Coda: Bonus Tracks
Jun. 27th, 2010 12:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raeschae
This fic was inspired by three novels that I read last fall - The Alternative Hero (Tim Thornton), Love Will Tear Us Apart (Sarah Rainone), and Juliet, Naked (Nick Hornby) – and while you won't find this exact plot in any of them, I highly recommend all three.
Also, you might want to check out John Cusack as the Chicago-based audiophile Rob Gordon in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, High Fidelity. I guess repeated viewings of the movie have saturated my subconscious over the last ten years because I really didn't give it a passing thought while writing the fic. When I was done and
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maichan808 sent me the first draft of the art, I had a total holy shit moment. The similarities between Jensen and Rob are completely unintentional but, at times, too obvious to deny. Also, some of the artists and bands that I use in this fic exist in the real world, but many of them are completely fictional. Those you have never heard of, and can't find through Google, are the brain child of
taintedlove. All of the albums reviewed on the Coda website were also on her original list of band names.My first Big Bang has been an incredible – albeit, at times, ridiculously nerve-wracking – experience. Aside from the normal anxious excitement of actually taking part in this challenge, my computer crashed last night around 10:30. Were it not for my very best friend in the world - she's not in fandom and will never see this, but I'm grateful nonetheless - I'm not sure I would have been able to get this posted at all.
There are a lot of people that I have to thank:
maichan808, you have gone so far above and beyond the call of duty for this fic, I don't even know how to say thank you. At the risk of stroking your already insanely over-inflated ego, working with you on the Coda website was the best part of this entire process for me. Thank you for the mind-blowing art, and also for keeping me calm during last night's freak out and being an all-around awesome person. I owe you something major, like an internal organ or something, I'm sure. billysgirl5 and candygramme, thank you, for correcting my occasional abuse of the English language, and for lightning-quick turn around. You guys are life-savers! krisd81, thanks for being brutally honest with my first draft, and for making sure that I told both sides of the story. ldyghstwhisprer and taintedlove, you guys responded to my pleas for musical inspiration with three very different, but equally awesome, soundtracks. I hope you both know how much the tone and shape of this story were molded by the songs you sent me. I wish I could have included all of them on the final soundtrack. wendy and thehighwaywoman, thanks for all you do in organizing and maintaining this challenge.There are a lot of other people who listened to me ramble about this idea in its infancy, and who encouraged me from the early drafts, through all of the edits. To my flist, your excitement over this fic has really helped to ease my frazzled nerves during the last six months. Thanks, guys - I hope you enjoy it!
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Date: 2010-07-15 06:17 pm (UTC)It's been completely incredible working with you as well. I just love it when people do my bidding :P
And man, I really do <3 this fic. LIKE FOR SRS <333
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Date: 2010-07-15 09:39 pm (UTC)If there is one person I know won't just tell me shit because they think I want to hear it, it's you. It's kind of what I love about you!
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Date: 2010-07-15 06:41 pm (UTC)Obviously you have a passion for music, and the way you translated that into Jensen's character was incredible.
The change and growth in the boys' relationship was so realistic that it just kind of made me go 'awwwww'. Especially the lighter scene at the end.
Also, I LOVE Band of Horses. Good choice, I must say. ^_^
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Date: 2010-07-15 09:42 pm (UTC)And thank you - I'm so glad that you liked the story! I do love music, and it's cool to know you think it translated. :)
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Date: 2010-07-15 06:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 07:06 pm (UTC)LOVED IT.
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Date: 2010-07-15 09:50 pm (UTC)I love that you want to read more, but I really don't have any plans to write any more of these guys at this time. I kind of like right where they are at the end of the fic. Who knows how inspiration will strike in the future?
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Date: 2010-07-15 08:44 pm (UTC)I really enjoyed it! :D
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Date: 2010-07-15 09:57 pm (UTC)Anyway, I'm really glad you liked this one - thank you so much!
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Date: 2010-07-15 08:51 pm (UTC)I also loved that you let us get to know both boys, see how they grew back together and not only showing one side of the story.
Thank you!
