Ex Libris Draconis

Creating a magic system: Sanderson's First Law

2012-01-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure what I wanted to cover today or even if I was going to cover anything. I haven't finished another new book just yet, nor have I read anything else the past couple days. But as I was sitting here drinking my Cafe Mocha made with my new espresso machine, I was studying my worldbuilding notes for my trogg and wizard story. No more putting off figuring out the rules for magic. The wizard has been backed into a corner and has to start explaining things to the trogg girl. She wasn't allowed to learn the societal laws regarding magic before she got cursed, and after the curse, the only things she's learned has been from overhearing things. Not exactly reliable.

Yes, I could leave magic more free form. It was going to be like that, not really taking center stage. But magic and the societal laws regarding it both make a big difference in what happened in the past to the wizard, what happened to the girl, and what will happen in the future to both of them and the society they live in. The wizard will have to use magic, and magic will get used against them. Which means now I really have to define it.

However, creating magic systems is like social studies in general: my weak area. In one of my other novels-in-progress, my husband created the magic system, so I just have to fit the powers and abilities into his framework. (It's a joint project.) Magic is tangled with the social structure in this world, so it's particularly tricky. Studying a couple of the other well developed magic systems (D&D and Darksword) has given me some ideas for how to shape it, but neither quite works for how I want magic to function in my world setting.

This morning I just typed "magic systems" into the search line on Google and found this great article from Brandon Sanderson. I've never read any of his books, though I think Mistborn is on my TBR list. This article mentions his first experience on a panel at Worldcon on the topic of "How does the magic work?" His first thought was "it has to have rules." But everyone else on the panel adamantly disagreed, stating that with rules comes a loss of wonder. Well, in trying to defend his stance, and in reflecting later on the alternative position, he came up with this law:

An author's ability to solve conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic.

One of the corollaries: Magic doesn't need strict rules, but it can't undermine the plot.

He expands on how to apply this rule on the continuum of soft magic to hard magic, just like in SF there is the continuum of soft science to hard science. He uses Spiderman, Gandalf, and Harry Potter as specific examples but also mentions several authors who have approached magic in ways differently from himself, yet he still enjoys reading their stories.

In some aspects, my trogg and wizard story is leaning toward the hard end even though not a great deal of magic will be used on center stage. But when it is used, I want readers to understand what is going on and the risks involved. The wizard won't be telling the trogg about how magic works directly, but he will be explaining the social laws and a bit on how they are trained, so indirectly, some of the rules on how magic works will be hinted at including types that may show up later in the story.

Though the article doesn't exactly help me create the system itself, it does explain why I need to hash out how things work in this world right now, frustrating as it is for me. And I really like his approach toward writers who use magic differently from his own style. Though I'm more of a definer even when I'm winging it, I have enjoyed books that fall more toward the soft end.

How about your writing? Do your stories fall toward soft magic, middle ground, or hard magic? Or if you write SF, what is your the SF equivalent?

When magic and detective fiction collide

2012-01-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to reading one of my husband's highly recommended books: the first book of the Dresden Files - STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher. We have some overlapping tastes like most of Lackey's and McCaffrey's books (and Harry Potter, go figure), but even though we're both big SF/F fans, we have widely different preferences within spec fic. Well, last night I was browsing through our newly reorganized book collection (with my flashlight since the power had gone out thanks to high winds), and I decided to grab something different.

By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." The voice is incredible. I really felt sorry for Harry while he's trying to work with a police contact, keep a gangster from sending his thugs after him, figure out who is cooking up the new drug on the streets (to help with point 2), not reveal anything to a sexy reporter, solve a grisly set of murders caused by magic, and not take the rap for it by the police as well as the White Council and a biased Warden. Oh yeah, and not get killed before the Council even meets to put him on trial. What's a nearly broke wizard to do? Keep moving of course. And have a little faith that he's the good guy.

I really liked the combination of magic in a contemporary world with an old fashioned detective sort of novel. I've been reading more mysteries lately, for variety, and this was well done in more than just voice. The mystery kept me guessing but all of Harry's thoughts made sense as he worked out what was going on and how it all connected. I give this book 5 stars.

As for my ROW 80 goals, I haven't been as on track as I'd like.
Writing 100 words every day: Wed, Sun, Mon - no; Thurs, Fri, Sat, Tues - yes
Exercising 10 mins a day: Wed, Thurs, Sun - yes; Fri, Sat, Mon, Tues - no
New book for the week: yes a few times :D

I haven't counted today for yes or no yet, but I'm going to get on that soon. Dresden tied up my morning.

Fantasy for kids

2012-01-16T16:55:00.001-05:00

Still waiting for my library books to come in from the other libraries. For now, here's some more kids' books.

CHILD OF AIR by Grace Chetwin
I wanted to read this one because I enjoyed her books about Gom of Windy Mountain. This is set on a different world, but it has much of the same feel, though written for a younger age group. Mylanfyndra and her older brother Brevan live with their grandfather away from most of the townsfolk on their mesa. It is only after his death that they learn why and what secret he had been holding since they were babies.

The only thing I didn't really like was the very ending; it was too abrupt. Seriously, I turned the last page expecting one more to finish wrapping it up, and it was simply done. The last few paragraphs do conclude it, but I felt it was too quick. It needed just a bit more in reflection or something. Other than that, it is well worth reading, a good story for intermediate readers, 10-12 year olds primarily would be my guess. That's one book off my overall TBR list. Too bad I just added about 3 more today.

TWO SILLY TROLLS by Nancy Jewell, pictures by Lisa Thiesing
This is an adorable picture book for very young readers. It says for K-3, but my son is in 1st, and I think he finds it a bit under him in reading level and story complexity. But that might just be him, too, considering he's been listening to me read Boxcar Children and Magic Treehouse books to him the past couple years. In any case, this I Can Read Book is simple and charming with its 5 micro stories about Nip and Tuck, the two silly trolls who start off the first story with a mushroom home until a bear cub sat on it.

GRANDPA WITCH AND THE MAGIC DOOBELATOR by Ethel and Leonard Kessler
My son really liked this one, even though the reading level wasn't much more complex than the silly trolls story. I think he just got a kick out of the fact that anytime Grandpa Witch messed up, he got a black cat. And once you get a cat, you can't send it back. The Doobelator doesn't really come in until the second half of the story, but Grandpa Witch and his two grandchildren, Wanda and Willy are cute as they prepare for Halloween night.

Glad to see that despite my 2 month absence, some of my readers are still here. If anyone has any other spec fic kid books they want to recommend, you can either just list them in the comments below, or email me your brief reviews to dapperdragon (at) gmail (dot) com. When I get a few of them, I'll do up a post just of your reviews. I know at least a few of you have kids of your own, so please share any favorites.

Fun with kids' books and check-in

2012-01-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

While I'm waiting for the books I requested at the library from my TBR list to come in, I picked up some kids' books. I had fun reading them with my son (chosen to share). Got a few more, too, but we haven't read them yet.

Wizard And Wart At Sea by Janice Lee Smith
Wizard and Wart In Trouble by Janice Lee Smith
My Mom Is a Pirate by Jackie French

I also just read Into the Land of Unicorns by Bruce Coville, picked for myself. I'm going to have to snag the other books in the Unicorn Chronicles from the library. It was fun.

So I'm good for my new book for the week. :D

As for my other two goals...
*Writing 100 words every day: check. I haven't written a huge amount over that, but I did do it, about double every day.
*Exercise 10 minutes every day: check. I danced for half an hour on Sun and Tues, and did ten minutes of using my new stretch bands on Monday.

ROW 80: Round 1 of 2012: Goals

2012-01-08T13:27:00.001-05:00

Round 1 of ROW 80 has already begun, but I jumped in with some writing before working on my goals this past week, plus I worked on some other non-writing related projects. I'm going very modest on my goals this round. In addition to writing and reading, I'm trying to do more crafting, so I need to give myself time for that as well.

Warmup goal: write 100 words every day. Even when I feel like crud, I can usually scrape out that much.

Read one new book a week. New to me that is, but I'll try to get some new releases in here and there as well. I have a huge list of TBRs to get through that is growing faster than I can knock it down. My over all reading goal for the year is 75 books, but that can include old favorites with the new ones. This will give me more books to write reviews on for this blog, something I feel I need to get back to doing again on a regular basis.

Spend 10 mins a day exercising. Super modest but doable. This is more to build a daily routine since I can boogie for an hour to my favorite music, but it's not a daily thing yet.

I'll probably adjust these and/or add new ones in about a month, but this will be a good start.

Unicorns and flowers, oh my!

2012-01-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

I'm starting the new year off with a couple book reviews. This is more like what I'd intended the blog to be about, but I think I'll still keep up with writing updates as well from the ROW 80. Maybe a better blend of the old and new aims.

Over the holidays, I picked up a couple books from the library in the kids section. One my Goodreads list said I'd read before, but I didn't recognize the stories. Hmm. Well, I read it (again) and loved it. Twelve stories with unicorns of many forms fill A Glory of Unicorns edited by Bruce Coville. He also wrote the first story in the collection, The Guardian of Memory. Some of the stories take place in fantastical settings like in The New Girl, some might be our own backyard like in Tearing Down the Unicorns.

It's an interesting mix of stories that draw upon the legends of unicorns without being sappy. Authors in the collection are Bruce Coville, Janni Lee Simner, Gregory Maguire, Ruth O'Neill, Nancy Varian Berberick, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Katherine Coville, Alethea Eason, Nancy with Greg Labarbera, Kathryn Lay, Gail Kimberly, and Sean Stewart.

For a lighter feel, I also picked up Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris. As it says on the cover: part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. As you can imagine, it's a whimsical sort of tale. Front cover doesn't really hint that it's a fantasy, but the blurb on the back had, so I had to pick it up. I wouldn't want to read it all the time, but it was a cute story.

Christian is gaga for Princess Marigold. He's just a commoner, though, and no match for royalty. Heck, he lives in a cave with a troll! And now he's discovered another reason to put his love-soggy heart on ice: Queen Olympia is scheming to take over the kingdom--and she'll bump off Marigold to do it! Can Chris foil her diabolical plans?

I loved the whimsical feel of the story. Ed the troll is a fun supporting character. He's been trying to get into the tooth collection business, since the tooth fairy herself is falling behind on her duties but won't allow anyone to break into her monopoly. He doesn't want to take over, just get a piece of the action. He found Chris when the boy was a small youngster lost in the woods who refused to be taken back home. Somehow ending up like a parent, he does his best to teach Chris bits of etiquette from a book he'd collected at some point while not being strict enough to make the boy run away again as he'd done to end up in the woods to begin with.

The p-mail parts were another fun touch. Christian first makes contact with Marigold via pigeon, since Ed kept a pair of pigeons for sending messages of his own. And the cave they shared was just across the river from the castle where Marigold lived. Some of the messages are long enough that they are broken up into pieces in order to fit on the birds' legs. They are shown in order, but the book shows the breaks between pieces of paper.

So a fun pair of books. I hope you'll check them out. On the writing front, this week I got back to work on my trog and wizard story. During the holidays, I jumped in on a Word War with some of my writing friends online. I missed the first ten minutes because I'd forgotten about it, and my brain was starting off cold. But since I'd had some scene summary ideas jotted down for that story, I grabbed one and ran with it, writing about 850 words in 50 minutes, one of my best stints. So on Tuesday I picked up where I'd left off and added another 1250 words, though over the course of the morning rather than just an hour. Still a good day's work for me.

I didn't get much done yesterday since I was puttering on several other things as well, like trying to learn how to crochet a hex-base with beads. Still haven't gotten the hang of it yet even with the book and accompanying DVD. Best I've gotten so far looks like a horseshoe shape, like I haven't put on enough beads even though I have the correct number on. Sigh. Harder than it looks. I may have to try one suggestion I got which is to practice without the beads, since I think my problem is the closing the rings and stepping up to the next row (and first stitch after that).

That's enough for now, but I'll work on what sort of goals I want to focus on this month. I plan to post them on Sunday's ROW80 check-in. Maybe I'll have another book review for you then, too. I'm baaack! :D

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T13:27:00.000-04:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays despite the cooling weather. I got to dress up this week twice, since work let us come in costume all week. However, only a few of us did so. But at least I got lots of compliments. Thursday I went as a gypsy and yesterday as a pirate. I cold have dressed up on Saturday when I took my son to the mall for their trick-or-treat event, but I was too tired to mess with changing. We finished in half an hour by skipping the middle shindig. The line was obscene for what he'd be getting. But he was happy with his modest haul anyway, especially the KitKat bar from our first stop. Simple pleasures. :D

This week is going to have different goals. I want to catch up on my expanding reading list, at least to get through my new books. Anything else I get done of my regular goals will be bonus, though I intend to still do my rounds of visiting other check-ins. I'll be doing lots of winter preparedness this week, the joys of living out in the country. We did get the majority of the snow fence put up already. But there's finishing it, attaching the snowblower to the tractor and removing the mower deck, cleaning the garage, packing the emergency essentials bag, fixing the truck and attaching the plow, and so much more. Oh joy. Boo winter.

I finished Fangtales and enjoyed it. Vampires are not my thing, but every story was at least a 3. Don't always get that with an anthology. I've been though some books that ranged from 1-5. I'm currently working my way through CassaStar, up to page 42 so far. Pretty good even if my reading has been so chopped up that my focus hasn't really dug into it yet.

Midweek reflections

2011-10-26T15:58:00.000-04:00

I don't really have much to comment on today. Sort of in a reflective mood but it hasn't really come out in words much yet. So check-in goals and random stuff it is then.

However, goals: I did read and comment on at least 5 of Sunday's ROW80 check-ins. I started at the bottom of the list and then popped on a few of the ones I've been on more than once. I've put in at least an hour of ponderings each day since Sunday on Broken Destinies. Haven't written much yet, still brainstorming what the characters are going to be doing in the last third, but after discussion with my husband, we worked out more of the hidden story going on during the already completed part, plus a couple areas I need to develop more. But then most of the completed part was done during NaNo last year, so it's fast and loose and has parts where I have comments like "write more about ___ here." Still going to try to have plot hashed out by this upcoming Sunday, but even if I don't make it, I'm getting back into the feel of the world and the character goals.

This is post 2 for the week, so coming along there. Still have to do my two crits, will try to get one of those done this evening. Had a bit of a scare on Saturday or Sunday when our whole group had been banned from the forum for spam. Turns out to have been a mistake regarding an ISP thing, so in less than a day, it was corrected. But it was still freaky.

Big news for me was getting the books I'd ordered. I'm currently halfway through Fangtales now, and most of the stories have been pretty good so far, which should be taken as high praise since I am NOT a vampire fan at all. I give it a fairly consistent 3-4 throughout the first half.

The other fun thing was today's worldbuilding hangout on Google+ hosted by Juliette Wade. We talked about magic systems. Next Wednesday we'll be talking about gender. So if you want to jump in the discussion or just join to listen, it'll be at 2pm EST. Hope some of you will stop on by.

Have a great rest of the week.

Sleepy week

2011-10-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to bother listing each goal individually today. I got little done this week, though I did poke at my story somewhat. My brain just kept fizzling on how to follow up on the suggestions my crit group made.

