Max twirled his glass in a gloved hand. He didn't know what he had expected, to be honest, but he shouldn't have been disappointed. It was stupid. Of course the pianist wouldn't know it. When the floor was opened for requests, most would ask for a ballad, a jazzy tune, or maybe even a classic love song. Something to color the mood while couples looked at each other over their glass. Most wouldn't ask for the theme song of Lester's Possum Farm.
He didn't know if such a song could even be translated for the piano. It was too folksy, from what he remembered. A lot of banjo, maybe a harmonica. It was a little fuzzy. Unfortunately the awkward exchange with the pianist was still all too clear.
Gulping down the last of his drink, Max signaled the bartender. A fresh glass slid over to him and was promptly ingested in one fluid motion. Grimacing, Max asked for another. If the bartender judged him he didn't show it, simply reached for the bottle again.
It had come all at once, the memories of that summer years ago; when his father had stolen him away for a father-son fishing trip. Max had made the first half of that trip a nightmare for his dad. Well, no, that wasn't quite true. While Max had behaved like a brat the whole way, Goofy had spent the beginning of the trip excited as ever. And even when Goofy realized how miserable Max was after the possum fiasco, he never stopped trying to turn it around and bond with his son.
That's right...
That's all Goofy had wanted: To bond with his son.
And Max had fought him at every turn all because of a stupid, juvenile crush that wouldn't even survive his next year in high school. What was her name again? Anne-something? He scoffed. He couldn't even remember her name.
But he did remember the way his father pronounced "sassafras" -- "sassyfras" -- as he hung upside-down with possums. And the sound of his yodeling as he happily clapped along to the theme song...
Max's hand gripped the refilled glass and cleared his throat to mask the sniffle that slipped. That summer had ended well for them both, thankfully. The PowerLine concert still held the spot for his favorite memory with his dad. But they never did make it to Lake Destiny...
He didn't know why he was so focused on that detail. Their relationship had improved leaps and bounds over the years (despite the hiccup when they went to college together) as Max learned how to focus less on the sometimes embarrassing antics his father would perform and more on the compassionate motivation underneath. For his part, Goofy learned how to give Max the appropriate amount of space (and when, that was important) and how to be affectionate without being smothering.
Max coughed to cover another sniffle. That wasn't fair. Sylvia never found Goofy smothering, in fact she relished in his affections and behavior. But of course she did, Max thought with a chuckle. She's as goofy as he is.
Was.
His hand clenched the glass again, his throat suddenly sandpaper. A familiar sensation burned at the backs of his eyes. Throwing his head back, he gulped down his drink, but the liquor did nothing to push down what was coming. The thought echoed in his mind louder and louder and Max shut his eyes tight in attempt to will the memory away before it could replay the events from last week. It was no use though. As much as he drank, he couldn't drink enough to forget.
Forget the carnival.
Forget the look on Sylvia's face when she came back from the snack stand, the tray of caramel apples falling from her hands.
Forget the way she sobbed and rocked him, trying to soothe the screams he hadn't realized were coming from him.
Forget the sight of his father's body lying so still on the ground--
Something shattered against the shelves across from him.
"'EY!" someone roared from his right. It was only as the bartender stomped over that Max noticed his now empty hand in the air and put the pieces together. "That's going on your tab, buddy," the bartender growled. "Now settle up and get out!"
A delicate hand rests on his shoulder before Max could speak. "I'll take care of that." The voice was as soft as the touch, with notes of exhaustion trickling beneath the affection.
Max turned towards the sound, his hazy mind knowing he should recognize it, but not quite making the connection until he saw Sylvia's face. Immediately he wished he hadn't. Her normally sparkling eyes were hollow and cloudy, the dark rings underneath still noticeable despite the dim lighting, and her nose was scarlet and rubbed bare at the sides. She was still in her black dress suit from that morning, but had undone her bun so her hair rested on her shoulders. The once-shiny red locks had dulled over the years and now bore the musky color of oxidized metal. The same color as the rust on the safety harnesses on the ride that--
An image flashed in his mind and Max tore his gaze away, grinding his teeth to push back the sound that threatened to escape him. Whether it was a cry or a growl, he wasn't sure.
The bartender looked at Sylvia's face, then to their matching black attire, and sighed. The animosity was gone from his voice as he recited the total to Sylvia and she reached for her purse.
Max knew he shouldn't allow her to do this. Shouldn't accept any monetary gesture. Not now. Especially not now. But when she pulled her left hand from his shoulder all sense of propriety left him as his eyes caught the glint of her wedding rings beside her mood ring.
Goofy had once told Max about his first date with Sylvia and how their mood rings had shone with a brilliant light when their hands touched.
"Maxxy, right then, I just knew..."
The tears flowed freely then. Max stared with unseeing eyes as Sylvia placed her wallet back into her purse, the transaction completed. His focus was brought back with a start when he felt fingers wiping the tears from his cheeks. His eyes met Sylvia's. A sad frown marred her features.
"Oh, Max," she sighed, and he felt more than heard the sorrow in her voice. She reached into her purse again and pulled out a travel-sized tissue packet. There was only one left and he was crying pretty profusely, but she tried to clean him up all the same. "Come on, let's get you home."
He didn't know whose home she meant, but stood anyway. He couldn't deny her anything -- not anymore. Keeping her hands on his arm to steady him, Sylvia gently led Max towards the exit and out of the piano bar. For a time the only sounds between them were the clicks of her heels as they headed for the parking lot.
"He was always okay." Max's voice is raw with suppressed emotion and hours of drinking, and seems to catch her by surprise. He hadn't planned to say anything, but now he had to explain. "He was always getting thrown by things or crashing into stuff, but he... he was always okay... after..." His lip quivered and he shut his eyes tight, but more tears still slip down. Sylvia's hand immediately goes to his hair.
"I know, Max. I know..." She continues to stroke his hair soothingly as he presses his mouth into a firm line. "Goofy--" Her voice breaks and there's the sound of a breath before she continues. "Sometimes things happen that we just can't explain."
It's said with a surprising lack of bitterness, Max thought, because no one could explain how a popular ride had gone without routine check-ups for so long. How a man who had never had more than a sprained ankle, despite being prone to extreme stunts, had met his end on a children's ride while others walked away shaken, but otherwise unscathed. It was becoming quite the controversy, actually, with several news channels discussing the carnival's public endangerment. But the more they discussed it, the less interested Max became in the company's answers. Nothing they said excused their negligence. And nothing the public learned would change what happened, would retrieve what he lost...
A quiet beep pulled him back to his surroundings as Sylvia's green beetle blinked its lights. With her left arm still linked through his, Sylvia opened the passenger door with her right and helped him climb inside. Max tried not to look at her rings.
The inside of the car was clean, as usual, save for the small plastic bag on the floor by his feet. Its translucence betrayed the contents inside: It was filled with used tissues. Dimly, he remembered the bar and the single tissue Sylvia had to offer. Dragging his knowing gaze away from the bag, Max caught sight of the car's cigarette lighter. Immediately, his thoughts went back to that summer. Back to an image of a can of soup balanced atop a car cigarette lighter on the dashboard.
"Well, it's nice to know this thing's good for somethin'."
The driver's side door closed with a quiet thunk. Max turned toward Sylvia to find the keys in the ignition but her eyes on him, an expression he couldn't read on her face. She studied him, her hands in her lap, as if waiting for a sign he was ready to go.
Max swallowed. He didn't know what to say, how to explain the thoughts that consumed him. And before his mind could catch up, his mouth moved. "We never went to Lake Destiny. Dad wanted to fish. He-He liked to fish..." Again her hand found his hair. Over the years she'd come to show affection for him in soothing ways like this. It was almost maternal. Somehow that made it harder to breathe, and the rest came out with a gasp, quiet and strained. "I-I should have let him take me--"
The words had barely left him when Sylvia's arms wrapped around his shoulders and crashed him to her in a tight embrace.
"He knew you loved him." Her voice was firm now; the sorrow replaced with a certainty that told him she understood. "He never doubted that."
He collapsed against her, fisting her jacket and pressing his face into her shoulder as sobs racked his body. She continued her ministrations on his hair and back, whispering in his ear in attempts to comfort him, but he soon felt his shoulder grow wet.
She was crying, too.
= = = = = =
Obligatory disclaimer: All characters belong to Disney, the only thing I own is this story idea. This was written for entertainment purposes and I do not plan to (nor will I) receive any compensation for it.
This was a two-month-long beast. There are things I still wish I could have done better, KNOW would have been done better years ago, but I'm still proud of this. It's done. And it's mine. And after the years I've had and the struggles with writing, it feels incredible to finally finish something cohesive again.
The idea came from a prompt in one of my christmas gifts. The prompt was "A strange request at a piano bar" and I had to include the following in the story: carnival, sprained, mask, oxidation, awkward, apple, juvenile, controversy, twirl, sassafras.
Fun facts:
-- The reason I immediately decided the story was going to involve Max and Goofy was because Goofy was the only source in my LIFE that I heard use the term "sassafras." The plot developed from there.
-- I was pulling my hair out for over a week trying to find a way to use "oxidized" without it sounding like a vocab drop. I had a bunch of flash backs of similar school assignments where I had to use certain terms and it was always so painfully obvious when something was dropped in just so that it was there. I am praying desperately that I used it well enough that it fit naturally into the narrative. Let me know.
-- The only way I finally calmed and figured out how to use all ten terms in a way that would make sense was to allow myself to use different forms (tenses) of the words. There were no instructions in the book of writing prompts (only the phrase "include the following in your story") so I allowed myself to cheat a little.
I really hope you enjoyed this, those few of you that haven't completely abandoned this place even though it's been barren for years. Please leave me your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions below. If you don't have a blogger account (you automatically do if you have a gmail) I DO allow anonymous comments.
