MinervaFan

In the Break Room, if anybody's interested.

*taps foot* And you're not writing fanfic...why????? These are all good suggestions (which I probably won't use, but they're good suggestions). You really should consider writing fanfic, because you have good ideas. And I noticed you did not bring coffee...or chocolate....

Any good Tracy scoops, all ye who findeth the scoops? My brain is going in a thousand directions--most of which led to collapsing early for bed last night (and none of which are condusive to fanfiction). I did get my Minerva McGonagall fic done (1 day before the deadline) at just 46 words over the minimum, so I can scratch "guilt" off my list of reasons not to work on TracyFic. Here are some of the bunnies fighting for supremacy in my head: Tracy and Luke discuss Laura's return (work in progress) Edward suffers a stroke, and Tracy exhausts herself trying to take care of him. Tracy discovers that Edward is not truly her father, and goes in search of the man Lila had an affair with years before. An ecoterrorist kidnaps Edward and Tracy, and forces Edward to choose which one of them gets to live, and who gets to die. Dillon and Luke force Tracy to participate in the Nurses Ball, much to her chagrin. Luke and Tracy get together on New Years Eve--much candlelight and smooching and completely unrealistic romance. Of course, none of them are even remotely strong enough to fight through the malaise in my brain. Anyone with encouragement, tricks to fight writers block, and strong strong coffee is welcome to put your two cents in....

Between you, me, and the lampshade, I would love to see them move Laura into the Qmansion. Are you kidding???? That would be suh-WEET. Tracy would NEVER sit quietly by, and the potential for angst would be through the roof. The very worst thing they could do is NOT put her in the mansion, because that would pull Luke AWAY from the Quartermaines, and thus pull the storyline AWAY from Tracy. The closer Laura is, the closer Tracy is, and the more friction there will be. As mentioned in last night's chat, I can TOTALLY see Edward invited the "dear young thing" to live with them, in the hopes that this will succeed in busting up Tracy and Luke. I relish the idea of Laura in that house, seeing how Luke has lived, how her daughter has lived, the dysfunction Luke has put their family into. I relish the idea of her seeing him interact with the Qs, seeing how far he's slid, what a caricature he's become. I also relish the chance of her seeing him interact with Tracy, and realizing that this is indeed a marriage, despite how much both of them protest. And since Laura is a weak-willed little thing who always runs from a challenge rather than face it, I can see her backing away, either emotionally or physically, deciding Luke is better off with Tracy and that it's too late to fight for him. Or, I can see her trying to reason with Luke, show him that he should go back to her little dream world of enforced domesticity, only to force Luke to face the fact that as much as he loves Laura, he hated life married to her. And then he chooses, freely, to stay with Tracy, who's much more suited to him. (And then Tracy slams him to the curb.) And yes, Smirk, MsQ, ILTQ, and all you other beaches from last night's chat, I KNOW I'm delusional. I LIKE my dream world. Leave me alone, and send chocolate. Lots of chocolate. And Tracy and LUKE are making bubble-bath whoopee on New Year's Eve. I'm telling you it will happen. Viva la LuNacy! ETA: PAGE 155! Gimme somethin' good for starting a new page.....I'm thinking.........CHOCOLATE!

To knh, WORD! I don't see Tracy as losing her spunk so much as maturing and maybe mellowing a bit. She still has the ability to be just as hard-a@@ed as ever, and there is always an edge to her even when she's being kind or supportive. Jane has got that TracyCrust down--no matter how loving Tracy is going to be, it will always have to come through decades of hard, scarred flesh because that's the way Jane plays her. Through the history--this woman knows Tracy better than the writers because she's lived Tracy, and frankly, she plays her like she knows her (unlike the way TIIC sometimes writes her). Frankly, I trust JE never to let Tracy lose her edge, no matter what TIIC put in front of her. And as for her becoming a fake!Laura? Never. Couldn't happen. Jane wouldn't let it, Tony wouldn't let it, no matter WHAT the script said. Even if all she ever did was smile and bake cookies, Tracy would do it with a wicked, arsenic-laced sense of irony. And I wouldn't eat them cookies.... So.There.

