Imaginary Gardens

Apart from the entries on sickle_stories, I have a notebook - what used to be an agenda for 2010, but this year hasn't really made me need it - where I jot down scene ideas and snippets of dialogue, and where I try like hell to organize them into some sort of progression. (This happens, that that scene, then this is said, and so forth.) It brings me great squee and sense of accomplishment to cross scenes out with a little \o/ and Yatta!

So far, so good, and by the time Chip heads out on patrol again, he'll have had a heart-to-heart with Icarus (who'll be moping), been assaulted by a demon, and faught off a massive wave of infected (who are anticipating Kezef, who'll show up the next day). That's...a lot of stuff that has to happen.

But the going's still good. I have no idea if the whole is worth anything, but I'm trying to keep all the bits together, keep them moving, and sticking in bits of Chip introspection and panic and angst, because if not it wouldn't be TFSB 2, would it?

...OMG I just realized how pathetically covered in hearts and rainbows the excerpt is. Oh lawdy. It's not supposed to be a "they're soul mates and love each other" thing, but a "they're a team and separate from the others" thing. Oy.

( Excerpt )

10667 / 50000 words. 21% done!

Quote of the Day: Buddha (because it made me think of Sam Winchester)

It is better to conquor yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heavon or hell.

Meme: What Your Taste in Art Says About You via qthewetsprocket ( Read more... )


Meme: Word List, via phantmgreeneyes: ( Read more... )


40 Days of Supernatural Meme: Day 35 - Favorite Castiel scene? Favorite Bobby scene? ( Read more... )

Links of the Day:
Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Human Target: ( Read more... )
Sherlock: ( Read more... )
Other Fandom: ( Read more... )
Multifandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* Misha Collins

My dad sent me a link for the job Species Programme Manager for the WWF, paying 38,000 pounds. You can clearly see why I think my dad has absolutely no idea whatsoever about anything, in particular to things having to do with a recent graduate with no work experience and no PhD and their chances of being made Manager of the "Let's Save This Species From Extinction (And Pay Them Lots)" program. I couldn't be a McDonald's manager, for fuck's sake.

He also sent me the link for the classified ads of The Economist Again, can you not see what is wrong with this picture? Me here *points to the ground*, job requirements here *points skywards* I can't even think about applying for things like Manager and Director and Specialist and Dean and Associate and this is not me being stupidly humble or whatever, I can't because it's stupidly and massively way out of my reach. Like the moon.

...I seem to be frustrated with the whole "Does not have a job and is fucking sick of it and of feeling like a failure and not having anyting to do or any friends and just can't bloody take it anymore so help me gods on high". Yeah, that's shit.

In other news, you can has Dreamwidth invite code! R3QEXWGM56SQXAAALUHP

30 Days of Doctor Who: Day 23 – A Who-Related YouTube Video ( Read more... )

30 Days of Supernatural Meme: Day 23 - The character that is most like you ( Read more... )

40 Days of Supernatural Meme: Day 23 - Your favourite Monster of the week? ( Read more... )


Links of the Day:
Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Lost: ( Read more... )
True Blood: ( Read more... )
Other Fandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )
Short Story Cover Letters: ( Read more... )


* Robert Stallman, The Orphan

Today I applied for another internship, ate by mself, watched a bit of Going Postal (Poirot!) then joined mom downtown for yet another (unsuccessful) search for sandals and summer clothes.

A brand name caught my eye and gave me instant plot-bunnyitis, which is something I've been trying to get out of my system for the past couple of hours. Almost 600 words later and I'm still just setting up the story, have yet to get to the actual beginning of the reveal, but I'm loving it. I seem to have a thing for fallen angels and apocalypses. Yay for the oomf behind creativity!

There seems to be a lot of that running around lately, if the completed fanmix and (tiny little bit of) work on the fanvid are anything to go by. Speaking of, I'm glad I've discovered that Mediafire tells you how many times something's been downloaded. I mean, I'd be freaking out over no one giving a shit because there's only the one comment, but hey! Downloads are happening! Yay! (Still, comments are always nice. Not that I often do so with fanmixes, either, but hey.)