See you next time.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Sunday, August 23, 2015
10 Random Words
gems: Carnivorous Goliath-like bipeds characterized by their immense height, weight, and strength. They are as dark as burned tree bark, with large, thick arms and legs, and their bodies are barren of all hair. Their eyes run a gauntlet through yellow, red, and green, and shine like fires in the dark.
battle: The sound of quick, panicked movement through an underbrush. Usually in reference to small creatures scurrying between branches as they seek shelter from storms.
whisper: A person or creature that hunts or preys on small, winged fairies. Most human whispers use poisons and netting as their tools of capture while animal whispers excrete pheromones that stun or drug the fairies.
doll: A breed of canine characterized by its pitch-black fur, large size, and sickly thin bodies. Doll cubs (or "dollies") are as large as an adult tiger, and grow to be thrice that size by adulthood.
aroma: A mythical, glowing blue stone that is said to grant the magical properties of greek sirens to whomever wields it.
estimate: Weather characterized by severe winds and damaging rains, similar to a hurricane.
childish: A red fruit known for its blue seeds and pink leaves -- its juices are commonly used in most herbal remedies to diminish pain.
feelings: Botanic quadrupeds indigenous to rain forests with the ability to mask themselves into their environment by entwining their vines with the plant life.
lurker: The last shadow cast by an object or organism in a day.
crawler: A person who spends an unhealthy or unseemly amount of time on the computer or internet.
-----------
Disclaimer: If you're a student and you've stumbled upon this page during a vocabulary assignment, DO NOT use these definitions. Your sentences will make zero sense and your grade will suffer.
I knew this was going to be hard, but damn. This is my entry for "Day 12" of the 30 'Day' Writing Challenge wherein I had to find ten random words and invent my own definitions for them. I took this to mean that the definitions I invented had to be wholly unrelated to what the word actually meant. So when I googled a word generator and it gave me "gems" I figured I had to exclude anything dealing with rocks or stones from my definition and anything dealing with fighting for "battle," and so on.
Gotta tell you, most of these were NOT easy to find new meanings for. When I found the generator I was hoping for some words I didn't see often or even know, but instead it gave me these basic words and I had to keep stopping myself from thinking of what they were and forcing myself to think of something new (which was the point, I know). It was worth the struggle, though, because in the end I got to envision some pretty cool creatures in my head... :)
Day 2: Write a FanFiction.
Day 16: Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)
Day 22: Write a story based on a dream you had.
Day 12: Find 10 random words and create your own definitions.
battle: The sound of quick, panicked movement through an underbrush. Usually in reference to small creatures scurrying between branches as they seek shelter from storms.
whisper: A person or creature that hunts or preys on small, winged fairies. Most human whispers use poisons and netting as their tools of capture while animal whispers excrete pheromones that stun or drug the fairies.
doll: A breed of canine characterized by its pitch-black fur, large size, and sickly thin bodies. Doll cubs (or "dollies") are as large as an adult tiger, and grow to be thrice that size by adulthood.
aroma: A mythical, glowing blue stone that is said to grant the magical properties of greek sirens to whomever wields it.
estimate: Weather characterized by severe winds and damaging rains, similar to a hurricane.
childish: A red fruit known for its blue seeds and pink leaves -- its juices are commonly used in most herbal remedies to diminish pain.
feelings: Botanic quadrupeds indigenous to rain forests with the ability to mask themselves into their environment by entwining their vines with the plant life.
lurker: The last shadow cast by an object or organism in a day.
crawler: A person who spends an unhealthy or unseemly amount of time on the computer or internet.
-----------
Disclaimer: If you're a student and you've stumbled upon this page during a vocabulary assignment, DO NOT use these definitions. Your sentences will make zero sense and your grade will suffer.
I knew this was going to be hard, but damn. This is my entry for "Day 12" of the 30 'Day' Writing Challenge wherein I had to find ten random words and invent my own definitions for them. I took this to mean that the definitions I invented had to be wholly unrelated to what the word actually meant. So when I googled a word generator and it gave me "gems" I figured I had to exclude anything dealing with rocks or stones from my definition and anything dealing with fighting for "battle," and so on.
Gotta tell you, most of these were NOT easy to find new meanings for. When I found the generator I was hoping for some words I didn't see often or even know, but instead it gave me these basic words and I had to keep stopping myself from thinking of what they were and forcing myself to think of something new (which was the point, I know). It was worth the struggle, though, because in the end I got to envision some pretty cool creatures in my head... :)
Monday, September 22, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
So I was finally able to watch Guardians of the Galaxy this past Wednesday while on my vacation. (From my full time job, I mean, not this website. This hiatus is no one's fault but my own.) And before I begin with my review there are a couple things I'd like to state for the record.
First, I had never heard of the graphic novels before this film came out, and I still haven't read any. So this review will be based purely on my experience of watching the story/characters for the first time with no set up whatsoever. Going in, all I knew was what I got from the first trailer: Some group of expert criminals, or perhaps just criminals, were needed for something or other. That's it. Honestly, the trailer did nothing for me so I wasn't even going to watch the thing if it weren't for everyone singing its praises from the rooftops.
Which leads me to my second note. I feel that the film may have been inadvertently oversold to me, since all the rooftop praising made my expectations high (and I'm pretty tough on movies to begin with). However, I'll still be reviewing the film as objectively as I can, with notice of where certain expectations were disappointed or reached.
As always, my reviews are spoiler free... and long.
Directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy tells the story of a group of criminals forming an unlikely alliance (of sorts) in order to fight against a being who aims to destroy the galaxy and all life as they know it.
The film is a sci-fi fantasy epic, not unlike the Star Wars series, only with less humans. Well, less traditional humans. During fantasy films centered in space I have always found the ratio between humans and aliens to be important. To be more specific, I have always found it more important for there to be more alien races than humans. I find this helps submerge the viewer (or reader) into the universe much easier and more quickly because it prevents us from getting comfortable seeing humans on screen to then suddenly have a jarring introduction of a being or creature that has tentacles coming out of its eyes (for example). In that, the film half achieved the goal. I was quickly submerged and given more alien races than humans... However, so many of those alien races -- the vast majority in fact -- were humanoid. Meaning they look just like humans except for one or two differences. This isn't the only film to do this -- and seeing as it is based off graphic novels it is not merely the film's choices either -- but I could never help but feel cheated when given a sci-fi/fantasy universe where the creators have free reign over their imagination and the best they give us is: "Here is a pink human... Now a blue one, but he has a horn-like bump on his head. Yeah. That's good."
Rainbow spectrum of humanoids aside, the visuals in this film were stunning. Both the physical and computer generated (but especially the computer generated) scenery and effects were top notch which made this film a captivating watch. There isn't much I can say here without going into spoilers so I'll just leave it with this: They used the physical when they could, and it made a difference, and when they had to resort to computer generation it looked real and natural even. So, galactic kudos to the men and women on that graphics team. Four for you, Graphics Team. You go, Graphics Team.
The characters, however, I felt could have used more work and attention. This is one of those areas I mentioned before that didn't meet my raised expectations. Going in, I figured the characters where going to be knocked out of the park, because the key to a successful story (and therefore film) is for the characters to be solid, complex, and engaging. Basically, they have to make us care. To be fair, my brother (with whom I saw the film) did warn me that Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana) was very flat and lacked proper character development. All of which I found to be painfully true. Moreover I don't believe this was Saldana's best performance. Perhaps I'm just growing jaded (i.e. bored) by seeing the actress in these roles, but I didn't believe her half the time. But she wasn't the only one I had qualms with. I felt Drax (played by Dave Bautista) had similar problems, though he at least had a more developed character arc (but not by much).
And I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I wasn't won over by Groot (the tree) either. Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) was fun to watch and provided a lot of laughs, but I didn't have the bond with him that I should have. And, looking back, I can't even recall what his back story was, if he even had one. I feel that he did but the fact that its not memorable is a problem in itself. Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Peter Quill (played by Chris Pratt) were the two most developed and well done characters, in my opinion. They each had a memorable backstory that propelled them forward and provided continued motivation for their actions. Also (and I don't know how much of this is Cooper's work or Sean Gunn's, who is credited as being the "On Set Rocket") the mannerisms and expressions that Rocket had made for a very entertaining and engaging character, which, needless to say, is an important quality to have in a character that is not actually there.
Pratt, as the songs went, stole the show. In that, the film did not disappoint. Though he's been acting since at least the 2000s, I had not seen him in much before this film, and the roles I have seen him in were from over half a decade ago. So it felt as if I was watching a new actor making his debut. And damn if he did not blow up the scene. He was very natural in his portrayal of the character and I felt the most connection to him than anyone else on cast. Coupled with Rocket, he was the source of the humor, jokes, and drama that actually landed.
Speaking of which, a lot of the dialogue hit my ear wrong. They were either forced jokes (as in trying too hard to be funny), painfully obvious observations (looking at you, Gamora), underdeveloped/chopped romance, or failed attempts at badass one-liners. Thankfully, it was not the majority of the film that suffered these flaws, which allowed for the film itself to still be a fun watch. But I do feel that a lot of moments could have been better and bigger if a line(s) were different or cut out all together. On the other hand, there were a lot of small moments that were made better and bigger due to priceless dialogue (that'll be the work of Rocket and Peter, mostly). I just wish the film were made completely of the latter rather than suffering so much from the former.
The villain of the film, Ronan (played by Lee Pace), was your typical genocidal foe. His backstory was explained and referenced throughout, though I felt like it was almost unimportant. This could have been purely my take, but it felt as if they said: "Okay, so this is why this dude is so angry. [insert exposition] Now back to the main characters!" Also the film had the classic insufferable elements so many others do with their villains. You know the ones: Monologuing; villain clearly has ability and opportunity to kill the heroes but doesn't; bad dialogue; childlike tantrum attitudes, and so on. Though that last one was actually called out by another character in the film, so it's not so much a developmental flaw as it is a personality flaw the character possesses. Which is unfortunate, since that's what kept me from taking the villain seriously. Due to my nonexistent knowledge of the comics, I don't know how much of that is a reflection of Pace's work and how much is just Ronan.
Overall the film was an enjoyable experience, and I would see it again, but I hope they get rid of their crutches before any sequels. Because of the weak character development and all the lines that made me drop my head in disappointment or annoyance, I give the film 3.5 stars out of 5. Sorry, guys. I just can't give you that full 4 stars. Can't do it.
