Preparing for "Ice Pilots".

C'est Moi

I feel productive!

Meeee

I was watching a clip of an auto-tuned video called "Symphony of Science", and during it one scientist excitedly explained that we're all made of stars.

That reminded me of this little diddy I threw together a while ago, and I realized I've never shared it with anyone!

I might go back and re-edit it, to see if I can get more of an ethereal effect going on.

This was taken in the window of a Go-Train, on the way home from Toronto, by an old friend. The fleeing lights outside made it look (to her) like I was made of stars, so she snapped a pic.

I still think it's pretty and dreamy.

Arcturus, you sexy beast you.

Aveo

I CAN'T DECIDE WHICH I LIKE BETTER. OH MAN

RED DAWN

PROMO PICS, AW YEAH

Covers

I tried making Mel-Mels a cover for Senses Fail...I don't know if I like it. I'll probably try again later.

More pictures apparently

As of yet unnamed character for unnamed story idea concerning SCIENCE.

Favourite inspirational picture of Macy.

Another one I liked.

Becca with a gun, perhaps? Hmmm....

Characters

HOO HAH ABOUT TIME I GOT THIS DONE.

No, there isn't one of Samuel or Rob yet-if you find a good picture of a humanoid robot, let me know, please. Connelly, Evans and Fitzgerald will have to wait for theirs.

ZER0 Playlist

Since I'm terribly bored at the moment and don't feel particularly inspired to write of robots and men, I'm going to do something about it to help myself out in the near future. All I want to do right now is search for pictures, places, foods, guns-all which would pertain to my novel The Ides of November. I'm still only in the genesis phase, but I'm itching to write it. However, ZERO has been sitting on the back burner for two years now, and it needs to be completed first or I may never get around to doing it. I feel that if I manage to pull it off, I'll be able to pull off my other projects with fewer hiccups because they're not as close to my heart.

SO, here goes. Although I have a writing playlist, this is just a list of songs I feel really connect with the story.

1. Fireflies by Owl City

It was the dead of night and I had turned on the radio for some white noise while I was drawing, when suddenly this gorgeous sound started to pour out from the speakers. I was entranced, mystified, by the melody, and especially by the line: "I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly"...I embarked on a quest to discover who had written this beautiful song. I first heard it right before the conception of ZERO took place, and it will forever remind me of Samuel and his brand new eyes to the world.

2. Digital Love by Daft Punk

Speaks for itself. My most played song of all time, too.

3. Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

This is my ultimate dream opening song to ZERO. Seriously, if you've never heard it, go listen to it now. It's so dreamy and optimistic, I love it to death.

4. Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love by Coldplay

A little harder to explain-trust me, the connections between Macy and the lyrics aren't at all clear, but they're there for me. We'll find out much later, won't we? Muahaa.

5. Ghosts by Ladtron

Becca's theme song. (Wait, who is this Becca you speak of? Surely she has not already appeared in the novel? Muaha...)

6. Human After All by Daft Punk

Moreso the lyrics than the song-this goes for a number of DP songs.

That's all I have for now. Might come back to this later.

Cover

I don't know why I'm so proud of this-after all, it only took a few minutes out of my day to create. Yet it's simple, strong-powerful. It doesn't give the plot away. It doesn't have a face on the cover. (bugs the hell out of me!) My favourite part is the storm clouds.

Oh what have I done now?

Take 10 characters from either your own creation, anime, book, ect... Anything.

Poor-People-Who-Got-Dragged-Into-This:

1. Samuel

2. Connelly

3. Macy

4. Evans

5. Becca

6. Valdez

7. Akkerman

8. Rob

9. Fitzgerald

10. Sarah

1. 8 and 6 are making out together, but then 4 walks in on them getting a full view of what they are doing. What happens?

Evans freaks. First of all, what is Valdez kissing? Rob doesn't have a mouth! And second, HOLY SHIT VALDEZ IS EVIL AND MAKING OUT WITH A ROBOT. Call campus security stat!

2. 1 and 5 are in an argument. What is it about, and will anyone stop them?!

Which of them gives better hugs. No one likes to get involved.

3. 9 wants to kill 2, because 10 - 9's crush - likes 2. 9 doesn't know that 7 likes them though, and wants to marry them. What happens when 9 goes to kill 2 and 10 and 7 walk in on it?

