We just got back from the beach where we went swimming with SEALS!
Fucking. Awesome.
Archive for July, 2007
the last saturday…
Jul 28th, 07
/ 0 Comments
…and I’m not planning on a damn thing. Okay, actually, I’ll probably do some little edits on a story and read a little. And answer some email. And maybe try to run, since I didn’t get to yesterday.
Tonight, we’re going to the beach to try and catch the full moon at midnight.
And yesterday. There are some Comic-Con pictures, but I’m too lazy at the moment. A couple of small serendipitous things happened there that made me smile.
Yeah. Totally useless post.
a 6 before bed.
Jul 27th, 07
/ 0 Comments
1. after the quake at the La Jolla Playhouse: I liked it, but I haven’t read the two stories out of this book adapted for the stage, so I can’t make a comparison. I have the book with me, so I may read them this weekend to get a real comparison. But going to see a Murakami adaptation that’s essentially about Storytelling was great. And seeing it for free for a Seat Filler’s ticket was pretty stellar.
2. Comic-Con: It’s going to be a madhouse tomorrow. But I’ll take pictures. I hope. But I also hope to have a bunch of signatures in my journal. We’ll see what happens.
3. One last story: I finished a self-contained story set in the world of the novel. To be turned in this weekend. And that’s it.
4. Coming home: I’m ready. But you’d better be ready for me talking like a writing nerd for awhile.
5. Björk: I’ve had a major crush on her this week, because all of a sudden her music is, I’m realizing, what I want my stories to sound like. I’m not sure what that means, but you work that out. My brain’s toast.
6. Obligatory mastubatory poetic spew:
Read More
eh.
Jul 24th, 07
/ 0 Comments
Another story workshopped tomorrow– a submission story. I have one story that I’m trying to finish in the next few days, and that’s probably going to be it for me, unless I have time for Ellen and Delia‘s idea of workshopping a story that I’ve already turned into the class. We’ll see.
Everyone here has been winding down slowly from being so hectic. Right now our off-workshop time is filled up with things to do, and there’s also this little thing we’re all going to Friday called Comic Con (maybe you’ve heard of it, wink-wink), so we’re trying to stay as sane as humanly possible.
Saw my brother and my nephews tonight. They’re in town for a couple of days, and I’m really happy to see them, but it’s also a reminder that we only have a week and a half left. It’s not something we like talking about.
There’s a part of me that’s looking forward to going home and integrating what I’ve learned here into my everyday routine, making writing a real part of that. I’m anxious to get home and re-work the novel. But there’s also a part of me that’s been so used to the routine, that I may have a hard time getting back into the Real World again. I have some things in my head that I really need to work out when I get home– just on an emotional level. But I’m excited about getting back to work, in all senses of that word.
Yeah, and spoken word? You and I need to have a talk when I get home. You are a frustrating motherfucker.
I’ve really been on a big Bjork kick this week. I guess I just need some of her weirdness. Who knows.
One of these days, I’ll have something poetic to say. Just not right now.
just a moment.
Jul 20th, 07
/ 0 Comments
And don’t think I’ve forgotten. Take 3 minutes and remind yourself what slam poetry can really be:
yippie-ki-yay, melon farmers.
Jul 18th, 07
/ 0 Comments
Yesterday, we went to go see Live Free or Die Hard as part of a group exercise in looking for typical plot devices in a predictable setting.
Needless to say, watching a movie where one of the major themes is about computers vs. brains, surveillance, Homeland Security and technology with Cory Doctorow made this movie downright comedic.
Here are some things that were said (also, if you actually have plans on seeing it, don’t read them):
–”It’s an e-bomb!” (actually said in the movie)
–”Someone should remix that!” (said by me after a YouTube mashup of presidential speeches)
–”Ow.” (everyone, after Bruce Willis shoots himself in the fucking shoulder to kill the villain)
–”Holy Shit, is that Silent Bob?” (I’m pretty sure Jerome, sitting next to me, said it about Kevin Smith showing up in the middle of the flick, and at one point Bruce Willis does in fact call him “Tubby”)
–”Are you for real?” (said by everyone, in scenes that included “hacking” into a Nokia with a USB port to come up with some kind of map software, also using USB to “hack” into a underground place’s layout map thingie)
–”Who does that?” (said at least once by everyone in the group to such stunts like a fire hydrant taking out a helicopter, a semi truck surviving an F-13 jet fighter, and Bruce Willis eventually jumping onto said jet, then jumping onto a piece of broken concrete, only to slide down to safety with barely a sprain)
–”You’re a hacker who can shut down the entire country and you can’t even do a simple 13-digit decryption?” (said by someone down the row from me about one of the villain’s henchmen)
–”I should’ve bought a Mac.” (said by myself and many other folks about the hacker sidekick played by Mr. Mac himself, Justin Long [who I just saw by his IMDB page, is only a day older than me, weird])
Workshopped Sean’s story today. I know what I’m doing right, and what I’m doing wrong. I think I just need to let things simmer a little bit. Actually, all the stuff that I’m workshopping here I’m letting sit for at least a month so I can get some perspective. I’ll probably come back to some of it at the beginning of October and see how I feel about it.
