a Challenge Most Taboo, issued from Me to You.

[rosa_acicularis]

In fiction, self-insertion is generally considered something of a no-no, and deservedly so. (Though some bastards seem to get away with it without any complaints. Yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Dante.) But are we missing exciting opportunities of genuine self-discovery and satirical silliness by conforming to the dictums of the fandom establishment? I say we are. I say we rebel, brothers and sisters! I say that everyone inspired to do so should write a ficlet (or a blog entry) detailing their very own encounters with the alien, man-type mysterioso we call the Doctor.

What sort of companion would you be? Indeed, would you become a companion at all? And if you did find yourself traveling with him, whether by choice or necessity or accident, how would you leave him in the end?

Call it the How I Met the Doctor Meme. Any Doctor, any era. If in fic format, it can be from your point of view, or the Doctor's, or that of a canon companion along for the ride. The companions often serve as our ambassadors to the universe the Doctor travels, our stand-ins in his adventures, and the companions we relate to most strongly are often very telling of our own personalities. But let's get rid of the middleman - if you were offered the temptations of a life at large in the universe, of the dangers and beauties and responsibilities you'd find behind the doors of that blue box, what would you choose?

Comments

[melnay13.livejournal.com]

I am so there. Curses, why must you present us with something so sinful and delicious right at the beginning of my final paper research time. Oh well, I think I can multi-task...

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Curses, why must you present us with something so sinful and delicious right at the beginning of my final paper research time.

Well, I'm evil, you know. And I have evil quotas to fill, just like everyone else. ;)

Good luck with the research paper!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

"I'm lookin' at you, Dante."

Yeah, but Dante is the worst part of the Divine Comedy. Well, Dante and that boring Beatrice.

I shall accept this challenge!

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Watch it, dude. Dante/Beatrice is totally my OTP. Don't go oppressing me.

Hee. No, I'm just joshin'. She's about as interesting as dirt. Exceptionally boring dirt.

I shall accept this challenge!

Hooray!

[mizufae.livejournal.com]

no... must... resist... gateway... drug

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't be silly. It's perfectly safe, and you can quit anytime you want.

*evilgrin*

[nohwrah.livejournal.com]

That sounds so much fun and very scary (Mary Sue, anyone?)... Might give it a go, though, and am most definitely looking forward to your version of it all.

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Is it really a Mary Sue if you openly acknowledge that it's a self-insertion? And what if I really do have sparkly rainbow eyes, wavy waist-length hair, and a mysterious past? It's hardly my fault that I'm perfect, now is it? ;)

...and am most definitely looking forward to your version of it all.

Oh crap. That's right. I'm going to have to do it too, aren't I?

*begins to brainstorm*

[vega-ofthe-lyre.livejournal.com]

...You really shouldn't enable me like this! But I am so totally in.

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Rock on, dude!
;)

[elliptic-eye.livejournal.com]

No idea what to write for this yet, but you win the universe. Or the Whoniverse. Whichever.

[eponymous-rose.livejournal.com]

Seconded and icon-twinned for added awesome.

How can I refuse? :D

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Icon-tripleted!

Hang on. I've won the Whoniverse? Does that mean I can make it wear a little jewel-studded collar and carry it around in my purse? 'Cause that'd make me very, very happy. ;)

[kudzita.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I have a feeling this is going to be delightful.

Maybe not as delightful as basketball currently is, but pretty delightful!

[lilas.livejournal.com]

This is an awesome idea! I will certainly think about it, and look forward to seeing what others come up with too! Sounds like a real opportunity to get creative- it could be fic, a diary type thing, picspam, or even a photomanip.

[lady-morgana.livejournal.com]

Already writing it! :D

[lady-morgana.livejournal.com]

http://lady-marna.livejournal.com/90093.html

THERE IT IS!

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

OOoooOOOOOOoo. Yeah, I totally have to do this. Nevermind the other fic I'm supposed to be writing! This is a lovely idea. :)

Now, to get to writing...

[kate-fire.livejournal.com]

Done already! (sorry, I'm just a lurker) My friends and I write Silly Self Insertion for gags:

http://varowa.googlepages.com/doctorwho

and for those Torchwood fans:

http://varowa.googlepages.com/torchwood

Another member of this dubious Team TARDIS speaks up.

