I know, I know, I'm a week late :)
Forgive me?
My right arm (the more dominant one) has been slightly 'out' of the rotary cuff for approximately 7 weeks, which makes typing quite painful, so I've been limiting my computering (yes, that is totally a word in my dictionary :p) to the essentials.
AAAAAAAAND, since my last post, there's been a lot of essential computering :)
Today/this weekend I'm hoping to finish the last fiddly bits of editing (3rd round! So fun!) on TRoRS before it's "done".
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that... like, one small part of my brain tells me, "hey, this is a big deal, you should be freaking out or jumping around or something..." and the rest of my brain goes, "yeah, but SELKA & SIKKA, and JAY & KELL, and... and... and OTHER STORIES THAT I WANT TO WRITE!!!!!"
...and then I start watching documentaries on the Arctic Circle and make notes on things like white sturgeons* and the hibernation cycle of ground squirrels...
...Oh yeah, I have managed to restrain myself from starting the story that is not a story yet. It's still locked in a small corner of my brain because it will take a CRAZY amount of research so I can get things right and not piss anyone off.
(The 'shoe' story)
...and I'm not sure if 'the shoe story' would be considered YA because it does involve the world history of alcohol...
I am absolutely going to finish 'Afraid of the Dark' & 'Scarlight' before I start anything new. And, I would LIKE to re-work/finish the MG story I started writing, 'Left & Right'. I stopped because I wasn't confident that the voice of it was MG, but this year I've read several really excellent MG books written in a slightly more mature voice which gives me a boost of confidence that I can pull this off.
Other things I've been up to... Oh, I donated my hair again! Last time was 2 years ago, so.... yeah, I did link a picture here. One of the very few pictures of me online... Generally, when it's cut off, it looks similar to that linked picture. Longer at the front, about 1-2" long at the back, (because they pull it into a ponytail, tie it off, and then cut, so you get a reverse-bob) but THIS time, my usual stylist was out of town and... let's just say, I am NOT inclined to post a picture until it grows out. When it's straight, it looks suspiciously... mushroom-shaped... so I've been letting it just go all crazy/curly, and the first thing my nephew said was... that I look like a sheep.
Nice thing is, I have a large collection of hats I can hide it under ;)
Best part about short hair? It looks insane in the morning! Like, I stayed at my parent's place Christmas Eve and everyone started killing themselves laughing when I walked into the kitchen on Christmas morning... it defies gravity and I kinda love that :p
So, other exciting things for 2016?
Hmmmm, I'm planning a trip to Montreal at the end of May (which might now involve meeting an online writing buddy for the first time ever!!!). The next internationally-attended PAC (Porcelain Artists of Canada) Convention is there, and thankfully, since it's on the other side of the country, I have not been involved with the planning/running of the convention :) If you recall, the 2014 convention that was in Vancouver pretty much sucked up a year of my time since I started out JUST handling all the registrations, then got asked to handle more and more responsibilities until I ended up as Vice-Chair. It was fun, I enjoyed it, but I didn't get to see any of the workshops because I was running around the whole time.
And speaking of PAC, and responsibilities, something similar has happened in that, after the 2014 convention, I got asked to help out with the photoshop work for the magazine, which snowballed into doing ALL the photoshopping, then taking care of the national website, and now I'm the Membership Director for the 2016-2018 term, which means I'm in charge of all the Provincial & International reps and handle all the membership stuff that they send me and compile/organize it all.
It's fun, I like the work, but I do need to learn to say 'no'. I'm probably just going to take on the position for the one term so I can re-do all the old forms/organizational stuff that they've been using for years, and set up a PayPal account so it's easier for International members to pay, 'cause right now, it's all done by cheque.
Generally, that's what I'm good at. Taking things apart and making them more efficient. It's a dyslexic-advantage ;)
...and probably why I often get asked to help on various projects like that.
(all joking aside, it's really flattering that they like me, and the work I do, to this extent)
Hmmmm, I was going to post something on my Bailiwick site when I got my new place all done/organized, and haven't done that yet because I've decided I want to do some more renovations. Some I'm going to do myself... like, I'm going to put stone around the fireplace, and all the way up to the ceiling. As part of that project, I am going to visit this place and get some cool wood to build shelving, and maybe rip out the existing tiled mantle & put wood there. Or I might do some framing/drywalling first... we'll see.
