Isn't It Beautiful

Isn't it beautiful-
I know it can be terrible. I know it can be used, like everything, to sow evil in the land.
But forget, for a moment, and think.
Isn't it gorgeous that no one cares.
We're souls. Souls floating around and meeting each other. Faceless souls.
And this means that race and colour lose their potency. That no one cares if you're a bit overweight. Scars don't show. Neither does that terrible haircut. Doesn't matter if you're deaf, unable to speak, or paralysed.
Look terrible when you cry? Cry all you want, because you're just a soul crying. No one will shun you because those clothes are hand-me-down. If you're burned, blemished, disabled, inept. Simply ugly.
Well, we can't see.
Gorgeous? Carry yourself like a queen? Hottest hair ever? Work out just to look good?
Sorry. You're just a soul and your body is made of dust. No one can see the dust.
Souls are made of starlight.
Only starlight shines through the dark that we've made, here. The vacuum of cyberspace.


Isn't it beautiful that here, on the internet, a dangerous place, full of ruffians and wolves and ice, full of distractions and tripwires - isn't it beautiful that we can stay in the light, walking with friends, our feet never touching the ground. Like flying.
(Except it's sitting on a chair).

I know there are the ups and the downs, the trues and the falses of this. Yesses and nos. Flaws.

But if you have a brain and you speak to others of equal brainage, and you both let that little grey man fill in for you in the profile picture meeting -

Well, no one cares that you're Asian or European or American. If you speak with an accent. If you stutter.

We're ambassadors. Distance and difference don't keep us apart.

My Favourite Villain

-spoilers for Thor, Harry Potter, Sherlock, and Doctor Who-

He only ever wanted that one simple thing. But the search for it destroyed him. He went too far, and maybe he was always willing to go too far. A loveless life, a violent death with few mourners to remember him. Suicide, in fact (really, what was the point of living anymore?). The outcast, the black sheep, the liar, the lonely. So many lives on his hands. The people who were just like him were killed (or hunted) with even more viciousness than the numberless innocent dead. Feared and hated.

The stuff of legend.

But what's his name? Well, I'm not going to say it. It's hidden, so to speak. I mean, you don't just go SAYING that name. Someone has to force you to use it, doesn't he?

And when they do...

They're crying. "TELL ME!" (And the word is weary. Laufeyson, you tell him.)

Confused. "Could you write it down?" (And, well, you can't spell it. "Voldemort. Don't make me say it again.")

Yelling. "The name! Now! The name!" (And it comes out with a scream of pain. "Moriarty!")

And laughing. "Use my name." (And you whisper it. "Master. Please.")

Yeah, yeah, I stretched it a bit for some characters. Loki wasn't asking Odin for his name when he screamed "Tell me," but goodness the dramatic effect is beautiful. And, well, I wouldn't say Voldemort's death was suicide, strictly. Hey, it was his own curse.

But look at how similar they all are! And then there are parallels between individual villains - from the list and throughout history (fact and fiction). Let's go into this some more, I love this. Because it doesn't get old, and that's the beauty of it.

A gorgeous facet of some villains is that they hate their own kind. Hate them! Why? Because they hate themselves. And I'm not talking their own species, though that can happen - Loki wanted to take out his entire birth planet (I guess that's what you'd call it? A planet you were born on, but got adopted from? Galactic foster kids, enlighten me). But think about Voldemort and his lust for racial purity within Wizardkind. So he murdered Muggle-born witches and wizards. But of what birth was he, in the end? A Muggle and a half-squib. Real pure, there, Tom. Who did Moriarty most want to bring down? Well, the detective who would one day shake the criminal's hand and identify them both as the same man. Likewise the Master and the Doctor.

And what about Hitler? People say he was part Jewish, is that true? Even if it isn't, he didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes.

What about that old self-inflicted death? Voldy's curse rebound, like I mentioned, along with Moriarty's own bullet and Loki letting go and falling into space (though, of course, he only stayed dead 'till after the credits. But don't let me get started on that scene or incessant fangirling will occur). Oh, yeah, and the Master's refusal to regenerate in "Last of the Time Lords" and throwing himself into the Time Lock with the Time Lords in "The End of Time" (that's a lot of "time").

