Oz

are we nearing the end of the contents of my head?

I’ve spent a lot of time reading my old Xanga & LiveJournal blogs. I used to have a lot to say… about everything. I think I believed that when I got my website that I was required to become an adult somehow. That is surely why I’ve become so passive with my postings. It seems silly now. I’m also going to try to get all of my old posts from those sites added in here. How fun will that be!?!?

My 10 Favorite Ozites (so far):
10. Betsy Bobbin (first appears in Tik-Tok of Oz) Betsy is very similar to Dorothy, but a bit sunnier. She curious and adventurous, but has less of a tendency to argue than Dorothy does. Maybe she is just better because she is from Oklahoma.
9. The Shaggy Man (first appears in The Road to Oz) Shaggy seems to always be around, which is often useful. He’s clever and wise and carries the Love Magnet with him sometimes, which makes people love him. He is one of the kindest of the adult characters in Oz.
8. Eureka the Kitten (first appears in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz) The best thing about this little kitten is her willingness to eat another character, which she does not get away with. But she still tried. And then, she didn’t feel sorry about it at all.
7. Jack Pumpkinhead (first appears in The Land of Oz) He hasn’t been used much so far, but I like how simple he is. Ignorant, but not completely stupid.
6. The Glass Cat (first appears in The Patchwork Girl of Oz) She made of clear glass and for a while has pink brains that you can see working. Well written cat part, she never really cares about anyone but herself. She does mellow out when her pink brains are changed to clear.
5. Billina (first appears in Ozma of Oz) Originally named Bill, this yellow hen is so sassy that I immediately fell for her. All chickens in Oz are descendants of Billina and are all named Dorothy (hens) or Daniel (roosters).
4. The Hungry Tiger (first appears in Ozma of Oz) I love that this tiger wants to eat babies, but in fact won’t eat anything that is alive because he’d feel bad about it. I am really hoping he is used more, as he has only appeared briefly in the books he’s been in.
3. Tin Woodman (first appears in The Wizard of Oz). Nick Chopper is perhaps the most tender hearted character in all of Oz. He won’t even allow Ojo to kill a butterfly to save the lives of two people. He’s also one of the more level headed characters.
2. Button-Bright (first appears in The Road to Oz). At four, he is adorable, answering “don’t know” to everything. Older Button-Bright is adventurous and brave. He doesn’t complain about anything.
1. Ojo the Lucky (first appears in The Patchwork Girl of Oz). Known at first as Ojo the Unlucky, The Tin Woodman changes it when he decides the reasons for Ojo being unlucky are nonsense. Ojo is kind, he’s fair, and he isn’t afraid to break the law to save a family member. I like that.

I am on book #9 of 40, so my favorites are certainly likely to change.
Characters I DON’T care for: Scarecrow, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, The Wizard, Polychrome*, & The Woozy. Maybe these characters will eventually do something to win me over, but they really haven’t so far. *Polychrome’s role in Sky Island was great, but it isn’t an Oz book.

To Oz:

I have had a lot of related story ideas that are all just starting to come together more clearly as a single book. I think I am going to adapt them to the Ozian universe and write two or three Oz books. I like the idea of my story, but the more I read of the Oz series, the more I feel like my own fantasy book for kids would end up sounding like one of them, so I’m just going to force it. I still think they are well worth reading.

The Empty Frat House:

The guys who lived above me for a year are gone. David & Denis have been furiously working all month to get the place ready for someone new to move it. I’m actually looking forward to seeing who takes it. Those guys were pretty darn rude most of the time. Meanwhile, the silence has been rather nice. Although a sinus infection has been keeping me rather lethargic, I’ve been able to write into the evening without a party starting overhead at midnight. It is nice. The new folks might be night owls like I tend to be, but as long as they don’t pack the place with 20 extra people each night, we should get along just fine. I hope it rents out quickly. I don’t like for Denis to have to worry so much about it.

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