Eh...stuff?

[shadowkat]

1. So I'm listening to Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-men Because Someone Has To. And it's hilarious. Discusses how the writers lack continuity, because they drop in to write an issue, without really understanding what came before.

It also goes into some of the socio-political problems with same of the issues.

Take-away: "Why does Betsy licks motor-oil or blood off Cyclops face, isn't that bad for you?"

Also blows my mind that there are people out there who were far more encyclopedic and geeky about this than me.

And getting bored with romance novels, I may be going back to the X-men comics.

I don't know why this is ...but I only get obsessed with cultural pursuits, usually television shows, movies, or books/comics. (I don't get obsessed with theater because I can't bloody afford it.)
Also the things I get obsessed with or fannish about are weird:

* X-men comics (note no other comics, just those)
* Star Wars (Star Trek would have made more sense, more content)
* Farscape (see Star Wars...)
* The Chronicles of Lymond...
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my brother was shocked I didn't like Angel more, I didn't.)
* Daytime Soap Operas (I think I have a serial story fetish, particularly for convoluted stories that have no real continuity to speak of.)
* The Monkeeys
* Battle Star Galatica
* Battle of the Planets
* Kimba the White Lion
* Escape to Witch Mountain - book and 1970s film


2. Speaking of fannish things..

The Good Place is Renewed for Season 4

Yay. I'm really only invested in a handful of television series at the moment. One is The Good Place.

3. This poem by Kaitlin Boulding, entitled "Questions to Ask Yourself Before Giving Up" blew me away.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Giving Up by Kaitlin Boulding.

Particularly:

Remember: you are a comma, one
beloved earring, a house
circled on a traveller’s map,
sometimes misplaced,
but never an imposition.

Everyone feels like a hallway
at some point or another.
But you are a room
that people enter to stay.

From one hallway to another...yes, definitely that. (What a perfect metaphor for how I've been feeling lately.)

4. More fannish stuff...

Captain Marvel Trailer

5. And regarding Tumblr purge...

The Great Tumblr Purge Is Open

I feel for the people who had a lot of fic and art on that site that was adult oriented. (Note, you don't have to be explicit, to be defined as adult. Alot of my content is considered adult.)

I wrote and published a novel with adult content.


6. John Scalzi reveals that he wrote his last best-selling book, Consuming Fire, in two weeks...

Mainly because he was writing to a deadline and procrastinated for most of the summer. He announces this to the shock and dismay and considerable annoyance of his fellow writers. Then proceeds to explain that the story was already worked out in his head, he had written parts of it down, and basically locked himself in his study for two weeks -- wherein his wife shoved food at him under the door and various drinks.

[ETA: Why tell people it only took him two weeks? I mean, he has to know that's going to piss off people, right?]

I'm thinking, hmmm...must be nice to have an advance, a publishing deadline, a wife who will shove food at you, pay the bills, answer the door, buy the groceries, run errands, clean the house, and make sure your fed and okay while you fall into a writing coma. Most of us don't have this luxury.

It's like when you visit someone else's house or look into their yard, and watch their landscapers, etc, and you think -- I want that. This is coveting your neighbors goods. Hardly helpful.

I remind myself that he also went on a 12 city book tour, staying in various hotels, flying red-eyes, with people scheduling him, etc. And I think, eh, no, that's my definition of pure hell -- or purgatory rather, one of the many types or levels of purgatory. Much rather do what I'm doing for a living and write my stories on the side. I honestly don't care that much if a lot or very few people read them.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I'm thinking, hmmm...must be nice to have an advance, a publishing deadline, a wife who will shove food at you, pay the bills, answer the door, buy the groceries, run errands, clean the house, and make sure your fed and okay while you fall into a writing coma. Most of us don't have this luxury.

It's like when you visit someone else's house or look into their yard, and watch their landscapers, etc, and you think -- I want that.

First, yes, the advantages of an already successful writer (especially a male one) are very distinctive compared to the not yet published one! Though as you also note, these days one has to be one's best pitchman no matter what kind of contract you have. There's a lot to compete with.

Re: the yard (and similar things) I generally prefer just looking. Houses are work. Yards are work. Cars are costly and expensive ones are generally unnecessary (and the really "Ooooh!" ones tend to spend a lot of time in the shop and have huge insurance premiums). Less is a lot simpler. Also, it's kind of like travel. I love photos and documentaries of places I will never bother going to (even if I could afford it) because I'm not the type to want to spend 5 hours hiking for a 3 minute view.

[shadowkat]

First, yes, the advantages of an already successful writer (especially a male one) are very distinctive compared to the not yet published one! Though as you also note, these days one has to be one's best pitchman no matter what kind of contract you have. There's a lot to compete with.

Yep. 98% of being a successful novelist -- is the ability to promote and market yourself constantly. He spent two weeks writing and five months touring the country promoting his books. Ugh. I'd rather spend five months writing and two weeks traveling.

Also, since he's with a traditional publisher -- he doesn't pay for any of it, the publisher does. And a best-selling writer? They totally cover it. (I know writers with imprints or B list, who have to cover it themselves, and can't do that amount of touring.)

What blew me away though is he brags about it. Not a good idea. Then tries to explain it. It's like that kid in school, who procrastinates writing a paper, parties, has fun, then writes it the night before, turns it in and gets an A. While everyone else worked their asses off on it for several months. It's okay you did that, but don't brag about it, dude. ;-) I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of his fellow writers wanted to strangle him. LOL!

Re: the yard (and similar things) I generally prefer just looking. Houses are work. Yards are work. Cars are costly and expensive ones are generally unnecessary (and the really "Ooooh!" ones tend to spend a lot of time in the shop and have huge insurance premiums). Less is a lot simpler.

Oh so agree. And a good reminder. I'm not a house person. House's are a lot of work and wickedly expensive. Also, a lot more space than I need. I'm also not a yard person. I remember mowing the lawn as a kid, and shoveling the driveway...very happy never to have to do it again. Unless you have a lot of money, or are into that sort of thing. (Me? I'm happy taking a walk in the park or visiting someone with one on vacation.)

Regarding cars? I don't drive any longer -- I don't like cars. Wickedly expensive and anxiety inducing. I don't like being in them. There's a reason I live on the East Coast, work for a Railroad and live in NYC. I prefer trains. You can do a lot on a train. Even a crowded train.

love photos and documentaries of places I will never bother going to (even if I could afford it) because I'm not the type to want to spend 5 hours hiking for a 3 minute view.

Oh, I'll want the view -- I'm just not going to spend five hours hiking for it any longer. Been there, done that. Did it a lot in my twenties and thirties. Now, can't do it -- and don't really want to. I was looking into going to Machu Picchu, and discovered that no, you don't have to hike 8 hours to the top, you can take a bus or train.