First, I had never heard of the graphic novels before this film came out, and I still haven't read any. So this review will be based purely on my experience of watching the story/characters for the first time with no set up whatsoever. Going in, all I knew was what I got from the first trailer: Some group of expert criminals, or perhaps just criminals, were needed for something or other. That's it. Honestly, the trailer did nothing for me so I wasn't even going to watch the thing if it weren't for everyone singing its praises from the rooftops.
Which leads me to my second note. I feel that the film may have been inadvertently oversold to me, since all the rooftop praising made my expectations high (and I'm pretty tough on movies to begin with). However, I'll still be reviewing the film as objectively as I can, with notice of where certain expectations were disappointed or reached.
As always, my reviews are spoiler free... and long.
The film is a sci-fi fantasy epic, not unlike the Star Wars series, only with less humans. Well, less traditional humans. During fantasy films centered in space I have always found the ratio between humans and aliens to be important. To be more specific, I have always found it more important for there to be more alien races than humans. I find this helps submerge the viewer (or reader) into the universe much easier and more quickly because it prevents us from getting comfortable seeing humans on screen to then suddenly have a jarring introduction of a being or creature that has tentacles coming out of its eyes (for example). In that, the film half achieved the goal. I was quickly submerged and given more alien races than humans... However, so many of those alien races -- the vast majority in fact -- were humanoid. Meaning they look just like humans except for one or two differences. This isn't the only film to do this -- and seeing as it is based off graphic novels it is not merely the film's choices either -- but I could never help but feel cheated when given a sci-fi/fantasy universe where the creators have free reign over their imagination and the best they give us is: "Here is a pink human... Now a blue one, but he has a horn-like bump on his head. Yeah. That's good."
Rainbow spectrum of humanoids aside, the visuals in this film were stunning. Both the physical and computer generated (but especially the computer generated) scenery and effects were top notch which made this film a captivating watch. There isn't much I can say here without going into spoilers so I'll just leave it with this: They used the physical when they could, and it made a difference, and when they had to resort to computer generation it looked real and natural even. So, galactic kudos to the men and women on that graphics team. Four for you, Graphics Team. You go, Graphics Team.
The characters, however, I felt could have used more work and attention. This is one of those areas I mentioned before that didn't meet my raised expectations. Going in, I figured the characters where going to be knocked out of the park, because the key to a successful story (and therefore film) is for the characters to be solid, complex, and engaging. Basically, they have to make us care. To be fair, my brother (with whom I saw the film) did warn me that Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana) was very flat and lacked proper character development. All of which I found to be painfully true. Moreover I don't believe this was Saldana's best performance. Perhaps I'm just growing jaded (i.e. bored) by seeing the actress in these roles, but I didn't believe her half the time. But she wasn't the only one I had qualms with. I felt Drax (played by Dave Bautista) had similar problems, though he at least had a more developed character arc (but not by much).
And I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I wasn't won over by Groot (the tree) either. Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) was fun to watch and provided a lot of laughs, but I didn't have the bond with him that I should have. And, looking back, I can't even recall what his back story was, if he even had one. I feel that he did but the fact that its not memorable is a problem in itself. Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Peter Quill (played by Chris Pratt) were the two most developed and well done characters, in my opinion. They each had a memorable backstory that propelled them forward and provided continued motivation for their actions. Also (and I don't know how much of this is Cooper's work or Sean Gunn's, who is credited as being the "On Set Rocket") the mannerisms and expressions that Rocket had made for a very entertaining and engaging character, which, needless to say, is an important quality to have in a character that is not actually there.
Pratt, as the songs went, stole the show. In that, the film did not disappoint. Though he's been acting since at least the 2000s, I had not seen him in much before this film, and the roles I have seen him in were from over half a decade ago. So it felt as if I was watching a new actor making his debut. And damn if he did not blow up the scene. He was very natural in his portrayal of the character and I felt the most connection to him than anyone else on cast. Coupled with Rocket, he was the source of the humor, jokes, and drama that actually landed.
Speaking of which, a lot of the dialogue hit my ear wrong. They were either forced jokes (as in trying too hard to be funny), painfully obvious observations (looking at you, Gamora), underdeveloped/chopped romance, or failed attempts at badass one-liners. Thankfully, it was not the majority of the film that suffered these flaws, which allowed for the film itself to still be a fun watch. But I do feel that a lot of moments could have been better and bigger if a line(s) were different or cut out all together. On the other hand, there were a lot of small moments that were made better and bigger due to priceless dialogue (that'll be the work of Rocket and Peter, mostly). I just wish the film were made completely of the latter rather than suffering so much from the former.
The villain of the film, Ronan (played by Lee Pace), was your typical genocidal foe. His backstory was explained and referenced throughout, though I felt like it was almost unimportant. This could have been purely my take, but it felt as if they said: "Okay, so this is why this dude is so angry. [insert exposition] Now back to the main characters!" Also the film had the classic insufferable elements so many others do with their villains. You know the ones: Monologuing; villain clearly has ability and opportunity to kill the heroes but doesn't; bad dialogue; childlike tantrum attitudes, and so on. Though that last one was actually called out by another character in the film, so it's not so much a developmental flaw as it is a personality flaw the character possesses. Which is unfortunate, since that's what kept me from taking the villain seriously. Due to my nonexistent knowledge of the comics, I don't know how much of that is a reflection of Pace's work and how much is just Ronan.
Overall the film was an enjoyable experience, and I would see it again, but I hope they get rid of their crutches before any sequels. Because of the weak character development and all the lines that made me drop my head in disappointment or annoyance, I give the film 3.5 stars out of 5. Sorry, guys. I just can't give you that full 4 stars. Can't do it.
Friday, May 17, 2013
"Inhale"
We started the evening at our favorite restaurant. It was our third anniversary and Jason reserved the same table where we had our first date. He did this every year but it never failed to make me smile. There was a single red rose at the center of the table, the same kind he surprised me with when he picked me up at home not an hour before. They were in full bloom and I had never smelled any as strong and sweet as those. Well, no, wait, that wasn't true. I remember a particularly stunning bouquet of a dozen roses that smelled so strongly it filled the whole room. It was back when I dated Tyler-- But that was long ago. Strange that it came to mind at all.
The dinner was exquisite. When it was over, I stood and turned toward the exit of the restaurant that led down toward the shops. I had assumed we would go on our usual walk through the marketplace and admire the lights, but Jason gently grabbed my hand and said, "I have a surprise for you." His light brown eyes shone with excitement and...something else. Was he nervous?
He led me back to the car and drove to the park where we first met. It's strange, it was actually the park Tyler took me to on a surprise picnic; I had returned to it one day, years after we broke up, not sure of what I was looking for, when I bumped into Jason. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. All these flashbacks were probably the work of that strange dream I had the other night. But it was nothing, not even worth mentioning to Jason. The dream was innocent enough, if only random, since it involved a coffee shop and I don't drink coffee; so I didn't spend much time on it. Or at least I wouldn't if the flashbacks would stop.
Jason circled the car and opened my door, offering his hand. I smiled like a smitten schoolgirl: His chivalry always made my heart melt. We walked towards the lake together, my heels clicking softly on the sidewalk. The air was a little chilly, and there was just enough of a breeze to make my dress dance around my ankles, but thankfully not enough to pose a risk of a wardrobe malfunction. He wore a new suit for the occasion, I realized. It was black, but flattered his body well, and the green tie brought out the browns of his eyes, even in the night.
"You look really handsome tonight," I said aloud.
He stopped walking and beamed down at me. Guiding me gently by the hand, he twirled me around in a spin. "And you look absolutely beautiful."
I giggled and looked away, fighting a blush, but he cupped my cheek and led me back into a kiss. It was soft, and as we resumed our walking I no longer felt the cold. Still, I couldn't help but realize that every one of our kisses had always been tender. In three years neither one of us had ever let go and lost ourselves in a passionate, heated kiss. It wasn't like that with Tyler... But who was to say that was a bad thing? It only meant we were in more control of ourselves, right? After all, Jason and I were knocking on thirty -- far from the whimsical years of our early twenties when it was easy to give into our hormones.
I lost my train of thought as I noticed something flickering up ahead. We were almost at the lake now and something was casting patterns onto the water. As we took the first steps down toward the shore, I saw it all:
Candles. Dozens of them. Positioned in a wide half-circle around a single chair. The sight was breath-taking, but left my mind reeling with questions. Why was there only one chair? Who had arranged all the candles? Was someone else there with us? Did Jason plan all of this or were we about to intrude on someone else's evening?
My last question was answered when Jason walked me to the chair and guided me to sit. He handed me a single rose -- it must have been laying on the ground beside the chair -- and spoke my name as delicately as I held the flower. His eyes flickered in the candlelight, but I could see he was no longer nervous.
He knelt on one knee, and I found myself inhaling sharply as he pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket. He held it out to me, still closed, while I covered my mouth with one hand and tried desperately not to cry. He spoke my name again.
"From the moment I met you, I knew I had found something that would change my life forever. And every moment I've spent with you since has proven to me that it is something I cannot go back to living without. You are my missing piece, my better half. And if you'll let me, I'd like to spend the rest of my life trying to be the same for you..."
He opened the box. The stone was stunning and sparkled more than the water behind him; and the band of silver swirled around it like a wave, reflecting the candlelight so that it almost looked like fire.
"...Will you marry me?"
It was all so perfect. Our special place, candlelight, words that left me hopelessly crying, and a man who was looking at me with all the love I could ever need. It was all like I imagined it would be. I placed the rose in my lap and wiped at my eyes, unable to control the grin that had spread from ear to ear. I reopened my eyes to meet his, expecting to sink into the deep blue pools that reminded me so much of the open water--
When I realized I was thinking of the wrong face. Jason had brown eyes, not blue. It was Jason that was kneeling before me, waiting for an answer. Jason who had planned a perfect evening and perfect proposal...
Jason, whose smile had faltered because mine had fallen.
Everything was perfect...
And then I said no.
