Author Archives: Sam

Short Post – NaNo is my main fandom

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I just had a random thought and I felt like sharing. I would never consider NaNo to be a fandom really, if I was saying what my main fandom was I would probably say “Once Upon a Time” because I participate in that fandom online BUT in terms of swag NaNo comes out way ahead of everything else.

I show my NaNo pride year round with my three framed posters on the wall. I also have a word count tracker up on my magnetic noticeboard which works year round. I have 2 coffee mugs but I don’t use either as the handle of one arrived cracked so it’s not safe, and the other isn’t dishwasher safe. So they are like ornaments on my table and I use them to hold stationary etc.

Those mugs might not be used for their true purpose but I have two NaNo thermos flasks which I use year round. One is brand new so I haven’t used it yet but I will! I have a cold weather beanie hat which I’ll use in the winter (also new), half a dozen winners shirts and the NaNo hoodie. I tend to only wear the NaNo clothes during November but I could wear them at other times.

That it? Nope! I have two NaNo books – No Plot? No Problem! and the 52 Pep Talks. I have a USB bracelet, and a regular rubber bracelet. I’ve got a ton of stickers and bookmarks. Basically, when it comes to swag – NaNo has it covered!

In contrast I have coffee mugs for other stuff and t-shirts but that’s pretty much it. I used to have sweaters but I don’t any longer. I do have some card collections and one cuddly toy but these items are split over multiple TV shows. Whereas NaNo is one thing and has so much!

So what’s the point of this post? I don’t know. It’s just that this is going to be my 11th year/10th November event, my 19th event if I count Camp’s. It’ll be 10th time getting 50k or over in a month (failure is not an option) and well – stuff accumulates over time. I have loved and participated in NaNo for more years than I’ve loved any particular TV show. NaNo is forever.

Yeah that’s basically it – NaNo is my forever fandom.

No plan survives first contact

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Otherwise known as the road to hell is paved with good intentions, or variations of that cliche. No matter what we plan, or intend, quite often things don’t work out that way. Life twists and turns in mysterious ways and nothing ever turns out as expected. I think I might have said that in a recent post, about how a year ago I would never guess I’d be sitting here. I think 2017 could be termed “the year of the unexpected” because basically since this time last year, nothing has been the same.

This time last year I was in a self-loathing pit because I’d had my first ever review on my published book. Admittedly it was pretty mean and dramatically written but reviews like that are par for the course. I thought I was prepared to deal with it and I wasn’t. So I couldn’t face continuing with Book Three, it knocked me for six, and I decided to work on something else until I stopped feeling like an abject failure.

My ‘plan‘ was to pick up Book Three in December, and I was still aiming to publish March/April at the latest. Well some life stuff happened, I could go into details but I don’t really like to do that on the internet (even though this is password protected) and besides it feels a little like I’m making excuses. Basically in many ways I checked out of life and didn’t really get my footing back until the summer, when I suddenly got the idea to change my life completely and go back to university.

Anyway, this post isn’t about what did happen – it’s about what didn’t happen.

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In better news because I do try (operative word try) not to be negative, as what’s the point in spreading misery? I just went and got back my first piece of marked work. I was terrified going to get it because what if it sucked? And I’m not university material? But after reading “this is excellent” and “impressive” I think I passed that particular assignment.

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So I didn’t even get an interview for the part-time job I applied for. No idea where I went wrong, and they don’t offer feedback on applications as they have too many of them to bother. I’ve no idea what the ratio of applications to positions was so I guess it could have just been a pure numbers thing.

I do feel kinda shitty though.

7.02 A Pirate’s Life (Review)

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Well review of sorts as I’m over a week late.

1) Why did he say Emma and Regina? Did it have to be actual names for the magic? It was weird not to hear “my moms”.

2) I really loved Regina going “I’m his mother” but erm explanations please. Like how did they make a portal directly to Henry? Why are they all not really weirded out that Henry has aged by years, but clearly they haven’t? I mean I know it’s hard to tell how long it’s been due to the different actors and then this flashback is 10 years ago from present day. Ugh I have a headache.

3) What the hell????? I can tell I’ve reached the dubbed dialogue and please sweet Merlin don’t tell me RC is playing Weaver as a cockney? He had his normal accent last episode. I’m going to cry. This is painful. It’s completely wrecking this for me. Different accents work for imp!Rumple but this is just wrong.

I don’t know if I can watch.

It’s like audio and visual doesn’t gel. I’ve seen RC in other roles with the wrong accent but I wasn’t invested in those. I get it’s a character choice and I’m being quite selfish about it but dammit I feel like having a tantrum. I mean, alright I admit it, a big part of the attraction is the accent. I was loving the casual look and the whole cop thing but it’s utterly ruined by the accent.

4) I’m not really clear on how wish!Hook travelled to the real alternate realm, but they didn’t explain how Regina and Hook did either. Also makeup wasn’t as good at aging him up as it was for the wish!episode. Ok how did wish!Hook know Lady Tremaine? This whole “real or not real” debate just exploded.

