Madhuri Pavamani's Blog, page 28
November 16, 2014
#SupportWNDB – The Series
Earlier this weekend I had this idea to contact a bunch of writer friends I know, and some I don’t know so well, and have them guest post on my blog about their thoughts on diversity in literature and why it’s important.
Almost everyone I asked to participate said yes and quite a few folks were totally excited to share their thoughts. Over the next few weeks, expect to see guest posts from the likes of dystopian��writer Kayti Nika Raet, fantasy��writer Teshelle Combs, fantasy��writer Sabina Khan,��blogger Guinevere Thomas (half of Dos Twinjas), paranormal writer Laura Oliva,��writer Zoraida Cordova,��blogger Batools,��blogger Steph Swint, fantasy��writer Rose Montague,��writer Christa Wojo,��writer Thelonious Legend,��writer Jess Dukes,��blogger Deva Eddington, writer��TS Dann, and hopefully WNDB’s own Mike Jung.
That is what I call a motherfucking list. Just one more reason my friends are the bomb.
Basically, I told everyone I would make the series’ inaugural post and then I would turn it over to my guests. So long as they stuck to the overarching theme of diversity in literature, they could write on anything they chose. I wasn’t going to give them any further guidelines.
Oh, except to try and keep it around 700 words of less. But we’re writers and every so often we get all passionate and verbose about shit, so I told the crew that if they went over the word count, I wasn’t going to hold it against them.
I set them loose, giving a few folks deadlines, and promising to get this thing going first thing Monday morning. Then surprisingly, for the next few days, I could not think of what to say about diversity. Not because I don’t have anything to say, because god knows I do, but because I wasn’t sure how to top what I’d already written for��We Need Diverse Books’ official campaign Tumblr.
I was stumped and annoyed with the fact I was stumped which just made the state of my stumptedness (not a word, this I know) even worse. Then this afternoon, The Stepdaughter and I hit the movies and what I want to say about diversity came to me, just like that.
We were watching the preview for Ron Howard’s Into the Wood, which looks amazing and gorgeous and utterly fantastical and contains Not. One. Person. Of. Diverse. Background. Which struck me as such a shame because it’s essentially a fantasy movie and as such, offered Mr. Howard the perfect opportunity to fill his film with all kinds of actors of color, sexual identity, disability, and the like, but he chose to keep it safe and simple and maintained the status quo.
And that right there is why diversity – in literature, film, television – is important because it’s about damn time we shook up the definition of the status quo and started making it look a little more like the true fabric of our everyday world. Directing a film without any people of diverse backgrounds is about as realistic and close-minded as continuing to hold onto a belief that the only stories worth selling are those for and about white main characters.
Ellen Oh and the We Need Diverse Books campaign were the rumblings – they set the catalyst. Now it’s up to us to maintain the momentum, open up the avenues of dialogue, and fight to get our stories out there.
Because like I said before, the change is coming, I can feel it.
Join the movement, heed the call. #SupportWNDB.
Holla.
November 15, 2014
November 14, 2014
I Have No Underwear
HEY, I CAN’T GYM,�� I HAVE NO UNDERWEAR
I walked back into my office from a meeting the other day to find that IM up on my screen.
After enjoying a nice belly laugh (aren’t those the best? when you really laugh? like really hard?) and letting my friend know, much to her horror, that her IM would be the focus of one of my blog posts, I had the following thoughts:
us girls are funny and will talk about damn near anything with each other
you definitely cannot gym without underwear, and although my girlfriends and I share lots of things, underwear ain’t one of them
I work with some funny motherfuckers
god, I hope my IMs never get audited
November 13, 2014
You Don’t Need A Kindle To Read An eBook
I feel like it’s important to remind folks of this fact every so often because they forget – you don’t need a Kindle to download eBooks from Amazon.
Just snag the app and start reading.
Actually, snag the app, buy copies of The Girl and The Boy, and then start reading.
Originally posted on Madhuri Blaylock:
That���s right. You do NOT need to own a Kindle to download eBooks from Amazon.
When I tell people my eBooks for THE GIRL and THE BOY are on Amazon, here and there I am met with ���Oh, that sucks. I don���t have a Kindle��� or ���Kindles are so expensive��� or something along those lines.
People, you don���t need to own a Kindle.
I don���t own a Kindle, nor do I have any plans of buying one in the near future. Similarly, neither The Husband nor The Stepdaughter own Kindles, but they���ve both read or are reading my books.
All you have to do is download the Kindle App to either your cell phone (that���s what I did) or your tablet (that���s what The Husband did) and you���re set. Then it���s just a matter of downloading books to your library and reading.
And once you���ve done that, there is really���
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November 12, 2014
F*ck That Noise
Myla Delbasio, plus-size model
I was on the Daily Beast this morning and saw an article about Myla Delbasio, Calvin Klein’s newest underwear model, who, according to the powers that be, is plus-size. That’s a picture of her above, looking all kinds of sexy in that string bikini.
