tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31340688439751076942024-03-12T18:52:15.162-07:00Ninth Suture: Just keeping it together...Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-87600179645988529932009-07-10T16:59:00.001-07:002009-07-10T16:59:58.128-07:00Eikasia and Ninth Suture have MOVED!!<p><a href="http://eighthcirclestudios.com/eikasia/"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>PLEASE UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS</strong></span></span></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;">I'll be working with a new feed address as well, so if you're subscribed to my feed, please switch.</span></span></span></p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-21303278630432885572009-07-06T10:41:00.001-07:002009-07-06T10:57:54.704-07:00Chapter 8.2 Preview<p>Last Friday really was just a slip up on my part. I got so caught up with school and plans for the weekend that I just plain forgot to update. (I'm terrible!) Anyways, here's a preview of Chap 8.2:</p><blockquote><span style="color:#666666;">In the quiet twilight hours of the day, when glowing embers danced and flew to a paper sky, Elmiryn would hold her breath. The watercolor shades and the cut-out stars would not burn, would not burn--no matter how much she wished to see heaven; and it would be between the spaces of wishes such as those where she rediscovered common sense. It always skulked in the nighttime, bent-over and sullen without the glare of the suns to illuminate its homesteads--Science, Ethics, and Magical Principle. The homes of common sense were becoming decrepit, but they still stood, and it was with a self-deprecating snort that she remembered:</span><p><span style="color:#666666;">People only have </span><em><span style="color:#666666;">one</span></em><span style="color:#666666;"> set of eyes.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">No gaze could be switched or swapped for another, not even in magic. Not as far as she knew. (and she questioned what she knew frequently these days)</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">But at the time, it didn't occur to her. Nyx stared, or half-stared, along with all the rest in the room. Elmiryn looked back at them and smiled unapologetically. "Well, it's obvious isn't it?"</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">Den put his hand on his hips, a queer action the warrior thought, and squinted at her. "What do you mean?" His mouth was a little open as if breathing through it would bring words to him quicker. It seemed an annoying habit of men to breathe more harshly either through the nose or mouth when agitated. Not everything required them to brace themselves, after all, Elmiryn thought.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">Nyx went to sit on the bed...no...could that constitute as sitting? More like falling. Yes, she fell on the bed and managed to land upright. Mismatched eyes stared across the room to the outside where still water fell, just as she had. And what did the Other One think, in her dark place of unbeing...?</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">...Did the walls breathe, where she lived, as they did for Elmiryn?</span></p></blockquote><p>That's what I have so far. Remember, it's subject to change. <p>Phew...I have midterms this week, but we'll see if it turns out. Till next time, take care all.</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-91996346816287042712009-06-18T10:44:00.000-07:002009-06-18T10:54:49.315-07:00Challenges are meant to be conquered.<p>A drawing of Elmiryn at the river guardian's cave, when she's facing down the demi-god (I was going to add a looming shadow to indicate that). This is a work in progress.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GVRRdfP87qw/Sjp9N84AKtI/AAAAAAAAALc/lXian-y00Us/s1600-h/cave.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GVRRdfP87qw/Sjp9N84AKtI/AAAAAAAAALc/lXian-y00Us/s400/cave.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348725186088676050" /></a><br /></p><p>Still working on that expression of hers. Elmiryn's face is angular, so I have trouble getting that across without making her seem ghastly or outright manly. Her outfit really is <em>ridiculous.</em> It's the kind of thing you realize when you take prose and transfer it to image. It's like seeing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Bateman">Patrick Bateman</a> drawn straight from the book. He'd look like a goddamn clown (even his creator, Bret Easton Ellis, admits that). Like Nyx, she's going to be donning some new threads soon.</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-11729060319634784432009-06-16T13:05:00.000-07:002009-06-16T13:15:21.962-07:00It's raining.<p>So my reasons for not updating? Well I'm not entirely comfortable discussing them on the net, but put simply, I was faced with a dilemma that robbed me of whatever motivation there was for writing. But I think I'm getting over it. I'm working on the chapter again (and toying around with an idea that could cause general geekery among you all.) But since I'm SO overdue, here's my chapter preview. This part is pretty much guaranteed to be left in the posted draft, but I actually deleted a large portion today to purse a better path.</p><p><span style="color:#666666;"></p><blockquote>I curled in the sheets of a massive bed that wasn't mine. I heard patters on the window. Fat drops of water abused the panes with such gusto that my eye creaked open. I heard people laugh outside. At first it was hard for my sleepy-head to grasp why, but then it became clear.</span><p><span style="color:#666666;">I sat up and tried to blink the sleep from my eyes.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">It was raining at Gamath.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">I kicked the sheets away and placed my bare feet on the wooden floor, my face turned long with wonder at the sight of the bespeckled glass--the view through which revealed to me indefinite forms that danced and shifted. I stood, my legs only somewhat affected by my fleeting sleepiness. I swayed a little as I crossed the room, and the partial light lanced my sensitive eyes. Forced to squint, I tried to shield my face with a hand, and it was through parted fingers that I saw a phantom drift toward the window. </span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">They wore only a soaked white nightgown and their auburn hair was left to hang in wet locks about their angular face. Even through the changing mosaic of rain, I could make out wide cerulean eyes that didn't blink or falter in their stare.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">"Elmiryn." I called, hoping she heard me through the glass.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">She reached a hand up and placed it on the window. Her lips moved and I could hear her voice through the rain, but didn't catch what she said. I shook my head and stepped closer, where I leaned on the window sill for support. My breath fogged the glass. "What did you say?"</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">The woman laughed and shook her head. She gestured for me to come outside and began to walk away.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">I tapped on the glass and tried to call her back, but then decided I was being silly about it. Rain wouldn't kill me. I ran to get my shoes and was about to rush out the door when something occured to me.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">Elmiryn was standing outside in nothing but her nightgown.</p></span><em><span style="color:#666666;"> Wet from head to toe.</blockquote></span></em><p>I was thinking I'd post the writing exercise I was doing the other day, just for kicks. You guys get to see Nyx tear me a new one. Yay! And I may post that Elmiryn drawing I was doing a while ago. No it isn't finished, but I said I'd post it...</p><p>Okay, that's all I have right now, really. Here's to hoping I can make it this week!</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-33045079265563457502009-06-03T11:34:00.000-07:002009-06-03T11:42:25.621-07:00Saturday Fun!<p><a href="http://www.last.fm/event/1014722#lineup">Going to Live 105's BFD at Shoreline Amphitheater in the Bay Area.