thejoyousjester

[thejoyousjester]

I watched as God handed some a songsheet, some a farmers’ overalls, some a microphone. He gave out dance shoes and paintbrushes; he gifted calculators and writing pens. And then he came to me.

“And me, Lord?” I asked. “What do you intend for me?”

God smiled and reached out His Hands, and there, waiting for me, I saw: a clown nose.

[thejoyousjester]

Say It Ain't So, Caesar.

For Day 10 of @inklings-challenge I am participating in the Dodgeball prompt.

Dodgeball: Write down five terrible ideas of things that you would never want to happen in your story. Then take one of those terrible ideas and figure out how the story could change to make that terrible idea make sense.

However, I am putting my own spin on it and simply sharing ALL FIVE terrible, awful, no-good ideas i had for my Julius Caesar retelling.

After Julius dies, Antony forces Calpurnia to marry him because We Are Just Going To Pretend In This Fantasy Rome That It Would Actually Mean Something To Marry The Wife Of The Former Almost Emperor. This idea kind of ties in with Antony's political marriage to Octavia (sister of Octavius, and the new ruler of Rome and adopted son of Julius) in Antony and Cleopatra. However, this idea gives me the icky-poo, heebie-jeebies. Not because I'm against political marriages in fiction, but because being married to my Antony would be Super Gross.™

Calpurnia goes undercover as one of the Liberators and "joins" Cassius and Brutus, only to work the old switcheroo and kill them both in revenge for her husband's death. This idea made me laugh out loud, it was so horribly corny - and so horribly akin to something you might find in one of the proliferation of feminist YA retellings we are encumbered with these days.

Calpurnia teams up with Cleopatra to take on both the Liberators army and put a stopper on Antony. This idea COULD intrigue me, because I am always down for a complex female relationship, however, it leans to closely to the General Culture's obsession with making Cleopatra better than she actually was, and I don't quite understand the fascination with what is essentially a jumped up, well, harlot. A harlot with a crown, but still a harlot. I do like a few thematic possibilities of this idea, though. Having Cleopatra pledge her military to Calpurnia instead of Antony is interesting.

Calpurnia flees dramatically after Julius when he heads to the Theater of Pompey, jumps in front of one of the attackers, and also dies of knife wounds. I don't think I need to expound any further on that one. The Terrible Idea speaks for itself.

Calpurnia dies (knife wound? broken heart? rogue gladiator?) and she and Caesar become ghosts together. If I were ever going to do a comedy of Julius Caesar, I would probably write this. The idea of Calpurnia and Caesar having a wonderful time terrifying their old friend Brutus cracks me up. Imagining the two of them working their ghostly revenge and laughing like hyenas while they do it could be preposterously fun.

Anyway, that's my modified participation in the Dodgeball event. I can definitely see how I could finagle my story into any of these Terrible Ideas, but I won't. This was quite a confidence that my real idea is actually not so bad. 😂

[thejoyousjester]

#workingonjuliuscaesar #butALWAYSthinkingaboutkingarthur #iwanttobeaknight #bringbackknighthood #letsmakeagang #witharmor #itwouldbecool

If I was a knight would you let me swear oaths to you be honest

[thejoyousjester]

Writing in the Dark

For Day Nine of the @inklings-challenge I decided to do the Stargazing prompt (work on your project in the dark).

Since I write in the mornings, the only way to access darkness at 10:00 o'clock AM was to access my closet.

Feeling a little foolish, I squeezed in amongst the clothes and bins with a floor cushion and my laptop and dubiously began.

And, apparently, my brain loves it because I wrote 1k pretty effortlessly???

It actually made me feel like a kid again, which is exactly what I've been trying to do this year as I recover from burnout.

That delicious contraband feeling of going willful missing in the middle of the day and no one knows where you've disappeared to as you're hiding in your closet, curled up on the floor as if your hips are in perfect eight-year-old order and dreaming about imaginary worlds is actually quite fun.

[thejoyousjester]

For Day Eight of the @inklings-challenge I chose the Shadow Puppets prompt (describe at least three characters in your project, using only 1-2 sentences for each).

Behold: some of my rough descriptions for a few of my characters.

Julius: "A sharp, hawk-like face in his youth, whose features had softened and filled as he grew older, though that feeling of hard edges remained, forever captured in that piercing gaze of his: a gaze that could draw a lover in so deeply and send enemies fleeing with one glance. They were the distant blue of faraway hazy mountains, and one either wished to conquer them, as Calpurnia had, or quailed at the thought of climbing such lofty heights, as Caesar’s opponents did."

