Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 68

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 951
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 87719
What I hate about my writing: Working on smut at the paying job.
The Good: I’m back in the groove, I think.
The Bad: Took Sunday and Monday off. Sunday was not a good day. After nearly blowing a gasket trying to put up a set of shelves (and this was after getting disgusted at prices of things for another project at Lowe’s, and trying to move stuff out on sore legs and trying to do budget), I gave up and watched Iron Man. I went to bed happy after watching Tony Stark blow things up. Monday’s day off happened more by accident. I finished up my budget work--didn’t make it to taxes yet—and that was the whole day.
Fave DG line: “I could care less. Secrets have caused me nothing but trouble. I just don’t want the your highness crap to start.”
Fave Cain line: “Because it was just surviving, not living.” His hands stroked up her thighs to cup her backside. “I prefer the living.”
Fave Betsy line: “We sail through the Teeth and go meet the Gnome King and get my family back. Don’t think that your duties have changed just because you’re famous.”
Fave Spencer line: “Everybody on this ship has a secret. I’m sorry your’s got told.”
What I'm looking forward to: Improving the Feng Shui in my home office, which is the creativity point of my house.
What I'm not looking forward to: Cleaning my kitchen. Don’t turn me into the board of health yet.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 67

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 846
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 86768
What I hate about my writing: Sitting down to work on it and not being able to shove everything else I MUST do out of my head even for fifteen minutes of concentration.
The Good: I got 45 minutes in and just didn’t have anything left at that point.
The Bad: Not having anything left. Maybe it’s time I learn how to dictate into the computer. But given how I’m totally uncomfortable doing that with just taking notes in the car, I doubt it will help me out of these situations.
Fave DG line: “Oh that’s all. I can count on one hand all the people I’ve met who actually do what I ask them.” DG stalked to the open window in the stern of the ship and swung it shut. “All princess seems to do is to make me a kidnapping target.” She clenched her fists. – I counted them and she’s right. Cain, Glitch, Raw, Az, and Jeb.
Fave Jenkins line: “Get the Captain to her cabin while I get things settled up here.”
Fave Cain line: “It’s the keep bleeding you have to worry about.” Cain’s tone was so conversational, both Betsy and DG did a double take. “That and gangrene.”
Fave Betsy line: “Stop fussing, it’s only a flesh wound,” Betsy laughed. “I’m gladder we’re not in shark-infested waters.”
Fave Sprite line: “Captain deserves ouchies. Scared me.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing my budget stuff so I can finish my taxes.
What I'm not looking forward to: Finishing my budget stuff so I can finish my taxes.

Fiction Tracker Update 2

Covering from March 22 to March 28


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Friday, March 27, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 66

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 296
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 85922
What I hate about my writing: Not getting my full hour in.
The Good: I got nineteen minutes in and shifted the scene to its resolution.
The Bad: I never got to finish the writing hour.
Fave Betsy line: “Is this the future you want? We hoisted the colors to stay free from the tyranny Slate promises!”
Fave Slate line: “Take your revenge. Give me pirate justice and right the wrongs between us.”
Fave Jenkins line: “Damnit, Betsy! You’re still bleeding.”
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting the Gnome King, playing his game, reunion with Jeb, the big reveal that astute readers will have guessed probably way back in chapter eighteen, maybe chapter twelve if they know 80s music.
What I'm not looking forward to: Maybe never getting ahead of my progress again.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 65

