Yeah, so. Went out for a nice little walk with Luna, figured... it would be great. You know, we could pass the time together without violence, we could just take this happy little walk and it would all be just real great. Happy times. Nice times. Fun times.
So we're out walking. Everything's going well, and then Luna sees this big log. And she tells me she's going to pick it up and throw it. Well, I figured I'd just go along with it so I smile and nod and indulge her, and she... grabs this stupid log, and slings it into the air with just her front hooves. Now for one thing it goes way higher than expected. But then it comes back down.
Guess who gets hit by it.
Yes. Me.
So this log falls out of the sky and hits me and turns out to be rotten. Which is good because it was soft. Which is bad because I'm now covered in gooey tree goo splinters. Which is really bad because of all the goddamn stupid ass bugs in the goddamn stupid ass rotten log.
So I'm covered in log, bugs, some kind of... fungus... and Luna's chortling away. I'm also dazed and confused and it's unfortunately not due to really good drugs but being bashed over my head by a freaking tree that Luna flung into the freaking air.
This, from a quiet walk in the woods. Anyway, eventually Luna. Helped me clean up. Eventually. And now here I am back at home, wrapped in a blanket, covered in swelling because hey guess who's apparently allergic to whatever the hell bit the crap out of me.
Luna's still laughing at me.
This is life. Great. This is life.
~Scrivener Blooms
Saturday 29 December 2012
Characterization, Part III: Good Guys
Or, protagonists. Protagonists is a much better word but I'm trying to stick to my theme of keeping things simple, and I don't want to get into too much... you know. Super-complex territory. But let's take a look at our hero, who usually serves as the main character. There are many different types and subtypes, but... no, I'm repeating myself now. I do that a lot, bad habit.
This won't be quite as complicated and probably not as long as the bad guy post. I already gave the reasons for that, sort of, and also because... no matter where the 'hero' falls, he almost always has to be relatable, likable, or both. You have to have the audience rooting for him at least a large portion of the time, especially if he - or she, or she, don't give me that look, Luna - is central to the story in some way or another. Yes, there's stories where you have a main character you hate, and yes, there's plenty of ways to work around having a loathsome or even unoriginal main character but still keeping the story interesting. But. I'm not going to deal with any of that here. I'm just going to give a few general good guy archetypes.
The Heroic Hero:
No, I'm not changing that title. But this is your basic all-around good-guy Good Guy. He's brave, strong, probably sensitive, usually emotionally-connected to the world around him, people often end up liking him. Basically this is that bastard who rolled like five perfect 20s during character creation. Not to say he's good at absolutely everything, or is lacking flaws or weaknesses, but he has the tools to conquer those weaknesses and usually does so, one way or another.
This is an archetype particularly popular in simpler stories meant for foals/"young adults." He's a good guy. He's happy, he's strong, but his background usually makes him out to be surprisingly normal: if it's not normal, then instead he's "surprisingly normal in spite of A: being born into a happy comfortable life or B: living in suck for so and so long." He's a common character design used to appeal to the reader by saying: "hey, this guy is normal, you're normal, he's just like you." Or, if you want to get really analytical and cynical: "this character is designed so that the reader can live vicariously through them, pretending they are or could become just like this character, pulling them in to the reading experience solely so they can escape their own less-satisfying life."
Or maybe that's just me.
The Heroic Hero can be either simple to use, or pretty complex. The real art to defining and manipulating this kind of character isn't so much in getting him through the adventure, it's making him believable and keeping him properly balanced. He has to get through the situations he's plunged into realistically, without being saved too many times or winning too often through luck.
The Dark Knight
I'm not taking back that reference. You can't make me take back that reference. Furthermore, it's very fitting for the character type. This is the kind of hero that usually focuses on being a little more tragic, and a little more action-oriented. She - I may or may not be thinking a little more of Luna here - will do whatever it takes to get the job done, and doesn't care if she has to get her hooves dirty in order to do so. That doesn't mean she's a dictator: negotiation and diplomacy are still good tools, even if she often throws in a little coercion and intimidation. But when those stop working so well or start taking too long, here comes the thunder.
This character is usually a little maladjusted, and harder to relate to in some ways... but they often have something about them that makes you wish you could just. Hug away all their problems, or that makes you say "I wish I could be like that, minus the constant bleeding wounds and massive psychologist bills." They also often have the excitement factor on their side: their adventures usually take them into darker or more mysterious territory, or facing off against nastier villains.
Of course, this type of hero cannot be without flaws, considering the standard role of the protagonist. Their depiction must also be done carefully: otherwise, you won't create a Dark Knight, you'll simply create a bully, who walks around ruthlessly tormenting her enemies. Her driving motivation must be clear and concise, or that might contribute to making her harder to relate or like even more than if she regularly broke people in half just for talking back to her. After all, if she enjoys beating people to mush, then why would she just beat the bad guys into mush instead of grabbing whoever's closest and pummeling them? For this reason, she requires more development than the Heroic Hero, who can basically just walk in one day and say, "hey, I'm here to save the day."
The Dark Knight is very popular, but is harder to pull off believably. She suits a darker world and heavier atmosphere, and stories that are meant to be more intense, action-oriented, or follow more serious themes. I know I say this for everything, but character development is key: don't forget to emphasize the flaws and personality of this kind of character, it can be what forms the saving grace between someone utterly unlikable and someone you can't help but want to read more about.
The Antihero
What, Scrivener used an actual literary term instead of pretending he's really smart by making up his own? Impossible.
Luna says I'm getting too into this blogging thing. But now she's just staring over my shoulder because I told her this one is the one that reminds me most of her. I feel her giving me the benefit of the doubt, but ever since she saw that "anti-" next to "hero" she's been readying her horn to stab me. So. I had better continue. Yes, dear, continuing.
The Antihero is a protagonist who does not exactly fall under the category of hero, but, and let me emphasize this, is not a villain. Horses of Heaven I don't know how often I've seen those compared incorrectly. The Antihero is not the "bad guy." Yes, Luna, I know I repeated myself but it was important.
Antiheroes are usually dark, tragically-flawed, and don't often win at the end of the day. They don't usually have much in the way of morals, or something's happened to them that's made them... perhaps a little twisted. They are outsiders... but not necessarily someone you can't relate to or even dislike. Maybe you're a little scared of them, but there's often a dark kind of admiration there. Maybe they're the kind of person you wouldn't want to meet on a sunny day, much less in a dark alley, but at the same time you can't help but be fascinated by their story.
What's important to remember is that you can make them sympathetic, you can make them hurt by others, maybe even justified in how they feel... but they cannot be shown as your standard 'Good Guy.' I know, I know, I said I was sticking with 'Good Guy' archetypes for this, but then I realized this one was important to cover too and it lets me kind of round off with 'Good, Neutral, Evil,' if you get what I'm saying. An Antihero, again is not a hero, any more than he's a villain. He's an Antihero. Fine, Luna, she's an Antihero. And even if she gets what she's after, she still ends up cast out by society, she still pays a heavy toll for her victory. Or maybe her victory even costs her more than being defeated would have.
But at the end of the day, they haven't just done evil: whether or not they're responsible for how the story begins or where they end up, they almost always have done something wrong, and they continue to do wrong, to tread on the wrong side of the moral line even while doing right. And even when they try and make up for their mistakes, sometimes things still go to hell all the same. Metaphorically or literally. Their sins must be dominant, not their virtues. Their flaws must rule them, and even if they're strong or smart, they still have to possess a failing, even if that failing is disguised as a strength. And redemption for what they have become does not come cheaply, if at all.
This is a difficult character to do true justice to, and a major part of the reason for this is that they don't usually get happy endings. And when you get attached to a character, it can be hard, hard as hell to let them go, or to put them through things that will leave them permanently injured, permanently changed. Even if it's for the better, not the worse. On another level, this character is difficult to work with because you have to keep in mind that they can't have too many qualities of either good guy or bad guy... they have to skirt somewhere down the center, and at the same time, you have to make sure they're still interesting enough to read about even when they're doing things that you normally don't want to read about the good guys in a story doing, such as harvesting body parts.
That's about all for today. Three character types and I definitely did not stick to plan. Hopefully some of it is useful. Remember, it's all just broad generalizations, and nonspecific examples. The best way, once more, is to write stuff for yourself. The more you write, the more you work with characters, the better you're going to get at it. Just reading will leave you confused, until you begin to try and put these archetypes into action for yourself, and start to see
This won't be quite as complicated and probably not as long as the bad guy post. I already gave the reasons for that, sort of, and also because... no matter where the 'hero' falls, he almost always has to be relatable, likable, or both. You have to have the audience rooting for him at least a large portion of the time, especially if he - or she, or she, don't give me that look, Luna - is central to the story in some way or another. Yes, there's stories where you have a main character you hate, and yes, there's plenty of ways to work around having a loathsome or even unoriginal main character but still keeping the story interesting. But. I'm not going to deal with any of that here. I'm just going to give a few general good guy archetypes.
The Heroic Hero:
No, I'm not changing that title. But this is your basic all-around good-guy Good Guy. He's brave, strong, probably sensitive, usually emotionally-connected to the world around him, people often end up liking him. Basically this is that bastard who rolled like five perfect 20s during character creation. Not to say he's good at absolutely everything, or is lacking flaws or weaknesses, but he has the tools to conquer those weaknesses and usually does so, one way or another.
This is an archetype particularly popular in simpler stories meant for foals/"young adults." He's a good guy. He's happy, he's strong, but his background usually makes him out to be surprisingly normal: if it's not normal, then instead he's "surprisingly normal in spite of A: being born into a happy comfortable life or B: living in suck for so and so long." He's a common character design used to appeal to the reader by saying: "hey, this guy is normal, you're normal, he's just like you." Or, if you want to get really analytical and cynical: "this character is designed so that the reader can live vicariously through them, pretending they are or could become just like this character, pulling them in to the reading experience solely so they can escape their own less-satisfying life."
Or maybe that's just me.
The Heroic Hero can be either simple to use, or pretty complex. The real art to defining and manipulating this kind of character isn't so much in getting him through the adventure, it's making him believable and keeping him properly balanced. He has to get through the situations he's plunged into realistically, without being saved too many times or winning too often through luck.
The Dark Knight
I'm not taking back that reference. You can't make me take back that reference. Furthermore, it's very fitting for the character type. This is the kind of hero that usually focuses on being a little more tragic, and a little more action-oriented. She - I may or may not be thinking a little more of Luna here - will do whatever it takes to get the job done, and doesn't care if she has to get her hooves dirty in order to do so. That doesn't mean she's a dictator: negotiation and diplomacy are still good tools, even if she often throws in a little coercion and intimidation. But when those stop working so well or start taking too long, here comes the thunder.
This character is usually a little maladjusted, and harder to relate to in some ways... but they often have something about them that makes you wish you could just. Hug away all their problems, or that makes you say "I wish I could be like that, minus the constant bleeding wounds and massive psychologist bills." They also often have the excitement factor on their side: their adventures usually take them into darker or more mysterious territory, or facing off against nastier villains.
Of course, this type of hero cannot be without flaws, considering the standard role of the protagonist. Their depiction must also be done carefully: otherwise, you won't create a Dark Knight, you'll simply create a bully, who walks around ruthlessly tormenting her enemies. Her driving motivation must be clear and concise, or that might contribute to making her harder to relate or like even more than if she regularly broke people in half just for talking back to her. After all, if she enjoys beating people to mush, then why would she just beat the bad guys into mush instead of grabbing whoever's closest and pummeling them? For this reason, she requires more development than the Heroic Hero, who can basically just walk in one day and say, "hey, I'm here to save the day."
The Dark Knight is very popular, but is harder to pull off believably. She suits a darker world and heavier atmosphere, and stories that are meant to be more intense, action-oriented, or follow more serious themes. I know I say this for everything, but character development is key: don't forget to emphasize the flaws and personality of this kind of character, it can be what forms the saving grace between someone utterly unlikable and someone you can't help but want to read more about.
The Antihero
What, Scrivener used an actual literary term instead of pretending he's really smart by making up his own? Impossible.
Luna says I'm getting too into this blogging thing. But now she's just staring over my shoulder because I told her this one is the one that reminds me most of her. I feel her giving me the benefit of the doubt, but ever since she saw that "anti-" next to "hero" she's been readying her horn to stab me. So. I had better continue. Yes, dear, continuing.
The Antihero is a protagonist who does not exactly fall under the category of hero, but, and let me emphasize this, is not a villain. Horses of Heaven I don't know how often I've seen those compared incorrectly. The Antihero is not the "bad guy." Yes, Luna, I know I repeated myself but it was important.
Antiheroes are usually dark, tragically-flawed, and don't often win at the end of the day. They don't usually have much in the way of morals, or something's happened to them that's made them... perhaps a little twisted. They are outsiders... but not necessarily someone you can't relate to or even dislike. Maybe you're a little scared of them, but there's often a dark kind of admiration there. Maybe they're the kind of person you wouldn't want to meet on a sunny day, much less in a dark alley, but at the same time you can't help but be fascinated by their story.
What's important to remember is that you can make them sympathetic, you can make them hurt by others, maybe even justified in how they feel... but they cannot be shown as your standard 'Good Guy.' I know, I know, I said I was sticking with 'Good Guy' archetypes for this, but then I realized this one was important to cover too and it lets me kind of round off with 'Good, Neutral, Evil,' if you get what I'm saying. An Antihero, again is not a hero, any more than he's a villain. He's an Antihero. Fine, Luna, she's an Antihero. And even if she gets what she's after, she still ends up cast out by society, she still pays a heavy toll for her victory. Or maybe her victory even costs her more than being defeated would have.
But at the end of the day, they haven't just done evil: whether or not they're responsible for how the story begins or where they end up, they almost always have done something wrong, and they continue to do wrong, to tread on the wrong side of the moral line even while doing right. And even when they try and make up for their mistakes, sometimes things still go to hell all the same. Metaphorically or literally. Their sins must be dominant, not their virtues. Their flaws must rule them, and even if they're strong or smart, they still have to possess a failing, even if that failing is disguised as a strength. And redemption for what they have become does not come cheaply, if at all.
This is a difficult character to do true justice to, and a major part of the reason for this is that they don't usually get happy endings. And when you get attached to a character, it can be hard, hard as hell to let them go, or to put them through things that will leave them permanently injured, permanently changed. Even if it's for the better, not the worse. On another level, this character is difficult to work with because you have to keep in mind that they can't have too many qualities of either good guy or bad guy... they have to skirt somewhere down the center, and at the same time, you have to make sure they're still interesting enough to read about even when they're doing things that you normally don't want to read about the good guys in a story doing, such as harvesting body parts.
That's about all for today. Three character types and I definitely did not stick to plan. Hopefully some of it is useful. Remember, it's all just broad generalizations, and nonspecific examples. The best way, once more, is to write stuff for yourself. The more you write, the more you work with characters, the better you're going to get at it. Just reading will leave you confused, until you begin to try and put these archetypes into action for yourself, and start to see
Friday 14 December 2012
Characterization, Part II: Bad Guys
Oh yes. We're going to have fun with this one. And it's going to end up being a ridiculously long post. So let's get right into it.
First off, note that I'm going to use a lot of generalizations and sweeping generalized terms, simply for ease of reference and everything. These can always be adjusted, in one form or another. So to start with, let's take a look at our two major classes of villain: "The Evil You Know," and "Irredeemable." There are subtypes to each, but your villain generally will fall under one of these two headings: either something familiar to you, that you can understand or even relate to on some level, or the alien, the invader, and most commonly, the Destroyer.
Now let's examine these types and their subtypes more in-depth.
The Evil You Know:
A type of villain that, when examined, may be called evil... but where the 'evil' they do is for a reason that can be understood, identified with, and perhaps even sympathized for. They may be acting out of a desire for something, or because they have an ultimate goal, or in some cases, because they seek revenge. They may be insane, or driven over the edge, or simply willing to be seen as the enemy in order to get whatever it is that they want. But even if you hate them, or find yourself afraid of them, or recognize that they are the enemy, at the same time you recognize there's something more to them. That maybe beneath everything, they're not so different.
The Evil You Know has a wide variety of subtypes, so I'll only address a few common ones here. Their purpose as a villain is often to show the effects of the choices we make on our lives and those of others, and how things that may seem completely different at first are not. They can be flawed, tragic, honorable, and even more likable and affable than the protagonist/hero. They can be a medium to higher level difficulty of character to work with, but also a very rewarding character for both the writer and the reader to experience.
Avenger:
Avengers are out... well... to avenge something. But in this form, they've either gone over the edge, or seeking revenge has consumed them and twisted them. They are willing to do anything to get their revenge, to stoop to any means or methods, and it doesn't matter how many innocents are in the crossfire.
Often, the protagonist is who this villain type seeks vengeance upon - rightfully or wrongfully - or happens to get in the way of the revenge at a crucial moment. Avengers can be played as sympathetic or simply pathetic, miserable and asocial or cheerful and pleasant, and in any number of ways. Their backgrounds can be wide and varied, and it's also an easy starting for building an antagonist character who is relatable: we've all felt the compulsion to act out for revenge for one reason or another, and it's hard not to sympathize with a villain who acts the way he does because he's lost a loved one or something important to him, no matter how often the plot is done.
The characteristics for this type of villain can be very large, and played with in any number of ways: with one, relatively-narrow and clearly-defined driving motive, it's even possible to have an affable, 'normal' character who only becomes dangerous and 'villainous' when pushed towards or acting on his goal of revenge. It allows for a wide variety of interpretations and developments, as well as a multitude of interactions with the protagonist, and an ending that can be in favor of the villain but still played out as a positive interaction in the eyes of the audience.
