I did more of a critique on Mimir's Well, but didn't get to anything else today. I feel that's a bit of a cop out, but I think waiting another day to finish would probably be worse.
Huzzah, I'm done? ^_^
I shall begin Roux's challenge in a few days, I think. Perhaps every other day, with new writing on the off days. I've quite enjoyed writing so often, even if it doesn't amount to much.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
One more day!
One more day and I shall have finished. I wrote a bit more of a critique on Roux's Mimir's Well (to be finished and posted tomorrow), but I thought my final day should have something creative. So, until tomorrow. ^_^
(Yeah, I know, silly of me to put it off one more day. I have a habit of getting distracted... Grar.)
(Yeah, I know, silly of me to put it off one more day. I have a habit of getting distracted... Grar.)
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Day 29
Bugger. I just realized I meant to continue my critique of Mimir's Well today. Hmph.
Anyway, I wasn't going to post this, but then I thought I would so you folks know I'm not slacking. It's Harry Potter fanfiction, so please bear with me. ;)
***
With that over and done with he returned to his studying. He located a spare bit of parchment and a quill and pot of ink, set them up on his desk, and sat down. At the top he wrote “Mental Landscape.” He thought for a moment, the tip of the quill hovering above the parchment, then started to write.
Environment must be either familiar or easy to fix in my mind. Hogwarts, maybe? No, too complicated. Perhaps an aspect of Hogwarts, like Gryffindor Tower. But it must be a place/environment in which I can imbue aspects with emotions and memories. I suppose I could hide things in my trunk. But what would the defensive and distracting elements be?
Something familiar… what about Quidditch?
Harry stopped and read the last sentence. It had just been a passing fancy, but as he thought it over it began to have more appeal.
Defensive element: Bludgers imbued with anger and negative emotions. If I’m in these mental landscapes, I could direct them with a bat towards the attacker.
Harry frowned in thought. In the margins he scribbled: Would the attacker show up in the landscape? He flipped through the book to a description of one person’s mental landscape. It seemed like an attacker would show up as some sort of entity, so Harry wrote a bolded YES underneath his scribble.
Distracting element: the Snitch, imbued with whatever I want the attacker to know—unimportant things, or misleading memories and emotions.
The book said that distracting elements worked well if they were either large or bright and shiny, or both. The Snitch, while shiny, was small, but if he directed it to fly around his attacker’s head it should work. That only left the protective element. Deciding to continue his theme, Harry returned to his parchment.
Protected element: the Quaffle, imbued with anything I don’t want the attacker to see. I can hold it myself, or maybe lock it in the Quidditch trunk.
Leaning back in his chair, Harry reread the parchment. Satisfied that it was at least a good place to start, he folded it twice and slipped it into his book. Having whispered “Grawp” to its spine he set it aside and moved to his bed. Once sitting comfortably, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the feel of his Firebolt underneath his hands, the sound of the wind rushing past his ears, and the distinct glint of the Snitch.
Concentrating was difficult; the sound of a car honking several streets over jolted him out of the landscape, and not long after a cramp in his foot brought him out again. Gradually, though, he got a feel for it, and soon he had managed ten minutes of flying around on the pitch in search of a Snitch. It felt amazingly real, and Harry smiled, thinking it would have been a cool skill to have during some of the most boring of Binn’s lectures.
The book said it would be a while before the mental landscape would be strong enough to imbue with emotions and memories, and even longer before he’d be able to defend himself without falling into the visualization completely, but for the first time Harry felt he had a chance at mastering Occlumency. He snorted. Even if it didn’t get rid of his visions, a scenario he didn’t want to contemplate, it would be worth it just to prove Snape wrong.
***
Probably doesn't make any sense, since it's in the middle of Chapter Two, and an AU story to boot (it disregards books 6 and 7). Ah well. ^_^
Anyway, I wasn't going to post this, but then I thought I would so you folks know I'm not slacking. It's Harry Potter fanfiction, so please bear with me. ;)
***
With that over and done with he returned to his studying. He located a spare bit of parchment and a quill and pot of ink, set them up on his desk, and sat down. At the top he wrote “Mental Landscape.” He thought for a moment, the tip of the quill hovering above the parchment, then started to write.
Environment must be either familiar or easy to fix in my mind. Hogwarts, maybe? No, too complicated. Perhaps an aspect of Hogwarts, like Gryffindor Tower. But it must be a place/environment in which I can imbue aspects with emotions and memories. I suppose I could hide things in my trunk. But what would the defensive and distracting elements be?
Something familiar… what about Quidditch?
Harry stopped and read the last sentence. It had just been a passing fancy, but as he thought it over it began to have more appeal.
Defensive element: Bludgers imbued with anger and negative emotions. If I’m in these mental landscapes, I could direct them with a bat towards the attacker.
Harry frowned in thought. In the margins he scribbled: Would the attacker show up in the landscape? He flipped through the book to a description of one person’s mental landscape. It seemed like an attacker would show up as some sort of entity, so Harry wrote a bolded YES underneath his scribble.
Distracting element: the Snitch, imbued with whatever I want the attacker to know—unimportant things, or misleading memories and emotions.
