I have been tempted to try some LOST-based fan fiction with this blog, and as soon as I'm done with "Forum", I think I'll give it a whirl.
The basic idea is that Station 15 (note the use of one of The Numbers, heh!) is where some of the more frightening research into parapsychology was done on the Island by the Dharma Initiative, and the station was designated The Black Cat because of its connotations with the occult and the weird.
I've already decided I'm going to do it in a sort of epistolary-style, but using diaries, e-mails, research papers, etc. to tell the story.
Just my way of wishing I was actually on the LOST writing staff!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Aspects of Magic
Lofty title for a post....
In beginning work on my alternate history/fantasy, one of (many!) problems immediately came to fore, specifically what will the nature of magic be in the story?
Will I want transmogrification? Will I want talking animals? What sort of magic will be needed for transportation? Will food be created out of thin air, a la Harry Potter? Will magicians need to study incantations, cast spells and hexes, will they need wands, OR will magic be kind of a strange branch of physics, and machines will need to be constructed to carry out magical functions?
I still don't know yet, because obviously I want the most organic and effective approach to the use of magic as possible. And that hasn't quite occurred to me, though I mull these problems constantly.
As enamored as I am of the steampunk subgenre of fantasy, I am inclined to think of magic as being Science's odd cousin, powering all kinds of ornate doo-dads. This is in the same vein as Martha Wells world of Ile-Rien, or Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials books. Perhaps even that of Oz, come to think of it. However that all works out, I'm pretty sure I won't be using magic the way Tolkien did, or J.K. Rowling either.
All I know is that I have to establish a consistent framework for the use of magic, and then make sure I DO NOT have a character use magic in a way that violates my own framework. I will NEVER be a writer like that!
But even with all the contemplation and frustration, the main thing is that this is kinda fun!
In beginning work on my alternate history/fantasy, one of (many!) problems immediately came to fore, specifically what will the nature of magic be in the story?
Will I want transmogrification? Will I want talking animals? What sort of magic will be needed for transportation? Will food be created out of thin air, a la Harry Potter? Will magicians need to study incantations, cast spells and hexes, will they need wands, OR will magic be kind of a strange branch of physics, and machines will need to be constructed to carry out magical functions?
I still don't know yet, because obviously I want the most organic and effective approach to the use of magic as possible. And that hasn't quite occurred to me, though I mull these problems constantly.
As enamored as I am of the steampunk subgenre of fantasy, I am inclined to think of magic as being Science's odd cousin, powering all kinds of ornate doo-dads. This is in the same vein as Martha Wells world of Ile-Rien, or Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials books. Perhaps even that of Oz, come to think of it. However that all works out, I'm pretty sure I won't be using magic the way Tolkien did, or J.K. Rowling either.
All I know is that I have to establish a consistent framework for the use of magic, and then make sure I DO NOT have a character use magic in a way that violates my own framework. I will NEVER be a writer like that!
But even with all the contemplation and frustration, the main thing is that this is kinda fun!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Musings on Mysteries
I haven't posted a whole lot about LOST recently, but I think that's largely due to the show being on hiatus. Come the beginning of December, when the 3rd season DVD set comes out, I plan to blog about all the episodes...and then, come February, when Season 4 starts, there should be a lot to write about at least for the next 16 weeks.
In the meantime, I just write what I can, post a few lists, embed some videos and some trailers, that sort of thing.
However, earlier today, as I was letting my mind go adrift, away from such distractions as bills and going to the gym, it suddenly occured to me that we might never get an explanation for how the Nigerian airplane ended up on Lost Island. Is it some kind of throwaway mystery, whose only purpose is for us the viewer to go "Oh, wow, weird....!" and that's pretty much the end of it--OR will we get some kind of payoff, such as we had at the end of Season 3 when we finally found out the purpose of the wire Sayid found on the beach in Season 1's "Solitary" episode.
I started wondering which of LOST's many mysteries will find such resolution and revelation.
I'm pretty sure we'll find out more about Jacob, and I've already reconciled myself to the idea that I won't know exactly what The Smoke Monster is until the very end of the series, but there are some other mysteries that have me wondering if we'll ever get to their revealment.
In no particular order (just as they occur to me):
1. The statue of the foot with four toes.
(The statue looked Grecian to me, something like a remnant from the Colossus of Rhodes--certainly not like anything you'd find amidst the Polynesian sphere of influence, e.g. the Easter Island statues. There's a good opportunity for a real mind-blower here; I hope they don't slough it off.)
