Comments and Musings
Oct. 25th, 2005 02:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lls_mutantTaking a break from my paper, which is coming soooooo slooooowly.
Question for Shoebox fans: I was over on the Wolfstar thread on FAP, and opened the Shoebox can of worms. (I.e., I said I'm not a huge fan. I don't think it's a worthless pile of claptrap- it just doesn't work for me, which is no biggie. I'm not toting signs that shout "Down with Shoebox!") But I've never read it all the way through- just bits and pieces. However, I have noticed that certain characterizations get used throughout fandom, and some of them (Fabian Prewett being gay, for example) are at least featured in Shoebox. Someone mentioned that Alphard being either gay or a werewolf is from Shoebox. The gay thing- well, it's more common to meet a gay Uncle Alphard than a straight one, sure. But is Alphard a werewolf in SBP? I've never heard it mentioned before. (I assume the poster just got it mixed up, because I was pretty sure I did the first major Alphard-as-a-werewolf, but I could be wrong.)
In-laws were over for dinner last night, and it didn't turn into quite the disaster scene I expected. Hubby and Barry approached the Christmas subject, but they backed off earlier than I thought they would. We'll see what happens. I need to broach the subject with them myself. My mom wants to skip a Christmas exchange with them this year. Not only does she not want them to spend the money, but she never knows what to get them. Plus- and this is serious and the big argument I plan on using- she and her hubby are moving this year into an apartment. They need to get rid of stuff. They really don't want to accumulate any more. And neither of them eat sweets much. So hopefully in-laws will respect that part of their request!
It was entertaining, though. Hubby asked what they're doing this year for Thanksgiving. My other BIL and his wife and kids go down to Williamsburg, and hubby asked if they'd go this year. Not terribly surprisingly, they weren't sure, because they want to be around when the baby is born. Hubby said he'd call them when I went into labor. His mom was like "we'd be six hours away! We'd miss it!" Um, got news for ya, folks, you ain't seeing it anyway!!!!! There will be two people in the delivery room that do not have medical degrees: myself and my husband. That is IT. Not his parents. Not my parents. No friends, no siblings, no ANYONE. (Unless I go into labor when hubby is out of town, and then one of my SILs will be with me until he gets there.) His parents took it pretty well, but it amused me that they even presumed they'd be in there. (It actually makes sense in a way. They DID stay with my SIL, whose husband slept the one time and was eating breakfast the other. I don't like my SIL's husband. At all. And SIL wanted them there.) I also refuse to breastfeed in front of my father-in-law and stepfather. Yes, breastfeeding is natural and all that. But I really don't feel like whipping out my boob in front of them, y'know????? Heck with their comfort, I'm worried about mine! ICK. But I want to be alone (or with hubby) for that first feeding. I don't need people watching me.
I actually didn't want to call either set of parents until the baby was actually born. I still don't, to be honest. I mean, my one cousin had a 25 hour labor. What if I'm the same? That's a long time for people to be waiting and wondering and worrying. And I flat-out refuse to let hubby tell them if I need a Caeserian. My father-in-law overreacts. It doesn't matter that 1/3 of all births are by C-section and it's one of the most common forms of major surgury in the world today- he'll be picking out matching caskets for me and the baby.
I know what's going to happen when hubby tells his parents that I'm in labor. They'll come down to the hospital and wait and worry that something is going to go wrong. That day, I won't give a shit. But when I think about it now, it annoys me, because I'd rather they just wait at home and relax a bit. Being excited and maybe a bit worried is fine. But be comfortable! But hubby insists, because he says they'd never forgive him if something bad DID happen and they didn't know from the beginning. The fact of the matter is it's not just my kid and my birthing process- it's his too- and he's completely respectful (and in agreement) with my wishes that I only want him there when the baby is born, until I'm cleaned up. And really, if his parents sit and worry and home or sit and worry in the hospital doesn't affect me- it just affects them. So it's not worth fighting him on that subject at all. Oh well. When their butts are sore because I've been in labor for seven hours, that's their problem!
