It's May, and Memorial Day Weekend, thus, it's time to repost my traditional Memorial Day post:
My paternal grandfather was in the Army; WWII - Africa, where he survived a sniper attack. The sniper was trained to shoot at night by targeting cigarette glow, assuming the cig would be in someone's mouth. My grandfather happened to be holding his in his hand, which is what was hit.
My maternal great uncle was a Marine; WWII; Okinawa - 18 years old and he lost his leg above the knee because he threw his body on top of a grenade to save his friends. It cost him a kidney and he came home full of shrapnel. He only made it home at all because a general in the area thought he was a dead man and gave up his seat on the chopper so he wouldn't die there. He had horror stories of Naha City of the most literal kind.
His brother was Army Corps. of Engineers; Korea - they built what needed to be built when and where it needed to built whether it was possible or not.
My father tried to join every branch, but the combination of color blindness and flat feet excluded him. His brother was Navy.
My maternal grandfather was one that worked for the guys making the equipment at General Dynamics; Ft. Worth. (I have a piece of the original test model for the chimp capsule he helped design the insulation for. They called it a "space sandwich.)
My paternal grandmother was an Army WAC; WWII.
My cousin did 3 tours in Iraq with the Marines.
And, most recently, my other cousin's husband shipped out as a Navy medic.
Thankfully all have survived their service. Others didn't, and Memorial Day marks the time we honor that as well as the reasons those who didn't make it back died. It's easy to say Freedom isn't Free, but their sacrifice deserve more than that. There are as many reasons as there are fallen soldiers, but I'll focus on the big 10.
1. It's thanks to the men and women who serve that you don't have to hold your church services or Seders in darkened basements, and you can take out your prayer rug and bow to the east. That whatever icons are important to your religion can be displayed with pride instead of hidden in fear or made a source of shame. Thanks to them, Christmas trees and menorahs can be lit bright in the window and those who participate in the Festival of Color can enjoy their day. No one's forced to eat during Ramadan for fear of being discovered. You can wear a head scarf, but can't be forced to sew a Star-of-David on your coat. That's freedom of religion.
It's thanks to the men and women who serve that our news comes from different outlets and different angles and isn't stamped "Approved Government News". We don't have someone looming over our shoulders to make sure we don't find out what's going on in another part of the world or cleaning up opinions of our leaders. We don't get notices telling us not to worry about hurricane season or flooding because our leaders took care of that problem or warning us to ignore "propaganda" that exposes short-comings that could impact the public. And you don't have to register every moment on line so someone knows where you look and what you read. That's freedom of the press.
It's thanks to the men and women who serve that we can gather together in peaceful protest and shout with a louder voice than we'd able to use on our own. We can get attention directed to the people who have no voice of their own at all and keep the spotlight on those trying to hide things that shouldn't be covered up. That's freedom of assembly.
It's thanks to the men and women who serve that you know who represents you in government and that you know where they stand on what issue. You can get together with like minded individuals and bring your wants and needs to them, and if they don't act the way you think they should, you can tell them your vote's going elsewhere in the next election. That's your right to petition.
2. Even though most of us will never have to use a weapon to defend our home, family or person, the men and women who serve do so to make sure that the right is there if you need it. That's the right to bear arms.
3. Those who serve do so to ensure that your home is your home and not a convenient place to park the local reserves. You have a right to a locked door that can't be breached because a person in uniform wants to use or abuse your property, family or person. That's the right not to quarter.
4. Those who serve do so to ensure you have a right to what's yours and a right to tell others that what's yours is none of their business. You have a right to security and privacy in your own home, and a right to keep what belongs to you in whatever legal manner you choose inside your own space. That's the right of no illegal search and seizure.
5. Those who serve do so to ensure your right to keep your mouth shut. Government officials can't force or coerce you to say you've done something wrong, nor can they put those words in your mouth. They don't have the right to write your confession and have you sign it or take what's yours just because they want it. They have to compensate you. That's the right not to self-incriminate.
