Date: 2009-12-21 14:21 Subject: Frolicon: call for panel ideas and panelists Security: Public

So I'm organizing the writers/writing Think Track at Frolicon this year.

Frolicon is a convention that is a lot of fun; it's a crossover between a science fiction convention and a BDSM convention. You can see why I'm an appropriate person to be putting together some programming for it, no?

So if you're a writer and can get yourself to Atlanta April 1-4 2010, please drop me a line if you are interested in speaking on panels and include any panel or workshop ideas you might have.

The con website: http://frolicon.net/
Livejournal comm: http://community.livejournal.com/frolicon/

Last year we had panels on:
How To Write Sex in SF & Fantasy
Erotica & Sci-Fi, A Perfect Match?
Ask The Writers (Q&A session)
Slash Fiction 201
(as well as a great panel/community roundtable on Race/Ethnicity and Cultural Appropriation -- which was a pretty heavy topic for Frolicon, but went amazingly well. The track I'm organizing is more on the writing/fantasy/BDSM intersections, though.)

Drop me a line in email at ctan.writer AT gmail DOT com with your suggestions for panel topics and your bio if you're interested in speaking at the con.

Panel suggestions from fans & readers are welcome, too! And feel free to point interested parties to this post.

Date: 2009-12-14 02:33 Subject: Snowflake Fic #4: Snarry for sra_danvers! Security: Public

Okay, I know I must have lost my mind. Because if I'm reading the time stamps on my last 3 posts, I've written four fics in 24 hours. !?!?!?! I've been feeling sick today and therefore unmotivated to do "real work" but... four fics??? Four pairings?? I thought I was going to write a few drabbles today, but each fic has been longer than the previous! Yes, I am nuts. However, I'm also going to sleep now. Enjoy the insanity while it lasts! :-)

Snowflake Fic #4: Hind Sight
For sra_danvers
Snape/Harry, NC-17
Word Count: 1938
Summary: A few years after the war, Snape is living on a remote mountainside alone when he gets a very unexpected visitor: Harry Potter.


I wasn't supposed to survive. I know this. I was supposed to sacrifice myself just like the boy was. Meanwhile we would be saving the lives and souls of the likes of the Malfoys. Why did it never occur to me that Dumbledore's plan ensured the life of the purebloods and the expense of all the half-bloods? I count myself surprised now that Hagrid survived as well, though perhaps his survival had less to do with Dumbledore's plans and more to do with his own resourcefulness, much like mine.

It took Potter a few years to find me. ( Read more... )

Date: 2009-12-13 23:57 Subject: Snowflake Fic #3: Harry/Draco for winnett! Security: Public Tags: h/d

OMG, this started out as a drabble and ended up a full-blown fic! I'm sure I won't be able to do that for all of these, but this plot bunny just ran away with me! Enjoy it, winnett!

Snowflake Fic #3: True or False Question
For winnett
Harry/Draco, NC-17
Word Count: 1800
Summary: Has Draco finally invented the potion that Harry Potter hoped that he would when he set him up in a secret, underground lab?

Draco charmed the door open with his wand in hand. No such thing as too careful, even though he knew it was Potter at the door. Potter himself set him up in this secret lab; no one else knew of its existence.

Potter, too, had his wand in hand, and his hair was even wilder than usual. His eyes, too. Draco frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Who said anything's wrong?" Potter shoved his wand into the Ministry-approved sleeve holster. "I came because I got your owl."

Draco slipped his own wand into his sleeve with a bit more grace, wondering--hoping--that perhaps it could be the proximity to Draco himself that had Potter so flustered. ( Read more... )

Date: 2009-12-13 13:15 Subject: Snowflake Ficlet #2: Ogata/Touya for painless_j! Security: Public Tags: hikaru no go

Snowflake Ficlet #2
For painless_j!
Ogata/Touya, NC-17

Touya has this idea that sex is one of these things that will eventually happen without any effort on his part. He is too busy to think about the process, much less the goal, between his match schedule, tutoring, interviews, and so on. His parents are off in their own little world these days, traveling, living in China for months at a time; he knows at the very least he is years away from arranged marriage or any obligation like that.

He has idle moments from time to time when he wonders how different life will be once he's done it. Everyone says it will be--everyone being manga and movies he also has no time for but he can't help but absorb the cultural messages in them. He has no reason to doubt this. He simply cannot imagine what it will be like, either the sex or life afterward. Mostly he does not try, but there are those moments when he looks at his peers and wonders who is, who isn't, who has, who hasn't.

