This great article/interview on Wired really spotlights the brilliance of Felicia Day’s Web comedy: The Guild, plus, the amazing creative brain behind it.

This quote from Felicia absolute NAILS what I think about characterization in fiction:

But in general, there’s nothing more frustrating than that stereotypical gamer — the teenager in the basement with his mom getting him Hot Pockets. That’s why I wrote the show as well; because that stereotype is not accurate. Every quirky girl doesn’t have to be the best-friend character. It’s a very limiting and self-fulfilling prophecy.

::chickwriter punches the air in a resounding YES!!::

As much as stereotypes are often true in RL (I mean, they did become stereotypes for a reason), I LOVE to see when someone really truly GETS it. When the geek gamer girl/boy/woman/man is a well-rounded person with a life. This can absolutely be applied across the board for all fiction writing (books, TV, movies, etc.) – the quirky girl best friend is a cliche that I absolutely loathe (and is right up there with the quirky gay man best friend/neighbor in my utter loathing).

In creating characters, I want to dig deeper. WHY is character X the moustache twirling villain? Or better yet, the quiet he-loves-his-mom-and-apple-pie serial killer? DEXTER is one of the series (books/TV) that helped twist the standard cliche and explode it  out of the water, which iswhy it’s such great fiction. So many excellent urban fantasy (both adutl and YA) writers are doing the same thing, as are many mystery writers.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a well-written standard noir detective story–as long as the characters feel real, fresh and as if they have lives outside the set story. I love twisting tropes, creating characters with all shades of gray, breathing life into someone who only exists in a fictional world.

It’s bloody brilliant and so very exciting to watch my characters come to "life" – to know that Keira utterly hates most American chocolate, having been raised on European versions all her life. And that Adam Walker practices his one-eyebrow lift sometimes in the mirror, forcing himself to keep the mask of neutrality and genteel inquiry, when what he’d often like to do is get into the discusssion/argument with all his emotions. Niko loves kittens and small animals of all sorts…and not to eat. He never had a pet and wishes that someday he’ll be settled enough to adopt a few strays from the shelter. Despite his cocky attitude, deep down, he really really wants consistency.

See, I can’t help but *know* these things about my characters. In fan fiction, we often call it "personal canon" – things you believe your version of X character does/likes/is like outside the constraints of the fictional work.

So, what personal canon do you all have about fictional characters you love in books/TV/Movies? What do you think floats Dean Winchester’s boat? What’s Jason Stackhouse’s favorite candy bar?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

(ETA: I wrote up some personal canon last year for my primary characters and posted on my Web site. Go read, it’s fairly amusing.)

Celebrating the release date for Blood Bargain, the 2nd book in my Blood Lines series. As some of you remember/may know, BB had a short releaselast year in November, when Juno was still part of Wildside Press. Because of the impending Pocket Books deal, only a small number of copies were printed, distributed, Of the good: nearly 100% of these sold and were not returned, so I was able to earn out my advance. Of the bad: There weren’t too many folks that got their hands on the book.

Now, it’s out again in bright shiny red cover with embossed lettering–w00t!! If you were thinking of buying, please do so today/this week if possible, I’d love to see a spike in sales figures!

For those who have read BB and are eagerly awaiting the next book: Blood Kin will be out next month (10/27).

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings.  Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.  Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; and the National Association of College Stores.  It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Check out the lists of Frequently Challenged Books by year.

Going AFK until I get to Dallas tomorrow. See some of you at FenCon, at my signings or one of the other events!!

I’ll definitely be online, just not sure when.

Thanks to my readers, I’ve been voted one of the top mystery blogs by the Daily Reviewer.

So, thanks readers and please keep on coming back!! ::g::

On the writing front news, Book 4 is coming along nicely, and thanks to

birki_lib

(my sister) I’ll be able to visit a high school football stadium while I’m in Texas this weekend. it’s been a LONG time since I was in one and watching FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS may be helpful in remembering, but I still need the sight, scent, feel of the place.

Today, I’m running errands in the morning (Post Office, pharm) so I can pack for my trip later this afternoon. Leaving first thing Thursday a.m. (Yes, I pack in advance…I am a Virgo!!)

