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I was re-reading Linda Bedroll's Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife for the millionth time last week, and I'm wondering if it's strange that I want fanfic for this ~~fanfic~~ book? I want Hannah/Goodwin fic to be specific. Because...yes. That would be awesome. And despite the idea for a fic circling in my head, I have neither the writing time nor the period knowledge to do it justice. So, the search begins. I am already sure it is futile.

Speaking of reading... my kindle just arrived! Why don't more of you have your stuff up on AO3? Hmmm? It's time to fill this sucker with a metric ton of fanfic. Oh yes. *rubs hands together* What do you have on your kindle/eReader?

And last, but not least: another writing lesson I refuse to learn, or rather, am forced to relearn over and over again. When I am writing a fic, there is often a passage (or ten, depending on the length) that I absolutely love, one I feel completely encapsulates the point of the fic, that therefore becomes the default fulcrum of the fic. But, to put it mildly, I revise. I mean, the similarities between my first draft and my final posted draft are very few. (I swear, I should post a before and after one of these days. I think it might amuse you all.) So, I revise. I rewrite sections, I move scenes around, futz, futz, futz. And there is always this point where everything stalls out and I am trying to work that Perfect Passage back in to the Perfect Spot and it just isn't working and I begin to assume 1) my writing mojo on this story is stalled out, 2) the fic sucks, or 3) that I just need to let it sit and marinate for a while. But then after much hair-pulling and swearing and bitching to Trout on IM, I usually realize that it is Perfect Passage that is holding everything up. That Perfect Passage is stating the blatantly obvious that is better off NOT being said. Yet, the fic never could have evolved without it, and Perfect Words are rare and special and it is SO HARD to actually delete them, even for the betterment of the fic. So I am forced to remember all over again: the delete key is your friend. (As is the backup draft.)

*goes off to delete stuff*

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OMG yes that Perfect Passage...but you're better than I am, I don't delete. I cut and paste into a new file just in case it's needed somewhere--if not in this fic then in another.

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See "backup draft" above. Hee. I never completely erase anything. Always have it backed up somewhere else. But deleting it out of the current draft kills me as is. I have a 120 page file called "Extra Bits". Now *that* makes a hilarious read. Lol.

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Sometimes the best advice when it comes to that Perfect Passage...

Let it go, Annerbhp, just let it go.

But yeah, at least you write that Perfect Passage. I sometimes will have the Perfect Scene that I'm dying to write... seriously, it NEEDS to go in there... only to get to it and can't find a way to make it fit. *pouts* And so the scene lies in wait within my head, slowly draining down to a fizzle that no one will ever see. A mere shadow of the story, hunkering down until it's eventually forgotten...

Or to make a long drama queen filled story short, we just have to learn to let it go.

Besides your end results always seem perfect to me! Your stories are good enough without them.

And as a last reort? You could always post that Passage separately and mark it as a deleted scene - which now that I think on it was something I did once upon a time with my story, Tangled Alliances. And it was a success based on the feedback. So go for it!! Who doesn't love deleted scenes?

Sadly is is not a Perfect Scene. Those just get revised until they work. A Perfect Passage can be as little as a single sentence, or a paragraph or a snippet of a conversation.

Sometimes I think I should make the perfect passages my summary line, because that is what they really feel like sometimes. Sigh.

"Minimum safe distance" - just sayin'.

:)

That Perfect Passage

It kills me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And it is almost always the last thing to go. AFter which the fic practically writes itself. Dammit.

(It's possible I had a moment just like the one you describe above last night. Only I haven't quite deleted the Perfect Passage yet. I'm working up the nerve. Really. *whimpers*)

Aiiie. It always is, isn't it? And once you work up the nerve to actually delete it, everything is So Much Better. It just...it's so damn hard to do. Let's both do it at once. Ready?

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DELETE!

My answer to the Perfect Passage, when I finally come to my senses, is "If it's really that great, I'll remember it. Delete!" I think there's only been one time when I had to go back and recreate it.

Getting to that point, now. That's another story.

Why is it so hard? Stupid attachment to words. :)

Sometimes you just gotta murder a few darlings.

Man, I HAVE to get my fic on AO3. *feels vaguely guilty she hasn't already done so*

You should feel guilty. It's like...insanely easy to download fic straight from AO3 to Kindle. Do it now!

Its depressing to delete even for betterment but...I still have to say Amen lol

I have to say I still haven't done it. Oy. I am doomed.

Woohoo! You joined the kindle cult...

Okay, I must admit, some of the stuff on my kindle is not so great, but yet perfect for reading as I'm trying to go to sleep. But since it's private, you totally don't have to be embarrassed and if it really sucks, you can just delete it! Also rereading old authors who've left fandom - always a good read and you never have to worry about it disappearing.

If you find something good on Fanfiction.net, you can use this website to create a ebook out of a story. Connect your kindle over USB and drag them across. http://flag.erayd.net/

If you want your stuff, I have almost all of them in eBooks *blushes*, but I also have about 47 pages of other Sam/Jack eBooks I could send over email to you.

And holy shit, how did I not know that AO3 had introduced mobi as a download format? One more reason to love that site...

I know, right? It's like the easiest thing in the world. Now if only there was more fic up there!!

Hm. Thanks for the link. I shall have to use that to steal some old fics from ffnet. (JoJo!!!)

My stuff is already all up at AO3 now (mostly). But thanks! :D

Preach it, sister! I have bumped into that problem so many darn times. I think I have a word doc somewhere with all the bits of fics that just didn't fit in sadly but that I like too much to get rid of. Pretty sad, huh?

And I just never learn to lesson, no matter how many times it totally stalls me out. Oh writer brain. What a joy you are. Lol.

You are not alone in having that doc. :)

Oh, my dear, dear writing friend. You don't have to delete it, at least not forever. I have a file called "unused bits" with some of the best snippets of writing I have ever produced. Ah, well, I thought they were that good. They, however, like to think of themselves as "sentences still looking for a home." ;) One day they'll mortgage out and take up residence. Until then, I'll appreciate them in silence.

And since you're the proud new owner of a Kindle, let me introduce you to the most freaking-awesome program ever. FanFictionDownloader. http://www.fanfictiondownloader.net/ Two little clicks and the entire story from FF.net is plopped onto your computer ready for transfer. Twisting the Hellmouth allows you to convert directly from the site from your computer or your Kindle. Yeah, I love my Kindle too.

Happy reading!
Eleri