Articulate on Paper

Moved on outta here!

2011-08-01T08:20:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! Just a quick post to let you know I have departed Blogger for greener pastures. You can now find my blog at Wordpress: Wendy L. Young, Writer.

Been Busy Being a Busy Bee

2011-07-25T06:38:00.005-04:00

I've neglected my blog horribly over the last six weeks as I focused my attention on editing the book, which I plan to have available on Kindle this Friday. The cover art is done. The rewrites are done. All I am doing over the next few days is playing Typo: Search and Destroy with the hope it will be as error-free as possible.

The response so far has been very positive. It feels like a child is leaving home - you can't shield it anymore and you probably screwed some things up, but you have to let it go and get on with things! (For example, the 2nd novel that is being outlined already ;) )

Belated Update: 1st Draft Done

2011-06-05T12:58:00.003-04:00

Novel 1st draft - done!

I finished it last Sunday evening and have subsequently spent this entire week typing...and typing....and typing. And I'm still not done!

I've typed over 110 pages this week, in between work, family, and fun, and have about 30-40 more to go. Then it's on to editing and more editing.

Excited to see it coming together!

One Week Left: First Draft of Novel

2011-05-22T14:46:00.003-04:00

I'm close enough now that I'm going to go out on a limb and say the first draft will be complete 1 week from today.

But immediately I have to put a caveat to that and say that it won't actually be readable that day because more than 1/2 of it will only be in a spiral-bound notebook that is rarely out of my sight.

It makes me more than a little nervous that I have 100 hand-written pages (closer to 125 when typed) that exist on paper only. I'm a product of this time - while I love the feel of pen and paper I only feel something is permanent when it's in an easily reproducible computer file.

So, one week until the draft is complete, at least another to type it up, a couple of weeks more to implement changes I already have in mind...might be ready for real editing at the end of June.

The pace is slower than I like but I know it would be a grave mistake to rush it out and not try to make it the best it can be. I've learned a lot from the short story and I want to make sure those lessons are put to good use.

1 week.

I wonder how long it will take to give it a real name? Calling it no-name-novel, or novel-of-40-names, is getting a bit awkward.

Another pass at the short story cover - One Final Night

2011-05-20T19:32:00.003-04:00

Here are a few options from this afternoon, each one getting a little further from what I had with fonts. I intentionally didn't capitalize the L. Does that look weird? I really don't want a glaring L there. If I could realistically minimize it further I would. I just want to be Wendy Young, in reality, but I feel cornered by the fact someone else with my name got there first. Argh.

It may seem strange to obsess over this one cover but I want to set a standard layout/font that will be easily recognizable and stick with it, at least for the short stories.

Even if one of these is 'the one' they need the final finishing steps of ensuring page elements are appropriately aligned, centered, etc.

Revamping the Cover: One Final Night

2011-05-17T13:04:00.003-04:00

Two issues have cropped up since I posted my short story several weeks ago.

1) There's another Wendy Young. She has a book out. It's not similar but to avoid any confusion I am considering opting for a middle initial on my work.

2) I would feel downright AWFUL if someone bought a short story thinking it was a novel so I've been considering ways to work in 'A Short Story' or 'A Novel' on all covers.

Hence, the dueling versions below.

Original

Proposed New

Thoughts?

What I learned by e-publishing a short story

2011-05-15T13:57:00.006-04:00

Each day I draw a little bit closer to an exciting and scary milestone: self-publishing a novel. I've been writing every day for about 2 months now and the first draft is 80% complete. It's a huge, rewarding undertaking but for someone so goal-oriented it's a very hard one as well.

I love lists and check marks (or rather 'strike out' lines in my case). I love completing even minor tasks in order to feel the flush of progress.

So, I wrote a short story in two days. Edited it in 3-4 (with the help of lovely family and friends), designed a cover in a day (with the help of my super-lovely husband), and then published it - 1 week from first word to pub - on Amazon and Smashwords.

Goal!

I won't lie and say I didn't have some hope it would take off but I knew the publication was more for me than anything. I needed to know something was out there. I needed that experience.

It didn't take off. The highest it's been on Amazon is around 40,000th place. (Yes, I did mean to include that many zeros). But I did learn from it. A lot.

First, I learned the technical aspects of publishing it. That's invaluable. I learned how to create a cover, how to format for Amazon and then do the opposite for Smashwords. I learned how to set up author pages, payee details, and set up a Facebook page which is largely incomplete still - I can't even get a url until I get enough likes. I learned so much more that I've already forgotten.

More importantly, I learned about 'sampling.' I had naively focused on telling a story (hah) and not on researching how people discover stories (still get low marks on that one) or how they make the leap into actually paying to read it. Smashwords requires you to allow sampling and with a story that only truly makes sense at the end, it has hurt me a lot. It is important to remember, however, and I already know how I will rework the beginning of the novel with this in mind.

Lastly, I learned that I know nothing about marketing. But that will come as I don't think pushing a short story will get me far anyway. That will be a tough lesson when the novel, something easier to market, is ready to read.

Many learning experiences will come (such as how to get people to actually review what they read) and I look forward to the journey.

"Novel-of-40-names" is coming soon....ish

Never soon enough for me!

Onwards or Sideways?

2011-05-07T10:13:00.000-04:00

I tend to be very hard on myself, constantly evaluating whether something is moving me forwards, moving me backwards, or simply moving me sideways. In reality that is probably hard on those around me as well, as my evaluations (remember, hard on myself) are not always accurate.

Blogging, reading, house cleaning..... so many things that truly *are* important are put in either the sideways category, at best.

But those 'sideways' or 'backwards' tasks frequently have vital roles that aren't immediately measurable. If I spend an hour getting my Daily Mail fix I'm in a much better frame of mind to do the things that must be done, or those that I want to do.

