November Writing and December Plans

[osprey_archer]

Did not get much writing done this month. Feeling discouraged about writing in general, to be honest. I’ve been struggling to write (so many of this year’s writing posts are some variation on “didn’t get much writing done this month”!), and my royalties are considerably lower than last year, and it’s all very frustrating.

I have decided that for whatever reason I am simply not Ready to write Sleeping Beauty, so rather than continuing to bang my head against that wall, I’m going to set the project aside for at least a year, probably more, it seems optimistic to imagine that I’ll be able to stand the sight of it after a mere year has passed. I remind myself yet again that Ursula K. Le Guin had to sit on Tehanu for eighteen years before she was ready to write it. Eighteen years!

Have been noodling on a couple of projects but who knows if they will come to anything.

***

Anyway, in years past when I have been struggling to write, I have found prompt memes really helpful. (The Time-Traveling Popcorn Ball originally grew from a prompt meme.) So I thought I would post one!

Tell me a little about a winter story I haven't written, and I'll give you several sentences from that story.

Winter doesn't have to mean holiday (although it certainly can!). Think snow, icicles, hot beverages by toasty fires, sledding and sleigh rides and being trapped by blizzards and unfortunate incidents involving holly dryads.

I will write ficlets for most any fandom I've written before (Captain America, Queen's Thief, various Sutcliffs, American Girl... I haven't actually written a Biggles or Worrals fic before but I've been thinking about trying) or for my own books, or for a completely original story.

Comments

[osprey_archer]

Do we feeling that "huddling for warmth" or "roasting chestnuts in front of an open fire" might count as winter activities Kay is not very good at? Kay is rushing around trying to Organize things and Percy is all "just sit and roast chestnuts with me! We can be convivial!" and Kay is all "I do not DO conviviality."

[skygiants]

This is one thousand percent in the spirit of the prompt I gave you and exactly what I would wish to see, thank you >:D

[osprey_archer]

"Kay," called Percy, "sit down with us and enjoy the feast!"

"Later," says Kay, rushing past distractedly. "If I don't keep an eye on Smitty, God knows what he'll do to the custard - "

Percy catches Kay's arm. Tall and thin and light-boned as he is, Percy looks like the wind might blow him away. But he's strong, and he pulls Kay onto the chair beside him.

Kay lands awkwardly. The airmen laugh and cheer, and Kay's mouth sets and his chin lifts as he tries to regain his dignity.

Percy nudges Kay's shoulder. "They're glad you're eating with us for once," he says, as he loads Kay's plate with a slice of roast goose (procured at a nearby farm in return for extra airmen's scarves).

Kay replies testily, "If I sat around gobbling like you lot, we wouldn't eat half so well."

"Yes, I know," Percy says, adding two crusty rolls to Kay's plate. "But good company is the best sauce." And while Kay is still sputtering, Percy fills Kay's glass with mulled wine (the result of a very complicated set of black market trades). Then Percy stands, lifting his glass so all the airmen look at him. "To Kay, the founder of the feast!"

"To Kay!" the airmen echo, and Kay reddens and scowls and downs his mulled wine so he doesn't have to look at them. The wine is liberally spiked with black market brandy.

The custard accompanying the Christmas pudding is distinctly lumpy. Fortunately, everyone but Kay is too drunk to mind.

[asakiyume]

Awww, I love this too. Now I have to go eat something.

[osprey_archer]

Always my goal but perhaps ESPECIALLY my goal while writing Kay, who is in charge of the victuals.

[littlerhymes]

He was right to fear the fate of the custard BUT it was worth it. Organiser of vital victuals!! Kay, get your due! <3

[osprey_archer]

PERHAPS, Kay, the airmen care more about having you eat with them than they care about the fate of the custard!

Kay snorts in disbelief.

[rachelmanija]

AWWWW. I love Kay getting some credit for once.

[osprey_archer]

Kay is so used to being taken for granted that he is JUST A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS about this show of appreciation. Surely Percy must have an ulterior motive?

(MAYBE HIS ULTERIOR MOTIVE IS THAT HE LOVES YOU, yells the reader, but Kay rejects this idea out of hand.)

[skygiants]

AHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH, they are both so good! good company IS the best sauce so sit down and TAKE IT KAY, you made your table, now eat at it!! already could not wait for Kay/Percy book and now I'm 3x more excited (also this is extra delightful and funny to me because my dad does this exact Kay thing of rushing around Doing Things and refusing to sit down at the dinner table he made until we physically force him ....Kay why!! we'll all enjoy it more if you actually sit down and eat with us!!!)

[osprey_archer]

"Everyone will enjoy the meal more if I'm not at the table!" Kay insists indignantly, possibly while all the airmen physically restrain him in his chair to force him to eat with them. In a desperate attempt to escape he adds, "I think the pudding is burning!" But they have him fast and will not let him go.

The Kay book... may now have to wait until after a Mordred book... (as you can see below, the Mordred prompt got quite out of hand and now there are four (4) Mordred snippets)... However I still do want to write it someday! If only I could write faster. Why must it take so long to write things?