Hands of the Maker

In The Dark, Where Do Shadows Go?

I met Orson Scott Card yesterday.

*Still wide-eyed*

I got him to sign not one but three books: one for my mom and one for Tenchi and finally one for myself.

I actually shook his hand. Err, Orson's hand. ;^) I think I died. "Sir, may I shake your hand?" It was that simple. It was like--good grief, how do I know what it was like? I'm still not sure it really happened =^D Somewhere outside of the unrealism of it all, I knew he had a warm, slightly dry, practiced grip. After all, everybody who comes to the signings must want to shake his hand. To my credit my own palms were dry, if quite cold and trembling a little. ;^)

Actually I spent a good chunk of the time in-line sort of shifting my weight from one foot to the other, quivering at the edges, nerves tight as bowstrings. In a good way, though--I never could keep still when excited about something. Still can't, apparently ;^)

There was a question and answer session following the signing--I actually missed the start of that, being kind of dazed and in no real condition to remember much of anything. However, being late didn't stop one of the other fans from kindly offering me an empty seat. :^) It's as Orson himself said: "I like coming out to these things, to see what kind of people my books attract. I was relieved. [Beat] They're all civilized." [Slightly nervous audience laughter].

He was like that through the whole thing: polite, gracious, and unpredictable. He went from serious to good-natured ribbing and back again in a blink, smiling often and keeping eye contact the entire time. Have I mentioned I regard highly people who can maintain eye-contact? ;^)

I actually got to ask him a question =^D I broke the ice there. Seriously, I did. In general we OSC fans are a shy lot, but I'd had three cups off strong coffee and was riding the caffiene wave (read: I tend to act rashly when I'm pumped full of caffiene, which is most of the time ;^D). So at the next moment he asked, "any questions?" My hand shot upward of its own volition, ramrod-straight, reaching for the roof. Heil Orson! >;^) He blinked in surprise and motioned for me to come on up. "I'd like to applaud your courage," he told me.
He actually SAID that to me. To me. So, of course, after that my bravado basically evaporated ;^)

I don't remember exactly but it was something along the lines of "do you ever shelve an idea because it doesn't fit and then go back to it later?" (Oh wow. Brilliant, Jessica. That's one for the ages, all right.)

To which he replied something like (forgive me! I am reduced to paraphrasing, given that what I remember most is his manner and not his words...) "If you love your own writing so much that you can't throw away boxes and boxes of paper, you have no business being a writer."

No problem here. I toss it out by the truckload. Just ask my poor betas >;^)

The thing about it was, he looked at the people he was speaking to, and spoke to them, rather than the rest of the room. So much so that the recording people kept reminding him to talk into the mike. It was his character, his way of treating everyone, that I remember most. And what's it like? In a word, intimidating. If I were to pick two more: stunning. Enjoyable.

And the neatest thing about it was, he didn't act like he was Somebody. You can spot Somebodys a mile away: they want their presence announced and they are always preceeded (sp?) by the "snap snap snap" of flashbulbs. Not this fella. He and his wife came in quietly, smiling--due to the twisty nature of the way they had us line up, it took us a few seconds to register that it was actually them. They actually apologized, to us, for being late because of traffic on I-4.

Which, if you've been on I-4, is completely utterly understandable and easy as anything to forgive. As if he could do wrong by us, anyway ;^) In our own quiet fashion, we're more devoted than the hardest of hardcore Trekkers could ever hope to be. (Which is, btw, no offense to Trekkers, as I am one myself, but a moderate one.)

And his wife, Kristine, is a nice person too :^) I thought it was cool that they travel together, and drvie everywhere rather than flying all over the place. Which is good IMO.

There sits my copy of Prentice Alvin, on the top of the bookshelf, looking for all the world the same as it did yesterday. Except for the inside. Thin triangular writing in dark blue ink says simply: "To Jessica, 'Jheti' : Out of the fire, into the light..." hovering diagonally above the signature.

Out of the fire, into the light.

I'm So Lucky

Fortune Smiles, But Is She As Lucky As She Looks?

I found something I've been looking for forever =^D It's been grate, so far. Stretching it out in small doses so reading it'll take longer.

I also picked up a copy of "Prentice Alvin", which is part of the Tales of Alvin Maker (I think I mentioned them elsewhere in here someplace). Things are picking up, which is worrisome: Alvin's ultimate destiny as the "savior of mankind", is, of course, terrible ruin. I think maybe that's why I tend to root for anti-heroes: they generally don't get killed by the same ingrates they're trying to save.