</a></p><p>Bands I'm looking forward to? The Offspring, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cage the Elephant, Crystal Castles, and Metric. Apparently Does It Offend You, Yeah? isn't going to be participating, though they were initially included in the lineup. Plus, I'm not sure, but I guess Designer Drugs aren't playing live, which seems weird to me that they would even list them if that's the case.</p><p>Still, Saturday looks like it'll be a great day!</p><p>...And in case you were wondering, Eikasia Chapter 8.1 is at 960 words right now. I'll definitely have an update Friday!</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-18736960207734727042009-06-01T12:37:00.000-07:002009-06-01T13:19:53.449-07:00I sometimes wonder...<p>...if others stop and try to connect the dots in their lives? Of course, everyone takes the time to reflect on their lives to some degree--you wouldn't be a human being if you didn't. But what I really mean is--are they aware enough of their surroundings and the circumstances that others go through? Does anyone ever feel like they hit the nail on the head when they puzzle over the mystery of a relative's odd behaviour and the motives behind a friendly employee? Is a strong revelation ever reached when considering one's quality of life and one's relationship with others?</p><p>I was a precocious kid. I'm not saying I was smarter than my peers, or that I was like a fully matured adult at the age of six. What I mean is that I was always analyzing things. I became perhaps too sympathetic, and others took advantage of that sensitivity.</p><p>Nowadays, I find it becoming a strength. It's helped me deal with some situations at work, and also dodge some shady situations when socializing out of my usual element. The most obvious benefit of this awareness is in my writing, where I can easily create a character with conflicts and individual tastes.</p><p>Again, I'm not saying I'm the most attentive person in the world, but when I put it into practice I can usually see the reasoning behind a dilemma or a good situation. I find this to help diffuse anger or sadness. In the case of bad things, this doesn't necessarily give me the answer to my problems, just the means to find it. A few times, I've come to the conclusion that the most effective way to solve the problem is to speak with whoever I'm having the altercation with. </p><p>...And there's where I typically hit a wall.</p><p>In writing, I find it cathartic to have my characters go through tough obstacles, only to solve it and reach a common understanding. In the real world, however, I find it frustrating, because it seems like I can't get others to get where I'm coming from. I try to talk to them as respectfully and as clearly as possible, only to have them shut me down out of stubborn pride or impatience. Narcissism and ignorance have been the handicaps of man since the dawn of time, and I can't deny that I've suffered from them before... But I still find it frustrating when people allow their emotions to blind them to the point that they can't submit to simple logic. </p><p>(This is, of course, assuming that you are knowledgeable of everything that's relevant to the situation to <em>make</em> that logical conclusion--but for the purpose of this rant, let's just say that one does.)</p><p>Nowadays, I think there's a lot of emphasis on the self--and it's this sort of self-involved thinking that creates the narrow minded people you meet today. It isn't quite the materialism of the 80's (though advertising and corporate domination is more pervasive than ever.) What it is instead is just an idea of self-righteousness. Lots of popular songs today circle around the idea that one is "right" even when one is "wrong." Also, the increased usage of things like the computer and television has made vapidness a wide-spread epidemic. While this hardly qualifies as proof, I have to say it's pretty disheartening when many of the kids I've spoken to in universities fail to practice basic critical thinking. And I find it odd, as some of these individuals DO read alot and can ace through tough college courses...</p><p>But I guess the issue isn't that they lack "intelligence" so much as just "wisdom".</p><p>So I just wonder, how many of you stop to try and think of things from all angles? Do you admit the things you did wrong despite how much it may hurt or embarass you? Do you factor in where others are coming from? I.e., a broken home, poor romantic relationships, money problems, social experience... Do you use your conclusions from such musings to try and reach out in a way that the other person would respond positively? <em>And do they?</em></p><p>This introspective post was brought to you by the makers of <strong>Anxiety™</strong>, <em>"When confidence is away, insecurity will play!"</em></p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-47154183955789163762009-05-28T21:28:00.000-07:002009-05-28T21:33:57.405-07:00Chap 7.4 teaser<p>Hello you folks. I believe Chap 7.4 to be largely finished. I still have to read over it and edit, but here's something to tide you over:</p><blockquote><p><span style="color:#666666;">She shut the door and I heard the snap of the lock. I picked myself off the floor and wiped at my swollen eyes. Elmiryn turned to stare at me from across the room, and we both fell quiet as our gazes met. The firewood cracked and popped in the fireplace as a glowing peice fell away to the ash covered floor. My hands raised to touch the collar of my tunic before I once again became aware of the layout of the room. Not wanting the bed between us as I undressed, I gestured for the woman to come closer.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">"You'll see better with the firelight." I said quietly.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">Elmiryn came closer, a soft frown on her face as she moved around the bed to stand near me. She stopped a foot away and placed her hands on her hips.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">I bowed my head and turned so that my back was to her. "It took them a little over a day to finish the design. The man who did it...I grew up with him. He was an apprentice learning the ways of the shamanites. He wasn't allowed to stop or rest until the Mark was finished." I pulled the tunic over my head. My arms felt weak and shook as I struggled to be freed from the fabric. The air felt unwelcoming to my shoulders, and goosebumps spread across my skin. When my tunic fell before my feet I stopped and took a deep breath.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">I couldn't deny it, I still felt hesitant. All that was left to remove was the bandage that wrapped my breasts. It wasn't too late to try and stop this. Unless the bandage was removed, the most important aspect of my brand would not be seen.</span></p><p><span style="color:#666666;">But my hands were already moving without my consent. They undid the bandage with fumbling fingers, and before I registered it, the wraps had fallen away. My arms crossed over my front and I squeezed my eyes shut.</span></p></blockquote><p>Am I being a tease? </p><p>.....NAH.</p><p>I haven't really much to add. Just remember to follow my <a href="http://twitter.com/cajeck">twitter account</a> for day-to-day updates on Eikasia...as well as whatever the heck else that may be distracting me.</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-74382557180974653322009-05-18T08:47:00.000-07:002009-05-18T08:55:32.530-07:00Apologies!<p>So I guess I was thrown for more of a loop then I thought, and as is usually the case with me, my weekend was rather busy. I think part of the reason I dislike the chapter as it is right now is because it feels like its lacking some scenes, and it's also feeling like it needs a POV change. (I've been doing it from Elmiryn's POV the whole time)</p><p>Here's a portion of what I have so far:</p><blockquote><p><span style="color:#999999;">Elmiryn's hands still tingled with the feeling of her companion's throat in her hands, the pulse against her thumb, the light sheen of sweat that had made her palms cool when the air kissed it. Involuntarily, she imagined how the throat would hum under her hand if the girl could speak without impediment. Maybe it was indeed possible to catch sound by hand? To possess that voice and keep it as a pet, when the nights got cold and the hours long...it was such an enticing idea. Once it was in her possession, she could use it when she didn't feel like being herself.