All the Write Stuff

When Writing Trumps Blogging

2011-04-16T02:16:00.002-05:00

Hi, all. As much as I love my blog, I love working on my projects and meeting deadlines even more. Hoping to return to regular blog posts here in the near future, but in the meantime, I will soon be uploading some new, wonderful writers' links, so please stop by again. I enjoy having a banger list of writers' resources here; I know I use them often, and hope you do, too. Stop by and say, "hi" on Facebook and let the words flow.

How Are Those New Years' Resolutions Working for Ya?

2011-01-12T12:44:00.002-06:00

Well, we're almost half-way through the first month of the new year. With millions of people around the globe having made resolutions at the end of 2010 (well, at least in the western world -- the Chinese year 4708 doesn't begin until February 3) now, almost two weeks later, is a good time to reflect on how those resolutions are working out for us. Have they inspired yet more resolutions? Are they easy to maintain? Were they left behind on January 2?

A couple years back, I decided that I am a work in progress, and as such, I no longer make resolutions at the end of each calendar year. I've found it far more productive and beneficial to make new resolutions for myself throughout the year each year. When something's not working in my life, I change it. There are times when I drag my feet a little bit, not making the change as quickly as I could, but I'm not waiting until December 31 to do it.

If you make annual resolutions, stick to them and improve your life as a result, more power to you. I just can't put that much pressure on myself at the end of the year to seek to remedy everything in my life that I deem still needs work. It may seem a more daunting task to take it on a day-by-day approach like I do now, but you get used to it. Once you get in the habit of making changes on an ongoing basis, making each change actually gets easier. Wherever you're at in your journey in 2011, I hope it is joyful.

2010-12-28T23:33:00.002-06:00

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer

Now is an excellent time to look back on all of the people that have helped rekindle our inner spirit this past year. I know I've had many people help ignite mine, and I'm very grateful. Thank you all! I wish you all the best for 2011.

Delivery and Acceptance of the Author’s Manuscript

2010-12-12T17:27:00.001-06:00

Two seemingly simple aspects of a publishing contract are, nevertheless, often the subject of litigation. Authors need to examine the content of these clauses closely. In the typical book-publishing contract, the author agrees to deliver to the publisher a final manuscript which is then accepted by the publisher. Publishers’ contracts require that the manuscript be satisfactory to the publisher. This makes sense since the publisher is extending financial resources to publish the author’s work. In one recent court case, however, Joan Collins’ agent had been successful in persuading Random House to delete its normal clause requiring “manuscript in form and content satisfactory to publisher” and to replace it, requiring only a “complete manuscript.” The publisher deemed Collins’ complete manuscript unsatisfactory, but the court allowed Collins to retain the $1.2 million advance she received since she had performed what was required in the contract. Deletions of the satisfactory to the publisher requirement aren’t likely to be made very often. It’s not worth it to the publisher.

In looking at the delivery requirement in the publishing contract, authors need to look at several factors. When is the manuscript due? Is this date realistic? Make sure the contractually agreed upon format of the manuscript is submitted. Make sure you understand all copyright permissions and releases that may be enumerated here.

In examining the acceptance requirement, look at the specific criteria listed. Must the completed manuscript be satisfactory in "form and content” or at the "sole discretion" of the publisher? Can the publisher terminate the contract for a change in market conditions? How is the notice of the acceptance or dissatisfaction of the manuscript to be given? Does the publisher provide the opportunity for the author to edit the manuscript following it being deemed unsatisfactory?

In a nutshell, authors must provide a complete, satisfactory manuscript by a specified delivery date to the publisher. Publishers then will publish the author’s work upon acceptance of the manuscript. Authors must do all they can to submit a complete manuscript that is satisfactory to the publisher because the publisher's promise to publish an author's work and pay royalties is generally unenforceable until the publisher has received a manuscript it deems acceptable.

Note: This document is not legal advice and is not intended to be construed as such. Consult an attorney who works with publishing law for legal questions relating to your specific publishing issues and projects.

Peace Day

2010-09-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

Peace Day

Peace. Let's all live it, experiene it, know it.

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Importance

2010-09-12T17:20:00.004-05:00

The following is the eighth in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both writers and directors as well. This series is geared toward writers.

Novels, stage plays and screenplays emphasize the most important moments in people's lives, not the humdrumness. The truth is not enough for a commercial story. It must must be invested with sufficient emotion to make it important. Actors in their acting must seek the opposite of what they've been trained in life to seek. Peacefulness and the avoidance of trouble won't help in acting. Actors must seek the opposite in their acting. Writers must seek the opposite in writing their stories. Importance does not necessarily mean of significance to others. It means what is emotionally important to the protagonist in this moment. Make trivial things important in the moment, even if a day later the character has forgotten them. Make the importance in each scene as important as you can. Find the maximum importance. Add importance. If you don't, no one will be listening to you.

Choose the positive, not the negative, in creating your character. People are motivated by dreams, not negative realities. Reality creates problems; dreams are how we deal with them. Dreams are why we stay alive. If you leave out the dreams, you omit the best part of the character as a human being.

UGH!!! Revisions

2010-09-04T12:41:00.002-05:00

You've read your manuscript again, and again. And again. You've got a deadline looming. Your completed, final manuscript is due to your agent or editor and you're still revising. You're tired. You're frustrated. You're just about ready to start taking hostages. What do you do? Take a small break. Walk your dog. Put your cat's favorite toy on the end of a fishing pole and watch the fun. (I've seen this done and it's more entertaining than cable tv.) Go to the gym. Treat yourself to lunch.

Then what?

GET BACK TO WORK.

Blend minor characters that can't stand on their own together or get rid of them. Make sure the logic of your story holds up. This one can be particularly difficult when writing science fiction or paranormal stories, but the fact remains: no matter how crazy the story, fiction has to make sense or it's not going to sell. Once you've done this, see if your manuscript passes the major test. Does it keep your reader turning the pages? You were drawn enough to the story to write it. Now put on your reader glasses and read it. Is the pace moving quickly enough where you need it to? If not, tighten it up with shorter sentences. Balance the action with the dialogue. Is the pace slowed down where the reader needs a break in the speed of the story? If not, work in some narrative. Just make sure that anything new you add to the story continues to move the story forward. Tell the reader what he or she needs to know to keep your story moving forward and that's it. Any extra prose you like you can copy and paste and save for use in a subsequent story.

Have you been working on revising your story so much now that you can barely stand to look at it anymore? You almost hate your story? Congratulations! You're at that perfect phase to finish it. Now, just go through that manuscript a few more times, fine tune it for logic, story elements, characterization; make sure it's smooth sailing forward throughout the story; double check grammar and punctuation. Have another trustworthy pair of eyes look at it. I mean a good critique partner who knows commercial fiction. Spouses, best friends and family members need not apply. They can read your book when it's bound and your name is on the spine. Like the old advertisement says, "Just do it." Finish it up and send it off to your agent or editor.

Then, get cracking on your next book. Enjoy!

Ahhh -- Revisions

2010-08-24T00:25:00.002-05:00

Just when you thought that staring at that empty page had been a chore and wondering how you're ever going to come up with anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000+ words in a coherent manner to convey your story, revisions loom in that dark, untapped zone of the mind. Sure. You've developed your characters; they've adequately grown during the course of the story. You've followed the three act structure in creating your story. You've got action. You've drafted precious little backstory. You've even included a few magical words along the way. You've typed the ### at the end of your manuscript, done your happy dance, gone out to celebrate the completion of your story . . . but now what?

Revisions. What's the best way to tackle them? Don't do them. Let me rephrase that. Take that gloriously completed manuscript and shove it in a drawer . . . for awhile. While you can easily distance yourself from a short story in a week's time and come back to edit it, it's best to allow at least three months, even up to a year, before beginning the task of making revisions to a novel-length manuscript. Really. Your story and the intriguing characters that you've brought so beautifully to life have been actively jumping around in your brain for awhile now. You need a to take a break from your story. No one ever died from separation anxiety when taking time away from a freshly completed book manuscript, so get out there. Be around human beings again. Get back into nature. Go to Disneyland. Do just about anything but look at, analyze or even think about your story. After you've completed at least three months away from your potential Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, congratulate yourself. You've just completed the first task of the revisions process. Get out there and celebrate. Then prepare yourself for that foray into dark, untapped portion of your mind.

Now is the Perfect Time to Finish Projects

2010-08-19T17:41:00.004-05:00

A visit to Sue Moon's blog helped me see why I have felt bound and determined to complete my current writing assignment at any time of the day or night. Planet Mercury is in retrograde again. Enough said. Right?

Retrograde refers to when a planet (in this case, Mercury) appears to move backwards from the perspective of the Earth. Astrology is based on the appearance of things. Just like the sun doesn’t actually rise (the Earth spins around it), planets do not actually move in reverse. They just appear to move in this direction to those of us on Earth.

Mercury represents the power of the mind. When the mind is running rampant on old patterns and self-talk and when it is difficult to keep your mind focused on one thing, this is Mercury at work. Mercury likes to flip through the different channels of the mind. When this planet goes retrograde it's as if someone is pulling the plug on the mind at random moments (been forgetting things lately?) and stealing the remote control device of the mind. Despite the random flipping of our mind channels, we like to keep driving forward with our plans.

In general, when Mercury goes retrograde, it's easy to miss the details. It’s a time when we tend to misunderstand what was said, to misread what was written, to get the dates wrong or forget to show up. This is why the common advice given when Mercury is in retrograde is to refrain from signing contracts, making major commitments or undertaking major new endeavors.

The benefits of Mercury in retrograde are that it's the perfect time to get your files in order and wrap up loose ends, to contact people from the past, to find things, to complete projects, to reflect, wonder and learn. Communication may be difficult but connecting is not. If you're temporarily willing to unplug from the outside world and listen your inner guidance, many good things can come into your life.

One of my favorite teachers, Master Chen regularly says, it is better to be like water and go with the flow, than to be like glass and break. There are four times this year when Mercury is in retrograde, instead of the usual three times. Take advantage of the cosmic forces from August 20 through September 12, go with the flow and finish some of those pending writing projects.

Writer Helper

2010-02-02T01:03:00.002-06:00

If you have to do your own work this week, sans a ghost writer, here are some of the lists I've been using lately to free write before I jump into one of my projects. Pick one from each of the four lists of Characters, Settings, Time and Conflict and start writing for half an hour. If your creativity takes off, turn it into a book or screenplay. Have a great week!

Characters:

1. A college student in a foreign country
2. A 40-year-old woman who learns she’s pregnant
3. A human-looking character from a parallel universe
4. A 75-year-old man who just won a major lottery
5. A 7-year-old piano prodigy
6. A restaurant owner whose girlfriend just encountered his wife
7. A young blues musician
8. A group of friends who reconnect at a high school reunion
9. A teenager who just transferred to a new school
10. A former pornographic movie star

Settings:

1. A haunted concert hall
2. A country field
3. An old art deco building
4. A national monument
5. An exclusive party
6. The White House
7. A new car dealership
8. A wedding reception
9. A table outside a popular city bistro
10. The site of a recent earthquake

Time:

1. Midnight
2. The Jazz Age 1920s (before the Great Depression)
3. Following sex
4. Sometime in June
5. The year 2412
6. Just before a thunderstorm hits
7. The first week of school
8. After a fight
9. Just before a concert
10. 4:00 a.m.

Conflict:

1. A very upsetting secret has been revealed
2. Someone just received divorce papers
3. A car just crashed into a building
4. A human body has just been discovered
5. Someone is feeling suicidal
6. An important decision needs to be made
7. A UFO lands
8. Someone has just revealed a weapon
9. A fire has been started
10. A very important item has been lost

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Communication & Competition

2010-01-28T13:54:00.002-06:00

The following is the seventh in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both writers and directors as well. This series is geared toward writers.

Communication and competition are both imperative ingredients for each scene in a story. Authors must effectively communicate feeling from one character to another. They must ensure that this emotional communication is a two-way street between the sender and receiver. The character receiving the message must acknowledge the message by sending a reply, via words or action, back to the character that has sent the message, thus completing the circular cycle of successful communication.

Communication also requires duplication. The character sending the communication must: 1) make sure his or her message is clear and 2) ensure that the receiver has received it. The character receiving the message must: 1) make sure he or she has received the message and is capable of duplicating it and 2) let the sender know he or she has received the message. All story characters must constantly play both roles of sender and receiver. Authors need to view this communication process as a circle. What is sent out, must come back. Until the circle is completed, authors can not have their characters take the next step in the communication process. Authors need to ask themselves if the sending of feeling reaches the reader/audience. Is the author receiving feelings from the characters?

Competition is the next step in the communication process. All dramatic relationships are competitive. All human relationships of love and friendship are competitive. There are two points of view characters should imbue in every scene: 1) I am right and you are wrong, and 2) you should change from being the way you are and be what I think you should be.

Competition is healthy; it is an integral part of life. Strong characters are the ones who compete willingly. They enjoy competing. Characters must compete with each other to generate conflict, or the game isn’t worth playing, and the pages aren’t worth turning for the reader.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T03:56:00.004-05:00

Best wishes for a Happy Halloween. May all goblins and ghouls everywhere don their favorite costumes, drink a toast to the old Pagan holiday (Samhaim) and have a great time.

And in between parties, utilize that space bar and get in a good game of

cat bowling

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Discoveries

2009-10-19T19:54:00.001-05:00

The following is the sixth in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both writers and directors as well. This series is geared toward writers.

Discoveries

To keep engaging readers in a story, authors must fill each scene with discoveries, things that happen for the first time. Discoveries may revolve around the protagonist, another character in the scene, or someone who is offstage.

Don’t let your discoveries be limited by time. They may be about the situation now or the situation as it existed ten years ago and how they affect the now. The more discoveries authors create in a scene, the more interesting the scene will be. Take nothing for granted. Readers are sucked into stories by emotions, so make an emotional discovery as often as you can find one in each scene. To build upon this emotion, let one character supply the opposite to this emotion, even if he or she is not seen in the scene (subtext).

Fair Use: How Much of an Author's Work Can Be Used Without Permission?

2009-06-24T02:34:00.002-05:00

The short answer to that question is: there is no definitive answer. According to the United States Constitution and the Copyright Act, a limited monopoly is vested in authors at the time the work is created. The fair use doctrine is a complex exception to this monopoly and the most common legal issue arising in the publishing industry. The intent behind the fair use doctrine is to make reasonable public access available to copyrighted works for limited purposes. There are no specific guidelines regarding the number of words one can use of another’s copyrighted work.

The fair use doctrine is enumerated in Section 107 of the Copyright Act. This section of the law was created to strike a balance between the public’s need to know information and the author’s incentive to create literary works. Under Section 107, fair use of a copyrighted work without permission of the author can be allowed, with such use not resulting in the infringement of a copyrighted work, for purposes such as:

• Criticism and comment
• Parody and satire
• Scholarship and research
• News reporting
• Teaching

Understandably, authors and publishers lean toward a more restrictive opinion of the fair use doctrine; users of copyrighted material lean toward a more liberal view.

Section 107 of the Copyright Act lists the following four factors which must be considered in order to determine whether a particular use of a copyrighted work constitutes a fair use of that work.

1. The Purpose and Character of the Use — In evaluating the new work, courts look at whether it was created primarily as a commercial venture or if it was created for a noncommercial or educational purpose. A preference for fair use is often granted for works created for noncommercial or educational purposes, but every commercial use is not presumptively an unfair use. Next, courts ascertain whether the new work fits within one of the provisions specifically intended by the fair use provisions of the Copyright Act (criticism and comment; parody and satire; scholarship and research; news reporting; and teaching). Then courts look at whether the new work merely copies the original copyrighted work or whether it adds something new to the copyrighted work. When the new work alters the copyrighted work by adding new expression, meaning or message to the copyrighted work, this adds more support to the argument for fair use.

2. The Nature of the Copyrighted Work — This factor acknowledges that some works are more deserving of copyright protection than others. Courts must thus determine the scope of protection that should be afforded the copyrighted work. The scope of fair use is greater for an informational work—a work of facts, scholarship or news reporting—as opposed to a more creative work, such as a work of fiction. Courts look to see if a work is created to inform or educate rather than to entertain. Courts also consider whether a copyrighted work has been published or not. Courts have been far less willing to consider as fair use the unauthorized taking of an unpublished work than that of a published work.

3. The Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used of the Copyrighted Work — Next courts look at the amount and substantiality of the copying in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole. The key here is whether the quality and value of the materials copied are reasonable in relation to the purpose of copying. There’s no definitive quantity of words test that’s utilized. Copying an entire copyrighted work may constitute a fair use under some circumstances; using a small portion of a copyrighted work may not qualify for fair use under other circumstances.

4. The Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market for or Value of the Copyrighted Work — Courts consider the extent of harm to the market or potential market for the copyrighted work caused by the new work. This factor examines the potential as well as actual financial harm to the original copyrighted work, and to current and potential derivative works. The United States Supreme Court has stated this fair use factor is the most important element of determining what constitutes fair use. Thus, authors who desire to use another author’s copyrighted materials without permission must determine whether or not their utilization of the copyrighted work will likely harm either the present or potential market for that copyrighted work.

Courts have determined that unauthorized use is not fair use if the unauthorized use tends to weaken or negatively impact the potential sale of the original copyrighted work, interferes with the marketability of the work, or fulfills the demand for the original copyrighted work. However, this factor does not make the presumption that all commercial gain is automatically unfair use.

One can look at the criteria courts consider when determining whether an author’s use of another author’s copyrighted work is fair use. There are no absolute rules concerning fair use because each case is unique. Courts consider the factors enumerated above on a case-by-case basis. Authors who don’t wish to deal with potential fair use issues need to obtain permission for the portion(s) of copyrighted material they wish to use.

Note: This document is not legal advice and is not intended to be construed as such. Consult an attorney who works with publishing law for legal questions relating to your specific publishing issues and projects.

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Opposites

2009-06-11T10:21:00.001-05:00

The following is the fifth in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both writers and directors as well. This series is geared toward writers.

