(no subject)

[turps]

lazydwarf, your parcel came. Thank you so much, honey. Some Panic is just the job to cheer me up ♥

I see the individual MCR masks have gone up for sale, and man, Mikey mask *wants* It's the most simplistic by far, but it's damn creepy.

Question, if you're reading a space au would you expect things such as units of measurement, times etc to have different names? I mean, earth is still there but it's way into the future where the universe has been explored and there's human trafficking and freedom fighting and maybe potential sex slaves in chains Bob zooming around saving the world! Or saving Gerard at least.

Another question. I have a lot of people on my flist who write long stories. My average is around 10,000 words, I think the longest I've gone is 26,000. So if you do write long, how do you approach that? Do you have a set amount of words you try for a day? Like, a goal of writing 3,000 words, or are you happy to write for months if that's what it takes? Because part of my problem is I'm an impatient writer, but I really do want to write long and plotty if I can.

I've caught up on Project Runway and have such a crush on Daniel. But I watched the last episode OMG! How could they not send her home?! Her dress was hideous, and I liked Wesley. Sure his dress wasn't that good, but compared to the other brown monstrosaty. I swear, sometimes that show raises my blood pressure.

Especially when I was hoping to see more of the Daniel/Wesley



Yesterday, James had to go to physio. So we go, wait, he goes to see the person and is out again within 5 minutes after they say there's nothing they can do. Which, waste of an afternoon much. Then we went to visit Kay in her new place and she told us all about the new woman who wants to be her girlfriend. The one who says she's straight and has kids. I tell you, my sister knows how to pick them.

Today he's gone to the air show with Kay and Corey. I have reservations about that being a good idea but they need to get out and it means I have an afternoon alone. Which is just perfect.

Comments

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

I WANTED TO SEE MORE DANIEL/WESLEY TOO. *weeps*

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I WAS SO ANGRY! I WISHED HARM ON HEIDI WHEN SHE ANNOUNCED HIS NAME!

[lazydwarf.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm glad it got there. You can now see how I was doomed by the hot drummer action. *g*

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Dude, hot drummer action is an understatement!

The man could be classed as a lethal weapon!

How's it going? Have things upturned yet?

[lazydwarf.livejournal.com]

Nom nom nom, Spencer Smith will be the death of me, I just know it.

It's Saturday, so things are great. :) Yeah, things are better, I had fangirl times last Sunday with jenneany and that helped lots.

I'm glad to hear James is getting around and such. I know the time alone will be wonderful for you.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I see you using a Bob icon! You want me to think of Bob/Spencer porn. Bad you!

Things are always better on a Saturday, I must agree.

[lazydwarf.livejournal.com]

Why do I not feel guilty about making you think of Bob/Spencer porn? Hrm, I wonder.

::giggles and flees::

[sperrywink]

I could buy the 4 pack and have a set of all of them! I'm not going to, but I could!

As for units of measurement, I would just go with metric and leave it as that. Otherwise I think it gets too confusing.

I'm eagerly waiting to see what kind of advice you get for writing longer stories. All 2 of my longer stories have been brain-dumps. I don't know how to continue writing once the initial squee is over.

For some advice, there was a panel on writing longer stories at con.txt, which I missed, but here are the summmarized notes from the panel:
http://community.livejournal.com/con_txt/41543.html#cutid1

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Yes you could. And think how good they'd look together. *is an enabler*

I would just go with metric and leave it as that

I like that advice, because at heart I'm very lazy and thinking up new stuff would be tiring.

I'm seriously in awe of those that can write long. Like I was saying to you yesterday, I get so impatient, which is a bad thing.

Oh, thanks for the link. I'm off to check it out now.

[sperrywink]

No enabling! I don't need 5 masks, I have the nice Frank one. I can be happy with that!

I'm in serious awe of those that can write long as well. I don't know how they keep their momentum up and plot a whole story like that. It's amazing and daunting. Unless I am really in the zone, I seem to get to 6,000 words and then lose all my enthusiasm for the story.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

No enabling, promise *g*

Frank is a wonderful mask to have :)

[yami-tai.livejournal.com]

Yay for me-time ^_^! I hope that James feels better soon, it must be such a worry for you *hugs*.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Me time is the best. I love my boys but I get used to having some time alone.

Thanks, honey.

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

Ugh, my google fu is weak today - where are the skulls available?

RE: space adventures. First off, WOOOOOT! I've been thinking about that story over the last few days, wondering how it's coming along. So it's super exciting, seeing mention of it. :) Term-wise, I think you're doing a good job balancing terms/new concepts so far. I think it's more a matter of necessity - that is, are new terms *required* for the story? If not, I'd not worry so much about it... unless that sort of thing is fun for you. :)

*hugs* I hope your solitary afternoon is lovely. *hugs*

[turps33.livejournal.com]

The skulls are here (http://www.mychemicalromance.com/store/?eml=mcr/0708/masks). So tempting, omg!

