[Editorial] The Sexist Nonsense Of “Appropriating Nerd Culture”

written by @Ceilidhann, originally published on Bibliodaze March 13, 2016. Reprinted with permission from the author.

Cliff Bleszinski doesn’t like Olivia Munn, and he wants you to know that.

Munn, an actress who got her start on G4’s flagship geek focused programme Attack Of the Show, made some claims that she did all her own stunts in the latest X-Men movie. This wasn’t true but is hardly the crime of the century. Indeed, it’s a claim many actors make (the infamous example being Natalie Portman in Black Swan). However, Bleszinski used this moment as a launching pad for a rant against Munn and alleged attitudes she demonstrated towards friends of his and former colleagues. This wouldn’t have been of much interest beyond yet another dude with an overblown axe to grind against a successful woman if it weren’t for his claim that Munn was guilty of “appropriating nerd culture”.

The internet quickly responded with ridicule, which he didn’t seem to get. Unfortunately, for most women with even the vaguest interest in the poorly defined pool of nerd culture, this is a rodeo we’re all too familiar with.

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[Editorial] Crisis of Infinite Reboots

written by Kate Danvers

“Our goal is never to be in a position where we are restarting, relaunching a line, ever again. Quite the opposite. What we really want to do is build on what we created from the launch of New 52, take what existed beforehand, integrate that in, to give us the best interpretations of the characters that organically move forward, and are all part of one big continuity, that is DC Comics.”

You might think those words are from Geoff Johns as part of his announcement of DC’s new “Rebirth” event, but they’re not. That quote’s from Dan DiDio…last July.
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[Editorial] Samus Aran and Representation

co-written by Dayna Abel and Alice Durnell

There’s a controversy online – and I’ll take a minute to let you recover from that shock – about a prominent video game character. Game developer Brianna Wu and writer Ellen McGrody recently wrote an article for The Mary Sue titled Metroid‘s Samus Aran is a Transgender Woman. Deal With It.” It was a thoughtful piece and celebratory and trans-positive, which of course meant that it was going to have the best and brightest of the gaming community having a well-spoken discourse about oh god I can’t even bring myself to finish this sentence.

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[Editorial] What’s Good For Sales Is Not Good For Comics

I have been a DC Comics fangirl for thirty years, and I’ve never been embarrassed by that until now.

Last Saturday was Free Comic Book Day across the U.S. FCBD is traditionally when comics companies, large and small, offer free issues which are designed to entice the reader into buying more of their product (thus benefiting the comic book store) and drawing in new readers. Usually a lot of the offerings are tuned into the latest successes of the properties in other media – there were plenty of Avengers stories for the taking last year, for example.

That’s where DC dropped the ball.

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Does Equestria Girls Deserve The Hate It’s Getting?

If you’ve been on the internet at all over the past week or so, chances are you’ve at least been made vaguely aware that Equestria Girls is a thing. News about it (and more specifically, reactions to it) have been everywhere, even bleeding outside the normal pony news hubs, to the point that it nearly seems impossible to avoid hearing something about it. The movie exists, it’s coming, and bronies (and even people outside of the fandom) everywhere are pissed.

But what, exactly, is the whole thing about? And, more to the point, is the fandom’s rage over it justified? Continue reading

[Blog] Writing Style!

written by Kevin O’Shea, originally posted on LiveJournal

All my friends who consider themselves writers should participate in this. Well, if you want. You don’t have to, but I’m actually interested in what happens.

As a writer, I have various strengths and weaknesses. Some of these I know about, and some I probably won’t know until they’re pointed out to me. I’ll list the ones that I think are the most obvious of both; if you disagree with the placement of any of these, or wish to point out additional ones, by all means. (This, of course, assumes that you’re familiar with my writing.)

First off, my strengths. In no particular order.

  • Characterization
    • I think I’m good at developing personalities, and maintaining them throughout the work. They’re differentiated enough to me, at least, so I see no problem with the way my characters are established.

    • Dialogue
      • This is my favorite part of writing. I will admit I often pull from outside influences, for wit and humor and even just vocal personality. I’m not as good as some writers out there – Stephen King, Michael Stackpole, I’m looking at you – but I’m progressing. It’s something that adapts every time I try it.

      • Focus
        • I think Robin put it best, if I can remember enough to paraphrase. “You take an ensemble of awesome characters and use only a couple and then it’s LIKE A LASER”

          I work best with small groups of characters. One or two perspectives total is my ideal; it allows me to explore as much about that character as I can within the realm of the story, even when doing something that wouldn’t necessarily be character-development, such as an action scene.

          I also have some rather glaring weaknesses, ones that I do know about and am currently working on. Again, these are the most obvious ones (in no particular order), and if there are any other major ones you are familiar with, let me know.

        • Focus
          • What? Why is this listed under both? Well, when I only take one or two perspectives, it really restricts what I can accomplish. What I’m going to try with Theater of War is regularly using the perspectives of at least the four members of Team Gendou. There will possibly be the occasional guest perspective, such as Hiroshi’s mother, but even just having four regular perspectives will teach me how to use them effectively.

            Also covered under this is my tendency to just skip scene setup altogether and jump right to the “interesting” bits – dialogue, action, or general surprises. With Theater of War, I would make sure that when I felt I was done writing a chapter, I would go back up and ask myself what else I could add to set up a scene. More description of the surroundings, perhaps? Or a little more explanation of the history of a certain event? Something I’m working on, but it’s very difficult.

          • Motivation
            • I think this one is the most obvious one, and also the one that needs the least amount of explanation. How many stories in this LiveJournal alone have I just lost interest in and abandoned?

            • Cliché
              • Something I’ve actually made large steps in rectifying. I still notice that I resort to various writing clichés, such as ending a scene on a big dramatic moment or phrase (Michael Stackpole, are you listening?).

              There are a few others, but I won’t go into them at this time. But you can expound upon them if you wish.

              In addition, if you would like to post your own strengths and weaknesses as writers, by all means. I think this would be a very educational experience for everyone.