Aspiring Writers

Slip into the mind of stretch

nobody@vox.com(Office Liberator) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:30:03 -0800

There's no way around it, for me.

If I'm going to write a scene that contains an argument, I have to literally be both Jeckyll and Hyde. And sometimes, that takes a long time.

And God, is it ever exhausting.

Last night, already feeling somewhat emotionally compromised from the events of my day, I sat down to write. ('Cuz I'm masochistic like that, 'yo.) I've become rather fond of using StoryMill software, which is simply a neat n' tidy file cabinet and thought organizer for scatterbrained wanna be authors. Like me.

I clicked on the little tab that contains all my "to-do" notes for my novel, and there it was, clear and emotionless:

Write the scene where Lydia talks trash to Jacqueline. Alan gets demoted as a result.

In the novel, Lydia is a controlling powerbitch who is having trouble with a very driven co-worker, Alan. To get her way, she goes to the company owner, Jacqueline, and stretches truths till they snap like hooks under the weight of her overstuffed bra. She misrepresents. She's sweet like Eddie Haskell before allowing her manipulative underbelly to show, all clammy and white. And – she's respected as "good at her job" by the otherwise beaten-up by life Jacqueline, who, of course, acquiesces to the bullying of The PowerBitch.

This is a reality scene for us underdogs, everywhere.

Are you the nice person in your office, your school, your family? You know, the doormat? The one that works, slaves, pours out passion, only to be undervalued, misunderstood, or seen as the dutiful, well-oiled cog that you are?

Then buy my novel when it's published. You'll relate to every page.

But that's beside the point.

The point, dear Polly Purebreds, is that the Dali Lama is so right: The most natural state of the human being is happiness.

Argumentativeness is hard. Really hard. It burns like way too many calories. Negativity, like erosion, takes years to develop, but once you've realized what peacefulness is really like, you're amazed at how twangy and tense those shoulder muscles have been all this time.

I was channeling Lydia and Jacqueline last night in a wild do-si-do that wiped my already emotional mind into a sopping gravy of a mess. Maybe that's because I was also thinking of what it might be like to be a participant in a cat-fight, and wow. No thanks. I'll keep my extra y chromasome, thank you, and all that it packs with it.

I would have one antagonist fire a passive-aggressive volley, only to have to readjust my chi to have the other dodge, parry, adjust, and refire, only after carefully posturing herself for maximum impact.

Truly, I'm a lovable little fuzzball. I have been my whole life. My industry doesn't cater to us dust bunnies. Too much time in the political crucible will start to take all those soft edges and rough 'em up somethin' terrible. I know this from decades of experience.

And now, I've decided to write about it, no...I've decided to be that on the page, through various voices.

What am I, nuts?

But the dialogue must go on...

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Tiger Woods Paws Are On The Prowl

nobody@vox.com(Roxy K Dean) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:04:28 -0800

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=AuCH6q4stELs9YygLkb1Fi50fNdF?slug=txtigerwoodsstatement&prov=st&type=lgns

Tiger-Woods-and-Elin-Nord-001

This is Tiger and his wife during happier times. That was before Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and his wife was rumored to have caused the accident by beating on his car with a golf club. How ironic? The very tool that makes him millions is the same tool used to bring his private and possible public downfall. No doubt ratings will probably go up for his golf matches. But will those Billions in endorsement dollars continue? Tiger begs for privacy in during this embarrassing moment in his life. But does he deserve privacy? He makes a multitude of bucks off of his public appeal. But the real question is-Will the idealistic public forgive him for being human? Less than the god that they glorified him to be?

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New Moon...Why It's The Worst Movie Ever For Teens!

nobody@vox.com(Roxy K Dean) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:59:05 -0800

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYBF3HKzrmE

OFFICIAL New Moon Trailer - MTV MOVIE AWARDS

New Moon, the second movie based on the Twilight series is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Trust me this is not Underworld: Vampires vs. Werewolves for teenagers. Instead, this movie is immoral brainwashing for young adults and teenagers. The subtle and/or explicit themes of statutory rape, suicide, murder, vengeance, love and lust are disturbing.

The heroine is obsessed with a 109 year-old vampire that is played by a pale-faced 20 something year-old. She breaks up with him soon after her 18th birthday. The intensity of their break-up in the wilderness causes her to be depressed for months, to hitch a ride with a fifty-year old, strange, biker dude against the recommendations of her friends. No doubt she develops suicidal tendencies and looks like she is high on drugs. The constant theme of Romeo and Juliet and their willingness to die for each other pervades the film. As if that's what hopeless kids need to see right now!