The story is coming along nicely, I'm just getting the heebie jeebies when I think it may stretch long. Well long for me anyway. Bob and Gerard are in the Love and Death at the moment, Bob fixing Gerard up. Which he's actually good at because he's done medical stuff on the fly for a long time, patching himself up and learning as he goes.

I'm indulging my h/c side for this scene, and enjoying it I must admit. Then in the next part they're going to meet Pete. I just need to decide if he goes with them, or just keeps popping up in the story when he's needed.

are new terms *required* for the story?

That's a very good point, because I don't think the new terms are needed. I mean, Bob would come from a place that originated from earth anyway, so I'd imagine they'd keep their own way of speaking. Which suits me fine.

I'm having a great afternoon. I have Kerrang on tv, plotting fic and pottering :)

How goes the tidying? Did you get it all done?

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

My gratitude, like my love, is boundless. :D Thanks for the link. And OMGYES...so,so tempting. Even better - I've a birthday coming up. \o/

Oh, I'm so glad the story's working out! I wouldn't fret about length - I know you don't normally write super-long stuff, but the longer work of yours that I *have* read has been excellent. What exactly brings on the heebie-jeebies regarding story length?

Of course Bob's good at the patching up - he'd *have* to be. :D And there's something about the Bob/Gerard dynamic that calls for h/c and caretaking - which I love, kind of a lot.

Pete! I admit I'm amused by the idea of Pete's surprise yet ulimately helpful cameo appearances along the way. It's a little difficult to imagine Pete in an enclosed space with a very skittish Gerard and Bob... but I'm always willing to suspend my disbelief. ;D

*nods* Sounds like a logical answer to your terminology question. Yay!

Oh, marvelous! Good to hear that the afternoon has lived up to it's potential. :)

The tidying! UGH! I got all distracted by my shelves - which now look a million times better - and the glorious weather. So... there was still disarray when he appeared. But it's my BFF who's known me since the beginning of *time*; he was freaked out that I was cleaning at all. :)

Still - it means there will be more cleaning to do on Monday >_<.

[the current weather report - I'm at work, which is super slow - luckily I have my writing journal. It's a *lovely* day for transcribing werewolves. :)]

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You do have a birthday coming up! And before I get onto fic, have you a prompt that you'd like so I can birthday ficlet for you? It would be my honour to do so.

And there's something about the Bob/Gerard dynamic that calls for h/c and caretaking - which I love, kind of a lot.

There really is. The scene I did today was Bob washing Gerard and tending to his wounds. Under the muck Bob found Gerard had cut 'failure' into his own neck...sniff.

Yeah, I suspect Pete will just pop up when needed. I was commenting to Turlough and Sperrywink earlier, telling them how the human trafficking led to slavery and Gee has spent all this time frantic because he knows what kind of slave Mikey would have ended up as. But, under his smile and easy going manner Pete has an underground slave escape ring, one which he controls with hidden messages in his deep space blogs. So he saved Mikey and they spent the Summer of Space Like together before Mikey took off. So Pete has woe now because he's got no idea where he is. My crossover OTP, let me show you it.

Shelves and good weather are better than cleaning any day!

WOLVES! \o/

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

Oh! A birthday ficlet! [and for good measure: !!!]
Wow, I was a little floored by the offer [which would be why it's taken me so long to reply]. Thank you so much for the offer!

I'd love a Bob ficlet - it can be gen, or have him paired with anyone *but* Gerard. Prompt-wise, I'll give you two options: 1) Bob's downtime. That is, Bob not on tour, or at awards shows or recording. OR 2)Something supernatural, magical and/or an unexpected superpower. This can be an ability or a situation. If you need additional prompts, let me know. I realize this is vague, but I want to give you as much wriggle room as possible.