Also, I caught the last fifteen minutes of an episode of Lie to Me which has Tim Roth so I went :) and he was bloody, on the ground and at gun-point and I was like :D and then I saw that the gun-totin' villain was Cromartie aka John Henry so I was all \o/


Quote of the Day: Word of the Day, Friday, June 18, 2010

hegira: \he-JAY-ruh\, noun;
1. A journey to a more desirable or congenial place.
2. The flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution a.d. 622: regarded as the beginning of the Muslim Era.

Links of the Day:

Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Lost: ( Read more... )
Doctor Who: ( Read more... )
True Blood: ( Read more... )
Watchmen: ( Read more... )
Other Fandom: ( Read more... )
Multifandom: ( Read more... )
On Fandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* TPratchett, Going Postal

Sickle Life: Sunday I went to a free organ (Ansgar Wallenhorst) and piano (Giampaolo Di Rosa) concert at the Sant'Antonio church. They played C. Frank's III Corale in la minore, JSBach's Suite inglese in la minore BWV 807 (♥) and, for the first time ever, Di Rosa's Coloria. Both also did some improvisational pieces. I'll admit I went for the baroque and, as it turns out, do not like seem to like improvisation. (I already knew I didn't like improvisational jazz.) It just frustrates me too much, watching the melody wander around erratically. The Bach pieces, however, were glorious and holy mother of speed, did Di Rosa's hands blur as they flittered over the keys.

Tonight I went to a piano (Alessandro Stella) and flute (Mauro Conti) concert, again with JSBach and also, again for the first time ever, a piece by argentinian Sergio Calligaris, who was present. Once again, my love for Bach was confirmed and enjoyed, while SCalligaris didn't win any space in my heart. MConti, however, was awesomesauce.

( Random photographs! )

Fandom Life: Lost finale still pending. I know, I suck. Still, shush about it - I've avoided spoilers so far, and I'd like to keep it that way.

This past weekend I went through a whole slew of notes, printouts and scribbles I'd brought back with me from the Barcelona basement where they'd been stored since 2007. It was my Fanfic Folder. Some of the scribbles were good, some plots were MarySuesque in their drama but had redeeming points, and all were a lovely walk down memory lane. The problem is, of course, that I've now rekindled the flame of the "This Fic is on the chronic back-burner" type into the "Oh gods, oh gods, that'd be awesome to write" flame. ( Read more... )

Speaking of the "write now, this is idea is awesome!" flame, I need to seriously buckle down and write. And not just because if I don't finish The Balloonist's Wife and Real Heroes Give Up I might scream (although I am really, really ready to get those suckers down on paper). Oh no. It's because I keep getting images post-Time for Something Biblical. The latest, for example, features Agatha and a gun. (Not, of course, shooting it, but with it nonetheless.) How can I not write that? With no time, that's how. Argh.


Links of the Day:

Lost: ( Read more... )
Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Doctor Who: ( Read more... )
True Blood: ( Read more... )
Watchmen: ( Read more... )
Ashes to Ashes: ( Read more... )
Multifandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* Henry, "Some Things I've Learned", here

I watched the trailer for Shutter Island, thinking about what the gals on WPTJEH said about it, and thinking how modern trailers give away too much of the plot (or even ending). So, I have a prediction and it better as all hell be wrong. ( Cut for oh-gods-please-don't-let-them-be-spoilers )

Also, Leo's accent is distracting. Not unpleasant - or pleasant - just...jarring.

In other news, I'm flying tomorrow and will be out of the country for a few weeks, so internet access and use will be limited. I still love y'all!


Meme - 30 Days - Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) ( Read more... )

Links of the Day:

Lost: ( Read more... )
Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Multifandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* Sherlock Holmes, The Crooked Man (1893)

I went outside today (three days in a row! \o/ whoot!) although it was to ask something at the bank, which was closed because it's Monday and no one's open on Mondays, what the hell are you thinking, you crazy foreigner? So instead I asked Eerke, which is what roommates are for anyway. So I'm all paid up for the ski trip, which is a thing for celebration, I guess.

The rest of the day was spent writing a cover letter for the lion mane article and sending the reviewed documents to my supervisor. I'm a bit freaked out that I'm the one who's going to be in charge of uploading the manuscript to the magazine and doing all that submission stuff. Argh, I can't deal with this! I need to save my oompf for the jobhunt!

