jedibuttercup

One of the side effects of being a touch OCD in my fic writing is that -- in addition to getting frequently stuck on details I feel like I haven't yet sufficiently researched -- I can also put my fingers on a lot of obsessively organized facts at the click of an Access query.

For example: I keep a list of all fic titles I've ever used. It also contains a column for what I call the 'clipped title' (using a formula to remove all initial punctuation or articles) by which I sort. This is the only reason I have never accidentally duplicated a fic title. [This list is currently 962 titles long.]

This list also has columns for completed fic posting date, wordcount, whether it's a crossover, fandom(s), POV (1st/3rd), POV (gender), tense (past/present), rating, and what type of ship it is. [This is how I can tell you that about half the words I wrote last year were from a female character's perspective; that gen is still my most popular category by far; and that I have written 20 stories that are exactly 3,000 words in length.]

In two months, I'll have been active in fandom for seventeen years: 2,170,457 words posted since March 13, 2002.

*cracks knuckles* Here's hoping I'm still going in another seventeen years. Though I think the list is going to be even more unwieldy by then. :)

Crossposts: https://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/622862.html

... that when I'm surfing AO3 and see something like "(Y/N) Stark is the youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark" in a fic summary, I immediately think "Yes/No" instead of "Your Name". It trips me up every time, and even after I remember, I have a hard time seeing the appeal. I did read some of those Choose Your Own Adventure books that were popular when I was a kid in the 80s; but even then, I had to sit down with a notebook and plot out which pages jumped where so I could figure out which was the most satisfying ending -- and most of them actually weren't. I read -- and write-- fic to explore the characters and/or world(s) I loved in canon, not to insert myself into it, especially not a reader-fic version of my self that will (because genericized) be by default OOC.

I know, I know. Different people want different things out of fic; a lot of people do prefer it as escapist wish-fulfillment. Or ... maybe it's just that online fandom wasn't a thing until after I was through my own Mary Sue phase, and the shape of that trope's changed a lot in the years since? For me, it was a bunch of short stories scribbled in erasable ballpoint pen in a spiral-bound notebook, telling stories about how I and my BFFs and my defected-from-the-enemy made-up boyfriend survived an apocalypse in my hometown, or got caught in a time-loop and had to save the world, or became sexy spies, or were born into a fantasy universe where different bloodlines had special magic powers, etc. I'm pretty sure those stories still exist, somewhere in a dusty box; I'm equally glad they'll never again see the light of day. Maybe I would have been one of those people writing up those kinds of fic-ified imagines to share with others, if wifi and smartphones and Tumblr were a thing when I was thirteen instead of dial-up slow-as-fuck AOL. :)

Anyway. You may have noticed I've made a resolution to blog more this year; I'm hoping more engagement will help keep me from sliding back into last year's blue fugue.

Along similar lines: I'll be signing up for this year's

getyourwordsout - signups run through Jan 15, and their commitment levels start at 75,000 words. I'm not sure yet which level I'll sign up for, but their accountability posts should help keep me going. :)

Crossposts: https://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/622686.html

It's been more than 100 works ago since I last did this meme, too. Maybe it'll get some conversation going? :)

I currently have 803 works archived at AO3. Pick a number from 1 (the most recent) to 803 (the first thing I posted there), and I'll tell you three things I currently like about it.

Since those posts range from 100 word fics to 100,000 word fics, I can't promise how voluble or interesting those answers will be, but it should be fun regardless. :)

Crossposts: http://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/600220.html

Because I'm bored with research for my current active projects (

backagainharry and

fandom5k), a recurrent meme:

First Lines, previously meme'd in 2008; 2012; April 2014; Sept 2014; & 2016.

( Post the first line from your 25 most recent fanfic posts... )

( And try to find a pattern.... )

Anything else you find interesting, or want to ask about...?

Crossposts: http://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/599868.html

... you know what, upon reflection, I don't understand Harry's punishment over the Sectumsempra incident either. It makes about as much sense as Sirius and co.'s punishment for the werewolf incident-- in reverse. What, just because Malfoy didn't finish saying 'Cruciatus', even though a review of the incident should prove he was the first one to draw his wand and fire a curse, Harry is the only one punished? Just because Malfoy was the only one who needed the hospital wing, and his Head of House was the one who found them? Not saying Harry shouldn't be punished for his idiocy in using the spell; just that it's yet another severely unbalanced consequence that seems utterly unlikely to help Harry learn how to react to danger and responsibility like a normal human being.

(Oh wait ... *cough* Dumbledore. Continually grooming Harry to increase his feelings of isolation and self-justification in service of his eventual martyrdom at the hands of Voldemort ...)

