J.R. Blackwell

blackwell @ 2009-11-20T14:38:00

2009-11-20T19:39:36Z

Photo by Rae Winters

RUMI PAY HOMAGE

If God said,

"Rumi, pay homage to everything
that has helped you
enter my arms,"
there would not be one experience of my life,
not one thought, not one feeling,
not any act, I
would not
bow
to.

-- Rumi

This poem sort of caught how I'm feeling right now - grateful and very, very lucky. Oh Rumi, you are amazing.

Too Sweet

2009-11-19T18:22:30Z

Okay, so I usually don't post twice in one day, but this is too sweet not to mention.

I09 has made a list of the six books best enjoyed on your IPod and two of the books I created covers for are on the list including Voices: New Media Fiction (which, by the way, features my lips) and "Playing for Keeps".

Freakin' awesome!

Thanks to Mur for hiring me to create those covers. Mur sort of took a chance on me early on, and that led to opportunities later that I wouldn't have had if she hadn't entrusted me to make covers for her. I feel so blessed to be in the community I'm in.

You can see the list here: http://io9.com/5408095/six-books-best-enjoyed-on-your-ipod?skyline=true&s=i

So. . .ZOMBIES

2009-11-19T15:29:26Z

Illustration by Calli Archer.

So, on Saturday, I'm moderating a panel on Zombies. This panel is focusing on cross cultural zombies. I'm thinking about bringing some media to this panel for the attendees- maybe some music and photos. I think it would be great if we could show a video, but I don't know how realistic that is.

So, obviously we will have to mention Afro-Caribbean beliefs about Vodou, Frankenstein (who may or may not be considered a zombie, depending), Romero's films, religious beliefs in Judaism related to the undead (I need to make a phone call to my rabbinical scholar to confirm some details on this) and some Christian beliefs about the dead rising on judgment day. What am I missing here? Ideas?

I need to go across the street during lunch and get into the campus library for some research. It's at times like these in which I'm really glad that I work at a university. I wonder if there is anyone who works here that's written some kind of research paper on zombies that I can kidnap and eat in order to gain their memories and knowledge.

::cough::

What I mean is, someone I can talk to. Yes, TALK. Like what humans do.

...

I've got to go. . .

Keeping Your LARP Interesting

2009-11-18T16:31:01Z

We aren't LARPing here, but I think we look like we could be.

This Sunday at 1:00PM I'm going to be on a panel at Philcon titled "LARPS: KEEPING THEM INTERESTING". I'm moderating this panel, so I did a little crowdsourcing yesterday to my gamer friends on what, indeed, makes and keeps a LARP interesting.

Here are the responses that came to me via twitter:

David Hill
Turn the focus to a single character, or group of character's personal stories every session, letting people play support NPCs.
Come up with a gimmick that engages players that have trouble staying IC, like a game within a game or public setting.
Offer varying themes for costuming, with recognition each time. "This month's game will be 70s night!"
Offer a long arc, a mid-term arc, and short-term arcs that are publicly accessible.
Offer the opportunity for between-game interaction, encourage it and exalt its efforts.
Use regular "in-character news" items to keep people interested between games.
Offer minor rewards for recruiting new players. Don't use a diminishing returns system with character advancement.

DQuartermain:
A good narative can help, and variety. Not just combat, but out of combat RP as well. (I Miss Amtgard)

Nullpoint:
It's all about finding ways to have players create their own content. An idle player is a bored one.

Nick Popio:
I think creating compelling plot works best. Sadly, that's the hard part. By creating compelling plot, I mean both the STs and creating an environment where the players contribute.

Last night, I went to game night and I got to ask some of my gaming friends about this topic. Rae Winters, Russell Collins and Peter Woodward gave me some excellent input.

1. Use what you have rather than pretending you have something different.
The example he used for me here is this: Say you are playing a game that's supposed to take place in space, and you have one hotel room and a hallway. His suggestion was say that the hallway is a ships corridor and that the room is the command space, and that other locations can't be accessed at this time - or that the ship is very, very small - in other words, don't try to stretch the imagination too far, instead, give a reason why your game fits the space.

2. It's not about you.
In a LARP, it's not about the player and it's not about the ST - the focus is on the group having a good time. For some, this can be a difficult transition.

3. For Storytellers: Give everyone a "moment"
This can be a challenge, sure, but making sure that everyone has a moment where their character can do something, is helpful to the plot, or just has a moment with an NPC where they really get to have a connection, is important and makes the game memorable.