2. The Black Rock
(Boy, do I want to see a flashback episode of how the Black Rock ended up on the Island. I know Hanso is involved somehow. I know what you're thinking: "How could there be a flashback episode going back to the late 1800s?" Well, as was tantalizingly hinted at in the episode "The Man Behind The Curtain", the Hostiles might very well be either ancestors of the Black Rock survivors, or (fanfare trumpet) actual survivors themselves. Wouldn't immortality be exactly the sort of Secret Which Must Be Kept that would make the Others react so violently to the accidental incursion of the Flight 815 survivors, just as they did a few decades before when the Dharma Initiative set up shop? Many answers lie within the rotted timbers of the Black Rock.)
3. Hillbilly Others
(This isn't the biggest mystery on the Island, but it has perplexed me nonetheless. Why did the Others pretend to be little more than savages? This appears to have been the way the Hostiles dressed when young Ben Linus came across Richard Alpert in "The Man Behind The Curtain", so I'm thinking there might be a band of immortal Hostiles elsewhere on the Island, and the Ben Linus Others might have had to dress like them as a way to throw them off their track. In fact, now that I think about it, when Eko and Jin hid in the bushes ( in Season 2 episode "...And Found") and saw a dozen Hillbilly Others creep past them in single file, I'm wondering if that wasn't our first introduction to the Hostiles that'd refused to participate in the Purge. It still remains one of the creepiest things I've ever seen on LOST.)
4. Rousseau
My ideas about the mystery that is Danielle Rousseau would be an entire post in itself.
5. The Hurley Bird
6. The Blast Door Map
7. The Whispers
(They have to explain this one. Please. We've seen enough of the Others in Season 3 to see that NONE of them communicated via whispering. Hence, someone else is doing it. Who? Jacob? Ghosts? Dharma Initiative parapsychology experiments run amok?)
For more insight into the mysteries of Lost Island, go here.
In the meantime, I just write what I can, post a few lists, embed some videos and some trailers, that sort of thing.
However, earlier today, as I was letting my mind go adrift, away from such distractions as bills and going to the gym, it suddenly occured to me that we might never get an explanation for how the Nigerian airplane ended up on Lost Island. Is it some kind of throwaway mystery, whose only purpose is for us the viewer to go "Oh, wow, weird....!" and that's pretty much the end of it--OR will we get some kind of payoff, such as we had at the end of Season 3 when we finally found out the purpose of the wire Sayid found on the beach in Season 1's "Solitary" episode.
I started wondering which of LOST's many mysteries will find such resolution and revelation.
I'm pretty sure we'll find out more about Jacob, and I've already reconciled myself to the idea that I won't know exactly what The Smoke Monster is until the very end of the series, but there are some other mysteries that have me wondering if we'll ever get to their revealment.
In no particular order (just as they occur to me):
1. The statue of the foot with four toes.
(The statue looked Grecian to me, something like a remnant from the Colossus of Rhodes--certainly not like anything you'd find amidst the Polynesian sphere of influence, e.g. the Easter Island statues. There's a good opportunity for a real mind-blower here; I hope they don't slough it off.)
2. The Black Rock
(Boy, do I want to see a flashback episode of how the Black Rock ended up on the Island. I know Hanso is involved somehow. I know what you're thinking: "How could there be a flashback episode going back to the late 1800s?" Well, as was tantalizingly hinted at in the episode "The Man Behind The Curtain", the Hostiles might very well be either ancestors of the Black Rock survivors, or (fanfare trumpet) actual survivors themselves. Wouldn't immortality be exactly the sort of Secret Which Must Be Kept that would make the Others react so violently to the accidental incursion of the Flight 815 survivors, just as they did a few decades before when the Dharma Initiative set up shop? Many answers lie within the rotted timbers of the Black Rock.)
3. Hillbilly Others
(This isn't the biggest mystery on the Island, but it has perplexed me nonetheless. Why did the Others pretend to be little more than savages? This appears to have been the way the Hostiles dressed when young Ben Linus came across Richard Alpert in "The Man Behind The Curtain", so I'm thinking there might be a band of immortal Hostiles elsewhere on the Island, and the Ben Linus Others might have had to dress like them as a way to throw them off their track. In fact, now that I think about it, when Eko and Jin hid in the bushes ( in Season 2 episode "...And Found") and saw a dozen Hillbilly Others creep past them in single file, I'm wondering if that wasn't our first introduction to the Hostiles that'd refused to participate in the Purge. It still remains one of the creepiest things I've ever seen on LOST.)
4. Rousseau
My ideas about the mystery that is Danielle Rousseau would be an entire post in itself.