<br /><br />Then moral sensibilities, stunted, but still present, objected.<br /><br />Nyx had carried her unconscious body more than a mile, and had remained at her side when she was comatose--what kind of repayment was strangulation?<br /><br />But those memories...those precious, vivid memories. They were so real to Elmiryn, moreso than the world she drifted through now. In them, she had felt connection; in them, she had a voice that carried sincerity. <br /><br />At seeing that these things were no longer hers to have, she had hollered for wine and drank half-a-bottle's worth with little pause. Then she vomited it all up, because she thought the wine was blood. She had tried to stand, and lost her balance. Nyx tried to keep her in bed but Elmiryn became agitated, wild-eyed, and asked why the covers were so dangerously heavy. <br /><br />That first day, she refused to lay in the bed. Instead, she sat in the corner on the floor and alternated between drinking rum and water. Food was repulsive to her. She thought the steak they gave her had pulsed in her mouth, and the rice felt like ants on her tongue.</span></p></blockquote><p>I apologize guys. Like I said, I just got really thrown for a loop.</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-8814595576991338082009-05-15T23:27:00.000-07:002009-05-15T23:37:23.894-07:00Because twitter fails to illustrate...<p>...I'd just like to clarify (for those who follow my twitter account) that the past two days have been weighed down with economic troubles, family feuds, emotional breakdowns, medical bad news, and the looming fear that I may get sued or fired from my new job over a stupid misunderstanding.</p><p>There. :)</p><p>Update will be up before Monday! (I mean, why let some bad luck ruin a good thing?)</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-86540894077535153202009-05-08T10:33:00.000-07:002009-05-08T10:38:23.974-07:00Oh yeah!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/MajikNiNE/nyxtuniccopy.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 504px; height: 360px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/MajikNiNE/nyxtuniccopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><p>Whoops. Forgot to post this here. Did a drawing of Nyx in her new tunic a few days ago. Nothing too grand.</p><p>Hope you guys enjoy the <a href="http://illisemontoya.blogspot.com/2008/12/chapter-72.html">new chapter.</a> As I said in <a href="http://twitter.com/cajeck">Twitter</a>, I made a lot of last minute changes, so if you see something odd (grammatical or otherwise) just tell me so.</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-69010500583595677372009-05-03T18:19:00.000-07:002009-05-03T18:24:24.519-07:00"Courier's Creed" by Gabriel GadflyI just got through writing up a <a href="http://webfictionguide.com/listings/couriers-creed/review-by-eikasia/">review</a> for <a href="http://gabrielgadfly.com/couriers-creed">"Courier's Creed"</a>, which is a pretty neat story for anyone into coming-of-age fantasy adventures. As a fellow webnovelist, I enjoyed this alot. Please check it out if you haven't already.Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-34647177998653194182009-05-02T23:04:00.000-07:002009-05-02T23:06:12.385-07:00Hip Hip...<p>Hurray! <a href="http://illisemontoya.blogspot.com/2008/12/chapter-63.html">I updated!</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b75cRSJY11M&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b75cRSJY11M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-88794378327571878122009-04-29T23:47:00.000-07:002009-04-30T00:08:44.325-07:00Am I short, or is this horse just too damn big...?<p>So hopefully some of you are still sticking around. If not, I'd understand--a site that doesn't update just doesn't seem worth bothering with. But I'd like to let you all know that I'm making efforts to resume work editing. I'm also going to make an effort to resume the story. Probably more effort for the latter considering the amount of time that has passed.</p><p>Gosh, so what the heck have I been up to!? To be honest, not much...job hunting, like so many in America. Making plans for community college. Making books and journals from scratch. Perhaps spending more creative energy than I should into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larp">LARPing</a> (live-action-roleplaying). I've also been healthily distracted by movies, games, books, boys and the silly messes they bring with them...</p><p>BUT! (and this is one hell of a 'but', my friends) I've been making gradual progress over the last month in getting the next installment done. It's sad that this couldn't have atleast happened BETWEEN adventures instead of near the tail-end of one. Though I think I made some progress in my editing, and perhaps even improved my understanding of Nyx and Elle.</p><p>Now I'm not just blowing smoke up your asses. Really, just see for yourself:</p><blockquote><p><span style="color:#999999;">I was the defiler, there. The clumsy heathen whose ragged breath and befuddled feet made a mess of things. All around me was dead. I was a perversity whose future was mirrored in the gray stunted world. My trail was marked by the clouds of ash that came up into the air. These little clouds drifted a yard or two as swirls of currents that traced pale lines through the air, before they blanketed the corpses of animals. Milky eyes glared at me accusingly as I made my way.</span></p><span style="color:#999999;"><br /></span><p><span style="color:#999999;">Blood stained me. The quilted weave of my gambeson was tainted, the rips that marred it like wounds themselves. I could even feel a breeze in my left boot. The sole had begun to separate at the tip.</span></p><span style="color:#999999;"><br /></span><p><span style="color:#999999;">My muscles loathed me, and quivered beneath the strains of my commands, as if they had to remember that I was their master. When exhaustion sought to overcome me, I would kneel in the desolation and try to catch my breath. My eyes tunneled, and sweat dripped from the dip of my nose. In my arms, Elmiryn's lanky body barely seemed to fit into my grip. Her head was cradled against my bosom, eyes shut and her breath faint. Her eyes were red and raw, and her skin a terrible pale complexion. If I stared at her long enough, I thought I could make out her eye sockets shifting...but then it occured to me that it could just be a trick of my eyes.</span></p><span style="color:#999999;"><br /></span><p><span style="color:#999999;">All the while, in my head, things that were not mine prodded me. I saw battles, recalled feelings, felt sensations that were not mine--not even my counterpart's. Some of these things, these memories, were Elmiryn's, I knew...but I made an effort not to pay it any mind. It threatened me, revulted me. My head seemed barely capable handling two personas, how could I stand the memories of others, however feeble?</span></p><span style="color:#999999;"><br /></span><p><span style="color:#999999;">Every time I felt myself too enthralled with a particular thought, every time I felt myself come too close to empathizing with a memory, I moved. Forced myself forward in sloppy standard, like a drunkard startled out of his settlement. It worked, to some degree. I didn't drown in what wasn't mine. But still, things slipped through, and I kept returning to nagging details...</span></blockquote><p align="left">I'm going to put a big phat general disclaimer on that one. It's subject to change and edits, as always.<p align="left">One thing that helped me get my groove back was an awesome music playlist...which I worked tirelessly to perfect over the course of four days. Some of the songs I chose on the basis of mood, subject matter, and style. Clearly, some of those songs seem out of place (Nirvana, what?) but some of them reminded me of things completely relevant. I avoided songs that just sounded cool or catchy. I had other playlists for that. This one was put together with a goal. There's an art to getting the chemistry of music just right. For the curious birdies, here's my playlist, in order--plus three songs from the list to hear:</p><p align="left"><strong>1.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"The Creep Out"</span> by <strong><em>The Dandy Warhols</em></strong><br /><strong>2.