Saturday was another day where I felt I was writing against the clock. I don't even remember much of what I did, I just now that I managed to bang out some twenty odd pages of script (some of them a bit funny - whcich helps!) and rush out to a loooong night at work.
I took my stuff but I didn't even have time to think about it, nevermind writing.
On the way back I was so tired that I found myself yawning while cycling.
But then, as a truck passed by me, way past 3 in the morning, I had a flash and an idea for a short script. I didn't stop to note it down. It's one of those ideas that just swims in the background of your mind for years until it actually comes to the surface and defines itself in a moment with some clarity and force.
It's not a pleasant idea, but I think it's one that's important to tell... so, I shared that with Alexandra (it was an idea for her 18 themed project) the day after.
I think she enjoyed it.
That one and the other one I had been tinkering about.
The problem now is that she doesn't have enough time and, we both agree on this, these stories need a bit of space to breathe...
So, we'll see where time takes us...
My plan is to type them down whenever I'm so inclined and start looking out for a place where I can post them so that animators may take those scripts and do something with them.
I'll get the Creative Commons licensing for all of them and away we go!
That's the plan!
And now... onwards to more writing!
peace~!
Friday, 23 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 22
Yesterday was a good day even though I didn't write as much as I'd wanted to... I'm still on page forty something and I wanted to have it finished by now!
However I crossed an important threshhold: Miriam now knows Perry exists... and she's curious!
(and so am I!)
One of the problems with this script is that it can go so many ways... so what I thought yesterday was to simply incorporate some of these spin off plots into Perry's eternal script, which could then be shown in short snippets throughout the main body of the film... and add to the humour of it all! I really want to show how the male brain can go head over heels over a woman and really go at a tangent...
Amidst all this pondering I managed to write a short animation script for my friend. It's called One Last Time and it's a story of a goodbye to a redundant previous life.
Actually, you can check some of her stuff HERE!
I'd thought initially to do a kind of combo version of the script, with dialogue and non-dialogue descriptions crammed into a single script but then I realised that the dialogue I'd written was mediocre and the whole would probably work a lot better without any words.
That's what I sent her.
I still feel that I haven't gotten to the core of what I really wanted to say but... there you go, sometimes you just get the taste instead of the whole cake...
Just before I went to sleep I started having these really vivid images about another story that I've tentatively called Fosters - simply because it's about foster parents and abandoned children. It's a pretty dark one but one that I think would be worthwhile writing about. It's about predjudice and expectations.
I jotted down the idea on a word file.
Saved it to my Films folder.
(organisation! organisation!)
And off I went to sleep!
peace!
However I crossed an important threshhold: Miriam now knows Perry exists... and she's curious!
(and so am I!)
One of the problems with this script is that it can go so many ways... so what I thought yesterday was to simply incorporate some of these spin off plots into Perry's eternal script, which could then be shown in short snippets throughout the main body of the film... and add to the humour of it all! I really want to show how the male brain can go head over heels over a woman and really go at a tangent...
Amidst all this pondering I managed to write a short animation script for my friend. It's called One Last Time and it's a story of a goodbye to a redundant previous life.
Actually, you can check some of her stuff HERE!
I'd thought initially to do a kind of combo version of the script, with dialogue and non-dialogue descriptions crammed into a single script but then I realised that the dialogue I'd written was mediocre and the whole would probably work a lot better without any words.
That's what I sent her.
I still feel that I haven't gotten to the core of what I really wanted to say but... there you go, sometimes you just get the taste instead of the whole cake...
Just before I went to sleep I started having these really vivid images about another story that I've tentatively called Fosters - simply because it's about foster parents and abandoned children. It's a pretty dark one but one that I think would be worthwhile writing about. It's about predjudice and expectations.
I jotted down the idea on a word file.
Saved it to my Films folder.
(organisation! organisation!)
And off I went to sleep!
peace!
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 21
Well, it's now 4pm and I've just finished drafting the second of the two ideas I had to help out my friend (I'm not mentioning her name here since I don't know if she'd like that or not... that's usually my policy)
We chatted for a good long while yesterday. The theme was about turning 18, the experiences, etc.
I more or less dropped the ideas we chatted initially, came up with another one, with lots of monologue, more internalized. Dropped that two and came up with two others. Both with no dialogue or voice overs.
She's at work now so I'll send her the short animation scripts as soon as she's back online.
The plan for the rest of the day is to finish typing my notes on MIRIAM, print them out and hit that script hard! I want to have it finished before the weekend starts!
Been listening to the B-52's in order to gear myself up to a more positive note. Tried to watch a film yesterday but only watched the first 15min...
I'm hoping that I'll write some 20 or 30 pages today... let's see what happens!
Even though I'm at home I've still been taking care of stuff for friends and friends of friends... that's life! And that's why it is good!
Peace!
We chatted for a good long while yesterday. The theme was about turning 18, the experiences, etc.
I more or less dropped the ideas we chatted initially, came up with another one, with lots of monologue, more internalized. Dropped that two and came up with two others. Both with no dialogue or voice overs.
She's at work now so I'll send her the short animation scripts as soon as she's back online.
The plan for the rest of the day is to finish typing my notes on MIRIAM, print them out and hit that script hard! I want to have it finished before the weekend starts!
Been listening to the B-52's in order to gear myself up to a more positive note. Tried to watch a film yesterday but only watched the first 15min...
I'm hoping that I'll write some 20 or 30 pages today... let's see what happens!
Even though I'm at home I've still been taking care of stuff for friends and friends of friends... that's life! And that's why it is good!
Peace!
Script Frenzy Day 20
Yesterday I went to work and had a mad day there. Ended up staying an extra two hours just finishing bits and pieces and then, of course, as I was about to leave, something would come up, just a few more minutes and on and on for two hours...
When I arrived home I started chatting with a friend of mine, working in Brasil for an animation company, doing an animation course there and wanting my help for one of her projects.
I was so tired that I ended up falling asleep during a long pause in our chat... I don't even remember lying down...
I just remember waking up at 8am!
So not much work on the frenzy yesterday...
peace!
When I arrived home I started chatting with a friend of mine, working in Brasil for an animation company, doing an animation course there and wanting my help for one of her projects.
I was so tired that I ended up falling asleep during a long pause in our chat... I don't even remember lying down...
I just remember waking up at 8am!
So not much work on the frenzy yesterday...
peace!
Script Frenzy Day 19
After spending a good part of the day ceiling mounting my projector I ended up going to the IMAX to watch Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland 3D - which I thoroughly enjoyed. Probably because my expectations were quite low.
It's a blockbuster so, blockbuster rules apply...
But i'ts always a treat to see Tim Burton's wild imaginings take life on the big screen. Especially one as big as the IMAX one!
When I came home I didn't do much. Just went straight to sleep!
Then the next day I started working on my other script called MIRIAM.
After a lot of pottering about I managed to plot the whole thing and write a few scenes. But I felt far away from my 40 page a day frenzies...
The good thing was that the bits I did write actually felt funny - or at least amusing.
I decided I needed a little break so I didn't push myself that much...
peace!
It's a blockbuster so, blockbuster rules apply...
But i'ts always a treat to see Tim Burton's wild imaginings take life on the big screen. Especially one as big as the IMAX one!
When I came home I didn't do much. Just went straight to sleep!
Then the next day I started working on my other script called MIRIAM.
After a lot of pottering about I managed to plot the whole thing and write a few scenes. But I felt far away from my 40 page a day frenzies...
The good thing was that the bits I did write actually felt funny - or at least amusing.
I decided I needed a little break so I didn't push myself that much...
peace!
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 18
Hello and good afternoon!
Well, I've more or less finished this one!
Just ended typing up 7 new short scenes that I'm going to have to insert back into the story in a second revision phase - even though I think I still need to create 5 or 6 more for one of the secondary characters. He kind of has a strong start and I never picked it up. So I'll have to develop that a bit more and then wrap it up quickly.
