that's too much, man

I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that I'm not super present in this space and haven't been for a while. I do still read my friends page, but it's dwindled so much that it's kind of a depressing exercise. (I miss you guys, even though very few of you are likely to be seeing this.)

Imagine my irritation to discover that Photobucket recently changed their policies and no longer allows third-party hosting. This has completely screwed up the following:

1) My LJ journal layout (made by ladyjaida a million years ago) and my LJ friends page layout (made by pauraque a few thousand years ago). I love(d) these. They were beautiful and made me happy to look at. And argh, is it even possible to edit things like an S1 LJ journal style from soooo long ago? Is this completely deprecated and unfixable?

2) My custom moodtheme on both LJ and DW. I liked this a lot, too.

3) All the images in my stories on AO3, some of which are essential to the enjoyment of the stories.

And unlike when I originally set these things up mumblety years ago, I no longer have the time and emotional energy to spend a billion hours monkeying around to get them working again. But it's making me sad to have these ugly non-functional reminders all over the place.

I guess I am asking for a couple things. One, can you recommend a different image-hosting service to replace Photobucket? And two (more difficult), can you assure me that this won't be as onerous as I imagine?

Originally posted at https://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/52985.html, where there are comments.

mood: irritated

(2 furious raptures • fly)

the yuletide usual

Dear writer, thank you so much for writing for me! Most of this is recycled from letters past (I am a paragon of consistency), but here you go.

In general I like happy endings, character development, and interesting writing. I am not a huge fan of babies/children or of angst that goes beyond the angst-level of the original canon. Other than that, I'm pretty easy to please and I'm sure I'll love whatever you come up with!

Venetia
Probably my favorite Heyer novel--but it's so hard to choose! One thing is for certain: I love Venetia and Damerel so much. I love how they quote Shakespeare and other literature at each other. I love how, despite having led such different lives, they are similar in many ways: clever and impulsive and sexy. I love the tortured hero thing (sue me, I'm a Charlotte Brontë fan at heart). So tell me: what's the next adventure in store for my favorite Heyer couple?

Cormoran Strike
I'm really enjoying this series and the relationship between Robin and Strike. I loved the ending of the last one--I must admit, I do ship it, but friendship fic would work for me, too.

Lady of Quality
Annis is another one of my favorite Heyer heroines--capable and lovable. I really like how mature this book feels compared to some other Heyers, how Annis and Oliver talk about serious issues and how he really treats her like the competent adult that she is. Would love to see Oliver get a little more personality than simply very rich and very rude. Not that I don't like him as is...but I think he could be more.

Originally posted at https://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/52692.html, where there are comments.

mood: sad

(fly)

yuletide writer letter

It's that time of year again...that time when I throw together a Yuletide signup lickety-split, and probably forget to update my placeholder post promptly.

( Okay I'm back and updating my post with vital infoCollapse )

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/52404.html, where there are comments.

mood: sad

(fly)

turning the yuletide

I'm making my annual LJ/DW post as I hurriedly sign up for Yuletide at the last minute.

Do I even bother saying something like "I'm gonna try to post something else here at some point?" Because it's true, friends, but my track record is poor.

( I will fix this laterCollapse )

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/51995.html, where there are comments.

mood: rushed

(fly)

In which, by posting about my Yuletide offers and requests, I demonstrate that I am still alive.

Sorry for the late letter update, dear writer! Here it is. Thank you so much for writing for me--I'm excited to see what you'll create!

( a few general preferencesCollapse )

( Venetia - Georgette HeyerCollapse )

( Lady of Quality - Georgette HeyerCollapse )

( Parade's End - Ford Madox FordCollapse )

Thanks again for your gift fic...whatever you decide to write, I'm sure I'll love it.

( original placeholder textCollapse )

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/51827.html, where there are comments.

mood: drunk

(fly)

yuletide recs / shameful butt

Dear friends,

It's an understatement to say that I've been MIA for the past couple of years (I am reading my friendslist, though! I am!). This post is an attempt to do a little better at that—at least from a Yuletide perspective. If you are interested in my other projects or my personal life, keep scrolling. (Sorry!) I'd love to hear from you, though, so if by some unlikely chance you've been missing me, please drop me a line, here or by email. I promise to respond soonish.

YULETIDE STORIES WRITTEN FOR ME THIS YEAR

I was very lucky this year and got two stories—both of which are great and exactly what I asked for. Happiness! The first is a delightful, sparkling coda to Black Sheep, and the second is an insightful, moving character study of Hester from Sprig Muslin. If you like Heyer, I hope you'll read them both.

The Aftermath of the Abduction (1518 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Black Sheep - Georgette Heyer
Relationships: Miles Calverleigh/Abigail Wendover
Summary: After an abduction, there must be a gloomy house in the countryside filled with sinister retainers. Abby has no intention of letting it stay that way, and, all in all, she has high hopes of this abduction turning out rather better than any trashy romance one might do.

