Okay, so I'm listening to a podcast (as many of you might know by now, I'm a podcastaholic) and the host is interviewing an author with Berkley Books who got discovered BY WRITING FANFIC. Yep.

We're not simply spinning our wheels here, folks.

Now, the author is a voracious writer/reader at her core, so she likely would've made her way into professional publishing regardless, but I found it fascinating that one of the editors at a mainstream publishing house reads fanfic and isn't afraid to recruit from its ranks! (And I mean recruited to write original fiction, not to milk a fluke like Fifty Shades of Embarrassment.)

Here's the podcast if anyone's interested: Interview with Jean Johnson

Enjoy!

Afternoon, flisters! I'm here today to ask for your support and brilliance. I'm trying to grow my circle of betas before I burn-out the one who has been tirelessly tweaking my fiction. She's incredible, make no mistake! I just don't want her to feel oppressed by my constant dependency and rabid adjective/adverb abuse.

I write Gen (potentially Het), frequently use naughty words and depict bloody things, and am fairly solid in the grammar/punctuation category. I need someone who is a tough taskmaster, keeps an eye on story flow and pacing, and will help me reign in my propensity to wax purple. ;) Little bit of everything, really.

I want to become a better writer period, not just crank out a fair piece of fanfic.

SO BRING OUT YER DEAD! And thanks in advance, my pretty ponies...

Dude, I was saying to someone--I forget who--THIS should be a challenge and lo! IT IS! I'm so very exceptionally excited about it. Cannot tell you. I love folklore. Explored it a little in this old "gem" (I use that term loosely because it's one of my first SPN fanfics and I'd like to think I've improved a tad since then, but, yanno...):

On The Wind (gen, short case!fic, no warnings or spoilers to speak of)

I've vacationed several times at North Carolina's Outer Banks and there are some fantastic shipwreck/pirate tales floating around those parts. I'd almost give my left tit to live there. Almost.

Anywho, check it!



50states_spn - a Supernatural fanworks challenge focusing on local legends, myths, and culture from around the United States.

And jump on the bandwagon, youse guys! I grew up in WV so I'll probably do something from The Mountain State. Ohio, my current locale, just isn't that interesting. Sorry, C'bus. *hugs a buckeye*

Why is so much fanfic written in the present tense? Just wondering...

Hey, anyone got time for a quick SPN beta? (Lookit me, planning ahead for a change!)

It's really short, only 2,000-ish words. I can't give any further details because this is for the SPN SpringFlingThing and it's supposed to be anonymous so I don't wanna drop any hints. I will say it's perfectly tame save a few dirty words and I don't think there are any spoilers. Turn-around-time is super quick, as the final is due Monday but there shouldn't be much to fuss over.

If you're interested, message me and I'll give you a few more details just to be sure it's something you can dig. This is my first experience getting someone to beta for me, so if I'm doing it ALL WRONG, I blame simple human ignorance and you can gleefully straighten my shit out!

Thanks in advance; peace out. ❤

Ooookay. Tons to do; minutes to do it. Story of my life! Even if it's FunStuff™, this summer is gonna require a fair amount of organization to stay on task. And for those who know me, organization is not my strong suit. I have today off from the dayjob so a lot's riding on this rare and blessed smidge of free time.

First, we shall start with Ye Olde List o'Shit to Get Done:
1.) Work on SPN Gen Big Bang...time's a' wastin'! (Thank the gods I have a decent outline.)
2.) Brainstorm art for the J2 Big Bang (I was damned lucky with my assignment; got a juicy one!)
3.) Put serious thought into my SummerGen challenge...another wealth of cool prompts.
4.) More brainstorming on the drawing for the multi-faceted Ellen Million.
5.) Laundry, toilet-scrubbing, and a trip to the market for pot roast.
6.) If the hubs comes home for lunch...a little Afternoon Delight, maybe? *snickersnort*
7.) Finish my ohsam! offering...just gotta type it in.
8.) Work on drawing for Monicawoe's kick-ass series, 'Theosis', also in-progress.

Secondly, and more importantly at this moment, I have some questions for all you Supernatural aficionados!

1.) When did the boys get their anti-possessions tattoos? My Gen BB needs to be set pre-tattoo, pre-PsychicKidsEpi, post-John. I think. Prolly.
2.) Also, opinions! I fear my Gen BB is going to suffer from Accidental Resemblance Syndrome. I'm setting my tale in San Francisco (one of my all-time favorite cities), and will feature witches and demons. So, I catch my FIRST episode of 'Charmed' (which airs before SPN reruns on TNT) and I see, damnation, it's set in San Fran. Should I relocate my story as not to smack of derivation?
3.) Are Sam's psychic visions confined to information about the other psychics?

Right. SO! I'm burning daylight. Happy Monday, babies!

Can you tell I love coastal locales? I know ya can...

Title: 'On the Wind'
Summary: Written for fhionnuiscetine's 'Macabre March Madness' prompt o'er at sharp_teeth (whole shebang found here.)