The movie continues at a slow pace, with a couple of fight scenes between vampires and werewolves. Meanwhile, the heroine engages in high-risk activities, such as riding a motorcycle at full speed for her first ride, cliff diving, begging to become a vampire, and switching back and forth between love interests. Not to mention, her complete disrespect for her father's love and truancy laws for high schoolers by disappearing for 3 days without notice.

Wow this is NOT a movie that I want young girls to see. The heroine is this movie makes dumb, inconsiderate and selfish decisions. Yet, this damsel in distress is guarded and protected by a multitude of people and/or supernatural creatures because she's "special". Ridiculous movie and it's a MUST NOT SEE...EVER!!!

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The Melody Hearing Her Song

nobody@vox.com(Mahoganie) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:05:49 -0800

Within the past few weeks, Medina has been pressing the class to go deeper with our writing. The first couple assignments were reactions pieces or poems/prose we were to construct based on artwork by an African-American artist we individually choose. There was an "I Am From..." assignment where we have to look within and create a piece illustrating where we are from and then there was the one due today; the soundtrack of your life.

When the "soundtrack" assignment was given, immediately I thought back to the tag line I created for my blog years ago.

"A Melody In Search of a Lyric."

How convenient this would come to mind? At the first opportunity I got I wrote down: I'm a melody. Everyone that enters my life one way or another is a lyric...creating a neverending bittersweet symphony.

The whole weekend I pondered over it more. Eventually last evening I sat down and began listening to music. Somehow Alicia Keys' latest single "Doesn't Mean Anything," struck a cord that caused my thoughts to flow. I began writing. What I ended up with I presented in class.

In Search Of….

By: Mahoganie Jade Browne

A melody in search of a lyric.

Deaf to the harmony already rumbling in the background.

Blind to the words facing her.

A Bittersweet Symphony she was escaping.

“We got your sex and your violence. Melody and Silence.”

Being a Soulful Moaner, she wailed.

Most times out of a lustful fit that soothe the pain.

Other times out of the need to be.

Always looking to others to write her song; from Donnie crooning on about A Song For… “Her” to taking on the Shapeshifter’s Theme to Lola and rewriting it Blackveleteen’s Theme knocking off Lenny.

It’s just as Springsteen and Manfred Mann’s Band said, she was Blinded By The Light.

A melody in search of a lyric.

Stumbling onto a blank score.

Unknowingly setting the time signature to a never ending composition.

From six-eight to four-four.

From the blue note to the highest praise pitch.

Perhaps rococo

Never a strophic.

Vivid rhythms conjuring faces.

Attracted to the distinct flow.

Co-writing the symphony of her life.

The room fell silent for a minute and then heads nodded in agreement. I could tell everything was thinking, but didn't know what to say. Medina cut the silence by asking me to read it backwards.....

Co-writing the symphony of her life.

Attracted to the distinct flow.

Vivid rhythms conjuring faces.

Never a strophic.

Perhaps rococo

From the blue note to the highest praise pitch.

From six-eight to four-four.

Unknowingly setting the time signature to a never ending composition.

Stumbling onto a blank score.

A melody in search of a lyric.

It’s just as Springsteen and Manfred Mann’s Band said, she was Blinded By The Light.

Other times out of the need to be.

Most times out of a lustful fit that soothe the pain.

Being a Soulful Moaner, she wailed.

“We got your sex and your violence. Melody and Silence.”

A Bittersweet Symphony she was escaping.

Blind to the words facing her.

Deaf to the harmony already rumbling in the background.

A melody in search of a lyric.

Almost in unison the class let out whispers of excitement and approval. Even I couldn't hide the fact that the words were more like me... a bit abstract, yet a bit transparent. A living metaphor.

It took everything within me not to cry in their presence. My life.. plain as day...

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Jane Doe's Suicide Post

nobody@vox.com(Susan Ee) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:42:59 -0800

For the first time, I have heavily censored a post. I am strongly pro-1st Amendment, and it doesn't sit right with me to do this. But there is no resolution of this situation that is going to make anyone feel better, so I have decided to respect the wishes of my friend's family and redact the post I wrote about my reaction to my friend's suicide.

