(sidebar: i loveloveloved your Echo story - what I hoped mine could be with some more time. love.)
Here is a presentation of some of my ponderable ponderings
1-2. The Heroine- Lately when imagining her, I've come up with some ideas. I'm thinking she could be a bounty hunter of sorts, a real Claymore/Kim Possible type. (With the awesomeness of the former and the expert styling and awesome hair of the latter)A girl, teens, awesome outfit. I think this post could open up doors into all sorts of shennanigans, storylines encompassing multiple mythologies, stories, plots, and charactrers. I dont want to limit ourselves to Greek, i personally enjoy Norse and Egyptian enough to take a peek at some wikepedias. Think of the variety of Fate/Zero... King Arthur, Alexander the Great, and Heracles all in the same place. Meshing these worlds together into one, and providing a perfectly competent heroine to explore them could be magical.
3. I appreciate a good sword as much as the next girl, but i find fencing a little tame for a fantasy environment. Somehow I think you'll agree that a double-handed broadsword is a little more fun :)But somehow I also appreciate a certain Batman (who might also make an appearance?)-esque style of handling baddies with inventions and cleverness rather then strength. Perhaps we can compartmentalize different styles into different characters. Everyone needs a sidekick/support characters. Everyone.
4. Robots can make an appearence - I like that a setting/plot such as this one can be very flexible with storyline (much like Gunnerkrigg Court). Transitioning from Robots to Fairies to Egyptian Gods seems very natural.
5. A major villain is a very long-term commitment, but i agree on what you have said detailing them. I think initially we should focus on one baddie at a time, to be conqured within a short chapter plot arc. Then maybe they will eventually all tie in to a bigger villain. But a villain also means limitations. After they are defeated, what is left?
6. Sisters - to be quite honest, when reading the Hunger Games, when Katniss was actually in the arena I did not care one iota about Prim. I was all "OMG PEETA IS DYINGGGGG!" But I do agree that a sibling is a much stronger thing to fight for then a recently met lover. I just dont want to rule out having one because I am a teenage girl. And these sorts of things need to be on the back burner to keep me interested. But a brother/brother and sister/sister or even brother/sister pairing is nice. (Alphonse/Ed, Katniss/Prim, Hansel/Gretel Forever)
8.Magic is fun. And colorful. Win.
9.I like parents, in the way that you can guess who they are (Naruto) or see the resemblance/inheritence of traits (Anja/Donald=Kat, Surma/Annie) in your main characters. But it's always so sad that they are mostly dead :(
Specifics
1. I was thinking maybe Hermes could be her employer. With his myraid of roles, he could have an infinite ammount of assignments or oddjobs that would make an excellent story.
Possible Characters
Heroine, Sidekick/Partner, Love interest, Employers, Clients, Enemies, Rivals (maybe she could attend some time of school for this kind of things, exploring the classes and the students within them - a rival pairing going after the same jobs), animal companions (Rey, Rufus the Naked Mole Rat, dog, wolf, pheonix, etc.)
I will come up with some concept sketches for characters soon! Call to remind me occasionally...
Monday, January 16, 2012
things that should be in the BEST story.
Things!
List generic overarching things that could have anything to do with the story- Heroines! Hero! Pure of heart, proper and tall, neat, fair and handsome, and straight in each limb. Or nerdy, strange, curious and brave. Or some combination of all of those.
- Myths/Legends/Fairy tales/Gods out of place and time
- I always love stories that are linked to other intricate webs of stories that the reader may be familiar with but that take on so many shapes and forms they can be retold really however you like.
- Fencing. Swords are a must.
- Robots?
- Extremely villainous villain(s)
- I personally am a fan of those who don't believe that they are indeed villainous, whether they are working for what they believe is a good cause and there methods become twisted over time, or something so ancient and old they really don't give a damn what is good or evil.
- Sisters.
- Heroes need something to fight for, and I always think the unconditional and unwavering love between siblings is so much stronger than true love or love at first sight any day. Part of why Katniss is so great in Hunger Games.
- A deux ex machina
- Magic of some sort, not necessarily in the traditional sense
- Parents! That exist, and love, or at least have some exposition before they are brutally murdered some time in the past. Like the two Doctors in a Wrinkle in Time, Surma, or Naruto. I always thought generational connections were really interesting.
More Specific Things!
elements/characters that are particular and you'd like to use throw in - Hermes
- whatever we end up writing, I'd like to use Hermes as a relatively important character if we end up incorporating old myths and legends. He's my absolute favorite and there are few really good stories about him where he isn't just a mail man. He's also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them (which is also good if we good we go the quest route), of the cunning, of thieves, the silver tongued, literature and poets, and invention, which I think is much more interesting than just messages and his psychopomp duties.
