-
All responses Most smiled responses
-
asked by heatherwelliverFirst off, thank you. That's always nice to hear. For what's worth, I think you're awesome, too.
That's a hard question to answer, because I'm not sure how I am supposed to feel appreciated. In every way that matters, I am. I know my wife appreciates me--and I her--and I have wonderful friends with whom I have a complex history of back-and-forth favors. I like to think my friends know I appreciate them, that I've shown how much I cherish all the things they do, and not just what they do for me. I do my best, but as to whether or not I'm truly effective, that's a question you'll have to ask them.
I think, as I writer, it is very easy to feel under-appreciated, simply because you work long and hard on something that, for the most part, you will never see someone else enjoy. I've been very lucky, in that I have a vocal group of peers and strangers who tell me online and in person at conventions that they like what I do. Not every writer has people like that, and even with them, it can be easy to lose sight of how much of what you do touches other people. I know some writers measure their appreciation in book sales, or blog hits, or reTweets, but I think that way lies madness. Which is not to say I haven't fallen down that rabbit hole myself.
But when it comes to the faceless crowds that may or may not be appreciating your work, I think you have to run with the assumption that they do. You have to assume that people recognize how hard you've worked, and maybe they can't pay for it because cash is tight, or maybe they don't like reTweeting, but they do appreciate you. Because you can't know for sure, and the only other option is to assume they don't. Which is a horrible, angry way to live.
I know that my wife, my family and my friends, the people whom I love and who love me back, appreciate me, and I appreciate them. I appreciate the people who enjoy my work, and since I cannot know them, I imagine that they feel the same. -
Originally, we had just the graphic novel. But Ashe starts the book already established as a girl not to be underestimated, with a fair amount of fearlessness and rather specific skillset. Clearly, there were stories to be told about who she was before page 1 of the GN.
The podcast was my chance to explore that, to delve into how this young woman came to be the person she is in the GN. So the first too parts of the story were written after what is now book 3. But book 3 stands alone, because that is how it was originally written. -
Nerd culture--if there is such a thing--is based around the idea that a particular thing, usually marginalized entertainment, is worth more attention than the rest of the world gives it. Hand in hand with that is a rejection of what the rest of the world DOES give attention to, personal appearance being one of them. Which is not to say that people who may self-identify as nerds don't care about personal appearance, just that they take a more utilitarian approach. To do otherwise is to focus on the "wrong" things. It's a combination of many things, part tribal markings, part punk separatism, and part function over fashion: "This clothing is comfortable, says what fandom I am a part of, and screw you, world, if it doesn't "fit" with how an adult should dress, you never wanted me in your club, anyway."
There is nothing wrong with that, if that's the image you want to represent. I think the problem people run into is that sort of adolescent posturing is not what they want the world to see about themselves, but don't connect that what you wear influences the way the world sees you. A frequent response I hear to this is "It shouldn't matter what I wear." And, well, yes, it shouldn't. But it does. Human beings judge others by appearances.
The important thing is to project the image you wish the world to see. -
-
-
My own love of coffee and samurai tales, mainly. But the germ of the idea came from thinking about the future, and how we might eat on other worlds. We're getting very good at mimicking flavors and textures, but there are some things I believe we will never get right. Coffee has such a complex flavor, tied to not only its freshness but also the surrounding in which it was grown. So it follows that these sorts of food would be the ultimate status symbol in a place where they could not be grown. Anything is luxury if you can't get it. Coffee, originally a peasant brew used by goat herders to keep themselves awake, makes an eloquent commentary on that.
Also, as a former barrista, I feel it's important to celebrate the craft. -
By not being afraid to flaunt my feminine side. Nothing more manly than a dude comfortable in his own skin.
-
Story bibles. They are the most seductive possible way to keep you from finishing a story. Unless you are planning a collaborative work of fiction, story bibles are distraction at best and a absolutely useless at best. If your story is so needless complex that you need a document OTHER than your story to keep track of it, you need help that a story bible can't fix.
I hate it when people say that they haven't finished their first draft because they've been working on their story bible. HATE. Burn It With Fire hate.
