ellenmillion | Reading

ysabetwordsmith

This is the freebie for the April

crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from

librarygeek. It also fills the "bully" square in my 4-1-19 card for the School Days fest.

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Current Mood: busy
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/5139033.html

mdlbear

Today's song is one I wrote as a Valentine's Day present for my wife, Colleen. I don't seem to have audio up on the web; I considered singing it to her earlier today, but one look at the lyrics told me I wouldn't be able to. It's hard to sing when you're crying.

Here's Eyes Like the Morning.

( lyrics, if you don't want to click through )

Current Mood: depressed and anxious
Current Music: see post
Crossposts: https://mdlbear.livejournal.com/1676262.html

yhlee

( Read more... )

...so are there going to be more Short Treks? Or does anyone have fic recs? I'd happily read gen about Tilly or Reno or the minor bridge crew characters, Sarek-Amanda-Spock-Michael family feels, dirtybadwrong Mirror!Georgiou/Michael, anything happy about Captain Pike or Cornwell...or ANYTHING cracky like coffee shop AU or whatever. XD Actually, I'm probably most likely to read coffee shop or mundane AU because that's where my brain is right now, LOL.

Current Mood: hopeful

sholio

So, the show that I vagueblogged a couple of weeks ago about following via reviews/reactions when I haven't actually watched the show is The Magicians. The season finale aired this week, and basically blew up the fandom a la that Tumblr gif of Troy on Community going for pizza and coming back to find everyone running around screaming and the room on fire. I now have way more thoughts and opinions than I ought to, considering that I've never seen even an episode of this show.

It's also led me to a lot of thinky thoughts about storytelling and how we engage with fictional characters, so I'm going to natter about that under the cut. Loads of spoilers for the current season of The Magicians. Warning for (not personal) discussion of suicide. Also, this post is LONG.

( The spoiler-laden background info )

( The actual thinky bits )

Crossposts: https://sholio.livejournal.com/861347.html

dialecticdreamer

Uncanny Interventions
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 3 of 7, complete
Word count (story only): 1208

:: Part of the Strange Family series, in the Polychrome Heroics universe, this story takes place at some point after Genna, Saul, and the others arrive at the Can. It will be clear to readers why Hatter could not be more specific when discussing matters. Sponsored by an anonymous angel who should have a threefold blessing in return. At least! ::

:: Pay Special Attention: Black hat missions against WORSE people. Mentions of human trafficking, dog fighting (only in the past tense), other criminal actions. Injuries to an adult, kidnapped children (who are physically unharmed), and a laundry list of reasons to dislike the head of the trafficking ring. Please skip this story if the negativity of these issues outweighs the rescue of kidnapped individuals and the dismantling of a human trafficking ring. I have tried to handle these problems gently, but this is NOT gentle fiction. There will be other, gentler stories in the set, but the aftermath of these events will include some heavy topics. ::

Back to part two
On to part four

The comm clicked twice. A cat’s pitiable, frustrated yowls and the soft clip of steel-toed boots traced the team’s progress toward the animal clinic. “I don’t know,” Chaac Kan gasped, breathless and half a step from tears, “I don’t know what Fluffy ate, just that he threw up all over the living room carpet. Twice!” Fast, fluent Portuguese explained the cat’s dilemma.

A sharp, single click was the only clue Oliver had that the second pair had run into something unexpected. He sighed into the mist from the decorative waterfall, barely more than droplets clinging to threads of fishing line mounted in a shallow tray on the front of the pet shop side of the paired buildings. As he exhaled, the water vapor followed his commands, twining deep into the brick and mortar, searching for open spaces.
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Current Mood: anxious

sholio

1. The Spring Equinox Vidding Exchange archive is now open. Their theme: "Sources from the 90s." (I had other things I was going to do with my afternoon than watch vids, but you know how it goes ...)

2. The Space Swap archive is also open for reading! I have a fic in there, because I picked up a pinch hit for it awhile back.

3. Signups for Not Prime Time, a midsized-fandom exchange, are open. I am probably going to sign up for it, but haven't gotten there quite yet. All the Netflix Marvel shows, Agent Carter, Stranger Things, Umbrella Academy, and Schitt's Creek are all eligible and have tags in the tagset, just to name a few.

