#AND on top of that I have fictional evil scientists instead of a partner

[the-real-list-of-ominous-threats]

I’m going to make you find out that your old friend who you miss but stopped talking to and grew apart from years ago is wildly more successful than you and realize with sadness that you’re jealous rather than happy for her like you would have been in the old days

[dogslayslaw]

Warning

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky spoilers after mark

(in form of ART and some thoughts)

I finished Roadside Picnic last night (recommend by my partner), and it's sad to admit that this is the second book I've actually finished in a good year or two. It was quite honestly a really good read. I recommend it for any science fiction enjoyers out there, Arkady and Boris are genuises, and this book is probably one ofc their most popular and influential. Please check it out if you haven't (and definitely look into the history of it as well, it's necessary)!

If you HAVE read it, or don't care to and just want to see the art and my thoughts, continue on.

Just some quotes from later on in the book that hit me hard. The Zombie dad and Monkey stuff was honestly entirely depressing and horrifying.

So my boyfriend recommended me this, right? This book was written in 1972 in Soviet Russia, so the original message was lost and rebranded as anti capitalist to appease the government. While I agree with some of that messaging, the fact that it was CHANGED is pretty depressing. Like I would've loved to see the first few drafts before the government made them change it!

I think some of it is very obvious; instead of taking place in Russia, this takes place somewhere in the west (probably the US or Canada as they mention Europe as an outside place as well). The one purely good person that is hyped up is Kyrill, a Russian scientist at the Institute who truly only wanted to go to the zone for science. Even in Red's delirious mind on the last few pages he thinks of this guy, saying he was amazing. All of the stalkers end up dying on their greed filled conquest to find the golden sphere for Vulture, and the richer capitalists are written as awful people (BASED-- EAT THE RICH-- but most of the stalkers dying is NOT).

I'd like to say that I didn't agree with the scientists either? Even Valentine, I saw him as completely full of it and very unaware of how other people work, no matter how right he was about how the zone worked. Actually I'm sure this was intentional from the authors, and was missed by the censors!

Okay beyond that, I'd like to talk about how utterly depressing the book is. Like specifically the tragedy of Monkey. How all the children of Stalkers are screwed up (tho Vulture's ended up just being so ethereally beautiful but completely empty, especially the daughter) is just so. AUGH. Truly the zone punishes you. It's a blight, yet Valentine was right, as much as Noonan wanted him not to be, the visit was just a silly little picnic. Even the golden sphere being left behind, looking discarded and not at all cared for.. we'll get to that later. Let me continue.. yes, Noonan, after seeing Monkey and the Zombie dad, really figured that the zone was evil and it was there to ruin families. He was wrong, it's even implied in the name of the book. The tragedy of Monkey and of the father was just like battery acid from discarded disposable batteries that some family brought while camping leaking into the environment and screwing things up. And that's even more depressing. And the fact that Monkey did act like a human for so long, for 8 years in fact, with her stories and playfulness. Now she's just a shell, acting just like an animal even. Screaming in the night with the horrifying Zombie that Red wants to keep there. How does Guta, his wife, feel in all this? Right after Red just got out of jail?

Now to the Golden Sphere, which you can see pictured up top. The line about it being just left there, not placed there, proves Valentine's theory (as fucked as it is, and as unaware and ignorant his views on humans are). And the fact of the matter is, we know it doesn't grant wishes. Vulture made that up, or someone did, and everyone chose to believe it. It drove Red crazy in the end, knowing he'd probably not make it back and knowing that he literally just sacrificed Vulture's son (which he did regret, but in his brain it was either Arthur or Monkey). All this for that giant discarded sphere that was just there, shining, in the middle of a giant quarry. Stalkers lined up, dead, pointing the way to it.

DEPRESSING. I'd like to say this was a brilliantly written book (RIP Arkady and Boris). Genuinely a great read, and it did destroy me a bit!

[cosmi-trashbin]

Voxman Ship Meme (REPOST)

(Note: This is adapted and edited from a ship meme pulled off of a long-deactivated blog. The newer edits include my take on K.O. visiting Professor Venemous on weekends.

Big thanks to @enlightenedrobot for saving one of my personal favorites of the asks I received. I’m still in love with the idea of bite-sized speculative fiction about the hypothetical domestic lives of two dumbass mad scientists and their big adoptive family.)

Who snores?

When Lord Boxman snores, it sounds like a chorus of chainsaws chopping trees. It drives Professor Venemous crazy, but he can’t complain. Apparently, he grinds his teeth with the ferocity of ten cats dragging their claws down chalkboards. These two have to sleep in separate bedrooms or they’d murder each other.

It pains Boxman since he loves to-no, needs to-cuddle. Boxman will chug two energy drinks and screw up his sleep schedule for a week if it means getting to spoon with his sleeping husband for a few hours. He has ample competition, though. Fink, Raymond, Darell, and even K.O. take turns sleeping in Venemous’ room to assuage nightmares or just because Venemous is the warmer, more affectionate parent. Raymond, Darrell, and K.O. tend to accommodate Boxman and gladly include him. It takes Boxman awhile, but he eventually comes to enjoy the family huddle pile (even if this includes K.O., but he’d never openly admit it).

Fink is the exception. She’ll snarl and bark like a guard dog until Boxman reluctantly retreats back to his room.

Who takes out the trash?

At first, Venemous and Fink take turns taking out the trash. After a bitter argument about unfair chore schedules, Boxman was supposed to take over that chore. Instead, he delegates it to Darell, Shannon, and Raymond. Between the three bots, hope that Darell or Shannon lost the latest no-holds-barred tussle for who has to do it. If it’s Raymond, the trash just sits there and rots.

The headache stops entirely once K.O. starts visiting on weekends. He gladly picks up the chore, as well as many others, leaving Boxmore just a little cleaner than it normally is. K.O.’s cleanliness is almost enough to sell Boxman on the idea of eventually recruiting the little goody-goody full time.

