yuletide reveal

[raven]

Seriously, what is it like to be able to sleep at night? I'm genuinely interested in knowing. What do you do with all that spare time?

(On a related note, this story made me FURIOUS, quite possibly irrationally, but still, how dare they basically imply that depression is your fault for going to bed too late. If you just went to bed early you'd be happier! It's essentially "early to bed, early to rise....", isn't it, and the people who say that are always heading for justifiable homicide. I'm maybe just cranky, but it's six degrees below, I have no heating, I cannot use the kitchen because the fuses have all gone so none of the lights are working, and I can't sleeeep, waaah.)

Anyway, a brief note: I want to make a post about various new-year things, but before that, a quick and final yuletide note. I wrote these:

Advent (Connie Willis' Oxford time-travel universe) for scintilla10
This was my assignment, and it was hard work, but in the end I was pleased with it. (Especially with the pun in the title, because I'm a dork like that.) My recipient wanted a story about Verity, but I had read Doomsday Book much more recently than To Say Nothing of the Dog, and the finished product had something of a sense of gloom. Interestingly, last year's story was also a story about Verity, and although I do try not to repeat myself, I can't resist writing all my stories in the same universe. Once again, shimgray sorted out the plot holes for me very nicely indeed.

Oh, and! It has a cameo by absinthe_shadow in it. I was trying desperately not to make it too obvious, but finally bowed to the inevitable, asked her permission and wrote her in.

Prawn Crackers (dinnerladies) for lilka
dinnerladies is not actually a fandom of mine - in the sense that, I love the show very much and think it's wonderfully written, but I've never wanted fic for it. Only, a few weeks ago I went over to see lilka, we had a lovely evening drinking wine and watching the Christmas episodes, and when I saw her request drift past I couldn't help myself.

(Also, a little of this story may have been drawn from life. Just a little.)

Boy Trouble (Discworld) for duckgirlie
This one was the definition of a last-minute treat. I wrote it the night before the deadline, the hour before, even - I wish I'd had time to make it longer, actually! - and enjoyed myself far too much in the writing. On a serious note, it was fun to write the "ordinary" Discworld women (i.e., the ones who don't have the benefit of being able to do magic), and show up their small human awesomnesses, and on a truly frivolous note, I had great fun with the jokes. I had a vague sense that the joke in the first paragraphs isn't translating very well - if it helps, British hen parties traditionally involve L-plates. No one knows why.

Ingenué (Slings & Arrows) for beautifulside
Again, I wish this one was longer. I had as much again written, and it was becoming a story of sorts, about returning and going home and other overdramatic themes like that - but then it was the night before the deadline and I didn't want to scrap it, so I rescued these 500 words and realised I liked them by themselvs, after all. I do love Kate. And Geoffrey, but that goes without saying.

I'd like to apologise, also: I really, really appreciate (and, indeed, encourage!) the feedback I've got on these stories on AO3. But I just can't reply to comments right now - I am trying to take a bunch of exams and apply to grad school simultaneously this week, which is sort of why I'm awake at 4.58am - and so in lieu, I am just saying thank you here. Thank you all.

Onwards and upwards, I guess. I do wish I could sleep.

Comments

[tau_sigma]

I don't have time to read properly, as I'll be late for work (this job thing, it is odd), but oh, that makes me SO ANGRY too. And on a skim read, I can't help but think that they haven't considered that they may be mixing up cause and effect. Bugger them, anyway. Bugger them with a spiny anteater and NO LUBE.

(Shall return to read the rest of your post, after work.)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

"spiny anteater and NO LUBE" made me laugh! Bugger 'em, just so. :)

[tau_sigma]

I still have not managed to read these fics (well, those for which I know the fandom a little, anyway). *sigh* I'm going to get there.

:) I have, over the last few days, watched 'The Anal Lube Show' (extended episode of Mock the Week from the second DVD) at least twice. *g* It is clearly having too much influence on what I say...

[tau_sigma]

I have finally got round to reading these, all except Slings and Arrows, which is one fandom I find doesn't really work if you haven't watched it.

I have posted comments on 'Advent' and 'Boy Trouble', but it won't let me do so for 'Yes, Virginia'; I don't think I read it last year, probably because I thought 'ah, I don't know the fandom, there's no point reading it' but oh, there really is, I should have known, especially when it's you. And I love it, words cannot describe how good I think the whole plot and ending are, really. On more trivial bits: I love the fibreglass sheep, and the Pop Tarts, and the snow angels, cherubim and seraphim, and how good a writer you are, that you can write that and it ties in with the ending, and I have only just noticed.

And 'Prawn Crackers'; I haven't watched an awful lot of dinnerladies, but I liked it. :)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey! I am so glad that you liked all of these. It's particularly nice to hear what you thought of "Advent" and "Yes, Virginia" - they were written as "real" stories, you know, as getting-it-right stories rather than my burbling whatever I like on the page, and I am so glad that they worked for you. And, of course, I am glad you liked the others, too! Thank you for reading me. :)