The Zone

[ithildin]

No, not that one!

I participated in this over at carenejeans, so I'm posting it here.

Everyone has things they blog about. Everyone has things they don't blog about. Challenge me out of my comfort zone by telling me something I don't blog about, but you'd like to hear about, and I'll write a post about it. Ask for anything: latest movie watched, last book read, political leanings, thoughts on slash, favorite type of underwear, writing techniques etc. Repost in your own journal so that we can all learn more about each other.

I'm striking the politics, only because it's not outside my comfort zone -- I talk/post on the subject frequently in places that just aren't here [g] I made a very specific choice to keep this journal politics free so I had one place on the internet that was a buffer zone from my usual haunts :)

Comments

[dejla.livejournal.com]

Oh, the hell with it... thoughts on slash.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

There's a lot of it out there [g]

[dejla.livejournal.com]

Ba-ba-dum-dum. And exit, stage right.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

It's odd you should ask, since I was pondering slash related topics on my walk to work this morning. M/M is a reading preference like anything is. It still mystifies me as to why it's so popular. I mean, yes, I've read all those slash discussions as to why over the long years, but me myself, I don't *get* it. Know what I mean? [g]

On the other hand, I've had female friends who are m/m slashers tell me they don't get why I like f/f. Different strokes and all :) The best I can come up with is that I get an emotional reaction from f/f, whereas m/m leaves me feeling, well... meh. And yet, I always seem to end up in m/m slash dominant fandoms. Which is kind of strange. But then I'm strange, so maybe it's not so odd after all!

That's the best I can do at the end of a long day, I'm afraid :) If we ever meet in RL, we can discuss it over a good bottle of wine, because verbalizing it is much easier! (are you coming to Vegas?)

[lilliew.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way. M/M does nothing for me. I'm not against it, I just don't see the excitement about it. I find F/F a little more interesting, but definitely M/F is my preference.

[dejla.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way, I suppose. I do prefer f/f to m/m, but a lot of it, I think, is that I simply don't see slash as a possibility in most universes. It strikes me as OOC for most of them.

I do see at least a possibility and a likely probability of slash in Highlander (ff and mm) and in Sentinel, for differing reasons.

It may simply be that I don't have slash goggles, as people say. And a lot of times, I find myself in fandoms with a great deal of slash, and it can be a little frustrating. But--again, this is only IMHO, and I would never say that anyone shouldn't write it in any fandom they choose.

Which just reminds me that I need to do the story about Duncan and Methos some day, the one I call "Adam Pierson Must Die"...

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Actually I would love to sit down with a good bottle of wine and discuss slash with you in Vegas. Of course, I'm not a *lets slash anyone* kind of girl either. I adore these guys *points to icon*

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

You're closer to me in slash terms than most of my other friends. I'd say that pretty much all my friends are dyed in the wool slashers, and most all their fandoms are slash ones. Like ninjababe [g] Actually, one of the few fandoms she doesn't slash is Highlander.

I'm used to being the minority :)

And you're on for that bottle of wine!

[ninjababe.livejournal.com]

I wanna be in on that convo!

I'm a big slasher, but I don't see it everywhere like a lot of people I know do...

And, I can see slash in Highlander, just not Duncan... He's too straight-laced for it to 'mesh' in my mind.

[lilliew.livejournal.com]

That minds me, keep forgetting to email you, but your rss feature (Syndicate this site) on your website blog seems to have been broken for a while now. Not that I mind going to your lovely webpage, but sometimes it's nice to read everything using my RSS reader.

But as for politics, yeah. This is why a) all my posts are locked and b) I use filters :)

I would like to know about your writing techniques, though :)

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's been broken since the upgrade two years ago. I haven't decided if I want to put any more money into getting that, and the comments, and the other stuff that hasn't worked for ages fixed.

Writing techniques: I don't think I have any, actually. Though I'm not sure what one would be, so maybe I do and don't know it [g]

[lilliew.livejournal.com]

If I was feeling up to it, I could help you with that, but as of late, I am a bit overwhelmed heh, sigh. Give it a while and you'll find a new blog software you like better am sure :)

As for writing, am just curious how you go about it. Do you outline things? Do you just sit down and write? Do the characters talk to you? What do you do when the plot bunnies attack? What inspires you? How long does it take you to write a chapter? I'm interested in how different people go about it, especially since I'm in the middle of a HUGE epic Jericho fanfic (heh).

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

It's not so much the blog software as having to pay someone to fix it. Switching from MT would be a bitch, I think [sigh] But thanks for the thought :)

Oh, okay, that I can answer. The one and only story I ever outlined was Oaths, and that was because the ancient Rome parts and to flow into the matching present day story line. Yes, the characters talk to me. In fact, they rarely shut up! A lot of times I just sit down and write, and it just happens. Others, I struggle to get the images from my brain into words on the screen. My parts on 'Fondly' have been averaging 1200-1500 words, and I can usually write that in an evening, or an evening and a half when it's going well. Right now, it's not [g]

A lot of times, I have the story fairly well written mentally, like the next segment in my QoS series. There's a beginning, middle, and end, lots of dialog and situations. Now, getting it into words is another thing entirely! And I have a general mental outline of the next 5 stories in the series. I move the pieces and characters around, like rehearsing a play.

Then there's things like the Bloodties stories. I know what's happened even if it's never been in a story. For example, I know Joe became a vampire due to a tragic mistake on Triona's part, and that it took a long time for Methos to forgive her, but the events surrounding that incident has never actually been in a story. I know all about the father of Lucia's twins, even though he's never appeared anywhere. I know there's a much more the the relationship between Triona and Janette than has actually appeared on the page.

As for inspiration... lots of things I guess. Sometimes it just is. Or it can be a movie, or a line in a song, or wondering what Methos thought the stars were when he was young.

See? Now you can't shut me up! Did that help at all?

[lilliew.livejournal.com]

This is good. It's pretty similar to the way I write. I know what's going on, it's a matter of writing it out, and not all the details are going to be in the story due to lack of time, not being essential to the plot. It's kinda fun having your own universe to play in. :)

The only difference I might have is that I sometimes write various chapters as the inspiration hits me, not necessarily in order, then go back in and fill the gaps then go back to add in details that tie it all together. Sometimes plot bunnies hit me and I began other story ideas and run with it and save it for another story at another time. Sometimes these get written, sometimes not, but the practice of keeping writing comes in handy.

Thanks for sharing, it's interesting to see how others write. :)

[arenee1999]

Ah well, how about...last book read?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

The last book I finished was All Mortal Flesh (http://www.amazon.com/All-Mortal-Flesh-Fergusson-Alstyne/dp/0312312644/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205354335&sr=1-3).

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Okay - a question. If you were in a romantic relationship, would you feel comfortable discussing your fandom and your fanfiction with your SO? How much does your immediate family know about your fandom life? Do they have access to your LJ?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure! If they can't accept such a major part of my life, then they're the wrong guy for me :) Not that I've had many relationships, but those I have had have been with guys who had a definite geek factor of their own! [g]

Well, my father has no interest in me in general, and he can barely turn on a computer. My mum has read my fic in the past, and knows about my website and LJ, but due to ancient dial up doesn't go there. Same with my brother, except the having read my fic part. Though he knows all about it. Poor guy has certainly listened to enough conversation between me and Nin, hashing out some story or other [g] And we go to cons together, and are fannish about a lot of the same shows.

[ariestess]

Okay, I'm curious about writing techniques...but that's the writer in me...

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

If you check out the comment a few above yours, you'll see my answer [g] lilliew asked that too!

[ariestess]

Fascinating!