AU writing meme

[thisbluespirit]

I have a lot of things I should be writing (and also being careful about not writing too much, self) but, what the hell, I have finished my epic Runaway Tales/Unconventional Courtship rough draft (the wretched thing is 20,000 words long) and I did manage to type up the ending of that TARDIS/Sapphire/Silver/Steel WIP, so, totally ignoring my ficathon and leftover fandom_stocking things, here goes:

Give me a character/pairing and I will write snippets of ten different alternate universes for it. One line, ten lines, a ficlet if you're lucky.

Wild West
Coffee Shop
Shapeshifters
Pirates
. . . In SPACE!!
Born Another Gender
Schoolfic
Police/Firefighters
Urban Fantasy
Regency

We'll see what happens. (If my brain collapses and what happens is no words at all, I apologise in advance.) Also, I altered the meme. I thought if I came up with one AU for 'harem' it'd be a miracle, let alone doing it several times over. And I'm never totally sure what Cyberpunk means.)

Comments

[doreyg.livejournal.com]

Liz Shaw! :D

[ylla.livejournal.com]

Justin Alistair

[liadt]

Adam Adamant/Georgina Jones:)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I like your altered choices (what *does* Cyberpunk mean, anyway? I just picture Cybermen in punk rock outfits, which is probably incorrect.)

As for a character, please do Leela.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Ten & Martha Jones

or

Harry & Ruth

[katemacetak.livejournal.com]

Nine and Rose

Liz Shaw

[thisbluespirit]

Here! (I seem to be sticking on 'in Space!' for everybody for some reason, though, so am skipping that):

***

Wild West
Liz had been determined to become a doctor, but despite battling her way to a degree, she had not been allowed to be formally awarded it. At least out here, they didn’t care much who was the sawbones as long as they didn’t kill too many of their patients – and there were plenty of patients to practice on, especially with Sheriff Lethbridge-Stewart around.

Coffee Shop
“I think I’ve got it this time,” said Liz as she frowned over her notes in the search of the formula for a perfect espresso. “Now, Benton, try this…”

Shapeshifters
She called it a curse and kept herself in the lab for hours trying to work out how to undo the effects of the bite, but somehow, racing out on four legs in the moonlight, there was a part of her that revelled in the freedom.

Pirates
“Don’t worry, Captain,” said Liz to her latest captive. “I won’t hurt you. At least, not as long as you hand over your cargo right now!”

Born Another Gender
David Shaw, his tutors said, had a brilliant mind and did well enough, but he seemed to lack the drive needed to propel him to the heights he was capable of – a need to prove himself, perhaps.

Schoolfic
Liz scrunched up another of the mean, anonymous letters and threw it into the fire. Sarah Jane caught it.

“Evidence,” she said, when Liz looked at her. “We might need it.”

“I don’t understand why anyone would hate me,” she said. “What did I do?”

Jo sighed. “Well, maybe if you came last in something just once in a while, it might help,” she offered and then shrugged at their looks. “It works for me.”

Police/Firefighters
“Look, Dr Shaw, I assure you I didn’t murder that man and if you’re the brilliant forensics expert you claim and not a numbskull like DI Stewart here, you’ll soon realise it!”

Liz gave the prisoner a sharp look, raising an eyebrow at his eccentric clothing – but on the other hand, there was something very odd about that dead body…

Urban Fantasy
“Fairies?” said Liz, not even bothering to hide her laughter. “And is this why you’ve summoned me here from Cambridge, Brigadier? You must be mad!”

“Not just fairies, Miss Shaw – UNIT has been set up to deal with vampires, werewolves, leprechauns –”

“What,” she said, in scornful disbelief, “not little green men?”

Regency
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was, Miss Elizabeth Shaw decided, the most infuriating, patronising man she had ever met. Unfortunately, he also seemed to be the only gentleman in the district who wasn’t completely terrified of her reputation as a bluestocking…

[thisbluespirit]

I am sort of vaguely aware that it's something to do with sort of Cyberspace type SF but I too have no idea where the punk comes in. (Picturing punk rocker Cybermen though is definitely an image to treasure!)

And, yay, leela! She should be fun.

Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon

[thisbluespirit]

Okay, it has been a long while since I've read These Old Shades so bear with me. Also I seem to be incapable of doing the 'in space' one for anyone so far, so I'm striking it out of the meme! Here goes:

***

Wild West
The Sheriff opened his mouth to object to the shooting and then took one look at the Devil’s face and decided that discretion was the better part of valour and it wasn’t as if the dead man hadn’t been the worst kind of villain anyhow.

