oobydooby67

wow! been a while, huh? hello, LJ!

Watching The Simpsons and waiting for my muse to kick in... then decided to fill out a bit of this meme. :)

(I just wish Jasper Johns hadn't stolen my boat!)

01: When did you first start writing?

I started writing poetry in the 4th grade. My English teacher saw that I enjoyed writing poems (mostly about sunsets and flowers lol) so when we did a project filling in blank books, she gave me an extra one. That's the gesture that encouraged me to keep going.

02: What was your favorite book growing up?

Hmm. I guess I don't have much of a favorite book as I have a favorite series. I loved the Royal Diaries series (and the Dear America series). I read Elizabeth I, Anastasia, and Cleopatra over and over again. I also loved "Out of the Dust," which I used as a reference/inspiration when I wrote The Shortest Distance.

03: Are you an avid reader?

I used to be. Then I started working at a bookstore. -_- I usually have three or four books in progress, but I haven't finished anything in a long time. I'm usually too busy writing, or in the case of this past week, sleeping. Some books I have right now are, "The Poisoner's Handbook," "Five Nights in Paris," and "Call Me By Your Name."

04: Have you ever thrown a book across the room?

No, I care too much about a book to throw it. I've huffed and slammed one down before. The last one was "Grey." Sigh.

05: Did you take writing courses in school/college?

I used to be involved in writing clubs throughout high school, submitting stuff to the lit mag and poetry contests at the library. I took three formal courses in college, just basic creative writing workshops. Nothing I ever produced in those classes has ever made it into fic, oddly enough. Hmm.

06: Have you read any writing-advice books?

I've tried. Ultimately, they just never work out for me. I also still buy prompt journals, which I'll be all excited to use for ten minutes and then lose or get bored of later on. I can't even recommend a decent one, because I just never get that into them.

07: Have you ever been part of a critique group?

Yep. I took three workshops in college. One of them was a poetry workshop that I absolutely hated. One time, I just couldn't stand the thought of going to class, so I skipped out and went to a cemetery across the street instead. I walked around, jotted down interesting names, and after sunset, I went to see Zodiac. No regrets.

08: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?

Huh. You know, I think the best one that I can remember comes from a reader on AO3. They were so helpful pointing out the difference between active and passive tense. I think my writing definitely improved afterwards. :D

09: What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?

This one came from a professor in a workshop class--diversity isn't as important as the story. Fuck that shit.

10: What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?

Well, a pet-peeve about myself as a writer is my tendency to get distracted. Writing is about discipline and sometimes... well, watching this episode of the Simpsons is more appealing to me than writing another chapter of something. That or I'll start researching for a fic and get too involved in the research.

A pet-peeve about being a writer overall is how folks who aren't writers think that this is an easy process. Yes, sometimes I can kick out a story. But most of the time, what I produce takes hard work and effort. I remind people of this quote: "Writing is easy. You just open your wrist and bleed all over the typewriter."


Woo, that was fun, right?
Now I'm going to sleep because I was up until 6 writing that donut fic.

Meme time!

i. What initially prompted me to write about them.

This whole verse began while I was at Chicon, waiting for photo-op lines to begin forming. I was so nervous, then I thought, what if this was a fic? What if Jared was the fan and Jensen was the celebrity he was in line to meet? And then... what if the fantasy came true? One minute you're getting a picture with Jensen and the next minute he's giving you his number? And that's how this whole thing started. I was posting while at the con (thank you free wi-fi) and continued on ever since.

ii. One of their best traits.

In this verse, Jensen is very confident. That confidence fuels his charm, which gets things done quickly and efficiently. He's also very spontaneous, I feel like a lot of his plans have been on the fly kind of things where he'll think of them and make it happen as he goes. He's also incredibly devoted to the people close to him.

iii. One of their worst traits.

That devotion Jensen has can cause issues for him; he doesn't always see when people around him are either crossing lines or taking advantage of their situations. He also has that mindset of trying to fix everything, usually in a financial sense, and then moving on to another project. I think Jared really helps ground him in that they will never fix an issue 100%, and sometimes it's best to do what you can consistently, in a dedicated way. I would also say that Jensen will often push himself too hard without asking for any help, but when he crashes, he often wonders why no one said anything. He's going to learn that it's not up to others to save him, sometimes he has to ask for assistance and asking is not a sign of weakness.

iv. How easy/difficult I find it to write the character.

I've spent 90% of this verse in Jared's POV, so switching to Jensen's is often a little bit tough. Jensen's older, comes from a privileged background, and sees the world as full of opportunities because he has access to a lot--money, publicity, resources, etc. He doesn't think twice about seeing a personal shopper, buying an entire new wardrobe, or buying a brand new car for Jared. I personally don't come from that background either (jeez, if only!), so it's definitely an adjustment for me to get used to that.

But I do love adding Jensen's POV into this verse. He's very detail-oriented; he knows what he likes and isn't afraid to make sure he gets it. Overall, I find Jensen in this verse a little more difficult to get into than other verses, but still really enjoyable.

v. The moment where I feel that I truly captured the character.

