Lots of things to be pondered...
I have discovered this site called Medium for example...
Though I apparently joined it some time ago and forgot all about it...
I don't even fully understand what it is for. It seems like a blogging site...
But...
I have blogger for that.
So, I don't think I really need it.
And...I have wix pages and those websites' blogs.
It feels like a lot more than it really is to ponder.
But worrying about where one's work is being published is important.
Obviously, being on blogger I use a more playful and loose format of writing, hopefully giving readers an easier set of words to read on the page.
It seems to be easier on the eyes when viewing a screen that has fewer blocks of paragraphs and rather smaller lines that have some separation.
And, while I thought about having the wix sites just showing this blog, making everything simpler, I made the separate sites for a reason.
Having one site seems rather simple. It gives reader a place to go and see stuff about me and my work.
However, I made each of the other sites for 2 reasons.
1) Wix doesn't do well with loading a lot of information on a single site, so I do not have much room for all of the information I wish to store on just one site.
2) The application for blogspot is limited and looks tacky. It does not allow for much within the actual app, not even new comments to be added.
3) I have various series. I feel that this is probably the most important reason.
I mean, it does not take a genius to figure out that a writer like me who is working on multiple things is going to have differences in projects. That means if you are drawn in by Red Dragon, you probably don't want to sift through information about Glastica, Dorm Haze, Obsessed or Sins of an Empire.
It makes everything simpler, so that even if you are following me, you have a way of just following the information that you want (for the most part).
And if you clicked any of the links above, you'll see for yourself that each gets its own (fairly dark) theme and its own set of pages. It has its own space, so to speak.
This is partially due to the fact that these projects (or as I call them Universes) are large scale, with smaller subseries within them that then harbor the books. It helps me to keep track of not just the story line I am working with, but also the structure.
In Caliri du Aspiratorg, there is no such thing as a werewolf, that is just a myth. But dragons are real. There are even half dragon half humans.
In World of Shadows though, you won't find any half dragons, as you would in the other. There are werewolves and were-dragons, but those aren't half dragons. You'll find instead vampires and werecats.
And in Destined Hearts...everything is a whole lot different. This series is coauthored by Andrew Gray, which makes the separate site all the easier, since readers can simply follow the site. It has its own lore, its own timeline and its own theme.
So...I'm not sure about the stuff at medium. Maybe I will try it out. Maybe I'll forget about it again, until I stumble upon it. Who knows.
For now, I have too much to juggle.
Showing posts with label Rant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rant. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
The Struggle of a Self-Published Author
There
are alternatives to the fully paid version of the concept that is
“Self-Published Author” in that it takes more effort than what many people
presume is a “self-pay” form of publication.
If
you did not know by now, I am a self-published author.
I
do not shy away from that, as that is the truth. I publish myself by myself
through myself with a little help from programs set up by a company called lulu.
But,
the option that seems most obvious is “pay for the package that cleans, edits
and prepares your manuscript fully for publication” which many authors do
through various different companies.
But…and
if you have heard me rant before, you probably know…I am a college student, and
I have no money for that. I publish for free through Lulu Publishing.
But
that means…editing…formatting…clean up…spell check…(and all that marketing
stuff that comes later)…are all unpaid for…but a company doesn’t give stuff for
free! That’s preposterous!
And
you’re right, it is preposterous.
Lulu
provides some great service packages, but I don’t buy any. I publish for free
because I do all the manual labor of setting up the manuscript myself.
And
this brings me to the reason for this long winded tirade of words that you have
probably quit on by this point.
No?
Still reading?
Okay!
So,
Dorm Haze! And actually…several other books as well (The Were-Dragon
series)...are all getting revamped...
Dorm
Haze not as much…the others really really need revamped though.
But,
after getting some useful critical feedback that specifies the issues of the
books…I looked back on the books and was utterly dumbfounded to find all of the
mistakes I had looked over in my many many reviews of the manuscripts (before
and after publication).
*Sigh*
And
here is where I get to the point.
I
am publishing Dorm Haze anew because it has way too many errors. Some technical
things, grammatical errors and misspellings I should have noticed before have
all gone unnoticed til this point. And I will be fixing everything that is an error and make sure
that I make it suit the proceeding books.
There
are a few things that I might as well note here...
They
won't be "fixed" because they aren't wrong.
Easiest
example? Fryday
This is a very different world (it's post World War something or other)
and has a different set of spellings and norms. Friday as we spell it is
spelled Fryday in that future.
So
yea, that'll stay.
I
respect my art and do not want to change it...BUT!
I
can admit when there is a mistake. And I'll be fixing as many mistakes as I can
(The Were-Dragon included) just in due time.
With
that...I bid you adieu...
I'll
be working on editing Dorm Haze and finishing Love is Blind (alongside Loose
Dagger and Tale of Two Sisters).
So...if
you see any errors, mistakes and technical confusions in my work, please feel
free to let me know! You can post a comment to my blog...you can contact me on facebook. I'm also on twitter and tumblr.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Budlight's Mistake With the word NO
Budlight made a fool of itself.
Now go read that and come back if you don't know what I am talking about.
You may not have had previous contact with this, and you would not be alone in that.
However, despite not having a direct impact on us, it does have an important impact.
I have heard a few cries of "get over the joke" and "it's not ill-intentioned so it is okay" and "women really miss the point" which I feel means that they miss the point.
Rape culture isn't like a society. It is an underlying black color in our society. We begrudge it, pretend it is not real, and ignore its impact on our lives and its victims. We ignore the red it has spilled.
For most people, the idea that rape culture is a thing is thought to be in other countries, where women have even less power.
Well it does...but it still exists in countries such as the US.
But, what is really rape culture?
It isn't like BDSM culture, which is a healthy community that shares experiences and ideas.
It is the underlying tones in speech, actions and behaviors that allow people to think that rape is not rape, rape is okay, rape is not a thing that can exist as long as certain conditions are followed.
What is no?
In the West, no is a powerful word.
Add in some liquor and some people might change their minds about saying no.
Add some liquor and no means a whole new set of rules.
Why?
Because alcohol is related in a large majority of rape cases.
People liquored up can be manipulated and pushed around more easily. They can even be thrown under the bus by the police who say "you're the reason we can't have underaged drinking" and "you should have thought about that before you got drunk" like the crime was somehow the fault of the victim.
"Oh your house was broken into? You should have thought about that before living in this neighborhood!"
Now let's take what the Budlight comment was:
"The perfect beer for removing 'no' from your vocabulary for the night"
In all honesty, I can see how that could be funny.
But here's the thing...and I'll admit I'm no comedian...but the thing with OFFENSIVE HUMOR- whether you make fun of white people, Hispanics, Asians, African Americans OR WOMEN...whether indirectly or directly...if it's not funny...it's not okay.
And here's where it gets tricky.
The intention was that "when you get drunk, you lose your senses to say no" but that's where it gets stupid offensive.
"You didn't mean to offend this guy, even though you hinted that certain crimes were okay?"
Really?
I wouldn't let anybody off for offending an African American friend, an Asian friend, or even a Mexican friend. So why is it okay to let anybody off the hook (companies included) for being offensive towards women? Why is that okay?
Here's the troubling answer: It's not.
The reason there is rape culture is not because we raise our sons telling them "you have a right to a woman's body" or "your wife should give it up to you whenever" or even that "no doesn't mean no if she is drunk enough."
The reason there is a rape culture is because there are little hints that allow certain people to justify themselves.
Many people get drunk and lose their senses.
Many rapes go unreported because alcohol was involved.
Many victims are blamed and slut shamed because they were out drinking...like nobody does that? (well I don't, but most normal people do)
Studies have shown that "more men will admit to sexually coercive behaviors and more women will self-report victimization when behavioral descriptions are used (Koss 1998) instead of labels. Indeed, some men will endorse items asking whether they have used force to obtain intercourse, but will deny having raped a woman." Which makes sense...who would incriminate themselves?
