I said you had no angst.
You have so much angst. You're so tired of being lied to and I promise it's going to stop but you just have to let me get to page fifty before I can start giving you some answers.
You are such a lost little girl.
I am so sorry for misjudging you.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
World building...
Just some things I need to set in stone... thought I'd share them.
Now with 100% more Batman comparisons.
The American Superhuman League, chartered by Then-President Gerald Ford at the behest of The Commander and several other Superhuman veterans of the Vietnam war in 1975. The League receives government funding and League members have formal ranks and titles in the US military: in times of war, active-duty members of the League will be called upon to serve the United States to the best of their abilities. However, the League is self-regulating and has its own rules and conditions that exempt its members from US certain US laws. The League has always differed from the military in that it does not categorize or divide its members based on gender, race, or sexuality. It is open to anyone of significant ability and drive, and all members are expected to fulfill tasks based on their individual skill set.
Super-powers follow a mendelian inheritance pattern, but there are some complicated masking genes known to exist, hence super-powered children can be born of apparently mortal parents. For any given couple in which both parents are super-powered, the chances of them having a child without powers range from zero to one in four. For a superpowered/mortal pairing, the chance is between zero and one in two. There is no correlation between heterozygous/homozygous status for the Superhuman allele and overall strength of powers.
The exact manifestation of powers is highly subjective based on the individual. Powers of children do not have to reflect those of their parents. Powers can flux later in life, usually due to physical or psychological trauma. For example, a former speedster who finds themselves paralyzed after an accident may develop telekinesis.
Powers solidify by the age of ten. Formal League training begins at age ten. Young heroes begin a "Sidekick" apprenticeship with an experienced hero at the age of twelve [Batman and Robin], although their formal schooling continues until a high school equivalency degree, usually earned at the age of sixteen. Sidekicks remain apprenticed with their mentors until the age of twenty, and although legal adulthood in the united states is considered to be age eighteen, Sidekicks are obligated by league charter to remain subordinate to their teachers until they complete their apprenticeships.
At the conclusion of an apprenticeship, Sidekicks may choose to remain as an "assistant" hero to their mentor, or may contract with a League-organized team stationed in the United States or abroad. Sidekicks do not retain their hero titles from their apprenticeships, graduating to a new name that marks their status as an adult hero [Robin becomes Nightwing, Batgirl becomes Blackbat]. Usually these titles are chosen by the mentor and agreed upon by the sidekick, but sometimes sidekicks choose their own titles. Heroes will also sometimes change their titles later in life if they feel their previous title no longer fits [Batgirl becoming Oracle].
If a hero is killed in action or dies of natural causes, it is acceptable and even expected that their closest apprentice assume their mantle [Nightwing becoming Batman].
Hero/Sidekick relationships are expected to retain a Teacher/Student dynamic, but are typically unmonitored. Abuse is rare but does occur, but is almost never reported.
Superhero teams are created based on diversity and dynamic. A team will seldom have two heroes with the same power set unless those powers are somehow linked. Teams are created with gender balance and diversity in mind - the League has occasionally come under fire for tokenism, but they'll be damned if their teams don't reflect the diversity of their proud nation. A range of personalities are favored in drafting a team, although there will almost always be a clear leader.
Some heroes operate independently of an overal team, but are still contracted with the League. Vigilantism is frowned upon, and heroism without a license is punishable by law and by the League.
The incidence of powers is about 1% of the general population. The trait knows no racial or economic boundaries. A billionaire playboy is as likely to be born with super-powers as is the child of poor, immigrant parents. Heroes tend to be over-represented in media - most superhumans who do not find work contracting with the League find themselves involved in the entertainment industry, as actors, stuntmen, technicians, acrobats, etc. Superhumans who choose fields outside of the League or entertainment tend to be quiet about their abilities, as there is a degree of suspicion held by the general population, as well as a sentiment that they ought to not waste their abilities.
