a fool's musings

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

Warning: Adult Content

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current mood: current mood

"pathological and unbalanced"

Items of Interest

    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
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  • I Capture the Castle
  • Sandman
  • Waking the Moon

    Shows
  • Angel

    •
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (in reruns)

    •
  • Alias

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  • West Wing

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  • The Simpsons

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10.09.02 - 11:52 p.m.

MF update

I am in a somewhat better mood, though the previews from next week's West Wing leave a really sour taste in my mouth.

Couldn't we just skip the Josh/Amy? Please?

I thought ABS already decided this didn't work the first time around, with Mandy. Adding in balloon animals is not going to make me like Amy after her behavior last year.

::Deep breath::

But I'm not going to rant about the ill-advised Josh/Amy romance. No.

I'm here to tell you that I've updated my site, adding The Naming of Names, in which a slayer slays vampires in Earthsea.

I'm still thinking about doing a Buffy poll, though. Which you know nothing about because the entry got eaten, which is why I was so upset earlier this evening, but... yeah, Buffy poll, trying to find a correlation between the season one started watching and the season/eps one thinks are the best.

Also, today - it's been ONE YEAR since I've eaten fast food. Last year I had BK on this date, and was sick as the proverbial dog for a month. Had Mickey D's fries once back in the winter, but haven't had a full meal from either McDonalds, BK or Wendy's (or White Castle, Ranch #1 or even Subway or Blimpie) since then.

Go me!

~victoria



link

[current mood: better]
[current music: noises on the sidewalk outside]
[random quote: you take the good you take the bad you take 'em both and there you have the facts of life...]

~*~

10.09.02 - 4:43 p.m.

waaah

Sigh.

Just wrote a whole long rant about Buffy, and latecomers to the show and various stuff.

And then got told that access to the server was Forbidden.

So no entry.

Fuck. me.

I want to go home.

[current mood: cranky]
[current music: Free Ride]
[random quote: the mountain is high, the valley is low]

~*~

10.09.02 - 12:54 p.m.

summarize THIS

LaT on summaries.

Ya know, I could have sworn I did this before, in response to one of Tham's posts, but I can't find it.

So, summaries, the good, the bad, and the ...eh.

Let's start with the bad:

Second Chances: Scott and Rogue learn to love again.

Ugh.

The Best Laid Plans: Scott and Rogue try to make Logan and Jean jealous

Eep! One of my best (and best-loved) stories, and it's got a craptacular summary.

My Time Is Gonna Come: Conversations between Jean and Rogue, Jean and Logan, Rogue and Scott, and Rogue and Logan.

Well, yeah, that's the structure of the story. ::shakes head::

Waiting In Vain: "I love Remy. I do. But something's missing."

Okay, not even the quote method works on this one. Yeesh.

The One Sure Thing: A Scott/Rogue/Logan triangle

God, I didn't even *try* with that one. This is actually a nice piece of style-writing for me, but as a reader, if I saw that summary, I wouldn't click. I should change that.

It's a wonder anyone does read my stories.

You'll notice all of these (save one) come from before my conversion to the "line from the story" method, which works best for me, as a writer. Yeah, yeah, I know some people don't like it (Joan the English Chick, I'm looking at you. *G*), but I usually have at least one sentence that sort of sums up the story, either the tone, the plot or the theme, and I use it.

The "eh?" ones are more of the same - simple "this happens" or "X is thinking about Y." I have way too many of 'em. A random sampling.

Crossing Canada: Logan runs. Rogue follows.

Well gee, could you vague that up for me? That could be the summary of 101 Logan/Rogue stories.

Comfort: Cordelia and Angel comfort each other after a phone call from Sunnydale.

Generic title, generic summary. No wonder nobody read that one.

Only Human: A conversation at the DMV

Again, *boring*. Also, it's not called the DMV in Baltimore. Sigh. I should change that one, too. My only Homicide fic, doomed by a terrible summary and a cliched title.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves: "The lies we tell ourselves to keep from falling out of love are all that keep us together."

Tsk-tsk. Very clunky and heavy-handed.

Nativity: Clark contemplates family.

Again, a dud of a summary for a nice little story.

The Naming of Names: A slayer meets a wizard

Generic. So very generic.