First of all- MAN FIGHT! And since when is Akkerman into crazy old men? Well, he'd probably laugh and video tape it. Sarah would pull the fire alarm and try to talk them out of fighting.

4. 3 just came out of the closet of being gay to 4, and asks 4 to keep it a secret. What's 4's reaction and do they keep it a secret?

Evans would laugh. She's such a bitch, but she probably wouldn't tell anyone.

5. 5 cheats on their wife, 10, with 2. How do they tell 10? And what's 10's reaction?

Oh Becca, you dirty whore, sleeping with old men! Sarah'd probably be okay with it, though. She'd just go find something else to do.

6. How much does everyone like this quiz so far?

I'm sure they'd all be displeased. Sam is feeling hurt because he hasn't been mentioned yet though :c

7. 1 and 8 are fighting, and randomly 8 blurts out about how they got beat up as a child for liking garbage. What does 1 do?

Blink and stare. When was Rob a child? How is this possible? Why would he like garbage? How can he feel pain? The logic! *kaplut*

8. 9, 5, 6, 3, and 7 have started a paintball fight. An hour into it 6 gets a real machine gun and starts to use that instead of a paintball gun, and no one has been wearing the right protection gear except for 6. Who does 6 try to kill first, and do they get found out? If so, what happens?

She goes for Becca first. Akkerman thinks this is all hilarious. Everyone would know, of course. Macy would be screaming and running away, Fitzgerald would be crying like a baby. Then Becca would be full of bullet holes and be sad.

9. *Eyes the bedroom where 8 and 3 walk out of with their hair messed up* What does everyone think happened, and what really did happen?

Everyone has dirty thoughts, naturally, knowing Macy. However, Rob had been suffering from a system error and Macy had fixed it. The glitch caused Rob to give her noogie after noogie and she had to fight him to solve it.

10. 7 does something nice for the others and takes them all out to the spa. Unfortunately 1 and 10 get allergy attacks from the wax used and have to go to the hospital. What happens next?

The hospital would turn them out because they are fucking ROBOTS.

11. Everyone is against 1, and have successfully tied 1 up to a pole in the middle of nowhere. What happens next, and does 1 get explodededed?!

No. They get out super soakers and start shooting ice cold water at him, listening to him scream and flail for hours before they cut him loose. Robots don't like water much. Hahah!

12. 4 bakes cake and cookies for everyone, and gives them a 'special' drink. Unknown to everyone, the 'drink' is actually hot sauce, milk, soda, and water mixed together. The cake and cookies also have been made with sour milk. What happens when everyone goes to eat?

Evans, you can't cook?! What kind of proper woman are you!?

They're all intellectuals, I think they'd be smart enough NOT to eat anything she makes ever.

13. 2 lost their virginity to 6, how does this make 8 feel?

*brofists Connelly* About time, man! Wait, you already have kids...um. Well then. Rob would be SO PROUD! *tear*

14. 4 and 3 get married. They can only invite everyone but ONE person. Who don't they invite, why, and what happens?

They don't invite Akkerman. He's not so nice about gay weddings. He'll show up cackling in a bulldozer anyways, just for kicks.

15. Evil space aliens wanting ramen attack everyone at the wedding, potentially ruining it all! Do they fight for their right to get married with their friends by their side? What happens?

Are you kidding? It's just Oyace and Theris showing up to join in the festivities. Dem aliens know how to party!

16. Your characters have you locked up in a room so they can do *anything* to you. What happens?

We party into the wee hours of the mornin' and talk about science!

17. You fall ill and go to the hospital, 7 and 9 visit you. What happens, and how does 3 feel since they broke all the bones in their body and no one visited them?

I wouldn't be able to sleep because I'd be too afraid of Akkerman being in my room. Not like Fitzy would be able to protect me, after all. Macy would be okay with being alone. She'd hang with the nurses.

18. Everyone finally visits 3 with their broken bones. When asked what happened, what do they say after saying that it involves 6? And what happens after everyone knows who did it?

Macy and Valdez decided to settle it old school- with a dance off. Macy won, but in the midst of her gloating she fell off the stage and tumbled down some badly placed stairs. Nothing comes of this revelation.

