Sèphera Girón's Blog, page 5

Sèphera Girón reads Chapter Four from Taurus!

 If you missed my reading on May 2, 2022, fear not!

Here it is!

Sèphera Girón Public Appearances and Readings!

 

Monday, May 2, 2022   Live reading from my novel Taurus: A Hearse of a Different Color at 7 pm EST at http://twitch.tv/sephera666  This event is part of the National Reading Program from The Writers Union of Canada and sponsored by The Canada Council for the Arts.

May 11-15 I'll be at Stokercon in Denver. I'm on a panel Thursday at 4, and I have a reading Saturday at 3 pm. You'll also find me at the mass autograph as well as other events. 

Tuesday, June 21 2022  Live reading on Twitch at 9 pm EST. This event is part of the National Reading Program from The Writers Union of Canada and is sponsored by The Canada Council for the Arts.

July 21 - 24, 2022  Necon

August 22 - 28, 2022 Sidewalk Film Festival/Sidewalk Labs, Birmingham, Alabama  I was a finalist for the Stowe Screenwriting Fellowship Competition and won a partial scholarship to the screenwriting program and full attendance to the film festival. I've never been to Alabama, so it will be a whole new adventure!

October 28-29, 2022 Frightmare in the Falls

November 3 - 6, 2022 World Fantasy Convention, New Orleans

Don't forget you can keep up with all my activities on Patreon for as little as $1 a month. 

Follow me on Twitch, Twitter and Discord to learn more about my activities and to keep up with changes. 

Currently, my Twitch schedule remains:

Tuesdays 4 pm  - Tarot Tuesday, free tarot card readings
Thursdays 4 pm - wild card - might be tarot, might be writing sprints, might be gaming
Friday 4 pm - gaming

Twitch is free to join, and you can leave anytime. To get a tarot reading or to ask me questions at my horror novel readings, you must make an account to type in the chat. 

Virtual Reading from my Witch Upon a Star series May 2 at 7 pm EST

 

On May 2, 2022, I will be reading from Taurus: A Hearse of a Different Color on Twitch at 7 pm EST.

My Twitch channel is Sephera666

If you want to ask questions, you can sign up for a free account to type in the chat. Otherwise, you can watch without signing up. 

My upcoming Twitch schedule is:

Thursday April 28    4 pm Tarot Thursday: Free Tarot Card Readings

Friday April 29        4 pm Game Day - Join me as I play a video game!

Monday May 2        7 pm Special Event: Reading from my published novel, Taurus

Tuesday May 3        4 pm Tarot Tuesday: Free Tarot Card Readings

Thursday May 5       4 pm Tarot Thursday: Free Tarot Card Readings

Friday May 6           4 pm Game Day - Join me as I play a video game!

Tuesday May 10       4 pm Tarot Tuesday

I will be at Stokercon in Denver from May 11 to May 15

Thursday 4 pm Imposter Syndrome panel

Saturday  3 pm Author reading along with Nathan Carson and Kevin Wetmore Jr.

Friday      Mass Autograph Session

My Twitch schedule will resume when I've returned from Denver. 

Tuesday 4 pm

Thursday 4 pm

Friday 4 pm

There is another special reading event on Tuesday, June 21 at 7 p.m. EST on my Twitch. Tv channel.

The reading events on May 2 and June 21 are part of the National Reading Program from The Writers Union of Canada sponsored by the Canada Council. Much thanks to all the companies involved for making these events happen!

Writing Sprints for Camp NaNoWriMo on TwitchTv April 19 and 21

Get back on track with writing sprints!
This week we'll meet on Twitch atTuesday, April 19, 2022   4 pm ESTThursday, April 21, 2022 4 pm EST


We set the timer. Write for thirty minutes. Take a short break to stretch and talk about our work.Then the timer goes on again!






 

Some Thoughts About Severance and Joe Vs Carole!

 I want to begin this blog by saying that I’ve had The Thing for over a week and am still suffering from exhaustion and brain fog though most of the other symptoms have dissipated. Yes, I’m triple-v’d but also was trying to get back to living life. I’m having trouble writing, so hopefully, this is coherent as I’m trying to get SOMETHING on paper in my illness.

 

 

One of the good things that happened over the last couple of years and The Pause here in Ontario was my ability to watch tons of TV shows and movies. Before March 2020, I watched some shows/movies but not a lot as I was busy with all my jobs and creations. Also, further back in my previous life, I had family, kids, spouses, pets etc. and was always busy. However, as of March 2020, when isolation station kicked in, I lived alone, with no pets, no humans in my little studio apartment.

