#and yes I said all those things I’m an avid talking to video game characters while gaming talker
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The Basics of the Fortnite Lore
Fortnite lore! Yup, it exists, and it is more interesting and thorough than what most might think.
I know the game has a bit of a "reputation" on the internet to put it lightly, but I'll be up front and say I am an avid fan of this game, I have no shame in that.
But you aren't here to watch a video of me talking about cringe culture and the internet perception of differing interests, you are here likely because of the prospect of this game, of all games, having lore, and uh yes it does. I've been following the storyline of this game for years now and it has grown a lot since then, which is great! But I do worry that it makes it hard for newcomers or returning players to get into the story without feeling intimidated.
So I'm here to give a basic rundown of the lore. I won't be focusing on the timeline as much as I am the key characters and concepts.
While I am not here to matpat it up over every single exact detail of what's happened over the course of this storyline, I am here to give a well versed explanation of the most important elements of the story.
But if you want to know more after you are done watching there are good videos out there that are very comprehensive, I recommend Richeva and TediusX’s videos on the subject, links in description.
The Zero Point
So one of if not the most important aspect of the storyline is the Zero Point. You know the big bang theory? No, not the television show, stay with me guys. The idea that in the very beginning there was nothing in existence, but then a big explosion burst out of nowhere and created the universe? Yeah well the Zero Point is if the big bang was an orb that instead of creating one universe, created the entire multiverse. You know the quantum physics concept of there being a separate plane of existence for every possibility, choice, or outcome.
To put it simply the Zero Point is a big ball of time and space junk that acts as a connection to the multiverse, but I would say it's more vital than that, think of the Zero Point as the beating heart of reality as we know it, the core of the multiverse, if the zero point were to be damaged or messed with, the fabric of reality would go off the rails, and if the zero point was ever destroyed.. then the multiverse, every conceivable thing would cease to exist.
So take a shot in the dark as to what the main villains of fortnite are doing.
Yeah,
They are messing with the zero point.
The Imagined Order
The Imagined Order are an organization that have operated for thousands of years and serve not only as the games main antagonists, but also the driving force of most of the storyline. Lead by a mysterious entity known as Geno, details about him being very few and far between, but what we do know is that he is obsessed with genetic perfection, giving himself and others immortality, and founded the organization with the goal to figure out the perfect organizational system for the ideal civilization The imagined order took control of the zero point using their advanced technology, and use it to steal other things, people, and whatever else they want from their original dimensions, and shove them into Reality Zero, the home of the zero point, of which a strange land formation has formed around, what most would know as the Fortnite Island, more on that later. What the Imagined Order are doing to the Zero Point is not natural and incredibly dangerous, they do it all in the name of not only research, but to give themselves power. With that Power they managed to create an elaborate trap for those they have kidnapped across the multiverse, a trap hundreds, if not thousands, if not MILLIONS have entered, but very few have escaped. A trap known as “The Loop”
The Loop
The Loop is a time loop, you know the fantasy concept of a specific time or the same events repeating itself for eternity? But it is not as simple as that, let me explain.
Like I said the Imagined Order kidnap entities from across the multiverse to put in this loop (or sometimes to join their ranks), that not only explains all the crossovers the game has gotten, so many I can't name them all, but it also explains the strange mix of original characters the game has, maybe you will have your standard human soldier, but you will also have a viking, a wild west bandit made of pancakes, a warrior themed around an 8-ball, a anthropomorphic banana, there are no limits except the imagination in the variety of things trapped in this loop, which is a good thing creatively, but an obviously evil thing given its against all of their wills.
The Loop resets every 22 minutes and within that time frame a Looper cant speak, they cant remember who they are, not even their own name, and over the many loops of this battle royale, Most of the loopers have gotten quicker on the draw in terms of resorting to violence, it becomes like instinct to hurt another soul in this world of eternal torment.
*Mimics fortnite default dance music*
The Island
The Fortnite Island is not exactly an island persay, it is a strange land formation surrounded by a little bit of ocean and a grand cosmos beyond it, the land having two sides, two islands opposite of each other, and it's all formed around the zero point which is smack dab in the middle of them, underground.
If you were to go out far enough in the seas surrounding the “island” without hitting the storm, you’ll see sort of a void, space, whatever you really want to call it, if you were to jump into it, you would die, permanently.
As far as we know, there is nothing in the fortnite reality besides the island, and an ice moon which there is not much known about yet beyond it being near impossible to get and/or survive there without special armor and a means of transport that wouldn't get ripped apart by the dangerous winds surrounding it.
The Seven
Here is where we get to the heroes of the story, the main ones at least, The Seven are a group of specially armored people from different realities with an entire army of followers, but obviously the main members consist of seven people, big surprise there.
Their goal is to defeat the imagined order, liberate the zero point from the control of Geno, and break the time loop of reality.
But who are these seven individuals? What other groups are there? How are there so many Jonseys? Well that will have to wait for another video.. So until next time my friends, stay lucky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acQ8_ZB0AsQ&t=1s
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Sonic: The Hedgehog (2020)
Sonic: The Hedgehog (2020)
Greeting my flock of film freaks and welcome again to the Cult of Cult. Todays offering is a bit more of the mainstream blockbuster variety, but as films based on Video Games are still actually quite niche and vastly underestimated I think we should open our hearts to Sonic: The Hedgehog and hope that we find it a pleasing tithe to the cult. I am your beloved minster, The Reverend Chainsaw, and welcome to today’s service.
The Message
I must confess to the congregation that I was drinking mighty heavily of the lord’s Tennessee sour mash when I was taking in this movie. That said, I think that this is a great movie to have a drink with and I mean that in the best possible way.
Sonic: The Hedgehog is of course based on the Sega video game franchise and stars Ben Schwartz as the titular blue rat. Schwartz brings his brand of high energy enthusiastic comedy to the voice role. While Schwartz is particularly on brand for Schwartz, is he on brand for Sonic? I’m not entirely sure, but I’m also not entirely sure I was ever in love with the old ways. I am not an avid fan or consumer of Sonic media and perhaps that means I am in a poor position to say. I am most familiar with the Sega games and Sonic cartoons from the 90s, and from what I have grasped the more recent entries with their more anime centric and high lore plots still owe quite a bit to the attitude era of the 90s. Sonic was a hero but he was also a bit of a cross between Mickey Mouse, the Flash, and Bart Simpson. As an angsty 90s boy I wanted to eat chili dogs and go very fast that was very appealing to me, but I’m not so sure it would be appealing to a vast audience of older millennials, or even todays kids. And though I think it would be a fair criticism to say that Ben Schwartz is playing sonic as basically the superhero version of his Dewey Duck from the VERY VERY good DuckTales reboot, I don’t think that it’s necessarily a bad thing.
Dewey Duck the Hedgehog is a small mammal (also not a rodent, I wanted to say rodent and apparently hedgehogs are not rodents, just googled it) from an alien planet where his adoptive mother, an owl named Long Claw, fears that he will be hunted for his special powers, which I think is just super speed but it might be other things. In line with these concerns after an attack by pursuers Longclaw gives Sonic the Moses treatment and floats the special blue boy down the metaphorical river. Unlike Moses, however, Sonic is not found by ultra rich ultra powerful extra special people but is instead alone. Sonic lives alone in exile outside a small American town as a sort of local cryptid.
Thus begins a charming adventure. Through a poor decision to use his powers while working out some personal issues, Sonic inadvertantly draws the attention of the U.S Government and their nasty big brain baddy Dr. Robotnik. Sonic recruits a small town police officer with big city dreams to assist him in finding his magic rings so that he might flee from earth to an uninhabited mushroom kingdom.
Now about these two human characters. Officer Everyman is played by cyclops from the X-men franchise. The actors name escapes me and so does the characters, and while, yes, I just looked up if hedgehogs were rodents, I will not be looking up this information. I like the review better this way. It makes me laugh. And while I don’t remember his name, I do remember that he used to live In Mt. Juliet, TN. Anyway, what you should know about Officer Goodguy is that he drives a Toyota Tacoma!
That Toyota Tacoma is also continuously abused by the mad machinations of our films biggest draw: Jim Carey as Dr. Robotnik. If we were to pitch a Sonic movie, I don’t think anyone would jump to Jim Carey as the must have for the role, but after seeing this film, boy was it the best choice. The way he chews the scenery and plays off the rest of the cast and situations is just so much fun to watch. It’s fantastic to see Jim Carey back in a larger than life role. The Decision to play Jim Carey as the kind of condescending nerd who has taken their lack of social skills and leaned in as opposed to working on themselves was a brilliant choice. We’ve all known that kind of guy who tries to play the misanthrope just because they are too egotistical to recognize their flaws. Here Dr. Robotnik has given up on human connection in favor of subordination. His intellect is his only value, and thus he demands everyone around him acknowledge intellect as the only quality that matters as he has. It was a great choice.
From the point the chase begins the film becomes a road trip flick, and despite the fact that Sonic could supposedly cover the distance required in the blink of an eye we watch the ins and outs of our heroes relationship as they learn what home, and being a hero mean to them. By the climax it is pretty by the numbers, Sonic has come to feel at home on Earth and now that he has friends who care for him they can begin to make a world from which neither will have to flee; and of course, they beat the bad guy. FOR NOW. we are treated to an even crazier Dr. Robotnik stranded in the Fungus Dimension bent on revenge.
The Benediction
Now for all things Holy and Profane in this film, please rise for the Benediction.
Best Scandal: Sonic the Cosmic Horror
The original look of this film was mired in dread when the early footage and trailers dropped revealing a hideously uncanny hedgehog monster in the form of sonic. The memes are amazing, the toys are unsettling, there’s still plenty of Quasimodo Sonic stuff out there floating on the web and I suggest that you search it out, the laughter is good for your heart. Also if anyone wants to send me any creepy sonic merch I’ll take it.
Thanks to the work of online fans and internet harassments, the studio felt it was going to lose money on the project and reeled back the release allowing for the design department to give us a more cartoony but less frightening alien monster. I mean he’s a cartoon, it’s okay for him to look like a cartoon.
Best Scene: Noodle Dance
It’s hard to choose, and it feels a bit biased, but there are a few scenes with Dr. Robotnik that are just what make the movie more than a forgettable IP adaptation. Not that Ben Schwartz wasn’t doing great as the character but I feel Sonic as a whole would be lost in the milieu of CG spectacles and Super Hero Origin stories that we are bombarded with every year if not for Jim Carey’s performances; and even with them Sonic: The Hedgehog is not completely out of those woods. That said, I think Dr. Robotnik’s Alone Time Dance Party has to be the stand out sequence in my memory. I can’t really speak to what makes it so enjoyable, but damn if it isn’t just the best scene in the movie.
Best Character: Silicon Valley Dr. Robotnik
Do I even need to say it? It’s Dr. Robotnik. I’m not a fan of this villain from any other media. I always found Dr. Robotniks look unappealing, I’m not a huge fan of his powers, or using robot henchman. it always struck me as pretty boring how Sonic didn’t have a cool rogues gallery (i’m talking about 90s sonic) the way Mario did. However, they did something with the design, characterization, and performance that just made him such a fun villain. Also, my friend Jacksons mom said I looked like him and it didn’t hurt my feelings so.
Best Actor: Jim Carey
Jim Carey. It really seems like he’s all I’m talking about in this movie. Once again, I think Ben Schwartz did great and Sonic IS basically Dewey Duck in this movie. Dewey Duck is my favorite part of the rebooted DuckTales series, BUT he is just outmaneuvered by Jim Carey in this role. I think it’s a compliment enough to say that Ben Schwartz was even able to keep up with his energy, let alone play his quicker perkier foil.
Worst Scene: Toyota Tacoma Commercial
Sonic: the Hedgehog’s worst scene would probably have to be the forced friend fight between Sonic and Officer Wachowski during the car chase. It’s an overproduced weightless car chase scene with a contrived buddy cop controversy meant to force apart our heroes so that they can ultimately grow a little and come back together later in the movie. Not that I mind a movie like this to be so by the numbers, but it just felt like two of the blandest things on this movies plate being forced into one scene. I do like the idea of giving me the crap part of the dish in one flavorless generic bite, but that still doesn’t save it from being the worst scene in the movie.
That Toyota Tacoma took a beating though.
Worst Feature: Nothing Ventured/ Nothing Earned
I’m sure many fans would feel that the worst feature of the film is that it isn’t loyal to any previous lore laden version of the character, (probably the one they like the most). In the portrayals of both Sonic and Dr. Robotnik there were decisions made that drastically differed from the ways they have been portrayed before. Sonic is naïve and idealistic, a bit childish, Dr. Robotnik is driven by a lot of insecurity. Where are the Chaos Crystals and my original character Grindy the Wolf Cub?
But I think that these are over all positive choices in a film that otherwise chose to play it incredibly safe. In their cautious approach to appeal to the widest possible audience the film makers gave us a pleasant and appealing cartoon romp but we are left with little to hold on to. The worst feature of Sonic: The Hedgehog is it’s safety.
Summary:
Sonic: The Hedgehog is often touted as “the first good video game movie”. A label that I disagree with wholeheartedly. It is certainly a good video game movie, but it’s not the first, and it is not by leaps and bounds better than other video game movies as a whole. It’s a sub genre that gets a ton of disrespect, and in a world where the biggest criticism levied against the Super Mario Bros is that it’s not a faithful adaptation, I don’t understand how Sonic the Buddy Cop/ Road Trip comedy is escaping that attitude.
