*picks self up* Hi all! I was abducted! I totally would've been on more often if I hadn't been.

...yeah.

I realize that my last six months or so of posting have been apologies for not posting more, but it doesn't seem like that often when you're so busy. I took a horrible workload this semester. And I would post some of the plays I've been writing for my play writing class, but they're not worthy of post.

Actually, my playwriting professor threatened to chase me with a spork if I continued asserting that my writing was bad. He says my writing is not bad, I just have a tendency to focus on the negatives. But there are a lot of negatives. I guess plays just aren't my thing. I should go back to stories.

Which I am determined to do. I've missed writing stories, I really, really have. So I will try my very hardest to get back into it while still passing my classes and stuff.

Anyway, I hope everyone's Thanksgivings were fantastic. I had macaroni and cheese. It was pretty tasty. Then, of course, I went shopping on Black Friday (I needed dress pants!) which was pretty awful. I never knew there were so many rude people in the world until I tried to go out on the biggest shopping day of the year. But I emerged unharmed! The goal here will be getting my somehow-entirely-too-heavy bag on the train and back to school.

I'm being Death from Sandman (again).  I did it last year but I couldn't get my River costume together in time, and I'm doing a much better job this year. 

In some of the drawings she looks quite a bit like me, actually, which is a little disconcerting.  Except, as nevermore83 is going to point out any second now, she is not Asian.  (There, nevermore83 , I have saved you the trouble :-P)

I still don't have a properly big Ankh, but it's a very nice one. 

I wish the word "nerd" could become a verb so I could say "I am nerding" whenever I make a post like this.

1. SHINY NEW BOOKS!  Even if they're textbooks, they're English Lit textbooks, which means they're full of lovely people like John Donne and Marlowe and Bacon.

2. ON CASTLE!!!  (THE TV SHOW)... CASTLE... DRESSEDUPASMAL... ULTIMATE NERDY WIN!

3. UNSEEN ACADEMICALS FINALLY SHOWED UP!

And it is amazing!

And even though my copy came from Germany when I thought it was coming from Canada it was totally worth sending off for the Kidby cover... because it is wonderful.

And now I will dispense with the f-list spamming and get back to my books.

The sick, it be overwhelming.

Most of my friends have been sick recently.  I have been popping in and out of rooms bearing cough drops and encouragement.  A few of my friends did end up with swine flu, but thankfully I managed to avoid that.  Basically the month of October has been full of tissues and sudafed and cough drops and such.  Since I somehow seemed to remain healthy throughout, I took care of everyone else.

However.

My boyfriend's had a cold he couldn't seem to shake for a while, and this weekend it discovered its full potential and took an opportunity to blossom into a fully miserable case of the Woe.  And since I am a naturally caring person, and the helpful sort of girlfriend, I spent the weekend taking care of him. 

Which of course means that I am now sick, smack in the middle of midterms.  Also I auditioned for chorale solos without the ability to breathe through my nose.  I mean, I guess I should've expected it, considering how often I've been hanging around sick people, but really?  Midterms? 

On a different note, I still haven't forgotten about my half finished stories, but my playwriting class is sapping all my creativity.  I may post some of my plays though, if I can ever get them to come out right. In the meantime, I am still reading and enjoying!

University life needs an eighth day of the week.

Today has been hectic.  I start at 9:30 am with my very hardest (but also my favorite) class--Medieval Literature.  Also known as Read Your Eyeballs out.  No really, that's not just a student phrase.  That's what it says on the syllabus.  No, REALLY.  And, since it's a half semester class, I had my midterm today.  Which I stayed up most of the night studying for.  Which means I'm running on coffee and two hours of sleep.

Then I have Russian with the Russian teacher of DEATH.  She acts like she's on steroids, and I wouldn't mind so much except she can't actually teach.  Since I've already taken a good deal of Russian I already know most of the material, but my friends in the class are completely lost, and when they go to her for help she doesn't do any better a job of explaining the material.  So they come to me for help, and while I'm happy to counter the horrible effects of our crazy professor's teaching, I really don't have time!  My two other classes have only a marginally lighter workload than Russian and Read Your Eyeballs Out. I cannot be a tutor this semester!  Really!

