This is all stuff I wrote during November's NaNoWriMo session. Editing was a slow process, like always, and none of these stories is as polished as I would like, but c'est la vie.

Also, this is likely to be my last word-wake, for many reasons. LJ is basically a ghost town, so I doubt many people are reading this to begin with. Also, I'm writing far less fanfic than I used to, so there's not much point to keeping a list any longer. If I do write more fanfic, it will be at pithia for the time being (one of my New Year's Resolutions might be to start anew on another site), so watch there for new stories.

Happy New Year!

pithia (fanfiction)
Killjoys/Orphan Black crossover: Kith and Kin, part 1
Killjoys/Orphan Black crossover: Kith and Kin, part 2
Killjoys/Orphan Black crossover: Kith and Kin, part 3
Killjoys/Orphan Black crossover: Kith and Kin, part 4
LJS-VD ficlet: Enjambment
LJS-VD ficlet: Xenial

If you want to leave feedback, that's awesome and greatly appreciated, but please leave it on the relevant posts—NOT HERE.

NOTICE: Unfortunately, I have to take the stories down. When they are edited, they will be at pithia.

I crept over 50k in Camp NaNoWriMo on August 15! (50,337, to be precise.) I'm still not at all sure how to finish out the month, but I guess I'll take it day by day.

This will probably mean nothing to those of you who haven't read the Vampire Diaries books, and those of you who have probably won't care, but that's all right. That's what LJ cuts are for!

So, with no further adieu, 50k of fanfic ridiculously simplified and in significantly fewer words! (If you want to get technical, there are spoilers for all the books up to and including Moonsong.) ( Onward!Collapse )

1. The general forum rules and guidelines still apply. The NaNoWriMo-specific rules may be added to or amended at any time. Also, while this zone is primarily meant for those taking part in NaNoWriMo, all are welcome. If you don't like writer talk, however, this is not the place for you.

2. [b]NO PLAGIARIZING.[/b] Do not copy the works of established authors or your fellow NaNoWriMo writers. There is no negotiation on this point. If people choose to post their NaNoWriMo stories here, they're doing it in good faith—in hopes that they'll get feedback. Don't take advantage of that trust.

3. [b]If you cannot handle constructive criticism and "negative reviews", DO NOT post your writing here.[/b] You need to accept that not everyone will like your writing and that your writing isn't perfect. If you cannot handle all types of feedback in a civil manner, do not post your work here.

4. [b]If you cannot give constructive criticism or back up your opinions, DO NOT reply to anyone's writing.[/b] Saying "It sucks" does not help anyone. Saying something like "I didn't like this chapter. It dragged on and the dialogue felt false" at least tells the writer what you thought was wrong. We're not saying you can only post "nice things" about someone's writing, but feedback should be constructive.

5. [b]No bragging.[/b] By all means, be proud of what you accomplish, but there's a difference between "proud" and "bragging". Don't go on and on about your word count. Don't boast that you have the highest word count on the forum or finished first. NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun, and your only competition is yourself.

6. [b]No slagging.[/b] Don't insult or belittle others. Everyone writes differently, and at different levels, and everyone has different challenges in their lives. If you can't finish NaNoWriMo for whatever reason, don't demean what others have done. Insults towards fellow writers will not be tolerated.

7. [b]No one-liners.[/b] With the exclusion of obvious threads (the username thread, the word count thread), please avoid one-liners. They don't add to a conversation. Besides, you're obviously capable of writing if you're taking part in NaNoWriMo!

8. [b]There is no competition here.[/b] In NaNoWriMo, you're only competing against yourself. Please don't go overboard with comparing your word counts and progress to someone else's: it may seem fun, but it can turn nasty quickly. Do your best, and support others in doing their best. That's what NaNoWriMo's supposed to be about.

9. [b]Have fun![/b] For the love of all gods, have fun with NaNoWriMo! NO ONE has a perfect, publication-ready draft ready on November 30, so don't worry. Nothing bad happens if you don't get 1667 words every day or if you don't "win". Enjoy the experience.

10. [b]This is a seasonal zone.[/b] Most NaNoWriMo chatter starts in earnest in September/October, peaks in November (duh), and trails off in January/February. Don't be surprised if you post something here in March and don't get a reply.

This was my second year participating in NaNoWriMo. Again, I had no classes and no job, so I really had no excuse not to play along. I "won" a day earlier this year (on November 19, as opposed to November 20 in 2007) and had a slightly higher word count total for the month. On the whole, I think I'm happier with this year's story, but I know it still needs a lot of work. Sometimes the lessons I learned last year helped me out this year; other times I did better when I paid them no mind.

Disclaimer copied verbatim from last year: Now, I'm not saying that makes me a NaNo expert by any means. I'm a newbie, I know it, and I probably was blessed with a combination of beginner's luck and fortunate circumstances aligning. What worked for me may not work for you, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong; it just means we have different writing methods. Either way, maybe what I learned can help you—either directly or indirectly. We usually learn the most when we screw up, so sometimes having a method or tip NOT work is more helpful than anything else.

( Lessons Learned From NaNoWriMo 2008Collapse )

This was my first year participating in NaNoWriMo. I could have—and should have—signed up for earlier years, but I always found an excuse not to. My coursework was too intense. I was working. I was busy. This year, I had no classes and no job during November, and hence no excuses, so I took the plunge.

It seemed beyond daunting at first, but I "won": I hit the 50K goal on November 20th, well ahead of schedule, and finished the month at 75,333 words. The project's still not done, but at least I got a substantial start.

