Author Archives: Sam

Camp NaNo: Day Fourteen

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In which you can tell I’m firmly into the endgame as my “words per day” are getting pretty damn high. When I start to get to the end of a story, suddenly it’s all downhill in this sort of mad blitz to the finish line.

I have 3-4 scenes left of and the Sins of Atlantis to write, we’re firmly in wrap-up territory. We’re back in the real world. Everyone was returned to their proper place in time, the records match what they remember, the apocalypse remains cancelled (Apep and the ultimate battle is firmly in the rear view despite the danger of meddling in the time of prophecy). So no worries.

Except poor Jenkins. He’s rather subdued right now and currently contemplating leaving the annex 🙁

I may finish tomorrow, although Friday is more likely. Either way I’m surpassing my estimation of Sunday. Yay for downhill blitz haha.

Once it’s done I will need to do a complete readthrough and maybe a light bit of revision. I’ve gone back a few times and adjusted some stuff when I thought of it, and I need to make sure everything tracks. I’ll also need to split it into chapters. Last month I joked saying that I was covering 11 of the prompts, and my brain really didn’t need to take that as a challenge for needing 11 chapters BUT based on the figures there may well be more than 11 chapters /facepalm

Anyway I’m going to easily make the “on or before July 31st deadline” 🙂

Words Written (this month): 30,317
Current Total (for and the Sins of Atlantis): 51,929

Camp NaNo: Day Twelve

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So work continues on and the Sins of Atlantis. I realised today that I dropped the ball on a plot point, so I need to go back and weave it into a number of scenes. This is why I like what I do now, with writing it completely before I post, it means I can go back and revise when I realise oops something would be better changed.

Anyway, we’re battling the Lake and about to conduct the ritual to retake the library. Battle scenes are hard, I hope I’m managing it ok. We haven’t really seen magic used offensively in the show. We did have Jenkins talk about it a bit and say that it wasn’t like in books, it took hours/a day? to be able to conjure a fireball. So I’m mostly leaning on artifacts.

I’m not thrilled that somehow it’s already the 12th and I’m still not done. I have 2 other WIPs that I had on my list to finish this month. Although admittedly when I ran the numbers, that was incredibly unlikely, but still I dream.

Words Written (this month): 21,803
Current Total (for and the Sins of Atlantis): 43,426

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OMG thanks to a kind person in the US I just saw the first episode of Leverage: Redemption.

I’m supposed to be writing but how can I concentrate on my fic after that? I’m practically vibrating in place that I got to see it.

Just Ahhhhhhhh all the screaming. It was SO good.

All the callbacks, all the references, the fact that they didn’t just forget Nate, they didn’t derail anyone’s happy ending. They made it realistic what happened. It’s sad but it fits.

The banter, the in-jokes, how comfortable Eliot, Parker and Hardison are together. Hardison’s speech! About redemption being a process and Sophie referring to him as Nate’s son/legacy. Plan M, and Lucille and just everything. I can’t even be coherent.

This first episode was like the biggest love letter in the world to Leverage. This isn’t a reboot, it’s a continuation and I’m in love.

Harry, Harry, oh Harry. Honestly I thought it would be weird because it’s Flynn from the Librarians (oh and I loved the Libris reference as to his former employer hehe) but it actually wasn’t. I didn’t feel like I was watching Flynn and Jacob Stone. I could clearly see it was Eliot and the ‘new guy’. I don’t know how Christian Kane does that, does he hold himself differently or something?

Oh the gloat! The gloat! They did the gloat 🙂 gotta love that!

I feel like I should be saying more stuff but I just have all the feels, all of them. I’m on like a happy cloud of “OMG I just watched a new episode and ahhhhh” is about as coherent as I’m getting. Oh I loved it, I loved it.

The only problem is watching it how I did I now can’t immediately watch it again haha. Oh man I can’t wait until the UK gets this properly so I can watch the shit out of it. I want to support it officially. I want to scream so loudly about how good this is so maybe, just maybe, we might get even more.

The world needs more Leverage. This was a damn excellent start 🙂

Camp NaNo: Day Ten

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(and yes I did totally forget to do any rambling until now)

So yes Day Ten. This month I’m not working on just one thing, I’m trying to finish a bunch of things. The first priority is the crossover fanfic (Sanctuary / The Librarians / Stargate) for The Librarian’s prompt month. However, I did take today out to write a “Zombie’s in July” oneshot for Sanctuary.

It’s called Life Without Purpose, and it topped out at 2k, and it’s basically John being emo after Helen is killed in Pavor Nocturnus. I’ll do some graphics for it and post it soon.

Anyway! Back to and the Sins of Atlantis. It’s going well. I think I’m sliding into the endgame now. I have 13 characters in one room though which is being a bit of a headache, as I don’t want the reader to forget any of them are there. So I’m trying to dole out lines, and slip in bits of description, as reminders.

This is the big meeting before they assault the library to try and retake it from the Lake. So yeah that’s what I mean by endgame. It’s final battle time. Once that’s done, they’ll be some aftermath/wrapping up scenes and then boom – finished. I’m expecting it to be around 50k when it’s done, so I have another 10k or so to go. That feels about right.

