No, there is too much. Let me sum up

[mhalachai]

In light of my continued writer's block, I'll list all my ongoing fics here for your reading pleasure, and to help clarify in my own mind how things are going.

(I'll clarify about the writer's block: I've had three really good one-shot fic ideas in the last few days (KtE/HP, SGA, and AB/BtVS) but can't write. The words don't want to come out of my head and onto the page. But I will get over this and write again!)

Works in progress

Inevitable (AB/HP): I'm working on chapter 70, and we will see several familiar characters grace the scene again. Chapter 70 actually spans a couple of weeks and a lot of action. Remember, the story only goes until chapter 80 and we have a tonne of action to get through. It's all planned out and I know how it'll end and what I have to do to get us there.

Also, in Inevitable-land, I'm in the process of creating a soundtrack for the story. It's almost done, but I can't post it until after chapter 72, because one track will spoil a plot twist that I introduced back a long time ago. But then after that I can post with impunity, because really, what's an epic HP story without Voldywort? I'm pretty excited about this, as I just love Inevitable so much and want to add to your reading experience.

Switchback (AB): Has not moved much in the last little while. I'll be honest, reading Danse Macabre ruined any interest I have in reading or writing Anita Blake fic for a while (Inevitable doesn't count). We'll see if my plan to get to Switchback after I finish Inevitable will still work.

Magnolia (AB/XMen): Not only is Magnolia suffering from the above-mentioned Danse Macabre problem, its other crossover source, the X-Men movies, ended on a sour note for me. I know the comics inside and out, and seeing two strong female characters reduced to cardboard cut-outs (Rogue and Phoenix - especially Phoenix) annoyed me in so many ways.

I can't help it. The source material always impacts my writing.

Balancing Act (AB/SG1): Four chapters are completed, and I lowered the total number of chapters to seven from eight. It tightens up the action and the plot. I think there are enough hints in the first four chapters that people with sharp eyes can guess who the bad guy is :) This one isn't suffering from DM syndrome, because it's not really Anita-centric.

Promises (FF/MG): A while ago, I said I'd have this done in a week, but I need to rewatch some Inara episodes before I can continue on this. It's still planned to complete in one part... at some point.

Candlelight (AB/BtVS): This story is now on hiatus, as in "I plan to finish this some day but need to rework the ending to my satisfaction."

In the meantime

I've been writing a lot of one-shots or small stories in recent months, mostly to do with Stargate Atlantis. I have some ideas for longer SGA fics, but not to the point where I actually start them. I figure once I finish Inevitable I can take stock of my fic status and if I want to start another epic... who knows?

Also, I started watching Battlestar Galactica (as in the first 2.5 hours of the miniseries) on Friday, but I don't know. It was interesting and all, but I can't see myself bothering to continue with it.

I have to go now. Have a good day and don't de-friend me, I'll be back to writing in no time, I promise :)

Comments

[quicksilvereyes.livejournal.com]

You've been VERY busy. I hope you get past your writer's block soon, but don't worry about it. I won't undfriend you, lol. Inevitable has been a wonderful epic journey and it's a wonder you've gotten us this far. So Kudos! I'm really excited for the soundtrack too, btw ;)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I'm O SO BIZIEEEEE. Only two more weeks of this hectic pace :)

I love Inevitable, I really do. It's not a "crossover" to me anymore, it's its own little universe.

The soundtrack... oh man. The ones I'm stuck on are the Harry/Luna/Ginny love theme, and the "Damian WTF?" song. I think for the triangle I might just use Chef's Simultaneous Love song.

Baby you know, you're the one for me
And all that I want to be is...

You and me... and her, simultaneous

*sigh* I'm such a bad mhalachai some times :)

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

There's always "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak. ;-) (Or if you're addicted to Chef, there's his "I Wanna Make Sweet Love To Your Woman", though I don't know if that made the South Park soundtrack CD!)

As for Danse Macabre, do what outraged HP fans everywhere have been doing, oh, ever since Goblet of Fire: Ignore those bits of canon you don't like. ;-)

[cissasghost.livejournal.com]

I can't help it. The source material always impacts my writing.

