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Monday, October 31, 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



Have a spooky (happy) Halloween, everyone! I leave you with this short clip directed/written by Tim Burton. I will be in on vacation in Oklahoma. 


Enjoy...


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Cannibalistic Confessions



It is hard to be cannibal in this world. We are so misunderstood and people are so quick to judge us. The media paints us all as these bloodthirsty monsters and serial killers! But it's not true! Not all cannibals are bad people. In fact, most of the ones I've spoken to have been quiet, soft-spoken individuals with a curious affinity for taxidermy and fine red wines. 


Cannibals can be reasonable. We can have intelligent, thoughtful discussions about current events. We pay our taxes and we try to get by the best way we can. We're not all crazy. Hungry, maybe, but not criminally insane-. At the end of the day we are still human beings. 


I will not stand for these atrocious injustices against cannibals any longer! We are a proud people with a long and rich history, and we deserve respect. I write this post to rally all the cannibals across the world to pick up their pens and write to their legal representatives about this matter! Do not persecute us for craving human flesh! 

Friday, October 28, 2011

Smexxxy Friday




Virgins and extra virgins. 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

My New Pen Name


So I've decided to change my pen name. How does this affect you? It doesn't. I never went by my real name away and I already sign a lot of my blog posts with "VC" as it is. "VC" obviously stands for "Vegetarian Cannibal." 


Since I write "VC" on just about everything I am just christening myself with that name to spare everyone and myself from further confusion. 


Starting (ha!) six months or so ago, I've been going exclusively by Vicy Cross. So...yeah. It's Vicy Cross now. Pronounced VEE-CEE (like TV) Not Vicky. 


Carry on! 


~Cheers from the Vegetarian Cannibal 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Speaking of the color gray...

Lately, I've been listening to this song while I write. Maybe that might have something to do with my "color schemes." I just love the color gray and I think the song's haunting lyrics really capture the color's "essence." I also just noticed all of the text on my blog is gray as well!


Somber, moody, and complex...it just kind of lingers in your ears while you listen to it. I love Banco De Gaio anyway, but I listen to this song whenever I am writing a particularly emotional scene. Hope you enjoyed it! :) 

Monday, October 24, 2011

If Your Story Was A Color



Colors can often paint a mood. And I know many writers use colors to describe a scene. It may be somewhat cliched, but I think colors are important when creating a visual landscape for the reader. 


I've been thinking about my WIP lately and the overall "mood" or "atmosphere" I am trying to create. I noticed as I was editing how much gray and white I used. The sky is always overcast and it is often snowing during pivotal scenes. 


If my story was a color, it would be a dull, somber grayish color. Gray reflects my main character's intelligence, loneliness, and endurance. But white also represents my character's childish naivety and well-meaning intentions. The moon plays an important role in my story too.




What color is your story? 

Friday, October 21, 2011

Smexxxy Friday

And yet another brooding, cerebral Smexxxy Friday posting! However, I find this short-film fascinating. I can't quite figure this girl out. Is she messing with him for kicks or can she not make up her mind?



I like the sexual frustration in this clip. The boyfriend obviously wants to possess her, but when she does not give him the answer he wants, he acts out aggressively and then throws a temper tantrum like a toddler. His lack of maturity is understandable--I mean, he asks the girl at least three times and she still says no! 


Still, I like her. She does not compromise herself just so she can please this man. So many women default to men in situations like this. They choose to "settle" rather than go for what they really want. For a woman like her to accept a marriage proposal, her suitor will have to be just as strong as she is! 


The "maybe" at the end of the film, makes me think they might end up together. I like the ambiguity, though. I hope you enjoyed it!


Have a great weekend!
VC 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Harold Camping Predicts End of the World, Again

Harold Camping Predicts End of the World, Again October 21, people. Prepare for the apocalypse! 


