teratornis | Reading

I came down with whatever that not-flu, not-Covid, not-strep shit is the morning of Christmas. Three weeks later, I stopped running a fever and started recovering. All of which is to say, this is not late so much as delayed.

To my pleased shock, I posted a *lot* last year: 13 individual pieces, plus three chapters of Deadfall. Total words: 45K, pretty much. I have at least that much again in progress, and I'm delighted to be able to say this!

YAY!!

Also, let me mention that there is a lovely community,

communal_creators , in which people work over a week or month together. (March, so coming up soon for the week; September/October and we vote on the dates for that one, too.). This has been a huge help to my creative output coming back up again and it's a blast to see/hear what people are doing, cheer each other on, and man, the gif game in that Discord server is amazing.

Anyway. All of this to say, I'm very happy with how much I posted this last year and hope this year will also be productive!

Current Mood: happy

brightknightie

Here are some recent fannish things I've happened to see and would like to share!

Spotlight: I'm four episodes into the new Marvel Wonderman. It reminds me again how much I wish we could go back to "television" releasing one episode per week, many episodes per year. This streaming model doesn't allow viewers to build relationships with characters or each other. I can't consume or contribute to any discussions yet, because I've seen "only" four episodes (in less than a week). And by the time I catch up, everyone will have moved on. Granted, I feel strongly that Disney/Marvel should have approached its TV shows, from the start, as an anthology series, a la PBS's Masterpiece or The Wonderful World of Disney. That's a familiar model viewers would have understood and known how to engage with. Retrofitting it now as "Spotlight" may be too little, too late. I'm not asking that every story run for seven seasons, of course! But a big part of what makes TV different from movies, and precious to us, is the stories' presences in our lives as we live them through time.

Ficathons, fests & communities

Create & engage
- halfamoon, the 14-day challenge celebrating female characters, is in progress!
- small_fandoms has a drabble-athon throughout February. ("Smallness" here is not by Yuletide metrics, but by reasonableness and on the honor system for present participation.)
- pinchhitbingo is a rolling challenge to help out communities and support fellow fans by filling pinch hits (that is, exchange drops and unmatchables).
- videogamefanworks is a community for sharing assorted fanworks and fanwork recs for any video game or visual novel.
- allbingo's February theme is "Valentine's Day" (love and loss).
- trope_of_the_month has not yet posted its February theme.
- pinchhits is a community for posting needed fills for exchanges. For example, traumaticexperiences is currently seeking pinch hitters.
- whenisitdue tracks many more events than I note here!
Enjoy & share
- fancake (themed fanfic recs); February theme: "inept in love" (fka "idiots in love")
- gensplosion (gen fanfic recs)
- het_reccers (m/f fanfic recs)
- fanart_recs (fanart recs)
- recthething (fanwork recs)

Sidelight: I've begun playing Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, which is a choose-your-own-adventure visual novel murder mystery urban fantasy Greek gods retelling with full-on musical numbers that you direct and redirect as they are sung. So far, so good. Not good, it has no key to the chapter controls anywhere I can find. Three chapters in, I'm still struggling. I am not at all a savvy gamer, but this seems... not entirely my fault? A key to the controls, somewhere in the settings menus, is not an unreasonable ask, even for a multi-platform game, is it? (What is the tab sequence?)

brightknightie

For some time now, it has seemed to me that AO3 account links on DW -- that is, < user name=brightknightie site=archiveofourown.org > -- either fail to display the icon entirely, display just the bottom right corner of it, or replace it with alt-text about the user profile. Compare:

DW:

brightknightie
AO3:

brightknightie

Do you see it, too, or is it just me? Do you know how to fix it? The relevant DW FAQ entry, last updated in 2023, doesn't seem to me to suggest I'm doing something wrong. (I've tried with and without quotation marks with no change.)