In the link I provided, you can find more information...but here's the underlying problem.
Men are made to think they are to be "masculine" and "dominant" and thus coercive and strong towards women. It incites violence and abuse towards women that is covered in words of masculinity. Rape gets covered up with little things like verbal coercion.
Men will admit to doing these things...because they see nothing wrong with it. They think that's okay. WE have told them it is okay. MEN AND WOMEN have both told them that is what women want and that is okay behavior.
So when a man overpowers a woman in "forceful intercourse" he justifies it to himself.
This adds to the fact that a large majority of rapes are based on overpowering women and putting them down, rather than actually having sex.
Yes, this is why there are some accounts where the attack utilizes objects other than the penis to penetrate. (which sadly does not get the same treatment, as the courts think it is worthy to punish men who use their penis, but less worthy to punish men who use some other object...crime is crime the way I see it) Though the usual concept is that it is the overpowering that they want.
But this forceful sex theory also applies to the more sexual based rapes. Men are to be dominant. Men are to be forceful. Men are to be "manly" and "masculine" and thus have some form of right to use the words and threats that have been described in cases of rape.
We think of rape as something that happens when a weak woman is overpowered by a strong man...but it is not typically that black and white.
When you look at how powerful the word no is in the Western world...it turns upside down...
No is a word a man uses and it is strong.
I, in my female exterior, tell a man "No, I don't want to talk to you" and it doesn't mean no.
I tell a man "No I'm not interested" and it doesn't mean no.
I tell a man "No" to anything in general and he will ignore what I have said.
These are not theories...these are my experiences.
Aside from some respectable men and the men who know me well in my life, there seems to be a disconnect with the understanding of what "no" means in the English language for BOTH sexes/genders.
Still...
No is a powerful word...
If I say no once, it's enough to constitute rape.
So the idea that the word "no" can be removed EVER from our vocabulary is both repulsive to me, and an inappropriate and irresponsible joke pulled off some episode of some show written by Seth McFarland somewhere.
Now go read that and come back if you don't know what I am talking about.
You may not have had previous contact with this, and you would not be alone in that.
However, despite not having a direct impact on us, it does have an important impact.
I have heard a few cries of "get over the joke" and "it's not ill-intentioned so it is okay" and "women really miss the point" which I feel means that they miss the point.
Rape culture isn't like a society. It is an underlying black color in our society. We begrudge it, pretend it is not real, and ignore its impact on our lives and its victims. We ignore the red it has spilled.
For most people, the idea that rape culture is a thing is thought to be in other countries, where women have even less power.
Well it does...but it still exists in countries such as the US.
But, what is really rape culture?
It isn't like BDSM culture, which is a healthy community that shares experiences and ideas.
It is the underlying tones in speech, actions and behaviors that allow people to think that rape is not rape, rape is okay, rape is not a thing that can exist as long as certain conditions are followed.
What is no?
In the West, no is a powerful word.
Add in some liquor and some people might change their minds about saying no.
Add some liquor and no means a whole new set of rules.
Why?
Because alcohol is related in a large majority of rape cases.
People liquored up can be manipulated and pushed around more easily. They can even be thrown under the bus by the police who say "you're the reason we can't have underaged drinking" and "you should have thought about that before you got drunk" like the crime was somehow the fault of the victim.
"Oh your house was broken into? You should have thought about that before living in this neighborhood!"
Now let's take what the Budlight comment was:
"The perfect beer for removing 'no' from your vocabulary for the night"
In all honesty, I can see how that could be funny.
But here's the thing...and I'll admit I'm no comedian...but the thing with OFFENSIVE HUMOR- whether you make fun of white people, Hispanics, Asians, African Americans OR WOMEN...whether indirectly or directly...if it's not funny...it's not okay.
And here's where it gets tricky.
The intention was that "when you get drunk, you lose your senses to say no" but that's where it gets stupid offensive.
"You didn't mean to offend this guy, even though you hinted that certain crimes were okay?"
Really?
I wouldn't let anybody off for offending an African American friend, an Asian friend, or even a Mexican friend. So why is it okay to let anybody off the hook (companies included) for being offensive towards women? Why is that okay?
Here's the troubling answer: It's not.
The reason there is rape culture is not because we raise our sons telling them "you have a right to a woman's body" or "your wife should give it up to you whenever" or even that "no doesn't mean no if she is drunk enough."
The reason there is a rape culture is because there are little hints that allow certain people to justify themselves.
Many people get drunk and lose their senses.
Many rapes go unreported because alcohol was involved.
Many victims are blamed and slut shamed because they were out drinking...like nobody does that? (well I don't, but most normal people do)
Studies have shown that "more men will admit to sexually coercive behaviors and more women will self-report victimization when behavioral descriptions are used (Koss 1998) instead of labels. Indeed, some men will endorse items asking whether they have used force to obtain intercourse, but will deny having raped a woman." Which makes sense...who would incriminate themselves?
In the link I provided, you can find more information...but here's the underlying problem.
Men are made to think they are to be "masculine" and "dominant" and thus coercive and strong towards women. It incites violence and abuse towards women that is covered in words of masculinity. Rape gets covered up with little things like verbal coercion.
Men will admit to doing these things...because they see nothing wrong with it. They think that's okay. WE have told them it is okay. MEN AND WOMEN have both told them that is what women want and that is okay behavior.
So when a man overpowers a woman in "forceful intercourse" he justifies it to himself.
This adds to the fact that a large majority of rapes are based on overpowering women and putting them down, rather than actually having sex.
Yes, this is why there are some accounts where the attack utilizes objects other than the penis to penetrate. (which sadly does not get the same treatment, as the courts think it is worthy to punish men who use their penis, but less worthy to punish men who use some other object...crime is crime the way I see it) Though the usual concept is that it is the overpowering that they want.
But this forceful sex theory also applies to the more sexual based rapes. Men are to be dominant. Men are to be forceful. Men are to be "manly" and "masculine" and thus have some form of right to use the words and threats that have been described in cases of rape.
We think of rape as something that happens when a weak woman is overpowered by a strong man...but it is not typically that black and white.
When you look at how powerful the word no is in the Western world...it turns upside down...
No is a word a man uses and it is strong.
I, in my female exterior, tell a man "No, I don't want to talk to you" and it doesn't mean no.
I tell a man "No I'm not interested" and it doesn't mean no.
I tell a man "No" to anything in general and he will ignore what I have said.
These are not theories...these are my experiences.
Aside from some respectable men and the men who know me well in my life, there seems to be a disconnect with the understanding of what "no" means in the English language for BOTH sexes/genders.
Still...
No is a powerful word...
If I say no once, it's enough to constitute rape.
So the idea that the word "no" can be removed EVER from our vocabulary is both repulsive to me, and an inappropriate and irresponsible joke pulled off some episode of some show written by Seth McFarland somewhere.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Teetering off...
I've teetered off quite a bit lately.
It's difficult to keep up the writing of a blog...while you're writing books...studying language...and doing all the other mischief of life.
So, I'm trapped in a net of spiraling doom.
My blog is going nowhere. It's become updates and stuff.
It's hard to say anything anymore.
Whether it is too unrelated to books and writing.
Which attracts the wrong kind of attention. I don't want the attention of people who want to see this random gif posted, or this random picture.
I'm looking for people who are willing to put in the effort to read a long rant, the kind of people who want that.
Otherwise, what is the point?
I'm not on twitter to put tiny little posts. So, why ask for the people who want that?
I guess I'm in creative muck when it comes to this blog, and no reason to keep caring about it.
So, I guess this is just another post of...
I might delete this blog. I might just get rid of it.
