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[bubosquared]

Going to hell. Emma Watson? I hate you and your underaged self.

So what exactly have Dan and Rupert been up to? they look like they've not slept in three days. Oh, the possibilities, ...

(Molly? If you're driver of the bus to hell, I'm, like, the ticket checker, I think.)

Comments

[rsadelle]

I don't usually finish things like that either; it's enough for me to have it written for myself in my head. (Yes, I really do mean it when I say I write for myself.) But I think this long-ass thing may be close enough to being done that I could pull it off.

I keep everything. I have a whole bunch of 1K .txt files that are first sentences or miscellaneous paragraphs.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a fine line between jumping off the deep end without knowing where I'm going, which usually means I'll drown halfway through, and having the entire story in my head, which usually means I'll not write it unless I have some actual phrases and words in my head that I want to get out.

I usually slap all the unfinished bits I have together after a while of inactivity, because I'm anal like that. I want to have them all in one place. I've got a whole binder of snippets, bits and pieces I wrote longhand and never finished around here somewhere, as well.

[rsadelle]

I'm in a good space with this one. I have a lot of stuff figured out well into the future (although I don't know where the hell it's going to end), but there's enough that I don't have figured out that it's still interesting to write it and see where it takes me.

For me, it's more organized if they're separate, because this way they're in files that are named according to what's in them.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Ah, true. The thing is, most of the time things get stalled because I can't for the life of me remember what I was going to do with them, and then it's easier to just chuck all the good bits in one file so I can go back and maybe re-use some of the dialogue bits in a new story.

[rsadelle]

I realized this afternoon that I do have a plot bunny file I almost never look at that I sometimes throw miscellaneous ideas or sentences into.

If I have ideas about where a story is going, I put them in at the top of the file. Things like, "K gets used to situation, goes back to work. H gets kidnapped, D goes in after him, K gets them out, but mad at D. K and D on a mission, find out Eberbach rigged to explode, send H, Karl, K's dad, nurse to flat. Get back, D panics, K draws lines--K, D, H in one room--get bad guys, return home." (From an Eroica thing.)

Also, my space in this story. I figured out yesterday what I want to happen two years in the future. Two years! The story is already 55K as a text file, and that's only about four months worth of time. Although I might sort of skip over most of their seventh year. (They'll be busy preparing for their NEWTS anyway, and that's not very exciting.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Heh. I used to do that, mostly longhand, but I kept looking at my notes and going "WTF?" because a) I couldn't read my own handwriting, and b) I couldn't even figure out what I meant with the parts I could read. (I still have a whole A4 page of notes on a story I can't for the life of me recall. I suspect it's Metallica, because there's a lot of J's and an L, but who the hell is "R"?)

Ooooh! Man, I wish I could write stories that size. Not for the fact of writing a story that size, but for the fact of getting all tangled up in a story, in a universe, so to speak, and going really in-depth and all. The closest I've come to that is Evitar, which is supposed to have a sequel, except now I'm not sure I want to write the sequel. Hrmpf.

[rsadelle]

R=Ron.

I am really in depth in this story. I have lots of theories about magic, and there's maybe some religion, and Hermione giving birth and Harry being gay (maybe; I haven't decided if that's real or just a knee-jerk slasher reaction. I tend to think it's real, because Harry isn't important. It's Draco's reaction to knowing it that's important.). Anyway, it's fun. You need a universe like this.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

R=Ron.

*blink* I know I've entertained the thought of a HP/Metallica crossover, but I don't think it involved guns and car chases. (Of course, why i was plotting a Metallcia story involving guns and car chases, I don't know, either.)

You need a universe like this.

I'd hoped Evitar would be it, but now I'm not sure if I even want to write the sequel to it. What i really want to write is something exploring, among other things, (I also want to do something with the idea that Harry and Draco are destined for each other or somesuch, and how that's really not at all as romantic as so many people seem to think.)

[rsadelle]

*giggle* Not that Ron. Ron McGovney.

Is there supposed to be a direct object associated with "exploring"? Or just exploring as a general nature of the story?

I haven't actually read "Evitar" yet, but I will tell you what I think about the sequel thing when I do. (I'm having issues where I'm afraid, or something, to read things I haven't read before. Yes, I'm neurotic.)