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 792
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 85626
What I hate about my writing: I’ve caught up with myself. Progress always slows down when I catch up with myself, and it really slowed down today.
The Good: Who knew that bad news from my doctor would get me up on time? I didn’t get to write at home though, I was too busy trying to catch up on health stuff.
The Bad: It’s a talky part. Trying to make it as interesting as possible, but still very talky.
Fave DG line: “Suffer the consequences is all I ever do!” The blue glow shot out of her out flung hands. Jones, Laffite, and Hodges flew back and skidded across the deck. A golden dome settled over their group.
Fave Hodges line: “What’s his hide worth to you? How about every night in the Captain’s bunk until we reach Nome Cove?”
Fave Cain line: “Don’t you dare agree to that,” Cain said in a low tone that lost none of its iciness. “I’d rather be whipped than see you raped to protect me.”
Fave Betsy line: “I am Blood-rage Bobbins, Captain of this ship, and I fear nothing on this god-forsaken ocean!” She took in a deep breath to keep screaming. “No man of flesh or living rock will stop me from taking back what is mine, blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart! Who’s the next worthless cur who wants to listen to his sweet, empty promises?” She pointed her sword at Slate, while she turned to see all of her crew, even Bonnet still at the wheel. “Who’s willing to cross my steel in order to earn Slate’s favor and finish the deed he doesn’t have the balls to attempt?”
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting the Gnome King, playing his game, reunion with Jeb, the big reveal that astute readers will have guessed probably way back in chapter eighteen, maybe chapter twelve if they know 80s music.
What I'm not looking forward to: Maybe never getting ahead of my progress again.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 64

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 1227
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 84834
What I hate about my writing: I’ve caught up with myself. Progress always slows down when I catch up with myself.
The Good: I have today off—yeah! My writing hour is done the quickest it has been done so far all week.
The Bad: I have two appointments of no telling how long they are going to last, which cuts down on me being able to say “I’ll finish everything on the to-do list today.”
Fave DG line: “You better let me go before my husband busts the heads of your partners in mutiny.”
Fave Jenkins line: “You know whose back I’ve got. Always had, always will. You wouldn’t know that kind of loyalty if it bit you on the ass.”
Fave Hodges line: “I just wanted to give you the least painful way out, Bobbins.”
Fave Betsy line: “What did Slate promise you? My ship? A chance to bugger a Princess? Your own island when he makes his empire?”
What I'm looking forward to: Revealing of the sinister plan, meeting the Gnome King, playing his game, reunion with Jeb, the big reveal that astute readers will have guessed probably way back in chapter eighteen, maybe chapter twelve if they know 80s music. And see how people react to the cliffy in Chapter Twenty-six. I’m proud of it.
What I'm not looking forward to: I have to finish a lot on my to do list before I can let myself come back to the writing. Boo.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 63

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 2168
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 83607
What I hate about my writing: Today has been loopy for paying job reasons. I managed to squeeze in my hour finally.
The Good: Reached Chapter Twenty-six.
The Bad: Urk, I’ve almost caught up with myself.
Fave Cain line: “I’m not sure I didn’t. How much did I frighten you when you let me out?”
Fave Spencer line: “No one lied to me. I helped bury my family.” His body shook again. “I know I couldn’t have saved them if I had been in the house. The roof … it caved in from the cannon blasts. I just wish….”
Fave DG line: “After what they did to me and what I saw they did to you, I was too pissed off at the Longcoats to be scared of you. And you didn’t seem that crazy, just wanting revenge. Who could blame you? But after a couple of days, I realized you weren’t a killer.” She smirked, “But if it makes you feel better, you were really intense.”
Fave Dani line: “The difference is, dearie, I say those things so you can prove me wrong.”
Fave Hodges line: “Not so brave without your skillet, are you?”
What I'm looking forward to: Mutiny, epic sword fight, revealing of the sinister plan, meeting the Gnome King, playing his game, reunion with Jeb, the big reveal that astute readers will have guessed probably way back in chapter eighteen, maybe chapter twelve if they know 80s music.
What I'm not looking forward to: Having to actually write all that out of my head. Can I have five minutes alone with my thoughts? Without the paying job braying for my attention? Crap.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 62

