I'm starting to feel listless again - the way I used to feel back in my sophomore year. I was hoping the feeling would stay away this summer, but I guess I haven't been making much of an effort to keep busy. I got a job, or something you could call one, but it's a bit too irregular to keep me out of the house the way I'd prefer.
Guess I'll have to rededicate my efforts to committing to other hobbies besides the Internet. At least I'll be getting a new Brandon Sanderson book in the mail tomorrow - that should help. But most of all, I really can't wait for college to start up again - IUPUI is too far away from me right now.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016
Concept Corner #14
Concept Corner #14 - Outer Rim High
The story of the main actor of a famous TV show and the struggles he faces in his career alongside his coworkers, which he transforms through the lens of his imagination into high-intensity action sequences not unlike the ones on his show.
I got the idea of a story about the making of a TV show from the movie Bolt, and the main character (name currently undecided) came from my experiences with Asperger's. He's an actor who plays the main character on a hit TV show in-universe - think Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the supernatural elements traded for futuristic, sci-fi ones - and like me, he's autistic. He faces challenges in his daily life - both related to the show and not - that some neurotypical people might not be burdened by, and he uses his imagination to change them into scenes and stories that might belong on his show, which allows him to approach them from a better vantage point.
I love using my imagination - it's a big reason why I want to be an author - and I think writing about a person who embraces his imagination so freely would be a fun experience for me.
The story of the main actor of a famous TV show and the struggles he faces in his career alongside his coworkers, which he transforms through the lens of his imagination into high-intensity action sequences not unlike the ones on his show.
I got the idea of a story about the making of a TV show from the movie Bolt, and the main character (name currently undecided) came from my experiences with Asperger's. He's an actor who plays the main character on a hit TV show in-universe - think Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the supernatural elements traded for futuristic, sci-fi ones - and like me, he's autistic. He faces challenges in his daily life - both related to the show and not - that some neurotypical people might not be burdened by, and he uses his imagination to change them into scenes and stories that might belong on his show, which allows him to approach them from a better vantage point.
I love using my imagination - it's a big reason why I want to be an author - and I think writing about a person who embraces his imagination so freely would be a fun experience for me.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Storms
It stormed like the dickens down here in Zionsville today. Anyone else get some of the same?
I actually really like stormy days, when I get to stay inside and watch the rain beat down on the ground. Sometimes the clouds are so thick that it becomes dark outside, and it all feels so oddly cozy. It's a simple feeling, but it's one I really enjoy.
I actually really like stormy days, when I get to stay inside and watch the rain beat down on the ground. Sometimes the clouds are so thick that it becomes dark outside, and it all feels so oddly cozy. It's a simple feeling, but it's one I really enjoy.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Two birds in one
So last Christmas, I got a couple of presents that I thought would make for good hobbies; an adult coloring book from my parents, and an artist's set from my grandparents. At the time, it seemed as though they were things I could really get into, but I kept running into problems that made me not really want to make use of either of them. Coloring in the book took too long and made my hand hurt, which was not enjoyable, and I could never think of anything worth creating with the artist's loft. As a result, they sort of both faded into the back of my mind where the other unimportant things lie.
I've been looking for more hobbies to take the place of computer time recently, and I think I've found something worth doing. By combining the watercolors from the artist's set with the coloring book, I can create a much more enjoyable experience than either of them separately provided me. It's much less tedious, it's easier on my hand, and I still get to make use of both of them. Maybe I'll post pictures up here every now and then.
It's nice when you can make use of old things, isn't it?
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Off the reels
I like movies. I don't see a lot of them these days, although several days ago I saw The Jungle Book and I thought it was really good. Another point for Disney.
But right now I have another movie in mind; the upcoming epic fantasy Warcraft, based on the hit video game series by Blizzard. I first heard about it around the end of 2015 and I couldn't wait for it - not because I'm a Warcraft fan but because I'm a sucker for fantasy, video games, and special effects. It comes out in about two weeks, and to my dismay the early reviews have not been promising. I've seen scores as low as a 3/10, and others around 6.5, which is admittedly really good for a video game movie (to be fair, these are professional critics, and I've seen several casual reviews on IMDB that are much higher).
Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of forming my own opinion on things instead of holding up others' opinions. Take Jurassic World, for example: apparently a lot of people didn't think it was good, but I really liked it. Not enough for a second viewing, but I enjoyed the movie.
But as I said, I like movies, and I want the ones I spend my time and money on to be both enjoyable and good. I've seen plenty of horrible movies experience success and even sequels (Alvin and the Chipmunks, anyone?) and the sad truth (or maybe I'm just cynical) is that seeing a movie and complaining about it online still means that you paid money to see it. With that in mind, I feel like every time I see a bad movie, regardless of my own opinion on it, I'm endorsing the further production of bad movies. I've held that view for a while now, and it's made enjoying movies a lot harder because now I feel like I'm doing an injustice by seeing them.
I guess it'd be nice if I had somebody to talk to about this. I do have a friend who's a big movie buff, but ideally I'd appreciate a plurality of viewpoints for this, Maybe at IUPUI I'll find a movie club or something, but for now I guess I'll have to be satisfied with venting on my blog. I hope it was enjoyable, at least.
But right now I have another movie in mind; the upcoming epic fantasy Warcraft, based on the hit video game series by Blizzard. I first heard about it around the end of 2015 and I couldn't wait for it - not because I'm a Warcraft fan but because I'm a sucker for fantasy, video games, and special effects. It comes out in about two weeks, and to my dismay the early reviews have not been promising. I've seen scores as low as a 3/10, and others around 6.5, which is admittedly really good for a video game movie (to be fair, these are professional critics, and I've seen several casual reviews on IMDB that are much higher).
Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of forming my own opinion on things instead of holding up others' opinions. Take Jurassic World, for example: apparently a lot of people didn't think it was good, but I really liked it. Not enough for a second viewing, but I enjoyed the movie.
But as I said, I like movies, and I want the ones I spend my time and money on to be both enjoyable and good. I've seen plenty of horrible movies experience success and even sequels (Alvin and the Chipmunks, anyone?) and the sad truth (or maybe I'm just cynical) is that seeing a movie and complaining about it online still means that you paid money to see it. With that in mind, I feel like every time I see a bad movie, regardless of my own opinion on it, I'm endorsing the further production of bad movies. I've held that view for a while now, and it's made enjoying movies a lot harder because now I feel like I'm doing an injustice by seeing them.
I guess it'd be nice if I had somebody to talk to about this. I do have a friend who's a big movie buff, but ideally I'd appreciate a plurality of viewpoints for this, Maybe at IUPUI I'll find a movie club or something, but for now I guess I'll have to be satisfied with venting on my blog. I hope it was enjoyable, at least.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Past Nonperformance, Future Results
They say you should write what you know. I can understand that - applied experience gives a story and its characters life, depth. People can tell if a story is flat, and what kind of writer wants that?
But what if you haven't had that many experiences, by choice or by absence of opportunity?
It's something I've been worrying about recently. I've got a lot of ideas I want to turn into stories, but not a lot has happened to me that I can draw from for these specific stories. Others, maybe, but not many the ones I have in mind now. Elegy, one of the ones I've been holding forefront for a while now, is an exception; it's about regret, and life after high school, both of which are things I know. I think that's part of why it's so much more concrete in my head than others. But even it isn't fully covered by my experiences - unlike the main characters, I have both of my parents, and I've never been a foster child, a police officer, a ghost, or a homosexual, among other things.
I draw a lot of my inspiration for stories and characters from other stories; I experience them to understand how to write them into my own tales. But what if that's an inadequate substitute, doomed to fail because I have neither the chance nor understanding of how to gather the relevant experiences? I could talk to people with those experiences, but there's only so much I can gather from that as well.
Times like this, I really wish I knew an author I could talk to about things, get some solid advice. What do you readers out there think?
But what if you haven't had that many experiences, by choice or by absence of opportunity?
It's something I've been worrying about recently. I've got a lot of ideas I want to turn into stories, but not a lot has happened to me that I can draw from for these specific stories. Others, maybe, but not many the ones I have in mind now. Elegy, one of the ones I've been holding forefront for a while now, is an exception; it's about regret, and life after high school, both of which are things I know. I think that's part of why it's so much more concrete in my head than others. But even it isn't fully covered by my experiences - unlike the main characters, I have both of my parents, and I've never been a foster child, a police officer, a ghost, or a homosexual, among other things.
I draw a lot of my inspiration for stories and characters from other stories; I experience them to understand how to write them into my own tales. But what if that's an inadequate substitute, doomed to fail because I have neither the chance nor understanding of how to gather the relevant experiences? I could talk to people with those experiences, but there's only so much I can gather from that as well.
Times like this, I really wish I knew an author I could talk to about things, get some solid advice. What do you readers out there think?
Concept Corner #13
Concept Corner #13 - Mirrors
In a futuristic city, there are stories drifting about a mysterious figure - a phantom thief, who broadcasts his heists to all who will watch and yet escapes capture without effort whilst stealing nothing. The police want to capture him. The public wants to know more, to be entertained. But nobody knows the thief's true motives, or the truth behind his targets.
Among the thief's fans is a young reporter who places him atop a pedestal, and who has made it her life goal to uncover the truth about his pursuits. A chance encounter gives her the opportunity she's sought after for so long, but in turn pulls her into a journey of revenge and danger that she may not be prepared for.
Never meet your heroes...
Despite what that description may imply, this is not to be a Twilight-esque romance story. The ages don't match up, and their personalities would ensure any romance is a stillborn one. Their relationship will be complex and changing, but romance is not in the cards between them.
I was inspired to write a phantom thief story after watching this anime, Dimension W, that features one such character. I get a lot of my inspiration this way; I see something in another story that I think is cool or intriguing, and I spin it into a story of my own. I'm not sure if that makes me unoriginal, but it's worked pretty well for me so far.
In a futuristic city, there are stories drifting about a mysterious figure - a phantom thief, who broadcasts his heists to all who will watch and yet escapes capture without effort whilst stealing nothing. The police want to capture him. The public wants to know more, to be entertained. But nobody knows the thief's true motives, or the truth behind his targets.
Among the thief's fans is a young reporter who places him atop a pedestal, and who has made it her life goal to uncover the truth about his pursuits. A chance encounter gives her the opportunity she's sought after for so long, but in turn pulls her into a journey of revenge and danger that she may not be prepared for.
Never meet your heroes...
Despite what that description may imply, this is not to be a Twilight-esque romance story. The ages don't match up, and their personalities would ensure any romance is a stillborn one. Their relationship will be complex and changing, but romance is not in the cards between them.
I was inspired to write a phantom thief story after watching this anime, Dimension W, that features one such character. I get a lot of my inspiration this way; I see something in another story that I think is cool or intriguing, and I spin it into a story of my own. I'm not sure if that makes me unoriginal, but it's worked pretty well for me so far.
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