Chaaaaaapter 65.

[valis2]

I've uploaded chapter 65! I'm so happy! So tired! Friend says it's great, and that makes me so very, very happy. I do think this arc is the best part of the whole story so far. Too bad it took so long to get to!

Anyway, will hop over and check out the flist one more time, and then it's to bed.

Oh, to wake up to a review or two, that would be bliss...

Oh, btw, I'm about a month away from my First LJ Anniversary, and I am planning on writing a little happy thing about everyone on my flist (much like this entry). If you don't want me to say something positive about you, let me know before April 15th. Comment here, e-mail me, something, and I won't say a peep about you. Otherwise, you're fair game.

Comments

[superbunny3000.livejournal.com]

awww...shucks. i never saw that last one. long and loopy style...thats cute. peep away man, i love to see my name in print!

congrats on uploading your latest chapter!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

:) Oh, you missed the first one? Darn! Well, at least you've seen it now! Though it was written months ago at this point, of course.

Thanks for the congrats...I feel such a happy sense of accomplishment now. You're too sweet!

[avus.livejournal.com]

Chapter 65??

Congratulations, indeed. I don't know if I could stand keeping my story going for 65 chapters. I hope to kill it off in about 35. Where's your story posted, and what's its name?

Oh, and with all the squid poetry already in your "other" lj location, I figure the damage is already done. Blast away.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

It's called The Last Sanguimagus, and you can read it at fanfiction.net (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1764373/1/), FictionAlley (http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Valis2/The_Last_Sanguimagus/), or Occlumency (http://occlumency.sycophanthex.com/viewuser.php?uid=179).

I would suggest the Occlumency archive, part of Sycophant Hex, as it is the most revised version currently.

I'm warning you, though, it is SS/OFC, wordy, and has its fair share of angst. I do develop a magic system within JKR's and do some other fun things though.

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

Chapter 65. Bloody... hell... If there isn't a Guinness World Record for the most amount of chapters in a fanfic - there should be - and you should send them an Owl. ;)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Now if they could only be good chapters I'd be even more proud. ;)

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear, don't bag out your own work - there are plenty of teh super cool twelve year old fan girls to do that for you. Though I have been known to bag my own work out after every chapter upload. This is apparently my emotional writing chart:

1. I've written a new chapter - yay - life is good.
2. I have uploaded it, - oh, no - I have doubts. Did I get word number 11286 in paragraph number 345 spot on?
3. I hate fan fic.
4. I have ignored it for 24 hours, have read it again, and am satisifed.
5. I like fan fic. The world is once again cloudy and grey (because I don't like summer).

This according to not_a_disgrace (who knows me well). :-D

[valis2.livejournal.com]

1. Wow! This is a great chapter! I love everything!
2. Oops! I missed that typo! I missed a shout-out!
3. Why isn't it showing up on the archives yet?
4. Yay! Review!
5. Oh, unintelligible review! Well, at least someone's reading.
6. My story sucks. What was I thinking? No one reads this pairing.
7. Why is this chapter still not up at FictionAlley?
8. I hate writing. Why did I think this was a great chapter? Argh!
9. (few days go by) Hey, this isn't half bad!
10. Wow! A new chapter...it's great! I love everything!

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

Oh, joy! It isn't only me who suffers like this. Well, that must mean we're normal. :-D

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

I forgot to ask - how long have you been writing this story for? And, is there an end in sight?

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I uploaded my first chapter to ffnet on 3-8-04, so it's been a year...so I'm averaging a chapter a week, even though I've gone for about four months of that year total.

The end is nigh! Another 15-20 chapters at the very most. I've finished a climactic arc, and there will be some more development, and then the last climactic arc, and then I'll be done. *whew*

Y'know, there was this entry on the flist, and I saw the icon and just assumed it was you and wrote this chatty little reply, and was wondering why you weren't responding, and then I realized that it was actually themostpotente's entry. *headdesk*

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

Y'know, there was this entry on the flist, and I saw the icon and just assumed it was you and wrote this chatty little reply, and was wondering why you weren't responding, and then I realized that it was actually themostpotente's entry. *headdesk*

I did that twice last year - and was ignored both times. I sometimes don't look at my lj for days, and when I do, I open up a few browser windows with various f-list entries on them, and the main f-list window, and I try to respond to all the interesting entries at once... Binge commenting does not work very well - I think I've learnt my lesson.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

"Binge commenting"! You crack me up.

Bizarrely enough I received the comment e-mail for this and for themostpotente's reply at the very same time...*insert spooky music here*

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

How many chapters did you envisage when you started out?

I'm currently on 61 and estimated at the outset thirty. By the time I reached c. 17 I altered that to 35. Reached 29 and thought thirty...

And well, you get the picture!

I just wondered if your tale "grew with the telling" as Tolkien described LOTR (and my, aren't we in fancy company)?

Anyway, congrats on reaching 65!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I thought that I would have about 50. However, I started out writing very short chapters (1000-2000 words) and that inflated the chapter count a bit. I'm now averaging 2000-3000 words a chapter and that makes more sense, and is kinder to the reader as well. Honestly, though, I don't have a lot left, and I keep crossing my fingers that it will be finished soon.

If I had to do it over again I'd excise the Harry subplot entirely and just go with the SS/OFC plot. And I wouldn't have spent so much time and energy on this kind of story; it's obvious that most of the people who recommend fics, and most of the more experienced fanfic readers avoid SS/OFC like the plague. Had I known what I know now I would have stuck with shorter stories. Writing this monster has officially taken over a year now and I feel sad that the 110,000+ words I've spewed out will never attract a larger audience simply because of the pairing.

Also, if I could only do one little thing over again, I'd put it on Schnoogle instead of The Dark Arts at FictionAlley (revising the chapter lengths, of course). I've noticed that other sixth year Harry stories that feature SS/OFC get a lot more hits in that archive than in TDA, though I'm still extremely satisfied about the amount of reviews that I've received.

Oh, and I credited you in this chapter (the SH version, I forgot to do it on the other two archives but will remedy that soon) with coming up with the proper expletive for Severus. It really seemed to work. Thank you!

[ozymannedias.livejournal.com]

Congrats on getting the next chapter up *clicks to Occlumency to check it out*!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[cantatrix05.livejournal.com]

OK, I'm trying to read it but stupid ff.net is too busy to let me in! *mutter curses under breath* I'll keep checking.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, keep trying---it turned out really well (I think) and I can't wait to hear your opinion.

[gypsyjolie.livejournal.com]

CONGRATS on Chapter 65. Sadly, I am still on liek 43, and haven't had time to read fanfic for three weeks. man, getting back with a boyfriend seriously cuts into my online time!

And that's sweet that you want to make a happy post. I missed out last time, so you'd better write something about me this time! :) *looks non-threatening* Hmmm, I wonder when I started my LJ? I'll have to go check.

Yesterday was my 6th year anniversary at this job/in Madison. My how the time has flown!!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I didn't say anything about the RL friends...nearly all of you are friends-only. This time I will say something about you! Absolutely! :)

Congratulations on six years in Wisconsin!

[aramintasnape.livejournal.com]

Great! Something for my reading list this weekend!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Go reading list!