4. If your bored, your boring.
I think that this is for the players, mostly, but if you are super bored in a game, maybe it's time to think about what you are giving to others. If the answer is "nothing" perhaps it's time to consider if you are, indeed, the boring one.

5. The Hub And Spoke
Peter outlined something called "The Hub and Spoke" concept for me. This is the idea that an NPC will sit in the center of a plot, asking questions, telling the players to do something, but they don't ever actually take action in any way. The hub is in the middle, but the players touch the road. For example, if an NPC is the leader of a gang, she might sit back and order her underlings to investigate a problem, take out an enemy, but she'll never actually move to do anything herself.
In another game that Peter described, the storyteller and his non-player characters were all servants. No storyteller ever played any position of power, they were all servants to the players. I love this idea so much. In so many games I've played, the ST's have all been the leaders. This can be useful for directing the action, but many times, players feel some resentment that they cannot be leaders because the ST is taking that position from them. I love the idea that all Storytellers play the servants, the underlings of the player characters. Brilliant.

6. Box O' Costumes
Several people told me that costumes make the LARP. I agree, but how do you make people dress up? Rae Winters brought up the idea of a box of costumes and makeup. This way people can arrive in jeans and a t-shirt, but can still be outfitted at the game. Even small flourishes - a fancy coat, a hat, a touch of makeup, can help players get deeper into character. In one game about faries Rae and her friends did a basic face-painting for every character, depending on what the person was playing.

Do you have any ideas on what makes and keeps a LARP interesting? I know some of you are gamers. Gamers with Opinions. Yes, Opinions with a capital "O". Please feel free to share them in the comments! You are helping me to give good advice to the fine people of PhilCon, and perhaps, make better games for everyone.

More information about PhilCon can be found here: http://2009.philcon.org/

Friday PhilCon Panels

2009-11-17T16:53:58Z

This week I am a guest at Philcon, and I'll be on several panels. I've been thinking about what I can do in order to make the panels interesting and fun for those who are coming. I want to have a reputation for Giving Good Panel.

Fri 7:00 PM: CAN YOU REPEAT THAT MR. PRESIDENT? MY TWITTER FEED WAS DOWN.
[Panelists: Catherine Asaro (mod), J.R. Blackwell, Laura Anne Gilman, Andre Lieven]

For this panel, I was thinking about introducing myself and giving my credentials based on the lists people have made where they are following me. Since there are over 50 lists that I'm on, I will only include those I find to be relevant:

rpg-rock-stars, cannot-miss, awesome women, writers, geek, old school twitter, artists, web and new media, cowboys, the city, weirdos, bloggers, authors, new media marketing, podcasting.

In this panel we are going to discuss how discuss how new ways of distributing information are changing the face of journalism, so I think I'll have to do a little bit of research on that. I work at a university, so maybe I can actually find a journalism professor to chat with about it. I think that the Iranian elections will play quite a part in this discussion, but maybe that's just the political buff in me talking.

Fri 9:00 PM: FROM GOTHIC FICTION TO PARANORMAL ROMANCE (35)
[Panelists: Stephanie Burke (mod), L.A. Banks, Gail Z. Martin, J.R. Blackwell, Nikki Cohen]

Stephanie Burke is maybe the hottest author I've ever seen. She is ageless (she's always looked 19 to me), has a great figure, and wears the best costumes. She's also this amazingly prolific author. Then I'm going to be on this panel with L.A. Banks, which, you know, also, amazingly prolific. And while I haven't met Gail Z. Martin or Nikki Cohen yet, I have this feeling that I am going to be totally outclassed on this panel. Some of my graduate research was on Gothic Fiction, so I hope that I have enough to keep up here. Maybe I should bring my research, just so that I have something to hide behind when I'm embarrassed by all the awesome.

If you have any questions or points you'd like me to bring up on these panels, let me know!

PhilCon Schedule 2009

2009-11-16T15:33:27Z

Last night I got my schedule for PhilCon this year - hooray! I am so excited. I am going to be talking about Twitter, sex, writing and gaming. So basically, it's going to be the conversations I usually have during the weekend, but in front of an audience.

Now, I think that most people who've seen me on panels will tell you that I give good panel and I am excited to Rock PhilCon!

I'm sad that I'm not going to be on any panels with Cory Doctorow. But I am THRILLED that I am going to be on a panel with LA Banks, who lives in my neighborhood. Yay!