Good summaries are few and far between. Here are a few I like:

Faculty Follies: How Scott got his groove back

Exactly what the story is about, and a little giggle-inducing, as is the story. I hope.

The Music Lesson: Rogue. Logan. A piano. A lesson.

I like it when I do this - that's the bare bones of the fic right there. I did it again with Palm Springs Conversation: Logan. Marie. Driving. Drinking. Brawling. A hint of sex., which is a dialogue only fic

The Girl of His Dreams: Logan touches Rogue again.

I like it because, combined with the title, it's a major-league fake-out. This is not the story shippers think they're getting, but it's an accurate summary of what happens.

Dying for Attention: "She has a love-hate relationship with the color red."

Again, could be really dire, especially combined with the title. Another fake-out.

The Space Between: "She contemplates the personal bubble in which she is enclosed."

I like it, even with the 'contemplating', because it's about Rogue and her skin and her thoughts about that. And with Rogue, you *need* to deal with her skin eventually. Might as well devote a short story to it.

A Touch of Frost: "But the girl, as is often the case, was under a curse . . . Luckily for her, she had a prince."

It's a fairy tale, and it ought to have a fairy tale summary. And it sums up Logan and Rogue perfectly, imo. I do love this story, and its Angel analogue, In the Service of the Queen. Tamlane is just such a flexible little fairy tale).

Flirtation 101: "I'm sure Logan can teach you all sorts of stuff about how to be sexy. The man's sex in blue jeans, for heaven's sake."

This is what I mean when I say I usually have at least one sentence that encapsulates the story. That gives you all you need to know. In the story, Logan is teaching Rogue about how to be sexy.

Slight Return: "Not gonna kill the fatted calf for this thief, homme?"

Well, it's obviously about Remy, right? *g* It tells you what you need to know, combined with the 'return' in the title.

The Language of Goodbye: This is how it happens. You meet a girl in a bar, and your entire life is turned upside down.

I love everything about this fic, even with the dreaded second person POV.

Cicatrix: "She has the scars to show for it."

I think this summary is intriguing and eye catching. And it's what the story is about, and is better than, "Logan inventories Rogue's scars," which could also serve as the summary.

Night of the Dead Living: "It was too damn hot to sleep."

Come on! Wouldn't you read this? Even if you're not an HLotS fan? Everyone knows what that feels like. Don't you wanna know how the mutants deal with a heatwave without Storm to help 'em out? Don't you wanna see how I matched each X-Man to his or her HLotS counterpart? Don't you want to know who lights the candle, and what happens to the baby and who gets Munch's famous speech?

Okay, you wouldn't know any of that from this summary, but I like it anyway. Because the heat and the not sleeping are the catalysts for everything that happens, and everybody knows what those two things feel like.

Sometimes it's good to steal from the classics:

The Mutant Bride: Classic fairy tale adventure. Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, Beasts, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles.

Magic in the Night: "From your front porch to my front seat / The door's open but the ride ain't free"

The Devil You Know: "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

The Devil You Don't: "And yet it is the unknown, with all its disappointments and surprises, that is the most enriching."

Scalpel: The child is the father of the man

Childish Things: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

Burying the Dead: Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.

I like to think that this summary gives away the black comic nature of the story.

So yeah, in addition to quoting from the story to make the summary, I'm fond of grabbing a quote (from a poem, a song, a movie or play) that will summarize what the story is about.

Hey, makes it easier than coming up with one myself. *g*

Wow, that took longer than I expected.

Maybe I should do some work now, eh?

~victoria



link

[current mood: weird]
[current music: Harvest Moon - Neil Young]
[random quote: You may shoot me with your words You may cut me with your eyes You may kill me with your hatefulness But still like air I'l]

~*~

10.08.02 - 11:59 p.m.

blood is the rose of mysterious union

Smallville and Buffy thoughts up in the LJ.

Also, am I the only one in fandom who doesn't adore Tori Amos?

She's got some songs I really like, but for the most part, I find her coy and self-indulgent and somewhat pretentious.

Also, I'm still not feeling the Alanis love. I think I mentioned I had to stop listening to Michelle Branch when I caught the similarity between their voices.

Ah well.

