Kind of a Nonsense Rant
I don't want to jinx it -knocking on every available wooden surface I can find- but I think my writing groove is back.
Which is kind of nice, 'cause I have all but like, one paragraph of the newest chapter of Swagger Like Us done it is mostly dialogue, shut up, and two piece-y pages of We Could Take To The Highway endings I am bad at endings, which explains why the last four chapters are being impossible, and a piece-y page of Shut Your Eyes my co-writer might kill me for not being done yet, but I will not mind because she is awesome SO.
Except, when I said I got my groove back, I mostly just mean I wrote three pages of A Song You'll Regret which seems destined to be my newest multi-chapter fic following the completion of We Could Take To The Highway in other words the first chapter will probably be up next week and is totally Logan/James and James/Kendall centric. And apparently all I needed to do was write about sex. Somehow James has become the boy band equivalent of Kenny from South Park, which is semi-hilarious and ironic, if only because I never really completely bought into the fandom-created idea that Kenny has to be a gigantic slut. And all I need to inspire me, apparently, was nonstop Merlin/Arthur fic and dread terror of my new office and first staff meeting today (it went fine, if not boring-ly, and I got a half day to boot).
As long as I haven't hexed myself by writing this, we should see new stuff from me, um, SOON.
I also really want to finish Suicide Doors because there's like, one chapter left. ONE. DID I MENTION I FAIL AT ENDINGS??? Also, Breathe Me, because there are only TWO left. Endings, you defeat me. (When The Hurricanes Came and The Beauty And The Tragedy also only have two chapters left, but I'm banking on Breathe Me finishing first).
Now, let's see. TV news. I have none.
Oh, wait, that's not true. Have I mentioned how hard I approve of Shake It Up? Well, I approve even harder, now. Because the most recent episode has thinly veiled alcohol references.
And the newest Sonny? Purity ring type references. It's great.
I do disapprove of the newest Hellcats, however. I like the whole being torn over two people gig they've got, because I find it realistic and believable (I also find it shocking how many people don't find situations like that realistic and believable, but will try not to be judgey towards them, because they perhaps haven't been in such a situation, while I have. NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE). What I do not find realistic and believable is the whole sexting getting leaked all over campus and everyone trying to guilt the poor girl into admitting she made a bad decision.
Here's my two cents on sexting.
It can (and really possibly will) come back to haunt you. Even if you're in a stable relationship, if that abruptly breaks off- well, people do insane things when they're um, scorned. I will admit to seriously considering mailing naked pictures of my ex to his parents after we broke up- but I recognized that it was insane and did other, less life-ruining insane things instead. But, by the same coin, he has pictures and video of me that are...possibly less than flattering. In retrospect, yes, I probably do regret letting photographic evidence of my lady parts and my sex life go out into the world. On the other hand, man, I was in a serious relationship that I did not think would end (which gives me no excuse for my current relationship, but like, it's still serious SO and any recent pictures are much more tasteful and internet appropriate if my bf were to have a psychotic break), and sexting gave me lots of good relationship fun. I don't regret enjoying it while the relationship was occuring.
Actually, no, you know what, I don't even regret the pictures, because it was a two way street. So even if I were to one day find those pictures coming back to haunt me, I think it's less that I'd regret taking them and more that I'd regret putting my trust in someone who would actually do that to me. I think the whole moral lesson of 'thou shalt not send naked pictures of yourself to someone you trust' is kind of bullshit, because people have been doing nude photos in a less digital manner for ages.
I guess my argument here isn't very strong. Because no matter what, I have to acknowledge that when the relationship ends (even with a person you trust), there's a major possibility that the person with those photos will end up doing idiotic, shitty things with them. But I still feel like it isn't an issue the media should attempt to be guilting girls over, especially if they are of consenting age and in stable relationships.
And, the thing is, there's no way to argue this into sounding good, I'm realizing- because it's actually kind of the digital equivalent of getting someone's name tattooed on your body (no, really. I've heard this many times and firmly believe it to be true; even after you've broken up, a guy will keep pictures of you in the buff pretty much always- unless you fucked him over big time, in which case those pictures will probably show up somewhere bad. But I believe it because I've seen it in my own friends, my mother told me in an unrelated conversation, and on top of that, guys are just freaky weird possessive about porn). And if you're a terrible judge of character- which we all are at some point or another, then you've probably learned, or will, that getting someone's name in ink is very, um, permanent, and unfortunate if you have regrets. Pictures can be the same way- BUT.
I suppose this is less an argument and more a statement of- don't let the media guilt you out of showing off what your mama gave you, but make sure that you are prepared to live with the (worst case scenario) consequences if you do. Really, I feel sexting might represent what a relationship is really about no, bear with me here because you're giving someone your trust, your heart (pictures of your body). Intimate things. And if the relationship is good and strong and true, it won't backfire. If it isn't, you'll end up shattered, but maybe still okay (with those pictures possibly not deleted, but at least, you know, private). If it really, really isn't, then you'll end up shattered and, um, exposed.
That doesn't mean you don't give your heart away.
Okay, this is preachy and not articulate at all. But I'm going to post it anyway and hope those of you that read this actually understand my babble and the point I'm trying to get at here. If there is one.
AGH, KEITH JUST CALLED AND REMINDED ME THAT HE RAN OFF WITH MY TAPE DECK (for my iPod in my car). He gave it to me in the first place, which is why I had no problems letting him borrow it back for the ride to the staff meeting today, but man, now I have nothing to listen to music on tomorrow. Other than the radio, which gets all static-y when you go South. BALLS.
