A new Joss Whedon show - I'm so ridiculously excited!

I'm off to Florence tomorrow for four days and I'm so excited! I should be asleep right now, resting up for my trip because, guess what? I'm going to Florence tomorrow! Where there will be food and wine and beautiful art and wonderful architecture. (My list of things to see is as long as my arm!)

Excuse me while I double check my carry on luggage...

I have to get back into the habit of posting my fandom stuff on LJ. I tend to go the Tumblr route of late, which is great for my guiltier pleasures (Vampire Diaries, anyone?) but not as satisfying for my other fandom loves beyond gifsets (Doctor Who, Highlander & Continuum)

Let me tell you about my gleeful reaction to the return of Continuum for another season on Showcase - oh, how I missed my Sci-Fi show - but it is one simple thing that made me want to write about this show rather than just watch, and that is the nature of its main protagonist, Kiera. Last week, I reblogged a comment on Tumblr made by Natalie Dormer about the portrayal of women in fiction.

“Men still have trouble recognizing that a woman can be complex, can have ambition, good looks, sexuality, erudition, and common sense. a woman can have all those facets, and yet men, in literature and in drama, seem to need to simplify women, to polarize us as either the whore or the angel. that sensibility is prevalent, even to this day.”

It's a very valid point, even in modern television, so when an exception to the rule turns up on my TV screen, I feel the need to comment on it! It's a rather delicious experience to follow a female protagonist that's allowed to have flaws without being vilified for it. Here is a character who is coming apart at the seams while still trying to project an untouchable persona, who clearly loves her family and wants to get back to them and yet can’t stop herself from literally sleeping with the enemy, because in this strange new land called the past, her enemies are the only ones who get her. She’s driven and ruthless and more than a little broken at this stage, and yet she keeps on going in the hope she’ll see her husband and son.

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From the little reaction I've seen on my flist, I think I may be alone in this, but I really enjoyed this. At last, a Mark Gatiss Doctor Who episode that I like!

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A Susan mention! Oh my heart.

Why doesn't the TARDIS translate the languages for Clara, is it because it doesn't like her?

I've heard a lot about Clara being a clever-clever companion like River but I don't get that vibe from her at all. She's smart, yes, but there is a kindness and softness to her that is more in the mould of Donna/Rory/Martha. She really doesn't have that sociopathic edge prevalent in Jack or River's character, or that streak of self absorbed selfishness that Rose and Amy had (although I think Amy matured beyond that towards then end). I like her although I haven't fallen in love with her yet (but there is a distinct possiblity it will happen though!)

Can I also say I'm so happy we've left the trope of the shrewish mother behind us. Clara's Mum seemed so lovely!

Christ, the Doctor weeping. Eleven waters up on occasion but tears are rare - and a Time War reference. I'm getting a very Old Whoish vibe off this season and I think I like it.

Once again, the plot isn't up to much but the character stuff is lovely.

And may I say that Clara's Dad seemed truely lovely and not what I was expecting after the 'government conspiracy' phonecall they had last week. Maybe losing his wife broke his ridiculously romantic heart and he became a shut in, dreaming of his lost love and why am I suddenly getting a Great Expectations vibe?

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Things I like about Clara: she has a kind heart. It’s pretty much her defining character trait so far, although that may change. (and she sort of reminds me of Martha, which automatically makes her more endearing to me)

Old Who-ish opening titles. I like it.

The plot was a bit meh but this episode was more of a character piece, so I’ll give it a pass. Lovely to see an old school villain that doesn’t come in a shiny tin casing, though!

Clockwork TARDIS! I kinda liked the new cogs of the console inscribed with Gallifreyan. Very pretty.

Anti-grav bike!

Bottling for breakfast money! (Do they call it that outside Ireland? I mean passing the hat around!)

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Rob Thomas set up a Kickstarter page for a VERONICA MARS MOVIE. The minimum goal was 2 million and, less than than 24 hours later, they're already passed it -which means filming will start this summer! (It also has a very amusing promo video)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project

*Does Happy Fangirl Dance*

P.S. And if this is a new trend, I'd like some new Firefly and Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles while they're at it...

Long story short, I got sucked into the Tumblr blackhole and ended up making highlander gifs when i should have been writing.

But here is some mostly naked Methos!






(My Highlander gif tag: http://jinxed-wood.tumblr.com/tagged/myhighlandergifs)

Three sentences - I can handle three sentences, right? My muse seems to be cranky at the moment. I'm finding it more and more difficult to write. Here's hoping some prompts gets my juices going!



(1) One prompt per person. The more prompts I get, the more likely the plot bunnies will attack!

(2) Crossover prompts are allowed and encouraged.

(3) Fandoms Allowed: Here is a sample of the fandoms I've written in but, if you frequent here, you know I'll probably give a stab at just about anything if you ask!

Highlander
Doctor Who
Continuum (TV)
Lost Girl
Sanctuary (TV)
The Avengers (2012)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Vampire Diaries (TV)
Blake's 7
Witchbalde(TV)

I was painfully aware that, between one thing and another, I hadn't posted anything new in my LJ for the New Year and then I saw this on I09 and thought it'd be the perfect shiny thing to share! A time lapse study of flowers blooming by photographer Kate Pruskova. So simple yet so beautiful!