And the name? Loki's true heritage was hidden. Voldemort was more commonly known as "You Know Who" or "He Who Must Not Be Named" throughout the Potter series. Moriarty's name had to be wrung out of the serial killer in "A Study in Pink." And the Master has to prompt the Doctor to use his name twice.

Oh, yeah, and whichever evil dude he is, he's got a British accent.

Caaan't forget that one.

(Come on, Wales is part of Great Britian).

I find it really, really interesting to see the similarities between all these villains. And a pretty awesome guide to crafting a memorable antagonist, too - also, it shows stereotypes to maybe break. Anyone spotted any other parallels? Who did you think I was talking about when I started with the opening paragraph - like, which villain jumped to your mind?

--

Hey, I just finished this post

And this is crazy

But off-subjectly, I got a Tumblr

So follow me maybe

http://phoenixwormwood137.tumblr.com/

Happy For Deep People

Short, abrupt post ahead. You have been warned.

-

"What's so good about sad?" "It's happy ... for deep people."

That's a hard quote to use. Because it goes, "Hey, guys, guess what, I'm deep!" But doesn't everyone have a grain of deepness? Somewhere? Isn't it a human trait? Doesn't everyone have a moment when they  hear a poem, read a book, watch a movie, or listen to a song, and suddenly see another world?
Almost touch something outside of themselves?

Most people, I think.

We go to see tragedies, and we shiver while Hamlet battles himself - Shakespeare still sells.
We listen to that song that drips with nostalgia - and again. And again.
We list "The Old Man and the Sea" as a masterpiece, and would secretly never get Hemingway to change the way he wrote it, even though it breaks our hearts.
And we re-watch The Reichenbach Fall.

What is that? What makes us find that vein of gold in the rock of old, sad things?

Really - I don't know.

My train of thought apparently falls off its rails before it even reaches the signpost that says "Profundity station: 100 miles", but what can I say? It's my last school-haunted Monday night of the year and my brain is a little bit fried. I have some deadlines to make and some books to read. Thanks for stopping by, though!

Hey, and could you tell me: what, actually, do you like me to post about? Because I look at the hits I get on various blog posts, and, for the life of me, I can't figure out the connection between the highest ones. Seriously, just tell me, I don't care what you say. I'm here for my readers, right?

Thanks again!

Exam Essay

Here's a little something I wrote for a question on my exam study guide. Don't worry, I didn't actually turn it in - the question I'm answering didn't end up being on the actual test.

What WAS the question? It had to do with the inventor of Communism, the writer of "Pilgrim's Progress", and this French thinker who had some strong ideas about how people should interact with government. And it also had to do with all these guys discussing the US Constitution over lunch.

The "over lunch" bit was the bit that stuck with me.

-This is pure(ish) parody. No disrespect was aimed at any of the historical characters involved, and the changes that they brought about in history are held with due regard.

-The author does not like Twilight. No french fries (or chips) were harmed in the making of this essay.

-I have no idea what I'm doing. I just wrote this. I'll probably hate it later.

The debate is heated: three amazing philosophical minds bump against one another, fighting fanatically, each advocating their position with fire. They sit in McDonald's, burgers long since finished. Karl is in the swivelly chair, kicking the outdated Hamburgler cartoon on the wall when his turns reach the point of stoppage furthermost to the right.

It takes a great stretch of time, in which the set of children playing in the PlayPlace changes at least thrice, but John wins the other two over eventually. Karl and J.J. sit defeated - Bella does, in the end, belong with Jacob.

Trying to pick up the ruined pieces of  his worldview, J.J. changes the subject.

“Another Coke, anyone?” He says weakly.

“Indeed,” John says. “I am parched. But no need to trouble yourselves: I shall pay.” He takes out his wallet, and something falls out. He doesn't seem to notice, intent as he is upon the McDonald’s Coke machine, and heads off before either man sitting at the table can alert him to the fallen slip of paper.

J.J. picks it up and unfolds it. In swirling italics along the top, the words “The United States Constitution” are printed.

He reads interestedly, but his expression grows sour and he puts down the paper.

“Well,” he says, “Frankly, I am a bit disgusted.”

Karl picks it up. “Why?”

“Well,” J.J. says, “The citizens are in a position where they do not gather to rule themselves. The government has its hands in most everything that the general public should be controlling.”