Opposites

Whatever a writer decides is the character’s motivation in a scene, the opposite of that motivation is also true and should be placed in the scene. The writer’s creation of opposites within a scene develops conflict, and therefore drama, and therefore interest within the reader. What is critical in developing opposites within a scene is the process of the character dealing with his pain, not the act of him resolving it.

The more extreme the opposites the writer selects for a scene, the more likely everything in between will be developed instinctively and naturally as the character comes to life between these extremes. There are opposites in every scene and some of them may be implied under the surface of the character, in the subtext. Writers should seek the extremes within their characters in every scene. The more each character can face the internal debate of I love you versus I could kill you with the other characters in a scene, the more riveting that scene will be. To successfully deal with the opposites within her characters, a writer must know each character’s strong feelings, prejudices and limitations. Confront your characters’ idiosyncrasies. If they remain unknown, the characters and the scenes can be victimized by them.

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Humor

2009-05-31T17:45:00.006-05:00

The following is the fourth in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both writers and directors as well. This series is geared toward writers.

Humor

Shurtleff reminds actors, writers and directors that humor is not jokes; it’s not being funny. Humor is the coin of exchange between humans that helps us endure the tragedies of life by providing balance. It helps us get through the day. Every life situation and every scene, no matter how serious the topic, contains humor. Humor is more important in drama than it is in comedy. Write your serious scene without humor and it’s too dark. You’ll lose your reader/audience. Actors must become conscious of it and put it in their performances. Writers must infuse it within their stories and find it as they explore their characters. Directors must guide actors in applying humor in their performances.

Humor allied to a character’s passions, his kind of dreaming, his own unique personal fight makes the character and the actor’s performance of that character a legend. Shurtleff cites the unique ways in which Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart utilized their senses of humor in their performances in The African Queen. Think of some of your favorite films and stage performances. What made the characters come to life for you? How much of your remembrance of those performances involved the unique portrayal of the characters’/actors’ humor? Wasn’t it the humor conveyed, particularly in the darkest, most tragic scenes, that helped make the characters/actors more memorable? Some of my favorite uses of humor in a role were utilized by Claude Rains as Captain Renault and Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca. I have a hard time imagining anyone else bringing the same vitality to those characters, mainly because of their use of humor, particularly in the scene in which Rick holds Captain Renault at gunpoint.

Be mindful of humor in every scene of your story. It is the tool that makes your characters/actors attractive, seductive and irreplaceable.

Great News: A Sale!

2009-05-30T14:01:00.002-05:00

I just submitted a contract to one of the confession magazines. One of my short stories, FAREWELL, PURPLE TUTUS; HELLO NEW BEGINNINGS is tentatively set to run in the August edition of True Love magazine. I'm very excited, and continue to work on more stories.

If you’re interested in participating in Internet groups comprised of writers working in the short fiction market, some of the good ones out there include yahoo’s True Writers group for those interested in writing for and sharing information concerning Dorchester Media’s confession magazines (True Story, True Love, True Romance, True Confessions and True Experience) and yahoo’s WWWriters group for those who want to send submissions and network regarding Woman’s World magazine. There are many of these specialized writing groups out there. I’m relatively new to both of these groups, but they’re very active and I’ve found them very helpful for getting back into the short story market. If you’re a member of some online writers’ groups that you’ve found beneficial, please share in the Comments section. Thanks!

I'm sending the good vibrations of my sale your way and hope this finds you all writing!!!

: )

Audition by Michael Shurtleff — The Moment Before

2009-05-25T04:20:00.001-05:00

The following is the third in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both writers and directors as well. This series is geared toward writers.

Every scene an author writes begins in the middle, and it is the author’s responsibility to provide what comes before. This is true whether you’re writing the opening, middle or final scene of the story. Something has always preceded what the character is doing. This is the moment before.

However you want to create this moment before—utilizing dialogue, action, reaction, narrative expression—can be best selected depending upon specific factors concerning your character’s relationship in the scene you’re drafting. What is your character fighting for in the relationship brought to life in the scene? Exactly where are the character’s feelings at the specific moment before? The more specific, the more focused the moment before, the more flow and connection will be presented in the scene, and the easier it will be to write.

The moment before requires an important emotional commitment from the character. A great deal of action may have taken place in the moment before, but emotion drives action. Authors need to know their characters’ minds, but this is never enough. When developing character, the mind is only useful if it leads to feelings. These feelings and what springs forth from them keep readers turning the pages of your story. Have your character become overcome with feeling in the moment before. Authors must know how their characters will complete the following statement in the before moment:

“I must fight to (character goal) because (character motivation).”

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - What Are You Fighting For?

2008-09-10T09:00:00.005-05:00

The following is the second in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both authors and directors as well. This series is geared toward authors.

What Are You Fighting For?

Shurtleff notes that actors often break a scene down into “beats” or sections, and then find a motivation or goal for each beat. He states that this is a good method, but that it doesn’t go far enough. He says that when he asked an actor what his or her goal was in a scene, he often received the response, “I want to get away from this person. I want to run out of the room.”

Then he asked, “Why don’t you run? What keeps you there?” The answers to these questions made the actor more effective in the scene. Instead of using “goal” or “motivation” or any other standard acting terms, Shurtleff regularly asked his actors, “What are you fighting for?” Authors would benefit from asking this question of their characters. They must find a positive motivation for their characters, since this will serve them in a more forceful, stronger, more emotional way than a negative choice will. Characters may appear negative or languid on the surface, but authors must dig deeper into what motivates the characters in the strongest, most positive terms.

If a character states, “I’m bored,” the author must know what the character wants instead of the boring condition he’s in and open him up and let him fight for that. Shurtleff uses the word, “fight” because he feels that nothing less than the strongest, most positive goal possible will do.

Authors must make the most active choice possible for every character in every scene. When each character makes the strongest choices of what he is fighting for in every scene, life is being breathed into the story, and keeping readers turning the pages.

So if all your characters are pitching hard for what they’re fighting for in every scene, how do you achieve balance in each scene? Shurtleff says it’s through relationship, through a heightening of the awareness of each character has in life toward other people. Authors need to know each of their character’s perceptions of give and take in a relationship, the character’s consideration for the other characters in each scene, their characters’ sensitivity to their other characters’ reactions to what they’re fighting for and a heightened awareness of how the characters tend to affect each other.

Characters need conflict; it’s what drives drama. Authors don’t create characters in the normal course of their everyday lives. We thrust our characters into the extraordinary, the unknown. Find the maximum conflict for your characters. Look at each character individually in each scene and ask not only what is he fighting for, but also determine who is interfering with your character getting what he’s fighting for. Do battle with her; fight her; woo her; charm her; revile her. Find as many ways as you can for your character to go about getting what he’s fighting for. Each way can spawn new ways, insightful dialogue and other possibilities limited only by the author’s mind. The more ways you find, the more interesting your scene.

According to Shurtleff, all of life is a fight. We always want something. What seems like defeat is just another way of fighting. We always want something and are always fighting toward that end, no matter how guised our actions might be. Authors must determine what the basic fight is in every character in every scene. The various ways in which each individual fight is waged is what propels the story forward. Instill each relationship in each scene with what your characters are fighting for.

When it comes to relationships specifically and life in general, fantasy shines head and shoulders above reality. We don’t live for reality, but for the fantasies, the dreams of what might be. It’s the dreams that keep us going, and that’s what authors need to inject into their characters. Romance is everyone’s secret dream. Look how many songs and movies are written about it. Never distrust romance. Nothing could be stronger. Most stories of any genre contain some amount of romance. Look for the opposites. Trust that romance is strong. Tenderness is stronger than screaming. Whenever you have two considerations which seem to cancel each other out, do both. Find the positive in the characters in your scene so you can play off of the opposites and add dimension to your characters. Look at the most you can find in a relationship between characters in your scene.

The bottom line: Don’t settle for anything less than the biggest dream for your character’s future. Fight to make your characters' dreams come true.

Unauthorized Internet Release Aborts Book

2008-09-07T18:11:00.001-05:00

Shortly after the unauthorized release of a partial copy of the fifth and final book in the young adult “Twilight” series on the Internet, author Stephenie Meyer puts the official release of the book on hold in protest. The novel tells the love story of a human teenager named Bella and her vampire lover, Edward. Meyer is the author of Twilight" and its sequels "New Moon," "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn.”

The author reports on her Web site that she had given draft versions of Midnight Sun to trusted individuals for a good purpose, and that due to little changes which were made to the manuscript at different times, she has a pretty good idea of how the leak happened. Meyers hopes that her fans will not read the flawed draft version of the story online since this was a flawed, draft version of the tale.

"This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control," wrote Meyer. "I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on "Midnight Sun," and so it is on hold indefinitely."

Be mindful of the people you let see the draft versions of your story.

Audition by Michael Shurtleff - Relationships

2008-09-03T22:19:00.004-05:00

The following is the first in a series of twelve articles based upon the twelve guideposts listed in Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff. The author was the casting director for many of David Merrick's Broadway productions. He also worked with Bob Fosse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. His book is known as the actor’s bible. If you take a college acting class, it will likely be required reading. While Shurtleff’s book is aimed at actors, his principles are beneficial to both authors and directors as well. This series is geared toward authors.

Relationships

An author’s life can be a difficult one in many respects. It is a career replete with rejection. With the regular merging of publishing houses, competition is fierce. Authors must maintain their language skills, enhance their creativity and balance this and all other aspects of the writing life with every other facet of their lives.

Actors must audition before producers and casting directors to get their roles. Authors must query publishers to get their publishing contracts. Shurtleff believes that actors waste a lot of time in their auditions searching for another character. He recommends they use themselves. It’s impossible to create a fully developed character in the ten minutes or less in which actors have to study the lines they are about to rehearse in an audition. While authors can take as long as they want to craft a scene and create a believable character, it makes sense to put themselves into their characters. The nature of storytelling requires characters to be put in extraordinary circumstances. Some refer to the initial scenario in which the character is thrust out of his or her ordinary course of life circumstances as an inciting incident. This is a great starting point for authors to write what they know and put themselves into the character. How would you, the author, react to this extraordinary circumstance in which you have just thrust your character? Characters can digress from the author as they develop.

Shurtleff frequently saw actors audition from a position of what their characters would not do. For example, ”My character wouldn’t kiss her, because of their horrible divorce.” Shurtleff encouraged actors to find the conflict within their characters from their own personal perspective. He encouraged them to refrain from such limitations of their work, to stop being less than themselves, imprisoned in a straightjacket of don’ts. Characters need freedom to feel, to behave interestingly in a scene. Authors need to feel this same freedom, and shed their own limitations, on behalf of their characters. Allow anything to be possible for your characters. Let them make choices that give them the maximum possible involvement in the scene.

Authors need to find a reason for their characters to be in each scene, a reason to express their fullest feelings deeply and to say 'yes' to the possibilities that are within a relationship. Since human beings are motivated by their dreams, dreams of love, fulfillment, success, health, acceptance, beauty and power, what we wish will happen in our lives motivates everything that we do. Authors need to find the dream in each one of their characters and put these dreams, latent as they may be at times, in each of their scenes to keep their characters motivated to give them a purpose and to keep readers turning the pages of their books. Authors don’t need to know every minute detail of their characters, their favorite ice cream flavor, which baseball team gets them regularly in the stands, etc., unless that specific information is going to be utilized in that specific scene. What needs to remain in the author’s mind are the dreams that move the characters forward in their lives.

Put yourself in the position of each character about whom you’re writing. Look at the relationships that comprise their lives. Relationships are at the heart of a story. They are essential. Concerning each character you’re creating in every scene of your story, ask:

What is my relationship to each of the other characters in this scene?

How do I feel about each of these characters

Where is the love in the scene (not the absence of it)

Shurtleff feels that the “where is the love?” question should be asked in every scene, or else the deepest emotional content won’t be discovered. It is the emotion that keeps readers turning the pages of a story. This is not to imply that every scene is a romantic one. Sometimes the scene is about the absence or deprivation of love. Asking the love question in each scene helps provide the most immediate emotional involvement for a character. Even if love is not displayed in the scene, admitting the love and its reason creates immediate conflict within the character, its level dependent upon other factors in the scene.

Authors need to expand their concepts of love beyond that which they find chiefly idealistic and altruistic. Expand your concept of what constitutes love to include the various peculiar and perverse forms it can take in human relationships, and it’s easier to find emotional commitment in the scenes you’re creating. The desire for love, to give it or to receive it, preferably both simultaneously, is a primary propellant in human beings. Authors must learn that love comes in all forms, and in a multitude of forms that they may or may not individually admire. Characters are nothing without creating and developing relationships with the other characters in the scenes with them.

Mernit Man's First Novel

2008-08-14T12:20:00.015-05:00

Screenwriter and writing instructor Billy Mernit plays a nice tug-of-war with the romantic comedy genre that has been his forte in his first novel,
Imagine Me and You, released by
Shaye Areheart Books

Protagonist Jordan Moore is a struggling Los Angeles screenwriter whose screenplay is currently being courted by one of the more chichi directors in Hollywood. It’s an exciting time, until his marriage comes unraveling at the seams. When his beautiful wife, Isabella, returns to her homeland of Italy, Jordan decides to play on her jealousy, thinking she will return to him.

However, because he loves his wife and wants to get her back, he doesn’t want to have an affair with another woman. To fulfill his goal of making his wife jealous, he makes up a fictional girlfriend, Naomi, patterned after one of his former students. Shortly after beginning his fabricated affair, the woman of his visions appears, and is seen and heard only by Jordan, creating unimagined complications.

Without his beloved Isabella at his side, Jordan finds himself blocked on his screenplay project, jeopardizing the production of the film he’s longed to see on the big screen. His fictional girlfriend encourages him to be true to himself and to do what he was born to do in his life. Still stuck in the illusions placed upon him by society in general and Hollywood specifically, he becomes bogged down in his self-created deceptions, particularly after his wife and the flesh-and-blood Naomi both arrive in Los Angeles.

As Jordan undergoes some serious soul-searching, he pokes fun at his own life as he sees the similarity between it and the standard plot points of the basic romantic comedy story. Mernit notes the seven basic plot points (or “Billy Beats” as my critique partner and I call them – see
Writing the Romantic Comedy ) at the beginning of the chapters in which Jordan notices these beats in his own relationship. Mernit successfully fulfills all the standard romantic comedy, a.k.a., romcom, beats in his first novel with smart dialogue, interesting characters and refreshing flair for capturing life in southern California. I look forward to reading his next novel.

To learn more about Mernit’s work, stop by his blog at:
Living the Romantic Comedy.

Romance Novel Industry Documentary

2008-08-05T21:23:00.024-05:00

A new documentary exploring the diverse and financially lucrative romance fiction industry is in the works. Cindi Finneran and Charley Reeves of Norman, Oklahoma had read maybe half a romance novel between them. They didn't know much about filmmaking, either.

Despite their lack of experience, they went to Houston intent on making a documentary film about the romance novel industry. Finneran, a hairstylist and single mother of three, had done professional freelance photography for years, but never video. Reeves, her fiance, is a graphic designer and 3-D modeler for an architectural firm. His main leisure time passion: music. Creating a documentary? Not on the radar, until Finneran came home and suggested it.

The two share a couple common interests: They love to learn new things, and they never pass up an opportunity to have an adventure. So when a client of Finneran's, Sharon Sala, published author of more than sixty romance novels, suggested she and Reeves team up and document an upcoming romance convention, Finneran and Reeves knew that was a project they should take on together.

Two weeks later, the two were headed to the 2007 Romantic Times convention in Houston. Finneran said it was an eye-opener. "Here was a whole world I didn't even know existed,” she said.

Hundreds of romance novel enthusiasts roamed the convention floor, most of them in costume. Finneran and Reeves soon learned that for one week every year, romance writers, fans, publishers and the male models who pose for the books' covers converge at the convention to walk, talk and act out romantic fantasies. Captivated, Finneran and Reeves grabbed a video camera and started shooting. They had no agenda, no objective, but a lot of curiosity.

Reading, Riting, Romance: Taming the Alpha Male, is the result of that first shoot, a documentary covering the 2007 convention and more than a year's worth of interviewing and filming, including a follow-up visit to this year's Romantic Times convention in April in Pittsburgh.

"This year it was almost like coming home,” Finneran said. "When I arrived in Pittsburgh, I found myself getting excited. I realized I knew how they felt. I got it. I got the sense of community these people have. They see each other only once a year but they share this great passion. I respect that. I want to capture that passion on film.”

The premiere of Reading, Riting, Romance: Taming the Alpha Male is planned for March, 2009 at the Cut Film Festival in San Diego.

Don't Leave Your Heart There

2008-07-23T01:27:00.002-05:00

Well, it’s that time of year again. The Romance Writers of America will be holding its 28th annual national conference from July 30 to August 2 in San Francisco. It’s time to talk to your agent and editor up close and in person and network with other authors. Best-selling author Victoria Alexandra will be jetting in from sunny Omaha to be the keynote speaker, and Connie Brockway will be the speaker for the awards luncheon. Suzanne Brockmann wraps up the conference as emcee for the 2008 RITA and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony.

Click here to see the list of nominees for this year’s Rita Awards. Is your favorite author poised to win one of the coveted statuettes? Best wishes to everyone who will be pitching their stories to agents and/or editors for the first time. Have fun and enjoy the City by the Bay.

Grammatically Speaking

2008-07-13T18:26:00.003-05:00

I found this short, wonderful article by Deborah Pfeiffer concerning basic grammar stumbling blocks, and wanted to share it. Thanks, Deborah. Happy writing, everyone!

Grammactically Correct by Deborah Pfeiffer

Grammatic stumbling blocks.

We writers all have them, even the most ardent (and anal-retentive) aficionados of grammar (the latter of which I'm a member). So when you pull out your red pen or turn on the redlining function in your word processing program, here are some correctly used examples of commonly misused words to help you in your grammar cleanup. For each set of "confused" words, I show each word properly used in a sentence, followed by an explanation of why that usage is correct and a way to remember that rule. After reading this article, if you need further (or better) explanation, I recommend consulting "When Words Collide: A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style," by Lauren Kessler & Duncan McDonald, University of Oregon.

