lomonaaeren | Progress Report 4/28

Not that many new ideas at the moment, but I thought I would post this as I'm toying with what idea to take up when the stories that are currently running are done.

Providence will have 7 more chapters to go. After that, I'm not entirely sure what novel-length story I'll take up to replace it. I could just not do a novel-length story and write one-shots instead, but for some reason, when I intend to do that, it never happens. (My novels seem to work best in pairs). One problem is that I want a light, somewhat comic story- the replacement for Inter Vivos will not be at all comic- but very few of my longer ideas at the moment are like that. Probably none, in fact.

Inter Vivos has either seven or eight more "chapters": the three parts of Chapter 29, three or four parts, depending on length, of Chapter 30, and an epilogue. Its replacement will be Intoxicate the Sun, the revolutionary/political/spy/magical/thriller/romance novel I've been planning for months now. You can see why I'd like a light story as a counter to it.

A second

hds_beltane fic, a pinch-hit, is done and awaiting beta.

A reviewer named SP777 on AFF has suggested a story based on Quidditch, where Draco, infuriated at constantly losing to Harry, studies moves based on Muggle sports and improves his game that way. I really like the idea, though at the moment I don't know enough about any Muggle sports to make it happen. I also don't have a title or any idea how long it would be, so this will need to wait until it's more fully formed.

"Each Man Kills the Thing He Loves": Harry loses Ron and Hermione in a freak magical accident, a few years after Ginny and the newborn James die under similar suspicious circumstances. The release of the power during this accident enables the Aurors who come rushing to the rescue to notice something that might have been undetectable otherwise. Harry's under a curse, an ancient one he may actually have been born with (or suffered as a side-effect of the Killing Curse when he was a baby) that ensures the people he loves will die. It's probably responsible for slaughtering Sirius, Dumbledore, and now his friends, wife, and child. Harry grows deeply paranoid, afraid of what could happen to people still alive like the other Weasleys and Hagrid, and does his best to withdraw from the world while also going on a research campaign to destroy his magic. The curse is linked to his magic. Destroy one, he gets rid of the other.

Enter Draco. He's fascinated with the Dark Arts and esoteric magic, and wants to study the curse operative on Harry. Harry says, "Oh no you don't!" because retaining the curse for Draco's study would mean it has a chance to kill someone else. But Draco tells him that with enough study he could discover a way it might be removed, thus sparing Harry's magic and his friends' lives- and that maybe its undoing would even raise the dead. (That last part is a lie. Draco is deeply unscrupulous in this story). So Harry allows him to stay. Draco happily gathers his knowledge, but also picks up knowledge of Harry along the way, and grows quite fond of him. Meanwhile, Harry is fighting to keep from growing fond of Draco. Because, if he does...

(This is not a light story either).

It's possible that my replacement for Providence will be Incandescence, my story about Draco as a novelist who writes books based on thinly fictionalized accounts of war heroes' lives and now wants to write one about Harry. But I don't know if it would provide enough of a contrast to Intoxicate the Sun, especially since the first letters of their titles are rather similar and could be confused by readers.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wow! As always, all of the ideas sound great. I love a good light-hearted tale, but the angstier plots are so involving as well. I would personally choose "Incandescence" first, just because Harry bearing a curse that kills off everyone he loves (and Draco leading him on as to the possibility of reviving them) sounds so very painful ;-) But I will appreciate reading any of the stories. I wish that I could be as dedicated and efficient at my own work as you are at your writing! You're quite the taskmaster for yourself.

Thank you!

Incadescence has been in my head since last summer, and I think I'll really enjoy writing it. The idea behind "Each Man Kills the Thing He Loves" has been there even longer, but I couldn't think of a good story for it until now.

I can't wait to read Intoxicate the Sun. Although by then, I'll still haven't yet started on Providence. But I do adore you. (Btw, do you do professional writing in real life?)

But when I read the description about Ginny and James for Each Man Kills the Thing He Loves, I panicked a bit. I remember reading a cross gen fic in which Harry loses them both and man, did that crush my soul. And Ron and Hermione are dead? I know this will turn out to be one of the more extreme forms of torment that Harry goes through in fandom.

