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icarusAs many of you have read, I've been having a horrible time with my Ron Ficathon story. Like a lot of the slashers on my friendslist I had sort of assumed the Ficathon was slash-centric (if not solely slash), though a quick glance down the challenges would have answered that.
A few of you know I've been sort of... stuck... since leaving![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hp_dungeons. I've ingrained a few bad habits (over-reliance on deep penetration POV, not enough visual description), shaken up a few of my strengths (good story structure - impossible to do in an RPG, and fresh plots). I'd written Percy for so long, everything was coming out sounding like him. Plus taking literature classes has a bad way of causing you to stand outside your writing and judge, judge, judge. You can't stand outside your story and write.
This has all made for a miserable Icarus trying to write again.
Throw into this the Ficathon:
- I was asked to write Het.
- Ron/Hermione.
- Keep the focus off the relationship (moi? All stories are relationships! That's where plots develop).
- And I was given a very complete, detailed and specific plot bunny that was of no interest to me whatsoever.
- All about Quidditch? I hate sports.
I did finish it. It's about 20 pages (complicated plot). It came to life for me with a little flip humour, some moral dilemmas and a lot of magic. And I happily tore the Quidditch world (and shitty jobs) to shreds.
I do like it, though I think it needs work (thank you my lovely betas).
I incorporated everything she wanted; was pleased with myself. Now I just checked her LJ...
Looking at it, my guess is that our tastes are so radically different that it's not something that she'll particularly enjoy. Too dark. Too mean to Quidditch. Still too relationship-centric.
UPDATE: Just heard from her. She's read my stuff before, and is thrilled I'm writing her story.
*Icarus beams and is overwhelmingly relieved.*
*Thinks about it. Panics. What if she hates the story?*
*You're sick of my neurosis about this by now, aren't you?*
A few of you know I've been sort of... stuck... since leaving
hp_dungeons. I've ingrained a few bad habits (over-reliance on deep penetration POV, not enough visual description), shaken up a few of my strengths (good story structure - impossible to do in an RPG, and fresh plots). I'd written Percy for so long, everything was coming out sounding like him. Plus taking literature classes has a bad way of causing you to stand outside your writing and judge, judge, judge. You can't stand outside your story and write. This has all made for a miserable Icarus trying to write again.
Throw into this the Ficathon:
- I was asked to write Het.
- Ron/Hermione.
- Keep the focus off the relationship (moi? All stories are relationships! That's where plots develop).
- And I was given a very complete, detailed and specific plot bunny that was of no interest to me whatsoever.
- All about Quidditch? I hate sports.
I did finish it. It's about 20 pages (complicated plot). It came to life for me with a little flip humour, some moral dilemmas and a lot of magic. And I happily tore the Quidditch world (and shitty jobs) to shreds.
I do like it, though I think it needs work (thank you my lovely betas).
I incorporated everything she wanted; was pleased with myself. Now I just checked her LJ...
Looking at it, my guess is that our tastes are so radically different that it's not something that she'll particularly enjoy. Too dark. Too mean to Quidditch. Still too relationship-centric.
UPDATE: Just heard from her. She's read my stuff before, and is thrilled I'm writing her story.
*Icarus beams and is overwhelmingly relieved.*
*Thinks about it. Panics. What if she hates the story?*
*You're sick of my neurosis about this by now, aren't you?*
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no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:03 pm (UTC)*sigh*
Date: 2004-01-21 08:07 pm (UTC)Personally I think people who are that specific with what they want to read should be, oh I dunno, writing it themselves. What other way to ensure that you get exactly what you want eh?
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:14 pm (UTC)Good luck, and I hope Manu doesn't hate the story too much.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:16 pm (UTC)You don't really know me but I friended you a while ago because I love your writing and am very impressed by your talent.
Just to let you know, I can't really speak for Mads but I will say that she is open minded. I think she might surprise you, really. I have no idea if she will like what you've written or not but knowing her I am sure she will be thrilled that you put so much effort into it.
I hope that puts your mind at ease a bit.
I'm quite sure whatever you've written will be enjoyed by many of us.
Cheers!
