Lyricality

Today hasn't been the most marvelously productive time ever. I set aside time for myself to write, and sat in front of the computer for half an hour unable to get into the right headspace for it--I couldn't concentrate in the slightest. I blame Dracula, which I've never read before this week. While I have an excuse for that--in high school AP Lit we were given the choice to read either Dracula or Frankenstein, and I chose the latter, which I love--I'm terribly sorry that I didn't read it earlier, given how much I'm liking it. I've always hated vampires, mostly because of Anne Rice and the whole progression of awful copycats, hanger-ons, and LARPers who followed her, but Dracula itself still seems fresh. It lacks the tortured and frankly whiny 'pity me for I am woez immortal and painfully sensual' attitude that characterizes so much of the fiction that followed it.

Since I've been so interested, I looked up CrimeLibrary's article on Vlad the Impaler, the historical basis for the Dracula character. The author of the article has this interesting opinion of the book: "The atmosphere it creates is, in this writer's opinion, spookier than any Stephen King novel." I'm inclined to agree. Dracula is more evocative than calculatedly scary, and it allows more room for imagination on the part of the reader. This isn't much of a surprise, since the requirements of the reading audience have necessarily changed on the whole since 1897, when Dracula was first published. In his own On Writing, King admits his debt to Stoker, with the obvious conclusion that "without Dracula....I think there is no 'Salem's Lot." Certainly It might have been markedly different as well, with its central idea of a group of chosen people bound by a higher purpose to destroy a great evil.

As for me, I especially love Mina Harker. I'm seriously considering bringing her into the_blank_slate sometime soon, following my application for Sherlock Holmes in March. I have a hundred or so pages left, and since I can't bear to put the book down long enough to write my OWN book, I'll surely finish in the next day or two. =P

[Edit: To correct the exact wording of King's statement, once I had the book in front of me.]

Okay, if you have not seen or read this, you should do so now. Right now. JUST now. I will enhance my recommendation by saying that passive-aggressiveness is something I definitely need to work on, both as a mod and as a person, and I had no idea how bad the problem was or how to go about fixing it until I read this. As a bonus, it's funny as hell, and I snorted chai up my nose while reading it, and now I probably need to go to the hospital. Please send lipgloss and live animals to make me all better, plzkthx.

Seriously, do take the time to read it, especially if you roleplay, or are involved in fandom (pretty much any fandom, anywhere). The last bit of advice (P number 3) is astonishingly true: You cannot take anything in a roleplaying game seriously if you say it out loud in the way the author demonstrates. The thing in TR that hurt me the most? Made me laugh hysterically when I said it out loud.

On other subjects, whoever gave me my virtual gingerbread cookie gift winz teh internets. How could you eated my cookie?! *sob*

This is also another call for your info, if you would like a Christmas card from me, and missed the first post here. ♥ I have lots, and they are very pretty, so request away. If you want to send one to me, ping me or respond in comments here with your email, and I will send my address (provided that I actually, um, know who you are).

And one more thing: My Lazytown secret Santa gave me this lovely fanart of a Christmassy Sportacus. Thank you again, mysterious Santa! I love it!