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Love is an Unfamilar Name"</span> by <strong><em>The Duke Spirit</em></strong><br /><strong>3.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Joker & The Thief"</span> by <strong><em>Wolfmother</em></strong><br /><strong>4.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"The Devil In The Kitchen"</span> by <strong><em>Ashley MacIsaac</em></strong><br /><strong>5. </strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Psycho"</span> by <strong><em>Puddle of Mudd</em></strong><br /><strong>6.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"So I need some fine wine, and you, you need to be nicer"</span> by <strong><em>The Cardigans</em></strong><br /><strong>7.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)"</span> by <strong><em>Aqualung</em></strong><br /><strong>8.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"First Love"</span> by <strong><em>Adele</em></strong> <br /><strong>9.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"The Cave"</span> by<strong><em> Jorane</em></strong><br /><strong>10.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"La princesa Dolça de Provença</span><span style="color:#990000;">"</span> by <strong><em>Trobar de Morte</em></strong><br /><strong>11.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Wake the Dead"</span> by <strong><em>A Perfect Circle</em></strong><br /><strong>12.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Natural Blues" </span><span style="color:#000000;">by</span> <strong><em>Moby</em></strong><br /><strong>13.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Face in a Cloud"</span> by <strong><em>Audio Bullys</em></strong><br /><strong>14.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Bottom Of The Lake"</span> by <strong><em>The Builders And The Butchers</em></strong><br /><strong>15.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"All Apologies"</span> by<strong><em> Nirvana</em></strong><br /><strong>16.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"The Hollow"</span> by<strong><em> A Perfect Circle</em></strong><br /><strong>17.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Here Come the Bastards"</span> by<strong><em> Primus</em></strong><br /><strong>18.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"The Rage"</span> by <strong><em>Judas Priest</em></strong><br /><strong>19.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"The Trooper"</span> by<strong><em> Iron Maiden</em></strong><br /><strong>20.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Jack Of Diamonds"</span> by<strong><em> Sonic Syndicate</em></strong><br /><strong>21. </strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"War?"</span> by <strong><em>System Of A Down </em></strong><br /><strong>22.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"I Disappear (Metallica Goth Remix)"</span> by<strong><em> Public</em></strong><br /><strong>23. </strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"Wildcat"</span> by<strong><em> Ratatat</em></strong><br /><strong>24.</strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"May Day"</span> by <strong><em>Unkle (featuring The Duke Spirit)</em></strong><br /><strong>25. </strong> <span style="color:#990000;">"My Own Dirge"</span> by <strong><em>Sxip Shirey</em></strong><br /><br /><br /></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The Cave" by Jorane</span></strong></span></p><div style="font-size: 11px;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?track=my-recording-fri-apr-10-2009-10-20-50-am" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" wmode="transparent"></embed></object></div><p>This one made me think a lot about Nyx and an important moment in her past...which you'll all be familiar with soon enough.<br /></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The Trooper" by Iron Maiden</span></strong></span><br /></p><div style="font-size: 11px;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?track=my-recording-tue-apr-14-2009-08-11-53-pm" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" wmode="transparent"></embed></object></div><p>This one makes me think alot of Elmiryn and the battles she's experienced...but it also made me think of the time Nyx snuck to a battlefield when she was young and saw the dead and dying.<br /></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">"So I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer" by The Cardigans</span></strong></span><object height="81" width="100%"><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?track=my-recording-fri-apr-10-2009-10-39-57-am" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br /><p>Elmiryn's drinking habits. Easy.</p><br /><br /><p>Okay, that's all the chatter I've got left in me. With luck, I'll get this chapter up before another month goes by. (no, really, I'm trying for this Friday.) Till next time, remember to check twitter and the RSS feed for updates!</p><p></p><p><strong>EDIT: </strong> Wow, I sound like a grade schooler giving automatic answers..."This story made me think of the, uh, stuff that was...y'know, important." It's almost midnight, I'm allowed some ineloquence, darnit! Oh, but I meant to pip in that the embed players are being a little weird, so if they aren't working for you, just try reloading the page...or going here, where coincidentally I have two more songs to listen to-- <a href="http://soundcloud.com/cajeck">http://soundcloud.com/cajeck</a></p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-25854814463014879382009-02-25T11:23:00.000-08:002009-02-25T12:16:34.195-08:00Going to my happy place.<center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYWPG4x9Jsw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYWPG4x9Jsw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHEN IN DOUBT, SCREAM AND SHOUT.</strong></p><p>As unadmirable as it may sound, I just nearly broke my $1700 laptop in a sudden fit of rage that had me slamming my fist into the walls and screaming all seven deadly words irascibly. I had to take a cold shower to calm down. Now I just feel dejected. </p><p>You see, I just lost about an hour-and-a-half's worth of writing to an accidental keystroke that took me away from the Blogger post editor. The real issue wasn't even that. It was that the auto-save feature, for whatever reason, failed to do its job. So the two new scenes, the new dialogue, and the grammatical and editorial changes for Chapter 2.3 have all been lost.</p><p>Frustration, as many writers will say, is understandable in this situation. "What you really need to do," they'll tell you, "Is think about it in a positive light. You can rewrite whatever you did, and perhaps even better." I've had this happen to me before, so I know this. I've lost more work to silly screw-ups like this in the past.</p><p>It still sucks though.</p><p>Anyway, I apologize that this is all taking so long. I forgot how long it can take to put edits into effect, even with notes in hand. I guess part of the reason I'm so determined to get this done first is so that I can create a stronger base to build off of when I move to finish "Tributaries". Generally, writers wait till a work is finished before editing the whole thing, but I think it'll be better if I do things this way. My issue is that, despite having an outline and notes and all that nonsense, I still tend to write solely with the last chapter in mind. </p><p>Now this may not sound bad, but just imagine it like building a jenga tower. Each level has a piece missing, and you place pieces with consideration to those gaps. But as you build, you only take into account the level you are building off of. So as you go further up, the tower starts to tilt more and more to the side, until it falls over. I really was feeling like the paths of Nyx and Elmiryn's character were beginning to stray a little from how I introduced them and how I intended them to be. The same went for their adventure. </p><p>Bottom line: I felt like I was losing perspective, so I wanted to regain that before I went on toward the finale.</p><p>To me this is extremely important. So important that I'm willing to put the story on hiatus for a while. I'm tempted to do fillers and/or side stories in the meantime. Maybe post up excerpts from the book Tobias gave Nyx, or do abstract 'backstage' skits with the characters in the story. I'm not really sure. These won't be posted on a regular schedule and they likely won't be long pieces. If I can get the help, I might ask a guest writer to share their work on the site.