BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Case fics are hard to find

Schmiezi · February 3, 2015 5:29 am

I moved This comment over from the Mary thread. We were discussing the fact that there are not many fics dealing with John/Mary as a happy couple and Sherlock not being in a relationship with Molly at the same time. When I asked what such a fic could be aout, Swanpride answered:

Swanpride wrote:
To clarify, I don't necessarily mean that a story has to be focussed on the romance aspect. I don't even need Mary to have an important role, it can simply be a case fic which is focussed mainly on John and sherlock. Though I found some gems which explore the possibility of the constellation.
One I liked, but sadly wasn't updated after the first two chapters, was an attempt to tell what happened after the Tarmac, with Sherlock forcefully moving Mary and John to Baker Street for their security (they are not exactly happy).
Another one which was really great featuring Mycroft and Mary getting attacked (the target is Mycroft), resulting in Mary getting hurt and Mycroft having to lay low until he can contact his people safely with Baby Watson.
A really great one featured Sherlock, John and Mary on a mission together, with John and Mary giving Sherlock cover.
But those kinds of gems are really hard to find.

Could you link those fics you've mentioned, or give us the title and the writer? I would love to take a look at them.

Actually, I think it is a general thing with this fandom. You barely find really good case fics that don't deal with romance as well. Or real good case fics at all. Don't know why!

Whisky · February 4, 2015 8:24 pm

Schmiezi wrote:
Actually, I think it is a general thing with this fandom. You barely find really good case fics that don't deal with romance as well. Or real good case fics at all. Don't know why!

I think it's fandom in general, not only this. Romance is just very popular.

I think case fics get a bit boring if there is no emotional boil up. That's what I sometimes think. I like case fics, but only with a solid characterization. Doesn't need to be romance, but there should be some... emotional, human echo.

About John and Mary fics:

I think Mary and John miss a proper setting. And chemistry (my personal opinion). Because fanfiction... you write a pairing because somehow there are sparks that light inspiration. And it's not centered on the main character, it doesn't have to be. Molly fics work well, even if Sherlock isn't the romantic interest. Because she is a very interesting person to explore.

I just think Mary... I don't know why, but if people don't want to explore her and John alone... maybe there isn't that much to start with. I mean, fanfiction starts where others left off. Otherwise people would write their original characters and not fanfic. So if there isn't much fanfiction on John and Mary, maybe there isn't much left to say. (which explains also the loads of Johnlock fiction).

I also cannot think of a proper setting for them... Mary going for some assasin duty and John joining her? No, that would get you immediatly down to the moral problem that John doesn't like what she did/does. Them staying in London, happy family? Hmm. Maybe adventures would work, but where would they find them? And would they seek them on their own? Not much sense to make a character go off into directions that don't lie within his characterization.

Last edited by Whisky (February 4, 2015 8:28 pm)

Schmiezi · February 5, 2015 5:21 am

Swanpride wrote:
found the Mycroft + baby one...http://archiveofourown.org/works/1179060

Thank you!

Kittyhawk · June 10, 2015 11:41 am

Actually, case fic isn't all that hard to find since it's a tag on Archiveofourown - and searching for it cut's down the number of stories from >70,000 to 871 (at the time of writing and including complete and English as criteria). If one then filters out Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, the maneagable number of 109 works remains - with hopefully a few really good ones in there (yes, Jolie_Black's Aiding and Abetting and Adventure of the Plush Shark are there. On the other hand, AJHall's wonderful Rigging Screws is missing. As is owlcroft, who also writes wonderful case fic without getting Sherlock and John into a sexual relationship.)

Good news: I've just discovered that some authors use the tag casefic which doesn't appear in the archive's suggestions, but results in 87 hits (of complete stories in English) when entered in the line for tags, and 129 hits when entered in the line Any Field.

I see years of fun ahead...

Yitzock · June 10, 2015 7:00 pm

I don't pay attention much to tags so I doubt mine shows up there (though it's partly case, party character in the aftermath of the case). I tag pretty sparsely on AO3 unfortuanetly (still haven't totally adapted to it). Still, good to know that that helps to find those kinds of stories. I'll have to do some digging of my own at some point.

ukaunz · June 11, 2015 1:48 am

Kittyhawk wrote:
... (yes, Jolie_Black's Aiding and Abetting and Adventure of the Plush Shark are there. On the other hand, AJHall's wonderful Rigging Screws is missing. As is owlcroft, who also writes wonderful case fic without getting Sherlock and John into a sexual relationship.)

