By "the Lazy Way," I mean I'm going to link you to my mother's blog for this entry. It was her party, after all. :)
How did you like the Oscars? Did your favorites win?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Dead Fairies
"I found the dead fairy on our back porch during last week's spring cleaning."
The January print edition of Golden Visions Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy arrived in my mailbox this week, and it contains a story I wrote called "An Emmet Lost." If you like dead fairies, then this might be the piece of short fiction for you. :) If not, there is plenty of other fantastic content to check out.From "An Emmet Lost," by Irene L. Pynn
This publication is packed with original fiction, reviews, articles, and more. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys SF/F, and I'm very happy to have my work appearing in Golden Visions for a second time (the first was with a short story called "Mind Reader").
If you get a chance to take a look, please let me know what you think!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
My New Love
Because I'm doing a lot of school these days, that means I'm doing a lot of reading. Some of it I like, some of I could do without, and every now and then, I fall in love.
Titus Groan is a new love of mine. This novel by Mervyn Peake is simply fabulous. Has anyone else read it? (no spoilers, please -- I haven't gone to the second book yet)!
It is the first in the Gormenghast series, and though it moves slowly, it's well worth the effort to read all 387 pages (depending on which version you have -- I suppose the page lengths could change). In fact, its pace is part of what makes it so wonderful. Mervyn Peake takes things slowly and deeply so that you truly feel as though you live inside Gormenghast Castle, and you are learning to accept its horrible eccentricities every minute you lie enraptured with the book in your hands.
It's really good. Let me just leave it at that.
Now, since I posted my response to Alice, I decided I might as well post (some of) my response to Titus. Please feel free to share your thoughts, too.
To me, Titus Groan is a story about age. The age that distances Fuchsia from her father, the years that separate Titus from Steerpike, and the generations that block ancient magic from Gormenghast. Just because the reader never witnesses any outright acts of magic in the novel does not mean that it isn’t there. In fact, Mervyn Peake shows us in current Gormenghast the shell of magic long ago, when the Castle itself was a youthful thing.
In Gormenghast, all thoughts of progress are squelched under the desperate and ritualistic obsession with a past that is already long dead. There is one important problem that perpetuates this: the people of the Groan household think old.
When I imagine the first few Groan Earls, I see a Gormenghast in which spells were cast, love was shared, animals spoke to their masters, and the Lords controlled the blossoms on the trees around the lake. All of this magic was honored, daily, through rituals and acts of reverence for the power of the Groans.
Over time, though, that reverence for magic warped and gave way to a reverence for ritual itself and unchangeable Law. By now the entire practice is utterly archaic and misunderstood, and, as a result, completely useless. The only hope for the dormant magic of Gormenghast lies in its youth, who are ignored or aged before their time.
Even the people of the Outer Dwellings suffer this curse. They have only the passionate years of childhood and young adulthood before the bright glow in their eyes and faces begins to fade and is replaced by something shadowed and twisted. In all of Gormenghast, people are either young, or they are very, very old.
Like a sweet fruit that was dropped behind a sofa and forgotten, there is a stench of rotting magic in Gormenghast to remind others that it was once there and still exists. Gertrude’s power over animals, Keda’s intuition, and the inexplicable hold that the Castle has over all who live in it or near it are the leftover bits of what I imagine was once a healthy and vibrant magic.
Steerpike, though he argues in favor of youth, is nothing more than a sociopath. He has no true interest in the beauty that is possible should new ideas be planted. Instead, he is the disease that grows from within when something so powerful is left to die.
The suggestion that Titus, as a child, is the only hope for the Groans is more than a subtle implication. He is the one who can bring back the magic of Gormenghast – though we must read the subsequent novels to find out whether he does.
C.S. Lewis wrote, in his letter to Mervyn Peake, “I would not for anything have missed Gormenghast. It has the hallmark of a true myth: i.e. you have seen nothing like it before you read the work, but after that you see things like it everywhere…”(Daniel, 23)
Daniel, Estelle. The Art of Gormenghast: The Making of a Television Fantasy. London: Harper Collins Entertainment, 2000.
This is something with which I totally agree. Gormenghast is a mythology of our own reality; in it I see things I had not noticed before but now recognize as if I’d known them my entire life. It is the dormant magic in all of us. And it’s the sadness, too.
I've tried to remove any spoilers from this paper before posting it, just in case someone happens upon this blog and hasn't yet had the pleasure of reading Mervyn Peake's beautiful work.
If you have read it (lucky you!), I'd love to hear your thoughts. I've noticed already in my class discussions that my view of the characters and Gormenghast is not universally accepted. Further conversation would be great so that I can get to know this text even better. :)
Titus Groan is a new love of mine. This novel by Mervyn Peake is simply fabulous. Has anyone else read it? (no spoilers, please -- I haven't gone to the second book yet)!
It is the first in the Gormenghast series, and though it moves slowly, it's well worth the effort to read all 387 pages (depending on which version you have -- I suppose the page lengths could change). In fact, its pace is part of what makes it so wonderful. Mervyn Peake takes things slowly and deeply so that you truly feel as though you live inside Gormenghast Castle, and you are learning to accept its horrible eccentricities every minute you lie enraptured with the book in your hands.
It's really good. Let me just leave it at that.
Now, since I posted my response to Alice, I decided I might as well post (some of) my response to Titus. Please feel free to share your thoughts, too.
