The Unquiet Mind

Brave new website

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:47:11 GMT

As announced on my DeviantArt journal and my Facebook page :

At last, I finished redoing my website !

This is here : www.minamzi.com

I added a News section as well as my latest works.

Of course, feedback is welcome ! :)

The new Doctor

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:15:59 GMT

Just saw a pic of the 11th Doctor in his new outfit plus his new companion on Yahoo! UK. He looks quite cute and he's said to be really good. I can't wait for the new episodes ! :D I'll miss David Tennant, though.

Actor Matt Smith is 26 and the youngest to have played the Time Lord. Looks like he's getting younger with each incarnation (thinking of the white-haired early Doctors). Will they cast a teen for the 12th ? XD

About time !

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:43:05 GMT

At last, I finished and uploaded a work for Vandal that was commissioned in... July 2008 ! About a year ago !!
It was my first attempt at proper fantasy art and it took me so long to finish it, not only because of school and work but also because I wanted this to be better than anything I've ever done and thus, I raised my standard too high.

I hated to make Van any longer and let down the experimenting - and it ended up in this :

Cynis Ishani the Earthsinger

Van liked it and I hope to make more commissions in the future. Now that classes are over, it should no longer take me a year to finish them.

You thought Johnny Depp looked freaky as Willy Wonka ?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:40:15 GMT

How about him as Mad Hatter in the next Burton movie Alice in Wonderland ?

Too bad we had to wait for March 2010 to see Johnny drinking tea in a ginger wig...

New deviations

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:06:06 GMT

(X-posted in deviantart )

The series of drawings I made for the 2D collection are online at last - and available as prints !

I also posted an older work a few weeks ago and forgot to advertise it. Here it is :

A quickie about 2D

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:24:28 GMT

2D was really great ! This thing is becoming huger with each year. I actually went to the panel at Sandino's last year and it was already pretty full. This year, the three stories of the Verbal Arts Centre were packed with kids queuing to get sketches from their favourite artists and shop for comics. Among said artists were people like Glenn Fabry (Preacher), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Rufus Dayglo (Tank Girl), Bryan Talbot, Mike Collins, Liam Sharp... Actually, I knew some of these people only for one story ot character or just by name but here, given the massive turn-up, they seemed to be great names. I got 5 sketches - one from Mike Collins, one from Rufus Dayglo and a very quick one from Glenn Fabry who was in a rush. I also had David Lloyd signed my copy of V for Vendetta, and Bryan Talbot and D'Israeli made a wee sketch of Dream/Morpheus on two of my Sandman books (one for each).

Tank Girl by Rufus Dayglo - I actually asked him to draw one of the Gorillaz members but he didn't have any reference so I went for Tank Girl (gotta check out the comics someday). He was a nice guy, though.

David Tennant as The Doctor, by Mike Collins. I'd never heard about this guy, nor about the Dr Who comics til then but I love the 10th Doctor so...

.

The Sandman by Bryan Talbot and D'Israeli. D'Israeli was a really nice guy - he's the only artist (with Rufus Dayglo) who I had a wee chat with. He even spoke a bit of good French.

V from V for Vendetta by David Lloyd.

Last but not least - Preacher's Cassidy by Glenn Fabry. It's a shame it wasn't as detailed as his art usually is.

I also bought a lot of comics - 4 issues of Hellblazer, 1 of Sin City and volume 2 of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and am looking forward to Grandville, the new Bryan Talbot steampunk comic. He described it as "Sherlock Holmes filmed by Quentin Tarantino... with animals". Or imagine Miyazaki's Sherlock Holmes trasmported into a turn-of-the-century Sin City. Anyway, it looks really good. You can check the homepage here : http://www.bryan-talbot.com/grandville/index.html

The only low point was not to see my illustrations in the 2D anthology about fear. DC was aware of this and apologized - he said the issues were printed in a rush and it was impossible to fit everything. However, the books need to be reprinted as they were quickly sold out and he promised that my drawings will be printed. In the meantime, I'll post them on DeviantArt for you to see.

I enjoyed the panels too and the heated discussions about today's comic industry, the necessity of sound effects and the best and worst Hollywood movie adaptations of comics. I didn't stay for the party though as I wanted to have an early night.

Another low point was I made myself a beautiful portfolio and didn't get an opportunity to show it. Well, anyway I didn't expect any employment opportunity but it'd have been nice to have a pro's opinion on my work.

And the winner is...

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:25:21 GMT

... ME - NOT !