All that said, I had a good time with this movie. But it felt like playing on the playground as a toddler. You have fun and then you leave and you don’t really remember what you played or who with. I’ll think about Jim Carey and Dewey Duck, but I had a hard time hating or loving anything this movie did in any strong way. I usually feel that a movie that is “bad” or “corny” or “shlocky” is always better than a movie that is generic, or pointless, or boring. Sonics pleasantness and cheerful energy just barely save it from being another Transformers franchise. I get that origin stories are hard, so I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment, and hopefully it’s going to do something that sets it apart. Probably not.
Overall Grade: C
James Marsden! I just remembered!
#Sonic: The Hedgehog#2020#2020s#video game#sonic#hedgehog#alien#action#super hero#adventure#buddy#road trip#jim carey#james marsden#ben schwartz#scifi#science fiction#dr#dr robotnik#robotnik#C#Grade C#scientis#mad scientist#(C)
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A Single Step and Then Another
Writing is no small feat. Ever since I was bitten by the writing bug, I’ve struggled with keeping projects afloat and maintaining interest in blog management. Before Tumblr, I tried to start a blog twice on Blogspot (now known as Blogger). Much of that came from my desire to track my days. Like keeping a diary or journal. But interesting things were far and few between. The days of my youth largely blurred together and I could hardly find the time to sit down and jot down my thoughts on school or university.
During primary school, when computers were still churlish machines that chugged along at a snail’s pace, I tried my first attempts at writing fanfiction. I didn’t know what it was called at the time, but my curiosity led me to tease out what happened after the Happily Ever After’s that were promised in certain Disney films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As ever, I proved an astute business woman, selling my perfectly printed books that were stapled on one side on the market for $2 a pop.
Alas, the only person that bought my works of genius was my mother.
High school was when I rediscovered my hobby. I was already an avid reader. Writing, while a more difficult challenge, once more sunk its claws into me. As always, I wrote to entertain - imagining daring mercenaries in a fantasy world or anthropomorphic animals clinging to a dying kingdom. Most were inspired by the stories I read and the video games I played. Many of the characters were named after my friends or were poor caricatures.
There were times, however, when I was writing that I wondered if perhaps I was stealing too many tropes from such classics as Eragon and the Fire Emblem franchise. As such, I often hewed and hawed over many of my works. By the end of high school, I deleted the one major story that I had sitting on my FictionPress. Mostly because I had no proper idea of where I wanted the narrative to go. And I was just filling it up with utter nonsense.
Yet the idea of a mercenary and a hidden princess persisted. I tried to use it again in my next writing project. Still, the land of Thlandaris never quite reached my lofty expectations. Changing everyday animals into weird fantasy creatures with fantastical names also didn’t help.
And so my writing stalled once again.
It was not until I began working, however, that I found my way back again to the world of writing. Though I hadn’t opened up a blank Word page in a while (at least for anything other than a university assignment or a job application), ideas aplenty danced and tossed around in my head. That, of course, was when I decided to restart my attempts at keeping a blog. Yes, I knew it would never really transpire into something majorly popular (though the hope remained that one of my many articles would become viral and a newspaper would decide to feature it), but I thought it would assist with my attempts at writing.
The going, however, was slow when I began work on Divided We Fall. The story itself went through three drafts. With the last one being the most complete. And while I would have sorely liked to have edited it, it had taken a good four years to arrive at what I had been hoping for. Even during those gruelling years of crafting the characters of Feryden, Elisander, Kiralt and Lathin (who were based on many of my earlier characters), I was also tempted by starting up a new project. Like many before me, it was easy to simply toss away an idea that was taking too long and do something different.
Despite that, I decided to keep a record of my many ideas for future stories. After all, if I could just finish one, then surely I had accomplished something.
Back to Divided We Fall, I went. And gosh darn it, I finished it in 2018. Along the way, of course, I had written several short stories. And, I had also managed to be consistent with my blog updates. Yes, many were just impressions and reviews of the games I played - but churning out one a week was also nothing to scoff at.
But I still had ideas aplenty filling my head. While I was quite taken with the idea of writing a reinterpretation of Snow White, my dear friend Hayatedragoon convinced me to stick with my first idea. The one that I hoped would be published as a short series of books. The Adventures of Lacet and Idana.
Throughout the writing of my stories, there were many times when I wanted to give up or delete everything that I had written. As with most creative types with a hint of perfectionism, I was my own worst critic. No-one would like my characters, I said! My dialogue is atrocious! The singular starting sentence was not enough to capture the attention of readers!
With time, however, I managed to silence those thoughts (mostly). There are times, still, when I have wondered if it has all been worth the blood and sweat. It isn’t as if I have publishers and agents beating down my door. Nor do I have a thousand followers on FictionPress leaving me with positive reviews of the things I have written.
I will be honest, a part of me yearns for the praise. And my genius to be recognised. But to do so, however, would go against the very reason why I began writing. The reason why I wanted to write was to weave my own tales. To explore the stories of characters that do not usually get the spotlight. While Lacet and Idana follow many tropes that are stereotypical to the fantasy genre, I like to think I’ve subverted a few expectations. Lacet is no wise wizard. Nor is he young (and incredibly hot) upstart mage. He is middle-aged. His hair is balding and he has a bit of a stomach.
Of course, as more chapters of Wild Child are uploaded to my FictionPress, I cannot help but worry if my writing will fall into the trap that so many others have done. Will I have ruined the characters by putting too much of myself into them? Will they all become Mary Sues by the end of it all? Will I overcompensate and so they all become terribly unlikeable?
In other news, I finished editing Monsters Beneath My Bed a couple of months ago as well. Yet I’ve delayed uploading it until I’ve the entirety of Wild Child is up. And before I could even think to rest on my laurels, I began another short story (which is still in progress at time of writing up the blog post) and committed myself to another novel length story. This time, however, the genre is a departure from my usual stomping grounds. Forget fantasy. Let’s try and commit to a modern adventure/ thriller!
Already I am regretting my decision. Nothing seems factually accurate and I fear that my attempt might just be deleted given another month or two.
But I will persist. The key to forging ahead, at least for myself, is to worry not about how perfect the quality of the writing is. That is what the editing process is about. Of course, even after editing, slip-ups can still occur. But by carving out the crude gem can one polish it. Such is the process of writing. And if you think I’m talking out of my arse, well, the first few seconds of Neil Gaiman’s ad for his masterclass in writing also provided the perfect analogy of driving with one headlamp and hoping the editing will make people THINK you knew where the plot was going from the very start.
Getting caught up in the nitty gritty of the perfect prologue (for almost two years) did not allow me to craft the entirety of the story. Nor did it allow me much exploration of the characters and other important facets of the world.
So, for those that are thinking of trying to write their own masterpiece, all I can say is start it as soon as the idea comes. And never waver. Sure, it might not be as good as you hoped, but all of that can be fixed later on. Also, never be afraid to look up synonyms on Google (or a thesaurus).
But what I found helpful as well was to learn by reading widely. I mean, authors were published for a reason, right? Let them inspire you on your own writing journey. And question what you can make better.
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Stolen Kisses (Part II)- H.O.
Harrison Osterfield x Holland!Reader
Summary: It’s your first official date with Harrison and he is absolutely captivated by you. Does it end well? Will it lead to more? Only time will tell.
Word Count: 2212
a/n: so this took me a little longer than anticipated to write out, but I still hope you all enjoy. If i can get my butt into gear, expect another part! Feel free to like, reblog, leave comments, send asks, whatever! <3
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You’d told your family that you were meeting up with your best friend, Rebecca, so they had no idea that you were really going to meet Harrison at the diner. You figured that if things went well with Harrison, the two of you would eventually tell your families. Until then, nobody really needed to know.
The walk over was a bit longer than you had originally anticipated, and a bit cold if you were honest, but all you could think about was your first official date with your brothers’ best friend.
Sounded a bit weird once you truly thought about it.
As you got closer to the diner you could see a cold and nervous Harrison pacing outside the front door. His lips were chattering slightly and his hood was tied close to his head. “Thank God you’re here!” he said, jogging over a little to give you a hug.
You laughed to yourself quietly and hugged him back, hoping to give him a little more warmth. “Well, maybe if you’d dressed properly for the weather you wouldn’t be so cold there Haz.” He was dressed in a hoodie and jeans, no jacket, hat, or gloves; a little underdressed for New Year’s Day in your opinion.
“Yeah, yeah, hush up you,” Harrison chuckled taking your hand in his, “Now let’s get inside and warm up, yeah?” You nodded and followed as Harrison lead you into the diner. The two of you sat at a booth in the back corner with hot chocolates warming up your cold hands.
The diner was mostly filled with older people grabbing an early dinner, but you and Harrison had your own little corner to yourself. You wouldn’t have had it any other way. Conversation seemed to flow easily between the two of you and your cheeks almost hurt from how much you were smiling.
“Haz?” you asked, poking your crisps around your plate. You got a mumbled ‘hmm?’ in response from the boy across from you. His blue eyes looking up toward you from the burger on his plate. “When did you know you liked me?” Your voice came out small, almost as if you knew you shouldn’t be asking such a question. But it had been nagging in your mind since he kissed you.
“Well,” he began, wiping his hands on his napkin and taking a sip of water to clear his throat, “I think I’ve always kinda liked you. I mean, Tom was always so mean to you when we were really young and I never understood why? I always thought you were cool and fun to be around, so when I noticed that he had come around to you a little more, that’s when I started to offer you invites to things with us. But I guess you know all that…” You smiled and nodded, wanting Harrison to continue.
“I guess the first time I really knew I’d fallen hard for you was one night when we were about 14 or 15. I was spending the night because my parents were out of town I think. Of course, I was staying in Tom’s room, but I woke up in the middle of the night because I really had to piss.” He chuckled to himself remembering, “It was probably 2 or 3 in the morning and when I walked by your room, your door was cracked and a light was on. I couldn’t help myself I guess, and I just looked in. You were sat up in bed with a book in your hands and by the looks of it, you were halfway through.
“The next morning, Tom and I came downstairs at almost noon and when we were walking into the kitchen I saw you in the living room, that same book in your hands. I remember your mum standing in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hands and she was looking at you. ‘Woke up at 7 this morning to finish that damn book’. I was just in such awe at you and the way you looked reading that book, how intrigued you were. I think from that moment on, I knew I had fallen for you and there was no way I was getting out of it.”
Harrison finished his story with a small smile and a shrug, picking up a crisp from his plate. You weren’t quite sure how to respond to that story, it was so much deeper than you could have anticipated. But something in you willed you to respond the way you did.
“Wanna know what I remember from that day?” You asked, spinning your cup in your hands to distract you a bit. Harrison tilted his head in curiosity as you continued, “I remember that when
Tom wanted to play video games, you sat next to me on the couch and between games you would ask me about my book.”
Harrison smiled at the memory, ‘can’t believe you remember that’ he mumbled. You smiled, still slowly spinning the cup in your hands. It was as if all of a sudden, your nerves decided to kick in and you were very much aware of every little thing you were doing. But you could tell that Harrison was in a similar state. With little glances between you and his food, rubbing the back of his neck, and taking small sips of water before talking.
It was almost comforting to know that he was just as nervous as you were.
“Hey, um, if you don’t have anywhere to be right now, would you want to come next door to the bookshop with me?” You asked as Harrison finished paying the bill (despite your offerings to split it), “I’ve been needing a new book.”
At this, Harrison’s face lit up in a smile. He knew how much of an avid reader you were, and truth be told it was one of the many things he found fascinating and adorable about you. “I’d love to watch you in your element,” he said excitedly, “pretty poetic huh, considering that the first time I knew I’d fallen for you was because you were so into your book”.
He chuckled as he stood up and helped you put your jacket on. You thanked him before quickly zipping it all the way up and bracing yourself for the bitter cold. The walk over to the shop was quick but Harrison held your hand the entire way there, and only let it go once you’d found the shelves of books you were looking for.
Trying to stay warm there, Haz?
He watched with complete interested as you slowly paced the store, browsing the variety of books. Your fingers gracefully skimmed the binding of books that piqued your interest and ones that truly held your attention had the honor of being opened for a quick peek. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around how beautiful you looked while simply browsing for new books. But he’d be damned if there wasn’t a smile plastered on his face the entire time.
There also may or may not have been sneaky photos taken, but those would be saved for another time.
Eventually, Harrison began making his own rounds throughout the small shop. He began browsing in a similar manner to yourself, wanting to find a book that he might want to read.
If he were honest, he hadn’t read much since he was in school. Those days had long passed and reading wasn’t one of the things he truly thought of doing in his free time. But seeing how captivated you became by the books you read sort of hooked him in a way. He wanted to feel the emotions you felt for the characters in books, and understand what it felt like to just want to keep reading, to want to know what happens next.
Eventually, you held in your hands two books that you were excited about adding to your collection. Making your way up and down the aisles once more looking for Harrison. You’d found him sitting on the floor in the back corner of the store. He had about four books scattered around him, flipping through one.
“Find anything you like?” you asked, slowly moving to sit down next to him.
“Think my problem is that I’ve found too many, don’t know which one to buy.” He huffed as he motioned to the various books around him. You picked up one and thumbed through it, reading the back to see what it was about.
“Well, which ones get you the most excited? Which one do you really want to know what happens?” you asked, trying to help him narrow down his decisions. He slowly picked up one and then another, holding a book in each hand.
“Well this one,” he said holding up the book in his right hand, “is totally me. Like the character and I could be the same person. And this one,” he said holding up the book in his left hand, “just seems so cool. The back is so vague that I really want to know how the plot plays out.” He said, a childlike excitement in his tone.
“Well, get both then!” you chuckled, making it seem as if the decision was easy all along.
“I can do that?” The quizzical look on his face making your grin even wider. You nodded your head ‘yes’ holding up the two books you held in your lap.
