As If Wishes Were is mucking along steadily, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, I've decided to be a bit proactive and start looking for a beta-reader. (Perspective is a bitch. Yes, I want a beta.)


ff.net has a section for betas to hang out a shingle. So I clicked.


Wow.


1. (puts on mom hat) There seem to be some very young folks offering to beta mature fanfiction. It hits my 'ew' buttons all at once. No way in the world I'm going to pass along my sexually explicit story to someone I even *think* is underage.


2. I want to improve my writing. Therefore, it makes sense to locate someone with a greater level of skill then myself. Simple, or no? Because I truly, deeply understand a person's profile is not a true reflection of writing talent, I have been clicking on random stories, regardless of fandom, to see if I would trust that person with my work.


And, wow. Just wow. ff.net has always been a haven for teenage girls posting fluttery, rainbow-sparkles-and-butterlies, wrought with technical errors fanfiction. I didn't extrapolate that into them offering to beta-read. My bad, obviously.


3. Even though I just stated I will look beyond profile oddities, I won't look beyond profiles which don't back up authorial claims. It doesn't bode well when a beta's profile brags about how awesome s/he is at catching errors, and then (not two paragraphs later) there's a  whoppin' error (that even I catch?).


4. I have more gripes, but my brain, it's tired. I've sorted through roughly 1/8th of the site's potentials and honestly can't bear the thought of looking at more right now.

Aw. It's been a while since one of my dogs had a litter... so, even though there were only two, I couldn't be happier. Merle and tan is a color I've been working to get for four years. It's a female, too. *does a little dance*

(I'm sure you've noticed, dear readers, that my icons seldom match my blog subject. The only method behind the madness is I pick out what I want to look at while I'm typing the post.)

I found nineteen nice 12' Behlen(sp?) powder-coated horse panels for $50 each on Craigslist. SCORE! I talked the seller into delivering, too, for the price of gas.

Best news is I've found a guy with alfalfa in small rounds for $125/ton delivered. Double score. I'm hoping that it's decent hay... if I start bitching in the next few months, you'll know it wasn't.

-o-

The last time I was actively online, I handed out my blog address to my family. It was an easy way for them to a) see I was still alive and b) get some news -however marginal- about my life so c) they wouldn't expect phone calls... of course, I'm reasonably sure they felt I was off my nut with the amount of time I spent doing things like blathering on about a TV show.

This time around... I've been pretty hesitant to share. I've never used my online space to rag on my family, and it's not like I feel the need to have a 'private' space, or even am overly protective of the line between the real and online portions of my life... it's mostly because of my new-found love of smut, particularly, slash.

There are some things a person doesn't want to ever imagine their mother doing... her being curious (my head may explode right now) and actually clicking one of the stories I rec here falls into the category of NO. Just NO.


Anyway... this post is for J., who I have invited.

While Hubby's been home, I've gotten 'behind' with my fannishness.

The need to blather about TSCC 102 is great.

Still haven't yakked about the last two episodes of Alphas.

I thought these were marvelous: Sheriff Aveline & Gambler Varric by quinn_wolf. Makes me want to read an AU set in the Old West. After the vicarious disappointment of Cowboys & Aliens, I'm in need of a good western.


Considering going on another  Walking Dead or Burn Notice fanfiction hunt. I haven't found any in either fandom that works for me and that's just plain wrong.


Speaking of The Walking Dead, here's a season two trailer that makes me do the fangirl *squee*!

Something that makes me want to do the opposite of squee (which is what, exactly?) is this article on Mr. Darabont's firing and AMC financials, amongst other things.



Writing...

Good Times Gone has been shuffled to the back burner, where it will remain for a little while. I'm not stuck (I don't think), but need a break from it. The plot is twisty and I don't want to half-ass it. It will likely be Christmas before I get it done. I like writing when there's no pressure to be finished by a certain time... to have things wrapped up by the time new episodes air.


Apparently, the break I needed was an unresolved-sexual-tension break, because when Hubby and Miss M. out on a father/daughter evening, I started the new fill and wrote almost 4,000 words of Hawke and Anders making eyes (among other things) at one another. When I write that quickly, the potential for glorious!fail is high... but I think this will work. Another 2k-ish words and it should be ready for proofing.

