Lois & Clark Fanfic Message Boards
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145
Likes: 3
T
Pulitzer
OP Offline
Pulitzer
T
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145
Likes: 3
For reference, watch the original Burns and Allen “Oh My Operation” film clip. Click here.

lol

Remember the time period when this was filmed and remember it was a reliable routine for Burns and Allen before movies had sound.

Remember the apples, too.


Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.

- Stephen King, from On Writing
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 397
Likes: 1
Beat Reporter
Offline
Beat Reporter
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 397
Likes: 1
Hm. This is a lot of fun to read, but I'm still struggling a bit with the implausibility of the setup. Lois's layoff and Clark's quitting are okay, and I can run with the idea that other papers in the city would be reluctant to take them on given the circumstances... but do they think that Intergang won't be suspicious that they haven't even tried to *apply* to any other papers? That they aren't trying to sell freelance stories, or work for non-news magazines, or mop floors for a minimal but steady paycheck? Even if they get a paid comedy gig every week, that isn't going to cover the bills. I'm worried that it'll too obvious that they're trying to infiltrate Intergang-affiliated clubs.

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 624
M
Columnist
Offline
Columnist
M
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 624
I can't help but think that sketch comedy is rather different from standup, and using someone else's material is vastly different from coming up with their own. If they're going to stay with sketches, that's fine, but they're going to have to start writing their own material.

Ok, they're writers, so it's not that big a stretch, but comedy isn't exactly hard-hitting news articles.

Quote
"...I was wondering if I could move in here with you?"
Woah! I figured Lois would stay with Clark for a while, but I hadn't considered that she'd give up her apartment! It makes sense, though. But she's going to have to get a storage unit, which I'm imagining isn't too cheap in a city like Metropolis. (I think I'm overthinking this.)

Quote
“My hairbrush. You left a little gel on it day before yesterday.”
Woops! I think Superman left some hair gel on the brush. Clark's hair always looks so.... soft... like you could run your hands through it... Err... I'm getting off topic. wink

The end of the chapter was a bit gut-wrenching. I imagine that Clark is upset not only by not being able to write about what happened, but also that he can't tell the shop owners' story and help them out.

All of that makes me realize that there won't be as many articles about Superman now that Clark isn't accidentally-by-happenstance showing up at these smaller rescues and writing about them himself. It would be interesting if someone noticed that and wondered why Clark (and Lois) had so much information about what Superman was up to.

Clark had better find somewhere to stash the apple bag before comes back to do his grocery shopping. I'm picturing him totally spacing out again and just walking back in as Clark with Superman's apples.


"It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then...he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him." -Batman (in Superman/Batman #3 by Jeph Loeb)
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 8,947
Likes: 28
Boards Chief Administrator
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Offline
Boards Chief Administrator
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 8,947
Likes: 28
And for part 3!
Quote
She’d had to convince him that her legal practice wouldn’t suffer much if she took an occasional long lunch.
Yes, wouldn't want all those business associates of her Dad’s she's defending to end up behind bars. Maybe she's even working in Snell's company on her way up to junior partner?

Quote
Kimberly frowned at her father. “I thought you were kidding about Lois losing her job.”
Nah, Lois wasn't willing to do her boss's boss's boss and then she eventually got fired. The official records say the two events are unrelated, but it still looks fishy to me.

Quote
Louie shrugged. “Nah. Wouldn’t kid about that. Had somethin’ to do with Lex Luthor takin’ a swan dive to the street from his penthouse a few weeks ago, but they didn’t give me no details and I didn’t ask.”
He probably didn't like the last time he asked someone who needed to relocate if they had something to do with that other fella takin’ a swan dive off Hobbs Bridge.

Quote
“I won’t do that, Dad. I don’t know her partner, but I do remember Lois having a really nasty bite to some of her jokes.”
LOIS: confused I never joked.

Quote
She can be funny if she wants to be.
Like when she got herself dumped in a dumpster. That was pretty funny.

Quote
He looked up at the taller man. “What kind of stuff youse guys plannin’ to do?”
I heard jokes about Lex Luthor are all the rage these days. Then there's jokes how the Metropolis PD couldn't catch a lamp post making off with the Sunday news paper dispenser without a couple of investigative reporters helping them. Of course, this would end with one of the reporter *hanging* from the lamp post and Superman having to rescue her.

Quote
Her father’s expression reminded her of the day she’d told him she wanted to play tennis to pay for part of her college. It was somewhere between constipation and a horse stepping on his foot.
Hmm…I wonder, I think you could probably sub in 'strip' or 'hook' for 'play tennis' and get the same look laugh

Quote
Kim listened to her father speak as she watched Lois move slightly in front of Clark and cross her arms. “It ain’t just one thing, guys. It’s like you memorized a play in a foreign language. You know what to say and do, and you know when to say it and do it, but it don’t come natural to you.”
Yep, they're reporters, not actors. They should speak about what they know. Dirty politicians, dirty captains of industry, the relationship between Superman and Batman, the relationship of Superman and women, being a hack reporter in a first rate news paper with a first rate partner whose coattails you're living off. Oh, and the cross-dressing going on in rural America.

Quote
“Yeah.” She shifted uncomfortably and looked away from him. “My apartment lease is up at the end of next month
Oooooooh! Oooooooh! I know! I know!

Quote
I need to tell Mr. Tracewski if I’m going to renew it but I really can’t afford it if I’m not drawing a regular salary even though I have some savings but I don’t want to run through all of it too fast and I was wondering if I could move in here with you?”
See?

Quote
From the kitchen entrance, he asked, “Are we talking trading the couch for the bed every night?”

She exhaled in relief. “Yes. We’d keep the same schedule we’ve been on,
She takes the bed, he takes the couch. Same as when they were at the Lexor?

