Update

[anghraine]

So, I've been incredibly busy with uni and family stuff and keeping up with the Republican primaries (best reality TV ever). Mostly college, though, between two English classes and a creative writing workshop. I've got through the workshop of my chapter, thankfully -- it was even helpful, aside of a few people who didn't quite get it ("why do so many of the countries' names end in A?" or "I don't like fantasy so I think you should do Y instead"). Also, writing traditional high fantasy starring three characters who are neither straight nor white nor dudes just makes me happy.

I'm thinking of doing a sort of DVD commentary type thing over at my long-defunct fic comms. We'll see. But before that, I'd really like to actually respond to the prompts we got for the alternate pairing fest. Nobody has responded yet, which is not particularly surprising as we are a very tiny community and I have been a faily mod and November and alternate pairings, but I would like to myself, but I don't really have the time right now. So I'm exercising my modly powers and extending the date to ... not-November. Say, a little before Christmas -- the 21st. But I'd be glad to adjust for anyone's convenience or whatnot.

Anyway, let's see. Mark Oshiro has been reading The Hobbit, which has been adorable and hilarious (and very rarely, irritating), though never so much as his final post, wherein he blithely insisted that (1) there are no ghosts in Middle-earth, (2) marching straight towards a volcano would be bad, and (3) hobbit culture is totally unlike early twentieth century English culture. At this point, it seems like at least half the comments are in ROT-13. Mine are, anyway! And so were the first eighteen or so on today's post and he's all YOU'RE TAUNTING ME WITH MY SITE RULES and everybody is WE DO IT OUT OF LOVE, MARK. Also, I got to get into a geeky disagreement with somebody who knew the backstory and whatnot, which was fun (though really, I do not think Celebrimbor sent Nenya to Galadriel because she's a princess).

I'm also taking an upper-division Tolkien class this coming quarter, just as he starts reading LOTR. This could not be more perfect. Possibly I will produce the occasional Middle-earth related post. I'm sure I still have a few Tolkien people on my f-list, anyway.

Also, there are some vaguely meta-y fic-related SW-y/Austen-y things I'm thinking of too, and they're faster than fic. I should be able to manage one soon, and at the very least a picspam.

So things are looking up!

Comments

eek!

[catie56]

i did want to reply to the alt!pairing thread, and even started something! but then i forgot, so this is a good reminder. but i always have to post anonymously, so that makes me feel like a creepy internet stalker.

anyway. yes! alternate pairings! and, for what it's worth, i think DVD commentary would be hilarious.

[sathari]

...writing traditional high fantasy starring three characters who are neither straight nor white nor dudes just makes me happy.

It also makes you AWESOME. Just sayin'. Also, WTF about "I don't like fantasy so I think you should do Y instead"? Hello, people, not everything in the world can be for your pleasure.

A class in Tolkien? This is amazingly awesome. I'm not a fan of the trilogy per se, but I love when fandom and school/work can collide, and when speculative fiction, especially sf that was written by a goddamn academic whose work in academe directly relates to his sf, gets welcomed into academe.

(Also, not to be creepy, but I'm glad you're back and specifically that it was only busyness rather than something awful that had you away from DW for a while.)

And yay for meta-y SW-y things! :)

Re: eek!

[anghraine]

Oh, awesome. Doing it during NaNo and the holidays was pretty ridiculously unwise, so ... take your time. And anonymous posts are good!

Heh, thank you. Every time I re-read, I keep thinking of these random comments I ~must share~ but that's so annoying in a fic. So I think I will do that!

[anghraine]

Thank you re: the original fiction! Though I was re-reading my opening chapter, and actually there are four main girls, and one of those is white, and the other three are not (though one of those is green and scaly). But only the dragon is straight.

I'm pretty thrilled about the class! I adore Middle-earth in general -- many of my favourite characters are not in LOTR, though also many of them are -- and it is that elephant in the room for any fantasy writer, of course, so studying Tolkien always feels educational, in a way. And, yes, the fact that he was a legit academic, that his childish sideline (lol) was dismissed by other academics and the academy at large, and now undergrads can study it academically -- that does make it all the sweeter.

It's not creepy at all! Thanks. I am just really busy with uni and politics right now (er, I'm not politically active, but I try to keep up and there was a very hectic week for those of us on the West Coast).

I keep meaning to write one on Force sensing/presences/telepathy/whatnot in the movies, as opposed to the fanfic and EU versions (...okay, that's slightly redundant), because I think both the limitations and extent of the abilities are interesting. And I'd have to start with ROTJ because it was clearly something that was modified as it went along and that's where we get the most distinctive version, but then fanwank the modifications and stuff. And maybe just get into what the Force actually does and doesn't do in the movies.

Then there's maybe something about why I ship Han/Leia/Luke so hard, even though it's mostly platonic life partners. And then about writing next generation characters in a way that doesn't rehash the original (especially if the original specifically concluded something). Gah, too much stuff. But I should get around to at least some of it soon!

[sathari]

The original fiction sounds awesome. And also, "one of them is green and scaly... but only the dragon is straight" may be my favorite character description ever. :)

Word on Tolkien's "childish" sideline being accepted into the academy--- best vindication ever!

And OMG I look forward to your meta! All of that sounds awesome!!!