In which adversity is good for me

[impulsereader]

or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

I am still struggling with Sherlock's parents and this scene. I have given a great deal of consideration to the idea that since I am struggling so mightily I should simply drop it and move on, but I really think it needs to be there.

So, I adopted the view - THROW A GRENADE AT IT - and promptly discovered that my brain is completely capable of taking absolutely anything literally. It gave Sherlock's father a live grenade to play with.

I don't even know.

But - it sort of seems to be working.

So - this is teaching me something. Up until now writing has been all sunshine and roses and happy magical typing which somehow produces funny and interesting things which I enjoy reading, and which at least a few other people also enjoy reading (thank you all, by the way) - fantastic.

Now I'm learning what to do when the typing isn't quite as magical as I might like it to be. It means I'm writing long hand for the very first time (oh gosh, I just remembered and had to modify - for the first time since high school when I was unknowingly writing ST:TNG fic during class [before the internet, or at least my being on it - biggest mary sue ever - seriously, ever]). Somehow this scene makes my eyes skitter away from the monitor when I try to get to work, so pen and paper work better. I'm also spending a lot of time writing out a lot of the same sort of thing over and over - but just slightly differently - as I work out what this needs to look like.

So I'm learning and becoming a better writer. This is the positive thing to focus on as I wrestle this scene into existence. I'm also learning by being forced to think more about the characters of Sherlock's parents instead of allowing them to remain cardboard cut-outs which will serve no purpose other than to trip up Sherlock emotionally. Oh, and to give myself a moment of indulgent praise - I am not hiding from the fact that I need to work on this - I haven't gone haring off to write other things which would be much more fun to work on instead - which I am perfectly capable of doing - but I haven't! This is very encouraging. The end is in sight and I will finish this section so that I can move on to the much more entertaining Baker Street Interludes!

Comments

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

Lovely model, and just to make you crazy here's a link to the Pirate King's wonderful site - it will tell you much more than you need to know about pirates and their ships.

"Killing your darlings" in terms of pulling out those delicious lines is another familiar stuck point. I keep a running document for every fic I write to house them, so they aren't distracting me and demanding to stay put, and can be incorporated with discretion later on. They do seem to always fit somewhere, sometimes in the most unexpected places.

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

Well, that's exactly what I need - absolutely too much information about pirates - thank you!

The same night Pirate!Sherlock was finally gelling in my head I stopped at Target because I had three kid birthdays to shop for and I wanted a quick glance around - though I only buy book-related presents - and in celebration I bought myself a little foam build-it-yourself pirate ship, because, of course, it was Little Sherlock who was busy distracting me. :-) Now I'm definitely on the hunt for something a little more appropriate for grown-up Sherlock. Etsy has surprisingly few options which seem to fit. :-( I do like that one, though. I can picture little people running around on the deck, which is a plus. :-)

I guess good lines will eventually prove useful somewhere. Good writing will tell?

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

Grown-up Sherlock might like some of the things available at this online store that benefits the Historical Seaport organization in Grays Harbor, WA. They own the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain, both replica vessels that offer battle cruises, among other things. I sailed on the Lady Washington out of Bremerton a couple of years ago, and would love to do it again. I have the posters of her hull and sail plans, and they're intricate and lovely, the bones of a ship. They also have marlin spikes and belay pins and a gorgeous tall ships calendar and hats, lots of hats :-)

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

Both grown-up Sherlock and I are suckers for a good cause. :-)

Tea bricks as currency - that is fascinating!

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

Tea bricks as currency - that is fascinating!

Isn't it? The tea is actually quite good, too :-)

And now I want to go on a San Juan Island camping adventure with the crew of the Hawaiian Chieftain. How cool is that? I don't even like camping, much, but the volunteer crew members were so interesting to talk to, people from all over the world and with such diverse backgrounds. Don't call them pirates, though. They don't like it.

I must make a tea icon.

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

A tea icon is a perfectly wonderful idea. John approves.

Tea perseveres somehow. After a bit of thought I'm not surprised at all that in brick form it is still good. :-) I've been meaning to rec this in general, but it's a WIP so I was instinctively holding off - but today I hit the bit of it when John is introduced to tea, and so I'm going to stick it in here as a wonderful Sherlock crossover with Greek/Roman Mythology http://archiveofourown.org/works/442464/chapters/755891

Are you possibly actually going on this trip? I would be both jealous and pleased that you would be the one doing the camping and reporting back.

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

No trip for me this summer, I'm afraid. The next two months are booked out with my work schedule and weddings and family and community events, plus a week of training that I'm dreading. My agency is putting me up in a four star hotel in Seattle (the good part) but the training is in a modality of therapy that I'm not excited about at all. Not my cup of tea, as it were :-) I will definitely look into pirate camping for next summer, or at least another battle cruise.

I will check out your fic rec - thank you!