It's difficult to keep up the writing of a blog...while you're writing books...studying language...and doing all the other mischief of life.
So, I'm trapped in a net of spiraling doom.
My blog is going nowhere. It's become updates and stuff.
It's hard to say anything anymore.
Whether it is too unrelated to books and writing.
Which attracts the wrong kind of attention. I don't want the attention of people who want to see this random gif posted, or this random picture.
I'm looking for people who are willing to put in the effort to read a long rant, the kind of people who want that.
Otherwise, what is the point?
I'm not on twitter to put tiny little posts. So, why ask for the people who want that?
I guess I'm in creative muck when it comes to this blog, and no reason to keep caring about it.
So, I guess this is just another post of...
I might delete this blog. I might just get rid of it.
Nostalgia
I've grown a bit nostalgic.
It's kind of like looking on old pictures and looking at old memories.
So looking back at first books of serieses...it's kind of like...wow...that happened...and things were so different back then.
My life was different when I wrote it.
The characters were different in that story.
Dorm Haze portrays characters so differently from how they are in book four of that series...looking back on it...
I feel so proud of how far my favorite little vampire has grown.
It brings a tear to my eye.
It's kind of like looking on old pictures and looking at old memories.
So looking back at first books of serieses...it's kind of like...wow...that happened...and things were so different back then.
My life was different when I wrote it.
The characters were different in that story.
Dorm Haze portrays characters so differently from how they are in book four of that series...looking back on it...
I feel so proud of how far my favorite little vampire has grown.
It brings a tear to my eye.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Glastica
Why? Why does this happen?
*face desk*
What's that?
It's like a face-palm...but I replaced my palm with the desk I'm writing this from.
It's what I do every time I come across something about Glastica.
Glastica is one of those early books I did while testing the waters of writing and publishing.
I did not even have eBook formatting down yet when I wrote and published it.
But once it hit eBook format (as a free format) it not only racked up high numbers of downloads (mostly due to it being free) but it racked up the most critiquing and likes on Amazon and Goodreads.
Why?
I DON'T KNOW!
This is what I'm asking myself!
Over! And over!
And sure I took pride in that work. I still do...kind of...it was one of my earlier works where I was working with a format I was unfamiliar with.
But if the writing style being broken was not bad enough (I was working with an unfamiliar format and did not do well as an editor back then)...
The characters were very befuddling, as their concepts became lost in a nonsense of pile ups in what was me trying to handle an alien/science fiction setting rather than a fantasy setting...also I did not write out what I had planned out and should have focused on that more when it was necessary.
Due to my poor editing as well (actually I can't say that, I was hardly anything of an editor at the time, and I had nobody else helping me in that regards) many scenes that were supposed to be removed, altered, or fixed were left as they were in the second or third drafts. Leading to some nonsense and mix ups.
In the end, after reading over the thing following some of the positive feedback I got over a year ago...I was left changing the fate of the sequel so that it explains and conpensates for the problems in the first book.
I mean, I fucked this book up so badly, I'm having problems writing the second book. And sequels don't come so difficult to me.
(Tale of Two Sisters aside, I am just juggling a balance of character concepts, emotions and logic in that story.)
So...why does this book get so much feedback?
And it's not all negative, which a majority of it is.
"An unpolished gem" was what one critic called it, referring to its problems overshadowing how good the story could have been. I refer to this one because this has to be the most intellectual and in depth feedback I have gotten on any book ever.
And there are plenty of low votes that refer to how bad this piece of work was.
Yet there are people who are outright loving it with an addition of 5 star ratings.
And I'm brought back to my same question.
Why? Why does this happen?
Do you have a thought about this strange occurence?
Friday, February 27, 2015
Reluctant Post
I have tried to keep up with writing, but blogging has not interested me as much anymore.
There is not much reason behind it.
Calculated views add up to nothing it seems. At least, that is presumed based on lack of responses between the blog and the important works I am doing.
Every popular post seems to be something unrelated to writing (something I wrote for fun) or something with a picture.
The concept of traffic goes beyond views and followers. It comes down to connection.
I can get better response from Facebook than this Blog so far. And I do.
I do not get as many views on my facebook page as I do here, I will admit to that.
However, there is a loss of connection here, when I spurt information and traffic adds up...
If I post the same thing on facebook, I get feedback, comments, posts from people who have thoughts of agreement/disagreement on the subject.
I have pondered other blog sites and many of them suck harder than the people recommending them would like to admit.
In short, I started out blogging because I could write something down for people to see. But I can do that anywhere.
Now my taste is in connections with people, and with no connections being made here I am hardly seeing a point.
I am hesitant to post because: what is the point?
Viewers?
What viewers?
I have looked at the data feedback, but it does not tell me that there is any necessary following.
Does not tell me whether you read through everything I had to say.
Does not tell me whether you connected, related to, or had some sort of disagreeance to what I said.
It does not give me the feedback that I know you can find on the internet.
You see, before I was living under the excuse of: it's the internet, you don't expect human connections.
But, in the past few months I have noticed that there is a certain connection you can make with people about your work and similar interests if you find the right outlet.
I'm mostly spouting nonsense right now. I guess I am reluctant to post because I just see no point in this blog I have built anymore. Building another one elsewhere would be more work than it is worth.
But, I will admit that I have been thinking about shutting down this blog. I have already shut down most of my other blogs.
I have decided to keep my tumblr blog. That will be where I post pictures.
Also...I'm busy working on the fourth book of Academia de Diversidad. So I'm quite out of energy for any extra projects.
There is not much reason behind it.
Calculated views add up to nothing it seems. At least, that is presumed based on lack of responses between the blog and the important works I am doing.
Every popular post seems to be something unrelated to writing (something I wrote for fun) or something with a picture.
The concept of traffic goes beyond views and followers. It comes down to connection.
I can get better response from Facebook than this Blog so far. And I do.
I do not get as many views on my facebook page as I do here, I will admit to that.
However, there is a loss of connection here, when I spurt information and traffic adds up...
If I post the same thing on facebook, I get feedback, comments, posts from people who have thoughts of agreement/disagreement on the subject.
I have pondered other blog sites and many of them suck harder than the people recommending them would like to admit.
In short, I started out blogging because I could write something down for people to see. But I can do that anywhere.
Now my taste is in connections with people, and with no connections being made here I am hardly seeing a point.
I am hesitant to post because: what is the point?
Viewers?
What viewers?
I have looked at the data feedback, but it does not tell me that there is any necessary following.
Does not tell me whether you read through everything I had to say.
Does not tell me whether you connected, related to, or had some sort of disagreeance to what I said.
It does not give me the feedback that I know you can find on the internet.
You see, before I was living under the excuse of: it's the internet, you don't expect human connections.
But, in the past few months I have noticed that there is a certain connection you can make with people about your work and similar interests if you find the right outlet.
I'm mostly spouting nonsense right now. I guess I am reluctant to post because I just see no point in this blog I have built anymore. Building another one elsewhere would be more work than it is worth.
But, I will admit that I have been thinking about shutting down this blog. I have already shut down most of my other blogs.
I have decided to keep my tumblr blog. That will be where I post pictures.
Also...I'm busy working on the fourth book of Academia de Diversidad. So I'm quite out of energy for any extra projects.
Monday, January 5, 2015
This Year, They Knock Harder
It's hard to look back over the years.
It's been such a long journey for me.
Writing is something I've had to learn to be better at.
And as I look at my writing from early on...as early as 2010...I find myself pleased with my current skills.
I'm not satisfied enough to stop learning. There's always something new to learn.
And I learn from everything!
But really...
I look back over the years and see great accomplishments.
So many goals I've met...
So many novels I've already written.
Nowhere near my goal of 100 though. lol
This year's goal for published books is going to be a minimum of 10 by the way...hope you don't mind I like writing too much.
