Here I Am

I haven't done this in awhile and it's Oscars-related, so...

1) Do you try to see all the nominees for Best Picture each year before the Academy Awards show?

Yes, I do.  It's a tradition I've had since I was a teenager and took my first film class in high school.

2) How many of this year’s nine Best Picture nominees have you seen so far?

So far I've seen five of them.  I still need to see Moonlight, Lion, Fences and Hacksaw Ridge

3) Of those nominated films you’ve seen, which is your favorite?

Manchester by the Sea was really, really good, but really, really depressing.  I really loved La, La Land and the Little Bit and I go around singing music from it a lot.  That said, my favorite is Hidden Figures.  It was so good.  I loved every second of it and I think it deserves so much more recognition.

4) Is your favorite the same as the film you think is actually the “best picture”?

I think Hidden Figures is the best picture of the five movies that I've seen thus far.  it's possible that will change when I see the rest.  I don't know.

5) Which film do you think will win Best Picture?

Right now, I would say either Moonlight or La, La Land, depending on the mood of the Oscar voters.  They're really weird sometimes.

Day 14 - Go forth and commit an act of kindness. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it, tell us about it if you’re comfortable doing so.

I did my random act of kindness anonymously, but it's done.

Day 15 - In your own space, write a love letter to Fandom in general, to a particular fandom, to a trope, a relationship, a character, or to your flist/circle/followers. Share you love and squee as loud as you want to. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so

Dear fandom friends,

You guys always make this place worthwhile. I love that we can all go off, get lost in our real world lives, and come back, picking up where we left off with each other. I love how generous most people are, how people support each other within fandom and stand up for each other. I love having other people out there that love the same things that I do and get how it can eat at your brain and take over. I love how awesome most people in fandom are, despite attempts from some to create drama and wank. Continue to be awesome, fandom. The next four years will be hard for some people and fandom remains a great safe haven for some of us.

To my friends list in particular: Thank you for making even stressful days better. Thank you for being around with random fannish fun and understanding when I disappeared after my mother died and life happened. Thank you for being great people that I admire, get envious of (in good ways) and care about.

Love,

Mare

**

And if you're interested,

Half hour left to my work day. And then I'll get to sit in traffic, but I've got my podcasts ready to go and that tends to make the commute much easier. I'm a pretty easy-going person most of the time, but I get into a car and my anger goes on high. I've been trying to work on it. Even when people are idiots, especially when people are idiots, because they remain oblivious and I'm the one that gets tense.

So let's continue Fandom Snowflake catch-up

Day 11 - In your own space, talk about a creator. Show us why you think they are amazing. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

This is really hard because there are so many great creators in fandom.  I've been around for a long while and there are some that aren't as prolific anymore, but who really affected me with their works.  There are others that have been around and still post a lot.  And there are always new people that I discover as I go.

I'll say someone I admire and always read is musesfool/musesfool - she writes amazing stories in a number of fandoms and they're always so good.  

I'm currently obsessed with Life of Bucky Barnes by Petite-Madame.  The art is amazing and I'm constantly in awe of it.  And the accompanying story by stephrc79  is my go-to read of the moment.  I love their takes on Bucky and Steve. 

There are a lot of other creators I continue to admire and adore, too many to name or rec here.  Though I feel I'd be a terrible partner in crime if I wasn't thankful for steph /iamtheenemy - we go back to Nsync fandom days, a mutual love of Lance Bass and continue over the years to get the other obsessed with all sorts of fandom things.  Neither of us are as involved as we once were, but we had a fun reccing journal and she still writes some stuff that I always love.



Day 12 - In your own space, post a rec for fannish spaces and resources - comms, challenges, twitters, tumblrs, etc. Tell us about where you hang out. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I haven't been as up on fandom in recent years as I was before.  I always take part in Yuletide no matter what, so that's something I always stay aware of.

I highly recommend checking out:

ante_up_losers  - if you love the Losers and like creating fic/art because it's currently open for sign-ups.

And picfor1000  is open for sign-ups until the end of the month.  It's always a fun challenge to undertake. 

