subverting the text

✦ I AM DONE WITH SCHOOL UNTIL NEXT FALL. \o/ Well, I have two more finals, but after that, I will be done. At that point I will have three more classes and in December I will hold my worthless B.A. in English in my hand.

✦ To entertain myself I have been writing snippets of a silly thing that started out as a bakery AU where Arthur has, as the_ragnorak put it, a MYSTERIOUS SECRET CAKEY PAST and Eames has a spatula and knows how to use it a;lkd;alksd it is so goofy, but has cheered me up. I have been writing all the fun parts (read: the sexy bits with kissing). I have also been on tumblr a lot, browsing the "cute" tag for images of adorable kittens and reblogging dorky posts like this or this.

✦ This means I've spent the last few days going a little crazy catching up on everything I've bookmarked in the last few months, ugh, I apologize for any spam filled with my capslock and squee and joy and/or an overload of kudos. Please wear shades, I am just a little excited at being able to do this thing without feeling miserable and guilty. I am even considering writing rec posts again, remember how I did that twice and it was fun and then school ate me? So glad that's over.

✦ There is a meme going around where you post your top ten AO3 works by hit count. I did this and added commentary that is not interesting to anyone but me. :D ( Read more... )

✦ There was a suggestion opened on dw_suggestions about a "like" feature. ( silly flailing like a social network nerd and neurotic mess )

✦ zachariah made cake pops last week and they were really good, although there were...a lot of them. I was, unfortunately, passed out from two all-nighters in three days, but next time I am going to be involved and we're going to refine our process. The balls were too big and chocolate too thick this time. NEXT TIME ON RENAY HAS COOKING WHIMS: Funfetti cake mix!

✦ I am writing a story where Eames has a unicorn in his subconscious and Arthur's still clinging to a particular virginity and also, killer blankets? I can't say it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever written, because I did write the Kimahri/Rikku story back in the day (oh god) but it's up there.

I don't know where this idea came from, but I am now fascinated with unicorn myths and representations and what they symbolize for different people and have spent a unmentionable amount of time digging around via Interlibrary loan to look at unicorn resources to see what I can have sent to me...instead of looking for sources for my final paper. :|

I am also super curious about how setting up subconscious security works! I cannot decide and I am sure whatever route I go will be the total opposite of whatever accepted fanon is and therefore a disaster. I played a word association game with owlmoose by accident and she gave me ideas when she free associated from the word "security" and now I feel like I should do a poll to see what people think of when they see that word. Why not warp some childhood imagery?

Meanwhile, 40k on fake marriage fic, no end in sight, and I may need to go read some romance novels about getting married (recs?), also some books about knives and also remember how to ground roast a hog, because it's been ten years since I did it last. FML

✦ EX MODE collection has been revealed! I hope they do another remix, I really want to take part next time, and hopefully I will be done with school by then (she says, fatalistically).

✦ Speaking of awesome transformative work, it's time for The Organization of Transformative Works to have their 2011 Fund Drive. I have been working for the OTW since 2009, when I was a young, clueless newbie who thought it would be fun to ask about the state of Final Fantasy tags, volunteered, was a volunteer, for oh, a month or two and then became a committee chair! HOW EXCITING, RIGHT, it wasn't at all comparable to being thrown in a shark tank, no, more like a dolphin tank. Definitely dolphins. They taught me lots of new skills (I can use a wiki—sort of! and Campfire and Basecamp!) and have watched lots of changes and awesome features be created and built and new ideas are proposed all the time. For instance, we're soliciting ideas for hosting fanart, which has been my fondest wish for years and now it's finally getting juice.

I have resume skills! No longer do I only have to list "can fix leaking ICEE machine with scotch tape and chewed gum" and "can oil and pan 120 personal pan pizzas in 16 minutes and 25 seconds" and unlike work where I once almost got into a fistfight with a vendor over his crap blocking my Pizza Hut order in the freezer because he wouldn't move, everyone loves compromise and helping out. I have marketable skills! I can use spreadsheets and manage teams and problem solve sensitive issues and write copy for things.

If I had to choose my favorite thing from the last year, it would be this: renay. These icons were created by justira using Bing's graphic for ff_press (we use instead) and then were adopted as the new favicon for the AO3. Our favicon is transformative! They are so awesome and it is rad to see them everywhere. I feel a little like a traitor because the Kudos feature is awesome.... But the icons. ;__; They are adorable.

Which is really to say, hey, if you can, come give us money and become a member so we can continue to have this cute icon. IT IS SO CUTE. And all the other things, too: our slick new servers, our awesome future in fanart and other non-fic mediums, membership development, and giving fans like me the chance to develop real-world applicable skills! :D Also, the dolphins are nice, too. You could come over. I'll introduce you.

