Exploding Poohsticks

Says You is a public radio program that includes bluffing rounds, where one team is assigned an obscure word, two of its members create fake definitions for it, and the other team tries to guess the actual definition. Yesterday, the word for one of the rounds was filk.

I thought, "Oh, geez, that's a gimme!"

The guessing panel picked one of the fake definitions.

The studio audience was in favor of the other fake definition.

In tandem with my partner discovering Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog only just last week, it's a well-timed reminder that my perceptions of "popular" and "well-known" are somewhat skewed.

(This is related to why I generally discourage academic authors from using the adjective "well-known" and "famous" in their prose: if something is truly is well-known, saying so is redundant, and if it's knowledge that wasn't previously shared by the reader, it can unnecessarily distance or alienate them.)

(Tangent: the only other word I've recognized going into a bluffing round was "hardanger." That one, not so much of a double-take.)

---

I haven't gotten around to reading Alma Alexander's books yet, but I peeked at her Flycon posts from this past weekend, and this one really struck a chord with me:

...whoever said that you or ANYBODY else are going to be reading the same book, ever, even when every word in it is identical between your two copies?

...It is flat impossible to write for every possible interpretation of a given set of words – you would have to have the mind and the breadth of vision of a God to be able to understand everything about everybody, to know the contents of every single person's duffle bag as they slog along the road of life. You write a story -- and after it's out of your hands it's between the story and the readers. They may have issues with the story. While "issues" are often something that you can take on board and fix in your head and do better (or try to) in your next story -- it's also true that you could not posssibly have known about every issue from every reader. You owe the reader the best story that you could write. What they discover in it… is more often than not something that you never thought that you had said. As a writer, this is something that you have to live with.

The odds of me finishing a drabble for halfamoon today are looking iffy (have character, have concept, lack energy), but I think I've pinned down another strand of the plot for "Not As Dumb," so go me.

Also, marginaliana pointed her readers to the prompt post for the gen battle being organized by fox1013, and just reading it is a hoot and a half. (Including fox's intro: "I am in fandoms where bears and frogs go on road trips together and real people dive into human-sized bowls of pasta..."). Too many highlights to provide a comprehensive list, and I don't know if I'll manage anything for it at all (in spite of the short wordcount max), but I want to remember prompts like these anyway:

( People will cross over the Muppets with ANYTHING. I'm not even quoting most of those... )

Nineveh-uk has posted another bit of Sayers-inspired brilliance, this time featuring Bunter and tissue-paper. Work-safe.

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Marginalina linked to the Yuletide brainstorming post; I clicked. That crashing sound you hear in the background is my resolve to stay out of fests this year colliding with the possibility of prompting some good FAKE fic. More on that in a sec.

My original shortlist + runners-up is on page 7 of the comments therein, but I had a three-hour drive earlier today, which meant I had time to ponder what I really want. So the fandoms I currently plan to nominate are looking more like this:

1. FAKE - Sanami Matoh
2. Haru wo Daiteita - Youka Nitta
3. Copenhagen - Michael Frayn
4. Muppets
5. Chicago Manual of Style
6. Vicky Bliss - Elizabeth Peters

Some thoughts (in reverse order) on fic I'd like to see, whether via Yuletide or some other panfandom challenge or me-writing-it-myself-during-some-future-bout-of-insomnia (and yes, this is partly so I don't forget all this when it's time to write my "Dear Yuletide Santa" letter -- although it'll definitely need trimming so as not to scare whomever's assigned to me out of her or his gourd). I guess I should cut for spoilers for some of these...

( 6. Vicky Bliss )

5. CMOS - oh, the possibilities. CMOS/MLA bondage or hatesex, CMOS/APA, two CMOS rules together, one single CMOS rule... mwahahahahaha. I really am not kidding when I say that 17.169 would lend itself nicely to an extended exploration of UST.

4. Muppets. Heh. Coming up with potential guest-stars (which may or may not violate the "no crossovers" guideline - I'm just brainstorming here) was a welcome mental break. Possibilities, in rough order of preference:

anyone from Tenth Doctor Who or Torchwood (actor or character)

Cthulhu or Hastur from User-Friendly (and dudes, current storyline involves the Large Hadron Collider. Whee!)

anyone from Haru wo Daiteita

anyone from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series

Lord Peter Wimsey. Bonus for scenes showing Bunter dealing with the insanity

Irene Adler

Jonathan Papelbon

3. Copenhagen. More discussion and/or flashbacks among those involved.

2. Haru wo Daiteita: Yoshizumi or Shimizu gen; Iwaki/Katou PWP...

1. FAKE - some possibilities:

Ryo/Dee hurt/comfort

Dee and Jim Campbell friendship fic

Ryo's early twenties - answering questions from Dee, Carol, and/or Bikky about his time in the Army (if that's what he did), or Dee mulling over how Ryo's Army habits/skills show up in his current habits, or how Ryo met his bomb-making friend (if it wasn't via the Army)

Ryo and Dee discuss and compare their knowledge of bombs

Kai and/or Louise (second season) - what are their stories?

