Jean Tatro, Writer

This is a site update in more then one way. During the chaos of NaNoWriMo and the holidays I unfortunately dropped the upkeep of this site, and then when I came back to it after new years I learned that it would be moving servers so I devoted my energy to that instead of posting. I rather like the new layout, though I’ll probably change the default header image as soon as I find one of a similar feel of Seattle or somewhere in Alaska.

Since I last posted I finished my NaNo and started editing it. I had my wisdom teeth removed mid-March and in April I signed up for 70 Days of Sweat with the intention to make a real try at rewriting my first urban fantasy. I’m not going to make my wordcount goal, but I did make enough progress to be satisfied with my attempt. I also wrote two short stories for contests in April. Here’s hoping they get accepted. :)

In a week it is not gotten warm enough to melt the ice in the water bowl on the back porch and forest seems to be a permanent fixture. There is not a leaf left on the trees, except for the golden needles on the larches, and I’ll bet we’re less then a week from a proper snow fall. I hear Anchorage has already had snow.

An update on all things NaNoWriMo - I got the official swag today, and managed weirded out my dad by squealing over the letter. I sent in for my ML tshirt yesterday evening, so it should be arriving soon. Neon, how can I not love it?

Oi, well my goal of posting at least every other day fell through, didn’t it? I blame a combination of a wacky sleep schedule, bad cold and new technology. And dialup, can’t forget that dialup. Oh the woes of being a housesitter. At least the NaNo site has been down at the same time, so I don’t feel bad about not patrolling it as much as I like. Of course the next thing that happens after I type that is I check the site to find the forums back up. Oh the irony.

You might have noticed that I mentioned new technology above. After much flip-flopping and fussing I bought a new laptop. I think I am still in shock, and when I’m not reeling from shock I miss my own laptop. It’s a bit odd to consider I have a device resting on my lap that is more powerful then what is currently tangled to my desk in my room. It’s running Vista too, so that takes some time to get used to too. 100-some gb memory(80-something available), AMD Athlon processor, wide screen and an internal cd drive. For the record, I named it Tatl. Cookies to anyone who gets the reference, it’s probably sadly obvious to anyone who knows how I spent my winter in 2000. Gods, was that really 2000? Seems like so long ago… I suppose that I think of those are older because I had that console since ‘96.

Heh, don’t mind my ramblings. I’ve been getting all nostalgic lately, I blame it on the month. October does funny things to me. Anyway, new laptop and I’m still learning the ropes, sorting out factory bugs, beating the OS into submission and such. Can’t wait until I get home where there is wireless, then I can really do some damage.

October 1st, like clockwork, more or less, the NaNoWriMo site went live. More or less I say because the site did not go live until after 10 P.M. in Alaska, I should know because I spent most of the evening camping out on the state’s main page. I was just about to call it quits for the evening when it finally did. I got to claim first post on the regional forum for my region. :D  Ah, it’s like coming home. Funny how a person came come to miss something before even starting it.

I suppose it is a good thing I am so excited, even though I feel a bit silly for being so, because I am a ML(Manciple Liaison). I have no many ideas for this year, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Sadly I’m house sitting until the 13th, so I’m stuck with dial up. Everything takes about three times longer to do then normal and my short phone cord forces me to sit oddly while using my laptop.

I am off to haunt the NaNo forums at slow speeds. And scribble notes on my story.

A had a rather special treat on my birthday - one theatre* in the whole state happened to still be playing Stardust, and it happened to also be the best theatre in the whole state. Since I first saw the trailer way back went I went to see Harry Potter, I knew I had to see this movie. When the words ‘I’m there’ pass my lips I’m never disappointed. Then all I knew about the movie was that it was beautiful, and it called to me. It took only minutes on wikipedia to discover the author was Neil Gaiman and my mind was set - I was seeing the movie.

The next trip I made to the library I wasted no time is finding the book. I’d own it, if the version I want didn’t cost nearly $40. The book was written in classic fairy tales style and has a distinct voice, and while it is slow to start it does not fail to charm and delight with the wit with which it is written, and the clever plot twist(which the movie serves up in the first ten minutes - my only gripe) which ties all the connecting stories together makes for a more then satisfying ending. Part of its brilliance, I think, it its simplicity and willingness to acknowledge its genre, while most fantasy books try to keep up their illusions. I’d recommend this book to anyone of any age, though it is most definitely an ‘adult’ story.

In the tranquil fields and meadows of long-ago England, there is a small hamlet that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. Just to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here, in the hamlet of Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. And here, one crisp October eve, Tristran makes his love a promise — an impetuous vow that will send him through the only breach in the wall, across the pasture… and into the most exhilarating adventure of his life. - NeilGaiman.com

I actually applaud the movie for diverging from the book where it did. I book is not a movie and a movie should not try to be a visual book. They are different mediums and require different handling and storytelling. Not once during the movie did it feel like it was adapted from a book, a feel that is impossibly hard to capture from book-to-movie translations. Previously only Lord of the Rings came close, and even it had its problems. The visual effects are stunning(is it just me, or is Hollywood in love with breaking glass? I’ve been told there is Heavy Symbolism(tm) in that), and the acting was amazing - when an actor is having fun with his/her role, really enjoying it, it shows in the performance. I don’t think there was a person on the set who wasn’t enjoying their role.

To anyone who has yet to see the movie - I suggest reading the book first, then treating the movie as a retelling of the story and not an adaptation. Because that is what it is. Stardust was the first book of Neil Gaiman’s that I read, and he is now one of my favorite authors.

And yes, I did swoon when I heard he’d be writing pep talks for this year’s NaNoWriMo.

*I apologize for my usage of the British spelling. theater always looks like an unpolished, rough word to me. I picked up ‘theatre’ first and don’t really care if my spellchecker balks at it. perhaps I’ll do a eassy on this something and explain my self-imposed rules for grey vs. gray.