Aye, I didn't get a Skillset Academy award :( I ended up at the second place in the FE category - which is not bad after all ! At least, I have been nominated and my work has been(and recognized) by people in the industry. There were even people from the BBC ! The guy who presented the candidates called my video a "visual feast" and the short extract they played raised a few laughs - and that made me smile :)

Unfortunately, I was late for the drinks before the ceremony. I spent ages trying to find my hostel and the taxi driver that was supposed to get me to the University campus (where the event was taking place) made big unnecessary detours. I was right on time for the ceremony though, but that was way too fast. Then I went to Starbucks to have a light dinner and a coffee and in town for some late shopping. I decided to go to my hostel walking, tired to waste money on taxis, but with my infallible sense of direction, I ended up in West Belfast while my hostel was not far from Sandy Row in the East ! The quiet empty streets bathing in twilight, the full moon shining bright in the steel blue - it all added something eerie and magical in the atmosphere. I also caught some magnificent views of the city and some murals I've never spotted before. It was really too bad I didn't have a camera with me...

They said there was going to rain heavily today - well, I haven't seen a single drop fall. The sky was cloudy but the weather was still really nice.

I'll catch an early bus tomorrow so I'll be back in Derry by eleven for the 2D Festival.

Skillset powah !

Fri, 29 May 2009 18:21:51 GMT

(X-posted in my DeviantArt journal)

The news came by e-mail this afternoon : the Halloween video I submitted for the Northern Ireland Skillset Academy Awards has been shortlisted for the best FE* content category - in other words, I'm nominated for an award !! :D Woo-hoo !

Plus, I'm invited to the ceremony in Belfast next week :) Thing is, it collides with the 2D Comics Festival in Derry, which I have been invited to as well and looking forward to. Gee, it's like Sophie's choice... :\

But in the meantime, *goes bouncing around squeaking like an overexcited schoolgirl*

By the way, I finished colouring a comic for two guys of the comic class and it looks really good - I've never been so proud of myself :) - and another illustration, all for the 2D anthology. Can't wait for it to be printed ! :D

(* Please, don't ask me what FE stands for - I don't remember ^^; )

Good to know

Wed, 20 May 2009 09:03:42 GMT

Most mails I receive from studio-ni finish in the bin but once in a while, there comes something really useful - like these two links from Strange Horizons, a speculative fiction webzine. Apparently, you can submit texts to them - good to know if I kick my butt once the course is over and set to work on my stories. It's high time I sent them out there.

Well, on condition I avoid these pitfalls :

Stories We've Seen Too Often

The following list is an attempt at classifying the kinds of non-horror plots and themes that we receive too frequently. We have a separate page for horror stories we've seen too often.

Main plot types are numbered; subspecies and variants receive letters.

This is not a canonical list of bad stories or story cliches. This is a list of types of stories that we at SH have seen too often; it's not intended to be a complete list of all types of bad stories, nor are all the items on the list necessarily bad.

We often receive stories that match items on this list but that have cover letters saying "This matches something on your list, but I've done something new and unique and different with it." Such stories almost always turn out to be very similar to other stories we've seen. If your story is a close match to one or more items on this list (especially if it's a close enough match that you feel the need to include a cover-letter disclaimer), you may want to consult some friends who are well-read in the genre before deciding that it's probably different from what we see all the time. (And by the way, we often don't read cover letters until after we've read the story.)

Note to bloggers and other potential reprinters: See end of page for reprint guidelines.

Here's the list:

   1. Person is (metaphorically) at point A, wants to be at point B. Looks at point B, says "I want to be at point B." Walks to point B, encountering no meaningful obstacles or difficulties. The end. (A.k.a. the linear plot.)
   2. Creative person is having trouble creating.
         1. Writer has writer's block.
         2. Painter can't seem to paint anything good.
         3. Sculptor can't seem to sculpt anything good.
         4. Creative person's work is reviled by critics who don't understand how brilliant it is.
         5. Creative person meets a muse (either one of the nine classical Muses or a more individual muse) and interacts with them, usually by keeping them captive.
   3. Visitor to alien planet ignores information about local rules, inadvertantly violates them, is punished.
         1. New diplomat arrives on alien planet, ignores anthropologist's attempts to explain local rules, is punished.
   4. Weird things happen, but it turns out they're not real.
         1. In the end, it turns out it was all a dream.
         2. In the end, it turns out it was all in virtual reality.
         3. In the end, it turns out the protagonist is insane.
         4. In the end, it turns out the protagonist is writing a novel and the events we've seen are part of the novel.
   5. An A.I. gets loose on the Net, but the author doesn't have a clear concept of what it means for software to be "loose on the Net." (For example, the computer it was on may not be connected to the Net.)
   6. Technology and/or modern life turn out to be soulless.
         1. Office life turns out to be soul-deadening, literally or metaphorically.
         2. All technology is shown to be soulless; in contrast, anything "natural" is by definition good. For example, living in a weather-controlled environment is bad, because it's artificial, while dying of pneumonia is good, because it's natural.
         3. In the future, all learning is soulless and electronic, until kid is exposed to ancient wisdom in the form of a book.
         4. In the future, everything is soulless and electronic, until protagonist (usually a kid) is exposed to ancient wisdom in the form of a wise old person who's lived a non-electronic life.
   7. Protagonist is a bad person. (We don't object to this in a story; we merely object to it being the main point of the plot.)
         1. Bad person is told they'll get the reward that they "deserve," which ends up being something bad.
         2. Terrorists (especially Osama bin Laden) discover that horrible things happen to them in the afterlife (or otherwise get their comeuppance).
         3. Protagonist is portrayed as really awful, but that portrayal is merely a setup for the ending, in which they see the error of their ways and are redeemed. (But reading about the awfulness is so awful that we never get to the end to see the redemption.)
   8. A place is described, with no plot or characters.
   9. A "surprise" twist ending occurs. (Note that we do like endings that we didn't expect, as long as they derive naturally from character action. But note, too, that we've seen a lot of twist endings, and we find most of them to be pretty predictable, even the ones not on this list.)
         1. The characters' actions are described in a way meant to fool the reader into thinking they're humans, but in the end it turns out they're not humans, as would have been obvious to anyone looking at them.
         2. Creatures are described as "vermin" or "pests" or "monsters," but in the end it turns out they're humans.
         3. The author conceals some essential piece of information from the reader that would be obvious if the reader were present at the scene, and then suddenly reveals that information at the end of the story. (This can be done well, but rarely is.)
         4. Person is floating in a formless void; in the end, they're born.
         5. Person uses time travel to achieve some particular result, but in the end something unexpected happens that thwarts their plan.
         6. The main point of the story is for the author to metaphorically tell the reader, "Ha, ha, I tricked you! You thought one thing was going on, but it was really something else! You sure are dumb!"
         7. A mysteriously-named Event is about to happen ("Today was the day Jimmy would have to report for The Procedure"), but the nature of the Event isn't revealed until the end of the story, when it turns out to involve death or other unpleasantness. (Several classic sf stories use this approach, which is one reason we're tired of seeing it. Another reason is that we can usually guess the twist well ahead of time, which makes the mysteriousness annoying.)
         8. In the future, an official government permit is required in order to do some particular ordinary thing, but the specific thing a permit is required for isn't (usually) revealed until the end of the story.
         9. Characters speculate (usually jokingly): "What if X were true of the universe?" (For example: "What if the universe is a simulation?") At the end, something happens that implies that X is true.
10. Someone calls technical support; wacky hijinx ensue.
         1. Someone calls technical support for a magical item.
         2. Someone calls technical support for a piece of advanced technology.
         3. The title of the story is 1-800-SOMETHING-CUTE.
11. Scientist uses himself or herself as test subject.
12. Evil unethical doctor performs medical experiments on unsuspecting patient.
13. In the future, criminals are punished much more harshly than they are today.
         1. In the future, the punishment always fits the crime.
         2. The author is apparently unaware of the American constitutional amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment, and so postulates that in the future, American punishment will be extra-cruel in some unusual way.
14. White protagonist is given wise and mystical advice by Holy Simple Native Folk.
15. Story is based in whole or part on a D&D game or world.
         1. A party of D&D characters (usually including a fighter, a magic-user, and a thief, one of whom is a half-elf and one a dwarf) enters a dungeon (or the wilderness, or a town, or a tavern) and fights monsters (usually including orcs).
