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So, I do enjoy reading this blog on occasion called Pub Rants, from the point of view of an agent who has some bestselling author clients. She's very blunt and to the point about trends in publishing and what she/editors want and don't want. Anyway, I spent like 2 hours reading through the blog last night, because I hadn't really looked at it in a few years. To tell you the truth, usually reading these kinds of sites makes me a bit twitchy and uncomfortable, but yet I can't turn away. For example, she makes all these lists of things that editors roll their eyes at as far as plot points in fantasy stories. One of the reasons listed for why a SF&F book will get rejected at the query level is this: Reason 2: SF&F stereotypical archetypes as the “hook”
--the mysterious object
--the unexpected birthright
--the quest
--the villain that has risen again
--exiled to another planet
--mayhem on spaceship to new planet
--Androids with heart of gold
--The main character as the key to saving the world or species
--the just discovered talismanUm....isn't that not so much stereotypical archetype but Hero of a Thousand Faces archetype? What about that whole there are no new plots in the world? Isn't that what a lot of fantasy readers who fell in love with LOTR and Harry Potter and all its imitation fic really want? I know I am a SUCKER for a great quest story with mysterious objects and the main character who is sort of vulnerable needing to save the world plot device. I could read that scenario over and over. Now what's true is that there is a lot of poorly written crap that uses the above scenarios, both published and not. I would imagine that editors keep seeing the same soulless crap. AND this pubrants agent is also very quick to point out that ALL OF THE ABOVE would be accepted and sold if the story blew them away. For young adult novels, editors are rolling their eyes and rejecting stuff left and right because the market for vampires, zombies, werewolves, angels, and especially paranormal romance etc. is so over-saturated. Dystopian stories as well. HOWEVER, at the same time these same editors acknowledge that teenagers (and middle-aged women, haha) are still buying these paranormal romance books like crazy. So if they KNOW that these plots are still selling like hotcakes, why on earth should their own weariness of seeing it stop them from publishing the ones that are decent (if not that original)? Most people, if they have a kink or plot point interest, are insatiable (like me with a good vulnerable main character and quest and mysterious object plot). AND don't all of us who read fan fic read and reread the same scenarios over and over again, as long as it hits our particular kinks? (like in LOTR -- fluff, mpreg, slave fic, Frood in trouble, Frodo/Sam romance, hurt/comfort, healing in the Undying Lands). And wouldn't you agree that if the fic hits your kink in the right way, that it doesn't have to be particularly brilliant as far as the writing goes? Now for me to read a kink/scenario/pairing I'm not as interested in, the writing needs to blow me away. That's a different issue. But if there's purple prose or a few annoying things in a fic that hits my kinks, I'm willing to look past it. Anyway, I've heard people say, "NO YOU CAN'T USE THAT MANY ADJECTIVES OMG BAD" or "NO PASSIVE VOICE EVER!!!" or whatever other things we learned in English grammar/writing class in high school/college about what is "bad writing" -- but then those same people might read Twilight and love it just because the story itself satisfies something in them. Now I'm hearing whispers of this Fifty Shades of Gray, which this Pubrants person mentions on the first entry that you can see when you click on the link. I know NOTHING about it aside from it's supposed to be erotic and the book club ladies are eating it up. Have any of you read it? Someone on my flist posted a rant about it, how she's read way better fan fic erotica than that. Somehow I think that most of us here would agree with that. Anyway, apparently it's an example of writing that isn't that great hitting a particular kink that appeals to a lot of people and thus being wildly successful. And yes, the more you try to ban it from libraries, the more appealing it gets to people, I would think. Anyway, this whole thing of seeing lists of plot trends on the way out and trends on the way in always puts me into a tiny bit of a tailspin because it's often stuff that I like or would like to write or am writing on the way out or oversaturated. Yes, of course I know you're not supposed to pay attention to trends and just write from your heart. So whatever, I'm not really worried about it. But it's still discouraging to hear that dystopian is on the way out, when I happen to enjoy that genre. I still want some more to be published so I can be blown away. Hunger Games ALMOST did that for me, but just not quite. I don't want the editors to stop publishing a certain trend just because they're bored with it. Things I would want to read/write: Modern day quest with mysterious object, mysterious birthright, vulnerable main character who must save the world (HEY, I did mention I'm insatiable with this plot, yes?) A really awesome mermaid story Horror but not with the gore, more just creepy and building in terror and somehow related to international travel, ala The Ruins by Scott Smith Dystopian done really well. Sorry, this was a bit of a disorganized ramble. Any thoughts to add? Also posted at http://claudia603.dreamwidth.org/1646686.html with  comments. Tags: fandom, publishing trends, writing, young adult novels
