New Reviews to Come

It's not that I haven't been reading, I've actually been spending my time on "Behold a Pale Horse" until recently. But within the next few days I should have two and a half new reviews ready. I'm not going to give anything away, I'm just going to say that both reviews will be awesome, and one of the new ones if from an author that I've reviewed once before.

Figured I'd post something. There may also be a rant and some erotica on the way, depending on the way that I feel.

Equestria Girls: Better Than Expected, but Still Crap (To Me)

I have now seen the Equestria Girls movie, thanks to a "copy" on YouTube.

And I have to say, I still didn't really like it. Now, it wasn't horrific, but it still was a failure, and I could feel how much Hasbro rushed to get it out, believing that MLP:FiM is merely a fad.

Now, there are some things that I didn't like about the movie; first, this random character, Princess Celestia's former student Sunset Shimmer, comes out of nowhere, and steals Twilight Sparkle's crown, which keeps Twilight's Element of Harmony. Now, if her student was anything like Twilight Sparkle, everyone in all of Equestria would know about said student, and she would have had some sort of mentioning before.  Now, Twilight has to go alone to this alternate universe (one of few, as it's implied by Sunset Shimmer), as to not throw off the balance. We never hear what happens to the real Twilight Sparkle; Pinkie Pie implies that there's another Twilight, living in the city, however, she doesn't seem to go to school with the other students.

Another HUGE problem that I had with the movie was that they made all the characters pastel. Like seriously, each character was as pale as all hell, and Rarity just looked sick, being as white as paper. They even made Princess Luna, in all her midnight blue glory, sky blue. It was just not cool.

Besides the fact that they made them pale (and they made Celestia seem like a bitch), they put all of the students in the same school, although they clearly refer to the school as "high". Besides the fact that the school is at least middle school and up, it seemed really moronic that Twilight didn't recognize the building as a school, or read more books about the general rules of their world and anatomy, to the internet. To me, it took too long for her to realize what was going on, which is another bad point of the screenplay. I know they had to make the movie a certain length, or whatever, but this just reinforced the happy high school, everyone-will-become-friends again stereotype that disappoints so many.

Then there's Sunset Shimmer. She just doesn't have any depth, and that sucks very, very hard. I like a villain that has a real reason, not just revenge against Celestia. Another thing about her, I don't understand why everyone is afraid of this fucking idiot, there's nothing that she has or does (besides moronic intimidation and stupid little ways of breaking up friendships) really makes me want to fear her. Was everyone in this school lily-livered.

Also... the school is Canterlot High, but almost all of the characters are from Ponyville. Now, if it was a college, it would make sense that students from a small town are in the capital of Equestria. But no, it's high school, and they have all the students being... typical.

There were so many moronic plot devices, something that they should have already thought of. It would have just been a much better movie if they expanded on the world of Equestria. Apparently, Lauren Faust said that the ruined castle in the Everfree Forest was the childhood home of Celestia and Luna. Now that back story would have been an awesome movie, or maybe having further exploration into Equestria, or the rest of the Equine-sentient world.

I know there are people that really liked the movie, but I still think that it's stupid, and was a waste of a brilliant opportunity.

Equestria Girls- Yes, Another MLP Related Rant

I didn't think that I would write again about My Little Pony, at least not until the new season returns. However, after doing a bit of searching about my former favorite Western animated show, I've found something else that makes me -_-.

Now, before people say that this show is "for little girls" and that there is no reason for me to write anything about it because I'm not its target audience, I'd beg to differ. Being a 21 year old female means that I'm actually it's second target audience. I'm still young enough to watch cartoons enthusiastically, but I've just reached the cusp of having disposable income, income that I'd like to assume Hasbro would like me to spend on their creations.

I have seen wonderfully beautiful fan art of humanized ponies, and then I've seen some... not my style fan art. This Equestria girls fuckery falls into the latter category.

Hasbro has managed to take the characters, and give them all the same long, skinny, big-foot, fake anime style look that is running rampant in cartoons. And it seems the setting is high school. High school. Even as I'm writing this, I can't stand what I'm typing.

