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November craziness
Oct. 2nd, 2009 12:44 pmI did Nanowrimo before - in 2003 and 2005, winning both times. Both contributed a lot to my momentum for writing for the years after that, and I think after the past two years (which were mostly due to work-stress), I'm due for another boost.
This time my project is science-fiction (trust me, I'm just as surprised). I won't bore people with the whole unedited lot, but I may end up posting some lj-cut excerpts if I'm proud of them.
And the characters may seem... familiar to some people.
(Musumeyaku. I need suggestions for musumeyaku with strong personalities, because my chosen brand of fighting style calls for equal numbers of otokoyaku and musumeyaku, and I suck atogling recalling musumeyaku. It's been on my to-do list for ages, but now I need it for the plot.)
Working title: Starfall, Moonfall.
This time my project is science-fiction (trust me, I'm just as surprised). I won't bore people with the whole unedited lot, but I may end up posting some lj-cut excerpts if I'm proud of them.
And the characters may seem... familiar to some people.
(Musumeyaku. I need suggestions for musumeyaku with strong personalities, because my chosen brand of fighting style calls for equal numbers of otokoyaku and musumeyaku, and I suck at
Working title: Starfall, Moonfall.
Movie: Day Watch
Sep. 15th, 2007 07:37 pmI saw Dnevnoy Dozor, the sequel to Night Watch, today. I liked the original movie for its slightly mad take on urban fantasy, Russian-punk style, even if the plot could use work, and I like the original books (completely different from the movies).
Day Watch left me reeling. It's - post-modern is probably the wrong word, but it's a mad ride of tropes and plots and postcard-like scenes that stay with you. Fate and inescapability and escape. Lots of emphasis on father-son issues, and two of the main characters (Olga and Anton) body-switching and the actors having such complete fun with it. They must have spent ages studying each other's body language, because Olga in a male body was to die for.
It's such a decadent, oneiric movie, and at the same time the plot is tight. Every moment pushes the action forward. Visually, it's stunning - less elf-punk grime and more New Russian shine, and effects are gorgeous in their simplicity. Let's just say that for the four million (USD) total this film cost, they blew up Moscow, got Tamerlane to invade Samarkand, and filmed the best ending to a truck chicken-fight ever. If you asked me to name a budget figure for the effects alone, I'd say forty million and wouldn't be surprised at twice that.
So yes, recommended, especially if you want to see the East-West divide in action, mentality-wise - it's such a Russian movie. And I think it woke up certain characters of mine, which is good, because it's been ages since I wrote Flowers of the Frost.
Day Watch left me reeling. It's - post-modern is probably the wrong word, but it's a mad ride of tropes and plots and postcard-like scenes that stay with you. Fate and inescapability and escape. Lots of emphasis on father-son issues, and two of the main characters (Olga and Anton) body-switching and the actors having such complete fun with it. They must have spent ages studying each other's body language, because Olga in a male body was to die for.
It's such a decadent, oneiric movie, and at the same time the plot is tight. Every moment pushes the action forward. Visually, it's stunning - less elf-punk grime and more New Russian shine, and effects are gorgeous in their simplicity. Let's just say that for the four million (USD) total this film cost, they blew up Moscow, got Tamerlane to invade Samarkand, and filmed the best ending to a truck chicken-fight ever. If you asked me to name a budget figure for the effects alone, I'd say forty million and wouldn't be surprised at twice that.
So yes, recommended, especially if you want to see the East-West divide in action, mentality-wise - it's such a Russian movie. And I think it woke up certain characters of mine, which is good, because it's been ages since I wrote Flowers of the Frost.
Meta-self-writing
Feb. 18th, 2006 10:41 amEva Green is the new Bond girl. I'm quite amused, since I used an uglified (longer nose, narrower lips and eyes etc) version of her for the heroine of my NaNo. This reminds me - I should update that with the next bits. And plot the bits after that, after which there will be the grand finale that's mostly plotted, and finally Kirill and Rachel can go dancing.
Off to get myself in a Star Wars mood for a couple of requests. In the meantime, a meme from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
daegaer:
Why did you give your fic that name? Are any of the titles I've used obscure? Ask, and all will be revealed, if I can remember what I meant by them!
