Podficcing, and stuff
Jun. 6th, 2025 01:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mificI'm doing a longer podfic, about 22,000 words, and have happened on a new technique, partly because my new system of using my iPhone necessitates recording and editing at about the same time because recording sessions separated in time can sound quite different. Also, my voice can't cope with marathon recording sessions - about 2000 words at one time is best. So my new system is to record that much, which takes less than an hour. Then that same day I edit that segment, re-recording any flubbed words if needed. It's manageable and gives me a nice sense of achievement to have a definite chunk completed each day. The best way is to divide the chunks at a section break in the fic, which is luckily possible with this story. It covers slight changes in how my voice sounds on consecutive days.
Overall, it's a far better process than my old way when I used to record in long sessions, tiring my voice, and then I'd be faced with days or weeks of editing, which can get tedious.
A minor annoyance in the last few days has been red, itchy eyes, weeping like crazy. I wouldn't have thought there were pollens about now, in early winter, unless it's my Mexican sunflower which continues in full flower, full of buzzing bees. Not an infection, not painful - pretty sure it's some sort of allergy. Luckily it's a lot better now, thanks to camomile teabags. You make tea (pure camomile teabag, no sugar - mine are Nerada organic brand) then remove the bag to a saucer and let it cool. It's soothing as evaporation makes it cooler than room temp, and camomile also treats the eye inflammation. I put one side of the bag on each eye, in sequence, leaving it on a few minutes when the irritation is bad. It's almost cleared up now.
Made my orange almond mini-muffins, and have eaten too many. I'm telling myself all the fibre's good for me!
Overall, it's a far better process than my old way when I used to record in long sessions, tiring my voice, and then I'd be faced with days or weeks of editing, which can get tedious.
A minor annoyance in the last few days has been red, itchy eyes, weeping like crazy. I wouldn't have thought there were pollens about now, in early winter, unless it's my Mexican sunflower which continues in full flower, full of buzzing bees. Not an infection, not painful - pretty sure it's some sort of allergy. Luckily it's a lot better now, thanks to camomile teabags. You make tea (pure camomile teabag, no sugar - mine are Nerada organic brand) then remove the bag to a saucer and let it cool. It's soothing as evaporation makes it cooler than room temp, and camomile also treats the eye inflammation. I put one side of the bag on each eye, in sequence, leaving it on a few minutes when the irritation is bad. It's almost cleared up now.
Made my orange almond mini-muffins, and have eaten too many. I'm telling myself all the fibre's good for me!
Fancake's Theme for June: Female Relationships
Jun. 4th, 2025 08:45 amrunpunkrun
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fancake's theme for June is Female Relationships! That's any kind of relationship with any kind of female—cis, trans, alligator priestess, whatever you got! We already have recs in Star Trek Reboot, Mo Dao Zu Shi/Chen Qing Ling, a stop animation film featuring Barbie dolls and a Cher song (yes, it's as amazing as it sounds), Ghosts (US), and King Falls AM.If you have any questions about this theme, or the comm, come talk to me!
runpunkrunMiserable teenage lesbian makes bad dating (and life) choices while her best friend looks miserable about it: A Graphic Novel.
I didn't love all the bad choices and self-induced misery, but I did enjoy how effortlessly queer this is, and the ebb and flow of the friend group. I also loved how on target the fortune teller's advice was, but that Freddy was just too deep in her own bullshit to understand it. The greyscale art is modern and expressive, with a lot of movement and delightful pink highlights. A good read, and the ending improves on the beginning.
Also the cover is just so good.
Contains: infidelity; unplanned pregnancy; abortion.
I didn't love all the bad choices and self-induced misery, but I did enjoy how effortlessly queer this is, and the ebb and flow of the friend group. I also loved how on target the fortune teller's advice was, but that Freddy was just too deep in her own bullshit to understand it. The greyscale art is modern and expressive, with a lot of movement and delightful pink highlights. A good read, and the ending improves on the beginning.
Also the cover is just so good.
Contains: infidelity; unplanned pregnancy; abortion.
When a scene isn't working
Jun. 2nd, 2025 09:19 ammelagan
*
When a scene just isn't working for you.
You've got a great idea only something isn't coming together quite right. A lot of plot bunnies end up gathering dust because of this very thing.