That's so where I'm at with HP and AYG. I've been thinking about it and I've concluded that really, what screwed me up was the battle in the Dept. of Mysteries. Not anybody's death or other actions, not any of the new characters introduced, but . . dude, tank with brains in it. It was .. corny. It messed with my ability to think of this 'verse as quirky and cute on the surface but essentially dark and twisted and real. I lost faith that this world as it exists in JKR's head has the kind of depth to support the story I was writing, I think - it stopped being quite so plausibly real. Not sure why, really - canon shouldn't matter quite that much, but eh, whatever, I'll get my "I like my version better" groove back eventually.

Read little bits and pieces of DM, moreso than when last we talked . . yeah, so, SO re-writing this for 'Remnant'.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Damn those writers, ruining our fanfics :D One day that will be us, destorying young people's hopes and fic dreams.

I'll get my "I like my version better" groove back eventually.

Yay!

I can't wait to see what you do with DM.

[houses7177.livejournal.com]

Source material always affects my writing, or desire to write, anyway. I totally get it.

As for BSG, I was hooked after Season 1's cliffhanger, but not really before. J was hooked from the miniseries, but I required a bit more selling. Now I'm officially an addict.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I think I should at least finish watching the minieseries before I make any proclaimation. Maybe my mind is trying prevent me from falling into yet another fandom.

As for source material... all DM made me do was want to get Anita pregnant for real. I'm making up for it in the Dawn-centric crossover I'm about to post. Because really, everyone should have some Dawn in their lives.

[(Anonymous)]

I feel exactly the same way. You should do that. I think that is the story DM should have been.

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Anita with a kid would be interesting -- especially in that the child's daddies and uncles (esp. Damian and Nathaniel) would be raising the kid more than Anita would, being that she'd be out doing USMS work, RPIT work, Animators Inc. work, or just plain WORK.

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

That's what I wanted, too. I wanted her to actually be pregnant, and see how it affects her jobs and interpersonal relationships. While we still got to see how the men would react to news of a possible pregnancy, and some of their responses seemed fairly in-character, an actual baby would force Anita to grow up and stop being so self-centered. Everything about her relationships thus far seem to be about her hang-ups and insecurities. Only lately does she even seem to be aware that her actions do affect everyone else around her. C'mon; Jean-Claude and Asher never once got it on behind her back while he's been her lover. Everyone in her life bend their lives to accomodate her moods, whether she realizes it or not. (I was glad to see her admitting that slash pairings can be a turn-on and that it doesn't squick her, though. She needs work, but it's slow going.)From the moment that she finds out that she could be pregnant, she should be focused on taking care of her body better and making her life fit around a baby, not the other way around.
The problem I have with Anita lately is that no matter how often Nathaniel reminds her that feeding one hunger lessens the others, she continues to starve herself and put off feeding the ardeur, until her metaphysical link drains Damian. How many times will she nearly kill him before it sinks in that she has to make changes in her life?
Part of me actually worries that since Damian is dependent on her for life, as a baby in the womb, maybe Anita should get her tubes tied. Because as it stands, she would most likely forget to eat and endanger the child's life. Although, Nathaniel wouldn't allow that... Oooh, shiver; more assertive, protective daddy-to-be Nathaniel! Y'know, I like that prospective fatherhood brings out his dominant side with Richard. Of them all, who would have thought that Nathaniel is the most mature?

As for a real baby, I liked that Nathaniel pretty much said, "Micah and I would never ask you to give up your job. I can handling the day-to-day childrearing tasks. The three of us can make a family for our child, regardless of who the father was." Do you know how fucking rare it is for a man to want to take care of a child that is not his own?

Anyway, I'm thinking of just writing an AU ending of Danse Macabre, the difference being that Anita actually is pregnant when the doc examines her, but the fact that she almost shifted may cause her to lose the twins. (because I loved her total catatonia about omigod!Twins???) It shocks her into getting her shit together.

On a related note, can you imagine Dolph finding out that her bloodwork indicates Vlad's and Mowgli's Syndromes? (She does not have Vlad's or Mowgli's, but the metaphysical stuff mimics the symptoms, which is why her bloodwork indicated it.) Being pregnant and working for the police is not uncommon, but potentially being a lycanthrope in the eyes of the precinct? Now that's entertainment! LOL Watch the fur fly!