The book said that distracting elements worked well if they were either large or bright and shiny, or both. The Snitch, while shiny, was small, but if he directed it to fly around his attacker’s head it should work. That only left the protective element. Deciding to continue his theme, Harry returned to his parchment.
Protected element: the Quaffle, imbued with anything I don’t want the attacker to see. I can hold it myself, or maybe lock it in the Quidditch trunk.
Leaning back in his chair, Harry reread the parchment. Satisfied that it was at least a good place to start, he folded it twice and slipped it into his book. Having whispered “Grawp” to its spine he set it aside and moved to his bed. Once sitting comfortably, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the feel of his Firebolt underneath his hands, the sound of the wind rushing past his ears, and the distinct glint of the Snitch.
Concentrating was difficult; the sound of a car honking several streets over jolted him out of the landscape, and not long after a cramp in his foot brought him out again. Gradually, though, he got a feel for it, and soon he had managed ten minutes of flying around on the pitch in search of a Snitch. It felt amazingly real, and Harry smiled, thinking it would have been a cool skill to have during some of the most boring of Binn’s lectures.
The book said it would be a while before the mental landscape would be strong enough to imbue with emotions and memories, and even longer before he’d be able to defend himself without falling into the visualization completely, but for the first time Harry felt he had a chance at mastering Occlumency. He snorted. Even if it didn’t get rid of his visions, a scenario he didn’t want to contemplate, it would be worth it just to prove Snape wrong.
***
Probably doesn't make any sense, since it's in the middle of Chapter Two, and an AU story to boot (it disregards books 6 and 7). Ah well. ^_^
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Er, I went to the movies today...
It was not aborted this time, which was fun, but it did leave me rather tired.
I'm not exactly ending on bang, am I? More like a whimper. ^_^
I'm not exactly ending on bang, am I? More like a whimper. ^_^
Friday, July 11, 2008
Day 28
Did a bit of an edit of Roux's story that she posted on Megatokyo. Dunno if it counts, since I just nitpicked, really...
Yeah, it counts. :P
Yeah, it counts. :P
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Day 27
I thought I'd try some poetry for a change; it's not something I do very often, since there are so many others out there much better than I (Meri and Missedtarget, for example), but then I suppose that's the case with fiction and nonfiction, too. ^_^
***
We trudge through sodden fields, and climb the stiles
on old stone walls to startle skittish sheep
who graze upon the other side. The miles
of rolling moors and fissured limestone sleep
beneath the damp and murky mist. It floats
like swirling spindrift, droplets sliding down
our necks, and rocky outcrops loom like boats
emerging from the gloom. Below the town
sits nestled in the valley,
.
.
.
.
.
***
Eh, gotta go sleep, even if that means stopping mid-sentence. The poem's not entirely new, since I started it years ago, but there are a few new lines in there somewhere. The plan was a sonnet, but I haven't exactly managed enough lines yet. I'm finding rhymes are really quite limiting (I mean, "boats?" *shudder*), as is my general lack of skill. Ah well. ;}
***
We trudge through sodden fields, and climb the stiles
on old stone walls to startle skittish sheep
who graze upon the other side. The miles
of rolling moors and fissured limestone sleep
beneath the damp and murky mist. It floats
like swirling spindrift, droplets sliding down
our necks, and rocky outcrops loom like boats
emerging from the gloom. Below the town
sits nestled in the valley,
.
.
.
.
.
***
Eh, gotta go sleep, even if that means stopping mid-sentence. The poem's not entirely new, since I started it years ago, but there are a few new lines in there somewhere. The plan was a sonnet, but I haven't exactly managed enough lines yet. I'm finding rhymes are really quite limiting (I mean, "boats?" *shudder*), as is my general lack of skill. Ah well. ;}
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day 26
This, if you'll recall, began here, and continued on Day 9.
***
"Pay?" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and Nia cursed herself. If the man wanted to pay her, let him. He didn't have to know she would have fixed the droid for free.
"Yes, you silly girl. How much? Five credits? Ten?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purse which clinked in his hand.
Nia bristled. What did he take her for? All she'd done was fix a loose connection, and she wasn't just another sleazy mechanic who robbed anyone in sight. "Two credits," she said, sticking out her chin.
The man stopped counting coins in his hand and appraised her again. His brows furrowed, and as he squinted at her she felt as if she was a Herlon desert beetle pinned to a display.
"You are a droid mechanic?"
She nodded, wondering where this was going. Wasn't that fact obvious?
"Would you like a job?"
The question was so unexpected Nia could only gape.
"I am a merchant and I own several ships," he explained impatiently. "One that is here for a few days is in need of a mechanic to repair the droids on board and keep them in good condition."
Nia grasped for something to say. A job! On a ship, no less! She didn't like this man, but if he owned the ships he certainly wouldn't be flying them. Just thinking of all the places a merchant vessel would visit made her dizzy.
"Yes!" The little hover droid beeped happily and she grinned at it.
The man abruptly turned on his heel. "This way then," he said, calling over his shoulder. "Quickly, now. I haven't got all day, you know."
Nia trotted after him, still too pleased with her luck to feel annoyed at his brisk manner.