It’s taken me long hours to convince myself that this family member’s not-so-veiled threat of litigation over something in which s/he has no rights needs to be translated. This translation should read: “I am in unimaginable pain, and if you do this for me, there’s a chance that the pain might be a little more bearable for today.”

I have been telling myself that compassion for the living is more important than a memorial for the dead. That whatever it is I’m feeling is just a drop in the tsunami of tragic feelings her family is dealing with. Any unkind thing I say to them now will be carried for the rest of their lives, and it can’t be taken back next week after I’ve cooled off. I keep telling myself this, but I still feel raw about it.

Per their request, I am removing almost every detail about her in my post, which makes the whole post quite ironic when read in context. Also at the family’s request, I am removing a heart-felt poem written by her which was posted in the comments section by someone who loved her. It is full of despair and beautifully touching. It is my understanding that this poem was published on the Internet. I firmly believe that a writer who publishes her poem would want it read, felt, and appreciated for as long as possible…

…which brings me right back to the mantra of “Compassion for the living is more important than a memorial for the dead, goddammit.”

Susan Ee
www.feraldream.com

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A Friend's Suicide

nobody@vox.com(Susan Ee) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:44:09 -0700

I stopped posting to my blog when something shocking and personal happened, and I didn't know whether it was right to post it for the world to read or not. On the one hand, a woman cutting herself off from her friends and committing suicide in a rented attic seemed deeply private. On the other hand, no one knowing about her life and death just seemed wrong. It bothered me that no one would use the word “suicide” and that people suddenly only talked about her in a circular way, as if tacitly suggesting that she never existed.

I ended up not posting about it. But then I couldn't really pretend it didn't happen and post about happy events. Hence the long break from my blog.

She was a beautiful person and a beautiful writer.

[--EDIT NOTE: There used to be a paragraph here that described what she was like and my fond memories of her. But her family has requested that I delete it. Everything I deleted for them from the original post is indicated by --DELETED--. For ruminations on why I agreed and my feelings about this, see Jane Doe's Suicide Post--]

No one seems to know what happened. [-- DELETED--] had a brief memorial service for her but I heard that it turned into a discussion of people wondering what happened.

I did a search for her on the net. There's a mention of her publication in a respected literary magazine, and her name is listed as a volunteer on [--DELETED--]. And that's it. No obituary or any mention of her existence. It's sad to think that this is the most any of you will know about her. She was one of those special people worth knowing...

Susan Ee
www.feraldream.com

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Halfway to a manuscript

nobody@vox.com(Susan Ee) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:03:20 -0800

This month is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The challenge is to write 50,000 words during the month of Nov. I dove in immediately after the World Fantasy Convention. The great people I met at the convention must have inspired me because I've been on fire since then. I'm writing at a record-breaking speed for me. Yesterday was my most productive day at 3,700 words. That's a long way from the 1,000 word glass ceiling I used to live under.

I'm off to LA tomorrow for a filmmaking seminar so I needed to meet my 25,000 word goal for Sunday by today. Good thing I'm deadline driven. I'm now at 25,349 words. Yay!

Now if I can just keep myself from being distracted by my lust for a new netbook, I'll have a very rough draft of a novel to work with by mid-Dec. I'm keeping my fingers crosssed.

Susan Ee
www.Tooth-Fairy-Movie.com
www.feraldream.com

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Seeing Helga at the Museum

nobody@vox.com(Lucy) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:06:40 -0700

Seeing Helga at the Museum

(for Andrew Wyeth)

In the valley of flickering lights

dancing – fireflies – tumbleweed of the sky

drift among gas nebula – angel-tossed

Cable cars – like horned beast pass by

in the city of lights and fog –

Lusty Lady – All Clothing 100% off –

neon-glows the sign – my son has found

a numerical pattern in the blinks

We are here to see Wyeth's Lady

clothed and unclothed – Helga in her incarnations

The waiter wears Groucho Marx eyebrows and glasses

Hear the sound of over fifty spoons and forks

the chatter of a crowd – my children's voices

We saw Helga floating on crushed velvet –

a black night sea

Little fish of light swam her body tide-pools

Her knees were raw – red from the winter

We saw her in her Austrian cape coat

standing for hours in the snow

We saw her with her braids – the nape of her neck naked

where spine joins brain in – Halleluja –

a white triangle exposed – holy peephole

We saw her smile lines and knew she smiled often

her blue eyes – like a slip of horizon over wild grass

and her hair – you could feel it – the oils – the texture

the softness – the neatness in those braids

We went home in dark and rain

the autumn trees lit our path

every leaf

a flame

in a lantern

Lucy Simpson, Seattle, 10/15/2009

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Heather's Book Blog

nobody@vox.com(Heather Kay) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:36:56 -0700

Please visit my new blog at

www.RedWineAndVampires.com

all future posts will be located here!

