WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 14 -- Saturday

[linaewen]

Sorry I'm late with the final check-in post for this week.  I was away all day in a place where I couldn't get to a computer.  I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend, and that some lovely writing-related time has been part of it so far!

What kind of day was it for you today, writing or otherwise?

Since it's the end of the week, I'm wondering how you are feeling about things in general -- on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best possible happy choice, how do you feel your writing has gone so far this week?  How about this month?

Last but not least, it's also time for our weekly general fic chat post.  Are you looking for a beta? Want to post a snippet of your WIP? Have other fic-related things you want to chat about? Are you getting what you need out of the community to help you with your writing?  Let the sharing commence!

Comments

[crowdog66]

I wrote a short story in the Lethe!verse, "Culmination" (a sweet and fluffy piece, but R for sexual themes, mention of threesome and sibling incest, which is something I'd NEVER thought I'd be inclined to write), plus ~1300 more words of plotting on "Lethe's Curse"... by God, I'd better have a readership for this story, because I've already done around 12k words of plotting on the bloody thing!

Not a lot of writing this week, but a helluva lot of plotting, so I'll give it a 7/10, with the same rating for the rest of the month thus far.

I'll take the risk of posting a bit of the middle of "Culmination", since it's the most recent thing I've done and I find it rather cute...

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Haskell nodded toward the courtyard two stories below. "There," he said, and out of the corner of his eye Nikara saw them stroll into view: side by side, Bob on Megabyte's right and thus on the side further from the Terrace, their heads inclined toward each other as they proceeded unhurriedly toward their destination. The virus's draconic facial structure made his expressions difficult for some people to interpret, but Nikara could make out the edge of what looked like a smile, and the Guardian was definitely looking immensely pleased with himself as he gazed up into his companion's face, his amber eyes half-lidded and his lips curved in a sly cocksure smirk that made his features appear even more foxlike in spite of his azure skin.

Something in the way their bodies related to each other, an subliminal quality that Nikara would have had to work to put his finger on, made the air between them practically incandescent. They were talking quietly together, although their voices came to the second story only as tones — Bob's words light and agile, Megabyte's words heavy and dark — and they appeared completely oblivious to the three spectators watching them from above. Glancing back to his lunch companions, Nikara saw Hask looking almost deliriously happy while Haskell appeared to take a glummer view of this turn of events.

"And this is new?" Nikara asked, turning his gaze back to the sprite and virus below.

"New since yesterday," Hask chimed in. "I guess one of them finally made a move."

"Only took them three months," Haskell grumbled.

"That wasn't Bob's fault," Hask said tartly, wrinkling her little nose in a way that Nikara found so absolutely adorable, he could have kissed it.

"Sure was."

Before the siblings could get into one of their arguments that consisted of Hask pouring out waves of eloquence that ran headlong against the immovable rocks of Haskell's monosyllabic rebuttals, Nikara intervened: "So when you say 'that's that', you mean…?"

"No more good times with Bob," Haskell said glumly, and turned his attention back to his hasparat salad, stabbing at the green leaves with unnecessary force.

"Aw, don't be so sour," Hask chided him, her gaze still following the clearly happy couple. "I'm glad for him. He's waited so long for this."

In spite of his personal resolution not to pry into the details of the sex life of the woman he was more than a little infatuated with, Nikara couldn't help asking: "Are you sure he's entirely out of play?"

"Yes," Haskell stated flatly. A bright sharp laugh drifted up from below — Bob's — and a deeper rumble of an amused reply, low and intimate in spite of the carrying quality of the voice that conveyed it.

"Bob's a one-man guy," Hask amplified, "when he's really in love. And if that's not love," she concluded, picking up her fork again and casting a final satisfied glance in the direction of the sprite and virus walking below with no attention for anything else, "I don't know what is."

[roane]

Today was okay. Not a TON of writing, but I have a decent scene breakdown for the next chapter of the Sherlock is a rock star AU Pull the Stars from the Sky. I'd say it's been about a 9, both for the week and the month. I'm utterly IN LOVE with my WIP, and am getting some really good feedback on it. Annnd, from the latest chapter:

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"There's nothing you can tell me that I don't already know," Sherlock said. "Nothing important, anyway."

"Oh Christ," said Greg, rubbing his face. "Sherlock—"

John glanced at Greg, then turned his eyes back to Sherlock. John's eyes were flint-grey and looked infinitely patient, belying the restlessness in his muscle tone. There was the faintest hint of a smile, or maybe a suggestion of bared teeth. A challenge, then. "All right. What do you know?"

Sherlock heard the chatter from the back of the van quiet, as the others heard what was happening. He smiled, turning to face his opponent, pulling his feet off the bench and crossing long legs. "Captain John H. Watson. I'd give that your age at... twenty-eight? Given your age and rank, you likely went in to the Army as an enlisted man as soon as you were old enough. No university for you. But you're not entirely stupid, so I'd guess money was a factor."

John looked surprised and looked over at Greg, who raised his hands. "I didn't tell him anything," Greg said. "He just... does this."

Sherlock continued, as though John had just confirmed his conclusion. "Needed to find a way to support yourself, then. You did well enough for yourself in the Army. But something happened, just a few months ago. How badly wounded was your left shoulder, Captain? I would say rather badly, if you were discharged for it. Your left hand shakes when you aren't paying attention to it. Not keeping up with your physical therapy, tch." Sherlock sped up as he got closer to the end. "You don't identify as homosexual or bisexual, but you definitely find men attractive, and have most likely moved beyond any schoolboy stage of experimentation. Likely a partner or two in the Army." He smiled as he reached the coup de grace. "And you're so attracted to me you can't think straight."

Sherlock heard the slight intake of breath from someone behind him, likely Molly. John's face remained perfectly neutral, giving nothing away. "And what," said John, "aside from your colossal ego, gives you that impression?"

"This morning, when you woke me. I caressed your hand and you got so flustered you practically bolted from the room. You left behind your coffee."

Sherlock watched as a faint shade of pink crept across John's ears and down across his neck.

"It was terrible coffee," John said, eyes flickering downward once in what Sherlock read as an admission of defeat. He sat back against the seat, still smiling. Game, set, match to Sherlock Holmes.

[pinstripefedora]

I've been forgetting to check in again. Oops. Well, 760 words today, yay! Today was about an 8. It might've been a 10 if I wasn't sick and therefore a bit mentally tired. I'm sure I'm going to reread it when I'm well and be horrified at how bad it is. But I'm pretty satisfied with the bones of it, even if it will need polishing.

This week has been a 10. Definitely. I've been blocked on this chapter for months, and this week I finally got everything to gel and I am banging out prose like a boss. I love that feeling of relief you get after overcoming a dry period. The month itself is probably a 6, because there have been quite a few days where I haven't been able to write at all. Which is annoying.

And I am definitely looking for a beta now! I'm looking for somebody who's familiar enough with the Negima manga to give my story a characterization check. Actually, come to think of it, I might need the whole package deal, because I happen to know my usual beta IRL and I don't think I'd be able to look her in the eye anymore if she read this fic. :/ But definitely characterization, if nothing else.

[bay_alexison]

Had written close to 500 words and wrapped up a scene for my help_japan fic. Now am mulling a bit how I want some scenes to come together. Might do a bit of outlining/planning tomorrow.

Overall perhaps an 8. Had edited and posted my god_tier fic and able to at least get a little over 1,l00 new words written for my help_japan. Would have written more if I wasn't stuck/distracted, but at least I made some new progress again.