Friday Update

[clevermanka]

mckitterick is returned from his travels and is giddy and energized from being around awesome, smart writers. It's nice to see him this happy, even if it means my time of solitude is over.

Also means he'll be able to look at the airbrush sometime soon.

Why is writing sex from Zhao Yunlan's pov so difficult for me? The conversation parts are easy--I'm good with quips and smartassery. But the sex? Ugh. Like pulling teeth. Which is not sexy. IDK it's weird and annoying and am, frankly, starting to get a little worried about wrapping this up in time to submit by the September 2 deadline. I'd like to get it to beta by the end of next week.

Oh! I literally just now got this week's Rec Center email and guess what's in it! Eeeeeeeeeeee!

Comments

[forestofglory]

I'm terrified of writing sex, but very impressed how you keep pushing your limits.

Yay! Rec Center Primer! Thank you again for doing that, I hope it brings new people to the fandom.

[clevermanka]

I hope it does, too!

Hadn't really thought of it as pushing my limits, but huh. I feel better about having such a hard time with ZYL's id now, thank you!

[teaotter]

Oh! I literally just now got this week's Rec Center email and guess what's in it! Eeeeeeeeeeee!

Congrats!

[clevermanka]

I hope it brings in some fun new people!

[no_detective]

oh, how interesting - most people i know in fandom have a hard time writing anything from SW's pov and much prefer ZYL's, which presumably includes the sex bits. what is it about his experience of desire that might be causing you trouble w his voice?

and yay for the rec center pub! congratulations!!!

[clevermanka]

I noticed that early on in this fandom! I thought about it more since making the post, and I think it's (surprise!) the fact that ZYL is so much more emotionally-driven. I identify with Shen Wei easily (and a lot), largely because he rarely (if ever?) acts on his emotions. He analyzes nearly every single action before making it and rarely acts on instinct (also like me). So it's super easy for me to get in (what I feel is) his head. I have a similar thing with a lot of other opposite-type pairings of mine. Fraser/RayK, I'm usually in Fraser's head. Kirk/Spock, absolutely 100% Spock (I often describe myself as Vulcan, actually).

So it wasn't really shocking that I'm having a trickier time writing ZYL's id, but it's definitely annoying.

[no_detective]

ahhhh, got it. there is a certain flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants feel to all my favorite ZYL pov fics, i gotta say, and i can imagine how tough it must be trying to get into that mindset while also, uh, removing said pants. :) it's terrific that you're challenging yourself with his pov, though. best of luck!

[clevermanka]

Thank you! My two AU ideas both work only from ZYL's pov (damn it), so it's good to get the practice I suppose.

[umadoshi]

*cheers you on* Good luck with...er...nailing Zhao Yunlan('s sexytimes voice).

I'msorryIcouldn'tresist

Yay for the Rec Center post! *^^* Great work!

[clevermanka]

Oh, never ever resist innuendo or dirty puns with me. I LIVE FOR THEM.

Thank you!

[khellekson]

WB mckitterick!

I too have written sex from ZY's POV. I just realized that I keep writing from the POV of the person I desire, which, because I'm objectifying their bodies, makes zero sense.

[clevermanka]

I just realized that I keep writing from the POV of the person I desire
Oh that's fascinating!

I do think it's hilarious that, from what I've read between the lines (and, well, sometimes right there in the lines) of fic and meta conversations, most of this fandom wants to beat up Shen Wei (physically or emotionally) and bang Zhao Yunlan. OR MAYBE THAT'S JUST ME IDK

[khellekson]

I'm with fandom on that one. But I'd be happy to bang Shen Wei if Zhao Yunlan was busy.

[jo_lasalle]

Interesting about Zhao Yunlan! Is the smartassery interfering? It might also be a practice thing!

I admit I'm more intimidated by the thought of writing a sex scene from Shen Wei's POV, which I haven't done yet. (But then who knows how it will actually turn out. I was intimidated before I ever wrote Shen Wei POV in general, but then it turned out, while he's still annoyingly complex and a bit exhausting, his voice is an easier match for my natural style, and in some ways he was less work than Zhao Yunlan. Maybe he'll surprise me when the pants come off too... though at this point I doubt it.)

[clevermanka]

See my response to no_detective, above. It's the stupid emotions. ZYL just has SO MANY of them, ALL THE TIME and ALL OVER THE PLACE which is something that let itself be known to me as I was writing the current fic which is why it's gonna be maybe 3k words (or more) longer than I expected it to be. /o\

[jo_lasalle]

LOL! I mean. I'm so sorry. 3k more is tragic. ❤️❤️❤️

[clevermanka]

Seriously this fic is a god damn rollercoaster that I did not intend to get on much less drag everyone else along with me. I now TRULY UNDERSTAND the writer's complaint of "This is totally getting away from me What Is Happening and What Are My Characters Doing?"

[jo_lasalle]

I would apologize, but I entirely blame Shen Wei because I'm sure it's somehow his fault. (And I can probably convince him of that too.) Welcome to the madhouse! ❤️

[clevermanka]

[no_detective]

lol MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. the author suffers, but we rejoice! (fandom is terrible that way, haha)

[jo_lasalle]

The least guilty version of "Feel my pain, HAHAHA!" ^_^;