</p><p>So will there be an update Friday? Probably not. Maybe a filler, but it'll be posted on THIS blog, under the appropriate category.</p><p>I'm feeling a bit better. Writing this post was a little cathartic. I'll stop now, as I have to go get ready for a lunch meeting, but know that I'll resume work (maybe not today) and the story will continue.</p><p>Till the next update, hope everyone takes care. I'll leave you all with a colored pencil drawing I did while I was in Panama. My only wish was that I didn't do it on lined paper.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GVRRdfP87qw/SaWlFk3GN-I/AAAAAAAAALU/_BkNP-Ick24/s1600-h/2-25-2009+12%3B05%3B00+PM.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GVRRdfP87qw/SaWlFk3GN-I/AAAAAAAAALU/_BkNP-Ick24/s400/2-25-2009+12%3B05%3B00+PM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306829251138697186" border="0" /></a></p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-13250536014607978412009-02-06T10:04:00.000-08:002009-02-06T10:25:23.529-08:00Heavy Editing and Planning to Come<p>So <a href="http://illisemontoya.blogspot.com/2008/12/chapter-62-draft.html">Eikasia - Chapter 6.2</a> is now live. I hope you guys like it. From this point on, adventures will be grouped into parts. Part 1 is called, "Tributaries." There's an installment or two before it's completely through, but I'm going to take this opportunity to get something important done. </p><p>What follows next is heavy, heavy, HEAVY editing. It's long overdue, and I need to weed out those bad moments of characterization, the typos and grammatical errors, the fluff and the emaciated portions. Simultaneously, I'll be doing outlining and notes for the next adventure, "Hawks, Cats, and Dogs," which I'm thinking will span atleast ten chapters. There's going to be some new characters, and some light will be shed on who Tobias is. Plus we'll be seeing a bit more of that "romance" I claimed Eikasia had. I'm hoping good planning will eliminate the need for much backtracking, but you never know. Outlines are nice, but so far I've found the temptation to deviate is powerful indeed.</p><p>Till next time!</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-28137938198163117542009-01-30T17:56:00.000-08:002009-01-30T18:05:36.074-08:00Saludos!<div style="width:300px;"><object width="300" height="110"><embed src="http://media.imeem.com/m/svOM_44kTj/aus=false/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="110" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><div style="background-color:#E6E6E6;padding:1px;"><div style="float:left;padding:4px 4px 0 0;"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/E6E6E6/" border="0" /></a></div><form method="post" action="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/" style="margin:0;padding:0;"><input type="text" name="EmbedSearchBox"><input type="submit" value="Search" style="font-size:12px;"><div style="padding-top:3px;"><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=0&ek=svOM_44kTj"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/152/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=1&ek=svOM_44kTj"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/153/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=2&ek=svOM_44kTj"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/154/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=3&ek=svOM_44kTj"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/155/10/svOM_44kTj/" border="0" /></a></div></form></div></div><br /><a href="http://www.imeem.com/arod0927/music/E2IOlccc/charlie_zaa_la_pollera_colora/">La Pollera Colora - Charlie Zaa</a><br /><br /><p>Greetings from Panama! Yes, your reclusive writer is latina, and by the time she returns to the states, she shall be a sexy bronze! ...Or not. Ha, anyways, I was working on the chapter but it is still short of being finished. Just to prove I'm not full of shit, I'm giving you folks a preview. Till next time.<p><span style="color:#999999;"></p><blockquote></span><span style="color:#666666;">To call it pain would've been...incorrect. It transcended that base definition, that shallow understanding. It was intense, it was debilitating, yes. But pain? No. More like...<br /><br />Euphoria.<br /><br />Her veins were the guardian's veins; her thoughts, the guardian's thoughts.<br /><br />The spiritual creature's flesh was not immediately invasive. They first canvased her skin. Then they pushed past the muscles--split them, pierced them--to get to the organs inside. Elmiryn felt the tendrils in her chest, knew they wrapped and mingled with her heart, her lungs, her stomach, her spine. She spasmed. Tried to scream and failed for the guardian had filled her there too, and squirmed in her throat.<br /><br />Was this rape? Was this murder?<br /><br />Elmiryn's sensations became unquantifiable. How best to describe the feeling of being killed and born at once? For with the euphoric domination of her body, came also the parting of her mind. Things that were not hers, bits and pieces, like the shining trinkets of Nyx's bag, came spilling in.<br /><br />A new beginning. It was the parting of a land drowned by rain and hail. A place was carved in the Earth, and with it, a duty to sustain life. Her sisters, the clouds, said unto her, "You are the veins of this land," and she gushed.<br /><br />[Flash.]<br /><br />Fleeing through snow, breath a ghost, a dark form ahead of her as angry cries chased at her back. The one before her was not running from her, but with her. <br /><br />Barely old enough. None of it was fair. She knew it wasn't, knew it in her soul. <br /><br />So she ran.<br /><br />They wouldn't take another brother away from her.</span><br /><br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />Subject to change, remember. Or subject to deletion, based on my editorial fancies. Heh, heh...Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-7216145440740567872009-01-23T21:54:00.000-08:002009-01-23T22:03:02.939-08:00Um...tada?So, I FINALLY updated the story, after much creative agony. I hemmed and hawed over whether I should update now or later--but I reasoned that the following days will be far too busy for me to edit. If I wanted the story edited, it had to get up to a certain point where I could call it passable. If it couldn't get to that point before I left on the 28th for my two week trip (remember I mentioned that in my last post?) then there was no point delaying. Especially not if, in the time before I leave, I could toy around with the possibility of one last update--however short it may be.<br /><br />So Chapter 6.1 is up. In my vacation, I think I'll (finally) try and get around to editing my work. It could also be a good time to outline the next story arc...that is, if my relatives let me. If I ever manage to clean up Eikasia, know that 6.1 will be cleaned up and improved with it.<br /><br />Till next time folks.Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-17869187038239450732009-01-16T22:35:00.001-08:002009-01-16T22:50:09.726-08:00Sorry.<p>Wow, okay...so I figure I should do a post just to let folks know that this story is NOT dead. I've been working on the next installment all this time (or not working...more like staring blithely at my screen, typing three words, then stopping.) I know what I want to happen. But the difficulty comes in writing it appropriately.</p><p>My preview from last week has been scrapped. Or will probably be scrapped as this next angle I'm trying doesn't seem like it could include it. I could probably tailor it to use it further down the line, but that scene was getting too weird and off track.</p><p>The real issue is that I'll be leaving for two weeks on the 28th, so all of this time gone has really flattened my morale so to speak. I wanted to atleast have these updates up before I left. Instead, I'm down two and looking at losing a third one.</p><p>I won't bother much with excuses. At first turn they all seem so legitimate (or not, depending on your opinion) but as time goes and the same old things keep popping up, it starts to sound like crap, even to me. Probably the big issue I have is with discipline--being able to MAKE myself write something, even if its crap, to be able to turn in on a given time. I think that was part of my reason to start this web novel. I wanted to learn to meet deadlines. It was going smoothly until recently, when new joys (and by that token, new woes) entered my life, dividing my energies so much that I could barely make even weekly updates.