I'm also wondering if I should give Jennifer a bit of a back story. After all she is the only character in the story that doesn't seem to have much to hide.
oh.
I just remembered.
I did do that...
Ages ago...
Not to worry then!
Problem solved!
(I should trust my skills more...)
As soon as I finished chapter 25, Grace, my computer collapsed. I thought power had failed. But it turns out that it didn't... Maybe I've burned one of the RAMs... I don't know. I replaced one of them for one of the old ones I've kept lying about and it's working now... I need to clean this computer... TLC TLC TLC... it's always the first thing to go out the window...
Anyway, when I rebooted the whole thing I realised that the last three pages (that I felt were actually quite good) and disappeared.
And I'm pretty sure that I'd saved them...
I was really frustrated for a while and really didn't want to go back and re-write the whole thing again. It was the most gruesome scene in the whole series and I didn't feel like revisiting it at all for the time being.
But I did and I re-wrote it even though I don't think it flows as well as first time round...
Well... there's always revision...
Chapter 26, This Blinding Light, the epilogue, was much easier to write.
I still don't know if the ending that I've written is the one that will stay. I'm quite tempted to tone down the final scenes in chapter 25. My only fear is that they're not believable enough in that way. At the same time this might contribute to what happens in chapter 26 to be more believable also...
Revision will decide!
I think now I'm gonna sort out my room a bit. Find out where all the bits of information in relation to Miriam are located and prepare a file with all my notes about it. I don't think I'll start writing that film today. But I do want to start it tomorrow.
I'm gonna watch a film in a few hours!
I think I deserve it!
I had planned to go to one of the scriptfrenzy meets in Southbank but I think it's best if I hang back and actually clean my pc...
Peace!
Well, I've more or less finished this one!
Just ended typing up 7 new short scenes that I'm going to have to insert back into the story in a second revision phase - even though I think I still need to create 5 or 6 more for one of the secondary characters. He kind of has a strong start and I never picked it up. So I'll have to develop that a bit more and then wrap it up quickly.
I'm also wondering if I should give Jennifer a bit of a back story. After all she is the only character in the story that doesn't seem to have much to hide.
oh.
I just remembered.
I did do that...
Ages ago...
Not to worry then!
Problem solved!
(I should trust my skills more...)
As soon as I finished chapter 25, Grace, my computer collapsed. I thought power had failed. But it turns out that it didn't... Maybe I've burned one of the RAMs... I don't know. I replaced one of them for one of the old ones I've kept lying about and it's working now... I need to clean this computer... TLC TLC TLC... it's always the first thing to go out the window...
Anyway, when I rebooted the whole thing I realised that the last three pages (that I felt were actually quite good) and disappeared.
And I'm pretty sure that I'd saved them...
I was really frustrated for a while and really didn't want to go back and re-write the whole thing again. It was the most gruesome scene in the whole series and I didn't feel like revisiting it at all for the time being.
But I did and I re-wrote it even though I don't think it flows as well as first time round...
Well... there's always revision...
Chapter 26, This Blinding Light, the epilogue, was much easier to write.
I still don't know if the ending that I've written is the one that will stay. I'm quite tempted to tone down the final scenes in chapter 25. My only fear is that they're not believable enough in that way. At the same time this might contribute to what happens in chapter 26 to be more believable also...
Revision will decide!
I think now I'm gonna sort out my room a bit. Find out where all the bits of information in relation to Miriam are located and prepare a file with all my notes about it. I don't think I'll start writing that film today. But I do want to start it tomorrow.
I'm gonna watch a film in a few hours!
I think I deserve it!
I had planned to go to one of the scriptfrenzy meets in Southbank but I think it's best if I hang back and actually clean my pc...
Peace!
Script Frenzy Day 17
Day 17 didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would. To start I woke up later than I had planned. I went to see a friend on the day before and we ended up chatting for hours... this is what tends to happen!
Then, when I finally woke up, around 4 or 5am, I realised I'd left my notes at work... I meditated for a bit. Then tried to write, found it difficult because I needed to see what I had done before, and decided to go back to sleep and see what would happen closer to the morning.
I decided to go to work. Which ended up being the smart choice because I'd forgotten to grab some details for a farewell party with some colleagues from work, later that day. I arrived home around noon and I type until 4.30pm, having managed to finish chapter 24, Requiem.
I went to the farewell in Clapham but truly felt alienated from it all. I was on script mode... that means I couldn't talk about anything else but this stuff... and I did try! My head just felt empty. So I watched and listened, trying to figure out in the back of my mind if all this chatting would in some way prove useful for my script writing abilities...
Anyway, cycled home and began chapter 25, Grace (at least that's what I think I did... the last couple of days are a bit of a blur in terms of what I've written, I seem to very easily forget the order in which I do things...)
Afterwards it was time to go to sleep!
peace
Then, when I finally woke up, around 4 or 5am, I realised I'd left my notes at work... I meditated for a bit. Then tried to write, found it difficult because I needed to see what I had done before, and decided to go back to sleep and see what would happen closer to the morning.
I decided to go to work. Which ended up being the smart choice because I'd forgotten to grab some details for a farewell party with some colleagues from work, later that day. I arrived home around noon and I type until 4.30pm, having managed to finish chapter 24, Requiem.
I went to the farewell in Clapham but truly felt alienated from it all. I was on script mode... that means I couldn't talk about anything else but this stuff... and I did try! My head just felt empty. So I watched and listened, trying to figure out in the back of my mind if all this chatting would in some way prove useful for my script writing abilities...
Anyway, cycled home and began chapter 25, Grace (at least that's what I think I did... the last couple of days are a bit of a blur in terms of what I've written, I seem to very easily forget the order in which I do things...)
Afterwards it was time to go to sleep!
peace
Friday, 16 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 16 part two...
Hey there again!
I know, I know, I can't stop blogging... I guess I'm all hyper from all the writing. What can you do?! Might as well enjoy it while it lasts!
Right. After that little ramble a few hours ago I type away at chapter 24, Requiem. This is when Roanoke and Jennifer get themselves into some serious trouble.
I won't tell you much because I would spoil it a bit, I'll just say that what I've written so far as been great fun. So much so that I wish I could be at home right now (I almost wrote, write now...) typing away.
I've realised that my plot for chapter 24 is actually better than what I envisioned. After I finished chapter 23 I jumped into a couple of scenes that I assumed belonged to c.24 but are, in fact, chapter 25...
This is really the cliffhanger issue!
Like the last one!
But what I'm happy about is that these will have MEANING by the time the reader gets to them. It's not so much the cliffhanger per se but rather what it might bring about...
Anyway, enough chit chat, I should actually be taking notes for some ideas I had for that other script (a film script) that's been showing up every so often in my head... it's called MIRIAM, and just so you know, it's a romantic comedy.
Come on.
I need it.
After all this talk about dark stuff I want to do something light but equally fun (though a lighter kind of fun...)
Peace!
I know, I know, I can't stop blogging... I guess I'm all hyper from all the writing. What can you do?! Might as well enjoy it while it lasts!
Right. After that little ramble a few hours ago I type away at chapter 24, Requiem. This is when Roanoke and Jennifer get themselves into some serious trouble.
I won't tell you much because I would spoil it a bit, I'll just say that what I've written so far as been great fun. So much so that I wish I could be at home right now (I almost wrote, write now...) typing away.
I've realised that my plot for chapter 24 is actually better than what I envisioned. After I finished chapter 23 I jumped into a couple of scenes that I assumed belonged to c.24 but are, in fact, chapter 25...
This is really the cliffhanger issue!
Like the last one!
But what I'm happy about is that these will have MEANING by the time the reader gets to them. It's not so much the cliffhanger per se but rather what it might bring about...
Anyway, enough chit chat, I should actually be taking notes for some ideas I had for that other script (a film script) that's been showing up every so often in my head... it's called MIRIAM, and just so you know, it's a romantic comedy.
Come on.
I need it.
After all this talk about dark stuff I want to do something light but equally fun (though a lighter kind of fun...)
Peace!
Script Frenzy Day 16
I did wake up at 3 something but then stayed in bed a little while longer. Just dozing and getting myself ready, actually enjoying the relaxation - must've been that hot bath yesterday.
I woke up and for the first time since I started this thing I actually manage to start typing immediately.
Of course, after ten or fifteen minutes I started getting hungry and went to the kitchen and made breakfast.
I ate it while reading the second half of The Astonishing Wolf-Man volume 3 doing the revising en suite.
With that done I plunged back into the script and I think I haven't left this chair since... I'm really feeling a good momentum here.
It's now almost 8am. I must've written more or less non-stop for the last two and a half hours, three hours. I've finished chapter 23, Free Of All Fathers and have jotted down some ideas to add to chapter 24, Requiem.
The Murrau confrontation went well but differently than what I had expected. I had envisioned something quite epic and brutal and it ended up being something much more about subtlety and dissent. Don't know if that's the correct word for what I want to say... Murrau's character came out really solid I think. This old guy that just doesn't care about the consequences of his actions, but whose goal in life is actually seeing the dull extent of his manipulations.
I think it went quite well and I think I managed to tie up a couple of loose ends fairly well. And I mean fairly because I left in there some bits from an older version of this scene (actually a fragment, a page long) that I still don't know if I'll need to use at a later stage or not. They stay here for now and when I revise I'll know if they're needed or not. At least they're in their right place.
Trust me, there's plenty more of that scattered throughout the other chapters... just don't stop to try and tie up everything. It's best to get to the end of the story first. Then you'll see much more clearly what you need to add, what you'll need to remove, perfect, etc.
Alright! That's it for now! I still have another hour before I have to make my way to work. Better use it up wisely!
peace
I woke up and for the first time since I started this thing I actually manage to start typing immediately.
Of course, after ten or fifteen minutes I started getting hungry and went to the kitchen and made breakfast.
I ate it while reading the second half of The Astonishing Wolf-Man volume 3 doing the revising en suite.
With that done I plunged back into the script and I think I haven't left this chair since... I'm really feeling a good momentum here.
It's now almost 8am. I must've written more or less non-stop for the last two and a half hours, three hours. I've finished chapter 23, Free Of All Fathers and have jotted down some ideas to add to chapter 24, Requiem.
The Murrau confrontation went well but differently than what I had expected. I had envisioned something quite epic and brutal and it ended up being something much more about subtlety and dissent. Don't know if that's the correct word for what I want to say... Murrau's character came out really solid I think. This old guy that just doesn't care about the consequences of his actions, but whose goal in life is actually seeing the dull extent of his manipulations.
I think it went quite well and I think I managed to tie up a couple of loose ends fairly well. And I mean fairly because I left in there some bits from an older version of this scene (actually a fragment, a page long) that I still don't know if I'll need to use at a later stage or not. They stay here for now and when I revise I'll know if they're needed or not. At least they're in their right place.
Trust me, there's plenty more of that scattered throughout the other chapters... just don't stop to try and tie up everything. It's best to get to the end of the story first. Then you'll see much more clearly what you need to add, what you'll need to remove, perfect, etc.
Alright! That's it for now! I still have another hour before I have to make my way to work. Better use it up wisely!
peace
Script Frenzy Day 15 part three...
After finishing chapter 22 I made a headstart on chapter 23 taking it up all the way until the moment where Roanoke and Jennifer have to face Murrau.
Before this though I read half of The Astonishing Wolf-Man Volume 3 and revised it too. Even though I felt quite disappointed with it. But sometimes that's when you learn more. Since I've been working on my plot quite a bit so that, even on this first draft things stick together coherently (or as close to as I can manage) it was very easy to see how much Robert Kirkman didn't do... But, I guess I learned something from that so it wasn't a complete waste of time.
since I was feeling a bit tired I decided to go to bed around nine. And because my mind was feeling a lot lighter than it had in the last few days I decided to switch on the alarm clock for just after 3am since I was pretty sure I wasn't going to wake up by myself like in previous days.
Which proved to be right...
peace
Before this though I read half of The Astonishing Wolf-Man Volume 3 and revised it too. Even though I felt quite disappointed with it. But sometimes that's when you learn more. Since I've been working on my plot quite a bit so that, even on this first draft things stick together coherently (or as close to as I can manage) it was very easy to see how much Robert Kirkman didn't do... But, I guess I learned something from that so it wasn't a complete waste of time.
since I was feeling a bit tired I decided to go to bed around nine. And because my mind was feeling a lot lighter than it had in the last few days I decided to switch on the alarm clock for just after 3am since I was pretty sure I wasn't going to wake up by myself like in previous days.
Which proved to be right...
peace
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 15 part two...
Chapter 22, Free Of All Fathers is now completed. This is one that is going to need quite a bit revising. Some good moments but I felt Roanoke's parents backstory wasn't convincing enough. It needs some polishing... but it's done! And, in any case a couple of nice scenes did surface and some of the plot holes I knew I had were resolved. So, all in all, not a bad day's work!
It's now almost 6pm. I still haven't slept even though I did rest for a couple of hours. Nothing like some reading, some food and a hot bath!
I think I'm gonna have a mini-break and then jump into chapter 23. This is going to be one of the big ones and, even though I've resolved a major plot hole, I still don't know how the confrontation between Murrau and Roanoke will be - this also needs to be a major one...
Guess I'll have to write it to find out, right?!
peace.
It's now almost 6pm. I still haven't slept even though I did rest for a couple of hours. Nothing like some reading, some food and a hot bath!
I think I'm gonna have a mini-break and then jump into chapter 23. This is going to be one of the big ones and, even though I've resolved a major plot hole, I still don't know how the confrontation between Murrau and Roanoke will be - this also needs to be a major one...
Guess I'll have to write it to find out, right?!
peace.
Script Frenzy Day 15 part one...
Well, yesterday was a productive day, as much as I wanted it to be I guess.
After finishing chapter 19 I had a little nap, woke up, played some guitar and wrote chapter 20, Tempus Fugit, until about 9pm. Then it was time for bed once again!
In Tempus Fugit time is really running and the pressure levels increase. It needs a bit more of character development but the bones and some of the flesh are already there. There's a really good scene between Caulder and Roanoke where the power game really comes to the surface. A fun piece of verbal swordplay that I really enjoyed writing - and that came about more or less spontaneously. I knew that that scene was important and that a few things needed to be said but what actually happened was better than what I had anticipated!
When I finished it I couldn't wait to get my hands on issue 20! But I was tired and so I thought it best to call it a night...
Which was what I did.
I woke up some 5 hours afterwards with a headache. In my case, writing some 40 odd pages of script combined with not much sleep have the effect of making my head feel a bit funny, electric and tense.
I drank tea and plenty of water and, since it wasn't going away, I spent a good half an hour meditating and catching my mind going all over the place besides observing the rising and falling in the abdomen. At least my back was straight and the headache lightened up a bit.
When I emerged I didn't really feel like writing so much. I didn't feel like doing anything much. Not even going back to sleep.
So I started writing.
Chapter 21 which goes by the name of I Remember Nothing. Taken, obviously from the Joy Division track of the same name. I haven't bothered to read the lyrics but I probably will and add one or two phrases from it in the script if they fit in. In any case, it's the resonance of the title and the more direct meaning of it that I was looking for.
Well, since I wrote this I had to go and read the lyrics, didn't I? Still don't know if I'll use one or two of the phrases but the meaning... my god, it's there alright, closer than I even realised.
