The periodic welcome post.
Hello, and welcome to my LJ! There have been a lot of new folks showing up here recently -- this happens from time to time, inevitably leading to an influx followed by an exodus -- so I thought I'd take a few moments to answer those questions that I get asked on a semi-hemi-demi-regular basis. Here go:
Who are you?
I have a pretty thorough bio in my user info, but in the short form, I am a highly excitable California blonde girl who spends much of her time writing books, poetry and short stories, enjoys television, movies and literature, and has an unhealthy relationship with Photoshop. I have recorded two CDs, Pretty Little Dead Girl and Stars Fall Home, and I'm about to go into the studio for a third, Red Roses and Dead Things. I like to walk, do yoga, contra dance, and rail against modern standards of feminine beauty, which tend to piss me off. I have opinions about pretty much everything, and an unfortunate tendency to share them at the top of my lungs.
Who are these people you keep talking about?
Because golly, that's not a small ask or anything. We begin with my geographically closest female friends: aiglet, maintainer of the Home for Lost Children, and ceolyn, owner of the most suicidal cat I've ever met in my life. My bandmates are ladymondegreen and batyatoon (and a whole lot of other people, but they're the primaries). I survive my days largely through the assistance of vixyish, dcb42, nokomis4, and raelee, who talk me through my crazy. porpentine is my professional Taxi Whore, and has been dragged on more whack-ass adventures than anyone else on the planet, while sweetmusic_27 fiddles me sweetly to sleep at night.
I reference a lot of other folks, family members and beloved friends, but these are the ones you're most likely to encounter without actual context to tell you who they are. I just assume you've figured that part out by now. (The actual dramatis personae of my life would be much, much longer, require an entry of its own, and probably make me insane. So if I left you off the list above, don't kill me.)
Can I friend you?
Please. Feel free. I love having friends.
Can I unfriend you?
Please, again, feel free. Unless you're someone I know well who locks most posts, I won't be hurt at all; if you are a personal friend who locks most posts, and you drop me, well, I'm only human, and my feelings will probably be a little bit damaged. But I believe that LJ is more fun without drama, and thus avoid it whenever possible. Except during the annual drama triathalon, when I sit on the sidelines with a bag of popcorn. This year's main event: OMG YOU BASTARD YOU ATE MY SANDWICH!!!11.
Will you friend me?
Maybe. I am quite slow to friend, largely because I do most of my LJ reading from work, and that means I need to keep my list to a managable level. Whenever my existing reading list hits a slack period, or I drop folks, I go through my current list of followed journals and frequent commentors and do some adding. Not being on my list doesn't mean I don't read you; it just means you haven't been added yet. I also tend to add people if I want them to have access to specific filters. I lock very little that doesn't have to do with specific projects or my diet, so you're not missing anything.
Why don't you friend me?
There can be a lot of reasons for this, honestly, and if you think that I'm not adding you on purpose, you should ask me specifically. Part of it is the slowness; part of it is also a matter of content. If you post a lot of un-cut-tagged graphics or quizzes, I probably won't add you, like, ever, because that makes it harder to load and read my friends page. If you never use the cut-tag at all, I may not add you, or I may remove you. Again, I'll probably still read your journal, and you can choose to write and display whatever you want; it is totally your space. I just have to choose what I can practically have display on my screen when I hit the little 'friend' link on my menu bar.
Also, and I admit this freely: I'm a little bit of a picky bitch where things like 'spelling' and 'punctuation' are concerned. So sometimes, I fail to friend because I just can't read things without cringing. Again, your journal, your rules! Start a vendetta against the letter 'e' if it makes you happy! I just can't promise I'll be able to read it.
Can I link/quote/Metaquote you?
Absolutely, unless the post was locked in some way (in which case I appreciate being asked, since I probably locked it for a reason). I figure once I put something on my LJ, it's public, so there's really no point in trying to shoo people away. Now, at the same time, I like to know what people are saying, so I do ask that a) you let me know if you recc a piece of my fanfic or whatnot, and b) that you ask folks to comment on my LJ, rather than wherever it is you're linking me from (unless you're using the link to support a post of your own, in which case, more power to you). Consider this blanket and forever permission.
You mentioned albums? What kind of albums?
