The update for the first of those two is that I posted chapter 2 on Saturday, and since then have worked on, and completed the draft of two more chapters, so I'm on track to post another chapter at the weekend. I've been trying to make sure I write at least a few sentences each day. So far so good, and it's started to make me feel excited about writing again, which in turn is starting to make me feel more like myself.
As for the second, well, sometimes I feel like that phrase is like a dirty word. Being in my 50s (Yes, yes, settle down), I've been in a number of fandoms longer than some people have had hot dinners. Over the years I've seen fandom behaviors change, from paper zines, to IRC Chat, to other online list serves and message boards and...and...and...
(side note: I feel a bit like Elrond right now. "I was there, Gandalf, when the strength of men failed!")
Anyway... then came my tenure here at Tumblr, again in many fandoms, until I found my way to Rumbelle. Was I there from the beginning? No. I didn't find the Rumbelle fandom until just around the beginning of season 6's original air date. (You can blame Oded Fehr, of the Mummy Franchise). I'm still here ten years later. So way back then, the Rumbellers, and the writers and artists in the fandom were prolific, not just in their writing, but in their Tumblring too. There were TMIs and WIPs, and all kinds, and we all participated, supporting each other and everything - not just with reblogs, though there was that too, but with real conversations and sharing.
I miss that.
The other day I went looking for TMI Tuesday posts from mutuals and people in the fandom, and I ran out of time looking. It made me sad. Where has that gone?
And please done give me the tired old, "creators need to stop thinking that people owe them anything." pigs-pucky! I won't get on that soap box just now. I could probably give TED a run for his money on that one, but I just want to understand the sad and shameful lack of community engagement that I experience. After all, even after eight years, Rumbelle is still getting new members, new writers, new artists, but... why are we all hiding from each other in the shadows?
I wanted to try something yesterday, perhaps introduce a new theme. Naturally a work in progress and subject to change BUT how about a "Working Wednesday"
The Continent of Visvara is a delicate ecosystem that depends on each other for balance. One cannot eradicate the others without causing greater harm to themselves. There are several distinct races, each depending on one another. The Sahrans, The Rahya, The Iwoto, The Nokeyah, The Fae, and the newest members of the ecosystem, the Bazkans.
If one falls, the rest join them. Something the Bazkans quickly learn after the destruction of the Iwoto.
BAZKA: while an Empire, King Grigor’s ancestors declared that no one who ruled Bazka would ever claim the title of Emperor.
Next in Line: Cazimir Vyostor, Zaria Shadowalker Vyostor
Council of Clans: The leader of each clan is democratically elected and then sent to Vysokaya to represent their interests. In Visvara, it consists of the different races.
The Prince or Princess who is next in line is given charge of the Military.
SAHRANA: The oldest race in Visvara outside of the Ancients and the Rahya, they are a group of tribes under the leadership of one Chieftain, as is tradition.
Government: Tribalism, Matrilineal
Current Chieftain: Kamala dhi’Meera
Next in Line: Myra dhi’Kamala
The Order of Elders: An Elder from each tribe is elected to the Order. They are the main decision-making force in Sahgara.
The Chieftain has the final say, however and often fights side by side with the infantry.
The Chieftain is chosen by the spirit of Rahvi “entering” the body of the newest chief.
However, this was warped into the standard mother to eldest daughter system we see today.
There are exceptions, however. If the eldest daughter does not start to show magical ability by the time they reach age eighteen, girls from other tribes who have been known to show magic ability are collected and brought to Sahgara for training.
While there are different tribes, they are collectively known as the Sahran after the land they made their home.
there are five distinct tribes, not including the Rajagha and the Sahgara
RAHYA: A race of people who harnessed the power of air transport. They are descended from the Ancients and guard their secrets proudly.
Government: Democracy
Current Leader: Cielo
Next in Line: Undetermined
The Rahya are so small that they are able to host meetings in which every member has a say in what goes on. They don’t place much meaning in government, seeing as their main job is to defend the Tower.
The Leader is selected via an election
IWOTO: A tribe of warriors who value strength and courage over titles. Deeds are what earn you their respect, which is one of the only reasons they’ve stayed loyal to the Empire this long.
