Month: September 2015

The Editing of Northern Lights – Angelic Ramblings and the Review of Chapter 2

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Note: This is the Editing Blog for my FFVII fanfiction Northern Lights (which you can find at the end of that link).  I will be discussing a myriad of topics along with my frequently tangential and harried editing process.  You should be able to garner some enjoyment and insight from this without having read the story and/or without prior knowledge of the original game, but if you’re a fan of paranormal romance and/or dark fantasy, you may find it to your liking.  The story will be spoiled in this editing examination, though I will do my best to mark spoilers for any other narratives I mention.  Thanks for your interest and enjoy!

<–Chapter 2 with More Paradise Lost and ASOIAF          Angels and Knights and the Start of Chapter 3–>

9/12/14
I’m jumping the gun again.  I started going to Chapter 3 before doing my second edit of Chapter 2.

This seems like my annoying pattern, but a less annoying pattern is my starting with a grandiose concept prior to my edit.  I’m greatly enjoying that.  I’ve been talking about ASOIAF and Paradise Lost for days, and that I truly of adore  I hope you haven’t grown tired of my babble dear readers.  If you haven’t I love you so.

I have in my tumultuous brain a particular head canon when it comes to angels and angel tropes.  This concept is also known as fanon and is highly up for interpretation, debate, and change.  Before I get into this I just need to segue for a moment.

There’s been a pattern to what sites I generally have open while I’m writing this blog including but not limited to Wikipedia, A Wiki of Ice and Fire, The FFVII Wiki (or just the FFVII page of the Final Fantasy Wiki), TV Tropes, and Goodreads.  Yesterday I found cause to go to The Lord of the Rings Wiki and Tardis Data Core, the Doctor Who Wiki.  Needless to say, the internet, though standing on the pillars of cat pics and porn, is still good for more than just those two things.

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Down By the Salley Gardens – FFVII: Aeriseph

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My latest video about my favorite ship 🙂  I honestly thought this one was going to be simple and easy to throw together because the song isn’t that long and the lines are in a poetic meter (so measured and fairly even), but I was wrong.  It took me 3-5 days to finish this up all told.  As with my other videos, I thought of using this song because I saw pictures in my head to the lyrics.  The line “…with little snow white feet…” really sticks out as I had a definite idea for that, but others didn’t come quite as easy.  It wasn’t difficult per se, but it wasn’t nearly as quick and simple as I thought it would be.  I manged though and here it is for your (hopeful) enjoyment.

I do now have Sony Vegas, but I haven’t a clue how to use it.  I need spend some time on Google doing some research.  I opened the program, but nothing I saw made sense any sense.  I’m sure I’ll get the hang of if though.  I would like to try my hand at AMV making very soon.

Thanks for watching and I bid you goodnight!

Cosplay Confessional – Rose Quartz (Steven Universe)

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So we need to talk about Rose Quartz from Steven Universe and how mind-blowingly beautiful she is.

Before I started watching Steven Universe, my friend posted on Facebook about how the main character’s mother was not remotely skinny, feminine, and a total bad ass, and even though I did not yet have time to watch the show, I loved that.  Too often the only female characters considered bad ass embody stereotypical male traits, and while I do love Brienne of Tarth and think Arya is pretty cool, I do grow tired of explaining why Sansa is not shitty or weak because she does not have stereotypical male traits and instead embodies more of the feminine mannerisms of courtesy and politeness.  These are the very traits that kept her alive.

The more I watch SU, the more I love Rose, and not only that we have to talk about representation.  Rebecca Sugar created a character that is not skinny in not only a sea of ultra thin “magical girls,” but an ocean of predominantly thin female protagonists.  While I am trying to keep that air of positivity and “I do want I wantness,” it is still amazing to see a character of a not skinny body type being portrayed in not only an awesome, but a totally kick ass manner.  So, while this is the latest cosplay idea that I have, I think it may become one of my most passionate.  I love episodes that focus on RQ, and eventually I might talk about all of the mommy feels that Steven Universe illicits because holy shit was a feeling them today.  Ah fuck it, I’ll explain.  Why the hell not?  Gives me an excuse to talk about my favorite narrative (not that I need one) and the mommy feels that seems to always bring up.

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The Editing of Northern Lights – Chapter 2 with More Paradise Lost and ASOIAF

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Note: This is the Editing Blog for my FFVII fanfiction Northern Lights (which you can find at the end of that link).  I will be discussing a myriad of topics along with my frequently tangential and harried editing process.  You should be able to garner some enjoyment and insight from this without having read the story and/or without prior knowledge of the original game, but if you’re a fan of paranormal romance and/or dark fantasy, you may find it to your liking.  The story will be spoiled in this editing examination, though I will do my best to mark spoilers for any other narratives I mention.  Thanks for your interest and enjoy!

