I need to get better at this thing. It seems like every time I sit down to write a post, though, my brain turns to mush and Luna comes and plays with that mush and makes it into a house or something. Like that time we had potato salad and she built a tower out of it. Then made it explode.
And that's why we don't really eat real dinners anymore.
But really, there's no excuse for not getting something down. I know I emphasize that lesson a lot but there seriously isn't. I know it's hard. Believe me, I do. Time is fleet of hoof and heavy of weight. And sometimes that pressure itself can just. Squish into not being able to write. When you feel the clock ticking down, you end up spending more time checking the clock than you do actually writing.
It's something you can learn, though. Yes, it's hard. No, it's not fun. But it's beneficial in the long run, because you start to apply that skill, that whole... zoning out, making yourself focus, to other parts of your life. If I couldn't just concentrate on one thing at a time, if I couldn't compartmentalize things the way I do, then I'd just be a gibbering, crying mess in the corner, torn between hysterics and misery.
At the end of the day, the person who can most help ourselves is often us, ourselves. Yes, I know how dumb that sounds. Yes, I know it doesn't apply to when you have a large pointy object stuck in your stomach. Well. No. You can still pull it out yourself, although fixing the hole is harder. So okay. You can't fix holes yourself. Unless you're a unicorn. Or good with stitches.
I'm going to skip the metaphor. Some things you can't fix yourself but you can learn to look at them a different way or to deal with the pain a different way. I'm not saying you can decide to perceive all pain as a learning experience, but you can at least remind yourself that pain kind of is a learning experience a lot of the time. It's stupid and it's sucky but it's also your body and mind saying "look at me, I'm alive, and I'm still attached to this world whether any of you like it or not."
I find thinking of everything as a "screw you" to something else, be it someone else or the cosmos at large, really helps me get through the day. But that's probably just me.
Luna says I'm being cranky and need to... do something. Something I have no idea why she'd think is a good idea. So I'm going to go do that, just because. Because. Maybe it'll ruin someone else's day if I do so.
Positivity!
~Scrivener Blooms
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Friday, 20 September 2013
Vacationing
So I'm really tired today. I've been. Editing and working on stuff and just... I'm so tired. My hooves are so goddamn sore. My brain? Absolute mush. And I just want to fall over and die.
But then Luna suggests: "Vacation."
And I go. "Ha. No."
See, I've never really gotten "vacations." So you're tired and busy. And to make yourself feel better, you go through the inordinate amount of trouble of packing up all your things into a wagon and leave to make yourself more tired and busy sightseeing in strange places, generally making yourself look stupid to the locals, spending money you often can't afford on things you're going to put on a shelf and forget about.
You know what I think would be more restful than that?
Crawling onto a bed and sleeping.
Sleeping. For like. Twelve hours straight. Then not getting out of bed. Just staying there. Lazing. All day.
How awesome would that be?
Anyway. Luna disagrees with me and says, no, no, Scrivy, we must... sorry, I mean 'thou doth not understandeth what thou speaketh, knave: for to waste wakefulness 'tis to disparage that life which 'tis most dearest held by all.'
And now I'm possibly bleeding.
That aside, Luna clearly has a different idea of vacationing than I do. She wants to go out, beat things up, engage in... horrible debauchery and generally. Be a horrendous nuisance. I don't know, but that doesn't seem. Relaxing to me. Traveling across the country could be fun, sure. But I don't know if I'd do it for fun, you know?
Still. It looks like she's determined to drag me along with her. So. Woo.
Vacationing. Great.
~Scrivener Blooms
But then Luna suggests: "Vacation."
And I go. "Ha. No."
See, I've never really gotten "vacations." So you're tired and busy. And to make yourself feel better, you go through the inordinate amount of trouble of packing up all your things into a wagon and leave to make yourself more tired and busy sightseeing in strange places, generally making yourself look stupid to the locals, spending money you often can't afford on things you're going to put on a shelf and forget about.
You know what I think would be more restful than that?
Crawling onto a bed and sleeping.
Sleeping. For like. Twelve hours straight. Then not getting out of bed. Just staying there. Lazing. All day.
How awesome would that be?
Anyway. Luna disagrees with me and says, no, no, Scrivy, we must... sorry, I mean 'thou doth not understandeth what thou speaketh, knave: for to waste wakefulness 'tis to disparage that life which 'tis most dearest held by all.'
And now I'm possibly bleeding.
That aside, Luna clearly has a different idea of vacationing than I do. She wants to go out, beat things up, engage in... horrible debauchery and generally. Be a horrendous nuisance. I don't know, but that doesn't seem. Relaxing to me. Traveling across the country could be fun, sure. But I don't know if I'd do it for fun, you know?
Still. It looks like she's determined to drag me along with her. So. Woo.