Who hands out candy vs who takes the kid(s) trick or treating?

A week before Halloween, Boxman buys out all of the best candy. On Halloween night, Boxmore is a hotspot for trick or treaters because he hands out jumbo candy bars, homemade caramel apples, and even popcorn balls. He knows kids by name, takes requests, and has a waiting list of clients two miles long. His rationale? The bigger and flashier his Halloween offerings, the less foot traffic Gar’s Bodega gets. He’ll quash Gar by cutting his bottom line. (That’s Boxman’s cover story, but really, Halloween is just his favorite holiday).

As if this weren’t enough, Darell, Shannon, Raymond, and others ambush the Bodega all night with over-the-top Halloween related pranks or attacks. Gar usually works these shifts by himself since it’s an important family holiday for Enid, K.O. will probably go trick or treating with Carol, and Rad would find endless excuses to sneak over to Boxmore anyway.

Venemous is the trick or treat chaperone. He loves the holiday because it tends to be his best opportunity to bond with Fink. He lets her go nuts: She terrorizes unsuspecting citizens, steals kids’ candy, and threatens people at the door for their entire candy stash. While Fink brings home an ungodly large stash, Venemous refuses to let her eat all of it at once. He’s still supposed to be a responsible boss/parent in some capacity after all. K.O. tags along with Venemous and Fink on one Halloween after the big reveal. Apparently, Halloween is a good enough excuse for a truce between Fink and T.K.O. The results were so disastrous both Carol and Venemous agree that K.O. exclusively spends Halloween with her or his friends. No exceptions.

Who goes to parent/teacher conferences?

Venemous attends parent/teacher conferences more than he likes to. It usually boils down to: He nods and smiles for an hour, then bribes the principal to clear up Fink’s record. When he starts dating Boxman, he forces him to tag along to make the experience more bearable. Of course, Boxman acts as obnoxious as possible while Venemous pretends to be the embarrassed and utterly mortified “Excuse my buffoon partner” parent. After the fourth parent/teacher conference with Boxman, Fink’s boarding school just gives up.

Carol encourages Venemous to attend at least one of K.O.’s parent/teacher conferences in an attempt to “better include him in K.O.’s life.” It goes surprisingly well, despite some of Venemous’ catty comments; well enough that Carol, Venemous, and Mr. Gar can coordinate to go in each other’s stead if one or the other gets too busy. Venemous insists on getting a full report of K.O.’s progress every time, brags about his “smart little boy” for weeks, and makes Fink very jealous of her step-sibling.

Who packs a lunch for the other to take to work?

Boxman makes a point of preparing a lunch for his ‘gorgeous, successful’ partner everyday. He’s a terrible cook. A nightmarishly terrible cook. But, Venemous takes the heart-shaped boxes with burnt pot roast and limp greenbeans anyway because he appreciates the gesture.

Who leaves clothes all over the floor/in the laundry basket vs who puts them away?

Boxman has a giant “dirty clothes” pile in the corner of his room. The only clothes he’s very careful, even anal, about getting thoroughly cleaned and professionally pressed are his theatrical costumes. Costumes and presentation are actually a key bonding point between he and Raymond. Venemous encourages Boxman to go out once a week with Raymond clothes shopping and getting suits pressed or whatever else. Raymond is eternally grateful to Venemous for this, but he’s still trying to convince his more fashionable dad to join them. It’d be nice if Raymond had backup to get Boxman to back down on some of his more questionable fashion choices. 

In contrast, Venemous is very careful about hanging his turtlenecks and lab coats, knows the best dry cleaning locations available, and gets the high-grade laundry detergent he can find. He doesn’t mind stains since he usually ends up with mud stains or crayon marks on his clothes after spending quality time with Fink. He just likes to make sure he’s presentable for clients and rivals alike.

Who organizes the DVDs and books?

Venemous has an extensive personal library he organizes alphabetically and according to how ‘evil’ the subject matter is. He’s particular about where he places books and DVDs in his private collection, but he lets everyone else keep ‘organized chaos.’ He only makes comments or asks them to clean up if the mess is in the main room or a tripping hazard.

The way he sees it, happy minions and families should be able to keep their private space and belongings arranged however they please.

Who has a million magazine subscriptions?

Boxman is notoriously bad about signing up for any flashy-looking magazine or service out there. There’s so many that come in every other week Venemous has to sort through them to pick out which are salvageable and which are garbage. Most ends up in the trash, but he does keep POINT gossip rags in the bathroom cupboard for grins.

Boxman is just barely trumped by how many teen-girl magazines Shannon orders. Every time a new magazine comes in, Venemous gets a death glare from Shannon until they figure out if it’s Boxman trash or her precious new Tigerbeat.

Who has a name for the stray neighborhood cat?

Venemous keeps tabs on the stray neighborhood cats to protect them from Fink. He’s been at it so long he named them to make it easier to keep track. At some point, Boxman joined in and started naming cats, too. He also turned their nightly antics into a needlessly complex and dramatic soap opera.

Venemous rolls his eyes every time Boxman ‘recaps’ the latest episode of Alley Cats to him at the breakfast table. And, every time, Boxman sneaks a look at Fink before winking slyly at Venemous. When Venemous does his Captain Picard facepalm, he feels like it’s a miracle Fink hasn’t found out about his watching out for the cats yet. 

When K.O. discovers his dad’s soft spot for cats, he melts and goes on about how he knew Venemous had a heart somewhere. Every time, Venemous shuts him down with a cruel comment about handing over one of the cats to Fink. If K.O. pushes too much, he describes what Fink might do in horribly graphic, gruesome detail.

Who walks around naked at night and forgets the living room window is open?

