I don’t understand

There are probably a lot of things I don’t understand but for the purposes of this page, we’re going to limit it to one specific thing. A friend of mine posted a link to an article today about things not to say to women who don’t have children. I read it and I really want to know who are the people out there who actually say these things? I know I rarely leave my house but, if the internet is to be believed, every woman snarks at every other woman who didn’t make exactly her choices in life. If that’s the case, and all I know are the outliers, then yay for me but it must suck for everyone else.

There are articles on why every brand of woman shouldn’t be judged. Awesome. I just don’t understand why we need them. Have people really become so rude to each other that they need etiquette lessons on how not to be a super awful person?

The only comments I’ve ever had on my life choices came from family and were absolutely expected if only because there are people who need to complain and if they don’t have something to complain about their day is not complete and it’s only fair that I get some of those complaints directed at me. I’ve never had a stranger say anything judgy to me. According to my anxiety, they are certainly thinking it but no one has ever put their judgement into words.

I am a stay at home mom who breastfed both her children. And now I can think of one judgement passed on me but even that wasn’t words (they just left the room or avoided me entirely for 18 months) and said more about them than me as some people are very uncomfortable around breastfeeding women.  A lot of people don’t consider my job a job but it is and I work at it for several hours every day. I was raised by an awesome single mom who did her best and I don’t judge moms who go to work because my favorite mom ever worked every day to provide for our little family.

In my head, there are people I judge a little – mostly anti-science people – but I go out of my way not to comment unless asked directly and just sort of ignore them. And bigots. I do judge bigots pretty harshly and that one I’m not so quiet about.

Is it really a thing to be met by such awfulness in the real world? to be pointed at and judged for things that are no ones business at all? If it is, I think I’ll continue being the hermit that I am because that is not a world worth knowing.

My Favorite Words to Write

I imagine most writers will agree with me that the best words ever are “The End.” I got to write them today on Demonborn and I’m a very happy writer. I swear I was on the last few pages for a month. Now I hope to snag a few beta readers and move on to a new project.

Last night I got to see Mad Max finally and it was wonderful. I got to write all about it over at The Geek Girl Project. I love getting to do that. I don’t have a lot of  friends to geek out to and I really wanted to geek out over Mad Max. Getting to write for TGGP gives me an outlet I would not otherwise have. I was very happy with the movie. I think the next one I’m really looking forward to is Deadpool. Witch Hunter looks pretty good though.

Right now, I’m watching The Professional (super good movie, if a bit cringy) and fighting with the dogs because they are irksome. I’m enjoying my all by myself evening. Tomorrow I’ll figure out which of my other projects I’m going to focus on – there are a bunch of them – and get back to work. Maybe I’ll read a book or watch a movie. For today, I’m just going to bask in the glow of writing The End.

Movie Magic

Just by pure dumb luck, we found the perfect summer camp for my oldest kid – all about the engineering of movies. He loves the magic of movies – his whole damn Christmas list was full of it – green screen, better camera, books about editing and stop motion. He’s seen a number of movies that represent the best examples of current effects magic but his knowledge of practical effects is limited to the original, non-cgi’d up run of Star Wars and Dune.

I’ve been thinking about this all morning and making up a list of movies with the best practical effects. I think he might, maybe, be old enough for Alien now and that’s the best of them in my opinion. We’ve discussed Savini’s work and Lon Chaney’s work. We’ve looked at Spielberg, Lucas, and Henson’s stuff. We’ve talked Face Off type movie makeups and things like that. If we want to look at bad special effects, we’ll see about finding some Mystery Science Theater 3000. Too bad the USA network doesn’t still run their Saturday night awful movie marathons.

What are your favorite movies that use primarily practical effects? What movies do you love for their makeups or effects?

My list so far: Original run Star Wars, Original Dune, Alien, Jaws (holy moly that shark!), American Werewolf in London (he’s definitely NOT ready for this one), Terminator 2 (not sure about this one either). Most of the best ones, I don’t think he’d like. How I gave birth to a kid that doesn’t like scary things, I don’t know. So, I need help finding awesome movies that aren’t scary (even if the best effects are in the scary ones apparently).

