The AsCast Jar

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

As a fairly new writer, I’m curious – why do you write and what does it mean to you?

I began writing because I needed a creative outlet.  After fifteen years of musical theater productions, various choirs, and voice lessons, I quit doing all of those things cold turkey and changed my major from musical theater to history.  Soon, though, I realized how much I missed stretching my mind in a creative way and how much I absolutely needed it.  Singing and performing used to be the way I expressed all of my emotions…but then, without doing those things every day, my creativity felt stifled and bottled up inside of me.  (I’ve since started singing again, by the way – shameless plug! Check out my YouTube Channel! http://www.youtube.com/irishsongbird85)

Writing became my new release. So yes, I write fan fiction for fun and use it as a creative release. Most definitely. As soon as it stops being fun and starts honestly stressing me out, I’ll quit doing it.

I’ve recently started getting some critical reviews of my story, “Like the Touch of Rain.”  They’re unbelievably honest and full of both praise and critique – a reviewer who has taken the time to read and give her frank opinion on what could make me a better writer.  Instead of bristling defensively at anonymous criticism, however, I feel grateful.  The reviews I usually get aren’t critical – they’re only full of things my readers like about the story (with a few exceptions).  I so appreciate those reviews – they’re great self esteem boosters and it’s wonderful to know people connect to what I’m writing.  I’m fairly certain, however, that most reviewers could offer criticism along with their praise.  And yet, they don’t say it.  Why?

I believe the reason is pretty clear.  Reviewers hold back on honest critique because they are worried they will offend and upset writers.  I’m pretty sure that a lot of reviewers who are capable of being critical are scared to share their honest opinions – for quite a while I’ve been one of them, as well, scared to share what I really think.  But – here’s the important part – being critical of something doesn’t mean you don’t like it! Not at all!

I’ve realized all of this in the last few days and it greatly saddens me.  When someone leaves a respectful review, full of both praise AND critical evaluation, why should an author take offense?  The reviewer obviously respects you enough to say, “Hey, this story is pretty good – good enough that I want to read it…but I see a few things that I personally think could make it better.”  This is exactly why I’m grateful for these types of thoughtful reviews; they challenge me to be a better writer and assume that I have it within me to make these improvements.  And as writers, don’t we all want to have the ability to grow and change and achieve more? Even though we all write fan fiction for fun, striving to improve our writing abilities through fan fic will inevitably lead to the improvement of our writing in all other respects, as well.

People respond to respect.  An honest critique is not disrespectful, but a chance for honest introspection and a stretching of our skills.  A critical review will probably cause a small piece of defensiveness to rise up in all of us, and might be difficult to respond to in a mature and humble way, but it can be done.  A simple thanks for reading and expressing an opinion will be much better in the long run than a defensive and arrogant response.  An opinion is all any reviewer is ever offering, after all, and most of the time, her suggestions are probably ones to at least consider.  They aren’t telling you to edit your entire story to fit their specific wants and needs – they’re only doing what any reader of any book on the planet does – deciding what they like and don’t like about a piece of writing.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The great thing is that here on the internet and on NFFR we have the ability to share these things with each other!  We have the ability to help each other out and create better art!  I personally think that’s fabulous, whether it’s only fan fiction written for fun or not.

Here’s the point of this entry: from now on, my reviews are going to consist of constructive criticism – both praise and critique of things I like and don’t like about stories.  I hope you will do the same for my work because I respect your views (even if I may not agree with them) and I respect your honesty in sharing your critique with me.  Respect is the key word here.  So, have fun reading and reviewing, guys, and may we all grow in our writing with each other!

~Irish

P.S. Please don’t forget about Haiti – if you have already donated to the relief effort, that’s awesome. If you haven’t yet, please give whatever you can! Imagine if everyone donated only $1 or $5…it would be a HUGE amount of money to help them. We are capable of action, so please don’t be idle!!!!!

Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Chrismukah, etc. and Happy New Year to everyone listening out there!

Thank you for helping AsCast make it as one of the most downloaded literature podcasts on iTunes!

Here’s a little something for your viewing pleasure.

AsCast Elves!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/agu99fCZllylLtwlUAVD

Tune in on December 22nd to hear the winners of the 2009 Revolution Awards AND listen to a very special interview with Mary Sue herself!

That’s right! The eagerly anticipated fifth episode of AsCast is here, Episode 5: In Which Rabadash is Barry Manilow. We discuss chapters 7-12 of Prince Caspian, a character analysis of Lucy, Tumnus’ Tune Ties, and more!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

…Tumnus wants you to.

