Posted in writing

Its that time again…

Yes, that is right folks, Its November and that means I’ll be struggling to write 2,ooo words a day (my own personal goal, not necessaries what you have to do) amongst the papers, projects and other Real life obsticles that lay in my path.

This year I’m attempting a modernized version of the Persephone myth.  It involves immortals, mortals and a bad guy or two.  There is a bit of romance, some comedy and some action.  It is not a fanfic, so it might be doomed from the start, but I am trying.

I’m creating a playlist as I go for when I’m writing, usually reserving an hour before bed for the rush to the goal line.  Anyone have any tips they learned about writing?

Posted in writing

A Plea to Writers

Dear Writers,

I would like to see one day a heroine who is kick ass.  One who doesn’t have the perfect life, but hasn’t had hell either.  One who takes the obstacles in her life and overcomes them without four pages of woe-is-me.  I want a heroine who saves the day using her smarts and manages to get the guy too.  I want a heroine who wears normal clothes and not 3 inch platform boots to go kick butt.  Sure, she can wear them sometimes but when you are running through the woods trying to catch the bad guy, heels aren’t very logical.  So how about a girl who wears jeans and a sports jersey (or whatever is historically accurate) or I suppose a business suit if she so wishes, who eats chocolate pudding and doesn’t cry about the calories, whose smart and intelligent and doesn’t need a man to save her (although if he would like to help that would be fine.).  One where if the guy leaves her, her world doesn’t completely crumble.  She might be hurt, she might be devastated, but she picks up and carries on. A character who can be kick ass and a mother if she she so chooses.  A character who realizes showing emotion every once and awhile ISN”T a sign of weakness.  Actually, that would be for guys too.  You can fall in love and still save the world.

If you find this character, please write her. I would like to see more of her on my bookshelf and on my computer.

Sincerely,

A Reader.

Posted in fanfiction, ncis, stargate, writing

Ponderings: AUs

After school let out for the summer I decided to go through my computer and finish the unfinished stories and start getting them moved over to the “Look how much crap I have written” Disk.  I opened the NCIS folder, having decided to start there and realized I had six unfinished stories. All of them were AUs in the sense that Kate Todd never dies in my stories (except in the Doom Fic, which she actually only dies for a few minutes) but I wondered if I should actually call them AUs.  For examples, I shall list the summaries of these WIPs.

1. Dirty Deeds

Basically I’m writing a cliché.  Kate and Tony have a one-night stand the night before his wedding to Bianca (an OC).  Much angst is held because Tony is confused, Kate feels guilt and confusion, Abby and the rest of the gang are wondering why the hell Tony is getting married and Bianca has issues of her own.  AU because Kate is alive and Tony is actually getting married, but still staying close to canon.

2. As the World Falls Down

Kate & Tony (are you getting my ship for this fandom yet?) babysit Tony’s half-sister.  Kate has a strange dream inspired by Labyrinth and decides to make a move on Tony.   It starts off as a fluffy one-shot but Abby & Tim wanted their turn. So its more.  AU Kate but stays close to canon

3. The Christmas AU 1

Tony and Kate spend Christmas together during the great Snow-in. Canon AU

4. The Christmas AU 2

Jen, Kate and Ziva own a book store.  Ari is a patient at a mental facility where he is watched over by Dr. Leon Vance. Ducky runs a clinic with Gerald and Jimmy, Paula Cassidy a jewelry store, Cassie Yates a drug store, Tony a movie rental place and Abby a computer repair center.  Tim is a writer known for spending time at the book store.  I forget what I have Gibbs doing.  AU AU

5.  Untitled

Tony decides to take a job in LA for a few months to put distance between himself and Kate.  This is how She realizes how much Tony actually does within the group dynamic.  AU season 3

6. The One with a Casino

Jen owns a casino. Ari wants her casino, so he sends his best man Peter to try and blackmail and otherwise terrorize a stubborn Jen out of the casino.  Kate is a PI (partnered with Tony) and comes to work undercover to catch Ari & Peter in the act. Gibbs is Jen’s wealthy but retired boyfriend, Ducky and Jimmy bartenders, Ziva is head of security, and McGee is a frequent customer to the table where Abby is the dealer.

There is more (including, I think, a McAbby ficlet) but I will stop there. Especially since this is supposed to be a reading/writing original fic journal. But the point is most of those stick to canon in the sense that they have the same missions, the same things happen to people, but its altered slightly by the fact that Kate (and at times Jen) lived to see another season.  But then I also have the Casino and Bookshop fics.  If its AU to have Kate alive, what do I call fics where its not even in the same setting as the original product.