I'm trying to not let it get in the way of my studying though.
Because, through it all, it's been a hobby. A professional hobby, but a hobby nonetheless.
But, nothing is going to stop me.
Not real life problems.
Not imaginary problems.
Not even studies. Which I should probably get back to here in a moment.
I'm excited for this future I'm building. But, it's going to be very difficult.
My dream is to become a novelist.
Though I'm still going to work with language and culture as my day job.
And it's going to be a terribly rough time.
Don't worry though.
I am thankful to those who have been sending me sweet messages!
The wonderful fan letters and messages about my works and how you enjoyed them!
I'm so glad! And these messages make me happy!
But, no matter what, there will still be a character knocking at the door of my mind, waiting to have their story written on paper...
It's been such a long journey for me.
Writing is something I've had to learn to be better at.
And as I look at my writing from early on...as early as 2010...I find myself pleased with my current skills.
I'm not satisfied enough to stop learning. There's always something new to learn.
And I learn from everything!
But really...
I look back over the years and see great accomplishments.
So many goals I've met...
So many novels I've already written.
Nowhere near my goal of 100 though. lol
This year's goal for published books is going to be a minimum of 10 by the way...hope you don't mind I like writing too much.
I'm trying to not let it get in the way of my studying though.
Because, through it all, it's been a hobby. A professional hobby, but a hobby nonetheless.
But, nothing is going to stop me.
Not real life problems.
Not imaginary problems.
Not even studies. Which I should probably get back to here in a moment.
I'm excited for this future I'm building. But, it's going to be very difficult.
My dream is to become a novelist.
Though I'm still going to work with language and culture as my day job.
And it's going to be a terribly rough time.
Don't worry though.
I am thankful to those who have been sending me sweet messages!
The wonderful fan letters and messages about my works and how you enjoyed them!
I'm so glad! And these messages make me happy!
But, no matter what, there will still be a character knocking at the door of my mind, waiting to have their story written on paper...
Sunday, January 4, 2015
My Favorite 90's Shows (Rehashed)
How many 90's kids are there on the internet?
I can't imagine.
You know what else I can't imagine?
How many amazing old and outdated animated shows are out there...
You know, those ones you love to see when they were on, even if it was a rerun?
They ones that aren't played anymore?
So, I'm going to name my top 10 favs.
First, I'd like to name why these are my favs...and why today's newer series don't stand a chance against them.
It is so hard to find shows with good plots these days. Most of them cannot clear the first twenty seconds without giving away the entirety of their plots.
The good ol' shows used to keep you on your toes because sometimes things did not work out the way you thought it would.
The characters are also dynamic, even if it is the mean girl or the idiot. Even characters who are merely mentioned.
Also...side characters, friend characters and the like are all likable because they are dynamic in their situation. They are not just the "funny man," the "smart one," the "idiot," or the "foil" to the protagonist (there are plenty of others).
Well, I won't make a particular order, but here are my top favorite ten series!
#1 - Kim Possible
This is the kind of show girls from the nineties grew up with!
The general idea of this teenage hero is a teenage girl who saves the day, no superpowers just good ol' fashion girl power!
This series goes beyond the superhero scheme and delves into a mix of teen drama and family drama.
This series goes even farther!
You've got multidimensional characters!
Complex plots! And developing characters!
I think my favorite thing about this series is that as it progressed, so did the characters. Nobody stayed in highschool for unending years. They eventually reached graduation.
Even the characters changed! I remember seeing differences in stuff like Ron Stoppable's effectiveness as a side character.
I'll talk more about that show another time because I wanna move on to the next!
#2 - American Dragon, Jake Long
If you ever watched it, you may have seen one version or the other as far as the art.
If you watched the whole series like me, following it, the switch did not make sense. Rather it was unnecessary, out of place and worsened the aesthetic quality. Jake went from looking like a badass in dragon form to looking like a lanky dork in dragon form.
I'm going into too much depth though.
It's funny, entertaining, has strong and three dimensional characters both supporting and protagonist.
I have heard a few complaints on its lacking in some areas, but cest la vie (sp?).
This show was funny, active and kept me entertained through high school.
I look back on it with sadness though, I gotta say that with the fantastical development, it had a lot of potential and missed opportunities. Maybe that is where the complaints are coming from.
But...moving on...
#3 - Danny Phantom
This show is one of those dynamic few that was loved by many and shamed by the ones who loved it most.
Allow me to explain...
This dynamic story with its ghostly and fantastical makeup, not unlike American Dragon Jake Long, made it so cool to watch and it held a whole slew of potential. It served up some great ones!
The ones who loved it most are the ones who booed it in the end, as the series constantly flirted with this idea of Sam and Danny belonging together, nobody outside of the small circle knowing about Danny's powers and in the last movie that ended it all, everything is resolved and we are ended with a kiss between the two and an anti-climactic reveal.
Here's the beef: Danny grows throughout this series, and we get to see that...
So, my sadness aside...moving on!
#4 - The Fairly Odd Parents
I know this show is still on...it's not considered outdated yet.
Hear me out!
This show, like many others, has changed over the years. The show I am referring to is the most original.
Maybe like the first two or three seasons.
Back when the slap stick comedy was timed well and appropriate, not just jumbled into the whole act.
Ever watched the pilot episodes and the first seasons?
I notice the change right around the time Cosmo's voice changed.
What's up with that?
Was there a change from one cast member to Daren Norris? Or did he just change the pitch in which he voices Cosmo?
It is not new for voice actors to sound different than when they first started, but the change dramatically noted the change in how Cosmo was viewed.
I won't go any farther into it...I've already delved too deep. I'll go into it later.
#5 - Yuyuhakusho
How many others watched the English dub?
It was good enough for me!
Hiei was my favorite character, hands...
Wait...but...
Kurama...
I'm unable to choose which demon...I fucking LOVE THIS SHOW!
This epic anime of epicness was fantastic! Even through plot points that were predictable, it was the inspiring and wonderful journey! Though...the demon arc was not my favorite, it was still entertaining!
If you haven't watched it yet...go to eyeonanime.com and look it up. It's there. It's epic...
It will blow you away!
Back in the 90's this show was: FUCK YEA!
It still is...
Ahh yes...I'm fangirling right now...
I'll clean up the nosebleed in just a moment and continue on with the next one...
...
...
...
...
That took quite a bit of cleanup...
Where was I?
Oh yes...this tv classic was a fun adventure that confused me due to its conflict with actual Greek Mythology (studied that in junior high & high school years) and the conflict with the movie.
But it was still lovable.
But that's not the real series I wanted to introduce...the only episode I really liked of Hercules was this dynamic twist:
Recognize the guy with the black hair?
I'll give you a hint, he grew up on the streets of Agrabah and fell in love with the princess, and used the powers of a genie to get the girl.
(btw fuck Hercules show anyways)
So here's my next one!
#6 - Aladdin
Hercules was okay...but Aladdin had the premise of two movies. One great and one meh.
Of all the fantastical shows out there, I think this one delivered!
From interesting concepts to its amazing premise, it takes on the magic that comes with having a genie around and challenges Aladdin's place as a hero (the diamond in the rough in case you all forgot) following the second movie: Aladdin and the Return of Jafar.
Am I leaving something out?
Yea lot...but I won't go into details...it's got a lot of great stuff that I'll talk about another time.
In case you haven't seen the theme in my most favs yet...
#7 - The Little Mermaid
Did you not see it coming?
Hah!
Okay I'm not going to spoil anything I'll be giving away in an in depth review...
I guess there's not much to share here. It was a very bright and colorful show...
Only down slides were that it fell into the girly princess ideals to a point and forgot that its viewers watched the movie...so yea...confliction with the original movie.
Also...
Can you not love this face?
#8 - Recess
Can't have a favorites animated section without this wonderful cast!
