I tell you, even after hearing scrabbling noises in one's chimney and assuming that either a bird or a squirrel is the cause, it is an unsettling feeling to see a large squirrel, black with soot, simply walk into the family room. This is especially unsettling for someone who's lived in a family which hasn't had a single pet in six or eight years, and who hardly likes squirrels, at least when they are in his home, freaked out, and crawling over his computer. After the little bugger ran roughshod for a bit, climbing onto the mantlepiece and onto chairs, walking over CD cases in front of our CD player, launching himself desperately at the window in the assumption that it led to freedom, knocking over a Kleenex box, and even having a go at playing our piano, he was finally coaxed to run out our front door, which I had opened.
So that was pretty weird! :P
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
What Every Author Wants
EDIT: Meet Special Agent Tsukiko Takahashi. ;-) Click for a larger view.
It is also noteworthy that she regularly carries one of these, the Heckler & Koch P2000 Subcompact (in 9mm):
I met one of my characters today. Not in the Stranger Than Fiction sense, in which an actual novel character becomes embodied, but rather in the sense that a model in a women's clothing magazine my mom was looking at quite unknowingly resembled my mental image of my character. She looks the part of the protagonist of Faceless, that Japanese hitwoman story I've been talking about. Even the clothes aren't far off from what she might wear. The page itself was relatively irrelevant to the magazine as a whole, so Mom tore it out, and I'm going to see if I can scan it.
Besides that, I saw the movie Shooter tonight, starring Mark Wahlberg. It was a fairly conventional sort of Lone Well-Trained Ex-Military Guy Seeking Vengeance Against Corrupt Government Forces movie (Bourne, anyone?) but it was pretty fun: a "high-octane" film as some review proclaimed. When I actually get off my haunches and update Tolle Lege, I intend to review it.
It is also noteworthy that she regularly carries one of these, the Heckler & Koch P2000 Subcompact (in 9mm):
I met one of my characters today. Not in the Stranger Than Fiction sense, in which an actual novel character becomes embodied, but rather in the sense that a model in a women's clothing magazine my mom was looking at quite unknowingly resembled my mental image of my character. She looks the part of the protagonist of Faceless, that Japanese hitwoman story I've been talking about. Even the clothes aren't far off from what she might wear. The page itself was relatively irrelevant to the magazine as a whole, so Mom tore it out, and I'm going to see if I can scan it.
Besides that, I saw the movie Shooter tonight, starring Mark Wahlberg. It was a fairly conventional sort of Lone Well-Trained Ex-Military Guy Seeking Vengeance Against Corrupt Government Forces movie (Bourne, anyone?) but it was pretty fun: a "high-octane" film as some review proclaimed. When I actually get off my haunches and update Tolle Lege, I intend to review it.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Ultimate Question Is, Can He Do It?
*Joker voice* I'm going to try a little...social experiment.
Background info. So I'm caving. I think I'm going to start The Epidemic.
Now, before you start throwing full wine bottles at your computer screen, and wrap sweaty sheets around yourself at night, feverish with nightmares of Kiriana and Immortality gathering dust in obscure corners of warm, musty cellars beneath my expansive authorial den--before I become too ridiculously figurative--hear ye now my experiment, or plan, or whatever you like to call it. I intend, if possible, God willing, and barring unforeseen circumstances, to strive to write between 250 and 500 words a day, minimum, on these three novel projects. That would be a maximum minimum, so to speak, of 1500 words a day, or about three single-spaced pages. Of course there may be days when I pump out twice that, but this is to try to guard against two things: wasting good writing time, and letting perfectly interesting projects founder.
You have authorization to beat the tar out of me if I fail in this. Though I also have authorization to defend myself. :P
So, will it work? I hope so. It had better work, because this is how I want to run things when/if I am a professional author. No better time to start than right now.
Peace out, readership. ;-)
Background info. So I'm caving. I think I'm going to start The Epidemic.
