Showing posts with label star trek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label star trek. Show all posts

Monday, June 23, 2014

Klingon Writing Academy


Today is a good day to write.

Rest assured, writer, we will be published, whatever the cost.

Do not approach me unannounced, especially when I am writing.

There is no honor in writing without revising.

Sir, I must protest. My character is not a merry man.

A writer never breaks his promise.

You have never seen rejection? Then look, and always remember.

Writers never quit.

I've noted that some people use writing as a shield. They tell much, but show little.

Proofread this!

If writers cannot handle a little critique, how will they handle bad book reviews?

Do not think of it as a hobby. Make it part of your day...part of your routine. Make it part of you.

I am beginning to see the appeal of this storytelling.

In writing, there is nothing more honorable than finishing.

You have fully written ten chapters. You may now publish.

Good story. Nice cover.

Words come later. It is the scent that first speaks of inspiration.

Less Facebook. More writing.

If you were any other author, I would edit you where you stand.

Procrastination should be illegal.

Writers do not pursue publishing. They conquer that which they desire.

At the first sign of betrayal I will kill him, but I promise to return the manuscript intact. 

It is true. The muse has returned.

It is a manuscript, a warning. Beware, a successful author is about to arrive.

Push! Push, writer! Push!

My writing class was not like this. That process was very orderly.

You look for validation in the wrong place. The true test of a writer is not without, it is within.

He will succeed. He is Writer, a Storytelling Master. 

I have much to teach you about revision!

Writing, I will not be complete without you.

Qapla'! You are a writer. You are capable of anything!




Monday, April 29, 2013

Y is for Tasha Yar

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Tasha Yar.

I really hated the turn of events in Skin of Evil. That's the Star Trek: TNG episode in which we lost Lt. Tasha Yar. Denise Crosby's character was by far my favorite, more than Picard, more than Data, more than Worf.

It took STTNG a good year before most of the characters really started settling into their roles. That settling was important because only then could the characters grow and evolve. I would have loved to see where her character could have gone.

There was something satisfying about seeing a female in the role of Chief Security Officer. She was competent. She was diligent. And she cut a much nicer figure than Worf.

It was good to see her resurface (in character) in Yesterday's Enterprise and All Good Things. I'd loved to have seen her in the movies too.

Lt. Tasha Yar is one reason why I love science fiction and fantasy.

Monday, April 22, 2013

S is for Star Trek

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Star Trek.

The Star Trek franchise offers nearly 750* hours of video entertainment:

Series # of Episodes # of Seasons
Original Series 79 3
The Next Generation 178 7
Deep Space Nine 176 7
Voyager 172 7
Enterprise 98 4
Animated Series 22 2
* Episodes run ~40-45 minutes without commercials, 
but I rounded to an hour for simpler arithmetic.

And once Star Trek: Into Darkness is released we'll have twelve Star Trek movies.

Plus we have the couple hundred or so novels set in our favorite Federation.

I love Star Trek because of the characters and settings and richness of its portrayed reality. I love it because of its exploration of science, space and the human equation. But I love it most, I think, because of the hopeful promise it paints, its vision of humanity at its best.

Star Trek, with its immense reservoir of material exploring the final frontier, is a huge reason why I love science fiction and fantasy.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Q is for Q

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...
...of Star Trek's Q.

John de Lancie's character was named Q, not to be confused with everyone else in the Q Continuum, who were also all named Q.

Q delivers one quotable quip after another in every episode that featured him. We saw him in at least one episode every season on The Next Generation. We saw him at Deep Space Nine where Sisko punched him. We saw him in the delta quadrant with Janeway who refused to mate with him.

The guy is everywhere. All the time. He's omnipotent with an IQ of 2,005. He introduced us to the Borg. Carried us back and forth in time, not to mention other dimensions and places that don't exist.

He was an adversary we loved, looking down at the pitiful bipedal species called humans, yet endlessly curious about our quirks and oddities. He put the entire human race on trial and then gave us just a little bit of help to exonerate us.

And when this adversary shows up to do something nice for you, you'd best put the ship on high alert. Q is one reason why I love science fiction and fantasy.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

P is for Picard

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Patrick Stewart is a top-notch actor and did an excellent job of making Captain Picard a top-notch character.

Picard and Kirk were so different in so many ways, yet they both have dedicated fans and admirers. And many who admire one, admire them both.

Picard's refined sophistication was always being put to the test, whether he was dodging Lwaxana Troi, taking a holiday on Risa or bemoaning the fact that Starfleet allows children on Galaxy class starships.

As Locutus, he made a convincing borg. He was an entertaining Robin Hood and a rather cool kid in the Rascals episode.

He was quicker to talk his way out of a fight than throw a punch, but he held his own when punches were necessary. Any man who can impress a Klingon is okay in my book.

Captain Picard is one of the reasons I love science fiction and fantasy.

And a brief little clip showing what Picard loved most

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

N is for Leonard Nimoy

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Leonard Nimoy.

Before I begin, let me just state for the record that anyone claiming to be a fan of science fiction, but not a fan of Leonard Nimoy, is a heretic and should be subjected to the Vulcan nerve pinch immediately. Just sayin'.

He made his role as Spock on Star Trek one of most recognized and loved science fiction characters ever created.

This actor has one of the most distinctive voices in the industry. Scan his list of credits on IMDB and notice how many credits appear where only his voice was featured--including The Big Bang Theory. (Took them long enough!)

Having just turned eighty-two years old last month, his acting credits, starting in the early 1950s, has spanned more than sixty years. And he's still going strong.

Leonard Nimoy is the most logical reason why I love science fiction and fantasy.

Mr. Nimoy, I have been, and always shall be, your fan.

Friday, April 12, 2013

K is for Kirk

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Kirk, Captain James Tiberius--the only man to ever win the no-win scenario. (And in two different timelines!)

Back in the 1960s, sci-fi wasn't exactly mainstream.  Gene Roddenberry pitched the concept of Star Trek to NBC as a wagon train through the stars.  The "western" setting even surfaced in an episode or two.

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk
But everyone knows Captain James T. Kirk. He's bested everyone from Harry Mudd to the Klingons and done so in more places and in more time periods than almost anyone.

He was a worthy competitor at chess, but poker was his game.  And he bluffed the best of them.

Roddenberry, through Kirk and his crew, opened the door for science fiction to go mainstream.  Yet another reason I love science fiction and fantasy.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Top Ten Movie Countdown BlogFest

Ninja Captain Alex is hosting the...

And I decided to participate.  A true countdown requires ranking, but I cannot, in all fairness, truly rank these.  The rankings would change with the wind.  These are ten OF my favorites today.  Listed in no particular order, they are...

 Lord of the Rings trilogy (duh!)
The Two Towers was my favorite movie, but the Mines of Moria was my favorite scene.

Star Trek (the entire gambit)
But nobody does bad as good as Ricardo Montalban does.

Star Wars (yeah, all six!)
Let's hear it for the Wookie!!

The Avengers
I don't believe they could have done a better job with this movie.

Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
I cannot tell you how many times I've watched this. I so miss the series.

Serenity (The Firefly movie)
From a series that died before its time. Not shiny!

Merlin
Several Merlin/Camelot adaptations vied for this slot; Sam Neill's portrayal won.

The Bourne Series (Identity, Supremacy, Ultimatum)
Not Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but close enough. My favorite changes with time.

A Knight's Tale
This one starred an actor that died before his time.

The Sixth Sense
The best thing (IMHO) Bruce did after Moonlighting.

I have watched these movies so many times.  I can quote way too much from way too many of them, and there is much within them worth quoting.

Any of these make your Top Ten list?