A Thousand a Day

Just like a lot of people do around New Year’s, I set some goals for 2015.  I’ve had trouble the last year balancing my college and family life with writing.  So often, it is something that gets pushed aside for other things.  I’ve had to focus more on visual art in pursuit of my degree.  I do get a lot of satisfaction from creating visual art, either painting or photo-manips or even photography, but it’s not the same kind of satisfaction as putting words on a page to create a story.

And really, I have more to share.  I have more to say, and I need to be saying it.

So, that leads me to my goal for this year:  a thousand words a day, on any story I want.  This also includes taking notes on my story ideas if I’m struggling to work on the actual prose.  I’m terrible at writing my ideas down, but they fade if I don’t grab onto them when they come to me.

I have one story in particular that has taken possession of me.  I’ve shared quotes a few times via my Facebook page, but I consolidated them here to share as well.

When he moved, I moved with him. I quickly forgot about everything but the tiny world in the closet. A secret world of silk and warm skin, of heavy breaths and soft thumps, of chocolate and erasers and hair gel. A world where the normal lines drawn between friends had vanished.  –A Trunkful of Secrets, Dani Myrick

***

What was I in for now? Maybe some old school blood-letting by leeches? Or something more modern, like electroshock therapy?

Was there any way of explaining this to her? I had half-ass managed with Erec, but I just couldn’t see pulling it off with Mom. There was no telling when something I might say would make things even worse. Then I’d end up in therapy again, reliving my birth experience to the amplified sounds of my mother’s heartbeat and encouraging yells of the therapist to push on through and seek the light.  –A Trunkful of Secrets, Dani Myrick

***

He licked his lips nervously. “Can I…can I take your clothes off?”

My arms shot in the air. Hell, yeah, he could take my clothes off. In fact, he could put me in pigtails and baby-doll pajamas if it meant his mouth would be on my junk again. –A Trunkful of Secrets, Dani Myrick

***

“Seriously, dude, we’ll get caught!”  Telltale wheezing accompanied his words.

This is your own fault!  I waited all week for this.”  We wrestled over his shirt.  He was stronger, but I had a week’s worth of pent-up sexual tension to work out.  And I had no problem ripping the damn thing off if I could.  “I even researched, and you totally blew me off.  Now, stop making me feel like a rapist and get naked!”  –A Trunkful of Secrets, Dani Myrick

***

I wanted to snarl every time I caught sight of her, as she continued to wiggle her way into Erec’s life. Sure, I realized that part of my newfound hatred might be pure and simple jealousy, with maybe a dash of insecurity. But part of it was the smug looks she seemed to give me, as if she totally knew I was her main competition, and it was a contest in which I didn’t even have the right to compete. –A Trunkful of Secrets, Dani Myrick

Oh, I also said I’d be sharing more Sugar Rush art, but I got sidetracked painting Kuroko and Kagami from Kuroko’s Basketball kissing, so, um, I’m posting that instead.  Feel free to make me feel horrible about this utter betrayal of my own characters in the comments.

Summer 2014 anime recommendations!

I’ve been seriously slacking in the blogging department, especially when it comes to bringing the wonders of anime to everyone who happens by.  It’s time to remedy that!  The summer 2014 anime season is in full swing, and I’ve watched enough (3 to 4 episodes each) to have a list of recommendations.

Looking for a good laugh?  Try:

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun:   High schooler Chiyo Sakura tries to confess her feelings to Umetaro Nozaki, but he mistakes her for a fan of his work instead.  For sheer amount of laughs, this anime has to top my summer 2014 list.  The Crunchyroll synopsis calls the cast “very individualistic characters,” and I totally agree with that.  This anime has fun playing with character archetypes–sometimes outright breaking them.  Add in great dialogue and and hilarious plots, and I’m left a giggling puddle of happy on the floor after watching it every week.  I see some hints of actual *feels* which might leave me a bit teary, but we’ll see.

