The One Where Ray's Gonna Be in a Band One Day and Brad's a Computer Geek
Brad/Ray highschool AU
PG-13 for Ray's potty mouth
509 words
a/n: and now for something completely different?
( where it began )

Before you comment to the newsletter, please make sure you have read the comm userinfo carefully [here].

News
Spoilerfree News Roundup at spnfencentral

Challenges
Challenge 174 open at jensenstillness

New Communities
samdeanexchange
spn_fs_exchange
spn_women

Fanfic: Sam/Dean
Forever Bound 4/? by feather_touch (NC-17)
You're The Last To Ask (For Help) by stangerine88 (R)
walked all night with their shoes full of blood by paxlux (NC-17)
Everytime by truthwritaslies (NC-17)
Let It Ring by lavendergaia (NC-17)
Brothers Don't Want 4/4 by devienta (NC-17)
Your Hands Remake Me by loolookitty (NC-17)
Of Castles and Princes 1/? by xancrish (PG-13)

Fanfic: Other Slash
Station Break by feldspar2 (Dean/Castiel, PG)
So Near, And Yet So Far by cordeliadelayne (Castiel/Gabriel, G)

Fanfic: Gen
Touch Lightly Lest I Break by authoressnebula (R)
Where Ask is Have, Where Seek is find by ariadnes_string (PG)
Nothing Man by zuben_eschamali (R)
On your shoulder by dotfic (PG)
Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree by bellatemple (PG-13)

Fanfic: Het
Your Sorrow for Another Coin 6/10 by elanurel (John/OFC, Dean/OFC, NC-17)

Fanfic: Other
Good Country People 4/31 by silverruffian (Lee Bender/Sheep, R)
The Incarnadine Demand 3/13 by toreadore_rose (Dexter crossover, Sam Winchester/Dexter Morgan, Dean Winchester/Debra Morgan, Dean Winchester/Brian Moser, NC-17)
We Became Fans of Collisions by wandersfound (Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jess, NC-17)
The Bright Lights of Disturbia 42/52 by leonidaslion (Sam/Dean, Dean/OCs, Sam/Jess, Sam/Sarah, NC-17)
Givers of Isolation 11/? by zooeyrye (Dean/Castiel, Ruby/Sam, John/Mary, PG-13)
Time Flies, Time Dies by dramaqueen469 (Sam/Dean, Dean/Lisa, R)

Fanfic: RPF
Touching Makes You Understand Chapter 3/? by ilikecrystals (Jared/Jensen, R)
The Way We Are 3/? by moodwriter (Jared/Jensen, R)
Jared Padalecki and the Mystery of the Egyptian Mummy 15/18, 16/18, and 17/18 by hunters_retreat (Jared/Jensen, R)
Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe by dragonspell (Jared/Jensen, NC-17)
Mr. Padalecki and the Sheriff 3/? by krebsbach (Jared/Jensen, Chris Kane/Steve Carlson, NC-17)
he makes my heart beat faster by enablelove (Jared/Jensen, PG)
Resistance 6/10 by rocknrollrodeo1 (Jared/Jensen, NC-17)
Seven Sleepless Nights 7/7 by me_olvidaras (Jared/Jensen, NC-17)
Play Misty for Me 12/? by jenshih_blue (Jared/Jensen, Jared/Misha, NC-17)

Recs
Fic recs at spngenlove
Fic recs at sawedoff_recs
Fic recs at rec_hymenated
Fic recs at spnroundtable
Fic recs at crack_impala
Fic recs by amothea
Fic recs at spn_themes

Icons
28 SPN icons by red_handed
82 SPN icons by turquoisetumult
18 Jared, 19 Jensen, 10 J2, 1 Jared and Chad, and 1 Jared and JDM, and 5 SPN icons by petiteloutre
2 SPN and 7 Changing Channel icons by fullonswayzeed
5 Jared, 2 Jared and Katie, and 4 Jared and Jensen icons by breannaa
91 Changing Channel icons by awakencordy
74 Changing Channel icons by kira_bouviea
34 Changing Channel, 18 SPN, 5 Jared and Jensen, and 38 Gag Reel icons by radioprecious
44 SPN icons by all_at_once
49 SPN icons by nito_punk
60 SPN icons by mysticwaters
49 SPN icons by rupertgsnum1fan
38 Changing Channel icons by talulababy
33 SPN icons by isis2015