A couple days ago, I decided to set it aside for a week or two and switch to another WIP, a novel that's supposed to be book 1 of a trilogy. So far I've read through to the end of what I'd already done and now trying to figure out what's going to come next. It's about two thirds of the way through, but I'm not sure if the middle third actually works for the overall plot. The main antagonist for that part isn't developed well enough yet. There's some good stuff though.

This week's goal: plan out the arc for the last third of what I've tentatively titled Broken Destinies. It's actually a co-authored piece I'm doing with my husband, so at some point when he has some spare brain power (he's had a rough week), I'll get him to do some brainstorming with me.

Whahahahaha!

2011-10-21T15:20:00.000-04:00

I just got back from seeing the new Three Musketeers movie. Loved it loved it loved it. Even though I went into it with knowing a few witty bits of dialog and "OMG Airships!" from the preview, it was fantastic from beginning to end.

Maybe later when I come down from my state of sheer giddiness, I'll think of things that maybe could have been done better, but right now I'd turn around and go watch it again if I had the time. My husband and I saw it in 2D, unsure of how the action was going to go (and 3D started too late to watch it today since I have to leave for work soon). But I think it will be phenomenal in 3D.

Other giddy news is that I've ordered 3 books by people I know and bought a gift card so I can order an ebook by a 4th.

Fangtales with a story by Kelly Said
Cassastar by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Darkfall by Janice Hardy
and the ebook will be Honor the Pack by Kaycee Looney

Squeeee!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Checking in and other thoughts

2011-10-13T13:57:00.000-04:00

For 10/12 check-in: (yes, the fairies are nagging me that I'm a day behind)

goal 1: one hour every day working on a story task, either new material WIP or revising RRH: umm, coming back to this one

goal 2: read and comment on minimum of 5 posts for each check-in: I don't think I did any for Sunday's, and haven't hit any for yesterday yet either. Gonna get on that. Probably won't go back to Sunday but will snag yesterday's.

goal 3: post on my blog 3 times a week, one of which must be a check-in: This post makes 2 so far, should have another tomorrow.

goal 4: Crit 2 posts each week on WD: None so far, but I did go read a few earlier today. I'm thinking what to say on one of them.

goal 5: Have and complete 1 specific goal each week on primary project, this week's being revising scene 1 of RRH. I started tweaking based on comments from last week. Now I have to work on the broader changes like grounding the setting better, clarifying support characters descriptions and relationship roles, and trimming out unnecessarily repeated information/mild info dumps.

Some of what they pointed out surprised me but are valid concerns like the mention I have of a dead character. The way it's written, he could be either her brother or lover, and it makes a big difference. (Her betrothed, just so you know.) So that all is the harder part, but at least everyone likes the style, characters, and world setting. And they want to read more.

Okay back to goal one. I have to admit that while I've been doing lots of writing, it hasn't been on a publishable story. Some of my friends and I are doing a roleplaying game (TORG, for you gamer folks out there who may know it) online via Obsidian Portal where we have a forum and internal wikis of things, people, and places. It's an immense amount of fun, and it's helping me understand in practicality many of the things I've been learning about culture, especially culture clashes, from Juliette Wade's worldbuilding posts on TalkToYoUniverse. But it doesn't exactly help me finish my WIPs. I didn't count the time spent on writing my character's entries when I checked in on Sunday, and I don't really count them now, but I have definitely put in more than an hour a day of writing time.

I think I may talk more about the game sometime next week, because I really have learned some interesting things from the game regarding culture that I'd like to share with you. Even something that appears familiar can be very alien in feel, and that makes for some fascinating culture clashes and culture shock.

ROW 80: Check-In 10/9/11

2011-10-09T19:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, first week update:

1. Spend 1 hour every day working on a story task, whether writing new material on any WIPs or revising RRH.
--First half of the week: I kept up. Last part of week: weak. Too much going on and feeling vaguely unwell.

2. Read and comment on a minimum of 5 posts each check-in.
--Success! Checked 8 blogs for Mon check-in, 7 for Wed's.

3. Post on my blog 3 times a week, 1 of which must be a check-in.
--Got 2 of them in: Mon (check-in) and Fri (song/book feature).

4. Critique at least 2 posts each week on the SF/F crit forum over at Writer's Digest.
--Halfway there, got one done.

5. Have a specific smaller goal each week regarding my primary project.
First week's goal: Finish writing the beginning of RRH and connect it to the existing draft.
--It was a bit rushed at the end, but I did finish the scene. Next scene will be right before she goes into the woods, which is essentially where I originally started. Much happier with this draft. My crit group made some minor suggestions of things I overlooked, gave me some ideas on adding more description (my weak area), and pointed out where the scene ending was lacking. I'd call this a success.

This next week's goal: Take suggestions from crit group and revise first scene.

Filk Friday: The Captive and The River's Gift

2011-10-07T09:08:00.000-04:00

For a song/book combo, I give you The Captive, sung by Heather Alexander on the Freedom, Flight, and Fantasy CD, and The River's Gift, both of which were written by Mercedes Lackey.

From Lackey's website:

In The Rivers Gift, a young woman uses her healing gifts to help a magical horse-like creature--and receives, in return, the greatest gift of all...

Fifteen-year-old Ariella, lady-to-be of medieval Swan Manor, possesses magical healing abilities that she practices on the animals in the forest adjacent to her father's lands. One day a magnificent black horse emerges from the nearby river in need of her ministry. The horse is Merod, and he is a more-than-mortal Kelpie, a magical being who converses telepathically with Ariella. Distrustful at first, he warms to Ariella gradually, which is vital to her when, after her father's sudden death, she is taken away by a brutish cousin to be his bride.

I heard the song first then discovered the book at the library during my college years. Heather Alexander's voice beautifully captures the tones of the various parts. Though the book is the prose version of the song, I think it's interesting that the story within the song itself is loose enough from the book, that other prose versions could be written around it, much like her song Lammas Night did have multiple stories themed around it. (to be featured closer to Halloween) If you like fantasy music, I highly recommend picking up the CD, found at Firebird Arts.

Here we go aROWnd again...

2011-10-03T08:30:00.002-04:00

It's time for a new set of goals. Round 4 of ROW80 2011 starts today. After studying the kinds of goals other people had and how vague some of my goals had been, I'm starting off clearer and to more purpose. It also includes care of this blog and support to my fellow writers, since none of us exist in a vacuum.

1. Spend 1 hour every day working on a story task, whether writing new material on any WIPs or revising RRH.

2. Read and comment on a minimum of 5 posts each check-in.

3. Post on my blog 3 times a week, 1 of which must be a check-in.

4. Critique at least 2 posts each week on the SF/F crit forum over at Writer's Digest.

5. Have a specific smaller goal each week regarding my primary project.

This week's goal: Finish writing the beginning of RRH and connect it to the existing draft. Hoping that third time's the charm. Yes, this is attempt three. First two went to scrap file as they didn't fit overall character and story goals. Feeling good about this one, good enough that my crit group may actually get to see it. Currently, it's sitting at 1557 words. Another 500-1000 should get me where I need it to go.

And happy blog-o-versary! My blog is two years old now. It was technically last week, but I don't care. I'm impressed that I've kept it up this long, that I have more followers, and better yet, more readers. Thanks to all of you for supporting my endeavors.

Blog-cation time!

2011-09-23T21:15:00.000-04:00

I just started a new job this week, and right now it's sapping my energy. For good reason though. I'm helping open a brand new Michaels store here in town! Very exciting, but exhausting. I'm taking a week off from the blog to give me a chance to adjust to my new schedule and will be back on Monday October 3rd. Energy permitting, I will try to keep up on my reading and commenting.

Have a great week!

End of my first Round

2011-09-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

My goals for Round 3:

Write an hour a day: certainly feasible but didn't keep it up. I just needed to kick my own tush more. I'm going to have less time at home starting tomorrow (new job), but I think I might be able to give this goal another whack during Round 4. We'll see.

Hmm, I intended to rough out the second half of one novel in chapter summary format. Never worked on that. Oops. Kind forgot that one.

I did finish the first draft of Red Riding Hood. I'd hoped to be done with the first pass through, but I've at least received feedback from my two alpha readers who have given me some ideas.

All in all, though I didn't stick to my goals very well, I did better than I might have. I also have a better ideas of how to make clearer goals for the next round now that I've seen what other people have used. Progress goals will be more incremented to have steps I can check off. And I'm going to post my goals somewhere on my desk where I can see them and remember what they are.

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2011

2011-09-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

Arrrr!!! Didja all have a grrrrreat day of talkin' pirate? (Myself, I was a little busy with orientation at my new job. Not much room for pirate when listening to videos and explanations.) To wrap up the day, here is Tom Smith's Talk Like a Pirate Day. Hope you all had a blast with your piratittude. Yo ho!

Filk Friday: I'm a Pirate

2011-09-16T10:14:00.000-04:00

Avast! Monday be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Just getting me voice warmed up for good 'ol pirate speak. Make sure that on Sunday night you skip the ZZZZs and get plenty of ARRRRs instead.

To help you landlubbers get ready for a day 'o pirate fun, here's Cap'n Slappy, 'Ol Chumbucket, and lil Chumpail singing an original ditty by Cap'n Slappy hisself: I'm a Pirate.

And for a bonus, here be George Harrison sneaking his own pirate song onto Eric Idle's show back in 1975. Never knew he had it in him. Yo ho ho!

ROW 80: Check-In 9/14/11

2011-09-14T15:03:00.000-04:00

I slipped the past few weeks on working on my goals. Not enough effort even though I had time on most days. On a few I had good reason to not write, but most of the time, I have no excuse. I need to do better. The last couple weeks of August had been great.

My RRH story is not really any closer to being ready for crits. I've made progress on the second version of the new beginning. Today I looked it over, then read the original draft. I think I've lost something. Probably the story focus. It's much closer in line with what I was going for than the first attempt. That one I've made a quick sketch-up on how I can use it in something else. But this one bothers me even it reads okay. I'm hoping one or both of my alpha readers have time to look over the whole thing tonight. I need a fresh opinion.

I hadn't made it a stated goal, but I've also slacked on reading check-ins. I've only been on a couple people's lately. So for the last week I plan to visit 10 new blogs plus the ones I've been to before.

My writing spark

2011-09-12T17:04:00.000-04:00

Joshua asked: What made you want to be a writer? Was there a specific event? A specific person?

For the most part I've kind of slid into the mindset. I had fun writing stories in 5th and 6th grade, but I didn't pursue it that much. I don't really know why. It would have helped me work stuff out, and I was already a heavy reader. I only wrote stories for school even through high school. Then my first few years of college, I wrote nothing creative at all.

But then my roommate my 4th year of college got me playing D&D and NERO, a live-action roleplaying game. NERO in particular resparked my creative drive. I created a couple characters. To best play someone other than myself, I had to make up backstory and motivations. At some point, I realized that this process was sort of like prewriting for a story. It made me think that maybe I could actually make stuff up and have fun with it.

I started working on a novel with just an idea of the two main characters and what had just happened right before the story opening. Worked on it during the summer. In the fall, I took a creative writing class as an elective. My professor allowed me to keep working on that story for the class even though it was fantasy and intended to be a novel rather than a short story. I learned two major lessons about writing from that class: people way outside the target audience tend to not understand/appreciate genre characteristics and when you change the rules to how the world works, you need to define them somehow.

Well, and some people are simply clueless about clues. (My piece was titled Chapter One: The Rescue, because it was the first chapter and it was about a rescue. One person complained that the story didn't make much sense because it didn't read like a short story and who would name a short story "Chapter One" anyway? *headdesk*) That story has been tabled ever since, but mostly because I hadn't decided where I wanted to take the story from there.

Even though I haven't gone back to that one yet, it got me kicked off. My next bit of writing was a brief bit of backstory about one of my larp characters. I really want to tell her story in greater depth at some point, but I haven't worked out what to make the overall plot. It's sort of rambly right now and the beginning keeps shifting. For now, it's a tabled project.

The story that really pushed me into writing with the goal to share began with a dream. It had been so vivid and the characters so compelling that I wrote down as much of the dialog and setting that I could remember when I woke up. It made me want to know what had led to the confrontation. Even after a few days, I still felt it pulling on me. Thus began a several year long project I have never completely put aside, even though I still have a long way to go to completing a draft.

Currently, I cycle between that story, three other novels, and a couple of short stories. Having multiple stories may seem scattered, but when I get flustered or muddle-headed on one because I've narrowed my focus too tightly for first draft work, I can switch to another project. It's reduced my chance at being hit by Shiny New Idea. That's how a couple of my current projects began. I took too long of a break with no writing, and SNI bit me hard. Considering how my focus has improved and my non-writing intervals have shrunk, I'd say it works for me.

But I wouldn't have gotten past the puttering stage on that dream story or spawned any of the other stories if it hadn't been for Writer's Digest. The forums on the website connected me to other writers, especially ones who appreciated the kind of stories I enjoyed. The class may have been a nice start, but I've learned more about improving my writing skills from my forumites and the bloggers I've stumbled onto because of them. Even this blog exists only from the encouragement they gave me in starting one.

It's been a long slow ride for me to get this far as a writer. I wasn't sure how serious I was about it at first, more like yet another hobby. (I have many.) Some writers describe their drive to write as this powerful urge, their passion, something they've always had. I don't have that. But the longer I continue on this writing adventure, the more I want to keep going and the better I get. And my stories won't leave me alone.

Filk Friday: Dark and Stormy Night

2011-09-09T10:21:00.000-04:00

This is one of my (many) favorite songs from the Valdemar collection. Dark and Stormy Night refers to a bit of backstory that happened during the time of Tarma and Kethry, though they hadn't been a part of it. It's first referred to in Arrows of the Queen when Dirk sings the song. Then at the end of Oathbreakers, it's brought up again as something that had actually happened fairly recently before the song had been written. (Oathbreakers was written after Arrows, but chronologically it happens before.)

Some of the Valdemar songs are ones that characters actually know in the stories, while others are simply from their point of view about things going on. Heralds, Harpers, and Havoc has some of both, and it's just one of several CDs. I got sucked into the music at the same time as the books thanks to a couple friends. Been a fan ever since. Hope you enjoy the song even if you have no interest in the rest. You certainly don't need the books to appreciate it except to know that the Heralds mentioned in the song act on behalf of the Crown as messengers and peacekeepers, among other duties.

My writing nook

2011-09-06T10:01:00.000-04:00

DL asked about my writing process, if I curl up in a corner or spread out across the kitchen table. (Meant to post yesterday, but forgot to schedule it Sunday night then was out all day yesterday.)

It's changed over the years. I used to use a notebook almost exclusively and write pretty much anywhere, including work lunch breaks. Then I wanted to do more on the computer. Word was okay, but I had to juggle multiple documents. Sort of annoying. Due to a shoulder injury when my son was about a year old (which I didn't even get a fun way), I couldn't sit at a desk for longer than half an hour before it ached too much. That's when I got my first laptop, an iBook G4 which allowed me to try out Scrivener. It's become my favorite writing program, but I won't go into that now, other than it saved me from having to deal with Word. Working on a laptop meant I could sit on the couch or a comfy chair where my back and shoulders could be supported. I still use my notebooks, but I mostly work straight on the computer.

