My Blue Castle

It's interesting to me that I keep getting [favorite story] alerts from ff.net for a story which was my first (only?) Torchwood long fic. I find much of the story to be cringeworthy these days ... but it's also the story that taught me how to write for Torchwood. It was my first smut. It started out as my Torchwood romance novel/curtains fic and gets WAY too twee by times. But I discovered while writing it that I was writing really dark flashbacks and they were what I really liked writing. Created as a WIP I only finished it because people encouraged me to, which was gratiftying, and good to keep me writing, although I'd never leap in like that these days. I learned stuff writing this. Not sure what makes me look back at it, but looking back is ok.

There are nine chapters.

The first one just sets up the premise, although there may be are some dreadful 'butterfly kisses' which I continue to blush over. (I think I remember at some point going back and changing all the Yans to Iantos, which tells you what stage of writing I was in at the time).

Chapter two is mostly transition. I like the idea of the Torchwood stationery ... and the UNIT uniform. elsewise...

Chapter three, well, I would probably lose the morse code if I were to rewrite, but the first flashback is here, and it was the most "adult' thing I'd written at that point. I don't think I got jack and ianto post lisa quite right, but I was trying to work through the minefield there, and I think there is some good with the not so good.

Chapter four is the smut wherein I discovered a have a thing for a crisp white dress shirt...

Chapter five is another good and bad. They say things to each other they would NEVER say, this being curtainy, and there's another flashback which doesn't quite work, but I like angry!Ianto. Also chapter five contains an OC because of course no curtains fic is complete without a former lover... ;0)

Chapter six -- PLEASE skip or all your teeth with fall out from the sugaryness of it all. (although I do like the idea of Ianto choosing a tie of the correct tartan for their location). Just go watch the movie "Firelight" instead. It's a far better use of your time. Don't even ask how long I agonized over the menu for the winter picnic.

Chapter seven -- the one with the nightmare. except for a continuing debate with my brain re: pet names, I think this one is pretty good. I was hitting my stride a bit here with the characters I think. Starting to learn some things. Bonus points for the sci fi genre jokes. :0)

Chapter eight was renamed by nearly everyone who read it as "Ianto's Revenge." I am rather pleased with it all around. The OC's stand up for what I needed them for, Ianto is wicked competent and Jack is amusedly fond. And there is jam.

Chapter nine I worked and worked and worked over, and in my head where I transitioned into a more serious writer. There is smut, which was its own struggle, since the writing of it pains me ... but there is a bit of Jack backstory, and some 'Jack's come back after the year that never was'- story. I think it could stand on it's own apart from the chaptered fic. It's probably still a bit too precious in spots, but I tried to put in layers. And finally got some very good advice from the invisible best friend who read the alley sex in draft form and reminded me this is two MEN having sex. This is very valuable advice, VERY, even if didn't want to hear it at the time. But I did rewrite with this in mind.

So, overall, its probably one of my weakest TW fics, but maybe the most important to me as a writer. I was transitioning from ff.net to LJ at the time which rather mirrors my growth as a writer I think.

I am certainly not pimping my own stuff, but for cross referencing purposes, here's the work in question: A Gentleman's Gentleman

and now back to your regulary scheduled programming...

 

Chapter 4 – Buttons

“Dear God I’ve created a monster!” Ianto gasped.

Jack had spent the last twenty minutes exploring the first four things on his hastily created list of fun things to do with a silk tie.

 

 

Chapter Five Here 

Back to Chapter One...

Chapter 2 – At Break of Day

When Ianto sent Jack back to his room after they’d made the rounds of the opening night reception, smilingly telling him he’d “join him in a little while,” Jack was eager to find out what would follow. Twenty minutes or so after he’d returned to his room, there was a sharp, brusque knock on his door and he never expected to be confronted with what he saw when he responded to the knock. Standing before him in full UNIT kit –- boots, camouflage uniform, utility belt, sidearm, and that unmistakable red beret -- was a serious faced soldier (with very familiar blue eyes) who saluted sharply and announced, “Reporting for duty as requested, Sir.”

 

 

Chapter Three Here 

Back to Chapter One