Whilst we're still busy with after-Christmas goings on, I can't help watching the tragedy unfolding in the wake of the Indian Ocean earthquake on Sunday, the 26th December. I thank God that no one I know is there at the moment, but my honeymoon was in Phuket and I really feel for all of the lovely people that made it such a great holiday for us.
There are some good sites up for people to get information and help from, here are two of the ones I've found best:
The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami blog has lots of very helpful information for people affected by this disaster, or who want to help those affected.
Wikipedia's 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami web page is full of interesting technical information and some very well organised up to date information.
If nothing else, this is a great reminder that Christmas is meant to be about giving help to others, so check out either of those sites for ways you can donate, or otherwise help out.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Monday, December 13, 2004
Postcyberpunk Detective Fiction
I've been recently re-reading the Moreau Omnibus by S. Andrew Swann. That got me thinking about some interesting topics:
Postcyberpunk Defined
Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto
Detective Fiction Defined
Postcyberpunk Defined
Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto
Detective Fiction Defined
Friday, December 10, 2004
Lanthium Petal in Flight
Andrew Boulton rendered this picture from the previous deckplan, with some minor input from me as to how it should look.
It's very cool seeing it come to life like this!
It's very cool seeing it come to life like this!
Monday, December 06, 2004
Pirates of the Caribbean 2-Disc DVD
I spoiled myself this Christmas and got the Pirates of the Caribbean 2-Disc DVD set. It's been a lot of fun revisiting the world of Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl.
This is the first time that I've found myself interested in a commentary about the movie by the cast and writers. There are three commentaries on the DVD, each of which brings to life a part of the production or the story in a new way.
As a fan it was great hearing the director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp discuss the highs and lows of the shoot, and it was really funny listening to Kiera Knightley and Jack Davenport with their tongue in cheek commentary.
But as a wannabe writer, the most interesting commentary was that of the four screenwriters, Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio (a team), Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert. Having learned a little about fiction writing from Dramatica Pro, it was great fun hearing these writers describe Miss Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley's character) as the protagonist, the trickster archetype shown in Sparrow (light) and Barbossa (dark) and the various difficulties they had (such as letting Will Turner fnd out the name of the Black Pearl's captain).
One of the writers (Jay?) described how he wrote this story originally as his version of Raiders of the Lost Ark, hmmm ... good idea there. Perhaps I could write Pirates of the Caribbean in space? ;-P
This is the first time that I've found myself interested in a commentary about the movie by the cast and writers. There are three commentaries on the DVD, each of which brings to life a part of the production or the story in a new way.
As a fan it was great hearing the director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp discuss the highs and lows of the shoot, and it was really funny listening to Kiera Knightley and Jack Davenport with their tongue in cheek commentary.
But as a wannabe writer, the most interesting commentary was that of the four screenwriters, Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio (a team), Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert. Having learned a little about fiction writing from Dramatica Pro, it was great fun hearing these writers describe Miss Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley's character) as the protagonist, the trickster archetype shown in Sparrow (light) and Barbossa (dark) and the various difficulties they had (such as letting Will Turner fnd out the name of the Black Pearl's captain).
One of the writers (Jay?) described how he wrote this story originally as his version of Raiders of the Lost Ark, hmmm ... good idea there. Perhaps I could write Pirates of the Caribbean in space? ;-P
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Character Names
Names, names, names ... such important little things, especially when describing an imaginary character to an unknown person.
I have some favourite names. Falkayn is one. Drake is another. Both have been used by authors I like to describe characters I enjoyed. Both could be re-used, but that takes some of the fun out of the creative act.
Hermes is an interesting name, currently used for branding feminine accessories, yet a male name from Greek myth. Even then, the name is one from a story, one already tied up with an interesting character. Of course, many interesting names do have stories attached to them (often more than one) and that shouldn't stop us using a name that is a good fit with a character idea.
Sometimes a common name is good, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sir Nigel Loring merges a common name with a more interesting one. His Sherlock Holmes merges two interesting names, and the way it felt when spoken was surely part of his reason for choosing them (Sir Nigel was from his more serious historical fiction).
For me, finding good names is always a difficult task. Most parents have wrestled with this problem, there are so many name books, and so many names to choose from. As parents you usually are restricted by your family name, which can be helpful. Although the advantage of a work of fiction is that you don't need to agree on the name with your spouse!
The other problem is the old chicken and the egg paradox. Do you start with the character or the name? For me it is a mix of both, a character idea will spark a name, which will help mold the character idea, which may end up requiring a different name.
I was planning on putting some sample names up here, but now I think of it, I want to explore some character, story and world ideas a bit more first.
I have some favourite names. Falkayn is one. Drake is another. Both have been used by authors I like to describe characters I enjoyed. Both could be re-used, but that takes some of the fun out of the creative act.
Hermes is an interesting name, currently used for branding feminine accessories, yet a male name from Greek myth. Even then, the name is one from a story, one already tied up with an interesting character. Of course, many interesting names do have stories attached to them (often more than one) and that shouldn't stop us using a name that is a good fit with a character idea.
Sometimes a common name is good, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sir Nigel Loring merges a common name with a more interesting one. His Sherlock Holmes merges two interesting names, and the way it felt when spoken was surely part of his reason for choosing them (Sir Nigel was from his more serious historical fiction).
For me, finding good names is always a difficult task. Most parents have wrestled with this problem, there are so many name books, and so many names to choose from. As parents you usually are restricted by your family name, which can be helpful. Although the advantage of a work of fiction is that you don't need to agree on the name with your spouse!
The other problem is the old chicken and the egg paradox. Do you start with the character or the name? For me it is a mix of both, a character idea will spark a name, which will help mold the character idea, which may end up requiring a different name.
I was planning on putting some sample names up here, but now I think of it, I want to explore some character, story and world ideas a bit more first.
What's Infininut about?
For a while now, I've wanted a blog that allows me to post some more personal stuff than my main blog can really cater for (seeing as it's on my resumes, email signature etc).
I plan on posting some of my own creative writing here (bad poetry and short stories :-) ) as well as gaming material (RPG stuff for Traveller and D&D).
Unfortunately Blogger does not yet give me the ability to categorise my posts, so I'll use the post title to indicate when a post is part of an ongoing story.
I plan on posting some of my own creative writing here (bad poetry and short stories :-) ) as well as gaming material (RPG stuff for Traveller and D&D).
Unfortunately Blogger does not yet give me the ability to categorise my posts, so I'll use the post title to indicate when a post is part of an ongoing story.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright ...
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
- William Blake
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
- William Blake
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)