Vacationing. Great.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday, 13 September 2013
The Perfect Plot
The Perfect Plot
By Scrivener Blooms
A decent plot is hard to find,
With all the right curves and grade,
Smooth and soft and a little wet,
A plot fit for a stallion to aid.
To test it, rub gently, then press firmer,
Your hoof should only sink so far,
And you should feel it both push and grip,
Ready to accept signpost or hardwood bar.
Make sure you check the wetness,
And gauge the temperature and the heat;
A fertile plot should not be wasted,
And is something you should never mistreat.
Ensure you tend to her as well as you can,
Tease a little, but don't try and retract;
You don't want her to think you're untested,
Or that you're unable to complete to the act.
And when your house is complete on your land,
Make sure it is sturdy and strong:
Take great joy in the home you have built,
Then have sex with a mare in it all night long.
By Scrivener Blooms
A decent plot is hard to find,
With all the right curves and grade,
Smooth and soft and a little wet,
A plot fit for a stallion to aid.
To test it, rub gently, then press firmer,
Your hoof should only sink so far,
And you should feel it both push and grip,
Ready to accept signpost or hardwood bar.
Make sure you check the wetness,
And gauge the temperature and the heat;
A fertile plot should not be wasted,
And is something you should never mistreat.
Ensure you tend to her as well as you can,
Tease a little, but don't try and retract;
You don't want her to think you're untested,
Or that you're unable to complete to the act.
And when your house is complete on your land,
Make sure it is sturdy and strong:
Take great joy in the home you have built,
Then have sex with a mare in it all night long.
Thursday, 5 September 2013
I Hate Meeting People.
The other day, Luna and I were introduced to some new pony. I forget her name. But she's rude, covered in piercings, and dirtier than Luna gets on a daily basis. But she's also crazy talented with mechanical stuff. Helped us set up some things in our house and we found out she's apparently settling in pretty nicely in town. So you know. Hey, whatever, I'll try and be nice to her.
But I really hate meeting people, I do. I'm no good at it. I get sweaty hooves and I'm super self-conscious of everything I do. The only time I actually got along with people was back when I was in Trotronto and I... don't even remember how it happened. I just remember singing a song from some movie with some ponies and then I got a random hug. That was nice.
Anyway. Nowadays I don't do well with meeting ponies. I try too hard. I'm myself, and myself is bad. I think too much and worry too much. Or I just sit there quietly, and Luna takes over. And then things go really downhill because she threatens or brags or something and then it all goes to Hell from there.
But... meeting people is kind of part of life. And especially in a 'creative' field, it's important to be able to socialize a little. Even if awkwardly. Even if everyone hates you. Because you can use those interactions, what you learn from observing those people, to start... enhancing your own characterizations and to start creating more-realistic reflections in your writing. Because... people are weird. I mean, this mare had the funniest nickname. Cowlick or something. I think it refers to her hair but Luna says it refers to... well... I'm not going to write that down.
Anyway, try and. Try and reach out to people now and then. Say hi to strangers. Or just sit there and stare a little at people now and then. Observe, get out, socialize. It all helps. And it stops you from getting too lost in your own head, which. For some of us, is a very scary place to be.
~Scrivener Blooms
But I really hate meeting people, I do. I'm no good at it. I get sweaty hooves and I'm super self-conscious of everything I do. The only time I actually got along with people was back when I was in Trotronto and I... don't even remember how it happened. I just remember singing a song from some movie with some ponies and then I got a random hug. That was nice.
Anyway. Nowadays I don't do well with meeting ponies. I try too hard. I'm myself, and myself is bad. I think too much and worry too much. Or I just sit there quietly, and Luna takes over. And then things go really downhill because she threatens or brags or something and then it all goes to Hell from there.
But... meeting people is kind of part of life. And especially in a 'creative' field, it's important to be able to socialize a little. Even if awkwardly. Even if everyone hates you. Because you can use those interactions, what you learn from observing those people, to start... enhancing your own characterizations and to start creating more-realistic reflections in your writing. Because... people are weird. I mean, this mare had the funniest nickname. Cowlick or something. I think it refers to her hair but Luna says it refers to... well... I'm not going to write that down.
Anyway, try and. Try and reach out to people now and then. Say hi to strangers. Or just sit there and stare a little at people now and then. Observe, get out, socialize. It all helps. And it stops you from getting too lost in your own head, which. For some of us, is a very scary place to be.
~Scrivener Blooms
Friday, 30 August 2013
On Using Mythology, Part 1: A Bad Metaphor (To Get Started With)
Using mythology in your stories can sometimes feel like trying to write really complex fanfiction: if you don't do the characters just right, people yell at you.