I am moderating a panel on Sex and The Single Fan that seems to be all about kink. I'll have to call on my girl Minx to see if she can give me some tips and pointers for that one. Also, for SF on the web, I'm going to need to come up with more than READ 365TOMORROWS, LISTEN TO ESCAPE POD, THE END, GO HOME, LETS GET ICE CREAM!

So, if you are coming to Philcon, please stop by a panel and say hello. I have now completed my training, so I no longer bite people.
So much.
Unless asked nicely.

PANEL SCHEDULE!

Fri 7:00 PM: CAN YOU REPEAT THAT MR. PRESIDENT? MY TWITTER FEED WAS DOWN.
[Panelists: Catherine Asaro (mod), J.R. Blackwell, Laura Anne Gilman, Andre Lieven]

Fri 9:00 PM: FROM GOTHIC FICTION TO PARANORMAL ROMANCE (35)
[Panelists: Stephanie Burke (mod), L.A. Banks, Gail Z. Martin, J.R. Blackwell, Nikki Cohen]

Sat 1:00 PM: ZOMBIES OF A DIFFERENT COLOR (18)
[Panelists: J.R. Blackwell (mod), Jonathan Maberry, Ruth Lampi, Jay Smith]

Sat 4:00 PM: NETWORKING FOR NOVICE AUTHORS (47)
[Panelists: Ty Drago (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael D'Ambrosio, J.R. Blackwell, Michael A. Ventrella]

Sat 5:00 PM: WHO ARE YOU WHEN YOU'RE NOT YOURSELF? (228)
[Panelists: KT Pinto (mod), Eric Avedissian, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, J.R. Blackwell]

Sat 11:00 PM SEX AND THE SINGLE FAN: IS FANDOM... DIFFERENT? (131)
[Panelists: J.R. Blackwell (mod), David M. Axler, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, James Prego, Tobias Cabral]

Sun 11:00 AM: FANTASTIC INTERNET: SF ON THE WEB (143)
[Panelists: John Drew (mod), Jon Kilgannon, Rob Balder, J.R. Blackwell]

Sun 1:00 PM: LARPS: KEEPING THEM INTERESTING (231)
[Panelists: J.R. Blackwell (mod), Heidi Hooper, Joe Foering, Michael A. Ventrella, Jon Kilgannon]

An Open Letter To The Magical Pixie Dreamgirls Jared and I Met Tonight

2009-11-15T08:15:54Z

Dear Katelyn and Allie, the magical pixie dreamgirls my husband and I met tonight on 3rd and Walnut;

Ladies, I just wanted to write to you to say that it was a delight to have you in our car. Our night was going well to begin with - we went to a birthday party, saw a play and then went to a club, but our night was absolutely MADE when we met you, magical pixie dreamgirls.

We are always up for adventure, so when we saw you waving your hands and pointing at us from the corner of 3rd and Walnut, we pulled over. We wondered if you were in trouble and needed assistance, you certantly looked like you might, with the way you were flagging us down, but truthfully, part of our reason for pulling over was that you are both so hot! Who in their right minds could resist two twenty something petite, athletic ladies, a blond and a brunette, in short dresses and little ballet flats.

Certainly not us.

When you asked for a ride for three blocks because Allie had left her credit card with the bartender, it was a small enough request, and we were glad to oblige. I must say that perhaps part of my reason for accepting you into our car (and our lives for the next 15 minutes) was that you said I was super hot, but there were other factors as well, magical pixie dreamgirls, among them your vivacious and energetic behavior, your repeated requests to hear what our favorite bands were, and the wafting and sweet smell of liquor that radiated off of both of you.

You asked us to take you three blocks, but you were so charming and you seemed to find us such characters, that you asked to be taken around the block again, not twice but three times, as you asked about our favorite bands. I was impressed by your knoweldge of bands, and Katelyn, I think it's adorable that your parents met because they were both on tour.

Allie, yes, it's true, I am a feminist. I'm amazed that you were able to tell that from the bands I like.

Katelyn, I want you in particular to know that I was very flattered and dare I say it. . .tempted by your offer to make out with me. While I'm sure my husband wouldn't have objected, I felt ackward at the proposition of making out with someone I just met, but you shouldn't take this as a rejection of your personal qualities, as you are quite attractive and charming.

I hope that both of you achieve your stated goals of:

1. Getting wasted.
2. Getting something to eat.
3. Getting fucked.

In whatever order you hope to achieve them.

