my moral standing is lying down

Acadia was reading hilarious badfic one-liners to me last night and though I don't remember the line, it started a semi-serious conversation about screaming orgasms. I don't know about you, but screaming orgasms aren't a regular thing, in my experience. Shouting? Much more likely. Keening? Hell yeah. Screaming? Not so much.

Unless we're talking about edging. In which case, SO HOT OMFG. Also, makes sense, right? Thus appropriate.

Okay, so I don't want to dictate what words people can and can't use to describe fictional orgasms, but the use of "screaming" seems to have really lost its meaning.

Does the (over-)use of screaming to describe an orgasm throw you out of a story as much as it does me? Why do you think people use that particular word? Is it because of the unrealistic depiction of sex in the majority of porn? Any other thoughts? I'm curious now.

currently on the bus back to NYC from ratjam in Boston. WTF HOW WAS THAT SUCH AN AWESOME FUCKING
CON?!

1. roomies were actualfax awesome and lovely and fun and ALL THE GOOD THINGS! \o/

2. got to reconnect and actually spend more time with the awesome people I met in Toronto! they were all as lovely as I remembered, and then some!

3. met soooo many new people, all of whom were no less than fucking awesome, fun, squeeful fangirls who somehow (it involved lots of arm-twisting, I assure you -- it was definitely not as simple as "you should come!" "okay!") talked me into attending minimerlin in Philly next weekend.

4. a sad thing: I thought the last rangers home game was on Sunday so it was not going to conflict with the con but Liz says it's Saturday so I'm going to fucking miss it. aaaargh why was my memory wrong on this?! I was so sure. T_T

5. SO MUCH META AND SO MANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS. It's not like I don't know fandom has intelligent thoughts on RL Issues, but I loved hearing about them in person, and hearing people build upon what was said during conversation. I should have taken notes at the sherlock panel (dammit) because there were quite a few things said I hadn't thought of before.

6. someone (whose name I didn't catch) told me she loved my style/look. I.... I was so flattered. SO flattered. style is actually really important to me and I often think my style is only half-hearted because it's very dependent on what's available in my size (and the fact that I have less disposable income now and can't shop like a fiend like I used to) and... anyway, i was so taken aback I could only repeat "thank you". <333

ETA: luce is writing CKR/T-Hard docking fic for my birthday. in return I promised I'd write hellraiser docking fic. WHAT EVEN IS MY LIFE?!!!

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READING. OMG have I been reading. Mostly devouring fic like you wouldn't believe. And I've been meaning to make another rec post but I think I've been too busy to stop and gather my thoughts. I'm less busy this weekend I think, so I'll try to do that then.

( what? historical romances? like, het romances? yes, i still read them... occasionally. )

In other news -- \LUCE/ YOU ARE POSSIBLY THE SWEETEST PERSON ALIVE!!! <3333 lucifuge_5 randomly sent me a book -- because of how much I have talked, recently, about reading M/M stories -- which I am very excited to read! It is First You Fall(A Kevin Connor Mystery) by Scott Sherman and I will (of course) let you all know what I think about it when I've read it! I always enjoy passing books along to others that I think will be interested in them, so I'm delighted when others do the same for me! =D


So. I have written a few ~500-word ficlets lately, which I have really really enjoyed. They're kind of like dipping my toes in water I already know is relatively warm. Which is to say, I know I can write 500-word ficlets and so I'm pleased to have written them lately because I haven't really been writing otherwise.

...And yet I signed up for that 20k ds_c6d_bigbang thing. Ahahahah. I've been thinking (while trying not to scare myself off) about what to write and what I keep coming back to, what I think I'll be the most comfortable trying my hand at, is a kind of AU where Fraser and Kowalski are in their late teens and probably takes place in Chicago. *groans* I really haven't gotten far enough with this... I need to try to be free for the next skype chat (is that this Sunday?)...

