The Minutiae of Life as a Militant Squirrel

I've been miserable for a couple of years, now, because I feel like I've completely lost my mojo when it comes to writing. I'll have great ideas, and maybe even get a sentence out, but then everything just comes to a sputtering halt. If I try to force it, it becomes such dreck that I have, occasionally, actually gagged.

So I had this thought . . . perhaps, part of the problem is that I'm not doing any real writing of any kind any more. And by that, I mean, I'm not posting regularly in LJ -- I'm certainly not talking about anything useful on Facebook. I've given myself no chance to put together any cohesive thoughts about any of the myriad topics that usually strike my fancy.

Okay, and yes, I'm bored senseless, true.

Still, I think this is worth a try. I'm not going to set some sort of crazily high standard for myself like daily posts . . . that takes a sort of discipline I just don't possess! My goal right now is just once a week.

Once a week, I want to put together a post about something, fannish or not, fic-related or otherwise. Hell, I might really go out on a limb and talk about politics.

It sounds like a simple enough idea, but I've been horribly lax about posting in the last ( LET'S ADMIT IT ) few years, so I'm hoping I can make myself stick to the plan. I'm not usually very good at that sort of thing, but I do want to try.

We shall see.

A little disappointed am I in Leverage 1:8, "The Mile High Job". It gave me a sense that the characters were out of their element, and because of that, I felt the episode lacked cohesion. Also, what was the point with the Genogrow security specialist being on board the plane? Why was he earmarked for liquidation? I get the accountant chick . . . that makes sense. I think I'm missing something and I need to re-watch the ep.

Nate and Sophie are becoming a bit predictable, though. I keep shouting at the screen, "Would you just *fuck* already!"

Of course, I loved Spencer as an air marshal. *snerk*

Message to Christian Kane: No, the fucking idiotic soul patch does NOT make you look badass; it makes you look STUPID. Shave, for God's sake. Also, a long blunt haircut is no one's friend, especially yours. Again with the stupid. CUT YOUR GODDAMN HAIR.

I want to write an SPN / Leverage crossover wherein Spencer tangles with the Winchester brothers over an artifact. I am trying VERY HARD not to start it until I finish something else in my WiPs folder.

Last night I watched Criminal Minds for the first time in eons and enjoyed it immensely. Though I didn't know Mandy Patinkin had left the show and I kept saying, "What is Joe Montegna *doing* here?"

I was rooting for the family of serial killers to escape, but the ending was pretty cool anyway. That other kid, at the very end, though, was FUCKING CREEPY-LOOKING, what with the bug eyes and all.

Anybody else notice that the second girl they swiped was played by the girl who played child-Lilith in SPN "No Rest For The Wicked" and "Yellow Fever"? It must have been SPN-alumni night, because Madison showed up on CSI: NY, also. And I spotted someone else on yet another show, but now I can't remember who it was or what role he played.

I rewatched SPN "Heaven and Hell" and was struck all over again by how silly the sex seemed. Dean has had more chemistry with a CHEESEBURGER than he did with Anna . . . though I do not object whatsoever to the gratuitous shirtlessness. I've always had a thing for shoulders and arms and hands on a guy, and now I can add "Jensen Ackles' naked back" to the list of THINGS THAT TURN ME ON INSTANTLY. Music choice for seduction, though? SERIOUSLY LAME.

I saw some of the stills from My Bloody Valentine recently, and I'm surprised to say that I think Jensen might be working out a bit too much. He's starting to look kind of . . . uneven. You know, out-of-proportion. Awesome under clothes, but a little weird out of them.

Still, the pretty kind of makes up for it.

And I also saw an episode of Bones, which I ( surprisingly ) enjoyed. I'd watched the pilot when it premiered, been vastly disappointed, and never bothered with it again. But this episode was funny and snarky and quite entertaining! Amanda has the whole series on DVD, so I might borrow it from her and get caught up.

Just what I need, another show to follow. GODDAMMIT.

My supervisor just informed me that the latest issue of TV Guide says that this is the final season for Prison Break. This is most disappointing! Still, TV Guide has been known to be wrong, and I can certainly understand that the writers may have milked the concept for all it's worth.

I will miss my Monday-night eye candy, though. *sighs*

Seems like that's it for now! I'm sure I'll think of more to say, as soon as I hit POST.

But, OMG, I want to see the results of this challenge!

Gakked from seperis.

From devin_chain, a challenge:

I wish for a multi-fandom Tale of Two Cities/Scarlet Pimpernel Fic, Art, Vid, etc. Fest. Any rating. Any fandom. Slash, het, gen...whatever. First time, friendship, romance, h/c, darkfic, humor, etc. Writers pick either of the two works or blend elements of both. They go short as drabbles or long as novels -- series, even. I dream of vids, wallpapers, banners, covers, icons which bring your worlds alive.

