Baaaaa.

Gacked from, well, practically everybody on my flist. I was going to do lizbee's, but then I couldn't find her version of the original meme post, just the answers she posted to it this morning. So here's my version, anyway:

Leave a comment to this post and ask me three questions -- no more, no less. They may be personal, philosophical, or just plain silly. As much as it is in my power to do so, I will answer them fully and truthfully.

Depending on the question, you might want to be sitting down for that "fully" part. :)

Apropos of nothing, he says his name is William I need to make some new icons. But I'm also supposed to do a commercial web page for a friend's business, write the outline for my Snape presentation, answer a bunch of backlogged e-mails, and mail out care packages of the latest three Alias episodes on CD to avarill and my brother Pete.

And I have a nagging feeling there's some other Important Thing I've Forgotten. Possibly it involves cleaning the house...

"So do we get to read this thing you keep blathering about, or what?"

A lot of people have been asking whether, after I've done my presentation for Convention Alley, I'm planning to post the complete essay and/or outline of my presentation anywhere. I know that a book of all the presenters' essays is going to be given to attendees of the convention; I'm not sure what the convenors have in mind for the papers beyond that. Hey, maybe I should just ask: sheryll, will it be OK for me to post the essay/outline here as soon as CA is over? Or do I have to wait a while before I can do that?

In any case, I can at least tell you the new working title of the presentation: it's "The Unlikely Redemption of Severus Snape".*

Also, speaking of Snape, this post goes a long way toward explaining why I find it easier and easier to understand and sympathize with Snape, whereas the more I know about Sirius, the more I want to scream and tear my hair in sheer frustration with the man. It's all about the Myers-Briggs.

Snape and I are both INTJ, so it makes perfect sense to me that he would become snappish and unpleasant when forced to deal with large groups of people all poking and prodding him to come out of his shell (indeed, his patience with the flamboyantly extroverted Dumbledore, especially over things like the Christmas cracker incident, is positively saintly in my opinion). It also makes perfect sense to me that Snape would value rational thought and argument over his feelings (or indeed anyone else's) and make most of his decisions accordingly.

But most of all I identify with Snape's very NT need to be accepted for who he is, without anyone else telling him who he ought to be or what he ought to look like. "Wash your hair, greaseball!" is NOT a good way to get an NT to conform to community standards of appearance; it's more likely to make him put extra grease in his hair for the rest of his life, or at least yours, just to prove how utterly wrong it is for society to value appearance over character. Unfortunately, as I and Snape both know, this kind of mulish disregard for the status quo also gets you bullied by the extroverted, fashionably dressed, socially adept kids at school.

Excuse me while I go and make my Snape muse a nice soothing cup of tea.

--
*Which is not, as one person thought, meant to say that I think Snape is unlikely to be redeemed. Actually, my view is that his redemption, contrary as it is to most people's expectations (and therefore "unlikely"), has already happened. Now it's just a matter of Snape learning to live as a redeemed person instead of continuing to dwell on his dark past (gosh, the theology just writes itself, here), and of people like Harry who have a low opinion of Snape's nature and intentions coming to realize that their view of him is at least partially wrong.

Your Questions Answered, Part I

You all asked such interesting questions, and as usual I blathered way too much giving the answers, so I'm pasting them here with cut-tags -- the ones I've got done so far, at least. Thanks to everyone who's participated!

( What do you like about your country? What makes you really happy? What would you say/do if you met JKR? )

( Advice on writing OC's? How do you write? Fave character to write for? )

( Drive x-country with which Alias character? HP character that might betray Harry? Funny childhood memories? )

( Rec a book to me? Will you revise D&L again? Your kids' favorite books? )

( How long have you been writing? Suggestions for newbie fic writers? Is Severus shaggable? )

( Spend an hour with who? What do you do? Happy with life? )

( How do you organize your day? Do some find your stories too sexy? Status of your original novel? )

More questions and answers to come...