I also want to build a.... very unique lighting system/design feature that's going to involve cutting down a couple small trees on my parents' property (yes, I have permission, this won't be something I do under cover of darkness). I have thoughts on the actual lights too... remember how I played with coating actual maple leaves in resin? They were meant to be throw-away experiments, but 2 years later, the leaves haven't rotted and still hold their green colour. Anyways... let's just say resin & paper & leaves might play a part in the design for the lights ;) Oh, and maybe origami? We'll see :) Experimentation is the spice of life :)
One reno I may hire-out for is, I eventually want to remove the crappy laminate flooring from the ground floor AND the carpet from the upstairs and I'm thinking about a heated resin floor for the ground level, and that's not something I can put in myself. I know, I've researched it ;)
But, that's a design-choice I'm not 100% sure if I like or not. Would love an excuse to rip out the existing baseboard heaters because I wouldn't need them with in-floor heating, and it's super durable (with my crazy beagle tearing around) and it's super clean/modern... but maybe TOO clean/modern. I may go the opposite direction and put in distressed hardwood flooring, which I could do myself.
And a couple smaller things, I'm planning at least one snowboarding trip (end of Feb), and will definitely be up at the cabin as soon as possible... maybe late March, early April (yes, yes, I WILL avoid accidentally-on-purpose giving myself hypothermia again) because it's my absolutely favourite place in the world to write :)
So, those are a few things I'm excited about in this coming year :) How about you guys?
* By the way, there's kindof a funny white sturgeon thing... Another story idea that is not yet a story involves a white sturgeon, and a white sturgeon shows up (briefly) in AotD... so a writing buddy of mine joked that I should write "The Great Sturgeon Tales"... maybe do another one set in South America or something.
...so, kinda like how a character with a 'J' name always shows up in my stories... or vomit jokes... or cat references... or... or... uhh, yeah. I will seriously not start putting white sturgeons in all my stories, I promise.
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2016
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Short update
Wow, the last couple of weeks have absolutely flown by! Somehow, I think that's a quality of summer, even though it's not like I'm in school anymore so I am not revelling in the freedom of vacation.
Maybe it's the heat? Melts the brain a little and time slides sideways?
So... divorce! Yes! It's done! I should get the final paperwork this week!
(okay, I am officially banning myself from further use of exclamation marks in this post before I poke someone's eye out)
Eva, my beloved and... always troublesome beagle companion... had a small surgery to remove a lump from her chest (nothing seriously, thankfully) and was confined to a cone-of-shame for a week. Oh yes, plus 2 weeks fighting with ear drops for a persistent ear infection. She gained almost 5 lbs due to the number of treats I had to bribe her with... sigh...
Berkeley knocked my laptop on the floor, which meant a trip to the Apple store + a new screen + a couple days forced-detox from computer-land. Don't worry, I got the crying & shaking under control after the first 24 hours.
I was out in Chilliwack with my painting mentor for a few days and plan to head backon the 24th in August to help go through stuff for the next PAC convention. This one is in Montreal, May 2016.
Editing more photos for the PAC magazine, new issue deadline is the end of the month, and I've also taken over the website related tasks. It was kindof fun to realize that teaching myself basic coding when I was a teenager somehow stuck in my brain enough to allow me to pop into the backend of a website I had not built and manipulate it. Good times were had by all :)
Most exciting thing of all? I've jumped back into the Northern Fairytale with both feet. I've been going through the 25,000 words of first-draft-ugliness and editing for consistency and logic (seriously, why did I ever think that deer would have already given birth to fawns in March? IGNORANCE, and I now know better) and have been tapped into a lovely collection of Arctic-related notes/research/documentaries for the next portion of writing.
Where did I leave off last time? Maybe you recall my (slight) obsession with crows/ravens? And a peculiar goddess/monster (or as she prefers to be called) a 'Lady' made up of an entire flock of crows?
So yes, Selka is back and hungry for blood. Quite literally. And my brain is positively buzzing with ideas, notions, and random tangents that might possibly intersect at some point and connect into a cohesive plot.