Also, a few disclaimers:

These grammar and punctuation rules probably lean more toward the traditional. Language is always evolving. But these are fairly standard rules, and I suggest you stick with them. If you insist on bending or even blatantly breaking these rules, I challenge and encourage you to find a corroborating citation from a well-known and respected style manual before doing so. (I can give you a list of the top ones if you so desire.)

I'm not perfect either, so no fair e-mailing me grammar corrections for this article! (OK, you can let me know, but don't expect me to be civil and polite in my response to your correction.) The same goes for semantics discussions. I'm trying to write a book too. That said, here goes:

which/that

Examples:

The lawnmower, which is broken, is in the garage.

The lawnmower that is broken is in the garage.

Explanations:

Separate out a "which" clause between commas. Think of it this way - the whole section between the commas could be taken out, and you'd still have the core meaning of the sentence. In the example, the fact that the lawnmower is broken is an incidental fact. You're telling someone where the lawnmower is, and, oh, by the way, it happens to be broken. (Technical terminology: "Which" introduces a nonrestrictive clause.)

Do not use commas with "that" in a phrasing like this. The information in a "that" clause should be totally necessary to the sentence. In the above example, replacing "which" with "that" changes the meaning. Now you're saying the broken lawnmower is in the garage (so go get it and fix it, will ya, honey?). (Technical terminology: "That" introduces a restrictive clause.) Bonus editing tip: A more elegant (i.e. efficient) way to say example No. 2 is "The broken lawnmower is in the garage." Then you don't have to worry about whether to use "which" or "that" at all!

it's/its

Examples:

It's time for me to fly.

The bird flew to its nest.

Explanations:

"It's" is a contraction of "it is." Easy to spot - if "it's" should have an apostrophe, you should be able to replace it with an "it is" and the sentence would read just the same. As in the example, "It is time for me to fly." But - jumping ahead a little - obviously not, "The bird flew to it is nest."

"Its" is something that belongs to "it." A possessive pronoun, pure and simple, just like hers, his, your, mine, our, their. Notice you wouldn't even consider doing "hi's" for "his," would you? So don't waste your time putting in an apostrophe in "its" either when it's being used as a possessive pronoun. (Technical terminology: possessive pronoun or, if you want to really lay it on, a possessive pronominal adjective, but I'll stick with possessive pronoun for our purposes.) Extra bonus question: Notice how that last "it's" was not a possessive pronoun, but a contraction? An "A" for you!

there/they're/their

Examples:

There goes my money down the drain.

They're never going to believe me.

Too bad it's not their money instead.

Explanations:

"There" is an adverb (kind of a direction here).

"They're" is a contraction (just like it's) and stands for "they are." Again, all you've got to do is replace "they're" with "they are" to double-check you have the right spelling.

"Their" is a possessive pronoun, just like "its" above. The noun following belongs to "they" (or them). In the example above, the writer is saying too bad the lost money isn't the money that belongs to them. Bonus memory tip: If you're one of those who tends to confuse these three, here's a way to remember. First try the "they are" replacement. If it doesn't work, look at it and see if it's supposed to be possessive. Is the word that follows supposed to belong to "they"? If not, then chances are the word is supposed to be "there" - a certain place.

who's/whose

Examples:

Who's talking to me?

Whose chocolate is that? Whose is it?

Explanations:

"Who's" is a - you guessed it - contraction for "who is." (See how much you know?) A way to test if it's correct is to replace "who is" for "who's" and see if it makes sense.

"Whose" is a - you guessed it again - possessive pronoun. Here, the person "who" owns the chocolate.

who/whom

Examples:

Who is calling?

To whom did you want to speak? She wanted to know whom I gave the money to. (Or if you want to be ultra grammatically conservative about it: "She wanted to know to whom I gave the money.")

I don't know anything about who that person is.

Explanations:

Remember the old saw you learned back in English class - that every sentence has to have a subject and a verb? Well, use "who" when that's the subject of your sentence. In other words, you could replace "who" with "he" or "she" if you made the sentence a statement instead of a question. (In the example, "She is calling." Not "Her is calling.")

So "whom" is used when that's an object - something that's having something done to it. Many times you can easily spot this because there'll be a preposition in front of the "whom." In this situation, if you restate the sentence into a statement, you'd substitute in "her" or "him." For example, "You wanted to talk to her." Extra bonus points: Example No.

3 is correct. "Who" isn't an object of a preposition here. It's part of a clause that has its own subject and verb: "Who is that person?" So apply the test again: "She is that person." Not "Her is that person."

to/too/two

Examples:

I went to the store.

Mary went too.

We bought two rubber duckies.

Explanations:

"To" is the preposition, as in going somewhere.

"Too" means the same as also. See if you can replace one for the other. If so, make sure the word has a "double o" - extra, as in also?

Two is the numeral 2. I won't belabor that. Now if you've gotten this far, go raid your chocolate reserve. You deserve it.

Deborah Pfeiffer has 16 years of editing and writing experience in the publishing field, much of it on the staff of national and international telecommunications.

Great Punctuation Resource

2008-06-09T12:10:00.003-05:00

I was looking around for quick, free punctuation information on the ‘net today and found one through the English Department at Purdue University . The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is one of the best Web resources I’ve found for writers. If you haven’t utilized it yet, check it out some time.

Peace!

2008-04-17T08:58:00.004-05:00

Thirteen Things about story prompts

Here are some story prompts to help get you going on a new story idea or fan the flames of your current project.

1. Your protagonist makes an unexpected stop at a hospital emergency room to have a sex toy removed from his or her body.

2. Teens making out in a remote area are interrupted by a child who has just murdered her entire family.

3. An envious, bitter woman whose sole goal in life is to make her sister miserable, runs away with her sister’s husband, unaware that he has just robbed a bank.

The owner of a fast food restaurant, known for hitting on his young female employees, successfully beds his newest employee and quickly learns that she is from the Draconian planet of Keerbur and that he must now do her bidding.

A man having an affair with his assistant goes to bed with her in a hotel room. He wakes up the next morning in the hotel room, but the woman next to him is his wife.

A character obsessed with her tarot deck is shocked as the cards become eerie physical realities in her life.

A physician who desperately wants to found a new research facility surreptitiously sells his patients’ healthy organs/tissues to finance it.

A former movie star who thinks he’s still famous goes to an agent’s office which is really a front for laundering money from Russia.

Prior to the dissemination of an annual bar examination, the proctor is found dead in the examination room.

A former prisoner-of-war loses his job and has to find a quick way to support his wife and their four children.

While out drinking in a small town cemetery on a hot summer night, teens are transfixed by a glowing light near one of the oldest headstones in the cemetery.

A couple about to lose their home in foreclosure proceedings kidnaps the daughter of a local banker and quickly learns why her parents refuse to pay the demanded ransom money to get her back.

A man on his honeymoon in Yosemite wakes up in the morning, sneaks out of his cabin to get some wood to surprise his wife with a fire and comes face-to-face with a bear.

What story starters do you want to share to get our creative juices flowing?

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Find of the Week: Howard Hawks (1896 - 1977)

2008-04-14T08:56:00.013-05:00

While at the library last week, I picked up a copy of one of the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Films, Bringing Up Baby, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant , and was happy to discover a bonus documentary entitled, “The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks.” The film was based upon the book, The Men Who Made the Movies by Richard Schickel. It features film clips and interviews with the director and is narrated by director Sydney Pollack.

For years I’d admired Hawks’ flair for writing smart, rapid-fire dialogue that keeps audiences tuned into the story. Hawks said his trick to this was adding a few extraneous words to the beginnings and endings of characters’ sentences so that characters talk over each other while still communicating everything the audience needs to hear. This was demonstrated superbly in his film, His Girl Friday, also starring Cary Grant.

Bringing Up Baby, a film ahead of its time, was not successful during its initial release. It features a lot of double entendre, another one of Hawks’ trademarks, and also noted prominently in His Girl Friday.

Hawks said his preference in making a film was for scene over logic. He focused on the scene first, making sure that he liked everything presented in it, then worried about the logic. He noted the 1946 film, The Big Sleep, a Raymond Chandler novel adapted into screenplay format by William Faulkner, and how when actor Humphrey Bogart asked him about a particular killer in the film, they discovered that the killer Hawks had in mind was already dead at the time of the murder. While I don’t advocate logical inconsistencies in screenplays, his emphasis on satisfaction of each scene of the film is noteworthy since his films are still popular.

Hawks also noted that if he liked a character, he could make his audience like a character. He drafted the screentest scene for Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not, her first film. This included the memorable lines,

“You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.”

He said that the scene didn’t really have anything to do with moving the story forward, but the studio executives liked it so much, they insisted that he work it into the film.

Hawks directed over seventy films. Others include: The Dawn Patrol, Scarface, Twentieth Century, Sergeant York, I Was a Male War Bride, The Philadephia Story, Monkey Business and Rio Lobo.

Short Story Find: "Eight O'clock in the Morning"

2008-03-31T09:46:00.009-05:00

I found a great short story today:
“Eight O’clock in the Morning” by Ray Nelson, http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/9412/8oclock.html. The story was written in 1963 and tells of one man’s awakening to aliens posing as humans, many of them politicians and others in various authority roles, such as the chief of police. The Fascinators, as the aliens call themselves, control everything on Earth, only humans don’t realize it. Subliminal programming runs rampant and no one suspects that a group of intruders could be controlling the faltering economy and just about every other aspect of human life. No one suspects, that is, until George Nada truly awakes from a hypnotism session and for the first time sees things as they really are.

”Eight O’clock in the Morning” was the basis for the 1988 John Carpenter film, “They Live” starring former professional wrestler Roddy Piper . My favorite John Carpenter film is “Escape from New York” , (Kurt Russell looked so fine as Snake Plissken) but “They Live” is an entertaining film as well. If you haven’t seen it, it’s online in installments on YouTube. Links for the film are listed below:

“They Live” – Part 1, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERpnshyq0lE
“They Live” – Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLV9tenlTBM&feature=related
“They Live” – Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5HGCy_TbsQ&feature=related
“They Live” – Part 4 "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNzXFUCZ7D0&feature=related
“They Live” – Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mym6IwXZ8to&feature=related
“They Live” – Part 6 "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_H8W8ayhZI&feature=related/”
“They Live” – Part 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcfi6mCEM0Q&feature=related
“They Live” – Part 8 "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NK7dBxylMU&feature=related/"
“They Live” – Part 9 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaVpeygMA3g&feature=related

Enjoy!

(Please pardon the post appearance. I've been having issues with my google links.)

Another Talent Gone

2008-03-28T22:48:00.003-05:00

Screenwriter, opera director and the Oscar-winning filmmaker of ”The English Patient” Anthony Minghella died in London on March 18 of a hemorrhage subsequent to an operation the previous week to remove cancer of the tonsils and neck. He was 54 years old.

Minghella had been in Botswana recently filming an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," which was recently broadcast by the BBC. But Minghella, who began his career as a writer, confessed he was not sure of his place as a director.

"I am a writer who was able to direct the films that I write," he said recently. "It is a naked thing to admit, but I feel very strongly that I want people to appreciate that I am not just a flash in the pan."

Minghella also turned his talents to opera. In 2005, he directed a highly successful staging of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the English National Opera in London — choreographed by Minghella's wife, Carolyn Choa. The following year, he staged it as the season opener of New York's Metropolitan Opera.

Minghella’s other films include: ”Cold Mountain,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and ”Truly, Madly, Deeply”.

Agent Spotlight: Natanya Wheeler

2008-03-26T10:22:00.004-05:00

Natanya Wheeler at Lowenstein-Yost Associates is actively seeking to build her list. She would love to find narrative nonfiction in the areas of memoir, women’s issues, nature and politics.

She’s also aggressively looking to build her fiction list with strong writers who have original and confident voices. She’s particularly interested in literary fiction that touches on current events or multicultural issues, young adult novels, fast-paced commercial fiction, women’s fiction of all kinds – historical and contemporary romance – and erotica with an edge. She does not handle science fiction, horror or fantasy.

To Submit

By mail:
For Fiction: Mail a query letter, short synopsis, first chapter and a self-addressed, stamped envelope (S.A.S.E).

For Nonfiction: Mail a query letter, proposal, if available, or else a project overview and a S.A.S.E (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope).

To Submit

By mail:
For Fiction: Mail a query letter, short synopsis, first chapter and a S.A.S.E (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope).

For Nonfiction: Mail a query letter, proposal, if available, or else a project overview and a S.A.S.E (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope).

To:

Lowenstein-Yost Associates
121 West 27th Street
Suite 601
New York, NY 10001

E-mail submissions are acceptable via the firm's
online form .

Birthday Blitz

2008-03-24T23:05:00.001-05:00

I'm off for the day celebrating my birthday, so have a laugh with TV's Craig Ferguson.

Have a Blessed Easter

2008-03-23T08:30:00.003-05:00

Blessings to you this Easter Sunday, a time of renewal. The resurrection of Jesus marks a time of starting over for Christians. The Pagan new year just began on March 21 with the start of the Sun taking its turn in Aries, my astrological sign. I've always felt that the new year for me begins not on January 1, but on my birthday, the anniversary of my birth.

I wish you the best new beginnings possible. May you receive inspiration for new projects, attain new sales, sense new hope and joy and feel eternally youthful. Enjoy your day!

Blessed be.

Happy Spring!

2008-03-20T16:58:00.002-05:00

It's been a loooooong winter, but Spring is finally here. It's time to pull off the heavy coats, dust off the cobwebs and spring forward into creativity. Here are a few things I'm going to do to rev up the creative juices:

Get together with a group of other writers and go around the circle with each person adding on to a tale started by the first person. Chain stories often spark a missing link needed in your current work-in-progress. I've been using this technique since college. Some of the most creative sparks flared up while utilizing this method in a pub, but that's another post.

Go to a museum or art gallery and select an image, painting or other object that catches your eye, sit down with pad and paper or keyboard and start writing about it. What is it about this item that caught your attention? What do you feel was the artist’s inspiration in creating it? What do you imagine is the story behind this item? What are the characteristics of the person who created or found this item? Was the person fulfilling a life’s calling or passion? Was he or she responding to something coming from a place of joy, or maybe one of rage or fear?

Visit a cemetery and find a monument that speaks to you. Some people like to take a large sheet of paper and rub with pencil, charcoal, pastels or crayons over an interesting picture or inscription. However, tombstone rubbings are not necessary to complete this exercise. Get into the character of this person. Who was he? What did she do in life? What was her greatest ambition? What did he leave undone? What was this person’s story?

Okay. Maybe spring hasn’t officially sprung in your area. If it's an inclement day, go to your computer and visit a photograph Web site, like flickr, type in a word or group of words and click on the Search button and take a gander at what’s there. You’re sure to find some image to inspire your writing. One stunning collection I discovered recently is by Nick C. Carlson. He has a wonderful gift at composition and in capturing exquisite images. Here’s an example with a shot he took at Haceta Beach in Oregon. Isn't that awesome? What would your story be if you were there on that beach watching that scene? What would your character be doing there? Vacationing? Hiding? Killing?
Select a symbol or icon you feel represents the meaning of life and write about how and why it does.

Now get back to following Roger Ebert’s advice and just write!

Just Write

2008-03-16T17:51:00.009-05:00

Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert was on a writers' television show last week (can't recall the title of the show, but a typewriter keyboard is on the title shot) and he had some wonderful stories to share about his career and information about his books, including
Your Movie Sucks .

His barbed wit is a treat in all of his books and film critiques, but his words on the television writers’ show were profound. He talked about his recovery from cancer, and how during that time, when he wrote he felt better, more alive. He said that if you wait for inspiration to write, it won’t come. We need to sit ourselves down, write and the inspiration will then flow to us. So let’s all follow Mr. Ebert’s advice today:

Just write.

A New Earth, A New Worldwide Web Experience

2008-03-04T10:52:00.006-06:00

Oprah Winfrey , along with author Eckhart Tolle , teamed up to present a Web class, or ‘Webinar’ to feature telephone connections and e-mail questions and answers regarding discussions of Tolle’s book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. Winfrey said she wanted to sponsor this event after feeling profound changes in her consciousness while reading the book. The class is ten weeks in duration, meeting on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8:00 p.m. Central time at Winfrey’s Web site. The class is free; you just need to register online at Winfrey’s Web site , and load a plug-in to view it. The class will feature a new chapter every week.

Unfortunately, I was one of the many who did get to see all of the initial class. I saw the first ten minutes, then experienced problems receiving the video. According to Harpo Productions, Inc., the class will be available later today on Oprah’s Web site, and also available for downloading as a podcast.

I have only read the first chapter of the book so far. More than any of his writings, I was moved by the presence of the author. I had the honor of meeting Eckhart Tolle ten years ago, shortly after his book,
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, was released. I enjoyed the book, and it helped me get through a turbulent time in my life. However, when Mr. Tolle took the stage, I was moved by the peacefulness he exuded. He was a man who practiced what he preached. In talking with him after the group discussion, I saw that he really did live in the present moment. Possible distractions in the room did not phase him. He was focused on what he was doing and who he was in the present moment.

Did anyone watch the first A New Earth Webinar last night? If so, what were your thoughts? I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Things that Go "Bump" in the Night

2008-02-29T16:15:00.002-06:00

Happy Leap Day!

This past week I ducked inside a little shop to get in from the rain and I found a wonderful book treasure, Ghosts Among Us by Leslie Rule . This book features photos and tales from amusement parks, homes, hotels and cemeteries concerning spirits that once walked the earth. The stories are from all over America. I found the creepiest tales being those of physical items, particularly dolls, that have been known to move on their own from place to place. One case features forensic sculptor Frank Bender , who was the artist who helped capture fugitive John List when his age-enhanced bust of List was presented on “America’s Most Wanted.” List was an escaped fugitive of eighteen years who had murdered his entire family in New Jersey. List was apprehended in Colorado eleven days after his bust was featured on the television show.

The stories are interesting and the writing is engaging and concise. A number of photographs are presented, and I found myself wanting to see even more images of the places these spirits allegedly roam. If the author’s name sounds familiar, it’s because the nut doesn’t fall very far from the tree. Leslie’s mother is Ann Rule , one of my favorite authors. Leslie is a talented author, as is her mother. If you like ghost stories at all, check out this book.

