disgruntledowl

Hi there (and sorry for the delay)!

 I’m very excited that you’re writing for me for Yuletide. I had to take a few years off from the exchange, and it’s great to be able to participate again. I hope you have fun creating, and I can’t wait to read your story.

 First, we can get those pesky DNWs out of the way:

Do-Not-Wants: cannibalism (vampires drinking blood is okay), bestiality, zombies, mpreg, gratuitous graphic violence, scat/watersports, tentacle porn, underage, non-canonical body horror, animal or child abuse. No dramatically different AUs (though missing scenes and canon divergence are okay). No reader inserts or stories written in the second person.

I’d prefer not to read stories about non-canonical infidelity or very explicit rape/non-con. Dub-con is okay. I understand this territory is murky, so don’t worry too much about crossing a line. I’m primarily trying to avoid extreme or violent situations.

 Now, on to story likes and ideas:

 Relationship Interests: I enjoy gen, het, slash, and femslash. Poly is less of a thing for me, but I am open to reading about it if you find it makes for a compelling story (especially re: the Woman in White). I’m particularly intrigued by romantic possibilities for older characters, sexual extortion, and power dynamics and imbalances (particularly between villains and protagonists). 

 Other Likes: Gothic tales, noir, intrigue, atmosphere, vampires, ghosts, period settings, spooky monsters, ruins, fairy tale motifs, folklore, nature (forests, deserts, oceans, shores, and swamps), villains and their motives and psychological characteristics. 

 Fandom-specifics:

 Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics) 

I love the autumnal melancholy of this show, and how it manages to be at once so dark and so pure. I found myself wishing I had more time in the Unknown, and would love a vignette that takes Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice on another detour before they make their way to Adelaide. (I have only seen the show and am unfamiliar with stories that might be covered in the comics, though please feel free to reference and build on those.) Other possibilities: more lore/backstory for the Woodsman, his daughter, the Beast, or the Unknown overall. I’ve wondered whether the Unknown can only be reached by those growing up, like Wirt and Greg, or if adults might end up there as well. Did the Woodsman live a life in the “real world,” and somehow find himself trapped in the Unknown through his own mysterious encounter?

 Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia:

Such a cool take on Gothic horror! I really enjoyed this book and would love to see more fic about its setting in characters. I enjoy the budding romance between Noemi and Francis, and in Noemi and Catalina’s relationship. I’m open to stories about the sexually charged conflict between Virgil and Noemi. (See DNWs: I’m more interested in the verbal sparring and mutual attraction between them, rather than their more explicit sexual interactions. I’m okay with references to the canonical body horror that takes place in Mexican Gothic, but I’d prefer it not be the centerpiece of the story.

 Some other ideas:

-      - Tell me more about Catalina’s experience first arriving at High Place and learning more about Virgil. How does she experience the environment differently from her more practical cousin Noemi? What is it like for her when she has visions in the Gloom? How does she learn about the healer?

-      - How much deeper does Francis go into his botanical and mycological research? Does he access the ability to explore the Gloom in other places? Or does he have any lingering effects or mycological connection to the ruins of High Place that haunt him?

-      - Do Noemi and Francis make their way to other Mexican locales that are plagued by the dark legacies of colonialism?

The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins 

I love all the Gothic twists and turns of this novel, and all of the vividly drawn characters. My personal favorites are Marian and Count Fosco. I’ll admit I felt a thrill reading the scenes where Fosco admitted his admiration of Marian. I’d love a lengthy scene of Fosco attempting to seduce Marian, either our of sincere affection or a sinister desire to subdue her, as he has Countess Fosco. I really enjoy sexually charged clash-of-will scenes between heroes/heroines and villains (as I imagine many do). I’m also open to stories of Marian or Fosco in combination with other characters, and potentially other pairings/ gen combinations. There’s something to be said for the intense friendship between Walter and Marian or the profound sisterly love between Marian and Laura, especially when heightened by the dramatic events of the novel.

Dracula (Movies - Hammer) 

If I have a consistent fandom, this is it. Horror of Dracula (1958) is my favorite cinematic version of Dracula. Christopher Lee's portrayal of the Count is at once terrifying and sensual, grand and feral. Peter Cushing is his match as the clever, noble, indefatigable Van Helsing. Also, the screenplay puts some interesting twists on the classic Dracula story, such as Harker going on a stealth mission to infiltrate Dracula's lair instead of just selling him real estate. Meanwhile The Brides of Dracula (1960) is one of my favorite movies, period. This sumptuous gothic film gives Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing more of a center stage than he had in Dracula, and he’s surrounded by many other compelling characters. (I love Van Helsing and Marianne, but the Baroness and Greta are captivating in their own rights.)