Sorry, I'll move on. I've been dabbling in guilty pleasures it seems...
Recess told the stories of school from a fantastical perspective of things being the way the imagination plays them out to be.
From the playground king ideal to the evil yard duty...
This show was awesome to relate to as a kid!
It also had some great use of surprises.
While much of the plots are (on base level) predictable, the outcome is usually not fully expected. I won't spoil any episodes, but there are so many examples I can use.
Even predicable ones are the ones we enjoy because while we know what is going to happen, we don't know how this group of people are going to handle it!
Take Spinelli's reveal of her first name! Ever see that one coming?
Look it up.
#9 - Teen Titans
To this day I still watch reruns.
While not my typical fav in genres, this show does not only kick ass, but it also develops characters through conflict throughout the entirety of every episode.
As a superhero show, it is also more serious than shows like Recess and The Fairly Odd Parents, in that it brings the feels.
Even Danny Phantom did not have the level of feels in it as this series.
It...might not be Yuyuhakusho level...of anything...but it brought the feels for the younger audience!
And unlike Danny Phantom, the teasing of this relationship between Robin and Starfire was teased at gently, slowly developed, and the kiss at the end was a relief and not something forced with this great big release of everything that was held back before. It was great character development and a change in the story to end the old story.
Don't believe me? Watch that movie where they go to Tokyo.
So...now I must close this all off with one last series...hmm...
#10 - Invader Zim
Who is more deserving?
This popular series is pretty radical in its form of aesthetics.
The insanity that goes into it reflects upon a future industrialized world where we are pretty much blinded by corporate greed and advertising to the point of a green alien who is prolly decades old...being able to hide amongst human children...because he's short.
Who doesn't like GIR? The waffle loving robot is everybody's favorite.
But...fandom...why you get out of hand? Huh?
WHY?
I won't go into how wrong some of the fanart is. While some of it is cute...but...yea...
Please stop...
Now...
It's too painful.
I have to admit though...
Manga Invader Zim looks pretty fucking awesome!
Hope you enjoyed this reminder of the good ol' shows! Stay afraid of Dib's sister and make sure not to get between GIR and tacos.
*Note: Apparently some of the pictures I put on the original post to convey the appeal of the shows have problems or are being showed as something else because the original host doesn't want it showed or something unless you go to their sight.
*long deep breath*
So if you want to see more about these shows, look up the pictures yourself. I'm not here to send traffic to somebody else.
I can't imagine.
You know what else I can't imagine?
How many amazing old and outdated animated shows are out there...
You know, those ones you love to see when they were on, even if it was a rerun?
They ones that aren't played anymore?
So, I'm going to name my top 10 favs.
First, I'd like to name why these are my favs...and why today's newer series don't stand a chance against them.
- Dynamic plots
- Dynamic characters
- Varying characteristics
- Dynamic plot endings that twist the viewer's expectations to be completely unsure of the possible outcome (you're not entirely sure of what to expect)
- They challenged ideals and values in the past, 90's and in our current present
- They had subtle occurrences of themes that are banned from today's shows due to shallow parents wanting to "protect" their children
- These aren't necessarily "90's" shows. These are the shows that 90's kids enjoyed growing up.
It is so hard to find shows with good plots these days. Most of them cannot clear the first twenty seconds without giving away the entirety of their plots.
The good ol' shows used to keep you on your toes because sometimes things did not work out the way you thought it would.
The characters are also dynamic, even if it is the mean girl or the idiot. Even characters who are merely mentioned.
Also...side characters, friend characters and the like are all likable because they are dynamic in their situation. They are not just the "funny man," the "smart one," the "idiot," or the "foil" to the protagonist (there are plenty of others).
Well, I won't make a particular order, but here are my top favorite ten series!
#1 - Kim Possible
This is the kind of show girls from the nineties grew up with!
The general idea of this teenage hero is a teenage girl who saves the day, no superpowers just good ol' fashion girl power!
This series goes beyond the superhero scheme and delves into a mix of teen drama and family drama.
This series goes even farther!
You've got multidimensional characters!
Complex plots! And developing characters!
I think my favorite thing about this series is that as it progressed, so did the characters. Nobody stayed in highschool for unending years. They eventually reached graduation.
Even the characters changed! I remember seeing differences in stuff like Ron Stoppable's effectiveness as a side character.
I'll talk more about that show another time because I wanna move on to the next!
#2 - American Dragon, Jake Long
If you ever watched it, you may have seen one version or the other as far as the art.
If you watched the whole series like me, following it, the switch did not make sense. Rather it was unnecessary, out of place and worsened the aesthetic quality. Jake went from looking like a badass in dragon form to looking like a lanky dork in dragon form.
I'm going into too much depth though.
It's funny, entertaining, has strong and three dimensional characters both supporting and protagonist.
I have heard a few complaints on its lacking in some areas, but cest la vie (sp?).
This show was funny, active and kept me entertained through high school.
I look back on it with sadness though, I gotta say that with the fantastical development, it had a lot of potential and missed opportunities. Maybe that is where the complaints are coming from.
But...moving on...
#3 - Danny Phantom
This show is one of those dynamic few that was loved by many and shamed by the ones who loved it most.
Allow me to explain...
This dynamic story with its ghostly and fantastical makeup, not unlike American Dragon Jake Long, made it so cool to watch and it held a whole slew of potential. It served up some great ones!
The ones who loved it most are the ones who booed it in the end, as the series constantly flirted with this idea of Sam and Danny belonging together, nobody outside of the small circle knowing about Danny's powers and in the last movie that ended it all, everything is resolved and we are ended with a kiss between the two and an anti-climactic reveal.
Here's the beef: Danny grows throughout this series, and we get to see that...
But nobody else does. None of the villains. None of the ghosts. None of the supporting characters. None of them alters or changes their ways based on growth. Not even in the slightest!
So, my sadness aside...moving on!
#4 - The Fairly Odd Parents
I know this show is still on...it's not considered outdated yet.
Hear me out!
This show, like many others, has changed over the years. The show I am referring to is the most original.
Maybe like the first two or three seasons.
Back when the slap stick comedy was timed well and appropriate, not just jumbled into the whole act.
Ever watched the pilot episodes and the first seasons?
I notice the change right around the time Cosmo's voice changed.
What's up with that?
Was there a change from one cast member to Daren Norris? Or did he just change the pitch in which he voices Cosmo?
It is not new for voice actors to sound different than when they first started, but the change dramatically noted the change in how Cosmo was viewed.
I won't go any farther into it...I've already delved too deep. I'll go into it later.
#5 - Yuyuhakusho
How many others watched the English dub?
It was good enough for me!
Hiei was my favorite character, hands...
Wait...but...
Kurama...
I'm unable to choose which demon...I fucking LOVE THIS SHOW!
This epic anime of epicness was fantastic! Even through plot points that were predictable, it was the inspiring and wonderful journey! Though...the demon arc was not my favorite, it was still entertaining!
If you haven't watched it yet...go to eyeonanime.com and look it up. It's there. It's epic...
It will blow you away!
Back in the 90's this show was: FUCK YEA!
It still is...
Ahh yes...I'm fangirling right now...
I'll clean up the nosebleed in just a moment and continue on with the next one...
...
...
...
...
That took quite a bit of cleanup...
Where was I?
Oh yes...this tv classic was a fun adventure that confused me due to its conflict with actual Greek Mythology (studied that in junior high & high school years) and the conflict with the movie.
But it was still lovable.
But that's not the real series I wanted to introduce...the only episode I really liked of Hercules was this dynamic twist:
Recognize the guy with the black hair?
I'll give you a hint, he grew up on the streets of Agrabah and fell in love with the princess, and used the powers of a genie to get the girl.
(btw fuck Hercules show anyways)
So here's my next one!
