Progress Report 10/20
Oct. 20th, 2009 07:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lomonaaerenTime for a full progress report.
Soldier’s Welcome: I have more of an outline now—as in, I know more about what happens at the end of the first book—but I still don’t know how long it’s going to be. It was supposed to speed up again after exams, so that I actually stood a chance of getting to the end of the year in a timely fashion. Instead, Harry had to get himself incapacitated.
Practicing Liars: This will be going in a slightly different direction than I had originally chosen, but I think it will ultimately strengthen the fic. I’m planning the revelation of Harry’s heritage for about halfway through, instead of the end, because due to the way Harry defeats Voldemort, I think putting the revelation at the end would feel anticlimactic. This one is due to be updated today.
“Cornucopia”: My one-shot in progress, which is currently about 4000 words long. Harry writes to Draco offering to give him most of the Black fortune and property back. Draco’s suspicious mind goes into overdrive. Why would Potter be doing this? Obviously, it is a conspiracy with him as its target. The hardest thing about this one is the tone; it’s funny, but I have to carefully manage so that just how pathetic Draco’s current life is comes through the humor.
My imagination is still determined that I not go to sleep until I have story ideas.
“The Art of Joy”: Epilogue-compliant, starting the summer before Al goes to Hogwarts. Harry and Ginny have just gotten a divorce, and both Harry and his children are restless and feeling gray because of it. Hermione suggests they go see the Prestidigitator, a wizard who specializes in using magic to cause wonder and joy in his audience. She “forgot” to tell them that the Prestidigitator is Draco Malfoy.
Harry is resistant when he recognizes him, but can’t help being dazzled and stunned by his show, so much so that he goes backstage to talk to him. Draco meets him with light banter that Harry thinks is a mask for his discomfort at first, but soon he realizes Draco really has changed enough down the years to become a different person—largely because he woke up one day after the war, realized he hated his life, and decided to become the opposite of everything he’d been so far. Because Harry is still awkward (he hasn’t dated someone for thirteen years, since his marriage to Ginny) he proposes going on a date before he’s sure what happens, and Draco accepts. It turns out shortly after this that Draco might need Harry’s help to solve a minor case anyway; his props keep disappearing.
This is a story that’s going to be deliberately different than some of my others: as little drama and angst as possible, epilogue-compliant but without infidelity issues, and the focus on Harry becoming more confident and pursuing Draco instead of remaining oblivious of Draco’s interest in him. I would reveal some of the other ways it’s different, but I don’t want to spoil the plot or the ending.
“Stepping Stones”: This one, on the other hand, does involve infidelity, though it’s not epilogue-compliant. Harry’s starting to think that he doesn’t know how to fall in love; there’s no one he feels the same sort of blazing passion for that Ron and Hermione feel for each other. But Ginny is desperately in love with him, and Harry likes and loves her even if he’s not in love. Besides, he wants kids and the Weasley family approves of him as a son-in-law. He figures he might as well marry Ginny. He really doesn’t think it’ll ever be a problem since he believes he’s not capable of passion.
Then he finds himself falling in love with Draco Malfoy. Boy, does that alarm him. But it’s still okay, Harry thinks, because Draco is definitely not in love with him back, and he’s about to marry someone else anyway. It would need something more than a crush that won’t ever be fulfilled to make Harry break his marriage vows to Ginny, or Draco’s to Astoria.
By now, you can probably guess what the next step is.
Soldier’s Welcome: I have more of an outline now—as in, I know more about what happens at the end of the first book—but I still don’t know how long it’s going to be. It was supposed to speed up again after exams, so that I actually stood a chance of getting to the end of the year in a timely fashion. Instead, Harry had to get himself incapacitated.
Practicing Liars: This will be going in a slightly different direction than I had originally chosen, but I think it will ultimately strengthen the fic. I’m planning the revelation of Harry’s heritage for about halfway through, instead of the end, because due to the way Harry defeats Voldemort, I think putting the revelation at the end would feel anticlimactic. This one is due to be updated today.
“Cornucopia”: My one-shot in progress, which is currently about 4000 words long. Harry writes to Draco offering to give him most of the Black fortune and property back. Draco’s suspicious mind goes into overdrive. Why would Potter be doing this? Obviously, it is a conspiracy with him as its target. The hardest thing about this one is the tone; it’s funny, but I have to carefully manage so that just how pathetic Draco’s current life is comes through the humor.
My imagination is still determined that I not go to sleep until I have story ideas.
“The Art of Joy”: Epilogue-compliant, starting the summer before Al goes to Hogwarts. Harry and Ginny have just gotten a divorce, and both Harry and his children are restless and feeling gray because of it. Hermione suggests they go see the Prestidigitator, a wizard who specializes in using magic to cause wonder and joy in his audience. She “forgot” to tell them that the Prestidigitator is Draco Malfoy.
Harry is resistant when he recognizes him, but can’t help being dazzled and stunned by his show, so much so that he goes backstage to talk to him. Draco meets him with light banter that Harry thinks is a mask for his discomfort at first, but soon he realizes Draco really has changed enough down the years to become a different person—largely because he woke up one day after the war, realized he hated his life, and decided to become the opposite of everything he’d been so far. Because Harry is still awkward (he hasn’t dated someone for thirteen years, since his marriage to Ginny) he proposes going on a date before he’s sure what happens, and Draco accepts. It turns out shortly after this that Draco might need Harry’s help to solve a minor case anyway; his props keep disappearing.