To me, Titus Groan is a story about age. The age that distances Fuchsia from her father, the years that separate Titus from Steerpike, and the generations that block ancient magic from Gormenghast. Just because the reader never witnesses any outright acts of magic in the novel does not mean that it isn’t there. In fact, Mervyn Peake shows us in current Gormenghast the shell of magic long ago, when the Castle itself was a youthful thing.
In Gormenghast, all thoughts of progress are squelched under the desperate and ritualistic obsession with a past that is already long dead. There is one important problem that perpetuates this: the people of the Groan household think old.
When I imagine the first few Groan Earls, I see a Gormenghast in which spells were cast, love was shared, animals spoke to their masters, and the Lords controlled the blossoms on the trees around the lake. All of this magic was honored, daily, through rituals and acts of reverence for the power of the Groans.
Over time, though, that reverence for magic warped and gave way to a reverence for ritual itself and unchangeable Law. By now the entire practice is utterly archaic and misunderstood, and, as a result, completely useless. The only hope for the dormant magic of Gormenghast lies in its youth, who are ignored or aged before their time.
Even the people of the Outer Dwellings suffer this curse. They have only the passionate years of childhood and young adulthood before the bright glow in their eyes and faces begins to fade and is replaced by something shadowed and twisted. In all of Gormenghast, people are either young, or they are very, very old.
Like a sweet fruit that was dropped behind a sofa and forgotten, there is a stench of rotting magic in Gormenghast to remind others that it was once there and still exists. Gertrude’s power over animals, Keda’s intuition, and the inexplicable hold that the Castle has over all who live in it or near it are the leftover bits of what I imagine was once a healthy and vibrant magic.
Steerpike, though he argues in favor of youth, is nothing more than a sociopath. He has no true interest in the beauty that is possible should new ideas be planted. Instead, he is the disease that grows from within when something so powerful is left to die.
The suggestion that Titus, as a child, is the only hope for the Groans is more than a subtle implication. He is the one who can bring back the magic of Gormenghast – though we must read the subsequent novels to find out whether he does.
C.S. Lewis wrote, in his letter to Mervyn Peake, “I would not for anything have missed Gormenghast. It has the hallmark of a true myth: i.e. you have seen nothing like it before you read the work, but after that you see things like it everywhere…”(Daniel, 23)
Daniel, Estelle. The Art of Gormenghast: The Making of a Television Fantasy. London: Harper Collins Entertainment, 2000.
This is something with which I totally agree. Gormenghast is a mythology of our own reality; in it I see things I had not noticed before but now recognize as if I’d known them my entire life. It is the dormant magic in all of us. And it’s the sadness, too.
I've tried to remove any spoilers from this paper before posting it, just in case someone happens upon this blog and hasn't yet had the pleasure of reading Mervyn Peake's beautiful work.
If you have read it (lucky you!), I'd love to hear your thoughts. I've noticed already in my class discussions that my view of the characters and Gormenghast is not universally accepted. Further conversation would be great so that I can get to know this text even better. :)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Follow the White Rabbit... where?
Welcome to 2010! Better late than never.
I'm working on a lot of things these days. Between two school programs and a novel, ARG plans and work, life is certainly busy enough -- but it's all lots of fun. :)
At school I study genre fiction and the evolution of texts in today's technology-driven world. Though they're separate programs, much of what I learn in each class overlaps with the others and helps me address my own goals and interests.
One of my favorite classes is a course in which we read and analyze several titles from the fantasy genre to see what its core elements are. The first text we explored was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. Has anyone else read this recently? I was a little disappointed, actually. Not terribly disappointed; it's a fun story. But I was somehow expecting more.
Being a big fan of Carroll's poetry, I assumed I was also a fan of Alice, though admittedly I'd never read her story before. (that's a pretty big admission coming from a puppet master, I realize). It's true; I'd only seen the films and TV adaptations, though I had read a few of the poems from the novels. Now that I've read the original text, I'm feeling a bit deflated, and I hope someone can help me out. I know there are important layers to this story that I'm missing or failing to appreciate after only one read.
Here is (some of) the paper I submitted for my class. I'd love to know whether others think I'm off the mark. If I am, please pick me back up and put me on track. :)
Lewis Carroll is a wonderful poet. Long ago, I memorized “Jabberwocky” just for fun, and I laugh every time I read his version of “Father William.” Those casual fan activities do not make me, however, an expert on Lewis Carroll.
That said, I must admit I did not enjoy Alice’s story as much as I thought I would. While the world he created was funny, interesting, and weird, I kept encountering other problems that lessened my appreciation.
Throughout the story, Alice exhibits what I took to be two important personality flaws: she is passive beyond what can be considered normal, and she is rude to the other characters.
Alice’s passivity can obviously be attributed to the fact that her entire experience is a dream. Few dreamers, after waking, can explain logical motivations for their imagined actions, and I don’t expect them to. However, as a reader, I am expected to go along with Alice’s adventures in Wonderland for a total of twelve chapters, never questioning why she isn’t terrified at being trapped inside a house or why she eats and drinks nearly everything she sees, or why she doesn’t feel the least bit frightened at not knowing her way home. Dreams may be illogical, but action and fear still exist in them.