Tomorrow night, a visit to the Apple store to introduce my buddy V to the wonders of the Mac, and then dinner and catch up. The rest of the time today and tomorrow will be spent with Keira and the gang in Rio Seco, trying to figure out why….

Well, I can’t tell you all EXACTLY what’s up, that would be a spoiler!!

Top mystery novels blogs

September 1 was the very first Pride Day for a new group, the Outer Alliance.

Mission statement: As a member of the Outer Alliance, I advocate for queer speculative fiction and those who create, publish and support it, whatever their sexual orientation and gender identity. I make sure this is reflected in my actions and my work.

I just applied to join and hope all you folks that read me go to their blog and read the blog posts. Writers, I urge you to join (it’s open to published and non-published writers).

Some really great short fiction, excerpts, posts, etc. at the above link. Go read, and help support queer speculative fiction.

Thanks to the always amazing beledibabe – THIS:

She added *blood* drops to the matte!!! How cool is that?

As always, my family and friends are teh awesome.

(btw, all crookedness, etc. is my bad photo taking w/phone)

I threw out a few reactions last night on Dreamwidth (well, early this a.m. thanks to the Insomnia Faery), but really felt the need to get my more complex thoughts down.

Caveats:
(1) I am not a Biblical scholar, so everything I say below comes from my own studies, research and interests in mythology
(2) This is in no way supposed to be a deep analysis of anything; just my post-episode reaction after doing some thinking.
(3) This also isn’t a "what I loved"/"what I hated"–just some thoughts about how Kripke and the writers are using the overall SPN mythos, folklore, legend and mythology in this continuing storyline.
(4) Please remember that I tend to come at these analyses as someone who writes urban fantasy and often uses folklore & myth in my own work. This is probably why this fascinates me so much.

That said…read on if you will. I’d be interested to learn your thoughts, as well. [this got really long, too. ::g::

Spoilers below, enter at your own risk

Hi, gang! Just got the schedule for my panels at FenCon. Here’s my entire weekend schedule for next week:

September 18-20, 2009
FenCon
Dallas, TX

FenCon panel schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 19th
12:00 pm
Eerie Books
205 N. Ballard Street
Wylie, TX 75098
 
Saturday, Sept. 19th
2:00 pm
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Firewheel Town Center
190 Cedar Sage Drive
Garland, TX 75040

Monday, Sept. 21st
7:00 pm
Author’s Express Festival
Hosted by the Smith Public Library, Sachse Public Library and Barnes & Noble
Wylie City Hall
Wylie, Texas

Hope to see you DFW area folks at one of the events.

And don’t forget! Tuesday, September 29 is the release date for Blood Bargain!!

…that birthdays are wonderful things. Especially, when like mine, it lasts and lasts.

Stopped by my PO Box today to find a lovely card from my parents and a beautiful card from my wonderful Q. Then stopped by to pick up package from my sis.

Inside was the usual assortment of fun items, including magnets, Texas style lollies (shaped like hat, boot, the state, etc.). Two items, though, made me laugh like a loon for at least a half hour.

Item the first: (click to see full image)

Item the second:(click to see full image)

DUDES, I got a MOUNTIE for my birthday!!!!!! And a fantastic bumper sticker that will immediately go on Simply Red. I’m still giggling!!

Ran errands all morning, sorting out the property tax sticker for the car, mailed packages (Wendy, your book is in today’s mail!) and sorted out more stuff for shredding. We authors (as do most folks) collect WAY the heck too much paper. I had print outs of my old stuff, other people’s old stuff, fan fiction stories, Gutenberg items (this was before I got the Kindle). I’ve now got 15 medium size bags o’shredding. A local firm, BudgetShred is coming on Thursday to pick up. VERY reasonable, too.

Next step in decluttering: finish listing the last set of books on eBay/half.com. I’m giving it until the end of October. If stuff doesn’t sell by then, I’m donating everything to the library.

Hope everyone is having a great back-to-business day after the long Labor/Labour Day weekend!