         2. Story is the origin story of a D&D character, culminating in their hooking up with a party of adventurers.
         3. A group of real-world humans who like roleplaying find themselves transported to D&D world.
16. An alien observes and comments on the peculiar habits of humans, for allegedly comic effect.
         1. The alien is fluent in English and completely familiar with various English idioms, but is completely unfamiliar with human biology and/or with such concepts as sex or violence and/or with certain specific extremely common English words (such as "cat").
         2. The alien takes everything literally.
         3. Instead of an alien, it's people in the future commenting on the ridiculous things (usually including internal combustion engines) that people used to use in the unenlightened past.
17. Space travel is wonderful and will solve all our problems. (We agree that space travel is pretty cool, but we'd rather that weren't the whole point of the story.)
18. Man has an awful, shrewish wife; in the end he gets revenge on her, by (for example) killing her or leaving her.
         1. Man is entirely blameless, innocent, mild-mannered, and unobjectionable, and he kills his awful, shrewish wife entirely by accident, possibly in self-defense, so it's okay.
19. Some characters are in favor of immersive VR, while others are opposed to it because it's not natural; they spend most of the story's length rehashing common arguments on both sides. (Full disclosure: one of our editors once wrote a story like this. It hasn't found a publisher yet, for some reason.)
20. Person A tells a story to person B (or to a room full of people) about person C.
         1. In the end, it turns out that person B is really person C (or from the same organization).
         2. In the end, it turns out that person A is really person C (or has the same goals).
         3. In the end, there's some other ironic but predictable twist that would cast the whole story in a different light if the reader hadn't guessed the ending early on.
21. People whose politics are different from the author's are shown to be stupid, insane, or evil, usually through satire, sarcasm, stereotyping, and wild exaggeration.
         1. In the future, the US or the world is ruled by politically correct liberals, leading to awful things (usually including loss of freedom of speech).
         2. In the future, the US or the world is ruled by fascist conservatives, leading to awful things (usually including loss of freedom of speech).
22. Superpowered narrator claims that superhero stories never address the mundane problems that superheroes would run into in the real world.
23. A princess has been raped or molested by her father (or stepfather), the king.
24. Someone comes up with a great medical or technological breakthrough, but it turns out that it has unforeseen world-devastating consequences. (Again, this is a perfectly good plot element, but we're not thrilled when it's the whole point of the story.)
25. It's immediately obvious to the reader that a mysterious character is from the future, but the other characters (usually including the protagonist) can't figure it out.
26. Someone takes revenge for the wrongs done to them.
         1. Protagonist is put through heavy-handed humiliation after humiliation, and takes it meekly, until the end when he or she murders someone.
27. The narrator and/or male characters in the story are bewildered about women, believing them to conform to any of the standard stereotypes about women: that they're mysterious, wacky, confusing, unpredictable, changeable, temptresses, etc.
28. Strange and mysterious things keep happening. And keep happening. And keep happening. For over half the story. Relentlessly. Without even a hint of explanation.
         1. The protagonist is surrounded by people who know the explanation but refuse to give it.
29. Author showcases their premise of what the afterlife is like; there's little or no story, other than demonstrating that premise.
         1. Hell and Heaven are run like businesses.
         2. The afterlife is really monotonous and dull.
         3. The afterlife is a bureaucracy.
         4. The afterlife is nothingness.
         5. The afterlife reunites you with your loved ones.
30. Brutal violence against women is depicted in loving detail, often in a story that's ostensibly about violence against women being bad.
         1. Man is forced by circumstances or magic to rape a woman even though he really doesn't want to, honest.
         2. The main reason for the main female character to be in the story, and to be female, is so that she can be raped.
31. Evil people hook the protagonist on an addictive substance and then start raising the price, ruining the protagonist's life.
32. Fatness is used as a signal of evil, dissolution, and/or moral decay, usually with the unspoken assumption that it's completely obvious that fat people are immoral and disgusting. (Note: This does not mean all fat characters in stories must be good guys. We're just tired of seeing fat used as a cheap shorthand signifier of evil.)
         1. Someone wants to kill someone else, and that's perfectly reasonable because, after all, the victim-to-be is fat.
         2. The story spends a lot of time describing, over and over, just how fat a character is, and how awful that is.
         3. Physical contact with a fat person is understood to be obviously revolting.
33. Protagonist agrees to go along with a plan or action despite not having enough information about it, and despite their worries that the thing will be bad. Then the thing turns out to be bad after all.
34. Teen's family doesn't understand them.
35. Twee little fairies with wings fly around being twee.
36. Sentient toys, much like the ones from Toy Story, interact with each other.
37. In a comedic/satirical story, vampires and/or other supernatural creatures come out publicly and demand (and/or get) the vote and other rights, but people are prejudiced against them.