It was delightful talking to you, and I'm glad you wanted to know enough about us that you asked us to take you around the block, not once or twice but three times. I hope you both got back to your hotel safely and that your travel back to NYC goes well. Katelyn, while your skirt was riding up in the car, your vagina was not hanging out, so no need to worry.

Thinking about our encounter, I find it doubtful that anyone we know will believe us when we tell them about you. I mean, who picks up two beautiful, intelligent women on the side of the road in Philadelphia, one of whom wants to make out, and then just drops them off again, but we know the truth, right? If you were a hallucination, or if you were summoned by magic, pixie dream girls, then I don't want to know. It was a delight to meet you. I hope that you both go on to have amazing lives.

Sincerely,

The couple in the black Civic who picked you up on 3rd and Walnut

Acacua Crimefighter Hill

2009-11-10T15:02:32Z

Congratulations to Mena and David on the birth of their daughter, Acacua Crimefighter Hill!

When I was driving home from the wedding on Saturday night, my brand new GPS thought it would be fun to take me along country roads, rather than the highway. There were dark and towering trees to my right, and open fields to my left when I saw the moon, hanging low in the sky. It was a half moon, orange and pendulous, low and heavy, and I thought of Mena, how she was glowing the last time I saw her, glowing and ready. And I thought to myself, it's going to be a girl, with a sort of wild insane certainty that comes from knowing that you have at least a 50 percent chance of being right.

Then, last night, I dreamed of having a baby myself, that I was in a hospital, my stomach like a half moon, glowing. I dreamed of having a tiny little girl. When I woke up, I dashed to my computer and saw that David has announced the birth of his daughter. It's a beautiful thing, when someone you knew as a child has a child of their own. It was a grand start to the day. The future blooms ahead of me.

What Use Are Tools If You Can't Play With Them?

2009-11-09T15:08:14Z

I'm on twitter (http://twitter.com/jrblackwell) and I have been making LISTS.

Little known fact about me: I love making lists. I could make lists of just about anything and then make a list of those lists. I thought about making lists of people as in "Friends from North Carolina", "Writers", and "New Media Friends" but instead I decided to make a series of mostly whimsical lists.

If you're my friend on twitter and you are curious as to why you are on a particular list, I'll let you know. But if you just want to enjoy the mystery of why I've labeled you under "Wardens Of The Sun" that's fine too. Or maybe you'll see the list, and it will be obvious. I think that Soul Takers is rather obvious, but I live in my own head, so that's that.

I'm weirdly pleased with these titles though, so I'm going to share them.

Twitter Lists!

Supernaturals Who Deny It
Wardens of the Sun
Frankenstein
Y the Last Man List
Suspected Supervillains
Soultakers
Captains of Industry
Confirmed Werewolves
Naughty Girls and Boys
Terrible Influences
Fellow trouble Makers
Possible Vampires
The Latest Bon Mot
Cape Fanciers
Superheros
Roll the Bones

Mythical Revelations

2009-11-08T18:28:31Z

I knew I would learn many things as I photographed weddings - techniques for wrangling large groups of people, how to best pose a young lady in a huge dress, how to please people that have different ideas about what they want their weddings to be.

I never suspected that I would have a lesson in mythical creatures. But yesterday I learned of a mythical beast (though perhaps "creature" is better, as he takes the form of a handsome young man) called Rock Lobster Guy. This is how it happened.

The wedding I photographed yesterday was in New Jersey, and the couple getting married was delightful, and clearly loved by all who know them. But it was at the reception where the whispers of a mythical visitation began. "Rock Lobster Guy." they whispered "He may come tonight!"

After my ignorance of "Rock Lobster Guy" became apparent, it was explained to me, in hushed voices, the Rock Lobster Guy is a mythical creature of New Jersey. I don't know why New Jersey generates mythical creatures, I just know it does.

Apparently, if you have lived a Righteous life, if your love is True and your wedding is Just (and takes place in New Jersey), Rock Lobster Guy will appear and dance at your reception. Part Bacchus, part bigfoot and part satyr, Rock Lobster Guy is a creature out of myth, and comes from the hall of the Gods. He will dance not just any dance, but a special Rock Lobster dance, which will bless your wedding and the crowd and cures one person in the reception of their dental problems.