I'll be in the Break Room, if anybody's interested. Fey and I thought up some more parts for Jane to play-- Fey came up with Cruella de Ville, which rocked my socks WAY off.... I came up with Weezer from Steel Magnolias and Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard. Keith, I'd also LOVE to see her play a "mature" Elphaba, if such a thing ever existed...... Oh, and if you're ever interested, I got a little bit of interesting background stuff from Wicked from Dana Ivey--nothing juicy, just why she didn't take the part on Broadway.

Anyone for The Break Room?

LaineyBev, ooooohhhhh, the Cherry Jones role in Doubt would definitely be on my list! And "Mrs. Robinson." All of the roles suggested sound like they would be great...I did a lot of thinking, and here's what I came up with: Kitty Warren, from Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession. Dana Ivey had a huge success with it Off-Broadway last year. The play's about an uptight, conservative young woman in the early 1900s who finds out her mother (Kitty Warren) put her through fancy boarding schools by running a string of brothels throughout Europe. Kitty Warren is one of the best roles ever written for a woman over 50, I think. Tough, smart, sexy, pitiful, angry, flirtatious, loving, unapologetic--she pulled herself up from the gutter by choosing "the smart path" instead of the "moral path" and eventually loses her daughter's love and respect for it. If you've never read the play, I'd strongly suggest it. It's on Bartleby.com, and it's one of the finest Shaws out there. Auntie Mame (or at least Vera Charles) in the non-musical version of that play. Jane could chew that role up and spit it out as gold. Jean Brodie (in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). From Maggie Smith to Fiona Shaw, there have been some amazing Brodies. I want Jane to be on that list. The medium from Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. Not a lead role, but pivotal and hilarious. Anyway, that would be my list. Oh, and Tracy was awesome on yesterday's show. She definitely wins GH Mom of the Year for her part in all this--I love the little bit of "don't f**k with my kid" energy she threw out at Edward when he was getting all giddy about Dillon's career choice. She's not going to make the same mistakes she made with Ned, is she? (Thinking about Tracy-Ned fic; thinking I'm avoiding the fic I'm supposed to be working on; thinking it's a stalling tactic.) ETA: It's boring at work--I'm only here half a day, and I'm done with everything I have to do. (And still have 2 hours to get through before I can leave.) LaineyBev, love your avatar. MsQ, do you need a beta for that snippet of fanfic you mentioned on the chat the other night (you sent me the transcript)? Every time I think of Edward and that talk of leather pants, I just think of Nancy Freeman's filk song, "Leather Pants of Evil" and giggle. And yeah, Tracy did see Ned perform, and made a fool of herself in public to boot. I wish wish wish that Tracy's new attitude about motherhood (letting Dillon follow his heart) would translate, at least retroactively, to Ned. Maybe her encouraging him, in her own Tracyesque manner, to go back to his music. I really am feeling ficcish about this, which kills me because I need to write that other story and I know this is my subconscious mind's way of stalling. But I just love me some Tracy-Ned interaction, and wish wish wish our boy would be back on the show. *hugs Ned in absentia*

Went over to Soapzone, and can't wait to see. Please tell me she is being Good!Tracy instead of Stupid!Selfish!Evil!Tracy. Please. I'm feeling much better than I was this morning, but a little Tracy Lurve will definitely improve my mood. Work is boring as hell--would be a good time to work on the story (handwriting in a notebook), but I can't bring myself to do it. I don't know what's causing it-maybe I just don't want to go where I'm going. It's this stupid prompt--Danger. I've started three stories, and all of them tanked. Now Luke and Tracy angst--but I can't get any time to write, and then when I do, I feel bad after writing. Like I want to cry....not dirty or wrong or anything. I miss chatting with ya'll--it's just been such a strange few days. Hopefully, today's episode will make me all cheery and happy, right? ETA: OT: Tracyluvr, I tried to watch The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover many years ago, but just couldn't get through it. The piece was too disturbing for me, and I felt very bad for days after watching what I did see. I love Helen Mirren, and it kills me that she's in at least one movie I will never be able to watch completely. (Well, yeah, there's also Caligula, but...wow, she's done some disturbing movies, hasn't she?) Just a little discussion prompt, as if we need them--what character would you like to see Jane play, either in the movies or on stage? Any character, from any film or movie or book? I'll think about it and post my answer later.

