Characterization issues - Inara

POSTED BY: AgentRouka
UPDATED: Saturday, January 3, 2009 04:37
VIEWED: 9682
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AGENTROUKA

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:18 AM

I know it's all been said before, but fic continues to be written and we love to rehash things.

So.

Inara in fanfic, what common problems do you see? Do you often cringe, or are you at peace with the majority of the writing?

Do you read for Inara, or do you focus on others, and how much do you care about characterization in that case?

Or, what common issues of disagreement are there, and how important are they to you?

I especially encourage, if anyone cares, diverse opinions. So, if you know why you are making certain choices that others may disagree with, please share! :)

WYTCHCROFT

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:50 AM

As a writer i find her very hard!

i had to put a whole story on the shelf because i couldn't get the tone of her right -
(and to Morena's credit - just like Fillion she can switch from drama to comedy REAL fast)

she can be very cultivated one minute - then slang it and swear with the best of 'em.

And she's tough - but we never really see that toughness... i mean physically as well as emotionally (atleast BDM has her show a karate move) judging from Yo/Saff in Trash and how easy SHE drops Mr Lassiter.

In other fics??? time was when Inara was becoming Yoda - this seems to have passed which is great.... but i don't buy her settling all cosy up to mal*. (Not for a LONG whiles atleast). There's a lot of INSTINCTUAl understanding there though - ehich means, when they talk, they can cut to the chase just as easily as beat around the goram bush - and that is HARD to write.

my favourite fics feat Inara are those that explore her home, or the guild etc and there is great freedom there for a writer and i'll be willing to suspend a lot of disbelief.

As to choices - well, i see Inara as very Independent... she may enjoy the family of firefly - but she has 'sisters' on Sihnon and no-one crackin wise (ie dumb) about 'Whores'... yet there are pressures there too - that she may run from sometimes... (though the BDM's Sihnon scenes hint that this may have lessened - she is very queenly these days! i... aint sure.)

I see her personality as complex - and she herself may wonder on occasion how much of who she is comes from Guild indoctrination and how much is really HER.

I think her 'qualities' are obvious - patience (despite her temper!), empathy, sensitivity etc. I think she feels warmth in the company of women - but i don't see her as man-hating or some cliche of the hard bitten.

Oh god - she's a tricky customer already...
don't know as i can do her justice.

*and what about Mal/Saff eh? That was one HELL of a smootch...

CHARLOTTE

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:01 PM

One problem that I see with Inara's portrayal in fanfic is the lack of it. It seems as if the majority of post-BDM fics don't know how to deal with her other than Mal's love interest or his former love interest (after he has moved on to someone else).

Now, I am an ardent M/I shipper so I love reading any fics that deal with them but I would like to see more Inara character development for her own self.

And, yes, I do read fics for Inara. I am interested in any kind of exploration into her character's motivations, her past, as well as her future with Serenity.

I am curious why she seems to be the least favorite of the Firefly characters. Maybe because people are uncomfortable with her profession?

WYTCHCROFT

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Charlotte:

I am curious why she seems to be the least favorite of the Firefly characters. Maybe because people are uncomfortable with her profession?

Are you kidding??? I fracking LOVE Inara! She's just a Tah Mah De to write!!

It's doing her justice that's difficult.

And i got no trouble with her profession - believe me...

ps - i just read one of your fics Charlotte = and it was bloody brilliant!

RIVERFLAN

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:38 PM

I argee with most of these issues- except from the "tough" quality you say she has. Yes, in the BDM she showed a karate move, but it didn't work now did it? Also, the room was littered with weapons, she didn't have to attack the operative bodily and get put out of the action. Just throw sharp stuff at him while he's distracted by Mal. Yes, the flash-bomb bit was clever, but the way she attacked the operative really bugs me.

And I think that the way she droped the Lassiter was just good acting on her part (I mean the character of Inara was acting, if that makes any sense).

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AGENTROUKA

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:40 PM

Tough doesn't have to mean physically.

Inara is willing to make tough decisions, she tends to keep a cool head, and she doesn't back down from what is right. She doesn't let herself be intimidated.

She also doesn't apologize for her choices.

That's toughness, right there.

MAL4PREZ

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Charlotte:
I am curious why she seems to be the least favorite of the Firefly characters. Maybe because people are uncomfortable with her profession?

I didn't like her much at all when I first got fannish, even though I really liked the concept of her profession. It was once I got into writing fic and thought more about her that I formed my own little theory.

