Hollywood Goes for a More Realistic Body Image?

It’s about time, Hollywood has picked a leading lady who’s not meant to be pitied and she’s actually not an ultra skinny twig woman.

Check out these pictures of Nicole Weaver from The Virginity Hit.

Anasai Boys

This book has been flying by pretty fast. I simply love the straightforward way in which Neil Gaiman writes.

Oddly enough, this book is very different from American Gods. It’s based in the same world and its a world  I hope Gaiman writes more in, but the story is different.

I did comment that it was good to see someone writing a book about mostly black characters where their blackness was not a huge factor in the story.

Message

She’s hidden a message in a song.

A message so hidden that I don’t know if she herself noticed it. Twisted and wrapped about the lyrics is a sentimental virus that has the means to infect me and damage the last of what I have to hold dear.

Maybe I’m just imagining things. But even then I’ll continue to piece together this puzzle and work through the trail of bread crumbs—even if they turn out to be little more than the aimless mess left behind from a long forgotten meal.

What is wrong with Writer’s Digest?

The title refers to this: http://www.writersdigest.com/article/5_Tips_To_Polish_Your_Fiction

Use appropriate and frequent paragraph breaks. Who doesn’t know this? If you don’t know this, you should be writing.

Use only one name for a character. Sorry, no, several books use different names for characters, especially when they’re changing perspectives and it makes sense. December isn’t going to call her mother Mary, the same as Stroud isn’t going to call his ex-wife Mom. Their third person narration shouldn’t regard them that way either.

Choose entirely distinct character names. Is it just me or are they treating the reader like a dumbass?

Don''t use slang unless you clarify it. Slang is often easily clarified by context. It at time enhances characters and it at time is a beautiful thing to put in fiction. In fact, many words we use here daily are very foreign in other English speaking countries. I really can’t be bothered to follow rules from someone who doesn’t do this “don”t” number to each contraction.

Limit your use of possibly offensive language. Perhaps the most offensive of them all. Most of these treat the reader as if they’re an idiot that can’t follow names and is so wary that a few extra sentences will end their existence. Then they go on to to point out that women are bothered by cursing. Really? I could swear I’ve heard women curse before. I’ve also seen them watch Tarantino flicks and there’s a lot of fucking cursing there.

Gah—this whole thing is just, retarded.

Take Care

So its safe to say that I’m ill.

I’ve been burnt up for the last few days, I spent too much time working in the sun and tiring myself out and its catching up to me. I can’t stand for long, can’t balance myself in the way I should be able to. My eyes burn sometimes, for seemingly no reason, too.

I don’t like being ill in this way, its better when you’re just flat out delirious with pain and you know you can’t do anything and others know it too. People don’t realize that I can feel myself draining out as I move around—like those ridiculously short stamina bars they put in video games as a realism mechanic.

Guess those main characters have the same illness I have.

Yesterday I briefly thought it would be nice to go out and cut the grass.

Yesterday I almost passed out in the yard.

It wasn’t hot, nor was it back breaking labor.

Maddy says I should take better care of myself, I don’t think I know how to or have good reason to. But I try despite that.

Practice Makes Perfect?

I’m working on it.

Lewis and Holly Conversations…

This is just a little something from something I am writing, some of you might recognize it if you’ve ever read this part of Students of the Universe.

“I see,” Holly pushed her bistre tendrils out of her face.

The coke and toast were delivered and the moment the waitress was gone Lewis bit a chunk out of the bread and drank a huge hurried set of gulps. “You really ought to try this,” he said through a full mouth.

“It’s garlic bread. I’ve had garlic bread.”

“Nope, Texas Toast,” Lewis shook his head.

“I’m quite capable of reading the menu,” she sighed. “Don’t you find it the least bit odd that this state seems obsessed with including its name in front of foods that already existed? No one else does that sort of thing.”

Lewis took another drink from his soda. “What about: Turkish Coffee, Rocky Mountain Oysters, French Fries and English Muffins—,“ he rambled the list out as if he had prepared it.

“But most of those were—I mean one of them’s just a euphemism—bugger, never mind,” Holly sat in silence and finished her tea as he ate and drank.

Pick a Side? Why?

I love going from forum to forum, posting on topics of a social or political nature that have to do with current events and being labeled as a Conservative and a Liberal at the exact same time.

It just shows the unending stupidity of some people that before they even know a thing about me, their first instinct is to label someone and then denounce said label. “Oh, you’re just a liberal—that means you don’t care about America” or “You and your Conservative mindset, its people like you that destroyed out economy.”

That has become how people argue these days, or at least its become a their go-to argument when they have nothing else to say. Instead of trying to refute what’s said, they simply claim your part of the other side and try to rally like minds to their cause.

Still its fun to watch them squirm when they find out that I have ideas from either side of the fence and don’t really fit squarely into either camp.

