Title: The Honeymooners
Author: mrstater
Rating & Warnings: PG-13 for innuendo and implied sexuality
Word Count: 7862 words
Summary: Two years after their wedding, Remus and Tonks finally make it on their honeymoon. But now they've got something they didn't when they first married, will they be able to stop thinking about it long enough to enjoy themselves? Especially when letters from Harry read increasingly like cries for help?
Author's Notes: Originally written for The Beatles and the Bard Timeless Moon Ball at metamorfic_moon, this shameless Deathly Hallows Denial Fic was inspired by the prompt, Close your eyes and I'll kiss you / Tomorrow I'll miss you / Remember I'll always be true / And then while I'm away / I'll write home every day (from "All My Loving," by The Beatles). It's a sequel of sorts to a short piece I wrote called Anniversary, both of which are in the same ficverse as another fic, Once, though the only thing you need to know about it is that Mad-Eye named Tonks the beneficiary of his will, which gave her and Remus a house and a full Gringott's vault. ;) Many thanks to godricgal, the bestest beta in the world! Feedback and/or concrit are always very welcome and much appreciated!



( The Honeymooners )

As I find myself finally caught up on the past month's awesome entries at metamorfic_moon, I also have the pleasure of alerting you to the first chapter of a new R/T WIP I'm betaing at Checkmated. It's called Until the End Of It, by PottersMuse, and it picks up post-hospital, quickly taking a direction you've not read before in an R/T fic. For those of you who like to see Tonks depicted as capable, sure, and strong, you'll be sure to find this an interesting glimpse of our favorite Metamorphmagus. Do pop over - there's no better way to spend a lazy Sunday - and let PottersMuse know what you think.


While I'm at it, I don't think I ever pimped my metamorfic_moon entry here, so some of you who don't watch the community might have missed it.

Title: The Honeymooners
Author: mrstater
Rating & Warnings: PG-13 for innuendo and implied sexuality
Prompt: Close your eyes and I'll kiss you / Tomorrow I'll miss you / Remember I'll always be true / And then while I'm away / I'll write home every day - "All My Loving," The Beatles
Word Count: 7862 words
Summary: Two years after their wedding, Remus and Tonks finally make it on their honeymoon. But now they've got something they didn't when they first married, will they be able to stop thinking about it long enough to enjoy themselves? [AU]
Author's Notes: Shameless Deathly Hallows Denial Fic! This is set in the same ficverse as a story I wrote called Once, though you don't need to know anything about that story other than the fact that Mad-Eye named Tonks the beneficiary of his will, which gave her and Remus a house and a full Gringott's vault. ;) Many thanks to godricgal, the bestest beta in the world! Feedback is always very welcome and much appreciated!


And if you're into AU R/T, I also posted a short piece set about a year before The Honeymooners, called Anniversary.


Now to finish reading a fic so I can hopefully get down to work revising In Sickness. I aim to finish my TH revisions by the end of this summer so I can focus on my languishing WIPs.

Title: Anniversary
Author: mrstater
Rating: G
Word Count: 1435 words
Summary: "To a year of marriage."
Author's Notes: It's my fourth wedding anniversary today, so I thought I'd channel some of my sappiness into an appropriately fluffy R/T fic. Needless to say, this is AU. Thanks to godricgal for looking this over for me! Dedicated to bratanimus, who is also celebrating her fourth anniversary today!

( Anniversary )

Question for the fiction writers out there, fanfic and original alike, because even though it's one of my original projects that's sparked this post, I think it's a subject that applies to us all.

As I've been working on a large ensemble scene, I noticed something I do repeatedly: one of the lead characters cracks a joke or makes an amusing comment, and then everybody else laughs. I know I need to cut back on this pattern pure and simply to avoid repetition, but in working on a really tight comedy, I wonder whether this is something I ought to be doing at all.

Is having my characters laugh in reaction to another character really like writing JOKE in big red letters over the joke, just to make sure the reader didn't miss it? Does a character's laughter tell the reader she ought to be laughing, too? I watched a bad movie on TV the other day -- Autumn In New York, with Richard Gere and Wynona Ryder, which I've always heard was dreadful and I was curious to see for myself how dreadful it was, and boy, was it ever -- yet I couldn't. turn. it. off. Every time the characters laughed at a joke, it only made me think how not-funny that line actually was, and wonder how the actors were able to muster up such rousing guffaws in response to such crappy dialogue. (This was the best acting Gere and Ryder managed in the whole movie.) While I doubt (hope) my sense of humor is that far off track, I still fear writing reactions from characters that are over the top in comparison to what that line might actually evoke from a reader. For example, it's probably not a good idea to have people rolling on the floor laughing their asses off at something that only makes a reader chuckle inwardly, or even just smirk to herself, right?