Her rudeness is another flaw that unfortunately stood out as one of her truly memorable qualities. Time and time again, Alice makes the mistake of frightening animals with talk of her cat hunting them, or with talk of Alice herself cooking and eating their young. This is, of course, a joke from Carroll, who is pointing out the absurdity of the situation. However, it was also an introduction to a protagonist who was impolite to the point of being cruel.
It is important for characters to experience personal growth throughout stories, and so Alice’s flaws seem well placed at the start. She is positioned to learn to take control of her own life, all the while getting a handle on her manners. And yet, I saw very little change in Alice as the story progressed – and then ended abruptly with her waking up. Toward the end of the story, the reader is meant to be surprised that Alice is called to the witness stand (judging from the dramatic break at chapter 11), but Alice readily takes her seat, though she knows “Nothing whatever” about the case.
I do not wish that Carroll had provided us with a heavy-handed lesson on morality; I simply would have liked to see the protagonist gain something from her journey. Her lack of growth left me feeling that the entire adventure had been pointless, which, of course, many dreams are. And yet, I assume upon picking up a book that there is a purpose to the story I am reading, whether it is a dream or not.
This leads me to my other problem with the novel, which was the lack of any logical connection among the various events. Alice simply goes from one location to another, encountering odd creatures and learning strange information, and though some characters reappear later on in the text, none of their stories hold any importance, and none of Alice’s experiences prove useful (apart from her ability to grow and shrink at will, the logical rules of which are completely thrown out the window by the story’s conclusion).
Again, I want to clarify that I like Lewis Carroll, and that I recognized his humor throughout the story. I also understand that the book is meant to be surreal and dreamlike. In this, I believe the author succeeded. Alice’s inability to properly recite any of her lessons felt very true to dreams.
That's the basic point of what I wrote. I got some feedback in class, but I'd love to hear more from Alice fans (or haters!) about this story.
The next book we're exploring is Titus Groan, and I'm nearly done with that. So far, I absolutely love it. In fact, it was difficult to make myself put it down to write this blog.
...
Actually, come to think of it, I need to go. Gormenghast is calling me. :)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
NaNoWriMo 2009: How It All Went Down
Well, I did it. Things were pretty touch-and-go for most of the month, and at one point I seriously considered giving up on NaNoWriMo, but in the end, I pushed through and hit that 50,000-word goal.
When I looked at that number with only three days left to go, I hung my head in shame. I was going to lose. For the first time ever, I began to accept defeat in one of the things I look forward to most each year, like the holidays or my birthday. It was all over for me, and it was still just November 27. There would be no champagne. No winner’s certificate. No 50k words.
Then, feeling glum, I opened my email and read Chris Baty’s “Homestretch pep talk." This was by way of punishment, really. I figured his words of encouragement would make me feel poorly about my lack of progress, but instead I felt, well, encouraged.
I changed my mind.
What the Great Chris Baty did to encourage me was simple. He broke down NaNo participants into three different categories:
“Group One: The Superheroes.” These were the WriMos who had worked diligently all November and had already won or were going to win with no problem. According to Baty, these made up only 3% of WriMos.
“Group Two: The Come-Back Kids.” These were the participants who were still pushing through the 20s or 30s and would make a final push for the finish to win at the last minute. They had had some fallbacks, but the end was in sight, and November 30th would be a day of success.
“Group Three: The Go On Without Me's.” This was my group.
I’ve never been in that group before. It’s not the worst thing in the world, I realized. In fact, after reading the pep talk email, I remembered what an incredible undertaking NaNoWriMo really is, and how impressive it is to give it a shot at all.
And then I read this note from Chris Baty to the Go On Without Me’s:
"This is going to sound really weird, but you're in the best shape of all three groups. You're off the map, but that's the point of this escapade. NaNoWriMo is to there to put you in such an impossible situation that you can stop worrying about perfection and achievement and just savor the thrill that comes with making and doing. Think of the remaining days in NaNoWriMo as an anything-goes creative retreat. You sacrificed your novel to the world around you this month, and the world around you appreciated it. But you now get some time for you. You may not write 50,000 words, but you still have plenty of time to create something smaller and equally wonderful. Return to the page—there's still a beautiful adventure waiting for you.”
That’s exactly what I did. Suddenly I felt as though anything were possible. I’d already given up, so what did I have to lose? I pulled out my calculator and did some minor division (yes, calculators are necessary; I’m a writer, not a mathematician). In order to reach 50,000 words in three days, I needed to write over 10k per day. Impossible? Of course. But if I was going to lose, I was at least going to aim high.
And so, instead of losing, I won.
Yes, I wrote over thirty-thousand words in three days. During that time, I also worked and did research for the class I’m taking. My mind is officially mush, but I exceeded my personal goals, and I’m exhausted but elated. This NaNo win has turned out to be the sweetest of them all because I tried to do something impossible, and it turned out to be possible.
At 11 p.m. on November 30, I validated my word count, and there it was:
Victory is a lovely thing. Sometimes it even comes with graphics of fireworks. :)
Several of my WriMo buddies won this year, too, and I applaud them! In fact, I applaud anyone who even attempted NaNo; it’s an amazing experience that has turned November into the favorite (or least favorite) month for writers all over the world. Participating in a challenge to create 50k new words within 30 days shows exactly how dedicated we all are, and we should be proud. Or locked up.
Either way, congrats to every WriMo out there.
Did you participate? How did it turn out for you? And have you dontated to NaNoWriMo yet?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Say hi to my mom!