It’s just about 3am and instead of sleeping I’ve found myself watching youtube clips from my favorite movie Wristcutters: A Love Story and it really reminded me about how much I adored this film…so I thought I’d share a movie recommendation.

Based off of the novella “Kneller’s Happy Campers” by Etgar Keret, Wristcutters is a bizarre fantasy that takes place in a dusty wasteland of a world where people who commit suicide are sent spend their afterlife. “Who could think of a better punishment…everything’s the same here, just a little worse.”

After Zia “offs” himself he gets a job at a pizza joint, destined to remain apathetic about his existence and full of regret about leaving his love, Desiree, behind. But soon he learns that she “offed” herself shortly after he did and he heads out on a journey to find her.

While it may seem bleak, this film touches many powerful themes in a quirky way–especially the value of life and love. And sunglasses. I don’t cry often, but I welled up with tears by the end. Oh, did I mention it’s a comedy. Har har har.

With Patrick Fugit (the voice behind our “your face looks like a jar of smashed…” sound clip) and Tom Waits on the screen, and Gogol Bordello dominating the soundtrack, this movie is practically everything I love wrapped into a neat little package that fits into my DVD player. (Er, I can’t help but mention that the opening scene is set with my favorite song by Tom Waits, “Dead and Lovely”……..)

What am I waiting for….here’s the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNoMun8Y4M

Just a little more insight in the wacky shiz that touches my heart and inspires my mind.

Okay, I’m watching this show called “My Monkey Baby” on TLC. All I can say is really? Really. People scare me sometimes- this is one of those times.

This woman was putting MAKEUP on her MONKEY, who she calls her DAUGHTER, and her second husband considers this animal to be his STEP DAUGHTER. The monkey was in their wedding. Yes- the flower girl in the wedding. I’m a wee bit disturbed.

The warning message which shows each time the show starts back up is disturbing enough. Then these people are saying that they’re getting presents for their new baby monkey. Like, hand-knit blankets, and diaper bags. Do these people not quite understand that these are animals? AHH!!!

I’m just in shock. The fact that this one couple spent $4500 on their monkey was enough for me. I continue to watch, if only in shock.

~Kate

Beware of shameless self promotion…..bwahaha!

With October finally here and Halloween approaching, I have vampires, zombies, ghouls, ghosts, and wizards on the brain. And so I threw on my iPod (complete with vaudevillian type tunes) and took a long autumn walk, collecting branches along the way.
“Branches?” you may say.
Yes, branches! It is wand-making season! And boy, oh boy…so I love making wands. So if you, or someone you know is dressing up as a Harry Potter character or any type of magical witch or wizard and they want a special wand, I’m happy to take custom orders on my handmade creations. I always whittle actual branches to give my wands that organic look–not boring wooden dowels–and I always use a profession grade polymer clay for the handles. All wands are hand painted and can be embellished by crystals, beads, or stones, or can include a personalized quote.

Amphisbaena Wand by =hever on deviantART

Veela Wand by =hever on deviantART

Serpent Wand by =hever on deviantART

Depending on the amount of detail, I usually charge from $15 to $35 (plus shipping) for my wands.

I also make personalized potion bottles, creatures in jars, and other goodies.

Snape Potion Bottle by =hever on deviantART

Bestiary Collections No. 02748 by =hever on deviantART

If you’re interested in any of my custom items, feel free to e-mail me at heverus@gmail.com

Hey folks.

I am about to explain to you a fundamental part of what makes up IrishSongBird, the person. Get ready.

When I was 3, I sang my first note. I believe it was to “When You Wish Upon a Star.”  I never stopped singing. It didn’t matter the song. I always loved music, but until I was 11 years old, I’d never had one particular artist or band that I really connected with.

That all changed in May of 1997.  A little song called “MMMBop” was climbing the charts, by a group of boys called Hanson who were my age. My age? And they’re playing music? Not only singing, but playing instruments and writing ALL OF THEIR OWN SONGS?! They’re not dancing around on stage like all these other boy groups?

Even though their music was “pop,” it was still organic. It was real guitars, real drums, real piano…no synthesized, fake computer crap. As a fan of music, that was what I appreciated. The moment I was hooked was during the first song, “Thinking of You,” track number 1 on their very first album. As Taylor’s ridiculous piano solo began, I literally remember my heart stopping and tears rolling down my face. I was inspired.

