I'm sure most of you know the movie "Pirates of the Carribean; on stranger tides", am I right? Well I just got around to watching it this week and I was pleasently surprised. I'll be honest, I was never a fan of the franchise. The first movie was funny, but after that the storyine seemed to lose track of itself. In fact, I probably would've passed this one by as well if it weren't for the mermaids.
To be honest, I'm really glad I didn't miss out because I think I can safely say this movie is my favorite out of all the others. It was goofy and fun, and the mermaid mythology was right on the money. So many times I see mermaids portrayed as lovely, helpful creatures who are basically harmless and I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes. I mean, are you kidding me? Anyone who has ever googled mermaids and sirens knows they aren't all happiness and sunshine. In fact, most of the time they're quite deadly.
In the movie they use men to beget more mermaids and then drown their partners. They also eat them. In turn, men hunt them for their tears and fear them like nothing else. The mermaids also have the ability to shed their tail and grow legs, but walking is difficult. Last but not least, they are all stunning beauties until they lunge for your throat.
This keeping to the older, darker side of the merfolk one of the reasons I've watched the movie several times now and still love it. Not only is it a refreshing change of pace, but since I have a siren appearing in the second book of my trilogy, it's research as well. Of course, her character and the world building for her species is going a lot smoother then my current predicament. Chapter twenty-eight is still fussing.
Yeah, I know. Big surprise, right?
I am making progress though, and I have today and tomorrow to finish beating it into submission. One way or another, I'll be getting the darned thing done by April. Right now my hope is to have edits for this book wrapped up by May so I can start Book Two right after my birthday. If nothing else, it would be a nice birthday present. Plus, you know, I'd be first-drafting again and that's always good.
Well, I better quit yapping and get back to work. I still need to clean and it would be nice if I could get something artsy done for once. And by done, I mean finished. I have so many partially done projects floating around my art studio, it's not funny. The fact that two of them are late Christmas gifts only makes it worse.
And on that note, I think I'll get to work. The sooner I'm done, the sooner I can watch that movie again. After all, it is research.
~Sun and Moon
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
February 19, 2012
December 4, 2011
Soaking it all in
I have a tendency to get be in one of two modes when it comes to my creativity; soaking up as much information as possible, and spitting all that learning out on a canvas of one sort or another. It doesn’t matter if I’m writing or drawing, if I’m in one mode its darned hard to switch.
Lately I’ve been in the “sponge” mode, which means a great deal of scouring the library for new books and flipping through my art books and searching for new tutorials online. When its nice outside I tend to go wandering off with my camera, or out on my bike. Both writing and new artwork comes along at a crawl, and I feel twitchy whenever I go to long without a source of new knowledge to soak up.
The opposite of “sponge” mode is a little easier to deal with, but still has it’s moments. When I’m busy spewing up all the stuff I soaked up, I absolutely must write, and you can usually spot me scribbling down ideas and such in the little notebook I carry around. It’s likewise with the art side of things. I can’t carry my sketch book while I’m on the clock at work, but receipt paper will do in a pinch. Some get tossed, but those I decide to keep and turn into real drawings are put in a little drawer in my art desk.
Of course, it doesn’t matter what mode I’m in when there are edits to be done. So while I try to resist the urge to call it quits just a little earlier then usual so I can get to my latest haul from the library, or the new art supplies waiting in my studio, I’m hammering out the latest snarl and watching the clock. After all, if I can’t buckle down and get things done now, how will it be if I ever find myself facing a publishing deadline?
So on that note, I’m off to get my work done for the day and get this posted. There are still another two books waiting unread in my latest stack from the library, and I have some new surfaces to try my art on now that I‘ve managed to get my paws on some of the Ampersand‘s Claybord I‘ve been hearing about. After all, my brain might be trying to soak up everything it can, but I can still have some fun, right?
Later, guys.
~Sun and Moon
Lately I’ve been in the “sponge” mode, which means a great deal of scouring the library for new books and flipping through my art books and searching for new tutorials online. When its nice outside I tend to go wandering off with my camera, or out on my bike. Both writing and new artwork comes along at a crawl, and I feel twitchy whenever I go to long without a source of new knowledge to soak up.
The opposite of “sponge” mode is a little easier to deal with, but still has it’s moments. When I’m busy spewing up all the stuff I soaked up, I absolutely must write, and you can usually spot me scribbling down ideas and such in the little notebook I carry around. It’s likewise with the art side of things. I can’t carry my sketch book while I’m on the clock at work, but receipt paper will do in a pinch. Some get tossed, but those I decide to keep and turn into real drawings are put in a little drawer in my art desk.