I'm a filk musician -- I write and compose science-fiction, fantasy, and horror-related songs, some of which wind up getting recorded and released on semi-professional CDs. I have two CDs so far, both of which are available through filk dealers, or directly from my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. You can also hear samples there. I highly recommend them, both because I made them, and because I think they're quite good. Also, the more copies I sell, the fewer copies will be in my living room. I like getting CDs out of my house, yes, I do.
You mentioned writing books? What kind of books?
I write urban fantasy, horror, romantic comedy, and young adult fiction. I am currently seeking an agent. My primary projects change from month to month, so they're really not worth listing here.
Why do you post so much?
Because I think a lot, and because LJ is one of my recording devices/sanity checks. It makes me happy to participate in discussion, share my opinions, and hear your opinions.
Why aren't I on (insert filter name here)?
Some filters are opt-in only, like my fitness filter and my OVFF filter. Others aren't, and people are added or removed as appropriate. If you feel you should be on a filter, let me know; additions are made at my discretion, but I do listen.
Why didn't you comment on X?
I sometimes don't have time to comment when I first read an entry, and may not remember to come back and comment later. I will always try to comment on things of importance or which concern me. If you think I've missed something I should be paying attention to, please, let me know.
You swear a lot.
You have no idea.
Do you really think you're all that? I mean, pretty pink princess? Come on.
No. But I do have a lot of opinions, and this is my place for sharing them. I invite discussion, but not flaming; if you want to come here and talk to me about why something isn't the way I say it is, I'd love to hear from you, as long as you can be nice about it.
Do you sleep?
Rarely.
Did you name your cat after Lilly Kane?
Yes, I did. I always name my cats after fictional characters, and Lilly-the-cat is totally awesome, just like her namesake. Without the whole 'being dead' part. Her full name is 'Lillian Kane Moskowitz Munster McGuire', which only gets used when she knocks something over that I wanted to remain upright. My other cat is Nyssa, after Nyssa of Trakken from Doctor Who. And my snakes are Shaun and Georgia, after the main characters in a book I'm writing. Nyssa is very old, and not in the best of health, although I try not to make a big deal about that. The plan is to get two kittens after she passes away, and name them Starla and Kylie, after the main characters in James Gunn's SLiTHER.
Is there anything I should know before I decide whether I want to read this journal?
I'm blonde, female, bisexual, Californian, addicted to Diet Dr Pepper and candy corn, a Stephen King fan and an unwilling X-Men addict. I love musicals and cheesy movies, and can often be found spending entire weekends on the treadmill in my back room, watching the Science-Fiction Channel. I am a bonafide Halloween girl and an old school horror babe who loves the monster in her closet. I game, therefore I am. I still collect My Little Ponies and stuffed animals. I have an unholy fondness for extremely deadly diseases. Most of my close friends are geographically far away, but that doesn't stop me from loving them to a stupid degree. Like Lilo, I remember everyone who leaves me, and sometimes I still cry for people who went away years ago. This doesn't stop me from loving people. I am a Disney Princess with a chainsaw, a pretty little dead girl, and totally prepared for the inevitable zombie invasion.
I believe in freedom of speech, religion, choice, dress, reading material, movement, diet, information and pretty much everything you're likely to encounter in life. I do not approve of censorship in any form, although I also think that saying something mean just because you can is one of the lowest forms of human behaviour. I hate it when people try to play their friends off one another, and wish everyone would just calm the hell down already. I loathe plagarism but adore pastiche and homage -- the difference is often in the credit. I vote Democrat in almost all instances, just because the alternatives are worse. I believe in equal rights for men, women, children, animals, homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals, ambisexuals, Christians, Jews, Pagans, Buddists, Scientologists, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, people who like Stephen Schwartz musicals, the man with the hat made of cheese and the lady who thinks she's a squirrel.
I love Supernatural, Eureka, Doctor Who, Torchwood and the Resident Evil movies, and remain bitter about the way Buffy ended and the cancellation of Cupid. I had the entire soundtrack to Little Shop of Horrors memorized by the time I turned eight. I don't always remember to give context. My favourite colours are orange and green. I love anything pumpkin, including perfume. I eat too much frozen yogurt, and way, way too many tomatoes. There are times when I live in the Babylon Wood and times when I don't, times when I represent myself in poetry through the rose owl and times when I don't, times when I laugh and times when I cry. I try to be a good person. I frequently even manage it. And I very rarely mean anyone any harm.