----
This is my submission for "Day 22" of the 30 Day Writing Challenge: Write a story based on a dream you had, which I've decided to title "Inhale." This was actually difficult to write for a number of reasons: One being the massive writer's block I've been battling for months (which I think is probably evident in this piece); another being that (as the challenge says) this was a real dream I had had earlier this week -- no doubt inspired by my romantic troubles -- and so it took a bit of a tug on the heartstrings to relive it in order to recall the general essence and vibe of the evening (not to mention trying to create enough details to fill the holes since the dream was only of the last scene). But there was a third reason, too, which stems from the second reason.
There is an almost crippling fear that accompanies any writing that involves revealing something personal because you are essentially stripping away all the covers and bearing your mind, heart, and soul naked for all to see. While it might sound brave to do so, the fact remains that it involves a lot of risk because it not only opens you up to judgement, but also creates the possibility of someone else being offended, angry, or hurt (etc.) by what is written. I keep a tell-all personal blog that runs this risk every time I write in it, which, on the one hand, gives me good practice on writing despite fears, but on the other hand I purposefully don't give the url out to just anybody because I'm so afraid. (Don't bother checking the sidebar, the link to it has never been there.) So this particular challenge was frightening because I'm essentially admitting that I'm terrified that years from now someone would be proposing to me and I'll realize I'm not over someone else. No real names were used here, obviously, and poor "Jason" didn't even have a name in the dream, but from what I recalled he seemed like someone who would have a "J" name.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this piece and the small glimpse of my personal life that it gave. I am truly sorry for the horribly slow speed of updates, but I promise you it wasn't for lack of trying. As always, please feel free to comment your thoughts and/or criticisms. And as a reminder to those of you who may not have a google/blogger account, I always leave my posts open to anonymous comments (although please feel free to leave an initial or name somewhere in the comment so that I know you're human :P).
Thursday, December 6, 2012
"Coffee Break"
I'm two cups into my coffee break and still struggling to keep my eyes open. I don't quite remember how I even got to this café. My phone rings again. There's two voicemails, four text messages, and now five missed calls that I haven't returned, but I shut off my phone instead. I just need a little time. I'm so tired and haven't made even a dent in all the things that are due this week. Our group project still has to be edited and rendered, I still have to finish sixty pages for my film script, I promised to cover a double tomorrow at work, my play isn't finished either, and--
Breathe. Breathe...
Mom would say I'm over-committing myself again, and Dad would probably say something like, "That's life. It'll be good for you."
I haven't seen them since September. Back then moving to a different city on my own seemed like a good idea. But it's hard to keep up with how fast things move here. I'm sleeping so little these days; I think--
My watch beeps to inform me I'm now done with my coffee break. My wallet's empty so I fumble some change out of my pocket and drop it onto the table. I hope the server understands. I'm still trying to, myself.
I turn and walk back towards campus.
I guess this is growing up.
----------------
This here is my submission for "Day 16" in the 30 Day Writing Challenge: "Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)." Mine turned out to be 230 words, in case anyone was curious. Fun fact: The first draft was ~270.
I expected to get a ridiculous song choice (like from a musical, a "summer hit" pop song that's mostly chorus, or something heavy metal/rock) since my library is pretty darn random, but was happily surprised with the mellow, somehow soothing song, "Coffee Break" by Forever the Sickest Kids. As you can see, I named the excerpt after the song. **Disclaimer: Do not own the song rights (only the song file, lol) and am in no way affiliated with the band or their representation company.**
It's been a while since I've listened to FSK (I am aware it's "FTSK" online but we English students get it drilled into our heads that "the" doesn't get included in acronyms/other such abbreviations :P) so it actually led to a pretty great session of ideas. I kept working at it but the more I did the more I took out that related to the song (the mother bit used to be in there and got lost completely) so that it would flow more naturally. Rather, so that it'd flow the way a stressed out college or grad student would think on no sleep (in my experience). :P The end result hopefully matches the tone of the song and the general sentiment the speaker had about their life.
So you could say it's more inspired by the song rather than about it, but, hey, that still counts, right? :) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. And as always, feel free to comment your thoughts.
Day 2: Write a FanFiction
Day 16: Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)
Breathe. Breathe...
Mom would say I'm over-committing myself again, and Dad would probably say something like, "That's life. It'll be good for you."
I haven't seen them since September. Back then moving to a different city on my own seemed like a good idea. But it's hard to keep up with how fast things move here. I'm sleeping so little these days; I think--
My watch beeps to inform me I'm now done with my coffee break. My wallet's empty so I fumble some change out of my pocket and drop it onto the table. I hope the server understands. I'm still trying to, myself.
I turn and walk back towards campus.
I guess this is growing up.
----------------
This here is my submission for "Day 16" in the 30 Day Writing Challenge: "Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)." Mine turned out to be 230 words, in case anyone was curious. Fun fact: The first draft was ~270.
I expected to get a ridiculous song choice (like from a musical, a "summer hit" pop song that's mostly chorus, or something heavy metal/rock) since my library is pretty darn random, but was happily surprised with the mellow, somehow soothing song, "Coffee Break" by Forever the Sickest Kids. As you can see, I named the excerpt after the song. **Disclaimer: Do not own the song rights (only the song file, lol) and am in no way affiliated with the band or their representation company.**
It's been a while since I've listened to FSK (I am aware it's "FTSK" online but we English students get it drilled into our heads that "the" doesn't get included in acronyms/other such abbreviations :P) so it actually led to a pretty great session of ideas. I kept working at it but the more I did the more I took out that related to the song (the mother bit used to be in there and got lost completely) so that it would flow more naturally. Rather, so that it'd flow the way a stressed out college or grad student would think on no sleep (in my experience). :P The end result hopefully matches the tone of the song and the general sentiment the speaker had about their life.
So you could say it's more inspired by the song rather than about it, but, hey, that still counts, right? :) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. And as always, feel free to comment your thoughts.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Mirror Stolen From the Wall
The Wicked Queen laughed triumphantly as she left the cottage, knowing her plan was complete. No matter how much the dwarves fussed, no matter how many pathetic forest creatures rushed to the princess' side, nothing could be done: Snow White was dead. The Sleeping Death poison had worked its dark magic instantly -- it only took one bite. And when the dwarves find her laying on the floor, seemingly dead, Snow White would be buried 'alive.'
The Wicked Queen let out another toothless laugh as she neared her castle. Her disguise of an old woman had fooled the naive princess with little effort. "Who's the fool now!" she cackled, thinking back to the hunter's belief that a pig's heart would keep her from knowing the truth. Admittedly, the trick had worked for a short time, but the enchanted mirror soon told all to the queen.
She smiled wide, revealing nothing but gums, relishing in her success. The mirror couldn't deny it now, she thought. Now with the girl dead, she was the fairest in the land! The Wicked Queen ran a hand through her long, raggy-gray locks as if they were her slick, black strands. The potion that gave her this disguise would not wear off for several more hours, but she couldn't wait -- as soon as she arrived at the castle, the queen ran up the steps to her tower, looking for the mirror. She burst into the room, the question already forming at her lips, only to be stopped short by a gasp.
The mirror!
It was gone!
The queen looked around the room frantically. It had to be here! It wasn't possible for it to go missing: No one was allowed in her quarters. It had to be here!
She turned over tables, couldrons, her armoire, but with no success. The enchanted mirror was gone. Stolen from under her very nose!
She brought a wrinkled hand up to her large, disfigured nose. A disguise so hideous and for what end? The poison? Snow White's death? Without the mirror everything was for not. Snow White's death means nothing if the Wicked Queen could not enjoy her prize, her title. She wanted her rightful reputation of fairest in the land and the mirror was the only one who could confirm it for her. Without the princess to steal the queen's title, she had to be sure there was no one else to -- she gasped. The dwarves! They must have known of her plot and, knowing they could not hope to defeat her, must have broken into her castle and taken what she wanted. But how could they have known of her actions? And how could they have possibly done the theft so quickly?
The hunter!
She had been so focused on the princess that she had forgotten to kill the hunter that dared to deceive her. He must have returned to assure the princess' safety and discovered the mirror in the process. And if he had the mirror, he will know the secret to the princess' salvation. The dwarves may not have stolen the mirror, but if the hunter returns to them with it...
No! She will not let this be! Already she was running down the steps. She had to get to the dwarves before they heard how to break the spell.
Her legs were still frail, her gait still limped, but she hastened out of her palace and towards the woods as fast as her withered bones could take her. She had to stop them. Everything would be undone. She didn't even stop to consider what she would do once she was there -- she hadn't prepared any other potions or spells, and her current state would hardly seem threatening to a group of seven (possibly eight if the hunter was there), even if they were only dwarves. She only knew that she had to get there quick.
After what felt like hours, at last, the cottage was in sight. There was a scramble of animals surrounding it, and just as her eyes were able to make out the door, it opened. The dwarves were furious and looking for blood. She stopped, she would never be able to get close to the cottage now. Perhaps if she hid within the trees and waited for an opportunity--
But she was spotted. All at once the dwarves charged at her, pick-axes raised high into the air. Terrified, she ran, paying no mind to the direction her legs chose. The old-woman body was much too exhausted from covering so much ground, and the Evil Queen was not prepared to face all seven of the dwarves at once -- much less armed.
She found herself at a cliff. How did she lose her way? She turned to double-back, to find another route, but they were coming for her. She could hear their screams and soon, she saw them make the bend.
She reached behind her for something, anything, but mistakenly grabbed a weakened branch, which snapped under her bony grasp. Her balance faltered, and she slipped. She screamed in pure terror as everything rushed past her -- the dwarves' loathing faces, peering at her from over the edge, being the last image she could see before everything went black.
------------
Required disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Snow White, all of which (in this case) belong to Disney. I did not write this for any financial gain; this was purely for fun and creative purposes.
OKAY, now that the disclaimer is out of the way: Hello! This is my submission for the second challenge in the 30 'Day' Writing Challenge: "Write a Fanfiction." This is what they call a "one-shot," meaning it's a short story between one page to one chapter long that has no sequels or room for continuing. Just a flash, one event, a story drive-by if you will. Once it's done, it's done. So this is my one-shot titled (as you can see) "Mirror Stolen From the Wall." I didn't think it counted as a rewrite of a fairy tale since I didn't change anything about Snow White's story or the general ending (Queen still dies), so I figured it counted for "Day Two."