“Really?” Karl says absently, buried in the crinkled yellow paper.

“Really,” J.J. says, as if he himself is just coming around to the fact that he is not making this up. “There is overmuch room for private business. The General Will is merely represented. Representatives this, representatives that. It is not the general will anymore. It has become something else. It is England all over again: I weep for this system. Have they not read my writings? Why does no one ever read my writings? They are only as free as their bloody representatives deign to make them!” He knocks over a paper ketchup cup with a french fry, his hands are trembling so. “And that is no freedom! It is a shell! It is a void! The people go about their daily business and are completely uninvolved in their government. They only meet in forums to discuss entertainment! They do not even meet in these forums! They simply stay inside and meet through magic! I weep! I weep.” He puts his head in his hands.

Karl chews a chicken finger thoughtfully. “Sorry, old chap?” he says, looking up from the Constitution finally.

“The government is not run by the General Will,” J.J. wails. “The people are not half as involved in it as they should be.”

“My dear fellow,” Karl says, almost breaking the fourth wall with his Britshness (he is, after all, German). “You have it completely backwards. Don’t you see - with a larger amount of government control, most of this hassle, hustle and bustle would be taken out of the country? Things could be completely fair, shared equally among the people. That, my friend, is the only way to run a peaceful nation.”

“That would never work.” A vein begins to throb in J.J.’s temple. “It would suppress the General Will.”

“Is the General Will even good for the people?” Karl says. “I think not. Do you not realize that the government knows the best?”

J.J. is struck speechless. “What?” He eventually says, through his speechlessness.

“The government,” Karl says, cool as a submarine in arctic waters, “Knows better than the people. People are unruly. People do not know what is best for themselves.”

“You know nothing!” J.J. says, standing up, now. “How can you be so deceived?”

John comes up with a tray of drinks. “Are you two alright?” He says.

“Tell this imbecile that something is wrong with this document,” J.J. says, handing the Constitution to John and indicating Karl.

Karl studies his nails, quite at ease. “I think you will find the imbecile is Jean-Jaques here,” he says.

John looks concerned, and looks the document over. Karl and J.J. stare each other down, sipping their soda pops without breaking the gaze.

“Yes,” John says, after a long and simmering pause. “There is something quite wrong here.”

Karl and J.J. begin chewing their straws with impatience.

“This is not the document I meant to get,” John says. “I was meant to receive a theological study on 21st century issues.” He looks up, not registering the frustration on Karl and J.J.’s faces. “The time traveller that gave me access to his library swimming pool must have mixed up the files, or my name isn’t John Bunyan.”

The Avengers

I hate action movies.

I could barely sit through The Dark Knight. I had no sympathy for Batman, and the movie dragged - it was twice as long as I expected it to be. True, I was watching it in a car and quite a bit of the dialogue was lost to me, so maybe I'd like it better if I saw it again - don't murder me. But I got the gist of most of it, and still didn't enjoy it.

The Bourne Identity was interesting, but again, had no lure of transcendence over other movies. I was simply watching it - not getting anything from it - and could have walked away any time without regretting not knowing the ending. Actually, I can't remember the ending. And I'm almost certain I never finished that other one - the next Bourne movie, whatever it was. Listen to how callous I am.

Captain America - the only Avengers prequel I ever was around? Please. I stuck around for about fifteen minutes in the middle of the film, then left.

And so you can imagine my thoughts as I walked into the theatre, Avengers tickets in hand. I said, "Why am I here?" out loud to my family. And then I remembered - I was there because I was tired of not being able to read the internet because it was written in Avengers language. Also, why pass up a chance at movie-theatre popcorn? And so I sat down, and -

Well, it was completely different than I expected. Of course, it would be, because apparently I had this vague expectation for it. The Avengers blew that expectation out of the water.

Look, as a shallow reason to like the movie - I'm an aesthetics girl, I like a big budget. Haha, yeah, what with being a Doctor Who fan and all. But seriously, the SFX in Avengers were from H-E-A-V-A-N. Those big, rippling, snake-like flying aliens in the final battle - well, the Avengers blew one up, and then more came, and I thought, "Really? They have enough money for more of those? …I'm good with that."

