The Slasher's Blog

Justin Plank

2012-01-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

Let Us Discuss Troy AKA Triton! (i.e. I've made a huge tiny mistake)

2012-01-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, so where to begin?

Leviathan! started from an open call for submissions, which required 25,000 words. I wrote about 1500, and then promptly forgot about it. A few months later, I found the doc, reread it, and decided why not? I should just post the thing. Polished it up, and the rest is history.

Unfortunately, I did not account for my particular preference when it comes to characters. More specifically, I had just created the type of character that I find most boring, and then even worse, managed to accidentally interject a side character (Rage) who had more chemistry with Levi than Troy did. As much as I'd love to seem all-knowing and genius, this was completely not intended. In fact, Rage was supposed to be NOTHING, he wasn't supposed to go past that one scene (the very scene in which I regrettably made Troy a little too pushy.)

EVEN WORSE, I somehow managed to make the (so far nonexistent) relationship between Volt and Kraken more interesting than Troy/Leviathan. This is like Brad/Zero vs. Orin/Riley all over again.

Anyway, enough with the whining. My goal, and responsibility, now is to make Troy an awesome lead, without completely retconning his character, AND build up some fire between him and Levi. I'm not giving up control of this story, and I'm confident that I can come up with something to make up for my fumbles so far. Wish me luck :)

Writing Tips / Frustration with Writing Slash

2012-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

I don't retain information well, nor can I recall it very quickly. This leads to a lot of issues while writing... I revert back to a bunch of bad habits that should already be gone by now. Several problems I deal with to this day are: fighting with then/than, where comma breaks should be, and general sentence formation. Also, pronouns are an annoying side effect of writing slash- you can only use "he", which leads to A LOT of confusion.

He stepped towards Justin, and held his hand as he trembled.

Yeah. It's annoying as fuck. Who's trembling? We're left with using descriptive nouns that sound a tad silly: larger man, stronger man, shorter man, the slim man, etc. If there's some solution, grammar-wise, I'm not aware of it.

So, those are my problems, but what are the tips? Well:

AVOID INFO-DUMPS: I admit, I did, and sometimes still do this. It's where you have a paragraph (or three) detailing a person, place, or thing.

Kyle Winters was a delicate teenager with soft skin, and plush lips. He loved going to school, since no one figured it was worth bothering him. Sometimes people thought he was a girl, maybe because he liked flowers, chocolate, and the color pink. He hated horror movies, but loved romcoms. He was seventeen, and spent his entire living in the small town, and a cute cottage that his grandfather built. He loved the house, and his family, who were all a little weird. His sister liked collecting dead bugs.

Ok? Info-dumps will go on like this forever, covering every single aspect of Kyle's life. By the time you finish reading about him, you'll have forgotten everything. Think about when you read other stories than your own; what do you skim over? What do you find boring? It's probably the stagnant parts that are laden down with too much information.

SENTENCE VARIATION: Don't start with a noun in every sentence, it gets repetitive.

He got on the swing. He looked over his shoulder as he swung. His friend had already left. He started to cry. He decided to go home.

You understand?

CHARACTERIZATION: There's where you want the story to go, and then there's what the characters you created would actually be willing to do. I find that when I'm stuck in a story, it's easier to think about what the characters would do next, than try to come up with more plot. They drive the story; their feelings, their motives, their actions, etc. The plot is happening to them.

CHARACTERIZATION PART II: This seems obvious, but have characterization! DO NOT create a Mary Sue. I've always been suspicious of the tenant that romance novels should have the main lead be as bland as possible, so the readers can imagine themselves in the roles. What fun is that? You want two leads with equal amount of personality and emotional weight so that they can play off each other.

PLOT: Yes, I did say rely on your characters. However, that doesn't mean you should write 200 pages of them yelling at each other, and then having hot make-up sex. There should be 200 pages of them yelling at each other, then having hot make-up sex, AND PLOT. The easiest way to stick something in is have a problem develop in the beginning, and the ending is when that problem is solved. The meat of the story should be how the characters solve the problem. I mean, if your story is straight up romance, the problem can be their relationship.

EDIT: I... don't do this, but I should. Nothing will break the reader's concentration, i.e. flow of reading, like an incomplete sentence, typo, or random word.

She walked to the a door, and knocked.

Holding the door open, he was her standing there.

He lifted the bowel to his lips. - I did this.

If you're trying to gain readers, at the very least you can make it easy for them to follow along by presenting a cleanly edited piece.

NO HALF-ASSING: I can't tell you how much I regret some of my chapters. They were badly written, had no charm, and were basically just filler. If you don't feel extremely confident about a chapter, don't post it.

READ, A LOT: I'm not talking about other FP stories. I mean, don't forget about those professional, published books. Alas, I'm aware that the internet is a vast and wondrous place, not to mention the endless stream of mindjunk coming from VH1. However, never forget about books! Cut yourself off from the electronics for an hour, leave the cellphone in another room. You might find that an entire afternoon has passed without even knowing where all that time went. I recommend: Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, and crime novels/whodunits (Cornwell, Grafton, Grisham, etc). Sometimes it's better to branch out from slash for a while.

- RDH

Deja Vu- Did I talk about this already?

2012-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

It's so slashtastic.

Retro Slash: "Rope"

2012-01-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

This will be a new feature in which I recommend older movies with gay themes.

I'm going to say first, if you think you'll be bored by this movie... you probably will. No one can force someone to like an old movie, but I'm going to try.

"Rope" was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and stars one of my favorite classic actors, Jimmy Stewart, as a well-liked teacher. Now, moving on... this shit is fucked up. The story was (supposedly) inspired by the murder of a kid in 1924 by two men who were believed to be lovers1. While the motives were used for inspiration, I would say that none of the events of similar.

The movie starts with the murder- two men, who happen to live in the same apartment, kill an old school friend of theirs in the opening shot. They stuff in the trunk, and the subsequent movie involves the two hosting a party with the father and the fiance of the school friend in attendance. Sick, right?

The movie is about twisted beliefs... how the two "friends" took a teacher's philosophy to heart, and decided to kill someone. Meanwhile, the teacher was also invited to the party because Brendan, the more controlling of the two roommates, wants his approval.

I won't ruin the movie, but suffice to say, it gets quite thrilling. Now, on to the slash- it is basically common knowledge that the two roommates are lovers, Hitchcock meant for the subtext to be there. "Rope" isn't a romance (duh), but it's amusing to see Brandon show all the signs of a forceful seme. On a more serious note, this does not show gay relationships with a positive light.

So, aside from the whole murder thing, I bet people could get some pretty good fan fiction from this.

-RDH

Existential Crisis

2011-12-26T10:01:00.000-08:00

...not really. However, I am starting to feel conflicted.

How did this start? Sherlock Holmes 2. I haven't seen it, but the reviews say it's bromanc-ier than the first one, which is quite the feat.

I'm a feminist, and have been identifying as such for about three years. One thing that was never apparent to me until learning about feminism is that bromances is movies occur because the female characters are two-dimensional and boring. The two men of the "bromance" are seen as such, with their chemistry, because they are put on equal footing with equal character development.

I LOVE me some bromance, but I can't help but wonder if I would be more into het fiction if the women had some depth. I find it ironic that I write slash, considering that all I want is for more interesting female characters getting media representation.

Anyway.

