Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Why I Write



I'm an auditor. The reason I became an auditor is mostly linked to the fact that I wasn't exactly well informed as to what auditors actually do. But that's beside the point. My point being that being an auditor is an extremely unfulfilling, ungrateful, unrewarding job. Not in the sense that my employer doesn't appreciate the fact that I slave away for them (although that's also debatable), more in the sense that my clients would rather not have me there (awesome feeling to have every single working day, btw).

Last year I worked at a university, teaching and mentoring and pep talking and motivating and guiding. There was at least one moment of every day, no matter how small, when I felt like I made some small positive difference in someone else's life. Had it not been for my year in academia I would never even have known what I'd be missing. But I do miss it. I constantly crave the knowledge that I have directly influenced someone's life/day/unconscious moment for the better.


So that's why I write. Obviously it's very self-serving as well. It's a creative outlet for me to keep me from either going postal on my co-workers or inflicting self harm to myself on particularly rancid days, but also a tiny little way for me to impact on someone else's life. Even if I can just make one person smile, or roll their eyes, or swoon, or make them think of a situation from a different angle, I know I've done well.

End ramble for the day.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Genislash and why I have not studied in three days

Sometimes you discover things that you are convinced you were meant to discover. I felt like this when I read the Twilight books for the first time, and even more so when I discovered fan fiction, because it all sat very comfortably for me.

When I discovered slash, my entire world exploded. It was slashfic and Queer as Folk and homoeroticizing every male relationship I could get my hands on.

Then I stumbled upon this Kirk/Spock slash and my world exploded once more.

See, I've always been an epic geek in normal person terms and an average geek in real geek terms. Meaning I love Star Wars and Star Trek (of which I have watched most of the series) but it's never been anything that overpowered my existence (altough the last season or two of Voyager was earth shattering, I have to admit). Meaning I can appreciate appreciate warp theory and often dream of being born a couple of hundred years into the future, because I would've kicked ass in Starfleet.

Meaning that when I read this Kirk/Spock slash, I had to go digging deeper. And what I found was the beginning. The alpha. I found genislash.



Wikipedia has a surprisingly thorough article on the origins of slashfic, including references to some of the earliest known Kirk/Spock fan fiction stories, as well as fanzines and general awesomery.

I have read more fic in these last three days than I have in the rest of this year combined. I think what I find so attractive about the Trek fandom is the fact that tey have to be so much more creative with their story telling, because they will get slaughtered if they stray from the core character traits too much. So, in order to not be a 100k cliche, the author actually has to think about the universe they're writing in, create new characters and scenarios and back stories and it's just wonderful to read. You can tell there's a lot of love behind the writing. This is srs bsns writing. I kinda love it.

So, in conclusion, I have been completely enamored these last few days and ignoring the ugly/epic/mostimporantthingever exam that awaits me in little over a week (Sidebar: I discovered Twific while studying for my first ugly/epic/mostimporantthingever exam, so I'm seeing a kind of pattern here). I've been hoping that immersion therapy might work, but alas, I'm not getting this out of my system. I even wrote fic within fic, so it's obviously a desperate situation. In one last ditch effort to expel this constant urge, I will attempt to write heavily angsty Trek fic tonight. It probably won't work, but a girl can try. Otherwise I'll have to go cold turkey, and I can predict that it will be a pathetic sight to behold.

And that's all. Why I chose to write this down, I do not know.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Friday Free For All Teaser

Tomorrow on the Friday Free For All:




“I can feel everything, Seth,” Jasper seethes, pushing his body flush against Seth’s bare torso. “Everything. Do you have any idea what that does to me?”

Friday, July 16, 2010

Fictionators Feature!

I got the best Friday suprise ever today! Bella and Edward's (Slightly Strange) New Year's Eve Adventure was reviewed on the Fictionators by two of my wonderfully supportive friends, and I am beside myself with glee.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

A Slightly Smutty New Year's Eve Outtake Playlist



As you may have noticed, I'm very much inspired by music. The outtake to Bella and Edward's Slightly Strange New Year's Eve Adventure is no different, and I thought I'd share my inspiration with you.