***
Well, something's better than nothing, I suppose. I got a bit distracted today by a library book, Making Comics. A lot of it was more geared towards artists, but there was a chapter on writing. Much of the other stuff is helpful, too, since it teaches you how to think visually and imagine how best to write a story for an artist to illustrate it. Funfun. ^_^
***
"Pay?" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and Nia cursed herself. If the man wanted to pay her, let him. He didn't have to know she would have fixed the droid for free.
"Yes, you silly girl. How much? Five credits? Ten?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purse which clinked in his hand.
Nia bristled. What did he take her for? All she'd done was fix a loose connection, and she wasn't just another sleazy mechanic who robbed anyone in sight. "Two credits," she said, sticking out her chin.
The man stopped counting coins in his hand and appraised her again. His brows furrowed, and as he squinted at her she felt as if she was a Herlon desert beetle pinned to a display.
"You are a droid mechanic?"
She nodded, wondering where this was going. Wasn't that fact obvious?
"Would you like a job?"
The question was so unexpected Nia could only gape.
"I am a merchant and I own several ships," he explained impatiently. "One that is here for a few days is in need of a mechanic to repair the droids on board and keep them in good condition."
Nia grasped for something to say. A job! On a ship, no less! She didn't like this man, but if he owned the ships he certainly wouldn't be flying them. Just thinking of all the places a merchant vessel would visit made her dizzy.
"Yes!" The little hover droid beeped happily and she grinned at it.
The man abruptly turned on his heel. "This way then," he said, calling over his shoulder. "Quickly, now. I haven't got all day, you know."
Nia trotted after him, still too pleased with her luck to feel annoyed at his brisk manner.
***
Well, something's better than nothing, I suppose. I got a bit distracted today by a library book, Making Comics. A lot of it was more geared towards artists, but there was a chapter on writing. Much of the other stuff is helpful, too, since it teaches you how to think visually and imagine how best to write a story for an artist to illustrate it. Funfun. ^_^
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Ugh.
I really should've written something today. I feel so lazy! :(
Eh, I went to the doctor. And I wrote a lot yesterday. (Excuses, excuses...)
Eh, I went to the doctor. And I wrote a lot yesterday. (Excuses, excuses...)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Day 25
I saw WALL-E yesterday, and now I have an urge to dissect it. I don't usually do so, since I actually dislike it when people over-analyze movies. But hey, what the hell.
Now, first off, don't be fooled by WALL-E's cutesy exterior; this may be a kids movie, but in name only. Sure, it was silly, and geared towards kids, but there was quite a lot going on under the surface. Science fiction is well-known for it's examination of the human condition and contemporary issues, and I think that the things that the creators of WALL-E decided to touch on are an interesting commentary on the issues of today.
The first, and most obvious, is consumerism. In WALL-E, humans have deserted planet earth to escape the massive amounts of trash they've created; the mountains of garbage have literally made the planet uninhabitable. In the spectacular vistas there are advertisements galore, giant super stores, gas stations large enough for fifty cars, all of which have the Buy n Large logo. It's the ultimate Wal-Mart.
Depicting the future earth as covered in trash may seem like an exaggeration, and maybe it is. I doubt we'll ever get that far in our excess. Still, stories about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a giant raft of plastic and other debris that accumulates due to the area's circular rotation, are eerily reminiscent of the possible future as shown in WALL-E.
A friend of mine, after we watched the movie, mentioned that she wished it had focused more on the environment. That would have been interesting, but I think it misses the point. By focusing on consumerism and excessive waste, the creators of WALL-E looked at the real cause of the environmental mess that we're in. Why are our forests and other natural habitats disappearing? Why is toxic waste finding its way into our rivers and oceans? How on earth did there get to be a giant raft of plastic in the middle of the sea? In the end it all comes down to stuff. We deplete our resources and destroy the natural world to make stuff. We create toxins through the manufacturing of stuff. And when we get tired of our stuff, it gets thrown away as waste.
Moving from the planet earth to aboard the spaceship Axiom one finds more social commentary. Much has been made of the humans and how fat they are in the movie; they've become so dependent on machines and robots that they never leave their hover chairs. But what's more interesting, at least in my view, is what the humans on Axiom do. Their interactions are regulated to talking to one another on holographic screens, so much so that even when they're floating right next to each other they don't look at each other. They just watch their screens.
Much of our interaction in the developed world these days is through technology, be it texting on a cell phone, posting on web forums, or conversing through email or instant messaging. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; new communications technologies have opened up faster ways of doing business, ways to talk to people abroad, and ways to connect with people who have similar interests but you'd never meet in real life. What WALL-E shows us, though, is that perhaps, like most things, this could be taken to far; in the end, nothing beats face-to-face interaction, and if we were to lose that we'd be losing a lot.
I could go on—how the "meals in a cup" found on Axiom are a commentary on our fast food society of today, for example. But I'd like to skip the end of the movie. (SPOILERS AHEAD!)
There's been a lot of talk lately about "green technologies" and how they're the future. They're being touted as the answer to our prayers, as the solution to our environmental, perhaps even our economic woes. But there's something fishy about them in my mind. We're led to believe that with the right technology we'll be able to wean ourselves of fossil fuels and go on our merry, over-consuming ways.
I do believe that green technologies are the answer, but there's a catch. I don't think we'll be able to live the same lives we do today. Will we fall back into the Dark Ages? Hardly. But there's something terribly ironic in the idea that we'll fix all our problems, which stem from our consumerist culture, by buying more stuff just because it's "green."