I started writing a bit haphazardly at first, not being able to focus properly. But, as soon as I got to the scene between Roanoke and Kronan things really opened up. Once again there was a lot that I knew had to happen in this scene. I just didn't know how... But the glimpses I had started to gain weight and meaning and I just wrote more or less everything that came into my mind's eye. Kronan kind of changed in this scene. I knew he would - that was the point after all. But he was already different in the beginning. All because of his talk with Caulder that kind of revealed some stuff I still didn't know about him. As a consequence, all those ideas I had about him became more real and more present - more likely. I think we might still see him after issue 22 but I'm not sure... actually, I think we might just have a glimpse on the final chapter. so that we can see what has happened to him...
I really think that this issue build up for the climax of the series. I'm still a bit uneasy about being able to pull it off with as much strength as I want to. But even if I don't in this first draft (it's what I keep telling myself...) I'm pretty sure that I will on the second.
Or the third.
Most definitely on the fourth.
After all the second draft will be the reorganizing of this whole heap of scenes and chapters, the refining of some of the text, adding all the page layouts and panel descriptions, getting the characters more clearly. And it will probably take as much time as this first draft to finish.
The third draft will be more looking at a chapter by chapter revision. Making the story flow better - even when it comes to the page and panel descriptions. I won't need to worry so much about the broad view because that will be more or less sorted (even thought there will always be details to add)
The fourth draft will essentially be the re-reading of the third with a critical eye to see if all those things revised actually worked or did anything to the story. It's the double checking so to speak.
This is more or less my modus operandi these days when it comes to writing something. Even with a short story I'll tend to pick it up and drop it a few times in order to gain some perspective over it. The difference is that with a short story it's much easier to go through the four phases in one sitting. With something like this I'll really need time to get it all done...
That's it!
don't know exactly what I'm going to do just now, but maybe it's a good idea to rest for a little while.
And enjoy the sunshine that came out!
Peace
After finishing chapter 19 I had a little nap, woke up, played some guitar and wrote chapter 20, Tempus Fugit, until about 9pm. Then it was time for bed once again!
In Tempus Fugit time is really running and the pressure levels increase. It needs a bit more of character development but the bones and some of the flesh are already there. There's a really good scene between Caulder and Roanoke where the power game really comes to the surface. A fun piece of verbal swordplay that I really enjoyed writing - and that came about more or less spontaneously. I knew that that scene was important and that a few things needed to be said but what actually happened was better than what I had anticipated!
When I finished it I couldn't wait to get my hands on issue 20! But I was tired and so I thought it best to call it a night...
Which was what I did.
I woke up some 5 hours afterwards with a headache. In my case, writing some 40 odd pages of script combined with not much sleep have the effect of making my head feel a bit funny, electric and tense.
I drank tea and plenty of water and, since it wasn't going away, I spent a good half an hour meditating and catching my mind going all over the place besides observing the rising and falling in the abdomen. At least my back was straight and the headache lightened up a bit.
When I emerged I didn't really feel like writing so much. I didn't feel like doing anything much. Not even going back to sleep.
So I started writing.
Chapter 21 which goes by the name of I Remember Nothing. Taken, obviously from the Joy Division track of the same name. I haven't bothered to read the lyrics but I probably will and add one or two phrases from it in the script if they fit in. In any case, it's the resonance of the title and the more direct meaning of it that I was looking for.
Well, since I wrote this I had to go and read the lyrics, didn't I? Still don't know if I'll use one or two of the phrases but the meaning... my god, it's there alright, closer than I even realised.
I started writing a bit haphazardly at first, not being able to focus properly. But, as soon as I got to the scene between Roanoke and Kronan things really opened up. Once again there was a lot that I knew had to happen in this scene. I just didn't know how... But the glimpses I had started to gain weight and meaning and I just wrote more or less everything that came into my mind's eye. Kronan kind of changed in this scene. I knew he would - that was the point after all. But he was already different in the beginning. All because of his talk with Caulder that kind of revealed some stuff I still didn't know about him. As a consequence, all those ideas I had about him became more real and more present - more likely. I think we might still see him after issue 22 but I'm not sure... actually, I think we might just have a glimpse on the final chapter. so that we can see what has happened to him...
I really think that this issue build up for the climax of the series. I'm still a bit uneasy about being able to pull it off with as much strength as I want to. But even if I don't in this first draft (it's what I keep telling myself...) I'm pretty sure that I will on the second.
Or the third.
Most definitely on the fourth.
After all the second draft will be the reorganizing of this whole heap of scenes and chapters, the refining of some of the text, adding all the page layouts and panel descriptions, getting the characters more clearly. And it will probably take as much time as this first draft to finish.
The third draft will be more looking at a chapter by chapter revision. Making the story flow better - even when it comes to the page and panel descriptions. I won't need to worry so much about the broad view because that will be more or less sorted (even thought there will always be details to add)
The fourth draft will essentially be the re-reading of the third with a critical eye to see if all those things revised actually worked or did anything to the story. It's the double checking so to speak.
This is more or less my modus operandi these days when it comes to writing something. Even with a short story I'll tend to pick it up and drop it a few times in order to gain some perspective over it. The difference is that with a short story it's much easier to go through the four phases in one sitting. With something like this I'll really need time to get it all done...
That's it!
don't know exactly what I'm going to do just now, but maybe it's a good idea to rest for a little while.
And enjoy the sunshine that came out!
Peace
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 14
Hi!
Just finished chapter 19.
Again went to bed around 10pm and then woke just after 2am. A bit of a headache but feeling good enough to write chapter 20 before I call it a day.
Everybody's still asleep in the house. They've been keeping weird schedules as well...
It's 10am.
I wish they would wake up so that I could play some guitar. I'm gonna have a break. Have some food. Watch a couple of episodes of anime.
Or read.
Then go shop for some food.
Then write some more.
was quite happy with what happened tonight. I had this important scene that I needed to write and actually think that most of the dialogue there is pretty powerful.
And the same with the end of the story between Williams and his wife.
Also realised that I need to throw in a few more scenes (short ones, thankfully!) in previous chapters to wrap up some loose ends and make Caulder's character more rounded. Hopefully making his confrontation with Roanoke on issue 19 even more meaningful.
That's it!
Off to breakfast!
(part two... part one was at 4 am...)
peace!
Just finished chapter 19.
Again went to bed around 10pm and then woke just after 2am. A bit of a headache but feeling good enough to write chapter 20 before I call it a day.
Everybody's still asleep in the house. They've been keeping weird schedules as well...
It's 10am.
I wish they would wake up so that I could play some guitar. I'm gonna have a break. Have some food. Watch a couple of episodes of anime.
Or read.
Then go shop for some food.
Then write some more.
was quite happy with what happened tonight. I had this important scene that I needed to write and actually think that most of the dialogue there is pretty powerful.
And the same with the end of the story between Williams and his wife.
Also realised that I need to throw in a few more scenes (short ones, thankfully!) in previous chapters to wrap up some loose ends and make Caulder's character more rounded. Hopefully making his confrontation with Roanoke on issue 19 even more meaningful.
That's it!
Off to breakfast!
(part two... part one was at 4 am...)
peace!
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 13
Howdy howdy!
Don't know what you've been up to but I sure do know what I have!
After promptly getting rid of anything remotely close to a steady sleeping schedule I have managed to keep on a steady diet of a chapter a day for my comics script.
Yesterday I went to bed at 11pm and promptly woke up at 2am. After a couple of hours of fiddling about I eventually started typing script 18.
Which I finished at 10 something am...
Scripts are a funny thing. I always think that, because of the formatting I've written loads (after 6 hours quite solidly on it...) but the 19 pages that I added didn't seem to amount to the quantity I felt I'd written...
In any case the story is progressing. I think tonight I'll do the same as yesterday. Go to bed early and wake up whenever my mind and body prompt me...
Chapter 19 is called Dreams Of Destruction and starts accelerating towards the big finale, still a few issues ahead.
The big things in this issue are the confrontation between Roanoke and the Bureau top dog as well as Roanoke's insight towards the strange crimes being committed...
And, to be quite honest, I'm also curious about some of the stuff that's supposed to happen in this issue... I guess I'll find out in a few hours...
peace!