Recently, I determined that I finally needed to work at a desk again. Sitting in the chair got too distracting with people watching tv, plus it made me feel less productive. The kitchen table was fine except I couldn't leave my stuff set up and kitchen chairs aren't designed to be on them for long periods of time. My mom-in-law had a desk she wasn't using, so she helped me shift things around and bring it upstairs. Now I have my own workspace where I can put my laptop and work materials and not worry about them ending up somewhere else when other people start cleaning. My new desk chair is simple but supportive. Also proud of it 'cause I bought it and put it together all by myself.

The window has a lovely view of a grassy field (farm country). My desk has a bamboo plant, plush black and orange dragon, fairy sculpture, pair of scented candles, desk sized Ott lamp, pencil/pen holder, the necessary tissue box, and (of course) my laptop. I also usually have a glass of water and/or a mug of tea on hand. The shelves to the side hold my notebooks, sketchpads, and colored pencils. Plus right now they also have some of my crocheting stuff and other miscellaneous items. My shelves are messy, but I'm trying to keep the top fairly uncluttered. The clean look helps me work better. It's probably a Feng Shui thing.

So what's your writing nook like?

Filk Friday: Creative use of self parody

2011-09-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

Carla Ulbrich knows how to apply humor to her own embarrassing incidents and health issues. I like her unique voice and would love to meet her in person. This video clip was a recording she made just a few days ago as part of an interview with Michael Stock. She tells about an embarrassing fall she made when she was recovering from kidney failure and stroke. (She even made a whole CD entitled Sick Humor, humorous songs about medical procedures, after being in the hospital.) Then she shared about how she lost weight during the recovery to the point where she'd lost too much. It had inspired her to write "What If Your Butt Was Gone?" Not only is it entertaining, but it's a parody of one of her own songs.

Some of my favorite songs include "If I Had the Copyright" (the F Words Song), "Sittin' In the Waiting Room," "Therapy Works," "Duet With a Klingon," and "How Old Are You." Hope you enjoy the video. If you do, you may want to check out her website: The Singing Patient. She is a spunky woman as well as a remarkable singer. What an inspiration.

Monday questions

2011-08-29T21:50:00.000-04:00

Sorry this is so late. I was wiped out last night (went to bed at 9pm, crazy early for me) and my internet was down today until around dinner time. Here are answers to Emily's questions. I'm going to save Joshua's and DL's questions for the next couple Mondays.

Emily asked: What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten?

Hmm, this is hard. Possibly starfruit and kumquats. Starfruit for the taste and kumquats just because they're like itty bitty oranges that you eat whole. I've had quite a bit of international foods, but I'm not sure I'd classify any of them as weird. Though I'm sure some people might think of tadig that way. It's rice that's been deliberately cooked into a crunchy crust.

If I could be any of my characters, which one would I be?

Another toughie. I love many of them. But possibly I'd go with Captain Daira or Jana. They're from the same story and balance each other's weaknesses.

--Captain Daira is tough and disciplined with a mind for strategic planning. She's loyal to her country and fights for justice and honor, even when others think she has none. Right now she's trying to maintain her ideals but she's no longer quite the noble leader she'd hoped to be. She's fixated on proving herself innocent of the false charges which has made her a little bitter and tarnished her ideals. Managing an assorted lot of men doesn't help her focus when some of them are actual criminals.
--Jana is a kind-hearted artisan who gets brought into Daira's camp after her father is hung as a traitor and has to learn all sorts of things about the wider world she'd never dealt with before. She'd been sheltered, but she will be learning how to be a leader even though she won't be the same sort as Daira. Instead she has a willingness to listen, generosity, and encouragement to draw people to her. Jana never sees herself as a leader, but Daira and her men come to recognize those quieter leadership traits.

This whole leadership difference is a major theme. Daira's the obvious sort of societal leader. She commands a group of people with her dominant and confident personality, and they do what she tells them. (Mostly) But then there's a more subtle sort of leadership, leading by example. Jana's kindness and willingness to help others revives Daira's ideals and inspires better actions from most of the men in camp. She becomes as much of a leader as Daira, though each with different strengths. Daira is the sword; Jana is the heart. Together they are a powerful force.

I've always wanted to be a dynamic leader like Daira, but I've come to know that not all leaders have to lead in the same way. Jana is a reflection of my ideal self in the lead-by-example manner. This story is probably dearest to my heart of all of them. I work on it, feel incapable of expressing it, work on other projects, learn more, come back and work on it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I won't give up on their story. This is the one especially for the girl I was many years ago and all other girls like her.

Saturday Question

2011-08-27T11:28:00.000-04:00

Just a quick morning post, since I didn't get anything posted yesterday. (Sorry, I had something, but it sounded like I was trying too hard for the voice. Still working on it.) I'm trying to think of post ideas for the next couple months. Other than getting in some more book reviews and my periodic ROW 80 check-ins, I'd like suggestions for topics to write about. They just have to relate to spec fic in some way.

Also, do you have anything you'd like to know about me? Several of you have recently joined me here in the dragon library, and this seems like a good time for some questions. They can be wacky or serious. You can even submit more than one. I'll start answering questions on Monday. Have fun thinking up ponderables.

And have a great weekend!

Stubble It! And other vulgar phrases of 1811

2011-08-22T12:17:00.000-04:00

If you wish your writing to be in fine trim when using language of the 1800's and not sound like a puzzle-text, check out The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. I am not tweaking your nose when I say this book can help you add some flavor to your riff raff. Just be careful that your writing cronies don't nip the book from your possession. Make them get their own copy. If necessary, you can find it on Project Guttenberg.

So roll the bones and take a chance to have some fun with vulgar language. Put your characters in a pickle with some rogues. You'll discover naming jokes authors have used such as Fflewddur Fflam's name in the Prydain Chronicles. (Flam is a lie or sham story.) And some words may surprise you with their familiarity. I used a few in this post, can you find them all?

(Puzzle-text - an ignorant blundering parson)

Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter

2011-08-17T09:42:00.000-04:00

I think I have a weakness for Rumpelstiltskin stories. Fairy tales in general can be so much fun, but these ones in particular fascinate me. (Cinderella tales are my other favorite.) I've read some great variations with good and bad little men, mean to mediocre kings, and assorted supporting characters. The book that hooked me into the story the most was The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde. She wrote six different variations on the story trying to answer the parts of the story that had never made sense to her.

Now here is another variation, this one written and illustrated by Diane Stanley, called Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. She doesn't focus on the flaws inherent in the original story; she tells the initial story much in line with the traditional version--until Rumpelstiltskin asks for the child on the third night.

He explains he wants the child because he's always wanted to be a father, and that he'd sing lullabies, read stories to the child, and "even coach Little League." Well, the miller's daughter liked the sound of that. She told him she liked his parenting ideas and that she'd rather marry him than the king. So they escaped together and started a home of their own far away.

They had a daughter who grew up into a young lady as clever and lovely as her parents. They'd let her go to market sometimes taking a bit of gold her father spun up to buy things they couldn't make or grow. Rumor and gossip spread its way back to the same king the miller's daughter had escaped many years ago.

The next time Rumpelstiltskin's daughter went to town, the guards were waiting for her. She saw the impoverished condition of the people during the carriage ride back to the palace. The king was as greedy as ever and demanded that she spin him more gold. But since she was a smart lass, she made a plan that might have a chance to improve conditions across the kingdom and even change the king himself.

If you need a charming story to read to your kids where wits and kindness can overcome greediness, this may be the book for you. The illustrations just add to the whimsical tone. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. (I haven't even read it to my son yet.)

ROW 80: Check-In 8/14/11

2011-08-14T08:46:00.000-04:00

This week hasn't been too bad for working. Though I haven't written as much as I'd hoped to, I've made progress. Part of the time spent was on Behind the Name. The MC now has a new name. It took me long enough, but first I had to let myself get pulled deep enough to be more open to names that suited the mood, setting, and her personality. After narrowing it down to two names, I took the one that sounded prettier and tried it out. It fits really well and adds to the flavor of the setting better than I thought.

The new beginning is moving along. I'm still not sure how I'm going to mesh it with what I already have, but I'm not quite up to that point yet. I just hope that my crit group will think it makes sense. They're looking forward to reading it, which is always a nice feeling.

I've also started researching where to send this piece when I get it polished up. Not in depth with that part yet, since I'm only in round 2 of the draft. (Round 3 is my crit group.) But just to start getting ideas and see if there's any deadlines I may want to keep in mind.

My goal for the week: finish the new beginning and connect up to the previous beginning. It'll take a bit of rewriting, since I made a few setting and story changes, but I hope it'll be even stronger.

Friday video: Panic at the Disco

2011-08-12T18:22:00.000-04:00

My husband stumbled onto this group while checking out The League of Steam. I'm not sure if the video was linked to their site or if it was just the steampunk connection. However it happened, this video rocks. The song is modern pop yet a bit alternative, and the video is all about the steampunk. Panic at the Disco has a few albums out. The Ballad of Mona Lisa is on Vices and Virtues.

For those not sure what is going on in the video. The rules that they show are part of a funeral tradition. (I don't know which one, only what my husband explained to me.) The spirit is thought to hang out near the body until after the viewing and funeral. In this case the lead singer is playing double roles for the vid; he's both a singer at the funeral and the spirit of the murdered man. No one can sense him until the end when the little girl finally understands his message and shares it. He's still very freaky looking, but the video was so cool with the steampunk costumes and setting.

ROW 80: Check-In 8/7/11

2011-08-07T13:20:00.001-04:00

Goal: to begin working on the revision for RRH story. Check. I'm not very far, but I started. I got far enough that I decided I needed to do a bit of research. First was to work on renaming the characters to better fit the feel I was going for. I still haven't settled on the MC's name, but her dead bethrothed has had his name tweaked. The two other named characters haven't been renamed yet, but since their names don't come up much, not a big deal. I'll probably come back to theirs after the current revision round is over. Second bit of research: to read a bunch of other fairy tale type stories for a look at the pacing, language, and tension use. So I cracked open my copy of Happily Ever After, an anthology of fairy tale retellings. I'm about two thirds of the way through it and getting some ideas to keep me on track with my story goals.

Goal: to spend an hour every day on the writing. Err, not great. Sunday I gave myself a break of excitement for finishing the story. M, T, F, and Sat have word counts. I did think about the story on Wed and Thurs, but I spent those days doing a bunch of things with my son, like the weekly trip to the library. So, that was cool. Better than I thought. Today, I haven't done any writing yet, but I'm still reading through my book. I intend to sit down and do a bit of writing later but at least I've decided where I'm going with the first scene.

I've read some great books this week. One of my favorites was Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensics Questions for Mystery Writers. I posted a review on Tuesday, so if you didn't catch it, I hope you'll check it out. Fantastic book, and not just for mystery writers either. It's for pretty much any genre; the questions simply came from mystery writers. If anyone wants to check out what I read, visit my shelves on Goodreads.

Have a great week on your goals!

Murder and Mayhem (for writers)

2011-08-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

The full title of today's featured book is Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers. D.P. Lyle M.D. compiled the top questions from his The Doctor Is In column for a couple newsletters for the Mystery Writers of America. I discovered this book at my library while looking for Howdunit Forensics, another book he wrote.

The questions are organized into three major sections: Doctors, Hospitals, Illnesses, and Injuries; Methods of Murder and Mayhem; and Tracking the Perp. These are further subdivided into chapters such as Traumatic Injuries and Their Treatment, Medical Murder, and The Police and the Crime Scene. Each question is headed by its simplified form, followed by the scenario and questions given by the submitter.

His answers are clear, even when he uses the medical jargon, because he explains what the technical parts mean. His light touch of humor glimmers in some of his responses. One writer asked whether drinking brandy while waiting for help to get out of a half frozen lake would enable the character to survive, if it would act like antifreeze. The brief answer, "Sorry, but your character is doomed, and his actions would only hasten his demise." Then Dr. Lyle went on to explain why and what would happen instead.

My favorite question is in the Odds and Ends, Mostly Odds chapter at the end. The writer had a teenaged girl whose father was having an affair with a young mom. The girl wanted to punish them both, so she was going to tamper with the diaphragm (contraceptive device) the woman was using by putting some sort of "hot" substance on it but wanted something that wouldn't be readily detected. The writer wanted to know what the girl could use. The answer began with "Tabasco. No contest." He gave a short explanation of why and what would happen, including how a spermicidal jelly would affect the onset of the burning, then finished with "What a totally diabolical question." It sure is, and I hope I get the chance to use it in a story sometime. Is that bad of me? ;D

Even though I'm not a mystery writer and have no plans to be one specifically, this is an awesome reference. He even stated that this is for all genres to keep from rehashing info from books and tv or using wrong or misleading info from the internet. It's going to my to-buy list, and I highly recommend that you read it at least once. None of us need any blunders that will cause our credibility to plummet.

An accomplishment for my check-in

2011-07-31T11:26:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted a ROW 80 check-in for awhile. I've been a bad writer and blog reader. I got lazy and didn't write much or read other people's check-ins. This past week though I pushed myself to quit messing around and do more work. I decided to pull out my short stories and see what I could finish off for the sake of typing the end to something at long last. (So many WIPs, sigh)

The short story push is partly from reading a bunch of other people's short stories like The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales, The Secret History of Fantasy, and Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded. I also have Dragons and Dreams from the library and Happily Ever After from the bookstore waiting for me to read them.

My troll story didn't pull me much. I'm still not sure how I want to tackle the middle. I gave my wolpertinger story a try and on the 26th I wrote 343 new words on it and then cut them off and moved them to the remnant file. The direction it took didn't sit right with me. I added 195 words to my half-orc bard story on the 27th. Those weren't bad, but my brain didn't want to stick with it.

But on Friday, I pulled out my Red Riding Hood story, determined to get something finished. I knocked out 1685 words, one of my top word tallies. (300-500 is more my typical sort of count) And yesterday I came in with 731 words including The End. Ding ding ding! Yippeeee!

Oh, it still needs massive work: a completely redone beginning and an expanding out of noted bits I'd had to skip to keep me from bogging down. But I completed it. I've proved to myself that I really can finish a story. I was totally giddy yesterday when I did it. And then I went through and read several check-ins from Wed to cheer on other folks.

I'm still way behind on reading my blog roll, taking today to work on that, but I want to say thanks to the unspoken pressure to get something accomplished on my goals. Finishing a story wasn't technically one of them, but it is something I've had hanging over me for the past few years. Everyone who has ever said good luck, or hope you make it, or some other variant of encouragement here on my blog or other online places I hang out: Thank you.

My other goals might get tweaked later since by the end of this round, I intend to finish the first round of revisions on the Red Riding Hood story, maybe even come up with a title other than RRH. I'm not sure how I want to break down the revisions into smaller check-off-able chunks yet, but I'll work on that too. I'm also behind on posting book reviews here, so I intend to have 4 books reviews during the month of August. Hope you'll check back for them. I think I already know which one I want to cover first. It'll be up tomorrow (if I write it tonight) or Tuesday (after I get back from the Buffalo Museum of Science).

Hope everyone has a productive week!

