In which Seanan fails at silliness.: seanan

In which Seanan fails at silliness.

It is fairly common for authors, on April Fool's Day, to announce utterly ridiculous projects and pretend that they're seriously writing them, no really and for honestly true. So I thought I'd do that this year.

And then I actually looked at the things I do write, and realized that there was just. No. Point. (Also that there was a good chance any "totally crazy ha ha funny right" idea I put out there would magically turn into the next thing I was actually working on, and I just don't need the extra work.) I mean, these are all real projects:

* Teenage horror movie geek discovers that she is, in fact, a werecoyote, horror movie monsters are real, and a serial-killing grizzly bear with a thing for hunting lycanthrope teens is on her trail.

* Hannah Montana follows Harry Potter into a dark alley, beats him up, and takes all his product endorsements before walking into a wall and developing traumatic amnesia.

* It's a romantic comedy. About jet lag.

* Perky blonde cocktail waitress fights to protect the cryptid and human races from one another using the combined powers of bullets and ballroom dance. Also, talking mice.

* Snarky brunette research geek fights to protect the cryptid and human races from one another using the combined powers of pit traps and punk music. Also, talking mice and traveling carnivals.

* The bastard daughter of Veronica Mars and Jareth the Goblin King decides to use Dante from Clerks as her role model, and wasn't even supposed to be here today.

* Bunny-themed superheroine fights the forces of evil (and corporate marketing) with her army of teddy bears.

* Hitchhiking ghost from the 1940s roams modern America in search of revenge and the perfect cheeseburger.

* It's about politics. And zombies. But mostly politics. Except for the zombies. And everyone's named after George Romero.

* Alien pod-plant with a conscience decides to assist the human rebellion in standing up to the forces of her own invading vegetable race.

I mean, this isn't everything—not by a long shot—but the things that aren't on this list aren't any less silly-sounding. I'm not sure I'm allowed to make an effort to be silly. Near as I can tell, silly just happens.

ayoub

April 1 2010, 14:32:37 UTC 7 years ago

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You could have always said that you were going to write your autobiography...

:)

seanan_mcguire

April 1 2010, 15:01:49 UTC 7 years ago

...my head would e'splode.

professor

April 1 2010, 14:50:29 UTC 7 years ago

Argh.

Now I am playing the matching game with this post and your Current Projects, March 2010 post, and there are still things on this post I'm not recognizing. I've got most of them, but 2 and 10 I am totally lost on.

keristor

April 1 2010, 15:05:04 UTC 7 years ago

You too? I'm stuck on those as well. But I'm certain that I want to read them...

7 years ago

vixyish

markbernstein

April 1 2010, 15:28:18 UTC 7 years ago

I just wanted to note a minor bit of coolness. I'm traveling for work this week (heading home today), and saw A Local Habitation in a place I didn't expect - a little book store in the Houston airport.

April 1 2010, 16:39:30 UTC 7 years ago

SQUEE!!!!!

hooton

April 1 2010, 15:39:46 UTC 7 years ago

Bunny-themed superheroine fights the forces of evil (and corporate marketing) with her army of teddy bears.

I would like to read this. Now.

Hitchhiking ghost from the 1940s roams modern America in search of revenge and the perfect cheeseburger.

And this.

dornbeast

April 1 2010, 16:05:18 UTC 7 years ago

Bunny-themed superheroine:

http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/tag/velveteen%20vs.

Deleted comment

ladyfox7oaks

scifantasy

controuble

April 1 2010, 15:59:26 UTC 7 years ago

You could always claim to be writing a calculus text.

April 1 2010, 16:38:44 UTC 7 years ago

She has that covered, too. Or close enough.

April 1 2010, 16:01:41 UTC 7 years ago

I once set out to prove a ridiculous statement, specifically, "Fighters are useless in Dungeons and Dragons 3.0." This was my response to somebody who was trying to do the same thing for bards by playing a bard as poorly as possible. ("Okay, how do you make a useless fighter...aha! Specialize in shuriken!")

That character ended up as my highest level character, and a disturbingly effective one.

It isn't how silly the idea sounds, it's what you do with it.

April 1 2010, 16:40:29 UTC 7 years ago

Exactly.

kyburg

April 1 2010, 16:39:15 UTC 7 years ago

If you said you were writing a cookbook, I'd ask you if I could help test the recipes.

...

Whaaaaaaat?

April 1 2010, 16:40:40 UTC 7 years ago

A cookbook...

...OF DEATH.

saladofdoom

azurelunatic

tsgeisel

April 1 2010, 17:20:40 UTC 7 years ago

You could have said you were writing the "Great American Novel", about growing up, and full of insight and pith and have no supernatural aspects at all. That this would be the book to get you reviewed by the NYT...

April 1 2010, 20:25:08 UTC 7 years ago

Ooooo, good one.

wendyzski

April 1 2010, 18:09:49 UTC 7 years ago

Jim Butcher once explained that he was online "discussing" which was more important - writing skill or idea. He challenged his most annoying opponent to give him a really bad idea ...no...make it TWO really bad ideas which he would craft into a good story.

He was given "lost roman legion" and "pokemon".

The result was the 6-book 'Furies of Calderon' series.

April 1 2010, 18:42:51 UTC 7 years ago

(O_O) I may have to check that out...

sweetmusic_27

More Expand

martianmooncrab

April 1 2010, 18:54:26 UTC 7 years ago

holding out for singing mice.

April 1 2010, 20:25:28 UTC 7 years ago

They're coming.

April 1 2010, 22:22:02 UTC 7 years ago

Today sounds like a good day for providing Coyote with beer and/or cupcakes, you know?

April 1 2010, 22:27:40 UTC 7 years ago

EVERY day is a good day for THAT.

nolly

April 1 2010, 23:51:39 UTC 7 years ago

Taking over the Left behind series.

April 2 2010, 17:32:35 UTC 7 years ago

AHHHHHH!

You win.

miintikwa

April 2 2010, 00:07:42 UTC 7 years ago

The bastard daughter of Veronica Mars and Jareth the Goblin King decides to use Dante from Clerks as her role model, and wasn't even supposed to be here today.

Read this nao pls?

O.o

April 2 2010, 14:28:28 UTC 7 years ago

Actually, you can. Rosemary and Rue and A Local Habitation, the first two books in the Toby Daye series, are available in bookstores nationwide.

April 2 2010, 17:33:16 UTC 7 years ago

Hee. As long as he didn't get spells, she could take him.

snowcoma

April 2 2010, 17:07:29 UTC 7 years ago

I am so excited for the InCryptid series! The world has earned its place as one of my absolute favorite settings, and everything set there makes me clap my hands in glee.

April 2 2010, 17:33:50 UTC 7 years ago

Me, too. I love that world, and everything about it.

dormouse_in_tea

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In which Seanan fails at silliness.

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