How do these "Doomsday Guys" stay in business? I mean, how hasn't Camping lost all credibility after being wrong the first time? Can these "prophets" just reschedule and reschedule until finally they get it right or something? I dunno... but if I'm going place a bet, I'm going with the Mayans, baby! 


I've already decided that on December 21, 2012, I'm doing to have an "END OF THE WORLD" party! It's going to be kickass. Beer. Naked ladies. Human sacrifices. Oh yeah. Every cannibal's wet dream! 


Cheers from the Vegetarian Cannibal! 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Every writer needs a cheerleader!

It is easy to get discouraged as a writer. Not always are you going to look back at your work and say: "I wrote this! This is brilliant!"More often than not, you're going to look back and say: "Wow. This really sucks." And the sad truth is that you're probably right!


There is always room for improvement. Always. Even with the best editor, there will always be that one thing you could've fixed or tweaked. There's no such thing as a "perfect story." All of the "original" ideas you think you have have already been done before. And only a complete idiot would believe their point of view is so uniquely different from all of their competitors. Everything is borrowed. Nothing is new.


This realization can make many writers depressed or even disgusted with their own work. After all, how important is your story at the end of the day? Is it going to save lives? Change the world of literature? Become a blockbuster at the theaters and make you a million dollars? More than likely, no. So what's the point?


Here is when a cheerleader must step in and tell you to keep writing anyway! Every writer needs a cheerleader. Every writer needs something or someone to keep them motivated. Without it, a writer can get moody, depressed, and discouraged.


So I ask you today who is your cheerleader? What keeps YOU going?

Friday, October 14, 2011

Smexxxy Friday (Lee Byung Hun)

All that talk of Kpop last week has made me hungry for my favorite bishounen, Lee Byung Hun. Feast your eyes on this, ladies. If he does not put a smile on your face this morning, I give up!





Jesus Christ, just LOOK at him! I am an atheist but when I see Lee Byung Hun I shout for GAWD, ladies! Hahaha! I have been in love with this man since I was fourteen years old. If I ever saw him in person, omigoodness...he would have to call security or something because I already know I won't be able to behave, hahahaha! The things I would do to this man...hell fucking yes. He is almost twice my age (he is 41) but I do not care! I would wreck his whole world, hahaha! 


Let us bask in the godliness that is Lee Byung Hun. Oh yes. I'm enjoying my Friday already! 




Wednesday, October 12, 2011

American Horror Story (FX series)




"We got bats." Hahahaha! Best comeback line ever. Anyway, I watched this show for the first time last week when it premiered on FX. After watching the first two episodes, here's what I think:


Overall scariness? Next to zilch. Creepy? Yes. Scary? No. In fact, I was laughing through most of the episode because the characters were so...outrageous. Maybe it is because I am a cannibal or something, I don't know. The fact is, I don't scare easily. And the show really really tried to be scary...which just made it even more funny. 


Overal sexiness? Actually...American Horror Story is pretty sexy. In a weird and creepy way...I kinda dig the sadomasochistic dude in the latex suit, haha! 




If you are interested in checking the series out, you can watch it TONIGHT at 10pm on the FX channel. 

Monday, October 10, 2011

Writing for teens and young adults...


I am 22yrs old and even I am at a loss on how to approach this subject! The YA genre is booming right now and like many writers out there, I want to jump on this train while it is still rolling! Twilight, Harry Potter, Eragon and Hunger Games are all extremely successful YA novels. So how can you break into the YA niche and what does it take to become a successful YA novelist? 


I wish I could tell you. 


You see, as a teenager, I never read books in the YA section. Not once. Whenever I went into a bookstore and wandered into that section,  I almost always saw a majority of 11-14yr olds perusing the shelves. No self-respecting 16yr old is going to shop where the "kids" go to read their books! Although YA is supposed to target 13-18yr olds, tweens are usually the dominant consumers. High school students want something more sophisticated to read and college students, pffft! If they have time to read at all, they're not going to go into the "kiddy" or "young adult" section of the store! So there's my dilemma! I feel I am "too old" to go into the YA section of the store but I wish there were books that targeted my specific age group. I'm so tired of the "16yr old protagonist." I want to read about 21yr olds. 


