IT'S KRAFTY TIMES PARTY TIME

[dollsome]

(ft. adorable fanart by chibirhm! ♥)

Hello, world! I am still stupidly excited over sharing my bb Know Not Why with the world at last, and like anyone who cut her writin' teeth (... okay, that's creepy) on the sweet sweet elixir of wonderful comments on her fanfiction (and FanFiction.Net reviews, if you wanna get OLD SCHOOL), I am dying to hear what people think. I am also sort of worryingly inclined toward having big spazzy fangirly feelings over a tale that is technically of my own creation, but - oh well!

SO! If you guys have any questions at all, or just want to tell me what you thought, or what actors you picture as the characters (I would love to know this! I have never managed a complete dream-casting of this thing), or are perhaps dying to know my Howie Jenkins playlist, or, like, some fascinating trivia (oh, there's trivia!), absolutely bring it, friends!

This might just turn into me spamming this post with silliness, but I am okay with that.

COOL LINKS, BRO
+ Currently for sale @ Smashwords! I am looking into putting it in Amazon's Kindle Store as well; would that be good, do you think?
+ If you feel like puttin' your reviewer hat on, it would be the coolest if you left me a rating or review at Goodreads or Smashwords!
+ My sporadically updated blog is currently featuring a post on what moved me to write this in the first place. :)

Comments

[nikitembo.livejournal.com]

Well, as you know I am incredibly calm and frankly do not care about this book at all.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I CAN'T EVEN HOLD IT TOGETHER.

I WANT TRIVIA. EVERYTHING.

Ok fine I'll narrow it down a bit.

I want all the Mitch. Tell me everything about him.

When did he and Howie become friends? When did start liking Ms. Amber Clark? How often does he bro out with Andy Dwyer? (How did that one sneak in there oops) ... etc

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

OH MITCHELL!!!!

+ I have always wondered why Mitch moved to Pawnee Nameless Town NOW THAT YOU SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO BE PAWNEE FOREVER, YOU, and am still not entirely sure. He and Howie met a few years before the book's beginning, because Howie -- newly college-deprived and probably very bummed about his existence -- got a job at Senor Taco, where Mitch had newly begun working as well! Senor Taco made Howie's soul want to jump off a soul bridge, but Mitch was awesome and they remained good bros even after Howie peaced on out of there after 3 weeks.

+ I think Mitch probably liked Amber from right when he met her, because she was MAGNIFICENTLY INDIGNANT over him throwing gummy worms at her by way of saying 'hi, what's your name!' and probably reminded him of Xena a little bit with all her long dark hair and formidable badassery. I do not know if he really examined this or became aware of it in a crushy sense until around the time she confessed all of her romantic woes re: Dennis to him and fell asleep on him. All of a sudden, he was rendered an adoring and confused mess by her very existence.

+ Mitch's last name is "Ballard" in tribute to a) my grandparents, who live in the Ballard area in Seattle, and b) Dollhouse. Hahahaha, yes, I NAMED SOMEONE AFTER PAUL BALLARD. I don't really know what to do with this fact. Paul Ballard is, of course, the creepiest and often the worst, but he also had some flawless comedic timing, let's be real.

+ ANDY DWYER AND MITCH ARE NEVER NOT BROING OUT. MITCH MIGHT BE A MEMBER OF MOUSE RAT. WHO KNOWS??

[theafterimages.livejournal.com]

I am not super big on throwing dream casting and soundtrack ideas at people for their projects, mostly because I do not want them to be like NO NO NO THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS GOING FOR AT ALL WITH THIS STORY in their heads despite how polite they are being about it on the outside! So I shall leave that to you and also BRING ON THE TRIVIA. AND THE SILLINESS. AND ALLLLLLLLLLLL THE KRAFTY TIMES THINGS!!

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

mostly because I do not want them to be like NO NO NO THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS GOING FOR AT ALL WITH THIS STORY in their heads despite how polite they are being about it on the outside

Awwww, who does that, THAT'S NO FUN! The author is dead! Even though it is kind of creepy to type that sentence when I am the author! And while we're on the subject: I am seriously amazed by how bad I am at dream-casting my own story! I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I think the closest thing to successful casting that I have ever managed is that Donald Glover would make the most perfect Cliff. And Amber will always have a certain Katie McGrath-ocity to her in my brain, even though of course people who look like Katie McGrath do not exist in the real world (er, apart from the one, of course), hanging out and being snarky spinster English majors.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

Wildly interesting trivia bits!

