joie de vivre

I know I haven't posted in a while, but...

2009-03-25T17:42:19Z

...this is just plain annoying. Apparently spambots are somehow creating accounts on LJ, because I've been friended recently by two of them, and when I click to see their journal all I see is an ad for some weight loss product. Has anybody else had this happen to them?

Oh, and btw, the reason I haven't posted is because I've been quite busy. Just in case anybody wondered! :)

dreams do come true! - a bedtime story

2009-01-23T05:00:40Z

Once upon a time, before the Narrator had even heard of her current art class, much less started attending, a young man named Robert was a member of the class. He and the Teacher went to a local art museum, where they saw a gorgeous piece of work with the theme "all things art". This work so inspired Robert that he began his own piece with a similar theme -- art and the creative process. This piece, though on a very large canvas, progressed beautifully, and promised to become a grand masterpiece.

One day, however, Robert got married. He left art class and, unfortunately, left his masterpiece unfinished. For four long years, it languished in a corner, waiting for its maker to come back and complete it. But he never did.

Finally, a year after the Narrator started attending art class, Robert remembered his masterpiece and how sad and incomplete it was. In an act that shall forever be celebrated by members of the art class, he deeded the piece over to the Teacher, with instructions that it at last be completed. The Narrator, who had had her eyes on Robert's incomplete masterpiece ever since she joined art class, was especially ecstatic. Overflowing with ideas, she approached the Teacher, who gladly gave her permission to pursue the aforesaid ideas.

Now there is untold joy in the Narrator's heart, for she has learned that dreams do come true. She has been given the great privilege of touching Robert's masterpiece, and she is sure that, with the help of her classmates and a bit of patience, she can bring his masterpiece to completion.

Haha. How do you like my story? ;) What's great is it's a TRUE story. A little dramatized maybe, but true nonetheless! See below for pictures of my latest (BIG) project!

(Mind you, none of this work is mine until the fourth picture.)

The whole piece. Can you tell it's BIG???

Close-up of the bottom half. This represents the nitty-gritty aspect of artmaking -- the rulers, the sketches, the models, not to mention the sheer tenacity.

Close-up of the middle/top half. This represents the creative side of artmaking, with the majestic pose, the color wheel behind his head (which still needs a lot of work!), and the colors flying out of his fingers.

The stars at the top (unfinished) are being added by me to symbolize another aspect of artmaking -- how we, as artists, are imitating the God of the Universe when we create. He created the stars, the cosmos, everything. Our drive to create things of beauty is a reflection of His own nature.

like, you know?

2009-01-22T15:55:28Z

A YouTube video of a bit of poetry performed by a teacher. Very funny and profound, like the best humor always is... like, you know? ;)

flame warriors

2009-01-15T04:46:24Z

Are you an avid forumite? Have you ever witnessed an online flame war? Have you ever been burned by one? Well, even if you haven't, this site is for you... because it's absolutely hilarious!

A word from the creator:

"Some years ago a minor spat ignited a searing flame war that threatened to consume a once-placid discussion forum. While the forum burned I amused myself by caricaturing the chief antagonists. Confounded at seeing themselves thus revealed, the combatants fled in disarray.

"Over time the roster of online belligerents expanded and eventually congealed into the Netizen's guide to Flame Warriors. My own bad internet behavior would certainly have provided sufficient material to populate an extensive rogue's gallery, but suggestions and comments from astute observers continue to enrich the Flame Warriors collection.

"Please report immediately any sightings of new Warrior variants."

You can find the guide here! ^_^

behold!

2009-01-03T05:11:46Z

My first piece of Avatar fanart evarrrr! YAAAAAAAAAAAY! :D

It's just a quick sketch, so it's not perfect. And I used a handy-dandy how-to guide, so it's not original. But I had fun with it. Expect to see (hopefully) better and more original stuff in the future. :)

GO SOKKA YAY!!! :D :D :D

a nice, long fanfiction meme

2008-12-24T06:13:24Z

Snagged from fialleril. As the title suggests, this is a nice, long meme pertaining to good ol' fanfiction. (My first LJ meme ever! *yayness*)

Do you read or write fanfiction?
Both.