Pushed Too Far:
This villain type has simply had enough of being shoved around: this is different from the Avenger motif because the revenge is often not well-thought out, and it takes place against a much wider group, and with often-messier results. Even if the revenge is planned and specific, this villain type tends to not only take it too far, they tend to get others involved in the crossfire: IE, someone who fights back against a bully but ends up taking the entire class hostage or subjecting the whole school to a threat, or someone who decides they'd rather make everyone suffer for the way that they have suffered.
This villain type usually has one strict beginning: a weaker character who has been abused and pushed around constantly, and then snaps and lashes wildly out at the world, with the sole intent of trying to hurt absolutely everyone 'involved.' They can be presented as sympathetic, but almost all also carry the very important defining point of 'taking things too far:' they don't stop after their revenge against their personal enemy, or in pursuit of it cause large amounts of collateral damage. This means they can also be presented not from a sympathy viewpoint, but a 'corruption of innocence' or 'psychotic' view, where their reaction clearly becomes completely unjustified, even for the hardships they may have suffered.
A major characteristic of this character is that they are driven by accumulated shame and suffering, which compels them to be more chaotic than those who seek pure revenge. They often begin to seek 'justice' against the system or community as a whole, instead of focusing on one objective, and sometimes fall apart completely. They can be a dangerous character to work with: done improperly, and they can come across as pedantic and pathetic instead of sympathetic. But they can also serve as a reminder of what everyone is capable of, pushed too far, and can be used to show either redemption, or that every action we take against others has a very real cost.
For [Insert Subject Here]!:
A fairly simple subtype, guided by one sole purpose: to achieve the specific goal set for it, to live up to its beliefs, etcetera. Because of this, these characters often tend to come across as extreme, and as 'blind:' a very popular driving angle behind this character, for example, is a belief in a religion or cult that compels them to act the way they do under the inspiration that they are doing the work of their savior or god, even though to many others they seem to be doing nothing but causing pain and suffering. Religion or cultism is not a requirement, however: just as easily, this person could be driven by belief in another person, as well as any doctrine, law, or otherwise.
These characters can be portrayed a variety of ways, but are almost always very stubborn, and extremely dedicated and sensitive on the subject of their driving force. For example, a character might be depicted as a handsome and friendly knight, but if his king's ideals are questioned, he is extremely quick to anger, even violence. Conversely, they may simply refuse to believe anything except for that one doctrine: the lack of a passionate reaction in spite of their total belief can help create a villain who comes across as understanding, even compassionate despite his role as an antagonist.
The sole defining characteristic is their deep belief, and what they are willing to do in order to pursue - and often spread - that doctrine, or the law of whoever guides them. Their faith may be depicted as being unstable at points, or shaken, but it is rarely completely destroyed during the story: conversely, a "crisis of faith" can be used to create the defining moment where the character is pushed into a different role. But this character type hinges on its faith, and that is what helps define the character as a whole: when that belief changes, the entire character has to change with it.
Good Intentions/Because I Had To:
The best example of an Evil You Know, and often the most sympathetic form of antagonist, is this type: they set out to do something good, but their actions have led to something evil, or they have been forced to do something bad not because they wanted to, but because it was the best possible choice. These are characters who, even as an antagonist, can become more relatable than the hero, and even more likable than the hero. These are often characters who have seen nothing but the worst side of the world or become involved with something too big for them to handle out of pure stupidity or naivety, yet all the same they struggle to make the best of the situation, even if they have to be the bad guys to do it.
The most important thing to remember about this subtype is that they are, for lack of a better word, pony. They have feelings and emotions. They often understand right and wrong, and when they're on the bad side of that. And they are usually pushed, for one reason or another, into playing the role they're in by circumstance more than plan. Sometimes it's even as simple as a misunderstanding that goes completely out of proportion, or they happen to be coerced or hired by the enemy side of the field.
This subtype allows for one of the widest variety of character interactions, and to present an antagonist who is sympathetic, relatable, and enjoyable, and help dispel the notion that there is a "good side" and "evil side" in life. They can even be presented as "better" characters than the protagonist, in everything from their moral choices to how they act with others, perhaps even in their self-sacrifice by the end of the story: what sets them apart as antagonist is either their goal, or what they have been forced to do for one reason or another.
Their characteristics, unlike other antagonists, are usually very positive. Sometimes these characters can remain "hidden" in one way or another until the end of the story - IE, the antagonist is trying to kill one specific person the entire story, protagonist refuses to listen, at the end of the story said person turns out to be the destroyer of all happiness or something - but there will always come a point when their story is told and revealed, and they can often be perceived as noble. They are difficult at times to get across properly, but when done correctly, they are often among the most-notable characters from any story.
Irredeemable:
"Evil" doesn't describe them properly. They have no purpose except to play the antithesis, and the opposite number to the protagonist. Even if you can understand their goals, even if you can understand the characters themselves, their motivations seem to serve little purpose except to create as much pain and suffering as possible. They are often bizarre, or mechanical, or simply unnatural, which adds to the impact of how... purely "wrong" they are. And they usually have no redeeming qualities, hence their name.
These are both the easiest and the hardest villains to fall back on: the "pure evil" opposite number to the hero. There are only two main subtypes that I'll address here, because by definition they only seek to benefit themselves at the very most. They can be a very simple fallback for a short or simpler story, as they don't often require a lot of background or exposition, but if handled properly they can also make for an excellent "archnemesis" or master villain.
The Emperor:
An Irredeemable subtype that is interested in one thing, and one thing only: power. What form that power comes in varies, but what is always true is that the Emperor seeks only to benefit itself. And no, it can be an Empress, too, but I wanted to make a fancy reference to a tarot card so there.
What makes the Emperor Irredeemable is its willingness to do anything to obtain power, and that it seeks solely to benefit itself. It doesn't want to rule a kingdom because it thinks it can do a good job: it wants to rule the kingdom because it wants to be in the position of ultimate power, and damn the consequences. Given all the power in the universe, the Emperor would use that power... to seek more power, and to eliminate anything that could threaten it.
A core characteristic of this subtype is often arrogance: however, the Emperor subtype is often already extremely powerful or knowledgeable in its field. The flaws of the Emperor are often hubris and cowardice: it seeks power, but will cower from those who are more powerful than it, even if it tries to lash out in anger as well. These are evil kings, tyrants, mad scientists, and false idols. Popular villain choice.
The Destroyer:
The name says it all: the Destroyer only wants to destroy. Why? It often doesn't know, or doesn't care. It simply wants to do one thing, and one thing alone: kill or ruin everything around it. And sometimes that even includes itself.
Destroyers usually have no empathy, no sympathy, and are often portrayed as completely alien or mechanical: they destroy because that is what they are designed to do, or because they have no other purpose. They are popularly portrayed as 'evil,' but in reality, their design and intentions have nothing to do with either alignment: even if some Destroyers willingly work with 'evil' or 'good' forces, their ultimate goal at the end of the day is still to simply eradicate everything they can. And if given the chance, they may very well turn on their handlers and allies if it so benefits them and their purpose.
These villains are often cruel and malicious beyond all reason, but can also be depicted as coldly-calculating or completely unattached to the world around them. They may demonstrate psychotic tendencies, or simply act on cold, even 'logical' principles, but in the end their goals are genocidal or worse. Destruction entities, nihilists, doomsday machines, and alien invaders are all popular choices for this role. Depending on the portrayal, that can be either a very weak fallback villain, or a very powerful, very unique and aggressive adversary.
And there we have it, a very brief, very convoluted look at antagonists, and what makes them up, at least to me. Don't blame me if none of it's helpful, I'm a poet, not a writer. And Luna keeps scoffing at me and telling me to write more or do this or that or be clearer or put down examples or talk about us. I keep telling her we're probably antiheroes but she's pretty determined to be a bad guy.
She wants her own type and subtype. I'm. Going to write some words on paper and tape it to her face to label her so she'll leave me alone. Just remember, the most important thing with characters, as with any writing, is to write with them. With practice, you'll learn what characters you do best with and how to portray them most effectively. Just keep writing, and in time, writing with different characters and learning who suits what situation and story will become second nature.
~Scrivener Blooms
First off, note that I'm going to use a lot of generalizations and sweeping generalized terms, simply for ease of reference and everything. These can always be adjusted, in one form or another. So to start with, let's take a look at our two major classes of villain: "The Evil You Know," and "Irredeemable." There are subtypes to each, but your villain generally will fall under one of these two headings: either something familiar to you, that you can understand or even relate to on some level, or the alien, the invader, and most commonly, the Destroyer.
Now let's examine these types and their subtypes more in-depth.
The Evil You Know:
A type of villain that, when examined, may be called evil... but where the 'evil' they do is for a reason that can be understood, identified with, and perhaps even sympathized for. They may be acting out of a desire for something, or because they have an ultimate goal, or in some cases, because they seek revenge. They may be insane, or driven over the edge, or simply willing to be seen as the enemy in order to get whatever it is that they want. But even if you hate them, or find yourself afraid of them, or recognize that they are the enemy, at the same time you recognize there's something more to them. That maybe beneath everything, they're not so different.
The Evil You Know has a wide variety of subtypes, so I'll only address a few common ones here. Their purpose as a villain is often to show the effects of the choices we make on our lives and those of others, and how things that may seem completely different at first are not. They can be flawed, tragic, honorable, and even more likable and affable than the protagonist/hero. They can be a medium to higher level difficulty of character to work with, but also a very rewarding character for both the writer and the reader to experience.
Avenger:
Avengers are out... well... to avenge something. But in this form, they've either gone over the edge, or seeking revenge has consumed them and twisted them. They are willing to do anything to get their revenge, to stoop to any means or methods, and it doesn't matter how many innocents are in the crossfire.
Often, the protagonist is who this villain type seeks vengeance upon - rightfully or wrongfully - or happens to get in the way of the revenge at a crucial moment. Avengers can be played as sympathetic or simply pathetic, miserable and asocial or cheerful and pleasant, and in any number of ways. Their backgrounds can be wide and varied, and it's also an easy starting for building an antagonist character who is relatable: we've all felt the compulsion to act out for revenge for one reason or another, and it's hard not to sympathize with a villain who acts the way he does because he's lost a loved one or something important to him, no matter how often the plot is done.
The characteristics for this type of villain can be very large, and played with in any number of ways: with one, relatively-narrow and clearly-defined driving motive, it's even possible to have an affable, 'normal' character who only becomes dangerous and 'villainous' when pushed towards or acting on his goal of revenge. It allows for a wide variety of interpretations and developments, as well as a multitude of interactions with the protagonist, and an ending that can be in favor of the villain but still played out as a positive interaction in the eyes of the audience.
Pushed Too Far:
This villain type has simply had enough of being shoved around: this is different from the Avenger motif because the revenge is often not well-thought out, and it takes place against a much wider group, and with often-messier results. Even if the revenge is planned and specific, this villain type tends to not only take it too far, they tend to get others involved in the crossfire: IE, someone who fights back against a bully but ends up taking the entire class hostage or subjecting the whole school to a threat, or someone who decides they'd rather make everyone suffer for the way that they have suffered.
This villain type usually has one strict beginning: a weaker character who has been abused and pushed around constantly, and then snaps and lashes wildly out at the world, with the sole intent of trying to hurt absolutely everyone 'involved.' They can be presented as sympathetic, but almost all also carry the very important defining point of 'taking things too far:' they don't stop after their revenge against their personal enemy, or in pursuit of it cause large amounts of collateral damage. This means they can also be presented not from a sympathy viewpoint, but a 'corruption of innocence' or 'psychotic' view, where their reaction clearly becomes completely unjustified, even for the hardships they may have suffered.
A major characteristic of this character is that they are driven by accumulated shame and suffering, which compels them to be more chaotic than those who seek pure revenge. They often begin to seek 'justice' against the system or community as a whole, instead of focusing on one objective, and sometimes fall apart completely. They can be a dangerous character to work with: done improperly, and they can come across as pedantic and pathetic instead of sympathetic. But they can also serve as a reminder of what everyone is capable of, pushed too far, and can be used to show either redemption, or that every action we take against others has a very real cost.
For [Insert Subject Here]!:
A fairly simple subtype, guided by one sole purpose: to achieve the specific goal set for it, to live up to its beliefs, etcetera. Because of this, these characters often tend to come across as extreme, and as 'blind:' a very popular driving angle behind this character, for example, is a belief in a religion or cult that compels them to act the way they do under the inspiration that they are doing the work of their savior or god, even though to many others they seem to be doing nothing but causing pain and suffering. Religion or cultism is not a requirement, however: just as easily, this person could be driven by belief in another person, as well as any doctrine, law, or otherwise.
These characters can be portrayed a variety of ways, but are almost always very stubborn, and extremely dedicated and sensitive on the subject of their driving force. For example, a character might be depicted as a handsome and friendly knight, but if his king's ideals are questioned, he is extremely quick to anger, even violence. Conversely, they may simply refuse to believe anything except for that one doctrine: the lack of a passionate reaction in spite of their total belief can help create a villain who comes across as understanding, even compassionate despite his role as an antagonist.
The sole defining characteristic is their deep belief, and what they are willing to do in order to pursue - and often spread - that doctrine, or the law of whoever guides them. Their faith may be depicted as being unstable at points, or shaken, but it is rarely completely destroyed during the story: conversely, a "crisis of faith" can be used to create the defining moment where the character is pushed into a different role. But this character type hinges on its faith, and that is what helps define the character as a whole: when that belief changes, the entire character has to change with it.
Good Intentions/Because I Had To:
The best example of an Evil You Know, and often the most sympathetic form of antagonist, is this type: they set out to do something good, but their actions have led to something evil, or they have been forced to do something bad not because they wanted to, but because it was the best possible choice. These are characters who, even as an antagonist, can become more relatable than the hero, and even more likable than the hero. These are often characters who have seen nothing but the worst side of the world or become involved with something too big for them to handle out of pure stupidity or naivety, yet all the same they struggle to make the best of the situation, even if they have to be the bad guys to do it.
The most important thing to remember about this subtype is that they are, for lack of a better word, pony. They have feelings and emotions. They often understand right and wrong, and when they're on the bad side of that. And they are usually pushed, for one reason or another, into playing the role they're in by circumstance more than plan. Sometimes it's even as simple as a misunderstanding that goes completely out of proportion, or they happen to be coerced or hired by the enemy side of the field.
This subtype allows for one of the widest variety of character interactions, and to present an antagonist who is sympathetic, relatable, and enjoyable, and help dispel the notion that there is a "good side" and "evil side" in life. They can even be presented as "better" characters than the protagonist, in everything from their moral choices to how they act with others, perhaps even in their self-sacrifice by the end of the story: what sets them apart as antagonist is either their goal, or what they have been forced to do for one reason or another.
Their characteristics, unlike other antagonists, are usually very positive. Sometimes these characters can remain "hidden" in one way or another until the end of the story - IE, the antagonist is trying to kill one specific person the entire story, protagonist refuses to listen, at the end of the story said person turns out to be the destroyer of all happiness or something - but there will always come a point when their story is told and revealed, and they can often be perceived as noble. They are difficult at times to get across properly, but when done correctly, they are often among the most-notable characters from any story.
Irredeemable:
"Evil" doesn't describe them properly. They have no purpose except to play the antithesis, and the opposite number to the protagonist. Even if you can understand their goals, even if you can understand the characters themselves, their motivations seem to serve little purpose except to create as much pain and suffering as possible. They are often bizarre, or mechanical, or simply unnatural, which adds to the impact of how... purely "wrong" they are. And they usually have no redeeming qualities, hence their name.
These are both the easiest and the hardest villains to fall back on: the "pure evil" opposite number to the hero. There are only two main subtypes that I'll address here, because by definition they only seek to benefit themselves at the very most. They can be a very simple fallback for a short or simpler story, as they don't often require a lot of background or exposition, but if handled properly they can also make for an excellent "archnemesis" or master villain.
The Emperor:
An Irredeemable subtype that is interested in one thing, and one thing only: power. What form that power comes in varies, but what is always true is that the Emperor seeks only to benefit itself. And no, it can be an Empress, too, but I wanted to make a fancy reference to a tarot card so there.
What makes the Emperor Irredeemable is its willingness to do anything to obtain power, and that it seeks solely to benefit itself. It doesn't want to rule a kingdom because it thinks it can do a good job: it wants to rule the kingdom because it wants to be in the position of ultimate power, and damn the consequences. Given all the power in the universe, the Emperor would use that power... to seek more power, and to eliminate anything that could threaten it.
A core characteristic of this subtype is often arrogance: however, the Emperor subtype is often already extremely powerful or knowledgeable in its field. The flaws of the Emperor are often hubris and cowardice: it seeks power, but will cower from those who are more powerful than it, even if it tries to lash out in anger as well. These are evil kings, tyrants, mad scientists, and false idols. Popular villain choice.
The Destroyer:
The name says it all: the Destroyer only wants to destroy. Why? It often doesn't know, or doesn't care. It simply wants to do one thing, and one thing alone: kill or ruin everything around it. And sometimes that even includes itself.
Destroyers usually have no empathy, no sympathy, and are often portrayed as completely alien or mechanical: they destroy because that is what they are designed to do, or because they have no other purpose. They are popularly portrayed as 'evil,' but in reality, their design and intentions have nothing to do with either alignment: even if some Destroyers willingly work with 'evil' or 'good' forces, their ultimate goal at the end of the day is still to simply eradicate everything they can. And if given the chance, they may very well turn on their handlers and allies if it so benefits them and their purpose.
These villains are often cruel and malicious beyond all reason, but can also be depicted as coldly-calculating or completely unattached to the world around them. They may demonstrate psychotic tendencies, or simply act on cold, even 'logical' principles, but in the end their goals are genocidal or worse. Destruction entities, nihilists, doomsday machines, and alien invaders are all popular choices for this role. Depending on the portrayal, that can be either a very weak fallback villain, or a very powerful, very unique and aggressive adversary.