#6 - Aladdin
Hercules was okay...but Aladdin had the premise of two movies. One great and one meh.
Of all the fantastical shows out there, I think this one delivered!
From interesting concepts to its amazing premise, it takes on the magic that comes with having a genie around and challenges Aladdin's place as a hero (the diamond in the rough in case you all forgot) following the second movie: Aladdin and the Return of Jafar.
Am I leaving something out?
Yea lot...but I won't go into details...it's got a lot of great stuff that I'll talk about another time.
In case you haven't seen the theme in my most favs yet...
#7 - The Little Mermaid
Did you not see it coming?
Hah!
Okay I'm not going to spoil anything I'll be giving away in an in depth review...
I guess there's not much to share here. It was a very bright and colorful show...
Only down slides were that it fell into the girly princess ideals to a point and forgot that its viewers watched the movie...so yea...confliction with the original movie.
Also...
Can you not love this face?
#8 - Recess
Can't have a favorites animated section without this wonderful cast!
Sorry, I'll move on. I've been dabbling in guilty pleasures it seems...
Recess told the stories of school from a fantastical perspective of things being the way the imagination plays them out to be.
From the playground king ideal to the evil yard duty...
This show was awesome to relate to as a kid!
It also had some great use of surprises.
While much of the plots are (on base level) predictable, the outcome is usually not fully expected. I won't spoil any episodes, but there are so many examples I can use.
Even predicable ones are the ones we enjoy because while we know what is going to happen, we don't know how this group of people are going to handle it!
Take Spinelli's reveal of her first name! Ever see that one coming?
Look it up.
#9 - Teen Titans
To this day I still watch reruns.
While not my typical fav in genres, this show does not only kick ass, but it also develops characters through conflict throughout the entirety of every episode.
As a superhero show, it is also more serious than shows like Recess and The Fairly Odd Parents, in that it brings the feels.
Even Danny Phantom did not have the level of feels in it as this series.
It...might not be Yuyuhakusho level...of anything...but it brought the feels for the younger audience!
And unlike Danny Phantom, the teasing of this relationship between Robin and Starfire was teased at gently, slowly developed, and the kiss at the end was a relief and not something forced with this great big release of everything that was held back before. It was great character development and a change in the story to end the old story.
Don't believe me? Watch that movie where they go to Tokyo.
So...now I must close this all off with one last series...hmm...
#10 - Invader Zim
Who is more deserving?
This popular series is pretty radical in its form of aesthetics.
The insanity that goes into it reflects upon a future industrialized world where we are pretty much blinded by corporate greed and advertising to the point of a green alien who is prolly decades old...being able to hide amongst human children...because he's short.
Who doesn't like GIR? The waffle loving robot is everybody's favorite.
But...fandom...why you get out of hand? Huh?
WHY?
I won't go into how wrong some of the fanart is. While some of it is cute...but...yea...
Please stop...
Now...
It's too painful.
I have to admit though...
Manga Invader Zim looks pretty fucking awesome!
Hope you enjoyed this reminder of the good ol' shows! Stay afraid of Dib's sister and make sure not to get between GIR and tacos.
*Note: Apparently some of the pictures I put on the original post to convey the appeal of the shows have problems or are being showed as something else because the original host doesn't want it showed or something unless you go to their sight.
*long deep breath*
So if you want to see more about these shows, look up the pictures yourself. I'm not here to send traffic to somebody else.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Fan Appreciation
I've gotta write a thank you.
A big bubbly happy hearted thank you.
This year has been an amazing event for my writing career. I feel like everything has been boosted.
What was an addiction (let's pretend it's a hobby cause that's what people in my real life think it is) has become an actual career.
No I won't be quitting college and my aspirations towards a career path with language and culture.
Writing doesn't pay enough for that. LOL
But, I do feel I owe to you all a little extra dedication this coming up year.
Through the last few months of this year, I've gotten sweet messages telling me about a book somebody enjoyed. I have gotten messages about how I've gained a new fan.
I'm so overjoyed I can't think straight about it.
I remember when I first decided to actually publish my books...I was a TA for the librarian sorting and resorting all the books every single day...and I was staring at a book shelf. This entire shelf had only one author's books. He had written so many stories that the shelf was practically dedicated to him.
I told myself, I want that for myself. I won't even care who sees. But if I can build myself a bookshelf in my very own home and fill it with the books that I have written, I will feel like I've accomplished the equivalent of setting foot on the moon. That's how I'll feel.
I set myself onto that path of dedicating every story to my own vision. The end goal of my writing career was to fill at least one shelf in my very own library with books I have written.
While I don't yet have a home with a library to fill with books...I'm already halfway towards that feeling of accomplishment.
I didn't expect it so soon.
And I didn't even accomplish it myself.
Granted, I've done a lot of work to get this far. 15 novels is nothing to sneeze at. And it took a lot of writing, editing, formatting, with trial and error to get this far.
But suddenly, this New Years, I feel so accomplish I feel like I already filled an entire library with accomplishments.
Meh. Maybe it's my human desire for attention. We all have one.
But, getting these fan letters. These messages of enjoyment over my books. The stories I wrote aren't just going on shelves, they are being read and enjoyed by bibliophobes like myself!
It fills with this overwhelming sensation of accomplishment!
But, when you're accomplished what do you do? What do you do when you meet some goal?
Duh!
Make a bigger one!
Like my NaNoWriMo goal, I'll just keep setting the bar higher every year! This next year I hope to have more books finished and published!
My New Years resolution for 2015 is to publish a minimum of 10 books.
[Omitting Sewing Broken Hearts from that list, as the book itself is already finished.]
Think it can't be done?
Pah! Who do you think you're talking to?
Oh wait...
We're not talking...
You're reading a blog and I'm just writing...
I always get this weird sensation I'm talking to people when I write these blogs. Like a one way conversation.
Well...since there are a few more days to go before I start super charging my keyboard with all the words to finish and publish...why don't you send me a request?
Go ahead and comment or send me a message or something.
I've got a lot of books sitting on the backburners but sometimes I lose focus.
I know I'll finish Sophistication (Academia de Diversidad #3)
Andrew Gray and I will be finishing Necros' Rise (Necromancer Saga #1)
But I have these other books to choose from:
Jahinaki's Secrets (Legends) [Destined Hearts Universe]
Secrets of the Dark (Legends) [Destined Hearts Universe]
Tale of Two Sisters (Half Blood Origins #2) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
A Boy Named Cy (Cybertron X Corporations #1) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
Blood (Chi Elements #1) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
Demolishing Democracy (Armageddon #1) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
Loose Dagger (Demigods and Angels #2)
I Am Woman (1940's Feminist Historical Fiction)
Ed (Civil War Era Historical Fiction)
True Shadows (Medieval Fantasy)
Entranced (Modern Witch Fantasy)
Red Shadows (Super Hero Fantasy)
Dream Trap (Dream Scape Fantasy)
Agent Chrome, Killer's Revenge (Action Fiction)
So yea...lots to write...it's just a matter of what to do first.
A big bubbly happy hearted thank you.
This year has been an amazing event for my writing career. I feel like everything has been boosted.
What was an addiction (let's pretend it's a hobby cause that's what people in my real life think it is) has become an actual career.
No I won't be quitting college and my aspirations towards a career path with language and culture.
Writing doesn't pay enough for that. LOL
But, I do feel I owe to you all a little extra dedication this coming up year.
Through the last few months of this year, I've gotten sweet messages telling me about a book somebody enjoyed. I have gotten messages about how I've gained a new fan.
I'm so overjoyed I can't think straight about it.
I remember when I first decided to actually publish my books...I was a TA for the librarian sorting and resorting all the books every single day...and I was staring at a book shelf. This entire shelf had only one author's books. He had written so many stories that the shelf was practically dedicated to him.
