Is this regularly enough?

For someone who's trying to get in a real habit of writing regularly, even if it's just a blog, I'm not doing the best of jobs. I'm awful and I know it. Anyway, since last post, I've read four books? Yeah.

So, first up! The Prophecy Con, by Patrick Weekes. 10/10

If Firefly was a book series, with magic, and elves and dragons and more WTF-ery, it'd be Rogues of the Republic. You've got a cast of characters as diverse and crazy as a sack of alley cats. Such a mix of personalities and motivations inclined for hilarity, drama, and non stop action that I can't imagine anything to make it better. You've got Loch and Kail, two ex-militaries with lots of sass and plenty of skill to back it up. Loch's arguably the brains of the operation, though is very much capable of being her own brawn. Kail is pretty much around to look good, make jokes about people's mothers, and pick locks/fights. And I adore nearly everything about him as a character. You've got a priestess with a talking war hammer, a ludicrously agile and strong monk with a vow of non violence, a unicorn with a creepy preference and persistence for virgins, an alchemist archer, a wizard that flunked out of school, and a lawman, all involved in trying to prevent a war they accidentally set the match for. By stealing a book of elf porn poems. While they all seem to find almost bull crap means of getting out of things, it all seems a bit too coincidental and Loch's apparently Wolverine, but hey. It works for the world and the characters. They're all each other's own personal deus ex, and while that sounds like a cop out, Weekes manages to keep enough suspense, intrigue, and questions regarding their survival and success that you forgive it. It's a brilliant series. Read it. I'll buy it for you. It's glorious in every way, and you won't be disappointed.

Or Kail will. 

(Not pictured. That's Mr. T. Probably someone Kail wishes he could be.)

BTW; (Killing Pretty, Sandman Slim #7, has already been preordered, in both hardcover, and eBook. Now I'm just waiting on my ARC.... /fingers crossed!)

Next... Being THAT guy, I read books when I hear there's a movie coming out. And I decided to read Seventh Son, a collection of books 1 and 2 of The Last Apprentice series. 5/10

I did a Goodreads review and I don't feel like elaborating or copy pasting. So flesfjskafj. There. TL;DR, mildly sexist, very juvenile while trying to sound hardcore, I doubt the movie will be anything like the packaged books. Well, actually, that's pretty much my entire review. LOL.

It was alright, I guess. Kept me busy for four days.

I just finished reading The Clockwork Dagger, 7/10, by Beth Cato, (received as a RC from Harper Voyager) and I adore the main heroine, but the rest of the book is kinda... mediocre. Light, easy reading, also steampunky with a touch of magic and war, so if you're into that sort of thing, with a touch of seemingly forced romance angles, then go for it. The character twists were great, though, and I'm currently reading the sequel, The Clockwork Crown (Obtained as a digital ARC from Harper Voyager.) I know, the legalities annoy me, too.

Characters are less bad ass than they appear. But still pretty neat.

As for my writing, I haven't really done anything since NaNoWriMo. I've had a couple of whacked dream ideas, and I wish I remembered more details of them, because they could totally make interesting books. I need that Japanese dream machine. I just hope that they wash it, and clear the memory banks, before I give it a go. I don't even want to think of what middle-aged Japanese men dream about. I've studied their culture and language for almost ten years, I don't need any more trauma. @_@;

- RaRa out.

Yay, 2015. Let's get this rolling.

ALRIGHT WELL.

So, I bet the one person that reads this blog aside from me will want an official update on NaNoWriMo2014. Well, I did it. My official total was 50,235 words.

Sort of.

The story I attempted was only moderately planned out ahead of time, and was written strictly chronologically, in an allotted two hours per night, from 11 pm to approximately 2:30 am. As most ideas tend to do, it flourished, changed, and warped as I went, and I had a serious main character crisis. So I decided to make this story a duology, in that it will be the same plot, from two different perspectives, in two separate books. Similarly, I've decided to crisscross timelines with my other main series and it's planned spin off, as some events happen simultaneously and are as relevant as any other plot points. Confused? Yeah, imagine having 15+ separate, defined personalities inside your head at all times that occasionally break through into real life.

