On our favourite female journalist...

[thisbluespirit]

It has been suggested to me that the next Prompt of the Month should be Sarah-centric in honour of Elisabeth Sladen. (And how can it be that I am writing those words? It really is taking time to become at all believable...)

Looking at the current list of prompts, the only existing Sarah one is a request for Sarah and the Doctor finding an octopus in the bath. Fun as this sounds, it is probably not the prompt for the occasion.

Therefore, it is time for a discussion post.

What stories about Sarah Jane would you like to see more of, either as tribute, or just generally? Her time investigating stuff away from the TARDIS (maybe even crossing into other shows), her time aboard the TARDIS, more adventures in Bannerman Road or something else? What do people think? What sort of fic are we wanting to read right now - do we need to write it for each other and the rest of the 'fandom'?

As usual, all suggestions will be noted for future use, but in this case I'll repost all of them in a poll so that our next monthly prompt (to be up in just over a week) can be in honour of Sarah Jane Smith.

Comments

[derekmetaltron.livejournal.com]

I'd personally like to see a bit of everything! Something maybe from her life before the Doctor, adventures with the Third Doctor, with Four and Harry, adjusting to life without him after she was left in Aberdeen and her time with the newly aquired K9 and her Aunt. Perhaps with Josh and Nat (her friends in the Sarah Jane Big Finish Audios)? What happened to her between encountering the Tenth Doctor in School Reunion and Maria's encounter with her in Invasion Of The Bane?

Missing scene stuff is always interesting to me, really, and Sarah has had such a long and varied role though Doctor Who that it would be best to see that represented. :)

[thisbluespirit]

Thanks!

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

I put up the only Sarah prompt to date? Cool!

[thisbluespirit]

You did! Although dbskyler had an SJA prompt, but that was Gita-centric and has been written. :-)

[john_amend_all]

I don't know what others would like to see, but after a search of my own abandoned fic fragments, here are some suggestions:

• Something building on Sarah's brief meeting with Tegan in The Five Doctors — they meet again, and have an adventure together. I'd imagined this as post-Invasion of the Bane so Luke could be around, but it would work equally well before.
• Sarah has an adventure while travelling with the Doctor and Harry, which gives her a tendency to tell whopping lies.
• Sarah and Harry as Holmes and Watson (Storytime, or some other fusion).
• Oh, and of course, UNIT dating fic with the Three/Brig/Sarah team.

[thisbluespirit]

Thanks!

Oh, and as for the second of those, I have an awful feeling that's got to be partly my fault for my 'Sarah's a compulsive fibber' theory for explaining stuff...? *cough*

Be carefulhow you say 'UNIT dating' and 'Three/Brig/Lis'...

:-)

[john_amend_all]

Yes, the Sarah-as-pathological-liar idea came pretty much from your theory, and the discussion that followed it.

And as for UNIT dating: Erk. Definitely nothing that would lead to threesomes and brain bleach. Dating in terms of time shifts only :-)

[thisbluespirit]

... Although, it has to be said, Sarah is a bit of a flirt, so... As well as a compulsive fibber. You can see why I needed help for an appropriate prompt here... ;-)

(And that was a typo before; it should have said Sarah, not Lis. Obviously I can't type Brig/ without attempting to make it Brig/Liz...)

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I'm still pondering this, days later. I haven't been able to read any of the commemorative SJS fics that have appeared in the wake of Lis' passing - it's much too raw. Even re-reading some old fics is proving quite painful at the moment.

So I will continue to think on it, and come back if any ideas come to mind.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, thank you.

*hugs* And do share if you have a thouhgt, yes!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I had an idea for a crossover...

SJS dies - then comes back to life, because she's actually an Immortal. Methos and Amanda have to help her through the transition... The Doctor's more than a bit gobsmacked! (Basically this is me thinking wishfully!)

[thisbluespirit]

Aw... Thanks for sharing!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

This is a great idea. Well, I'm always in favor of more fic about Sarah, but it would definitely be nice to have a month devoted to her. The only problem is, I can't think of any prompts to contribute. As Pers says, it might be too raw still, or it might just be that when it comes to Sarah, I'm unwilling to give up ideas to someone else.

But everyone else, please prompt away. I suspect this might be my month to actually write one.

[thisbluespirit]

Thanks. I know what you mean - nothing is instantly springing to mind for me, either.

If you do think of something, bring it straight here. ;-)

[thisbluespirit]

I've been trying to think myself. My first thought is that what I'd want is any sort of adventure with Sarah, Four and Harry, because there's comfort fic for you, always.

Then I wondered if that was not singling Sarah out enough, and thought maybe her solo investigations - perhaps with UNIT back in the 70s, either during Three (if such a thing fits anywhere), or after. In the normal run of things, while I don't go for disturbing ships, I am amused by the way she flirts with all the UNIT guys. Or just her investigating things solo after. (I've been wanting to extend my Sarah/Harry Pearce drabble for some time, which would have Sarah involved in a MI5 investigation, but that's a bit specific and a crossover. And probably disturbing shippiness, too.)

I don't think I would be happy, for me, with us all trying to write death!fic for a monthly prompt. Even if I kind of feel readier to read it for Sarah than for most characters - probably because she should still have been having more adventures that we were going to see, and that she won't needs some explanation in the fictional universe.

[john_amend_all]

I agree about steering clear of death-fic. It seems premature, since we don't know how or whether SJA will address the matter. I also suspect that if I did write death-fic, it would be bad death-fic, and nobody wants to read that.

[azarsuerte.livejournal.com]

I'm not a member of this community, but one story I would love to see (and have tried and thus far failed to write myself :-( ) would be the Doctor picking Sarah up one last time to take her to visit all those special moments in Luke's life that he knows she's not going to live to see. Ie: his wedding (to Maria, Clyde, Rani, someone we've never met...), his graduation from university, his first child, etc. Because I'd like to think he would do that if he knew what was coming. :-(

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, I said ideas were welcome - the more the merrier, so thanks for sharing. :-)

Your idea is noted, and it'll now get included in the general 'plotbunnies' list, as well as potentiall for Prompt of the Month. (I trust that's okay, since you posted it here.)

[azarsuerte.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's perfectly fine. :-) I may have to join so I can see what, if anything, comes out of it. ;-)

[thisbluespirit]

Yay, new member! :-) Here is a handy place for leaving any plot ideas that don't work out /whatever (sometimes people even pick them up and write them, and all...) But, yes, I am hopeful we will see a good pic of SJ fic once I open the next monthly challenge. *fingers crossed*