I guess I just slept too little

[extrapenguin]

I posted the episode discussion for episode 21!

Those take up 5+ hours of my week, between rewatching & screencapping, uploading the images, composing the post, and picking illustrative screencaps. The reason I started was to have fun with the community, but lately it's been the same 4-ish people commenting on the posts, with limited discussion that I am not a part of, and it feels a bit empty compared to what it was at the start. I don't expect every episode to get idk 70+ comments, but I'd have expected that episode 20 would've gotten more than what it got, even with the natural attenuation of people as a project continues. I guess everyone's melted into a puddle in the heat. (Sort of considering taking a break from the project, but ... I guess I'll see how this one does. I do enjoy doing the rewatches, but it's work.)

I originally planned to write more (I think something on squicks, maybe) but it's too hot to think. +16°C is a perfectly pleasant summer temperature, why are we having +30°C and above?

Quick driveby rec of my gift for Writing Rainbow: Blue – Blue Planet, Black Sky is space opera AU crack with Shen Wei and Ye Zun rescuing Zhao Yunlan from space pirates! It's super cute and I love it.

Comments

[extrapenguin]

I mean, I did actually sleep too little (fuck the Sun), but I very intentionally copypasted the song title into the Current Music field! It'd have been a shame if no-one noticed.

[clevermanka]

Having a joke fall unnoticed in the forest is the worst.

ETA: Oh. That Current Music field. *quietly removes painfully unobservant self from the room*

[extrapenguin]

Having a joke fall unnoticed in the forest is the worst.
It is! As is having a turn of phrase one is particularly proud of in e.g. fic remain uncommented upon.

[clevermanka]

So! Frustrating! What's (one of) yours? PLEASE SHARE.

[extrapenguin]

Ah yes, my beloved daylights as a professor of bioengineering. - Fate's True North
I'm just so proud of using "daylights" as an antonym for "moonlights" , ok? Then there's also stuff from Writing Rainbow: Blue which I can't talk about yet since authors haven't been revealed, but you can probably guess what I wrote. *g* Also stuff from Under Rusted Skies, e.g. The future belonged to the bold, and happy endings belonged to those who could communicate well enough to arrange them.

(Though recently I haven't really expended effort to write that many zingers, since 1. hard to do so in summer, and 2. what's the point if no-one notices?)

[clevermanka]

what's the point if no-one notices
Ya gotta honor the muse when she comes along, though, or else she'll stop returning!

Now I feel bad for avoiding Fate's True North because that's a great line, yes! (nothing personal, I just have this weird almost-squick when it comes to the Soulmate trope)

ETA: I just realized I never went back to re-read and comment on Rusted Skies. I need to do that...KSR's Mars trilogy is one of my favorite series EVAR.

[extrapenguin]

The muse is protesting unethical working conditions all summer. *g*

Now I feel bad for avoiding Fate's True North because that's a great line, yes! (nothing personal, I just have this weird almost-squick when it comes to the Soulmate trope)
There's no need to feel bad, a squick is a squick. If your interest was piqued, though, I'm more than willing to answer questions about whether or not it hits your squick or whooshes by.

ETA: I just realized I never went back to re-read and comment on Rusted Skies. I need to do that...KSR's Mars trilogy is one of my favorite series EVAR.
\o/ KSR's Mars trilogy is amazing, and was definitely an inspiration. As was The Martian.

[clevermanka]

My distaste for Soulmates stems from my (weird, personal problem) revulsion about the concept of soulmates--that there's One Perfect Person Out There for everyone (or even anyone). It bothers me. A lot.

Dub/Non-Con? Incest? Unrequited love? Character death? BRING IT. Soulmates, though? I DRAW THE LINE AT SOULMATES. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[extrapenguin]

I actually DNW the concept of soulmates most of the time, but, uh, ended up writing soulmates anyway because I wanted to showcase Shen Wei's original Dixingian non-Han name. *g* If it helps, the setting is more "soulmates are guaranteed to bring out the best in each other throughout their lives" than being perfect for each other, since there is no such thing as perfection. Also, one-sided good influences and temporary (not lifelong) good influences also exist. I even have an explanation for why there are soulmates, but that'll have to wait for the sequel. Which I should probably write at this point, given how much I'm talking about it...

[clevermanka]

Thanks for taking the time to explain! Nice to meet someone else who is usually turned off by the trope.

[jo_lasalle]

Randomly butting into this thread: I would actually say that I generally find the idea of 'soulmates' pretty URGH, but for some reason, when you make it the setup of the universe (as opposed to, say, Zhao Yunlan, in a 'regular' universe, thinking while full of romance feels that Shen Wei is his soulmate), like some quirk of biology, I can apparently totally run with it when done well. (Especially when it's handled in a funny-matter-of-fact way.)

[extrapenguin]

^.^