Speaking of, fail. I've narrowed down the list of jobs I'd come across over Friday, which basically means I narrowed it down to lab work. Which is not cause for the happy arms. Little else was done in the jobhunt department (again, no happy arms) but there's tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will not suck!

The evening was spent doing a touch of exercise because I realized that it was a bit insane to suddenly decide to go out running when it's 5 degrees out. I also listened to various podcasts about Human Target (which I am looking forward to, what the hell?!?) and Jackie Earle Haley (see Links) and sowed up the majority of the (horrible, awful, ugly) knit elephant toy until my finger up and died because it's bloody hard to sow when you're using a triangle paperclip and not McGyver. (The things I can do with a paperclip, dental floss and a pencil, yo.)

Now I'm going to scrounge up dinner and maybe knit and listen to Made of Fail. Or something.


Quote of the Day: Rorschach in Watchmen by Alan Moore

Waiting for a flash of enlightenment in all this blood and thunder.

Links of the Day:

Human Target: ( Read more... )
Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Doctor Who: ( Read more... )
Watchmen: ( Read more... )
Random Fandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar", Neil Gaiman (audio here)**
** I lied when I said I didn't have ultimate favorites. I have an ultimate favorite short story, and this is it. I've listened to the audio so many times I can recite large chunks of it and lip-synch along to Neil.

Accomplishments:

- Went outside! The world continues to exist! Holy shit, y'all!

- Walked! Legs, I has them!

- Bought food! Om noms!

- Edited article on manes!

Failures:

- Job-hunting: not done at all.


Quote of the Day: Anonymous 1 and 2, here

Anonymous 1: enk [enk]

1. verb (used with object)
to approve of something without giving verbal affirmation, (a too soft liberal intellectual partner or a brainwashing Hollywood movie)

2. noun
an inarticulate expression of conflicted dismay, (WTF)

Anonymous 2: As in, I enk Rorschach in spite of his creepy antisocial behaviour and general fucked-up-ness? Yes. God.

Lnks of the Day:

Doctor Who: ( Read more... )
Lost: ( Read more... )
Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Watchmen: ( Read more... )
Random Fandom: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* "Not Perfect", Tim Minchin

Life: I has lion maps! Now I just need to calculate the distances the furballs covered, do some graphs, bang my head against Access some more for new maps and then mellow out in the glory of a job well done. For about two seconds, after which I edit, prepare the databases and work on the presentation.

I called Ma today (missed call from last night) and it was Not Good but then it was Okay. I'd say more but it's already 2 am and I'm a fucking moron for staying up this late. Maybe tomorrow, when I need to vent.

Also, it's very, very windy and the universe picks right the fuck now for something in the neighbour's balcony to start pouding away loudly. Argh. I want to sleep without random annoying noises! Woe.

Nano: Still 249 words shy of today's minimum. *sigh* Icarus is finally saying he's an angel, though, so that's a plus.

( Excerpt )

39759 / 50000 words. 80% done!

Meme Of the Day: Quiz: Which Supernatural Angel Are You? ( Read more... )

Music of the Day "Shatner of the Mount", Fall on Your Sword - "Captain Kirk is climbing a mountain. Why is he climbing a mountain?" Remix of win. ( Embedded )

Quote of the Day: Douglas Coupland, Eleanor Rigby, here

The thing about meat with me, though, is how it speaks to me about the human body. All of us are stuck inside our meaty bodies. I've always imagined that regular people are happy to be inside their bodies, whereas lonely people yearn to ditch their carcasses. I suspect lonely people wish they could forget the whole meat-and-bone issue altogether. We're the people most likely to believe in reincarnation simply because we can't believe we were shackled into our meat in the first place. Lonely people want to be dead, yet we're still not quite ready to go - we don't want to miss the action; we want to see who wins next year's Academy Awards. More to the point, the lonely, like all humans, yearn to meet that somebody who'll make us feel better about being trapped inside our species' meat-and-bone soul containment system. Oh God, I sound like a prison warden.

Links of the Day:

thedailyshow's Not Funny: Reporter detained in Iran for ties to the Daily Show
Critics Fear 'Twilight' Books Send Disturbing Message To Girls - Wow, the crude summary for the series is rather shocking.

Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* "The Icarus Wind", Thea Gilmore

Nano: Catching up on a lost day is murder. I'm still 926 words behind, despite a 2,246 word marathon.

So far, Saunders has cooed over the car Chip found for him like Dean babying his darling Impala and Chip has entered flashback-land as he remembers the road trip he did with Steven. Oh, I didn't mention Chip's gay? Well, of course I haven't, he's been running from zombies. Sexuality or even sex are rather pointless when you're running from zombies. But he is and he had this huge romance with Steven in collage, but Steven is dead now like a large percentage of the country. But Icarus the not-really-angel is pretty fine lookin'...

I also haven't mentioned what Chip looks like. I suck at physical descriptions of my characters - actually most descriptions - but I can see them in my head just fine, and now Chip is no longer black and Shadow of American Gods's slightly less imposing twin but rather Season 2 Sam Winchester's lookalike because damnitall I had to go and mention bangs, right? That completely changed Chip in my head in 0.01 seconds flat. *sigh* Hi, new version of Chip. At least you're still tall, and you were always lanky in my head.

Also, omg what the hell is the goddamn plot?!? I'm almost halfway through and have no idea what the climax is going to be. There's a zombie-chase and angel-awakening coming up, then some yellow-brick-roading to Resistance Camp, but... Argh.

( Excerpt )

20745 / 50000 words. 41% done!


Meme of the Day: via lienne

- Take four TEN WHY NOT books off your bookshelf.
- Write the first sentence
- Write the last sentence on page fifty
- Write the second sentence on page one hundred
- Write the next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
- Write the final sentence of the book
- Let your friends guess what book it is.

( The sentences! )


Song of the Day: Imogen Heap, "Thriller" (Michael Jackson Cover), Live ( Embedded )

Links of the Day:

Supernatural: ( Read more... )
Random Fandom ( Read more... )
Random: ( Read more... )


* Henry Miller

Life: Worked out standard error for densities, copped out on doing the same for Jacobs' Indices because I don't wanna and have no idea how I'd go about it anyway. Edited article so it's pretty from Cover Page to Discussion header. Still missing a lot of results and maps, which, woe.

Nano: Win. Plot hasn't advanced, but we've learnt more about Chip's paranoic "think the worst of people because they may just want to kill you" thought process, and have a dream which sorta kinda flashes back to an outbreak. Only I got carried away with coffee and mitten imagery, and of course it's a dream so it doesn't make sense and run-on sentences and comma-abuse are the norm. Obviously. Next scene, the angel, I swears! And I just need to note that at one point Saunders and Agatha are going to show that they have dealt with bad people before and can deal pretty well. Also, Chip's going to examine a blanket and think about humanity. Or maybe I've done enough of that for now. Yeah... I'm still ahead on the wordcount-per-day minimum, but bear in mind I'm going to visit my folks for a few days starting this weekend, so that's just me trying to tie a rope before I fall.

( Excerpt )

7925 / 50000 words. 16% done!

Links of the Day:
rex_dart's Just in case people needed their life experiences posthumously invalidated by some blowhard... - "If you're in the mood for some bullshit, allow me to share with you David Halperin's brilliantly vague and waffling essay, One Hundred Years of Homosexuality [...]. And it's written by a gay man, which makes it even more facepalm-inducing. Literally, though facepalms hurt so I've mostly been channeling them into clenched, shaking fists of rage."
iconthology's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Moodtheme
marika_kailaya's Original Fiction Not only that but your mom's a whore - "Would you say, Meki, that you give homosexuality a bad name?"♥! Awesome dialogue interview!
maharet83's Multifandom Icons - BtVS, SPN, Dollhouse
NaNoWriMo Pep Talk from Neil Gaiman - ♥! "So keep on keeping on. Write another word and then another."
Secret copyright treaty leaks. It's bad. Very bad. - "The internet chapter of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a secret copyright treaty whose text Obama's administration refused to disclose due to "national security" concerns, has leaked. It's bad."
Amazon's Top 10 Books: Science Fiction & Fantasy
CRKiernan (greygirlbeast)'s Short Story Fiction: The Belated Burial


* Alfred Hitchcock