RELFEXIVE

Saturday, 02 September 2006 13:08

Whoa.

So now we know why Inara really left. Ouch.

And... what is the Suri Madron?

SCREWTHEALLIANCE

Saturday, 02 September 2006 14:52

I'm glad you asked . . .

Don't you just hate it when an author throws some throw-away seeder material for a future novel into the last few chapters? Frustrating. . .

You'll find out what the Suri Madron is in "Unfinished Business", which either Pocket Books will publish (unlikely -- Joss hasn't made any decisions on what books he wants yet . . . too busy with Wonder Woman and X-Men and surveying his vast fortune, I suppose, to devote a lot of time to his real masterpieces . . . the things fame does to some peopls!) (Just kidding. No, really, just a little joke, there, Joss. Joss? You still there? C'mon, man, it was a Joke! That's all! Dude, don't be so . . . moody and sensitive and stuff! It's me! Screw! Your buddy! Joss?)

In any case, I have UB plotted and the first few chapters written already. I'll probably post them as teasers to generate interest -- or get my next not-getting-paid-for-it fanfic started. Either way, I've already decided to write the book. If you guys want me too, that is . . .

(and if that wasn't a fishing-for-comments statement, I've never heard one!)

So, I also finished my book and turned it in on Friday. I'll be uploading it within the next week to lulu.com, where it will probably fester unsold for years. But it's done, all 70,000 words.

It's called "Getting Laid: the Gentleman's Guide to the Erotic Arts") and is, essentially, a remedial text on flirting, self-confidence, and female sexual psychology. It's written for men, in Man-speak, so please don't get mad if there's anything that might sound insensitive. I meant no offense. Anyway, if you know a hopeless geek who hasn't gotten any companionship in a while, Christmas is coming up . . .

Speaking of which (and this is the last bit of business I'll do here) I'm considering writing, with some major help from a few ladies who have already volunteered, a similar book called "The Companion's Companion", based on the Companion concept from FF but without all the money changing hands -- basically a guide for erotic arts for women.

By this point y'all probably think I'm a hopeless perve . . . OK, I can live with that. But I'm an enlightened perv. Aren't I?

In any case, one chapter and an epilog to go.

ScrewtheAlliance

AMDOBELL

Saturday, 02 September 2006 16:50

There are times when I just can't believe Inara. For a seemingly smart and sophisticated woman she can be really dense. It was weird seeing her try to justify the difference between a Companion and a whore (especially as she already knows Mal views on the subject). One has layers of veneer to give it the illusion of respectability the other doesn't yet is more honest. I really like the way you racked up the tension after that and can't wait to see what happens next. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me

LEIASKY

Saturday, 02 September 2006 17:33

Another excellent chapter. I loved the characterizations of Mal and Inara here, how their conversation deteriorated, as it always did. And then River coming into the mix and explaining to Inara what Mal's intent was.

Do you intend this story to be a bridge of sorts between the end of the series and the movie?

If not, pleaseee give us a scene between Simon and Kaylee. What's going on with them?

SARAH0832

Saturday, 02 September 2006 20:19

Damn! I'd hoped Sinclair and his bunch would survive after doing a good deed. More folks to spread the truth.
Good luck with the new novel! If Joss won't love you, you know we will.

DOLL

Sunday, 03 September 2006 07:23

I don't know where to begin. Thank you is probably best. I discovered you about 2 weeks ago and since I have been reading furiously, having to make myself go to bed because it was 3am and work was looming in a few hours.
You are awesome. Kaylee's Lament and The Treasure of Lei Fong Wu are both worthy of publication and Joss would be proud. I find myself checking several times a day looking for the next chapters.
You have a gift (yeah, I'm all about dishing out the flattery). The main plots are excellent and then you weave in these side plots with new characters that make it so hard to stop reading. Your conversations between crew members are perfect, exactly what I would expect. Your background information regarding the verse (planets, terraformation, the Alliance, etc....) is so refreshing.
I could go on and on and of course, I find it is after 2am and I must go to sleep. I am awaiting the final chapter and anything else you might write, keep it coming. Again, thank you!

RELFEXIVE

Sunday, 03 September 2006 14:10

Welcome to the fun, Doll *grin*

PLATONIST

Sunday, 03 September 2006 19:10

As much as I can appreciate a well written alternative storyline to the M/I separation; I also need valid characterizations.

The conversation between M/I lacks "believability".

Inara already knows how Mal views her job...I think WE all know by now.

She would never explain or justify her motives for contracting with a client.

Remember Companions don't "kiss and tell."

Inara contucts her service as a professional. She wouldn't use a client's trust for information to furthur along a hidden agenda. A favor, maybe, as we saw in Warstories and Jaynestown. She doesn't have illusions that she's "saving lives" or "touching the future". She never spoke of "a sort of love" from or for clients.