Anyway, aside from that dinner went well. Father-in-law didn't choke. Last time, I served London broil steaks and he choked. This is the second time he's eaten steak around me, and the second time he choked. I said it was gonna be pasta next time. I don't know if he thought I was joking! (But the fact is, I'm very proud of my baked ziti recipe anyway, and it's extremely easy to serve to guests. So baked ziti is what they got!) The only funny thing: hubby and I are having Barry and his girlfriend over. I'd planned a menu already: pork tenderloin with bourbon-brown sugar marinade, twice-baked potatoes with bleu cheese and bacon, Italian green beans, and salad with frizzled proscuitto and goat cheese. (And chocolate pots de creme for dessert.) Last night I asked him if there's anything she can't or won't eat... and he reminded me she's Jewish.
Ooops.
Looks like I might be trying a rib roast recipe after all! :)
Question for Shoebox fans: I was over on the Wolfstar thread on FAP, and opened the Shoebox can of worms. (I.e., I said I'm not a huge fan. I don't think it's a worthless pile of claptrap- it just doesn't work for me, which is no biggie. I'm not toting signs that shout "Down with Shoebox!") But I've never read it all the way through- just bits and pieces. However, I have noticed that certain characterizations get used throughout fandom, and some of them (Fabian Prewett being gay, for example) are at least featured in Shoebox. Someone mentioned that Alphard being either gay or a werewolf is from Shoebox. The gay thing- well, it's more common to meet a gay Uncle Alphard than a straight one, sure. But is Alphard a werewolf in SBP? I've never heard it mentioned before. (I assume the poster just got it mixed up, because I was pretty sure I did the first major Alphard-as-a-werewolf, but I could be wrong.)
In-laws were over for dinner last night, and it didn't turn into quite the disaster scene I expected. Hubby and Barry approached the Christmas subject, but they backed off earlier than I thought they would. We'll see what happens. I need to broach the subject with them myself. My mom wants to skip a Christmas exchange with them this year. Not only does she not want them to spend the money, but she never knows what to get them. Plus- and this is serious and the big argument I plan on using- she and her hubby are moving this year into an apartment. They need to get rid of stuff. They really don't want to accumulate any more. And neither of them eat sweets much. So hopefully in-laws will respect that part of their request!
It was entertaining, though. Hubby asked what they're doing this year for Thanksgiving. My other BIL and his wife and kids go down to Williamsburg, and hubby asked if they'd go this year. Not terribly surprisingly, they weren't sure, because they want to be around when the baby is born. Hubby said he'd call them when I went into labor. His mom was like "we'd be six hours away! We'd miss it!" Um, got news for ya, folks, you ain't seeing it anyway!!!!! There will be two people in the delivery room that do not have medical degrees: myself and my husband. That is IT. Not his parents. Not my parents. No friends, no siblings, no ANYONE. (Unless I go into labor when hubby is out of town, and then one of my SILs will be with me until he gets there.) His parents took it pretty well, but it amused me that they even presumed they'd be in there. (It actually makes sense in a way. They DID stay with my SIL, whose husband slept the one time and was eating breakfast the other. I don't like my SIL's husband. At all. And SIL wanted them there.) I also refuse to breastfeed in front of my father-in-law and stepfather. Yes, breastfeeding is natural and all that. But I really don't feel like whipping out my boob in front of them, y'know????? Heck with their comfort, I'm worried about mine! ICK. But I want to be alone (or with hubby) for that first feeding. I don't need people watching me.
I actually didn't want to call either set of parents until the baby was actually born. I still don't, to be honest. I mean, my one cousin had a 25 hour labor. What if I'm the same? That's a long time for people to be waiting and wondering and worrying. And I flat-out refuse to let hubby tell them if I need a Caeserian. My father-in-law overreacts. It doesn't matter that 1/3 of all births are by C-section and it's one of the most common forms of major surgury in the world today- he'll be picking out matching caskets for me and the baby.
I know what's going to happen when hubby tells his parents that I'm in labor. They'll come down to the hospital and wait and worry that something is going to go wrong. That day, I won't give a shit. But when I think about it now, it annoys me, because I'd rather they just wait at home and relax a bit. Being excited and maybe a bit worried is fine. But be comfortable! But hubby insists, because he says they'd never forgive him if something bad DID happen and they didn't know from the beginning. The fact of the matter is it's not just my kid and my birthing process- it's his too- and he's completely respectful (and in agreement) with my wishes that I only want him there when the baby is born, until I'm cleaned up. And really, if his parents sit and worry and home or sit and worry in the hospital doesn't affect me- it just affects them. So it's not worth fighting him on that subject at all. Oh well. When their butts are sore because I've been in labor for seven hours, that's their problem!