Perhaps relatedly, for a while, the YouTube account links (e.g.

overlysarcasticproductions) didn't work, but that seemed to match up with a change in YouTube's account system and seems to be fixed now. AO3, though, I would expect DW to be pretty on top of...?

annavere

Dear Self,

You are 35,657 words into your Jeremiah femslash story. You are in the final chapter, which is meant as a glorified epilogue. You just discovered that Femslash February is a thing, meaning if you hurry up, you can pretend your plodding pace was intentional. You are halfway through the chapter, with 5,621 words behind you and roughly the same amount to go.

THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE ADDING PLOT. PLOT CAN BE SAVED FOR OTHER STORIES.

Sincerely,
Smarter Self

annavere

If anyone here happens to be interested in Wuthering Heights, a new comm just began a group read of the book and some really interesting conversations are happening over there! It's been a long time since I read the novel, and I am having a good time revisiting it.

our_souls_are_made_of

In the words of the administrator,

bleodswean, whose brainchild this was:

"Come join us at a new Wuthering Heights community where we are beginning our Wuthering Heights read-a-long and will soon be discussing this complicated novel! Is it really a love story? Is Cathy certifiable? Does Heathcliff have a wounding story that justifies his revenge? Why is everyone so reprehensible? Or are they? Do the children shed the legacy of betrayal and rage?

There might be icon challenges! And fic prompts! And discussions of other writings female and gothic!"

dswdiane

Hey ho, the chapter's done, the book is done, the chapter's done. Hey ho, what in hell do I do now?

Well, it's almost 1:00 am. Maybe I should like not worry about starting another book. Maybe I should like maybe go and get some sleep for once.

I shall have time tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.

brightknightie

It took a while, but I'm ready to share my own favorite stories from

hlh_shortcuts '25, the annual Highlander fanfiction exchange that releases on the winter solstice (because that is Duncan's birthday). Of course your tastes may differ, so please check out the whole collection and find your joy!

"Metaphorically Speaking" (~4K words, G, gen; Riche, Angie) by

argentum_ls
Please let me shout-out again the story written for my own match request this year. This story delivers a familiar, favorite concept -- Angie encountering Richie after he let her believe he was dead -- in a fresh new way at an energizing distance. Angie is in a very vulnerable place while still immensely strong; the shock doesn't go down easy.

"Orogenesis" (~12K words, G, m/m; Duncan, Methos) by

Teratornis
With a gentle pace and layered metaphors, this story gives Duncan a wholly new interest -- geology -- in a peaceful time, and digs into who Duncan can be when he is not fighting for his life and the lives of those he loves. The show never did much to explore his interests. This piece is about reunion, renewal, growth, and hope.

"Closing Up Shop" (~1K words, G, gen; Joe, Rachel) by

Merfilly
The idea of Rachel E. and a younger Joe meeting is a delight. This story follows close on the first movie, so we get a competent, careful Rachel acting on behalf of Connor and a cautious, careful Joe acting on behalf of the pre-Horton Watchers. I particularly enjoy the parallelism, perhaps foreshadowing, of a scene many years later in the series.

"Kastagir's Hotel Américain" (~3K words, G, f/f; Amanda, Kastigir, Rachel, Rebecca) by

Pennywashburne
This setting is vibrant and an assortment of vivid characters with assorted motivations float downstream into it. Amanda is pulling off a lighter caper while others pull off a more serious operation that is not fully revealed until the end, and we get to see Rachel E. when she's an active young woman, dealing with Connor's immortal friends on her own.

"The Road Forward" (~1K, G, gen; Richie, Connor) by

Havocthecat
It's New Year's Eve 1999, and Richie and Connor are celebrating and remembering. Bringing these characters together in this specific part of their experiences is resonant, with melancholic hope and hopeful regret running both directions, over and around references to all Richie's canonical loved ones. His thoughts of Tessa and Angie particularly strike home with me.

(I, of course, wrote "Hakobore" (~6K, G, gen; Duncan, Methos, Midori), in which Duncan takes his damaged katana to Japan for repair.)

moon_custafer

Local musical legend and TTC busker Jeff Burke is no more, and Toronto is a little duller without him.

rhi

The cold's been decently bad, certainly for us delicate Southern critters.