</p><p>And to think, I considered doing three updates a week!!</p><p>I'm trying to take better care of myself, both physically and mentally. I think a lack of short-term goals and set daily tasks (i.e. a fucking job) has made me into this stagnant loser who can't tell ass from elbow.</p><p>I'm going to keep trying to make the weekly updates, and I apologize to you all for taking so long. Please keep checking back. I promise things will get going soon!</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-27161049983477874972009-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:002009-01-08T20:45:13.809-08:00Digging Up Turnips<div style="width:300px;"><object width="300" height="110"><embed src="http://media.imeem.com/m/F7-hw9olM2/aus=false/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="110" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><div style="background-color:#E6E6E6;padding:1px;"><div style="float:left;padding:4px 4px 0 0;"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/E6E6E6/" border="0" /></a></div><form method="post" action="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/" style="margin:0;padding:0;"><input type="text" name="EmbedSearchBox"><input type="submit" value="Search" style="font-size:12px;"><div style="padding-top:3px;"><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=0&ek=F7-hw9olM2"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/152/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=1&ek=F7-hw9olM2"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/153/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=2&ek=F7-hw9olM2"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/154/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=3&ek=F7-hw9olM2"><img src="http://ads.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/155/10/F7-hw9olM2/" border="0" /></a></div></form></div></div><p><a href="http://www.sxipshirey.com/index.html">Sxip Shirey's website, for curious birdies. The above song can be downloaded for free there.</a></p><p>Hey there folks. Just pipping in to let you know I'm still at it. I'm hoping some of you have read <a href="http://ninthsuture.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-shapechanging.html">my post on shapechanging</a> which I posted only a few days ago. I'm also here to bring you a chapter preview, as I doubt my ability to finish by tonight. Today was a busy day for me--in a nice way mind you, but still busy. I won't bother with much excuses for being unable to update early Friday. My addiction to Team Fortress 2 seems to have come back full swing, and I still have yet to even touch some of the other new computer games I recently bought so...well, I'm just a geeky mess. Ha, ha.</p><p>Anyhoo, here's your chapter preview. If you're wondering about the above song's purpose, know that I've imagined the next installment's events, scene by scene, insync with that song. ...I have an overactive imagination.</p><p><span style="color:#999999;"></p><blockquote>Elmiryn worked the Earth with blistered hands--like she was certain her ancestors did before they took to tools of a different kind. She knew the sun. She felt it like wings seared onto her back. Nevermind that she worked in the nude. The breeze felt nice on her flushed skin. A cool comfort in her tiring search...<br /><br />...For turnips.<br /><br />A curious impetus, but a dire one nevertheless. Dire why? Elmiryn couldn't remember. Maybe because they were the ones who first put the word 'impetus' into her brain. She had to ask them what it meant.<br /><br />Her rake was fashioned from iron and oak wood. Splinters. Biting, aggravating. They bothered her. She paused her activitiy to try and fish one out from the fleshy bend of her left thumb. "Stings like a mother," she grumbled as she squinted at the tiny dark shaft she could see just beneath the layer of her skin. It scratched at her nerves. "Curs-ed lil' shit."</blockquote></span><br />As usual, the above is subject to succumb to my editorial whims. Till next time, folks.Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-9075992195279194712008-12-24T12:10:00.000-08:002008-12-25T11:26:31.820-08:00Merry X-Mas!!<p>...And a happy new year!<br /><br /><p>Chapter 5.2 is finally posted--despite writer's block, Christmas preparations, and illness!<p>Did a major change in post order for the website, so that old posts are now displayed first. This fixes the problem with the archives, where new posts were listed first, making it difficult to read chapters despite having them all on the same page. Now you can just go from top to bottom, no prob. I was trying to find a solution through editing the site template, but I'm not saavy to that sort of thing so I just decided to do this instead. It means more work for me whenever I post a new installment, but if it helps with site readability, then I think it is worth it. Readers can skip having to click on the "read the latest chapter link" every time they come to the site by just signing up to the feed, which links directly to the new post. It'll save you a few seconds, which on the internet, can mean everything for some people.</p><p>Happy holidays everyone!</p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-54996934930294046812008-12-13T18:51:00.000-08:002008-12-14T13:52:04.938-08:00Jes' checking in.I'm working on a few sidebars for Eikasia that I think some might find interesting. I don't know when I'll post them, but hopefully I'll be done with them soon enough.<br /><br />I plan on doing some heavy editing for Eikasia. Chapters 1.1 and 1.2 are all ready in their second drafts, but I'm still going to be doing another pass to try and eliminate the crappiness. Chapter 5.1 is probably the one I'm most eager to get to, because I feel the overall quality of it is low and I probably could've described the scenes in a better and more plausible way. But despite my eagerness to re-work it, I'm going to hold off until I can revise the earlier chapters--after all, I need a good base before I can hope to work at the top.<br /><br />I did a <a href="http://webfictionguide.com/members/eikasia/the-lifting-of-the-veil/">review</a> last week on Chris Tejeda's <a href="http://apocalypsenovel.weebly.com/">"Lifting of the Veil"</a>, which is a very interesting science fiction web serial that I think you folks should check out.<br /><br />I've also started doing the next installment for Eikasia. However, if I'm actually productive this week, it may be tossed out in favor of something better.<br /><br />Recently watched "The Mindscape of Alan Moore"...which really told me a lot about the man, and tore down my earlier belief that he was just an egotistical creep. In fact, a lot of the things I've thought about when writing, or dreaming, or while staring blithely at my ceiling at 2 in the morning, he echoed, in a fascinating and evocative narrative detailing his career and his beliefs on politics, science, sex, and religion. It was eerie. I won't say that everything that came out of his mouth was gold--but I was surprised at how much I did agree with him on things. I recommend it to anyone who has read any of his work, or who appreciates an alternative view on things, or who simply reads comic books. <a href="http://www.shadowsnake.com/Mindscape_trailer.html">It really is worth a look.</a><br /><br />Gonna sign off here...Some part of me wants to vent recent personal frustrations in this entry--they are "personal" but they've affected my work on Eikasia, so I guess it's partly relevant. But I'm not sure what good it will do but make me seem attention-seeking and like any other silly bitch under the esteemed banner of "Generation Y".<br /><br />Ah well. This really isn't a personal blog anyways. Who the heck reads my non-personal stuff to begin with? (oh whoops, I'm fulfilling the stereotype again, ha ha)Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-60754436359101841222008-12-06T19:27:00.000-08:002009-01-06T13:05:06.295-08:00On Shapechanging...