Here's the thing, though. No matter what you write, people are always going to yell at you. Because many common things are perceived very, very differently by different people. For example, someone who happens to be quiet and mostly introverted can be seen as a secret plotter, as someone who's shy and worried about the way the world is perceiving him, as someone dull and boring who has nothing interesting to say, as someone secretly wise and who spends his time observing the world around himself, as a good listener, or as someone who's off in his own little world and doesn't really care about anything but whatever he's doing at the moment. And say, even if something happens right in the goddamn story that says 'Mr. So and So was secretly very intelligent,' some people are still going to look at this character and find reasons and ways to make him not intelligent. And then some people are going to get mad at other people for not following their interpretation of said character. Because. That's the way people are.
Mythology is like the same thing except there's more people who think you have to be totally 'in character' because clearly mythology is so much more serious and complex and completely full of original ideas. It's not like most mythologies are just copies of each other and use each other's characters all over the place however they please to make their own original mythological heroes look better by beating up that other mythology's heroes.
Luna says I'm cynical.
Anyway. The thing about mythology, however, is that unlike a lot of say... original fiction, if we're going with that metaphor still, is there's not often a comprehensive list of source material left over. Often, we have mythologies filled with deities and demideities we have precious few actual stories about, or maybe even only a mention here and there, and thus just a basic idea of their character. That might be seen as a bad thing, but... is it? Not at all. That's a blank slate for you right there, with one set idea that you have to choose to work in, but otherwise a character you can design to fit right into your story. And because many mythologies do have interlocking or interceding points - such as how the deities of one religion may be referred to as the demons in another - it gives you ways to connect entire pantheons.
The big thing is not to be afraid. If you have an idea about how to use a character or present a particular hero or deity, then run with it. You might be surprised how many people might say that's either really creative or that they once imagined so-and-so might be like this themselves. If you want to twist their relationships a little, do so. The biggest thing is not to be afraid of what you're doing. Any idea, no matter how stupid-sounding or bizarre, can be the foundation of a good story so long as you're willing to follow through with it and not back down in the pursuit of it. Always give your best shot: if it doesn't work out, you can always try it again from a different angle, and you will learn something from the process. I find we often learn more from our failures than our successes, after all, but... that's a post for a completely different series.
So yeah. Using mythology is just like tapping in to ancient fanfiction. I know that's a horrible metaphor but. It's kind of weirdly true. So remember to check your source material, but don't be afraid to make stuff up as you go along. At worst, you can always just claim 'alternate universe' really loudly until people leave you alone.
~Scrivener Blooms
Here's the thing, though. No matter what you write, people are always going to yell at you. Because many common things are perceived very, very differently by different people. For example, someone who happens to be quiet and mostly introverted can be seen as a secret plotter, as someone who's shy and worried about the way the world is perceiving him, as someone dull and boring who has nothing interesting to say, as someone secretly wise and who spends his time observing the world around himself, as a good listener, or as someone who's off in his own little world and doesn't really care about anything but whatever he's doing at the moment. And say, even if something happens right in the goddamn story that says 'Mr. So and So was secretly very intelligent,' some people are still going to look at this character and find reasons and ways to make him not intelligent. And then some people are going to get mad at other people for not following their interpretation of said character. Because. That's the way people are.
Mythology is like the same thing except there's more people who think you have to be totally 'in character' because clearly mythology is so much more serious and complex and completely full of original ideas. It's not like most mythologies are just copies of each other and use each other's characters all over the place however they please to make their own original mythological heroes look better by beating up that other mythology's heroes.
Luna says I'm cynical.
Anyway. The thing about mythology, however, is that unlike a lot of say... original fiction, if we're going with that metaphor still, is there's not often a comprehensive list of source material left over. Often, we have mythologies filled with deities and demideities we have precious few actual stories about, or maybe even only a mention here and there, and thus just a basic idea of their character. That might be seen as a bad thing, but... is it? Not at all. That's a blank slate for you right there, with one set idea that you have to choose to work in, but otherwise a character you can design to fit right into your story. And because many mythologies do have interlocking or interceding points - such as how the deities of one religion may be referred to as the demons in another - it gives you ways to connect entire pantheons.
The big thing is not to be afraid. If you have an idea about how to use a character or present a particular hero or deity, then run with it. You might be surprised how many people might say that's either really creative or that they once imagined so-and-so might be like this themselves. If you want to twist their relationships a little, do so. The biggest thing is not to be afraid of what you're doing. Any idea, no matter how stupid-sounding or bizarre, can be the foundation of a good story so long as you're willing to follow through with it and not back down in the pursuit of it. Always give your best shot: if it doesn't work out, you can always try it again from a different angle, and you will learn something from the process. I find we often learn more from our failures than our successes, after all, but... that's a post for a completely different series.
So yeah. Using mythology is just like tapping in to ancient fanfiction. I know that's a horrible metaphor but. It's kind of weirdly true. So remember to check your source material, but don't be afraid to make stuff up as you go along. At worst, you can always just claim 'alternate universe' really loudly until people leave you alone.
~Scrivener Blooms
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