I listened to that album so much I wore it out. My mom and dad got on board and became fans, too. On July 31st, 1998, when I was 12 years old, my mom and I drove 5 hours to see Hanson in concert for the first time. It was another pretty life changing experience. Since that first concert, so much has happened in my life, both good and bad, and Hanson’s music has been there to get me through it every step of the way.

October 1, 2009 was my 16th Hanson concert. (And 16 is a tame number – there are some fans that have seen them hundreds of times. No joke.) They just keep getting better, both as musicians and as people.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Hanson are big activists and very involved with an organization called Tom’s Shoes. For every pair of shoes someone buys, Tom’s donates a pair to a child in need. During a trip to Africa in 2006, Hanson was inspired to begin this journey with Tom’s when they saw the horrible conditions there. They began by recording a song called “Great Divide,” and all proceeds from the song benefited an AIDS charity. (You can still download the song on iTunes if you’re interested in donating in a very simple, easy way.) They then partnered with Tom’s and began doing one mile barefoot walks before every one of their concerts to raise awareness of the issues in Africa.

Last year, they decided to continue the walks on their next tour, but added a new goal: to walk around the world, 24, 902 miles. They reached that goal and have now surpassed it; as of today, Hanson and their fans have walked roughly 28, 201 miles. That number is increasing every day because Hanson is now on tour again and are still doing 1 mile walks before every concert. I’ve been on 5 walks, but I hope to get the chance to do a few more. For every person that walks, Hanson donates $1 to a charity of the walker’s choice. Walkers can choose to donate their dollar to purchasing SMS credits to provide medical care for AIDS patients,  donating a pair of Tom’s, building a school, and drilling clean water wells.

By the time this tour is over, Hanson will have donated well over $30,000 of their own money on behalf of everyone that’s taken the walk. They’re admirable people, and I’m really privileged to be a fan. On every walk, Taylor Hanson takes a minute to try and get the message across that everyone has a voice and we can make a difference to make the world better, no matter what our cause is. I wanted to share Hanson’s cause with you guys because through NFFR and AsCast, I have a bigger voice and can get this message out to lots of people. SO, if you’ve read this blog, thank you. Go find a cause that you’re passionate about and do something!

If you’re interested in finding out more about Hanson’s cause, go to www.takethewalk.net. Find a walk near you and TAKE THE WALK with Hanson!

Here are some pictures from the walk at Saint Louis University on October 1, 2009.

Taylor, Zac, and Isaac Hanson

Walkers at SLU. I’m next to Zac Hanson in the purple coat.

A close up of just me and Zac.

Now…go take the walk.

Also, if you’re interested in hearing some of the best of Hanson’s music, here are some links:

Madeline, from the album “Middle of Nowhere,” released in 1997.

Runaway Run, from the album “This Time Around,” released in 2000. Video recorded at the Underneath Acoustic Tour, House of Blues Chicago in 2003.

Penny and Me, from the album “Underneath,” released in 2004.

Lost Without Each Other, from the album “Underneath.”

Been There Before, from the album “The Walk,” released in 2007.

Go, from the album “The Walk.”

Running Man, from the album “The Walk.”

Georgia, from the album “The Walk.”

World’s on Fire, from the EP “Stand Up, Stand Up,” released 2009.

These Walls, from the EP “Stand Up, Stand Up.”

And that’s all I’ll bother you with. haha Thanks for reading/listening.

Heeheeheeheeheehee….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UblVRFYroQ8

AlSkar:

Abbreviation for Alexander Skarsgård, a Swedish actor most commonly known for his role as the vampire Eric Northman in the HBO series True Blood.

In September 2009, after considerable debate, the NFFR executive staff began a forum-wide campaign, initiating Alexander Skarsgård’s image as a suitable aesthetic embodiment of older High King Peter.

(may also be used in forms AlSkared, AlSkaring…etc)

Amethyst Orbs:

A recessive gene in the pigmentation of one’s eyes that tends to appear in many Mary Sues.

AsCast:

The NFFR podcast which began in 2009.

Awkward Turtle:

A hand gesture in which one places one hand on top of the other and moves their thumbs in a circular fashion. This is often done to mark and alleviate an awkward situation.

Bad News Bear:

Someone that is up to no good or an inclination that something foreboding. NFFR origins derived from the 1976 film The Bad News Bears. See Kelly Leak.

Bad News Moose:

A variation of Bad News Bear.

Bin Bons:

A pet name for Ben Barnes, the actor that plays Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia feature films.

Boom De Ya Da:

A rhyming song featured on a Discovery Channel promo that expresses a love and interest for all the different facets of the world.

After the AsCast interview with RthStewart in Episode 4, forum members have adapted the song lyrics to show great appreciation for the Narnia fandom.