Off to get myself in a Star Wars mood for a couple of requests. In the meantime, a meme from
daegaer:Why did you give your fic that name? Are any of the titles I've used obscure? Ask, and all will be revealed, if I can remember what I meant by them!
photoshoot ad memoriam
Feb. 2nd, 2006 06:02 pmthis is what Rachel from Flowers Of The Frost wears when she's dressing UP
(Honestly. A self-respecting mutant witch serial killer shouldn't squee quite so loud. Damn muses.)
(Honestly. A self-respecting mutant witch serial killer shouldn't squee quite so loud. Damn muses.)
NaNo madness
Nov. 28th, 2005 02:54 amIt's 3AM, and with 2,885 words in chapter 10 I'm all caught up again, with a few dozen words to spare. I think I might actually be able to finish NaNo in a sane manner, unless you discount things like writing at 3AM.
Anyway, that's not because of NaNo, it's because I have vampires on the brain.
Anyway, that's not because of NaNo, it's because I have vampires on the brain.
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On the naming of characters
Nov. 26th, 2005 03:19 pmI'm trolling babynames sites, and there are such a lot of names that are just begging to be used in fiction. Aldona, Indré, Frauke, Berenika, Larissa - why don't they appear more often? It seems like anyone writing, say, HP fic uses the same three names all over again. Why not have a Nicodemus Malfoy, Theodosia Black, Malvina Weasley? Dare to leaf through that baby names book, people ;)
NaNo news: Part 9 and another Interlude - tape transcript this time. I'm a little behind, but I'm damn proud of Part 9 - it might not look like much, but it's the first time I've written an almost 5K-word action scene that actually has action in it. Normally, I can't write action at all.
Four hours until Vampires. Mrr. Krolock 4EVA.
NaNo news: Part 9 and another Interlude - tape transcript this time. I'm a little behind, but I'm damn proud of Part 9 - it might not look like much, but it's the first time I've written an almost 5K-word action scene that actually has action in it. Normally, I can't write action at all.
Four hours until Vampires. Mrr. Krolock 4EVA.
Ad memoriam
Nov. 24th, 2005 06:46 pmJonathan Carrol's that rare bird, an author whose blog I enjoy more than his books.
This poem has got to go into Flowers of the Frost. Possibly as the last page.
This poem has got to go into Flowers of the Frost. Possibly as the last page.
Nano: on the home stretch
Nov. 23rd, 2005 08:11 pmA week to go, and after being blocked yesterday I'm on track again. Part 8 is up, I've finally found Natalie's voice, and I know where to take this. Next part is all action extravaganza, and it'll stay like that until... uh, the end?
(Okay, there'll be some shippy stuff too. But mostly ass-kicking.)
(Okay, there'll be some shippy stuff too. But mostly ass-kicking.)
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The Brothers Grimm, and other matters
Nov. 20th, 2005 09:51 pmFirst of all, happy birthday to imadra_blue! And apologies to people who deserve them - I've been a complete disaster about getting things done lately >_<
Took off a few hours from sleeping and reading today in order to go see Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm - just the slightly-nightmarish extravaganza of supreme set decorations and acting skills I'd expected it to be. Worth seeing if only for the way Matt Damon looks (un-bloody-recognizable) and Jonathan Pryce's French Accent.
Am still unhappy with it, though, because THEY KILLED A KITTEN. A soft fluffy white persian one, and FSCK you don't do that and get away with it. So a warning to sensitive people: when they come back from the forest that first time, that's a good time for a bathroom break. Nothing important happens in that scene anyway.
In other news: I actually use "fsck" as a real-life expletive. Am geek^n. Also, Wednesday's Vampires would have the second Krolock - as in, not the one I have the hots for - so I'm selling off those tickets.
NaNo: Part 7 and skirting the edge of keeping up with schedule, but still ahead by a grand total of 16 words. Have got to write more tomorrow.
imadra_blue! And apologies to people who deserve them - I've been a complete disaster about getting things done lately >_< Took off a few hours from sleeping and reading today in order to go see Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm - just the slightly-nightmarish extravaganza of supreme set decorations and acting skills I'd expected it to be. Worth seeing if only for the way Matt Damon looks (un-bloody-recognizable) and Jonathan Pryce's French Accent.