The snow is, of course, insulated top and bottom by ice, or maybe it's insulating the ice. I do not know.  It got up over freezing significantly (41 F) yesterday... and hit 31 today, so what little had melted refroze.

But if you want to know just how bad it is in my city?  My mailman has not been by since the storm hit.

That bad.

Hope the rest of y'all are well.  Me, I have power, I have food in the house, and tea.  No worries.

Current Mood: cabin feverish

annavere

Challenge #15

How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go?

Snowflake Challenge: A flatlay of a snowflake shaped shortbread cake, a mug with coffee, and a string of holiday lights on top of a rustic napkin.

I'm glad I was able to answer all of the questions, even if a lot of them did center on socializing. I was not very comfortable crossposting most of them to the Snowflake hub, cutting down my ability to maybe meet some new people, but that's a me-thing, not a Snowflake-thing.

My favorite questions were the creative ones. Tropes, moods and the creative process. Lots of fun. I was very proud to wrangle some Highlander horse meta out of the question about pets, but there wasn't much interpretive leeway on the rest of the personal questions.

However, it did get me posting more, which was my chief goal in doing the challenge. This is my 21st post of the month, which is crazy!

So it was fun for a once off and now I get to focus on my backlog of other things, and hope my activity level doesn't fall off a cliff.

annavere

Challenge #14

In your own space, create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom.

Yes, I know. You saw this coming. Honestly, it would be smarter if I picked a different show, because I've been talking about this one for a long time anyway, and it's actually hard for me to recommend it, because I end up thinking of so many caveats and content warnings when I try. I understand that no show is for everyone, and that's okay. So I wasn't really feeling this challenge the way I had hoped to.

But that was yesterday, and now my energy is low and it's so cold I broke out the fingerless gloves and I finally overheated the chimney last night (smoke detectors are a blessed invention, which let me shut it down before it became an actual chimney fire) and I am so happy with this proof that things can always get worse. So to cheer myself, hell with the well-reasoned argument. Hell with background and synopsising and trying to explain myself. You can find all of that online, and this is probably more fun to read. It was sure more fun to write.

Have some really frivolous reasons to watch Jeremiah!

-- It lets you play "spot the Canadian actor." Heck, this show is so Canadian, it lets you play "spot the reused Canadian film set." The old NORAD base of Thunder Mountain is Stargate SG-1's Cheyenne Mountain, sans Stargate. Thrill to the stunning array of guest stars!

-- It lets you stick it to The Man. The Man being MGM and the Showtime Network in this case. Don't you like underdog canceled TV shows that never had a chance? Does it warm your heart to adopt neglected little shows screwed by the network? Here is a new stamp for your collection!

-- Do you get tired of watching supposed experts like ex-SEALs blunder their way through stupid battle tactics to advance the post-apocalyptic plot? You're in luck, because the main characters on this show have received formal training in nothing! It's so relaxing! You will never find yourself going "why don't they use enfilading fire?" because these dumbass kids don't know about enfilading fire. They are totally winging it.

-- So many speeches. Rage against the heavens! Searing confessions! Declarations! Defiance! Poetry recitations!

-- Such pretty men! Such angsty men! Much argument and passion and fury!

-- Such pretty women! Such competent women! They might keep their angst well-hidden, but oh, is it there! Women who deserved so much more focus. Join me in my quest to give them love and adoration!

-- You don't believe how pretty they are? Here are my screenshots on Tumblr of all their pretty faces, from back when I was using that site.

-- So many shipping possibilities! Whether you prefer slash, femslash, or het, there are opportunities and crackling chemistry all over the place. This is a show about feeling things deeply, about the hunger for meaning and purpose and a place to belong. Look at all the sad-eyed orphans and realize you can adopt them for your very own!

-- Also, watching this show will let you understand all my endless blather on this subject, which I'm sure is a huge plus all on its own.