Filk Friday: Cat Macros

2011-07-29T17:23:00.000-04:00

I'm in the mood for something silly, so here is Tom Smith's Cat Macros. If this video ever comes down, I will be very sad, because the pics perfectly fit the lyrics. I'm sure some of them were the ones that inspired the words. Hope you have fun watching this. Cat Macros and other Tom Smith songs are available on iTunes.

I'm still lousy on my overall writing goals, but today was fabulous: a thousand words, and I'm going to go back and knock out some more. I'm closing in on finishing the first draft of a short story I've had sitting around. The beginning needs to be totally redone, and I have a couple gaps to fill in, but this might be the first piece I get to type The End on.

Writer's Digest website changes

2011-07-22T08:40:00.000-04:00

This is primarily for my WD friends. The WD website got updated last night, but there are still some issues with the forums. It was supposed to be just passwords that were going to need resetting, but it isn't recognizing people's usernames or emails. Liz sent an email to everyone she had addresses for, but there's a few people here she didn't have. The forum admins have been emailed about the issue. So, if you can't get on, don't fret yet. I'll post an update when I find out more.

Filk Friday: The Doctor And I

2011-07-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

After a little poking around this morning, I found this gem. Yes, it is really John Barrowman singing The Doctor And I, a parody of "The Wizard And I" from Wicked. Jack Harkness is a great character. According to a comment, Barrowman knew the composer of the original song and got permission to change the lyrics. I wish I could get it on iTunes, but from what I understand it was a special release on iTunes UK a year or so ago. I don't know if it's still available.

And now I'm wishing again that the new Torchwood episodes weren't on STARS. Sigh.

ROW 80: Check-In 7/10/11

2011-07-10T16:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry that I didn't do much on Blogger at all this week. It's been crazy here with getting my father-in-law packed up for his new contract job (he'll be gone for a year, aside from breaks) and helping Mom-in-law with "spring" cleaning (not done yet, but getting there). I also did lots of weeding in the front garden. It was overrun with clover.

This meant I didn't get as much accomplished on my writing as I'd intended. So many house projects needed done that I felt bad sitting at my computer when they were working on the list. The past few days have had zero writing time, but at least I wasn't goofing off. Earlier in the week, I did get my daily hour in, but it was hard to stay focused with various interruptions.

The chapter I'd been working on for almost a month is finally done, but I'm going to try writing it again. After looking back over my chapter goals in my plotline, the chapter doesn't match, and what I'd intended makes more sense than what I wrote. The chapter has great stuff in it. My crit group has said that the characters are cool, the tensions interesting, and the woman's backstory revealed in this part fits smoothly. But it's off track. I think that's why the characterizations have been so hard to keep a grip on.

However, it's still useful. I have the woman's backstory in her words and I have some judgements from the old man. I may end up keeping it and then tweaking to fit better, but I want to see what else I can come up with. Most writing advice would say to leave it and just keep charging forward, but this part has critical moments between the two characters. I can't just leave it unless I have the what-happens and what-is-said pegged right. Those matter to how much the two main characters learn about each other, which will affect how chapter 3 plays out.

I'm off to get as much done as I can on the alternate version of chapter 2 before supper. Later tonight, I'll start reading through the blogs I've missed this week and stop by some of the other ROW 80 check-ins. Thanks to those of you who came by on my first check-in.

New to the ROW 80 challenge

2011-07-04T11:15:00.001-04:00

Well, I haven't been a Monday poster for awhile, but today is the first day of Round 3 of A Round of Words in 80 Days. You can be in the midst of a WIP, starting a new draft, working on revisions, or any combination of steps. Any project counts, even non-fiction. I just heard about it yesterday, so I'm not real sure yet what I'm doing with my goals.

It's very different from NaNoWriMo. Instead of focusing on a huge number of words in 30 days, the idea is to develop long term writing habits that take into account that most of us have lives we can't bail on. As it was described, NaNo is like a sprint, but writing a novel is more like a marathon. And many people, including myself, cannot write quickly or consistently.

I'd done pretty good with NaNo last November. Until Thanksgiving week that is. Then because everyone was underfoot due to first my son being sick and then my mother-in-law getting the crud, they didn't go to my sister-in-law's like they'd planned. That effectively derailed all my plans and threw off my stride for the next few months. Around February, I started to push myself back into a writing schedule, and at the beginning of summer I made some writing goals. I'm not great at following goals, but having reasonable ones pushes me to do more than I might otherwise.

My writing goal had been to write 60,000 words by Aug 31. I'm sitting at 9767. Yeah, I should be about double that by now. If I'd written every day, I probably would be right on track. It wasn't all on my novel, but I counted the words I wrote toward my article for the culture share on Juliette Wade's blog.

The nice thing is that ROW 80 will help me toward my summer word count goal. Here are my tentative goals for the challenge. I may adjust after I see what other people are doing.

1. Finish rough plotting my WIP (it's about half done). My sort of plotting--when I do any in advance--is essentially chapter goals. Any details beyond that are brainstorm ideas that may or may not get used.

2. Write a chapter a week. This may or may not be as silly for me as a word count goal. Some scenes write easily and some are really tough. I have one scene right now that is really long and still not done yet. It's also an emotional one, making it harder to write.

3. Write 60 minutes every day without getting on the internet. This is my BIC goal. It's easy for other distractions to take over my day. And an hour is a reasonable amount of time I can get my family to leave me alone for. Today will be hard with being a holiday, but I will try for at least a portion of that. I'd say 5 days a week, but it's too easy for me to lose momentum if I take a couple days off. Now if I get in a phenomenal day's work, I might take the next day off, but otherwise it's better to keep going.

If anyone wants to join this challenge, here are the rules and the theory behind it. There are check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays. You can jump in at any time, even midway through the round. You are the one to set what your goals are, so it doesn't matter when you join.

Book Blogger Hop

2011-07-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

Today's question:

What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?

I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to books. Even ones that don't totally suck me in will still pull me through the pages, but they won't keep me up reading late into the night. I can put them down, walk away, come back sometime later when I feel like it. Only curiosity to know how it turns out makes me keep reading. I just don't read those ones again or often. The ones I sacrifice sleep for have brilliant writing and characters that grab me.

Ones that do make me put them down, assuming I picked them up in the first place. Excessive unreasonable violence, MCs doing things I cannot root for and antagonists who are just as bad (stories from the villain's view where I can root for the antagonist aka hero are different), excessive swearing, a sequence of events I cannot find at all plausible in the context of the world setting, a total snooze fest, or very confusing.

Guest post today at TalkToYoUniverse

2011-06-30T09:50:00.001-04:00

I don't normally talk about my religion, but I hope you'll come by and read my post on growing up Baha'i in the American Midwest. It's my contribution to the Writer's International Culture Share feature that Juliette Wade started on her blog.

Who's the tank?

2011-06-28T10:53:00.000-04:00

One of the people in my gaming group showed me this on Sunday: a modern interpretation of the old Abbott and Costello "Who's on 1st" routine set in World of Warcraft terms. I was laughing so hard. My dad used to have a cassette of the old routines, so I've actually listened to them many times. The guys who put this together have the entire thing nailed from beginning to end with all the emotions. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Even though I know some of you aren't gamers, it still makes sense from a fantasy standpoint. Hehehe.

Trailer for The Guild's new comicbook

2011-06-24T10:19:00.001-04:00

I found out about Felicia Day from Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog. That's what pointed me toward her web series called The Guild, a funny look at MMORPGers. I've been hooked ever since, though I'm behind on the latest season (#3). Whether you've played an online game before or not, you might have fun watching the series. And now this week, their new comic book comes out. I plan to pick it up sometime this summer.

Check out the new trailer for the comic book. Then go watch some of the webseries. :D

Fun video Friday: B5-diets in the future

2011-06-17T09:20:00.000-04:00

Just to do something a little different, and because I'm on a Babylon 5 kick at the moment, here is one of my many favorite episodes in which Dr. Franklin gives the rest of the Command staff new diets. Food plans. Whatever. Garibaldi is told to cut back on the fats and salt, Sheridan has to cut back on meats and add more veggies, and Ivanova has to add fats and minerals. As you can guess, none of them are very happy about it. Though it's nearly cut off in the transition between excepts, listen for Franklin's final comment to Ivanova's exasperated metaphor.

Though Babylon 5 has many serious moments and episodes that focus more heavily on the conflict, there are the more ordinary (and humorous) moments like this scattered throughout the five seasons. I love these characters.

Sleepy day

2011-06-14T13:26:00.000-04:00

I've been dragging all morning. It's afternoon now, and I still don't have much oomph. But days like today are good for curling up with cozy books like Redwall and Mossflower. I don't know how many times I've read them, but something about the series is relaxing.

Wanders off with the one of the books and finds a comfy nook in the dragon cave not already crowded by sprites.

Filk Friday: Roll a D6

2011-06-10T18:07:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I almost forgot to do my Friday post again. Well, since gaming is on my mind, here's a parody on "Like a G6" called Roll a D6. For those of you less familiar, a d6 is a six-sided die used in many roleplaying games. D&D usually uses several different dice: the d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and the d20. Sometimes you have to roll a d3, but for that we usually use d6 (1-2, 3-4, 5-6 for 1, 2, 3).

Now my gaming group doesn't this deep into our roles, but technically we do play in the basement at our friends' house. Both the husband and wife play, so I'm not the only gal there. But the guys are all pretty cool. My husband is our Gamemaster, and he comes up with some tough challenges of various kinds, a nice balance between hack-n-slash and roleplaying. It's the sort of balance that makes for great retelling later.

Ah the stories I could tell from various campaigns I've been in... But I digress. Enjoy this catchy bit of gamer filk, grab some friends, and roll a d6!

And the writing creeps forward

2011-06-08T08:22:00.000-04:00

I haven't gotten very far on the writing goals yet this month. 993 new words written, 1824 if I add in the count from May 31st. I had a good start, then realized my scene had the wrong emotional overtones which meant the characterization didn't fit with the first scene. Even the history and political structure had changed based on the tidbits I'd thrown in. I reread my original notes and decided that I preferred the old context. The whole scene went into my cut file. 3k words=ouch.

After taking a few days to study what pulled it out of alignment and read up on various empires for ideas to solidify my basic concept, I got trickling forward again. Some of what I'd had has been recycled back in. New stuff is trickling in, but I think I'm picking up momentum again. Whether I finish the scene today is questionable, but I will try.

Do any of you have similar stories you'd like to share?

Summer goals 2011

2011-05-31T08:26:00.001-04:00

Since many of my fellow bloggers have been talking about summer goals, I came up with some for myself. By the end of August 31:

I will write 60,000 words towards one or more stories. That's an average of 652 words/day, entirely doable for me, even with the days I know I won't have much time to write, such as my birthday this month and the family picnic next month. (Write on those days at all? Mmm, probably not.)

I will get my craft business underway. Writing is slow and painstaking, and my family could use some extra money coming in now. If I can make some without having to go anywhere but the store and the post office, I can stay home to write. And crafts make a nice change of pace from the storytelling.

I will stay positive about my work and not let anyone convince me it's worthless. Okay, so that's an ongoing intangible thing rather than something concrete I can point to as saying I accomplished it. But it is an important thing to remind myself about.

Anybody else have any goals for this summer?

It's been a writing week

2011-05-28T10:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry I didn't have anything for you this week. I'm working my way through a book of fantasy short stories, so I'll post of review of that this upcoming Tuesday. The first couple stories are pretty good. Hopefully, the rest of the collection is just as interesting.

I've also been getting back into daily writing mode. Earlier this week I spent all morning on a long letter to a relative. And then I got back into a story I started over the winter. I had the first couple scenes written and chapter plot notes to carry me halfway through the book. The third scene called to me, so I've been working on that this week. Plus we had a writer/editor visit our critique forum yesterday to tell us about his new releases and look over our opening lines. For my story he pointed out a couple minor places for clarification and some things I did well with voice and tension. Overall he liked it and would keep reading. I still feel a little giddy. On previous visits, he considered my openings to be weak, so I've gotten better. Yippee!

Now I've gotta go finish scene 3. The two main characters both have secrets and gruff attitudes, so there's much fun in their interactions. How's your writing coming along lately?

Filk Friday: Playing D&D

2011-05-20T10:03:00.001-04:00

I've been playing D&D for almost 12 years, one of the good things I discovered while in college. I learned to respond quicker to situations, think in alternative ways--thereby improving my outlook on problems, and build a stronger self-confidence. It also led me to larping and from there to my hubby. So between that, the many hours of fun I've had with tabletop and live action games, and the inspiration that got me writing creatively again, D&D is pretty special.

This week, one of my friends linked a video on FB. The singer is the lovely SJ Tucker, who as it turns out, is a friend of a friend of one of my other friends who is not connected to the one who shared the video with me in the first place. Funny how that works sometimes.

So here is "Playing D&D," produced by Dead Gentlemen Productions. You can download this song for free from SJ Tucker's album "Mischief" at http://www.strowlers.biz/ according to the Youtube description.

Labyrinth

2011-05-17T10:27:00.000-04:00

One of the classic movies I grew up with is Labyrinth. It was utter magic to me. Even though I faced different issues than Sarah was going through, I felt a certain understanding for her character. Maybe it was that we were both fantasy-absorbed. She was escaping her changed family life, and I was escaping my changed social life. (I discovered the movie a few years after it was released.)

Plus it's a Jim Henson movie. Goblins are almost cute as muppets. From IMDB.com:

15-year-old Sarah accidentally wishes her baby half-brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth who will keep Toby if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in 13 hours.

The labyrinth was never what she expected, but its changing ways--influenced by her choices and words--forced her to discover and accept changes in herself. If she had reached Jareth's castle easily, she might have still failed in saving Toby. It was her self discovery along the way that allowed her to succeed.

Not only was the story meaningful to me, but the music is catchy. In fact this post was going to be about something else, but then I popped on the Labyrinth soundtrack. I decided to share this favorite from my collection instead.

Who else is a Labyrinth fan? What is your favorite quote?

Here is one of my many favorites.
Jareth: Hello, Hedgewart.
Sarah: Hogwart.
Hoggle: Hog-gle!
(and 11 years later we get Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, hehe)

Here's another one: Too bad the image is distorted, but it's still a gem of a scene. Sarah gets advice from a worm.

Thor, the fantastic God of Thunder

2011-05-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

On Mother's Day, I went with my husband to see Thor, the new superhero movie. Now I'm not a big superhero fan-that's more my hubby's shtick-but the play on Norse mythology looked like fun. (Plus the actor looked fantastic in the previews. But we won't go there.)

After reading some reviews, we chose to see it in normal 2D mode, because they said the 3D did nothing for the movie. After seeing it, I'm glad for the decision. The fight sequences were not choreographed suitably for 3D. Too much stuff moving on the screen at high speeds combined with the camera motions meant I'd have have been sick to my stomach from vertigo. In 2D, the scenes were fine, though still a bit on the dizzying side in a couple places.

The story: Thor is a good guy, but he's too brash and arrogant for his father's comfort. What king wants to pass his power to a young man who is overly eager to pick a fight now matter how skilled he is at fighting? Even though that son possesses all other worthy traits. Thor's ego gets him into trouble and he is banished to Earth without his powers. But a father's hope for change sends Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, to Earth as well.