What if I have Rodney and John as professors at Atlantis University instead of who they are on the show?  Do I call that Au or do I have another label for it.  Or what if I write a fic where Vala never got off the Prometheus the first time?

So what I am asking my few readers is How do you define an AU and whats canon fic.

Posted in fanfiction, Pet Peeves, writing

The Author Note

I read tons of fan fiction in my free time. And over time I have come across some things that have made me want to bang my head against the wall.  Sometimes it was atrocious spelling (if its worse then my own, its really really bad, believe me), other times it could be the lack of capitals or punctuation.  And often it is the author notes.

Author notes are for the purpose of speaking to the reader about whatever it is your story that isn’t explained within the story itself, or answering a common question in reviews for the last trouble, or even making a note about the song you listened to or an excuse why its late. I usually include people who helped in the brainstorming and beta’ing of the story.  It belongs at the top and/or bottom of your chapter.

Where it does not belong is in the middle of it.  Over the last couple of months I have constantly come across stories where I’m into the story and get thrown out because the author decided to stick an author’s note into a paragraph.  I spend a few minutes glaring at said author’s note and continue on.  On occasion I have found fics riddled with author notes.

As a reader I am begging the writers:  Please keep the notes to the start or the finish.  If you feel you need to explain something, put an asterisk or a number ala footnotes and explain it later.  Or just explain it in the opening notes. 

When its in the middle of your story it throws the reader off.  Its like floating through a river and suddenly a rock appears.  Also, half the author notes within the story I have seen tend to be commentary rather then explanations.  If you want to do that, do a fic commentary like people do for television shows.   I find the “And he danced to the hokey pokey. (A/N: I love that song!)” to be greatly annoying.

Also, if you feel something needs to be explained, have another character explain it.

I don’t want to sound mean or make it sound like those who do this aren’t good writers.  All I am saying is that I have stopped reading fics before because of excessive internal author notes.  Keep them to the before or after area, and not the during, please.

Posted in book reviews, essay, general, School related, writing

The 2010 Book-it

Remember when you were younger and the library had special summer reading (or during the school year sometimes) that if you read so many gooks, you’d get a gift card to Pizza Hut (or whatever)?  Well, my friends and I, seeing a similar non-organization based version of it, decided last year to have what we called ‘The Fellowship Book-it”.  The Fellowship is a nickname we gave our group after seeing LOTR.  Don’t ask.  Anyway, the point of the Book-it is to get back to reading.  And reading something that isn’t on the screen of one’s computer (Basically that news article on Britney Spears doesn’t count).   If you have a Kindle, or an ebook program, that’s different.

The Goal: 50 books during the year.  That is basically 1 book per week, with two weeks off.

Time Frame:  January 1st – December 31st.

The Rules (of the fellowship version, its not exactly a standard):

– This is not a competition, its a goal line

– The story you read must be able to be found by itself somewhere.  So a packet of short stories doesn’t count as five books.  You can count it as one book (But point it out that its a group)  If its an exceptionally long short story, an exception might be made (like the 28 page excerpt of St. Augustine I read last year.  I counted that by itself)

– Text books count if there is reading involved.  Math books do not count, there are more numbers then words. 

– A book counts once.  If you read it twice in one year, it still only gets counted once

– You can count books you’ve read before, as long as you actually read it again and don’t count it twice in the same year. 

– If you start a book in 09, and finish it in ‘10, it can count.

Most people just keep a list of what they read.  We are using a facebook group thing to keep track of what is what, and when someone reaches 25 we *plan* to have a pizza party.  (we kinda forgot last year).  Some people write reviews as they go along, and that is what I’m going to try to do

So I’m off to read.  Expect my first review to come soon.  Also, I read alot of Fandom fiction (movie novelization, spin off books etc) so expect some fandom talk as well.

If anyone would like to do this and has questions, feel free to comment or email me.  Its just a fun thing to do.  There is also a movie and TV episode versions I’ve seen, and I;m doing the 100 movies in a year one.  Its my first year.  So far so good, except I keep rewatching movies:)

Posted in book reviews, general, writing

The purpose of this blog

The purpose of this blog originally was just going to be either a writing journal or a school reading journal.  And in a sense, it will remain that.  However I am going to redefine it now.

This blog will be my writing, book reviews, movie review etc.  I’m going to try and keep my personal life restricted to my LJ so you don’t have to worry about me rambling on about someone else and their idiocy (unless its about a character in a book).  However, I may on occasion write about something non-writing or reading.  Like perhaps a ramble on a certain research element.