But anyway. The main body of the NaNo story (the chronological, planned, and slightly polished final word count,) was approximately 18,000 words. BUT, here's where the "winner!" part comes in. I learned, from other WriMos, that at the end, when it comes to tally the counts, they add in random but related non sequential scenes, outlines, and bits of dialogue or character bios. So, technically, it's kind of cheating. BUT. It's all directly involved with the main story, so I'll consider my first attempt at NaNoWriMo a success. A cheap, cheating success, BUT DAMMIT I WANTED A DISCOUNT ON SCRIVENER.

The struggle is real.

I love this project. It's two female main characters. One, a gender fuck/fluid but biologically assigned female, the other, a strong, independent and resourceful yet definitely feminine biological and identifying female. It's a challenge for me to not write a male main character, as society has conditioned even me to lean toward masculine protagonists and more defined male characters as selling points or engaging story driving characters. And dammit, that needs to change. I think writing one strictly female, more passive character, and one who is more androgynous simultaneously in the same arc will help me figure out what works and what doesn't, because dammit, it's hard to write from a perspective with which you don't necessarily easily identify. BUT. Women are people too, and I want to join the authors that are trying to facilitate the expansion of valid, interesting, marketable characters.

Kameron Hurley pretty much nails it. Also, her book is totes on my TBR list. ... Which is a million books long. Dammit. I should work on that...

BTW. READING THIS:

YOU SHOULD TOO.
Or Kail won't bring your mother out for a nice dinner the next time he booty calls her.

Review to come. :3

- RaRa out.

Krampus: The Yule Lord

Harper Voyager sent me another goodie bag. I really dig this advance reader gig, when they send me good stuff, of course. I forgot to diagram the goodie package before this one, but that's for another entry.

Krampus: The Yule Lord, by Brom, click for review.

Antero, the Christmas alien.

Gideon, by Alex Gordon, available on 1/6/15.

An awesome over sized and soon to be modded t-shirt with an astro-sloth.

And treats. Which I actually put in shoes outside for Krampus, because I'm not super keen on THAT much mint. Also I don't want my ass beaten bloody by a tall, skinny, horned god.

That's it for now (this year, I guess.) I'm going to boot up some video games and take my mind off of reading for a while.

- RaRa out.

So um. Wow.

Let's be honest, here. I didn't think I'd take this as seriously as I said I would. But, I've written ~1,400 words per day. I've got 6,696 words done 5 days in. I have to write 43,303 more in 25 days. I'm fairly confident that I can do it.

The @ssh0le that invented this meme probably doesn't create entire realms of existence and have multiple personalities screaming inside their brain, never mind trying to have it all make sense... 

FCK YOU, I WILL NOT KEEP CALM.

I started off wicked strong, getting 2000 words out night one, and I've tapered off a little. I think it's just a slow point in the story, and it'll pick back up soon. I'm just... It's weird, having this be a thing. Taking it seriously but not super stressing, meaning and aiming to force it out in a month and go back over it later. I'm notorious for editing as I write, and that's why I get so discouraged with other projects, or burn out, because I just keep digging through what's already there rather than pushing forward.

I know dat feel, Sisyphus. 

Not this time. I've got an outline forming, I'm about 2-3 chapters/plot points ahead of where the writing is, and I'll do more tonight before I start my REQUIRED 1 1/2 hour daily writing I've been forcing myself into. Not sure whether to count it for the day before or the day of, since it's around midnight - 1 AM. I should move it back to earlier, since if I don't make 50K by midnight on the 1st, it doesn't count...

And then there's this fact of life. Which is why I rehash and edit. But... oh. What's up, Sisyphus. I see you up there, making my point. Good on ya, bro.

I want a shirt. I want printed and formatted paperback copies. I want this to happen. I want to be that @ssh0le at a coffee shop talking down to people because I actually finished a god damn book, rather than just talked sht about doing it. And I'll try my hardest.

But I'll need motivation. And support, and... Anyone want to be my accountability/reading buddy? :)

Sign me up right the fck now.

