Happy birthday, StarWatcher!

[cindershadow]

Today’s birthday person writes in The Sentinel Fandom. But don’t run off, other folks-she also provides great info on how to use LJ and Word, and she’s a fascinating observer of the natural world (as well as a fellow educator and horsewoman). Plus, she’s just an all-round Good Guy and Nice Person-a real White Hat, in Buffyverse terms

Comments

[starwatcher307]

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I am... gob-smacked. I've been looking forward to my birthday to see what you'd say about my stories - that's a delightful tradition you have, there - but this is almost overwhelming. I feel like I don't deserve all the praise you've showered over me; it's just that I try to hide the not-so-nice, petty moments. *g* But I do believe in kindness. I'm not naturally that outgoing (especially face-to-face), but the enthusiastic response from people like you makes it easier to put myself forward the next time. So, thank you.

As for my stories - I am so pumped about what you see in them, and Arianna and Jess have mentioned similar things, but... I still can't see it. To me, they're just quiet little slices of life; nice enough, but without the depths that others see. It kind of makes me wonder what I'm missing in other authors' stories, which is why I like discussion comms; the different opinions show me factors that I've missed. Anyway, I just have to accept that I'm putting more into my stories than I'm consciously aware of. *g*

She doesn’t feel a need to let one character shine at the expense of others; she treats all of them fairly, without an agenda.

That - is the very nicest thing you could say about my writing. I try very hard to write the guys as they "are" in canon, (with an over-laying of rose-colored aura). *g* It's gratifying to know that other people recognize and appreciate that.

It's delightfully appropriate that your birthday falls on the anniversary of the debut of the show you've enjoyed so much.

::smirking:: Yes, I was tickled when I noticed that - my birthday is the anniversary of TS and the first day of Spring. I'm quite blessed - and now even more so after this glowing 'analysis'. Thank you sooooo much!
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[cindershadow]

"No brag--just fact," as somebody used to say in some old Western I dimly remember! (I think it was Walter Brennan--that dates me, doesn't it?)

I think it is precisely because your stories are "just quiet little slices of life" that they work so well . . . as I said, they are the lovely moments that should be happening in between the cases and the chases and the explosions, and they strengthen the connections we see glimpses of and enjoy so much. (After all, that time can't all be filled up with either Jim or Blair in the hospital, wonderful as many of those kinds of stories can be, too!) That you don't feel you are intentionally putting all those nuances in them isn't surprising; when I hear people talk about "the muse," I tend to hear "the subconscious," and I think writers who are really, really familiar with characters bring more of these little touches into the story quite naturally. But I agree with you--one of the many, many things I love about LJ is that another commenter will often offer insights that I wouldn't have had, and that enriches my enjoyment of the story even more.

And you are a dear to be recognizing the anniversary and your birthday by putting more of your stories up at your archive. As I've indicated in many of these tributes, I really like having all "my" stories neatly organized and handy, this way! (I've been trying to be equally efficient as I save them on UDISKs, so that I can always find what I want to read the exact moment that I want to read it, but . . . it's often simpler just to go to the author's own site.)

I hope it's been a great day!