Have you ever seen Moonstruck? Nicolas Cage has a line in it about how love isn't all pretty and happy that I think would apply to what you're thinking about. Also, destined for each other doesn't have to mean "meant to be together". It could mean that their lives are destined to intertwine, or that they're meant to destroy each other. Of course, I suspect what I you mean is that they're destined to be together so they get no choice about their own lives. That's something I've always wondered about in Phantom Menace made-to-be-together stories: What happens if they fight it? Would that destroy them? Would they be miserable? (Secret "I could be a researcher" wish: I would love to trace back the use of the term/concept "lifebond" in TPM and see if the originator was thinking of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar novels when she designed it.) And there's always the Greek tragedy theme of man's (and woman's, although they wouldn't have thought of it in those terms) inability to escape Fate. (Which is different from the will of the Gods. The Gods are still subject to Fate, although not in the same way humans are.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Right, this is the THIRD TIME I try responding to this. Hopefully, Netscape will NOT crash halfway through this time ...

*giggle* Not that Ron. Ron McGovney.

D'oh. okay, that does make a lot more sense. Although I'm still not sure where I was going with this whole thing. Mafia!AU?

Is there supposed to be a direct object associated with "exploring"?

D'oh! Yes, actually, it's supposed to say "a story exploring the theory behind the magic in the HP universe, probably/possibly including a lot of stuff nicked from Celtic and other myths." I'm not sure where that went.

I haven't actually read "Evitar" yet, but I will tell you what I think about the sequel thing when I do. (I'm having issues where I'm afraid, or something, to read things I haven't read before. Yes, I'm neurotic.)

Take your time. I won't be writing any fanfic for a while anyway. (<insert NaNoWriMo panic here>)

Have you ever seen Moonstruck?

I haven't, but that does sound like pretty much what I'm talking about. I never understood what was so romantic about being destined to be together. like you said, they get no choice in it, and that, to me, isn't romantic at all. As to what happens when they fight it, that'd be part of the whole thing. I'm tossing something around about the defeat of Voldemort depending on Harry and Draco being together -- although I prefer the gennish version of it depending on Harry trusting Draco, and where are all these gen bunnies coming from, dammit?

[rsadelle]

(Digression: I just saw the weirdest ad on TV: "Who da man? Yoda man.")

For some reason LJ keeps deleting my closing quote marks and parentheses if they're the last character in the comment, but Netscape has been mostly behaving itself.

Ooh, yes! This thing (It needs a title. I have "Shattered" written at the top of the story, but even though that's where the story started, I don't think it works anymore.) has a lot of that theorizing about magic in it. Hermione's even going to end up teaching Theory of Magic for a year. I'm drawing on all kinds of things, I think, although I'm not completely conscious of the worlds I'm pulling from. I'm definitely pulling on Muggle traditions about witches and some vague theories about Stonehenge and druids.

I like the idea of them having to depend on each other. I read a theory somewhere--either on the HP Lexicon or something Molly forwarded us from the HP4GU list--about how what Harry is doing is bringing together people/groups in the Wizarding world that have been divided. Which seems to make sense, but then what about Slytherin? (Which is another thing I'm working with in my thing.)

I'm big on gen bunnies these days. I think it's because, as odd as this may be, slash has become rather limiting. There are only so many ways you can get the same sex characters into bed together, and with gen, and with things that start out gen, there are a million more possibilities for what can happen.

The thing I'm writing was supposed to have Draco/Hermione het vibes, but I've decided it won't. I'm enjoying a gen Draco who isn't really asexual, but not that interested in sex, or something. It's just not an important piece of his character. He has to work through his grief over his parents first, and that's going to take a long time. (That may be the central conflict of the story. If not, I have no idea what it's about and it could go on forever.) Plus, I have to admit that I'm something of a Ron/Hermione shipper. They're just meant to be together, although in a calm, sweet way, not in a bad destiny sort of way. Of course, now I want to write something about them being in love but that not being enough to make their lives work together. (I want to write that about someone, and they seem like a possible couple for it.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

For some reason LJ keeps deleting my closing quote marks and parentheses if they're the last character in the comment, but Netscape has been mostly behaving itself.

