Rae Roy

I often think of my life in music. What I mean is, certain periods of my life are pretty closely depicted in the songs I listen to. Some just remind me of the old days, but some say exactly what I was going through at the time. In elementary school, I wasn't a popular kid. I was bullied almost daily. Most of the time I felt like a loser. But in grade 7, Ace of Base released The Sign and though my parents couldn't afford to buy me the CD, the other kids sang it so much on the bus that I learned the words and could sing along. The next song we tormented the bus driver with was off Green Day's album Dookie and it was Basketcase . Those songs made me able to participate and feel like less of a loser if only for a small part of my day. High school brought with it so many artists including Marilyn Manson, Tori Amos, Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails, which us theatre kids often played through the auditorium sound system during lunch. I had a lot of anger in

[caption width="300" id="attachment_10523" align="alignright"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] Relationships are tricky. I've noticed people find a lot of things confusing. I put together a list of things that I hope clears some things up, but it's important to realize that there are a lot of different people in the world and some might like to be chased, for example, while others want to do the chasing. 1. You don't need to be into all the same stuff. Variety is the spice of life. My parents don't have a lot in common with each other yet they've been married for over 50 years. My dad is a retired mechanic who can play stringed instruments and draw. My mom is a housewife who cooks and reads. They both like country music and shows like Heartland. Dad's an introvert and mom isn't. Mom hoards and dad pitches stuff whenever he can. Dad likes to drink and mom rarely does. A couple of shared things is good. You need something i

My life is so wonderful that not even the discovery over Christmas that my ex remarried can dampen my spirits. That part of my life is so far behind me it seems alien. I know people are usually upset about these things, but I've done and learned so much in the last five years that it doesn't bother me. I wish them all the best for the future.  Speaking of the future, mine is full of uncertainty, but I've never felt more alive. Sure, having someone to share it with would be awesome, but I don't need a partner to feel complete. I know I'll meet 'the one' eventually. Until then, my loves are writing, music, and martial arts.  I have so many writing projects going on and I feel like I'm finally almost living the life I've dreamed about. I have some of the most fantastic people in my life and I'm following my dreams. My heart is so full of love and happiness.  That doesn't mean everything is perfect. The bus is a pain in the butt and I want my hom

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] When I was a child, I was shy and quiet. I barely said anything about myself. Even in high school, I didn't speak about myself much. I mostly just listened to others and gave advice when they asked for it. I guess that was part of the reason I started my 20s in social work. I'm an introverted type, so working in computers made sense for a long time after that. I'm still shy with some things like asking people out on dates. I often do that through social media because it's a little less scary. Also, sometimes it's really hard to get people alone to ask them out. These days, I've got enough Gryffindor bravery in me to tackle a lot of things like networking. I think that's a skill I've learned from working as a project manager. Sometimes I come off too strong and say the wrong things. I'm still learning. It's a common t

I did take Christmas Day off, but the rest of my "vacation" has involved writing. There is too much on my to-do list not to. Maybe someday I'll have vacations completely free of work, but I'm sure ideas will strike me and I'll have to write them down anyway. Before today, however, I was rather blocked up. I got maybe a scene or two looked at each day on my short film script. Normally, I can get a revision done in a couple of hours. Nope. Couldn't focus. Final Draft's method for displaying comments didn't help either. I sent them feedback because they'll either tell me about some setting I couldn't find or make use of the feedback. They're pretty good that way. Anyway, I got the revised short film done today after several days of barely getting anywhere with it. Holiday brain, as one friend said, was probably another factor. Writers are rarely not working. Every interaction or experience is potentially research. As is every moment we're

Well, my pie crust attempt failed again, but at least it tasted good despite it falling apart. That's a step up from the last two times. The scotch also tasted good.  I was given several Lego games for my Xbox 360, Blade Runner, Wonder Woman, and an Instant Pot. I'm looking forward to all of that when I get back home.  My mom watched a lot of Wonder Woman with us and says Linda Carter was better looking than Gal Gadot. I'll have to finish the old series when I get back to Ottawa.  I'm not sure when I'll have time to game or watch anything given all the homework I have, but I'll manage somehow. No homework today though.  My parents's chocolate poodle has been into the tree all weekend. He's such a character. He couldn't go to sleep the other night without first coming out to say goodnight to me :) My brother got to just relax for once on Christmas. He's a snow removal guy and it didn't snow bad enough for him to have to go in. It was nice havi