I would *love* to hear opinions on this from readers! For me, I think I captured Jensen in House, in the chapter where it's his POV and he's flying back from Paris to Dallas after being apart from Jared and the stalker incident started. He's exhausted, cranky, worried, miserable, and his mother of all people decided to surprise him/catch him off guard at the airport. The SUV is driving up to the Ackles' ranch and Jensen just cannot wait to get to Jared--so he leaps out of the SUV and runs across the lawn. That's the moment when I was like, oh my god, Jensen.

There are so many times when we see Jared bringing out the playful, silly side of Jensen, and this is my top scene. Jensen doesn't care about anything else other than getting to Jared, moving vehicle be damned. :)

vi. My plans for the character in the near future.

Oh so many! Where do I start?! I want to hash out more of the playful, goofy Jensen to contrast growing up!Jared. I'm going to have Jensen realize that he can't fix the world or everything in his life that's going wrong. These two are up for tough times in the next installment, and there is really no clear cut answer. Jensen is going to struggle with that even more than Jared. I'm also going to have a few career issues for Jensen, some of them involving his own self-confidence and others involving the people he works with. And of course, more momma issues are in store for Jensen, especially since he now lives in Austin.

But y'all know I just can't write a fic like this without a fuck ton of schmoop. I want to see Jensen pulling out all the stops for Jared, going the whole 9 yards, and showing his partner how much their relationship means to him. This isn't just a story about how Jared found Jensen; it's a story about how Jensen found Jared too. <3

Character meme from here.

I got this from firesign10. Thank you! And since I'm too busy procrastinating writing, I'm just gonna answer all of them. :D

1.     Describe yourself how you would describe a character you’re introducing.
Cal writes far too much, often neglecting important real-world things such as eating, sleeping, or getting to work on time. An expert on Simpsons quotes from seasons 3-13, Cal never misses an opportunity to reference it. Me lose brian? Uh oh. Why I laugh? ...see?

2.     Is there any specific ritual you go through while/before/after you’re writing?
I suppose I just like be keep things in order. I need to feel physically comfortable (being in pajamas is the best) with everything I need around me (notebook, mug of tea perhaps, books of poetry) within easy reach. I don’t work well in clutter or chaos. The cleaner and more organized my space, the better. So, basically, I nest before writing. And I usually say a tiny prayer to my muse before I get into projects.

3.     What is your absolute favorite kind of fic to write?
Ooh, they’re all my favorites! I love the angsty ones, the sci-fi ones, the sappy romantic ones… but I guess I’ll choose the romance fics as my all-time favorite kind. The process to writing something like Punzel or They Met was just so different than anything else. I personally enjoyed those a lot.

4.     Are there any other fic writers you admire? If so, who and why?
Like… everyone! I’ve read a lot of fic in my time, before I started actually writing. Folks who still stand out to me today are: nyxocity, meus_venator, obsidianromance, fatebegins, tebtosca, lexicale, firesign10, virtualpersonal and brimstonegold.
I’ll single out nyx and virtual/brim here: nyx because omg this is kink in its purest form. Any of her fics are smokin’ hot, but Homework Verse? Phew! Tie me up and send me to dom!Jensen! Virtual is just, holy shit, have you seen their wordcount? Now, I’m a huge nerd, so I love me some classic Battlestar Galactica. The way virual and brimstonegold weave in both worlds (frack!) just astonishes me still. All of these writers are, to me, masters at combining kink and world building. Love you all!

5.     How many words can you write if you sit down and concentrate intensely for an hour?
I’ve been able to write 1,000 words an hour for 9 hours straight before. I was a mess. Without being a mess, I can probably kick out 800 words on a good train of thought and without any distractions. :D

6.     First fic/pairing you wrote for? (If no pairing describe the plot)
Oh, in this fandom or…? I think this fandom I started with Wincest. I have written some Aragorn/Legolas fic before for LotR, but I don’t remember putting that up or finishing it.

7.     Inspiration, time, or motivation. Choose two.
Inspiration and motivation. I can always make time, and making time is sometimes a matter of discipline. But you can’t always make inspiration or motivation… not yet, anyway.

8.     Why do you choose to write?
I love it. Plain and simple.

9.     Do you ever have plans to write anything other than fic?
I do have professionally published poems floating around in the ether somewhere. I still dabble in poetry from time to time. But I would love to maybe write a screenplay.

10.  What inspires you the most?
Music. Hands down, it’s music. Even if that particular song doesn’t make it into the fic it inspired, it’s still what drives me to sit down and write out scene after scene.

11.  Weirdest thing you’ve ever written/thought about writing/etc.?
Some kind of Simpsons/Supernatural or J2 crossover. The Simpsons is a huge part of my life, especially Seasons 3-13, and I quote it/reference it a ton at work. I’m not sure what this kind of fic would look like but hey, I could find out!