Horror Stories We've Seen Too Often

The following list is an attempt at classifying the kinds of horror-story plots that we receive too frequently. We have a separate page for non-horror stories we've seen too often.

Note that we're not generally interested in horror of any kind; this page simply lists some particular kinds of horror stories that we see especially often.

Main plot types are numbered; subspecies and variants receive letters.

This is not a canonical list of bad stories or story cliches. This is a list of types of stories that we at SH have seen too often; it's not intended to be a complete list of all types of bad stories, nor are all the items on the list necessarily bad.

We recognize that horror stories are often more about mood or tone than about original plots. Still, these plots and ideas are particularly common in the horror stories submitted to us.

   1. Serial killer or vampire stalks and slays victim(s).
         1. The tables are turned at the end. (For example, the intended victim turns out to be a vampire or other powerful supernatural creature.)
         2. The serial killer is insane.
         3. The serial killer is under supernatural influence.
         4. The serial killer was abused as a child.
   2. Person is insane, and kills a lot of people because of it.
         1. The insanity is due to supernatural influence.
         2. The insane person does property damage instead of killing people.
   3. Protagonist sits around for a while.
         1. In the end, it turns out protagonist is dead.
         2. In the end, it turns out protagonist is a serial killer.
   4. Evil creature kills lots of people.
         1. In the end the creature escapes to kill again.
         2. The creature is disguised as something cute.
   5. Person sees mysterious things that nobody else can see.
         1. Person has unreasonable dread of a Thing that nobody else can see; in the end the Thing gets the person after all.
         2. Person has bad dreams; they turn out to be real.
         3. In the end, it turns out the person is crazy.
         4. In the end, it turns out someone is drugging the person.
   6. Warnings are ignored, with unfortunate consequences.
         1. Person is warned to Always Do something; fails to do it; thereby sets Nameless Evil free.
         2. Person is warned to Never Do something; does it anyway; thereby sets Nameless Evil free.
   7. A place is haunted or scary. [No, this isn't a plot, but we do receive plotless place descriptions in which this is the only point.]
   8. Child is abused.
         1. The tables are turned at the end.
         2. The abuser is under supernatural influence.
   9. Person is targeted by Evil Thing; in the end, Evil Thing kills person.
10. Horrible things happen to person in the end, either as punishment or irony.
         1. Person is a bad person; in the end, they get their comeuppance when unspeakably horrible things happen to them. [A.k.a. the Twilight Zone plot.]
         2. Person attempts to kill or dispose of spouse; in the end, the tables are turned.
         3. Person isn't such a bad person; but in the end, unspeakably horrible things happen to them anyway.
         4. Person wants or wishes for something, and they get it without any trouble, but it results in horrible things happening to them.
11. Therapist enters into the thoughts of serial killer in prison, via telepathy or VR. [a.k.a. the Cell plot.]
12. Initiate into religion discovers that the religion is actually killing/destroying its initiates.
13. Alien creature lays eggs under the skin of a human.

I've just noticed (and added to may watchlist) notemeetsletter , an interesting writing challenge in which the community posts a music video every week as a writing prompt. That suits perfectly the music freak that I am :)

Where's Neil when you need him ?

Wed, 13 May 2009 14:58:38 GMT

A wee musical treat for Neil Gaiman's fans, which I found totally by chance on Last.fm. Excellent songs based on ~~the Master's~~ Neil's works by Rasputina, Deine Lakaien, Joachim Witt, Voltaire, The Crüxshadows and many others - not to forget Neil's great friend Tori Amos. And all the tracks can be listened to in full (instead of the stupid 30s previews). As you may have guessed, I'm already an addict. Enjoy !

Up for awards

Tue, 05 May 2009 22:11:32 GMT

(X-posted on my DeviantArt journal)

For those who haven't followed me on Facebook - I submitted today two pieces for the Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy Awards - a website (screenshot below) and a video (below too). I primarily made them for college assignments but lecturers thought they were good to be make it for the biggest media event in NI. The first prize is £180 - good extra money, so fingers crossed !

The video is a new version of Halloween in Derry. And there is one more version here.

My first comic pages

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:05:55 GMT

At last! The comic art classes have resumed and... I've got the results for my first comic pages!
And I got a Distinction! - the best mark :O I was amazed, but at the same time, I didn't feel like I deserved it. There were other guys in this group who were way better than me. That mark's still encouraging though - and also, it feel really great to see your comic pages printed on high-quality A3 sheets :D

Since they have been officially assessed and marked, I could publish these two babies on DeviantArt for you to see and read:

As I said on DeviantArt, I won't be able to produce more pages in the near future. On the one hand, I have lots of college projects to complete. On the other hand, the teacher wants us to work on theme-oriented short stories that will be published in an anthology for the 2D Comic Festival in June. The theme would be fear. I have a vague idea for a story but I don't feel I'll be able to finish it in time - 6 weeks is way too short for me. When I overheard two classmates (and really talented drawers) say they weren't good with Photoshop, I offered to do the colouring for their work as an alternative, as I'm pretty good and comfortable with digital colouring. So much for the opportunity to get a story of mine published and noticed but I have to be realistic... Also, collaborations are an excellent way to start in comics and I feel it would be a more successful team work than the one I'm doing for my HND course. At least because I'm getting along pretty well with these two classmates - we even went together for a drink on thursday night.

