Happy Friday everyone! Here’s some fantasy art and a haiku for your enjoyment from the Booknvolume blog.
Viridian Gift
Sown from Alabaster Hands
Life and Breath She Gives
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~Morgan~
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Beautiful Original Artwork by LilifIlane – http://lilifilane.deviantart.com
Those who have been with me for a while will know that I run two blogs, this one and also My Literary Quest, a blog geared specifically for writers. Juggling both has been a challenge and makes it harder to attract readers. Less posts per week = less readers in general.
It’s time to shake things up. Next Wednesday you’ll find my weekly writing post both here and at MLQ in a new feature called … wait for it … Writer Wednesdays. Ok, the name is lame, but sometimes the most obvious title is the best.
Starting next week there will be more posts here for you to enjoy. If you are readers of both blogs, yes you will start seeing duplicate posts on Wednesdays. If that drives you crazy, and I don’t blame you, go ahead and unfollow MLQ and focus on the awesomeness here. I won’t mind.
If you’re a writer, stick around. Things are just going to get better from here.
The art duo Anya Stasenko and Slava Leontyev make tiny magical creatures from porcelain. Their whimsical style and vision captures the imagination and delights all. Interestingly enough, neither of these artists have any formal training in ceramics. One is a painting teacher and the other is a graphic artist. They gravitated to ceramics because of the enormous potential of the medium. Each tiny work, ranging between one and ten inches, is expertly crafted with painstaking detail.
To see more of their works, visit these sites:
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Don’t forget! The release party for THE TOLL OF ANOTHER BELL is today on facebook. There are lots of prizes and chances to meet and greet with the authors, including me. For more info, head on over to the Facebook event page. While you’re there be sure to click on the poll to tell them I sent you. 🙂
Brilliant cosplay of Princess Mononoke based on the Miyasaki film of the same name.
photo credit: Anna Fischer via photopin cc
Cosplay, or costume play, has been around for ages. As long as there have been iconic characters who inspire, there have been people who want to dress up like them. As children we used to dress up and pretend to be princesses, cowboys, and fairies to name a few. Every year for Halloween we celebrate our alter egos and indulge in a bit of self indulgent dress up. It’s fun, harmless, and a chance to pretend we are someone or something different than our ordinary selves.
Cosplay gives players both old and young a chance to enter this alternate persona and escape the pressures of the real world for a while. I imagine it is not unlike the escapism of reading a really good book that pulls the reader into the pages and doesn’t let them go until it’s over, or that awesome movie that is so appealing in its story and artistic imagery that you can’t help but sit riveted to the chair.
Xena, the warrior princess, with one of her macho friends.
photo credit: fabiogis50 via photopin cc
The holy grail for cosplayers is Comic Con. Not only are cosplayers allowed they are encouraged to come in their most elaborate costumes for a chance at prizes and photo ops. When Comic Con comes to town it is not uncommon to see the casts from popular sci fi and manga riding public transit and wandering around downtown.
These costumes can be as simple as one or two items worn casually over normal dress or as complicated as full body suits of hand crafted armor. Those devoted to their cosplay spend hundreds of hours creating costuming and props. Some will spend a small fortune in creating the perfect look. It is a passion. If you have a friend who is into cosplay expect to see lots of pictures and hear some pretty cool stories.
I love the idea of cosplay. Having the chance to be part of a different world and spend time with fascinating people is very appealing. That’s the reason I write fantasy, it gives me the chance to be a part of a different world and meet fascinating people, both real and imagined.
For the fantasy writer, there’s nothing more inspiring than experiencing something new. I’ve been a long time fan of the style and music of the Cirque du Soliel theatrical company and this last week I got to experience Kà at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Cirque Du Soleil is best described as an odd mix of fantasy makeup, intense acrobatics, and bizarre spectacle. Its strangeness is its appeal. As a spectator, you cannot look away. Every aspect is intriguing. It’s no use to try to make sense of what you see, in most shows there isn’t any story to follow.
Kà is different because it tells the story of two imperial twins coming of age and the tests they must endure. Its elements are both whimsical and intense as we witness the resolve of the evil power trying to destroy the twins against their will to survive against all odds. The different acts are beautiful and strange with a large dose of the unexpected sprinkled throughout.
For me, it boosted my creative energy and made me even more eager to return to my manuscript in November. Ten more days until I start the edit of the next draft.
About two years ago, when my children did not outnumber my hands, I made an attempt at creating a series of comics. The situation hasn’t changed much, now there is a different child on my lap trying to push buttons and the other two somewhere else in the house causing untold havoc. On a unrelated note, school starts this week! Happy Dance!
I might finish this manuscript yet!
After precisely three minutes of working on the manuscript, writer mom is discovered.
Jodi L. Milner, Author 