Quote
“You can move in and stay as long as you want or need to. No pressure, no conditions, no expectations. Okay?”
Awwww…

Quote
Her smile sneaked out despite her efforts to restrain it. “Okay. Oh, I do have one condition.”

He almost frowned as if he were concerned with what she might say. “What’s that?”

“I just – I need to make sure – I have to be sure of something.”
Worried about him buying the cow if he gets the milk for free? You know, if he can have her move in with him without them sleeping together, why would he ever consider moving their relationship forward?

Quote
She looked deep into his eyes and sighed. “Please – please don’t use my hairbrush.”
shock

Quote
“My hairbrush. You left a little gel on it day before yesterday.”
Oh, I thought that was a joke. *CLARK*! Also, wait, gel, that's Superman. *CLARK*!!!

Quote
Do you mind if I go get them tonight?”

Of course she minded. She wanted him all to herself, even if there was a bedroom door between her resting place and his.
Huh, looky there. She's *not* okay with their sleeping arrangement.

Quote
He smiled and nodded. “I promise. Are you going to take a shower tonight?”

Her yawn and her nod fought for supremacy. The yawn won. “Wow! I was, but I’ve changed my mind. I’ll take one in the morning, or whenever I wake up, whichever comes first.”
laugh So, she's going to take a shower in the morning, even if she's still asleep. Does that mean she'll need Clark to help with the shower?

Quote
She picked up a napkin to wipe Clark’s hair gel from her hand.

But her hand was dry.
Ooops?

Quote
Superman’s patrol was shorter than usual, but he still managed to apprehend two muggers and three armed robbers at a liquor store.
Next night at the comedy club: “Two muggers and three armed robbers hold up a liquor store...”

Quote
Brilliant. He was absolutely brilliant. Not only had he forgotten to change into his Clark clothes, there was no money in his super-suit
rotflol

Quote
Superman looked through the counter to see two young men, one white and one black, each holding a pistol with one hand and holding one ankle of either the man or woman with the other.
Oops? He really *is* distracted. Maybe it would help if he consummated with Lois after all?

Quote
As he spoke with her, he considered changing outside – once the police had taken away the robbers, of course – and getting the story as Clark. He could call it in to the night editor and let someone in rewrite—
Erm…about that one…

smile1 Michael


Join us on the #loisclark Discord server! We talk about fanfic, our favorite show, life, and more! (It’s almost like the IRC days of old again!)

I go by Michael on the Archives.
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145
Likes: 3
T
Pulitzer
OP Offline
Pulitzer
T
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145
Likes: 3
Feedsback, the ambrosia of all writers.

Amy, I understand your problem about accepting the premise. That's why only Lois, Clark, and Perry (and Franklin Stern) know that they're really undercover. Intergang's reach and influence can snoop on any newspaper, and if L&C try to sell any stories anywhere, the bad guys will know (or at least, strongly suspect) that they're still sleuthing. And the question of their income will pop up in a future chapter, coming to a fanfic board near you soon.

Mrs. M, good thoughts about standup versus sketch. My only problem is that "Sketchup and Be Counted" sounds silly to me and doesn't work as a pun. And the lines do blur a bit as we get deeper into the story. As for the apples, they don't exactly have Superman's name on them, so Clark can take them back to the apartment without raising anyone's eyebrows.

And any fantasizing anyone does about anyone's hair is perfectly acceptable. Surprisingly on topic, too.

Michael is my beta on this tale, and his feedback is fun to read. I get to see it before y'all do because he sends it back with his beta comments, but I don't mind seeing it a second time. He helps me with details and plot bumps I miss because I'm too close to the story, too.

Next chapter up soon!


Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.

- Stephen King, from On Writing
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 624
M
Columnist
Offline
Columnist
M
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 624
Originally Posted by Terry Leatherwood
Mrs. M, good thoughts about standup versus sketch. My only problem is that "Sketchup and Be Counted" sounds silly to me and doesn't work as a pun. And the lines do blur a bit as we get deeper into the story.
Yeah, that wouldn't work as a title. goofy I was more thinking that they'd have to start writing their own material soon.

Originally Posted by Terry Leatherwood
As for the apples, they don't exactly have Superman's name on them, so Clark can take them back to the apartment without raising anyone's eyebrows.
laugh Yeah, I can't see Lois caring where the apples came from. I was thinking that Clark hadn't actually done his grocery shopping yet, so he'd be walking back into the store to finish up his shopping. The store owner might wonder why he's walking in with a bag of apples that looks suspiciously like the one that she just handed to Superman.


"It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then...he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him." -Batman (in Superman/Batman #3 by Jeph Loeb)
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,661
Likes: 10
Pulitzer
Offline
Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,661
Likes: 10
Quote
Hm. This is a lot of fun to read, but I'm still struggling a bit with the implausibility of the setup. Lois's layoff and Clark's quitting are okay, and I can run with the idea that other papers in the city would be reluctant to take them on given the circumstances... but do they think that Intergang won't be suspicious that they haven't even tried to *apply* to any other papers? That they aren't trying to sell freelance stories, or work for non-news magazines, or mop floors for a minimal but steady paycheck? Even if they get a paid comedy gig every week, that isn't going to cover the bills. I'm worried that it'll too obvious that they're trying to infiltrate Intergang-affiliated clubs.

I have to agree with AmyPrime on this. People in the publishing industry know what kind of reporters Lois and Clark are, they love a good story. It would seem very strange that they have turned their backs on being journalists. Why not have them write a few free-lance stories? It would look better to Intergang.


Morgana

A writer's job is to think of new plots and create characters who stay with you long after the final page has been read. If that mission is accomplished than we have done what we set out to do, which is to entertain and hopefully educate.

Moderated by  Kaylle, SuperBek 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5