Am still unhappy with it, though, because THEY KILLED A KITTEN. A soft fluffy white persian one, and FSCK you don't do that and get away with it. So a warning to sensitive people: when they come back from the forest that first time, that's a good time for a bathroom break. Nothing important happens in that scene anyway.
In other news: I actually use "fsck" as a real-life expletive. Am geek^n. Also, Wednesday's Vampires would have the second Krolock - as in, not the one I have the hots for - so I'm selling off those tickets.
NaNo: Part 7 and skirting the edge of keeping up with schedule, but still ahead by a grand total of 16 words. Have got to write more tomorrow.
Guess what ^_^
Nov. 12th, 2005 10:59 pmSorry for the NaNo-spam today, but I'm kind of proud of myself. Because not only have I finished Chapter 5, I've written 5,219 words today. Which I think is the largest amount of words I've written in one day since November 30, 2003, when I'd finished my NaNo 2003 in one gigantic 10,000 word swing. And between the tiny!Sands segment and the absolutely über drama llama confrontation between Kirill and Rachel I just posted, it's not even drivel. Much.
Go me.
Go me.
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NaNo update
Nov. 12th, 2005 05:00 pmI finally posted the gigantic chapter 4, and updated the sidebar with new characters to boot.
( NaNo-related blather, cut for your convenience )
( NaNo-related blather, cut for your convenience )
The mother of all blonde moments
Nov. 5th, 2005 07:16 pmOkay, so I'm checking out the friendslist, and the ShinyShiny feed is linking to other cool stuff in its sister blogs. Clicking on one of those links provides a slew of pop-up windows. Yelp, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Task Manager, frantic mouse action, whimper.
Then blink.
I call up Task Manager again. It's missing all its upper part - the title bar, the menu, and the tabs to switch to Processes view.
Cue almost two hours of panic, frantic virus and adware scanning, being too scared to call up Internet Explorer to google the thing, and generally biting my fingernails clean off.
And then when I finally remember that hello, I also have the ancient Netscape 4.7 that I use for mail, what is the first Google result for "task manager menu missing"?
Task Manager tiny footprint mode.
I knew my hair should have been re-dyed two weeks ago ~_~
In NaNo-News, Chapter 2 is up, with a lot of backstory and exposition. Coming up: Kirill-chapter, and then possibly a letter from Arthur to his friend in Europe to introduce the political landscape before the Big Vampire Council. Hoping to hit 10K later tonight.
Then blink.
I call up Task Manager again. It's missing all its upper part - the title bar, the menu, and the tabs to switch to Processes view.
Cue almost two hours of panic, frantic virus and adware scanning, being too scared to call up Internet Explorer to google the thing, and generally biting my fingernails clean off.
And then when I finally remember that hello, I also have the ancient Netscape 4.7 that I use for mail, what is the first Google result for "task manager menu missing"?
Task Manager tiny footprint mode.
I knew my hair should have been re-dyed two weeks ago ~_~
In NaNo-News, Chapter 2 is up, with a lot of backstory and exposition. Coming up: Kirill-chapter, and then possibly a letter from Arthur to his friend in Europe to introduce the political landscape before the Big Vampire Council. Hoping to hit 10K later tonight.
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All Hallows
Nov. 1st, 2005 09:26 pmAll Hallows, or All Saints: the Cemetary Day, the day of remembrance. This is the first year that I'm both able and equipped to document it digitally.
( 11 photos )
In other news:
( 11 photos )
In other news:
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NaNo, and a Harry Potter rec
Nov. 1st, 2005 12:50 pmFirst of all: my NaNoWriMo efforts will be posted at Flowers of the Frost if you're interested. Right now the Prologue is up, with 2,756 words. It being 1 P.M., it's not a bad start. Especially since the next bit should be plenty long, as after throwing in an action scene I'm planning for exposition. Note: this is not serious fiction, but rather an attempt to kick-start my muse. Unedited draft. Count yourselves lucky it's spellchecked.