Oh! It has a working title: If Wishes Were

Every Tuesday at dragon_age there's a 'Tuesday Prompt Fest'. Normally, I just read and enjoy... because I'm not so quick on the draw.

The prompt was: Because They're Hungry. I've thought more than once about the utter chaos of inserting DA2 characters into Oz... this prompt was more than I could resist. Just a bit of silliness to brighten the day. ;-)


Because They Were Hungry

"You sure having those two leading is smart?" Varric asks her, nodding toward the figures in the distance.

"The arguing, Varric. I couldn't take one more word about mages, magic, oppression, magisters…" Marian shakes her head as Fenris and Anders disappear around a bend in the path. Out of sight, and most importantly, out of earshot. "It's like a disease with those two, or a horrible affliction at birth."

"I appreciate the silence as much as the next man, Hawke, but most mothers split up arguing children. Besides, after last time…"

"True enough," she sighs. "What did you say those not-dwarves were called? Those -"

She doesn't get a chance to finish her question because the sound of a fireball exploding interrupts her. "Shit."

Nothing prepares her for the sight that greets her when she and Varric sprint around the corner. She skids to a stop and stares.

Anders and Fenris are fighting trees. Not Sylvans, no, but talking apple trees.

"Because they were hungry!" screams one of the trees, lobbing an apple at Fenris. The elf deflects the projectile with his greatsword and advances on the offending tree with a snarl.

"They were hungry!" another tree parrots the first, slinging more fruit at the attackers.

"Suck on a fireball!" Anders shouts, dodging an apple and shooting flame into the grove.

Marian lowers her staff. "You'd think the word would get out after what we did to the… shit. What were they called?"

"Munchkins," Varric supplies.

"Right, thanks. After the munchkins… " She grimaces as Fenris hacks at a tree trunk and another bursts into flame. "Huh. Maybe I'll just split them up like you suggested."

Mud and Sand - no author rating, but it is on the kmeme so it's likely to be explicit at some point - (anonymous - DA kmeme author)

WIP, but what a work. Each word counts in this one, folks, and groundwork for detailed plot has been laid out.

If the author finishes continues and completes with the same style and exquisitely rich texture, I will rec it to the moon and back. I give it a Hot Damn.