One of my own ghost stories involves a light that would occasionally shine in one of the bedrooms of my former house, where no light fixture was present. My former husband and I were both concerned over what caused this light, whether it was a spirit, a tear in the fabric of time, a parallel universe, or something beyond our comprehension. We never did solve that mystery.

What ghost story would you like to share?

2008-01-10T08:45:00.000-06:00

Thirteen Things about Songs That Inspire My Creativity

There are many songs/artists loaded on my computer, but lately these are some of the tunes that help inspire my work:

1. Rockstar by Nickelback

2. Losin’ Control by Jay Ferguson

3. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting by Elton John

4. Flesh for Fantasy (Below the Belt Mix) by Billy Idol

5. Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

6. Amos Moses by Jerry Reed

7. Back in Black by AC/DC

8. Getaway by Earth, Wind and Fire

9. When Love Goes Wrong by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell (from the “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” soundtrack)

10. Some People by Ethel Merman (from the “Gypsy” soundtrack) a great writer’s anthem

11. Last Plane Out by Toy Matinee

12. All Star by Smashmouth

13. Pencil Thin Mustache by Jimmy Buffett (It’s always good for writers to keep Parrot Head music on hand.)

What are some of the songs/artists that help you put the right amount of punch into that promotional piece? What music helps you finish that scene you've been working on all evening? What are the tunes that fuel your creativity?

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Just Write

2008-01-09T10:13:00.001-06:00

Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert was on a writers' television show last week (can't recall the title of the show, but a typewriter keyboard is on the title shot) and he had some wonderful stories to share about his career and information on his newly released book, Your Movie Sucks .

His barbed wit is a treat in both books, but his words on the television writers’ show were profound. He talked about his recovery from cancer, and how during that time, when he wrote he felt better, more alive. He said that if you wait for inspiration to write, it won’t come. We need to sit ourselves down, write and the inspiration will then flow to us. So let’s all follow Mr. Ebert’s advice today:

Just write.

The Existential Viewpoint

2008-01-08T07:28:00.000-06:00

I was attempting to clean off my desk today, and found a copy of U.S. Andersen’s Three Magic Words. I’d been trying to get inside one protagonist’s head a bit more as it had been difficult progressing on the story synopsis, and realized that I didn’t know her all that well because I did not yet know how she viewed herself in the big picture of life. I had no idea how she saw herself in the world or what type of relationship she had with her Creator. I frequently practice bibliomancy, and will say a quick prayer asking for guidance before opening a book to a seemingly random page. I may not always get the guidance that I thought I was looking for, but I always get guidance I can use. It was a synchronistic moment when I opened Andersen’s book at the page I’d previously placed an index card and my eyes immediately went to the heading, “Viewpoint.” Here’s what it said:

“The riddle of the universe is a riddle pure and simple. Like any other riddle, the true answer depends on a shift in viewpoint. If someone proposes a riddle to you, you put yourself in the place of each of the persons involved in the riddle; you attempt to get each of their viewpoints. When you have gotten each viewpoint, you translate them into one central viewpoint. Then the answer becomes apparent.

It is viewpoint that gives us the illusion of separateness in life. It is this trick that consciousness plays on us that is forever provoking us into believing that we are negligible in the vast scheme of things. We sense that our consciousness is imprisoned within the fleshy limits of our bodies, and we presume that our personal ‘I’s’ are forever limited to the few feet of cubic space that our bodies occupy.

We see ourselves at the center of a tremendous universe. As far as we can see in all directions there is myriad form and infinite variety. The very grains of sand upon a beach refuse to be counted through sheer number. Yet something within us keeps insisting, ‘If I were not conscious and able to observe this, it would not be so.’ We analyze this statement somewhat sheepishly and admit that somebody else would be observing it even if we weren’t, so it would still have to exist. What we fail to analyze is the personal, restricted, bodily contained ‘I.’”

I had a conversation with my character and learned that she didn’t really have much of a viewpoint yet in terms of where she fits in the vast scheme of things. Much of her consciousness is still imprisoned within the confines of her physical body. She is a clean slate when it comes to development of her spirituality. Now that I know she’s in touch somewhat with her bodily self, but not yet in tune with her higher, more aware Self that’s connected with everything, I can finish my assignment a lot more easily than I could have before I learned more about my character.

While I know that height, weight, hair color and favorite ice cream flavor can be important on a character development worksheet, authors need to know how their characters, particularly protagonists, see themselves in comparison to the outside world and what type of relationship (if any) they have with their Creator. How characters assimilate their spirituality, religion(s) and/or philosophies develops their character and propels the story forward.

What do you do to discover your characters’ viewpoint as to their place in the world and their relationship with their Creator? Do you utilize a worksheet of some kind? Do you interview your characters? Something else?

2008-01-03T08:15:00.000-06:00

Thirteen Things about Resources to Utilize for My Writing in 2008

Here are some of the resources I intend to utilize for my writing in 2008. Some are tried and true and I come back to them over and over again; others have yet to be explored. Many have come recommended from others.

1. Materials from an online editing class This class has helped me see just how dynamic the English language is, and how much I need to continually research when editing.

2. Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. This book has been recommended to me by a number of other authors and it’s a great tool for producing a clean, marketable manuscript.

3. You Can Heal Your Life, The Movie A friend told me that this film is going to be showing at a local church next week. I figure I can learn a lot from a woman who healed herself of cancer decades ago and created a publishing empire.

4. Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part This book is a wonderful tool for authors and directors, as well as actors. I’m going to feature some insights from it here on the blog.

5. Materials from coursework done with Rita Mae Brown I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to take both fiction courses and a screenwriting workshop with Rita Mae. If you ever get a chance to study with her, I highly recommend it.

6. Materials from a consultation with Emma Sweeney It pays to investigate a number of agents and also consult with their clients.

7. Author! Screenwriter! How to Succeed as a Writer in New York and Hollywood While most agents pick only books or only screenplays to represent, Peter Miller sells books, screenplays and television shows. He’s had a very successful career and packs a lot of unique insights into this book.

8. The Sorcerer’s Crossing by Taisha Abelar. A friend recently recommended this to me, saying that while she didn’t resonate with everything that was in it, some of the cleansing exercises opened up her creativity and helped her with her work. I’m all about improving my work.

9. Becoming an Empath: How to Develop the Power of Your Emotional Intuition by Karla McLaren. I found this little gem when Wild Oats was going out of business. At first I was apprehensive, wondering if it could provide anything new to a popular topic. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the author provides a fresh voice to this type of work.

10. I know I’ll frequently return to my bible for entertainment writing, Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit. Don’t let the title fool you. This is a great resource for all types of popular fiction, screenplays and teleplays. The author covers a number of universal writing topics, including storytelling fundamentals, character chemistry, structuring conflict, dialogue and developing theme. I’ll also frequently stop by Mernitman’s blog. He’s currently featuring The Asta Awards for the best romantic comedies of 2007.

11. Divine Magic: The Seven Sacred Secrets of Manifestation by Doreen Virtue. I’ve briefly studied The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece by Three Initiates, but have not yet had the patience nor time to fully comprehend its tenets of manifestation. I’m hoping Doreen Virtue’s take on it will help me gain some more focus to help when I return to it.

12. Introducing Abraham: The Secret Behind the Secret featuring Esther and Jerry Hicks. I know The Secret has been hugely popular, especially after Oprah Winfrey featured some of the performers and the author on her show, but I felt it only scratched the surface. I’m hoping Esther and Jerry Hicks will provide some more insight on the Law of Attraction and how to manifest more of what you want into your life.

13. Intuition classes with Lori Sassen, who is about to embark upon some work with author Joe Vitale.

What resources are you going to utilize to enhance your writing career this year? Do you utilize any of the tools referenced here? If so, which ones and how do they benefit you? What new tools do you want to try?

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Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T08:43:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2008.

I hope you all had a safe, fun holiday this week. Best wishes for a healthy, happy, creative, prosperous and loving 2008. May you have more creative ideas than ever for writing projects, more time than ever to get them completed and more options than ever for getting them sold.

2007-12-27T15:16:00.000-06:00

Thirteen Things about My List of Stuff to Do Before the End of 2007

The year is rapidly coming to an end, so I’m making my list and checking it twice regarding all of the things I have yet to experience and/or complete. With a countdown of only four more days to go, here’s what I’m scrambling to achieve before the end of the year:

1. Find my Montblanc pen The seven-figure deal could be coming any time now; I want to sign it in high style.

2. Find the party dress I want to wear to the wedding of my cousin who just had to get married on New Year’s Eve.

3. Donate – some household items to charity to lighten my tax burden.

4. Finish the synopsis for my erotica novel.

5. Renew contact with the Hollywood producer that had previously expressed interest in one of my film projects.

6. Crank up some Ethel Merman music and revise the synopsis for my time travel novel.

7. Take the Schipperke to the dog park at least one more time.

8. Have lunch with my critique partner.

9. Draft the query letter going out to agents regarding my tv sitcom.

10. Taxi my mom around town wherever she wants to go.

11. Do a blog run and visit my favorite blogs.

12. Begin drafts for a new 12-part series of posts here on this blog.

13. Do a little ritual to shed myself of everything that did not benefit me in 2007.

What do you have yet to accomplish before the close of 2007?

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Merry Christmas!

2007-12-23T12:36:00.000-06:00

Have a cool (belated) Yule! Happy Hanukkah! Have a bitchin' Boxing Day! May a keen Kwanzaa be yours! Have an engaging Emperor's Day! May you enjoy a swell St. Stephen's Day! And for the atheists, pick your day and have a good one.

I'm not trying to be politically correct here, just wanted to wish everyone a great holiday of his/her choice. I know there are many I didn't list, but I turned up a few that were new to me, so I've learned something today in my attempt to spread some holiday cheer. My intent was to be all-inclusive in sending out joy for the holidays. Sooooooooooo . . .

May you all get lots of kisses under the mistletoe, the gift you yearned for and time to spend with family and friends. Then get back to writing!

So I'll leave you for now with . . .

Happy Christmahannukwanzakaboxinempstevie Day!

Expect It When You Least Expect It . . .

2007-12-18T12:40:00.000-06:00

Inspiration, that is. You never know from where ideas for stories or new approaches to your writing will arrive. For me, a new portal opened in a house in west Omaha. I recently had the privilege of experiencing Myofascial Release Therapy and my connective tissues definitely got reconnected. The session, which consisted of various levels of pressure applied by hand to my head, neck and arms, opened up a wide range of physical sensations. What surprised me, though, was that it opened up a HUGE gate to nonphysical sensations. Now I even have more to journal about for future story material (and more to discuss with Shirley Maclaine when we have dinner together).

It always pays to heed the experiences in your everyday life to flex the muscles of your writing craft. These sometimes seemingly mundane occurrences can open up a new world for you, if you let them.

Have you recently experienced any out of the ordinary occurrences that have impacted your writing? If so, what were they? How did they inspire you?

2007-12-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Thirteen Things about Writing Gifts I’d Like Santa to Bring Me for Christmas

It’s fun to see all the presents piled up under the Christmas tree and in the stockings on Christmas Day. This is a great season for giving, but it’s also fun to receive, especially when someone gives you cool writing stuff. Here are some things I would love to see Santa leave in my stocking this year.

1. An Alphasmart Keyboard – I don’t know for sure if it would help me write more when I travel, but I’d like to give it a go.

2. Some 0.7 Lead Refills – not terribly exciting, but practical.

3. A Composer – to coauthor a musical for stage and screen.

4. Dinner with Shirley Maclaine – I KNOW that would inspire my writing.

5. A New Agent sans a contract with an Interminable Agency Clause – for my novel projects.

6. Some Black Montblanc Pen Refills – again, not exciting, but practical.

7. Some of Santa’s Elves – to clean up my office.

8. A New Agent – for my screenplay and television projects.

9. A Few More Freelance Assignments – Mama needs new shoes.

10. More Time – to complete my projects.

11. Some Extra Cash – to take my critique partner to the restaurant of her choice.

12. Some Personalized Art Deco Style Post It Notes - because I’m almost out of them.

13. A Seven-digit Contract for One of My Projects - ‘nuff said.

What writing-related gifts would you like to find in your Christmas stocking this year?

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The Five Senses as Inspiration

2007-12-10T00:51:00.000-06:00

Fiction writing classes teach us to remember to incorporate the five physical senses into our stories to help bring the tale to life, so that the reader can become absorbed in the story. Don’t you feel more pulled into the story when you’ve remembered a familiar smell or clearly visualized an image expressed in the novel you’re reading? Using the five senses is a fantastic way to keep your reader turning the pages and to breathe life into your story, but how often are we encouraged to utilize the five physical senses as a source of inspiration for our stories?

All around us, every day, are writing tools ripe for the picking. As you go about your everyday life, notice what you notice. If you don’t have a laptop computer, Alphasmart or daily planner with you, always keep a small spiral notebook on you so you can jot down the interesting things you experience with your physical senses in between writing sessions on your work in progress – the hazy aura around the full moon; the crazy woman on the subway who bursts out screaming and continues to do so until the next stop; the warm, soft sensation of a newborn puppy in your hands; the seemingly absurd conversation overheard at the next table in a restaurant; the smell of Christmas cookies wafting through the house as you walk through the door; the taste of your favorite food at the end of the day.

Take advantage of the five physical senses in all aspects of your writing. You never know when that little snippet of information will turn into a gold nugget. Now get that small spiral notebook, a couple of pens and a good mechanical pencil fully loaded with lead and work on your story in the mall, at dinner, on your way to work . . . .

Please Pray for Omaha

2007-12-06T00:43:00.000-06:00

My friend Michelle took me out to lunch Wednesday at the Dundee Dell in Omaha, a nice little pub known for their fish and chips. Then we took in a little thrift store shopping to go on a quest for rare, unique treasures. During our excursion, I got a call from my other friend, Chris.

"There's a shooter at Westroads. They're on lockdown."

Pause

"Tell me you're kidding." Part of me wanted to believe she was telling a sick joke, and a funny, redeeming punchline was coming.

"I'm not kidding. No one can get in or out. The swat team's out there and cop cars and ambulances are everywhere."

I was relieved to learn that Chris was not at the Westroads Mall; she was reporting what had just been broadcast on television. The police have not released much information yet, other than that it appears all of the shootings took place in the Von Maur department store. Victims' names have not been released. Nine people are reported dead so far, but a recent rumor indicates that one of the five people hospitalized in the shooting has died, bringing the death count to ten. I'm not going to report anything on the shooter, because that's what he wanted, other than to say that he did have the decency of saving the people of Omaha money in court proceedings, because he killed himself following his rampage.

I haven't heard back yet from a couple of friends who often shop at Von Maur. My lunch buddy Michelle called me tonight and said that her father-in-law had been at Westroads today, but that he had left before the sniper began firing.

Please hold everyone in the Omaha area in your prayers and good thoughts. Omaha is such a friendly town. We're all going to remember where we were when we heard the news of the massacre here, the day when our reality was shattered, the day when 'it can't happen here' happened. I am shocked. SHOCKED.

Thank you.

The Improv Challenge

2007-12-04T12:04:00.000-06:00

Improvisation isn’t just a great tool for actors. Everyone can benefit from it. Those engaged regularly in creative projects might benefit more quickly since they tend to be (sometimes) less restrictive in their thought processes, but everyone can see results from it. Improvisation lets the subconscious mind help you reach your goal. Another great thing about improvisation is that it doesn’t require big chunks of time.

Improvisation is a great way to help an author get started on a new novel, screenplay or short story, or work through blocks on a current work-in-progress, because you don’t need a plot, characters or setting. The Improv Challenge requires minimal preparation and time, and the payback can be huge. Again, you don’t need a writing project to benefit from The Improv Challenge. This can help you with any issue you’re working on in your life.

Here’s The Improv Challenge:

• Put a notepad, a dictionary and pencil next to your bed before retiring for the night. Find a well-sharpened pencil instead of a pen because if your pen is not functioning properly in the morning, it can hamper your session for that day.

• Upon waking in the morning, choose any three words which spring to mind. They can be any type of word, noun, verb, adjective, whatever. The more random the better, so pick the first three words that feel right, but if you need help getting started, open the dictionary at any point and quickly, without thinking, pick three words.

• Note the three words chosen and free write for ten minutes, no longer, using each of the three words at least one time. You may have a writing sample running anywhere from 100 to 200 words, but the word count doesn’t matter. Just write for ten minutes and include those three words at least once.

• The next morning, repeat the process and select three new words, or choose three words from the piece you’d written the previous day.

• You can review the written pieces at the end of each day, or wait a week before looking at them again.

• Repeat the process for a minimum of seven days.

You may not experience the “aha!” moment of clarity, instantly realizing the answer you seek, but don’t be surprised if you do get the answer you’re seeking this way. It does happen. Some answers come more subtly, in a method in which they just seem to slowly rise to the surface, as if being washed upon the shore of your mind.

You can do The Improv Challenge at any time of the day, but it’s best to do it first thing in the morning because the subconscious mind is more active with the body just having been asleep; the conscious mind has not yet had the opportunity to let doubt and criticism get in the way of the process. Try it for at least seven days and see what happens. Doing it for 21 days can make it a habit. I know some authors who have sold millions of copies of their books who utilize this process, or a variation of it, every day.

If you’re eager to try it, see what you can do right now with the words:

Profit, Desire, and Rejection.

Good luck!

In the Words of Mark Chesnutt . . .

2007-12-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

"It sure is Monday."

It’s raining down Monday on me today. I’m working on a tight deadline, seeking out new projects, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, really just another day, but one at the start of a new week, heralding another four days of the same groove.

A friend passed on the link to a short video that made her laugh out loud and, God bless her, she sent it to me. I had a good laugh, and now I’m in more of a frame of mind to hit the ground running creatively today. I invite you to check it out and see if it doesn’t help you get your fingers tapping a bit more quickly on the keyboard. This newlywed couple definitely had it goin’ on. A little premeditated modus operandi of the conspiracy variety, well executed, can make for some stellar memories, especially when recording technology comes into play.

Enjoy.