Of course, you can't demand that Rock Lobster Guy come to your Reception, nor can, even if he shows up, you demand that he perform his mystic dance. If you do, he'll just leave, and then, someone will get a flat tire on the way home from your wedding. You cannot even ask the DJ to play the song, hoping that will make him appear. If Rock Lobster Guy is going to bless your wedding, the DJ's equipment will buzz and rock on it's own, the CD will skip, and no matter what is pre-loaded, Rock Lobster will play.

Anyway, last night, I got to see Rock Lobster Guy bless the crowd with his dance. And it was amazing. First of all, you have his dance, which alone, moves your heart and mind and spirit - it is, as if, he fills your soul with music. You desire, no, you are compelled to dance with Rock Lobster Guy when he appears - like you are wearing magic shoes. They say The Gods dance with Rock Lobster Guy - and I know it to be true.

When Rock Lobster Guy began dancing, the crowd, in his trance, gathered round' and all suddenly knew the steps to his sirin song - we dance, and time seemed to pass very slowly, as if we had spent a day dancing, though when the song stopped, it was as if no time passed at all. When it was over, I marveled that I was a part of that moment - but since all of us were commanded to dance, in the sway of his power, there are no photos of that moment.

Jennifer Rodgers

2009-11-05T15:31:34Z

Jennifer Rodgers, genius, charmer, hottie.

Old people love cards. Anyone over 70 wants you to send them a card. A holiday card, a thank you card, whatever - they just want that card.

Sometimes I've wondered, why do old people love cards so much? I mean, you can call them and thank them for whatever they sent you, you wish them a happy holidays in person, but anyone with a grandma knows that's not enough. There has got to be a card and it's gotta come through the mail or you don't love them.

Why is that? It's seems odd and unreasonable. Isn't seeing someone in person better than a card.

No. No it's not. And I'll tell you why.

Now, I can't really tell you how I learned this, or the person I found it out from will get in some pretty serious spiritual shit, but every time an old person gets a card - a personal, from a friend or family member card - they get a deferment from Death.

This is how it works (apparently, this all get's explained to you when you turn 70): You get a card from a friend or family member below 70, and when Death shows up to collect you, you can hand Death the thank you or holiday card, and Death will give you more time on this Earth.

How much time? Well, the individual I spoke to was hazy on this - there is some kind of equation that I don't really understand and it's all about your age, divided by the month and some kind of positioning of the stars, the length of the note in the card - I don't really get it, but whatever the situation, you get get more time. You run out of cards to hand Death, you run out of time.

You can't send a card to another senior to get this benefit, you can't send cards to yourself, and you can't directly demand a card. You can, however, remark about how it's common courtesy to send a card, you can tell other family members that you are mad that you didn't get a card, and you can generally act in a passive aggressive way to get a card, but you can't outright demand one, or it loses it's power.

Which brings me around to Jennifer Rodgers and her online art shop!

Jennifer Rodgers makes greeting cards. And unlike the cards you might find in your local drug store, these cards have personality, have a offbeat charm to them which makes them more unique. I always keep a stash of her "Thank You" notes on hand just in case I need to thank someone for something. (I'm lucky enough in my life that I often do.)

You can look at her charming selection here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JenniferRodgersArt

Send a card. Save a life.

70%

2009-11-04T15:22:53Z

I am 70% done 70% of the projects on my To-Do list.

At the beginning of the year, I wrote up a huge project list, a project list that I added to often. I finished about 30% of this list and worked on the other 70% until all of those projects were about 70% done. Two photo books, several short stories, a podcast, two articles, websites, one comic script, one role-playing game and the first draft of a novel. All of them, 70% done.

It's getting frustrating. And, of course, I have no one to be frustrated with except myself. It's not anyone else's fault except my own that I haven't actually buckled down and finished these projects. As many of you creative types might know, starting is easy - I've even managed to work past that whole "middle" hump - but now it get's to finishing, and something always comes up.

Here's the general template of how it happens - I'm sure many of you are familiar with this.

1. You start Project A - it's freakin' awesome! You are filled with the joy of the New Idea, and motivated with the delight of new project love.

2. You get to the middle of Project A - self doubt, questioning, boredom - but you persist because you are not a weenie, you can do this!

3. Ah! You are almost finished - nearly there, just need the last final push!

4. You need to go see your mother, because it's been a month since you had dinner with her.

5. Your friend just had a baby! Let's go poke it. Aww. Is cute.

6. Carl and Anna's wedding is coming up - where is your gift? Crap! Get on it!

7. Have dinner with Steve - complain about art projects - Steve tells you about this thing he wants to do, Project B? You guys should totally work together on it because he knows this editor and it might get published and it will be awesome. Of course, you agree - I just need to finish Project A first. He says, alright, but remember, Project B will be due in a month. Oh, you say, well, I guess I need to work on that then.

