Convention Time Again

I'm not talking about Wizard World. It's been several times since I've been to one of those and I knew as I left the last one, that the next time I returned would likely be in a professional capacity.

What I am referring to is the third annual Cape Comic Con (sometimes known as Ken Con). It just wrapped up and I think it was probably the biggest success yet. My services were drafted to serve as a judge for the costume contest on Saturday and that was a lot of fun; every one of the entries was really good, each having their own places to shine where the others didn't.

I took the opportunity to also pick up a few X-Men comics from the glory days of the franchise (the 1990s), along with an independent book called Bushi Tales. On Sunday, I dove head first into a HeroClix tournament, using the latest version of my Apocalypse team. I didn't find out until it was over, but the last game I was in was the championship match. I barely lost that one, but it was one of the best games I'd had in years.

With it being convention time, you'd think I wouldn't get any writing done. You'd be right and you'd be wrong. In the days leading up to the convention, I managed to keep that streak of editing one chapter a day going. I got through eight chapters in eight days before I slowed down. I also wrote a great sequence for Mind & Machine featuring a particularly cruel battle between Commander and the demon Dural.

But that leads things back to the the normal flow of things. I've got work again tomorrow, the first time I've had to go since last Wednesday. Regardless of that, I'm making a great deal of progress and I hope to meet all three of my goals yet. It's still a fine possibility.

Origins

The Present:
I've gotten a few sequences building the friendship between Bridgett and Penelope. I'm trying to get them to the dating stage quickly because most of the plot happens only after they have gotten to that stage. I think I'm running the risk of pushing them forward too fast, but I don't think it's going to be a huge problem. I just have to remember, this is just me getting to story down. I can go fool with it later.

The Past:
Managed to get a good handle on Bridgett's personality. She's the princess of insecurity, disguised conformity, and futile attempts at relaxation. Ah, it is wonderful tormenting characters.

The Future:
I must play in the Origins marquee tournament. I think it's this weekend, which, miraculously, I have off. Why must I play? The bulk of the set is made of "the T," or "the fucking T"--the JSA. I play this team as a merciless science. I'm also good at putting together a team on the fly. Finally, the games are ALL going to be played on the new map... the JSA brownstone. A fitting location for the JSA to show off its "T" formation once again. To my friends I play Clix with, I'd advise you to remember every other time I've played JSA, then copy it.

The Past:
I've been told that the word "Vitamin" should be part of the title of the book I'm working on. The word "Femme," not getting a lot of support.

The Present:
I keep seeing the one person who has a lot of superficial characteristics in common with the character Bridgett (namely hair and body plan). I'm reminded of some things I've read online about developing characters. It's been suggested that characters can be made of parts of different people--the face of one person, the mind of another, and the personality of a third.