Very cool...future of publishing technology

If you can't see it all, you can go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSjXO7Odh9E

Zombies

There's something I don't get: zombies. The fad of zombies is among us, starting with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I'll admit it here and now: I'm not a fan. Especially if it's a romance. Why? They are rotting corpses with cravings for flesh and brains for starters.

So not sexy.

Secondly? I'd be worried about parts falling off during... ahem... more intimate moments. For me zombies= not sexy.

What made me think about this? This scary article by cracked.com. It's all about the scientific reasons a zombie apocalypse could happen including parasites, neurotoxins, a virus, neurogenesis and nanobots. Yeah... try going to bed with all the lights off after reading that... If you have an over-active imagination as is, you start thinking of things crawling out of the closet or breaking through the window and climbing into your basement apartment in which you sleep on the couch.

But what's this?: an article on survival tactics in case those pesky zombies decide to take over, although most of what they say are tactics should really be common sense. Raid a gun store? Um yeah. Get out of town? Duh. Aim for the head? Well heck, remember the over-active imagination? Where else would I aim???

So zombies in romances? Yeah, so do not understand. If I ever write a zombie, it will be used as target practice or some such. Main char? I'll pass on this fad. kthnxbai.

The end of publishing- very cool

Thursday Thirteen

I was searching a website that I got regularly today and found an article that I thought was interesting. It's a book called The Eerie Silence: Are We Alone in the Universe?, a new book by the astrophysicist, Paul Davies. What is different and intriguing is the fact that in this book is messages written by people to whatever life may be out there in the universe. I thought for my Thursday 13, I would jot down a few of them here:

1. “Please kill us now … have no mercy. We are evil and you must defend yourself.”

2. Similarly to #1- “Keep away from this planet,” agreed Pamela from Sicily. “Mankind is only intent on depleting, abusing and destroying [it]. They will do the same to yours should they find it. Mankind is the worst virus in the universe. You have been warned.”

3. “If you manage to work out how to travel to us, don’t bother, as we’ll probably probe you, try to blow you up or worse still, steal your technology and invade… Have a nice day.”

4. “Dearest Aliens, If you choose to conquer Earth, please do not kill or enslave those of us who can name all 12 men to have walked on the Moon. We are the ones worth keeping around.”

5. “If you’re planning to visit our planet, please know you will need to remove all metal from your person, take your shoes off and submit to a full body scan, carry all liquids/gels/aerosols in clear plastic bottles no bigger than 3.4oz, surrender all cigarette lighters and batteries, pack all jams and jellies (but pies can be carried on)… Oh, yes. Welcome to the Earth!”

6. “Sorry to drop this on you, but we’ve kinda wrecked our planet. Any chance we could come live with you? We’ve got beer.”

7. “Save yourself! Stay away! We have politicians!”

8. “For sale or trade. Several billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. All reasonable offers considered! Must pick up, cannot ship.”

9. again, similar to #8- “Beautiful, blue planet, teeming with life, located on the edge of the Milky Way. Fantastic views of the Andromeda Galaxy and beyond into infinity. Perhaps the best location in the Universe. One trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion ONO. Must be prepared to look after current resident flora and fauna.”

10. “My purpose of contacting you is to seek your help in transferring the sum of five million United States dollars ($5,000,000) to a trusted bank on your planet.”

11. “Did you think YOU were alone in the universe?”

12. My fave: “Do you have crop circles on your planet? Kindly stop tagging our planet with cryptic crop designs. Interplanetary graffiti is not the best introduction, so please express yourself with a bit more decorum and less like a disgruntled teenager wielding a spray can.”

13. “OK, ’fess up? What have you done with Elvis?”

For more or to read the article, please go: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7399703/So-what-would-YOU-say-to-ET.html

The art of communication- a musing

Something came up recently that has stuck in my mind. In this day and age, we live in a world of social media, where 140 characters or less you can tell all your friends how you are or what you're doing. Before it was msn/yahoo/aol/email and before that hand written letters, etc. The point is that we're living in a world where text messages and social media are a means to have communication at your fingertips. Literally and figuratively. It's everywhere and in one form or another, everyone is doing it.

But what are we teaching future generations? That the written word is pointless? There's already been articles about assignments being reduced to nonstandard abbreviations and symbols. Yes, there are good things that come with texting or social media-- take the earthquake in Haiti and later in Chile; with just a press of a code and you could donate straight to their funds. The moment that earthquake hit, everybody knew about it and could prepare. Yes, there are good points but how will the next generation be affected?

Recently it came up that a bunch of us were talking about Twitter and how we've become so use to writing in 140 characters or less and that anything longer than a paragraph... the reader's eyes begin to glaze over. This was an interesting and it stayed with me. Kids are already becoming more computer savvy at an earlier age. Just how will all this affect future generations?

The importance of the written word

Mondays, they sneak up on you before you know it. Before you're even ready for it. Or at least, that was how it felt today. Not that it was a busier day than usual, but it still felt like a Monday. The weekends are never long enough.

Not that I did anything really exciting either. Still working on that motivational thing, ya know? So I read and relaxed and did some writing. Not as much as I'd have liked but still, I got a bit done.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before but I have a plan. A goal. I am to read a book a week. For how long? As long as I can go. Why? Because as a writer it's essentially not only to learn and grow but to just see what's out there. My appetite for reading is quite prolific. I tend to read in the mornings while waiting for the bus or the computer to load up. I've always loved reading. As a teen you'd find me up my favourite tree with a book (and is how I received my nickname "tree frog" by my dad), on the lawn with my pet chicken, up in my room or wherever. I got my first Chapters card when I was in highschool and I still have the same one.

Reading is important to me but I could never really tell you my favourite. I'll always have those that tie but will never be able to put the term of 'favourite' on one. I could never even imagine a world without books... a world without stories. Without writing... there would be no art... and no art... means no imagination... which means no innovations. Truly a scary thing how important writing has become.

Life...

Some days the writing controls you... other days you control the writing.

Think there's a difference? There is and I'm finding this out more and more these past few months. With work being on the foremost part of my mind these days, I'm finding that instead of the writing being the one that demands my time, I'm having to force myself to even get a few words down.

Not to say that I haven't been, but it makes me realize just how much that I am controlling my characters right now, forcing myself to get those words on page when I didn't have to before because it was my characters who wouldn't shut up and would demand my attention.

My writing mojo has taken a hit.

It's something that all writers deal with. Stress in life is all around us-- whether it's work or family or whatever. There's always going to be something there that will make it hard to get to those daily pages.

It's time to take back writing...