Marcus: "His dark was beginning to be touched with silver, lending him an air of distinction that he might otherwise have not had, for there was something forgettable about Marcus’s face: it was a face that was as innocuous and carefully smooth as a pillar."

Portia: "Portia turned towards her, and Calpurnia was struck all over again with how much the woman reminded her of a tree: tall and lithe and supple, with hair the color of beechwood. She looked like the statues of the nymphs that people now insisted were only legends—albeit a sickly one. Portia’s tall frame looked forever bent these days, as if she were weighed down by some invisible burden. Her blond hair had thinned, and the dark eyes looked positively black now, and had retreated behind jutting cheekbones."

Camp Tolkien: Day 8

Welcome to another day at Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you’re in–brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising–Camp Tolkien’s activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today’s four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish–choose more than one if you want to.

Shadow Puppets: Describe at least three characters in your project, using only 1-2 sentences for each.

Foraging: Find a piece of paper that is not writing paper--it could be a napkin, an envelope, a piece of newsprint, etc.--and use it to hand-write something related to your project.

Cookout: Write a short scene and make sure to describe it using all five senses.

Canoeing: Write for five minutes. Open a new document and try to write the same scene from memory. Compare the two versions and keep your favorite.

When you’re finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

So glad to have you all at camp! Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

I'm late to update, but I've been very much enjoying the @inklings-challenge this week.

For Day Seven, I chose the Swimming prompt.

Swimming: Set a timer for ten minutes and write. Come up for air, take at least a five minute break, then write another ten minutes.

I got a little over 700 words and did some outlining to work out more details in my story and then had a very helpful brainstorming with my sister. I'm definitely getting a bit more clarity with THE VALIANT NEVER TASTE DEATH.

Camp Tolkien: Day 7

Welcome to another day at Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you’re in–brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising–Camp Tolkien’s activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today’s four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish–choose more than one if you want to.

Letter Writing: Share a letter written by a character from your project. If you want to make it a postcard, include a picture that relates to some element of your story.

Singalong: Listen to some music and use a lyric to inspire some element of your project.

Swimming: Set a timer for ten minutes and write. Come up for air, take at least a five minute break, then write another ten minutes.

Sandcastles: Describe a building in the setting of your project.

When you’re finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

So glad to have you all at camp! Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

I'm combining Day 5 with Day 6 of the @inklings-challenge so that I can finally catch up!

This morning, I combined the prompt MOVIE NIGHT from Day 5 with the FREE DAY (Day 6) prompt which allowed me to choose between multiple prompts. I picked Photography.

All that to say, I listened to NOW WE ARE FREE from Gladiator (duh) on repeat while creating a mood board for my Julius Caesar short story retelling THE VALIANT NEVER TASTE DEATH.

Camp Tolkien: Day 5

Welcome to another day at Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you’re in–brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising–Camp Tolkien’s activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today’s four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish–choose more than one if you want to.

Woodcarving: Take a previously-written portion of your project and try to reduce its wordcount by 25%.

S'mores: Set a timer for five minutes and write as many words as you can. Then do a ten-minute writing session. Then a fifteen-minute one. Then treat yourself to a snack.

Storytelling: Tell us about a story from within the world of your project. It could be a folktale, a bit of history, family lore, something from a character's backstory, whatever you like.

Movie Night: Listen to a favorite movie soundtrack while you work on your project.

When you’re finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

So glad to have you all at camp! Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

I am trying to play catch up with the @inklings-challenge and raced through the Relay Race prompt this morning.

I wrote 157 words, all told: and each one of them was like pulling teeth. I'd like to blame the fact that I have not had my coffee yet and I am languishing beneath the suffocating heat of NO AIR CONDITIONING but while those are certainly an aspect, the fact is I'm struggling a bit with this story. Getting the elements of Julius Caesar into a story narrated entirely by Calpurnia is not easy, and I'm beginning to think I'll need a secondary narrator: we shall see.

Camp Tolkien: Day 4

Welcome to another day at Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you’re in–brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising–Camp Tolkien’s activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today’s four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish–choose more than one if you want to.

Friendship Bracelets: Tell us about two characters who are currently friends, or talk about a childhood/former friend of one of your characters.

Skits: Write a short dialogue scene in script format.

Relay Race: Start a stopwatch. Write 100 words. See how long it took you. Set a timer for the same amount of time, then see how many words you can write in that time.

Tumbling: Switch up the format of how you work on your project. If you usually type, write by hand (or vice versa). If you must type, type in a different program, or use a different-colored font.