All the stress over school has finally led me to illness. Oh, weather-change cold! I thought I could avoid you, but it was not meant to be. That's my life in a nutshell right now, Death Plague plus work plus finals looming, so here are some other things going down:

» ff_exchange assignments are out. I have mine and I love them with mouth even if it's going to be a...challenge? This is not something I do every day, and I am afraid of FAILURE and my recipient hating what I create and and and. On plus side, I really like the prompts I wrote out, so just in case! Dear gifter, who is perhaps lurking around these parts like a stealth tonberry! ( Read more... )

Of course, now my assignment is to get the posting tutorial up for the overachievers who finish their work the first WEEK (I am so jealous of these people), help with organizing CD lists from the previous round, and get beta organization going in my awesome batcave known as the FFEX gmail contact list.

I will say that, for anyone who uses Doink!/FFEX like their own personal Big Bang (cue every mod looking neither guilty nor ashamed of this fact), this tag might be pertinent: oh shit it's a long final fantasy fic get in the car!. I love freefom tags. <3

» There are so many Big Bangs happening. owlmoose and I are working on getting megaflare_ff/megaflare_ff set up for June and there's hardmode which is a more easygoing Gaming Big Bang (10k versus Mega Flare's 20k). I have to keep repeating to myself that I CANNOT SIGN UP FOR BOTH because I do NOT HAVE TIME. No matter how much I want to write epic Phoeix/Miles political drama with bonus romance and wouldn't this be the perfect—NO, SELF. Back away. It's not like it won't come around again.

For megaflare_ff I am going to write epic Seifer/Zell, who is surprised! Right now it features a ton of GF meta, and some mind reading, and I have no clue how to get it to happily ever after from "well, you're annoying and I don't like you much" but I am hopeful. I will basically be writing seventhe every day going, "please share the latest erotic mind-reading ideas you've come up with" because she was the one who told me this idea was not doomed. I have also put chaosraven in my blackberry under !!!!!! EMERGENCY CHARACTERIZATION HELP !!!!!! so when I am doubting myself I can text her panicking. This is how I roll.

» AO3 is calling for artist feedback, so if you're a fanartist, please chime in! I think even people who view a lot of fanart would have interesting things to say about browsing it. I am ridiculously excited about the future of AO3 and art. \o/

» I missed it when it was first announced, but the judges for Nerds Hearts YA 2010 is posted. This is really awesome to see. I mean, this tiny idea I had that I thought might do some good for lesser-read and unknown books, look how it's grown! Damn, guys, they have people like Liz from A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy consulting who is one of the first book blogs I read that I still find so valuable to my education as a reader and a librarian hopeful. There's tons of book blog BNFs that I have never even interacted with playing this round! I am so sad I didn't feel like I had the time to volunteer to judge, for fear of letting everyone down (I have read exactly eight books this year and only three of them were for fun). Maybe they will take me back in the next round! Meanwhile, everyone will probably get sick to death of me talking about this project, so be prepared for me to natter and host giveaways of the books for people who want to read them (uhhh but maybe I should ask permissions first) since I fail at reading YA myself. *g*

So excited! \o/ Is it starting yet? Now? How about now?

I have been kind of absent, but we're going into the holidays at work! It's a busy time. I was told last week we're 13% above our sales last year, which leads me to believe working for the place I do in the location I do has largely protected me from the recession. You wouldn't know we were in one looking at Stadium Blvd and all the new buildings (Olive Garden, you will soon be mine!)

We're also one of the top snack bars for pastries of all things, and last year our food service area was fifth in the company. This is good for my job security. <3

I have also been involved with some projects and tempting people into AO3 for wrangling (I caught Nan and Ira and Yati! WHO IS NEXT??). We are totally awesome, guys! You know you want to join us. Look, there is RPF about us! general_jinjur is awesome! <3

The other two things: the newsletter, which is going through some massive changes leading to the Death of the Header Policy, and also the prospect of FFEX next year, instead of 2011? Um, we're still discussing the latter and it depends on the state of our sign-up forms (I am learning PHP? Hilarity!) but I am hopeful and excited.

Among all this, I am filling out papers to go back to school part time, plus working full time, plus...a lot of stuff. Speaking of school, they're not making it very easy, but all I need now is to turn in my application and fee, then fill out the FAFSA, and register. I have decided I am doing this! It is time. Unless no one offers me loans. If not I am doomed.

X-2 kids! Please request an invite and fill the archive with X-2 fic when you get signed up. That section is lonely.

*flails around wildly*

Meanwhile, visits to my mom's house are always physically draining. I have a lot of baggage associated with the town and the house (thanks to my father) and so it's like being sucker punched every time I go in the house. Staying the night is the worst—because we normally stay in my old room and my brain constantly expects him to open the door (without knocking) to badger or tease or rant—you could never tell. It's also so small for some reason, like I am a giant returning to a house I have memorized permanently as I saw it as a small child. It's very weird; all the light switches are too low!

Anyway, I never stay the night, which is why we drove back and arrived home at 3:30. Now I am having broth to comfort my ticklish throat (don't you dare, sinuses) and browsing comfort fic, and I made a meme to satisfy myself:

( Post a list/quotes of your favorite fics you've read/re-read recently, regardless of fandom or the reason you love them. )

I brought two bags of Nora Roberts books home with me. I have doubts anyone on Bookmooch will want them. I mean—there are 70 copies of The Villa listed. It's possible I'm doomed.