I hate soaps. I already have to deal with clinical depression; now I have that stupid song "Think of Laura" stuck in my head and I want to kill something! (It was L&L's signature song, and they played it as the orderlies rolled Crazy!Laura away from Luke.) I haven't had a chance to play out the Tracy/Luke angst on paper yet (RL intervenes), but their drama is playing itself out on repeat loop in my head without mercy. Tracy should be on today, right? I'm so depressed. I was so high on LuNacy positivity, and now it's crushed. (FWIW, the depression is not caused by Tracy/Luke, but by a chemical imbalance in my brain. Tracy/Luke are just the focus of it right now. Tracy/Luke and the fact that some person on my LJ destroyed my enjoyment of a Saints victory in the Superdome with a single comment.) Tracy should be on today, right? We get Tracy tonight? Pretty Tracy, with at least one dimply smile? Please? Throw us a bone, guys.

I will be in The Break Room for a little while before dinner. My new video, "Shaker Song" is up at YouTube or for download from MegaUpload. Again, not the best, but hopefully it's fun.

Season One was released on March 28, 2006. I checked the scheduled releases, and Season Two is not on the list for the rest of 2006. I didn't watch Knots Landing--I was never much of a soap person, especially night-time soaps. What sort of character did Jane play? Was she a !@#$%^&*], or somebody's victim? Just curious. ETA: OOOHH, that little hussy Judy Trent (Jane's character) had an affair with Gary Ewing! Jane, Jane, Jane....

Okay, we have achieved connectivity! Yup. the secondary line is back in operation and Fey and I now have Internet access again at home. (I am at home on lunch right now.) I'm downloading Nex's new video as I type. Oh, and I just rewatched my Shaker Song video and loathe it immensely, which probably means it's okay. Not great, but okay. Feel free to comment negatively if you must, because I'm just beyond caring at this point. One day, my clip collection and my ambition will match, and these vids will be more than just rehashes of the same old crap I've been doing. But there is much with the Tracy prettiness in this, and the song is kinda peppy, so go ahead and download it once I've gotten it uploaded, please. Tracy and Luke angst on the computer--will try to work on it tonight if I have a chance. I hate that I feel guilty when I make Tracy vulnerable and kind, because that just proves how insidious the anti-TQ propaganda is. Yeah, she does some evil things, but she's not heartless. And even Tracy wouldn't fight a hopeless battle under these circumstances. I think.... Oh, the mind of a writer is a dark and scary place, ya'll. :waggles eyebrows:

Good morning, my lovelies! Well, I'm back at work which means I have a choice--get 20 minutes overtime or spend it on YOU lovely people. Whaddaya think? Here I am. Friday night, a HUGE A$$ storm swept through Kentucky, damaging phone equipment and plunging Fey and me into the darkness of No Cyberspace. Our main phone works, but the secondary line we have for dial-up has no dial tone. We've put in two service issues with the phone company, but they're way backed up. (It could be up, for all I know. We hooked the modem into the main line and are sneaking online during odd hours when people aren't likely to want to use the phone.) I've downloaded all the stories and chat transcripts (I love you, Ms.Q!) to read offline. Oh, to the ladies on Friday (Saturday) night's chat? I liked Kenna's vid better, too. I have a new vid to upload (I'll do it at the college tonight)--it's LuNacy to Manhattan Transfer's version of Shaker Song. I'm still not thrilled with my vids, but I think it's okay. Struggled all weekend to write--and finally landed on Luke/Tracy/Laura angst. Yeah, I swore I wouldn't go there, but something traumatic happened on Saturday night--I saw the scenes of Laura's descent into catatonia. We were watching the "Brenda's Return" edit tape from the same woman where we bought our Luke/Tracy edit tapes. For some reason (and without adequate spoiler warnings, MinervaFan adds with a growl), this woman saw fit to pad the edit tape with the completely-unrelated Laura Goes Crazy storyline. Ya'll are going to hate me. I no longer hate Luke for how he's acting with Tracy. I saw his face. I saw him, and how it all went down. I saw how he spoke to her, how he begged for her, and I understand completely. Luke is freaking terrified. The closer he grows to Tracy, the more terrified he becomes, the more he runs. My guess is that rationally, he knows Tracy would never crack like Laura did, that Tracy would never become that thing Laura became, that Tracy is stronger and tougher and can survive more. But that doesn't do a damn thing for his heart, which couldn't survive it, or his guilt, which is stronger than his resolve. I listened to how he talked to Laura. It's how he talks to Tracy. It was not how he talked to Skye, btw. There is something there that he loses when he flirts with other women, some depth, some intensity that only shows up with her. He loves her, and he feels guilty and afraid and ashamed. It doesn't excuse his treatment of Tracy, or his loser behavior towards his family. It doesn't excuse it at all. But it definitely explains it. So now I'm readjusting my version of LuNacy, and my little GH worldview, and I love LuNacy even more now than ever. I'm certain they're bringing GF to close out this little drama, to shake through to Luke and absolve him of his pain. Whether he has the courage to move on with Tracy, and whether she has grown and evolved enough to forgive him (how could she not--if she only saw him, if she'd only seen his eyes...), remains to be seen. Well. There we go. Gone a weekend, then she comes back and writes a dissertation.

