Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in cubdom's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, July 8th, 2007
3:22 pm	Quarterly Update Can't believe it's been as long as it has since I've updated this space. Of course, I'm not surprised as real life has firmly established it's pre-eminence over the realm of fan fiction. Fortunately, I've taken some time recently to start working on the story again, and about ten days ago I published chapter twelve. The credit for this probably should go to my grammar beta Lisa for sending me an email saying... "do you still need me?" To which I realized I'd better be more conscientious to those who are helping me with this story, and that entails doing things like sending chapters that I published in January to grammar betas by the end of June. After Lisa finished editing eleven, I decided that the scene I had been debating over whether to write or not needed to just be cut, and thus ended several months of paralysis over what was truly a minor issue. Chapter Twelve then went up on AFC and was sent to Lisa, and I posted it about ten days ago. Several (two) weddings ensued, and now it's Sunday and I find myself in Panera Bread with my laptop, and the desire to get moving on the half-way finished chapter thirteen. The most common feedback on twelve was: "I wish you'd shown the scene with the Prime Minister." To which I reply: "I've been thinking about that scene for several months... and absolutely nothing of import seems to come of it. When I do decide what happens, then I can fill in the blanks, but I really don't know what happened in there yet... and the whole meeting with the Muggle PM was more geared toward a possible sequel than anything else... a sequel I have become more and more certain will not be written." The other response I've got a lot was, "It's an interesting direction to have the Muggles considering assassinating Harry." To which I reply. "It most certainly is. Now please see my above comments about a sequel... but in light of that, I will endeavor to find a few more openings to develop that part of the plotline. It really does have some interesting possibilities." In other fan fic news, I just recently finished reading "A Serpents Sacrifice" by Gabillian. Interesting, decent fic. I wondered at various points of the story about how old Gabillian might be as an author. She (I'm guessing) is fairly young and her writing holds promise, but there were several points where I felt the writing was "immature..." and that title I think has more to do with experience as a writer than actual age... but is also something that might be correlated more closely with age. All-in-all, however, the story was a good fic in the genre of an honest guess at what could happen in book seven. Although I've tired of that genre mostly, I still enjoyed the story on the whole, and will recommend it here. Aight. Time to stop delaying, and time to start writing. Peace, Byron Current Mood: pleased as punch, but cold Current Music: Jazzish Elevator Music (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 3rd, 2007
5:29 pm	Boasting The good news is that I'm finally writing again. It took me thirteen days of post-CPA recovery before I found the motivation to go write. I'm also past something that bears close resemblance to author's block. Also, because I can never pass up a chance to tell people I'm smarter than they are. Try to beat this. HINT: You can't I got them all. Woot! Current Mood: relaxed Current Music: Jazz of some sort (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 4th, 2007
12:38 am	Review Response to Chapter Ten: Business Got a review from always loyal reader Lady Eliza Hi, Wow! Loved this chapter. I also like Harry inheriting all that money and titles and having political power. I really hope Harry goes back to Hogwarts and will be able to lead. There are still corrupt people around and it would definately be a shame if he doesn't properly heal. I'm curious how exactly did Harry get the Slytherin money and title? I know that Voldemort took Harry's blood, but wouldn't the title and such go under a different line: Gaunt? Great job on this chapter. Good luck on your last CPA exam. ~Lady Eliza My response Lady E, Thanks for yet another great review. Sorry it took so long to respond, but I figure I should. Your question about the Slytherin money and title has an interesting answer, but one I simply couldn't add to the last chapter as it was already quite bloated. It will (probably) be answered in a few chapters at Harry's first Wizengamot meeting, but it's not central to the plot so I'll pass along a little spoiler: Some families pass their inheritance along through first-born sons, some families through first born children... all heads of the families can change or designate an heir if they so wish. As for the Slytherin inheritance in particular, Harry's lineage is not mentioned, but the Evaluator simply notes he has the Soul of the Serpent... which is a fancy way of saying that when Voldemort and Harry's soul got thrown into the wash together with super-special green detergent, Harry's soul emerged with 'eau de Serpent and the Evaluator has decided that he is the closest magical heir to the Slytherin seat. Or you could also explain it that since Voldemort and Harry share blood, well then the blood evalutor portion of the Complete Lineage Identifier and Core History Evaluator picked up on that. Anyhow, thanks for the review. I'm thinking I might have a shorter chapter available next week. Thanks, Byron Current Mood: awake - worked out too late Current Music: Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae (Comment on this)
Friday, December 29th, 2006
8:34 pm	Great News! I am temporarily back in Chicago after spending the last week at my parents house. Unfortunately, during the last week I didn't make any progress on Remnants of the Soul... but I still have great news. Aside from the fact that tomorrow is earmarked for writing, I received the test results from two more sections of the CPA exam and I passed them both! This is great news for me, and good news for the story writing process because I will not need to dedicate another three weeks per section to re-take the exams (as I feared I would have to.) So, I have passed three fourths of the CPA exam and am now planning to take the final portion of the exam in mid-February. As for projections for the story, I will probably not get Chapter Eleven done until next week... so it's still up in the air whether Chapter twelve will get done before or after the three week blackout that I'm planning for Jan 20 - Feb 13. Current Mood: ecstatic - go me! Current Music: Purdue vs. Maryland Bowl Game (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, December 18th, 2006