*crossing my fingers the author finishes*

• Nice opening sequence, with plenty-o-tie-ins to the movies.
  • Especially like the re-use of the road. Knowing it's a dream sequence shows Sarah's need to move/run impacts her on a subconscious level.
  • Sarah mentions fate. Having seen the series now, this is nice to have it crop up so early, again in a subconscious level. I think she struggles with changing fate vs it being set.
• "I don't like secrets."
  • I like this bit of dialogue. Everything about her life is a secret... I can see her not liking them.
• Ah, commitment...
  • "It's been almost two years."
  • Safe until they break cover. The act of running is what triggers the sequence of Bad Things. This is a pretty twisted logic thread. Sarah's self-preservation fears were the cause of the current Bad Things. Or, what put into place new events. Or something like that. (Time travel screws with the noggin'.)
  • Maybe her dream was some weird sort of premonition. (Don't really think so, but could go there if I needed to believe she wasn't just a screwed up person afraid of commitment and that the dream was triggered by a feeling of being trapped.)
  • Dean Winters... had to do the Google, because I *knew* I knew him... hey, it's the insurance guy!
• "One bag. Plus the guns. I'll make pancakes."
  • First time through, this line cracked me up. The collision of secreting away (packing the most minor of possessions and firearms) with something as everyday as pancakes was awesome.
  • Knowing the pancake theme is repeated is equally fantastic. Nothing is better as a viewer than being rewarded for watching with reoccurring gems.
  • Another collision motherhood vs. 'protect the future savior of mankind'.  This is an interesting dynamic TPTB play with throughout the series.
  • I like that she's just doing the best she can... with various amounts of success.
• "I know the rules. They're like written on the inside of my eyeballs."
  • Something I was interested in throughout the series was John's struggle with his mother's mothering. Her obsessive need to keep him safe reminded me (oddly enough) of Nemo. (paraphrase, cause I'm not Googling...) "Well, that's a funny thing to wish for. If nothing ever happens to him, nothing ever will."
  • Training him to be safe is one thing, but the smothering struck me as teaching him to be follower, not a leader. Which circles back to the motherhood vs savior thing.
• Cameron
  • Hey, it's the chick from Serenity! I loved her ass-kicking character in that movie.
  • Raise your hand if you knew she was a Terminator the second she got shot.
  • "Come with me if you want to live." Love it!! More viewer rewards!
  • Over the entire series, I love the mirror to Sarah that is Cameron. She is the protector without the smothering, without the love, without the mistakes love makes. (There are REAMS of fanfiction that could be devoted to this. Reams, I say.)
  • Love that she's something 'different', and that (I don't think?) we're ever told what model she is. Leaves things so open for *cough*shippy fanfiction*cough* future character development.
• Cromartie
  • Hey, it's the guy from Mentalist!  (Shit. Owain Yoeman is two years younger than me?) And, hey... he doesn't last long... wonder if it was plotted that way, or if the Mentalist gig interfered or...? He makes a good bad guy.
  • The 120 second reboot time gets mileage later, which is awesome.
• "Put those things back in the holster."
  • The look Cameron gives Sarah is priceless. I'm sure she was thinking about the bullets. ROFL.
  • Cameron tells Sarah her actions caused the Terminator to chase her, but at the same time, says it doesn't matter because they will always find her and John. Nice on/off of guilt.
• "I'll stop it."
  • Big promise to live up to, there. Another nice scene of the motherhood conflict.
  • A look into John's self-doubts of being a leader. His mother's overshadowing influence combined with a child's misgivings.
• Annnnddd... a time jump out of the bank with nifty special effects. Like it.
• Little nekkid chick + drunk jocks = ass-kickin'. Even if it was a little predictable from the second the car stopped, what's not to love??
• Bookends
  • "No one's ever safe." Nice book-end for the beginning of the ep, and a reoccurring gem.
  • The swing-set, seen through a chain link fence. Dig it.

Randomness... this is one depressing series. From a purely 'teevee is filled with fluff and bunnies and sitcoms' point of view, I understand why it got cancelled. Viewers can handle angst, but being a serialized, science fiction show that had very little to offer in the way of 'hope' until the second season ender, well... it was double-doomed.

From the point of view of someone who loves smart TV, I'm gnashing my teeth. The good ones always get cancelled. *pouts*

Now I get to go read what inkyotz said back during the original run. Awesomeness with a creamy awesome filling and a crunchy shell of awesomeness.

I got to thinking about old stories... and a really nice comment made on one of my stories... and, well, this happened:

It's been ten cycles since blue gems were spilled onto my desk by a half-Sebacean whore.

Ten cycles might be a long time to soft bodies, but I blink and lose twice as much. Still, the Nebari says enough has passed that it isn't a danger, that I should put the words out there. I think she wants part of the royalties from selling the tale, and that's just fine with me. She does things like that and it reminds me why I keep her around.

First, I think maybe I should explain some things.

The Trangin aren't smart. None of us. Don't take my words wrong, we're good at making deals and knowing how currency builds. But that's clever, not smart. Anyone that tells it different is either a liar or a fool.

So, not smart, but we can crush a soft-bodied skull like an over-ripe menka fruit without even straining.

That last part is what got me in trouble with the Scarrans. They wanted soldiers and I wasn't smart enough to run out of Fexin Prime when I had the chance. No excuse, but dealing with Scarrans wasn't part of my upbringing. They caught me without an escape route, netted me while I was buying a ship.

No wonder we're a dying race.

The Scarrans - or the one that held my leash, at least - are what ended me up dealing with myths.


I always knew there was more to the story... but left it open for a variety of reasons. Now, for whatever reason, here's this funky little tid-bit wanting to pop out and say, 'hi'.