Re: *sigh*
Date: 2004-01-21 08:20 pm (UTC)A least it'll be something for the Sugar Quill. I have put anything up there in a while. Funnily enough, I've just sent nearly a half dozen stories to the Restricted Section... hmmm. Is there a pattern emerging?
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:22 pm (UTC)Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:24 pm (UTC)I assumed when I asked for 'No Het' that that meant I also wouldn't be asked to write Het. But the story you're assigned is completely random. The No Het only applies to what others write for you.
Wouldn't it be ironic if people absolutely loved this story? I'll have bald patches for nothing.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:32 pm (UTC)I was kinda assuming that, since that is what you liked and people tend to write better if they write what they like instead of getting assigned
awful school essays concerning drug use among teenshetfics when they've specifically pointed out they're slashers it went both ways. Like - I ask for slash, I give slash.no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:32 pm (UTC)It's good for me, I know it is. One of the best ways to get unstuck in painting is to turn your work upside down. The same goes for writing: write something you'd never imagine doing, never in a million years. And this has got me back into writing plot, which is exactly what I need to do for Snape Manor and for the plot driven SNAFU.
I'll bet the recipient will just love it, and, most likely, others who have almost the same taste as the recipient will call it their favorite piece of yours ever. It's darned likely.
Gosh, I hope so. I like to write things that reach into new audiences, and if this is well-received (or even moderately well-received) I'll see if they like it at Checkmated.
It's so funny. I just had a conversation with someone who was a major member of Checkmated - a Ron/Hermione site I'd never heard of - and I swore up and down that, really, there's no chance of my writing this pair. *snickers* Never say never, it just breeds karma bunnies.
Oh, hey, check your Amanuensis duelling fic. A couple more votes came in, and there's another long fannish response. :) *hands out drugs to the happy, happy writer.*
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:34 pm (UTC)Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:36 pm (UTC)I hope that puts your mind at ease a bit.
Actually, it does. Especially since
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:41 pm (UTC)Really, Mads is a very sweet girl. Even if she doesn't like your fic she'd be thrilled you went to all the trouble and I'm willing to bet she will like it just fine. :)
Lea :D
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 08:52 pm (UTC)Icarus
Re: *sigh*
Date: 2004-01-21 08:53 pm (UTC)Re: *sigh*
Date: 2004-01-21 08:59 pm (UTC)At Fauntleroy & Diagon Alley (http://inkstain.slashcity.net/isf/archive/18/atfauntleroy.html)
Special Delivery (http://inkstain.slashcity.net/isf/archive/18/specialdelivery.html)
I still need to do Zen Taxi, Two Men On Top and A '57 Vincent And A Red-Headed Boy.
Otherwise, I just sent to RS.org the NC-17 version of Primer to the Dark Arts and Animagick, both of which have been up on InkStained for a while now.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 09:06 pm (UTC)I'm not in the Ficathon, can't for the write of me write Ron without him sounding like a moron.
Was thinking about other, older challenges and writing themes. Like when I got a Sailor Moon challenge. Good girl + badguy should fall in love but it must happen within canon (ie certain charas must be born, die, bosses defeated on time) pick among these charas: ...
*headdesk* That didn't work.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 10:12 pm (UTC)I trust that you've done your best to comply with her wishes while not completely sacrificing your sensibilties, and I can't wait to read it.
Hope you get back into the swing of things with your own fic writing; now I should go work on my own Ron-fic.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 10:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-21 11:06 pm (UTC):)
Icarus
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Date: 2004-01-21 11:13 pm (UTC)He turned, and, making a vertical arc that left his stomach in midair... he let himself drop.
I loved that scene.
Icarus
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Date: 2004-01-22 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:12 am (UTC)And for Madhuri, there's nothing that's too relationship centric. Plus, she reads anything so I don't think you need to worry that much :)
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:27 am (UTC)*laughs* Oh that's good. Yes, I'm not nice to professional Quidditch in it. There are at least three people then who might like this story.
And for Madhuri, there's nothing that's too relationship centric.
Another relief! The Ron/Hermione issue was an important motive of Ron's in this story, and as much as I tried to keep PWP sex out of it, it kept coming back to his male-pride and relationship with her.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 04:43 am (UTC)