But in no ways do I feel guilty about wanting to read this. Angst fic, bring it on!

Thanks! Actually the chapters of that novel might come a little more slowly, since I may be working with a beta.

And no, I don't. I just read a lot.

I still need to work out some of the magical theory in "Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves" to my own satisfaction before I write it. Glad you're looing forward to it, though.

I remember you had this idea for a fic on both Harry and Draco returning to Hogwarts soon after the final battle as students and they would sort of heal each other; what happened to that?

That one came out as War Leaves No Survivors (http://lomonaaeren.livejournal.com/151046.html). Rather different from what I originally pictured.

Uuuh, it all sounds so exciting! XD

Thank you!

OK, I'm actually a little worried about your mental health right now; you seem to have an awful lot of heavy, grinding angst pouring out if you can be writing IV, planning ItS, and then come up with THAT plot. I'm sure it would be/will be excellently written, but the prospect fills me with something a little bit less happy-sounding than 'excitement'. So I suppose that boils down to a vote for Incandescence.

looking forward to the beltane fics.

If you do decide to write the SP777 story down the road, I might be a source of some English sporting insight (unless you talk about polo. Less so for polo.) but that's probably both arrogant and presumptuous at once. Just saying though.

Well, I've been sick and had a series of minor crises in the past two weeks (sickness, a forest fire burning awfully close to home, mice in the house), plus I've been following the swine flu news. I think that's probably the influence you're seeing here. You don't need to worry, really. (Though when you see the small angsty one-shot I'm posting tomorrow, you might be worried again).

Thanks! The Beltane fest is anonymous, so it'll be a bit before I can post the fics here, but I'm proud of both of them.

And thank you! I'd be basing the Quidditch matches on football (English football), not polo.

Each Man Kills the Thing He Loves sounds too morbid. It'll make me go down a dark tunnel of depression. Sorry for the exaggeration but I've never been good at handling multiple character deaths of the good guys variety.

Definitely don't read that story, then.

the plot for "each man.." sounds quite intriguing, but i think i would actually enjoy "incandescence" more! it sounds like it could be a lot of fun, and i don't think the name really needs to be changed either..

Thank you!

We'll see how Incadescence goes. I hope the title won't be confusing for people. Considering I've had people mix up stories whose titles were nothing like each other, though...

I love the sound of the quidditch novel with no name. It sounds like it could be a barrel of laughs for you to write as much as it will be the same for us all to read. And the plot for 'Intoxicate' sounds quite awesome. Quite honestly I'd be happy with anything you write - its all brilliant. :p

Thank you!

The quidditch novel would be a break from the constant angst, that's for sure.

They all look interesting and creative, but Incandescence attracts me best!
It sounds light and happy for spring!

Thanks! One of the Beltane fics I wrote is light and happy, too, but this novel would be even more so.

As always, your ideas are interesting and I'm sure I'd enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed reading all of your other fics, even though I don't comment on them enough.

I realize I'm not an active presence on your comment board or the other forums for LJ fics so I probably don't have as much right to make suggestions for fics, but I'd love to see someone attempt an H/D fic that parodies the genre of wilderness survival TV (ie, Survivorman, Man vs. Wild). Harry wants to create a series of educational audio/video wizarding books that teach wizards how to survive in the wild with just (or without?) their wand. Filming on location becomes a battle between his foolhardy stunts and his publisher's cunning attempts to capitalize on Potter's name while simultaneously saving him from his lack of self-preservation. ("What is a self-warming cloak doing on this glacier in the middle of nowhere?!") A comedy with reckless heroes, sneaky saviors, conversations with native pythons, skinnydipping in frozen lakes, thwarted cameramen...if anyone could make this idea into a fun, entertaining read, you could.

Just a suggestion based in flattery...keep writing!

Thank you! And don't worry about not commenting. I generally assume a lot more people are reading at any one time than are commenting.

I think your suggestion sounds really interesting! I'm not sure that I'm the best writer for it, though. I know almost nothing about Survivor et al.

Progress Report 4/28

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject