(no subject)

I'm looking at my university's website trying to pick my modules for next year, and I think they're designed to make me cry. If they'd just let me do the astrophysics I'd be shiny and golden (Stromgren spheres! Accretion disks! Comets! So looking forward to those classes next year. And my research project is on nebulae emission line spectra in galaxies outside the Milky Way and that should be fun, fun, fun) But the other subjects - guh. Here's the description for Lasers and Plasma Physics:

Steady state and transient pumping of 3- and 4-level lasers; mode structures; gain narrowing and saturation effects; gases, liquids, solids and plasmas as lasants; ASE devices; relaxation; Q-switched and mode-locked oscillators; wavelength tunability and conversion; ultra-short pulse generators. Introduction and basic plasma physics concepts; plasma orbit theory; two-fluid model; plasma waves; propagation of e.m. waves in plasmas; collisions and resistivity; single fluid model and magnetohydrodynamic approximation; thermonuclear fusion and other applications of plasmas.

Or how about Condensed Matter and Materials Science?

Growth and applications of thin film systems. Theory and practice of surface analysis techniques. Preparation and properties (electrical, thermal, optical, magnetic and mechanical) of materials. Methods of characterisation. Novel devices and materials.

It's shorter, that means it must be easier, right? At this point I'm hoping my advisor of studies loves me and will let me away with doing mostly third-year modules. Although I will try to work magnetohydrodynamic into a fic at some point.

(no subject)

thecount_ha, have you been writing Buffy fanfic without telling me?

Angel/Illyria: Lone and Level Sands

Damn, I love writing Illyria. I mean, really love it.

Title: Lone and Level Sands
Author: Doyle
Pairing: Angel/Illyria
Rating: PG
Notes: for the Illyria ficathon for topazangel - she wanted 'Illyria having Fred's memories, a mention (or appearance if you prefer) of Connor'. Picks up after The Girl in Question.

The half-breed returns to his living quarters, high in his citadel's keep, and he orders her to leave. Dismisses her presence as if she were a pack-slave, or a human. Once, his insolence would have bought him a slow death, his flesh carved away in slices by one of her Qwa'ha'zahn's priests, his heart and spine left to the very last so he might watch himself diminish without going to dust.
( Lone and Level Sands )

(no subject)

gwyn_r's post on overuse of certain words in fanfic has got me scurrying around looking for writing resources. I was sure I had tons in my memories, but it would appear not. I'm going on a trawl through other people's memories now (sounds very sci-fi), I'll add anything interesting I find to this post. Anybody got links to posts about fanfic, Jossverse-specific or general?

( ETA: posts on writing and general meta stuff )