The contents of my brain

[starlady]

This post is unabashedly inspired by copracat. NB, I've nicked her formatting from the entry in question for the later part of this post.

So 12in2010 and copper_street! I committed to writing 12 stories and 150,000 words, respectively, though I did give myself an out at copper_street by saying that up to 50K words could be scholarship. (Speaking of which, I have to ILL some books posthaste for my PCA paper.)

My 12in2010 goal is here. The relevant parts are bonus points for sex scenes; non-optional bonus points for characters of color, queer characters, female characters, anti-monarchism.

So far I have written one story for these goals, namely Gravedust, leaving me with, at minimum, 97,311 words to go. I have some ideas for the other 11 stories, and for the original fiction.

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Steampunk AU!

I have several pages of brainstorming in my notebook, as well as several scenes blisteringly clear in my head, and a WIP that I may be able to shoehorn into a sort of prequel or prologue. Note, when I say steampunk AU, I really mean the A part--I've decided to take jonquil's provocation regarding Queen Charlotte and run a marathon with it. Inspired by Michael Chabon's "The Martian Agent," I have also decided to radically alter the history of the United States. I like the backstory for this so much, in point of fact, that I will probably recycle it for other (original) stories, since setting the Holmes part in the 1880s will unfortunately mean that Queen Charlotte will be dead or dying. At the moment, though, I am up to my elbows in research, and I need to see the movie (yes, it will be primarily movie characterization, since I don't think my plot would work with book canon characterization) at least once more. I am particularly excited for what I have decided to do with Mary Morstan, and I am going to play up Irene Adler's New Jersey roots, because I can.

The challenge here is writing the damn thing, period. I'm not scared of writing long stories, or action plots, since I know I can do that, but I want to get the alternate history right, or at least plausible, and the characters as well. I foresee many dialogue rewrites. Also, don't unthinkingly reinscribe steampunk's issues.

Regarding steampunk's issues, I'd like to point out Beyond Victoriana, which looks to be a real trove of considered thinking on the phenomenon.

2. Novel-in-progress: 17thC Quaker Democracy alternate history something yeah!

I wrote six chapters of this book in about two weeks in 2008 and then came to a screeching halt. I've recently started doing the actual research it requires, though I will still need to sit down with the legal pad and diagram the plot, since as it stands I still have two books in one story. Or is that two stories in one book?

The challenge here is writing a book that is much less blithe about various historical realities than its predecessor (yes, this is a sequel to #3, below). I also very much want to have the Quaker characters' espousal of pacifism be as committed, if not more so, as the other characters' espousal of violence, particularly considered against the period. And I very much want to critique the monarchism of fantasy, and of my own previous writing, from within the book itself; I think the Quaker characters will be a good vehicle for this, but it needs to not get pedantic, obviously. Also, not to forget the action-packed plot(s). Fair warning: Elizabeth Haddon is going to kick ass in a completely non-violent way regardless. It would be really nice if I could get up to Boston and wander around the historical districts for setting purposes, though I have every intention of doing the same in Philadelphia, since I'm going to set a good chunk of the action there.

3. Novel-in-progress: Alternate history pirate fantasy!

The text is substantially complete; I'm revising it to not disregard various historical realities, as well as to give it a much stronger feeling of place, for both of which I am in the midst of research.

The challenge here is in regards to writing characters of color (they're already in the text, but I need to think hard and consciously about their portrayal), as well as alternate history that is fantastic but not utopian, as well as writing the Caribbean in a conscientious way. Also I have to make it clear in-text that The Republic is probably one of the dodgiest philosophical texts I can think of. Also probably tone down the literary quotations in-text (I blame Star of the Guardians), and introduce a few strains of monarchy-is-bull, if possible.

Also, regarding alternate history (AUs): zvi talks about Regency AUs, and writing alternate history; naraht elaborates on the same. Obviously I find alternate histories to be a valid mode (though I also think there's sometimes a distinction between a fanfic AU and alternate history), and I'm not going to give them up. But unequivocally, these discussions raise points to keep in mind.

4. Novel-in-progress: The fantasy millstone

Somehow in the ten-odd years since I started it this book has become about being in your twenties and figuring out what to do with your life and also about family; what it means and who and how we own as part of it, and why. I was explaining this to a friend of mine who doesn't read genre fiction, and he was frankly surprised that I would be bringing such concerns to writing it. My reaction was, What else would I bring to it?

But, yes. The challenge here is a) to finish; b) to finish; and c) to excavate a reasonably paced plot from the verbiage. There are times when I'm writing this story that I can feel are right on; others I look back and know it's crap. Also, don't let Ethan of Summerdale monopolize the whole book, as much as I love him. Also, do what I can to rehabilitate the princess in fantasy. Also, give the queer characters their own stories, and don't unthinkingly write default-white. Also, give Culture B a culture that is coherent. (For that matter, double-check Culture A for same.) But mostly just finish the damn thing and get these people out of my head.