Now, before you start throwing full wine bottles at your computer screen, and wrap sweaty sheets around yourself at night, feverish with nightmares of Kiriana and Immortality gathering dust in obscure corners of warm, musty cellars beneath my expansive authorial den--before I become too ridiculously figurative--hear ye now my experiment, or plan, or whatever you like to call it. I intend, if possible, God willing, and barring unforeseen circumstances, to strive to write between 250 and 500 words a day, minimum, on these three novel projects. That would be a maximum minimum, so to speak, of 1500 words a day, or about three single-spaced pages. Of course there may be days when I pump out twice that, but this is to try to guard against two things: wasting good writing time, and letting perfectly interesting projects founder.
You have authorization to beat the tar out of me if I fail in this. Though I also have authorization to defend myself. :P
So, will it work? I hope so. It had better work, because this is how I want to run things when/if I am a professional author. No better time to start than right now.
Peace out, readership. ;-)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Oh Yeah, That's Just Great!
Why is it that I have to come up with my most bizarrely curious story ideas RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG BUCKETLOAD OF SCHOOL? :-P And why, pray tell, does this story idea have to wait until I finish Kirana AND Immortality and get started on the bally Epidemic? Well, okay, you're right, it doesn't HAVE to wait that long, but I can't just throw all my other projects in the dustbin, because they're very fun too and I've put a lot into them.
Just to give you an idea of how different this one is--again!--the protagonist is a 41 year-old Japanese hitwoman with a BIG secret. :D
P.S. Don't ask why 41 precisely, it just sounded right!
P.P.S. Anyone else noted the strong supernatural trend in my writing? It's interesting. tLoN is chock full of supernatural powers, the Amazoni have supernatural strength, Pelen is physically invincible, Mad Mariah features supernatural spiritual warfare, and both The Epidemic and this other story, not to mention Deus ex Homine, my latest short story, will all feature some kind of unique and otherwordly powers. I think my only major exceptions so far are The Motel and my failed Viking invasion of Ireland novel. :-D
Just to give you an idea of how different this one is--again!--the protagonist is a 41 year-old Japanese hitwoman with a BIG secret. :D
P.S. Don't ask why 41 precisely, it just sounded right!
P.P.S. Anyone else noted the strong supernatural trend in my writing? It's interesting. tLoN is chock full of supernatural powers, the Amazoni have supernatural strength, Pelen is physically invincible, Mad Mariah features supernatural spiritual warfare, and both The Epidemic and this other story, not to mention Deus ex Homine, my latest short story, will all feature some kind of unique and otherwordly powers. I think my only major exceptions so far are The Motel and my failed Viking invasion of Ireland novel. :-D
Friday, September 12, 2008
Note to the World At Large
I apologize, amici amicaeque, for the cataclysmic drop in my posting frequency standards, or PFS. Some rather difficult and confusing things happened at the end of summer, which kind of kicked my habit of working diligently, and now that school has started up I've been more or less skating thin ice. *wry grin* So I haven't had too much time for posting, or rather I haven't made that much time for it. I haven't even, for instance, posted any of the more than 300 pictures I took while on a trip to Central Oregon with my dad. I hope that shall soon be rectified. In the meantime, I hope everyone is doing well, anyone who wants to buy me a Smith and Wesson M&P is absolutely welcome to do so, and let it be known that I have the sober and distinguished appellation of Teaching Assistant this year, in the new iteration of my flagship lit class last year, AP English. These high school classes are starting to make me feel old: 15 or 16 didn't used to sound young to me, but now that I've reached the normal age for starting college, it feels a little strange. :P
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Two Burglars Discuss Their Loot
Bob: Hey Rufus, 'dja get the goods?
Rufus: Sure did, pal.
Bob: Problems?
Rufus: Yeah, Maxwell rolled over once, opened one eye: I pretended to be a statue and I think he bought it.
Bob: Well, get it in the truck. We don't know that he bought it.
Rufus: Better read it first. Make sure it's the real deal.
Bob: All right, all right. Make it fast.