Every Saturday evening, Boxman claims the living room to himself to watch his shows (a very melodramatic and sappy soap opera he doesn’t want anyone to know he watches). At exactly 8 pm, Boxman shuffles towards his kitchen for a snack stark naked. He always forgets that the living room curtains are wide open. Or, more accurately, he leaves them open because he ‘likes the breeze.’

Rad and Enid dread Saturday night shifts. They fight over who gets their 15-minute break at 8 pm to avoid the sight that’s the stuff of nightmares. Rad usually loses whatever game they picked to decide and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t look away when Boxman does his weekly snack shuffle.

The snack shuffle abruptly ends when Fink decides she wants the TV at that exact day and time to watch wrestling. Boxman gets out-voted and overpowered by everyone, including K.O., making a family night out of it. Sometimes, even Gar and Carol join in on the fun.

[lianabrooks]

How To Write A Query Letter

QUERY(n) – the letter a hopeful author sends to an agent or editor with the express wish of getting the manuscript off their desk and onto someone else’s publication schedule.The query is an essential part of the publication process even for Indie Authors, it’s also one of the more misunderstood parts of publishing.

What The Query Is Not: – a resume – a summary – a synopsis – a snippet – a tell-all – a letter of desperate pleading

What The Query Is: – a short teaser – a paragraph about genre and length – a bio if you have one

Nothing more and nothing less.Let’s go over the parts…

THE BLURB-

is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the back-of-book blurb that entices the reader (in this case an agent) to read. If you are an Indie Author you better perfect your blurb writing skills because this is what will make or break you. Authors who go with a press have a professional helping write the blur, indie authors only get one shot with a reader. So learn how to do it right.Start by looking at blurbs for your genre.

SCIENCE FICTION – CONVERGENCE POINT

Agent Samantha Rose has already died once…and knows the exact date she’ll die again.

Having taken down a terrorist organization bent on traveling through time to overthrow the government, Sam figured she was done dealing with the unbelievable. Finally out of backwater Alabama, she’s the senior agent in a Florida district, and her life is back on track.

Until a scientist is found dead.  And then an eco-terrorist.  And then a clone of herself…again.

As the pieces start to fall together, they paint a picture that seems to defy everything we know about time and physics. But the bodies are all too real, and by partnering up with Agent MacKenzie once more, they might just figure out what’s going on.  And when.

ROMANCE – ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A WEREWOLF

Del hates Christmas. As a child, she spent too many Decembers on the streets after her parents abandoned her. As an adult, the enforced family focus, the clients who see the holidays as an excuse to get gropey, and the mistletoe her well-meaning colleague Maureen hung over her work desk just seals the deal: December sucks.

If only it could stay Halloween for a couple of months instead. Del loves the excuse to slay monsters, the spooky atmosphere—and of course, the werewolves. Because everyone knows werewolves make the best lovers… Pity they’re not real.

When Maureen conjures up a list of eligible bachelors for the holidays and insists Del take her pick, Del does the only reasonable thing: she lies. And when nosy office Grinch Rafael Kane asks who the lucky fellow is, Del announces it to the whole office: she’s getting a dog.

So now, the first item on Del’s holiday to-do list? Find a dog. Fast. Because if she doesn’t, nothing will protect her from Maureen’s list of Miami bachelor rejects.

A charming, sensual romance for everyone who believes in found families, happily ever after—and werewolves.

FANTASY – HOW NOT TO ACQUIRE A CASTLE by Amy Laurens

Evil Overlord in training? Check.

Successfully hidden the true depths of her powers for four years so no one kills her? Check.

Graduating at the top of her class from the Evil Overlord Academy so she can acquire her castle? …Uncertain. And Mercury loathes uncertainty.

If that smarmy git Deviran beats her for first place, Mercury needs to rethink her plans. Because the Tumul Tuos castle belongs to her. No matter what it takes to convince everyone else.

Comic fantasy for fans of Terry Pratchett that will leave you laughing, crying—and questioning everything you ever thought you knew about ferrets.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

All of these are 2-3 paragraphs that hint at what happens in the opening chapters of the book.The blurb doesn’t tell you everything. It doesn’t give away the ending. It sets the tone, names at least the main character, and sets the opening stakes of the book. It’s a teaser, nothing more.The focus shifts depending on the genre.

For SF crime fiction like CONVERGENCE POINT the focus is on the murder. 

In romance you focus on the relationships. 

In fantasy you focus on the quest. 

Your genre dictates word choice and framing. 

If you don’t know where in the bookstore your book would go, it’s not ready for a query letter. 

Read books in several genres. 

Read your book again.

 Figure out what your target audience looks like and market to the genre they buy in.If you aren’t sure how a query should read, go to the nearest bookstore and read the backs of all the books in your genre to get the cadence. 

Then read through the backlog of QUERY SHARK and see how these things get edited.

THE STATS

– Again, fairly self-explanatory. When the agent or editor reads the query and likes the blurb they need to know the genre and length. If you have comp titles, throw those in too.A good stats paragraph would be something like “ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS is a science fiction novel complete at 90,000 words that will appeal to fans of Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE.” That’s all you need.What the agents are really looking for here is the word count (not the page count). You need to know what’s expected for the genre you are querying in. 500 – 1000 ~ Picture Books 1,000 – 10,000 ~ Short Story

10,000 – 30,000 ~ Novella For Genre Fiction 20,000 – 55,000 ~ Middle Grade

40,000 – 60,000 ~ Upper Middle Grade 55,000 – 80,000  ~ Young Adult

75,000 – 100,000 ~ Standard Genre Fiction (thriller, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, UF, ect)

85,000 – 120,000 ~ Epic Fantasy

There’s obviously some overlap in word count and readership, but know who wants what.A ‘zine isn’t looking for a novel, they want your short stories.

A small press putting out a call for novellas wants more than 5,000 words and less than 50,000.A traditional publisher does not want an epic fantasy that’s 50,000 words, they want double that.Write the story the way you want to tell it and then send it to the right market for the length.

THE BIO

This is optional for new writers. 