- Legendary Weapon
- The Vorpal Blade and its *snicker snack* sound effect was my favorite part of fables, and I also love Coyote's blade that has coyote's laughter teetering on the edge. I think an epic weapon should definitely be in there.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Homage to Kiera's Echo
I could feel myself dying. The firmness and clarity of the world slowly ebbed away, all color, all joy, all substance slowly condensing into only my love, Narcissus, who reclined at the edge of the pool. He was weak now as well, his once sun kissed skin clung to his sharp cheekbones, taking on the pallor of those who neither slept nor ate. In the beginning he would plunge his arms outstretched into the depths, attempting to embrace his godlike visage reflected there. Now his perfect fingertips limply hovered above the water, not daring to disturb the glassy surface lest the slightly ragged, yet all consumingly beautiful youth portrayed there disappear forever.
Now and then I felt the cool palm of the goddess lightly rest on my forehead, sometimes the soft delicate touch of a child, other times the firm callused hands of the women she could become. I knew she was keeping me alive somehow, forcing me to absorb some of the nature of the forest that sustained me, but even she could not permanently tether me to this life. I cared not for such things. In piercing my heart, Eros's arrow may have well pinned me to the ground. I was content to remain here, in completely blissful agony, absorbed in the soft curve of Narcissus's neck, the sharp angle of his jaw, his parted lips and now shallow breath.
The other one used to come as well. She would sit a ways from us twirling her long golden hair and emitting peals of (what in any lesser being) could be considered raccus laughter. She would exclaim to her cohort as they fluttered around her, buffing her nails, braiding her hair, and angling mirrors so that she could also observe her ever subtly changing and flawless facade that we were "Just so perfectly tragic"! If Narcissus completely sapped of all strength from hunger ever unattractively flopped to one side she would order one of her attendants to arrange his form more gracefully, or to fuss with my now ragged dress, and strew the both of us with fresh flowers, removing the decaying remains of the ones from her last visit to an ungainly heap out of sight.
On one of her visits, she too had disturbed me, cupping my chin in a perfectly manicured hand, tilting my head from side to side. "See darling! Didn't I tell you it would all be worth it! Aren't you just so exquisitely grateful to be part of such a heartbreaking and perfect tale! We'll all be gossiping about this one for ages. Vain Narcissus and a stupid unrequited little Echo".
At her touch, I was filled with an all consuming rage. Not from her mocking, but because she had diverted my gaze from my love, if only for a second. I summoned up a rare burst of will, the small part of me that existed before Narcissus (what a ridiculous thought!) snapping my head away and snarling at the perfectly composed golden being. Her hand was back like a vice, her face transformed by anger, a terrifying cold beauty that struck fear through even my ridiculously occupied heart. I was transfixed. Her eyes were old, so so so very old. And cold. And heartless. We forget sometimes, mortals and gods alike, that Aphrodite was one of the first. Distracted by her beauty, and complete lack of any responsibility ( she's the only goddess with only one dominion!) we forget that she's from a completely different generation. Aphrodite was born of Uranus, before Zeus, before the Titans. She is ancient, and all the more powerful for it....
(Sorry Kiera, couldn't resist! Will finish later)
Now and then I felt the cool palm of the goddess lightly rest on my forehead, sometimes the soft delicate touch of a child, other times the firm callused hands of the women she could become. I knew she was keeping me alive somehow, forcing me to absorb some of the nature of the forest that sustained me, but even she could not permanently tether me to this life. I cared not for such things. In piercing my heart, Eros's arrow may have well pinned me to the ground. I was content to remain here, in completely blissful agony, absorbed in the soft curve of Narcissus's neck, the sharp angle of his jaw, his parted lips and now shallow breath.
The other one used to come as well. She would sit a ways from us twirling her long golden hair and emitting peals of (what in any lesser being) could be considered raccus laughter. She would exclaim to her cohort as they fluttered around her, buffing her nails, braiding her hair, and angling mirrors so that she could also observe her ever subtly changing and flawless facade that we were "Just so perfectly tragic"! If Narcissus completely sapped of all strength from hunger ever unattractively flopped to one side she would order one of her attendants to arrange his form more gracefully, or to fuss with my now ragged dress, and strew the both of us with fresh flowers, removing the decaying remains of the ones from her last visit to an ungainly heap out of sight.