8. DO YOU HAVE THAT THING FOR THE SHOW YOU SAID YOU WOULD HAVE THREE MONTHS AGO OhMyGod IT'S DUE ON FRIDAY GET WITH IT!

9. Go to the show in a blue wig. Meet really cool people. Think about Project A - this weekend, you tell yourself.

10. Realize that you live like a cave-woman. Do the dishes. Wash underpants.

11. Go to Carl and Anna's wedding. It's beautiful. Makes you cry. Write notes on a really nice napkin for Project A during the reception.

12. Lose the napkin.

13. Steve comes by. He lives close now and can check in on you whenever he likes. He asks "How is work going on Project B?" "Haha." you say. "I have lots of ideas!" There is some drinking.

14. Start work on Project B. It's so awesome. You are filled with the joy of the New Idea, and motivated with the delight of new project love.

This is not to say that I haven't finished things this year. I have. Her Side, two art shows, a photo project for a book in collaboration with other artists, shooting a wedding, an article, a few short stories, two book covers and participation in a collaborative photo project which will be appearing in an art show soon. Very exciting stuff. But there is so much more.

I can see the problems here. One, is that I love doing all kinds of things, and really, to get stuff done, one needs to focus. One project at a time. Or maybe two, but certainly not 40.

The other trouble is time management. After work, I have about two hours of functioning creative time a night, which isn't a lot of time to make serious progress on 40 projects. I'm thinking about taking a month where I don't do ANYTHING. No shows, no conventions, not even dinner with friends - just project work. I've had enough of the 70% hanging over my head.

If I start making announcements about a bunch of things I've finished, you'll know that my strategies are paying off.

7th Son Is Live

2009-10-27T14:59:42Z

In writing, there are a bunch of rules that you're taught when you're starting out - rules that are meant to keep you from writing utter crap. Of course, rules are meant to be broken, but it's good for beginners to understand the rules before breaking all of them. If your a Master, you can, of course, break the rules and do amazing things, but generally, beginners should work within the rules first.

One of the general rules is not to make your cast of characters too big - it makes the plot difficult to follow and many beginning writers cannot make the character voices distinct enough to help the reader distinguish all the characters. Then there is the trouble of introducing a large cast of characters - if you have to introduce a large cast, you have to take a lot of time to distinguish them, to let people know about them so that they can care about your characters - this takes time, and it can turn into a long, boring, info dump that no one will take the time to sit through.

So, the challenges to a large cast of lead characters are to keep it interesting, introduce all of them without losing the reader, make them distinct characters and write them in voices in which they can be easily recognized. See why beginning writers are urged to keep their leads to one or two main characters?

It would take a real Master storyteller to do that kind of thing smoothly. Of course, a true Master might not stop there. A true Master might take it one step further, and give his seven main characters the same name. And the same face.

I heard J.C. Hutchins work before I met him, and 7th Son impressed me in the first few chapters when Hutchins introduced all the characters in a way that kept me hungry for more, but also in a way that made them distinct and interesting. He should teach classes on this kind of thing.

Today, his novel: 7th Son, is live. J.C. has long given his work away to the masses for free. Now his work is bound in paper at last, and I'm happy to say that I'll be buying a copy today. More than anything else, I want J.C. to write more. I want to see more novels from this man - because anyone who can do what he did in the first chapter of his book needs to be creating more amazing stories for the world.

You can read the first chapter of 7th Son here: http://www.boingboing.net/7thson.html

If you like it, I urge you to buy it here, and give J.C. an amazing opening day for his novel:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312384378?ie=UTF8&tag=mwsmedia-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312384378

And, you know, with every copy of your book you get a free J.R. Blackwell print. Really. Back of the book, author photo. It's my first publication with a major publisher - everywhere that J.C.'s 7th Son goes, so goes my photo of his face. With J.C.'s talent, I have a feeling it's going to travel far.

The Big City

2009-10-25T19:31:29Z

Yesterday, I had a man ask me if I had to have a gun to walk down the street in West Philadelphia.

Today, I walked to the corner store, where the man behind the counter knows enough about us to notice that my husband got a haircut. Then I saw some friends that were getting ready for a party, so I helped them carry their things down the street. Going home, I chatted with a young lady who worked at the same job I did, after I quit.

