Tuesday, October 13, 2009

So...eaten any good people lately?

Tonight's challenge: figuring out what two zombies say to each other when they make small talk.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Whither goest thou?

I have a meeting next Tuesday with a comic book artist and her troupe of local writers to read through the first chapter of A Teenager's Guide. So it's edit, edit, edit, today.

Despite being at the first chapter, I am contemplating the ultimate ending. There's a lot to consider: the novel's balance between comedy and horror, Max's mental well-being, the physical well-being of an entire town, and the overarching thematic question of whether or not society (as represented by said town) is worth saving.

Pardon me while I dance on the head of a pin.

I mentioned recently that a lot of my inspiration to write comes from rage. Most of the act of writing, however, comes from music. Once I know that I'm going to start working on a project long term, I sit down and create a playlist of appropriate songs out of my library. I literally can't write without the appropriate music to put my mind in the right place.

The playlists can change a lot depending on how the story develops; sometimes I'll hear a new song and hunt it down to add it to my collection, or I'll take one off if the story's tone or events change. But the reverse is also true: sometimes I'll hear a new song or listen to an old one in a new way, and the music itself will affect the story.

There's a lot of stuff on the ATG playlist; right now I'm writing Max's intro to the town of Estacada, and listening to Postal Service's song "This Place is a Prison." Max and Kara's love song is "Modern Romance" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I don't know what this entirely necessary connection between music and creativity says about my post-MTV generation, but I can't argue with the facts, yo.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Video: Oedipus, as performed by vegetables.



Warning for potato-on-tomato incestuous sex.

No, really. I love the universe.

It's not so much a call for justice, as a scream.

From a 1979 interview Roman Polanski gave to the UK publication The Tatler, two years after he raped a 13-year-old girl and had gone on the lam to evade justice.

"If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But hell - f***ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f*** young girls. Juries want to f*** young girls. Everyone wants to f*** young girls!"


And the thing is, the thing is - he's right. Look at all the high-power types who have lined up to demand his release. (And how has Woody Allen never been charged with something? He had sex with his DAUGHTER.) Look at the French dignitaries saying that Polanski made a "teensy mistake." Look at us.

*****

One good thing coming out of this hubbub: it makes me want to write. People often ask artists where they get their inspiration; everyone has a different answer, but for me, I get my best stuff from a place of rage. Pure, unadultered fury, usually directed at the injustices of society - criminals who go free, victims who we fail to protect, discrimination that goes unrectified or even unacknowledged.

That's definitely where Mastema came from. As she says:

"Sooner or later, everyone gets exactly what they deserve. I make sure of that."


Pure, clean, uncorruptible retribution. Oh, yeah, I'm in a Mastema state of mind.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Video: Terminator/Back to the Future remix trailer



Delightful. Especially love Marty McFly's version of "IF WE STAY THE COURSE WE ARE DEAD." And the Terminator at the prom.