There are a lot of Christmas songs that I've never liked all that much. Most like Frosty, Jingle Bells, and Rudolph have always seemed too much like commercial jingles to me or too juvenile. There are a few that have always delighted me though. Here's a list of my five favourite Christmas songs. The Christmas Song It Came Upon A Midnight Clear Carol of the Bells Winter Wonderland O Holy Night I'm going to take a least a couple days off to spend with my family. I hope you are all enjoying the time with your own whether they're blood relatives or the family you've chosen. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! R~

I'm off to visit the family for Christmas, but I couldn't leave without putting something fun up on the blog.  1.  Sex toy or Christmas decoration ? 2.  Face paint . 3.  Sex toy advent calendar . So you can plan ahead for next year.  4.  Christmas design fails . I likely won't post much over the holiday while I spend time with friends and family. In fact, I think I'll take a breather. I could really use one.  I hope you have a wonderful holiday season whether you celebrate anything or not.  Guid cheerio the nou, R~

You know what grinds my gears? People telling me not to reply to their blog posts unless I jump through a bunch of hoops to format it just the way they find acceptable. "You better say a stream of pleasantries rather than simply sharing a link or it's unwelcoming." "You can only reply if you meet my ridiculous IQ level requirements that actually prove nothing about your intelligence, but really show my own insecurity about mine." "We need proof you've crossed a barren landscape and survived the Hidalgo sandstorm before we'll talk to you." "Rescue a monkey from Agamemnon and we'll see if you might know something worthwhile to chat about." Because that kind of response as a reply to your blog post is welcoming. Nope. Guess what? It feels more like a slap in the face. Guess what else? There are thousands of other bloggers out there who are simply happy to have any response at all. I guess I'm rambling about something without havi

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] Sometimes we have to fight ourselves. Actually, I find fighting myself to be the most difficult thing I do on a regular basis. I wouldn't say I'm lazy, but I like relaxing in the comfort of my home. If given the choice to stay home or go out, I'll often choose to stay home. There are so many benefits. I get to sit around in comfy pants, the liquor is way cheaper, I am as warm or as cool as I decide to be, I know how to feed myself and that's cheaper too, and so on. I'm mostly perfectly happy practically becoming a hermit in the winter. Except I like to get out once in awhile to  ice skate because it's the one winter thing I love. Snowboarding was fun at one time, but it's too dangerous with my neck. I have snowshoes, but they feel like a lot of work. Of course, that could've been because I was rather hungover the last time I

In short, just don't. Seriously. It's one of the worst things I've ever seen. If you're going to watch it, you best be super stoned. It's truly painful to watch. I'd rather not know that Chewbacca has a wife and kid. Or that wookies call Christmas "Life Day." There. You now know everything you need to from it. Now go watch something worthwhile. Guid cheerio the nou, R~

[caption id="attachment_4711" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bit Strips.[/caption] I'm sorry. I totally sucked this weekend in regards to blog posts. Christmas Party Season has started and made me rather busy on top of school work. I saw Star Wars on Friday. I love it despite some seriously WTF moments. The music is fantastic, as usual. There were several awesome combat scenes. I felt like some things came too easy to certain individuals and you'll know what I mean when you see it. I won't say anything else because I'm not the spoiler type. I don't know if I'll do a lengthy review at some point or not, but maybe. Also on Friday, I boosted my own car! Life skills leveled up. And then I had to boost it twice more because I couldn't drive it long enough to charge the battery between getting gas and going to Star Wars. After Star Wars, I drove across town to get Sensei and Sempai some sake. That has brought Pix

