Uncreated Conscience

There is not enough coffee in the world to keep me awake. Serves me right for staying up until 2am rereading HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and finishing Sarah MacLean‘s THE SEASON. (Review for the latter coming soon, I promise, as well as some thoughts about skydiving relative work.)

But good writing is better than coffee. In other, extremely happy news, Sarah Rees Brennan has uploaded the second part of her short story Sorcerer & Stone as thanks to her readers. I linked to the first part here, talking about how serial fiction can make for a bigger and more ardent fanbase.

Now, go read! If I haven’t convinced you of her awesome yet, then perhaps her words will.

A line from the second part of the story:

There was power building warm and sweet at the centre of his chest, at the focus of his mark. It felt like love.

Go, go, go! And if you haven’t yet, buy THE DEMON’S LEXICON! Then maybe she will write more serial stories.

Charles Dickens, Awesome Writer

If there’s something Charles Dickens got right, it was capitalising on the popularity of serially published fiction. Dickens, unlike many of my other favourite authors, had something writers would love to achieve: commercial and critical success within his lifetime.

Now, I like Dickens—he has a real gift for creating iconic characters—but I think the secret to his success was audience participation. In some ways, Dickens operated like modern-day fanfiction writer: writing novels one installment at a time rather than all at once, perhaps even modifying stories according to popular opinion, and ending each installment with a small cliffhanger/teaser to entice the reader to find out happens next. On the day the last installment of The Old Curiosity Shoppe was to arrive in America, mobs swarmed the piers of New York asking the sailors aboard ships, “Is Little Nell alive????” The more obvious comparison to make is comparing Dickens to a TV show, but I want to focus on the writing aspect.

(more…)

It’s been a long time since I’ve had to wash chlorine out of my hair.

There are things I love about southern California: that I woke up yesterday to a chilly overcast morning, that by 10:00am it was warm enough to swim in my parents’ complex’s outdoor pool, and that it was cool enough all day to never need air-conditioning.

Yesterday I saw Star Trek again after having been thwarted in my quest for a decent swimsuit. (Spock is just as hot, if not hotter, the second time around. Also, I did not realise Zachary Quinto was Sylar from Heroes. Somehow this makes it all more awesome because he is a villain.) What is it with tie-dyed animal print bikinis this season? They are simply the ugliest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Have I missed out on last year’s retro-inspired styles? And do cute-but-sturdy-enough-for-surfing bikinis exist?

In addition to running all over dodge for a non-hideous swimsuit, I found myself searching the length and breadth of Pasadena for Sarah Rees Brennan‘s THE DEMON’S LEXICON, as every bookstore I knew failed to have it on its shelves. On its release day. Bookstore fail.

Nevertheless, I was eventually successful in my quest for the book (if not the bikini) and without further ado:

(more…)

I am so easily amused by the silliest things. I must have the brain of a five-year-old.

Courtesy of Shoom’Lah‘s journal and found via Buttfacemakani:

I’m not sure why I love Ben so much, but I do. I’m not sure why I like the evil characters, the creeptastic weirdos, or pretty much anyone but the noble, kind, and good hero. Even if he does make hilarious Jackfaces. (Best ever? The “You can’t come, Kate” Jackface.)

(more…)

Sarah is brilliant. Sarah is redheaded. Sarah is Irish. Sarah is a very big person in Harry Potter fandom. Sarah is also someone whom I secretly stalk because I love reading her young-adult fantasy novel reviews, as well as her pretty fucking awesome movie parodies.

Like this one for Spiderman 3.

• PETER: Wow, I feel pretty good. My costume’s all black. Oh my God, I am Goth Spiderman!
• PETER: Maybe this isn’t a good thing. I just snapped at my landlord and then I looked in the mirror and oh my God, I look like Pete Doherty!
• PETER: I shouldn’t put that awesome Goth suit on again. I think it made me high.

I love Emo!Peter Parker in every iteration, even in those that make fun of him. Perhaps especially those that make fun of him.

• HARRY: Peter, you have a new hairdo! And you appear to be wearing eyeliner. Dude, no wonder you got beat down in school.
• PETER: Don’t talk to me about school when I am Goth Spiderman! It makes me hear the soundtrack of ‘I Hate Mondays’ in my head!

Tee hee!