happy 4th, everyone!

got any good plans?

here, have a decent america mixtape courtesy of npr (even if the inclusion of "tonight" from west side story baffles me)

So I totally thought today was Wednesday, which is why I didn't post. It didn't dawn on me until just now that it is indeed Thursday night. Oops! Sorry guys!

Anyway... BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. HAVE YOU SEEN IT? THE MOVIE? THE GRAPHIC NOVELS? WHAT DO YOU SAY PRITHEE?

It's that time of year, time for a road trip!!    Please help me put together a playlist of driving tunes.  What is your favorite song to drive to? 

So get inside and "Get your motor running, head out on the highway, looking for adventure, in whatever comes our way..."

As far as fic recs go, please let me direct your attention to the Road Trip segment of our Master Fic List...

Good morning, Campers!

Today we are going to share OUR LIST!

You know, the laminated freebie five who you're allowed to sleep with without repercussions from your significant other.

Is yours laminated and set in stone?  How has your list changed over the years?

I admit that this is going to be a hard one for me.  This CF was inspired by Mrs Cherry Bomb, who talked about someone who was taken off her list because Mr C knows him.  Pshaw!  I don't think that's a rule, Mrs C!

Alternatively, tell us FIVE PEOPLE YOU WOULD LOVE TO MEET, whether they are dead or alive.  I'll admit that this list is much easier for me.

And we like pics of your freebie five too!  Maybe you'll help us bump someone off the list!

THE OPENING SCENE OF OUTLANDER!

ALSO, THIS BIT FROM A DIANA GABALDON INTERVIEW

“When they film the scenes, they shoot them over and over and over, even if it’s a good take and no one messes up their lines, they do it again and again, partly to get coverage, but mostly because the director is looking for something very specific.

We shot the wedding night scene, where they have their first sexual encounter. The first take was fine, as far as I could tell, but the director, Anna Foerster, had them do it over and over again. I was fascinated. I kept thinking, “Why is she doing this?” and then finally I realized she was wearing them out. She got them tired enough that they just cut loose and actually acted like people who had been up all night trying to have sex. When actors are doing this sort of thing — anything that involves what you might call physical choreography, fight scenes, sex scenes, etc. — they have thought it out very carefully ahead of time. They were making the exact same sounds each time, until Foerster brought them to the point of total exhaustion, and then they started making real sounds."

YOUR THOUGHTS?

We here at ADF are a friendly, helpful bunch!

If you have a request for a type of story or a book,
this is your spot.

If you are unsure about something that has to do with ADF,
ask here.

If you have amnesia about a fic,
this is the place to ask about it!

If you are unsure about something that DOES NOT have to do with ADF,
ask here as well!

Diving Deep for Fan Fic Treasures

Each week I will brave the treacherous waters of Fan Fiction for buried treasure. Below are the gems I've found this week!

What a great response for the FIC DIVE of the YEAR VOTING!
As of today we have over 700 votes cast!
Get your vote in by July 9, 2014 @4pm EDT.

Two Blue Lines by Payton79
Bella, a good girl, was dumped by her long-time boyfriend. Edward, a young doctor, is feeling suffocated by his father's plans. Waking up next to a stranger is a shock for a good girl. Seeing the girl of your dreams run out on you the morning after sucks for a nice guy. What if two blue lines will bind the two together for life? What if they can't even remember how they came to be?

I've had this one on my list for a few weeks since the prologue posted.  First chapter started just today.  The writer says very little angst and drama.   Looking forward to more.

Seduction by BellaCullen0187
"Your art will be your prison, your name will hold you there...death won't be your solace, but innocence can dare..." An extraordinary tale of love. And an evil which threatens to take it all.

Interesting writing.  Both E & B struggle with reclusiveness after suffering great losses in their lives.  Edward returns to a family owned mansion that Bella will help restore. 
 

FLASH BACK FIC DIVE:

The Story of Us by SexyLexiCullen
Dr. Edward Cullen came to Port Jervis for a new career little did he know he would find the true love of his life, none other than coworker Bella Swan. What happens when you get everything you could ever want when you never asked for it? AH. Canon couples

If you haven't read one of Lexi's stories, you're missing out.  She takes our Twilight Faves and turns them into her own original characters.  This fic is the first in an epic story that covers generations of E & B's family.  I fell in love with the Cullen Family and couldn't wait to read more.

The Best I Ever Had by WhatsMyNomDePlume
Sex between friends complicates everything. Bella knows this. But she has no idea how much more Edward is going to complicate things.

Sexy funny story. 

Snowed In by eclipsedawn
Bella travels to Alaska to vacation in the cabin Alice loaned her. What happens when Bella finds out she is not the only person staying in the cabin?