Barakamon:  Master calligrapher Seishu moves to a small island town in order to find a better path for himself, but the quiet life he envisioned is constantly being disrupted by the island’s inquisitive but well-meaning children.   Funimation’s site layout feels more like a labyrinthine game in which I must battle poor planning and design to reach my queue list, but I’m so glad I tracked this show down.  For those of you who love realistic–and humorous–portrayals of kids, this is the show for you (no lolis or shotas here).  Seishu is a bit of an idiot (in the sweetest sense of the word), but luckily the island residents are welcoming and seem to have a lot to teach him.  Lots of great laughs and also quite a few touching moments so far.

Magimoji Rurumo:  Kota Shibaki accidentally summons a witch trainee during a school club activity, introducing him to the world of witches and magic.  If you’re looking for substance with your comedy, this isn’t the place for it.  Lots of fluffy fun and some “aww” moments, though.  I’m always smiling after every episode.

Samurai Jam-Bakumatsu Rock:  Speaking of fluffy fun, SJBR is definitely in that category too.  Oh, and don’t be fooled by “rock” in the title.  We’re not talking rock-n-roll here.  We’re talking boy band pop set in the Bakumatsu Era, though with convenient things like electric guitars and stage lights.  Oh, and the Shinsengumi are government pop idols.   Seriously, I’m not making this shit up.  Add in clothes that blow off the protagonists when they really get rockin’ and you have a recipe for a lot of silly with a side of sweet and hilarious.

Looking for a good drama (tears optional)?  Try:

Terror in Resonance:  I have to take my anime drama in small doses, heavily cut with comedy.  Thus, I don’t have a lot of dramatic titles for you.  However, Terror in Resonance is turning out to have everything I look for: circumstances that shape complex, damaged characters and lead to impossible choices.  I have no idea if any light of hope can shine in this story.  All I know is that I’m bringing the tissues along for the journey.

RE:  Hamatora (second season):  Hamatora is a unique mix of X-men (with cooler powers, in my opinion) and Sherlock (young, brilliant mystery solvers) with a good dose of humor to balance out the darker moments.  Hamatora not only gives a very interesting world but also a cast of unique characters, both good guys and bad guys (though this is the type of anime where it’s not always clear where the line between the two is drawn).  Lead protagonist “Nice” (yes, that’s his name) lives by his own code, and a lot of my fascination with the series is seeing the world through his eyes.  Supporting cast is also well-developed with their own stories, which are slowly revealed.  Season one ends on a huge cliff-hanger, but fortunately four episodes of RE:  Hamatora are already out for your viewing pleasure.

Looking for some creepy horror?  Try:

Tokyo Ghoul:  People-eating ghouls terrorize Tokyo.   As soon as I saw the promotional video for this one, I knew I’d have to watch it.  The animation and character designs are awesome and gruesome and fascinating, and the plot is heavy with questions about what makes us human and how human morality could relate to a species that feeds off of humans.  Also, people-eating ghouls in Tokyo.  Come on, you know you wanna see that!

Want some boys in your love stories?  Try:

Free!  Iwatobi Swim Club Eternal Summer (second season):  Okay, so technically, Free! is not a boys love anime, but other than actual lip-locking, you pretty much have all the bishie-boy relationship drama of one, plus some cool as hell swimming and great characters.  This one is high on my humor list, and has also brought me to tears a few times.   Season two is not just resting on its fan-servicing laurels either.  We have *gasp* actual character growth after the events of the first season, new plots, and tantalizing new characters.

Love Stage!!:  Best anime this season for me, bar none.  If you ever wanted to try a shounen-ai/boys love title, I recommend starting with this one.  My very hetero husband enjoys it for the humor factor alone.  Anime style is fresh and fun, and the two protagonists are totally clueless and freaking adorable.  I can’t wait to see how things unfold past episode three (which I’ve watched three times already).

DRAMAtical Murder:  If not for Love Stage!!, I’d probably be a lot more excited about DRAMAtical Murder than I am.  It’s a cute story so far with a whole cast of hotties for fangirls to fantasize about (doing it with each other, that is).  The soft sci-fi setting and bright palette are really eye-catching, and I’d probably watch the show for that alone.  Plus, personal assistant animal computer companions.  What can beat that??  Oh, I should mention that I know nothing about the game/visual novel it is based on, so my impressions are of the anime alone.

If you want to see the promotional videos for these (and other) summer 2014 anime titles, you can check out this youtube list here.