Wedding First Dance

Godspeed and have fun getting in the zone today.

Oh, Schipperke, Oh, Schipperke . . .

2007-12-01T07:38:00.000-06:00

. . . my little dog named Shasta.

What can I say?

It’s cold outside and Christmas carols are playing ad nauseam at most public places inside and the holidays are sneaking up on us like an old pair of underwear. As I work in my office today, I’m taking a break from my current works in progress and rewriting “Oh, Christmas Tree” and transforming it into “Oh, Schipperke” in honor of my fun pooch. Cute little dogs in boas are so inspirational. Do you ever rewrite lyrics to Christmas carols? If so, which ones? Who/what is your inspiration?

2007-11-29T01:53:00.000-06:00

Thirteen Things about Why I’m Happy to Be Blogging Again

Here are some of the reasons that I’m ecstatic to be back online, up and running with the blog experience once again:

1. Accountability – Since I have my real name and photo up on this site, I can pull myself out of the shadows, away from all those covert operations I was engaged in, and be an honest woman once again.

2. Multi-tasking – Because the confines of Corporate America have previously dumped inordinate amounts of work on me to be completed simultaneously, coming back now just seems to be the right thing to do with the holiday season now upon us.

3. Sharing the Wealth – My critique partner didn’t already have enough to do, so now she can eyeball my lengthier posts and help me get them ship-shape. Thank you, Podna!

4. Escapism I needed a break from my day-to-day life. “As the World Turns” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” can only do so much to distract me from the comedy and tragedy of life in this dimension.

5. Inspiration – I just read Shirley MacLaine’s latest book, Sage-ing while Age-ing, and her direct, intelligent writing style and “out there” topics made me see that it was time to return to the Web.

6. Give and Take – It's fun to get the poop, I mean, disclose information and glean the wealth of knowledge from others. Today I opted to share the above photo, in which it is patently obvious that I had ingested far more than my fair share of happy juice and was feeling no pain.

7. Anticipation – I’m looking forward to researching and writing a number of upcoming posts, including a series based upon a well-known book for actors that is also an indispensable resource for writers.

8. The Quotes – I miss sharing famous movie quotes in the "Name That Film" section and long to dig up some more and paste them up here.

9. The Quest for Knowledge – I still know only enough about the Internet and Web design to be dangerous, so I’m eager to learn how to build a better writers’ site.

10. Appropriating Good Lines from Others – I always welcome the opportunity to say, "I’m baaa-aaaaccccccckkk!"

11. The Opportunity to Better Cope with Existence on the Earth Plane – While denial is normally my favorite coping mechanism, maintaining the blog here provides a much more positive, creative way to help keep me out of various state-run institutions.

12. Auld Lang Syne, a.k.a., The Tearful Reunion Factor – I missed you guys!

13. For the FUN of It – Nuff said. Blogging is good clean fun.

I hope you are all doing well this Thursday, enjoying a blessed day. I look forward to getting reunited with you once again. Godspeed!

P. S. Note the new section on the left side of the page, "Fascinating Nonwriters' Web Sites." This will expand as I find more intriguing Web pages to share. The "Interesting Books I've Encountered of Late" section has been updated, too.

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Taking a Break

2007-07-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

While writing is my passion, both my stories and this blog, real life has intervened and I am taking a break from the blogging world. Hopefully, I won't be hanging from the clock very long. I hope to return in a month or so and invite you to come back later. Thanks for visiting and posting. God bless.

2007-06-28T07:24:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about Great Romance Novel Plots

Here are some romance novel plots that always seem to sell with an author's unique spin on the story:

1. The taming of the savage male

2. Marriage of convenience

3. Hero and heroine snowbound together

4. Redemption through love

5. Amnesia

6. Lover blames other for some hurt to self or loved one

7. A difference of opinion on a critical matter

8. Lovers share a goal, but only one can achieve it

9. Secret baby

10. Heroine pretends to be male

11. Ex-sweethearts are reunited

12. Heroine plays nanny

13. Unrequited love

Which of these 13 romance plots have you written or would consider writing? What other romance plots are your favorite(s)?

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Description: Engage All the Senses

2007-06-25T10:28:00.003-05:00

In writing descriptions of settings and characters, it is imperative to engage all of the senses of the reader. Descriptions of these new parts of the story warrant more than merely "outside" or "a solemn man." Describing what a place or person looks like is great; it's engaging the reader's visual sense. However, what you see isn't always what you get. The visual description alone isn't enough. It doesn't give the reader a full sense of what the place or person is like.

If you walk out of your house in the middle of summer to get something from your car, are you going to notice what your car looks like? Maybe, but you'll likely first notice the heat beating down on you as punishment for leaving your climate controlled house.

Notice what your characters notice in relation to their situation in the particular scene that you're writing and describe that. For example, a character who's extremely hungry and waiting for his lunch date likely won't notice the crowded parking lot or the row of restaurants on the street. He will notice the succulent smells emitted from the restaurants. How we sense the world is how we need to describe our fictional worlds as they relate to the characters in each scene.

Each new scene requires a certain amount of description. How much description is needed will depend upon the point of view character in that scene. What is he or she doing? What is his or her emotional state? What is his or her intention in that scene?

Subtle sensory detail can sell your scene to a reader. The description of a character opening an oven door who feels the heat push back her bangs can be more compelling to a reader than a mere visual description of what is in the oven.

This doesn't mean that each scene requires descriptive input concerning each of the five physical senses. Consider what the point of view character's senses might be telling him or her at this moment in this place. Find one or two details from the other senses to supplement what can be seen with the eyes. Don't forget the internal senses - hunger, nausea, joy, dread, regret, etc. Also be mindful that certain settings can elicit internal feelings in your reader, too. For example, those of us who have had less-than-pleasant experiences there can have our stomachs affected by the smell of a dentist's office.

2007-06-21T08:23:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about Great Romantic Couples

Here are some of my favorite romantic couples:

1. Adam & Eve – They got everything rolling for us, at least after Lilith left the scene.

2. Mark Anthony & Cleopatra – What woman wouldn't want a man to die in her arms? (Some men more than others).

3. George & Mary Bailey – We should all have such a wonderful life.

4. George Burns & Gracie Allen – In the early 1940s, during the height of their popularity, George Burns had a brief extra-marital affair. He apologized to Gracie by giving her a new coffee table, and nothing more was said about it. However, years later, when Gracie was serving coffee to a friend in their living room, George overheard her say, "You know, I wish George would have another affair. I really need a new coffee table."

5. Rhett & Scarlet Butler – Okay. The relationship didn't last, but it certainly had passion.

6. Ward & June Cleaver – Ward always brought home the bacon and June always cooked it. Who could have wanted more in 1950s America?

7. Herman and Lily Munster – A truly happy goth couple.

8. Leonard & Mae Hickenbottom – My grandparents. They had six children, with two of them dying in infancy. As my Gram used to say, "We must have done something right. We were married over 56 years."

9. John & Yoko Lennon – We should all have a prolonged "bed-in" every now and then.

10. Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward – Hollywood marriages are known for lasting for periods of weeks or months, but this one is just short of 50 years so far.

11. Homer & Marge Simpson – Soulmate love in animated form: Homer tells Marge that with her, he feels a "profound mystical connection."

12. Darin & Samantha Stevens – True love with a touch of magic.

13. Hume Cronin & Jessica Tandy – Another Hollywood marriage of duration - 52 years.

Who are some of your favorite romantic couples? How have they inspired you?

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Mr. Brooks: Don't Go There

2007-06-18T15:08:00.015-05:00

"Mr. Brooks" is a new feature film starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore and William Hurt. I'd read some very bad reviews of this film and some mediocre reviews of this film before I went and saw it. I went, despite the bad reviews, because I've been a fan of the writers' earlier works. It certainly wasn't the worst film I've ever seen ("Manos: The Hands of Fate" still holds that honor), but I'd put it somewhere between the mediocre and bad ranges.

Kevin Costner plays Earl Brooks, an entrepreneur/owner of a box company in Portland, Oregon. He's a family man and a good citizen who seemingly has it all: A thriving business, a loving wife (Marg Helgenberger), a daughter (Danielle Panabaker) in college, and a spacious home. But Mr. Brooks also has an addiction, a dark and unnatural addiction. While by day he is seemingly the perfect man, by night he is the Thumbprint Killer, a ruthless serial killer who commits thrill killings that seem to be perfect crimes. The script fails to tell, however, of any reason for his compulsive, destructive behavior.

Although Mr. Brooks has kept his urge to kill under control for over two years with the aid of regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings (in his introductions, he states, "I'm an addict"), on the night he is named the local Chamber of Commerce's Man of the Year, his demons, manifested as a gleefully sadistic alter ego named Marshall (William Hurt), take hold. After the awards dinner, he takes his wife home and, under cover of working on his pottery hobby in the small shack that houses his kiln, heads out to commit a brutal double murder.

This time, however, Mr. Brooks makes a critical mistake, and is photographed by Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), the victims' peeping Tom neighbor. Recognized as a local celebrity by the disturbed Mr. Smith, Mr. Brooks finds himself blackmailed into committing another murder, with Mr. Smith as a tagalong. That's right. Mr. Smith has no interest in turning Mr. Brooks over to the police. He just wants to accompany him on the commission his next homicide. The serial killer has his own stalker. Mr. Brooks also faces trouble on the home front, as his daughter arrives home unexpectedly from college, and evidence soon surfaces that she may have a murder investigation of her own to face.

A quirky yet efficient millionaire heiress detective (Demi Moore) is assigned to the Thumbprint Killer case and zeroes in on Mr. Smith as a potential witness. The detective is trying to put her second divorce behind her, but she's not presenting the kindof settlement offer desired by her husband. Aside from the Thumbprint Killer, she's also looking for a revenge-bound convict she helped put in jail that just escaped from prison.

While the acting performances in this film were fine, the story was lacking. I'd expected a lot more from Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon. They wrote "Stand By Me" and "Starman." At first I suspected the final draft of the script may have been completely rewritten by the director, losing some of the writers' intent in the process. Then I saw that Bruce A. Evans directed the picture. This story is detailed, but it never digs beneath the surface in search of motives or insight. I found only one memorable line in the film, uttered by Mr. Brooks: "If I were here to kill you, you'd already by dead." There were some interesting plot twists in the third act, setting itself up for at least a guess-it-wasn't-so-bad ending. However, my hopes were quickly quashed by an ending with which I was unable to temporarily suspend disbelief. The script also left open the possibility of a sequel that I hope will never be made. If you simply must see this film, wait for it to come out on DVD.

2007-06-14T05:18:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about Great Villainess Names

Here are some names I'd consider giving to a villainess. Some inspire me because they have religious meanings and I think it would be fun to create a character that was the antithesis of that. Other names intrigue me by their sound as they roll off the tongue.

1. Bella – Of Italian origin, means "beautiful." Bella sounds like someone who would be beautiful and cunning.

2. Francesca – Of Latin and Italian origin, means "from France." This is one of my favorite female names. It has such a beautiful sound to it that it would lend itself to someone who attempts to sway the hero from his goals.

3. Gertrude – Of Germanic origin, means "strength of the spear, spear maiden." Gertrude or Trudy could easily wield spears toward the protagonist and enjoy not following in the trail of the saint of the same name.

4. Helene –Of French origin, is a form of "Helen." An exotic sounding name that could make for an exotic villainess.

5. Ida – Of Germanic origin, means "hardworking." Ida could work diligently to thwart the protagonist at every turn. I picked this name because my grandmother Ida could be more than a little bit difficult.

6. Josephina – Of English origin, means "God will increase." A fine, strong sounding name.

7. Lynnette – Of French origin, means "pretty one."

8. Marina – Of Latin origin, means "of the sea." Water is symbolic of the subconscious. Many secrets and bad intentions lurk beneath Marina's sea.

9. Natalia – Of Italian origin, means "born on Christmas day." It would be fun to create a character that was the antithesis of her holy name.

10. Quin – Of Celtic/Gaelic origin, means "descendant of Conn."

11. Theodosia – I selected this name in honor of silent movie vamp Theodosia Burr Goodman, a.k.a., Theda Bara (in the above photo).

12. Veronica – Of Greek origin, means "bringing victory." I'm sure there are a lot of wonderful Veronicas out there, but I haven't met one yet that I liked.

13. Zara – Of Arabic origin, means "shining, flower."

Which of these 13 names would you consider giving to a villainess? What other names do you think would be great for a villainess and why?

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Description: The Establishing Shot

2007-06-11T10:18:00.003-05:00

Establishing shots. They're not just for movies anymore. When you see an aerial shot of a particular location in a film, then a closer shot of the main character, it's pretty easy to assume that the character is somewhere in the area depicted in the earlier aerial shot. These wide shots are known as establishing shots and are used to give the viewer a sense of where the action of the film is taking place. Even in films or television shows that don't utilize the wider establishing shot, e.g., "Lost" in which a jungle surrounds the characters, it's still easy to see the context of where things are happening.

For the viewer to comprehend what's going on in the story, filmmakers must show their viewers where it's going on. Authors need to provide the same courtesy to their readers. They need to put the location of each scene in context so that readers can see, just as easily as the viewer of the film can see, where the scene is occurring. Readers need to know where the action is taking place so they can adequately understand what is taking place. If the author tells the reader that two characters are carrying on a conversation "outside," is it on a foggy day in London or a hot, humid day in Mississippi? The difference in context can make a huge difference in how readers perceive your story.

Even without an establishing shot in a movie, the audience can still see bits and pieces of the characters' surroundings behind them to give a clue as to where the scene is taking place. In fiction, readers can't immediately see what's surrounding the characters. It's the author's job to provide that information. Authors need to provide readers the establishing shot by giving a description of what the locale looks like, how many people are there and their relation to each other, what they're wearing, what they're doing, etc. By doing so readers can understand where the characters are and what they're doing. Failing to do so can cause readers become confused and leave the story. Provide a brief description of what the location is like, who's present there and what they're doing within the first page after introducing a new location. Tell readers early on where your characters are and they'll easily be able to understand what's going on and stay in your story.

2007-06-07T08:28:00.002-05:00

Thirteen Things about Great Villain Names

Here are some names I'd consider giving to one of my villains:

1. Ambrose – Of Greek origin, means "immortal." Sounds like someone who would be very clever and dastardly, and if immortal, an eternal evil genius.

2. Boris – Of Russian origin, means "battle, fight." Aside from sounding like a meanie, the meaning even suggests trouble.

3. Bronson – Of English origin, means "Brown's son." Sounds like a sneaky, wicked guy.

4. Donovan –Of Gaelic and English origin, means "dark chieftain." Again, the meaning of the name hints at a bad guy.

5. Elkin – Of Hebrew origin, means "God purchased, God created." Okay, so this name implies he might be more of a good guy, but the name just sounds creepy.

6. Gustav – Of Germanic origin, means "stave of the gods." He could be a staff of one of the nasty gods.

7. Hobart – Of Germanic origin, means "bright mind, intelligent."

8. Jackson – Of English origin, means "Jack's son."

9. Jaden – Of American English origin. To me the name suggests a sneaky person who would lurk around and snoop on people, then pounce on them when they least suspected it.

10. Kromar – This is a name I created. To me, it sounds like someone who would be smart and evil. Krom (chrome) could be used as a nickname.

11. Royce – Of Latin origin, means "rose."

12. Wesley – Of English origin, means "Western meadow."
I know it's sometimes used as a hero's name, but I think it lends itself more to a bad guy.

13. Vann – Of English origin, means "God is gracious."

Which of these 13 names would you consider giving to one of your villains? What other names do you think would be great for a villain and why?

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Description: Location, Location, Location

2007-06-04T17:40:00.004-05:00

Location, location, location. It's not just the be-all, end-all component of real estate. It’s what authors need to describe to their readers so that readers can imagine the scene. A lot of the stories I've read lately have been very heavy in dialogue. That's fine when readers are anchored in the scene with the characters and care about what happens to them, but readers need a sense of the world in which these characters are inhabiting to feel close enough to them so that they want to follow these characters on their journey. Readers need to be able to picture where they are and what's going on in each scene. It's fun to fill in the blanks for the author on some of the details, but readers need to be provided enough description to imagine the scene in their minds.

Some authors may feel that description is more of a telling than a showing. However, descriptions of places (and characters) are not telling. Readers need to be tossed descriptions of places and characters if they're going to know what they look like. Descriptions of the locale and the characters in a scene entrench readers into your story. Describe what the scene looks like so that readers are there in the scene. Provide only what needs to be described at that point in your characters' lives so that the story continues to move forward. Do this and it will become kind of a Zen thing: Readers will become one with your story.

A paragraph of description early in the scene embeds your reader in that scene. Readers are tethered to the location of the scene with the characters. Provide some description in every scene and again when the location changes within the same scene.

Let your readers know what's going on in each scene. By telling them a description, you're actually showing them your characters' world.

2007-05-31T09:20:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about Great Heroine Names

Here are some names I'd consider giving to one of my heroines:

1. Amarna – Of Arabic origin, named after the ancient city "el-Amarna", located on the east bank of the Nile River built by the Pharaoh Akhenaten of the late 18th Dynasty (circa 1353 BC). I fell in love with this name watching a documentary on ancient Egypt.

2. Blanche – Of French origin, means "white."

3. Calista – Of Greek origin, means "the most beautiful." Who doesn't want a beautiful heroine?

4. Glenda –Of Welsh origin, means "clean and good."

5. Gilda – Pronounced JILL-da. Of English origin, means "covered with a thin layer of gold", of Germanic origin, means "offering." I've loved this name ever since I saw the film, Design for Living. Gilda was played beautifully by Miriam Hopkins.

6. Isabella – Of Hebrew origin, means "My God is a vow".

7. Jemma – Of Latin origin, means "jewel."

8. Larissa – Of Russian origin, from the ancient city of Larisa.

9. Mabel – Of French origin, means "lovable." I like this name because I'm a fan of the work and life of Mabel Normand.

10. Pagan – Of Celtic origin, means country dweller.

11. Tallulah – Of Gaelic origin, means "abundance, lady, princess."

12. Taryn – Of American origin. One of the alums from my sorority had this name and I always liked it.

13. Zhana – Of Hebrew origin, means "God is gracious."

Which of these 13 names would you consider giving to one of your heroines? What other names do you think would be great for a heroine and why?

