T.K. Turner's Blog, page 10

More on querying...

Q: What do you do when you're waiting to hear back from agents? 


A: You start another project so you don't go crazy checking your inbox ever 5min!!!! I think the waiting around for a response is actually worse than receiving the "Dear Author" form letter! 


I'm starting to realize why so many writers get depressed during the query process. You gotta be made of steel to survive in this business, I swear! This is my first time querying agents. Like ever. So I'm learning a lot. I didn't know what my emotional limitations were until I started this process. Although there are days I just feel like chucking my laptop out my window and giving up, I remember that even the greatest writers (like my personal heroes, Chuck Palahniuk, Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allan Poe) struggled to find an agent and be recognized at first. LINKY LINK. 


Look at this rejection letter for Ursula K. Le Guin!!!! 


So for all you writers out there plodding through the query process, I raise my glass to you! Keep at it, comrades! Don't give up! 

Smexxxy Friday

Now that my boyfriend is working from home, we've been having a lot more sex recently. He's buying a new pack of condoms every other week. Fuck. I guess I really need to start on the pill. 

Smdh. This shit doesn't deserve a title.

Really, Johnny Depp? Really? And I JUST wrote a post about this very topic last week. Like seriously. Smdh. And why the FUCK is there a dead crow on his head???? Anybody???


If you haven't heard already, read up on the Tonto disaster.  And if that link doesn't meet your fancy, try THIS ONE. What the hell were these people thinking??? Omigod. *headdesk* 


Over and out. [image error]

Crushing on your characters...

I kinda sorta have the hots for one of my characters. I didn't want to fall in love with him...but the pull was just too damn strong! Haha! How many writers have found themselves in similar situations? I'm sure I'm not the only one. After all, as writers we base our characters on people/ideas we like. I happen to like mature, serious-minded introverts with kickass fighting abilities and or a biting sarcasm.    


So here is the combination of characters who inspired the character in my novel. A little bit of Prince Ashitaka from the Studio Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke. Like my character, Ashitaka also falls for a reckless "Wolf Girl." 

A little bit of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth may not be a "wolf girl" but Keira Knightly kinda looks like a shark with those teeth. So close enough. 
A little bit of Trinity from the movie, The Matrix. Although Neo is much more emotional than Trinity, her logical no-nonsense approach calms him down in stressful situations. She doesn't mince words and she's not afraid to challenge Neo when he's fucking up. Despite her aloofness, she is fiercely devoted to her man and will/does die for him! On top of that, she's so damn sexy isn't she? 
A little bit of Van Fanel from the anime series, Vision of Escaflowne. Van is complicated and he has some...uh... psychological issues. He's a little homicidal but...you know, he has the whole "brooding anti-hero" thing going for him. Because he's an emotional retard, he keeps to himself and prefers not to deal with people unless he absolutely has to. Epic killing starts at 2:07. This whole scene is pretty dope. Last but not least, there's Seiji Amasawa from the Studio Ghibli movie, Whisper of the Heart. Seiji is so calm and mature for a 14-yr-old boy! I think I love Seiji the most out of this list. He's the most like my boyfriend. And Shizuku is most like myself. My character in my novel is not as sweet as Seiji, though. But like Seiji, he is mature enough to let the woman in his life make her own choices without trying to rush in and "fix" her mistakes. He is supportive in a quiet, behind-the-scenes kinda way. Only when the situation becomes desperate, will he actively assert himself and offer to "solve her problems." 


[image error]

Smexxxy Friday

[image error]

Getting into Twitter

Social media is evil. Once you start using it it just sucks out your life force. I'm a reclusive person. I'm one of those writers who lives in an abandoned hut in the forest and never talks to people. I have a wreath of human skulls hanging from my door. I paint my shutters with clown blood. I talk to the empty walls in my house. And I have like...100 feral cats living in my basement. None of this is true. But yeah, I still consider myself to be a misanthropic hermit. 


