And I'm thinking what a mess we're in, Hard to know where to begin

Writing's hard.  To be more specific, trying to write an original story that doesn't come off as trite, cliched or otherwise unoriginal is difficult.  I'm also trying to avoid a common trope that annoys me to no end, and that is turning the lead character into a sexpot.  Bond is the best example I can think of, but he's been doing it for years, so I can kind of forgive him that.  For example, based on an Amazon recommendation and buzz I've heard, I started reading the Iron Druid series.  I'm about, oh, 6 or so chapters in, and the main character has been accosted by one naked goddess, slept with another, and flirted with another supernatural girl, all of which are described in overtly sexual descriptions.  Now, I know, it's fantasy, but please, it's just kind of ridiculous to beat us over the head with the author's fantasy sex objects. 

Another issue I have with the book is the overabundance of the supernatural in it thus far.  Yes, urban fantasy is about the mundane and the supernatural existing together, but again, 6 chapters in and we've met a couple of werewolves, a vampire, 2 goddesses, a group of fae, and a coven of witches, all in the same small town.  That's not even including the main character.  They're supposed to be "hiding" but none of them seem to take pains to hide what they are.  At least the Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake books have the excuse "supernaturals have made themselves known to the world at large" in their favor, but even then they don't scream "Ooh, isn't this cool, look at all the supernatural critters!"  Maybe I'm just spoiled by the subtlety of Charles de Lint (and if you have no idea who he is and you consider yourself a fan of fantasy, or even writing as a whole, stop reading this and go find one of his short story collections to read.  Dreams Underfoot is a good place to start) who incorporates the mystical into the urban in a flawless manner while still keeping it mysterious.  Or even the Dresden Files, where each book we're shown a little more of the supernatural world, until by book 13 or so, we understand why there are so many supernaturals.

Needless to say, I won't be reading any more books in this series.

It's not the only culprit of these sort of mistakes though.  For every Stackhouse or Dresden, there are dozens of wannabes that just don't get why these books worked.  Hell, even the writer for the show True Blood doesn't seem to always grasp why the books worked.  (Seriously, wtf is up with Tara and why must we be tortured by her every season?) 

I'll also admit, perhaps there's a bias on my end.  I'm painfully aware that most of my generation and younger just aren't familiar with classic literature in the way they should be.  Nor are they as well versed in the English language as they should be.  I know I'm not perfect but I at least attempt to use proper grammar and even will check a dictionary or thesaurus from time to time.  So yes, perhaps my high standards are to blame for my dislike of trite, unimaginative rehashes.  But here's the thing, you won't find me trashing the Twilight novels.  It's an interesting plot, and it got young adults reading, something I consider extremely valuable.  I'm perfectly willing to look at something, and say "It's just not for me" without having to make up reasons to condemn it.  However, if there are valid reasons, then I will share them.  If I haven't read it, as is the case with Twilight, then I clearly can't condemn it.

Well, that's my rant for today.  I will mention that I'm scrapping the serialized story through blog idea, as it would raise too many copyright issues, but that doesn't mean I won't be writing.  I am discarding the idea I was working on though.  I don't want to be lumped in with books like Hounded.  So now, onto idea . . . well, I lost count, but it should be fun.  For me at least.

And one more leading nowhere, just for show

I think we can all sympathize with Tevye.  At least, those of us who know who he is.

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in a bit.  Maybe not.  It's not like I get a lot of traffic.  Which suits me fine, since this is very much a vanity project.  But, at the very least, I should explain my absence.  I've been going through a burnout period with my games, and I haven't watched any movies/shows worth blogging about, and as I want to keep this focused on entertainment, well, if you got nothing to blog about, kind of hard to blog.

Another factor though, is that I've been trying to dive back into creative writing again.  I think I may have struck upon something that will work, at least so far as my being able to write it consistently.  I'm going to be starting a serial.  It's brilliant (for me) for a number of reasons. 

First, I suck at finishing a story.  I get caught up in re-editing, tweaking, going back and re-writing until I get so burnt out on the first 30 pages that I just walk away.

Second, serialized storytelling is THE medium of this generation, and has been for some time.  Comic books, soap operas, prime time television, all of these mediums use serialization in one form or another to tell stories.  A properly done serial will leave you with a longing for more of the story.

Finally, my goal is not to seek a profit.  If, by some chance, it's deemed good enough to publish, then great, but storytelling, to me, is something that should be shared with the world anyways.  It's one of the reasons I'm pursuing a degree in Information and Library Services.

So, right now I'm wrapping up the first part of my story, trying to think of a name for the serial, trying to decide how I want to go about publishing it (I'm thinking a secondary blog devoted to just the serial would be best), and if I want to try for some advertising.  My goal is to have everything in place by the end of the month, and start posting bi-weekly beginning in April.  I'm actually extremely excited about it, and I hope those of you who do follow me will enjoy it as well.