19. 7 goes to a library with 8 and meets up with 6 and 9. 6 is scared of 7; why?

Because Warren ate Fitzy? Or tried to?

20. Out of all your characters, who here is a virgin?

Sam and Rob.

21. Ah. So. 8 is the virgin. What does this make their husband, 1, feel?

I doubt either of them give a rat's ass about sex.

22. Does anyone wish this quiz would end yet? And who is getting annoyed?

Rob. He keeps getting married to people with no explanations!

23. Everyone comes down with the flu and realize that if they don't take 10 to the hospital they will die! Then again, 10 was the one who brought in the disease. Do they take 10 to the hospital or let them die?

Reboot her system. They're roboticists, I think they can solve it. And how do humans get computer viruses? HOW?!

24. 2 got a job as a rapper, but put 4 out of business, who also puts 8 out of business since 8 was 4's manager. Do 4 and 8 crash 2's first preformance? If so, what happens. If not, why?

Yes, they do. However, the audience only loves it when old people bicker, and they start staging the event over and over for more money, then form the rap group "Dem Scientists"

25. 1 and 5 are married, 2 and 7 are married, 3 and 4 are married. 6 and 9 are married. 8 and 10 are the only single ones. What do they do to fix that?

Sarah makes Rob a dating profile on plentyoffish.com of course. The poor guy is hopeless!

26. 1 and 7 have a kid together, but 5 and 2 don't know. How do they tell their spouses?

CYBORG BUTTBABY FTW! Connelly might even be impressed. Becca would want to babysit.

27. Is everyone confused on how they are randomly married?

Yes...and I'm sure they ALL would like to swap partners. Who made those matches?! Come on!

28. Are you sure you're not confused?

Yeah.

29. You are confused?

No.

30. Yay!

That's nice.

31. Everyone forgets 10's birthday and 10 gets depressed. Who is the first to notice and what happens?

Sam, of course. He had planned a surprise party for her all along and got everyone in on it. They they all get smashed and have a blast.

32. 5 got shot by 8 and is now bleeding to death, with only 3 to listen to their last words as the medics {everyone else} are running late. What does 5 say and do the medics save them?

"Macy....unnggghhh...Macy, my darling, I need to tell you...before I go..."

"Becca, listen-"

"No. Hush, my love. Don't cry for me. Don't shed a damn tear. Just listen..."

"Seriously, Becca-"

"I love you, Macy. I've always loved you dearly...but I've been hiding my greatest secret from you..."

"Becca, will you shut up-"

"I'm a robot, Macy. I hope you can forgive me!"

"I know. You're not dying, you moron."

"Goodbye forever, my love!"

Macy: :I

33. 4 gets arrested by 6 for punching 9 in the face since 9 made 1 sad. Does 2 bail 4 out while 1 cries in a corner?

Oh Evans, protecting Samuel as if he was your son! Connelly would so bail her out. What better way to get in a bitch's pants than bailing her out of jail? Duh.

34. Does everyone want to leave?

Yes.

35. You may leave now.....

...Okay.

36. JOKING, JOKING! You can't leave me. <3

Yes I can.

37. Now you can leave. *dead serious face*

This was a waste of my time, wasn't it?

Streetcars

...Am I seriously making my first post here about streetcars? Well, looks like it...

Anyways, for you who don't know-namely everyone who will stumble upon this- this is a blog pertaining to a novel I'm currently working on, called ZERO. I'm 12,000 words in, and I though it'd be nice to have a catalogue to look back on-sort of a diary-after I've finished. So there you go.

Chapter Five includes a lot of thought on streetcars.

Streetcars? Are you serious? Isn't this a science-fiction novel about robots and terrorists?

Well, yeah, it is, but they're important eventually, so I should talk about them some now, right?

My novel is set in 2042, so designing this world of the future is a huge challenge but a fun one at that. So here we go, some visuals.

A perfect example of TTC colours mentioned in chapter five. In my mind, this is the type Macy just hopped on.

I imagine the future TTC streetcars looking more like this, but perhaps shorter and a little more rounded, and obviously with the TTC paint job.

Pretty sure this one is Bombardier too, I can't remember.