It’s not me

[katiefoolery]

Jane keeps wanting me to write fanfic.  Now that I’ve given in and officially accepted that she just might possibly, grudgingly, in one way or another, or even just on every other Wednesday, be my muse, she thinks she can take advantage of it.

And she insists on the fanfic.

It doesn’t matter how often I tell her that I can’t do it.  That I’ve tried before and failed after one sentence.  That the only successful piece of fanfic I ever wrote was a poem about a cat that might, at best, be deemed crack (most appopriate, actually, given the cat in question).

I tell her all of these things and she just suggests... um... interesting ideas instead.

Very ‘interesting’ indeed.  And they must be her ideas, because I wouldn’t think of something like that!  I mean, what if my mum knew I was thinking those sorts of things?  No indeed.  ’Tis all Jane.

As someone said yesterday, a muse can take both the credit and the blame for ideas.  So I’m giving the blame to Jane.

Although she hasn’t given up on the fanfic front, she decided to appease me letting me work on one of the other stories I’m currently proving in my head.  It was sulky, though.  A sort of: Fine.  If you won’t do what I want, then have this instead.  See if I care.  And then I could just imagine her standing by the doorway with her arms crossed sullenly, trying to peek at me and get me to change my mind about the other issue.

This muse business is all very weird indeed.  I still can’t decide if I liked it better when I thought I was in control of my own imagination.  Even if I wasn’t, at least I felt as though I was.

I shall now return to being bewildered about the whole thing.  Or perhaps I should turn to CSS and get back to work my layout.  At least CSS makes sense.

Comments

[the-kaytinator.livejournal.com]

I think it's better to have a muse than not. You'll just have to wrestle her into submission.

Also, I just thought I should tell you that the layout credits in your profile are crediting your old layout.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I suppose I could always try distracting her with a pretty writing desk or something. Silly, furniture-obsessed girl that she is.

The credits are still there because I've switched back to my old layout until I can find some time to customise a new one. :D

[sirgallivant.livejournal.com]

Speaking of your good Jane, how often does she write letters? I friended her community a few days ago and am curious. :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

*looks guilty*

Usually it's a bit more frequent than it has been so far this year. I was quite shocked to realise how long it's been since Jane wrote a letter! Lizzie (elfie_chan) is a much better correspondant than Jane.

Luckily, I am currently working on Jane's next letter and I shall now take this opportunity to declare that it shall be posted by the end of Friday at the latest. I'm very busy procrastinating about Moonfair at the moment. :D

[elfie-chan.livejournal.com]

I await your letter with bated (but not baited) breath. Whee!

*dances and procrastinates*

(I almost typed "procrastinages." Is that when you pretend that each successive birthday does not, in fact, make you any older?)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

You mean they are making me older? I wondered what was doing that. ;)

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get to this letter. It's half done and is accompanied by many notes, so it shouldn't take too long. It helps that Friday is my day off, too.

[elfie-chan.livejournal.com]

Yes, birthdays are evil like that. I find that chocolate ice cream offsets the trauma nicely, however.

It's okay! I know that you have many other projects, plus real life and things. I've been having a hard time sitting down and writing anything, myself. If I can get a few sentences of Cassandra done a day, I feel good.

By the way...I have a book recommendation for you, if you haven't already read it: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Hilarious. The heroine, Catherine Morland, reminds me a little bit of Jane.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Jane does seem to have that same terrifying innocence of the world around her, doesn't she? Not to mention her habit of romanticising rather awful things, such as highwaymen...

[dizzy-liz.livejournal.com]

You're so funny! And I never got who Jane was, til I followed your link just then. What fun! I wish I wasn't in control of my imagination. I'm sure it would be a ton more exciting if I didn't have my silly self stifling all creative inspiration. Ah well - I guess we all go through times like this? Your posts make me grin!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

It is fun but it's also a little scary. Half the time, I wonder if I'm not actually quite insane. :)

Thanks for your copious compliments. I shall now blush at them.

*does so*

[elfie-chan.livejournal.com]

My theory is that authors simply keep all of their imaginary friends. Then the friends start inviting their friends. One's head can get rather crowded.

There is a fine line between insanity and genius, my friend. ^_~

[flippyfrog.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you didn't invent Jane purely to have someone else to blame things on?

Fanfic is interesting, but i think i've grown out of it, myself. I read some of my old ones and wince. I'm so very glad I never even considered sharing my stuff with others. It's all safely locked away. Better for all i think ;D

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Hah, no - that would indicate that I think about things before creating them. I wouldn't want people to start believing that. Mind you, now that she's here, she is turning into an incredibly handy scapegoat.

