sarren

I was looking for True Blood artwork and found a nice one here on this site complaining about the changes to the canon in the show - spoilers for books (This is the artist Kittrose on devianart)

I didn’t read much because I didn’t want to spoiler myself obviously, but this person seems seriously grumpy.

I’ve never seen the point of hating on other adaptions/changes – worst case scenario, you don’t like it. Oh well, just ignore it and enjoy the original text. But I like to think of changes as a new way of exploring/expanding the characters…like fanworks. I will admit it’s much easier to watch a movie, then read the book, because the movie can only show you so much, you can then read about all the bits you loved in more detail, or find out why characters did what they did, or what they were actually thinking during key bits. (Perfect example – D'Arcy’s thought processes in P&P when he had his epiphany about what a dick he was and how badly he’d treated the woman he loved are breath-stealing).

Going from the book to the movie is a bit more scary, because when you’ve loved the books your imagination has already locked in characters in certain ways, so when the movie/show takes it in other directions it can be disappointing. Still, it’s not always a bad thing. For example, when Temeraire eventually gets made into movies, if they were to have Harcourt decide to give up being a captain and stay home to have Riley’s babies I would be ROPABLE - on the other hand if they decided to have Anne give up her conventional comfortable life and run away to become part of Laurence’s crew, I would be totally RAPT (ooh, and possibly after a while she’d live in sin with him, Laurence would be SHOCKED and insist on Getting Married Immediately after their first adrenaline-filled post-battle encounter, and Anne would Refuse because she wasn’t sure Laurence really wanted to and also she’s not sure she wants to give up her newfound freedom because she is afraid Laurence would expect her to go live with his parents and have babies, OH GODS NOW I NEED SOMEONE TO WRITE THIS)

ANYHOW, my point is, True Blood the show is apparently very different from the books and as far as I’m concerned, more power to them – now I can enjoy the books almost like a whole new story. I’m reading the first book and loving it – I don’t know why but I was expecting it to be not very well written, but it is, yay! And so far, even MORE gay than the show.

( That scene in about the third ep with Bill and the fangbanger )

MUCH GAYER in the book. I’m hoping that’s a theme that’s going to hold true, because considering how much plot-related and even incidental gay there is in the show, these books are promising to be extremely Relevant to My Interests.

I'm not really a thinky person, and thus never feel I have anything to contribute to panels. I was persuaded to be on a panel at this year's Swancon because I was under the impression that I just had to get up and talk about The Persuaders. In fact that was not the case, as the panel was about dead fandoms generally. But as it was still just talking about TV shows I had a really fun time anyway. I would have liked to have had more control over keeping the panel on topic, and I really like Cricketk's idea about a specific chair for panels. I know some experienced people take on that role automatically and usually those are the most well organised panels. Where this falls down, is panels made up of newbies, or less extroverted people who are there to talk about their area of experience/interest, or people who don't feel comfortable 'crowd wrangling', as Cricket put it. Or worst case scenario when you get experts who just want to hear themselves talk, or talk about themselves and no one else gets a word in edgewise, which pisses off both the audience and the co-panellists.

So, what I'm thinking is, this is something I'd be good at. I have no problem telling people to shut up, and I'm a pretty good organiser. So I guess what I need to do is watch and learn and also go on some panels, as long as they talk about tv shows, slash or the internet.

Actually, could we please have Naomi Novik over? That would be helpful, I can talk about Temeraire!

I realised my plan of having a filter for talking about Empire of Ivory meant that if other people wanted to say something they had to tack it on to comments in a previous post. Oops.

So I've set up a community for talking about Empire of Ivory. Or anything Temeraire, really. Just, DON'T go there if you don't want spoilers. M'kay?

Dear Yuletide Santa

I love you very much. Thank you for choosing one of my fandoms, clearly we both have awesome taste, and for volunteering for Yuletide.

I wish for your sake I could be one of those generous people who say 'write the fic that inspires you and I will love it'. Honestly, if you write deathfic, non-con, or a sad ending I will hate it. Having said that, ANYTHING HAPPY will be fine with me. I know I gave quite detailed prompts, especially for ::koff::Temeraire:: I like detailed prompts myself to inspire me and get a feel for the recipient's tastes, but don't feel you have to write pairings of any kind if you don't want to. Also, I don't care either way about plots, as long as the fic is character-driven. Hell, if you want to write an AU, or a crossover fic (as long as I recognise the other fandom - I have a million shows listed in my interests) or something offbeat feel free to run with it. Or not.


Specifically, if you choose to write Temeraire:
When I was very enthusiastic about the sort of fics I would love to read in this 'verse I was half way through Empire of Ivory. I have now finished it and things have changed OMG!!! If you haven't read it yet and choose to write something set within the first three books, that is awesome too and my prompts are still totally valid. IF, however you've read EoI, and why wouldn't you have?

( More about Temeraire - spoilers for Empire of Ivory )

I'll shut up now.

EDIT OR NOT. Dear God, I hope you haven't already been and gone. You may have noticed that one of the options I suggested was Laurence/Arkady. I'm really hoping you realised that I'd screwed up and had meant Tharkay, and not that I wanted you to slash Laurence with a feral dragon. *headdesk* SORRY. Why do these things happen to me???

Naomi Novik wrote 1500 words today. *is happy*

I read considerably more Naomit Novik words than that today - I have just finished Black Powder War. *is sad*

Just in time to be unshaped for eight hours. *points fingers* It wasn't me - all I download are songvids *looks innocent* Fortuitously, it coincided with the onset of my Temeraire obsession, hence the lack of gnashing of teeth and wailing on my part.

Shame I've just been too tired to actually stay up - I've been working stupid overtime, not by choice either. Stupid work.

My local shopping centre does not contain a single bookstore. This only became an issue yesterday when I realised I couldn't duck in on my way to work and pick up Black Powder War. *is bitter*

So I had to wait til after work today, when I finally got to an Angus & Robertson.

Salesgirl - It's not available in Australia yet!
Me - YES, YES IT IS.
Salesgirl It's only just been released in America.
Me - The website says it was released in America in May.
Salesgirl - No, that was Throne of Jade.
Me - No, it really wasn't.
Salesgirl - Look, I know what I'm talking about. I'm a big fan and I've just finished reading Throne of Jade. You can't get Black Powder war in Australia yet.
Me - BUT MY FRIENDS HAVE IT.
Salesgirl *looks like she wants to call me a liar* Maybe it's available over Amazon?



It's my own fault. I used to know these things, like EXPECT to have to drive all the way into town to the fantasy/sci fi bookstore if you want to be able to pick up the book you want, when you want.

In conclusion, it's probably just as well. I have a FIFTEEN HOUR shift tomorrow, and there's no way I would have got any sleep if I'd been able to get the book today.

BUT I WANT IT SO MUCH.