love in the afternoon...

A French film with hardly any nudity! That really has nothing to do with this entry, I just felt the need to say it.

Just a Question of Love follows the whirlwind romance of two young men, Laurent and Cedric, in different stages of coming out. The film paints a heartbreaking portrait of the difficulties that befall a relationship when one man lives proudly out of the closet, while the other has created a double life to please his parents.

On Amazon
On Netflix

The summary doesn't really do the movie justice. While I love a good coming-out story, after a while they do start to blur together. In Just a Question of Love, there's no escalation to high drama in the tradition of Latter Days and others films in this genre. In fact, I thought this film was lovely for being so understated. It's quiet, but powerful, the acting superb. It's a story that showcases how the gray areas of decision-making and consequence reign supreme. It's about the difference between what is taught and what is practiced. For the parents of Laurent, homosexuals are fine in theory; they just don't want one in the family. Neither of the protagonists is perfect, neither is completely selfless. In other words, it's real life.

( Trailer under the cut )

Heartily recommended.

---

My sister has informed me that she has read my blog, and while she's a tolerant person, she thinks I'm way too obsessed with penises.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

So sue me.

The Author's Promise:

Allowing readers to form their own conclusion, whether in fiction or memoir, is kind of an excuse (oops, sorry about such blatant honesty) for not fulfilling an important part of the pact an author enters into with the reader: When readers start any story, they agree to read to the end -- and you agree to give them one. And, yes, they will STILL draw their own conclusion, no matter what you end with. But at least you will have fulfilled your part of the bargain. To keep them guessing is a disservice.


Ticky boxes HERE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of the greatest men I know. Anders, you're a gifted writer and a steadfast friend, a thorough and insightful beta reader, and a tireless advocate for everything that's positive about fandom. I'm a better person for knowing you. May today bring you much joy, fun, and happiness.

♥ ♥ ♥

empathic_siren will be here for the holiday weekend. Yay! So will the in-laws. Chances of answering comments (excpet very intermittently) is close to nil, but I will be on that in earnest after the holiday.

Still, had to share this before I mosey off for the weekend. Fellow Americans, have a great Memorial Day. Have fun on your day off, but please don't forget the men and women we're commemorating.

Last night at the band concert:

Kid: Mom, it says they're playing music from Grease. What's that?
Me: It's a movie.
Kid: Is it scary?
Me: No. Well...
Kid: What's it about?
Me: Um...a boy and girl meet on summer vacation, then the girl moves to the boy's town and they end up going to the same high school together. It's all about how they have to overcome their stereotypes and get past what their friends think so that they can be together. There's lots of singing and dancing.
Kid: OH! It's a take-off on High School Musicall.
Husb: *dies*
Me: Score one for the Evil Mouse Empire.


Love to all! Have a great weekend!

My story for the fest was Lamp in the Cooling Room. Thank you, those who read, for your comprehensive, insightful, and heartfelt comments. It was an agonizing fic to write, though I'm not sure I could explain why. What I can do is heap praise upon my teammates for their feedback, cheerleading, and support. Special accolades to calanthe_fics and empathic_siren for their usual brutal honesty, Britpicking, and thorough copy-edits.

Some very talented people blessed me with art for Lamp. Up until now, I've only been able to thank them secretly and anonymously, so let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude again, as publicly as I can.

milady_darken drew the little girl
raitala drew untitled (Potter, Malfoy, and the little girl)
oldenuf2nb drew untitled (Potter, Malfoy, and the little girl -- the final scene)

Thanks to each of you for sharing your time and talent. Each picture brought me to tears.

I even got fanfic. *g* lilithilien wrote a series of three drabbles, titled Epilogue: Five Years Later. Regardless of how each reader chooses to interpret the end of Lamp in the Cooling Room, I recommend Lilith's drabble-ficlet. It's a gorgeous, feel-good read, and impeccably written.

And since a couple of people asked…

( tl;dr meta on why Harry and Draco didn't use the Aguamenti spell to Summon water )

And one more giant hug for Team EWE. I drafted reviews for each of your entries, and now that the reveals are up, I'm free to post them. As I've said before, your efforts, contributions, and teamwork made me proud. Thanks for everything, guys.

Penis Theft Panic Hits City

Excerpt:

"I'm tempted to say it's one huge joke," Oleko [Kinshasa's police chief] said.

"But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they tell you that it's become tiny or that they've become impotent. To that I tell them, 'How do you know if you haven't gone home and tried it."

Somewhere, there's got to be a lolcat for this.

It's time to put my two cents in on the whole feedback issue.

( Read more... )

Okay, yay meme!

I can hear you all now. You haven't replied to my last comment, you b**ch! I hate your attention-getting ways. Get a LIFE!