The movie was lots of fun. I had no preconceived notions about the story other than the preview and what I could remember of Norse mythology, which wasn't much. I haven't been able to get into the Iron Man movies, because Stark's character just rubs me the wrong way. But Thor, despite his arrogance, still comes across as worthy of respect. Someone I could root for. (It didn't hurt that some of his mannerisms remind me of one of my friends.) All he needed was the right situation to make him realize the additional qualities his father was trying to teach him. By itself, being sent to Earth wasn't enough to trigger the change of perspective, but his interaction with scientist Jane Foster, plus a personal setback that I won't spoil for you, does the job.

I'm not sure I agree completely with the story structure of the first half. It opens with a brief bit where a trio of scientists are following this storm and find Thor the hard way (smacking him with the van), then a jump to all the stuff that led to Thor being there, before finally going back to that scene. It took much longer than I expected to return to the opening teaser, making me question why they'd even started with it or why there was so much backstory. Not a movie killer issue, just a mild concern. It might only bug me because of studying story structure for my own writing. But I will say the teaser did help with waiting for all the post-banishment tidbits shown in the preview. And Thor was fun to root for even from the beginning.

Over all, I highly recommend that you go see this movie. Even if you don't care about any of the teasers for the linked movies, it works just as well as a stand alone. I'd give this one 4.75 stars. I'll probably also go see the next movie in the Marvel-verse.

My First Blog Hop

2011-05-06T11:51:00.002-04:00

This is my first time doing a blog hop, but this one looks like fun. This week's question is, "Which book blogger would you most like to meet in real life?"

This is a little tough, since several of my online friends do blogging about books, but I think I'd have to say Jennifer and Cannwin from The Literary Soundtrack. I stumbled onto their blog via someone else's and stuck around. They have similar tastes in books to what I like, and I love how they find songs to correlate with themes in the books they review. It's a fun angle to combine previously unrelated stories and music.

Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded

2011-05-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

Steampunk fashion has fascinated me ever since I discovered people doing the style. It's a sort of romantic retro with spec fic flavor. Some of the garb I've seen ranges from Victoriana to mildly tech-specced to full on gear crazy techie.

Even computers have been given the steampunk makeover.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

So when I ran across Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded at the library, I had to pick it up. I haven't read very many stories or books yet with steampunk elements, and I wanted to see how other writers use the sub genre in literary endeavors. It might be fun to try myself someday, you know?

After reading, I have a mixed opinion. I still love the fashion part, but I'm not too sure about the stories. Some of them brought me in and kept my interest, while others made me skim. This collection has a heavy emphasis on the tech (and tech's danger to society). Here is a sampling the more intriguing pieces of fiction.

Dr. Lash Remembers by Jeffrey Ford: A virulent new disease is going around with odd effects. Besides the common symptoms, it comes with a green discharge from the left inner-ear. The green liquid is breaking down the barriers in peoples minds between imagination and memory.

The Unblinking Eye by Stephen Baxter: The Incan Empire has introduced itself to the European one. Their technology is wondrous to Jenny. She thinks Prince Alphonse is overly paranoid about the Incans' intentions. But is he right?

The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar by Shweta Narayan: This rather long title fails to capture the strength of this allegory against pride and greed. The writing is amazing, and I loved the stories within the main story.

Wild Copper by Samantha Henderson: This story combines steampunk with stories of Oberon and Titania and the fae realm and with Native American lore. A very interesting combination. It's more fantasy than SF.

The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday by G.D. Falksen: This story was spun off from wondering how to apply elements from modern life into steampunk. This one uses blogging. Blogs are called tit-tat and the process is called tatting. Personally, it sounds more like Twitter and tweets than full blogs, but it was still interesting to see how they did it with newspapers rather than the Internet. The mystery behind one particular tatter carries the story right along. Rather strange, but it works.

As Recorded on Brass Cylinders: Adagio for Two Dancers by James L. Grant & Lisa Mantchev: This piece really does carry the feel of a dance. The characters waltz around each other in an effort to understand and remember a shared past. A beautiful love story, just with clockwork creations, as the Company Retriever attempts to bring back the Collector for his brass memory cylinders.

Whether you get into the fiction of steampunk or not, if you are at all interested in learning about it, you should read the three nonfiction articles in the back. They help to define the sub-genre culture in a real world sense and its place within speculative fiction. Steampunk is an interesting realm of imagination, and I hope it continues along for quite awhile. Now I'm off to go drool over some fantastic garb again.

Clockwork Couture
Gentleman's Emporium
one blogger's overview of steampunk fashion (with pictures)
TheSteampunkEmpire

Filk Friday: Fairies Stole My Keys

2011-04-29T08:00:00.004-04:00

I'm sure we've all had those days where something we need has come up missing. We might wonder if a bit of mischief has waylaid our belongings. In this playful song, fairies are the ones responsible for the missing object. Fairies Stole My Keys has a bouncy beat and light hearted lyrics, which makes it fun to sing. I hope you enjoy this song from Emerald Rose as much as I do. You can find it on iTunes if you want your own copy.

The Wish Giver

2011-04-26T14:19:00.000-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful week while I was on vacation. I'll be working on catching up on my blog reading over the next few days. For a little something today, here is a book I read years ago and stumbled on again last week at Goodwill down near my mom. The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain is a quaint MG novel about wishing without considering the consequences. Set in New England, it carries the flavor of early Americana stories of strange happenings.

It's told from the POV of Stew Meat, the owner of the Coven Tree General Store. Thaddeus Blinn promises him and the three youths willing to listen that he can grant them each any one wish for only 50 cents. They aren't sure he really can, but he suckers them into paying him. He gives them each a white card with a red spot on it. All they have to do is press their thumb on the spot and state their wish aloud. But he tells them to give it plenty of thought because he'll never be back again.

"Take great care when you wish," Blinn called after us. "For it will be granted exactly as you ask for it."

Though Stew Meat simply tucks his card away and laughs at himself for nearly believing the wild tale, the youngsters each find themselves willing to try out their cards. Blinn's warning was just as he said, for their wishes come true more directly than they imagined.

Be careful what you wish for.

I can see why The Wish Giver was made a Newbery Honor Book. Though some people get rather funny regarding magic in stories, I think this is well worth reading for the allegory aspect to it. Polly, Rowena, and Adam each learn something about themselves and the people around them. That's where the real story is. The wishes simply highlight each issue, and make them think more about their actions and abilities.

Did anyone else read this when they were growing up?

Filk Friday: The Duke's Eldest Daughter

2011-04-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

I'm sure we've all heard quite a few stories where mortal-immortal relationships turn out badly. The Duke's Eldest Daughter has a different ending. Poor Jane was considered unremarkable by her own people but treasured by the elf folk. This song can be found on Freedom, Flight, and Fantasy at Firebird Arts.

I will be on vacation next week. I get to spend some time with my sister-in-law, at least one friend, and my mom. A bunch to pack into one week, especially when they aren't all in the same city, so I won't be posting while I'm gone. I might sneak in some internet time to read a few of your posts, but otherwise I'll see you all when I get back.

Have a great week!

Random blargh with drawing

2011-04-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

I've frittered away much of the day so far trying to find a decent drawing program for my computer. So far, everything is a fail for what I want a computer program to do. I want to make perfect/nearly perfect nine-pointed stars in many variations. You know, like sunbursts, flowers, long points, and short points. I also want something for creating designs for cross-stitch, needlepoint, and filet crochet. Not all on the same program, mind you. One for the drawing and one for the graphing.

For now, I'll stick with paper to make my stars and charts. ;) I've already charted a small teapot and a 33 square wide 9-point star. The star turned out better than I hoped. If I can add a fairy or dragon to it, I'll have the perfect symbol to combine my Faith with my love of fantasy. Back to the drawing pad, I guess. At least I'm not feeling so blargh anymore. :D

10th Kingdom/Mamma Mia crossover

2011-04-08T19:59:00.000-04:00

I was going to attempt a blog hop today, but the one I was watching for hasn't posted the topic yet. So, since I still want to offer something for today, here's something I ran across this evening: clips from 10th Kingdom set to Mamma Mia. I'd been trying to find one of those fan vids, but pretty much everything I'd seen gives away too much of the ending. This one didn't; it's just fun. The song is performed by the A *Teens.

If you haven't seen the 10th Kingdom, you should. The story is fantabulous. It's well worth the 417 minutes to sit through the whole mini series. And watching it on DVD will spare you the agony I had when it came out and being forced to wait a week between each segment. Here is the trailer:

The show more than lived up to the promise. If you need more of a teaser, here is one of my favorite songs from it. It's gorgeous and acted as one of the strongest hooks to pull me in at the beginning.

Three great YA fantasies

2011-04-05T09:30:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago I picked up some crafting books and three YA fantasies. Last week, I made it to the novels. Wonderful. All three of them rang with their own harmonies.

First was Dragon Sword and Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara. I admit I picked this one because it said dragon. But I really enjoyed how the author used the mythology and setting of ancient Japan to create her world. Saya is thrust into the conflict between Light and Dark and comes to realize that it is not a matter of good versus evil like she'd been taught. She must accept her birthright and figure out the meaning behind an ancient legend regarding the Wind Sword in order to save her world.

For a retelling of a Grimm's fairy tale, Shannon Hale does a great rendition of The Goose Girl. Princess Ani starts off timid, but it's hard to learn confidence or social graces with such a dynamic mother. Nothing is ever good enough. After the king's death, her mother declares her to not be fit as Crown Princess and sends her to their neighboring kingdom as bribe, err, bride to prevent the larger country from carrying out possible plans to invade. But on the journey, Ani's maid stages a coup and usurps Ani's place and her name, sending Ani fleeing for her life. The former princess must learn to both survive and find her strengths in order to save her old home, her new home, the people who've accepted her, and the man she loves. When you wants a cozy fairy tale but with more scope than the typical one, this is a fun read.

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson is another fairy tale rendition. This one has the feel of India, something that intrigued me because of my friend Jai. Out of the three, this book was probably my favorite. It has a gorgeous cover: lovely sari fabric and golden bangles above hands decorated with henna tattoos and a large pink blossom cupped between them. In the original tale, one sister is sweetness and light but bossed around and made to do drudge work. One day at a well, she is kind to an old woman who turns out to be magical who grants her the gifts of jewels and flowers dropping from her lips when she speaks. The other sister, in jealousy, goes to the well herself but is haughty to the old woman. As punishment, the magic woman makes toads and snakes to fall from her mouth. The kind sister gets to marry a prince, while the mean sister is driven into the wilderness.

This version is wildly different in how the story happens, beginning with the characters. The sisters love each other, though they each have their unique talents. Diribani isn't used to working so hard, but she tries her best in order to provide for her stepmother and stepsister after her father's death. While fetching water at the well, she is kind to a goddess disguised as an old woman. She is granted the first gift. Tana, her sister, feels unworthy next to Diribani's goodness, so when she meets the goddess herself, she feels she deserves the unpleasant gift. Diribani is taken up by a prince and Tana is forced to leave her home. However, blessings and curses are not always what you expect. A gift may be both. Wisdom, good fortune, or death. Which fate will each girl find?

I recommend all three books, but if you can only find time for one, get your hands on Toads and Diamonds. *mutters* Now to go find Tomlinson's other books.

Filk Friday: filk from Parnell Hall

2011-04-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

The next time I go to the library, I really need to remember to look for Parnell Hall's books. Authors who can write filk get a step up in my reading list, and the Puzzle Lady mysteries have sounded neat. Here I have two filk songs that he did: Signing in the Waldenbooks and Kill 'Em.

Signing in the Waldenbooks is about the woes of trying to get noticed once you get published, a humorous lament. The part where he's seated next to Mary Higgens Clark at a con is one of the best parts. Kill 'Em is a guide for writing murder mysteries. He has some great chains of rhyming.

To err is human...

2011-03-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

...To really foul things up requires a computer.

I thought I was going to be all big-girl and all and transfer my files over all by myself. I'm not too shabby at working a computer. I know what things are, and I use my regular programs just fine. I shouldn't need my hubby to do this for me.

Ha. Haha. Funny me. I knew just enough to get myself messed up.

The salesman at the Apple store told us about Migration Assistant. It can move my programs over for me. Bad idea. Because I knew less than I thought I knew, I tried it instead of doing the safe and slow way by copy/paste from old to new over the home network. I know how to do that, but I thought I was going to be clever and use the speedy way. Speed is not good when you don't know exactly what you are doing or what to expect when it happens. Speed just makes bad things happen faster.

MA doesn't copy then paste, so that you can go back if you mess up. It cuts and pastes. If you delete anything to try again because it didn't do what you expected, too bad for you. You now have no copies of those files.

So, bye bye iTunes library. I have a bunch of empty folders. Even though iTunes has no obligation to restore my purchases--it's in the terms and conditions--I still wrote them to explain what happened and beg them to do so anyway. Even if I can't get everything back, getting a significant portion of it will go a long way to helping me out. The free podcasts are easy enough to redownload, but even with taking out the songs I loaded via CD, I had a lot of music on there, not to mention the couple movies and several show episodes I'd purchased via iTunes. That's a lot of money. I'm hoping whoever reads my plea will take pity on me. My most recent purchase was just a few days ago, too. Pout.

In using MA to transfer my music over, I also let it move my documents and photos over. They suffered the same fate. However, those aren't completely gone since I did copy ALL of those onto my flashdrive. I am quivering at how close I came to destroying a few years of work, not to mention lots of cute pictures that may not be on any other device. Scary! Since I avoided that fate, I am merely sniping at myself for idiocy rather than being in a severe depressive fugue right now.

Backup, backup, backup. You've heard it before. It's no joke. I don't backup as often as I should, but I am so grateful I did yesterday.

But other than proving how fast a computer can help a human wipe out tons of data, I do love my new one. I just finished loaded my documents via my flashdrive, so I will try to do a little work this afternoon before my son gets home. It'll be easier to write now that my battery lasts more than a couple minutes and my power cord isn't half broken. (I can sit where and how I want again.) My screen image isn't affected by the angle of the screen to my eyes. And the MagSafe cord connection is so cool.

New computer! (and blog thoughts)

2011-03-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

Squiggly happy dance! I am on my way to go buy a new laptop at the Apple store in Buffalo. My iBook G4 is finally wearing out, but it has survived long enough that I can get files transferred over. I made backups of my documents, photos, and bookmarks (almost as important as the documents). Even though I could get a PC laptop for considerably cheaper, Macs just appeal to me more. The MagSafe power cord connection is just one significant selling point of the MacBook Pro. No yanking the laptop off its perch again because my feet snag the cord when I'm getting up. *sheepish look* The MagSafe ones just pop off. (Not that I plan to do that again, but I'll feel better anyway.)

New computer. Squeee!

For other news, I am shifting my posting schedule. Mondays just have not been working well, since they have turned into errand and activity days (my hubby's day off) and I don't get much chance to write stuff up on the weekend. But Wednesday/Friday feels like a lopsided week, so I will give Tuesday/Friday a try. I'm also considering some of those blog hop events. Meeting people is fun, and most of the hops seem to be on Fridays. Since I don't want to stop my regular feature or double up, I'll just alternate weeks. Please tell me if you have any favorite blog hops.