Anyway, aside from that dinner went well. Father-in-law didn't choke. Last time, I served London broil steaks and he choked. This is the second time he's eaten steak around me, and the second time he choked. I said it was gonna be pasta next time. I don't know if he thought I was joking! (But the fact is, I'm very proud of my baked ziti recipe anyway, and it's extremely easy to serve to guests. So baked ziti is what they got!) The only funny thing: hubby and I are having Barry and his girlfriend over. I'd planned a menu already: pork tenderloin with bourbon-brown sugar marinade, twice-baked potatoes with bleu cheese and bacon, Italian green beans, and salad with frizzled proscuitto and goat cheese. (And chocolate pots de creme for dessert.) Last night I asked him if there's anything she can't or won't eat... and he reminded me she's Jewish.
Ooops.
Looks like I might be trying a rib roast recipe after all! :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Hmmm
Date: 2005-10-25 07:04 pm (UTC)Not as far as I know *strokes chin*. Yours is the first gay werewolf Uncle Alphard I've ever come across, and I've been with shoebox since the beginning.
I hear you about the shoebox though - their charactersitics of MWPP have been influencial, even though Remus as Arizapheal (sp) from Good Omens pisses me off, in no mean part because I can't stand Good Omens (I know, I'm the only one on LJ who doesn't like Terry Pratchett in any form). But I've seen the Prewitt brothers being gay from mousiapelli's fic about '14 Things that Never Happened at Hogwarts'. I think that's the first boy Remus diddled with? So the shoebox wasn't new in that.
But yeah, I digress. I hear what you're saying about Shoebox, it's good, but it suffered from being the WiP of hell. It just started to sag in the middle. But still... they have the humour, and the banter, which has been rivaled (and even surpassed) by 'The Pranksters Guide' but still... the humour, oh the humor. Too many fanfic writers are too po' faced to write humour.
Erm...with regards to your family - I have nothing.
Oh, can you put your entries behind an LJ cut? Long posts throw my (free!) account page/viewing out of wack.
Re: Hmmm
Date: 2005-10-25 07:15 pm (UTC)Yours is the first gay werewolf Uncle Alphard I've ever come across, and I've been with shoebox since the beginning.
That's what I thought, but I just wanted to be sure.
I actually don't like the Remus-as-Arizapheal (I'm not positive how to spell it either, even though I like Good Omens) characterization because it gets BORING. There's really nothing in canonto support it, and yet it's all over fanon. It's making me cringe to make Remus read as much as he is in this part of Accidentally In Love, but the poor boy is stuck on a train and really doesn't have that much else to do.
The Prewett brothers being gay is something I DO see a lot- I'm not sure if the SBP girls are following a common trend, or if they cemented it, or what. One of the things that always annoyed me was that every time Caradoc Dearborn shows up in a fic, he's young, good-looking, and gay. (Usually involved with Remus, which is why he and Remus are standing together in the Order picture.) This is precisely why my version of Caradoc is old, fat, and bald... and completely asexual.
The real reason I have trouble reading Shoebox is a minor thing that's not at all a fault of the writers- I hate present tense for long stories. Simple as that. Heh. But yeah, like I said, I don't think SBP is evil or anything, or even badly written. It's just that to be an R/S fan and say you aren't a huge SBP fan seems like it's sacrilidge. (Good thing I like Stealing Harry!)
Re: Hmmm
Date: 2005-10-25 07:34 pm (UTC)Hee! Strangely, I hate first person with the passion of a thousand suns. It takes a good writer to make me read first person, which is why I rate
The best fandom characterizations are the ones where people are a bit of a maverick, to be honest.
The Prewett brothers being gay is something I DO see a lot- I'm not sure if the SBP girls are following a common trend, or if they cemented it, or what
They didn't start it, that's for certain, but they prolly cemented it. There have been a lot of imitators of the SBP (there was even a Lupin/Snape one in the MWPP era ::shock::)for a hot minute...