Words Written (this month): 16,823
Current Total (for and the Sins of Atlantis): 38,445

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I spent a good chunk of the Black Widow movie going “ooooh ouch that looked like it hurt” because ouch. How did they walk away from that? Wowzer.

I’m sure somebody has already done it but unless I see it I may make a gifset tomorrow about Natasha and stealing cars because I laughed at that callback. Maybe also one with the “thank you for your cooperation” interrogation style. Totally badass.

I wasn’t expecting that twist on Taskmaster. That’s not the story I am familiar with. I remembered the line from Loki in the first Avengers movie about Dreykov’s daughter so that was another good callback. Also finally we now know about Budapest!

It was a good movie. Typical high octane action. Some real moments of feeling. I loved how Natasha downloaded all the data, I got vibes from when she did that on the ship in Winter Soldier. The action was a bit unbelievable. I swear that is getting worse in these movies. Like Natasha is awesome but she has no special powers apart from being awesome and the close calls and all that midair fighting and stuff was a bit much. Lot of flash, some substance.

I am still very bitter they killed Natasha off. I like that she made peace with her sister first and that Yelena had a grave for her. That makes me feel slightly better about how there was no send-off in Endgame for her.

Anyway typical marvel movie. I liked it. I think it suffered a bit from the hype of over a year of waiting which is unfortunate. I’m glad I finally got to see it though. Shame that they aren’t releasing any other marvel movies concurrently at home :/

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I’m going to watch Black Widow later *dances* 🙂 🙂

Best part is I get to watch it at home. Like sure there is something to be said for the cinema experience of the big screen but there are people there. Home is better. I’m kinda bummed that this is the only marvel movie that is getting home release. So I probably won’t get to see the others until they release on DVD/Disney+ 🙁 The Marvel movies and Star Wars used to be the ones I made the effort to go out for, but it’s a bit beyond me now.

Anyway, this is no way makes up for the fact that there is no Leverage: Redemption in the UK

BIG sad face 🙁

I mean I originally planned to see Black Widow for my birthday last year, so that’s been a long time coming (I’ve had another birthday since then) but Leverage is special.

I think some fans are doing some streaming so I might be able to watch it (not sure yet) but I want to support it properly.

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I mean the louder we shout the more Leverage we might get right? I can only dream.

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I swear if Amazon Prime doesn’t actually put up Leverage: Redemption on Friday I’m going to… I don’t even know but man I neeeeed it! I need it so bad.

Logic says that they should. IMDBTV is owned by Amazon, we don’t have the former in the UK, so the logical thing for them to do is put it on Prime but what if they don’t? What if it doesn’t air for months? I’ll cry. What if they sell it to Sky? That would be criminally unfair.

*chews nails* Friday is so long away.

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Where does the time go?

I mean I know the answer. I just lost over a week to a mental health downswing 🙁 and that’s why I’m now so behind but still ugh. Where does it go? How is it July tomorrow?!?!

To go back to that list I posted some progress has been made but absolutely nothing is ready *cries*

For the Librarians prompt month I have 5 fics written but no graphics for any of them (so they aren’t ready to post yet). I still have the Sanctuary MerMay fic written (but again no illustration so I can’t post it). I’ve written more on Gentlemen of Bloodbut again it’s not finished. The two drawings for prompt month have had zero progress made on them for weeks *screams* and as for that Sanctuary OT3 gifset…

*falls over*

It is taking the most ridiculously stupid long time. Like no gifset should take this long ever. I’ve pored hours and hours into it already and it’s still only maybe I don’t know 60% done. If nothing else this proves how much I love my OT3. This gifset is like the ultimate love letter to them I swear.

Also that crossover fic. I haven’t written anything on that in a couple of weeks so I’m still sitting at 23k and it’s half-finished. The first prompt it uses is on July 2nd and *laughs hysterically* yeah there’s no way I can post in 2 DAYS!! So I’m going with Plan B for that and I’m going to post teasers linked to the prompts and then drop the whole fic at the end of the month. Which means I do need to do the fic graphics (and yes I have not even started).

Oh and to cap it all off I don’t have summaries for any of the fics written either…

It’s also Camp NaNo starting tomorrow. At least I’m going with Plan B for that (aka write All The Things) and so basically I’m just continuing with what I’m currently doing. Not very satisfying but extremely necessary.

Haha one last thing. After a content drought for months Warcraft is dropping the new patch today /headdesk. I’ve basically not played at all in months and I don’t have the time! But, but my guild. But, but, my to do list. *screams*

Honestly I think my mission at the moment is just to survive July. What have I done to myself? This is all crazy. I am not prepared!!

#sam screams a lot because it’s all too much what have I done I am so behind this is crazy I can’t do this it’s all a mess#I just need to finish some shit all this half-done not quite ready is making me insane

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So I decided to change the colours on this gifset to match the bi flag and oops suddenly had to redo a lot of work /headdesk.

I swear this is going to be like my magnum opus gifset. It is ridiculous. How do people colour gifs so fast? I think I must be doing it a stupid way but I can’t see how else to do it…

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Whoo finally went back to doing that gifset.

It’s taking me the craziest most ridiculous length of time buuuuuut it’s starting to come together and it’s matching the design I’m feeling.

So I’m taking that as a win.

It’s still not done, not even close, but I think now I have the design nailed the next part should hopefully come a bit quicker.