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 2108
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 81439
What I hate about my writing: Nope, nothing today. I’m still really proud of the flashback scene.
The Good: Finished the flashback.
The Bad: I need to take some time with the longhand notes and get the mutiny done.
Fave Cain line: “And I wasn’t going ‘cause you weren’t going. Maybe my son should start making the travel plans.”
Fave Mystic Man line: “Nonsense, I still remember how to do this.” The car squealed down the street. “But I don’t think they let me go this fast.”
Fave Adora line: “You can’t save everyone, Wyatt.”
Fave Jeb line: “Mo-om.” Cain suppressed a smile at how his son stretched the word out. “I really don’t want to get eaten.”
Fave Zero line: “You and the little woman have a disagreement over your traitorous activities?”
Fave Thompson line: “I don’t know how you plan to get back to your precious wife and son.” Cain paused in changing his outer layers, but it wasn’t said sneeringly. “You should’ve packed a Longcoat uniform.” – And yes that was deliberate shout out to the much later plan on my part.
What I'm looking forward to: Mutiny, epic sword fight, revealing of the sinister plan, meeting the Gnome King, playing his game, reunion with Jeb, the big reveal that astute readers will have guessed probably way back in chapter eighteen, maybe chapter twelve if they know 80s music.
What I'm not looking forward to: Having to actually write all that out of my head. I need food before starting.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 61

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 2006
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 79331
What I hate about my writing: Actually, writing has gone pretty good. Wish I could say that the cleaning and weeding out has moved as smoothly. I still have no living room, but can honestly say that at least a third of the stuff in the back bedroom I was saving to sell at a garage sale instead of just keeping it to keep it.
The Good: And I’ve made it to the Last Stand of the Tin Men! I’m so proud of this flashback. I like to think that Richard Dreyfuss would relish the stuff the Mystic Man does in it. I also got my fanon notes typed into the Zackverse Wiki, and so tempted to write some of them out as stories—if I could believe myself when I say they should be short.
The Bad: Still haven’t found my astrolabe.
Fave DG line: “And don’t you dare think you can’t come to us for help. And if anyone on this boat thinks you can be over what you went through in a month, they’re idiots.”
Fave Cain line: “I know this song.” He smirked when her eyes grew larger in surprise. “My grandfather used to sing it while he worked in his garden. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna.”
Fave Spencer line: “The crew knows what I survived. The Captain and Mr. Jenkins know everything, but they can’t understand why I’m not happy to be alive.”
Fave Cain flashback line: “Do you really think that would make me feel better? Do you think I like putting my duty to the City and the Tin Men ahead of you and Jeb?”
Fave Adora line: “I’m not asking you to chose. I never have. Trust me to take care of Jeb and you worry about your own neck. And the Commissioner’s neck,” she added right before their lips met.
Fave Thompson line: “Thought you didn’t want to see innocent people hurt.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finding the astrolabe and finish cleaning the back bedroom.
What I'm not looking forward to: Finish writing the mutiny. The problem with cleaning is I can’t play with the notebooks and write more longhand notes.

Edit 3pm: I found the astrolabe! Silly me, I put in my purse bag of things I might need but don't use on a daily basis like a travel hairbrush and extra pens. Now I'm putting it back with the Capt. Storm-blown Kate accesories so I don't lose it again.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Fiction Tracker Update 1

Covering from January 1st to March 21st.


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Hope to keep posting these on a weekly basis now. We'll see how that turns out.

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 60

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 1680
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 77325
What I hate about my writing: Writing on the home computer that keeps acting up, also while trying to clean house.
The Good: Got through the funeral and now I’m on the fifth or sixth clue that DG completely misses. She’s supposed to miss them, so it’s okay.
The Bad: I have no idea what happened to my astrolabe. CRAP! I’m hoping to run across it while I’m cleaning. But there are so many places where it could be hiding, if I didn’t lose it. Ugh, it cost a lot and if I lost it, I’m going to be so pissed at myself.
Fave DG line: “I’m not trying to be morbid, but the last time was after the Battle of the Eclipse and it wasn’t much of a funeral. That and this are both so different from what I grew up with.”
Fave Cain line: “You don’t have to thank me for explaining what you don’t know.”
Fave Jenkins line: “Alright, booty goes to children as next of kin,” Jenkins declared. “Who else had any?”
Fave Betsy line: “I don’t think it would cause any harm.”
Fave Sprite line: “Sad.”
Fave Hodges line: “I’ll feed the prisoner. I have no mood for company.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finding the astrolabe and cleaning out the notebooks.
What I'm not looking forward to: Finish writing the mutiny and putting my Tin Man fanon notes into the Zackverse wiki I’ve started. I really didn’t borrow as much as I was afraid I had.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 59

