A Visit from Nora Glass (fan fiction)
#1
A bit of an explanation. Nora Glass is a character I created for my TBBT fan fiction. She plays the role of the friend that Penny and Sheldon don't currently have, someone supportive and caring with only a bit of an agenda. She's played a number of different parts in my fics but I enjoy writing her a great deal. And the folks who read my stuff seem to like her as well. She visited me this morning to help me out with a writing problem I've been having. This won't be posted anywhere else for now. It may appear as a bonus chapter to the story I reference. It may be a little bit self-indulgent to make myself a character but I figure if Grant Morrison can do it, so can I. And this is more a conversation than a story.

A Visit from Nora Glass

So I had an odd experience this morning. An original character that I created who appears in some of my Big Bang Theory fanfic came to visit me. And she wasn’t happy.

“Dude, we need to talk.”

“Okay.”

“First, thank you. You’re kind of my dad and I appreciate you giving me a chance to get up and walk around.”

“That’s nice. You know, I remember you when you were only a plot device, an exposition whore, so to speak.”

“Watch it.”

“Sorry. Go on.”

“Anyway, I like that you’ve given me a few different things to do. I like being a cop. I really liked being a stripper, especially because I got to hang around naked Penny a lot. I’m enjoying being a restaurant manager and bartender. And I’m looking forward to a stint as a PI that you’ve been hinting about.”

“I’m sensing that there’s a “but” in there somewhere.”

“There is. Let me get to it. First, thanks for Alex. I really like her. And also thanks for never, ever sticking me with that Amy chick. She’s kind of creepy.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And thanks for Raj and Sheldon too. And really, thank you for Penny. But that’s where one of my problems is.”

“Go on.”

“You said, in a couple of places, that Penny and me were hot and heavy at one point and then decided to be friends instead.”

“Yeah, that’s always been part of your back story.”

“Then why don’t I remember it? I mean the details. I know we were together.”

“I’ve never written about it.”

“A major event in our lives, and you know it had to be major, and you’ve never written it?”

“Well, it would need to be graphic and I’m not that comfortable with that.”

“Get over it.”

“Huh?”

“I said get over it. I want to fuck Penny.”

“Most everyone in this fandom wants to fuck Penny.”

“Yeah, but you said I did and I want the details. And those aren’t the only details I want.”

“What else?”

“In The Naked North Sea Ramifications you had me Sheldon and Penny naked in bed, Sheldon had an erection and you cut away.”

“I thought the mystery served the story better.”

“Mystery, shmystery, I wanted that three-way.”

“I want things too. That doesn’t mean I get to have them.”

“Yeah, except I’m a product of your imagination. I get to have whatever you want me to have. Cutting me off before the good stuff is just plain cruel. Besides, isn’t that what most people read fanfic for?”

“I admit that some do read it to see their beloved characters doing the deed.”

“Fucking. They read it for the fucking.”

“Not all of them. A lot of people just want to spend more time with characters they love and see them in unusual situations. And then there are those who just want the writers to regurgitate exactly what they see on TV and in the movies and other places.”

“Well, I want to get laid.”

“Nora, you probably get more than most of the other characters I write.”

“No, the way you write me I’m about to get more or I just had more. I want the damn more. And I’d really appreciate it if it’s with Penny. Though Alex would be okay too. Just no Amy. Not even watching. (shivers)”

“Fine. As soon as I can I’ll write When Penny Met Nora. Is that all?”

“Not really. I kind of wanted to help you with something.”

“I’m not sure you can. You’re imaginary.”

“Dude, most of the women you sleep with are imaginary. At least I actually like you. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to talk to you about The Slipped Conjugation, the fourth part of your tetralogy that you keep promising the readers but never deliver.”

“Yeah, I’m having a problem with it.”

“I know. I’m the problem.”

“You are? I thought you were doing pretty well. I mean, you’re kind of upset but I’m sure I’ll work it out.”

“Not as long as you keep trying to hook me up with a dude you won’t.”

“Nora, from the beginning I’ve always thought of you as bisexual.”

“And I keep telling you that I don’t like labels.”

“Okay. Explain it to me.”

“See, here’s the thing. Billy is a really nice guy. We enjoy each other’s company. I’m sure that when we have sex it’ll be pretty good. But we aren’t going to have a happily ever after.”

“Why not?”

“Okay. I like guys and I like girls and I’ll fuck whoever strikes my fancy no matter what kind of plumbing they have. And that will probably always be the case.”

“So?”

“I may fuck guys but I prefer girls. If I have a happily ever after it’ll be with a girl. You gave me that with Alex at least once. It worked, didn’t it?”

“Yeah. Even though the Alex character was kind of a cypher on the show, putting the two of you together works for me.”

“It works for me too. Though I’d really appreciate it if you made it a little more graphic. And I’m still really pissed off that three-way we had with Raj was off-camera (see The Non-Coincident Theorem).”

“We already talked about that.”

“So, do you understand what I want you to do to fix the damn story?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t figure out what you’re upset now. And you being upset is important to the story.”