But effects aside, what made me glued to the screen for this movie? Why did I like it so much? Three reasons, I think - 1) Loki 2) Thor 3) Every one of the other people/godlike beings/mutants on that airship.

Something that can be completely off-putting about an action movie is that I don't expect it to be about characters - rather, plot-centric. Okay, so the Avengers was about an alien attack. But you have to admit, there was a character behind that. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Loki, who is to join the little party, now three strong, made up of my favourite villains on the screen. Loki, who won me over even though I hadn't seen Thor - who makes you feel sorry for him, who pulls your sympathies, who is a bit bonkers, and who makes for a fantastic villain.

The rest of the characters were also great fun to watch. And they were all flawed. I thought they were all going to be cardboard characters kickin' equally cardboard butt, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Hulk was very interesting, with the tension of his potential transformation any second. Iron Man was funny but, for a flaw, annoying. Captain America was the blandest of all, but of course, I'm Canadian and the stars and stripes on his skin didn't arouse any patriotic fire in me. In fact, it just distanced me from him. I didn't see any flaws in him - not obvious ones. And he wasn't that funny. Why was he there? No, sorry, but think about it - he didn't do a WHOLE lot. Not much that couldn't have been done by someone else. Coulson was fun, though, and he played off of the Cap.

Thor was interesting because of his interaction with Loki. The tension was delicious.

Also, I normally hate girls like Black Widow. I'm opposed to the degeneration of the female. I find it annoying in the extreme that people seem to think that if a girl wants to be a hero, that means she has to act like a self-important brat, have no respect for the opposite sex, and pull of snarky jokes every three seconds. Sure, Black Widow was an action girl and had a bit of pride in there, but she didn't act like the males she was around were insects. And when Loki revealed some of her sadness, it just added more to her (so I wasn't pleased to learn that was an act of hers).

The whole movie was actually wonderful. I found it all engaging and fun.

My only qualms - and they weren't huge, in comparison with my enjoyment of the general film - were these.

a) Maybe I'm just too used to British humour - whatever differentiates British humour from other humour, I'm still not sure - but a lot of the jokes just didn't fly for me. They were funny, but I didn't find them pulled off very well. They popped my bubble slightly, with thoughts of "would they really say that? Are they that witty?" Exceptions abounded, of course. Loved Loki's little quip about not being fond of what comes after lightning.

But then again, he was British.

b) Hulk. Sorry, but he demolished the aircraft, completely uncontrollable, early in the film - and then took orders from the other Avengers later on? I found it quite inconsistent.

c) Loki wasn't major enough. Turned fangirl so soon, Micah? Not so. He was the lead villain, but he DID sit around in a box for a while - and even though that was part of his plan, I felt like he should have done more. Also, for such an intelligent guy - as opposed to a punch-and-kick based character - I felt like his downfall could have been more emotion/intelligence based, as opposed to simply being beaten around by a green monster.

That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading. What did you think of The Avengers, if you've seen it?

Ambition: Healthy and Un-

So, today as I was watching Doctor Who confidential, I experienced this terrible wave of envy. It was a scene showing Steven Moffat narrating the episode script for "The Eleventh Hour". It was filming the read-through table he was at (with Matt, Karen, and a bunch of actors), and then cutting to the actual episode, where his words sprang to life on screen.
And I thought, "Steven Moffat, I should like to be you."

It's actually a little bit creepy, because I'm pretty sure the Pottermore sorting hat never asked me anything about ambition. And yet, it saw that Slytherin streak in me, that is apparently pretty strong. That streak that is good, when it drives me to write and to log off the internet more often (haha... yeah, right) but that kills when I don't give it up to God.

Really, having people blogging and Tumbling about how much they hate me would be just my cup of tea. It would be love. It'd mean that I'd done something with storytelling. But when I latch on to that good drive - the drive to reach people's hearts with stories - and hold it too tight, it really becomes poison.

Moralistic happy time! Gather 'round, children, pull up an animal puzzle foamy mat! Trust in God and He'll give you everything you could dream of! He'll make it easy and safe! Keep smiling, and if things don't go exactly to your plan, that's because you're a BAD CHRISTIAN and you're DOING something WRONG.

No. Seriously, no. That would only be worse. It'd be leading and letting God do the work rather than letting God lead and doing the work He directs. Not that He doesn't help us, but His aim is His Glory and not ours.
And so the dreams wouldn't come through.

