Comments | knifeedgefic: Any Questions?

knifeedgefic

Any Questions?

Sep 30, 2010 21:56

Well, it's over. I'm not sure what the actual final word count is (I'm still compiling chapters and ditching author's notes to get an accurate tally), but the sites I've posted it on put it at anywhere between 361,000 words to 404,000 words (though it might be counting html script, too). Either way, it's a monster. I started "West of the Moon" back ( Read more... )

knifing around, life, writing, hilarity ensues

Comments 18

bloodypoetry October 1 2010, 03:47:59 UTC

I've already picked your brain about West...almost daily. But I'll totally take any fic rec's that you haven't shared already. Also, is DUST done yet? :p

knifeedgefic October 1 2010, 08:20:57 UTC

I may have to do a separate post for ficrecs. Anything particular you're interested in (my reading tastes are fairly eclectic)?

As for DUST... no. Not done yet. It's up to 7 chapters and 25,000+ words though. Does that help? I... might have a problem with brevity.

eilowyn October 1 2010, 03:54:27 UTC

Ooh, I'd take fic recs from you, too! As kind of a "read what favorite authors read" thing.

I cannot tell you how much West of the Moon has been my solace throughout the past few months. I've had bits and pieces to read every night, which is something to look forwards to after a long day of work or wanking over the comics. So, thank you for that, and it's good to hear you're at work on a new fic!

As far as picking your brain goes, I'm wondering how you decided on the "East of the Sun" folktale to spin Spuffy style. Are you a fan of fairy and folktales in general, or did you find this one lent itself to Spuffy very well (I've been thinking the Cupid and Psyche version would work very well for Spuffy for a while, but you did phenomenal things with the Nordic folktale version! Joseph Campbell would be very proud of your use of myth!).

Thanks again for such a wonderful journey.

knifeedgefic October 1 2010, 08:29:15 UTC

Lik I mentioned to Nos, above, I think I'll probably end up doing a separate post for fic recs. If there's anything specific you're looking for, let me know ( ... )

deborahc October 1 2010, 04:36:47 UTC

I realize the story was inspired, at least in part, by the Cupid & Psyche story (myth?). Many interpretations have been written over the years - their story told many times in many different ways. My first encounter with it was in a story I read as a child called "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." It was included in a multi-volume collection of fairy-tales, myths, legends, and (Eurocentric) histories called "My Book House," originally published in the 1920s with, I don't even how many subsequent editions. Our edition was from the 1950s. It was one of my favorite stories and I re-read it often while growing up. The set of books hasn't survived intact, but I've still got most of them, including the one with "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." I suppose various versions of this story exist in lots of other collections too, so it's not at all unusual you'd have read it. But I was wondering if by any chance, you'd read the same version in the same collection as I did ( ... )

knifeedgefic October 1 2010, 08:39:29 UTC

Actually (there's more clarification of this in my response the comment above yours, if you like), this story started out being inspired directly by "East of the Sun." The Cupid and Psyche connection didn't hit me hard until part way in ( ... )

deborahc October 2 2010, 16:23:24 UTC

The first time I read the Cupid and Psyche myth - In the Golden Branch Bough, IIRC - I immediately connected it to East of the Sun. The girl married to a prince or god who comes to her only at night and whom she's forbidden to look upon, is persuaded to disobey and look at him while he's sleeping. She's caught, he's banished to a terrible fate, she's bereft and goes through hell performing seemingly impossible tasks to free him. That was the immediate connection I drew between the two. I remember thinking 'So, this is where East of the Sun came from', surmising it had been spun into that form from the old myth. I've always thought it was a unique, later version of the same story, or I guess an outgrowth of it. I've never studied these things so I'm speaking as a general reader, not an expert. It reminds me of all the various versions of old of folk songs; i.e. "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies" and "Silver Dagger" etc ( ... )

rebcake October 1 2010, 07:46:32 UTC

Your story was so complete, I'm not sure I could come up with questions, particularly not when you've already been so generous with author's notes.

I second eilowyn in saying that this fic has been a salve to my Spuffy soul in the last few months. The comics have been giving it quite a battering, but knowing that there was something new, rare, and wonderful for true believers gave me perspective.

I am looking forward to seeing what you've got coming up next, but I can (probably) wait patiently until you are ready to share it with us. I'd love to hear your recs, of course. Will we be seeing you in seasonal_spuffy?

knifeedgefic October 1 2010, 08:44:15 UTC

I'll probably do a whole post of ficrecs as soon as I get the chance. Anything in particular you're looking for ( ... )

cal_turner October 1 2010, 12:59:31 UTC

I've been waiting for the whole story to be posted before starting it, so I was so pleased when I saw that you'd posted the epilogue. So many people on my flist have rec'ed your story to me, and after reading the first few chapters I can see why they did! I can't wait to read the rest of the story, and I'll definitely be back with a review once I've finished it. :)