“Well, how about if I’m confused. I have feelings for Billy but I also know that isn’t what will ultimately make me happy. And my two best friends, Penny and Sheldon, are becoming invested in making me and Billy work out. And I can’t figure out how to tell them that it won’t. And I don’t want Billy to make a life-changing decision, like moving to L.A., for something that probably isn’t going to happen. I do like the guy. And I’m kind of horny.”

“Nora, you’re pretty much always like that. That’s why the readers love you.”

“Yeah, I know that. But I’d still appreciate getting some.”

“I’ll work on it.”

“So do you understand what you need to do with the story. I don’t want you to throw it out. It has some really nice moments.”

“Yeah, I think I can fix it.”

“Okay, I prefer not to have to visit you like this again. Penny isn’t the only one who can go Nebraska on your ass.”

“You’re from Portland.”

“You get the message.”
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#2
I love her and I haven't even read the stories yet Big Grin. I getting to it, you are coming up on my queue shortly.

"Everybody in this fandom wants to fuck Penny" LOL nice
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#3
(03-09-2014, 12:36 AM)queenoftheDales Wrote: I love her and I haven't even read the stories yet Big Grin. I getting to it, you are coming up on my queue shortly.

"Everybody in this fandom wants to fuck Penny" LOL nice

Nora makes her first appearance (as a cop) in The Non-Coincident Theorem and has wormed her way into pretty much every story I've written since. She's kind of the sparkplug that Penny used to be and needs to be again.
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#4
(03-09-2014, 01:26 AM)devilbk Wrote: Nora makes her first appearance (as a cop) in The Non-Coincident Theorem and has wormed her way into pretty much every story I've written since. She's kind of the sparkplug that Penny used to be and needs to be again.

She is what I expect from a strong female character. Not afraid to say what she feels/thinks and takes no shit. Stereotypes be damned. love it.
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#5
(03-09-2014, 02:28 AM)queenoftheDales Wrote: She is what I expect from a strong female character. Not afraid to say what she feels/thinks and takes no shit. Stereotypes be damned. love it.

Thank you. I look forward to hearing what you have to say once you finally meet her. One of the things that's missing from TBBT is a strong female character. They may be successful, except for Penny, but they are not exactly role models.
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#6
I like Nora, but I have to say, I skim past, and will continue to skim past the femmeslash with Penny bits, because it's just not my thing. I'm part of the fandom that doesn't want to do the deed with Penny, because I'm extremely and boringly cisgender heteronormative, and tend to be indifferent shading to pissed-off with slash, generally speaking.

But Nora is such a fabulous wrecking-ball through canon. Penny needs someone to drag her out of the beige rut she's falling into, because she can't seem to do it herself, and the showrunners won't let her.

(Also, I'd love to hear Nora's views on people like Ron Marz and Frank Miller. I expect it to be... kinda loud.)
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#7
(03-09-2014, 02:42 AM)SpaceAnJL Wrote: I like Nora, but I have to say, I skim past, and will continue to skim past the femmeslash with Penny bits, because it's just not my thing. I'm part of the fandom that doesn't want to do the deed with Penny, because I'm extremely and boringly cisgender heteronormative, and tend to be indifferent shading to pissed-off with slash, generally speaking.

But Nora is such a fabulous wrecking-ball through canon. Penny needs someone to drag her out of the beige rut she's falling into, because she can't seem to do it herself, and the showrunners won't let her.

(Also, I'd love to hear Nora's views on people like Ron Marz and Frank Miller. I expect it to be... kinda loud.)

I suspect that as a comics fan and a woman Nora probably has opinions on both authors. She's probably not a fan of either. I know she likes Neil Gaiman. And she probably likes Terry Moore also. Both write good strong women. It may or may not come up. Certainly in a comics discussion with the guys Nora is the one who'd have to bring it up.
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#8
It's a thing that bothers me about the show. Genuine geek-girls abound, they should be represented. I mean, realistically, the reason the guys are/were lonely and desperate has nothing to do with their hobbies. I feel the show fails quite badly there, basically equating 'geek' with the 'basement dweller' stereotype.
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#9
(03-09-2014, 03:02 AM)SpaceAnJL Wrote: It's a thing that bothers me about the show. Genuine geek-girls abound, they should be represented. I mean, realistically, the reason the guys are/were lonely and desperate has nothing to do with their hobbies. I feel the show fails quite badly there, basically equating 'geek' with the 'basement dweller' stereotype.

I agree. Though the basement dwellers exist, the numbers of "normal" geeks are growing and a significant number of them are women. In fact, they seem to be the quickest growing segment. For people who regularly attend Comicon, the writers and creators are certainly not paying very much attention. There are a lot more "Alices" out there than they think. And they'd like some representation.
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#10
Has anyone told you Devil that your mind is a scary place? Totally brilliant, but scary.Big Grin

I LOVE Nora! She's smart, funny, loves comic books and other "geeky" things, and she kicks Sheldon & Penny in the ass when needed. Plus she has a last name (always a good thing when writing a major character. Ahem, TBBT writers I'm talking about you)
“There are no scenes more fun to do, I feel like, than the ones between Sheldon and Penny. They are such a wonderful odd couple.” - Jim Parsons
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