Similarly, when I can check off a task like "fix the flipping blog!" then that frees up another little corner of my mind. It seems unimportant, but turns out to feel like a giant leap forward.

Outdated links have been removed, new widgets added, and I've rediscovered a few things about Blogger I hadn't used in more than 6 months.

This, plus a fun trip to the zoo today to celebrate my wonderful little boy's 2nd birthday, do not directly advance my writing but I will be the better, and ready to do the 'work' I love, when I'm done.

I have another 40-50 pages to write on the novel, 60+ to type, and another 25 page short to type as well. Loving this progress!

One Final Night - First Short Story Live

2011-04-21T21:38:00.003-04:00

It's almost anti-climactic to finally have a piece available, knowing that that major battle (to get a single person to read it) is still to come. But it is there and that is something I can appreciate and still be excited about. There are so many stories still kicking around: it's just the first that made it out. The novel is exactly 100 pages now and another short story will likely be typed up this weekend.

All in all: Loving it!

One Final Night on Amazon Kindle

Hi Again, It's Me Margaret

2011-04-20T17:28:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update to say the family stuff isn't gone, but it's been moved. We will be sharing the address of our family blog soon, but not to the world at large.

For now a blurb to say this blog is returning to it's roots - writing - and there is more to come soon!

Non-baby update (mostly)

2008-12-03T09:38:00.003-05:00

I've fallen into a bad habit, here, of just posting weekly belly pictures and monthly appointment updates. I swear, there are more things going on in my life than just my stomach! (pretty much)

I used to write here, often, about my latest writing endeavors. There is more than one reason why I have posted nothing of the sort lately. Mainly - I do paid freelance work now, and spending hours researching and writing various articles sort of sucks the juices right out of you when it comes to your own stuff. I've been doing other things with my free time, in the last 2 months, that unfortunately don't trend that way.

One big thing is that, since becoming pregnant, I'm really needy for my husband. When at home, I would much prefer to spend all my time with him than do anything else. I've always been one that valued my alone time, even in marriage, but that has completely flipped during pregnancy. Now he's the one saying "When can I do (whatever solo thing he wants to do)?"

But the writing is not dead. I have multiple ideas, and a lot of notes jotted, but no tangible words that anyone can read. Last weekend, my friend and I made a deal that we would both write something. And....we both flaked.

Hopefully, that won't be the case for much longer, for various reasons. One, I really want to write again. Desire is a big chunk of motivation. Two, I'm starting a new freelance job that is permanent and hopefully effectively full-time once the baby comes. This job does not involve mass article production. It involves lots of little goals and projects (a great thing for my list-checking, goal-oriented personality) that should free me up mentally to use my creativity on my own stuff. The big prayer is that it is financially successful enough to free me up in time as well, so that I have the ability to really devote myself to the creative pursuits. I miss writing my own stuff. I loved the script writing of the summer a lot and I want to get back to the story-telling!

Fun Posters - Learning from Star Trek

2008-11-05T11:47:00.002-05:00

Bloggin' 'wards

2008-11-04T10:16:00.003-05:00

My mother has a wide-ranging fan-base for her photography blog. She's had many awards passed on to her, and sometimes she passes them on to me. This is one of those times, with an extra caveat that I have to pass it on.

There's one blogger, and great friend, this fits perfectly. Her name is Jamie. She's been my partner in crime for one big writing project thus far, and I'm sure we'll do something so crazy again. She has a personal blog as well as a political/entertainment blog at HuffingtonPost. Jamie and I may disagree on many, many things, but in writing we share a passion and continually encourage each other through our quirks, fears, and craziness.

Thanks, Mom, I'm glad you enjoy it and of course I love you too.

Haven't posted one of these in awhile...

2008-10-27T16:10:00.004-04:00

But I couldn't resist posting this one that my husband shared with me. It definitely made me laugh.

Writing Update

2008-10-20T14:40:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I did one of these, for good (well, okay, bad) reason:

There's not been much to say.

I really have not had time (or energy) to do any sort of creative writing in months. I get paid to do freelance writing on various topics, with various degrees of personal input, usually very little, but when it comes to creative personal writing everything seems to be on hold.

There's the fanfiction I started in April. I recently received a message asking me to please finish the story so they could know how it ends. Mmm, okay, will try!

There's the novel that I haven't touched in...far too long.

There's the Bones script I finished. And the one I didn't.

There's the pregnancy journal. Now that, I am current on. Well, sorta. Early on I managed daily writing, now I'm on weekly updates.

I hope I have some great things to post soon about writing. We recently purchased a laptop, which has allowed me to quickly start catching up on my paid, non-creative, freelance writing. I'm praying I can get a bit ahead of that (when I don't feel baby-sick) and then be able to dig back in to the rewarding creative work. I miss it, especially the script writing. But, alas, that may be shelved indefinitely. I think my path lays far more realistically with the novel side of things, with two babies on the way.

I heart Christmas Music

2008-10-10T14:20:00.010-04:00

I don't care if it's more than 2 months away...Christmas music is always a good idea!

But I do have a very wide range of stuff that I like...

And now I really want to watch this movie:

Links to all the videos, because for me, at least one of them won't show up on a reload.

Born on Christmas Day - Brad Paisley
We Three Kings - Blackmore's Night
The First Noel - Ella Fitzgerald

Christmas at Ground Zero - Weird Al
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer - Dr. Elmo
Christmas Vacation Song

Background Image

2008-10-08T10:25:00.001-04:00

I've got a question in to the lady who designed this blog template, concerning my background image for the main portion of the blog. Hopefully it will be resolved soon. I miss the pretty brown.

And I don't look forward to going through the headache of finding a new look again.

Bean watch: Update

2008-09-19T08:35:00.005-04:00

Well, last week we knew something we didn't want to share quite yet - there might be more than one bean hiding in there!