6. Those who serve do so to ensure that you aren't shuffled off in the middle of the night never to be seen or heard from again. They make sure that you get a trial where your voice can be heard and your face can be seen, where friends or enemies can speak on your behalf and where your fate is decided by those of your own station rather than an arbitrary decision by someone in authority. That's your right to trial by jury.
7. Those who serve do so to ensure that rights to trial don't only apply to criminal cases. They make sure that your property and business get a chance to make their case in court with facts to support your side being presented. That's your right to civil trial by jury.
8. Those who serve do so to make sure that no official body throws a child in jail for life for stealing a meal or beats someone to death in the street as punishment. They ensure that the perpetrator of a crime is the sole recipient of the punishment, and that his/her children and spouse aren't jailed as well. They ensure that torture isn't a penalty assigned by the court and that no force to engage in the practice has the right to operate. That's your right not to have cruel and unusual punishment.
9. Those who serve do so to ensure fancy words and regulations don't outsmart common sense. That's your right retain rights not specifically listed.
10. Those who serve do so to ensure the republic remembers that it's made of many parts and that those parts have rights, too. They ensure the states remember that they are made of many people and that those people have rights, too. No right of one entity can exclude another from its rights. That's the right of state and person.
Most people know about the Bill of Rights, few can tell you what they say beyond "Pleading the 5th" or freedom of press/religion. But every one of those rights was bought and paid for with blood of men and women who died believing they were worth protecting for their families and children and friends and strangers. Every right and privilege you overlook is a death in vain because you can't exercise rights you don't know you have.
Those red stripes aren't just representative of the colonies that started this country; they're a tribute to the blood spilled to birth it and used as the ink to write the contract with its citizens.
Remember those who gave more than their fair share to make sure your got yours, and remember the gift they gave you. They don't deserve to be forgotten.
Happy Memorial Day.
Where they Love Him Most of All
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
“And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.”
~ Maurice Sendak; Where the Wild Things Are
In case you haven't heard, we lost someone special today. Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are has passed away at the age of 83.
Even though he was primarily a children's author, he didn't believe in talking down to kids - something I think more people should take a stab at. He wrote messy books about misbehaving children who lived in worlds where everything wasn't always sorted and shining by the time supper was served because that's the reality kids face every day. He didn't scare kids with his stories, but he didn't lie to them or seek to protect them into incapability.
In his own words: “You cannot write for children. They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them. ”
I can't help but imagine Maurice arriving in heaven to hear a trumpet and a might cry of "And now.... let the wild rumpus start!" as a procession leads him through the gates.
~ Maurice Sendak; Where the Wild Things Are
In case you haven't heard, we lost someone special today. Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are has passed away at the age of 83.
Even though he was primarily a children's author, he didn't believe in talking down to kids - something I think more people should take a stab at. He wrote messy books about misbehaving children who lived in worlds where everything wasn't always sorted and shining by the time supper was served because that's the reality kids face every day. He didn't scare kids with his stories, but he didn't lie to them or seek to protect them into incapability.
In his own words: “You cannot write for children. They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them. ”
I can't help but imagine Maurice arriving in heaven to hear a trumpet and a might cry of "And now.... let the wild rumpus start!" as a procession leads him through the gates.
Well... that was unexpected
Thursday, May 3, 2012
This is a different sort of post for me, but here you go.
For those of you who aren't aware (as I wasn't until 2 days ago) POTTERMORE has gone live to the public. So I signed up and rushed through to the two sections I was most eager to see - the wand choosing (Maple 12 3/4 inches with dragon core and slightly springy) and the sorting hat.
I was certain I'd be in one of two houses - Hufflepuff (most likely) or Slytherin, so imagine my surprise when the hat spit this out:
So, have any of you gone through the Pottmore paces? What's your house?
Novels vs. Fanfiction
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
By now, most (if not all) of you will have heard of a series of novels starting with "50 Shades of Grey." They're usually spoken about with nervous whispers and twittering giggles or wink-wink, nudge-nudge looks because "you know what kind of books those are." (BDSM erotica, for those who don't.) The books have become a phenomenon unto themselves, as has the author.
