Fests and Fics

[kelly_chambliss]

After hem-hemming and hawing over fest sign-ups, I decided to forego hp_rarities and sign up for springtime_gen instead. I still have yet to see more than one prompt at Rarities that compels me, while Springtime Gen is loaded with them. True, I won't be writing hot sex scenes for a gen fic, but my favorite older women won't go without; I'll write other stories for them and build in plenty of orgasmic fun and angst.

For instance -- I have started a McGonagall/Grubbly-Plank for tetleythesecond, who paid such a generous amount for on my auction at help_haiti. Thank you!! (My thanks go as well to the other kind bidders, perverse_idyll and miss_morland.) Miss M's prompt may yet see the light of day: she asked for Mary Bennet femmeslash, and if ever a character deserved a fanfic of her own, it's "plain" Mary, she who never met a trite, ponderous thought she didn't love and yet who managed to make a niche for herself among her pretty sisters. I was going to write Pride and Prejudice femmeslash for my partner for Christmas and never did, slacker that I am. But I do feel the need for some Austen-fic.

Despite my various tech problems with the help_haiti auction, I still ended up a winner, first of a piece of art by jin_fenghuang and then of a story by bethbethbeth. Beth generously offered to write for me even though I posted my bid to the wrong place, and she contacted someone else as the winner (and matched their donation to boot.) So now she is writing and matching for both of us, which is far beyond her call of duty. Not wanting to be predictable, I've asked her for Snape/McGonagall, and I've asked Jin for Minerva by herself or with Snape or with Hooch (I can't decide, so I'm letting the buck stop with Jin).

Non-fannish news: I think the dread day is coming when I'll have to buy a new car; my formerly trusty 12-year-old Toyota is showing signs of auto Alzheimer's. I'll look into hybrids, I think. Car payments. Can't wait.

Comments

[moon-very-thin.livejournal.com]

if ever a character deserved a fanfic of her own, it's "plain" Mary, she who never met a trite, ponderous thought she didn't love and yet who managed to make a niche for herself among her pretty sisters.

In my head!canon, Mary started being invited on holiday to the Colinses' house after Lizzie and Jane married (and the Lucas/Bennet visiting circle thereby got smaller). Invitations to Rosings naturally followed. After Lady Catherine's death, Anne de Bourgh inherited her fortune, and she and Mary happily Llangollen-ed together for the rest of their lives.

Nobody will ever convince me otherwise than that Austen simply never got around to writing that bit.

I'm sorry about your car. Auto Alzheimer's sounds... well actually it sounds kind of funny, but probably in a way at which I shouldn't laugh.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I thought of pairing Mary with Anne!! Or Georgiana. Love your scenario. happily Llangollen-ed together -- great line.

[annietalbot.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your car! I adore my Prius! I also really like my Highlander Hybrid, which you'll meet at Infinitus (if you come), but I'm aware of the hypocrisy of it, as well.

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

she who never met a trite, ponderous thought she didn't love and yet who managed to make a niche for herself among her pretty sisters.
I've always felt somewhat sorry for Mary - mostly because I never had to spend a whole afternoon in her company of course. But I secretly blame Mr. Bennet. He has one daughter who really likes reading books; if he had stimulated her from an early age, she could have turned out so very differently. Instead, he left her to the perennial silliness and insults of the younger ones and Ma Bennet.
I'n never actually thought of Anne, but now that you mention it, they could be a match made in heaven fandom.

[paulamcg.livejournal.com]

I’m so glad there’ll be more genfic by you! In the end, I’ve decided against signing up in any femmeslash or genfic fests, even though I found both tempting. (After completing my long-time project by February – I hope – I prefer not having any commitments in fanfic. I’ve signed up only in the Pulpympics at pulped_fictions, a community for original fiction and art.) This way I’ll be free to spend more time on reading and reviewing (what you write or rec), and I hope I’ll still be inspired to writing something in my slow way.

Oh, my slowness and lack of trust in my ability to write what people ask for or what they would otherwise want to read (even pay for) made me feel helpless in the flood of help_haiti posts in my flist. At least – thanks to you, too – I’ve remembered every day that I must donate (if just simply, without fic activities)!