Yesterday I returned to get another ultrasound and lo and behold...there sure is.

We got to see both hearts beating and everything! It was beautiful.

You can see more images at this gallery, including the heartbeats, measurements, and what little we saw of baby B last week.

I think I'm missing something...

2008-09-14T11:17:00.002-04:00

But I'm not sure...oh. That's it. Brain. I knew I left it around her somewhere.

Life's different. I know it will be really different come next May, or even April, but it's already different. I haven't been awake at 11pm in weeks. I haven't slept in my bed at least a full week (and my not see it again for the duration), and I'm really not liking my red meat.

And then there's the brain thing.

Pregnancy brain is real, I'm telling you. I'm not sure where this little bean put it, but it stole a good portion of my mental capacity. I feel so...unproductive.

Everyone is telling me to rest, rest, rest. I feel like I'm over-resting and under-contributing. I'm not slacking on anything paid, but I am feeling my personal pursuits slide considerably. This blog, and even my Bones blog, are not getting nearly the attention they once did. It's not for lack of love, just lack of concentration.

I run out of steam so fast. The line of demarcation is most clearly marked by one simple thing: naps. Pre-pregnancy, I loathed them. And when I gave in and took one, I invariably felt worse. I slept 6-7 hours each night and everything was just peachy.

Now, I sleep anywhere from 8-10 hours at night, and I love my naps. Of course, I don't sleep that amount straight. Nooooo. I might make it 4 before I have to visit the ladies' room, stumbling around in the dark. But there's a painful price to pay for waiting even that long. It's much better if I only sleep 2 or 3 at a time with plenty of visits. I am getting pretty good at going and returning to my couch with barely a thought.

Alright, quick U-turn back to the beginning. See what happened there? I started a topic on lack of concentration, and ended up on bathroom visits. Such is my current state.

Blog Award

2008-09-13T20:14:00.003-04:00

My mom received a new blogging award for her photography blog, Photography by Leedra, and passed the round on to me. It gave her a great excuse to highlight my recent announcement, which is totally understandable!

Thank you!

PS I love the image.

Modern Marvels isn't my only Geek Pleasure

2008-09-08T08:29:00.004-04:00

Growing up I remember one TV show more than any other - Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sure, we watched Friends, and Frasier, and more, but ST:TNG started earlier in my childhood and I had to fight for viewing rights.

Yes, I fought with my brother to watch it.

He didn't like it, I did. I remember at least one incident where my Dad had to intervene. Seriously, it's ST:TNG time, give it up already!

It's been off the air more than 14 years now, and I've barely seen any episodes since then. This was one of the first shows I remember seeing in movie stores, as available for purchase.

On VHS.

And the entire purchase price was something astronomically ridiculous. Granted, there are nearly 200 episodes, but it was at least a 4 digit total to snag all those tapes. Never happening.

But now we have DVR.

And unlike the A-Team, it's actually syndicated. I set the DVR to catch all episodes, after realizing Sci-Fi shows a couple each Monday night. Well, on a normal Monday. On Labor Day they had 15 hours of ST:TNG and we caught them all.

But we're really not that into constant TV, so we still have only made it through half of them, and tonight it will catch more. But, it's something we both enjoy and, thanks to the DVR, we can watch them at our leisure. It's a lot of fun to rediscover an old favorite, and watch episodes you haven't seen in a decade, or even two.

That does make me feel old though...

Mr. Movie, Don LaFontaine has died

2008-09-02T09:38:00.001-04:00

The name isn't always known, but the voice of Don LaFontaine most certainly is. Here is one of my favorite videos, which shows him with four other well known "voices" (5 if you count the call-in).

Work that DVR

2008-09-01T14:57:00.003-04:00

Over this holiday weekend I am really enjoying the newest addition to our home: the DVR.

But there really just isn't enough Modern Marvels right now! Marathon anyone?

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

On the polar opposite of that, Lukas and I plan to walk more together. A walk every day after work sounds wonderful.

I'm still neglecting this blog a bit much but I feel a change coming on, swinging back toward updates. We'll see!

My Zack Script

2008-08-26T19:39:00.009-04:00

After driving everyone, including you, nuts for months about these, Jamie and I are finally publicly releasing our Zack scripts. Hope they were worth the wait! =)

(You can see the main post about the release on Obsessed with Bones.)

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Intro for "The Man on the Roof."

Jamie proposed this idea out of her "Patty Hearstian" love of Zack. I must be honest that I do not have the same level of passion for his character, but I do have the passion for Bones, for writing, and for a good challenge. Hence, a script was born.

It became apparent rather quickly that Zack would be a case-of-the-week B-story in my script. I wanted to find a way to tell a reasonable continuation of his story but I wanted it, more than anything, to feel exactly like a real episode of the show. I needed to have the Booth/Brennan, the humor, and the feel of a weekly trip into the show.

It will be obvious to anyone who reads my script what I love most about this show. To some, you will even be able to tell exactly who my favorite character is. I really enjoyed writing it. I loved delving further into Zack, a character I'd previously enjoyed but not loved, on the same level as others. I hope I did him justice, and I hope you enjoy the whole package.

(link removed as I've decided to work it into a full novel completely independent of Bones)

Desk Flotsam

2008-08-25T14:13:00.002-04:00

Aside from the normal things on my business desk - phone, bills, magazines, pictures - I have a few interesting additions of late.

1 Envelope, ripped open with contents still inside. Back used as a hasty note surface for a business voice-mail message that I accidentally cut off mid-way and can't get back.

4 carved willow statues in the following forms:
-couple dancing
-couple woman in front of man, arms entwined
-woman with wings and a cradled heart
-child with wings and a very thorny rose

And then we have the 5th willow statue. She is laying down, tightly clutching her 3 wire flowers. Her position could be likened to a coffin pose, an image which is helped by the fact that her head is somewhere in the vicinity of her right arm. Below it. Facing down.

