stunt_muppet

Yeah, maybe doing everything at 1 am the day before it's due wasn't a great plan. Not that I've been doing that for everything, mind you, but damn. If I'd have known that doing six sets of drawings was going to take me the better part of a weekend, I would have got them done a lot sooner.

And my Bio seminar teacher called me on not paying attention in our last class. I am ashamed. </ Jaques voice>

Creative Writing's been going okay, though, even though I had to start my manuscript over and now have a lot of writing to catch up on. But I did discuss the story with my teacher, and she recommended taking it in a direction that had not occurred to me before. I think, once I finally figure out how to get through this middle section, this will really turn out well.

I was nervous about transitioning back to original fiction after so much time writing fanfic, and the aftereffects of my ficcing stint are clear to me if not to my classmates; my readers and teacher have noted that I tend to skimp on physical description of characters and settings. Part of this is a personal habit that needs breaking - I prefer to leave character descriptions to the imagination and focus on the action, rather than risk an overwrought, clunky chunk of useless prose blocking up the flow of the story while I go on and on about the character's dress code - but I think part of it is an acquired vice from my fic-writing. After all, there's no real need to describe the characters in detail if all your readers already know what they look like.

I've been trying to work more descriptions into my writing, but even as it stands, my descriptions tend more toward demeanor, personality, and backstory than looks. It doesn't help that one of my characters, in my mind, looks a lot like me - the First Cardinal Sin of Fanfiction.

Ficcing, by the way, remains at a standstill except for a completely-unrelated-to-anything crackbunny that may finally silence Muse's petulant whining for porn I might use as my Halloween fic-party costume in lieu of the CSI: NY casefile I had planned, just because it's so very unlike anything I've yet written. 

I still wanna write that casefile, mind you. And finish up The Challenge Fics That Wouldn't End, while I'm at it.

Mom sent me a care package yesterday containing Muddy Buddies, popcorn, instant miso soup (I was not even aware this existed until I got the package), and a miniature version of the little magnetic fishing game I used to play as a kid. Apparently, she felt guilty that I sent her a package before she sent me anything. For clarification, the "package" was a CD that she wanted to burn that I already owned. I didn't really get it, but if it gets me Muddy Buddies, I'm not about to complain.

For some reason I can't stop watching the Across the Universe trailer. I'm not sure if I'm even going to see the movie, but I love the music. Adore the music. And normally I can't stand covers of Beatles music, because they were nigh perfect to begin with. These? There's just something about these versions, a liveliness and energy and raw edge that other, more stately, "respectful" covers tend to lack. And the version of Helter Skelter? Tres kickass. Kinda makes you forget about the whole Manson thing.

Besides, just look at that trailer. I mean, I'm feeling a little bit high just watching it now, and I'm stone cold sober save a bottle of caffeine.

Dammit, that scene with the kid drawing Evan Rachel Wood just reminds me of all the drawing homework I need to do. We're starting on gesture drawing with charcoal (compressed sticks and pencils), and it's by far my favorite unit. After the careful, painstaking contours we did in our last unit (organizational line drawing, continuous contour, and controlled contour), the loose, quick strokes of the charcoal feel so free and so expressive. And now that I've started learning how to really pay attention to form instead of drawing things the way I think they should look, my gesture drawings look much truer to life (such as they can be); on the whole, I think I'm already doing much better.

On that note, two Actual Conversations with Parents:

(Scene: MOM and MUPPET are conversing on the phone about Muppet's art class.)

MUPPET: Yeah, so to get full credit, we have to attend at least three figure drawing sessions and sketch from models.

MOM (presumably joking): Oooh, you mean nekkid people?

DAD (somewhere in the background): What naked people?

MUPPET: Mom, I don't think they're naked. But I haven't actually confirmed this so...wink wink nudge nudge.

DAD (still in the background): Dear, what naked people?

MOM: I'm sure they're not really nekkid.

MUPPET: Besides, even if they were, they wouldn't be nekkid. They'd be nude.

MOM: That's right. They'd be wholesomely and tastefully nude. Not nekkid.


(SCENE: After the most recent episode of Eureka, MUPPET is talking to DAD)

MUPPET: So, yeah. I liked the episode. It was funny.

DAD: It was.

MUPPET: Though I'm a little bit scared of what this is going to do to Eureka fanfiction.

DAD: ...oh yeah. Yeah. Definitely.

MUPPET: I've decided I'm just not gonna go there.

DAD: Good idea.

(For clarification: The most recent episode of Eureka was, for all intents and purposes, a sex-pollen episode. A PG sex-pollen episode, yes, but still a sex-pollen episode. I kid you not.)
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Also, I know a lot of people on my flist are going through some rough times. I just wanted to say that, even though I have not yet come around and spoken to you individually, you're all in my thoughts and prayers, and I sincerely hope that things start looking up for all of you.