In other news, my mother, author Kathleen O'Brien, has a great blog post today over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs. If you have a chance, tell her hello!
Na... NO?
If you're wondering what I'm up to these days and why I'm only finding time to update my Twitter, it's because I'm knee-deep in both real life and NaNoWriMo. (doesn't real life know that I am busy right now???)
So I'm just popping in here today to say a quick hello! I'm way behind on my NaNo word count, but I've broken through a block and am pushing forward with the great carelessness and reckless abandon that are the staples of November literary efforts the world over.
Oh, there will be words. Many, many words.
See you in December! In the meantime, to my American friends, have a happy Thanksgiving! :)
So I'm just popping in here today to say a quick hello! I'm way behind on my NaNo word count, but I've broken through a block and am pushing forward with the great carelessness and reckless abandon that are the staples of November literary efforts the world over.
Oh, there will be words. Many, many words.
See you in December! In the meantime, to my American friends, have a happy Thanksgiving! :)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Big Bang
Last night I was driving home from my parents’ house, and, just a few feet in front of my car, three enormous explosions erupted, one after the other, with loud BOOMs and electric sparks spraying all over the street like fire. I slammed on my brakes and sat there for nearly a whole minute to catch my breath and figure out what was going on.
Everything behind me was completely dark. It was as if I were sitting at the end of some abyss or ominous cave, the trunk of my car about to teeter backward into the nothingness…
After a few seconds I realized that a transformer must have blown, and I called my parents, who confirmed that their power was out. Luckily, it was back on within a few hours.
Most of my experiences with the power going out are spent indoors, and the electricity just stops, leaving behind a strange calmness in the house that we rarely know – we’re so accustomed to the white noise and the humming of appliances turned on.
This was a totally different experience. I got to see the power fly across the road, away from the lines. It was frightening and thrilling at once. As I heard my parents’ voices over the phone, clearly bored and annoyed at the inconvenience of being without lights, I found that I felt a little excited at my good fortune.
Not that I was simply happy to be going home to air conditioning; I was glad that I’d seen it happen. Had I stayed another ten minutes at my parents, or left ten minutes earlier, I would not have seen the random explosion in the dark night, spitting bright yellow streamers over the street. I was the only one on the road at that moment. It was like a show for me.
Sure, that’s an odd way of looking at it, but hey. I like a good adventure, even if it’s only in my mind.
Everything behind me was completely dark. It was as if I were sitting at the end of some abyss or ominous cave, the trunk of my car about to teeter backward into the nothingness…
After a few seconds I realized that a transformer must have blown, and I called my parents, who confirmed that their power was out. Luckily, it was back on within a few hours.
Most of my experiences with the power going out are spent indoors, and the electricity just stops, leaving behind a strange calmness in the house that we rarely know – we’re so accustomed to the white noise and the humming of appliances turned on.
This was a totally different experience. I got to see the power fly across the road, away from the lines. It was frightening and thrilling at once. As I heard my parents’ voices over the phone, clearly bored and annoyed at the inconvenience of being without lights, I found that I felt a little excited at my good fortune.
Not that I was simply happy to be going home to air conditioning; I was glad that I’d seen it happen. Had I stayed another ten minutes at my parents, or left ten minutes earlier, I would not have seen the random explosion in the dark night, spitting bright yellow streamers over the street. I was the only one on the road at that moment. It was like a show for me.
Sure, that’s an odd way of looking at it, but hey. I like a good adventure, even if it’s only in my mind.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
NaNoWriMo
Because September is nearly over, I find myself looking forward to the usual things: cooler weather, Halloween, candy, and writing fiction until my eyes cross.
That’s what Fall means to me.
A little while back, my husband (then fiancé) and I went to San Francisco on vacation to visit friends. These friends are very special to me because I “met” them online during NaNoWriMo, and we’ve grown very close since then.
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an annual challenge in November for writers to create at least 50,000 words in thirty days. If you succeed, you win. If not, at least you have some words!
But it’s not only about writing at an insane pace, locked alone in a room. NaNoWriMo is (well, it can be) a very social activity. In fact, two of my buddies met online during NaNo, and later they started a relationship and moved in with each other! Another friend drove into town to play the violin at my wedding.
Writing together can really bond people. We joke about our ridiculous plots, we war over word counts, and most of all, we encourage each other to keep going. When I write at other times of the year, I feel myself missing the flurry of excitement that comes each November and the friends who will commiserate with me over characters gone astray.
So, now that NaNo’s in sight, I’m starting to count down the days. Let’s get ready to write! ☺
That’s what Fall means to me.
A little while back, my husband (then fiancé) and I went to San Francisco on vacation to visit friends. These friends are very special to me because I “met” them online during NaNoWriMo, and we’ve grown very close since then.
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an annual challenge in November for writers to create at least 50,000 words in thirty days. If you succeed, you win. If not, at least you have some words!But it’s not only about writing at an insane pace, locked alone in a room. NaNoWriMo is (well, it can be) a very social activity. In fact, two of my buddies met online during NaNo, and later they started a relationship and moved in with each other! Another friend drove into town to play the violin at my wedding.
Writing together can really bond people. We joke about our ridiculous plots, we war over word counts, and most of all, we encourage each other to keep going. When I write at other times of the year, I feel myself missing the flurry of excitement that comes each November and the friends who will commiserate with me over characters gone astray.
