If you are here reading my profile, you found my first fiction ever, a multi-part future fic/mystery based on Veronica Mars. Probably not the wisest way to go for your first fic!! I worked on it from August 2007 to November 2007, with a month-long hiatus in there to take care of family problems. I wrote it entirely for my own enjoyment, but after a month of writing decided it might not be utter crap, so started looking around for a beta reader (unsuccessfully) hoping to publish online. I gave up on finding a beta reader after a month, and I nervously decided to post here at Fanfiction. I was surprised to get really literate and positive feedback from my readers, and it helped me to finish the fic in record time.
After I posted here, I incorporated a few suggestions and posted the new version at livejournal. I improved the mystery a little, based on suggestions from some of my readers, and fixed a lot of little things (mostly typos) that had escaped my attention and the find-and-replace function on my wordprocessor. The new version has now been posted here at Fanfiction as well. If you encounter any problems with the reedited post, please PM me to let me know right away so I can fix them.
If you find some humor in my writing, I'll be pleased. I didn’t think I could write NC-17, because I think soft R is realistically my comfort zone, but somehow I channeled my inner Logan and pulled it off (sort of). I really enjoyed writing my story; it's been a little homage to the tv show for me. I don't hate Rob Thomas or Kristen Bell, although would a little LoVe have killed them??
I've now added three stand-alone stories and started posting a sequel to my first long fic.
ABOUT ME:
I've been a voracious reader forever, and have read lots of fan fiction over the years, much to the dismay of my snooty family and friends (they just don't get it). I've been a fan of genre tv for a long time. I'd like to try to write for Firefly as well, but the 'verse is intimidating.
Vanessa Galore has been my alter ego for forever. Anyone who really knows me knows Vanessa.
3/7/08 Random note to my readers
I just read an interview of Truman Capote in the Writer's Digest Blog, and it made me think about how lucky I am to have beta-readers and readers who comment on my fics. In the interview, Capote is asked about the value of taking writing classes. He replies:
"...if I were a young writer and convinced of my talent, I could do a lot worse than to attend a really good college workshop—for one reason only. Any writer, and especially the talented writer, needs an audience. The more immediate that audience is, the better for him because it stimulates him in his work; he gets a better view of himself and a running criticism.
"Young writers couldn’t get this even if they were publishing stories all the time. You publish a story and there’s no particular reaction. It’s as though you shot an arrow into the dark. You may get letters from people who like or didn’t like it, or a lot of reviews that really don’t mean anything, but if you are working in close quarters with others who are also interested in writing, and you’ve got an instructor with a good critical sense, there’s a vast stimulation."
When I read this, I immediately thought about how valuable the beta-ing/ commenting process has been for me. I freely admit: I'm writing Veronica Mars fics to learn about writing. I do love the show, and I totally entertain myself with my fics. But I have also discovered that I truly love to write. And it has been amazing, working with my betas; they have been incredibly supportive, but also are sure to let me know when I need to rewrite or redo my efforts.
And I am also so fortunate to have people reading that leave specific comments, so I see how my experiments are working. Sometimes we even get into discussions in the comments sections. That's actually how I got to know kazy, one of my betas, who made a particularly insightful comment on Fanfiction which encouraged me to rewrite a large chunk of YLD Part 1. She kicked my ass! And of course, my other betas, poniesforall and aly88, left comments on almost every chapter of YLD Part 1. It was amazing to watch their reactions as they worked their way through the story. So I just thought I'd mention again, how great it has been to get to know people here on livejournal and fanfiction, and how valuable your comments/ reviews have been for me.
I have to say, I'm a little worried that I will let my loyal readers down. I set myself a difficult task with this latest fic, with basically an impossible plot, and I took some chances that could alienate some readers. I'm truly grateful to anyone who makes it all the way to the end, and if I don't live up to your expectations, please let me know where I went wrong. (Unless it's just that I broke up Mac/Dick-because I'm sorry, I really just wrote that pairing in Part 1 because it made me laugh, and now that I'm trying to be a little more serious, it's not appropriate for the fic. Perhaps I'll write a Mac/Dick story to make it up to you.)
Here's the Capote interview if you're interested. You'll have to replace "•" with "." to make the link work.
http://www•writersdigest•com/writersperspective/PermaLink,guid,8741ac6b-537f-4d52-8041-3baecb125bd4•aspx
LEGAL ISSUES REFERRED TO IN PART 2 OF 'THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY'
First of all, let me make it very clear: I'm not an attorney, so these issues may not be entirely correct in the real world, but I made a sincere and concerted attempt to get them right. If you have any legal knowledge and want to correct me, please feel free to PM me, and (assuming it won't affect the fic mortally) I will fix any problems. I know I have some readers in foreign countries, and the U.S. legal systems has some particular aspects that I am referring to in this fic that might be confusing.
I will be adding to this list as we encounter new and exciting problems in the story!
1) Kidnapping and Aiding/Abetting of Kidnapping are serious crimes; there is no statute of limitations (no limit as to when you can be prosecuted) for them, so Duncan and Veronica are both vulnerable for prosecution for their crimes forever. This is assuming you accept the canon of the show, that Duncan 'kidnapped' his daughter. This is also why the amnesty (forgiveness) deal for Duncan in my fic is so important.
2) Breaking and Entering or Burglary is a lesser crime. In the state of California, there is a three year statute of limitations. There is an interesting twist that applies to 'Veronica Mars': The three year time period is a 'clock' that runs from the time of the crime; however, if you are out of the jurisdiction (as Duncan was), the clock does not run, and only begins to run when you return to the jurisdiction. In my fic, it's been just over three years since Duncan and Veronica broke into the Manning residence. So Veronica is safe from prosecution for this crime, but Duncan is not. Duncan cannot testify about what he witnessed at the Manning house, or he will open himself to prosecution for this crime.
3) Manslaughter or 'accidental' murder that is perpetrated during the commission of a felony, such as a liquor store holdup, is considered Murder in the First Degree, and there is no statute of limitations. So Vinnie Van Lowe can be prosecuted for this crime even twenty-five years later if there is evidence of his involvement. This is why the Fitzpatricks have such a hold on him.
4) Also a summary of how I have solved the quite difficult problem of why Duncan needed to kidnap his daughter and flee the country in the first place:
- Duncan was only 17 at the time (an emancipated minor).
- Celeste threatened to testify in a custody hearing that Duncan's epilepsy was not adequately controlled by medication, and Duncan was likely to hurt his baby. She claimed she wanted to protect Duncan's future.
- Jake agreed to go along with Celeste's plan, at least at first.
- Duncan and Veronica went to an attorney who advised them that Duncan might lose custody of the baby, at least temporarily, due to his being underage, his mother's threatened testimony, and the Mannings' high stature in the community. The attorney also said that Sheriff Lamb's refusal to pursue an investigation into Stewart Manning's abusive treatment of his daughter made the abuse allegations seem desperate and untrue.
- Duncan decided he couldn't take the chance that the Mannings might be awarded temporary or permanent custody.
- Duncan said he was going to take Lilly no matter what, so Veronica reluctantly decides to help him, although (probably) she doesn't think it's the correct solution.
- Later when Aaron Echolls tries to throw blame on Duncan at his trial, Celeste and Jake Kane rethink their strategy and decide to try to help Duncan get amnesty and eventually custody.
Whew! You have no idea how long that took to retcon, and if any real lawyers are reading this, I would like to say: I know Duncan would never have been denied custody in real life, but I'm stuck with canon, and this is the best I can come up with! It ain't easy to reconcile canon with real life. Damn you, writers and your undisciplined research practices! It's www.google.com for chrissakes.
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