Oh, and also: one student attempts to kill and torture another, his opponent slashes him bloodily across the chest, and detentions are the only punishment handed out? And no one else objects? Fucking seriously? I guess they really mustn't ever report student injuries and punishments in any official way, or else... I'm reminded of a Hagrid quote I also tripped across recently. "It's always been a bit of a risk sending a kid to Hogwarts hasn't it? You expect accidents, don't you, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up together."

Not that JKR seems to have cared what she was implying about the alienness of wizarding culture with all of this, beyond cleaving to conventional tropes in isolating her hero ...

I'm not really sure how much of this will make sense for Harry to realize in

backagainharry, but continuing to reinforce the beneficial effects of thinking things through is going to be a must.

Crossposts: http://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/599288.html

First, just to get it out of the way: I'm going to keep crossposting to LJ for awhile, despite the annoying new TOS, but I did go ahead and set my journal for Adult warnings and un-check the 'participate in rankings' box so as to avoid the most blatant of the new potential issues. Mostly, I'm amused that they did this the very day before my pre-paid account was to expire, and added six months to the time I can expect to avoid seeing ads there.

Nonetheless, if you're reading this from LJ, and have a DW, and I'm not already friends with you there, let me know, would you? Would probably be prudent to consolidate my 'circle'.

Anyway, with that out of the way: two more things that've really bothered me as I continue to reread HBP. First: how the hell can anyone reread the scene with Dumbledore 'asking' Harry to get Slughorn's memory and not realize he's the very definition of a manipulative son-of-a-bitch? Good intentioned, I usually grant; but still. That is not something you do to an impressionable teenager that you don't view as a means to an end more than a human being who deserves to chart his own fully informed course in life.

And secondly... regarding the Felix Felicis. And I quote: "I dunno... I was sort of saving it..." // "...vague and unformulated plans that involved Ginny splitting up with Dean..." WTF, Harry? Is this or is this not the child who just lost his godfather in a life-or-death battle that a little Lucky potion might have potentially helped with? I'd have been saving that stuff too, good job there, but for the potential next fight of my life with my nemesis, not for romantic daydreams! If you ask me, that's a far more persuasive argument for the Weasley-potioning-theorists than most of the ones that actually show up in fic! *sigh*

Crossposts: http://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/599032.html

In my review of HBP for

backagainharry, I tripped over an interesting quote. After Remus lets Harry down about his not so subtle questions regarding the possible identity of the Half Blood Prince, he tells him to check the publish date on his used potions book. Harry does, and discovers "it was nearly fifty years old. neither his father, nor his father's friends, had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago."

How does it not occur to him that he once had his hands on another book, one which dated to Hogwarts in roughly the same timespan? That he knows the identity of a half blood (having just learned that information from Dumbledore!) who went to Hogwarts in exactly that time frame, and demonstrably thought rather highly of himself and the heritage he'd discovered?

If it had been me, I would. And where might things go from there? Obviously, we the readers would know Harry was wrong, that it was Snape using his pureblood mother's hand-me-down book who'd marked it all up. But what kind of an entertaining fic could you build out of Harry assuming it was Voldemort's book and, after debating whether to reject it, deciding to use it to learn more about his destined enemy? He'd be a lot more wary about the scribbled spells, for one thing (*cough* Sectumsempra); but what else might he learn and misattribute from the notes within its pages, and how else might that disarray the canon plot?

*thinky expression*

Crossposts: http://jedibuttercup.livejournal.com/598686.html

In honor of currently having 777 stories posted to AO3, and having passed two million posted words of fanfic, some memeage! :)

First Lines: previously meme'd in 2008; 2012; April 2014; & Sept. 2014.

( Post the first line from your 25 most recent fanfic posts... )

( And try to find a pattern.... )

Anything else you find interesting, or want to ask about...?

So, I promised that I would post my research notes for Now That The Dawn Has Come, my 100,000+ word Falling Skies fic. *grin* So here they are, in all their over-wordy glory; overall notes first, then specific references pertaining to the chapters.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments, or if you spotted something in the story you want to know more about that isn't listed here! The building blocks of story-writing is always an interesting topic to me. :)

( TL;DR Research Notes for Now That The Dawn Has Come )

So,

lessermensaga. Now that I'm almost done, I feel the sudden urge to tell y'all why I really picked NLB in particular of the half-dozen WIPs on my list to finish first, other than my own sheer bloody-minded desire not to be a quitter and the fact that it was the oldest. Which make for great excuses, but are only maybe half of the truth.

( The rest of the answer? To prove something to myself. )

... This message brought to you by belated self-analysis and the desire to thank readers of non-Buffyverse fandoms for their continued patience while I finish my ancient, first-fanfic-epic vanity project. :)

It's been a long time since I did this meme! But I've seen a variant going around again lately, so:

Give me a link to one of my fics or WIPs, and I'll give you details that didn't make it into the fic. Background canon, deleted scenes, or a look into the future. My choice, but if you have a specific question you can ask it in your request.