Rampant Neglect

2008-08-22T18:45:00.001-04:00

I hereby accuse myself of neglect.

AoP is in a sad state of disuse.

I blog about Bones, I blog about health, I am just beginning to ghost-write blog. I also write, ghost write, re-write and research and write for others.

I definitely do not lack for writing.

What I do lack is time. My work doesn't have defined walls anymore. I still have a day job for 4 days a week (hopefully soon to be 3) but I have many many hours of work right here. At this computer. At home. It doesn't end at 5. It doesn't confine itself to Monday-Friday.

Do I mind?

I wouldn't say that. I know that transitioning to freelancing is exactly what I need, for both the present and the future. And I already love many things about it. I love not driving to work. I love that I can go take a walk anytime I want. I love that if I need to go to the doctor or run an errand I don't have to ask anyone for permission.

I especially love the variety of topics. In the scant 2 weeks I've been doing this I've researched and written on everything from photography, to cardio exercise, to Football (UK style). I never lack for variety of topics and that keeps it interesting.

This weekend I have 5-6 hours of work to complete my first big article job. I will get it done, turn it in Sunday and hope they hand me the next quickly.

But tonight, tonight, I will veg. Monday Mourning is calling my name.

Which is more sad?

2008-08-20T19:31:00.003-04:00

Which is worse? That David Hasselhoff created a social network based entirely around himself (with almost 14k members) or...

...that I had to sign up? =)

There's just something about that guy. I loved Knight Rider growing up. As I've gotten older I've seen the cracks I couldn't see then and David Hasselhoff has become one of those things you just can't look away from.

One of my favorite silly sites - Waxhoff!

P.S.

2008-08-15T15:30:00.001-04:00

Going to find the Modern Marvels link for the previous post lead to me RSSing the feed into my Google Reader.

That's my 113th subscription to the reader. /flex, /laugh, /cry ?

/geekflex

Erm, update

2008-08-15T15:17:00.003-04:00

This is mostly cut straight from an email to a very nice person from Germany who wanted to know. That made my day Jeannie!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Right now things are insane! I just found out I didn't make the cut with my TV pilot idea. But that was not unexpected. It was the first thing I had written in years and within a month of submitting it I knew a million and one ways I would have done it differently. It was a great learning experience!

I completed a Bones spec script. Jamie Frevele and I both wrote full scripts. It was her idea, as a way to do something with the Zack story. Her script is very Zack focused and will make the extremely rabid Zack fans happy. Mine is much more like a weekly episode, where the secondary story involves Zack. Unless something major happens, we're going to put them out to fans 1 week before the premier.

I would love to write for TV full-time, but I live in Eastern Tennessee, a couple thousand miles from Hollywood. We'll see though. There are still options open to me. (I like to think so at least.)

In the meantime I have begun working on a novel. I'm loving it. (Wishing I could sit down and do nothing but this.)

I wish I could wipe the slate clean and write all day but I do have a mostly full-time job and I'm in the midst of trying to transition to some freelance writing work but it's not easy. Applying for jobs is taking up all of my free time. I badly want to put up more episode reviews for the old shows but I feel like I never have the time! When we get new shows though, I will definitely be on top of reviewing them.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

And there you go!

Oh yeah, we have enhanced TV for the first time in our marriage. What am I most interested in, outside of Bones perks?

Modern Marvels baby! I'm such a geek.

Tropic Thunder MTV Video

2008-08-14T06:47:00.003-04:00

Looking for some Bones promo uploads on Youtube I came across this video. It was shown at the MTV movie awards this year. If you think this video is funny, you will love the movie. Even if you think parts are gross but most of it's funny, you will love the movie. It's a Tropic Thunder microcosm!

The humor in the movie isn't the same type of humor seen here (far less crotch-related themes) but it's on the same level. It's also Not Safe for Work (NSFW).

My previous review of Tropic Thunder (no spoilers)

I'm so very late in posting this...

2008-08-12T21:44:00.003-04:00

A reader on my Mom's photography blog passed a blog award to her in appreciation for her personal enjoyment of the photography. Mom passed it on to me twice, for both this blog and my Bones blog. I hope to pass it on to others soon, but in the meantime...thanks Mom! I'm glad I got you into blogging and happy you enjoy it so much. I hope it leads to great things for you! =)

No matter what I might say about cats...

2008-08-11T19:46:00.000-04:00

Gotta love this moxy!

Doing what I do best: new location!

2008-08-11T08:45:00.000-04:00

So, I have this blog, and I have my Bones blog, and now I'm a part of a new blog! I get to blog about health topics at a new, spiffy corner of the web: yeahtips.com! I'm really enjoying it. I get to do what I already do everyday: browse the web like a fiend, post about it, and talk to people!

Twitter-dicted!

2008-08-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if that's a word but I likes it lots! I'm sticking with it. I've recently, very very recently, discovered how addicting that little feed can be. I started one a long time ago for my Bones blog, but didn't stick with it. But now I've started my own, all mine, just my own random musings (hey, kinda like here! wait a minute...) and set my Razr up to join the fun.

Time for Binding...

2008-08-10T20:38:00.003-04:00

So, yesterday we were supposed to get Dish Network. It didn't happen. Permission issues (we didn't have the paper trail), bah! But in the 6 hour wait for the tech I got a lot of notes made on my next writing project: a big fat scary novel.

I had a nice line of papers, separated by topic, laid out on the couch. Miraculously (not kidding on the miracle) the cat never touched them. Today, having hit something like 30 pages, I decided it was time to bind those suckers. It's mentally and spiritually uplifting to know that you've done enough work, and reached the point, of needing to organize your organization!

Very country!

