C.E. Robertson's Blog, page 4
March 4, 2016
Tell Your Story
This past week has been just full of movie talk. Mostly in regards to sexuality in movies. From the rumors of "Stormpilot" in the Star Wars franchise to the rampant sexual desires of Deadpool, it's been a rather informative, and disturbing set of conversations. So I'm going to take a minute to tell you my thoughts on the subject of diverse sexuality.
You ready for it?
Here it is: YAY!
That's it. I think diverse sexuality is great. It exists and should be explored in movies and literature in the same way that any other trait of the human race should be explored. But here is where things got disturbing.
When discussing the possibilities of Finn and Poe Dameron romance in the new Star Wars movies, the compelling argument was simply: I want it. and that's not good enough. A character should only be exploring the sexual desires that the character wants to. Not the reader, or the fanfic writer. Characters shouldn't be gay just because there haven't been enough gay characters in the past. So to you: writer's looking at all that fanfic and all those blog posts and rights activists and people shouting at you to do something the way they think it should be done. Don't listen. Write your characters. Tell your story. As it is.
If your character is submissive women of Asian descent who likes Hello Kitty, has small feet and wears Lolita dresses. Awesome.
If your character is a gay black man with rainbow hair that rides a motorcycle and loves football. Awesome.
If your character is racist woman with saggy boobs, that wears socks with her flip flops, smokes Virginia slims and has a penchant for killing children. Awesome. (for the character, not a life choice. Don't be this person in real life.)
This world is full of different people, with different believes and desires and they all deserve organic, true to form, real representation. Don't insult people by writing a PC character just because: DIVERSITY. That is just as bad as ignoring a characters true nature because it's not one you like.
So tell your story. As it is. With your characters. As they are. And don't worry about what anyone else says about it.
March 3, 2016
Gods of Egypt.
I saw Gods of Egypt over the weekend. I am fairly knowledgeable about Egypt Mythology and I went with a friend of mine, Michalea Moore (read her review here), who is a HUGE Egypt buff. We were prepared as we sat with our popcorn and cookie dough bites to rip this movie apart, but what happened was we came out laughing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Gods of Egypt. It laughs at itself, it visually pleasing and has the best "last line" I've ever heard. From the shining forms of the battling gods to the skeptic quipping of the human hero, this movie has me smiling the whole way through. It has some brief, touching moments, and like all good movies eludes to deeper themes. But what really made it great was the levity. The grandiose vision of the film translated into every single aspect, the sweeping wide shots, the CGI creatures, the snarkiness of the dialogue and the bathykolpian woman. This a movie you go see to have a great time, and have a lot of laughs. Even if the soundtrack is from the wrong area of the world.
9/10 for a raucous good time.
March 1, 2016
Terror Tuesday
" It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both." - Niccolo Machiavelli
Art by Alexandria Lomuntad
February 27, 2016
Sci-Fi Saturday
"No two eyes see the same. What one person sees and another does not can be the difference between staying alive and living." - C.E. Robertson
Original Art by Don Ashcraft
February 24, 2016
February 23, 2016
Terror Tuesday.....
"Fear is simply the result of knowledge and imagination. It's the simplest thing to scare someone, all you do is tell them a piece of something you know, and let them do the rest."- C.E. RobertsonArt by Unknown. Please comment if you know who this artist is so credit can be given.
BONUS: Movie Review- The Witch: A New England Folk Tale
Quiet. Haunting. Taut. A lovely departure from your typical horror tale. The Witch is one of the besthorror movies to come out in the last decade. It touches on a very real form of desolation and fear that most tales ignore. I would have like a more consistent tension, and more of the little tidbits expanded. There are a lot of scenes that hint at deeper meaning and are then left unexplored. And the score is poorly timed. Places where the quiet edge of the movie should be preserved to give the full tension of the moment are ruined by a sudden cacaphony of sound that instead of enhancing the thrill, throw you out of the moment. But even with those things this movie has the most disturbing scene I've ever watched in it. An ending that is satisfying and creepy, a compelling story that will make you think and an authenticity that is currently unparalleled in popular movie culture. 7.5/10February 18, 2016
Characters: Who do you not love?
I'm taking a class this month from the Maryland Romance Writers about writing in depth characters. Lead by Linnea Sinclair, it's been a challenging course as I delve deeper into my main for The Conclave. Since I'm taking the villainous standpoint in my book, and telling the story as the villain (who is also the hero but never stops being a villain) I thought I would take a moment to ask you, my dear readers: What character have you read and hated. Why did you hate them? Was it because they were so well written you couldn't help it or because they weren't written well enough to let you enjoy them?
February 15, 2016
Terror Tuesday: Special Edition with Gamut Magazine
Zeebee and Zee by Luke SpoonerMr Spooner has an anticipated 104 pieces for the first year of Gamut Magazine. Headed by Richard Thomas, and backed by an incredible line of authors including Chuck Palahniuk, Irvine Welsh, Rebecca Jones-Howe, Mercedes M. Yardley and Rebecca Makkai.
To learn more about Gamut Magazine and all it offers to not just Women in Horror, but the entire creative community at large. Check out the kickstarter.
February 13, 2016
Sci-Fi Saturday
"Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic." - Frank Herbert
Art by Dan Barrett
February 11, 2016
Romance in Horror
Seeing as it's Women In Horror Month, I thought I'd take a moment to visit the idea of terrifying love. Love and romance, like any other beautiful thing, can turn dark and frightening in the span of a breath. And this type of love turned obsession is a common theme in horror movies through the years. You'd think we'd be tired of it by now, but we aren't. Why? Because it is a very real fear. Movies like Straw Dogs and My Bloody Valentine all the way through to Dracula play on this fear. Each in their own ways, of course.
I exploit it a bit in When The Gods Walked Out and many other authors have explored the idea the love as terror. One of the most famous being Misery by Stephen King. You might say that these are not example of love, but obsession, and to that I say, what is love if it is not obsession?
I exploit it a bit in When The Gods Walked Out and many other authors have explored the idea the love as terror. One of the most famous being Misery by Stephen King. You might say that these are not example of love, but obsession, and to that I say, what is love if it is not obsession?