MsQ, I have relatively little time online during the week, especially if Fey has a lot of homework. I sometimes think I post too often on this group.... I think RL just gets in the way for a lot of people, and this is a fun thing that gets put aside until there's more time for...well...fun.... But I will take your poll: Hair Style? Favorite is the one in the bumper pose--honey colored, one length (but slightly layered for body). Short hair from the Gaslighting Storyline is my second to least favorite, topped only by the asymmetrical 90s hair for the worst look she's had. Jacket/Robe? I actually am quite fond of the one she wore in the Maarkam Islands, despite my initial misgivings. I also like her in the blue, because it's a flattering color. Can't think of any hated outfits. "Normal" outfit? Oh, the black business suit she wore in the Infamous Olive Scene. And that black pantsuit she wore when she was begging Sonny for a loan (back in 96) TQ Line/Speech? Girl, she's priceless. Any time she opens her mouth, I just...well, love it. :waggles eyebrows: Acting Partner? I love watching her with TG--they play off each other so well. TR is also fun, in a different way. I don't see the sexual chemistry many of you see, but there is a great rapport. She's also good with JI, SC, and WK, when they have a chance to do something besides throw potshots at her. Scene (Jan. through September 19th)? Oh, damn, babe. It's Olives all the way. Man, oh, man. She was just priceless in that scene--sexy, sulky, lots of pathos and humor and fierce "don't mess with me" energy. She was all over that material, and I'd personally sculpt a Daytime Emmy Award for her based on that scene alone. Anything else?

Short, short post because I have errands to run on lunch. Missing Tracy something fierce. Rewatched Monday's episode--she's not going to be waiting for him when he returns. I have a strong suspicion Luke will return from France to find divorce papers waiting for him. Our girl looks like she's had enough. RE: Warm/Cool/Warm: Did you notice that second "warm" fell in December? After JE's current contract ends? CROSSES FINGERS. RE: Ebil Plot Bunny. I'm not up to the challenge right now. Not sure what I'm going to do for the next prompt, but I assure you--it will be typed neatly and in English. Anything beyond that, I can't make promises. Now, I'm off. Pleeeeaaaasssseeee let TQ be on today.

RIDICULOUS RUMOR COMMENTARY: Jane Elliot was born in 1947, Genie Francis was born in 1962. Tracy would have had to be 15 and pregnant to be Laura's mother. Jane Elliot was born in 1947, Robin Christopher was born in 1965. Skye would have to be Ned's twin sister. More plausible, but terrifying nonetheless. Of course, we're talking soaps here, so anything's possible. Freaky, horrifying, disgusting, ludicrous, and obscenely beyond the realm of all realistic expectations...but possible.

Just checked SZ. No TQ on today. Looks like no Lulu, Dillon, or Georgie. But wheee! Diego's back, and apparently judging Lucky for his drug use. Dude. Mirror a little dusty these days, or are you just delusional enough to think that drug use is worse that sex crimes against minors? We so need a Tracy scene. I know it's only been 48 hours, but I'm in withdrawal already.