Now, I'm not saying that makes me a NaNo expert by any means. I'm a newbie, I know it, and I probably was blessed with a combination of beginner's luck and fortunate circumstances aligning. What worked for me may not work for you, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong; it just means we have different writing methods. Either way, maybe what I learned can help you—either directly or indirectly. We usually learn the most when we screw up, so sometimes having a method or tip NOT work is more helpful than anything else.

( Lessons Learned From NaNoWriMo 2007Collapse )

last updated: 4/29/08

Since I can only list so many interests, I had to sacrifice some. Here's a more complete list of my music loves, past and present. As with comics and books, I am completely open to recs. (Just no opera, country, or Tori Amos, please.)

Absolute favourites:
The Birthday Massacre
Blacq Audio
Cocteau Twins
The Cure
Delerium
Depeche Mode
Duran Duran
Enigma
Front Line Assembly
The Gandharvas
Garbage
King Cobb Steelie
Korn
Matthew Good
Matthew Good Band
Mediaeval Baebes
Melissa auf der Maur
Miranda Sex Garden
nine inch nails
Nirvana
Orgy
Pet Shop Boys
The Pierces
Placebo
Rob Zombie
She Wants Revenge
The Tragically Hip
Utah Saints
White Zombie
Wolfsheim
Zeromancer

Also enjoyed:
54-40
Adam Cohen
Alice in Chains
The Arcade Fire
Ashley MacIssac
Assemblage 23
Azam Ali
Big Sugar
Big Wreck
Bjork
Blur
Bond
The Bravery
The Chemical Brothers
The Crystal Method
Deep Forest
Econoline Crush
Edwin
Enya
Escape with Romeo
Esthero
Eurythmics
Finger Eleven
Front 242
Gorillaz
Hawksley Workman
The Headstones
Icon of Coil
INXS
Joydrop
L7
Madonna
Manic Street Preachers
Moist
Niyaz
Pure
REM
Rockabye Baby
Sarah Fimm
Sarah McLachlan
Smashing Pumpkins
Stabbing Westward
Swollen Members
The Tea Party
Thornley
Tweaker
U2
Vas

last updated: 4/29/08

Since I can only list so many interests, I had to sacrifice some. Here's a more complete list of my comic/manga loves, past and present. (NB: I personally don't distinguish between comics and manga. In my estimation, manga is a subgroup of comics. I know some people mark a difference, though.) I am completely open to recs! *g*

Avid Fan:
Alichino
Claymore
Courtney Crumrin
The Crow
Death Note
Demon Flowers
The Demon Ororon
Doll
The Embalmer
Fruits Basket
Gloom Cookie
Gunslinger Girl
Halo and Sprocket
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service
Loaded Bible
A Midnight Opera
Model
Pet Shop of Horrors
The Sandman
Scary Godmother
Sea of Red
Simon Dark
The Tarot Café
Vampire Knight

Mid-level Fan:
Apothecarius Argentum
Arcana
Anne Freaks
Bizenghast
Blade
Blood Sucker
Bride of Deimos
Category: Freaks
Chibi Vampire
Demon Diary
The Devil's Panties
Diabolo
Dolls
The Dreaming
Fullmetal Alchemist
Hellshock
Lament of the Lamb
Les Bijoux
Mark of the Succubus
MPD-Psycho
Rozen Maiden
Saiyuki
Shutterbox
Skeleton Key
Zombie Powder

Exploring:
Age of Bronze
Angel Sanctuary
Battle Royale
Blame!
The Books of Magic
Fables
Hellboy
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Lucifer
Mail
Preacher
Promethea
Sin City
Watchmen
Y: The Last Man

last update: 4/29/08

Since I can only list so many interests, I had to sacrifice some. Here's a more complete list of my book/author loves, past and present. Of course, I'm a bibliophile, so this is more like a sampling, really, across genres and age ranges.

Absolute favourite authors:
Kelley Armstrong
Rachel Caine
Douglas Coupland
Neil Gaiman
Simon R. Green
Thomas King
Terry Pratchett
L.J. Smith

I'll read them, but I don't claim fandom:
Donna Boyd
Patricia Briggs
Poppy Z. Brite
Jim Butcher
Janet Evanovich
Charlaine Harris
J.K. Rowling
William Shakespeare
J.R.R. Tolkien
Carrie Vaughn
Jeanette Winterson

last updated: 4/29/08

Since I can only list so many interests, I had to sacrifice some. Here's a more complete list of my movie loves, past and present.

Series:
Blade
Ginger Snaps
Harry Potter
Indiana Jones
Kill Bill
Lord of the Rings
Pirates of the Caribbean
Saw
Star Wars
Shrek

Singles:
28 Days Later
A Knight's Tale
American Psycho
Bend It Like Beckham
Bon Cop Bad Cop
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Closer
Edward Scissorhands
Ever After
Fight Club
From Hell
Hellboy
House of 1000 Corpses
Jarhead
Labyrinth
Lord of War
Love Actually
Lucky Number Slevin
Man on Fire
Minority Report
Mystic River
Romeo & Juliet (Baz Luhrmann)
Se7en
Secret Window
Shallow Grave
Shaun of the Dead
Shooting Fish
Sin City
Sleepy Hollow
Snatch
Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (technically TV, but….)
The Corpse Bride
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Crow
The Dark Crystal
The Devil's Rejects
The Flight of Dragons
The Last Unicorn
The Lost Boys
The Man in the Iron Mask
The Mexican
The Order (with Heath Ledger)
The Prestige
The Princess Bride
The Prophecy (with Viggo Mortensen)
The Sixth Sense
The Village
Titus
Training Day
V for Vendetta