Which is kind of nice, 'cause I have all but like, one paragraph of the newest chapter of Swagger Like Us done it is mostly dialogue, shut up, and two piece-y pages of We Could Take To The Highway endings I am bad at endings, which explains why the last four chapters are being impossible, and a piece-y page of Shut Your Eyes my co-writer might kill me for not being done yet, but I will not mind because she is awesome SO.
Except, when I said I got my groove back, I mostly just mean I wrote three pages of A Song You'll Regret which seems destined to be my newest multi-chapter fic following the completion of We Could Take To The Highway in other words the first chapter will probably be up next week and is totally Logan/James and James/Kendall centric. And apparently all I needed to do was write about sex. Somehow James has become the boy band equivalent of Kenny from South Park, which is semi-hilarious and ironic, if only because I never really completely bought into the fandom-created idea that Kenny has to be a gigantic slut. And all I need to inspire me, apparently, was nonstop Merlin/Arthur fic and dread terror of my new office and first staff meeting today (it went fine, if not boring-ly, and I got a half day to boot).
As long as I haven't hexed myself by writing this, we should see new stuff from me, um, SOON.
I also really want to finish Suicide Doors because there's like, one chapter left. ONE. DID I MENTION I FAIL AT ENDINGS??? Also, Breathe Me, because there are only TWO left. Endings, you defeat me. (When The Hurricanes Came and The Beauty And The Tragedy also only have two chapters left, but I'm banking on Breathe Me finishing first).
Now, let's see. TV news. I have none.
Oh, wait, that's not true. Have I mentioned how hard I approve of Shake It Up? Well, I approve even harder, now. Because the most recent episode has thinly veiled alcohol references.
And the newest Sonny? Purity ring type references. It's great.
I do disapprove of the newest Hellcats, however. I like the whole being torn over two people gig they've got, because I find it realistic and believable (I also find it shocking how many people don't find situations like that realistic and believable, but will try not to be judgey towards them, because they perhaps haven't been in such a situation, while I have. NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE). What I do not find realistic and believable is the whole sexting getting leaked all over campus and everyone trying to guilt the poor girl into admitting she made a bad decision.
Here's my two cents on sexting.
It can (and really possibly will) come back to haunt you. Even if you're in a stable relationship, if that abruptly breaks off- well, people do insane things when they're um, scorned. I will admit to seriously considering mailing naked pictures of my ex to his parents after we broke up- but I recognized that it was insane and did other, less life-ruining insane things instead. But, by the same coin, he has pictures and video of me that are...possibly less than flattering. In retrospect, yes, I probably do regret letting photographic evidence of my lady parts and my sex life go out into the world. On the other hand, man, I was in a serious relationship that I did not think would end (which gives me no excuse for my current relationship, but like, it's still serious SO and any recent pictures are much more tasteful and internet appropriate if my bf were to have a psychotic break), and sexting gave me lots of good relationship fun. I don't regret enjoying it while the relationship was occuring.
Actually, no, you know what, I don't even regret the pictures, because it was a two way street. So even if I were to one day find those pictures coming back to haunt me, I think it's less that I'd regret taking them and more that I'd regret putting my trust in someone who would actually do that to me. I think the whole moral lesson of 'thou shalt not send naked pictures of yourself to someone you trust' is kind of bullshit, because people have been doing nude photos in a less digital manner for ages.
I guess my argument here isn't very strong. Because no matter what, I have to acknowledge that when the relationship ends (even with a person you trust), there's a major possibility that the person with those photos will end up doing idiotic, shitty things with them. But I still feel like it isn't an issue the media should attempt to be guilting girls over, especially if they are of consenting age and in stable relationships.
And, the thing is, there's no way to argue this into sounding good, I'm realizing- because it's actually kind of the digital equivalent of getting someone's name tattooed on your body (no, really. I've heard this many times and firmly believe it to be true; even after you've broken up, a guy will keep pictures of you in the buff pretty much always- unless you fucked him over big time, in which case those pictures will probably show up somewhere bad. But I believe it because I've seen it in my own friends, my mother told me in an unrelated conversation, and on top of that, guys are just freaky weird possessive about porn). And if you're a terrible judge of character- which we all are at some point or another, then you've probably learned, or will, that getting someone's name in ink is very, um, permanent, and unfortunate if you have regrets. Pictures can be the same way- BUT.
I suppose this is less an argument and more a statement of- don't let the media guilt you out of showing off what your mama gave you, but make sure that you are prepared to live with the (worst case scenario) consequences if you do. Really, I feel sexting might represent what a relationship is really about no, bear with me here because you're giving someone your trust, your heart (pictures of your body). Intimate things. And if the relationship is good and strong and true, it won't backfire. If it isn't, you'll end up shattered, but maybe still okay (with those pictures possibly not deleted, but at least, you know, private). If it really, really isn't, then you'll end up shattered and, um, exposed.
That doesn't mean you don't give your heart away.
Okay, this is preachy and not articulate at all. But I'm going to post it anyway and hope those of you that read this actually understand my babble and the point I'm trying to get at here. If there is one.
AGH, KEITH JUST CALLED AND REMINDED ME THAT HE RAN OFF WITH MY TAPE DECK (for my iPod in my car). He gave it to me in the first place, which is why I had no problems letting him borrow it back for the ride to the staff meeting today, but man, now I have nothing to listen to music on tomorrow. Other than the radio, which gets all static-y when you go South. BALLS.