jule1122

This was my entry for qaf_challenges Icon Challenge with a Twist. Some amazing stories were written for the challenge so check them out if you haven't already. As always _alicesprings did a fabulous job!

Title: In the Space Between Sleep and Sleeplessness
Fandom/Pairing: QAF Brian/Justin
Timeline: Season 1 through post Season 5
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Summary: Some things are easier to say in the dark or six conversations Brian and Justin may have had
Author’s Notes: Thank you to shadownyc for being such a wonderful and supportive beta. Title and lyrics taken from the beautiful Barenaked Ladies song “Half A Heart.”
Inspired By Icon: Created by the talented paddies



( In the Space Between Sleep and Sleeplessness )

In case you missed it, peppervl ran this amazing Viggo/Orlando fic exchange early_theory. I received a wonderful story "A Treasure More Precious Than Gold" from alilacia which really highlighted the best in fic exchanges. She wrote a story I never would have thought to ask for, but I loved every word. I had the nerve racking task of writing a story for my fabulous and most awesome beta phnx_rising who thankfully enjoyed the story. I also received my first banner ever from galor5 which I will attempt to post here. The exchange was just perfect from start to finish and I can't thank peppervl enough for running it.




Title: Sleep to the Beat of Your Heart
Pairing: Viggo/Orlando
Written For: phnx_rising
Requested Genres: hurt comfort or general angst with a happy ending, getting together, celebrating a birthday, holiday, or other special event
Prompt Words: candle (candlelight), ocean breeze, destination, mischief, fluttering
Summary: “When you are fifty two you have a heart attack. It changes everything.”
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Author’s Note. This story expands upon something mentioned in my story “Twelfth of Never.” However there is only a minor reference in to “Twelfth of Never” so it is not necessary to read it. Title is from the wonderful Erasure song “Man in the Moon.”

( Sleep to the Beat of Your Heart )

This is my entry for qaf_challenges's What If challenge. I think this challenge had the best group of stories yet so please check them out.

Title: Sweetness Follows
Fandom/Pairing: QAF Brian/Justin
Timeline: Continuation of 510
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
What If: What if Michael hadn’t been seriously injured in the bombing and after retuning to Babylon, Brian took Justin back to the loft.
Author’s Notes: Huge thanks to flashfly for being a wonderful beta and friend. Title is taken from the REM song of the same name.
Disclaimer: I don't own QAF or any of it's characters. This story is written for fun and no profit is being made from it.

( Sweetness Follows )

I was tagged by flashfly to do the following meme:

RULES: List ten weird things/habits/little known facts about yourself. People who get tagged need to list ten weird habits/things/little known facts about themselves as well as state this rule clearly. At the end, you need to choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. No tag backs.

( On to the weird )

I'm not tagging anyone specifically, but I enjoy reading these so if you are inclined have at it.

severina2001 I just got your package! Thank you so much. There's baking and gay romance!! What more could I ask for. I have to admit I was hugging "It Had To Be You." I can't wait to read it. You made my day!

Since Thanksgiving is over, I am officially ready to start thinking about Christmas. I love sending cards so please leave you address if you'd like one. If you don't celebrate Christmas, but would like a holiday card let me know. Comments will be screened for you privacy.

I saw on a few journals that October is WIP Amnesty month, and today I stumbled upon this story I thought I lost. It is the beginning of what was supposed to be a much longer Drew/Emmett story I started after S4. It has been shuffled between about five different computers, and I was shocked it hadn't been deleted. I doubt I'll ever finish it since I can't imagine there is any interest. But I actually like what I wrote so far so I thought I'd go ahead and post it.

Title: I'd Live A Different Story
Pairing: QAF Drew/Emmett
Warnings: None
Rating: R
Summary: When Drew's football career ends, everything changes.
Disclamer: QAF and it's characters belong to Showtime and Cowlip. No money is made from this story.