So, what do you do? That's a hell of a good question. What? It's not like I have the answer to it.
Although I do recall a little bit of advice I've found helpful. Backtrack through your work and find the place where it went off the rails. That's the point where it needs to be fixed.
Not that I have ever made my beloved characters have sex and forgotten to get their pants off first. *coff*
Quantum Bang is live
Jun. 1st, 2025 11:55 pmstarwatcherFor those who don't know, Quantum Bang is a super-sized version of Big Bang (fic productions, not the TV show). Stories are written in a variety of fandoms, and most are epic in length, with a number of art illustrations. Some will eventually appear on AO3, but some remain only on the QB site.
For the next two weeks, two (or sometimes three) stories will be posted each day. Here's a list of the titles, and what fandom is represented, that will be posted.
https://quantumbang.org/2025-posting-schedule/
Every year I tell myself to let people know, and every year I fritter away the time. This year, I'm finally taking a minute to actually make a post. And if you don't see anything that piques your interest, click on the Fiction Index to check out stories from the past six years.
Happy reading!
Update, and today I learned...
Jun. 1st, 2025 11:35 pmmificIt's double Sunday here in NZ - Monday's a public holiday, King's Birthday. Agh, that sounds so wrong - it's been Queen's Birthday all my life and I can't get used to the change. Elizabeth I is a hero of mine and even though Elizabeth II was nothing like her, at least she had the name. Anyway, another day to do Sunday things before I have to put out the garbage and tidy my flat so Fionna, who helps me beat it into shape once a week, can see the floor to do vacuuming and get at the kitchen sink without it being full of dishes.
Recently I learned how to warn for Major Character Death. AO3 have been doing a series of explanatory posts, and this time it was on ratings and warnings. I thought I knew what MCD meant although it's a trope I hardly ever write or otherwise depict, but I hadn't thought through what "major" means. I'd assumed it meant a protagonist or leading character from canon and fandom - one of the regulars, like Rodney, John, Teyla or Ronon from SGA, Fraser and the Rays from due South. But no, it means the prominence of the character in my transformative work. So if I write a fic focussing on Chuck the Gate Room technician and I kill him off at the end (he is rather in the front line, that close to the Stargate) then I need to warn for MCD because although he didn't even get a last name in canon, in my fic he was the protagonist. If I get you invested in a character, no matter how insignificant they are in canon, I need to warn you (or use CNTW) if I end up killing them. Makes sense; I just never thought it through before. Same goes for any original characters I invent.
Over at Drawesome we've finished the Mermay challenge and the theme for June is Pride! I hope people still mobilise to support each other in the US, while the corporates abandon their empty, performative support (fuck you, google, home depot, and the rest).
Recently I learned how to warn for Major Character Death. AO3 have been doing a series of explanatory posts, and this time it was on ratings and warnings. I thought I knew what MCD meant although it's a trope I hardly ever write or otherwise depict, but I hadn't thought through what "major" means. I'd assumed it meant a protagonist or leading character from canon and fandom - one of the regulars, like Rodney, John, Teyla or Ronon from SGA, Fraser and the Rays from due South. But no, it means the prominence of the character in my transformative work. So if I write a fic focussing on Chuck the Gate Room technician and I kill him off at the end (he is rather in the front line, that close to the Stargate) then I need to warn for MCD because although he didn't even get a last name in canon, in my fic he was the protagonist. If I get you invested in a character, no matter how insignificant they are in canon, I need to warn you (or use CNTW) if I end up killing them. Makes sense; I just never thought it through before. Same goes for any original characters I invent.
Over at Drawesome we've finished the Mermay challenge and the theme for June is Pride! I hope people still mobilise to support each other in the US, while the corporates abandon their empty, performative support (fuck you, google, home depot, and the rest).
Connecticut recs?
May. 31st, 2025 03:00 pmelaynaSo I'm apparently going to Connecticut in late August and I'll have 3 days free, likely in the Hartford area. I need to get all organized soon. (And I'm trying to not think about how much the felon and his republican enablers have messed up the FAA, really not.) I don't think anyone on this group is in Connecticut, but just thought I'd throw out a 'hey, any place in that state you'd really recommend, let me know!' I've started researching 'best tourist sites in Connecticut' and there seem to be a number of interesting places but not that many that are OMG THIS ONE for me.