Manga-Ka Rec: SUZUKI TSUTA

2011-10-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm not as familiar with Suzuki as I am with Minase, however I'm having a growing appreciation for her plots, and artwork. Like Minase, I would say that Suzuki's art has an identity (you could tell she drew it just by looking at a stand alone picture). However, there isn't much range between her different characters. (But that goes for most Manga-ka's, doesn't it?)

When I say I'm not as familiar, what I mean is that I haven't read all of her mangas multiple times each, and only one story really sticks out to me (which I will summarize below). I think the most important aspect that I should mention is that, as far as I can tell, there is NO rape! Both characters have personality, and there is a maturity in how relationships develop in each manga. It's pretty "realistic" compared to most doe-eyed Uke/Sadistic Seme dynamics.

So, on to the recs:

[Sangen Tonari no Tooi Hito] "What if you were to meet your childhood friend again after ten years of separation? This was exactly the case for Mitsuya, a recently transferred company executive who found out that the person living three doors down from his new apartment was none other than Noboru, his older brother's best friend... and his first love. As a young and brash middle schooler, Mitsuya had forcefully kissed Noboru and drove him away. Deeply regretting his action, he kept a tight lid on his feelings. But now, being with Noboru again is bringing all those heated memories back, as if they were never gone to begin with." (This is my personal favorite, and it's COOOMMPPLEEETEE!)

[Merry Checker] "Blogger, Shio, meets up with some friends he met online through his blog. He is going to meet Miya (supposedly female), a blogger he hasn't met yet. He is surprised to find out that Miya is a very tall man who has a very calming effect on others." (This one is new, but has potential. It's an off-shoot of Sangen)

Anyway, you should check out all her stuff!

I'm a doctor, not a fangirl!

2011-10-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so in looking up images for this post, I realized that my topic is not so ancient and forgotten as I thought it would be! (This is a good thing).

Netflix Instant has seen fit to bless us all with one of my favorite childhood shows: Deep Space Nine. When this show was on the air, I was not old enough to know what slash was, nor did I notice the amazing amount of subtext laced in the relationship between the space station's doctor Julian Bashir and the mysterious Cardassian tailor Garak.

I mean, with all things fanfiction, we will never see this become canon. Ever. In fact, the intensity of their friendship is deflated, probably because it was becoming plain ol' text-y. The episode "The Wire" seems to be the pinnacle of the Bashir/Garak fandom (imo).

Why do they work? Bashir is an open book (seemingly), young and idealistic. Not many people take a liking to him initially, yet Garak is the one who introduces himself to Bashir. The Cardassian tailor is witty, and secretive, yet he takes time to form a friendship with Bashir.

As I've said before, buddy slash can suck it (pun intended). I think it's boring. However! There are enough possibilities for angst, betrayal and secrets in the Bashir/Garak fandom that I think I can make an exception. So should you ;)

Oh, a final word: This is an expansive show (it's Star Trek, after all) with an ensemble cast. It's really good! However, there are only a few episodes out of seven seasons that feature the relationship between Garak and Bashir. Take that how you will.

The God of Slash

2011-08-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's almost too perfect.

Let's do a round up: Thor is a tall, muscular hero. Loki is a lean, shorter, prettier, flawed villain. They're brothers, but not actually brothers (therefore making all incest squickiness moot), they both are in line for a kingdom, and Loki has serious daddy issues that make him insanely jealous of Thor.

Seriously, the fan fiction could write itself.

Now, as a disclaimer, I didn't actually watch the whole movie. I was only really interested in Loki's scenes, the rest of the explode-y, macho heterosexualness could be left to non-slashophiles. God, even the name 'Loki'... I swear, it's like us fangirls have been handed this movie on a silver platter. One must only AU out the very end of the film, and a full wealth of possibilities emerge. You. Don't. Even. Have. To. Change. Major. Events. (cough* Harry Potter cough*).

Thor is almost literally the golden child, while Loki is the secretly adopted son, born of the sworn enemy race(!!). Finding potential for angst is like shooting fish in a barrel. Loki wants their father's approval in a very sincere way, but he is also the god of mischief... he could be lying at any moment.


My helmet is made of bitter and gold.

I think the route I would go here is that Loki is obsessed with being seen as a better king than Thor, and proving himself to their father. Meanwhile, Thor is loved by everyone but his brother... ruh roh. Yaddamean?

Anyway, I have original stories to get cracking on, but I just wanted to point out yet another Marvel movie that has made me want to convert to fan fiction writing more than anything else in the world. It's a toss up if I had to choose between an awesome Stark/Hammer fic and a Thor/Loki fic. Sigh.

...sigh.

Rule 34 Challange

2011-04-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

Alright guys, here it is. I cannot find a single Iron Man fic that slashes Tony Stark and Justin Hammer (movieverse). What the fuck, seriously? I'm pretty invested in the pair, (hell, Ventures and Investments was inspired by the dynamic of their relationship) so the situation is getting kind of critical, in that I'm probably just going to write my own fic.

Alas, I'm not thrilled at the prospect.

SO: Please help me prove Rule 34, and find that Stammer fanfiction!

:L ...Uh, wait, uh, heh.

2011-04-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

So... yep. How could I have missed this?

Ambition

2011-02-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

There are a million things I want to do, and some of them are outside of my grasp.

I want to make a comprehensive website for my writing (blog included).
I want to write an entire manuscript to submit to a publisher.
I want a more stable updating schedule.

Ok... so maybe all of those things are in my grasp of ability. I just wish I could my mind of this cloudy, sluggish depression.

Sometime, I wish dreams could magically turn into accomplishments without any effort on my part.

Manga-ka Rec: Minase Masara

2011-02-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have mentioned this manga artist before. However, if something is brilliant, it bears repeating.

Let's summarize some of the things that we love about Yaoi: As opposed to writing, manga is a pictorial form of story-telling, it's right there before our eyes. We can see the emotions of the characters (if the artist is talented) and the pacing is different than a book. The sex scenes are usually hot.

Ok, so let's narrow this down to one Yaoi artist in particular: Minase. There are some specific things that she, and only she, can do.

1. The look on the seme's face when he gets jealous... it will make you feel all tingly inside.
2. She has her own style... seriously, if you saw a random drawing of her's, you could name the artist.
3. The ukes are not (comparatively*) wishy-washy.
4. Her manga's are re-readable. Once is never enough.

* I say comparatively because most ukes practically end up apologizing for being pushed around. Minase's ukes have sass... but not always as much as I would like.

Ok... these are little things, and I could go on and on, so let's move forward.

There are some elements to her stories that I could do without. In fact, there several manga that I just can't bring myself to like. I'll let you make up your own decision on that. What we do face several times is out in out rape. This isn't really that glaring considering 99.9% of Yaoi manga has rape, but I feel like it's time for a revolution. Manga artists need to find a way to make the story hot without rape.

Right! Time for the good stuff**:

**Take note, I'm linking to Mangafox, a site that hosts the mangas (which you can view in-browser without downloading).

Favorites

"Aishuu" - Ok, so this was the first of Minase that I ever read. BE WARNED, it's not completed and hasn't been updated since October.

"College student Haneji Kaoru is surprised when popular actor Aragaki Jin appears in his workplace. They were high school friends, but unable to cope with his deepening feelings for the playboy, Haneji cut all ties after graduation. But now that Aragaki has found him, he has no intention of letting Haneji go..." (Summary from Mangafox)

"Hidoi Otoko" - This is my #1 favorite, and miracles of miracles, it is complete.

"When recently divorced Asou Katsumi is picked up in a bar by younger man Nagao Daisuke he has no idea what he's in for." (Summary from Mangafox)

"Daikirai na Aitsu!" - Same warning, this isn't completed and fan-translation is the slower than a turtle.