Don't know what you've been up to but I sure do know what I have!
After promptly getting rid of anything remotely close to a steady sleeping schedule I have managed to keep on a steady diet of a chapter a day for my comics script.
Yesterday I went to bed at 11pm and promptly woke up at 2am. After a couple of hours of fiddling about I eventually started typing script 18.
Which I finished at 10 something am...
Scripts are a funny thing. I always think that, because of the formatting I've written loads (after 6 hours quite solidly on it...) but the 19 pages that I added didn't seem to amount to the quantity I felt I'd written...
In any case the story is progressing. I think tonight I'll do the same as yesterday. Go to bed early and wake up whenever my mind and body prompt me...
Chapter 19 is called Dreams Of Destruction and starts accelerating towards the big finale, still a few issues ahead.
The big things in this issue are the confrontation between Roanoke and the Bureau top dog as well as Roanoke's insight towards the strange crimes being committed...
And, to be quite honest, I'm also curious about some of the stuff that's supposed to happen in this issue... I guess I'll find out in a few hours...
peace!
Friday, 9 April 2010
Script Frenzy Day 09
Yes, well, I know I haven't written anything about the 8 days gone but... this is better than nothing!
This year I decided to write a whole comics series some 300 to 400 pages in length. I already had some 60 pages of script when I started so I don't feel that I'm cheating that much... I'm on page 200 and something right now and it feels more or less half way there.
It's called THE BLIND (previously known as RIGOR MORTIS, which is a title that I might go back to... I'm still not entirely sure on either of them...)
It chronicles the investigation over one Aldous Roanoke, a eccentric young man that is going around Unistat (borrowed from RAW, a version of the USA) visiting imprisoned serial killers and the like.
I'm half way through Issue 14.
They're supposed to have 24 pages each (though I'm writing in a meticulous enough way to page and label everything properly. I'm just focussing on getting all the dialogue done and some brief scene descriptions with the odd panel or page idea laid out)
In a total of 24 issues.
And I think I'm more or less on track.
I think I'll probably have a few scenes that I'll have to leave out but that's not a problem because I can then insert them on the revision phase - probably by chucking out those that are redundant or that don't work well anymore. But that's a phase I'm yet to reach and it will be some time before I get there.
Even though I want to have this ready by the end of the month, I want to leave it to settle for a while before I pick it up again. Exception might be to rework the first chapter and send it to a couple of people to see what they think.
maybe...
the good thing is that the story' pace has naturally increased and the tension and the drama are building up. Yesterday (actually today, at 7am... I still hadn't gone to bed...) I had an important piece of plot fall into place and this story is feeling more and more right the closer I get to the end. I love this feeling. The feeling that your idea has taken a life of its own and that now you've stepped from the role of narrator to the role of spectator. For me it's the best part of writing, is to simply see and experience what's happening, rather than directly and tiresomely building it.
That's the beginning. When you're building the momentum and defining the rules. Either intuitively or with story-logic at work.
This is the downhill phase, so to speak. In the sense that you just need to let yourself go and the story go and watch the landscape just flash by you at an incredible but clear speed.
Guess what I'm gonna do right now?!
That's it!
See you in the funny pages!
peace
This year I decided to write a whole comics series some 300 to 400 pages in length. I already had some 60 pages of script when I started so I don't feel that I'm cheating that much... I'm on page 200 and something right now and it feels more or less half way there.
It's called THE BLIND (previously known as RIGOR MORTIS, which is a title that I might go back to... I'm still not entirely sure on either of them...)
It chronicles the investigation over one Aldous Roanoke, a eccentric young man that is going around Unistat (borrowed from RAW, a version of the USA) visiting imprisoned serial killers and the like.
I'm half way through Issue 14.
They're supposed to have 24 pages each (though I'm writing in a meticulous enough way to page and label everything properly. I'm just focussing on getting all the dialogue done and some brief scene descriptions with the odd panel or page idea laid out)
In a total of 24 issues.
And I think I'm more or less on track.
I think I'll probably have a few scenes that I'll have to leave out but that's not a problem because I can then insert them on the revision phase - probably by chucking out those that are redundant or that don't work well anymore. But that's a phase I'm yet to reach and it will be some time before I get there.
Even though I want to have this ready by the end of the month, I want to leave it to settle for a while before I pick it up again. Exception might be to rework the first chapter and send it to a couple of people to see what they think.
maybe...
the good thing is that the story' pace has naturally increased and the tension and the drama are building up. Yesterday (actually today, at 7am... I still hadn't gone to bed...) I had an important piece of plot fall into place and this story is feeling more and more right the closer I get to the end. I love this feeling. The feeling that your idea has taken a life of its own and that now you've stepped from the role of narrator to the role of spectator. For me it's the best part of writing, is to simply see and experience what's happening, rather than directly and tiresomely building it.
That's the beginning. When you're building the momentum and defining the rules. Either intuitively or with story-logic at work.
This is the downhill phase, so to speak. In the sense that you just need to let yourself go and the story go and watch the landscape just flash by you at an incredible but clear speed.
Guess what I'm gonna do right now?!
That's it!
See you in the funny pages!
peace
MORTO ÁRVORE BESTA draft04
It's been ages since I've written anything in this place...
But these last couple of months have been crazy. Not with work - I've never had so much free time in my life before! - but with writing.
It feels that the more free time I have the more writing I get done. And the more writing I do, the more lost into it I get...
Days just fly by...
In any case, since my last post I did another revision of the whole thing - while one of my flatmates was reading it actually - but I still haven't typed it up. I still have 300 A4 pages with some scribbles, quite a few deleted words, some stuff to cut and a new page to add.
I don't think I've saved that much space but I think it will make the reading flow a lot better. Plus, I realised one of the chapters wasn't properly tied and I nudged it back in the right direction...
But, since I'm writing something else for ScriptFrenzy... I don't know when I'll have the time to type everything up!
Hope you are well!
peace!
But these last couple of months have been crazy. Not with work - I've never had so much free time in my life before! - but with writing.
It feels that the more free time I have the more writing I get done. And the more writing I do, the more lost into it I get...
Days just fly by...
In any case, since my last post I did another revision of the whole thing - while one of my flatmates was reading it actually - but I still haven't typed it up. I still have 300 A4 pages with some scribbles, quite a few deleted words, some stuff to cut and a new page to add.
I don't think I've saved that much space but I think it will make the reading flow a lot better. Plus, I realised one of the chapters wasn't properly tied and I nudged it back in the right direction...
But, since I'm writing something else for ScriptFrenzy... I don't know when I'll have the time to type everything up!
Hope you are well!
peace!
Saturday, 20 March 2010
MORTO ÁRVORE BESTA
Is finished...
It's now 0.43am, Saturday barely started and my book is finally finished.
Well, as finished as these things get...
But it's 119 chapters strong, 302 pages long (A4), totalling 136145 words.
And enough stats!
Next phase is to actually read the whole thing again and see if this crazy structure I've given it makes any sense.
Probably chop a chapter or two along the way...
Just happy that this big project has reached some sort of conclusion. Now I want to start to look into competitions and sourcing out a few publishers... Send out a few copies to some friends and see what they think...
But, one thing I can tell you now: my next project is going to be completely different from this one. I want an adventure story, probably SF, something that will be easy to map out...
(I've got just the thing...)
Anyway just to say hello.
I'm back!
Hope you are well!
peace.
It's now 0.43am, Saturday barely started and my book is finally finished.
Well, as finished as these things get...
But it's 119 chapters strong, 302 pages long (A4), totalling 136145 words.
And enough stats!
Next phase is to actually read the whole thing again and see if this crazy structure I've given it makes any sense.
Probably chop a chapter or two along the way...
Just happy that this big project has reached some sort of conclusion. Now I want to start to look into competitions and sourcing out a few publishers... Send out a few copies to some friends and see what they think...
But, one thing I can tell you now: my next project is going to be completely different from this one. I want an adventure story, probably SF, something that will be easy to map out...