11:51 pm	Reflections on Business I posted chapter ten about a week ago, and it's gotten a warm reception. Not outstanding, but definitely warm. It was certainly a relief to get the chapter posted. I never realized how much stress I was putting on myself for that stupid three month black-out. If I haven't said it before, I'll say it again. I hate CPA exams and everything related to it. Vent completed. Remarks. I think my humor is a little too subtle, or maybe it's just not funny. No one ever comments on my jokes. The surprising comment I got from a lot of readers this chapter was that they didn't understand why Harry would want to keep his being the heir of Slytherin a secret. I really just don't get that. Who would think that was normal? Wouldn't that cause people to wonder whether he was evil or not? Hmmm. Chapter Eleven is tentatively titled: "The Two Ministers." I'm quite tempted to call it "Desperate House-Elves." I posted a .pdf on my yahoo group with some notes about the Wizengamot. I'll continue to publish some of my notes after the appropriate part of the story is published. (That doesn't mean I'm done with the Wizengamot, it just means those notes don't contain any high value spoilers.) Check out my Yahoo! group if you want to see them. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hprots/) Aight, Peace my friends. (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 9th, 2006
7:27 pm	Writing Resumed I can't believe I haven't updated this in nearly two months... and my story in three. Time certainly flies when you're busy with things you would rather not be doing. Anyhow, I'm temporarily done with all the craziness that the CPA exam brought to my life since early September. (The craziness resumes again from Jan 20 until at least mid February). So, in the last week I have returned to HPRotS with renewed vigor, completing 90% of the chapter and editing the stuff I had managed to write over the last two months. I am expecting to complete the chapter by tomorrow night and then I will send it off to my betas, who probably think I've died. I guarantee that I will post the chapter, in whatever form it is in, by next Friday. I may also be tempted to jump the gun and post by Monday so that I don't exceed the "stale for three months" threshold. Probably Monday... although I like to let one person at least read my stuff before mass release. Anyhow, the chapter is titled Business and I am releasing this teaser to get you all excited. Edward cleared his throat to break the thick tension in the room. "This contraption is a Complete Lineage Identification and Core History Evaluator," Edward said. "It will verify your lineage by checking both your blood and your magical core. It's been used hundreds of times by Gringotts to ensure that the rightful heirs are seated on the Wizengamot." Current Mood: happy - less stressed Current Music: Mozart - Menuetti: Allegretto (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
3:06 am	The Godfather I figured I'd drop in with a quick update on the progress of Remnants of the Soul. Although it is coming along slowly, I have about 3,800 words written for chapter ten and I'm hoping to post in the next week or two... but really, no promises. I'm currently on vacation, chilling out in Pasadena, CA with my sister and brother-in-law. I have a niece who is now two months old... and she is sooo precious. Just beautiful. So, with the week of vacation, I'm making limited progress on the chapter in between ill-fated attempts to actually study for the CPA exam and dirty diapers. Tonight, my sister and I finished watching The Godfather, and now I'm feeling especially Italian, even though I don't have an Italian bone in my body. Well, my niece is crying again... and I'm pretty well exhausted. Peace Current Mood: tired but relaxed Current Music: Porcelain - Moby (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 17th, 2006
11:36 pm	Chapter Nine Posted, etc. For the record, I posted chapter nine six days ago. It has been well received thus far. I have also started my own 'archive' site for the story at hprots.com. There is a forum there if you want to discuss the fic. I saw this test on Jocelyn's page, so I gave it a go. I thought it was fun. Try it out if you want. Language Savvy You scored a 270 out of 400 on language knowledge. Congratulations! You know your stuff! You've scored higher than most people would and you probably have taken a linguistics or cultural science class to boot. Most likely you are bilingual or even multilingual. You are also probably fascinated by languages and want to learn more of them in the future. When you travel to a foreign country, you make a point to learn some of the language instead of imposing your own. It's people like you who help promote the exchange of languages worldwide. Keep it up! My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on knowledge Link: The World Languages Test written by jeremie096 Current Mood: congested for the past week Current Music: Sunday - Nick Drake (Comment on this)
Saturday, September 9th, 2006
2:28 am	Chapter Nine: The Never Ending Chapter Oh thank heaven for seven-eleven! I have just this very minute finished my first read through of the now completed chapter nine. And when I say completed, I don't actually mean completed... I really mean I've finished writing everything I set out to write in my outline. Tomorrow, I'll re-read the chapter when I'm a bit less tired than I am currently, and then it will be sent to the betas. So, I expect that it will be posted sometime early next week... which considering that it has been 33 days already since my last update... is not great. (Don't say I didn't warn you all though.) Anyhow, consider this my promotional activities for this chapter: Chapter Nine: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust Summary: Harry attends the funerals of his fallen friends. Who can he trust? Who are his true friends? Is there hope to be found amidst the sea of loss? Will prejudices and traditions spoil a day for saying goodbye? The Prophet intrudes in Harry's life again, a mysterious fate is revealed, and politics threatens to mar a solemn occasion. I really like this chapter, I hope you will too. Current Mood: happy - chapter progress made! Current Music: Tears and Rain - James Blunt (Comment on this)
Sunday, August 27th, 2006
9:54 pm	Funerals suck Yes, funerals suck... but chapter nine doesn't. I've been working most of the day on chapter nine, and I have exactly 1,477 words to show for it. How frustrating is that? I got bogged down introducing some characters at Hermione's funeral and the scene is still not done although I've moved on to another funeral. About supper time, I realized that my estimate of 8,000 words for this chapter was probably way more than would be necessary. I'm now thinking that the chapter will end up being in the neighborhood of 6,000 words. My initial impulse is to detail every little action and conversation. However, as I started plowing my way through Hermione's funeral, I realized how repetitive/boring it will be if I didn't skip some significant snatches of time. So, at this point, the chapter weighs in at 3,775 words. I have finished an introductory scene with Dobby and a scene with the Grangers. Hermione's funeral is mostly finished, but the Weasley funeral hasn't even begun. On the other hand, I've got a couple of nice snatches of conversation with Susan and Harry. But, most importantly, I'm pleased with what I have written so far. Anyhow, the moral of this update is that you should never write about funerals. Its tough stuff. Current Mood: fatigued - stir crazy Current Music: Cubs Game - tied 6-6 in the 9th vs. Cardinals (Comment on this)