"Chihiro Kouzuki is a stage actor and works part-time as a housekeeper to earn more money. His uncle called him about taking on a housekeeping job for Aoki, an elite businessman who lives in an expensive condo. Chihiro accepts, not realising how demanding Aoki can be about how he wants his condo tidied up.
He is so demanding that Chihiro is starting to lose his patience with him..." (Summary from Mangafox)

Finally, special mention to "Aimai na Kankei" (plus the sequel) and "Gokujou no Koibito"

If Anyone Cares: The ones that bugged me were "Oneshot Love!" (ironically from the picture I posted) and "Unbalance na Netsu".

Well, that pretty much covers it. I can't promise that this will make me shut up about Minase, because I won't. Just remember, I do this for your own good.

One shot, bro! One shot!

2011-02-13T01:03:00.000-08:00

Actually, two shot.

I decided to write a short story, so I could get it out of my head. The second half will be written tomorrow. I'm too tired to go into details about the motives behind the story, but suffice to say the second half goes much deeper than the first half.

Fan(Fiction)(Girls)dom

2011-01-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

What brought most of us into original slash?

The answer, unequivocally, is fan fiction. If one were to look slash up on Wikipedia, they would find a pretty detailed account of how the name came from the "/" between two characters' names. Although, following that definition would preclude any original fiction from using the word "slash" because in the stories on FP, the pairing is canon and therefore doesn't need the "/".

That's all semantics however, and although the page says there is debate against original fic writers using the word, I have never personally come across said "debate" (and I would probably laugh at the debaters if I did because... really?).

Awhile ago, I asked people what brought them into slash... or at least what their fanfiction fandoms were. The answers were mostly different mangas and Harry Potter. Sure, me too. The biggest fandoms (based entirely on my limited research of FF's numbers) are Harry Potter, LOTR and Pirates of the Caribbean, (I'm leaving out the mangas because once someone discovers slash, they eventually find actual Yaoi manga, and don't need to read into subtext anymore.)

What I find amazing is that there are branches within each fandom. There are people who want to read Harry/Ron, Harry/Draco, Harry/Snape, etc. (my personal favorite is Wood/Percy, because I'm difficult like that.) AND THEN, there subbranches to the branches! People who want Harry to be the dom, as opposed to Draco being the dom. It leads to a frustrating venture trying to seek out the exact type of story you want.

Let's go back to the main branches, using HP as an example. With Harry/Ron, you have buddy slash. It's warm, it's safe, it's comforting. I don't get it, but to each their own. Harry/Draco, on the other hand, is the epitome of enemy slash. They are literally...enemies (and totally in love SQUEE!) so you have the angst and drama built in, a million stories can be written about how hate turns into love. Finally, Harry/Snape... is... a pairing. (Ha, I read it- gotta have my angst.) ~~Personally~~ Other people like Harry/Snape because it's forbidden, the age gap adds some sort of danger, and there is always the simmering resentment. Ok, I love Harry/Snape.

Now, moving on to the subbranches... Draco is the uke/bottom/sub in my book, there is no way around it. I actually cannot LITERALLY FATHOM why people would want him to be the top... but see, they do. It's always been a curious thing for me and I want to know whyyyy slashers differ in that way. We spend so much time trying to glean subtext from these books and movies, but what we see tells some of us that Harry is in love with Draco, and others see the evidence pointing towards Draco being in love with Harry. It's very strange.

Speaking of subtext, I just recently wrote a fan fiction for Psych (Shawn/Lassiter), a show that gleefully winks at it's slasher fans. (They literally had Shawn say "We're Shassie now!" to Lassiter.) Another example of meta that I've read about, but never saw was Supernatural, in which a slash fan visited the two main characters and started squeeing over them.

These two cases were more nods at the slash community than anything else... they don't really count. I think half the fun of being in a fandom is that it's all in our heads. We watch the 50 minutes of show just so we can see that brief two seconds when one character touches the other character's shoulder... and then we declare that they're meant to be. If it were actual canon... it would be less exciting. NOT that I'm saying actual gay canon isn't exciting (hello, Queer as Folk), but finding subtext is a fangirl's bread and butter. Sure, we've gotten kind of lazy, and simply look up the subtexty scenes on youtube, but what fun is that?

One fandom I'm kind of bitter about is Heroes. It felt like every time a couple got really popular (Sylar/Mohinder), they would make sure the two never spoke again. That's probably all in my head, but still... Heroes had a large slash fan base, and they definitely were not the gleeful winking type.

Anyway, these are my thoughts on fandom and fan fiction. I could probably expand more on it, but I don't want to get long-winded. If you have any thoughts on the matter, feel free to comment :)

Shanghaied!

2010-12-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

Um, the song is unrelated to this post, but I like it... so I'm sharing it. Moving on:

Maybe like two years ago, I mentioned that I was working on a new story called Shanghaied!. Unfortunately, I based that assertion on my ability to remember the entire plot of a dream I had. Yet, as we all know, dreams are easily forgotten and the finer details of the plot were lost to me.

I couldn't forget the basic premise all this time however. I feel like it would be a hell of a lot of fun to write about San Francisco during the gold rush, and what happened when men were shanghaied (in a romanticized sense, obvs. No one wants reality in their historical fiction)

Although, I do plan on researching the time line, adding some historical events and what not. I might have to change the names from what I originally chose, I don't know how much I like "Harland Buford"..... maybe. So -I want to nurse Ventures and Investments until the end, because it's the first time I've ever put so much thought and love into a story. Don't get me wrong, I love all my stories, but VAI is something I'm basing my own self-worth as a writer on. When it's done, I'm going to start writing Shanghaied!.

Miner's Ball during the California Gold Rush

The story will be a two-parter, I think. The first half will be about ~~Harland~~'s naive belief that he will be successful in San Francisco, and is suckered into working on a ship. The second part will be his return, and his more gritty and bitter outlook on life. I haven't developed the romantic interest for him yet, but it's not the man mentioned in the summary that I developed. So, here is what I wrote two years ago:

SHANGHAIED!

~~Harland Buford~~ was 23 and going nowhere with his life. He decided to jump a train to San Francisco just to prove he had direction. There, in a tavern, he meets Lucas Masheck, a man with a reputation for violence. Little does ~~Harland~~ know that Lucas also has a reputation for getting transients drunk, and selling them to the highest bidding ship.

In the 1800's it was hard to come by a healthy man willing to risk his life on the open seas for very little money. It was a time where a young, strapping guy could be shanghaied, and that's exactly what would happen to ~~Harland Buford~~. ~

....ok, so maybe I do like the name Harland... we'll see. As you may have guessed, I love my native state and region... the gold rush has always interested me, even in the fifth grade when they took us to a river to pan for gold. This will be fun.

Movie Rec: Eternal Summer

2010-12-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

Movie: Eternal Summer (AKA My FAVORITE slash movie)

Year: 2006

Starring: Bryant Chang, Hsiao-chuan Chang, Kate Yeung

Slash Level: Hot and Yummy (Advisory: There is a sex scene, so take that into consideration)

Eternal Summer is a movie I could watch over and over, and never tire of. The thematic elements of yearning for someone you can't have is relatable to everyone, and the main character (Jonathan) is sympathetic in his inability to either confront his feelings, or let them go. Instead, he wallows in a dreamlike state of inaction, watching on the sidelines as his two friends grow closer. The obliviousness of the second male lead (Shane) is heartbreaking, but it's adorable how much he cares for Jonathan.