Yeah, it does that to me, too. Basically, deletes the last few characters of anything submitted through the web -- comments, entries, style coding, ...

<snip re: magic theory et al.>

*nodnod* That sounds great. And also like exactly what i'd like to do -- get really deep into the theory of magic, try and figure out how I think it might work.

I like the idea of them having to depend on each other.

Me too. I have this vague idea about Draco finding out about a prohpecy or whatever (Seers in the Malfoy line?), and at first thinking "Oh, well, that's great then, that means I'll definitely be on the winning side," and then something happens to make him not want to be a DE anymore, so he sort of decides to not get on either side and ignore the prophecy, and then his father orders him to befriend Harry, which of course fucks things up, because if he befriends Harry and then Harry finds out about his father's orders, that's any hope of trust shot to hell, and what if the prophecy is true? so he decides to just tell Harry about his father's orders, and then stuff happens; and there's stuff about the whole destiny thing, which I don't see especially Draco taking too kindly too.

The Slytherin thing is something i want to work on as well. I think I've blathered/ranted at you about my feelings re: anti-Slytherin prejudice before, so I won't revisit that, but yeah.

I'm big on gen bunnies these days. I think it's because, as odd as this may be, slash has become rather limiting. There are only so many ways you can get the same sex characters into bed together, and with gen, and with things that start out gen, there are a million more possibilities for what can happen.

Oh, absolutely. I think it's also because I love slash for the interaction between the characters, the growing closer, and sometimes the whole "Must get them in bed together" thing interferes with the actual buildup going smoothly and naturally, you know?

Plus, I have to admit that I'm something of a Ron/Hermione shipper. They're just meant to be together, although in a calm, sweet way, not in a bad destiny sort of way.

Hee! Ditto. They're just so cute together! And it's so very obvious to me that they belong together, becuase they're just perfect for one another.

[rsadelle]

Hermione's paying attention in their Theory of Magic class is what helps her along to figuring out what's going on with Astra. (She's got it figured out but not proven now, so I can tell you.) Too much magic makes people a little insane although the insanity can be tempered by expending enough of the magical energy--which also explains Dumbledore--and Astra is the most powerful witch in centuries. Which, of course, means that I need more theories to explain why neither side exploited that in the war (Hermione tells Draco that if she's that powerful she was probably hiding herself) and why she's no good at Transformation (which Hermione's going to figure out as they test to see if Astra really is that powerful and what she can do). And then Hermione can use what she's learning to connect Wizarding history to Muggle legends--Druids and other Priestesses were powerful Wizards, and powerful witches kept cats because they could feed magical energy to them.

I like your vague idea. I would have the prophecy be something from outside the Malfoy line. That way Draco can reject the prophecy without rejecting his family, and it would give legitimacy to the prophecy--if it came from within the family, people could say it was faked to make the Malfoys look good.

Hee! And can't you just see them with half a dozen kids? Hermione would work and Ron would be a househusband, and all the kids would be loved and have lots of fun

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I really like the magic theory in your Astra-story. I've found that more and more, my HP fanfic love is concentrating (both in my writing and in my reading) on exploration of the backstory, the universe, the mythology, and on the characters and their "what if"s, rather than on the actual slash. Which of course won't stop me from going into convulsions at the slashiness in the movie, but you know.

I like your vague idea. I would have the prophecy be something from outside the Malfoy line. That way Draco can reject the prophecy without rejecting his family, and it would give legitimacy to the prophecy--if it came from within the family, people could say it was faked to make the Malfoys look good.

Hm, that's true. I was thinking of maybe an aunt/cousin in St Mungo's, who's gone crazy because she'd seen details of the horror of Voldemort's first Reign of Terror, and who now is having visions again because Voldemort's is rising once more. Good point about people rejecting the prophecy, and it's something I'll have to take into account, but on the other hand, I was thinking Draco would find out before anyone else would, hence it coming from within the Malfoy family.

Hee! And can't you just see them with half a dozen kids? Hermione would work and Ron would be a househusband, and all the kids would be loved and have lots of fun

Oh, totally! In the theoretical sequel to Evitar, I'd have Harry and Draco go back to the UK and we'd see Ron and Hermione, and that's exactly what they'd be like. Because you know Hermione's not going to become a housewife, and Ron, I think, would believe the children needed someone at home, especially during the first few years, and they'd be so completely adorable!