Caspian Montoya:

A reference to Bin Bons’ portrayal of Prince Caspian. Originates from the actor’s accent, as based off of The Princess Bride character Intigo Montoya.

Carbuncle:

A gemstone that also has a pathological definition which led to confusion in the context of the treasure chamber in Prince Caspian.

COTC:

Acronym for The Changing of the Constellations by TastyAsItGets.

Fanson:

A hardcore fan of the band Hanson.

Fellowship of the Sun:

An anti-vampire, bigoted church featured in The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris and the HBO series True Blood.

The term has been embraced by NFFR when referring to intolerance for differing opinions or creeds within Narnia fandom.

The Great Tiger vs. Shark Debate:

A dilemma as proposed by Hev’s old college buddies. In a survival scenario, which situation would be easier to escape: a tiger in 10ft of water or a shark in 2ft of water.

He Who Must Not Be Named:

A particular menace of NFFR history. See Steve Newlin.

HKDS:

Acronym for The High King, the Duchess, and the Secret by TastyAsItGets

IKEA:

A home products retailer that is Swedish in origin, known for selling ready to assemble furniture in flat packs. NFFR members eagerly await the release of prepackaged AlSkars.

Jar of Smashed Aslan:

The catchphrase of AsCast. Its origins can be found in a line within the independent film, The Good Life.

Kelly Leak:

The trouble making, cigarette smoking, star athlete featured in the 1976 The Bad News Bears (and subsequent sequels). The role is played by then child star Jackie Earle Haley, who is now known for his characterizations of Rorschach in Watchmen and Freddy Krueger in the 2010 adaptation of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

On April Fools 2009, the NFFR staff turned the webpage into “The Kelly Leak Fansite.”
Since then Kelly will occasionally be sited driving forum threads off-topic.

Lazy Sunday:

An SNL skit starring Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell. The characters rap about going to the movies to see the Chronicles of Narnia.

Now quiet in the theater or it’s gonna get tragic.
We’re bout to get taken to a dream world of magic.
With the ChronicWHATcles of Narnia.
Yes, the ChronicWHATCles of Narnia
We love that ChronicWHATcles of Narnia
Pass that ChronicWHATcles of Narnia

Magical Poo:

Shit that don’t stink because of the magical attributes in the Narnian environment.

MooB:

Play on the term “noob” or “newbie.” See Moose.

Moose:

A deep-voiced, somewhat awkward creature that trots in unexpectedly and brings lulz.

MooooooK:

The sound a moose makes.

Nick Andopolis:

A character played by Jason Segel in the cult classic television show Freaks and Geeks. He is dim and unmotivated, but overly passionate about the things and people he cares about, often to a flaw.

NFFR:

Acronym for Narnia Fan Fiction Revolution.

On A Boat:

A comedic rap song by The Lonley Island about sailing on a boat. Hev has sanctioned this as the Voyage of the Dawn Treader theme song.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader = Narnia on a Boat

Reader:

A person who reads stories aloud for Revolution Radio.

Revolution Awards:

An annual poll that recognizes superior fan fiction in a variety of categories. It made its debut in 2008.

Revolution Radio:

A segment of NFFR that produces audio fan fiction of popular stories.

Screener:

A NFFR staff member that reads and rates fan fiction stories submitted to the site.

Shpadoinkle:

An undefined generic expression or replacement word that has its origins in Cannibal! The Musical.

Have a shpadoinkle day!

Oh shpadoinkle!

Hev posted another shpadoinkle picture of AlSkar on the forum.

Stanley:

A name by which some Narnia fans refer to the film characterization of Peter Pevensie.

Steve Newlin:

Leader of the Fellowship of the Sun as per True Blood and The Southern Vampire Mysteries. For further definition, see Fellowship of the Sun.

Stupid O’Clock:

When sanity goes out the window and silliness engulfs the masses.

Tastysignal:

A martini sign lit in the sky to attract NFFR’s administrator, TastyAsItGets.

True Blood:

The HBO television series about vampires integrating with humans in a southern town. Based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. Much of the NFFR staff watch this show and integrate its terms and themes within forum/chat conversations.

Wilmo:

Abbreviation for William Moseley, the actor who plays Peter Pevensie in the Chronicle of Narnia feature films.

Wilmo II:

A William Moseley doppelgänger as sighted in Boston, MA. If you see this man, please apprehend and contact Hev or IrishSongBird.

w0rd.:

A sentiment that means one wholeheartedly agrees with a previous statement.