So, now that NaNo’s in sight, I’m starting to count down the days. Let’s get ready to write! ☺
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Abandon ship!
I live in Florida (near a lake), so cockroaches are just a part of life. We clean up and put out the usual bug deterrents, but there's no way to eliminate every single one.
Yep, I'm about to tell a bug story.
This morning, while I was getting ready for the day, I saw something brown scuttle across my bathroom wall. From the corner of my eye, it actually looked like a scorpion. I'm not an expert on scorpions, but I'm also fairly certain that I don't want them in my house. So I jumped back, alarmed, and found with relief that it was just a roach.
Let me clarify: I don't like roaches, either. Scorpions are just a bit scarier.
Only this roach looked... wrong. Deformed or sick, maybe. Something was hanging off of its back end.
Imagine for a moment the kind of horror that rushed through my mind as I tried to figure out what terrible, radioactive chemicals were leaking into my house and actually causing the insects to develop frightening growths. I stood there in fear and disgust, my jaw hanging open and my skin crawling.
It got away from me before I could react. That thing is still loose in the house, even as I type.
Later, of course, I realized what I had seen. This was no nuclear bug. It was a roach with an ootheca -- an egg sack.
Aw, the miracle of life. *shudders*
The way I see it, roaches (and a number of other insects and arachnids) are real-life monsters. Think about it: their feely legs (far too many of them), their preference for dark, dirty places, the fact that many of them literally feed on your blood, the way their eyes are nearly always hidden from clear view, their ability to climb walls and fly and land in your hair at just the worst-possible moment...
Obviously, I have to give up my territory to the invader. There is no way I can win this battle. Every time I come into contact with it, I will stand trapped somewhere between terror and nausea, and the monster will defeat me. So I'm sending up the white flag.
I was never cut out to battle monsters.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Punctuatory
The other day, my brother informed me that I was using a colon in a way that might come across as rude. “I find that colons are powerful beyond our understanding,” he told me in an instant message. “We are but mere mortals to their punctuatory (not a word) greatness.”
Anyone who knows me knows that I love a made up word. I collect them in my mental dictionary and use them regularly as if they were normal parts of the English language.
Now I have punctuatory.
Mike (my brother) offered the following definition:
Punctuatory, adj:
1) of or relating to punctuation
2) a type of weather-predicting groundhog in a parallel universe
“This student’s semicolon usage constitutes a punctuatory disaster!”
“Punctuatory Phil emerged from his hole today and saw his shadow. We can expect thirty more years of global warming.”
And there you have it. I bring you the important news.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Beach Bouquet
Just a quick note about this past weekend.
I went to the beach, and it was lovely. Since we live in Florida, we have the option of going to either the Atlantic or the Gulf, and we normally choose the Gulf. It’s very relaxing there, and that’s exactly what we needed.
My skin is about as pale as a sheet of notebook paper, so I’m not usually the type to romp around in the sun, but I still love to lie back in the warmth and listen to the waves.
Yesterday my dad and I sat in chairs on the sand while my mom and my husband swam in the water. After a while, Rob walked up to me, dripping wet, and handed me a very nice arrangement of odd sea-things. He told me it was a gift that he and my mom had made for me out in the water. It was a bouquet.
I loved it.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Welcome back.
Hello, world. It’s been a while.
I promised myself I’d take a pseudo-break from blogging, etc., and that went well. But now it’s time to come back. I was getting a little tired of being quiet.
While I was on blogging break, several things happened. Let me catch you up on a few events:
I got married.
I visited New York.
And I started settling into married life. Still working on that one. J It’s a ton of fun so far, but I can’t get used to the words “husband” or “wife.” Those are for grownups only, I thought!
If you follow Funnel Productions (Creepy Luny Inn, Transition Village, Man of the People), you’ll know there’s another fun experience afoot, and of course that means I can’t comment about it here. Just know I’m quite busy with a very fun project that just started, and I’m having a ball with it, as usual. More about that in the future.
Oh – other news: I fell in love with the Southern Vampire Series (Sookie Stackhouse/ TrueBlood), though I haven’t yet seen the HBO episodes. In July, author Charlaine Harris came to Gainesville, and my mom and I got the chance to see her speak. She’s just as funny and likeable in person as she in on the page. That was such a thrill.
What has everyone else been up to?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Secrets revealed
I write this as I sit in our “studio,” recording the last video for Myth of the Seeker. I’m squished up against a wall with my laptop on my legs and four of my best friends around me. This is a fun night.
Myth of the Seeker is the name of the secret project I was unable to announce before, and it’s a major experience that has taken up a great deal of my time for the last two months.
Why would I lose eight weeks of sleep over this independent project? Well, for one, it was a lengthy promotion for my book. But it was so many other things, as well: a chance to exercise my creativity every day, another great step for Funnel Productions, and an incredible experience with some talented and dedicated fans.
There is nothing more invigorating than positive reactions from your audience. They’re an incredible motivator, and Funnel owes our listeners a huge amount of thanks. Yes, we read the message boards, and it was comments like these that not only kept us going, but made each day extra-special:
“Just finished listening, incredibly enjoyable, better than what I listen to on REAL radio.”
“Wow, that was great. … Is it just me, or is Creepy awesome? Sooo my kind of lady...”
“Well written and well performed. This was a wonderful way to start the day.”