There's no disputing taste and all that. I'm sure my preference for Springsteen and U2, 80s alternative and classic rock has people rolling their eyes at me as well.

Just how many Counting Crows songs can I write fic to?

Of course, that reminds me I still want to fic "Round Here."

"Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand / she said she'd like to meet a boy who looked like Elvis / and she walks along the edge of where the ocean meets the land / just like she's walking on a wire in the circus. / She parks her car outside my house and takes her clothes off / she says she's close to understanding Jesus. / She knows she's more than just a little misunderstood / she has trouble acting normal when she's nervous..."

God, I love that song...

Ooh, and I heard Peace Frog today, another all-time favorite:

Blood in the streets,
In the town of New Haven.
Blood stains the roofs
And the palm tress of Venice.

Blood in my love,
In the terrible summer;
Bloody red sun of

fantastic L.A.

Blood screams her brain
As they chop off her fingers.
Blood will be born
In the birth of a nation.

Blood is the rose of
Mysterious union.

There's blood in the streets,
It's up to my ankles.
There's blood in the streets,
It's up to my knees.

There's blood in the street,
The town of Chicago.
Blood on the rise,
It's followin' me.

Night!

~victoria



link

[current mood: sleepy]
[current music: Walk through the Fire - BTVS Cast]
[random quote: to sleep, perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub...]

~*~

10.08.02 - 5:33 p.m.

nature v. nurture

Sleepy.

Bored.

Working on org charts.

I hate org charts.

Well, I didn't used to. But then they started acted up on me, not letting me move boxes around and add linkage and all sorts of other things, so you know, I figured they hated me.

And I'm a big believer in reciprocation, so...

Yeah, org charts.

In PowerPoint.

Somebody just shoot me now.

***

Posted The Naming of Names (i.e., gont slayer) this afternoon.

Is there an Earthsea fandom?

Is it welcoming of fanfic?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

***

So Seema asked the question:
If someone is a terrible writer and/or story teller, but it is something he or she enjoys, should he or she stop writing?

The answer would be a loud and emphatic NO. Of course not. This would be a good time to dispel myth #1: there is no such thing as a born writer. Trust me on this one. Even the best writers out there have stories hidden in the back of their closets that they pray will never see the light of day.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Where we start running into trouble though, is when these 'bad writers' feel the need to inflict their work on the rest of the world.

When you post to the internet, when you put out a 'zine, you are publishing your story.

It no longer belongs to *you*. I mean, yeah, copyright-wise the words do etc. but the story itself is now in the hands of the reading public, and is theirs to read or not read or review or not review as they wish.

Now, should people be mean just because they can?

Of course not.

But literary criticism often *feels* mean, even when it's not. Taking a work apart and looking at it from various points of view to see it if works is not being mean or nasty. It's examining a story to see if it's got more to it than a few minutes of fleeting enjoyment, to see if the characters match the characters onscreen, if the dialogue is believable (and, if the author is good, snappy), etc.

The thing is, if you're bad, or you don't care if you're bad or not, don't post publicly.

There's such a thing called "drawer-fic" - you write it, you put it in your drawer for your own consumption, and maybe that of your mom or your SO.

JD Salinger has written NOTHING BUT drawer-fic for the past 30+ years, and if you come up with something that strikes a chord the way Catcher in the Rye has, and you're more publicity- or money-hungry than old JD, then by god, you can get your drawer-fic published.

And ripped to shreds by the Times, the NY Review of Books, and every other publication that does reviews.

Yes, we're all amateurs, or rather, we do this out of love rather than for any monetary gain or prestige (outside of the fannish communities in which we participate), but we're spending our time, and for some of us, time is a more precious commodity than even money, so we don't want to waste it on crap.

But that's not what I want to discuss, really.

Seema goes on to say:
But I also think, while there is no such thing as a "born writer," I also think that one can improve. After all, if one thinks hirself to be a "terrible" writer, one can only get better from there, right? Good writing is a combination of experience, practice and desire. Good writing is being able to examine a story from all angles and not being afraid to start all over again when something fails. Good writing means sticking to it even when it's hard. Good writing means that you don't give up even when everyone around you thinks you ought to.

Okay, let's look at this sentence in particular:
Good writing is a combination of experience, practice and desire.

