Hello, it's me. With all my opinions. And sizing charts.

It seems every blog I post is pouring forth information from some random idea in my head. Well, that is entirely the case, but I wanted to explain myself more clearly for once. Mentioning time and time again that the reasons for these snippets of seemingly useless blog subjects are for research, I have began to cover two specific stories.

One is a fantasy story, modern day, mostly focusing on psychological perspective. This is the reason for the topic on DID, the main character has something very similar to this disorder. At first, being fantasy, there was no real basis of comparison since I was as free as a bird when it came to creating the world they lived in… Then, the more I thought about it, the story takes place modern-day, in a situation people around my age are quite used to. With all of this realism, I wanted the psychological aspect to fit with this believable realm.
The other, unfinished topic is all about art styles, graphic novels, and general shenanigans involving this story though line art that I am in the process of creating. It is a collaboration of sorts… Several friends of mine and I, con goers as we are, decided that we wanted something unique to cosplay for. In case you are in the dark, cosplaying is the fun activity of dressing like someone from one of your favorite shows, games, movies, etc. Anyway, back to the main point, with fun outfits, a sense of humor and a bit of a sugar-high, the idea for Sugar Charm was born.
This is set up to be a parody of sorts, purposely as stereotypical shojo manga as we could possibly make it. The problem was, after working out the details, we all sort of got attached to the idea. This brings us to the present, where I am now elbow-deep in the beginnings of a hilariously awkward attempt at a graphic novel. I seriously do need to get around to posting some pictures of the progress…eventually.

With a plan for the reoccurring art theme to cover everything I need for this recent project, and other more minor topics for the story involving split personalities, I will be kept very occupied by these two themes with these entries. Also in upcoming topics are some oceanic details for a sci-fi I’m working on, a study of reptiles for yet another sci-fi and also a theme very close to my heart. Several posts will be about the Romani, and I’m so excited about it.

Alright, enough with the explanations! I had a dilemma today. In the story I’ve discussed, the one with the character that has split personalities, I realized I was about to write a scene I have no idea about. Ok, picture it, a girl with no brothers, raised by her mother, and a limited number of male friends…shopping for clothes for a guy. This is easy enough to write around specifics, but it occurred to me that outside my range of American, women’s clothing sizes, I had no idea how the rest of the world worked (fashion-wise).
We all know our individual sizes (hopefully), but never personally having experience with sizes in a different system or designed for a different sex from my own, this was a fascinating little system. Using this site called americanappearal.net, it show the basic shirt sizes for men and women. The main comparison being males tend to be larger than females in stature.


Some things I didn’t know though for instance were things such as the conversion from women’s to men’s sizes. If you subtract 1½ from a woman’s shoe size that is the number they would be if looking for in guys shoes. When it comes to pant however, girls need to add the number 21 to their size and viola. Shirts, girls go down a size. Now that I totally get the comparison, this scene to write will be much funnier. Trust me; just looking us so much comparison between the two sides of clothing has been awkward enough.

I have in fact learned something from the making of this blog and even if you didn’t, I will try harder with the coming posts!
Next up: Romani and Gypsies. Who is what, which is where and why is it all so messed up!

About the Author: War within one's head.

Inspiration can strike you from anywhere. Like a sniper, waiting from a distant vantage point or a little blunter, running at you flapping its arms and screaming for your attention…there are many forms of how creativity can ambush.
I have been through this continuous cycle of cat and mouse/giant killer mouse and cat for a long time now. Sometimes we have busy schedules… So naturally when you have no time to sleep or hardly eat, an idea demands your undivided devotion. Not a pretty sight afterwards. And then we have other times when we really want to write, draw, just create something…and the mind goes completely blank.
This was my battle. Now of course, I fight back against my imagination. Not to tame it, no; that would be a waste…just, a battle to decide whose priorities will win. Mine: Usually involving school and a social life as well… or the creative part of my brain: Usually with the most inopportune timing I can possibly imagine. I mean, who needs a life right?
Alright, so I exaggerate most of the time, but not now. I am an artist and a writer with a love of biology. Random yes, but surprisingly beneficial as well. The science loving part of my brain and the inspired, kind of out-there part tend to counterbalance.
While I can come up with ideas I love and think could be a potentially good fantasy fiction story, the other side desires reality. This started a very long list of doubts for me. I was worried my ideas would never have a chance. Finally with pen in hand one late summer day, with a combined effort from both sides, I wrote out a very strict outline for an idea. Success! …Well, baby steps anyway.
Since that summer about four years ago, things have changed. There is harmony between the left and right side of my brain, sort of, and I have a new way of placating both halves. With each new idea, usually with some fantasy or sci-fi theme, I combine the crazy theories with facts. Say I’ve got a science fiction story with the ocean as the setting for example: I research the details I need, ocean geography, pressure details, various salinity statistics and study the tides for a firm grasp on what I’m writing about.
It’s like that for anything…some more abstract ideas than others. Each blog from now on is to be about some theme/setting/theory that is needed for one of my crazy imagination and its ideas. I believe the randomness in this blog’s purpose now makes a little more sense.
Alright then! With each topic, I plan on learning something myself. If you gain knowledge of anything from my future posts as well, the goal has been met.