But if God wants people organizing raiding parties to hunt me down, because I've touched and kind of torn apart their hearts with a story, then you bet they will, no matter what the odds are.

And if He doesn't, then who cares?
I think I'd rather be on His team. He's the scriptwriter, in the end.

~

So I hope this whole thing didn't feel like an episode of "Moralistic Happy Time", lol.

A Random Tag

This Wednesday: snippets, slices, and scenes from my work in progress. A tag. The kind of thing I do when I'm stuck for writing but I still love my story.

I found this one on a friend's blog: "Random Writer's Ramblings".

Story: Theta Tau

Synopsis: If there's any child he can't stand to watch cry, it's this one. But now, stopping the tears may have incredible consequences. Silence might even fall.

Less vague synopsis: The Doctor has a son with River, but this boy - Theta Tau - is medically unstable. And there's only one place the Doctor can take him to make sure he lives.

The one place he thought he'd never go again.

Fine, I'll give you the spoiler. It's Gallifrey.

1. What's your word count?

     14,937 words, including a scene or two that will almost definitely be cut.

2. How long until you finish?

     Hopefully not too long. I'm desperately hoping I'll finish in June. Pessimistically speaking, I'll probably still be slaving at it when the school year rolls round again. The balance of truth is most likely between those two.

3. If you have finished, how long did it take you?

     I actually don't even know when I started! Let me check.

Oh, no way. I've been going on this since February?

4. Do you have an outline?

     Yes, yes I do. I'm looking at it right now. It's this maze on a piece of paper - really, a flurry of cause-and-effect - upon which I tried to figure out how I was going to get to the climax. But I think I have it sorted now.

5. Do you have a plot?

     Yup!

6. How many words do you typically write a day?

     If I had to make an average, accounting for all the days I haven't written anything, it would be like, three words. Probably less. Right now, I'm writing a couple hundred a day, if it's flowing. Sorry, I write slow. When I write fast, I write crap ;) Well, mostly crap. Get-the-writing-done-don't-stop programs are good, but I never have time to come up with anything really creative or atmosphere-invoking.

7. What was your greatest word count in a day?

     I wouldn't know. Of recent times, somewhere around 1,064.

8. What was your least impressive word count in a day?

     I'm so amazing that I pulled off zero words once. Twice. A zillion times. Not to brag but I've probably written less words in a day than you.
       What do you mean that's not a good thing?

9. What inspired you to write?

     Another short story I wrote, called "Darillium", had a lot of reviews begging me to do a fix-it for it. Voilà, Theta Tau was born.

10. Does your novel/story have a theme song?

     Doooooooo weeeeeeeeee ohhhhhh… eeeoooo ooo da da da daaa dada …

11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song.

     The Doctor's theme - it fits the story amazingly, but it also works for Nine, Ten, and Eleven in general - is "Iridescent" by Linkin Park. It works insanely well. And I don't really feel like doing more theme songs right now. Maybe some other time. Sorry, I sound grumpy. I've just got some stuff to do and it will take me a while to find the right music for everyone.

12. Which character is most like you?

     Rory, probably, simply because he's the most normal person out of everyone I'm using.

13. Which character would you be friends with?

     The Doctor. If he'd want to be friends with me. *fangirls* adfsh;dfajshk; that would be the time of my life. Also, I'd love to get to know the TARDIS, because she's beyond awesome.

14. Do you have a Gary Stu or Mary Sue -like character in your story?

     If I created the character of the Doctor, I'd never get away with it. But his flaws are written so well, that, even though he's good-looking, funny, brave, and brilliant, we can never forget for too long that he's selfish and arrogant. Here's to hoping I'm able to write that okay.

15. Who is your favourite character in your novel/story?

     The Doctor. I love the TARDIS, as well, but she's so minor in this story.

16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected?

     I guess it wasn't utterly out of the blue, but Rory faded into unimportance. Which is odd, because, since I dislike Amy, you'd assume I'd use him more often. But I can't really nail down his character. Amy's just easier to write, for me.

17. Have you based anything in your novel on personal experiences?

     Minimally. I know how to hold and treat a baby, but that's about it. Google has helped more than actual experience has, so far.