Three things immediately popped into my mind as I studied Myla:
Why do they have to call her “plus-size”? Why can’t she just be the newest Calvin Klein underwear model?
She fluctuates between a size 8 and 10 which means I, too, am plus-size, a term I would never use to describe myself, but apparently some others would.
And would my plus-size ass look that hot in a string bikini because if so, I am all over it.
I then wandered over to NY Magazine and found this gem:
Three more immediate thoughts:
Why is she so greasy?
I hope Michele reads this so she can show Par and then the next time the four of us get together to drink all night and laugh about big asses, and porn, we can also laugh about Kim K’s big, greasy, booty
No way that butt is real…and I wonder what it feels like…and does that butt make Kim plus-size, too?
Which just leads me back to thinking about the term plus-size and wondering whether or not I am plus-size and then getting mad that I’m even wondering about that because just ten seconds before I read about Myla and her fluctuating 8-10 plus size, I was feeling pretty fucking hot and sexy and really into myself and my body. I had just pulled on some very cute polka dot stockings with these sexy leopard print heels and was ready to conquer the day. Then I made the mistake of reading about Myla, which led me to some celebrity gossip sites where it’s all about Kim and her greasy ass, and the rest is a trip down the rabbit hole of shaming women into thinking their bodies suck.
Fuck. That. Noise.
A couple of months ago, I told The Stepdaughter that my life is so much better and my mental state is just brilliant now that I no longer have time to play around on the internet and read about Beyonce’s new diet or Jennifer Aniston’s perfectly toned abs or Kerry Washington’s tips for getting back her pre-baby body. I’m convinced that being bombarded with shots of Angie’s amazing cheekbones and non-existent thighs or Jessica Alba’s washboard stomach or Halle Berry’s ridiculous body on a daily basis subconsciously shames women into striving for an ideal that is stupid.
Trust me, I know, because for years upon years upon years, I, too, strove to have the perfect abs, the infamous thigh gap, and the skinny arms. I smoked, I starved, smoked some more, and ate a little less. Later, when I had to cut the smokes, I added some exercise to the regimen until finally I said enough.
Fuck. That. Noise.
I’ll never be that super skinny girl I was in my 20s, but she was always hungry and lived on coffee and American Spirits. Shit, I probably won’t even be the girl I was in my 30s, but I don’t really care. It’s all good. I’m pretty hot, I have a funky sense of style, and I’m all kinds of awesome. I’m realizing my dream of being a writer and just generally loving life.
Even if I am plus-size.
Holla bitches.
And fuck you! body-shaming, internet gossip sites.
[still can't believe Myla is plus-size!]
To snag copies of The Girl or The Boy and get lost in The Sanctum, click —->��HERE
As You Wish
Model: Nathan Owens; Photog: Samuel Zakuto
To snag copies of The Girl or The Boy and get lost in The Sanctum, click —->��HERE
November 11, 2014
Vogue India November 2014 : Bronze Age
This Vogue India spread is fierce. And hot.
Originally posted on the CITIZENS of FASHION:
Vogue India November 2014 issue :
Editorial : Bronze Age
Models : Lisa Haydon, Dayana Erappa, Bruno Amora, Gaurav Arora & Piyush
Photography : Tarun Vishwa
Styling : Anaita Shroff Adajania
Hair : Gabriel Georgiou
Make-up : Clint Fernandes
��
I’ve Been Swifted
As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve been Swifted.
Before I go any further with this, let me just say, I am so NOT a Taylor Swift fan. At all. Girlfriend drives me nuts, from her facial expressions to her dance moves. I find her to be all kinds of annoying.
And I haven’t even gotten around to discussing her music. Nor am I going to, except to say that it’s not really my cup of tea.
So why can I NOT get this song out of my head?!!
I think this must be payback for all the times I talked shit about her. As they say, karma’s a bitch, motherfucker. And the way I can run my mouth sometimes, talking smack, I probably deserve to have her on an endless loop in my head, non?
But you’ve gotta admit, it’s a little catchy…
November 10, 2014
How To Write A One-Page Synopsis
I utterly abhor drafting one-page synopses of my novels. This post offers some great advice for doing just that, making a daunting task seem an almost manageable feat.
Originally posted on Writers Write:
We know how much writers dislike writing a book synopsis. When we saw this brilliant article by Susan Dennard we knew we had to share it with you. Here is a shortened version.
Three Rules of Thumb
Rule of thumb:You should only name three characters in a short synopsis ��� usually, the protagonist, antagonist, and possible love interest/side-kick. All other characters should be referred to by their roles, e.g., the waitress, the mother.
Rule of thumb:��You must tell the ending! The purpose of a synopsis is to show an editor/agent you can tell a story from beginning to end. You will not entice them into reading your whole MS if you don���t share the ending.
Rule of thumb:��Do not include sub-plots unless you have extra space at the end. Stick to the��main plot events.
11 Synopsis Points
1. Opening image
An image/setting/concept that sets the���
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