I've just started reading Aiding and Abetting, it's fantastic! Thanks for mentioning the title here

Kittyhawk · June 11, 2015 12:20 pm

You're welcome! In the meantime I've read one or two of the shorter case fics I've found and whereas they were adequate, they weren't brilliant. So if the title of this thread was Good Casefic is Hard to Find, then I'd agree wholeheartedly...

Yitzok, if you write case fic, you should definitely use that tag given how rarely it's used. Btw, another tag I often search for is canon compliant... Looking for both at the same time is like insisting on a laptop with matte screen...

Sherlock Holmes · June 12, 2015 9:54 am

You're making me want to write one now....

Schmiezi · June 12, 2015 10:36 am

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
You're making me want to write one now....

Oh yes please. :-)

Kittyhawk · June 13, 2015 1:49 pm

I second that "Please!"

Sherlock Holmes · June 16, 2015 9:44 pm

Kittyhawk wrote:
I second that "Please!"

Oh go on then...

Any special requests?

I'll dedicate it to Kittyhawk and Schmiezi

Schmiezi · June 17, 2015 4:11 am

Yay!

Asking for special requests is a bold thing to do, boss. I could imagine Kittyhawk and me having rather different special requests.

Sherlock Holmes · June 17, 2015 8:35 am

The main question now is pre-Mary or post-Mary...hmmm...,

I really need to write out my new theory about how Mary and the baby are going to "exit" John and Sherlock's lives forever as a fic.

Schmiezi · June 17, 2015 12:37 pm

Post post post.

Post-Mary. Or "evil Mary". Or both.

:-D

Kittyhawk · June 17, 2015 12:38 pm

Actually, I have only one request (which goes for all authors and all genres through all times): Write what you know. Either through really well-done research (probably too time-consuming for fan fic - Dick Francis's non-racing novels come to mind), or because it's closely related to your life (much better, I think). Stephen King once put it this way: If you are a plumber and want to write Science Fiction - write about a plumber in space!

I adore "Rigging Screws" because it feels as if AJHall was familiar with sailing clubs and ships (no idea whether that's true). The one time where I was jolted out of "Crazy for Love" was when they go to a riding club and the description is all wrong.

And given that crimes happen everywhere, it shouldn't be difficult to have Sherlock do his detecting in ones own world, should it? (Even here, in the middle of nowhere, I had a visit from the police asking me whether I had noticed anything in relationship with a woman found dead and her car which had disappeared).

If the story is well-written and feels "real", I'm flexible about all the rest.

La Jolie · June 17, 2015 7:59 pm

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
You're making me want to write one now....

And I was just going to nudge you to FINALLY post the Secret Santa one you wrote for me, when something inspired me to go and check whether you maybe had. And look what I found. Thank you!

As it happens, I totally second what Whisky said a while back, that casefic isn't all that interesting unless there is some character exploration/development in it as well, and unless there is some emotional significance to it for the characters. I think this is the main reason why people love this show, and incidentally also the main reason why most fans dislike TBB so much. Seriously, snappy deductions are fine, but not enough, IMHO. But it's a huge effort to get all of that right, both a clever plotline AND snappy deductions AND proper research (totally true what you say about that, Kitty) AND a proper emotional boil-up as well. I can totally see why few people bother.

Last edited by La Jolie (June 17, 2015 8:00 pm)

Sherlock Holmes · June 17, 2015 8:18 pm

La Jolie wrote:
Sherlock Holmes wrote:
You're making me want to write one now....
And I was just going to nudge you to FINALLY post the Secret Santa one you wrote for me, when something inspired me to go and check whether you maybe had. And look what I found. Thank you!

As it happens, I totally second what Whisky said a while back, that casefic isn't all that interesting unless there is some character exploration/development in it as well, and unless there is some emotional significance to it for the characters. I think this is the main reason why people love this show, and incidentally also the main reason why most fans dislike TBB so much. Seriously, snappy deductions are fine, but not enough, IMHO. But it's a huge effort to get all of that right, both a clever plotline AND snappy deductions AND proper research (totally true what you say about that, Kitty) AND a proper emotional boil-up as well. I can totally see why few people bother.

But they're so fun to write! :D

Kittyhawk · June 18, 2015 11:16 am

Under which name (and where) do you publish? I can't find your stories...

Sherlock Holmes · June 18, 2015 9:31 pm

Kittyhawk wrote:
Under which name (and where) do you publish? I can't find your stories...

All my Sherlock related stuff is on AO3 under believeinsh2012