“’Course you can, Haz. Who’s going to stop you, the book police?” you chuckled. You made to stand up, holding out your hand for Harrison. He grabbed it, chuckling at his slight stupidity, but truly elated that he continued to make you laugh.
He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing you smile.
As the two of you made your way to the register, you took Harrison’s books from his hands and placed them on the counter with yours. You handed the cashier your rewards card before Harrison could chime in. “Y/N, I can’t let you pay for my books.” He began.
But you quickly shushed him and explained, “Listen, from an avid book reader, I’m honored to buy books for someone who’s just getting themselves back into reading. Not a lot of people enjoy books and reading anymore so, to me, this is fun.” You handed the cashier the money and Harrison grabbed his bag.
The two of you made your way out of the store and back into the biting cold. You walked in the direction of where Harrison parked in front of the diner. “Let me at least take you home then, it’s freezing outside.” He spoke, a slight chattering in his teeth.
“It’s not far, Haz, I can walk. Plus, I don’t want my family getting suspicious.” You said, Harrison understanding what you meant before you had to explain, “But I’d love to do this again…” your voice became small. You were hoping that he’d enjoyed himself just as much as you had.
The smile on Harrison’s face said it all. He was so happy that you wanted to go on another date with him. He nodded before bringing you in for a tight, and extremely warm, hug. As the two of you pulled away, his eyes quickly glanced down toward your lips. “Mind if I…?” he asked softly.
You moved your hand up toward his cheek and pulled him in for a soft and short (too short in your opinion) kiss. The second one shared between the two of you. As you pulled away you wore matching smiles. Harrison gave you one last hug before getting into his warm car.
He felt sort of guilty as you walked away into the cold, but little did he know that your heart was so warm from the interaction shared between you two. The entire walk home you couldn’t wipe the smile off of your face. It was only when you were approaching your front door that you remembered to ‘act normal’ so as not to stir any suspicion with your family.
They didn’t ask you much about your day as you passed through to your room, probably because they noticed the new books and figured you would go directly to reading. Which is exactly what you did.
Changing into warm sweats and getting under one of your many blankets, you pulled one of your new books from the bag. Just as you were setting your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ you saw a snapchat from Harrison.
Opening it, you saw him sitting in his bed with his new books next to him. A small caption of ‘Now I can’t decide which to read first’ placed at the bottom. You tapped the picture away to reveal another one. This time Harrison was holding up one book with the caption ‘I’ve chosen this one!’. You giggled at the blonde-haired boy’s excitement and sent him a quick reply of you cozied up with your new book.
Maybe the next time that you and Harrison went out, you could talk about your books. Thoughts about Harrison swirled in your head before you eventually set out to read your new book. Once again you were sucked into another world, not to be disturbed for a while.
#harrison osterfield#harrison osterfield imagine#harrison osterfield one shot#harrison osterfield au#harrison osterfield blurb#harrison osterfield headcannon#harrison osterfield fanfic#harrison osterfield fanfiction#harrison osterfield x reader#harrison osterfield x you#harrison osterfield x y/n#holland reader#tom holland#harry holland#sam holland#paddy holland#nicki holland#nicola holland#dom holland#tom holland imagine#tom holland au#tom holland blurb#tom holland one shot#tom holland headcannon#tom holland fanfic#tom holland fanfiction#spider man#spider man homecoming#spider man far from home#spider man fanficition
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Writer Ask-Meme
“This isn’t studyblr-related shocker right? but I’m a writer so I wanted to do something fun that will also allow my followers to get to know me a little better!
01: When did you first start writing?
I started writing when I was 10 (around 10, I don’t remember for sure. It was before I started middle school)
02: What was your favorite book growing up?
While I wish I could say it was Harry Potter, I didn’t read that until a little over a year ago (in college). I’d have to say The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, I actually want to get a tattoo about it :)
03: Are you an avid reader?
YES! Reading is my all-time favorite activity. I have too many books in my TBR pile (my theoretical one, they’re all on a shelf). I’ve reread some books more times than I can count because I love them so much, but recently I’ve been “broadening my horizons” that sound so lame and reading new authors and genres.
04: Have you ever thrown a book across the room?
Not that I can recall. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to, I try to take care of my books for as long as I can (until they start to get old, then I just embrace them being broken-in except my HP books those are kept somewhere safe)
05: Did you take writing courses in school/college?
WELL. At my current university I decided to enroll in an Elements of Creative Writing course this fall, which I’m excited about. I’m also going to be taking Intro to Professional Writing. If all goes well, I’m hoping to transfer to a different university to finish up school and major in English and Creative Writing (one whole major, not 2), so I’ll be taking more literature and writing courses.
06: Have you read any writing-advice books?
I’m reading an old textbook that I had when I took a creative writing course in high school through our local community college (back when I had health problems and couldn’t finish the course but already had the book so I kept it and didn’t read it, so I don’t count this course as a creative writing course I’ve taken). So I decided to read it now. I also have a list of books on writing that I’m looking to buy!
07: Have you ever been part of a critique group?
When I was in 5th grade we had an assignment to write a short story. I did, and my teacher said it was amazing and took me to a writer’s workshop where shy-little-me was forced to sit at a table with strangers my age and take turns reading our stories aloud. I hated it, but we got to go to McDonalds after. Also since then I’ve looked back at the story I wrote and it super sucks but maybe I’ll try to rewrite it because the idea is decent at least.
08: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
Honestly, I don’t even remember. What a boring answer.
09: What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
It’s not really feedback, but in high school I wrote a research paper and my best friend at the time peer reviewed it and she tried to cross out a bunch of my commas. I was so annoyed because she was horrible at grammar. I ended up leaving all the commas and I did great on the paper haha!
10: What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?
Bad grammar. Hands-down. I’ll be reading someone else’s writing (I look over my boyfriend’s and sister’s papers for them) and I genuinely get baffled by how bad their spelling is or how they don’t know when to use a semi-colon. In my head it’s all just second nature (not that I don’t make mistakes, especially because I hate editing my own work so sometimes I just don’t, but still!).
11: What’s your favorite book cover?
I have two, and they’re for the same books. The new HP covers!!! I LOVE the ones where you line up the books and the spines create Hogwarts. I also love the ones that have the horcruxes in them. I want to buy those sets, but I literally just got my own hard cover set from my mom for Christmas (they came in a box that looks like a trunk) so I’d feel bad for buying new books. They just look SO COOL though.
12: Who is your favorite author?
I currently love Michael Crichton (I said I’m broadening my horizons, these are the books I’m using to do that). I’ve loved Sarah Dessen for a very long time; I own all of her books, and I preorder her new ones. But of course I have to mention J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. Not everyone is a HP fan and not everyone loves the Twilight series, but I’m die-hard HP and I’ve read the Twilight series twice.
13: What’s your favorite writing quote?
“We could have been killed- or worse, expelled.” -Hermione Granger, HP
14: What’s your favorite writing blog?
I don’t have one because I can’t find any!
15: What would you say has inspired you the most?
Emma Watson and J.K. Rowling. I feel like it’s so easy for characters from the HP series to just be identified as their characters, but Emma went to college and she does amazing things and she’s just made a great name for herself and I’ve always loved her. J.K. Rowling is obvious, if you don’t know her back story you should look it up (I’m not going to talk about it, it’ll make this post even longer).
16: How do you feel about movies based on books?
They’re never good enough. My preference is (if I can help it) to watch the movie before I read the book, so I’m not disappointed. If I read the book and then watch the movie, I’ll be upset with how much they changed or left out. If I watch the movie first and then go and read the book, I can’t be as disappointed with bad casting (because they’re already planted in my head and I didn’t have an opportunity to create my own characters) and the storyline is always just better because you get MORE information instead of them leaving things out!
17: Would you like your books to be turned into TV shows, movies, video games, or none?
Movies, definitely. Any time I begin a story I imagine what it would be like if it were a movie. Actually, my process is that I usually hear a song and I think of a storyline for it (I prefer to listen to songs that tell stories in my free time, rap and stuff is for clubbing haha) and then I write a story with that song in mind. I love letting music inspire me. But yes, from the very beginning I usually picture my books as movies.
18: How do you feel about love triangles?
I guess I don’t have much of an opinion. Wait JK I do, I’m currently writing about one. Sort of. They can be good if they’re done correctly, sometimes they can just be too predictable. IMO, if you use a love triangle you should incorporate some elements of surprise into your story, things to keep the reader on their toes, especially if the love triangle itself becomes predictable.
19: Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand?
I love the idea of writing longhand, but I write kind of weird and my hand cramps up fast, I hate my handwriting (I write too big), and typing works better for me because I can get my thoughts out much faster.
20: What’s your favorite writing program?
I’m going to assume this is in regards to Microsoft Word, Pages, etc? I personally use Scrivener. I paid, like, $45 for it but it’s just a one-time payment. I saw that a lot of writers use it because it has tools for plotting, characters, it’s just really organized. I watched tutorials on it and then I did a 30-day free trial (I don’t think it strictly goes by days, I think it counts the days you open the program and use it) and I fell in love, so I bought it and I haven’t used Word since (except for homework and notes, but I’m going to try to switch to OneNote for that).
21: Do you outline?
No, but I really should. I’ve been trying to. Like, I’ll at least put into Scrivener in a separate folder the idea of my story and maybe a storyline, how I know I want it to end and what could happen in the middle. But it’s by no means an outline, and I really do need to work on that. I think it would help me a lot.
22: Do you start with characters or plot?
I definitely start with plot. Like I said before, I hear a song and I think of a story and then I just go from there.
23: What’s your favorite and least favorite part of making characters?
My favorite part is definitely coming up with their personalities, and my least favorite has to be deciding their names and how they look. It takes me forever to decide on names, and I change them a lot.
24: What’s your favorite and least favorite part of plotting?
I don’t know if this is considered plotting, but it’s SO hard for me to figure out where and when my story should begin. I also hate trying to put in fillers in-between all the scenes that I know I want to happen. I’ve read about a process where people who write the way I do write out the scenes they already have in their head, and then they just go from there. They don’t write in order. So maybe I should try that, just write as it comes.
25: What advice would you give to young writers?
Oh god, I’m only 20, I still consider myself a young writer! I don’t think I’m in any position to give advice. BUT, if you’re in high school and you have a passion for reading and writing, start considering your options and make sure you get into a good school that has a good program. I didn’t do that because I was stupid, and I should have because I’m at a university that I don’t enjoy and I’m trying to transfer.
26: Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both?
Physical, 100%.
27: Which is your favorite genre to write?
It’s been Young Adult for a while (before I even knew what YA was, or that what I was writing was YA), but as I’m getting older I’m noticing that my writing is maturing a bit more.
28: Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end?
The beginning
29: Which do you find easiest: writing or editing?
Writing. Sometimes I’m not in the mood to edit, my work or anyone else’s.
30: Have you ever written fan-fiction?
Nope!
31: Have you ever been published?
HA. I wish.
32: How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?
I’m really shy and self-conscious so I don’t let anyone read my writing. They have, though, because they’re stinkers and they did it secretly. I recently found out that my mom printed out all of my old stories from our old computer and kept them in a binder and would show people.
33: Are you interested in having your work published?
Yes, even though I just said I’m shy and won’t let people I know read it. I think things are easier when people I don’t know read my stuff. So weird.
34: Describe your writing space.
My writing space isn’t one space yet. I’m going to be moving into an apartment out at my school with some roommates, and I plan on making my room really calming and relaxing. Just a bunch of pastel colors, because I’ve found that those calm me. I want twinkle lights in my room, a fuzzy rug, candles, all of it. Recently I’ve been going to our student union/common area and library to write at school, though. The hustle and bustle keeps my mind working. I can’t work in silence, I’ve found that out the hard way.
35: What’s your favorite time of day for writing?
I usually write in the afternoon and whenever I have free time because I’m a full-time student. I do good writing at night, though. I’ve read that you should lay down and write at night, because that’s where you do your best thinking. It’s worked for me so far!
36: Do you listen to music when you write?
While I write and while I do homework I’ll look up the piano instrumentals to Disney songs and I turn them down so I just barely hear them.
37: What’s your oldest WIP?
If this means Work In Progress (God I hope it does or I’ll feel so stupid!), I couldn’t even tell you honestly. All of my writings are WIPs.
38: What’s your current WIP?
It’s about two women who are best friends. One gets engaged and the other is either in love with the guy, having an affair with him, or both. I haven’t decided yet. There’s more to it, but that’s the gist.
39: What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?
I don’t think I’ve ever had any weird ones. If I have they’re from middle school and I’ve forgotten about them (thank god).
40: Which is your favorite original character, and why?
SUCH a boring answer, but I don’t have one! UGH UGH UGH.
41: What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline?
Considering I don’t use much of an outline, I just follow them where they try to go. It’s usually better than what I had in mind, anyway.
42: Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?
.... No.... Of course not, what an awful question............... No writer EVER enjoys that, nope, never.....
43: Have you ever killed a main character?
Not yet... :)
44: What’s the weirdest character concept you’ve ever come up with?
I haven’t really come up with any weird ones.
45: What’s your favorite character name?
Cora
46: Describe your perfect writing space.
See #34, that’s my dream space. Hopefully I can make it happen. Also, a giant, beautiful old library surrounded by books but also in a nook by myself would be amazing.
47: If you could steal one character from another author and make them yours, who would it be and why?
Hermione Granger. I could only dream of creating someone so iconic as her character. She’s my dream character, and just reminds me so much of myself. In case you haven’t guessed yet she’s my favorite character ever haha
48: If you could write the next book of any series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?