2008-08-10T16:03:00.003-04:00

I can listen to most any type of music, but I particularly love country. I can't embed it (grr) but I'm really into "Sound so Good" right now by Ashton Shepherd.

While I work hard...

2008-08-09T19:06:00.001-04:00

I am working on the initial stages of my novel, while also looking for freelance home-based work. Occasionally, I have to stop and smell the roses, or look at the 'lolcats.'

more cat pictures

Our bright cat...

2008-08-08T19:37:00.004-04:00

She has amazing spatial skills! I pet her while she's laying on the bed and laugh that she's stretching so far she might roll off the edge she's near. I stop, she looks up at me, and promptly does just that.

Video camera, anyone?

I love Storms

2008-08-08T16:56:00.001-04:00

I could write another, long post on my love of storms but for the moment I'll content myself with sharing this amazing video of a lightening strike, in slow motion. Enjoy!

Reg # means it's done!

2008-08-06T13:29:00.003-04:00

Once again I have a freshly claimed WGAw registration number that proclaims I have finished my script project! Beyond a certain count of people, I have no idea who will read it. I hope many and I hope they like it! I really enjoyed writing it. Too bad I can't see it live. The movie in my head will have to suffice.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Up next...organizing the 40 1/2 size pages of notes I have made over the last week for a new story. This one is all my own, which gives it a particularly great thrill. It's even more daunting, but I'm excited to be digging in.

Cat VS Dog war stories

2008-08-05T11:16:00.001-04:00

more cat pictures

Our cat...

2008-08-03T14:11:00.005-04:00

We have a very interesting cat. She's just over 5 years old, a grey and white fuzzball. She's on the small side for a cat, but a bit paunchy. We can only take so much whining every time we walk into the kitchen before we give in and give her her all-natural snacks. We made it a week. Once. I think we were out of the snacks though...

The only thing the cat isn't is docile. Lap cat does not apply. She does join us on the bed but mostly it's to suck our heat or clean herself. Loudly. At 3 am. I had no idea how loud claw licking could really be.

My attitude toward her is in constant flux. One moment I appreciate her company, another I'm grating my teeth at the pulled threads in our bedspread quilt or sighing as I pick yet another cat hair off myself, and other times I'm simply amazed at how much she lives up to her 'tardo nickname.

Yes, 'tardo. It's not P.C. in the slightest. She's not human. And she's definitely not bright. I'm sticking with it.

Part of it's amusement at cat quirks. They focus on movement. So it's very easy to completely enthrall her with a tiny bit of light, or flipping the pages of a book, or putting your hand under the covers. But the rest is all her. We've always laughed and sighed at her seeming inability to control her own claws. She extends them, gets them stuck, then seems to forget she has the capacity to retract them so she can move freely. She gets stuck in carpet, in sheets, in the stuffed dog in her cat bed...but none of it compares to her recently aquired ability to get her claws stuck...to her own claws.

She's decided in the last few days, for efficiency sake, maybe, that she's not going to lick one paw at a time anymore. She's going to put her front paws together and lick them at the same time. You can see the realization dawn. At first she keeps licking, while slightly tugging. The tugging begins to steadily overtake the cleaning as she pulls her linked paws closer and closer to her body in the attempt to separate them. You'd think she'd get better at the separation or even learn not to link them but instead she's trending the opposite way...

I really want to 'lolcat' her...

more cat pictures

Just call me Buttah Fingas

2008-07-31T13:12:00.005-04:00

Hi, my name is Wendy. I am a klutz.

I drop everything, including myself on occasion. I am not allowed to take off my wedding rings or engagement ring in public places. There's at least and 80% chance that suddenly, for no explicable reason, a trio of musical pings will soon follow as they hit the ground. And heaven help me if the floor is carpeted. Good luck finding them then!

It goes beyond that, however. I'm a typing klutz as well. My story, and I'm sticking to it, is that my brain is moving faster than my hands. I leave off 's's, I drop letters, I make mistakes like "I am ore than that" in place of "I am more than that" and many many more hilariously bad examples of typing: "What not to do" with a keyboard. If you can think of a typing error, I'm pretty sure I can put a check mark beside it. (And for you literal minded people, *cough* dear husband *cough*, I refuse to even address the other 'what not to do's' I have committed with a keyboard. We will not be discussing milk today.)

There was a point to this...oh, yes. Script. So, yeah, I have this script thing. It's going to be handed over early next week, I hope. In deference to my typing faux pas, I have let a few people read it. It's more than a smidge embarrassing to see page after page of marks with the most mundane of errors - 'shp' instead of 'shop', 'her' instead of 'here', 'co-works' instead of 'co-workers'.

That 14th 's' you forgot, it really sticks with you.

But, I'm happy to report that aside from typing errors it seems to be well-received in this small group who've seen it. The 2 who watch the show say it sounds like a real episode and in an equally glowing compliment, the 2 who don't watch now want to watch the show. I'm pulling in fans. Yeah!

So who else will see it? Well, we're doing something very cool with our scripts next week. I can't say more. But a couple of weeks after that, before the next season premiers, we should be posting them publicly for anyone willing to have a peek. Even in script format, I think they'll be a fun read.

Mmm, pie....

Dreams

2008-07-29T14:11:00.002-04:00

How Dr. Horrible...

Pillow Talk

2008-07-28T09:00:00.004-04:00

No, not that kind. Sorry!
That kind.

We've talked pillows for a very long time. For the nearly 3 years of our marriage we have used pillows that my husband had before he met me. Flat and shapeless do not begin to describe. Something had to change, and the pillow talk began.

2 years ago.

We talked, we poked, we prodded, we even bought one a time or two but they barely made it out of the package before being returned. Enough is enough though, and this weekend we set out to hit Bed Bath and Beyond and not leave without new pillows, no matter the cost.