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Date: 2010-07-15 10:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-07-15 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-07-15 09:24 pm (UTC)And music. Jared and Jensen's relationship is so defined by music, it was wonderful. Loved the love story of Jared, Jensen and music.
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Date: 2010-07-15 10:08 pm (UTC)I'm glad that you loved the music, too - it's such a subjective thing, and I know not everyone is as affected by it as I am, but I love that you connected to it!
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Date: 2010-07-15 09:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 10:16 pm (UTC)What I love about fics where J2 are enthusiasts of something such as music is that the enthusiasm of the author always shines through and gives the characters an extra dimension - you have done this here. The story was great and the character development was as well. They made mistakes and there were misunderstandings but it all worked itself out in the end \o/ This was a great story, thanks for sharing :)
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Date: 2010-07-15 11:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 10:16 pm (UTC)I love your Jensen, as emotionally damaged as he was, and I was totally rooting for him and Jared the whole time, which also doesn't always happen with fic (somehow?), so props for that one. I do wish that there was more Danneel and Misha, though.
Such great character growth and emotional transformation. I applaud you.
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Date: 2010-07-15 11:09 pm (UTC)And I will readily admit that some of the minor characters in this story got swept under the rug in favor of developing the relationship between the guys. Sorry Danneel and Misha got somewhat overlooked! :)
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Date: 2010-07-15 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 11:46 pm (UTC)With this one, I kept going off to do other things for a bit so reading it would last LONGER.
And now I finished it anyway. Foo.
Predicted time until I read it again: ~12 hours. (And only because I've gotta sleep somewhere in there too.)
Please insert here whatever requests/begging/pleading for further fic in this universe you find least annoying. I kind of want a timestamp (sort of one of those 'after the credits' specials in a movie, you know?) of Thanksgiving. Or how they eventually work out living together.
(Also, bonus points for writing about the Chicago music scene without Pete Wentz sneaking in in any great capacity. He has some kind of ninja skillz for that.)
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Date: 2010-07-15 11:56 pm (UTC)FOB aside, I'm glad you liked it enough to want more. I went back and forth in writing a Thanksgiving epilogue, but I really like the story where it ends now. I'm not sure I'll be writing any time stamps for this one, but you never know.
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Date: 2010-07-15 11:47 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for sharing!
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Date: 2010-07-15 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 12:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 01:19 am (UTC)And since I've been both a music snob and a music geek in my time, the musical references, reviews and saturation in this fic was brilliant. I didn't roll my eyes once (says the music snob.) Thanks for a great read.
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Date: 2010-07-16 01:37 am (UTC)Wow - that's an awesome compliment. Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked it!!
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Date: 2010-07-16 02:01 am (UTC)I might have cried when Jensen quoted Missy Higgins.
I really loved the flow of the story, intertwining the past and the present. Job well done!
Can't wait for timestamps!
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Date: 2010-07-16 03:41 pm (UTC)Thank you for your comment - I'm so glad you liked the fic!
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Date: 2010-07-16 03:46 pm (UTC)I'm really glad that you liked the development of the relationship - that's my favorite part!
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Date: 2010-07-16 06:40 am (UTC)The only reason I am not reading this again immediatly is because I gotta go do stupid shit like dishes and tuck in the kids and maybe sleep.
I love the build up in this, slow but never boring. The pacing was excellent.
Once again you gave us memorably flawed but ultimately decent characters. I love the way these guys are not smooth and glossy, they still have some rough edges.
The way you wove music into this never once slapping us in the face with it was AWESOME! And 'Band of Horses'!
I don't read 'music!fic' but of course I would probably read your grocery list and love it .
Thanks for a stellar read and I wish there were enough hours in a day for me to read this again immediately . Tomorrow will have to do.
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Date: 2010-07-16 03:50 pm (UTC)Thank you!
That Band of Horses shout out is getting a lot of love - I was pretty sure nobody would even blink at them. :) I love fandom!
(For the record, I don't make lists because they bore me, so no grocery lists. We'll have to stick with fic for the time being ♥)
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Date: 2010-07-16 07:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 03:51 pm (UTC)