I WOULD MAKE ANOTHER HARRY POTTER BOOK. I so badly just want to do this on my own (basically fan-fiction I guess?) but never try to publish it or anything. I would make it about everyone where they are now, where they work and their kids. Not ABOUT their kids, but still just about them. Actually I don’t think I’ll ever attempt that because I wouldn’t execute each character correctly and I’d never be happy with it, but yeah.
49: If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be an what would you write about?
Okay. Sarah Dessen, a YA novel, not sure what it’d be about. Maybe she could help me with one of my own ideas. J. K. Rowling, we could collaborate on a new HP book (lol in my dreams). Stephen King, we can write whatever the hell he wants to write about because he’s amazing and I love his writing and it’d be a huge honor to even meet him.
50. If you could live in any fictional world, which would it be?
You can probably guess this. Obviously the world of Harry Potter. I literally got a fake Hogwarts acceptance letter, a student ID, and potions bottles for Christmas when I was little. I played Harry Potter every day with my sister (surprise, I was Hermione).
If you read this, thank you love you’re so sweet! I super appreciate it! This was super fun to do, I honestly love answering random questions. My boyfriend and I ask each other random questions that we look up online all the time because it’s just fun to think of answers and stuff. :)
xx Hayden
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Micah Fowler on Booking His Speechless Role and Playing a Character With More Severe Cerebral Palsy Than Himself (via Vulture)
Vulture talked with Fowler about juggling school with acting, the representation of disabled actors on screen, and how he found out he got the part on his 18th birthday.
First off, I’d just love for you to tell me about yourself. What do you like to do?
I’m 18, a high-school senior, and grew up in Barnegat, New Jersey. I have cerebral palsy and use both a walker and a wheelchair. I use the wheelchair for longer distances. Unlike J.J. in Speechless, I do communicate verbally but have to work very hard at it. I am an avid movie fan and especially enjoy the Marvel and DC franchises. Oh, and I am a resident expert in all things Star Wars. I love playing video games, acting, and playing sled hockey. I also collect vintage cell phones.
How did you get cast in Speechless? What was the audition process like?
I credit my love of acting to my sister Kelsey who is a veteran Broadway actress and currently a junior at Pace University in New York. We are very close, and I developed an interest in acting when I was younger through watching her many shows. My sister’s agent asked if I was interested in acting, and I eagerly jumped on board. I made my television debut on an episode of Blue’s Clues when I was 9, and later appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street. When I was 15, I played the role of Barry in Jason Reitman’s movie Labor Day, with Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin.
To answer your question of how I was cast in Speechless, I have to go back a year and a half when my agent was asked to have me send in a “personality tape” for an “untitled Scott Silveri project.” I put together a tape of me just talking about myself and joking around. Time went by, and I never heard anything else. A year later, my agent called and said they had requested another personality tape for the same project, now titled Speechless. So I again put together a personality tape just talking about my interests and joking around. A few days later the agent said the casting director was sending six scenes over. I spent an entire Saturday putting together the tape of the six scenes. My parents verbalized all of the other characters lines (off-camera) while I reacted to all of the dialogue on-camera. My sister was at school, so my mom sent her the audition footage to upload to the agent. She texted my mom, “This is hilarious, he is totally going to book this.” How crazy is that? She called it. The agent told us they loved the tape and would be in touch. About two months later, I found out I booked the role on the day of my 18th birthday, BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!
The writing seems “lived in” to me. Would you agree with that? Do you have input with the writers regarding J.J.’s plotlines or character development?
Yes, I agree. Many of the writers have someone in their lives that they are close to who is dealing with a disability so they are able to draw from those personal experiences. The show also consults with The Cerebral Palsy Foundation regularly.
Yes, my parents and I have shared many of our personal experiences with the writers as well; some have already been used in episodes we have shot. I have also given input during filming certain scenes, input concerning J.J.’s disability level and the equipment he uses.
What are some of your personal experiences that have been incorporated into the show? What was some of the input that you gave regarding J.J.’s disability level?
There have been several of my personal experiences incorporated into the show. One is: My mom had a “Micah Manual” for when my grandparents watched me for extended amounts of time growing up. In one episode, Mia hands a book to Kenneth and he says, “This kid comes with instructions?” Another is: I like to watch The Bachelor, and it was incorporated into one of the episodes of J.J. watching The Bachelor.
As far as J.J.’s disability level, J.J. was written as having a more severe form of cerebral palsy than I do. So there are times, especially in the beginning when we had to work out J.J.’s abilities and struggles. My parents and I would think about the abilities and struggles of others we know with more severe cerebral palsy and say, “J.J. would probably not be able to do this or would adapt and do it this way.” An example is: I can brush my own teeth and pick up a knife and fork and feed myself. J.J., not having much dexterity in his hands, has difficulty with these tasks.
Read the full interview! (x)
#speechless#micah fowler#speechless abc#jj dimeo#vulture magazine#interview#cerebral palsy#actors with disabilities#disability awareness
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ALL OF THEM (°∀°)b☆
You’re evil. XD This was fun, though!
When did you first start writing?
I don’t remember, exactly? I know I was making tiny books for my toys by the time I was seven. The stories weren’t very long, but I remember being proud of them.
What was your favorite book growing up?
Hmm…IDK if I can remember a specific one? I had a lot of books I liked when I was a kid. Marguerite Henry’s books were pretty high up there, I think. And then when I was…IDK, nine, maybe? my mom got me Katherine Kurtz’s Chronicles of the Deryni trilogy and those (and the other books in that world) were my favorites for a long time.
Are you an avid reader?
Definitely. I don’t get through as many books as I used to internet + fanfic are great at eating up my time, but I read at least a little bit pretty much every day.
Have you ever thrown a book across the room?
I’d never do it physically, but it can be very satisfying to do it in my head when I’m really upset with a book.
Did you take writing courses in school/college?
A little bit. It didn’t work out for me all that well. I can’t write on command, and prompts and such don’t do much for me, so if I wasn’t inspired during class, or we were told to write about a theme I couldn’t think of anything for, things got very frustrating very quickly.
Have you read any writing-advice books?
Quite a few, yes. Sometimes they can be dry, or they give advice I don’t agree with, but they can be helpful. And How Not to Write a Novel is hilarious. XD
Have you ever been part of a critique group?
Not really, no! I’m not sure I could handle it, at least not yet.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
I love all of it! I don’t think I’d appreciate a flame, but thankfully I’ve never gotten one of those *knocks on wood* My favorites are probably the ones that either go into detail about what they think, or are a mess of excited flailing, though. XD (But seriously, it’s all great!)
What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
I haven’t gotten anything actually bad, but I did get a review once that said one thing about my story, then spent the rest of the review telling me about their story and asking me to read it. It was kind of awkward.
What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?
Not having at least semi-decent SPaG. If you’re constantly misspelling things or using the wrong word, if you put multiple speakers on the same line, etc, you’d have to have the most amazing plot in the world for me to even consider continuing.
(Special mention because I’ve seen this a lot recently: putting one character’s actions on the same line as another character’s dialogue. IT GETS SO DAMN CONFUSING. Especially if not every line has a dialogue tag. You can start a new paragraph with action, you don’t have to wait until the moment someone else speaks to go to the next line. Really. I promise.)
What’s your favorite book cover?
I know I’ve seen some awesome ones, but right now IDK.
Who is your favorite author?
Seanan McGuire! Jim Butcher would probably be second.
What’s your favorite writing quote?
No idea? I’ve seen some good ones floating around, but I don’t keep a list or anything.
What’s your favorite writing blog? c;
Like, writing-advice blog, or person-posting-their-writing blog? Either way, I’m not following/reading very many, so it’s hard to make a comparison (Ceren’s writing is really good though!).
What would you say has inspired you the most?
Other stories. Which is not to say that I copy stuff, just that, like, I’ll read a story about ghosts, get interested in the topic, and want to create my own, or I’ll want to write a story that leaves me with the same sort of feeling as what I just read or watched. Stuff like that.
How do you feel about movies based on books?
I still get excited about them even though they rarely come out well compared to the books. I can’t really separate them in my head even when I try, so I’m usually disappointed, but I keep trying and keep looking forward to the movies anyway.
Would you like your books to be turned into TV shows, movies, video games, or none?
Once I actually have books, yes! Any of them, really. I’d want to be sure that whoever was adapting them was treating them with respect, and I’d prefer to have some control over what parts were changed or cut out (or added). And I’d want it to have a decent budget, so it wouldn’t come off looking like a b-movie (TV show, etc).
How do you feel about love triangles?
No thank you. There are stories I’ve liked that had love triangles, but I can’t think of any time where the triangle itself was one of the things I liked. (Someone changing their affections from one character to another I liked better, yes, but not the whole liking-two-people-at-the-same-time-however-will-they-choose thing.)
Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand?
Computer. Definitely computer. My handwriting is super slow and tires my hand easily. Also, I write with my left hand, so I get ink/graphite all over it when I write. OTL
What’s your favorite writing program?
I’m using LibreOffice at the moment, and it works fine. I’ve heard about some that are supposed to be good that I’d like to check out sometime, though. I’ve been meaning to give Scrivener a try for a while now.
Do you outline?
A general outline, yes. I don’t usually have all the little details figured out, but I know where the story is headed.
Do you start with characters or plot?
Plot, mostly, though sometimes I get an idea for a character that doesn’t really fit in with any of my current stories.
What’s your favorite & least favorite part of making characters?
Favorite is probably getting the initial idea and filling in the general outline, especially when I know just how they’re going to fit into the story and I can feel things starting to click into place.
Least favorite, either designing their outfit (I’m okay with physical appearance, but clothes in particular are not one of my strong points), or getting into the super detailed stuff that shows up on those OC questionnaire lists and will probably never be in the story. I can’t really decide how a character would feel about X topic or what other characters would say about them behind their back or whatever before I’m actually writing the story. When I try, it feels like I’m locking myself into a position and can’t easily change it even if the story would be better if I adjusted the character’s personality.
What’s your favorite & least favorite part of plotting?
Favorite is figuring out the big picture and deciding where it’s all going to end up. Least favorite, probably the stuff in the middle, where I have to figure out exactly how things are going to progress from point A to point B (and all the way on to point Z).
What advice would you give to young writers?
Write! Read! And check out some guides on spelling, punctuation, and grammar at some point. XD
Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both?
Both! It’s easier to turn pages on ebooks when I only have one hand free, and I love the dictionary function and being able to search for a specific name or word if I don’t remember where in the book I heard it last I also love being able to check out ebooks from the library without leaving the house. But I’ll always love physical books and want to have physical copies of my favorites. They’re easier to flip back or forward to check things, too, like when there’s a map in the front of the book and the characters keep talking about the different cities and countries it’s also easier to spoil myself on the ending if I want to make sure a character survives. ( ￣３￣)～♪
Which is your favorite genre to write?
Supernatural/fantasy. Especially in a more modern setting (though I’m not so big on most sci-fi. I like magic and ghosts and demons ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).
Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end?
The middle. Not that the rest is easy, but the middle is usually the hardest.
Which do you find easiest: writing or editing?
Editing, usually.
Have you ever written fan-fiction?
Considering I started this blog because of my fanfiction, I’d say yes. XD My fanfic is longer than anything original I’ve written so far, actually, ahaha.
Have you ever been published?
Nope.
How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?
Pretty scary. Maybe even more than showing strangers, unless it’s a friend I met through writing. *squishes @sircerenade*
Are you interested in having your work published?
Absolutely. Someday. OTL
Describe your writing space.
My computer desk. It’s not super messy but there’s not a lot of free space, either.
What’s your favorite time of day for writing?
Hmm…probably either early afternoon or at night.
Do you listen to music when you write?
Most of the time. Instrumentals only. And occasionally I prefer silence.
What’s your oldest WIP?
For original stuff? A thing I wrote for a school assignment and decided to expand into a book. I’ve kind of lost the inspiration for it, but there’s always a chance I might come back to it someday. For fanfic, From Mist and Ashes.
What’s your current WIP?
For original stuff, an idea that’s very special to me, with the current working title of Afterword. For fanfic, again, From Mist and Ashes. Plus a dozen or so other ideas crammed in a folder. XD Hey, some of them have a paragraph or so written! They count as WIPs! Honest!
What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?
Nothing I want to talk about. >.> My really weird ideas never leave my head.
Which is your favorite original character, and why?
From my original stuff? I love them all. But Razai is one of my oldest and probably has the most put into him, so if I had to choose… Kazuya is probably the one I’m most excited about at this moment, though.
What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline?
I see where they want to go, then either I agree with them, we compromise, or I rein them back in and explain why things can’t happen that way.
Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?
I want to? I have a hard time following through, but I try. XD
Have you ever killed a main character?
Does it count if I kill them before the story starts? XD If so, then I’ve killed almost everyone in both my original stuff and Mistyverse. During the actual story…not really, no. Do villains count as main characters? What if they come back to life later? I’m not a fan of character death, so I don’t usually put it in my stories unless there’s something more to it.
What’s the weirdest character concept you’ve ever come up with?
IDK, none of them seem all that weird to me. Though that may just be because of all the manga and anime I’ve been exposed to. X’D
What’s your favorite character name?
I couldn’t pick a single favorite.
Describe your perfect writing space.
I don’t know about physically (I feel like something different than what I currently have would be better, though I couldn’t say what would be ideal without actually trying it), but I need to be alone in the room (kitties are an exception). I can’t focus on writing if there’s anyone else in the room with me.
If you could steal one character from another author and make then yours, who would it be and why?
Tybalt, probably. But only if I could just keep him for myself and wouldn’t be expected to actually take over writing him or anything.
If you could write the next book of any series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?
I could never. Way too much pressure.