Fanart
1 SPN and 1 J2 wallpaper by galathea_snb
3 SPN headers, 1 SPN wallpaper, and 1 Jensen wallpaper by savedean
The Garrison by acerbus_instar (G)
Pretty-boy Angel by xterm (G)
1 Changing Channel wallpaper by liangmin
8 animations of Dean in Changing Channel by inule4ka

Screencaps/Pictures
Changing Channels caps by sky_angel22
HD Logo-free Changing Channel caps by tonicangel

Multimedia
Fandom Wank Report: The Book of Enoch by gigglingkat
Changing Channel ringtones by keepaofthecheez
Podfic by sly_hostetter of Smooth Away the Pain by paxlux (Sam/Dean, PG-13)

Vids
A whole new world by starry_sky247
And His Love Will Conquer by unholygrace
S.E.X. by risenshine22 (Sam/Female Characters, Dean/Female Characters)
Rebellion (Lies, lies) by mithborien (Sam/Dean)
Protège-moi by secretlytodream

Meta
About 5x08 + What Quotes Actually Meant by awakencordy
Angels V2.0. And you thought VISTA was a pain in the ass to fix (spoilers for Changing Channels)... by dodger_winslow

Miscellaneous
The "Kripke Started It" Changing Channels Free For All Meme by clex_monkie89

Made a movie! Now I just have to learn Avid and AfterEffects. But I can do that, right? I can totally do that.

Unrelatedly, my roommate has a wall-decoration-thing, sort of like a plate but it goes on a wall, idk, depicting L.

She has placed it next to the light switch.

God I love art school.

I CANNOT PHYSICALLY BELIEVE IT.


Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives on Saturday night passed a sweeping health care bill bya vote of 220-215.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/07/health.care/index.html

here@hookerfromgod

I AM MAKING A MOVIE TODAY oh man butterflies. I have never done this before! But I am in a film class and we have to actually produce the scripts we write, so. Admittedly I deliberately wrote something that could be filmed in an area right next to the film building with characters who could very easily be played by my friends in a situation that is pretty much just the two of them talking and standing still, and it's only three and a half pages long, so it will not take very long to film, but there is still equipment and professional things and I am very very grateful a couple guys from the class really liked my script and volunteered to help me out. Did you know directors aren't supposed to operate the cameras themselves? I did not know that. Pretty much I do not know anything. I AM A WRITER, OKAY, NOBODY TOLD ME THESE THINGS AND I FEAR TECHNOLOGY THAT IS NOT A COMPUTER OR GAME SYSTEM. I am a little bit terrified the whole class will realize this and look down on me for not being one of them. Also I will probably have to say that the cover of the manga I'm using is totally fake, really, my artistically-skilled roommate made it for me, I definitely did not take the dust jacket off an actual manga and slip it over another to make it look like a separate thing because said roommate may have been unable to complete the fake one. Definitely I did not!

This is practical experience. I must remind myself of that. Practical experience I am hoping to never have to do again after graduation. But then, the majority of my classes are like that, so it is not really something I can avoid. (I pity the Sound Design majors who still have to take Drawing I and 2-D Design--I barely scraped through those and I'm vaguely familiar with the work, I can't imagine what it's like for people who have never been interested in that sort of thing at all.)

Deep breaths, deep breaths. It will be over relatively quickly! And then I'll probably have to help out the guys with their own film, but hey, they will know by then not to expect me to be good at much besides holding the boom mike.

"Looking for a sweet, soothing tale to waft you toward dreamland? Look somewhere else."

It seems like there aren't as many stories based on fairy tales, legends and lore in fandom these days, but I love the darker side of fantasy-- Brothers Grimm instead of Disney. Most of these recs are from the first three seasons of the show, but they have stuck in my mind and I find myself going back to them again-- wanting to share them with my friends, pass them along, just like the storytellers of the Grimms' time did.


( Pagan Gods and Fairy Tales )

Please post links to your own episode reviews/recaps for last night's episode 5.08- HERE. Episode reactions are no longer coded on the newsletter.

