Your Feminist Avengers Post 4: Moondragon

I would like to like Moondragon better. However, if you look up the definition of entitled in the Marvel Universe, you will find Moondragon.

Moondragon is a human being who has achieved both physical and psychic perfection. You can do this too, if you train with outer space monks. Delusional, she believes she's a god, and while she is influenced by the entity from which she takes her name, she's a powerful metahuman with privilege issues.

As my friend Steve said, I talked about the Wasp's costumes, but I didn't object to Moondragon's. Well, Steve, I do object to Moondragon's 70's costume. Like you said, this is very much accessory, and not costume.

Does this costume hearken back to a freer, more liberated time, or is Moondragon's costume Marvel trying to equivocate that naked is cool? Well, all I gotta say is wherever you come down on opinions about the costume, I don't think you can do much advanced martial arts in an outfit like this.

Fortunately, Moondragon's outfits settle down a bit as she moves forward in time.

Moondragon dances on the edge of morality throughout her career at Marvel. Full of herself, she is a short-lived Avenger. She is often monitored by other heroes and heroines who don't trust her, and they shouldn't. Under the right circumstances, you could even see Moondragon as a villain rather than a hero. However the character is fully realized. She's not a pleasant character, but she is a strong one. I'd rather not see Moondragon in a Marvel film.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Wiscon Day 2: I Didn’t Mean to Write a Series

On this panel, authors discuss multiple stories in one universe, aka writing a series.

Panelists: Cassie Alexander, Alex Bledsoe, Dorothy Hearst, and Ellen Kushner

An initial grounding began the series. The authors introduced themselves and talked about writing series, including continuity.

Ellen mentioned that what every series writer needs is an obsessive fan to catalog whats happening in the series. Alex added that you can get those nasty fan letters telling you why what you did contradicts what you had done before.

In some ways, the preset rules can sometimes spark your creativity. It's a constant challenge--giving your readers what they want that they are familiar with while keeping each story fresh.

There are several different approaches to writing a series. Alex mentioned he has one series that focuses on one character at a variety of ages. In another series, he tells the story from a different character's POV for each book.

Ellen discussed writing her characters, and then looking at her characters through the eyes of others. What do they look like from the outside.

Other ways? The place can be the constant factor. So can the character. Minor characters in one book can become major ones in the next.

Cassie asked the authors if they felt hemmed in by the expectations publishers had for their series? The answer was mixed.

Cassie also asked if the book was sold as a series. The answer was no, but essentially a wise author leaves some area to explore as another story for a potential sequel.

How do you know when it is time to move on from a series? Working in the same world can be cool, but it can be daunting. Alex discussed the Spencer series, which is being written after the author's death. He feels that the original books are the only ones in the series.

One of the authors said this about writing a series: "I feel less locked in than lucky. I spent my whole life trying to have my cake and eat it to...and I can."

When people say they love a series, they are wanting the same crack in each book.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Wiscon Day 2 and 3 Social

If you didn't see me around much Day 2, it's because I took a nap. That's right. Tired writer was tired. I also had an abbreviated party round Friday night. I'm sure it was because of all the awesome information I had been absorbing at panels.

But a couple of things did happen during the day that paint me to be social. I met up with Julia Rios for breakfast. Before she arrived, I had an excellent conversation with Ellen Klages whom I had complimented for her book The Green Glass Sea. We had a talk about her writing process, since she was journaling at her table. She was kind enough to let me send her some questions about that.

Julia and I caught up on lots of things. Honestly, I was lucky enough to have breakfast with Julia twice, and if you know Julia, you know what excellent company she is. My understanding was that she and her husband Moss were taking a few days away from the Internet. Because you know, everyone, that there is an out-of-doors?

Yolanda, Caroline, Charlotte and I went out for yak meatballs (yup, there's a phrase you don't get in every blog entry.) That was good. Four brilliant women. Brilliant conversation. All to the good.

Dinner was very low key. Dan, Lisa, Yolanda and I went to the pizza place that has the world's best macaroni pizza(!) which I did not have, but I did have this awesome burrito pizza (New York Style, beans, cheese, sour cream, all yum!). On the whole, a nice, drowsy day.

***

Sunday. You guessed it. More panels, for which I will do write ups. I had forgotten my killer Mad Men dress at home for the Dessert Salon. Bryon on the home end and Lisa tried to get it overnighted to me, but there was FedEx fail due to the holiday, so I resolved to wear my white Donna Reed ensemble which I had just bought for day wear. Bought some books.

Joined in on the Codex Lunch, which is always a pleasure. Chatted with Anne, Ada, Vylar, Keffy, and met Sarah Frost for the first time. Found out Keffy had gone to school in Finland. Want to have an "I Read Giganatosaurus Before It Was Cool" t-shirt, and I do. In my head.

Lisa Cohen joined Dan, Lisa, Yo, and myself for dinner, and steered us toward tapas. She's compiled a list of the goodies we had here. I could so totally do that again, soon. Tuna tartare, baybee. Mmmm...

Then there was the dessert salon. The Tapas crowd was joined by fellow Codexian Michael Underwood and Lisa Cohen's partner Ian for some dessert and speeches. Yo and I closed the night with drinks until the bar shut down.

Expect a few panel reports from day 3 soon.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

It’s All About the Me-Ness

What do you mean 4 posts in one day is extreme?

I can only offer up that I didn't have time over the weekend to do any posting. Not that I was incredibly busy. It was a pleasant weekend. My computer, however, was incredibly busy getting imports and updates. I am pleased to say that after about $600 worth of hard drive, new software, and a computer guy house call (All hail Brent, patron saint of computer guys!), Super-Kuma-San, my MacAir is back from the dead.

So, that cost about half the cost of a new computer. Still a savings. Glad it's over though. Feels like I'd lost an arm for a while.

***

I will industriously try to finish the last two feminist Avengers Posts, and the last two Wiscon posts I have to wrap up the experience before I go off to Taos Toolbox next Sunday. I'll also post any of the 4 Writing Process Interviews I have out at the moment which might come home before I go. What can I say? I got a little carried away.

I'll be in Taos for two weeks learning how to write more better. I'll try to check in from there as I can. I mean, they have Internet up there. But I'm supposed to be transforming from an ugly duckling to a swan, and I think that takes some work, so I might be busy.

***

At any rate, stay tuned. You get at least four more posts before Saturday.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.