This and That

[harmony_bites]

For those who are actually still online and not hiding from spoilers, a friend sent me an interesting Snape article I thought I’d share-this one arguing Snape is neither good nor evil but just out for himself. A valid theory, even if not one I subscribe to:

Snape: Good or Evil?

And for Comma Nazis everywhere and those who love them.

The Sad Fate

Comments

[lifeasanamazon]

RE your review, you do win because you took the writer's option. Some readers are never satsified unless Hermione shows almost telepathic understanding and the patience of a saint, and Snape melts and falls to his knees, ring in hand. Ending A didnt' do that, of course, but you've given yourself more options with Ending B. Plus the whole dramatic tension thing.

You win.

[harmony_bites]

Heh--I am actually happy finally with what I chose for all sorts of writerly reasons. I had decided on Ending A when I sent you that draft, but was torn, and then it occurred to me that since Ending B was essentially a cut, the issue wasn't dead. Writing up the reasons on my LJ had been swinging me the other way, and your comment on the endings was the tipping point.

And yeah, I don't want to write a "shippers SSHG" You know, the kind where Hermione soaks up Snape's abuse and will accept anything he did because it's OK, cuz he's sooooo misunderstood and she's really been in love with him all along and...

No, just no. Most of my top favorite SSHG were written pre-OotP, and I think there's a reason for that. Early on, the ship wasn't taken for granted. Writers knew they had to build to the relationship to make it credible, and did.

I still had to find that review amusing though. And Ending B does mean my work is cut out for me next chapter.

::looks at Word with loathing::

[lifeasanamazon]

And Ending B does mean my work is cut out for me next chapter

Indeed it does. But at least you know it's for the right reasons!

There are few more dispiriting things than an empty Word page.

*pats you encouragingly*

[silburygirl]

I'm very amused by the papers that have taken up writing their own endings (the one that I follow is writing a character death-a-day bit).

I'm crossing my fingers that the hoax essay is right.

[harmony_bites]

Well, if the newspapers can commission short stories not hard to see a whole alternate book being commissioned for publicity and to throw people off the track.

I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about it being a hoax.

What if the real thing is even worse? Yeah, I have that much faith in JKR...

[silburygirl]

See, my view of the hoax thing is that it can't actually be much worse that the leaked epilogue. Much being the operative word.

If nothing else, I'm going in with no expectations, ergo there will be minimal disappointment, which is something.

[harmony_bites]

Pleasing the fandom wasn't a temptation actually. I got all the egoboo I wanted in Trek and have never been particularly popular in HP. I've long been content to just write and post that damn stinkin' albatross my WIP as a learning process.

But the alternate ending meant a cut--one thousand words of my prose I had grown very attached to gone. Never really done quite this before. I fully learned the meaning finally of that adage "kill your darlings."

And it does mean quite the writing job next chapter not taking the lazy way out.

And if you don't want to be spoiled--stay away--far away from evil LJ. I've been spoiled already by a troll who posted on a LJ Comm w/o a LJ cut and wild icons are showing up all over the place. I'm getting a taste now of what the lead up to HBP must have been like.

[harmony_bites]

Yeah, it does hurt. I've cut teeny bits and words of course and hadn't ever felt a thing--but hundreds of words, almost a thousand off a chapter? Ouch.

And yes, I did save the snippet cuz you never know. LOL. I doubt I'll be able to work it in for the next chapter though.

I've heard spoilers have also made it onto newspaper reviews and from there is being reported on the news, so eternal vigilence is necessary!

Not much longer though.