Yuletide Reveal!

[thefourthvine]

The themes of Yuletide for me this year were pinch hits (I was one, and OMG I got the best pinch hitter ever, and I finally got to write one, too) and rhyming pairings.

Notes for next year: rhyming pairings are hard. Pinch hitting, on the other hand, actually makes writing easier, because when you need to procrastinate on one, well, the other one is right there waiting.

My stories, in order of posting:

Noir Enough, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Perry/Harry. This story was for misspamela, the very first recipient I've ever had that I knew before I got her prompt. (This was extremely exciting. It's a whole different exchange when you're pretty sure what your recipient might want.) It was beta-read by the amazing team of lynnmonster, spike21, nestra, and qe2 - and Queue nobly watched the movie solely so she could beta my story. On short notice, too. She wins the Dedicated Beta prize. Please give her a round of applause.

Code 69, Men in Black, Jay/Kay. This one was for Amy Fortuna. And, um - I didn't write the whole thing. At a certain point in the Yuletide experience, makesmewannadie and I experienced severe, even terminal writer's block. But you can't stop Yuletide just because your characters refuse to get off. So we exchanged files. It turned out to be much, much easier to finish each other's stories than it was to finish our own, and Yuletide was saved. It was all very magical. My block was porn - ever my nemesis, as readers of Noir Enough will note. (I chickened out on the porn there, despite complaints from Certain Betas that I was leaving them hanging. My response: "Have you met me?") So, the porn in Code 69? All MMWD. And some other parts are hers, too, but I don't remember what - it was all a wild haze of aliens and sex pheromones and John Travolta. (You've been there, I'm sure. You understand.) Code 69 was beta-read by makesmewannadie (yes, I made her beta-read a story she co-wrote; I am merciless at Yuletide time) and qe2.

Audiencing, moral support, and reassurance that I wasn't completely crazy ("Men in Black is perfect for an aliens make them do it story!") came, as usual, from Best Beloved. Best Beloved also provided Yuletide snacks. (For Yuletide snacks, read: chocolate. Chocolate is what makes Yuletide happen. Unless you're one of the mods, and then I assume alcohol is also required.)

I had a fabulous Yuletide this year in every respect, and I thank everyone who played, and most especially the brilliant mods. Bless you, every one. See you in 2007!

Comments

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Heh. So to speak.

No, no, I meant it exactly as written. They just flatly refused to get off. They were all, "But we have to save the world! We don't have time to fuck!" And I was like, "What the fuck is wrong with your value system? Other slash characters don't have this problem!"

I only wrote the section from the landing in SF to the fade to black in the hotel room, and you edited it to make it much better and in character and stuff. I didn't write anything else in your story - and even that, you had outlined for me before you sent it, so it wasn't like I had to come up with the sequence of events or anything.

All I know is, I sent you a file that I couldn't bear to look at because it was a horrible mess and I was so ashamed because I was failing my recipient. And you sent me back what was basically a finished story. And, in return, you let me play around with the Hitchhiker's Guide's voice, which is perhaps the most fun thing to do in the entire world, only I didn't know it until then. Yuletide co-writing for the win!

I FEEL DIRTY.

Well. Yes. But...I mean...you are. It's one of your best traits!

Also, the "who is the puppeteer" poll is up in my LJ (lj-poll-898477 if you still want to try crossposting) and people have already posted many amusing guesses!

I must try this. Next post, then. *makes note*