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Who's on first?

2007-05-30T14:25:00.005-05:00

The tall, lanky brunette sat at the conference table. The attorney took a sip of tea and looked at her trial notes. The Hungarian mother scratched her head. The left-handed woman jotted down a note. The Oxford graduate re-adjusted her chair. Megan checked her watch. The beautiful woman wiped her eyeglasses. The widow looked around the room . . .

and saw that she was still alone at the conference table.

Huh?

Are you thinking, "What? How could she be alone? What about all those other people in the room? The attorney, the mother, the brunette, the lefty, etc.?"

In the above scene, all those descriptors (from Hungary to Oxford) refer to the same person. Megan was a tall, brunette, left-handed widowed Hungarian mother who went to Oxford and became an attorney. If an author refers to the same character by more than one name or descriptor in the same scene, readers are going to get confused. Stick to one name per character per scene, maybe even go so far as to keep it to one name per character per scene per viewpoint character.

If your viewpoint character calls her, "Megan," then she must be called "Megan" throughout the scene in which you're in this viewpoint character's head. If the next scene is from a new viewpoint character's head, and that person refers to the same character as, "Martuska," then this new viewpoint character should refer to her as "Martuska" throughout the scene and probably never as "Megan," "the lanky brunette" or "the B-52's fan."

Authors can use different names and descriptors as subtle ways of sneaking in bits of information or backstory about the character, but this is really more of a telling of the story. Not good for those who write by the philosophy, show, don't tell. By the end of the above scene (if you'd been able to understand it correctly), you would have learned a lot about our gal Megan, but it would have been cheating. Telling is usually cheating the reader.

If readers need to know that Megan was an Hungarian mother, find a way to bring out that organically within the story, through scene and dialogue, or even a flashback. Just don't confuse the readers. Once they're pulled out of a story, they may not go back into it. Stick with the one-name-per-character-per-scene-per-viewpoint-character rule and you'll have a headstart on keeping your reader in the story.

2007-05-24T09:35:00.046-05:00

Thirteen Things about Great Hero Names

Here are some names I'd consider giving to one of my heroes:

1. Bryce – Of Scottish origin, means "of Britain."

2. Chaz Of English origin, means "free man." Diminutive form of Charles. I’ve only known one person with this name, from my early childhood. I’ve always liked the sound of it.

3. Delvin Delvin – Of Old English origin, means "bright friend." I've only known one person so far with this name.

4. Dex Short for Dexter. Of English origin, means "dyer of clothes." The Latin meaning is "right-handed", "auspicious." Great sounding name. Plus, I liked the character of that name Cary Grant portrayed in “The Philadelphia Story.”

5. Garrett dates from the Middle Ages. May also be a variant of Gareth or Garth.

6. Nigel Of English origin, means "champion". I’ve always liked this name. Who wouldn’t want a champion for a hero?

7. Oberon Of German origin, means "noble bear." Form of Auberon. King of the fairies in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I also like it because I love the work of actress Merle Oberon.

8. Quentin Of Latin origin, means "fifth." Quentin has 8 variant forms: Quent, Quenten, Quenton, Quint, Quinten, Quintin, Quinton and Quintus.

9. Rafe Of English origin, means "wolf counsel." The medieval pronunciation of the name "Ralph." I just like the sound of it.

10. Tarquin Of Latin origin, was the name of two Etruscan kings of early pre-republican Rome (about fifth Century AD). The son of the last king caused the famous Rape of Lucretia, the Roman matron who killed herself rather than live in shame. This event led to the downfall of the Tarquins and the change of elected consuls to rule Rome instead. It has been depicted in poetry and drama in various languages.

11. Theron Of Greek origin, means "hunter."

12. Vonn is a variant of Van and Von. I knew someone in college with this name.

13. Zoltan Of Hungarian origin, means "life."

Which of these 13 names would you consider giving to one of your heroes? What other names do you think would be great for a hero and why?

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Protagonist Punch

2007-05-22T11:01:00.017-05:00

How an author brings his protagonist onstage for the first time is a critical piece of the writing process. In our short attention span society, authors need to find ways to suck readers (audience for film) into the story and keep them there. One way to capture the reader's/audience's attention is by introducing the main character in an irresistible way, while communicating his or her important traits.

Once authors know the protagonist's strongest characteristic, what makes him or her likable and what makes him or her flawed, they need to weave these points into an enticing scene which introduces that character to the reader. Authors must then also consider compelling ways in which to introduce the villain and supporting characters.

Think of the opening to the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. In a brief sequence of scenes, the audience is shown that the hero is an American who travels the world in search of treasure. He's astute, tough, and lets no one get in his way. The viewer knows he can use a whip, that he likes his fedora, and that snakes are not his favorite animal. Everything the viewer needs to know about this character is introduced early in the story. When starting a new story, take time to toss around ideas of ways to effectively communicate key traits in the protagonist's introduction to reel readers in for the duration of your story.

Listing

2007-05-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, stuck in the middle of a project or just about to start a new one, the listing brainstorming technique can help open up your writing. The information you produce in the listing process adds texture to your work and also helps in the revision process.

The first listing tool every writer should have on his/her desk is thesaurus. A visit to that book can often help you gain ideas needed for your current work in progress. To use listing in the fiction area at the beginning of a project, start at the protagonist level. If you're writing a novel told from the heroine's point of view, make a list of 25 different occupations your heroine could have. She could be a spy, writer, airplane pilot, retail store manager, opera singer, etc. Choose an occupation from your list, i.e., spy. Now make a list of ten attributes for your spy. Your spy heroine is: Attractive, but not supermodel beautiful, athletic, sometimes has a problem with her temper, etc. Now extrapolate from this and from each attribute, list ten ways which illustrate that attribute. For example, the heroine sometimes has problems with her temper when her boyfriend shows up late for a date, when she hasn't had caffeine in the morning, when someone she's trailing puts a roadblock on her path, etc.

Listing can also be done concerning plot. Say you want to write a story about a reporter who goes on vacation in London only to get sucked into an international espionage ring as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Start making your initial lists: Where is the reporter when he/she first encounters this international espionage ring? Taking a tour of Buckingham Palace? Getting stuck somewhere in the fog? Buying a seemingly benign item in an old antique store? Take each item on this list a step further. What specifically happened at this place? Who else was there?

There's no right or wrong answer in the listing process and you don't have to list a prescribed number of things in each list. The point is to jumpstart your brain so that your creativity is in full swing and to get you into your story.

This development of lists from your initial lists helps you move forward by making choices concerning your story and/or character development. Often we try to make our story choices all in our head, only to forget important details later. Listing helps get story choices on paper to get the project moving. Now go make those lists!

2007-05-17T09:52:00.000-05:00

13 Writing Books I Can't Live Without

It was tough cutting this list down to thirteen. Many books come and go, but I have a host of wonderful books on the writing profession that I keep in my permanent collection. Listed here are books in the areas of writing, promotion and legal as they pertain to the creative writing profession. Please list your favorites in the “Comments” section.

Thirteen Things about 13 Writing Books I Can’t Live Without

1. How I Write, by Janet Evanovich and Ina Yalof. This is a good, basic book on writing a novel.

2. Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writers Manual, by Rita Mae Brown. This writing book is unique in that the author looks at the big picture of the life of the author and keeping that in balance, along with some fantastic writing tips. Highly recommended.

3. Writing the Romantic Comedy, by Billy Mernit. This is currently my favorite writing book. Don’t let the title deceive you. Mernit’s seven beats can be applied to any story, regardless of genre or format. Thus, it’s not just for those writing a romantic comedy screenplay. I refer to it on a regular basis for story analysis and examples.

4. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell. Campbell studied different cultures throughout history and discovered a lot of common themes. George Lucas utilized Campbell’s work when he was creating the first “Star Wars” movies. Another author wrote a book based upon Campbell’s work, but I prefer the original. The adventure of the hero and the cosmogonic cycle are explained in detail, citing historical examples.

5. How to Be Funny, by Steve Allen. This book is a wonderful tool, not only for actors and stand-up comedians, but for any writer wanting to incorporate more humor in his or her writing. It takes a serious look at creating and performing comedy.

6. What to Name Your Baby, by Maxwell Nurnberg and Morris Rosenblum. Everything has meaning. Names often give a profound insight into a person. I like this book because it’s fairly extensive, but find any baby name book that you feel drawn to and it will help you in your character research. Some useful baby names sites on the Web include: BabyNames.com, Baby Names World and the Social Security Administration has the 1,000 most popular baby names for every year beginning in 1880.

7. The Elements of Grammar, by Margaret Shertzer. This is a great grammar tool.

8. Story, by Robert McKee. My critique partner was not fond of this book because it’s very analytical. I mean SERIOUSLY analytical. It’s not a book I read cover-to-cover, but I often refer to it for reference when I need help with the structure of my story.

9. How to Write Irresistible Query Letters, by Lisa Collier Cool. This little book packs a lot of useful information on query letter writing as well as other aspects of the publishing business, including rights often purchased in a literary contract.

10. Be Your Own Literary Agent, by Martin P. Levin. This is a great resource for promotion and for gaining insight into the literary agent’s job.

11. The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity, by Lissa Warren. This is a nice basic guide to book publicity, containing general tips on promotion, interview tips, and specifics of the book publicity process.

12. The Copyright Handbook, by Stephen Fishman. If you don’t like a lot of legalese (the author is an attorney), you might not like this book. However, if you want to know more about copyright law, how it applies to written works and what it means to you, this book will succinctly tell you everything you want to know.

13. Negotiating a Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers, by Mark L. Levine. This is a guide for authors, agents and attorneys. I think this book should be in every professional writer’s library. The author is an attorney, and a lot of contract examples are listed. It contains a wealth of information concerning the main clauses in a publishing contract. It’s complete, concise and will answer many of your publishing contract questions.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Character Ques

2007-05-16T09:38:00.000-05:00

It’s often been said that character is plot. To know your character is to get him or her moving in your story and to suck your readers in to find out what happens to the person you’ve created.

Beyond the basic checklists often created to help develop particular demographic information, writers need to add details of the person to create more of a window into the character’s psyche. Going beyond generic traits into more personal nuances of the character provides readers with more depth of his depiction and enriches the story, regardless of how much of the character’s personal details are revealed to the reader.

Here are some questions to help encourage your character to reveal more personal information about himself/herself.

1. What would your character say if she suspected someone had just lied to her?

a. "That’s a pile of horse manure."
b. "Bullshit!"
c. "Liar!"
d. "You know that’s not true."
e. "Are you sure you’ve got your facts straight?"
f. "You don’t say?"
g. ?

2. Your character always laughs at:

a. slapstick comedy
b. sarcasm
c. dirty jokes
d. Monty Python movies
e. his own shortcomings
f. others’ misfortunes
g. ?

3. Your character most respects:

a. A parent
b. A personal friend
c. Princess Diana
d. Michael Jordon
e. Oprah Winfrey
f. The Pope
g. ?

4. What sort of movies does your character watch?

a. romantic comedies
b. horror movies
c. action thrillers
d. documentaries
e. porn
f. anything made before 1965
g. ?

5. Your character most closely resembles:

a. her parent
b. her sibling
c. her best friend
d. the cable guy
e. her favorite movie star
f. an unpopular political figure
g. ?

6. How does your character celebrate New Year’s Eve?

a. by himself, with a case of his favorite beer
b. by himself, with a glass of milk
c. at his ex-lover’s house
d. at a lavish party with a hired escort
e. with his friends, hanging out at a log cabin
f. making love to his wife
g. ?

7. When taking a long road trip, your character prefers to be:

a. in the driver’s seat
b. in the passenger’s seat, navigating
c. in the passenger’s seat, daydreaming
d. in the back seat, sleeping
e. on a bus
f. hitchhiking
g. ?

8. What smell evokes the strongest memory for your character?

a. hospital antiseptic
b. warm chocolate chip cookies
c. Chanel #5
d. the week-old corpse he found in the basement
e. shoe polish
f. hot asphalt
g. ?

9. What’s the last piece of clothing your character bought for himself/herself?

a. an expensive suit/dress
b. cowboy boots
c. a terrycloth bathrobe
d. silk underwear
e. a rubber body suit
f. a ski mask
g. ?

10. What trivial fault is your character most ashamed of in herself?

a. an addiction to children’s aspirin
b. an ugly tattoo on her butt
c. an unpaid library fine
d. a fear of water
e. a speech impediment
f. stealing funds from a former employer
g. ?

What other questions/options would you add to help get to know your character?

Fiction Writing Meeting in Omaha

2007-05-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

Writer Dan Reynolds will be hosting a fiction writing discussion at the next Omaha Nightwriters group meeting this Thursday, May 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Panera Bread, 136th St and West Maple Road in Omaha. Dan will lead the group in a dialogue concerning:

* The Benefits of Joining a Critique Group

* Getting Input vs. Working in a Vacuum

* Professional Relationships

* Developing a Healthy Outlook (Accepting Criticism)

* How Do You Deliver a Good Critique?

* Novel Ideas (Spurring Creativity)

* Writing Strategies

* Researching Your Story

* What Sells, What Doesn't

* Software Tools, etc.

Dan will have many of these software tools on a FREE CD for anyone attending the meeting. There is no fee/membership required to attend the meeting.

The Omaha NightWriters are writers of every genre - from non-fiction to mystery novels. Members also write screenplays, stage plays, science fiction and romance novels. A guest speaker is featured at each monthly meeting (except December). The group also offers a free critique workshop wherein you can read your articles, query letters, book chapters, short stories, etc., and receive feedback on how to improve your writing. A poetry group also meets once a month.

For more information, contact Lisa Pelto at: 402-301-4767.

Updated Resources

2007-05-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

The resources on Writers' Links section of the blog have been updated and now include some new tools, including OneLook Reverse Dictionary and some new sites in the areas of crime fiction, children's literature and science fiction. A new Readers' Links section has also been added. The Author/Agent Web Sites section and Blogs section have also been expanded.

If you have a favorite Web resource you feel would be useful to other writers, please share it here. Enjoy!

2007-05-10T04:59:00.000-05:00

Got this idea last week from Robin, whose book "Alien Overnight" was just released. If you’re into erotica, go check it out!

Thirteen Things about Guys I’d Let Eat Crackers in My Bed

1. Anthony Hopkins I was never much of an Anthony Hopkins fan until I saw him in "The Mask of Zorro". My, my. He looked so good and he was SO Zorro.

2. George Clooney Aside from the acting talent and political activism, this guy’s just hot.

3. Howard KeelOkay, I know the guy is dead, but if I could go back in time 50 years . . . oh, yeah. His singing, dancing and acting - all spot on. If you haven't already seen him in "Kiss Me Kate" and "Kismet" , watch these films and you'll see what I mean.

4. Keanu Reeves C'mon. Why not? He's just so sexy.

5. Miguel Ferrer I find Miguel Ferrer incredibly sexy and I often find myself writing characters I envision him portraying.

6. Pete Duel Okay, another dead guy. But again, if I could magically be transported through time to spend a night or two with him, I would in a heartbeat. Check him out in "Alias Smith and Jones"
and you'll understand.

7. John Mayer Not only is he a handsome man, but his music is sexy, too.

8. David Caruso I'm not much for watching a lot of television, but I'll make time to check out Caruso.

9. Peter Boynton He owns a theatre in Vermont. He can sing, dance and act. He has such a presence on the stage, he sends chills up my spine. And he's obviously easy on the eye, too. He also portrayed Tonio Reyes on "As the World Turns."

10. James Remar He played Richard Wright on "Sex and the City", but I first saw him play Albert Ganz in "48 Hours". He's got that sexy bad boy look.

11. Anthony LaPaglia I've thought this guy was hot since I saw him play the obnoxious Simon Moon on the seventh season of "Frasier".

12. William Fichtner A talented actor that's most recently been seen in "Blades of Glory", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "The Longest Yard" and "Black Hawk Down".

13. Hunt Block Here's another talented actor who's been in "Knot's Landing", "Guiding Light", "All My Children" and most recently as Craig Montgomery in "As the World Turns."

Which of these 13 men would you let eat crackers in your bed? Which guy(s) would you add to the list and why?

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Eight Things About Me

2007-05-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

Melissa tagged me, so here goes...

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight Weird/Random Facts About Me

#1. I’m a lawyer and a Reiki Master Teacher.

#2. My first job was as a model.

#3. I make my own perfume.

#4. I read more nonfiction but write more fiction.

#5. I’m a fan of Jerry Reed music. (Sometimes a gal has to tap into her inner redneck.)

#6. I once dated a man old enough to be my father. My mother still cringes when the topic comes up.

#7. The dog I currently have I didn’t select. A friend went out to a shelter and thought she’d be perfect for me, so she got her. And my friend was right. The dog is perfect for me.

#8. I was first published when I was 15, and I sold my first fiction writing project in only 20 minutes.

I don’t know eight other people with blogs that haven’t already been tagged, so I guess it stops here. Is anyone here surprised by anything in my list of eight?

Screenwriting Group & Plain English

2007-05-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a screenwriting group that meets in Omaha on Saturdays for networking and critiques and on Tuesday nights for critiques. It's a fun group and it's open to everyone. There is no fee for membership. For more information, go to Omaha Screenwriting Workshops. To get on their e-mailing list, contact Teresa Affleck at: Teresa@USScreenWriter.com.

I also recently learned of a new writers' tool at: Plain English Campaign. Along with guidance on how to write more succinctly in clear, plain English, the site provides information on medical terminology, a legal glossary and pension terms. You'll find these items in the Free Guides and Software section. It's also listed on this site in the Writers' Links section.

Happy writing!