Go ahead and mention past awards if you have them, writing groups if you belong to a good one that puts on conventions, or anything that will tie into the novel.“I live in South Florida and have a degrees in literature and computer engineering.”

Once you have publication credits, you can post them, but you really do not need them. Good writing is good writing, published or not.

DO NOT – tell the agent how much your mom loved the book, how you have always dreamed about being a published author, how you know in your heart this will make you a millionaire. None of that matters. This is a business deal, you are selling a book not trying to find a soulmate.

GENERAL ADVICE –

When you write the query keep in mind that a lot of agents are going to read on their phones, grab their interest first, talk about yourself last.

Dear Agent, BLURB STATS BIO Sincerely,

Your Name

DO: – double-check the submission guidelines before sending – have your book finished, edited, and polished before querying – have a query packet ready – have a new project to work on – remember that rejection means you tried – handle the rejection like a pro  – remember rejection is part of the road to success, not failure

DON’T: – respond to rejections – get angry because no one loves your books – vent in public places about a bad rejection – pay someone to send a query – pay anyone to publish your book (in traditional publishing the money goes to the author… do not pay reading fees, editing fees, or publication fees unless you are an indie author) – query the same book after a rejection to the same agent – give up because the book isn’t getting picked up

After that… your best bet is to have a great book. A good query can’t do anything if you’re turning in bad pages. Make sure you run them through a local writers group, past a beta reader, or find an online critique group like CritiqueCircle.com (which is where I started ages ago). 

You never want to send out a manuscript without someone else reading it first. You need a battle buddy in the query trenches, and you also need someone to look at the book and tell you when you’ve spent sixteen pages too many describing fruit cake.

Other Resources For Querying Authors: #MSWL – this Twitter hashtag is a good place to find what literary agents are looking for. Don’t respond on Twitter. This is just the catalog you can browse.

Query Tracker

– a website for keeping track of queries, agents, and finding out response times. It’s a little dated but mostly accurate.

Manuscript Wish List

– a website where you can browse agents. It leans heavily towards newer agents and YA, but it’s an excellent resource overall.

Agent Query

– a website that lets you sort agents by genre repped, what kind of query they like, ect – this is my favorite website for agent hunting.

Writer Beware

– does something sound fishy? Got a gut feeling the agent asking for your book is more a scam? Check Writer Beware.

Originally published on www.LianaBrooks.com

[invitedeath]

SEPHIROTH                           — relationship & plotter call.

hello lovely isolians! a new year means new plots and ideas, hence why i’m reposting this mammoth of a plotter once again! 

so liking this post means that you are 100% down with interacting with me in some fashion! ways this might happen may be... → me sending you im’s / tumblr asks to plot or chat! i can be quite a talkative person as a forewarning, as i love discussing rp things as well as getting to know my rp partner! → if we are already friends on discord or twitter, i might message you that way to ask you about plots or ideas! → exchanging ask memes / meme day things that might be a bit more personal than a general sentence meme → possible random starters or musings dedicated to your muse, sometimes i get sudden inspiration for these things! → general tomfoolery and shenanigans in character ( and ooc if you like )

you can contact me via the im system here, by the /ask feature or you can ask for my discord/twitter if you prefer those. just let me know.

FRIENDS.

↪ honestly friendships aren’t typically on the agenda for him. he is arrogant beyond belief and considers everyone to be weaker than him or to some degree unworthy of his time or energy. he really does not have any interest emotionally in anyone besides himself, instead he is far more likely to use and discard people when they are no longer needed.

↪ however! i am down to... vague villain-alliance type deals with fellow power players here. he wont consider your muse a friend, but rather a pawn or even a means to an end, that end being his goal of generally using this island for his means, apologies. preferably the intellectual, over-powered, edgy types will probably gravitate towards him more, but i’m willing to throw anything at the wall to see what sticks. he’s not a nice guy, by any means, but it would be interesting to see how he has to play the game here to his advantage until he regains powers.

↪ there are some cases where he might engage in conversation with non-villain types and these would likely be far more dialogue-heavy threads including metaphorical topics or debates. the conversations of life, death, mortality, good vs evil, frailty of existence, legacy, power and corruption, calamities, birthright and betrayal are just some of the topics possible to arise in discussion. that being said, whilst these topics would be of interest to him, the character themselves must meet his standard of what he considers worthy of his time eg. those just willing to argue with him will bore him whereas someone curious to his nature might be treated to an actual conversation

↪ warriors, outcasts, villains, intellectuals, fellow puppet-master type villains especially, those he ‘befriended’ in past events, perhaps even neighbours to his house would all be likely connections. friends of those he has worked alongside or met, or those wishing to seek great power and know of his existence might seek him out also, but yes... ““““friends”“““ is a very difficult term for him.

→ his most recent developments see him as a far more casual version of his canon self, over a year of living as close to a “domestic life” as possible have meant that whilst he is aloof and cold, he is also far more likely to be out and about, buying wine at some creepy gas station at 4:30am for example. he chats when he’s in the mood and might even stick around to cause some chaos for the sake of boredom eating him alive. so whilst he is still very much a dangerous inhabitant here in spirale, sephiroth is currently Domesticated somewhat as he buys his time... for something...

ENEMIES.

↪ heroes of all shapes and sizes might feel threatened by the ominous presence of a monster who seems inclined to side with chaos as opposed to peace. he’s not outright starting fires here but he is present in the more morbid moments of isolian discourse, an omen of death lingering on the sideline. he has his plans and he may just mock you with them, but in general since he does and WILL cut down npcs ( or players ) alike, he makes for the perfect villain. BE WARY he has a few unlocked powers and knows the island well. fighting him would not guarantee your victory.

↪ he has traumas. plenty of them. some of them originate from white labs and white coats, meaning he might just view you as an enemy if you’re a scientist or someone who dabbles in human experimentation. his reasons are his own, but let’s just say that if you consider him a good candidate for poking and prodding with scientific equipment, you may just lose an arm.

