OMG, Nano!

[elaby]

Nano in T minus four hours! Not like I'll start writing at midnight or anything. I did that the first year and that was enough for me. I probably won't be starting until tomorrow afternoon, either. Surprisingly, I'm not panicking. And that kind of makes me nervous! *laughs* I have a chain of events planned out for my story, and I just hope I can make myself write without worrying about whether it's good or not. I've been writing mostly fanfic lately and I don't give myself "permission to suck" with fanfic, so I'll have to get back into that mindset if I'm going to make my word count every day.

This morning I took the bus into work, and lord almighty, it was cold. Which is weird, because it was warm enough to go without a jacket this evening around dinnertime. But it was awesome even though it was cold, and very Samhain, because everything was rimmed in frost. Each individual blade of grass and leaf and flower and fluffy seed pod had spikes of ice edging it like fur. It all sparkled in the sun, and I walked listening to Feste sing while the yellow leaves fell on the sidewalk. Under each little tree there was an oval of bright newly fallen leaves, and the brown leaves on the edge of the sidewalk had their veins traced with frost.

In celebration of Halloween (only I totally didn't plan it that way XD) I've been re-reading Dracula. I hearts me some Jack Seward, but occasionally the things he says freak me out. He's the narrator so often that I wonder what's part of his character and what's meant to be there because it's what Stoker wanted readers to think. But anyway, I still think Arthur's one of the most unfortunate fictional characters ever, and Van Helsing somehow gets more interesting every time I read the book. I also found conflicting information about Lucy's hair color! Bwah!

Time for a bath :3 Happy Samhain and Halloween!

Comments

[assimbya.livejournal.com]

Ah, so you've had the 'conflicting Lucy hair color revelation', have you? Every Dracula fan has it eventually, I think, and it's deeply distressing as far as one's faith in Bram Stoker. I go with light, myself, mostly because I read Mina as dark haired and the contrast is nice.

I don't know about Jack's unreliable narration being Stoker's intended perspective - there really is evidence for both sides of the argument. Generally, I just file it all under character analysis, because I don't want to try to delve into Mr. Stoker's psyche, which I sense may be an unpleasant place to spend an extended period of time.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

You are SO right about Bram Stoker's psyche. I only get so far as going "I wonder if that's what he meant Jack to think or what HE thinks" and then I stop. It's probably all intertwined anyway.

I totally didn't notice the "dark hair" detail the other billion times I've read this O_o Probably because I only read the bits I like best. I go with the light-haired theory too, since the text went out of its way to say she had golden hair and then the second time, when it called her "dark-haired", it was the middle of the night and they were seeing her from far away, etc.

[assimbya.livejournal.com]

Everything is, in these matters. And one thing I like about having read so much literary criticism on these things is the ability to discard it all at will. Which I quite frequently do.

Oh, I know, and that's how I rationalize it too. It's better than Leonard Wolf's "Being a vampire makes your hair change color!" thing.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha! That crossed my mind for like two seconds and I was like, "... Nah."

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

Happy NaNo writing, and belated Happy Samhain and Hallowe'en.

I love your description of your walk into work. :) As always, I can see it through your eyes.

I have a feeling I missed a bit of your fanfic here. I must find it today and read it.

Have fun in Boston today! I am feeling sad that I couldn't go, but you know, shikata ga nai. There will be other times.

I need to read Dracula.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

You can go with us next time :) A lot of people couldn't go with us today, so you're not alone!

You should totally read Dracula! It's great. And insane. And awesome.

The post before this one has more Holmes fic :3 I only wrote two (and the drabble) but it takes me weeks to get one done, so that's why it's been taking up my writing brains.

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

I have now read your fic and commented. So good!

[elaby.livejournal.com]

D'awwwww :) Thank you again! You make me feel SO good about my writing.