Ramblings from the 'goblinn

Well, my week of vacation is over. I managed not to use too much time trying to revamp my classes, which means tomorrow may be more exciting than I'd like. But I think well on my feet, and I do have some ideas about how to tackle persistent problems.

( I got some things accomplished that I meant to. )

Oh-- for those who care, the link to the continuation of "In Loco Parentis" is here.

x posted to summer_of_giles and gen_storyteller

For my last summer_of_giles posting day, I offer this end to the first half of "A Father's Love." The plot thickens in the second half, "Mother and Child," notification about which will be coming soon to a Live Journal near you, here or on gen_storyteller. Thanks to our lovely mods for putting in so much work to make summer_of_giles happen, and to all you who have read and offered encouragement and support while I've started clearing away this old WIP. I hope you enjoy this section. While it can't quite be said to stand alone, this is a definite ending point of sorts, so no cliffhanger to Part 2. Let me know what you think.

A Father's Love, Part 1: The Dream, 3/3

X Posted to Summer of Giles.

( Housekeeping Matters First )
( And story background. )

Without further ado: here's the link. Feel free to leave reviews. Enjoy.

For all those following it, the next chapter of "In Loco Parentis" is up here.

Well, part 5 of my EIP (Epic in Progress) is now up on ff net: here.

I'm pleased with how it's going, even as I despair of getting any further or fixing the glaring deficiencies every time I sit down to it. I owe a huge debt to my betas, not only on this work (research_girl and sahiya) but also on other work, past and present. You all know who you are. I'm too afraid of missing any to list you all out. It's weird though-- I really have written a lot over the past year and a half.

slaymesoftly posed an interesting question about betas recently on riters_r_us. How do you deal as a beta with a writer who really is Bad? I'm not that bad, but I am painfully aware my imperfections must also be painful (or painfully funny maybe at times) to read. But I noticed going through the beta notes on this part, that after I cleared away the things they noted, it somehow gave me insight into things they hadn't complained about. I added some things, tweaked some others, and I can just feel that it's better than it would have been. It's almost like clearing away the dead wood let the rest flourish.

And it also let me pull my focus away from some things I thought were bad that they didn't mention, to see other things. To trust that they were okay enough to move on and see something I hadn't before. Not sure I can explain it any better, but I am quite grateful for how it worked out.

Happy Holy Saturday to all.

Just a quick post to say that part 2 of "In Loco Parentis" is up here. And to remark in passing how funnily appropriate the title is, given my life situation of late, and using a different meaning for "loco."

Thanks to Everyone who offered hugs and words of support for me and my Wee Hob. He is starting to settle down, though he is still doing goofy things that make no rational sense. He got suspended from school on Wednesday for having a paring knife in his backpack. He didn't threaten anyone or seem to have any plan for its use, but he'd apparently had it the previous day and "accidentally" let it fall out where other kids he knew disliked him would see it. Of course they told. Of course he hadn't taken it out overnight. He wanted to be caught, on some level.

But the three days with his godparents have done him a world of good, and he sees Dr. Wolfe next week. He is starting to talk about things that are bothering him. He said yesterday, "I know in my head it wasn't your fault, but when you stopped coming to visit me, I felt really hurt and angry." He's been carrying that around for about 5 years, since the court took away my visitation rights in the middle of all its other dirty tricks. I've had him back now for 3. And there are other things further back he has cause to be hurt and angry about. I think one of the things making him so irrational here is that he doesn't really Know why he feels the way he does.

But we love him, we are getting him sorted, and things will eventually be okay again. Until the next clever idea his hormone-addled brain comes up with.

But for now, he's asleep, there is fic, and for anyone who cares, my first fanfic, "Summer" is also being posted out on fanfiction dot net. It's in the Buffyverse, and very much a documentary instead of a story. And has more angst than you can shake a stick at. But it has its moments. And it's part of why I had the revelation earlier that I was going down the same blind alley with "In Loco Parentis," and I really didn't have to. I don't need to account for a whole summer's worth of time. I can tell the story I need to tell here much more quickly than that. And maybe write something later in the timeline, well, Later. When I have another story that needs telling with the material.

Yeah I know. Duh. But in my defense, it has been a very long week.

A couple of writing communities I participated in over this month asked us to submit our best writing for the month. Here's my now edited version of the flashback scene I shared earlier in the month. I have about half the story written now, and I have some ideas about how it needs to end. It's too long to post as a comment, I think, so it's here behind the cut for anyone who wants to see what I'm most proud of from my work last month.