Favorite TV Lines

2007-05-03T04:54:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about the best lines I’ve heard on television

1. ”I said, ‘good day!’” Fez, That ‘70s Show

2. “I didn’t do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can’t prove anything.” Bart Simpson, The Simpsons

3. “Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Say no more!” Monty Python’s Flying Circus

4. “We were on a break.” Ross Geller, Friends

5. “Damn it, Jim! I’m a doctor not a (fill in the blank).” Dr. McCoy, Star Trek

6. “We got movie sign . . . push the button, Frank.” Dr. Clayton Forrester, Mystery Science Theater 3000

7. “Homie don’t play dat.” Homie da Clown, In Living Color

8. “Speed kills, Del.” Dr. Johnny Fever, WKRP in Cincinnati

9. “Good evening. I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not.” Chevy Chase, Saturday Night Live

10. “That boy ain’t right.” Hank Hill, King of the Hill

11. “Who loves ya, baby?” Lt. Theo Kojak, Kojak

12. “The truth is out there.” Fox Mulder, The X Files

13. “God’ll get you for that.” Maude Findlay, Maude

What lines from television still permeate your brain? Which ones do you use in your speech?

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Scriptapalooza

2007-04-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

Got out an entry for the Scriptapalooza contest this week. Scriptapalooza is a writing contest that's been around for about ten years. It features a competition for feature film scripts and a separate competition for television scripts. I submitted an entry in the television script area, which accepts submissions for pilots, existing tv shows and reality shows. I entered a sitcom script in the pilot division, GET REAL, a series about a film production company that makes reality television shows. In the pilot, one of the co-owners of the production company has returned from her honeymoon in the Bahamas. More than a blushing bride, she is red in the face because her business partner and best friend hired her ex-husband to work as director for their company following another employee's death in a freak accident over at the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry. Reality television, former spouses having to work together, and puppets. Who wouldn't want to watch that?

Monetary prizes are awarded in the Scriptapalooza contest. However, the biggest motivator for me to enter was the fact that producers, literary agents and representatives from literary management companies and production companies read the finalists' submitted work. A number of finalists have received requests for their work from a number of professionals in the television industry. Some have already won Emmy awards.

The Scriptapalooza contest is conducted twice a year, with deadlines in the Spring and Fall. For more information, go to their Web site, scriptapalooza.com. If you don't have special script software like Final Draft, you can get script formatting guidelines from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Nicholl Fellowship page.

Kitty Carlisle, 1910 - 2007

2007-04-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

I just learned that Kitty Carlisle died this week. Wow, what a life she had. Born into a family of German Jewish ancestry in New Orleans, her father died when she was only ten. Her mother escorted her to Europe in 1921 with the intentions of marrying her off Grace Kelly style into European royalty. When that plan didn't pan out, they stayed in Europe where Kitty received her adult education in Switzerland, London, Paris and Rome. She finally zeroed in on her acting career after being accepted into London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and also went on to train at the Theatre de l'Atelier in Paris.

She and her mother eventually returned to New York in 1932 wherein she first apprenticed with the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. She attracted notice quite early in her career. Billed as Kitty Carlisle, she found radio work and made her first appearance on the musical stage in the title role of "Rio Rita." She went on to appear in a number of operettas, including 1933's "Champagne Sec" (as Prince Orlofsky), as well as the musical comedies "White Horse Inn" (1936) and "Three Waltzes" (1937).

Her early ingénue movie career included warbling in the musical mystery Murder at the Vanities (1934), and alongside Allan Jones amidst the zany goings-on of the Marx Brothers in the classic farce A Night at the Opera (1935). She also played a love interest to Bing Crosby's in two of his lesser known musical outings Here Is My Heart (1934) and She Loves Me Not (1934).

Films were not her strong suit, however, and she returned to her theatre roots. Appearing in her first dramatic productions "French Without Tears" and "The Night of January 16th" in 1938, she went on to grace a number of chic and stylish plays and musicals throughout the 40s, including "Walk with Music (1940), "The Merry Widow" (1943, "Design for Living (1943) and "There's Always Juliet" (1944). She subsequently performed in Benjamin Britten's 1948 American premiere of "The Rape of Lucretia." In 1946, she married Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Moss Hart and appeared in a number of his works including "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1949) and the Broadway musical "Anniversary Waltz" (1954). She met her husband at a dinner party given by writer Lillian Hellman. The couple had two children. He died in 1961 and she never remarried, spending much of her existing time keeping his name alive to future generations.

Many of us know Kitty Carlisle from television. She was the steadfast panelist of several quiz shows in the 1950s, it was the popular game show "To Tell the Truth" (1956) that made her a game show icon. A regular panelist for some 20 years, she appeared on each and every revamped format from its 1956 inception to its 2002 syndicated version. Known for her stately presence, infectious laugh, pouffy dark Prince Valiant hairstyle, and sweeping couture gowns on the show, audiences reveled at her effortless class to these simple parlor games. She also was a substitute panelist for other popular game shows such as "What's My Line?" and "I've Got a Secret."

In later years, she became an important society maven of New York City, an avid patron and zealous supporter of the performing arts. Appointed to various state-wide councils, she was chairman of the New York State Council of the Arts in 1976 and served in that capacity for 20 years, also serving on the boards of various New York City cultural institutions. A noted lecturer, the civic-minded Carlisle Hart was active in administrative capacities as well, notably as Chairman of Governor Rockefeller's Conference on Woman (1966) and as special consultant to the Governor on women's opportunities. At one time she wrote the column "Kitty's Calendar" for Women's Unit News.

Kitty never stopped entertaining. Making her Metropolitan debut on New Year's Eve 1966 as Prince Orlovsky in "Die Fledermaus," she joined the touring production the following year. She appeared in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and appeared with the Boston Opera Company at one point. She added stature to a number of summer stock plays including "Kiss Me Kate," "The Marriage-Go-Round" and her husband's "Light Up the Sky." Returning to Broadway as a replacement for Dina Merrill in the 1983 revival of "On Your Toes," she was later spotted in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987) and Six Degrees of Separation (1993).

She penned her autobiography, Kitty, in 1984, and was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1991 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C. At the age of 95, she claimed she exercised every day, including floor exercises, the treadmill and swimming. She celebrated her 96th birthday with a gig at Michael Feinstein's New York hot spot Feinstein's at the Regency Hotel.

Her one-woman act in 2005 consisted of anecdotes about the many great men in American musical theatre history that she has known, notably George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein, and Frederick Loewe, interspersed with a few of the songs that made each one famous.

Friday the 13th - A Lucky Day

2007-04-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, a lot of people feel that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. Those who fear it suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia — a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th. One of the earliest concrete taboos associated with the number 13 — a taboo still observed by some superstitious folks today, evidently — is said to have originated in the East with the Hindus, who believed, for some reason, that it is always unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place — say, at dinner.

The ancient Vikings claimed that Loki, Evil One, brought about the negative association with the number 13. The story goes that twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the Evil One, god of mischief, had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of attendees to 13. True to character, Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki and obediently hurled it at Balder, killing him instantly. All Valhalla grieved. And although one might take the moral of this story to be "Beware of uninvited guests bearing mistletoe," the Norse themselves apparently concluded that 13 people at a dinner party is just plain bad luck.

Some say the number 13 is unlucky because there were 13 present at the Last Supper, with one of them betraying Jesus. Oh, and the Crucifixion took place on a Friday, too.

One theory, recently offered up as historical fact in the novel The Da Vinci Code, holds that the negative association with Friday the 13th came about not as the result of a convergence, but a catastrophe, a single historical event that happened nearly 700 years ago.

The catastrophe was the decimation of the Knights Templar, the legendary order of "warrior monks" formed during the Christian Crusades to combat Islam. Renowned as a fighting force for 200 years, by the 1300s the order had grown so pervasive and powerful it was perceived as a political threat by kings and popes alike and brought down by a church-state conspiracy, as recounted by Katharine Kurtz in Tales of the Knights Templar (Warner Books: 1995):

"On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templars — knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren — in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France — and the Order was found innocent elsewhere — but in the seven years following the arrests, hundreds of Templars suffered excruciating tortures intended to force 'confessions,' and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake."

Personally, I feel Friday the 13th is a lucky day. Maybe I just like the number. Or maybe I refuse to let anyone else cloud my attitude and put a negative spin on the day. Perhaps I don't want to let it become an issue. I have enough things with which to concern myself. How do you feel about Friday the 13th? Do you find it lucky? Unlucky? Neutral?

For those of you paraskevidekatriaphobists out there, stay inside July 13. It falls on a Friday.

What a Character!

2007-04-09T16:03:00.001-05:00

I include a photograph of a very young Margaret Mitchell here because the discussion is character, and Ms. Mitchell knew how to create some very memorable characters. Even for those people who have never read, "Gone with the Wind" or seen the film of the novel (hard to believe, but true -- I have a friend who has experienced neither), almost everyone has at least heard of and knows something about Scarlett O'Hara and/or Rhett Butler.

Characters are the backbone of our story. Character is plot. The goals, motivations and conflicts of our characters are what move our stories forward. Do you regularly sketch out your plot when beginning a new story, or do you instead begin by making a profile of your main characters?

I recently had an idea for a new story, but am waiting to flesh out the acts until I get to know more about my main characters. I've been greatly blessed in the past couple of years to meet more than a handful of new people that could stand alone in a story as larger-than-life characters. Normally, I combine the traits of at least five or six people I either personally know or learn about through friends, newspaper articles, etc. I currently don't have to blend so many people into the birth of the characters of my current works-in-progress.

Usually I really get into developing the hero and heroine of my story. However, I'm currently in a phase where I mostly enjoy creating some of the more minor characters of a story. Maybe I feel more of a sense of freedom in making the minor characters a little more grandiose. Maybe the real-life people that I've met seem more over-the-top than most of the other people I know, so I want to capture them somehow in a story with a menagerie of my other creations.

Do you have any special technique for developing your characters? What people have inspired you in your creations? What character has been your favorite one to develop?

Omaha Screenwriting Workshop

2007-04-05T16:37:00.000-05:00

For anyone into screenwriting, the Omaha screenwriting group's screenwriting workshop meets every Saturday at the Creighton University Criss Building, Room L-61 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Creighton Public Safety has okayed parking in the Burt Street student parking lot on Saturdays or you can park along Burt Street. There will be no workshop on Easter weekend, Saturday April 7, but workshops will resume again on April 14th. The Omaha Screenwriting Workshop Web site is at: http://www.usscreenwriter.com/OmahaSW/.

A new offshoot of the Omaha screenwriting group, the Omaha filmmaking workshop, is planning to shoot three very short films this summer and is looking for volunteers to assist at all levels. More information will be provided at upcoming Saturday screenwriting workshops. A separate workshop will also be created for the filmmaking group. Help with filming is needed with everything from actors to props to locations. If you're interested in participating in this new group, come to a Saturday screenwriting workshop and/or inquire at: OmahaSW@usscreenwriter.com.

The Scriptapalooza Feature Screenplay Contest deadline is Friday, April 13th. The Scriptapalooze TV Screenwriting Contest deadline is Monday, April 30th. Details on both contests are available at: http://www.scriptapalooza.com/.

Lights, camera, action!

Omaha: It's Not Just Telemarketing Anymore

2007-04-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

Omaha's not just telemarketing and a bevy of fast food restaurants anymore. The metro area stinks with culture: Literary masterpieces, performing arts, visual arts, theatre and cinema and the word has gotten out. The March 25 issue of the New York Times Magazine featured an insightful article about all of the cultural happenings in Omaha:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/tmagazine/03talk.omaha.t.html?ref=tmagazine

Also, a two-screen cinema in downtown Omaha at the corner of 14th & Webster will open this summer with a month-long repertory series curated by Omaha native, Oscar-winner, and Film Streams Board Member Alexander Payne. Along with his curatorial input, Mr. Payne will be writing program notes for the entire series and speaking about select films during special event Q&A sessions. Screenwriters come and take note as Mr. Payne's Academy Award was won for Best Adapted Screenplay. However, he's also directed some of the most successful films of the past decade: Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt and Sideways.

Film Streams is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the cultural environment of the Omaha-Council Bluffs area through the presentation and discussion of film as an art form. Its new unnamed cinema will feature first run movies: American independents, documentaries, and foreign films making their theatrical premiere in Omaha and the surrounding region. It will also host repertory selections, including classic films, themed series, and director retrospectives, featuring an impressive cast of guest curators. For more information, including how to join the organization and receive half-price movie tickets, go to: www.filmstreams.org.

The Secret Is Out

2007-03-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

I received an e-newsletter today that referenced the DVD and book entitled, "The Secret." I wanted to mention that work here again because a majority of the highly successful people who appear in the film are authors, including Jack Canfield, author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and Dr. John Gray, author of "Women Are From Mars, Men Are From Venus." It was the famous authors that got me initially interested in "The Secret." Since they said they had gotten to where they were by practicing what they're preaching in this film, I wanted to know more.

"The Secret" focuses on the Law of Attraction, the notion that like attracts like. The thought you are thinking right now is attracting more similar thoughts unto itself. The feeling that's emanating from your current thought is soaring out like a bullet toward other similar feelings and drawing them back unto itself. It's the basis for the old statement, "Birds of a feather flock together." The Law of Attraction is a natural law. That is, it works regardless of whether we believe in it or understand it. In the film, Dr. Joe Vitale says that we want to become aware of our thoughts and to choose them carefully, and to have fun with this, because "you are the masterpiece of your own life. You are the Michelangelo of your own life. The David you are sculpting is you."

The article referenced above is from the World Center for Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). The Emotional Freedom Technique (some people refer to it as the "tapping method") helps one accomplish a major shift in energy by eliminating negative emotional reactions. Here's the link: http://www.emofree.com/Articles2/loa-eft-carrington.htm.

The Law of Attraction has been discussed for years by a number of people, including Jerry and Esther Hicks. The main page of their Web site currently lists a number of quotes regarding the Law of Attraction, http://www.abraham-hicks.com/.

If you'd like to watch the trailer for "The Secret" or order your own copy, you can do so at: http://www.thesecret.tv/.

Marching on through March

2007-03-29T10:15:00.000-05:00

Whew! What a month. During an extended illness, I made the decision to create at least one positive thing out of the experience. The lessons, feelings, cast of characters, irony, etc., couldn't all be just writing fodder for one of my stories (although what a story it will be). I'd wanted to watch the DVD, "The Secret" for a healthy shot in the arm, but my DVD player broke. (If you haven't seen "The Secret" yet, I highly recommend it. It's very inspirational. The book version - both book and DVD created by author Rhonda Byrne - is currently on the New York Times Bestseller List.) While languishing at home, I sat back and listened to the inner guidance I received.

I was led to complete the round of edits I had started on a manuscript last month. I did it! I was sorry to pretty much miss the month of March, what with the beginning of Spring and all, and my birthday was not nearly as lively as in years past, but I was happy I finished that round of editing.

Hope you all had a great month.

Reality Can Screw With Your Memories

2007-02-20T17:36:00.000-06:00

I recently learned that my 8th grade English teacher, someone who had helped inspire me to become a writer, was arrested for allegedly sexually molesting a male student back in 1998. My best friend, who was inspired by this teacher to get a degree in Education, called my attention to the newspaper article about it. We were both shocked. SHOCKED.

This man has not been convicted, so I don't know if he actually did what he was accused of doing, but as another classmate pointed out, his life is ruined whether he did it or not. Being accused of such a thing, whether convicted or not, is a kiss of death in the community. If he did in fact molest this young man, the creative writer in me wants to get inside my former teacher's head and discover how someone could get to that point of committing such a reprehensible act. Was he molested as a young man? Was his heart so shattered and the pain repressed that he felt compelled to act out? What scarring event(s) could prompt such a thing? I don't mean to imply that there could ever be a reason for molesting a child. There isn't. I just like to know a character's motivation.

This instructor had not been out of college that long when he was my teacher. He was young, healthy, thin and had a twinkle in his eye. I had a bit of a crush on him. He was a baton twirler and twirled flaming batons at our high school's football games. The photograph of him in the newspaper made my skin crawl, not because he looked puffy, old and haggard. He did appear that way, but I shuddered because I knew that this sad looking old man was the person who had enlivened and inspired me all those years ago.

Sometimes reality can really screw with your memories. If my 7th grade Social Studies teacher and 10th grade English teacher ever get arrested for some unspeakable felony, I hope I never learn about it.

Silencing the Inner Critic

2007-02-15T10:07:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine recently told me about the Llewellyn Publishing Web site at: http://www.llewellyn.com. If you click on the Fun & Free link, there are some interesting tidbits, including Web Tarot and Spell-a-Day. Today's Spell-a-Day really seemed applicable to me and creative writers everywhere, so here's a little writing magic for your day:

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Our inner critic can be our harshest judge. It is different from our instinct or our inner editor, since they seek to protect and improve us. The inner critic seeks to take advantage of us and our fears. Before this spell, think about what shape the critic would be. Would it be a person? How about a symbol or mythological figure? What colors would it be? When ready, take a piece of parchment and pen. Now draw your inner critic on it. Next, light it on fire and place it in a heat-proof container. While it is burning, say:

Inner critic gone away,
Not to return another day.
Now my soul is free
To take opportunities in front of me.
For the good of all,
So mote it be.

By: Olivia O'Meir

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

May you feel and share the love with everyone close to you today. That's my focus as the land of Valentine's Days past sometimes featured less than warm and loving feelings for me, particularly one incident now known as "The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," which involved food poisoning and projectile vomiting. Enjoy all the cards, flowers, hand-holding and other amorous moments, and be careful at restaurants tonight!

Love and peace to you all!

Write NOW!

2007-02-12T10:09:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine recently expressed the idea that I had not been working on my creative projects as much as I could lately. She's an astute observer, and I had to agree. I am very blessed in that I have many friends who are not only honest, but they keep me honest as well. She shared with me a paragraph from a book she's reading, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, by Gary Keller, that I found inspirational for jump-starting my creative writing planning time. See if it resonates at all with you:

"The problem for most is that they assemble everything they need to pursue success and then, instead of actually pursuing it, they leave the raft of their salvation on the shore and decide to think about it some more. They hide behind continual inaction while calling it something else altogether - inaction in the form of additional research, planning, preparation, or, more plainly, procrastination. When you are ready, anything short of action is just plain inappropriate. Simply put, top agents know that no action leads to nowhere. And nowhere is not where they plan to be. When you know what to do, there comes a point when it is just time to 'shut up, get up, and giddy up.'"

