31 Day Challenge: The Legion, Day 6: Favorite Villain

Oooooh, this one is actually kind of tough to do, too, because ... well, spoilers. Again. Dammit, I obviously didn't think this through. The first six days have essentially been, "Well, guys, I can't tell you much, but I looooove this particular thing," and that's not really going to change today. Sorry?

31 Day Challenge: The Legion, Day 5: Favorite Minor Character

Back when I worked for the state of Tennessee, I had to train for about three months on policy, the system, state and federal laws, etc., and to do this, there was a training program that had fake people and their situations. Boy howdy, was that super fun. But one good thing about going through all of that was I found awesome names to use for my characters. And Viji was one of them. I can talk a bit more about Viji than I could about Calder or Hara, so be prepared for a bit longer of a post today. Hurrah? I'm going with hurrah.

31 Day Challenge: The Legion, Day 4: Favorite Character to Write

As I look back through my various challenges to see my favorite characters, I have noticed a trend. You've got Anya, the outspoken ex-demon who just spouts whatever comes to her brain first, then Starbuck, the troubled yet brilliant Viper jockey who just spouts whatever comes to her brain first, then Grunt, the powerful krogan avatar perfection that he is and who just spouts whatever comes to his brain first ... I think you're seeing what I'm seeing. And my favorite character to write definitely fits that same bill.

31 Day Challenge: The Legion, Day 3: Least Favorite Character

I know I said, just yesterday, that my characters are kind of like my children. And really, they are: little, ethereal children with their own personalities and wants and needs and weird obsessions. I'm not an actual parent - unless you count being a cat mom - but I've heard from most parents that, yes, while you love all of your children, you definitely have your favorites, which implies that you also have your least favorites. And hoo boy, do I have a least favorite.

31 Day Challenge: The Legion, Day 2: Favorite Character

This question should really be a very hard one, considering that all of my characters are little pieces of me, and it feels a bit like picking your favorite child or, in my case, my favorite cat*, seeing as I don't have any offspring (yet). It's odd to experience fictional people becoming more than just ideas in your head; maybe I'm crazy, but these little puffs of imagination have developed their own voices and desires, and dammit if I don't have arguments with them whenever I'm trying to work a scene and they're not cooperating. Some are more entertaining than others, as I'll get to on Day Four, but on most days, I feel like I'm herding spectral toddlers.

31 Day Challenge: The Legion, Day 1: When Did I Start The Legion?

I started writing what would eventually become The Legion when I was 15 or 16 after watching one of my favorite childhood movies, Disney's Sleeping Beauty. I had completely worn out my VHS copy and was delighted when my parents presented the DVD to me on Christmas morning, so once clean-up was finished, I rushed to pop it into the player, bouncing with anticipation as the lush, tapestry-like art displayed across the screen and the glorious, sweeping music filled the room.

Parks and Recreation Supplemental Post: Leslie Knope

You know, I just realized I probably should have started with Leslie Knope, since she is the main character and all, but I kind of like bucking the expected, which I think Leslie would appreciate. Probably? Who knows, she's a fictional character.

Via After Ellen

New challenge coming up!

Via Meme Generator

Well, my friends, I'm gonna do something a bit different next month, kind of a "bringing in the new year" sort of deal. First, I'm doing a challenge in January (I'm placing the blame on Mel here, really, although she initially told me to do it in December which LOL), and second, instead of writing about other people's shit, I'll be focusing on my own: The Legion. I've been rewriting the series for the better part of the last six months, and it's about time I started prepping the world for its arrival.

So without further ado, here's what is comin' at yo face, starting January 1st:

Parks and Recreation Supplemental Post: Chris Traeger

Via Buzzfeed

Despite the fact that I don't really like Rob Lowe* as a person, I absolutely adore Chris Traeger and his character arc throughout the series. The writers could have just left him as this obnoxiously optimistic, health-obsessed dudebro without an ounce of self-awareness, which for a comedy probably would have worked, but Parks and Rec is not your normal comedy. It constantly challenged gender roles, and Chris is a perfect example of this.

So you wanna know what it's like to have a panic attack?

Last month, I experienced my first major panic attack in over half a year. I mean, sure, I'd had small ones in between, like when I couldn't find a place to live or when I saw my rapist on the sidewalk, both of which are completely justifiable, but because I'd had such success at handling my triggered anxiety, I complimented myself on a job well done.

Via MonsterGif

When you go from having at least one to two major panic attacks in a week to one or two minuscule (by comparison) events over a period of several months, I guess it's not inappropriate to pat yourself on the back, but in my case, it turned into complacency. I didn't see or feel the warning signs and found myself back in the clutches of my emotionally and mentally damaged psyche. 

Even in the midst of some of the most hectic moments of my recent life, I decided to do something. I grabbed a notebook and just started writing what I felt, what I thought, how I felt about what I thought, and I'm just going to type it out here, unedited*. I've also annotated in brackets for further clarification as best I could; it's kind of hard to remember exactly what was going on at the time. Just ... be prepared?

Also, panic attacks are different for everyone, and not everyone experiences - or even expresses - them like I do, so what I went through may not match how someone you know goes through. That is the fun part about the human body: every single person has a unique way of dealing with every single thing.

Alrighty, onto the panic attack ...