Anyway, I have to rush off to my voice lesson now, so this will be cut short.  Currently I am running on coffee on an empty stomach, but it's really not that bad an idea!  Really!  I'm perfectly okay, and you're all just wrong when you say I'm not, and... you can't change that... by getting all... bendy.....

*goes crazy and falls asleep*

EDIT: My voice lesson is over so I can finish this entry!

Although there isn't a whole lot more to say; I have to go see a couple plays tonight, not to mention read a bunch of Tom Stoppard plays (which is no chore, Tom Stoppard is wonderful.)  Oh, and do all my homework.  And build a set.  And practice singing a really operatic Italian piece.  

I'm honestly not complaining, because it's all for classes/extracurriculars that I committed to, and I do enjoy them all (except for Russian but that's my professor's fault), but the workload does get pretty intense.  For some reason all the big stuff piles up all at once. 

Which means, of course, that there is still a significant lack of fic on this journal!  I do apologize for that.  The thing is, I've been doing a lot of writing, but it's been mostly playwriting for my playwriting class.  (I might post some of that stuff here if I consider any of it presentable enough to show another living soul).  I know I still have about eighty angst prompts to fill for SH, plus a GO story in the works, plus that attempt at a Firefly story, none of which look like they're getting done any time soon.  But who knows?  Maybe something awesome will happen.

In the meantime, happy Wednesday everyone!

Time: 8:25 pm

Location: Boyfriend's bed

Current activity: Watching boyfriend play video games, posting on livejournal, reading webcomics.

Responsibilities: Psych homework that I can't really do because I missed the critical day of class, playwriting research, Russian... everything, great big Medieval Literature quiz on Wednesday, prepare song for voice lessons.


.........

aaaugh...

Thing is, I've actually been trying to write.  I have a bunch of good ideas and half finished things, and I know how they all end!  I just have to... you know... write them.  And I can't let myself write them  until my responsibilities have been taken care of, but...

Yeah, you know the story.

First things first: 

THIS is a really amazing video.  Take a moment to watch it.  It's worth it.

Second things second:

I AM STILL ALIVE.  I've just been very busy... convincing my friends that they will find true love.  I don't know if it's something in the air but it seems like relationships are popping out of existence around me left and right.  

(for some it's better off, though.  Friend S finally got up the nerve to tell her prick of a boyfriend that they're completely done.  I am so proud of her.)

Eventually, posts of a creative nature will show up here again.

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 80% Superman 75% Robin 70% The Flash 65% Green Lantern 65% Supergirl 55% Wonder Woman 50% Batman 40% Hulk 40% Catwoman 30% Iron Man 30%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

I am not "a bit geeky!"  I'm a lot geeky!  I am the geek master!

That was fun :) 

In other news, hi!  The perpetual rainstorm which seems to be incessantly pummeling the East coast had shown signs of abating, but this week it's been back in full force, meaning no good internet for li'l ol' me. (Yes, the reliability of my internet connection depends on the weather).  But I may have some new stuff up this weekend, depending on how motivated I'm feeling.  Ah, the lazy days of summer!

EDIT: I have played with the html code for about a half hour today, and it's still being uncooperative.  I have no idea why.

I just watched the new Sherlock Holmes movie trailer for the watsons_woes prompt.  I have to say, even though I still object strongly to RDJ, the whole Irene Alder thing, etc, I just love Jude Law's Watson.  He's the one bright spot that I can see, and I fully intend to see the movie just to see his Watson, because he seems to be doing a wonderful job.  

However, in this, and all the trailers, while there are many points that bother me *coughIrenecough* there is one point--superficial, some might say completely unworthy of note--which has been bothering me greatly.

