a fool's musings

Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write...

Warning: Adult Content achromatic unfinished fic graveyard recs journal new stuff recent stuff my back pages January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 the five Ws, or, all about me profile e-mail victoria my livejournal the original P&R comments current mood: "pathological and unbalanced" Items of Interest People LiveJournal folks Baraita bishclone claritylit Jintian Kat Allison Kit Mason metablog mix-tapes Neil Gaiman Nestra Sarah T. Seema Shrift Sundry Mourning zendom Music Walk On - U2 Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen If I Can't Change Your Mind - Sugar Sick of Myself - Matthew Sweet Town Called Malice - The Jam One - U2 The Space Between - DMB Books Lord of the Rings Catch-22 The Neely Trilogy Absalom! Absalom! Possession: A Romance Foucault's Pendulum Dreamhouse LA Confidential I Capture the Castle Sandman Waking the Moon Shows Angel Buffy the Vampire Slayer (in reruns) Alias West Wing The Simpsons webrings < ? fanfiction ! > < ? writers ! > diaryreviews.diaryland.com NYC Bloggers Comments by Haloscan.com all links, if I haven't screwed up somehow, should open in a new browser window

2002-02-23 - 10:50 p.m. tonight, tonight Tonight was really fun. The whole day was great, actually. Met up with Leslie and saw Gosford Park, which rocked. Clive Owen... he broods so deliciously. Maggie Smith and Kristen Scott Thomas were fabulous. Richard E. Grant was wonderful. Helen Mirren made me cry. Awesome movie. It could have gone on for another two hours and I would have enjoyed it. Then Leslie and I had a quick lunch [I had a banana split] and wandered through Loehmann's [an off-price store where you can get designer clothing, if you don't know], and I almost killed a woman for taking too damn long to get checked out. Then we went uptown and met with a bunch of slashfic writers. It was very cool. The restaurant was excellent, the conversation very interesting. Jintian, Sabine, Julia and Cecilia all went to the same college, at different times. Sabine wanted to know if I was the victoria p. from Smallville, because if I was, I have to write more Clark/Lex for Punk, since so much of it is crap. It was just really cool to meet these women, even if I've only read work from three of them - the others were mainly XF and Trek writers, though Cecilia writes RPS. Leslie came with me, because she was interested in meeting people, I guess, and she asked a lot of questions about how one gets sucked into fandom/ficcing, and was told that she was slowly being corrupted and soon she too would be scribbling fic at all hours. Aside from reading mine, Leslie has read some Skinner/Mulder and Mulder/Krycek stuff, so I know she isn't averse to it. My cab ride home tonight cost $4 more than last night's because this cabbie drove like an 80 year old grandmother. We were being passed on the LIE by people in the right lane! Anyhow, I was really glad I went, and really glad I was even invited. I'm trying to convince Leslie to jump on the blog-wagon. I know she'd enjoy it, and it *is* a chance to do some different types of writing. Last night was a blast too, seeing Maria and Jill and Vanessa (whom I hadn't seen in almost a year), and after Vanessa left, we went to Mimi's for dinner, and a more surreal experience in a restaurant I've yet to have. It was even more surreal than the gay Jamaican bobsled team at Manatus that time. A power-mad hostess, drunken men sitting down at our table and "hitting" on us [and clutching my arm repeatedly]. Big Gay Southern-Man Entertainer in a Caftan and Mardi Gras Beads adding a loud refrain of "you bitch / you whore / you slut" to the chorus of "Lucille." How scary is it that every time I sit down with the computer lately I suddenly feel very sleepy? I don't like it. I don't like it at all. Which reminds me of the infamous rubber nipples episode of Ren and Stimpy. God, I used to love that show. I had all the eps - or most of 'em anyway - on tape and I lent that tape to Peter and never got it back. Or was it I taped them for him? I forget. I'm so sleepy. I'm contemplating just going to bed and catching up on the email tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day. Fiddle-dee-dee. *g* ~Scarlett, I mean, victoria [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ 2002-02-23 - 11:18 a.m. glam? not me... What's Your Style? Find out @ She's Crafty Heh. Heading out to the movies in a few minutes. At some point I'll have a full report on all activities... ~victoria [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ 2002-02-23 - 1:01a.m. Mimi's Gonna head to bed now, but just wanted to say a couple things about tonight... Mimi's - surreal experience. Go there if you can. Corner of 52nd and 2nd. Piano bar. When we left the guy was wearing a wreath around his face, hanging from this thing he was wearing on his head. There were tambourines and maracas and a power-mad hostess [allegedly Mimi's sister Judy], only three waitstaff on duty, and a drunken guy named Patrick who tried to pick us all up, but when he found out Maria was married he said, and I quote, "Loosen up. I'm not going to take your husband away from you." I love drunken Freudian slips. In vino veritas after all. The Bar Above the Pizza Place was fun, as well. They had the game on - and there were some real live Russians sitting watching it. I'm glad that Alexei Kovalev scored, and Vladimir Malakhov, since they're former and current Rangers, respectively, but I'm so glad Team USA won. I just hope the final against Canada doesn't wind up in a shootout. That's all for now. Going to see Gosford Park with Leslie tomorrow afternoon, then meet up with Jintian and Melymbrosia and assorted other ficcers for dinner. How cool is that? ~victoria [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ 2002-02-22 - 4:01 p.m. Fun Fact of the Day From today's Daily News: Fun Fact: Wayne Gretzky's paternal grandfather, Anthony, was a Belarussian who escaped to Chicago during the Russian Revolution. He and his brother wanted to join the U.S. Army but were told the pay was better in the Canadian Army and therefore moved to Winnipeg. Imagine that... the Great One was almost American. ~victoria avoiding work [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ 2002-02-22 - 1:07 p.m. Rickets? Really? How disappointing... What day are you? The javascript didn't work, but I'm pretty sure my actual natal day was a Wednesday. (Edited to note that I just spoke with Mom, and was, in fact, born on a Wednesday.) Which would explain so very, very much, if this were true. Not that my life hasn't been filled with joy and wonderful things. It has. I certainly am nowhere near even being in the *running* for a tragedy queen, and I know several people who most definitely are. I just mean my own personality is often full of woe. Take this, for example: Take the Affliction Test Today! Rickets? I'm rickets? How utterly uninteresting. I give kids bendy legs. Bah. I wanted to be rabies or smallpox or something mean and disfiguring. I'm too nice, that's what it is. Which is why I write fluff instead of angst, and why I'll never be a BNF or a fic goddess. I can't even be a BOFQ, because I'll never be a FQ to begin with. And dontcha just love the acronym FQ? It sounds like what a fic queen would say to a peon, yes? *snerk* I know, I'm being all snarky about things of which I know nothing. Why should today be different from any other day of my life? Meeting Maria and Jill and <*drumroll please*> Vanessa (I hope she makes it. I haven't seen her in *ages*) tonight at the Bar Above the Pizza Place. That's easier to remember than whatver its name is this month. Ha! Big league fakeout there, huh? You thought you were going to get the long-promised but so far unwritten rant about angst v. fluff and why I don't believe angst=quality and fluff=dreck. And maybe, if I can finish the revisions on this filing and get the lawyers on the phone, and eat lunch, and slam books, then I'll get to it. Because it irks the hell out of me to be dismissed as a flufffic writer -- not that anyone has (to my face, anyway. Do I think people are talking about me behind my back? The paraoid in me says yes. The realist in me says people have *much* more interesting things to discuss). The fact that I classify myself as a writer of foof is simply because that's what I prefer to write and to read. I don't mind a healthy heaping of angst, if things are going to turn out all right in the end. It's unrelentingly dark fic that I just can't stomach. I mean, you're talking to a woman who refused to read "Map of the World" because in the first chapter, a baby dies. Now, this is a huge, huge thing (and possibly the fact that Victor was in and out of the hospital at the time I started reading it was a factor in my distaste), and it was basically treated as a jumping off point for a whole shitload of navel-gazing for the adult characters. Bleh. Just like in The Bone People, which was a really fabulous book, but I will never reread it, simply because of the way Joe's treatment of Simon was treated -- as a way to self-discovery for Keri. That disturbs me on some level deeper than intellect. Maybe it's the