PLEASE BE AWARE THERE ARE A GOOD AMOUNT OF FICS AND POSTS TODAY WITH SPOILERS TO LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE. PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS OF SPOILER WARNINGS.

Before you comment to the newsletter, please make sure you have read the comm userinfo carefully [here].

News
Promo for 5.09 at supernatural_tv [SPOILERS]
5.08 Ratings posted by agt_spooky
Misha Interview posted by tracy_loo_who [SPOILERS]
Daily spoiler free news at spnfencentral

Challenges
Name That Cap Challenge 2 - Day 33 by raloria
Challenge 08- Episode 5x08 Challenge at spn_header_con
Challenge 177 voting at jared_stillness
Challenge 178- 5.04 The End at jared_stillness

New Communities
castielgabriel

Fanfic: Sam/Dean
Desideratum by velvetine01 (R)
Brothers Don't Want 3/4 by devienta (R)
A year with out Music 26/? 27/? by sam_dean_fetish (NC-17)
In It for the Hands by rockstarpeach (Adult)
Forced Entry 10/11 by virtualpersonal & cha (NC-17)
There's Something About Dean by huntress69 (NC-17)

Fanfic: Other Slash
Account me Sam by tigriswolf (PG; Michael/Lucifer, Castiel/Dean, Dean/Sam, Michael/Castiel, Lucifer/Castiel) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
Awkward by electricalgwen (NC-17; Sam/OMC)
Clocks by not_refined(PG-13; Dean/Castiel)
You Are So Bootiful (To Me) by so_pseudogoth (PG; Dean/Castiel)
Blood by rockstarpeach (R; Dean/Castiel)
Beautiful by rockstarpeach (PG; Dean/Castiel)
Back Seats Are For Angels Only by sparseparsley (PG-13; Dean/Castiel) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
For the Time Being by annundriel (PG; Dean/Castiel)
vanquish The Unrighteous 9/? by kitty_alex (PG-13; Dean/Castiel)
Let me cut your cake with my knife by ru_salki99 (PG-13; Dean/Castiel) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
Sunday Dinner by oso_intricate (PG-13; Dean/Castiel) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
Hey, Give Me Back My Reality! 1/5 by oh_whimsical (PG-13; Dean/Castiel) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]

Fanfic: Gen
Goodbye Grey Sky, Hello Blue by sylvanwitch (PG) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
Walking on Unsteady Ground 2/30 by pedal_blur (PG-13)
Vivisection of the Soul by faege (G)
Stupid People by maychorian(PG-13)
2:50 by ficwriter1966 (G)
Adventures of Castiel and Gabriel by spuffy_girl (PG) [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
Puzzled Out by like_a_raven (PG)

Fanfic: Het
Like Good Old Times by wildcardbitches (NC-17; Ruby/Dean)
A Hundred Years to a Steadfast Heart by sothereyougo (PG; Sam/OFC)

Fanfic: Other
My Heart, Your Hands by quiet_rebel (NC-17; Dean/Jo/John)
Theory is Great but the Math Sucks by bjwolfs_playpen (R; Iron Man crossover; Tony Stark/Dean)
Days of Future Passed 1/2 by strangevisitor7 (PG; Smallville & Highlander crossover)
The Bookshop [7/?] by shirozora (PG-13; Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jess)
We Became Fans of Collisions (4/4) by wandersfound (NC-17; Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jess)

Fanfic: RPF
Would You (Go Out With Me?) by surevesta (PG; Jared/Jensen)
Force of Nature 4/? 5/? by garvaldmains (NC-17; Jared/Jensen)
Play Misty for Me 11/? b jenshih_blue (NC-17; Jared/Jensen, Jared/Misha)
The Winchester Identity 35/36 by zuben_eschamali (NC-17; Jared/Jensen)
Resistance [6/10] by rocknrollrodeo1 (NC-17; Jared/Jensen)
Animal Crackers by annie_46 (NC-17; Jensen/Jared/others)
he makes my heart beat faster by enablelove (PG; Jared/Jensen)
Trinity Summer 5/? by amtamburo (NC-17; Jared/Jensen, Chad Michael Murray/Matt Czuchry, Chris Kane/Steve Carlson, Tom Welling/Mike Rosenbaum)
Mr. Padalecki and the Sheriff 2/? by krebsbach (NC-17; Jared/Jensen)
the lights and buzz by _mournthewicked (NC-17; Jared/Jensen)