Most of what we see of Inara in the series amnd movie is rather bland and dull. She's all smooth and even tempered and always smiling. But there were two spots that made me start to like her: the crying in HoG showed she does feel, deeply, and the little bit in OMR when she's half-woken up from the kiss thing. "I'm just fine. I'll just sit here..." (or something like that)

So, my theory is that those two little bits are the real Inara. She was going to stay bottled up for the first season or two, stuck inside the proper and (I think) boring Companion. But she obviously had some story behind her, and when that came out we'd get more of the fun Inara.

Um, yeah, so copy what Wytchcroft said here. The woman's got a lot of character and entertainment value, we just never got to see it fully unleashed.

I should finish every post with CURSES FOX!

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hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

AGENTROUKA

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:56 PM

To join back in..

Inara comes to me very easily, in terms of characterization. I just get her, things are logical, though, of course, in large parts it is personal interpretation of canon.

For that reason, it's very difficult for me to enjoy fic that deviates too far from my own version of Inara.

One big issue there is often the writer's view of the Guild, or with Inara's self-image.

Those are the main issues, to me, because it's central to Inara and every relationship she has with others is shaped by that. If those things don't fit, it's usually over.

Do others have different priorities?

Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:

As to choices - well, i see Inara as very Independent... she may enjoy the family of firefly - but she has 'sisters' on Sihnon and no-one crackin wise (ie dumb) about 'Whores'... yet there are pressures there too - that she may run from sometimes... (though the BDM's Sihnon scenes hint that this may have lessened - she is very queenly these days! i... aint sure.)

I very much agree with that.

People writing, say, the Guild as oppressive, tend to compensate for Inara's positive remarks about it with a measure of denial in her personality.

Those who do, if they are reading, is that a conscious choice, an avenue of exploration? Or just a writerly twist toward a different goal?

Quote:

I see her personality as complex - and she herself may wonder on occasion how much of who she is comes from Guild indoctrination and how much is really HER.

That I personally agree less with, as my view of Inara is one of great self-awareness.

When you say "indoctrination", does that mean you give the Guild a brain-washing character, is that something very thought-through or some assumed, or intuited?

AGENTROUKA

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:

Most of what we see of Inara in the series amnd movie is rather bland and dull. She's all smooth and even tempered and always smiling. But there were two spots that made me start to like her: the crying in HoG showed she does feel, deeply, and the little bit in OMR when she's half-woken up from the kiss thing. "I'm just fine. I'll just sit here..." (or something like that)

So, my theory is that those two little bits are the real Inara. She was going to stay bottled up for the first season or two, stuck inside the proper and (I think) boring Companion. But she obviously had some story behind her, and when that came out we'd get more of the fun Inara.

Oh, hi! *G*

Just to that bit there: How much, do you think, does her Buddhist faith figure into that reserved, calm behavior? Does it, at all?

WYTCHCROFT

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:42 PM

just some sundries:

- tough physically as in endurance mainly, anyone who has training to the level of high companion would need endurance... but yeh FIGHTING too, she knows how to use a gun and YO/SAff has had the same trainig so that probably includes fighting - the novelisation (take it or leave it) states that the Operative is surprised by the power in her attack - and Shindig has her giving Mal sword lessons. So you can angle out according to taste - she had the training but is she any good?

- inara ever smiling... "or more directly as in NOT" to quote the lady. so i don't agree that she's bland. The pilot shows complex sides of her - even down to a little Magdelanic heresy with characters 'coming to her for confession' to quote the commentary.

as for the guild - well you can paint them however you please but -
we know that companions start young - yet Sihnon (the temple that is) is a very quiet place
(hard to imagine young tearaways 'Worst Witch'ing it down the hallowed corridors!)
and the 'Budhist'-looking nature of the place hints at discipline too... (And if it IS Budhist then definitely since Samsara would be be an issue and even Tantra is meant to be private and contained - and in anycase would seem to go against the notion of sex for payment.) though its Space Budha / Future Budha (!)- so feel free to make it up!:)

There was to be a more sensual scene with the girls - since Joss states that the guild encourage physical exploration - but again, all in a very proscribed manner.
And although i ignored this for my fics, some of the tutors are clearly male and monkish looking - despite only grrrls being companions (It would be nice to think the boys could be comps too - but the commentary seems to rule this out) which sets up some interesting potential issues...

wild planet of the wiccans it aint!
Both Saffron and Nandi seem to have felt the need of something more real.

I tried to explore a little of the training in my fic 'Words On The Wing' but it was kinda impressionistic (HA HA HA!) - and i haven't dealt with THE GUILD as a potential organisation of Power in the 'verse and which i feel Joss would have tackled later... same as with that pesky priory and the enigmatic (yet handily trained) shepherds.

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