krazy kat's korner

Seen with sarken: If you had to delete all but five of your stories, which five would you keep and why? (Or ten if you're more prolific.)

Unfortunately I'm not prolific...

1. Athenaeum, West Wing, CJ/Toby

Should be evident. It was my first 'different' fic and I'm still not sure where it came from, but there's nothing about it I would change.

2. How Could I Ever Know, West Wing, CJ/Danny

My 2.5 year huge fic. I put so much into that story and while it caused a lot of agony, there was also some pleasure writing it. I wrote scenes with almost everyone, it was a challenge. Got a few comments along the lines of 'I don't like pregnancy fic, but...' which is always happy-inducing. And the best compliment ever:

You seem to be quite knowlegeable about pregnancy tests, risks and preparation, and much of it sounds like personal experience, rather than internet research. I take this to mean you're either in a medical profession and have conducted these tests, or been through it yourself - or both. Whatever the case, it makes the story all the more compelling.

I am kinda sad the rest of the story never made it beyond my head, there were some scenes I really loved.

3. Happy, Never, After, West Wing, Carol/Donna

It was difficult and like a lot of my writing, I hated it when I wrote it. But it got 2nd place in Wing Swing, and with the calibre of writers there, that means something. I've come around to thinking it's pretty damn good. Plus Donna had a thing for me.

4. Choice, West Wing, CJ/Danny

Took a risk writing a story about abortion, and yeah, it didn't go down well in a pairing that tended to be light and fluffy. But I'm proud of it.

5. Fish, Flies and Showerheads, West Wing, CJ/Toby / Rhythm of the Night, West Wing, CJ/Danny

I wrote a lot of smut, so I couldn't decide between these two. Fish, Flies and Showerheads makes me smile, really love some of the banter between CJ and Toby, and I was a little surprised reading back over it how hot it is. Plus I think it was the first time I'd written smut from male pov, which was difficult. And pretty sure was the first time I'd ever used 'cock' in a story, which considering the amount of smut I'd already written, was either impressive or sad.

Rhythm of the Night combined CJ/Danny with Moulin Rouge, and all came about because I kept picturing CJ/Danny while watching the movie. Was very hot, mixed with humour and a bit of angst.

5.5 lullaby for the new world order, West Wing, CJ/Toby

Had to include a drabble, and this may be my favourite piece of writing ever. So damn proud of it, I'm amazed how much emotion and history and them I got into 100 words. As most of you know, I'm usually the person who picks out everything I hate about my writing, so this one is special.



My latest tweet: I'm usually so good at using US spelling of certain words, but just picked up a stray arse.

A, C, G, K, P, T, V, X, Y are still promptless if you would like to try and kick start my muse (and save me from my sister ;)).

It may take me an eternity and a half, but I'm going to try and write something for all of them...probably stupidly ambitious, but I do miss writing.

ETA: G, K, V and Y left! Some prompts for Pretender, Atlantis or other lonely listed fandoms would be great.

I have my first chilblains of the season...bloody things were driving me nuts with the itchy at work. Need to take in the vitamin E cream. And be more careful with the water temperature. This in-between weather is the worst.

*

Pick a letter, choose a prompt word, then a fandom and a character or a pairing. (Example, Q is for question, TWW, CJ/Carol.) And I'll write something for the prompt. Or at least I will try.

You can get an idea of characters/pairings I like (and hence may be able to write) from my userpics :)

I'm not guaranteeing anything and it will probably suck. But I'm having a want to write...well I'm wanting to write Criminal Minds because I've fallen hard for Emily Prentiss, and subsequently developed a thing for Rossi/Prentiss. And maybe prompts for any fandom might help stir the muse from her coma (and expand my own horizons since I'm pretty much a one-fandom writer).


Fandoms: A Country Practice, Babylon 5, Buffy, Christy, The Closer, Criminal Minds, Crossing Jordan, CSI: New York, Earth 2, Gilmore Girls, Judging Amy, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Medium, NCIS, Seaquest, Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek: Voyager, The Pretender, The West Wing, Wire in the Blood

( the alphabet )

The first lines meme. And more just random 25 stories rather than my last 25.

( first words followed by a full stop - Stargate Atlantis, Pretender, Judging Amy, and 22 West Wing )

So basically my first lines are short, simple, and nothing spectacular. A majority start with a pronoun. Was interesting going through my stories, as someone who writes a lot of dialogue, it's really only the drabbles or ficlets that may start off with dialogue.

Seen numerous places:

If you had me under your command and could make me write anything, regardless of whether or not I like the pairing or know the fandom or if anybody even writes fic in that fandom and no matter how crack-addled it might be, what would you love to see me write?


Not that I'll be writing anything, only posted one very short thing this year, and written, very badly, about a page of something else, twice (first in 3rd person, then in 2nd, hoping it would make some difference). But I'm interested in what you think.

mandysbitch is conducting a set of interviews with fanfic writers. She has tailored the questions to the individual writer, and the answers are insightful, interesting and illuminating (they may possibly be three words that mean the same thing, but look at me being all alliterate).

The most recent interviewee is dimmer, but candid.