This also means Jay, Kell & the crew from SCARLIGHT are currently banished into the dark corners of my brain until a later time & place. Writing 2 first drafts at the same time is apparently beyond my abilities, not only just in the sheer number of tense errors flipping from past to present & back again, but due to the bi-polar war going on in my head hopping between a somewhat noble female character and a selfish, self-involved male character. Oh, but Kell? Parkour? So much fun research somewhere in the future :)
And while all this is going on, I am on the hunt for a new place to live. The plan is to move before the end of September, but so far my extreme pickiness is limiting my options. It doesn't seem like a lot to ask for to find a place with a fenced yard, room/lighting to accommodate 40+ orchids, a snooker table, 2 pets, all my porcelain/painting stuff, 2 kilns, a light table, my computers, books... ugh. Okay, you can see why this might be difficult...
Yes, the last couple weeks have flashed by... how are your summers shaping up so far? Any writing goals you're shooting for? I have been informed that Camp NaNo is not somehow related to a horror-novel plot and is quite legitimate. Any non-writerly goals? Moving? School? Career/drudgery? Family? Vacation/trips?
Maybe it's the heat? Melts the brain a little and time slides sideways?
So... divorce! Yes! It's done! I should get the final paperwork this week!
(okay, I am officially banning myself from further use of exclamation marks in this post before I poke someone's eye out)
Eva, my beloved and... always troublesome beagle companion... had a small surgery to remove a lump from her chest (nothing seriously, thankfully) and was confined to a cone-of-shame for a week. Oh yes, plus 2 weeks fighting with ear drops for a persistent ear infection. She gained almost 5 lbs due to the number of treats I had to bribe her with... sigh...
Berkeley knocked my laptop on the floor, which meant a trip to the Apple store + a new screen + a couple days forced-detox from computer-land. Don't worry, I got the crying & shaking under control after the first 24 hours.
I was out in Chilliwack with my painting mentor for a few days and plan to head back
Editing more photos for the PAC magazine, new issue deadline is the end of the month, and I've also taken over the website related tasks. It was kindof fun to realize that teaching myself basic coding when I was a teenager somehow stuck in my brain enough to allow me to pop into the backend of a website I had not built and manipulate it. Good times were had by all :)
Most exciting thing of all? I've jumped back into the Northern Fairytale with both feet. I've been going through the 25,000 words of first-draft-ugliness and editing for consistency and logic (seriously, why did I ever think that deer would have already given birth to fawns in March? IGNORANCE, and I now know better) and have been tapped into a lovely collection of Arctic-related notes/research/documentaries for the next portion of writing.
Where did I leave off last time? Maybe you recall my (slight) obsession with crows/ravens? And a peculiar goddess/monster (or as she prefers to be called) a 'Lady' made up of an entire flock of crows?
So yes, Selka is back and hungry for blood. Quite literally. And my brain is positively buzzing with ideas, notions, and random tangents that might possibly intersect at some point and connect into a cohesive plot.
This also means Jay, Kell & the crew from SCARLIGHT are currently banished into the dark corners of my brain until a later time & place. Writing 2 first drafts at the same time is apparently beyond my abilities, not only just in the sheer number of tense errors flipping from past to present & back again, but due to the bi-polar war going on in my head hopping between a somewhat noble female character and a selfish, self-involved male character. Oh, but Kell? Parkour? So much fun research somewhere in the future :)
And while all this is going on, I am on the hunt for a new place to live. The plan is to move before the end of September, but so far my extreme pickiness is limiting my options. It doesn't seem like a lot to ask for to find a place with a fenced yard, room/lighting to accommodate 40+ orchids, a snooker table, 2 pets, all my porcelain/painting stuff, 2 kilns, a light table, my computers, books... ugh. Okay, you can see why this might be difficult...
Yes, the last couple weeks have flashed by... how are your summers shaping up so far? Any writing goals you're shooting for? I have been informed that Camp NaNo is not somehow related to a horror-novel plot and is quite legitimate. Any non-writerly goals? Moving? School? Career/drudgery? Family? Vacation/trips?
Monday, June 15, 2015
Puzzle pieces & ideas
The stories I write are all a little weird. Okay, maybe a LOT weird.