On one of her visits, she too had disturbed me, cupping my chin in a perfectly manicured hand, tilting my head from side to side. "See darling! Didn't I tell you it would all be worth it! Aren't you just so exquisitely grateful to be part of such a heartbreaking and perfect tale! We'll all be gossiping about this one for ages. Vain Narcissus and a stupid unrequited little Echo".
At her touch, I was filled with an all consuming rage. Not from her mocking, but because she had diverted my gaze from my love, if only for a second. I summoned up a rare burst of will, the small part of me that existed before Narcissus (what a ridiculous thought!) snapping my head away and snarling at the perfectly composed golden being. Her hand was back like a vice, her face transformed by anger, a terrifying cold beauty that struck fear through even my ridiculously occupied heart. I was transfixed. Her eyes were old, so so so very old. And cold. And heartless. We forget sometimes, mortals and gods alike, that Aphrodite was one of the first. Distracted by her beauty, and complete lack of any responsibility ( she's the only goddess with only one dominion!) we forget that she's from a completely different generation. Aphrodite was born of Uranus, before Zeus, before the Titans. She is ancient, and all the more powerful for it....
(Sorry Kiera, couldn't resist! Will finish later)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Childish Apology - A Poem on 'regrets'
My mother told me to apologize to you,
These words are things I’d rather not say,
But here I am, at your door,
Saying sorry for what I did that day.
I regret pouring my juice on you,
Even though you were being a brat.
I regret tugging on your hair,
After you called me fat.
I regret coloring on your picture,
Even after you colored on mine.
I regret putting mud in your shoes,
After you lied about ‘everything being fine’
I regret yelling at you,
Even after you stepped on my sandcastle.
I regret refusing to talk to you,
Because you are really quite a hassle.
I regret storming out of the room,
After you blamed your shenanigans on me.
I regret stepping on your foot,
After you made fun of me.
I regret trying to ignore you,
Because it only made it worse.
I regret kicking you in the shin,
After you poured ink into my purse.
Really, I think you are rather wicked,
I don’t want to be near you at all,
But I’m being the bigger person,
And paying you a call.
The one thing I don’t regret at all,
Even though our relationship is a chore,
Is that right after I apologized,
I snuck a tarantula through your door.
These words are things I’d rather not say,
But here I am, at your door,
Saying sorry for what I did that day.
I regret pouring my juice on you,
Even though you were being a brat.
I regret tugging on your hair,
After you called me fat.
I regret coloring on your picture,
Even after you colored on mine.
I regret putting mud in your shoes,
After you lied about ‘everything being fine’
I regret yelling at you,
Even after you stepped on my sandcastle.
I regret refusing to talk to you,
Because you are really quite a hassle.
I regret storming out of the room,
After you blamed your shenanigans on me.
I regret stepping on your foot,
After you made fun of me.
I regret trying to ignore you,
Because it only made it worse.
I regret kicking you in the shin,
After you poured ink into my purse.
Really, I think you are rather wicked,
I don’t want to be near you at all,
But I’m being the bigger person,
And paying you a call.
The one thing I don’t regret at all,
Even though our relationship is a chore,
Is that right after I apologized,
I snuck a tarantula through your door.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
"The Cow Goes Moo" :)
When I was a child, I knew a secret. Something I assumed nobody else was smart enough to figure out. You see, there was a cow in the supermarket. Grocery shopping is an unfortunate chore for any youngster, and I was no different. Walking around in seemingly pointless directions, having my suggestions (mostly of sweets or candy) constantly denied, and I wasn’t even able to take the cart for the occasional joyride up and down the aisles! All in all, a dead boring waste of time (at this point in my life, I didn’t care to make the connection between the food in the store and the food in my stomach).
But one day, I discovered an abnormality that refused to be ignored. As my father rolled the cart to a gentle stop in the milk aisle, he turned the other way to choose between two different brands of cheddar cheese. I settled down for a wait, (as my father, the ultimate frugal shopper, took hours to compare prices and quality) rocking in place and looking around absent-mindedly. That was when I heard it. A sudden and unexpected noise had ripped through the silence of the moment like my kiddie-scissors through wrapping paper, leaving an intoxicating stillness in its wake.