When you’re finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

So glad to have you all at camp! Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

For Day 3 of the @inklings-challenge I know I did the Zipline prompt but I've no memory of how well it went because life has been hectic lately and I can't remember my own name, let alone what happened a few days ago.

Camp Tolkien: Day 3

Welcome to another day at Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you're in--brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising--Camp Tolkien's activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today's four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish--choose more than one if you want to.

Alphabet Game: Make a list of twenty-six things that could happen in your story--each one starting with a different letter of the alphabet.

Dioramas: Write a detailed description of one room in one setting in your project.

Hiking: Go on a walk outside and use something about the experience (a sensory detail, something you saw) as inspiration for your project.

Zipline: Write as fast as you can for ten minutes. You are not allowed to backspace, cross out, or delete anything during that time.

When you're finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

So glad to have you all at camp! Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

What I did on Day 2 (the 12th, for me) of the @inklings-challenge.

ORIENTEERING: I drew a very rubbish drawing of a courtyard where Julius and Calpurnia will have some conversation. I am well aware those pillars could not hold up a single tile.

PAINTING: I wrote a detailed description of Portia (the wife of Marcus Brutus) who is an acquaintance of my narrative character, Calpurnia.

SCAVENGER HUNT: Here are my sentences incorporating the words friend, tree, march, red, and finish.

FRIEND: “You were his friend, Antony. His ally! He trusted you.”

TREE: They sat quietly beneath the silver shade of the little tree, both thinking of that other world that could not be seen clearly, though the memories of it hung over all of Rome with the same, sharp shadows as the blossoms on the pavement.

MARCH / RED: She heard the quick, light march of her husband coming down the stair from the upper atrium, making his way to the garden, and then he was walking through the door, and as she turned to greet him, she saw him covered in red—a long stream of scarlet pouring down his arm, like blood. But no—no, it was not blood, it was only his toga, flung loosely over one arm.

FINISH: “I will finish what my husband started.”

Very wonky wittle courtyard.

Camp Tolkien: Day 2

Welcome to another day at Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you're in--brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising--Camp Tolkien's activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today's four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish--choose more than one if you want to.

Orienteering: Draw a map of a location in your project--a building, a neighborhood, a town, a world, whatever you wish. Note that does not have to be an accurate map--it could be a certain character's perception of their surroundings, it could be biased, it could be more about artistry than facts, it could just be a napkin scribble if you want.

Painting: Write a detailed description of at least one character in your project.

Scavenger hunt: Incorporate the following five words in whatever you write for your project: friend, tree, march, red, finish. Alternately, find as many of those words as you can in what you already have written for your project, and share each sentence.

Rock climbing: Set a timer for thirty minutes and try to finish as much of a draft of a scene as you can in that time.

When you're finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

I'm joining in the @inklings-challenge a few days late! I actually started participating on the 11th but haven't had time to post about it. I'm amending that today: prepare yourself for a flurry of posts.

Icebreakers: Tell the other campers about the project you've brought to camp by writing a one-paragraph summary.

A retelling of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar set in a fantasy-esque ancient Rome and told from the perspective of Calpurnia, wife of Caesar.

Archery: Set a timer for two minutes. Write as many words as you can in that time. Repeat this four more times, for a total of five mini writing sessions. Keep track of your word count for each and let us know your high score.

I got about 700 words. Still a lot to figure out with this story, so it's akin to flinging words into the abyss, but at least it's something!

Camp Tolkien: Day 1

Welcome to Camp Tolkien!

Our two-week summer camp is a chance for you to work on the project of your choice in the company of other writers. No matter which stage of the process you're in--brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising--Camp Tolkien's activities are here to help you make progress. Bring along your projects, and have fun!

Today's four activities are listed below. Choose whichever one you wish--choose more than one if you want to.

Icebreakers: Tell the other campers about the project you've brought to camp by writing a one-paragraph summary.

Photography: Find or create at least five reference pictures that visualize settings and/or characters in your project.

Archery: Set a timer for two minutes. Write as many words as you can in that time. Repeat this four more times, for a total of five mini writing sessions. Keep track of your word count for each, and let us know your high score.

Nature Walk: Work on your project while you're outdoors.

When you're finished, reblog or reply to this post, telling us how it went, and/or sharing what you wrote for the day.

So glad to have you all at camp! Have fun, go forth, and create!

[thejoyousjester]

The Way to Make a Book, by L.M. Montgomery, 1915

[thejoyousjester]

I just about died laughing because it's so true.

Star Trek is literally SO funny.