I told myself, I want that for myself. I won't even care who sees. But if I can build myself a bookshelf in my very own home and fill it with the books that I have written, I will feel like I've accomplished the equivalent of setting foot on the moon. That's how I'll feel.
I set myself onto that path of dedicating every story to my own vision. The end goal of my writing career was to fill at least one shelf in my very own library with books I have written.
While I don't yet have a home with a library to fill with books...I'm already halfway towards that feeling of accomplishment.
I didn't expect it so soon.
And I didn't even accomplish it myself.
Granted, I've done a lot of work to get this far. 15 novels is nothing to sneeze at. And it took a lot of writing, editing, formatting, with trial and error to get this far.
But suddenly, this New Years, I feel so accomplish I feel like I already filled an entire library with accomplishments.
Meh. Maybe it's my human desire for attention. We all have one.
But, getting these fan letters. These messages of enjoyment over my books. The stories I wrote aren't just going on shelves, they are being read and enjoyed by bibliophobes like myself!
It fills with this overwhelming sensation of accomplishment!
But, when you're accomplished what do you do? What do you do when you meet some goal?
Duh!
Make a bigger one!
Like my NaNoWriMo goal, I'll just keep setting the bar higher every year! This next year I hope to have more books finished and published!
My New Years resolution for 2015 is to publish a minimum of 10 books.
[Omitting Sewing Broken Hearts from that list, as the book itself is already finished.]
Think it can't be done?
Pah! Who do you think you're talking to?
Oh wait...
We're not talking...
You're reading a blog and I'm just writing...
I always get this weird sensation I'm talking to people when I write these blogs. Like a one way conversation.
Well...since there are a few more days to go before I start super charging my keyboard with all the words to finish and publish...why don't you send me a request?
Go ahead and comment or send me a message or something.
I've got a lot of books sitting on the backburners but sometimes I lose focus.
I know I'll finish Sophistication (Academia de Diversidad #3)
Andrew Gray and I will be finishing Necros' Rise (Necromancer Saga #1)
But I have these other books to choose from:
Jahinaki's Secrets (Legends) [Destined Hearts Universe]
Secrets of the Dark (Legends) [Destined Hearts Universe]
Tale of Two Sisters (Half Blood Origins #2) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
A Boy Named Cy (Cybertron X Corporations #1) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
Blood (Chi Elements #1) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
Demolishing Democracy (Armageddon #1) [Caliri du Aspiratorg Universe]
Loose Dagger (Demigods and Angels #2)
I Am Woman (1940's Feminist Historical Fiction)
Ed (Civil War Era Historical Fiction)
True Shadows (Medieval Fantasy)
Entranced (Modern Witch Fantasy)
Red Shadows (Super Hero Fantasy)
Dream Trap (Dream Scape Fantasy)
Agent Chrome, Killer's Revenge (Action Fiction)
So yea...lots to write...it's just a matter of what to do first.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Self-Publishing and Freedom of Expression
Well this rant may be random and not applicable to any of you readers...
But I wanted to make something clear, because that doesn't seem to be too clear to at least one or two commenters. One I know of on facebook and one unknown floating around.
Anyways, there are some things that need to be made clear.
I consider myself lucky to have fallen into self-publishing.
With all the crap self-publishers get...that's a bit difficult to say.
But I really am glad.
You see, I get to do things that authors can't do when they have the big companies...and even some other self-published companies.
I get to deal with EVERYTHING.
I've made that sound like a tedious and tiring task in the past, but not this time.
For you see, as the publisher, editor, writer, advertiser, designer, etc, etc...
I have the power!
I control everything!
You don't see anybody telling me what to put in my books!
You don't see an editor telling me what is going to far in a story!
You don't see advertisers targeting an audience it might not even be intended for in the first place, possibly making my novels feel downgraded to something they weren't supposed to be...
Sure I don't have access to artists who can make a masterpiece of a cover for me...but I do just fine on my own.
I have all of the control of the books. For the most part.
Before anybody asks, no I can't lower most prices.
Every book has a base price based on the size of the book and the type. This goes without saying as it actually costs to print a book.
So, there are a few things that are a bit difficult to tweak in that regard.
But otherwise, I have free reign with my writing career.
I don't have any corporate deadlines to meet.
Nobody telling me I can't have my book published three months early because of advertising or some shit like that.
While there are so many perks to be had with the big companies, the big companies are in a war with other companies, and when it comes down to it they want money.
Lulu wants money, but by giving free reign to the authors, they can make a price that suits them...allows them to make some money for every copy bought...so they get a cut just like any publishing company...
But I still own the copyright.
Also...if you come off of goodreads reading this and notice some of my books being changed to "Published by Lulu" don't listen to that.
I facepalm every time I see this. Cause I enter the information, and a librarian comes along thinking they know better.
Lulu specifically gives authors the ability to make for themselves an alternate "publisher" and I make mine as published by "McGlothlin-Clason Publishing" so yea.
Take that know-it-alls.
It shouldn't bother me so much, but they obviously don't know how Lulu works.
Because Lulu acknowledges that there is a lot of work a person puts into books, even when they purchase services, that end up on their site.
Anyways...where was I?
I keep doing this where I go off on a tangent and lose my train of thought.
Oh yea...I have the power!
It's great!
I can do whatever I please with my stories, and I don't give a phluck if somebody thinks I'm doing it wrong.
So far, all I have to worry about is if the beguiled monsters trolling Amazon and Goodreads decide to target me as they have done to many other authors.
I'm not so vulnerable I think.
If you've read my work...my more recent work...then you may have the inkling that I don't really care about image.
That's another thing about being a self-published author.
While I am attempting to build my reputation as respectful and decent, I'm not about to sell myself as some brilliant mastermind of poetic pieces or some shit like that.
You've all read the cusses in my blogs.
You may or may not have read the crazed stuff placed into my books.
Nothing is quite below me...yet...
Well of course it has a reason to be in the book...I'm not going to put crazed stuff in my books for the sake of it being there...that would be stupid.
I was going to say silly, but I like silly. Stupid sounds better there because it really would be stupid.
Everything that might scare away the younger and more innocent viewer is there for a reason.
So I'm just waiting for somebody to read that.
One of those weird little trolls [pretending like they themselves aren't also an author] to come by the work...become appalled by it...and spit something about it that is nonsense.
I say let them.
If you're going to be convinced by one reviewer, then you clearly haven't found your own taste yet.
If you like my books you like them.
If you don't, it wasn't meant for you.
That's another thing, while it's hard to build an audience, it's easier to get my own point across without people targeting an audience that might end up hating it.
That can happen. The wrong audience being targeted.
And then what? They just say it's a bad book without realizing that it was misplaced in the wrong sections of the library...
Never to be discovered by the readers who would truly enjoy it.
I digress.
This all kind of leads me to a link that was posted to one of my facebook posts.
I was only wanting to know about novel length and opinions on that, but I mentioned prices due to publishing and the person sent me the first publisher link he found.
I facepalmed so hard.
It's a children's and youth publisher.
Facepalming soooooo hard right now.
Soooo hard...
I've already mentioned in this post that I have no interest in being published with a big company...
I certainly don't have any interest to make any of my work "kid friendly" or to target it to a specific audience.
Frankly I don't care who reads my works. I'd just like them to be appreciated.
From my perspective, the youths (I mean teens) shouldn't be so limited as pushing them towards the bigger books makes them expand upon what they are reading and how they are thinking.
But I digress...again...
My works aren't for everybody in general.
My works are definitely not "kid friendly" nor are they for the faint of heart.
Aside from my first two books...everything I've written since...I think it was 2012...has been too much for the youths to handle.
That's not to say my works are "sooo hardcore" or something like that. It just happens to contain some scenes and messages that are a bit heavy with adult themes and imagery.