I personally think there's something missing here. Two things, really, one which can be learned and one which, unfortunately, cannot be.

Skill is the first thing missing, but through experience and practice, one can pick up many writing skills, if one so desires.

However, the thing Seema leaves out that *I* think is necessary to the equation is talent.

Yeah, anybody can write a fair-to-middling fanfic, where everything's spelled right and there's not a comma out of place, and the formatting makes it legible etc.

But what separates that fic from something that gets printed out and saved?

For *me*, it's something more than just technical proficiency.

Look, I can walk into Barnes and Noble any day and get a book that's mostly spelled and punctuated correctly, with flat characters going through rote or cliched or just plain uninteresting situations, speaking ludicrous dialogue and having embarrassingly euphemistic sex.

I'm not gonna spend my time or money on that, whether it's fanfiction or professional fiction.

There are many people who get published who are... less than talented, while some talented writers languish for years, unknown and unread. We all know this.

In the fanfic world, it doesn't have to be like that, though.

I think that nurturing talent and honing skills are extremely important, and I think it's only through a combination of skill *and* talent that a writer creates truly beautiful, memorable stories.

Not everyone is talented in the same way or in the same measure. Some of us (I include myself in this category) have a good ear for dialogue and for the flow of words.

Some people (not I, alas) write beautifully lyrical stories with such evocative descriptions that the reader feels she can reach out and touch the action.

And so on and so forth.

Practicing will only get you so far.

We've all seen writers whose skill hides a basic lack of heart at the center - their stories work on first reading, or at least, you don't hit delete in disgust and start muttering about forced sterilization etc. for those who refuse to use spellcheck. They may even hit the right notes emotionally once or twice.

But in the long run, they're not going to climb past a certain level of proficiency. They'll plateau at good. People will know them and consider them second or third-tier writers in the fandom. They have the chops, but not necessarily the feel, the flow. And yes, I'm using musical terms deliberately here.

I can read music. I took piano for five years, flute and drums for one each. I used to be decent at playing. Never great, but I could make it through songs whenever the parents decided it was time to embarrass me by making me play for company.

If I had kept it up, I'd probably be a proficient piano player these days, and I occasionally think I ought to take it up again.

And then I remember how there was no spark, no flow, no true feel for the music in my playing. It was notes lined up to form a song, sure, but it wasn't music in the best sense.

And this breaks my heart, because there's nothing I love more in this world than music. I'd give up my television, my laptop and my dvd player in a heartbeat if I had to choose between them and my stereo. I'm far more likely to have music than television on, and well, my CD collection numbers over 400 right now (without counting the CDs I've burned myself, and we won't even go into the past 20 years of making mixtapes).

I'm reminded of my favorite of the Chronicles of Prydain: Taran Wanderer, wherein Taran goes out into the world and learns all sorts of trades and he's amazing at most of them, and then he falls in love with the idea of being a potter and believes it to be his calling... only to turn out to have very little talent for it at all. It's simply a heartbreaking book, especially for the 7-8 year old I was when I read it the first time. Woobie!Taran. I should dig those out and reread them.

And man, I've gone off on a tangent *and* managed to start the last three paragraphs with "and". Go me!

So, yeah, I have the desire, and even some of the knowledge, and I could perhaps, cultivate the skills to play the piano fairly well.

But I will never be a great, or even a really good, musician.

I don't think the comparison to writers is off.

You may have the desire - hell, I may have the desire and the skill, but if I don't have the talent, I'm never going to (and god help me for using this horrid expression, but it's late and I've been wrestling with org charts all afternoon) take it to the next level. I don't know. I think I'm talented, and I'm working on improving in those areas that I think I'm bad at. I'm seriously considering starting something original and seeing where it goes, just because I keep putting if off and if I do that, I'll never do it.

But until who knows? I could turn out to be like poor Taran, twice over. Not musically talented, and limited in my writing prowess as well.

We'll see.

On the other hand, we've all seen writers whose talent shines through the bad plotting or the craptacular sentence structure or whatever. Me, I'm not inclined to be a nurturer. I don't have the patience, and I get distracted too easily. If I think someone's already competent, I'll volunteer to help out, but I'm generally not one to offer to mentor if I think someone needs help from the ground up, as it were.

