Open question: with cast changes in Stargate Atlantis, what are you going to write/read?

[wraithfodder]

With the SciFi interview snippets with various cast members (Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Amanda Tapping and Rachel Luttrell) as well as Multichannel's article on Weir's (Torri Higginson) departure and heck, who doesn't know that Paul McGillion's Dr. Beckett got toasted in season 3? it got me thinking...

How does this affect you fannishly?

There are many of us who have stories just perculating away, half-written (heck, I've even got one or two season 1 stories with Ford in 'em that remain undone). Season 4 has stripped away two key characters - Beckett and Weir. Will you continue to write in season 3 if you adored Beckett and/or Weir? Or will you 'go with the flow' and write season 4 fiction and just live with the loss?  Will Sheppard/Weir fanfic will continue despite her loss (from the show) or will it wither? While stories which feature Ford are few and far between, Weir was an integral part of the show - heck, she was on SG1 before SGA even came about. It stands to reason that the feel of the show will change as well as Atlantis will now be under a military commander (Carter) instead of civilian (Weir). Or will it just be easier to have the team spend as much time off Atlantis as possible to avoid that?

And Beckett features so prominently in many stories (particularly those of a hurt/comfort (aka whump) persuasion) that how will fans add in Keller, who is the new kid on the block with basically no backstory with Sheppard's team??

Feel free to comment away. Myself, I haven't decided what to do, but have too many pre-season 4 stories to finish that I'm not altering them to fit season 4.

Comments

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

I think I'm just going to keep writing what I feel. Whether that includes new characters or old ones, well, we'll see. I have a few fics to finish that include Elizabeth and Carson, and I have no intentions of changing those.

I probably will write S4 fic at some point. I think it would be unrealistic as a writer to say I won't.

[x-erikah-x.livejournal.com]

I wrote fics that are pre-Sunday and Post-Sunday. Basically, at least for now, the two Post-Sunday fics are still S3 (Pre-First Strike or whatever ep that got Weir out). Both of these two fics are not published yet, one in the hands of the beta and the other being written.

I didn't want to write S4 fics yet and I wanted to stick with the characters I know, Carson in particular. But as I wrote Dog Tags (the fic with the beta), I figured the angst factor could be upped a bit if it took place right after Sunday, so after a brief struggle it felt natural to the story and I ended up conceding.

The next plot bunnie that got to me is about something that only happens after Sunday in S3 chronology, and I totally forgot that it would mean no Carson too. I only remembered that after I was half way through. I have the choice of making it AU or put Keller in the story again. I'm not fond of writing AUs, so it will fall in the same situation as before.

After I finish this one I don't know what I'll do, but it will probably be after S4 has aired and I'll have a better idea then.

[wildcat88.livejournal.com]

I'll move along with the show. Most of what I have right now is set in S3 because I don't know enough about S4 (purposefully) or Keller to do it justice. But if a plot bunny hops along that begs to be in pre-S4, I'll happily put it there. Otherwise once S4 starts, and I get a feel for what's going on, I'll reside there.

[alipeeps.livejournal.com]

Ongoing fics that I have started that are set pre-Sunday/pre-S4 will stay that way and will be completed in that context. With regard to future fic... I'll probably write everything, depending on how the mood takes me. I'm sure I will start writing S4 fics at some point- maybe once I get to know the newer characters a little (and if I ever finish my ongoing WIPs!!) and other than that if I want a whumpy fic with Carson in it, I'll set it pre-Sunday. If I am inspired to write a fic with Carter and Shep in it, I'll set it S4. etc etc...

[iamrighthere.livejournal.com]

The season I write in will be determined by how compelling the new characters are. I've never been able to write Carter, but perhaps new facets to the character will inspire me. Keller is unknown territory, right now. If neither Carter nor Keller infiltrate into the series adequately, then writing them won't be possible. In which case, yeah, I'll write stories that don't include them, either because they're set in S3 or because I come up with plots that don't require their input.