*tacklehugs*

~~~
Under the muck Bob found Gerard had cut 'failure' into his own neck...sniff.
OH GEE! DDDDD:

Deep Space Blogs!
I laughed a lot at that.

I am very fond of your crossover OTP - particularly when there's Summers of Space Like and underground railroads involved in the equation. [seriously - I love this story, so so much! \o/]

Yes, WOLVES!
[I really need a Brian icon. This two things are closely connected.]

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You've got it!

My crossover OTP makes my heart sing I must admit.

I really need a Brian icon. This two things are closely connected

Brian! Wolves! ♥ _ ♥

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

I just finished my spn_j2_bigbang, which was the longest thing I've ever written on my own, and I wrote up all the things I wanted to remember for the next time I was stuck on a longer story, here (http://topaz119.livejournal.com/387824.html). In terms of losing the squee, I think I got past that a little by skipping around a bit and writing fun scenes when I was stuck. But even then, I couldn't write more than maybe 750-1000 words/day, so I just kept gritting my teeth and writing, especially on the first draft.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is a wonderful post, and how I missed it I don't know.

You know, 750-1000 words a day is achievable. I guess slow and steady is the way to go.

Thank you.

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, Mikey's mask is definitely the creepiest one, I would SO not what to have it on my wall! :-)

So no physiotherapy at all for James then. Well, that's one thing less to have to worry about I guess but I'm still a little suprised by it I've got to confess. I guess I'm just used to thinking that surgery on limbs sort of requires physio by definition.

As for measurements in space stories I think my approach would be to look at a) the root of the dominant culture and b) the root of the culture(s) the protagonist come from. So say that both Gerard and Bob's from a Western European background and so is the dominant culture - metric and Celsius all the way, but if they're from a WE background but the dominant culture's for example Chinese - metric and Celsius for them but whatever the Chinese use in most stuff they see/hear around them, etc etc.

I'm not a writer so I don't really have any advice on how to write long stories. I mean, there are probably several different ways to go about it - either write all of it and then post it complete, write it and post it as a pure WIP, write it and post it as selfcontained episodes like a tv show, write a series of connected short stories. I guess every writer's have to find the way that works best for them.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I was thinking Mikey's mask would look cool next to the marionettes. It would be a display of awesome creepiness!

Nope, no physiotherapy at all. She did say to buy a foam ball, but that was it. I thought he'd need it because the tendons in his hand are pulled really tight, but I guess not.

I think my approach would be to look at a) the root of the dominant culture and b) the root of the culture(s) the protagonist come from

That makes a lot of sense. Down thread Lesa suggested just being vague if I can get away with it, and I think that's the way to go unless it's important to the plot. Which it isn't right now, when all that's happening is Bob washing Gerard.

The longest story I've written was done as a WIP that I posted daily without it being beta read. I couldn't do that now, I'm far too aware of all the mistakes I would make. Still, using Missy's advice I made an outline today and it helped commenting with you earlier to cement various things :)

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

Down thread Lesa suggested just being vague if I can get away with it, and I think that's the way to go unless it's important to the plot.

That sounds like excellent advise.

I made an outline today and it helped commenting with you earlier to cement various things

*bounces a little*

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

I've set goals occasionally, but usually however long I write is just how long it takes me to get through the story. For some people that's a thousand words -- for me it seems to average out around 40k. That usually means it takes forever; two or three months a story (but working on other things simultaneously).

[turps33.livejournal.com]

That's how I approach a story, start and the beginning and just write. I guess it'll just be a case of gearing myself up for a story that needs to be told for longer.

But I'm sure I can do that.

[frausorge]

That's a really interesting question about the units. I think for me in space stories keeping the same time words is generally pretty unobtrusive, unless there's a need to point out how a day on Planet A is longer than Planet B's day, or something. For distance or other measurements, I could also see keeping our usual units to the extent that they're shared among cultures here on Earth, or you could vague it up a bit and just say "a kilo of flour" or "ten kilos away" without adding the specific suffix that makes it an Earth cultural reference. Otoh I think money definitely has to be called by a name that's local to the setting of the story.

I have no advice on the writing of long stories, I'm afraid, as I have little to no experience in that area. :)

I hope your afternoon to yourself is going swimmingly.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I like the way that you think. I was writing today and suddenly started to wonder how deep into the world I'd have to go. I mean, technically you could use different terms for so many things, but it was measurements that stuck out the most. Also, vague is very good.

I have so much respect for people that write long. It's never going to be me though as my natural stop point seems to be that 10k mark.

I had a lovely afternoon. Though sadly it was foggy at the beach so they came home early. Though they are going again tomorrow, which, score!

[themoononastick]

I think it's better to either stick with known terms or use variations on known terms than make up ones of your own. Purely because so often in fics that do go that far into world creation so much time is spent explaining the whys and wherefores of the new terminology that it ends up detracting from the actual story.

As for the writing of long fics - I used to be much in the way of an impatient writer but recently I've learned the art of relaxing while writing - basically letting a story guide me to how long it wants to be instead of rushing towards an ending because I'm used to writing shorter fics. Which, um, I had a point... oh yeah, my advice is to just go with it. Don't specifically set yourself targets for daily word count, just write and see what happens. :) Also, Bob in space! \o/