Finally... not scripting

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:51:13 GMT

I finally decided not to join the Frenzy this year. I'm not chickening out, but I just forgot something important. The Frenzy would take place during my Easter college break (between the 3rd and the 18th april) and I had thought of travelling to places in Ireland I hadn't explored yet or want to see again.
I know I could take my laptop with me while travelling and type like a page each day before going to bed but I need some time away from the computers and that is mostly why I wanted to travel during my break. However, I can still take a notebook and my sketchbook with me to work on Red Hot Moon when inspiration strikes me.
So... next year maybe ?

OK, to class now !

Scripting or not scripting ? (The return)

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:22:47 GMT

Once again I find myself hesitating about joining the Script Frenzy - the Nanowrimo for scriptwriters. Once again, the things that hold me back are my lack of experience in scriptwriting and the studies. As I wrote in Shots in the Dark, I have a lot of assignments to hand in for May. Plus, I wanted to start looking for a job and I haven't applied for anything yet.

But this year, I feel a bit more motivated to join because I have already written a few pages of script for the Comic Art class last year and I have been thinking of reworking on Red Hot Moon - not as a novel, but as a graphic novel. More and more I believe this is a better format for this story. It's very visual and I express myself better with images than with words. And also, I love drawing the characters.

Furthermore, the Comic Art class is resuming very soon, which means I can find people who could be interested in joining the frenzy and create opportunities to meet them outside the class. That makes it all more tempting...

And if I don't make the 100 pages, that doesn't matter. I failed Nanowrimo in 2007 but that didn't keep me from having a good time and coming back the year after :)

... To be continued...

Devious quickie before bedtime

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:10:58 GMT

Remember the logo I posted in that entry ? Well, I finally posted it on DeviantArt as well as some applications - a flyer and a business card. As I explained in the descriptions, they have been made for an college exercise and I am not advertising an actual business.

On a completely unrelated matter : I've just come across this article about the last Harry Potter movie, which is already reviewed as 'disappointing'. It says it's got too much emphasis on the Harry-Ginny romance at the expense of all the major plot lines (the half-blood prince, Voldemort's story and Dumbledore's death). As if we hadn't enough of supernatural romances after Twilight... *sighs*

And one more for the road...

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:32:00 GMT

One more submission for the 100 Theme Challenge - aye, I've been very inspired. 'tis for theme #35 (Walk).

OK, I started this on a day I was very depressed. I'll always be amazed at what I can get out of depression, but that shouldn't keep me from taking my medicine (says the one who's forgotten to take it for three days and is now suffering from the consequences >.<).

In the meantime, Heaven got 7 favourites in one week ! That's not a lot compared to other (more successful) deviants but still I'm grateful and that cheered me up for a while :)

That and the cat returning to my room, and reading Watchmen - I know, it'snot really funny but it's freakin' brilliant and it's got enough to take my mind off that darn job.

Enough ranting - I'm gonna have a walk and try to capture a moonlight while the moon is full.

I need your opinion !

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:59:12 GMT

I’m trying to design a logo for myself as part of a college assignment. I came up with this a couple of months ago but the teacher says it would not be appropriate to promote myself as a web designer. Not corporate enough, maybe ?

The thing is just below. I took my inspiration from Tolkien’s brand and based the design on my initials (MJYM) – figure them out ! ;)

Any constructive feedback and suggestions would be really really appreciated !

Also, for the same unit, I must pick the three best of my works - drawing and photographs included. I know for sure 2 Guns will get the gold medal, but who will get silver and bronze ? I can't make up my mind and need external opinion. All my works are in my DeviantArt gallery.

I thank you all in advance for your help :)

And another one...

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:45:43 GMT

A very quick update (hardly one week after the two webpage screenshots) and a new submission for the 100 Theme Challenge.

Actually, I took this photo and enhanced it with Photoshop a long time ago but I kept putting off uploading it to my gallery. Plus, I didn't intend it for the 100 challenge originally until found it could fit perfectly for Entry #7 (Heaven).

I'm working currently on more submissions. Enjoy this one in the meantime :)

First deviously deviant deviations of the year !

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:09:18 GMT

This would also be the first entry of the year 2009 for this LJ - with an unforgivable 2-month-delay. All just to say I posted some new stuff on Deviantart - and more specifically 2 screenshots of pages from the two websites that have kept me busy this winter.

Also I realize I forgot to advertise an older deviation here - poor Rory was giving me the evil eye for the lack of attention:

And also on my dA page, a devious journal entry, in which I wonder whether I shall go on Facebook or not...

My first video !

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:24:16 GMT

(X-posted in La vie, l'Irlande et tout le reste)

The first video I ever made is about the Halloween festival in Derry, Northern Ireland. All shot with a small Kodak camera, hence the shaky images, and edited with Apple Final Cut Pro. Background music : "Halloween" by Misfits.

