Geeking the Cosplay

All righty then. Pursuant to this, which is pursuant to this, which was further commented on here and here.

So, look, here's some information from the inside, okay?

I stopped costuming so I could find time to write. I hit my Masters class award in 2007, made a couple more suits, and then buckled down to doing the writing thing. I've made all kinds of suits as a costumer for all kinds of reasons and in all kinds of genres. And, because I've been costuming since I was a college student, I've made some skimpy suits.

Let me clarify for Joe Peacock: I made none of these suits because I wanted men to look at me or my body (because you know, all we women think about is how we can dress to get men to ogle us). When I made all these suits, I was happily in a relationship with the same guy I've been married to for 25 years, so I was not cruising the mighty geek circuit like it was a bar scene. And there is no one motivation for me making these suits.

Warning: We are about to take a trip in the way back machine. These are old photoshopped costume photos, mostly because that was also a geeky thing Bryon and I did. So, there's a bit of a humorous element as well.

Here are a couple of examples of suits I've worn and why I did it. And you will find, I think, that the reasoning for doing so in a couple of cases makes me a fairly authentic geek.

Starfire

Why I Did It:

Not the best of motivations, another cosplay peer had done it rather poorly the year before and I wanted to do it the way I thought would make it look right. Several of my costumes have been motivated by this reason. It is one of the reasons I have become a master class costumer.

This was also my first costume working with hard plastic and extensive make-up, so I learned a lot.

Episode: Julius Schwartz decided pinching my butt was okay since I was in this costume. I was merely 21 and shocked, so I did not react with the indignation that action deserved.

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Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Writer Culture and Mores

Finally, the last of my Taos posts. After almost two months to digest this, and plenty of time staring out at the ocean from a deck chair, I think I have put together some thoughts that are semi-cogent. I know, maybe I should spend more time in a deck chair, but I can't get work to buy one for me.

So...two weeks with writers in the mountains. Nothing that Nancy or Walter can do will prepare a group of people for each other and how they will co-habitate. Suffice it to say that writer culture still trumps writer frailty.

At the time of the workshop, there was some friction among some writers. Some writers seemed competitive and other writers seemed to dislike each other. One of the writers left before the workshop was over for a variety of reasons. At the time, perhaps, you might not be capable of feeling comfortable, because your own writing is being critiqued, and that's uncomfortable enough, even when the critiques are glowing.

People who have been to longer workshops can speak to this better. What's it like out there the 4th week of Clarion? A wee bit tense. And don't you want to vote people off the island?

***

As I look back at Taos, I still find the signs of writer civilization. While we may have had one or two problem children from time to time, for the most part, writers seemed to learn from the experience, to bond with each other, and to treat each other with courtesy in their communications after the workshop. They genuinely miss each other, and value each others advice.

Still, I find my time in writer culture at large to be very rewarding. Most of the writers I interact with are friendly, helpful and supportive. I find that many writers are quite generous with their time and support. (I believe that this is the reason that our workshops exist--more experienced writers paying it forward.)

Writers do spend some time talking about how you don't want to be "that guy," and "that guy" can be many things. It's just that you notice "that guy" more in a microcosm.

What I'm trying to say is that later, when all the dust has settled, and people have come down the mountain, you find that the writers you bonded with over two weeks are the same courteous type of writers that you involve yourself with. At least in my experience.

I have some notes from Daniel Abraham that really, really apply.

1. Write well--make beautiful things.
2. Meet your deadlines.
3. Be pleasant to work with.
4. Be flexible.
5. Be persistent.

And so it goes as we keep plugging away.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.