Fannish opinion
Jan. 20th, 2012 09:27 pmI'm not a big fan of "breaking the fourth wall" in fiction. Sometimes it can be used effectively, when it's subtle, but most of the time it is done tongue-in-cheek, as a joke by the writers to say, "Hey, it's only a TV show, hee hee!", which totally throws the viewer out of the suspension of disbelief that gives fiction its magic.
I think there is a difference between breaking the fourth wall and a show (or other extended work of fiction) satirizing/parodying itself. "The Zeppo" is an effective example of a show satirizing itself without breaking the fourth wall. It's a subtler form of what most cases of actually breaking the fourth wall are trying to achieve and end up failing at.
I think there is a difference between breaking the fourth wall and a show (or other extended work of fiction) satirizing/parodying itself. "The Zeppo" is an effective example of a show satirizing itself without breaking the fourth wall. It's a subtler form of what most cases of actually breaking the fourth wall are trying to achieve and end up failing at.
Legalities
Jan. 18th, 2012 07:40 amSo what I'd like to know is what the legal definition of "an original series" is. Syfy Network in the U.S. has the audacity to call shows like Merlin and Lost Girl "original series", and we all know Syfy didn't commission these shows to be produced in the first place.
Not to mention they don't air on Syfy until long after the rest of the world has seen them. Reminds me of Cordelia to Harmony back in the day: "You do what everyone else does just so you can say you did it first!"
In other news: All Things Philosophical has gone black today in protest of SOPA.
Not to mention they don't air on Syfy until long after the rest of the world has seen them. Reminds me of Cordelia to Harmony back in the day: "You do what everyone else does just so you can say you did it first!"
In other news: All Things Philosophical has gone black today in protest of SOPA.
(no subject)
Jan. 17th, 2012 03:31 pmSigh. Like many others, I am missing the old days of LJ (read as "LJ" or "DW") when there was just more interaction. Thing is, I am not sure what to do to compensate for that. With old friends, people move on in life and don't post/comment as often, or they change interests and the topics they post about no longer interest you. I am that way myself. Things I used to post about in here end up in a Facebook one-liner, or get shared with the Sculptor and never make it in here.
And then, even if they did, I wonder if that post would just get the crickets chirping.
One of the things I had that I no longer have is an active fandom to post about. I have shows and books that I like, but my old friends might not be into those same shows/books. And to enter the "fandom" of books/shows you are newly fannish about in order to make new friends, it seems you need to have an interest in fan fiction--either reading it or writing it--or icons, or videos. And I am not interested in any of those things. I had a fan fiction project, once. It met a need I had at the time, and once it did that, I was done. That was more about the need to see a story I liked on the television finished than a need to write in a particular fictional universe.
People just seem less interested in essays and discussion, and that's my way of being fannish.
I wish my life were more colorful than it is, but it isn't. I go to work, I write original fiction, I spend time with my GF, I go to bed and get up and do it all over again. Most days.
Sigh.
And then, even if they did, I wonder if that post would just get the crickets chirping.
One of the things I had that I no longer have is an active fandom to post about. I have shows and books that I like, but my old friends might not be into those same shows/books. And to enter the "fandom" of books/shows you are newly fannish about in order to make new friends, it seems you need to have an interest in fan fiction--either reading it or writing it--or icons, or videos. And I am not interested in any of those things. I had a fan fiction project, once. It met a need I had at the time, and once it did that, I was done. That was more about the need to see a story I liked on the television finished than a need to write in a particular fictional universe.
People just seem less interested in essays and discussion, and that's my way of being fannish.
I wish my life were more colorful than it is, but it isn't. I go to work, I write original fiction, I spend time with my GF, I go to bed and get up and do it all over again. Most days.
Sigh.
But sometimes I test out as INTP....
Jan. 15th, 2012 04:29 pmFrom ![[personal profile]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ann1962
What a shock. Not.
Take Free Jung Personality Test
Personality Test by SimilarMinds.com
ann1962What a shock. Not.
| INTJ - "Mastermind". Introverted intellectual with a preference for finding certainty. A builder of systems and the applier of theoretical models. 2.1% of total population. |
Personality Test by SimilarMinds.com
Sauce for the goose
Jan. 13th, 2012 12:03 pmI recently discovered something wonderful exists in the universe.
Noise-cancelling headphones.
But jeez, they're expensive.