She doesn't swap her sexuality for political gain or diplomacy. (she's not a Bond girl!)
Her income, from her business, provides her with autonomy and freedom.
That is how she is empowered. Giving this up would be huge sacrafice and that's obviously her cross to bear in regards to her relationship with Mal.

Joss once commented that as time went on he wanted to write less and less dialogue for Mal and Inara. It was to become about painful thwarted feelings and shared significant glances.

I just don't see that here.

SCREWTHEALLIANCE

Sunday, 03 September 2006 20:10

Platonist:

I'm sorry you didn't see it. I can appreciate your position, I just feel that both the Companions in general and Inara in particular had more depth than shown in both series and movie. She's more than merely a high-class "space whore" in my opinion, and I wanted to show it.

I've spent much of this book exploring Inara's storyline, and I took great pains to develop the arc believably (I was going to cover this in the Author's Backward, but now is an opportune time).

First, Inara's initial problem came when she had Mason as a client early in the book. She was taking a pretty standard client, but he told her some thing that disturbed her: the Corporate abandonment of the Core, where she saw the heart of human civilization. While she was definately pro-Alliance, that political belief was born of her belief in the Alliance, including the corporate interests that fueled it, as a positive agent of civilization. That belief has been tempered by her experiences on the Rim, including getting to know some former Browncoats and their issues. When she saw the cynical action of the Coreworld corporations, she either had to have her beliefs shattered by their plans, or do something about it. While she isn't particularly political, in the traditional sense, that doesn't mean she isn't politically astute. She educated herself about the situation, using the contacts that she had professionally developed; she wasn't "swapping her sexuality" for political gain OR diplomacy -- she was using the resources that she had available, on her own terms, to gather information.

I set this up on purpose. I wanted to put Inara in a position where she would have to appreciate and devote herself to something outside of herself, and larger than herself. While I appreciate the freedom and autonomy Joss built into the character, I also felt that her religion, the compassionate Buddhism, would demand she stretch herself beyond her profession to reach a noble, compassionate goal. Autonomy and freedom are great, and she is to be valued for that, but beyond making a living I wanted to give her some greater purpose. She obviously has a past, something that compelled her to seek the frontier -- I didn't want to explore that per se, I wanted to see, morally and ethically, what she would do when faced with a profoundly troubling situation and was put in a position to make a difference.

Your contention that she wouldn't use her client's trust for information, assistance, etc. doesn't jive, in my opinion. She didn't abuse anyone's trust -- she kept her ears open, asked a few smart questions, got some opinions in a conversational way -- all for her own edification, and no one else's. She didn't "kiss and tell", except perhaps about Heflan's wife, but I think in the heat of the arguement one or two little details may slip -- especially when she is having the final argument with the man she loves.

In my opinion Inara was acting as a consumate professional -- but as I tried to point out, there is more to being a Companion than providing a service for a fee. It is a real vocation, a calling of an almost sacred nature, like being a doctor. One would assume that if a doctor (presumably one in good standing that wasn't being hunted by Interpol) had learned of a potential epidemic, and could safely forestall it with information gained via Doctor/Patient confidentiality, he would. I extend Inara the same possibility.

Which brings me to the "heat of the moment" -- this scene was written as the climax of her story arc, a way to provide real impetus -- and a real reason -- for her to flee Serenity. She is, indeed, having an argument with Mal, one she had the entire series. She was trying to convince him that her job entailed more than mere sex, more than mere Companionship. That it had a use and a value outside of sexual and emotional gratification. She was doing this, admittedly, partly because of her apparent triumph (which will be seen in the final chapter) and partly because she enjoys getting Mal's goat.

Wh

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER

Monday, 04 September 2006 05:51

Ok...this needs to get published and stat! Joss, through the generosity and open-mindedness he possesses, allow us to frolick merrily with his characaters and 'Verse without getting all "Mine! You can't touch!" with us. And Unfinished Business has to come along! You can't leave us hanging, even if you wrap things up sufficiently so the movie and comic series jells up nicely!

And personally? I agree with your assessment about Inara. She would continue to fight with Mal over the nature of her work. Just as Simon would argue over the nature of his works as a Doctor if someone was that deadset against it. And she would take action to prevent a tragedy, even if it meant using her skills and contacts at a whole new level than she was previously comfortable with. I imagine that's part of the reason why she left Sihnon: the origins of her slow learning process about the nature of the Alliance and her citizens as it truly is. She would definitely fight to preserve the spirt and true foundation of the Alliance from those who would abuse it cuz it would violate her own personal beliefs to allow bad things to happen.

Gotta admit though...your description of Inara's breakdown at River's tearful admission of Mal's plan so made me wanna see this on screen (either TV or cinema). Just to complete the cornucopia of emotions and imagery I had floating around my head:D

BEB

NUTLUCK

Tuesday, 05 September 2006 16:49

Great as always apprently my first post I left got eaten by the internet demons. Fantastic story and I love it, the best fanfic is what you have done in my personal oppinion. I hope you land a good writing job with steady work, though I know that is fairly rare in the bussiness. And of course for you to get the green light to publish a offical serenity/firefly book.