The summary of the movie initially threw me off for awhile, I didn't want to watch another mopey gay kid lust after the straight jock. Fortunately, I was bored one night and just went with it. Best. Decision. Ever. There are more facets to Shane than being just a jock, and it's definitely not just a one-sided relationship. Believe me, this movie is so worth it.

SPOILER/Interpretation

I just wanted to add a little analysis to the movie because I've noticed that people have been interpreting it a certain way, and I feel like they may have missed something vital.

When Shane pushes sex on Jonathan, a lot of people (myself included, initially) thought he did it to appease Jonathan (basically, giving him what he wants). However, after I put some thought into it... that didn't really add up.

The whole story of the movie was about Jonathan pulling away from Shane because he loves him that way, and Shane becoming increasingly insecure over it because he thinks Jon is doing it for other reasons. In the final scene at the beach, Carrie demands that Jonathan tell Shane about his feelings, which proves that Shane never realized what was going on. My belief is that Shane wanted the sex because he felt like he was losing Jon, and physical intimacy would be the fastest and strongest way of gaining that closeness back.

So, there it is. Hope you like the movie.

All The Other Kids

2010-12-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

I have stopped watching Glee again -_-' That show is a perfect example of how I live in a slash world, and the writers live in a happy candyland of more reasonable pairings than the jock bully and the feminine guy. Blaine and Kurt are cute I guess, but it's almost too... cute. Pass.

Finals for school are this week and next, but then I have a month off from school. I intend to WRITE WRITE WRITE.

commercial break

The guy from Galaxy Quest and the guy from Zathura hold hands while Veronica Mars secretly fangirls.

Heh... sorry, I forgot what I was thinking about for a moment. Anyway, they won't let me embed this youtube video, but it's still a classic that every slasher should see, It's a Football Thing

..buh.....*drool*

So, I've been watching The L Word for a second time, and of course my favorite is Shane (AKA popular with the straight wimmenz) and now I'm thinking that I find androgyny in women to be seriously hot. I just can't tell if I want to BE androgynous or if I want to just drool at the sight of androgyny. Sigh*
I was called for jury duty =___= Yay, pride in my country...I guess....civic duty and all that. (O.k. I'm actually pretty excited to see how it goes, it's during my month long break, so what the hell else am I going to do? I wonder if John Grisham will be there.)

Movie Rec: Antique Bakery

2010-12-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Movie: Antique Bakery

Year: 2008

Starring: Joo Ji Hoon, Jae Wook Kim.

Slash Level: Low

Ok, so here we have a cast of four extremely attractive men (one of whom is gay, more on that later) who work together to run what is probably the most adorbs bakery on the planet. Obviously they should have skipped the bakery route and started a boy band, but I digress...

I'm going to cut right to the chase, which is this:


So... this happens.

The movie is completely worth watching based on it's cuteness overload, (and there is plot involving the main character's traumatic childhood, but who cares really?) however the slashy bits are kind of slim pick'ns. They do have a hilarious running joke about the "Demon Gay" and his ability to turn straight men, and the friendship that forms between the four men is relatively heartwarming..if you're into that kind of thing. It's a fourway bromance, and I guarantee that you will giggle with fangirl glee at least once.

There's A Light On

2010-12-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

So, this week's episode of Glee was kind of a snooze when it came to Kurt, so I tuned out early. I knew it was a bit optimistic to think they would make it a solo show about Kurt and his romantic troubles... but a slasher can dream.

Two new story ideas have been flitting around in my mind, they're kind of similar but have enough differences plot wise to be kept separate. One's about wizards and warring nations (set in a medieval-type era) and the other is about werewolves (ugh, back to the people transforming into animals thing -_-') The wizard one is more depthy.

I've been working on a new chapter of Ventures and Investments- I want it to be as detailed as the first chapter, more layered than the second two.

Two new Korean dramas have been really good: "Mary Stayed Out All Night", and "Secret Garden"

I hate "Skins". Is it even possible to have a more annoying group of teenagers?

Plagiarismo

2010-11-30T09:31:00.000-08:00

So, I had a fun little coffee break hunched over my computer laughing maniacally as I read FP Watchers posts, and repeatedly mumbling "You can run, but you can't hide hahahahaha."

Yes, plagiarism on the internet has been something that I've been vaguely aware of, although I think the major rash of story thefts occurred slightly before I was active on FP. One has to wonder where the glory is in stealing someone's story... any praise you get isn't for you, it's for the person who actually wrote it.

Segue: Two weeks until the end of the semester! THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

Movie Rec: Maurice

2010-11-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

Movie: Maurice AKA My First Slash Movie

Year: 1987

Starring: Hugh Grant, James Wilby, Rupert Graves.

Slash Level: Medium

The film Maurice is based of a novel written in 1913 by E.M. Forster. For the decade it was filmed in, not to mention when the source material was written, the story line is very progressive. We follow main character Maurice Hall (Wilby) through his late teenage years to possible late twenties/ early thirties as he enters university, graduates and joins the work force.

The hottest love scene to never happen

For this review, and probably for any after this, I will speaking in terms of how and if a slash fan will enjoy the movie. When it comes to Maurice, I definitely think you will.

The film includes the journey of discovering one's self in the midst of a extremely conservative society (early 20th century England) and the heartbreak that can come with it. Surprising for a work of it's time, the film ends on a high note. I would watch Maurice even if the goal was not to find a slash movie- the story line has depth, and the characters have multiple facets, they grow over time or they shrink away because of the restrictions of their world. The movie also takes a surprising turn about halfway in.

The second hottest love scene to never happen

Thank God, this movie is not a cautionary tale, however it is relatively tame compared to the raunchy fics most slash fans are used to reading. A few might find the dialogue boring, but I think if you can overcome that, than you will definitely enjoy Maurice.

Slipping In My Faith Until I Fall!

2010-11-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

A note on inspiration :)

Music has always been an important element in my writing process (ha, writing process, how snooty does that sound?) But anyway, I usually hear a song and then the ideas start flowing. That's how I started TopSpot... I heard that song by Alan Kuo (and I saw this Japanese film called something like "Crow Zero" - that's where I got the idea for the whole fighting/leader of the school thing). The more emo-y, teenage angst songs fueled Demons of the Heart, oldies do well for Necropolis, and I listen to classical for Unrelated Royalty.

For Ventures and Investments... I don't know. As I mentioned earlier, Iron Man 2 was the inspiration for that (I'M WILLING TO ADMIT IT *.*). That movie was a good example of how you shouldn't force subtext. My brain made the pairing between Stark and Hammer, as opposed to Sherlock Holmes, in which they might as well of had a giant neon sign proclaiming that HERE BE ~~SUBTEXT~~ OBVIOUS SLASH. I'm tangenting - back to music: THE KILLERS is possibly my favorite modern band (who could forget their slash anthem Andy, You're A Star?). I like a few of Brandon Flower's solo songs, but my hope is that the entire gang gets together for an album soon. I avoided them for awhile because they were so mainstream (heaven forbid) but how can you truly avoid greatness forever? You can't, natch.

So, if you are an aspiring writer, than may I suggest keeping your eyes and ears open for anything? Seriously, if you look up at that list that I wrote, it includes Japanese movies, Chinese songs, Classical music, summer blockbuster popcorn flicks, emo music, and THE KILLERS (did I mention THE KILLERS?). Let me reiterate: Anything can inspire. Especially THE KILLERS.