Hasbro obviously has no insight into their viewership or fans, or high school. For the majority of people, high school was not the happiest time of their lives, nor do they get into shenanigans like those always shown in shows. It's full of lessons, tests, and if you're lucky, friends that make it easier. Regressing the Mane Six to such a level is not wise.

Not only that, the character design is flawed. Rather than having to deal with the issue of making the characters from different ethnic backgrounds, the company has bleached out their fur colors to give them a pastel M&M flesh tone. Then, they have all of the main characters in skirts, with hair down to their asses that looks like a mane and tail, horse ears, cutie marks on their face, and the pegasi (and Twilight) have their wings.

I'd post a picture of it to my blog, but I'd rather just put a link.

All of these things just prove that Hasbro is a cash cow that doesn't understand that it's alienating the majority of their core audience. MLP, in its current incarnation, has the ability to go strong for at least a decade, hell even longer if steered in the right direction. With all the choices being made by the creative team, all these wrong choices, it's going to burn this bright only temporarily, before backs are turned about it.

It's such a shame that they're wasting such beautiful character designs and near limitless writing directions sucking it dry.

I think I will stick to my My Little Pony Game for Kindle. Besides the ridiculous prices, it'll satisfy my pony need.

How Do You Write With an Aching Heart?

The biggest problem that I've encountered with my writing has been writing even when I'm depressed. I want to make writing my business, but so many times, words are said, their emotions are felt, and it hurts.

Quite often, I pretend that I don't have emotions so close to the surface, and that I have a heart that is made of stone, but it's a lie, and everything that is said to me, hits home. Sometimes I will hear something, and my writing will stop mid sentence, and I'm frozen, locked behind something that I don't know how to get through. I know everyone out there has felt this.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't a writer; I wish that words weren't the easiest way for me to express myself, that I had a talent in another field, or another something to which to put my passion. I don't know how much time I've spent crying, and believing the worst of myself to be my majority. Even right now, at this moment, I'm not sure if I should continue. I think that I should put my pen down, and pick up something that I know would make money for me.

Is there anyone out here that reads this blog, or at least this post, that has advice? Anyone that knows how to write and continue to write, no matter what feelings go through your mind? Please, any and all advice will be considered. I'd hate to think that moments like this will be the sum of my existence, that I might become known for my work after I'm dead. When I think like this, I realize just how young I am in this industry.

The Difference Between Fiction and Fantasy

Sometimes, when you share with people your writing, especially writing of the scintillating variety, their first question/comment is: "This is what turns you on?"

When I hear this question, it makes me feel all sorts of ways. The first thing it does is confuse me. It almost makes me feel as if I should have some sort of control over what comes out of my pen. I have as much control over what I'm drawn to write, as I have control over the thickness of my glasses. Especially when it comes to graphic writing. I'm seriously contemplating writing a post about the difference between erotica and sexual writing, because many people consider them to one and the same.

The second thing I feel in annoyance. I always specifically say that my writing is fiction. With some stories/ideas, like Big Brother, I'm technically not driven to arousal by the graphic parts. In that, I'm using the sex scenes as specific tools to get across an idea. I know many people will find the scenes/story stroke worthy, but it's not my cup of tea. It's not something I would participate in. Hell, I root for the sake of justice in those stories.

Now, I'm not saying that I find none of my writing sexy, because that would be a lie, but I am saying that I don't often write my fantasies into stories. For people that have read a lot of my work (all four of them), they can tell the difference between fantasy and true fiction. When I'm fantasizing about stuff, I usually have nameless characters (a Master and a slave), blurry descriptions with only the most basic physical traits given (dark hair and eyes, full breasts, long manhood). It's not about the characters, it's not about their stories, it's not about their love, concerns and fears. It's about seeing them fuck. It's the literary equivalent of making your dolls have doll sex. Many of these never leave my computer/journals, because they're not actual stories, they're PWP-- Porn Without Plot. To be honest, it's very difficult for me to write a story around a fantasy, because I don't think of the characters outside of their sexual terms. I don't care if the Master is a lawyer who is under a lot of stress, or if his Fortune 500 company is being indited on a scheme. I don't care if the slave was the neighbor-girl he held captive until she broke, or if she's a runaway that followed him home and won over his heart with her charm and grace. It doesn't matter. I think I'm going to post a short PWP scene, and then post a graphic scene that comes from a story.

