Month: August 2017

One thing I’ve always wanted to do in fantasy writing and never have is to deeply explore the relationship between fantasy races and human racial classifications. Particular races are often associated with, even aligned with certain minority groups. I don’t think this is by accident. Our brains are designed to create order from perceived chaos/lack of understanding and free association is one way in which we do that. When we absently align Orks with blacks it is no accident. It happens because we can see certain characteristics in the writing that prescribe to our perceptions of back people. White supremacists regularly cast Tolkien as one of their own, citing in particular the description of orcs as being heavily based on that of blacks and asians. ““…squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes”

This description notwithstanding, there are other cultural clues within the writing that label orks as evil, lesser, etc. which are all the traits we have traditionally ascribed to minorities. Here is the thing though: I think Tolkien was talking about religion far more than he was about race itself when it comes to those races. Where I think there is a more interesting comparison is where I want to focus my own writing: I want to talk about where they shop.

You can tell the what stereotype an area pays homage to based on what you find in the strip malls. For example, there are two Yoga studios along the entire stretch of Crenshaw blvd. Neither are in what is affectionately known as ‘the hood’. Likewise, pawn shops and liquor stores tend to cluster in certain areas.

This is but a fledgling analysis that lives in the spectrum of a much larger truth, but that is what makes it fun to explore in writing. I have the opportunity through writing to explore whatever I find interesting. I love that about my life.

Some Thoughts:

1. Other things I love about my life: My partner, my kids, my opportunity to grow.
2. Speaking of growth, I will never use the term ‘flower’ to describe growth again. It is just a bad bad way to describe stuff.
3. I might do it again because, jokes.

 

I don’t want to talk about yesterday. Well, maybe later.

Today I am on the back 9 of my summer classes with a ton to grade but only a few days left before I am free… Somewhat free. There is a ton of creative writing feedback I mean to present to students after the fact and beyond that there is that pesky little novel outline I ought to start writing, once I have an idea of what to write about. Long have I discussed creating a working outline as an example for students who are struggling with putting their ideas together. I even evolved my plan to include student notebooks with tabs and worksheets to lead them through the creative process. At this point I have 8 students in the class, which is not too many to do this work-intensive project. It is something I feel I can handle this semester, so long as I can handle the initial idea of constructing an outline myself.

I think I’ll start principle writing this week–laying out the characters and really getting down on paper who the protagonist is and what that person wants. Truthfully, I am torn between designing a more mature and a teenfic style outline–mostly because I have no idea what story I am trying to tell.

Yes, I get that a novel ought to start with a core idea or character. I just have a scene. Hopefully it is enough.

 

Some Thoughts:

1. In other news, I figured out a possible solution to making the prized life-size beyblade stadium: a 120cm offset satellite dish antenna. The bowl shape ought to be near perfect. I have questions about the depth, but nothing else comes in at that size and roundness.
2. Yesterday was yet another epic shit show in my life. When everything goes wrong, the little bit that goes less wrong feels like salvation. I suppose this is the universe’s version of breaking down a torture victim.
3. So I binged How I met Your Mother for an entire season. That happened.