Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The world is full of ideas...
I had never heard of the Green Children...
Now, I don't know if the story is true or not... they should have the "metallic" clothes saved, if it was... But it's a fascinating story anyway... Intriguing... and inspiring ;-)
Anyway, here's some blogs to follow if you are a writer, and here's what some authors told The Guardian when they asked them to share their rules of writing.
Now I'm off to write :-)
Now, I don't know if the story is true or not... they should have the "metallic" clothes saved, if it was... But it's a fascinating story anyway... Intriguing... and inspiring ;-)
Anyway, here's some blogs to follow if you are a writer, and here's what some authors told The Guardian when they asked them to share their rules of writing.
Now I'm off to write :-)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Writing Magazine
It's the all for free tasting week. I suppose I should have mentioned that when it started... I can't remember now, but there's a couple of days left, I think...
Anyway, here's a couple of articles that are free:
Use contests as a steppingstone
Improve your chances of winning
More on winning novel contests
Then there's 7 rules for writing historical fiction...
The truth about this is that if you have a story, you will have listeners/readers whether you follow the rules or not.
Just think about
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon;
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and
50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James.
The negative reviews are mostly because of the authors haven't followed these rules, but all three of these are very, very popular.
For some reason people had no problems swallowing the camels of Diana Gabaldon's historical problems... To me it began already in the beginning, with the description of a post WWII nurse on vacation in Scotland... I started thinking about all the amazing BBC series portraying women in 40's, and Claire didn't fit the picture in any way. Then she insisted on carrying the stone flower press around the landscape. What? Who the heck does that? Not anyone who has ever collected and pressed plants. Let's move on. The 18th century people thinking a woman with good leather shoes would be a whore because she was wearing a 40's summer dress - or "a nightgown" as the 18th century people saw it. Er... This is what ordinary Scottish women were wearing at the time... No-one had any problems with that? Obviously.
Anyway, the lesson here is that you shouldn't let the rules stop you from telling a story. Write what you want to write and leave the "rules" to editing.
Now, if you want to produce a book you can be proud of, you should mind these rules, and let someone who knows more than you do to read your draft after you have edited it the best you can, to catch the worst mistakes.
Or laugh all the way to the bank and ignore the people who care about such details.
Anyway, here's a couple of articles that are free:
Use contests as a steppingstone
Improve your chances of winning
More on winning novel contests
Then there's 7 rules for writing historical fiction...
The truth about this is that if you have a story, you will have listeners/readers whether you follow the rules or not.
Just think about
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon;
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and
50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James.
The negative reviews are mostly because of the authors haven't followed these rules, but all three of these are very, very popular.
"The pseudonymous British author sets the action (such as it is) in Washington State... for no reason than that her knowledge of America apparently consists of what she read in "Twilight"... but the entire first-person narrative is filled with Britishisms. How many American college students do you know who talk about "prams" and "ringing" someone on the phone? And the author's geography sounds like she put together a jigsaw puzzle of the Pacific Northwest while drunk and ended up with several pieces in the wrong place."
- DS from LA about 50 Shades of Grey
For some reason people had no problems swallowing the camels of Diana Gabaldon's historical problems... To me it began already in the beginning, with the description of a post WWII nurse on vacation in Scotland... I started thinking about all the amazing BBC series portraying women in 40's, and Claire didn't fit the picture in any way. Then she insisted on carrying the stone flower press around the landscape. What? Who the heck does that? Not anyone who has ever collected and pressed plants. Let's move on. The 18th century people thinking a woman with good leather shoes would be a whore because she was wearing a 40's summer dress - or "a nightgown" as the 18th century people saw it. Er... This is what ordinary Scottish women were wearing at the time... No-one had any problems with that? Obviously.
Anyway, the lesson here is that you shouldn't let the rules stop you from telling a story. Write what you want to write and leave the "rules" to editing.
Now, if you want to produce a book you can be proud of, you should mind these rules, and let someone who knows more than you do to read your draft after you have edited it the best you can, to catch the worst mistakes.
Or laugh all the way to the bank and ignore the people who care about such details.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Mademoiselle Gabrielle
More interesting people
Gabrielle Fuller. She was born in Switzerland, joined the circus at the age of 16 and was a celebrated beauty... She didn't have any legs or even stumps. She was married at least twice, probably three times or even more... not much of her is known in later life.
I find it interesting that she was corset trained... But - very beautiful, indeed. I wonder what her life was before she joined the circus... and after... absolutely fascinating. Someone should really write a book about her and make it into a movie.
Gabrielle Fuller. She was born in Switzerland, joined the circus at the age of 16 and was a celebrated beauty... She didn't have any legs or even stumps. She was married at least twice, probably three times or even more... not much of her is known in later life.
"Mademoiselle Gabrielle possessed no legs and, according to a 1929 London Life article, she possessed no stumps whatsoever. Her torso finished just below the hip gracefully. Her figure was impressive and she accentuated her physical qualities and natural beauty with opulent Victorian garb and striking jewelry. She firmly believed that she was ‘no less a woman.' "
- Memorias Perdidas
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Wild Would
Call for writers - an artist is looking for text for his erotic art book.
You won't get paid, but you get a copy of the book. I think he's pretty good and I like the art.
You won't get paid, but you get a copy of the book. I think he's pretty good and I like the art.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
About world-building
Hmm...
I didn't think it is such a problem.
Urban Fantasy World-Building
But, sure... when people can see you one day and next day not, it might turn into a problem.