They've been talked about on various writer sites and blogs, and discussed at length on message boards, but not necessarily for the reasons you'd think. You see 50 Shades began, not as a commercial work of fiction, but as a decidedly un-commerical work of FANfiction.
For those of you not in the know, fanfiction is what you get when fans of a particular book, movie, TV-series or whatever decide to write their own piece based in another writer/artist's universe. These are usually posted for fun, and not intended for profit as US copyright prohibits people from profiting off of others' work. Sites like Fanfiction.net, and others that focus on a particular fandom, allow anyone with an account to post stories set in established universes that may or may not involve canon characters. It's a complex set-up that could fill its own technical manual.
Now, the point of this post isn't 50 Shades of Grey, or whether or not the book should have ever been sold. Nor is it the pros and cons of being a fanfiction writer who branches into commercial writing (there are some big-name successes out there, btw). It's more basic than that.
I wrote fanfiction. I wrote in more than one fandom, with more than one screen name. I wrote for a spattering of short-lived vampire TV shows, and did some "written-to-order" Harry Potter fanfic. (seriously - never write in HP-land if you don't have a strong constitution - seriously. Yes, it requires seriously on both sides. It can be intimidating territory, with awesome pay-offs in the form of followers, but the sheer size is daunting.) There were others which I will never admit to...
When I got my agent, the fanfic disappeared from the net to the best of my ability (though no fanfiction is every "completely" gone). And yes, sadly for those who were reading them, some disappeared unfinished - for which I apologize.
I liked writing fanfiction. It's great for practice, especially with voice if you're trying to match a character to the way he/she was written by the original author. It takes the pressure of world-building off. And it's fast. I can, and did, knock off over a million posted words in one year - in one fandom, for which I received near-instant feedback... not something you get in the commercial writing world.
The biggest difference between writing a novel and writing fanfiction (which can be a novel, too) is the idea that reviews should never be responded to. With commercial writing, you aren't supposed to respond to reviews - for the good or the bad. This seems a strange idea to a lot of new writers. They want to thank those with kind words and defend their work from those who "don't get it." (Or, from those who have made legitimate mistakes by confusing characters or even authors.)
But, coming from a fanfiction background, I can tell you that the silence method is usually best. Fanfiction operates on the exact opposite system (as do many sites like Inkpop or Authonomy). It's about interaction, and writers are encouraged/expected to answer reviews. Usually this can work fine - for a while. But the problem with it is the same one that's becoming more prevalent with the rise of Amazon-self-e-publishing: It breeds flame wars.
When fanfic writers (often young or inexperienced) get upset, they have an easy outlet to vent. And if said writer is popular, they have the means to drag their supporters behind them into the fray. Those supporters often afford the fanfic writer the same allegiance as they would the original author, and they will defend said fanfic writer - viciously.
When inexperienced writers get upset, they also have this outlet, but until recently they didn't often utilize it. But now that Amazon's e-self-pub arm has turned their Kindle store into something akin to the back-catalog of Fanfiction.net (for size and lack of gatekeepers), some of these new (and shockingly some established) authors are taking their cues from the fanfiction and peer sites.
It can be a rough transition from the expectations of instant feedback and that desire to defend oneself, and honestly, some former fanfic authors never make that transition. I won't say it hurt their sales, because it doesn't, but it still creates a negative vibe in their corner of the industry, and those vibes can spread to others. Especially those coming in from fanfic and seeing their role models exhibiting the same behavior that got them flamed before they made the switch.
Okay... I'll stop rambling now.
(But in case you're wondering, this is what happens when you start a writing career. You, too, will ramble :-P )
They've been talked about on various writer sites and blogs, and discussed at length on message boards, but not necessarily for the reasons you'd think. You see 50 Shades began, not as a commercial work of fiction, but as a decidedly un-commerical work of FANfiction.
