a loved one die (and not come back). An old girlfriend comes to town, etc. The stress of the changes makes either of the two act on their feelings, where they weren't before.
Unnatural influence
This is the magic, alien technology, experimental drug, etc, that forces the characters into an awkward situation where they are closer than they might otherwise have been. Maybe they can read each other's thoughts now. Often, their secrets are revealed, and thus, their feelings.
Helpful advice
Character C suggests that perhaps Character A needs to tell Character B how Character A feels about Character B. Most usually the province of Mary Sues and Token Female Characters, but sometimes Dumbledore has this function as well.
Can't fight this feeling
The lust/love/Force is so strong that the characters just can't stop themselves. Works well with alcohol.
Circumstances beyond their control
For reasons of health, diplomacy, or the safety of the entire universe, the characters must pretend to be a couple, must kiss, must shag, sometimes in public. This can lead to discovering that they like it.
The big fight
One of my favourites, usually used only in slash (big exception for canon Buffy/Spike). Two characters express their aggression in a knock-down, drag-out fight which then turns into knock-down, drag-out sex. Yum.
Have I missed any? I'm sure there are lots of variations particular to each fandom.
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Motelfic!
Love the motelfic. Has been used to great advantage West Wing fandom as well.
Also, as a less violent version of the Fighting Becomes Fucking one, the "The Only Way to Shut You Up Is to Kiss You" or the "We're Plotting but People Can't Know So We Fake Kiss But It Becomes Real" cliche.
Also, and maybe I'm the only one who's used this one, but the "Help me catch Character A, but it turns out I'm really in love with you, Character B," fic.
Sigh.
I love my romance novel cliches.
Character interviews
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Bad dream. This is an especially good one if they're already sleeping together (innocently sharing the same hotel room) but can work out if they're just within earshot of each other.
Aliens made me do it. This is actually canon in Blake's 7 since 1979, but has proved popular in 24 years since then: Aliens want to watch human beings having sex, and provide a room, a bed, cameras or other devices, and, if necessary, lubricant.
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I'm thinking of Smallville here, but it happened a lot in X-Files too ("Your ova are in my freezer!") of course in XF those kind of secrets often lead to heavy drinking and sex with a random psychopath. Hey, jealousy. Did you list that as a catalyst? I've already forgotten.
Oh, and Question for Krycek
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I can't believe I forgot Bad Dream -- that's a Mulder classic. Good catch!
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Re: Character interviews
Anyhow, that was all a long time ago and now Byers is gone and I'm back with Doggett and Mulder is off with Scully. So it's all over, one way or another.
Re: Oh, and Question for Krycek
Plus it will make it easier for me to kill him -- he can never stay awake after he comes. Kind of like Mulder, actually.
Re: Character interviews
So glad to hear Skinner lived happily ever after with Doggett. :)
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To In Love Adrian Pucey: How did things work out with the long-haired girl?
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To In Love Marcus and/or Oliver: Now that you two are out of school, what are you up to? Are you still together?
Oliver: We're seeing each other, yes. We're both playing Quidditch, though not for the same team. Flint is after me to move in with him but that seems like a really big step, you know? Besides, now when I stay over, he cooks me breakfast in the morning. If I moved in, he might start taking me for granted and then I'd be without my eggs and bacon.
Marcus:
Oliver is still my love
He sparkles like the stars above
He's lovely as a shiny moonbeam
Even if he's on a losing Quidditch team
To In Love Adrian Pucey: How did things work out with the long-haired girl?
Adrian: Things were going really well until *Flint* fucked things up. The great poof left one of those awful poems lying about and somehow she got the idea that *I* had written it. And then Flint went to her to try to explain things and I don't know *what* he did, but he set her *hair* on fire and now she is no longer either the long-haired girl or my girlfriend.
Flint, on the other hand, I can't seem to get rid of.
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So, let's see....
Um, Galadriel, If I Were Queen of the Forest: How'd that all get started? And c'mon, girl. Dish on the Dwarf!
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Galadriel: You might not think it, but living forever and spending 1000 years in a forest can get a little tedious at times. One night, about 400 years ago, we had some guests staying with us. Humans.
I was out for a walk in the middle of the night since I was bored. I was hoping to find them and freak them out with some of my eerie witch-like powers. For something to do.
But when I found them, they were, shall we say, otherwise engaged. With each other. You know what I mean.
I was a little surprised, since they both had wives back at home, but maybe the humans had changed their marriage customs in the last couple centuries -- I can't keep up with every little detail.
Regardless, I found it very entertaining. I told Celeborn about it later and he had the great idea that we should make them do it again, so everyone could see. So, we did.
I must say, they weren't too happy about it, but we insisted. And all the elves had such a great time that we kept them on for a month.
In the end, one of them broke down and cried and we had to let them go. But we'd established a tradition and now every traveller through our fair land must grace us with a performance. And afterwards, we grace each other.
As to the Dwarf, I will only say that he is as adequate to his tasks as any of Durin's folk. And then some.
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Ain't that the way it always goes?