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no title! boy, i'm clever.
hi all. work progresses, albeit slowly, on multiple projects (really, it does!). there are, admittedly, a good number of things that have been going on in real life that prevent me from dedicating as much time as i used to on this writing hobby-thing of mine, but work does progress (and in response to a couple of comments that have been cropping up lately, "best kept secret" is still being worked on!
i know it's slow going, but i believe a lot of the slowness is due to the perfectionist in me. i wound up being very disappointed with how "a skirt for sunday evening" turned out. i know you guys love it and all, but the truth of it is, while it does have its good (sometimes great) points, overall the quality of that work isn't up to standard. i should've handled that fic with more care than i did, rather than just spitting it out and throwing it up on the interwebs like i did all those years ago. i should've proofed and rewritten and proofed and rewritten until there was no possible way i could've made it any better. right now, it doesn't look like i'll ever go back and give it the proper attention it deserves for a number of reasons. at this point, the relationship butch and buttercup had in the "skirt" series doesn't feel... "organic" to me anymore. i mean, it is organic in the sense that it fits the context of the story, but i don't feel like it's very in character for either of them (and this is a whole 'nother can of worms that i might get into someday when i get really bored and talkative). another reason is that i don't really have the energy to go back and "fix" the entire series. it would just take way too freakin' long! and for a story i'm not that enthused about in the first place, it just doesn't seem worth the effort.
and to expand on that, i'll have to talk about it from a fan's pov. i would always hate it when i read a fanfic that i loved, and then the author either took it down or rewrote it entirely. i would hate it (and this is why it's a good idea to print/save fics, fyi ;))! because despite what the author feels about it, someone else can derive their own, equally valid meaning out of it. soooo... this isn't making a lot of cohesive sense, but mostly, i know there are people out there who love the "skirt" series, regardless of what i personally think of it, and just because i CAN take it away from them doesn't mean i SHOULD. i'm sounding really pretentious here, but i don't mean to, you guys :) besides, leaving it up gives an impression of how i evolved as a writer, how my characterizations evolved, my writing style, etc.. it's a nice little thing to be able to keep track of, however embarrassing!
anyway, "best kept secret" is a process because i'm trying to write the characters in a way that doesn't feel very organic to me anymore, in a writing style that isn't really mine anymore, and to finish a story that i still don't feel is one of my best. while it is a challenge, i'm pretty proud of what i've been able to churn out so far, so i hope by the time i finish this puppy you guys will feel the same way :)
that being said, i'd like to do a rundown of what is sitting in my writing folder at the moment:
bks (obviously)
concessions (a reds fic)
force of habit (a greens fic)
mistake (a greens fic)
off hours (a short greens series)
sin (oh my god, another greens fic THEY NEVER STOP COMING DO THEY)
vice versa 2 (the blues fic!)
fingers (a short greens drabble I TOLD YOU THEY NEVER STOP COMING)
and, because i'm an utter masochist, an EPIC fic involving all the boys and girls that will probably take me years and years to write but i need to get it out eventually.
so... OOF. you know, this is probably as good a time as any to announce that if anyone out there is interested, i'd love to have a second beta-reader (right now![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cagalli_chan is it for me, and despite how much i mistreat him he has still been incredibly patient with me!). there. it's out there, if anyone's interested i'll either send a beta application or post it here on the lj. i know i put out the request years ago but i didn't follow up because i sucked a lot then and i continue to suck now. SO THERE IT IS.
and with all that out of the way, here is an assignment i recently wrote for my last class in college (XDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!) on dialogue. i don't name names, but i was thinking of buttercup and butch the entire time. it's short and sweet and doesn't really go anywhere, but i figured it was worth posting.
an exercise in dialogue. pg-13 for a suggestive line here or there.
“That sounds like a date.”
“It isn’t a date.”
“Got a dictionary? Because I heard you say ‘dinner,’ ‘movie,’ and ‘Friday night,’ and I’m pretty sure all those things are under the Date entry in Webster’s.”
“I was just thinking—”
“Yeah, you’re a thinker, all right. I ain’t interested in no dinners or movies on Friday night. Let’s just play video games at your place like we always do.”
“I don’t flirt very well over video games.”
“Excuse me. You are not going to be flirting with me over video games, much less dinners or movies on Friday nights. Cut it out.”
“I like flirting with you!”
“We do NOT flirt.”
“Oh no, we simply exchange verbal pleasantries about each other’s gaming ability for hours upon hours into Saturday morning. Frequently, I might add.”