This is a Book Blog focused on Paranormal Romance Novels. I am always look ing for a good book so your suggestions are most welcome.

Thank You -Heather

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Sookie Stackhouse, Anita Blake, Riley Jenson

nobody@vox.com(Heather Kay) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:34:39 -0700

Sookie Stackhouse, Books 1-7

I have read what I consider the top three Vampire Romance/Mystery book series that are out there. My Vampire interest was recently acquired through the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, however I searched for a more adult approach on the subject matter and this is what I recommend.

Sookie Stackhouse (The Southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlaine Harris. There are currently 8 books in the series with the next book due out in May. I read these books before HBO picked up the series True Blood which is based on them. I find the show to be slow, but that is probably because I am years down the road in Sookie Stackhouse's life. (and you can never really fully adapt a book to the screen you just miss all of the characters thoughts and feelings)

The series takes place in Louisiana and is about Sookie who is telepathic, works in a bar, lives with her grandmother, and does not have luck with men. Through recent laws passed vampires are now legal citizens. This has changed life in the small town of Bon Temps. The town is very racist to the newly revealed vampires. Bill the vampire moves in next door to her and she discovers that she cant hear his thoughts or the thoughts of any other vampire. Bill becomes her boyfriend and with that relationship she goes deep into the vampire community and catches the eye of many other vampires.

The series includes Shape Shifters, Ware Animals, Witches, Fairies and few other magical creatures that make this world very interesting and unpredictable. There is a string of different love interest throughout the series that will have you wanting more. There is also always someone who is trying to get Sookie killed or put in danger the ones she loves. I recommend this series as an introduction to the Vampire Romance/Mystery category.

Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 1)

The next series I recommend is Riley Jensen (Guardian Series) by Keri Arthur. I have read 6 of the 7 books in the series and I intend to complete the 7th in the next few days. The next installment in the series is due out in October. This series is about Riley Jenson half Vampire half Werewolf. This series dives more into the

werewolf side of things that is lacking from the other series. It follow her and her job which starts off as an office worker it the Directorate of Other Races but it evolves into the Guardian job that her boss keeps steering her towards.

Riley's twin brother is kidnapped and with a naked Vampire who has amnesia that is on her doorstep she sets out to find her brother. These books have a lot of fight scenes that are very visual, it is real easy to hold your breath through a few pages before you realize you are even doing it.

Riley goes through a string of conflicted lovers and relationships that leaves you as a reader unable to decide who to pull for. The nonstop action makes these books a very fast read. This series takes you deep into an unknown world that you could never imagine existed. I recommend this book if you are looking for a good Vampire Romance/Mystery with a window into the world or Werewolves.

Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1)

The final and my favorite of the three series is the Anita Blake (Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K Hamilton. I have read 15 of the 16 books in the series (I cant seem to find a copy of Blood Noir anywhere and had to place a special order that is taking forever to come in) The 17th in the series is due out in June.

This series is about Anita Blake who is a necromancer (someone who raises zombies) by day and a legal vampire hunter by night. She is known in the vampire world as The Executioner because of her high kill count. Anita also a part of the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team RPIT which is the department of the police that deals in all crimes involving a monster of sorts.

Anita is torn between relationships and and her own moral hang-ups. This series goes deep into the Vampire and Werewolf community and a few other things that seen to fit right into this world of mayhem. Hamilton has done a really good job with describing this world so that you can imagine everything that Anita is experiencing. You also get to learn about weapons, which was never really my thing but it is put out there in such an interesting way that you can't help but want more.

This series is never dull for even a moment, you are constantly taken from one thing to the next without any time to breathing. There is also such a long list of characters that you never get bored with the same personalities.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who is interested in the Vampire Romance/Mystery. One of the best things about it is the amount of books in the series. I read very fast reader and I was on this series of books for awhile and never got bored. I cant wait for the next book in the line up.

Any book suggestions or comments please let me know!

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