<–ASOIAF, FFVII, and Paradise Lost Analysis (Pre-Chapter 2)     Angelic Ramblings and the Review of Chapter 2–>

Warning: Some discussions of rape as it relates to the narrative of Northern Lights.

9/10/14
Chapter 2 – The Spoils of War
Quote: “Heaven help the wayward soul that travels toward becoming whole, but never gets to see the kingdom come.” –November Project “Are You Sleeping?”
Picture: Yes

Chapter 2 - The Spoils of War

Picture Source: Yes
Picture Satisfaction: High

So for this chapter I definitely needed a quote and a new picture.  The one I had originally shows Seph carrying Aeris, which obviously means he didn’t kill her at the end of the first installment.

This one right here

This one right here

Or...this one. Future Narcissist is kind of unsure.

Or…this one. Future Narcissist is kind of unsure.

Now I now the blurb sort of gives away that that’s not going to happen and he’s going to repay his debt to her, but there’s still no reason to spoil how/when that happens with pictures.  Then again if you’re reading this, you should’ve already read chapter 2…actually you should’ve read the entire story unless you just want to listen to me babble in which case AWESOME carry on. I took notes about this chapter’s themes in order to get an idea  of what I wanted to have for both.

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A Mother’s Love

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The main reason I’m posting this right now is because I need to talk about it in my fourth Cosplay Confessional post, but I don’t want to talk about it without posting it.  This has been a day of mommy feels for multiple reasons, and that reminded me that I’d made this macro a few days ago, but hadn’t posted it yet on tumblr.  Because the artist’s name was on the original picture, I knew I’d be able to find them, and lo and behold, I did…I also found more of their work, and that work was rife with mommy feels.  I’ll talk more about that in the CC post, but for now, the macro.

Sephiroth and Lucrecia - A Mother's LoveI was putting up links to my tumblr because the picture is small, and the words blur if I try to enlarge it, but then I realized I’m a dumb ass, and you can just click the picture for a full view.

If you choose not to the words are:

“Even in your pride I never blamed you.  A mother’s love is a sacrifice…”

They are from Nightwish’s Two for Tragedy.  Honestly…the entire song itself could be about them, but Nightwish has always had a weird alignment with Final Fantasy, but…that’s a topic for another blog post.

The creator of the original is Deviant Artist Dark6Nika, and the source is located here.

I also used this picture in my Sephiroth and Lucrecia video for Candle on the Water.. 

One day I’ll have to tell you all about my idea of the “Broken Vase,” which is how I deal with an over abundance of mommy feels.  There’s a picture by the same artist that nearly made me lose it today, but again I’ll talk about that in the cosplay post.  Hell…I should just post the video I made about the “vase,” but that takes some jumping through hoops.

Until then (or later), I hope you enjoy.

The Editing of Northern Lights – ASOIAF, FFVII, and Paradise Lost Analysis (Pre Chapter 2)

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Note: This is the Editing Blog for my FFVII fanfiction Northern Lights (which you can find at the end of that link).  I will be discussing a myriad of topics along with my frequently tangential and harried editing process.  You should be able to garner some enjoyment and insight from this without having read the story and/or without prior knowledge of the original game, but if you’re a fan of paranormal romance and/or dark fantasy, you may find it to your liking.  The story will be spoiled in this editing examination, though I will do my best to mark spoilers for any other narratives I mention.  Thanks for your interest and enjoy!

<–Chapter 1 Reread, Reedit, and Recap     Chapter 2 with More Paradise Lost and ASOIAF–>

Future Narcissist here.  This is not so much an editing post as it is me talking about ASOIAF, the videos I found about it, and how it’s symbolically similar to FFVII.  If you have no interest in this

Kidding, but there IS an app for that

feel free to skip this entry; however there’s some pretty interesting stuff contained within for ASOIAF/GOT lovers who’d like a little more depth with their Westeros.

Alright, back to the past.

Teeny tiny tardis will take us there

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The Editing of Northern Lights – Chapter 1 Reread, Reedit, and Recap

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Note: This is the Editing Blog for my FFVII fanfiction Northern Lights (which you can find at the end of that link).  I will be discussing a myriad of topics along with my frequently tangential and harried editing process.  You should be able to garner some enjoyment and insight from this without having read the story and/or without prior knowledge of the original game, but if you’re a fan of paranormal romance and/or dark fantasy, you may find it to your liking.  The story will be spoiled in this editing examination, though I will do my best to mark spoilers for any other narratives I mention.  Thanks for your interest and enjoy!

<–Finishing Up Chapter 1     ASOIAF, FFVII, and Paradise Lost Analysis (Pre-Chapter 2)–>

Warning: Some discussions of (metaphorical) rape/sexual assault.

9/9/14
Fondest greetings to you all.

So I jumped the gun a bit in saying I’d be going forthwith onto Chapter 2.  I need to reread Chapter 1 prior to that as I generally edit one part one day, then go over it the next day before proceeding.  This is similar to my writing method.  Oh, I didn’t explain that, did I?  And not only that I wrote Northern Lights in an entirely different way to how I wrote The Serpent’s Tale.  Let’s start with the latter story first as that is my normal and comfortable style.