Day 2: Write a fanfiction.
:) Please comment your thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed it!
No! She will not let this be! Already she was running down the steps. She had to get to the dwarves before they heard how to break the spell.
Her legs were still frail, her gait still limped, but she hastened out of her palace and towards the woods as fast as her withered bones could take her. She had to stop them. Everything would be undone. She didn't even stop to consider what she would do once she was there -- she hadn't prepared any other potions or spells, and her current state would hardly seem threatening to a group of seven (possibly eight if the hunter was there), even if they were only dwarves. She only knew that she had to get there quick.
After what felt like hours, at last, the cottage was in sight. There was a scramble of animals surrounding it, and just as her eyes were able to make out the door, it opened. The dwarves were furious and looking for blood. She stopped, she would never be able to get close to the cottage now. Perhaps if she hid within the trees and waited for an opportunity--
But she was spotted. All at once the dwarves charged at her, pick-axes raised high into the air. Terrified, she ran, paying no mind to the direction her legs chose. The old-woman body was much too exhausted from covering so much ground, and the Evil Queen was not prepared to face all seven of the dwarves at once -- much less armed.
She found herself at a cliff. How did she lose her way? She turned to double-back, to find another route, but they were coming for her. She could hear their screams and soon, she saw them make the bend.
She reached behind her for something, anything, but mistakenly grabbed a weakened branch, which snapped under her bony grasp. Her balance faltered, and she slipped. She screamed in pure terror as everything rushed past her -- the dwarves' loathing faces, peering at her from over the edge, being the last image she could see before everything went black.
------------
Required disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Snow White, all of which (in this case) belong to Disney. I did not write this for any financial gain; this was purely for fun and creative purposes.
OKAY, now that the disclaimer is out of the way: Hello! This is my submission for the second challenge in the 30 'Day' Writing Challenge: "Write a Fanfiction." This is what they call a "one-shot," meaning it's a short story between one page to one chapter long that has no sequels or room for continuing. Just a flash, one event, a story drive-by if you will. Once it's done, it's done. So this is my one-shot titled (as you can see) "Mirror Stolen From the Wall." I didn't think it counted as a rewrite of a fairy tale since I didn't change anything about Snow White's story or the general ending (Queen still dies), so I figured it counted for "Day Two."
:) Please comment your thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed it!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
30 "Day" Writing Challenge
Now, as you'll soon read, I don't think I'll be cranking out a challenge EVERY DAY like the instructions encourage. Let's be realistic here, a LOT of these challenges are gonna take a LOT of time to complete -- I mean, one of them is "write a fanfiction" for crying out loud!! xD But, whatever the schedule turns out to be, I do aim to complete all 30 challenges. Oh! And I don't plan on doing them in order. Just whichever jumps out at me in the moment.
Okay, enough ramble. The challenges are:
- Re-write a classic fairy tale
- Write a fanfiction
- A story that takes place pre-1950
- A poem using the words "blue, mistrust, half, twang"
- A story revolving around an object in your room
- Start your story with "He glanced at his watch impatiently..."
- Create a superhero. Have he/she save the day.
- Write a prequel to that superhero. Pre-superhero life. Maybe their childhood.
- A story in 250 words or less about your favorite city.
- Start story with "She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled..."
- A story where the characters go without power for a day.
- Find 10 random words and create your own definitions.
- Begin with "I thought I saw..."
- Randomly find someone in your yearbook. Create a story about their life today.
- Write about a stranger you see. Either their back-story or what they are thinking in the moment you see them.
- Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)
- Use time travel in a story.
- A story set in a ghost town.
- Write an obituary for a historical figure.
- Use these words in a story: Grandfather, photo album, post office, and folder.
- He or she sees their crush in a library. Describe the incident.
- Write a story based on a dream you had.
- Describe/fictionalize a childhood memory.
- Write a story that takes place 100 years in the future.
- Write a story about a mythical creature.
- Write about the 30th picture on your phone or computer. Write about the story behind it, or make up the story behind it.
- Story taking place during a sporting event (any sport).
- Story on a ship. Past, present, or future.
- Story about space.
- Story or poem about ice.
Alrighty. There they are. I'll post each of the challenges on here as I complete them. :) I'd appreciate it if you would read them and comment your thoughts. (I will tag them all with the same "30 Day Writing Challenge" label that I'll attach to this post). And remember, you don't need a Gmail account or
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
"In a Tree"
Some girls fantasize about their crushes. Some chronicle their fantasies and unrequited feelings into their private blogs or those furry little notebooks with that totally secure lock that no one could pick open with a pen or paperclip, ever. Many of these entries are quite poetic, too. As though having a crush on a guy that doesn't know you exist -- or worse, does know you exist but is completely unimpressed -- gives you this new superpower where everything you write sounds like it'd earn a Publitzer. Pulitzer? Whatever, the literary version of a Nobel Prize.
Me?
I fantasize, sure. But not in a hack-able blog or 'hidden' diary -- seriously, who ever thought under the bed or mattress was the perfect hiding spot for the records of private musings? You know where's really private? IN YOUR HEAD. Yup, I take a much more secure approach.
Perched on a tree staring at him as he plays soccer, all the while narrating my thoughts back to myself in my head like JD from 'Scrubs.'
Oh, God, I just heard it...
How creepy is that from one to restraining order?
And I ask this as if anyone is going to answer in my own head. Although I suppose the fact that no one does answer is a good sign. Like there's still hope for me yet, right? I really need to stop asking myself non-rhetorical questions.
Ooh, leg cramp. God, that hurts. How do I climb down again? Let's see, was it this branch that I...?
"WAAAHHH!"
OWW! SON OF A-- DAMMIT. God... Okay. Well, at least I got down.
....
Just in time for the entire team to see me and stare. Heh, heh... "H-Hi, guys... Great practice?" Oh, God, this is mortifying. They look so creeped out. No, wait, one of them is smiling. Okay, so maybe it's not so...
Wait.
Oh, no.
And now they're all laughing. Hysterically. Yup. I think this would be the best time to RUN.
OWW!! Since when is there a rock there?! Oh, God, did my pants rip? Oh, Jesus-- Oh, okay. Whew, no they didn't...
Although now I'm the girl who checked out her own butt.
Ugh. Kill me.
....
Okay, I don't see them anymore so I think I'm far enough away now. That was humiliating. And I think I sprained my ankle.
Sigh. Why couldn't I just buy a diary?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
:) Okay, guys, I know this excerpt must seem totally random and bizarre, but you have NO IDEA how happy I am that it came out from my fingertips!! A lot of things have been happening -- none of it interesting or eventful, it's been mostly psychological stress/breakdowns and emotional/personal drama -- which have created this MONUMENTAL WRITER'S BLOCK that literally left me unable to complete a SENTENCE of anything for months. Now this excerpt might not be that great, I don't know, I've never written anything from this kind of point of view before, but my point stands that THIS is THE FIRST THING I've been able to get out since graduation!! Sad? A little. But I'm choosing to look at it as a beacon of hope that the huge brick wall on my brain may finally be deconstructing itself.
Cross your fingers for me guys. You have no idea how much I've been losing it at the idea that I might not be able to do this.
Oh, side note: The above character is named Marley. And contrary to (possibly) your first thought, her parents didn't name her after Bob Marley, they named her after the DOG, Marley.
Her life is just that kind.
Me?
I fantasize, sure. But not in a hack-able blog or 'hidden' diary -- seriously, who ever thought under the bed or mattress was the perfect hiding spot for the records of private musings? You know where's really private? IN YOUR HEAD. Yup, I take a much more secure approach.
Perched on a tree staring at him as he plays soccer, all the while narrating my thoughts back to myself in my head like JD from 'Scrubs.'
Oh, God, I just heard it...
How creepy is that from one to restraining order?
And I ask this as if anyone is going to answer in my own head. Although I suppose the fact that no one does answer is a good sign. Like there's still hope for me yet, right? I really need to stop asking myself non-rhetorical questions.
Ooh, leg cramp. God, that hurts. How do I climb down again? Let's see, was it this branch that I...?
"WAAAHHH!"
OWW! SON OF A-- DAMMIT. God... Okay. Well, at least I got down.
....
Just in time for the entire team to see me and stare. Heh, heh... "H-Hi, guys... Great practice?" Oh, God, this is mortifying. They look so creeped out. No, wait, one of them is smiling. Okay, so maybe it's not so...
Wait.
Oh, no.
And now they're all laughing. Hysterically. Yup. I think this would be the best time to RUN.
OWW!! Since when is there a rock there?! Oh, God, did my pants rip? Oh, Jesus-- Oh, okay. Whew, no they didn't...
Although now I'm the girl who checked out her own butt.
Ugh. Kill me.
....
Okay, I don't see them anymore so I think I'm far enough away now. That was humiliating. And I think I sprained my ankle.
Sigh. Why couldn't I just buy a diary?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
:) Okay, guys, I know this excerpt must seem totally random and bizarre, but you have NO IDEA how happy I am that it came out from my fingertips!! A lot of things have been happening -- none of it interesting or eventful, it's been mostly psychological stress/breakdowns and emotional/personal drama -- which have created this MONUMENTAL WRITER'S BLOCK that literally left me unable to complete a SENTENCE of anything for months. Now this excerpt might not be that great, I don't know, I've never written anything from this kind of point of view before, but my point stands that THIS is THE FIRST THING I've been able to get out since graduation!! Sad? A little. But I'm choosing to look at it as a beacon of hope that the huge brick wall on my brain may finally be deconstructing itself.
Cross your fingers for me guys. You have no idea how much I've been losing it at the idea that I might not be able to do this.
Oh, side note: The above character is named Marley. And contrary to (possibly) your first thought, her parents didn't name her after Bob Marley, they named her after the DOG, Marley.
