rainy Monday

[jade_sabre]

It's a rainy Monday, which isn't helping my mood, which is grumpy because I'm waiting to find out where I'm going to go when WP leaves which, if we're counting, is going to be in approximately sixteen days, even though it's not official, and last night we cuddled and ate ice cream and watched Casablanca and I don't want to go back to doing that sort of thing by myself.

and I was doing really well last week too I promise, after my meltdown. I made plans and moved forward and figured some things out! And now I'm waiting for follow-up on those things, which is why I don't know where I'm going to go. Also, organizing getting from here to there is going to be a headache and a half, as if I don't have enough stress on me already.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN THIS POST IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT ME IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A CHEAP SHOT TO GENERATE COMMENTS AND THEREFORE MAIL IN MY INBOX BECAUSE i am so bored because, as I was explaining to Emerald, the only things I have to do right now involve either a) cleaning the kitchen (never-ending chore) or b) getting ready to leave (do not want do not want do not want). Also there was a thing the other day about getting more house cleaning done in ten minutes before guests arrive than in past six months, and that's about how I operate--I don't feel any need to get things done around the apartment until WP calls to tell me he's starting the hour-long commute to come home. And since I never know when that's going to be, I just sit.

Lush is telling me my strength or weakness is feeling secure, my subconscious is calm, and my aspiration is motivation, just based on their new make up colors.



ANYWAY so to do things, here are some requests for prompts, because I'm even too lazy to write these days. (I hate rainy Mondays.) Expect drabble-y things in response.


1. Give me a character or pairing or something and a "five times" prompt.

---

2. Comment, and I'll do an insta-drabble ficlet thing, prompted from whatever icon you use.

---
4. Give me:

1. A line from a song or a poem.
2. The title of a book.
3. A color.
4. An emotion.
[5. A fandom, if you like.]

Comments

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

IT WAS SO INTENSE. SO INTENSE.

I think I see blue sky outside my window! (Another problem: I never leave the apartment. It is too hot outside and I was sick for that first week and couldn't handle it at all and now I'm not even trying. Sigh.)

oh man that is like everything I tried to write as a teenager ever. I have this problem where I want to write the kinds of books I loved as a kid and also wanted to write as a kid but now I'm older and Know Things about Government and People and The Importance of Logical Worldbuilding and It Is Lazy To Just Write Generic Fantasy Without Having Some Interesting Underpinnings and scale is hard because it's like look, I just want to write about these two countries, but it's not like it's they're Haiti and the Dominican Republic, obviously they have neighbors that probably play some kind of role in their international interactions, and if you have magic you don't necessarily have the excuse of "well people usually don't travel more than ten miles away" for keeping things limited and anyway part of the fun of generic fantasy is going to all sorts of different places and Journeys and Stew and you have to be so much cleverer to write this than I thought you did.

I think the exiled queen is a thirteen-year-old trapped in the country of another court that's claiming to protect her and fight to reclaim her throne but is really just pillaging her country for its resources. Also probably there are dragons. I like dragons. I'm thinking male, nineteen-year-old protagonist. Which is interesting, because I don't usually write guys (you know how there's on-again-off-again discussions about the level of realism necessary in literature, like "why do people never pee" or "should you be aware of your female main character's hormonal cycle and work PMS into your book somehow"? I feel like--and you have to keep in mind that I grew up in a house with three other women and a dad who majored in philosophy and likes musicals [and occasionally watched movies with lots of explosions on his teeny-tiny TV in his bedroom because nobody would let him watch them on the big TV in the living room], so poor WP is becoming my "so what do guys really think?" measuring stick, which is pretty accurate because he has interacted with a large cross-section of the male population [football, band, West Point, and now the Army itself, enlisted and officers]--anyway I feel like with writing guys it's a matter of "how often should I mention breasts?" And I tend to write guys with lots of ~*~feelings~*~, which I have been blasted for [turns out they don't overthink things as much], but then again there's that example of the male author writing about a badass female character and having her notice the way her breasts were feeling under her armor or something and ANYWAY, it's not the sort of thing any woman would pay attention to unless it hurt, so if men can get published writing about women who pay too much attention to their breasts then a woman should be able to get published writing about men with too many feelings.)

...what was I originally talking about? Oh right. Nineteen-year-old male protagonist. Member of foreign court? Maybe like way way down there, like a page. (ooooooh, there's a new movie about Marie Antoinette out told entirely from the perspective of a servant at Versailles, and I WANT TO SEE IT.) Not actually a noble. Starts trying to help out the queen in order to impress a girl? Though obviously the girl he'll get with at the end is a freedom fighter from the queen's country who hates him on principle when they first meet. Also there are dragons.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

In other news, I really want to have an idea for a series, instead of just self-contained novels, but I think in order to do that you need an Overarcing Plot about saving the world and then a bunch of miniplots about the steps to get there, because you can't save the world every book, you kind of end up in a realm of "geeze, how many evil overlords are there?" And all my books are specifically centered on one evil overlord and the fate of one or two countries. Because again having a bazillion countries takes a ton of work. I need to come up with something involving a prophecy OF DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. (And probably more dragons.)


