rthstewart | NFE Reveals

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NFE Reveals

So,

snacky and

caramelsilver have run the best NFE ever, with terrific fic and wow, what a roller coaster. The reveals and full story summary are up

I am the greatest anon fail ever, and I will post more later, but suffice to say:

I am

jess_in_time and wrote Food for Thought which is written as a series of Live Journal entries, complete with attempts at teen slang and extensive visuals.

I also wrote the last story that went up yesterday, for

anastigmatfic, I love not man the less but nature more. You can also read it here I owe a huge number of thank yous and research notes and yeah, some meta too as this is the so-called "kingmaking" story and that I have been meaning to do for years. It was a really personal and emotional thing for me to complete that story and enormous challenge. More later on that.

There is lovely work here in the NFE. Please go read and review the stories presented. A special thanks to

bedlamsbard for her story to me, Written in the Dust. LJ is also screwing with user names again. Every time I click on the edit button, it starts moving names around.

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I am the greatest anon fail ever -- Actually, I did not think any of the stories were by you, so at least you had one reader convinced neither of those stories were yours. :-)

I did guess the authors of 2-3 stories correctly, but was wondering when your stuff will be up so I was very surprised to see the master list posted this morning!

(Also, I now take back my comment about you not writing the Kingmaking scene in the latter story's posting.)

I guessed you for the final story (although Chirpy Lucy seemed different enough from your Madcap Lucy that it did throw me a bit - I like both of them, BTW), but I would not have pegged you for Jess In Time.

I hope, next year, that my life will have calmed down enough that I can dare trust myself to sign up for the Fic Exchange. Both last year and this, I read through the stories, thinking how fun it would be to do one, but knowing that there is no way I could commit for it right now. Soon, hopefully, soon!

I guessed you on both of those -- the first for the extensive research, and the second for the capital letters, plus I doubted anyone else would quite dare to write the first meetings of the monarchs and their Guards. Of course, I have no room to talk... :-)

Thank you for writing and sharing such awesome stories!

Haha, yes! I haven't read everything yet, so I'm keeping away from the masterlist for the moment, but I called that you wrote the journal entries. Because they are so lovely and just... everything.

Yep, it was me all the way. Snacky knew that the last story was completely not-anon, and that's why it went last. Also, I turned it in very, very late. I loved By Dawn's Early Light -- Aravis and Cor were wonderful and the whole Narnian adventure was delightful. I really enjoyed Aslan's appearance and the re-emphasis of the lovely messages of good service. Food for Thought and the LJ was hard to see for me because it was visual. As for ILMLMN (I love not man less but nature more), 1.5 million words of fic, 17 years, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. So thank you for reading it.

Snacky is going to maybe run a "big bang" in the winter, 3 months, 10,000 words, http://narniaexchange.livejournal.com/56301.html and the quality of the writers and the stories is so very, very high. It would be lovely if you participated!

Thank you for reading the stories. I do appreciate it.

Thank you for your wonderful work and for reviewing both. Out of Season was spectacular. I consulted with Snacky a lot on the story as I was writing it. Initially, I did not name the Wolf and and the Cheetah was some random Leopard. But, it was going to be the last story of the exchange, so I stopped worrying about it and put them in. those who know my work wouldn't have needed those references, I think. and those who don't read it, wouldn't get it. I was melding characters from both Ana's vision and from mine.

Some people thought I was Jess and others figured there was no way I could do something that visual-heavy. As for the one that went up last night, well, it's the most challenging, most personal thing I've ever done, so... I'm very numb from it all.

I loved your Who/Susan xover. It was just wonderful. You captured that perfect ageless quality to it and his insanity and her serenity and I admit I like seeing the Doctor with a more traditional companion, if you could call Susan or an companion, traditional.

I probably have more to say on my own story a little later (

harmony_lover got the whole Director's Commentary version in an email since she was my beta) but I am glad you enjoyed it.

As for "Food for Thought", I liked the story but the one thing that drove me crazy about reading it was all the teenage slang (which of course added depth to "Jess")! I shudder at trying to 'translate' all that to normal English in my head. That's also one reason I did not peg you as the author; that, and the visuals. :-)

I hadn't picked Jess, but I had thought the last one was likely. I wasn't completely certain, because there are a few subtle differences to the voice in TSG, but it seemed fairly probable to me. That last one is superb - there is a lot of very, very powerful imagery, but what really struck me was the P/E conversation about going back or moving forward - reviews are owed, and will come (eventually), but it's a great story.

Snacky knew that the last story was completely not-anon, and that's why it went last.

That was not why at all!

There was also the fact that it was LAAAAATE and Snacky was being VERY patient as I dithered.

I figured out Jess half-way through reading. Then you said your second one was coming in the last give, but for some reason I got thrown because you kept referencing yourself in the references and you pushed a few boundaries where you normally would fade to black! I still owe feedback on that one, too (I got behind towards the end there). In short: I loved it!