The result:
SEVEN THINGS IN YOUR ROOM:
1. Books
2. A bed
3. A painting of a Spanish mission
4. Glamdring
5. A Marlin .22 rifle
6. A kukri machete
7. A pen from Mozambique
SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
1. God
2. Water
3. Food
4. Sunlight
5. Oxygen
6. My brain
7. A circulatory system
SEVEN THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Become a more godly and righteous person
2. Marry
3. Raise children
4. Get published
5. Tour Europe from Ireland to the Urals, focusing on World War II battlefields
6. To the best of my ability, make better the lives of others
7. Drive a Dodge Charger SRT8
SEVEN OTHER THINGS:
Do You:
1. Believe in God? Yes.
2. Had a dream come true? Do you realize that this sentence, completed, would read “Do you had a dream come true?” That is appalling. As I recall, no, I haven’t had a dream come true. Fortunate for me, as I dreamt once I was being chased through my house by a velociraptor.
3. Read the newspaper? No, I find the internet to be an improvement for obtaining general national and world news. It’s faster, just as comprehensive, and free.
4. Pray? Yes.
5. Have a job? Not one that pays. :-)
6. Go to church? Yes.
7. Wish on shooting stars? I may have done so when I was younger, but I don’t think I have recently.
SEVEN THINGS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS:Have you...
1. Cried? No.
2. Had fun? Yes.
3. Been kissed? Yes, by my mom.
4. Felt stupid? Sure, yeah.
5. Talked to an ex? Don’t have one, bru.
6. Missed someone? Not actively.
7. Hugged someone? Mom.
TEN random things about me:
10. When I imagine scenes from my stories, the resultant mental image is typically very detailed, almost like a movie. I think in color and sound and often imagine an accompanying musical score.
09. I have a scar on my left forefinger left by a pruning saw.
08. I have little sympathy for men with families who attempt extremely dangerous mountain climbs for fun.
07. I think I enjoy Orwell’s essays more than his books.
06. As my family could easily tell you, I am very much not a pet person.
05. I find skeletons endlessly amusing.
04. My latest short story has been influenced to some degree by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
03. I have considered getting a scooter.
02. I drink up movie lines and recycle them for anyone who cares to listen, and I love to imitate voices.
01. On that note, I find that I can apply the Joker’s lines to a staggering amount of situations.
NINE ways to win my heart:
09. Be a growing and enthusiastic Christian.
08. Be a good communicator. That’s really, really important.
07. Be a caring and sensitive person.
06. Be willing to rebuke me when I’m doing something wrong.
05. Be willing to put up with movie imitations. :-P
04. Be a lover of literature.
03. Be a lover of writing.
02. Be a punctual, respectful, patient person.
01. Be more concerned with inner than with outer beauty.
SEVEN ways to annoy me:
07. Act like a typical college frat boy.
06. Write in “texting” language.
05. Insult a lady.
04. Be insensitive to the suffering of others.
03. Show no regard for artistic beauty or intellectual exercise.
02. Tickle me while I’m stretching.
01. Play music too loudly.
SIX things I believe in:
06. The reality and holiness of God.
05. The reality and unholiness of Satan.
04. The potential dangers of television and the internet.
03. The depravity of man.
02. The destructive power of gunfire.
01. The beauty of many parts of the natural world.
FIVE things I'm afraid of:
05. Sharks
04. Some dogs
03. Barack Obama
02. Failing to turn in schoolwork on time
01. Losing unsaved writing.
FOUR of my favorite items in my room:
04. My bed
03. My gun
02. My books
01. My CDs
THREE things I do everyday
03. Put on a belt.
02. Clip a KA-Bar Mule Folder to my pocket.
01. Turn on my computer.
TWO things I want to do right now:
02. Work on Kiriana.
01. Go to bed.
ONE person I want to see right now:
01. Sorry to count you all as one person, people--it’s just a way to cut corners on this quiz: Robert, David, Elisabeth, and Lindsey.
Rufus: Sure did, pal.
Bob: Problems?
Rufus: Yeah, Maxwell rolled over once, opened one eye: I pretended to be a statue and I think he bought it.
Bob: Well, get it in the truck. We don't know that he bought it.
Rufus: Better read it first. Make sure it's the real deal.
Bob: All right, all right. Make it fast.