(I've got just the thing...)
Anyway just to say hello.
I'm back!
Hope you are well!
peace.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Stars of Battle
I don't even know why I'm writing this. To get a weight out of my chest probably. it's almost 2am and I feel tired. Drained even. I've spent the day (and the last few days) revising my first book which is probably the most challenging thing I've written so far.
And I've just finished watching the last three episodes of Battlestar Galactica, the reimagining of, I should say.
There isn't much to tell since it only make sense if you've spent all those hours falling in love with those people on the screen. Never underestimate the power of film, that's the big lesson that once again I've been reminded.
To tell you the truth, it really felt like a part of me died with the last few moments of that series. Even though I know I can revisit it, it doesn't feel that way. It feels as if that cycle is truly gone and lost forever. It's sad but also awakening. It's a big step away from the moment to moment insight meditation, but it carries a similar punch only one given with a slightly different kind of gloves. Much heavier, much slower, likely to stick around for a while longer.
I could tell you a lot on how brilliant I think the plot and the characters were for all this series but I'll spare you the rant.
What really is important is that, through images and sound, a deep feeling of love and compassion arose for what, ultimately, merely happened in my brain. I was being programmed, voluntarily induced to experience the full breadth of human emotions. And by sticking with the ride, by closing the cycle (and I think it particularly important that Laura Roslin is the last person to die on the series and she dies because her lungs fail her), there is something worth being gained. I guess when those lives close ours must come automatically under scrutiny. There's a void now. Perhaps to be filled with a new series. Perhaps not. Perhaps that void can just be there to make itself known. That space used for us to breath into ourselves.
I don't know.
I'm trying to commit words to describe something that I never will. So intimate, so personal, and yet something I know I will share with most humans at some point in our lives.
It's not the words. It's what they hint at.
I guess a lot of people were disappointed with the religious overtones. Especially towards the end. And I can see that and accept that. But, to be perfectly frank, that's missing the point. To me it's not really about religion. Not really. Or, rather, if it is, it's in a very different way that we tend to think about it. I think it's more about what religion does than what religion is. But, in doing so, perhaps hints at what religion would like to be.
This series is woven with such incredible force and yet so much delicacy. That final death was something that filled me so completely. Together with Kara's last scene. Those were the two most important scenes in these final episodes. Perhaps even of the whole series. Because of the simplicity. Because of the beauty. Because of the subliminal depth that they carry.
Kara was the second chance coming to an end without ever coming into full bloom in the love that finally had every possibility laid in front of it. Terribly sad and moving but, as with most of this series, incredibly poignant and appropriate.
And Laura... Laura had always been this strange creature who we'd all like to love but never really could. But she is the epitome (along the old man...) of the true leader. So much so that only with the closeness of death does she allow herself to fully come into being and allow herself to feel. Her death is well staged. We've been hearing about it since day one in the series. She dies throughout the whole scale. And we are dying with her. Perhaps in different ways, but getting closer to that moment as well.
And we all know it. Deep inside of us we do.
And, instead of a big dramatic end, we have simply the very essence of life, air, being slowly taken away from her. Her lungs not being able to cope anymore.
So beautiful and so powerful. I truly have no words to describe it. Because it's bringing us, each and every one of us to the closest thing we will most likely one day know: how it is to run out of air.
It's something I realised very deeply in this last retreat (and undoubtedly why I resonated so profoundly with this scene) how, in most death scenarios, we will run out of air and we will know it and, more than try to fight it, we'll have to learn how to ride it.
That this scene, the way it's made, with all it's back history, with all the big themes lying about, is placed precisely there, in this way, cannot be a coincidence. Which tells me that the people behind this series (and I'm thinking Ronald D. Moore more than anyone) are truly special.
I'm sure many people, more cultured and educated than myself will look at this series and see a great many shortcomings, perhaps even dangerous things, undercurrent political viewpoints, etc.
I cannot glimpse any of that so much and, what I can it really doesn't contribute very much for any belief change or strengthening.
I just feel that this series was made with great love and is an act of love and a tribute to life itself. Its about us, but it's about so much more than just us.
Anyway. Thanks for listening.
Galactica Actual out.
peace
And I've just finished watching the last three episodes of Battlestar Galactica, the reimagining of, I should say.
There isn't much to tell since it only make sense if you've spent all those hours falling in love with those people on the screen. Never underestimate the power of film, that's the big lesson that once again I've been reminded.
To tell you the truth, it really felt like a part of me died with the last few moments of that series. Even though I know I can revisit it, it doesn't feel that way. It feels as if that cycle is truly gone and lost forever. It's sad but also awakening. It's a big step away from the moment to moment insight meditation, but it carries a similar punch only one given with a slightly different kind of gloves. Much heavier, much slower, likely to stick around for a while longer.
I could tell you a lot on how brilliant I think the plot and the characters were for all this series but I'll spare you the rant.
What really is important is that, through images and sound, a deep feeling of love and compassion arose for what, ultimately, merely happened in my brain. I was being programmed, voluntarily induced to experience the full breadth of human emotions. And by sticking with the ride, by closing the cycle (and I think it particularly important that Laura Roslin is the last person to die on the series and she dies because her lungs fail her), there is something worth being gained. I guess when those lives close ours must come automatically under scrutiny. There's a void now. Perhaps to be filled with a new series. Perhaps not. Perhaps that void can just be there to make itself known. That space used for us to breath into ourselves.
I don't know.
I'm trying to commit words to describe something that I never will. So intimate, so personal, and yet something I know I will share with most humans at some point in our lives.
It's not the words. It's what they hint at.
I guess a lot of people were disappointed with the religious overtones. Especially towards the end. And I can see that and accept that. But, to be perfectly frank, that's missing the point. To me it's not really about religion. Not really. Or, rather, if it is, it's in a very different way that we tend to think about it. I think it's more about what religion does than what religion is. But, in doing so, perhaps hints at what religion would like to be.
This series is woven with such incredible force and yet so much delicacy. That final death was something that filled me so completely. Together with Kara's last scene. Those were the two most important scenes in these final episodes. Perhaps even of the whole series. Because of the simplicity. Because of the beauty. Because of the subliminal depth that they carry.
Kara was the second chance coming to an end without ever coming into full bloom in the love that finally had every possibility laid in front of it. Terribly sad and moving but, as with most of this series, incredibly poignant and appropriate.
And Laura... Laura had always been this strange creature who we'd all like to love but never really could. But she is the epitome (along the old man...) of the true leader. So much so that only with the closeness of death does she allow herself to fully come into being and allow herself to feel. Her death is well staged. We've been hearing about it since day one in the series. She dies throughout the whole scale. And we are dying with her. Perhaps in different ways, but getting closer to that moment as well.
And we all know it. Deep inside of us we do.
And, instead of a big dramatic end, we have simply the very essence of life, air, being slowly taken away from her. Her lungs not being able to cope anymore.
So beautiful and so powerful. I truly have no words to describe it. Because it's bringing us, each and every one of us to the closest thing we will most likely one day know: how it is to run out of air.
It's something I realised very deeply in this last retreat (and undoubtedly why I resonated so profoundly with this scene) how, in most death scenarios, we will run out of air and we will know it and, more than try to fight it, we'll have to learn how to ride it.
That this scene, the way it's made, with all it's back history, with all the big themes lying about, is placed precisely there, in this way, cannot be a coincidence. Which tells me that the people behind this series (and I'm thinking Ronald D. Moore more than anyone) are truly special.
I'm sure many people, more cultured and educated than myself will look at this series and see a great many shortcomings, perhaps even dangerous things, undercurrent political viewpoints, etc.
I cannot glimpse any of that so much and, what I can it really doesn't contribute very much for any belief change or strengthening.
I just feel that this series was made with great love and is an act of love and a tribute to life itself. Its about us, but it's about so much more than just us.
Anyway. Thanks for listening.