Ever since I was a kid, I've been curious, always wanting to know how things work*. The result of this is hoards of random information crammed into the crooks of my brain. Sadly, details like how to tell if the slime coat on a freshwater fish is healthy or not has overwritten useful tidbits like... the basics of polite small talk. Or the 12x table. It's also embarrassing how many times I have to look up my own phone number/address/postal code**.
As an adult, it's a heck of a lot easier to feed this insatiable appetite for information (yeah internet!) and as a writer it's a lot easier to justify/rationalize when asked why I'm researching some obscure piece of information (see earlier paragraph on fresh water fish slime coats).
Because all these odd, unrelated bites of information hang around in my head like orphaned puzzle pieces, just waiting to be assembled into something amazing.
Documentaries are a significant jumping off point for me. I mostly watch ones on the natural world, animals, travel, archaeology, history, earthquakes, how the universe works, etc. These give me ideas, not only how existing or fantastical cultures might work, but also possible plot points, hobbies/interests/jobs for characters to obsess over, or spooky/scary/otherworldly things for characters to avoid. Yes, one day I WILL write a story that includes Pykrete. Or Ebu Gogo. Or Armenian brandy.
I also use Wiki a lot. Often I'll check something (like Pykrete) and follow the links until I'm on a different subject entirely. You never know when MSDS sheets for tattoo ink may be the perfect solution for a writing blockage/deadend. Wiki is a good place to start, but of course better/more detailed research is necessary.
People. I love talking to people, especially ones I don't know. I'm aways curious what their jobs are like, what their family/friends are like, etc, and especially what their hobbies/interests are. I have my own base of topics that I keep up to date on, but it's impossible to follow/know everything. Asking people to tell you about what they like is an amazing chance to hear the 'best of' something, to hear why someone likes that specific thing. It opens up so many new avenues to explore as possible writing/character ideas.
Like, I talked to a guy at the dog park the other day who is a ginormous Avengers fan. He's got every movie, binge-watched them all over 3 days before the latest movie came out. He's got comics, action figures, posters, etc. And hearing him talk about this with such passion, it makes me interested in going to see this movie, and maybe, maybe in the future, I'll want to write a character who is a passionate fan like this guy.
His passion sparked an interest in me, and isn't that the most important thing about characters/books?
Blog posts. Usually ones I have no background in, but they talk about really interesting ideas from an angle I never would have thought of before. Like this guy who writes on things like trust in 'things' versus trust in co-workers/people.
Reading. Yes, I do a lot of reading. I read everything from comic books to philosophy books to history books. I like books about art, culture, and mythology. I don't read as much as I'd like to, but again, I'll pick books up on topics that interest me and may ignite new ideas to play with. The only downside to reading books for information is the information can be out of date.
As for reading fiction, I seem to go through concentrated bursts of genre/etc. Sometimes I'll read 15 contemporary books in a row, sometimes it'll be a more diverse mix. Personally I love books translated from other languages. The voice of the author, how they put together words, what they choose to say, or not say, does survive the translation process. I find it fascinating how much you can pick up of another culture in how the stories are told.
For me, the more diverse the information, the more potential ideas can be generated. If all you do is read/research/etc within your narrow field of interest, you are limiting the reservoir of inspiration to pull from.
So, how about you guys? Do you have any favourite sources for generating ideas? I've heard many people use music as an inspiration, or movies, etc. How much non-fiction reading do you do, and do you prefer books or online sites?
* I electrocuted myself when I was 6 trying to dismantle an electrical outlet and have many, many scars from power tools, sharp objects, and am still surprised I have never poisoned myself.
...I also have not gotten any smarter. Two summers ago I hurt my knee trying to run on top of a fence, and just a couple months ago (if you follow me on twitter) I sortof-intentionally gave myself mild hypothermia by swimming in 14C lake water.
** Let's blame that one on the number of times I've moved in the past 12 years...
Ever since I was a kid, I've been curious, always wanting to know how things work*. The result of this is hoards of random information crammed into the crooks of my brain. Sadly, details like how to tell if the slime coat on a freshwater fish is healthy or not has overwritten useful tidbits like... the basics of polite small talk. Or the 12x table. It's also embarrassing how many times I have to look up my own phone number/address/postal code**.