♥

If this has somehow convinced you to give it a chance, Jeremiah is available on Amazon Prime or free on Plex. It's only 35 episodes.

♥

Current Mood: devil-may-care

melannen

I got tagged into this on Tumblr but might as well give you lot a chance too.

Here's a list of all the WIPS I've touched in the last three years, listed by working title. The deal is that I write 100 words for every vote (no deadline.)

No, you don't get to ask for any more info, though I have talked about some of them before. The oldest one is about twenty-five; the newest was started for yuletide this year. There are 25 different fandoms involved, which is definitely part of the problem, yes.

Poll #34146

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 53

View Respondents

Which WIP?

View Answers

A novel example of three-factor, one locus sex determination in a Terrestrial chordate
1 (1.9%)

a shadow on snow
0 (0.0%)

All Men Raising
0 (0.0%)

Arha the Ninth
3 (5.7%)

Chappa'ai
3 (5.7%)

Cheris the First
3 (5.7%)

Children of Barrayar
7 (13.2%)

Clark Knows Better
1 (1.9%)

The #@%$^$ Coffeeshop Fic Fine
3 (5.7%)

Dyson Swarm
1 (1.9%)

The First Sedoretu of Ankh-Morpork
15 (28.3%)

The Hanahaki Protocols
1 (1.9%)

Hello My Name Is
1 (1.9%)

Hikarigakure
0 (0.0%)

I <3 Boobies ch 2
1 (1.9%)

If A Body Meet A Body
1 (1.9%)

I Was The Yiling Laozu's Concubine And All I Got Was This Gauzy Robe
6 (11.3%)

Kobayashi Gusu
0 (0.0%)

Necro-Gothic
0 (0.0%)

One Is One And All Alone
1 (1.9%)

Paris Lui-Meme Imite
1 (1.9%)

Peace love & Quebecois
1 (1.9%)

The Second Master of Yiling
1 (1.9%)

Slow Like Honey
1 (1.9%)

Something Rotten
1 (1.9%)

Tiger Burning Bright
0 (0.0%)

Untitled Shous Game
0 (0.0%)

The White Dynasty Does An Activism
0 (0.0%)

anais_pf posting in

thefridayfive

These questions were suggested by

twirlandswirl.

How many times a day do you . . .

1. Brush your teeth?

2. Shower?

3. Check your E-mail?

4. Check LJ? (or DW?)

5. Eat?

Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.

If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!

brightknightie

snowflake_challenge: Tropes: "Talk about your favorite tropes (themes, motifs, cliches) in media or transformative works."

I've been musing on this Snowflake prompt since it posted. Just yesterday, I finally looked up the proper fannish/genre terms for my own most favorite kind of story (not previously having known there were terms for it!). Apparently, the vocabulary is "noblebright" (fantasy) and "hopepunk" (sci-fi). It seems these terms have nuances beyond their genre associations, but together they seem to orbit the general target of the stories of my heart.

I've previously tried to express this storytelling approach and way of understanding by quoting Lois McMaster Bujold on "choosing the hard right over the easy wrong," Saint Teresa of Ávila on "no hands, no feet on earth but yours," and Forever Knight on "the girl or the cup." But, unanchored, misconceived, those could be made to lead to despair, nihilism, hopelessness, and that's not at all what I want. Now, I do love to read tragic and sad stories! By all means, serve me character death! Serve me whump! But I want it in a world of meaning, a universe where the characters' choices and efforts matter. I want characters who fight for the good and the better and the right, whether at the closest, tiniest level in their own lives or at the widest, grandest level for all lives. I want stories that never preach cynicism to the reader.

The worlds in which these favorite character types live are of course full of woe. There are monsters and villains and tyrants who sometimes, perhaps often, win the day. But they won't -- can't -- win eternity. The stories emphasize that caring -- love, community, honesty, self-sacrifice, justice, mercy -- is brave, powerful, and dangerous to oppressive systems and all forces of darkness. Hope isn't just a feeling; it's a chosen determination about how to live. Actions have consequences. Characters have agency. Good and evil are different and the difference matters.

