Southern Writing

An impossible genre

2010-02-06T21:42:09-05:00

I was watching The Vampire Diaries and realized there is a genre out there that would be almost impossible to write: feminist vampire romance.

Vampire romances are one-sided power struggles that almost never empower the women involved. And, if they do, they can barely be called feminist in view.

The Twilight series is about a vampire more than 100 years older than his love interest. He stalks her, lies and impersonates the living to insert himself into her life, breaks into her house to watch her sleep, and is obsessed with "protecting" her.

The Vampire Diaries is a little better. It's about a vampire more than 100 years older than his love interest. He stalks her, lies and impersonates the living to insert himself into her life, and is obsessed with "protecting" her. Except, he has a cool, inhumane brother who adds depth to the show. The problem is, his inhumane brother is more than 100 years older than the same love interest. He stalks her, lies and impersonates the living to insert himself into her life, breaks into her house to watch her sleep, and is obsessed with "protecting" her.

The Lost Boys is about a band of vampires. The head vampire is more than 100 years older than his love interest. He lies and impersonates the living to insert himself into her life and that of her family. The male lead falls head over heels for a female vampire, but she is largely controlled by her pack and is in charge of raising a child who is in the process of becoming a vampire (Which doesn't really make sense besides asserting her role as a "mother," does it?).

Anne Rice does a little better in her books, but her female vampires aren't as fully formed as their male counterparts. Louis and Lestat show up in book after book, taking center stage, with an almost entirely male cast filling in around them.

There's a whole sub-genre of lesbian vampire fiction, but most of it conforms to male fantasies. Most of straight vampire fiction also conforms to male fantasies, because it is about an older man finding a beautiful young woman and using supernatural powers (or showing how good and kind the vampire is by not using supernatural powers) to entice her.

True Blood is more of the same, but I am impressed that there are smaller stories about gay vampires and unattractive vampires and depressed vampires that go against the grain. The series also delves into the deceptions the vampires use to make themselves seem less threatening to the mortal world.

It would be hard to write a feminist vampire story for many of the same reasons it would be hard to write feminist erotica story. If you write the story of a male vampire falling in love with a regular woman, you're probably still going to be perpetuating binary gender roles. The male vampire will be the woman's savior. He will have to control his inner animal to keep her safe. You can make a sensitive vampire who is comfortable with his inner woman, thanks to centuries of unlife, but that's the same as the sensitive male artist who women seem to fall in love with in feminist erotica stories.

If you have a female vampire fall in love with a man, you start to tread on thin ice. If the woman is hot, then of course a hot-blooded man would want her. If she's not, is she using some sort of supernatural compulsion to make him want her? Theoretically, she's the older woman. Does the man want her because she's the eternal MILF? Does he want the power that would come with being a vampire?

The only options for feminist vampire romance stories I see is to subvert the genre or write a love story about a dying mortal and the vampire who has stood by them as they grow old, never leaving their side even through hot flashes or erectile dysfunction disorder or gray hairs and broken hips. To not even use flashbacks to try to explain that the vampire really sees their love as they were when they were young and beautiful and just show the vampire changing their loved one's Depends and feeding them food by the pureed spoonful.

Starving artist in New Orleans

2010-01-30T17:13:03-05:00

Okay, I'm not exactly starving. Not yet, anyways.

I've started writing again. In fact, right now I'm writing in a local coffee shop, in between chickory cafe au laits. Here, a small cafe au lait costs $2.07, with tax, and includes a free refill.

I'm also surrounded by art by local artisans, who don't have to pay to have their works displayed on the walls. I want to buy it all, especially the hand woven rugs that cost $90 each. I hope I get a real teaching job or sell a novel soon (although my first responsibility is a new car).

I've started substitute teaching, and it's given me a bunch of inspiration for stories. I'd forgotten how repressive and depressing the school system is. So far, all of my classes have called me "the nice lady." I've watched teaching aids tell kids to shut up and throw things at the students. I've worked with aids who refused to tell kids in an alternative school what to do, because they were afraid of them. And, what can I do? I'm just a substitute who's going to be gone in a day.

Here's what my current schedule normally looks like on the weekdays:

Wake up at 6 a.m.

Fight sleep.

Drive to work.

Start the work morning around 7 a.m. (but it can be as late as 8:30).

Work with the kids with an hour break and half hour lunch.

Drive home around 2:30 (but it can be as late as 3:30).

Maybe scarf down something quick, like a peanut butter sandwich.

Drive to school for classes and get out around 8:30 (but it can be as late as 10 p.m.).

Write a little or watch TV online or read until it's time to go to bed, which always come to soon.

But, did I mention I'm writing? I'm also going to print out my novel at the college and start editing it, for serious.

Also, anyone who thinks teaching is easy has never had to deal with two emotionally disturbed students heckling each other until one becomes hysterical and vomits on the floor.

Change of pace

2010-01-12T00:13:17-05:00

Last year, I had an entire post to herald in the New Year, complete with resolutions, like traveling and writing more. This year, there will be no such post. I've been too busy living life.