Galactica Actual out.
peace
Monday, 8 February 2010
The Gravity of Tales
I've returned from my yearly retreat just a few days ago and I still haven't had time to begin posting stuff. This is one of the catches of going away for a good while: you really get to "go away", mind and body but then, when you come back, there's a ton of stuff to do, happily piling itself, and waiting for you...
So I've been digging through that pile (still of dirty clothes for the most part...) in hopes of returning to the writing element as quickly as possible...
(I want to finish my book!)
But this retreat was quite interesting (not only but, in relation to what I have to say for this post) in terms of writing ideas (they always tend to be).
The difference this year was that, instead of having a whole new bunch of projects, most of the stuff that became clearer was in relation to projects that I've already started.
Which was great! And a big sigh of relief! I already have enough stuff to keep me busy 'till the end of my days...
Still there were a couple of new ideas that I really enjoyed and for which I wrote a bit. One of them was The Great Temple and this is something yuo'll be hearing about in a few days since I'm going to type up what I wrote and start publishing it here, bit by bit. They're all short stories but, since their onset, I saw them more as a crossbreed between the short story and comics. So, it's a kind of an illustrated book. Yet, some pages might just be completely silent, no words, just images, while others can be the opposite.
And in between we'll have a wide array of possibility!
But it was good to experience this. This gravity of tales. These stories that just refuse to go away, even as the years go by. These are the ones I should write I suppose.
So, yet again, this was an incredibly inspiring retreat!
Sometimes I just wish I could stay there for a good long while and just write and write until I'm completely fed up with it...
But it's also good to be back into my comfort zone...
Let's see what will emerge in the next couple of months...
peace
So I've been digging through that pile (still of dirty clothes for the most part...) in hopes of returning to the writing element as quickly as possible...
(I want to finish my book!)
But this retreat was quite interesting (not only but, in relation to what I have to say for this post) in terms of writing ideas (they always tend to be).
The difference this year was that, instead of having a whole new bunch of projects, most of the stuff that became clearer was in relation to projects that I've already started.
Which was great! And a big sigh of relief! I already have enough stuff to keep me busy 'till the end of my days...
Still there were a couple of new ideas that I really enjoyed and for which I wrote a bit. One of them was The Great Temple and this is something yuo'll be hearing about in a few days since I'm going to type up what I wrote and start publishing it here, bit by bit. They're all short stories but, since their onset, I saw them more as a crossbreed between the short story and comics. So, it's a kind of an illustrated book. Yet, some pages might just be completely silent, no words, just images, while others can be the opposite.
And in between we'll have a wide array of possibility!
But it was good to experience this. This gravity of tales. These stories that just refuse to go away, even as the years go by. These are the ones I should write I suppose.
So, yet again, this was an incredibly inspiring retreat!
Sometimes I just wish I could stay there for a good long while and just write and write until I'm completely fed up with it...
But it's also good to be back into my comfort zone...
Let's see what will emerge in the next couple of months...
peace
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
So You Think Comics Are FUN?!
Yes. Well. We've been there haven't we?
And yes, you are correct. Comics are fun!
Here's what I wanna do. I want to continue what I started on that How To Get Hooked On Comics from a while ago.
Shortly after my friend emailed me and he wanted something far more simpler than a history of comics. He wanted no-brainers, pure, relaxing fun.
Obviously, this is a hard question...
But, I shall pool my resources together and see what I can come up with...
In terms of laugh out loud comics my first memorable incursions were Asterix and Tintin. These are still great classics today and I think I will always read them and treasure them. They're a great way of getting into the comics lingo and the huge amounts of slapstick, of catch lines and twists of language are just a pleasure to revisit time and time again.
The same can be said of Calvin and Hobbes, Iznogoud, Léonard, Lucky Luke, Spirou (at least the earliest stuff) and so many others. In fact, in Portugal we are quite lucky because we can just about go to any bookshop and you'll find these titles there. All you need to do is to browse Méribérica- Liber or Edições Asa's catalogues and you'll see lots and lots of stuff.
I love recommending stuff but I also feel that it is very important to engage with what we are looking for. And, in comics, this is particularly easy. You just go and open the page. See if the drawings do something for you. Read a bit of it. It's simple and quick. If it grabs you, it's the right thing. If it doesn't... well, you may be missing out but you can always give it a go at a later date.
This was the first phase, where all the comical stuff came from Europe. There was also some stuff from Disney but, as I found out through the years, most of it actually came from Brasil rather than the USA.
In Marvel and DC Comics humour was never a big part of the strips. In fact, it became less and less so, in all those attempts to make super-heroes real...
But one title comes instantly to my mind.
Lobo.
Lobo was the complete opposite of what was happening with comics at the time. Lobo was pure, raucous fun. Impossibility after impossibility with this mean streaked guy that just liked to get himself into trouble. And, for those of us that loved super-heroes, it was the perfect, never serious deconstruction of the genre.
I don't really remember much else going on. There were the occasional super-heroes that would have some humour to them (Spiderman for instance) but never a truly comical book through and through.
These big companies were always so much more about the drama.
Even a series like Preacher (Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon) in which humour is so important, still has a great deal of drama to it as it is, fundamentally, a story about love and friendship. You can forget about the vampire, the killing, the secret societies, the politics, the religion. It's about people seeing the best and the worst in us and dealing with it, one way or another.
But things have changed in recent years. I guess the industry has started taking itself less seriously (at least part of it...) and we're all the better for it.
One of the great titles (short lasted unfortunately) was Brit, by the almighty Robert Kirkman. Another one of great magnitude was The Pro by Garth Ennis (but if you're afraid of mature content don't even go there...). And the same with the more recent Chronicles of Wormwood also by Ennis. These are two very politically (and religiously and sexually) incorrect books... but they're great fun. For those of us that love north american comics, these kind of settle the score. Too much fun to miss out! Intelligent and unapologetic. And I'll say no more...
I don't have a lot of humorous stuff in my collection. As I said, there isn't that much around. Perhaps because humour tends to be equated with a child-like attitude and that tends to be disassociated with being mature and a responsible adult...
(and to those people I say - read Calvin and Hobbes godsdammit!!!...)
The big surprise in terms of humour (and much more) has come from the east. Japan more specifically.
A while ago I decided to read a couple of manga titles. Serious stuff and etc. But, amidst my "what do you recommend?" explorations there was a title that I kept not having time to read.
GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka.
People raved about it. I didn't have time for the twenty more volumes...
But I did have a chance to read the first three volumes of it for one of the Graphic Novels Reading Group meeting.
And I loved it.
I mean this series is great in many levels.
It's not only a great piece of contemporary comics but humour wise it's as audacious as it is funny!
The plot gyrates around this former bike gang leader that could only find a job as a replacement teacher... so you have a tough, unpolished guy that did all the wrong things at school now becoming the reference for lots of kids... things could only go wrong, right?
Wrong.
Shouldered with that responsibility and being more able to see the kids for who they are and the difficulties that they go through, Onizuka meets headfirst the challenges coming his way.
It's a beautiful series about true compassion, innocence and the ability to go as far as one possibly can to do the right thing.
Add to this the fact that Onizuka is an alien in the school system and you have a series that is at the same time socially relevant and filled with humour and unexpectedness.
It rarely gets better than this...
More recently I dabbled with some more manga.
Namely
Hayate the Combat Buttler, Ouran High School Host Club, Qwan, Blazin' Barrels and King Of Hell.
In all of these the humour element is crucial! In fact, in some of these series, like Hayate or Kind Of Hell it seems to be the major driving force.
I didn't have time to read much of them but they all hooked me pretty easily.
Especially Hayate and King Of Hell.
You can read a brief review of them here.
Other titles that quickly come to mind are Fruits Basket, Love Hina and Oh My Goddess. All of these with a strong romantic aspect to them but still delicious to either read or watch as an anime!