[lil-termagant.livejournal.com]

A couple more DW and TW stories (ficlets) should be posted there later this week (hopefully). Including our first reaction to the TARDIS. We are a classy group of companions.


Hello, rose_acicularis! I've been enjoying your site, and your DW fics! (Particularly "But Broken Lights," "Day and hous," and the "Amour Mundi" stories.)

Re: Another member of this dubious Team TARDIS speaks up.

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Wow. You guys are up to all sorts of self-insertion craziness. Party on, dudes. ;)

I'm so glad you've been enjoying the fic. It warms the cockles of my stony little heart. Thanks for reading!

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

ooh, I like this.

Just friended you, btw. Over on whofic, I'm LJG.

And just posted -- "Birth Day" -- it's waiting in the queue.

Found This

[tigerstriped86.livejournal.com]

So, I was befriended by earlgreytea86 and I found myself using your challenge as part of my tamingthemuse prompt for this week.

It's just a prologue to the adventures, though. Care to let me know your thoughts?

Re: Found This

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Sure, if you'd like. Gimme a link and I'll take a look.

[jlrpuck.livejournal.com]

You=Evil.

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Who? Me?

Nah.

*quiet chuckle of undeniable nefariousness*

[jlrpuck.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeeeeeevil. BUT--I win the banana bet. Because seriously--eight months and counting?

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

BUT--I win the banana bet.

Oh yeah? We'll see about that.

[rapunzelita.livejournal.com]

Er... Hello? *waves* I'm here from eponymous_rose's comments (Yes, I randomly click on people's usernames in my lj-friends' comments. I know, I'm creepy. Anyway.) I hope you don't mind?

I'd just like to say: this is a great idea. I love it. I might even have a go. (I'm not sure I'd post it. I'll definitely play with the idea)

I read a great article a while back (I think it was linked from Neil Gaiman's blog), about an English teacher who introduced his pupils to writing with self insert... It was great. And honestly. Who never did it? (I don't mean fanfiction in the strictest sense, but who never fiddled in the back of their mind with the idea of being in *insert favourite fictional work of choice here*)

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Hiya! No apologies for creepiness required - the more the merrier. Though I myself, of course, never ever randomly click on people's usernames in my friends' comments. Oh no. Not at all. Nuh uh.

Yes. Anyway! That sounds like a fascinating article. I definitely see the self-insertion game as a sort of prelude to creating your own stories with canon characters. First you wonder "What would I do?" and before you know it your constructing a little fanon world of your own.

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to stop in any time. And let me know if you do end up posting your very own self-insert. ;)

[rapunzelita.livejournal.com]

Do you mind if I friend you? (It's not that easy to find really nice people in the Who fandom. It's so full of... you know. Not so nice people who smack each other for sport ¬¬)

I need to find that article. One day I'll set for a quest through Gaiman's blog to find it. But not right now. I'm rather sleepy.

I sure will! Although I think it'll have to wait, I have a huge writing list for before April 26th (holy shit it's April 12th already argh)

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Friend away, my friend! You're perfectly right - in a particularly persnickety fandom, those of us without a taste for bloodsports gotta stick together.

(holy shit it's April 12th already argh)

When I read this I had a panicked moment of "Huh? What? No!" and then I realized: different time zones. Which was something of a relief, given that I have a fic due for remix/redux on the 12th.

*chews fingernails*

;)

[rapunzelita.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'll friend your other journal as well, if you don't mind! I do love reading about ants and Daleks and Kit Marlowe.

Yep, it's around 2:30 am here in GMT+2-land. I hate it when I make that kind of mistakes too. Like when I wake up suddenly, check the time and get it horribly wrong because I'm still half-asleep. And wake up my parents because I think it's 7:30 instead of 1:30, haha. (Yes, this did happen. More than once.)

And what are you going to remix? I can't wait to read it :)

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

I'll friend your other journal as well, if you don't mind! I do love reading about ants and Daleks and Kit Marlowe.

Not at all! Come on over. (Speaking of ants and Daleks, I would be lying if I said I didn't have some very Dalek moments during the, ah, extermination process. Ahem.)

And what are you going to remix?

It's all very top secret at the moment, but I think in a week or so we'll be allowed to post our remixes for public consumption. Until then, my lips, I'm afraid, are sealed. ;)