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Man, the last thing I want to do is spend time describing stuff. I mean, that's time I could spend describing Bob wash Gerard or Mikey be a sex slave. This fic, so cliched.

That's great that you've learned to relax with writing. That's a very good thing to do I think.

How's your writing going? Anything fun in the pipeline?

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

Um. I tend to write about 1k a day, but that said, that's just because that's how I roll. I never plan for my stories to be long. I just start and go and where they end is where they end. That was completely unhelpful, yeah?

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I meant to add SEX SLAVES PLLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSE.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

OMG! There are going to be sex slaves! Mikey was a sex slave. He's not now, but he was and Gerard knows he was and it's all kinds of tragic and angsty.

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

THIS IS THE BEST NEWS EVER. HAVE I MENTIONED MY INSANE LOVE OF YOU?

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Actually it was helpful, because it's showing that people that write long don't tend to go into a story thinking they're going to do so. Showing that stories are as long as they need to be, and as long as an idea can support. Which is basic, but needed to be learned :)

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

Well, And I'm always fighting myself, which I shouldn't. Like, I just wrote a 13k that I wanted to be 5k, and I was like, "WHY SO LONG, BITCH?" The Fu of the stories, Ter, it knows best.

[nopseud]

Whatever length of story I write, I just write however much I feel like writing that day, unless I'm writing for SeSa, or another deadline, and then I have strict daily word count goals.

And I almost never plan my stories, so I can't really help there. One thing I do find motivating is sharing the story with someone as I'm writing it. Often, I'm writing it 'for' one person anyway, in the sense that they have me the idea, or I think it's something they'd particularly like. I find it really helps to have that 'what would X like?' reference point. So sharing, getting an idea of what's working and what's not working, and being able to bounce ideas around, keeps me interested and stops me wandering off to a new project. Also, I'm always writing more than one thing at once, so if I get stuck I can set one story aside and work on something else for a while. Even when I'm concentrating pretty heavily on one long story, I can usually manage a handful of short stories in parallel as distractions along the way.

But mostly, I never think 'this story will be X thousand words'. It just turns out to be the length it's going to be. So all you really need for a long story it an idea that supports a long story. Space opera definitely sounds like it has potential for that :-)

Units...for daily use units, I don't think you need anything more than metric. Although you might want to consider the original Earth culture and how recently the colonisation of other planets started, as Americans are currently pretty committed to non-metric units, and according to my US editor, a lot of Americans don't actually know what centimetres, etc look like. (Discovered while trying to edit a joke about penis size so it remains funny even if you don't know how long ten centimetres is :-)

OTOH, I'm a big fan of inventing units for space travel. Or just never mentioning units at all. Mostly because it saves me from thinking about actual physics, and all I have to worry about is keeping travel time/combat ranges consistent within the story, rather than actually figuring out the engagement range of ships in kilometres, etc. I'm lazy like that.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I don't know why writing long seems so mythical to me, like there's secrets how to do it because it seems it just comes down to having an idea that could go long and sticking at it. Resisting that urge to chop it down so you can finish earlier.

One thing I do find motivating is sharing the story with someone as I'm writing it.

Now that I totally agree with. It's how I get on so much better when I can feed parts to my beta filter as I go on. Which is why it's that much harder when I'm writing bandom because I have a much smaller pool of people to shove words at. ( Which isn't a hint at you at all ) though I do tend to comment talk stories a lot. I think if people were dedicated enough they could piece stories together by visiting various comment threads of mine :)

The writing for someone is a good point too. The space AU is for Turlough, and knowing that helps because I know what she likes.

Or just never mentioning units at all.

I think that's the way I'm going. Right now there's no need for specific measurements, and hopefully it'll stay that way.

Thank you so much for all the advice.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

how come the physio couldn't do anything? Too soon after the op?

And at least K is in her new place and getting settled - I hope she can find peace and calm there.

also ***HUGS***

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I've no idea why she couldn't do anything. She didn't even say. Just said that he needed to squeeze a sponge ball, which of course they didn't supply.

She seems to be loving her new house at the moment. It's good because her best friend literally lives around the corner, so my mind's settled more that she's not alone. Plus, getting out of the club has helped a lot.

*hugs you tight*

[ihearthings-ii.livejournal.com]

Well sometimes I see fic where someone genuinely tries to come up with stuff that 'new' measurements would be called. It very rarely works for me.
because then you have to figure out if it a solar mile is shorter or longer than a mars mile, and it just gets confusing. Otherwise, you'll have to outline before hand what is what, or do footnotes or such.

I think you could probably just use the measurements we have now. I mean, they're pretty old, and we still use them, because they work. You know?

[turps33.livejournal.com]

That's a very good point. I imagine if you're writing a novel or something really long you could justify new measurements, because you have the time to introduce and explain them. Fic not so much.

Thank you :)

[ihearthings-ii.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! :D