When the humans in WALL-E returned to earth, they returned to an earth in which technology had failed it. The plan to clean up the earth using robots like WALL-E has failed, and what do these humans do? They grow plants. The radically change their lives, moving from a consumerist culture to one that grows things, and builds things. And it's this change that turns the earth green again, not a continuation of their previous lives.
It makes you wonder what we'll have to do to make our earth green again.
Now, first off, don't be fooled by WALL-E's cutesy exterior; this may be a kids movie, but in name only. Sure, it was silly, and geared towards kids, but there was quite a lot going on under the surface. Science fiction is well-known for it's examination of the human condition and contemporary issues, and I think that the things that the creators of WALL-E decided to touch on are an interesting commentary on the issues of today.
The first, and most obvious, is consumerism. In WALL-E, humans have deserted planet earth to escape the massive amounts of trash they've created; the mountains of garbage have literally made the planet uninhabitable. In the spectacular vistas there are advertisements galore, giant super stores, gas stations large enough for fifty cars, all of which have the Buy n Large logo. It's the ultimate Wal-Mart.
Depicting the future earth as covered in trash may seem like an exaggeration, and maybe it is. I doubt we'll ever get that far in our excess. Still, stories about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a giant raft of plastic and other debris that accumulates due to the area's circular rotation, are eerily reminiscent of the possible future as shown in WALL-E.
A friend of mine, after we watched the movie, mentioned that she wished it had focused more on the environment. That would have been interesting, but I think it misses the point. By focusing on consumerism and excessive waste, the creators of WALL-E looked at the real cause of the environmental mess that we're in. Why are our forests and other natural habitats disappearing? Why is toxic waste finding its way into our rivers and oceans? How on earth did there get to be a giant raft of plastic in the middle of the sea? In the end it all comes down to stuff. We deplete our resources and destroy the natural world to make stuff. We create toxins through the manufacturing of stuff. And when we get tired of our stuff, it gets thrown away as waste.
Moving from the planet earth to aboard the spaceship Axiom one finds more social commentary. Much has been made of the humans and how fat they are in the movie; they've become so dependent on machines and robots that they never leave their hover chairs. But what's more interesting, at least in my view, is what the humans on Axiom do. Their interactions are regulated to talking to one another on holographic screens, so much so that even when they're floating right next to each other they don't look at each other. They just watch their screens.
Much of our interaction in the developed world these days is through technology, be it texting on a cell phone, posting on web forums, or conversing through email or instant messaging. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; new communications technologies have opened up faster ways of doing business, ways to talk to people abroad, and ways to connect with people who have similar interests but you'd never meet in real life. What WALL-E shows us, though, is that perhaps, like most things, this could be taken to far; in the end, nothing beats face-to-face interaction, and if we were to lose that we'd be losing a lot.
I could go on—how the "meals in a cup" found on Axiom are a commentary on our fast food society of today, for example. But I'd like to skip the end of the movie. (SPOILERS AHEAD!)
There's been a lot of talk lately about "green technologies" and how they're the future. They're being touted as the answer to our prayers, as the solution to our environmental, perhaps even our economic woes. But there's something fishy about them in my mind. We're led to believe that with the right technology we'll be able to wean ourselves of fossil fuels and go on our merry, over-consuming ways.
I do believe that green technologies are the answer, but there's a catch. I don't think we'll be able to live the same lives we do today. Will we fall back into the Dark Ages? Hardly. But there's something terribly ironic in the idea that we'll fix all our problems, which stem from our consumerist culture, by buying more stuff just because it's "green."
When the humans in WALL-E returned to earth, they returned to an earth in which technology had failed it. The plan to clean up the earth using robots like WALL-E has failed, and what do these humans do? They grow plants. The radically change their lives, moving from a consumerist culture to one that grows things, and builds things. And it's this change that turns the earth green again, not a continuation of their previous lives.
It makes you wonder what we'll have to do to make our earth green again.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Day 24
Gasp! I'm back a day early! Quite surprisingly, after going to the movies with friends, I do not feel like going to bed and sleeping for a year. Success!
I've seen quite a few movies this long weekend (four, to be precise), which strikes me as awfully lazy and unproductive. But I was feeling crummy, and they were fun, so I think that makes it okay.
Anyway, I thought I'd write my thoughts about each of them, focusing on the writing. It's not really creative (I seem to say that a lot...), but it counts.
Maybe. ^_^
***
TWELVE MONKEYS (Slight spoilers towards the end.)
Time travel! What's not to love.
I love science fiction, but I particularly love time travel stories. My favorite Doctor Who episodes aren't the ones with Cybermen and Daleks (though those are pretty fun), but the ones that actually use time travel, and not just as a gimmick to have a new setting every week but as an integral part of the story. Like "Blink" by Steven Moffat—not only do the monsters send people back in time, feeding off the energy of the life they could have had, but Sally Sparrow ultimately saves herself because of a time loop.
I like to think of time travel stories as fitting into two categories: those in which time can change, and those in which it can't. (Doctor Who, as usual, is a law unto itself; apparently time in its universe is a combination. Some events are fluid, but others, like Pompeii, are fixed in time. Changing these brings utter disaster.)