 

Paradox

Every once in a while something happens that I swear has already happened before. I think everyone gets that sometimes. I wonder if everyone also sometimes feel like they know something – absolutely, without a doubt, 100% fact KNOW something – when a search/inquiry shows that the thing you know is wrong or doesn’t exist at all. Sometimes it feels like someone has changed the timeline and I’m the only one that remembers things the way they are supposed to be. It’s worse when I’m tired and have convinced myself that one title is another title that is close but not exact.

In the story I’m working on now, one of the elements is very much like Ezekiel’s wheel. When I’d written out my rough draft, I did scant bits of research on the fly and didn’t write down anything more than my answers so I have this name for my wheel within a wheel and, when I look it up, the word itself does not exist. It’s going to exist now because I think I’m going to use it but where the hell did I pull it from before? There’s a slim chance it’s a misspelling but even using the possible misspelling, all I get is a company that makes custom rims. I refuse to call it an elaborate, cosmic gyroscope. So, I suppose its is now an Orpim Wheel for purposes of this story. I only wish I knew where I got that word, if I was looking through Mesopotamian, Sumerian, or Egyptian lore when I found it. In this instance, it really feels like I got the name from somewhere but Google tells me it is only an antibacterial.

It is possible I will learn this lesson and start keeping track of where I get interesting facts but the odds are this exact thing will happen again and it will frustrate me just the same and I will again tell myself that I should really start making note of WHERE I’m researching stuff.

All things Book

I’m currently reading a great book (or two), writing what I hope will be a good book, and thinking about a new book to follow Hunter’s Crossing.

A few weeks ago I went to Steel City Con and was quite enamored of Doug Bradley. If you read my blog or follow The Geek Girl Project at all, you probably already know that I’m also a bit obsessed with movie magic, especially the makeups. Doug Bradley wrote a book: Behind the Mask of the Horror Actor. All about masks. And it is really wonderful. Apparently, it was also a lecture at one point and I really wish I’d been able to attend it. In my head, I hear much of the narrative in his voice anyway but attending in person would have been great fun and very interesting.

A few days ago, I participated in my first ever Facebook book release party. I’m not exactly sure how successful it was, but it was fun.  This event was for the release of the latest in a series of shared world anthologies, Sha’Daa: Facets. I really rather like my story in this book. Granted, I’ve really liked all the stories I’ve written for the Sha’Daa series so far. I still think my personal favorite is in Sha’Daa: Tales of the Apocalypse. The Boy Without Words hits a little close to home maybe, even if the boy in the story’s autism is much more severe than my sons.

Hunter’s Crossing now officially has a print edition as well! It’ll be another day or so before it is up on Amazon but it is available right this moment HERE. Hardwired Humanity also has a print edition. I need to see about getting Guardian of the Gods formatted but maybe soon!

Now, I should probably get back to work. This year has been really great for me but it took a lot of work to get it there. If I work just a little harder, maybe next year will be even better.

Happy Mother’s Day!

My mom

To the moms out there – have a lovely day 🙂

For me, Mother’s Day is a bit of a mixed bag. I love being a mom but I miss being a daughter. I lucked out in the mother-in-law department. I have an awesome stepmom and grandmother. I don’t want to detract from them but this is one of the days that I miss my mom the most. Generally, it’s Christmas, Halloween, mother’s day and the anniversary of her death that hit me. Her birthday doesn’t hit me so hard but I don’t know why.

My mother was pretty awesome and died much too young. She passed many things on to me – my love of books, my dislike of cleaning, my overly sensitive skin, my obsession with all things fantasy/scifi/horror, and my big mouth that likes to get me into trouble. I am only the Queen of my Geekdom because she was Queen first and raised this princess up dreaming of swords, telephone boxes, and space ships instead of castles, carriages, and princes.

