Notes and Errata of Mark of the Asphodel

 But first, some phanphiction phishing!

I got this in my inbox today:

"Name: Yoshino in the Moonlight4"

Subject: Ideas related to fanfiction...

Hello there? You seem to be a fan-fiction writer in the United States, and
well, I just wanted to tell you that I have some ideas that are somehow
related to fan-fiction, and I wonder if you would like to discuss with me
about them. I just wanted to ask someone in the United States about these
ideas - could you perhaps give me some additional thoughts about them?

Also, just wondering - just how much interest do you have in drawing?"

What-ever.

-x-

OK.  Anyway, in this installment of "Until the Sun Cries Morning," Caeda shows up and thickens the plot like a dose of arrowroot in the pudding.  This chapter, "For Sorrow of Inspiration," is subdivided to make it easier to read and to buy me time on writing the battles of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge.  :D

 Uh... wow, this thing is turning into a late-entry unofficial NaNo or something.  1,500 words for "Transcendence," 2000 and counting for "Borderline," and 11,000 and counting for the four segments of "Until the Sun Cries Morning."  Yeesh.

Randomish thoughts:

1) AU Magvel is easiest 'cause the canon world-building sucks.

2) Dammit, there's no room for L'Arachel.

3) Integrating real-world religiosity is a hard trick, but not doing it would be totally anachronistic.  So it's in there.  Hope nobody minds...

4) WTF did the romance subplot come from in Part III?  Wasn't part of the outline.  

5) 19th century rhymed-couplet poetry is so not to my tastes.  Grown men wept over this stuff?  Blech.

6) Here, have some Rilo Kiley instead.  Ah, much better.

7) WTF ending?  I guess it's culturally appropriate to the literature of the time, or... whatever.  

8) You left the books on Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge at Grandma's again?  Way to fail, self.

9) No epilogue, self.  Let the readers decide what happens after the war.  Stop...with...the...epilogue.

10) Innes, you jerk...

11) This list goes up to eleven!
 

 I let people review my ffnet stuff anonymously because, for the most part, I'd rather encourage reviews than discourage them.  Some anon reviews have kind of sucked, like when people ask (or demand) for more parts to a story that is plainly labeled "Complete."  But for the most part, my disappointment with anonymice has been simply that I can't respond to them.

Like this one:

"You've actually changed my mind about anachronistic AUs. I'd always thought that they were an excuse to ignore historical accuracy, and yet you've done exactly the opposite. Thanks!"

So... is that a backhanded compliment saying that I went overboard on the historical accuracy, to the detriment of the fanfic end of things, or did you actually like it, dear anonymous reader whom I cannot contact?
:/

Got this meme from sacae  and sailorvfan .  I think it's really cool.

Post the first lines from your last 20 stories. Do you see a pattern?

Here we go!  Oldest to newest.  I am not counting new chapters of old works as new stories.  I think some fe_contest things I didn't archive anywhere also slipped through the cracks.

( Cut for length. And a bit of yucky imagery. )

Well, I see two themes right off-- rain (or other precipitation) and offerings of/desire for food and drink.  As opening lines go, I think I still like that from "A Knight In Reverse" the best, probably followed by "Mortal Corruption" for the visceral ick factor.  I'd better rewrite the opener to my current project, which features both rain and coffee.  Heh.

Anyway, every other 'fic project has been abandoned for the week in favor of shining_valor 's Civil War prompt thing, which has taken on a life of its own.  Basically, Innes and Ephraim jumped up from the margins of the story and demanded more "screen time," so I'm writing a few side-story ficlets that concentrate on them.  They contain spoilers for the main plot of "Borderline" (and the main "plot" of the war if you don't know it), but that's OK.  Spoiler: the Confederates lose.

I dunno.  I am probably going way overboard on looking up stuff, like the historical details of the Army of the Cumberland's command structure.  Is anyone in the audience going to care if there really was an artillery brigade attached to the XIV Corps in March of 1863?  Or when the city of Murfreesboro first had gaslighting?  I don't know if I'm slouching toward finally writing original 'fic again, or what.  But it kind of gives me an excuse to research a beloved subject in-depth instead of just cross-referencing details of medieval dress or... whatever.