Now, both scenarios offer interesting opportunities, but I think I'm a bit more fond of the "unchangeable time" scenario. A character goes back in time to change an event, only to find that he can't, or that by going back in time he caused it to happen. Or a character goes back in time knowing he cannot change the past—he must either live with being unable to change it, or, even though he knows it's futile, try to change the event and fail.
Twelve Monkeys is a wonderful mix of all of these. James, a convict, goes back in time to collect information about a virus that wiped out 5 billion people in 1996. At first he's resigned to the fact that these people are going to die; there's nothing he can do but attempt to complete his mission. But this changes (of course), and in the end he tries to stop the spread of the virus. Along the way he also begins to believe the people in the past who say he's crazy, and also comes to fear that by going back in time he sent in motion the events that led to the catastrophe.
Brilliant plot. Watching it made me want to dust off that time travel story I wrote a while back and fix it up. I might just be able to make it work...
***
Hm, that took longer than I expected! Ah well, I certainly don't have to ramble about every single movie I've seen lately.
Anyway, hopefully tomorrow I'll get back to one of the stories I'm working on. Yah, that would be good. ^_^
I've seen quite a few movies this long weekend (four, to be precise), which strikes me as awfully lazy and unproductive. But I was feeling crummy, and they were fun, so I think that makes it okay.
Anyway, I thought I'd write my thoughts about each of them, focusing on the writing. It's not really creative (I seem to say that a lot...), but it counts.
Maybe. ^_^
***
TWELVE MONKEYS (Slight spoilers towards the end.)
Time travel! What's not to love.
I love science fiction, but I particularly love time travel stories. My favorite Doctor Who episodes aren't the ones with Cybermen and Daleks (though those are pretty fun), but the ones that actually use time travel, and not just as a gimmick to have a new setting every week but as an integral part of the story. Like "Blink" by Steven Moffat—not only do the monsters send people back in time, feeding off the energy of the life they could have had, but Sally Sparrow ultimately saves herself because of a time loop.
I like to think of time travel stories as fitting into two categories: those in which time can change, and those in which it can't. (Doctor Who, as usual, is a law unto itself; apparently time in its universe is a combination. Some events are fluid, but others, like Pompeii, are fixed in time. Changing these brings utter disaster.)
Now, both scenarios offer interesting opportunities, but I think I'm a bit more fond of the "unchangeable time" scenario. A character goes back in time to change an event, only to find that he can't, or that by going back in time he caused it to happen. Or a character goes back in time knowing he cannot change the past—he must either live with being unable to change it, or, even though he knows it's futile, try to change the event and fail.
Twelve Monkeys is a wonderful mix of all of these. James, a convict, goes back in time to collect information about a virus that wiped out 5 billion people in 1996. At first he's resigned to the fact that these people are going to die; there's nothing he can do but attempt to complete his mission. But this changes (of course), and in the end he tries to stop the spread of the virus. Along the way he also begins to believe the people in the past who say he's crazy, and also comes to fear that by going back in time he sent in motion the events that led to the catastrophe.
Brilliant plot. Watching it made me want to dust off that time travel story I wrote a while back and fix it up. I might just be able to make it work...
***
Hm, that took longer than I expected! Ah well, I certainly don't have to ramble about every single movie I've seen lately.
Anyway, hopefully tomorrow I'll get back to one of the stories I'm working on. Yah, that would be good. ^_^
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Charlie Wilson's War...
Is a fun movie with brilliant, witty dailogue. Man, if I could write dialogue like that I think I'd die happy. ^_^
I'll be back on Monday. Probably. Tomorrow, I go see Wall-e. Huzzah!
I'll be back on Monday. Probably. Tomorrow, I go see Wall-e. Huzzah!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Well, today was an adventure.
My dad and I wanted to go see The Incredible Hulk, but I've been feeling off these past few days. (Don't ask; I think it's probably just PMT, but the abdominal discomfort is somewhat... disconcerting? Ah well. If I get a fever, then I'll know if it's my appendix. ^_^) So I make myself go, 'cause I want to see the movie. Right at the last second though, just as my dad started to buy the tickets, I felt worse and decided I wasn't up to it. Gah. >_<
So, yeah. Not feeling too hot at the moment. I dunno how I'll be for the next few days, either, so I may not get much writing done. Which sucks, 'cause I felt like I was on a bit of a roll. Sigh...
Oh, yeah! Erm, Happy Fourth of July?
So, yeah. Not feeling too hot at the moment. I dunno how I'll be for the next few days, either, so I may not get much writing done. Which sucks, 'cause I felt like I was on a bit of a roll. Sigh...
Oh, yeah! Erm, Happy Fourth of July?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Day 23
Well, there's not a lot to post, but believe it or not I got a fair amount of writing done today. ^_^ I edited some of what I wrote yesterday, finished my next chain story section, and wrote the next page of the comic! Oh, yeah, I am on a roll. :D
Continued from yesterday.
***
PANEL 5: They stare at the wallet again, each thinking.
PAGE 9PANEL 1: Close up of Leela. She smiles wryly, having just remembered something.
LEELA: "I'm sure you'd lighten up?" Where did that one come from?
PANEL 2: Zoe puts her head in her hands.
