Captain Nemo ... and Show vs. Tell

Captain Nemo has requested that I give him an eye patch because it will make him look "awesome."

According to TVTropes, this eye patch will insinuate that he is "either 1) an experienced combatant or 2) secretly a badass." I think it is an attempt at subterfuge, since he is in reality a ninja, the sworn enemy of pirates.

I haven't decided if I like it or not.

Captain Nemo with his requested eye patch.

I also wanted to share this link with you. This article gives an excellent look at the old adage "Show, Don't Tell," which I have long felt was over-simplistic advice that clearly didn't apply to a lot of the greats, like Joyce Carol Oates and Flannery O'Connor, and so couldn't be as iron-clad of a rule as some people think it is (but I didn't exactly know how to articulate why this was so, or why it worked). Anyway, it's good stuff and worth reading.

Show, Don't Tell -- Exposed!

Why I Hate Sleep

I know this is probably an unpopular thing to admit, but I pretty much hate sleeping, and always have.

Here's the story of my life (and last night):

1) 11:30ish PM - Feel bored, pick up Kindle, start reading book that seemed promising. Expect to read for 30 min or so before bed.
2) 12:30ish - Captain Nemo goes to bed.
3) Check the clock. 1:30. The story is too good!! Can't ... stop ... reading!!! Maybe I can finish it. Or at least get to a place where I can stand to put it down (it was really good).
4) 2:30 Still not done with the book, maybe 3/4ths of the way done. Realize that I want something to read tomorrow, anyway. Crawl into bed beside a grumpy, freshly awakened CN. Think about story. Mental squeeing commences.
5) Decide my current WIP (in edits now) needs more sexy, more spark, something to elevate it to the level of the book I'm squeeing about. Begin brainstorming as an effort to fall asleep (bad move, btw).
6) 3:30ish - bathroom!
7) 4? Can't look at the clock at this point ... come up with an amazing idea for WIP, decide to rewrite a large portion of the beginning, get extremely excited, give up on sleep for entire night.
8) Realize sleep is probably important.
9) Lie in bed cursing the need for sleep, long to write.
10) Finally drift off, wake up around 9 feeling like death.
11) Don't get out of bed for a long time.

Seriously, either I'm reading a great book that keeps me up half the night, or I'm brainstorming a great idea (why do almost all my great ideas come at 1:30 in the morning?) that won't let go of my imagination. Or I'm bored. I get really bored trying to go to sleep (which inevitably leads to 1) reading or 2) thinking about story ideas).

I haven't had a night's rest where I walk into the bedroom, lie down on the bed, shut my eyes, and fall asleep as simple as that in YEARS. (Quite possibly never, if you discount the week I was doing 10 hours of hard physical labor a day renovating our house before we moved in.) I couldn't believe the sleep I was getting that week. But unfortunately, writing does NOT count as hard physical labor, and working out doesn't seem to make that up in the sleep department.

So ... I know sleep feels nice, and is sort of necessary for sanity and survival. But I hate it.

Also, I'm really sleepy right now.

A Few Introductions

Folks, I've had this blog almost a year now, and I have never properly introduced my family! I'm remedying this problem immediately.

Note: Everyone is of course protected by clever aliases, because ALIASES ARE COOL.

I'll begin with the human...

Captain Nemo

Like a ninja, Captain Nemo is hard to photograph.

Favorite Human Food: Chicken
Theme Song: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Characteristic Moment: Sleeptalking while insisting he's awake (the trick is to ask a question that requires an answer other than yes or no. If he replies "because I've lost all my teeth" or some other nonsense in an irritated, DUH tone of voice, you know he's sleeping).
Comments: Captain Nemo is very cheerful when awake, and a grumpy grizzly when asleep. Unfortunately, he spends much time sleeping during my most wakeful hours, 10 PM-2 AM.
Further Comments: In addition to looking handsome, bringing home the bacon, and pwning noobs online, Captain Nemo formats my ebooks and keeps me supplied with ice cream cake. He's a good man.

The Gray Lady

One of her favorite places.

Favorite Human Food: Bread
Theme Song: Eye of the Tiger

Sink kitty!

Characteristic Moment: Sitting in the sink, falling into the bathtub (she has a water obsession), catching nasty roaches and proudly bringing them to the bedroom.
Favorite Thing: Being brushed. 
Comments: I don't know if you can see how fat she is in this picture, but she's a TUBBY little girl.
Further Comments: The Gray Lady is Captain Nemo's favorite.
Even Further Comments: The Momma does not have favorites, because she is a good parent.

Foxcat

Stealing the limelight from his sister-cat.

Favorite Human Food: Milk, Chicken, Fish, Steak, Pasta, Yogurt, etc (All food, really. Anything he can get his greedy little paws on...)
Theme Song: Shake Your Tail Feather
Characteristic Moment: Incessant begging for food. Being put in the garage so everyone else can have some peace and quiet while they eat. Also, sleeping.
Least Favorite Thing: Being brushed.
Comments: Captain Nemo has a love/hate relationship with Foxcat,* who is mostly a Momma's boy. Personally, I don't know how anybody could hate such a beautiful little kitten. But I will admit I'm slightly biased.
Further Comments: Foxcat is only about 9 months old, and he already towers over his full-grown sister-cat. Such a big, fluffy boy :-)

*I suspect this is due to the fact that Foxcat tends to puke on his shirts.

Shake your tail feather

Well, that's my family! As you can see, I like taking pictures of the baby kitties. :-) :-)