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Okay, so remember when I posted my top counted fics at Archive of Our Own and I said I would post my own personal top ten of fics of mine that I like best? Well, here it is. But I'm cheating a little. I'm doing a top ten of General/hurt-comfort fics and a top ten of slash and/or het fics. Most are LOTR just because I've written a lot more in that fandom but some might be Faculty! Also, I included NO wips. Just completed fics. So in no particular order: General and Hurt/Comfort Fiction1. At the End of All Things2. Darkness Drabbles3. Over the EdgeThis fic got me kicked off of Stories of Arda back in the day. But besides that, I loved the excitement that surged through me when I wrote this. 4. Shadow KingProbably the darkest fic I wrote. 5. SunI wrote this right after Hurricane Katrina. 6. MushroomsYay, old school hurt/comfort. Graphic hurt/comfort. Frodo using the toilet graphic. 7. SacredWritten during my own "knife in the dark" anniversary illness. 8. Full CircleWritten from the heart when I was feeling much like Frodo in 2009. 9. Clear ShotMore old school circa 2002 hurt/comfort. 10. A Day at the MarketYay! Frodo in trouble in Bree! :) Lilybaggins remixed this fic once. It was awesome. In no particular order... Slash/Het Fiction:1. A Lamentable Stranger (Frodo/Aragorn) Classic stalker dude after Frodo. 2. Too Long to Wait (Frodo/Aragorn, mpreg) Duh. 3. The Citadel (Frodo/Faramir) My personal favorite fic ever that I wrote. 4. Holding Moonlight (Frodo/Halbarad) I love this pairing! I may be the only one besides perhaps ![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) browngirl...:) 5. Amara (Faramir/OFC, Frodo/Faramir) I loved writing this. 6. The Lantern Gift (Frodo/Faramir) I cringe a little sometimes when I reread but I still love this story. 7. A Beckoning Abyss (Casey/Zeke Yosemite park AU) I absolutely was moved to tears by some of the feedback I got for this fic. 8. Bree Games (Frodo/everyone) Yay! Prostitute!Frodo! I trolled Henneth Annun site with this back in 2003. Yes, I was immature then. No, I'm not proud of it. Well....maybe a little... 9. Laughter in the Shadows (Frodo/Sam) 10. The King's Halfling (Frodo/Aragorn) Oh, my, how I loved this fic at the time. I had SO MUCH FUN writing it. Also posted at http://claudia603.dreamwidth.org/1643791.html with  comments. Tags: fandom, links
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This meme gotten from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) sophinisba and baranduin sounded interesting, where you list the top-ten fics based on hits on that site. 1. A Steward's Heir Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Faramir, all kinds of warnings and kinks and non-con and mpreg, Hits: 947 2. A Gift For New Year's, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, MPREG, hits: 559 3. A Different Gift, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Faramir, MPREG, hits: 402 4. Too Long to Wait: Last Peaceful Night, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, MPREG, hits: 400 5. Too Long to Wait: Anniversary Illness, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, MPREG, hits: 394 6. Too Long to Wait: Bathtime, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, MPREG, hits: 386 7. Too Long to Wait: In the Beginning, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, MPREG, hits: 379 8. Trapped in Bree, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, Frodo/OMC, non-con and h/c, hits: 377 9. Too Long to Wait: Kicks, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Aragorn, MPREG, hits: 373 10. The Lantern Gift, Fandom: LOTR, Frodo/Faramir, hits: 367 Well, big surprise. Mpreg and kink wins big on Archive of our Own. I'm pleased that Lantern Gift and Trapped in Bree made it, haha, both were so iconic to my fandom rep back in the early days of fandom... I think later today I might make a list of what I think my personal favorites of my fics are (like what I personally would put as my top ten list). I think that would be a great thing to add to this meme, and I'm just not doing it right now because I need to think on it and also have only about ten minutes before have to get ready to go to work... Also posted at http://claudia603.dreamwidth.org/1641277.html with  comments. Tags: fandom, meme
