So, I'm up at a ridiculous hour this morning...

Because the poor Hubby had a 5:15am showup time for work. And this one is a four-day trip. At least he gets home early on Sunday?

Had a v. productive meeting with the Writing Buddy yesterday. I was still hunting for something for not!Harmony to have for Herself rather than Her Man and the Wreckage of His Psyche. My (published) Mom suggested photography. I noodled that around and decided it didn't really work for the plot--really, how to incorporate that so it actually slides in? So, I thought about drawing instead, because you can do that anywhere, anywhen; all you need is a pencil and a something to draw on. And I thought of a funny character moment to go with it as well.

And then my Writing Buddy suggested "storyboarding."

Because, see, she's an actress, but maybe she's got ambitions to do stuff behind the cameras as well. And if she's going along and kind of sketching out the events as they happen, maybe someone will look at what she's got there and have a Eureka Moment. Or something. I haven't quite figured that part out yet, but it's something I can give her that's All Hers. So, yay. Now I just have to go through and stick that in and have it make actual sense.

But, you know, if I can write a straight romance and then slide lycanthropy into it, this should be a walk in the park, right?

So, I'm up at a ridiculous hour this morning...

Because the poor Hubby had a 5:15am showup time for work. And this one is a four-day trip. At least he gets home early on Sunday?

Had a v. productive meeting with the Writing Buddy yesterday. I was still hunting for something for not!Harmony to have for Herself rather than Her Man and the Wreckage of His Psyche. My (published) Mom suggested photography. I noodled that around and decided it didn't really work for the plot--really, how to incorporate that so it actually slides in? So, I thought about drawing instead, because you can do that anywhere, anywhen; all you need is a pencil and a something to draw on. And I thought of a funny character moment to go with it as well.

And then my Writing Buddy suggested "storyboarding."

Because, see, she's an actress, but maybe she's got ambitions to do stuff behind the cameras as well. And if she's going along and kind of sketching out the events as they happen, maybe someone will look at what she's got there and have a Eureka Moment. Or something. I haven't quite figured that part out yet, but it's something I can give her that's All Hers. So, yay. Now I just have to go through and stick that in and have it make actual sense.

But, you know, if I can write a straight romance and then slide lycanthropy into it, this should be a walk in the park, right?

Huh.

So, I was poking through previous entries, and the whole "should not!Harry be allowed to carry a gun because of the whole PTSD thing" issue continued to bug.

So, I looked again. And this time, Google was my Very Good Friend. Because it led me to this:

California Firearms Laws.

And, on page 30, I found what I was looking for. Specifically:

No person who is receiving inpatient treatment because he or she is a danger to self or others may have in his or her possession or under his or her custody, or control, nor may he or she purchase or receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearm. This applies even though the person has consented to the treatment. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 8100.)

No person who communicates to a licensed psychotherapist a serious threat of physical violence against a victim may purchase, possess, control, or have custody of any firearms for a period of six months after the threat is reported to a local law enforcement agency. Attempts to purchase, possess, or control firearms are also prohibited. Persons prohibited under this section may petition a court for restoration of firearms privileges. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 8100(b).)

No person adjudicated by a court of any state to be (a) a danger to others as a result of mental disorder or mental illness, or (b) a mentally disordered sex offender shall have in his or her possession, custody, or control any firearm. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 8103(a).)

So, I bolded the parts I think are relevant to not!Harry's particular case, and I think he's all right, legally speaking. It's entirely possible that he's communicated to a licensed psychotherapist that he's a danger to himself, sometime, but it's interesting that that part of the statute doesn't say anything about someone being a danger to himself--it's only if a person is receiving inpatient care because he's a danger to himself that the law applies.

Little details, man... Because if you get the little things like firearms laws right, then your readers will trust you with big things like, say...nanotech that creates werewolves.

Huh.

So, I was poking through previous entries, and the whole "should not!Harry be allowed to carry a gun because of the whole PTSD thing" issue continued to bug.

So, I looked again. And this time, Google was my Very Good Friend. Because it led me to this:

California Firearms Laws.

And, on page 30, I found what I was looking for. Specifically:

No person who is receiving inpatient treatment because he or she is a danger to self or others may have in his or her possession or under his or her custody, or control, nor may he or she purchase or receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearm. This applies even though the person has consented to the treatment. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 8100.)