“this story is getting way better than I ever expected. “
“This has been a lot of fun. I'm really glad this was my first ARG. It has been quite whimsical, which has made all the difference.”
“Really the writing was superb and the pleasure was ours.”
Snorkle256, FSURobbie, Ifihadahifi, Sheep, Tiffany48, Amandel, and everyone else who played along, the pleasure was at this end. Thank you!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), I recommend you check them out. You might find another genre of storytelling that thrills you!
If you’d still like to listen to the radio show, don’t worry! All eight episodes are available to stream online. While you’re there, be sure to check out the fan page, where some incredible fan work has been posted. (and then take a look at From Light to Dark to have more fun in the worlds of the myth!)
And, of course, please let me know your thoughts.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Marching to the Cliffs of Moher
Welcome to March! I like this month. In Florida, it's a bit windy and chilly, but still comfortable enough to have a nice time outside in the sun. Perfect weather.
To me, March means St. Patrick's Day, and the second anniversary of my trip to Ireland. Two years ago, my family and I spent a little over a week traveling the most beautiful country in the world, and I will never forget a moment of it.
It was bitterly cold, but one of the best times of my life. I can't wait to go back one day!
Here in Florida, the weather is much nicer, though the land isn't as green.
However, just because the weather's perfect doesn't mean my schedule is! I'm up to my ears in things to do, but I just had to pop on here to say hello. :) Hope everyone's reading something great and being happy.
What does March mean to you?
To me, March means St. Patrick's Day, and the second anniversary of my trip to Ireland. Two years ago, my family and I spent a little over a week traveling the most beautiful country in the world, and I will never forget a moment of it.It was bitterly cold, but one of the best times of my life. I can't wait to go back one day!
Here in Florida, the weather is much nicer, though the land isn't as green.
However, just because the weather's perfect doesn't mean my schedule is! I'm up to my ears in things to do, but I just had to pop on here to say hello. :) Hope everyone's reading something great and being happy.
What does March mean to you?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Oscar Homework
I’m not ready for the Oscars tonight. Well – I’m ready in the sense that I know what party I’m going to attend, what time I’m getting there, and how much fun I’ll have. But other than that, I’m completely unprepared.
For one thing, I’ve seen none of the five Best Picture nominations, and I’ve seen nearly none of the rest of the films. Most years I’ve seen at least a handful, or I’ve done a mad-dash run through the theatres the week before, taking in as many as I can before Oscar Sunday.
This year my calendar has been too packed for that, though, so instead I’ll just sit in front of the TV cheering on none of them. That’ll make my voting card at this year’s party a bit silly.
The voting card goes like this: we pass out lists of films nominated, and everyone gets to check off likely winners. After the show is over, we add up who was correct about the most awards, and there is much rejoicing. It’s a family tradition.
I take that process a bit further. Normally I mark “should win” and “will win” on the list of films, creating a kind of irritating catalogue of details that documents my feelings about each nomination. As if anyone cares. ☺
But this year I won’t be able to annoy anyone with my dissertation on the worth and value of each film unless I invent ridiculous things like, “Slumdog Millionaire WILL win because of the ancient prophecy promising all mortals that Who Wants to be a Millionaire would one day rule over the lives of Earthlings, but Frost/Nixon SHOULD win because that title is cool.”
I’ve also, as my friends and family will confirm, utterly overbooked myself in the past few months, and so my attention will be divided. I’ll be working on a project (the secret one that I can announce to you in a little over a week) during at least part of the Oscars unless I hurry up right now and get that done.
It’s kind of a bummer to go into the Oscars like this. Hrm. I wonder what the schedule is like at the movie theatres this afternoon…
Anybody else super behind on your Oscar homework? Or is it just me?
For one thing, I’ve seen none of the five Best Picture nominations, and I’ve seen nearly none of the rest of the films. Most years I’ve seen at least a handful, or I’ve done a mad-dash run through the theatres the week before, taking in as many as I can before Oscar Sunday.
This year my calendar has been too packed for that, though, so instead I’ll just sit in front of the TV cheering on none of them. That’ll make my voting card at this year’s party a bit silly.
The voting card goes like this: we pass out lists of films nominated, and everyone gets to check off likely winners. After the show is over, we add up who was correct about the most awards, and there is much rejoicing. It’s a family tradition.
I take that process a bit further. Normally I mark “should win” and “will win” on the list of films, creating a kind of irritating catalogue of details that documents my feelings about each nomination. As if anyone cares. ☺
But this year I won’t be able to annoy anyone with my dissertation on the worth and value of each film unless I invent ridiculous things like, “Slumdog Millionaire WILL win because of the ancient prophecy promising all mortals that Who Wants to be a Millionaire would one day rule over the lives of Earthlings, but Frost/Nixon SHOULD win because that title is cool.”
I’ve also, as my friends and family will confirm, utterly overbooked myself in the past few months, and so my attention will be divided. I’ll be working on a project (the secret one that I can announce to you in a little over a week) during at least part of the Oscars unless I hurry up right now and get that done.
It’s kind of a bummer to go into the Oscars like this. Hrm. I wonder what the schedule is like at the movie theatres this afternoon…
Anybody else super behind on your Oscar homework? Or is it just me?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn
"Irene has an excellent writing style that will draw you right into this one from the start."
Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn
Check out this cool review of my book, From Light to Dark!