Hmm... maybe Jane would be happy if I just wrote it and then hid it away?

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

And they must be her ideas, because I wouldn’t think of something like that! I mean, what if my mum knew I was thinking those sorts of things?

Heh, yay for ideas you'd never show your mother. I saw a story the other day with the warning "Do not read this if you are under seventeen or related to me. Mum, I'm talking to you."

p.s. Maruman is definitely ginger. I don't understand how that can be a matter of debate.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Oh, another one for the Maruman Is Ginger camp! Huzzah! Although it would have helped if Isobelle had ever even hinted, however remotely, at what colour he is. Instead, I just took the most disreputable cat I ever knew - who happened to be ginger - and made him even scruffier in my imagination. He was never any other colour in my mind. :D

I love that disclaimer! That could be quite a useful one to remember, especially considering the fact that my parents recently printed out several pages of my LJ recently and gave them to a friend of theirs to read. That one still has me caught between horror and amusement...

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

He was never any other colour in my mind. :D

Me neither :p I never actually noticed she hadn't said what colour he was until I saw the Maruman Is Definitely Not Pink debate come up for the first time...

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

Um, and:

my parents recently printed out several pages of my LJ recently and gave them to a friend of theirs to read.

Argh!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Hehe - I know! When they mentioned it, I just stared at them for a few seconds and then asked "Why?" quite feebly.

"Well, she wanted to know a bit about you," was my mum's excuse.

There's always a debate about Maruman, isn't there? My very first post on the old Ober.net messageboards (in June or July 2000!) was a comment on a debate about the colour of Maruman.

[naelany.livejournal.com]

^_^I think my icon says it all ^_~

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Whenever I see that icon, it makes me giggle, too. :D

[naelany.livejournal.com]

*grins* yeah, me too. I need more icons like that. I mean, not ones that necessarily make me giggle, but that show a mood.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm working on at the moment. It's nice to have one or two pretty icons, but it's even handier to have ones that express your emotions as well.

[naelany.livejournal.com]

*nods* indeed! I need more icons. I've been trying to challenge people to make some for me, but no one's taken the bait lol. I can't do it myself *sad face*. I don't have the programs to do so.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Well, once I've done my Jane letter on Friday, I'll be doing two icons I promised to for Elfie a while ago. So if you have a request, let me know and I'll do it then when I have everything open. :)

[naelany.livejournal.com]

thank you! *snugs* Are you able to make moving icons, or stills only???

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Both! See below for some examples of my animated ones. :D

* * *

[naelany.livejournal.com]

Sweet! I'll try to think of other icons I'd like... but the challenge icon tags should give you an idea.
I know I want one that's got *squee!!!!* on it, maybe P&P as well, with Lydia when she tells her mother about the letter she got with Collonel Foster? Unless you can think of something better lol
If you think of anything that you feel would suit me, feel free to surprise me, as well ^_^. Yay, I'm excited about the prospect of new icons!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I couldn't find a cap of that scene, but I found another of Lydia looking appropriately squeeish, so I used that one. There's also an "OMG!" icon for you, because I found another cap of Lydia that was just perfect for that sentiment!

Here they are:

*

[naelany.livejournal.com]

Too bad you couldn't find that cap...it's perfect for it! Thank you for these though *treasures them* *snugs*

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

If you happen to find a cap of it yourself, send it my way and I'll use it. :)

I hope you don't mind if I use the "OMG!" one too - I'm rather fond of it.

[naelany.livejournal.com]

duh! Of course I don't! You made them, after all ^_^ *snugs*

[naelany.livejournal.com]

I just posted my new lovelies *snugs again*

[naelany.livejournal.com]

I totally just got to use the OMG! one, too lol

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I thought it would come in handy!

[naelany.livejournal.com]

it did, it did indeed ^_^

[naelany.livejournal.com]

if you search my icon tags, you'll see some I'd like to have ^_^

[snarkymonkey.livejournal.com]

Speaking as some one whose muse lured her into the ebil world of fanfic, I have nothing but sympathy for you. =3

But! I have to say that writing it improved my structure skills like nobody's business. So there was some benefit. XD

*pets* Perhaps Jane is merely testing you.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Well now, there's a point. Any writing is good writing, isn't it? Maybe Jane's onto something there...

*is suddenly distracted by Howl*