If there’s one thing to know about me – other than being a writer and liking cats, or something – it’s that my favourite day of the year is Halloween.
In 2011 and 2012, I did Halloween posts here, but for whatever reason I totally forgot to do a post for 2013 – which is a shame, because it was a good one.
First, let me do a little backstory, here:
Like I said, Halloween is my favourite day of the year, chopping down my birthday and Christmas. I love the idea of dressing up. Costumes – the bigger and better – make me giddy. I love dressing up myself, I love dressing up my house, I love seeing what children are dressed up as. Everything about it makes me so happy. I wish it was Halloweek because one day just isn’t enough for me.
So, because of this, I like to go hard for Halloween.
Before I delve into this year, here are some examples of Halloween costumes past:
2008: Pregnant Nun
This is me comparing my bump to that of my pregnant French teacher. Mine is much larger than hers, as is abundantly clear. Though I didn’t compete in the school costume contest (which I regret, as I probably would have won something), everyone who passed me had something to say about my costume – and 98% of those comments were praising my twisted creativity. To this day, this is one of my favourites.
I had an idea the other day, as I sat in my living room surrounded by an ocean of books. I keep a list of the books I own for both neurotic purposes and in case there’s a fire, and as I was adding the most recent purchases to the list, I had a sudden thought:
What if I let people decide what I would read?
I have been thinking for a while that I would go through alphabetically and read all the ones that I haven’t read yet, but where’s the fun in that?
I’ve spent the past few hours reorganizing and reformatting my library into genres and whether or not I’ve already read them, and turning that into a .pdf file that’s easily accessible.
There are kids books. There are teen books I took from work and would never really want to read. There are epic classics that would probably make me want to weep. There are beloved tales dear to my heart.
The options are there.
With over 300 books to choose from, this could get real.
And maybe I’ll have friends at work pick books for me, to add to the fun.
It’s an opportunity to influence the life of another person, even a little – and to potentially humiliate them.
Each book I read I’ll do a review for, on the website here – and I’m considering doing a vlog review as well, if the book is a spectacular mess or particularly good.
So here’s your job, Internet:
Review the Library, pick a genre, and once we have a majority vote, we’ll cast another vote for books within the genre.
And I will read that book.
Without complaint.
This has the potential to be a big deal.
Think of it like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story – only you’re really effecting someone’s life.
The Library is here, waiting to be perused and admired.
And yes, Star Wars gets its own genre. Obviously.
So vote as much as you like, and get your friends to vote. Let’s get an overwhelming majority.
Hey, blogosphere. Merry belated Christmas! How was it for everyone? Full of joy and festivity and family fun?
Me, I had two Christmases. First time ever for that. On Christmas morning, I went to my mother’s and had family time, then today for Boxing Day I went to James’ family’s house after some very brief deal shopping (all I bought were ski pants so I don’t have to wear tearaways or snowboard pants whenever I want to go cross country skiing). I’ve always wanted to own the Tudors tv show, ever since watching it a few years ago and that bastard, Netflix, removed it from the stream. So my mother got me all four seasons in a box set. James got me a house coat that’s designed like R2-D2, because, hey, turns out I really like Star Wars. My brother got me a hardcover compilation of the Mass Effect comics, as well as a bottle of Grey Monk wine. Grown up gifts!
It didn’t feel like Christmas this year to me. It was a green, foggy Christmas – and I grew up with white Christmases, where we had so much so we could build tunnels through it. We had a bit of snowfall this year, but then it rained and melted most of it, then iced over. And we were hardcore pea soup fogged in this year, which I’ve never encountered before. I think that, and that my house wasn’t decorated, nor was James’, had something to do with the fact that it didn’t feel like Christmas. And besides, Christmas is more for kids than it is adults.
I guess that means I’m an adult now.
Hm.
Something to ponder.
How was everyone else’s Christmas (or other holiday they might celebrate!)?
I’ve moved, officially! It’s the first ever time, and I’m all by my lonesome. It’s a basement suite, same town I’ve always lived in, but it’s just me. This pleases me, because I am a solitary person. I can put things where I like – like putting my Alduin statue right next to the tv, or all my Star Wars movies on wall shelves – and I can shop for just what I need. Two days here and I’ve already developed a habit of not closing doors when nekkid.
Responsibility and independence suit me, I think. This is going to be a good time.
However, not all my books fit on my bookshelf. That’s so far the only real problem here. Too much entertainment!
In any case, now that I’m for the most part settled in, writing will once again resume, provided I can roll over this little bump of writer’s block. Also, hairventures. Those too.
Because they can be insightful, because I have nothing better to do that’s a lie, I should be developing the world of Changeling more, or writing more Abomination, or editing Purity, or starting on the rewrite of Of the Arbour, or–
And hey, maybe it’ll give everyone else more of an idea of just why I do what I do, and where this all comes from.
I’ve been writing stories for most of my life. I cleaned out my closet recently and discovered so many little half-baked stories that I’d come up with when I was younger than ten. I’ve known I’ve wanted to be an author since I was 13, but only recently have taken the major steps toward that goal, and actually written something worth publication.
2. When you were a beginning writer, what did your write primarily? What do you write now, primarily? (i.e. romance, fan-fiction, poetry)
I wrote plenty of Star Wars fanfiction that will never see the light of day. From there, I began to write sci fi stories that were based closely on Star Wars. In grade seven, a friend and I wrote a novel about vampires called Tears of Blood, which was completely scrapped save for one character: Fane, the son of Dracula, who now resides in Purity. I now usually write fantasy, high and epic. Continue reading →
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 7 years to get that many views.