5. The Hurley Bird
6. The Blast Door Map
7. The Whispers
(They have to explain this one. Please. We've seen enough of the Others in Season 3 to see that NONE of them communicated via whispering. Hence, someone else is doing it. Who? Jacob? Ghosts? Dharma Initiative parapsychology experiments run amok?)
For more insight into the mysteries of Lost Island, go here.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A Vagrant Thought
In case anyone was wondering, the quote at the bottom of the blog's header:
"In the ocean an island waits...."
is from the song "Pretty Little Picture" by Stephen Sondheim, part of the music from the show I'm rehearsing now, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum". When we were rehearsing that song, that line stood out to me.
As part of the song, it's a pretty innocuous phrase. However, taken out of context and left to stand alone, the phrase (especially when placed in conjunction with a show like LOST), the words take on mysterious, even dangerous connotations.
So, although I was loath to drop the Locke quote I'd had, I thought serendipity was too strong to ignore.
"In the ocean an island waits...."
is from the song "Pretty Little Picture" by Stephen Sondheim, part of the music from the show I'm rehearsing now, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum". When we were rehearsing that song, that line stood out to me.
As part of the song, it's a pretty innocuous phrase. However, taken out of context and left to stand alone, the phrase (especially when placed in conjunction with a show like LOST), the words take on mysterious, even dangerous connotations.
So, although I was loath to drop the Locke quote I'd had, I thought serendipity was too strong to ignore.
Another meme
Total Number of Books I Own:
Around 1,000 I think.
Last Book I Bought:
"The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield
Last Book I Read:
"The Golem's Eye" by Jonathan Stroud
Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:
1. "A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs
[I had read science fiction and fantasy before reading this book at the age of 12 in 1973, but I had never read such a thrilling, weird, sensual ass-kicker of a book before. It is a supreme work of Imagination, and still holds up very, very well.]
2. "Again, Dangerous Visions" edited by Harlan Ellison
[In 1975, I was a freshman in high school and looking for some kind of direction. I came across a copy of "Again, Dangerous Visions" in the school library, not really knowing anything about the editor or many of the writers, but it turned out to be my first introduction to the work of Harlan Ellison, and in the 32 years since then, I've yet to be disappointed by anything the man has produced, said or snarled. He's still one of My Heroes.]
3. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
[I know it seems odd to have such a recent book on a list of books that mean a lot to me, but the seventh Harry Potter book had a LOT riding on it, and Rowling did not disappoint. I've never hugged a book after I'd finished reading it. It was like finishing a quest , and one of the very, very BEST reading experiences I've ever had. That means a lot.]
4. "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne
[I read this while quite young, well before I read "A Princess of Mars", probably an edition edited for young readers, but it did ensnare me. I remember wishing I could find some runes left by Arne Saknussen while I was out playing in the woods at the edge of town. No such luck. Nonetheless, this book led me to more Verne, to Conan Doyle, to Robert Heinlein, and eventually to Edgar Rice Burroughs.]
5. "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Dr. Seuss
[This is the first book I remember reading. It may not actually be the one, but it's the earliest book I remember reading, around the age of 3. Yes, 3. Dr. Seuss--or Saint Ted, as some of us call him--has probably been responsible for starting more kids toward enjoying reading than anyone else in history. So, whether it's actually the first book I read or not, it's the one I credit for gunning my Imagination Engines.]
Around 1,000 I think.
Last Book I Bought:
"The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield
Last Book I Read:
"The Golem's Eye" by Jonathan Stroud
Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:
1. "A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs
[I had read science fiction and fantasy before reading this book at the age of 12 in 1973, but I had never read such a thrilling, weird, sensual ass-kicker of a book before. It is a supreme work of Imagination, and still holds up very, very well.]
2. "Again, Dangerous Visions" edited by Harlan Ellison
[In 1975, I was a freshman in high school and looking for some kind of direction. I came across a copy of "Again, Dangerous Visions" in the school library, not really knowing anything about the editor or many of the writers, but it turned out to be my first introduction to the work of Harlan Ellison, and in the 32 years since then, I've yet to be disappointed by anything the man has produced, said or snarled. He's still one of My Heroes.]
3. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
[I know it seems odd to have such a recent book on a list of books that mean a lot to me, but the seventh Harry Potter book had a LOT riding on it, and Rowling did not disappoint. I've never hugged a book after I'd finished reading it. It was like finishing a quest , and one of the very, very BEST reading experiences I've ever had. That means a lot.]
