A Thanksgiving Scenelette to Leave You On

Just a bit of drabbling that was beating around my head yesterday.  Enjoy some seasonal quickwriting, below the break, and enjoy your leftovers for the rest of the weekend!

Mini-Reviews Round 60

Still working my way toward "not so stressed that I can't focus on anything;" Thanksgiving break will hopefully help with that, or at least give me the opportunity to get back to work feeling relaxed and confident, rather than snippy and behind-the-ball.  I've managed to read a few bits of fanfic nevertheless, though!  Click down below the break for short takes on what I've read lately.

First Sentences in (Fan)Fiction

Well, I didn't get much writing done, but I piddled around with the start of a story for a while.  I have more trouble with beginnings than with middles and endings, generally, when I write--so I thought I'd look at how some other authors have started their stories.

Specifically, I thought that I'd look at that much-ballyhooed First Sentence.  A good first sentence can instantly hook a reader, while a bad one can just as easily drive one away.  Of course, the hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of sentences which come after it matter, too.  But analyzing the forty-seventh sentence of stories doesn't have the same ring, does it?

Below, I've posted the first sentence of the dozen Fandom Classics I've most recently reviewed, my star rating for the story overall, and my thoughts on the first sentence, specifically.  Let's see if anything interesting emerges.

No Post Today

Well, obviously that's a lie, because you're reading this right now.

Seriously though, a combination of personal issues and a yet-unresolved crisis at work have made this a rough week for me, and I've had trouble getting more than a few paragraphs of reading done at a stretch, to say nothing of review-writing.  There have been (and will continue to be, for at least a few more weeks) unusual demands on my time, but the bigger issue is stress--both in the form of unexpected, unprepared-for responsibilities, and complicated emotions.  So, rather than try to force my way through something, I'm taking the day off.

I'm going to try to do some writing over the weekend; I've got a... not sad, but more "contemplative" story that's been kicking around my head for a while, and sometimes getting a story drafted can take the edge off, I find.  Even if that doesn't end up being what I need, I'm hoping the weekend gives me some time to get a little more ahead of the ball at work, and to get my head to a better place.  Reviews, or at least something, return Monday!

Fandom Classics Part 82: Inner Demons

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

If any of you were waiting for a fantasy football update (hah!), here it is: my team has the third-most points scored to date in my 12-team league... and a current win-loss record of 4-7, having managed to lose to a now-2-9 team en route to officially being eliminated from the fantasy playoffs.

Usually I just have a bad team.  This year, I'm experimenting with a pretty good team that just performs terribly.

Okay, on to stuff someone other than me is interested in.  My review of SapphireLibra3's Inner Demons, below the break.

On the Value of Up- and Downvotes

As you may be aware, I'm something of a fan of terrible jokes.  So when I came across this one over the weekend, I could hardly help but share it:

Sherlock Holmes and Watson went to a hunting lodge.  Sherlock set several game traps on the first day, but when he went to check them, he found that only one trap has been sprung, and that the fox it snared had gnawed its own leg off to escape, leaving nothing but a paw behind.  When he came back to the lodge, Watson asked, "Did you catch anything?" 

Holding up the paw, Sherlock announced, "The game is a foot!"

How people can fail to appreciate gold like that is beyond me.

Moving on, though: I've been thinking about those little green and red thumbs which FiMFiction lets you use to vote on stories, and what--if anything--they add to the reader experience.  Click down below the break for my thoughts.

Mini-Reviews Round 59

At work today, I discovered that a student had carved "YOLO SWAG" into his desk.  Is that still a thing?  Is yolo/swag still something we're doing?  I thought we, as a society, were past this, but our sixth-grade population hasn't gotten the message.  Seriously, is this 2012?  I think not.

Okay, on to fanfic reviews.  Three stories that don't deface school property with out-of-date catchphrases, below the break.

Fandom Classics Part 81: Forever Faithful

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

A heads-up for those of you with some interest in getting into reviewing: The Royal Guard group on FiMFiction is in desperate need of new reviewers, and are looking for people who know how words work to help them keep going.  If you're interested, Prak has a blogpost with more information.  Something to consider if you like having fanfic opinions, but aren't quite crazy enough to start doing your own blogposts!

Speaking of blogposts, check below the break for my review of Konseiga's Forever Faithful.

Mini-Reviews Round 58

I've been wondering recently: what, if anything, can you tell about an author from the titles they pick for their stories?  Not "what can you tell about the stories," or even "can you tell what kinds of stories the author writes," but "what can you actually tell about the author, based just on the titles of their fics and nothing else?"

I mean, I'm guessing the answer is "nothing, or near enough as makes no difference," but maybe I'm underestimating how much so few words can tell you about someone.  At the very least, I wonder if you could tell who wrote a given story (from a small list, anyway) based solely on the title.  Maybe I'll try that next writeoff.

Oh, also, some short reviews.  Get 'em below the break!

Fandom Classics Part 80: No Regrets

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

I have Friday off, and thank goodness for that: I'm coming down with something monumentally unpleasant.  Honestly, I probably shouldn't have gone into work today (Thursday, as I type this) at all, but I hate taking sick days on either side of a long weekend.  I have this irrational fear that everyone will think I'm faking so I can go on vacation, or something.  I know it's silly, but I guess I'm just a silly person.  A silly person who expresses that silliness by hacking and croaking at people as they crack jokes about Ebola.  Anyway, horizon's No Regrets, below the break.

And Now, a Brief Intermission for Civic Duties

If you're a US citizen over 18 years of age, please remember to vote today, if you haven't already.  Click here if you need help with registration--in many states, same-day registration is available, so it's not too late!--or to find your polling place.  Finding out enough about the candidates in your major/closely contested races only takes a few minutes, the act of voting itself a couple more.  Whatever your political leanings, please remember to go express them today.

Mini-Reviews Round 57

Halloween at work was... weird.  Plenty of people dressing up, which I expected, but I didn't anticipate five different people independently deciding to dress as bananas.  It wasn't like they'd all gotten together and decided to go as bananas; just five folks, all in banana costumes.  Are bananas a thing this year or something?  Whatever, it was strange.

Three short reviews of stuff, below the break!