↪ i LOVE fight threads especially really gritty, bloody types. i would prefer to plot these out so we know what’s going on beforehand, but feel free to develop these with me honestly i love a good old classic villain hero showdown. i determine winners based on the powers unlocked or a random generator. i don’t want to win every fight, but i also don’t want to unrealistically lose unless the odds are 50/50. i only write fights that both you and i are comfortable with ending!

↪ be a human. that’s it, you’re officially the enemy. a cocky, arrogant, interfering one would be oh so annoying. he wont attack because you’re a human, exactly... but the attitude that goes with one. considering yourself the top of the food chain, for example, might just end up being the defining reason for you own self becoming the meal.

→ police/law enforcers/general crime stoppers might try and get involved when they see him stabbing someone with that great big sword of his. typically he’ll turn the sword on them too, but if you’re interesting enough, or maybe aren’t as pure as you seem, he may just put it down long enough to chat. typically though you will get stabbed. sorry.

LOVERS.

↪ for the last year i’ve pretty much tried to stay away from developing anything too romantic. besides one sort of amusing game he has with a character currently in the group ( lanque bombyx ), sephiroth has avoided love or relationships or even flirting really. that being said, once he has ranked up and my development for this current “arc” of his character in isola comes to a close, i will be opening him up more for shipping potential!

however for the meantime... 

MISC.

↪ pawns and such would be a fun dynamic later. his general presence is pretty terrifying, so it wouldn’t be a stretch if you have an appropriate muse for them to be fearful enough to carry out some little tasks for him. this might be more common later on, but i’m down to discussion for it currently!

↪ places you may find him can include:                  ↪ near his residence ( personal housing; castle in the mistwood  )                  ↪ fibonacci ward ( levels 3 and 4 especially due to the museums and things. but also the lowest levels, he tends to wander around there as if searching for something... feel free to try and figure out what it is )                  ↪ cotes ward ( perhaps wandering by the castle when there aren’t people there, reading alone there or writing is also very likely. )                  ↪ golden ward ( the university if only to borrow books from the library, he can read there for days at a time without sleep or food. he reads all kinds of things, both fiction and non fiction. )                  ↪ archimedes ward ( pretty much everywhere in this ward, it’s my favourite. he enjoys music and art sometimes. hit me with that biblical shit. )                 ↪ the mistwood ( 100% down to be that cryptic creature that leads you from your path to your likely doom )                 ↪ the city of yesteryear ( typically the underground areas, just investigating really. any strange occurrences would likely draw him there as would any presence of a strong power. )                 ↪ atop skyscrapers, looming at the ‘edge’ of the world we can currently explore, typically more active at night, perhaps at the scene of a murder / attack ( plotted ), if he’s feeling extra ballsy he might be found in a bar but its very rare. very VERY rare, wandering broken buildings, invading scientific facilities or buildings. he’s not going to be found in busy, socially strained areas basically.

↪ i’m down for any ideas you might have too for plots so feel free to just message me if nothing here caters!

STATS PAGE | APPLICATION | PLOTTING PAGE

[scifigeneration]

'Black Panther' and its science role models inspire more than just movie awards

by Clifford Johnson

King of a technologically advanced country, Black Panther is a scientific genius. © 2017 – Disney/Marvel Studios

It has been said many times that the Marvel movie “Black Panther” is an important landmark. I’m not referring to its deserved critical and box office success worldwide, the many awards it has won, or the fact that it is the first film in the superhero genre to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards.

Instead, I’m focusing on a key aspect of its cultural impact that is less frequently discussed. Finally a feature film starring a black superhero character became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a successful run of intertwined movies that began with “Iron Man” in 2008. While there have been other superhero movies with a black lead character – “Hancock” (2008), “Blade” (1998), “Spawn” (1997) or even “The Meteor Man” (1993) – this film is significant because of the recent remarkable rise of the superhero film from the nerdish fringe to part of mainstream culture.

Huge audiences saw a black lead character – not a sidekick or part of a team – in a superhero movie by a major studio, with a black director (Ryan Coogler), black writers and a majority black cast. This is a significant step toward diversifying our culture by improving the lackluster representation of minorities in our major media. It’s also a filmmaking landmark because black creators have been given access to the resources and platforms needed to bring different storytelling perspectives into our mainstream culture.

2017’s “Wonder Woman” forged a similar path. In that case, a major studio finally decided to commit resources to a superhero film headlined by a female character and directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. Female directors are a minority in the movie industry. Jenkins brought a new perspective to this kind of action movie, and there was a huge positive response from audiences in theaters worldwide.

And beyond all this, “Black Panther” also broke additional ground in a way most people may not realize: In the comics, the character is actually a scientist and engineer. Moreover, in the inevitable (and somewhat ridiculous) ranking of scientific prowess that happens in the comic book world, he’s been portrayed as at least the equal of the two most famous “top scientists” in the Marvel universe: Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). A black headlining superhero character written and directed by black artists is rare enough from a major studio. But making him – and his sister Shuri – successful scientists and engineers as well is another level of rarity.

Scientists on screen

I’m a scientist who cares about increased engagement with science by the general public. I’ve worked as a science adviser on many film and TV projects (though not “Black Panther”). When the opportunity arises, I’ve helped broaden the diversity of scientist characters portrayed onscreen.

Jason Wilkes is a black scientist on ‘Agent Carter,’ whose character emerged from the author’s talks with the show’s writers. ABC Television, CC BY-ND

Panels from ‘The Dialogues,’ including a black female scientist. 'The Dialogues,' by Clifford V. Johnson (MIT Press 2017), CC BY-ND

I’ve also recently published a nonfiction graphic book for general audiences called “The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe.” Its characters include male and female black scientists, discussing aspects of my own field of theoretical physics – where black scientists are unfortunately very rare. So the opportunity that the “Black Panther” movie presents to inform and inspire vast audiences is of great interest to me.