On December 31, I moved to New Orleans. I dropped out of my Florida life, which wasn't working, and got into graduate school. I start at the University of New Orleans tomorrow. I will working towards a master's in education.

I'm still writing. Write now I'm finishing up an article for the St. Petersburg Times and starting a short story. I'm getting into the groove of this new life. It's awesome.

#1 Super Top Movie of the Year: Ink

2009-11-30T23:37:40-05:00

Visually stunning. Engaging. Fascinating. Compelling. These are the words I would use to describe Ink, an indie sleeper that's about to take the film world by storm.


watch trailer 1 \| watch trailer 2	visit website

Netflix has been trying to get me to watch Ink for quite a while. I've ignored the subtle pushes, opting instead to watch some forgettable films and old favorites.

"Come on, we think you'll give Ink four stars if you just watch it," Netflix has been saying. "Just give it a chance. What have you got to lose?"

For most of the day I thought about Ink. I decided to watch it when I got home from work and settled down to watch it a few hours ago, not expecting much. By the time it ended, I was a puddle of tears and already thinking of playing parts of it over to watch it again.

Watching Ink is and isn't like anything you've ever seen. The cinematography is daring. The world is filtered through amber light, then silver light, then green light, then grainy, dark film, then back to a more realistic tone. The screen ratio changes. People flash in and out of existence. The musical score serves as background for the action until it seems the musical score is dictating what you see on the screen. For the most part, it worked. I was engaged. Once I started watching, I couldn't turn back.

The musical scores at times blended perfectly into individual scenes. When it wasn't busy blending, I was struck by how beautiful it was and by how well it tugged at my emotions. I was even more impressed when I realized the score was written by director Jamin Winans.

Ink probably isn't for everyone. In some ways, it was like watching a fantasy based video game. As steeped in the gaming culture as I am, this wasn't a problem for me. In fact, I would be floored if it was turned into a game. I would buy it.

I also thought, for the most part, the acting was great. When it wasn't great, the actors' earnestness towards the film saved it. Jeremy Make and Jennifer Batter stand out the most. Jeremy is a pathfinder, a blind man who must listen to the rhythms of the world around him to find a way to save a little girl. And, Jennifer is Allel, a storyteller warrior tasked to help him save the girl and her father; she also passes on good dreams to ordinary people asleep in the real world.

The story takes place in two realms, that of the ordinary world and a second world which is the home of storytellers and incubi, creatures engaged in a battle between good and evil. The world of the storytellers is idyllic, bright, and full of laughter, while that of the incubi is bleak, gritty, and inhumane. Storytellers bring good dreams; incubi bring nightmares.

A young girl is stolen from her home in the middle of the night by Ink, a creature lost in his own suffering. He wants to become an incubus- he feels once he is counted in their ranks he will be transformed into a beautiful being lost in bliss. The girl is to be his sacrifice.

It is up to the storytellers, guided by Jacob the pathfinder. to save her. In order to do so, they need to break her father, played by Chris Kelly, out of the habits that have led him to become estranged from her. Quinn Hunchar is adorable as Emma, the young girl at the center of the tale, and is perfect as she plays, cowers, and eventually finds a store of courage.

At an hour and forty-five minutes, I didn't feel the movie was too long. At times it was a bit muddled. There is a lot going on. There are fight scenes and dream sequences and a large cast to wrangle. But, the few times I felt my interest waning, something drew my attention back in quick order.

I do with the multicultural cast was used more effectively. All of the main characters, even Ink to some degree, were pretty white people with problems. I usually expect indie movies to do a better job of having an inclusive cast. At the same time, the movie wasn't my vision, and it worked, so I'm not going to raise my voice in complain too loudly. There's hope Jamin's next tale will include a more diverse cast. He does get brownie points for including a number of empowered female characters into the story.

Even if Ink wasn't an indie, low budget film, it would still be a visual masterpiece. And, I can without a doubt say it was the best movie I've seen all year. In fact, it's the best movie I've seen in quite a few years, and it is a film I would consider an instant classic. Jamin Winans is also well on his way to becoming one of my favorite directors. He wrote, directed, and scored the movie. He's at the Joss Whedon level, and this is his first feature. When I ranked Ink in Netflix, I had to give it five stars. I don't think I've liked a movie this much since Pan's Labyrinth.

Crazy November

2009-11-27T10:09:41-05:00

November has been one of the busiest months of my life. Even busier than October, when I was working four jobs.

I've been trying to get into the University of New Orleans's alternate graduate certificate program for teaching and set up a couple of backup programs, just in case. I'm still working 30 hours a week and freelancing on top of that.

I started out writing a NaNoWriMo novel, but due to computer problems and a trip to New Orleans, I gave up the dream and started to work on rewrites of my previous novel, which is more important, anyways.

On top of this, I'm trying to power clean my apartment for the day I move out, which should be December 31. I am 90 percent certain that on January 1 I will be driving to New Orleans and my new apartment.

My New Orleans trip cemented the fact that I want to move there in my mind. I'm tired of quasi city living and want to live life to the fullest. Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone next year?