Writes beautiful, frothy pop and I love the humour she brings to her videos - she's also very good at snark, if you listen to the lyrics of Impossibly Beautiful..

Love is tricky Thing



Impossibly Beautiful

Title: A Grand Adventure
Rating PG
Characters: River Song/Charley Pollard, the Doctor.
Fandom: Doctor Who
Summary: In which an Edwardian adventuress literally bumps into a time travelling archaeologist in the midst of liberating a tablet from an ancient burial site......

Written for kowarth, I'm so sorry about the lateness. I'm an idiot who obviously can't time manage to save her life!




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The Coronas doing a live version of Heroes or Ghosts for an Irish radio staton. The first verse or two is in Irish, which might be relevant to some of my flists interests :-P

First off, whoever you are, thank you very much for even attempting this - you crazy, crazy person you! I hope you have fun.

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I'm having a shoe dilemma! I fell in love with THREE pairs of shoes today but I only can only really afford to buy one (yeah, yeah, I know, first world problems). So I'm going to show you the brogues in question and you can tell me what you think...? They look so practical and yet still cute, you know?

Hey, it's Thursday night, what better time for shoe porn?

Grover and the Cookie Monster as the Doctor and Amy (yes, you read that right :-P).

...Moffat just made me cry. Bloody hell.

Continuum starts tonight on Syfy UK at 10 pm - join me in my Canadian Scifi obsession!

I've just had my nominations for this year's yuletide approved! Between this and hlh_shortcuts (whose sign-up page is now active. Hint, hint.), I shall be a busy and happy fanficcer. For those who are interested, my nominations were: The Middleman, Continuum, and The Culture books.

I'm also writing loads at the moment! I have an original short story in the works (uh, I'll probably be looking for a beta for it in the next week...) and two new short(ish) fanfics. One is a rather silly Continuum fic in which Kiera and Kellog go on a picnic (don't ask) and the other is a Doctor Who/Sherlock BBC fic, in which Martha, Molly and Mycroft team up and [CLASSIFIED].

/Runs away.

I'm back!

Paris was lots of fun and warm and sunny. I spent loads of time just wandering through the city and eating and checking out the Louvre! Last time I was in Paris it was late October and much chillier, so this was a very different experience!

I had to giggle as I walked along the Seine. The riverfront is very busy and I kept wondering how Duncan ever found a quiet stretch to fight all those Kimmies. I'm sure there is a story there somewhere - a very silly story, but a story nonetheless!


And thank you to all those who sent me birthdays wishes and virtual pressies! You are all very lovely indeed :-)

Title: The Other Way
Rating PG
Characters: Kiera Cameron, Matthew Kellog, Carlos Fonnegra, Sonya Valentine, ensemble.
Fandom: Continuum
Wordcount: 4,500 (Part two of two)
Spoilers: All of season 1.
Archived:: On AO3
Previous parts on LJ: PART ONE
Summary: It's a week after the bombing and Sonya Valentine decides she needs some answers...




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I have to laugh at the trailer because it's done from Kiera's POV and, while I adore her character, the real story is a lot greyer than her narration suggests!


For those not obsessed up to date, Continuum was also renewed for a 13 episode second season and the first season is due to air on Scifi in the US in January.

A while back, some might remember me waxing on about how I'd redo the show if I got my sticky hands on it and, I have to admit, one of the first things that occurred to me was that – initially, at least - I'd move the POV to that of the Watchers. Mortals who live a fantastical life fraught with real dangers, and who keep secrets and have an honour code. They're a cross between MI5 and the Illuminati! What's not to love?

My show would be situated in London for no more pressing fact than I realised that most of my actors are British and it'd just be easier.

Immortals are the subject of the Watcher obsession and I'd love to see that dynamic explored, especially as the Watchers slowly become embroiled in their assignments lives and begin to see them as real people rather than just specimens in a jar.

I also committed video, and I'm going to hold up my hands and call it amateur hour! It's not as ambitious as I wanted it to be (no time, no time!) and the editing is iffy. Also, I'm not really sure if I've accomplished anything other than putting the actors into one bit of footage, and the editing towards the end got sloppy because I gave up on it. Posting it for posterity but for those who want to skip the video, I also did some nice character card gifs that will probably leave you better informed!!!

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This entry was originally posted at http://jinxed-wood.dreamwidth.org/280408.html.

So, I'm writing a short story for this month's magazine theme at Crossed Genre's (Theme: boundaries) and in the guidelines, they do make a point of saying that they welcome stories from outside the US, so I thought it's be nice if I stayed local. On the whole, I like the direction of this story but the problem is I'm drawing a lot from my childhood for the story, which I spent in a small village in the west of Ireland.

As there is an element of fantasy in the story and a lot of western fantasy draws from Celtic folklore and Irish/Welsh/Scottish names, I'm beginning to think maybe the use of Irish names will make the characters seem less grounded in our world to those from outside Ireland. Names like Donnacha, Taidgh, Diarmuid, Nessa, Colm, Siobhan, and Una. Normally, I wouldn't worry about such things, but the premise of the story is that these are people from our world crossing over into another world. I don't want people to feel that they're dealing with fantasy characters to begin with.

Thoughts or suggestions from those not of the Irish persuasion?