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Dec. 24th, 2004 11:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cleolindaToday's horoscope: You're able to get just below the surface, but you can't quite reach the deep levels that you know are there. Philosophy is very appealing to you right now, but for whatever reason, you aren't quite able to grasp the most pressing concepts. Instead of giving up, take this opportunity to learn what you can and don't worry about your temporary mental block. It may be that you just need to relax. Don't worry -- no one thinks any less of you. In fact, you'll surely get an A for effort.
God, I hope so. Again: my horoscopes are either hilariously opposed to what's actually going on or they're frighteningly on the money. I think I've hit a wall with LOTR, to the point that I'm going to stop making a day's work out of staring at the parts that aren't finished, and move on to locking down the other movies, as many as possible. I'm to the point where I've stopped assuming I'm actually going to be able to meet the deadline and just started hoping I can get as much done as possible. I mean, I'm sure that's terrible, but freaking out wasn't getting me anywhere, and while deadlines tend to fire me up, there's a point where I cross a line and start locking up. So, in essence, I'm taking a Zen attitude in an effort to not clam up completely.
One of the major stumbling blocks I've hit on every single "Fifteen Minutes" I've ever written is this point when you have most of the good stuff done, but there's all kinds of little connecting scenes you feel like you ought to do, but really, it's better to skip and/or gloss over most of them. Why? Because it's a Movie in Fifteen Minutes, not A Complete Retelling of Every Little Thing That Happened. But that's the point you get to, and with LOTR, it's a particularly dangerous trap, because you know people will want to see every little thing, and, moreover, they'll notice immediately if you skip something. And I know this for a fact, because it happened with Prisoner of Azkaban, and I actually had to go back and make corrections and additions because that was easier than answering dozens of comments that said, "THIS IS NOT CORRECT, WHY IS THIS NOT HERE?" I'm also trying to get around that by getting a little loopier with some of the parody, less literal and word-for-word, so that it'll become apparent that it's not supposed to be a straight transcription. I actually got some criticism that my style was "one-note," and I kind of see what they're talking about, so I'd like to mix things up. (Interestingly, this was not criticism made to my face--I had started Googling "Movies in Fifteen Minutes" over the summer because... well, I was about to give you all these reasons, but really, because I could. I mean, if you discovered people were talking about your stuff, wouldn't you start looking? It was mostly brief blog entries linking to my journal, and sometimes in the comments I'd get what amounted to indirect feedback. At least a couple of people independently brought up the "one-note" thing, and I figured, well, they don't know that I'm reading this; they have no reason to lie, so why not think about that? And really, how many times can you use "OMGWTF!" before it gets really, really tired?) In the end, I feel like I'm working through the blocks and the pitfalls and doing really, really well--just not fast enough.
And now, off to finish wrapping presents...
God, I hope so. Again: my horoscopes are either hilariously opposed to what's actually going on or they're frighteningly on the money. I think I've hit a wall with LOTR, to the point that I'm going to stop making a day's work out of staring at the parts that aren't finished, and move on to locking down the other movies, as many as possible. I'm to the point where I've stopped assuming I'm actually going to be able to meet the deadline and just started hoping I can get as much done as possible. I mean, I'm sure that's terrible, but freaking out wasn't getting me anywhere, and while deadlines tend to fire me up, there's a point where I cross a line and start locking up. So, in essence, I'm taking a Zen attitude in an effort to not clam up completely.
One of the major stumbling blocks I've hit on every single "Fifteen Minutes" I've ever written is this point when you have most of the good stuff done, but there's all kinds of little connecting scenes you feel like you ought to do, but really, it's better to skip and/or gloss over most of them. Why? Because it's a Movie in Fifteen Minutes, not A Complete Retelling of Every Little Thing That Happened. But that's the point you get to, and with LOTR, it's a particularly dangerous trap, because you know people will want to see every little thing, and, moreover, they'll notice immediately if you skip something. And I know this for a fact, because it happened with Prisoner of Azkaban, and I actually had to go back and make corrections and additions because that was easier than answering dozens of comments that said, "THIS IS NOT CORRECT, WHY IS THIS NOT HERE?" I'm also trying to get around that by getting a little loopier with some of the parody, less literal and word-for-word, so that it'll become apparent that it's not supposed to be a straight transcription. I actually got some criticism that my style was "one-note," and I kind of see what they're talking about, so I'd like to mix things up. (Interestingly, this was not criticism made to my face--I had started Googling "Movies in Fifteen Minutes" over the summer because... well, I was about to give you all these reasons, but really, because I could. I mean, if you discovered people were talking about your stuff, wouldn't you start looking? It was mostly brief blog entries linking to my journal, and sometimes in the comments I'd get what amounted to indirect feedback. At least a couple of people independently brought up the "one-note" thing, and I figured, well, they don't know that I'm reading this; they have no reason to lie, so why not think about that? And really, how many times can you use "OMGWTF!" before it gets really, really tired?) In the end, I feel like I'm working through the blocks and the pitfalls and doing really, really well--just not fast enough.
And now, off to finish wrapping presents...
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-25 04:21 pm (UTC)It was ugly. I was there. You were shellshocked, and now have a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder when it comes to writing m15ms.
But of course not every fandom is as unforgiving as the Potterites! You will be liked and admired if you make some sensible compressions. People really will not mind! I just know they won't! It won't be like they just came back from seeing the show and wanting your m15m to serve as a plot recap, anyway.
So remember: I'm holding your hand always, laughing at the great stuff you keep coming up with, and wishing to get back my old Cleo, who whipped up a Van Helsing m15m a few months ago just because she felt like it. Because it was FUN, not stressy!
*hug*
no subject
Date: 2004-12-25 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-25 06:54 pm (UTC)Out of the shadows...
Date: 2004-12-25 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-25 11:10 pm (UTC)They are great to a point in terms of productivity,...and then they're deadly.
I wanted to check - did you happen to get mail from me? I hope it made it ok.
Oh, and: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-27 04:56 am (UTC)HEY
Date: 2004-12-27 11:57 pm (UTC)i like troy in 15 min
it was fuuunny
and no i'm not a 5 year old, i'm just a very immature (but wise) 13 year old