Samantha

Day 3: In your own space, talk about your creative process - from what inspires you to what motivates you to how you manage to break through blocks. Does your process change depending on the type of creating you're doing? Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


Music. Music is so integral to my creative process that I've been without access to my digital music library for almost a year and have written absolutely zero words. It is the rarest occasion if I'm writing, fanmixing, or anything else that I don't have something playing, even if it's some instrumental white noise to block out the rest of the world. The right music can put me in the right emotional state for a scene or a character. Basically, I just need it to function as a writer and human being.

Let's see, the rest of my process, especially for getting around blocks is just writing whatever. Sometimes I can get stuck on proper word choice or, Cthulhu help me, sentence structure and I just have to move past it and keep writing, even if I think what I'm writing is crap and it's all going to get edited out. Eventually something better comes along. And if it's plot related and nothing is coming to me by spewing crap then I just walk away for awhile. I let it stew in the back of my mind while I do something completely unrelated: cooking, cleaning, taking a shower. Whatever. Something usually crops up when I'm least expecting it. :)

So, I'm alive. That's something. I've been through a lot in last...year? Two? I don't remember the last time I actively posted to my own journal. I have a new career, a new nephew, a new relationship, a new computer, but the same broke ass car. I need some sort of stability in my life, right? Anyway, my dear friend leigh_adams told me about this challenge today and even though I'm starting sooo late, I thought it'd be a nice way to get back into fandom other than as a rather distant mod. Not that I'm sure there's anyone left on here to read it.

Hello, can anybody hear me?


Day One: In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator.

In This Valley of Dying Stars (Gen, Blackfic | PG-13 | 2, 037)
Summary: It seems like the Blacks only gather for their dead.

The dynamics of the Black family fascinate me. A lot of my fanworks are about or involve them in some way. I really enjoy this one because I got to look at the family in an intergenerational bigger picture kind of way. How horrible it must be to be a part of a dying breed, even if it's a horrible breed? And what about those that deserved better than they got? It's my favorite thing I've written.

Don't Wake Me Up (I'm Still Dreaming) (George/Angelina | PG-13 | 5300)
Summary: A potions accident goes awry, leaving George and Angelina trapped in their own dreams.

I wrote this for hp_canon_fest a few years ago. I love the George/Angelina/Fred dramaz and I wanted to explore some of that without going into my usual over the top ANGST EVERYWHERE style. I also played with the style a bit to be more like the fluidity of a dream with sudden scene changes and such.

Parenthetical (Ginny/Tom, Gen | R | 282)
Summary: Years later, Ginny still dreams.

I just like parentheses, okay? And dark fic. So obviously, this is my jam. I wrote it for a drabble competition forever ago.

The Last Interrogation (Moody | PG-13 | 496)
Summary: Moody's last interrogation before retirement.

I wrote this with prompts from darkarts_ldws and I really like this. I guess it probably shows that I like dark fic by now but I also like to look at how magic in the HP universe can be used and abused. This is a good example of me trying to write dark fic that isn't necessarily bloody or sexual but still unsettling.

Pretty When You Cry (Parvati, Macnair | R | 3400)
Summary: Walden Macnair finds something to entertain himself while teaching at Hogwarts. That something is Parvati Patil.

This is my first longer fic, I think, and probably my darkest. I often go re-read fics that I wrote because I either enjoy them or because there are parts that I wish I could improve. I don't read this one very often. Writing it made me uncomfortable and so did some of the reviews that I got for it, but others have told me it's great, so I include it as a sort of genesis piece.

Title: Speak No Evil
Characters: Nana the House Elf
Rating: PG
Word Count: 298
Summary: Nana sees all!
Warnings: None.
Author’s Note: This is just a bit of silliness to get me back into the swing of writing. RPG-based universe.

( but we's be hearing and seeing plenty naugtiness, yes we is )

Title: In This Valley of Dying Stars
Characters: Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, various Black family members
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 2,037
Summary: It seems like the Blacks only gather for their dead.
Warnings: Character death(s), angst
Author/Artist's notes: This was written for the 2011 round of hp_darkfest. I’d like to thank my betas, leigh_adams and elle_blessing, for being fabulously patient and making sure this fic isn’t a hot mess. So, this was fun to write because I got to untangle the death timeline that is the Black family tree. I am such a nerd.


( keeping quiet and meaningless )

Title: Spiralling
Characters: Lucius Malfoy/Hermione Granger, Bellatrix Lestrange
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,163
Summary: Hermione hopes tomorrow will be better.
Warnings: Non-con, abuse, angst.
Author's Notes: This was written for scarletladyy during rarepair_shorts' Winter Fic Exchange. Thanks to my beta, leigh_adams. There is nothing ‘sorta’ about her awesomeness.


( she's tumbling down )

Yanked from baby_k21, leigh_adams, and seraphimerising

Request a character of mine and I will answer the following questions about them.

( let's do this )

Title: Not As Brave As You Were
Characters: Draco Malfoy
Word count: 625
Summary: Draco begins his mission for the Dark Lord.
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Author's Note: Written for darkarts_ldws' sixth. week. The prompts were Draco Malfoy and Borgin and Burkes.

( weep for yourself, my man )

Title: Sleeping Beauty
Characters: Horace Slughorn, Lily Evans
Word count: 500
Summary: Horace has an eye for talent.
Rating: R
Warnings: Non-con. Student/teacher.
Author's Note: Written for darkarts_ldws' fifth week. The prompts were Horace Slughorn and the draught of the living death. I even creeped myself out with this one. >.<



( thy drugs are quick )

Title: The Last Interrogation
Characters: Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Barty Crouch, Jr.
Word Count: 496
Rating: PG-13
Summary: There's one more thing Moody has to do before retiring.
Warnings: Implied violence.
Author's Note: My second offering for darkarts_ldws. Prompts were Moody and Veritaserum. I won this week, guys! :D



( Alastor knows Veritaserum... )

Title: Sisyphean
Characters: George Weasley/Angelina Johnson
Words: 267
Rating: R/Mature
Summary: Grief takes many forms. This is theirs.
Warnings: Alcoholism, angst
Author's Note: Written for drcjsnider for rarepair_shorts’ Summer Wishlist Event.

( roll the boulder up, just to see it come back down )