28 April, 2008

My emo and my e-moment

State of mind: relaxed
Current soundtrack: Playlist name - series - song title (artist)

Work was slightly awkward today. Bad day.

Went home and talked mom's ear off. Not so bad day.

Poked Alphonne awake and turned on some AAA full-blast. Emo level decreases. Rationality returns. Acceptable day.

Anticipation of a peanut-butter sandwich with milk and a cold pill before bed. Not too bad a day.

-

You know how there're the Befrienders and the Samaritans? I was just thinking—there should totally be a Dial-a-Buddha service.

"Dial-a-Buddha, Manjusri speaking. How may I help you?"
"AIYO, Wen Shu. Terrible lah, my day today. Why are people so sorhai one?"
"It is the way of the physical world, caller."

26 April, 2008

Pomp and Circumstance(s)

State of mind: gleeful
Current soundtrack: middleboss.Vince's iTunes turned up loud XD


Life has been quite good of late (except for that one blip last Saturday...), for the following reasons:
  1. I got Patapon. And played it. And went crazy over it. And played it through (in a little more than 40 hours, because I inSISTED on grinding for another Barsalapon before going out to fight the final boss. Review sometime.)
  2. I went to the 2008 Adobe Creative Leadership forum for two days, which was a good break from the office. I saw silly people and shiny presentations, drank some wine, danced a bit and received knowledge that Kali was going to stomp on my enemies for me. Gee, ma'am, thanks...
  3. A...nun blitzkrieged me the other day. Yes, I got shtupped by religion. Again. But for the first time in my life, I am wearing a rosary. OK, a fake rosary with plastic beads, but still. You can never have too many Kuan Yin talismans. Especially one with all the festival dates on the back...but still, where's my man Wenshu, yo? Protector of the rabbits and wisdom needs to represent D:
  4. I got a very nice call from a very nice dude offering a freelance job that seems right up my alley. :D
  5. Last but not least, I am finally graduating. Today. Yes, tonight. Yes, I'm in the office. No, none of the others involved are. I have no leave, and had plenty of stuff to finish. Shurrup. :P
So things are starting anew again, in the middle of the year. Here goes!

12 April, 2008

Fanfic Writers' Meme

State of mind: hungry

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. While you go out for dinner tonight, I shall stay home, eat chow fun and ramble about Ultraman to other fans! Good times.

And by the way, Sakon, noooo I don't hate you for this meme. So I'm ganking it. ♥ ^_^

How about a brief introduction?
Call me Ishmael. Oh, you mean ME. Hi. Call me M. I write stuff.

Fabulous! And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?
Powerpuff Girls and Ultraman. Not necessarily in that order. I used to write all these kiut kiut stories about what the six brothers did when they were younglings, and after that went on to writing OC Ultras...

I see. So what kind of fanfiction do you like to write?
Gen with some romance/action thrown in, and themes of mystery, sacrifice and acceptance. One day I WILL write that long, sprawling epic about the Emperan Occupation (it had to be an occupation, says the back of my brain, or Zoffy could never have fought in it) and or Zoffy and that sword-of-light, but eh.

Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the aspects of writing you struggle most with?
I write a beginning, and sometimes I write the end...and the middle dangles tantalisingly out of reach. In place of that I get snips of conversation and descriptions that are beautiful, but perhaps don't quite fit the context.

Write a few sentences or so of your favorite pairing or character.

He is beautiful, in a way very few things are beautiful. Light made flesh, so different from our flesh made light; he is the midnight sky and the silvered moon and quiet, deep water all together. His awe at our lands is tempered with caution and backed with curiosity. He desires to know us. Perhaps he is the one, the 'hero descending from the heavens'. But we shall see.

Bonus points if you know who the narrator is and who's being referred to. XD

Are there any fanfiction clichés or trends you're sick of or just can't stand?
Feminine Ukes and Super Virile Sekuhara Semes. Let's not get any more specific, shall we?

Are you guilty of any fanfiction clichés you hate? Or any other ones?
Forgive me, authors, for I have sinned. I once wrote Mary-Sues, self-inserts and character bashing all in one fiction. I'd like to think my favourite OC has mellowed out of her uber-specialness, though.

What was the first fandom you wrote for, and do you still like/participate in it?
In two words, Ultraman. Yes. Whee!

Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.
Saiyuki; Gojyo/Houran, because I pray they will find their understanding. Yes yes, I know Houran is jailbait at the time of the movie. >_>;;; 585 because it's so easy to see the two ease into a dependable relationship.

Ultraman: Tiga/Dyna/Tiga, the brothers-in-arms. See them fighting in perfect tandem in the TD movie, and tell me they're perfect strangers. I'd like to think they once worked together, on the superancient Earth. Hikari/Mebius/Hikari, again for the brothers-in-arms thing and the progression of a stout friendship to a partnership on fairly equal footing. Noa/Zagi/Noa just to see them play off each other, yin and yang, light and dark. Only Zagi can destroy Noa can destroy Zagi. Anything else in the way would probably get smacked out of commision. XD

What would you call your writing style?
Long and descriptive. Evocative. XD

Do you read other people’s fanfic? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?
Yes. I find myself looking for fics that break the extreme uke/seme dynamic.

Name one thing you'd LOVE to write, but have been too afraid or shy to do.
Full on sex scene.

Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have the dreaded bloated ego?
I think I do, sometimes, but it's part of the process of posting stuff online.

When you write, is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?
Music sometimes. And talking through it out loud.

What inspires you?
Writing, reading other people's stuff, random imagery that pops into your mind on a lunch break.

Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?
Sometimes it's fun. Sometimes it's painful. Sometimes it's desperately cathartic.

Tag some friends because they'll hate you for it.
Well, I'm not forcing them at gunpoint to do it! But anyway, it's free for the taking so spread the love/hate!
[+/-] Fanfic writers' meme