I am currently writing a YA novel...but I want my target demographic to cover 17-22yr olds. I want to write about violence and sex without traumatizing my audience. 


I used to think all YA novels were Christian-themed girl scout stories about HOW YOUR BODY IS CHANGING and such, haha! Reading Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins completely changed how I view YA. In fact, Hunger Games is what inspired me to write YA in the first place! I've heard about "Edgy YA" but I don't know how well they sell... 


I don't know. I'm still mulling it over. I want to get in on the YA craze but I don't want to market myself to bubblegum teeny boppers. 


What do you think of the YA genre and what do you think is appropriate subject matter for YA?  

Friday, October 7, 2011

Smexxxy Friday



A thought-provoking video I hope you enjoy. Please share your thoughts about this film if you have any. :)


Have a great weekend!
VC

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Anyone else like K-Pop?




I don't know if I put up this video before...but yeah, if so, here it is again. I have this new station on my TV now called MNet. It's pretty cool. I get to watch anime, K-dramas (I'm currently watching Yaksa right now), and listen to lots and lots of KPop music.


I grew up listening to Kpop, though. Man...I still dance to some of the old school 90s stuff I listened to when I was in middle school and high school, hahaha! I love Kpop! My favorite Kpop band was and always will be Koyote.





How can I express my love for Koyote? I mean, seriously...this band changed my life, haha! I was 12yrs old when I first heard this song, I think. Everyone else was dancing to Slim Shady and Jimmy Eat World. I was rocking out to Koyote, H.O.T, Baby VOX, S.E.S, and all that other 90s stuff, haha!



Having a Korean step-mom really opened me up to a whole lot of Korean culture. I was already into Japanese animation and Japanese horror before I met her. *Shakes head* Speaking of which, I think I'll make kimchi fried rice for dinner tonight. That kimchi has been in my fridge for...a very long time now, lol! 

Monday, October 3, 2011

Useless Writing Tips



One of the hardest things you need to learn about starting a novel is learning when to use the advice you read on  blogs/articles/books/etc. and when to trust your own judgments. Every other week, I'm reading some new blog post about how to introduce your main character or how long your chapter lengths should be. Yadda yadda yadda. 


If you research that crap too long, you'll NEVER get around to writing your novel! And besides, aren't all of those articles basically preaching the same thing over and over again? First three chapters are the most important. No info-dumping. "Said" is always the right dialogue tag. No head-popping. Start your novel where the action is. Research your market and pick an agent accordingly. Write your synopsis before you write your novel. Always have a beta-reader or crit-partner. Never submit a manuscript without reading the publisher's guidelines. Expect rejections. Use social media to market yourself. The acceptance rate for most publishers is less than 5%. Debut novelists should expect to follow different rules than established writers. Blah blah blah


Imagine trying to start a novel with all of THAT constantly going through your mind--ugh! You'll never get anywhere! So forget all the useless writing tips. You don't need them now until after you're done. Until then, just go with it. 


I swear, some bloggers get off on spewing this sort of crap on a daily basis. While it may help out the newbs, it puts an enormous amount of pressure on veterans who should already know this stuff but then start second-guessing themselves as they shop around for tips. 


So here is my useless writing tip for the day:


Understand and accept that there is no golden rule to getting your book published. Luck and persistence is what gets you published 90% of the time. There will always be that writer who did not market themselves as well or who did not work as hard as you but STILL managed to get published.  Shitty novels are published everyday. Remember,  it is not a matter of how well you can write. It's about how many books you can sell. That's how this business works. 


Work hard, but don't kill yourself. Yes, writing a novel is tedious but if it was easy, every asshole out there with a horrible idea would be making millions of dollars. 


Happy writing!
VC
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