ZOE: Argh. I don’t know! It just came out.
PANEL 3: Leela is pretending to be aghast.
LEELA: But a pun, Zoe. A pun!
PANEL 4: Zoe puts one hand up in surrender.
ZOE: All right, all right, I get it. No more attempts at being punny.
LEELA (off panel, small): And it wasn’t even a very good one…
PANEL 5: Zoe hits Leela with a pillow. Leela puts her arms up in defense, laughing.
ZOE: Hey!
SFX (pillow): Whump.
LEELA: Hahahaha!
ZOE: Idiot.
Continued from yesterday.
***
PANEL 5: They stare at the wallet again, each thinking.
PAGE 9
LEELA: "I'm sure you'd lighten up?" Where did that one come from?
PANEL 2: Zoe puts her head in her hands.
ZOE: Argh. I don’t know! It just came out.
PANEL 3: Leela is pretending to be aghast.
LEELA: But a pun, Zoe. A pun!
PANEL 4: Zoe puts one hand up in surrender.
ZOE: All right, all right, I get it. No more attempts at being punny.
LEELA (off panel, small): And it wasn’t even a very good one…
PANEL 5: Zoe hits Leela with a pillow. Leela puts her arms up in defense, laughing.
ZOE: Hey!
SFX (pillow): Whump.
LEELA: Hahahaha!
ZOE: Idiot.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Day 22
I found this really interesting site about writing comics. Turns out I've sorta gone about this the wrong way (I haven't bothered with thinking much about characters or creating a plot outline), but I think I knew that already. Comics aren't very different from short stories and novels in that respect—the more planning the better.
Ah well, too late now! I shall carry on regardless, and the result will be a screwy, Frankenstein of a comic. Buahahahaha!
Continued from yesterday. I think when this is over I'm gonna go through and mess around with the pacing some...
***
FLARE: Damn.
PANEL 5: Flare looks down at the wallet, which is the focus of the panel. (Caption is in lower right hand corner.)
CAPTION: "You stole his wallet?"
PANEL 1: It's the inside of a teenage girl's room. There're several movie posters (old trilogy Star Wars, Matrix) and a computer in the corner. Clothes draped over the computer chair, but the room's more lived in than messy. Flare (now out of "costume" and known by her real name, Zoe) is sitting at the head of her bed. She's freaking out. Facing her is her friend Leela, who's sitting cross legged the foot of the bed. Leela is calm, and mildly amused but trying not to show it. A messenger bag sits next to her. On the bed between them is the wallet.
ZOE: I didn't steal it! He just ran away before I could give it back.
LEELA: He ran away, and now you have it. I think that counts as stealing.
PANEL 2: Zoe falls back onto the pillows, right arm over her eyes. Leela is looking at the wallet curiously. She's poking at it with a finger, as if it's a strange animal she's never seen before.
SFX: Whomph!
ZOE: Ugh. This is a total disaster.
LEELA: You know, he probably thought you were another mugger.
PANEL 3: Zoe's lifted her arm to look at her friend. She's confused. Leela's gesturing with her arms, emphasizing the line, "'never fear, I’m here to save you.'"
ZOE: What? Why?
LEELA: Well, come on, the costume doesn't really say "never fear, I'm here to save you." It's a bit… threatening.
PANEL 4: Zoe sits up, propped up on her elbows. Leela shrugs.
ZOE: And what is Batman, exactly? Cute and cuddly?
LEELA: I was just sayin'.
PANEL 5: They stare at the wallet again, each thinking.
***
Only one page! Ah well, maybe I'll manage more tomorrow.
Ah well, too late now! I shall carry on regardless, and the result will be a screwy, Frankenstein of a comic. Buahahahaha!
Continued from yesterday. I think when this is over I'm gonna go through and mess around with the pacing some...
***
FLARE: Damn.
PANEL 5: Flare looks down at the wallet, which is the focus of the panel. (Caption is in lower right hand corner.)
CAPTION: "You stole his wallet?"
PAGE 8
PANEL 1: It's the inside of a teenage girl's room. There're several movie posters (old trilogy Star Wars, Matrix) and a computer in the corner. Clothes draped over the computer chair, but the room's more lived in than messy. Flare (now out of "costume" and known by her real name, Zoe) is sitting at the head of her bed. She's freaking out. Facing her is her friend Leela, who's sitting cross legged the foot of the bed. Leela is calm, and mildly amused but trying not to show it. A messenger bag sits next to her. On the bed between them is the wallet.
ZOE: I didn't steal it! He just ran away before I could give it back.
LEELA: He ran away, and now you have it. I think that counts as stealing.
PANEL 2: Zoe falls back onto the pillows, right arm over her eyes. Leela is looking at the wallet curiously. She's poking at it with a finger, as if it's a strange animal she's never seen before.
SFX: Whomph!
ZOE: Ugh. This is a total disaster.
LEELA: You know, he probably thought you were another mugger.
PANEL 3: Zoe's lifted her arm to look at her friend. She's confused. Leela's gesturing with her arms, emphasizing the line, "'never fear, I’m here to save you.'"
ZOE: What? Why?
LEELA: Well, come on, the costume doesn't really say "never fear, I'm here to save you." It's a bit… threatening.