(Well, you know, have some TMI back at you--I've never worn a tampon and have absolutely no idea how that works. SO I have been there myself! What I would do in this situation is hopefully own a two-piece [which I just acquired one for my honeymoon so you know I would just wear underwear under the one-piece] and then just wear the top and some shorts over the bottom so nobody has to know whether you're actually wearing the bottom or just normal underwear, and hang out at the side of the pool and get your feet wet and just avoid actually getting in the water and, you know, if you can get the subtle hint* to one or two of the other girls that you know there [assuming they exist], they will understand and hopefully protect you from being bothered about getting in the pool. Or you could [I assume uncharacteristically] drink so much that it would be unsafe for you to get in the pool. Or you could drink just a little bit and then act like it was too much for you to get in the pool. If they're even serving alcohol. But I highly recommend the get-your-feet-wet-but-intimate-that-you-don't-intend-to-get-in, keep-your-shorts-on method. Hope that helps? *HUGS*)

*(examples: "I'm really not feeling up to swimming if you know what I mean" or "Do you have any Midol?" or "I. Don't. Feel. Good." With requisite glare, of course.)

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Your Evil Overlords are all related - siblings in a large family, or cousins, or something. And your protagonist discovers in book #9 that they are all in cahoots, trying to destroy the world one step at a time. So you get 8 standalone books, then you get to knit them together and do a book or two that deals with all of them. There. Did that help?

Re Beth's problem:
a)"It is distinctly possible that I am developing hydrophobia, and it seems best for me to avoid the pool." (Bares teeth)
b)"My psychiatrist has diagnosed me as having a Lady Macbeth complex, and I am forbidden to wash or immerse myself in water more than once a day, and I've already showered." (Have red food coloring literally on hand, and moan, "Out out, damned Spot!" unless of course the family pet is named Spot.)
c)"I just washed/permed/dyed/something my hair, and don't want to ruin it, so I'll just loll on a lounge and chat in my usual brilliant way."
d)"I am developing chlorophobia, which of course you all know means fear of the color green, and chlorine terrifies me. Also, in a spirit of equal time, do not sing "The Rainbow Connection" or "Nessun Dorma," because Kermit and Verdi both disturb me. OH DEAR HEAVEN IS THAT *PARSLEY* ON THAT PLATE????"

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

...once again, Leslie, you have given me an idea I have no choice but to steal and claim credit and get all the chocolate for.

also you had me at "Rainbow Connection." /can't stop laughing

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

I forgot - Nessun Dorma is Puccini, not Verdi. Ooops. Replace with "La Donna e Mobile."

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

geeze, how many evil overlords are there?

HA, yes, THIS. I will read it whenever you write it :D

So it all worked out fine! I took your advice, and my friend and I (phew) hung out at the side of the pool together. It was pretty awesome, actually. Thanks :D

Alcohol is not my thing. Not that I actually know that, because I've never gotten drunk, but I just can't swallow it down. Oh well.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

THANKS I will put that in my cover letter to the publishers: "Have guaranteed audience of at least one (1)." :D

Yay! I figured it would, but I am glad I could help and that you had a good time! :D :D :D

That's understandable. I have one friend who can't drink more than a couple of sips without turning bright bright red because she's such a lightweight.

in other news I am watching equestrian jumping and man it is a) weird to see me and women competing in the same sport and b) absolutely terrifying, watching these horses jump. I think I've read too many books where dad/husband/brother/child dies from being thrown from a jumping horse. Also, how on earth do they know what order to go in? Eeeeeeeeeeek.

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

That is me and ice skating! I once read about an awful sports injury with ice skating and now I can't even watch it, much less go near a rink :(

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

Fresh air is great! GO FOR IT. (It was absolutely gorgeous in NY today. Weird.)

Wait wait your whole third paragraph did you read The Exiled Queen? Because if not, you're ridiculously on point with that analysis. And if you did: WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME COME SQUEE WITH ME THE FINAL BOOK COMES OUT IN OCTOBER.

Your dad sounds awesome.

That's a really good point. Like, there are days I absolutely do respond to things more emotionally and it has to do with being hormonal, definitely, but I've never seen that reflected in any protagonist!

OOOOOOH. Sounds PRETTY. (I have a nail polish called Let Them Eat Rice Cake, and I always think of that when I hear "Marie Antoinette", historical accuracy be damned.)

REMEMBER WHEN YOU WANTED DRAGONS IN QT? EPIC.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

SO I don't know why it posted that comment, sorry.

as I was saying

rain rain rain all week. But I did get out a little bit yesterday, which was nice!