The history and evolution of the Black Panther character and his scientific back story is a fascinating example of turning a problematic past into a positive opportunity.

Created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he’s the first black superhero character in mainstream comics, originally appearing as a guest in a “Fantastic Four” Marvel comic. As a black character created and initially written by nonblack authors, guest-starring in the pages of a book headlined by white characters, he had many of the classic attributes of what is now sometimes controversially known as the “magical negro” in American cultural criticism: He ranked extremely highly in every sphere that mattered, to the point of being almost too unreal even for the comics of the time.

Black Panther is T’Challa, king of the fictional African country Wakanda, which is fathomlessly wealthy and remarkably advanced, scientifically and technologically. Even Marvel’s legendary master scientist – Reed Richards of the superhero team Fantastic Four – is befuddled by and full of admiration for Wakanda’s scientific capabilities. T’Challa himself is portrayed as an extraordinary “genius” in physics and other scientific fields, a peerless tactician, a remarkable athlete and a master of numerous forms of martial arts. And he is noble to a fault. Of course, he grows to become a powerful ally of the Fantastic Four and other Marvel superheroes over many adventures.

While likening Black Panther to a ‘refugee from a Tarzan movie,’ the Fantastic Four marveled at his technological innovations in ‘Introducing the Sensational Black Panther.’ Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). [Marvel Comics]

The key point here is that the superlative scientific ability of our hero, and that of his country, has its origins in the well-meaning, but problematic, practice of inventing near or beyond perfect black characters to support stories starring primarily white protagonists. But this is a lemons-to-lemonade story.

The Fantastic Four were amazed by the scientific ingenuity of Wakanda in ‘Whosoever Finds The Evil Eye.’ Fantastic Four #54 (September 1966). [Marvel Comics]

Black Panther eventually got to star in his own series of comics. He was turned into a nuanced and complex character, moving well away from the tropes of his beginnings. Writer Don McGregor’s work started this development as early as 1973, but Black Panther’s journey to the multilayered character you see on screen was greatly advanced by the efforts of several writers with diverse perspectives. Perhaps most notably, in the context of the film, these include Christopher Priest (late 1990s) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (starting in 2016), along with Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey, writing in “World of Wakanda” (2016). Coates and Gay, already best-selling literary writers before coming to the character, helped bring him to wider attention beyond normal comic book fandom, partly paving the way for the movie.

Through all of the improved writing of T'Challa and his world, his spectacular scientific ability has remained prominent. Wakanda continues to be a successful African nation with astonishing science and technology. Furthermore, and very importantly, T'Challa is not portrayed as an anomaly among his people in this regard. There are many great scientists and engineers in the Wakanda of the comics, including his sister Shuri. In some accounts, she (in the continued scientist-ranking business of comics) is an even greater intellect than he is. In the movie, T’Challa’s science and engineering abilities are referred to, but it is his sister Shuri who takes center stage in this role, having taken over to design the new tools and weapons he uses in the field. She also uses Wakandan science to heal wounds that would have been fatal elsewhere in the world.

Black Panther isn’t an isolated genius – his half-sister Shuri is a technological wiz herself. Marvel Studios

If they can do it, then why not me?

As a scientist who cares about inspiring more people – including underrepresented minorities and women – to engage with science, I think that showing a little of this scientific landscape in “Black Panther” potentially amplifies the movie’s cultural impact.

Vast audiences see black heroes – both men and women – using their scientific ability to solve problems and make their way in the world, at an unrivaled level. Research has shown that such representation can have a positive effect on the interests, outlook and career trajectories of viewers.

Improving science education for all is a core endeavor in a nation’s competitiveness and overall health, but outcomes are limited if people aren’t inspired to take an interest in science in the first place. There simply are not enough images of black scientists �� male or female – in our media and entertainment to help inspire. Many people from underrepresented groups end up genuinely believing that scientific investigation is not a career path open to them.

Moreover, many people still see the dedication and study needed to excel in science as “nerdy.” A cultural injection of Black Panther heroics helps continue to erode the crumbling tropes that science is only for white men or reserved for people with a special “science gene.”

The huge widespread success of the “Black Panther” movie, showcasing T'Challa, Shuri and other Wakandans as highly accomplished scientists, remains one of the most significant boosts for science engagement in recent times.

About The Author:

Clifford Johnson is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Clifford V. Johnson is the author of:The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe

This article is republished from our content partners at The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

[zargar-fangirl]

Honerva’s clothes and what they tell us about her

Finally I have time to make a post about my sweetest, most beautiful scientific child.

I firmly believe that in visual fiction like cartoons, every detail of the appearence matters. It is especially true in case of side characters that showrunners cannot afford to waste time upon, but who still need to be shaped, like, you guessed it, Zarkon and Honerva. I believe that her transition from scientist to a mad woman is represented by her choice of clothing and I would like to talk a bit about it.

We meet Honerva primarily as an altean alchemist, she has no personal identity yet. And look how similar she looks to another altean alchemist, Alfor:

They are basically clones of each other! The blue-white-yellow color scheme, same clothing items(coat with high collar+ straight leg pants+ knee-high boots). They both wear belts, even if hers is on her hips rather than waist(notice also the second half-belt on the waist). Alfor’s goatee is copied by Honerva’s long chin, they both have stripes on top of their boots. It is worth noticing, however, that Honerva’s blue is dirtier, more like grey. A foredshadowing of her future, perhaps?

This moment shows their similarity even stronger. Look how Alfor and Honerva mirror each other in this scene and how Zarkon looks alien (in every sense of the word) in comparison to them.

Another similarity is in their hair. In various psychological analyses, interpretations of dreams etc., hair often represents thoughts of the person. For example, messy hair may represent thoughts in disarray(we will see this later). Both Honerva and Alfor wear their hair tied in a knot at the back and have full bangs to the side. The hair looks neat and arranged, just like their ordered, logical personalities.

