Wednesday Writer Club: Getting started for NaNo

Sadly this year I won't be taking part in NaNoWriMo.  With a new job and a baby on the way, life has me pulled in too many directions to start a new project.

But I took part last year, and I have to say, it was an amazing experience. 

So for any of you that might be looking of tips on making it through NaNo or looking for procrastination, I thought during this NaNo season, I'd offer my two cents.

Today, we're looking at a way to get started on NaNo.  For many writers, having a moment of inspiration is the easy part.  But if you are having a hard time getting started, here's a few places to go to look for a spark to get your flame going:

Plot Scenario Generator
Each time you refresh the page, you get a starting scenario and a secondary conflict.  Most of them are generic enough they could work for any genre.  Every now and then, though you get a suggestion from left field.  

Serendipity
So maybe you have an idea, but you don't know where to go after your first big scene.  Serendipity will give you a plot twist to help keep you going. You can generate up to fifty plot twists at a time.  Most of the suggestions edge on the silly side, but it can be a good way to loosen up your writing and getting over a rough patch.

Random Title Generator
If all else fails, sometimes just an intriguing title can give you the flicker of an idea.  Try this generator and see if it works for you.  Some of them are ridiculously silly, but there are some that are interesting enough that I'd pick them up in the store.

Where do you turn when you're stuck with no ideas?  Any of you planning on doing NaNo this year?

Geeky Girl Tuesday: Geek up your Halloween

The Halloween season is officially upon us (regardless of the tempting candy isle being around for about a month).

If you're like me, trick or treating is too much work when you can stop down said isle and treat yourself whenever you want.  So instead of costume ideas or things like that, I'm going to recommend some movies to turn to when the sugar crash hits.

Beetlejuice
Ahh, the 80s.  When Tim Burton's style was still new and refreshing and Michael Keaton was still making movies.  A fun movie, with what is undoubtedly the best random musical number ever.



Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
A classic that is only fun if you can fully embrace the camp of an aging Bette Davis AND Joan Crawford.  Now that I come to think of it, a Davis & Crawford themed party would be awesome!  Prepare yourself for unabashed drama and scenery-chewing that could only be handled by these two.


 
Anything with Vincent Price
No really, anything with him.  He is the high grand master of Halloween in my mind.  Fun, cheap scares, and one of the best voices of any actor.

Craftiness--Photography and shameless self-promotion

The nesting instinct is starting to take over, so expect lots of crafting and DIY posts in the next couple of months.  But in the meantime, check out my side project Focused Perspective Photography.

A friend and I are starting the process of doing some photography on the side.  You can see some of our work posted on our blog, as well as the occasional article about taking better pictures and hints for getting your pictures taken.

I hope you stop by and pass the word along to anyone who might live in our area.

Here's to a great weekend!

3WW Taking Liberty -- Part 25

Click here for 3WW

Without a shadow of a doubt, we're close to the end now.  After the events of last week, that caught even me off guard a bit, there's not much I can do to put off the face off between Elizabeth and Liberty.

But now I'm in a dilemma.  Do I post the climax in one big scene or in several smaller ones?

I know that I usually don't bother when I open a page to a wall of text, so I want to avoid that if possible.  I guess we all get to wait and see how wordy I get in this last stretch.

If you'd like to catch up on exactly what's going on, please check out my Taking Liberty page.  It has links to each individual episode, as well as brief summaries if you want to get an overview of the story.

Liberty's eyes grew wide at the sound of the floor creaking.  Even though she was looking at me, I could tell Liberty's mind was elsewhere.  She took a tentative step forward. I could hear the rustling of her clothes against her skin and the soft whisper of her feet on the floor.

She was staring at her feet and hands, discovering them again, like a newborn.  For a moment, she had forgotten that James and I were in the room.

"James." I whispered.  James didn't move or look at me.  "James--" I tried to say louder, but my voice was still barely more than a sigh.

I turned to him, reaching out a hand to touch his arm.

My movement breached Liberty's calm reflection.  She looked up at me.

Her face was no longer calm, but a searing ember of fury.

"One way or another, this ends now."

Well, Liberty's made my choice for me.  One way or another.  For the next few days, I'll be working on the ending of Taking Liberty sans the inspiration of 3WW.  I'll still be posting new segments on Thursday (however many they might be), but expect more than the little nibble we had today.

After today, it's serious business.

Hope you come back next week for the beginning of the end...for Liberty or Elizabeth (or even James), I'm not sure.

DC relaunch pt 3

This is it for the number ones, guys!  I haven't read all of the New 52, but overall, I think it was a successful experiment.  I'm excited to see how some of these are going, and hope that DC is successful.

Check out Part One and Part Two of my reviews.

Don't forget, DC is issuing reprints of these that you may have missed, and you can always go buy an electronic copy.  If you have the choice, though, go support your local comic shop.

All Star Western #1
I went into this one without any expectations.  I think that might have been a good thing from what I'm hearing about it online.  Jonah Hex, the most famous of DC's western stars is in Gotham hunting down a vicious killer.
Artwork: 4/5--Interesting use of really heavy inking. Some really visceral stuff here, and violence galore.
Story: 2/5-- I found the writing style a little wordy.  Part of that is from the narrator of the story, but this one actually seemed to drag by.
Potential: 2/5--I think it's an interesting premise, but not a whole lot grabbed me.
Overall: 2.6/5 I'll give this one a bit more of a chance, but definitely not one of my favorites.

Aquaman #1
If you ever thought Aquaman was lame, please, please, please check out this book.  You will love it.  And if you thought Aquaman didn't get the respect he deserved, you'll love it too.
Artwork: 5/5--Aquaman has never looked better!  Some great splash pages.
Story: 5/5--We get a general character sketch of Aquaman in several short scenes.  There were a lot of great nods to his less-than-stellar record as a superhero, and an answer to the question of if he talks to fish.
Potential: 5/5--Definitely has me hooked with the clever writing style and the nice artwork.  I'll be sticking with this one.
Overall: 5/5--Hands down one of my favorite of the new 52.  One I hadn't even planned on picking up, but got on a whim.

Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Yup, I know, another Batman title.  By this point even I am having a hard time keeping track!
Artwork: 3/5--Pretty standard comic book artwork.  A couple of really good splash pages of villains, but everyone else looks overworked to me.
Story: 3/5--The first half of the book was a bit dull, as it didn't really add anything new to characterization and seemed to drag a bit.  But the second half picked up and ended with a lead in for a good second one.
Potential: 3/5--This was my least favorite Batman title, but I'll still give it a try for a while and see how it goes.
Overall: 3/5--Straight middle of the road for me.  Worth picking up if you're a big Batman fan.

The Flash #1
A good solid comic, but one that fades in the background of some of the better ones this week.
Artwork: 5/5--A fun, slightly animated style that fits the Flash.  Some great, unusual uses of panels and nostalgic touches here and there.
Story: 4/5--A good job setting up an interesting story and introducing us to The Flash.
Potential: 3/5--While I enjoyed it, it just didn't do much for me.  Maybe it was because I enjoyed Flashpoint (the huge game changing series that brought about the relaunch and centered on The Flash) so much that this felt like a bit of a letdown.
Overall: 4/5--One that I'll keep following. Hopefully it pulls away from the pack soon.

Justice League Dark #1
This was an impulse buy.  I hadn't really planned on buying it, but I'm glad I did.  Several of DC's magical characters are getting together to fight the forces that only they can conquer.
Artwork: 5/5--Good solid artwork all the way through, with some especially vivid (and creepy) images.
Story: 4/5--Another team comes together storyline.  This one's well handled, with everyone getting a moment or two to shine.  I also like how they justify the need for a magic based league.
Potential: 4/5--While I'm still a little fuzzy on some of the characters, I enjoyed this one and will definitely stick around for a while.
Overall: 4.3/5--Good comic overall, but would be hard to pick up if you were completely unfamiliar with the characters.

The Savage Hawkman #1
I literally know nothing about Hawkman besides what I've seen in a handful of Smallville episodes and DC Universe Online.  But, I've been told it's a good thing, as this is a complete overhaul of the character. Even if it might be a good thing, I was still a little lost on this one.
Artwork: 3.5/5--A slightly abstracted painterly style that may alienate some.  The jury's still out for me, but the Bear loved it.
Story: 3.5/5--An interesting story, and definitely sets up for a good series, but I felt a little lost in this one. 
Potential: 4/5--There's enough good going on here that I want to stick around.  Hopefully I start to feel a little less lost with each issue.
Overall: 3.6/5--A good comic, that has some flaws that it'll hopefully overcome.

Superman #1
Where Action Comics is Superman at the start of his career, this is after he's well established.  We get to see that there are some major changes going on at the Daily Planet.  And Lois...what's going on with you?
Artwork: 5/5--Don't let the cover fool you, there's some good solid artwork in here, and an amazing first splash page of the new uniform.
Story: 4.5/5--There's not a whole lot you need to know about Superman to enjoy this issue.  My only caveat was that Clark got a little creepy at the end. Could have gone without the stalker-y vibe.
Potential: 5/5--Definitely one that I'll keep reading.  I enjoyed this much more than Action Comics.
Overall: 4.8/5--One of the titles you should definitely be reading.

Teen Titans #1
Another title that I have limited exposure to, but I didn't feel lost.  We get to see the first two members of the Teen Titans come together (if rather reluctantly).
Artwork: 4/5--Another solid, if typical comic book art.  Only one really stand out splash page, but good work overall.
Story: 5/5--A good setup for a common enemy, some interesting characterization of Red Robin and Wonder Girl (although don't call her that), and a really great teaser for the next issue.
Potential: 5/5--Even though I don't know much about the Teen Titans, this book definitely drew me in and left me wanting more.
Overall: 4.6/5--Another great title that you should pick up and give a try.

Well, that's it for the regular #1s. Look out for a special Green Lantern edition some time soon and for me to highlight some of my favorites every now and then, in a blatant attempt to try and bring you over to the dark comic side.

Who would have ever thought that Aquaman would win this one?