Stuff, stuff and more stuff!

[starrylizard]

Hehe! Nabbed this link in amireal's LJ. irregular web comic!

In other news I just finished writing yet another crack!fic. I just can't get away from them. This one is a weird-o crossover thing too!

Please go and read ljmckay's latest fic, especially if you've seen the movie Cube (starring the sexy man himself, David Hewlett), or even if you haven't. SGA/Cube crossover = *squee!*...and make her write more! *evil grin* Sorry ljmckay, but now I know that I can egg you on, you'll never be free!

Some real life stuff:
I finally got into some experiments again today. I've just been mulling around reading papers and bringing my cell cultures back up since I got back from holidays, and even though it's only some PCR's, I finally felt like I was getting into things again.

I've arranged a meeting with both my main supervisors next week (yes, I have THREE of them) and told them I want a full war room scenario, with whiteboards, lists and dead-lines. I'm in a complete panic about how in the name of anyone's god/s I am going to finish enough experiments to write up this year. It is truly terrifying! My lab book is a mess and I am yet to write much at all. My main main supervisor has been sort of "nah, don't worry about reading papers and writing and stuff, you can do that later", but now I wish I had listened to other people and not been that way. I have three packed lab books to wade through and many, many failed experiments that I've forgotten about and I'm only just starting my lit review.

*looks in the mirror* Oh, so that's what panic looks like! Nice to know!

*whimpers*

Comments

[lark_ascends]

Bah! We had to write a lit review in first year, by a certain time. Not that it's incredibly complete, but it's at least started.

*huggles*

And I'm betaing the fic, will finish it later tonight..

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

*huggles* back!
I think in theory we were supposed to start a lit review in first year too, but I'm off campus and in general we don't even know what the rules are. Sometimes it works for you and other times...not so much!

Thanks for the beta! You're so good at it. If you ever want me to return the favour, just let me know. I'll happily give it a go.

[lark_ascends]

Even on campus, we have a hard time figuring out the rules.

You're welcome, and I'll keep you in mind.

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

Her fic is so very good, ain't it. :D *claps for your plotbunny capabilities*

And *hugs*. Take deep breath, close your eyes, and breathe. You'll be fine. If you go and get stuck into it. :P

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Her fic is so very good, ain't it. :D *claps for your plotbunny capabilities*
It was fun to egg her on and she caved just like that...*wicked grin* Her dream was just a plot waiting to happen.

You would laugh if you knew how many half-finished fics I have hanging around. *headesk* I'm trying to finish a few of them off at the moment.

*hugs back*
Breathing, yep that's always a good idea. Must remember that. *grin* *breathe in...and out...and in...and out* Much better!

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

You would laugh if you knew how many half-finished fics I have hanging around.

Probably. But I know where you're coming from. I have a fair few ideas that will never get written because they require long plotting. I need someone to help me and keep poking me for plotting fics. The only ones that get completed are short and keep me buzzed with the idea (with the knowledge that it's gonna work).

*breathe in...and out...and in...and out* Much better!

Hee.

[lark_ascends]

*pokes you with a stick*

Feel free to email me about longer fics that need help plotting!

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I will! If When I get some plotty fics.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Yeah I have one fic in particular that started as a prompt for a challenge, then I adapted it to a second challenge to try to make me finish it and now...it's still just hanging around like a bad smell. I'm not even sure I remember the original plotbunny any more. *sigh* Now I tend to keep them short too.

Feel free to send yours my way or discuss plots over LJ posts or email or whatever. I enjoy that sort of thing!

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

It does suck. I remember when I was, oh, 13/14, I managed to write quite a few plotty fics. Some of which werw WIPs and died when I got older.

And sure! I will. You need some help, you can try the same. I'm good with getting other people plot bunnies. :D

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Will do! I'm attempting to go through my half-finished fics and do something with them at the moment, so hopefully you won't regret such an offer. :p

The one I was referring to is a disaster. I think I sent it to Wannatee at one point and she seemed to like it, but I currently think it's getting precariously close to bad!fic...though to be honest I love writing bad!fic, so I can live with that.

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

I probably won't. Or if I do... Oh well. :D I like giving other people plot bunnies cos it means i don't have to write them myself. *lazy*

Hee. Well, bad!fic can be good. But good!fic's even better. :P

[arwen75]

I seem to remember panicking myself around this stage... Of course I was not helped by the fact my final 18 months I was working full-time as a teaching fellow, as well as trying to complete the PhD experiments and write-up. So I had a full teaching load, and I must admit in the last couple of months before I gave my supervisor my final draft I was working 100 hour weeks at times. The security guards at uni. got used to finding me in my office when they came round sometime after 10pm to check that lights were off and doors locked.

As to literature reviews - my field moves so fast that although I had some written from my transfer report I pretty much started again from scratch. However a lot of my background material was originally taken from a research report I had written for an industrial project I had worked on while I was a RA (I worked all through my PhD). The reuslts from the project formed the initial basis of my PhD work and as I ahd written two thirds of the report I was able to use a lot of that to form some of my early chapters.

That said I advise my new PhD students to start off with a lit. review, which they can keep updated as the field moves forward. And I tell them to write-up - at least in draft format as they go along. But that alkl comes form my own bitter experience

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

I know I'm not the only one in this position...in fact my best friend is in a worse state...six months to go and not one word written, though her results are a litle more organised I think. (We both have the same supervisor and she's still doing lab work for him.)

I'm trying to just get organised. I should have done things earlier, but shold've/could've doesn't really cut it, so I really just have to get my butt into gear now...write less fic (gah!), procrastinate less, read more papers and write even if it sounds crap (because at least then it's on paper).

Wow...I don't even demonstrate to earn my keep. I guess I have it kinda cushy compared to you, but I never would have done a PhD if I'd had to work as well. The PhD is work as far as I'm concerned. I wasn't planning on doing one, since I was a research assistant for my current supervisor and happy with it, but some people are just too persuasive...got talked into it. :p

My field is moving along at a cracking pace and I'm really hvaing trouble figuring out what to put into a lit review. I tried to sit down and write heading and sub-headings and even that was really hard. I'm sure I'm missing out lots and lots.

*sigh* Off to 'work' with me now.

[lightz474.livejournal.com]

Oh, cool fic. I'm definitely going to have to read that.

Awww. *hugs you* You can do it but it sounds like you might want to take a couple of hours to get organized.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

It's beta'd (*hugs rinkle*) and I just have to make a few little changes and I'll post it later today or tonight. :D

I think this will take more than a few hours to organise, but I'm gonna do it. *makes pumped up yelling noises* I will overcome! I am powerful, invincible... Teehee! In-vinc-a-ble!