You are sneaky! I didn't spend much time thinking about who wrote what, although I did peg

edenfalling and

bedlamsbard. I think I thought about you being Jess, because of the research, but the voice was so different! So, good job you!

I don't know if anyone identified mine, especially since I pinch-hit and nobody but Snacky knew for sure I was participating. *grins*

bah, that should have been edenfalling and bedlamsbard. HTML fail.

Yours was one of the ones I did identify!

edenfalling and

bedlamsbard were the others I guessed correctly. For yours, it was your writing style that gave it away. :-)

Uh, give meaning "five." I swear, LJ hates me today...

I kept reading Jess going, "this is the most rth-story of the fest, but..." The visuals were one thing, but I REALLY did not see you pulling off the slang & LJ-format. I was eyeing some of the folks I know do role-plays for the author.

ILNM, now, that one I DID peg as yours. And also I knew how long it took you to write. :)

Thanks. ILM took a lot out of me and I'm still recovering. In fact, the ghost of Lewis hit me this morning, and I woke at 4 AM to a blown circuit box, a flooded basement and then a broken toe. This is what I get for writing what I did. Henceforth all Satyrs and Fauns must wear trousers.

No problem. you pushed a few boundaries where you normally would fade to black!. Yep. No one has said much about that, yet. I mean who cares, right? But it was a big deal for me, even after Maenad last year. 1,5 million words of fan fic over 17+ years, and I went here places I've not been before. And then my critics were vindicated when the ghost of Lewis visited me, flooded my basement, blew the circuit box, and made me break my toe. Henceforth, Dryads shall be clothed.

I knew you did a Susan pick up and so figured the Marsh wiggle adventure was yours. You write Susan so very, very well. And thank you so much for the rec for Jess. A number of people found the story through that rec.

When I was in California for the wedding, I received a bunch of photos of my mom's family from the 1920s-60s. My mother's high school portrait almost became Susan Pevensie. I had lots of glam women with cigarettes and riding horses and men in uniform. It became an idea and there was also that Merlin LJ fic and I thought to combine them into Jess.

Thanks for reading.

Oh noes! When it rains it pours, it seems... Maybe Lewis is just angry/jealous because he didn't think of it first.

I just left feedback at the actual story with some more thoughts. But it's understandably a big deal, and if anything, makes this story all the more powerful and creative because it is a new territory for both you and your readers.

it is a new territory for both you and your readers
New territory for me as a writer, to be sure, but it's consistent with the overall vision and has always been there. I'd been feeling increasingly uncomfortable with what I perceived as my almost hypocrisy and it was time to be really honest to what I'd been building. But thanks, I will start getting emo and weepy about it again, so I'll just stop here.

Oh, yes, the lines were definitely read in-betweened! And good weepies are good... let 'em out, I say!

It's funny, I didn't connect you to Jess until only a couple days ago when I thought, "Hm, maybe, despite the visuals..." SO much fun, and so many adorable details.

I've been slow getting through the fics so I haven't read your other one yet (nor the last third of the stories) but I am quite looking forward to it now!

The big deal being Peter in the Revel? Man, compared to what it could have been like, I thought that was positively restrained.

But I'm sorry about your toe, especially since I've done that and there's really nothing that can be done.

And pffft-Dryads are unclothed, that is what Dryads are. The only Narnians who regularly wear clothes appear to be Dwarfs.

Yay! As I noted in a direct message, I had you pegged for Jess, but not until a good halfway through the story, and even then I thought maybe the author was just someone you influenced...

...until the Last Battle and the reveal of the nature of Susan's argument with Peter and her feelings about the whole thing. It just so absolutely flowed from your foreshadowing in Apostolic Way and your general thematic direction that I was 99% certain it was you. Also, it was a much larger chunk in your more typical writing voice.

But whether this ends up being how it's handled in AW or not, thank you for providing such a beautifully realized disagreement, where it's truly a matter of perspective. Is Susan being the Foolish Faun who isn't taking the initiative that Aslan is asking for? Or is Peter being presumptive and trying to circumvent rules that, unlike so many silly societal boundaries broken in your other fic, were in place for very good reasons?

Also, great job making Jess irritating at first but wonderful in the end.

Thank you so much for giving us all the glimpse into the Bonding ceremonies and particularly Peter's participation in the Revels and Susan's romp with the Goddesses.

With Susan, such a lovely hint of sensuality when Lucy observes touches that she was fairly certain were considered improper in that other place. It matched so perfectly the point at which you'd established Susan- not wanting the Revels, *yet*. But realizing that she will want such things soon. And I love that she doesn't bother with the laces on the way back, showing that her feelings on such things have changed.

With Peter, such a great job showing his reluctance and confusion but also the determination to do right by his land and his subjects that is so fundamental to his character. Your description of his encounter with the hesitant Satyr was perfect, and really quite hot. Brief allusions sometimes work better than long, involved descriptions. And in particular, the last line describing Peter at the Revels was wonderfully evocative without getting too explicit. Not that I'd object to the porn-tastic version of that scene, but it would not have fit with the rest of the story at all. What you wrote did.