Shindou hasn't although Touya has heard his one attempt was a complete disaster with the girl next door. Shindou refuses to talk about it beyond blurting it out one day as an excuse for his poor play in a match; Touya had refused to speak to him for a week after that. Touya doesn't tolerate excuses.

Since he can't imagine what it will be like or how it will happen, when it does happen, Touya is completely caught by surprise. ( Read more... )

Date: 2009-12-13 02:44 Subject: Snape/Draco ficlet for sabathea Security: Public

Sooooo... I promised myself after I finished writing the first draft of the novel I owe to my publisher, that I'd write some fanfic. The "flurry" of v-gifts I got over on Livejournal has inspired me to write some for the folks who gave me snowflake cookies and such!

This one started out as a drabble and ended up an actual ficlet/scene! Happy hols, sabethea! (Um, and no, I'm not totally sure why I chose this pairing for you, but I hope you like it!)

Snowflake Ficlet #1
For sabethea!
Snape/Draco, EWE, NC-17
714 words

Severus hated being nursemaided, but on the list of things needing repair after Nagini's bite, his pride was rather far down. ( Read more... )

Date: 2009-11-10 17:26 Subject: Another gay serial novel for your reading pleasure... Security: Public

Okay, it's official, I'm launching DARON'S GUITAR CHRONICLES.

It's a serialized novel that never would have worked as a traditional print novel because it was too long.

It's a coming of age story, a coming out story, and a period piece about the 1980s.

It's sex, drugs, and rock and roll from the point of view of a neurotic 19-year-old closet case.

Daron: Hey! Watch it with the name-calling!
Me: What? Did I lie?
Daron: Well, no. But I'm not neurotic.
Me: Says who?
Daron: And I'm not in the closet, because I'm not gay.
Me: You just "like guys."
Daron: Yeah.
Me: Uh-huh.
Daron: Don't give me that look. You know it's more complicated than that.
Me: If you say so.
Daron: Hey readers, don't listen to her. Go see for yourself. You'll totally agree with me once you see what's going on.

The first few posts are up for your reading pleasure at: DARON'S GUITAR CHRONICLES.

New content will be appearing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting on Monday the 16th. Please spread the word! Follow Daron on Twitter to get a little reminder each time a new post appears (@daron_moondog). Meanwhile go read what's there to get you started! Comments welcome!

And no, don't worry, this isn't going to take me away from The Prince's Boy. The Daron stuff is already written -- I started writing it back in grad school and finished in 2000. Many publishers have seen it and praised it, but never could figure out a way to publish it that made sense. So I'm doing it myself. Like a webcomic, without pictures...

Date: 2009-11-05 21:07 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public

Pimping for HP Kinkfest. Look under the cut for a very pretty picture. (And many more sexy banners at the comm itself.)

( Read more... )

Date: 2009-10-25 13:32 Subject: Reccing the complete fic now Security: Public

So a few weeks back I recced a new WIP by gatewaygirl, author of Blood Magic and many smuttier fics, entitled "The Confusion of Will and Desire." The fic is now done! So go on over there and read it! Here's what I said at the time:


The story is quite emotionally intense, but is full of wry humour as Harry attempts to figure things out like sexuality and Draco Malfoy. The interplay between him and Draco is just lovely, and something I miss when I'm not reading much fic! GG has done a wonderful job of showing us clear glimpses of Draco's complex character that Harry can't fathom at all, but the reader certainly can.

It's flocked on LJ:
http://gatewaygirl.livejournal.com/87924.html

But if you aren't on her flist on LJ, it's open to the public on IJ:
http://gatewaygirl.insanejournal.com/82742.html

Smoking hot, emotionally rich, tender and funny. What's not to like?

Date: 2009-10-12 01:59 Subject: FIc Rec: Confusion of Will & Desire (NC-17, H/D) Security: Public Tags: fic rec

Fic Rec!

So gatewaygirl, the author of Blood Magic and many other well-known fics, has written a new something that I am absolutely loving.

It's a nine part piece, and 5 of the 9 parts have been posted. I don't consider it a WIP, since she's already written the other parts. It's entitled A Confusion of Will and Desire, and it's an EWE Year Eight scenario that has as its backstory a fic she wrote called "May I?" for a fest.

It has just some of the best Year 8 Harry/Draco I've seen yet.

The original story centers around a Year 5 Christmas scenario with Sirius, Harry, and Lupin, and some potioned mischief the twins have gotten up to with some prank biscuits. The thing is, after the effects of the potion wear off, Lupin charms Harry not to remember what happened. After his death during the battle of Hogwarts, though, the charm wears off.