Enjoy !

Big Fun Scary Goals update #12

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:21:50 GMT

(View my full list of goals for 2008)

The final update !! I stroke some more goals as achieved, although there is still some more work needed in spite of the improvements. Sadly, I lost the challenge and won't get another beautiful certificate to hang on the walls. Still, I'm pretty much happy with what I have done.
And more, I won't let thing rest here and go on with the goals I put on hiatus and even add some new ones - I'll type a wee list later on the day.

- read all the books I've bought in the last months and years :

As I wrote in the last update, I had to put this one off since I couldn't read all the books of the lists. I made some progress though and finished reading all the Roald Dahl books but there are still four to go. I can only blame myself as I had to or wanted to read other books - mostly it was a spur of the moment thing. But it's not really lost, as long as I've read - and a lot I have !

- finish all the drawings I've started in the recent months and years and post them in DeviantArt :

I decided to strike this one as "achieved" not just to give myself some pride, but also because of all the works I uploaded in dA, which I'm quite happy with :)

- continue improving my confidence and self-esteem :

I'd say I achieved this one too, although I've still some work to do in this field. At least, I feel less depressed and more optimistic about things. I know how to recognize the symptoms and how to tackle them. I know how to defend myself from judgement and I know my limits. Most of all, I know it all boils down to how you take care of yourself.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !! :D

Big Fun Scary Goals update #10-#11

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:40:59 GMT

(View the full list of goals)

It was time I updated this too ! I'm 1 month and half overdue T_T
But I have some good news though ^^ (and some bad ones too... T_T)

- finish my still untitled werewolf story I started in november and write at a pace of 3-5 hours per week :

I'm definitely putting this one on a hiatus to focus on the making of its prequel - well, when I can :\. And I feel this one will have to be entirely rewritten.

- read all the books I've bought in the last months and years :

Not much progress in 2 months - just 2 Roald Dahl books. With the coming of Nanowrimo, I felt much more like reading books with a similar theme or atmosphere to my NaNovel - which I borrowed from the library.

- finish all the drawings I've started in the recent months and years and post them in DeviantArt :

I actually started, finished and uploaded brand new ones. There are 2 older pics I thought of giving a make-over but it wouldn't really matter if I don't do them before the end of the year. I've done most of the work anyway.

- continue improving my confidence and self-esteem :

OK - winning Nanowrimo, getting a work experience quickly and getting a few more distinctions for my college assignment have certainly given me a boost. I've lost weight and my acne is recessing. But why am I still unhappy with myself ?

- do more exercise (yoga and swimming), eat more healthily and lose another 5 kilos ;

I finally got back to the gym this morning and I got a good surprise as I went on the scales : I now weigh 64kgs (128lbs) ! I was at 70kgs (140lbs) at the beginning of the year - which means I've lost 6kgs ! More than I have planned. So I strike this one as achieved :)

- find another part-time job (and better and more fulfilling than my current one) :

I've struck this one as abandoned, which I should have done ages ago. This one was lost anyway.

- take part to NaNoWriMo for the 2nd time and meet the 50K words target :

Mission accomplie ^^

- take part to a text submission or writing comp (or something like that...):

I've put this one on a hiatus too. Writing Magazine has some good comps for 2009. Would be worth a try...

Back to Deviancy

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:20:23 GMT

And another one for the 100 Themes Challenge - for entry 45 (2 Guns). I found out (a bit too late !!) the club was closed until further notice ^^; - which is a shame because I have quite a lot of ideas for the list, but still...

I have a lot more to say but I am tired and so is my Tablet PC. Plus, I need a shower before going to bed.
Enjoy, and good night !

YAT-TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:44:18 GMT

Word count : 50,541 / 50,000

I DID IT ! I DID IT ! I DID IT ! I DID IT ! I DID IT ! I DID IT ! I DID IT ! I DID IT !
MY FIRST WIN !! Just one day before the end !! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

50,541 words !! 77 pages !! 30 sleepless nights !! Gallons and gallons of coffee and tea - and probably a couple of pounds from the cakes and chocolates ^^; Around £5 spent on a beautiful red and black notebook and two red pens - and probably more on drinks and food at the coffee shops ^^;

Now, I can shift back to human form but before that ...

*puts on her werewolf mask and dances the calypso*

PS : It's so good seeing the bar turn purple (I couldn't see it turn green ^^; ) and a wee halo above my name - I made a $10 donation and am now an official friend of Nanowrimo.

PPS : To anyone who hasn't finished : YOU CAN DO IT !! I'M WITH YOU !!

PPPS : To those who have already won : Bailey's and chocolate ice-cream anyone ?

