Blunders, Eight-stringed Ukuleles and Random Winged Insects: Voran's blog

[Voran]

There's this inane talking point I sometimes see online that female superheroes are bad because they make women think they can defend themselves against men without an equalizer.

And it drives me mad.

Let me have my escapism for God's sake. I'm not an idiot. I understand that the skinniest 14 year old boy could probably already kill me with his hands. I do what I can with that. (I can't have most legal self defense devices but I do carry fart spray. I dare even the world's most rage driven rapist to not at least be a little bit...discouraged .)

I know I'm defenseless. If I had to see that in fantasy movies I'd lose my (redacted: manure) and go outside and throw dog poo at people while speaking in tongues. Women are humans. We value escapism too.

That said...I do think such characters should probably have a noticeable marker that they're just fantasy characters. Wouldn't hurt to make sure that if you're going to have a scene where a thin woman hip tosses a grown man, she has some obvious trait that shows she's not real, such as yellow eyes, or fangs, or a scolex mouth a la Blade 2. Or have one hand be just cybernetics.

 

[kkimura]

Some of this goes to your state of mind. An important exercise in most Judo clubs is having the smallest member carry the largest member across the dojo (room). Even that smallest member should be able to hip toss the largest member.

 

[Voran]

Some of this goes to your state of mind. An important exercise in most Judo clubs is having the smallest member carry the largest member across the dojo (room). Even that smallest member should be able to hip toss the largest member.

Done that. A long time ago. Not sure it works against a serial killer who's dead set on making me into a lampshade but it was fun.

 

[ploverwing]

And you don't think that the superhero MEN aren't equally complete fantasy? I mean, c'mon!

 

[Voran]

And you don't think that the superhero MEN aren't equally complete fantasy? I mean, c'mon!

Exactly. Who the hell has adamantium talons or can shoot red lasers out of his eyes?

 

[Voran]

I had a fun thing happen today. My computer randomly showed me a little icon of a cassowary.

No...seriously. Look at the search bar! Look at its heavy body and rigid crest - that is not a turkey.

They're a favorite species of mine despite being flightless. Gotta love and respect a 6ft bird with a mohawk.

 

[Voran]

Also for all that they look ferocious they live entirely on fruit and large nuts.

 

[ploverwing]

Cassowaries are a pretty nifty bird.

 

[Voran]

I've taken up creative writing again and this time I'm just going to write what suits me.

I enjoy writing fiction but have never been naturally good at it and always struggled translating the visuals in my head to words. I can do songs and small informal articles but trying to wrangle my brain into writing 60 000 word novels just drained me to the point of being perpetually fatigued and irritable.

Then I decided...who says I HAVE to write 60 000 words just for the sake of hitting that number? I think there's a place for smaller and sparer stories. I agree that 60 000 is the standard for a reason but there is also a place for other things.

I've also just given myself permission to write about subjects I like. People complain about self inserts but...Why shouldn't I write about a 6ft 3in female protagonist hefting a fire extinguisher at a horde of marauding zombies? Why is it fine when men have superpowers but 'SJW' and 'woke' and 'pandering' when women do? Wolverine is not exactly realistic and neither is Blade lol.

 

[TimWilson]

People complain about self inserts

They're idiots. ALL writing is self-inserts. There's an author's name right there on the cover, and anyone who thinks that the author isn't specifically represented on every page, and by some combination of the characters, doesn't understand how books or people work.

And why stop at 6'3"? Seven feet is a nice round number.

 

[Voran]

They're idiots. ALL writing is self-inserts. There's an author's name right there on the cover, and anyone who thinks that the author isn't specifically represented on every page, and by some combination of the characters, doesn't understand how books or people work.

And why stop at 6'3"? Seven feet is a nice round number.

There's more where she came from and some are indeed seven feet haha. But this is first and foremost a novel about a device meant to keep people awake at work that goes utterly and catastrophically wrong. Nadia is not exactly a superhero so much as a software dev who just also happens to be tall and strong.

 

[ploverwing]

Short stories are a very difficult thing to do well. I really admire a well-crafted short story, because it's so hard to fit a tight narrative in a small number of words. The only way to get better is to write a lot, and to work on crafting your skills. It's like anything else, no one is brilliant at anything right off. So write what you want to write, and do lots of it. Read people who are good at their craft, and learn from how they achieve a good story. Then write some more. And keep writing.

Just like you building your chess skills. Same thing: learn from people who are good at what they do, practice those skills, and keep practicing.

 

[Voran]

I've already been working at it since about 15 but my brain is just not wired for some things. That's okay. It's a hobby for fun.

 

[ploverwing]

I've already been working at it since about 15 but my brain is just not wired for some things. That's okay. It's a hobby for fun.

Hey if you're enjoying it, then that's what matters!

 

[Voran]

Played a bit of hyperbullet...alas it was me who succumbed to a deadly annihilation during the half hour arena. Not really bothered...if anything that's inspiring. I too could get good enough to pull off that move in 1.5 of a second. Some day. With a bit of work.

 

[Voran]

I came 15th out of 54 people. Not too bad given the place was full of 2200s. I should have been dead last...but I can be quick and deadly with the help of a little caffeine and heavy metal music

 

[Voran]

For perspective my own hyperbullet rating is currently 1521. So quite the shark tank.

 

[Voran]

Aw man. My mom made custom protein rich chocolate cakes for me with sunflower seeds in them. Yaaaaaaay ^_^