Really will catch up on this thing! So I apologize for more than one post from me.




Day 9 - Send feedback to two fannish people — they can be anyone you want: a writer who’s made you happy, a moderator of your favorite exchange (not us!), a fanartist you avidly follow… There are so many possibilities. Just let someone know you appreciate their work.

I always leave kudos over at Archive Of Our Own, but I went ahead and left some actual feedback for people.  I'm hoping to go through the day one challenge posts, read the fannish stuff people rec and leave feedback...but didn't have time for that yet.  So instead I left some feedback for a story that I love and just never commented on.  And then I left a comment on an ongoing WIP that I adore and live for updates of.   I always mean to leave comments, but then I can never think of things to say.  And I know that even "great story" is nice to get as a creator, but that doesn't always sink in when it comes to be squeeing at others. So this was a good challenge for me.
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Figure since assignments go out soon that I should do this letter.  I'm pretty much using a lot of last year's letter.

Dear Creator:

First of all, thank you for creating something for me.  I know I will totally love it as one can't go wrong with anything involving Jacob Jensen. 

My sign-up:  Losers - All Media, Cougar/Jensen, Carlos Alvarez, Jacob Jensen, any rating, no non-con/rape, animal and child death/torture, hopeless angst, utter incompetency

Consider this letter a bit of a brainstorm to perk your ears.  Please use as little or much of this as you need.  Follow your muse as I'm a pretty easy to please kind of gal.  Below are things that I especially like and enjoy seeing in fic.

Things I love in fic:  banter, competence (especially when it's Jensen and he still manages to get into trouble despite his mad abilities - oh and Cougar completely trusting Jensen's competence), hurt/comfort, possessiveness (without it turning creepy/stalker), and I'm totally a fluff/schmoop girl.  I don't mind angst if it has a happy ending or at least a hopeful ending.

If it goes the way of slash:  I love jealousy leading to fun times, established relationships dealing with issues, taking care of each other, silent communication, never giving up on each other...I'm really a girl all about the you-and-me-til-the-end-of-the-world

Aside from the main do nots in my sign-up, I'm not really a huge fan of the type of AUs where they are cowboys or in high school or work at a coffeeshop.  I'm okay with canon divergence and crossovers and other things...but those types of AUs where they tend to be other people than who they are just isn't my go-to reads.

Some prompt ideas (again, use as much or little of this as you want):

1)  I'm totally a fan of Jensen gets hurt/taken/written off for dead and Cougar goes into full-blown get-him-back-at-whatever-costs and the scary side of Cougar comes out...only to then be balanced when he finds Jensen and he's protective, gentle and completely there. 

2)  I'm a fan of the fics where Cougar doesn't think he deserves Jensen, making them both miserable, and then circumstances (or Pooch) force Cougar to get his act together.  again, I'm all for some angst as long as it leads to a happy place.

3)  I love getting together fics, but I would love even more the rocky getting together...where they are and then one or both freaks out and it stops (even though why?  you love each other, idiots), and something happens to kind of force the issue (one gets hurt, Pooch and the others are sick of dealing with it, whatever you like).

4)  Jealous Cougar.   And him being an idiot about it. 

5)  If this goes the Gen route, I love the friendship between Jensen and Cougar.  How they always have each other's backs, no matter what.  I love the team dynamics.  I love Jensen forcing Cougar out of his shell and Cougar forcing Jensen to step back.  I love that despite how much everyone on the team gets annoyed with Jensen, they would all do anything for him and he would do the same in return.

6)  And just to throw ideas out there...Crossovers - Okay, and yeah, this one is just because my brain always goes to these places with any of Chris Evans works.  Crossing him over with another character he's played as something that happens before/after the comics or movie  (Jake Jensen = Steve Rogers or Jake Jensen = Johnny Storm or Jake Jensen - Colin O'Shea - you get the idea).  Or having Losers end up in different universes - Jake is a metahuman in Flash's world?  Jake becomes a hunter a la Supernatural style, Jake goes to work for Tony Stark.  Last year, I got the most awesome, Cougar works as part of Stargate Atlantis group after New Jerusalem.  Seriously, I'm all for fun crossover worlds if that's your cup of tea. 

