Forget your troubles, come on, get happy!

[apple_pathways]

I've been rather negative lately. Time for a Happy Post Round-Up.

♥ Finished my Hunger Games entry for dark_fest! F YEAH! (The fairy tale verse...might be shelved for awhile. My brain can't process meter at the moment.) If anyone has the time to look over this story and give it a quick beta before tomorrow afternoon, let me know: otherwise, I'll just give it a once-over myself in the morning and send it in. (WARNING: this is a dark!fic. It contains non/dubcon themes and issues of maternal apathy/neglect. Umm...yeah.)

♥ GOING TO CHICAGO NEXT MONTH! F YEAH, pretend mini-vacations!

♥ Music Meme. Y'all now how I like those:

I've done this one before, but WHATEVS: music meme! Crying out for completion.

Want a letter? Ask for a letter! I'll give you a letter, and you list your five favorite songs beginning with that letter!

I have been given a 'C' by the lovely planejane. (C is for cookie, that's good enough for me...)



"A Case of You" - Joni Mitchell

"Cecelia" - Simon & Garfunkel

"Close Call" - Rilo Kiley

"Cosmic Love" - Florence + The Machine

"The Crane Wife 3" - The Decemberists

* BONUS VIDEO *
"C is For Cookie" - Cookie Monster

Comments

[rewindclunkplay.livejournal.com]

ou, can I have a letter? :)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Mais oui! How about...U? :D

[jesterjoker.livejournal.com]

Chicago!

Give me a letter. :D

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

D for :D

:P

[jesterjoker.livejournal.com]

Thou art sadistic! :D

Hm.

Dark Chest of Wonders, Nightwish (hell yes)
DU HAST!, Rammstein
Demon Speeding, Rob Zombie (geez, Ds are hard to find)
Das Omen, E Nomine (huh, the evil monster music is where I find Ds!)
The Decisive Battle, the Black Mages, a remix of a Final Fantasy 6 battle theme. :D

Thou hast a bonus, too: the whole album (or what I've heard in it so far) of Dreamquest. Symphonic metal Japanese-esque techno! Yes!

[lemniciate.livejournal.com]

fuck yeah, the decemberists are awesome.

gimme a letterrrr <3

[ladybracknell.livejournal.com]

I'm in for the music meme. I need something to post because my life is tedious :D.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

YES THEY ARE.

I give you: a 'K'!

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling!

Because I know you can handle it: 'V'!

[tourdefierce.livejournal.com]

Joni Mitchell was like my lesbian awakening. I mean, I know I'm supposed to say Ani but I can admit to the fact that Ani came after Joni.

There is nothing in this list of C that doesn't turn me on.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I grew up during the heyday of Lillith Fair, and had a ton of friends who listened to Ani, so yeah...I found her first.

But dear God, Joni Mitchell with the beautiful, heart-breaking lyrics!

There is nothing in this list of C that doesn't turn me on.

Mmm, so Cookie Monster does it for you, too, huh? :P

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

I have to listen to the Rilo Kiley and the Joni Mitchell song, but good choices!

Yay for Chicago! Are you coming on a family holiday? Hopefully the weather here will have improved a LOT :)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

DO! That's my absolute favorite Joni Mitchell track--bittersweet and GORGEOUS! And ugh, Jenny Lewis's voice! So happy I saw Rilo Kiley in concert before they went on permanent hiatus; her newer projects just don't do it for me.

I'm just coming out to Chicago for a weekend visit. I have friends who live out there, and I'm hoping to meet up with flister evilhippo, the Queen of Chicago Hipsters. Are you out there as well?

[jacknjill270.livejournal.com]

Cecilia! ♥ I always forget how much I love that song until I hear it again and have to turn it up and sing along. Also, Cosmic Love is one of the most gorgeous music videos I've ever seen. All the colors! Basically this whole list of songs is A+++.

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Yay for Chicago trip!

:( for shelved fairy tale, but I can understand. When meter isn't coming to you, forcing results can make for really cringe-worthy results.

♥ songs, Cecilia especially. That will be in my head all day tomorrow, damn it.

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

P.S. *twitches at entry title* House-watch much?

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

No! I am an irregular viewer of House: I was devoted to it in the first couple seasons, but now I only catch the occasional episode. evilhippo posted about the dance number, and I tried to watch it in iTunes, but I could only get the first 25 seconds before the video gave out. (I love that song, though: it's one of my favorites for shower singing!)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I know I'll be coming back to the fairy tale fic. If I can finish it in the next week, the mod is going to let me post it in the fest. They also have an amnesty period in which I could post it.

Ugh, I just wish I could get over this ridiculous spate of writer's block! I can't seem to finish things these days. (I'm actually quite happy with my Hunger Games fic, but I have a feeling it's in sore need of editing. Fortunately, I have a week before I need to post it, so I can go back and fiddle with things.)

Cecilia is so very singable! I suggest you just go with it, and get others to join in if you can. :P

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Cecelia just demands to be sung along to, doesn't it? Why fight the urge? :P

Florence and the Machine needs to make another album now! I still love Lung, but damn it, I want MORE!

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

I got the first Rilo Kiley CD when it first came out because I'd heard that one song (I can't even remember the name!) on the radio. I ended up not liking the entire album very much and eventually gave it away.