( The Case of the Scruffy Detectives )

I can't remember where I found this--it was ages ago. I just saved it as a word document. Anyway, since my muse is lazy, I'm using this to try and remind him what he's there for. Here that, muse? Get to work!
( is long, so is hidden )</div>

 

( Cut for huge )

Okay, I've never actually done this before, ever, not even with a school essay or something, but.... I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

My Firefly fic (the one I've been working on for weeks even though it isn't long at all) is pretty much all done.  This is good, because it's been occupying so much of my mind that I've been unable to focus on any of my other writing.  There are two problems:

1) I completely gave up on getting their voices right.  Zoe doesn't sound anything like herself.  And I made her sound like a heartless robot who never laughed or smiled before Wash came along.  That wasn't true.  I maintain that he made her laugh and smile a lot more than she used to, but she wasn't completely devoid of all emotion.  Anyway, that's the first problem--I hate it.

2) I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENS IN THE THIRD TO LAST SECTION.  I had it all planned out, but then I realized that the way I had it just made Zoe's character fall flat--she seemed sort of... I dunno... wimpy.  *audience gasps*  Yes, I know, the woman who could kill us all with her pinky is FAR FROM a wimp.  But that just goes to show how badly I wrote her.  So I realized that what I needed was a couple of transition sections--I think one will do, but two might be necessary.  Only problem?  I don't know what to do.  I know I have the last section right, it just can't come after the section it currently comes after, because then people think they've walked into a Disney movie.

So, that is my problem.  IF ANYONE is interested in beta-ing/cheerleading for Firefly, please let me know!  I am not good at writing for this fandom!  Especially when River is nowhere to be found!  I should stick to writing for her, at least then when my writing is terrible I can say it's because she's crazy.  I've always found it a bit odd that despite the fact that she's a genius, a psychic, and constantly overwhelmed with her own thoughts and memories, as well as other peoples.... she is the character I seem to understand the most. Even though I am usually none of these things.

I'd really like to write something in which she confronts the Hands at some point, but I can't imagine a place in her timeline cannonically when that would make sense--by the end of season 1 she's still too terrified of them to be able to do anything badass, I think, and I'm not very good at writing post-Miranda, because I always get too sad.

Anyway, this is me, slinking off to try and write this bloody thing.

Set your timer for four minutes and write a dialogue only piece between two people
where neither one of them are allowed to use more than four words at a time.

Ready. Set. Go!

Of course, the bit where it says "set your timer for four minutes" AUTOMATICALLY means I failed.  I just got too into the conversation so that when my timer went off I just kept on going.

The first line was "what are you doing?" because I figured if someone asked that, I'd automatically come up with an action, or something to talk about.  What I do with exercises like these is I shut my brain off and I let the characters do the talking.  Of course, I didn't know who the characters were yet, but I figured I'd get to know them as I wrote.

But, as it turns out, the answer to the question "what are you doing" was "trying to fly."  And suddenly the characters WEREN'T original characters, as I had intended, but River Tam and Jayne Cobb.  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN.  Stupid brain.

Anyway, neither of them are in character here.  IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THEM. 

 

( Read bad writing at own risk. )

Ooh, nice question :)  Happy things!

Well, I had strawberries, I had an excellent game of Pictionary (one of the words was 'thong.'  My teammate was laughing too hard to draw, but so was the opposition.  I got it, though! only because I know her well enough that I could use our psychically joined minds).  Oh, and there was getting a handful of books from the library for 25 cents each :D

The best part would have to have been the contra dance last night, though.  It was a BRILLIANT DANCE.  There were lots of friendly people, the band was fantastic, and it wasn't ridiculously hot in the dance hall, which is always a plus. 

Oh, and there was a guy there who was probably my best partner ever.  My big problem when dancing is my braided hair--I do my best to reign it in, but it always ends up coming out, and it's long enough that it can pose a threat to whoever my partner is when they decide to spin me.   (an accurate term would be "over three feet of black hairy death".)  So, naturally, I try to avoid smacking people with it, which means I try to avoid spinning too much.