No person who communicates to a licensed psychotherapist a serious threat of physical violence against a victim may purchase, possess, control, or have custody of any firearms for a period of six months after the threat is reported to a local law enforcement agency. Attempts to purchase, possess, or control firearms are also prohibited. Persons prohibited under this section may petition a court for restoration of firearms privileges. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 8100(b).)

No person adjudicated by a court of any state to be (a) a danger to others as a result of mental disorder or mental illness, or (b) a mentally disordered sex offender shall have in his or her possession, custody, or control any firearm. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 8103(a).)

So, I bolded the parts I think are relevant to not!Harry's particular case, and I think he's all right, legally speaking. It's entirely possible that he's communicated to a licensed psychotherapist that he's a danger to himself, sometime, but it's interesting that that part of the statute doesn't say anything about someone being a danger to himself--it's only if a person is receiving inpatient care because he's a danger to himself that the law applies.

Little details, man... Because if you get the little things like firearms laws right, then your readers will trust you with big things like, say...nanotech that creates werewolves.

*laughs evilly while twisting the knife*

So. I'm doing (yet another) editing pass, and I get to the part where the bad guys have not!Harry. Strapped to a table, down three pints of blood. No chance of rescue, like, at all--Sekrit Underground Lair territory. The Head Bad Guy is pissed at him anyway, because not!Harry killed his nephew (with good reason, not that the Head Bad Guy cares about his reasons).

Original line: "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

This is...a good line. I like it. It gets the job done. However.

New line: "When are you going to kill me?"

Better line. Straighter and much more to the point. There's no "is there any chance I'm going to get out of this alive" here, because, well...there's not. And not!Harry isn't stupid, so he knows this.

I don't just like the new line, I adore the new line. Because way to make the Lady!Doc even more uncomfortable than she already is with the situation.

You know, I'd stop doing editing passes if the thing didn't keep getting better and better every time I did one.

I haven't even put in the Artist!not!Harmony part yet.

*laughs evilly while twisting the knife*

So. I'm doing (yet another) editing pass, and I get to the part where the bad guys have not!Harry. Strapped to a table, down three pints of blood. No chance of rescue, like, at all--Sekrit Underground Lair territory. The Head Bad Guy is pissed at him anyway, because not!Harry killed his nephew (with good reason, not that the Head Bad Guy cares about his reasons).

Original line: "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

This is...a good line. I like it. It gets the job done. However.

New line: "When are you going to kill me?"

Better line. Straighter and much more to the point. There's no "is there any chance I'm going to get out of this alive" here, because, well...there's not. And not!Harry isn't stupid, so he knows this.

I don't just like the new line, I adore the new line. Because way to make the Lady!Doc even more uncomfortable than she already is with the situation.

You know, I'd stop doing editing passes if the thing didn't keep getting better and better every time I did one.

I haven't even put in the Artist!not!Harmony part yet.

Oh, hey.

I just got an email from Joni Labaqui at Writers of the Future.

The Faerie Show Fic has garnered yet another Honorable Mention. Keep in mind that this is the story I subbed because my record-keeping apparently went out the window, so it was subbed twice in a row. And received an Honorable Mention then too.

At least their judging is consistent? And this makes six. I'm not sure I should actually count this one, because two for the same story is... yeah.

And there's a friend of mine on one of the Honorable Mentions list. I...should touch bases with him. I wonder what I did with his card. Also, it seems to me that I should know one of the guys on the Finalist list, but I can't put a face to the name. Maybe I've just seen the name on the WotF blog before.

And now I guess I'm free to sub it elsewhere. *eyes list* Already have something at the next two places on it, but the third one is open...

Guess I should, you know, format it properly first.

Oh, hey.

I just got an email from Joni Labaqui at Writers of the Future.

The Faerie Show Fic has garnered yet another Honorable Mention. Keep in mind that this is the story I subbed because my record-keeping apparently went out the window, so it was subbed twice in a row. And received an Honorable Mention then too.

At least their judging is consistent? And this makes six. I'm not sure I should actually count this one, because two for the same story is... yeah.

And there's a friend of mine on one of the Honorable Mentions list. I...should touch bases with him. I wonder what I did with his card. Also, it seems to me that I should know one of the guys on the Finalist list, but I can't put a face to the name. Maybe I've just seen the name on the WotF blog before.

And now I guess I'm free to sub it elsewhere. *eyes list* Already have something at the next two places on it, but the third one is open...

Guess I should, you know, format it properly first.