Coffee Shop
Avon raised his eyebrow fractionally on hearing shouts coming from the coffee shop. It seemed, he thought, that Justin and Léonie had been making a mess of the business again and he regretfully bestirred himself to go and deal with the inevitable ensuing confusion of orders.

Shapeshifters
One should, Avon reflected rather belatedly, perhaps be more careful about the strays one picked up. . .

Pirates
“But we were after a treasure map!” said Léonie. “Gold, enfin! Not – what is this? Crates and crates of it!”

“Burgundy,” said Avon. “Rupert does have a nose for it. And I must admit, it would have been a crime to let the sea water ruin it.”

Born Another Gender
The Earl of Tenbury had been far too persistent. Justine Alastair had been forced to take measures.

“’Pon rep,” said Rupert, who’d run into the room on hearing the loud report. “The fellow was as rich as they come! Couldn’t you wed him first and shot him after?”

Justine gave a shudder. The man had clammy hands and was far too fond of onions. “I fear not. Come, Rupert, you must help me dispose of the body.”

Schoolfic
Devil Alastair, Terror of the Sixth, pushed aside the last of the Forth Form bullies to lend a hand to the scruffy and battered First Former lying in the mud of the school field. “Up with you, and cease that snivelling. What is your name?”

“Leon,” said the new boy.

Police/Firefighters
Detective Inspector Alastair waited until he had heard the sound of gunshots die down and then gave the nod to the waiting Sergeant Davenant. “Since the villains have now ceased obliging us by killing each other – time to round up the survivors!”

Urban Fantasy
“When will you learn?” Avon said to Rupert, leading him out of the strangely sunny glade. “Such flowers in bloom in January, leaves on the trees – clear markers of the uncanny. One must keep a watch for these things and take precautions – bring protective charms – or iron perhaps,” he added, somehow skewering a fairy who had not been their before with his blade. He withdrew it and glanced at his brother. “However, steel will do.”

Regency
(I know TOS is technically not Regency, but it is Heyer, so it does seem a bit redundant!)

[john_amend_all]

Inspector Neele / Mary Dove

RE: Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon

[ylla.livejournal.com]

Hee, I love the shapeshifters and the pirates especially! :-)

I did look at the last one and wonder if you would have to do a modern AU! But it's an interesting question what difference that 50 years would make...

[thisbluespirit]

I honestly don't think I can! Do you want to try another?

[john_amend_all]

OK — is Jamie & Zoë easier?

Re: Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon

[thisbluespirit]

I was pleased with those two as well! The Alastairs, pirates who steal all the wine is kind of inevitable. What else would they do? Apart from shoot people, obv.

It is an interesting question, because obviously there's quite a shift in manners, but I thought it'd still work out as basically the same story, just a little more polished and polite. And, ha, I didn't think of reversing it with a modern AU - I cut and run while the going was good!

(Oh, and, damn, I wrote Justin where I obv. meant rupert in the Coffee Shop one. Grr.)

[john_amend_all]

I think 'punk' is connected to the black leather everyone's obliged to wear.

[romanajo123.livejournal.com]

Six & Evelyn (or, Eight&Charley if you want :) )

Re: Liz Shaw

[pedanther]

I particularly like the "Born Another Gender" and "Urban Fantasy" ones.

Re: Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

I am surprised we didn't get him in Space - Blake's 7 universe of course!

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Sapphire and Steel.

[evelyn-b.livejournal.com]

Alleyn! Or, if that's too difficult, Poirot.

[elen_nare]

Evadne Lannis? ('schoolfic' may be tricky, I concede :P)

Cyberpunk... my idea of that is 'sci-fi noir', if that makes sense? Bleak futuristic societies with the protagonists often being rebels against the system. Wiki has a whole article, of course! a quick read-through offered Blade Runner and The Matrix as examples.

(Also... meme sheep says baa!)

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Cyberpunk - Blade Runner. With heavy weapons, MORE dystopia and the man IS the machine. Fun game to play, which is based off of a medley of ideas. Think WWIII, Post-apocalypse with cybernetics, cyborgs and flat-out robots posing as humans amidst a human populace ravaged by disease, war and famine (though those who have MORE still are pretty much okay) and you've got the idea.

Hmmm...

River Song. Or Romana.

Hey - River Song and Romana (I or II, I'm not picky)

*HUGS*

[pitry.livejournal.com]

Donna & Wilf!

[thisbluespirit]

Hm, I'm not sure I really could do Evvy for this - shall I try someone else? Mary Lou? Nell & Hilda?

Re: Liz Shaw

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! I liked them, too. :-)