thefourthvine: Two people fucking, rearview: sex is the universal fandom. (Default)
Keep Hoping Machine Running ([personal profile] thefourthvine) wrote2009-08-14 09:28 am
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From the Archives

They're coming to take us away. Our internet, I mean, and also everything else in our house. The theory is that we will get our stuff back in our new house, and it will have internet on Monday, but not one other thing in this move has gone according to plan, so I'm not counting on that, either.

I am, however, hoping for a kind and naive neighbor with an unsecured wireless connection. If I don't get that, I will see you when I see you.

As I was shutting down my computer prepartory to moving, I found a number of half-finished posts and posts I never got around to, you know, actually posting. And I thought I would leave you with one of them. This I wrote after I wrote the fanfic warnings post, because, let's face it. Published writers need warnings at least as much as we do. So I thought I would come up with just a rough start - I mean, obviously there are many many many more warnings needed. Feel free to leave them in the comments. Maybe we can get together a definitive list.

(And, yes, I had at least one specific published writer in mind for each one of these. I offer bonus points, which can be redeemed for many imaginary prizes, to anyone who can guess which writers go with which warnings.)

Published Author Warnings

WARNING: I used to have a three-dimensional character, and then I fell in love with him, and now he is Prince Sparklepants Shinyhorse, the most perfect man/vampire/werewolf/demon/half-unicorn/whatever in all of creation. Also, if people criticize him, or my writing of him, I will go off the rails. On the internet. It will be funny in that way where you keep wondering why my family and friends aren't taking care of me.

WARNING: I write fiction, but I believe every word. If you don't, I will send my characters to kill you.

WARNING: If you read one chapter of any of my books, you will end up reading my entire body of work in a week and a half. After it's all over, you will find you are unshowered and vaguely sticky. You'll have blank spots in your memory and a pervading sense of shame you can only cure by fucking a stranger in the backseat of your grandfather's convertible. (If your grandfather doesn't have a convertible, you're out of luck.)

WARNING: If you read anything I write that isn't fiction, you'll never be able to read my stories again. (Special Certain Science Fiction Writers Corollary: If you encounter me on the internet, there's a 35% chance you'll give up on fiction entirely.)

WARNING: I am so done with this series, but, dude, I bought a house back on book 5 and I've got payments to make. Look forward to the next dozen installments, all of which will read like pastiche from increasingly unskilled hands.

WARNING: I'm not done with this series; I'm afraid of it. I spend all my time thinking of creative ways not to write another word of it. Please stop asking me about it; I'm already heavily medicated and hiding from my fans.

WARNING: I'm a big name. I don't have to listen to my editor anymore.

WARNING: I've decided I'm not writing the hard parts anymore. No more plot that makes sense! No more actual story! From now on, it's bad jokes and sex scenes all the way, baby.

WARNING: I don't think I'm my character. I just wish I was. She's shiny! And perfect! (Special Dorothy L. Sayers Only Exception: If you're Dorothy L. Sayers, you can get away with this. If you aren't, you can't. This means you. Yes, you too. Sorry! It was a one time deal, apparently.)

WARNING: I'm starting to hate my main character, but I'm not going to stop writing about him.

WARNING: I really love myself. A lot. Every word I write is spun gold in text form.

WARNING: I was really, really depressed when I wrote this. I'm hoping I can pass the trauma on to you.

WARNING: I did my research, and by god, you will know it if I have to hit you over the head with fifty pages of utterly extraneous exposition.

WARNING: I didn't do my research. If you notice, obviously you don't care about my art.

WARNING: I am completely fucking crazy. Seriously. All my sentences end with special crazy-flavored periods, and all my articles are special crazy-thes and crazy-ands. And that's just my fiction. In real life, I am even worse. I don't know why they're still letting me attend cons, or indeed leave my house.

WARNING: I...don't really get why we have to have women. I mean, in the species. They just bother me. I can think of only two uses for a woman:
  1. To give birth to everyone in the story.
  2. To act as anti-gay buffering devices. (Stories written since 1970 only.)
Fortunately, it turns out they can mostly fulfill these functions and still be a) dead b) entirely off the page or c) non-sentient.

WARNING: Turns out writing novels really doesn't work instead of therapy, but that hasn't stopped me from trying. For the last 35 years.

WARNING: I wrote this thinking of the movie rights. It's not really a novel, per se - it's more of a pre-novelization.

WARNING: I hate you.

[identity profile] sapote3.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
The only ones I got were Orson Scott Card and Heinlein. Unless that's not Heinlein, in which case I'm depressed that there are two authors who I can mistake for Heinlein, OH WAIT, IT'S TOLKIEN ISN'T IT.
ext_2366: (book: grrm is merciless)

[identity profile] sdwolfpup.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
WARNING: I'm not done with this series; I'm afraid of it. I spend all my time thinking of creative ways not to write another word of it. Please stop asking me about it; I'm already heavily medicated and hiding from my fans.

Is this Martin? It's gotta be Martin. Heh.

Best of luck with the move! I hope all three of you make it through with your sanity intact, and all the free wireless internet you can handle at the end.
ext_2454: (Default)

[identity profile] ninasis.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, that first one should be Anne Rice. But she also fits some of the "crazy" ones as well. LOL
mtgat: (Coffee (Selina))

[personal profile] mtgat 2009-08-14 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Safe move!

[identity profile] moosesal.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL. Wonderful list. Sadly, several of these could be applied to Laurell K. Hamilton. Some writers really should stop after book one.