Yes, I will scour my writing, and find something from both categories and post it... I'll probably do it some time in the upcoming week.

Difficulties You Might Not Expect

I have to say, coming up with ideas isn't really my issue when it comes to writing.

I have way more problems with actually getting through an idea, and finishing it. When I look at so much of my writing, I'll get in far, 20, 30, sometimes even forty pages. I'll try to keep it up long and strong, and it'll fade back as quickly as it came on, and I'm stuck dribbling on about something I'm not quite sure was ever as good as I'd imagined it to be.

I think it's the reason that writing something, dare I say, novel length is intimidating for me. My play was originally supposed to be something novel length, and I know if I had continued trying to write it as something grand and pompous, I'd have forsaken it before I could go the full journey with my character. Now, I return to a novel, the very beginnings of some epic story, and I find that I don't know that character any more. She's grown into a wonderful and splendid human being (for all intensive purposes), and I still have her stuck at at basic level.

As for right now, I know that there is a particular story, well, a few, that I should devote time specifically to. I'm still learning how to actually sit and write something for two hours. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do it perfectly, but I know that I need to put in the time necessary for me to perfect my craft.

Do Not Mention 50 Shades of Anything To Me

Let me start by saying: I have, and will NOT read that book series.

If there's anything that I know a lot about, it's fan fiction. I've written fan fiction (mostly Harry Potter) since I was 13 years old. Sometimes, I still read fan fiction, enjoying alternate universes that readers can see the characters in. Hell, I also write it still, on occasion.

There are works of fan fiction that are great, such as the Cassandra Clare's Draco Trilogy, which I'm downloading as I speak. It is a masterpiece, this is not.

That is the immediate reason why I am not impressed by this series.

At first, it piqued my interest: BDSM in a series? Well sign me up for a copy! The first strike from the story, was that it was Twilight fan fiction. I read the first book, it was alright, but the culture that spawned from it irritated me to the point where I would refuse to read them.

The more I learned about the book, the more it irritated me. For one, it's not even a well written fan fiction. I've read excerpts on Evil Slutopia, and I can't help wanting to bash my head into the keyboard. The way that the character thinks, the way that the character responds, not to mention the Christian Gray... There are only two Mr. Gray's that I'd have anything to do with: Mr.E. Edward Gray from the movie Secretary, and Mr. Dorian Gray from his novel.

Not only do the characters annoy me, but the way the relationship unfolds annoys me. The story is an entirely inaccurate portrayal of Dominance and submission, and how it should occur. From what I understand about Christian Gray, he's no different that the hundreds (and I'm being quite literal) of Seme's that I've read in yaoi. Hell, I take Iason Mink over Christian Gray every time. Every time.

Unfortunately, every day, I'm forced to hear something about this moronic book, to see the author on day time television, to hear discussions about it. This book is not the Story of O, but people seem to put it in the same category (although I don't consider O to be erotica, but that's a different blog). This book just goes to show me that the state of literature in the world.

I do not want to sound like an asshole/hater, but I know I write better than that. My friends and I write better stories than that. Hell, we wrote better stories than that in our freshman year of high school. I just dislike that this book is seen as the bees knees, when it's really not.

I've heard from people that the book does have upsides; it's bringing to light BDSM, and having it discussed, is a good thing, especially for those that are shy about such things. I guess that's a good thing. Anything that opens up discussions is a good thing.

But this book is a Twilight fan fiction. That is badly written. That has been mentioned to me so many times that I make sure to let people know my feelings before even bringing it up. And for these reasons, I want nothing to do with it. Some people may think that I'm just talking a big game. I'm not.

I just realized something positive that this book has done: it's forced me to be even more diligent about my writing, so that I can show people what good erotica reads like.