You may not have noticed...

2010-11-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

I went on a redesigning bender just for the fun of it lol.

Another Glee Update:

So, I'm officially watching the show now just because of Kurt, and no doubt when they move on from this bullying story line, I will leave as well. However! I can say it was a fun episode. I thought the scene between Karofsky and Kurt was really ~~hot~~ scary, and I want to know why Karofsky took the wedding figurines. I hope they turn that into something instead of forgetting about it.

Thanksgiving:

Will be spent with family, which means there will be plenty of down time for me to write whilst the Olds are conversing about old things.

Anywho, happy slashing!

So, you born in an electrical storm?

2010-11-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Topspot and Ventures and Investments seem to be the two stories that I can write about right now lol. It's probably because relationships are the plot. Meanwhile, I am working on Unrelated Royalty and Necropolis, but the progress is going slowly.

Anyway, I am super happy that I've been writing so much. It's been a long time since I've output so much at one time :)

Ah, Milieu

2010-11-17T22:22:00.001-08:00

I think I'm feeling a little regret over Demons of the Heart. It was patently obvious how my enthusiasm waned... which sucks basically, makes me suck lol. Remembering how excited I was about it when I started (I wrote the first three chapters in one nights, boy oh boy were the ideas flowing.) Yet, around chapter 32... things definitely got stagnant. Like I said in my author note, I sincerely wish the idea came to me later than 17. Then again, like the chicken and the egg... I had to wet my feet somehow in the beginning, and DOTH was an amazing first run.

On a related note- I received a review which I could not respond to directly (there person did not have an account) but I feel like the issue s/he brought up should be addressed (although I have mentioned it before in bits and pieces) As it pertains to DOTH:

YES, the relationships in the story are abusive.
NO, this was not acknowledged in the story.
YES, it is a fantasy, not a reality.

In the Yaoi/Slash/MM genre, there are different levels and shades of gray when it comes to the "rape is love"/abusive elements that occur in a lot of the stories. Personally, I find the outright rape to be wrong, and is never a fantasy for me. However, the coercive, con but actually noncon, pushy stuff... sometimes that works for me- I don't know why. I wrote the story accordingly.

Surprisingly, I started Demons of the Heart BECAUSE that stuff annoyed me, Truth! I wanted the cliche possessive vamp- *cough* Demons to try and force their will on the humans, but the humans would fight back! Yes... that is what I had in mind... and I more or less stuck to that (Well... sorta)

Ugh, I don't know if readers realize how much their opinion really does matter to writers (me, at least) and I hated disappointing some of them. I did give my all with that last chapter, yes the events went faster than they usually do... but it would have been worse to drag it out.

For the technical side... the plot of the humans rebelling was never really a thing, it definitely wasn't a thing when I started the story, and it freaked me out once I realized that I started something that I had no clue how to flesh out. That, out of the entire story, is what would make me willing to revisit the DOTH, so I don't have that black mark on my record. lol.

Anywho... just unloading some post-story thoughts.

Glee HEE HEE!

2010-11-15T11:44:00.000-08:00

So, I don't watch Glee.

I do read recaps of Glee on Jezebel, so I do know how the story is progressing. Obviously, the thing that should be on the forefront of every slasher's mind is Kurt's story line. He's gay! He's out! A jock *SPOILER* kissed him!

Now, in real life... that kiss was basically assault. The jock continually intimidates Kurt, threatens him physically by pushing him into the lockers, and now there is the added threat of how badly the jock is handling his sexual identity.

I think more physical altercations (pushed against a wall!) are allowed in slash because both people are men, HOWEVER... we should always take these stories with a grain of salt..they arn't based in reality. Also... is slash now mainstream? Could it just be called Romance? When does it stop becoming a niche genre. Having Kurt's romantic story line added to Glee is another small step towards dragging us slashers from obscurity. Frankly, I'll be a little sad when all this is no longer our secret little club.

If you're wondering if I want you too, I want you too.

2010-10-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

CHANGE IN PLAN LOL

I'm not going to cement the order in which I update stories, because nothing will get done if I don't feel inspired to write whatever story is next...

I remember, I remember when I lost my mind.

2010-10-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Have spent the the past three days trying to write a new chapter of TopSpoT. That is all.

I can't feel you there- fictionpress + Random Recs!

2010-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've noticed that FP is having some issues right now, so I'm a bit hesitant to post the last chapter of DOTH until they've dealt with it. Moving on... I've decided to wax poetic about some things.

First off, I'm having a Linkin Park moment. I've literally never listened to them before, but I'm definitely noticing the allure now, it's very dramatic lol, a good way to release angst.

Speaking of DOTH, the chapter now has 3,700 words (unfinished). I was aiming for a goal of 4,500 words, but then realized that I should just use as many words as it takes, and not limit it. I have a deep fear right now that the last chapter will be disappointing. The truth of it is, and I've mentioned this before, is that I started DOTH when I was barely 17 and it was based off of a daydream I employed to avoid listening during my math class. There was no rhyme nor reason to the plot, and even though I may have had a vague idea for an ending when I started, it's been forgotten long ago (my own fault). DOTH does not follow any credible literary rules, it has no build up, nor climax. I see each chapter as an episode, not as an entire whole of something. Anyway, to the point: It's ending, and I don't regret any of it because the story was like my training wheels. However, I don't know if the story will be able to go out with a bang (heh).

I do think that if I had the energy or motivation, I would go back and edit it. Unfortunately, each subsequent chapter relies on plot points from the previous, so I wouldn't be able to change any of the story line (which I kind of want to). Who knows, maybe I'll write another story in the DOTH universe... although, I'm starting to get really tired of writing about high school kids lol. I graduated two years ago and it's starting to feel weird to be writing about 17 year-olds.

Now for some random recommendations:

T.V.: I've mentioned these before in my author notes, but I want to stress again how much you romance-lovers will become obsessed with these (even if they're het!) ((You might need to copy and paste these into the URL box)

http://www.mysoju.com/delightful-girl-choonhyang/
This one is my favorite, but on the website there is also Coffee Prince and Goong. So good. They're Korean dramas, only about 16 eps each, and they will consume your life for a time.

Manga: Look up the author Minase Masara on Mangafox. She does use the "rape as love" theme, which irks me, but if we all know that going in... just pretend rape is different in Yaoi? Idk, despite that, she's my favorite.

Aspiring writers: This website is hilarious fun, and maybe inspiring! www.seventhsanctum.com

TTYL SLASH LOVERS

Sigh* I am in love.

2010-08-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

This is Rufus Wainwright, he's a singer. This picture makes me want to write slash. Anyway, DOTH is slowly being written...slowly.

Ciao

2010-04-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

hey folks, just a short message: I'm going to go out of rotation for my next update and do DOTH. The reason? It will be the last chapter :) Finally.

SO HAPPY :)

2010-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. I just got my new netbook in the mail. This is probably the biggest splurge I have ever made, but it is for the sake of writing and schoolwork lol. This thing is amazing and small. Now I can write whenever I am inspired.

Now that the Netbook PSA is over, let me get to business: Like I said before, DOTH is next, of course. I have started my spring semester, and the workload is a bit heavier than it was last semester, so there is that. However, I promise to start soon! :)

RDH

Huzzah!

2010-01-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

So, I finished the next chapter of Unrelated Royalty last night. All I need to do now is edit it, and make sure it's the right decision (plot-wise) because I have made so many mistakes with other stories. I realize that it's probably taking a route that may not be popular with the readers, but this time, for the sake of the story, I'm going to keep going in the direction that I had originally planned when I started it.