And there we have it, a very brief, very convoluted look at antagonists, and what makes them up, at least to me. Don't blame me if none of it's helpful, I'm a poet, not a writer. And Luna keeps scoffing at me and telling me to write more or do this or that or be clearer or put down examples or talk about us. I keep telling her we're probably antiheroes but she's pretty determined to be a bad guy.
She wants her own type and subtype. I'm. Going to write some words on paper and tape it to her face to label her so she'll leave me alone. Just remember, the most important thing with characters, as with any writing, is to write with them. With practice, you'll learn what characters you do best with and how to portray them most effectively. Just keep writing, and in time, writing with different characters and learning who suits what situation and story will become second nature.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 7 December 2012
Characterization, Part I
I've always felt that the most important thing in any story... is the characters. You can have the crappiest story ever, but if the characters are interesting and real and engaging, they not only help make your stupid plot more believable... they make the story themselves. The characters themselves will influence the story, even if sometimes that means you go in directions you never expected, or don't want to... but all the same, the character guides you there.
Now, I'm not saying that plot and blah blah blah aren't important. I mean, a good plot and good characters will beat a bad plot and good characters. Unless, you know. You're. Looking for a really bad plot. Like when you go to the movies just to see something horrible. But I'm getting way off topic, yes, yes. Let's just go back to the characters.
Most stories have a protagonist and an antagonist, and this is what I'd like to start off focusing on, the very basics. In fact, I'm going to ahead and generalize as "Good" vs. "Evil," because you don't really get more basic than that, and in terms of discussing characters I want to stay simple in this first part. You have your Good Guys, who usually represent... you know. Happiness, peace, nice stuff, good hygiene, and all that. Then you have your Bad Guys, who are usually... jerks, monstrous, selfish, other... negative attributes. Those are the simplest characterizations. Those are cliches and stereotypes in some way, but again, starting at the basics: cliches and stereotypes exist for a reason, never, ever forget that, and never ever dismiss anything - character or otherwise - as instantly unusable because it adheres to a stereotype or cliche. Because they actually do exist, and they actually can serve you well... used properly.
But we'll save that for later, too; in fact, I'm going to save discussing Good Guys and Bad Guys more in specific posts for each of them, because I have a lot to say about both, and I'd like to. You know. Actually do an intelligent post once in my life.
Instead, I just want to finish making that point I started up there. Characters make the story: yes, a good story with good characters is what we should all aim for... but if you are going to be like me and write horrible niche-type stories and poetry that only certain ponies like, then you should put most of your effort on developing the characters. Not just because they'll help make your story more likable, but because the more life you give the characters, the more weight comes off you to make decisions regarding your story and your plot: if you give a character so much life they seem to walk and talk, that you begin to understand their personality, see how they'd react in your mind... then when faced with a difficult choice, you no longer have to work so hard to understand what they'd do, and how to move the story forwards. If uh... Butter Blossom is extremely superstitious and/or religious and she's faced with a choice of going left or right, she's probably going to go right, because 'left is the devil's path.' Yes, very. Sweeping, general, not-completely-thought out example, but work with me here. I'm typing with hooves, Luna's... kind of... maliciously looming behind me, and I gotta keep these posts short.
Yes, focusing on the characters, giving them life, can lead you to problems sometimes. Can take you into places you'd rather avoid. But just think of that as testing your skills as a writer, as... you know, making yourself both experiment, and show that even thrown into a difficult enterprise, you can still come out making things... if not likable, then at least real. Much as reality sucks and a lot of ponies don't want to read about it.
And my time is up. But next post I'm going to talk about one of my favorite things and few things I can be confident in writing about from living so long with Luna and... well, myself: Bad Guys. And Luna is. Chewing on my ear. That's not a good sign.
She wants to show me what a 'villain' she is and pretend that I'm the ohnonothat.
~Scrivener Blooms
Now, I'm not saying that plot and blah blah blah aren't important. I mean, a good plot and good characters will beat a bad plot and good characters. Unless, you know. You're. Looking for a really bad plot. Like when you go to the movies just to see something horrible. But I'm getting way off topic, yes, yes. Let's just go back to the characters.
Most stories have a protagonist and an antagonist, and this is what I'd like to start off focusing on, the very basics. In fact, I'm going to ahead and generalize as "Good" vs. "Evil," because you don't really get more basic than that, and in terms of discussing characters I want to stay simple in this first part. You have your Good Guys, who usually represent... you know. Happiness, peace, nice stuff, good hygiene, and all that. Then you have your Bad Guys, who are usually... jerks, monstrous, selfish, other... negative attributes. Those are the simplest characterizations. Those are cliches and stereotypes in some way, but again, starting at the basics: cliches and stereotypes exist for a reason, never, ever forget that, and never ever dismiss anything - character or otherwise - as instantly unusable because it adheres to a stereotype or cliche. Because they actually do exist, and they actually can serve you well... used properly.
But we'll save that for later, too; in fact, I'm going to save discussing Good Guys and Bad Guys more in specific posts for each of them, because I have a lot to say about both, and I'd like to. You know. Actually do an intelligent post once in my life.
Instead, I just want to finish making that point I started up there. Characters make the story: yes, a good story with good characters is what we should all aim for... but if you are going to be like me and write horrible niche-type stories and poetry that only certain ponies like, then you should put most of your effort on developing the characters. Not just because they'll help make your story more likable, but because the more life you give the characters, the more weight comes off you to make decisions regarding your story and your plot: if you give a character so much life they seem to walk and talk, that you begin to understand their personality, see how they'd react in your mind... then when faced with a difficult choice, you no longer have to work so hard to understand what they'd do, and how to move the story forwards. If uh... Butter Blossom is extremely superstitious and/or religious and she's faced with a choice of going left or right, she's probably going to go right, because 'left is the devil's path.' Yes, very. Sweeping, general, not-completely-thought out example, but work with me here. I'm typing with hooves, Luna's... kind of... maliciously looming behind me, and I gotta keep these posts short.
Yes, focusing on the characters, giving them life, can lead you to problems sometimes. Can take you into places you'd rather avoid. But just think of that as testing your skills as a writer, as... you know, making yourself both experiment, and show that even thrown into a difficult enterprise, you can still come out making things... if not likable, then at least real. Much as reality sucks and a lot of ponies don't want to read about it.
And my time is up. But next post I'm going to talk about one of my favorite things and few things I can be confident in writing about from living so long with Luna and... well, myself: Bad Guys. And Luna is. Chewing on my ear. That's not a good sign.
She wants to show me what a 'villain' she is and pretend that I'm the ohnonothat.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 30 November 2012
Comfort Zones
We all have them. I don't just mean, you know, personal space, either. Which is something not all of us have. I, for example, have no personal space because Luna is usually stomping all over it. By which I mean me. She has really sharp little hooves.
Where was I? Right. Comfort zones, and to be specific, comfort zones in terms of writing: if you write, you have something you always gravitate towards, that you find is... simplest to write about. Whether you know a lot about the subject or not, whether you portray it accurately or inaccurately, when you pick up a pen and sit down to write, there's usually one thing that floats immediately to the surface. Whether it does so as a coherent idea or not, you know that this story, these characters, are going to be involved in x, because... that's just what you want to write about.
The more we write, the better we do with things, and the better our writing gets as we practice. Sometimes the improvement is infinitesimal, other times you'll realize that "hey, this thing I just wrote is about hundred times better than that thing I wrote!" But getting better by leaps or inches, what we much, much more quickly begin to settle into is the genre. The type. The ins and outs and turns that will begin to characterize our collective work.
Here's an example to compress everything. I write, and it's depressing and dark and scary. Actually, I was once classified as a 'dark romantic,' which... is accurate, whether I like it or not. And that was quickly established as where I was comfortable: writing other things... nonfiction, historical, comedy, all that, that's all difficult for me. I can do it, but I feel like I'm struggling a lot more when I make the attempt, I never feel as confident or as smooth.
And yet that in and of itself is why I sometimes try to write a different kind of poetry now and then, even a short story revolving around a different theme. Why when I work on longer novelizations, I attempt to mix in and touch on different genres, to force myself outside of my comfort zone. Because it forces you to deal with being uncomfortable, and pushing forwards anyway. It forces you to attempt to utilize different methods of writing, a different vocabulary, characters who do not adhere to the usual behaviors and patterns that you've grown used to. You need to attempt to create a completely different environment and atmosphere... and while I can almost guarantee that yes, you'll fail in your first few attempts to create a story that is as evocative or powerful as you want it, failing in the attempt doesn't make the attempt itself a failure: not when you're very likely to begin learning quite a bit about writing in a different tone, and evolving your style as a writer.
So write what you're not comfortable with from time to time. It can hurt, it can feel like a waste of time, and it's hard as hell, but you'll learn more from that one failed attempt about writing than you will from a success of a short story done inside your comfort zone.
~Scrivener Blooms
Where was I? Right. Comfort zones, and to be specific, comfort zones in terms of writing: if you write, you have something you always gravitate towards, that you find is... simplest to write about. Whether you know a lot about the subject or not, whether you portray it accurately or inaccurately, when you pick up a pen and sit down to write, there's usually one thing that floats immediately to the surface. Whether it does so as a coherent idea or not, you know that this story, these characters, are going to be involved in x, because... that's just what you want to write about.
The more we write, the better we do with things, and the better our writing gets as we practice. Sometimes the improvement is infinitesimal, other times you'll realize that "hey, this thing I just wrote is about hundred times better than that thing I wrote!" But getting better by leaps or inches, what we much, much more quickly begin to settle into is the genre. The type. The ins and outs and turns that will begin to characterize our collective work.
Here's an example to compress everything. I write, and it's depressing and dark and scary. Actually, I was once classified as a 'dark romantic,' which... is accurate, whether I like it or not. And that was quickly established as where I was comfortable: writing other things... nonfiction, historical, comedy, all that, that's all difficult for me. I can do it, but I feel like I'm struggling a lot more when I make the attempt, I never feel as confident or as smooth.
And yet that in and of itself is why I sometimes try to write a different kind of poetry now and then, even a short story revolving around a different theme. Why when I work on longer novelizations, I attempt to mix in and touch on different genres, to force myself outside of my comfort zone. Because it forces you to deal with being uncomfortable, and pushing forwards anyway. It forces you to attempt to utilize different methods of writing, a different vocabulary, characters who do not adhere to the usual behaviors and patterns that you've grown used to. You need to attempt to create a completely different environment and atmosphere... and while I can almost guarantee that yes, you'll fail in your first few attempts to create a story that is as evocative or powerful as you want it, failing in the attempt doesn't make the attempt itself a failure: not when you're very likely to begin learning quite a bit about writing in a different tone, and evolving your style as a writer.
So write what you're not comfortable with from time to time. It can hurt, it can feel like a waste of time, and it's hard as hell, but you'll learn more from that one failed attempt about writing than you will from a success of a short story done inside your comfort zone.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 23 November 2012
Sometimes I Wish I Was A Fish
That title is probably not very helpful in figuring out what this post is about, because I really don't like fish all that much. I might eat one. Luna says she used to eat fish all the time but I don't know if I believe her. But okay, so I don't wish I was a fish normally, but if I were swimming, I think I'd wish I was a fish. Likewise, whenever I see Luna draw, or look at the paintings on the wall, or... you know, smear ink all over my parchment and pretend it actually looks like something... I wish I was an artist. And even when I'm writing, I think to myself: "Why can't I do this better? Why can't I achieve... something?"
I've got little ambition, sure. But that doesn't mean I don't still want things. I don't still yearn, or think of what I'd do if I had all these capabilities. But I was reminded of something today: wishing gets you nowhere... and sometimes, when you try and do something, you fail miserably. You fail horribly. And sometimes, even when you succeed, it doesn't matter to anyone or anything. I think about when I was published, and no one thought it was anything special. Well, until... no, that's a story for another day.
So wishing sucks, failure sucks, sometimes even winning sucks. But if none of that matters, what does? The attempt, that's what. Stepping forwards with all your grit and determination and just goddamn doing something, even knowing full out this could all go to hell, that maybe no one will care, that this could be all for nothing. But you can still applaud and take pride in all the same stepping up to the plate, having the raw courage to get off your ass and out there, into the world. Charging headlong into possible catastrophe... at least you tried. How many people would actually do that these days? And how many people will sit back and hide away and never do anything and probably sit around bitching about how they never do anything but wish they could, while at the same time mocking and cursing the people who actually... you know, do manage stuff. Not that I'm not one of those ponies, of course. Luna and I can both be pretty bitter. Although now that there's all kinds of monsters to beat the crap out of I actually kind of find myself happier these days. I think Luna's made me sadistic. Well. More sadistic.
In short, sometimes I wish I was a fish. But I shouldn't, because it's stupid to wish I was a fish. I'm a pony. And even if I'm a pony floundering my way through a river really badly, at least I'm trying to swim, and have no real reason to be jealous of that fish swimming so perfectly beside me.
Unless I drown.
Then that would kind of suck.
~Scrivener Blooms
I've got little ambition, sure. But that doesn't mean I don't still want things. I don't still yearn, or think of what I'd do if I had all these capabilities. But I was reminded of something today: wishing gets you nowhere... and sometimes, when you try and do something, you fail miserably. You fail horribly. And sometimes, even when you succeed, it doesn't matter to anyone or anything. I think about when I was published, and no one thought it was anything special. Well, until... no, that's a story for another day.
So wishing sucks, failure sucks, sometimes even winning sucks. But if none of that matters, what does? The attempt, that's what. Stepping forwards with all your grit and determination and just goddamn doing something, even knowing full out this could all go to hell, that maybe no one will care, that this could be all for nothing. But you can still applaud and take pride in all the same stepping up to the plate, having the raw courage to get off your ass and out there, into the world. Charging headlong into possible catastrophe... at least you tried. How many people would actually do that these days? And how many people will sit back and hide away and never do anything and probably sit around bitching about how they never do anything but wish they could, while at the same time mocking and cursing the people who actually... you know, do manage stuff. Not that I'm not one of those ponies, of course. Luna and I can both be pretty bitter. Although now that there's all kinds of monsters to beat the crap out of I actually kind of find myself happier these days. I think Luna's made me sadistic. Well. More sadistic.
In short, sometimes I wish I was a fish. But I shouldn't, because it's stupid to wish I was a fish. I'm a pony. And even if I'm a pony floundering my way through a river really badly, at least I'm trying to swim, and have no real reason to be jealous of that fish swimming so perfectly beside me.
Unless I drown.
Then that would kind of suck.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 16 November 2012
Procrastination
Many creative ponies have this problem. Procrastination: it's easy to do, easy to fall into, and hard to get out of. I mean, I've been procrastinating a lot myself recently, but... there have also been dead things walking around to deal with. Yeah. You try and concentrate while skeletons are threatening to stab you in the face. Not so easy now, is it?
Of course, things like that become much less threatening when you have a wife who runs outside at the slightest sign of danger to pummel the crap out of anything she sees. I long ago learned to cancel out any feelings of wounded male ego in favor of just sitting back and watching her beat the crud out of things.
Back to the point: procrastination. What I've learned helps to get out of a rut is to actually let my attention turn to... whatever it wants to focus on. I begin to put effort into whatever it is that's distracting me, I make myself... say, read that book I want to until I'm sick, or play that mindless game over and over again until I'm so sick of it I want nothing more than to turn it off and do something else. And then I keep doing it for a little while longer anyway until I feel like cutting my hooves off.
Then, suddenly, it's a lot easier to get back to the task I was supposed to be doing the whole time. Neat.
Luna says I'm both crazy and stupid. I agree with her, but... hey, this actually works. But I'm all about turning pain to pleasure and pleasure to pain, so... you know. Anyway, it's a good lesson either way, I think. Anything good can become bad, anything bad can become good. But this isn't about moderation: it's about remembering that if you really want a day to waste, first you need to take care of your responsibilities. Even if to make yourself do them you have to take some time off to first make yourself sick of everything else.
~Scrivener Blooms
Of course, things like that become much less threatening when you have a wife who runs outside at the slightest sign of danger to pummel the crap out of anything she sees. I long ago learned to cancel out any feelings of wounded male ego in favor of just sitting back and watching her beat the crud out of things.
Back to the point: procrastination. What I've learned helps to get out of a rut is to actually let my attention turn to... whatever it wants to focus on. I begin to put effort into whatever it is that's distracting me, I make myself... say, read that book I want to until I'm sick, or play that mindless game over and over again until I'm so sick of it I want nothing more than to turn it off and do something else. And then I keep doing it for a little while longer anyway until I feel like cutting my hooves off.
Then, suddenly, it's a lot easier to get back to the task I was supposed to be doing the whole time. Neat.
Luna says I'm both crazy and stupid. I agree with her, but... hey, this actually works. But I'm all about turning pain to pleasure and pleasure to pain, so... you know. Anyway, it's a good lesson either way, I think. Anything good can become bad, anything bad can become good. But this isn't about moderation: it's about remembering that if you really want a day to waste, first you need to take care of your responsibilities. Even if to make yourself do them you have to take some time off to first make yourself sick of everything else.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 9 November 2012
Bits And Pieces
It feels some days like all my focus has just gone... poof. I mean, it's not that I'm unhappy, don't get me wrong - and don't tell anyone that beneath my veneer of cynicism I'm far more content with my life than I've ever been in the past - but it's more difficult these days to get myself going. No, no, let me rephrase: it's more difficult these days to do stuff like what was all part of my old life.
I mean, Luna and I are self-sufficient out here in our victorious little exile. We have a garden where we grow necessities, we sneak into Ponyville to buy coffee and treats now and then - and we might not be rich, but considering we don't pay taxes, bills, or for much else, our little nest egg should last us a very, very long time - and of course Luna has more than one led a "valorous raid" on any military transports passing by Ponyville. I don't think the soldiers find it nearly as entertaining as she does. I also don't know if they'd be more or less furious if they found out that Luna's just playing with them.