4. "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne
[I read this while quite young, well before I read "A Princess of Mars", probably an edition edited for young readers, but it did ensnare me. I remember wishing I could find some runes left by Arne Saknussen while I was out playing in the woods at the edge of town. No such luck. Nonetheless, this book led me to more Verne, to Conan Doyle, to Robert Heinlein, and eventually to Edgar Rice Burroughs.]
5. "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Dr. Seuss
[This is the first book I remember reading. It may not actually be the one, but it's the earliest book I remember reading, around the age of 3. Yes, 3. Dr. Seuss--or Saint Ted, as some of us call him--has probably been responsible for starting more kids toward enjoying reading than anyone else in history. So, whether it's actually the first book I read or not, it's the one I credit for gunning my Imagination Engines.]
Terry O'Quinn wins Emmy
Yeeee-haw!!!
It really, really is nice to see an actor who deserves it get the award, and not just get the award but get it for the work he or she's been doing (rather than as a Life Achievement award, which is what the Oscars tend to do).
Terry O'Quinn won--justly--for doing some incredible work this past season. Did the guy make any false steps, sound any false notes? At all? Noooope. It's not for nothing that John Locke is my favorite character on LOST, and Mr. O'Quinn deserves every plaudit imaginable for bringing this character to life.
Congratulations, sir!
The Mist
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Iron Man Trailer
Saw this on "The Daily Show" last night. HAD to put it on the blog! After a summer of incredibly lackluster sequels, it's nice to have something to look forward to. Besides, "Iron Man" comes out about the same time as LOST will be wrapping up Season 4--so I'm gonna be a pretty happy camper come May.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
WTF?
I've been wanting to create a Dharma logo to my header--which I did, spending the last couple of hours clicking here, pasting there, etcetera...and when I added it, I wasn't able to have the blog title, my Locke quote AND the new logo.
I'm keeping the logo, and I'm going to try and figure out how to add the old Station 15 title and the Locke quote BACK into the header.
Guess Blogger ain't quite as user-friendly as I'd hoped!
UPDATE: Well...the header isn't quite what I wanted--but it ain't too bad. It'll do for a while. I wish I could have made the background some shade of green, but it seemed the only thing the Paint application would let me color with was grey. C'est la guerre.
I'm keeping the logo, and I'm going to try and figure out how to add the old Station 15 title and the Locke quote BACK into the header.
Guess Blogger ain't quite as user-friendly as I'd hoped!
UPDATE: Well...the header isn't quite what I wanted--but it ain't too bad. It'll do for a while. I wish I could have made the background some shade of green, but it seemed the only thing the Paint application would let me color with was grey. C'est la guerre.
Icons for the upcoming political year
Video Rewind #2
Psychedelic Furs. Love My Way.
(I love doing this! When I got back to the States from Germany in 1983, I was entranced by all the bands I saw on MTV. Posting these videos is part for nostalgia's sake, and also in the hopes that any of my younger friends who read this blog, and who aren't familiar with early 80s pop/rock/new wave, just might become a fan as well.)
(And, on a related note, maybe become avid fans of LOST as well!!!)
One Month In (more or less)
I started blogging a month ago, and have found that not only is it fun (even when I don't do much more than embed a video or create a list), but it is as beneficial to just about every other aspect of my life as exercise or proper diet are.
When Me Cuz recommended I check out a book called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, (and this would be roughly toward the end of this past July) I scampered down to Montana Book and Toy to see if they had a copy. Nope. But they ordered it for me and I got it not even a week later. All I can say is this: If you are any sort of creative person, go out and grab your own copy.
This is a blurb from Pressfield's website:
And here's a bit of what you read almost as soon as you open the book:
I think I've read this book cover-to-cover about ten times since I bought it. I dip into every now and then just to see what page I'll chance upon, and mull a bit over the advice therein. Yeah, it's been making a difference. I started this blog, for one thing. And it's been a great way to beat back Resistance.
Not that Resistance has been a paper tiger; A couple of days ago I was in a deep blue funk, so blue I could have fathered a Smurf, and this was (I think) Resistance trying to fight back--I mean, after all, I've been listening to Resistance for so many years now, and all of a sudden, I'm trying to assert myself? Heaven forfend!!!
Blogging gives me a sense of accomplishment. This ain't deathless prose here, folks, nor will you find the kind of meaningful insight into O Tempora, O Mores that you'll find elsewhere in the blogosphere, but for right now, it's enough...it's more than enough...just to post my few silly thoughts--
--because it's positive. It's moving forward. And it has been igniting a few other areas as well (exercise, housekeeping, diet, and so on), and ya know what? This silly little idea for an alternate history/fantasy I've been swearing I'll write one of these years (and doing so for--ahem--a loooong time now)...well, I started writing it a few days ago. Left my weekly therapy session, feeling kinda drained, and instead of trying to merge into One-ness with my sofa (as is my usual wont), I did a couple of simple things: shave. shower. dishes. clean the litterbox.
