Procrastinating instead of sleeping (Therapy wip Poll)

[out_there]

I've come to a bit of a stand-still in the Therapy wip. My problem is simple. I know *what* happened, but I don't know *how* to write it. Hence, I'm going to rely on the most accurate data-gathering technique that I know: a fannish poll.

I need to get an idea of just how far off the beaten (canon) track I am before I screw it up. *g*


[Poll #373019]

Comments

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

A good way to show what happened because...

Well, it depends how you want to do it. But you could structure the flashback to show the difference between what Dan is remembering - smut in vivid, lascivious detail - and what Dan is willing and able to convey to Abby. That's a key thing in therapy, how well you can explain things, how well the therapist is able to fill in the gaps. Abby is a good therapist, I think, and Dan is relatively open and communicative, but still there's going to be a huge lacuna, and I think the smut flashback would be a way to show that.

If you wanted to write it that way.

(Incidentally, I wanted my answer on the way Dan would talk to Abby about sex to be somewhere between straight-forwardly and awkwardly. I think there'd be elements of both. I think Dan would be more awkward and ashamed than he'd expect to be; I think he'd be a little shocked at how difficult it was for him. But I still think he'd be better at talking about sex, and more comfortable with it, than most people; the shock would come from his expectation that he'd be almost entirely comfortable. Also, I think he'd cover his residual discomfort well. For one thing, people in therapy are often in performance mode, and Dan is a sports anchor. In performance mode, he knows from covering, and I think he'd use that skill to defend himself from Abby.)

[out-there.livejournal.com]

But you could structure the flashback to show the difference between what Dan is remembering - smut in vivid, lascivious detail - and what Dan is willing and able to convey to Abby. That's a key thing in therapy, how well you can explain things, how well the therapist is able to fill in the gaps

Hmmm. Very good point. But doesn't writing it that way (ie. Dan's memory as opposed to what he'll tell Abby) automatically cast doubt on the rest of the flashbacks in the fic? Until this point, I'd considered the flashbacks to be an accurate/honest portrayal of precisely what he was telling Abby. If he tells part/not all but the flashback shows it all, won't it leave the audience wondering what he actually *said* about the other flashbacks (ie. was he able to be honest about them? Did he only give Abby a certain impression?)?

Incidentally, I wanted my answer on the way Dan would talk to Abby about sex to be somewhere between straight-forwardly and awkwardly. I think there'd be elements of both. I think Dan would be more awkward and ashamed than he'd expect to be; I think he'd be a little shocked at how difficult it was for him. But I still think he'd be better at talking about sex, and more comfortable with it, than most people; the shock would come from his expectation that he'd be almost entirely comfortable.

Oh, I rather heart you for managing to talk about that and make it make sense inside my head. (Um, it's nearly 1am. The grammar-portion of my brain's already asleep.)

Dan does seem to openly tease Casey about sex...um, I didn't mean that to sound the way it did. I meant, in one of the Sally episodes, Dan doesn't seem to be at all embarrassed by the prospect of sexual details, so it stands to reason that he'd consider himself sexually confident.

Also, I think he'd cover his residual discomfort well. For one thing, people in therapy are often in performance mode, and Dan is a sports anchor. In performance mode, he knows from covering, and I think he'd use that skill to defend himself from Abby.

*nods* Very good point, but Abby tends to see through him with a scary amount of accuracy. *thinks*

Thanks for your reply. I think I need to mull this over a bit more, but it's certainly helped me cement the scenario inside my head.