In fact this was one of the things we talked about yesterday in our reading group meeting. How humour seems to be such an integral part of japanese manga, to my mind related to the astounding diversity of genres and themes present, perhaps itself a reflection of their nuclear holocaust (that demanded any mechanisms whatsoever of coping with it).
Something worthwhile discussing though not now and certainly not here.
I know what some of you might be thinking:
"Manga.
It sounds good but for most series you have to read it right to left - opposite to what we are used to."
Sure.
It can be a bit confusing in the first book or so. But you'd be surprised at how quickly you catch the flow.
And trust me, it's well worth the small effort.
"Ok. But supposing that I manage to read it - there're just so many volumes of it!!"
Listen, the only reason you're telling me this is a disadvantage is because you still haven't started reading it.
When you do, you'll be GRATEFUL there's so much GOOD STUFF to read!!
Ok. I don't have much else to say (for now...)
(though I do have the feeling that I've forgotten a lot of great stuff... but it will come in due time...)
If you want you can browse at Tokyopop's catalogue or Viz's catalogue sections dedicated to humour...
I hope you all find the laughs you've been longing for...
Peace!
PS - I didn't talk about The Exterminators or The Goon because I still haven't read them (even though I have them in my shelves...). I could've talked about Chris Ware but his humour is much too bleak for this post and, besides, his comics are tough to read...
PSS - I forgot JACK OF FABLES!!! How could I?! This is my favourite series at the moment!!
Anyway, click here for some reviews...
PSSS - Vimanarama is another great title! Grant Morrison. Bollywood meets super-heroes... 'nough said!
And yes, you are correct. Comics are fun!
Here's what I wanna do. I want to continue what I started on that How To Get Hooked On Comics from a while ago.
Shortly after my friend emailed me and he wanted something far more simpler than a history of comics. He wanted no-brainers, pure, relaxing fun.
Obviously, this is a hard question...
But, I shall pool my resources together and see what I can come up with...
In terms of laugh out loud comics my first memorable incursions were Asterix and Tintin. These are still great classics today and I think I will always read them and treasure them. They're a great way of getting into the comics lingo and the huge amounts of slapstick, of catch lines and twists of language are just a pleasure to revisit time and time again.
The same can be said of Calvin and Hobbes, Iznogoud, Léonard, Lucky Luke, Spirou (at least the earliest stuff) and so many others. In fact, in Portugal we are quite lucky because we can just about go to any bookshop and you'll find these titles there. All you need to do is to browse Méribérica- Liber or Edições Asa's catalogues and you'll see lots and lots of stuff.
I love recommending stuff but I also feel that it is very important to engage with what we are looking for. And, in comics, this is particularly easy. You just go and open the page. See if the drawings do something for you. Read a bit of it. It's simple and quick. If it grabs you, it's the right thing. If it doesn't... well, you may be missing out but you can always give it a go at a later date.
This was the first phase, where all the comical stuff came from Europe. There was also some stuff from Disney but, as I found out through the years, most of it actually came from Brasil rather than the USA.
In Marvel and DC Comics humour was never a big part of the strips. In fact, it became less and less so, in all those attempts to make super-heroes real...
But one title comes instantly to my mind.
Lobo.
Lobo was the complete opposite of what was happening with comics at the time. Lobo was pure, raucous fun. Impossibility after impossibility with this mean streaked guy that just liked to get himself into trouble. And, for those of us that loved super-heroes, it was the perfect, never serious deconstruction of the genre.
I don't really remember much else going on. There were the occasional super-heroes that would have some humour to them (Spiderman for instance) but never a truly comical book through and through.
These big companies were always so much more about the drama.
Even a series like Preacher (Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon) in which humour is so important, still has a great deal of drama to it as it is, fundamentally, a story about love and friendship. You can forget about the vampire, the killing, the secret societies, the politics, the religion. It's about people seeing the best and the worst in us and dealing with it, one way or another.
But things have changed in recent years. I guess the industry has started taking itself less seriously (at least part of it...) and we're all the better for it.
One of the great titles (short lasted unfortunately) was Brit, by the almighty Robert Kirkman. Another one of great magnitude was The Pro by Garth Ennis (but if you're afraid of mature content don't even go there...). And the same with the more recent Chronicles of Wormwood also by Ennis. These are two very politically (and religiously and sexually) incorrect books... but they're great fun. For those of us that love north american comics, these kind of settle the score. Too much fun to miss out! Intelligent and unapologetic. And I'll say no more...
I don't have a lot of humorous stuff in my collection. As I said, there isn't that much around. Perhaps because humour tends to be equated with a child-like attitude and that tends to be disassociated with being mature and a responsible adult...
(and to those people I say - read Calvin and Hobbes godsdammit!!!...)
The big surprise in terms of humour (and much more) has come from the east. Japan more specifically.
A while ago I decided to read a couple of manga titles. Serious stuff and etc. But, amidst my "what do you recommend?" explorations there was a title that I kept not having time to read.
GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka.
People raved about it. I didn't have time for the twenty more volumes...
But I did have a chance to read the first three volumes of it for one of the Graphic Novels Reading Group meeting.
And I loved it.
I mean this series is great in many levels.
It's not only a great piece of contemporary comics but humour wise it's as audacious as it is funny!
The plot gyrates around this former bike gang leader that could only find a job as a replacement teacher... so you have a tough, unpolished guy that did all the wrong things at school now becoming the reference for lots of kids... things could only go wrong, right?
Wrong.
Shouldered with that responsibility and being more able to see the kids for who they are and the difficulties that they go through, Onizuka meets headfirst the challenges coming his way.
It's a beautiful series about true compassion, innocence and the ability to go as far as one possibly can to do the right thing.
Add to this the fact that Onizuka is an alien in the school system and you have a series that is at the same time socially relevant and filled with humour and unexpectedness.
It rarely gets better than this...
More recently I dabbled with some more manga.
Namely
Hayate the Combat Buttler, Ouran High School Host Club, Qwan, Blazin' Barrels and King Of Hell.
In all of these the humour element is crucial! In fact, in some of these series, like Hayate or Kind Of Hell it seems to be the major driving force.
I didn't have time to read much of them but they all hooked me pretty easily.
Especially Hayate and King Of Hell.
You can read a brief review of them here.
Other titles that quickly come to mind are Fruits Basket, Love Hina and Oh My Goddess. All of these with a strong romantic aspect to them but still delicious to either read or watch as an anime!
In fact this was one of the things we talked about yesterday in our reading group meeting. How humour seems to be such an integral part of japanese manga, to my mind related to the astounding diversity of genres and themes present, perhaps itself a reflection of their nuclear holocaust (that demanded any mechanisms whatsoever of coping with it).
Something worthwhile discussing though not now and certainly not here.
I know what some of you might be thinking:
"Manga.
It sounds good but for most series you have to read it right to left - opposite to what we are used to."
Sure.
It can be a bit confusing in the first book or so. But you'd be surprised at how quickly you catch the flow.
And trust me, it's well worth the small effort.
"Ok. But supposing that I manage to read it - there're just so many volumes of it!!"
Listen, the only reason you're telling me this is a disadvantage is because you still haven't started reading it.
When you do, you'll be GRATEFUL there's so much GOOD STUFF to read!!
Ok. I don't have much else to say (for now...)
(though I do have the feeling that I've forgotten a lot of great stuff... but it will come in due time...)
If you want you can browse at Tokyopop's catalogue or Viz's catalogue sections dedicated to humour...
I hope you all find the laughs you've been longing for...
Peace!
PS - I didn't talk about The Exterminators or The Goon because I still haven't read them (even though I have them in my shelves...). I could've talked about Chris Ware but his humour is much too bleak for this post and, besides, his comics are tough to read...
PSS - I forgot JACK OF FABLES!!! How could I?! This is my favourite series at the moment!!
Anyway, click here for some reviews...
PSSS - Vimanarama is another great title! Grant Morrison. Bollywood meets super-heroes... 'nough said!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