If there’s one thing to know about me, other than that I write and that I love Star Wars, it’s probably that I have a compulsion to take my hair to extreme levels. I’m known at work by the customers because of my hair. People I’ve known all my life might see me one month with, say, long brown and orange curly hair, and the next month with dreadlocks. I’m a chameleon, basically. One friend’s mother, who I see on a fairly frequent basis, said that my hair is different every time she sees me.
I dyed it the first time when I was 8; I got blonde streaks that we ended up hating because the woman did a terrible job, and we dyed brown over top, that being my natural hair colour. The next time I dyed it, I was 12 and we dyed it black. And ever since then, it’s just been a constant stream of new hair ideas. Continue reading →
I recently downloaded from Steam the lovable old game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and installed the Restored Content mod that returned to the game content that the developers had to cut prior to the rushed release date. I love this game to bits, due to playing it all the time as a child, and I was fascinated to see what restored content I could fiddle with.
I had always known about the sub-level of the Telos military base, the one with the locked door that you can never enter. Cut content. I always knew it was the door to the HK manufacturing plant that G0-T0 took over after Revan abandoned it. So I was super excited once HK-47 initiated the quest to find out where the HK-50 droids were coming from so he could hunt them down and kill them. Continue reading →
And not as in Pennywise, the clown from Stephen King’s IT. I’ve been tagged by the most illustrious On Windy Days in a game of blog tag. Heck yes, blog tag.
The Rules
1. I must post the rules.
2. I must answer the questions the tagger listed for me.
3. I must create (or reuse) 11 questions for those I tag.
4. I must tag 11 people.
5. I must let them know they’ve been tagged.
1. What is your favorite quote, who is it from, and why?
My favourite quote… actually, there are several. 1) By Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds in Dragon Age: Origins and II: “… it is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly.” I love this not just because I’m a huge nerd and need a life, but because it’s entirely true. A teacher of mine once said that for every low you have in life, you must have an equal high. In the same quote is “Without an end, there can be no peace,” which I also like. I’m deep and thoughtful like that. 2) By Kreia/Darth Traya, the mentor/member of the Sith Triumvirate in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: “To be united by hatred is a fragile alliance at best.” This, this is just awesome. And also true. Video games are deep. 3) By Dagoth Ur, a mortal god and villain of the Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: “Who knows what we may be capable of, when we no longer fear death?”
Basically, I’m really nerdy.
2. Which song can bring you to tears or reminds you of your childhood?
Family Portrait, by Pink. Yeah, yeah, pretty typical, but I related to it as a child when my family life got tough, and it still makes me cry.
3. What is one thing that keeps you going day in and day out?
Probably my writing. It’s what my life revolves around. It’s definitely what I live for.
4. Why did you start blogging?
I started this blog as a better place to document my thoughts and show my writing to the world. I used to frequent deviantART, but due to a lack of interest on the site for writing, I thought it was a good idea to move on.
5. Is there one thing that you regret not doing in the past? If so, would you be willing to share what that was on here?
I can’t really think of anything. There’s plenty I can think of that I regret doing, but not necessarily not doing.
6. What is one thing that you saw that restored your faith in the human race?
I lose faith in the human race with every passing day, especially with what I see going on in the US, what with the war on women, drugs, gays, anyone-who-isn’t-an-extremist-republican. So it’s tough to say. Maybe this:
This is pretty cute. Go Australian firefighters.
7. Rain or Sun?
I’m 50/50. I live in a place of perpetual sun, so when it rains it’s a nice refreshing change. But I do like me a good, crazy rainstorm, the kind that soaks you in a minute.
8. What movie had the most impact on you? (A movie that just really made you challenge your view on anything)
Well, I’ve already sat here and thought about it for several minutes. Financially, the Dark Knight Rises, because I’ve seen it four times now (and can quote it directly in many places). But to actually answer the question, probably V For Vendetta. V is a bit of a hero of mine, because the point he makes is relevant to our changing times. A democracy is nothing without its people. And don’t worry, I’m not a communist/anarchist.
9. List five words that describe your character.
Goofy, nerdy, smiley, thoughtful, bookish (THIS IS HARD.)
10. What is your greatest fear?
Dying. I’d say water, because that scares the living shit out of me, but dying, definitely. I used to lie awake at night because I’d fret about it and work myself into a tizzy.
11. What do you ultimately want to accomplish in the days to come?
I’m going to finish Purity, edit the bejesus out of it, and publish it as an ebook for all to enjoy! Maybe not in the days to come, but that’s my current goal.
Blue Milk Special is one of the webcomics I religiously follow. Made by married artistic team Rod and Leanne, it is a parody strip that chronicles the Star Wars original trilogy. They started with A New Hope in 2009, and are now partway through the Empire Strikes Back, after completing two lesser known stories in between that tie things together.
This is more than just another parody of Star Wars – which, even the artists will agree, is done to death. While they do make fun of the common things that were done by the likes of Robot Chicken and Family Guy, they up the ante with a laid-back Vader who is rarely seen without coffee, a Carrie Fisher-ized Leia, an Admiral Ackbar with Spider-Man-like qualities, and a hero in everybody’s favourite unknown character: Biggs Darklighter. Loving Star Wars fans that they are, they poke fun at George Lucas from the ’70s and current day, and how much change has been made to the original trilogy since its conception: an example of this is when they decide to change Chewie’s look, and incorporate it into the story rather than just go back and pretend the original look never happened.
Even if you aren’t a huge Star Wars fan (like me; look what I did in the name of fandom) you’ll get a kick out of BMS. The jokes and characters are enough to keep even someone who doesn’t like Star Wars in stitches.
So kick back, relax with a glass of blue milk (but avoid the special), and enjoy the ridiculous antics of Luke, Leia, Han, Vader – and not least of all Biggs.
JP Marshman 