by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 30, 2013 | Blog
I almost feel sorry for the opponents of gay marriage. No, not really, but they truly are in a terrible position. Every argument they’ve advanced has been shot down by actual, oh facts. Damn those facts and their known liberal bias. They are now before the Supreme Court. They know they can’t advance a religious argument to support a ban so they are grasping for anything no matter how nonsensical. Here is the latest and it proves that once again forces on the Right are...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 29, 2013 | Blog
Well, Bobby Jindal wasn’t wrong when he said the Republicans needed to stop being the stupid party. I’ve come across two new articles. One in Slate about how the preponderance of scientists are Democrats or independents, and another about how Texas is sneaking in the teaching of Creationism into the public schools. Sometimes I dispair for the nation. Anyway check them out. The links are: Scientists & the GOP Of Course It’s Texas
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 23, 2013 | About Writing
Today I spent basically 7 hours at the computer wrestling with a script. I took breaks to make tea, visit the bathroom to unload the tea, pace around the house, but mostly I was at my desk thinking and typing. Where does this scene really go? Would it work better earlier? Does this word really convey what I want to say? If I can tighten this line I’ll lose a widow. Is it clear how the protagonist is feeling from this dialog? In short decisions. Hundreds of them. Some large and...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 18, 2013 | Game/Writing
As people have probably noticed I have become addicted to video games. I have an X-Box 360. I belong to X-Box Live. I post on the Bioware Social Network. I’ve written a Mass Effect fanfic story. And I ended up in an interesting debate/discussion with two couples at a dinner party last week. These are folks I know from the barn. We are all roughly the same age, and level of education. The couple hosting the dinner party were teachers at an elite school in Connecticut. The other...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 17, 2013 | General
There is a new Wild Card story available for free over on Tor.com. It’s written by Daniel Abraham who is a brilliant writer, and features that lovable cut-up Bugsy. You can find it here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/01/when-we-were-heroes I hope you will all go check it out. Meanwhile, back to the Wild Card movie.
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 10, 2013 | Game/Writing
I’m sure this won’t be the last rant I make about this damn game, but as I was working on crafting an “alternative ending” that leads into my ME story another piece of out and out idiocy in the ME3 ending as written occurred to me. The Star Brat goes on about how he/it controls the Reapers, and he/it has been aware of the development of this weapon, and the critter has the three color button options all set up and ready to go — BUT the Reapers leave the Citadel...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 8, 2013 | Horsing Around
Here is Fuego XII in his amazing freestyle performance at the WEG in 2010. He’s an Andalusian rather than a Lusitano, but you get a real sense of the Spanish horses and how the good ones move and look. Fuego Wows the Crowd
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 7, 2013 | TV & Movies
Thursday night I acted like a teenager instead of a responsible adult, but damn it was fun. The evening began with dinner at The Shed, one of Santa Fe’s famous Mexican restaurants — best red chile in town. My companion was Ty Frank, one-half of James S.A. Corey of LEVIATHAN WAKES and CALIBAN’S WAR fame. We drank margaritas and I finally got a red chile fix which helped drive out some of the cold. We talked about writing, and story telling, and games. I mentioned I was...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 5, 2013 | General
I really shouldn’t try to listen singing when I’m working. A human voice will pull me out of the work. Particularly when it is counter tenor, David Daniels singing Che Faró Senza, Euridice. It is sublime. If I were the least bit religious I would call it the voice of god, but I don’t want to take away from the genius of Gluck who created this music. It’s probably why music is such a strong thread through the EDGE books. It’s mathematics made tangible. The...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 4, 2013 | TV & Movies
While I was freezing at the barn I had this realization of just how good the SKYFALL script actually was. For some reason I was thinking about the moment where Bond tells the old family retainer, “Some men are coming to kill us. We’re going to kill them first.” Then I remembered M taking a few shots, and she misses. She bitches to Bond that she was a terrible shot. Which is a lovely symmetry with Moneypenny, and how she fails to make the shot in the beginning of the film...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 3, 2013 | General
Well, the Violence Against Women Act has died in the GOP controlled House of Representatives. Why was the inclusion of lesbians, immigrants – legal or otherwise, and native Americans so offensive to these people? Now millions of women will be beaten, in danger, probably some will die because of ideology. How is this a controversial bill? Putting aside for a moment the fact these people seem to have small, shriveled hearts, who would they not approve this in their own self-interest?...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 2, 2013 | About Writing
Gardner Dozois sent the link to this article to an on-line group to which I belong. It’s about how hearing a story affects our brains, and it is so cool. So when a child asks, “Tell me a story”, you are doing more than just entertaining them. It’s actually creating experience, and that is wonderful. This is why I’m so much on my hobby horse about our books, games and movies actually telling a complete story and taking us on a journey. Aiming for edgy or...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 1, 2013 | Horsing Around
I love my new horse. Elli is not the trickster that Vento can be, but she shares his calm, good sense. Today I introduced her to the indoor arena, and let her have a run and buck. It took a little while to get to run and buck because she put her head at my shoulder, and wouldn’t leave my side for several minutes. I was the one stable (ha ha, get that, works on several levels) thing in her universe. Eventually she went off to have a roll and run, buck and trot. She was fine with the...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Dec 31, 2012 | About Writing
It’s the worst when you are actually starting a new project. I always have this feeling that this is the book/script that is going to prove I’m a poseur, I have no talent and I’ve just been faking it for all these years. But if I can get down that first line then it’s all okay. More lines follow and then you have a page, and then you’re off to the races. But it isn’t reserved for just the opening lines anymore. I’m starting to find that each new...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Dec 29, 2012 | Blog
Okay, I have just read something hilarious. This pastor of the Cowboy Church of Virginia claims that stroking horses will “cure” homosexuality. Maybe he isn’t aware that a lot of the top riders in the world are, in fact, gay. Try again boys. Or maybe just STOP IT! And accept that people can be different, and those differences won’t destroy the country, or the Constitution, or Christmas, or the Family, or whatever else you decide will be destroyed if people...