As an adult, it's a heck of a lot easier to feed this insatiable appetite for information (yeah internet!) and as a writer it's a lot easier to justify/rationalize when asked why I'm researching some obscure piece of information (see earlier paragraph on fresh water fish slime coats).
Because all these odd, unrelated bites of information hang around in my head like orphaned puzzle pieces, just waiting to be assembled into something amazing.
Documentaries are a significant jumping off point for me. I mostly watch ones on the natural world, animals, travel, archaeology, history, earthquakes, how the universe works, etc. These give me ideas, not only how existing or fantastical cultures might work, but also possible plot points, hobbies/interests/jobs for characters to obsess over, or spooky/scary/otherworldly things for characters to avoid. Yes, one day I WILL write a story that includes Pykrete. Or Ebu Gogo. Or Armenian brandy.
I also use Wiki a lot. Often I'll check something (like Pykrete) and follow the links until I'm on a different subject entirely. You never know when MSDS sheets for tattoo ink may be the perfect solution for a writing blockage/deadend. Wiki is a good place to start, but of course better/more detailed research is necessary.
People. I love talking to people, especially ones I don't know. I'm aways curious what their jobs are like, what their family/friends are like, etc, and especially what their hobbies/interests are. I have my own base of topics that I keep up to date on, but it's impossible to follow/know everything. Asking people to tell you about what they like is an amazing chance to hear the 'best of' something, to hear why someone likes that specific thing. It opens up so many new avenues to explore as possible writing/character ideas.
Like, I talked to a guy at the dog park the other day who is a ginormous Avengers fan. He's got every movie, binge-watched them all over 3 days before the latest movie came out. He's got comics, action figures, posters, etc. And hearing him talk about this with such passion, it makes me interested in going to see this movie, and maybe, maybe in the future, I'll want to write a character who is a passionate fan like this guy.
His passion sparked an interest in me, and isn't that the most important thing about characters/books?
Blog posts. Usually ones I have no background in, but they talk about really interesting ideas from an angle I never would have thought of before. Like this guy who writes on things like trust in 'things' versus trust in co-workers/people.
Reading. Yes, I do a lot of reading. I read everything from comic books to philosophy books to history books. I like books about art, culture, and mythology. I don't read as much as I'd like to, but again, I'll pick books up on topics that interest me and may ignite new ideas to play with. The only downside to reading books for information is the information can be out of date.
As for reading fiction, I seem to go through concentrated bursts of genre/etc. Sometimes I'll read 15 contemporary books in a row, sometimes it'll be a more diverse mix. Personally I love books translated from other languages. The voice of the author, how they put together words, what they choose to say, or not say, does survive the translation process. I find it fascinating how much you can pick up of another culture in how the stories are told.
For me, the more diverse the information, the more potential ideas can be generated. If all you do is read/research/etc within your narrow field of interest, you are limiting the reservoir of inspiration to pull from.
So, how about you guys? Do you have any favourite sources for generating ideas? I've heard many people use music as an inspiration, or movies, etc. How much non-fiction reading do you do, and do you prefer books or online sites?
* I electrocuted myself when I was 6 trying to dismantle an electrical outlet and have many, many scars from power tools, sharp objects, and am still surprised I have never poisoned myself.
...I also have not gotten any smarter. Two summers ago I hurt my knee trying to run on top of a fence, and just a couple months ago (if you follow me on twitter) I sortof-intentionally gave myself mild hypothermia by swimming in 14C lake water.
** Let's blame that one on the number of times I've moved in the past 12 years...
Friday, December 26, 2014
Why, brain... why?
Yes, it's technically Boxing Day (1:32am local time), and y'know what I've been up to for the past several hours?
Google searches.
Yup. This 'thing' which doesn't even have a title.
What am I researching online?
Well, the Rig Veda for one. Yes, I am reading the Rig Veda, and I may read some of the other sacred Hindu texts as well... I've also got a window open with a spoken sanskrit dictionary, something called 'pranava meditation teachings', and 52 different Wiki tabs/pages open.