+ So, this thing is entitled Know Not Why, but let's be real here, it is really called Krafty Times. I'm not really sure where that weird little nickname came from, but that is its truest name, it just IS!

+ Howie's high school girlfriend of doom Heather Grimsby was originally named Heather Morris ... and then this show called Glee started, and the name 'Heather Morris' was hanging out in its credits! SUP, BRITTANY S. PIERCE. I pulled 'Grimsby' out of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, because it seemed appropriately, well, grim. Downright Dickensian!

+ The kitten-cherubs poster in Kristy's apartment was, originally & for a very long time afterwards, a Jonas Brothers poster.

Possibly based upon the Jonas Brothers poster my 2008-era roomies & I kept in our kitchen. IRONICALLY, OKAY.

and then maybe we made our own parody version of it?

[snowfire.livejournal.com]

I feel a little ashamed by how I remember both the Heather Morris thing AND the JoBros thing, as well as various other things you changed and cut out. I reread Krafty Times SEVERAL TIMES when it was posted.

[snowfire.livejournal.com]

Okay, as far as mental casting goes, I am incapable of not seeing Katie McGrath as Amber. This might have something to do with you posting Krafty Times, what, during season 1 of Merlin? Immediately after S1 ended? but whenever I think of Amber I see her. And I kind of see Brittany Snow circa American Dreams as Kristy, though I have no idea why. I suck as far as dudes go, though, so I have no mental casting whatsoever as far as the guys go.

GIVE ME ALL YOUR TRIVIA AND BACKSTORY AND IDK EVERYTHING ON EMILY (and by extension, Emily/Dennis) and also Amber, please? I love everyone in this bar, but I won't lie, they're my two favorite supporting characters, even if Kristy runs a close third because I feel a little bit more kinship with her than I really should.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

OH EMILY!!! I am just realizing now that I have a weirdly hard time knowing any backstory on any of the other characters; it was such a Howie-centric writing experience! I know that Emily's mom died and her father remarried, and I like to think that her stepmom was initially totally baffled by her but that eventually they wound up bonding and have a good relationship now (and, okay, just typing that sentence kinda intrigued me enough that I suddenly want to write the whole story there, if only to figure it out), that she and Dennis did some bonding when she found him crying in her kitchen in the middle of the night over his dad, and that she went to school to be a librarian, and that she really, really, really holds Loreena McKennitt in the absolute greatest esteem, and also probably has a great appreciation for Glow by Donna De Lory (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7PvHy6ISX0) (totally my current new agey jam of choice).

KATIE MCGRATH AMBER IS UNDENIABLE. What, oh what to know about Amber? I have a sneaking suspicion that she has probably written some fanfiction in her day, and probably has a Tumblr. I think she probably also lured Howie into a temporary fanfiction-writing phase when they were both about twelve, where they would write Harry Potter fic and post it on Fanfiction.Net, bwahahaha! Howie does not like to be reminded of this; he deleted his account when he turned 13, no doubt, but Amber printed it all out and keeps it in a binder to threaten him with to this very day (but really she just thinks it's sweet).

[dreamstrifer.livejournal.com]

I still say Jason Segal (young Segal, think SLC Punk, I guess) as Mitch. Always and forever, yo.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

oh my gosh, I so never would have thought of that, and now that you have said it it's just THE CUTEST THING EVERRRRR. <3 <3 <3

[veritas724.livejournal.com]

Ooooh please put it on the Kindle, then I can borrow my husband's for a couple of days!!!

I was GOING to buy a copy on Friday (when I have money again!) and read it on my laptop (slooooowly) but if there's a possibility I can get it on the Kindle I'd like to hold off and read it on there :D

Sorry I have no fun things to add to this post since I'm a lame-o who hasn't read it yet :/

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

Fun fact really quick during a Don't Trust The B In Apt 23 commercial break! -- you can get it in Kindle format on Smashwords as well! :)

[anyone-elsa.livejournal.com]

PLAYLIST ME. You know I love playlists. And I love Krafty Times, so the two of them together... perfection.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

YESSSSS!

howie songs (with no caps for some reason):

