gwyn: (yuletide newbie liviapenn)
[personal profile] gwyn
Welp, finished my very first ever Yuletide fic tonight. That is, the writing part of it. Now comes the hard part: whipping it into shape, trying to make something better out of it because oh, lord, does it suck. I feel so sorry for my poor Yuletide recipient. I've read, through digging a little deeply, that she will probably like anything, but that presumes someone isn't rusty as an old lead pipe and can actually make a decent story. And of course, try as I might, I still end up writing this big serious thing with tragic tales and events. It's not like I have never written light or comedic, but those are far and few between no matter how very much I might want to not be serious. I hate myself.

I have a lot of polishing to do, a lot. And then betas. But I don't have the time frame I normally allot for such a project. It turned out to be around 3,700 words, but that always changes once I edit. And edit. And edit some more. Still, since I don't have that kind of time for this one, I have no idea what it may eventually top out at. I am also so out of practice that I can't see straight. I already know the ending section needs a lot of expansion, but I could probably cut considerably from the middle. Why do I always have to be so serious?

I don't know how people stand this year after year. The anxiety! The pressure! The woe! The knowledge that you could singlehandedly destroy someone's holiday with your suckitude!

In other news, I got my HD DirecTV installed Monday and have spent the week cruising through the 200+ channels and taping extreme amounts of stuff off the 3-months-free pay cable channels while I have them. The installer didn't come until 7 p.m. and they were in such a hurry to leave that I never really had the chance to ask him about some things I wanted. But at that point, I wanted them gone too, just because they really were being kind of asshats and the fact that it was over four hours late, raining and dark when they finally showed up, and I didn't even know if they were coming at all.

Even on my older, stodgier HD ready TV, the HD looks superb. The broadcast stations like NBC and CBS are fabulous. It was like watching a whole new episode when I watched a repeat of a Numb3rs ep the other night. I have light 49 things in my to do list, and 20 things already in my queue, mostly movies. I'm getting a little caught up in it all. I definitely miss my TiVo. The wishlist function is pretty much not even a function here, and this disappoints me HUGEly. But I do like the picture when I'm in the list. And being able to record two things at once. The one thing I truly hate is more about the satellite itself -- I loathe having all the channels be east-coast time except broadcast locals. Everything's already gone into infomercial territory by the time I'm settling down to watch stuff on air. I'm going to have to record everything, no matter what.

I'm not sure I can ever go back to watching non-HD TV. It's gawjus. Tonight I watched a bit of Dexter, but I don't want to watch too much, because I haven't seen any of season 3 (looks at Jo and Christy and taps foot). I keep looking for something like the earlier eps, but it doesn't seem like Showtime plans to run anything like a marathon, at least, not in the weeks leading up to the finale. If anyone knows if there's a (not on-demand) plan for Showtime to run the eps together, I'd love to know. I will definitely record all of them and watch them on my schmancy new HD DVR.

Date: 2008-12-08 03:09 pm (UTC)
twistedchick: watercolor painting of coffee cup on wood table (Default)
From: [personal profile] twistedchick
I don't know what fandom your Yuletide is in, but I have finished mine already (this year it just worked; last year it was down to the final moment) and would be willing to beta if it's something I'm familiar with (or beta for grammar/spelling if not). If you want. twistedchick at gmail will reach me.

Date: 2008-12-09 07:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gwyn-r.livejournal.com
Oh, that is so kind of you. I have a couple folks lined up who are in the fandom, so a set of eyes on the writing quality overall, flow and sense and yes, grammar, would be very welcome, especially someone with your knowledge and experience.

Date: 2008-12-08 03:14 pm (UTC)
ext_8787: (yuletide 2008)
From: [identity profile] deejay.livejournal.com
I don't know how people stand this year after year. The anxiety! The pressure! The woe! The knowledge that you could singlehandedly destroy someone's holiday with your suckitude!

'Cuz we is festive masochists!

(Will forever be appreciative of your faboo beta work on 'Let It Snow' ~ srsly, that piece would have truly reeked without it, especially when I thought I was done, lol...!)

Date: 2008-12-09 08:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gwyn-r.livejournal.com
Masochism must be the order of the day. It's keeeeling me. Um, which is not a pun on Alva's name. No.

Date: 2008-12-08 04:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] killabeez.livejournal.com
!! I had no idea you hadn't seen S3 of Dexter. Dammit, I didn't save them. :( You have to tell me these things.

{{{}}}

Date: 2008-12-09 08:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gwyn-r.livejournal.com
Yeah, I'm really bummed. Jo keeps saying she has the eps torrented but no one ever seems to want to make time to get together to watch them. It feels funny not watching them in a group since that's how we've always watched it before and I think we all love it equally. If Showtime does run a marathon, though, I'm going to try to grab them all on the DVR and watch at my leisure because I can't stand that the season is almost over and I've not seen ANY of it! (well, okay, except the "kidnapping" last night)

I need me some Deb and some woobie serial killer.

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