When did you first start reading/writing fanfiction?
I started writing it when I was around thirteen. Reading came later when I discovered Councilofelrond.com. :)

What was your first fandom?
Lord of the Rings. I gobbled up all three movies, as well as all the books I could lay my hands on. I even started learning Elvish (Sindarin, to be precise). My first story idea began to develop while I was reading the Silmarillion. Unfortunately, at the time I didn't have the best understanding of Tolkien's world. So as I learned more about Middle-earth, my story idea started changing so much that the actual writing never got past the first three chapters. After four years, I got tired of it and dropped it. :P

First ship?
Legolas/OC. Original, right? *shudder*

What website do you use most?
Definitely Fanfiction.net. Kotorfanmedia.com comes in a close second.

What do you think of Fanfiction.net?
It's a good place to host fics, with lots of good features. As with any fanfic site, there are a lot of less-than-stellar fics, but there are also a lot of jewels. The search function comes in real handy.

What fandoms have you written in?
Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: KOTOR II, and Gladiator. I've always thought about writing something in the general Star Wars fandom, but for some reason the thought is intimidating... *_*

Pairings?
Atton/Female Exile (KOTOR II) is my biggest favorite. Since KOTOR II is an RPG, there are just so many possibilities, so many ways the relationship can go. Plus Atton is such an angst muffin. ^_^ Anakin/Padmé I like, when done right (that is, better than in AOTC! xP). I dabble some in Zutara, but it isn't a huge thing with me. I LOVE Eöl/Aredhel in the Silmarillion, 'cuz their story is so tragic! I think I must prefer tragic love stories over happy ones, and angsty guys over non-angsty ones. o_0 (Atton, Anakin, Zuko, Eöl... yep, all angsters.)

Any fandoms you would like to write in?
Like I said above, general Star Wars. I'd also like to write in Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Silmarillion.

Do reviews affect how you write in any way?
Depends on the content of the reviews. Encouragement is helpful, but doesn't affect my writing per se. Flames don't affect my writing either, but they do discourage me. Constructive criticism, on the other hand, can have and has had a HUGE effect. Case in point: one reviewer for "Consumed" said that the concluding chapter was a little weak. I agreed, and that got my wheels turning. Now I'm rewriting not only the last chapter, but the entire story! :D

Do you use a beta?
I haven't used one in the past, though I've always discussed ideas with my best friend and sent her my stories... sometimes after their publication. In that sense she's more of a soundboard than a beta. With the rewriting of "Consumed", however, I'm using a couple of betas.

What ratings do you read/write?
I prefer to keep things at or under a PG-13 level.

What warnings have you used on your fiction?
The closest I've come to a warning is "not a happy story". Most of my fics deal with adult-ish themes, though... like death and the Dark Side and such... so maybe they deserve stronger warnings. In that case, I'd warn for mature themes and violence.

Do you have any squicks?
Oh, yes. My major squick is the amount of sex and graphic violence in a fic. I just can't enjoy reading stuff like that. If there's too much, I'll stop reading. Since this squick is a pretty general one, it has so far prevented me from discovering any specific sex-and-violence-related squicks I might have. :P

Do you Role-play online? If so, what?
Yep. Star Wars. Prequel era. ^_^

Have you ever stolen something from another person's work?
No. But if I have, I wouldn't admit it. So isn't this question kinda pointless?

Favorite fandom to write/read?
Star Wars: KOTOR II.

Favorite pairing?
The aforementioned Atton/Female Exile.

Favorite writer/writers?
fialleril is one. I also like the work of Istarnie and Shy Snootles.

How long should a chapter be?
As long as it needs to be, though not so long that it overwhelms the reader.

Do you write/read drabbles?
I haven't written any, but I do love to read them. They can be so delightfully profound... *dreamy sigh*

Any fandoms you avoid?
None in particular. I only venture into a fandom if I really, really like the source material, and if I feel there's stuff worth exploring.

Pairings you avoid?
Slash in general. And, uh... pairings I don't like? x) I don't read much fanfic in the first place, so there's no specific pairing I can think of that I avoid.

Warnings you avoid?
Graphic sex and violence.

Do the number of reviews tell how good a story is?
No. Sometimes it just tells how many fangirls go bonkers over a particular pairing.