Now, I don't remember for sure, but I think that DOTH is next on the rotation. Frankly, I'll be happy to get one of these stories complete so that I can start a new one, and also because it would be nice to have a complete story on my profile :)

RDH

Story? What story?

2009-11-12T21:34:00.001-08:00

So ...yeah. I don't know what it is about myself, and other fiction press writers, but we all seem to be procrastinators. However! In about five minutes, i will officially begin typing chapter three of TopSpot. :)

Don't Stop Me Now!

2009-10-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time!

Lol, now that I have completed a new chapter of Necropolis, I feel much better. I can even start a new chapter of the next story! Here is my fantasy rotation:

TopSpot

Unrelated Royalty

DOTH

Necropolis

Once I finish a story (It will probably be TopSpot first) then I will force myself to add The Farmer's Grandson, a story I haven't even looked at for two years, but still remember exactly what I wanted to do with it.

So long for now! Oh, and thanks for reading my stories, commenting, sharing your thoughts, whatever... it makes my heart smile :)

My life...

2009-10-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

is currently full of painfully mundane responsibilities that I have to take care of. Also, I've not felt inspired by anything. It's pretty lame.

Next up on my update list is Necropolis, then TopSpot. I actually do have two pages of Necropolis done, however it has been hard trying to recapture the 'Stephan King' mood I was in when I started it.

Blah.

Wait Till Tomorrow, You'll Be Fine

2009-08-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

But it's gone to the dogs in my mind.

My computer is fixed, and has been so for about three months... so where was I?

Yosemite.

It was probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life... with a total lack of internet. That would be the reason why there have been no new updates. HOWEVER, I am back in my own home, starting at a new college, and currently writing the next chapter of the saga known as DOTH. As seen on my deviant art account, I AM NOT DEAD! :)

Moving on: I want to completely delete the fifth chapter of Necropolis. I took the story in a stupid direction because I was lazy. I want to write a new chapter of The Farmer's Grandson... unfortunately, I barely remember what I had been intending for that story. Lastly, for some moronic reason, I had decided to start a new story (TopSpot). Looking on the bright side of that train wreck - I planned it out so that we would being chillaxing with Ryan and Devin for only a few chapters.

So, my goal: DO NOT START ANOTHER EFFING STORY UNTIL I HAVE FINISHED THE ALREADY-IN-EXISTENCE ONES.

end.

P.s. I noticed that between every few chapters of DOTH, I claim that I'm going to end it. This is proving to be impossible. What would the ending even look like? They're all married? So, for now, I'm putting this behemoth under the category of "Immortal Soap Opera" ..or, ISO...or, ISODOTH! YOU CANNOT KILL IT!

Whoosh

2009-04-01T09:58:00.001-07:00

So the saga of my dropped lap top is coming to a close soon (hopefully)

Everything that was on it will be deleted :( so thank god I post my stories on FP lol, and it might be a bit glitchy, but I SHALL HAVE MY OWN COMPUTER BACK! And I'm PUMPED, all of my next chapters are going to be awesome.

Battle Cry

2009-03-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Several things of note:

I've just finished reading Dune. It was almost too sexist and homophobic for me to be inspired by it, but considering it was written decades ago...I guess I can forgive that. One thing that irked me was the main character godmoding that occurred. All in all though (despite my complaining) it was a good book.
I really want to watch that new NBC show "Kings". I heard a rumor that a mainish character will be gay.

I have started working on DOTH again, and to prove it, I have this excerpt:

The smile on the guard’s face was disconcerting. Jake never took his eyes off of the intimidating man as the minutes ticked by. Where was Dietrich?

The room they had him sitting in was bleak. The walls were cement, gray and horrible. His chair was made of metal.

“I’m surprised you found a single Demon who would actually help you.”

Jake ignored the snide remark.

“Did you promise him something unsavory?”

The lecherous tone sent chills up the townie’s spine, but it did make him think. If he excepted any help from Dietrich, what would that mean? Would he have to marry the Demon? He felt his mouth go dry.

“Can I have some water?”

The Demon did nothing but continue to smile at him.

...................................

I'd say that there are currently four pages. But, in case you guys need some insta-squees, I always watch this video when I'm feeling down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxdncxro-9s

CURSES!

2009-01-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm officially depressed.

I wrote seven good pages for DOTH, right? I had a clear idea where the chapter was going.

My laptop fell off of my bed, tis broken.

That is all I can say.

College is Crushing my Writing Soul

2009-01-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

So guys, guess what? I suck.

I know this because I have not updated ANYTHING for like...a million years. I mean, I'm already a procrastinating loser...but add that on to having to do college work. TEH SUXORZ! I MISS HIGH SCHOOL.

Don't worry, el college life has it's perks...but I don't know if it's for me.

Anyway, HazelEyedHoney....no, they don't need to end up together, thank you for making me realize that. Anonymous #1 and #2:

I have my sadistic streak, believe me (See Mark's first encounter with Ezekiel) However, I was seriously uncomfortable writing that for some reason...it felt awkward. In reality, who would ever forgive someone for physically assaulting them? I know that DOTH is not reality, but still...

Plus, Riley is SUPPOSED to be cold, calm and sharp. I ruined his character several times. In fact, I have a lot of regrets about the story. It goes back to my lazy, procrastinating self. I barely even proof read. (Necropolis is supposed to be my attempt at quality)

I had two rules when I started DOTH:

1. Humans must not raise the white flag, and simply submit.
2. Demons can not do anything ridiculously brutal.
Also:
I wanted to avoid annoying cliches (See Twilight) ((Please don't hate me for hating Twilight, I'm SORRY)) where the Demon falls in love with the human just because the human smelled good.

Ok, I'm rambling now. Here's the news, I have written three beginnings to the next chapter, and all of them suck. One is salvageable. Just know that I am still working on it. Thanks for reading.

Riley Kain and Orin Larson

2008-11-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you guys an amusing anecdote about those two crazy kids.

They happen to be my base for every single couple I have ever created. When I am sitting in Art History, spacing out and thinking of new stories, the two main characters are always called Orin and Riley. Orin is always the uke, always has blue hair and always has green eyes, however his body type can change based on what kind of uke he is. Riley never changes lol. Anyway, for an example of this: Reg and Charlie from "Necropolis" were originally called Orin and Riley in my mind, and then when I decided to turn the day dream into a story, I chose new - and more fitting - names for their personalities. Same goes for Brad and Zero, who would never have worked if they were called Orin and Riley.

The interesting part of this is that I am completely stumped for story line involving these two. I have a basic plot line in mind for DOTH, but Orin and Riley stump me. I had to write "Orin's Story" (which originally was going to be a oneshot with different main characters, and have nothing to do with DOTH) just to shoot some adreniline into his character. I think because they are just place holders for all of the other characters, I'm going to have to think long and hard about how to move them forward.

I also realize that I need to bring this bloated ship to port (and I know how many times I've brought up ending it lol) but seriously, the next thing I'm going to do is write up a timeline, chart out the chapters, and in my next chapter post, I will tell you guys how many more chapters are left.

Good Night!

Ugh...

2008-10-23T19:05:00.004-07:00

I can not, for the life of me, write a new chapter of anything. I've been trying to do another Necropolis chapter...but it's not working. Demons of the Heart is at a complete standstill right now. Grah.

So...here's the thing...