5) Colin is a fantastic actor. He’s doing great at playing fake!Hook trying to be Hook in this flashback.

6) Henry is persisting in saying Emma and I thought he had pretty much completely swapped over to mom. I know that was potentially confusing at times as it was interchangeable but I was never confused. It was always very clear and while I 110% support Regina as Henry’s mom, Emma is his mom just as much in many ways. They had the fake memories of her raising him. They are family.

7) What Emma jumped realms separately now too? Seriously how easy is it? How are they doing this?

8) Wait wish!Hook has a kid? A witch captured her and he snuck in to play chess. She is my knight, he had her rook. His heart was poisoned so he couldn’t save her, true love the only cure. That’s a sad story but, but major point here …

a) Emma wasn’t even willing to try and save him. She just started with the excuses. Shouldn’t she have tried before saying magic didn’t work? Or said she was worried about the price? After all healing Robin of a mortal wound brought the fury, Emma could have been worried about her pregnancy but they didn’t say any of that.

b) Far more importantly – the Hook we are watching, the cursed!Hook is a completely different character. Isn’t that like saying Hook only existed for CaptainSwan? Or saying that the characters of Emma and Hook together don’t work independently so only reboot Hook can work on his own? Either way it seems odd. I mean surely fans of the character would want the character they have been invested in for years?

9) I love Weaver standing up to Belfry, saying she doesn’t own him, and also telling fake!Hook, cursed!Hook, wish!Hook? I don’t know what to tag, that he was glad to have found a moral core – that he wanted that. It’s another mystery to Weaver.

10) I really like that Henry asked Regina to stay as her story wasn’t over either. I liked Regina’s enthusiastic “could this be one of your operations?” as it added some much needed levity to what could otherwise have been very emotional.

6 Movies I’ll Always Watch

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@theoneandonlylittlebird thanks for the tag! 🙂

Ordinarily I would do gifs but I’m on the iPad and that isn’t very tumblr friendly.

1) The Princess Diaries – my ultimate feelgood movie, no clue why I love it so much but I’ve watched it so many times I can practically quote the whole thing. It’s just made of happy things.

2) Fools Gold – I just love the visuals, the yacht and the ocean and it’s a fun caper movie and again it’s like a feelgood thing. I just flat out enjoy it.

3) Sister Act – some movies age well and this is one of the timeless ones. The wardrobe and hair styles might date it but Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith are just so watchable that I’m drawn in every time.

4) Marvel Movies – yeah, yeah I know it’s a series and not a particular movie but to be honest pick any one and I would always be willing to sit and watch it. They are enjoyable and especially as a series there is always something that appeals. It’s like they are all ‘superhero’ movies but they cover genres as well and plus they have that kind of banter comedy I love where they don’t take themselves that seriously.

5) Sherlock Holmes – I watched both of these twice in a week recently and wasn’t bothered at all. Robert Downey Jr. is just incredible and they are such stylistic movies. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the third one will eventually come out of development hell because *grabby hands*

6) Star Trek Reboot Movies – unpopular opinion this one but I just love Karl Urban as Bones, and Simon Pegg as Scotty, and the Spock/Uhura romance. I loved how they made the reboot work within universe as an alternate timeline and had Leonard Nimoy appear. I know this has a lot of critics but I enjoy it.

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For a brief shining moment I was starting to feel in control, like maybe I was getting the hang of this studying thing and could actually read some fanfic – honestly I think I’m in withdrawal – but then I had to contract the lurgy and feel like death instead.

I know it’s just a cold and doesn’t warrant moaning but everything aches and my nose has a pulse and it just sucks. If I had the energy I would stamp my foot like a toddler with a tantrum heh.

Stay healthy my friends 🙂

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Random but I’m quite proud of myself. I feel like I’ve passed a test.

7.02 Once went up on Netflix yesterday. I really, really wanted to watch it but I had uni work to do. By the time I’d finished the uni work it was late. I could have stayed up but I decided to be sensible and that the episode wasn’t going anywhere.

I know this is silly and basic but I’m feeling very adult today. I probably won’t get to watch until Friday now so I guess I have something to look forward to 🙂

TMI Tuesday

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Afternoon everyone *waves* Once again I forgot to put this post in my drafts and trying to format with links etc. is a pain on the iPad so erm … sorry? I do have a tag “ask the writer” which has lots of question things.

I haven’t posted anything as I completely understimated how damn tired I am so yeah no need for snazzy links there 🙂 I’m also sick, some kind of throat/ear infection, maybe a brewing cold I don’t know. I’m very impressed with myself though that I made it to week four before succumbing.

I’m rambling now but yeah basically ask me things if you like! I’m still here, none of my fics are abandoned, I’m really really behind on commenting on things but I still care very much. This is the adjustment period, that’s all. Now happy Tuesday! 🙂

P.S. I haven’t seen the latest episode yet. I’m hoping I’ll get to watch it tonight as Netflix adds it on Tuesdays!