4. I have not yet stopped being completely gone for Iron Fist, as my latest fanfic offerings no doubt reveal.

Me in chat to

sheron earlier: "I SWEAR the next thing I write in this fandom is a) going to have a plot other than "random goons kidnap people for h/c purposes", and b) is going to involve characters other than Danny and Ward."

... You wouldn't think getting tired of h/c would be a thing for me, but I'm really starting to get the urge to write something with an actual plot that's not just 5K of feels. That being said, I think the last fandom that made me go this head-over-heels for just writing endless words of h/c and feels was White Collar. I'm also slightly amazed that in just 6 months, or so, this fandom has jumped up to #3 on my AO3 stats page for most fics written. (Though technically it should be #4, because I haven't ever gotten most of my SGA fic onto AO3 and there is A LOT OF IT.)

Since I linked someone to this on AO3 today - for anyone who wants to ~~be dragged kicking and screaming into this fandom~~ join me in my current shiny place, allow me to refer you back to my so you wanna watch Iron Fist? post from last year, a.k.a. a guide to getting past the first few episodes for people who bounce off them. (I understand that not everybody likes or is going to like this show. I don't expect you to. But you know, just in case you were interested ...!)

Incidentally ... over the last year or two, I've mostly stopped crossposting fic or even fic notifications here, unless it's for an exchange, and just putting it on AO3 with notifications posted at

sholiofic. I am writing a lot more fic than you'd know from reading my journal. I think I kinda just got out of the habit during a time when I wasn't writing a whole lot, but I've been fairly prolific lately. Lately it's been largely focused on Iron Fist and/or the Marvel Defenders shows, with some Agent Carter, Stranger Things, and various other stuff I'm into. Should I start posting those here again? Actually, because everyone loves clicking little boxes ... let's do a poll.

Poll #21859

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 54

When I post a new fic on AO3, what should I do about it on my DW journal?

Crosspost the entire fic, like in the old days.
3 (5.6%)

Post a notification that links to AO3, but not the whole fic.
33 (61.1%)

I would feel a bit spammed, honestly. I can follow you on AO3 if I want the fic.
1 (1.9%)

It's your journal; do what you like!
16 (29.6%)

My answer cannot be contained in a mere radio button! See comments.
1 (1.9%)

There are no right or wrong answers here, and I'm not going to feel bound by the poll results. I'm just curious if there is still interest in reading fic here or not.

Crossposts: https://sholio.livejournal.com/860685.html

yhlee

reading for Phoenix Extravagant

from The Met's essays on East Asian art (hat-tip to

mecurtin

(yes i am literally reading my way through relevant-to-this-novel things in alphabetical order)

- Art of the Edo Period
- Art of the Korean Renaissance
- Art of the Pleasure Quarters and Ukiyo-e Style
- Asuka and Nara Periods (538-794)
- Buddhism and Buddhist Art
- Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
- Chinese Calligraphy
- Chinese Cloisonné
- Chinese Gardens and Collectors' Rocks
- Chinese Handscrolls
- Chinese Hardstone Carvings
- Chinese Painting
- Daoism and Daoist Art
- The Decoration of Arms and Armor [All my arms & armor books, including the ones that talked about decorative techniques, perished in the flood, FML.]
- East and West: Chinese Export Porcelain
- East Asian Cultural Exchange in Tiger and Dragon Paintings [Haha, I think of ones you can find in the tourist markets in Seoul going for a song. Elsewhere too, I'm sure.]
- Edo-Period Japanese Porcelain
- Folios from the Jami' al-tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles)
- Golden Treasures: The Royal Tombs of Silla
- Goryeo Celadon
- Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.)
- Heian Period (794-1185)

for future reference:
- Chinese pigment [Wikipedia]

recently read, other
- Alison Green. Ask a Manager.
Picked this up on sale as an ebook a little bit back. I could have wished for less scattershot organization within chapters, although the chapters themselves were organized by topic (e.g. talks with coworkers, talks with your boss, etc.). Cannot comment on the efficacy of the advice since my job (writing sf/f freelance) is...idiosyncratic. My favorite parts were the far-out-there excerpted letters/answers (like the one about the woman who had a worker who was hexing coworkers she didn't like!!!); less practical to be sure, but I would have found an entire book of the wildest stories more entertaining for anecdote-gathering purposes.

currently reading
- Jason Shepherd. Learn Welsh Now.
A beginning Welsh ebook with linked audio files for pronunciation, which are still up and very handy. Chapters are short, with vocabulary lists, rough pronunciation guides, grammar tips, and quizzes. I'm slowly working through this as a supplement to Duolingo Welsh.