Religious acknowledgement of heroes tends to differ from denomination to denomination. A comparable debate may be Evolution vs Creationism, whether powers are the result of god or the result of evolution. (Evolution is winning, as powers are genetically linked). Heroes are not well-recognized in the historical record until the 1800s and did not formally organize until the 1970s, but much speculation exists about various historical figures prior to that.
Heroes exist openly, although those contracted with the league tend to maintain a secret identity. Those working in the entertainment industry generally go by their own names. The important thing here is that people know they exist. Heroes do not live in fear of discovery or persecution. They are protected as a minority by the US government and generally viewed favorably.
It is possible to draw a great many allegories between superhumans and any minority group that you like, but the fact is that they themselves are not the metaphor, simply background for my storytelling.
Now with 100% more Batman comparisons.
The American Superhuman League, chartered by Then-President Gerald Ford at the behest of The Commander and several other Superhuman veterans of the Vietnam war in 1975. The League receives government funding and League members have formal ranks and titles in the US military: in times of war, active-duty members of the League will be called upon to serve the United States to the best of their abilities. However, the League is self-regulating and has its own rules and conditions that exempt its members from US certain US laws. The League has always differed from the military in that it does not categorize or divide its members based on gender, race, or sexuality. It is open to anyone of significant ability and drive, and all members are expected to fulfill tasks based on their individual skill set.
Super-powers follow a mendelian inheritance pattern, but there are some complicated masking genes known to exist, hence super-powered children can be born of apparently mortal parents. For any given couple in which both parents are super-powered, the chances of them having a child without powers range from zero to one in four. For a superpowered/mortal pairing, the chance is between zero and one in two. There is no correlation between heterozygous/homozygous status for the Superhuman allele and overall strength of powers.
The exact manifestation of powers is highly subjective based on the individual. Powers of children do not have to reflect those of their parents. Powers can flux later in life, usually due to physical or psychological trauma. For example, a former speedster who finds themselves paralyzed after an accident may develop telekinesis.
Powers solidify by the age of ten. Formal League training begins at age ten. Young heroes begin a "Sidekick" apprenticeship with an experienced hero at the age of twelve [Batman and Robin], although their formal schooling continues until a high school equivalency degree, usually earned at the age of sixteen. Sidekicks remain apprenticed with their mentors until the age of twenty, and although legal adulthood in the united states is considered to be age eighteen, Sidekicks are obligated by league charter to remain subordinate to their teachers until they complete their apprenticeships.
At the conclusion of an apprenticeship, Sidekicks may choose to remain as an "assistant" hero to their mentor, or may contract with a League-organized team stationed in the United States or abroad. Sidekicks do not retain their hero titles from their apprenticeships, graduating to a new name that marks their status as an adult hero [Robin becomes Nightwing, Batgirl becomes Blackbat]. Usually these titles are chosen by the mentor and agreed upon by the sidekick, but sometimes sidekicks choose their own titles. Heroes will also sometimes change their titles later in life if they feel their previous title no longer fits [Batgirl becoming Oracle].
If a hero is killed in action or dies of natural causes, it is acceptable and even expected that their closest apprentice assume their mantle [Nightwing becoming Batman].
Hero/Sidekick relationships are expected to retain a Teacher/Student dynamic, but are typically unmonitored. Abuse is rare but does occur, but is almost never reported.
Superhero teams are created based on diversity and dynamic. A team will seldom have two heroes with the same power set unless those powers are somehow linked. Teams are created with gender balance and diversity in mind - the League has occasionally come under fire for tokenism, but they'll be damned if their teams don't reflect the diversity of their proud nation. A range of personalities are favored in drafting a team, although there will almost always be a clear leader.
Some heroes operate independently of an overal team, but are still contracted with the League. Vigilantism is frowned upon, and heroism without a license is punishable by law and by the League.
