Harper Kingsley blogReal Life

November 6, 2011 0 comments

Some dino thing

Currently watching some dinosaur thing. Makes me want to watch “Evolution,” that movie with David Duchovny (sp? I used to know when I was reading Mulder/Krycek slash).

It’s some pretty interesting stuff and I can see why some authors are drawn to the idea of writing “Terra Nova” type stories. Unfortunately, I don’t have the knowledge base to draw from to write something like that. Well, I could write it. But it probably wouldn’t be any good ^_^ That or it would end up more like “Evolution” than “Walking With Dinosaurs.” Just a tiny bit of dino knowledge mixed with a healthy dose of hubris.

So if I ever write a time travel human/dino story, it’s gonna have to be some kind of parody/comedy story with everything totally over the top. Like, I don’t know, some guy screws up his time machine and ends up in the paleolithic where he has to deal with gigantic carnivores while trying to fix his machine. (Makes me think of that stupid Syfy movie with Joe Flanigan not being John Sheppard. I spent the whole movie gritting my teeth and asking God “Why are they so frickin’ stupid?” God did not reply.)

Anyways, I’m going to go watch “Evolution.” You should watch it too. It’s pretty hilarious.

Summary: A firefighting cadet, two college professors, and a geeky-but-sexy government scientist work against an alien organism that has been rapidly evolving ever since its arrival on Earth inside a meteor. Starring: David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Julianne Moore, Seann William Scott (he’s so cute!)

November 3, 2011 0 comments

Show, Don’t Tell

I have a real problem with “show, don’t tell” when writing. I realize I do it, so I try to stop myself, but sometimes it just kind of gets away from me.

I blame Joss Whedon and what I think might have been the “Earshot” episode. That part where Buffy’s reading everyone’s mind, then she focuses on Oz and he’s just this deeper well of inner monologue. It made me laugh happily.

I’m completely enamored with the idea that someone has this entire inner world going on and all these sweeping thoughts. So while they explore every nook and cranny of an idea or feeling, when someone asks them a question, they’re just like “Yeah. I know.”

It’s kind of a flaw, but it’s kind of become my personal style too. I can already see it being polished up into a “Thing” and you can definitely see how it’s been honed with my writing. Take “Visions of Blood & and Shadow” and “Little Boy Blue,” then compare them to “Heroes & Villains” and “Echo.” There’s a definite maturation process going on, and it makes me pretty happy. I feel like a home brew–given time, I’ll become a tasty beer.

Someday I hope to be a good writer (I’m not egotistical enough to claim being a “great” one.) Sure, there’s some people that might say I’m pretty good right now, but I want to just keep getting better.

“We are all made of stars.”

October 28, 2011 0 comments

Supergirl is one of the most under utilised DC characters

I’ve always had a fondness for Supergirl. When I was a kid, I even liked the movie, well, parts of it anyway. Just like the Superman franchise, it had its flaws… namely the fact that the movie people of the time tried too hard to add humorous bad guys and just basically made the movie into some kind of joke. Of course people weren’t going to want to pay money to watch it.

Still, Supergirl’s story is a fascinating one and there’s so much there to work with.

Kara In-Ze was a teenager when she first came to Earth, an alien with no real idea of how to deal with humans. It would be like taking an American teenager and sending them to live in Afghanistan. Things would be very awkward and toes would get stepped on.

October 25, 2011 0 comments

Just read an awful book

I’m not going to name any names, but I just read the most boring and lackluster romance story I have ever had the displeasure of coming across. Not because it was badly written or anything, but because it had so much potential. There was all this build up, then nothing happened. Then there was the build up again, then nothing. Then again and again. Every single point when the story could have some kind of action, nothing would happen.

It was so frustrating and now I feel like I’ve irrevocably lost a few chunks of my life that I’m never going to get back. It was kind of like the Rune Lords books.