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Sharpe - On Writing Transcript Fics
Jul. 24th, 2022 02:16 pm.
When I started watching Sharpe, back in December 2020, I wrote a few fics that I called “transcript fics”, because they literally started with an exact transcript of everything I saw on the screen - every movement, every facial expression - together with all of the dialogue. I then made my story around the transcript by filling in what the characters might have been thinking, pulling in memories of previous events, whatever seemed to fit, while keeping exactly to the framework laid down on screen.
By such means it’s easy to end up with a 1,000 word fic out of a few seconds on the screen, though of course the number of words isn’t the aim. The aim is to understand what might have been going through the characters’ minds and put that on the page, because ultimately I’m a reader, not a viewer.
Since watching the series I’ve gone back to reading the books, and, primed by the series, have spotted many instances where a bit of Sharpe/Harper would fit nicely - in fact sometimes I’m convinced Cornwell has actually written Sharpe/Harper, just never bothered actually saying so.
And since writing my first Sharpe/Arthur recently I’ve spotted various instances in the books where there’s evidence for that, too, to the extent that I wanted to do a transcript fic of some of them.
But while a transcript fic from the screen, though a long business, is ultimately very straightforward - it happens on screen, I write it down, and there’s my framework - a transcript fic from a book is much, much harder, because of the way Cornwell writes.
First, there’s the business of swapping points of view, which is fairly standard stuff but as a reader I do find fairly hard work. But most important in terms of the difficulty of working out exactly what’s actually going on, is the fact that Cornwell doesn’t tell us everything the point-of-view character knows. So you can’t just read one scene and fit your story around that, you have to read the entire book to get the whole picture of what happened in that scene.
For example, in Chapter 1 of Sharpe’s Battle, Sharpe gets himself in a lot of trouble - as is his wont - by shooting some French prisoners. Wellington doesn’t find out about it till Chapter 6, and it’s another couple of scenes after that before Sharpe learns that Wellington knows and will put him before what will effectively be a show trial for it.
Then in Chapter 11, Sharpe flashes back to finding out (from Colonel Runciman) earlier in the same chapter that they’re off the hook for that and subsequent events:
~ ~ ~
“Our conduct today [at Fuentes de Oñoro], I am told, obviates any need to question the sad events of San Isidro. Quite right too.”
Sharpe had smiled. He had known he was exonerated from the moment that Wellington, just before the Real Compañía Irlandesa’s counterattack on the village, had reprimanded him for shooting the French prisoners.
~ ~ ~
All lovely stuff, and a huge relief for Sharpe, who was expecting to lose his commission over the matter. But let’s have a look at how that moment was reported when it happened, back in Chapter 10, many pages and an entire battle earlier:
~ ~ ~
"One moment!" The General's voice was frigid. "Captain Sharpe?"
Sharpe turned back. "My Lord?"
"The reason, Captain Sharpe, why we do not execute enemy prisoners, no matter how vile their behaviour, is that the enemy will reciprocate the favour on our men, no matter how small their provocation." The General looked at Sharpe with an eye as cold as a winter stream. "Do I make myself clear, Captain Sharpe?"
"Yes, sir. My Lord."
Wellington gave a very small nod. "Go."
~ ~ ~
No hint there that he’s really telling Sharpe he’s off the hook. Yet Sharpe understood that immediately, and that is why I saw that scene as evidence of a close relationship between Sharpe and Wellington. Because Sharpe knew what Wellington was really saying, and Wellington knew he would understand. It’s an official and very public reprimand, sure - but it’s also a love scene, an indication of how well they understand each other. And that’s why I had to fic it.
I don’t have access to Sharpe’s Revenge at the moment, but there’s another strong instance of the same thing there. When Sharpe sleeps with Lucille - after Frederickson has gone to Paris - there is no mention, no clue, until many, many weeks and chapters later, when he finally has to tell Frederickson, who still thinks he’s going to waltz in and claim her.
When I started watching Sharpe, back in December 2020, I wrote a few fics that I called “transcript fics”, because they literally started with an exact transcript of everything I saw on the screen - every movement, every facial expression - together with all of the dialogue. I then made my story around the transcript by filling in what the characters might have been thinking, pulling in memories of previous events, whatever seemed to fit, while keeping exactly to the framework laid down on screen.
By such means it’s easy to end up with a 1,000 word fic out of a few seconds on the screen, though of course the number of words isn’t the aim. The aim is to understand what might have been going through the characters’ minds and put that on the page, because ultimately I’m a reader, not a viewer.
Since watching the series I’ve gone back to reading the books, and, primed by the series, have spotted many instances where a bit of Sharpe/Harper would fit nicely - in fact sometimes I’m convinced Cornwell has actually written Sharpe/Harper, just never bothered actually saying so.
And since writing my first Sharpe/Arthur recently I’ve spotted various instances in the books where there’s evidence for that, too, to the extent that I wanted to do a transcript fic of some of them.
But while a transcript fic from the screen, though a long business, is ultimately very straightforward - it happens on screen, I write it down, and there’s my framework - a transcript fic from a book is much, much harder, because of the way Cornwell writes.
First, there’s the business of swapping points of view, which is fairly standard stuff but as a reader I do find fairly hard work. But most important in terms of the difficulty of working out exactly what’s actually going on, is the fact that Cornwell doesn’t tell us everything the point-of-view character knows. So you can’t just read one scene and fit your story around that, you have to read the entire book to get the whole picture of what happened in that scene.
For example, in Chapter 1 of Sharpe’s Battle, Sharpe gets himself in a lot of trouble - as is his wont - by shooting some French prisoners. Wellington doesn’t find out about it till Chapter 6, and it’s another couple of scenes after that before Sharpe learns that Wellington knows and will put him before what will effectively be a show trial for it.
Then in Chapter 11, Sharpe flashes back to finding out (from Colonel Runciman) earlier in the same chapter that they’re off the hook for that and subsequent events:
~ ~ ~
“Our conduct today [at Fuentes de Oñoro], I am told, obviates any need to question the sad events of San Isidro. Quite right too.”
Sharpe had smiled. He had known he was exonerated from the moment that Wellington, just before the Real Compañía Irlandesa’s counterattack on the village, had reprimanded him for shooting the French prisoners.
~ ~ ~
All lovely stuff, and a huge relief for Sharpe, who was expecting to lose his commission over the matter. But let’s have a look at how that moment was reported when it happened, back in Chapter 10, many pages and an entire battle earlier:
~ ~ ~
"One moment!" The General's voice was frigid. "Captain Sharpe?"
Sharpe turned back. "My Lord?"
"The reason, Captain Sharpe, why we do not execute enemy prisoners, no matter how vile their behaviour, is that the enemy will reciprocate the favour on our men, no matter how small their provocation." The General looked at Sharpe with an eye as cold as a winter stream. "Do I make myself clear, Captain Sharpe?"
"Yes, sir. My Lord."
Wellington gave a very small nod. "Go."
~ ~ ~
No hint there that he’s really telling Sharpe he’s off the hook. Yet Sharpe understood that immediately, and that is why I saw that scene as evidence of a close relationship between Sharpe and Wellington. Because Sharpe knew what Wellington was really saying, and Wellington knew he would understand. It’s an official and very public reprimand, sure - but it’s also a love scene, an indication of how well they understand each other. And that’s why I had to fic it.
I don’t have access to Sharpe’s Revenge at the moment, but there’s another strong instance of the same thing there. When Sharpe sleeps with Lucille - after Frederickson has gone to Paris - there is no mention, no clue, until many, many weeks and chapters later, when he finally has to tell Frederickson, who still thinks he’s going to waltz in and claim her.
