kelly_chambliss

I've received a wonderful gift at hp_podfic_fest.

code_switch has read one of my Minerva gen stories -- Much Abides, which features Minerva, Severus, and Albus.

The podfic version captures just the feeling I wanted -- anxiety, mystery, some humor, some pathos. The opening and closing music is particularly effective. Thank you, code_switch!

Listen to "Much Abides" here.

Back in the fall, I took part in a fascinating fest, hp_concrit_fest, in which participants were required both to leave and accept detailed concrit. It was an exciting experiment, and I learned a great deal from people's thorough, kind, and helpful responses to my entry.

In particular, I realized that I have become a bit lazy in my characterizations. Since I normally write for people who already like and are very familiar with my favorite characters and pairings, I think I've begun to take a few shortcuts in providing sufficient explanation and background for relationships. Many of the hp_concrit_fest participants wrote primarily H/D or Severus slash; most of them had little experience outside canon with older women characters and/or with Minerva/Severus. Thus they needed much more justification and development of a Minerva/Severus relationship than I am accustomed to providing for fellow Snagonagall fen.

Of course, maybe it's not "laziness" as such; maybe it's just the nature of writing fanfic in a particular subset of a canon universe. In a long-established fandom like HP, we have many well-developed "sub-canons," if you will, that have branched off from the original canon. Thus even if you know the original canon well, coming fresh into a sub-canon can be difficult, like entering an already-established society for which you have to learn the rules. I found myself in a similar situation when reading H/D fics for the fest: since I've read very little H/D, and since I don't have a pre-existing belief in the pairing, I need more preparation (than H/D fans would) before I can enter into the spirit of it.

Anyway, what I'd like to do here is to post my story mostly as originally written. Then, at the end, I'll ask you some questions based on the concrit I received. I'd love to hear your thoughts about possible revisions.

Title: Much Abides
Author: kellychambliss
Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore
Summary: When Minerva awakens, she find herself near the Forbidden Forest with no idea how she got there.
Rating: PG-13
Word count: ~5100
Warnings/Content Notes: None
Author's Notes: My grateful thanks to that best of betas, therealsnape.

~~~~~

( Much Abides )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

( My Questions )