-RaRa Out

NaNoWri... Yeah. Right.

I've been blabbering on my Facebook about my plans for NaNoWriMo this year, and I realized earlier today... I have a blog for that sht. LOL. So, since my battery's dying and I already typed out two separate outlines for the same project, I'll just copy paste my Facebook postings. Because... America, I guess.

If I attempt NANOWRIMO, I have to write approximately 6 pages, or 1,700 words, a day, to make the 50K/30 day requirement. 

Leave it to Tard to keep it real.

I've doubled that number before, so I know I can do it. I've just been stressed and twisted and distracted and depressed for years, and it's tough to immerse yourself in a new world you're creating when you feel like less than nothing. I've written in bursts, but I always fall flat because the confidence and ambition evaporates. But this year I'm escaping into this project. I'm going to force the past depression, stress and worthlessness I've felt for so long out of my head and dive in to become a multitude of other people. I'll find my strength and worth in my characters; the pieces of me I keep hidden. I don't expect to hit 50K, but I'll consider 25K a victory.

I'm trying to decide what project to drown in for NaNoWriMo. Part of me wants to start something fresh, another part to dive back into something started but unfinished and count 50K after what's already written. I know that's kind of cheating, but I see NaNoWriMo as more of a HEY, MOTIVATION rather than HEY, DO IT RIGHT AND TAKE IT SO SERIOUSLY YOU HAVE A ANEURYSM. Because, well, I'm that serious about my writing all the time, which is why, I think, I never get much done. I take it too seriously. It means too much to me. And I refuse to write anything bad. So, if I take a lighthearted, fun approach to a month dedicated to celebrating authorship and writing rather than racking my head and heart over something at which I refuse to fail, this first draft (or most of one) in a month could really help me out. It will definitely help with my perfectionist attitude toward my writing, at least. And now here's the question: Do I work on something I already started, as I sort of have a grasp on the characters, tone, and story, or should I dig up an outline and start something fresh?

#7 of OVER 9000!!!

I've got two potential main characters for this project. They're both female, which is weird for me, because I'm not used to writing female characters as leads, so that's challenge number 1. I guess it comes down to which leading lady sticks out in my head more, which one seems more interesting. I outlined the plots for both so they can happen simultaneously and intertwine at various points, and the events of one affects the other. I'm leaning toward writing one entirely, then the other, and having it be not really a duology, as they're the same story from different viewpoint...

i dunno. I'mma try real hard this year. I need to write again. I've been out of it for long enough, it's time to get serious again. I mean, writing's not THAT difficult, right?

Oh. Well, sht.

- RaRa out.

Diverg-meh.

Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. All YA's the same to me.

Simply, elementary, childish sentences. Very definitive with single dimension characters, unless you're magically Divergent. Of course. Which everyone probably will be by the end. Or dead. Something noble like that, since it seems to be a theme at this point.

Not going to bother with spoilers, Or a detailed review, because it was meh at best. Better than Twilight. About on the same level, entertaining wise, as Mortal Instruments, but slightly dumbed down.

My OCD is making me read the next two, as I could get through the first one, and god dammit.

Why are the pierced/tattooed/different people depicted as violent, brutish, drunken delinquents that are easily brainwashed? Why can't people that look different never actually be perceived and characterized as inherently bad? Cop out for describing them as the "bad" ones.

I should outline my YA scale at some point; SURPRISE; Twilight is at the bottom. XD

Ugh. Onto Insurgent, I guess. ... After some League of Legends.

Daylight War (Kinda) But mostly: Books -> Movies; yay or nay?

I finished Daylight War. And let's just say. CLIFF HANGER MUCH?! If you read it, you'll get it.