Recs
Het & Other Slash Recs at crack_impala
Long fic recs at sawedoff_recs
Vids/Art/Icons/Misc Recs at crack_impala
dark!Jared fic recs at sawedoff_recs
Art/Multimedia recs at rec_hymenated
Fic recs by ou_peachus
Humor recs at spngenlove

Icons
5 Supernatural icons by x_cursive
49 icons and 3 headers"> by nito_punk
11 icons by jokermary
53 5.08 icons by hellybongo

Fanart
12 x 5.07 animations by meg_tdj
23 x 5.08 animations by curlytoot
Crying!Dean/Sam manip by aic67
Let go by dampfnudl (NC-17; Sam/Dean) [NSFW]
Dean and Cas At The End of the World by clownfrogg (G)
2 icons and manips by rach_lin_ackles
Castiel art by sos_your_face
doodle dump by spacefragments

Screencaps/Pictures
5.08 Screencaps by marishna
5.08 Screencaps by potthead
5.08 Screencaps by oxoniensis
5.08 picspam by moondropz
5.08 Logo free screencaps by cybel

Multimedia
Fanmix: Punk is not dead (but we are, baby) by amechiro (PG-13; Dean/Castiel)
Fanmix: Apparitions of your soul by kijikun (R; Dean/Castiel)
Fanmix: A Salute To The SPN Support Players by huntress69

Vids
5.08 recap vid by jaylan121

Meta
5.08 Meta by dotfic
5.08 Meta by dodger_winslow
5.08 Meta by smilla02
5.08 Meta by drvsilla
5.08 Meta by yourlibrarian
Supernatural Chakras Meta by meret

Miscellaneous
Postcards for 100th episode campaign posted by ldyghstwhisprer
5.08 theme song posted by sarah_p [SPOILERS FOR 5.08]
TVGuide.com Watercooler review of 5.08 posted by agt_spooky
TV Guide Asks: What Is Your Favorite Show of the Year? posted by soonafter
Dean-focused hurt/comfort fic challenge at sickdean
Spn women ficathon by spn_women
Buddy tv's 8 things to look for in 5.08 posted at spnfencentral
Challenge 11 reminder at mishastills

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/11/final-reminder-for-bookshops.html

A quick reminder (as I was just asked) that today is the day that the bookshop Graveyard Book party reports have to be in to Harper Collins. By 9 pm PST.

http://files.harpercollins.com/Mktg/HarperChildrens/PDF/GraveyardContest_rules.pdf are the rules and info for those who lost them.

Hi Mr. Gaiman,

I was disappointed today to read you won't be part of the judging for The Graveyard Book contests. My not-wealthy, middle-of-nowhere bookstore just sent in its entry, and something we're concerned about is the fairness of judging.

For example, independent bookstores like Powell's (I'm sure you know) easily have enough money and are in a convenient enough location to ask you to come at one time or another. Against stores like that, who were able to put more money into their parties, we stand little chance.

I don't think that it's a lost cause for us; we were very creative. I'm just nervous to know you won't be judging. Can you tell me whether you think the judges will take things like size and location of bookstores into account? It would make me sleep a little easier until the results are announced.

Tusen takk,
Allison

Well, per the rules, the judging is based on:

(i) Overall creativity of the Party, as demonstrated by the invitations, signage, decorations, activities, entertainment, and refreshments.
(ii) Customer attendance and response (i.e., enthusiasm, costumes, participation).
(iii) Ability to capture and represent the spirit of The Graveyard Book.
...specifically to reward creativity, and not the ability to outspend other shops. (That was also why the party had to actually be at the bookshop, and not at another location.)

I asked my editor, Elise Howard, and she said,

Gosh, yes. Here's what we think is happening. We are looking at all the entries. On Monday, we'll send you the best 11, from which you will choose the Grand Prize Winner. The rest will get the first-prize package. So the short answer is that you ARE helping to choose.

The longer answer is that we will be very fair and will consider creativity, which includes work done with available resources, along with pure execution. (Don't you think? We haven't done anything yet; still waiting for more entries to come in.)