So I watched a crap ton of TV and movies as I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything. I was too distracted to write my novels, so worked more on my own TV shows and movie screenplays. I was too distracted to read a book all the way through, so kept my eyes on the screen.

I talk about a lot of the shows I watched on my Patreon.

Oh, and before I forget, I'm a finalist in the horror screenplay section of the Stowe Story Labs contest for my TV series, The Calling. Please cross all your fingers and toes that I'm going to make it to the finale! I'm so excited about this!

Today, I wanted to talk a little about two shows that I’m loving. As with ALL shows/movies that I watch, I avoid trailers and don’t read reviews and seldom even look up the actors so that I don't see spoilers. After this write-up, I’m going to go read reviews for both of the shows I’m discussing.

The first is Severance, a Ben Stiller project.

The Shrink Next Door

My gateway drug into Severancewas actually The Shrink Next Door.

During the past couple of years, as I studied TV and screenwriting very intensely (again, I already have a degree in them), I joined a few groups and lists. One of the lists gave me a crap ton of screeners from HOUSE OF GUCCI to CYRANO, A MAN LIKE ME, and so many more, including THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR.

The screener for Shrink was only for the first episode, so in order to watch the rest of it, I would have to subscribe to Apple TV. So, I figured I’d get the one-week trial, binge Shrink and then cancel as the entire series had already dropped.

I binged Shrink and loved it and highly recommend it. I don’t want to talk about it as you need to watch it unpeel like an onion, especially if you know nothing about the case. Don’t google it; just watch it.

While I binged Shrink, I kept seeing trailers for Severance and since Severance was a Ben Stiller project, I really wanted to see it, so kept the Apple TV subscription.

A Ben Stiller Fan

Now, I’m the first to admit I’m a huge Ben Stiller fan. I’ve been there since the beginning, Ben! (Is it auspicious that as I'm proofing this article, I clicked around the TV and "Meet the Parents" is just starting, and of course, I have it on now!)

Back in the day, my first husband and I would settle in for Sunday night TV, which for a time included The Ben Stiller Show right after Married with Children. I’ve not seen a single episode of the TBSS since I watched them way back lo those many years ago and have no idea how they hold up.

Tropic Thunder

Decades later, one of my sons did an internship at YTV here in Toronto and had tickets to a sneak peek of Tropic Thunder. He took me. I had no idea what Tropic Thunder was about, never saw an ad or anything, so didn’t know what it was or anything. I won a can of Booty Sweat before the show started. I’ve never opened it; the booty sweat has long evaporated.

I saw Tropic Thunder in the best way possible. No expectations, didn’t even know it was a Ben Stiller project.

When the movie began, I didn’t realize it was a comedy. The opening “commercials” made me scratch my head, and I didn’t know if I should laugh. Only when the head exploded in the jungle did I realize it was a spoof on Apocalypse Now (and so much more!), and then I got the joke and laughed my ass off. Tropic Thunder took over Young Frankenstein as my all-time favourite comedy ever. And I’m sorry if some people got offended, but Tropic Thunder picks on EVERYONE and HOLLYWOOD most of all! Look at the Big Picture, people…Never go full...

Zoolander and Dodgeball are also faves that make me laugh so hard whenever I catch parts on TV. Meet the Parents…yeah!

“If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!” Patches O’Houlihan

Maybe I have a small six degrees of separation from Ben Stiller as I was a background performer in a couple of episodes of In the Dark, which he also produces.

At any rate, Ben Stiller might be an actor, might be a producer, might be a director, might be a writer in many of the entertainments that have amused me over the years. And even when he kind of misses, he’s still brilliant.

Severance

Now we have arrived at Severance.

This miniseries is on Apple TV and produced by Stiller. This is the first show for screenwriter/creator Dan Erickson (which gives me high hopes that maybe one day, I too might have a TV series!) and was five years in the making, partly because of That Which Won't Be Named. It stars Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower and many others. I don’t want to say too many names as it will spoil some of the reveals so don’t look at the IMBD.

This show is dark comedy, science fiction, weird, and so good. Ben Stiller also directed many of the episodes.

I’ve never really worked for long in any office settings, but I’ve worked long enough in one to know that I’d have to split my brain in two to survive such a stagnant, boring, life with insufferable co-workers and office politics. This show nails it!

The premise is about a chip that can be implanted in the brain to divide working life from personal life. One part of your personality doesn’t know about the other.

