No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on October 17, 2011

Short version, got in Saturday after some awful traffic.
Watched the table when Peter had panels
Saw a lot of people we knew.
Caught up on news with friends.
Met a lot of fans
Explained Puppets to people
Met up with Stan Lee and introduced him to Caroline.
Peter introduced Caroline to Mark Hamill
Left at the end of the day
Had dinner about 9 pm
Slept

Sunday
Got up at 6:45
Walked the floor for an hour before the crowds came pouring in
Caught up with more people
Did silly things with puppets
Met more fans
Explained Puppets to people.
Caught up briefly with Mark and spent more time talking to Mrs. Hamill.
Started losing voice and energy
Took the Train Home
Collapsed

Longer version under the cut with some photos

(more…)

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 13, 2011

On live journal there is a contest called Live Journal Idol. In its basic form you are given a topic and x number of days to write on the topic then you are part of a poll that determines whether you move onto the next round or move to the home game if you want.

I found out about it because my buddy Orenthal was streaking through the polls and doing some very interesting writing. He was at the top of the list most weeks until someone pulled a topsy-turvy out of their pocket and he was out. I think he could have gone all the way and won.

The next time that LJ Idol was ramping up, we were encouraged to join up by various people that had done it before. I was in a bit of a writing rut so I thought I would give it a go. I ended up in the top 10 that first season I participated.

I have done a couple of years since then and I have learned a lot about writing through the contest, I have also learned things about myself that I didn’t know, and made some pretty spiffy friends as well. I have met a number of people from this contest in real life and made some really nice friends there as well.

I highly recommend the experience especially if you really want to stretch your writing muscles.

You can find more information about the contest here at the LJ site of the contest

This year I am going to cheer from the sidelines. It is the first year that I really have too much on my plate to add anything else. I have offered to help with my mad editing skills but they come with a caveat that I will be using my editing skills, which means that I give you my real opinion and my thoughts on how you might improve the piece. I don’t sugar coat these which my authors will tell you it my usual modus operandi as an editor.

So I encourage y’all to give it a try. It is a series of interesting writing exercises. And it did lead to me getting some of those essays published in a book.

I am grateful for participating in the LJ Idol in the past.

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 12, 2011

These will work for just about any larger convention that is in just one space like San Diego.

So in no particular order here are my pointers

Comfortable shoes are a must. There is a lot of walking and standing at the convention. There are lines to get autographs and lines for panels. There are lines for food and the bathroom. To get from point A to point B might take a football field’s worth of walking or two.

Just figure that there is going to be a line for the bathroom and plan accordingly. The later in the day, the longer the line. There are plenty of bathrooms but there are also plenty of people. And, unlike the days of yore, the women’s line is as bad as the mens.

Have something to put things. There are freebies and give-aways and things you are going to want to own. Yes, there are limited give-away of totes and stuff but don’t count on it. If you want posters, invest in a poster tube with a strap BEFORE you go into the convention. They are expensive at the convention.

Have something to put water into at the convention and use the water fountains to your advantage. Staying hydrated is very important and can be hard to do especially if you are spending a lot of your time in one line or another. Also some sort of snack can be very helpful in the middle of the day to keep you going.

Make sure your cellphone is charged especially if you have told people that the way to get in touch with you is through that magic electronic device. Don’t expect to find plugs along the way that you can use but if you do find one, have your charger with you if you can.

Have a plan of attack for the day. The schedule is up before the convention and there is an app for that as well. You can set up your schedule and know where you are going before the convention which can be very useful. They have another app that lets you sort out your schedule as well.

Don’t overdo it. Finding a place to sit down and regroup is a must. It can be overwhelming.

And most of all HAVE FUN! Going to a convention shouldn’t be a chore or feel like work unless you are in the industry and then it is work but you knew that going in.

And specific to New York Comic Con 2011
How to find me, if you want to. I will be there Saturday and Sunday either at Peter’s table (U1 in artist’s alley) or wandering the floor but Peter will have a way to get in touch with me. I should have Lockheed with me while I wander the floor.