If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about?
I don’t think I could ever do that. I’d be too scared to mention my ideas in case the other person didn’t like them, and I’d be too intimidated to turn down an idea of theirs I didn’t like. Then I’d get frustrated that I couldn’t take the story in the direction I wanted, and the whole thing would end in pain. “OTL
If you could live in any fictional world, which would it be?
My stock answer to this for years has been Pokemon, but I’m sure there are other worlds I’d enjoy as much or more especially if healing/medicine were more advanced than the real world, and there were better opportunities to support yourself by doing something you loved. I wouldn’t want anything too dark or evil, and it would need to have something approaching modern technology or a magic equivalent I don’t want to live in a world without indoor plumbing, thanks.
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Being freelance with the addition of having my own blog allows me to write articles like this. Not only am I able to share someone’s remarkable journey, the someone is a colleague, business associate – all will be revealed – and someone, who, along with his good wife Maria, are more like family to me and mine.
Alan Gunner Lindbloom has been someone who I have been modelling my own recent behaviour and attitude on. He has been an incredible source of inspiration to me and always at the end of the phone when I need advice, guidance or a kick up the proverbial. It is an absolute honour (with a U) to be able to share Alan’s story with you. You are in for a treat, as Alan and I discuss things past, present and future. But before we look at current events, Alan Gunner Lindbloom, what’s your story?
A – I’m half-Sicilian on my mother’s side, and I was born into a very secretive Detroit Mafia Family. My grandfather, Peter Tocco – the older cousin of Giacomo “Black Jack” Tocco, the Boss of Bosses – was the unofficial consigliere of the entire Detroit Mafia. At around age 14, my uncle began introducing me to a life of crime. We can come back to this later, but I have written a series about my life for NCS. This link contains a brief video about my life.
The Mafia writer: How a man wrote his way out of a life of crime.
D – WOW! That’s certainly one way to kick off an interview. I know that you are no longer a part of the Italian-American Mafia, so what made you stop?
A – Eventually, at age 29, I was sentenced to 13-50 years in prison for extortion, armed robbery, bank robbery, and weapons violations. But in prison, I found my calling as a writer.
D – Which, in a way, is how we started to be in contact. Writing also became my passion in prison. Although, unlike you I’m yet to write my first book. How many books did you write overall in prison?
A – Well, when I finally walked out of prison 30 months ago, I had nine completed novels of varying genres.
D – Nine? Wow. What time did you end up serving?
A – I was released after serving 13 years. But in prison, I found my calling as a writer. I knew I had a special gift–a very vivid imagination and the ability to create complex stories. I was a huge reader, yet I often found myself thinking that I could write better books than the ones I was reading. So, I began to write and didn’t stop for 13 years. It became my mistress, my pacifier, my great escape.
D – I know your writing also achieved something else you weren’t expecting, we’ll come back to that later. Did you get any of your books published during your sentence?
A – I did publish but only once I was released. I first chose to self-publish my Mafia novels, TO BE A KING, mainly because I figured I could leverage my past to propel my future.
D – And why not? Is the Mafia genre well supported?
A – Definitely. Just on social media, there are dozens of VERY large Mafia fan groups that have hundreds of thousands of faithful followers, and my books have made me world famous in them.
D – We were admin together on a few, so I can confirm that to be true, as well as everything else. Tell us a bit more about TO BE A KING.
A – My grandfather, who was also the inspiration for the character “Don Falcone” in my books, in my teens, saw that I wasn’t destined for college or some professional career, so he began putting me to work for his “goombadis” in the Family. I eventually became his driver and bodyguard. We were constantly dodging FBI tails, bugs, and surveillance.
D – You must have seen some stuff, no doubt most you can’t talk about?
A – HAHA!.. I would join him on “sit-downs,” often over penny poker games with powerful men that included everyone from clergymen to professional athletes, to high ranking politicians and other mob bosses. I’d listen to them talk for hours. And the things I heard would blow your mind. Some of it I can never repeat, but I gleaned a wealth of information that would later spark my imagination while writing my novels.
D – In what way?
A – Having a fly-on-the-wall view of how the Mafia works has resulted in a unique authenticity in my writing. I honestly believe the reason there hasn’t been a great Mafia story told since The Godfather is because very, very few individuals can authentically write this genre. Puzo admitted that he didn’t know any Mafiosi personally, but he did know a lot of guys from his neighborhood who did. His imagination did the rest. That is the difference between me and Puzo, or any other writer who attempts to write the Mafia genre.
D – Your experience of ‘The Life’ you mean?
A – Yeah! I lived that life, which made writing this story easy. I’ve seen and heard things that not even the most creative or tenured writer could contrive. I worked for some of the most iconic mob figures in American history. For example, Tony Giacolone (suspected of killing Jimmy Hoffa, and played by Armand Assante in the movie Hoffa) gave me the nickname “Pazzu Lupara,” which translates to “Crazy Gunner.” He gave me that nickname after he caught me scabbing his poker players for my own games. This was a very dangerous risk for me. If I wasn’t a Tocco, I may have come up missing for it. I mean, he was a man the FBI suspected of over 40 murders and/or disappearances, including Jimmy Hoffa! My Great Uncle Jack Tocco was the longest reigning mob boss in U.S. history. I was exposed to things that the average person (and not the average writer), could never be privy to.
Alan on FOX TV promoting ‘To Be A King’
D – Let’s give the readers a sample of ‘To Be A KING’.
A – Done.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BE-KING-Gunner-Lindbloom-ebook/dp/B01N6RQ3AE/ref=sr_1_1?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=TO+BE+A+KING%3A+Volume+1&qid=1562665822&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
D – This is one of my favourite pictures of you and your amazing wife, Maria, and I said earlier your writing also achieved something else you weren’t expecting, explain please, lol.
A – Maria is the best. Five years into my sentence, a cousin of mine had set up a Facebook account to highlight the books I had been writing and so that friends and old classmates could get in contact. Maria had been on Facebook and saw the profile, we had also been classmates. Maria had previously worked for Amazon Publishing and was an avid reader, so she wrote to me. We wrote back and forth. I think it was when Maria read ‘To Be A King’ that she knew, not only was she in the possession of a best seller, but that she wanted to be with me. After 6 months, we fell madly in love with each other. That was 2010. 6 more years Maria waited. Within 24 hours of receiving my parole in 2016, Maria and I were married.
D – WOW! Again, I love that story. I wonder who will play you both when the inevitable film about your life comes out.?
Staying in the past for a moment longer, you mentioned earlier about a series you have written for NCS. I share the links to my NCS articles here on my blog, although I’ve still to upload some. However, what series have you written and, who are NCS?
A – As you said we both write for NCS who are: National Crime Syndicate; known as the “Ivy League” of Mafia journalism and as the largest Mafia history website in the world. The on-going series I am writing are “The Lindbloom Chronicles” an ongoing series of short stories about my life growing up in in a Mafia Family. They have been read over 2 million times. Currently, a producer out of Atlanta is making them into a TV pilot. Click on these links for the Lindbloom Chronicles and NCS.
The Lindbloom Chronicles
National Crime Syndicate
A – We may as well share our Author pages.
D – Great idea.
Alan Gunner Lindbloom
David Breakspear
D – I’ll drop in the interview you had with our ‘Boss‘, Craig, at NCS.
Interview with Alan Lindbloom: Former ‘Detroit Partnership’ enforcer.
D – I mentioned in the introduction about us being business associates, I am of course talking about your company ‘Our Thing Apparel’, easy question, how did ‘Our Thing Apparel’ come about.
A – When I was creating a small run of promotional sweatshirts for ‘TO BE A KING’, I used the term “Our Thing” (which as you know is the English translation of Cosa Nostra) on the back. But when pictures of William Usher (business partner) and me started appearing on Facebook wearing the “OUR THING” hoodies, we became inundated with requests from people who wanted an “OUR THING” hoodie of their own. Thus, the brand was born. Not everyone knows what “OUR THING” means, but those who do, know it’s a euphemism for the Mafia, a secret society of gangsters that spans the entire globe. Wearing “OUR THING” may not make you a member of the Mafia, but it will make you part of an elite brotherhood that isn’t afraid to channel their inner gangster.
D – The ‘Our Thing’ clothing I have is top quality, but both you and I are bound to say that, one thing that I really respect and admire about you is how much time you have for your fans on social media. I love the fact that on the ‘Our Thing’ website there’s a picture gallery dedicated to your fans.
A – Yeah dude, the gallery page is an awesome addition to the website. You’re on there, once or twice hahaha!
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D – hahahaha! I love the support that you get, especially with ‘Our Thing’. The GodToddler and her family have become like family to me, as I know they have with you.
A – They are an awesome family who, yes indeed, have become like a family to us all at ‘Our Thing’, a big MASSIVE shout-out to the GodToddler and la famiglia, always reppin’ the ‘Our Thing’ look, which is the essence of ‘Our Thing’.
D – Here’s a few pics of the GodToddler making a rare, hmm! lol, appearance reppin ‘Our Thing’ apparel, as usual! (A – hahahahahaha!)
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D – I think we should just share the link to the website, so people don’t have to take our word for it and can see for themselves. We would be here all day otherwise.
Below is the link for the photo gallery:
“OUR THING” APPAREL: PHOTO GALLERY.
D – So, where we up to now? We’ve covered ‘To Be A King’, ‘National Crime Syndicate’, ‘Lindbloom Chronicles’ and ‘Our Thing’. What’s next? I know, and it starts tomorrow.
D – ‘Festa Italiana’. The poster kind of tells all, and I know that you have a stall again this year. Excited?
A – Very excited. A lot of hard work goes in to be ready each year, especially with all the other projects I have going on but getting out there and meeting my fans means a lot to me, and if I can do a little business along the way, then even better. Here’s a few pics from last year, can’t wait to get you out here D.
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D – We can sort that when we are all in the villa in Sicily. I can’t wait to come out to America, if only to go fishing with you. We have hardly touched the surface in relation to all the projects you have got going on. Here’s an idea, why don’t we stop now and we can talk again after the festival, share some pictures along with a few more stories plus we can talk about the upcoming charity ball in September. Thank you so much for taking time out of your mad busy schedule and good luck at the festival brother, love to Maria and speak soon.
A – Thanks dude, yeah! Great idea. I need to get going anyway, so much to still get ready for tomorrow. Looking forward to letting you know how it has all gone. Take care and chat soon. Alan.
#OurThingCanBeYourThing
"My grandfather, Peter Tocco - the older cousin of Giacomo "Black Jack" Tocco, the Boss of Bosses - was the unofficial consigliere of the entire Detroit Mafia." What’s your story? Being freelance with the addition of having my own blog allows me to write articles like this.
#America#Criminal justice system#Detroit#Education#Inspiration#Justice Reform#Mafia#Our Thing#Positive#Prison reform#Reading#Success
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Why A New Yorker Short Story About Bad Sex Went Viral
New Post has been published on https://usnewsaggregator.com/arts-culture/why-a-new-yorker-short-story-about-bad-sex-went-viral/
Why A New Yorker Short Story About Bad Sex Went Viral
We’ve developed a pretty clear idea, by the Year of Our Lord 2017, of what should go viral on social media. Body-positive clapbacks. Video clips of hamsters eating tiny burritos. Bizarre optical illusions. Searing takedowns of Donald Trump (bonus points if published by unexpected outlets like Teen Vogue or Outdoor Magazine). Invitingly tone-deaf first-person essays.
Fiction? No, fiction isn’t on the list of things to go viral. At least until this weekend, when The New Yorker dropped “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian on the internet and sauntered away like an action star silhouetted in front of an explosion. What happened? Why did “Cat Person” catch fire while so many other great New Yorker stories have, comparatively, fizzled?
In scouting the story, before reading it, I’ll admit I thought that all the kerfuffle was because The New Yorker had published a daring genre romance about a shape-shifting cat/person and a human. (I blame the creepily ambiguous image of a kiss attached to the story.) It turns out “Cat Person” fascinated people for something else: the uncomfortable, unflinching realness with which it depicts a murky, troubling sexual encounter between a young woman and a man she recently began dating.
Roupenian’s story, if you haven’t read it, is about a college student named Margot who starts texting with Robert, a man who frequents the artsy movie theater where she works. Eventually the two go on a date; it goes rather poorly, but she still ends up back at his place. Once there, her sexual desire for him starts to fade, but she decides she’d rather have sex with him than face an awkward and involved conversation about why she doesn’t want to anymore. She has the sex she doesn’t want to have, she leaves and she stops texting with Robert ― who, spoiler alert, does not handle the rejection gracefully.
The story hit at just the right moment ― amid the #MeToo reckoning, as our society has been consumed by questions of sexual discomfort, misconduct and the toxic state of our scripts around male-female interactions.
“This particular story doesn’t concern sexual abuse or harassment, it doesn’t concern workplace abuse or rape, but it does take a look at people’s inability to read each other, inability to read each other sexually,” New Yorker fiction editor Deborah Treisman told HuffPost in a phone conversation on Monday.
The fortunate timing, by the way, was no accident. “We had [the story] in hand for a few weeks, and yes, the subject is topical,” Treisman said, “so we felt it would be a good time. We didn’t want to hold on to it for months.”
To people who frequent certain neighborhoods of Twitter (Book Twitter, but also Feminism Twitter and Media Twitter), the story seemed to be everywhere, along with that unsettling image. Nor was its ubiquity an illusion. “Of all the fiction we published this year, ‘Cat Person’ was by far the most-read online,” Natalie Raabe, the magazine’s director of communications, told HuffPost. “It’s also one of our most-read pieces overall for the year.”