Welcome.
Who are you?
I have a pretty thorough bio in my user info, but in the short form, I am a highly excitable California blonde girl who spends much of her time writing books, poetry and short stories, enjoys television, movies and literature, and has an unhealthy relationship with Photoshop. I have recorded two CDs, Pretty Little Dead Girl and Stars Fall Home, and I'm about to go into the studio for a third, Red Roses and Dead Things. I like to walk, do yoga, contra dance, and rail against modern standards of feminine beauty, which tend to piss me off. I have opinions about pretty much everything, and an unfortunate tendency to share them at the top of my lungs.
Who are these people you keep talking about?
Because golly, that's not a small ask or anything. We begin with my geographically closest female friends: aiglet, maintainer of the Home for Lost Children, and ceolyn, owner of the most suicidal cat I've ever met in my life. My bandmates are ladymondegreen and batyatoon (and a whole lot of other people, but they're the primaries). I survive my days largely through the assistance of vixyish, dcb42, nokomis4, and raelee, who talk me through my crazy. porpentine is my professional Taxi Whore, and has been dragged on more whack-ass adventures than anyone else on the planet, while sweetmusic_27 fiddles me sweetly to sleep at night.
I reference a lot of other folks, family members and beloved friends, but these are the ones you're most likely to encounter without actual context to tell you who they are. I just assume you've figured that part out by now. (The actual dramatis personae of my life would be much, much longer, require an entry of its own, and probably make me insane. So if I left you off the list above, don't kill me.)
Can I friend you?
Please. Feel free. I love having friends.
Can I unfriend you?
Please, again, feel free. Unless you're someone I know well who locks most posts, I won't be hurt at all; if you are a personal friend who locks most posts, and you drop me, well, I'm only human, and my feelings will probably be a little bit damaged. But I believe that LJ is more fun without drama, and thus avoid it whenever possible. Except during the annual drama triathalon, when I sit on the sidelines with a bag of popcorn. This year's main event: OMG YOU BASTARD YOU ATE MY SANDWICH!!!11.
Will you friend me?
Maybe. I am quite slow to friend, largely because I do most of my LJ reading from work, and that means I need to keep my list to a managable level. Whenever my existing reading list hits a slack period, or I drop folks, I go through my current list of followed journals and frequent commentors and do some adding. Not being on my list doesn't mean I don't read you; it just means you haven't been added yet. I also tend to add people if I want them to have access to specific filters. I lock very little that doesn't have to do with specific projects or my diet, so you're not missing anything.
Why don't you friend me?
There can be a lot of reasons for this, honestly, and if you think that I'm not adding you on purpose, you should ask me specifically. Part of it is the slowness; part of it is also a matter of content. If you post a lot of un-cut-tagged graphics or quizzes, I probably won't add you, like, ever, because that makes it harder to load and read my friends page. If you never use the cut-tag at all, I may not add you, or I may remove you. Again, I'll probably still read your journal, and you can choose to write and display whatever you want; it is totally your space. I just have to choose what I can practically have display on my screen when I hit the little 'friend' link on my menu bar.
Also, and I admit this freely: I'm a little bit of a picky bitch where things like 'spelling' and 'punctuation' are concerned. So sometimes, I fail to friend because I just can't read things without cringing. Again, your journal, your rules! Start a vendetta against the letter 'e' if it makes you happy! I just can't promise I'll be able to read it.
Can I link/quote/Metaquote you?
Absolutely, unless the post was locked in some way (in which case I appreciate being asked, since I probably locked it for a reason). I figure once I put something on my LJ, it's public, so there's really no point in trying to shoo people away. Now, at the same time, I like to know what people are saying, so I do ask that a) you let me know if you recc a piece of my fanfic or whatnot, and b) that you ask folks to comment on my LJ, rather than wherever it is you're linking me from (unless you're using the link to support a post of your own, in which case, more power to you). Consider this blanket and forever permission.
You mentioned albums? What kind of albums?