I know. You're right, and I am. But you'll love me after this!

Memage Rules: Post the hottest sex scene you've ever written. Yes! It's that easy! Flood the flist with porn! Yay porn! (Please warn accordingly.)

( Harry/Draco/Snape threesome sex! Warnings for...er...threesome sex )

Gah! Comments and emails! I owe them, I know. And I'm behind on my modly chores for the snarry_games, too. Anybody else having problems with Gmail? This is the second time in about ten days that I've had difficulties. It takes me forever to get in, and then I'm there two minutes and get kicked out. Time-consuming! This may require wine.

Then what am I doing bothering you, you ask? Well, there's a great article in the latest Absolute Write newsletter. I thought I'd share.

The Art of Revision by Sherryl Clark. It begins:

Writers seem to fall into two categories: those who hate the first draft and love the slow, detailed pleasure of revision, and those who love the rush and excitement of the first draft and hate revision.

Many of us balk at revision. I've heard writers vow that their work comes out so well the first time, they never need more than one draft. None of those writers are published, by the way!

If you're serious about getting your work noticed by editors, the revision stage is where your work will truly reach its full potential. The problem is-- how can you approach rewriting so that it becomes constructive, enhancing, and problem-solving? It's part of your craft, so it needs a coherent strategy.

Good information on what empathic_siren and I affectionately call the "Fiddling" stage. Enjoy. :D

Votes were skewed pretty heavily toward the first hair style. The public has spoken! I'm going in an hour to have it cut. *chews fingernails* On the other hand, the votes for the dresses were rather evenly split. In some states, that would mean a recount. In my world, it means I should buy both! My bank account does NOT thank you. But I do. ♥ Thanks for all the input, guys.



My Personality

Neuroticism	3
Extraversion	70
Openness to Experience	52
Agreeableness	66
Conscientiousness	49

You are a calm person who is considered almost fearless by some, however you are not generally self conscious about yourself. You generally make friends easily enough although you mostly don't go out of your way to demonstrate positive feelings toward others. You tend not to express your emotions openly and are sometimes not even aware of your own feelings. You dislike confrontations and are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny your own needs in order to get along with others, however you believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. You are guarded in new relationships and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth about yourself. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.

Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report. The best Buying Pet Gifts.

*heehee* Frighteningly accurate.

Right. On May 17th, 1990, homosexuality was finally removed from WHO’s (World Health Organization) International Classification of Diseases. The event of IDAHO is meant to emphazise that it is not homosexuality but homophobia that is shameful and must be fought openly to ensure respect and equality – no matter what sexuality you have.

That's squee-worthy, yes? So come on over to celebrate_idaho and share an experience, a piece of fiction, a poem, art, meta, or anything you want in support of IDAHO. This year's prompt is:

"I have said to you to speak the truth is a painful thing.
To be forced to tell lies is much worse."

~ Oscar Wilde, De Profundis

Feel free to interpret this in any way you want. There's no right or wrong - be inspired. Multi-fandom. Original fiction. Art. Meta. Essays. Poetry. It's all good! Check out the comm's profile for headers and the very, very few rules. Post between May 1st and May 17th and celebrate_idaho!


*This post has been brought to you by the drug: caffeine. Yummy!*

Any fic that requires me to take notes prior to reading it, like this one...

VERY IMPORTANT
Whatever is underlined is something that it’s being said but not out loud.
Whatever is underlined plus in italics is something that it’s being said in both forms.
Whatever is in bold letters is written down.

...makes me laugh. And hit the back button.

As if life wasn't complicated enough. ;-P

Me: There were four messages on the answering machine for Aidan. Two from Rachel and two from Jordan.
Hus: Who are they?
Me: The fraternal twins in his class.
Hus: *grins*
Me: Hussies.
Hus: *grins*
Me: It's not funny.
Hus: Face it, baby. We managed to create a child who's a perfect 0 on the Kinsey scale. It's a genetic miracle.
Me: Are there support groups for that type of thing?


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, schemingreader! Sorry it's belated. I hope you had a wonderful day. :D

( Torchwood 2x13 )

Part of this morning's reading pleasure:

"I was so disappointed with the dialog. Nobody would actually say that. It just didn't feel very realistic."

But time travel, aliens, and immortality are apparently quite easy to swallow. ;-p

Oh, fandom. Never change.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, accioslash! Hope it 's a great one, darling. ♥

I had a wonderful holiday. The weather was perfect, the kids had a blast, and my mother took me on a shopping spree. What else could a girl ask for?

Unfortunately, it's back to real life.

I'll post some pictures this weekend. Just a handful, cause the full spread would bore you to tears.

I missed you all horribly. Hope all is well. ♥

I love you, Team EWE. You all rock my socks off.


