Thoughts for today...writing, living, feeling...

For those of you who don't know, it's been a rough year for my family. We've had several things that didn't quite go our way. The economy sucks, my presidential candidate isn't going forward in the election, gas is too damned expensive and I can't seem to get my frigging car (which I just bought in April) to run from one place to another. These things, on top of a miscarriage and my husband's nine week long recovery from knee surgery were enough to drive me almost completely crazy. It's just been one shit storm after another. So, what keeps me from going completely crackers? Well, I'd have to say that aside from my daughter, my writing is the one thing I can count on to make me happy. No matter what else is going on, I can go to writing and put my feelings, however shitty, down on paper. I can choose to share these thoughts or keep them to myself. I can write angry or I can write happy, it really doesn't matter. The point is, I write.

Times like these make it difficult to concentrate on major writing projects such as my mystery series, but I have found that simply taking the time to jot down notes about what I would like to have happen in my book is a very effective way to gain ground. As a matter of fact, I have recently uncovered several scribblings that I made at various points during the past few months which made wonderful additions to what I am writing. I have written and rewritten Keeping the Faith at least three times now and I'm finally starting to like what I see. It is frustrating for someone like me, a person who hates rough drafts and rewrites, to continually revamp a story. I think, however, that this means I am growing as a writer. At least, that's what I'm telling myself.

I have been saying for the past six months that Keeping the Faith will be ready for publication by this Fall and I am diligently working toward my self-imposed due date. The setbacks have been tough, but I can always come back to the writing after a bad day. It keeps me going and reminds me that there is something in my life over which I have at least a little control. When all else fails, I can decide who lives or dies in my books. I decide who wins and who loses. I can make someone sick, and I can heal that person if I so choose. It's delusion at its finest. Although it doesn't make up for what I have lost in real life, writing does give me an outlet through which I can process the pain and the feelings that sometimes get lost in the daily shuffle. I can say what I need to say in any way I want to say it and this is very important when life is handing you a bunch of lemons.

It's probably obvious to you all that I'm a thinker, one of those analytical, what does it all mean types who drives everyone around me crazy. I love to pick things apart; sometimes I simply can't help myself. I just hope that my analysis of things is at least entertaining enough to keep you reading. If it isn't, I'll still keep writing. Complain if you like, hell, complain even if you don't like to, it's good for you. The point is, if you've got something to say then say it. It matters, even if it only matters to you.

Until next time...



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Enough is enough...

I'd like to know why it is necessary for me to have to sit through commercials for the "Girls Gone Wild" videos when I am trying to watch television in the evenings. Here I was, trying to watch a comedy special on the comedy network and all of a sudden, there they were; a bunch of trampy women jumping around, pulling their shirts up jiggling around with those little censorship tabs plastered all over them. Woo-hoo. Wasn't I thrilled to have to sit through four minutes of that shit.

What bothers me, but not more than the fact that there are women out there doing these stupid videos, is that you can't even control when these things are going to pop up on your television. I don't think I've seen one before eleven o'clock at night, but still, I'm watching the comedy network, not the nasty, pedifile, porn network. Not that I'm judgemental or anything, but how long before I have to monitor the Cartoon Network for ads like this? It is truly ridiculous.

Aside from that, I could do without all of the ads for Viagra, Cialis, and those other medications that have no place out in public view. For Christ's sake, they cover up the Cosmopolitan magazines in the grocery stores, the least they could do is keep these types of things off of the television. It's embarassing to be sitting there, watching television with your child and have to explain what that man is smiling about or why those girls are jumping around with their tops off. I should not have to change my channel to make sure I don't see these things. If I voluntarily decided to watch something that's a little "off-color," then that's on me, but when I'm just trying to enjoy a simple stand-up routine it's a bit much to be bombarded with smut. Give us a break, surely you can find better advertisers to sponsor your programming, people.

That's what I'm disgusted about this morning, I'm sure something else will come up later and I'm happy to share it with you all as it all unfolds.

Until next time...




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Daydreaming...

My sister, my husband and I were brainstorming yesterday about who could play the part of Rona Shively if I were to be able to make this mystery series into a movie. This lead to discussion about who would play Norm and some of the other characters. It was fun to daydream, but we really had a hard time trying to figure out just the right people for the job. What we came up with was this:

For In the Wash:

Rona Shively-Neve Campbell


Norm-Greg Kinnear

Charlie-Jason Bateman









Delvecchio-Sylvester Stallone









For Under Lock and Key:

Trey-John Cena


Jane-Natalie Portman? Still thinking about this one...


Ted McCafferty-Lee Evans


Sally Jacoby-Bridget Fonda



For the newest book, Keeping the Faith (not yet published)

Garrett Shaw-Colin Farrell



Although we haven't really been working towards making a movie, it's fun to dream! Got any ideas on who would make a good Rona Shively Story character? E-mail them to me here and I'll post them on the blog.

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If I Could Turn Back Time...

I wouldn't have watched several of the movies I've watched over the past few months. It is so disappointing to wait through all of the build-up and finally sit down to watch a movie that simply doesn't measure up to the hype. I feel it is my civic duty to take some time to warn you about a few movies...and to complain, in general about the ones we have to choose from.

For starters, there's Juno. I couldn't even bring myself to watch this one because of its cutesy little trailers which I thought, glorified teen pregnancy. Why make a comedy about a pregnant, teenage girl? This movie seems to be making light of a very serious situation. This fact and the irreverant use of the word "shenanigans" were enough to make me boycott the film. Stupid...yes.

Next, there was Good Luck, Chuck. Well, what can I say about this movie except that if I had been in the market to spend a half an hour looking at nothing but Dane Cook's ass, I would have been thrilled. Sadly, the funniest parts of the movie were those which were included in the trailers. If they had tried to assemble a film from just those clips, it might have been fine, but they took it too far and as a result, it was a big disappointment.

The third disappointment I encountered was "Knocked Up." I'm not even sure why this was supposed to be funny, but let's just say that it missed the mark. Once again, irresponsible behavior made into a neat little film that lasts about a half an hour too long. This entire movie was only slightly more entertaining than a Cher video.

How about my fourth pick, Superbad? This one was not only not funny, it was disturbing. Young people, high school age, I guess, talking incessantly about having some sort of sexual encounter. And they weren't using a mild-mannered "Sixteen Candles" sort of dialogue, but in the most raunchy, disgusting language they could possibly use. I was embarrassed to even be watching this one and I'm not easily embarrassed.

I'm not sure what has happened to the film industry over the last five years or so, but whatever it is, I don't like it. Every once in a while, there's a good one, but more often than not it's a real crap shoot. Lest you think I have absolutely nothing good to say, I want to share with you my list of movies that I think everyone should watch at least once. You'll see, I really do have a sense of humor and I'm not just some old prude who likes to give young filmmakers a hard time.

My List...the top 15

Airplane!
Undercover Brother
Ace Ventura, Pet Detective
Caddyshack
Spaceballs
Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery
The Jerk
There's Something About Mary
The Nutty Professor (Eddie Murphy)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Top Secret!
The Three Amigos!
Dodgeball
Friday
Talledega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby

If you haven't seen these, I recommend you check them out when you have some time. They are worth your time. The others, not so much.

Until next time...



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