When we see our figures next time, many things have changed and it is represented by the clothing among other things:

Now Honerva and Zarkon are one entity, and Alfor with his naive white-blue attire is the foreigner one. What exactly changed?

For one, obviously, Honerva started wearing Zarkon’s colours. It is interesting that this purple-grey-mauve-bright yellow colour scheme is entirely Zarkon’s, his soldiers wear light-grey, violet and pink.

So, Honerva symbolically changes her allegiance from idealistic altean white and blue to Zarkon’s purple and grey. She also changes the form of the clothes, adopting shoulder pads similar to Zarkon’s and his v-shaped symbol on her chest. She also stops wearing the belt and changes from altean broad cloathes to galra tight-fitting ones.

And she startes wearing a dress instead of pants with a coat:

 Does she feel more ladylike now and is not afraid to show it? Living out her feminine side with Zarkon, who is extra-super-duper-male in every gesture? Does she feel more secure, relying on him and can therefore afford to show her lady side instead of scientist one? Or does she have to comply with strict galran society rules? Stiff clutches of class society (do not fraternise with servant class...) rarely leave women much freedom of expression. Is this perhaps one more reason she leads such solitary life and gets so absorbed with her work? We will probably never know...

She doesn’t completely abandon her altean self yet, though. Her v-sign is still more similar in form to Alfor’s(wings down, not up) and has the same light shade of yellow, rather then Zarkon’s bright one. She is still a scientist, and her hair is in the same ordered, neatly combed bun.

She shares a deep, loving bond with Zarkon, and their clothes speak volumes. Look at them standing at the balcony:

Their looks just shout: we are one team! Look at the endings of their sleeves: they both have v-shapes at their wrists! This picture is one of the most powerful images in the whole episode and I admire the artists of the show for such attention to detail. Also notice how Zarkon’s cape hugs both of them, unites them together. What is it if not a metaphor of Zarkon’s love and protection?

They are not just a team internally, they act like it to the outside and the visuals support it:

Look at them evil partners in crime, facing Alfor. Look at them, standing next to each other, equal and united in their opinion. Alfor gets some really messian looks here, by the way, he almost glows. He is the only bright spot in the otherwise grey landscape.

And then there is, of course, the descent into madness and Honerva’s sickness:

Honerva is wearing a cloak now. Has she begun to freeze constantly? Is this a symptom of her sickness? Or does she want to wrap herself into a cocoon of soft clothes and symbolically protect herself from the cruel outside world that wants to shut down her research?

Also notice how gery is overtaking the purple now. Thick veil of madness is covering her, but look, underneath, there is still some red. There is still life in her!

She stopped being a scientist and has become a fanatic.

The bun is gone, her hair is messy. She lost her clear and unbiased look at things, she has become obsessed. Notice how her hair is really extra messy here, even her later self has less of a bush on her head.

Also note how her clothes keep getting longer and longer as the time passes. Is she becoming more and more passive, more and more concentrated on her inner world and avoiding acting out in public? Perhaps this simply represents her age, since short clothes are more associated with youth. When she is sick and looks very old, and her dress also reaches the ground:

Look at how they are both depicted with greyish-brown tones. A lifeless picture, not only she is dead, he is, too.

Finally, her long dress becomes her funeral outfit with a hood that she will continue wearing for the next ten thousand years.

There is also a certain symbolism in the fact that she never changes her clothes. During her (relatively) short life on Daibazaal, she underwent personality changes and her clothes represent that. After death, she gets stuck in her servant position to Zarkon, she stiffens in this single state.

Also look how small she looks in comparison to Zarkon now. There is no equality any more, he is drawn extra big and muscular, almost to the degree of becoming a caricature (glowing male titties!), and she is in the backgournd, swept to the side, stuck in a hole behind his throne. What was about them, has become about him and him only.

So, with this bitter fact I abandon you, dear readers, into the emotional abyss I am currently residing in.

[lianabrooks]

How To Write A Query Letter

originally published on LianaBrooks.com

QUERY(n) – the letter a hopeful author sends to an agent or editor with the express wish of getting the manuscript off their desk and onto someone else’s publication schedule.

 The query is an essential part of the publication process even for Indie Authors, it’s also one of the more misunderstood parts of publishing.

 What The Query Is Not:

– a resume

– a summary

– a synopsis

– a snippet

– a tell-all

– a letter of desperate pleading 

 What The Query Is:

– a short teaser

– a paragraph about genre and length

– a bio if you have one

 Nothing more and nothing less.

 Let’s go over the parts… 

 THE BLURB- is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the back-of-book blurb that entices the reader (in this case an agent) to read. If you are an Indie Author you better perfect your blurb writing skills because this is what will make or break you. Authors who go with a press have a professional helping write the blur, indie authors only get one shot with a reader. So learn how to do it right. 

Start by looking at blurbs for your genre. 

SCIENCE FICTION – CONVERGENCE POINT

Agent Samantha Rose has already died once…and knows the exact date she’ll die again.

Having taken down a terrorist organization bent on traveling through time to overthrow the government, Sam figured she was done dealing with the unbelievable. Finally out of backwater Alabama, she’s the senior agent in a Florida district, and her life is back on track.

Until a scientist is found dead.  And then an eco-terrorist.  And then a clone of herself…again.

As the pieces start to fall together, they paint a picture that seems to defy everything we know about time and physics. But the bodies are all too real, and by partnering up with Agent MacKenzie once more, they might just figure out what’s going on.  And when. 

 ROMANCE – ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A WEREWOLF

Del hates Christmas. As a child, she spent too many Decembers on the streets after her parents abandoned her. As an adult, the enforced family focus, the clients who see the holidays as an excuse to get gropey, and the mistletoe her well-meaning colleague Maureen hung over her work desk just seals the deal: December sucks.