2008-10-15T21:48:00.001-07:00

I'm a bit of a procrastinator, also one of those people who start things they won't finish. Sorry. I just joined Live Journal...(finally, I know) that website really confuses me, but they have a great community thing going, so I thought it would be...nice lol. I mean, I'm highly doubtful anyone is reading this anyway.

Another reason I joined LJ, fan fiction. I never thought that I would be able to write it, but I was just able to crank out a Heroes oneshot. I know it's lazy, but it's nice when you don't have to develop the character yourself. (Wow that sounds horrible)

Anyway, new things are a-brewing.

Thoughts on a Friday

2008-10-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

So, as some of you may have noticed, I started a new story called....something long in french, anyway I was thinking of renaming it, but more on that later. It was going to start as a one shot, but I realized that I had more to say, so its going to be at least five chapters, maybe a little more. It won't extend as long as DOTH for sure, I feel like that story is way bloated.

I still have not been able to start up Farmers or Royalty, I'm feeling major writers block on those two. I'm going to write one more chapter for the new story, and than I'll write the next chapter of DOTH.

Adventureland...!

2008-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

So, I've been at college for about two weeks now...and let's say that it's pretty much worth it....I love art school! Anyway...

Chapters 29 and and 30 of DOTH did not seem like a roaring success (to me). The quality did not feel right, also...the plot seems dead in the water. I hate falling back on cliches, or just doing stuff to quickly (The Zero and Brad situation)...it's just that I've been dragging out the two of them for ever, but I do believe that I got a bit lazy.

In other news, I have a new favorite slash couple....House and Wilson! (I know, it's not that original) I've never watched the show until, but one cannot ignore the obsession with them on the internet. It's this situation where they openly joke about the couple on the show, and it's all very sexual tension-y for the fans...but if they ever actually did it, I think that might ruin the whole fantasy...it's much better with House treasuring Wilson because he sees him as his only friend.

Meanwhile, back on the range.....

I opened a word document, all ready to start a one-shot, but realized that was just to avoid Unrelated Royalty and The Farmer's Grandson. Those stories are the bane of my existence.

RDH

Haha Good Question

2008-09-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

So, I was asked a question today by Usurp. It made me think that perhaps I should explain the scent thing in a little refresher course.

Ok, so Demons can be attracted to anyone visually as humans are attracted to people visually. However, the scent is what they care about, because it tells them that that person could be someone who is extra special, tailored exactly for them, however it is not always the case.

Wendy, Brad and Cosette have similar scents. Ezekiel is not attracted to Wendy through sent, but he can still marry her. Demons do not have to mark a human to marry them.

So...yeah, I hope that cleared that up. If you guys have any more questions, feel free to ask. :)

NEW CHAPTER WAHAHAHA

2008-09-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

I finally did it, I finally finished a new chapter!
A few notes: Once again I failed on the Riley/Orin story line because...I suck.
I made Ezekiel very bipolar, but remember, he wasn't that stable to begin with.

As for my other stories...well...haha *cries* I'm really trying, I promise!

I feel gross/happy/sad/blah

2008-08-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

So, remember those two pages that I had talked about in that last post? Scrapped, completely gone. Same with my next attempt. They just sounded completely wrong with the rest of the story. Plus, I really have too much going on. I'm going to college for the first time in two and a half weeks, and I have to get ready for that. I'm pondering on this next chapter, I want it to center around Riley and Orin, but as I said before, I'm not really inspired by those two boys...which is funny, since in all of my rough drafts of stories, the two main characters always start out with the names Orin and Riley.

Getting There

2008-08-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

So I know that it's taking a bit...but I'm working on it (836 words so far).

I've been getting back into yaoi manga, so hopefully that will inspire me. Anyway, just letting you know that I haven't forgotten my stories.

NEW CHAPTER OF DOTH!!

2008-07-08T12:19:00.001-07:00

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

...enjoy :)

Ugh

2008-07-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well....I just wrote eight pages of DOTH that you will probably never see because Mark and Ezekiel were so OOC, it made me want to shoot the computer, but I just couldn't stop writing, I had to play the whole scene out. I'm sure I can incorporate the idea somewhere else, but it was getting pretty ridiculous.

Another problem I'm facing is Orin/Riley, no matter how much I try to expand on their story, I just fall flat on my face.

On a happier note, I do have five and a half pages of Unrelated Royalty done, however...they need to be severely edited.

Reviews are like Crack

2008-06-20T10:09:00.001-07:00

I swear to god, they are like the only reason I write....I'm an effing review whore. Lol.

Anyway, I thought I would explain Wendy's plan a bit more efficiently here:

Wendy's Evil Scheme

Seduce Mark into sleeping with Ezekiel
Let Ezekiel have his fun. Drop Mark.
Marry Ezekiel (This kills two birds with one stone.)

Here is why Wendy thinks it would be beneficial for the both of them: Ezekiel's family is very rigid about who marries whom. Of course they want their sons to marry humans, but the humans must be of high class. Wendy assumes (correctly) that since Ezekiel has been such an embarrassment to his family (with the tabloid exploits and all) that they may cut the financial cord. If he marries her, than all will be appeased. In the end, he gets his family's support AND Wendy doesn't care if he cheats, and Wendy gets the fame and power of being a Kain.

I made the mistake of implying that Ezekiel would only be getting the one night stand with Mark in the bargain, but really Wendy's plan solves a much bigger problem of his.

So...yeah, I probably should have done a better job explaining this in the chapter, but...oh well.

On another note, I've started a new chapter of Unrelated Royalty, and have about two pages done. I think I'm going to just cycle through my three stories instead of doing like 5 DOTH chapters at a time.

- RDHero

Bam!

2008-06-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

WOOOOOOOOO BOOOYA!

I just posted chapter 27 of DOTH. Kudos to me lol. I have oodles of free time now that it's summer...well that is until I find a job. But for now, I think I can try to update all of my stories (yes that means Farmer's too.) I am really excited about life..and writing and what not. I plan to go to an art school for college, and to become a comic book illustrator, and turn all of my stories into yaoi mangas...and not publish with my real name. lol. Maybe by the time I graduate, yaoi will be really mainstream...who knows.

Graduation!

2008-06-10T18:13:00.001-07:00

Well, I will officially be free from high school in three days, but today was the "last" day of school. I'm getting a new laptop for graduation, so when that happens, I can start the new chapter of DOTH. :) Maybe I will even make it's own folder on the desktop.

Crunch Time

2008-05-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

So basically, you guys must have noticed that it took me hella days to post that last chapter....sorry lol. I'm actually in my last month of high school, so it's kind of a stressful time for me, and I don't really have the time to write. I promise to start up again once I graduate, but for the next month, I need to concentrate on school.

Thanks again for liking my stories lol. I probably wouldn't write them without you guys.

RDHero out.

OMGZ NEW CHAPTER

2008-05-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well it was a pain in the butt to write, but there it is. I hope you guys liked it. Now I'm left with several options, I can write another chapter of DOTH, or I can continue another story, or I can write the first chapter of Shanghaied....who knows.

BLAAAAAAAARRGGHH

2008-04-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am so uninspired to write, it's depressing. Every time I sit down to write something, it's just a bunch of crap.

Can I say BLARGH!! one more time?

^%&$%#^%#%&P!!!

Heyo, This what I sayo

2008-03-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Well...I'm back home from my trip to Georgia. I still need to finish my application to that place.