I want some! Everyone is sensitive to different things in this world, and one of my big fingernails-on-the-chalkboard cringy things is ambient noise at work--cackling laughter, nasal-y volumous chatter, earbud overspill (or worse, no earbuds at all thanksforsharingnot). Right now, I attempt to drown out the sound with my own earbuds/earphones blasting white noise. But even that is grating on me.
So the thought of earphones that can cancel out noise? Yay. But will earphones designed to cancel out jet engine roar work as effectively on voices and external music? If so, which are the best ones for that? Most of the on-line reviews seemed geared to plane travelers. I can tune out engine noise on a plane. It's white noise, after all.
I'd be willing to spend $$$ if I thought the earphones would dampen that one guy's hyena laughter and that one woman's IAmYourMom voice.
Any thoughts on the subject?
Noise-cancelling headphones.
But jeez, they're expensive.
I want some! Everyone is sensitive to different things in this world, and one of my big fingernails-on-the-chalkboard cringy things is ambient noise at work--cackling laughter, nasal-y volumous chatter, earbud overspill (or worse, no earbuds at all thanksforsharingnot). Right now, I attempt to drown out the sound with my own earbuds/earphones blasting white noise. But even that is grating on me.
So the thought of earphones that can cancel out noise? Yay. But will earphones designed to cancel out jet engine roar work as effectively on voices and external music? If so, which are the best ones for that? Most of the on-line reviews seemed geared to plane travelers. I can tune out engine noise on a plane. It's white noise, after all.
I'd be willing to spend $$$ if I thought the earphones would dampen that one guy's hyena laughter and that one woman's IAmYourMom voice.
Any thoughts on the subject?
The State of the Masq: January 10th, 2012
Jan. 10th, 2012 04:40 pmI set out my New Year's resolutions before NYE this year, but after a week of working on them, I want to scribble down a few first impressions.
( Writing )
( Home improvements )
( Work )
( Weight/health )
That's about the it.
( Writing )
( Home improvements )
( Work )
( Weight/health )
That's about the it.
Among the things I want to accomplish in 2012 is finally, FINALLY, getting my old novel, Dis/inhibition, out the door and into the world. I decided to go the self-publishing route, which is a lot of work (for me). In addition to formatting the manuscript/book itself and getting to to places that can sell it, I need to do all the promotional/marketing work as well, or at least arrange for it to be done.
One of the things I hope to do is a website. I hired an illustrator last year to do some images of my characters. The plan is to put these on the site, along with some quotes from the story, either by the character in question, or about the character in question by another character, along with information about me and about how to buy the book.
What sort of people do you imagine these are?
( Character Illustrations )
One of the things I hope to do is a website. I hired an illustrator last year to do some images of my characters. The plan is to put these on the site, along with some quotes from the story, either by the character in question, or about the character in question by another character, along with information about me and about how to buy the book.
What sort of people do you imagine these are?
( Character Illustrations )
Life in the time of dragons
Dec. 29th, 2011 10:37 amHey! I'm writing essays again! (or meta if you prefer)
( Being an analysis of Merlin Season 4 embedded in a review of Merlin 4.13 with speculation about Season 5 )
( Excalibur )
( Isolde )
( Here there be dragons )
( Merlin vs. Morgana )
( What I anticipate for Season 5 )
( Being an analysis of Merlin Season 4 embedded in a review of Merlin 4.13 with speculation about Season 5 )
( Excalibur )
( Isolde )
( Here there be dragons )
( Merlin vs. Morgana )
( What I anticipate for Season 5 )
Christmas Itinerary
Dec. 25th, 2011 03:17 pm(1) Chaotic half-hour watching nephew open everyone's presents for them, accompanied by coffee and donuts. √
(2) Sing-along (and conduct-along) Messiah while assisting SIL in cleaning up strewn wrapping paper and bows. √
(3) Two-hour session assembling toys for kids, with trip home for extra nuts and bolts. √
(4) Fetch GF, pick up Mom at church and head to country club for Christmas Feast. √
(5) Lie around like bloated whale, with possible nap. √
(6) Hot-tubbing and exchange of presents with GF.
Hope everyone's day is going great, whether it is spent with holiday cheer or chow mein.
(2) Sing-along (and conduct-along) Messiah while assisting SIL in cleaning up strewn wrapping paper and bows. √
(3) Two-hour session assembling toys for kids, with trip home for extra nuts and bolts. √
(4) Fetch GF, pick up Mom at church and head to country club for Christmas Feast. √
(5) Lie around like bloated whale, with possible nap. √
(6) Hot-tubbing and exchange of presents with GF.
