Jenn Reese's Blog, page 2

What does your pet really think about you?

Enthusiastically fabricate revolutionary strategic theme areas via top-line experiences. Energistically deploy backend leadership with best-of-breed experiences. Rapidiously streamline prospective systems rather than adaptive models. Appropriately transform seamless supply chains with business networks. Phosfluorescently incubate 24/365 scenarios and high-payoff systems. Collaboratively drive stand-alone ideas with quality results. Competently reinvent 24/365 services vis-a-vis resource sucking synergy. Conveniently […]

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Coffee may be served in a variety of ways

Monotonectally expedite corporate communities after high-payoff benefits. Completely build flexible resources via diverse imperatives. Competently utilize intuitive e-services through client-based models. Globally e-enable e-business web services without resource sucking data. Competently restore wireless deliverables whereas client-focused e-tailers. Seamlessly network an expanded array of solutions for cross-unit testing procedures. Conveniently implement business quality vectors before customized […]

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Knights, I bid you welcome to your new home

Credibly customize visionary niches before alternative services. Compellingly restore effective total linkage with sticky resources. Appropriately reconceptualize multifunctional leadership skills without turnkey outsourcing. Continually restore cross functional results through transparent models. Phosfluorescently seize 2.0 leadership for viral content. Dynamically disseminate customer directed quality vectors whereas go forward potentialities. Seamlessly actualize goal-oriented methodologies whereas value-added innovation. […]

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My 2016 in Pictures

I didn’t do much traveling in 2016, but I’m grateful that so many of my friends found their way to Portland. It was a difficult year for me personally, but it was not without its moments of joy and love.

New Anthology Essay: “Swashbuckle My Heart”

When I was invited to participate in Liesa Mignogna’s anthology of personal essays about superheroes, Last Night A Superhero Saved My Life, my answer took less than a second. Oh, hell yes. I started reading comics my first year in high school, thanks to my excellent friends John and Mike, who lent me stacks of them at a time. I read a lot of X-Men and quickly fell in love with a fuzzy blue mutant named Nightcrawler, renowned for both his ability to teleport and his Erol Flynn-like skill with a rapier.

But my essay, “Swashbuckle My Heart: An Ode to Nightcrawler,” isn’t just about Kurt Wagner, it’s also about me. Specifically, my struggle to keep from giving in to the dark, cruel aspects of myself, modeled by a person who loomed large in my life at that time. It’s an extremely personal essay and I’ll admit that I’m more than a little nervous that it’s now out there in the world.

From Booklist: “At the heart of the collection are contributions that plunge deeply into dark recollections…these essays bear out how superheroes are powerful psychological receptacles, helping us define the crucial strength we need to survive—a sentiment which will be of great value to many soul-searchers…There’s ample insight to be found here, not the least of which is that superheroes have a deep, resounding place in our cultural and individual psyches.”

Teaching on the Coast!

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaching at the Oregon Coast Children’s Writers Workshop this year, from July 11-15, 2016!

This is an intensive workshop for those who are not only passionate about children’s book writing, but who dream of publishing their own children’s books.Getting attendees published is the end goal. The course is designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced writers. It consists of presentations by eight full-time instructors, gobs of writing, group manuscript sharing, and intensive consults with instructors. The instructors are five professional children’s book authors, two children’s book editors from major publishing houses, and a full-time children’s book agent. 

Instructors include:

Kaylan Adair, editor, Candlewick
Erica Finkel, associate editor, Abrams
Susan Cohen, agent, Writers House
Christine Fletcher, author
David Greenberg, author
Ruth A. Musgrave, author
(Me)
Stephanie Shaw, author

I’ve never done anything like this before, which makes it both exciting and terrifying. (I believe “terrorciting” is the correct term.) I’ll be teaching two sessions during the workshop:

Crafting Compelling Action

Action can be as simple as a character spilling her coffee, as sweet as a first kiss, or as earth-shaking as two armies meeting in an epic battle of good versus evil. Most people associate action and action scenes with plot, but in this workshop we’ll discuss action’s true purpose: a pulse-pounding way to deepen and elucidate character. We’ll cover voice, rhythm, and pace — including ways to manipulate time itself in order to tell more compelling stories.