So, please, go and read. There are also some fabulous fic recs.

Post a list of your top five fics favourite you've written, regardless of fandom or the reason you love them. This isn't about the BEST things you've written, but what you LOVE most.

No particular order:

Marshmallows and Duct Tape - The Pretender, Parker & Broots & unmentionables...
Still makes me smile and it was written a while before the infamous season 4 Mr Wiggles episode. Was great fun to write and I was infamous for five minutes. People were laughing uncontrollably in the shampoo aisle and demanding I pay for their therapy.

Athenaeum - The West Wing, CJ/Toby
The best thing I've ever written. I don't really recall writing it, it just appeared. And maybe that's how it should happen. Really proud of it and love it beyond anything.

How Could I Ever Know - The West Wing, CJ/Danny
My epic. Nearly 46000 words and 2.5 years. Moments of love and moments of hate, it took up residence in my head and just wouldn't move out. But I love the finished product, I wrote multiple characters, and I seemed to be able to keep a lot of people wondering. And there are sections of it I adore. I wish I had been able to write the sequel, but the time has passed.

Fish, Flies and Showerheads - The West Wing, CJ/Toby
I think this is one of the hottest things (in more than one way) I've ever written, and yet it has bugs and fish and Teletubbies. And I love the dialogue.

Shared Pain - The West Wing, CJ/Danny
I've written some slightly non-normal fics. Bad sex, the problems of not wearing underwear, and this one on period pain. The end's not great, but I love the dialogue. It makes me smile.


And I want to mention a couple of drabbles, since I wrote so damn many of them:

CJ/Carol drabble - The West Wing
Carol is always helpful. And this is so much of the hot. Really happy with this. Wish I'd written more CJ/Carol.

lullaby for the new world order - The West Wing, CJ/Toby
The best drabble I've written, I loved the future tense. Very proud of it.

Proof - The West Wing, CJ/Danny
Close to my heart, written after I received my very first journal article proofs.

What-ifs - Judging Amy, Amy/Bruce
Was a scary expedition into another fandom, but I like the result. Future tense again.

Those of you from West Wing fandom may recall Rhonda and Evelyn, both their individual fics and their series together. I'll let the gorgeous Rhonda take over the story :)

We had a marvelous time spinning tales of CJ/Danny and Josh/Donna. One of our series - the Bouncing Inaugural Balls series - featured a retired CIA agent turned cab driver and his Irish Wolfhound sidekick. "Mac Sullivan and Whiskey" were our first major original characters and we liked them so well that we decided to try writing a novel bringing them back. The new Mac is no longer a retired CIA agent, but he still drives a cab and solves mysteries. Whiskey made the transition unchanged. We added a cast of quirky original characters, but as an ode to our West Wing roots, kept the Washington D.C. setting.

It took us a year to write the book and another to find an agent and publisher. But in May 2007 "Murder Off The Books" is going to be published in paperback by Echelon Press! Marian and I have decided to use the pen name Evelyn David for our fiction. We've set up a website to promote the book and keep anyone who is interested in our writing updated on our progress. If you have time, we'd love to have our West Wing friends visit us at http://www.evelyndavid.com/ . You can read Evelyn David's bio page and find out the inside scoop on our writing partnership and how we made the leap into the unknown. We also have a monthly newsletter on writing and a sign-up form at the site for those that are interested.

Okay - so why are we sticking our heads out of the woodwork tonight? The reason is that we have a short story that is being published by Echelon as an e-Story. It's ready to go right now! If you like mysteries with a large dose of humor, we think you'd enjoy it. The title of the short story is "I Try Not To Drive Past Cemeteries." You can find out more at http://www.echelonpress.com/


I'm so very proud of them both. I read their first full draft and look forward to reading the final product. Their leap almost makes me want to try it myself...but then I get over it ;)

Question for the east coast of the US section of my flist:

I'm looking for spring flowering plants that would grow in the general area of Delaware. Specifically pink/red shades. Would camellias, azaleas, magnolias and dogwoods fit the bill? Anything else that comes to mind?

Was reading a discussion about drabbles and whether they're just scenes (of a whole) or should be a self contained story. I've kinda written both, but there is one that is up there with Athenaeum in terms of quality (imo), and I think it would be less of a story if more words were added. Excuse my moment of remincising, it's just been so long since I've written anything of worth (or of anything), and I am still very proud of this.



lullaby for the new world order
by Katrina McDonnell


Originally Posted: 30 January, 2004.
Disclaimer: Show belongs to Aaron Sorkin, title to Matthew Good Band.
Author's Note: For Oro, until I have time and idea for longer story. Many thanks to the great Luna.
Pairing: CJ/Toby



He will begin to lose his mind three years and five months before he stops breathing.

His greatest gift will evaporate slowly, leaving puddles that connect in brief flashes of brilliance. Until he forgets how to write.

She'd vowed that she wouldn't go through it a second time.

"CJ."

She will stare at him and dismiss it as hallucinations sparked by hearing their victory song. Nine months will have passed since he last knew her name.

"I told you he was a good man."

She'll have no voice, only a nod, and he'll grab her hand.

"Dance with me, CJ."