The Sparrow's Nest

"Robert" was my first story inspired by a poem. The poem is called "Mariana" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. I read it because I wanted to know what poem Professor Higgins was making Eliza recite when she had all the marbles in her mouth. I thought the poem was gorgeous, but what was it saying? I interpreted it as some girl pining after her lover and being freakin' annoying about it. Some people think the main character isn't very likable, but I never meant her to be. I enjoyed watching her descent into madness. You can read "Mariana"  here .

This past weekend, Piggy died. His funeral services were held in the bathroom, March 17, 2018, where he was flushed away. pic by Aaron Huber Poor Piggy. He was an eating machine who sometimes preferred to slide on his belly while he ate. In true Piggy fashion, he was found with his face smashed into a pile of food at the bottom of the tank. Not many people knew Piggy's real name. It was Malerick, named after the killer magician in Jeffery Deaver's book "The Vanished Man." Piggy was no killer, though. He was pink and he loved to eat, hence his name Piggy. Piggy's cause of death was not the "ick" which had plagued him, for he was finally cured of that. It was the chlorine in the water. The Tribe has been dumping chlorine into the already clean water, more than is necessary, and more often than necessary. No amount of drops in the tank could remove the chlorine. They poisoned Piggy. pic by Pietro Jeng In our mourning for Piggy, let's not

Female characters, especially in movies, have been butchered. Do you want to make a good female character? It's a delicate operation. Remember five things. 1) She's not a sex object. The moment a female character gets naked, or her privates are described, she's a sex object. Sensual hints turns her into a plaything for sickos to fantasize about. If you don't describe a man's privates, then you certainly don't describe a woman's. 2) She's not a man. Making her act like one actually makes her annoying. You can't turn red into green. If you try, you end up with something muddy. Women are physically weaker than men. If there is a physically strong woman, there is always a man somewhere who will be stronger. It's a fact of life. Example 1: Vasquez from "Aliens." Vasquez is badness unleashed without having to say so. You don't have that stupid conversation of "You need protection," and "I don't need pr