( I'd Live A Different Story )

Here is the story I wrote for the Brian and Justin Dare Challenge Fic Community dare_challenge. If you haven't checked out the stories there you should because there are some great ones. I'm actually not too unhappy with this story especially since due to computer death I ended up writing it in one day.

Title: The World Makes Sense
Fandom: QAF Brain/Justin
Timeline: Post Season 5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: They might not be perfect, but Brian and Justin were always better together.
Author Notes:Title and lyrics taken from the Depeche Mode song Damaged People.

( The World Makes Sense )

This really just a collection of random thoughts on reading and writing I've been having. My husband took the boys out for the day yesterday so I spent most of the day reading and watching TV. One of the things I watched was The Forgotten. It's one of those movies I wanted to see, but would never go out of my way to watch. I've always found the premise interesting. Basically Julianne Moore's character Telly is in therapy to deal with the death of her son only to be told he never existed. His pictures disappear and people keep telling her she never had a son. That part of the story was well done, well acted, and really drew me in. Then they tried to explain what happened and it was such a pathetic attempt that it took most of the emotion out of the movie. I can imagine someone coming up with the basic premise and then realizing they would have to explain what did happen to her son and graping the first idea anyone had. When I was thinking about my frustration with the movie I realized it was the same frustration I have with my own writing. My stories usually start in a specific place for me. It might be a scene, maybe a line I want a character to say, or even just a feeling. What I find in rereading my stories is somewhere in getting to or from that place I started with things fall apart. There is always a place that feels rushed or forced. I have to admit it made me feel better to realize people getting paid a hell of a lot of money to write have some of the same problems I do. Not that I am excusing the flaws in my writing, but that moment of "I'm not the only one screwing this up" was comforting.

Random thought #2. I generally find the pop up letter warnings for objectionable content on TV annoying and useless. However, if the government insists on having them, I'd like to suggest one that would actually help me. I could really use a warning for violence against children. To me there is a big difference between an act of violence or death perpetuated against an adult character as opposed to a child. I've always felt this way, but certainly my discomfort with seeing children hurt has grown stronger since I've had my own child. It is too easy to imagine my sons in the character's place. Sometimes such violence is central to a story and unavoidable, but if it a show or movie I don't really care about seeing I'd rather avoid such scenes whenever possible.

And finally I was reading an author's LJ and there was a discussion about if her stories were viewed as "happily ever after" stories. She meant in a bit of a negative way more in vein of what I would call unrealistically sappy versus my definition of happy which seemed to be redefined as hopeful. But it got me thinking about what causes a story to cross that line. What is the difference between a story that is romantic but still realistic and a story that is sappy or fluffy whatever term you use. Before I go too much further, I should say that some days I enjoy a good sappy story and I'm sure I've crossed a lot of people's romantic lines with my own writing. But I thinking about this as reader and for me I have distinct personalities as a reader and a writer.

Obviously there are elements of plot, but for me it comes down to the interaction between the characters. There are the romantic gestures that don't seem to fit, rewriting the characters as excessively wealthy, the excessive crying, and of course the dialogue. There is one thing I find in the dialogue of many sappier stories that I find puzzling. Why do the characters use each other's full names so often? Admittedly my husband and I are pretty settled into the routine of married life, but there was a long stretch of time when I would have said our relationship was very romantic. In all those years he never once said to me "Juliet Allison Smith you are the love of my life and I can't imagine living without you" and I have never said to him "Richard Michael Jones everytime I look at you my heart stops beating and my life way empty until I met you." Rick has never used my full name and they only time I've ever used him was when I was mock scolding him like you do with children to get their attention. To me there is nothing romantic about being called by my full name, but I read it over and over again in fics. What am I missing? Do other people see it as being romantic or is this normal for other people. Are these authors and their lovers calling each other by the full names all the time. When you imagine someone telling you they love you, do they use your full name? Is cultural? Maybe it's perfectly normal in the south or somewhere else and I just never knew. I just don't get it.