I have decided to do my fan fiction based on one of my favourite TV shows,
Californication.
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| Hank Moody |
A short summary of the show:
"When fast-living novelist Hank Moody left the literary haunts of New York for the pleasure seeking splendors of L.A, he thought he'd have fame, fortune and the love of a good woman. Now his personal life is in shambles, his career is on the brink of self-destruction and he still just can't stop yielding to every temptation. Golden Globe® winner David Duchovny stars in the Showtime Original series that takes you on a wild, witty, and sexy ride in the California fast lane." (Showtime)
See here for more information about the show.
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| Becca Moody |
Here are some examples of fan fiction based on this show currently on the web:
1)
Your Reflection Should Not Be Of Me by Caylee Elizabeth
Hank tries to deal with the dreaded possibility of Becca dropping out of school.
ANALYSIS: This story really captures and stays true to the established characters (Hank & Becca Moody, Karen van der Beek) in Californication, using the language style that really defines the feel of the show. Unfortunately I feel there is a lack of writer creativity or originality as it is almost EXACTLY what happens in Episode 1, Season 6, the only difference being Hank waking up in an unknown location and ringing Karen to tell her about Becca (instead he wakes up on a couch with his family and friends around him who are there to stage an intervention); but we've seen this type of scenario again and again in the series that it is now a cliche to Hank's character. Even so, it is still an engaging and enjoyable read that is well constructed and technically correct (i.e. spelling/grammar).
2)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Siobhan Duffy
Karen is dating a man in New York and Hank is more than a little perturbed by this.
Meanwhile, Becca is being her newly sullen and insolent teenage self.
ANALYSIS: The writer has taken an interesting approach and has given us a glimpse into Hank's internal dialogue. Once again though, the "Karen dating someone new" scenario has been already covered in the show, so there is a lack of originality of plot. On the whole I didn't find this story to be entirely captivating, with no real climax or anything to stimulate the readers interest in the story or creating any compassion for the characters. It needs far more satire to be more in keeping to Hank's character and how he would think, and with the show in general. This would make a far more interesting and a better paced read.
3)
Road To Damascus by Stephen Greenwood
An ongoing series of vignettes detailing Hank and Karen's lives during her
pregnancy in 1994. This story is made up of 4 parts:
1. "It's Better To Burn Out Than Fade", 2. "Fill Your Paper",
3. "My Kingdom For A Horse" and 4. "A Kind Of Poetry".
ANALYSIS: These 4 short stories make up a beautifully written, emotive, evocative, romantic and dreamy narrative that really captivates the reader, giving a sensual and vivid description of all the scenarios and characters. The writer has a very mature style of writing, wonderfully constructed with great usage of popular culture icons to set the period and age of the characters (Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Jimmy Stewart). The stories are short and extremely effective with a beautiful rhythm. Technically the stories are superb.
4)
Tangled Up in Blue and Other Misdemeanours by Stephen Greenwood
Once Karen leaves LA, it's all down to Hank to keep it together and look after his
daughter Becca, while his world continues to fall apart.
This story is in 2 parts: 1. "Tangled Up In Blue" and 2. "And Other Misdemeanours".
ANALYSIS: The first part of the story "Tangled Up In Blue" is a compelling take on what would happen if Hank was forced to have to look after Becca. The story is melancholic and wonderfully descriptive and stays true to Hank's and Becca's characters. You really feel Hank's desolation at Karen's leaving and see him becoming reflective, and it gives a realistic sense of how Becca would treat the situation. In contrast, the second part tells of the breakdown of Hank's and Becca's father-daughter relationship. While the writing is still descriptive, it is far too long and tedious to read through. It is disappointing to note that "And Other Misdemeanours" is basically put together from different scenes from the show, using exact dialogue and scenarios, making the originality close to zero.
5)
Nirvana by Stephen Greenwood
Set during the flashback to 1994 when Hank deals with Karen's pregnancy.
ANALYSIS: This story captivates the reader with its vivid descriptions and dreamy flashback sequence. You really feel empathic with both Hank's and Karen's characters, and gives a sense of the intense internal turmoil they both are going through as they come to grips with the reality of pregnancy. Beautifully written, with emotive and evocative use of language, the writer stays true to both characters.
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I'd like to explore the idea of a role reversal between Hank Moody and Karen van der Beek, his long-term on-and-off again girlfriend and mother of his daughter, Becca... Karen being wild and irresponsible, and Hank being judgemental and sensible. Either that or the idea of Karen giving in to temptation/the dark immoral side of life....