I know it's the city, but when you walk down the street and you pass oodles of people who know your name, it feels like a small town.

Dear Charles Dickens

2009-10-21T15:10:57Z

Dear Charles Dickens,

Thank you for coming up with so many fabulous character names, especially Scadder, Hawk, Lewsome, Craggs and Snitchey. I promise to use them for fun and not for profit.

Sincerely,
J.R. Blackwell

P.S.: Sorry about the Clark Park Statue. I know you didn't want any statues to be made of your personage, but it's here now and we love it. If it's any consolation hardly anyone knows it's there and small children crawl all over it on Saturdays.

Roll The Bones

2009-10-20T14:22:08Z

Jared Axelrod as Otto Von Chreik of the Discworld Series
Vampire is already pretty cool for me, but if you add in photographer, it elevates to a level of awesome. Add in my husband, and it's irresistible.

Jared is dressed here in a costume he made for the birthday of our friend, Nick Popio, or as it is more commonly known, Nickmas: The Christmas in October. Going to North Carolina is going home, which is odd, as going back to Philadelphia is also going home. I feel I have homes in both places, which is a comforting thought for someone who likes to imagine explosions and portions of landmass falling into the sea. Going back to NC always provides a reminder that I founded the Yachting Club, a club that has such a reach that now Geeks I've never met will tell me all about it.

"There is this club in NC," they'll say, "It's awesome - they put on this convention every year and it's huge and-"

"I know," I say, "I founded it."

Every time I say this, I sound like I'm lying. The club has gotten so big and is so awesome I feel I can no longer take responsibility for it any more. Couples who met in the club have gotten married. I know of two couples who met in the club that are planning weddings right now. When they have children, I will feel in some way a Godmother - not a real one, but a fairy one - or perhaps a Dragon. A Dragon Godmother. Yes.

I can take some honor in it's inception, but the truth is, it's bigger than me now. The only thing I can take credit for is insisting that we not name ourselves based on any one interest (the anime club, the roleplaying club) but that we kept our name, and our charter, open to what may come. While other clubs wax and wane with the interest of the student population, as long as there is a Geek standing at Guilford, there shall be a Yachting Club.

The knowledge of this is one of the things that pushes me forward. The Yachting Club deserves a founder that can live up to it's greatness. They deserve a founder who they can point to with pride. They have bloomed since I left, as so must I grow, so that I can deserve them.

Which is all a round about way of telling you that Hub Magazine has published my debut role-playing column in their 100th issue. I am very proud to be a part of this fantastic, free, science fiction magazine. The column is called "Roll the Bones" and you can read it here:
http://www.hubfiction.com/2009/10/issue-100/

"We begin naked, the rest is role-play."

Dr. Mercury invades the Midwives Gallery: Acting 201

2009-10-13T14:53:15Z

One of my photographs was in Acting 201, a show put on by the Midwives Collective last Friday night. Each participating artist was given a line and then asked to create a photograph based on that line. My line was "It's gonna be really easy" which evoked the feeling of someone who was both powerful and overconfident. Who is both powerful and overconfident, I thought to myself, as I prepared to take the photo.

Of course, because I am me, I thought of a Supervillain.

This is Dr. Mercury. Dr. Mercury is an insane star child and chemist. She is the kind of person who would believe that a overly complex plan would be very easy, who would fight someone on a rooftop and who would have blood on her teeth.

The opening was very cool - a big crowd, lots of really cool art on the walls, and, one of the most fun parts of an art opening, we got to dress up! Jared dressed to match my hair, and I got dressed based on a dream I had. This produced some snappy outfits, if I do say so myself.

The Midwives themselves are a cool group of women. Talking to two of them after the show, it was obvious how devoted to art they are. They are committed to education, to sponsoring thought provoking work over work that might be commercially viable, to supporting local artists, young artists, female artists, and to opening up the art world to many different visions. Talking to them was refreshing in a way that surprised me. I didn't even know I was thirsty.

My mom took this photo!

Jared walks away dramatically

One Is For Paper

2009-10-12T14:11:44Z

Yesterday was my first wedding anniversary. Some say that the first year is paper, and for Jared and I, that was true, because we spent the day surrounded by protest signs. We marched on Washington DC with the National Equality March, and really, I can't think of a better way to celebrate our own commitment to each other than to help other people gain the legal rights that we enjoy. What a pleasure it was to be surrounded by love! I feel newly inspired to work locally towards the goal of equality and justice for all people. What a wonderful day!