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 1903
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 75645
What I hate about my writing: Replaced folder and no notes were lost. But currently seeing the fun that can be done with TiddlyWiki, and it is distracting.
The Good: Battle finished.
The Bad: I’m beginning to think it’s a futile wish to get my typing done at home before I leave to go to work.
Fave DG line: “How did you not get hit, honey?”
Fave Dani line: “Sounds like this Slate fellow’s been cooped up.”
Fave Cain line: “These guys are ‘bout as bad as Eastern Guild fighters.”
Fave Jenkins line: “We all got knocked off our feet, the damn smug bastard. How bad is it?”
Fave Betsy line: “Well, Commandant, I’m afraid you’re going to have to impose upon our hospitality for the rest of the journey. Seeing how far apart our ships are now.”
Fave Sprite line: “Captain often says Nome Cove was asking for it. Not our problem to solve.”
Fave Slate line: “There will be no port in the storm for you, Bobbins. The Royal Army of the O.Z. has invaded Nome Cove.”
What I'm looking forward to: Funeral at sea, a new experience for both DG and Cain—as if I didn’t have enough of that planned already. And I got the mutiny mostly figured out.
What I'm not looking forward to: I think I missed giving Cain and DG any alone time to share that tidbit of information with her. *Smirk* Okay, that just got a little more fun after it comes out. “What do you mean you forgot to tell me?"

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Cracktastic! That took hours

Ran across a brilliant tidbit when I was catching up on Bloglines on using a wiki to corral novel/series background notes. Thought it was so great, I sent myself an email and kept the idea in my head.

So I get to today and tell myself "Free time, let's see what that wiki idea entails cause I've got at least three separate projects that could use the corraling and that's just off the top of my head."

Find email. I forgot to paste the URL.

Spent hours searching all the blogs I thought the advice could have come from. Also Googled on every possible combination of "writing advice blog create an offline wiki novel background." Making the top ten all about Wikipedia articles less than helpful Google-bots!

I finally take a chance that I may have bookmarked in on the work computer and thank the gods, I did. It was from Jim C. Hines Fictionwise Sale and Wikitesting

And just so I don't lose the damn thing all over again: Tiddlywiki

And I we sent myself the email with the URL this time.

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 58

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 1402
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 73742
What I hate about my writing: I killed the folder full of reference notes. My eyesight is also not up to the task of trying to read place names on the map. I really need to finish my map projects.
The Good: Made it typing into Chapter Twenty-three. Currently writing Chapter Twenty-six.
The Bad: Still haven’t woken up on time yet, but this morning was closer than I have been for a while.
Fave DG line: “This empty head still has the recipe for fried chicken in it, so I’d lay off the insults if I were you.”
Fave Dani line: “Right civilized of you.” Dani’s tone didn’t sound mollified. “What about your bullets? Do you eat them right before battle?”
Fave Cain line: “Your nurture units fed you chicken?”
Fave Jenkins line: “Is he seasick?”
Fave Betsy line: “I didn’t know about creepy rhyme time.”
Fave Hodges line: “No one said anything ‘bout this voyage dealing with creatures of legend.”
What I'm looking forward to: The Relentless vs. You and What Navy round two!
What I'm not looking forward to: Mutiny. Though I think I finally figured out what to do with DG while the mutineers are plotting.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates Metrics 57

Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

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Metrics
Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic

New words: 1804
Total words for part one of draft: 57113
Total words: 72340
What I hate about my writing: Still feeling like crap, but shoulder through it any way.
The Good: And I’m back, mostly. I still don’t have a clear idea of what else I have to do on other projects, but I think my goal planning is done for this one.

I’ve expanded the total word count to 140,000 on the jellied foundation that I was roughly at the halfway point when I hit 70,000. So that puts my estimate of finishing the first draft at the end of May. It may end up going faster or being less, but that’s where I am right now.