+ please please please let me get what i want by the smiths (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMQbzLrvwlE)
+ if she wants me by belle & sebastian (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayjep-LOxM8)
+ shape of my heart by noah & the whale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6S-1BKaTII)
+ falling without knowing by tilly and the wall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra-0KDqbSyA)
+ the weight of us by sanders bohlke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxvVQE1tfYk)
+ maps by the fray (yeah yeah yeahs cover) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRV5NE7gwNU)
+ awake my soul by mumford & sons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2RKb3VNAOo)
+ kids by lady danville (mgmt cover) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JhlkBcTtQ)
+ life is life by noah & the whale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XHR2y9CAuk)
+ the lime tree by trevor hall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65V8-h5k_JA)

[marketchippie.livejournal.com]

WHAT IF I ASKED YOU FOR GRANT BUSINESS

LIKE TOP FIVE GRANT/AMBER OTP MOMENTS THAT WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE PAGE

WHAT IF THAT

(♥!!!)

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

OH LORDY YOU KNOW THIS IS JUST GON' HIT YOU IN CANON ONE OF THESE DAYS!!! OH, GRANTY GRANT GRANT. He probably serenades Amber with The Decemberists on the regular, and when they watched Bright Star, he recited La Belle Dame Sans Merci along with Whishaw, and his mom happens to be a personal friend of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, because THAT'S JUST WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU LIVE IN ENGLAND. Karen Gillan hit on him once, but he wasn't too keen! Something about gingers is just so unsettling.

[crackers4jenn.livejournal.com]

HOLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! I don't even care that I just shouted a phrase at you that died with the dinosaurs, it best sums up my feelings! I am in the poor-ish stage of life right now, but pretty soon I will be getting my paycheck (baby's first paycheck, what up!) and this will be the first thing I splurge on. KRAFTY TIMES, COME TO ME!

As far as brain-casting goes, the only time I really, really felt it solidly in my soul that THIS CHARACTER SHOULD BE PLAYED BY THIS ACTOR was when -- as you know, as I have already capslocked at you before -- good ol' Howie got drunk and was super Ted Mosby-ian in his delight. Since then, nope: THAT DUDE IS TED MOSBY. I think you even tried at one point to be like, "Ha ha, what are you talking about, weirdo, I always pictured this dude as more of a Cory Monteith fellow!" but that obviously did not fly with me. TED MOSBY! is what I say, until some studio makes this into film and improperly casts him with a non-Josh Radnor actor. Fools!

ps; can I just say, too, horribly unrelated: even though I know that is Howie and Arthur getting up to some sweet-looking makeouts in that fanart, my first thought was "DEAN AND CAS: MOUTH TOUCHERS!" before I realized, several belated seconds later, what my eyeballs were actually seeing. Ha ha! Oh, self, you're so gross.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

HOLLA BACK, GUUUUUURL! I'm pretty sure I used that totally wrong; sorry, Gwen Stefani, I'm just not hip enough to get you! The sentiment remains the truest truth!

AND, oh man, I love your insistence that T-Mos is Howie, I LOVE IT! The fact that Cory Monteith is just way too tall and handsome has totally hindered his potential Howie-ness over the years (I mostly just blame that dopey sweet expression he occasionally gets), but a young Josh Radnor? Theoretical perfection forever.

And the fact that you thought that was Dean and Cas is nothing besides AWESOME AND THE BEST! Who knows, maybe Howie and Arthur are Dean and Cas, and the whole story is just some zany Supernatural episode involving memory loss and -- things!!!!

[lutamira]

So I just finished reading... and can't wipe this huge grin off my face. Seriously. Awesome. Work. The whole thing was a joy to read - I laughed, I shipped, I was variously surprised and pleased by the way people acted and thought, I reveled in your lit and pop culture references.

Since you offered: I want trivia. I don't even know what trivia to ask for, but I wants it.