The incidence of powers is about 1% of the general population. The trait knows no racial or economic boundaries. A billionaire playboy is as likely to be born with super-powers as is the child of poor, immigrant parents. Heroes tend to be over-represented in media - most superhumans who do not find work contracting with the League find themselves involved in the entertainment industry, as actors, stuntmen, technicians, acrobats, etc. Superhumans who choose fields outside of the League or entertainment tend to be quiet about their abilities, as there is a degree of suspicion held by the general population, as well as a sentiment that they ought to not waste their abilities.
Religious acknowledgement of heroes tends to differ from denomination to denomination. A comparable debate may be Evolution vs Creationism, whether powers are the result of god or the result of evolution. (Evolution is winning, as powers are genetically linked). Heroes are not well-recognized in the historical record until the 1800s and did not formally organize until the 1970s, but much speculation exists about various historical figures prior to that.
Heroes exist openly, although those contracted with the league tend to maintain a secret identity. Those working in the entertainment industry generally go by their own names. The important thing here is that people know they exist. Heroes do not live in fear of discovery or persecution. They are protected as a minority by the US government and generally viewed favorably.
It is possible to draw a great many allegories between superhumans and any minority group that you like, but the fact is that they themselves are not the metaphor, simply background for my storytelling.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Well, I'm 20.
Even the best of us have to grow up sometime, I guess.
Who am I kidding? I brought my Playwriting II class cupcakes today.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Oh, how awkward for you.
The next time I hear my roommate's friend specify that the girl in his project group is a "Jewish White Girl" as if her Jewishness is a factor of her bitchiness, I am going to march downstairs and punch him in the face. In describing the rest of his group, he didn't once specify anyone else's ethnicities or religions.
He has seen me around. He knows I'm home and he knows I can hear him - I don't think he realizes that I'm Jewish, but this is extremely uncomfortable for me to sit here and listen to him complain about this girl. Like, I have heard the whole story and agree that she's being an unreasonable bitch? But I don't see what her religion has to do with her behavior.
And I was in such a good mood after NY Comic Con.
So much for that.
He has seen me around. He knows I'm home and he knows I can hear him - I don't think he realizes that I'm Jewish, but this is extremely uncomfortable for me to sit here and listen to him complain about this girl. Like, I have heard the whole story and agree that she's being an unreasonable bitch? But I don't see what her religion has to do with her behavior.
And I was in such a good mood after NY Comic Con.
So much for that.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Back to space nerdiness
I'm starting to think that Valentina Tereshkova doesn't age.
IN GLORIOUS RUSSIA, WE HIDE SECRET OF IMMORTALITY FROM PITIFUL USA.
(She will always be one of my heroes.)
 |
| 1963 |
 |
| 2002 |
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| 2011 |
(She will always be one of my heroes.)
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Commander
There's something really refreshing about writing a villain.
Not a good guy with a sinister side, but an honest to god villain. A character who makes your skin crawl. A smug bastard who you want to punch in the face. A manipulative sleaze who even the most innocent sentences have some vague undertone of horror when they come out of his mouth.
The Commander is that villain.
(Or, at least, I hope he is.)
Marcus and Carson's old mentor wasn't originally going to be included in the play, but I got talked into it and I'm in a better place for it. In fact I sort of dread to think what I was going to do before I put him in because the play needed an antagonist and here he is.
He's meant to be a pastiche of every franchise headliner ever, but mostly Captain America (his theme), Superman (his powers), and Batman (his tendency towards taking pubescent male sidekicks). His introductory paragraph introduces him as "More Jor-El than Superman at this point in his life," which is also accurate - the Commander's in his late sixties. He's on the verge of retirement and everyone knows it and that's why they're so keen to shower him with accolades and awards.
The dark side of this is, of course, that he's an unrepentant child molester and Carson and Marcus's varying degrees of disfunction are almost certainly a result of apprenticing with him. Trying to make him repent is a huge action of the play, and I can't really say more about that without spoiling massively but the Commander has a lot up his sleeves. You don't make it in the hero business as long as he has without being ruthless.