Monday, August 21st, 2006
11:54 pm	Slowly but Surely I spent much of my night working on chapter nine of Remnants of the Soul. I figure that I now have nearly 2,000 presentable words, up from 500 at the beginning of the night. So, some progress is better than none. Earlier today, I was thinking that it would be nice if I could post chapter nine for next Monday (Aug 28), but I am now realizing that I would need to make a lot more progress in the next few days to meet that goal. It seems more likely that I'll update toward the end of next week. Complicating matters is the fact that I will be attending three baseball games this week... which is both exciting and depressing. Exciting because I love baseball and two of the games will cost me $0, and depressing because the games will effectively eat up my entire week... plus going to games with your work means you have to be 'responsible' and not make a fool of yourself. Random unrelated thought: I got a Blackberry from my work several weeks ago. At first, I was able to load FanFiction.net story pages without too much hassle, but then they must have changed a script because the whole browser program freezes up something horrible when I try loading the pages. This is quite frustrating, and I need to find an archive that will let me load its pages with a blackberry. Also, I've been thinking about posting a text version of HPRotS somewhere so I can access it from said Blackberry. Perhaps more to come. Back to the topic at hand: After feeling depressed about Chapter Eight... even going so far as to accuse it of having lost its soul, I had the chance to take a fresh look at it earlier today. Perhaps I should retract my statements. It may not be my best chapter, but I think it fits in well with the other chapters. I particularly like the scene with Romilda Vane out in front of The LadyBug. (This scene is revisited in chapter nine.) Anyhow, I also like the introduction of Stephen Cornfoot. He's an underserved character in the books, and I think he has the potential to be a good comedic foil in later chapters. Teasers: Chapter Nine is tentatively titled "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust". I have written a scene with Harry and Dobby, as well as another scene where Harry reads his post. The chapter's main theme is to be friendship, although I have not progressed far down that path. Although the length is hard to predict at this point, I think the chapter could end up being 8,000+ words. Let's just say the 2,000 words hasn't gotten me through very much of the outline. Finally, for those who have been waiting to see Susan in a more substantive role, this will be the chapter where she steps out from the background. Current Mood: tired - eyes drooping Current Music: Angel With No Wings - Kevin Max (Comment on this)
Sunday, August 13th, 2006
10:57 pm	Wasted Weekend Warning: Self absorbed blathering ensues. You know, I hate Sunday nights when you feel like you've wasted your weekend... and this would be one of them. I really didn't do anything this weekend. I've had a headache and a sore jaw all weekend and have been unable to concentrate. As such, I spent copious amounts of time surfing the internet and wishing I was working on Remnants of the Soul, but I only got 500 words written... and they're not very good so I'm probably going to scrap them. In retrospect, I'm a bit disappointed with chapter eight. It didn't get many reviews and after this weekend I know why. It was, as I initially suspected, not very good. Lisa, my wonderful grammar beta sent me marked up copies of chapters three and four this afternoon. Why you ask? Well because Lisa wasn't on board when I started and I've been having trouble getting Schnoogle to approve my chapters. So, Lisa has been going through my original chapters and beta'ing them for grammar. Anyhow, since she had been busy at work a week ago in preparation for taking this past week off, Lisa is/was two chapters behind what I have posted on FF.net. Last Thursday, she sent me a beta'ed copy of chapter seven, but I didn't act on it because I was trying to get chapter eight published. On her vacation, she looked at chapters three and four for me. (What a great beta, eh? Working on my stuff while she's on vacation. Wow. I don't work on my stuff when I'm on vacation.) Anyhow, Sundays are typically very productive days for me. After Church, I pop down the road a few miles and plop myself down in the nice leather chair at Panera Bread. There, I proceed to drink way too much caffeine as I spend several hours working on my fics. Well, today I didn't get any new work done. Instead, I read a short fic about Romilda Vane (Most Charming Smile). It was quite good and I'm recommending it. After that, I started dealing with the three beta'ed chapters I had back from Lisa. Revisiting my old chapters made me realize that Chapter eight was missing its soul. Maybe. Errggg, I wish I was a better writer and more patient and had more time, etc. Anyhow revisiting the old chapters prompted me to go looking through all of the chapters for apostrophe errors. As stupid as it sounds (because apostrophes are quite basic), I had a chapter rejected from Schnoogle for apostrophe errors. Going back through it, I realized there were four screw-ups in the chapter... and every other chapter had at least one apostrophe error. So, at the end of the day, I had three updated chapter files with major grammar changes, plus five more chapters with minor grammar changes. So, then I went through the time consuming process of generating updated files for each of the chapters. Then, I decided it would be fun to read my fic all the way through. I've stopped mid-way through the third chapter and have concluded that I need to re-work the first chapter SOON. It's really quite bad and I'm sure to be scaring people away. So chapter nine, which I promise should have its soul back, may take a while to come down the pipeline depending on whether I can find the story's soul again or whether I start attacking chapter one. Current Mood: headache - frowning Current Music: Beethoven - Symphony # 5 - writing music (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 8th, 2006