We train a lot, and our days are surprisingly-busy: we do regular patrols of the forest, trade letters with Celestia and Twilight Sparkle, and of course there's the whole "moving the moon" thing every morning and every evening. Not to mention keeping the cottage clean and in good condition, and that includes recharging the crystal magical battery thingy that Luna has hooked up outside. I'm just glad that it actually works. I might enjoy the night but it's nice to have a little light to write by. Not to mention electricity to keep the fridge and other appliances running.
But writing is weird these days. I mean, it's not like I'm not writing. I've got countless notes and thoughts from Luna to transcribe into a series of stories about her, Celestia and Sleipnir in the past, to bring reality and life to the old myths of Morgan, Titan and Sol. And I'm damn well determined to do a damn fine job of it. Well. You know. The best I can, which in reflection probably isn't that much. I'm a poet, which is even worse than those loser fantasy sci-fi writers who write ridiculously-long stories no one ever reads, filled with plot holes and self-adulation and 'ooh look at me I'm so smart I took a mythology course in college!'
Then again maybe I'm just mad because I never got to take a mythology course in college. I never even finished grade school, after all. And because even fewer ponies read poetry than they do fantasy or the dreaded sci-fi genre.
Dammit, why is everything better than me?
Still, though. I have a hot wife who could beat up a dragon if she wanted to. Let's see how many other writers can say that.
Anyway, back to the point. Writing my own stuff... my own poetry, and maybe the little novella tickling the back of my mind... that's been hard lately. It's not that I don't have time or focus, it just doesn't want to come out as much as the stuff about Sleipnir, the myths, everything else. In what I now feel like is my "old life," I could sit down and write my own stuff any time of the day, easy, forgetting and foregoing everything else, including the assigned Royal Court projects and speeches for the nobles to present. But now, it's like my stuff no longer has priority... it's all about writing what is... important. To me, to Luna, to... others. I feel like I need to get this stuff written out and recorded before I start pushing my ideas again, even if it takes me years.
Likewise, I don't follow a lot of the old habits I used to have. No breaks to sneak off and just laze around in the middle of the day, taking proper care of myself instead of just lackadaisically dragging myself around, eating regularly instead of snacking occasionally on whatever I come across and pretending it's sustenance. And no more going out of my way just to make a nuisance of myself, of course, but I think that's because I'm in the middle of a forest and Luna beats me if I float around annoying her. But you know what? It feels good. Not. Not the part about Luna beating me, clearly, I mean this new life I'm living, instead of the old. Trying to be more responsible. Trying to take after Luna. Growing up, I should ironically say.
Weird.
~Scrivener Blooms
I mean, Luna and I are self-sufficient out here in our victorious little exile. We have a garden where we grow necessities, we sneak into Ponyville to buy coffee and treats now and then - and we might not be rich, but considering we don't pay taxes, bills, or for much else, our little nest egg should last us a very, very long time - and of course Luna has more than one led a "valorous raid" on any military transports passing by Ponyville. I don't think the soldiers find it nearly as entertaining as she does. I also don't know if they'd be more or less furious if they found out that Luna's just playing with them.
We train a lot, and our days are surprisingly-busy: we do regular patrols of the forest, trade letters with Celestia and Twilight Sparkle, and of course there's the whole "moving the moon" thing every morning and every evening. Not to mention keeping the cottage clean and in good condition, and that includes recharging the crystal magical battery thingy that Luna has hooked up outside. I'm just glad that it actually works. I might enjoy the night but it's nice to have a little light to write by. Not to mention electricity to keep the fridge and other appliances running.
But writing is weird these days. I mean, it's not like I'm not writing. I've got countless notes and thoughts from Luna to transcribe into a series of stories about her, Celestia and Sleipnir in the past, to bring reality and life to the old myths of Morgan, Titan and Sol. And I'm damn well determined to do a damn fine job of it. Well. You know. The best I can, which in reflection probably isn't that much. I'm a poet, which is even worse than those loser fantasy sci-fi writers who write ridiculously-long stories no one ever reads, filled with plot holes and self-adulation and 'ooh look at me I'm so smart I took a mythology course in college!'
Then again maybe I'm just mad because I never got to take a mythology course in college. I never even finished grade school, after all. And because even fewer ponies read poetry than they do fantasy or the dreaded sci-fi genre.
Dammit, why is everything better than me?
Still, though. I have a hot wife who could beat up a dragon if she wanted to. Let's see how many other writers can say that.
Anyway, back to the point. Writing my own stuff... my own poetry, and maybe the little novella tickling the back of my mind... that's been hard lately. It's not that I don't have time or focus, it just doesn't want to come out as much as the stuff about Sleipnir, the myths, everything else. In what I now feel like is my "old life," I could sit down and write my own stuff any time of the day, easy, forgetting and foregoing everything else, including the assigned Royal Court projects and speeches for the nobles to present. But now, it's like my stuff no longer has priority... it's all about writing what is... important. To me, to Luna, to... others. I feel like I need to get this stuff written out and recorded before I start pushing my ideas again, even if it takes me years.
Likewise, I don't follow a lot of the old habits I used to have. No breaks to sneak off and just laze around in the middle of the day, taking proper care of myself instead of just lackadaisically dragging myself around, eating regularly instead of snacking occasionally on whatever I come across and pretending it's sustenance. And no more going out of my way just to make a nuisance of myself, of course, but I think that's because I'm in the middle of a forest and Luna beats me if I float around annoying her. But you know what? It feels good. Not. Not the part about Luna beating me, clearly, I mean this new life I'm living, instead of the old. Trying to be more responsible. Trying to take after Luna. Growing up, I should ironically say.
Weird.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 2 November 2012
How To Write, Part 9: A Diversion On Poetry
Everypony hates poetry. Or everypony should hate poetry.
Hey, I'm making a good point here, just wait for it. Besides, I'm a poet. I get to hate poetry as much as I please. Which is a lot more than most people ever will.
Poetry, loosely defined, is a bunch of words strung together in some format or other, used to convey an expression or idea. To a romantic, poetry is a baring of the soul, an attempt to reveal one's emotions to another; to a comedian, it's a way to make people laugh and be as filthy as possible while seeming smart; to the desperate, it's a way to try and convince people not to hate you or cut your head off.
Poems used to have a lot more power than they did today. Love poems were even banned in some societies because they were thought to have magical powers and would ensnare the victims of such prose... not that that stopped anyone from writing love poems, of course. A powerful or well-devised poem could also literally save your life if you insulted some highborn lord or something: if you wrote a poem praising his virtues, he might excuse you from the executioner's axe and declare your faults forgiven. And yet today 'poet' is often treated as synonymous with 'damn fool.' Which it should be, don't get me wrong, but all the same. Hey, I'm allowed to be hypocritical where I want. Besides, I can hate something a whole lot and still appreciate its worth. I hate the things Luna does sometimes but still appreciate her, after all.
Partly because she'd beat me otherwise.
Moving on.
Anyway. Poetry is annoying because by itself, it can be very powerful, and likewise, used in the right way, it can make the lamest story ever appear far, far more strong than it actually is. While quantity in writing can give the appearance of being impressive and important and really good - and take it from me, quantity does not equal quality, or even good practice all the time - a writer's quality truly shines when it comes to pursuing prose and poetry... and maybe that's part of the reason why I hate it so much.
The other part? Because poetry leaves you naked a lot more than writing does. Everything is so dependent on what you're drawing on from your own emotions, on your specific word choices, on the metaphors you use, that even the silliest or simplest poem can leave you raw and vulnerable and open if someone knows just where to jab the testing needle. And believe me, someone out there always knows. And just as often manages to get you right in the damn eye, too. Or the heart. Not that I have a heart. Luna has my heart. I'm heartless without her. Or even with her because she keeps it locked up in uh... well, I ran out of excuses.
That's why I hate poetry, and why everyone should. Poetry is the literary equivalent of a very large cannon: it can equalize two writers who are at very different strengths and levels, and in very different fields. Done properly, it can stir emotions in even the most stoic, and get a point across more powerfully than a hundred pages of text. And poetry was the entire reason I was made Court Poet, which is my best argument for it being a horrible tool used by horrible ponies to trick other people into thinking they have a smidgen of talent whatsoever.
But if you're desperate, and you need to really hit something hard... go ahead, and phrase your words in prose or poetic format. It's a pain in the flank but you might be surprised at the reaction you get, and how smart people suddenly think you are.
Luna wants me to write another poem about her now. So uh. Expect a poem up here at some point. It probably will not be a very nice one. Shh, don't tell her I said that.
~Scrivener Blooms
Hey, I'm making a good point here, just wait for it. Besides, I'm a poet. I get to hate poetry as much as I please. Which is a lot more than most people ever will.
Poetry, loosely defined, is a bunch of words strung together in some format or other, used to convey an expression or idea. To a romantic, poetry is a baring of the soul, an attempt to reveal one's emotions to another; to a comedian, it's a way to make people laugh and be as filthy as possible while seeming smart; to the desperate, it's a way to try and convince people not to hate you or cut your head off.
Poems used to have a lot more power than they did today. Love poems were even banned in some societies because they were thought to have magical powers and would ensnare the victims of such prose... not that that stopped anyone from writing love poems, of course. A powerful or well-devised poem could also literally save your life if you insulted some highborn lord or something: if you wrote a poem praising his virtues, he might excuse you from the executioner's axe and declare your faults forgiven. And yet today 'poet' is often treated as synonymous with 'damn fool.' Which it should be, don't get me wrong, but all the same. Hey, I'm allowed to be hypocritical where I want. Besides, I can hate something a whole lot and still appreciate its worth. I hate the things Luna does sometimes but still appreciate her, after all.
Partly because she'd beat me otherwise.
Moving on.
Anyway. Poetry is annoying because by itself, it can be very powerful, and likewise, used in the right way, it can make the lamest story ever appear far, far more strong than it actually is. While quantity in writing can give the appearance of being impressive and important and really good - and take it from me, quantity does not equal quality, or even good practice all the time - a writer's quality truly shines when it comes to pursuing prose and poetry... and maybe that's part of the reason why I hate it so much.
The other part? Because poetry leaves you naked a lot more than writing does. Everything is so dependent on what you're drawing on from your own emotions, on your specific word choices, on the metaphors you use, that even the silliest or simplest poem can leave you raw and vulnerable and open if someone knows just where to jab the testing needle. And believe me, someone out there always knows. And just as often manages to get you right in the damn eye, too. Or the heart. Not that I have a heart. Luna has my heart. I'm heartless without her. Or even with her because she keeps it locked up in uh... well, I ran out of excuses.
That's why I hate poetry, and why everyone should. Poetry is the literary equivalent of a very large cannon: it can equalize two writers who are at very different strengths and levels, and in very different fields. Done properly, it can stir emotions in even the most stoic, and get a point across more powerfully than a hundred pages of text. And poetry was the entire reason I was made Court Poet, which is my best argument for it being a horrible tool used by horrible ponies to trick other people into thinking they have a smidgen of talent whatsoever.
But if you're desperate, and you need to really hit something hard... go ahead, and phrase your words in prose or poetic format. It's a pain in the flank but you might be surprised at the reaction you get, and how smart people suddenly think you are.
Luna wants me to write another poem about her now. So uh. Expect a poem up here at some point. It probably will not be a very nice one. Shh, don't tell her I said that.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 26 October 2012
The Most Gut-Wrenching Question
For a certain kind of writer, there's nothing scarier than one particular question. One question Luna likes to ask me whenever she wants to see me squirm. Well, no, there's a few questions like that she likes to ask me, but. From a writer's standpoint. I'm falling off topic.
Anyway, the question. The question is this: "Why do you write?" Because, really, there's nothing more deeply personal that you can ask of a writer than that. Now, generalizing here, but most writers will respond to this by looking up, smiling - usually awkwardly - and they'll respond: "Oh you know, because." Or something to that effect. As in, they provide a very thin cover, and then hurriedly change the subject, and any further attempts to poke into this path are usually met with fortified resistance.
Now, I'm not talking about people who write. I'm talking about writers: people who have devoted their lives to writing, who have spent countless hours honing their craft and skills. Anyone can become a writer but only a few desperate and sick individuals choose this lifestyle. Writing, real writing, after all, is being phased out in our society, which values art, moving pictures, and short, angry rants with bad spelling. And videos of people hurting themselves on content-sharing websites, and cute kittens. Luna won't let me watch cute animal videos, though, she gets mad at me.
But some unfortunates all the same, like myself, are driven to writing. Writing, that in 99% of cases will never get the appreciation it deserves from more than a few individuals, will be subjected to mockery and disdain, where it will be judged more by the pretty art on the cover and the number of words and pages it has than the actual quality of writing. And yet some people still choose to become... writers.
Put all that together, and maybe, suddenly, things will become pretty clear. When people ask me what I write for, I try to be honest. I say myself, and it's mostly true: sure, I like acknowledgments and compliments, but I'm going to write no matter what I feel about my writing, no matter what other people tell me. With my past in North Neigh, I was... told a lot of nasty things about my writing. Yet I kept doing it. And special talent or not, it would have been easier for me to stop. A world easier. Yet I never did... I know that I chose to keep doing it, because...
Why do I write? Because it can let you escape from the world in a way that nothing else can. Because it can get the poison out of your system in a way that nothing else can. Because it's just what I do. And because it lets me share all the things I'd normally try to hide in a way that I can be completely naked, and yet completely invisible all the same to a thousand staring eyes.
And Luna ruined the moment. I won't write what she said, but it had to do with being naked. And eyes. I'm. Going to end this here and wrap myself up in a blanket to hide from Luna.
~Scrivener Blooms
Anyway, the question. The question is this: "Why do you write?" Because, really, there's nothing more deeply personal that you can ask of a writer than that. Now, generalizing here, but most writers will respond to this by looking up, smiling - usually awkwardly - and they'll respond: "Oh you know, because." Or something to that effect. As in, they provide a very thin cover, and then hurriedly change the subject, and any further attempts to poke into this path are usually met with fortified resistance.
Now, I'm not talking about people who write. I'm talking about writers: people who have devoted their lives to writing, who have spent countless hours honing their craft and skills. Anyone can become a writer but only a few desperate and sick individuals choose this lifestyle. Writing, real writing, after all, is being phased out in our society, which values art, moving pictures, and short, angry rants with bad spelling. And videos of people hurting themselves on content-sharing websites, and cute kittens. Luna won't let me watch cute animal videos, though, she gets mad at me.
But some unfortunates all the same, like myself, are driven to writing. Writing, that in 99% of cases will never get the appreciation it deserves from more than a few individuals, will be subjected to mockery and disdain, where it will be judged more by the pretty art on the cover and the number of words and pages it has than the actual quality of writing. And yet some people still choose to become... writers.
Put all that together, and maybe, suddenly, things will become pretty clear. When people ask me what I write for, I try to be honest. I say myself, and it's mostly true: sure, I like acknowledgments and compliments, but I'm going to write no matter what I feel about my writing, no matter what other people tell me. With my past in North Neigh, I was... told a lot of nasty things about my writing. Yet I kept doing it. And special talent or not, it would have been easier for me to stop. A world easier. Yet I never did... I know that I chose to keep doing it, because...
Why do I write? Because it can let you escape from the world in a way that nothing else can. Because it can get the poison out of your system in a way that nothing else can. Because it's just what I do. And because it lets me share all the things I'd normally try to hide in a way that I can be completely naked, and yet completely invisible all the same to a thousand staring eyes.
And Luna ruined the moment. I won't write what she said, but it had to do with being naked. And eyes. I'm. Going to end this here and wrap myself up in a blanket to hide from Luna.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 19 October 2012
Better Learning Through Violence
Since Luna and I have been living out here, she's been insisting on "training" me. I say it like that because really all she does is take me out to the backyard and beat on me. I've relearned something, though, from my experiences with Luna's training and trials, that is very important to writing, and I believe everything else in life. That at the root of everything, discipline is key: discipline is not only what separates us from animals, but what can help us make the most of our skills and talents, and see through the worst of tasks.
It's weird to think about, but Luna and I do have... similarities. I mean, yes, on the surface we're complete opposites. Below the surface, too. I bet all our organs are different. But uh. Metaphorically-speaking, before Luna beats me, at our core we have a lot of the same beliefs, a lot of the same values, and I think that's part of the reason we're able to get along without killing each other, linked or not. And one of those is discipline: doing something every day, pushing yourself, taking risks and learning to endure, to never give up.
Every day, Luna finds the time between everything to exercise. Every day, I find the time to sit down for a little while, and write. Every day, Luna runs through combat strategy in her mind. Every day, I'm keeping plots, poetry, and ideas fluid and evolving in my mind. People say we're good at what we do, and they tell us we're talented... and Luna and I both are, sure. But what wins over talent, every time, is skill. Talent is something you're born with, but skill is what you cultivate, and develop yourself, through work and effort. You can be talented at something, and not skilled at it: likewise, you can become skilled at something you're not talented with. But the problem with the former is that if you don't put effort into your talent, into evolving it, into learning the whys and hows and practicing the basics even if you can do really crazy advanced stuff already... it'll stagnate. Just like if you don't practice a skill for so long, that will rust, too.
Training and working with Luna has reminded me of that. That if you really want to develop, to keep yourself running, you need discipline above everything else. It's discipline that lets you sit down and say "I'm going to work now" when all you want to do is relax, or throw off the job just this one time, or do anything else. It's discipline that lets you push through even when your mind starts to ache and your body hurts. It's discipline that lets you kick your brain into working even when it doesn't want to, and quell your emotions, focus through whatever else is going on, and keep moving forwards. And as I've found, both exercising and writing... they're good for getting the poison out, even when things really hurt. It's funny... I'll start on a really bad day, feeling like the last thing in the world I want to do is write, and yet once I push so far... all I want to do is keep myself moving. Everything becomes... clear, so to speak. There's a sense of clarity, and serenity. And I've experienced the same thing with my training with Luna, too... pushing to the point where my body aches and my muscles are on fire, but then, suddenly, everything feels... light, and the world makes sense, if only for a little while.