A few of those Wiki pages/tabs include: Sarama, Helskor, Hermes, Cerberus, Socotra, and every fairytale I can remember/think of involving magic shoes... from Cinderella, Puss in Boots, The Red Shoes, Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Wizard of Oz, The Magic Shoes, even the glowing-hot iron shoes the evil queen from Snow White is making my list... and those are only the fast/basic ones I can recall and can easily search for by name. I know there are a pile of non-western tales, I just haven't gotten that far yet. I've also found a few academic papers, like this one, which should be an interesting read.
If anyone has any other stories in solving magic shoes, I would really appreciate it if you could email me or mention them in the comments. My brain is a little full of... hymns right now... it's more than a little fun re-reading all the ones about Vac that I haven't read since university.
I've also been browsing everything from this to this to this... (that last link I'm kindof in love with) and beyond...
I'm not sure how other writers research, and I think it probably differs, not only for the writer, but for the type of story being written... as an example, I think research for historical fiction would be way harder than an ordinary contemporary story... wow, okay, I got lost on my way to the point...
...so, backtracking swiftly from that tangent, I'm not sure how other writers research, but I do a lot of reading without really taking down many notes. I try to immerse myself in as wide a range of information as possible, and somewhere in the midst of drowning in that flood of data, things just start suddenly clicking together.
That's how I wrote every paper in university... and (apparently) how I research story ideas.
And that's the mode I'm in right now. Skim reading like crazy.
I admit it feels more than a little blasphemous... mixing so much religion/mythology/etc into a giant vat and reimagining it into something new... but I suppose, after reading and learning about so many belief systems over many years, that is how they generally spread... by amalgamating, devouring, or destroying other belief systems. And don't even get me started on hermeneutical horizons... philosophy at 1:30am is probably only surpassed in 'bad ideas' by calling someone on the phone that you're mad at and trying to have a conversation.
Okay, I think I have actually tired out my brain enough to fall asleep. It's been a tough few weeks.
G'night, all.
Google searches.
Yup. This 'thing' which doesn't even have a title.
What am I researching online?
Well, the Rig Veda for one. Yes, I am reading the Rig Veda, and I may read some of the other sacred Hindu texts as well... I've also got a window open with a spoken sanskrit dictionary, something called 'pranava meditation teachings', and 52 different Wiki tabs/pages open.
A few of those Wiki pages/tabs include: Sarama, Helskor, Hermes, Cerberus, Socotra, and every fairytale I can remember/think of involving magic shoes... from Cinderella, Puss in Boots, The Red Shoes, Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Wizard of Oz, The Magic Shoes, even the glowing-hot iron shoes the evil queen from Snow White is making my list... and those are only the fast/basic ones I can recall and can easily search for by name. I know there are a pile of non-western tales, I just haven't gotten that far yet. I've also found a few academic papers, like this one, which should be an interesting read.
If anyone has any other stories in solving magic shoes, I would really appreciate it if you could email me or mention them in the comments. My brain is a little full of... hymns right now... it's more than a little fun re-reading all the ones about Vac that I haven't read since university.
I've also been browsing everything from this to this to this... (that last link I'm kindof in love with) and beyond...
I'm not sure how other writers research, and I think it probably differs, not only for the writer, but for the type of story being written... as an example, I think research for historical fiction would be way harder than an ordinary contemporary story... wow, okay, I got lost on my way to the point...
...so, backtracking swiftly from that tangent, I'm not sure how other writers research, but I do a lot of reading without really taking down many notes. I try to immerse myself in as wide a range of information as possible, and somewhere in the midst of drowning in that flood of data, things just start suddenly clicking together.
That's how I wrote every paper in university... and (apparently) how I research story ideas.
And that's the mode I'm in right now. Skim reading like crazy.
I admit it feels more than a little blasphemous... mixing so much religion/mythology/etc into a giant vat and reimagining it into something new... but I suppose, after reading and learning about so many belief systems over many years, that is how they generally spread... by amalgamating, devouring, or destroying other belief systems. And don't even get me started on hermeneutical horizons... philosophy at 1:30am is probably only surpassed in 'bad ideas' by calling someone on the phone that you're mad at and trying to have a conversation.
Okay, I think I have actually tired out my brain enough to fall asleep. It's been a tough few weeks.
G'night, all.
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