Here I Am

Happiest of birthdays to both ethrosdemon and shattered! I hope you both have a fabulous day and are completely pampered!

**

Another Monday morning is upon me and I'm so not in the mood for it, especially since it's freezing. Bah.

But what can I do?

I had Gibbs/DiNozzo centered dreams last night, which were wonderful. I think it comes from starting in on my season 4 episodes. Soon I will be up-to-date on the show. And then what will I do? I've been mainlining for awhile now and that will have to stop. So very sad.

I'm still trying to figure out why in the NCIS fandom so many of the writers are obsessed with using the word "lover" repeatedly. Saying "Tony walked into the room" would work just as well as "Gibbs watched his lover walk into the room." It just makes me want to cry.

It also seems that NCIS fiction suffers from the same sad fate as some Supernatural fic - the inability to differentiate between lose/loose. My mind boggles at the image of Tony loosing Gibbs...is that some sort of sexual act I've never heard of?

**

I feel so unproductive on the fannish side lately. I'm hoping to get back into it soon, but real life and certain goals I've made for myself in regards to my real life have been keeping me busy.

I did manage to start updating my website with stories I've written over the past six months (so far behind on that) to get ready for the Remix Redux challenge. I think the only stories left to add are a few Jared/Jensen stories.

In the meantime, I'm just attempting to keep up with the friends list and bookmark stories for reading when I have more time.

Such a fun life I lead.

Dear Supernatural Fanfic Writers (again, especially those on fanfiction.net):

I realize that Dean uttered the words "no chick flick moment" in the pilot episode. We all know that Dean has an aversion to expressing feelings and emotions and all those other dirty words. Anyone who has watched the show more than once understands this.

Must we really have Dean utter "no chick flick moments" in every scene. And if he doesn't utter it, that doesn't mean we need it in the exposition. We get it. Dean is uncomfortable when it comes to emotional talks.

But thanks for making me fear those words.

Love,

Tommygirl

I think we've established throughout the history of this journal that I read a lot of fanfiction. And because of that, it's a given that I've also read a lot of bad fanfiction. Sometimes it burns us. Sometimes it makes me want to give up completely on the education systems in place. But I find that the worst are those stories that have so much potential. These stories either never deliver or they get lost in grammar/spelling/formatting issues.

I decided, “Self, maybe it’s time you revisit Tommy’s Tips for Writing. After all, you are perfect and wonderful (and have I mentioned sexy hot?). Okay, so you at least know how punctuation works.” So here it is.

( Because I want to make the badfic stop, but alas, I think this will only be read by people I already trust...still, I must get this off my chest! )

I don’t mean to come across as a bitch. Well, okay, I am a bitch, but I think these are things that every writer needs to learn at some point. Good plots and great ideas can only take any writer so far. That’s why a beta is essential in my opinion. A beta can be the difference between an okay story and a fantabulous-everyone-MUST-read one.

I cannot get this evil Lee voice out of my head at the moment. He wants me to let him go on and on about how hard it is to be Adama's son, Kara's friend, and the CAG during a war. he wants me to let him take control of some things while he tries to work out that ending to KLG.

I just don't have time for this, but how do you resist a pretty, angsty voice?

Especially when you also have this weird frelled-up idea of a quadrangle O.C. story where you know that Seth and Ryan are totally in love with each other, but Seth turns to Trey and Ryan turns to Zach because it just seems easier somehow, even though it's not and only complicates things. And both Trey and Zach know that they're just the rice-a-roni, consolation prize, but they want so badly to be the one that they overlook it. Yeah, someone should write that for me so I don't have to.

**

I passed off my first review for plan_9_from_lj off to my wondrous, never-fails beta...so soon that should be posted for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Still have a ton of things on my to-do list, including getting caught up on all my tv shows. I'm a tad bit behind. Of course, I saw GG and could've really waited for that.

**

Amongst all these plot bunnies that were attacking, I was searching for some good fic in some smaller fandoms that I love (Thunderbirds, Tru Calling) and it, of course, inevitably led me to fanfiction.net

Now this stuff below is not only for fanfiction.net - others have these problems as well - but it's much more frequent over there.

Tommygirl's Pointers:

1. I've blathered on about this before, but really if you tell me your story sucks or is horrible in the summary, I'm not going to bother reading it. If the author isn't convinced it's a worthwhile piece, why should I be? It's in a writer's nature to be a bit neurotic and unsure at times, but we all try to hide that as often as possible. Saying it sucks means two possible things: 1) it really does suck and I'd cry if I read it or 2) you're fishing for compliments and assurances that you are the best thing ever.

2. Paragraphs. Learn to use them for we all love them. They let the reader know when a thought is changing or someone else is speaking. It's a really nifty invention, something we learn in first grade. I accept to an extent that fanfiction.net's program can make things a bit wonky sometimes, but really...USE PARAGRAPHS!