The opening credits themselves are likely up for some kind of award.

The show opens when Helly (Britt Lower) joins the office team run by Mark (Adam Scott). It feels a tiny bit like Squid Game in the sense that you know you are only seeing a tiny slice of some crazy Big Picture. 

When you are working in the office, you are an Inie. When you are not in the office, you're an Outie. I keep thinking of belly buttons, but that's part of the dark darkness of comedy, banal office humour, and such. 

There’s so much I want to talk about with this show, so many little clues, tongue in cheek, asides, but I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. I’ll likely talk more in-depth after some time has passed, and more people have had a chance to see it.

That’s all I’ll say about this amazing show.

Watch it!

Do it!

The first season just wrapped, and I have so many questions! I can’t wait for the next season.

Everyone must watch this show. The visuals, the music, the dialogue, the acting, the casting; all of it is perfect!

WATCH SEVERANCE!

Joe vs Carole

The second show I want to give a little nod to is Joe VS Carole.

Like everyone else, I devoured Tiger King in a day or two back at the beginning of That Time We Stayed Home for Two Years

Then there was a lot of noise about various Tiger King projects being made. Tiger King 2, the update, came out.

And now, here in Toronto, Joe Vs. Carole is being shown one excruciating week at a time on Showcase. Much like with Dr. Death and Severance, we can’t binge-watch this thing, so we must wait each week.

I had no idea what to expect with Joe vs Carole. Would it be over the top? Would it be bullshit? True? Stupid? Funny? Serious? Would it riff on Tiger King? Would it make Carole sympathetic, as she sure isn’t in any of the Tiger King shows?

I love Kate McKinnon. Kate, Tina Fey, Leslie Jones and Wanda Sykes are my favourite female comedians.

Kate is executive producer and plays Carole Baskin.

I love Kate’s comedy because she always gives that sense she could snap at any minute. She always has a weird vibe to her. And boy, she brings it for Carole.

Joe vs Carole might be a dark comedy; it might be a straight gay story; I’m not sure what regular people think watching this show, but I’m loving it and here for it.

I had been curious how McKinnon would play Carole as Carole is a bonafide wackadoo who may or may not have murdered her husband. Since Carole is still very much alive and likely perched and ready for a lawsuit, I’m sure they had to be careful how to portray her. And Kate’s version is perfect. She’s a nutjob, she’s creepy, she definitely could have murdered her husband, or not…we don’t know and will never know.

The portrayal of Joe Exotic is very sympathetic so far, which I like, as we explore his past and how he came to be Tiger King. Joe’s lovers and workers are also very sympathetic. Last night’s episode included when Saff (?) got their arm eaten, and the former news anchor joins the team.

My only quibble with Joe Vs Carole is likely not one other people have. I’ll have to go read some reviews to see.

It’s not gritty.

When I watched Tiger King, I could smell those rancid cages and people, everyone was filthy, homemade tattoos, teeth were rotted and falling out; it was pure carny time, you would itch your arms while watching it thinking about all the fleas and flies that are crawling around, worrying something is scuttling through your hair.

This incarnation is too clean. Everyone is clean. Everyone has shiny white straight teeth. Joe played by John Cameron Mitchell is super clean, not nearly as skeezy as he likely is in real life though his acting is superb and on point. His wigs are clean and perfectly cut. I know a lot of what I’m trying to convey is a feeling or sense and these actors won’t have that as they aren’t real carny folk living the meth carny life for decades. So, it’s my own personal quibble and doesn’t really mean much to anyone but me. However, if the actors had rolled around in a few tiger cages before each take, maybe it would have shown.

I will say that William Fichtner (washed-up journalist Rick Kirkham) has the right vibe of a stinky, alcoholic with a flash of brilliance. I almost believed he smelled like tiger piss for a minute there. And when I went to look up how to spell William's name, I had no idea that was Kyle McLaughlin playing Howard Baskin!

The acting is really good in this weird take on the Tiger King story even if it might be too sympathetic for some people.

At any rate, I’m curious to see what else will be shown in Joe vs Carole, which so far, is a retelling of everything we already know, and that’s fine.

 

But Severance….oh my god, what is going to happen in Season 2? Will we get some answers to some questions? Well, we will but what kind of weirdass answers are they going to be! CAN’T WAIT!

Hey Mr. Stiller, how can I apply for the writer's room? I’d love to be in there for Severance Season 2!