Government: Tribalism, Rule of the Strong
Current Chief: Enele
Next in Line: Undetermined
The Chief has final say, but if a member of the community takes issue with it, they can challenge the Chief, and whoever loses must concede.
The Chief is given a two year grace period, and anytime after that a member of the Iwoto can challenge the position of Chief.
Not to scare anyone or anything but, I promised @beeeinyourbonnet that I would try and post my list, so here it is... I put the first three here, the rest are under the cut. The ones lower down the list are the ones I haven't worked on in a while, the ones at the top, the most recent.
I have included the fic summaries:
Chain of Command (Stargate Atlantis).
When the IOA replaces Carter as the head of the Atlantis Expedition, and the first thing that happens is the alienation of long standing allies, in spite of Sheppard’s best efforts, trouble can’t be far behind. Woolsey’s command is given a baptism of fire when the Alpha team is ambushed off world, and hampered by a lack of intel they truly are on their own.
To See All That Might Be (Rumbelle).
Weird things start to happen when Belle explores the idea of getting a tattoo. Reality and unreality mix and mingle, and someone goes missing, but this is only the beginning of a new and deadly curse for the citizens of Storybrooke that could alter reality forever, when someone comes seeking revenge for what they believe happened, but was never true at all.
Dies Irae (Rumbelle).
A strange man confronts Doctor Belle French after one of her lectures and claims to need her help. He also claims to know that she is troubled, and can offer her protection. When events transpire that lead Belle to take up that offer, a desperate search begins to find a series of ancient artifacts, and Belle and her friends - both old and new - face increasing danger as they try to secure the artifacts for the powers of good before they can fall into very wrong hands, and possibly threaten every living thing in Storybrooke and beyond!
Secret of the Seas (Rumbelle).
Belle and Ruby take a much needed vacation, treating themselves to a fourteen day cruise. Jefferson is Head Miixologist aboard the ship, Secret of the Seas, and Gold is Deck Nine Supervisor, and amid much flirting, and false starts, holiday romances and forbidden loves ensue. Written from the Rumbelle Bingo prompts: Bed sharing, Vulnerability, Jefferson, Pesky Royals, Roses.
Time’s Curse (Rumbelle).
Never fall in love - such is the admonition given to Rumplestiltskin. Blue sees fit to interfere with his plan to reach a world without magic by sending him there herself so that he can pursue his quest to find his son, but he is not alone in this world without magic, nor does it appear that he is entirely free to live his life as he would wish. In the course of his seemingly fruitless search for Baelfire, Rumplestiltskin takes a job as a history teacher at an exclusive private school, and there meets Isabelle - the French teacher. All of a sudden that interdiction against falling in love seems to be really important.
Not Yours To Keep (Foundation TV).
While grieving the loss of the fourteenth Cleon, the younger brother he loved as a son, Day seeks distraction in the company of a new concubine from the Gossamer Court. No one could have predicted the events that follow - nor the way in which Cleon XIII decides to deal with the situation.
No Saving Throw (Stranger Things).
Eddie saves Chrissy not once, but twice - doesn’t seem to matter to his reputation nor to the threat of arrest, Carver and his cronies see to that. This is an angst ridden reworking of Stranger Things season 4 (and maybe beyond) if Chrissy had lived.
Breathe (Stargate: Universe).
As the Lucian Alliance attack Icarus Base, Doctor Rush makes the decision that dialing back to Earth is too dangerous, though that may not at all be his reason for attempting to dial the ninth chevron, persuaded by Eli, and by something Belle had said to him previously, he substitutes Earth for Icarus, and the connection is made. In spite of hurrying to urge Belle to the 'Gate room and through the 'Gate, neither he, nor anyone else believes that Belle actually made it on board Destiny…
Laer o Faen (Tolkien).
A near fatal encounter with the Serpents of the North leaves Greenwood the Great’s queen with but one choice, one that cost her own life, but she makes a promise to her beloved King, born of a love that has already lasted through more than an age of Middle Earth, and remains the only hope to warm a heart fallen behind a wall of despair. (Mingled Movie/book canon, the span of the entire story takes in events from the 1st - 4th Ages of Middle Earth.)
