drusillas_rain

Happy birthday elfflame!!!

I'm late to the help_haiti efforts, but my offer post is finally up.

http://bit.ly/6afPcC

I'm offering an in depth critique of either original fiction or fanfiction up to 50k.

The last HP story I worked on was Darkstar by furiosity (which if you haven't read yet was awesome! and you should go read it!). I also critique 4 short stories every month for my critique group. I really enjoy editing, and would love to work with someone on a longer piece.

If you'd like a holiday card from me, please leave your contact info.

All comments screened.


If I've missed your post, please leave a link!

Can anyone remember the ss/rl fic where Remus is hiding out in a muggle village (or just in the outskirts of)? And Remus is friends with one of the single women, and they take dance lessons? Possibly, Remus tries to teach Severus how to ride a bicycle?

The one exchange I've managed to participate in recently is darkflowers. All fics are between 500-1000 words, so the pressure of creating an epic masterpiece is eliminated (which is why I have a hard time with every other fic exchange out there).

Posting just started today, and the first fic is for me!!!

Across the River Lethe

The mystery author took my prompt of Severus Snape being trapped in Tartarus (ancient greek afterlife/hell), and Lily and Remus rescue him. Rating is PG13.

Go check it out!

Ask me my fannish Top Five. Any top fives. Doesn't matter what, really! And I will answer them all in a new post.

Anyone here going to Azkatraz? I'm collecting cellphone numbers at lj:
http://drusillas-rain.livejournal.com/134366.html


I'll be there from Thursday to Monday.

Last summer I quit my job to start my own business. I've since had an amazing time learning a ton of stuff about myself, including the fact that I don't want to be in the training industry anymore, and that I'd rather find a decently paid full-time job, while spending my energy and focus on activism and writing.

What does all this have to do with Azkatraz? I had accepted that by not working full-time I wouldn't be able to afford the con. It will cost just under $2000.00 for me, and even though I really want to go, I haven't been thinking about it. About a week ago though, a few things changed.

I got a tax refund that would cover the trip.
People I know still need roommates.
I'm looking for a full-time job, not just consulting for a few hours a week.
My current consulting gig will last indefinitely and covers my bills but not much else.
My tax refund money won't need to go toward supporting bills, etc.

Hmmm...laid out like that, I don't know why I've been so hesitant to make the decision to go. My DH is very supportive of me going. I think I just felt that it would be irresponsible of me to go.


Can anyone see any flaws in my thinking?

Who else is going to Azkatraz?

In fic, I often see Snape referring to others as "dunderheads". Why is that? Did it appear an inordinate amount of times in canon? Is it just a great word that is so Snape? Do fanfic writers overuse it?

Title: And then Remus James Utechin brought him a cup of tea and smiled shyly
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100
Prompt: “Alec Hopkins” (the actor who portrays young Snape in the films)
Warning: Real-Person drabble. Also, the only snupin is in the title, but it's implied in the after parts.

Here be drabble

Title: Finding Comfort
Rating: PG
Word Count: 200
Prompt: For dbassassin who requested Giles (BTVS) - gen - satchel
Summary: Just after the final battle of Sunnydale, Giles wonders if he should offer comfort. Instead, he’s the one who seeks it.


The leather was worn and old. He’d thought to grab the satchel and fill it with a few things he thought might be useful during their escape...if they managed to escape...if he managed to get to the school bus...

Now, as he rubbed the back of his hand against it, he thought about simpler times when he had acquired it. Not simpler, not really. Nothing about his early twenties with Ethan and Dierdre and Randall was, even if it was tempting to think so. He was still losing those he cared for.

Looking up, he wondered what he could say to Xander. He was, after all, the oldest one, the responsible one. He should make a speech of some sort, offer comfort to the newly called slayers.

He was never very good at comforting anyone.

Buffy was, of course, the exception. Somehow, she found him comforting, but he wasn’t always sure if it was because she was so good at deluding herself and believing that he was on her side. He always was though. Maybe that was sufficient.

Settling in again, he leaned on the window and could make out the orange brightness of a new dawn. Seeing that was enough.

I love to dance.

I started taking ballet lessons when I was 3 or 4, and some of my earliest memories involve those classes ("Hold your arms round, as if there was a large balloon there - what colour is your balloon today?").

I continued taking all sorts of different lessons up until highschool, but had to stop for various sucky reasons that I'm still bitter about. ("Piano lessons? That requires us buying a piano? Sure! Of course! Ballet lessons? I'm not sure we can afford them right now...plus isn't it in a 'bad' part of town...")

When I turned 18, and I was finally able to get into clubs, I went dancing 4-5 nights a week. I had a group of friends who were always out, always dancing. Although I've lost touch with pretty much all of them, I still have good memories.

DH and I met at a danceclub. I remember hoping that he would want to take me home, not based on my looks or conversation, but on my dancing.

Over the past 5 years, I've danced less and less. I've tried some classes, but they never really worked for me. Even if there are dance routines involved, there's never a performance, or a real reason to practise and improve. And I've never been great at going to the gym consistently, or even working on equipment at home.

Then, DH bought me Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3 for xmas.