The result:
SEVEN THINGS IN YOUR ROOM:
1. Books
2. A bed
3. A painting of a Spanish mission
4. Glamdring
5. A Marlin .22 rifle
6. A kukri machete
7. A pen from Mozambique
SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
1. God
2. Water
3. Food
4. Sunlight
5. Oxygen
6. My brain
7. A circulatory system
SEVEN THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Become a more godly and righteous person
2. Marry
3. Raise children
4. Get published
5. Tour Europe from Ireland to the Urals, focusing on World War II battlefields
6. To the best of my ability, make better the lives of others
7. Drive a Dodge Charger SRT8
SEVEN OTHER THINGS:
Do You:
1. Believe in God? Yes.
2. Had a dream come true? Do you realize that this sentence, completed, would read “Do you had a dream come true?” That is appalling. As I recall, no, I haven’t had a dream come true. Fortunate for me, as I dreamt once I was being chased through my house by a velociraptor.
3. Read the newspaper? No, I find the internet to be an improvement for obtaining general national and world news. It’s faster, just as comprehensive, and free.
4. Pray? Yes.
5. Have a job? Not one that pays. :-)
6. Go to church? Yes.
7. Wish on shooting stars? I may have done so when I was younger, but I don’t think I have recently.
SEVEN THINGS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS:Have you...
1. Cried? No.
2. Had fun? Yes.
3. Been kissed? Yes, by my mom.
4. Felt stupid? Sure, yeah.
5. Talked to an ex? Don’t have one, bru.
6. Missed someone? Not actively.
7. Hugged someone? Mom.
TEN random things about me:
10. When I imagine scenes from my stories, the resultant mental image is typically very detailed, almost like a movie. I think in color and sound and often imagine an accompanying musical score.
09. I have a scar on my left forefinger left by a pruning saw.
08. I have little sympathy for men with families who attempt extremely dangerous mountain climbs for fun.
07. I think I enjoy Orwell’s essays more than his books.
06. As my family could easily tell you, I am very much not a pet person.
05. I find skeletons endlessly amusing.
04. My latest short story has been influenced to some degree by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
03. I have considered getting a scooter.
02. I drink up movie lines and recycle them for anyone who cares to listen, and I love to imitate voices.
01. On that note, I find that I can apply the Joker’s lines to a staggering amount of situations.
NINE ways to win my heart:
09. Be a growing and enthusiastic Christian.
08. Be a good communicator. That’s really, really important.
07. Be a caring and sensitive person.
06. Be willing to rebuke me when I’m doing something wrong.
05. Be willing to put up with movie imitations. :-P
04. Be a lover of literature.
03. Be a lover of writing.
02. Be a punctual, respectful, patient person.
01. Be more concerned with inner than with outer beauty.
SEVEN ways to annoy me:
07. Act like a typical college frat boy.
06. Write in “texting” language.
05. Insult a lady.
04. Be insensitive to the suffering of others.
03. Show no regard for artistic beauty or intellectual exercise.
02. Tickle me while I’m stretching.
01. Play music too loudly.
SIX things I believe in:
06. The reality and holiness of God.
05. The reality and unholiness of Satan.
04. The potential dangers of television and the internet.
03. The depravity of man.
02. The destructive power of gunfire.
01. The beauty of many parts of the natural world.
FIVE things I'm afraid of:
05. Sharks
04. Some dogs
03. Barack Obama
02. Failing to turn in schoolwork on time
01. Losing unsaved writing.
FOUR of my favorite items in my room:
04. My bed
03. My gun
02. My books
01. My CDs
THREE things I do everyday
03. Put on a belt.
02. Clip a KA-Bar Mule Folder to my pocket.
01. Turn on my computer.
TWO things I want to do right now:
02. Work on Kiriana.
01. Go to bed.
ONE person I want to see right now:
01. Sorry to count you all as one person, people--it’s just a way to cut corners on this quiz: Robert, David, Elisabeth, and Lindsey.
Monday, September 1, 2008
A trip!
My dad and I are vacationing in the Bend/Sun River area in central Oregon this week, from Tuesday to Saturday. I'm excited! It's a beautiful area and I don't think I've been there in about five years. We're going to do a great deal of hiking and bike-riding, possibly some canoeing, and of course have some pizza and milkshakes in the little Sun River village. I will be sure to take my camera along and give ya'll a pictorial history when I return. :-)
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