Thus, Harry suddenly finds himself starting to have these very sexual dreams and wondering whether a) he has gone round the twist, b) he really thinks Sirius was f**king hot, c) he might be gay/bi, d) all of the above.

The story is quite emotionally intense, but is full of wry humour as Harry attempts to figure things out like sexuality and Draco Malfoy. The interplay between him and Draco is just lovely, and something I miss when I'm not reading much fic! GG has done a wonderful job of showing us clear glimpses of Draco's complex character that Harry can't fathom at all, but the reader certainly can. I can't wait to read the rest of this, but I'll have to!

It's flocked on LJ:
http://gatewaygirl.livejournal.com/87924.html

But if you aren't on her flist on LJ, it's open to the public on IJ:
http://gatewaygirl.insanejournal.com/82742.html

Smoking hot, emotionally rich, tender and funny. What's not to like?

Date: 2009-08-18 23:56 Subject: New Snaco drabble Security: Public

Please please please tell me that the HBP movie is inspiring lots of my favorite writers to delve into the sensually Slytherin world of Snape/Draco? It did at least inspire avialle to create a lovely smutty piece of art, which in turn inspired this super-drabble.

Title: Fallen
Author: ravenna_c_tan
Word Count: 250
Pairing: Snape/Draco
Rating: R
Notes: This super-drabble (250 words) is for avialle whose lovely and delicious Snaco art (http://avialle.insanejournal.com/94364.html) entitled "Quick & Dirty" inspired me to write this! Um, the drabble doesn't exactly match the art, though. Inspired by, though. I totally did not have time to do this tonight--I'm on deadline--but somehow I just Could Not Help Myself!!


He is so fragile, so gentle, so open, after I've fucked him.

It is the only time he lets down his guard.

Until the first time, I hadn't even known if it was possible. His armor, I had assumed, was simply the way he was, hardened all the way to the core.

Like me.

The first time, I had not done it to get inside. The first time...

Well.

I was surprised he came back.

He is not asleep, but he is peaceful, a lock of white-blond hair over one eye. He cherishes these moments as much as I do, I think, or maybe he really is so overtaken with post-orgasmic lassitude that he has no choice but to lie quietly in my bed, and sometimes listen to what I have to say.

Sometimes I am loath to say anything. Why can't I just enjoy the well of affection he inspires when he lies like a felled angel, utterly vulnerable, next to me?

Because if I love him, or if I fall in love with him, I am a monster--he can never be mine. And if I let the boy satisfy his carnal desires with me so that I may gain opportunities to guide him? Am I less a monster?

He makes a contented sound.

Perhaps I shall not say anything this time. Perhaps I will merely brush the lock of hair back from his forehead, and press a kiss there, and wait for him to sleep.

-end-

Date: 2009-08-04 13:39 Subject: Vampire eye candy Security: Public

( my newest book cover, under the cut )

Date: 2009-08-03 21:08 Subject: Harry Potter fanfic meetup at Worldcon? Security: Public

Anyone here going to Worldcon in Montreal this weekend?

Any of you interested in a Harry Potter fanfic writer/reader meetup?
I didn't see one listed anywhere yet...

I'm proposing the following times! Please vote for one if you can make it?

Friday, 12 noon - 1pm
Friday, 4pm-5pm
Sunday, 5pm-6pm

I'll figure out where once I know how many we'll be!

Date: 2009-08-02 23:10 Subject: HP Darkfest signups! Security: Public

I am torn. I am so overworked and under deadlines right now that I don't think I can get something into Darkfest this year.

But that doesn't mean you all shouldn't...

http://community.livejournal.com/hp_darkfest/16171.html

Date: 2009-07-26 13:31 Subject: Ravenna in Russian Security: Public

So some intrepid Russian-speaking HP fans have begun to undertake the translation of my fics! Someone did Tempus a while back, and now a different group have begun to tackle the rest of my H/D.

There's a drabble here! http://primus-inter-pares.diary.ru/p76373054.htm

The only thing on the page I can recognize is my name! They link to the original drabble, for those curious.

Kind of neat!

Date: 2009-07-25 14:58 Subject: HP Tarot Poll! Security: Public

Any of you who have been following my journal know I've been slammed with RL writing deadline for the past year, and it's going to be like that for the next 10 months at least, but I am trying to get the time to sneak in a new round of hp_tarot.

FYI, for those of you who haven't seen an amazing HP themed deck on Deviant Art, check out: http://ellygator.deviantart.com/gallery/#HP-Tarot

As I make my plans for our next round, here's a very simple poll:

WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER WE DO NOW?
1) A round where we try to really fill in all the cards that aren't done yet with art and fics, so we can have a "complete" deck

2) A 'swap' sort of round where writers use the previously created art from the fest as prompts for new stories, and the artists use previously written fics as the prompts for new art?