The 27th precinct heads to Bikky and Carol's wedding. Craziness and crises meet them there.

( second season spoiler )

( And now for the mini-manifesto... my personal preferences re: FAKE fic )
Ok, that's more than I meant to say... and I'm not done yet. Some other day. The to-post list also includes a delightful German translation of "Those I Can Save" (courtesy of LJ:incapability87), a couple of audiofics (once I stop coughing long enough to record them), some recs of FAKE fics (especially ones not in the usual archives), and the ever-floating raft of to-writes (once they're written, heh). But for now it's back to the comma mines. *hugs to all who wants 'em*

Via kirbyfest: Merlin Missy's Your Friends Are Not Watching the Same Show You Are (And That's Okay).

( cut for Dr Who/Torchwood spoiler )

The "fandom as an evil clone of The Potato Salad Theory" postulate:

To summarize the potato salad theory, fanfiction works for readers because the readers are already coming to the story with enough history and background to enjoy the story without piles of world-building and setup, much like stories that feature historical or mythological characters. We are bringing our own utensils and plates to the picnic, not expecting restaurant service. That's fanfic. When it comes to our source material, we're all bringing very different things to the table, and that's going to affect what we consume.

The description of the Torchwood that half of my friendslist is watching: ( Torchwood spoiler )

Her alternate titles are not only a scream, apparently they're triggered a meme now percolating through TV fandom. (See link to kirby's journal for examples.)

( the picnic in the pro world / weapons against self-inflicted woe )

Dreary day. What to do? A game!

Moonshadow archive. Whomping Willow slash. My friends.

(Your turn. Inspired by this. Comment below.)

There's a comment thread at Dear Author on the Cassie Edwards mess that has generated some really thoughtful posts not only on plagiarism, but on (1) editorial responsibility, (2) seeing authors as separate from their work (if/when it should happen, and if/when does it affect one's interest in their new books), (3) how the behavior of some fans affects/silences others, and other charged topics. Nora Roberts herself responds to several comments.

[And in this thread, Roberts clarifies her stance on fanfic (she doesn't want to see it on the fansite she visits every day but elsewhere is fine). I don't happen to harbor any urges to play in her universes (even though I reread several of her trilogies every year or so), but it's nonetheless cheering to find her views are similar to Bujold's on this issue.]

Saints and sugarplums... I just caught sight of a scale model of Minas Tirith during the Battle of Pelennor Fields - built out of candy

The builders' progress pics

*admires*

More decluttering of the bookmark stash:
[Disclaimer: I have not read all of these links all of the way through. I don't know if/when I'll ever get around to doing so. But there's a feast for thought here several times over, and I'm more likely to look them up here than three Firefox submenus deep (I know, I know, that's sad...)]

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock" summarized in two lines. The same thread has LOLcat for the Makers.

Shooting script of The Princess Bride

Sulky_rhino's crossover fanart masterlist.
Sulky_rhino's fanart making fun of fanon masterlist.

Kassrachel's "On Judaism and fandom". I bookmarked this post and its comments in part because I may want to reread them the next time a majority vs. minority race/religion/etc. debate flares up in fandom, and also because its themes include (1) the right to stay disengaged from a debate when one doesn't feel compelled to say something and (2) fandom being "basically midrashic" (which is essentially what I was rambling about a couple nights ago...).

Sistermagpie: "Canon does not exist" (which one commenter suggested would be better titled "nothing is really canon")

BPAL log:
Kindly Moon - limited edition; tester
Lab description: Utterly ethereal, an exquisite expression of love: moonflower, lotus root, white gardenia, beeswax, peach blossom, blue musk, stargazer lily, golden osmanthus, ti, sandalwood, hyacinth, ylang ylang, and a touch of vanilla bean.
Ribbons's reaction: Smells like juice and musk, but more pleasant than "Paris." Not offensive, but I won't be ordering more of it. Two samples do not a representation make, but given my reaction to "Long Night Moon" (which I also thought on the sweet side) I'm wondering if Moon scents aren't my thing. (The LE series that has worked well on me so far is the Zodiac.)

Shameless squeeing:
Listened to some more of Cedar's reading of "The Hounding of the Baskervilles" over supper. Oh, is she good. *glee*

Spork-watching log:
( Deadly Hollow as a variation of midrash )

ETA 11/7: LJ has suspended the plagiarist.

LiveJournal's handling of the Thamiris plagiarism situation? A whole new class of FAIL.