There are people who will, though, and those people are wonderful, beautiful people of whom there are never, ever enough in this world, so if you find one, hold onto her. She's someone truly more precious than rubies.

More Seema:
If you're writing for public consumption, be aware that if the writer doesn't care about what she is doing, then the reader won't either.

Amen, sister.

Give it time, give it practice, give it a little bit of heart, and I think you'll find yourself plenty pleased with the result.

Again, this is true, but I also think that we all need to be realistic. Most of us are never going to be published, even out of the small handful of fannish writers who *want* to be (of which I am one).

But if you have the *desire* to improve, and the will to work at it, man, I'm always going to respect that.

It's the people who think they can shit and be lauded that piss me off, and when they *have* the talent and choose *not* to nurture it, I get very angry indeed, because there are many people (myself included) who'd give their eyeteeth for the talent to go with the desire and the skill.

And now it's time to go home, and get ready for BtVS and Smallville.

Whee!

If you've got comments, bring 'em on!

~victoria



link

[current mood: thoughtful]
[current music: Gold Dust Woman - god I love this song...]
[random quote: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.]

~*~

10.08.02 - 11:28 a.m.

coincidences and leprechauns

I natter on about Buffyverse metaphysics in the LJ.

I'm also contemplating the discussion of beta readers going on on zendom, as Beta Reader Appreciation Day approaches (and god knows, I appreciate my betas, even if they don't think I do sometimes. Just today, Pete caught something in the Gont Slayer story that none of the rest of us saw, thus saving me embarrassment. Smoochies, gusys [sic]) and also, the discussion of whether bad writers should keep writing and posting, and whether one can become a good writer through sheer bloody will, or if there needs to be a spark, some talent, or even the most technically proficient person, lacking only that spark, will never be great.

I'm also freezing, and I have actual work to do, so my ramblings on these topics will have to wait.

but go read about William's and Liam's souls.

And is that similarity in their names just too coincidental for comfort, or what? If the shows were still on the same network, I really wouldn't want to be anyone charged with interpreting the Scrolls of Aberjian nowadays...

~victoria



link

[current mood: cold and thoughtful]
[current music: Magic Man... ooh, Giles's theme song!]
[random quote: There are only two things I don't believe in: coincidences and leprechauns. I was right about the leprechauns, right?]

~*~

10.07.02 - 10:13 p.m.

guh... X2 spoiler. And watchfic.

Okay, just downloaded my hugeass pile of email that I can't read at work and saw this on X-Fiction:

X2 spoilers.

I have two words for you:

Wolvie.

Nekkid.

No pics in the article, but apparently Hugh Jackman was running around bareass naked during filming.

*swoon*

And, for those of you who've been hoping for more watchfic (all two of you *g*), here's the next section:

***

Logan spent the next two days avoiding everyone in the mansion. He devoted himself to conquering the Danger Room and beating the heavy bag in the gym.

Every thought was punctuated with a hit on the bag.

He reminded himself that he didn’t have to stay. He’d come back, as promised, and Marie was safe now. She had Cyke and Storm and Chuck to protect her. She didn’t need him looking out for her, complicating her life. She was only eighteen, and she’d get over it, him, whatever.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he’d eventually believe it.

He shied away from memories of the way her body felt pressed against his, the taste of her in his mouth. He tried not to think about his future, and hers, and the little thrill that ran through him when she’d made it plain that she expected him -- them -- to have a future, and have it together.

She left him alone, and he was grateful for that, but he knew it wouldn’t last. She was persistent and brave, and all sorts of great things that he loved but couldn’t have.

Loved.

The word brought him up short, knuckles stinging at the abuse he was heaping on them.

He loved beer and sex and fighting and the Canucks (though God knows, they sucked this year). He didn’t love people.

But he loved Marie.

It was the first time he’d articulated it, even in his own thoughts.

Christ.

Not only did he love her, he was in love with her – with the scared but brave girl she’d been, and the strong, confident woman she was becoming. He wanted to know every side of her, be with her through everything that happened in her life.

He growled and let loose with another flurry of punches.

This was all kinds of bad.

It meant he couldn’t walk away. And since walking away was one of the few things he did and did well, he was shit out of luck.

