Sleeping for ten hours in a cool room definitely helps the energy
levels. I highly recommend it.

I've chopped out a bit that was causing trouble from chapter 32, and
then did a small boatload of research that resulted in a very nice
plan for the next chunk of the chapter. Sometimes the best ideas come
from geography. I'd like to get started on that tonight, see where it
leads in relation to my existing outline. So far the trend seems to be
away from static talky scenes and towards fast-paced action. Extended
fast paced action! It even reminds me of a bit from Casino Royale (the
Daniel Craig one), except with less violence. Writing action is
definitely something I'm still getting used to, since I started out as
such an introspection-based writer, but I think I'm getting the hang
of it.

It was all nice and cool this morning, and then the sun came back and
broiled everything. It went from 74F to 90F in the space of two hours.
That's just wrong.

Current Mood: rejuvenated

I have slept, and feel less like a limp noodle. This is progress.

I have a dozen tabs open, and a bunch of comments to make, but I keep procrastinating on them. Mostly because my brain's been mush the past few days. (Brain function? Never heard of it. Willis Haviland Carrier was a genius.) *musters energy* Okay, Praxis comments replied to.

Since I need new car-listening material and my mp3 drive is up in a puff of smoke, I'm burning a bunch of DW audios to listen to: the newest Tenth Doctor audios and the first three of the Evelyn & Six Big Finish audios. There's the Brig! And wartime Romana! Everyone says the Six audios are the best of the BFs.

Lox & avocado maki make an excellent breakfast. Yum.

Current Mood: awake

Title: Praxis part 23
Pairing: Ten/Master
Rating: R
Summary: The Year That Wasn't. All of it, from The Sound of Drums to The Last of the Time Lords and beyond.
Link to all my DW fic | All Parts
Warning: Novel-length. Horror/romance.



( Time's like, time's like a banana. No wait, fruit flies like a banana. )

My mom has just helped me with chapter 32 and become a beta. And I have an actual working outline that makes sense and has energy and direction. And thank goodness for that! God, I hate writer's block.

I've been thinking about a couple of things about writing and the fannish writing community.

1. I read an essay a little while ago that said that people who are lifelong readers usually have excellent taste. And then when they try to become writers, they still have excellent taste but aren't yet capable of producing works that fulfill their own tastes. So they can see how much their work sucks and it's frustrating and disheartening. Yet only by working through that and improving their skills can they finally write things that they really want to read.

2. No matter how good you are, there is always someone who does it better, or can write snappier dialogue or more amazing plots or vivid descriptions. And whatever they're amazing at, there's something they're not amazing at that someone else is better at. It can't be a competition.

3. As wonderful as longfic is, even a drabble can be a contribution to the rich communal tapestry of storytelling. Stories that maybe aren't going to be mindblowing or rec'd from here to Sunday can still inspire others, can please readers with a particularly well-made sentence or a character insight. And even the writing that a writer feels failed to live up to its promise can still be appreciated and cherished by readers.

4. As a writer, I could not write anything so rich as Praxis as if I wasn't building on the collective work of thousands of other fans, on years and decades of little ideas from countless individuals. Even confined to DW fandom alone, even Doctor/Master fandom alone, so much of what I write is by nature a result of and a reaction to the community itself. Which is why I say that I write for the community, because of the community, and despite having my own internal drive to tell stories, it's specifically to tell stories to that same community, to give back some of the richness I've drawn from.

5. And so despite flashes of jealousy and envy and inferiority and superiority and all those competitive reactions, in the end I can only be gleeful when amazing writers post new stories, can only be pleased when there's a whole range of storytelling made around the characters and stories that interest me. Because any story has the potential to inspire other stories, and what matters most is that stories are being told.

Current Mood: relieved

I may have started writing a continuation of Lovely. And I might have half a page written so far. Which I might continue when I get back from seeing the Dark Knight tonight.

Title: Lovely
Pairing/Characters: David Tennant/Derren Brown
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Derren does an interview. David makes a call.
Link to all my DW fic
A/N: Inspired by this post by sam42.
Disclaimer: All fiction. So, so fiction.



"Find myself a bit embarrassed, sometimes. You know David Tennant came on the show. Such a lovely guy, I guess you've met him. Gorgeous, lovely, open... loveliest guy."

-- Derren Brown on Michael Ball's Sunday Brunch

ETA: Quoted passage here, and full interview here.