<p>I decided I'd do a post on shape changing and my views on them. It's an important theme in my story, one that I hope to represent to the best of my ability in the coming chapters. If you're like me, and have a thing for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therianthrope">therianthropes</a> (humans who shift into animals, i.e. werewolves or cat people) then you've likely got your own passionate ideas about how the <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/werewolf3.htm">shape changing process</a> occurs (or "should" occur.)</p><p><br />If you're new to therianthropy, or just fantasy in general, then you will not have a clue what the heck I'm talking about. "They change from man to beast. What's the difference?" you might say.</p><p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But it makes all the difference in the world, my poor unenlightened friend!</span></p><p><br />I've had <span style="font-style: italic;">hours</span> of discussions with friends on such delicate matters, and the debate still seems to rage. It concerns matters of spirituality, basic science, and of course, culture. Just about every major society has their own myths on shape changers. The stories told reflected societal concerns, superstitions, and environment.</p><p><br />Much of the stories of werewolves in Europe and Colonial America seem to share the same theme--rape. Violation. The forceful commandeering of flesh and spirit by dark forces. Lycanthropy (or therianthropy) was just about always connected to Satan or infernal beings. As such, transformations were usually seen as horrific--likely painful. What many people fail to realize is that the themes of "rape and violation" do not just apply to the victims...it also applies to the afflicted/cursed individual.</p><p>With vampires, their major theme is all about seduction. Leeching away what they want by attractiveness and hypnotization. Bottom line: self-gratification. That is part of the reason you see so many "aristocratic" vampires or "young, ambitious" vampires, because they fit the stereotypes of selfish and indulgent assholes. With werewolves, it's the <span style="font-style: italic;">opposite.</span> In popular culture, they are shown as people who were turned into monsters <span style="font-style: italic;">against</span> their will, and who find their bodies at the mercy of some terrible change once a month. Very often times they were the poor, the common peasants, the loners, the sick or the insane.<br /></p><p> Still, in other countries and other beliefs, therianthropy was looked on less as violent and traumatic, and more as deceitful and mischievous. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune">Japanese kitsune</a>, for instance, was a creature that could shift at will between human and fox forms. They caused chaos through wit and craft, rather than pure violence...sometimes, however, they were seen as benevolent and wise beings that aided some unfortunate or disadvantaged soul. Continuing on that note, shapeshifting or spiritual transformation was seen as desirable ways to power and wisdom for some people, such as some Native American tribes. With the vikings, berserkers were feared and admired for their strength and bravery. It was said that they tried to draw power from the wolf and bear skins they wore, and emulated these animals ferocity and skill in combat.<br /></p><p><br />Stepping away from simple 'man-to-beast' transformation, shape changing has had a strong presence in many religions and myths. In these cases, the physical changes underwent by the individuals were more symbolic of the mental change a person underwent, or the sin they bore, or their true underlying desire. In Graeco-Roman culture this is especially true. In Greek mythology, we can find great examples: Circe transformed Odysseus' men to pigs in Homer's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Odyssey</span>; and Medusa was changed into a monster after having intercourse with Posiedon in Athena's temple. Zeus frequently took different forms to approach women, and to conceal his affairs from his wife, Hera.<br /></p><p><br />In film (and I'm speaking from an American standpoint) werewolf transformations have been depicted in a variety of ways. From fast and fluid, to slow and grotesque. Some look more human, others more like real wolves. Since there aren't too many werewolf examples in literature that I can take seriously, I turn mostly to film for inspiration on what a shapechange would entail.<br /></p><p><br />The best example of a rapid change can be seen in the movie, "Underworld"...which I thought was just a load of gothic wank. The 'wolves' looked more like weird, naked bears: </p><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lY9tZo9YAbs&hl=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" fs="1" width="425" height="344"></embed><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>I will say, right now, that I am NOT part of the "it would be quick and painless" camp. Shape changing, in my opinion, would be a painful experience, and would likely take a while (several minutes at least. That can be forever for a person undergoing something so terrible.)<br /></p><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fB5vRYHTyUI&hl=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" fs="1" width="480" height="295"></embed><br /><br /><p>Here is Bad Moon's take on shape changing. Again, not so keen on the "fast and painless" take on shapeshifting. In my opinion, it takes away a lot of the metaphorical power about transforming body and mind, and leaves a superficial understanding of what the shapechanger inherently thinks and feels.<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6iQ-mzYRl3s&hl=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" fs="1" width="425" height="344"></embed><br />First example I found that wasn't related to werewolves. Instead, this shows the transformation of a man to a panther. I'm really just showing this because the form Nyx took in Chapter 1.1 looks similar to this (only a bit scruffier and with more human nuance).<br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jeGJLryxruw&hl=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" fs="1" width="480" height="295"></embed><br />From the movie "Cat People". Again, just because it's a cat transformation. The first few seconds of this clip made me think of when Nyx's face "went cat" in Chapter 4. The last few seconds though...I mean, it's interesting. It shows that the human skin is not the "true" skin, but just a cover for the beast inside. This isn't the case with Nyx or the other therians in her world, though.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oMl1qGkfyv0&hl=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" fs="1" width="425" height="344"></embed><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>Here is a nice YouTube video that takes both "The Howling" and "American Werewolf In London's" take on shape changing. I appreciate AWIL's much more than The Howling's 'bubbling' and 'popping' change. BUT...I still think that an actual transformation would be less confused and halting. I personally feel it would be a symmetrical process. You see how the main character shifts only one hand, then his face? Because I'm a spiritual git, I'd think it'd start from the torso, then spread out--because that is where the heart and gut are. In magic and in mythology, those two things are said to be where the soul or 'Self' is...or at least, great focal points for spiritual energy. The heart especially. So why wouldn't the change occur where these things are first?</p><p><br />Furthermore--AWIL's werewolf appears...not very wolfish, when finally revealed later on. The Howling does a better job of having a "wolfish" result, but again, AWIL earns points for showing the transformation as a painful, debilitating experience. I think about AWIL when writing Nyx's transformations. But the issue with turning to film for inspiration is that, in their attempts to make the monster "scary" or "cool", many film creators fail to get the overall point of lycanthropy myths (and by that vein, <a href="http://www.therianthropes.com/ailuranthropy.htm">ailuranthropy</a> too.)