Entranced, I moved closer to the wall of milk, concentrating on my latest discovery. “Moo.” This simple onomatopoeia left an incredible conundrum for my self-proclaimed dizzying intellect. I thought for a moment, coming up with an extremely scientific conclusion. It was elementary, that of course, there was a cow behind the milk aisle. I had been in the waiting room of the doctor’s office long enough to know that ‘the cow goes moo.’ As no other being I knew of made that particular noise, it was simple to put 2 and 2 together and say that there was a cow in our midst. Immediately after coming to this conclusion, I was overwhelmed with pity. That poor cow, alone with no cow-friends to play with. What an unfortunate situation. Suddenly filled with a sense of comradery (for I was devastatingly bored as well), I ‘moo’ed back, to let the cow know that it was not alone.
This is what I miss most about being a child, what I wish I could have back now that I have changed. Those simple senses of imagination and childish naivety, they make the world a more interesting place to live in. Nowadays, whenever I walk into Foodtown, and hear that tinny old speaker moo at me, I smile. For I have a new secret. Every now and then, I still moo back at the milk. You never know, perhaps my child self was smarter than she appeared.
But one day, I discovered an abnormality that refused to be ignored. As my father rolled the cart to a gentle stop in the milk aisle, he turned the other way to choose between two different brands of cheddar cheese. I settled down for a wait, (as my father, the ultimate frugal shopper, took hours to compare prices and quality) rocking in place and looking around absent-mindedly. That was when I heard it. A sudden and unexpected noise had ripped through the silence of the moment like my kiddie-scissors through wrapping paper, leaving an intoxicating stillness in its wake.
Entranced, I moved closer to the wall of milk, concentrating on my latest discovery. “Moo.” This simple onomatopoeia left an incredible conundrum for my self-proclaimed dizzying intellect. I thought for a moment, coming up with an extremely scientific conclusion. It was elementary, that of course, there was a cow behind the milk aisle. I had been in the waiting room of the doctor’s office long enough to know that ‘the cow goes moo.’ As no other being I knew of made that particular noise, it was simple to put 2 and 2 together and say that there was a cow in our midst. Immediately after coming to this conclusion, I was overwhelmed with pity. That poor cow, alone with no cow-friends to play with. What an unfortunate situation. Suddenly filled with a sense of comradery (for I was devastatingly bored as well), I ‘moo’ed back, to let the cow know that it was not alone.
This is what I miss most about being a child, what I wish I could have back now that I have changed. Those simple senses of imagination and childish naivety, they make the world a more interesting place to live in. Nowadays, whenever I walk into Foodtown, and hear that tinny old speaker moo at me, I smile. For I have a new secret. Every now and then, I still moo back at the milk. You never know, perhaps my child self was smarter than she appeared.
Monday, March 21, 2011
If I Were In the Movies
If Put Into the Movies . . . by Kiera Wolfe
A person often wonders, how their life would go,
If they lived inside a movie, the pictures, or TV show.
Well, I’ve done some speculation and it just goes to prove,
Your thoughts go in some crazy directions, once you’re in the groove.
A chick flick comes to mind of course, I know what I would be,
The witty best friend, the comic relief, helpful and rather artsy.
In a zombie movie I’m not too confident, my chances could offend,
I would probably turn right after the cheerleader, way before the end.
If placed inside a drama, you might not want me on the staff,
I often cannot watch something so ridiculous without a single laugh.
A cop show sounds like a good time, yes it looks rather fun,
But I don’t know of anyone that would just hand me a gun.
If we are talking franchises, I will have to intervene,
For in Star Wars, I already know my light saber would be green
If put in Harry Potter, I’d quickly befriend Loony Luna,
If I’m stuck inside The Office, I’d hang with Pam and Tuna.
A musical? Of course I’d participate, and probably have a blast,
But I feel that after High School Musical, that genre has blown past.
A western would be hilarious; if I get to ride a horse,
Really anything would be cool, if I was in it of course!
A person often wonders, how their life would go,
If they lived inside a movie, the pictures, or TV show.
Well, I’ve done some speculation and it just goes to prove,
Your thoughts go in some crazy directions, once you’re in the groove.
A chick flick comes to mind of course, I know what I would be,
The witty best friend, the comic relief, helpful and rather artsy.
In a zombie movie I’m not too confident, my chances could offend,
I would probably turn right after the cheerleader, way before the end.
If placed inside a drama, you might not want me on the staff,
I often cannot watch something so ridiculous without a single laugh.
A cop show sounds like a good time, yes it looks rather fun,
But I don’t know of anyone that would just hand me a gun.
If we are talking franchises, I will have to intervene,
For in Star Wars, I already know my light saber would be green
If put in Harry Potter, I’d quickly befriend Loony Luna,
If I’m stuck inside The Office, I’d hang with Pam and Tuna.