"We are going to go to the surface of an unknown plant to look for someone. We can take 6 people. These 6 people WILL include the Captain, the First Officer, the Head Engineer, and the Communications Officer. There are over 400 people on this starship btw."

[thejoyousjester]

Fantasy is full of main characters who are “not like the rest of their family/village/school” who are simply bursting with insider wisdom—much of which they never share with anyone else. THEY know the culture is wrong, and THEY know that they’re the only one’s that have it figured out—but rather than influence the people around them, they go off questing, slowly gathering acolytes that don’t have to be convinced.

Family/village/school be hanged. Why waste time trying to speak to them? They were too stupid, too inflexible, too UNIMPORTANT.

Rings of Power is one of the few exceptions to that trope—and it filled me with hope and tears of joy.

I adore the Harfoots (honestly, more than I liked the Hobbits) and one of the things I loved about their storyline was the mass cultural shift that took place within their group in Season One.

We see many individuals “seeing the light” in fiction—but showing an entire culture shift is rarely shown. It’s dubbed as “too unrealistic.”

In the last five years, I’ve watched my culture—America—slowly change: cast off its sleepy apathy and stand up and fight back. I’ve watched thousands upon thousands completely transform their way of thinking. Shaken out of complacency and unwavering, unthinking compliance. Shocked to realized that what they thought was goodness was really cruelty. Finally realizing that the fight for freedom, not safety, is the battle that must be waged.

It IS possible: the Harfoots were a kind of personal prophecy to me, reminding me to hold onto hope as the words of people who are brave enough to stand up and speak out, Like Nori Brandyfoot, take root in the hearts around them.

The Harfoots are more than just a cute off-shoot of hobbits—they are sheer inspirations.

 Check out my full blog post about all the things I loved about the Harfoots right here. https://allisonteboauthor.com/2023/09/22/how-the-harfoots-restored-my-hope/

[thejoyousjester]

Cover of the 52nd issue of the Tintin Magazine published in 1947.

[thejoyousjester]

"Why would I show my daughters Snow White when Anna and Elsa exist?"

Because girls need to see more than one type of female character in their stories. We don't want girls to see "damsel-in-distress housekeeper" as their only option, but its equally dangerous to show them the currently-popular flavor of "take-charge Strong Female Character" as the only acceptable kind of woman to be.

Because Snow White is confident. While the Queen is obsessing over her own insecurities, Snow White is going through her day completely comfortable with who she is.

Because Snow White is skilled. While the Queen's treatment of her is unjust, Snow White's acceptance of her work as a scullery maid makes her, not just an idle princess, but a working woman. She has cleaning and cooking skills that are recognized as valuable contributions to society. She is then able to use those skills when she needs a place to stay--instead of just a helpless damsel-in-distress who has to beg for a place, she is someone they want to have living with them because she has valuable skills to offer.

Because Snow White is kind. She is so kind that animals immediately trust her, that a hardened assassin can't kill her, that dwarves love her. She is sensitive to the feelings of others rather than embittered by her own fears. She is friendly to everyone she meets, showing interest in their lives and concern for their problems.

Because Snow White is a caretaker. Though young and mistreated, she is always looking to care for others. She immediately comforts a lost little bird. When she finds a cottage belonging to what she believes to be lonely orphans, she takes it upon herself to make their home comfortable. She even takes this a bit too far in setting rules for the dwarves' household, which offers depth to her character. She does take charge, but instead of seizing power like the Queen, Snow is looking to serve others and seeks their good.

Because Snow White is brave. After her panicked flight through the forest, she is sharp enough to recognize that her fear made the situation worse than reality, and she consciously decides to adopt a cheerful, hopeful outlook.

Because Snow White is intelligent. She's a good-enough judge of character to recognize a worthy love interest when he appears (and unlike certain princesses, she's right about it). She recognizes when her fear makes things worse than they are and is able to make better plans for the future. She is able to coordinate a housecleaning effort among a huge variety of untrained forest animals.

Because Snow White is humble. She is willing to take on the humblest work in the castle and is not humiliated by it. She asks the animals and the dwarves for help when she needs it. She even recognizes the need for prayer.

Because Snow White is good.

Because she is innocent.

Because she is patient.

Because she is loving.

Because little girls should learn to be all those things, and Snow White is a character who shows them what that looks like.

[thejoyousjester]

She's so special to me. I cannot even begin to describe how marvelous it was to see a girl character who was so sensitive, so helpful, so respectful. There's a tremulous and spiritual quality to Nori, and you can feel that she is humbly in touch with a Bigger Purpose.

Decided to do some Nori Brandyfoot. I forgot how much I dislike trying to digital paint, but an attempt was made.