12:12 am	Chapter Eight Posted, Chapter Seven Replies As the title of this post indicates. Chapter eight has been posted. Have at it. Will discuss at a later date. Now, for some review responses to chapter seven. Review by Brainchild: you write so well. There are moments when I ahve to stop in order to actually appreciate the words I've just read. You made the battle brutal, really, horrible, and everything that it should be. I don't read seventh-year fics. I haven't read a story about Harry that isn't AU in years, but this story was so good that I couldn't stop. I just couldn't. I can't wait to see Harry really just start owning this situation, realizing that he could destroy these people. I'm frustrated that he isn't receiving his letters from his solicitor. I hate that Harry's even tlaking to Scrimangeour, even if it is only to do good. I want Harry to be above that. Above all of that. I loved the Apparation test scene. I loved Lavender sitting there, her father all pompous. The woman saying Lisa was third in the class above "that Potter boy" struck me as strange, though. Surely she would have said Harry Potter. Is he going back to school? Is he going to tell Fred and Goerge that the thought of their friendship (and hillariously the U-No-Poo) saved him? Seriously, such a god story. Probably my favorite quote comes from Susan Bones "I knew he would do it long before the papers started printing that rubbish. If you knew Harry at all, you would understand. He just isn’t afraid." I think that accurately sums it all up. I loved that when Luna and Neville showed up they all thought it was weird but it was Hermione would thought to ask the question. I thought you made the DEs scary, including Bellatrix with Neville. I loved the detail that Augusta was a forminable opponent. I loved Luna knowing they were DEs. You gave me false hope that someone might survive the battle, but they didn't. I want HArry to not talk to the Minister at all. I want him to prove to everyone that he's not pompous and I want to see him. really show his power skill and whatnot in school. I want people to fear him. I don't want him to go to the Order of the Phoenix celebration. I want him to show people how hurt he is. WOW. GREAT STORY, Miranda Response: Miranda, Thank you for your reply. Its always great to hear a long detailed review of what you liked and didn't. Unfortunately, I can't promise you everything you want. Harry is going to struggle with his newfound power. He was never taught to be independent although he is comfortable doing so. That was why Harry had such a tough time in OOTP. He was forced to 'do it on his own' but all he wanted was for Dumbledore to step in and make it all better. Its the same reason he was 'Dumbledore's Man' in HBP. Harry now needs to learn the mindset of an independent ("I'll do what I want and the rest of you be damned.") But an independent mindset isn't learned overnight. Thus, Harry will continue his search for another 'mentor' like Dumbledore. Honestly, thats why he's suddenly willing to talk to the Minister. Will he find a mentor in Scrimgeour? You'll see later, but Harry will be rather assertive of his own wishes toward the end of the year. So, I completely understand your desire to see a sudden change in Harry, but I think the change will be slowly developing (ya know, realistically). To address some other concerns of yours: Harry will meet with his solicitor soon (probably chapter ten or eleven), but he has to deal with the consequences of missing the initial meeting first (chapter eight). I really loved writing the apparation test scene too. The reason Mrs. Turpin says 'the Potter Boy' is because she is trying to convey that she and Lisa are better than the Browns and Potter. (A careful reading of the text will let you realize that Ridley Brown is the same Ridley that Adelbert Zabini thought was influential.) In chapter eight, Harry will talk to Fred and George and there will be mention of U-No-Poo. Honestly, you might be the first person to mention U-No-Poo in a review, which is slightly disappointing. I thought it was hilarious that amidst this otherworldy battle that Harry could find strength in such a juvenile joke... but I think its also realistic that such a concrete example would be able to give Harry the desire to continue living. That Susan Bones... she's an insightful one. On Harry showing everyone how hurt he is, remember its Harry we're talking about. Those who are close to him will know he's suffering, but he isn't about to broadcast it to the world. (The Daily Prophet will do that for him :) ) Alright Miranda, thanks for the AWESOME review. Chapter Eight will hopefully be along sometime next week. Byron Review by TheWandMaker: Unendingly depressing and heartbreaking. Tell me...will ANYBODY be left alive to give a damn about by the end of this story? You write very well and have a wonderful gift for description...but your plot developments and cruelty to beloved characters make this story too painful to continue reading. Of course, this is your creative choice - you are the artist here and totally within your rights to express that wonderful creativity as you see fit. But as a note to you and all other angsty fanfic writers - please understand that as the real world becomes more depressing and hard to bear - we look for gifted writers such as yourself to give us joy and relief from those true life horrors. Who needs to see them duplicated endlessly? Please don't be offended - this isn't a flame. It's just so frustrating to keep reading HP reduced to horror. Response: Forgive me if I've already replied to this, but I want to make sure to reply. "Unendingly depressing and heartbreaking." I would argue that War is depressing and heartbreaking. When war ends, the survivors are left to clean up the pieces. I think writers who don't have the courage to show war as it truly is are doing the real world a disservice. Portraying war as anything but depressing and heartbreaking encourages fools to think that it is chivalrous or an adventure. At the end of this story, you will have many characters left to worry about and embrace. Harry isn't going to go hide away by himself and wimper about how horrible life is. If he were to do that, then I would agree with you, but this is a story about overcoming adversity. You need adversity to overcome. I don't consider myself an angsty writer, but perhaps I am mistaken. Again, I'll point you to the paragraph above. Harry is an immensely strong character. Each of the preceeding HP books have been about him overcoming successively more difficult obstacles. This story is about Harry overcoming the most difficult obstacle imaginable. It delves into the redeeming qualities of life and friendship. It is an exploration of human emotion and the unbelievable drive to press on. This story was never intended to be 'HP Reduced to Horror,' rather it was to be an uplifting tale of strength of character. Honestly, if you've read this far, I beg for you to continue reading on because we've hit rock-bottom and it is time to heal. Thanks so much for your honest review. Byron Note: WandMaker was kind enough to leave a comment on my last post. Link Review by Imakeeper: what happened to Susan (I'm slow lol...) Response: Susan only made a little cameo in chapter six. She'll be back again in chapter nine, chapter (eleven or twelve) and then from chapter (thirteen or fourteen) on she'll be a major character. Romance can be slow in developing, especially since they don't see much of each other over the summer. Thanks again for reviewing. Byron Review by Nonjon: If this is the worst angst, this wasn't too bad at all. None of it reached the point of whining and uninteresting (which is what thick angst always sounds like to me). I'm really looking forward to Harry's meeting with the Prime Minister. It's almost like we're waiting for someone to sort of open Harry's eyes to what's going on around him. How he can