I'm not super duper into this series post first book, as I really, really hate the pseudo Middle Eastern Krasians and the rampant rape culture throughout the last half of Painted/Warded Man, Desert Spear, and Daylight War. It feels as though Brett went for budding feminism, but missed the mark. Maybe I'm just jaded, or an ignorant American, but I've never been and never will be pro-polygamy or accepting of rape, in any circumstance, or subjugation/objectification of women, whether or not it makes/breaks characters. I think it's a crutch for authors to use to give characters reasons to be strong, or to fall into their weaknesses, even excuse or define cultures too plainly. I'm not a fan of rape and pseudo-feminism being used as a story arc or plot device, in any event, and I personally try avoid both reading and writing it. THE SERIES IS NOT ALL ABOUT RAPE, it just... feels like an erotic/romance novel jammed into an hopefully unintentionally misogynist fantasy, and that's not what I signed up for. There's too much of it for me not to mention it as a major flaw, in my opinion. Don't get me started on the bullshit the Republicans are pulling, lately...BUT. Before this becomes an off topic rant ...

I'm also not happy about how Brett's making me split my allegiance between the two protagonists, as I'd prefer Arlen to be the 100% good and Jardir the 100% bad, but that's probably why he wrote them as he did. No spoilers, just a basic premise; both Arlen and Jardir have ended up being the respective spiritual leaders of their cultures, on the same side of a war but not fighting unified; Arlen, begrudgingly, Jardir with bells on and waving sparklers. Jardir got his power the "normal," legitimate way (arguable, but that's a spoiler,) while Arlen fell into his out of necessity, lack of option, and needing a way to survive.

Inevera; wife of Ahmanarama lama ding dong flibbty floo Jardir, named for the first wife of Everam.
Krasian; The Will of Everam (god.)
Steph-anese: Terrible figure of pseudo-feminism; total backfire.

Know what, no. Screw the rules. I'm Team Arlen all the way. I hope it doesn't end like I think it does. Because I will be so mad. Be warned, Brett. I will be so SO MAD if you go where I think you're planning to. SO. MAD.

And I'm very not happy about the turn the whole series took about two thirds through the first book. But that's probably me being hypersensitive and too lazy to fully explore and explain my problem with subjugation of women as a plot device. So, deal with it.

But with that out of the way, as I promised I'd do a mini review for that, I'm thinking I need to read Divergent before the movie comes out. Because I'm That Guy.

Except for Twilight. Because fuck that shit.
And City of Bones. I read that, (why, I don't know,) because that movie bombed. As it should have.

I'm stone cold one of those book is better than the movie types; mostly because I believe that most people are lazy, and use the excuse of a movie to not read the book. Also applies to those that won't see foreign films because "I don't go to movies to read." I won't bother to list how many recent movies alone were adaptations that changed things completely from the source material, left out vital parts, or didn't really do the book any justice whatsoever. Even the great film adaptations, like Harry Potter, and to a lesser extent, Battle Roya- The Hunger Games, left much to be desired for fans of the books. Mostly minor details, or things not necessary to carry the story, but reading the book, you'll watch it and be like: Where's this character? She didn't say that, or he didn't do that, this character did, and etc.

Which is why I'm praying to Cthulu that the movie adaption of Sandman Slim isn't as bad as I'm expecting it to be. You can't manage to take so much material, such an amazing world, and confine it to one movie. A: they won't have the budget they need, B: there's soooo much material, and C: Kadrey's had bad luck with his work becoming film. Here's to hoping. (And hoping that they cast me as Candy. Not that they will, but god dammit, I can fit the part to a T; just gotta get my hair did.)

I know nothing about Divergent except for the basic premise, which I said "Oh, you mean Hunger Games all over again?" while reading. Yes, Hunger Games did well. Collins claims it wasn't based off of Battle Royale. OK, fine. I'll take that. But Divergent sounds like it's trying to capitalize on the success of Hunger Games. I'll give it a shot, though. Hunger Games wasn't a total disappointment, despite me thinking BattleRoyaleBattleRoyale the entire time. I read YA books so quickly it's laughable, mostly because many examples of that genre are vapid and shallow and don't need me to pay too much attention.

Except for one series. Which will get its own entry. Because I was amazed that it was YA and I LOVED it.

Soon. <3

I've got until March 21st to read Divergent, and potentially the other two books as well. If I don't put a bullet in my head after trying to get through the first. Then I'll probably start on my Harper Voyaging.

Movie date anyone? Don't mind me making comments under my breath and scribbling in my notebook the entire time.