We got out surprisingly cheap, in the end. We squished and fluffed a long row of selections and walked out with 2 new pillows. (We actually walked right back into the store to look at sheets, but that's another story entirely.)

So. We get them home. Our old sheets were in the wash at the time so the new pillows, freshly de-bagged, sat perkily in their new spots with the bed spread beneath. Thoughts?

Wow those things are huge...

After a bit, the sheets are done and my husband makes the bed. I pass through the room again to see the new pillows looking not unlike a large sack of potatoes stuffed into a tiny bag. More foreshadowing, completely missed. But, I'll skip ahead a bit: bed time.

The sack of potatoes simile returns here, if not for texture, definitely for size. Huge is an understatement. I've never heard so much pillow punching. Shift. Beat pillow. Shift. Shift. Vigorously beat pillow. Rinse and repeat. Night 2 wasn't quite as bad. But it is a reasonable possibility that I was too tired from the previous restless night to care.

So, I for one, am left hoping the flatten quickly. But only a little. Is it possible to find the perfect pillow, that stays perfect for a reasonable amount of time?

A-Team Classic Moments

2008-07-27T09:36:00.002-04:00

I recently rediscovered a favorite show from my childhood on Hulu: The A-Team. I absolutely love this show, for so many reasons. Every character is so unique and fun:

Hannibal - Colonel John Smith; The leader; The Brains; "I love it when a plan comes together"
Faceman - The con artist; The procurer; If they need it, he gets it.
Murdoch - The pilot; The hilariously insane one
BA Baracus - The muscle; The philosopher; The caretaker of the weak

Here's one moment of many that just makes me laugh.

Face: Murdoch, what's going to happen?
Murdoch: It looks like we goin to crash.
Face: Oh c'mon, really, what's going to happen?
Murdoch: It looks like we gonna crash. And die.

This is right after Murdoch admits to Hannibal that he stole they plane they are currently using from a repair line. And that the plane is unfixed because obviously "they start to miss 'em once they been fixed."

Mr. T (B.A. Baracus) happens to be especially quotable. There's a consistent theme in the show that BA hates to fly. Every time they need him to fly they have to drug him and I enjoy all the different ways they trick him, both onto the flight, and afterwards when they try to hide it from him. BA stands for Bad Attitude and he's not afraid to show it.

In one scene from the episode I'm currently watching, they are carrying him away from the plane so he won't know he flew.

Face: Maybe it would help if we took the jewelry off.
Murdoch: No, I don't think we can. I think he's got it hooked up to a burglar alarm.

Later he figures it out and this quick exchange follows:

BA: Murdoch crashed the plane, didn't he?
Murdoch: No, no no no no no. I simply relocated the aircraft with extreme prejudice because of a total loss of thrust and lift functions!
BA: You crashed it, sucka!

BA: BA Baracus gonna take that lie outta each and every one a your hides.

I could really go on forever. It's a hilarious and highly quotable show. I recommend it to everyone.

Late Update

2008-07-26T21:09:00.002-04:00

It's been a very busy week! I've gotten some great feedback on my script from my husband and a good friend and Bones fan. One more friend read it, but she doesn't watch the show. She does read Kathy Reichs' books however, and while she couldn't help me on specifics related to the show, she did call like the story and, in what I consider a high compliment, said that it made her want to watch the show. Yay!

Today has been a very busy day with Bones cast and the creator appearing at Comic-Con yesterday. I've made countless posts as information comes in and spent a lot of time organizing a special podcast with a couple of people who saw the Bones panel first hand. I'm very jealous of these people, especially the one who squeaked his way behind the scenes and had a private one-on-one with David Boreanaz. He's one lucky man!

Tomorrow though, aside from the interviews with the lucky ones, I will be focusing heavily on The Final Draft of my script. It's time to rid myself of the scourge of typos and word omissions, fill in those last few holes, and proclaim it 'done'.

And then?

More writing, of course! I thought of a new story even today. It's not remotely Bones related but it could be an interesting movie ride...

It is very true: The Stories Never Stop

Writing Update

2008-07-20T15:04:00.004-04:00

I've got updates I can share, and some I can't. But the first draft is basically done. I have a couple of lines to fill in and one scene that's not in the document because I've written it multiple ways but otherwise...it's in the bag.

I will be doing a lot of editing, especially to formatting. Jamie, my partner in this script debate, told me about The Screenwriter's Bible, by David Trottier. I resisted pulling it out until the draft was done so I wouldn't mire myself in the technical, and I'm glad I stuck to that choice. It's already a revelation that I wish I'd had in my hands back when I submitted my pilot competition script, but that can't be helped. It will, however, greatly help me now.

Jamie did score us some science help, thankfully. A real bona fide professor and coroner who was willing to take some time to answer some wild questions for nothing but sincere and heartfelt thanks. And boy am I grateful. He didn't answer every single question I posed (I did send at least 15 after all) but what he shared was invaluable and went a long way to rest my mind on the scary science. I'm still guessing on parts but he saved me from at least one big goof.

My script is over budget on length by at least 7-8 pages. Hopefully the bulk of that will be taken care of when I go back through the dialog in a couple of days and tighten it all up. My goal was 60 and I'm happier being slightly over than any bit under.

No matter what, I've really enjoyed writing this. I've written a rather long fanfiction story with the characters in their happily-ever-after glow but I have to admit...it's a million times more fun to write them as they are now: bickering, teasing, and hopeful for their futures.

I just hope it's a good story!

Silly Tests

2008-07-17T06:08:00.000-04:00

I'm kind of offended I didn't score higher.

New Song of the Day

2008-07-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

I've been really busy and not honestly had a re-re-repeat song for awhile now but this one has definitely taken that current spot. There are not any good embeddable videos but here's a link to a good live recording. The song is a beautiful balad of heartbreak called "Gravity" and it's by Sarah Bareilles.