So now I have wrapped up the flashback scene of Chapter Twenty-two with only a little bit present day chit-chat between Cain and DG to wrap the chapter up.
The Bad: If I don’t wake up on time, I will never get my dedicated hour done first thing.
Fave DG line: “I’m afraid I don’t conform to anyone’s standards of how a Princess should behave. If it makes your ego feel better, you can blame it on being raised on the Other Side.”
Fave Aedan line: “You won’t even have dinner alone with me, but you let a common Tin Man between your legs for a whole week! I’ll not suffer that, Princess!”
Fave Raw line: “Prince no hurt Cain. How could you think that?”
Fave Glitch line: “We’ve all been there. I think they still tell horror stories about my first ball. I’ll give your excuses. Take care of her, Raw.”
Fave Cain line: “That explains the ball from hell picture.”
What I'm looking forward to: Not spending most of the day feeling like shit. I didn’t think the stress detox would take this long.
What I'm not looking forward to: Having to put the story on hold again. It really didn’t work all that well the last time, and I’d much rather schedule the multi-tasking so that everything gets done.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Random Tin Man thought

Yeah, this came to me in the shower last night and then trying to finish Faulkner paper and watch Castle at the same time got to me and I just now remembered it while trying to do math.

We all assume Cain's nightmare was what really happened to Adora (extra footage of it in the DVD extras aside). What did we see? One empty iron suit (not tin, people! It's based off the iron maidens) and one Adora Cain grave site lacking grass cover. Cain says "Jeb" when he realizes the suit is empty but let's chalk that one up to Cain machismo. Hell, he may have even said to Jeb "you're the man of the house if anything happens me" etc. What do Longcoats do to manly men who don't stop fighting? Lock them in a suit.

So later after Jeb has said Zero killed Adora, after seeing Jeb has his own suit with his camp (and that must have made packing in a hurry a bitch. I hope it came in handy with interrogation sessions.), Cain has a nightmare of finding a timeloop projection of Adora's death. Not even her real death, a projection of it! *Pause to snuggle issues!Cain*

Okay, so now that we've established that we interpret these two scenes through Cain's macho POV, here comes the question that popped into my head. What if Adora was the one in the suit?

I think this explains Jeb's attachment to iron suits even more. He was off doing resistance stuff, hears reports of Zero in the area of their new cabin, rushes home, opens the suit and Adora is dead. Or dies shortly after getting her out. *Pauses to snuggle issues!Jeb*

Discuss?

Faulkner Paper Progress 3

Another Never-ending Cycle: Faulkner's Use of the Incest Taboo

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DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another choice of title was "We Are Family" but the committee in my head overruled me. Which is probably a good thing. But I never want to write in committee again. My notebook of notes looks like a certified lunatic started keeping it. And I typed some of it to get the creative process jump started. That is a technique I will never recommend to anyone.

Now I'm waiting for a "go ahead and send it in" from my advisor and then hopefully the powers that be will accept an email attachment. Otherwise, I will have to leave work early and deliver the copies. Not really opposed to leaving work early because I feel like death warmed over and then left to get cold all over again. Congealed mess in the pan that nobody wants to touch. I haven't decided if I'm actually getting sick or if my body has had enough of the stress and is poking me in a new uncomfortable way to not do that again.

I came under the word count I was aiming for but made 21 pages, 19 of them pure double-spaced text. Am I really finished? Hell if I know, like I said I'm waiting for feedback. I didn't cover one whole character's incest angle because I couldn't get a copy of the article discussing it. I feel too lousy to rant but while it was nice on my pocketbook and net worth not to be enrolled in classes I have to pay for these past two semesters, it SUCKED when trying to get access to resources suddenly denied because the computers say I'm not a student any more. *headdesk*

Had I managed life and this project better that could have been worked around. Another reason I'm not yelling at my puny body; it has a right to punish me for being an idiot. Wonder if it's safe to try to put something in my stomach?

I know, I know, nobody actually cares about this project or the work I'm going to have to start on to pass the second-half of the exam. Fiction and website updates and more fiction is what you care about. Short answer: I don't know.

No lie, I feel like shit and I'm still reeling from the stress. Not a good place to compose from even when I want to work on something. It may be a place to plan from, possibly. I'm going to try planning after I see if Sprite Zero will settle the stomach or make it worse.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

For Rissy

Since I can't figure out why I can't leave an actual comment on Progress Update VII: would map images help? I still haven't finished my Maguire mashup or the resulting rant to go along with all of it (which Maguire doesn't get left out of humorously enough) but I have image files of the corrected Oz maps from the 80s, some original to Baum maps, and the Maguire maps scanned if any and all would help.