If only it could stay Halloween for a couple of months instead. Del loves the excuse to slay monsters, the spooky atmosphere—and of course, the werewolves. Because everyone knows werewolves make the best lovers… Pity they’re not real.

When Maureen conjures up a list of eligible bachelors for the holidays and insists Del take her pick, Del does the only reasonable thing: she lies. And when nosy office Grinch Rafael Kane asks who the lucky fellow is, Del announces it to the whole office: she’s getting a dog.

So now, the first item on Del’s holiday to-do list? Find a dog. Fast. Because if she doesn’t, nothing will protect her from Maureen’s list of Miami bachelor rejects.

A charming, sensual romance for everyone who believes in found families, happily ever after—and werewolves.

 FANTASY – HOW NOT TO ACQUIRE A CASTLE by Amy Laurens

Evil Overlord in training? Check.

Successfully hidden the true depths of her powers for four years so no one kills her? Check.

Graduating at the top of her class from the Evil Overlord Academy so she can acquire her castle? …Uncertain. And Mercury loathes uncertainty.

If that smarmy git Deviran beats her for first place, Mercury needs to rethink her plans. Because the Tumul Tuos castle belongs to her. No matter what it takes to convince everyone else.

Comic fantasy for fans of Terry Pratchett that will leave you laughing, crying—and questioning everything you ever thought you knew about ferrets.

 WHAT DO YOU SEE?

All of these are 2-3 paragraphs that hint at what happens in the opening chapters of the book. 

The blurb doesn’t tell you everything. It doesn’t give away the ending. It sets the tone, names at least the main character, and sets the opening stakes of the book. It’s a teaser, nothing more. 

The focus shifts depending on the genre. For SF crime fiction like CONVERGENCE POINT the focus is on the murder. In romance you focus on the relationships. In fantasy you focus on the quest. Your genre dictates word choice and framing. If you don't know where in the bookstore your book would go, it's not ready for a query letter. Read books in several genres. Read your book again. Figure out what your target audience looks like and market to the genre they buy in. 

If you aren’t sure how a query should read, go to the nearest bookstore and read the backs of all the books in your genre to get the cadence. Then read through the backlog of QUERY SHARK and see how these things get edited.

  THE STATS – Again, fairly self-explanatory. When the agent or editor reads the query and likes the blurb they need to know the genre and length. If you have comp titles, throw those in too. 

A good stats paragraph would be something like “ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS is a science fiction novel complete at 90,000 words that will appeal to fans of Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE.” That’s all you need. 

What the agents are really looking for here is the word count (not the page count). You need to know what’s expected for the genre you are querying in. 

500 – 1000 ~ Picture Books 1,000 – 10,000 ~ Short Story 10,000 – 30,000 ~ Novella For Genre Fiction 20,000 – 55,000 ~ Middle Grade 40,000 – 60,000 ~ Upper Middle Grade 55,000 – 80,000  ~ Young Adult 75,000 – 100,000 ~ Standard Genre Fiction (thriller, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, UF, ect) 85,000 – 120,000 ~ Epic Fantasy

 There’s obviously some overlap in word count and readership, but know who wants what. 

A ‘zine isn’t looking for a novel, they want your short stories. A small press putting out a call for novellas wants more than 5,000 words and less than 50,000.

A traditional publisher does not want an epic fantasy that’s 50,000 words, they want double that. 

Write the story the way you want to tell it and then send it to the right market for the length. 

 THE BIO – This is optional for new writers. Go ahead and mention past awards if you have them, writing groups if you belong to a good one that puts on conventions, or anything that will tie into the novel. 

“I live in South Florida and have a degrees in literature and computer engineering.”

Once you have publication credits, you can post them, but you really do not need them. Good writing is good writing, published or not. 

 DO NOT – tell the agent how much your mom loved the book, how you have always dreamed about being a published author, how you know in your heart this will make you a millionaire. None of that matters. This is a business deal, you are selling a book not trying to find a soulmate. 

  GENERAL ADVICE –  

When you write the query keep in mind that a lot of agents are going to read on their phones, grab their interest first, talk about yourself last. 

Dear Agent, 

BLURB 

STATS 

BIO 

Sincerely,

Your Name

  DO:

– double-check the submission guidelines before sending

– have your book finished, edited, and polished before querying

– have a query packet ready 

– have a new project to work on

– remember that rejection means you tried

– handle the rejection like a pro 

– remember rejection is part of the road to success, not failure 

 DON’T:

– respond to rejections

– get angry because no one loves your books

– vent in public places about a bad rejection

– pay someone to send a query

– pay anyone to publish your book (in traditional publishing the money goes to the author… do not pay reading fees, editing fees, or publication fees unless you are an indie author)

– query the same book after a rejection

– give up because the book isn’t getting picked up 

 After that… your best bet is to have a great book. A good query can’t do anything if you’re turning in bad pages. Make sure you run them through a local writers group, past a beta reader, or find an online critique group like CritiqueCircle.com (which is where I started ages ago). You never want to send out a manuscript without someone else reading it first. You need a battle buddy in the query trenches, and you also need someone to look at the book and tell you when you’ve spent sixteen pages too many describing fruit cake. 

  Other Resources For Querying Authors:

#MSWL - this Twitter hashtag is a good place to find what literary agents are looking for. Don't respond on Twitter. This is just the catalog you can browse.

Query Tracker - a website for keeping track of queries, agents, and finding out response times. It's a little dated but mostly accurate.

Manuscript Wish List - a website where you can browse agents. It leans heavily towards newer agents and YA, but it's an excellent resource overall.

Agent Query - a website that lets you sort agents by genre repped, what kind of query they like, ect - this is my favorite website for agent hunting.

Writer Beware - does something sound fishy? Got a gut feeling the agent asking for your book is more a scam? Check Writer Beware.

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originally published on LianaBrooks.com