So I have a new friend in town from South America. I've been telling him for weeks that it wasn't cold out yet. Today it was cold out. It wasn't as cold as it will get around late January or for a good chunk of February, but the wind chill made it -31 Celsius this morning. That's -23.8 for the Fahrenheit folks. Anyway, I thought a post offering tips to new Canadians and visitors might be needed. Welcome to Canadian winter. Officially, we're a little more than a week early as the 21st is the day it starts. I'm sure they've noticed our sun is hardly around. That will slowly get better from the 22nd on. Remember a few weeks ago when you joyfully frolicked in the snow because you hadn't seen it much/ever before? You'll likely be wishing for it to leave like the rest of us unless you fall in love with sports like skiing, snowshoeing, or snowboarding. Personally, I feel ice skating is the best of the options and the Rideau Canal doesn't stay open all w

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] A couple of weeks ago, I switched to a low FODMAP diet after having some people horrible reactions to garlic. Before that, I was having a lot of trouble working out. Every practice had me taking nearly 5 days to recover. It was ridiculous. I knew something was wrong, because I used to play roller derby and wasn't having anywhere near the trouble I was having. I never thought that it could be the result of eating the wrong things for me. Working out is hard enough. Early on there should be some pain and it should take a day or two to recover fully, but I was feeling like I had been out doing an intense paintball session including army crawls after my regular Sunday class. It had gotten to the point that I couldn't make most Tuesday classes because it hurt too much to walk let alone consider doing my martial art. I was worried I'd have to give it

Are you ready for it? I've been thinking about this for a while. I haven't searched to see if anyone else has thought of this. It's just in my head and I want to get it out before the movie. After seeing the trailer for  The Last Jedi , my mind got spinning. At first I freaked out. Then I calmed down and thought. What if Rey's name isn't Rey? What if it's actually Rain? They sound similar enough to me that it's possible it got lost in translation or something. I mean, I've heard so many variations of my own name over my life so far that I really think it's possible. If that's the case, then we may be seeing the rise of the first female sith, Darth Zannah. Other things to think about include Rey's original weapon of choice being very much like a bo staff. Darth Zannah uses a double lightsaber configuration like Darth Maul. I think Rey would prefer that. Anyway, that's my Star Wars theory. Don't worry, I won't spoil stuff if I got i

[caption id="attachment_4711" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bit Strips.[/caption] What did I even do on Friday? It seems so long ago that I had trouble remembering, but I saw The Disaster Artist . It's a seriously great film about the making of the best worst film ever and worth seeing even if you aren't a fan of  The Room . I think I forgot to post on Saturday. I'm sorry for that. I've handed in somewhere around nine assignments in the last week and a half. My brain has been rather mushy as a result. I haven't gotten to do near enough music lately. I have to rebuild my calluses AGAIN. Someday I'll get to play guitar regularly... *sigh*. Saturday and Sunday were taken up by work placement with Digi60 and I was fortunate to see short films made by some really talented people in the Ottawa area. Many of the most memorable and enjoyable ones were by Vincent Valentino. Some other were definitely by people that hav

There's a whole new meaning to "feel the force". Warning: NSFW and will probably alter childhood memories.  Star Toys  are a line of Star Wars themed sex toys.  Seriously though, I'm wondering if they make film related noises. Is the R2 one beeping sarcastically while inside? Does the C-3PO kill the mood with uptight yammering? Will we next see condoms that make lightsaber noises? Clearly I have a lot of questions about these that I will probably never have answers for.  These also bring a whole new meaning to saying I'm excited for Star Wars. Here's a  clean article  on Star Wars you can read at work while waiting for the movie.  Guid cheerio the nou, R~

My grading weekend turned out to be about far more than leveling in rank. Like my feature film's theme, it was about overcoming the past in a few ways. The most immediate and obvious way was passing and thus putting last year's shameful attempt behind me, of course, but there is other stuff that I'm proud of that probably seems silly to others. I think there might be a lot of people that would be surprised to learn that I was the shyest kid in elementary school. The one that barely spoke unless I knew you. I didn't start that way. I was fine before school started. I noticed school was full of unfriendly people though. On my first day, the teacher didn't let me on the indoor play equipment and a boy wouldn't share the blocks with me, so I read a book to myself quietly. I knew how to tie my laces and how to read at age 5. Velcro shoes were strange things to me. I also didn't know about certain things like Robert Munsch. We were taken to see him and I didn'