And I'm kind of giggling at your second point because I can see it going crazy on both the readers and the characters.

DG's travel by travel storm looked like it did a number on her house, judging by the debris field she woke up in. So I don't think you'd be crazy for calling what dropped Dorothy in the O.Z. a travel storm and something in the house could've hit her head like in the movie version. You could keep that. Otherwise, I think you're asking how much of Baum you actually want to keep. Or I could be really confused. Back to paper, thanks for the break. After edits: okay, I'm to tired to type straight. Skip paper and got to bed for paper in morning instead.

Yeah, I'm whining here


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Yeah, that's the Master's paper progress. GAH! Good thing I had the Watchmen fun last weekend because I think I can only come away from the computer to eat during this one. Oh and Battlestar Galactica. Too bad I didn't structure my studies to do a paper on that show. I would probably want to write that.

I finally got to my thesis paragraph in the introduction, so now I have to figure out the shift into the body of the paper.

What is surprising is how often incest is used as a theme. It shows up in Flags in the Dust, one of his earliest works, but the use is probably best remembered from The Sound and the Fury, Absalom, Absalom!, and Go Down, Moses. Faulkner layers miscegenation with incest in the fine old plantation families of Yoknapatawpha County as if just one of the sexual crimes wasn’t bad enough. Granted, Faulkner didn’t shy away from portraying people as evil, inept, corrupt, broken, or as decent as people are capable of being. So seeing incest as a theme one or twice would make sense, after all, there has probably been a taboo against ever since people formed tribes. Yet, Faulkner uses it over and over again, as well as change what incest represents and how it is portrayed in each novel.

Incest, much like non-sexual child abuse, can become a cycle that is repeated in families. Looking at it like that, instead of just something disturbing that affects the characters, one can see the attraction to keep using it as a theme. It becomes added to the Past that the characters are struggling to grapple with, just like the Civil War and race relations and tied those two themes together as well as remaining another cycle to be perpetuated, acknowledged, or broken within the world Faulkner created.


I keep wanting to stop and footnote myself to explain word choices. Miscegenation was a crime for most of the South before and after the Civil War (hell, some places might still have it on the books unenforced). Only the crazy French around New Orleans seemed to give a damn about not treating their children by slaves as slaves; one of the reasons why New Orleans had a thriving free black society much sooner than other Southern cities. Plus the fact that I view it as a form of rape. It was not the same as consensual slavery the BDSM crowd enjoys.

Bah, time to drive home.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Here's the real ending

Nope, I couldn't leave Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li alone. This short bit makes me feel all sorts of better. Though I admit the last part was for everyone who bitched about Neal McDonough not looking like Bison.


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Tokyo, Japan

The underling swallowed hard as he paused in his report. He wished he had not lost the office draw on who had to give news to their boss. “The Thai government has seized the assets of the holding company, as well as stopped the demolition of the slums.”

The man in the grey business suit did not turn from the plate glass window, looking down at the night life. “Enough assets were left behind to fool Interpol into thinking they crippled Shadaloo?” His accent was vaguely Asian, sounding even more so coming from so fair a Caucasian.

“Yes, sir. All business that Interpol was aware of went through that company, and all reports we have received say that their analysts believe all income is accounted for.”

“Five countries only, mere pocket change. What else?”

“The cloning program was a success, despite the flaws in the copy. No one has raised any suspicions about M. Bison not being dead. But we lost Balrog and Vega.” The boss didn’t look too upset so far, maybe there was a chance he could get out of this briefing with his teeth intact.

“And my daughter?”

He glanced down at the notes in his hand. “Arrangements have been made for her to have psychiatric counseling in Lyon, France. Agent Charles Nash has also spearheaded a fund to take care of her once she is able to make plans for her future. There have been discussions of the possibility of attending university, once she has recovered from her traumatic distress.”

“Traumatic distress, isn’t that a nice way to describe the shock of seeing your only parent killed right in front of you?” The blond head shook with a sigh.