Filk Friday: A Wizard's Staff Has a Knob on the End

2011-03-25T08:20:00.000-04:00

This is supposed to be a filk for Terry Pratchett's Discworld. The words don't begin until a minute into the music. But it is catchy. A Wizard's Staff Has a Knob on the End starts off sounding like early Final Fantasy music, and when the words begin, it picks up a sort of Clancy Brothers feel. One of the top comments is, "Seen on a chalkboard in Hogwarts: "I will not teach first-years to sing 'A Wizard's Staff Has a Knob on the End'."

And as a bonus: here is Death's Job Interview from a production of Terry Pratchett's "Mort."

Filk Friday: Cost of the Crown

2011-03-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

Filling several places in my favorites list, the Valdemar books feature many characters that I can honestly say I admire, even feel inspired by. Talia, Skif, Alberich, Dirk, Kerowyn, Elspeth (post-brat stage), Karal, Master Ulbrich...the list goes on. Cost of the Crown highlights Queen Selenay's inner thoughts. She's only a primary character in Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor, but she plays an active role in many books beginning with the Arrows trilogy.

For those of you who may be less familiar with Valdemaran politics, the Monarch of Valdemar must also be a Herald, Chosen by a Companion. They may look like horses, but Companions are incorruptible sentient beings with the ability to judge a person's heart. Ethics, duty to others, and compassion are among the traits they look for. Heralds serve the people by scouting, serving as arbiters as needed, fetching and delivering critical messages, and uncovering information needed to keep the kingdom safe. Just to name a few of their roles.

The law that the Monarch must be a Herald is a safeguard to ensure that their people would always have a leader who would care more about the people than the power of position. You might say it was divinely inspired. (Read the books; you'll understand.)

Queen Selenay took the crown as a young woman, barely in her twenties, after her father was killed in the final battle against the Tedrels. Though she'd been raised as the Heir-presumptive, then Heir-In-Right after she was Chosen, being queen was harder than she'd thought.

This song not only shows why I admire Selenay herself but also served as inspiration for one of my own characters: King Reynard. They have different personalities and problems facing them, and of course no Heralds or Companions in my story, but they share many of the same leadership traits and views toward their role to their people.

Shandeen O'Neill's phenomenal voice just makes this song even more achingly beautiful. You can find it on the Lovers, Lore, and Loss album, available at Firebird Arts.

End of March reading list

2011-03-16T09:20:00.000-04:00

Sorry about Monday. I totally spaced on posting anything. I was running around doing errands like the urgently needed dump run. I did make it to the library though, and since my brain is a little fuzzy today from my head's aversion to dust (I started spring cleaning yesterday), let me tell you what I'll be reading over the next few days. These were all selected by browsing the first row of the teen fiction section except for the last one.

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
The lettering of the title caught my eye. Then it still looked interesting once I pulled it out. It's the first book of the series, which is good. I don't like starting in the middle.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
I've seen this at the bookstore and been wanting to read it for months. Now I'm going to. It sounds like a book I may want to add to my shelf.

A Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell
Not sure what prompted me here. The lettering and title didn't tell me much, but the face on the spine made me think desert story. I liked the stylized painting look. But when I opened it and saw it was actually SF rather than F despite the man holding a sword on the cover, I had to take it with me. It's been hard to find SF books that interest me, and the jacket description sounded like my sort of plot.

Fortune's Journey by Bruce Coville
Not SF or F or even for children, but it's still a Bruce Coville book. It's been over 10 years since I read this historical fiction for teens. Just seemed like a nice balance with the other three books I picked up.

The Black Cauldron (audiobook) by Lloyd Alexander
Another one I'm familiar with already (very familiar), but that's what makes it such a great choice for listening to while I'm working on sewing this week. And I think James Langton is the same person who read for the Book of Three audiobook I'd checked out a few weeks ago. He gave each of the primary characters different voices. Wonderful to listen to even if I did always imagine Gurgi with a higher pitched voice instead of a deep one. Probably because of the cartoon version of the stories. If it's the same reader, I'm sure I'll enjoy this just as much.

Filk: Friday: Golden Eyes

2011-03-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Golden Eyes was inspired by Andre Norton's Witch World series. Later Mercedes Lackey turned the song into a short story called Werehunter. You can find the story in her anthology called Werehunter, along with some other wonderful stories, or you read it on firebirdsart.com, where it has been reprinted with permission from Baen Books.

I prefer this version over the one on The Horsetamer's Daughter. The melody is the same, but the arrangement on Magic, Moondust, and Melancholy captures the emotion better in my opinion. The guitar and flute balance well with the vocal and give the song a softer ambiance. I'd almost call it a quiet elegance, though that may be an odd description for a melancholic song.

Historic Costume: a sampling

2011-03-09T09:10:00.001-05:00

Those of you who are writing fantasies, especially historically based fantasy, here is a book you may want to look through for ideas about clothing: Historic Costume In Pictures: Over 1450 costumes on 125 plates. These costume plates were originally published by Braun & Schneider between 1861 and 1890 and re-released by Dover Publications in 1975. They illustrate a period from ancient times to late 19th century.

It is in no ways a complete catalog of garments, but it is great for the sampling of garb covering regions across Europe and the near side of Asia. This is particularly helpful if you don't know which time period or region you want your story to fit. By zooming in on a time and place, it allows you more time for meaningful research.

The pictures have a wonderful depth of detail. Folds and ripples in the fabric are meticulously shaded in. You can't see enough of the outfits from a single viewpoint to recreate them with any significant degree of accuracy, but with the help of someone who knows fabrics, you can narrow down types of fabric used and get a feel for how layers affect the total look.

In addition to the ideas the clothing can give you, since the plates show people wearing the outfits, study their hair and head coverings. A historic look isn't complete with simply clothing; it's the the styling and accessories that go with it. The assortment of items such as weapons, bags, instruments, walking sticks, and baskets being held by many of the figures also add to the setting flavor.

If you find this book helpful, there are additional Dover books on fashion. They are likely to be out of print, but if your library has them, you are in for some great ideas.

Milestone winner

2011-03-07T10:00:00.003-05:00

Well the drawing had a smaller turnout than I was hoping for, but I was still glad to see a couple lurkers pop out long enough to say something. I'm keeping this brief, since my internet may cut out at any time. (happened once last night and twice this morning already, modem issues, not happy) Our six contenders in the hat are Emily, Jai, Brandi, Joshua, Heidi, and Brad.

Shuffling the names...shaking them in the hat...and the winner is...

Emily!

If you would send me a quick note about whether you'd like your gift card from Borders or Barnes & Noble, I will get that for you and send it out. Thanks to everyone who participated. Have a great Monday!

Filk Friday: Ragged Man

2011-03-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

I don't think I've shared much from Heather Alexander yet. Ragged Man vaguely reminds me of a story one of my fellow WD forumites had been working on a couple years ago. I wish I could remember who it was, so I could ask how the story was coming along. Even without the tugging on half remembered characters, this song has a pull all on its own. The delicate touch on the guitar enhances the yearning in her voice. I wonder how many different stories could be inspired by these lyrics.

Remember, today is the last day to put in an entry into my milestone drawing. Only five people have entered so far. It's easy peasie lemon squeezie, to borrow a term from a writer buddy. Go to Monday's post to enter. (*melodramatic whisper* $10 gift card, $10 gift card)

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

2011-03-02T10:30:00.002-05:00

Last week, Juliette Wade was talking about the "why?" question when it came to stories, especially with first lines, whether they're at the beginning of a story or simply at the beginning of a paragraph. Wanting to know why something happens is our motivation to keep reading. Authors who include plenty of why moments will hook their readers. But if they never answer them, they will disappoint those same readers.

Just look at the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Haven't you ever had question after question when reading the basic story? From the back of The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde:

Why would a miller claim that his daughter could spin straw into gold? Why would the king believe him? And why would an odd little man that can spin straw into gold do so in exchange for a tiny gold ring? The story is just silly.

In an attempt to make sense of this wayward fairy tale, Vivian Vande Velde provides six alternative versions of the classic account, each of which is far more intriguing and revealing than the original.

These stories are:

A Fairy Tale In Bad Taste
Straw Into Gold
The Domovoi
Papa Rumpelstiltskin
Ms. Rumpelstiltskin
As Good As Gold

Not only are the stories fun, but the author's note in the beginning is a must-read. She begins by comparing the game she used to call Gossip and that I know as Telephone to the way fairy tales have changed over time from oral retellings. Each time the story was told, it was a little different based on time and place. Eventually, so many details would have been changed or lost that the story made no sense anymore. Just like gossip, and just like this story in particular. She goes through the story and elaborates on what doesn't make sense. Her assessments and asides had me chuckling throughout. How many author's notes can you say you've actually enjoyed?

So if you like fairy tales, especially ones that make sense, you should go find a copy of this book. I like to think that even Juliette's daughter would find her why's fully answered.

Quick reminder: if you haven't already, go to Monday's post and enter in my milestone drawing. All you have to do is tell me how you found my blog and what made you decide to follow me. Yes, even if I know perfectly well how we became acquainted. I'm seeing who is paying attention. You have through the end of Friday, so what are you waiting for? ;D

Milestone fun and an easy contest

2011-02-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Wow! I just noticed I picked up a new follower bringing me up to 50. (Hi, Melissa!) Even though a few of those 50 are inactive bloggers, it's still feels good to reach that milestone. I'm such a homebody even on the internet. I don't really go places where I'd pick up new readers. Since the first question that comes to mind when I spot a new person around here is "What brought you to my little pocket of the blogosphere?" that sounds like the perfect question for... a drawing!

Yes, that's right. Tell me how you found my page and what made you decide to add me to your blogroll, and you will be entered in the drawing for a $10 gift card to either Borders or Barnes & Noble, winner's choice. You have from now through Friday to share your comments. I will choose the winner in good ole luddite fashion: write the names down, put them in a hat, and pull one out. Check back on Monday to find out the lucky reader.

The winner will get the card, and I will get a current idea about what you enjoy about my blog. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Filk Friday: Firefly fanvid: Ballroom Blitz

2011-02-25T09:35:00.001-05:00

Today video is brought to you from the powers of browsing. It's not a filk vid like I usually post on Fridays, but it was too much fun to let it slide. The scene snippets were well chosen. And yes, Mal really did have a sword fight (over Inara's honor, no less) and in another episode ended up in the buff. Have a jiving time watching this teaser. Shiny!

Delving into the Middle Ages

2011-02-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Today has been a crafting day at our house. Our son had today off from school for Presidents' Day (and tomorrow, too), so we've been doing projects. Our son painted a little birdhouse for his aunt, while I crocheted a dishcloth for her. I just finished it and realized I hadn't posted anything yet. Oops.

Though crocheting doesn't have anything to do with the Middle Ages, having not been created yet, I figured I'd offer a Middle Ages resource for those you who might be interested. This is a page of links connecting to a wealth of other pages. So the dragon at the top is appealing, but I 'm really sharing it for the links covering a wide range of information from food to fashion, religion, history, technology, and more. If you don't know much about it, this might be a great place to get you started.

So I invite you to come romp though the links with me while we listen to the strumming of a harp. Welcome to the Middle Ages.

Filk Friday: High On Firefly

2011-02-18T08:40:00.002-05:00

I've got a fun combination for you today. Tom Smith's High On Firefly song with animation from Last Exile, something that looks interesting on its own but also worked really well with the song. I can't help bringing up Tom Smith every so often. The man is a song genius. If you want to check out more of his work and upcoming appearances check out his homepage. Oo shiny! He's going to be in Cinci next month. Too bad I probably won't be able to go.

But back to the song. Catchy tune and witty lyrics make for fun singing. He even worked in a reference to J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5. Hehehe. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Do. Ah heck, I'm playing it yet again. (I love Firefly, I love Firefly, I love Firefly. Yah dah dat dat dat dat dat)

Happy Valentine's Day! (and a funny song)

2011-02-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

In light of today being about romance and sweethearts, I don't intend to be here long. But to still offer a little something, here's one of my favorite songs on the Oathbound: Vows and Honor CD from Firebird Arts. Lovers Untrue is a hilarious song about lovers swearing love and faithfulness until death should part them. You'll see just how deeply they meant those vows. Hehehe...

Now I'm off to enjoy my husband's day home. Whether you have a sweetheart or not, take some time today to tell someone you appreciate them. I appreciate all of you. Have a great day!

Filk Friday: Wanna Be a Hero?

2011-02-11T12:30:00.001-05:00

Here are a pair of songs for people who think they want to be heroes: Space Hero and Advice for Would-Be Heroes. You can learn quite a bit from these two songs. Being a hero is not all it's cracked up to be. It's often work and not particularly pleasant.

Space Hero has a wry humorous look at what might be in store for the hero wanna-be's by poking fun at heroic assumptions. Julia Ecklar and Anne Prathor sing this rendition. I like the one I have better, but I can't remember who sings it. Advice For Would-Be Heroes doesn't mock the wanna-be's, but it does have sound advice that can be applied not only to fantasy and science fiction but to real life as well. Despite the fact that we don't use horses and swords in combat much anymore, it still makes sense. Leslie Fish is the voice of Tarma from Oathbound.

Random movie blooper reel

2011-02-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

My brains may have become discorporated from my head and been blown from my nose, so this is the best I have for you today: Blooper reel from Men in Black 2. Kinda goofy, but I do like the MiB movies. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones make a great heroic duo.

(I really hate colds.)

We are all connected...by science

2011-02-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

While I'm figuring out what to discuss first about Firefly (and since I spent this morning goofing off with my hubby), let me share this great video with you. Even if you've seen it before, it's still worth listening to again. We Are All Connected from the Symphony of Science series highlights Carl Sagan, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Richard Feynman, and Bill Nye. I am impressed with how musical it turned out. If you want the lyrics and/or the mp3, you can get them at http://www.symphonyofscience.com./

And we're made of star stuff. If that doesn't give you chills, it should. The universe is much grander than we often remember in our day to day lives. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by events or simply like a lonely speck, just remember that we are not just our humble forms, but connected to the universe at large. Even Delenn reminds John Sheridan of that fact in one of the episodes of Babylon 5. I think it's one of the most inspirational phrases to remember. So just to reemphasize it, I'll say it again.

We're made of star stuff. And we are all connected.

Filk Friday: Mal's Song and Browncoat Anthem

2011-02-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not done with Firefly yet. There is more I want to say about it if I can get my head wrapped around words enough to describe why it's so moving to me. For now, here are Mal's Song, a filk written about the show specifically, and Believe In You, a song from another show's soundtrack but fits Firefly just as beautifully. Both of these songs give me chills.

Mal's Song

Believe In You (as a Browncoat Anthem)

Great lines from one of the best SF shows

2011-02-02T08:20:00.000-05:00

So my mind was a little blank about what to write about this morning, except that I wanted to do something about science fiction. It's been a bit heavy on the fantasy around here, not that I mind, but SF needs some love, too. I'm going to try to be focusing on it this month.