3. POV was not meant to be all over the place within one story, let alone one page. There's is nothing more off-putting for a reader trying to get into a rhythm with a story then to suddenly have it completely shift to a different point of view. Pick one and go with it, but remember, if you pick 1st POV, I don't want to see the other character's thoughts anywhere near it.

4. Canon is your friend. And I don't mean this as a bashing of A/U's or OC's added to stories because those can work within the established canon. I've seen it done and know it's possible. It seems some people don't even try.

5. Don't screw with characters I love. This is the big one. Because I'm a character girl. Shows I watch/books I read/etc, it's because I *love* the characters (at least some of them) and in fanfiction I want to seem them, not some weird version you've thought up. For example, Michael on Roswell is never going to be the overly-lovey-dovey type of guy. He will never utter sentences like "you complete me" or "you are my soul" randomly in a conversation. Therefore, I do not want to see that. It's jarring and completely unbelievable for the character. And don't use writing fluff or schmoop as an excuse either - because you can write good fluff without messing up *any* character.

6. Finally, get a beta. A literate, grammar-knowledgeable one is preferred. Honestly, we all make mistakes. I personally still have issues with the you/you're when I'm writing that Steph loves to torture me about. When you're writing, you're going to make mistakes and chances are *you* won't notice them. This is where your beta comes in handy. They notice these things - they can tell you when you haven't made something clear or went a bit overboard with adverbs. They're really handy people to have around and there are communities dedicated to finding you help.

**

( that interview meme is going around and minotaurs as me some questions... )

**

Okay, I need to go try to catch up with sdlucly, so I have to write before she kicks my ass. She's beating me already.

Ciao.

Have you ever found yourself reading really bad fanfiction because it involves a pairing or crossover that intrigues you and this is all you can find? Or am I the only one?

I find myself saying, "Self, this story is so bad." and "Self, spelling and grammar are not that difficult to use correctly." Still I read, cringing all the while.

And why is it so damn hard to find good stories at fanfiction.net? I mean, when looking for really rare stories, I find myself at that site...searching for hours for a decent story. They do exist - I've stumbled upon some in my day. But there are so many bad stories to go through to find those gems. Is it to make the discovery all the more sweet?

I think it says a lot about education in general these days. Take a look at some of those stories and weep for our future.

To an extent, I do believe that writing is something you either have a knack for or you don't. Not everyone is a storyteller. It's not a bad thing. It just is. But, at the same time, there are simple things that can make any story better.

1. Beta. Even if it's just a quick read-through on the beta's part, it's better than nothing.
2. Spell check. It's everyone's friend. I understand typos and not worrying about things while trying to get it down...initially. But how hard is it to hit f7 in word?
3. What is the appeal of one big paragraph? Can anyone explain that to me?
4. Read other stories. See how dialogue and other technical bits work.

I know I'm a bitch and I'm definitely picky when it comes to what i'll read, but I just don't understand. If I submitted things like this in my high school classes, my teacher's head would've exploded.

**

( Which Harry Potter male is meant for me...and I didn't cheat, I swear... )

**

It seems that television is getting back in full swing. This makes me, the television addict, quite happy. I love good television - hell, I love cheesy television (how else do I explain away my Mutant X adoration?).

Reviews of things may come later - but I'll say that I love my shows for a reason. They rock.

**

If anyone is interested, sign-ups for a new round of MP3 exchange are going on at m3p3. It's a lot of fun and I was introduced to a lot of great music last time. All you have to do is sign-up and agree to send at least 5 (I think that's the minimum to sign-up for) mp3's via yousentit.com

Check it out. Sign-ups are going until January 14th.


**

Not much else to report. At work. Friend called to tell me that she bought us tickets for a Phantoms game for...tonight. Yikes! But I'm going and will have to watch 24 on the Tivo later.

I've been reading a bunch of stories recently in different fandoms, so I'll be making a rec post when I find the energy.

So musesfool posted about ficathons, the over abundance of them, and such...and it got me to thinking. Because I have an addiction to doing these. I do too many ficathons, but I enjoy them and I don't think it interferes too much with my other fandom writing (though those who had to wait for TIMH might disagree). I like to stretch my boundaries at times, to try something new that I normally wouldn't, and I think a ficathon or fiction challenge provides me with that sort of opportunity. Because I'm not as likely to undertake it otherwise, but if I know someone is depending on me getting this story done--again, it goes into my whole I-never-like-to-disappoint-people personality disorder. Plus, it's always nice when you get a great story in return from another great author.

That said, I do have some pet peeves about the ficathon. Mostly about other participants. In that...is it really that hard to comment on a story written for you? I've had it happen in the past and all I wonder is, "Did they even bother to read it?" because grrr...that bothers me. I'm usually very fortunate that I truly love the stories that were written for me, but even in those cases where I thought, "it's okay" or "not exactly what I had hoped for" I still left feedback and let them know that I appreciate the time they spent on my story and that it was written by the deadline.