Can any other writer out there relate to this? I invite you all to shut up, get up and giddy up today on your current work in progress. And thanks be to DeDe for sharing this with me.

And the winner is . . .

2007-01-23T09:17:00.000-06:00

Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday, January 23, 2007, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Academy member and past Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

The Oscars® will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour red carpet arrivals segment, “The Road to the Oscars.” Ellen DeGeneres will host the event.

Here are some of the nominees:

Best Leading Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happiness
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed

Best Leading Actress
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet - Little Children

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

Best Animated Feature
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Best Directing
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Queen
United 93

Best Original Song
"I Need to Wake Up" - An Inconvenient Truth
"Listen" - Dreamgirls
"Love You I Do" - Dreamgirls
"Our Town" - Cars
"Patience" - Dreamgirls

Best Screenplay - Adapted
Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Children of Men
The Departed
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal

Best Screenplay - Original
Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen

Best Picture
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

Thus far, I've only seen three films from the Oscar ballot: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Cars; and The Devil Wears Prada. My favorite of the three was Cars, (great story) followed by The Devil Wears Prada. Meryl Streep was awesome, but when is she not? She made the movie for me. I really enjoyed the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but was disappointed in the second one. The story was not as engaging as the first one, although Johnny Depp was as hot as a July night in Mississippi.

What are your Oscar picks for the year?

She Will Be Missed

2007-01-13T15:24:00.000-06:00

Yvonne De Carlo 1922 - 2007

From B-movies to feature films to "The Munsters," Yvonne De Carlo brought her captivating beauty and robust acting talent to us all. Peggy Yvonne Middleton was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and encouraged to enter into show business by her mother. They made their way to Hollywood when Peggy was only 15, but it was not yet her time for stardom. They returned to Canada but made their way back to Hollywood three years later. She assumed her middle name and her mother's maiden name as her new professional name and danced in chorus lines for a year and then began to get work in films as an extra. She played bit parts for awhile, some uncredited, until she landed her breakthrough role in Salome, Where She Danced. She continued to get feature films and landed a memorable role in 1956 in The Ten Commandments, playing the wife of Moses.
She will likely be best remembered, however, for her role as Lily Munster in "The Munsters" television show. You can enjoy her performances in this fun horror parody on DVD. Visit

amazon.com to purchase copies.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Yvonne De Carlo was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6124 Hollywood Boulevard and a second star at 6715 Hollywood Boulevard for her contribution to television.

She wrote her autobiography in 1987: Yvonne: An Autobiography.

Billy Beats

2007-01-04T16:06:00.000-06:00

I was working on a synopsis last week and I found myself returning to one of my favorite books on writing for guidance. If you've not already checked out Billy Mernit's Writing the Romantic Comedy, I highly recommend it. Although the title indicates its application to the romantic comedy (or "romcom" as Billy puts it) subgenre, a quick review of the book will illustrate that the points covered here are pertinent to all forms of the romance genre. I feel that the studies on character and his main points on plotting, or "Billy Beats" as my critique partner Karen and I have been known to call them, can easily apply to all forms of commercial fiction.

Mernit first stresses the importance of getting to know your characters, indicating that characters create their own stories, and provides some stellar to-the-point questions for attaining that end. He also provides some other helpful exercises throughout the book focusing on various aspects of the storytelling process.

Mernit has broken down the traditional three-act structure of story into seven beats. The man's done his research and cites many successful romantic comedies in his book. Here are the Billy Beats (and in parentheticals, my analysis of the Billy Beats applied to the film, His Girl Friday):

1. CHEMICAL EQUATION: SETUP - A scene or sequence that identifies the “what’s wrong with this picture” in a protagonist’s status quo; in romantic comedy, it implies that what’s missing in the protagonist’s life is likely to be fulfilled by a potential mate.

(Heroine is about to marry a man that has less personality than a formica countertop.)

2. CUTE MEET: CATALYST - The Hero and Heroine cross paths for the first time, the inciting incident that brings man and woman together and into conflict; an inventive but credible contrivance, often amusing, which in some way sets the tone for the action to come.

(Heroine verbally spars, exchanging comic banter, with her ex-husband, a man who is obviously still interested in her.)

3. A SEXY COMPLICATION: TURNING POINT - Traditionally occurring at the end of Act 1, a new development that raises story stakes and clearly defines the protagonist's goal; most successful when it sets man and woman at cross purposes and/or their inner emotions at odds with the goal.

(Heroine agrees to do one last reporting job for her ex-husband, which temporarily puts the hold on her upcoming wedding.)

4. THE HOOK: MIDPOINT - A situation that irrvocably binds the protagonist with the antagonist (often while tweaking sexual tensions) and has further implications for the outcome of the relationship.

(The prisoner Heroine interviewed for her one last story for her ex has just escaped from jail. Without even considering how her actions will affect her fiance, she lets her ex know that she's not leaving town to get married yet. "I'm on the job," she tells him. The audience now understands more about the connection she still has with her ex-husband.)

5. SWIVEL: SECOND TURNING POINT - Traditionally occurring at the end of Act 2, stakes reach their highest point as the romantic relationship's importance jeopardizes the protagonist's chance to succeed at his/her stated goal - or vice versa - and his/her goal shits.

(Heroine's mother-in-law-to-be has been kidnapped by the ex-husband's thugs to save the story. Heroine's fiance confronts Heroine - who does not yet know of his mother's abduction - but she continues to work on her last story. Her subconscious goal is to continue her work as a reporter, not escape it by becoming a housewife.)

6. DARK MOMENT: CRISIS CLIMAX - Within the consequences of the swivel decision yield disaster; generally, the humiliating scene where private motivations are revealed, and either the relationship and/or the protagonist's goal is seemingly lost forever.

(Heroine realizes that her fiance is gone, taking the last train to Albany. She realizes she could never marry him.)

7. JOYFUL DEFEAT: RESOLUTION - A reconciliation that reaffirms the primal importance of the relationship; usually a happy ending that implies marriage or a serious commitment, often at the cost of some personal sacrifice to the protagonist.

(After surviving altercations with a killer and local government officials with her ex-husband, Heroine realizes that she is in sympatico with her ex-husband and agrees to return to work for him. He suggests that they get remarried, and she expresses hope that their next honeymoon won't be interrupted by another news story like their first one was.)

To read about Mernit's shameful secret of normalcy, visit: http://livingromcom.typepad.com/my_weblog/ Check out his Web page at: http://www.billymernit.com/index.html. To get your own copy of Writing the Romantic Comedy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Romantic-Comedy-Billy-Mernit/dp/0060935030/sr=1-1/qid=1167950728/ref=sr_1_1/102-5684295-2234504?ie=UTF8&s=books.

If I could keep only one book on storytelling, Writing the Romantic Comedy would be the one. The wisdom shared here applies to commercial fiction of all genres (think "protagonist" and "antagonist" rather than "hero" and "heroine"). It also applies to screenwriting of multiple genres.

What is the one writing book you keep close at hand and why?

Christmas Magic

2006-12-28T06:01:00.000-06:00

Ahhh . . . holiday traditions. Santa has come and gone. Presents have been opened. Eggnog has been drunk and stuffing has been eaten.

One of my favorite new holiday traditions is going to hear Magic Slim and the Teardrops on Christmas night at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln, Nebraska. Magic Slim has been singing and playing the blues for decades and his sound cannot be beat. This year was no exception to his tremendous talent. Although much of the year Magic Slim and the Teardrops tour Europe, Japan and other countries, the Zoo Bar still manages to book him for a couple of choice sessions, including the annual gig on Christmas night. If you like the blues and want a break from all of the other holiday traditions, come to the Zoo Bar next Christmas night. You won't be disappointed.

You can read more about Magic Slim at Blind Pig Records: http://www.blindpigrecords.com/index.cfm?section=artists&artistid=15

Christmas Carols for the Slightly Unbalanced

2006-12-17T23:07:00.000-06:00

Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....

Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...........

The Quintessential Heroine

2006-12-13T03:36:00.000-06:00

Ahh . . . the beauty. The humour. The talent. The gumption.

Carole Lombard.

She was known for her friendliness and her ability to swear like a sailor. She helped put a shy Margaret Mitchell at ease with all of the craziness on opening night of "Gone With the Wind" in Atlanta, teaching her how to handle the paparazzi long before it became known as "paparazzi." She was married to two other noted film stars: William Powell (from "The Thin Man" films) and Clark Gable.

Most of all, she's known for the wonderful films she left behind when she left this world far too early in 1942 in an airplane crash. With over 75 films to her credit, you must see "My Man Godfrey," "To Be or Not to Be,""Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and my personal favorite, "Nothing Sacred." Her spunky Hazel Flagg set the tone for many heroines who followed.

I tag you all to list and discuss your quintessential heroine. To see my choice for the quintessential hero, see the November 23rd post.

Things I've Done/Not Done/Don't Care To Do

2006-12-08T17:06:00.000-06:00

This is a list started over at Robin L. Rotham's blog. I've highlighted in red all of these things I've already done, left unmarked the things I've not yet done and highlighted in blue all of the things I'd just as soon rather not do.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris (eager to do this one)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly could
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (31 + the District of Columbia so far)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (and being blessed with more all the time)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign (but someone who shall remain nameless stole one for me)
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland (looking forward to reliving a past life there)
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater (just last summer)
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (can't wait to do that)
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” (the media have not caught on to me yet)
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (not for mass release)
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (I remember a little German from Frau Gangwish's classes, though)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour (I'm not the groupie type)
98. Been to the Great Barrier Reef
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari (someday, someday)
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears - EWWW!
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (at many points in my life -- I've been lucky that way)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you (I've had offers, though)
145. Had a booth at a street fair (but I've helped friends with theirs)
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (but there was this frightening time when I cut my bangs in 7th grade. Kids shouldn't be allowed to be too creative with scissors.)
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

I wonder if anyone can highlight them all? What's something you've always wanted to do but haven't made time for yet? It doesn't have to be on this list. What inspires you to do it? What's keeping you from it? (There's a little GMC for all the fiction writers out there.)

Holiday Faves/Traditions

2006-12-04T16:47:00.000-06:00

Responding to Robin's tag:

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot chocolate, the homemade variety my mom makes.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa leaves them under the tree unwrapped.

Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Red chili pepper lights are in the house on the ficus tree year-round. The Scooby Doo holiday lights usually make it out this time of year. Some white icicle lights also have been known to hang from some windows on the inside of the house.

Do you hang mistletoe?

Of course. I hang it and I carry it with me. You never know when you're going to find a great kiss out there.

When do you put your decorations up?

Just after Thanksgiving (with the exception of the lights on the ficus. Henrietta is adorned with some type of lighting/decoration year-round.)

What is your favorite holiday dish?

My mom's peanut butter pie. She makes it on all the major holidays and I never feel guilty when I give in to sugar to savor it.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child:

Finding my mom's Christmas present stash with my brother. As an adult, one a few years back was really special, even though I spent it in a hospital. I took my mom up to visit my dad and my cousin and his wife stopped by, too. We all had a great visit and it turned out to be my dad's last Christmas with us.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I don't remember the details (it was a very traumatic event for me), but I do recall that I was shocked that my parents would lie to me, especially after I asked about it and they continued to lie. Guess that's why I have trust issues now . . . .

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Always. The main part of the very Celesky Christmas takes place on Christmas Eve.

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?

I haven't put up a Christmas tree for some time. I decorate Henrietta the lovable ficus year-round.

Snow! Love it or Dread it?

Dread isn't really a strong enough word for how I feel about snow. My concept of hell does not include flames of fire, but huge, blowing drifts of snow.

Can you ice skate?

In a past life, but not this one. I still roller skate from time to time, though.

Do you remember your favorite gift?

From my childhood: A doll house. From adulthood: A bouncing Schipperke dog.

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Spending time with friends and family, taking photos and planning how we're going to push my sister-in-law's sister's buttons.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Chocolate crème pie, with graham cracker crust and whipped crème topping (as opposed to meringue). Nothing holiday about it, but it's my all-time favorite dessert.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Getting Valentino's pizza take-out on Christmas Eve, eating it very quickly so we could open up presents and watching the kids bounce off the walls (and yes, often times I'm one of those kids doing the bouncing).

Also, sending out custom- made Christmas cards featuring my dogs, along with a letter from them summarizing our year. I hope to resurrect that tradition next year.

What tops your tree?

Nothing on top of the ficus right now, but a five-pointed star I remember as my favorite tree-topper.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

Watching a person open a gift you've just given.

What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Traditional – Silent Night. Contemporary – The Twelve Days of Christmas by Bob and Doug McKenzie and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry.

What is your favorite holiday movie?

Christmas in Connecticut and Christmas in the Clouds.

Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?

YUM! And also right up there is that individually-wrapped peppermint nougat candy that all of the classy businesses put out in their offices.

What are some of your favorite holiday things/experiences/memories/traditions?

Bonded

2006-11-28T20:54:00.000-06:00

I saw "Casino Royale" over the holiday weekend. I've been reading a lot of posts about Daniel Craig in the role of the new blond Bond. I felt that he was right up there with Sean Connery in portraying 007. He could play him cold and emotionless and compassionate when it worked for him to be compassionate. Suave. James Bond always has to be suave, and Daniel Craig did not disappoint (especially in the swim trunks). I felt all of the actors did a good job in portraying their various roles. I especially enjoyed Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre (guy with the bleeding eye). Maybe that's in part because he reminds me of Freddie Mercury.

Maybe I just find the game of poker to be rather boring, but I didn't enjoy the story of this movie. I'll have to read the book now to see how it compares with the film, but anytime I'm looking at my watch during a movie, it's not a good sign. The first 45 minutes moved very quickly as it was all action and little dialogue, but most of the story did not engage me and the end of the show could have been wrapped up better. I'll watch Daniel Craig in the next Bond film, but I won't watch "Casino Royale" again. What was it about "Casino Royale" that you liked?

The World According to Murray

2006-11-27T06:19:00.000-06:00

There are times when you encounter someone that profoundly affects your perspective on life, when you meet someone that shares an instant rapport with you and with whom you feel a natural kinship. That happened for me recently when I met Murray. It was love at first sight.

Upon arrival at my Thanksgiving destination, Murray ran across the room to greet me. It was a very pleasant introduction. It didn't take me long to realize that Murray knows how to get what he wants out of life. When he wants his belly rubbed, he just rolls over on the floor and lets you make his life a little better. And his personality is so winning, he usually has multiple persons pampering him simultaneously.

Murray easily plays with children of all ages and temperaments. He can schmooze with the adults, too. He rounded up a fairly hearty supply of turkey that day. Murray seemed to have his life together so well, I knew I had to gain some insight from him.

I asked him some questions about a couple of my writing projects:

"Would it be more fun to write my novel humorous or erotic? Humorous erotica?"

"Is the hero in my film project likable enough?"

Murray looked at me and rolled his eyes in that precious way that only Bassett Hounds have mastered, then walked back over to the center of the living room for some space. He rolled over and stretched his legs, sighing. He appeared to be in a Zen state of mind. It didn't take long before he returned. He lowered his head so I could pet him. I knew his answer for all of my questions:

"Just kick back and chill."

I should have known the wisdom exuded by this marvelous creature would be so simple. May we all follow Murray's advice for at least part of the day today.

Need a Quick Writing Break?

2006-11-25T08:27:00.000-06:00

Are those words not flowing as easily and quickly as you would like? Is your hero becoming more difficult than the primary man in your life? Would you like to slap your heroine silly because she just doesn't get it? If you answered, "Yes," to any of these questions, it might be time for a break. Visit Judson Laipply's "Evolution of Dance." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg (It's also listed in the 'Links' section.) It's six minutes of good, clean fun. It's apparent from the start that this guy has experience in aerobics. The breakdancing and Mony Mony are my favorites, but it's all good. Have a good laugh and then get back to that manuscript.

If you like this video, he's working on another one. More information at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judson_Laipply.

The Quintessential Hero

2006-11-23T03:35:00.000-06:00

Oh, yeah. Paul Newman.

He's been my quintessential hero for some time now. I'd seen him in movies off and on since I was a kid, but it wasn't until I saw him in "Absence of Malice" that I thought, "You know, for an older gentleman, he surely is handsome." Age was still kind of an issue for me then. He's 81 years old and still hot. It wasn't until fairly recently that I saw "The Sting" for the first time. Oh, baby. Or as we used to say in college, "He's a BOB - baby, OH, baby." Whenever I'm creating a new hero or struggling with making my current hero come to life, I think of Paul Newman. I'll watch "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." I'll spy the Newman's Own labels at the local health food store. As the song says, "Baby's got blue eyes." And how. Yeah. Paul Newman always gets me on track when it comes to making those heroes jump off of the page.

I tag each person reading this to tell us all about your quintessential hero, what about him inspires you, and how you discovered him. This can be a man you know in real life (or as in my case, reel life), one you'd like to know in real life, or one that only you know inside the creative genius of you.

Thanks!

2006-11-21T11:28:00.000-06:00

Thanks to all of the many wonderful people who have been a part of my life this past year. Family, friends, co-workers, the mystery people who performed random acts of kindness just to perform random acts of kindness. Special blessings go out to the writers, though. Fellow writers are the ones who usually "get" you. They can kindly point out the holes in your story and tell you when you need more character development. They know what it's like to want to finish a story but at the same time be so sick of it that you never want to look at it again. Blessed are the writers. They put into words what many fear to say and what others fear to think.

Extra special blessings to my bestest and life-long pal, Kimber. Words can't begin to describe how thankful I am to have you as my friend.

Now get out there and enjoy those turkeys, giblets and cranberries!

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

2006-11-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

I have some fun, interesting, beautiful friends. While on a trip to New York, Stephanie bought me a copy of William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray's book, "Walter the Farting Dog." She is going to be writing a children's book in the near future. Randy is my dieting/nutrition/fitness guru. I lost 100 pounds last year and Randy helped me get there. I got myself on "The Randy Diet." Randy told me that I could eat as much as I wanted whenever I wanted of fruits, vegetables and proteins and lose weight and keep it off. He's right. Randy is currently writing a book about golf. He is the world champion hickory golf professional player.