[(Anonymous)]

I also thought that this would be a great way to bring the council back in. The Master of Beasts lost his only son to Anita. Would he really let something like this go by without trying to get retribution. An eye for an eye and all.

[quicksilvereyes.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. I would have thought Anita'd start taking care of herself when she found out she was preggers or at least fed her hungers properly and not drained Damian almost to death. It seems like LKH is becoming less concerned with writing good books than making money and getting caught up in her own fantasy world. No wonder she doesn't like fanfic - there are people writing better Anita than she is. I also really LOVE Requiem and had been hoping he'd make a reappearance, but I didn't like that Anita messed up his and London's lives then kinda just shrugged it off.

[az-anneliese.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Can't say I'm not disappointed about Candlelight, but meh. I know the inner workings of a temperamental muse myself and it can be downright vicious.

Hope things get better in fic-land soon! *hugs*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I started off Candlelight with one plan in mind but I realized that it was a bad ending. Weak, if you will. I just need to get the plot angle right and I can't quite figure out how to play that. But one day.

Thanks :)

Balancing Act

[(Anonymous)]

Just found your fics. Great job!! You managed to make my day off disappear. Bad Author, have a cookie. I love Inevitable but would really like some more Balancing Act there is something about a teenage Jack O'neil that i find funny. A teenage with the memories of a 50 year black ops is just what the AB verse needs. Supernatural, hell no i'm normal. Thxs keep up the good work.

Re: Balancing Act

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I made you waste your time on my fics :D

I will definetly finish Balancing Act! I have a plan in mind, and I do love Jack O'Neill in any form (especially snarky teen form). If only I can find some spare time in which to write :)

[(Anonymous)]

So, since I recently found your work on Pomme de Sang, I just finished Switchback after completing Inevitable. REALLY loved them both. I hope that you do get the desire back to write more Anita. For those of us who miss the "old Anita", you are the one guaranteed safe haven to go to when we need a fix.

So Hugs and well wishes :-). And believe me, everyone will stick around to see what you come up with next. It is worth the wait.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I think that my latest excursion into an Anita Blake crossover (the post Danse Macabre fic I posted a day or so ago) will help me get over the AB block.

And it's funny: I don't see myself writing "old" Anita. In my mind, I'm writing Anita as I see her now, only without the sex and the whining.

And thanks :)

[(Anonymous)]

:) Me, sooooo happy that you are getting over the AB block. I like the new story of course. This fan fic thing can be like a drug. In a good way though. I think.

You're right "old" Anita was a bad term. I think we need to find a label for the Anita we know she should be. This Anita isn't pre-anything. She is everything without too much sex (although a little will probably keep her happy) and the whining could probably go all together. Even in DM she did get some resolution and clairity on a few things. So I guess we can't throw that out all together.

By the way. I'm Necromancer. Kind of new to the whole chat scene. Haven't figured out how to do the cool picture thingy on the side. Sad, I know. Life has kept me in a fish bowl for awhile but working on it.

[alydhe.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Smallville, yet? On a whim I bought season 1 and now I have the biggest obsession with Lex/Clark.

And I'm a Lex fangirl. ^____^

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

God, you too with the Lex/Clark? They're SO obvious. I loves them so. (And yes, I've seen about three seasons of Smalleville before I cancelled my cable. It's filmed around where I live and my brother was an extra in one episode :)

[alydhe.livejournal.com]

Sorry it took so long to reply!

Yeah, Lex is so obsessed with Clark, if you missed it you're blind. Your brother is really an extra? Can you tell me what episode? I'd love to look for him. ^__^

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

No worries. I also have some long-delays in replying to comments.

No one could miss that interest. It's like.. whoa. It's almost canon.