Finished all 5 books in Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series. Books four and five of which were extremely satisfying. Again, the mystery part of the story is a hearty and substantial (but somewhat uninspired) backdrop to the more interesting bit-- i.e., the relationship between Adrien and Jake. It's highly satisfying that Adrien is both a likable and practical sort of guy, with strengths and weaknesses -- and that Lanyon isn't shy in depicting both. More than anything else, Lanyon's development of his characters shines, and it makes me really happy to see them grow and change. Plotwise, it absolutely helps that he is able to adeptly put in a touch of angst here and there because god, it gets me every time. Pornwise, THAT SHIT IS HOT YO.

In a lot of ways, Lanyon's writing is really reassuring-- that fangirls who write slash aren't Doing It Wrong. Here's a guy whose series is basically what I'm looking for in slash fic, and basically what my favorite fic writers have done in their stories: depict real depth in characters who have relationships with other three-dimensional, plausibly-motivated characters, who are attracted to those other characters, and both (or more) of whom also happen to have dicks.

I suppose the next question to ask is, is Lanyon writing specifically for the female slash fan? And, more importantly, is he writing disingenuously in order to appeal specifically to that audience because he knows that's what we want? I don't believe so, but who the hell knows.

***

Today is not going too well so far. I'm looking forward to re-watching Brick tonight with Juliet and cathybites and honeymull!!!

From ravenwings_7's post on c6d_universe, she links to Diana Gabaldon's blog post about "Fan fiction and moral conundrums". In which Gabaldon states that she does not enjoy/appreciate/support fanfiction in any form and finds it to be not only illegal, but immoral.

As one might expect, there are already over 350 comments arguing for or against her statements. So far (up to comment 200), everything has been very civil, which I quite appreciate. Because I do think that presenting dissenting (civil, not ranting) views on the topic is beneficial to anyone who's straddling the line and is able to use the thoughts presented as a starting point to further inquiry. And yeah, I know that, for the most part, the back-and-forth arguments aren't likely to change anyone's opinion who has already made up their mind one way or another. Of course, this argument isn't new by any means, and I suppose I'm reading the comments in almost a watching-a-train-wreck sort of way, since I know what to expect.

But there are quite a few commenters who have made really intelligent, logical, clear arguments as to why fanfiction is not only NOT ILLEGAL NOR IMMORAL; how it can be, in fact, beneficial to a published author's fanbase and bottom line; and who also comment on the disrespectful way Gabaldon likens fanfic writers to perverts, criminals, pedophiles, and the like (in an "off-handed" way couched in analogy, but the implication is there nonetheless).

It's sad that a person can't understand the reasons one would write fanfic, and even more sad that a clearly creative person would be so narrow-minded and possessive in a way that excludes others from sharing in (but without attempting to possess or claim credit for) that creation. It gladdens me to know that other authors are able to understand or be sympathetic to their fans in this way -- authors like Jim Butcher and Mercedes Lackey -- who have given permission for "fanfiction to be licensed as derivative fiction under the Creative Commons umbrella."

Clearly we all know on which side of the argument I fall, and maybe my interest in this particular "train wreck" is high right now because I recently spoke with someone who stated, with no room for argument, that fanfiction is illegal after I referred to it as a "grey area". Really, I don't propose to know it as well as a copyright lawyer, but as far as I can tell, it is a grey area. (See: OTW, "I'm done explaining why fanfic is okay.")

While I have no argument with Gabaldon disapproving of fanfic for her own works, and supporting her right to publicly and officially request no fanfic of her works be produced/posted/shared, etc., I find her arguments against it to be inconsistent, illogical, and demeaning.

I whole-heartedly approve of those commenters who said they would now never read her fiction. I'm all for boycotting the products of people/groups/companies that I am in strong, fundamental disagreement with. It's quite ironic, actually -- I never before had much interest in her works as I'm a little wary of epic historical fiction (especially those that simultaneously cohabit the romance and the mainstream fiction categories), but some of the comments have revealed that I actually would have been interested in many of the situations Gabaldon writes about -- including situations that would be considered "perverted", "deviant" and "immoral" by prudes around the world.

Thompson says, "From where I sit, traditional "literary fiction" has dropped the ball. I studied literature in college, and throughout my twenties I voraciously read contemporary fiction. Then, eight or nine years ago, I found myself getting — well — bored."

Clive Thompson on Why Sci-Fi Is the Last Bastion of Philosophical Writing

Welcome to the club.