So it was timely ― but there have been timely short stories before. What is the special appeal of “Cat Person”?
For one thing, it reads quite similarly to another viral-friendly form: the first-person confessional essay, as propagated by outlets like xoJane and Jezebel. Plenty of Twitter readers, rather tellingly, referred to it as an article or an essay, rather than a short story. “Cat Person” unfolds in a sort of transparent prose that’s not demonstratively artful; it’s easy to lose oneself in, and to get wrapped up in Margot’s neuroses and imagined realities, much as one focuses on the psychological revelations in a New York Times Modern Love column rather than the structure or the use of adjectives. Roupenian’s story is the fiction version of “It Happened to Me: I Had Bad Sex Because It Felt Awkward to Say No.”
The ubiquity of these essays, in a slightly earlier Internet Age, owed a great deal to the economic considerations of web media, as they require no reporting or expertise and yet tap into the reptilian click-and-share node of our brains. Though The New Yorker’s Jia Tolentino bid farewell to the form earlier this year, it will never entirely leave us. We will always be interested in how other people find love, break up, find balls of cat hair in their vaginas. (Sorry, that happened.)
In fact, “Cat Person” specifically tapped into a need that those xoJane personal essays also fulfilled: honest, vulnerable narration of women’s real-life experience. So much about women’s lives and bodies is framed as shameful, embarrassing. We’re taught to hide our periods, fake orgasms and say yes to a date so as not to hurt a guy’s feelings. How liberating it can be to share what we’re hiding with each other and find out that other women aren’t clean, kind, gentle paragons ― they’re complicated, shallow, misguided and sometimes gross, just like us.
I don’t really know how to do justice to the conversation that is happening around my story but I am grateful for it. I need to go take a walk in the snow and hug my dog, but if you have messaged me directly, thank you, and in the meantime: https://t.co/IjVFkzWGi6
— Kristen Roupenian (@KRoupenian) December 9, 2017
That “Cat Person” dove deep into a young woman’s consciousness, narrating the female side of a messy, disappointing sexual encounter between a man and a woman, struck many readers as refreshing. (That the young woman was a college student, and her experience a familiar one to the predominantly white, well-educated, financially well-off women who likely make up much of The New Yorker’s readership, could only have helped the story strike a nerve among the target audience.) There’s a wealth of short fiction by men, about men’s desultory sexual doings. Then again, there’s also plenty of great short fiction by women, about women having sex and relationships ― Lorrie Moore and Mary Gaitskill are just a couple of classic examples.
But unlike so many other excellent short stories about dating, sex and female interiority, Roupenian’s story ― her first for The New Yorker ― hit at a moment when we were all primed and ready to talk about it. The specific timeliness of the #MeToo moment combined with the other appeals of “Cat Person” to create an alchemical appeal.
“I’m sure [the response] does have something to do with the nature of our discourse right now, about sex, about consent,” said Treisman. “Those kinds of issues are so much in the news and in the air right now that this was a way to look at them, somewhat away from the political sphere, and the sphere of Hollywood producers and so on.”
Though, as she points out, women having these experiences is not new, it can’t be denied that we’re talking about all of those experiences, past and present, with particular avidity now. It’s as if we all signed up for a seminar on women’s bad sexual experiences with men and we’re halfway through the semester; the early foundational reading has been completed, and now we’re all on the same page. That doesn’t mean we all agree ― on the contrary, “Cat Person” Twitter was pretty divided on even questions so basic as whether Robert or Margot deserved more sympathy ― but we all recognize this story as a clear opportunity to talk about consent, communication and women’s sexual pleasure. If the same story came out six months ago, it would have been the same story, but there wouldn’t have been the same shared understanding of its resonance.
Sad as it might be to admit, a big part of the viral success of “Cat Person” might be, simply, that a work of short fiction has never really gone viral on social media before. Early on, the online conversation surrounding it was a meta-conversation: Isn’t it cool that a short story is getting read? Why is this short story getting read? Is everyone so excited because they’ve never read a short story before and don’t realize how great they can be? How can we get more short stories to go viral in the future? No post-”Cat Person” story will enjoy quite the same novelty.
Treisman, for her part, seemed as surprised as anyone by the story’s burst of popularity ― and she couldn’t put her finger on how to replicate it with future works of fiction. “In terms of the way that word spreads through social media,” she said, “that’s still something of a novelty to me at least. I’m not sure how to game it.”
But we’ve been here before and had these same conversations ― about poetry. When Patricia Lockwood’s “Rape Joke” blew up in the summer of 2013 (tellingly, it also drew in readers with its vivid, uncensored representation of a woman’s interior experience of an interaction with a man), many were flabbergasted that a poem could go viral. The Guardian credited the poem with having “casually reawakened a generation’s interest in poetry.” In the years since, poetry has only continued to strengthen its new readership, particularly online. Nowadays, a poem going viral isn’t all that noteworthy ― it happens often enough. Poetry has become a staple in how we respond to and process events on the Internet, providing a different angle on the world we live in than can a think piece or a breaking news item.
Why can’t short fiction be like that? There are artistic purists who leap to defend the sanctity of literature from such crass things as “messages” or “political relevance.” Any discussion of which character was in the right, or who behaved selfishly or whether the story fat-shamed Robert is framed as improperly treating fiction as nonfiction. “It’s inevitable that some readers view ‘Cat Person’ as weighing in on a timely issue and offering up lessons, the way personal essays are so often inclined to do,” sighed Laura Miller in Slate. “It’s easy to get into the habit of thinking that every imaginative literary work must be made to carry an unambiguous moral.”
But there’s a reason people read the story that way: It’s offering a very realistic narrative of a communication breakdown between two real-seeming people, teasing out the ways in which things went wrong. Of course we’ll want to take lessons from that, if we can. “Cat Person,” though written well before the #MeToo moment and worth reading outside of it, does offer particular relief and insight to readers in the grip of this cultural moment, just as an essay might. Roupenian and Treisman, who both emphasized the story’s ability to speak to our current consternation over dysfunctional male-female communication, seem to be embracing the political relevance of the work.
In an interview with Treisman for The New Yorker, Roupenian explained that Margot’s resignation to sex she no longer wanted “speaks to the way that many women, especially young women, move through the world: not making people angry, taking responsibility for other people’s emotions, working extremely hard to keep everyone around them happy.” In an interview with The New York Times this week, she elaborated on the loneliness women who date men might feel, having a partner, at this moment in time, who doesn’t understand their feelings of sexual vulnerability. “That’s a pain a lot of women I know have felt acutely, especially in this past year, when all of these terrible shared experiences are becoming part of the public conversation,” Roupenian said. “Women try to talk about these experiences with their partners, and they find themselves failing. It’s an isolating feeling for both people involved.”
And while we should certainly remember the story is fiction (no, Margot and Roupenian are not the same person) and can analyze the story as a carefully crafted imaginative work, it’s hard to see what’s wrong with also discussing it as a window into a real-world problem, as Roupenian does in these interviews. That’s exactly what makes it so appealing, and what has long been one of fiction’s strengths ― especially psychological realism.
That’s not to say that fiction should trade in simplistic moral archetypes. As Miller points out, “Cat Person” resists easy judgments of its characters and instead shows two complex, flawed people. That makes it all the more valuable of a teaching tool. Real life, too, is messy and peopled by complex, flawed humans, but real life is where we have to live.
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A Random-News-Digest to cap off September! Yes, the last one for the last day of the month...
Akira
A few days ago, the anime community was sent into a polarizing frenzy, when a live action Hollywood remake for Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece "Kimi no Na wa." was announced. Following "Ghost in the Shell", and "Death Note", it's a vindicative sign that Hollywood is actively turning towards Japanese titles to make their own versions. One that would usually come in one package with whitewashing controversy.
I'm not here to talk about "Your name." though, but about Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira". Because yes, "Akira" is also one of that classic anime title that Hollywood has been itching to adapt... for soooo many years. Guess what, the title has resurfaced into the spotlight once again. After several directors have come in to develop this project, and then walked out to do other things instead, now Warner Bros is said to be in talks with the one and only... Taika Waititi. The upcoming Thor sequel has certainly put Waititi's name into every studio's attention, so it's not even surprising that WB is trying to hire him as well. After all, WB has been actively snatching Marvel Studios' directors and actors, right?
Of course, Waititi is still 'in talks', so things can always go sideway. He already has a project with Fox Searchlight that's about to enter production early next year, as well as that stop-motion animated movie about Michael Jackson's chimpanzee. If WB really wants to rush this movie into creation, I doubt Waititi will be the man to do the job. I personally would have preferred to see Hollywood simply forgeting about "Akira" all together, but that's just me and my selfish desire of not wanting another anime gets 'ruined' by American hands. Hold on, Waititi is not from US, eh! Oh well...
Tomb Raider
Having been an avid fan of this game franchise, of course I'm curious about its movie adaptations. The Angelina Jolie movies were... likeable (oh, how I was still sooo innocent when the first one came out), but they've also failed in capturing the charm of the series. Will a new version with recently crowned Oscar Winner Alicia Vikander work better?
Go ahead and check out the first official trailer (as well as its... odd accompaniment poster, both released 10 days ago LOL) to get your answer. My spontaneous response? "HUH?". Which was then followed by a frown and a "Meh...". Look, I know this one is more inspired by the 2013 game reboot, yet somehow... I don't think it gets it either. In the end, it feels like it's circling back into an Angeline Jolie's version redux. Particularly through Walton Goggins' character, who just had to be there as the evil super-villain stereotype. Had the movie followed the 2013 game's storyline more... faithfully, perhaps I would've seen it in a better light.
Much like "Assassin's Creed" that couldn't flesh out the game premise into a movie event, I seriously doubt this will do better. The video game adaptation curse is still looming large, and is already clouding this movie. But that's just me. Probably it'll work better for you? Roar Uthaug's "Tomb Raider" arrives on March 16th, 2018. So please stop expecting WB to release "The Flash" on that date...
Charlie's Angels
I did NOT see this coming. According to Deadline, Kristen Stewart is said to be one of two actresses being eyed for the "Charlie's Angels" reboot movie. The other one? Lupita Nyong'o. Before you complaint about Stewart, do remember that she's no longer the expressionless actress we saw in the "Twilight" series. She has made a better name of herself through the indie root lately. And Nyong'o is obviously that famous Oscar Winner, who's been involved with the "Star Wars" franchise and soon to hit the action genre with her upcoming Marvel Studios movie.
The fact that these two names are even attracted to the Elizabeth Banks' project is what intrigued me. I actually enjoyed those two Angels movies in the 90s, when everyone else was crying foul. It was campy and over-the-top, but it was fun and well... sexy. LOL. Hearing Stewart and Nyong'o names totally took this reboot to another level. I mean, could we be seeing a... darker and grittier (as much as I despised on using that word) version of the 70s TV show? I'd be down for that. Perhaps they can add more color with... I don't know, Asian actress Pom Klementieff, Elodie Yung, or Claudia Kim to the fray? I hope we'll be hearing more about the casting real soon, because this movie has officially gotten my attention. "Charlie's Angels" will arrive on June 7th, 2019.
Disney Animation
Disney Pixar released the latest trailer for "COCO" and accompanying poster around two weeks ago. The company also released short previews for three songs from the movie: "Remember Me", "Un Poco Loco", and "The World Es Mi Familia". Admittedly, due to my internet fiasco last week, I haven't been able to check out any of these clips. "Coco" arrives just in time for Thanksgiving, so I'm sure by then I would have seen these trailers. LOL. Of course, if you don't want any part of the movie to be spoiled in advance, then you might want to refrain from these new footages and just wait for the movie to arrive. It's your choice!
Star Wars
Despite various reports suggesting/speculating that Rian Johnson would take over Colin Trevorrow's directorial seat for "Star Wars: Episode IX", Lucasfilm hired a far more reasonable and 'safer' choice instead. Yep, I'm sure you have heard by now that J. J. Abrams is back for his second "Star Wars" movie. He's set to write, and direct the third and final movie in the modern era's trilogy. Sure, Abrams doesn't have a great reputation in dealing with sequels, but he's also responsible for the success of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Problem is, the official announcement also revealed that Chris Terrio has also been hired to write. In case the name doesn't right a bell, that's the guy who wrote Academy Award's Best Picture Winner "Argo". That's good, right? Hold on... he's also the writer to WB's infamous "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice", and the early draft of "Justice League" back when it had those unpleasant behind the scene reports. YIKES!!!
Speaking of WB, it's also another game of chicken with that company. This much-anticipated movie has been delayed to December 20th, 2019, meaning it will open just a week after WB's recently announced "Wonder Woman 2". Oh NO!!! After re-hiring the director with an exceptionally huge raise, I have a feeling WB will be forced to move their sequel away to ensure a big box office turnout. Because seriously, confronting the final entry of a "Star Wars" trilogy, one with a female lead protagonist as well, would be nothing short of a massive risk.
Hellboy
Two first looks of David Harbour's version of Hellboy has been released via the movie's official Twitter account, and also the actor's very own social media. And well... it looks, Hellboy-ish enough, I guess? I'm curious though, since this reboot will apply more conventional prothetics instead of CG, does that mean, we're looking at Harbour's very own physique here? I could've sworn his beer-belly he did NOT look like that in "Stranger Things". LOL.
