Remix Redux

So after sitting around refreshing webpages incessantly for several days waiting, Lotrips Remix 2004 is finally up. If you're me, you click and wait, and then you see which fic of yours was remixed. You tremble and stress and chew on a half-destroyed upper lip, and then you stress some more and think about giving up this writing lark entirely.

Eyes On The Road was the first piece of Lotrips I ever wrote. It came after over two years of not writing regularly... in fact, it's possible I'd never written regularly before, including inside school. There was a challenge, the tiniest of plotbunnies, and then the sort-of drabble that came out of it. I say sort-of because originally it was 104 words rather than exactly 100, but I can't remember if I went back and corrected that. There's phrasing in there that I'm still unsure of and big chunks that I really don't like. And when something's only 100 words long saying that there are big chunks you don't like isn't really being very nice about it.

It was of course the fic chosen for remix, and has become Time Warp. I've never had anything written specifically for me before, there's a sort of warm glowy feeling that comes with reading it. I get the impression I'm supposed to do some feedback now, and coming out of my feedback closet in order to do so is the very least I can do. For the record I really have no idea who the author is. I did have a couple of vague suspicions based on a conversation I read in which somebody mentioned remixing a drabble, but I've found at least one other drabble that got remixed. 'Clueless' is probably the best description of my current state.

It's wonderful. The characterisation is greatly developed and expanded, and wound up exactly as I saw them. Orli's voice - about which it seems obvious to me the piece hinges - is captured perfectly, and a dynamic and animated character has been created. I guess a large part of the original was about leaving it so completely open-ended, and the storyline in the remix is not even close to the fuzzy idea I had in my head when I wrote it. That's cool. Remix version is better than my version in any case. And I love the ending.

The only thing remaining for me to do is to apologise to my remixer for the extremely limited selection of fics I provided to choose from, and for the standard of said fics. There, I'm sorry, and thankyou to whoever wrote Time Warp.

In terms of my own remix... Well, hopefully I'll get attempt 1 finished soon and maybe make up a little bit for what's currently up there.

---

The Best Of The Rest. I'm currently reading through them all, I don't know any authors, I'll update this entry with those that catch my eye as I come to them.

Just A Matter of Time or Five Things That Never Happened in the Wood Household (Remix of Shanalle's When) - elijah/hannah, incest, r.

I'd never read this pairing because to be honest the idea of incest squicks me just a little. But diligently I went off and read the original, and was wowed, and then I came to the remix and doubted it could be as good. It was as good. Once more, I was wowed. Hannah is slightly different in the remix the way I read it, but the showcased scenes work perfectly, especially the third. The details work beautifully, and I have the slightest feeling of unease over whether or not I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lunchbox at some point in my childhood. I'm not saying I'll be off to read this pairing much in the future, but it's certainly opened my eyes to it.

Excerpts from the Chronicle of William, Canon of Newmarsh (Remix of Brenda's Chosen part 1 - Oath) - karl/harry, au, pg.

One thing clear, the original Chosen is a part of the Claimed series, which is one of my favourite fics of all time. I was intrigued to see how on earth somebody would attempt to remix this. It's... amazing. There's not much to say about it, I really think it speaks entirely for itself. The grasp whoever this writer is has upon the language and interpretation is completely awe-inspiring.

Polygonal (Remix of Nova's Geometry) - dominic/orlando, pg13.

Somebody asked me if I wrote this, and that's absolutely the most flattering thing anybody has said to me about writing ever. Dear lord do I wish I wrote this. Afraid not. But it is painfully beautiful and verging on prose-poetry it's got that much in it. Has so many layers I think I could read it over and over and still not pick up on everything in this. The shapes and the ideas and the way the wording fits all this together is just perfect. The only part I'm slightly hesitant about is the ending, but it's entirely possible that I will see the light in regards to that after several iterations of rereading. Just... Go read it. Now. Even if you don't usually read fic.

Twenty-One (Remix of Buffonia's The Lost Boys) - orlando/elijah(/dominic), r.

This fic... I like the way it's put together. Three charming characterisations fitted elegantly into what is a fairly short piece of writing. Read side by side with the original, I particularly like how Orlando was, ahem, handled, the way the limousine window element from the original was worked in. It's just a really nice read and was written by a back-up author, so bow down to that.

Seven Years Bad Luck (Remix of Cee's Custard Pie) - orlando/dominic, pg-pg13.

So I know I said I didn't know any authors, but I think I know this one. I read the first two lines and then there was an omg moment. I don't know why it didn't occur to me that my remixee would also be remixing, but it didn't. I'm not saying who I think wrote this, because that would reveal which one I wrote, but suffice it to say that I have read and reread all the Lotrips that she has written. And the two that I attempted to remix? I could probably quote really quite significant chunks of them to you by memory. I defy anybody to read something by her and not feel the need to reread it, because there is that much crammed in to each and every sentence. So many ideas, so many ideas in words. Having been settled comfortably reading this author for a couple of months now I suppose I must have viewed her writing somewhat complacently. However, I read the first two lines, I fell over with the omg, and proceded to read with jaw dropped as she completely floored me all over again. Once more I say, even if you're not normally a fic reader, good writing is good writing is fucking amazing writing. Go read this. Right now. And if this isn't the author I think it is then I will eat my hat. Yes, my one and only hat.

[Edit]... And of course it's not who I thought it was at all. But I'm not eating my hat, because I am shameless and an unspecified sovereign of dark lies. Tremble before me, and do not make fun of my hat.

Posted by Missiedith at April 22, 2004 8:16 PM | TrackBack