Maid In Waiting (1004 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Sprig Muslin - Georgette Heyer
Characters: Lady Hester Theale
Summary: Lady Hester Theale had a dream, once...

THREE PIECES OF EVIDENCE THAT I HAVE BEEN A SHAMEFUL BUTT

1) I never posted in my journal about the fic I received LAST YEAR for Yuletide. This is pathetic for multiple reasons, including the fact that it was (again) really excellent, beautifully written, exactly what I asked for, and for a tiny/non-existent fandom. If you've read The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer, I highly recommend reading it (and you can tell kass that you didn't read it before because I am a shameful butt).

Blueprint (3305 words) by Kass
Fandom: The Invisible Bridge - Julie Orringer
Relationships: Andras Levi/Klara Morgenstern
Characters: Andras Levi, Klara Morgenstern, Polaner
Summary: He finds his spiritual sustenance in the curve of his wife's shoulderblades, the low angled light gilding his studio, the sweep of precise angles on a white page. Five scenes from Andras and Klara's life in America.

2) lotesse recorded a podfic of my Yuletide fic from a couple years ago (Jane Eyre Has a Posse). It's the first time anyone's ever done a recording of one of my fics, and it is awesome. But did I even mention it in my journal at the time? NO. :(

[Podfic] Jane Eyre Has a Posse (19 words) by lotesse
Fandom: Jane Austen's Fight Club, AUSTEN Jane - Works, Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Characters: Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Marianne Dashwood, Elinor Dashwood, Bertha Mason, Blanche Ingram, Shirley Keeldar, Emma Woodhouse, Catherine Earnshaw, Fanny Price
Summary: podfic of Jane Eyre Has a Posse, written by bow and read by lotesse

3) Also inspired by Jane Eyre Has a Posse, brontevindicator wrote fanfic for Shirley. How great is that? I'm so happy that it exists in the world. Currently a WIP, but interesting and promising, with lots of great details! If, somehow, you are one of the few fellow humans who've read Shirley, please read this, too!

Louis Moore the Romantic (17106 words) by brontevindicator
Chapters: 12/?
Fandom: Shirley - Charlotte Bronte
Characters: Caroline Helstone, Shirley Keeldar, Robert Moore, Louis Moore, Cyril Hall, Mrs Pryor, Mr Helstone, Sykes family, Mr Malone, Mr Donne, Yorke family
Summary: Louis Moore aspires to become a poet. Will he be able to achieve his literary ambitions? In the meantime, Caroline is pining away for Robert, but becomes friends with Louis. After Shirley Keeldar ridiculed them, Mr Donne and Mr Malone aim to woo a well-to-do bride in the shape of the magnificent Dora Sykes, beloved of David Sweeting. Who will win in the end?

OTHER STORIES I READ THIS YEAR AND AM RECOMMENDING

Here are some stories that jumped out at me as I skimmed through the archive this year. I'm sure I've forgotten some good stories I read and missed a lot of great stuff entirely, though. I'm not going to do an elaborate rec for each one or I will never get this posted, but I've added a tiny explanation in a few cases where the author's summary didn't completely explain why I loved it. They're all good and (as befits my attention span) reasonably short. These are in no particular order.

( thirteen fandoms, thirteen storiesCollapse )

IN CONCLUSION

I will try a bit harder not to be a shameful butt in future.

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/51582.html, where there are comments.

mood: shameful butt

(fly)

placeholder

To my Yuletide writer: I discovered Georgette Heyer not too long ago and have really spiraled out of control. I hope this is cool with you!

( some general ramblingsCollapse )

( Venetia - Georgette HeyerCollapse )

( Black Sheep - Georgette HeyerCollapse )

( Lady of Quality - Georgette HeyerCollapse )

( Sprig Muslin - Georgette HeyerCollapse )

To everybody else: I'm sorry it's been so long. I miss you! I will try to write something substantial soon.

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/51360.html, where there are comments.

mood: nostalgic

(fly)

Yuletide Letter

Dear Author:

Oh man, I really apologize for taking so long to update my letter! Despite the crappy first impression I've made, I'm grateful that you'll be writing for me and very excited to read the finished product.

North and South (Elizabeth Gaskell):

Basically, I love John Thornton--I just want to see him happy. I recently rewatched the miniseries and was struck by how much I enjoyed seeing Thornton being comforted and loved (by his mother or by Margaret). Something along those lines would be great. Or I'd love to read about Margaret and John's life after the book closes--how they deal with their differences and make a happy life together.

From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (E. L. Konigsburg):

I read this for the first time as an adult and loved it, especially the relationship between Jamie and Claudia. I'd love to see, for instance, what the two of them are like as adults, or another adventure they have together, or more about their friendship with Mrs. Frankweiler.

The Invisible Bridge (Julie Orringer):

I know it's a sad and brutal book, but my favorite part was Andras and Klara falling in love in Paris. I'd love to see more of those moments between the two of them--a respite from the harshness of the narrative. I love Eli Polaner, too, if you'd prefer to write about him.