3) Some other idea I will detail in comments...

Cross-posted to the LJ comm, IJ comm, and my journals!

Date: 2009-07-22 20:30 Subject: First pics from Azkatraz starting to appear... Security: Public

And now the mass hunt to friend everyone I met -- across LJ, IJ, and Dreamwidth. (I'm the same on all three if anyone's looking for me: ravenna_c_tan...)

I had a nice chat with pir8fancier at the HD meetup that consolidated my feelings of why I love writing fanfic even if it's "for free" and all that. I realize that's part of the fun of it for me. It's writing that isn't "work" at all for me, so it's sustaining and creative for the pure fun of it instead. It's work-like in that I apply my craft and expertise, but it's for me and for my friends in fandom and not for "work." I also met benevolntgodes (I think I spelled it right...) and now have to look for her to friend, too.

Never did get to say hi to furiosity, tracy_loo_who, or chaeche. Did I mention the Snapecast meetup was really terrific? It was at this very fancy schmancy wine bar, where we tasted some nice wines and they had some nice little fancy cheese to taste with it. Yum.

Thus far I've come across one photo of myself, at the Snapecast meetup, but you can't really tell it's me. It's the back of my head... (Butch buns rule.)

Aha, here's one of the post-Drink & Draw continued drawing and drabbling group in the Great Foyer:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hpef/3746027177/

I'm way in the back, just to the right of GatewayGirl (in the red shirt) and behind Sasha (stupid_drawings) in the gryffindor striped shirt.

And check this out, Rana (chibitoaster on LJ, littleblackbow on IJ) is drawing a Draco for me in my book! Here:
http://www.sfweekly.com/slideshow/view/28039792/11

Here is the art: http://www.sfweekly.com/slideshow/view/28039792/12

Wireless where I am staying is really flaky, making it hard to look at photos. There are about 900 of them on flickr right now tagged with "azkatraz" (it was around 850 when I started but clearly someone is uploading more as I look...) so I will look at them later when I have better bandwidth!

Date: 2009-07-22 12:48 Subject: Yet another Azkatraz post Security: Public Tags: azkatraz

I keep coming up with more people I met at the con. Like Leela_cat! And Bryoney. And Roslyn. And Ted and Nabil and Kim, somewhat tangentially to the con. And there's no way I'm going to get through these wrap up posts without having left someone out. A big hi to Gwendolyn Grace and Heidi, too, who worked their tails off at the convention and I think can be quite proud of the result. Which isn't to say there were not snafus. There were, which often had to do with communication between concom and attendees. But overall it was quite an undertaking.

I had to choose between going to the panel on Cross-Gen and the panel on Queers in the HP Universe. In the end my inner Draco made me go to the Cross Gen one because he's anxious that I haven't written any Snaco in so long. (Draco, I said, I haven't written any fanfic at all in a while because of original fic deadlines... He just sniffed and said he didn't care.) Cross Gen panel was really great. All the panelists were funny and smart and the audience really got into the topic (as you'd expect...)

And I got arrested! Two Aurors came and got me from the Craft Faire at the end. One of my roomies had put out a warrant for my using inappropriate charms on a teakettle. After I bailed myself out by writing a drabble, I put out a warrant for her arrest, too, as well as Mijan. The "Jail And Bail" scheme was all a charity fundraiser. The con's designated charities were the Harry Potter Alliance (which I won a T-shirt in the movie line for knowing) and Amnesty International. It was fortuitous I was jailed, actually, because at the jail they had bread and water! So I had a roll to keep me going. (It's because of things like this I didn't really eat an actual meal most days. And I ate way too many Tim Tams and Violet Crumbles at the HD meetup!)

I missed the fashion show while getting dressed for the ball, but the ball itself was great. The DJ was a real mix master, and he managed to mix together a very diverse list of styles of music and eras and yet keep the dance floor packed. The ballroom was too small and the dance floor also too small, for a group like ours. Nothing could really beat the Terminus ball where it was in a huge 1920s style ballroom with high frescoes ceiling, surrounded by balconies, and literally a thousand people could be dancing at once (and were). The Parc 55 is a modern building and just not made for that kind of grand party. But we had a lot of fun anyway. Lots of people made costumes. Justin (another one I haven't mentioned yet!) wore Snape ropes with prison stripes! Perfect!

Got to go now, off to lunch and then museum!

Date: 2009-07-22 01:04 Subject: Morrrrre Azkatraz Security: Public Tags: azkatraz

Let's see. Who else did I meet at Terminus?