And now, a rec: I've been reading this fic for a while now, but since it was friendslocked, I couldn't rec it. Mirabella (mirasfics) has managed the improbable - wrote a vampire Harry Potter fic with a serving of cliches that manages not only to be bloody good and amusing, but also bloody hot in places.
Harry Potter and the Inconvenient Condition
And now, a rec: I've been reading this fic for a while now, but since it was friendslocked, I couldn't rec it. Mirabella (
mirasfics) has managed the improbable - wrote a vampire Harry Potter fic with a serving of cliches that manages not only to be bloody good and amusing, but also bloody hot in places.Harry Potter and the Inconvenient Condition
Tim Burton: you gotta love him
Oct. 29th, 2005 10:22 pmAs an antidote to a particularly explosive mood (no real reason, but I'm popping melissa pills like water today), I went and saw The Corpse Bride.
Short: Tim Burton's head is a scary place to be. Also, aww.
Long: A lovely nightmare with good tunes and better moves.
It's just such a trip - all the stops pulled, musical numbers galore, the priest thundering in a way that makes you very aware that yes, when Christopher Lee was recording the voice track, everyone else cowered under a table. And underlying all the creepiness - cuteness, sweet and pure and just making you go "aww" throughout.
Especially the dog.
The puppetry is absolutely astonishing - it's hard to believe there's almost no computer animation. Especially the Johnny Depp puppet is so lifelike, you start wondering whether someone was messing with spells for turning humans into clockwork figures. The musical numbers... well, it's Danny Elfman. You do the math.
DVD? Must have. Like, NOW.
In other news, my semi-main NaNo villain walked into my head last night. Name, Jibril. Profession, mad scientist. Ex-girlfriend, Rachel Malory, my NaNo's protagonist. This is going to be fun.
Short: Tim Burton's head is a scary place to be. Also, aww.
Long: A lovely nightmare with good tunes and better moves.
It's just such a trip - all the stops pulled, musical numbers galore, the priest thundering in a way that makes you very aware that yes, when Christopher Lee was recording the voice track, everyone else cowered under a table. And underlying all the creepiness - cuteness, sweet and pure and just making you go "aww" throughout.
Especially the dog.
The puppetry is absolutely astonishing - it's hard to believe there's almost no computer animation. Especially the Johnny Depp puppet is so lifelike, you start wondering whether someone was messing with spells for turning humans into clockwork figures. The musical numbers... well, it's Danny Elfman. You do the math.
DVD? Must have. Like, NOW.
In other news, my semi-main NaNo villain walked into my head last night. Name, Jibril. Profession, mad scientist. Ex-girlfriend, Rachel Malory, my NaNo's protagonist. This is going to be fun.
Creativity: feeding and byproducts thereof
Nov. 2nd, 2004 06:24 pmFirst of all, in the immortal words of Garfield, FEED ME. There are people on my friendslist who read and write Van Helsing fiction of the Dracula/Gabriel genre. Please, some recs? I'm starving here!
In other news, I don't think I mentioned it here except in a custom-locked post. I'm doing Nano this year, too.
( Why, what, when )
( And an excerpt from Dragon Town )
*looks at friendslist* I keep feeling I forgot something. Oh, right. If you're a US citizen, go do me a favour and kick Bush out of the White House. Or there'll be no living withuberbitsch :P
In other news, I don't think I mentioned it here except in a custom-locked post. I'm doing Nano this year, too.
( Why, what, when )
( And an excerpt from Dragon Town )
*looks at friendslist* I keep feeling I forgot something. Oh, right. If you're a US citizen, go do me a favour and kick Bush out of the White House. Or there'll be no living with
uberbitsch :PI. Did. It.
Dec. 1st, 2003 12:10 amAaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
30 days. 50,129 words. Purple wordcount bar with "Winner!" on it.
Come on, see for yourselves. I know you want to.
30 days. 50,129 words. Purple wordcount bar with "Winner!" on it.
Come on, see for yourselves. I know you want to.
40,042 words. 30 hours to go.
Can I write 10 thousand words in a single day? I don't know.
Will I do it? Hell yes.
Can I write 10 thousand words in a single day? I don't know.
Will I do it? Hell yes.