My favorite line right now is “You wanna make God laugh? Tell Him your plans” from a song called “Hell Country” by Montreal hip-hop artist Bleubird. Listen to it, you won’t regret it. Seriously. I’ve been thinking of putting that line in a story. Not sure which one, though.
I’m slowly waking back up from being out of it the past week. I’ve also been thinking about putting all my poetry mp3s up, and putting up complete stories at some point, sexifying all that part of the site. Let’s blow it out, right? I’ve found an mp3 plugin for WordPress so I can just create previews. I may also use the plugin to bring back a weekly music post. Not sure yet.
Well, we officially have 2 and a half more weeks left. Wee!
week 4: welcome to meltdown town, y’all.
Jul 17th, 07
/ 0 Comments
And it’s not even a full on meltdown, either. It’s just a jesus-christ-why-can’t-I-write-today-when-I-have-good-ideas kind of week so far. Tomorrow I’m workshopping a story I wrote for Sean on his birthday because it seems like any other story I’m trying to write doesn’t want to cooperate with me (while I’m making feeble attempts at not psyching myself out at the same time), and I’ve been talking about my novel a lot. I want to wait until I get home to get working on it (the YA/maybe not YA novel that I’m pretty sure only J‘s read all the way through)– and guess what? I’m rewriting the whole thing! Fantastic. (I mean that both sarcastically and for real.)
Part of me just thinks maybe I should write performance poems full of catchphrases and headlines for the next 2 and half weeks. But that would be bad. Bad. Like, bad bad.
I’m trying to figure out in my head how to manage it, because it’s partly my brain just going on shut down when I look at what I want to work on, and partly my brain just telling me to be lazy. I want to nip this in the bud now because I don’t want this to turn into a habit at home. Anyone else have this problem, and does something about it?
There are some other things I want to post about, namely about the Esperanto convention (and a dance they had on Friday night), seeing Die Hard tonight, and the consideration of going back to yoga again after practicing it for 20 minutes every morning with Cory this week.
How’s your week?
not quite sure what the problem is.
Jul 14th, 07
/ 0 Comments
My Friday the 13th is happening today, folks. So far:
–I’ve tried not to be homesick all day for no reason, and it doesn’t help that my brother didn’t really want to talk to me on the phone today and that my text last night went unanswered
–Slipped and fell in the laundromat and hit my right knee on the ground for the second time in 3 weeks
–Been locked out of my apartment
–Cried once (and now that I’m reading over this, about to again)
I was going to answer personal email and get some writing done, but I just don’t have the mental stamina for either one. So I’m going to finish Norwegian Wood, finish my laundry, and pray that tomorrow will be a better day.
I quit. But just for today.
randoms.
Jul 13th, 07
/ 0 Comments
First, some links to get out of the way for a couple of folks. This week we’ve been talking about gender and genre fiction, and I mentioned a few things that I would link. When I was writing my TV pilot last year, I found Jane Espenson’s blog. She’s written for Buffy and Firefly and other non-genre shows, but her advice has been helpful even in my fiction writing. And as we were talking about gender in genre fiction today, I mentioned the female protagonist (Tally Youngblood) in Scott Westerfeld‘s Uglies Trilogy is a strong character (with flaws, inside and out, of course) in all three books. Also, on the more fantastic (and a bit weirder) side is Weetzie Bat in Francesca Lia Block‘s Dangerous Angels collection.
So. Yeah. Just things I was thinking of.
I’m about to go for a run, but there may be some blogging this weekend. Depends on if I ever go to the beach and want to stay there. We actually have another weekend off, so I’ll be able to catch up a little.
And happy birthday to Uncle Skids!
Peace to Tha Gods and Tha Erfs.