While I work out the rest of this month's itinerary, here are some of the best lines from one of my two favorite SF shows and its corresponding movie: Firefly/Serenity. You may need to hit pause for some of the longer quotes. It flips a little quick. But oh, they are worth it. I bow in honor of the writers' wit in coming up with so many great quips.

Bookmark fun: Nautical links

2011-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you writing fantasy involving boats and sailing, here are some links I found while researching for a short story I never finished. I got distracted by some other story. (Yes, I get Shiny New Story Syndrome pretty bad sometimes.)

Not sure what that nautical term means or looking for a suitable word to describe something on a ship? Check out The Phrontistery. They have a word list of nautical terms.

Wikipedia also has a glossary of nautical terms.

Marine Waypoints has a glossary and more. Their database has blogs, articles, a directory, books, news, photos, and the current tides and weather.

Ever wondered about the history of the astrolabe? The Multimedia Catalogue has a page about them featuring the planispheric, the universal, and the Rojas universal astrolabes. If you click the glossary link up at the top, you can find other science related terms, not just nautical terms and equipment. The few I've read through are well written. Some of them even have pictures.

Hope you find these helpful at some point even if you don't need them right now. Enjoy!

Filk Friday: Pillar of Hell--A Challenger Tribute

2011-01-28T09:30:00.002-05:00

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Challenger explosion. I won't sit here and discuss all the whys and wherefores when these are better than anything I could write on the subject: Challenger Disaster: A Closer Look at the Challenger Disaster and Its Aftermath from About.com and Davinder Mahal's explanation of the physics involved in the tragedy, complete with diagrams. I'd even suggest the wiki article, if only for its look at the cultural aftermath. (Did you know that Punky Brewster incorporated it into the show?)

Considering all the issues facing NASA lately and what they have and haven't done in the past quarter century, I think Michael Longcor's song is still relevant. No sign yet of that moonbase or those crewed missions to Mars. While I was too young at the time to remember the tragedy with Longcor's intensity, I do remember "the day that the Challenger died." Here is Pillar of Hell, one of the songs on Lovers, Heroes, and Rogues, currently available at Firebird Arts.

Brainstorming Plot

2011-01-26T09:45:00.001-05:00

As I've been hashing out the plot for one of my novels, I came to the realization that coming up with plot for my characters is much like thinking up hooks for roleplaying games, both table-top and live-action. Having worked with larping plot teams and tried a little Game Mastering myself for D&D, I've been looking at some of the things GMs and plot teams do to and for the Player Characters (PCs).

It might be something weather related or an ancient trap or a goal to accomplish. Some things might last a single game session while others cover multi-session arcs. But everything is to give the characters/PCs something to do and get involved in--if they weren't already. Because after all, characters create a fair amount of plot themselves by their choices and interactions with other characters.

The Dungeon Master's Guide version 3.5 has a chapter on creating adventures for the PCs. My favorite part is the list: One Hundred Adventure Ideas, on pages 44-45. I needed ideas for things to have happen to my two main characters on their way to the first set piece I have in mind. Well, there's a hundred ideas right there to start with.

A few of my favorites from the list:

#6. A caravan of important goods is about to leave for a trip through a dangerous area. (I used the caravan idea plus some bandits as inspiration for a couple chapters-worth of events. Even worked it into the primary arc.)
#42. A haunted tower is reputed to be filled with treasure.
#58. An evil tyrant outlaws nonofficially sanctioned magic use.
#81. An innocent man, about to be hanged, pleads for someone to help him. (a common hook)
#97. Someone in town is a werewolf. (The new Red Riding Hood movie comes to mind here.)

From larping:

1. Giant ants are wandering through the woods.
2. Packs of wolves are hunting for food.
3. A woman begs adventurers to save her husband from captivity by a pack of fishmen.
4. Dark dwarf women are out trying to snare husbands.
5. The king arranges a tourney and will be awarding prizes.
6. A rediscovered old mine is filled with monsters and pockets of hazardous gas.

Having a list of plot hooks and ideas is useful for the times when thinking of "what to have happen next" has you pounding your empty head on the keyboard. (Fingers go on the keys, not your head.) Since I don't currently have permission to reprint the D&D list in entirety to share with you, and it's only a start anyway, why don't we build our own shared list of seed ideas?

Post your plot hooks in the comments below, as many as you want/think of. Don't worry if they are genre specific. (see examples below) They can be ideas you've used in your writing or from books you've read. Let's see how many we can collect over this next month. I'll post weekly reminders until the beginning of March when I'll share the compiled list. Get your friends to join in.

Here are some examples of my own to get us started:

Astronauts discover a crashed ship on the Moon.
Fairies cause problems at a christening.
A woodcutter is trapped under some deadfall.
Someone is injured and gets wound-fever.
Aliens munch on an old truck.

The Tower at Stony Wood

2011-01-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

From the jacket flap of The Tower at Stony Wood:

During the wedding festivities of the king, Cyan Dag, a knight of Gloinmere, is sought out by a mysterious bard and told a terrifying tale: that the king has married a false queen--a lie cloaked in ancient and powerful sorcery. Spurred on by his steadfast honor and loyalty, Cyan departs on a dangerous quest to rescue the real queen from her tower prison, to prevent war, and to awaken magic in a land that has lost its way...

To be honest, when Cyan got his quest from the Bard of Skye, he was only asked to rescue the true queen. The false queen tried to warn him off by saying that if the true queen ever left her tower, she would die. That if she ever even looked at the world directly rather than through her enchanted mirror, she would die. So there was no way he could save her. But Cyan fought the false queen's sorcery to swear he'd find a way. Ill-prepared, he set out on his journey.

However, once he is on his way, we are promptly introduced to Melanthos, a baker's daughter in the land of Skye, and then Thayne Ysse, the oldest surviving son of the lord who had once ruled the North Islands.

Thayne's addition is more clear as to why he'd been added; he wants to find a way to take back the islands from the king of Yves, Cyan's king. A dragon and its hoard would be potent resources to that goal. His path crosses with Cyan's fairly early in the journey, so that the knight has more impetus to complete his quest quickly in order to return in time to save his king's life again. But Melanthos, in her tower with an ensorceled mirror of her own and the compulsion to embroider what she sees in it, is more passive, an observer. She is later joined by her mother who is stranger and becomes even more absorbed by the mirror than Melanthos. I often found myself questioning their importance to the story, especially since I couldn't remember how it ended. (I read it several years ago.)

Cyan tries hard to find the tower with the true lady of Skye. He faces setback after setback from being waylaid in the woods, to nearly being killed by Thayne, to finding a few wrong towers. But he persists in his quest even though his heart quails that he will ever succeed. Ultimately, the book is about his quest. It just turns out that there was more to his quest than he'd been told. Melanthos and her mother and Thayne were a part of that. Everything had a reason.

The Tower at Stony Wood is not an easy read. It's like one of those old fables rich in description and ancient magics. However, convoluted and meandering as the plot seemed, it was all carefully planned from the beginning. I thought it really paid off. I still don't want to read it all that often, but it is well worth reading every so often just to study the crafting. I recommend that you read it at least once to study the way she fit the story arcs together and builds her world. Just have patience. It's worth it.

Filk Friday: The Gods Are Not Crazy

2011-01-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

I do love a good Leslie Fish song, and this is one of them. The Gods Are Not Crazy is a silly tribute to the Greek pantheon and Charles Fort, a dedicated researcher into anomalous phenomena. When strange things are happening like rain in the sunshine or frogs crawling from giant hailstones, have no fear; "the Gods are not crazy, they're higher than kites."

The Ranger's Apprentice

2011-01-19T13:45:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I did any book reviews, even though I've read three terrific books over the past few weeks. The pixies demanded that I tell you about one of them today, so I'm picking the one I whooshed through yesterday.

The first book of the Ranger's Apprentice series: The Ruins of Gorlan was a lot of fun. John Flanagan kicks it off with big baddie Morgarath making plans to revenge his defeat 15 years earlier. It's clear from his thoughts that it was a good thing for the kingdom that he'd been defeated. He's not a nice guy. Morgarath plays little direct role in the first book, but it was important to show that he's preparing to make his move by sending his allies to take out some of those personally responsible for his defeat.

Most of this book is about Will's apprenticeship to Ranger Halt, a member of a secretive group with a very important role. They spy around the kingdom searching for information to keep the kingdom safe, sometimes even dealing with a problem directly. Without them, Morgarath would have succeeded in his goal to kill the young King Duncan and usurp rulership over Araluen.

Woven around Will's training and becoming involved in the overall plot is the subplot involving Will's long-standing issues with one of his fellow castle wards, Horace, primarily because Will is the smallest of their age group and the only one with no paternal name. Horace teases him whenever they get together. He thinks he's superior because he's big and strong and Will wasn't accepted into Battleschool to train as a knight.

Their animosity erupts into an outright fight during Harvest Day, despite their friends' attempts to smooth things over. Not even Alyss, who was apprenticed to become a kingdom diplomat, could prevent it. That combined with the intense bullying Horace was facing from three of the second-year warrior apprentices made me concerned for what Horace was going to do and become, especially with his potential clearly shown by Flanagan's skillful use of omniscient POV. I didn't like how Horace treated Will, but I liked him well enough that I didn't want him going bad. I won't tell you what happens, but I will admit to crowing with delight over how the issue with the bullies was resolved. It was perfectly satisfying, built out of changes both boys had made in themselves and with each other. Ranger Halt's role certainly helped, too. Muha muhaha.

All in all, this is a wonderful MG book. It's suitable for the 10+ age level and something I will enjoy reading with my son when he's a few years older. I know I would have enjoyed it when I was a tween, and the theme with improving social skills put it high on my recommendation list. It might be a little obvious in spots, but for the targeted readership, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's well worth buying for the story, the themes, and the wonderful example of how to use omniscient POV.

Adding flavor with slang

2011-01-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

Making dialogue distinct between characters is sometimes tricky. You want your primary and secondary characters to have their own way of talking. Sometimes you want a whole group to have a way of talking that is different from those outside the group, such as a street gang or a culture new to one of the characters.

Slang is one of the ways to enhance dialogue without resorting to a great deal of dialect phonetics. Now some dialect words have become common enough that they are easily translated like "Whatcha gonna do?" But sometimes it can be confusing. To suggest dialect without writing as much out, make use of a few easy-to-understand phonetical words and a scattering of slang words and phrases.

When choosing slang, don't dump everything in that you know. It can be too much, and you may not understand the terms as well as you think you do. Be selective. Some terms might be common to a group, while others can be specific to a character.

If you want to add flavor with slang or just understand popular terms better, check out this great resource: The Slang Dictionary. You can search through general slang or go to one of the specific categories like the Lexicon of Thieves' Cant. They also have links to some other specialized dictionary sites such as the Urban Dictionary and 60's Slang.

Filk Friday: Never Split the Party

2011-01-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

Now that I have internet, alertness (I was so tired past couple days), and time again, I'm here to give you this week's filk video. Even though the lyrics are slanted toward fantasy roleplaying games, the title Never Split the Party is one of those rules that many stories across genres break whenever they can.

Sometimes characters have a good reason to split up. Maybe someone kidnapped a few of them, a rockslide interrupted a tricky crossing, they had a big fight amongst themselves, they are doing a pincher type move on the bad guys, or something like that. But sometimes characters seem to think they should split up for the sake of splitting up. Why? I don't know. They're usually the ones movie goers and readers are yelling at to stay together for better safety.

I'm sure you can think of a few movies and books where it didn't make sense why the characters would think it was wiser to break up an already small group into ones and/or twos to go off in opposite directions. It's one reason I can't sit through horror movies. I don't like fear for fear's sake, and I think 90% of the characters are idiots for doing things like splitting up just because the author wanted them to.

Don't be one of those authors.

If they need to go in different directions, give your characters valid reasons to go off on their own built out of what has been happening and based on their personalities. Your goal may be to increase tension because some thing from Dimension X is stalking them, but if the characters have no valid reason to split up, it turns into major cheese instead of real worry.

This video makes great use of pop culture, utilizing clips from LotR, The Mummy movies, Avatar: Last Airbender (anime), Dresden Files, and The Road to El Dorado. Jonathon as the sneaky rogue makes me giggle every time. He did keep wandering off to find the treasure in the Mummy movies. Enjoy!

Filk Friday: Hero of Canton from "Jaynestown"

2011-01-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

It's been an odd week , so I haven't gotten around to mentioning my planned theme for the next few weeks. Since I spend most of my time on fantasy topics, I thought I'd spread some fan love to SF, since the SF stories I do enjoy, I enjoy as much as the fantasy ones; there's just fewer SF stories I can sink myself into.

One of the series that sucked me in is Firefly. (If you couldn't already tell by my gleeful choice in Wednesday's video) Characters, setting, everything about it felt fresh, or in this case, dust and engine fumes. It is a space western after all. The first episode I saw was "Train Heist." Even though I knew nothing about the actors, characters, setting, or themes, just the combination of an old fashioned train heist combined with space ships made me stop flipping channels and watch to the end. After that, I deliberately tuned in to find out what they'd do next.

One of the middle episodes, "Jaynestown," took the crew to an out of the way planet to deliver a bunch of cows. But when they got there, Jayne remembered that he'd been there before for a robbery that went bad, prior to joining the rest of them. Expecting trouble, they were all surprised to find a statue in Jayne's honor. He was the Hero of Canton with a song and everything. The townsfolk believed that the strewn money from the robbery had been him distributing it to them on purpose, a modern day sort of Robin Hood, even though it had been an accident. You should watch the episode for the contrasts between normal character traits and trying to live up to the hype of a different view. Jayne surprised himself the most.

Here is Adam Baldwin, who played Jayne on the show, singing "his" song: The Hero of Canton. He even wears Jayne's hat. You can really tell how much he enjoyed the character, especially when you see his grin at the end.

Castle's Costume

2011-01-05T09:15:00.004-05:00

My son is sick today, so I thought I'd just post a little bit of video fun: a snippet from Castle, one of my favorite tv shows. This is one of the best Firefly references Nathan Fillion got to do, about 5 years after Firefly got canceled.

Ninja fun for the new year

2011-01-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd start the year off with something fun. In browsing my Fun Things folder on my bookmark list, I rediscovered Deadly Accurate Search, the ninja way to search the internet. You can imagine the big grin on my face and the gasp of shock as I went, "How could I have forgotten something so cool?"

In keeping with the goal of sharing something fun, that's what I typed in the search bar: fun. Here's my favorite link: The Bored Ninja, an archive of "fun, interesting, and cool stuff on the internet." It has videos, games, and pictures. The Trustworthiness of Beards, Shark Face Paint, and Snow-Jabba-the-Hut are three of my favorites. Ms. Shark would probably enjoy that second one.

Have a wonderful beginning to 2011!

Filk Friday: It's a Fanboy Christmas II

2010-12-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

It's a Fanboy Christmas II is rather strange, but it's got some clever parts (and a few groaners like the part about the Vorlans in the second half). Luke Ski is one weird dude. You'll hear references to Wonder Woman, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Wonderful Life, Star Trek, and more. Yes, he really managed to put so many diverse movies and shows into one long holiday parody medley. Freaky--but funny. See how many references you can recognize.