So, I give you:

Ten Songs To Woo The Pants Off Bella Swan

Friday, July 2, 2010

Bella and Edward's Slightly Strange New Year's Eve Adventure Chapter 7 Teaser




"Well, motherfucking fuckity fuck, if it isn't the last fucking person in the world I expected to see here tonight," Jake sing-songed, throwing his heavy arm around my shoulder and enveloping me in his familiar sweet musk. Even after years my best friend still had the same stupefying effect on me- whether I hadn't seen him for a day or a month.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Time To Give


It's that time of year again. The Twilight fandom gets together and gives back a little of the Twi*joy we have received from being a part of it.

I have decided to offer the following up for purchase:
  •  An outtake from Bella and Edward's Slighty Strange New Year's Eve Adventure
  • A preview of the deflowering chapter of Fix You
  • 10 drabbles of 100 words each, for $1 each
  • An audio fic reading
  • A Gossip Girl/Twilight crossover collab from me and juliebutterfly.
It's all for a great cause, and all you need is a dollar ;)


Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Hitting Pause on Fix You



It is with great sadness that I have to share with you that I’ll be putting Fix You on hiatus for a couple of months. It is still my intention to finish this story, as it is very close to my heart and I’ve been carrying it around in my head for a year now. I just don’t have a sufficient amount of time to research and write the story in the way it deserves right now.


I have a big qualifying exam coming up, and that coupled with my job which has become increasingly demanding, has forced me to refocus my priorities. I hope to still be able to write here and there, but I won’t be able to commit fully to anything for a while.

I hope you won’t abandon me in the meantime, but probably wouldn’t blame you if you did ;) Thank you very much for standing by this story and sharing your thoughts with me. Your reviews constantly made me squee!

Readers of Bella and Edward's Slightly Strange New Year's Eve Adventure, fear not. I'm working on the last chapter and will post it as soon as it's done.

Love and Snuggles
Dahlia

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Bella and Edward's Slightly Strange New Year's Eve Adventure Chapter 2 Teaser





We spent the short but terrifying trip listening to instrumental Barry Manilow in silence. The elevator screeched and rattled to a halt, making me jump and squeak like a little girl. Edward stifled a smug laugh and I stifled the urge to punch him in the throat.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Bella and Edward's Slightly Strange New Year's Eve Adventure Chapter 1 Teaser



I hesitantly glanced into the rear view mirror, afraid of the possibly crumpled mess of car behind me. I couldn't believe the douchebag crashed into me! Granted, I had swung over three lanes of traffic and cut in front of him, giving him less than a second to stop. But seriously, the dude drove a... silver Volvo, by the looks of it? Weren't those things supposed to have killer brakes?

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Coming Soon: Bella and Edward's Slightly Strange New Year's Eve Adventure



A New Year's Eve car crash, some jammed telephone lines and a dash of fate bring Bella and Edward together for an evening neither of them was expecting. Throw in a couple of surprising twists and a few colorful friends, and they're in for an evening they'll never forget.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

The Indie TwiFic Awards!


Fix You has progressed to the final round of The Indie TwiFic Awards in two categories! I'm sure you can imagine the amount of squeeing that was involved when I found that out ;)

The wonderful girls over at MyVampFiction have been doing some pimping, and interviewed me for the occasion.

Voting is open until March 24 and your vote will make this excitable little author very happy!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

New(ish) stories and their pretty accessories



A modern-day fairytale. Cupcake store employee, Rosalie, finds herself yearning for tattoo artist, Emmett. One Spring day, fate finally steers Emmett across Rosalie’s path.
Written for MsKathy’s Twifans 4 Haiti fundrais
er.






New student alert, Upper Eastsiders: Three Cullens, two Hales and a Swan are joining us for the new school year. Blair and Chuck have already set their sights on two of them, so this should be an eventful one.

B,D,R was originally written as a collaboration between me and juliebutterfly for the Out of This World crossover contest (and won second place, no less!) and the continuation will be posting soon :)

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Awards, nominations and all round awesomery!


It seems that the new year brings the awards season to the fandom, much like it does to Hollywood. Fix You and a Split Second of Indecision have been getting a lot of love and it makes this particular author a very happy girl.

Howling Wolf Awards
Fix You won second place in the "I'm falling in love with my best friend" category!
A Split Second of Indecision won second place in the "It's like a diagonal dash" category!

The Indie TwiFic Awards
Fix You is nominated for Best New Moon, Best Secondary Characterization and Best Use of a Parent.
A Split Second of Indecision is nominated in the Love Conquers All category.

Twilight Awards
Fix You is nominated for Best Jacob and Bella and Best New Moon.

Sort of Beautiful Awards
Fix You was nominated for Best WIP Jacob and Bella