wherein Liz gripes about search functions and squees over serendipitous plot development

[edenfalling]

This afternoon I finished Vicky's research gruntwork and sent off the results. Yay me! Two of the databases had very nice search functions, and even allowed me to save or email a page of flagged results to her, which was nice. The third... well, the search function Did Not Work, to start with. I spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to run a search on multiple keywords at the same time, and exclude various other keywords, and also limit it to journal articles and not books. Eventually I threw up my metaphorical hands in disgust and manually waded through about 1000 not particularly sorted search returns, copied and pasted the ones that looked relevant into a Word file, and emailed the mess to Vicky.

I dunno. The databases ought to have been searchable -- this is part of a major university library system we're talking about here -- but... well...

ARGH.

Let us not speak of this again.

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In happier news, ch. 7 of "Lemonade" is now at 1,350 words. In other words, I have both Faith and Duo's sections finished in rough form; all I have left to write is Sasuke's. I also seem to have stumbled into an actual plot, more than 'throw them into a hell dimension and make them have sex,' and more than a minor character development arc. Basically, I threw in a fight scene and then had to deal with the logical consequences, and I also went back and reread the existing six chapters and realized I'd set up some minor business with a prop back in chapter 1 that I really ought to develop or go back and delete, and it melded so nicely with the logical consequences of the fight...

Anyway, we still have not reached a sex scene (chapter 8, I swear! or maybe chapter 9...) but at least I feel like the story is going somewhere instead of just meandering in circles while the characters talk about nothing in particular. Which entertains me, at least -- it's half like really easy finger exercises in character studies, and half the fun of just sitting back and having No Freaking Clue what's going to come out of Duo's mouth next -- but runs counter to my desire for structure, damnit, and the irritation was starting to outweight the entertainment.

So it's good. Yeah.

Dunno when I'll write Sasuke's POV section -- I am flitting among *counts rapidly* at least 7 stories/chapters at the moment -- but progress is a good thing.

Comments

[monkey5s.livejournal.com]

I just have to poke my nose in here to ask, does this mean they're making it to WATER soon? AR AR AR!

[edenfalling]

Yes, yes it does. I always meant them to reach water; the journey has just... stretched a bit. *sigh*