</p><p>And what do I think it "means" then? Why all my blustering? For me, shape changing is a greater metaphor for the strength that lies within all of us--a power and passion that could easily become something terrifying if allowed. I take both the good and bad of the shape changing myths because that is how life is. Too much sugar will give you cavaties, too much drinking will make you an addict, too much reading will make you an insufferable recluse. I think there is as much a balance with therianthropy as there would be anything else in our world. That is why, despite my insistence on getting the 'bodily pain' of transformation right, there are those in Nyx's world that do NOT suffer, and who may even enjoy the experience.<br /></p><br /><br /><p><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v_GHvsRN4H4&hl=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" fs="1" width="425" height="344"></embed></p><br /><br /><p>Okay, so I'll end with this...random anime clip I found. I think it's from the series, "Slayers."<br /></p><p><br />The point of this post was really just to illustrate my idea of "proper" shape changing. For Nyx, her pain is symbolic of her ostracization and shame with her people. For other therians, there is still a "physical" change that takes time, but it lacks the pain--possibly even contains some sense of euphoric release. If I got too much in detail about how this relates to my story, I might ruin things for later on. I also don't want to give the impression that I don't trust my writing enough to speak for itself. This was simply a 'sidebar' talking about my thoughts on the ramifications of shapeshifting. I might do a follow-up post later, if I feel anything more needs to be said...<br /></p>Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-91316626020495653032008-12-06T11:14:00.000-08:002008-12-06T11:23:31.782-08:00Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go...Okay, the title has nothing to do with this post, really. I just have that song from Fallout 3 stuck in my head.<br /><br />Anyways, the story has been updated. These last two weeks were weird due to holidays, birthdays, inescapable events, illness, and general female wackiness. I keep reminding myself that I'm doing this for free, but I want everyone to know that I really do try to keep up with my schedule. I'm starting to think I'm going to have to make a routine of it, versus just writing whenever it strikes me.<br /><br />I started a new digital drawing (separate from the last one I mentioned...I did mention it right?) It's a lot more cartoony than some of my other works, but I mean to clean up the lines on this and color it in full.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GVRRdfP87qw/STrQ2GgxWII/AAAAAAAAAIc/-1IHdoukeQE/s1600-h/eikasiacutetwo+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 336px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GVRRdfP87qw/STrQ2GgxWII/AAAAAAAAAIc/-1IHdoukeQE/s400/eikasiacutetwo+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276759541297535106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Some proportions are off. Like Elmiryn's right arm, but I'll fix that.<br /><br />And tomorrow's my birthday. I turn 20. Yes, I'm an old, old hag.Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-37649224355584261502008-12-04T17:37:00.000-08:002008-12-04T17:44:35.490-08:00This is a TOTALLY original and clever post title.Oh wow...this week was kinda hard for me. Not because anything in particular happened. Just...well, put simply, these have been the worst mood swings I've ever suffered in all my years of being a girl. I haven't felt like doing anything, I've been sick, and tired...and sore. And tired, and sick, and--it's like a vicious cycle. Yesterday I was quite literally sitting at the bottom of my shower, staring off into space and wishing I could just put life on pause, then later that day I was high as a kite and happy as hell for no real reason at all. I've tried taking vitamins, drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and watching funny stuff, but it was all moot. This morning I woke up and felt like someone died. I guess I had a bad dream. Feeling better now though, so I guess I'm in one of those highs.<br /><br />And to think, I've only got menopause to worry about when I get older.<br /><br />Anyways, enough blathering. Here's the chapter preview to prove that I've actually been doing something:<br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">She told herself to scream, because she figured it would make her feel better. But where would that sound go, in this terrible place? What would that sound mean here? It hardly meant a thing to her, after all... She was dead. A ghost...right? So what did it mean when the sound of anguish curled out of her mouth like a desperate hand?<br /><br />...Aw, who cares...<br /><br />Elmiryn pushed herself upright, and her limbs shook with the effort. She came to an angle her spine disagreed with and fell back again, pain incising itself into her nerves. That dubious noise came to her lips once more, but rather than take flight, it clung there, shuddering, before it was lost in a sudden bark of laughter.<br /><br />She had always wondered if Halvard, moral god, would see fit to cast her in some dank hell. Well...she got her answer. How could she have survived such a crash of water? It cast her into dark--shattered her completely beyond recognition, like glass, like a mirror...</blockquote><br /><br />Remember kiddies, it is subject to change, but you should all ready know that by now...Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134068843975107694.post-81789980225221289492008-11-25T16:07:00.000-08:002008-11-25T17:55:20.033-08:00Out of the box, and over the top.Hello folks. Did an early update this week. I felt that the writing I had done was enough to stand on its own, and would make the next installment longer if I didn't separate it. I still plan on doing an update this Friday, but its Thanksgiving week here in the US, and I don't know how much time I'll have to do writing. I'll figure something out, though.<br /><br />Good news! I figured out how to get rid of those stupid green borders on <a href="http://illisemontoya.blogspot.com/2008/11/chapter-42.html">Chapter 4.2</a>. So now the chapter reads as I originally intended it. Turns out the issue wasn't with the coding in the post, but the actual site template I was using. I guess the CSS was overriding everything else. I'm not too familiar with CSS but it was simple enough to figure out how to change the one part I needed to.<br /><br />Today I was watching yet another Italian directed horror movie. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYhkLNN7B-0">"Cannibal Apocalypse."</a><br /><br />What was going on with Italian directors and music? So far each of the ones I've seen use it in weird ways. I guess maybe I'm just not used to seeing music used in such a forthcoming manner, where its as much a part of the scene as the acting is. Nowadays it seems the only time music plays a huge role in a movie is if its a musical or has a montage. But the problem is that the music used in these films don't always pose a good presence in the scene its used with. In Cannibal Apocalypse for instance, Antonio Margheriti saw fit to have the opening sequence--a violent scene from the Vietnam war--accompanied by groovy funk. What the heck!? <br /><br />The same happened in Dario Argento's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdZd5uCMWCI">"Opera"</a>. After a terrifying encounter with a crazed murderer, the lead woman decides to go running out into the streets (for whatever reason--god forbid we actually have the sense to call the cops and report a murder) and this death metal music comes on...<span style="font-style:italic;">while she's just walking down the street</span>. The music is used for nothing else but THAT. ONE. PART. It was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen. I mean...I get why Dario Argento is considered so influential in horror, but I personally don't think its because of his scripts or even the cinematography of his films. It's just that he's RIDICULOUS. Experimental. Wasn't afraid of campiness or over-the-top, not-quite-plausible gore. I don't know if the 80's was the height of Italian horror, but I'd really like to know if there are any Italian directors out there still doing what they want, reality and common sense be damned.<br /><br />...And I still have to watch David Cronenberg's remake of "The Fly". It's just been sitting on my desk since I've got it on Netflix.Illise Montoyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07340735083296412627noreply@blogger.com0