The above photo was taken by a handsome guy who was there with his boyfriend. We traded taking photos when we marched in front of the White House. Thanks, handsome guy!

It's My Birthday and I'll Post if I Want To

2009-10-06T14:07:48Z

Good Morning Internet, it's my birthday!

Above is a recent picture, taken by Rae Winters. In it, I'm underwater, which is pretty awesome.

I woke up this morning and my husband handed me this: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/japanfan/b625/ It is even more awesome when you are holding it in your hot little hands. He also made me a truly awesome costume which I will soon take a photo of to show the world it's awesomeness. It needs the right background to reflect how cool it really is.

What do I want for my birthday, internet? Hmm. Well, perhaps if I took your photo, you could put it up as an icon for today. That would be pretty cool. An internet full of my photos. :-)

But mostly, what I want is to see my good friends and to eat sugary things.

Tonight, I feast.* MWAHAHAHAHA!

*On vast amounts of pasta.

Acting 201

2009-10-02T14:25:18Z

Last night I dropped off a piece at the Midwives Gallery for their show "Acting 201". The premise of acting 201 is artists using a prompt to act out a moment. The prompts consisted of a single line that the artist would then interpret to take a self portrait. The artists were free to interpret the lines however they chose.

My line "It's gonna be really easy." brought up visions of someone who is overconfident in their own power. Of someone embarking on a task that should be difficult for someone else, but for them, will be, or they think will be, a lovely piece of chocolate cake.

For me, this prompt summoned up a vision of a Supervillain. Supervillain's are utterly self confident, make grand statements an again and again, believe that this time, this time, it will all be so very easy.

So the entry is a Supervillain, blood in her mouth, a black blade in her hand. The show is for one night only, on Friday, October 9th, three days after my birthday and two days before my first wedding anniversary. The show starts at 6pm and goes to 10pm. There will be lots of local artists present and, of course, the Midwives Collective, which is full of delightful ladies who are committed to art and local artists.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2009-10-01T15:08:19Z

Steve, being more than a little iconic.

Pink Hair

2009-09-30T15:15:57Z

I saw a young lady with turquoise hair yesterday and I became intensely jealous. Oh, stupid social strictures that require "normal" colored hair within a business environment. I don't mind the paycheck, but I would love to have turquoise hair.

I would still wear a suit! Promise!

I Want To Dance the Macabray

2009-09-28T18:19:22Z

Seriously. I would love to dance the Macabray.

This is what we'd need:

Graveyard, Town Square, Outdoor Field.
(I think I know a few graveyards we could use)

At least 12 people willing to dance on camera
(might be able to rustle this up)

A choreographer
(Don't know any - unless some of you have talents you're not telling me about)

A selection of at least 6 period costumes
(Yes, but they are all in my size)

Someone willing to hold a camera
(Might be able to find)

A video editor
(May be able to beg)

A group manager
(need a dedicated super-organizer)

A director
(Know a few, none of them local)

It would be so amazing to have a spooky dance performed and taped and shared. To gather a group of artists to create something just for the purpose of making something awesome that people in the world will love. It's weird, having the desire to create things that are essentially fan fiction in dance form. It would be awesome, but is it worth the time and effort and energy to create something that is fan fiction (in dance form) of someone's work? Wouldn't it be better to spend the time working on my own artistic work? But if it's fulfilling, is it worth it anyway? Is taking the time to create something with friends and artists, no matter how derivative, always worth the time and energy? Would most of us have just played video games anyway?

(Every day, I come up with ideas like this, and then wrestle myself into doing my own stuff. If I made every internet video I ever thought of, I would have a huge collection by now.)

Inspired by:
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/09/bet-you-thought-i-was-oh-hang-on-i-used.html

All I'm saying is. . .

2009-09-28T14:03:30Z

All I'm saying is that if Mur Lafferty is kidnapped, we should check the abandoned toy factory/carnival/chemical factory/trainyard/watertower outside of town.

Mur Lafferty's "On Love": http://isbw.murlafferty.com/2009/09/25/on-love/

PS: Come in costume.

Dr. Mercury

2009-09-25T13:36:12Z

Supervillian, Star-Child, M.D.Ph.D.

A villain can be many things – from the casual cruelty of the hobbyist to the concentrated machinations of an expert. But Arching, the true Arching of a hero, that, my friend, takes love: blackwell.livejournal.com/268457.html