Also, I fully support any and all fangirl feelings you feel about the ships you've created - I certainly have them. (Seriously Howie/Arthur is absolutely on my list now. And I love Amber/Mitch. And Cora/general awesomeness. You made so many incredible characters and I want them all to be my friends, you know? (I'm secretly hoping that these feelings of yours will translate into the occasional drabble or mini-fic about how someone or someones might happen to be doing, whenever you miss the characters too much and feel like revisiting them, if you ever do. :)

Anyway, I'm *planning* to post an actual review at some point, but thought I'd drop by to say I really loved reading your novel. Thanks for writing it.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, thank you so much, that makes me so happy and I am so glad you enjoyed it!!! There are not words for how much this comment has made my heart soar. (But there are, thank heavens, GIFS.) I think that you are DEFINITELY going to see a lot more of these guys at some point; I started a sequel soon after I finished the first one, and even though it's kinda just been something I've gone back to every couple months and haven't spent enough time with, this has definitely been motivation enough to get back to it. AND I've got tons of little ficlets dancing around in my brain as well; I will have to get those down on some Word docs. :)

And oh, lord, what is some thrilling trivia? Cora's 'BUSH AGAIN?' mug with The Scream painting on it was inspired by a real mug owned by my best friend's family! ... Okay, that was lacking in thrills. Maybe a ~tantalizing teaser~: in said sequel that is set about 1.5 years in the future, one of the characters HAS BECOME FAMOUS. Why? For what? Only time will tell! Ooh, ahhh!

[herdivineshadow]

I...do not have anything specific. I just think all this doing books and that is SO EXCITING. omg. I am way excited that you are doing all of this.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

AWWWWW, thank you so much! ♥

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time, during one of my -- oh! -- so many Where Did It All Go Wrong? Why does this story suck so much; it will never work, NEVER! freakouts, I realized that my error had clearly been setting it in a universe where the Artie Kraft's employees were not monster hunters, and I wrote THIS.

Things Arthur Kraft Hates About Life, A List (A Melodramatic, Self-Indulgent List. He’s Aware. Humor Him, Just This Once.)

1. It’s early. Even for a morning person, which Arthur is. God, it’s just so early. Too early for

2. Wendigos. Raging, hungry, insatiable wendigos.

3. Wendigo-hunting road trips with Kristy and Cora.
(Kristy got into the car like this: “Road tripppppp!”, somehow incredibly clutching coffee for everyone and the complete discography of Taylor Swift.
Cora got into the car like this: “Yeah, fuck you all.” Then she contorted into a remarkable feet-on-the-dashboard position and fell asleep.
Kristy is, at least, a very good sport about sitting in the back seat. But this is not a Things Arthur Kraft Doesn’t Hate About Life list.)

4. Cora waking up to bitch about his driving.

5. Because it is too “graceful.”

6. Kristy reassuring him, in that cooing voice she often uses around baby chimeras (no matter how many times he tells her they are monsters not pets), that there is nothing wrong with graceful driving, that it is safe and also lovely, that you know what’s graceful? Swans!

7. Swans. Even just hearing about them, really.

8. After the whole demon-swan incident.

9. The fact that demon-swan incidents have ever factored into his existence.

10. Taylor Swift.

11. Agreeing with Cora about Taylor Swift. There is always something frightening about agreeing with Cora.

12. How tempted he is to drink the coffee Kristy brought, even though he has officially given it up and is making the switch to green tea, god damn it. It is just there in the drink holder, beckoning, beckoning, promising relief and awakeness, which he could really use because

13. Patrick can’t seem to come to terms with the fact that, ridiculous as it may sound, wendigo hunting is a real job, and so they spent the whole night arguing. How did they become old and miserably married, when they are both under thirty and not even permitted by law to get married? It boggles the mind.

14. The wendigo-killing process, which he is not looking forward to at all. He doesn’t know why he even bothers to get new clothes anymore, honestly.

15. Hiring somebody else, which he is also not looking forward to. But after what happened to Murphy, well, it’s not as if there’s a choice. There must always be three.

16. How full his brain is of stupid, archaic, ominous pronouncements like ‘There must always be three.’ Sometimes his thoughts sound like Lord of the Rings voiceovers.

17. Cora’s omniscience. Arthur is not sure whether this is an actual thing – just between you and him, he’s a little too afraid to ask – but sometimes he can’t help but believe it. Like when out of nowhere she claps him on the shoulder and says, “So what’s the deal? You are looking straight up dead. Aw. You and Douchebrains were arguing again last night, huh?”

18. The fact that he feels a little flicker of annoyance when Kristy diplomatically says, “Oh, Cora, don’t call him Douchebrains.”

