Last week had been another one of those weeks you were ready to fall on your knees thanking God to have gotten through. I would have literally done that, but my knees are not able to take that anymore. God I hate getting old!
I know I skipped a lot of updates last week, and sadly, it looks to be the same. The reasoning? I am a bad Author in communicating with Betas. One of my poor ladies thought what I wanted was no where close and she did a fantastic job with what little I told her. Sadly, it was so confusing for both of us we agreed to erase it and never talk about it ever again. Wait. Did that count as talking about it? umm… oops. Ignore all that… (strikes it all out)
And this past weekend? My muse ran away. Absolutely refused to do anything. She had pushed for When I Pretend, and to placate her, I went reading through it, making banners and so forth. I went to bed and she had disappeared in the morning. No coaxing her would work, so I threw my hands in the air, and went to read my close to 200 update emails. I am happy to say with reading non stop Saturday, Sunday and Monday night, I am down to 18. My OCD is happier, but I can see her tapping her toes, giving pointed looks towards the inbox. Those two need to get together and plan these things.
Oh, wait. That is what they did, isn’t it..
lol. Oh lordy. I am going crazy….
Now that close to 200 updates, that is with any updates to the story after that being deleted. So if there were 2 more chapters updated, I erased those 2 since I would get them when I read the one. This backlog happened after the last couple weeks. You can guess when I left online and ignored emails for awhile. So about 2 weeks worth of updates lets say? NOW do you understand why it is taking so long for the database, and we wanted, begged, pleaded on our knees and so forth for help? For me alone, there is so many stories!!! 650+ in Fanfiction alone. That is not the blogs, not the other places I read stories, just FanFiction. And I started to put only completed stories (unless I am personal friends with the author, then I will put their stories in there) since I came to the TB/SVM universe.
This is hanging over my head, but I am also working on blocking out my book. I have read it, and need to go back to check on some things, but I am about ready to start reading it. For the pre-readers, you should be getting a chapter this week. Get with Rissa, since you will not only need the passwords to the chapters, but how to get to it on the site. It is hidden thanks to 4Padfoot’s amazing skills.
As for the last month Writing Contest, I finished my end, we are just waiting for the polls to be set up, so check on your emails later tonight.
For the weekends, I am going to be trying to work on Fanfiction, if the freaking muse will cooperate. I still have chapters to edit, and Sacred is still getting pointed looks from it’s pre-readers. I really would like to finish it, so I am going to try to keep working on it.
Now, you guys will get an idea of how everything works, since I will be posting as I finish chapters for the book. As each chapter is posted, I will let them know. Then move on to the next. I am planning on Wednesdays or Thursdays to make any notes I need to then back to working. I do better working in spurts.
So I will see you guys later, but I wanted to let you know it is all my fault nothing is done and ready for you this week. We will try again. I may make Mondays the days when I go through the stuff the Betas finish, and update it so it will be ready for me during the weeks. WE will see. I need to come up with something. My OCD is looking at me with her eyebrow raised. Artistic temperament with OCD. A recipe for going slowly mad I think…
Yep, new Challenge for this month. And as I hinted, (And the Kittyinaz’s Group on Facebook actually watched as the banner came together) this one is not the normal prompt.
Here is the banner:
We are doing Fairy Tales. At least I am putting it all under that heading. I know it is all Disney ones on the banner, but Annie Leibovitz’s Disney pictures series inspired me with the pic of Cinderella. I have been wanting to do this challenge since I saw the pic, but I kept putting it off. The response I received from the Angels Through the Fire series, made me think that I can offer this one up to you guys.
So what is the idea behind this? It can either be a fairy tale, or it can be based on one, or it could reference it. Yep. Wide open. My thoughts were True Blood cast in the Little Red Riding Hood. or have the Originals in the Beauty and the Beast. Vampire Diaries cast as Snow White. And just pretty any much story using Once Upon a Time qualifies as long as you don’t make it Real Life. I don’t care if you pull a Maleficent story out of this, making the bad guy understood or even good. It’s the idea I want to use. And you are open to any fandom I write in, or will be writing in. (For instance Charmed is ok, since it is written and in the beta’s hands)
To help you out, I did a search on Fairy Tales and found Wikipedia’s list. Now, this doesn’t include American Versions, but I do count them. I grew up with Johnny Appleseed, so you can use it as much as Goldilocks. If you have any questions, please ask Rissa (Charissa Horton in the group.)
The rules are as follows:
Must use prompt(s).
Use fandoms I write it. (It can be one from a story upcoming also. Just ask if you don’t know, you can ask Rissa if you don’t want me to know!)