Oh also, the author of said books (the almighty Orson Scott Card ) is doing a signing at the local Border's tommorow and I get to go, I get to go, I get to go! *Dances about frenetically* Shall just have to keep those fingers crossed =^D

And furthermore: took a nice long walk today :^)

*Jheti*

When Are You Going To Update?

And Other Mysteries of the Universe

Patience...is overrated :^D

Anyhow, welcome back. The archives are in working order again :^)
Other stuff: trying to catch a friend of mine on the Messenger, but it's not happening :^( I'm either being directly avoided or it's technical failure. Either way I've got my hands full at the moment so it's his loss.

Anyway...

Tempted to just ask my betas what they want to see in the next part and drawing it up for them; the thing I've heard most consistently and with most force is "damn it get those two back together!" Meaning Mileena and Baraka. And this from one of them who was previously opposed to their union in the first place ;^) Somehow I think I done good :^)

Doing housework, watching Tenchi Universe , being utterly bored despite having stuff to do...
I'm lazy. I know I should be exercising and all, and I haven't for weeks. :^P Why? Who knows? I'd say I'm going through a phase but I'm too damn old for that ;^)

That and my allergies are really bad lately, which means I'm back on the antihistamines so it's back to being all spaced out and stuff. Considering that rational, continuous thought is being pretty difficult, I'm still being able to get stuff done.

Kathy's doing a big research project on Mars, and Tenchi and I have been helping with that. That's what I've done for about five hours over the last two days (err, two and a half hours a day) : scour up conjectural pictures of what living on Mars might be like. "Barbie and Ken Go To Mars", as it were. It's actually tougher than it sounds, because she needs semi-serious looking ones; it has to be actual concept art, not "Buck Rogers Goes To Mars" (although I did get her a scan of the poster, just for shits and giggles). Shits and what? Oh, it's a stupid expression from my native geographical area. It means "just for the hell of it." ;^)

Heh. Actually perused FanFiction.Net the other day; somehow (don't ask just how) I came across this parody of the Barbie universe. It was actually, while not funny at all, relatively well-made and I liked the ending ;^) I mean you know and I know, there is NO WAY Ken is straight, and the story proved it >=^D

Umm, moving on...

There's this fella Wesker, from Resident Evil. Pretty good-looking guy, referred to me by (who else?) Jaz :^) He looks sorta like a certain movie star from Mortal Kombat, but blonde and well, better-looking. Not so chunky ;^)

See you peeps later, I'm out to see who's online tonite...

*Jheti*

International Bright Young Thing

A Fancy Way To Say Hello

Been a few days, hasn't it? Of course it has. Anyhow, my audience just expanded by one. Do you realize what this means? Do you REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS?? People are actually listening to me! Err, technically they're reading it, but well...

Mood music:

Burn the corks and crack the plates, 'cuz that's what Bilbo Baggins hates...

Heh. Parental units say tonight will be the night that we go see Lord of the Rings. Having doubts about this has not stopped me from crossing my fingers in hope. :^D
I'm feeling a lot more hopeful, actually. Things are better all over. :^D

As far as fic: in "Shadows," Mileena's fight with Koteth, subsequent knock on the head, and return to the land of the living finally works. I gutted it (again) and this time I'm actually happy with it. This, I think will be the version I hang on to, primarily because I like the tag-line for the end of the scene (incidentals removed for clarification purposes) :

"It will help with the pain."

I've never tasted anything so foul! "What in all Nine Hells?" It comes out a yowl. I choke near to death on the stuff, swallowing repeatedly, and manage to get it down.

"You're welcome," she says with an insolent grin.

It's the perfect note for the little line of asterisks, followed by a scene change. That, I find, is actually the hardest part of writing the stuff: knowing when and where to stop. Timing is a b*tch. If I can just get the end-lines, I can usually work a scene out well, but sometimes it takes forever to get that line. Once it's there, though, the rest is easy.
And btw, the "she" in question is Brin ;^) She fit there better than Ismar (who was in the scene originally) or Telsor (who fit better but not quite). For some reason she fits there perfectly.

MK Deadly Alliance: since I seem to be tripping over my own tongue where the new picture is concerned, I figure I'll do it again here and humiliate myself in slightly more public fashion ;^)

I reiterate: Shang Tsung looks like somebody stepped on his face. And it is not at all his look from the first movie. :^P

That said: I think it IS a better look than he had in MK3 (much much MUCH better), so it isn't a complete loss or waste or whatever. It's just that I really, really wanted to see him with that cool leather jacket with the dragons on the back. *Siiiiiighhh*. One thing though: his hands are too big. I mean they are HUGE. It's true, just go look at the picture, they have it up at MK5.org someplace. Go see for yourself...

Well that's it for me today.

~Jheti