Her life is just that kind.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
30 DAYS OF NIGHT
Okay, I know the word "vampires" has acquired a bad taste in everyone's mouth thanks to films such as the Twilight series making such a joke of the lore -- or at least it has to me. In my opinion, vampires have become another gimmick in the movie and television business rather than a classical (as in respected) horror creature/race.But in 30 Days of Night? It's the real deal.
Based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night is the story of a small (and I do mean small) Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for thirty days every year. Many of the citizens are in the habit of leaving town prior to the last sunset -- but this year, those that are left behind after the airport closes are left to face an unthinkable horror...
One that they're unable to escape from for thirty days.
Let me begin by saying that this film was genuinely and extensively creepy, and that's saying something because not only have horror flicks failed in actually scaring the general public lately, but vampires have been done to death (pun not intended).
David Slade's adaptation of the graphic novel left me burrowing into my seat, eyes wide open, and heart racing (witnesses can confirm) -- and it had everything to do with the direction and cinematography (shout-out to Director of Cinematography, Jo Willems. We'll get to him later). While the vampires' physiques in the film weren't completely unlike previous interpretations (pale, blood stains around their mouth, pointy teeth, black eyes), their movements and mannerisms were definitely worth the title "creatures." Each actor and actress portrayed their vampiric roles as if they were animals: primal, predatorial, and organized hunters. Seeing them moving through the shadows and rooftops, communicating in their own language, made me feel like I was watching a pack of wolves on a hunt. It was a very interesting choice and -- with the many talented men and women actors executing it perfectly -- it paid off.
Not to mention Slade and his writing crew (shout-out to Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Steve Niles) were able to give us something that is getting increasingly difficult to pull off in this day and age: A twist ending that I truly didn't see coming. Kudos to you, boys. You did good.
Jo Willem's cinematography, as I said before, is what really made this film cringe-worthy. Nearly every shot sent a chill down my spine. The most impressive and effective shots were from above, looking down on the blood-stained streets and chaos as the vampires fed. It was heartbreaking.
Now that isn't to say that this film isn't without its flaws. As the unofficial requirement goes, a romantic connection was attempted between the two main characters, Eben and Stella Oleson (a separated married couple). While their relationship was, thankfully, downplayed, it still felt forced into the story and I didn't find it believable, nor did I care to see it delved into further. I was much too preoccupied with their struggles for survival. Also, I wasn't too impressed with Melissa George's performance as Stella Oleson. Throughout the film I kept trying to feel connected to or emotionally invested in her, but couldn't quite believe her to be someone I should care about. Every time her marriage to Eben (played by Josh Hartnett) was brought up in conversation I could feel myself rolling my eyes and hoping it would be brushed over.
I'll give them both the benefit of the doubt, though. Film adaptations of novels tend to rush or butcher at least one aspect of the story along the way so Stella's importance and the Oleson's relationship could have been one of them.
However, while George's performance wasn't spectacular, Josh Hartnett's was. Admittedly, he didn't look it at first, but Hartnett's character, Eben, quickly captured my attention and sympathy. I have to say his performance was by far the best in the film.
Overall 30 Days of Night was an incredible watch and I highly recommend it at your next late-night viewing. Just don't forget about the bowl of popcorn like I did. ;)
30 Days of Night 4 out of 5 stars.
Monday, January 23, 2012
A Looming Return
Also, in case ya'll haven't noticed, I also added a new "gadget" to the side: LABELS!! :P When I was cleaning the place up I realized there was no way to search for topics, so one would have to just wait until the next time I labeled something with that topic or manually go through all the pages here until they found one. There was an option to include a search bar, but it was my understanding that it would not only search my site, but google as well. I decided it'd be best to go with the "cloud" option instead. :) I think it works well. I made sure to select the "main" labels/subjects to include since most of my labels include names or titles.
Anyway, back to the apology. I'm so sorry I haven't taken care of this place the way I should. At the time I was buried under homework, finals, papers, etc. BUT I have some awesome news! :) I am now...A COLLEGE GRADUATE!! That's right! I graduated with my Bachelors last December so now -- other than my job and working on story/novel ideas -- I will no longer have anything tying me up from contributing to this place on a more regular basis. :) And... yes, you read right. I graduated last December. ^^;; So I guess there's another apology in order for not writing/updating until now. What can I say? I was enjoying being a couch potato. xD It HAS been so long...SO. Here is my promise to you, my readers: I will bring this site back and submit something on a semi-regular basis. I may start with movie reviews again as a way to bring on habitual posting, but there will be more excerpts, character backgrounds, and other such writing fun. :) There'll also be more book reviews (once I finish reading one, lol) and manga reviews and... Well, you get the idea. ^^;;
Alright! I shall see you all again soon. For now, goodnight!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Journal
I wish some things were different. Not all things, just a few. Like, I wish my mother hadn't moved to California, for instance. I miss her. I still need her from time to time. Dad tries, but... There's only so much a grown man can handle or understand of the mind of a teenaged woman. I don't blame him for that. It's just natural.
I wish Jason never went on his missionary trip for Haiti all those years ago. There was no way to know there was something wrong with the plane, I know, so it would have been selfish of me to ask him to stay. But if he hadn't gone... He'd still be with me.
He used to give me daisies every month, and laugh when the scent made me wiggle my nose. He used to take me to the park where my parents met and watch me dance in the sun. He would brush my hair out of my eyes and tell me something that he loved about me -- and each time it would be something different...
I used to trace his fingers with mine... Feeling amazed at how they could be calloused from work yet soft at the same time...
I used to lie beside him in the grass and listen to all the things he'd do someday...
I remember how the gold in his eyes would flicker with emotion when he talked about his ambitions...
It would also flicker every time he looked at me...
Not all of my wishes deal with me, though. I wish some things were different for my friends, too.
I wish Anna's fiance never cheated on her. She had gone through so much already... I'll never forget the way she looked at me when she found out. I'd never seen her so broken...
I wish Aaron could have found his mom before she died. He had wanted nothing but to meet the woman who loved him enough to give him a chance at life... despite the circumstances of his conception.
I don't want everything to be different, though. There are some things I'm glad are different. For instance, because Mom left, Dad quit drinking. He smiles more now, and laughs more now. I love our Thursday night card games... We never had that when Mom was here... There was only fighting.
I'm grateful Jason's sister found a way to cope through her paintings. The images and blends of colors that come from her have made her name famous throughout the world -- with every painting showing another piece of the love she had for her brother.
I'm happy that Aaron and Anna found each other. They were just what the other needed to go through their respective heartaches. It's like magic, seeing them together.
I'm grateful that not everything is different.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I intended to write a personal blog entry into my Xanga but wrote this instead. I guess someone else needed to vent more than I did. I hope I can flesh out her character and find out who she is someday...
Please comment :)
I wish Jason never went on his missionary trip for Haiti all those years ago. There was no way to know there was something wrong with the plane, I know, so it would have been selfish of me to ask him to stay. But if he hadn't gone... He'd still be with me.
He used to give me daisies every month, and laugh when the scent made me wiggle my nose. He used to take me to the park where my parents met and watch me dance in the sun. He would brush my hair out of my eyes and tell me something that he loved about me -- and each time it would be something different...
I used to trace his fingers with mine... Feeling amazed at how they could be calloused from work yet soft at the same time...
I used to lie beside him in the grass and listen to all the things he'd do someday...
I remember how the gold in his eyes would flicker with emotion when he talked about his ambitions...
It would also flicker every time he looked at me...
Not all of my wishes deal with me, though. I wish some things were different for my friends, too.
I wish Anna's fiance never cheated on her. She had gone through so much already... I'll never forget the way she looked at me when she found out. I'd never seen her so broken...
I wish Aaron could have found his mom before she died. He had wanted nothing but to meet the woman who loved him enough to give him a chance at life... despite the circumstances of his conception.
I don't want everything to be different, though. There are some things I'm glad are different. For instance, because Mom left, Dad quit drinking. He smiles more now, and laughs more now. I love our Thursday night card games... We never had that when Mom was here... There was only fighting.
I'm grateful Jason's sister found a way to cope through her paintings. The images and blends of colors that come from her have made her name famous throughout the world -- with every painting showing another piece of the love she had for her brother.
I'm happy that Aaron and Anna found each other. They were just what the other needed to go through their respective heartaches. It's like magic, seeing them together.
I'm grateful that not everything is different.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I intended to write a personal blog entry into my Xanga but wrote this instead. I guess someone else needed to vent more than I did. I hope I can flesh out her character and find out who she is someday...
Please comment :)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
With the Coming of Summer
Hello, again. Talk about a hiatus huh? I hope to bring this place back to normal, or semi-normal, posting again. But first I have to finish the first semester of my third year at college. Being a Creative Writing major means all my classes involve a heck of a lot of reading and writing.It gets overwhelming writing for four classes at once. I think having a language class as my fifth course is the only thing that has kept me from spontaneously combusting on my laptop.
I just wanted to write something simple and give the glimmer of hope that this blog IS coming back -- as will my story ideas/excerpts. I'm currently working on getting the plot idea for a Inu/Kag fanfiction (one-shot) down but I'm also starting the process of developing ideas for a full fanfiction of the same pairing. If I manage to pull it off, let's just say, it'll be verrrryy interesting ;)
Also, I made a slight change in the side bar menu. I've seperated my pages from friends/pages I follow and added a link to my recently created formspring account. This will allow any and all of you to send me questions anonymously (or, if you have an account, you may choose to show who you are) and I will answer. It seemed like a fun way to kill boredom and stress and get to know my friends a little more intimately -- but then I realized it could mean the same to any and all readers I have here. :)
So if there's anything you'd like to know, feel free to ask: http://www.formspring.me/literarybug
I'm not sure if I'm going to continue posting my old writing assignments from my first Creative Writing class (refer to last couple of posts). So much time has already passed since then, and I was getting closer to the MUCH longer writings that I doubt I would have posted fully here anyway. Not to mention it would entail me digging through the travesty that is my room to find my old notebook xP
Yea I should really tidy things up a bit... But I digress.