I'm a filk musician -- I write and compose science-fiction, fantasy, and horror-related songs, some of which wind up getting recorded and released on semi-professional CDs. I have two CDs so far, both of which are available through filk dealers, or directly from my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. You can also hear samples there. I highly recommend them, both because I made them, and because I think they're quite good. Also, the more copies I sell, the fewer copies will be in my living room. I like getting CDs out of my house, yes, I do.
You mentioned writing books? What kind of books?
I write urban fantasy, horror, romantic comedy, and young adult fiction. I am currently seeking an agent. My primary projects change from month to month, so they're really not worth listing here.
Why do you post so much?
Because I think a lot, and because LJ is one of my recording devices/sanity checks. It makes me happy to participate in discussion, share my opinions, and hear your opinions.
Why aren't I on (insert filter name here)?
Some filters are opt-in only, like my fitness filter and my OVFF filter. Others aren't, and people are added or removed as appropriate. If you feel you should be on a filter, let me know; additions are made at my discretion, but I do listen.
Why didn't you comment on X?
I sometimes don't have time to comment when I first read an entry, and may not remember to come back and comment later. I will always try to comment on things of importance or which concern me. If you think I've missed something I should be paying attention to, please, let me know.
You swear a lot.
You have no idea.
Do you really think you're all that? I mean, pretty pink princess? Come on.
No. But I do have a lot of opinions, and this is my place for sharing them. I invite discussion, but not flaming; if you want to come here and talk to me about why something isn't the way I say it is, I'd love to hear from you, as long as you can be nice about it.
Do you sleep?
Rarely.
Did you name your cat after Lilly Kane?
Yes, I did. I always name my cats after fictional characters, and Lilly-the-cat is totally awesome, just like her namesake. Without the whole 'being dead' part. Her full name is 'Lillian Kane Moskowitz Munster McGuire', which only gets used when she knocks something over that I wanted to remain upright. My other cat is Nyssa, after Nyssa of Trakken from Doctor Who. And my snakes are Shaun and Georgia, after the main characters in a book I'm writing. Nyssa is very old, and not in the best of health, although I try not to make a big deal about that. The plan is to get two kittens after she passes away, and name them Starla and Kylie, after the main characters in James Gunn's SLiTHER.
Is there anything I should know before I decide whether I want to read this journal?
I'm blonde, female, bisexual, Californian, addicted to Diet Dr Pepper and candy corn, a Stephen King fan and an unwilling X-Men addict. I love musicals and cheesy movies, and can often be found spending entire weekends on the treadmill in my back room, watching the Science-Fiction Channel. I am a bonafide Halloween girl and an old school horror babe who loves the monster in her closet. I game, therefore I am. I still collect My Little Ponies and stuffed animals. I have an unholy fondness for extremely deadly diseases. Most of my close friends are geographically far away, but that doesn't stop me from loving them to a stupid degree. Like Lilo, I remember everyone who leaves me, and sometimes I still cry for people who went away years ago. This doesn't stop me from loving people. I am a Disney Princess with a chainsaw, a pretty little dead girl, and totally prepared for the inevitable zombie invasion.
I believe in freedom of speech, religion, choice, dress, reading material, movement, diet, information and pretty much everything you're likely to encounter in life. I do not approve of censorship in any form, although I also think that saying something mean just because you can is one of the lowest forms of human behaviour. I hate it when people try to play their friends off one another, and wish everyone would just calm the hell down already. I loathe plagarism but adore pastiche and homage -- the difference is often in the credit. I vote Democrat in almost all instances, just because the alternatives are worse. I believe in equal rights for men, women, children, animals, homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals, ambisexuals, Christians, Jews, Pagans, Buddists, Scientologists, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, people who like Stephen Schwartz musicals, the man with the hat made of cheese and the lady who thinks she's a squirrel.
I love Supernatural, Eureka, Doctor Who, Torchwood and the Resident Evil movies, and remain bitter about the way Buffy ended and the cancellation of Cupid. I had the entire soundtrack to Little Shop of Horrors memorized by the time I turned eight. I don't always remember to give context. My favourite colours are orange and green. I love anything pumpkin, including perfume. I eat too much frozen yogurt, and way, way too many tomatoes. There are times when I live in the Babylon Wood and times when I don't, times when I represent myself in poetry through the rose owl and times when I don't, times when I laugh and times when I cry. I try to be a good person. I frequently even manage it. And I very rarely mean anyone any harm.
Welcome.