Out of curiosity, I just checked the download stats for the most recent episode of Ultraman Moebius that my group has subbed and released. At 23:34, we're at 214.

Over two hunded downloads in one day! Happy~!

(Yes, I know this makes me a dork. And, yes, I know that our total downloads for each episode only come up to around 600. Obscure hobby and all that.)

Spent yesterday writing and doing a little bit of coding. Added "Soldier" and "Cow Tipping" to my website and put them in the queue for ff.net. (I'm a freak; I have a schedule for ff.net releases. It involves dumping a whole lot of "ready" fics into my account there at once and then releasing one every other day.) Also wrote about 18K on an as-yet-untitled G1 post-series story. I've about gotten through Jazz's explanation of the movie events... it's always fun to write him, particularly when doing it without contracting his words. (I need to go through Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and make his speech there more legible. After I finish Twin Terrors; only two more chapters to that and I want a minumum of WIPs going at once.) I probably need to rewatch the Headmasters episodes since my recollection of them is imperfect. Need to rewatch the Return of Optimus Prime episodes too, I suppose.

So yesterday while retreating from Ikea, having purchased the pepparkakkor (gingersnaps) that will form the base of the pumpkin cheesecake for Thursday (yes, we are going fancy this year; one pumpkin cheesecake and one pumpkin pie), the radio ad said the word "Reventon." My ears promptly pricked up and actually paid attention to the rest of the ad, which is from the Los Angeles Auto Show, going through next weekend. They have the Lamborghini Reventon there. It is, in fact, the $1.8 million car's North American debut, even if they don't have the Tesla (very nice, relatively expensive new electric car). I, of course, am planning to go. This is not at all helping my desire to write fic, which currently I am having to tamp down with lots of yelling of "Must cook dinner! Must sew baby quilt! Deadlines! Ask me next week!" ^^;; (Said baby quilt, before anyone starts fishing, is for a friend, not me.) I also have translating UM 20 on my plate for this week. Not helping is finding out one key detail which changes rather a lot of the emotional landscape in Twin Terrors, and having the characters in Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger actually talking to me again.

As far as writers and writing goes, I generally think I'm fairly sane, title of "Crossover Crack Queen" aside. I mean, I accept that the "voices in my head" are in fact merely reflections of my own subconscious process. I don't think I'm transmitting the words of anyone, or am the reincarnation of anyone, or am in fact describing the events of something happening a few parallel universes over (though I do accept the possibility that anything might happen in a parallel universe, up to and including the things I write). So, generally, the only things that come out of my head are things that were already in there.

That said, once in a while something happens and I take a step back and look at the stories and characters I'm writing and realize what it is in me that I'm writing about. This is part of the reason I haven't worked on The Novel in several months; I'm not ready to handle what I'm writing about in there. And, just over last night and today, I've realized what the hell I'm actually writing about in HBFS, why Prowl and Jazz are my main characters, why they have the problems and attitudes they do, and, in short, what is actually going on in my head. I also realized why I've started cross-posting my works, and why (other than issues of being pissed off at plaigarists) I've gotten and started using a ff.net account.

If I drank, I would so be getting plastered right now. Unfortunately I don't, and burying my sorrows in sugar would only make me feel worse afterwards, given my weight issues. Retail therapy is also out since I'm shy on the funds right now, and most of the things I want at the current time aren't within my reach anyway for varying (some temporal, some geographical) reasons. So, in the end, what route am I left to take the pain out? Only writing.

Hmm. Well, this weekend I washed and Armor-Alled my car, which needed it badly, and finished off an embroidery piece that had been befuddling the voices in my head (Cybertronians, apparently, do not "get" a cartoon duck, dressed in an apron and toque, carrying a cake), and started in on one that had long been put to the side, a counted cross stitch old-fashioned map of the world (thus far the voices have mentioned no opinion on this piece). I also got one musing started into fic form ("Twin Terrors"), took my mother to see "Transformers" at the $2 theater (making this showing #4 for me), and, in having dinner at my parents' tonight, rediscovered my love of the Grateful Dead. The Dead were the first concert I ever went to, and formed a good strong part of my soundtrack growing up. And now, it seems, they will provide the soundtrack for my writing as well, because in browsing through their songs via Youtube this evening, I've found several chapter titles for "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." This is good because part of the reason I've been so stalled on getting chapter eight out it that I've had no title, no musical inspiration for it. I've run out of Peter Gabriel, and haven't found anything in Sting's or Duran Duran's works that would suit. I'm very happy to find another musical source for the story, as it's my writing priority at the moment.

Again with the nice timing! twins_eternal posted the next several pages of Little Tin Soldiers today, a comic which is sparked from the same prompt of sbx's as this story!

This story happens between chapters seven and eight. It contains cursing and graphic consensual m/m sex (yes, yaoi) between two partners who are of age. If that offends you, if you are underage, or if reading this is illegal where you live, please don't read it. You will not miss anything vital to the plot of the main story by skipping this. Otherwise, please enjoy!

( Click for fic. )

Hot, sticky weather. Trouble sleeping. Have to go shopping and get a swimsuit before this weekend, by parental edict. Need to find time to wash car and get a new car sun screen.

On the other hand, despite having never enough time I've been steadily plodding along in the next part of HBFS. Last night I got down a good scene. The kind where I browse it after it's done and think "This is some pretty good writing." Reread it this morning after a night's sleep and only took two words out. I love it when something's solid like that. With luck, and if I can make it work, I want to release this part on Friday....

I have inlaws visiting from England this week, so updates may be a bit less frequent for a while.

Warning level... some cursing, m/m pairings. So don't read if that offends you. Elsewise, enjoy!

( Click for fic. )

I have inlaws coming to visit from England over this weekend and next week, so updates may be a bit less frequent for a while.

Warning level... some cursing, m/m pairings. So don't read if that offends you. Elsewise, enjoy!

( Click for fic. )

So yesterday on the drive home I was minding my own business, listening to music, heading toward the grocery store. And then Plot whacked me over the head. I personally feel this was quite rude of it--couldn't it at least have waited until I had the car parked? But in any case, I now know part of what is actually going on in "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." On one hand, this is good because it will make structuring things easier. On the other hand, this is annoying because I was going to finish chapter five (did so last night, just need Wonderful Husband to check the technobabble for me) and take a day or two's break to toss out the G1/07Movie (yes, both) oneshot "Seasons." Grr. Too many ideas, not enough writing time.

Must learn to get better at ducking.