Life up 'til now

2009-10-19T09:51:07-04:00

I'm still working towards my University of New Orleans goal, but now I have a backup plan. I'm also applying for my professional teaching certificate in Florida, and by this time in January I will either be attending classes in New Orleans or working for the school system in Florida, even if it is as a sub.

I'm also working on a project for NaNoWriMo. During my breaks at Howl O Scream, I've been outlining, fleshing out characters, and setting scenes. By the end of November, I plan to have my second novel in the bag.

That's about all. I'm overworked and tired, and I plan on enjoying some coffee and music at Sacred Grounds tonight.

How September's been treating me

2009-09-29T09:27:51-04:00

September's almost over, and it's been a pretty good month. The Jewish New Year was a week ago, and since that day, my life has been a whirlwind.

I've registered for the Praxis exam, which is the subject test for New Orleans teachers. I'll have my transcripts sent to the teaching program next month, and I plan to have my ACT scores sent to them as well.

My family is going to drive me to New Orleans, and it will be a mini family vacation. My friends Moira and Josiah will take over Friday night, and Saturday Moira is going to drive me to take the test. Once I have all of the paperwork and testing completed, I get to wait to interview with the program people.

I've also decided to buy Scrivener. It organizes my work too well not to use it. I don't use any of the flashy features (think corkboard and outlining) but what I do use is worth $30.

My future looks pretty bright right now.

The woman with the plan

2009-09-25T09:09:03-04:00

The most I make in a single month during the year is around $2,000, because every October I work at Howl O Scream. Usually, the amount I make is closer to $1,000.

Now, I have a plan. I'm going to apply to a program at the University of New Orleans that would allow me to earn a teaching certificate while I teach. In the fall, I will hopefully be teaching science classes to middle school or high school students.

I've wanted to teach for a while. That's one of the reasons I'm working part time now as a principal's assistant for the religious school at my synagogue. I've also loved New Orleans for a good long while, and I've wanted to be a bigger part of the recovery effort. Now, I just have to figure out how to spell this out in 500- 1,000 words without seeming like a creep or a weirdo. Fun times.

Because, for me, there is no life that isn't the writing life, I will probably update this blog on my progress on getting into the teaching program. I expect this summer this blog will be filled with posts about fast-track teaching classes, and this fall it will be filled with posts about transitioning into teaching. Life is exciting again.

My beef with the news

2009-09-15T09:30:44-04:00

I have a former professor who gives a "Why newspapers are important" speech every year, around this time. His argument isn't that the news is important (although he would never argue news isn't important), it's that newspapers are important. Newspaper websites don't fit into this equation; only the physical act of reading a newspaper will do.

My problem with this mindset is it is one of stagnation. It's a "This is the way I know, so this is the right way," way of thinking. The media industry is struggling, and it's because the industry isn't evolving in time with customer demand.

The need for the industry's evolution is being thwarted by the struggles of the industry. Less people are trying to do more work. Newspaper reporters and editors are taking more unpaid vacation and working less hours while trying to put together a quality product, and the newspapers are suffering. Some reporters go out into the field as reporters, photographers, and multimedia experts, yet stories are still being dumped from the paper onto the website. And, newspapers are missing out on breaking news to Twitter and sites willing to print stories as they happen.

For example- I've been known to freelance deadline stories for papers. At one such paper, my deadline was 7:45, or a worst case scenario time of 8:30. These deadline times were given to me the first day I wrote a story on deadline.. With editor turnover, my deadline moved to an unknown time, but at 7:45 stories were deemed too late to make the next day's morning edition. And, by 8 p.m., the editor becomes unreachable by their office extension. So, suddenly, news happening in the field has to be concluded by 7:30, or it won't make the next day's newspaper at all. The news that happened yesterday will be in tomorrow's edition and possibly on the web some time tonight. So, the people who read the newspaper will get the news on Wednesday, after they've probably already consumed it from the television and web.

Another good example is Patrick Swayze's death. I learned via text message last night that he was dead. Then, I logged into Facebook and had tons of status updates from my friends, and an updated note from the New York Times about the death. The Times isn't above covering breaking news. It isn't above reaching out to people through text messages, emails, or social networking sites. In fact, I usually go to the Times site, because they update breaking news stories as they happen and is a reliable source of news. Other newspaper sites I read didn't post the story until well after I went to bed.

Something has to happen, and it has to happen fast, because most local papers are being left in the dust during this media revolution.

Also, if there are glaring errors in this post, please let me know. I've been cutting back on coffee and sugar, so right now I'm in the midst of a mind haze of exhaustion.

New writing blog!

2009-09-13T00:32:00-04:00

Kathy Cano-Murillo, probably my favorite crafter of all time, has started her own writing blog. In addition to being the mind behind the Crafty Chica craft line and crafting books, she is also working on launching her fiction debut.

I'm hoping I love her writing blog (which will be filled with wonderful writing tidbits and information, I'm sure) as much as I love Diary of a Crafty Chica.