And this Torchwood fic I just read . . . made me fall out of my chair. In a good way. I think my brain just melted. It's easily the hottest Jack/Ianto I've read to date. 9,500 words of delicious smut. Just what everybody needs on a Sunday morning.

Title: Getting To Yes
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, mentions of past Ianto/Lisa
Warnings: Abuse of office furniture. Ianto-esque naming conventions. Boys who won't stop shagging.
Rating: Adult.
Words: 9401
Summary: Now that they've settled into this pattern, how is he to tell Jack that, in all fairness, he thinks Jack ought to let him have a go?

"As it happens," Jack sits up and half-turns to face him. After a long pause in which Ianto begins to feel like one of the alien bits Owen's forever studying, Jack shakes his head. "I don't. I'm curious to know what you had in mind."

Somehow, with Jack inelegantly but decisively shifting about in the chair so that he's eyeing Ianto up, having you face down over the table and begging seems…cheeky. Ianto equivocates, then settles on, "I'd thought you might appreciate having your other needs attended to." The lift of Jack's eyebrow and the subtle but unmistakable curling twitch of his fingers -- yes? -- suggest he's on the right course. "Blow job, sir?"

Jack's fingers tap down on his thigh and his mouth opens like he might demur, no knowing why, but the moment passes and next thing, Jack's slipping his braces off his shoulders. "Careful, Ianto." His voice slips dangerously low and purring. "That's the same tone you use to offer me coffee. You wouldn't want me getting confused."

Warped on the inside, he is, the stunning prat. Ianto shrugs and steps away. "If it's coffee you're wanting, I'm pleased to—"

"Ian-to." His growl crawls up Ianto's spine and down his chest, then settles into his cock.

Still and all, there is pride to be considered. "Mocha, sir, or will you want—"

"You on your knees is what I want."

Lord, that's just the very beginning. Fair warning, you'll be needing a bit of privacy afterwards.

Vacation in a week. I am so very not ready. Partly because a friend decided now would be the ideal time to send me the entire first season of Torchwood on DVD. No, no, NO! I don't have time for this -- there are important things that need to get done. Packing and house-sitting arrangements and shopping and all that other crap that means travellling with a family of six. So I am not watching it. Much. Maybe an episode or two a day. Maybe more on days that end in Y. I'm not addicted.

I am awed and humbled by the fics and art my hd_worldcup team, Team EWE, has created. It's going to be like Christmas in April when the entries start posting. But even more importantly, my teammates win for being themselves. They are every one of them fine people -- able, clever, and funny as hell. How lucky was I to have been placed with them? GO TEAM EWE!

Cross-gen: I think I've settled on a Harry/Severus/Scorpius PWP one-shot and a longer, plotty Draco/James. There were so many wonderful suggestions, thank you. I hope the results please and satisfy.

And now, off to watch Torchwood, catch up on the flist, do important packing stuff. ;)

I read a wonderful PSOH fic this morning, and it had no comments! *boggles* Where are you, PSOH fans?

Title: To Explain By Example
Author: drachenmina
Rating: NC17
Word count: 5,700
Pairings: Count D/Leon from Pet Shop of Horrors
Summary: Tracking D down, even with Leon’s dreams helping him out, is only half the battle.
Huge hugs for the beta and Brit-unpick to the wonderful bluestocking79

Go read the D/Leon goodness!

...Claimed he was cleaning his underpants.

UK - The building contractor claimed he was cleaning his underpants with Henry Hoover when he was found naked and on his knees in a hospital's staff canteen. The man claimed he was cleaning his underpants with Henry Hoover. A stunned security guard stumbled onto the man in the middle of a compromising act with the cleaner, which has a large smiley face painted on its front and a hose protruding from its "nose". According to the Sun, the contractor was supposed to be locking up the building site near the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital where his firm is refurbishing administration offices. When later questioned by his employers, the man said he was vacuuming his underpants, which was "a common practice in Poland." He has since been fired.

*heeheehee*



Full story on the Telegraph

I wrote a short story this weekend (original) in which the main character was nearly blind. I ended up using him as as the third-person limited POV character, and it was no picnic. Thank God for my betas -- especially Anders *hugs you* -- who had to remind me more than once that my protagonist wouldn't be able to see how another person squinted at a book, or how a box was dented. Although I wanted to tear my hair out more than once, I never really entertained using a different narrative -- even though it would have made the writing of the story much easier. Limited third-person is my POV. It's my woobie.

I'm not a huge fan of alternating POV in shorter works, though I realize longer, chaptered stories usually call for it. First person? It's intimate and powerful, but I don't think I have the skill to pull it off.

Anyway, it got me thinking.... What's your favourite literary narration? Does it make a difference whether you're reading or writing?