There are certain lines I write for his character that seem perfectly tame at first - but become suddenly sinister when considered with the rest of his character. As I discussed with my roommate, "Anyone who can mention visiting a children's hospital and make the audience squirm is probably villainous gold."
I haven't written a proper villain in a really long time - probably not since sophomore year of high school. So this is going to be really fun, I think. Villains are fun to write. It's fun to make everyone around them uncomfortable and I'm going to have a blast.
Even if the Commander is a wretched human being.
Especially because the Commander is a wretched human being.
Not a good guy with a sinister side, but an honest to god villain. A character who makes your skin crawl. A smug bastard who you want to punch in the face. A manipulative sleaze who even the most innocent sentences have some vague undertone of horror when they come out of his mouth.
The Commander is that villain.
(Or, at least, I hope he is.)
Marcus and Carson's old mentor wasn't originally going to be included in the play, but I got talked into it and I'm in a better place for it. In fact I sort of dread to think what I was going to do before I put him in because the play needed an antagonist and here he is.
He's meant to be a pastiche of every franchise headliner ever, but mostly Captain America (his theme), Superman (his powers), and Batman (his tendency towards taking pubescent male sidekicks). His introductory paragraph introduces him as "More Jor-El than Superman at this point in his life," which is also accurate - the Commander's in his late sixties. He's on the verge of retirement and everyone knows it and that's why they're so keen to shower him with accolades and awards.
The dark side of this is, of course, that he's an unrepentant child molester and Carson and Marcus's varying degrees of disfunction are almost certainly a result of apprenticing with him. Trying to make him repent is a huge action of the play, and I can't really say more about that without spoiling massively but the Commander has a lot up his sleeves. You don't make it in the hero business as long as he has without being ruthless.
There are certain lines I write for his character that seem perfectly tame at first - but become suddenly sinister when considered with the rest of his character. As I discussed with my roommate, "Anyone who can mention visiting a children's hospital and make the audience squirm is probably villainous gold."
I haven't written a proper villain in a really long time - probably not since sophomore year of high school. So this is going to be really fun, I think. Villains are fun to write. It's fun to make everyone around them uncomfortable and I'm going to have a blast.
Even if the Commander is a wretched human being.
Especially because the Commander is a wretched human being.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I went to a protest.
There was a big march from campus down to the Occupy Wall Street protests today, and I hopped on because one of my professors gave us an assignment to attend. I felt sort of conspicuous being a "protest tourist," but with so many people there I don't think I stuck out. We walked really far but it didn't seem like it - all the way from west fourth to south of City Hall, and there was a lot of just queuing around waiting for the police to let us through. No one was arrested or roughed up where I was - one of the friends from class who walked down with me has been to the protests something like six times working on a photography project, and she explained that a lot of the police in the blue-shirted uniforms feel like they should be walking the protest but their supervisors (white shirts) are keeping them in line.
-Leez
Some of the people there didn't seem clear on what they were protesting. I wasn't entirely clear on what they were protesting. Mostly I was just amazed by the sheer number of people. I'd hazard to say that there's a lot of anger in America, but it's not particularly focused - there's no clear idea of how to go about making things better short of nebulous things like "Tax the rich," "Nationalize healthcare," and other things the corporations will never let happen. There was a lot of anger about the bank bailouts and I think the lack of jobs?
I have other pictures but this is the only one I have handy. I took it while we were standing on the steps outside City Hall.
I'll be frank and admit that there probably wasn't any real reason for me to be at that protest. I've had a comfortable, financially-secure childhood. But at the same time I had every reason to be at that protest, because I'm a college student and I don't want to have to live off my parents forever and in a year or two... that's the world I'm walking out into. But I'm also a privileged white girl who shouldn't be complaining but who knows.
I'm glad I went. I'm glad I was there. I'm glad I saw what it was about, even if I don't entirely understand what it was really about.
Just gonna toss a Regina Spektor song here and quietly sneak out the back.
-Leez
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