You can't have unlimited abilities and no disadvantages. Even superheros have their weak spots.
I hate it when the "weakness" is something good. Maryannish, you know. He would sacrifice himself for his friends. He's too loyal. Her sense of duty is too strong... Bull. This is not a work application. I cannot like you if your worst problem is something people consider to be a virtue. "I'm just too good a person, it's so horrible..." Yuk.
In a way it reminds me of live role play. Everything costs. You get some and pay with something else. You might have supersight, but you're deaf. You speak 15 languages fluently but are allergic to cats.
And save the cat...
I was talking somewhere how angry I was with all the teenaged protagonists who
a) didn't behave like teenagers and
b) had all the teenaged vices and none of their virtues.
Rebelling just because you ought to rebel is just as old as a picture perfect heroine who thinks she's not that good looking.
Just average... Oh, my lips are too full and my eyelashes so long, it's so irritating!
I mean, I truly believed I must be ugly because no boys seemed to be interested in me, but even then I didn't see what was so ugly in me, when I looked in the mirror. I thought I was kind of pretty. "Oh, I look just like my mother, the most beautiful woman in the world, except that I'm not pretty at all."
Well, well... give me a plain heroine, who really is plain.
And a little plump.
And clumsy, for real. But not in that "walk against walls, everything falls as she passes" kind of marysue way, but let her put her sleeve in someone's pizza and such.
Also, I want a heroine who has both parents and siblings and grandparents and friends - a life and a network. I want her to have connection to the place where she lives, reason to care about life, people, about all the things she is supposed to save during her quest.
Anyway, an ordinary, kind and good girl, who really is nothing special, except that she truly is. She has to be, as she is the heroine... But one of my favorite characters in literature is Momo. The little Italian orphan street girl, who was nothing special, except that she could listen... When she listened, people started to talk... and when she really, really listened, she could almost here the music of the spheres...
Anyway... I want a nice, kind, quiet, shy and sweet, ordinary girl to be my heroine. I have always liked this type of girls. You know the ones who sigh and say "I'm sorry, I try to understand, but I'm not so smart..." Pooh bear girls :-)
I also like the were-ferrets :-D There are homunculi and were-ferrets make me think of Lyra and her daemon...
I didn't think it is such a problem.
Urban Fantasy World-Building
But, sure... when people can see you one day and next day not, it might turn into a problem.
You can't have unlimited abilities and no disadvantages. Even superheros have their weak spots.
I hate it when the "weakness" is something good. Maryannish, you know. He would sacrifice himself for his friends. He's too loyal. Her sense of duty is too strong... Bull. This is not a work application. I cannot like you if your worst problem is something people consider to be a virtue. "I'm just too good a person, it's so horrible..." Yuk.
In a way it reminds me of live role play. Everything costs. You get some and pay with something else. You might have supersight, but you're deaf. You speak 15 languages fluently but are allergic to cats.
And save the cat...
I was talking somewhere how angry I was with all the teenaged protagonists who
a) didn't behave like teenagers and
b) had all the teenaged vices and none of their virtues.
Rebelling just because you ought to rebel is just as old as a picture perfect heroine who thinks she's not that good looking.
Just average... Oh, my lips are too full and my eyelashes so long, it's so irritating!
I mean, I truly believed I must be ugly because no boys seemed to be interested in me, but even then I didn't see what was so ugly in me, when I looked in the mirror. I thought I was kind of pretty. "Oh, I look just like my mother, the most beautiful woman in the world, except that I'm not pretty at all."
Well, well... give me a plain heroine, who really is plain.
And a little plump.
And clumsy, for real. But not in that "walk against walls, everything falls as she passes" kind of marysue way, but let her put her sleeve in someone's pizza and such.
Also, I want a heroine who has both parents and siblings and grandparents and friends - a life and a network. I want her to have connection to the place where she lives, reason to care about life, people, about all the things she is supposed to save during her quest.
Anyway, an ordinary, kind and good girl, who really is nothing special, except that she truly is. She has to be, as she is the heroine... But one of my favorite characters in literature is Momo. The little Italian orphan street girl, who was nothing special, except that she could listen... When she listened, people started to talk... and when she really, really listened, she could almost here the music of the spheres...
Anyway... I want a nice, kind, quiet, shy and sweet, ordinary girl to be my heroine. I have always liked this type of girls. You know the ones who sigh and say "I'm sorry, I try to understand, but I'm not so smart..." Pooh bear girls :-)
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Making it snow
Making it snow by Michael J. Sullivan
It is January and it should be a proper winter, with snow and all, now. It's not. It's raining. :-(
So I have been trying to make it snow, and when I work on it, I get snow, but it's really bothersome, because the water doesn't want to be frozen, it's too warm. So immediately when I let it be, it melts and turns into rain again. I've been working for an hour now, and I'm exhausted. But it will snow tonight.
P.S. It did snow... I went to sleep at noon and when I woke up two hours later, it was snowing :-) I'm so darned pleased with myself :-D It will snow more later :-)
It is January and it should be a proper winter, with snow and all, now. It's not. It's raining. :-(
So I have been trying to make it snow, and when I work on it, I get snow, but it's really bothersome, because the water doesn't want to be frozen, it's too warm. So immediately when I let it be, it melts and turns into rain again. I've been working for an hour now, and I'm exhausted. But it will snow tonight.
P.S. It did snow... I went to sleep at noon and when I woke up two hours later, it was snowing :-) I'm so darned pleased with myself :-D It will snow more later :-)
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