Current Mood: phoenix!

ariestess

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Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Celldweller - A matter ofTime

rachelmanija

1. Chef Nourish refunded my money (minus $23 for the two gross meals I already received.) Also, my Yelp review is still up. I'll take that as a win.

2. The bookcase saga continues. To refresh your memory, one of a set of two matching bookcases arrived without the unique bolts needed to put them together. The seller refused to send replacement bolts. Amazon said they were a third party and not their problem.

I finally got the seller to tell me the name of the manufacturer of the bolts, and inquired with them. They promptly replied to tell me to take it up with Amazon. I told them Amazon wouldn't help, and got this reply:

Yes, they are a third party and we do not sell products to Amazon. They sold it to you, so they take responsibility. They should send you a new bookcase.

ARRRRRRGH. I sent them an email repeating that Amazon told me to take it up with the seller, and the seller told me to take it up with the manufacturer. At that point, either taking pity on me or wanting to stop getting messages, they promised to send me more bolts. We'll see if they ever arrive.

3. In the meantime, I gave in and ordered a replacement bookcase from the same people (I know, but it's a matching set). They sent me the matched set (i.e., two).

While attempting to drag them inside, Alex bolted between my legs and was down the stairs in literally seconds. In a panic, I rushed after him.

I should mention at this point that it was late at night and I wore only a very skimpy nightshirt with nothing underneath. Also, since I'd been in my chair at that moment, I did not have my crutches with me, something whose implications only dawned on me when I was at the bottom of the very dirty stairs I had just literally slithered down bare-assed.

With no other choice, I slithered to Alex, who luckily hadn't gone far and was lurking under a nearby bush, grabbed him, and then levered myself back up the dirty stairs, still bare-assed and now with the additional weight of a cat. Let's just say it was not the most fun thing ever.

Goddamn cats! Anyone got any ideas on how to keep Alex from bolting again? Other than locking them out of the living room every time I open the outside doors, which is not remotely practical due to the layout of my apartment. I live near an extremely busy street, so I really don't want them escaping.

The bookcases are still outside my door, so I have no idea whether or not they came with the bolts.

mirlacca

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havocthecat

That show...does not hold up. Wow, oh, God, the persistent misogyny runs through the whole show, and in episode one, Susan is ( metoo-ish )

Basically, every woman but Susan is presented in a sexist light, Susan isn't so great either as she's "not like other girls," ugh, and the men are all sleazy and opportunistic.

Not a show to rewatch. I can't believe I didn't complain before about watching a 30-something pout about how only single men are "worth her elasticity." (For those who haven't seen it, the female BFF sidekick thinks only single men are worth risking wrinkles for, so she only ever smiles at them. Gross.)

Crossposts: http://havocthecat.insanejournal.com/473488.html

ysabetwordsmith

The April

crowdfunding Creative Jam is now open with a theme of "Identity Crisis." Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.

What I Have Written

"Faces in a Mosaic Mirror" is the freebie.

From My Prompts

Current Mood: busy
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/5138691.html

ysabetwordsmith posting in

crowdfunding

Welcome to the eightieth Crowdfunding Creative Jam! This session will run Saturday, April 20-Sunday, April 21. The theme is "Identity Crisis."

Crowdfunding Creative Jam

Everyone is eligible to post prompts, which may be words or phrases, titles, images, etc. Prompters may request a specific creator, but everyone else may still use that prompt if they wish. Prompts may specify a particular character/world/etc. but creators may use the prompt for something else anyway and post the results. Prompters are still encouraged to post mostly prompts that anyone could use anywhere, as this maximizes the chance of having creators make something based on your prompt. Please title your comment "Prompt" or "Prompts" when providing inspiration so these are easy to find.

Prompt responses may also be treated as prompts and used for further inspiration. For example, a prompt may lead to a sketch which leads to a story, and so on. This kind of cascading inspiration is one of the most fun things about a collective jam session.

Everyone is eligible to use prompts, and everyone who wants to use a given prompt may do so, for maximum flexibility of creator choice in inspiration. You do not have to post a "Claim" reply when you decide to use a prompt, but this does help indicate what is going on so that other prompters can spread out their choice of prompts if they wish.