Good luck with the move.

[identity profile] the24thkey.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
WARNING: I used to have a three-dimensional character, and then I fell in love with him, and now he is Prince Sparklepants Shinyhorse, the most perfect man/vampire/werewolf/demon/half-unicorn/whatever in all of creation.

Stephenie Meyer? Never read the books, but the first thing that came to my mind when I saw 'Sparkle' was Twilight. No clue about any of the other warnings though.

[identity profile] angevin2.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 04:58 pm (UTC)(link)
The first one has got to be Laurell K. Hamilton. And I think I recognized Robert Jordan (house payments), Anne Rice (no editor), and Douglas Adams (really depressed) in there as well...

[identity profile] randomeliza.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
WARNING: I'm not done with this series; I'm afraid of it. I spend all my time thinking of creative ways not to write another word of it. Please stop asking me about it; I'm already heavily medicated and hiding from my fans.

I don't know who you're thinking of here, but I'm thinking of Melanie Rawn. SOMEDAY I WILL HAVE CLOSURE ON THIS SERIES IF I HAVE TO KIDNAP HER AND FORCE HER TO WRITE AT GUNPOINT, DAMMIT.

WARNING: I've decided I'm not writing the hard parts anymore. No more plot that makes sense! No more actual story! From now on, it's bad jokes and sex scenes all the way, baby.

Laurell K. Hamilton? Is that you?


And finally, I have no idea who this is:

WARNING: I am completely fucking crazy. Seriously. All my sentences end with special crazy-flavored periods, and all my articles are special crazy-thes and crazy-ands. And that's just my fiction. In real life, I am even worse. I don't know why they're still letting me attend cons, or indeed leave my house.

...but I just laughed so hard I think I pulled something. Ow.
ext_14294: A redhead an a couple of cats. (Default)

[identity profile] ashkitty.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I know, I kept trying to pick out which was her and then gave up. A couple could be Anne Rice, too.

[identity profile] annaalamode.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
WARNING: I'm not done with this series; I'm afraid of it. I spend all my time thinking of creative ways not to write another word of it. Please stop asking me about it; I'm already heavily medicated and hiding from my fans.

OH HAI GEORGE RR MARTIN.

WARNING: I'm a big name. I don't have to listen to my editor anymore.
GOBLET OF FIRE World Quidditch Cup!
ariadne83: cropped from official schematics (Default)

[personal profile] ariadne83 2009-08-14 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
WARNING: I'm a big name. I don't have to listen to my editor anymore.

Y HALO THAR, Terry Goodkind.
ext_14294: A redhead an a couple of cats. (Default)

[identity profile] ashkitty.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I thought that at first but I don't think it is--she never had a 3-dimensional character at any point!

[identity profile] annaalamode.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Jinx! I totally guessed Martin, too.

[identity profile] illariy.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Hehe. These were all hilarious. WARNING: I'm a big name. I don't have to listen to my editor anymore. This one makes me want to read the editor's description of the events.

And I hope your move goes well. *crosses fingers*

[identity profile] thornyrose42.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
We had no internet for a whole week because apparently in two working days means a week in internet server provider-eese.

WARNING: I'm a big name. I don't have to listen to my editor anymore.

Hello JKR. You can actually track this happening, notice how she never talks about any changes her editor made her do after the forth book. I mean by then everyone was just like "Must get this book out in utmost secrecy. No one cane read it! NO editors! NO proof readers! Nothing!

starfishchick: (dude2 - marginalia)

[personal profile] starfishchick 2009-08-14 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I guess Martin, too.

[identity profile] amberlynne.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I think I've read that book. :D
florahart: (writing)

[personal profile] florahart 2009-08-14 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
But she also fits some pretty much all of the "crazy" ones as well.

There. Better, yes?
Edited 2009-08-14 17:16 (UTC)
ext_2454: (Criminal Minds: Derek Laugh)

[identity profile] ninasis.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Ha! Too true!

[identity profile] innocentsmith.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Are there even any bad jokes in LKH's books anymore?
ext_2454: (Willy Wonka: jazz hands)

[identity profile] ninasis.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
You can't hear it, but I'm totally making the "rimshot" sound effect here. *g*
ext_2454: (Default)

[identity profile] ninasis.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Did LKH have an internet meltdown similar to Anne's? Because Anne's meltdown after having her poor lil Lestat criticized was so freaking funny.

[identity profile] innocentsmith.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I am so done with this series, but, dude, I bought a house back on book 5 and I've got payments to make.

Piers Anthony? Every series he ever wrote?

I'm starting to hate my main character, but I'm not going to stop writing about him.

Mystery writers seem especially prone to this problem, from Arthur Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie and on. To be fair, though, sometimes it's more that they can't stop writing because their readers will hunt them down and whine at them endlessly if they try.

I was really, really depressed when I wrote this. I'm hoping I can pass the trauma on to you.

I'm pretty sure this isn't meant to be Douglas Adams, but that was definitely my experience with Mostly Harmless.
Edited 2009-08-14 17:24 (UTC)

[identity profile] ldthomps.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I, too, thought of JKR when it came to not having to edit anymore! :D And I'm pretty sure Piers Anthony fits several of these (especially buying a house at book 3 5).

Moving is one of the most stressful things humans can do, so give yourself license to be stressed - soon you will have new internets! Also, home!

[identity profile] inlovewithnight.livejournal.com 2009-08-14 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Melanie Rawn! ::cries forever:: My trauma will *never* be healed.

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