And I think that's probably where I find myself getting dissuaded most from participating anymore. Because, while real life does happen (I know this first hand--with such things as my fall and sudden surgery), it's not incredibly hard to churn out 1000 words within a month's time. And it's definitely not a big time constraint to let the author of your story know that you saw the effort they put into a piece for you. It takes a minute to say "thank you" in a comment. I mean, I try to provide feedback on as many stories as I can, but I realize that's not always possible and that we all have lives outside fandom. But c'mon, at the very least, read the one written for you and let the author know that you've read it. Otherwise, why participate?

{/end of ranting}

**

So what should I work on today? The Charmed WIP, the Roswell WIP (which I haven't updated in over a year--eek, I didn't know it had been that long!), the new musemuggers_2 prompts for original stuff, or try to begin the next chapter of TIMH while it's fresh on the brain?

Anyone know? Anyone, anyone?

And I've been feeling the desire to write some crazy comedy stuff again like with the Stalker Trilogy (insanity at my best), but hhhmmm...I'm not sure if I have it in me without large doses of sugar.

Today while I was working on some writing (of the real life variety), I ended up getting into this discussion with a friend about the things we hate in other people’s writing. It seems like a caddy thing to say almost, but I am not beyond pet peeves and I’ve been known to stop reading some of the “best fanfiction” simply because of grammar issues. Now I understand that everyone has their bad days/stories/etc and that we all make mistakes. I am anything but perfect. That’s why I have an editor.

So, in lieu of our conversation, I have decided to post the TommyGirl Pet Peeves of Writing. It's what any disgruntled writer with a terrible case of writer's block would do, right? Feel free to add your own in the comments as well! I know we all have them! It’s that feeling of “I can’t get to the x in the upper right hand corner fast enough” when you stumble upon them.

1. Writing in one big fucking paragraph. I do not understand the appeal of this. I comprehend the idea of free flow writing, but how does one not know how to work the enter button on their computer? Is it really that difficult to remember? I actually talked to someone once who did this. She had asked me to read something she wrote and I tried, I did, but I’m human and have my limits. So I emailed her and explained the problem and she said, I kid you not, “It’s a style choice.” A style choice? I’m all for using fanfiction to experiment with styles and work out the kinks before attempting to utilize it in your mainstream projects, but where is that even a choice? In illiterate land?

2. Adverbs. Adverbs are our friends…in small doses. I find this especially true in the Harry Potter fandom and I wonder if it’s partially to do with the fact that JK Rowling has a strange affinity for them. I tend to be a bit more lax in that fandom for that reason, but it still drives me insane. An adverb is not necessary at the end of every line of dialogue. You should be able to get across a character’s emotional state through the words being spoken and the actions they make in most cases. If you’re not, you’re doing something wrong. I don’t need to read something like: “I’m so mad at you right now,” Harry screamed angrily. I’m not a complete moron. If you say he’s mad or uses the verb “screamed”, I’m going to figure out that Harry is, in fact, angry.

3. The word “just” is not the new “the”. This one is more my own pet peeve due to a Nazi-like creative writing professor in my undergrad studies who beat the words “just” and “only” out of my writing vocabulary for the most part. It’s okay sometimes in dialogue because that is conversational. We do use the word, but it’s not necessary and a lot of the time you can remove it without anyone noticing. My dear friend, Steph iamtheenemy has dealt with my relentless and sometimes brutal attacks of her stories due to overuse of the word though.

4. If there is one thing I hate (possibly even more than people who write in one big paragraph--okay, maybe not that much), it's people who don't bother to do the briefest edits to their writings. I'm not even talking about finagling a friend into being your beta-bitch; just the simplest read-over that will point out the most glaring of mistakes.

5. Long-winded, unnecessary exposition. While I understand the attachment a writer creates with their characters, I really don’t need scenes where Harry is brushing his teeth unless where it serves no purpose other than to show that British people do believe in dental hygiene. There are some writers out there with sixty chapter novels and almost half of them are that purple prose sort where nothing happens. It causes the reader to skim and then that’s when people end up missing those important bits of the story…not to mention, it’s annoying. Less is more sometimes.

6. You’re/your, there/their/they’re, here/hear, etc, etc. This is why betas are good to have—because you might have read over your story fifty times and missed it whereas a fresh pair of eyes spots it right away.

7. Incredibly cheesy or out-of-character reactions to things. I’m not saying you can’t have a character be romantic with another, but have it fit the personality you’ve created, or in fanfiction, the character we love.

8. Improper punctuation. I think that says it all.

I think what really bothers me about most of these is that they are all fixable transgressions. If you know you tend to use you’re/your improperly (like I do—that’s my Achilles Heel), do a find all to verify they were done correctly. Edit a story. At least look it over before you publish it. Have a little pride in what you share with the world. I know that in the beginning we are all learning, like everything we get better with writing the more we do it (I cringe at some of my first stories), but there are some things that are avoidable with a bit of willingness.

**

To end on a hot sort of note. Orli looks like his usual beautiful self in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. Raar. Love Orli.