Creators are encouraged, but not required, to post at least one item free. Likewise, sharing a private copy of material with the prompter is encouraged but not required. Creative material resulting from prompts should be indicated in a reply to the prompt, with a link to the full content elsewhere on the creator's site (if desired); a brief excerpt and/or description of the material may be included in the reply (if desired). It helps to title your comment "Prompt Filled" or something like that so these are easy to identify. There is no time limit on responding to prompts. However, creators are encouraged to post replies sooner rather than later, as the attention of prompters will be highest during and shortly after the session.

Some items created from prompts may become available for sponsorship. Some creators may offer perks for donations, linkbacks, or other activity relating to this project. Check creator comments and links for their respective offerings.

Prompters, creators, and bystanders are expected to behave in a responsible and civil manner. If the moderators have to drag someone out of the sandbox for improper behavior, we will not be amused. Please respect other people's territory and intellectual property rights, and only play with someone else's characters/setting/etc. if you have permission. (Fanfic/fanart freebies are okay.) If you want to invite folks to play with something of yours, title the comment something like "Open Playground" so it's easy to spot. This can be a good way to attract new people to a shared world or open-source project, or just have some good non-canon fun.

Boost the signal! The more people who participate, the more fun this will be. Hopefully we'll see activity from a lot of folks who regularly mention their projects in this community, but new people are always welcome. You can link to this session post or to individual items created from prompts, whatever you think is awesome enough to recommend to your friends.

Current Mood: creative

havocthecat

Hitchcock and Scully are Time Lords.

Really bad, lazy, sloppy Time Lords.

But there is literally no other explanation for their shenanigans. "Life finds a way." My ass. Those two have a T.A.R.D.I.S.

I mean, okay, no other explanation except a Time Turner, but honestly, would you rather them be wizards or Time Lords?

(Seriously, which would be worse?)

Crossposts: http://havocthecat.insanejournal.com/473280.html

ysabetwordsmith

Thanks to a donation from

fuzzyred, there are 11 new verses in "A Cave Swarming with Strange Forms of Life." Kenzie tells Pretty Ears about the attack.

Current Mood: busy
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/5138465.html

ysabetwordsmith

This poem came out of the November 6, 2018 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

gingicat. It also fills the "blue bird of happiness" square in my 11-5-19 card for the Family Ties Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by

fuzzyred. It belongs to the Mercedes thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/5138371.html

dialecticdreamer

Uncanny Interventions
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 2 of 7, complete
Word count (story only): 1210

:: Part of the Strange Family series, in the Polychrome Heroics universe, this story takes place at some point after Genna, Saul, and the others arrive at the Can. It will be clear to readers why Hatter could not be more specific when discussing matters. This story is sponsored by an anonymous Angel who has my eternal gratitude. ::

:: Pay Special Attention: Black hat missions against WORSE people. Mentions of human trafficking, dog fighting (only in the past tense), other criminal actions. Injuries to an adult, kidnapped children (who are physically unharmed), and a laundry list of reasons to dislike the head of the trafficking ring. Please skip this story if the negativity of these issues outweighs the rescue of kidnapped individuals and the dismantling of a human trafficking ring. I have tried to handle these problems gently, but this is NOT gentle fiction. There will be other, gentler stories in the set, but the aftermath of these events will include some heavy topics. ::

Back to part one
On to part three

They took nearly five extra minutes to repeat their searches, since they hadn’t turned up so much as an overdue water bill. The place was exactly what it seemed to be, its staff and owners scrupulously honest. “I almost want to put a couple thousand reals into the register, just to see what they’d do when they found it,” Nix Teir muttered.

“No, we’re done here. Leave it as secure as we found it.” Nix Ein declared. He flicked his fingers, assigning pairs.The building secured again, the four-person team split into pairs and made their way toward different bus stops, heading to their interim contact points.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

rachelmanija

Learning how to fold things so they are in horizontal rows rather than vertical stacks is definitely the point where this tipped over into "hobby." However, it does make stuff WAY easier to find.

These are before-and-after aerial shots of my T-shirt drawer:

yhlee

still rsi left wrist

plassyuing flight rising bc i can do that w right mouse hand

also sryth

& weirdly, ipad & pencil 2 drawing on procreate. last night: sketches of pike & enperoro georgiou

ara ius playing the game arsenal an fps w evil chickens. i thought of you,

rachelmanija

oik, typing 2 hard. see y'all l8r