[rsadelle]

Half of what I love about my Astra-story is the magical theory. I've even got theories for non-Astra-related magic things. And yes, the "what if"s, which is, after all, the real reason for fan fic.

Would visions of Voldemort's reign make a Malfoy go mad? He could discover it in some old book/record that no one else would ever be interested in, although I don't know what he might be actually looking for when he stumbles across it. (Hermione does some looking into things and finds Weasleys and Potters the boys never knew about in the Astra-story.) On the theory of magic front, I think it's interesting that you decided the seer should be female.

I just think Ron would have fun being the dad. And Hermione is definitely a liberated woman who isn't going to stop working just because she has kids. Which doesn't, of course, mean that she doesn't wholeheartedly love her children

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

And yes, the "what if"s, which is, after all, the real reason for fan fic.

Indeed. I love slash as a subset of fanfic, but my love of fanfic is based on more than that. I've always preferred the slash stories that were about more than just the slash.

Would visions of Voldemort's reign make a Malfoy go mad?

Hm, good point. Possibly, I think, but mostly because the woman I have in mind would have been a girl at the time (eight, ten years old), which makes it a lot more plausible.

He could discover it in some old book/record that no one else would ever be interested in, although I don't know what he might be actually looking for when he stumbles across it.

Also a good idea -- might look into that, actually. Maybe some rare Dark Magic books or something. But if it's a book, would it be a diary/journal of a Seer, or a book of ancient prophecies? I mean, the latter would make the whole point even better, because they'd be destined for each other since ages ago.

On the theory of magic front, I think it's interesting that you decided the seer should be female.

Well, a large part of that is that I've always thought of Seers as female, I think mostly because my Seer-prototype (so to speak) are the Sybills (?) in Ancient Greece. (The other part is that this bunny originated in my purely-daydream-universe, and the girl was a bit of a Mary Sue. Ahem.)

I just think Ron would have fun being the dad. And Hermione is definitely a liberated woman who isn't going to stop working just because she has kids. Which doesn't, of course, mean that she doesn't wholeheartedly love her children

Oh, absolutely. I see them as a bit of a more "extreme" version of my parents, in that regard. My dad was the one who, throughout my childhood, did the cooking and the being there when we got home from school.

[rsadelle]

Were you ever into Sentinel fandom? Francesca's Nature series is a great example of well written slash that goes beyond the slash and into the possible mythology of the world.

Okay, even a child Malfoy would be scared by those kinds of visions.

I was thinking along the lines of an ancient book of prophecies. You'd have to be careful, though, about how you worded it. It would have to be direct enough that it would definitely refer to Harry and Draco, but prophecies aren't known for being direct. Hmm. It could be very direct ("Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter must be together") and then rejected because it doesn't sound like a real prophet.

Aha! I figured you were basing it on the Sybil. (The novel idea that's my baby has some religious practices that are also based on the Sybil.) And there's nothing wrong with Mary Sues playing a large part in your daydream-universe.

Plus Ron probably has a better example of a stay-at-home parent to draw on than Hermione does. Her parents probably both worked, while Molly almost certainly didn't. And Ron can always ask Molly for help if he doesn't know what to do

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Were you ever into Sentinel fandom?

I read a lot of Senslash back when I was still a real multi-fandom reader, but then I actually saw the show, and I couldn't enjoy the slash anymore.

I was thinking along the lines of an ancient book of prophecies. You'd have to be careful, though, about how you worded it. It would have to be direct enough that it would definitely refer to Harry and Draco, but prophecies aren't known for being direct. Hmm. It could be very direct ("Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter must be together") and then rejected because it doesn't sound like a real prophet.

If it's direct enough that their names are named, wouldn't Harry have heard of it by now, even just in a "stupid laughable fake prophecy" way?

I'm leaning towards the "Seer's journal", myself, because then there wouldn't be the hassle of having to think of proper wording, and it'd explain why the book isn't known now -- it's a personal book, not a publication. (Does that all even make sense?)

Aha! I figured you were basing it on the Sybil.