I don't think the average teenager will comprehend the ideas of manic depression, rape and overcoming mental situations...not to the extent that adults will find in some of my books.
And that's not to undermine teenagers...this is why I dislike the idea of YA books...because the teenagers go there and then there are so few among the ones who read adult stuff.
But, what would my target audience be then?
If my books stayed this way and a company advertised it...they would form a genre around it.
I'm not fond of that idea.
I'd like to use Academia de Diversidad as an example.
Where it currently stands, I think it could almost be considered a series of YA novels with some graphic language and a couple of adult themed scenes.
But it would become so completely lost in that genre, because it's not what the series is intended for.
The first novels might be started like that, but that is not my intention.
And that's the fun part of all of this.
It's reflected even in my first series...
The most innocent book I ever wrote was A Dragon's Curse...written by teenage version of myself in high school and kept to a certain level of decency due to a lack of knowledge on who would be reading it in my classroom.
By the fifth book of the series, I had put the character through so much torture, pain and mental confusion that I had some readers upset that he didn't die in the end.
Go ahead and leave a comment if you think I'm blowing out my ass.
I don't really think the authors published by big companies have no control. I just feel more in control this way.
Every aspect of my book is decided by me.
Aside from coauthored works, those decisions are mutual between myself and my coauthor.
Don't send me companies to try to send a copy of my manuscript to.
Most companies don't even accept manuscripts unless you have an agent.
I'm talking only about the ones who apply to such a fantasy genre that would encompass my books.
But I wanted to make something clear, because that doesn't seem to be too clear to at least one or two commenters. One I know of on facebook and one unknown floating around.
Anyways, there are some things that need to be made clear.
I consider myself lucky to have fallen into self-publishing.
With all the crap self-publishers get...that's a bit difficult to say.
But I really am glad.
You see, I get to do things that authors can't do when they have the big companies...and even some other self-published companies.
I get to deal with EVERYTHING.
I've made that sound like a tedious and tiring task in the past, but not this time.
For you see, as the publisher, editor, writer, advertiser, designer, etc, etc...
I have the power!
I control everything!
You don't see anybody telling me what to put in my books!
You don't see an editor telling me what is going to far in a story!
You don't see advertisers targeting an audience it might not even be intended for in the first place, possibly making my novels feel downgraded to something they weren't supposed to be...
Sure I don't have access to artists who can make a masterpiece of a cover for me...but I do just fine on my own.
I have all of the control of the books. For the most part.
Before anybody asks, no I can't lower most prices.
Every book has a base price based on the size of the book and the type. This goes without saying as it actually costs to print a book.
So, there are a few things that are a bit difficult to tweak in that regard.
But otherwise, I have free reign with my writing career.
I don't have any corporate deadlines to meet.
Nobody telling me I can't have my book published three months early because of advertising or some shit like that.
While there are so many perks to be had with the big companies, the big companies are in a war with other companies, and when it comes down to it they want money.
Lulu wants money, but by giving free reign to the authors, they can make a price that suits them...allows them to make some money for every copy bought...so they get a cut just like any publishing company...
But I still own the copyright.
Also...if you come off of goodreads reading this and notice some of my books being changed to "Published by Lulu" don't listen to that.
I facepalm every time I see this. Cause I enter the information, and a librarian comes along thinking they know better.
Lulu specifically gives authors the ability to make for themselves an alternate "publisher" and I make mine as published by "McGlothlin-Clason Publishing" so yea.
Take that know-it-alls.
It shouldn't bother me so much, but they obviously don't know how Lulu works.
Because Lulu acknowledges that there is a lot of work a person puts into books, even when they purchase services, that end up on their site.
Anyways...where was I?
I keep doing this where I go off on a tangent and lose my train of thought.
Oh yea...I have the power!
It's great!
I can do whatever I please with my stories, and I don't give a phluck if somebody thinks I'm doing it wrong.
So far, all I have to worry about is if the beguiled monsters trolling Amazon and Goodreads decide to target me as they have done to many other authors.
I'm not so vulnerable I think.
If you've read my work...my more recent work...then you may have the inkling that I don't really care about image.
That's another thing about being a self-published author.
While I am attempting to build my reputation as respectful and decent, I'm not about to sell myself as some brilliant mastermind of poetic pieces or some shit like that.
You've all read the cusses in my blogs.
You may or may not have read the crazed stuff placed into my books.
Nothing is quite below me...yet...
Well of course it has a reason to be in the book...I'm not going to put crazed stuff in my books for the sake of it being there...that would be stupid.
I was going to say silly, but I like silly. Stupid sounds better there because it really would be stupid.
Everything that might scare away the younger and more innocent viewer is there for a reason.
So I'm just waiting for somebody to read that.
One of those weird little trolls [pretending like they themselves aren't also an author] to come by the work...become appalled by it...and spit something about it that is nonsense.
I say let them.
If you're going to be convinced by one reviewer, then you clearly haven't found your own taste yet.
If you like my books you like them.
If you don't, it wasn't meant for you.
That's another thing, while it's hard to build an audience, it's easier to get my own point across without people targeting an audience that might end up hating it.
That can happen. The wrong audience being targeted.
And then what? They just say it's a bad book without realizing that it was misplaced in the wrong sections of the library...
Never to be discovered by the readers who would truly enjoy it.
I digress.
This all kind of leads me to a link that was posted to one of my facebook posts.
I was only wanting to know about novel length and opinions on that, but I mentioned prices due to publishing and the person sent me the first publisher link he found.
I facepalmed so hard.
It's a children's and youth publisher.
Facepalming soooooo hard right now.
Soooo hard...
I've already mentioned in this post that I have no interest in being published with a big company...
I certainly don't have any interest to make any of my work "kid friendly" or to target it to a specific audience.
Frankly I don't care who reads my works. I'd just like them to be appreciated.
From my perspective, the youths (I mean teens) shouldn't be so limited as pushing them towards the bigger books makes them expand upon what they are reading and how they are thinking.
But I digress...again...
My works aren't for everybody in general.
My works are definitely not "kid friendly" nor are they for the faint of heart.
Aside from my first two books...everything I've written since...I think it was 2012...has been too much for the youths to handle.
That's not to say my works are "sooo hardcore" or something like that. It just happens to contain some scenes and messages that are a bit heavy with adult themes and imagery.
I don't think the average teenager will comprehend the ideas of manic depression, rape and overcoming mental situations...not to the extent that adults will find in some of my books.
And that's not to undermine teenagers...this is why I dislike the idea of YA books...because the teenagers go there and then there are so few among the ones who read adult stuff.
But, what would my target audience be then?
If my books stayed this way and a company advertised it...they would form a genre around it.
I'm not fond of that idea.
I'd like to use Academia de Diversidad as an example.
Where it currently stands, I think it could almost be considered a series of YA novels with some graphic language and a couple of adult themed scenes.
But it would become so completely lost in that genre, because it's not what the series is intended for.
The first novels might be started like that, but that is not my intention.
And that's the fun part of all of this.
It's reflected even in my first series...
The most innocent book I ever wrote was A Dragon's Curse...written by teenage version of myself in high school and kept to a certain level of decency due to a lack of knowledge on who would be reading it in my classroom.
By the fifth book of the series, I had put the character through so much torture, pain and mental confusion that I had some readers upset that he didn't die in the end.
Go ahead and leave a comment if you think I'm blowing out my ass.
I don't really think the authors published by big companies have no control. I just feel more in control this way.
Every aspect of my book is decided by me.
Aside from coauthored works, those decisions are mutual between myself and my coauthor.
Don't send me companies to try to send a copy of my manuscript to.
Most companies don't even accept manuscripts unless you have an agent.
I'm talking only about the ones who apply to such a fantasy genre that would encompass my books.
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