By:
On:
In: storytelling & games
With: 7 Comments

You, valued reader, may call me Ayaka. Before I lose your interest, let me tell you our topic: video games. Yeah, I went there. They are my passion and my future career. I don’t really have a specific type, to be truthful. My game quest is simply to find a few good things: good storyline, great main objective, and an engrossing protagonist back story. Even… no, wait–especially an engrossing antagonist back story. (What? I like psychopaths… You don’t?) It makes up for any bad graphics or glitches. I have many games to discuss, recommend, or tell you to avoid. I’m going start with one fairly knownRead More →

By:
On:
In: reading, the tech
With: 3 Comments

Right?

However, because I am not a rich person who can drop a bundle on a new Kindle (coming this week!) and a bunch of accessories, I have a plan.Read More →

By:
On:
In: reading, the tech
With: 2 Comments

Paper books. Mmm, is there anything like that smell? A little vanilla, a little ducking into the library to read because you don’t really fit anywhere.

But, then, the idea started to grow on me. Never being without a book because I can slip this small, lightweight techno-gadget in my purse. I’m a techie kind of girl.My two favorite things had made a sweet little baby capable of holding a thousand books.Read More →

By:
On:
In: for the love of TV, writing
With: 3 Comments

Burn Notice. Love, love, love the characters. I’d watch Bruce Campbell clean out his gutters. And the story arcs like mad. Everything changes. I hate when writers are afraid to make changes because what they have works. In this moment.

But it can’t work forever. The nature of story is to change. Otherwise, it’s just a snapshot in time.

I can’t turn off the writer.Read More →

By:
On:
In: for the love of TV
With: 2 Comments

This show has flaws: writing that serves the needs of the plot rather than the organic growth of the characters, for one. Reversals in feelings and character consistency are another, but those happen more in characters that are, quite frankly, rather flaky. Characters whose moral compass sometimes spins wildly with disastrous results. And all that makes it soapy fun, which–as I’ve established, I’m totally fine with.

But, at the end of the four or five episodes day, I care about the characters.Read More →

By:
On:
In: for the love of TV, In my house, Me, on pop culture
With: 2 Comments

You know I posted about watching good TV to become a better writer? This isn’t like that. I had this major day-job thing going on the last few months, and I’ve been relieving stress by watching television. Specifically, soapy drama. Private Practice, the new Dallas. Which led me and my incredibly awesome daughter who enjoys the same odd things I do to old Dallas. We’re on Season 2. And it’s… wow. It’s so bad it’s good. Like how everyone used to love to hate J.R. Amiright? There are these “Oh, no, he did NOT!” moments, and “Disco [dancing] is creepy…” moments, and “They’re playing dramaticRead More →

By:
On:
In: for the love of TV, writing
With: 0 Comments

Glee. Just…Glee. I’ve posted in the past about watching great shows to improve your writing (and because they’re awesome and we love good stories). I’ve been a fairly long-standing fan of Ryan Murphy (and later Brad Falchuk). The Shield, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story. Good shows. Great characters. But, Glee. I’ve watched it on Netflix and my becoming enamored with it started one boring, cold Saturday morning. I turned it on. I gasped. I laughed. I called to my teenage daughter to get in there because I was watching the best television show I’d ever seen and she had to see it. I’ve fallen in loveRead More →

By:
On:
In: A Glance At, reading
With: 0 Comments

The best thing about this book (and this book has a lot going for it) are the characters. You’ve got a psychic quiltmaker. And her ex-husband, who is now the owner of the art supply shop in town. And a woman. An adorable beta artist as love interest. Sisters who are all so individual. A mom who disappeared 17 years ago and suddenly comes home. There is a big cast. And they all contribute. And they’re all real, complex, fully-formed. And yet, they don’t overpower the story.

And, at it’s core, it feels good. There are messages about accepting oneself and forgiveness that are very personal and moving (mostly because you come to care so much for these people. Um, characters.).Read More →

By:
On:
In: reading
With: 123 Comments

Two days later,

Me: That first book is incredible. I can’t put it down.

My Boss: When you get to the end you’re going to be really annoyed.

Me, in my head, because he’s my boss: Then why did you tell me to read it?Read More →

By:
On:
In: reading
With: 0 Comments

I grew up, and still live, in a small town.  Not small town like less than 5000.  Small town like… 265 people live in my town.  Not that it’s much of a town.  I have to drive 5-10 miles to the nearest 7-11.  Another 40 to Wal-Mart or McDonald’s. It’s 55 miles to the nearest book store–a chain.  An indie bookstore? That would be 91 miles away.  Sure, we have a library.  Only barbarians don’t have libraries.  But… if I had to guess, I’d say we might have 500-1000 books.  Total. So, I think you feel me now.  Growing up and as an adult, IRead More →