Writing

Sailor Moon Update: Oh Thank Goddess

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Well the big announcement for the Sailor Moon book is we’re sort of done with the initial draft. However, let me qualify done:

  • We decided to make room for more interviews. So we’ve got more to integrate.
  • We’re editing the heck out of it . . . well, Bonnie is, because . . .
  • I’m doing research for the book. We debated how much is going to be used and the resulting choice was “enough for the book” and “to point people in the right direction”

 

So where is it now?

We’ve got a pretty good sense of the impact of the show and how the various “sub-impacts” tie together. It needs to be fleshed out a bit, arranged a bit differently, and of course include some more research and data on the show. But frankly, it’s pretty good for an unpolished book.

(As I jokingly put it, it’s currently at “blog post” quality and we’re going to get it into ‘book quailty.”)

And what did I learn?

Well, the last big lesson from finishing up is its very hard to extract the show’s impact on WHAT people did – from fanwriting to learning Japanese to finding carers. Originally we deconstructed the impact to three major influences – activities, careers, and an interest in Japan. However after we examined it, we realize the impact more clearly split on “inspired me or led me to do X” and “I got really interested in Japanese stuff.”

And boy, you shouldn’t underestimate those impacts. People were led to cosplay, fanfic, entire careers, counselling others, and more. People learned Japanese, launched careers in languge, and had their interest lead them to living in Japan. Again Sailor Moon was some kind of ur-anime for inspiring people.

Much more so as it was targeted at women, and as we know from the latest Star Wars merchandising debacle, people forget women in fandom.

Now that it’s in a rough draft, I feel a bit iritated there weren’t more studies done of its impact, even in our “pschological travelogue” style. There’s so much that should have been done – but at least we’re doing it now.

More, I feel a kind of profound awe. THis crazy weird show/series, this fairy tale soap opera sentai drama comedy, changed lives. I knew it, but I never knew the depth – now I do.

I just want to do it justice. Because it deserves it.

  • Steve

Sailor Moon Book Update

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We’re actually getting into the end part of writing the Sailor Moon book – but we’re not out of the sparkly crystal woods yet – or for awhile.

So first up, we had two chapterson how Sailor Moon affected and inspired people in hobbies and to change their lives.  We wrote them separately – only to find they were really one.  In fandom it’s hard to separate personal growth, fannish hobbies, and careers – it may look like it from the outside, but as soon as you start diving in . . . well, it doesn’t.

You’d think, I, Mr. Geek Job Guru would have thought of that, but I also thought you could abstract them – you can’t.  So we’re merging the new chapters together and moving part of that chapter to one on how people got more interested in Japan due to Sailor Moon.

Now what did we find?  Well, again a LOT.

Sailor Moon is almost a kind of ur-Fandom, an archetypical one.  You know the idea fandom inspires you to create, gets you involved in things, sets your career?  Pretty much Sailor Moon for many people was that, especially people who found it int he 90’s.

The thing is Sailor Moon, though it may seem goofy or odd, presents a lot to work with.  You can be inspired by the art, or inspired by the characters to try things.  You can take an interest in Japan and languages.  The complicated plotline inspires fanfic.  The references inspire analysis.  Sailor Moon in short provides a LOT to inspire people to try things.

Then throw in a growing fandom that blossomed in the age of the internet and the strong camaraderie, and again – you have a near archetypical fandom experience.

I think for many Sailor Moon set patterns in fandom.  It had all the elements necessary to inspire and engage, happened at the right time, and dug some deep roads.  It’s another chapter that leaves us kind of humble – moreso because we saw some people go through this experience directly.

Now next up, more editing and research, but also we’re probably going to do some more interviews.  We found a lot, but I’m wondering if a few more interviews can add more to it.

  • Steve

Update: The Power Of Creative Paths

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What’s next up for me? Well working on all my OTHER books I am doing a book called “The Power Of Creative Paths” which I used to call “The Creativity Book.”  It’s now at the editor AND we have a beta cover:

Creative Paths

So this should be out at the end of January – it’s a $2.99 ebook, a bit under 100 pages, and hardcore focused on identifying your creative path, helping you expand your options as a creator, and understand how people on different “paths” can get along – or fail to get along.  It’s the first book to really boil down my creative theories learned from Seventh Sanctum.

I’m actually sort of glad to get it out of my head – I’ve kicked these ideas around awhile, but I really wanted to write something on general creativity to help people out and leverage what I’ve seen.  It’s a pretty good creative model, and I think you’ll like it.

Also if you want to be a reviewer . . .

– Steven Savage