5. Alternate Heian fantasy stories, maybe

I have the beginning of a plot for a short story for this one, and notes for a longer novella or novel, but I need to do more research. This may be a back burner thing until 2011, unless I get inspired radically by some of #6.

6. New Year's Resolutions

I have several pages of prompts that I want to write for this, including

6.1 An Old Kingdom (well, Ancelstierre technically)/Lord Peter Wimsey crossover! I need to read Wimsey for this. Should I start at the beginning?

6.2 A Young Wizards Tom/Carl fic that will explore my secret unhappy interpretation of their portrayal in canon. I'll have to reread some of the books to make sure I come up with a believable plot device to hang it on, but since the 9th book comes out this spring, that shouldn't be a problem.

6.3 A Tale of Genji fic: Murasaki & Tou no Chuujou. This will require rereading parts of Genji, as well as maybe Norma Field's book on same.

6.4 Up to four other Old Kingdom fics. What can I say, I think I write this fandom decently? And I love the characters and setting unreasonably? Idek.

6.5 A Tortall future!fic. Because any time I can see an excuse to shoehorn trains into fantasy settings, why not?

7. A not-Yuletide fic: Teahouse Gmail theme

No one requested this fandom! I was heartbroken, because I wanted to write it. But that doesn't mean I can't write the semi-meta-story about Fox and Monkey that I am plotting in my head anyway. Note to self: Don't screw up Chinese setting.

8. Oh yeah, I'm doing Tanabata too

I have a list of fandoms to nominate for this exchange, and I look forward to writing stories for it. I'm also definitely going to do Yuletide again.

On a related note, I do have one xxxHOLiC WIP that I may try to finish before then; recent chapters are helping me w/r/t a plot, actually.

9. China and Rome with submarines: The alternate Cold War

Where to start? The plot, boatloads of research (hah! cheap puns!) on history and culture and submarines, though I think I have the main historical pressure/pivot points identified. This is what comes of watching The Hunt for Red October while reading Aliette de Bodard. I have no regrets, though this will probably be delayed until 2011 or later, since I imagine grad school will provide me with a chunk of the needed background, as well as better research resources.


The biggest challenge in general is not to fall off the research wagon, to write conscientiously and respectfully, and to not write fic entirely couched in indirect discourse! That is my biggest weakness, I think. Well, that and I need to integrate introspection into plot better. Also, humor. Humor is key.

So, um. What do you think? Laying it all out here, it looks very ambitious. And it is, but reach, grasp, heaven, &c.

Comments

[cypher]

Ambitious, yes, but also like it will produce reams of complex, fascinating, thoughtful stories! So good luck with all of it. ♥

[starlady]

Thanks! Watch this space for updates...

[copracat]

OMG wow.

That is massive. Also 150,000 words is a lot of words and I can't even imagine writing so much. The Quaker story and the submarine story sound particularly interesting but this I am particularly excited for what I have decided to do with Mary Morstan makes me dance with glee. I love Irene but Mary grabbed my interest and hasn't let it go.

I second Google Teahouse stories, too.

When you say 'monarchism of fantasty' do you mean the focus on kingdoms and royalty and what have you? Younger sons rescuing princesses, lost princes blah blah blah?

Thank you for the link to Beyond Victoriana

[starlady]

Yes, that fantasy in general is very pro-monarchy. ETA: Sci-fi too! /ETA Despite the fact that monarchy is bollocks. I read and enjoy such stories; I have written such stories. But I have decided to stop writing them as best I can. This will probably only succeed partially.

Also, about the princess comment--in Neal Stephenson's Baroque trilogy the observation is made several times that a princess' only value is that she can produce more royalty, and I think a lot of fantasy books don't actually get beyond this essential fact--they tend to valorize women who aren't princesses, or to make princesses queens. I think of Thayet in Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, for example, and though she's a princess when she's introduced the narrative makes it clear immediately that she's going to be a queen. Now granted some of this is due to the essentially patriarchal nature of royalty, aristocracy and hereditary titles, but I think it should be possible to valorize princesses qua princesses. Though even in my own #4, the three princess characters do all take on additional roles by the end of the story. This too is a process.

Hah, #3 is 80K words, and I wrote it in about 6 weeks. So 150K in a year is completely doable, at least for me. I have other weaknesses to wrangle.

I think Mary is going to be pretty awesome. The movie made Irene awesome, so there's not much for me to do there, and though Mary was great in the movie, she will be awesome in a different way in my fic. She is interesting, against all the Hollywood odds.

[ninj]

This is a lot of writing. I like alot of the ideas. Pirate AU!

Also if you write the Heian fantasy that'd be awesome. We need more Asian fantasy!