“It still isn’t flirting.”
“Of course not.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“No, I’m pretty much just humoring you because you’re pretty.”
“I AM NOT PRETTY.”
“Of course not. I’m only attracted to ugly girls.”
“I hate you.”
“Yes, clearly you do. You hate me so much you’re flushing red with desire.”
“Excuse me?”
“Red with anger.”
“Good save.”
“But seriously. I’d like to do something besides video games with you for a change.”
“Laser Tag. T.P.ing a house. Surely you’d like to do some of those things.”
“Throwing toilet paper isn’t very romantic.”
“I don’t want to be romantic with you!”
“Why not?”
“Because… because.”
“Yes, those are very compelling reasons.”
“You don’t get it. Shut up.”
“Not until you say yes.”
“What is this, some kind of cheesy romance movie? I just wanna be friends.”
“I don’t.”
“… Your opinion doesn’t count—HEY. DO NOT TOUCH MY SHOULDER LIKE THAT.”
“What, like this?”
“GET AWAY, YOU PERVERT.”
“If you want me to stop, then hit—OW! What the hell was that for?!”
“You stopped, didn’t you?”
“If I wasn’t in such pain right now I would sigh and roll my eyes at you. And possibly kiss you.”
“THERE WILL BE NO KISSING.”
“Not on the first date, from the looks of it.”
“I don’t want to date you!”
“Not even if I said PLEASE in capital letters?”
“Why would you even want to date me?”
“Oh, we’re pulling that trick, are we? Well, you’re funny and pretty and can kick my ass at Mario Kart.”
“I am only one of those things. Possibly two.”
“You’re right, I lied. You kinda suck at Mario Kart.”
“I meant the other one.”
“Also, you’re in denial, and I happen to have a great weakness for Girls in Denial.”
“Correction: you happen to have a great weakness for Girls Way Out of Your League.”
“You already hang out with me, how are you out of my league?”
“You just don’t get it.”
“Of course I do. And the sooner you stop thinking about how much it’ll ruin our friendship, the sooner we can start dating and have lots of hot sex.”
“You did not just say that.”
“Ok, we’ll play Mario Kart too. Sometimes.”
fin
i know it's slow going, but i believe a lot of the slowness is due to the perfectionist in me. i wound up being very disappointed with how "a skirt for sunday evening" turned out. i know you guys love it and all, but the truth of it is, while it does have its good (sometimes great) points, overall the quality of that work isn't up to standard. i should've handled that fic with more care than i did, rather than just spitting it out and throwing it up on the interwebs like i did all those years ago. i should've proofed and rewritten and proofed and rewritten until there was no possible way i could've made it any better. right now, it doesn't look like i'll ever go back and give it the proper attention it deserves for a number of reasons. at this point, the relationship butch and buttercup had in the "skirt" series doesn't feel... "organic" to me anymore. i mean, it is organic in the sense that it fits the context of the story, but i don't feel like it's very in character for either of them (and this is a whole 'nother can of worms that i might get into someday when i get really bored and talkative). another reason is that i don't really have the energy to go back and "fix" the entire series. it would just take way too freakin' long! and for a story i'm not that enthused about in the first place, it just doesn't seem worth the effort.
and to expand on that, i'll have to talk about it from a fan's pov. i would always hate it when i read a fanfic that i loved, and then the author either took it down or rewrote it entirely. i would hate it (and this is why it's a good idea to print/save fics, fyi ;))! because despite what the author feels about it, someone else can derive their own, equally valid meaning out of it. soooo... this isn't making a lot of cohesive sense, but mostly, i know there are people out there who love the "skirt" series, regardless of what i personally think of it, and just because i CAN take it away from them doesn't mean i SHOULD. i'm sounding really pretentious here, but i don't mean to, you guys :) besides, leaving it up gives an impression of how i evolved as a writer, how my characterizations evolved, my writing style, etc.. it's a nice little thing to be able to keep track of, however embarrassing!
anyway, "best kept secret" is a process because i'm trying to write the characters in a way that doesn't feel very organic to me anymore, in a writing style that isn't really mine anymore, and to finish a story that i still don't feel is one of my best. while it is a challenge, i'm pretty proud of what i've been able to churn out so far, so i hope by the time i finish this puppy you guys will feel the same way :)
that being said, i'd like to do a rundown of what is sitting in my writing folder at the moment:
bks (obviously)
concessions (a reds fic)
force of habit (a greens fic)
mistake (a greens fic)
off hours (a short greens series)
sin (oh my god, another greens fic THEY NEVER STOP COMING DO THEY)
vice versa 2 (the blues fic!)