Wanna know scary? I watched that show *religiously* every Saturday morning when I was kid. My friend Sherry Ford and I used to play "Electra Woman and DynaGirl" on the bridge near the cattle ranch on weekends (we'd alternate playing "WonderWoman and WonderGirl"). I don't remember "Princess Cleopatra," though. I knew ElectraWoman was on my mom's soap. Oh, those Krofft's Super Show memories. It's a wonder my entire cohort is not in therapy, thanks to Sid and Marty Krofft. Squeeeeee! I can't wait to read it (wondering if it's the one we IMd about.) Ooh, the ficcy goodness you people are sharing! Of course, the EBIL plot bunny Fey gave me is going nowhere. Because, of course, I can write the entire thing in my head, but putting it on paper is...like..HARD...ya know?

You crack me up. I'm so glad you noticed the pajama tops. Thought they were going to go the way of "Dierdre the Hairdresser" in the Edward Goes to Hell fic. I don't think his career change will be medicine. He's going to decide to go into "business," maybe an internship with ELQ. Throw in his lot with the "Evil Quartermaines," now that his infatuation with all things Spencer has been kicked to the curb....Just my Speculation. ETA: Would somebody be a darling and post Scene 3 from Friday's episode? I hesitated too long and now the link no longer works for GHVT. Thank you. Not sure if I want the clips from Monday---ooh, wait. Legs. Um. Monday's clips would be nice, too. BTW, will be in the Break Room for a little while, if anybody's interested.

Wasn't MsQ's story great? I printed it out and read it again (instead of working returns/credits) this morning. I'm just so thrilled at how many writers (come ON, nex4eva, and jooooiiinnnn us!) there are on this group. Oh, and 4xcrazy? I don't know if I responded to the update on Homelands, but I really really liked it! Just a little hint--Fey gave me an UBER plot bunny last night that is so downright evil I must write it. Sorry, MsQ, it will be massively with the angst, but I'm sending you tons of virtual chocolate and virtual Prozac to help you get through. And to all of the writers on this group: here's the deal. MsQuartermaine: If you can't give us more "Oh, Baby" at the moment, shorts like "No Going Back" are more than happily welcome. Your prose is getting so good--I squee at the prospect. Take a break from the woolly mammoth and go play in traffic, literarily speaking. Regency: Stop agonizing over the things and write them. You are terrific--you know it, we know, so come onnnnn...pick a bunny and shoot it. You rock. LaineyBev714: I think "Awakenings" proved that you can write this to our immense pleasure. I really look forward to reading your stories. I want more LuNacy stuff, and I want it to come from you, dangit. x4crazy: I know life is nuts for you now, but losing yourself in your fantasy life is a good thing. More fic, please. We'll send feedback. Promise. Keith: Dude, I know you are out there. I know you have another chapter of "Chances Are" waiting for me, right now, right?? Right?? angel2devil: Beautiful Disaster? Update, huh? Please? Okay, FicMama has spoken. If I missed you, don't think you're off the hook. TracyQ needs must be glorified in song and story, and we are the Bards who will tell the tale. I love you guys--you all rock the freaking Casbah. ETA: Oooh, page 150!!!!! What do I win? What do I win???

OH. MY. GAWD! MsQ, I commented at FF.net, but I totally need to reiterate here. This is, without a doubt, your finest piece of work to date. I'm serious--it's flawless. The narrative, the dialogue (oh, the dialogue is the stuff buttercream frosting fantasies are made of), the pacing, everything. It's amazing. I'm in standing ovation mode, and all you slackers who haven't read it yet need to get off your butts and go read it. *shaking head in amazement* LOVING IT! Wow.

