Ok, it's not really. Mostly I'm plagued with a bit of indecisiveness regarding my fanfic "Courting, I Guess". I have a few chapters already typed up and ready for publishing but I'm a bit dissatisfied with the direction they're going in.

I supposed I could theoretically end this fanfic in maybe one or two chapters but I really don't think I ought to. (This is the part where it helps to have actually been reading it.)

Anyway, Vimes and Sybil are back together so I could probably write a chapter now of when Vimes buys an engagement ring (it will be called the Nobby Nobbs of Engagement Rings, no matter what. I'm not editing that joke out.) and a chapter for the actually proposal.

Though I feel I owe them better than that, you know? There were some romantic comedy elements to this fic and those movies often leave something to be desired at the end. You know how there's always that bit in the last 15-20 minutes when someone makes a mad dash to the airport (or whatever) and pours out their heart to the other person, then the other person returns the sentiment and inevitably the next scene is the wedding?

Well... I've been rather affronted by that formula of late. It might have something to do with being married. But I really feel that a mad dash to the airport and a spontaneous heartfelt speech does not repair the damage that a couple has done to each other throughout the entire movie.

(I think now would be a good time to start talking about Courting, I Guess in relation to the romantic comedy formula.)

Ok so... let's say this last chapter was the 'mad dash to the airport' portion of the fic. The next chapter could take places a few weeks later but... ugh, how do I phrase this without it sounding awful? Vimes and Sybil have er... damaged each other* and I really think that their relationship needs a bit of work before either of them is really ready to propose to the other. I mean, they can't just jump from being broken up to being engaged yes? I actually wasn't going to do that. I hadn't really intended for this fanfic to be that close to being over but now I'm not quite sure of where to go from here.

How do I get Vimes and Sybil to that place where it makes a bit more sense for them to want to marry each other without boring the readers to tears?

There's a quote from Men At Arms that I think is rather important for me to bear in mind: "They'd been thrown together like twigs in a whirlpool and yielded to the inevitable." It's likely that the point when they decided to yield to the inevitable was probably rather small and subtle but they must have felt reasonably secure together.

I do think that security is probably the main thing with Vimes and Sybil and at this point I don't think either of them feels that secure. Ugh, I think I'm rambling and I'm not sure if I'm making much sense but it helps to try and articulate my concerns. I think I'll stop now but I would appreciate some input.


*I don't mean that in a bad way really. I think I'm talking about how Freud once said 'our beds are crowded'. People pick up a little bit of baggage from every relationship. But I digress.