For those of you not in the know, fanfiction is what you get when fans of a particular book, movie, TV-series or whatever decide to write their own piece based in another writer/artist's universe. These are usually posted for fun, and not intended for profit as US copyright prohibits people from profiting off of others' work. Sites like Fanfiction.net, and others that focus on a particular fandom, allow anyone with an account to post stories set in established universes that may or may not involve canon characters. It's a complex set-up that could fill its own technical manual.
Now, the point of this post isn't 50 Shades of Grey, or whether or not the book should have ever been sold. Nor is it the pros and cons of being a fanfiction writer who branches into commercial writing (there are some big-name successes out there, btw). It's more basic than that.
I wrote fanfiction. I wrote in more than one fandom, with more than one screen name. I wrote for a spattering of short-lived vampire TV shows, and did some "written-to-order" Harry Potter fanfic. (seriously - never write in HP-land if you don't have a strong constitution - seriously. Yes, it requires seriously on both sides. It can be intimidating territory, with awesome pay-offs in the form of followers, but the sheer size is daunting.) There were others which I will never admit to...
When I got my agent, the fanfic disappeared from the net to the best of my ability (though no fanfiction is every "completely" gone). And yes, sadly for those who were reading them, some disappeared unfinished - for which I apologize.
I liked writing fanfiction. It's great for practice, especially with voice if you're trying to match a character to the way he/she was written by the original author. It takes the pressure of world-building off. And it's fast. I can, and did, knock off over a million posted words in one year - in one fandom, for which I received near-instant feedback... not something you get in the commercial writing world.
The biggest difference between writing a novel and writing fanfiction (which can be a novel, too) is the idea that reviews should never be responded to. With commercial writing, you aren't supposed to respond to reviews - for the good or the bad. This seems a strange idea to a lot of new writers. They want to thank those with kind words and defend their work from those who "don't get it." (Or, from those who have made legitimate mistakes by confusing characters or even authors.)
But, coming from a fanfiction background, I can tell you that the silence method is usually best. Fanfiction operates on the exact opposite system (as do many sites like Inkpop or Authonomy). It's about interaction, and writers are encouraged/expected to answer reviews. Usually this can work fine - for a while. But the problem with it is the same one that's becoming more prevalent with the rise of Amazon-self-e-publishing: It breeds flame wars.
When fanfic writers (often young or inexperienced) get upset, they have an easy outlet to vent. And if said writer is popular, they have the means to drag their supporters behind them into the fray. Those supporters often afford the fanfic writer the same allegiance as they would the original author, and they will defend said fanfic writer - viciously.
When inexperienced writers get upset, they also have this outlet, but until recently they didn't often utilize it. But now that Amazon's e-self-pub arm has turned their Kindle store into something akin to the back-catalog of Fanfiction.net (for size and lack of gatekeepers), some of these new (and shockingly some established) authors are taking their cues from the fanfiction and peer sites.
It can be a rough transition from the expectations of instant feedback and that desire to defend oneself, and honestly, some former fanfic authors never make that transition. I won't say it hurt their sales, because it doesn't, but it still creates a negative vibe in their corner of the industry, and those vibes can spread to others. Especially those coming in from fanfic and seeing their role models exhibiting the same behavior that got them flamed before they made the switch.
Okay... I'll stop rambling now.
(But in case you're wondering, this is what happens when you start a writing career. You, too, will ramble :-P )
The Return of the Return of Blogger the Terrible.
Monday, April 2, 2012
For those of you who don't know (which is likely all of you, as I don't know why anyone would have this bit of trivia taking up space in their heads) Blogger the Terrible is my 6' tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Viking counterpart. She's a person of great reknown, only no one knows it because BtT only shows up when I don't blog for a loooooooooooooooooooooong time.
Then, as soon as I come to post, she runs away and hides in fjord somewhere, wearing brass armor and one of those hats with the horns on it.
Now that my delusional counterparts are out of the way...
I've been a bad blogger. I was never a particularly good blogger, but I've been a baaaaaaaaaaaaaad blogger lately. But that doesn't mean I don't have an excuse.