OK! I think that's all the announcements I had to give. Oh, also (this just came to mind): Since I haven't been able to write out of pleasure for some time (thanks to my workload of term papers and reports) I might be a little rusty. If anyone happens to have a request for an excerpt--i.e. "Write about a cat that lost his yarn!" (weak example but just illustrating the process)--feel free to submit one here in the comments section. Remember that you don't HAVE to have a blogspot in order to comment on my page, simply choose the "anonymous" option and you will be able to submit a comment without having to log in or register--though feel free to leave your name somewhere in the comment so I can credit you when I write your story request :)
Alright. That's all she wrote, folks. See you soon.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Creative Writing Assignment 02
Hello, one and all. Sorry for the long hiatus; my homework-load turned out to be twice as heavy as I thought it would be so I've had literally NO TIME to blog--personal or otherwise. Today I found myself with some down time so I'm going to post the second of my Creative Writing Assignments =)
For this assignment, Prof. Kesler asked us to write a two-to-three page scene where the majority of the story relied on dialogue. He explained that SOME narration obviously had to take place ((otherwise everyone would be lost)) but that more than half had to be dialogue. So here is my scene, again I won't give it a special title. I've had a lot of positive feedback from this piece but if anything seems off don't hesitate to say so ^_^ Enjoy and please share your thoughts!!
CRW Assignment 02 -- Emphasis on Dialogue
Amy took a cautious step forward and placed her hand on the car-door handle. "Are you sure I'm ready for this? I mean, I did run over a lot of cones during practice..."
Dismissing her comment with a wave of his hand, Amy's father, Noah, climbed into the passenger seat. "You'll be fine! We'll just avoid parallel parking today."
"Still," she said while climbing into the driver's seat, "you really think I'm ready to drive out on the road?"
"Well you've got to learn sometime," he said with a lighthearted chuckle. "Relax! I'll be right here if anything goes wrong. Now buckle up, and tell me, what's the first thing you do?"
"Check my mirrors." Amy examined the rearview mirrors and made the necessary adjustments for her height. She started the ignition and slowly pulled out of the driveway. Amy had never driven anywhere outside of her school's parking lot and the thought of driving onto the public roads (with real traffic) was, she will admit, a little frightening.
As they neared the exit of the complex, Amy gave her father a quick glance. "Did you want me to take Maple or Orange?"
"Take Maple, we'll stop by the supermarket and pick up some groceries. I thought you might enjoy a home-cooked meal tonight instead of frozen pizza again." The smile on his face eased Amy's nerves. "Merge left here, we're going to turn at the next light."
As she merged safely into the next lane, Amy returned to the original subject. "Yeah, we really are hopeless whenever Mom goes on her business trips." She let out a small laugh as one particular occasion came to mind. "Remember that time we tried to bake a chicken but forgot to defrost it first?"
Noah made a sound of disapproval. "It took hours to cook and still didn't taste right." He watched as Amy waved at another driver, signaling that they could merge in. The sound of her laugh made his next statement difficult to say. "Listen, Amy, about your mother--careful that car is turning."
Amy sighed as she adjusted her speed to let the car through. "I wish more people would use their signal, I mean it doesn't take a genius to figure it out."
"But you're doing great. See? I told you it'd be fine."
"Thanks, Dad," she sent him a quick smile before turning her attention back to the road. "What about Mom?"
He looked for a way to approach the subject. "She... She decided to extend her business trip a few more days."
"How come? I thought she was coming back Monday?"
He took a deep breath before answering. "She's been upset with me and needs the time away."
Amy sent her father a puzzled look. "What do you mean? You've had your arguments--a lot of them actually--but you always get through it."
"Amy... this time it's not the same..."
"What do you mean?"
There was a short pause. "We're getting a divorce."
"You're WHAT?" In her shock Amy spun the wheel and the car swerved into the next lane. She screamed as the cars honked and swerved to avoid her, only half noticing her father reach over and grab the wheel.
"Jesus, Amy!" Noah swerved the car away from traffic and into the grass where Amy slammed the brakes. "Amy! You can't just--"
"You and Mom are doing what?" She yelled. Her heart was beating at a painful rate, her body was shaking from fear, and her face had turned sickly pale--but it had nothing to do with the car accident she almost caused. "A divor--A divorce?"
He held out a hand, motioning her to calm down. "We tried to make this work, we did. We even went to counseling if you remember. It's just not working."
"What do you mean it's not working? Everything was fine! Everybody fights, Dad, it doesn't mean you just quit! You work it out! You and Mom are supposed to work it out!"
"I'm sorry, Amy, but it's just not happening. We're tired of kidding ourselves--"
"Kidding yourselves?" Amy noticed her father's wince, but didn't lower her voice. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Amy, your mother and I grew apart long ago, but we stayed together for your sake. But it's time we both moved on with our lives and now that you're old enough--"
"I don't believe this!" Amy ran her hands over her face, wiping away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. "I can't believe this is happening!"
Noah reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a box of tissues. "I'm sorry, Amy..." He sighed as he watched the tissue box fumble in his daughter's trembling hands. He tried again, "Your mother and I just can't do this anymore."
"I can't believe this," Amy repeated quietly over and over. "I can't--"
"It'll be alright, sweetheart," Noah said as he pulled his daughter into an awkward embrace.
"No it won't, Dad. It won't be all right."
Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review and comment.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Creative Writing Assignment 01
**EDITED: OCTOBER 28TH 2009!! Thanks everyone for your feedback!! Since the main issue everyone found with this was the overwhelming amount of times I wrote "Janira" [[which I didn't even realize I did until I reread it afterward]] I finally got around to editing it and fixing it. It SHOULD be better now... Thanks again!!**
As some of you may know, I'm currently attending college with the intent of earning a BA in Creative Writing. Right now I'm only in my Sophomore year but I've finally made it past the general credit classes: Now comes the fun stuff. Currently I'm taking a course specifically for English Majors.
As some of you may know, I'm currently attending college with the intent of earning a BA in Creative Writing. Right now I'm only in my Sophomore year but I've finally made it past the general credit classes: Now comes the fun stuff. Currently I'm taking a course specifically for English Majors.
Creative Writing ^__^ Yes.
In this class we're given writing assignments due weekly. It's two weeks into the school year, thus two writing assignments have gone by.
This is the first. We were assigned to write a non-fiction scene were we included ourselves as the main character. The scene had to be in third person -- which was awkward because I hate saying my own name -- and it had to be at a length where we could read it aloud in under two minutes.
I'm going to be posting every assignment we're given, but I won't assign any special titles to them other than what the assignment was. So this one will be titled after it's time limit.
Please comment your thoughts =) And I hope you enjoy.
CRW Assignment 01 -- Two Minute Scene
Janira looked over her note cards again for what must have been the seventh time in the past ten minutes. It was the day of her first speech presentation and her nerves were getting the better of her. She looked around the room and spotted the other five students that would also be presenting that day, identifying them by their formal attire. She couldn't help but notice that none of them looked as nervous as she was. Turning back to her note cards, she noticed her hands were shaking slightly so she slowed her breathing in an effort to calm her nerves.
Three students came and went, but their gracious and impressive performances only intensified her fears. It would be her turn next. As the previous presenter took her seat, Janira stood on shaky knees and walked to the front of the room. There were only twenty students in the classroom but there may as well have been a hundred. She could feel the weight of her fellow classmates' stares as she plugged in her flash drive and opened her Power Point file.
Once everything was prepared, Janira directed her eyes to the back of the room where the instructor, Mrs. Bledsoe, was writing down her comments of the previous speaker. She took this opportunity to take a few deep breaths, trying not to focus on the forty eyes that were staring right at her. "You can do this," she mentally coached herself, "it's just for five minutes then it'll be over." At the instructor's nod, she took one last breath before beginning her presentation--the small beep of the stopwatch not going unnoticed.
The slow breathing failed to help as she felt her anxiety grow. She began to shift her weight from one foot to the other in attempt to keep them from knocking. She grasped the note cards with both hands hoping that no one would notice them shaking, and she cleared her throat after every other sentence in hopes that her voice would stay even. The sympathetic looks from her classmates only horrified her more. It was at that point Janira realized she had lost her place; with a mumbled apology she consulted her note cards, her face growing hot. When she finally resumed her speech she couldn't hide the quiver in her voice. There was no kidding herself now; this was a disaster.
When her presentation was finally done, she thanked the audience quietly before collecting her things and returning to her seat. She exhaled sharply, feeling her heart pound against her ribs. Someone gently touched her shoulder and she looked up. The girl that sat directly beside her smiled gently and said, "You did great."
All Janira could do was nod and smile graciously before turning back to the front of the room. This was going to be a long semester.
There you have it. My first writing assignment. It's not as descriptive as I wanted it to be but that's because of the time limit I had so if it seems a lacking in that aspect, that's why.
Thanks, share your thoughts.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
the Beauty of Ink and the Love of Words...
Last night I saw the film, Doubt. It affected me so strongly I wrote a Xanga entry, but this is something I want to share with more than just the audience that reads my journal. The following is what I wrote into Xanga at 12:26AM this morning...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I just saw the film, Doubt, and my thoughts are rambling out of me faster than I can type them.
It is nothing short of incredible what writing does to me.
The film was magnificent. Powerful. Beautiful. Provoking.
I hardly know how to describe it.
My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.
My hand kept falling to my stomach because it was literally in knots.
My shoulders tensed and I felt genuinely uncomfortable at the conversations.
My hands covered my mouth and nose, frightened at the intensity much like a child would be at a murder film.
It's such an incredible feeling...
The excitement and fear sets my veins afire with inspiration and awe.
I'm left with my mind reeling at the possibilities, the accusations, the explanations, and the consequences of the lives of complete (and fictional) strangers.
This is why I want to be a writer.
This is what I want to be able to do.
Writing moves me in ways I cannot describe.
It sends my heart fluttering much like it would a crush to a schoolgirl.
I can see her now sitting in the playground playing with her braids, eyeing the boy who has so fascinated her.
That is what writing does to me.
It paralyzes me and makes me study it, fascinated by it's effect on me.
Oh, and the weather...
Plays do the most beautiful thing with weather...
