“Best Foot Forward”, End notes

[aadler]

[ Endnotes posted 17 Nov 2018 ]

Since this is a remix, what prompted the direction this story took in differing from the original?

The main difference came from my decision to use Margot as the POV character, which gave me the always-entertaining (and usually quite productive) ability to see our favorite folks from yet another external perspective. What gave me the notion to do that, though, I can’t say. It just seemed to come to me.

Is there any particular significance to the title?

None, really. It’s a serviceable title, and seems to fit the overall situation, but it doesn’t stand out in any way, even to me. It does the job, and never was meant to do more than that.

What is the thing I like most about this story? the thing I like least, or about which I feel most doubtful?

Obviously, the thing I liked most was Margot herself, and Buffy and Xander as seen through her (not fully understanding) eyes. And it was fun to work toward the inevitable ending: this intelligent, earnest, likeable, conscientious woman, doing her best and still headed for a fall she can’t even see coming.

Liked least … I did my best to draw my characterization of Xander from lwbush’s original, and in my opinion it worked out quite well in this particular story. It isn’t my favorite depiction of our favorite White Knight, though, and though I took some satisfaction from the role he played here, I didn’t really enjoy seeing him in such a condition. Not a complaint, certainly not a criticism, just a fact.

Is there anything I think I could have done better, or might do differently if I had it to do over?

Given the direction I chose to take in addressing the story … I wouldn’t do it the same way now, but that’s because I’m a different person myself by now. I can’t confidently state I could do it any better, though, because this one just seemed to work out what it wanted to be.

Was there a different direction I could have taken the story, and what would have been some of the advantages of the not-taken path?

If I were forced to choose a different direction, I could have done a simple switchover from lwbush’s approach. There, it was Buffy-POV adjusting to Xander; I could have just as easily have newly-arrived Xander trying to work out how to re-establish a working partnership with his second-oldest (but now very different) friend, and learning just how far the differences went and what the effects were.

Any observations to add at the end?

I really got to like Margot before this was over, and feel genuine sympathy for her. Does that mean I disagree, even in degree, with Xander’s judgment regarding her? I do not. Small differences in the right (or wrong) places can make huge differences, and this one wasn’t something that could be tolerated.

Even so, I have some faith in her turning out okay. She wasn’t really totally wrong anywhere, just missing an important point that had to be impressed upon her in terms she couldn’t disregard.