Regardless I hope you continue to write these fan fics I know I for one will always come to read them for as long as you write them. Though is your next book still set before the movie I pressume or will it take place after the movie? I know at one point you mentioned having several idea's including before and after the movie. I would love to see your take on after the movie as well as seeing how you see the events before it.

QUIZZICAL

Friday, 08 September 2006 21:26

"She is, indeed, having an argument with Mal, one she had the entire series. She was trying to convince him that her job entailed more than mere sex, more than mere Companionship. That it had a use and a value outside of sexual and emotional gratification."

I like what you've done with Inara in your stories, and I agree that she would use her position and influence if she thought it meant saving the world. But I don't agree that Inara would try to prove there was value to being a Companion beyond emotional comfort.

I've always seen Inara believing that the solace she provided her clients was the whole point of her calling. She is a combination therapist and priest. She gives comfort to the mind, the body, and the soul of her clients. One of Mal's flaws, in my eyes, was that he couldn't see past the sex to see value of the comfort Inara provided to her clients.

SCREWTHEALLIANCE

Friday, 08 September 2006 22:43

Quiz:

Ordinarily, perhaps, she might not -- she might think it, but she wouldn't try to prove it. Ordinarily, she would be too calm and serene to bother with that argument.

But in this context, she is having a bit of an emotional outburst; her normal defenses are down as she recuperates from the adventure (I had her washing her hair and in a bathrobe for a reason: the subtext was saying "Not Normal Inara"). Her nerves are frayed, and she is feeling a combination of elation (from succeeding with her plan) and exhaustion. On top of that, she has had this running argument/flirtation with Mal this whole book. At this point in their relationship they are unacknowleged friends (meaning that neither would admit it, but that's their feeling) with enough deep-seated respect and even love that they are, in their minds, placing each other in a special category.

Mal, for his part, was trying to impress Inara, first with his willingness to learn some fencing from her, and then later when he started taking the whole sword thing seriously. The sword thing was a way for him to express his feelings without risk. Note how Inara discourages him the entire way, because despite his joking attitude about it, she understands what he truly means. She doesn't want to encourage him, because if he succeeds then it will be out in the open and he will force her to comfront her feelings for him.

That is one reason why she tries to convince him of the worth of her profession: because it distracts them both from the reality of their mutual feelings.

Partially for that reason, and partially out of frustration that he basically tells her she's been sitting on her ass the whole time and not doing anything important, like he was, leads her to this outburst. Had she known what Mal was truly feeling -- i.e. profound depression at the loss of the fortune that meant redemption through her love, she would have been far more cautious with her words and considerate of his feelings -- but she wasn't. She was upset because she felt he was goading her, for no real good reason, and the temptation to rub his metaphorical dick in the dirt (pardon the expression) in retaliation was just too great -- especially if it meant that they wouldn't have to discuss their feelings.

I'm not saying it was Inara at her most mature -- but no human being can be 'on' all the time, and even 'Nara has her weak points. It was the act of a desperate, exasperated woman who didn't fully understand what was at stake until after the fact.

As far as the solace that she provides to her clients, I would argue that that, indeed, was a prime motivating factor, more so, perhaps, than the money. But I would also argue that she, and the other Guild Companions, would not be able to move among the rich and powerful, interacting with them at such an intimate level, without at least subconsciously dabbling in politics and subtlely influencing their powerful clients.

Indeed, the power of the Courtesan was the pinnacle of female power (more powerful, in its way, than that of most female monarchs; there are some exceptions) for far too long. In most cultures it was really the only way women could influence events at all. What I did here was to show how Inara "used her powers only for good", demonstrating that she was not only a highly moral and ethical woman, but also one who was not so removed from political life that she would fail to act when the opportunity presented itself.

Seeing Inara and the Guild in terms of dispensers of comfort does place them in a quasi-spiritual context (remember the Caritas debate?) but I wanted to show that they were also intellegent, politically astute women who would not sit idly by when the chance to improve their world arose.

I hope this helps. I find these discussions fascinating.

And yes, I'm dragging my feet on the last chapter/epilog. I don't really want it to end, and when it does, I want it to be perfect.

ScrewtheAlliance

TKID

Friday, 29 September 2006 08:25

I knew Martel was an idiot! *very big grin*

Loved this part and the series and would definitely pay money to read Unfinished Business. Are you listening, Joss?

BELLONA

Thursday, 21 December 2006 21:25

martel may have been a bastard at times, but i didn't want him all blown up!! now there's itty bitty gooey martel-pieces all over the 'verse...

b (pirating her boyfriend's laptop)