12.  A fic you wish you had written better, and why?
Ugh… there are so many. There’s one that sticks out to me right now: Your Law. I was so pressured to write it for NaNoWriMo that I just cranked it out. I wrote It Takes in 3 months from scratch, I wanted to be able to do the same with the sequel. I wish I wouldn’t have written it for NaNoWriMo and instead just taken my time. I stopped doing NaNoWriMo because of that pressure. I don’t need to prove to anyone that I can write 50k in a month. I’m better without deadlines.

13.  Favorite fic from another author?
There are so many! Besides the two that I’ve mentioned above, “The Last Outpost of All That Is” by gekizetsu has always stuck in my mind. It’s just so beautifully written. I love the subtlety behind figuring out what’s going on, and when the reader figures out when Dean knows. It’s rich, multi-layered, and haunting.

14.  Your favorite side pairings to put in?
I prefer to put in original characters so I can add more diversity into my fics. A lot of my side characters are women/people of color/gender nonconforming. My absolute favorite side pairing so far has been Nicky/Misha from It Takes. Love those two still. Within fandom, I am ever fond of Misha and Jeff from Punzel. They complement each other so well.

15.  Your guilty writing pleasure?
Happiness + lulling reader into fluff + BAM! ANGST AND FEELS.

16.  Do you have structured ideas of how your story is supposed to go, or make it up as you write?
I try to have general ideas for longer projects, but sometimes my one-shots (ahem, Punzel, ahem, Model) become longer things that I make up as I go. Most of the time though, I know little more than the reader.

17.  Would you describe yourself as a fast writer?
Yes, most of the time. Sometimes though, being fast also means biting off more than I can chew.

18.  How old were you when you started writing?
I really got into it when I was around 9 years old, and I started with poetry.

19.  Why did you start writing?
I felt like I had something to say, even back when I was nine. And as far as SPN fandom goes, I just thought, if others can, maybe I can too.

20.  4 sentences from your work you’re proud of?
I’m way too lazy for this, so I’m gonna do scenes instead: the scene in It Takes where Nicky beats the shit out of everyone and grabs Jared to run, the scene in Punzel where they go swimming and Jared begs Jensen not to let go, the scene in PBS where Jensen is standing—mostly naked—behind a rainbow umbrella, and the scene in Model where Henry holds onto Jared’s sweater.

another big bang challenge under my belt! phew! if you haven't popped over to read it, please do and let me know how you like it. :)

now back to all my other millions of projects and another big bang. XD this time it's the spn kink bb.

in other news, it's supposed to snow about 14 inches tonight. ughhhh. i guess we can't complain too much since it's been a relatively dry winter, but chicagoans like to complain anyway. hopefully, by the time i go into work tomorrow, it's all be plowed.

is it weird that after writing about the dust bowl i feel like i have dust all over me? o_o

it's 2015?!

here's a list:

1. i'm writing a fic about the dust bowl. it's very depressing. ;-; who would've thought?
2. house of gold is ending and i have a sad about it.
3. i know so much about texas and yet have never been there. huh.
4. i am much too lazy to make a proper meal for myself so lately i end up cooking a protein and just eating tortillas with it. tacos all day, every day. i feel like this is how sam would cook.
5. i learned that you don't add water into hot oil. :D
6. if you ever need a textbook, please, for the love of GOD, don't buy it BRAND NEW. it's like buying a brand new car. it depreciates and you never get back what you paid. rent it, buy it used, wrestle it from your professor. just don't buy new.
7. never sign up for two Big Bangs and have 10 open projects at the same time. sigh.
8. i have had to dig my way out of my dwelling twice so far this winter.
9. i always loose gloves/mittens.
10. valentine's day is coming up. but so is the auto show! i'm more excited about the auto show. XD

hopefully, your start to 2015 has been amazing and super and fantastic. <3

My work is available for FREE on the following websites: AO3, LJ, and FF. If you ever see any of my works available for SALE or on any other website posted as me, that is NOT me. (I don't mind being rec'ed in communities or listed on fic rec lists, those are fine.)

PLEASE do NOT list me on Goodreads. I understand what GR is and I am in the process of working with them to shut down that profile and take my works OFF. I don't want them there. I am not the first SPN fandom author to do this. Read my work where I have authorized it to be read. Please do not make profiles for me on any other website.

I also want to make it clear that using the fan art from my fics is not appropriate. The artists did not give anyone permission to make covers for fics, to have their art on GR, etc.

Please, respect the wishes of your fandom authors. We put a lot of time, work, and effort into what we create.

It is my wish to keep fic within fandom, and for me, that primarily means posting to AO3.

Thank you all for understanding.

Today I posted a smut fic and I was happy w it until I started nitpicking at it. Where are Sam's pants? How does he fit on a booth table top? What are they gonna do about the clean up? You're kinda just... Leaking out... XD

Thank goodness this is smut and people overlook the logistics of things like that. Y'all can suspend reality a little more pls?

The pants are floating somewhere else.