Those are all of my recommendations for now.  This is by no means a complete list of anime titles this season, just the ones that stood out to me (my watchlist is muuuch larger).  Also, if you’re new to anime and have no idea where to start, drop me a note in the comments and tell me what kinds of stories/genres you like.  I’ll let you know what I thought was awesome and tell you where to find it legally online.

 

 

Some thoughts on Brothers Conflict and reverse harems.

So, I had a pretty apathetic day recently where I didn’t feel like doing anything (productive).  I don’t have these often, so I usually just go with it and take the day off if I can.  I ended up flipping through Hulu to look at all the shows on our watchlist and came across Brothers Conflict.  Since I wanted something light and fluffy, I thought a reverse harem was a pretty good choice.  However, after trying (and failing) to enjoy other reverse harems, (Amnesia, Diabolik Lovers, and Hiiro no Kakera are the ones I can remember) I probably should have gone with something else.  I ended up watching Brothers Conflict not for the entertainment/enjoyment value, but rather just to find out “how bad is this going to get?”  I suppose that is a *kind* of entertainment, but likely not the sort the creators intended.

This got me thinking:  what is with my hatred of reverse harems?  Most reverse harems are also shoujo, intended for the young (18 and under) female demographic.  While I’m 20 years past this market, I can still remember what it was like to be a shy, awkward teenager awash in too many hormones.  I should be able to relate on some level, right?

*sigh* Apparently, no.

I’ve decided that my biggest problem with reverse harems is the characters such a plot breeds.  Maintaining multiple guys going after the same girl for an extended period of time has certain requirements.  Let me break it down for you.

Reverse Harem Heroine Traits:

• She must be pure and beautiful.  Yes, she must be virginal and innocent, overwhelmed by all this male attention.  Oh, and she can’t know she’s beautiful because that would make her vain.
• She must be indecisive.  She can’t decide who she wants to be with or what type of relationship she wants with them, or the reverse harem would fall apart.
• She must be the silent victim.  She can’t actively encourage the boys to pursue her because that would taint her pure image.  The guys must do the pursuing, sometimes roughly, sometimes inappropriately, and she cannot protest this treatment because then the pursuit (and the show) would end.
• She must want to “love everyone.”  Her main goal is to maintain the current group dynamic and status quo (and, therefore, the show).

Reverse Harem Hero Traits:

• He must be hot, but not like his rivals.  Yes, all RH heroes must have their own brand of hotness.  In order for convenience (because how much screen time are they going to get when they are competing against a dozen other dudes, right?), their personalities are usually structured around one physical trait (hair color, glasses, height, peculiar way of dress) and then sometimes one personality trait (tsundere, shy, etc.).
• He must be aggressive.  Yep, that’s right boys.  If your defining personality trait is shyness, you don’t stand a real chance and all the girls know it.  If you aren’t willing to push the heroine up against walls, kiss her into silence when she might protest, and punch out your rivals when they pay attention to her, it’s just not gonna work out.
• He must be selfish and ignore the heroine’s wish to maintain the status quo.  His main goal is to finally win the “prize” and beat his rivals.  He will never be satisfied as “just friends” (or step-siblings, as in the case of Brothers Conflict).  He will continue the pursuit (and, therefore, the show) even after she’s finally managed to say no.

Looking at it like this, do these people sound like individuals you’d want to spend your time with?  I can’t say I find them particularly appealing.

Now I’m going to get spoilery, so if you want to watch Brothers Conflict without spoilers you should skip out now.

Brothers Conflict follows all of the above guidelines.  Chii, our heroine, moves into a house full of 13 (apparently hard up and very horny) stepbrothers after her father marries their mother.  Chii somehow becomes the center of the world for these brothers, and conflicts over her break out everywhere (thus, the title).  Some of the pursuers, including a set of triplets and a famous idol, are fairly aggressive.  Their actions include constantly getting in Chii’s personal space and making her obviously uncomfortable, pushing her up against walls/trees and kissing her, pushing her down onto the couch and kissing her, pulling her into a dark classroom and biting her.  The idol even snuck into her room and started to undress her while she was sleeping before he had a change of heart.  Though she blushed, stammered, and looked extremely uncomfortable, Chii never vocally protested these actions.  She never told anyone about them, not even her loving father (who was noticeably absent throughout the entirety of the show) or one of the older brothers who at least kept their pervy thoughts about her to themselves.  She just treated their behavior as if it were normal.  When she finally, AFTER 12 EPISODES, worked up the nerve to tell the more aggressive ones that she wanted to be a normal family and that she loved them like brothers, they refused to accept this.  Seriously, flat out refused to respect her wishes.   Why?  Because if they’d done the right thing and accepted this, all hope for season 2 would be gone.