---

Here are some general types of things I like: interstitial scenes, character development, interesting writing, clever ideas, humor where it's warranted. I am not a huge fan of babies/children or of angst that goes beyond the angst-level of the original canon. I'm okay with an interesting AU. Of course, these are just guidelines, and I'm sure I'll like whatever you want to write for me! If you have an idea that really appeals to you, go for it, even if it's different than what I've written above.

Thanks so much for writing for me!

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/51057.html, where there are comments.

mood: anxious

(6 furious raptures • fly)

way more news than is fit to print

Well, shit. I'm pretty much the worst journaler ever. Since I last typed anything meaningful in this space, life and work have both been pretty eventful. My horrible boss was fired and replaced by someone weird but awesome, whom I like very much. I started doing much more complicated work and got a huge promotion. I have a great title! I'm finally in a place where I have power, expertise, and the respect of the colleagues who matter to me. About time, I say! Anyway, working in IT has turned out well for me. I really like having technical knowledge and using it to make things better.

I've traveled to a bunch of new countries: Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Lots of memorable experiences: pressed pomegranates, a wedding ceremony during which the couple wore crowns, becoming frighteningly lost in a blizzard, minarets, emergency surgery for a dear friend under truly adverse circumstances, a museum about a 17th-century warship, major language barriers, the most amazing plum juice, making friends with Europeans who were way too cool for me, special horses, spice markets, a magical evening where Istanbul opened up and revealed itself to me. Traveling is awesome.

Now I'm going to answer a few questions that pauraque put to me many months ago, when this was going around as a meme. As is usual for my journal entries, I drafted this long ago, then failed to clean it up and post it for months.

( 1) If you didn't have to work for a living, what would you do with your time?Collapse )

( 2) What skill or talent do you wish you had that you don't?Collapse )

( 3) How did moving to NYC compare to your expectations of what it would be like?Collapse )

( 4) What topic do you wish people understood, so that you wouldn't have to keep explaining or biting your tongue when they get it wrong?Collapse )

( 5) What's your favorite game?Collapse )

In the spirit of this expired meme, if you would like to give me some number of questions to answer, or if you want me to give you some number of questions to answer, I am up for it.

Mostly, though, I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I am still here, for certain values of here. Hi. Are you still here? And if so, how are you?

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/50691.html, where there are comments.

mood: busy

(7 furious raptures • fly)

Yuletide: the revelatorationing

Hi! Happy 2012!

I wrote three stories for Yuletide and was really pleased by the response. They're all funny this year (...or meant to be funny, anyway!). Thanks to everyone who read, recced, commented or gave kudos! It felt awesome.

In the order in which they were completed:

Jane Eyre Has a Posse (3804 words) by Bow
Fandom: Jane Austen's Fight Club, Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Summary: After an initial success, Jane Austen's Fight Club has become tedious and routine. If fight club is to thrive, the ladies will need a serious intervention, Brontë-style. Featuring exciting crossover action!

If the Austen heroines met the Brontë characters, it might go sort of like this...as long as they were all also into Fight Club (which I am pretty sure they were). Written for tofty!

If you're thinking about reading only one of my Yuletide stories, I say choose this one. It's funny, but it has something to say. Technically, it does reference all six Austen novels and all seven Brontë novels, but I think you can read it as long as you know vaguely what Austen is like and don't mind spoilers for Jane Eyre (best of books!). It will be funnier the more Austen and Brontë you've read, though.


I Am Entirely Sick of Shadows (5361 words) by Bow
Fandom: Downton Abbey
Summary: Christmas is coming, and a ghost has moved into Downton Abbey. As usual, Mary is the one to suffer.

In which I send up Downton Abbey. It starts with a totally unhinged concept and plays it straight...for laughs. Uh, does that make any sense? Anyway, I say read it if you like Violet and don't take Downton Abbey too seriously. This was my assigned story, which I wrote for skaryma.


Mystery Solving Teens Confirm the Obvious (1304 words) by Bow
Fandom: Hark! A Vagrant
Summary: The Mystery Solving Teens land their highest-profile assignment yet. Will they crack the case...or fail to care entirely? The Shit Talker--the high school's most illustrious student newspaper--reports from the scene.

This one is for hannelore and pauraque! As soon as I saw their separate Hark! A Vagrant request details, I knew I wanted to combine them into one fic. The Mystery Solving Teens meet Nancy Drew and a few other Beaton characters in the process of solving, or failing to solve, a mystery. Featuring twitter posts from Vanessa, missing snickerdoodles, and waterfowl that use inappropriate language.

Also, I can now reveal that my awesome gift fics were written by talibusorabat (A Mother's Wisdom), pauraque (The Universe Is Winding Down), and tofty (Blood Will Have Blood). Thanks again, dear friends, for making my Yuletide that much more awesome. ♥

Originally posted at http://bowdlerized.dreamwidth.org/50615.html, where there are comments.

mood: thankful

(4 furious raptures • fly)