Tuesday (Rushbelle).
When you go poking around in time, you might sometimes find that it pushes back, as Nick Rush finds out… the hard way.
Cobra: In Your Prayers (Cobra/multifandom).
Sutherland’s government and cabinet members might think the disasters faced because of the cyber attacks are finished, but around the world, allies and enemies alike are discovering that not to be the case. Disasters escalate, and it takes multiple agencies to tackle the problem head on. As if that weren’t enough, the personal lives of people seems to be unraveling before their very eyes.
The Mansion on the Edge of Town (Rumbelle/OUAT).
Jefferson suddenly awakens, cursed with two lives in his head in a land without magic, and worse still he is separated from his beloved Grace. He vows to himself that he will bring Grace home, and sets out to spite Regina in any way he can. Along the way he discovers that his old, and dear friend and master, Rumplestiltskin, is still in the thrall of the curse, and that the woman he knows Rumple loves - even if his friend will not admit it - is nowhere to be found… Until, one day, Belle arrives in Storybrooke, and Jefferson knows that to reunite himself with Grace he must first ensure that his two most precious friends awaken and find true love - for only then can the curse be broken for all.
Darkness Falls on Hyperion Heights (Rumbelle/OUAT).
When Librarian and Scholar Belle French arrives in Hyperion Heights in search of an artifact stolen from the British Museum and to enlist the help of Detective Weaver in that search, events in the Heights go from mildly intruiging to dangerously terrifying. Can Belle and Detective Weaver find the truth before time runs out?
Storybrooke’s Best Kept Secret (Rumbelle)
Ruby has a secret, even though she doesn’t know she does, until one day she bumps into the one man who can carry the secret out of the cottage in the woods - though not literally. Now that he know the secret, however, what will Jefferson /do/ with it, and what would it mean for Storybrooke if he were to tell Gold? Is Gold even awake… And what might happen if the Dark One discovered the truth?
Modern Wonders (Rumbelle/Alice 2009)
Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold, and when Regina casts Rumple’s Dark Curse, just a few words here and there creates Storybrooke in a very different place, with a very different atmosphere, and very different issues to deal with. Alliances and enmity permeate the lives of the citizens of Storybrooke, (and beyond), as they tiptoe around the various dangers they face every day. Who is awake? How can they break the curse within a curse? And what of the power struggles rife both within, and outside of Storybrooke itself.
The Pawn Shop on Main Street (Rumbelle).
Gold is suddenly awakened from the curse, not by the fail-safe that he programmed into his mind, but by the unexpected presence of his long lost maid, with whom he fell in love well before Regina cast his Dark Curse, Rumplestiltskin must now find a way past Belle’s disbelief and fear. She is still under the influence of the curse. With the help of his dear - his oldest - friend, Gold seeks a way past obstacles so that he can rekindle the love which he rejected back in the Dark Castle.
Scattered (Rumbelle).
Casting a spell, any spell - at least the ones that involve more than just the wave of a hand, or worse, the wave of an irritating fairy’s wand - takes time, and patience, and the right ingredients, and… just like any recipe, if you get it wrong, it doesn’t mean the cake won’t cook, rather then will, just with unexpected or unintended outcomes. All of Rumplestiltskin’s careful planning and manipulation, all of his hopes and dreams turn to dust; ashes in his bitter heart in the blink of an eye… in the fall of an equine heart. Belle exchanges one terrible prison for another, and it’s one she is desperate to escape, and though Rumple’s fate as The Savior was severed from him centuries ago, sometimes fate itself has a way of finding an alternate route home.
All Our Past Mistakes (Rumbelle).
Doctor Gold, professor of history at the local campus of Maine University, is stuck in a loveless, and one might say abusive relationship with a wife who is less than attentive to their family, and whom he suspects cares little for her marital vows. His resolve to maintain his own faithfullness is sorely tested by the presence of one of his new students - a junior by the name of Belle French - whom it seems fate is determined to put in his way. The two become embroiled in a passionate, and redemptive relationship, but not before suffering numerous setbacks and separations. This is no instantaneous happy ever after, but a tale of two hurt souls finding their way together through darkness and despair.