Ergh.

I must note that there is one exception to my reverse harem antipathy.  I’ve seen Ouran High School Host Club called a reverse harem, though it breaks the above rules at every turn.  The focus of the show isn’t the push/pull of Get the Girl versus Maintain the Group.  Ouran’s plot focuses on growing up, friendships, how those ties can change us and sometimes even make us better people, liberally spiced up with some freaking hilarious stuff like poking fun at manga/anime tropes and other random awesomeness.

So, how do you feel about reverse harems?  Have you watched/read any good ones that I should check out?

Mini reviews for spring 2014 anime season.

The spring 2014 anime season is progressing nicely!  I have some additions and subtractions to my watchlist and a few things to say about each one based on the first one or two episodes only.  When the season is over, I’d like to compare my first impressions with my final impressions.  I’ve linked to the Crunchyroll pages where you can read the show description and/or watch if you’d like.  I promise, no spoilers past what you could find out just by reading the show blurb.

• Brynhildr in the Darkness:  Tears:  likely, based on just the opening.  Laughter:  not sure yet, but I’m hoping for some funny to balance out the darker moments.  I’m totally into finding out the mystery of Kuroneko/Kurohaneko.
• The Irregular at Magic High School:  Tears:  probably not.  Laughter:  yes.  I wasn’t really sure about this one because I find the whole “sibling love gone too far” kinda squicky, but as long as we don’t reach Oreimo levels I’m okay.  Also, I freaking love magical schools and complex magic systems!
• The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior:  Tears:  likely, as our young hero, Kazunari, dares the dangerous waters of first love.  Laughter:  definitely!  This is by far the funniest anime of this season for me.
• Baby Steps:  Tears:  probably not.  Laughter:  definitely.  It’s unusual in the sports anime I’ve watched for the girl to be the bad-ass player.  Usually the girl characters fill manager, coach, sister, and cheerleader roles just to inject a little estrogen into the mix, so I found the change-up refreshing.
• Haikyu:  Tears:  likely; I can already tell that lead Hinata is gonna take me on an emotional journey through the world of volleyball.  Laughter:  definitely. I’m already loving the dynamic between Hinata and “king of the court” Tobio, and I look forward to seeing them play together!
• The World is Still Beautiful:  Tears:  possibly?  Laughter:  you bet.  I really like heroine Nike’s outgoing personality and willingness to take risks!
• Kamigami no Asobi:  Tears:  doubtful.  Laughter:  likely.  I haven’t had great experience with reverse harems (Diabolik Lovers, anyone?), but I have hope for this one.  My main issue with reverse harem is heroines who are usually indecisive, pathetic, useless “victims” (Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club being the awesome exception, of course) who are at the mercy of the male cast.  However, Yui, the female lead, is proficient with the sword and seems proactive in making sense of her predicament and finding a way home.  If she turns out to be another useless waif though, this one is getting kicked off my watchlist, as that is just not my thing.
• Majin Bone:  Tears:  doubtful.  Laughter:  yes!  I almost didn’t watch this one, especially when the characters whipped out cards to change into their mecha selves in the opening sequence (and I subsequently found out that Majin Bone is based on a digital card game).  Mecha shounen type anime aren’t high on my list of likely enjoyable watches (the exception being Majestic Prince), but I’m glad I persisted.  This one looks to have quite a few laughs, quirky characters (my favorite!), and interesting battle sequences.
• Blade and Soul:  Tears:  probably.  Laughter:  doubtful.  Blade and Soul has the distinctive look of 3D pretending to be 2D which I actually enjoy (it’s similar to the look of Arpeggio of Blue Steel from last season).  However, there were a few scenes where the 2D facade was ripped away, leaving behind very 3D rendered looking characters.  This abrupt change always sears my eyeballs and makes my artist’s heart bleed.  Despite this, I really was intrigued by Alka’s story and want to know more about her.  Plus, I totally love kuudere characters.  When they finally do open up it’s so friggin’ satisfying!