Well, you would. :D It's not like I'm hiding my Ancient History-Geekness or anything.

Plus Ron probably has a better example of a stay-at-home parent to draw on than Hermione does.

*nodnod* Good point, I hadn't thought of that. (And now I'm seeing Ron feeding a baby like he's never done anything else, all professional-like, and Hermione just looking at the two of them, smiling. Awww.)

[rsadelle]

I read a lot of it, saw the actual show, thought "nothing can really be this bad," watched it again, decided I would stick to the fic. Anyway, the Nature series is really good for mythology in addition to slash.

Hmm. Maybe it could be a book of prophecies or some such that was published in a limited press run and then forgotten/ignored because none of them came true. Because, of course, they were all things that would happen far, far in the future.

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I read a lot of it, saw the actual show, thought "nothing can really be this bad," watched it again, decided I would stick to the fic.

Heee! See, I read a lot of it, saw the actual show, and while I was highly disappointed by Blair's distinctive non-femminess, I actually did like the show.

Hmm. Maybe it could be a book of prophecies or some such that was published in a limited press run and then forgotten/ignored because none of them came true. Because, of course, they were all things that would happen far, far in the future.

Hm. That could be a good idea. Or one that was written back before book printing was invented, so there's only a limited number of copies, and maybe it's one of these books everyone's heard of but no one's ever actually read because no accurate, complete copy's ever been discovered. Hm. Shall ponder this.

[rsadelle]

The show was just horrible. I couldn't believe there was a whole fandom built around something so awful. And Jim and Blair don't spend nearly as much time together on the show as they do in fic. They barely spend any time together.

And there could be one hidden in the Malfoy family library somewhere. (Do you think they'd have an extensive library? And if his parents were dead, do you think less-evil-Draco might donate the library to, say, Britain's Wizarding world's first university?)

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Eh, I rather liked it, but then I have a taste for trash. (Which could explain my Em-love, heh.)

I think they'd definitely have an extensive library. The Malfoys are an old family, so they've had time to aqcuire a lot of books, especially ones on the Dark Arts, or old, rare, expensive ones (or both). It's a magical resource, as well as something to brag about (the rare books -- the DA books will also be bragged about, but to a more select circle).

Hm. He may very well donate at least part of it, or loan it out on a permanent basis. I don't know if he'd be that willing to give it away altogether, since I imagine a lot of the books go back many generations, but I do think he'd be willing to share the knowledge.

OTOH, I'm not sure he'd think of doing this himself, unless he's been going through his parents's estate and deciding what to do with things, and I'm not sure if he'd trust just anyone with the really powerful DA stuff.

Wow, am I rambling. Never ask me about books, honestly.

[rsadelle]

See, it's the Astra-story. Hermione's unhappy because she's stuck at home with the baby while Ron works and Harry doesn't understand because he's rich and he doesn't get it, and Draco sort of gets it because he's not quite as oblivious to other people's suffering as Harry. What Hermione really liked about teaching at Hogwarts was having access to all those books because she wants to know everything. So Draco thinks about it, and then he goes to talk business with Tom (Harry's partner), who's made all his money investing, and they become the first trustees/financers of Britain's Wizarding world's first University. I'm thinking Draco would keep the things he really wants out of the Malfoy library and give the rest to the University (perhaps with strict restrictions on who can look at what, like the Restricted Section at Hogwarts) as part of his present to Hermione. Draco's the only Malfoy left, so it's entirely his decision.

I needed someone else to ramble about this

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[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I kinda figured it was that story, yes. in fact, I was thinking of Hermione as someone who would/couldthink of the possibility of Draco donating (part of) the Malfoy library to a school/uni, and also as someone whom Draco would trust enough with the really dark stuff.

Your scenario sounds plausible as well. :)

[rsadelle]

Yay! I make sense!

See, Hermione isn't going to be one of the teachers but one of the students. That's Draco's present to her. The only thing she has to do with the founding of the University is that Draco's going to put her on the child care hiring committee. Which, of course, is also part of her present because it means she'll know there's a safe place for Flora (the kid) to be while she's in school.

I haven't yet figured out how Ron feels about the whole school thing. (Harry's mad because Tom helped Draco with the whole thing, but wouldn't tell Harry anything about it.