Transfer the French Revolution to the Pegasus Galaxy, to Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital, to Hogwarts, to the Impala, to Metropolis, to Los Angeles before the Terminators, to Cardiff, to the Tardis, to Bandom, to your favorite wealthy RPS boys' concerts or trailers or hotels or mansions....

Class warfare. Caste systems. Mistaken identity.Masks. Cross-dressing. Doppelgangers. Doublecrosses. Decadant aristocratic gatherings. Beautiful clothes dragged through streets running with blood. Threat of the guillotine. Knitting. Playing the fop to disappoint those your character loves, and then secretly leading heroic missions. Your hero sacrificing her/his life - or something precious if you loathe deathfic - when no one expects that sort of act from her/him. Offering comfort to another while on the way to execution or loss. Belief a spouse works for the enemy and finding proof s/he does. An unhappy marriage which finds its happy resolution. Whatever other permutation you want.

If you're interested in such an event, copy and paste the above into your LJ, IJ, JF, GJ, etc. Post what you write/draw/edit where/when you want, but please leave a link in my LJ if you're so inclined.

Even if you don't want to participate, please consider passing it on. Add to the suggestions any way you wish.

Okay, SOMETHING has to jumpstart the muses.

Gakked from everyone and their sisters . . . .

First fifteen people to comment get drabbles.

Frankly, I don't think that fifteen people actually *read* this journal, but hey. I didn't write the meme.

In theory, I can write in SV, SPN, BtVS, SGA, NCIS, and CSI:LV. But try me on whatever, maybe something will shake loose. Prompts are my friends! Detailed prompts are even better friends, especially if it's an unfamiliar fandom. I probably can't write anything except slash, although I might be able to do gen.

Aaaaarrrrrrrrgh!!

Writing porn is fucking hard.

And I don't mean that in the more-pleasant way.

How do you guys do it? How do you make it all mouth-watering and spine-tingling and pussy-wetting every time?

I'm drawing a blank.

Hellllllllllllllllllllllp!!!!

You know, for all the yammering going on about how awful SV fen are . . . I have yet to have a bad experience with any of them.

Everyone I've been lucky enough to interact with has been unfailingly pleasant, unbelievably helpful, and unswervingly kind.

I have yet to meet anyone who seems to be gratuitously cruel, outrageously mean, or slavishly nasty.

Then again, I'm not as closely involved in fandom as are many others. I don't participate in discussion lists ( having long ago wearied of flame wars ) and I'm pretty much just hanging out on LJ, going, "Ooh, pretty." Some fic from time to time, but nothing huge.

And speaking of fic, SV has the reputation, apparently, as the fandom that eats its young writers.

Nobody's tried to eat me. Maybe I should be disappointed?

When I've asked for responses, I've received them. When I've requested constructive criticism, I've gotten that. When I've looked for betas, people have jumped up to help out . . . and if I'm a little grouchy about their suggestions, it's only because I'm lazy and fixing the story means doing more work.

So in sum . . . I blow kisses in the direction of all the SV people I know.

Because it sounds like you probably need them. :)>

I can do this. I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.

I *must* get past this block of mine and get some fucking fic going! I was so ecstatic a few weeks ago when I got a good start on something . . . now it's just fizzled hopelessly away.

Pffft.

Deadlines make me queasy. I can't possibly imagine what I could possibly write in the next four weeks, but I need to get something comprehensive and worthwhile going in the slow cooker of my brain.

Deadlines without guidelines absolutely *suck*. All I've got to go on is "all stories must be either from the POV of a 'secondary character' (in this case, NOT Clark ) or be *about* a secondary character".

Grumble.

I think part of my problem is that the category is too damned broad. Well, that, and the whole writer's-block thing that I've got going on.

How do people *do* it? Just churn out fic on command? I'm at a loss. Authors? Other points of view are most welcome.

Anybody want to challenge me? Maybe that will help.

Hey guys. I need input on this.

Someone wrote to me about my story, "Jumping The Moon." She runs a fanfic challenge site, and wanted to know if she could post a challenge to other authors to write a sequel to it. The tone of her letter was quite complimentary -- it's not like I'm being asked to offer up a story to be totally spoofed.

I don't know whether to agree or not.

On one hand . . . I *have* been in the process of writing a sequel of my own. You've all been privy to my struggles with it.

On the other . . . it would be neat to see what other people come up with.

Then again, what if they suck?

Do I have the right to be so territorial and protective of my story, or am I being unbearably pretentious?

Should I agree, but call dibs on the title I've come up with? Should I agree, but ask for a few months to finish my own work? Should I tell her to not even think about it?

All of the above? None of the above?

Seriously. I'm really on the horns of a dilemma, here.

Suggestions? Ideas? Feelings?