At the same time, characters do have to interact realistically to what's being said, don't they? You can't just ignore that this dialogue is taking place in a room full of people who should, realistically, react to what's happening around them. Which, sometimes, must involve laughter, mustn't it? Is there a way to deal with reactions of amusement so that those action beats don't effectively function as laugh tracks? Or do I just omit laughter beats altogether, and follow up one funny comment with another, or let a character with no sense of humor rain on the parade, etc?

What about scenes that feature only two characters? Should they be approached the same way as ensemble scenes? Or do you have to treat ensemble reactions differently for the sake of scene-setting?

Obliged for any feedback y'all have to offer...

drumher!!

In (dis)honor of the occasion, my alter-artist-ego has drawn a new Harry Potter comic.

Title: The Re-Order of the Phoenix
Artist: M. Tater
Rating: SB for stickboobs
Featured Characters: Arthur and Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Nagini
Artist's Notes: To drumher, for all you bring to the R/T community, and for your friendship...you deserve a heck of a lot better than this. ;) I'm sorry it wasn't posted for you to wake up to first thing on your birthday, but I was internetless. I hope you're having the truly awesome birthday you deserve!

Also, I hope pandorajones will forgive me for borrowing a certain image from "Consequences"... ;)


( Cut for sticknudity. Really. )

No, I haven't run a 5K -- though after tennish hours at this desk today, I feel a bit like I have! In this case, 5K equals 5000+ words written today on my fic for the metamorfic_moon The Beatles and the Bard Timeless Moon Ball.

For the past three weeks I've been mostly stalled on it, with an opening scene I loved but only the vaguest idea of the end and no idea whatsoever how to get from point A to point B. It was incredibly unusual for me, since I normally have very clear images for scenes in my mind, or exchanges of dialogue to form scenes around. It just goes to show there's no formula or set way to tell a story! This time, I only sorted it when I sat down and wracked my brain until I came up with a concrete final scene, and then from there I wrote what would have happened immediately before that to get to the end, and then what came before the penultimate scene, and so on and so forth, till I'd written pretty much the whole outline and script backwards.

It was Sunday morning I finished up the script, and since then I've been pounding away on the keyboard getting it into proper narrative form (I should have been working on original fic this afternoon, but I was on a roll and hated to stop when this has been a month in the making). Since yesterday afternoon I took the fic from the 1700 words I wrote back during the first week of the Ball to 7800. Barring betaing/revising, I think it's finished, although I may add a brief epiloguish type ending, depending on what godricgal thinks when she gets her awesome beta mitts on it, and what I think on re-reading. I'm feeling pretty good about it at the moment -- not because I think it's the best thing I've written, because I know it's not, but because I'm done, and there are still two full days to go on the deadline, which I was not at all sure I'd make!

In the course of my typing marathon today, I made two absolutely hysterical typos. One involved Tonks bottle feeding a goat kid -- only it came out "bottle-feeding a coat kid." The other involved Tonks feeding leftover crab from dinner to her owl -- only I typed, "fed a bit of leftover crap from dinner to her owl." Whoops! I was half-tempted to leave it that way just because it would be the one sure-fire way to make people laugh at this fic. ;)

Anyway, that's why I've not been around LJ much lately! But I shall be around more from here on out, reading your personal updates and especially your Meta fics. I'm thrilled there are so many to catch up on, and am especially impressed with those of you who've managed multiple submissions! Best of luck to all of you who are still writing or making art! Don't worry, you'll make the deadline, and your fics will be awesome! I can't wait to read them. And you should be seeing "The Honeymooners" on an F-list near you tomorrow night or Wednesday morning.

WHY DOES THAT HAVE TO BE THE LAST EPISODE TILL 2009? CRUEL, CRUEL BSG PRODUCERS!!!

I would like to submit that Battlestar Galactica is the best show ever made by human people. Or Cylons.

Also, do they sell BSG soundtracks?

Six days after seeing Prince Caspian, my Chronicles of Narnia mood has yet to wear off. Not helped by the fact that I'm re-reading the books. ;) Talking with duck_or_rabbit, who's also re-reading them, I remembered something I'd completely forgotten about.