Of course, he could walk away. Nothing was physically *stopping* him. But the thought of the look on Marie’s face was a more powerful hold on him than anything anyone else had ever tried, up to and including strapping him down and cutting him open.

They’d fucked with his body and stolen his mind, but his will had never been broken; he’d always been his own man, answering to no one.

If he followed his gut, and his gut was usually right, he’d stick around and play this out, because his gut was telling him that this was important. In fact, his instincts were screaming at him that this wasn’t a trap at all, but a good thing.

It was his brain getting in the way.

But for once, he was willing to let his brain be in charge, because he was afraid this time that his instincts had settled down around his crotch and he didn’t want to be lead around by his dick.

He wanted Marie.

He couldn't deny that, and he was going to give up trying. It was hurting both of them.

His knuckles split, from the last round of hits to the bag, and he let the pain wash over him. Pain had a way of throwing everything into sharp relief, making him see what was real, and what was not.

This thing with him and Marie was real.

Now he just needed to figure out what to do about it.

He flexed his fists, knuckles already healed, and threw another round of punches.

He was losing himself in the physical, having come to at least a partial decision, when he scented Scott.

“Save some of that for Sabretooth,” Scott said, entering the gym.

Logan glanced at him in the mirror and growled.

Scott didn’t take the hint. “Look, I know you don’t much like me. And frankly, when we first brought you here, I didn’t like you either.”

Logan snorted, and continued punching.

Scott ignored him and continued, “But you came through in the clutch, and it’s obvious to anyone with eyes in his head that you care a lot about Rogue.”

‘Great,’ thought Logan. “Shut up.”

Scott shrugged. “Not talking about it isn’t going to make it go away.”

Logan growled again. But saying it meant you had to deal with it, and he hated dealing with feelings -- his own or other peoples’. Especially when there was a woman involved.

“Anyhow, I just wanted to say that Jean and I hope everything works out for you and Rogue.”

Logan swung around to stare at him. “You’re giving me your blessing?” he asked incredulously.

Scott looked sheepish, a slight blush staining his cheeks, but he nodded. “We understand how hard it can be when there’s a big age gap in a relationship, and--"

“Why don’t you just mind your own damn business, One-Eye? I don’t--" He stopped, unable to complete that particular lie. “I don’t need advice about women, and I certainly don’t want it from you.”

He pushed past the younger man; he needed to get the hell out. Now.

“Okay,” Scott called after him as he stalked down the hall, “but don’t blame me when they put Plan B into effect.”

That stopped him.

“Plan B? What the hell is Plan B?”

Scot shook his head. “I like to think I’m as brave as any man alive, but even I know not to cross the women when they get up to something.”

Crap. Scott was right. Nothing was worse than women on a mission. “The women?”

Scott nodded and joined Logan at the end of the hall, by the elevators. “And I think they’ve enlisted Jubilee.”

Logan thought about the kids he’d met one by one, matching names with faces and mutations. “The gum chewer? Always in yellow? Big earrings?”

“That’s her.”

“Crap.” That one had trouble written all over her.

Scott nodded again and Logan found himself thinking of those stupid bobble-head dolls that people -- women, really -- always wanted him to stick on the dashboard of his truck. “That’s what I’m saying, man. It’s easier to just give in now and tell Rogue how you feel.”

Logan ran a hand through is hair, considering it. But there were two things stopping him. He didn’t like being manipulated, especially not by a bunch of women (and Cyke), and he still thought he was bad for Marie.

That was the bottom line. He didn’t want to hurt her, and that’s what would happen in the end, because that’s what *always* happened.

He just had to figure out if he could live with hurting her now in order to save her the pain later. He wasn’t sure about that.

“No. Let them do their worst. I’ll be out of here in an hour.”

But it was a lie, and they both knew it. He’d caught a glimpse of the future -- his future -- and despite everything, he was going to hold onto it. He felt the weight of the watch on his wrist. He hadn’t taken it off yet, had even begun sleeping in it, because it had come from her. However, he wasn’t about to be roped and collared like a bull on the way to breeding. He still had his mind and his will, and he would make the decision in his own time.

“Logan--"

“Tell them to bring it on.”