Of course, that could also just be the blood loss and oxygen deprivation too, huh?
Anyway. Discipline. Learning to endure sucks, but you'll be glad you did. It helps in every aspect of life. And you don't have to change anything about yourself, either... all you have to learn to do is say "I'm gonna do this" or "I'm not gonna do that," and then stick true to your word. It's not easy, but it is simple.
Now, I need to go make a pot of coffee for myself and Luna to avoid caffeine headaches. Hey, I'm allowed to be hypocritical and not totally disciplined. I'm a poet. We're all liars and hypocrites.
~Scrivener Blooms
It's weird to think about, but Luna and I do have... similarities. I mean, yes, on the surface we're complete opposites. Below the surface, too. I bet all our organs are different. But uh. Metaphorically-speaking, before Luna beats me, at our core we have a lot of the same beliefs, a lot of the same values, and I think that's part of the reason we're able to get along without killing each other, linked or not. And one of those is discipline: doing something every day, pushing yourself, taking risks and learning to endure, to never give up.
Every day, Luna finds the time between everything to exercise. Every day, I find the time to sit down for a little while, and write. Every day, Luna runs through combat strategy in her mind. Every day, I'm keeping plots, poetry, and ideas fluid and evolving in my mind. People say we're good at what we do, and they tell us we're talented... and Luna and I both are, sure. But what wins over talent, every time, is skill. Talent is something you're born with, but skill is what you cultivate, and develop yourself, through work and effort. You can be talented at something, and not skilled at it: likewise, you can become skilled at something you're not talented with. But the problem with the former is that if you don't put effort into your talent, into evolving it, into learning the whys and hows and practicing the basics even if you can do really crazy advanced stuff already... it'll stagnate. Just like if you don't practice a skill for so long, that will rust, too.
Training and working with Luna has reminded me of that. That if you really want to develop, to keep yourself running, you need discipline above everything else. It's discipline that lets you sit down and say "I'm going to work now" when all you want to do is relax, or throw off the job just this one time, or do anything else. It's discipline that lets you push through even when your mind starts to ache and your body hurts. It's discipline that lets you kick your brain into working even when it doesn't want to, and quell your emotions, focus through whatever else is going on, and keep moving forwards. And as I've found, both exercising and writing... they're good for getting the poison out, even when things really hurt. It's funny... I'll start on a really bad day, feeling like the last thing in the world I want to do is write, and yet once I push so far... all I want to do is keep myself moving. Everything becomes... clear, so to speak. There's a sense of clarity, and serenity. And I've experienced the same thing with my training with Luna, too... pushing to the point where my body aches and my muscles are on fire, but then, suddenly, everything feels... light, and the world makes sense, if only for a little while.
Of course, that could also just be the blood loss and oxygen deprivation too, huh?
Anyway. Discipline. Learning to endure sucks, but you'll be glad you did. It helps in every aspect of life. And you don't have to change anything about yourself, either... all you have to learn to do is say "I'm gonna do this" or "I'm not gonna do that," and then stick true to your word. It's not easy, but it is simple.
Now, I need to go make a pot of coffee for myself and Luna to avoid caffeine headaches. Hey, I'm allowed to be hypocritical and not totally disciplined. I'm a poet. We're all liars and hypocrites.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 12 October 2012
How To Write, Part 8: What You Know
Writing is great. Writing based off stuff you know is even better, though.
This probably requires a bit of explanation and I should try and... yes. Okay, let's go back to the start and start at the... the start. Shut up, it's... it's really early in the morning, I'm not functioning yet and Luna's actually still in bed.
One common piece of advice from people - writers and not - is that you should write about what you know. This is true: if you know about something from researching into it or better yet, firsthoof experiences, you can usually write about it a lot more effectively, whether it's good memories or bad memories that are associated with it. That doesn't mean that every story should be your autobiography, though, or that you have to strictly write about those things in that exact form. This is where things like exaggeration, hyperbole, and other similar stuff come in very useful: learning to put a microscopic event like, say... a badly-cooked meal that makes everyone sick on to a macroscopic scale, turning it into... a plague that has infected the world, etcetera, is important. Yes, those two things are very different from each other and will clearly have different results, but there's plenty of things you can take from your nauseous experience with that bad, undercooked food and exaggerate, expand upon, and use as a base. You've all experienced what it's like to feel sick, right? Think of how it was for you, personally: the swimming in your stomach, the prick of tears in your eyes, the feel of sweat and the smells. These are all senses that were affected in the micro- event that you can use to begin building the structure of the macro- event.
You can do this with almost anything... and more importantly, this is where experiences that have helped shape you, that have been.. difficult, or unfortunate, can be used for good instead of left to fester and be bad. And to be honest... it's healing, too, for a writer to do this. To take that poison, and turn it into fuel for the creative process. To use negative experiences, and use them to express the emotions and feelings of a character. To help get across to someone who hasn't experienced these things first-hoof the impact and trauma of these events, whether they're personal stories or exaggerations to a macroscopic scale... but words carry emotions very well. When we write, we infuse a little piece of ourselves into our work, and most people can feel that in one way or another: the ability to transmit those emotions through writing is what separates the truly skilled and gifted from the rest.
Use your experiences, good and bad, as bases for your writing. Just remember to always validate the experiences of others, too, and that everyone experiences things differently. And remember most of all that your goal as a writer isn't just to make people happy: it's to make people feel. But I'll get more into that next week when I'm more awake. I gotta get coffee running before Luna wakes up.
~Scrivener Blooms
This probably requires a bit of explanation and I should try and... yes. Okay, let's go back to the start and start at the... the start. Shut up, it's... it's really early in the morning, I'm not functioning yet and Luna's actually still in bed.
One common piece of advice from people - writers and not - is that you should write about what you know. This is true: if you know about something from researching into it or better yet, firsthoof experiences, you can usually write about it a lot more effectively, whether it's good memories or bad memories that are associated with it. That doesn't mean that every story should be your autobiography, though, or that you have to strictly write about those things in that exact form. This is where things like exaggeration, hyperbole, and other similar stuff come in very useful: learning to put a microscopic event like, say... a badly-cooked meal that makes everyone sick on to a macroscopic scale, turning it into... a plague that has infected the world, etcetera, is important. Yes, those two things are very different from each other and will clearly have different results, but there's plenty of things you can take from your nauseous experience with that bad, undercooked food and exaggerate, expand upon, and use as a base. You've all experienced what it's like to feel sick, right? Think of how it was for you, personally: the swimming in your stomach, the prick of tears in your eyes, the feel of sweat and the smells. These are all senses that were affected in the micro- event that you can use to begin building the structure of the macro- event.
You can do this with almost anything... and more importantly, this is where experiences that have helped shape you, that have been.. difficult, or unfortunate, can be used for good instead of left to fester and be bad. And to be honest... it's healing, too, for a writer to do this. To take that poison, and turn it into fuel for the creative process. To use negative experiences, and use them to express the emotions and feelings of a character. To help get across to someone who hasn't experienced these things first-hoof the impact and trauma of these events, whether they're personal stories or exaggerations to a macroscopic scale... but words carry emotions very well. When we write, we infuse a little piece of ourselves into our work, and most people can feel that in one way or another: the ability to transmit those emotions through writing is what separates the truly skilled and gifted from the rest.
Use your experiences, good and bad, as bases for your writing. Just remember to always validate the experiences of others, too, and that everyone experiences things differently. And remember most of all that your goal as a writer isn't just to make people happy: it's to make people feel. But I'll get more into that next week when I'm more awake. I gotta get coffee running before Luna wakes up.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 5 October 2012
How To Write, Part 7: Armor Thyself
No, it's not Luna. It's me. But I hear that in Luna's voice when I write it like that and... yes. It comes across with the right amount of emphasis I'm going for.
No matter who you are. Whether you're really super popular or some lowly no-name like me, someone out there is going to come across you, and not like your writing. Someone out there is going to take a swing at you: either because they want to "help," they've been having a bad day and you're an easy target, because for some reason you have vexed them and clearly it will ruin their entire lives if they don't say something immediately to make you suffer horribly for what you have dared to do, or just because they can. Although there are the most dangerous of all, too: the people who do really want to try and offer a little advice but who either lack tact or accidentally blunder right into a nerve.
If you want to survive as a writer, you have to be able to survive the criticism you're going to get. You don't have to learn to respond with politeness and dignity, of course, but that does help too. I, personally, try to only be a complete douchebag when it warrants it. Yes, the Royal Court always warranted it. ALWAYS.
Anyway, uh. Yes. First of all, you don't need high self esteem, or a loyal fanbase. You don't need to even really believe in the goodness and infallibility of your own writing: in some ways, it's better if you do recognize that yes, there. Are probably flaws in your work. But likewise, also recognize where your strengths are, and that the opinions of one don't matter: hell, even the opinions of the many don't matter in some scenarios. Look at how many stupid decisions people will make as a whole, especially when hot-button topics are involved or things that go against preconstructed norms or ideals. In the same hoof, don't use it as a crutch and shield when someone says "Dude, you spelled 'the' wrong about fifty times in this story. Please use spellcheck." But if a group of people from the Anti-Bad-Things society come up and tell you not to write bad things in your story because that's like, bad, then you can probably ignore them. Learn to recognize what can be treated in the realm of grey area, and what has to be treated as black and white.
You're going to have to learn to deal with people who like to nitpick. People who will tell you that everything you're doing is wrong. People whose greatest argument against you will be "your stupid," to which the proper response is and must always be: "my stupid what?" A lot of these are easy to shrug off, in theory, and it's easy to tell yourself, "it doesn't bother me at all." But sometimes things slip through, because of... associations, word choice, or just a plain lucky shot. And it's okay to feel that pain: writing is often a very personal thing, after all. What's not okay is taking it to heart, or letting them beat you. Whether it's one, ten, a hundred people, do not let anyone stop you from writing, or tell you how or what to write: keep going at it. Yes, there's always room for improvement, and yes, make sure that every now and then you look at your story and think over how things are going, and for the Horses of Heaven please try and maintain a consistent plot. But don't mutilate yourself for the pleasure of others. You might end up with adulation, sure... but inevitably, those people will always move on to the next new thing, and your stories, that you've written now purely for others, will lose all meaning to you. Might even become a source of shame. Write for yourself, first and foremost. Always write what you want to, the stories you're compelled to tell, and yes, do a good job of it, but don't let the harsh words of others ever steal the ability to write away from you. It's a skill, a talent, and a gift. Don't abuse it or forsake it just because "it's haaaard" or "they said mean things to me!"
Write, and don't let what other people say hurt you. Take their criticism, learn from your mistakes, build your experiences, but don't let people get under your skin and start telling you what's okay to write and what's not. These are your stories, not theirs, and if you touch even one person, if even one other person enjoys your stories... then you've succeeded in your task. You've succeeded even if you just complete a story, because it's not about fame or fortune or anything else. It's about writing. So. Write. Right? Right.
~Scrivener Blooms
No matter who you are. Whether you're really super popular or some lowly no-name like me, someone out there is going to come across you, and not like your writing. Someone out there is going to take a swing at you: either because they want to "help," they've been having a bad day and you're an easy target, because for some reason you have vexed them and clearly it will ruin their entire lives if they don't say something immediately to make you suffer horribly for what you have dared to do, or just because they can. Although there are the most dangerous of all, too: the people who do really want to try and offer a little advice but who either lack tact or accidentally blunder right into a nerve.
If you want to survive as a writer, you have to be able to survive the criticism you're going to get. You don't have to learn to respond with politeness and dignity, of course, but that does help too. I, personally, try to only be a complete douchebag when it warrants it. Yes, the Royal Court always warranted it. ALWAYS.
Anyway, uh. Yes. First of all, you don't need high self esteem, or a loyal fanbase. You don't need to even really believe in the goodness and infallibility of your own writing: in some ways, it's better if you do recognize that yes, there. Are probably flaws in your work. But likewise, also recognize where your strengths are, and that the opinions of one don't matter: hell, even the opinions of the many don't matter in some scenarios. Look at how many stupid decisions people will make as a whole, especially when hot-button topics are involved or things that go against preconstructed norms or ideals. In the same hoof, don't use it as a crutch and shield when someone says "Dude, you spelled 'the' wrong about fifty times in this story. Please use spellcheck." But if a group of people from the Anti-Bad-Things society come up and tell you not to write bad things in your story because that's like, bad, then you can probably ignore them. Learn to recognize what can be treated in the realm of grey area, and what has to be treated as black and white.
You're going to have to learn to deal with people who like to nitpick. People who will tell you that everything you're doing is wrong. People whose greatest argument against you will be "your stupid," to which the proper response is and must always be: "my stupid what?" A lot of these are easy to shrug off, in theory, and it's easy to tell yourself, "it doesn't bother me at all." But sometimes things slip through, because of... associations, word choice, or just a plain lucky shot. And it's okay to feel that pain: writing is often a very personal thing, after all. What's not okay is taking it to heart, or letting them beat you. Whether it's one, ten, a hundred people, do not let anyone stop you from writing, or tell you how or what to write: keep going at it. Yes, there's always room for improvement, and yes, make sure that every now and then you look at your story and think over how things are going, and for the Horses of Heaven please try and maintain a consistent plot. But don't mutilate yourself for the pleasure of others. You might end up with adulation, sure... but inevitably, those people will always move on to the next new thing, and your stories, that you've written now purely for others, will lose all meaning to you. Might even become a source of shame. Write for yourself, first and foremost. Always write what you want to, the stories you're compelled to tell, and yes, do a good job of it, but don't let the harsh words of others ever steal the ability to write away from you. It's a skill, a talent, and a gift. Don't abuse it or forsake it just because "it's haaaard" or "they said mean things to me!"
Write, and don't let what other people say hurt you. Take their criticism, learn from your mistakes, build your experiences, but don't let people get under your skin and start telling you what's okay to write and what's not. These are your stories, not theirs, and if you touch even one person, if even one other person enjoys your stories... then you've succeeded in your task. You've succeeded even if you just complete a story, because it's not about fame or fortune or anything else. It's about writing. So. Write. Right? Right.
~Scrivener Blooms
Thursday 4 October 2012
Writing Interruptus
Okay. So I left my stupid thing unguarded and Luna got into it. Please ignore her. I still have a few notes I'd like to make on my How To Write series, but... I'll write that post tomorrow or the next day or something. For now, I think I'll write about...
Uh.
Luna demands a poem about her. Fine.
Once upon a time I thought I would marry someone nice,
But that was long before you and I broke the ice.
Once upon a time I thought I would marry someone gentle,
But instead I chose someone who likes to hit me with metal.
I used to think I'd marry someone who I could hold in my embrace,
Instead I have someone who likes to put me in my place.
I used to think I'd marry someone who was kind and soft and sensitive,
Instead I have someone who pummels demons into the results of laxative.
I used to dream that I would marry some total hottie,
I ended up with a mare with a very muscular body.
I used to dream that I would marry rich and live in luxury,
I ended up as an exile in a forest living in infamy.
I married the mare not of my dreams, but of my worst nightmares,
She fills me with terror, madness and all kinds of horrible fears.
I married the mare not of my fantasies, but of my trepidation,
She fills me with the deepest levels of incredible frustration.
And yet I wouldn't change it for the world, for any miracle or dream,
Because together me and her have long become a perfect team.
I love her all the more because of the way we jaggedly fit together,
And I plan to fear and loathe and love her for all and ever.
There's your poem Luna. I hope it makes you happy.
Now she wants me to write... no. I am not writing that. And no, if I won't write it I certainly won't do it. I. Oh great. I have to go now before Luna pokes a hole in me with her horn. Resuming normalcy... sometime. Probably never. ProDAMMIT NOT IN MY EAR.
~Scrivener Blooms
Thursday 27 September 2012
How To Write, Part 6: Everything You Believe Is A Lie
Because it is. Oh yes. It's time for the jerkiest post of them all. A blog on prescriptive and descriptive grammar rules. The stuff that everypony loves to hate. Or shortly will, because it's just so much frantic fun. Oh yes, yes, yes.
Now, I have bad grammar. Actually, pretty much everyone has bad grammar. The people who like to nitpick other people's grammar? Often without realizing it they have awful grammar themselves. Because there's the "who," "whom" rule, informalization vs. formalization of words, clauses and value in sentences and distribution principles, that bastard semicolon who just refuses to settle on having one damn purpose, and a thousand other things that.
But that all falls under the category of what we know as prescriptive grammar, which hails from traditional "prescriptivism," or the thought that one method of language is the best way to go and everyone should talk like that. In that, you have your "prescriptive rules," the... "DO THIS" of language, and you have your "proscriptive rules," which are... "DO NOT DO THIS."
Guess how often I gleefully ignore both of those rule sets.
I'M DOING IT RIGHT NOW AS A MATTER OF FACT.
Watch me now make everypony from the modernist era angry.
I would like TO DEFINITELY ASK you this question.
FEAR MY SPLIT INFINITIVES.
Okay, okay, okay. Seriously, you think people are bad today because they whine at you about how you're dumb because of this stuff? In the past, people made or broke treaties over the grammar used. Kicked each other out of high society. Slandered and reviled each other. Seriously. But you put a bunch of smart people who think they're all that in a room together and a knife fight will break out much faster than if you put a bunch of criminals in a room together. But then again, you know me. I'm not quite a fan of the unicorn class and all.