Prompt:
What's that I thought I heard you say?
Lunarscape and cold winds on their way
Whistling banshee through the screen
Salt air and isolation sting

Melon seed-spitting wars
Toys lost in the sand
Innocence is scorched
Summer leaves its brand

-Carbon Leaf, 'Summer Song'

Characters: Sam, Dean
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1371 thus far (Part 1?)
Disclaimer: 'Supernatural' is not my creation. Would that it were. All characters used with great appreciation to Kripke and Company. Amen.
Warnings: Pretty tame for horror, I'm afraid. If I get around to Part 2, it'll get twitchier. Promise!
Author's Note: Beta? We don't need no stinkin' beta! Okay, I prolly do, so if you have concrits, please feel free to slap 'em down thar. (I'm particularly consterned about my use of tenses in the first paragraph.) For the still-unborn (as opposed to still-born!) Part 2, I might do an illustration instead; we shall see! Wow, I can yak.

( Real men do NOT fruit beer, Sammy.Collapse )

Okay, writerly-types, at what point do you solicit the advice of your beta? Or even alpha-reader? (If there is such a critter!) Do your betas prefer getting the fiction in pieces-parts or one big honkin' lump? I'm trying to drum up a decent outline for my SPN Gen Big Bang and already I'm afraid it's going to be too long, too unweildy, verbose, 'tl;dr'! (And maybe too smexxy, but it figures into the plot. I swear. Nothing racier than the average episode...okay, maybe a touch more, but, um...) I don't want to run out of time, either. I have deadline issues.

Perhaps getting a beta or cheerleader involved from these early stages will keep me chugging along so I won't get jammed at the end. Any advice would be welcomed! Thanks, baby dolls!

~The QR

Something quick and light-hearted for a change. And because I'm jonesin' for summer. Cheers!

Title: 'Watchin' The Sun Bake' (Thank you, J. Buffett)
Summary: Quote prompt from wynefred o'er at spnquotefic (whole shebang found here.)

Prompt: 2.03 'Bloodlust'--DEAN: "So much f-d up crap happens in Florida."

Characters: Sam, Dean, Elvis
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 769
Disclaimer: 'Supernatural' is not my creation. Would that it were. All characters used with great appreciation to Kripke and Company. Amen.
Warnings: Pfft, nuthin'. I said this was fluffle!

Comments are love... :D

( The Impala stretched like a big black shark under the baking sun.Collapse )

Well, I finally took my SPN fanfic boat for its maiden voyage, complete with raging typos and horrible prose. Embarrassing, yeah, but you have to start somewhere. Bon voyage!

Title: 'Kiss With A Fist Is Better Than None'
Summary: Inspired by rainylemons's prompt over at ohsam for the comm's one-year anniversary! The prompt is a tad long but here's the gist: Hell-bound Mike and Lucy fight over/with/at Sam, but sometimes get so caught up in their own family feuding, they neglect him. This never lasts long, however, and Lucifer always returns to shower Sam with his own special effed-up brand of 'compassion'. (entire prompt found here: http://community.livejournal.com/ohsam/148398.html?thread=964782#t964782 )
Characters: Sam, Lucifer, Michael, Adam
Rating: PG-13, pretty sure
Wordcount: 2840
Disclaimer: 'Supernatural' is not my creation. Would that it were. All characters used with great appreciation to Kripke and Company. Amen.
Warnings: a few 4-letter words and mild gore.
Author's Note: I am SO out of practice. I caught a gazillion typos when I posted at the comm, and boy, WRITING IS HARD! I respect all comments, however, be they critical or kind. Next time, I'm snaggin' me a beta. Thanks, gang!


( Kiss With A Fist Is Better Than NoneCollapse )

Not sure anyone cares a great gob, but I want to be a tad more consistent with my frequency of posting here or else, what's the point? When you're in a community, you, uh, commune, right?  That, and making lists helps keep me on-task.  So on that note, SPN Things I've Promised to Do:

~Donate a custom image to winner of Fandom Flood Appeal (waiting for the client to be ready)
~Contest over at DeviantArt, movie/SPN themed cross-over (hint for my entry:  do hunters dream of electric sheep?  I think they do...)
~http://community.livejournal.com/spn_gen_bigbang/ as artist AND writer
~http://community.livejournal.com/spn_j2_bigbang/ as artist
~http://community.livejournal.com/spn_summergen/ as writer

And that's ENOUGH!  Guh, I hope I have time for all this.  Busy turtle is busy.  If anyone wants to send mental caffeine, be my guest!  Happy Thursday. *is sweating already*  

Hey, SPNers...as I'm patiently waiting for my eldest sprog to get off my art computer, could you guys point me toward your best prompt gardens? I haven't written in a dog's age, and I could sure use some good warm-ups to get me back on the literary horse, before I tackle my SPN Gen Big Bang attempt. Sometimes there's so much to comb through, I can't sort it out so any suggestion will be warmly welcomed! Thanks in advance. I owe you all a chicken dinner. :D