Hope everyone's day is going great, whether it is spent with holiday cheer or chow mein.
TV show meme
Dec. 23rd, 2011 12:26 pmWhich TV shows did you start watching in 2011?
Farscape, Ringer, Unforgettable, The Secret Circle, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, The Borgias, Merlin.
Which TV shows did you let go of in 2011?
None, really.
Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2011? Why?
None. I gave everything that seemed worth watching a shot.
Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2012?
Fringe, maybe, unless I put my Netflix membership on hold again out of sheer boredom.
Which TV show impressed you least in 2011?
( Farscape )
Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2012 unless things significantly improve?
Ringer is on the endangered list. The "cry rape" story line is too triggery for me to put up with the rest of that convoluted mess. The Secret Circle needs less soap bubbles and more newt.
Possibly the CSIs, if CSI starts sucking without Catherine.
Which TV show impressed you the most in 2011? Why?
( Once Upon a Time )
( Merlin )
Which TV shows do you think you'll never let go of no matter how crappy they get? Why?
Back in the day, friends managed to talk me into not divorcing Angel after the crappy ending to Season 4. But most shows do not have my heart the way Angel did.
Although I will probably watch Farscape to the bitter end just to say that I watched it. But the stuff that is brand new this Fall? If it annoys me in the new year, it gets deleted from the DVR recordings list. I just don't have the time.
Shows I watched and loved that aren't mentioned on this list because I started them in another year
Criminal Minds is back to the old school show, which is a relief.
I wouldn't say I "loved" True Blood and Dexter this season. I watched them mostly to find out what would happen next. But I will continue to next season. And I am watching Leverage. It is okay.
Farscape, Ringer, Unforgettable, The Secret Circle, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, The Borgias, Merlin.
Which TV shows did you let go of in 2011?
None, really.
Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2011? Why?
None. I gave everything that seemed worth watching a shot.
Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2012?
Fringe, maybe, unless I put my Netflix membership on hold again out of sheer boredom.
Which TV show impressed you least in 2011?
( Farscape )
Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2012 unless things significantly improve?
Ringer is on the endangered list. The "cry rape" story line is too triggery for me to put up with the rest of that convoluted mess. The Secret Circle needs less soap bubbles and more newt.
Possibly the CSIs, if CSI starts sucking without Catherine.
Which TV show impressed you the most in 2011? Why?
( Once Upon a Time )
( Merlin )
Which TV shows do you think you'll never let go of no matter how crappy they get? Why?
Back in the day, friends managed to talk me into not divorcing Angel after the crappy ending to Season 4. But most shows do not have my heart the way Angel did.
Although I will probably watch Farscape to the bitter end just to say that I watched it. But the stuff that is brand new this Fall? If it annoys me in the new year, it gets deleted from the DVR recordings list. I just don't have the time.
Shows I watched and loved that aren't mentioned on this list because I started them in another year
Criminal Minds is back to the old school show, which is a relief.
I wouldn't say I "loved" True Blood and Dexter this season. I watched them mostly to find out what would happen next. But I will continue to next season. And I am watching Leverage. It is okay.
Checking in
Dec. 23rd, 2011 07:21 amJiminy Xmas, I have hardly posted at all this month. I've just been busy-busy with work and the holidays and really burnt out.
My flist seems in a flurry about the new LJ changes. I checked my current layout and some of my longer-threaded entries, and I still apparently have comment headings. I always feel solidarity with people who are miffed at having things changed on them. In the world of the internet, social networking platforms are our homes, and no one likes when the landlord meddles with the set-up of our homes without asking.
And yet, I hate to see my network of friends split all over the place. For the time being, I will continue to post in both places and take comments on LJ. But I am also making layout changes on Dreamwidth to make my DWJ more readable. If you have a DW journal and we are not co-conspirators there, leave your user name. I am of course masqthephlsphr over there.
Off to do some mindless television viewing. I may be back later with memes.
My flist seems in a flurry about the new LJ changes. I checked my current layout and some of my longer-threaded entries, and I still apparently have comment headings. I always feel solidarity with people who are miffed at having things changed on them. In the world of the internet, social networking platforms are our homes, and no one likes when the landlord meddles with the set-up of our homes without asking.
And yet, I hate to see my network of friends split all over the place. For the time being, I will continue to post in both places and take comments on LJ. But I am also making layout changes on Dreamwidth to make my DWJ more readable. If you have a DW journal and we are not co-conspirators there, leave your user name. I am of course masqthephlsphr over there.