And he walked away, leaving Scott staring after him, a frown on his face.

***

Next is Jubes and Jean to the rescue, though I think I'm having to rethink that, because I don't quite know what Jubilee could do that wouldn't work as well as what Jean is going to do, which is basically tell him to get his head out of his ass and stop being such a baby.

Hmm...

Right now I'm editing the Slayer on Gont fic, which I hope to have ready to post sometime this week. I haven't posted in a while. I feel all weird.

So I leave you tonight with two words:

Wolvie.

Nekkid.

Hee!

~victoria



link



[current mood: guh]
[current music: I'm Under Your Spell - Amber Benson]
[random quote: lost in ecstacy, spread beneath my willow tree, you make me complete]

~*~

10.07.02 - 3:03 p.m.

BRAD survey

As promised, the BRAD (aka Beta Reader Appreciation Day) Questionnaire:

Who was your first beta?

Dot, Jen and Pete all threw themselves upon my first fic.

What was the story and fandom?

Enough for Now - X-Men Movieverse.

Are you still writing in that fandom?

Amazingly, yes.

Which beta(s) had the most impact on your writing?

They've all had an effect in various ways:

Dot makes me conscious of wordiness and encourages me to be spare, even though she no longer betas much. I can still hear her sharp, "Spank that!" and "Is that really necessary?" in my head as I write.

Meg makes me aware of what's missing in the story, i.e., the idea is in my head, but I've forgotten to let the reader in on the knowledge. She also calls me on repetitive usages, though sometimes those are planned on my part. No, really, they are.

Jen is my comma and grammar zealot, and she and Dot both rein in my tendency toward melodrama.

Pete puts the Mushmeister stamp of approval on my mush, reminds me not to make Logan *too* much of an asshole, and is my source for all things comics canon (both X-men and Superman).

He's also great help when it comes to action scenes, and he and Meg both are full of ideas for whenever I'm stuck for a good villain.

They all question my more fantastic flights of fancy and characterization, and make sure that I ground everything in the source text, even Hooker!Rogue and Junkie!Xander.

What's your favourite story or series of what you've written?

The Soiled Dove.

I mean, there are stories I love equally well (The Very Sickness of My Heart, The Best Laid Plans, The Language of Goodbye, A Harbor in the Tempest, 32 Flavors, Faculty Follies, The Space Between. I could go on, but I'll stop.)

I love all my stories for one thing or another. I just happen to love these a little more. Or maybe because in addition to my own fondness for them, I'm able to step back and say that they're objectively *good*, as well.

Why?

Why Soiled Dove? Because it works. It's most recognizably an X-Men story, with X-Men characters, even though they have no mutations and it's set in 1950s New York. Plus, it's a classic noir detective story, reminiscent of Hammett or Chandler. I mean, not that the writing is as good as theirs, but I really tried, and I think it works. Plus, the mystery is resolved, everything makes sense, there's violence and sex and dangerous women and even some thematic and metaphorical stuff that ties the whole thing together.

What more could you want out of a work of fiction?

It's also in the line of the type of original fiction I'd like to write if I ever actually get off my ass and write something original.

Who was the beta?

Dot, Jen, Meg and Pete.

What are the next two favourites from your own work?

Heh. See above.

Also, Chasing the Blast and Jim Morrison's Dead.

Huh.

I'm sensing a pattern here.

I also like Angel of the Evening and Caveat Emptor.

Right now, the Gont/Slayer fic is making me happy, and so is the Snapefic, if I ever get around to editing it.

And I just wrote 1000 words on the watch fic. If I could just come up with some good pestiferous Jubilee scenes, I could finish that fic and make DD and Naomi Chana happy.

Who beta'd your most recent story?

Meg and Jen, with Burying the Dead. At least, that's the last posted story.

What do you consider the most important quality in a beta reader?

The ability to tell the truth diplomatically and not be put off by my sulks. I send a story out for editing and expect it to be edited. That doesn't mean I have to like all the comments, or use 'em all (though I use probably 75-80% of all their suggestions, even when I don't necessarily like them), or agree with them all.

I need a beta to be able to defend their suggestions and tell me *why* their idea is better if I don't see it, just like I need them to ask me why I've done something that seems odd or wrong-on-purpose.

