Category Archives: creative

writing 3 Comments

NaNoWriMo By Committee

OK, faithful blog readers. I require NaNoWriMo writing assistance.

So, without giving too much plot away… let’s say you’re a guy. You see this chick in the club, and you don’t know why you’re so attracted to her, but OMG, she just makes your stomach do a flipflop. Not in that I-want-to-sex-you-up-NOW sort of way, though; more of an I’m-totally-infatuated-with-everything-about-you sort of way. You don’t end up hooking up at the time, though, and you’re kind of unsure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. She’s quite a bit younger than you, though not jailbait by any means, and that (among other social reasons) makes you think that you two getting together would be a Bad Thing™.

Now, let’s say you run across this girl again, later on, and you find out that she has a big problem. One that you know how to solve. It’s actually your job and mission in life to solve these particular kinds of problems. You’re still totally attracted to her, more so than you ever have been before. Love at first sight, even — at least, on your side of the equation. You’re still not sure how she feels.

What do you do, and why? Do you:

  1. help her solve her problem, and use the thank-you-so-much reaction to try to get together with her, and damn the consequences?
  2. help her solve her problem from arm’s-length, because it’s your job, but reject your desire for her, even if she ends up wanting you?
  3. try to find someone else to solve her problem for her, so you don’t have to deal with the temptation of possibly hooking up?
  4. choose to banish her from your thoughts completely, and ignore her problem, even though you could help?
  5. or some other solution, or combination of solutions?

Leave a comment below with your answer, and give a little background explanation of why you picked that choice. Your motivations will help me shape my main character and his motivations (assuming that more than two or three of you answer).

Yes, yes, I know I’m supposed to be half-done with my NaNo by now. I’m only 15% done. I’m dealing with the fact that I probably won’t “win” NaNoWriMo this year. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still going to try.

photos 1 Comment

Youmacon 2005: Photos

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Youmacon 2005 photos!

For a list of other Youmacon photos, check out the Youmacon website. For other pics of our costumes, check out Fan’s View (click “next page” to see Aaron’s pic), Fiery Panda Studios (again, click “Next Image” to see Aaron), and Tastetheneedle’s gallery on Cosplay.com, among others.

Listen to Aaron’s and my con report on the Weekly Anime Review Podcast next week!

crafty 1 Comment

Mission Accomplished

My Kujibiki Unbalance cosplay costume is complete.

Well, almost. I still have to cut my armbands to size and iron my skirt one last time. But everything else is ready to go.

I put my costume on as soon as I had the last circle of felt glued to the helmet. My shadow had a weird silhouette as I walked up the stairs to the bathroom, to look in the full-length mirror.

I only felt a little ridiculous in my big blue skirt and giant poofy helmet of flannel and felt. Even so, I think my cosplay kicks ass. It has its small flaws — but overall, I’m pleased with my very first cosplay attempt.

Unfortunately, the batteries in the digital camera are dead, so I can’t post a picture of my cosplay yet. But we’re going to get fresh batteries on the way to the con, and we’ll take plenty of pics while we’re there. My co-workers are demanding to see a large photo of me in costume, so I’ll have to oblige both them and my general blog readership. 🙂

podcasting 2 Comments

So Tired

Today at work was a pretty blah day. Worked on some boring reports that are sure to put anyone to sleep. I made it through, though.

Then I walked out to my car and saw the flat tire. Nice. Waited for my two co-worker guys to walk out to the parking lot and asked them, “Do you think that’s too flat to drive on?” Oh, yeah.

Borrowed James’s cell phone to call Aaron and let him know I might be late, all while the manly-men are switching out the nail-ridden tire for the donut. They changed the tire in six minutes flat, while I was on the phone. I thanked James and Rob profusely and drove home on the donut.

I had about two minutes with Aaron before he had to leave for work. During that time, he gave me a hug and I got to open the Kujibiki Unbalance patches I ordered from Japan for this weekend’s cosplay. Anyway, he took the other car to work, so he wouldn’t be driving on the donut, and so the Contour will be in position for me to take it to work tomorrow myself, instead of the Kia.

Once Aaron left, it was time to go vote. I’m relatively new at this voting thing, having only become politically active at the last presidential election. Our polling place had changed, since the school where we voted last time is now under renovation. I had no trouble finding it, though, and beelined past the NBC 24 camera before they could get a shot with me in it.

I really, really dig the new touch-screen voting machines. Much better than the friggin’ Scantron-style bubble sheets we had to fill out last time. Having people from the same neighborhood in the same room was kind of fun, too, and made me long for the days of real community. (The Browns fan behind me telling the Steelers fan in front of me that she shouldn’t be wearing that Steelers jacket made for some surprisingly pleasant banter.)

So, voting done, I went home via the gas station to fill up. The Kia had less than an eighth of a tank left, and I filled it for $20.05, which is a welcome change from the $28 of yore (i.e. summer).

OK. Tire changed, husband hugged, voted, gassed up, and back home. Time for food. Threw some sausages in the microwave and voila, dinner is served.

Scarfed that down. Now it’s time to get down to business.

This evening was supposed to entail me researching and outlining tomorrow’s podcast and finishing up my Kujian helmet. Instead, I ended up talking on the phone with Ann, the new LSM Public Relations committee chair, for 20 minutes about what we should do for press releases. Started looking for some podsafe music for my podcast.

Aaaaand I’m done. I am completely exhausted, and it’s not even 10:00 yet. I want to get my podcast done and uploaded tomorrow, so that my biweekly schedule isn’t totally out the window by show #2, and so that I have Thursday to do the last-minute finishing-up of my cosplay outfit. I really wanted to work on that tonight, but I’m afraid I’d fuck it up at this point.

I’m so tired, I don’t even want to add to my NaNo or play Civ 4. Now *that’s* tired. Ugh.

Maybe I need to print out all my low-carb materials, bring them to work, and forego my lunchtime walk in favor of scripting out my podcast. Not a bad idea, although I’ll miss my outside time.

*checks weather.com*

Hmm… mid 50s and windy. Not horrible weather for walking, actually. Oh, well.

sewing

Cosplay Update

Since Aaron’s Fullmetal Alchemist costume arrived today, custom-made in the mystical land of China, I decided I’d better start work on my skirt again.

I’m not sure how, I but I somehow miscalculated the number of pleats my skirt is going to have. I’d planned on 12 pleats in my six-paneled skirt, but… wait… *thinks real hard* No, that’s right. It’ll be twelve pleats. I’m thinking I might have sewn the pleats in a little too far, though, because the skirt is supposed to poof outward from the hips, and I have the pleats sewn in for about ten inches down from the waist. I didn’t think about the poofy factor at the time; I was thinking about the fact that the heavy material I chose isn’t going to hold a crease very well.

Well, if it comes down to it, I do have a seam ripper. I’ll burn that bridge when I come to it, though.

I have an idea of how I’m going to make my helmet, but I haven’t started it yet. The hardest part is going to be attaching the frame for the helmet to the ball cap I bought at Goodwill. First, though, I want to get the skirt finished. One project at a time.

Did I just say “One project at a time”?

*shakes head*

Tell that to my multiple webpages, soy candle backlog, neglected plants, and my upcoming podcast.