What the Actual Fuck! (Cobra)
Prime Minister Robert Sutherland is feeling pressured, and isn’t prepared to acquiesce to the repeated challenges from within his cabinet nor the wider circle of those around him. He resorts to drastic measures to ascertain who can be trusted, turning to an 'old friend’ to help him separate the wheat from the chaff. Said friend promises to send in his best operative to assist the PM, the trouble is the operative finds out more than Robert necessarily wants to know, and all this just as all hell is breaking loose around him; people hurt, Britain in chaos and multiple deaths push him into making some hard hitting decisions in order to safeguard himself, the country, and the people he cares about.
Given No Choice. (Stargate: Universe).
Rush is dreaming - or is he? Destiny received an unexpected distress call, and seeks to answer, but to do that needs, not only Rush’s help, but to travel backwards in time.
Butterfly and Phoenix (ST: Discovery).
In the aftermath of the destruction of the Charon in the Mirror Universe, and Discovery’s return to the Prime Universe, some things are not at all as expected. Conflict rages in the Mirror Universe as various factions try to seize control, and one in particular tries to recruit a familiar face to spearhead their campaign. In the meantime, it seems, fate - or the universe - is playing games with the lives of Discovery’s crew and a 'revenant’ wants someone to make good on their word, and will go to any length to get their own way. Weaving together, canon, non canon, and a lot of wishful thinking - and trying to make sense of the ideas in my head.
Coming Down (Halt and Catch Fire).
After West Group steals Mutiny, and Joe shows up to protest his innocent to Cameron, cold hard realizations leave Joe with only one way to go - and like a cornered rat, he comes out fighting for the ones he loves - not for the faint hearted.
Armor of Ice (Halt and Catch Fire).
Inspired by Season 2 Episode 5 - set an indeterminate length of time after the events of that episode. Sara has left Joe, this is the fall out.
Duath i Achas Eriol (Tolkien).
After many years of peace under the rule of the High King Elessar, Middle Earth is once again at war with a new Shadow rising out of the east. The elves have returned in defense of the lands they once cared for, and never more so than now has the power of love and light been tested. (3rd/4th Age book/movie mingle). WARNING: Ch1 may be triggering for some. contains non-con scene.
Here are my series, I don't think any of them are finished:
Lover’s Leap Series
The Language of Flowers Series
Thoughts On A Happy Ending Series
Darker Hearts Series
And here are titles for which I have a vague idea (and some of them I might even remember!)
The Miner’s Day Festival (Rumbelle)
Aftermath (Rumbelle)
Saving the Dark One (Rumbelle)
Brought to You By the Color Red (Woven Beauty)
Calcul(us) (Rushbelle)
(In)consistent Equations (Rushbelle)
The Boston/Storybrooke Line (Rumbelle)
An Individual Life Plan (Rumbelle/Meta)
Breaking the Waves (Movie AU) (Rumbelle)
One Last Wish (Thank you @deliriumsdelusion7 for the inspiration for this one - I wish I could remember better) (Rumbelle)
In Service to My Son (Rumbelle)
Playground Games (Rumbelle)
Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed (Rumbelle)
“Only Remembered for What We Have Done.” (Rumbelle)
What software are you using when you write your fics?
Hi, and thanks for your question.
I mostly use Scrivener these days. It is an awesome piece of software, very versatile, for example, it allows you to import images for reference and research purposes, which you can have visible in a separate panel while writing.. It also has a 'cork board' on which you can fill out key points onto virtual index cards, and then move them around. I love it.
@peacehopeandrats convinced me to use it and I have never looked back. I used to use MS Word, but I wouldn't go back to it now.
When I am away from my computer, I'll use a Google doc if I have to, then c/p into Scrivener when I get home.
I have slowed down a little bit this last week, because I've had a busy 'meeting' week at work, and what that means is that in preparation for each meeting I have to write a document that can be between 6 and 20+ pages long. So... yeah, by the time I've done a few of those, I'm all written out.
Still, each day I'm managing at least a few hundred words, so it feels much slower than it is. Feel free to ask any questions.