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] Grading felt different this year. I felt confident and ready. At several times during the day, I got a little nervous, but I was able to calm myself down. I was also able to force myself to be present rather than imagining frightful scenarios. During the seminar portion, I merely listened to the tips being given to others. Specifically, I listened for things like how they preferred we treat the tape line. They wanted us to keep ourselves behind the line during etiquette and have our sword on the other side of the line as we bowed to it. They also wanted us to look at the sword when we bowed to it. Placement wise, I always try to practice in a way that keeps my knees behind the line. I hadn't heard of the other bit about looking at my sword before though. I received a message from someone earlier in the day that had me in a bit of a mood, but I was able

If you were to ask me what my favourite fandom is, I'd have a hard time choosing between Star Wars and Harry Potter. Despite being a founder of the Ottawa Harry Potter Society, I'd probably choose Star Wars. There are some serious problems with both when you look at characters like Anakin and Snape. Both have abusive tendencies in them. Dumbledore wasn't a particularly good guy either. I mean, he was better than Voldemort, but Voldemort is kind of wimpy in actuality. I mean, all he had to do to get rid of Harry was delegate killing him to another person. You could even debate the reasons why Anakin went bad. Anakin had serious lightsaber and piloting skills that made him a formidable foe. A lot of the head canon in Harry Potter is annoying to me. And the need to ship people gets to me too. I like letting the thing be as it was created to a degree. I'm way not on board with the Ginny haters. I find people who are into Star Wars are more into letting it be as it is and I

[caption id="attachment_4711" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bit Strips.[/caption] So much happened since Friday that it's hard to know where to start. My close female friends and I traveled to Etobicoke on Friday. We went out to the bar near our hotel and got to have food and drinks with several of the Canadian senseis. Two of us challenged ni dan level, that is 2nd level black. We were successful! We'll next be eligible for grading in 2 years. I'm in no rush. There were some mistakes I made that I'll talk about more later in the week. Most of my other friends passed too. There were a couple of fails. I know how that feels having been there last year. The options for dealing with it are pretty much keep training and working hard or quit. It's hard to learn to move passed it and get back onto the floor. I think my feelings about it were worse than any my sensei could have thrown at me. Sometimes you just aren'

Full disclosure, my close friends and I have had basically key lime sake tonight as part of celebrating passing our second degree black belt exams.  Road trips always involve music in my experience. Who is in the car vastly affects what music you hear on the way.  Musically, this weekend has been interesting. One of my close friends is from Argentina and her taste varies much from my own, but not in a bad way. She's into things that have a Sinatra feel, some that have a South American feel, and some things that are completely foreign to me. None of it is bad to me though. I have no idea what we're listening to right now, but it's pretty chill. Maybe some blues? Anyway, back to partying.  Guid cheerio to the nou, R~

[caption width="300" id="attachment_10523" align="alignright"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] It's so easy to convince ourselves of the wrong things, especially when it comes to dating, relationships, and sex. Being a writer with food issues has me searching the Internet for all kinds of things, so when I saw the meme below on the Just Laugh's Facebook page, I had to share it. Over-thinking causes me to over-complicate things often. I mean, I've spent weeks trying to figure out if a wink and smile is something more by reading Your Tango articles and other such drivel and... Well, I've realized I need to stop doing that.  I think it's better to just find a way to show interest and see what happens next.  I know convincing yourself to be something you aren't isn't the way to go ever. But people often try to be someone they aren't when they like someone rather than admit they might not be compatible in the least. I used

I've been having trouble writing this week due to the extra stressors and I noticed something that helped me get through it. Once I told my teachers that I wasn't sure if I could get things done on time because of the other things I was dealing with, I was able to finish the projects I needed to finish and hand them in. I suppose I was using my teachers to keep myself accountable in a way, but it also helped me to purged the heavy stuff from my system, so I could focus on the things I needed to get done. I've been mostly doing well with school work. I'm ahead in most classes and I'm hoping none of my classmates are comparing their progress to mine. I've been writing since I was 9 and seriously for 7 years now. I've written a novel and have two others half done, I used to manage projects for a living, and I've taken a lot of post secondary courses. I've especially taken online ones with a large participation component that I totally sucked at, so I