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With my Titanic obsession, needless to say, I can hardly believe it's actually the 100th anniversary. I don't know what it is about the sinking of the Titanic that has sucked me in for years now, but there are just so many layers to it, as many stories as the 2,200-something people on the ship. As you all know, I started my obsession in 2008, just after I had my own middle-of-the-night horror, and I think I just really connected with what some of the survivors went through on a visceral level. So, here are a few links to enjoy! :) A few years ago, I wrote a story from my heart based on a little blurb I read once about a little known real person who gave up her seat on the lifeboat for some reason (can't remember the real reason or whether I used the real reason, but my reason was that there were too many people on it). I totally made things up, of course, and I featured real, better known people such as one of the band members (Jock Hume) and the wireless operator who survived, Harold Bride. Star SongAlso, sophinisba wrote me a wonderful slash story, also featuring Harold Bride and his doomed partner Jack Phillips. CQD MGYAnd a lovely ficlet by shirebound: My Heart Will Go OnA factish thing about the music as the ship sank, speaking of Harold Bride (and Jock Hume), it seems to be the common belief that as Titanic sank, the musicians played "Nearer my God to Thee." Now there were some other survivors, including wireless operator Harold Bride, who was later found to have pretty good recall about events during the chaos, insisted that the last song heard was not "Nearer my God to Thee" at the end, but rather a mournful but very popular song at the time called "Songe d'Automne." Many people think that it would be more likely that the musicians would have that song memorized rather than a hymn, since obviously they were not able to read music at the time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g73kOrhAai4Seriously *points up* That song will give you the chills, it's so beautiful and mournful, and if you associate it with what the horrified dying people AND survivors may have been hearing as the ship sank, it really will give you the chills. Although this scene from the 1997 movie Titanic where the musicians play "Nearer my God to Thee" gives me the chills every time, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHsx1cvACkY&feature=fvstAlso posted at http://claudia603.dreamwidth.org/1639724.html with  comments. Tags: titanic
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Happy Slightly Early Birfday to the most froodtacular moit!!Wish I could get wasted with you on your b-day and get a bunch of doughnuts like we did back last year! Still, I hope you enjoy your day in SOME way and have some fun and I hope you get lots of love here with fics and wishes! So...I whipped this part out right now before bed, wish I had time to add more to it, but this is what I have on time for your b-day!! Title: Missing Boy, 1/? Pairing: Casey/Zeke (Faculty, obviously) Rating: R Summary: Zeke kidnaps Casey because he's bored. Warnings: Some non-con issues, kink, not fluffy at all, AU ( Missing Boy... )Tags: casey/zeke, faculty, missing boy
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Happy Valentine's Day, my friends!!! And also thanks to verangel, i_o_r_h_a_e_l, suzy_74, frodosweetstuff for the glass hearts! (Why am I hearing Blondie's Heart of Glass in my mind right now? :))) <3 And to dreamflower02 for the card! ETA: And from moit!!! As my Valentine's Day gift, I offer you all an oldie from my Too Long to Wait universe, one of the very first ficlets in that universe. For those unfamiliar with TLTW, the only warning is implied previous mpreg and excessive fluff. :) (And I seriously googled the above image by typing in "star of love chocolate" :D) ( Star of Love, rated G )Also posted at http://claudia603.dreamwidth.org/1622738.html with  comments. Tags: fic repost, holiday greetings, too long to wait
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER IN TRASH, the sweet and sassy lilybaggins!!!I wish a year for you that is better than the last at worst, and your best year ever ideally! I just feel so lucky that you're still around these here parts, because you were one of my very first LJ/fandom friends. I will never forget those heady days in 2002 when I first discovered your stories and thought, "OMGWTF, someone else thinks like me and obsesses over Frodo and Aragorn like me! I have a long lost twin!!!!" Little did I know that I would not only get to meet you online and become good friends with you, but that I'd get to see you in person, etc.! :)) *toasts* *draws a few stick figure pregnant Frodos* And because I find this incredibly amusing, I want to link to a series of photos I did for you a few years ago on your birthday: http://claudia603.livejournal.com/1919144.htmlI have plans for you, my dear, but I have to have a bit of time (which was severely lacking this week!). I'm working on a chapter of a fic for you.... *is mysterious* Tags: happy birthday
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Title: A Steward's Heir Rating: Adult Pairing(s): Frodo/Faramir Summary: All the women in Gondor are barren due to a curse from Mordor...it is discovered that male halflings can bear the seed of men...Denethor is desperate that Boromir and Faramir continue their line... Warning(s): Unapologetic kink, AUness, extreme lack of adherence to canon, crazy plottishness, some possible triggers for non-con/dub-con, eventual mpreg, slave ficness Warning in this chapter: Non-con for sure! Read at own risk! A/N: FOR MOIT who has seen some of this in the past! Previous chapters: chapter 1chapter 2chapter 3( A Steward's Heir, chapter 4 )Also posted at http://claudia603.dreamwidth.org/1615766.html with  comments. Tags: a steward's heir, frodo/faramir, slash fiction
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