“The Interpol reports also mention Stockholm Syndrome.” The underling locked his knees so they wouldn’t knock together.

But his boss only sounded amused. “And they wondered why they could never catch the monster. Clearly, I had my daughter locked up in a dungeon brainwashing her instead of attending the finest boarding schools in Europe. Send in our own psychiatrist, infiltrated slowly, to monitor her treatment. I don’t want worse damage to her mind when I reveal the truth to her.”

“Yes, sir. The recruitment campaigns have already begun as well.”

“Excellent. I’m sure this is the best way to find replacements of Balrog and Vega’s caliber, not to mention entertaining. And if the authorities have issue with the tournaments that is all they are. Pure entertainment.” The underling took notes and glanced at the office door behind him. There really couldn’t be much more left to cover. “The Interpol agent who led the attack in Bangkok.”

“Charles Nash, sir.”

“I want his head.”

So much for the meeting ending on a pleasant note. “But sir, no one suspects you are alive and they think Shadaloo is destroyed. If there is a revenge killing on Charles Nash, investigations may start again.”

M. Bison turned from the window with a pale face carved from stone. “He touched my daughter. I could let that go, if he had rushed her to safety. But no, he wandered around the compound with Rose in tow to find me and the schoolgirl. Interpol should count it as a favor.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll see that it is handled.”

“Good. And get a stylist while you’re arranging that.” He turned back to his reflection in the mirror. “I think I need a makeover for my resurrection.”

Friday, March 06, 2009

Tin Man: Pirates 05

Not ready to start back on this by officially keeping metrics, but my long hand notes are about to use up the small binder paper that I hate writing in, so I can move back into a real bound journal. Much rejoicing for that small fact.

And I will have to edit my Master Story Summary, because I ended up circling an unexpected block on the road map. Spencer's story got shared in an earlier than anticipated scene, but there wasn't time for the characters for DG and Cain to explain why they understand. When I got to the scene that was supposed to be Spencer's background, it shifted to Cain telling the story of the Tin Men's Last Stand.

I had figured that the showdown featured in the badly-colored teaser comic was the battle Cain referred to when exchanging pep talks with DG before the Tower assault, and vaguely considered that it was the Last Stand. Once Cain started referring to it though in what I'm writing, I realized it didn't happen like the comic had drawn. One: Tin Men uniforms were probably not the dusters and fedoras (as pictured in the comics) otherwise Cain would have been grabbed in Central City. Two: my timeline has the Last Stand, the Mystic Man's first capture (the one that gets him hooked on vapors), the Cains fleeing Central City, and Cain getting put in the iron suit all happening two years after the Sorceress takes control. The Last Stand fails miserably and effectively ends the Tin Men as an organization. And what would make Cain put that military maneuver ahead of Adora and Jeb and the Mystic Man? It's not keeping Central City from falling to the Longcoats, since that happened two years earlier. Then I remembered the gallows in Central City Square.

What I got is another chapter long flashback, this one unforseen when I wrote out the Master Story Summary. I'm enjoying the scenes more than I thought I would considering that I know the Cains only have about a month left together and what the Mystic Man will go through as a result of the Last Stand failing.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Notes for Evil Jack series 4

Last one for a while. Since I'm not putting any songs in the Evil Jack series, I decided to go with character and relationship themes instead. The hardest to find were Hannah and Modo, but I ended up really happy with what I picked.




Soundtrack available here, click and save link.

And you could leave a comment if you liked or didn't like any of these.

BMFM: Let Us Give Thanks Post 6

This soundtrack has the first time I picked songs to represent two scenes in the story, rather than charcters or relationships. I probably should have put Adam Sandler's "Turkey Song" on it since it is a Thanksgiving holiday story, but I vetoed the idea because it didn't really fit the mood of the story.




Soundtrack available here, click and save link.

BMFM: Family, Friends, and Foes 1

This cover actually gave me a few fits. Fit number one: trying to put together a group picture for the Biker Mice that looked decent. After that fun, I decided I need to pay/bribe someone to draw one for me. Fit number two: figuring out how to put Allie's scars on Sarah Michelle Geller's cheek. And then after I figured that out, the picture shrunk so much you really can't see them. I had decided Allie was played by Sarah Michelle Geller years ago, but only recently found Edison Chen to play Zack when I was pulling together casting pictures for Tin Man: Dragons and Ninjas.