E & B end up stranded in a blizzard together.  Don't worry, they'll find a way to keep warm.  :)

I'm thinking we'll vote on our favorite Fic Dives at the end of each month going forward.  Then we'll choose from those winners for the Fic of the Year.  It was a little overwhelming trying to sift through nearly 200 stories to vote, so we'll give this a try.  :)  Thanks again to everyone for the support.  GO VOTE!

AND TELL 'EM YOU FOUND THEM IN THE FIC DIVE!!!  :)

This is the Australian trailer for Outlander --  lots of NEW scenes!!!!   I squeed so loud that my dog thought we had intruders in the front yard and started barking her brains out!

I'm pretty sure Claire's narration is for the trailer only. Enjoy, Sassenachs!!!

The video I originally posted was taken down, but as of this writing, you may still be able to see it here.

Here's a Happy Birthday to all you July Babies

July 1-Bigblueboat

July 4-leesil

July 8-catluck 4994

July 12-st8girl

July 12-nightline

July 14-Lippert1000

July 18- Mydelerium

July 19-ohthecuteness

July 19-owlsarebirdstoo

July 23-ZiggaZigAhh

July 24-KayKay724

July 27-The Offspring

Come in and wish our Campers a very Special Birthday Month

It's not too late to join our fun-if you haven't given me your birthday as of yet, PM me
 

Earlier tonight David Slade tweeted some four years of Eclipse tweets and the photos he tweeted are apparently never before seen images from his scrapbook or something. Figured I would share them here since it's relevant to the community.

I'm sorry I don't know how to make them small. His tweets make me kinda want to watch it again. It's been awhile so my thoughts might be different now but back then I was of two mindsets: I liked this film best because of Riley, and I liked this film least because of them recasting Victoria.

To attempt to make this interactive, what did you think of Eclipse? Any urges to watch it again after seeing these?

And hey, let's throw in an admittedly ridiculous bonus question: If you could get any living director to direct a reboot of this series who would you want to do it? (I am totally betting this will happen eventually)

I've kind of been obsessing about The Consequence of Miracles again.  I couldn't figure out why, but I suspect that it might have something to do with the excitement about Outlander, the release of the latest Outlander book, and all the excitement surrounding Starz upcoming Outlander series (AUGUST 9TH, CAMPERS!!). 

What the H*** does one have to do with the other, you might be asking yourself?!  

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T READ CofM OR OUTLANDER!  You've been warned. 

For one thing, both stories are centered around the fallout associated with the severe abuse of a much loved character, and the effect it has on that character and those who love him.  The circumstances of the abuse are not even close to identical, but some of the major themes are including those of forgiveness, motive, a person's capacity for survival, courage and so on.  Both stories hit me right in the gut and made me FEEL and THINK and that's a hallmark of a d@mn good writer, if you ask me (you didn't? so sorry!).  

Usually as I read, I ask myself questions about why an author did this or had a character say that.  One of the things that I love about this fandom is that we have the opportunity to talk to our authors and peek inside their heads.  So many of you writers have been so awesome in answering our questions and helping us understand elements of your stories!

Diana Gabaldon, god bless her her little heart, does this sometimes.  Today I stumbled across a compilation of posts she wrote on her writer's forum in response to readers' questions about Black Jack Randall and the events at Wentworth.  Some I'd seen before, but many I hadn't.  If I can ever work up the nerve to read the Wentworth scenes again, I've no doubt it will now read a bit differently.  One quote in particular stands out:

(DG is explaining a scene that was horrible but not graphic):

"it _is_ so shocking precisely because we never look straight at it.   Things seen from the corner of the eye are much more frightening than a monster in full view --and by giving the reader only those small, horrid glimpses, you take hold of the most powerful tool any writer has--the reader's imagination." 

This was used to particularly good effect in CofM, imo.  What the author didn't tell us left us to fill in the blanks, and it was horrifying. 

There is a point to all this long-windedness (finally! yes?).  

1)  Do you appreciate insight from an author or would you rather be left to interpret things on your own? 

2)  Do you agree that sometimes the most effective scenes are the ones that leave the reader to draw their own conclusions, or do you prefer a lot of description?

3)  For Outlander fans particularly, if you've read the DG quotes mentioned here, did it change your view on BJR and Wentworth?  If so, was it for better or worse?  Was her explanation pretty much what you'd concluded on your own? 

Born to be Wild

Roll on, Easy Writer

This coming weekend, a lot of us will be getting patriotic
and getting on the road.

Wanna take us along for a ride?

Get your motor running, 'cause we're looking for adventure
in whatever comes our way.

Whether you're steppin' in the wolf or vamp camp, we want your spirit fire.

So don't bogart that whole chapter, my friend - just pass over
a token sample of what you've got on you.

Yeah, Darlin', goin' make it happen. Take our world
to a fanfic place.

Celebrate the freedom to leave a live link to your independent story right here, sunshine.