quick HP gloating - spoilers!!!

[rivendellrose]

Don't click this if you haven't finished HBP, or if you want what will potentially be a major plotpoint in the next book to be a surprise... Although, honestly, I think everyone I know who's finished the book has already made this connection.

On the identity of R.A.B. - Was there ever any doubt?

Edit: Now with new Real Life content!

The 'Wicked' fan in me is compelled to point this out, as well as to note that there was a tiny little girl at the museum a few days ago dressed up in the blue checked dress, white shirt, and sparkly red shoes, complete with twin braids. Very cute, even if my inner Elphaba was snickering. ;)

Lastly, I also feel compelled to add voice to the collective sympathy and best wishes for the southern coast. I hope everyone down there is safe and well.

Comments

I want a bibliography ;)

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying they are wrong... but I'm kinda curious to how they KNOW it's him and '"When it was revealed that Regulus was "R.A.B."'. I mean, yes, it's obvious, especially if you're sensitive to how Rowling links name dropping together (something I admire about her plotting style), but was there an interview or something?

What are their sources to PROVE it? Even if I believe it, it's not "revealed" until it comes from the lips of Rowling--or Book 7.

Too much time as a student. I want my sourses cited ;) I poked around a little, and it looks more like a fan site than an "official" sort.

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

So far, they haven't released their source. I'm suspicious as well, but I've been pretty much certain about this ever since I saw the initials, so I'm not too worried.

The Lexicon is a fan site, but it's very supported by Rowling, and normally quite good at weeding out rumors and false information. To the point where she's admitted on a few occasions that she uses it herself for fact-checking and coordination. ;)

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

Hrm. I must have read the bad entries, then. There's something in the FAQ about how Dudley had a Playstation before they were available in the West, and the explanations were stretching it...

I would be happy with it just being a minor continuity error rather than pushing to try to make it happen.

Anyway, not that I don't agree, but they are using strong verbage. They need to give prove or reword some things for me to consider it "true".

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

They try a little too hard to explain things, when in actuality the answer is that Rowling is stupid about continuity and details, yeah.

I totally agree with the strong wording - I was surprised they would be so forward about it without actually having the "Rowling said this in thus and such an interview" that is their usual style. It does kind of make you wonder. If it had been any 'fact' of which I was at all in doubt, I'd have ignored it. And I still could easily be proven completely wrong....

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

I think the Playstation issue is more the site being silly (insistence that the scene took place during X year, though the book was released in a Y year, when the PlayStation would have been readily available... sometimes people just overthink the little things that really don't mean anything), and copy editors are supposed to catch that stuff, too. Yes, editors. Because 4 heads are better than one :D I never want to be as famous as Rowling or Jordan or what-have-you, because I know I'm not perfect, and I'm going to miss things, and I want the publisher to actually take the time to go through and tell me where I'm messing things up, rather than being OMGMUSTRELEASEMAKEMILLIONSNOW.

Even the best of authors (not saying Rowling is) will miss things. (ESPECIALLY in a series.) It's hard to keep hundreds of thousands of words of stories straight, and I don't even know my stories inside and out after 2 or three revisions. And I sure as hell don't want to look at them again after that for a looooong time. (I was spellchecking a novel I wrote earlier this year and it hung on a name, and for the life of me, I STILL don't remember who that character was. Won't until I reread the whole thing again. One of my published acquaintances was talking about how she gets fan mail from people who say they've read her book 20 times. She said, "I read it to revise it. When it came out, I read the book copy once, for the novelty. And I haven't touched it since. Great or not, I don't know how they've read it that many times." (HEAVILY paraphased.))

Wee. Rambling. Just saying. If they ever put up "proof," let me know. It makes my inner-academic feel warm and squishy :)

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Sure it's hard to keep things straight. My problem is basically that of someone who's neurotically compulsive about details like the comparative ages of characters and things like that - honestly, I really should be a continuity editor for how much I hate when people fuck stuff like that up. I don't give a crap that she messed up when the Playstation came out, but when she completely flubs details that she's stated, it just makes me certain that she's making shit up as she goes. Which is great, but dude... just take notes as you write so you know what you've said about a character in previous books, for crying out loud.

And I'm sure you're right that the Playstation thing was a joke, but I've seen them go a bit overboard on stuff that they seemed honest about, too... when you start suggesting time travel as a way to fix continuity errors, you've totally lost me. Just admit it's a mistake.

...And, for the record, if any of her little holes do turn out to have been time travel issues, I'm gonna be so pissed off. I thought it was a deus ex machina in the third book, and I'm certainly not going to revise if she pulls it out of her hat in book 7, either. That's just a lazy-ass way to do things, in my humble little opinion.

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/jobs/ Copy editor positions :D They need people like you. I see editors and copy editors being the "beta readers" of the publishing world. We all need them.

I didn't mind the time travel issues in book 3. It worked in that story. It would annoy me if it was used a way to fix a million things and used over and over again. But one book was okay. I find the existence of the Chamber of Secrets more unbelievable than the Time-Turner arc, oddly enough.

Re: WHeeee Time Travel Fixes Everything! This is probably why I ran away from fandoms. Too many people thinking too much about things that probably didn't need to be thought about. LoL (Oh, and the "Sirius is hawt, therefore it was okay that he picked on other people as a kid. He wasn't bad, because he hawt." arguments. Of course, the group I was unfortunately in was populated by 12 year olds :D

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Naturally. Unfortunately, the listings I've seen in the past all want experience. Which, as I am always quick to point out, I would certainly have if they'd just hire me. *Sighs* Technically, continuity editors are something different than copy editors, but I'm interested in both possibilities, and my understanding is that most continuity editors are wannabe-scriptwriters trying to break into that business. So it's a bit flooded.

I generally am not a fan of time travel unless it's the actual focus of the story... and even then I have only rarely seen it done well (Connie Willis' "Domesday Boke" is the only example I can think of that I thought was really well-done). It wasn't horrible in the context of 3, I just thought it was lazy, and a remarkably 'easy' way out of the whole situation. I'm more than aware that she never intended her writing to stand up to the sort of scrutiny a lot of people give it, but this is nothing more than an English major and writing student's opinion, not a concentration on details. Everyone does them, but lazy plot-solutions are a pet peeve of mine in all genres.

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

"I'm more than aware that she never intended her writing to stand up to the sort of scrutiny a lot of people give it"

Another reason I don't want to be famous :D

Re: I want a bibliography ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It's more trouble than it's worth, in my opinion. I'd love to have a few things published, but I have no desire for a large fan following. ;)