My brother was in the second season ep "Red", the red kryptonite show. He was in the bar when Clark was throwing people around. The blond one :)

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

Since I've had to either heavily edit current fics to reflect canon or scrap them entirely now that I've read DM, I know what you're going through. The verdict is still out for me on DM, because there was a lot that I liked about it, but so many things that I would like to have seen resolved or even resolved differently.
*starts campaign to find Richard a wife who fits his near impossible standards, after smacking Anita in the head for the hell of it. I'll only get one chance, since she'd kill me where I stand. Better make it count.*

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

Nah. Just do what HP fans and Star Trek fans have done for ages: Ignored the bits of canon they don't like. (Especially if they contradict things the canonical author(s) have already mentioned.)

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

^_^ Yep; I'm a fan of both series, so pretty much, I'm used to checking canon and realizing that some pieces just don't fit together.
As for HP, I'm of the mind that even Dumbledore doesn't have all the answers. Half of what he says could be speculation... Just like Hagrid generalizing all of Slytherin as being dark wizards, a lot of what Harry sees and hears are based on people's opinions. The boy needs to think for himself.

*kicks Harry in the arse for even thinking tht Tonks could have been in love with Sirius... He's her cousin, for crissakes. EW. I mean, we know that he is inbred, but we don't hold that against him.*

[laney-1974.livejournal.com]

I can't help it. The source material always impacts my writing.

Right there with ya. It's why I can hardly write RA anymore. I hate Anita the way she is written in the books (especially of late) and it translates to the story. I hate character bashing and I don't want any of my stories to fall into that.

BSG: I enjoyed it. I don't love it anywhere as near as Buffy or either Stargate show, but it is worth a watch. I found it does get better after the miniseries although I think some of the characters are a little OTT (read: Starbuck). I had issues with her. I started calling the series Battlestarbuck Gallactica. Still, I do recommend continuing with it.

[laney-1974.livejournal.com]

I should mention that, like all Sci-Fi shows in Aust, we've only been shown the first season.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I hate Anita the way she is written in the books

I just ignore what I don't like and make her the way I want her to be. We all have much more fun this way. But also, I'm not one for writing smut, and that's all the AB books seem to be these days.

[thaliagreene.livejournal.com]

[In reference to X-Men]


Yeah, I was ANGRY after numbah 3 premiered. Here I was, hoping for Cyclops to shine through as the true savior of Phoenix and kick the over-powered [but still annoyingly cool] Wolverine to the curb. But No. Phoenix's sacrifice vanishes, and Cyclops got what, 30 seconds screen time?

grrrrrr....

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I *know*! Cyclops was a kick-ass-d00d in the comics and he didn't even get the dignity of a death scene.

At least James Marsters got an awesome role in Superman.

And was it just me, or was Phoenix really passive for a bad guy? Like a bit of a cardboard cutout? *sigh* speaking of kick-ass characters, I missed her having, you know, a point ;)

[thaliagreene.livejournal.com]

She was so passive she might as well be Nathaniel [old nathaniel, not the recent I-Know-just-how-to-get-Anita-to-do-exactly-what-I-want Nathaniel]

Dark phoenix devoured suns! MoviePhoenix disintigrated a house. Wooo... evil. Dark phoenix wasn't an alternate personality she was an expression of Jean's buried primal desires!

i'm about to get started on a mean, mean rant...

Battle Star....

[fishpankakes.livejournal.com]

Hey, I started watching Battle Star Galactica a few weeks ago myself. I really liked the idea of it, but I hated the characters. My bf wanted to keep watching it, so we did. Let me tell you, it gets sooooo much better. Give it a chance, I still don't like some of the characters, but others I have grown to love. It's an interesting show.

Re: Battle Star....

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I'm so pressed for time right now that I didn't even have time to finish the miniseries! Maybe next month with all my copious time off (ha!)

I did like the dynamic between Ms. President and Captain Apollo. (NOT like that). I less-than-three Mary McDonnell

[lorienwillow.livejournal.com]

Am completely hooked on Balancing Act! Love the idea of Mini-Jack interacting with the ABVH characters - can't wait to see if they figure out what makes HIM different. Anyway, just wanted to comment that I'm following along, and have now friended you so I can catch up on your other works.

Later,
Lorien

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I love Balancing Act. First off, Jack! Then Jack's mad skillz, which will come into play soon. We'll see the AB gang's reaction to Jack soon (if I ever get a break enough to write it

Welcome to the flist :D