Writing stuff

Wow.

So, a few months ago, I found out about a writing contest that I wanted to enter. The issue was that it has to be a complete story under a certain amount of words. My bright idea was to take “Darkest Before Dawn”, my linked drabble series that (in my opinion) is some of the best writing I’ve done, and revamp it.

So I turned it into a full story, rather than a string of drabbles, and combined it with it’s predecessor, “Yesterday’s Echo of Tomorrow’s Scream”.

It worked, but not as well as I was hoping. It just wasn’t gelling.

So I switched it out of third person past (She said type thing) into first person present (I say).

That worked a little better, and I was quite proud of the result.

Then all of a sudden, I remembered Liz Marcs’ remix from last year, and how she told half of it in second person present, to give it that sense of urgency. And it was like the penny dropped for me.

That’s what I needed to do.

I argued. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t. I’ve never written second person in my life, it always feels awkward, and I hate, hate, HATE writing present tense. I HATE it. As awkward as second person feels to me, present feels about three times more so. (Just to clarify, the second person feeling awkward? I’m talking reading, not writing. The ONLY exception to that is the aforementioned Liz Marcs’ story. But that’s because she’s Liz Marcs and wonderfully talented and has worked her talents and knows the rules of writing so she can break those rules with reason.)

But I finally sat down and did it.

And DAMN, but it’s about ten times better than it was.

Sometimes I hate being right.

I’m going to post both versions, and let people tell me their opinions. I don’t want to be afraid of killing my darlings.


( Second Person Present )

( First Person Present )

Icon Meme

So, let’s see if this works.

How do you feel right now?


What’s your favorite pastime?

(My default icon.)

Do you consider yourself a strange person?


What’s your main fandom?

Explanation: Harriet the Spy, Michelle Trachtenberg. My fandom is Buffy. There you go.

How do you describe yourself?

’Cause, you know. I am.

What’s your favorite icon to use besides your default?


Do you have a WTF icon?


How do you feel towards love?

Explanation: Love is a choice. Hey, that linkage makes sense in my brain right now.

Saddest icon?


Crackiest icon?

Mind numbing rage

Go here: http://evilpuppy.livejournal.com/365126.html?view=2721862#t2721862 and read what Evilpuppy had to go through in traveling United. It is horrible. And when she tried to lodge a complaint, she was basically told by the Customer Service Superviser, "It's not in our job description to help disabled customers. If you don't like it, choose another airline." I'm quoting almost verbatem.

I know that she's not the only person to deal with this. I dislocated my shoulder right before flying back to Boise, flew on United, and had to get customers to help me get my backpack into the overhead bin. I didn't complain, because I hoped it was an issue of an unhelpful stewardess, and it was limited to me, and I just wanted to go to sleep. Now I wish I'd complained.

I personally plan on boycotting United until this is changed. Because I'm a member of the walking wounded far too often. I'm not disabled, but my heart goes to those who are.

Even if you yourself don't think it matters to you all that much about how needy passengers need help and don't get it, ask yourself how you'd feel if your mom wasn't helped? Surely you have someone in your life that might need help while on a flight, and ask how you'd feel if they asked for that help and were told that it wasn't in the job description?