In a nutshell: some clown has been reposting Thamiris's stories and LJ entries as his own, and LJ has claimed it cannot act against him unless a complaint is filed specifically by "a family member of the deceased user." The writer was not "out" to her family as a participant in fandom.

I never interacted with Thamiris personally, but The Water Horse (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, R?, 11000 words) remains one of my all-time favorite Yuletide stories. If you've not read it before, you're in for a treat.

Although the circumstances are appalling, it's heartening to see Thamiris's fans and friends working to guard her work and preserve her memory.

( 1. Purity in Print )

(2) The November issue of Wired (yeah, I'm behind) has a mini-manga on manga. And the feature article on the economic and intellectual property culture/issues is worth perusing as well (e.g., to what degree could/should creators of original works look the other way?).

(3) Two quick Snupin Santa recs:

A jug of wine, and thou beside me in the wilderness (PG13, Alternate Reality, 9K). Takes place just after the First War. Gentle, clever plot; incredibly hot non-explicit love scene (no, that's not an oxymoron - reading it made me more breathless than many a NC17); delightful OCs.

The Blood-Dimmed Tide (PG13, Alternate Reality, 4K). I'm not sure I can discuss the details I liked about this story without giving away too much, so I'll simply say it's an especially lyrical and thoughtful take on "What if Remus had sorted into Slytherin?"

(1) Lack of immediate feedback doesn't mean your fic sucked. It may mean you wrote a pairing or rating that doesn't happen to appeal to the hordes. It may mean your scenario or universe isn't one that lends itself to a single sit-down skim-through and quick review. It may mean your usual peeps are going out of their minds with OMG HANUKKAH STARTS TOMORROW or other seasonal madness (when not procrastinating on coping with said madness by peeking very randomly at fics) and are holding off on several shiploads of reading until later this winter (especially the long'uns). It almost definitely means there are a couple of lurkers (or more!) who haven't quite worked up the nerve to tell you how much they enjoyed your story, because they're afeared of sounding stupid or shallow (note to the lurkers: be brave! Feedback is a wonderful thing! It encourages more fic!), or they're flummoxed by the interface, or because the !@#@# server went down just as they finally worked up the nerve to click the magic make-the-author-happy button (or won't accept their security code, or some other nonsense. The SnuSa site is working like a dream, but this has happened to me on at other archives from time to time). Or they're just indolent.

ETA: Or they got distracted by a dog throwing up on the carpet just as they were about to tell you how brilliant you are. Etc., dammit. Dinnae fash yersels over comment counts and other manifestations of popularity or lack thereof, because therein lies madness, including the odd syndrome of folks not realizing that manifestations of neediness and fragility = reader repellent. (Perhaps I simply have the heart of a black mountain troll (to steal Lee's phrase), but Author Notes along the lines of "Be kind to me" tend to trigger exactly the opposite impulse in me -- i.e., it wakes up an insane urge to kick puppies.)

(I know I've held forth on this subject before, but there are a lot of new writers/readers in this year's fests, so it seemed worth saying this again.)

(2) I will bet a tall skim cappucino (no sugar or syrups for me, thanks) that Not Quite What the Doctor Ordered (RL/SS, AU, rated R, 33000 words) is by either McKay or someone whose style very closely resembles hers. I am stating this publicly even though I was dead wrong on most of my guesses in last year's fest, because the suggestion that McKay might have written it will lure some of you into reading it now instead of saving it for later. *eg* The characterizations remind me of some of her other Snapes and Reguluses -- and speaking of Regulus, he's a delight in this. And so's the secondary pairing and the casting and the very detailed plotting. (I like AUs - when they're done well, the cleverness warms my toes and the characeterisations often make me think harder about canon. Good stuff.)

(3) A new handful of imps arrived in the mail over the weekend. The BYM liked Ivanushka and Long Night Moon best, and wasn't so crazy about Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (a frimp) or Sagittarius. He likes scents to be on the subtle side.

Lab descriptions:
LONG NIGHT MOON
The nights are at their longest, the sky is at its darkest. The air is still with reflective silence.

A bouquet of night-blooming flowers, petals dusted with frost. Cereus, moonflower accord, night phlox, honeysuckle, silver thyme, white mint, and blue musk.


SAGITTARIUS
Mutable Fire: the essence of striving.
Sage, clove, dandelion, balm of gilead, fig, and chamomile.


IVANUSHKA
Soft, velvety fur and warm musk, brushed by forest woods and dusted by dry leaves.