TST is completely handwritten out in various notebooks and journals.  I would write up to a certain point one day, and then when I went back to it the next round, reread what I’d written (crossing out and editing what I saw fit) before continuing the narrative.  After a certain point (about halfway through the first half since The Serpent’s Tale is split into two distinctive parts), I would transpose my handwritten story into Word, enhancing and adding anything I deemed necessary in the process.  The next day I’d reread what I’d written now on the computer, fixing and editing as I went before continuing the transposing process.  Lather, rinse, repeat until the tale was finally told after two years.  I then edited the entire thing like I’m doing now with Northern Lights but more ad nauseum.  I still need to fix/edit quite a few things, which was a huge impetus for the writing of this.  Seems ironic, but it does make sense.  With NL I cut out the part where I handwrote it and nearly went insane.  I absolutely abhor looking at a blank Word document when there’s writing that needs done, and I was also so terrified that something would happen to the computer and I would lose all my work.  This was no random feat as it had happened before with a story entitled Heart of Fire that is, alas, lost forever 😦  I combated this by emailing Northern Lights to myself every day, and if I ever forgot, I’d be terrified and tortured that my computer would crash or what I’d written wouldn’t be saved (which did happen with TST at one point).  So there you go.  That is my insane writing process.  With NL it was nice to know how many words I was writing per session without having to painstakingly count them on paper (not that I would anyway), but in all honesty it took me no less time to finish this current work then it would have TST, which is about twice as long in word count and took two years to NL’s one.  I also read an article posted by the irrepressible and brilliant Anne Rice stating that handwriting novels first is actually the better way to go about them, and it doesn’t really starve you of time.  While I’m happy for the experience of writing a story on the computer alone, I believe I will be going back to my old way for any future endeavors.

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Cosplay Confessional – The Halloween Edition

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Hello, hello dearest people!

I decided to do an update on my WIP Halloween costume.  As stated in my prior Cosplay Confession, I will being doing Rarity from My Little Pony this year.

The fancy lady er pony er pony lady

I was able to find a suitable dress at Torrid.com though there was a bit of trepidation since there were no returns and no exchanges offered since it was a clearance item.  I oscillated between one size and the other and finally decided on the one that aligned closest with my bust and waist even though it was only a 1x.  I…can’t even get started on how ridiculous women’s sizes are.  Even with such measurements, there’s no guarantee that clothing will fit, but I took a leap of faith, bought the smaller one and hoped for the best.

White DressMy wonderful coworker lent/gave me a purple ribbon, and while I love the color and think it looks cute, it’s not long enough to tie in a bow, and I kind of want a bow.

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Sweetness and Rue

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Another Monday another macro…not that I’m only posting them on Mondays; I just noticed that it was.

The words are from my Northern Lights.  I of course can’t claim the picture, because I can’t claim any picture.  I have no talent for the visual arts, so that source is located here and it is by Deviant Artist uekiOdiny.

Sephiroth Kissing Aeris - Sweetness and Rue.A clearer version of the image is located on my tumblr.

“The words at his lips could only bring pain so he slanted them over hers.  Hoping her sweetness in filling his mouth would empty his tongue of its rue.”
-Northern Lights, Chapter 22 “Blood of the Ancients”

The Editing of Northern Lights – Finishing Up Chapter 1

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 5 Comments
Note: This is the Editing Blog for my FFVII fanfiction Northern Lights (which you can find at the end of that link).  I will be discussing a myriad of topics along with my frequently tangential and harried editing process.  You should be able to garner some enjoyment and insight from this without having read the story and/or without prior knowledge of the original game, but if you’re a fan of paranormal romance and/or dark fantasy, you may find it to your liking.  The story will be spoiled in this editing examination, though I will do my best to mark spoilers for any other narratives I mention.  Thanks for your interest and enjoy!

<–Introduction and First Part of Chapter 1     Chapter 1 Reread, Reedit, and Recap->

Warning: Discussions of rape/sexual assault farther down in post (a bit after the break).

9/8/14
Welcome back to my editing blog for Northern Lights (first entry here).

I have a few things to go over before I jump into the main editing portion of this entry as I missed mentioned several topics yesterday.

First I wanted to talk about my writing playlist.  Music is the heart the pumps life into my words on many an occasion.  I take inspiration from various songs in myriad genres with words and without.  Certain ones put me in the mind of certain scenes or certain characters.  Now due to this story’s particular nature both main characters already have leitmotifs.

Final Fantasy does the exceptional task of providing such for every character since, well, I started playing with VI, but I know IV does it as well.  I find it both impressive and endearing.  For myself; however, there are numerous songs that put me in the mind of characters or situations whether I created them myself or no.  A latter part involving a train ride yields Frank Sinatra’s “I Thought About You,”

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