( Fic fragment: from “No Malicious Haunting” (working title) )

Prologue - Two Dads
Part 1 - Visions of the Afterlife
Part 2 - Little Boy Lost
Part 3 - Detention
Part 4 - An Intruder
Part 5 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 1
Part 6 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 2
Part 7 - Another Life
Part 8 - A Sudden Illness
Part 9 - Spectres of the Past
Part 10 - The Pensieve
Part 11 - The Headmaster’s Portrait
Part 12 - Choices

Title: Lost Boys, 13/14 - Consequences
Rating: FRT (PG-13)
Distribution: Sure. Let me know where it’s going. Written for the snape_after_dh ficathon.
Feedback: Makes me write more. Or feel guilty for not writing more. Flames make me toasty.

Thanks to lady_clover, rainkatt emmessann and Wee Hob for fantastic beta work. Remaining mistakes are, of course, my own.

DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I own nothing in the Potterverse, or anywhere else, for that matter. Strictly for entertainment, and no profit is being made. Please sue somebody else. David Dursley, however, is mine. Please ask before you borrow him.

Notes: I will place a small warning here-- some mildly disturbing content in the second half of this chapter. This section took a much darker turn than I was expecting. And I should thank cmwinters for an entry on her journal, wondering when someone would write a certain pairing suggested by the opening of DH. It certainly colored my rereading of it for this purpose.

Also, I am unsure where I first encountered the phrase “Nimue preserve us.” If someone reading this knows the origin of the phrase, please let me know so I can attribute it properly. It's a wonderful phrase, similar to those invoking the Mother of God, and I sure didn't come up with it myself. But I'll happily use it.

Finally, it's the mark of a really good writer, when people mistake her story for canon. mistful is one such-- I got her description of a certain person on a train platform confused with a similar scene from DH, and I use it here. If you haven't read her “Coda to an Epilogue,” stop now and go here to read that instead. It's a much better story than this one. Please note that the links in my rec will expire in September of 2008, as the author is going on to professional status and pulling down her fanfic. I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing her the best.
***
“Well, Potter,” he said finally, a little unsteadily. “Shall we go see to that cousin of yours, then?”

The irritating boy, now a man, grinned at him, and oddly, it wasn't so irritating anymore. “Yeah. I mean, yes, Sir.”

( Consequences )

Part 14 - Light in the Darkness

Prologue - Two Dads
Part 1 - Visions of the Afterlife
Part 2 - Little Boy Lost
Part 3 - Detention
Part 4 - An Intruder
Part 5 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 1
Part 6 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 2
Part 7 - Another Life
Part 8 - A Sudden Illness
Part 9 - Spectres of the Past
Part 10 - The Pensieve

Title: Lost Boys, 11/14 - The Headmaster’s Portrait
Rating: FRT (PG)
Distribution: Sure. Let me know where it’s going. Written for the snape_after_dh ficathon.
Feedback: Makes me write more. Or feel guilty for not writing more. Flames make me toasty.

Thanks to lady_clover, rainkatt emmessann and Wee Hob for fantastic beta work. Remaining mistakes are, of course, my own.

DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I own nothing in the Potterverse, or anywhere else, for that matter. Strictly for entertainment, and no profit is being made. Please sue somebody else. David Dursley, however, is mine. Please ask before you borrow him.


( The Headmaster's Portrait )

Part 12 - Choices

Prologue - Two Dads
Part 1 - Visions of the Afterlife
Part 2 - Little Boy Lost
Part 3 - Detention
Part 4 - An Intruder
Part 5 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 1
Part 6 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 2
Part 7 - Another Life
Part 8 - A Sudden Illness

Title: Lost Boys, 9/14 - Spectres of the Past
Rating: FRT (PG)
Distribution: Sure. Let me know where it’s going. Written for the snape_after_dh ficathon.
Feedback: Makes me write more. Or feel guilty for not writing more. Flames make me toasty.

Thanks to lady_clover, rainkatt and emmessann for fantastic beta work. Remaining mistakes are, of course, my own. Also I have been quite remiss in not recognizing the Listening Beta Extraordinaire, Wee Hob (my son, aged 12). He listened patiently while I read all this stuff aloud to him, some sections in multiple versions, and between his comments and questions, and my own hearing some of the really stupid things I was saying, a lot of literary tragedies were averted. Go here to leave him a comment telling him how awesome he is.

DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I own nothing in the Potterverse, or anywhere else, for that matter. Strictly for entertainment, and no profit is being made. Please sue somebody else. David Dursley, however, is mine. Please ask before you borrow him.

( Spectres of the Past )

Part 10 - The Pensieve