This is a story that’s going to be deliberately different than some of my others: as little drama and angst as possible, epilogue-compliant but without infidelity issues, and the focus on Harry becoming more confident and pursuing Draco instead of remaining oblivious of Draco’s interest in him. I would reveal some of the other ways it’s different, but I don’t want to spoil the plot or the ending.
“Stepping Stones”: This one, on the other hand, does involve infidelity, though it’s not epilogue-compliant. Harry’s starting to think that he doesn’t know how to fall in love; there’s no one he feels the same sort of blazing passion for that Ron and Hermione feel for each other. But Ginny is desperately in love with him, and Harry likes and loves her even if he’s not in love. Besides, he wants kids and the Weasley family approves of him as a son-in-law. He figures he might as well marry Ginny. He really doesn’t think it’ll ever be a problem since he believes he’s not capable of passion.
Then he finds himself falling in love with Draco Malfoy. Boy, does that alarm him. But it’s still okay, Harry thinks, because Draco is definitely not in love with him back, and he’s about to marry someone else anyway. It would need something more than a crush that won’t ever be fulfilled to make Harry break his marriage vows to Ginny, or Draco’s to Astoria.
By now, you can probably guess what the next step is.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 12:32 pm (UTC)Thanks for keeping us in the loop!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 12:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 01:57 pm (UTC)Aw, The Art of Joy sounds so very sweet! ♥ Already looking forward to it! :D
Stepping Stones sounds like a LOT of Drama :b Can't wait to see how you'll make it work :-)
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 05:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 02:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 03:47 pm (UTC)Incapacitated sounds really bad. Do you realise now the waiting for next chapter is worse? :P
“The Art of Joy” sound very intriguing. I loved the idea of a Draco like that but I love more the idea of Harry pursuing Draco :D That'll definitely be a change, haha.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 03:55 pm (UTC)I have to carefully manage so that just how pathetic Draco’s current life is comes through the humor.
Yeah, you showed us you can do humour, but in that case you'll have to be careful to do it without Draco's pathetic situation making us feel the humour is out of place. Or making us feel so sorry for him we wouldn't appreciate it. I'm sure you'll manage, though :)
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:02 am (UTC)Draco is mostly funny because he is so utterly blind. It takes a pretty hard hit on the head to make him open his eyes.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 04:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 04:45 pm (UTC)AI
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 05:49 pm (UTC)so, definitely looking forwards to stepping stones.
sounds good, all of it :D and another chapter of practicing liars for my evilness of long university day tomorrow will be JUST fine (you usually post at 2-3 am in my time zone. XD. so, since I have to get out of the house around 7:30, i print the chapter and run off to my train ^__^)
the art of joy sounds... sweet. definitely a change, but it hink it will be nice to read ^__^
*scampers off to do some learning*
Aza^^
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 08:08 pm (UTC)Hn, I'm not the biggest infidelity fic fan, but it's you, so I'll read it.
You do realize that now I am going to be checking my computer every ten minutes or so looking for an update? Gah! You update-tease.
-Jolene
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:04 am (UTC)I do like the idea of Harry being sought out and desired, since a) he's my favorite character and b) he doesn't have that close family love in the books that Draco does, at least not until after he goes to Hogwarts. So Draco loving him for who he is is the more interesting angle for me, but I want to be able to write the other way around, too.
The next chapter is up now!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 08:36 pm (UTC)Oh, yes!!! We simply must experience the fallout from that :)
I really like the sound of all of your new story ideas as well.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 11:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 11:43 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to anything and everything that you write, simply because you're an AMAZING writer. Truly astounding. Sometimes, even when the summary doesn't interest me (in general though, all the ideas you have up there, I'm totally into, even the infidelity fic, though I'm not a fan when it ends all sad and whatnot), I always seem to love your stories in the end because of how you weave such a tale in mere paragraphs and glorious diction and twists, how you bring the climax to such a high and how you conclude them. Your writing is brilliance and your ideas are magnificent.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to all!!!! Hopefully, both ideas of "The Art of Joy" (great storyline from what I can see) and "Stepping Stones" (love that it's not epilogue-compliant and the fact that Harry does love Ginny, but is not in-love with her, hopefully, it ends well, but don't listen to me, I'm just a happy-ending sort of person) follow through!!!!
Thanks for sharing your awesomeness to everyone!!!!!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:05 am (UTC)I do plan to write both of them at the moment. God knows when, though.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-27 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 04:52 pm (UTC)Although, I must admit, I rather like your bossy imagination. It gives me good fics to read. ;) Speaking of which, Stepping Stones really sounds good. Infidelity fics that leave Ginny by the wayside are my guilty pleasure. *grins sheepishly*
Oh, but, with all of your plans and your imagination coming up with new stuff ... what about Bastardy/Opportunity? Is that still on the To Write Next list? I don't want to seem pushy or demanding, but I'm really looking forward to this one. *does some quiet point-of-view fangirling*
no subject
Date: 2009-10-24 10:55 am (UTC)Honestly, how do you do it? How do you find the time each week to pen so much awesome fiction?
(The 'Art of Joy' and 'Stepping Stones' sound awesome btw, *itches to read them*)