But before I get rambling too much on this, let's get back on subject, and look at the other half of things, shall we? Descriptive grammar, which is in many ways the opposite number to the evil, vainglorious Prescriptivism. Descriptive is friendly, and informal, and hugs you. Okay it doesn't hug you, but what it basically follows is the patterns that have emerged in casual society and the how we common-folk speaketh. If you want to simplify it, it's pretty much the way you and I talk, informal language and informal, popular usage. Although amusingly enough, some grammatical rules actually stem from Descriptive grammar and not Prescriptive... which Prescriptive purists would become furious over. So the next time someone tells you it should be "you and I" and not "you and me" you can tell them that many Prescriptivists actually state the opposite.
Now, here's where things get fun. The elite, Prescriptivists, have always declared that writing should be handled a certain way, in a certain form. That this language, our language, has already found it's ultimate apex, and we should all speak a particular way, in a particular methodology. Meanwhile, the Descriptivists just keep on talking however the hell they please, unless they're presenting themselves to a Prescriptive party meeting. Even our formal language these days has taken on tones of casualness and more than a degree of Descriptive rule: but even in the past, even with how seriously language was taken, formalization never took real root. The stories that have survived, all our real written works of art... none of them are a hundred percent grammatically correct, and almost none of them truly hail from the Prescriptive realm.
Go ahead, go look at your favorite author, or grab a book off your shelf. Hell, pick up the dictionary, and look through the definitions. Look at the words, the structure, how much some of them appall, are close to being an abomination (those contain grammar jokes I'm not going to explain). Look at the definition, and how many of them contain mashed together words, split infinitives, clausal breaches. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's not a time and place for fancy-pants grammar... but it does have a specific time and place and it is not something we should allow control or guide or lives, and especially not our writing, even though many schools of thought continue to try and teach this process, hammer this process into our brains.
Look. Look at your books. Look at the books that become successes, productions, worlds unto themselves. Read them, and marvel: what we call a 'personal writing style' is just one person writing words down in the way they think is best. And why am I so hopped up on this crap? Because all of it goes to show that you out there, you and you and you, you can all be writers. You can all find your own 'style,' and you can all learn the basics that you have to learn, and then develop your method of speaking to the world through your stories. It's not about the mechanics. It's not about how perfect your spelling is, or how amazing your grammar is. It's about figuring out how the hell to tell the story in a way that strikes into your reader's very soul, it's about getting your emotions across to the readers who are out there, not looking for some perfect pristine set of words on paper, but a story with a plot and a life of its own.
It's about writing. If you want to write, you write: forget what everyone else is saying. Forget what everyone else tells you. Forget everything, except the story, and write it down, and go back to it each and every day and make it better and stronger until you know you're getting those words across in the only way that matters: you're foregoing all those mechanical gears and instead stretching out a part of yourself, a piece of your heart and mind and soul, and sharing that story not because it's perfect, but because it's the story you want to tell. And like every story, it should be flawed, it should be naked, and it should be handled gently but with absolute trust to a world that you know is going to try and cut you if it gets the chance.
But if you touch even one person with that story, it's more than worthwhile. It's a miracle.
I have to go now because Luna is staring at me.
Forget about the tea party, the learned books, the scholars and the academy. Jump down the rabbit hole instead: Wonderland has a lot to offer, whether you ever share your stories with another person or not.
~Scrivener Blooms
Now, I have bad grammar. Actually, pretty much everyone has bad grammar. The people who like to nitpick other people's grammar? Often without realizing it they have awful grammar themselves. Because there's the "who," "whom" rule, informalization vs. formalization of words, clauses and value in sentences and distribution principles, that bastard semicolon who just refuses to settle on having one damn purpose, and a thousand other things that.
But that all falls under the category of what we know as prescriptive grammar, which hails from traditional "prescriptivism," or the thought that one method of language is the best way to go and everyone should talk like that. In that, you have your "prescriptive rules," the... "DO THIS" of language, and you have your "proscriptive rules," which are... "DO NOT DO THIS."
Guess how often I gleefully ignore both of those rule sets.
I'M DOING IT RIGHT NOW AS A MATTER OF FACT.
Watch me now make everypony from the modernist era angry.
I would like TO DEFINITELY ASK you this question.
FEAR MY SPLIT INFINITIVES.
Okay, okay, okay. Seriously, you think people are bad today because they whine at you about how you're dumb because of this stuff? In the past, people made or broke treaties over the grammar used. Kicked each other out of high society. Slandered and reviled each other. Seriously. But you put a bunch of smart people who think they're all that in a room together and a knife fight will break out much faster than if you put a bunch of criminals in a room together. But then again, you know me. I'm not quite a fan of the unicorn class and all.
But before I get rambling too much on this, let's get back on subject, and look at the other half of things, shall we? Descriptive grammar, which is in many ways the opposite number to the evil, vainglorious Prescriptivism. Descriptive is friendly, and informal, and hugs you. Okay it doesn't hug you, but what it basically follows is the patterns that have emerged in casual society and the how we common-folk speaketh. If you want to simplify it, it's pretty much the way you and I talk, informal language and informal, popular usage. Although amusingly enough, some grammatical rules actually stem from Descriptive grammar and not Prescriptive... which Prescriptive purists would become furious over. So the next time someone tells you it should be "you and I" and not "you and me" you can tell them that many Prescriptivists actually state the opposite.
Now, here's where things get fun. The elite, Prescriptivists, have always declared that writing should be handled a certain way, in a certain form. That this language, our language, has already found it's ultimate apex, and we should all speak a particular way, in a particular methodology. Meanwhile, the Descriptivists just keep on talking however the hell they please, unless they're presenting themselves to a Prescriptive party meeting. Even our formal language these days has taken on tones of casualness and more than a degree of Descriptive rule: but even in the past, even with how seriously language was taken, formalization never took real root. The stories that have survived, all our real written works of art... none of them are a hundred percent grammatically correct, and almost none of them truly hail from the Prescriptive realm.
Go ahead, go look at your favorite author, or grab a book off your shelf. Hell, pick up the dictionary, and look through the definitions. Look at the words, the structure, how much some of them appall, are close to being an abomination (those contain grammar jokes I'm not going to explain). Look at the definition, and how many of them contain mashed together words, split infinitives, clausal breaches. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's not a time and place for fancy-pants grammar... but it does have a specific time and place and it is not something we should allow control or guide or lives, and especially not our writing, even though many schools of thought continue to try and teach this process, hammer this process into our brains.
Look. Look at your books. Look at the books that become successes, productions, worlds unto themselves. Read them, and marvel: what we call a 'personal writing style' is just one person writing words down in the way they think is best. And why am I so hopped up on this crap? Because all of it goes to show that you out there, you and you and you, you can all be writers. You can all find your own 'style,' and you can all learn the basics that you have to learn, and then develop your method of speaking to the world through your stories. It's not about the mechanics. It's not about how perfect your spelling is, or how amazing your grammar is. It's about figuring out how the hell to tell the story in a way that strikes into your reader's very soul, it's about getting your emotions across to the readers who are out there, not looking for some perfect pristine set of words on paper, but a story with a plot and a life of its own.
It's about writing. If you want to write, you write: forget what everyone else is saying. Forget what everyone else tells you. Forget everything, except the story, and write it down, and go back to it each and every day and make it better and stronger until you know you're getting those words across in the only way that matters: you're foregoing all those mechanical gears and instead stretching out a part of yourself, a piece of your heart and mind and soul, and sharing that story not because it's perfect, but because it's the story you want to tell. And like every story, it should be flawed, it should be naked, and it should be handled gently but with absolute trust to a world that you know is going to try and cut you if it gets the chance.
But if you touch even one person with that story, it's more than worthwhile. It's a miracle.
I have to go now because Luna is staring at me.
Forget about the tea party, the learned books, the scholars and the academy. Jump down the rabbit hole instead: Wonderland has a lot to offer, whether you ever share your stories with another person or not.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 21 September 2012
How To Write, Part 5: Where Rules Don't Apply
Now. When we go to school like good little boys and girls, we're taught all these rules and norms and etiquette and stuff. Some of us latch onto these rules and norms and etiquette like it's the one thing that will save us all from damnation in the future. Others completely reject it and continue their atrocious attacks upon the language as a whole with the way they write. But if you want to really master a language and be a writer, you have to learn to cut down the middle: sometimes we should honor certain rules of writing, but other times you have to slap the norms in the face and declare your own way of doing things.
Every writer develops his or her own ticks: for better or worse, we all find ourselves falling into set habits and ways of doing things, and I'm not talking about how we plot stories out, or how we develop characters, or blah-blah-blah, although many of us do it on that macroscopic level too: what I'm talking about is the micro right now, the smallest level you can get: how we simply write down words and phrases.
Here's an example.
"Scrivener Blooms, thou art fat." Luna declared, then she leaned forwards and smiled slightly, half-lidding her eyes teasingly as she shifted eagerly on her hooves. "Now I demand thou helps me out with some new 'fun;' I have the most delightful idea in mind."
Yes, that happened and no. No. It was not very fun. No.
...I don't want to talk about it. We're. Busy with something else.
Okay, examining the sentence. We get an idea about how I construct my sentences. I abusively use commas and tend to create run-on descriptions. Note the segment here: ['fun;'] and how it's constructed: I place punctuation inside the single quotes instead of outside, although it's fairly common to see it written as ['fun';] by many authors. My word choice is fairly simplistic and note [lidding]: I've bastardized the word with my conjugation and I'm clearly a fan of double-consonants in situations where we're dealing with Unknowns. Oh, Unknowns. I love Unknowns. Do you know how many Unknowns there are in this language I'm writing in? A hell of a lot. It amuses me endlessly because a lot of grammar freaks don't recognize that what they're taught in school, even fancy-pants university, isn't necessary correct: it's not a law, but a custom. And it's really fun to get into prescriptive/descriptive grammar, but if I even touch on that I'm just going to cause screaming fits to every sane and competent writer in a two mile radius.
...I don't think that would matter, since. I'm pretty sure we're more than two miles deep in the Everfree. And Twilight, hey, Twilight? You're not a sane writer. Competent, oh yes. But no pony who spends as much time on scheduling as you is sane. And Luna's neither. She can't even do dictation spells properly, as a matter of fact. That's why she always had me to abuse. Oh, she caught what I just wrote.
Well. Now I'm covered in coffeLUNADONTLICKME.
...
Distractions aside. I've strained or broken a few rules in the sentence above. I've done an extended sentence, I've used a semicolon where a colon could arguably suffice, I kept punctuation inside the quote thingies instead of placing it outside. But how you bend rules and tenets and put mechanics to use for yourself will affect your story: let's modify the above example.
'scrivener blooms thou art fat' luna declared and she leaned forwards and smiled slightly half-lidding her eyes teasingly as she shifted eagerly on her hooves. 'now i demand thou helps me out with some new fun, I have the most delightful idea in mind.'
Minimal grammar, mass-structural transformation, and it affects both the pace and the dynamics. Lack of capitalization of names downplays the importance of the ponies named, and it has a sense of all running together. The use of a comma after [fun] creates a minor pause, but there's no longer any emphasis on [fun] because of the lack of quotes or anything similar, meaning it goes from impacting with a sense of innuendo to a simple statement.
Now, mechanics, grammar, spelling, they don't make a story. But proper use of them can, will, and does influence how your story will make an impact. I'll get more onto this topic on a later post when LUNA STOPS BITING ME BECAUSE MY MANE TASTES LIKE COFFEE HORSES OF HEAVEN I THINK SHE JUST ATE MY EAR.
~Scrivener Blooms
Every writer develops his or her own ticks: for better or worse, we all find ourselves falling into set habits and ways of doing things, and I'm not talking about how we plot stories out, or how we develop characters, or blah-blah-blah, although many of us do it on that macroscopic level too: what I'm talking about is the micro right now, the smallest level you can get: how we simply write down words and phrases.
Here's an example.
"Scrivener Blooms, thou art fat." Luna declared, then she leaned forwards and smiled slightly, half-lidding her eyes teasingly as she shifted eagerly on her hooves. "Now I demand thou helps me out with some new 'fun;' I have the most delightful idea in mind."
Yes, that happened and no. No. It was not very fun. No.
...I don't want to talk about it. We're. Busy with something else.
Okay, examining the sentence. We get an idea about how I construct my sentences. I abusively use commas and tend to create run-on descriptions. Note the segment here: ['fun;'] and how it's constructed: I place punctuation inside the single quotes instead of outside, although it's fairly common to see it written as ['fun';] by many authors. My word choice is fairly simplistic and note [lidding]: I've bastardized the word with my conjugation and I'm clearly a fan of double-consonants in situations where we're dealing with Unknowns. Oh, Unknowns. I love Unknowns. Do you know how many Unknowns there are in this language I'm writing in? A hell of a lot. It amuses me endlessly because a lot of grammar freaks don't recognize that what they're taught in school, even fancy-pants university, isn't necessary correct: it's not a law, but a custom. And it's really fun to get into prescriptive/descriptive grammar, but if I even touch on that I'm just going to cause screaming fits to every sane and competent writer in a two mile radius.
...I don't think that would matter, since. I'm pretty sure we're more than two miles deep in the Everfree. And Twilight, hey, Twilight? You're not a sane writer. Competent, oh yes. But no pony who spends as much time on scheduling as you is sane. And Luna's neither. She can't even do dictation spells properly, as a matter of fact. That's why she always had me to abuse. Oh, she caught what I just wrote.
Well. Now I'm covered in coffeLUNADONTLICKME.
...
Distractions aside. I've strained or broken a few rules in the sentence above. I've done an extended sentence, I've used a semicolon where a colon could arguably suffice, I kept punctuation inside the quote thingies instead of placing it outside. But how you bend rules and tenets and put mechanics to use for yourself will affect your story: let's modify the above example.
'scrivener blooms thou art fat' luna declared and she leaned forwards and smiled slightly half-lidding her eyes teasingly as she shifted eagerly on her hooves. 'now i demand thou helps me out with some new fun, I have the most delightful idea in mind.'
Minimal grammar, mass-structural transformation, and it affects both the pace and the dynamics. Lack of capitalization of names downplays the importance of the ponies named, and it has a sense of all running together. The use of a comma after [fun] creates a minor pause, but there's no longer any emphasis on [fun] because of the lack of quotes or anything similar, meaning it goes from impacting with a sense of innuendo to a simple statement.
Now, mechanics, grammar, spelling, they don't make a story. But proper use of them can, will, and does influence how your story will make an impact. I'll get more onto this topic on a later post when LUNA STOPS BITING ME BECAUSE MY MANE TASTES LIKE COFFEE HORSES OF HEAVEN I THINK SHE JUST ATE MY EAR.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 14 September 2012
How To Write, Part 4: Killing The Hippo
My title is a clever reference that absolutely no one is going to get. It doesn't have to do with hippos, which I'm pretty sure are one of the few things Luna hasn't ever killed.
Pretty sure. She really got around in the old days. And really. Killed a lot of everything. Or at least pummeled the hell out of it. Which I don't think she understands can be just as bad at times.
Okay, okay, back on topic before I get beaten up too. We're finally at the post I've been wanting to do since the start but was 'too boring.' Something very important to writing, that some of us take for granted, because... we don't take the time to sit down and sift through and examine them. Things that hold a different meaning for each and every one of us, even though most of us are taught them the same way during our lifetime... but how we experience them and what we grow to associate them with is another matter entirely.
Words: and words are powerful things. Words can heal, and words can do damage nothing can ever repair. Words are there only for a moment, but last forever. They say a picture holds a thousand words, but words themselves are made up of letters, and letters are symbols, and a single word can bring a thousand images to mind. We underestimate their power, and we whine a lot about how hard it is to read this or write that or blah blah blah. But personally, for me, writing has always been my one outlet. My one form of 'magic' that this lame hornless unicorn has always had. This one way for me to share with a world that had no love or acceptance of my presence... but they couldn't silence my writing. Well, technically they almost did, but that's another story for another day that can go under a particularly-bitter post heading and be filled with lot of angry cursing and swearing and probably a lot of unfair remarks directed towards people who really are just trying to do their jobs but I treat with loathing and contempt anyway because of my own judgmental viewpoints and stuff.
That was a run on sentence. Luna also says she looks forwards to when I write that post. She seems to like it when I offend the hell out of ponies. I think she's just mean.
Anyway. Words. Knowing your words, understanding them on a level deeper than "scream" is a synonym for "shriek" is a synonym for "loud yell" will greatly, greatly aid your ability to write. It's like... if you were an archer, then your page would be the bow, and your different words are all different arrows to shoot the hell out of things with. Now would you just want a few simple arrows, or do you want some really kick-ass armor penetrating arrows with mystical powers that can blow enemies' heads off and turn them to ice and home in on your opponents?
Yeah. That's what I thought.
Now, personally, I find words fascinating. I know that's not normal, but if you stop and think about it for a second it can become a very interesting subject: all our words come from somewhere, after all, and where they resulted from was usually the result of one bloody invasion or another, or cultures mixing together, often in a rather volatile way. Just as the use of words has evolved: I've had many fun conversations with Luna on this subject, her being... from the past and all. Like "doom," which we've come to know as dark and foreboding but originated just as another word for fate or destiny. Luna tells me how it wasn't uncommon to hear things like "I'm am doomed" and it usually meant nothing more scary than "There's something unavoidable I have to do today."
But that brings up a particularly fun subject for me: how words can be prescribed meanings based upon their sounds. Guttural and ominous-sounding words, after all, usually have ominous meanings: growl, rumble, dark, wretched, wraith... guttural and ominous... etcetera. Learning about those certain sounds that help influence that effect, to recognize how they come into play, and even more, can help you learn to tie words and descriptors together to better get an effect: a "sharkish grin" instead of a "mean smile" for example, or "cruel, cold eyes" instead of a "nasty look." Not to say that fancier words will always have the best impact: sometimes, nothing works better than the simplest descriptors, like "it was sad." If you use something like that at the right moment, something brief and simple and small, it can create a massive impact.