• Rowdy Sumo Wrestler Matsutaro:  Meh.  I was totally disappointed in this one.  Matsutaro was so painfully bad.  Like, as in, stealing candy from babies bad.  I was hoping he’d have a change of heart, but it doesn’t seem to be on the horizon based on the first two episodes and what I read after I googled.  I just didn’t feel like sticking with it after that.
• Black Bullet:  Tears:  definitely.  Laughter:  you betcha!  I waited for Black Bullet with baited breath.  The previews looked awesome, and the storyline sounded promising.  The first two episodes haven’t disappointed, though I’m definitely bringing out the tissues for this one.  I’m already emotionally involved with the two main characters and even a few side characters.
• The Comic Artist and Assistants:  Tears:  nope.  Laughter:  hell, yes!  These 10-minute episodes are total comedic fluff, and I had a blast watching the first few.
• The File of Young Kindaichi Returns:  Maybe I’ve just seen too many detective anime done better (Neuro, Psychic Detective Yakumo, Hamatora, Gosick, to name a few) to really get into this one.  What, Kindaichi, you just solve normal mysteries?  No supernatural events, prophecies, demons, ghosts, superpowers, or anything else?  *snoooore*
• *new to list* Nanana’s Buried Treasure:  Tears:  probably.  Laughter:  definitely.  I love the anime style of NBT, but that alone won’t keep me watching.  I think Nanana is awesome, and Juugo makes a great male lead. I can’t wait to see what mysteries Nanae Island has in store for me!
• *new to list* If Her Flag Breaks (Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara):  Tears:  maybe?  Laughter:  yes, yes, yes!  This one reminds me strongly of My Mental Choices are Completely Interfering with my School Romantic Comedy (zomg, that title length!) and even somewhat of The World God Only Knows, both of which I enjoyed for their fluffy, funny, touching, slightly supernatural, school days stories, though IHFB has the potential for darker, more dramatic moments to give the show some depth.
• *new to list* No Game No Life:  Tears:  maybe.  Laughter:  definitely.  This show makes my inner artist squeal in delight.  It’s just so friggin’ pretty and dynamic.  As for the storyline, all I can say is—hikikimoris rule…or, at least, we would if we ever left the house!  Siblings Sora and Shiro are an excellent example of this.  I like shows that involve games, and No Game No Life is all about games.  I enjoyed Sora and Shiro’s complicated relationship (I’m hoping we stay out of squick-ville since Shiro is 11, and, well, they’re freaking siblings), and I’m looking forward to seeing how it changes over the show.  Will they grow more independent of each other, or will the stress in their new environment force them even closer?  Only time will tell.
• *new to list* Mekakucity Actors:  Tears:  yes.  Laughter:  yes.  This show visually reminds me of the Bakemonogatari series with odd camera angles, backgrounds with repetitive shapes, and something too intangible for me to name which makes Mekakucity Actors feel very otherworldly.  I have to admit, I was confused by some of the content in the first episode, but this confusion just made me want to watch the next episode right now to see WTF is going on.

 

First edits and why you should be watching Hunter x Hunter.

THE WRITING PART

The first edits came in this week for His Familiar Scars. I was a nervous wreck. I’d never had a professional editor evaluate my writing before. So, how’d it go, you ask? Well…pretty damn well. There were remarkably few technical errors and only a few minor clarifications that I needed to make. The editor was profuse in her praise of the high quality of my writing as well as the storyline itself. Talk about a boost to my confidence! I was expecting hell, and I ended up in writer heaven.

Life is good today.

 

THE ANIME PART

Looking for a new anime? I have one. Doesn’t matter your age or gender, either. Go over to Crunchyroll and start watching Hunter x Hunter. It’s classified as action and shounen at anime-planet, which makes it aimed at younger boys. So you’re picturing epic battles with lots of shouting, spiky-haired/super-powered kids, power-ups, over-the-top villains, right? Well, in a way, those things are present. But they were done so cleverly I never would have compared them to other shounen anime.

