Sick!Wilson Anonymous

Howdy Campers!

Sorry about my late arrival. What a morning! Got tangled in my hammock and had to gnaw my way through the ropes. Then discovered we were out of lighter fluid!

With camp about to end, I thought we could delve into the cheery topic of angst--an ingredient often but not always found in sick!Wilson stories. For that matter canon hasn't shied away from leaving Wilson in tears. There was Amber, and we just had Wilson coming to terms with his cancer. (*sob* pardon me for a moment... *deep breaths*) However, when House rapped Wilson's shin with his cane, that was angst free. Help me out here. Can anybody recount other situations of either kind?

Also, angst can take several forms in stories: Wilson could be upset, and/or House could be worried about Wilson, and/or as readers, we could be upset for both of them. Do you have any preferences when reading or writing?

Just for fun, here's a few more questions to ponder. Now that it's over a month since the finale, have you reviewed the finale arc again? Did you discover anything new you missed the first time? Does something make more sense now that you viewed in it's entirety? And here's the biggie: As the guys rode off into the sunset, in your heart of hearts, what prognosis did Shore intend for Wilson?

Since it's just us around the campfire, feel free to tackle any of the subjects introduced or add your own. And please mingle. I'm gonna sit back and try to mend my hammock.

Only one rule applies: no one hogs the graham crackers, chocolate, or marshmallows, y'hear?

Howdy Campers!

Yes, it's that time again! You have been busy little bees, and you deserve time to relax and shoot the breeze about our favorite oncologist. Of course if you insist on bringing your laptops and tablets along, that's all right too. You guys have proven yourselves to be multitaskers what with all the drabbles, poems, artwork, and stories you created in the short time that you've been here. Just be careful not to get chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers stuck in your keyboards.

Let's kick off the discussion by quoting from someone who knows Wilson intimately, Robert Sean Leonard. Here's what he had to say about his character on [H]ouse in a recent interview:

"Let's say House is three-dimensional, and the characters surrounding him are slightly less so," he tactfully words it. "I'm the friend, the guy who worries about him and gives him advice that he doesn't listen to. It's sort of a television role. It doesn't happen in theatre, these guys. In fact, I don't even think it happens in real life."

...The medical team is a bit of the medical Watson — they're, basically, a sounding board for all of the scenes where Sherlock sits in his room and bounces case-ideas off them. I get the ideas bounced around about his personal life."

*Do you agree with RSL's assessment?
*Is Wilson less than three dimensional on the show?
*Is the constantly worried friend a staple of television or does it happen in real life?
*Does fanfiction help to fill in canon or does it run on a separate track? Is fanfic!Wilson a different breed of animal?

Because my computer is not liking the heat (or it might be the graham cracker crumbs wedged into the cracks of my keyboard), my computer has been acting up. I may not be able to respond throughout the discussion, but don't let that stop you. As always, please feel free to air your opinions and discuss amongst yourselves.

This is a camper badge activity.

After choosing prompts for the current round of sickwilson_fest, yarroway and I were “ooh”ing and “ah”ing over our new plot hatchlings, and began chatting about what makes a great sick!Wilson fic. As we talked, it became obvious that this concept was not as easy to define and pin down as we thought. There needs to be more than our favorite oncologist getting sick or having an emotional meltdown. And I know what you’re thinking… it needs hurt/comfort, but that doesn’t always clinch the deal or is necessary. And what about humorous or light sick!fics? Many have earned a place in our hearts.

I began checking through fics in the archive, searching for examples, and came away with two conclusions: There is no set formula, and what I like is subjective and depends upon my current mood.

Since a lot of us are mulling over our prompts and/or happily anticipating a batch of new stories to read, I thought this would be the perfect time to open the topic to our readers and writers, so here's the question:

What makes a sick!Wilson fic work for you?

To get the discussion rolling, you might want to check this post: So... what is it that's so extremely addictive about sick!Wilson fics?. It’s from 2007 when our comm was first formed.

Food for thought: How do you feel about Wilson's suffering? Whether physical or emotional, what qualities should it take on: angst, inner struggle, introspection? Are you craving to learn something new about Wilson or see something about him in a different light? Do you give bonus points when you see how it affects the people around him--especially House?

You are welcome to refer to fics if it helps clarify a perfect sick!fic moment, but in respect to all our wonderful writers, please refrain from recommending, critiquing, or comparing fics.

7/10 ETA: Help! I've fallen behind on replying and can't get up!

Sorry campers, RL intruded, and I was out most of the day. As a rule, I'm incoherent after 5pm, so I'm not going to attempt responding this evening. Your great comments deserve more than gibberish. Bear with me, I'll be back tomorrow. You guys are the best! *hugs* The mod is in.

Hi Campers!

Have you brought your flashlights? We've had wonderful discussions over the last few weeks, but do you have the fortitude to discuss today's topic, ghost stories? You know what I'm talking about... dun dunn dunnn... the deathfic. Is it a guilty pleasure or does it squick you out? Do you have to be in the mood (bookmark them for later)? Why?

Food for thought:
Is a good cry enough for you, or after you finish the story, do you mentally write a different ending, like House coming to Wilson's rescue with a last minute diagnosis and cure.

What about the causes? Illness or Accident? Anyone want to discuss the irony of the oncologist getting cancer?

Going a bit afield: Does your interest or disinterest about characters dying extend to watching movies, (randomly chosen titles: Dead Poets Society, In the Gloaming) and reading novels, or is that a different experience for you?

For writers: can you write and read them? Do you prefer one or the other?

Alright, I've used up my quota of questions marks so let's hear from you. And as always, please talk amongst yourselves, and don’t be shy about asking questions and chatting with your neighbors.