18. Do you believe in plot bunnies?

     What, story ideas that pop up and won't leave? I don't believe they're unconquerable, but I do believe they come. I mean, of course they do. And they are so tempting. So very… very… *drifts off to write Wholock fanfic*

19. Is there magic in your novel/story?

     Meh. It isn't really magic. More like really out there sci fi elements.

20. Are there any holidays in your novel/story?

     Not that I can think of.

21. Does anyone die?

     Wouldn't you love to know ;)

22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience?

     One or two, probably. I don't drink a lot of warm things like that. And when I do, I usually have hot chocolate.

23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing?

     Two thirty AM or somewhere around that. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!

     No, I'm serious. I love staying up.

24. What is the best line?

     Hate to be a fun-killer, but I'm really not sure what my favourite line is. I had one, a piece of dialogue, but then I got worried that, maybe, I couldn't actually hear the character saying it. So I'm not sure about it anymore.

25. What is the worst line?

     If I knew about a terrible line, I hope I'd fix it! There probably are a bunch, I'm just not sure of their exact location.

26. Have you dreamed about your novel/story?

     Not that I know, woe is me.

27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory?

     No, it doesn't. Not like you'd think. I guess every hero is an echo of Christ, but not past that.

28. Summarize your novel/story in under fifteen words.
     "Silence is falling and lives are slipping away. But he hangs on desperately."
     I'm so cheesy.

29. Do you love all your characters?

     The only character I honestly love is the Doctor, but I'm fond of writing all of them. As characters, I don't love Rassilon and I don't love Amy and I'm not bananas for Rory (apologies). There's this one character, the main villain, who I'm trying to make more likeable. But, again, all of them are really enjoyable to write.

30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase word count?

     I guess I could cut all the terrible things I'm going to do to the Doctor, but that would decrease word count too drastically. So I suppose! But it's mostly because I'm brutal when it comes to characters I love.

31. What was the last thing your main character ate?
     He's eating right now, at the scene I'm on. Some kind of Gallifreyan bird.

32. Describe your main character in three words.

     Oh, no. Umm... brave, selfless, and arrogant. Which makes for interstingness. Oh, BBC, I love you.

33. What would your antagonist dress up as for Halloween?

     Every time I fill this out, and I have to leave this blank! Why don't I ever have antagonists who dress up? It's just out of character for all of them!

34. Does anyone go to a place of worship?
     I don't think so.

35. How many romantic relationships are there?
     None, really. There's established Rory/Amy but they don't get screentime.

36. Are there any explosions in your novel/story?
     Unfortunately, no.

37. Is there an Apocalypse in your novel/story?
     Another no...

38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world?
     Again, no.

39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel/story?

     Heck no. Time Lords for the win! Who needs creepy 107-year-old stalkers who watch you when you sleep when you can have a 907-year-old watching you while you sleep because he cares about you  and because he's come to say goodbye? And then giving up his life to save your world, even though no one will ever know?
     No, I should stop. I could go on and on comparing the Doctor to Edward and watching Edward melt. Even if the sun's rays only make him sparkle, I'm sure the blinding awesomeness of the Doctor can still send him up in flames.

40. Are there witches, wizards, or mythological creatures/figures in you novel/story?
     You know fairy tales. The good wizards always turn out to be the Doctor.

41. Is anyone reincarnated?
     I thought about it, but I didn't have the courage to lose Eleven.

42. Is anyone physically ailed?
     Yup! Theta needs two hearts, but he only has one.

43. Is anyone mentally ill?

     I might include the Master, who seems to fall under that category.

44. Does anyone have swine flu?
     HahahhhaahahhaNO.

45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they?

     Well, I can't think of anyone who has pets, though what Karen Gillian said about the Doctor's companions being his hamsters might apply.

46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel/story?
     Again, most heroes are Christ-figures in some way, but otherwise, not really. There may be a chant later on that seems a bit monk-like, but not really. Oooh, I should include some Angels. The Weeping kind. Perhaps.

47. How about political figures?

      Yay! I can finally answer one of these questions with an affirmative. There's a Lord President and a Council to help him.