No letting anyone knowing which story is yours. This alone will be grounds for immediate withdrawal of your entry. If you have questions, please ask Rissa, she is your contact for any contests.
If you submit, you can grab the Banner for Participating for the month. You will also receive a banner for the story you submit.
If explicit, you need to warn people in the title.
All entries must be received by kittyinazwritingchallenges@gmail.com by Midnight CST at the end of the last day of the month.
To submit, you can send it to the Kittyinazsbetas@gmail.com or to the Writing Contest email, KittyinazWritingChallenges@gmail.com.
Just a reminder, this is open to ANYONE. It is completely Anonymous. Rissa is the one who receives the emails, she strips out anything that would tell me who is what, and forwards on the entries to me. I read them, make the banners and so forth, putting them in WordPress. 4Padfoot then goes in and makes the Poll, that she only can access. When the contest is finished, Rissa sends me the names of the authors. 4Padfoot sends me the results, and I am the one who puts who is who, and whom places.
No one knows who is what until the end, and even then, it is only me after the polls close. We do this to allow everyone an equal chance to enter the contest. Your stories will be judged by the readers as is, with no idea who wrote what. We have had brand new authors win over authors that are favorites. And I am proud to say, there are ladies who have entered and since then, gone on to start writing. You guys are the reason why I do this.
Good luck, and I look forward to not only reading these, but also to making the banners…Making this banner was a blast today!
The posts I have been reading the last couple of days have done their bit. I am coming back to address this crap that is going on.
First off, I know for American Android, it can be painful to get Guest reviews that are flames. Shoot they still hurt! But as much as I hate to admit it, our fandom has ebbs and flows. Right now it is low, except the trolls. This is a time of finals and graduations. Time for the freedom of the summer to be tantalizingly close, but with tons of hard work to get there. For me, if I was still working my old job, I would be up over my head doing State calls I believe. Since the last time I worked them, I managed to do them all by myself, (A job that would have a team of 10 working on them for weeks before hand)
However, the trolls do attack around this time of year. I don’t know if the awards stir them up or what. My advice and what I do? Delete them. If they can’t be brave enough to show their names, then they don’t count. If they are so bad, do as some of my authors have and tell people that if they do ANY guest reviews, you are deleting them. No matter what they say.
Also, American Android, I wish to say something. If you give up, they will only pat themselves on their backs and go on to another. If you hate the guest ones, leave Fanfiction. Tell them why and just leave it to have your own site. And disable them on your site. Take a break, then come back. Because really, you are punishing your readers when you leave like that. And as a fan, I would really like to see the conclusion of Down The Rabbit hole and Whispers. Especially when you left Whispers on such a cliffy!
Now. Moving on.
For Sephrenia, What the fucking hell people?!?!?!
I will tell you Sephrenia welcomed me to this fandom with open arms, and made me my first Buttons. I was so freaking honored!!! I still have them, but now that I do stuff for my own stories I use them. But still, the work she did for the banners… wow!!!!!! Look below!
Now, she has also made me a banner for a one shot I chip away at. I refuse for it to be anything more than a one shot, and work on it quietly. Only one person other than Sephrenia knew about it, and she made me the banner when I was not making them very well.
There it is.
Now lets address some of the complaints. As a banner maker myself, I made a crapload that were claimed, and then never used. It happens I figure. Since no one has mentioned they wish they could have had that one, or anything else, I leave it alone. Are you telling me that these people did it for the express reason to get my banners out of the circulation? If so, then I have a bunch more that needs to be adopted.
Everyone has different styles. Falling Stars taught me a bunch of stuff, but my banners are completely different. Bertie Bott and I started at the same time, shared tips and so forth, and there is no way you can ever imagine that we are the same banner makers. I use shadows alot. It gives my banners sense of depth, and I like it. I also use other tricks as I go, and mucho thanks to Falling Stars for one of her tricks that I use the heck out of!
Sephrenia was one of the first banner makers, that is dedicated to making banners. She still does them. She offers to help out the writers make something to show the readers what they are thinking. Her contests, well each of them I voted for the winners. So am I shocked that they won? No. hisviks was one of the authors I found when I read her contests.
Sephrenia is the opposite of me in many ways, in a staring in the mirror backwards. But I still remember her fondly as someone who gave me a helping hand in the fandom. I may not ask for banners anymore, since I make my own, but that is it. Yes, we have different styles, and I use and like something different. But what the hell people?
Are you going to attack me for being different? I write in many fandoms, and this is the first time I am seeing a fandom self destruct itself. Why?!?!?
If you hate reading the stories, then don’t. If you don’t like the banners, then don’t look at them. If you disagree, sign the heck in and let the author know!!! They don’t know you personally, so there is no risk of them getting in your face and starting a knock down fight!