[ex-nonniemou154.livejournal.com]

Me? I'm pretty much done with SGA in general. Not interested. I might watch the season, but I've given up on reading anything or participating in the fandom beyond lurking in the fringes. As far as I'm concerned, TPTB have betrayed damn near everything I ever loved about the show and dumping Weir for Carter, no matter how well done the episodes are, is simply the icing on the cake.

I'm also totally frustrated with the huge contingent of fandom which says, "We still have John+Rodney so nothing else matters!" Maybe not for them, but I fell in love with the whole ensemble idea, with the idea of what could be done in this new universe, this new world they'd opened up to explore. I'm not here for the Rodney McKay hour, nor am I interested in "John'n'Rodney's Treehouse."

Er, yeah. Bitter? That's me. So, not reading, not watching, just lurking.

[timeblind.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to write fanfic with Carter and Keller as part of the Atlantis team- so I'm "going with the flow" I suppose. Except Keller's probably not really in character as we don't really know who she is yet.

I still have fics with Weir and Beckett though. I guess it depends on the storyline.

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

I'm not rewriting unfinished stories and I think I might occasionally still write fics set in earlier seasons, but generally I'll move along with the show.

I'm mostly unspoiled though, so I do not know which problems are ahead for my particular ship, although I cling to the hope that TPTB will leave it at subtext and innuendo, so that we can all be happy. After all SGA isn't a soap opera.

[neevebrody.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm fairly new at "writing" SGA, so I have loads of ideas that are pre-Season 4. I'm going to write these as originally planned, but I think if I have a story that goes beyond Season 3 or say a future fic (which I have as a WIP) then I will have to adapt. In my future fic, I've already planned for the adjustment of a new doctor and for Carter to be in charge. There is quite a fertile field out there and, as a reader, I never tire of Season 1 or 2 stories. Sometimes, reading a story with Ford in it makes me smile, like seeing an old friend after a long time. I'm sure a lot of writers will jump on the Season 4 topics and shows and, hey, that's great! I just plan to take my time and write what strikes me as something that needs to be written - regardless of what Season it occurred in.

[jackfan2.livejournal.com]

Canon ended the episode before Sunday. Carson never died and Weir will live on. Season4 is the beginning of an AU existence on SGA. Unless season 5 sees Carson back full time and Weir as well, I'm done with canon fic.

I've read a couple of fics with Keller, not Carson and .. ugh.. I'd rather just not go there ever again.

Now, I do have some favorite authors that I'd read regardless but they are the exceptions and the only ones I'll make.

While I'll watch SGA this season, I don't know that I have the heart to read any fics based on Season 4, and that's sad because there will undoubtedly be some good ep tags that might come about, especially given the amount of whump JM says JF will go through this season. I just don't care to see any infirmary scenes with Keller and less desire to read anything containing Carter.

Mourning Weir's impending demise (or rather, her fading away) has made me really seriously consider that I may not make it through the upcoming season. I'm not sure... I'll give it this season but, well, you know my feelings on Tapping. Just seeing pics on JM's blog of Tapping in SGA gear makes me cring and I get pissed all over again..

I should probably have a life...

[icecream-junkie.livejournal.com]

Will Sheppard/Weir fanfic will continue despite her loss (from the show)...?
Well, I most definitely keep writing Sheppard/Weir (and Lorne/Weir for that matter *grin*).
I just love to write those pairings and won't stop now. I don't know if I keep writing somewhere during the first tree seasons or if I just go AU with my stories. So far it even seems possible to kind of stay cannon with fanfic since Weir probably won't die. I assume that she will go missing in action some way or another.
So I guess I'll go where my muse takes me.

As for Keller, I would really like to see her in more fanfics. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Carson, but Keller might be a great character to write as well - as soon as we've seen more of her that is. And since I never found someone to pair with Lorne (Liz doesn't really count since she's with Shep *lol*) I'm looking forward to explore the opportunity of Lorne/Keller. ;-)

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

Just depends what type of fic I'll write and if it has anything to do with the timeline. I don't think writing Keller is going to be the same as writing Carson because I adored him dearly. However if I write anything in S4, which I'm sure I will, I'll keep to canon and use her.