What do you think of Mary Sues?
I wish having multi-colored eyes wasn't one of their traits. Multi-colored eyes are cool. -_-

Have you ever flamed someone?
Me? Sweet little Em? Never!

Have you ever been flamed?
Yes, sort of. Once when I had an AU LotR fic posted on ff.net, an anonymous reviewer got her back up over what she thought was a major contradiction of canon. She told me (in no uncertain terms) that if I wanted readers, I needed to write in a world that was recognizable as Tolkien's. But it all turned out to be a misunderstanding, and I was able to correct what she thought was a contradiction. :)

at last!

2008-12-23T08:25:01Z

After searching for days and days and DAYS, I finally found a custom layout that I like: this beautiful spring theme from The Butterflybox! JOY!!! ^_^

(Oh, yes. I am so hard to please.)

quotes on writing

2008-12-22T18:21:27Z

Found this on the internet. ;) It made me laugh and nod like a bobblehead because it's all so true. The last quote in particular made me shout "AMEN!"

(Also, I'm thinking there are a LOT of quotes out there attributed to Mark Twain that he probably never said. Wouldn't you agree?)

If I had more time, I would write a shorter story. --Mark Twain

What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure. --Samuel Johnson

A perfectly healthy sentence, it is true, is extremely rare. For the most part we miss the hue and fragrance of the thought; as if we could be satisfied with the dews of the morning or evening without their colors, or the heavens without their azure. --Henry David Thoreau

I can't write five words but that I can change seven. --Dorothy Parker

To be a writer is to throw away a great deal, not to be satisfied, to type again, and then again and once more, and over and over. --John Hersey

Books are never finished, they are merely abandoned. --Oscar Wilde

Books aren't written--they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it. --Michael Crichton

The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say. --Mark Twain

First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. --Bernard Malamud

When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing. --Enrique Jardiel Poncela

Our admiration of fine writing will always be in proportion to its real difficulty and its apparent ease. --Charles Caleb Colton

The strokes of the pen need deliberation as much as the sword needs swiftness. --Julia Ward Howe

Like stones, words are laborious and unforgiving, and the fitting of them together, like the fitting of stones, demands great patience and strength of purpose and particular skill. --Edmund Morrison

All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. --George Orwell

coming out

2008-11-17T05:54:35Z

I can deny it no longer.
It burns me from the inside out.
I must be honest with myself and with others.

I think... I think I've become a... a...

::gulp::

>_> <_<

I'VE BECOME A ZUTARIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

::gasp::

::faint::

(Yes, this is a post about Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you are not familiar with the show, you may ignore this post without hurting my feelings.)

Oh, it's not that I hated Zutara. Or loved Maiko and Kataang. I'd heard the arguments for and against all three ships, but remained impartial toward all, something I prided myself on.

But THEN. Then I joined deviantART, and I started finding awesome Avatar fanart, including quite a few Zutara pics. Some played on the theme of opposites -- fire and water, sun and moon -- a theme that made for some very beautiful artwork. Over time, I began to like this idea of opposites.

And then, over time, Zuko and Katara started looking... CUTE... together. *_*

Before I knew it, I was going to dA expressly to seek out Zutara pics, though in my heart I continued to deny that anything had changed. Tonight, however, I found this picture, and it has ripped down all the defenses, all the lies. Now I can deny it no longer: I HAVE BEEN CONVERTED.

Halp??! O_O

i knew i liked this man

2008-10-20T16:51:29Z

A 20/20 special aired on Friday, October 17. John Stossel asks the question, "Is more government regulation actually helpful?" His answer: "No!" Expect to hear about issues such as...

(1) Hurricane Katrina,
(2) campaign finance reform, and
(3) farm subsidies.

Watchitwatchitwatchit!

John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics

to lighten the mood

2008-10-17T04:15:02Z

Found this on a blog a while back. It made me LOL! :) It's said to be a list of actual analogies and metaphors used in high school essays. (Oh, you know it HAS to be good now, right?)

