Poll: Yuletide! Yay!

[thefourthvine]

I am very excited about yuletide, and I've been bouncing around like a crazed thing since I signed up. (This is the Anticipation phase of Yuletide. Yes, there are phases of Yuletide. Yes, I have actually written them down. I know, I know, so pathetic, but it's an important thing to me, okay? I was never that excited about the holidays as a kid, but as an adult, Yuletide makes me absolutely delirious with joy.)

Anyway. I deal with the Anticipation phase (This is actually Anticipation Part One, because sign-ups are still open. When they close, I will start hard-core Anticipation. It is dangerous to come within seven feet of me during that time.) in many ways, but in part by refreshing the requested fandoms list, so that I can admire the shiny numbers climbing ever higher. (Plus, this year, there is a festival of gold and green to admire there. You can even see how many people asked for and volunteered for a given fandom. It is the coolest thing ever!)

But the site went down briefly today. Suddenly, I had no outlet for my Yuletide glee. Hence, this poll.

And if any of you have friends listers who are also doing Yuletide, I'd love it if you'd point 'em over here, 'cause I don't know how many of my own friends listers are. (You all should, though. You get a story! In a tiny fandom of your choosing! And you can write a story that will make someone else's heart sing! And this year there is no qualifying requirement! Go, sign up, and then come back and take the poll!)

Yeah, yeah. 'Tis the season to abuse exclamation marks and the Create Poll function on LJ. Happy holidays!

[Poll #855532]

Comments

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

*jumps up and down*

I'm so glad the site is back up! The new shiny colored list is the best thing ever.

*refreshes AGAIN*

And I know what you mean about the phases. First there's the wibbling and the writing down and erasing of fandoms. Then there's the waiting for the assignment. Then the getting of the assignment and cries of "OMG what was I thinking?

So far, my favorite/most terrifying Yuletide experience is when I wrote a pinch hit in one day, frantic beta'ing included. Whew.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

The new shiny colored list is the best thing ever.

I know. I secretly fear I crashed it because I could not stop reloading.

First there's the wibbling and the writing down and erasing of fandoms. Then there's the waiting for the assignment. Then the getting of the assignment and cries of "OMG what was I thinking?

Forget not the other phases, including:

• Despair of Ever Writing Anything (Before the Deadline, Anyway)
  
• Whining to Your Friends About How Your Write Is Done Broke and You Got Four Hundred Children and a Crop in the Field
  
• Getting Stuck in the Middle and Wanting to Die
  
• Sending the Story off to Beta and Suddenly Wanting to Live Again
  
• Having the Story Finished Thank You God
  
• Waiting So Impatiently for Christmas
  
• Using up a Full Year's Allottment of Squee and Capital Letters on Christmas Morning

(I'm getting a head start on the capital letter abuse.)

So far, my favorite/most terrifying Yuletide experience is when I wrote a pinch hit in one day, frantic beta'ing included. Whew.

*stares at you*

Clearly, you are not a mere mortal. (And your beta isn't, either.) Wow.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

I secretly fear I crashed it because I could not stop reloading.

Dude. Neither could I. If we crashed it, it's because 500 fans were hitting the refresh button like so many trained monkeys. *pause to hit refresh again*

I love your phases. For me there's also one that goes "Oh, there's still tons of ti-- wait. There's only one week left? Aaaaaaahh!"

Clearly, you are not a mere mortal. (And your beta isn't, either.) Wow.

Aw! Well, see, it was an absolute deadline, or I'd have begged for an extension - but I was leaving for an Xmas holiday the next morning, so, no. And also, the request was Hercules (I can see you going "Of course it was"), and for ltlj. So I had to, because no way was she not getting a Yuletide story. I think at least three people beta'ed it, and that really helped.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

If we crashed it, it's because 500 fans were hitting the refresh button like so many trained monkeys.

And now there are even more of us to hit reload! 631 OMG!

For me there's also one that goes "Oh, there's still tons of ti-- wait. There's only one week left? Aaaaaaahh!"

Last year I added a special Pitiful Post of Entire Rough Draft Plus Much Pathos to Extremely Limited Filter of Just Betas phase. I was trying to write porn, and there's a very good reason why I don't do that. (I, um. Can't, basically. Yes, this makes Yuletide a special challenge for me.) And I remember saying to the people on the betas filter something like, "Oh, god, I've written anti-porn. I've written porn that you could read at a funeral."

And they cheered me up and fixed the porn, and I moved on to the Triumphant Posting of Story phase. But, you know, I re-read the story for the first time since I posted it, and - the porn still reads like anti-porn to me, like the very definition of not at all hot. And yet the commenters almost all said it was hot. So I can't help wondering if this is just me, or if all writers find their own explicit stuff exceedingly dull.

I tell you what, though: either way, porn betas are worth their weight in iridium.

And also, the request was Hercules (I can see you going "Of course it was"), and for ltlj.

Those were my precise words. So, did you request Hercules this year? Or just sign up to write it? I take a special interest in it, of course, and I've been wondering if you're the one red or one of the 12 golds or both. (You and your One True Fandom are the cutest couple ever, by the way. At least 10% of my love of Hercules comes from your love of it, because you love it so much it's contagious.)

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

716 OMG!!

And yet the commenters almost all said it was hot. So I can't help wondering if this is just me, or if all writers find their own explicit stuff exceedingly dull.

Hee. I have no idea. All I know is that when I attempt to write smut, I find it excruciatingly difficult. And I'm not talking about anything more than a paragraph or two - not like, say, Komos' wonderful SG-1 stories where the sex takes up half the story and manages to be meaningful, powerful, detailed and hot. So impressive.

So, did you request Hercules this year? Or just sign up to write it?

I'd like to tell you, but I can't; the yuletide gods would strike me down and send me terrifying story requests. (Unlike the adorable and righteous flambeau, I really like the lies and secrets part of Yuletide. *g*)

And aw, yay OTF! *beams* What a nice thing to say. I can't help being absurdly fond of my show, and I'm glad I'm not the only one.