Okay, crawling back to bed as it took hours to write this tiny blog. Oh, brain and energy, please return to me…Maybe I should open this old can of Booty Sweat…at least Meet the Parents is still on.

 

 

Horror Roundtable with the Horror Writers Association

 

On Sunday, March 13, at 3 pm EST there will be a roundtable of horror writers discussing writing horror and women in horror, specifically. 

Join us for this informal talk and bring your questions and comments.

You can watch this on Twitch on one or all channels, depending on how many windows you want open!

I'll be putting the event on my own Twitch channel: http://twitch.tv/sephera666

It will also be in the HWA Ontario Twitch channel: http://twitch.tv/hwaontario

If you're a member of HWA Ontario, you can likely watch it in the Discord as well!

This is our first Twitch event so we're hoping to see you all there!

Have a great week!

Writing Sessions with Sephera666

 

     My TwitchTV/sephera666 Schedule for this Week

      Tuesday, March 8, 2022      4 p.m. EST    Writing Sprint

      Thursday, March 10, 2022   4 p.m. EST    Writing Sprint

      Friday, March 11, 2022        2 p.m. EST     Gaming

      Sunday, March 13, 2022       3 p.m. EST     Horror Writers Association Round Table

      Writing Sprints and Gaming should be pretty much the same every week. 

      Check my schedule on Twitch in case I have to move times around now and again. 

      The Round Table is a special event with the Horror Writers Association!

    Writing Sprints

    Currently, the format I have for Writing Sprint sessions goes like this:

    Saying hello, talking a little bit about almost anything and answering the chat until we're ready to go, maybe five to ten minutes, depending on questions. 

    The timer is set for thirty minutes. I turn off my mic and everyone writes for thirty minutes. 

     There is a five to ten-minute break to go to the bathroom, get drinks and snacks, or go through stretching exercises with me. We can also talk about what we're working on, word counts for the session, goals, or if you have any questions about publishing/writing, we can discuss that as well. 

     The timer is set again for another thirty minutes. 

    The number of cycles depends on how long I can stay on and interest from the chat. My goal is an end time of seven p.m. EST but I often have to leave a bit early for work meetings that begin at seven. 

     I've been doing writing sprints for a few weeks now and am finding that I'm more productive than I thought I'd be. If you've never sprinted, give it a try. 

     Going forward, I'm considering having some kind of writing challenges where there would be prizes and such, but first, we have to build a good community.

     Writers can be of any age, any level, and you can be working in any genre. You are only accountable to yourself. You can share or not, it's up to you. 

      I don't keep my counter on nor do I have the thing where I can see who is coming by. That way I'm not distracted by numbers and people. However, if you talk in the chat, I'll see you! If you chat to me during a sprint, I'll usually wait until the sprint is over to reply on the mic so as not to disrupt other sprinters.

      I play royalty-free music from Pretzel that I hope is good background music for writing in any genre.

     Gaming Day

     This is the day when I relax and play a game. I'm a really new gamer so I'm still learning and you can help me out!

       Special Events

      Every now and again, there will be and have been special events on my Twitch.TV channel.

      Sunday, March 13, 2022   3 p.m.  Women in Horror Month Roundtable with Authors from The Horror Writers Association

This special event is a one-and-a-half-hour panel of a discussion about horror. There will be a moderator who asks questions and you'll have an opportunity to ask questions in the chat. I'm one of the authors on the round table, the others are still being finalized. The moderator is David Thirteen.

     Monday, May 2, 2022        7 p.m.  Sèphera reads horror. 

I'll be reading for about half an hour from one of my published horror novels. This event is sponsored by the National Reading Program through The Writers Union of Canada funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. 

     Tuesday, June 21, 2022       7 p.m.  Sèphera reads horror. 

I'll be reading for about half an hour from one of my published horror novels. This event is sponsored by the National Reading Program through The Writers Union of Canada funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. 

     

Let's Do Writing Sprints Together!

Let's Sprint Together and Get Stuff Done!
Writing, editing, painting, dancing, studying, doing taxes, housework, or any other task that could benefit from focused segments of attention!
Writing Sprints with Sephera666
Writing can be a lonely occupation and we all have days where we need a little nudge or even a little competition with ourselves.

Distractions can be rampant when you’re facing a blank page. Maybe you’re having trouble focusing or having writer’s block or any myriad of procrastination impulses. Sometimes in writing alone but in a group for sprints and workshops, you can find your jam again.

Some people love the high of doing NaNoWriMo, which is a contest where you write as fast as you can for the month of November to hopefully produce a novel.

