Things

[brigdh]

So, I spilled water all over my computer today. I swear that these things happen only to me. Maybe if I wasn't the clumsiest person on the planet, they would happen less often.

The screen went wild and then it turned itself off, which I usually take as a fairly bad sign, and I had plenty of time to panic over it being permanently damaged while I waited for it to dry before taking the chance of turning it on. On the plus side, it was a good time to listen to what you sent me, b_hallward (which I'd loaded onto my ipod this morning). Because if there's ever a time for Tsuzuki music, it's when you're in angsty "I've destroyed something precious and now I hate myself" mood. I loved you though, and will email you comments on it in just a moment.

The computer works fine now, obviously. Though there was a weird moment there when I first turned it on when I thought all was lost. But it turned out okay.

In other news, episode 17 of Utena (Thorns of Death) is the best thing ever. I've been watching the series very slowly, though in truth I think I liked the idea of it better than any particular episode, but when Shiori had that line about "I love the way your eyes look when I hurt you" OMG DEAD DEAD SO DEAD. I love the angsty lesbians. I love this series. This series has my heart. I forgive completely the weird stuff with Chu-Chu and curry and cowbells, because there was pained, hurtful unrequited love between pretty girls. I want the next DVD RIGHT NOW.

The ask-me-a-question-about-my-writing meme is going around again lately. I would do it, except that I did it when it went around just a month or two ago (although then I think it was ask-me-a-question-about-my-stories), and no one asked me anything. Or maybe one or two people did. But not enough! So I refuse to do this meme out of protest.

I'm kidding, of course. As I am a total attention whore, I will always answer anything anyone asks me.

Comments

[b-hallward.livejournal.com]

I'm just a bit strange I guess, but I loved the trippy randomness of Utena. The first time I saw it I started in the middle of the series -- so, of course, I keep on thinking to myself, I'm sure all this would make perfect sense if I'd started at the beginning. Not so.

And I too am not going to be snookered twice by the "ask me a question" meme.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* No, I think it's probably trippy and random no matter what order you watch it in. I keep telling myself that, if I pay perfect attention, it'll somehow all come together. I don't think it's going to happen though.

But hey, even if there's no logic, there's flowers and pretty characters and sword fights and angst. And lots of incest. What is UP with all the brother/sister couples? What more could you need? ;)

[b-hallward.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally forgot the meme: well, what's your most and least favorite POV and tense combinations. Do you favor some tenses/POVs for certain characters, or does the situation and mood of the story dictate your usage? Is there some unusual combination you've always been curious to try?

I've never understood the appeal of incest. I've got siblings, and ... yuck. Just yuck.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I nearly always use third-person limited for POV. I have trouble with omniscient- to me, it tends to sound more like switching back and forth between the characters' limited POVs rather than truly omniscient- and I worry that first-person sounds more like me than the character. And second is too distracting to be used for anything other than a deliberate style choice.

I think of past-tense as the default choice for any writing, and that's what I'll write in unless I have reason not to. However, present feels very visual to me; stories that are heavy on the imagery and description, or that feel more like movies than writing will be in present. Which is why I have so many stories in present: I'm addicted to the pretty images. Future, again, is too unusual to use without a very good reason.

And now that you've asked, I'm curious to see what a second-person future story would turn out like, but I hadn't thought of it before.

[catiechu.livejournal.com]

Which is your favorite of all your fic you've written?

Muahaha, I ask I ask the question of total unfairness. :O

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I'd say ClubSoka, but I don't think it's fair to claim something I haven't techinically written yet, so I'm gonna go with Five Things that Never Happened to Hisoka. Though I'm strangely fond of the drabble set I wrote for fuda_100's First Times challenge. That sequence of events has become my typical background for any Tsu/His fic that doesn't describe something different.

[windschaser.livejournal.com]

... somehow my eyes skipped right over the line about the computer being a-ok the first time I read this. CURSE YOU, SMALL FONTS!

Also, re: music. Are you still looking for Tsu/Hi music, or is that over and done with? -////-;;

And Utena is such good crack. Have you read the manga/seen the movie?

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

1. Ha, and here I thought I was being way too obvious by putting in even that small font line. I said to myself, If you're updating LJ, they'll be able to see that you have a computer! Don't add that line, you'll look stupid!

I think what this teaches us is that I should never be the judge of obviousness.