Steeped in Character

Point of View isn’t only what characters say and do, but how they see the world based on their past experience, their current situation, and their emotional state. We’ll discuss ways to infuse even the quiet spaces of your manuscript with character using word choice, sentence structure, and rhythm. There will be a few short, fun exercises if we have time.

Do they sound good? I hope so! And boy, am I looking forward to attending all the other sessions. (Free classes, w00t!) Maybe I’ll see some of you there.

Movie: Captain America: Civil War

I loved Captain America: The Winter Soldier so much that I fully  expected to be disappointed by Captain America: Civil War. I wanted another Cap movie — particularly one where he pals around with Black Widow and Falcon again — not a movie overstuffed with Iron Man and a bunch of dudes from the Avengers.

Much to my surprise, I loved it.

The Good Stuff

The characters all acted in-character.

I was worried that in order to pit half the Avengers against the other half, some of them would have to behave stupidly or espouse opinions which would not normally be their own. For the most part, the writers avoided this pitfall brilliantly. I was especially fond of the moments of careful conversation when it seemed as if they were all rolling the ideas around in their minds, considering the ramifications of the accord and open to others’ opinions. As the sides began forming, they continued to treat each other carefully, trying to find nonviolent ways around conflict. (Another great reason to leave Hulk and Thor out of it — careful consideration and nonviolent conflict resolution are not part of their MCU vocabularies.)

Although Captain America seemed, at times, motivated by his love of Bucky, I felt strongly that he would have chosen the same side even if Bucky didn’t exist. His stance was consistent with why he was chosen for the super soldier program in the first place: he understood what it was like to be weak, and he understood bullies. After what happened in The Winter Soldier, how could he ever put his trust or faith in a government oversight agency again? No. His job is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, to always be on the side of the powerless. He can’t do that if he’s beholden to political agents with agendas.*

Character interactions.

I could watch a whole movie of Falcon and Bucky needling each other inside a rusty VW Bug. (Roadtrip movie, anyone?) I loved every small moment, every tiny joy. Widow and Panther’s first conversation. Spider-Man meeting Stark. Spider-Man meeting everyone. Widow’s and Hawkeye’s brief exchange during a fight. Falcon’s defense of Redwing. Ant-Man’s self-effacing quips. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue in this movie, but the writers really tried to pack character into the tiny spaces they were allowed.

The cool factor.

After so many superhero movies, it’s rare to be wowed. Even so, this movie made me ooh and aah so many times. First, it was Falcon’s great new tech toys and maneuvers, then Black Widow’s glorious fighting style. The subtle double rings around Vision’s eyes. Scarlet Witch’s magic. Everything about Black Panther. The way Tony activates his suit. The way Bucky and Steve fight when they’re on the same side. Action can be so, so boring. Somehow, it wasn’t. Somehow they managed to keep my jaded self engaged with every moment.

The tears.

No spoilers, but there was a moment when I teared up unexpectedly. If I’d known about the scene beforehand, I would have scoffed at the idea. And yet there it was, moisture forming in my eyes before I could even register it. Unexpected and welcome — the MCU leveraging its slow build in surprisingly effective ways.

Black Panther.

More on Panther at the end — he deserves his own section.

The Bad Stuff

Oh, Marvel, where are your women? There are twelve superheroes in Civil War, six on each side, and only two of them are women. There was no Bechdel-Wallace pass in this. Of course there wasn’t. And no people who identified at LGBTQ+ at all. Three out of the 12 heroes were men of color.  An improvement over the other Avengers movies, but still disappointing. There were many, many moments when this movie felt like it was all about white dudes, their egos, and their pain. (For the record, I don’t think Cap is motivated by ego, as I stated earlier. I think he’s genuinely all about doing the right thing regardless of what it means for him personally.)