Ah, you keep speaking about your work, and I keep waiting to read it. Do you ever think you'll finish your wips? *prods you* I understand though, because I just did a story (16000 words in six weeks) and it damned near killed me.
It's just that to be an R/S fan and say you aren't a huge SBP fan seems like it's sacrilidge. (Good thing I like Stealing Harry!)
I hear yah, I don't really hang out at FAP though (although I'm a member there, and have been for years), the members can be bat!shit! crazy at times. Even though recently, I've being getting into Fleur/Tonks femmeslash, and trying to find some... :/
Re: Hmmm
Date: 2005-10-25 08:59 pm (UTC)And it's the imitators that I actually ended up ranting about a little on FAP. I'm relatively new to the fandom, so it's hard to know which came first sometimes, but that always gets me a bit. I'm not sure why. After all, it's basically all still the same. And I hate people doing something unreasonable just because it's not the norm. But it tends to ping me the wrong way.
And I am trying to finish!!!!!! :) AIL 10 is moving along very slowly, unfortunately. ::sigh:: Probably because I'm trying to do about 20 other things at the same time. :P
Re: Hmmm
Date: 2005-10-25 08:21 pm (UTC)You're not the only one. Actually, I don't hate it. I just couldn't get into it and after about eighty pages gave up. Though I like some GO fanfic. Go figure!
Re: Hmmm
Date: 2005-10-25 09:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 07:32 pm (UTC)Um, it was me that mentioned the werewolf thing, but I wasn't saying it was from SBP, though since I put the comment alongside SBP stuff, it wasn't clear what I meant. I was talking about common characterisations in general. Sorry about that (perhaps I shouldn't only post on that thread when I'm stuck on a fic at midnight *g*) I haven't read any of the Uncle Alphard stuff in SBP so I've no idea what he's like in that fic.
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-27 11:04 pm (UTC)I think there might have been something about werewolves mating for life in one of them, possibly the French one as well. *shudders* Apparently I'll read anything.
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Date: 2005-10-25 07:36 pm (UTC)Re: giving birth. It's up to you who you have in the delivery room and good for you sticking to your guns :)
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:02 pm (UTC)And yeah- there is NO way I'm giving in on the birthing thing!!! :)
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 12:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 12:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 08:29 pm (UTC)I appreciate the talent behind SBP, but I've never gotten into it. I have no discipline at all when it comes to long stories. It took me about a year to read Stealing Harry (though part of the delay was due to the bizarre supposition that it was Harry/Snape). I used to have a longer attention span when it came to fan fiction, but lately I've been shying away from stories over 8,000 words. Which means I'm missing out on a lot, I know.
What really irks me about SBP are some of its fans. It used to be that any time I posted a S/R story that involved witty banter, I'd be told that my story was worthy of Shoebox. I hate that. Shoebox is great but it's not the standard. And I've been writing witty banter long before Jaida and Rave started collaborating. Hmf.
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:12 pm (UTC)Actually, he's asking her, because as he said, she's not terribly devout, so he's not sure if she keeps kosher in any way whatsoever. (It just made a better story without that detail. Heh.) The tenderloin is tasty- and super easy. Want the recipe? :) (It's also low-fat as I know you've been making huge efforts in that area, but it sure doesn't taste it! I refuse to eat bad-tasting food when dieting.)
I appreciate the talent behind SBP, but I've never gotten into it.
That's pretty much how I feel. I don't remotely think the girls are talentless- far from it. I just don't like the characterizations. I'm not into a prissy Remus, and I definitely don't do bouncy Sirius. But there's also absolutely nothing in canon to say that Remus drives a car like a maniac, listens (and sings very badly) to Queen, and wanted to travel the world from a young age, and that's the way I write him so....
I used to have a longer attention span when it came to fan fiction, but lately I've been shying away from stories over 8,000 words. Which means I'm missing out on a lot, I know.
Am I allowed to laugh, just because it seems to be rare I write anything short? Even my freaking chapters are long. Every now and then I'll write a smutty one-shot or something, but there's a reason it takes me a good month (or, in this case, way more) to turn out a chapter.)
What really irks me about SBP are some of its fans.