Posted using ShareThis
Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn
Check out this cool review of my book, From Light to Dark!
Posted using ShareThis
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Chocolate and Shakespeare
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
I know not everybody likes this holiday. To tell the truth, I’ve never cared much for it myself – except I do like the candy. ☺
This morning, though, my fiancé gave me a card that was addressed “To My Wife.” He’d written “to-be” underneath the word “Wife.” Suddenly I realized I was going to have to get used to that word: wife. It was exciting and sweet and weird all at once.
Then he gave me chocolate, and I started thinking about that instead. ☺ It was a nice way to begin the morning.
Today is also special because it’s the start of the Amway Shakespeare Opportunity’s Twitter of the Shrew – a Twitter-based adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. There are 19 different Twitter accounts to follow (#tots), and each player’s lines are condensed (though still true to the first folio lines) to fit Twitter’s 140-character limits.
For those Shakespeare fans who know Shrew very well, please note that TotS is not including the “play without a play” section that stars Sly & Co. This is the main cast story.
It’s a fascinating adventure, and one that I’m very honored to be a part of. Brian Feldman is the genius behind it all. Last night as we were proofreading his scene one together, complete with emoticons and links to obscure references – even amusing jokes hidden within – I sent a quick IM to tell him, “seriously, Brian, this is genius.”
Those who follow the separate accounts will find distinct personalities in each character – and may even get a better feel for all the fun that Shakespeare’s plays can bring.
There will be one scene tweeted per day over a span of twelve days, so please be sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts.
Well, there you have it. Whether today is Valentine’s Day or Singles’ Awareness Day or OMG I’m Going to Be a Wife Day, there are two special things that are certain to make it a day of epic win:
Chocolate and Shakespeare.
I know not everybody likes this holiday. To tell the truth, I’ve never cared much for it myself – except I do like the candy. ☺
This morning, though, my fiancé gave me a card that was addressed “To My Wife.” He’d written “to-be” underneath the word “Wife.” Suddenly I realized I was going to have to get used to that word: wife. It was exciting and sweet and weird all at once.
Then he gave me chocolate, and I started thinking about that instead. ☺ It was a nice way to begin the morning.
Today is also special because it’s the start of the Amway Shakespeare Opportunity’s Twitter of the Shrew – a Twitter-based adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. There are 19 different Twitter accounts to follow (#tots), and each player’s lines are condensed (though still true to the first folio lines) to fit Twitter’s 140-character limits.
For those Shakespeare fans who know Shrew very well, please note that TotS is not including the “play without a play” section that stars Sly & Co. This is the main cast story.
It’s a fascinating adventure, and one that I’m very honored to be a part of. Brian Feldman is the genius behind it all. Last night as we were proofreading his scene one together, complete with emoticons and links to obscure references – even amusing jokes hidden within – I sent a quick IM to tell him, “seriously, Brian, this is genius.”
Those who follow the separate accounts will find distinct personalities in each character – and may even get a better feel for all the fun that Shakespeare’s plays can bring.
There will be one scene tweeted per day over a span of twelve days, so please be sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts.
Well, there you have it. Whether today is Valentine’s Day or Singles’ Awareness Day or OMG I’m Going to Be a Wife Day, there are two special things that are certain to make it a day of epic win:
Chocolate and Shakespeare.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Tweeting Shakespeare, "Txt me, Kate."
February 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact/Interview Requests:
Brian Feldman, AmwayShakes@brianfeldman.com, DM or @AmwayShakes
Who: Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (2009 Inaugural Season) Taking Shakespeare To The Next Level.
What: Twitter of the Shrew - adapted for Twitter by @BrianFeldman from the classic comedy attributed to William Shakespeare, with additional material by @irenelpynn, is a Twitter adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew (1590-1594). Spanning 19 Twitter accounts and presented over 12 days (one scene daily), Twitter of the Shrew attempts to live up to Shakespeare’s “Brevity is the soul of wit” proverb, by condensing the play’s iambic pentameter dialogue down to updates of 140 characters or less. “It’s a great idea!,” says Austin Tichenor of The Reduced Shakespeare Company. For those who don’t yet exist in the Twitterverse, Twitter is that crazy-popular, social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets). Twitter of the Shrew is not sanctioned, endorsed or sponsored by Twitter, Inc.
When: 14 - 25 February 2009 (GMT-5): One Scene Daily
Where: http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes and 19 additional Twitter of the Shrew character accounts:
ShrewKate / Katherine Minola / http://twitter.com/ShrewKate
PetruccioV / Petruccio / http://twitter.com/PetruccioV
Grumio / Grumio / http://twitter.com/Grumio
VeronaCurtis / Curtis / http://twitter.com/VeronaCurtis
Hdasher / Haberdasher / http://twitter.com/Hdasher
Tailor4Petruc / Petruccio's Tailor / http://twitter.com/Tailor4Petruc
BiancaMinola / Bianca Minola / http://twitter.com/BiancaMinola
BaptistaMinola / Baptista Minola / http://twitter.com/BaptistaMinola
Lucenti0 / Lucentio / http://twitter.com/Lucenti0
Cambi0 / Cambio / http://twitter.com/Cambi0
Trani0 / Tranio / http://twitter.com/Trani0
Biondell0 / Biondello / http://twitter.com/Biondell0
MrVincentio / Vincentio / http://twitter.com/MrVincentio
ThePendant / The Pendant / http://twitter.com/ThePendant
Hortensio / Hortensio / http://twitter.com/Hortensio
LitioH / Litio / http://twitter.com/LitioH
PaduaWidow / The Widow of Padua / http://twitter.com/PaduaWidow
OldGremio / Gremio / http://twitter.com/OldGremio
UPadua / University of Padua / http://twitter.com/UPadua
To experience Twitter of the Shrew in real time, be sure to follow each of the character accounts, and set device updates ‘On’ to receive all #tots updates via SMS (only advised for those with unlimited messaging). All dialogue will RT @AmwayShakes.