Productive Lunches

2008-07-15T20:59:00.002-04:00

Today was an extremely busy day. Work was busy, Bones news was hopping, I had to come up with questions for a very generous person to possible ask the Bones panel at Comic Con (thanks for the help, Jamie!), compose questions for another generous person who has offered to help us with our script science issues (he may run away when he reads both our emails), and then somewhere in there actually work on the script too.

During lunch I did a little of each of those last 3, and then later this afternoon I managed to squeeze in the writing of the most daunting non-scientific part of the script: a heart-felt letter from Zack to Dr. Brennan. I can't say more than that but it comprises only words spoken in the final scene of the script and there's a strong burden for it to be righteously self-important. Those words matter. They are the true resolution, as far as things are resolved, for the entire episode. They've weighed on me heavily and I've continually ignored them. But suddenly the words just came. I hope they read as well as I think they do.

Well, that does it

2008-07-15T14:22:00.003-04:00

Since finding Bones I have almost entirely lost interest in other procedurals. CSI and Law and Order both used to be staples of my TV diet. The only thing that kept me occasionally peeking into either was William Peterson's character Gus Grissom on the original CSI. I like geeks!

Today I read that he's leaving the series. The 10th episode of the upcoming season will be his last a a cast regular. On the one hand, it will be interesting to see if a show can survive losing it's lead. I think it's been done before, in ER for example, with Anthony Edwards leaving. But on the other hand, it completely takes all last vestiges of interest I held onto in regards to this show. It does give me hope for one thing, however. This better lead to a life-time of geek love with his girl Sarah, who ended her run as a series regular last season. I may tune in to the 10th episode just to find out.

Oh the best laid plans...

2008-07-13T20:50:00.002-04:00

I didn't get nearly as much done as I planned. I have finished act 2 almost and made some good, shaping notes about a few more scenes. The good news is that Act 1 really is the whopper that holds more page than any other, so I'm well over 1/2 done.

Well, whadda ya know...

2008-07-12T12:14:00.003-04:00

I got a lot done yesterday. Amidst giving mechanics money for normal repairs/maintenance on both our cars I managed to get some good writing done. I finished Act 1 of the Bones "Zacksplanation" spec script completely. I'd say I'm about 1/3 done with the entire script. Unfortunately it looks like that 1/3 might be a whopping 30 pages by itself. And that's just the 6 page teaser and Act 1! I think (read hope) the other acts are smaller than the monster that is Act 1, but we shall see. It was interested, digging in, and visualizing the flow in my mind. I could see things like the points where the actual show would add a few very short cuts to different scenes to keep the momentum going. I added 2 short vignettes that weren't there before.

I think in general I might have a couple of scenes that are way too long. I'm just going to keep trucking with it and when I'm done hopefully it will be easier to then go back and see where there happens to be dead weight I can cut out. There's a scene in Act 2 with a character that gives the biggest group of details about the victim's life and tells a character story. I'm afraid to type that one into the computer and see how big it really is. But I'm running with "more is more" and the idea that it's easier to cut than add parts that won't flow as well. That or I might just be writing a 2 hour episode without realizing it...

PS Super Smash Bros Brawl (which we got for 1/2 price on Amazon) is the devil of a fun timewaster. I am Bowser. I SMASH!

This one's for you, Jason

2008-07-11T11:01:00.000-04:00

more cat pictures

For Fear of Blank Spaces

2008-07-10T13:53:00.003-04:00

Blank spaces really are terrifying, when you're staring at a deadline. If you let them, they can lead the mind straight to the same blankness.

We've set the end of July as our deadline. 3 weeks. And this weekend I have a 3 day weekend thanks to some unavoidable errands on Friday. In preparation for the planned fantastic and extensive work I will do on my script this weekend...no, really...I plugged most all of my latest hand-written notes into the computer document and printed myself a fresh gleaming copy to mark up. And believe me, there's plenty of wide open prairie land on those pages, free for the marking!

For pure fiction I can easily write either on or off the computer. My brain flows better with a pen, but I can manage either way. However, I have this odd process for script writing. Almost none of the script first appears on the computer. I have a continual rinse and repeat cycle where I write furiously on paper until the paper is barely legible, then I plug it in and organize it on the computer. I can then print out a new copy and do it again.

I couldn't have reasoned this process out in advance, but it works beautifully for me. My brain just seems to work better with a pen in my hand, only stopping when the mass of blue begins to obscure the structure beneath. The only real evolution to this process has been learning where to incorporate blank spots so I have pen breathing room. On this latest printing the blanks are definitely crushing the blacks in sheer size, hence the near-panic at times.

The only solution is to write. And if I can focus on one scene at a time, step by step, I will get through it.

Feeling the Burn

2008-07-09T10:08:00.002-04:00

No, not in my butt, unless it's from sitting too long. I'm feeling a deadline burn now! In ~3 weeks Jamie and I are supposed to have completed scripts for our "Zacksplanations". I work best under pressure and well, now I'm feeling it. I've been continually refining the science with some helpful prodding by this guy and consequently chunks of the victim's life and some of the outline have changed. And I love the changes! They've unintentionally added some fantastic new layers to the plot that I think are nothing but improvements.

Buffy is Over

2008-07-06T20:10:00.003-04:00

Well I haven't updated in a long time but we just finished Buffy Season 7 and Angel Season 4. I've had serious 'god I hate this show' moments with Buffy but in the end I have to say it's a great watch. Angel I like most of the time and I'm happy we have 1 more season to go.

All I can think about right now, as far as Buffy goes, is this:

Edit: Now I see that's someone's redraw instead of the original. The original is soooooo much better at poking fun of David Boreanaz with his long even hairline, big forehead and impossibly small ears.

Here's a crop of a screencap but photoshopping it into workable order is proving to be a big time pain.