make a huge difference in the world right now, simply because his word is practically law (at the moment at least). If someone just reached out to sort of mentor him at the moment, it feels like he'd latch on to them pretty quick. Once they got through to him at least. I kinda like him better without that influence though. I know he's lost and confused and dealing with grief, and I think you've nailed Minerva into exactly who she, as the new Headmistress, is and should be for Harry. The little meetings and discussions seem very apropos. She's not turning into all huggy, caring, overly mothering, merely stating honest facts and trying to sort of keep him sane at the moment. The Grangers I'm a little less convinced on their reaction and dealings. Given the situation they seemed a bit more... understanding with Harry than I'd expect. Not that they should be blaming him or yelling and raging that it's his fault. But parents losing their only child are such a volatile element in the first place. Many never recover, some split up because they can't even look at their spouse without thinking of the child, etc. True Hermione was nearly an adult, and spent years away at school, so she'd pretty much left the nest already, but still. Harry visiting so soon, I can see Harry wanting to do it. Simply because his own parents died when he was so young, the family he grew up with and didn't particularly like died too. And of course the closest thing to an honorary family in the Weasleys, lost the two siblings nearest to him, both parents, and an older sibling who was about to be married. Not that Mr. and Mrs. Granger should be next in line as honorary parents, despite the apparent fit (parents with no kid, kid with no parents), but they seemed remarkably controlled. Maybe it's shock, maybe they're just hiding the bulk of their grief, but listening intently to Harry's recount, accepting everything easily and offering tea etc... Just felt too normal. Harry feeling guilt and wanting to confront others grieving and in as much pain as him. Or half-hoping to be scolded for his role in his friends' deaths, going to visit them I can see making sense in his head. I just wouldn't expect it to have gone so smoothly. Though them giving the owl to him, wanting to get rid of it as a reminder or something they have to take care of, was a very nice touch. I'd almost like to see a number of further visits with Harry and them eventually asking for the owl back so they can write to Harry. But not for at least a few months. Maybe years. Interesting so far. I'm hoping we won't see too much vindictive, evil people taking advantage of Harry. Or Slytherins scheming against him. Just a sort of semi-realistic view of Harry coping with all of this around him. Keep them coming. (P.S. - on a side note, I'm really, really, really getting annoyed at how Hermione's parents' names are always Dan and Emma. Frankly I'd rather Mr. Granger was Rowena and Mrs. Granger was Salazar. Such an awful cliche... and one that just screams Harmony!shippy!love!forever. Hell make them Rudy and Trudy wearing matching outfits with toothbrush holsters on their belts. It'd be better than more Dan and Emma. I'm not saying you should change them in this fic. Just... if you write more fics, please, think of the children.) Response: Hey Nonjon, I agree with you on Minerva. She gets a lot of criticism in fandom because she is obviously a caring character, but is not terribly demonstrative. No reason for her to change here, but she also realizes that without Dumbledore, she will need to play a bigger role in Harry's life. Incidentally, she is the perfect character to serve as Harry's new 'mentor' because she keeps her distance. She will continue to offer advice and 'little lessons' here and there, but she knows that smothering a teen is not the way to provide advice. Minerva has many many years of experience helping her students become adults and she has perfected that 'touch.' Now, I've just got to do her skills service. On Hermione's parents. You're not the first to offer some criticism, and I agree that I didn't nail their reactions as well as I could have. I am neither a parent, nor have my parents ever lost a child, so it is hard for me to relate all that well. Here is how I see the Grangers though: Their daughter left home six+ years ago. They still loved her deeply, but they've already resigned to the fact that they had 'lost her' to the Wizarding world. They have been living in a hidden house all summer with their daughter who has indicated that she probably won't be seeing too much of them after she leaves for school again. So, they are used to the empty bed, the lighter laundry basket, and cooking for two. Then someone shows up who they've never really met, but have heard a lot about. He tells them that Hermione is dead and won't be coming back. There is an emotional loss, but very little has actually changed in the day or two that Hermione has been gone. But, I'll tell you that the Granger's relationship with the WizWorld will not be smoothed over. Certain ministry wizards lack tact and 'racial' prejudices will rear their ugly heads. The Grangers will be angry about some things, but largely out of position to do anything about it. Because Harry doesn't know them well, I don't think he is looking to the Grangers as parents. Harry sees the them as his last connection to Hermione. Harry loved Hermione (whether platonically or not someone else can debate), and he is dealing with his loss by trying to hang on to the only part of her that he still has left. Similarly, the Grangers just want answers. They aren't offering to be parents. Originally, I had written the chapter to have Dan Granger take Harry home, but I felt that would send the wrong message on where their relationship was headed, so instead Harry gets saddled with an owl and has to take the Knight Bus. There will be further visits as you've suggested. Harry will not throw this relationship away because Hermione meant so much to him. We will, of course, see Hermione's funeral in chapter nine and then we won't see the Grangers again for quite some time... but they won't disappear. On Emma and Dan. Well, I'm a H/Hr shipper. I think the two are right for eachother... hence I've read several stories where they are named Dan and Emma. I named them Dan and Emma as a sort of tribute to those stories, but I can definitely understand your frustration with the names as they are rather cliche. I did like your suggestion about Rudy and Trudy and their toothbrush holsters. I was laughing about that for about a week after getting this review. Thanks again for reviewing. Chapter eight should hopefully be out next week sometime. Byron Current Mood: happy - chapter posted Current Music: Moby - Southside (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