So yeah.  I feel I need to reiterate that this is just to give you a place to build off of.  I know I'll love whatever I get because Jacob Jensen is one of my happy fandom places.

If you're looking for more information, a lot of my posts here are locked, but I can be found on Archive of Our Own as tommygirl  - I also have a livejournal as storydivagirl

Anyway, thank you very much!  I hope this helps, not hinders. 

TommyGirl

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Anyway...



Day 7 - In your own space, create a fanwork. Make a drabble, a ficlet, a podfic, or an icon, art or meta or a rec list. Arts and crafts. Draft a critical essay about a particular media. Put together a picspam or a fanmix. Write a review of a Broadway show, a movie, a concert, a poetry reading, a museum trip, a you-should-be-listening-to-this-band essay. Compose some limericks, haikus, free-form poetry, 5-word stories. Document a particular bit of real person canon. Take some pictures. Draw a stick-figure comic. Create something. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I've been working on pieces for fandom_stocking at the moment. I cant' share them at the moment, but shortly I will. 

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Dear creator,

Thank you for writing or creating art for me, and I hope you have fun with it.  I tend to be terrible with these letters because I can ramble, but I'm pretty easy to please.  I ended up signing up at the last moment, so that's adding to the strange frenzy feeling to this letter.  My apologies and really, take as much or little of this as you want outside of my definitely no things - which were also in the sign-up.  Feel free to look at my Yuletide letter as well if this doesn't provide enough information.

Things I love:   I love fluff and schmoop.  Sucker for happy endings.  I'm a huge fan of hurt/comfort and I even like angst, but I prefer it to at least end hopefully and definitely prefer happy.  I love competency, friends to more, being equals.  I love familial relationships, but also families we create ourselves.  I'm a huge fan of banter and all that can be said with nuance in those moments.  I'm always a fan of cliches like stranded, forced together, amnesia...as long as it's done well and you have fun with it.  I love genderbending as far as taking a cool male character and making him an even more awesome female character.   I do love me some jealousy/possessiveness as long as it doesn't cross over into a creepy stalker type feeling.   In art I just love catching the quiet moments, domesticity, huddled together.

No, thank you:  most AUs aren't my go-to reads.  I'll read some, but not really what I seek out for fic.  I can't read non-con/rape.  I also can't handle violence against animals or children.  I'm not a fan of death fic or unhappy/no-hope endings.  I don't particularly enjoy incompetence or humiliation for no reason...if it serves a purpose in the story and it makes sense, I can handle it.

Below are the specific requests.  Again, take as much or little from these as you want.  I get how the muse can work (or sometimes not work).  If the match is for art, I don't really have any guidelines for that.  I'm in awe of artists and those abilities.  Again, go where the muse takes you.

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes, Steve/Sam, Steve/Tony

It's probably obvious, but I adore Steve Rogers.  He's my favorite character in the Marvel Universe.  Of the three pairings I put, I love them all for different reasons.  Steve/Bucky just know each other and have been through so much together.  I love the relationship that Steve and Sam created and the faith that Sam has always had in Steve...and it's obvious that he's one of the few people that Steve seems to let his guard down around.  Steve and Tony are opposites in so many ways with common hopes for the world and I think they bring out the best and worst in each other.

I always love the idea of Steve pining and not realizing that feelings are returned because he's so oblivious to certain things.  I love the idea of Bucky and Sam forming a close friendship - something Steve wants in theory, but when it starts to happen feels left out and jealous (of whichever pairing you go with).  I love Steve and Tony moving forward together.  Future fic is cool.  For Bucky/Steve, pre-First Avengers is fine.  Really anywhere in the timeline you want.



Sports Night
Dan Rydell/Casey McCall

This is one of my favorite pairings of all time.  I love the banter and deep friendship.  I love that even when they're at each other's throats or mocking each other relentlessly, they always try to be there for each other.   I would really love anything of Dan and Casey, but some ideas - moving from friends to more, Casey trying to help Dan when he gets lost in his head and loss, domestic fic (Charlie being involved optional).