Also, knowledge of language, grammar, canon, writing, characterization.

What do you consider the most important thing to be accomplished in a beta read?

Making sure the story works. Making sure the characterization is on, and that there aren't any points where a reader will say, "Huh?" or "S/he would never say/do that!" or "Who the hell ARE these people?"

How has your writing changed from your first stories?

Tighter. Less wordy, more descriptive. More confident and willing to take stylistic and content chances.

What do you attribute that to?

Heaping helpings of praise from various people, good betas, and hard work. The willingness to improve. The belief that I'm good, even when I think I suck.

Your own and recommended URLs:

Mine? http://www.unfitforsociety.net/musesfool/

Recommended? Oh god, where to start?

Unfit for Society - the home of me, Pete, Meg, Jen and Pete Milan. Plus, links and recs (well, they used to be updated. I'll get to it) and resources for writers.

Jenn's site; Beth's site; The Wolverine and Rogue Fanfic Archive (not everything there is fab, but that's where darkstar is archived). Also, Molly, Elizabeth, Diebin and Donna and DNC's sites (sorry, no URLs, but they're all linked from my site). The Smallville Slash archive and the Level Three Reading Room for good Clex and Chlex and Chlark and various other Smallville fic. The BtVS Writers' Guild home page for links to all sorts of Buffy and Angel goodness.

***

My back is freaking *killing* me. And I'm craving something sweet in the worst way.

Sigh.

~victoria



link

[current mood: achy]
[current music: Find Me Somebody to Love - Queen]
[random quote: \"You want to listen or you want to die?\" \"As long as you're there, I mostly want you to wriggle.\"]

~*~

10.07.02 - 10:35 a.m.

surveylicious!

Fanfic survey I hadn't seen before. Gacked from Katta:

1) Your favorite fanfic story *title.*

My own? The Very Sickness of My Heart

Someone else's that I wish I had used first and really like? Because It Is Bitter and Because It Is My Heart, by Luna.

2) Best *funny* story.

I'll go with Katta and say, Them No Good, Low-Down Lando Calrissian Blues by Yahtzee. Massive crossover, and possibly the funniest fic ever written.

3) Best *angst.*

Save the Last Dance for Me by darkstar. So, so very hurtful and yet it could have ended no other way. Possibly the only time ever that character death can be considered a happy ending.

4) Fanfic story that made you cry.

See above.

Also, Safety In Numbers by Elizabeth. God. Just so -- grrr... it's totally in character, and it so hurts.

5) (The biggie) Your *single* favorite (listing a series is not permitted, nor are listing "ties" or runners-up) story in each of five different fandoms.

No ties? Bah.

X-Men Movieverse: Safety In Numbers by Elizabeth. Best Logan/Rogue ever. Ever. We should all be lucky enough to create one story this good.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Doorway to a Thousand Churches by Loki (Yeah, I know it's unfinished, but I can't help it. I adore this story).

BTVS - finished fic: Underground by Meg. Shivery Xander angst. "When I die, cremate me."

West Wing: Galatea by Pix. Exquisite and still believable, Pix casts Josh and Donna as Pygmalion and Galatea, and it just works beautifully.

Harry Potter: Lust Over Pendle by AJ Hall. Do I really believe this Draco? That's a good question. On the other hand, I fully believe this Neville, this Hermione and best of all, this Emily Longbottom and Narcissa Malfoy.

Absolutely perfect character-driven story masquerading as both a comedy of manners *and* a mystery.

Even non-HP fans should give it a whirl.

Homicide: Life on the Street: Adena 1950 by Scott. This is a direct result of my love for noir stories. Take our favorite Homicide detectives and drop them into Baltimore circa 1950, and see what happens if the Adena Watson case occurred back then.

While some of the results aren't pretty (Mikey! And Beau. God, it hurts, but this Beau is definitely plausible, given the era and the circumstances), the story just fires on all cylinders.

(No URLs because the BEMC firewall is evol. And also, I'm lazy.)

~victoria



link

[current mood: good]
[current music: Take the Long Way Home - Supertramp]
[random quote: Scully: \"Should we arrest David Copperfield?\" Mulder: \"Yes. But not for this.\"]

~*~

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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.

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