fingers (a short greens drabble I TOLD YOU THEY NEVER STOP COMING)
and, because i'm an utter masochist, an EPIC fic involving all the boys and girls that will probably take me years and years to write but i need to get it out eventually.
so... OOF. you know, this is probably as good a time as any to announce that if anyone out there is interested, i'd love to have a second beta-reader (right now
cagalli_chan is it for me, and despite how much i mistreat him he has still been incredibly patient with me!). there. it's out there, if anyone's interested i'll either send a beta application or post it here on the lj. i know i put out the request years ago but i didn't follow up because i sucked a lot then and i continue to suck now. SO THERE IT IS.and with all that out of the way, here is an assignment i recently wrote for my last class in college (XDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!) on dialogue. i don't name names, but i was thinking of buttercup and butch the entire time. it's short and sweet and doesn't really go anywhere, but i figured it was worth posting.
an exercise in dialogue. pg-13 for a suggestive line here or there.
“That sounds like a date.”
“It isn’t a date.”
“Got a dictionary? Because I heard you say ‘dinner,’ ‘movie,’ and ‘Friday night,’ and I’m pretty sure all those things are under the Date entry in Webster’s.”
“I was just thinking—”
“Yeah, you’re a thinker, all right. I ain’t interested in no dinners or movies on Friday night. Let’s just play video games at your place like we always do.”
“I don’t flirt very well over video games.”
“Excuse me. You are not going to be flirting with me over video games, much less dinners or movies on Friday nights. Cut it out.”
“I like flirting with you!”
“We do NOT flirt.”
“Oh no, we simply exchange verbal pleasantries about each other’s gaming ability for hours upon hours into Saturday morning. Frequently, I might add.”
“It still isn’t flirting.”
“Of course not.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“No, I’m pretty much just humoring you because you’re pretty.”
“I AM NOT PRETTY.”
“Of course not. I’m only attracted to ugly girls.”
“I hate you.”
“Yes, clearly you do. You hate me so much you’re flushing red with desire.”
“Excuse me?”
“Red with anger.”
“Good save.”
“But seriously. I’d like to do something besides video games with you for a change.”
“Laser Tag. T.P.ing a house. Surely you’d like to do some of those things.”
“Throwing toilet paper isn’t very romantic.”
“I don’t want to be romantic with you!”
“Why not?”
“Because… because.”
“Yes, those are very compelling reasons.”
“You don’t get it. Shut up.”
“Not until you say yes.”
“What is this, some kind of cheesy romance movie? I just wanna be friends.”
“I don’t.”
“… Your opinion doesn’t count—HEY. DO NOT TOUCH MY SHOULDER LIKE THAT.”
“What, like this?”
“GET AWAY, YOU PERVERT.”
“If you want me to stop, then hit—OW! What the hell was that for?!”
“You stopped, didn’t you?”
“If I wasn’t in such pain right now I would sigh and roll my eyes at you. And possibly kiss you.”
“THERE WILL BE NO KISSING.”
“Not on the first date, from the looks of it.”
“I don’t want to date you!”
“Not even if I said PLEASE in capital letters?”
“Why would you even want to date me?”
“Oh, we’re pulling that trick, are we? Well, you’re funny and pretty and can kick my ass at Mario Kart.”
“I am only one of those things. Possibly two.”
“You’re right, I lied. You kinda suck at Mario Kart.”
“I meant the other one.”
“Also, you’re in denial, and I happen to have a great weakness for Girls in Denial.”
“Correction: you happen to have a great weakness for Girls Way Out of Your League.”
“You already hang out with me, how are you out of my league?”
“You just don’t get it.”
“Of course I do. And the sooner you stop thinking about how much it’ll ruin our friendship, the sooner we can start dating and have lots of hot sex.”
“You did not just say that.”
“Ok, we’ll play Mario Kart too. Sometimes.”
fin
yay!
no subject
I'm glad you're still writing, and ooh, I'm so excited to see so many greens fics coming! And I'd TOTALLY be interested in beta-ing. I bet you'll have a mob of fans who want to read your stuff early.
no subject
it's great to know that you're still working on greens stuff. it makes me excited to know that i'll be able to read new stories from you. not that i'm expecting you to write faster. trust me, i can wait. :)
i'd love to help beta... :)