Veritas the Quest
Calvin Banks/Nikko Zond or Nikko & Solomon

From the first episode I loved the relationship between Calvin and Nikko.  I'd prefer it a few years in the future of the show for the pairing because it just feels slightly icky when Nikko is under age.   What do they do in their down time?  How did Solomon react to this relationship?  I'd love them to still bicker and drive each other crazy, but have some balance and fondness, rather than the battles it was on the show.

For Nikko & Solomon - set it during the show, after the show, before the show...I just love their dynamic.  I love that Solomon keeps trying to protect Nikko, but cant' seem to accept that he needs a different sort of relationship at this point.  I love the two of them working to get to know each other and re-create a relationship.  I love that Nikko is a magnet for trouble and is likely turning his father gray.

Teen Wolf
Scott McCall/Stiles Stilinski;  Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

I love Stiles.  He's my favorite character on this show and I love all his relationships.   I'm always a fan of hurt Stiles that leads to protective Scott or Derek...and him sorta rolling with it to a point.  I love future fic and pack.  I love Stiles figuring out who he is, but still coming back to the pack. 


Stargate Atlantis
John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, John Sheppard/Ronon Dex;  Ronon Dex/Rodney McKay

I recently did a rewatch of this show and I still love it.  I love John/Rodney so much because it seems so obvious to everyone but them.
I love the idea of Sheppard being afraid of a relationship (when he's like barely afraid of anything else) but having his eyes opened when Rodney gets hurt.  I love Rodney getting snippy with John about taking stupid risks.  Future fic.

For Ronon with Sheppard or Rodney - I love the idea of him coming to stay on earth with them and seeing that side of their lives.  I love that Ronon is much more a person of showing how he feels through actions, but can still say something important when he needs to.  I love as much as he messes with Rodney, he respects and cares for him. 


Crossover Fandom
Barry Allen/Kara Danvers

Since the first crossover episode with them, I just loved the idea of these two.  They're both people who were quiet and nerdy - for different reasons - for a lot of their life, but they become these strong people when they start to use their powers (or in Barry's case, get his powers).  I like the idea of them because Kara doesn't necessarily have to be too gentle because Barry isn't as easy to break and can hold his own because of his powers and healing.

Kara Danvers/Steve Rogers

I saw this pairing as an option and I was just intrigued.  Never really thought about it before, but it could totally be the most awesome thing ever.  And like with Barry, it's pretty hard to break Steve, so I think Kara doesn't have to worry too much about how breakable he could be.  But at the same time, Steve is reckless and self-sacrificing to a level that I can just see irritating her beyond belief.  So much potential here.


Anyway, I know I've said this before but take as much or as little from these thoughts as you want.  I hope I didn't confuse things.  Just write something you'll enjoy and I'm sure I will too.

Happy writing or drawing, as the case may be!

Tommygirl

So still playing catch up on this, but I'm going to try to stick with it.




Day 3 - In your own space, set some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

1.  Learn to cook more.  I hate cooking.  It's such a hassle after working a long day and for the past four months, I feel irritated by it because I can barely eat...so I feel like I just waste more than I actual ingest.  But I really need to learn to cook the way I can bake. 

2.  Sleeping - I need to get my sleeping back in check.  I need to use meditation and stop with the electronics close to bed.  I know exactly what I need to do...it's a mater of doing it.

3.  Fannish-goal - Write more.  Rec again.  Just be around more than I have been the past few years.  I needed to focus on myself for awhile in the real world.  It was important to do, but now I'd like to get that fannish fun back too.

So I figure one way to get my posting more and reconnecting with my fannish side might be to take part in the snow-flake challenge. I'll be playing a little catch up for the first few days, so I'll probably try to do more than one until I'm on schedule, but it's a start.



( Day One... )

I went ahead and signed up for trope_bingo


( my card is below link )


It's more attempts in my quest to write more. I've been doing fairly well recently...the past two weeks I've mostly been working on some original stuff and a few ficlets I owe people still from fandom stocking.