Seriously. You guys who are doing this, frighten me. And as someone who told her mother when a fight started in Bed Bath and Beyond and she spoke up, the worst anyone can do is hurt me. I live in Texas people. You know, the state that carries weapons proudly in the gun racks of their vehicles.. If I attack someone, seriously, I let them know.
Now, I do bitch and moan to my closest friends. But it is my opinion, and like everyone else, I have them. But that is what they are. My opinion. Am I going to go be mean for the sake of being mean? No. I don’t read or look at things that I don’t like. I may poke some fun at them, but hell. It is private. Many people do it to me, (I know since I have read them. The Void as I call the internet, well, others are around and read things.)
But for all I do for being human, I am standing here saying this is bullshit.
American Android, I am sorry for any part of the crap going on. I said my pieces and hoped to let this die a quiet death. That you are being attacked, well it makes me upset. But I can’t do anything beside what I am doing now. I do hope you at least finish your fics. I would enjoy to see how the paradox in Whispers fixes. Really want to know that one more than anything else.
Sephrenia, I adore you, and hope that people stop. The fact you put yourself out there in something you love to do for others, is something others who attack probably don’t. Don’t let it get to you. You are talented, and most giving of your heart. Please don’t stop.
And for you guys out there reading this, I don’t expect it will change anyone’s minds. I hated to say anything because of all the crap that has gone on lately. Life has sucked to the point that I shake my head at myself. Was I hurt? Yes. Now? Nope. Finding out there are much more hurtful things in RL in people I face everyday is much worse. And like I said on Memorial Day, it isn’t worth the sacrifices of others to be petty as shit.
So here is the deal. The awards are being done solely by 4Padfoot. Send her an email if you have suggestions. Other than that, please stop stirring the pot. We get that it was fucked up. We get that you guys have opinions on what was going on. We appreciate you saying your bits. But if you keep stirring this up, innocent bystanders are going to get hurt. You have done your damage to us that worked on it. Beating a dead horse on posts is doing nothing more than stirring up resentment and opening wounds that were trying to heal. Please stop.
And before any of you get ideas on attacking people because of this post, please don’t. It isn’t going to do anything. It is slowly killing our fandom, and we are already dying. You are killing the authors who came to relax and give us the gifts of stories from their hearts. Like I said, if you don’t like something, stop reading. Stop looking. If it is helpful criticism, then please leave it. If it is nothing but flaming, then no. Why bother? I will tell you I delete anything like that. If I get the chance. My betas are awesome about looking over things and erasing them knowing my opinion on them.
Now. I am off to babysit a sick little boy that I adore, then to come home and deal with a puppy who is freaked out for some reason. And to deal with my Fucked up Life right now. Do NOT reply to spread this shit further. If you want to say something positive, please go to someone’s blog or story and tell them, I agree with Kittyinaz, and am showing you my support. Leaving them here isn’t going to help those who were broken like the plate above. Go out and do something that will help another.
It’s all I can say, but my ladies in the Beta group know what happened, and lets just say… O….M…..G!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, my mind was no where in the right place to write, or do anything for fiction. I may have killed everyone off and stuck my tongue out at the screen. Since none of the Void (my name for the internet from You’ve Got Mail) was responsible for the bad week, well I stayed far away.
Gyllene and a few others sent me the following good news, which did help me laugh in the middle of all of it. (If you click on the banner it will take you to the nominations separated out by the authors)
To all these wonderful ladies who take their time out of their busy schedules to listen to me, look over my stuff or being there when I feel that FML is the best way to describe my life right now. Thank you. I am honored to be nominated, and never, ever, EVER Expected to have my Mummy Crossover get any accolades. I did it because I dreamed it up, and it is aweing me that you guys think enough of it!
The writing contest is ending this weekend. Please feel free to send them in ahead of the time. If you need to look over the pic or the rules, well the pic is below, and you can click on it to get to the rules. I do have a plan for next month, and will be working with my betas this weekend to hammer out details. We will see the results of the contests, the turnout on both sides to determine how often to hold it. I like the monthly ones, but I will say that when the Area 5 Bloody Pen holds their contests, I will take a back seat.
For now, I will be looking over the Fanfiction stuff for this weekend. Friday-Sunday (Which I say Sunday, but often I am chased off the computer!) is Fanfiction time. So we will see what I get up to. I have a huge checklist for a new story, so I will be working on that tomorrow. I want to be artistic right now.
Have a great weekend if nothing else. I am off to work! And thanks again for all those spoke up and nominated me! Truly an honor. Thanks.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