Of course, it doesn’t matter what mode I’m in when there are edits to be done. So while I try to resist the urge to call it quits just a little earlier then usual so I can get to my latest haul from the library, or the new art supplies waiting in my studio, I’m hammering out the latest snarl and watching the clock. After all, if I can’t buckle down and get things done now, how will it be if I ever find myself facing a publishing deadline?
So on that note, I’m off to get my work done for the day and get this posted. There are still another two books waiting unread in my latest stack from the library, and I have some new surfaces to try my art on now that I‘ve managed to get my paws on some of the Ampersand‘s Claybord I‘ve been hearing about. After all, my brain might be trying to soak up everything it can, but I can still have some fun, right?
Later, guys.
~Sun and Moon
August 14, 2011
Research on the fly
When you're a writer, you find lessons in character creation and research in the strangest places.
A few years ago when the vampire craze was at its thickest, there was a show on tv called Moonlight. It didn't survive past the first season, but it was still pretty popular. So, when I came across it at the library, I decided to take a peek. It was...interesting.
You know those books you pick up that have a really good story line, but only one or two strong characters? Well, that was Moonlight. The male lead, Mick St. John, is a vampire who was changed against his will and wants to be human. Maybe want isn't quite strong enough a word. Its always on his mind and he doesn't care that it means giving up immortality and all the perks of a vampire. He's a very well crafted, strong character and his dialog is spot on for who and what he is. He's a character you can become invested in as the series goes on.
The female lead, on the other hand, doesn't measure up so well. Her name is Beth, and the fact that I don't even remember her last name says a lot to me. She's human(no surprise there), and if she vanished from the series, I wouldn't have mourned her in the least. She starts to shape up later on, but I still wish they'd paid a little more attention to her character when the writers first created her.
The story itself is a good one. With the exception of Beth, who's kind of all over the place, all the characters hold true to who they are. The vampire slant is fresh enough that it keeps you guessing as the story unfolds, and well researched. Last of all, the series keeps your attention.
This is kind of like how I want my books to be. Well, barring the Beth-like characters, anyway. Strong leads, a fresh view on old things, a good story, and no matter what, a world that pulls in my reader so well that they forget to eat lunch because they just want to see how the story ends. I can only hope that my written world won't end as abruptly as Moonlight's did.
For now, however, I still have two more episodes to watch and a chapter to whip into shape. It's been a long week and I'm feeling the urge to indulge.
Also, I just bought some ice cream. Peanut butter n' chip, anyone?
~Sun and Moon
A few years ago when the vampire craze was at its thickest, there was a show on tv called Moonlight. It didn't survive past the first season, but it was still pretty popular. So, when I came across it at the library, I decided to take a peek. It was...interesting.
You know those books you pick up that have a really good story line, but only one or two strong characters? Well, that was Moonlight. The male lead, Mick St. John, is a vampire who was changed against his will and wants to be human. Maybe want isn't quite strong enough a word. Its always on his mind and he doesn't care that it means giving up immortality and all the perks of a vampire. He's a very well crafted, strong character and his dialog is spot on for who and what he is. He's a character you can become invested in as the series goes on.
The female lead, on the other hand, doesn't measure up so well. Her name is Beth, and the fact that I don't even remember her last name says a lot to me. She's human(no surprise there), and if she vanished from the series, I wouldn't have mourned her in the least. She starts to shape up later on, but I still wish they'd paid a little more attention to her character when the writers first created her.
The story itself is a good one. With the exception of Beth, who's kind of all over the place, all the characters hold true to who they are. The vampire slant is fresh enough that it keeps you guessing as the story unfolds, and well researched. Last of all, the series keeps your attention.
This is kind of like how I want my books to be. Well, barring the Beth-like characters, anyway. Strong leads, a fresh view on old things, a good story, and no matter what, a world that pulls in my reader so well that they forget to eat lunch because they just want to see how the story ends. I can only hope that my written world won't end as abruptly as Moonlight's did.
For now, however, I still have two more episodes to watch and a chapter to whip into shape. It's been a long week and I'm feeling the urge to indulge.
Also, I just bought some ice cream. Peanut butter n' chip, anyone?
~Sun and Moon
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