At Erotic HP Night of course I got to see lots of Dacro, Mijan, and Slashpervert.

In the course of the con, I met both nuclearsugars and nuclear_polymers (Alyse), wrote a Gryffindor Spin the Bottle story for Sesheta_66, re-met Alisanne, finally met Rubymiene!! And coffeejunkii!! Both of whom I've known forever through LJ but hadn't met before. And apparently re-met Cordelia V. although neither of us could quite figure out where we'd met before! It wasn't at an HP con! Saw some of the Boston-area crowd, NQDonne only briefly (since she was helping run the con), BewaretheSmirk, Lesyeuxverts, & Potteresque_ire. Re-met sassy_cissa and met oldenuf2nb for the first time (her first HP con). Wook77, Anneke, and Romaine24, who wrote one of my favorite HD stories ever, except I can't remember the title of it... gah. Samantha, Isis, Slashpine... and I am sure there are more I'll think of as I mull over the con. Yolanda! Oh, and Lev Grossman, though I don't think I can count him as a slasher or ficcer... even if he did write a book which made the C. S. Lewis estate upset.

Dizilla/Diana Moon wrote me a haiku, which I interpret as Snape/Draco, because I'm like that:

against silver-white
tangled with black-satin sheets
forget tomorrow


I better go to sleep now. I'm having lunch with a friend and then visiting the San Francisco Asian Art Museum tomorrow.

Date: 2009-07-22 00:20 Subject: More on Azkatraz Security: Public Tags: azkatraz

Let's see, what else...

Dracofiend, Venturous1, Winnett, and everyone else who got photos of me, link link link! I did not have my camera at all so I am pictureless! And yes, it's perfectly OK to identify me in your photos as Ravenna C. Tan (or Cecilia Tan, but most people in HP fandom know me as the other!) and I do not care if it is f-locked.

I especially need pics of Erotic Harry Potter Night! It was such a lovely performance space.

Erotic HP Night was an absolute blast. Four of us read from the zine (which I still have copies of to sell, by the way! I'll post separately about that later...) in the theater space of the Center for Sex & Culture, a nonprofit organization that hosted us very happily. Their staff even dressed in robes for the occasion.

I went to less formal programming this con than previous ones mostly because I was presenting more of it myself! My talk on "Making the Jump from Fan Writer to Pro" went well, I stayed right on my notes and right on time, and I really really believe that many of the next wave of professional erotica, fantasy, and romance writers will come right out of this wave of fandom. Hopefully I convinced some people in that room to give it a shot. I will post my notes later as soon as I put them in some more readable form. (the outline is in sentence fragments.)

The Snarry meetup and HD meetup were really fun. I finally got to talk with some folks who I saw in passing at Terminus but hadn't had a chance to sit down and talk with.

I never did get around to telling Amanuensis that I finally watched Death Note, though. And then read the manga...

Swtalmnd was there but I never got a chance to say hi. Barely got a moment to say hello to Femmequixotic and BethBethBeth.

Really enjoyed hanging with my roomies GatewayGirl and ClueGirl, and we had a visit from themostepotente and xylodemon, too. These conventions are kind of like sleepaway camp, aren't they? Except I make slash & smut instead of lanyards and wallets.

Speaking of lanyards, I gave the really nice Hufflepuff book-thong I won at the HD meetup to red_rahl, because she will get a lot more mileage out of it than me! Puffs represent! (This Ravenclaw is reading mostly ebooks now anyway...)

So, because I taught a seminar in the MPA program, too, I was invited to hang out during their lunch hour, where we had a Bertie Botts Beans tasting! ( Read more... )

Date: 2009-07-21 23:54 Subject: Azkatraz wrapup post? Security: Public

This con I barely had time to Twitter much less post to LJ about things! And now I'm tired and braindead, sitting in the hotal lobby on my iphone. So here are some thoughts on the con.

Winnett is a dancin' fool! OMG it was so much fun dancing with her.

I am so sorry I didn't organize a Snaco meetup. I am so so so on fire again for that ship. The movie probably helped. Also, if I had organized it as a lunch or something, I would have had an actual meal! I didn't eat much this con.

Shout outs to the kick ass artists who filled my book with drawings at the drink and draw meetup! Rana, red_rahl, sinick & acidburn, twilightsorcery, Jin, zephre, venturous, lizardspots, supes, dramedy, karasu hime, tripperfunster, ponderosa, and even the intentional hilarious "badart" mistresses, val and melusina!

Fair use panel was awesome, bertie botts beans tasting was fun, but now my ride is here! More later!