PANEL 4: Zoe sits up, propped up on her elbows. Leela shrugs.
ZOE: And what is Batman, exactly? Cute and cuddly?
LEELA: I was just sayin'.
PANEL 5: They stare at the wallet again, each thinking.
***
Only one page! Ah well, maybe I'll manage more tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day 21
Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, I had an inexplicable urge to write a comic book. Since this urge was still there when I woke up this morning, I'd thought I'd make a go of it. The idea is clichéd and silly (I've probably created a new genre, called "Superhero Conventions Taken to the Extreme"), but what the hell. It isn't meant to be taken seriously.
Like everything this is a rough draft; I expect, were I to turn it into a comic, that it would need a lot of revising, especially since this is my first time trying to pace panels of artwork. (For example, I have a sneaking suspicion the action should take up more pages.) Eh, whatev.
***
SPLASH PAGE: It's nighttime, outside in a back alley somewhere, and we see the scene from above. Across from us, sitting atop the opposite building, is a figure shrouded in the shadows; at first glance she shouldn't be obvious, as it's the scene in front of us that's the focus. With his back to us is a man wearing the blue jumpsuit of a janitor. He's got one hand raised in front of him, cowering as he's being cornered by three thugs. They've formed a semi-circle around him, facing us, and they're wearing hoodies and baggy clothes. Their grins are gruesome in the light of the streetlamp. One of them, the leader, is holding a knife confidently.
TITLE: Flare: The First Light
JANITOR: N-no! Please!
CREDITS: --
PANEL 1: Close up of the Janitor. We can now see his face, and he looks terrified. He's holding out his wallet (towards us, as if we’re in the place of the thugs) and his hand is shaking.
JANITOR: Just take it! It's all I got!
PANEL 2: Angle on the Ringleader and his buddies standing on either side. He's snatched the wallet from the Janitor, and he's smirking, brandishing the knife. He's having fun.
RINGLEADER: That's right, bro. Else I'm gonna cut you up.
FLARE (off panel): Aw, come on, man!
PANEL 3: Behind the thugs drops Flare; she's posing, arms above her head, one leg bent and the other pointed at the ground, in the way superheroes sometimes make an entrance as they land. She's wearing a black hoodie and black cargo pants. The hood is up and you can't see her face, only a vague impression of features. The thugs turn their torsos to look at her. They're surprised to see her.
FLARE: That threat is so last year.
PANEL 4: Close on the Ringleader. He's angry at being interrupted. Behind him, the Janitor is starting to sneak away. The thugs haven't noticed yet.
RINGLEADER: Who the fuck are you?
PANEL 1: Flare stands there confidently. She's acting like nothing's wrong, mocking them by staying cool. One hand on her hip, head cocked to the side, that sort of thing. The Ringleader now looks furious, and is gesturing with his knife to his buddies, who're off panel.
FLARE: The name's Flare. I'm new in town, and I was hoping we could be friends.
RINGLEADER: Get her!
PANEL 2: The two other thugs are advancing on her, and Flare looks disappointed. In the palm of her right hand, which is hanging by her side, there's a small ball of light forming.
THUG #1: Grr!
FLARE: Shame! If you just got to know me a little--
PANEL 3: The thugs are closer now. Flare has raised her right hand, fingers splayed. The ball of light in her palm is bigger, and it's casting light on her and the thugs.
FLARE: --I’m sure you'd lighten up.
PANEL 4 (inset): Close up on Flare's lips, which so far we haven't seen because of the hood. They're pulling up in one corner; it's a wry smile, almost a smirk but more good natured than that implies.
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD: Light bursts forth from Flare's palm. It's her signature move, the "Starburst." The three thugs cower, covering their eyes against the glare with their arms. They've been momentarily blinded by the attack; the Ringleader has dropped the wallet, but he's still hanging on to his knife.
SFX: some sound that the light could make [does anybody know a sound effect I could use?]
SFX: Ahhhhhh!
PANELS: The layout of this page is up to you. The thugs are incapacitated, and Flare takes advantage of that. She downs the nameless thugs (kneeing 'em, that sort of thing) then turns to face the Ringleader. He's just starting to recover, but she disarms him easily and the knife drops to the ground. He keels over slowly.
PANEL 1: Wide shot of Flare standing in the alley. The three thugs are slumped on the ground around her, unconscious. This is the first time she's done this, so now it's over the bravado is gone. Her stance shows she is simply relieved.
PANEL 2: Close up of the Ringleader's head. His eyes are closed and his face slack. Flare is stepping over him.
PANEL 3: Close up of the wallet on the ground where it fell. One of Flare's feet is in frame, as well as her arm as she reaches down to pick it up.
PANEL 4: Flare holds the wallet in her hand. Her hood has slipped a bit, giving us a look at her profile. Her wavy hair pokes out and frames her face. She's looking at the empty entrance to the alley. The Janitor is long gone. (Caption is in lower right hand corner.)
FLARE: Damn.
CAPTION: "You stole his wallet?"
***
Oh, man, this is fun! I haven't even got to the scene I originally came up with, so I think I'm gonna run with this for a couple of days. (Luckily my pet werewolf is very patient.) Anyway, now I've got an excuse to read lots of comics—gotta read 'em so I can learn how it's done... Ah, research of the best kind. ^__^
(Yeah, I really need to learn how to write action scenes, don't I? Page 6 is a bit silly at the moment; while leaving some things up to the artist is okay, I think I need to be a tad more specific.)