A musical? Of course I’d participate, and probably have a blast,
But I feel that after High School Musical, that genre has blown past.
A western would be hilarious; if I get to ride a horse,
Really anything would be cool, if I was in it of course!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Master Escape Artist
by Kiera Wolfe
I’ve tricked the police, I’m really rather clever,
They wrongly believe, I’ll be in here forever.
I ramble nonsense sometimes; they think I’m a loon.
But, I’ve still one salvation, for I’ve sneaked in a spoon.
I’ve seen all the movies; I know what to do,
I gouge out a tunnel, and then say ‘toodaloo!’
But wait, how will I dig through straight stone?
I find it’s quite impossible, and I let out a moan.
But hey! I’m a genius! I’ll escape from this jerk,
I saw this idea on Mythbusters so it really must work.
I’ll make a long rope, woven from hair,
I’ll climb down the side, ha! No need to despair!
It’ll take me a while, but of hair there is plenty,
My bunkmate doesn’t need all her hair, she’s almost twenty!
But I forgot, they shaved her head to resell,
So now she’s bald! Alas, no useful people in this cell.
But don’t fret; my next plan is surefire,
It’ll be quite easy, no need to perspire.
I’ll rush out and get caught, get put in a new prison,
For my new plan is great, even if newly arisen.
I I’ve tricked the police, I’m really rather clever,
They wrongly believe, I’ll be in here forever.
But I’m in a new jail, this one’s in New York,
And I will escape, for this time I have a fork.
I’ve tricked the police, I’m really rather clever,
They wrongly believe, I’ll be in here forever.
I ramble nonsense sometimes; they think I’m a loon.
But, I’ve still one salvation, for I’ve sneaked in a spoon.
I’ve seen all the movies; I know what to do,
I gouge out a tunnel, and then say ‘toodaloo!’
But wait, how will I dig through straight stone?
I find it’s quite impossible, and I let out a moan.
But hey! I’m a genius! I’ll escape from this jerk,
I saw this idea on Mythbusters so it really must work.
I’ll make a long rope, woven from hair,
I’ll climb down the side, ha! No need to despair!
It’ll take me a while, but of hair there is plenty,
My bunkmate doesn’t need all her hair, she’s almost twenty!
But I forgot, they shaved her head to resell,
So now she’s bald! Alas, no useful people in this cell.
But don’t fret; my next plan is surefire,
It’ll be quite easy, no need to perspire.
I’ll rush out and get caught, get put in a new prison,
For my new plan is great, even if newly arisen.
I I’ve tricked the police, I’m really rather clever,
They wrongly believe, I’ll be in here forever.
But I’m in a new jail, this one’s in New York,
And I will escape, for this time I have a fork.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Here's a short clip of the latest project I've been developing. Essentially its a particle field that reacts to your webcam in order to sketch out these cool drawings. It pulls its opacity/direction directly from the webcam pixels. I put some more screen-shots on my documentation blog.
Swoon from Alex Wolfe on Vimeo.
Swoon from Alex Wolfe on Vimeo.
Monday, November 22, 2010
War? War! Poetry
We’ve gone to war, and declared it so
We both agree, if we are to grow,
Then one shall stay, and one shall go,
A colony shall remain, ichi, eins, uno
Red vs. Black, only we shall thrive,
As we climb over the hill, we will survive,
The queen is safe, well fed, and alive,
The Reds cower in fear until we arrive.
Using antennae, we relay and talk,
We hide behind the springtime stalk,
The sun is blocked out by a single hawk,
But we never stop, to look, to gawk
Our armies clash, workers and warriors galore,
Our enemies cower at our silent roar,
What is the reason for this gore?
Miniscule corpses line the floor.
But alas we were all one speed slower,
For the Human just finished with the leaf blower,
I can feel morale sinking lower, lower,
As millions of ants are bested by the lawn mower.
We both agree, if we are to grow,
Then one shall stay, and one shall go,
A colony shall remain, ichi, eins, uno
Red vs. Black, only we shall thrive,
As we climb over the hill, we will survive,
The queen is safe, well fed, and alive,
The Reds cower in fear until we arrive.
Using antennae, we relay and talk,
We hide behind the springtime stalk,
The sun is blocked out by a single hawk,
But we never stop, to look, to gawk
Our armies clash, workers and warriors galore,
Our enemies cower at our silent roar,
What is the reason for this gore?
Miniscule corpses line the floor.
But alas we were all one speed slower,
For the Human just finished with the leaf blower,
I can feel morale sinking lower, lower,
As millions of ants are bested by the lawn mower.
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