That's actually what bothers me, too. Any type of comparison bothers me. And I feel bad, because it's NOT the two authors doing the comparison! But yeah, I've been told my stuff's worthy of Shoebox as well, which kind of annoys me. They might do banter better than I do, but I definitely have my own pet areas, particularly plot twists and OCs or near-OCs (the ones that are just a name mention in the books). In fact, because of what we both write, I just don't see a comparison between my work and SBP at all. Not that I'm ahead of them or they're ahead of me, but that it's apples and oranges in a lot of ways. Most of my favorite fanfic authors don't have styles that even vaguely remind me of SBP, so I can't see where most of them would want that comparison.
And heck- ANYONE who writes MWPP fiction should be writing witty banter! :)
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Date: 2005-10-27 03:30 am (UTC)Which is why I try to pounce whenever you write something short-ish. *g*
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:37 pm (UTC)That would annoy the living crap out of me too.
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 02:54 am (UTC)Certain writers of course I can keep straight because of the originality of their work. Like yours *g*.
(I don't follow SBP either to be honest. It's good, but I came into it late so never got hooked on it.)
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Date: 2005-10-26 12:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 12:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 05:56 am (UTC)I read SBP once during the times when I was trying to accept Wolfstar. All the reasons why I disliked it, I disliked for reasons that are typical of Wolfstar...(Remus talking down to everyone, happy Marauders that are all the bestest of friends that play funny but generally harmless dungbomb pranks, too much Remus, too much Remus and Sirius interaction, etc...) I had assumed that since it was recommended, like, everywhere, it would have generally be liked by R/S shippers. I go on FAP and I see this isn't true, so I don't know what to make of it.
Do you cook all that stuff you listed? I see the rib roast and eh, baked ziti were recipies, but like, all the middle things, or are those ordered? Did you learn from recipies?
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Date: 2005-10-26 12:44 pm (UTC)If Mrs. Black knew ;) In my version, Alphard doesn't become a werewolf until he's in his 50s-60s. He's been working as a cursebreaker for Gringotts, and Gringotts goblins don't give a shit as long as he keeps up his work. Because he's older, independent, and lives alone, he makes a huge effort to hide it. And actually, in my version, that WAS what he was blasted off the tapestry for. He killed someone and was killed by being pushed through the arch in the Department of Mysteries (this was before JKR said the Veil was never used for executions). Mr. Black was Head of the Department of Mysteries at the time, and found out about it then. He bribed people to shut it up, and then went home and blasted Alphard off the tapestry. As far as Sirius knows, Alphard died of pnuemonia, which was what everyone- even people outside the immediate Black family (and even Regulus) was told. So Sirius assumes that Alphard was stricken off because he left Sirius his money (it didn't help), but Sirius was wrong.
I had assumed that since it was recommended, like, everywhere, it would have generally be liked by R/S shippers. I go on FAP and I see this isn't true, so I don't know what to make of it.
It totally depends on the shipper. I actually don't like it much for two of the reasons you cited: Remus talking down to everyone (he's very prissy in SBP, and I don't care for that characterization at all), and too many happy pranks. I think there was a much darker streak to the MWPP- not that they were evil, but that they did a heck of a lot more than color people's hair. It's one of the weaknesses of Deny Thy Father (my Sirius story) that I never address except once, but the reasoning I used is that a.) the story is supposed to focus on families, and b.) Sirius never THOUGHT about what he was doing. It didn't matter to him. And that's worse than if he'd been deliberately malicious in some ways.
Do you cook all that stuff you listed?
Yup- as long as I have a recipe to follow, I'm a pretty good cook. I don't order, unless it's pizza or Chinese. I haven't tried some of the recipes yet (like the twice baked potatoes), but they're from Cooking Light, and usually their recipes are good.
I did learn from recipes. I love my mother, but she's not a very good cook (except desserts, which she does pretty well). However, I was a chemistry major and a fuel scientist by trade. NEVER trust someone in chemistry that tells you they can't cook. Following recipes is NOT hard, and that's basically what you do in the lab! But I love food, so I learned to cook. And when I did Weight Watchers, I learned to cook light. My big specialty is light desserts, particularly light cheesecakes. My cheesecakes aren't quite as good as the Cheesecake Factory, but they still kick butt :)