[Edit: Continued here.]
Like everything this is a rough draft; I expect, were I to turn it into a comic, that it would need a lot of revising, especially since this is my first time trying to pace panels of artwork. (For example, I have a sneaking suspicion the action should take up more pages.) Eh, whatev.
***
PAGE 1
SPLASH PAGE: It's nighttime, outside in a back alley somewhere, and we see the scene from above. Across from us, sitting atop the opposite building, is a figure shrouded in the shadows; at first glance she shouldn't be obvious, as it's the scene in front of us that's the focus. With his back to us is a man wearing the blue jumpsuit of a janitor. He's got one hand raised in front of him, cowering as he's being cornered by three thugs. They've formed a semi-circle around him, facing us, and they're wearing hoodies and baggy clothes. Their grins are gruesome in the light of the streetlamp. One of them, the leader, is holding a knife confidently.
TITLE: Flare: The First Light
JANITOR: N-no! Please!
CREDITS: --
PAGE 2
PANEL 1: Close up of the Janitor. We can now see his face, and he looks terrified. He's holding out his wallet (towards us, as if we’re in the place of the thugs) and his hand is shaking.
JANITOR: Just take it! It's all I got!
PANEL 2: Angle on the Ringleader and his buddies standing on either side. He's snatched the wallet from the Janitor, and he's smirking, brandishing the knife. He's having fun.
RINGLEADER: That's right, bro. Else I'm gonna cut you up.
FLARE (off panel): Aw, come on, man!
PANEL 3: Behind the thugs drops Flare; she's posing, arms above her head, one leg bent and the other pointed at the ground, in the way superheroes sometimes make an entrance as they land. She's wearing a black hoodie and black cargo pants. The hood is up and you can't see her face, only a vague impression of features. The thugs turn their torsos to look at her. They're surprised to see her.
FLARE: That threat is so last year.
PANEL 4: Close on the Ringleader. He's angry at being interrupted. Behind him, the Janitor is starting to sneak away. The thugs haven't noticed yet.
RINGLEADER: Who the fuck are you?
PAGE 3
PANEL 1: Flare stands there confidently. She's acting like nothing's wrong, mocking them by staying cool. One hand on her hip, head cocked to the side, that sort of thing. The Ringleader now looks furious, and is gesturing with his knife to his buddies, who're off panel.
FLARE: The name's Flare. I'm new in town, and I was hoping we could be friends.
RINGLEADER: Get her!
PANEL 2: The two other thugs are advancing on her, and Flare looks disappointed. In the palm of her right hand, which is hanging by her side, there's a small ball of light forming.
THUG #1: Grr!
FLARE: Shame! If you just got to know me a little--
PANEL 3: The thugs are closer now. Flare has raised her right hand, fingers splayed. The ball of light in her palm is bigger, and it's casting light on her and the thugs.
FLARE: --I’m sure you'd lighten up.
PANEL 4 (inset): Close up on Flare's lips, which so far we haven't seen because of the hood. They're pulling up in one corner; it's a wry smile, almost a smirk but more good natured than that implies.
PAGES 4 AND 5
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD: Light bursts forth from Flare's palm. It's her signature move, the "Starburst." The three thugs cower, covering their eyes against the glare with their arms. They've been momentarily blinded by the attack; the Ringleader has dropped the wallet, but he's still hanging on to his knife.
SFX: some sound that the light could make [does anybody know a sound effect I could use?]
SFX: Ahhhhhh!
PAGE 6
PANELS: The layout of this page is up to you. The thugs are incapacitated, and Flare takes advantage of that. She downs the nameless thugs (kneeing 'em, that sort of thing) then turns to face the Ringleader. He's just starting to recover, but she disarms him easily and the knife drops to the ground. He keels over slowly.
PAGE 7
PANEL 1: Wide shot of Flare standing in the alley. The three thugs are slumped on the ground around her, unconscious. This is the first time she's done this, so now it's over the bravado is gone. Her stance shows she is simply relieved.
PANEL 2: Close up of the Ringleader's head. His eyes are closed and his face slack. Flare is stepping over him.
PANEL 3: Close up of the wallet on the ground where it fell. One of Flare's feet is in frame, as well as her arm as she reaches down to pick it up.
PANEL 4: Flare holds the wallet in her hand. Her hood has slipped a bit, giving us a look at her profile. Her wavy hair pokes out and frames her face. She's looking at the empty entrance to the alley. The Janitor is long gone. (Caption is in lower right hand corner.)
FLARE: Damn.
CAPTION: "You stole his wallet?"
***
Oh, man, this is fun! I haven't even got to the scene I originally came up with, so I think I'm gonna run with this for a couple of days. (Luckily my pet werewolf is very patient.) Anyway, now I've got an excuse to read lots of comics—gotta read 'em so I can learn how it's done... Ah, research of the best kind. ^__^
(Yeah, I really need to learn how to write action scenes, don't I? Page 6 is a bit silly at the moment; while leaving some things up to the artist is okay, I think I need to be a tad more specific.)
[Edit: Continued here.]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
