Writing Unconventional Relationships
by Angel Negra ( sgm@redkrowe.com )

Xander and Graham, Willow and Spike, Anya and Angel. 
Unconventional 
relationships. We can all see the potential in at 
least one couple never 
explored in canon. The downside of this is that not 
everyone else sees 
this same dynamic. This can be the point where fanfic 
can be a huge 
influence in swaying a fellow ficcer to your train of 
thought.

The thing that usually goes wrong with this idea is 
that too often a 
writer will skip over to the good parts of a story; 
writing a PWP or a 
bit of relationship fluff. Now to a fellow fan, it's 
cute or hot 
depending on the subject matter, but to a non-fan, 
it's weird or boring 
or even just bad.

Now a writer of a canon 'ship can usually get away 
with a short PWP or 
bit of cutesy fluff. Why? Proof. Like it or hate it, 
we all know Buffy 
and Angel were in love. We saw it build and strengthen 
all through 
Season one, we saw just how strong that love was in 
Season two, and we 
saw the angst fest and break up of Season three. As a 
Buffy/Angel 
writer, you don't have to take the time to convince us 
Buffy and Angel 
were in love. We already know that.

Now, imagine you never saw the show Buffy the Vampire 
Slayer. You never 
stayed up that late, or were working or something. Now 
the spin-off 
Angel on the other hand, you just so happened to catch 
the season 
premiere and that Angel guy was hot. So you start 
watching, you still 
can't seem to catch Buffy, but thanks to your love of 
Angel, you now 
know a few basics. Like Buffy and Angel used to go 
out, ditto with Cordy 
and some guy named Xander.

The episode 'Remember Me' airs. You don't get it. Ok, 
yeah, Buffy and 
Angel obviously had this big thing going, and Angel 
becoming human is 
cool, but the episode is kinda boring and Doyle isn't 
in it enough. You 
also don't get the big to do with all those 'Remember 
Me' fics, or 
archives or B/A 'shippers. Why? You've never seen the 
history. The sum 
total you knew of Buffy before she showed up in 
'Remember Me' was that 
she was a Vampire Slayer and made Angel lose his soul 
once. It was all 
told to you, not shown.

What I've just described in the above two paragraphs 
is an example of 
why some unconventional 'ships are usually considered 
weird by 
non-'shippers. Not because it's a bad idea, but the 
writer never bothers 
to show the relationship happening. Obviously you, as 
the writer, love 
this pairing. You've got it all worked out in your 
head how Graham first 
saw Xander at that Lowell House party and fell head 
over heels. Anya's 
been gaga over Angel since he showed up at 
Thanksgiving. And Spike, 
well, he's been after Willow since 'Lover's Walk'.

Share your idea. Show your idea.

Conventional relationshippers may have the benefit of 
canon, but they 
have a different handicap. Their story of how Willow 
and Tara got 
together has already been told. Oh sure, they can do 
internal dialogues 
and those missing scenes that censors won't allow on 
tv, but the fact of 
the matter is that the story's been done. Any attempts 
at a new version 
would require some severe work arounds, comparisons to 
the original, and 
a lot more work than most unconventional 
relationships.

Unconventional relationships have so many potentials. 
For example, 
according to what we've seen of canon, Xander and 
Graham have 
technically never met. To write a fic that gets them 
together, pick a 
time in Season four or beyond. Did they first meet a 
Lowell House party? 
Or was it during the big Initiative riot? Maybe when 
Graham came back to 
recruit Riley.

Otsoko's 'Maybe He's Canadian' series, Saone's 'A 
Strange Attraction' 
series or her 'Everyone Falls' series. Three great 
series that show the 
Graham/Xander relationship being built. They make 
their own proof and 
strengthen their stories because of it. And yes, 
there's hot sex and 
fluff, and mixed in with the plots and the viewable 
growing 
relationship, it makes them that much hotter and 
cuter.

Now I'm not saying to stop writing PWPs and fluff 
altogether, they have 
their place and can be fun. But, as an unconventional 
relationship 
writer, you've got something that only the shows' have 
ever had. The 
ability to create a relationship from the first look 
up, and be able to 
make readers glad you did.