Another thing about words is to always remember how certain words have certain associations with them. For example, let's use doom again. It's technically correct for me to say "I feel it's doomed that something good will happen today," but a good few people are going to scoff at you. If I say "I feel it's fated that something good will happen today" I sound a little pretentious, but people aren't going to make fun of your use of the word fated. They'll just make fun of you - me, I suppose, since I used myself as the sayer example... not that. I'd ever. Say that - for other reasons.
There are a lot of trap words like that. Words that can technically be used in a wide variety of ways, but we as a people tend to only use in one specific context. It's another reason why it's important to get comfortable with knowing your words... or at least having something on-hoof to look up a particular word you're trying to fit in now and then. A thesaurus is helpful, but a thesaurus can also mislead: for example, it may list possible synonyms for "say" to include "assert," "judge," "rehearse," "opine," "yell," etcetera. While the literal definition of "say" is more along the lines of "to speak/to express in words." And we as a society tend to recognize "say" or "said" as "casual speech or natural speaking."
I mean, you wouldn't have "As the horrible monster bore down on him, grinning insanely, he said: 'No, get away from me!'" Replace "said" with "screamed" for much more terrified results. And yes, that sentence was about Luna.
We're awkward.
Okay, Luna says this post is long and boring enough for now, and that I can write more about hippos next week. She also wants me to write... no. No, no, no. We won't be discussing how to write that. She's being creepy and I'm kind of afraid of-
And then the terrible creature lunged and captured the poet in its fearsome claws, dragging the terrified pony off to its lair to use him for its nefarious delights.
~Scrivener Blooms
Pretty sure. She really got around in the old days. And really. Killed a lot of everything. Or at least pummeled the hell out of it. Which I don't think she understands can be just as bad at times.
Okay, okay, back on topic before I get beaten up too. We're finally at the post I've been wanting to do since the start but was 'too boring.' Something very important to writing, that some of us take for granted, because... we don't take the time to sit down and sift through and examine them. Things that hold a different meaning for each and every one of us, even though most of us are taught them the same way during our lifetime... but how we experience them and what we grow to associate them with is another matter entirely.
Words: and words are powerful things. Words can heal, and words can do damage nothing can ever repair. Words are there only for a moment, but last forever. They say a picture holds a thousand words, but words themselves are made up of letters, and letters are symbols, and a single word can bring a thousand images to mind. We underestimate their power, and we whine a lot about how hard it is to read this or write that or blah blah blah. But personally, for me, writing has always been my one outlet. My one form of 'magic' that this lame hornless unicorn has always had. This one way for me to share with a world that had no love or acceptance of my presence... but they couldn't silence my writing. Well, technically they almost did, but that's another story for another day that can go under a particularly-bitter post heading and be filled with lot of angry cursing and swearing and probably a lot of unfair remarks directed towards people who really are just trying to do their jobs but I treat with loathing and contempt anyway because of my own judgmental viewpoints and stuff.
That was a run on sentence. Luna also says she looks forwards to when I write that post. She seems to like it when I offend the hell out of ponies. I think she's just mean.
Anyway. Words. Knowing your words, understanding them on a level deeper than "scream" is a synonym for "shriek" is a synonym for "loud yell" will greatly, greatly aid your ability to write. It's like... if you were an archer, then your page would be the bow, and your different words are all different arrows to shoot the hell out of things with. Now would you just want a few simple arrows, or do you want some really kick-ass armor penetrating arrows with mystical powers that can blow enemies' heads off and turn them to ice and home in on your opponents?
Yeah. That's what I thought.
Now, personally, I find words fascinating. I know that's not normal, but if you stop and think about it for a second it can become a very interesting subject: all our words come from somewhere, after all, and where they resulted from was usually the result of one bloody invasion or another, or cultures mixing together, often in a rather volatile way. Just as the use of words has evolved: I've had many fun conversations with Luna on this subject, her being... from the past and all. Like "doom," which we've come to know as dark and foreboding but originated just as another word for fate or destiny. Luna tells me how it wasn't uncommon to hear things like "I'm am doomed" and it usually meant nothing more scary than "There's something unavoidable I have to do today."
But that brings up a particularly fun subject for me: how words can be prescribed meanings based upon their sounds. Guttural and ominous-sounding words, after all, usually have ominous meanings: growl, rumble, dark, wretched, wraith... guttural and ominous... etcetera. Learning about those certain sounds that help influence that effect, to recognize how they come into play, and even more, can help you learn to tie words and descriptors together to better get an effect: a "sharkish grin" instead of a "mean smile" for example, or "cruel, cold eyes" instead of a "nasty look." Not to say that fancier words will always have the best impact: sometimes, nothing works better than the simplest descriptors, like "it was sad." If you use something like that at the right moment, something brief and simple and small, it can create a massive impact.
Another thing about words is to always remember how certain words have certain associations with them. For example, let's use doom again. It's technically correct for me to say "I feel it's doomed that something good will happen today," but a good few people are going to scoff at you. If I say "I feel it's fated that something good will happen today" I sound a little pretentious, but people aren't going to make fun of your use of the word fated. They'll just make fun of you - me, I suppose, since I used myself as the sayer example... not that. I'd ever. Say that - for other reasons.
There are a lot of trap words like that. Words that can technically be used in a wide variety of ways, but we as a people tend to only use in one specific context. It's another reason why it's important to get comfortable with knowing your words... or at least having something on-hoof to look up a particular word you're trying to fit in now and then. A thesaurus is helpful, but a thesaurus can also mislead: for example, it may list possible synonyms for "say" to include "assert," "judge," "rehearse," "opine," "yell," etcetera. While the literal definition of "say" is more along the lines of "to speak/to express in words." And we as a society tend to recognize "say" or "said" as "casual speech or natural speaking."
I mean, you wouldn't have "As the horrible monster bore down on him, grinning insanely, he said: 'No, get away from me!'" Replace "said" with "screamed" for much more terrified results. And yes, that sentence was about Luna.
We're awkward.
Okay, Luna says this post is long and boring enough for now, and that I can write more about hippos next week. She also wants me to write... no. No, no, no. We won't be discussing how to write that. She's being creepy and I'm kind of afraid of-
And then the terrible creature lunged and captured the poet in its fearsome claws, dragging the terrified pony off to its lair to use him for its nefarious delights.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 7 September 2012
How To Write, Part 3: Practice, Practice, Practice
Writing, like... pretty much everything... requires a lot of practice and effort and work. And like with everything else, there are going to be good days and bad days, pretty much no matter how practiced you are. I mean, personally, I can usually churn out a poem or two a day, if the urge so takes me. Most days. Then there are days where I'll be lucky if I can get two coherent words together.
Still, practice helps. If you practice your trade, no matter what it is, the bad days should become less frequent... you'll even learn to push hard on even the worst of days, to manage at least a little bit. And every little trickle added to the pot helps, believe me on that. I mean, let's say you write approximately one thousand words a day. Well, that adds up to thirty thousand words over the course of a single month. It adds up, never doubt that... and more important than that, when even on bad days you add even just a sentence to your story or poem or narrative or whatever, it helps keep that steady flow. You don't end up with a day where you said "I couldn't do anything," you end up with a day where you said "I could only manage this much," but the next day you'll be able to go back and say "I left off here" instead of "I didn't write anything yesterday."
I'm probably not making a whole world of sense right now. It's been a long day around here. Luna's all quiet for once and I feel lethargic. But here I am, tapping away anyway because... that's what I do. Because even this is practice. And it's important to remember that... every form of writing you do, you put any amount of effort into, can serve as practice. Can help you experiment with different forms of narrative flow, structure, etcetera... and it can help you find what you're comfortable with, too, especially if you take the time to go back and look over that practice. Examining the way you write off-duty, so to speak, such as in journal entries, side notes, little bits of thought and prose, you can find patterns... you can find what you consciously or subconsciously always strive to include, then recognize it, learn to evolve and develop those kinds of things.
But practice. Practice, because that's what the old writers did.
Or they listened to the voices in their heads. Which went great.
You know.
Up until they died or were put in asylums.
Practice is a little safer.
~Scrivener Blooms
Still, practice helps. If you practice your trade, no matter what it is, the bad days should become less frequent... you'll even learn to push hard on even the worst of days, to manage at least a little bit. And every little trickle added to the pot helps, believe me on that. I mean, let's say you write approximately one thousand words a day. Well, that adds up to thirty thousand words over the course of a single month. It adds up, never doubt that... and more important than that, when even on bad days you add even just a sentence to your story or poem or narrative or whatever, it helps keep that steady flow. You don't end up with a day where you said "I couldn't do anything," you end up with a day where you said "I could only manage this much," but the next day you'll be able to go back and say "I left off here" instead of "I didn't write anything yesterday."
I'm probably not making a whole world of sense right now. It's been a long day around here. Luna's all quiet for once and I feel lethargic. But here I am, tapping away anyway because... that's what I do. Because even this is practice. And it's important to remember that... every form of writing you do, you put any amount of effort into, can serve as practice. Can help you experiment with different forms of narrative flow, structure, etcetera... and it can help you find what you're comfortable with, too, especially if you take the time to go back and look over that practice. Examining the way you write off-duty, so to speak, such as in journal entries, side notes, little bits of thought and prose, you can find patterns... you can find what you consciously or subconsciously always strive to include, then recognize it, learn to evolve and develop those kinds of things.
But practice. Practice, because that's what the old writers did.
Or they listened to the voices in their heads. Which went great.
You know.
Up until they died or were put in asylums.
Practice is a little safer.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday 31 August 2012
How to Write, Part 2: Blood, Sweat, And Tears
Okay. Luna says I'm not allowed to talk about 'boring silly words' yet, so I have to talk about another topic. Oddly, one that's near and dear to the hearts of both myself and the warrior princess you all know and love. This is also one of the most important things to remember about writing: about a lot of things, as a matter of fact, and it helped me out when times got tough myself. It helps me out these days, too. It also sometimes makes me seem like I'm a little masochistic.
We all often start writing because it seems fun. Because it's great, to see your ideas put down on paper, to see a tale that you yourself have woven together forming bit-by-bit over the page. There's a certain rush, and both feelings of control, and of release, and even relief that comes with it.
But sometimes, as we all know, that feeling can sour. There's time constrictions, writer's block, not having things set up the perfect way we're used to - does anyone else suffer the changeisbadchangeisbadchangeisbad OCD thought-train like I do? - and of course finding out that for some of your writing, for some of your most meaningful expressions, the most you'll probably ever get is a pat on the head, a disinterested 'that's nice,' and maybe a few comments about how you probably could have done better. By nature, a lot of us want praise for what we do, especially when we do something we feel is important, or that has meaning behind it to ourselves: not a lot of us go out there, prepared for rejection... and the crippling disinterest, which can be even more painful. Even we go out braced for impact, that can just make it hurt all the more. But I'm not here to talk about criticism, critique, or comments, or even that lagging feeling that comes from the lack thereof. I'm talking about when writing goes from "this is a pleasant way to spend my time" to "this feels like work now" or "ugh this sucks."
But if you really want to write, if you want to see yourself becoming better, becoming more than you are, truly understanding your craft... you have to embrace that aspect. That writing is work, and it's not always going to be fun. You have to understand and be prepared for the fact you aren't going to always get praised for your work, and that sometimes the things you write, only you will ever truly understand and care about. You need to gaze into the abyss, and you need to be ready to spend hours, sitting at your... whatever you use, fighting to write just one more word, one more sentence, one more page. You need discipline, and resolve, and strength. And you need to believe in something: if not in yourself, then in your stories. I may not believe in myself at all but I have never, ever allowed my faith in what I've written to falter.
Look at it this way: sometimes, something hard, and painful, and difficult and challenging and blah blah blah, it's the better path. Not because it's "superior" but because of the way you're gonna feel when you make it down that path. That pride. That worth. When you can look back and say, "I did it," at the end of the long hard road. When you can honestly say that in spite of everything you pushed through. Bleed for your writing. Fight for your writing. Maybe don't be as crazy as me and be ready to die for it, but... give it your flesh, give it your blood, give it a little piece of your soul, and pour your strength and soul into it. Live it. Be it.
Maybe it's only because of what I've seen. What I still face more days than I care to think about... but life isn't easy. And you know what? It shouldn't be. It's good that it's not. Yeah, it hurts. Horses of Heaven can it ever hurt, I understand that. But if it never did, how would we truly be able to appreciate and understand the depths of pleasure, of good, of right that we can find in life, too? How could any of us dare to say that our lives were worthwhile, without the painful parts? What the hell would any of us learn? I know for a fact that it's because of what I've gone through that I write the way I do. That gave me the strength to learn to sit here, every goddamn day, and write. To stand beside the pony I care for with all my heart and soul, and weather the worst of storms. To see meaning in darkness, and to understand... more than I ever thought I could. Sometimes I stupidly envy those ponies who live their great, unremarkable happy normal little lives. But they should be the ones envying me.
Anyway. Luna says I've gone way off topic and way overboard. I think I probably have but, hey, I said my piece. And I can still blame this all on Luna one way or another anyway, right? The short version is this:
Writing hurts sometimes. Because you're going to face your demons and because sometimes you lose the strength and because sometimes you just don't feel like it. None of those are reasons to stop. Force yourself to push forwards, and don't give up. You'll be stronger for it, and your writing will become stronger for it. You might be surprised at what it teaches you... and besides, if you ever really screw up, that's what editing's for.
Goodnight, everypony. I'm going to go and make out with my hot wife now. Because that's every writer's dream.
You know, unless they like stallions.
It shouldn't be too hard to pretend Luna's a stallion if you like stallions.
Oh Horses of Heaven Luna you are not a stallion. Don't look at me like that. What are youafeagabah
~Scrivener Blooms
We all often start writing because it seems fun. Because it's great, to see your ideas put down on paper, to see a tale that you yourself have woven together forming bit-by-bit over the page. There's a certain rush, and both feelings of control, and of release, and even relief that comes with it.
But sometimes, as we all know, that feeling can sour. There's time constrictions, writer's block, not having things set up the perfect way we're used to - does anyone else suffer the changeisbadchangeisbadchangeisbad OCD thought-train like I do? - and of course finding out that for some of your writing, for some of your most meaningful expressions, the most you'll probably ever get is a pat on the head, a disinterested 'that's nice,' and maybe a few comments about how you probably could have done better. By nature, a lot of us want praise for what we do, especially when we do something we feel is important, or that has meaning behind it to ourselves: not a lot of us go out there, prepared for rejection... and the crippling disinterest, which can be even more painful. Even we go out braced for impact, that can just make it hurt all the more. But I'm not here to talk about criticism, critique, or comments, or even that lagging feeling that comes from the lack thereof. I'm talking about when writing goes from "this is a pleasant way to spend my time" to "this feels like work now" or "ugh this sucks."
But if you really want to write, if you want to see yourself becoming better, becoming more than you are, truly understanding your craft... you have to embrace that aspect. That writing is work, and it's not always going to be fun. You have to understand and be prepared for the fact you aren't going to always get praised for your work, and that sometimes the things you write, only you will ever truly understand and care about. You need to gaze into the abyss, and you need to be ready to spend hours, sitting at your... whatever you use, fighting to write just one more word, one more sentence, one more page. You need discipline, and resolve, and strength. And you need to believe in something: if not in yourself, then in your stories. I may not believe in myself at all but I have never, ever allowed my faith in what I've written to falter.
Look at it this way: sometimes, something hard, and painful, and difficult and challenging and blah blah blah, it's the better path. Not because it's "superior" but because of the way you're gonna feel when you make it down that path. That pride. That worth. When you can look back and say, "I did it," at the end of the long hard road. When you can honestly say that in spite of everything you pushed through. Bleed for your writing. Fight for your writing. Maybe don't be as crazy as me and be ready to die for it, but... give it your flesh, give it your blood, give it a little piece of your soul, and pour your strength and soul into it. Live it. Be it.
Maybe it's only because of what I've seen. What I still face more days than I care to think about... but life isn't easy. And you know what? It shouldn't be. It's good that it's not. Yeah, it hurts. Horses of Heaven can it ever hurt, I understand that. But if it never did, how would we truly be able to appreciate and understand the depths of pleasure, of good, of right that we can find in life, too? How could any of us dare to say that our lives were worthwhile, without the painful parts? What the hell would any of us learn? I know for a fact that it's because of what I've gone through that I write the way I do. That gave me the strength to learn to sit here, every goddamn day, and write. To stand beside the pony I care for with all my heart and soul, and weather the worst of storms. To see meaning in darkness, and to understand... more than I ever thought I could. Sometimes I stupidly envy those ponies who live their great, unremarkable happy normal little lives. But they should be the ones envying me.
Anyway. Luna says I've gone way off topic and way overboard. I think I probably have but, hey, I said my piece. And I can still blame this all on Luna one way or another anyway, right? The short version is this:
Writing hurts sometimes. Because you're going to face your demons and because sometimes you lose the strength and because sometimes you just don't feel like it. None of those are reasons to stop. Force yourself to push forwards, and don't give up. You'll be stronger for it, and your writing will become stronger for it. You might be surprised at what it teaches you... and besides, if you ever really screw up, that's what editing's for.
Goodnight, everypony. I'm going to go and make out with my hot wife now. Because that's every writer's dream.
You know, unless they like stallions.
It shouldn't be too hard to pretend Luna's a stallion if you like stallions.
Oh Horses of Heaven Luna you are not a stallion. Don't look at me like that. What are youafeagabah
~Scrivener Blooms
Saturday 25 August 2012
How To Write, Part 1
Write.
The end.
Luna says that requires further explanation. Well, actually, she said something I can't really write down here... but alright, alright. I'll elucidate.
Isn't that a great word, elucidate? But really it's pointless if you don't know what it means... unless you put it into context somehow, of course. Like I did up there. "I'll elucidate." That means from that you get that it's something I will do, and considering the beginning of the paragraph, you can draw on the idea that it may mean in this instance I will explain.