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] I struggled all day thinking about what to write. This is partly because yesterday was a full day with some distressing moments. I had a presentation to do in the morning that wasn't quite finished as sometimes happens with group work projects. My legs were shaking as I read my parts, but I've been told I kept my composure. That's good because the alternative was to give into the jelly feeling in my legs and collapse onto the floor. See how much I love presentations? In my second class we had to pitch a reality TV show and my group was obsessed with eggs, so I was doubtful anything would come of the discussion, but we pulled it together and presented a decent idea for a show that even the teacher got into. Phew. I was tired from the night before. By the time I got home from school, it was 6:45 PM and martial arts was at 8:00 PM. I couldn't

So I went to see The Room at The Mayfair Theatre last night. Greg Sestero was there and he gave us a lot of interesting background on the movie. He gave me some very basic scriptwriting advice, which amounts to write every day and don't give up. It was my first time seeing it in theatres and it was quite an experience. Bring plastic spoons if you plan to go and then just go with it. You're unlikely to hear all the movie, so be prepared for that. I'd go into more, but my day has been the kind where I have a massive no-food headache because I had to deal with a suicidal message in a Facebook group I administer. I'm off to eat and shower. Then I hope to have the energy to do homework. I've emailed my teacher in case I can't manage it tonight. R~

[caption id="attachment_4711" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bit Strips.[/caption] My life often gets a little busy.  Here was my weekend: Friday - Final practice then performance for fundraiser. I should've probably stuck around to party longer after, but a friend was driving to my area of town anyway. Saturday - I did dishes, worked on a group presentation, and worked on other homework. Sunday - I went to church, had the second last practice before my 2nd grading attempt of 2nd level black belt. After that, I donated items, did some groceries, did homework, visit with my little buddy, and capped it all off with B-Movie night. This is my next couple of weeks: Monday - Bring my car for a tire retorque. Go to work placement to figure things out. Go to play writing class. Homework. Tweak and submit TV episode treatment. Double feature at the Mayfair. Tuesday - Two classes (one with presentation). Final practice before grad

I've wanted to do something musical ALL DAY. There's been no time to though as I've had homework to do. I'm fairly busy tomorrow and may not get to do anything musical then either. I really want to learn blues guitar soon. I don't know if I'm ready, but it's fun to play what I can pretend I know of the blues hahaaha. It's getting late, but maybe I can quietly play my guitar anyway... I think I'll do that. Then off to bed. I have an early rise tomorrow and a long day after. By the way, I'm in no way complaining that I have homework. After the strike, I'm happy to be having so much to do! Guid cheerio the nou, R~

[caption id="attachment_10523" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] We all hope our sex scenes will be steamy segments of sexy fun that makes the reader want to find their partner and have a great weekend of the best sex they've had in a while. We're also terrified they'll be the most flaccid making garbage that has ever been written down. If they are funny even, that's usually better than a turn off. I mean, funny things happen sometimes like unexpected noises. Some sex scenes are better than others. Some are so bad that I feel sorry for the author. Apparently, there are awards for this type of thing. You can check them out here . I have a packed weekend that begins with the GONQ show at The Wellington at 9. Well, technically it begins around 3:30 for me as I have to bus to the college to meet up with my fellow actors to run through out comedy show one last time before the real thing. Saturday is low key,

I think I've figured it out. I know I've thought that about 10 times before, but I really think I have this time. I think my digestive issues are Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The things I've had trouble with, those that have given me the most pain, are on the IBS list of things to avoid (dairy, gluten, alcohol, caffeine, beans). I've had minor problems with some of the other things on the list like apples and overripe bananas. One of the first things that ever made me sick was ketchup, which I've been eating a lot lately. Why didn't I think of it before? Oats. Oats made me believe it must be Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity. They share a similar protein. Recently, I've been having a ton of trouble with garlic. That points to IBS, especially with the other things except oats. So, I started doing some searching online and it turns out a lot of IBS folks have trouble with oats too. Why they're on the recommended food list, is strange to me in that case, but I'