Some of you might not know, but I have another blog here on WordPress called Graphic Mirage.  It is a graphic design/tech blog, but its not a super-tech blog.  Basically I talk about things and hope people talk back.  Sometimes I ask questions, sometimes I give answers, and alot of times I just talk about things that I like in that realm.  Feel free to follow it and leave comments.Its interactive.

So is this blog.  I see this as a communication medium, not just somewhere where you read what I have to say.  If I don’t like a book and you do, feel free to put your opinion up.  Just be polite about it.  I can delete comments if they insult me or the other commentators (and telling me I’m wrong is not an insult.  I’m talking about calling me or someone else a name that might require your mother putting soap in your mouth).

I am also doing a 50 Books a year thing (book it?) so if you have any suggestions for books for me to read, I’m happy to take them.  Right now I am reading The Harry Potter series (attempting to actually read them all, except 7 and read them in order.  Unlike the last time where I read 1 & 3)  and The Rowan, the first in the Tower series.  I have already read the book, but its been at least a year, if not two since I did and I am quite enjoying it and realizing things I never noticed before.

Posted in fanfiction, writing

Possible Fic Openers

Found a fortune cookie the other day that seemed perfect to open a chapter with, kind of like how some start it off with a lyric.  Here is a list so I don’t forget them.

Though I am not naturally Honest, I am so sometimes by chance.

Compromise is always wrong if it means sacrificing a principle.

Your ability to love will help a child in need (this is not one I’ll probably use.)

A sense of humor is one of your greatest assets

One cannot know the best that is in him

Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

Posted in Art, book vs Movie, essay, fanfiction, film, ncis, School related, writing

And I am still Alive

Sorry for the non-updates.  I’ve been so busy in school that haven’t had time to post anything here.  But alot has happened since I last updated.   School’s over, I wrote a small novella that I’m currently working on revising.  I’m partispating in a virtual season, I have updated my Deviantart account with photographs and have several art projects on my to do list.

I’m currently working on a review of the Pride and Prejudice movies.  Lets hope that goes well.

Posted in fanfiction, ncis, stargate, writing

As yet untitled NCIS/SG-1 fic prologue

 

Author’s Notes:  This is a rough draft.  I plan on writing more into this.  Especially at the end.  Delve more into Nicholas, and in particular his relationship with Tony.  Katarina;s name may also change.  She’s dead (I’m trusting Gibbs and not Tony on this one, because the writers didn’t keep a correct way of wiether she was alive or not.)

Spoilers: All 10 seasons of SG-1, first 5 seasons of NCIS, particularly seasons 1-2.   Nothing heavily episode related, but NCIS and SG have things that are said in them that filter through out the whole show (like people teasing Tony about the Transsexual he made out with)

Basically, right now know that Vala and Cameron are at the SGC, as is Sam.  Sam & Jack are involved in a serious relationship.   Paul Davis has been promoted to Lt. Colonel and is currently helping Kate set up an investigative section of Homeworld Security.

Ziva and Tony are kinda together.  They aren’t holding each other to any sort of commitment and both are thinking of ending it, amicably.

Jenny did not die.  So ignore anything about the season 5 finale or later.  Kate did not die, but she hasn’t been working at NCIS since her attack (where she did die, but they were able to bring her back with the technology the SGC had available).

Umm….yeah, thats basically it I think.  If not I’ll revise this later on.  Proabably when this becomes a publishable –at-an-archive stage.

 

Continue reading “As yet untitled NCIS/SG-1 fic prologue”

Posted in fanfiction, ncis, stargate, writing

The problem with stories that go on in your head is..

That you get scenes that are totally not part of the story being planned.

Like I have this scene in my head of Kat (who, given that I see her being a little like Abby, might actually in fact be like the person I know as Kat) wanting a pet Iguana but Tony saying no (and Kate laughing her butt off about.).  Now she just wants a pet, so she moves on to other animals trying to find one that her parents will allow (and that their apartments will allow).  And during a case, there is a dog that has to go up for adoption because its owner died and it has no one to take of it, so Tony decides that its the perfect pet for Kat, since its a older dog whose been around alot of people, and for some odd reason it just hits him as the right thing to do.  And Kat is very happy about it.

But given the story takes place when Kat is 2 and not 6 or 7 like she would be in the scene above, it gets annoying when that is the scene that’s running through your head.

Why can’t it be the scene where Jack and Gibbs argue over jurisdiction?

Ooooo…Jack and Gibbs in the elevator conference room.  Discussing whose got what rights and coming to an agreement……