A few years ago, right after I'd graduated from high school, I began work on a screenplay for The Magician's Nephew (at the time, Disney had not actually optioned the film rights of the series to Walden Media). I worked on this script on and off through that summer, and when I was in college, cleaning it up after I took a screenplay writing course and had learned proper screenplay format. But since I finished this, and since in the meantime production on these movies began and there was no chance of my ever being able to do anything with my little script, I put it away in my screenplay folder and it left my mind completely since I haven't worked on a screenplay since college.

Until duck_or_rabbit mentioned re-reading TMN, and between that and talk of the movies, I remembered. So I thought it might be fun to post my TMN screenplay for any of you Narnia fans out there, since there's nothing else I can do with it.

Unfortunately LJ won't let me do all the spacing and alignment quite properly for a screenplay, but I've done the best I can to make it readable. Anyway, I hope some of you find this an enjoyable read! I haven't posted the entire script, but if anyone's interested in more, I will. :)

( The Magician's Nephew - Act I )

Title: Between The Lines Part I/II
Authors: gilpin25 and mrstater
Rating & Warnings: T for mild innuendo
Word Count: 6966
Summary: Away on a solitary mission for the Order, Remus decides to send someone a ‘Wish you were here’ card. The consequences of which prove a lot more than both he and the recipient bargained for… Set during OotP.
Author's Note: We had so much fun writing our last joint endeavour, "Up All Night", together that we decided to team up again, this time for something completely different. Except that, frighteningly, we can never get too far away from animal droppings... There might just be a few surprises along the way -- not of the aforementioned variety. Let's just say, that where visual stimuli are concerned, this is not your average fanfic. And I count myself very lucky to have the opportunity to write again with such a brilliant writer as gilpin25. Thanks for asking me again, m'dear. :)

( Between the Lines )

First off...

A very happy birthday to jncar!

I hope it's been a lovely day for you, with lots of awesome presents from your husband and children, time to do all your favorite things, and a great episode of Battlestar Galactica. For all you manage to juggle in your life, you deserve it! Here's to another year of terrific writing; may it bring you the success you dream of!

---

Second of all, I should be writing fic, but I stretched funny this morning and somehow managed to get a massive crick in my neck and shoulder, so I've been sitting here under the heat pad making icons instead. This time, they're all made with permission from the R/T artwork of the very talented fthpfthpfthp.

Feel free to snag any and all icons should you so desire. But please be sure to:

1. Comment.
2. Credit fthpfthpfthp as the artist.
3. Credit mrstater as the icon maker.
4. Ask before adding text to textless icons.

And please be sure not to:

5. Hotlink.
6. Use the icons as anything but icons (background collages, background images, slide shows, etc.) without permission.

Teasers:

( 16 beneath the cut )

Looking for new R/T fic? Allow me to point your way to Letting Go, a thoughtful and unique post-hospital fic by Shimmering, who you may have met at rt_challenge as silver_ripples. I had the privilege of betaing this story for Checkmated, and I think you'll all agree with me that the author is a real talent, with a firm grasp on characterization and a really evocative, imagery-rich narrative style that create an R/T missing moment you just can't help but get caught up in. Her prose is even more impressive when you consider that English is not her first language! So if you've got a few minutes this Sunday, do check out the fic (it's not long) and drop Shimmering a line or two. She's a splendid addition to the R/T community.

Speaking of R/T communities, there's a fun new challenge up at metamorfic_moon: From the pen of Remus Lupin is a great chance to flex those writing muscles through writing a letter in Remus' sweet-and-snarky style. Take a moment to read our members' contributions and maybe even add an addition of your own!

ETA: fthpfthpfthp has posted gorgeous pregnant!Tonks and stubbly!Remus art. What a lovely R/T day this is!

JK Rowling desperately needs to tell us when Tonks' actual date-of-birth is! (And what her first Patronus was. And Remus' Patronus. Also, the color of his eyes, since Harry couldn't be bother to notice, even though he noticed everyone else's.) Tonks' age and the age gap between her and Remus keeps coming up in Masks and Mirrors and my various Transfigured Hearts revisions and outtakes, and in an effort to keep it consistent, I've had to thrash out dates.

First of all, I realized that I'd been operating under the assumption that Remus was born in 1959 and the Lexicon's little timeline that pegs Tonks as born in 1973 (since the Auror training program would have her first year at Hogwarts 1984), making them fourteen years apart. But DH showed us that Remus was a 1960 baby, so he can't be fourteen years older than Tonks.