Other high points: Edmund understanding, in his intellectual way, that he and Lucy have become more comfortable, and Peter needs that acceptance that he can readily provide (and, due to the societal problems specific to male homosexuality, Susan and Lucy cannot).

Also, Lucy's thorough identification as a Narnian due to her young age. So much of her later character in your universe flows from her core personality being formed under Narnian rules. Edmund to some degree as well, but his intellectual nature causes him to internalize it differently (and great to see him and Lucy discuss that).

Well done!
-H

Thanks! I Love Not Man (ILM) is now up on ff.net, so you can check it out there if/when you decide to do so.

Jess was a riot and weird and OMG VISUALS, but easy, as compared to the other one.

Errr, yes? My biggest problem with Jess and Food for Thought (apart from the dread visuals and trying to pretend to be a self-absorbed but pretty articulate 16 year old) was how much it revealed of my thought process and just how long that thought process has been around. I assume that by the time I get to it (if I ever do at this point) everyone will have forgotten. But thanks, I really appreciate it.

Thank you and I appreciate you saw in these parts what I intended. I've written reams of navel-gazing on the subject of those final three challenges -- Smoke, Walk, and Revel. I don't think I'll post it - it's even more self-absorbed then Jess_in_Time is. The essence of the Revel was why I entered the fandom in 2008. And... just spent 15 minutes rambling and I'm cutting that too. As the story began to take shape over the last month, Snacky has been walking me through it and she knew the challenges I'd set for myself in writing it. She also saw sooner than I did what was happening. I don't personalize fic but that's what happened here. The story was a challenge for the Pevensies, but it was for me as well, and undertaken for similar reasons of love. In my case, though, it was a love of writing, the Narnia 'verse, the characters, the readers, and my recipient, Anastigmat.

We talked extensively about this via e-mail, and I know you had difficulty writing the story (which I have yet to finish)and were contending with some very personal feelings and struggles re: Peter, the Revel, the Smoke, etc. But it was so beautiful, even just the first half. So well done, compassionate, introspective, and yet challenging for each sibling in specific ways. And the foreshadowing has been outstanding. You have created an absolutely amazing piece, and I'm so glad it has been cathartic for you. :)

Also, I am SO sorry to hear about your toe, and the flooding, and all. Broken toes (or feet) are so frustrating because there is so little that can be done for them except to keep them stable, and you end up hobbling around for six weeks until it is healed.

We are contending with massive flooding here, too, and now they're warning us that we might lose our water supply for the next three days becaues one of the city pump stations might very well flood. Sigh.

I AM so sorry about the flooding. It just sounds terrible.
Thank you for the lovely review and I hope things improve there very soon!

I loved every minute of both of your pieces. And I read ILNM twice. So far.

So is there an Edmund/Lucy version running around in that brain of yours?

Doctor Dolly

Thanks so much! It landed with a big ole thud over on A03 and ff.net so I really appreciate hearing from people wherever they find it.

snitchnipped asked the same question about Edmund and Lucy. She theorized that maybe they do not and in part because they do not are better able to form relationships with their Human consorts in ways that Susan and Peter do not. As my head canon has the securing of lineage of really significance to Peter and Susan, this story also does provide an even stronger basis for that.

It is interesting to think of Lucy's journey in light of

anastigmatfic Sun Tides, because, as she pointed out, this Revel gives some additional heft to her story.

I'd not really intended to tell Edmund and Lucy's stories further in this regard. But, if someone has ideas in that regard, I'd welcome them.

Edmund and Lucy would both do it for two entirely different reasons.

Edmund would intellectually understand the symbolism of the traitor being completely chained to Narnia.

Lucy would do it for the sheer love of country.

Oops, I can never remember to sign these things...

Doctor Dolly

See, and I keep thinking that Edmund tries to participate and finds out that he can't do the Revel because of tree pollen allergies. He is BITTERLY disappointed. it would be interesting to invert some of it -- have Edmund with the goddesses and Lucy in the Revel... Edmund swim, Lucy in the egg. Edmund with Xucoatl and so forth. The issue from a story telling standpoint, I suppose, is what such a story would say. thanks again for reading and commenting! I REALLY appreciate it!

There's been far too much else to do over the last two weeks - I've hardly been online at all. I've got at least six or seven new updates from ff.net sitting in my alert mailbox, yours now probably being the eighth - I won't read it in a rush, though, I'll rather wait until I've got more time and can appreciate it. I've enjoyed the spoilers ...

It annoys me, though, that I cannot seem to remember which poem "I love not man the less but nature more" is quoted from. I should know it, but it escapes me.

It is WONDERFUL to hear from you!!!! I hope you are well and that it has been good busy rather than sad or stressful busy. The stories aren't going anywhere. I love not man less (which I shorten to ILM) is on ff.net. The full quote (courtesy of Snacky who found it for me):

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

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NFE Reveals

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Jess's fic

The Revels and everything else

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Re: The Revels and everything else

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Revels....

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