The characters in HxH are all unique, have depth, and many live in the ambiguous gray areas between heroes and villains. Some pass from one to the other. Some are both at the same time. Yes, the writing is that good. HxH is the first anime in which I cried over the death of a villain. I couldn’t deny that he was definitely a bad guy, but the way the story was done left me running for the tissues.

In addition to awesome characters, HxH’s other strength is in the story arcs which follow 12-year-old Gon, accompanied by best friend and ex-assassin Killua, on his journey to first become a hunter and then on further adventures. The arcs are long, well-developed, and seamlessly move from one to another. The secondary characters are cycled around, though Gon and Killua remain together, growing and changing in a realistic manner.

So, complex characters and great plot not enough to convince you? How about this. I started watching Hunter x Hunter because I wanted something I wouldn’t get too involved in while dealing with a heavy schoolwork load. After watching the first episode, I then proceeded to watch the rest of the 100+ episodes over the next week. Screw homework and sleep!

Yes, it’s just that good.

The blogging journey begins.

THE RANDOM PART

So, I write.  I write a lot.  I even write things that I want other people to read.  Of course, I’m talking about writing fiction.  With that, I can at least pretend the content has no direct correlation with my own thoughts and feelings.  However, a blog is different.  It is all about my own thoughts and feelings.  I’m supposed to wow you with my deep insights into the meaning of life and make you laugh with my awesomely funny commentary.   Um, yeah.  I don’t think I’m up for that.  However, I’m told that future fans might eventually want a place to get to know me, the actual person behind some of the stories they’ve read and enjoyed.  I just hope meeting the woman behind the curtain doesn’t turn out to be a disappointment.

I plan on posting about my writing journey–that’s probably the main reason someone might be visiting.  However, besides reading, my main form of entertainment is anime.  I will most definitely be talking about, reviewing, and generally fangirling over my latest anime discovery.

 THE WRITING PART

In January 2014, I was sent a contract by Dreampinner Press for my novella, His Familiar Scars, the first contemporary romance I’d ever written, the first male-male romance I’d ever written, and the first teenage romance I’d ever written.  Also, it had *gasp* sex in it, which I had adamantly avoided writing for many years.  It was definitely a change-up from the norm for me, and I will be forever thankful to my best friend who encouraged me to stretch out of my comfort zone and write it.  Flush with success, I decided to see what other publishers were out there.  I ended up writing for an anthology themed “twisted MM fairytales” for Torquere Press.  I wrote Sugar Rush, a riff on Little Red Riding Hood set in a cyberpunk world.  While I was not chosen for the anthology, they asked me to expand the story to novella length to publish it separately.  I was freaking thrilled since I had taken out a lot of story elements in order to fit it into a 10,000 word limit (I’m not yet good at estimating how my plot ideas will expand out into actual story).

So, less than two months after the first contract, I found myself signing another with Torquere.  Two novellas in two months after 15 years of writing without ever having an agent or publisher even glance in my direction.  I still don’t know what to think, though I’m bravely soldiering on, filling out W9 forms, picking out cover artists, and now, writing a blog.  The first wave of edits will be coming soon, and I definitely feel like hunkering in the bunker while that particular bomb drops.

THE ANIME PART

Spring is in the air…spring anime, that is!  Wheeee!  Here’s my to-watch list at Crunchyroll!

• Brynhildr in the Darkness
• The Irregular at Magic High School
• The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
• Baby Steps
• Haikyu!! (I need something to tide me over while I’m waiting for more Kuroko’s Basketball)
• The World is Still Beautiful
• Kamigami no Asobi
• Majin Bone
• Blade and Soul
• Rowdy Sumo Wrestler Matsutaro
• Black Bullet
• The Comic Artist and Assistants
• The File of Young Kindaichi Returns

Simulcasts I’m continuing with:

• Nisekoi
• Ace of the Diamond
• The Master of Killing Time
• Yowapeda
• Nobunaga the Fool
• Hunter x Hunter (one of my all-time favorite squee-worthy shows)

I have no idea how many of the new shows will last on my watch list.  It all depends on my free time and their individual levels of awesomeness.