I am grateful for information that makes the convention easier.

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 11, 2011

This is sort of a freeform version of how I get from point A to point B with visits to other points along the way.

I tend to plot out how I am going to make something in my head and revise what I am plotting in my head as I clarify what I want to do.

I will also revise what I have in my head based on what I can find to execute the look I want for the piece.

For example Lockheed’s eyes went through a number of revision in my head as to how I would make them light up. I can do the basic electronics and I started with the idea of buying the LEDs and rigging the whole thing but that can be time consuming. I found my LED headlamp looking for something else and thought maybe I could use that. So I was thinking glass beads for the eyes. I found these really great yellow beads with flecks of red. Then the little bit of luck fell in place as I was going through the check out line at my local Joann’s fabrics and they had just put out these finger LED lights that were rather bright. Limited life span but they worked for what I needed them for. By the time I got to the point where I was building the rig for them, I had the whole thing plotted out in my head.

Lockheed’s wings when through several versions before I put the final ones on the Dragon. I looked at various fabrics and sorted out what I wanted them to look like. In this case I ended up making three pair until I got the look I wanted. The first fabric pulled funny and didn’t flow the way I wanted. The second were too small. The third worked for what I wanted but apparently there was a flaw in the sewing because that is one of the things I need to repair.

Then there are the things I work out in my head that just don’t work in reality. Lockheed’s head is a big example of that one. I work my way through the geometry of the head and thought I had all my numbers right. I sewed the pieces together and found that I couldn’t get the head to turn to right side out. Once I did get it the right side out, there were new problems that appeared. So that head got scrapped and I had to redo all my geometry to figure out where I went wrong. I sorted out the errors and gave it another try. Got further on that one but it still was not quite right so that one got scrapped and I worked another way to get the effect I wanted. That did work and became the head.

There are times that I find the perfect solution after the piece is done so I keep that in mind if I am making another one. Occasionally I will go back and redo a piece with the correct material rather than the make do version. One example of this is that the 11th Doctor puppet has had three different coats. Now I have to figure out how to make a Stetson for a puppet because I already figured out how to make a Fez.

And then there are the pieces that you never see because I couldn’t get them to work so they were scrapped until I can find another purpose for them. I have used parts from one thing to help me get another done.

I am grateful for experiments that work.

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Posted By Kathleen David on October 9, 2011

There was an article in the Time Magazine (Oct 3rd 2011) written about the unspoken and sometimes spoken favoritism of a child when there are more than one children in the family. I read the whole article and it bothered me that the article went from the assumption that there IS a favorite child and if you don’t believe that, you are lying to yourself and your children.

Nope, not buying it. They tried to attach it to evolution and survival of the fittest which was a shaky part of the article at best.

I grew up with two brothers and one sister. My parents did favor us but for different things. My parents didn’t believe in cookie-cutter parenting. They learned that what works for one kid may have absolutely no effect on the other. They knew that we were not little versions of them and let us develop our own likes and dislikes with a little guidance from them.

I can still remember a conversation I had with my mother when I was an older teenager about something that Sean got that I had wanted as well but Sean had earned it by modifying behavior. Yes I did use the words “You like him best” and my mother said “No, we like him differently. We love you all but we have to treat each of you as you not your siblings.” That caught me up short and gave me a lot to think about.

(Another version of this I still use on my kids which my parents said after we yelled “But So and So can do it!” “Well we aren’t So and So’s parents but we are yours and we say no.” But I digress.)

Children are individuals and they respond to things in their own way. You learn what works and what doesn’t work with your kids. Some work better on a reward system and others on an organizational chart or some with both. You learn their personalities and their likes and dislikes about the time that they are sorting it out for themselves.

I do know there are individual cases of favoritism in families. I am not saying that this doesn’t exist. But to paint all family with the same brush and insisting that all parents have favorites smacks of a journalist with some issues of their own that they need to deal with. Give parents a little credit here.

I am grateful that I did learn that lesson from my folks when I did.

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