When a hero falls, his god embraces him, even if his world never did.

(Now that I have these words, I need to update my profile and standing "Likes & dislikes" post.)

dswdiane

As in I have to STOP now. It is 2:30 am. I HAVE to be up by 9:30. I want to get up at 8:30 so I can write more. I am mad, as in out of my fucking mind, crazy.

Other voice in head--we are almost 5000 words into chapter 28. It will probably take less that another 1000 words to finish it. I WANT to finish it.

Voice of sanity: STOP. Sleep. The fucking chapter is NOT going to run away. It really won't. Methos is fine, Duncan is fine, Connor is fine, Amanda is fine. They all have carrot cake and Irish coffee. Go to bed.Right. Sanity is a good thing. Bed.

brightknightie

Aurora volume two is available for pre-order now, to be on shelves in bookstores by April 21! Learn about the volume and get pre-order links. I've pre-ordered my copy of volume two through my local comic shop. My copy of volume one is loaned to a friend.

This is, of course, the Andrews & McMeel edition of the fantasy webcomic by Red of Overly Sarcastic Productions. Read it online from the start for free. Essentially, this is a semi-medieval-like fantasy world with a rag-tag found-family party (with the internal dynamics of a superhero team) trying to save each other and their world from a sorceress who has figured out how to kill deities and is very into that for as-yet unrevealed reasons, plus the primordial power of the void given consciousness and accidentally released by one of our gang, plus being pursued by the ostensible forces of good who don't understand what's changed. But of course while the plot and bad guys are intriguing, the attraction for me is the heroes, and their motivations and damage and choices and powerful friendships.

annavere

Challenge #13

TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY SPACE YOU LIKE. It doesn’t need to be your favorite, or the one where you spend the most time (although it certainly can be). Maybe it’s even one that you’ve barely visited. But talk about that space and how it helps support fannish community.

two log cabins with snow on the roofs in a wintery forest the text snowflake challenge january 1 - 31 in white cursive text

This ended up being kind of a strengths and weaknesses for Dreamwidth and Discord post. They are the two places where I most frequently converse or observe others conversing, and here is what I have noticed. ( Read more... )

dswdiane

I cannot get a headache to go away. I cannot write fic while having a splitting headache. I'm frustrated because I think I'm definitely, positively, absolutely on the last chapter of my interminable Duncan/Methos fic.

And now my head hurts too badly to even keep writing an entry to this journal thingie I've hardly ever used anyway.

So, now that headache is gone, I'm writing and writing and writing. I honest to gods, think I'm on the last chapter of Past Imperfect. Present Pending which I may have to rename to Past Imperfect. Present Getting Better. I dunno.

And I have ideas for book 3 flying about in my head. All Duncan/Methos. Of course. But with an actual action adventure plot instead of it all being psychological--not that I'm capable of leaving psychological out of any plotting I do. No more than leaving sappy romantic things out of plots I do. I gotta get back to Connor and Methos--they're in the middle of an important scene.

annavere

I'm about halfway through season one and I find LaCroix creepy to an unusually visceral degree. This is a bit surprising to me, because I normally have a weakness for villains - but I like them with enough human qualities to relate to, to explore their moral choices and failings, and LaCroix is on another level entirely. Nigel Bennett does a great job portraying him, but if I was going to compare him to another vampire, it would be the older archetypes, the plague carriers.

I've been lurking in the HL discord, and there's a lot of discussion of the Horsemen going on, so it's on my mind, and the thing is, the Horsemen never felt very apocalyptic to me. They felt like four louts raising hell. LaCroix feels like true pestilence made flesh, a malignancy creeping at Nick's heels, a shadow filling the space where a man once lived and died (yes, I'm reading A Wizard of Earthsea right now, so pursuant shadows are on my mind). Genuinely, completely unsettling. More of a vampire than most vampires.