11:53 pm	Reflections on Chapter Six I posted chapter six like a month ago, but I haven't really written anything about it here. Rather then present reviews and my responses though, I'm just going to provide some snips of review responses. Susan will encounter Harry in chapter eight, and things will pick up from there. Theodore Nott is a shifty character. The slytherins that still remain are all rather 'shifty.' We'll definitely see a bit more of Theodore. Harry is alone, but he has a number of people who care for him and will help him out. Yes, there will be some angst, but I'm trying not to wallow in it too much. Susan's reaction probably should have been flushed out more. I thought about doing that, but I didn't want to drag out the scene more than I already had. Most of the characters in this story are already sort of shell shocked. The war has been so disastrous that another death or two won't seem to shock the characters as much as they would if these were unique occurrences. The factions in the Wizengamot will be a major plot point in the story and should be really interesting. All these Wizengamot Lords are hereditary, so many of them are very independent... yet they have their friends and allies. Adelbert Zabini is actually Blaise' grandfather. But the two do have an interesting relationship. And again, I'll reiterate that the factions on one issue may change around on another issue. Interestingly enough, Fred and George won't be that major of characters. They'll be treated mostly how JKR treats them... unwaveringly loyal friends who are always there when you need them, and always willing to help out... but not exactly Harry's closest friends. Your comment on the pacing of the story makes me feel good. I've had mixed comments on this. Many like the pacing, but others have criticized me for going too fast. I tend to think chapters one and two were rather quick, but the rest of the story is paced well. Current Mood: content but I've got a cold Current Music: Damian Jurado (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 13th, 2006
11:05 pm	Incoherent ramblings After getting off to a flying start, chapter seven has stalled because I sort of stopped working on it. Hopefully this post will be short and I'll get some work done tonight and this weekend. Originally I had hoped to post on Monday, but that simply isn't going to happen unless it rains on Saturday and my betas decide they have nothing better to do with their weekend than fix comma errors and grammatical mistakes. So, perhaps a mid-week E.T.A. is more likely. Of course if the last few chapters are any indication, I'll end up posting it after lunch on Friday... two weeks from now... probably the worst time to post. As for chapter six, it was pretty well received. I got a bunch of reviews, but most of the reviews were 'throw away' reviews that expressed disbelief that the events of chapter five actually occurred. (For the Record: All Reviews are good What I mean by 'throw away' review is that they don't really spark a discussion or a lot of thought for me. Trust me, I like the 'great chapter' reviews, its just that they don't give me a lot to think about. The ideal reviews are long and chatty. They tell me what they like about the story, what they don't, what seemed fake, or what really made a character or scene come alive.) Also, probably because of the 'canon review' I appended to the end of the chapter, there were lots of comments on Susan. I also think a lot of the HP/SB shippers are glad that I finally brought Susan into the story. Lots of people wanted to know how they'll encounter each other. Some were starting to question whether the ship label was correct. To those people, I'll point to the pinnacle of HP/SB stories in FanFicdom. Lady Alchymia's Emerald Tablet series is several hundred thousand words along and is only now really putting the full court press on for Harry & Susan. So, it appears that patience can be rewarded. Aside from not writing, I've actually been doing a lot of reading lately. For a while, I had all but stopped (except for GreenGecko's stories) because I was wasting copious amounts of time trying to find good stories. But, I started reading Jim Bern's Bungle in the Jungle because it sounded interesting. Well, one thing led to another and I ticked off everything Jim has written for Bungle, and then [re-]picked up 'To Fight the Coming Darkness.' I had put it down a long time ago after chapter nine. And here is my review: Jim is a great writer and although we disagree on how to write a proper romance, I really should have gotten over my hangup and pushed past the 'Bermuda Triangle' of a chapter that made it so difficult for me to read. Interestingly enough, I had the same reaction to GreenGecko's Revolution. I was reading each chapter as they came out up until Harry went off to Norway and got involved with all the Dark Plane mumbo jumbo. I didn't like the plotline, so I stopped reading my favorite author for months. What the hell was I thinking? I don't know. I finally picked it up again in February and blasted through two excellently written chapters that I didn't like the plotline for... and then it's been bliss for five months. (You know GreenGecko is unbelievable if I'm so taken by a story where Harry is adopted by Snape.) Moral of the story: If you like the author, keep reading, regardless of plot points you don't like. A plot point or characterization might disappoint you, but plot points rarely last that long... and great/good writing will overcome. On the other hand, poor writing married to an excellent plot almost always fizzles before the end... and disappointment ensues. Is this applicable to my story? Perhaps. I didn't set out to write this post the way it has come out. I actually was going to print some reviews and replies... but I wrote what is apparently on my mind. Anyhow, the next few chapters will have less action than the first few chapters... (duh)... and in the back of my mind, I fear some readers will think about shelving the story because it has transitioned into setting up characters and events for a few chapters. As always, I'm worried about the execution of my plot ideas, not the actual plot ideas... given my previous advice, go figure. Current Mood: content - doing good Current Music: 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 5th, 2006
8:43 pm	Chapter Six sent to Betas Update: Chapter six of Harry Potter and the Remnants of the Soul has been sent to the betas. Hopefully it will be posted sometime this week. Current Mood: happy - I'm content Current Music: Cubs Game on the Radio (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 2nd, 2006