I'm sure I'll love anything you'd write for this fandom, but here are some suggestions anyhow:

- Van Helsing learning to fight vampires or discovering that Dracula exists

- Van Helsing hunting Dracula once before and failing, almost meeting his doom

- Van Helsing bringing Jonathan Harker into a cabal of vampire hunters

- Dracula plotting to expand his cabal of disciples, perhaps throughout Europe or other parts of the world

- Thrilling or fluffy Van Helsing/Marianne romance is great, though I’d prefer that neither of these characters die in the story. I’m open to other pairings as well (Van Helsing/Dracula, Dracula/Baron Meinster, Marianne/Gina, etc.), although Van Helsing/Marianne is my favorite. Gen pairings are welcome as well.  
- What did the Baroness and Greta do when they first realize the Baron has become a vampire (if they did not call for a priest or a doctor)? How did they learn that his affliction is vampirism, and not something else? How does she trap him with the silver chain in his wing of the castle? 

- Tell me about a time when the Baroness successfully ensnared a woman or man for the Baron’s consumption. How does she find the victim, and how do both she and the Baron lure the victim in? You could show this ritual happening for the first time. What internal conflicts and fears does the Baroness overcome as she commits to keeping her son alive, even if it means that others will die?

- What happens before the Baron turns the Baroness into a vampire and escapes?

 Happy writing! 

This past weekend, Mr. Owl and I went a day-long winter raptor tour led by guides from our local Audubon Society. We went on a nine-hour epic quest all over Eastern Massachusetts, from Newburyport down to Middleboro, in search of birds of prey. We've been on a lot of owl prowls and haven't even heard a wild owl on those trips, so it was a real thrill to be able to see:

• Bald eagles, young and old, swooping over rivers
• A big black raven by the roadside
• Northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, and short-eared owls all hunting in a field at sunset
• Red tailed hawks everywhere
• A Snowy Owl near a runway at Logan Airport, another in a coastal marsh, and a third one in a unexpected location

 

We were lucky to have the extremely experienced ornithologist  Norman Smith and several other knowledgeable Audubon staff leading our group. Smith is well known in birding circles for his Snowy Owl rescue activities, in which he catches owls that are hunting prey at Logan and releases them at beaches on Boston's North or South Shores. (Sadly, owls found at airports in other places are sometimes shot to prevent them from being a hazard to planes.) Though I should have suspected it a little, I was surprised and delighted to find that he had secreted a rescue owl in one of the tour vans. When we got to Salisbury Beach, he took her out of her crate and allowed us to see her up close. He was able to keep her incredibly calm even though people from all over the parking lot were coming to take a look. Looking back at the photos later, I was shocked to realize that he had held her legs steady just above her feet with his bare hands.

 The owl had kept a healthy fear of humans though, and flew off right away once he let her go. It was pretty magical to watch this majestic bird take flight over the beach and back into the wild.

Helpful Resources:
- #5onFri: Five Vehicles for Showing Emotion by Becca Puglisi at DIYMFA
- 7 Misconceptions About Revision at Writer's Digest  
- 6 Tips for Reading Like a Writer by Chuck Sambuchino at Writer's Digest 
- Want to be a Great Writer? Then Don’t Focus on Writing. (Do This Instead) by Sarah Cy at The Writing Cooperative

Status Update:

This was not a good week for writing, given work stress during the week and family stress over the weekend. But here’s an update anyway, because it’s important to record the weeks that don’t go well along with the ones that do. 

1. Words written this week: 1,271 words. I missed several writing days this week and met or exceeded my GYWO daily quota (411 words) only one time. I kept going on my longhand first draft of a fic.  

2. Write 4+ mornings per week: Nope.

3. Friday Morning Writer Date: Achieved, thankfully.

4. Write two original stories: No progress this week.  

5. Write to prompts for story ideas: No progress this week, but my Gotham Writers Workshop online course starts tomorrow, so hopefully activity in this area will pick up next week.  

6. Post Personal Fanfic: No progress this week.

 7. Craft on My Commute: Achieved. I continued reading The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know. More notes on this book to come. 

If you are looking for writing exercises, the ones LeGuin includes in this book are great. She introduces each with a clear description of what idea the exercise is designed to teach or demonstrate and provides examples of how to alter the instructions so you can explore a different aspect of the lesson. The subjects of the exercises range from word choice and sentence structure to exploring narrative points of view to managing exposition and backstory. One thing I like about her exercises in particular is that you don’t need to apply them to a work in progress. LeGuin provides a few simple scene or story ideas to help you get the most out of the exercise and the accompanying lesson.

While reading this book, I realized that I may not have ever read one of LeGuin’s novels. (If I have, it's been decades.) Friends, if you are a LeGuin fan, which of her books would you recommend to a new reader?