I said NO to Facebook. Then NO to blogging. Then NO to tumblr. Then NO to twitter. And we see how that turned out, didn't we? But alas. Now that I'm querying agents, I decided it would only be in my best interest if I take up "teh twitter"and stalk their various twitter accounts. And you know what, Twitter isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be! I actually *gasp* LIKE using it!  Perhaps a little too much. 


I'm sure you minions have noticed the nifty little Twitter feed thingy on the righthand sidebar, yes? I'm still a n00b with Twitter...so yeah. I'm learning. *sigh* Anyway I think this blog post is enough social interaction for the day.


Over and out, minions. 
VC[image error]

Native American Characters

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Mostly because one of the love interests for my main character is a Mohawk Indian, and it seems Native American characters are "trending" right now (thanks to Twilight and other media) and I really don't like that. Of course I am delighted to see more Native American characters (and other characters of color in general) on the shelves...but for the love of GAWD can we stay away from the overused racial clichés, please? 

One thing I've noticed about many Native American characters (who are written by non-Native Americans) is a type of racial fetish-ing or exotification. Kinda like a modernization of the "Noble Savage" caricature. If you don't know what I mean, just re-watch James Cameron's blockbuster hit, "Avatar," (REVIEW) or "Dances with Wolves," or even Disney's "Pocahontas" (Omigod, this review for Pocahontas made me crack up!) I sort of touched on this topic when I wrote that blog post about the "Last of the Mahicans." But anyway...I digress.
Stereotypes I'm tired of seeing:1. The Native American characters are inherently more connected to nature than the white characters. And not only are the Native American characters more "in tune" with the natural world, they can "communicate" with it too--as in, they talk to animals...and trees...and shit. 2. The Native American characters are either stoic warrior people or peaceful pacifists. Nothing in between. And they are always...always...looking to a white hero to save their way of life. 3. The Native American character is a "shifter" who can transform into Sasquatch, werewolf, or some other non-human form. 4. The Native American character and a white character fall in love to create a desperate Romeo and Juliet situation. 5. The Native American characters happily teach the white characters all about their morally-superior  but "simpler" way of life so the white characters can become less bigoted people. As a result of this harmless one-sided "cultural exchange," the white character becomes a militant environmentalist, marries a scantily-clad Native American girl, and "Goes Native." 
There are many more stereotypes but I can't possibly list them all. All I can do is treat my Native American character with as much respect and sensitivity as I can. I am some parts Cherokee (every fucking idiot in America says that) but I don't claim to know or presume all of the difficulties and challenges that Native Americans face. However, being a black psychology student, I know a little something about stereotyping and cultural appropriation. I know we ALL can try a little better to think about the images we see when we're dealing with various forms of media. That's all I'm saying. Over and out, minions. [image error]

Smexxxy Friday (Lilac Wine)

This video isn't really "sexy," it's more "whimsical" and "romantic." But it is also, perhaps, the most beautiful music video I've seen in a long time. The art is just gorgeous. I love the vocals. So dark, soulful, and haunting. Sounds like sultry blues music. And I adore that sort of thing. Have a fabulous weekend, minions. :)
VC

4/12 Media of the Month: Cinnamon Challenge

Oh...the internet. How I love thee. You guys have heard of the "Cinnamon Challenge" haven't you? There's hundreds of them on youtube. My boyfriend showed me this one particular clip (it has more than 12 million views for a reason) and after crying and laughing together for about ten minutes, I decided to put it up on my blog. Enjoy! Glozelle is crazy. She's also a comedian and an actress. So don't worry...she's OK. 

Frozen Planet

I've been captivated by this series these past few weeks. Can't wait to buy the boxset on blu-ray! *le sigh* So lush and beautiful. And I love animals, you know. I'll try to post some cool clips for you guys! :) Yes. I know. I'm a geek. Remember my gushing review of that French insect documentary Microcosmos? The infamous Snail Porn post? Yes...well I promise, there's no porn in any of the clips from Frozen Planet.





Who can forget the "icy finger of death?" Such a COOL clip! Probably one of my favorite scenes in the whole series!



This caterpillar is frickin' awesome!