Off to do some mindless television viewing. I may be back later with memes.
Ganked from cornerofmadness. I can't tell if this is supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing.
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Making a list
Dec. 11th, 2011 09:08 amI just realized I haven't posted at all since the 2nd when I was on the tail end of my Thanksgiving Merlin reviews. I am sort of wiped and burnt from NaNo and work. I have done very little writing since Nov 30th.
Plus, you know the Season is upon us. So I need to organize my gift-giving thoughts.
Bro - sprinkler. Seriously. He wants a special rotating eco-sprinkler for the little patch of Arizona desert he calls his backyard.
SIL - Renaissance Festival tickets for her and Nephew #2. They seemed to enjoy it last year.
Nephew#2 and Niece - My SIL went nuts in the Walmart kiddie clothes department on Black Friday, and now I have two 13-gallon trash bags of clothes to wrap up and tag "from Aunt Nancy".
Nephew #1 - Safeway gift card. Good gift for a young, struggling dad with a two-year-old, I figure, so now I get it for him every year.
Sculptor - various and sundry. Birthdays and Christmas seem to be excuses for shopping excess. So we exchanged Amazon wish lists. I have really, really tried to avoid buying those items on Amazon. 'Cause you know if you shop locally you can avoid the ten-day delivery wait. But sometimes you can't find something locally, and I will not go to ten stores looking for something. That's so 20th century.
Sister - a card. You know, we don't talk anymore.
Mom - also a card. She informed me a few weeks back that she and I would not exchange gifts this year, just pretend to. Not something you can really whine about.
Plus, you know the Season is upon us. So I need to organize my gift-giving thoughts.
Bro - sprinkler. Seriously. He wants a special rotating eco-sprinkler for the little patch of Arizona desert he calls his backyard.
SIL - Renaissance Festival tickets for her and Nephew #2. They seemed to enjoy it last year.
Nephew#2 and Niece - My SIL went nuts in the Walmart kiddie clothes department on Black Friday, and now I have two 13-gallon trash bags of clothes to wrap up and tag "from Aunt Nancy".
Nephew #1 - Safeway gift card. Good gift for a young, struggling dad with a two-year-old, I figure, so now I get it for him every year.
Sculptor - various and sundry. Birthdays and Christmas seem to be excuses for shopping excess. So we exchanged Amazon wish lists. I have really, really tried to avoid buying those items on Amazon. 'Cause you know if you shop locally you can avoid the ten-day delivery wait. But sometimes you can't find something locally, and I will not go to ten stores looking for something. That's so 20th century.
Sister - a card. You know, we don't talk anymore.
Mom - also a card. She informed me a few weeks back that she and I would not exchange gifts this year, just pretend to. Not something you can really whine about.
NaNoWriMo Day 30
Nov. 30th, 2011 09:16 pmNew words: 2,476
Total words: 51,611
Goal: 50,000
Official count according to the NaNoMeter: 51,485. Puff, puff. Glad this is over. Too exhausting. November is the *wrong* time of year for this kind of literary abandon. I think I will be too busy polishing this novel next year to do NaNo 2012. Darn it.
Total words: 51,611
Goal: 50,000
51611 / 50000
(103.22%)
(103.22%)
Official count according to the NaNoMeter: 51,485. Puff, puff. Glad this is over. Too exhausting. November is the *wrong* time of year for this kind of literary abandon. I think I will be too busy polishing this novel next year to do NaNo 2012. Darn it.
The Season 3 finale of Merlin....
Nov. 30th, 2011 09:21 am...was excellent. ( Spoilers to 3.13 )
The clerk at Walgreens gave me permission to go home and curl up under a blanket and read a good book. Guess I'll have to settle for curling up under a blanket at work and pretending to read my computer screen.
The clerk at Walgreens gave me permission to go home and curl up under a blanket and read a good book. Guess I'll have to settle for curling up under a blanket at work and pretending to read my computer screen.
NaNoWriMo Day 29
Nov. 29th, 2011 09:45 pmNew words: 1,543
Total words: 49,135
Goal: 50,000
Okay, so a few moments looking over the NaPlotWriMo program has convinced me I'm not doing it next month. I am still in the generating phase and I am so not ready to interpret any part of my extant story in terms of an over-arching structure.
I do need to think about how things will play out in the story, though. I have been thinking about that all month, in one way or another. I think what drew me to NaPlotWriMo was the idea of superimposing a structure on the story in order to generate ideas for how the middle and end of the novel should play out. That is still possible to do.
