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Topics - Chimera

Pages: 1 [2] 3
16
Rants and Stuff / Happy Things 2006: Generation X
« on: January 03, 2006, 02:06:42 PM »
I'm happy to start a new happy things thread.

And that, after torrential rain, we have California sunshine again.

17
Everything Else / Figure Skating at 2006 Olympics
« on: December 27, 2005, 01:14:26 AM »
The best female figure skater won't be at the Olympics because she is too young. Read about it here.

I just saw the competition on ESPN this article is talking about, and Mao Asada was absolutely amazing. It's been awhile since I've watched a figure skating competition, but I remember when Tara Lipinski won the 2002 Olympics. At the time, I was upset, because I felt Michelle Kwon did a better job--I was angry at the young upstart. I don't know how to compare Lipinski with Asada, but Asada's performance was amazing. She had such grace and enthusiasm, and she hit all the jumps head on, doing far more daring combinations than any of the older figure skaters. Now I'm wishing that this very young skater could compete in the 2006 Olympics.

It seems a shame that because of her birthday she will not be able to participate. She missed the deadline by months! Yes, I understand the importance of rules and sticking by them. But still. I think she would have been amazing--and who knows what can happen in four years. Hopefully, she will improve and come back to blow us all away.

18
Brandon Sanderson / Buy Mistborn
« on: December 11, 2005, 05:05:29 AM »
Yup, that's right, at Amazon.com you can already pre-order Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson--a whole 7 months in advance!

Do they normally put books up so soon? Or is this a sign that they are expecting a lot of sales?

Edit: The cover art is up now.

19
Webcomics & Free Stuff / Earthsong
« on: November 22, 2005, 02:41:50 AM »
I don't know if anyone has reviewed this before, but it wasn't on the 2 most recent pages, so I'll start a topic for it:
Earthsong by Crystal Yates.

The art is what caught my attention first. I love the vivid colors and anime-style art. Yates herself described Earthsong in an interview as "a fantasy manga." I'm not familiar with manga, so I'll take her word for it (Ookla may be able to shed some light here). But I can definitely see the Sailor Moon-type anime influence. And I like it.

The storytelling is not bad either. In "Genesis" there is a lot of text, but otherwise Yates does a good job of balancing visual storytelling with dialogue/text, in my humble opinion. The world and magic system are a fun blend of old and new--mythological beings looked at in a different way. I am intrigued by the story and plan to keep following it.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this comic was the lack of annoying and distracting advertisements. The artist linked to several of her fellow webcomic writers, but at most I was detered by all the irrevelant content and lack of actual art/comic. At Earthsong, though, all the visual focus is on the art and the story. Of course, Yates does put content, including plugs to vote for her and links to other sites, in the green blog box on the lefthand side, but that stuff is *only* there. It is contained. Though, there do seem to be more advertisements on the home page than in the archives. (As you get more popular, is it required to link more? I don't know. I'd think it was the opposite.)

I will also unabashadly admit that this is the type of art style and fantasy story that I am inclined to like. It is right up my alley. So, if it is not someone else's cup of tea, I won't be dismayed.

Oh, and if you're interested, here is a link to an interview with the author. I like her--she seems down to earth, like someone I would be friends with if I met her in real life.

20
Books / Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
« on: November 11, 2005, 01:55:09 PM »
Quote
Chimera, how was Levin Thumps? I keep getting tempted to pick it up, since I want to help LDS writers who are writing stuff I'll actually LIKE.

Leven Thumps was okay. The story wasn't bad, had some original elements to it, and was entertaining enough to keep me reading.

However, I wouldn't call it good either. I would not recommend it to people if I wanted to give them an idea of excellent YA fantasy. It was a little too cliche--I got all sorts of Harry Potter wannabe vibes. Not that no one will ever be able to use the archetypal elements that are in Harry Potter, such as an unwanted orphan who turns out to be the only one who can save the world, but because of Harry Potter it has to be done in a NEW and UNIQUE way. And Leven Thumps didn't quite make it to this distinction.

Also, the writing style drove me crazy at times. I had two major complaints. The first was that the narrator would give us some plot element in narrative and then, like two chapters later, give us the same plot element in almost the same exact words. Which made me, as the reader, want to ask: Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I can't remember something you told me a chapter ago? I'm not sure if this was just a poor writing choice, or if the author was under the mistaken impression that because he was writing for kids he had to repeat things or else they would forget and not "get it." The latter is a stupid attitude. Kids are perceptive and smart readers. And no reader, of any age, likes to be treated like an imbecile.

The second thing was a more minor editing choice that just drove me up the wall. I literally wanted to throw the book across the room at some points, but once I start a book I get a little OCD and as long as it has some merit I feel compelled to finish it (if nothing else, I learn what not to do). This irritating choice was that whenever the villian spoke--and I mean every stinking time there was dialogue--his personal pronouns were italicized. I.e. "I was wrong. I see now that the path I was on is futile" or "Show it to me." Perhaps the author was trying to emphasize what an egomaniac the villian is. Nevertheless, italics should be used sparingly. Someone should have told the author, whoever Obert Skye really is, that this editing choice had the potential to irritate his readers and lead them to desire to harm inanimate objects.

But it wasn't a terrible book. It just wasn't a good book. And with some different editing choices, it could have been better. The action scenes, like when Leven and Winter are fighting a mud monster, are quite good. And a lot of the magic events are fun--almost enough to get over the tired cliches. But the narrator just did not work for me, and the villian needs to stop italicizing his personal pronouns. But perhaps that was his evil plot--to drive readers insane.

Oh, and I just remembered that there were some plot holes that made me shake my head. I don't want to put any spoilers here, so I will refrain. But even magic has to have logic within the magic system created, and sometimes this did not occur.

I really wanted to like this book, partly because it is a smaller press's attempt to get into the big time. Unfortunately, Leven Thumps feels like a rough draft with potential that wasn't fixed enough to go to print. It does not equal the best YA fantasy being published currently.

21
Movies and TV / Kronk's New Groove
« on: November 04, 2005, 02:33:54 AM »
So I was watching Herbie: Fully Loaded and saw a trailer for a sequel to Emperor's New Groove--featuring Kronk!  Disney straight-to-video sequels have never been exactly riveting or high quality. But I have to say that I am interested in this just on principal. Kronk was like the best character ever, and if the writing and comedy were strong, it could be a fun movie. But I don't know if the character (or the writing) will follow through--Disney doesn't appear to put much effort into these quickies that seem to be only for the purpose of making money. Take Return of Jafar, Lion King II, and Cinderella II as some of the abysmal examples. Poor stories, bad music, and silly plots.

Here's the official site and the IMDB site, and this site gives a whole plot summary, which sounds a bit cheesy. Even so, I might actually want to see this one, just because it is Kronk. However, I feel I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I like cheesy kid movies. But even I was extremely under-impressed by every Disney sequel such as this that I've seen. Kronk may be about to be butchered. What do you guys think?

22
Movies and TV / Harry Potter 4 -- The Goblet of Fire
« on: October 27, 2005, 04:12:41 AM »
I have to say I am getting very excited for this movie. I can't believe it will be released in less than a month--on November 18! It certainly has snuck up on me.

This article makes me curious to see how they cut the story to make it more of "a thriller" and driving toward the final encounter in the graveyard, as the director said. I also think it is interesting that this is the first Harry Potter movie to be rated PG-13, though it is true that this is where people start dying.

As a side note--can anyone find a larger trailer than the one they have at the official site?

23
Writing Group / Villian's Fatal Flaws
« on: October 13, 2005, 01:34:34 AM »
Okay, so I've been thinking about my villain and how he has to be defeated at the end of the novel--which I am still far away from. I am more of an organic writer--I discover as I write--rather than a planner (which means I get to rewrite a lot  :)). However, I would like to have this worked out ahead of time if I can so I can lay the "clues" in these chapters where I am developing the villain and the reader gets to meet him firsthand.

I've heard stuff from EUOL like the stronger the villain, the stronger the hero. So I don't want it to be some pansy flaw. And I don't want it to be real obvious--I'd like it to be subtle so a really smart reader would pick up on it, but not everyone would. I'm kind of stuck on how to figure it out, so I thought I'd get some suggestions.

How do you guys come up with villains--particularly the "fatal flaw" that makes it possible for them to be defeated at the end? I need some brainstorming ideas, if you have any. I'm looking for generals right now, though I might ask for specifics if I continue to be stuck.

24
Books / ***Spoiler*** Lemony Snicket
« on: October 03, 2005, 03:00:54 PM »
Please do not read this thread unless you have read up to Book 11 of the Lemony Snicket books. This is an exclusive club for those true die-hard fans of Lemony Snicket who have earned the right to discuss the complexity that is the Series of Unfortunate Events. If you act in oppostion of this, I can only foretell doom and gloom for you and your posterity as Count Olaf will make you the next target of his relentless schemes.

***There will be Spoilers in this thread!***

25
Rants and Stuff / Should I Move to Idaho Falls?
« on: September 29, 2005, 08:40:14 PM »
Prepare for a long post...

Nothing is set in stone, but I interviewed today for the position of Copy Writer with Melaleuca, a company based in Idaho Falls. The interview seemed to go well--the lady said she would be reporting back to her superiors, and that it was most likely they would contact me within a week to set up a time for me to come up to Idaho Falls and interview with some managers and such. Melaleuca is also coming down to BYU again in November, and I would probably do some more interviewing then.

I was so proud of myself yesterday. I went to BYU's Career Fair, found the one company that had a job title I recognized and was qualified for, gave them my resume, and got asked back for an interview. Then I went today and had a good interview. Look at me, being all career-savvy and pro-active. It's what everyone says you should do, so I did it.

This has caused a lot of deep thought on my part. What am I doing with my life? Where do I want to be in five years? Should I leave Provo? If you had asked me this last year at this time, I would have said definitely. Sign me up for the first ship outta here! I wanted to go to Boston to Simmons, actually. In fact, anywhere on the East Coast seemed appealing. Or at least back to California and to San Diego. (Idaho, however, was not on the list.)

Then, for the last while I planned on staying in Provo a little longer. It felt like the right thing to do, and I wasn't opposed to it. Now, once again, I find myself in a position with no specific reason to stay. I can go anywhere. Do anything. I'm pretty sure I know ultimately what I want (don't all the qualifiers inspire confidence?  ;)). Career-wise, I want to continue to pursue writing, get some sort of advanced degree, and eventually get a Ph.D. I'd like to teach in the college environment and eventually get published. I'm just not sure how to achieve all of this--where to go, which path to take.

I like my current job as Publicity Writer for BYU performance groups. Being a Copy Writer seems kind of similar. It could be good for me to work for a couple of years at a place like Melaleuca before starting graduate school. It might give me more of a chance to get my health under control, rather than trying to work and do school at the same time. But what if my health fails again, and I can't keep a full-time job? Nobody asks you in a job interview if you have chronic illnesses. They just assume you're healthy and normal. And I can act like it's not an issue. Sometimes it isn't. But when it is--it really is. I'd hate to leave everything that is comfortable and go all the way up there and fall flat on my face. (Don't you love how I'm predicting doom and gloom before I even know if I have a job offer? I can't help it, though--my fluctuating health seems to have robbed me of so many things as of late.)

But back to my original question. Do I even want to go to Idaho Falls? Or should I be looking for a job somewhere else? What's in Idaho Falls, anyways? If I get a job offer and accept, I would be moving up there in Dec/Jan. That's sooner then I like to think about.

What do you guys think?

26
Rants and Stuff / What you wish you'd done on Saturday Night
« on: September 18, 2005, 02:12:30 AM »
I went to India Fest at the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork tonight. It was a lot of fun! Not as extravagant as I had imagined it, but still cool. Good company and good food. And the best part was the llamas. My friend Anela and I took lots of pictures. Here are a few:

I want a kiss, and all he wants is my food. Typical.

Anela's a lot more comfortable getting close to a llama than I am.

The babies were cuter and fuzzier than the adults. Or maybe they were alpacas?

Is that Kuzco?

Rejected...

then Accepted.

(Disclaimer: These are pictures taken on my phone cam, so the quality varies.)

27
Rants and Stuff / More Grumpiness
« on: August 16, 2005, 01:32:37 AM »
As far as I can see, no one has started a new grumpy thread since the last one got locked, so here I go.

I'm grumpy because I had grumpy things to grump about and no grumpy thread to post on.

28
Video Games / Real Arcade
« on: July 13, 2005, 06:31:07 AM »
Okay lately I am addicted to Real Arcade games. My three top favorites right now are Tradewinds 2, Diner Dash, and Jewel Quest. I have already time-wasted many hours on these games, particularly Tradewinds 2 because it actually has a story and strategy and the writing can be really funny at times. And each time you play with a different character you get a slightly different story. AND you get to blow up pirates! How cool is that?! I've been forced to become a GamePass member so I can get a cheap game each month--now I can't wait until next month when I can purchase Jewel Quest, since my demo ran out.

So, anyways, I'm just wondering if anyone else gets obssessed with these games you can download off the Internet.

29
Brandon Sanderson / Too Modern for Fantasy?
« on: June 20, 2005, 05:05:20 PM »
In his Elantris Chapter 5 annotations, EUOL noted:
Quote
I have gotten a little grief from readers regarding Kiin's family. Some think that the family as a whole feels too 'modern.' It is an anachronism that, to an extent, I'll admit. One of the quirks about the fantasy genre is how it generally prefers to deal with ancient governments, technologies, and societies without actually making its characters conform to more ancient personality patterns. In other words, most fantasy main characters are people who, if dusted off a bit and given a short history lesson, could fit-in quite well in the modern world.

I'll be honest. I prefer the genre this way. I don't read fantasy because I want a history lesson, though learning things is always nice. I read for characters--and I want to like the characters I get to know. I like putting characters in situations and exploring how they would deal with extreme circumstances. I just don't think this kind of plotting would be as strong, or as interesting, if the characters weren't innately identifiable to a modern readership.

I found this observation of EUOL's interesting and thought I would throw it out for discussion in forum-land. Does it bother you when characters in a world set in the past display modern sensibilities? Or do you prefer it that way?

I find myself agreeing with EUOL. A character has to be 'modern' enough that a reader can relate and understand them. And if you are reading for character (which I, like EUOL, do), than you want to be able to relate to them. Completely backward thinking--such as racist thinking--is going to turn off a modern audience, even if it was appropriate at the time. So you as the writer have to ask yourself--do I be accurate and lose reader sympathy, or do I be more flexible and lose accuracy?

That was one of the problems I was having with Goddess of Yesterday (you can see my discussion in Books if you'd like). I couldn't completely relate to the idea of Greek honor being important enough to go to war and kill millions over, just so Menelaus could revenge the slight against him. But that is because of my modern sensibilities that says a war should be to help people, not to defend the honor of a king. And so I felt Helen as a character did not always work--I was supposed to accept some things based on the Greek worldview. Because I like Greek Mythology and I am a forgiving reader, I did. But someone else might not.

This whole idea of what's too modern comes up in writing groups a lot. Where do you draw the line between making your fantasy world (if it is set in the past) realistic and still make it appeal to readers who think modernly? What is too "modern"? Certainly some ways of speaking are too modern--slang specific to our world seems out of place, in my book.  I remember one time in my writing group with EUOL and Parker we had a discussion on telling time. I wasn't sure you could refer to the passage of time as seconds--that seemed too modern to me (the concept of a second, that is). But that then begged the question of how they told time. Unfortunately, this means that as the author you have to do research (not always fun in my book). Even if you are creating a unique way to tell time for your fantastic world, you still have to understand how it was actually done in the past--and more than just "Didn't they use those sun dial thingies?"

It is a delicate balance between being accurate and pleasing the audience. EUOL probably has the right idea--he says he wrote what he liked. He liked the way the family interacted, so even if some people felt it was too modern, he kept it. Sometimes I think an author has to do that--pick a way of doing it, trust himself, and know that he's not going to please everyone. But, from a writer's perspective, the concept of what is too modern does beg some pondering.

So I throw it out to all of you again. Have you been turned off by a book because it is too modern? Or because it felt too old-fashioned and it was hard for you to relate? What do you prefer in your fantasy fiction?

30
Rants and Stuff / Ransom Note
« on: June 08, 2005, 04:48:29 PM »
MSFISH

I hAve yOur frogs. If you [shadow=red,left,300]ever[/shadow] wanT to sEe theM again,
 yoU must bRinG PopCOrn
aNd a MovIe to mY hOUsE.
Act quIckLY
[/color] (preferably this afternoon),
oR yOur froGs wiLl beComE a dElecTaBLe riCe sOup!!!

Signed,
Mysterious Stealthy-type Person


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