Author Topic: "Some Sweet Life," "The Grieving Plain," and other "Zane Twist" fanfictions  (Read 121226 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: "No Hero," an AU Christmas fanfic, and other "Zane Twist" fanfictions
« Reply #80 on: December 22, 2006, 12:21:19 pm »
Bump. Merry Christmas to all Brokies everywhere!  ;)
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline ptannen

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Jeff -

I MUST tell you the following!  After watchin BBM on DVD with my partner David's straight 29 year old nephew (first time for him), who’s been visitin us for the holidays, I was tellin him about some of my favorite FanFiction.  I was describing "Some Sweet Life," that I read many months ago, after you first wrote it. As I was tellin him about the part when Jack rode up to Ennis on Brokeback, I got so choked up, I could hardly talk through my tears! Even now, as I write this and think back on that scene in "Some Sweet Life," I’m getting real teary.  It is such as wonderful, moving story!!!  Thank you so much for writing it and I hope you write more short stories!

Pete   
Is there anything interesting up there in heaven?

Offline cwby30

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Re: All I Got
« Reply #82 on: January 15, 2007, 03:58:20 am »
Joined Bettermost recently, and came upon your series of tales early on.  Have enjoyed all of them.  The canon ones are hard to get through, except the ghost story, without having my emotions rise to the surface and bubble over, in a good way. 

Particularly like the AU series of the guys on the old Barkley spread outside of Signal.  As you said, "what if" they had made the choice in 1967, what if Ennis had put aside his fears long enough to make the choice? And having them take three years to work it out between themselves and their wives, well, isn't it often like that? True to life, and true to themselves.  I also like how you incorporated things: the tire iron over the mantle, Jack learning culinary skills over and above opening cans of beans messily, Ennis loving his horses, lighting a cigarette for each other, the wedding of Junior and Kurt, Alma's frostiness towards Jack, their struggle to make ends meet, and finally doing just that, little things like that.  Also like your portrayal of Ennis doing the books for the ranch.  Nice to show that Ennis can handle that; lot's of stories have him doing only the ranch work, and Jack handling the money and business end. 

Hope the spirits of Jack and Ennis will visit you soon again, and inspire you to add another chapter or two or three or...about their life in signal.  After all, Ennis will eventually become a gran'pa, and Jack needs to somehow reconnect with Bobby or at least try, and Ennis needs to meet Jack's parents even if it is only to be thrown off the place by Jack's dad.  Maybe Joey, Marcy and Joshua need to visit sometime.  Ennis invited KE to visit the ranch, so maybe he and Doris should do that, with their kids, for Thanksgiving, along with Junior and Kurt and Francie. And Franice's graduating, so they need to drive over to Riverton for that.  More little things like that. 

Thanks for the great stories.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Howdy, "cwby,"

Gosh, I haven't checked the fanfic forum for a while, and I'm a little overwhelmed. Thank you very much for your kind words about my stories.

In particular, I appreciate that you found it true to life that working out the details to set up their little cow and calf operation together didn't happen overnight, and also I like your choice of "frostiness" to describe my portrayal of Alma's behavior toward Jack--that's exactly the effect I was striving for!

As for Ennis doing the books, it just seemed to me that the Ennis who insisted they had to "stick it out," untangling those flocks of sheep, when Jack was ready to "f-ck Aguirre," who saved cigarettes to finish later, and who had actually managed to squirrel away some money toward a place of his own (even if it was only ten bucks in a tobacco can), had a strong, practical, down-to-earth streak in him and would be the one to keep the ranch books. Or maybe he was just checking up on Jack--I hadn't thought of that! And I gave him reading glasses because he was so farsighted that he disliked reading anything other than Hamley's saddle catalog.  :D

It seems my Brokeback fanfiction muse is a skittish filly with a low startle point. I think she may have thrown me after I completed "All I Got and All I Want." I actually have a few scraps of ideas about some of the things you mentioned floating around in my head, but only time will tell.

The canon stories were my own way of working through a lot of my emotions. My apologies if you found them hard to get through--even in a good way.

In any case, I'm much obliged for your kind words.  :)

Jeff
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Front-Ranger

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Since you wrote The Grieving Plain, Jeff, I was especially keen to find out what you think of the pictures of the family plot. Looking forward to hearing about it.

"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline Brokeback_Dev

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Hi Jeff.  Would you be so kind as to post the link to Some Sweet Life.  I couldnt find it.   Much appreciated

dev

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Since you wrote The Grieving Plain, Jeff, I was especially keen to find out what you think of the pictures of the family plot. Looking forward to hearing about it.



Well, that photo of the cross against the dark and lowering sky is very atmospheric--a great photo, in fact. I like that one.

I have to admit, however, that the photos of a "Twist" headstone "magically inserted" among the real graves makes me vaguely uncomfortable. I know no disrespect is intended, and I intend none here, but I'm troubled by the thought that, intended or not, it might be disrespectful to the people who are actually buried there.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Hi Jeff.  Would you be so kind as to post the link to Some Sweet Life.  I couldnt find it.   Much appreciated

dev

"You bet!"  ;D Thanks for asking!

Some Sweet Life

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2841532/1/

Links to all my stories are in the very first post (mine) on this thread.

~J.W.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline cwby30

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Re: canon stories
« Reply #88 on: January 16, 2007, 07:23:50 pm »
No apologies necessary, Jeff.  You did there and do in your other stories what you were supposed to do as a writer: touch us emotionally and give us something to think about. 

Will wait [somewhat] patiently for your Brokeback muse to lift those scraps of stories and put them on the top of the writing pile, so we can read more about the guys and their sweet life in Signal.  After all, when you get thrown by a horse, you have to climb back on and show that filly you're the boss [even if your harmonica did end up dented and off key]!

Thanks again.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: canon stories
« Reply #89 on: January 16, 2007, 08:06:23 pm »
After all, when you get thrown by a horse, you have to climb back on and show that filly you're the boss [even if your harmonica did end up dented and off key]!

 :laugh: Sure enough!

Well, one of these days Ennis and Jack may devil me to write more, as, apparently, they deviled Annie Proulx before her story took final shape, but writing is hard work for me--getting those two cowboys to be recognizably themselves, even if their situation is radically different--and there ain't never enough time, never enough. ...  :-\

But thanks again for your kind words. They mean a lot to me, they really do.  :)
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.