I haven't had this much fun since, well, since he bought me Rock Band last year. But it's a different kind of fun. I feel like I'm re-familiarizing myself with my body, with how it used to move and bend. Reclaiming it even.

And for the first time ever, exercising (dancing? playing?) consistently hasn't been an issue, even when I've been tiredachysleepybusy.

Have I mentioned that I love to dance?

This summer at Terminus, I managed to write 3 drabbles, and I never got around to posting them. I also need to dig out the ones I did for Prophecy last year (for that one, I spent a whole day at the drabble booths!).


Title: Arrival
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100
Prompt: Nearly Headless Nick (Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington), The Founders, Happy
Summary: The four Founders of Hogwarts are interrupted.

The esteemed four Founders of The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looked on in displeasure at the nearly headless ghost floating in front of them in the Great Hall. Displeasure quickly changed to horror as he bowed, tipping his head as though it were a hat.

“Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, at your service,” the ghost said, still holding the top of his head.

A few awkward moments passed in silence, then Godric laughed. The others shrugged and continued discussing the enchantments on the ceiling. After all, a ghost or two would probably make some of the children happy.

Title: Secret Admirer
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100
Prompt: Written for shadowpryde who requested Willow/Xander
Summary: All she had to do was write the perfect letter confessing her love.

It was an excellent plan. After all, she’d seen it in a movie.

All she had to do was write the perfect letter confessing her love, signed anonymous of course, give it Xander, and he would know they were in love.

She found cute pink stationary with kittens on it, and wrote a long note in purple gel pen. She scented it with her mother’s perfume, and stuck it in Xander’s jacket pocket when he was visiting.

Willow imagined what it would be like when he found the note, and she hugged her pillow, smiling as she tried to sleep.

One of the publishing blogs I read had a really interesting post about "overwriting" - the tendency to string together as many adjectives, adverbs, and "replacement" nouns as possible, among other things.

The blogger is an editor, so the post is written from their perspective of having to edit a promising manuscript, and shares tips on how to identify if you're an overwriter, as well as a list of words that scream out "overwriter".

http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/01/overwriters-anonymous.html


One of the bad words on the list is "sudden (suddenly)" and I know I succumb to that one. I think I need to find some resources on how to deal with that better...

I think I've posted more today than I usually do in a month.


This post is brought to you by the incredibleness of "Slumdog Millionaire".

Holy fuck is it a fantastic movie. I seriously can't remember the last time I was this captivated. It was sweet and nerve-wracking and funny and incredibly sad at moments and invoked just about every emotion possible.

The acting was terrific. The settings in India were eye-opening. The storyline (which is usually what trips me up) was flawless.

It really is as good as everyone says it did and truly deserves to win an oscar.

My write-up sucks ^_^ Just go see the movie!

Summary: The story of the life of an impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik, who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?", wins, and is then suspected of cheating.

Title: I couldn't help it. It just popped in there.
Rating: R
Word Count: 100
Prompt: For acromantular who wanted to read Willow/Squid/Willow. This kind of stuff seems to come up a lot at HP cons :D
Pairing: Willow Rosenberg (BTVS)/Giant Squid (HP)/Whomping Willow (HP)
Summary: Teleportation spell gone very wrong. Or maybe very right.
Warning: squickfic, allusions to tentacle/tree sex

( cut for squick )

Happy New Year!!!

*collapses on bed*

2008 wasn’t a great year for me writing-wise (although it rocked in many other ways). One of my goals for 2009 is to work on improving my writing frequency and regularity, so for the month of January, I will attempt to post one drabble a day. In mid December I asked for drabble prompts as a way to help me get back into the writing groove, and I will be using these (as well as some others) for inspiration.

Title: Synchronized Watches are the Key
Rating: R
Word Count: 100
Prompt: For xterm who requested Tonks/Snape – time-turner
Summary: Severus takes advantage of the time-turner he found.


He had to be precise.

Make note of the time he quietly closes the door of his workroom. Make note of the time he enters the kitchen. The lavatory. Stay in each room long enough to recover and get her off again.

Come up with plausible excuses for leaving the bedroom, taking care not to appear as though he’s on a schedule. Which he is.

After all, he’s a man in his late 40’s and she is still young and very responsive. He may not be allowed to use his wand, but he is more than capable of pleasuring Nymphadora.

omg, you guys, one of my stories just got recced!!!!

The only fest I participated in this year was for the Lily/Severus/Remus holiday exchange hosted by dark_flowers. I wrote Why Must I be a Teenager in Love? for karasu_hime.

I was already thrilled with the quality of the feedback, especially because it's such a short fic, and a niche set of pairings. But, yes, thrilled, because it's the first story I was able to complete in over a year, and because I really did work on it.


Gift For: For the wonderful and talented karasu_hime. Request listed at end of story.
Title: Why Must I be a Teenager in Love?
Author: drusillas_rain
Pairing(s): Severus/Lily, Severus/Remus, Lily/James
Rating: PG
A/N: Beta'd by the fantastic and ever lovely arionrhod. Any and all remaining errors are mine.
Summary: Teenager in Love (link goes to youtube song)
“One day I feel so happy, next day I feel so sad
I guess I'll learn to take the good with the bad
Each night I ask the stars up above
Why must I be a teenager in love?”


You can read the fic here.