Total words: 49,135
Goal: 50,000
49135 / 50000
(98.27%)
(98.27%)
Okay, so a few moments looking over the NaPlotWriMo program has convinced me I'm not doing it next month. I am still in the generating phase and I am so not ready to interpret any part of my extant story in terms of an over-arching structure.
I do need to think about how things will play out in the story, though. I have been thinking about that all month, in one way or another. I think what drew me to NaPlotWriMo was the idea of superimposing a structure on the story in order to generate ideas for how the middle and end of the novel should play out. That is still possible to do.
'Tis the season
Nov. 29th, 2011 10:43 amThe boss has started to trim the Christmas cactus.
In other news, I am having an allergic reaction to returning to work. Symptoms: achiness, fever, and sore throat.
This just in: Merlin s. 3 continues to charm despite annoying character reboot of annoyingness.
In other news, I am having an allergic reaction to returning to work. Symptoms: achiness, fever, and sore throat.
This just in: Merlin s. 3 continues to charm despite annoying character reboot of annoyingness.
NaNoWriMo Day 27
Nov. 27th, 2011 07:07 pmNew words: 2,708
Total words: 45,047
Goal: 50,000
I have been thinking about the plot of my novel a lot in the past few days, and reading some books with exercises for envisioning and tightening plot. One thing I realized as a result of this is that the scene I envision as the "climax" of the story doesn't even have the main character in it.
What.
Well, truthfully, this story is a dual-foci story with two main characters. But the one character I envision as really being the more central of the two, she isn't in that scene. So either that scene (1) isn't the true climax of the story or (2) needs the main character in it somehow.
Analyzing plot structure is useful when you make discoveries like that, so now I am thinking of doing NaPlotWriMo in December.
I am not technically in the "revisions" stage of the novel, but I am a pretty unstructured writer as a rule (more right-brained than left-brained in writing, which is just weird considering that in the rest of my life, I am practically teetering over to my left side with left-brainedness), so I am thinking having something like a structure in mind is a useful exercise.
We'll see how well that works, given my success rate with "outlines".
Total words: 45,047
Goal: 50,000
45047 / 50000
(90.09%)
(90.09%)
I have been thinking about the plot of my novel a lot in the past few days, and reading some books with exercises for envisioning and tightening plot. One thing I realized as a result of this is that the scene I envision as the "climax" of the story doesn't even have the main character in it.
What.
Well, truthfully, this story is a dual-foci story with two main characters. But the one character I envision as really being the more central of the two, she isn't in that scene. So either that scene (1) isn't the true climax of the story or (2) needs the main character in it somehow.
Analyzing plot structure is useful when you make discoveries like that, so now I am thinking of doing NaPlotWriMo in December.
I am not technically in the "revisions" stage of the novel, but I am a pretty unstructured writer as a rule (more right-brained than left-brained in writing, which is just weird considering that in the rest of my life, I am practically teetering over to my left side with left-brainedness), so I am thinking having something like a structure in mind is a useful exercise.
We'll see how well that works, given my success rate with "outlines".
Merlin thoughts (up to ep 2.11)
Nov. 27th, 2011 11:28 amI had a long Thanksgiving break and little or nothing on the DVR to watch due to Thanksgiving week hiatuses, so I decided to start in on a new show (new for me) that I had read about on my flist.
One thing I think about now when I watch a show is, "Is this just something to pass the time (Dexter, True Blood), or is this a show I want to share with the Sculptor (Lost, Being Human)? Merlin, so far, has definitely fallen into the latter category.
( Spoilers to 2.11 )
One thing I think about now when I watch a show is, "Is this just something to pass the time (Dexter, True Blood), or is this a show I want to share with the Sculptor (Lost, Being Human)? Merlin, so far, has definitely fallen into the latter category.
( Spoilers to 2.11 )
NaNoWriMo Day 26
Nov. 26th, 2011 03:33 pmNew words: 408
Total words: 42,339
Goal: 50,000
Ugh. My neighbors partied all night and I slept like crap, and then I had... electronics issues that involved retail forays. And my brother came over to do laundry. And tonight I have plans so, yeah, not much NaNoing got done.
Total words: 42,339
Goal: 50,000
42339 / 50000
(84.68%)
(84.68%)
Ugh. My neighbors partied all night and I slept like crap, and then I had... electronics issues that involved retail forays. And my brother came over to do laundry. And tonight I have plans so, yeah, not much NaNoing got done.
