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alexandraerinNews For Today:
I'm kicking off a bit of an unusual fundraiser today... letting readers literally vote with their wallets as to who will complete the rooming quartet with Amaranth, Mackenzie, and Two. This is an idea I've been kicking around for a while. It seems like fun, and otherwise I would seriously probably just pick one of them at random. I can see too many interesting possibilities any which way.
And I need to give the fundraising a bit of a boost. Dollhousehold finances are kind of tight at the moment... one housemate moved out and kind of left my other housemate/the actual mortgage payer in the lurch on some back rent. I pay a set rent but we generally have a friendly arrangement when it comes to timeframe and paying for shared/household goods, but in light of the present circumstances things will be more comfortable if I can step up a bit.
Personal Assessment
Slept fine. Sniffles of yesterday seem to be on their way out.
Dreams From Last Night
Indistinct.
Random Link
Yesterday I spotted an ad on Tales of MU for something calling itself an anti-epic, which intrigued me, insofar as I've begun to think of myself as a teller of anti-stories. Not in the sense that what I tell are entirely unlike stories... I mean, a positron (antimatter electron) is not the thing in the universe that is least like an electron. In many ways they're very much alike. I mean "anti-story" in the sense that Andy Kauffman was an anti-humorist, or Dada is anti-art. Andy Kauffman's work was humorous and Dada produces works of art... but these forms, these media have conventions and expectations and baggage attached to them.
We're told that stories have a beginning, a middle, an end, a protagonist, an antagonist, exposition, rising action, a climax, falling action, the Professor, and Mary Anne... but obviously it's possible to tell a coherent narrative that's missing one or more of these things. Adhering too tightly to these conventions... well, I've said before that I think the existence of a maxim like Chekhov's Gun leads to a vicious cycle, where the more closely it's followed by a generation of artists, the more audiences expect it to be followed and feel confused or cheated when they perceive a violation. That's true of any storytelling convention.
So, I haven't actually started reading Guts and Sass... I just spied it yesterday... but the About section says this:
What can I say? It speaks to me.
Plans For Today
In light of the shaky week I've had, I'm going to go ahead and start Monday's chapter today. We're into some very deep spoilery territory now, so there's not going to be a construction post.
There could be as few as two chapters left in the volume proper. There's probably more like four or five.
(There will be a fast-forward epilogue that I am going to endeavor to do in a week, whether it's one long thing or several short ones, I'm not sure yet.)
I'm kicking off a bit of an unusual fundraiser today... letting readers literally vote with their wallets as to who will complete the rooming quartet with Amaranth, Mackenzie, and Two. This is an idea I've been kicking around for a while. It seems like fun, and otherwise I would seriously probably just pick one of them at random. I can see too many interesting possibilities any which way.
And I need to give the fundraising a bit of a boost. Dollhousehold finances are kind of tight at the moment... one housemate moved out and kind of left my other housemate/the actual mortgage payer in the lurch on some back rent. I pay a set rent but we generally have a friendly arrangement when it comes to timeframe and paying for shared/household goods, but in light of the present circumstances things will be more comfortable if I can step up a bit.
Personal Assessment
Slept fine. Sniffles of yesterday seem to be on their way out.
Dreams From Last Night
Indistinct.
Random Link
Yesterday I spotted an ad on Tales of MU for something calling itself an anti-epic, which intrigued me, insofar as I've begun to think of myself as a teller of anti-stories. Not in the sense that what I tell are entirely unlike stories... I mean, a positron (antimatter electron) is not the thing in the universe that is least like an electron. In many ways they're very much alike. I mean "anti-story" in the sense that Andy Kauffman was an anti-humorist, or Dada is anti-art. Andy Kauffman's work was humorous and Dada produces works of art... but these forms, these media have conventions and expectations and baggage attached to them.
We're told that stories have a beginning, a middle, an end, a protagonist, an antagonist, exposition, rising action, a climax, falling action, the Professor, and Mary Anne... but obviously it's possible to tell a coherent narrative that's missing one or more of these things. Adhering too tightly to these conventions... well, I've said before that I think the existence of a maxim like Chekhov's Gun leads to a vicious cycle, where the more closely it's followed by a generation of artists, the more audiences expect it to be followed and feel confused or cheated when they perceive a violation. That's true of any storytelling convention.
So, I haven't actually started reading Guts and Sass... I just spied it yesterday... but the About section says this:
Without much conscious input from me, Guts and Sass grew an intention to be an anti-epic. It has many of the conventions of epic fantasy, but I feel that it isn't. I've tried to let Guts and Sass be as true to life as it can be, considering it's more fantastical elements and that I have never directly experienced many of the events in the story. Within you will find war, political intrigue, invasion, magic, pirates, swords, and potions. You won't find any heroes, glorified romance, saving the day, or clean-cut answers. You'll also find human dysfunction, illiteracy, non-civilized cultures, gender-crossing, gender-transitioning, sex that isn't love and love that isn't sex, homosexuality not defined by modern gay identity, and other subjects that may or may not blow your worldview. (I say this especially to my parents, who, God help me, I have told about this website).
One thing about Guts and Sass is that it is paced by life. You won't see every moment in these people's lives, but the moments you do see will happen in a reasonable amount of time. That's a wee bit slow for many people, but I prefer it. It's kind of like getting to know someone and savoring the sexual tension and foreplay instead of going straight to the orgasm (which has it's own charms, at times).
Guts and Sass is about one of thirty long-term stories in my head. Once it's done, there will be another, and another. I don't think the bowl will ever be empty.
What can I say? It speaks to me.
Plans For Today
In light of the shaky week I've had, I'm going to go ahead and start Monday's chapter today. We're into some very deep spoilery territory now, so there's not going to be a construction post.
There could be as few as two chapters left in the volume proper. There's probably more like four or five.
(There will be a fast-forward epilogue that I am going to endeavor to do in a week, whether it's one long thing or several short ones, I'm not sure yet.)