[queen-of-snapes.livejournal.com]

I've asked Jin for Minerva by herself or with Snape or with Hooch (I can't decide, so I'm letting the buck stop with Jin).
Both! Both! Both!

[tetleythesecond]

I so look forward to the McG/G-P! Thank you so much for throwing your hat in the ring for the auction, and I’m extra glad to hear that your tech glitches didn’t prevent you from getting a fic, too.

Mary/Anne sounds lovely. Or Mary/Charlotte. Would serve Mr. Collins right.

Mmmh, car shopping. I actually had good fun buying my car (during the pre-invoice phase, that is.) Comparing technical data, fuel comsumption, test reports, corporate ethics, designs, breakdown rates, of course merely to confirm that the VW I had my eyes on from the start was also the most sensible choice. Still, I’m glad that the deed is done and hope not to have to repeat it any time soon.

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

Or Mary/Charlotte. Would serve Mr. Collins right. So it does. But what about Charlotte? Much as I pity Mary, I do feel that Charlotte has had all the trite, ponderous thoughts one deserves in one lifetime.
But it certainly made me realise the endless f/f possibilities of Austen. Charlotte. Indeed, that girl deserves some fun!

[tetleythesecond]

I do feel that Charlotte has had all the trite, ponderous thoughts one deserves in one lifetime.
Exactly. She's used to them; she'll know when to benignly tune out!

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

She's used to them; she'll know when to benignly tune out! Yes, but I like Charlotte. She shouldn't have to tune out trite remarks all of her life! She's had that hopeless spinster-waiting-for-proposal life, with all the worries of hitting 27 without the Ring. And then she's had Collins, and the overt (and rather immature) disapproval of her best friend ... and now you want her to put up with Mary? I can see how it would do Mary no end of good. But Charlotte deserves better.
Besides, practical point: as she has all the triteness one can wish for at home, where's the attraction? If she starts an affair, there must be a point to it. Georgiana, yes. A fun-loving girl who might look up to her. That would make quite a nice change. Anne, possibly. She's such a non-entity, there might be all kinds of undercurrents which could make her interesting.
I'm even willing to allow for Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who requested that Mr. Collins had to marry 'a lady, for her sake.' The remark is suggestive. Would she take on the delectable Charlotte and be a mentor in all matters of life, up to and including ...
I won't clogg up Kelly's journal any further, I just feel for Charlotte.

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

No, no...feel free to clog away. P&P femmeslash possibilities -- who wouldn't love it as a discussion topic?

I admit I can't see Mary/Charlotte. But Lady C/Charlotte--now that is fun to consider, to think how to make it believable. I'd been thinking Lady C/Darcy's mother for my partner's fic (and I might still do that), but I can actually think of ways to make Lady C/Char believable.

About Anne -- there's such potential there. In the 1981 BBC version of P&P (screenplay by Fay Weldon), there's a lovely little moment in which Anne, portrayed as a pale, disspirited, silent girl, gives Lizzy a shy, tentative smile as Lizzy is leaving Hunsford to go home -- and suddenly you see that she liked Elizabeth and would have liked to have been friends, but of course was totally crushed by her overbearing mother. (Details like that are one of the reasons that version is my favorite screen adaptation, even though the man playing Darcy comes across as far too wooden.)

At the moment, though, I've got moon_very_thin's Mary/Anne stuck in my mind. I'd really like to go there...

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

At the moment, though, I've got moon_very_thin's Mary/Anne stuck in my mind. I'd really like to go there...

I'd like you to go anywhere with P&P fic; I can't wait to see the results. We'll see who finds time for Lady Catherine / Charlotte fics first. In my case, it means a careful reread of the original first. And even then I'd probably make all sorts of mistakes. But who knows.
In the meantime, I can still have my fantasies...
And I could see Lizzy/Anne, but Charlotte/Anne as well. Both trapped in a situation they hate. And then they find amusing ways out ...

[miss-morland.livejournal.com]

Miss M's prompt may yet see the light of day

I'm glad to hear it!