I've been busy.
I've sent back the revised version of Premeditated and am waiting for word on Arclight. I've done some Super-Suzie revisions on Sing Down the Stars, which will hopefully be out in the wild very soon. And now, I'm back to finishing up Arclight 2.
I'd thought to have it finished by the end of March, but it wasn't due as soon as I thought, so I set it aside to do Premeditated and SDtS. Hopefully, I'll have draft 1 to Suzie by the end of April. For some odd reason, I seem to be hand writing most of this one on a yellow legal pad, so it's taking time to transfer it to Word.
So that's it. No real news to report, just me being a busy writer person and pretending I'm all professional and stuff.
Laters. (And if you see a Viking lurking about, don't worry, she's just guarding the place until I wander back through.
Then, as soon as I come to post, she runs away and hides in fjord somewhere, wearing brass armor and one of those hats with the horns on it.
Now that my delusional counterparts are out of the way...
I've been a bad blogger. I was never a particularly good blogger, but I've been a baaaaaaaaaaaaaad blogger lately. But that doesn't mean I don't have an excuse.
I've been busy.
I've sent back the revised version of Premeditated and am waiting for word on Arclight. I've done some Super-Suzie revisions on Sing Down the Stars, which will hopefully be out in the wild very soon. And now, I'm back to finishing up Arclight 2.
I'd thought to have it finished by the end of March, but it wasn't due as soon as I thought, so I set it aside to do Premeditated and SDtS. Hopefully, I'll have draft 1 to Suzie by the end of April. For some odd reason, I seem to be hand writing most of this one on a yellow legal pad, so it's taking time to transfer it to Word.
So that's it. No real news to report, just me being a busy writer person and pretending I'm all professional and stuff.
Laters. (And if you see a Viking lurking about, don't worry, she's just guarding the place until I wander back through.
Lucky 7
Monday, March 12, 2012
I'm currently in the process of revising Sing Down the Stars for my agent, while writing Arclight's sequel and waiting on my editorial letter on Premeditated, which is coming this week, and waiting to see if Arclight #1 is officially "finished". In short - I'm busy. Very, very busy. But still, last week I got tagged for the Lucky 7 Challenge:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5. Let them know.
I'll be stopping at step 3 because I don't usually pass these things along, but this one seemed like a fun way to break up the day.
So here goes: 7 paragraphs of Page 77 of the "in revision" SING DOWN THE STARS.
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5. Let them know.
I'll be stopping at step 3 because I don't usually pass these things along, but this one seemed like a fun way to break up the day.
So here goes: 7 paragraphs of Page 77 of the "in revision" SING DOWN THE STARS.
“Out of my way,” his companion ordered. “Gimmee a go at it. I'll get us in.”
There was a shuffling of feet and coats beyond the door as the second man replaced the first. Either he was stronger or more stubborn, because soon the sound of cracking wood and popping nails had me and Winnie staring at each other again. We huddled down as the boards gave way completely and two large shapes filled the door, backing in as they inspected it.
“Must've warped in the weather,” the first man said. “We'll have to find some new wood.”
But his companion didn't answer. While the first man was busy inspecting the damage to the shed, the second had turned, likely drawn by the lantern he couldn't ignore once inside. He swung his own high and wide, flooding the tiny building with light. Winnie and I held onto each other, shaking in way that had nothing to do with damp or chill.
“Lookie what we've found 'ere, Bull.” The man facing us smiled, and my stomach sank at the sight of his greenish teeth.
Bull turned slowly, then straightened with a startle.
"Well, well well," he sang. “Looks like we hit the mother lode."
Didn't We Do This Last Year?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
It's the 21st of February - again. Which means......
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.
.
.
{pretend you hear a drumroll, okay?}
.
.
.
.
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
For those of you keeping track, I'm (still) over 10 and under 100, and plan to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
.
.
.
.
{pretend you hear a drumroll, okay?}
.
.
.
.
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
For those of you keeping track, I'm (still) over 10 and under 100, and plan to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
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