This guy loved it.  He thought it was awesome that my hair swung out that far, and he made it his goal to spin me as fast as possible, as much as possible, just to see how ridiculous my hair could get.  He was smacked a good few times, but he seemed to find it brilliant that my hair was trying to eat him.  That's probably a mark of insanity, so I should beware, but he was a fantastic dancer, and extremely cute besides, so I'm not going to complain for the moment :)

Anyway, I'm also trying to put the metaphorical pen to the metaphorical paper, but the hypothetical muse (I'm starting to doubt his existence, he's been so absent recently) is relaxing in a hammock on a beach somewhere, so I'm off to chase after him.  I hope you all have good weeks!

I have never felt so uncreative in my entire life.

Since I can't seem to get a word out, I've been working on some bad photoshopping.  Because considering the limitations of the mouse on this computer, it's very difficult to achieve good photoshopping.  But here are some Firefly creations:
( Click for Firefly fun )

Anyway, that's been the extent of my creative efforts lately.  Once I get past this mental block, though, it'll all come tumbling out. 

I was supposed to meet with Joe at the bagel place to talk about possible job openings.  However, we never set a specific time, so I aimed for about 1:30 pm.  I got to town a bit late, and then spent the next 40 minutes trying to park!  There was one open parking space in the entire town and by the time I found it Joe had already left.  The girl working there said he'd be back tomorrow morning. 

I told her about my parking woe, and she said that if I'd been able to find a parking spot I'd have gotten there in time to see him. 

*fumes*

The one day the town is absolutely flooded with people is on the day I have an actual possibility of getting a job.  I REALLY NEED THIS JOB! 

Joe and I never set up a specific meeting, though, nor even a specific day, but I really wanted to get back to him early--I figured it couldn't hurt my chances to show eagerness.  And I am eager!  I would have set out even earlier, but my mom had the car.  

Anyway... that's my rant.  Hopefully tomorrow will go okay.  I also dog-sit tomorrow, which means I'll be making a little money no matter what, hooray, hooray!

Ahahahaha, a pun!  *dies*

I was actually never THAT into fairy tales when I was small.  I usually just made up my own.  There was always a princess, who was supposed to be rescued by the prince, but she would generally just rescue herself and meet up with the prince at the end.  Or I would take fairy tales that everyone knew, like Cinderella, and change them around, like make one of the evil stepsisters secretly help Cinderella go to the ball, and then Cinderella decided to escape and the prince had to chase after her, and the fairy godmother was actually her mother.  Things like that.  I'd just take characters that I knew already and make up new stories about them.  (You could call these examples of fanfiction early on in life XD)  But I don't recall having a favorite. 

NOW, of course, I absolutely love fairy tales.  Well, some fairy tales.  Some of them I object to strongly, especially Snow White.  For one thing, in the original, un-child-proofed version, it's not just the kissing that wakes her up.  But even child-proofed.  If I were in Snow White's place, I would not just fall into the arms of the guy who kissed me, without saying a word.  I mean, he's got quite a bit of explaining to do.  For one thing, who is he, why is he riding around the sketchiest corner of the woods, and WHAT WAS HE DOING KISSING APPARENTLY DEAD GIRLS?  I mean, she was even in a coffin!  I'd wonder a bit about that.  Neil Gaiman does a fantastic job of retelling the story, except Snow White is a vampire and the evil witch queen is actually trying to protect herself and her husband.

But, fairy tales which I scoff at and reject aside, I do really love them.  I find it difficult to pinpoint just one favorite, but I'm very fond of Momotaro (Peach Boy), and Puss in Boots.  If I had to choose a favorite, though, I'd choose Beauty and the Beast.  Not only is there a lot that can be interpreted from the story, not to mention the fact that it's one of the best Disney movies, but the overall message is not to be decieved by appearances, and where a person's real value lies.  I don't always agree with the way the message is PRESENTED, because sometimes the story is told in a way that makes it seem like the value in him was the fact that he was a handsome prince, not the fact that he ended up being a nice person (despite his actions in the past which lead to his being a beast in the first place). 

I particularly like new fairy tales too, by which I mean authors writing in a clearly fairy-tale style, but with different intentions.  Neil Gaiman's Stardust is certainly a fairy tale, and there are some short stories that I've come across that can be classified as fairy tales.  I just have a soft spot for them in general, though.  It's the magic thing.

