OK. I get it now.

[mark_asphodel]

A friend of mine who just got around to reading "Hearts of Glass" commented on some weird formatting in the FFnet version.  I checked the live file, as opposed to the version saved in the document manager, and all the scene breaks were gone.  I still had the document manager version saved so I swore a bit, corrected it, and uploaded the new file.

Then I checked my other stories, and the problem is across the board.  Every story, including the ones whose document manager "originals" have long since been deleted, is FUBAR.  So, yes, I understand now.  FFnet is the devil.  I feel really, really low about this.  I can't stand the thought of people reading these stories in their current format, but the idea of going back and fixing them, even half of them, is more than I can stomach right now. 

In other news, I finally wrote some original 'fic, a piece called "The Spear Carrier" that is kind of about unrequited love in cutthroat corporate America.  I am having a deeply frustrating week at work and this story was one way of dealing with it.  On one level it's incredibly personal, but on the other hand the setting is so vague I probably could pass it off as fanfic if I wanted to, ha ha.  Posting it feels like exhibitionism, but I may share it f-locked if anyone cares.

Also, as there are so far no entries to "my" challenge for fe_contest , I am working on my own piece (working title: "Century Eyes") that lay dormant for a few months until the Jugdral/Archanea revelation.  Main character: Medeus.  Yay.

Comments

[penandpaper71.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that you're having a rough week. :( I hope that it improves soon.

The stuff about FF.net sucks. How many fics are effected by this issue?

FF.net can be just awful. My current biggest issue though is that all the adds they have running constantly make the whole site very frustrating to navigate to the point that half the time I don't even wish to try (Well, that and I always seem to have to fix things after posting a new fic because it never seems to format quite right the first time, which is beyond irritating). If I could find a better spot for my own fics then I'd post there instead, but this seems to offer the best spot for the time being.

As for fe_contest, I intended to enter something, but it's so far not going well. So, that may not end up happening. I have maybe a paragraph actually written and a vague idea of what I want to happen, but nothing definite and I'm so busy this week that I'm not sure that I'll have time to finish it by the due date. :( I may try to finish it anyway at some point simply because I kind of like the vague concept I have for it (If I can make it work, which I probably can't, in which case I'll delete it and pretend it never existed), even if I'm not in time for the contest.

I'd personally be interested in seeing your original fic, but there's no pressure if you don't feel comfortable sharing. I can certainly understand.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

How many fics are effected by this issue?

Anyone silly enough to use asterisks as space markers, I guess. Everything of mine is affected except "No Direction Home," which had no scene breaks to start with.

My current biggest issue though is that all the adds they have running constantly make the whole site very frustrating to navigate to the point that half the time I don't even wish to try

Tasteless ads that make it embarrassing to be even on the site, too....

even if I'm not in time for the contest.

The deadline's been extended, so keep plugging away!

I'd personally be interested in seeing your original fic, but there's no pressure if you don't feel comfortable sharing. I can certainly understand.

It's up. It's awfully revealing, but oh well.

[penandpaper71.livejournal.com]

Anyone silly enough to use asterisks as space markers, I guess.

Or lines, which is what I tend towards using. >_< As I said, I don't use scene breaks that much (I tend towards scene-like oneshots, which is actually a habit that I'm trying to break without much success), but I just checked through my fics and the ones that had my little line scene breaks are messed up. I'm too tired to deal with FF.net tonight. I'll fix them tomorrow. Fortunately, the fics involved are old and I'm the only one who still cares about them.

Tasteless ads that make it embarrassing to be even on the site, too....

Indeed. And they're really spamming them these days. It's awful.

The deadline's been extended, so keep plugging away!

Oh, yay! Thank you for telling me. I just checked it out. Hopefully, I'll be able to pull this together by then. I actually did manage to get some of it done tonight, which is nice and kind of surprising considering how tired I am right now (Which probably means that what I've written is awful, but I can try fixing it tomorrow).

It's up. It's awfully revealing, but oh well.

I just read it through and I think that it's excellent. If you'd like a better review then I can put one together for you tomorrow. Thank you for sharing. I hope that you're feeling okay about it. I feel kind of bad now about saying anything. I'm sorry if I caused you any discomfort.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

If you'd like a better review then I can put one together for you tomorrow.

That would be appreciated, actually. I'm glad your initial reaction was positive, though.

Thanks!

[myaru.livejournal.com]

FF.Net... see, I've started this sentence four times already, and I can't think of any way to satisfy my need to criticize their idiocy without four-letter words. I just noticed the same thing. At the moment I'm avoiding checking my other stories because fixing this will be a lot of work I just don't feel like doing right now.

If there were an archive out there to equal its visibility, I'd immediately join. AO3 kind of irritates me, hence my reluctance to move, and also... it's not nearly as well-trafficked, and it's aimed at fandoms that have nothing to do with mine, or at least that's my impression of it. Everything media fandom does seems myopic in regards to fandom.

Also, as there are so far no entries to "my" challenge for [info]fe_contest

This is always kind of scary to me-- when people don't respond.

I've got something outlined and ready to start. Your prompt is good, you offered half a dozen possible interpretations in your description to help out, and my biggest problem was narrowing my ideas down to one or two that were actually doable in the time we have. You inspired a Mildain fic that'll be way too long, for one; you made me think more deeply about Camus, though his idea isn't going to show up this week either; you even got me thinking spoilery thoughts about Tellius again, and what I can do to create more mythology.

In short, you're very inspiring.

Main character: Medeus.

I'm looking forward to this. He's not a character I would expect to see in fic, though I should know better by now - you like to tackle the hard stuff.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

AO3 kind of irritates me, hence my reluctance to move, and also... it's not nearly as well-trafficked, and it's aimed at fandoms that have nothing to do with mine, or at least that's my impression of it.

This is precisely my own view of the place.

In short, you're very inspiring.

Cool! Thanks; I sure hope some good stuff arrives this go-round.

I should know better by now - you like to tackle the hard stuff

One of these days, I'm going to write that one from Jiol's point of view. That'll really be hard to work without toppling into satire.

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

(Deleted and reposted due to exploding HTML!)

It is unfortunate that you are having to feel my pain at FFN, since you are now experiencing the same issues that are prompting my move to different archives. :-( IMO, AO3 has potential if enough people from our fandoms migrate to it, since it is new enough that it can still be shaped into almost anything. (The same is true for EFFN.)

On fe_contest : I have the Nyna idea that I described before, but I have not been able to sit and 'fic at length. (Feels like I have been at the store more and more as of late, and my days off have been devoted to either sleep or catching up on official business.) Mercifully, the deadline has been extended, and I will now be able to get to it without sacrificing any of the time I have set aside for trying to complete my operation_80 response.

I will add your original to my list of mark_asphodel pieces I need to read. :-)