2. This music was from something entirely different; however, if you want to rec me Tsu/His music, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO. I made a post about it a week or so ago and didn't get many responses, and I'm running out of time to find the very best choices on my own. ;_;

3. I've gone through the Utena series the complete wrong way. I saw the movie first; by itself, it is very pretty, and fun in a the-creator-was-on-crack way, but also insane. Then I read the manga; it continued to be pretty, and now at least had a plot to go with the pretty, but it's fairly incomprehensible by itself (at least to me. Smarter people may have made sense of it). Now, finally, I am watching the series. It's my understanding, from listening to other people talk about it, that I may finally get what the HELL is going on with all the princes and duels and incest and WHY IS SHE A CAR, I DON'T GET IT.

*ahem* And then I can go back and watch the movie/read the manga, and I will know stuff!

[windschaser.livejournal.com]

3. Heh. You may... but then again you may not.

2. Knowing that our musical tastes don't always~ dovetail :cough:80s:cough: ... here goes nothing.

- 'I'll Be' (Edwin McCain), which I used oh-so-long-ago to close Hisoka's birthday fic is THE TxH song for me, and always will be. There's just not a line out of place. (And yeah, it caters to both my love of character depth and my adoration of all things curtains!fic)

- 'Caught in the Rain' (Revis) Yes yes yes. I've got these lyrics incorporated into The Fanlisting right now. And I adore it. 'Trading thoughts, across from the room, I saw you surrounded... feeling us fall, without an escape, I almost let you down.' Please, find this one and listen to it at least once. If you're aren't sold... you aren't.

- Everyone uses Vienna Teng these days (fuu >>) but I love 'Eric's Song' anyways --;;; It's really an amazing love song. And darkness and love and addiction and com on. Too deep for most couples, so nyah. And so of course I give it to my best boys.

-Here's one that I hesitate to put on here, because if you really listen, words wise, this song tells a very specific story about a guy whose friend(?) is on his/her way up the performance art track. But imo you have to really listen to that, and the song isn't really... geared to that ^^; Also: the singers have really odd voices. But it's the only song on my list that comes close to expressing how I think Hisoka felt about his new partner in- let's say episodes 1+2, anime-wise. It's not an accurate representation of Tsuzuki, but it's what Hisoka might be thinking on that first case, pre-kidnapping.

The song is "looking forward/looking back" by Groovelily. You probably won't find it, so if you're interested I'll ysi it to you.

lyrics snip, the parts that make it for me:

And I... and I fear what I might find
If I were to open up my mind...
I'm scared of the words that come out at the seams
I am hounded by nightmares while you're chasing dreams
My vision is dim where it used to be clear
Looking forward to looking back on this year...

...But right now I am living through it
I can't see another way to do it,
I can't help feeling like I blew it...

...Another game, olly-oxen free me
'cause I'm tired of playing and I wanna go home
Where I will-
Where I'll get my life on track
And I know that we'll make it through thick and through thin
I know I'll get out more than I have put in
If I keep looking forward
Well, I am looking forward...


- 'Dolls' (Ayumi Hamasaki) is a little confusing (or maybe I've not found the proper translation yet) but is very much Tsuzuki('s optimistic side) to Hisoka for me.

- 'Open Your Eyes' (12 Stones) Clearly I think a lot about that whole crumbling walls aspect

- 'Simon' (Lifehouse) I feel I'm getting repetitive and I should just let you look up lyrics and see for yourself.

- I seem to remember having mentioned Joydrop's 'Breakdown' to you, yes? It's still my Kyoto Arc song of the moment. I feel that insecurity and accusation is a pretty big part of this relationship sometimes.

- Oh, and 'Total Eclipse (6:58 version)' XP


...phew.

1. Don't judge your audience by me- it's late and I have the mother of all colds and earth logic is not my logic anymore.

[windschaser.livejournal.com]

... and I forgot to /center. WAH. SO sorry.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Dude, "I'll Be" = LOVE. I downloaded the song right after you wrote that fic, and I've had it on my Tsu/His list ever since. "Eric's Song" and "Breakdown" are another two I really like, but I'll have to look up the others. *grins*

By the way- the copy of "Breakdown" I have seems to end very aburptly. Does yours do that too, or is there something wrong with mine?

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

When are you sending me more ClubSoka?

Um, okay. I will default to my standard, because Boni's doing it, so why shouldn't I? What do you find easiest and hardest about writing, and are they what you're respectively best and worst at?