48. Is there incessant drinking?
      You'd think, what with it being a British program, they'd never put down their "Keep Calm and Carry On" mugs full of strong English tea. But in actuality, they only have one or two sips of the stuff. As for alcohol, it hasn't come up. *shrug*

49. Are there board games?
      No. There's Perudo, though, which is the dice game they play in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Spot", and that my family has been playing since before that movie came out, and which the Doctor has been playing since before Rome fell.

50. Are there dream sequences?
      There are going to be sequences of vivid simulations, visions, dreams, whatever you want to call them - but the victim is still conscious, so, to quote George from "Night Terrors", "It wasn't a nightmare, I wasn't asleep."

51. Is there humour?
      A bit. I hope.

52. Is there tragedy?
      Tragedy and angst are the cornerstones of this project, in my mind.

53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum?
      No ...I'm running various characters through my head as they freak out. It's kind of funny. Just because it's really out of character for a lot of them.

54. How many characters end up single in your novel/story?

      Everyone except Amy and Rory. And they weren't single in the first place.

55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
      Not that I can think of.

56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
      

...but not during the story itself.

I love how this is the only question I used gifs to answer, and then I used two.

57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your own life?

      Meh. Other than the fact that a) I'm lazy b) I'm really lazy and c) I can't stop the procrastination, even when there's a big "STUDY YOU IDIOT" note written on the back of my hand. I have to fill out tags instead -- other than that, not much insight.

59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?
      It has inspired me to get writing things (other than one-shots) again, so that's good. I'm quite happy about that.

60. How many other people have asked to read your novel/story?
      I don't know. Not many. A few indirectly asked, by suggesting I could write a fix-it for my other story, "Darillium". It's okay, though!

61. Have you drawn any of your characters?
      Yeah. I never stop drawing the Doctor. Except when I'm on Tumblr. Then I just stop everything.

62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?
      Not for me, no, but a lot of people have drawn my characters! I think some people get paid to draw my characters. Writing fanfiction is just that awesome.

63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
      Not yet. I don't think anyone really will, either.

64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?

      What's an angst/whump fic without blood? But seriously, have you noticed how little blood there is in Doctor Who? I'm not calling for gore, but it would be nice to have a little more. Because it frankly just pops the fictional bubble when Melody, who has just been shot by Hitler, and has just been worried over by Rory, who muttered, "Gotta stop the bleeding!', stands up and is completely without bloodstains. Anywhere. I can't even see a bullet hole. But now I sound kinda sadistic so yeah.

65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
       Not during the fic. They do crossword puzzles. Choose the healthy alternative (imagine if I followed my own advice. I'd be writing crossword puzzle fanfiction).

66. What size shoes does your main character wear?
       Size ten. But he should warn you, he has very wide feet ["The Rebel Flesh"].

67. Does any of the characters in your novel/story use a computer?

       Not unless the TARDIS monitor screen counts as a computer.

68. How would you react if your novel/story was erased entirely?
       Oh, I would be mad. And I would cry. Probably. Then give up - like, I mean, I could never re-write it all.

69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters?
       Why would someone do a crazy thing like that?

70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
       I haven't killed anyone yet, but there's this one that I've got my eye on. I don't know if I'll exactly cheer when they pop their clogs, though.

71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?

       Though it's been said many times, many ways, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

72. Describe your ending in three words.

       "Despair! No, actually!"

73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc?
       No. Though, if I can say a word on those: they've been totally brought down by Twilight. But I've seen them done EXCELLENTLY - there's this little series floating around called something like "The Hunger Games" that made me cry... in the bookstore... just because of its love triangle. It wasn't even an emotionally charged scene. It was just introspection. And I was sitting there tearing up on a beanie bag chair in the "Kids and Teens" section of the store.

74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being least stressful, 10 being the most) where does your stress rank currently?
       Probably about a seven, because there's this little voice going, "You do realize it's due on Friday, right? The exam and the essay? And are you planning on pulling that reading percentage grade up to from 93%? At all? No? Just going to sit there?" in the back of my head.
       What? You didn't say it had to do with the story.

75. What odd things have you researched for your novel/story?

       How to kill a chicken. Also, how to do CPR.
       Not on a chicken.

76. Was it worth it?
       What, writing this tag out? Well, it was fun. But I think everyone's probably had enough of my griping about my exam, so I won't say anything along those lines.