12:47 pm	Chapter Five Review Responses Chapter Five was a smashing success! And now I present the review responses. Review by Lady Eliza Hi, OMG that was so sad. I can't believe all those people died in the last battle. I wanted to cry when Hermione died. Is Ron dead as well? I wasn't sure and I really hope he's alive to help Harry get over losing so many people. I hope Harry has the will to live and go on after this. Wow, the Weasley family took quite a hit in this battle. Charlie, Fred, George, and Percy are alright...right? I'm curious as to what is going to happen in the next chapter since we see all the survivors and how they deal with their grief. You've done a wonderful job writing this chapter. Please update soon. ~Lady Eliza Response:Hello again Lady Eliza, Yes, quite sad. No, unfortunately Ron didn't make it either. The Weasley's were decimated in the battle, and the four remaining brothers are going to have a tough time coping with it. The next chapter takes a step back from the main plot to introduce a few new characters. This chapter is so intense, we'll need a break before diving back into the hard work of recovering. Harry's got a tough road, but I'm thinking the final words of my story may be 'happily ever after.' So, at least you know where I'm heading. Review by: Queen Selene Great Story! It isnt often that I start crying but this time I just couldnt stop/help myself! But poor Harry, he really doesnt have that many people left now. To lose virtually all his family in one blow... Even though that was one of the best if not THE best final battle I have read yet! It will be interesting to see how you plan to get him out of the hole hes gonna fall into! Update soon, I cant wait Response: Queen Selene (btw, I love your username), Is it bad of me to say that I'm happy that you cried? I was hoping to pack as much emotional heft into the chapter as I could, because I want to show how deep of a hole Harry is really in. This story is not about angst. It is about overcoming adversity, but adversity is by necessity, angsty. Harry is a Brit, so stiff upper lip and all that, right? Anyhow, I'm thrilled that you liked the final battle. It was an especially tough scene to write. I've rewritten it completely three times, and spent about seven drafts on the final, so I'm glad that it came out as well as it did. Thanks for reading, Byron Review by DarkPhoenix2500: Oh...wow, i admit i was really curious as to how you were planning on harry destroying the horcruxes, but i might have missed something, why did voldemort destroy his own horcruxes? They insured he would survive if he was killed...ah...not sure but it just seems like you didnt feel like dealing with the horcruzes at all...and killing all the weasleys and hermione makes me think you just wanted to get rid of them so you wouldnt have to bother writing them o_O But...then i think about your story description and I admit _> But now im all despressed...its sad Response: >>Why did Voldemort destroy the Horcruxes? This will be explained in the next chapter. As the summary says, 'Voldemort Miscalculated.' Voldemort had a reason, but its up to you to decide if it was a good one. >>It seems like I don't like Horcruxes. Bingo. I love the concept of a Horcrux, I despise what it does to the plot. I'm really not interested in writing or reading a book where the Trio go off on a great big adventure by themselves. I want to see Harry interacting with as many characters as I can. So, that is really my motivation for having the plot work the way it does. >>Killing Weasleys and Hermione. No, if I didn't want to write them, I would not have given them five chapters. I love writing Hermione and Ron. The reason they died is to strip away the support structure Harry relies on. What happens if he has to start over? That is what this story is about. >>Don't be depressed. We've hit rock bottom. We've nowhere to go but up! Thanks for the review, Byron Review by Nonjon: That was lovely! Excellent! So much of this story so far very felt true to canon (something that rarely interests me), but with the summary of this fic, we kind of knew this was coming soon. And it did not disappoint. I'm not too sure where we go from here will interest me either (I'm really not a fan of angst or romance, the two most likely future directions) but getting to this point, and in particular this chapter: excellent work. Nicely done. I suppose hoping for Tonks to have lived may be too much. Fred and George should still be around though, right? They helped give Harry the impetus necessary. And considering Luna and Neville are mush-brained, and just about everyone else was clearly killed here. Be nice, if it's a bit angsty to see Fred, George, and Harry relying on each other to get out of this tragedy. Seeing them blame Harry... well, I'm not sure you could manage that one and hold my interest. (Though don't take offense or threats, catering to *my* interests should have next to nothing to do with *your* fic.) Lovely. Keep up the good work. Response: Nonjon, whats up? Thanks for reviewing. I'm thrilled you liked it. Now, to address your points. >>True to canon. Yes, compliant. No I don't want to be true to the spirit of canon though... but it has to be believable. If you've ever read Resonance by Greengecko, I'm going for that kind of 'environment.' One that is wholly believable, while wholly unprobable. >>Where do we go from here? Please give me a little credit. Have you ever read a story where so many people died? Do I strike you as adhering to the old cliches? No, this story is not an angst story. Sure, Harry's going to have a tough time this summer, but it won't be about wallowing in soft pitty. Romance is in the future, but it is only a part of the ongoing plot. This story is about recovery from loss, establishing independence, learning the ways of the world, and navigating politics. Please don't give up on me for a few chapters. I think you'll like where I'm going. >>Tonks, sorry. Fred & George are physically unharmed. Luna and Neville will not end up like his parents. There are a handful of important people still around. Professor McGonagall is a major character in this story. Fred and George will not blame Harry. Finally, I'm writing my story, but I think you'll like it. Current Mood: Hungry - Taste of Chicago next Current Music: The American President - The Movie (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 26th, 2006
12:45 am	Progress Updated Its been a while since I've posted here. In the next day or so, I'll probably post some replies to reviews for chapter five, but I wanted to put something up in the meantime. So, progress update: Chapter Five was posted ten days ago. The response was awesome! While I initially thought chapter six would fly off the page, I've been having trouble getting my thoughts down on paper... and those that are getting down seem rather flat. Chapter six has one really enjoyable scene, but a lot of clean-up. It also introduces a new character, Susan Bones! Woo! The Heroine arrives. Frankly, one of the reasons the chapter is dragging is that there is so much to do and I'm trying to boil it down to what is necessary. The chapter currently stands at 1,800 words and will double to triple in size before it is ready. Alright, its time for me to get some sleep. Work tomorrow. Current Mood: tired - sleepy Current Music: Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters! II (Comment on this)
Sunday, June 11th, 2006