The bigger news of this movie however, was the song of praises to Daniel Dae Kim taking on the whitewashed role that was supposed to go to Ed Skrein. Kim even took a photo with Skrein to make this announcement credible. Ain't this the way it should've been, casting a Korean-American actor for a Japanese-American charact... wait, hold on? Seriously?! Feel free to call me a naysayer, but while I'm grateful for Kim, didn't this simply mean that Hollywood still do NOT have a clue about the whole whitewashing issue? It's a nice gesture and all to cast an Asian actor for an Asian character. But I beg to question... why not hire someone who is not just Asian, but also ethnically approriate? Do we even have a shortage of Japanese-American actor they could hire? Names like Brian Tee (who is both Japanese and Korean), Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Paul Nakauchi (who recently appeared in Netflix's "Death Note"), and even Masi Oka (who is Kim's very own fellow cast member in "Hawai Five-O" TV Series)... all easily come to mind.
I can't help but wonder now, is Hollywood still thinking that all Asians look the same? That's STILL a problem, if you ask me. Oh well, let's just scoff this off by saying that... "It's progress". Just for the record, I don't have ANY beef with Kim, and sincerely think that he deserves a big role in the movies. But seriously though, this situation COULD have been solved in a much better way...
DC Films
WB has recruited another writer to work on "Wonder Woman 2". Dave Callaham was brought on board by director Patty Jenkins, to work on the script with DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. His portofolio includes the 2014 "Godzilla", "The Expendables", and also Universal's "The Wolfman" (assuming the Dark Universe project is still on-the-go despite the result of "The Mummy"). Details about the script is still kept under wraps, but it is expected to take place several decades from the first movie. Jenkins has already teased a Cold War setting for the sequel, along with the debut of Gal Gadot's Diana Prince's invisible jet. As I've stated above, it's currently unclear whether WB will keep this movie on the December 2019 schedule or not. If past moves by the studio is any indication (like how WB sped up BvS' release to avoid the third "Captain America" movie), then highly likely we could be seeing a shift of release date sooner or later. How the sequel will change James Cameron's very-public (and annoying, albeit logical, I should add) criticism about the first movie, is a different challenge on its own.
On a side note, DC Entertainment's President Diane Nelson has confirmed that there WILL INDEED be movies outside of DCEU continuity. It seems the initial plan is changing at WB, as Nelson is now singing a somewhat different tune. "Our intention, certainly, moving forward is using the continuity to help make sure nothing is diverging in a way that doesn’t make sense, but there’s no insistence upon an overall story line or interconnectivity in that universe", she stated. I certainly smell 'Plan B' here, in that if ever the DCEU (which already refers to DC Films and the various TV series, right?) gets out of control again, they could use "The Flash: Flashpoint" to basically erase it and create a whole new one. You know, "New-52" and/or "Rebirth"-style. Movies like "The Joker" origin movie, and probably "Justice League: Dark" and "Shazam" will definitely exist in their very own 'LABEL', which will be named and announced in the near future. Will this approach be better or worse for WB and DC? As I said before, this is basically another one of WB's attempt to copy Marvel (that already had multiple Universes on their own, see the next FIVE categories for direct proof), but for now, let's not judge anything too soon and see how this pans out...
X-Men Universe
Wow, it seems FOX has been infected by the braggish fever of WB. Thanks to a recent success with "Logan", the studio can now talk BIG about their next project. Someone's clearly forgetting how the studio ALMOST dropped "Deadpool", had Ryan Reynolds wasn't persistent enough to create it in R-rated format. Not just that, had the studio forced that movie to be toned down to PG-13, it wouldn't have inspired James Mangold to make "Logan" the way it is now. Thus we would only be getting another round of "The Wolverine".
Anyways, FOX Chief Stacey Snider had a really interesting comment to Dark Horizons regarding Josh Boone's "The New Mutants". She stated, "When you look at films like Deadpool or Logan or the upcoming New Mutants, you’ll see they have their own personality. Great effort has been put into making sure they’re differentiated". A peculiar statement, because one, is she trying to throw a shade towards Marvel Studios? And two, is FOX forgetting about the ultra-mediocre "X-Men: Apocalypse" ALREADY?
She then continued with a more 'shocking' remarks, "New Mutants is about these teenagers who are just coming into their powers. It’s like watching mutants go through adolescence and they have no impulse control, so they’re dangerous. The only solution is to put them in a Breakfast Club detention/Cuckoo’s Nest institutional setting. It protects the people on the outside, but it’s strange and combustible inside. The genre is like a haunted-house movie with a bunch of hormonal teenagers. We haven’t seen it as a superhero movie whose genre is more like The Shining than ‘we’re teenagers let’s save the world". Yikes!!! Okay, not only the recent Spider-Man movie was ALREADY a "Breakfast Club"-inspired movie (so... differentiated how?), comparing the movie to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is a really ballsy and gutsy if not downright over-confident move. I personally shook my head upon reading this news, because the studio is setting the bar VERY high eventhough the movie is still in production. Meaning none of the bigwigs have even seen a finished product! One thing for sure, I'm going to bookmark her comment and actually judge the movie against it when it arrives. Can it actually hold up? I doubt, but we'll see...
SONY Marvel Universe
Another studio, another Marvel movie. This one's VERY interesting though, because no matter how confused people has been about Ruben Fleischer's "Venom", the fact that it's attracting big names to the project, might suggest something big. We know that Oscar Nominee Tom Hardy is onboard to play Eddie Brock, but care to guess who else is being eyed and/or in talks? The super talented Riz Ahmed who might (offensively tbh) and might not become the serial killer Carnage, and another Oscar Nominee in... Michelle Williams. Yes, Williams is currently in talks to play the female-lead and potential love interest to Hardy's Brock. It's still unclear if she will take the job or not, but if it ends up becoming real, then it gives me another good reason to actually check it out when it arrives on October 5th, 2018.
Marvel Studios
Let's start with the upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok"! As the release date of November 3rd, 2017 is rapidly approaching (with some international markets set to open in just a few weeks from now), marketing is also ramping up. We got a special Behind the Scene featurette, neat-looking IMAX poster, and also a Chinese one that came alongside an exclusive Chinese trailer containing new footages. Marvel Studios Visual Development Supervisor Andy Park also debuted the cover for "Art of Thor: Ragnarok" online, to encourage fans to pre-order their copy. This artbook will no doubt contains visual spoilers (like that particular creature from Muspelheim), so do consider that before you purchase one.
The movie also hit a somewhat negative hurdle recently. The issue however, wasn't caused by Marvel Studios, but surprisingly by the Writers Guild of America. Turns out, writer Stephany Folsom's name has been denied by the WGA to be attached to the film, eventhough Marvel Studios already gave her a "Story by" credit. A curious case to be honest, because it's usually the studio who refused to give a writer credit, not the other way around. Folsom openly expressed her dissatisfaction to the Guild that was supposed to be the one protecting her rights. On the other hand, does this mean Folsom's work was so minimum, that WGA thought it's unnecessary to add her name? Let's just hope this won't affect the movie's reception.
***The following could be considered spoilers for movies releasing in 2018 and 2019. If you're avoiding one, please skip the next paragraphs and jump over to the next category instead***
From the set of "Ant-Man and the Wasp", we got a new look for Evangeline Lilly's Wasp, Walton Goggins' Sonny Burch, as well as Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost. Burch looks pretty much like a normal human being, while Ghost has the signature white-suit design as can be seen in the comics.
Meanwhile, more and more cast members are confirmed for the UNTITLED "Avengers 4", which as I've said before, somehow serves as massive spoilers for "Avengers: Infinity War". Paul Bettany was pretty much confirmed to be in the movie thanks to a photo of him as Vision, while Mark Ruffalo was spotted alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson. Sebastian Stan and Don Cheadle have also been confirmed through interviews with several outlets. Aside from possibly hinting the possible plot of the movie, Atlanta Filming also spotted two actors on set with Johansson. The first was Captain America's Chris Evans, and the second one was... surprise, surprise... "Captain Marvel"'s Brie Larson. I know it has been common sense among fans, that from the time she was cast, she would take part in this movie. But it's always good to know that it's now confirmed.
The movie also has other intriguing parts of production that might hint further at the storyline. A recent casting call notice for extras, revealed that there will be a 1960s setting in the movie. This was inline with a photo by actress Hayley Atwell, who's dressed up as Peggy Carter with a mo-cap makeup on her face. Bearing in mind her quick cameo in the intro of "Ant-Man", could we be seeing a particular flashback to Peggy and John Slattery's Howard Stark in their early years at S.H.I.E.L.D.? A new actor has also been confirmed to become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, has joined the movie in an unknown role. This was strongly coincidental to that Japanese-esque setting we've seen before, so clearly the two facts are probably related somehow.
As for "Infinity War", actor Benedict Cumberbatch teased to Digital Spy that the movie will be huge, considering it's a massive storyline of ten years in the making, involving various sides of the MCU. He's also excited for the project to finally be seen by the world. Now about that, a recent rumor claimed that the D23 and San Diego Comic Con' trailer would be officially released on September 29th, along with the premiere of "Inhumans". It's a little unlikely, considering the growing gap between Marvel Studios and Marvel TV. Moreso, it's more possible that Marvel Studios will release this alongside "Thor: Ragnarok" sometime around October. That will certainly boost attention to the third "Thor" movie. Let's just wait and see.
"Captain Marvel" won't start filming until early next year, but pre-production has already begun. Andy Nicholson has joined the movie as its production designer. Nicholson was involved in "Captain America: The First Avenger" which, similar to this movie, took place in an 'earlier' era. Considering he also earned an Oscar nomination for "Gravity", his inclusion only signaled/confirmed a more interstellar aspect of the story. Here's hoping Nicholson will imbue his Academy Award charm to this movie as well!
Last but not least, That Hashtag Show reported that Marvel Studios is developing a movie for "Power Pack" as part of their next 'Phase'. Jonathan Schwartz is said to be overseeing the project, like he has done with "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2". To be honest, this source isn't particularly credible for this type of news, as their scoops VERY rarely panned out. Still, this is a somewhat plausible thing, considering "Runaways" (that have had a script since the early Phases), have since been converted into a TV series at Hulu. I won't be surprised if the Power siblings became one of the contenders to replace that now-obsolete project. Of course, do take this news with a HUUUGE grain of salt for now. It's best to just wait for an official announcement before getting too excited over something unconfirmed. Am I right?
Marvel TV
When this post goes up, Marvel's "Inhumans" should have debuted ON TV. If you're still unconvinced to see this mini-series, then perhaps the recent trailer would be able to sway you to the dark-si... er, I mean, to see and follow it. Showrunner Scott Buck Almighty apparently has envisioned this show to be at least 3 SEASONS, so you might want to put that into considerations before making one of the biggest life choices in your life. The general consensus however (including a pessimistic-sounding James Gunn), thinks that it won't even get a 2nd season. Then again, his "Iron Fist" somehow miraculously gets one, while a critically-received Marvel's "Agent Carter" did NOT. And don't forget about Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." that apparently was ALMOST cancelled by ABC, had Disney not interfe... er, I mean stepped in as savior and paved way for the upcoming Season 5. Nothing is really certain anymore when it comes to Marvel TV, huh?
There's good on the other side though. To be precise, the Hulu side. Marvel's "Runaways" has only been getting positive responses until now, and comics creator Brian K. Vaughn has added even more excitement with his recent statement. During a book signing in New York, Vaughn revealed that not only Old Lace the Deinonychus is part of the show, showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage actually did her justice. Of course, him being an official consultant to the series can mean two things: one, his words is NOT objective; and two, the show will indeed be as faithful as possible to the source materials... which he wrote. Duh? Then again, the official images that debuted via Entertainment Weekly earlier this week, already felt and looked LEAGUES BETTER than "Inhumans". So I'm inclined to believe the good buzz might be true after all...
Netflix
Marvel's "The Defenders" burnt me out sooo bad, that I've pretty much lost any interest to see more Marvel Netflix series. Not just me though, because as it turns out, the crossover mini-series is also the lowest rating and/or least viewed of the entire Netflix Universe so far. GREAT GOODNESS!!! Regardless of the reason behind this result, a clear fatigue for a cookie-cutter Marvel TV show can easily be felt.
That's where Jon Bernthal's Marvel's "The Punisher" turned the table and broke the wall instead. Literally. The brutal and violent Rambo-esque official teaser, which was followed by a full trailer later on, seemed to be changing people's negative perception about the Netflix Universe. But is it a good indication that the series itself will be as good? Not really. If there's one positive thing I could openly praise about all Marvel Netflix series, is that they all have GREAT trailers. However, a great trailer doesn't immediately assure a great show, as proven by Marvel's "Luke Cage", Marvel's "Iron Fist", and Marvel's "The Defenders".
I admit, this was indeed a good trailer for Frank Castle's solo story. But did I like it as much as every other people? NOPE. I think it looked okay, and well... I'm still giving this show a pass. I have an odd tinkling feeling that it's going to end up as another carbon-copy of the previous shows. That it will also be a few episodes too long... but with amped-up violence to compensate. Of course, don't let this get you down, because what might not work for me, could very well be your treasure. One thing for sure, the series will be arriving pretty soon (if not November, probably earlier). So we'll definitely be reading the first reactions to it in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the 4th season of "Voltron Legendary Defenders" is set for October 13th debut. You can even already watch the official trailer, that teases more action for both Prince Lotor and Princess Allura. It's unclear how many episodes we'll be getting though. If I had to guess, we'll probably get around 6 to 7, just like what happened to Season 3. After all, there's a possibility that both Seasons were initially intended to be one.
DC Television
I actually don't know where to put this, but since "Watchmen" is part of DC's property, I'll put it here instead. Forget about that Zack Snyder movie! Damon Lindelof is set to produce a new TV series adaptation for HBO. The network has ordered a pilot script from him (who announced it himself), so things are definitely moving forward. I'm personally not looking forward to this, as much as I disliked the Snyder's movie. But I can already sense the divide between the avid fans who are rejoicing, and the other side who thinks this is a bad idea. I have no right to give an opinion here, so let's just see how this pans out, okay!