Felt better. Felt like I'd done something. Turned on the computer and wrote a bit. Felt even better. Went to rehearsal and had lots of energy. Basically, I managed to find a way to tell Resistance to kiss my ass--at least for that day. It's like quitting smoking. It really, really is something you do one day at a time.
So, thanks, Cuz. Thanks, Mr. Pressfield.
Onward.
When Me Cuz recommended I check out a book called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, (and this would be roughly toward the end of this past July) I scampered down to Montana Book and Toy to see if they had a copy. Nope. But they ordered it for me and I got it not even a week later. All I can say is this: If you are any sort of creative person, go out and grab your own copy.
This is a blurb from Pressfield's website:
"Yes, the War of Art is hell. But Steven Pressfield is our Clausewitz who shows how you too can battle against the Four Horsemen of the Apologetic: Sloth, Inertia, Rationalization and Procrastination. Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Beethoven all are proof of what you can do with talent and General Pressfield."
--Frank Deford
author and NPR commentator
And here's a bit of what you read almost as soon as you open the book:
Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life. Between the two stands Resistance.
I think I've read this book cover-to-cover about ten times since I bought it. I dip into every now and then just to see what page I'll chance upon, and mull a bit over the advice therein. Yeah, it's been making a difference. I started this blog, for one thing. And it's been a great way to beat back Resistance.
Not that Resistance has been a paper tiger; A couple of days ago I was in a deep blue funk, so blue I could have fathered a Smurf, and this was (I think) Resistance trying to fight back--I mean, after all, I've been listening to Resistance for so many years now, and all of a sudden, I'm trying to assert myself? Heaven forfend!!!
Blogging gives me a sense of accomplishment. This ain't deathless prose here, folks, nor will you find the kind of meaningful insight into O Tempora, O Mores that you'll find elsewhere in the blogosphere, but for right now, it's enough...it's more than enough...just to post my few silly thoughts--
--because it's positive. It's moving forward. And it has been igniting a few other areas as well (exercise, housekeeping, diet, and so on), and ya know what? This silly little idea for an alternate history/fantasy I've been swearing I'll write one of these years (and doing so for--ahem--a loooong time now)...well, I started writing it a few days ago. Left my weekly therapy session, feeling kinda drained, and instead of trying to merge into One-ness with my sofa (as is my usual wont), I did a couple of simple things: shave. shower. dishes. clean the litterbox.
Felt better. Felt like I'd done something. Turned on the computer and wrote a bit. Felt even better. Went to rehearsal and had lots of energy. Basically, I managed to find a way to tell Resistance to kiss my ass--at least for that day. It's like quitting smoking. It really, really is something you do one day at a time.
So, thanks, Cuz. Thanks, Mr. Pressfield.
Onward.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
80s Video Rewind of the Week
Monday, September 3, 2007
I am...Pseudolus!
Got the phone call today offering me the part of Pseudolus in "Forum". Hells, YES, I accepted!
Looking forward to posting photos from this.
Looking forward to posting photos from this.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Countdown to the Most Important Announcement EVER
RUN, AL, RUN!!!
I am predicting Al Gore will enter the race for the Presidency after he wins the Nobel Peace Prize in October. (yup--I'm bristling with optimism!).
I know, I know--a post about auditioning for a show, and then a quick blurb about my preferred candidate for President. What's all that got to do with LOST? Well...not much, and everything. I'll explain later. But even so--it IS my blog, and I post what I want...dagnab it!
My 50th Play (more or less)
Thursday last, I auditioned for a part in "A Funny Thing...." (see above for full title) at the local college. "Forum" was the first play I directed (in 1999), and I hope to be able to be a part of this production. Damn funny show. High jinks and low brows.
I am not...ummm...a confident singer, but I've gotten through about ten musicals now (ranging from Fagin in "Oliver!" to Vandergelder in "Hello, Dolly!"), and even so, it's still a nerve-rattling experience. That's why I chose 16 bars of "High Anxiety" as my audition song.
Had to show up again the following Friday. Did some more cold-reading (mostly for Pseudolus, yay!) and sang a bit from "Pretty Little Picture". The director will have the cast posted by Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. I really don't care what part--they're all funny--I just want to be in the darn thing!
Besides, now I have a place to post pictures from rehearsal through performance. (Even if it doesn't have a whole lot to do with LOST!)
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