Re Tracy's scenes today: 1. First thing I noticed was the legs. Dudes, I was on FF, missed the beginning and STILL noticed the legs on FF! (Not that my last fic was any indication, but I really like when she wears skirts.) 2. Luke. Luke Luke Luke Luke Luke. Could you Puh-LEASE tell your wife what you're up to? Please? Come on, have a little compassion. Have a little faith. Yeah, I know it builds up your machismo image to have everyone think you're a low-down jackass with no compassion, a guy who calls the wind his home. But if you had any kind of spine, you'd tell this woman what you're up to and let her gear up for what may be coming. Instead, you keep it in, you hide things (from your wife AND your daughter), you let them bear the burden of your silence, then you wonder why everyone is mad at you. Oh, Luke. Luke Luke Luke. 3. I frackin' LOVE Tracy. I love her. She's the most awesome person on that show. I mean, Luke and Lulu are basically squatters in her life, giving nothing, taking taking taking, and she is still classy. She is still generous. She fights for that girl, to protect that girl, to help her even though the kid royally messed with her son. She tries to help Luke, even though he treats her like dirt. Why? Because she's a doormat? No. TQ is no doormat. She just has a sense of right and wrong, of what SHOULD be done, and she's not afraid to stand up for it. She takes it hard on the jaw pretty damned often for what she does, but she still does it. I know people mourn for the Old Tracy, Schemer Tracy, but I really love this incarnation of the character. I love her strength, her tenacity, her decency. I love that she tells it like it is, and that she isn't afraid to do something nasty when the situation warrants it. She isn't toothless, boys and girls. She's wise. She's tough. She's Cerredwyn and Baba Yaga and Morgan Le Fey all wrapped up in one sassy, sexy package. Damn. TIIC don't even have a clue what they've got in this character, do they? ETA: In The Break Room if anybody's interested.

MsQ, I'm learning this whole thing. I just checked SZ, too, and she's on! Three days in a row. Is it Christmas or something??? And it sounds like a LuNacy scene, and a serious one at that. Man, I wish I wish I wish I had time to watch all three of these episodes. I am literally going through before work and watching the Tracy scenes, because I'll go mad if I don't. ETA: Corrected the YouTube tags, per your request. I did that because I saw another video like that, and thought maybe that's the way it needed to be. Thanks.

Okay, my turn to chime in on yesterday's scenes. Granted, I watched them at 7:45 this morning, so my judgement may be cloudy. Scene 2-3 with Luke: I guess I saw the undertones there, but I don't think they were as major as you guys imply. It's just TIIC setting up "conflict" for with GF returns. Yeah, she's upset, yeah she's hurt. She's *always* hurt when he mentions Laura, every single time. It was as evident as early as last year, when she said something to him like, "I thought you were more into the insipid types, like Skye and Laura." As for the sadness, once they moved past the initial farcical aspects of the marriage, all of Luke and Tracy's scenes have had an undertone of sadness, even the "comic" ones. These are two very broken people, fighting against life and each other and their own personal demons. They are sad people, living desparate lives, wearing masks to protect themselves from the storm. When they are together, they recognize it in each other, and whether it's out of fear or self-preservation, they give each other space. They allow each other to be false, to wear masks, because on some level they both understand why those masks are necessary. Whether they will get together before Laura's return, I don't know. I still don't think, legitimately, that Tracy has been pushed far enough, is brave enough or desparate enough, to admit her feelings overtly. And Luke is even less self-aware than she is. So what I can predict, from this group of writers at least, is the following: The moment truth comes, and Luke is spending a hell of a lot of time with Laura. Tracy becomes more and more despondent, perhaps with a little "encouragement" from Edward (see below for more on Edward.) Right before Laura's recovery, Tracy gets drunk (because there's no reason for the writers to be creative when they can get her drunk--again) and spills it to Luke that she loves him, that she's scared, that she is jealous of Laura. Then they go from there, with Luke realizing he's in a situation here. Unless the writers are very dim or very good, I doubt Luke and Tracy will actually "hook up" before Laura's return. I just think the cards will be on the table, probably with Tracy in the vulnerable position, with Luke unsure of what to do now. Now, on to Scene 1: Pod!Edward. Dear, freaking GAWD, I was just staring at that alien creature who looked just like ELQ wondering, who the hell is he and what did he do to Edward? That scene, for Edward, was sooooo OOC as to be scary. I seriously mean it creeped me out. Dillon and Tracy were IC as far as I'm concerned, but Edward? Edward? And then, then, I figured it out. Of COURSE he's being nice to her. Here is an 18 year old girl who got pregnant and went through the trauma of an abortion because of the defective ELQ condoms. She still has enough to levy a lawsuit against the company. She can still nail him and he knows it. So of course he's being nice to her. The baby is no longer an issue, he can no longer fight for it. But he can fight for the only other thing that matters to him--his money. The little thing with Tracy? Didn't get it, didn't want to, and very nervous that he's trying to lull her into a false sense of security. There it is--in a nutshell, my take on yesterday's episode. (Yeah, I know there was a whole other show in there, but I haven't seen it yet.)