Help developing certain character storylines

Discussion and questions about the FanFiction section of MSCL.com. You can also post excerpts of your unfinished stories here if you're looking for feedback or ideas.
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Jody Barsch*
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Post by Jody Barsch* » May 14th 2006, 4:45 pm

Here's a little scene, maybe for episode 26... I've had the idea or a disaster drill plot for a long time, but just wrote this part this morning. There's going to be more about what the other characters are doing during this... (Oh, I haven't decided what class this is yet, so I don't know if the teacher is male or female yet, which is why the blank name and dual gender pronouns are there.)


[Angela is in class, they are taking notes from the overhead projector, the teacher is reading a newspaper while students copy down the information from the screen. The school’s alarm begins to ring. Some of the rowdier kids begin to clap, the teacher rolls his/her eyes, folds the newspaper and turns off the overhead. Other students groan, Angela looks around the room.]
Teacher: Okay people, it’s a drill, under the desks.
Student 1: But _____ how do you know it’s a drill? What if it’s a fire? We’ll all be burned alive because you kept us trapped under our desks.
Teacher: Nice try Anderson, now grab some wood.
Student 2: This sucks.
Student 3: What happens if we didn’t finish the notes?
Teacher: Duck and cover people. [Angela and her classmates crouch under their desks. Some make a game of it and have a good time with it, most do it grudgingly.]
AVO: Disaster drills are really scary. [She looks around the room a her classmates under desks.] Seeing people, who ordinarily … [she looks at jocks, burn-outs, prepsters, etc.] try to jam themselves under these tiny desks, is truly, horrifying. It isn’t the potential for an actual disaster that unnerves you, it’s seeing your classmates in these vulnerable and awkward positions. It’s humiliating, and unsettling. [Looking around the room again] I think we’d all rather take our chances during a real emergency than to have to suffer through these drills. [She sees a larger girl, who’s skirt, while ducking, caught on something, revealing her faded flower printed underwear to the bunch of snickering guys behind her.] I’ll bet being a victim of falling ceiling tiles is a lot less painful than this. [She sees kids throwing bits of paper at another kid] And really, what’s a little wooden desk going to do? [Looking at her teacher who is sitting on his/her desk, surveying the room.] This must be how teachers entertain themselves. [The alarm changes]
Teacher: Okay, that’s the all clear. Now listen, we’re going to evacuate to the field. I want to see every single one of you out there. [Students start walking out the door as he/she continues talking] Stay together. If you’re not out their with our class, you’re looking at some serious consequences. We’re on the far side of the field, to the left of the benches. Stay together!
[As Angela walks down the hall with her class to evacuate, she sees Jordan and his buddies walking the other way, jostling each other as they do. Jordan and Angela make eye contact, but he continues with his friends, and she stays with the group like she’s supposed to. Moving down the hall, the rowdy boys from her class start teasing the girl in the skirt, calling her “Flowers” – she doesn’t get it, but it makes her uncomfortable anyway. Most students are walking in groups with their friends, others are clearly alone, while others are conspicuously try to latch on to other groups.]
AVO: It’s shocking. You’d think being forced to publicly cower under a piece of furniture would, I don’t know, temporarily affect people. [Looking around] But everything’s exactly the same, only worse, because outside of the classroom everything changes. [Their class is walking down the central hallway to the main exit] It’s really awful when you’re in class, but like, not in a classroom, it just magnifies everything.
* * * * *
[During the disaster drill Angela is out on the grass with her class. The classes circle around the football field, students milling around, teachers ignoring their students, using the time to catch up and to gossip amongst themselves. Most students are just sitting or standing around. They form small groups, mostly they’re talking, some are reading or listening to head phones, a few groups are playing cards, and there’s a group of boys clowning around doing handstands and such. Angela’s squatting close to the ground, but not sitting, tucking her hair behind her ears.]
AVO: It seems like all of life is one big disaster drill. Everyone always trying to warn off what might happen, what could go wrong to mess up that perfect life we’re all supposed to want. But it seems like everything that’s ever actually gone wrong in my life, wasn’t something you could ever prepare for. And everybody’s always survived. And really, what kind of life is that to just be waiting, expecting something bad to happen? Is there a difference between being prepared, and being fixated? Being paranoid? And how useful is this anyway? Maybe it just makes us feel safer, more in control of the uncontrollable.
[We follow her gaze across the field to the bleachers and sees three kids who have slipped under there and who are having good time with each other (it reminds her and the audience of the old days of Rickie Rayanne and herself). As she is watching this, the assistant principal, who is making the rounds, comes over to her carrying a clipboard.]
AP: Ms. Chase? [Angela looks up in the sun to see him, she squints, but doesn’t move or say anything] You haven’t seen Mr. Catalano have you? [Angela makes a face; clearly she had no idea that the school’s administration had any idea that she even knew Jordan]
A: No…
AP: What would you say are the chances he’s still on campus?
A: I don’t know [He rolls his tongue in his mouth, swallows, looks at her] Well, glad to see you’re still here. [Then he walks away to continue down the lines of classes.]
Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches !

queen of brooklyn
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Post by queen of brooklyn » May 14th 2006, 11:54 pm

You are amazing. Simply amazing. I do not KNOW how I get more excited and giddy reading a LOOK between Angela and Jordan in one of your stories than I do reading sex/kissing/confessions of undying love in practically all other Jordan/Angela fanfiction.
Oh I was so glad when I saw you had posted something!! I know you said you wouldn't put up the next episode til June, but I've still been checking on here like every day on the faint chance that you might have decided to give us a little something sooner. :) AND YOU DID!!!
I really like this. THe idea of the fire drill is really interesting, because it's a completely normal high school thing, and it fits in perfectly to all other MSCL type stuff. Angela's analysis of it was amazing, and the little bits about the 'flower' girl really made it realistic. High school can be so cruel. Hmmmm...I wonder if the big thing that she's not preparing for has to do with Jordan and school. I liked the Assistant Principal hunting Angela down and asking about Jordan... another one of those little moments I live for.
Okay, so what's going on with the other characters? Rayanne, Rickie, Sharon, Brian? Is this the beginning of the next episode or just a segment of a potential one? It's really caught my interest!
Well, I'm pretty exhausted. It's wayyyyy too late and I had a long day of work. My brain isn't functioning properly, so I better go. If I think of anything else I'll write more tomorrow! Bye!
p.s.- Thanks so much for the happy birthday!

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Post by BeverlyHills_RockStar16 » May 16th 2006, 6:48 pm

That was really good!, but what about all the other characters like brian, whats going on with him?;)
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stburr91
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Post by stburr91 » May 18th 2006, 2:36 pm

That is pretty good, but one thing, we didn't have disaster drills in school, only fire drills, we don't have earthquakes in Pittsburgh. We never had to get under our desk's in school, that would be a little embarrassing.

It's good writing all the same.

Steve

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Jody Barsch*
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Post by Jody Barsch* » May 18th 2006, 9:30 pm

stburr91 wrote:That is pretty good, but one thing, we didn't have disaster drills in school, only fire drills, we don't have earthquakes in Pittsburgh. We never had to get under our desk's in school, that would be a little embarrassing.
Yeah, I had a feeling that was probably true. Having never lived outside Southern California I wasn't quite sure, so I just went with it. MSCL was never all that high school accurate anyway (like the apartment for rent sign up in "Betrayal"). Wow, never having disaster drills, never having to get under desks... we do it two times a year.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. :D

Queen of Brooklyn, I'm kind of pecking away at the writing because it's what I do when I procrastinate as the school year comes to an end and the stress builds up, but I'm not really far on anything, it will be a long while until anything is finished. Thanks so much for the support though, I love that you're enjoying them.
Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches !

queen of brooklyn
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Post by queen of brooklyn » Jun 23rd 2006, 12:18 pm

Jody Barsch, any chance you've written anything more? Even just a little? (I am sooooo pathetic.) :lol:

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Jody Barsch*
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Post by Jody Barsch* » Jun 26th 2006, 6:30 pm

queen of brooklyn wrote:Jody Barsch, any chance you've written anything more? Even just a little?
I'm actually no farther than I was the last time I posted. Work demanded all of my time. Just as my apartment search, and recent car accident (yes, another one), have been taking up all of my physical and mental energy. Not to mention that my computer isn't, and hasn't been working for a month (I'm using my work computer right now). Actually, those are the reasons why I haven't been typing. I haven't been writing because I don't have any promising ideas right now. I'll go several months without writing anything for a piece, all the while kind of mulling it over in the very back part of my mind, and once I've built up enough, I'll sit for four and half days straight writing. It's not very efficient, and clearly doesn't bode well with deadlines, but it's perfect for this kind of hobby writing.