So I was rereading "Demons" to make sure I'm writing a coherent story line, and I noticed that I wrote an author note at the end of chapter 14 saying I wanted to wind down the story and end it. psh. lol, well we saw how that plan turned out.

Here's a status update:

Demons of the Heart: Chapter 26 - 10 % complete

Unrelated Royalty: Chapter 5 - All in my head, yet to have been typed.

The Farmer's Grandson: Still on hiatus...

And against my better judgement, I've decided to start a new story:

SHANGHAIED!

Harland Buford was 23 and going nowhere with his life. He decided to jump a train to San Francisco just to prove he had direction. There, in a tavern, he meets Lucas Masheck, a man with a reputation for violence. Little does Harland know that Lucas also has a reputation for getting transients drunk, and selling them to the highest bidding ship.

In the 1800's it was hard to come by a healthy man willing to risk his life on the open seas for very little money. It was a time where a young, strapping guy could be shanghaied, and that's exactly what would happen to Harland Buford.

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Yeah so, it definitely won't be historically accurate or anything, but I will try to make it be as much as I can. Please post what you think of the summary.

Savannah Georgia

2008-03-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

...is where I am right now. As any other senior, I'm currently freaking out about college. You know what else is pretty amusing? I started Demons of the Heart in August....and the school year is almost over...but the story doesn't feel that old.

Anyway, on to answering questions:

Mister Cat: Orgy is what I aim for. lol jk jk jk, I would never do that, although the thought gave me pause.

Vampgurl: Riley is...like...twenty something. If anyone remembers, I mentioned him twice in the Orin/Riley/Nate story arc while they were at Nate's house.

As for the age of the rest of the characters...I'm too lazy to go back and check (lol that is so bad, but I would if I had to mention their age again in the story) but yes, they are all seniors, and they are all 17 or 18. Except Vollander and Remm who are 25 and 35 respectively.

Haha...it's interesting that you mention timing and the ending and all that. Truthfully, I was planning on ending it way back...like chapter twenty, but it turns out that I have too much fun writing it, plus I wanted to carry out and resolve all of the main character's story arcs.

Sweetrose: lol...his name is pronounced almost exactly how it is spelled..like
EE-ZEE-KEE-El

HazelEyedHoney: Hmmm...paying attention to the minor details are we? lol, that makes me so happy lol. (no sarcasm) and no, Zero has not gotten permission from the Demon government......which may come up...who knows >.> Yes...Nate's Demon form is a saber tooth tiger. Yes lol, Riley's Demon is a panther...wow, did I even have him change into a Demon? God, I need to reread the entire story again.

and LOL on Unrelated Royalty, it's not that I have writer's block, it's that I'm veeery scared of how I'm going to make it interesting.

Esquirella: Maybe not, lol, but he certainly thinks he can take on the challenge.

Thanks for reading everyone, please post any additional comments that you have! I'm glad to answer!

1:30 in the Morning, and I'm feeling tired.

2008-03-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

Well, there you have it. Just moments before, I posted the new chapter of Demons.

Yay me.

8:30 and I'm feeling good.

2008-03-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well I've been reading some yaoi manga, and have definitely been inspired to start on chapter 25 of Demons. However, reading the manga has lead me to wonder, why do girls like slash?

Of course, this isn't an original question, but I've yet to see an answer that makes sense to me, for instance, we like slash because it shows males having deep emotions blah blah blah, but I don't believe it.

Have you noticed that slash stories usually have scenes like "Character A shoved character B against the wall, and Character B struggled to get away."

These scenes are so common place, because I think that's what we like to read. In the manga, it's like romantasized rape is in every single story. (I have mixed feelings about rr, but I'm usually..almost always, against it.)

But admit it, we like the boys to get roughed up a bit, it's in almost every story. We like the jealousy scenes, you know, stuff like that...the angst.

(BTW, did does anyone watch Lost? Did anyone else yeep in delight that there was a gay character?)

Moving on....I'm feeling kind of lethargic towards Unrelated Royalty. See, Demons is supposed to be the "High school drama, soapy, light dealie" and Unrelated is supposed to be this action/adventure story with slash in the mix, and as the heroes embark on their adventure, I just feel like it's going to be this huge mental strain to figure out how the hell to write it.

But, I'm ready to start writing the next chapter of Demons. It's like..."I'm even excited to see what happens next! ...oh yeah, I have to write what happens next."

Anyway, please comment if you have a question, or if you have something to add about why girls like slash.

First Entry!

2008-03-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is Rough Draft, and I've decided to start my own blog. I don't really think that anyone will read it, but what the hell, it's a good way to procrastinate.

I'll start by introducing myself. My name is not RoughDraftHero. I write slash, and publish it on Fictionpress.com. I love fictionpress because one can find stories there that might feel like they were written exactly for you. I don't know about anyone else, but I know it would be very awkward if I started buying novels about gay dudes, and bringing said novels home.

I've been reading slash stories since I was in middle school, but it (the obsession) started with manga fanfiction, and than moved on to the mecca known as Harry Potter fanfiction.

I only recently decided to actually write my own story (Demons of the Heart) because I thought that I was finally mature enough, and could finally write an interesting story.

One thing that I can only guess happens with most slash writers is that they write their story because it is a "fantasy" of their own, and there is no other story quite like it.

For example, I only wrote Demons of Heart because there was no other story about bisexual teenage (although almost adult/ already adult aged) Demons who were possessive and just a little bit scary, and who were transfered to a human high school, and met their future mates.

Boy, I sure was bummed that there were no stories like that on fictionpress. So basically, it is my belief that slash writers start the story for themselves, and than continue it because other people like it.

And I cannot tell you how happy I was that someone actually liked my story! If I was able to reach just one other teenage fangirl who needed a story about bisexual Demons in high school, it was worth the effort.

Now, this blog will not just be about my stories, because than there would be nothing to write about, so I will actually...you know, blog....sometimes.

Mainly in this first post, I wanted to address a few reviews on the latest chapter (24)

Kastumi: I'm so happy that you like my story :), and I'm glad that it has inspired you to write.

HazelEyedHoney: Hmmm...well, the Demons feel the transference of emotions, so if the human is affected emotionally by his/her illness, than it would be those emotions that the Demon feels.

xSpookshowbaby: This is indeed my first story, beginners luck I suppose.

Narcissistic: Yes, the Demon is supposed to get permission.

Nonaccount: You will have to wait and see if Zero is at the Ball ;)

Mister Cat: Ahh, always my biggest critic lol, but that's a good thing. Yes, there are so many relationships, and I know how annoying that can be, but it is a large ensemble cast story, a high school drama per say.

ToraYashaChan: Haha, catching the little scientific mistakes are we? Lol, well it actually depends on the dosage, but the story will delve into that.

Some of you guys expressed concern over the unfairness to humans and so forth, and I thought a lot about that. I have actually changed the storyline before, based on what you guys have said in your reviews, but I have say that I'm going to be steadfast about this.

Demons of the Heart is about DEMONS! It will be occultish, it will be unfair to humans (Demons are genetically superior, that's just the way it is) This may be making the humans into the "girls" of the relationship, but so be it. Unless Mark falls into a vat of atomic waste and becomes a superhero, there's just no way he could physically fight back. The whole idea of Demons of the Heart is that humans realize that they must rely on the strength of their emotions and mental abilities. While Demons are naturally animal and irrational in their behavior, people like Brad (who originally was a meathead jock) must learn how to be calm and calculating to insure their survival.

So, yeah. Thank you for reading my first blog, and if you have any questions, please leave a comment!