I spill coffee on my keyboard more often than water. Which would imply that I've done both more than once.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* As soon as I write it! I had four papers due last week.

For me, the easiest part of writing- and what I think I'm better at- is the details. It seems that from word-to-word and sentence-to-sentence I'm fine; I can do flow and style and pretty images and metaphors. It's the larger things that I have to work much more on- plot and characterization in particular. I feel fine on single lines. It's in the pages and chapters that I start to fall apart.

Really? That makes me feel better. I've only known one other person to spill a liquid onto their computer (well... she's the only one who's told me about it, at least), and she had the we'll-fix-whatever-stupid-thing-you-do type insurance on it, so she was protected.

[childofatlantis.livejournal.com]

Whee, Utena! Just wait til you get to the Akio-car... *snrrk* And I adore Utena/Anthy. The only problem I have with the Juri/Shiori thing is that I cannot see for the LIFE of me what an intelligent woman like JUri sees in a bratty little bitch lick Shiori. *cough* But anyway.

The end of the series will KILL YOU DEAD. I start sniffling just thinking about it. >_

[childofatlantis.livejournal.com]

"lick Shiori" = "LIKE Shiori". Um.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I keep hearing about the Akio-car! Considering that Utena turned into a car during the movie, I'm kind of scared to see what happens with him.

And yeah, I dunno what was supposed to be attractive about Shiori, but I'm willing to go with it because, hey, sometimes people fall in love for stupid reasons, espcially if you've known each other since you were small children.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Who's the character you struggle most with writing and how do you handle it?

My computer got literally flooded once at an old job. They replaced the motor, which had burnt out, and it worked better than it had previously.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Of the characters that I write often, I have a strange problem with Tsuzuki. I usually can write him easily, but that's because I'm like him, and that has its own issues. There's several stories that I've gone back to look at and noticed characterization issues; he does things not because he would do them but because I would.

Which is not good. So it's something that I've been trying very hard lately to watch out for.

On the other hand, I suspect that I'd have a terrible time trying to write Watari, if I ever did.

They replaced the motor, which had burnt out, and it worked better than it had previously.

Now *there's* a silver lining.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Watari is hard to write. So many manga/anime characters are so dumb, I have to remind myself the guy is smart.

And yeah, that computer was...eccentric. XD

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

How do you know a story idea you have is "workable?" Do you ever get a cool "what if" that you end up not writing because you can't get it into the shape of an actual story?

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. This is kind of a hard question, because I don't think I ever had a story really "not work".

My plotbunnies tend to come in two forms: single images (Tsuzuki and Hisoka should make out on a sticky-hot afternoon) or questions (Why does Tsuzuki let Muraki molest him when he's clearly powerful enough to put a stop to anything he dislikes?). A story usually fails not because it doesn't work, but because I just don't care enough to put in the time and effort required for a completed fic. The only problem I occasionally have is that a single scene would require such a complicated (or cliched) set-up to get to the fun part that it's not feasible; in that case, it just gets regulated to the daydreams-and-doodles side of my brain, where things don't have to make sense. *grins*

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

That last thing you mentioned about the difficulty of the setup is actually what I meant with "not workable." *G* I mean, yes there are ideas that just aren't functional with certain fandoms and characters, but I tend to believe authors of a certain caliber don't give those ideas enough thought for them to become conscious "what ifs."

[kessie.livejournal.com]

In other news, episode 17 of Utena (Thorns of Death) is the best thing ever. I've been watching the series very slowly, though in truth I think I liked the idea of it better than any particular episode, but when Shiori had that line about "I love the way your eyes look when I hurt you" OMG DEAD DEAD SO DEAD. I love the angsty lesbians. I love this series. This series has my heart. I forgive completely the weird stuff with Chu-Chu and curry and cowbells, because there was pained, hurtful unrequited love between pretty girls. I want the next DVD RIGHT NOW.

Haha. I read, I blinked, went, "...she's watching Utena... WHEN DID I MISS THIS?! Then I collapsed laughing. XD

Heh, just wait till you get to the Akio Car scenes. Actually, just wait till you get to the Akio Arc full-stop. It literally become the crack then, and the unrequited Utena/Anthy sky-rockets. :D Of course, Akio owns me, so I adore that arc out of all of them. Not being biased, or anything. ;)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I am going to have to hurry up and get to that Akio-Car. Everyone is telling me about it!