Yup, I live in the Chicago suburbs and go to school in the city. I hope you have a great time when you come here!

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, I have a week before I need to post it, so I can go back and fiddle with things

Yeah, I hear people that actually schedule to finish ahead of deadlines can do this. Never tested it myself, but the theory sounds good.

And as for writer's block, that sucks. I don't suppose you've tried walking away for it for a while? I have tested that; the muses generally can't stand this, often running after you, pleading for a second chance. But in the meantime, lots of luck. I read the accountant/private eye thing. Your writer's block is still better than most people's anything.

Am tempted to stalk your friend because I totally would have jumped in on that epic House analysis :)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear people that actually schedule to finish ahead of deadlines can do this.

Ha! No, I was not so forward with my planning. The way the fest works is you email a copy of your finished submission to the mod for them to check over, and then they assign you a date to post your fic. Since the authors are posting the fics and not the mods, technically I can fiddle with it all the way up until my posting date.

And as for writer's block, that sucks. I don't suppose you've tried walking away for it for a while? I have tested that; the muses generally can't stand this, often running after you, pleading for a second chance.

Do you mean walking away from a specific project, or walking away from writing altogether for awhile? I keep trying to ease back on my writing commitments, but it's hard: there's always something coming up I want to do! And since I feel the need to finish just about everything I commit to, it makes for a horrible rush of projects to finish.

Right now, I have a monthly fic-writing commitment to thegameison_sh and a prompt I claimed for my own fest at sherlockmas. (It would not look good if I didn't honor that one!)

I think a prolonged break from fests, exchanges, and other commitments is definitely in order. I should just write for myself, without a deadline, and publish when I'm good and ready. Blech.

(Anyway, thank you for the compliment, and for reading my story! xx)

Am tempted to stalk your friend because I totally would have jumped in on that epic House analysis :)

Go for it! Just mention you found your way via me, and things should be cool. evilhippo loves a good meta discussion, and I'm sure she'd welcome any input you have. (She's in Portland at the moment, though, so I wouldn't expect a response right away.)

Anyway. Are you working on anything at the moment?

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Do you mean walking away from a specific project, or walking away from writing altogether for awhile?

Good question! Walking away from writing altogether, I think--though that sounds awfully final. Shutting off the damn computer and doing some housework often seems to make my creative mind get into gear. It feels like threatening my muse. Hey, I'm not going to wait around all day, I say. Muse: Okay, okay! Look, here's an idea! The walking away might not last more than an afternoon or even an hour, but I find that I can't "trick" myself by taking an hour off--I really have to convince myself that I'm quitting for the day/weekend before it'll work.

I know a change is as good as a rest, but working on something else sounds like an invitation to multiplying unfinished projects. But I'd like to try it and see how it goes one of these days.

Is the "blech" because you're tired in general, or because the idea of not writing for a deadline takes the edge out of it for you? ;)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I like writing to deadlines--it's motivating and gives me something to aim for. But when I'm in a good writing groove, I don't need deadlines: I'm excited to get my ideas out on the page. I haven't had that for awhile, though.

I think part of my problem is I have too many hobbies, so if I walk away from my writing, I don't have a problem finding other things to occupy my mind. Already, I'm shifting into full-on Garden Mode, I have a crochet project going, and I'm in the middle of a book I'm enjoying.

What I need to do is finish whatever commitments I've made, and then give myself a true break: where I don't have some deadline looming, or some unfinished project taunting my from my harddrive.

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

I think part of my problem is I have too many hobbies, so if I walk away from my writing, I don't have a problem finding other things to occupy my mind. Already, I'm shifting into full-on Garden Mode, I have a crochet project going, and I'm in the middle of a book I'm enjoying.

Have you tried not being so awesome?

Seriously, though, I guess the question that comes to me then is: why angst about the writing then? If you were in a crocheting creative slump, would you be as worried about it as writer's block?

*wishes good luck on sweeping away all those pesky commitments, it sounds like a plan*

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I guess the question that comes to me then is: why angst about the writing then?

It's a good point, but if you knew me better, it's one you wouldn't bother asking! (I'm...rather tightly wound, let's just say!) I suppose it's just that writing has always been a passion of mine, but one I've never stuck with for a long enough period to do anything about it. I don't have illusions of becoming a professional writer, but I would like to sell something, someday and to do that, I need more practice.

If you were in a crocheting creative slump, would you be as worried about it as writer's block?

Sorta, yeah! (Like I said: tightly wound!) I do feel...guilty, I guess...if I put it down for too long. (Actually, this reminds me: one of my friends is having baby #2 this summer, and I need to make him something!)

But no, not as worried as the writer's block!

I think it's time I just admit that I am mentally ill and in need of a prescription for tranquilizers.

Or a glass of wine.

Or five. :P

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

Random, but I just realised that I did not have the Rilo Kiley CD and never gave it away. Now I'm trying to figure out which CD I had, which band it was, and I cannot figure it out for the life of me. OK anyway, sorry about the random post taking up space in your comments :D

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

LOL! No worries. I'm amazed you were able to find the post where this discussion took place! In anyway, I'm relieved to hear it was not Rilo Kiley that you disliked so much. (They're one of my favorite bands!)