As far as Carter, again depends on the plot. I really enjoyed Weir on the show, but I always wrote about the Team, so even while I'm sad she won't be on there it 't effect how I write later on.

For me its always been about Sheppard, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla..I liked Ford, but I don't miss him.

I'm just not one of those people thats going to go on and on about the loss of the characters, whats done is done. I can't change it, and while I don't like the changes, I'm going to still watch, read, write, and enjoy the show.

There's just too much crap out there to begin with.

[parisindy.livejournal.com]

i have all but abandoned the story i was writing and my fan fic consumption has dropped by 80% soon to be 100% i fear

i have all but given up on the show i once loved

[parisindy.livejournal.com]

ewww hotdogs hehe they are all nasty even the tofu ones...

hehe i won't comment on the gutter ones

but yeah see thats why i get emotional invested .., i love good characters on tv and off lol ...i have met some great people

My two best friends (who are my real life best friends now not just internet friends) i met through the Andromeda fandom...

but does being part of a fandom skew how you look at things, things?

i think it does, i guess its a fine line to walk.

and i have trouble drawing lines i guess... its why i don't do storyboards lol

i guess it depends how much you want to wade through the nitwits to get to the good stuff...

and i got to say right now i'm tired of wading

but there are some good eggs around like you that help :)

[the-scary-kitty.livejournal.com]

I haven't really been in the fic side of the fandom long enough to develop any pre-S4 story ideas, so I'm not affected by that. I've had some vague ideas for possible S4 episode tags; mainly character introspection beyond the bare-bones fleeting glimpses that are all we're likely to get out of TPTB. A lot of it focuses on the loss of Weir and Carson and how that's affecting the others. There's also a little potential AU idea I've got for how Shep and the team could get Weir back... how that goes forward will probably depend on how Weir's storyline unfolds, but based on the spoilers I've seen thus far, I think it'll proceed as planned.

Will Shep/Weir fic survive? Hell yes. There's been too much canon development of their friendship and UST already, and the hints of Shep-angst in S4 will only add more fuel to the fire. That's all fanon will need to keep it alive and well.

Should be interesting to see how Beckett vs. Keller will go, especially seeing as how Beckett will be back as well.

And there are plenty of ongoing AU fics that I'm sure a lot of people will continue to follow regardless of what happens on the show.

[ladybeth.livejournal.com]

Well, I either ignore current canon or I just make up a reason why it can't be true. Like I have a fanfic where Aiden is still around but so is Ronon.

And as far as I'm concerned, Carson never died;) Keller can be his XO, but Carson will still be there.

Haven't figured out about Weir, since she's part of one of my primary ships (Elizabeth/Rodney).

[lady-xan.livejournal.com]

Hi Wraithfodder! I’m a long-time lurker here. You have better and more complete information than most official sites. LOL I just wanted to comment on this from my view and what I’ve observed. Personally, I’ll be writing pre-season 4 stuff or AU. Just don’t like the changes. That’s not to say Keller and Carter might not pop in, just not in their season 4 capacity.

As for Shep/Weir, I’m not too worried. I lot of what’s written about them already happens in AU’s so nothing will change there. Heck, one or the other gets killed off quite frequently. I’ve read many comments by writers that they weren’t planning to watch season 4 anyway after Weir was basically written out and they’re still churning out a lot of stories.

Of course, a lot of people do write general fics based on canon so I’ll probably give those a miss from now on. I’ve decided to watch season 4 and that’s about all I can handle.

What I’ll find interesting is what happens after the show is finally cancelled (I’m thinking it will get at least one more season). Will most people just move on to their next show meaning fics, vids, etc. will dry up? Time will tell I guess.

[annieb1955.livejournal.com]

Have to admit I'm still itching to have darkside Ford come back and hold Rodney hostage *g*

[cybersyd.livejournal.com]

Ongoing fics (if I ever finish them) will not be rewritten - they'll be set in the season when I started writing them, be it two or three. Future fics will be set in season four and reflect any changes.