Super Sentai
Trademark for the 2018 Super Sentai series has been registered on September 25th, and suffice to say, it brought its own twist to the fanbase. Contrary to previous rumor about fairy-tale time traveler, TOEI submitted not one, but TWO titles at the same time: "Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger", and "Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger". Nope, this wasn't April's Fool prank or a baseless rumor, because these copyrights are REAL.
There aren't any details about the two titles yet, so many fans and Tokusatsu enthusiasts have been talking and speculating about what this means. Does this mean, we will have two separate shows on the same year, perhaps separated as 25 episodes each? Could it be, one of them is the full yearly show, while the other one is a Web-Series or some sort, much like how "Kamen Rider Amazons" worked for Amazon Japan? There's also another possibility, in that both of them are part of one show. Which makes super sense, because the obvious titles alone pretty much work to 'rival' each other: Police Taskforce and Phantom Thief Squad. Get it? It's the game of cat and mouse between cops and thieves. Something like what would happen if "Persona 4" and "Persona 5" has a crossover.
Recent rumor claimed, that the two teams will indeed be regarded as the 42nd Sentai teams. Patoranger is rumored to consist of Red, Black, and White members, while Lupinranger will be Gold, Silver, and Bronze. They will start out as separate shows that will supposedly air alternately week after week, but when both shows reach episode 20, they will eventually become one solidified story. Not only that, one Lupinranger member is said to be a Patoranger spy (with Red being the most possible candidate), thus serving as the catalyst to combine both teams into one. This means the two shows will exist/intersect in the same world, so crossovers between both titles should be expected to happen more often than later on the 4th quarter.
Again, this idea makes good sense, that it's not even a surprise for me. TOEI has been doing the Versus Movies on a yearly basis ever since "Chouriki Sentai Ohranger vs Ninja Sentai Kakuranger", so this would only be their way to turn that concept into a full-blown series. This year's "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" has even implemented this twist, by breaking its 12-members team into two units in its latest parallel arcs. Besides, don't forget one thing! TOEI seems to show high interest with what's happening in US entertainment business. And what's the current rage in Hollywood? Cinematic Universe, like the one famously built by Marvel Studios. Think of it this way, Patoranger and Lupinranger would be their own separate thing, similar to the Marvel Netflix series, or the CW "Arrow"-verse shows. But somewhere along the line, they team up into one crossover, as proven by Marvel's "The Defenders". It's highly likely, TOEI is intent on trying out this route as well, which could be a good or bad thing. Ignoring the fact that "Kaizoku Sentai Go-kaiger" have already, and very successfully I might add, served as a giant crossover show on its own.
To be honest, I've never been a fan of a Police-themed Sentai series. But this report definitely intrigued me to the core. If it is indeed valid, then I would totally check it out. It's an arguably brave and risky albeit not entirely new (remember the Versus Movies!) concept, so I'm dying to see if TOEI can pull it off. I think if TOEI is able to give both shows their own different tone, it would be even much better. I'm sure we'll be hearing more information about these shows pretty soon, so let's just wait and see...
ARIKA
It's a little baffling to think that ARIKA still hasn't made up their mind about their "Mysterious Fighting" game. Why? Because they showed up in Tokyo Game Show 2017, and actually released a new trailer for the event. Hmmmmm. Not long after, the company also expanded the game's roster with a returning fighter, in Doctrine Dark. At this point, I'm pretty sure EVERY original character from "Street Fighter EX" would be included... so why not just call the game, "EX Fighters" or some sort? *sigh*
Pocket Monsters
The Pokemon Company released a new trailer for "Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon" last week, and well... it offered some of its new content. Aside from confirming that the cover Pokemon is none other than 'Ultra Beast' Necrozma in his Dusk Mane/Dusk Wings forms (it's unclear how it will possess the powers to resemble Solgaleo or Lunala), several mini games like "Mantine Surf" and "Alola Photo Club" have been added to the game. Characters like Hau, Lillie, and the Trial Captains are confirmed to be returning. In the case of the last, some will even be bringing new Island Challenges. You can read the details on Gematsu. Both games will be launched worldwide on November 17th, 2017.
Dynasty Warriors
KOEI Tecmo was present at the Tokyo Game Show 2017, and of course they delivered a new trailer for "Dynasty Warriors 9" while confirming that it will be released in early 2018. So far, this new iteration has been creating conflicting reactions from the franchise's fanbase. Many, including yours truly, is feeling rather mixed about the game in general. Mainly due to the redesign and additional changes (weapons, costumes) given to the returning characters. While it's commendable that the game is trying to be more realistic and historically accurate, unfortunately, it comes at the expense of some of the title's bizarre but fun elements. On the bright side, the open world concept is still an intriguing aspect that I would totally love to try out. Even if to see whether KOEI Tecmo can pull it off or not. LOL.
#Random-News-Digest#random thoughts#news#movie#anime#tomb raider#coco#star wars#hellboy#dc#Wonder Woman#new mutants#venom#Marvel Studios#Avengers#thor: ragnarok#TV show#The Inhumans#runaways#netflix#the punisher#voltron legendary defenders#SuperSentai#game#pokemon ultra sun#pokemon ultra moon#dynasty warriors
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The question for writers, 1-50 ;)
Uhhh, you mean like all of them? xd This is going to be long…
Thank you for the ask anon. I hope you don’t get bored…
01: When did you first start writing?
I don’t have a clear memory of the moment I really started to write down my stories but I remember pretending to write when I couldn’t be more than six a story about a group of smugglers that were discovered by a group of children and therefore put in jail. (I read the whole series of the Famous Five and The three investigators about that age so I was quite influenced xd) However, my first story was when I was around nine in where I wrote a story about a girl that chatted with several greek deities… I don’t really remember how the story ended though xd
02: What was your favorite book growing up?
My favourite book is the divine comedy and has been for a really long time. I also loved (when I was a tween) The Phantom Tollbooth and several others… I think I would need a really long list to put them all together!
03: Are you an avid reader?
Yup! I love to read, reading is, as writing, something that is a part of who I am.
04: Have you ever thrown a book across the room?
Never xd I had the idea with my math’s textbook though because I sucked at them but a book I enjoyed reading? Never.
05: Did you take writing courses in school/college?
I did several courses back in school/high school and I’ve attended several short courses over my years at college, yes.
06: Have you read any writing-advice books?
Not entire books but I’ve always read about the worldbuilding of a world in order to make them more authentic, kind of phrases and character building. However, I tend to have the problem that I find that some of the books are very strong on the kind of rules they are trying to apply to one’s writing work and so even though I try to learn as much as possible I tend to not follow them as much as I should.
07: Have you ever been part of a critique group?
Nope. Not because I didn’t want but because the occasion never presented itself.
08: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
Uhm… I had a teacher when I was in my last year of high school that learnt that I wrote short stories in english xd He asked me to give one to him and I gave him one called Synopados in where I explored the idea of a girl looking at her emotions through a mirror as she fell in love with a girl. I still have the note he wrote me about how I had courage for writing that stories in a city like the one that is my childhood town. He told me I should keep writing, no matter what. I had already started to write fanfics but sparsely and almost everything in spanish so I’m deeply humbled and grateful by what he did.
09: What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
One in where I was asked to end my writing because it wasn’t good enough, never would be and it was a joke how I tried to be something when I couldn’t put one letter after the other.
10: What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?
I can’t stand first POV(?) I mean, I’ve written some stories with that pov and I’ve read them as well but I always link that to roleplaying and not stories so in my head it doesn’t sound quite right.
11: What’s your favorite book cover?
There are too many lol But I think that one of the recent ones I like is Perdido street station from China Miéville
12: Who is your favorite author?
I don’t have one that surpases the others I’m afraid. However, one of the authors I deeply respect is Rowling so I will go with her and PD.James.
13: What’s your favorite writing quote?
If a story is in you it has got to come out. I believe it was said by Faulkner but I could be wrong.
14: What’s your favorite writing blog? c;
Hahaha, too many to count :P
15: What would you say has inspired you the most?
Reading. Without reading I wouldn’t want to create because I wouldn’t have the ideas of so many worlds and characters already in my head. There may be people who think otherwise but for me reading is a very big part of writing.
16: How do you feel about movies based on books?
That they tend to be an absolute disaster but not because of the general idea of “They didn’t put this scene in that moment.” but because they try to create a visual of abstract ideas sometimes the authors make the reader see by description that don’t necessarily need to be linked to a visual scene. The way that’s often presented make some ideas look cheaper than they are. There are some movies that got that beautifully though.
17: Would you like your books to be turned into TV shows, movies, video games, or none?
Mine? -looks down- I… would first need to believe that they could be turned into something xd However, I think I would like to see some of my ideas transformed into a game.
18: How do you feel about love triangles?
That they are boring and done again and again and again. I really don’t like them as well as most of the romantic tropes done so many times it’s impossible to escape them.
19: Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand?
My handwriting is awful so I only tend to write the general idea of my stories instead of the full-fleshed thing because, otherwise, it would be a nightmare to understand it all.
20: What’s your favorite writing program?
I really don’t have one to be honest.
21: Do you outline?
For short stories I always have a general idea on my head of what I want to write. It’s on long stories in where I outline full plot points, dialogue ideas and characters.
22: Do you start with characters or plot?
Plot, always plot. I prefer to know where I’m going to put my characters in because then I know how to move them through that space.
23: What’s your favorite & least favorite part of making characters?
My favourite is their inner voices, how all of them has different ideas and how I can write that into the story is amazing. From movement to how they talk. The least one is their names when I’m making them from scratch and if I’m writing with already created characters the style of clothing I want to describe them in. xd
24: What’s your favorite & least favorite part of plotting?
My favourite would be almost everything that involves worldbuilding, searching information and creating. The least would be the “filler” scenes in where nothing happens but helps to create a more realistic pace for a story.
25: What advice would you give to young writers?
I’m still young! I’m still a novice! I don’t really know what I would say to them lol. Perhaps… write? Feedback will be sparse, bad words will stand out more than good ones and it’s okay to feel bad for that but writing and understanding how a story is created will help you greatly.
26: Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both?
I have an ebook and I use it a lot but I prefer the physical copy of the book.
27: Which is your favorite genre to write?
Fantasy, Sci-Fi… and that taking into account all subgenres like cyberpunk, steampunk… I adore the new-weird but I don’t see myself writing that yet. It requires a level of expertise I don’t have.
28: Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end?
The end, but it’s also the part I enjoy the most.
29: Which do you find easiest: writing or editing?
-Groans- I prefer writing. Editing is a pain in the ass.
30: Have you ever written fan-fiction?
-snorts- Yuuup.
31: Have you ever been published?
Nope, I haven’t. I wish someday will be able to be good enough to even think about it tho’
32: How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?
My relatives don’t so….. My girlfriend does it from time to time tho. It’s strange to see her read my stories but funny at the same time. Same goes with the friends that I manage to trick them into reading me.
33: Are you interested in having your work published?
As I said… yes. But I don’t know if I will ever be good enough.
34: Describe your writing space.
Almost everywhere. However I tend to prefer writing in my bed, with my pc propped up on my knees and a cup of tea next to me. Everything very instragram-ish.
35: What’s your favorite time of day for writing?
Night. I’m a night person.
36: Do you listen to music when you write?
Yup, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to focus.
37: What’s your oldest WIP?
Wow xd I think… The recognizable stranger is one of my oldest for this fandom.
38: What’s your current WIP?
Too many to count…
39: What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?
That I could write? nah, just kidding. (No really) I think it was the one about the mirror and the girl I said before. I’ve had weirded ones but I don’t really remember them as being impossible to tackle.
40: Which is your favorite original character, and why?
Samantha Somnos xd In fact, this character was written for a roleplaying community at twitter a few years back. Her avatar was Emily Blunt and she was this cold woman, effective on her job and lethal. She had a very convoluted relationship with a man on her youth… I loved writing for that character, not only her background but her history which I wrote alongside with my girlfriend. I adored how, at the end, she is just a bad person, one that doesn’t want to change but it’s that what leads the reader. I wish I could keep on writing her.
41: What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline?
I murder them… nah. I keep myself flexible. Some things need to be written down but others not so whenever that happens I redirect the situation using what the characters are giving me.
42: Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?
Not in a gore-way but I like making them suffer pain or loss. I like how creative I can get with that because I can work them inside and out and see how they can react to several things.
43: Have you ever killed a main character?
-nods- Several times.
44: What’s the weirdest character concept you’ve ever come up with?
An old woman whose imagination has kept her trapped into an ink cage from where she is able to see stories that are dreamt in the minds of those who seek sleep. She collects those stories in the form of ever growing chains around her wrists.
45: What’s your favorite character name?
I don’t really have one although I tend to prefer to choose names who have a hidden meaning for me, like a private joke.
46: Describe your perfect writing space.
As previously said I don’t have a preferred writing space since I write in almost everywhere so… perhaps a place in where I never felt cold?
47: If you could steal one character from another author and make then yours, who would it be and why?
By stealing them I would transform them in something different since I’m not the author that created them. However, since I write fanfiction as well as my own work I’m used to write characters that aren’t mine by default so… I would love to explore Katsa from Graceling. Or Alana from the Saga series.
48: If you could write the next book of any series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?
I’d probably transform it into a fantasy-driven book so… I will leave the series I would destroy as “not chosen” haha
49: If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about?
Currently I’m in love with China Miéville’s work so I will choose him. And taking into account what he write we would write a new-weird genre book lol-
50: If you could live in any fictional world, which would it be?
Perhaps Philip Pullman’s Dark Material’s world.
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