I took her for granted before she got sick (because honestly what sixteen year old doesn’t take their mom for granted?) and didn’t have nearly enough time, or the maturity, to tell her all the ways I looked up to her. I don’t know that we would have been as close as we were when I was little if she’d survived to see my adulthood but I like to think that we would, more or less anyway.

Being a mom myself is something I always knew I was meant to do. If pregnancy didn’t seem hellbent on trying to kill me, I’d

My Boys.

probably have more kids but I love the two I’ve got more than I ever believed possible.  I can’t imagine a life in which I am not a mother. No matter how frustrated I get with them or how obnoxious they are to each other they are the best things I’ve ever had a hand in creating. I wish more than anything that my mom was here to know my boys but I settle for telling them all about her and sharing with them her obsessions and quirks. I try to be the best mom I can be and I think I’m doing pretty well, if my boys are any indication.

If you are reading this and a – live somewhere May 10 is Mother’s Day, b – haven’t done so already, and c – have one available to call, please call your mother. If you’re reading this and are a mother – Happy Mother’s Day!

Discombobulated

Not only is it my youngest child’s favorite word, it’s a good description for how I’m feeling at the moment. Not necessarily in a bad way I suppose.

I’m feeling a bit out of sorts lately. There’s a lot going on but, ultimately, it’s just weird. There are good things coming out of it so I can’t complain too much but I do hope things settle out soon.

 

Part of it may be that I’m working on two long projects in tandem. Fortunately, they are nothing alike so it’s easy to compartmentalize them. The main characters do share some personality traits in that they are both females who aren’t afraid to share what’s on their mind but they are also very different. One is fighting to keep her place in the world, the other to find it. One just wants to love her man, the other seeks to avenge hers. One is human, the other, not so much. One is definitely more violent and the other sees violence as a last resort, something to be used only in defense of someone else. One is a sequel, the other is a stand alone project. I love them both and I want to finish them both RIGHT NOW. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to finish them both as quickly as I’d like. I need some patience. I have none and I feel like that would be a useful thing to have.

In happier things (or at least geekier), I’ve been working on organizing the wall above and the top of my desk… I’m trying to see how many of my favorite fandoms I can get represented there. Right now, I’m at 19. Deadpool, Supernatural, The Crow, the X-Files, Twin Peaks, Star Trek, Hellraiser, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, X Men, Batman, Star Wars, Doctor Who, The Watchmen, Big Bang Theory, cats, dragons, and gargoyles. (the last three are just things I love and not exactly fandoms but they get counted anyway). I’m missing more than I can ever find room for in just this little space. I’m planning to at least add in something Constantine, Harry Potter, Ender, Dune, and LOTR. Unfortunately, there is simply not enough room for all the fandom-type things I love.

Passing in a blur

Whenever I stop to think about it, I realize just how fast this year is passing by. I say the same thing every year but it doesn’t make it less true. It always feels like the year is moving faster than it should be. The days sometimes seem to take forever but weeks and months are gone like nothing. It’s already May! I have to get my garden put together if I’m going to have any chance of producing enough of anything.

I was really hoping to be done with Demonborne by now but other things took priority status. I’ve got four longer projects (one novel rough draft, one novella rewrite, two novel rewrites) I’m working on plus a few things out in submission that I’m really hopeful about. That doesn’t count the short stories floating around in my head or the poetry I keep putting off or any of the household or crafty projects on my plate. I need to get better at dividing my time between all the things I’m trying to get finished (or started). I can’t really use April as a basis for anything though as it was such an exciting month for me. I’m still riding the wave of excitement and inspiration as a matter of fact.

On one hand, I’d like time to slow down a little bit and let me get more things done. On the other hand, the faster time passes, the closer I am to Mad Max and Deadpool. (A girl’s got to have priorities…) I’ve gotten my writing for today done as I have a bunch of house stuff that really needs to get done. At least there were words – even if they were revision words (and boy are they making the difference between an ok story and an I want people to read this story).  Later I really really need to do a couple of crits for my crit group before the admins boot me out! Being busy isn’t a bad thing but I should probably try and maybe not start so many projects at the same time.