...which means that

a) I was wrong and will be the ultimate judge, from the shortlist. (Damn.)

and

b) everyone's on a level playing field.

Does that help reassure you?

PS -- Widgett's Graveyard Book Dessert competition winners have been announced over at http://www.needcoffee.com/2009/11/06/graveyard-book-dessert-challenge-winners/.

This one had NOTHING to do with me at all. But lor' the winning desserts look tasty...

--I kind of wish I had another Kuroshitsuji icon, but I only have the one I made in a fit of slightly disturbed amusement, so. For various reasons, I ended up reading the actual manga last night, since I'd heard the anime deviated quite a bit in terms of plot due to actually needing an ending (the manga is ongoing), and it is times like these when I really desperately wish I knew people on the internet who are interested in things I do not talk about very often, because oh man the manga gets crazy and actually really depressing but in a really awesome way--I am 100% behind giving characters extra, er, characterization, and I've come to the realization that Ciel is actually my favorite because there's just so much potential for layers upon layers of deep-set Issues and in the manga the Issues get to come out and play and it is awesome but also depressing as hell and awesome. Also Sebastian does some stuff, I guess, but the things he does do not involve much in the way of revealing previously-uncertain aspects of his character. Sebastian is kind of boring like that sometimes.

He did get to mutter "Serving tea is kind of my thing," though. Given how formally he usually speaks, that line is a thing of beauty.

 ( This might become a trend, jsyk )

12095 / 50000 words. 24% done!


YAY! The goal for... tomorrow, actually, is 11600 (and something), so I won't kill myself if this shitty shitty day proceeds on its certain path of shittiness and kills my writing for the day present.

Also, graphic goodies by sarabakanashimi:



( I ♥ stamps )


The lovely stamps are awards for the intermediate goals on our comm nanowrimo_ita: 5,000 words in 2 days and 10,000 words in 5 days, so far. More to come! *is happy*

OMG, how awesome was last night's episode of Supernatural?

( cut for spoilers )

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/11/note-to-self-nights-are-for-sleeping.html

Still trying to get back onto a diurnal schedule. (And, I should add, failing.)
And, of course, although I posted it before, it bears repeating that you can watch the film that Steven-Charles Jaffe made of the "Dark and Silly Night" comic Gahan and I did for art spiegelman and Francoise Mouly's Little Lit at the New Yorker site, or here:



And if I'd been here for Hallowe'en I would have posted it here then. Which reminds me, The Graveyard Book party season is over. Over thirty independent bookshops had Graveyard Book parties (The ABA's Bookselling This Week reports on thirteen of the parties -- and the shops -- at http://news.bookweb.org/7149.html.) The very best one of all will get me in their shop doing a signing in December and, looking at these thirteen, I am very glad I am not any kind of a judge for the awards.

My only hope is that the shop that wins will be somewhere warm. But most of the places on the party map will be just as cold by December as my house. (Vague and only climate-based relief that HarperCollins said No to Alaska in the rules mingles with vague and selfish disappointment that they also said No to Hawaii.)

It looks like the CBS Sunday Morning profile on me is going out this Sunday, the 8th, 9:00-10:30 AM, ET. According to this website:

Correspondent Serena Altschul visits author Neil Gaiman -- the tender-hearted master of the macabre -- whose books, including Coraline and The Graveyard Book have topped best-seller lists for 25 years.

.. which left me wanting to go "I am NOT a tender-hearted master of the macabre, I am in fact VERY SCARY INDEED," but I suspect I would convince nobody.

Thrilled to see that Odd and the Frost Giants was listed as one of Amazon.com's Best Books of 2009. While I was in China The Graveyard Book was listed as one of the ALA's teens top ten for 2009 as well, an award voted on by over 11,000 teens. (And I made it onto the list with lots of other good people.)

Also, Fragile Things was awarded the French 2010 Les Grands Prix de l’Imaginaire Award for translated short fiction. My thanks to the judges, but mostly to the translator, who in this case is the incredibly talented Michel Pagel. If I ever look good, do well, sell books or am popular in a foreign country, it's because of the translators, and they never get enough thanks or acclaim. And I think I'll post the cover here, because I never have.

You're welcome. I think this link has everything for sale in the auction: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/scrawldog/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686