Meant to get up at least one more chapter of Make Friends with Strange Cats today, but woke up with no head.

Which is my way of saying woke up with a horrible headache.

So, lay in bed until I had to go and figure out what I had to do to take care of my mom's friend's pets.  It's a bit weird that she's paying me, because she and I are good friends too.  But she won't let me do it without being paid, and to tell the truth this is not a time in my life for me to turn down some extra cash :-P

Made the above icon while lying around in bed.  I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to let me have Photoshop, but soon they will learn their mistake *evil laugh*

...I really, REALLY have to stop watching Firefly.

Anyway... if my head's come back later I shall get some more stuff up, possibly, but if not, see you when the Advil kicks in!

I'm looking for a specific story!

I do not know what it is called, nor do I know who it is by (I thought it was Gaiman, but I can't find it in ANY of his collections).  I do, however, know what it is about.

( Summary under cut now )

I know it's a short story in an anthology somewhere, but I can't think where I would have read it.  I've checked three of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror anthologies (without much hope), After the King, which is an anthology dedicated to Tolkien (I didn't think it would be there, either, but I'm checking all the anthologies of short stories that I've read), and Firebird (not there).  This confuses me, because I really only read collections of short stories for two reasons: They're fantasy, or they're by a specific author.  (Or they're things like The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, but those are special cases).  So I started looking at all the authors I could find. 

I know it sounds a lot like Gaiman, but I've looked through all his collections and it doesn't seem to be there.  I thought it might be Nix, but it's not there either.  Beyond them, I honestly can't think of any writers who would write something like that.  But I am DESPERATE to find this story! If anyone comes across it, or can tell through my mad ramblings what I'm talking about and have read it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know!  

*whew* Okay, going to go write now. *scurries off*

EDIT: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Well, dear readers, not thirty seconds after I posted that enormous rant, I sat back to wait, and did one last desperate-attempt Google search--I googled an exact phrase from the story.  I'd tried that before with numerous other phrases, which never worked, but this one gave me the right story on the first entry.  And it's by ROALD DAHL, of all people, who I have hitherto associated with nothing more than big friendly giants and clever girls who can move things with their minds and enormous chocolate factories!  He is one of the LAST people I would have thought of...

Anyway, the story is called Genesis and Catastrophe, by Roald Dahl, and if you would like to read it (which I HIGHLY recommend you do) it can be found here.

GAAK.

NEED JOB!

The library still can't afford to hire me *sob* and I tried (without much hope) every bookstore I came across to see if they needed any help, since working with books is the only job I know I'm good at.  No such luck.  Which lead me on my epic job hunt.

So far, I have been to every place in the mall, including the food court (admittedly it's a small mall, but it's the only one I can get to :-P)  No one is hiring.  I've been all around town, and no one is hiring.  I've been all up and down my road, even, and no one needs a babysitter or anything!

(This is not surprising, since EVERYONE ON MY ROAD IS RELATED.  No, I'm not even exaggerating.  My family, the people directly across from me, and a couple a ways down the road are the only families who do not belong to this massive CLAN of people who ride their snowmobiles through other people's yards (i.e. mine) at two o' clock in the morning.  Okay, so it's summer, but I'm still bitter.)

So far the only place I've found that I have hope for is a grocery store near the center of town.  They're usually hiring, and they can take on more or less however many "casual" workers they want, and they can always use an extra bagger.  If that doesn't come through, I may end up at Burger King, which is apparently always hiring because they're always firing (not a comforting thought). 

I never know what to say on the applications when it asks me what skills I have that would make me suitable for the job.  I'm a first year English major, I don't have skills :-P  But I can put groceries in a bag... please, please just hire me!  Please!  *grovels*

*sigh* I might as well fill out my application for the bagel place too.  Now THERE'S a job I'm suited for.  If I can't be surrounded by books, being surrounded by bagels is undoubtedly the next best thing :)

mmmBagels...