Story bibles are essentially masturbation. Sure, it feels good when you're doing it, but in the end, you're just left with a mess you don't want anyone to see. -
asked by chrismorse
I've never seen the show, but there's no classier mode of chronological transport than the Omni from VOYAGERS. Made of shining brass and containing a highly detailed globe, the Omni clips easily to one's belt, conveniently accessible in times of need. An accessory that's also a vehicle, few time machines are more precise, or more stylish.
-
We'd found a nation. Preferably an island one. You know, for the beaches. But if the land mass was big enough that it had beaches on two sides, I'll settle.
I wouldn't have to be president, of course. It would be enough for me to be a Founding Father. -
I've always wanted to do a comic strip. Since I was, like, 9. I drew several, but could never dig in for the long haul. When Mur asked me to do some stuff for ISBW, the first thing I thought of was a comic strip. I'd been wanting to work with Natalie for ages, so it all worked out.
9-year-old Jared would be very pleased with 29-year-old Jared. Not only am I writing a webcomic, but I also have a really awesome Batman costume. -
I'm assuming that it comes from me says that a t-shirt with someone else's saying on it doesn't really say as much about a person as one would think. That and people have gotten upset with me saying that they dress like children.
Which, you know, I can understand. No one wants to be told that. But I pass an elementary school every day, and all I see are kids dressed in jeans and t-shirts.
This is not to say that I don't wear jeans and t-shirts. I do. When I'm playing. -
I've said in the past that all I really want to play with is my own toys. I also seriously doubt that either company would give me theirs to play with, as what I mainly want to do is break them. I love reading classic superhero stories, but that's not what I really like writing, y'know?
That said? Lois Lane and Blade. -
My main quest is the mastery of cacio e pepe, a pasta dish so simple it's infuriating. All it is is cheese, pepper and pasta, but devil is truly in the details with this bad boy. Mix the cheese wrong, and you're left with a gloppy mess. Mix right, and you've got heaven on a plate.
I think I've figured out the secret. But I'll need another run at it to be sure. -
If you are referring to my Tweets on the subject of Capital-"F"-Free, in retrospect I have been a little on the negative side. I don't think poorly of Free, and I plan to continue to release free content as long I have a writing career. There's been a lot of talk recently about how Free doesn't pay, and I have been taking the position of "Of course it doesn't." Which I believe. I just should have added "...it's good for other things."
Because it is. Not the least of which is building a keeping an audience, which is invaluable.
If you mean today's tweets about spilling my coffee all over my desk and slicing my finger open, well, that happened. It was a rough morning. -
Star Trek. Though I will be the first to admit that lightsabers are cooler than phasers.
-
I've written an essay on this: <a href="http://www.jaredaxelrod.com/main/2009/03/06/rayguns-in-the-time-of-cholera/">Rayguns In The Time of Cholera</a>
Short version: A 19th century setting with advanced technology and themes of aggressive confrontation, anti-authoritarian behavior and the DIY atheistic.
But that's just my personal opinion. As I've said before, we can be nerds and put everything in little boxes or we can include everyone and all have fun. And I am pro-including everyone and all having fun -
Most modern rocket belts have a burn shield, but I've always thought the easiest thing to do would be have the jets stuck out to the side like the starship Enterprise.
-
My socks tend to be more fluffy than awesome. So, in the sense that I have cold feet offen and my fluffy socks keep that from happening, yes. They are awesome.
They are also black. Which is an awesome color. So there's that.
However, I was recently given a Sock Dreams gift certificate, so I should have some visually awesome socks in the near future. -
I don't really think my ideas are that controversial. I believe that how you dress shows who you are to people, and if you dress the same as a 6-year old on the playground, that may affect that perception. I don't think that's particularly revolutionary thinking. Maybe it is.
When I was I college, I read the wonderful RuPaul quote, "We are born naked, the rest is drag." Which I believe is true. Whether you dress up, down, or go naked, what you wear is part of your conversation with the rest of the world. So you should be sure you're saying what you mean to say.
-
Loading...