( 'So I heard your interview on the radio,' David says, coyly. )

Okay, so a while back the BBC announced a Doctor Who themed prom, as part of some kind of official themed proms thing. This gave me the mental image of teenagers dancing to Murray Gold music with Daleks strategically placed around the room, and a big screen showing a clip montage. Sponsored by the BBC. And shown on TV, for some reason. And there was nothing, nothing that corrected this impression. I have believed, for the last six months, that the BBC was sponsoring the UK equivalent of a high school prom.

And the first part aired. And I downloaded it. And opened it, and it's actually a classical music concert.

My first thought: LOL
My second thought: Do they have proms in the UK? Wikipedia does not illuminate.
My third thought: Oh, dance proms = promenade. That makes sense.
My fourth thought: OMG DOCTOR WHO CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT. THIS IS GOOD YES YES.
My fifth thought: Will they be doing the Gallifrey theme? That would be, in a word, fantastic. *checks* YES THEY ARE.

( Program listing )


Finally: cultural divide is divided.

Current Mood: silly

( Dr Horrible Act 3 )

Journey's End ratings: 10.57 million. Number one show for the whole week, for the first time in the show's history. \o/

Current Mood: impressed

Poll results indicate a condensed commentary is probably the way to go. I've decided the best way to handle commentary notes is to write them up after each chapter is finished, and then go back to the earlier ones when I'm stuck.

I was so exhausted yesterday. It was one of those days when not only is your normal sleep too short and interrupted at the wrong stage of REM, but then every subsequent nap is as well, and the result is that no matter how much you sleep you never stop feeling so exhausted you can barely keep your head up. I ended up zonking out on the couch when I finally got home, and now I feel much better.

Poll #1224906
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

I have a few hours to kill. Which should I do this morning?

Current Mood: rejuvenated

I've discovered that writing Praxis commentary notes is a good way to get relief from writer's block.

Poll #1224133
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Praxis commentary?

Ruckus is a sadly underused word.

Unfortunately, if you write it more than three times it starts to look really weird.

Cooking for the week is really exhausting, especially when it's hot. But now I have lo mein stir fry and other munchies. It has been a while since I chopped this much, I must say.

I've seen people talking about this. I am intrigued and may give it a try. Though not when my knee is all tender from smacking it against the pavement.

I've been listening to The Bugle all weekend, which is excellent funny. John Oliver, Andy Zaltzman, and lots of snark. You just can't go wrong.

Current Mood: drained

Title: Praxis part 22
Pairing: Ten/Master, minor Eight/Benny, Three/Delgado, Ten/Reinette
Rating: R
Summary: The Year That Wasn't. All of it, from The Sound of Drums to The Last of the Time Lords and beyond.
Link to all my DW fic | All Parts
Warning: Novel-length. Horror/romance.

A/N: This story has footnotes due to pre-New Series canon.



( The Doctor's mental representation has always changed with the times. )

( Footnotes )

I can has laundry. \o/ I can also has food, and with a bit of luck stir-fry will be in my immediate future. And fruit salad, yum.

Chapter 32 is presenting an interesting challenge. With this fic I'm always having to write things I've never written before. This is definitely new stuff. I've also formatted the first three arcs into a "book" format, so when it's all done I'll be making a PDF of Praxis available in all its ridiculously long glory. I might start on the commentary, or at least dabble in that direction. I've already accepted that I'll be writing this all through to next June*, which actually is chronologically appropriate. I'll be finishing the Year That Wasn't just when the actual Year That Wasn't finished.

* Six months to write the first 1/3, so another year to write the last 2/3. Unless I actually acquire a TARDIS and/or Torchwood Stopwatch, that's my ETA.

Current Mood: awake

I've managed to sleep for most of the last 24 hours, with the odd interruption for phone calls and food. Apparently I was tired, and ahh, there's nothing like snuggling under a blanket near the air-conditioner while David Attenborough's voice lulls you to sleep. He is even more relaxing than Douglas Adams audiobooks.

But now I will do errands.

Current Mood: rested

OMG, it's Wonko the Sane! And he's a real person!

*burns a packet of toothpicks in his honor*

Current Mood: nostalgic

When I woke up today, I felt strangely excited and anticipatory about something. And then I realized that there will be no more new Doctor Who on Saturdays.

:-(

Current Mood: crushed

LOL WHAT. WHAT? WHAT!

"Wets himself"?! Dear god in heaven.


( Pasted here in case the link goes down )

Theory: RTD always finds a way to fuck up his finales in order to provide fertile ground for fanfic: y/n?