wannabe mom in me, the latent (or not-so-latent if you ask some of my friends) maternal instinct, or just my whole "earth mother" nature, but torturing fictional kids so the adults can learn something squicks me on a visceral level. I don't believe children are all innocent and good and yada yada. I know how cruel and wicked children can be, in addition to their beautiful and wondrous sides. I have nieces and nephews, and I've internalized and refused to let go of so much of my *own* childhood that I'm not wearing blinders on this. I just don't like fictional children to be used to manipulate me into feeling one way or another about other characters. It's like the overused "child in jeopardy" ploy used in bad action flicks. Don't try to jerk me around. I won't like it. And I'll think your art is crap. Oooh-kay... Didn't see that rant coming. *g* Gonna finish revising now, and maybe get some food. ~victoria [current mood: surprised and snarky] [current music: The Logical Song - Supertramp] [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ 2002-02-22 - 10:07 a.m. no redeeming social content More quizzes. I'm an addict. I'm supposed to be revising this damn filing, but no, I'm fiddling around with online quizzes. Yay me. These two came from Cherry Ice: Here we go with the results: Which Action Star Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty Ain't it the truth, though? Yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker! Here's one that I have *no* idea what it means, in D&D terms: I Am A: Neutral Good Elf Bard Ranger Alignment: Neutral Good characters believe in the power of good above all else. They will work to make the world a better place, and will do whatever is necessary to bring that about, whether it goes for or against whatever is considered 'normal'. Race: Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently conccern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance. Primary Class: Bards are the entertainers. They sing, dance, and play instruments to make other people happy, and, frequently, make money. They also tend to dabble in magic a bit. Secondary Class: Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy. Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail) Okay, let me say it once again: Legolas is SO my boyfriend. *g* And these were gacked from Melissa: Which Chess Piece Are You? *g* R You are restricted. Well done, you're now practically adult in nature, and plus, you get to see nudity - have fun. "Which Movie Classification Are You?" Test created by Jamie - take it here. Heh. You are Kermit! Though you're technically the star, you're pretty mellow and don't mind letting others share the spotlight. You are also something of a dreamer. Take the What Muppet Are You? Quiz! Yeah. I love me some Kermie. So I can see this, though I was kinda hoping for Waldorf & Statler. *g* That's me. Grumpy old man Vic. You are Belle! Belle is a young girl in the movie: Beauty and the Beast!! Yeah, I'm bored and too tired to think of anything witty or fannish to discuss. ~victoria [current music: You Really Got Me - the Kinks] [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ 2002-02-21 - 1:50 p.m. writing for the Comic Book Guy(tm) You are most like Kate who was struck with an axe! Created by Thren. Which Gashlycrumb Tiny are you? Hee! I love these online quizzes. Didn't finish what I'm supposed to finish, but got enough done to pass muster. My social life, which has been dead, even for me, is suddenly reviving, as it always does once the blahs of January and February are over. Found myself ranting about Spuffy on WWSotU this morning. Sigh. Why oh why do I do that? Also copied the SotU topic about sexual mores and how they affect fic (both writing and reading) to Unfit, to see what the responses might be. For me, my own personal morality [what there is of it] gets in the way of very little when I'm writing. I do cringe at making characters I like do things I don't approve of, but I don't shy away from it, if it fits the story, which is the most important thing. I mean, a writer shouldn't make their favorite character immune to regular human flaws - or even spectacular human flaws - simply because s/he likes them best. And the obverse is true as well. One shouldn't dump all the terrible character flaws onto one character one doesn't like. Was talking with the gusys about the discussion on ClarkLex about authorial onanism in public, and that made me clear my own POV up a little. I think this is definitely one area where writing original fic differs greatly from fanfic. When you're writing original fic, creating your own world and your own characters, there is no expectation from the audience of how they will behave. You have a clean slate going in. No one's going to say, "Hey, Jack would never do that!" because, until your book comes out, *no one knows jack about Jack* (sorry, couldn't resist it). Fanfic is another animal entirely. Think of your audience as The Comic Book Guy(tm) from the Simpsons. This is who is going to be reading your work. Do you really want to get feedback that says, "Worst. Fanfic. Ever."