So you know. If you put something into context properly, you can work the most complicated word in the world into a sentence, like... Brobdingnagian, and even if the person doesn't quite know what it means, they'll get it anyway. Like "his height was Brobdingnagian, towering over us all." Yes it means big. Really really big. Like Luna's ego. Luna's ego is Brobdingnagian. See, I didn't even have to insert something to illustrate how it was huge that time to get my point across. It can also mean monstrous. Which is also fitting.
And of course, out of context, the simplest words can be pretty monstrous to figure out. Like uh... oh. 'The red emotion.' Well, there's some context, you know it's an emotion, and red usually refers to a passion. Anger, or love... but it's still a stumbling block. Especially when you run into someone who takes things too literally, and you get all kinds of "hey emotions totally can't be a color" and everything. But of course if I write "The red emotion made him snarl" then you probably aren't going to assume it's love. Well. Luna and I growl at each other sometimes but we're weird like that.
Of course, there's jargon, too. Technical or specific terms that no one in their right mind would bring to a daily conversation unless they really just want to look smart or like they know what they're talking about. I met a lot of people like that. They really don't like it when you respond to "the idiosyncrasies of Flourish's work are amongst the first haute couture references of that time period, and clearly helped bring forwards the post-ren period of literature that many writers derived romantic and ideological works from today" with "You're stupid." Or worse, "Actually, Flourish was just copying one of his own former students. He really wasn't that original at all." Or. "I denounce your argument as irrelevant due to the well-known fact that chronologically speaking, Avesworth came before Flourish and denounced the juxtaposition of pre-Equestria eccletia via his subtle use of asymmetric metaphor."
I usually followed up the last with something poignant, like "suck it."
I was never very good at making nice with the fellow writers and scribes around Canterlot. Celestia reprimanded me a lot back in those days. I still think that being assigned to Luna was supposed to be a form of punishment, but well. Look how things turned out.
Uh... I'll talk about etymology next week or something. Shut up, Luna, words can be fun, too.
~Scrivener Blooms
The end.
Luna says that requires further explanation. Well, actually, she said something I can't really write down here... but alright, alright. I'll elucidate.
Isn't that a great word, elucidate? But really it's pointless if you don't know what it means... unless you put it into context somehow, of course. Like I did up there. "I'll elucidate." That means from that you get that it's something I will do, and considering the beginning of the paragraph, you can draw on the idea that it may mean in this instance I will explain.
So you know. If you put something into context properly, you can work the most complicated word in the world into a sentence, like... Brobdingnagian, and even if the person doesn't quite know what it means, they'll get it anyway. Like "his height was Brobdingnagian, towering over us all." Yes it means big. Really really big. Like Luna's ego. Luna's ego is Brobdingnagian. See, I didn't even have to insert something to illustrate how it was huge that time to get my point across. It can also mean monstrous. Which is also fitting.
And of course, out of context, the simplest words can be pretty monstrous to figure out. Like uh... oh. 'The red emotion.' Well, there's some context, you know it's an emotion, and red usually refers to a passion. Anger, or love... but it's still a stumbling block. Especially when you run into someone who takes things too literally, and you get all kinds of "hey emotions totally can't be a color" and everything. But of course if I write "The red emotion made him snarl" then you probably aren't going to assume it's love. Well. Luna and I growl at each other sometimes but we're weird like that.
Of course, there's jargon, too. Technical or specific terms that no one in their right mind would bring to a daily conversation unless they really just want to look smart or like they know what they're talking about. I met a lot of people like that. They really don't like it when you respond to "the idiosyncrasies of Flourish's work are amongst the first haute couture references of that time period, and clearly helped bring forwards the post-ren period of literature that many writers derived romantic and ideological works from today" with "You're stupid." Or worse, "Actually, Flourish was just copying one of his own former students. He really wasn't that original at all." Or. "I denounce your argument as irrelevant due to the well-known fact that chronologically speaking, Avesworth came before Flourish and denounced the juxtaposition of pre-Equestria eccletia via his subtle use of asymmetric metaphor."
I usually followed up the last with something poignant, like "suck it."
I was never very good at making nice with the fellow writers and scribes around Canterlot. Celestia reprimanded me a lot back in those days. I still think that being assigned to Luna was supposed to be a form of punishment, but well. Look how things turned out.
Uh... I'll talk about etymology next week or something. Shut up, Luna, words can be fun, too.
~Scrivener Blooms
Wednesday 22 August 2012
To Do List
Okay, okay, okay. Gotta get used to posting again. But seriously, I'm still sore and all from the whole. Stabbing thing. Also, Luna keeps spilling things on the freaking keyboard. It's already hard enough to freaking type with freaking hooves and I freaking hate this freaking idea but "Scrivener Blooms if thou does not write in thy magic box journal I shall bring my wrath crashing down upon thy head!"
She hit me.
She hit me again.
I'm apparently not allowed to document how often she pummels me anymore. Mostly because it would take too much time and space to do so. She did suggest I write down a to-do-list, however, which... I think is a good idea, but don't tell her I said that.
So expect... soonishly... an influx of my poems, which I will then figure out how to sort. I don't like these computer things, and worse, they don't like me. And uh... I could do a post on etymology? No, Luna, it's not for nerds. You're a nerd.
Luna is not a nerd. And she wants everypony to know that. Her warrior princessness has also suggested that instead of writing on etymology I tell people how to write. My prompt and acerbic reply was for her to tell people how to be... dumb.
So it wasn't the greatest comeback and I'm also covered in coffee. But I think I will write a post on something like that, too, soonishly. For now, though, I have to go and wash myself off and then tend to my ever-lovely wife and make her a new coffee. Which she'll probably just pour on me again. But that's a fitting metaphor for a writer's life, you know: again and again making people stuff that lights up your mind but they just use to pour all over you and burn you even while they try and convince you to make them another cup. Of words. I stretched that metaphor too far.
~Scrivener Blooms
She hit me.
She hit me again.
I'm apparently not allowed to document how often she pummels me anymore. Mostly because it would take too much time and space to do so. She did suggest I write down a to-do-list, however, which... I think is a good idea, but don't tell her I said that.
So expect... soonishly... an influx of my poems, which I will then figure out how to sort. I don't like these computer things, and worse, they don't like me. And uh... I could do a post on etymology? No, Luna, it's not for nerds. You're a nerd.
Luna is not a nerd. And she wants everypony to know that. Her warrior princessness has also suggested that instead of writing on etymology I tell people how to write. My prompt and acerbic reply was for her to tell people how to be... dumb.
So it wasn't the greatest comeback and I'm also covered in coffee. But I think I will write a post on something like that, too, soonishly. For now, though, I have to go and wash myself off and then tend to my ever-lovely wife and make her a new coffee. Which she'll probably just pour on me again. But that's a fitting metaphor for a writer's life, you know: again and again making people stuff that lights up your mind but they just use to pour all over you and burn you even while they try and convince you to make them another cup. Of words. I stretched that metaphor too far.
~Scrivener Blooms
Monday 6 August 2012
Yes, I was gone.
Blame Luna. She stabbed me. In the heart. Uh, literally, not metaphorically, so. It's. Is that better or worse, actually? I guess that depends on what a romantic you are at heart. THERE'S A PUN.
...Aren't relationships great?
But I'm back. And Horses of Heaven know I'll be trying my damnedest to keep up posting.
...Aren't relationships great?
But I'm back. And Horses of Heaven know I'll be trying my damnedest to keep up posting.
Rhymes Suck.
Do you hear me, out there, rhymes? Do you hear me? I think you're stupid. I hate you, rhyming. You're a crutch. A hard-to-use crutch that I can't seem to get the hang of. Look at me, I'm a poet and I can't write a couplet to save my life. Well, I can, but. Let me demonstrate.
Everyone was happy,
Life was sappy,
And then it all turned crappy,
BECAUSE THEY ALL DIED.
Are we beginning to understand why it was such a freakish stroke of luck that I ended up being the court poet at Canterlot? It's almost enough to make me believe in destiny and all, since it was there that I met Luna and well... you know. She's laughing at me right now, by the way, because I'm having an impossible time trying to write this stupid limerick for that annoying pony. The one with the color-stripes in her hair who's always calling me an idiot. No, not Luna, she doesn't have color-stripes and her mane is all... starry. Yes, Twilight Sparkle. Horses of Heaven this is frustrating me.
Anyway. Where was I? Right. I hate rhymes. I know, I know. "You're a poet, poems rhyme." Well, no, poems don't have to rhyme, and the poetic style I've always used actually functions better without rhyme. Rhyme often conveys a certain positivity that my poems lack: sure, this can be countered by modifying the standard meter and by tampering with the patterning of the rhyme scheme, but it's much easier to write:
Sallow fields, empty and devoid of life,
Whispering, crying out for what they have lost,
Oh broken ivory bones that lay riff-raff torn
Across the derelict and empty and forgotten wastes.
Over:
Sallow fields, empty and devoid of life,
Whispering, crying out against past strife,
Oh broken ivory bones that lay spread along the earth,
Remnants from which death has gone and stolen all worth.
And look what we have on top of that awkward meter, we have a bad case of encroaching lines. You know, where lines steadily grow longer and longer despite the fact they should all be the same length. Stupid lines. Stupid everything. I think I've made my point clear, anyway.
Everyone was happy,
Life was sappy,
And then it all turned crappy,
BECAUSE THEY ALL DIED.
Are we beginning to understand why it was such a freakish stroke of luck that I ended up being the court poet at Canterlot? It's almost enough to make me believe in destiny and all, since it was there that I met Luna and well... you know. She's laughing at me right now, by the way, because I'm having an impossible time trying to write this stupid limerick for that annoying pony. The one with the color-stripes in her hair who's always calling me an idiot. No, not Luna, she doesn't have color-stripes and her mane is all... starry. Yes, Twilight Sparkle. Horses of Heaven this is frustrating me.
Anyway. Where was I? Right. I hate rhymes. I know, I know. "You're a poet, poems rhyme." Well, no, poems don't have to rhyme, and the poetic style I've always used actually functions better without rhyme. Rhyme often conveys a certain positivity that my poems lack: sure, this can be countered by modifying the standard meter and by tampering with the patterning of the rhyme scheme, but it's much easier to write:
Sallow fields, empty and devoid of life,
Whispering, crying out for what they have lost,
Oh broken ivory bones that lay riff-raff torn
Across the derelict and empty and forgotten wastes.
Over:
Sallow fields, empty and devoid of life,
Whispering, crying out against past strife,
Oh broken ivory bones that lay spread along the earth,
Remnants from which death has gone and stolen all worth.
And look what we have on top of that awkward meter, we have a bad case of encroaching lines. You know, where lines steadily grow longer and longer despite the fact they should all be the same length. Stupid lines. Stupid everything. I think I've made my point clear, anyway.
Monday 6 February 2012
Scrivener, Where Art Thou?
Any time I'm out of Luna's sight for about ten minutes she has a tendency to suspect me of getting into trouble. She says it's because any time I'm out of her sight for ten minutes something tries to eat me but honestly I think she's more worried about me going off on adventure without her than me ending up in the gullet of a Seahorse Drake or serving as the dinner course to some Bitterweaver Spiders.
Now it's very wondeful to have your wife care for you so much. Honestly, it is. I adore her. She's my best friend. She teaches me a lot between the pummeling and the sarcasm that she picked up on way too quickly from me. However, it can become... problematic... when said wife requires constant entertainment and will not leave you alone for periods of more than ten minutes at a time. For example, Luna has a habit of sitting around staring at me whle I'm trying to write. At some point I eventually manage to ignore her, but this actually works to her advantage, not mine. Why? Because then she likes to wiggle her way over to me when I'm in mid-thought about something and either stick something in my ear.
You know, if I'm lucky. Sometimes she electrocutes me. Or licks me. I prefer pain over being covered from neck to mane in Princess drool and she has a surprisingly large tongue.
Please don't tell her I said that. She'll take it the wrong way and dump me in a bog. Or worse, she'll take it the other wrong way and. Well. That doesn't end well either.
Oh great. She's behind me. And I'm now wet.
Well, I should probably head off now for my daily training regimen. Which translates to Luna is going to pummel me until she gets bored, and if I'm lucky she won't leave any permanent marks. Well. Here's to codependency. Funny, though. I wouldn't change it for the world... guess that makes me the screwed-up one in the relationship and not her after all. It's strangely comforting.
~Scrivener Blooms
Now it's very wondeful to have your wife care for you so much. Honestly, it is. I adore her. She's my best friend. She teaches me a lot between the pummeling and the sarcasm that she picked up on way too quickly from me. However, it can become... problematic... when said wife requires constant entertainment and will not leave you alone for periods of more than ten minutes at a time. For example, Luna has a habit of sitting around staring at me whle I'm trying to write. At some point I eventually manage to ignore her, but this actually works to her advantage, not mine. Why? Because then she likes to wiggle her way over to me when I'm in mid-thought about something and either stick something in my ear.
You know, if I'm lucky. Sometimes she electrocutes me. Or licks me. I prefer pain over being covered from neck to mane in Princess drool and she has a surprisingly large tongue.
Please don't tell her I said that. She'll take it the wrong way and dump me in a bog. Or worse, she'll take it the other wrong way and. Well. That doesn't end well either.
Oh great. She's behind me. And I'm now wet.
Well, I should probably head off now for my daily training regimen. Which translates to Luna is going to pummel me until she gets bored, and if I'm lucky she won't leave any permanent marks. Well. Here's to codependency. Funny, though. I wouldn't change it for the world... guess that makes me the screwed-up one in the relationship and not her after all. It's strangely comforting.
~Scrivener Blooms
Monday 30 January 2012
What Do You Do All Day?
Well, after living the adventure-filled life of an exile in the Everfree Forest alongside Nightmare Moon, you'd think that I must be exciting and full of rambling stories about battles with monsters and creatures of the night - er, or day, since... again, Luna and I are considered evil and all - but I'm really not. Most days were... pretty tame, actually. Or pretty stupid. Or worst of all, there was adventure but it was the adventures of married couple who do not understand that they are not children and haven't learned to act their age.
For example. Teaching Luna to make coffee was an adventure. As a thousand years in the past they did not have 'infernal kitchen implements!' getting her to understand that you do not have to set things on fire or blast them with lightning to make them work - I don't think they did in the past either, to be honest, but Luna's... impatient... - took a little work. So did dealing with the problem of teaching a winged unicorn who spent ninety percent of her time eating and drinking in taverns proper manners. I cannot fathom what it must have been like for her when she became a princess in a castle, because she very quickly regressed from faking Canterlot high etiquette to using her hooves like a five year old.
Please don't tell her I said that. She'll beat me. More frequently.
Back to the coffee. Luna loves her coffee. Black, cream and sugar, spiced, flavored, she adores it. It's one of the things we share, to be honest, but Luna likes it even more than I do. So, eventually, I had to show her how a coffee maker worked. Three machines later, due to Luna tampering with one and breaking the other two 'attempting to make the coffee boil faster,' she's now probably better at it than I am. And see that pointless anecdote I just told? That's a lot of what life is like, even our weird life.
Sure, there's doing patrols of the forest every now and then, and skirmishes with enemies... both pony and not. But a lot of days I spend either doing normal(ish) couple things with Luna or writing, usually in the form of transcribing a story of Sleipnir's past that Luna's told me. Or I'm cleaning. Or cooking. Those aren't things Luna's exactly... suited for. She's a warrior at heart, I think... and I admire that. Me? I'm the gloomy poet that just got lucky enough to get to stick by her side through thick and thin. Maybe, though, that's what makes life kind of special... maybe that's why it seems so fantastic sometimes, despite how much of it is monotony despite the way saying 'living in exile' must make us sound like constant adventurers.
So uh. Yeah. That's what I do all day. I live with Luna. And believe me, that's hard enough as it is on a normal day, undead and monsters and getting shot at aside. But I wouldn't change it for the world, for the universe, either.
For example. Teaching Luna to make coffee was an adventure. As a thousand years in the past they did not have 'infernal kitchen implements!' getting her to understand that you do not have to set things on fire or blast them with lightning to make them work - I don't think they did in the past either, to be honest, but Luna's... impatient... - took a little work. So did dealing with the problem of teaching a winged unicorn who spent ninety percent of her time eating and drinking in taverns proper manners. I cannot fathom what it must have been like for her when she became a princess in a castle, because she very quickly regressed from faking Canterlot high etiquette to using her hooves like a five year old.
Please don't tell her I said that. She'll beat me. More frequently.
Back to the coffee. Luna loves her coffee. Black, cream and sugar, spiced, flavored, she adores it. It's one of the things we share, to be honest, but Luna likes it even more than I do. So, eventually, I had to show her how a coffee maker worked. Three machines later, due to Luna tampering with one and breaking the other two 'attempting to make the coffee boil faster,' she's now probably better at it than I am. And see that pointless anecdote I just told? That's a lot of what life is like, even our weird life.
Sure, there's doing patrols of the forest every now and then, and skirmishes with enemies... both pony and not. But a lot of days I spend either doing normal(ish) couple things with Luna or writing, usually in the form of transcribing a story of Sleipnir's past that Luna's told me. Or I'm cleaning. Or cooking. Those aren't things Luna's exactly... suited for. She's a warrior at heart, I think... and I admire that. Me? I'm the gloomy poet that just got lucky enough to get to stick by her side through thick and thin. Maybe, though, that's what makes life kind of special... maybe that's why it seems so fantastic sometimes, despite how much of it is monotony despite the way saying 'living in exile' must make us sound like constant adventurers.
So uh. Yeah. That's what I do all day. I live with Luna. And believe me, that's hard enough as it is on a normal day, undead and monsters and getting shot at aside. But I wouldn't change it for the world, for the universe, either.
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