10:25 pm	Chapter Five, Part A, sent to betas Hem, Hem! Your attention please: Chapter Five, Part A, has been sent to the betas about three hours ago. Part B is ready to go to the betas as soon as Part A is returned. After chapter four took several days to edit, I decided to split the chapter in two for editing sake, but it will be posted as one very long chappie. Time Capsule: June 11, 2006 Chapter One: Prelude to Hell - Published - 4,093 words Chapter Two: Horrors of War - Published - 3,465 words Chapter Three: Aftermath and the Daily Prophet - Published - 3,837 words Chapter Four: For Everything, There Is a Season - Published - 6,764 words Chapter Five: Battle of the Burrow - Beta - 6,774 words Chapter Six: Untitled ~ 0 words Chapter Seven & more: Minerva's two cents - 8,660 words and shrinking Even more (Month of August): Unnamed - 8,200 words and growing Even more: The Council of the Wizengamot - 1,750 words and growing Even more: Miscellaneous scenes - 14,150 words and growing Total Published: 18,159 Total Unpublished: 39,534 Total Words so far: 57,693 Current Mood: stuffed on cookies Current Music: Sweet, sweet, silence (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 8th, 2006
8:20 pm	Chapter Four: Review Responses I posted chapter four a few days ago... ahead of schedule. One of the most severe disadvantages to fanfiction.net is that writers do not have the ability to publicly reply to reviews. Although I respond to about 85% of the reviews left, only the person who got the review gets to see my response. But no longer! I've saved my responses to a few of the reviews and am presenting them below for your perusal. Let's start off with a negative review. (Also, as it was left anonymously, I was unable to reply to the reviewer.) Review by Kyntor: A lot of your story seems contrived. In order for your plot to work, you have turned everyone into idiots. No one is taking security seriously. Your spell selection during the battle is not very well thought out. Casting spells that merely incapacitate is a tactical mistake. If you have the opportunity to put someone down, it is your responsibility to make sure they stay down. Aurors, Order of the Pheonix Members, and even Harry and the students should know this. Response: Well, harumpf! This is a pretty tough critique. I'm disappointed that anyone would feel this way about my story, but, I guess you can't please everyone. Addressing your points individually: Is everyone an idiot? No. I don't think they are. Certainly, no one is the brightest bulb in the box, but when have they ever been? Hermione, cleverest witch of her age, etc. shows a remarkable lack of common sense when she hangs out with Ron and Harry. She always has, and probably always will. In my story, she protests stupid decisions, but ultimately her loyalty to the two boys overrides her better angels. If you had a specific example of who was being an idiot that shouldn't have been, I could better address the issue. Still, my defense is that none of the characters have ever proved to be all that intelligent in canon. Not taking security seriously: Like most magicfolk, the good guys put too much trust into magical safety measures. All three of the trio are currently living in houses protected by the Fidelius Charm. There is more detail on the protective measures taken at the burrow in chapter five, but suffice it to say that the security measures that were taken seemed extensive before Moldyshorts showed up. My spell selection during the battle: In fact, the spell selection has been meticulously planned. You'll see more evidence of this in chapter five as the battle actually gets going. In previous chapters, I'll admit to a bit of a blase attitude towards which spells are used. Mainly, because there is a limited number of spells detailed in the books and making one up to kill off a minor character is more likely to be distracting than interesting. Secondly, who cares what spell is used to kill Ernie MacMillan? Apparently you do. On the other hand, I think conjuring a venomous snake to kill a family of eight is pretty ingenious.(Chapter two). Tactical Mistakes. Yes, it is a tactical mistake to merely incapacitate in a battle. No, this doesn't mean that Harry, Tonks, & Co. wouldn't make that mistake. No one wants to cross the line into 'dark spells,' so they choose impotent ones. Yes, the Order, Aurors, and Harry should know this, but exactly where do we see evidence that they do? I think the crux of your complaint is that my story refuses to go where you and I want the characters to go. But rather, it follows the style of fighting we see in the books. The basic difference though is that Harry and his friends' luck have run out, and there is no Dumbledore left to come sweeping in at the end and fix things. Review by Imakeeper: you are truly amazing Imaginary response: Thanks. These comments make me feel better after getting reamed. Review by Lady Eliza Hi, Loved this chapter; it sure was exciting and packed with a lot of action. I hope Luna, Neville, and Mr. Lovegood are alright. Are Voldemort and Harry going to duel? I loved your reference to Lady Alchymia's fic, I've read it many times. I can't wait to read the next chapter since I'm curious as to what will happen. Great job and please update soon. ~Lady Eliza Response:Hey Lady Eliza, Thanks for coming back again. Its fun to see the 'repeat customers.' It makes it easier to envision an audience when people come back. The fates of Luna, Neville, and Mr. Lovegood will be a bit of a mystery for a while longer. You wouldn't want me to spoil it, would you? :) Voldemort and Harry have much unfinished business between the two of them. The next chapter will address some of that, but I don't want to say too much more. The next update should be much quicker in coming than the last. 85% of chapter five is already written, so I need one free evening to finish it, a few days for my betas to work their wonders, a few more days for some further edits, and then I'll post. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out within a week to ten days... but no promises. Thanks again, Byron Review by Black Knight 03: A nice intro into the final battle. While I know some of Harry's friends/family have to die, I hope you don't take out all of them. I think some would natrually survive in some shape or form. Though if you do, so be it, it's still developing into a good story. I don't think I've read a fic where the final battle happens before finishing the Horcruexes (sp?) hunt. Response: Hey buddy, Thanks for reviewing yet again... and thanks for the comments over on the Live Journal. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to have this chapter be the final battle chapter, but there was just too much set up that had to be accomplished, otherwise it would have felt like I skipped too much time. Regarding the life/death of Harry's friends, you said it best in your chapter two review: "The deaths in Chapter 2 were a little intense, but so is war." I believe chapter five is a plausible description of what a battle like this would look like. I will, however, point out that Harry and his friends are at a pretty extreme disadvantage. There are nearly thirty Death Eaters vs. nine guests. The guests are caught out in the open, not suspecting an attack. Finally, I have only read one other novel length post HBP fic, (and I didn't like it) but I believe that my story will be very original. Also as a kudos to you, your review has me thinking about a slight change in my plot line. Thanks again, Byron Current Mood: satisfied - eating late supper Current Music: Aerosmith - Dream On (2 Comments |Comment on this)