19. The fact that he is supposed to be a soldier of the light, a sworn defender of goodness and virtue and the sacredness of the life that pulses from every single soul, and yet he has become the kind of person who gets a secret vindictive thrill from hearing his significant other referred to as “Douchebrains.”

20. The fact that there is no end in sight, and not just where this Taylor Swift song is concerned.

21. Though momentarily, the song is really the most pressing issue.

Bwahaha, this is still kind of on my To-Do list as some manner of wonky AU adventure.

[theafterimages.livejournal.com]

... I would read the hell out of this, JUST SAYIN'. Oh god, Howie's mental monologues when faced with DEMONS, oh my god.

[chinesebakery.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I resented having to go to work and do stuff instead of reading the whole thing straight. But now I'm done and it was the most delightful read in so long. Seriously, girl, you did WELL. I love everything and everyone about it. It's hilarious and heart-warming and you can barely put it down. I want all these people to be my best friends. So. Good.

[chinesebakery.livejournal.com]

And BTW, Mitch totally looks like Scott Michael Foster in my head.

[allofapiece.livejournal.com]

OK, so I'm just past the halfway point in the book, and so I shouldn't really join the party just yet, but...

OMG THE STORE CANNOT SHUT DOWN. It can't. It's like in that episode of Firefly, where Serenity breaks down and they have to abandon ship, but they can't leave, because it's Serenity... I'm feeling that way about the craft store. Just saying. If evilness happens to it, there will be much sadness.

Also, JANE AUSTEN CONVERSATION! <3<3<3 And all the banter reminds me of Buffy and I am dying and thank you thank you for writing this, this is amazing.

I'm not sure of a fantasy casting for Howie, but I kinda feel like Arthur is younger!Ewan McGregor, like Moulin Rouge era-ish. I HOPE THAT IS NOT WRONG.

And now I'm going back to reading.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD THE STORE AS SERENITY. :') That is the most beautiful comparison and thou hast given me FEELINGS!

And all the banter reminds me of Buffy

Aaaaah highest praise ever!!!

And, dude, Ewan McGregor is NEVER A WRONG CHOICE. (And you totally have some Moulin Rouge references coming your way, bwa ha ha!)

[theafterimages.livejournal.com]

Wait, I have a casting idea that might actually work! Perky, adorable blonde who can also do soul-crushingly unhappy and would be really adorable playing off Donald Glover!Cliff? Candice Accola from The Vampire Diaries!



Yes? No? Maybe? (If no, this is why I don't try casting other people's stories! :P But I was just watching TVD and it occurred to me so I figured I'd suggest it.)

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

OH SHE IS SUCH A GOOD PICK! I have only seen a bit of TVD, but I always thought she had tons of charisma.

Also: oh gosh, buddy, do not stress over casting other peoples' stories! The reason it is so interesting to me, I think, is that of course the characters are going to be a bit different to everyone who reads it, since we've all got unique brains and ... stuff! So everything's valid!

Except maybe, like, Nicolas Cage as Arthur.

No, actually, that would be THE MOST VALID CHOICE OF ALL~~~

[magicalcee.livejournal.com]

Before you go all I DO NOT KNOW YOOOOOOOU on me--which, let's be real, is absolutely true--I feel the need to point out that De (fireflower314) sent me here so at least I... oh man forget it.

Anyway, hi! For the past few days (has it been days? possibly just day, singular, but don't quote me) she's been raving about your book, sending me quotes and such (the summary? cracked me right up) in order to talk me into reading it. So I read it. Yesterday, in fact. I read it all damn day, ignoring my general grown up duties.

IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

Seriously I cannot even begin to properly express how much I loved it, so I won't even try. I may come back later once I've gotten un-freaked out about how awesome it was.

Also you already answered my greatest wish and posted the very playlist I would have requested, so thank you! For that, but also for writing this book. It made my week.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

OH GOSH. Thank youuuuuuuuuu! ♥ I am so, so happy that you enjoyed it, and HONORED that it moved you to ignore your general grown up duties! (Yaaaaay for De being such a powerful influence. :D)

p.s. Your icon is THE BOMB.

[nikitembo.livejournal.com]

HANNAH I AM ON MY PHONE BUT I HAD TO SAY THIS:

YOU CHANGED "Michael's" TO "Holly's" I LOVE YOU, MY HERO!

... I just clued in to this. You gorgeous genius.

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

HECK YES I DID. :D :D :D