Writing Sprints with Sèphera666can be part of your routine to help you write or focus on any project plus you can network with other creatives doing the same.

All of these reasons and more are why I created Writing Sprints with Sephera666. You may have seen me around online as I’ve been test-driving various concepts of it on various platforms over the past few months. But now, I’m ready to reveal my present incarnation of WritingSprints with Sèphera666.

Twice a week, on Twitch, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 pm EST, I’ll be on to lead you through Writing Sprints. Right now, we’re writing in thirty-minute increments. I’m considering changing it to fifty-minutes once in a while and see what people like best. I’m still playing with it all and listening to your feedback.

How it works:

You join the stream at any time, you won’t be disruptive at all. No signup. No commitment. It’s ongoing so drop in and out anytime.

When I sign in at the beginning of the stream, I talk for a bit and then we get to work.

A timer is set. We can all see it. I turn off my mic so that you don’t have to listen to me.

You are free to type in the chat at any time, but I won’t answer on mic until the break.

You will hear mellow royalty-free content-approved music from Pretzel if you keep your volume up. I can’t take requests at this time.

The timer goes off and the sprint is finished.

We do a few simple stretching exercises. You can go get water, use the bathroom and so on.

While we stretch, we have a little chat about what we’re working on, share market reports, writing opportunities, agents, editors, advice on getting published or how to sell your work after it’s published or anything else under the sun.

This can last five to ten minutes, depending on how many people want to share with the class!

Then we dive into another sprint. 

The sprints can last from one hour to several so pop in anytime!

When?

Tuesdays 4 pm EST

Thursdays 4 pm EST

Watch for popups. 

Check the calendar for schedule changes.

I also will be on other times for sprints, which I currently consider pop-ups so make sure you follow me on Twitch so you know when I’m on and can join in and fill those white spaces with words!

Fridays at two, I often stream a video game, but sometimes I turn that into a Writing Sprint as well, depending on what is going on in my life and deadlines.

Why?

It’s my goal to provide a safe place to sprint, network, share ideas, markets, give-and-get advice, and all that good stuff that happens when writers get together. This is a brand-new adventure and I’d love for you to join me.

Who?

Writers of all genres and levels are welcome. Creatives and students of all levels are welcome. You never have to show your work. Sometimes I show bits of mine, but not too much so that I won’t have rights issues when I’m selling my work.

Where?

http://twitch.tv/sephera666

Twitch.TV is a free platform and it’s easy to sign up and use.

Lurk in Comfort!

I never have my counter on, so I have no idea how many people are there, and even better, who they are unless you type in the chat.

Let's Hang Out!

The goal of Writing Sprints with Sephera666 is to help all of you a) get your work done and b) network with each other!

I look forward to sprinting with you all! Follow me so you know when I’m on.

http://twitch.tv/sephera666

 

Online Horror Reading at Galactic Terrors on December 9 at 8 pm EST!

Galactic Terrors

On Thursday, December 9th, at 8 pm, I'll be reading one of my stories at the Galactic Terrors reading series. Tim Waggoner and Lisa Mannetti are also reading. 
Yes, Lisa died on August 19, 2021, but they'll be playing a recording of her reading. I think it's a wonderful tribute to her and she'd be thrilled to be remembered in such a way. 
Tim and I go way back together. We both published with Leisure Books and Samhain Horror back in the day! He currently publishes with Flame Tree among other publishers and also is known for tie-ins such as Halloween Kills and Alien: Prototype. We'd see each other all the time at various conventions over the years. It'll be fun to virtually read with him! Maybe our paths will cross sooner than later in real life again if this pandemic ever ends!
This is a free online event. Go click the link right now to set the reminder!
'Tis the season to be creepy...

Halloween Horror Stories

 I'm continuing my Halloween celebrations with two more readings. 

On October 21, I'll be reading several pieces by Edgar Allan Poe, culminating in The Tell-Tale Heart for those who missed it the other night. This is a live reading. It's not prerecorded. Feel free to talk to each other in the chat room. The pieces are short so that you can come taste some bite-sized horror. 

On October 27, I'll be reading some of my own work, TBA. This will also be a live reading with the chat activated so you can post either to me or to each other. 

These readings are on my Twitch.TV channel under my name Sephera666. Be sure to follow me right now so that you are always notified when I go live which is a few times a month.

These readings are fun gifts to you so I hope you enjoy them!

http://twitch.tv/sephera666