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] Right now the song from Grease 2 is playing in my head. Yeah, I know that movie wasn't the best, but I can't help it. Yesterday turned out great after a rough start. I was late because my brain decided that it was 10:45 I should catch the bus instead of 9:45. Class was at 11, so you can guess how that went. I let my teachers know and I wasn't the only one. Apparently, I didn't miss much in that first 25-35 minutes, so that was lucky. I was late in part due to stomach issues. More on that tomorrow. My anxiety was pretty high until this large black man got on the bus. He sat down, started munching away on a packet of red licorice and before long he was singing along with his music. Whether it was the grin on his face or his no fucks given attitude, a smile began creeping across my face. When I got inside the school, it turned into a huge grin

I'm feeling really hopeful today. I think we all get mired in the negative stuff easily and so we don't always hear about the great things happening around the world. My friend is part of a science podcast that is focused on talking about recent developments in getting the world to move towards a more sustainable existence and combat climate change. I find it a positive and refreshing approach compared to the shaming, finger pointing, and apocalyptic fear mongering that many other groups have employed. You can check it out here . I'm off to actual class for the first time in 5 weeks. I'm nervous and excited! Guid cheerio the nou, R~

[caption id="attachment_4711" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bit Strips.[/caption] Roller coasters are something I don't enjoy. They're really bad. I mean, when I'm on one I scream like I'm being murdered. But I actually love going to theme parks. I walk around, people watch, go on some water rides, and get writing inspiration. I'm also always willing to hold stuff for my friends, so their phones and glasses don't get lost or broken. I don't enjoy the emotional roller coaster variety either. The end of last week was full of the emotional kind. The premier of Ontario attempted to legislate arbitration that would treat the teachers fairly while coming to a reasonable ground and getting us back to school. All three parties had to agree to it because of the time of day and the NDP party refused. This bled into Saturday and Sunday. The bill was passed on Sunday. All this strike stuff has made me angry, sad, scar

I'm sorry. I meant to post this yesterday. I got side tracked getting things done before our first winter storm.  Things like exchanging one gift for three.  I think Mom and Dad are going to have a good Christmas this year. This happened to be our first snow. Since there's snow and we're passed Remembrance Day, I can totally play Christmas music and put up my tree! I found a ton of CDs with Christmas mp3s on them. I haven't listened to these songs in a long time. I'm going to load them on my media PC and have a Christmas-y dance party! Guid cheerio the nou, R~

[caption id="attachment_10523" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] OK, so I was on Facebook and this meme caught my eye. It features Superman in a naughty position. It got me speculating about whether or not it would even be possible without causing some serious problems for the giver. I mean, would it come out of Superman faster than a speeding bullet and thus end up firing through their skull? Here's the meme: Oh, and I only just realized the person is wearing quad skates. I now love this meme. I should totally get back to quad skating... It's the winter edition of Comic-Con this weekend in Ottawa. I'm hoping to check it out, though I'm pretty much done my Christmas shopping. I hope you have a super weekend. Guid cheerio the nou, R~

I got up late today as I found inspiration to write passed midnight yesterday. Not any of my current projects of course, but I had to get some things down in order to sleep. Today was the teacher's vote on the bullshit offer put forth by the College Employers Council. Ninety-five percent of the teachers voted and the results were 86% No. With that high of a backlash, the premier has decided to meet with both sides today to see if they can fix the issues. I really hope she listens to the teachers. I know the colleges are a business and some things may not be financially feasible, but the council has been trying to do things that will be illegal in the coming months in terms of Bill 148. At least that's what the teachers have been saying. As I haven't seen the actual contract terms, I can't say with 100% certainty that is what has been happening. I do trust that my teachers aren't trying to fuck me over for a few dollars though. So I'm still a student that doesn&#

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"] Image created using Bitmoji[/caption] We writers often talk of agency when creating our characters. What is agency? Agency is whether or not a character is in the driver's seat. Admittedly there are times where characters aren't in full control. Speed is an example that comes to mind. Die Hard with a Vengeance is another. Most of the time, however, we want characters to have things happen because of the decisions they make rather than being a passive story participant that just has things happen to them or one that has little to no free will. Free will is one of the foundations of being human. We have many stories that explore this topic such as The Matrix. In those movies, we learn almost no one has free will and Neo takes the red pill to gain free will and help free the rest of the human race. Yeah, sometimes I like stories that involve fate, but mostly I love characters that are in