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

[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]

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?

[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??

[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.

[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.

[nikitembo.livejournal.com]

MY WHOLE BRAIN IS CRYING.

NOW THAT YOU SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO BE PAWNEE FOREVER

HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA

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.

I'm crying. also, blah blah blah the usual they are my OTP and they kill me, blah blah, write everything from Mitch's POV SLEEPING AND ORANGE SWEATERS

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.

OH GEEZ THIS IS ENDLESSLY DELIGHTFUL TO ME! AND MY 2009 DHIZZLE FEELS ARE MAKING AN APPEARANCE. DAMMIT BALLARD.

MITCH MIGHT BE A MEMBER OF MOUSE RAT.

OH

MY

GOD

They play a benefit concert to save Artie Kraft's Arts and Crafts I'M SO SORRY

[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

[nikitembo.livejournal.com]

WELL WELL WELL WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?

COULD IT BE THAT SENOR TACO HAS A VERY STRICT DRESS CODE FOR THE KITCHEN? AND ANDY GOT A JOB THERE WITH MITCH BECAUSE HE LOVES TACOS? HMMM?

... I'm very sorry.

[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! :)

[veritas724.livejournal.com]

Then YAAAAAY! (I hadn't checked yet but YAY!) I look forward to reading it :)

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha!

HOW DARE YOU

♥

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwwwwww! ♥

[dreamstrifer.livejournal.com]

This is beautiful.

[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]

OH MY GOD THE ARTIE KRAFT'S BENEFIT CONCERT. WHICH OF COURSE LESLIE HAS A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT. WHAT ARE YOU DOINGGGG TO MEEEEE.

Also: Cliff's band and Mouse Rat - RIVALS. Pawnee is not big enough for more than one great rock band, okay!

[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]

YOU ARE A MAGNIFICENT EXPERT! ♥

The Heather Morris thing still weirds me out a little bit; I'm not even totally sure why. Oh Brittany!

[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).

[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)

[anyone-elsa.livejournal.com]

SO LEGIT. You are an excellent playlist maker! THESE ARE NOW MY CANON HOWIE SONGS.

[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

(♥!!!)

[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.