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TITLE:
PAIN
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| Karen van der Beek |
CHARACTER'S:
Karen van der Beek, Hank and Becca Moody, Derek.
SCENE:
Late night in a nightclub in Los Angeles.
PLOT OUTLINE:
Hank and Becca have moved back to New York. Karen has gone off the rails and is out at a nightclub doing drugs with a man she has just met named Derek. Karen is tormented by everything that's recently happened leading up to Hank's and Becca's departure. In her quest to try and forget and quell the pain, Karen accidentally overdoses.
P.O.V:
This is written in the third person.
STORY:
Karen looked around.
Coloured lights flashing. Loud music blaring. Bodies moving rhythmically to the beat. She felt hot. Flushed. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. She felt clammy. Thirsty. Her head hurt. Her teeth kept grinding together and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She couldn't swallow, her nose and back of her throat were numb, as were her front teeth.
She was fidgety. She wanted another hit. Another line. Anything to make her forget. What was it that he had said? She couldn't remember just now. The cocaine made her numb.
THINK! She couldn't. Her hands were twitching, palms sweating. She looked at the table. Several perfect 6cm white lines of powder neatly in a row and a rolled up dollar bill. She took the make shift straw and put it in her nose, snorting two of the white lines.
Ah, that's better. Her heart began to race even more. She could no longer sit still. She looked to Derek. Derek who she only met tonight. Derek who she was relying on to take her pain away. But he was too busy chatting to someone over the back of the seat in the booth next to them.
Hank was gone. Becca too. She was ruined. Her world torn apart. It was too much for her to bare. How did it come to this?
It was Hank who was out of control. Hank who was the addict. Drugs, sex, alcohol. That was Hank's thing. But then he got clean. He got sane. And he got himself as far away from her as possible, taking their daughter with him. Back to New York. Back home. Back to where they first started, leaving her all alone in L.A.
Karen needed a drink. Something to take the edge off. She grab the bottle of champaign from the ice bucket next to the table, poured herself a glass and quickly sculled it back. She did this a second time, feeling the warmth of alcohol spread through her.
She never meant to go this far. She never meant to loose herself like this. She just wanted to show Hank what he was doing to her and Becca and give him back some of his own. She only meant to go out, go wild for a week or two till Hank came to his senses. And to that end she had certainly succeeded.
He went cold turkey, sobered up, changed his life. And the irony? She couldn't stop. She had become the addict.
It was just such a good antidote to the pain. All the pain and emotional turmoil that life had put her through.
But now she had lost them both. And herself.
AARRGH! She shook her head. Stop thinking about it! She stood up, unsteady on her feet, not knowing where she was going. She suddenly had to get out of this place. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic, the walls had started to close in. But she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to be alone.
YOU ARE ALONE! She told herself. SO UTTERLY AND MISERABLY ALONE. A VICTIM OF YOUR OWN GAME PLAYING. A GAME YOU PLAYED AND LOST!
Karen stumbled to the bathroom. She need some peace. She was feeling incredibly nauseous. She went to the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her mascara had run. She looked like shit. Her nose had begun to bleed. FUCK I'M A MESS! I MESSED UP! OH FUCK!
She turned on the tap and tried to clean up herself up. Her nausea was getting worse and her head was dizzy. She clutched onto the edges of the sink, put her head down watching the water whirlpool down the plughole. The ends of her hair were getting wet. She didn't care.
Suddenly the room started to spin and Karen threw up. Beads of sweat formed all over her body. She tried to keep herself propped up on the sink, but she couldn't hold her weight. She slid to the floor as she vomited again, her body trembling.
She curled up into a tight ball on the floor. She couldn't breath. Her nose was bleeding profusely. “Help! Somebody please..” She tried to to call out, but her voice came out a whisper. It's all she could muster.
She began silently sobbing to herself. Images of Hank floated through her mind. There had been so much love, once. There had always been laughter. She always believed they would get back together, grow old together, once Hank sorted his shit out.
And Becca, oh God, beautiful Becca, the product of their love. She had always thought she'd been a good mother to her. They were each other's anchor while Hank was off sleeping around, partying, neglecting them.
But none of that mattered now. Karen was writhing on the bathroom floor, shaking, frothing at the mouth. She realised she had overdosed. But she was helpless. She had tunnel vision, the room was darkening.
She begins to loose consciousness. Suddenly, she remembers what Hank had said before he left.
"I can't bare to watch you be who I was. I have failed you. You have failed me. We only hurt each other. So we obviously can't be together. Ever.”
Karen's heart aches with pain. Everything goes black. Her body stills as a single tear falls down her cheek.
THE END