Filk Friday: The Guild's Christmas Raid Carol

2010-12-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

I've been a fan of The Guild ever since I discovered them from looking up more about Felicia Day. She was so cute as Doctor Horrible's romantic interest in Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog. Here is The Guild singing their Christmas Raid Carol. And if you don't know anything about them, they are a parody of online gamers. They are a hoot and a half. And Felicia Day is on my list of actress/writers I want to meet and not because she's the writer/creator of the webseries. She's sassy, spunky, and seriously determined to be herself.

If you want to catch some of their videos, here are a few.
The Guild-Episode 1: The Wake-Up Call
Felicia Day interview part 1 for WhedonAge.com
Day's acceptance speech for winning Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web Series at the StreamyAwards
Day talks about The Guild and DHSaLB at ComicCon 2008

And if you enjoy the webseries, you should check out Day's new comic book, released on December 8th. It looks hilarious.

Filk Friday: Yar har har, a piratical carol

2010-12-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Bilge Pumps sing this awesomely piratical version of Deck the Halls. Have a jolly good time listening to this pirate musical comedy group from Texas.

It's Snow Joke

2010-12-15T14:30:00.001-05:00

Considering how much snow has been a hindrance for much of the US the past couple weeks, including for me getting writing and posting done, I thought I'd point out some thoughts about using snow in your writing, whether you are writing realistic fiction, genre fiction, or non-fiction.

People have different attitudes about snow. Some absolutely love it, like my son and my in-laws' dog; some fear it, especially when it comes to traveling, and some hate it. Sometimes opinions will change depending on the location, time of year, temperature, quantity, and how much wind comes with it. I'm sure many of you saw the reports about the Metrodome roof collapse from the sheer volume of snow that descended on Minneapolis, 17 inches according to the Buffalo News . When the setting of the story takes place in winter, consider these factors.

Location: Some regions are more likely to get snow than others. Tropical regions don't see any unless a sheer fluke of weather/climate change causes it to happen. A region that doesn't normally get snow is going to be more likely to panic over even a dusting than a region that is used to it, mainly with concern about what could have happened to cause such a shift in weather and what the effect would be on the ecology than the snow itself. Even though Florida hasn't had snow or much of it, the record breaking low temperatures has caused plants and trees to freeze over. Considering the importance of Florida's orange groves, this is a significant impact on the ecology and economy of their region.

Whether you keep the snow's effect on a local scale involving only a town or a larger scale where some areas are more affected than others, this a potential source of social, political, and economic conflict in your story. It could either be the primary conflict or one that serves as a backdrop to the personal conflict of your characters.

The other part of location that affects snow is the nearness or distance from a large body of water. Regions near a large lake or river will have more snow, at least until the water freezes over. And if near two or more bodies of water...well, you can imagine the increased effect. We have a local lake within a few miles of us as well as Lake Erie about an hour's drive to our northwest. Double whammy.

Time of year: When you expect to have snow, you usually make preparations: buying snow shovels, bags of salt, warm clothing, extra food supplies, and other necessities; getting the snowblowers and plows ready; and setting up the logistics of road clearing and travel. But when snow comes early, people might not be as well prepared as they'd hoped. This sets up conflicts with health and safety on both a personal and societal level. Travelers who get caught in an unseasonable snowfall might not have warm enough clothing to keep them from freezing or have enough food with them even if they do find shelter. Bandits may become more desperate, but at the same time, find that snow hampers their ability to raid on a large scale.

This problem also comes up at the end of the season. If people fail to maintain their preparations long enough or they've run out of supplies due to a long hard winter season, they could still have serious issues. Snow might hamper their ability to restock, whether it be because they couldn't get to town or because the town had run out of things when their shipments couldn't get through. This was a key issue in The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Time of year also affects the quantity of snow, which I will get to shortly. People expect to see more snow in the middle of winter than the leading and trailing edges of the season. This may lead to conflicting attitudes regarding preparations.

Temperature: Not only is temperature itself a great source of conflict, particularly extreme highs and lows, but it also affects quantity and quality of snow. When temperatures are closer to the freezing point of water, snowflakes tend to be fluffier and more packable. That's the sort that makes wonderful snow forts, snowmen, and snowballs. However, in lower temperatures, snow tends to be finer and more likely to blow off the ground in a gust of wind. That's part of the problem my family has been facing. Our driveway won't stay clear very well, even when it stops snowing, because the snow is so dry and light, that the wind keeps shifting it to the low areas, i.e. the driveway, forcing us to clear it several times a day.

With such a long stretch to keep clear, and in such bitter cold, it becomes an arduous task, even with a tractor and snowblower. And that is only feasible in the daylight. We're struggling to find someone willing (and smart enough to do it the intelligent way) to plow it, saving the snowblower for keeping the edges tidy and pushed back. Plus the plow would have the lights to do it in the early morning and late at night.

We've had our share of conflict the past week and half with trying to get to work, damage to vehicles, and getting stuck due to quantity, temperature, and wind. Since we've had so many problems with a passable driveway, we've had to walk through the snow to get our paper and mail, get our boy to the bus stop and back, and having to do repairs in the cold. This means putting on appropriate clothing to keep us warm enough in the combination of wind and temperature. People who don't take such precautions could end up with frostbite or worse. Even when you take care for warmth, there is still the problem of moving through such deep snow, which brings me to...

Quantity: Light snowfall is easy to walk through, though it can and does make roadways and sidewalks slippery. Slip-and-fall accidents, skidding vehicles, and multi-car pileups are more likely in snowy weather. Airports have delays even in just a moderate snowfall.

Deep snow causes its own share of problems even without extremely low temps or much wind by making it hard to keep roadways, tracks, and other passages clear for travel and shipment and for walking in it. People with skis, snowshoes, or other footgear for staying on top of snow just have to deal with coordinating the gear, so they don't fall, and perhaps have muscle burn and other injuries from unaccustomed activity. People who are used to the gear will suffer fewer problems than those who aren't.

Without that gear, people have to wade in it. Those who are in excellent cardio health will find this less strenuous than those who aren't as fit. I'd consider myself reasonably fit, but with having to push through snow that had drifted to knee height and deeper, I had to stop several times while going down the drive yesterday to catch my breath and ease my exertion induced nausea. I did better when I forced myself to stick to a slower pace, but it meant I was in the cold longer. Of course having to stop frequently didn't get me down to the mailbox any faster, so not really a difference after all.

Wind: Though it affects the snow itself less than the other factors, wind plays a significant role in the severity of snow conditions. It blows snow around which reduces visibility and creates problematic drifts. It can also create dangerous windchills that some people are forced to endure in order to deal with the snow and snow's problems. Sounds become distorted, making it hard to hear people calling for help.

For the most part, I enjoy snow. It looks pretty when it covers the ground enough to hide winter-brown plants. But when there is so much that it causes problems, especially when the wind exacerbates the difficulties, I don't like it. I'd prefer to have much less of it. Fortunately, since we live in an area that expects frequent snowfalls (lovely lake effect we have here *rolls eyes*), we prepare by keeping food stocked up for when we can't get into town. We might run out of preferred supplies, but we will be fed. We also have multiple shovels, a couple snowblowers, and lots of winter clothing. And a sled, perfect for pulling a small boy down to the bus stop.

I hope when you write about snow that you will keep these factors in mind. Don't forget to keep them in mind for your own winter weather care. Be safe.

Filk Friday: holiday theme song for merchants

2010-12-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Every Christmas season I play this song. One: Tom Lehrer is brilliant. Two: It still fits the season of sell, sell, sell. 'Nuff said.

Enjoy this Christmas Carol.

The 69 Test: Broken Destinies

2010-12-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

I heard about the 69 Test from The Sharp Angle, where you look at page 69 of a novel for voice and if the story goes along with the premise. My novels: not too sure if they pass. None of them are even completed drafts yet, let alone revised much.

But here's page 69 from my contemporary fantasy, currently titled Broken Destinies. It's the most completed story I have right now thanks to NaNo. Though still just a young teen, Kaylin is the lynchpin in the current struggle between Order and Chaos because of her abilities.

Would this excerpt make you curious? Just remember it's still raw. But then so is my logline. Come to think of it, learning about the 69 test and pulling up this page helped me finally write my logline. But I think it works, more or less.

Lugh shook his head. “I’m baffled. The lab was under the influence of Chaos. I saw in her mind the person who shattered her, my old foe Balor. He loves Chaos. However, the person who grabbed Kaylin was extremely orderly. That was carefully planned. He had every move figured out, like how to keep her from calling for help, probably drugged her, which fits why she blanked so quickly. His car was nearby and ready. I’d imagine he has a specific destination in mind. Things probably arranged in advance. We should expect delays dropped in our path. I just can’t imagine anyone in my circle who would do such a thing.” He sagged in his seat. Probably felt to blame for this.

Madai understood all too well. He sat up. “Any of them Kaylin has met would have used a different method. She trusts them, so different tactics. Therefore, at most they would have reported to someone. And since all of your contacts who have been in her presence, have spent more than just a few minutes with her, I don’t think they could have hidden such intents from her.”

Lugh straightened. “You’re right. And the only people I’ve mentioned her to have met her. So we can almost safely say that my alerted contacts are above suspicion. Which brings me back to: the lab is Chaos influenced, but this man isn’t. How would he have learned of her and why would he have snatched her from our care?”

There was no answer to that.

They were following. That was Father Rafael's expectation anyway. The first phase of liberation went well. The actual snatch worked just like his plan, although he couldn’t see how she could have alerted her captors. He was sure they hadn’t been watching. And they’d taken too long to get outside if they had been. He might have had a fight on his hands if they had exited more quickly. Granted he’d been prepared for that as well, but it was a distasteful course of action.

But she hadn’t made a sound, not even a muffled yell through the rag. He’d expected yells, not the soundless fright. With no sound and no immediate visibility, how could she have signaled to anyone? Maybe they’d had cameras on the backyard. He’d looked but hadn’t found any.

Irritated writer/mom

2010-12-01T11:35:00.001-05:00

Sorry for having nothing posted in over a week. Thanksgiving was way too busy with people getting sick just long enough to prevent them from taking their trip, totally hosing all of my plans for a quiet house.

My son is a kid, and he has a right to some of my attention, but when everyone is doing projects or watching tv, I can't just sit down and write. The tv is too distracting (I've only learned how to tune out Disney Playhouse and Nick Jr); and I get guilted for sitting at the computer when there's house projects that must-be-done. Yeah, lots of cleaning, furniture rearranging, and the folks' annual dragging-out-the-Christmas-stuff. I know my son enjoys it, but it's not my holiday. I had nowhere to escape it.

The cleaning I still have left is more of the rip-the-room-apart-to-find-____, especially when it's because other people move things that I've put down (because it looks like clutter). Right now it's trying to figure out where my son's library book went that he checked out a couple weeks ago, since tomorrow is his library day. I last saw it when I put it on his desk with his library bag. Not there now, nor is it on the shelf with his own books. Really makes me want to scream sometimes. I hate hate hate not being able to find things, and other people moving things without telling me drives me bananas. How am I supposed to know if someone else moved it or if I just forgot that I moved it myself? Because I've done that: swear that I know I put something in __ place, but when I find it somewhere else finally, that's when I remember, oh yeah, I took it here when I did this. Grrrrrr.

I know I'm a pendulum between cluttered and organized, but I expect to find things where I left them. Is that too much to ask?

I'm trying to be a writer, but since I have no private place to work, would it be rude if I told everyone to go away, get out of the house?

I'm going to face this again later this month, just like I did over Thanksgiving break, and I'm feeling invaded even though it isn't my house. The holiday broke my stride, and now I'm stumbling to get back into my writing pace.

Dragonforce and Final Fantasy X/X-2

2010-11-22T08:30:00.003-05:00

Final Fantasy X and X-2 are a couple of my favorites in the FF line of games. I'll probably end up doing a post about them sometime in the future. Here's a couple of my favorite videos from them set to music from Dragonforce: Starfire and Where Dragons Rule. My other favorite, Dawn Over a New World, got taken off, and I don't have time to see if someone else has done one for that song. Just wanted to do something fun and quick, since I didn't get any writing done yesterday thanks to feeling vaguely ill most of the day and working a full shift at work. Enjoy!

Starfire

Where Dragons Rule

I really wish that they hadn't done the speed metal thing in Where Dragons Rule after the beginning part. That was beautiful, and the speed drumming masks the good stuff in the rest of the song. I think the percussion could have been eased off and still kept the energy. But I love the song enough that it doesn't bug me too much. I just sing louder. Hehe. "In this land we've defended from all things dark and cruel, now we're defenseless in a land where dragons rule!" Raaaa!!

Filk Friday: Do-It-Yourself, a computer song

2010-11-19T09:30:00.000-05:00

One of my family friends is a programmer, so when I got into filk, I started collecting computer related songs to share with her. Do-It-Yourself, also known as Mainframe, is a catchy little song about building your own computer from the things you find at home. You can tell Bill Sutton had fun with this song. The snark about the computer companies that were around at the time is smirk-tastic. Especially the cracks on IBM. This came from his tape: Past Due. It's an old song, and I only know about half of the references in the chorus, but it's entertaining anyway.

Words

2010-11-18T11:35:00.003-05:00

Drat! I had a fantastic self realization this morning after reading Jai's post about BookTV, and while trying to write out why it was such a lightbulb moment and what it had to do with what triggered it, my train of thought derailed.

Now instead of feeling invigorated, I'm depressed, because it really meant something to me, and I wanted to share it while it was still relevant. Stupid words flashed by too fast for me to catch them, and now I can't explain it without taking so long that the entire point is lost. A messed up sort of genius. I read something, and my thoughts pull up a bunch of things it reminds me of and connections it makes for me. But I have inadequate outflow of my thought process.

I'm sure there's the roots to an interesting alien encounter story I could pull out of how my brain works. Humans meet some race that doesn't have a strong verbal language but one of flashes of insight, references, memories. Maybe transmitted partly by telepathy. Sort of a combination of Juliette Wade's alien stories and that ST episode with that main phrase, "Darmok and [something] at Tinagra." Or something like that. I've even played around with the idea of a code based on song, movie, and book references, information wouldn't be exact, but it's a similar concept to the alien process.

Words just don't keep up. A real communication flaw when trying to deal with people who can think verbally at faster speed. Without telepathy or shared experience, it's tedious to get those thoughts across. And by the time I do, the meaning is lost. I don't even remember names well. Most people I remember their faces and references like "so-and-so from [place], met them at [event]."

Too bad I'll never write that story, because I'm still trying to hack out these other ones, and words don't like me. Not much of artist either. Too bad I can't paint with my mind instead of my hands. Look at that. Another potential idea that I'll probably never be able to utilize.

And in case you're worried about me, this is all just the frustrated flip side of the insight I made this morning about having connections to people. I have lots of connections and friends. And largely because I chose to become a writer. The physical act of writing/typing has kept me close to people I've met in person, through online mediums like chat programs and social sites, and the creative act of writing introduced me to people I now want to meet in person, though the online mediums of forums and blogs.

Yea. Me and words have a real love-hate relationship. I can't live without them, but they make me mad when they won't cooperate. Maybe later I'll try again to get across what I thought was so amazing and feel-good about what I'd realized almost 3 hours ago.