Merlin podfic: We'll Slide Down the Surface of Things by me

[sophinisba]

It's day two of pod_aware, which is turning out to be a really amazing fest of many feelings! Today's theme is blanket permission.

Blanket permission is a way for fan artists to let other fans know their comfort with others playing with their works. It's particularly helpful to podficcers when authors give blanket permission for anyone to podfic their works without having to ask first. To find out more on blanket permission with regards to podfic check out pod_aware on LJ or DW.

In the podcast at that post they emphasize a lot of the advantages of giving blanket permission rather than permission with a lot of restrictions or caveats. But I would like to say that if you are an author and you want to set up restrictions, or even if you are against podfic and don't want anybody to record your fic, it's still helpful if you put up your feelings about that up in a prominent place like your journal profile and/or your fic index. It will save people who are interested in your work a lot of time and anxiety!

Another thing I see people say fairly often is that they're uncomfortable putting up a podfic or transformative works policy because it seems presumptuous. "That's for BNFs - who would ever want to podfic something of mine?" Well, you never know! Most of the people I approach about this are excited in part because no one's ever podficced them before! And by giving blanket permission you make it more likely that podficcers (especially the new and shy kind) will take a look at your fic.

Okay so, here is a podfic of a Merlin fic I wrote in January of last year, just after season 2 aired. In going back to read it I was surprised and pleased at how little it's been jossed! For the sake of podfic awareness I feel I should post this to some non-podfic comms, but I've never been too sure of where this story fits. I'm afraid it's too threesome-ish for an Arthur/Gwen comm and not threesome-ish enough for a threesome or poly comm. Any suggestions?

Besides pod_aware I am posting this for a bingo I'm working on at kink_bingo. Later this week I'll be posting another longer podfic with an analogous setup, so they're both sort of for the gender play square on my card and sort of for the free space.

Title: We'll Slide Down the Surface of Things
Author and reader: sophinisba
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen, sort of Arthur/Gwen/Merlin, other pairings mentioned.
Rating: NC-17
Contains: magical sex change
Summary courtesy of fitz_y: "The one where Arthur turns himself temporarily into a lesbian for Gwen."
Length: 34 minutes
Links:
Download mp3 from MediaFire, 31.5 MB
Download zipped mp3 from Audiofic

Download m4b from MediaFire, 16.5 MB
Download zipped m4b from Audiofic

Comments

[meri]

Downloading tonight and I hope to listen to this tomorrow. And even more, I hope to remember to leave feedback too.

[sophinisba]

Ha, well I think Saturday is feedback day at the comm so maybe that can help people remember. I have some podfics to comment on too, even though I haven't been listening that much lately. :)

[meri]

I listened to it on my way home from work. I loved this fic the first time I read it but this time I was hit by how incredibly sad Arthur and Gwen's situation is. I don't know why it hit me harder listening to it, perhaps because I couldn't skim the sad stuff?

[sophinisba]

I noticed that too, actually. I think when I was writing it I was concentrating on pushing my boundaries as far as the sex goes, and I thought of the other stuff as leading up to the sex. But recording and editing I really let the awkward conversations be slow and awkward. It has a very different kind of feeling.

[meri]

It got me close to tears actually. Arthur is trying so hard and so is Gwen and it's just tragic. And I kept thinking it's a tragedy that queer women of that time period (more like all time periods) would have suffered through in silence. At least she had a supportive and loving husband and best friend/confidant.

[sophinisba]

Yeah. The unrealistic part (I MEAN APART FROM THE WHOLE MAGIC SEX CHANGE THING) is that Arthur's that willing to listen and help. Mostly women just live(d) with it. :(

[linbot]

Hey, lovely to hear something new from you. ♥ Downloading now.

And btw, I think the mp3 and m4b links are around the wrong way.

[sophinisba]

Ooh, thanks for letting me know about the links - fixed now. Hope you enjoy!

[crinklysolution]

Hey, I'm a big fan of your podfic work, so I'll gladly listen to anything you record - looking forward to this...

[sophinisba]

Thanks a lot for telling me that!!

[yue_ix]

Loooved it. Your Gwen voice is great and rawr at the sex, as always for you. <3 I always have a special thrill when someone reads their own words, too.

[sophinisba]

Thanks! I heard a few people talk in their podcasts last week about how they didn't want to record their own badfic but I love doing it! I get all emotional about my own stories, especially the ones with the ladies!

[tardis_stowaway]

I really enjoyed listening to this! Arthur's a bit clueless, but he earns major points for effort and willingness to try new things. Gwen is fantastic and bighearted. You've got a great reading style.

[sophinisba]

Thanks a lot! I haven't written much in Arthur's POV but this one was fun to do, that mixture of ego and cluelessness and nobility and puppydog love that he has. Fun to read out loud too and makes me want to record more of these ships.

[fish_echo]

http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/well-slide-down-surface-of-things
http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/well-slide-down-surface-of-things-audiobook

:D