No promises I'll answer specific questions if you pick a WIP, but: Fic Indexed by Fandom (DW) or User Profile (AO3).

If you're curious, here's a link to the answers I gave in 2011.

*cracking knuckles* Ten left from last year's Wishlist. I had a rough start to the year, but I think I'm mostly back on my stride now. Time to get 'er done. But while more plotlines percolate ...

First Lines! Previously meme'd in 2008, 2012, and back in April:

( Post the first line from your 25 most recent fanfic posts... )

Of the 25 lines of fic:

( And try to find a pattern.... )

While I'm waiting for more "plotting practice" prompts (see previous post), another ficmeme. (Why, yes, I have been idly drifting back through my meta and fic bunny tags, why do you ask?)

First Lines! Previously meme'd in 2008 and 2012:

( Post the first line from your 25 most recent fanfics... )

( And try to find a pattern.... )

What do you think? Anything that sticks out to you that I'm overlooking?

Hm; haven't seen this meme before. Lifted from

izhilzha:

I have 656 works archived at AO3. Pick a number from 1 (the most recent) to 656 (the first thing I posted there), and I'll tell you three things I currently like about it.

Heh. I've certainly been a busy bee over the last decade, haven't I? This could get interesting.

Another! *smashes keyboard*

... Meme originally lifted from

joonscribble in '08:

( Post the first line from your 25 most recent fanfics... )

I'm too tired to pick out more; any interesting things you guys see right off hand?

I have run across at least three fics in the last week that used the word "palette" (a thin oval or rectangular board or tablet that a painter holds and mixes pigments on) when they should have said "palate" (the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals/the sense of taste). As in, using one's tongue to map another's palette, or not having the palette for a particular wine, both of which errors give me really, really amusing mental images. *snerk*

Also! I've been nominated in Round 26 of the Sunnydale Memorial Fanfiction Awards! I don't know where these noms are all coming from, lately, but I love my f'list anyway. *hugs all* This time, I'm up for:

Best Crossover (Movie): Like Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip (B:tVS/Jurassic Park)
Best Crossover (Movie) Pairing: Like Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip (Buffy Summers/Alan Grant)
Best Crossover (TV): Temporal Malfunctions (B:tVS/Star Trek:TOS)
Best Pairing (Unconventional): One, and One, and Two Together (Buffy Summers/Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)
Best Slash: Weep Not For The Past (Willow/Kennedy)
Best Gen Fic: Demon's Holiday (Rupert Giles, The Cheeseman)

As a reward for saying such lovely things to me yesterday, another meme! This one via

kerrykhat:

Give me a link to one of my fics or WIPs, and I'll give you details that didn't make it into the fic. Background canon, deleted scenes, or a look into the future. My choice, but if you have a specific question you can ask it in your request.

No promises I'll answer specific questions if you pick a WIP, but: Fic Indexed by Fandom (DW) or Works List (AO3).

Spotted all over my friendslist:

If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach.
— Alfred Hitchcock

When I write a story, what do readers immediately look for?

Okay. I have 3,600 words of the Faith & Ronon meet in Sunnydale story written, but there's just no way I'll make the 10K deadline for the

crossbigbang on that tonight. Ugh. Seems like I fail at all the big bangs lately. But to be fair, I did have moving to deal with rather unexpectedly in the middle of this one. That kind of cuts into writing time.

It was for a request, though, so you'll still see it soon enough. But I think I'll switch gears for a little bit to something that's less of a logistical struggle to write.

In that vein: I have a Finishathon poll open at

multific. I have five "self requested" unfinished fic there up for voting; go pick which one you'd rather I tackle in between writing for all the rest of you. *grin*

Meme seen all over my flist:

If you were asked to pick one scene, one shot, one detail, one moment of some kind out of all the things I've made and say "This, this, for whatever reason, I remember, this is something that struck home with me, that I wanted to keep," what would it be?

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Entries tagged with fic: meta

OCD in Fandom

It probably says a lot about my age in fandom...

Pick a Number! Go on, Pick One!

First Lines Meme, Take 6

for enemies

More Questions

a question mark-worthy thought...

First Lines Meme, Take 5

Research Notes: Now That The Dawn Has Come

On Millstones Around One's Neck, and Setting Achievable Goals

Fic Detail Meme, Phase II

First Lines Meme, Fourth Edition

First Lines Meme

Pick a number, any number...

First Lines Meme

Whee, Fandom!

Fic Detail Meme

Tell me....

massaging sore fingers