My initial impressions: I wasn't wowed by any of them, but none of them were "OMG no" either.
Ivanuskha (decant) I have to sniff hard to smell at all (not unlike Ozymandias). Kind of powdery.
Long Night Moon (decant) - sweet but not cloying. Has a bit of a bite to it - maybe a winter version of Gemini?
Sagittarius (decant) - kind of sunny and mild. I think it's the chamomile. (Doesn't quite fit the name, associations with arrows notwithstanding.)
Sol (decant from a different circle, received earlier) - heavier, more aggressive scent.
Cleopatra's Veil (sample from a different manufacturer) - interesting and pleasant. Reminds me of Chanel No. 5, but I'm not sure if they've actually anything in common. It just tickled that tendril of my sense-memory.
Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (lab imp) - very flamboyant. Very orange, which I personally like. (Probably wouldn't smell all that good on me, but I'll keep it for the "staying awake until stupid hours trying to catch up" nights.)

And on that note, I'm off to make cranberry-orange relish, run a gadzillion errands, and then return to hardcore comma mining. *g* *hugs all y'all*

Inspired by statements both firmly pro- and against- on various lists. Bring your fanon on and discuss! *grin*

( Poll under the cut )

It's been a long haul work-wise this week (and I've been better health-wise as well), so I took the morning off to bake an Indian pudding and inch forward on a fic.

(The reviews of the pudding so far: "Looks like cat barf, tastes like pumpkin pie without the crust." Let it not be said my officemates don't tell things as they are. *g*)

I've also been obsessing a bit too much about gift culture (both in fandom and real life), prompted by some wibbling in various quarters over the past couple of months that has been rubbing me the wrong way. I suspect I'm overreacting to and/or misreading a fair bit of it because of my personal issues, which I'll elaborate upon in a moment; that said, if something's coming across to me as passive-aggressive or reeking of entitlement, chances are it's hitting other people that way as well.

( A list much, much longer than I'd intended it to be... *sheepish* )
Put another way: If lack of feedback is a deal-breaker for you, your skin is frankly too thin. And the best way to thicken it is to sit down and work on something new that will turn out better (luck and stubbornness willing). And if the bunnies just won't behave for you, you could at least take that negative energy and route it into recs and nominations and feedback for other people. It's not just talent that makes the high-profile fans beloved among so many -- to name three of the highest-profile names in Snape/Lupin, snegurochka_lee, scribbulus_ink, and lore are adored not only because they're fantastic storytellers, but because they also routinely encourage and promote other writers and artists besides themselves.

(And now I need to get back to work and take my own damn advice. *rueful smile*)

(1) Snupin Santa signups. Reading everyone else's prompts and caveats is always hugely entertaining and edifying, and I've been breaking into gigglefits all night over rossana's "Deus Ex Machina Cat" and her marvelous stipulations: "please to not be making the cat one that talks or walks on its hind legs and wearing a hat. It's just a cat with an evil evil plan to get two men together. Remember: it's a cat that Snape would like." I can totally get behind captaintulip's assertion about Snape and Lily: "I love them separately, but detest them together -- rather like lasagna and chocolate cake." The incredible variety of prospective plots and the quotient of probable glee. (I'd actually contemplated giving this year a pass, given the current pileup of offstage mayhem and my ongoing levels of tired, but yeah, that delusion lasted maybe thirty-six hours at the outside.) *starts sharpening the plot-hydra hatchet*

(2) Two post-DH fics I have enjoyed rereading: marginaliana's "George and" and sams_cafe's "The Rules of Being a Godson".

(3) Being prodded to analyse familiar texts from unfamiliar angles, the better to write behind or around or after canonical happenings with confidence. (musigneus, it is totally your fault I have The Prydain Companion checked out right now.)

(4) Projects prompting me to try telling stories someone else is eager to read.

I hesitate to post this, since I feel most of my friends are actually more clued in about this sort of thing than I am ... But, not everyone who reads this LJ is a veteran of fandom, and people I care about are wibbling and/or upset over various goings-on, and that's too much on my mind at the moment. So, for what it's worth, some miscellaneous observations (as much as a reminder to myself as everyone else). YMMV, usual buckets of salt, etc. [ETA: #6 and #7, in particular, may well be minority opinions. See the comments for other perspectives.]

( In the course of a misspent life, I have learned that... )

(13) All fretting and cantankerousness aside, the fact remains that fests are wicked cool. There's splendid work being posted daily at lupin_snape (some of which I've had to bookmark to read later -- Wonderland author, I'm looking at you in particular -- the parts I've skimmed so far are fantastic, but I want to sit down for a proper all-the-way-through read before I comment). I still think it's incredible that there are all these hundreds of people volunteering to make things for each other, just because they can, and that the rest of us get to partake of the gifts as well if and how we so choose. (For instance, "What We're Fighting For"? Not a prompt I would have come up with on my own, and not a story written for me, and yet it is such a well-wrought story, and my life is the richer for it. And from last year's fest, stories I revisit over and over include "Double Happiness Masala" and "Warmth". And then there's the art, which has included illustrations to ellid's "New York Minute" and a breathtakingly gorgeous wolf with pregnant Snape (sounds soppy? It isn't, that's what's I find marvelous about it)).