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54668665562
Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (Brian Feldman, Artistic Director) will never do traditional Shakespeare. Upcoming productions include The Shakespeariment (24 Apr 2009) and, you just knew this was coming, The Twitter of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (May 2009). http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact/Interview Requests:
Brian Feldman, AmwayShakes@brianfeldman.com, DM or @AmwayShakes
Who: Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (2009 Inaugural Season) Taking Shakespeare To The Next Level.
What: Twitter of the Shrew - adapted for Twitter by @BrianFeldman from the classic comedy attributed to William Shakespeare, with additional material by @irenelpynn, is a Twitter adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew (1590-1594). Spanning 19 Twitter accounts and presented over 12 days (one scene daily), Twitter of the Shrew attempts to live up to Shakespeare’s “Brevity is the soul of wit” proverb, by condensing the play’s iambic pentameter dialogue down to updates of 140 characters or less. “It’s a great idea!,” says Austin Tichenor of The Reduced Shakespeare Company. For those who don’t yet exist in the Twitterverse, Twitter is that crazy-popular, social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets). Twitter of the Shrew is not sanctioned, endorsed or sponsored by Twitter, Inc.
When: 14 - 25 February 2009 (GMT-5): One Scene Daily
Where: http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes and 19 additional Twitter of the Shrew character accounts:
ShrewKate / Katherine Minola / http://twitter.com/ShrewKate
PetruccioV / Petruccio / http://twitter.com/PetruccioV
Grumio / Grumio / http://twitter.com/Grumio
VeronaCurtis / Curtis / http://twitter.com/VeronaCurtis
Hdasher / Haberdasher / http://twitter.com/Hdasher
Tailor4Petruc / Petruccio's Tailor / http://twitter.com/Tailor4Petruc
BiancaMinola / Bianca Minola / http://twitter.com/BiancaMinola
BaptistaMinola / Baptista Minola / http://twitter.com/BaptistaMinola
Lucenti0 / Lucentio / http://twitter.com/Lucenti0
Cambi0 / Cambio / http://twitter.com/Cambi0
Trani0 / Tranio / http://twitter.com/Trani0
Biondell0 / Biondello / http://twitter.com/Biondell0
MrVincentio / Vincentio / http://twitter.com/MrVincentio
ThePendant / The Pendant / http://twitter.com/ThePendant
Hortensio / Hortensio / http://twitter.com/Hortensio
LitioH / Litio / http://twitter.com/LitioH
PaduaWidow / The Widow of Padua / http://twitter.com/PaduaWidow
OldGremio / Gremio / http://twitter.com/OldGremio
UPadua / University of Padua / http://twitter.com/UPadua
To experience Twitter of the Shrew in real time, be sure to follow each of the character accounts, and set device updates ‘On’ to receive all #tots updates via SMS (only advised for those with unlimited messaging). All dialogue will RT @AmwayShakes.
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54668665562
Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (Brian Feldman, Artistic Director) will never do traditional Shakespeare. Upcoming productions include The Shakespeariment (24 Apr 2009) and, you just knew this was coming, The Twitter of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (May 2009). http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Novels, Radios, and Secret Projects
Things have been really busy here, and it’s great.
In addition to my new novel, I’m also working on a project that’s running on another website right now (details about that after it’s over). That project takes quite a lot of time and energy, and last weekend I spent several hours running from one place to another, writing, editing, recording, delivering files, and occasionally banging my head against the wall.
It’s always great to experience the finished product, though, when it finally comes together. That makes it all worth it.
Speaking of finished products, From Light to Dark is doing great at Wild Child Publishing. It has been out less than one month, and in that time I have seen it climb the genre Bestsellers lists (for Fantasy and Young Adult) on their site. It’s a great honor to be rising closer to the top of their fantasy/young adult readership in such a short amount of time!
In other news, I’ll be a guest next month on The Funky Writer’s BlogTalkRadio show! Update to come as the time and date are finalized.
That’s all for now! Back to work over here.
In addition to my new novel, I’m also working on a project that’s running on another website right now (details about that after it’s over). That project takes quite a lot of time and energy, and last weekend I spent several hours running from one place to another, writing, editing, recording, delivering files, and occasionally banging my head against the wall.
It’s always great to experience the finished product, though, when it finally comes together. That makes it all worth it.
Speaking of finished products, From Light to Dark is doing great at Wild Child Publishing. It has been out less than one month, and in that time I have seen it climb the genre Bestsellers lists (for Fantasy and Young Adult) on their site. It’s a great honor to be rising closer to the top of their fantasy/young adult readership in such a short amount of time!
In other news, I’ll be a guest next month on The Funky Writer’s BlogTalkRadio show! Update to come as the time and date are finalized.
That’s all for now! Back to work over here.
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