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are known to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

a small dose of perspective

2008-10-08T06:01:58Z

I strongly encourage anyone who reads my LJ to watch this as they have the time:

Chris Martenson's Crash Course on Economics

An intensely interesting and eye-opening video series, geared toward understanding the how's and why's behind the economic crisis. You will gain a better understanding of the issues at hand, as well as a better idea of what problems we can expect in the future. Though the series has a special focus on the U.S. economy, the points it addresses have HUGE worldwide implications.

i haven't lived until this moment!

2008-10-06T05:48:09Z

Okay, maybe the title is a little dramatic. But, yeah, I'm pretty excited. Why?...

I GOT A DEVIANTART ACCOUNT THIS WEEKEND!!!
Now I feel like a real artist! ::jumps up and down for joy::

Click here to share in my joy!

maybe i'm just a kooky conspiracy theorist

2008-10-01T21:28:38Z

Sorry for the lack of postage lately. I know I called this LJ my "creative zone", but school, politics, and the news have had the lion's share of my attention this past month. Consequently, I haven't been doing much creating. :P It's hard to maintain that bubble of inspiration when you're surrounded by bubble-bursters like the economic crisis, the elections, the $700 billion bailout, a potential "October Surprise" by terrorists, news of Russia and Georgia and Iran... ::sigh::

Through it all, however, rumors have reached my ears (technically eyes, but let's not nitpick, shall we) of some troubling developments in our country, unrelated to the elections or the economy. What's even MORE troubling is that no one seems to be taking notice. While the media blasts us 24/7 with the showbiz of the elections and the gloom and doom of the economic crisis (and I do not deny the importance of these issues), the federal government is working quietly behind the scenes to prepare for... something.

Google these terms to see what I mean:

FEMA camps
Rex84

Then read this article written by Chuck Baldwin, the presidential candidate for the Constitution Party.

Just think about it, people. All we need is one more devastating terrorist attack ("October Surprise", anyone?), or an economic collapse precipitated by the collapse of the dollar... anything that the president could call a "national emergency"...

To quote one of my favorite trilogies, "I have a bad feeling about this."

a proper introduction!

2008-08-27T19:18:50Z

It just now occurred to me that I didn't write a proper introduction for my LJ before posting that poem. Soooooo... ::clears throat::

Hi!

I'm Emalin (as you probably know already), but you can call me Em. You may know me from fanfiction.net or from a few Star Wars forums, namely the Galactic Senate, Lucasforums, and Jedi-Masters. This LJ will be my creative zone -- the place where I post poetry, artwork, original fiction, fanfiction, and the like. Depending on my mood, I might go off on religious or philosophical rants, too, so watch out. ;)

Yeah, I'm a thinker. At least, I like to fancy that I am, lol. Mostly I like to create things, whether it's artwork or a story. I also like to play the piano. And I absolutely ADORE Star Wars! <333

What originally attracted me to LJ was... well... the userpics. ::blush:: I'm serious! There's something about those little 100x100 pixel boxes that gets me. They're like pithy lines of poetry, or a keyhole in a door to another world, or... or...

::grandiose sigh:: Ah, language, how canst thou fail me! [/melodrama]

Well, anyway. I won't be able to post much right now since life is about to get busy. Once the dust settles, though, we'll see what I can cook up. :)

writer's block

2008-08-27T05:32:43Z

A/N: This is just how I vented one week during a time of creative frustration. Writing poetry is a less damaging way to vent than screaming or ripping up pillows with my teeth. ^_*

A flare of light
In the infinite void.

I sit and grab my pen.

A feeling--
Churning, pulsing,
Aching, longing.

A universe waiting to break free.

I put my pen to paper.

A universe rejoicing.

A million worlds coalescing;
A star in every drop of ink.

A moment in time,
A glimpse of eternity,
An untold history...

Suddenly, I stop and stare at the paper.

A sudden silence
Resounding through space.

Worlds half-born
Trembling in fear.

A universe waiting,
Holding its breath,
Hoping for life...

I bite my lip, struggling to find the words.
But words fail me.

Hope brutally crushed.

A cry of pain,
Of betrayal.

Time reversing,
Rushing backwards.

Worlds destroyed;
Stars put out...

Frustrated, I slam down my pen and
get up from my chair.

The piercing scream of a dying universe.

A light flickering,
Fighting.

Fading...

I walk away.

An empty void.

(c) Emalin 2008