Ramblings from the 'goblinn

What’s a fic postmortem? It’s a rambling commentary on how a writer went about writing a particular story, identifying and solving problems, what the story was supposed to be about, what the writer learned, or would do differently. I learned to do them from antennapedia and find them tremendously helpful. Sometimes also an insomnia aid. Here then, is my postmortem for Lost Boys.

( Fic Postmortem:  )

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

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

Title: Lost Boys, 7/14 - Another Life
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.

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.

Summary: Past and present meet in the dungeons of Hogwarts.


( Another Life )

Part 8 - A Sudden Illness

Prologue - Two Dads
Part 1 - Visions of the Afterlife
Part 2 - Little Boy Lost
Part 3 - Detention
Part 4 - An Intruder


Title: Lost Boys, 5/14 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 1
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.

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.

Summary: Past and present meet in the dungeons of Hogwarts. This part set 4-5 years after the epilogue to Deathly Hallows.

( Conversations with the Dead, Part 1 )

Part 6 - Conversations with the Dead, Part 2

Okay, life is officially Much Better. I banged out a revised/ recreated lost scene, and was surprised that it has bits in it I never would have added had I not been starting from pretty much scratch. I think this will all work out. Just didn't look like it at the time. Never does. Though I doubt any helpful reminders last night would have helped. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and words today, though.

One by-product of the gut punch which was last night is that it dredged up a lot of old stuff for me that, while painful, was also immensely helpful in crafting the next scene. You'll see when you get there. We are dealing with Severus Snape, after all. Not everything can be fuzzy bunnies. Glad to know my PTSD can be employed in the service of Art. And that I have pretty much bounced back now. That wasn't always the case.

Anyway, I'm drained, but feeling much, much better. I'm looking forward to gathering together a big chunk of the story to post Monday, here and on the snape_after_dh fest.

Good weekend to everyone.

In honor of the fact that I finished the story today (it'll still need to have some polishing done and for my betas to comment on the second half) I'm going to go ahead and post part 3 tonight as well. So, here goes. Previous parts are here:
Prologue - Two Dads
Part 1 - Visions of the Afterlife
Part 2 - Little Boy Lost

Title: Lost Boys, 3/14 - Detention
Rating: FRT (PG)
Distribution: Sure. Let me know where it’s going.
Feedback: Um, yeah. Did I not mention that? Anything up to and including flames is perfectly fine.

Thanks to lady_clover and clavally for comments on early versions of this section, and to sniggs for a fascinating extended discussion that helped me quite a lot.


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.

Summary: Past and present are about to meet in the dungeons of Hogwarts. Set not long after the epilogue to Deathly Hallows.

( Detention )

Part 4 - An Intruder

Title: Lost Boys, 1/14 - Visions of the Afterlife
Rating: FRT (PG)
Distribution: Sure. Let me know where it’s going.

Summary/ Notes: This story is actually the main story for which "Two Dads" was backstory. Four years later, the past and present are about to meet in the dungeons of Hogwarts. Set not long after the epilogue to Deathly Hallows.

And here's a link to a synopsis of HBP and DH I wrote, outlining the essential knowledge someone would need to make sense of this story, for my non-HP friends: http://hobgoblinn.livejournal.com/44761.html

Thanks to lady_clover and clavally for comments on early versions of this section, and to sniggs for a fascinating extended discussion that helped me quite a lot.


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.

( Visions of the Afterlife )

Part 2 - Little Boy Lost