? I thought not. So characterization is THE KEY to fanfic. Get the characters right and people will follow you to the weirdest AU you can think of. What was it? Lex as a half-elf jello wrestler? Sure. AS long as his personality is recognizable as the Smallville version of Lex if you're writing SV fic. Elrond as a cross-dressing hobbit-fetishist? Again, sure, if you can make it work with the grave and wise head of the council of the wise. The thing is, if you're writing something merely because it greases your griddle, and you don't know jack about your characters, and - the most important thing and the gravest offense that a fic writer can commit, I believe - you don't care - well, then I, and hordes of others, will hit delete without a second thought. Writers should first and foremost be true to themselves and their visions. I agree with that. However, in writing fanfic, you also have to be true to the characters as they appear in canon. And if you can't, you have no business calling them Wolverine and Rogue, or Scully and Mulder, or Josh and Sam. And yes, someone *will* call you on it, because remember - fanfic audience = Comic Book Guy(tm). Admittedly, there are many, many people who read fanfic who are not quite as fanatical as that, but there only needs to be one who'll question it and start a whole firestorm of controversy, so why not take that person into account if you're planning on posting? Posting=publishing, and people are going to comment on a work that you put out there for them to read. If they spend the time, they have that right. And if you're writing *to be read*, you have to make some effort to *communicate* to your audience, to reach some common ground on which you both can stand regarding characterization, in fanfic. There are many, many readings of character, and my Scott Summers will not be exactly the same as yours. But there should be some common ground. We should be able to agree that X, Y, and Z are core Scott Summers characteristics, and if you want to then strip those from him by having him become a methamphetamine addict because of his little adventure in Apocalypse's brain or whatever, that's fine. But don't, in your author's notes, write that you know so-and-so is out of character, and there's no explanation, but the fic wouldn't work unless they did thus-and-so. Because that's a fic that shouldn't be posted. That's a fic that is inherently flawed, and you should have held it back until you figured out *why* that character did that, or found another character who could do it believably and still not mess up your plot. And yes, I'm speaking like I'm the authority and you're not, but that's because this is my diary, which means, by its very definition, that almost everything in here is nothing more than my opinion. Unless, of course, you disagree with it. Then it is the opinon of the aliens who've taken over my brain. *g* Seriously. if you want to discuss, you know where to reach me, and I don't have that pretty little guestbook for nothing. *g* So there's my half-formed rant on characterization, which really ends in the middle, but I'm hungry and the caf is closing in ten minutes, so I need to go get lunch. Edited to add that Thamiris has also been bitten by the characterization bug this afternoon - though I think she may not be as strict in her conceptions as I have become. It's all that evil!Jean and bitca!Buffy fic that turns the tide, I think. ~victoria [current mood: didactic] [current music: Starting Over - John Lennon... I need to buy that album] [current mood: ] [current music: ] [random quote: ] ~*~ previous - next DiaryLand Disclaimer: Reading this diary is not required by law. If you do not like or agree with the contents herein, or find them to be offensive on more than one occasion, please go elsewhere and don't come back. Management is not responsible for any adverse reactions to content within. The painting is "Boreas" by John William Waterhouse. Again, not a muse, but I like her. She suits the color scheme. The quote is from Sir Philip Sidney. This site is best viewed with IE4+ | 1024x768 | true color | verdana | tables