I think more people would be like that…if they actually knew what they were talking about.

The Verdicts are…almost in…

Early word on the story from those reading it is…its good!

Passenger Seat – Short Piece

A mere hour into the drive and with less than six words between them, Sarah had already decided that she wanted to be Dee. There was something refreshingly innocent about the girl; a youthful feel about her that came more from a state of mind than a lack of time.

She sat in the passenger seat of the El Camino with one pretty, slightly chubby, but shapely leg hanging out the window and her foot propped between the side mirror and car. Whether she was still awake or not, it was hard for Sarah to tell because of the mop of curls that guarded Dee’s delicate face.

Against the rust brown backdrop of the Arizona desert, Dee’s pale lustrous skin, seemingly untouched by sun, made her that much more mysterious. Sarah had to wonder; how did this girl get out here? Why was she hitchhiking? These were the questions one never asked, rules of the road—the rules of those running away. It was never about where you came from and it was all about where you were headed.

Everyone had something to run from.

When Dee stirred and crooked her head to the side to glance at Sarah, she smiled with the hot dusty air whipping her hair back around the headrest. “How much further to Vegas?” Dee asked as they passed another sign for U.S. Route 93.

“We’re almost to Boulder Dam, not sure how far it is from there,” Sarah said with torrid diesel aroma burning at her eyes.

Dee rolled over, adjusting to the hard leather of the seat and tugging her velvety dress down around her hips. “About an hour now, we’re making good time,” Dee said.

Planning Stages

Was looking into a basis for my character, Elizabeth. She’s Holly’s older sister and she kind of needs to be somewhat different and at the same time still seem like a sister and someone related to Holly.

Then I saw this image:

This is going to be her basis, right here. Her look, her personality, based mostly off this picture. I know it sounds odd, but at the same time you can tell a lot of things  from an image. Or you can at least draw a lot of things from one.

Second Draft

After a few months and one hundred and six thousand words, the novel’s second draft is done and all I have to say is…its a relief but at the same time its scary. I looked over some of the stuff needed for the query letter and all of that and its hard to believe what you have to do. Really gotta sell yourself, but it has to be done.

Sleep

I can’t seem to get enough of it right now, I am always tired, always ready for bed and fighting to stay awake. I don’t know what to do or why this would be going on. But I know for right now, I’m going to sleep.

Juxtaposition

Click to enlarge

Art by -- http://raynkazuya.deviantart.com/art/CoR-Tainted-Moon-176624609

Romania

I have a sneaking suspicion they have some kind of pretty people breeding program over there…

The C-Word

The word clitoris may or may not appear in my novel, apparently some people have caught wind of this and are kind of shocked. Is it really that big a deal?

Novelist

For the first time I feel like a novelist, despite not having one sale to my name and having nothing more than a few scraps here and there published. I have finally hit the 90,000 word mark on something again and it feels like its been a long time coming. I didn’t believe that this novel, the first of a series and my first serious one, had the power to go this far.

I can’t stay long, work to do and much to finish up before I can finally put this thing to rest. I need to work on my editing and re-editing of this thing to make it complete. 

Why Does Everyone Want You When You’re Gone

I’ve got friends asking me to move in with them…I have people I haven’t talked to or taken interest in for YEARS acting as if we’re all buddy buddy suddenly and treating me like their best chum.

Why is it when you’re not around, people suddenly want you back, or when you’re not available. When I lived near these people I didn’t hang out with them because they never called and I stopped calling. All of a sudden I’m hot shit, I’m Tickle Me Elmo or Pokemon Cards.

I can’t move back to San Antonio, it feels like a dead dream. That city was once what I wanted and I could have probably settled down there for a while—at least that me could have. But I cast that person out, bled all of that blood away and there’s a new determination burning inside of me that knows if I go back to San Antonio this fire will burn out.

Scott Pilgrim Premiere

Finally, Scott Pilgrim came out and I rushed right out to see it. Great movie, really hilarious and perfectly crafted for those with nerdy thoughts and tendencies. The only problem…the audience. I’ve never been with a more obnoxiously loud group of people in my life. I went alone so it’s not like I had anyone to talk to really—ran into someone I knew but barely spoke to them.

Movies like this always make me think how much is too much to go through for someone you really love. I don’t think there’s really an answer and anyone who baits someone along with “if you love me you would…” is really just trouble.

I finished This Present Darkness today. Pretty good book, although outdated in some ways. I’m glad that I got done with it though, I always feel great when I finish a book. It’s like an uplifting accomplishment feeling.

Florida

Well I am back and I wanted to kick this month off with a picture post from Florida.

I didn’t say anything while away really because I was thinking about the same thing the whole time. More on that later.

Proof it rains there

Downtown Disney

A crazy upside down building

McDonalds'

Our second Hotel view

Destin Beach

Alabama’s underwater tunnel.