And in fact, the Lexicon ignores the fact that Tonks could have been born anywhere from September, 1972 to August, 1973, and still start at Hogwarts in 1984. Which means, if I'm not doing JK Rowling math here (which is highly possible!), that as few as twelve years could be between Remus and Tonks. In the case of Transfigured Hearts, I've given Tonks a December birthday for a plot point, putting them at something like twelve years, eight-and-a-half months apart. (So, like a good little obsessive-compulsive, I've been going through all my revised versions of my fics and taking out any references to a fourteen-year and making sure I've got Tonks almost-twenty-three at the point of the story I'm up to.)

Twelve and some change seems a lot less than fourteen years, or is it just me? Siriusly, what's Remus going on about, "too old"?

Hope everyone's having a nice, non-obsessive Friday.

Title: Masks and Mirrors (7/?)
Author: mrstater 
Rating & Warnings: R for sexuality
Word Count: Chapter 7 - 10,700ish ; Total - 77,200ish and counting
Summary: As Remus and Tonks rebuild their relationship, a dangerous Order mission only she can undertake dredges up the same old problems -- as well as an entirely new set when the family she was born into clashes with the family she has made for herself within the Order of the Phoenix.
Author's Note: Since it's been so long since I updated and you may not have the time or inclination to read the 67,000-odd words previous to this chapter, a synopsis of the fic so far can be found beneath the cut. Mad props to my awesome beta reader, godricgal , who worked with my crazy posting deadline and encouraged me every step of the way.

1. Homecoming | 2. Family Reunion | 3. You Can't Go Home Again |  4. The Dust Settles | 5. Visiting Hours | 6. Aurors Make the Worst Patients |

Just a mostly pointless update to yesterday's Masks and Mirrors teaser to say that I've finished the chapter, given it a tweaking, and sent it to the awesome godricgal for betaing. The chapter should be making an appearance on your f-lists first thing in the morning, if not late tonight, depending on if I can stand to look at it before tomorrow. Sometimes I get antsy and just have to post!

Anyway, I'm glad to know there are still readers out there! How go everyone else's fic endeavors these days? I'm really hankering for some R/T...

Speaking of which, tomorrow's discussion day at metamorfic_moon, so get your creative juices flowing for some good R/T fun!

I seem to recall one of my New Year's Fic Resolutions being to update Masks and Mirrors at least once a month this year. Well, here it is, April 14, and I'm not quite finished with my first update since *gulps* September 27. In the hope of motivating myself to finish this chapter and post before I leave town Thursday for a little vacation with Mr. Tater, I thought I'd give y'all a little sneak-peek of what's to come in the next installment. If you even remember the fic!

( A little bit of Chapter 7, entitled 'Release' -- which is, indeed, a double entendre... )

Title: Perchance To Dream
Author: mrstater 
Format & Word Count: one-shot, 4146 words
Rating & Warnings: R for smut; original character
Summary: A dream leads to an argument and an unexpected quest to seek out the meaning. Will Remus and Tonks kiss and make up? More importantly, who will come out on top?
Author's Note: Originally written for the March 2008 "Not Forgotten" ficathon at rt_challenge , this fic was inspired by the prompts awake and whimsy, and the question, "Can one write Deathly Hallows humor?" One tried...The dream meaning which I have attributed to JK Rowling's The Dream Oracle actually comes from the Dream Moods A-Z Dream Dictionary. Many thanks to my fantastic beta reader, godricgal , who had a dream and gave me a plot bunny and urged me to run amok with it. (So blame her for this. ;))

Title: Untouchables
Author: mrstater
Format & Word Count: one-shot, 6985 words
Rating & Warnings: PG-13 for abusive language and a post-torture situation
Summary: Remus and Tonks run from birthday parties and wedding receptions, but bigotry catches up with them. So do the side effects of pregnancy. (Sequel to Water Falls and Once)
Author's Note: An attempt at making sense of Remus' and Tonks' abrupt departure from Harry's birthday party at the Burrow, the aftermath of Bill and Fleur's crashed wedding, and Remus' meltdown at Grimmauld Place, this fic was originally written for the "Not Forgotten" ficathon at rt_challenge and was inspired by the prompts, I If you gave me nothing / Nothing more than this / I would have the / memory to keep / Let me make a simple wish / As we fall asleep / Let me wake with you by my side ("Always" by the October Project) , and a photo of a woman with flying pink hair. The excerpt at the beginning of the fic is from Deathly Hallows Chapter 7, and one line from Chapter 11. Concrit and feedback are welcome.

As always, thanks to my awesome beta-reader, godricgal.


( Untouchables )