In addition to the lack of women, there was a moment of stark (ha!) racism: Tony Stark uses the phrase “off the reservation.” I have no idea how such a horrid phrase made it through so many passes of the script and so many eyes on the final product, but I was shocked to hear it.

I really, really wanted to love this movie without caveats, but I cannot.

The Real Hero

Let’s get one thing straight: I absolutely love Captain America as he is represented in the MCU. I was thrilled that despite all the characters involved in Civil War, this still felt like Cap’s movie. (And thank you, whoever decided to include the glorious fanservice moment highlighting Steve’s amazing arms — it was so ludicrous that I burst into happy laughter.)

However.

Cap does not change much in this movie. He has some deep convictions at the beginning of the movie that are only deepened during the course of events. He regrets some of the actions he takes and some of the sacrifices he makes, but he never doubts the direction he has chosen. Not even a little.

[SPOILER ALERT: Avoid this next part if you haven’t seen the movie!]

You know who does change? Black Panther. T’Challa starts out as prince of his nation, confident in his role as both son and representative of his people. He undergoes a great personal tragedy, altering his position in the world, and embarks on a quest of revenge. (He’s not alone in this as the destructive nature of revenge is one of the themes of the movie.) We see how revenge eats away at almost everyone in the film — the central villain, Tony Stark, everyone who hates Bucky, and Panther. At first Panther is blinded by his rage and grief, no better than the others. Later, as new information is revealed, he realizes he’s after the wrong person and switches targets — a sign that he’s capable of change. At the end, after witnessing Cap and Iron Man fighting each other for the umpteenth time, he has a chance to kill the man he’s been hunting and instead opts for justice.

I ask you, is that not the arc of the hero?

There is another version of this movie somewhere in a different world where white guys aren’t at the center of everything, and we get to see the whole thing through Black Panther’s eyes. I only hope that when we do get Panther’s solo movie in 2018, it gives him even more to work with.

For me, Black Panther is the standout character of Civil War.

 

My 2015 in Pictures

2015 was a year of massive upheaval wherein my life changed in a number of profound ways.

WorldCon 2015 Schedule (Spokane, WA)

I’ll be attending WorldCon (aka Sasquan) in Spokane, Washington from August 20-23rd. Here are my panels. Outside of these times, I’ll be hanging out in the bar or lounge. I hope to see some of you there!

PG-13: Violence, Sex, and Teen Readers

Thursday 14:00 – 14:45, 303A (CC)

Panelists: Darlene Marshall (M), Wesley Chu, Fonda Lee, Jenn Reese, Alaina Ewing

When writing for teens or choosing books for young adults to read, is there a PG-13 line that needs to be drawn? Is there more violence, sex, and alchohol in young adult books today or have we just become more aware of it? And what the f’ing language kids are using in books? How does a writer address difficult or sensitive topics without going too far? Panelists discuss the danger zones within young adult fiction.

YA and Middle Grade Writers Resource Round Table

Saturday 12:00 – 12:45, 303A (CC)

Panelists: Deby Fredericks, Rebecca Moesta, Jenn Reese, Jessica Rising

Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction writers often have unique needs when it comes to writing, publishing and marketing. What resources are available? Where can writers go to get help or to get their questions answered? Members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) come together to share information about available resources.

Aluna Fan Art by Mentacose

Due to my recent videogame obsessions, I’ve been spending a lot more time on Tumblr these days. That’s how I found this incredible drawing of Aluna from the Above World series by artist Mentacose. I love everything about it — her hair, the expression in her eyes, her clothes, the breathing shell… she’s perfect!

If you need me, I’ll just be over here staring happily at my computer screen until further notice and feeling so, so grateful.