...YOU GAVE ME THE TITLE OF AN ACTUAL BOOK I THOUGHT YOU WERE GIVING ME A TITLE AND I HAD TO MAKE UP A PLOT FOR IT. well if it's already been written I will stop writing it in my head then. I am intrigued. Tell me more. (What part of the analysis?)

My parents are pretty awesome and my dad is pretty much unreal. One of my mom's nicknames for me is the female version of Dad's name because we are so much alike. Anyway, one of my favorite stories about my dad:

[SCENE: Jade's fourteenth birthday party. All her little eighth grade friends are spending the night and discussing how Jade really needs to get instant messaging so she can be up on everyone's social lives. They devise a plan wherein as soon as Jade's dad enters the room, they will ask him in unison to allow this.]

[ENTER Jade's dad]

Jade's friends, on the count of three: MR. SABRE, CAN JADE GET AIM?

[Jade's dad carefully surveys each and every girl in the room.]

Jade's dad: People in hell want ice water.

[EXIT Jade's dad]

[A pause]

Jade's friend #1: ...your dad is SO COOL.
Jade: WHAT.
JF #2: My dad would NEVER say something like that to me!
Jade: WHAT NO.
Jade's friends: WOW your dad is so neat that was totally awesome!
Jade: GUYS GUYS WERE YOU PAYING ATTENTION HE SAID NO THAT'S NOT COOL AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH

fin.


ANYWAY.

I think the only time that female protagonists show any sort of hormonal emotionalness is when they're pregnant and haven't realized it, or when they're about to get their period for the first time/are going through puberty. And after it's been dealt with and they've gotten their birth control charm, Tamora Pierce, it's never an issue again. It's just such a hard thing to work in, you know? Like it requires you the author to know where your character is in her cycle in a given scene (and if you're like me and have a terrible sense of time you're in trouble) and like you have to decide if it matters to the scene or not, but at the same time how often do you read about female kickbutt heroines being like "uuuuuuuuuuuugh I really can't fight today the cramps are too bad"? And I feel like that's a part of female experience that deserves to be brought up in fantasy. But at the same time you want to be subtle about it, instead of just being like SHE'S PMSING GUYS. Which, in the end, is why we really just don't bother.

I am EXCITED it's done by a Frenchman too I just...don't know how I'll ever get a chance to see it. /weeps for local movie theatres.

OH YES. I STILL HAVE THE EARRINGS QUARK GAVE ME. I'M ACTUALLY WEARING THEM IN MY MILITARY ID PICTURE because I couldn't find my peace sign earrings I think I left them at home but dragons are pretty good too I think.

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

So apparently I misunderstood the prompt and just gave you a cool book title? Because the book exists, and it's part of a YA high fantasy series. Which is why this is so eerie:

I have this problem where I want to write the kinds of books I loved as a kid and also wanted to write as a kid but now I'm older and Know Things about Government and People and The Importance of Logical Worldbuilding and It Is Lazy To Just Write Generic Fantasy Without Having Some Interesting Underpinnings and scale is hard because it's like look, I just want to write about these two countries, but it's not like it's they're Haiti and the Dominican Republic, obviously they have neighbors that probably play some kind of role in their international interactions, and if you have magic you don't necessarily have the excuse of "well people usually don't travel more than ten miles away" for keeping things limited and anyway part of the fun of generic fantasy is going to all sorts of different places and Journeys and Stew and you have to be so much cleverer to write this than I thought you did.

It is literally about adjacent countries and their governments and people in them and basically fantastic worldbuilding. No dragons, though.

AHAHAHAHAHA your dad! I feel terrible for fourteen-year-old you but that is still hilarious :D

(I'm not the only one annoyed by that in Tamora Pierce! Yes. Thank you.)

how often do you read about female kickbutt heroines being like "uuuuuuuuuuuugh I really can't fight today the cramps are too bad"?

Well, never, but since when do they show any sign of physical weakness at all? It's part of a bigger problem, I think. But yeah, I would imagine that subtlety is really difficult. Also, maybe it's something that third-person narration wouldn't necessarily know? Or that it would bring more of an intimacy into a more distant narration, which would possibly be jarring? I have to think about that more.

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

"how often do you read about female kickbutt heroines being like "uuuuuuuuuuuugh I really can't fight today the cramps are too bad"?"

You don't. What you should read is, "Snarrllllllll! Hey, enemy soldiers!!!! I have cramps that would send any man in the world whimpering to a hospital. I am not in the mood for any testosterone-driven stupidity, so get out of my face before I rip out your liver! KILL KILL KILL KILL CHAAAARGE!!!!"

I have this theory that someday some poor fool of a terrorist is going to try to take over a plane or ship people almost entirely by women with PMS. The result won't be pretty.