Up until Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic, this was the longest soundtrack I had put together. Seven songs straight from the story, plus three themes songs for the groups and series, and five songs for people and relationships. On the plus side, none of them were hard to figure out.




Soundtrack available here, clink and save link.

BMFM: Reunions 1

Sparks' theme song was probably one of the hardest to find. There just aren't very many rock 'n roll songs dealing with father/son angst. Roddie's song was much easier, given that one of the lyrics in "Invincible" was on my short list of titles for the series.

Interesting tidbit: I have "Girl, You Got Me Going" by Van Halen listed as Vinnie and Tala's theme song, but it also has a cameo in the text. Vinnie comes back from the party humming that tune, after having a quasi-date with Tala.




Soundtrack available here, click and save link.

BMFM: Put Me Back Together 1

This soundtrack is the one I feel has the most filler music on it. Basically, the last four songs have always struck me as very BMFM-ish and they seemed to work well with the themes of this story and I needed more songs to reach ten. My rule: it's not worth combining as a soundtrack if I have less than ten songs.




Soundtrack available here, click and save link.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

BMFM: Shatter Your Illusions 1

After grouping the songs for the currently written projects and getting them out of the way, I could focus on the other technically songfics and give them soundtracks. And that meant the Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare series. Songs are quoted in the text, songs are mentioned in the text, and I finally had to make an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the songs that made me go "That's perfect for ____________," the first time I heard them.

The reason there are both short and full versions of songs in the soundtrack is thanks to me discovering flash players. I trimmed the songs to just what was quoted for the flash players embedded in the story. (And I have also discovered that I didn't finish embedding all the players. Oops, I'll fix that in the next update.) So if the teaser was enjoyed, I offered the full song for completion-nuts like me.

I also decided to include the theme songs for the new characters in the story that introduces them. Relationship themes songs are also up for grabs--many end up quoted in the text, but a few slip through. Last would be songs mentioned in the text. A drunk Vinnie signs "Janie's Got a Gun" with altered lyrics, so I included the real song.




Soundtrack available here, click and save link.

BMFM: Turbo 2

The soundtrack for Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Turbo was the second I put together before writing the story, even though it's the sixth in the series. I don't think I did too badly on this collection, even though I only had three sure songs picked out when I started off.

The artwork for the cover was harder. I can't draw and it was WAY too hard to search for the specific image I was looking for in order to manipulate it. I'm still not completely happy with the final image, but I need to say it was done and start working on a much harder image: the front cover for Tin Man: Pirates of the Nonestic Soundtrack.




Soundtrack available here, click and save link.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Tin Man: Dragons and Ninjas 4

The computer crash and recovery really delayed this post. But in good news, I have 3 programs left to install, a purge of My Documents, moving a back-up of all media files I don't want to lose to the new 250GB external hard drive, buying a new soundcard if that's why sound has disappeared, and buying either a new hi-speed USB hub or extension cord for the next external hard drive left before I can say "finished" on the recovery part. In bummer news, I have Word back so Faulkner paper insanity now ensues.

Right before the crash happened, I was finalizing my first set of fanmixes and making cover art for them. I'm really proud of the brick background, not so happy with what happened to Glitch's hair when cut out that headshot. I finally got the massive cache of screen captures of Tin Man downloaded, so I may find a better shot and tweak.

The faces you probably don't recognize: right of DG is Zack Baker played by Edison Chen, top right is Ichiro played by Satoshi Tsumabuki.




Soundtrack Zip file available here, click and save link.

If anyone's actually bothered to watch my YouTube playlist for Tin Man, some of the song choices shouldn't be a surprise.

Now that I have a working FTP program again, (FireFTP for Firefox is AWESOME!), it shouldn't take as long to get the other nine previewed here. I have no idea how long it's going to take to get them up on my website. My poor neglected website, I swear an update is coming.

Edit 9 p.m.: Fixed the typo and you can download the zip file now.