With every emotion, every word, every moment the character experiences -- the weather mirrors.
It isn't done with the cliche way movies do it. It doesn't start to rain just because the heroine is sad. It doesn't suddenly become sunny and blissful when the boy wins his love.
No.
Plays do it much differently.
They use sound...
Electricity...
Wind...
Lights...
Water...
They use it all and mold them like clay into the story itself.
So when it happens you don't take notice of it, because it doesn't stand out on it's own.
It blends with the characters themselves so that you feel you are experiencing them in more ways than you thought possible.
It's overwhelming...
It's an art...
And I am in love with that art.
When I see something so perfectly written I can't help but become obsessed.
I imagine it must be what pilots feel when they first take flight...
How musicians feel when they hear that one chord that has been missing from their song...
How artists feel when they find that one last stroke of the brush that sets their masterpiece to completion...
It overwhelms me...
Thrills me...
It even changes how I speak...
This is why I want to be a writer.
I want to learn how to wield this craft.
How to turn letters, symbols, ink, and paper into something so extraordinary that the reader, viewer, and listener cannot disconnect from it.
I want to learn how make changes to how a person thinks, feels, and speaks...
I want to know how to make people fall in love with a world not their own...
I want to know how to perform this art that has stood the test of Time...
I want to know how to connect everyone...
To one common emotion..
I want to be a writer...
Because I want the world to feel...
as I feel...
It is nothing short of incredible what writing does to me.
The film was magnificent. Powerful. Beautiful. Provoking.
I hardly know how to describe it.
My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.
My hand kept falling to my stomach because it was literally in knots.
My shoulders tensed and I felt genuinely uncomfortable at the conversations.
My hands covered my mouth and nose, frightened at the intensity much like a child would be at a murder film.
It's such an incredible feeling...
The excitement and fear sets my veins afire with inspiration and awe.
I'm left with my mind reeling at the possibilities, the accusations, the explanations, and the consequences of the lives of complete (and fictional) strangers.
This is why I want to be a writer.
This is what I want to be able to do.
Writing moves me in ways I cannot describe.
It sends my heart fluttering much like it would a crush to a schoolgirl.
I can see her now sitting in the playground playing with her braids, eyeing the boy who has so fascinated her.
That is what writing does to me.
It paralyzes me and makes me study it, fascinated by it's effect on me.
Oh, and the weather...
Plays do the most beautiful thing with weather...
With every emotion, every word, every moment the character experiences -- the weather mirrors.
It isn't done with the cliche way movies do it. It doesn't start to rain just because the heroine is sad. It doesn't suddenly become sunny and blissful when the boy wins his love.
No.
Plays do it much differently.
They use sound...
Electricity...
Wind...
Lights...
Water...
They use it all and mold them like clay into the story itself.
So when it happens you don't take notice of it, because it doesn't stand out on it's own.
It blends with the characters themselves so that you feel you are experiencing them in more ways than you thought possible.
It's overwhelming...
It's an art...
And I am in love with that art.
When I see something so perfectly written I can't help but become obsessed.
I imagine it must be what pilots feel when they first take flight...
How musicians feel when they hear that one chord that has been missing from their song...
How artists feel when they find that one last stroke of the brush that sets their masterpiece to completion...
It overwhelms me...
Thrills me...
It even changes how I speak...
This is why I want to be a writer.
I want to learn how to wield this craft.
How to turn letters, symbols, ink, and paper into something so extraordinary that the reader, viewer, and listener cannot disconnect from it.
I want to learn how make changes to how a person thinks, feels, and speaks...
I want to know how to make people fall in love with a world not their own...
I want to know how to perform this art that has stood the test of Time...
I want to know how to connect everyone...
To one common emotion..
I want to be a writer...
Because I want the world to feel...
as I feel...
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time tells the story of Makoto Konno, an ordinary high school girl having a really bad day. Her luck, however, takes a most grateful turn for the better as Makoto suddenly discovers she has the ability to jump back in time.
I was a little nervous about watching this anime because anything with time travel usually leaves me with a huge headache and tangled questions. Fortunately that was not the case here. I wasn't confused once.
Writers Yasutaka Tsutsui (novel) and Satoko Okudera (screenplay) developed the story so that none of the time travel was confusing, but it was always fun. In their version of time travel, Makoto literally leaps back in time arriving in a not-so-graceful body roll. It never failed to pull a chuckle out of me as I started to wonder how Makoto never got a head injury from all the times she would roll into things.
The pace of the story itself never felt rushed, which can be a difficult thing to do with time travel. It can be all too easy to rush into the climax of the story, the "Everything has gone wrong" moments, but Tsutsui and Okudera kept their control and developed the story as it would happen realistically. We see Makoto's confusion and denial of her ability progress into excitement and confidence and then slowly creep into desperation and anxiety. None of it felt slow, fast, or out of place; and that not only enhanced the experience of watching the film, but it also helps the viewer develop a connection to the characters.
Because the focus of the story lies in Makoto's time traveling, there is ironically not a lot of time to develop the backgrounds of the characters to the audience. The writers and director (Mamoru Hosoda) can only show a peek into Makoto's ordinary life before focusing on how it changes into anything but. This can pose as a problem because the main goal of any writer to get their audience to believe in the characters and care for them. After all, if the audience doesn't care for the characters, it doesn't matter what the adventure is, it will always fall flat.
Watching the film it didn't feel like I've known the characters all my life, but Tsutsui and Okudera did make me care for them. They are just ordinary kids and so when things start to go wrong, you feel it. I found myself yelling at the screen as things went from bad to worse. To top it off in a nice fantasy bow, Tsutsui and Okudera gave us a surprising twist! Honestly I didn't see it coming.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 4 out of 5 stars.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Record of a Fallen Vampire Vol. 1
Title: The Record of a Fallen Vampire (Vol. 1)Story By: Kyo Shirodaira
Art By: Yuri Kimura
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: T for Teen [Due to themes of Death and Violence]
Manga Synopsis: Thousands of years ago, Vampire King Akabara "Red Rose" Strauss lost both his kingdom and his queen. Since humans were unable to kill the queen, they sealed her away, erecting thousands of fake seals so that the king would never find her true location. Despite being pursued by relentless dhampires, Akabara continues to search for his queen to this day...
Volume One Plot: Akabara's quest takes a sinister turn when an entity called the Black Swan appears. The Black Swan inhabits the body of a young human girl every 50 years, giving her the power to destroy the Vampire King and his queen. With each incarnation the Black Swan grows stronger-- will the 49th Black Swan mean the end of Akabara?
To prevent confusion, let me clear up two main points.
As you read this manga, please note that this story does not center around the 49th Black Swan, but rather it focuses on the vampire king Akabara.
As you read this manga, please note that this story does not center around the 49th Black Swan, but rather it focuses on the vampire king Akabara.
As I started reading Vol. 1 for the first time I was noticing how rushed the story seemed to be and so I couldn't really develop a connection to every character. At first I wrote it off as a flaw in Shirodaira's writing, but soon realized my mistake. Shirodaira rushed this segment of the story because the reader isn't supposed to focus on the 49th Black Swan, but on the Vampire King instead. This is his story, the Black Swan is just another character.
Also, these are not your conventional vampires. They are confined to only travel by night, yes, but they do not feed off humans, and they cannot be killed with a steak to the chest. These are magical beings whose powers are the real threat. To kill them you have to fatally wound them with magic and/or weapons.
Keep those two points in mind, and it'll be an easy read.
Record of a Fallen Vampire tells the story of vampire king Akabara who lost his kingdom and queen in one night. The Vampire Queen's magic had gone out of control and nearly destroyed the Earth and so a group of humans sealed her away forever. On top of that, they erected thousands of fake seals so that Akabara would never know the queen's true location -- In fact so many were created that the humans themselves have forgotten which is the real one. However, Akabara is determined to find her and so he searches for centuries, destroying thousands of seals, hoping the next will be the real one.
In an effort to stop him, both humans and dhampires alike hunt after Akabara -- hoping to kill him before the queen is released. Dhampires are humans with vampire blood and so they also have magical abilities, including the ability to heal severe wounds. But their forces combined have still not been enough to kill the King.
To help in the battle, a magical entity called the Black Swan possesses a human girl every 50 years. Each generation of the Black Swan inherits the skills, memories, and abilities of her predecessor. So, in turn, each generation is stronger than the last.
I picked up this manga a couple of weeks ago when the storyline caught my eye. I fount it all makes for a very interesting plot and as I learned more details about the story I grew to enjoy it more and more. The quick progression in the beginning was necessary to move the story along appropriately, and then from there it continues at a normal pace. And just when you think it all might get repetitive with Akabara fighting against a dhampire from seal to seal, Shirodaira throws in a surprising twist!
This is Shirodaira's first time writing a vampire story so I'm really impressed about how he made it his own. It's definitely different, but not necessarily bad. Some of the dialogue seems a bit... off by word choice but he was still able to establish a great foundation for all the characters. It allows the reader to be really stumped by the sudden twist in the story. Kudos to him because thanks to that cliffhanger I will definitely continue to read this series.
Just like graphic novels, not all manga writers do their own art. In Fallen Vampire's case, the art is done by Yuri Kimura. Kimura's style of drawing reminds me of DN Angel, where the bodies are lean but the hands are slightly larger than they should be. Usually the disproportion annoys me and distracts me from the story, but in this case her style actually helps the story. With stories that use magic as the main focus it can be hard to follow the battle scenes. Most of the panels are filled with "moving wind" and symbols and since mangas don't have the advantage of color that American comics have, it can get confusing sometimes. I know I've been lost dozens of times while reading Juvenile Orion.
However, in Fallen Vampire it's actually a lot easier to follow each magical blow because the source of all the magic is made easier to see. And with none of it being distracting I can safely say that Kimura's style is not a flaw. If that weren't enough, Kimura is very skilled at drawing expressive eyes and faces which brings the characters alive.
All in all this manga is definitely worth looking into. I've already started reading its second volume and I'm sure it wont be my last.
The Record of a Fallen Vampire 4 out of 5 stars.
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