And now, the radioblog of doom...

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:09:16 GMT

Word count : 40,121 / 50,000

At last ! It's here, my Nanoradio ! :D All with the soundtracks I have written to so far, mixed with a few songs that keep me inspired. I have to warn you though that the musics are mostly dark and gloomy, even agressive and a bit disturbing, but heh - it's a gothic fantasy thriller I'm writing. Better not listen if you're in a bad mood.

Sadly, I didn't manage to embed the player in this post, so you'll have to open this link in a separate window or tab: http://yzabel.net/minamzi/radio.html

Enjoy ! Thanks a million to kerydwenn who helped me set this up :)

Samhain - The Howl

Good ol' horror punk, with - ahem ! - quite explicit lyrics that say it all and vocals by ex-Misfit Glen Danzig.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising

Yes, the song from An American Werewolf in London and the very same that precedes the famous transformation scene. That's also the first song I played on Winamp as I started writing the opening scene on November the 1st at midnight. A perfect calm-before-the-storm song.

Shiro Sagisu - On The Precipice Of Defeat [Bleach OST]

The Bleach soundtrack has quite good eerie suspenseful music, like this one but I keep this one for great revelations that leave my MCs on their a** XD

Hideki Taniuchi - Mello [Death Note OST]

The Death Note OST is my favourite anime soundtrack. The blend of hard rock, grooves, electronica and classical pieces by Yoshihisa Hirano is perfect and the style of some songs remind me of my favourite bands (Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead...)

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-08

I love Nine Inch Nails, especially their instrumental pieces and their album Ghosts I-IV has become my favourite album to write to. Even though most of the songs are better suited for cyberpunk, some are OK for dark fantasy. This one, particularly, is good for transformation scenes.

Velvet Acid Christ - Ghost in the circuit

Same as Nine Inch Nails. That track would rather fit in a playlist for a sci-fi novel but the at mosphere kinda reminds me of the vampire movie Near Dark.

The Dust Brothers - Hessel, Raymond K. [Fight Club OST]

I know, Fight Club is not a fantasy flick, but its soundtrack was just what I needed to write this story.

Hideki Taniuchi - Ikari [Death Note OST]

That could be Rory's theme.

Hideki Taniuchi - Shinigami Kai B [Death Note OST]
The Dust Brothers - What is Fight Club [Fight Club OST]
In The Nursery - Holstenwall

That track has always been a favourite of mine when I need to describe a really gloomy atmosphere that paves the way for the characters to encounter their worst nightmare.

Gallows - Wrathchild

A raw, savage cover of a Iron Maiden song by one of the best punk bands I've ever heard.

Christophe Beck - Xander's Nightmare [Buffy The Vampire Slayer OST]

A good one to describe a hunting scene.

Soma - Arcane

Those songs from the Narcosis compilation are really dead useful. Some parts of the story take place underground, especially the sewers, and that's the music that come with them.

Mike Wyzgowski - Nothing Can Be Explained [Bleach OST]

That could be Callum's theme. That says enough about how he feels throughout the story (though he doesn't show it much).

Hideki Taniuchi - Himitsu [Death Note OST]

Aye, aye. Another gloomy music - and this one illustrated a macabre discovery.

Christophe Beck - Loneliness of six [Buffy The Vampire Slayer OST]

I used this one for a romantic scene - yes, you read me. Even in the harsh and unfriendly world of lycanthropes, there is still a place for true love.

Rancid - Red Hot Moon

I added this one to the playlist simply because it's the song I borrowed the title from for this baby. Otherwise, the lyrics have nothing to do with the story..

Meanwhile, I have played other songs, which I didn't have the time to add to the playlist, but I post the list here all the same :
Primal Scream - Trainspotting (This track is 10 minutes long, so I hesitated to add it to the radio ^^; )
Taniuchi Hideki - L No Nakama [Death Note OST]
Shiro Sagisu - Head in the clouds [Bleach OST]
Taniuchi Hideki - Senritsu B [Death Note OST]
Shiro Sagisu - Oh So Tired [Bleach OST]
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts IV-01
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts III-03
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-01
Lostprophets - Everyday Combat
Metallica - Of Wolf and Man
Rammstein - Tier
Danzig - Killer Wolf
Slipknot - Duality
Slipknot - Gently
Shiro Sagisu - Burden of the past [Bleach OST]
Christophe Beck - Moment of Happiness [Buffy The Vampire Slayer OST]
Collide - Haunted When the Minutes Drag
Nine Inch Nails - Complication
Muse - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Lostprophets - 4 AM Forever

The novel is still being written, so there'll be more to come...</lj>