The only storyline I'm pretty clear on for these episodes right now is Patty's. Brian and Sharon are proving to be very hard for me, and the Rickie and Rayanne threads are only slightly better.

I'm teaching creative writing write now in summer school, which I thought would afford me time to write as well, but it hasn't really worked out that way yet (shocking since class is an unbelievable five and a half hours a day).

This was my very long-winded version of "No; nothing new. I suck." I will post once I have something somewhat decent.
queen of brooklyn wrote:(I am sooooo pathetic.) :lol:
Not at all, I totally love that you're such a fan. I feel pretty silly when it seems like I'm writing them just for me to read. I know that feeling though, I'm waiting for a MSCL fanfiction I'm reading at another cite to be updated -- it's frustrating to have to wait.
Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches !

queen of brooklyn
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Post by queen of brooklyn » Jun 29th 2006, 10:40 pm

What other site are you reading MSCL fanfiction on? You can never get enough stories about My So-Called Life. :)

BeverlyHills_RockStar16
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Post by BeverlyHills_RockStar16 » Jul 2nd 2006, 11:12 pm

yeah go too fan-fiction.net click on tv shows, scroll down too my so-called life than read the stories theres like 63 or something <3
-ur welcome :D
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Jody Barsch*
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Post by Jody Barsch* » Jul 5th 2006, 12:00 pm

This is from another thread in this forum:
Jody Barsch* wrote:I went to my first fan fiction website today. The story I read was a slash story. I really really liked it. ... for anyone who's interested, here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2646910/1/ It feels like a really long time since I've read someone else's finished fanfic, and I forgot how fun it is. I love seeing the familiar from a different vantage point, reading other people’s writing styles, and never knowing what comes next. ... It’s cool reading good writing, and it's such a relief to get away from my own fan fictions and to look at the characters and the stories from different perspectives. I love how this story just turns around everything we took for granted. I love when Jordan describes his feelings about Angela, it's great. The story doesn't seamlessly fit into the world of the actual series, but I don't feel that all fanfictions need to play the role of the missing episodes. I like that it takes us somewhere new so completely, and that it just asserts what we need to know and then moves on. ...
As I said here, it isn't the most faithful or authentic of fanfictions, but I'm enjoying it. I do think it gets a little melodramatic at points, and unnecessarily so, and some of the details don't fit in, even within this new reality of the show, but all the same, I'd like to see how it turns out. The only other fanfictions I've read at that site are the ones written by posters here. On the topic of fanfiction in general, two stories I'd love to read would be a well-written story of the back story (in high school) of Debbie and Martin from Grosse Point Blank, and an episode of Freaks and Geeks where Ken starts liking Lindsey.
Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches !

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drewbie875
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Post by drewbie875 » Aug 22nd 2006, 11:06 pm

I don’t know if you still have the stories you mentioned at the beginning of the post (the six episodes) but is there any chance I could read them ( drewbie875@hotmail.com )… I love your other writings… anyways I’m a nerd and I read these fan fictions too much.

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stburr91
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Post by stburr91 » Aug 23rd 2006, 5:07 pm

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, but the first six episodes are here. http://www.mscl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3353

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drewbie875
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Post by drewbie875 » Aug 24th 2006, 1:34 pm

oh, i thought i saw a post where she said her computer got all jacked up... i'm probably thinking of something else... anyways thanx for posting the link (I think that's what it's called... i'm REALLY computer illiterate/challenged)... at any rate thanks again

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Jody Barsch*
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Post by Jody Barsch* » Sep 6th 2006, 7:41 pm

I don't want to set a deadline for myself that I can't meet (especially in the first busy week of work) but I'm predicting to have episode #24 done by Sunday night, next weekend at the latest. I finished piecing it together last night, now I have to go back an reword some things, make some small detail decisions, code everything for bold and italics, and decide on a few dangling scenes. Some scenes are old and they fit into my 7 episode plan, but now do not really seem to fit with where the episode ended up.
Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches !

luvjordan
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Post by luvjordan » Sep 7th 2006, 8:53 am

Whoohoo! New fan fiction, I can hardly wait. Love your stuff. I think I've read just about everything written, so I'm eagerly awaiting some new stuff. I've actually started writing too, but I don't know how it will stack up with some of the stuff that's already posted. It's a little intimidating.
"I call her Red..."

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