Blame Jamie (I do)

2008-07-04T11:22:00.002-04:00

I used to listen to this song a lot. I remember having it as the first song on a 'mix tape' that I played frequently (oh what those words - mix tape - conjure). But during a 3 hour Skype conversation a couple of days ago it came up and now I've been listening to it again. I'm pretty sure it's not going away from my head. Ever.

Enabling disabled by request (Rant)

2008-07-03T16:31:00.003-04:00

When I see those words on a video on Youtube that I want to show here I lose a lot of interest. Do they not understand the importance of embedding in 'cool' sharing of content? Add something annoying to the start of the video directing people to a webpage or whatever but let us embed!

Movie fun: I'm with Lucy

2008-07-03T09:20:00.004-04:00

Recently ordering a few things off Amazon, I added in a $2 pickup for the movie I'm with Lucy. When you're a fan of a particular actor or actress you want to see their full work and who can resist $2 for a romantic comedy? Unless you're the romantically autistic sort...

I'm with Lucy is the story of a woman who's relationship ends dramatically in the first few minutes of the film, devastating her. Her sister is determined to get her back into the dating mix, however, and over the course of a year she dates 5 different men. All begin with blind dates and all of the men are flawed in various ways. Lucy is played by Monica Potter, and the men are played by (in order of the dates, if I remember correctly) John Hannah, Gael Garcia Bernal, Henry Thomas, Anthony LaPaglia, and David Boreanaz. (Entomologist, Playwrite, Computer Salesman, Baseball Player and Surgeon, respectively)

The movie progresses via somewhat dizzying switches between the progression of each relationship, with a few 'present' flashes as she's readying to marry the unnamed winner of her heart. After round 1, you think it's going to be David Boreanaz' surgeon. But by round 2 you, unfortunately, know exactly who she'll marry, or at least I did. And all the while I was rooting for the most unlikely character (nerd factor!) to win the day.

I had no idea when I bought the movie that Harold Ramis would be in it. I love every role I see him play. He was perfect as Egon and now he plays a string of large teddy-bear comfort figures and it totally works.

While a bit predictable at times, I would definitely recommend this movie for those who like sweet, romantic laughs.

Now this I like...sorta

2008-07-03T08:59:00.002-04:00

I really couldn't get behind the Sex in the City mania. Because, well, I didn't watch the show. I think I saw one or two episodes but it never drew me in.

But I'm a sucker for Friends. And reports are coming out that a Friends movie is now in the works. I'm a bit afraid of it though. What will they do to make it interesting? Ross and Rachel are together, Chandler and Monica just got their twins, Phoebe is settled...They wrapped up the show pretty neatly in the end.

I really hope they come up with a fantastic script that defies all those questions. I will be very interested in seeing it.

Streak Definitely Broken

2008-07-02T13:10:00.003-04:00

I've made huge script progress since I last posted a writing update. The outline is complete, the teaser and part of Act 1 are written as well as many other scenes. The science part scares the bejeebus out of me at times but my great friend, Lance, has been helping me tremendously with that and even with that discussion gave me an idea that may reshape part of the crime victim's life.

I learned so much in writing the other spec (that's about 80% complete) that I've refined my process a lot. I outlined there, but this time I outlined more specifically and in more detail. More importantly, I made a reference version of the outline. Last time I came up with the story and started outlining in my head, and then jotted down something so I could find act breaks. This time I came up with the story, started building the scenes but wrote the outline with specific focus on the act breaks. I think it, at the least, has made my organization easier. And if you're organized it's far easier to avoid the nasty writer's block. I always know where I stand in the story so I'm not getting distracted by loose ends or other scenes or broad questions.

Despite it being summertime, the Bones blog is hopping too. There is constantly some type of cast or show news trickling out and I'm really enjoying compiling and presenting it each day. I've unfortunately been slacking on my old episode reviews, with everything else going on, but I hope to remedy that soon.

Followup to Wall-E Review

2008-06-29T13:50:00.004-04:00

Blurby bit to follow this

Out of curiosity about my own reaction to Wall-E I decided to test something today. I just finished watching a movie I hadn't seen before: I am Legend. I went into this knowing human pride and mistakes had caused a disaster. I knew Will Smith was all alone trying to survive. I knew it would be depressing.

And it was, all of that.

But I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie. And I think that's the difference. I feel like I was lied to about Wall-E. Expectation vs Reality and animated, cute betrayal. I don't have a problem with negative stories but I want to know up front what I'm getting. That is why I didn't like Wall-E.

Wall-E Review, from an annoyed Pixar fan

2008-06-29T08:47:00.005-04:00

I'm sad to say that I'm not a fan of this movie. I love what Pixar does and I could pick up most any movie they make and watch it over and over.

But not this one.

I left feeling like I'd been beaten vigorously about the head and shoulders by something large and mostly hurt-y. I think they wanted you to leave feeling happy for Wall-E and uplifted by what happens in the last few moments but it couldn't overcome the rest of the beat-down suffered on behalf of humanity.

The movie, as a recent email put it, is dark. The basic themes involve humans being stupid, humans being mindless, and humans being cows. A movie made in 1969 is held up as ideal, if oversimplified, humanity. If this wasn't fun enough toss in overwhelming environmentalism doomsday prophesies and here you have Wall-E.

Why would I pay to see this?

Newspapers, websites and TV are replete with these themes. Who thought it would be fun to pay to see them in Pixar animation too? All stories need conflict and negative ideas in order to show triumph in the end but I think this movie was a little light on the triumph. I wish they'd cut down the negativity and taken the triumph shown in the credits and made that part of the actual movie. I might have a different opinion of the experience if they had.

I can't fit it into some neat starred rating system but I would say that I likely won't be recommending the movie.

Followup here

Tropic Thunder: Spoiler-Free Review

2008-06-27T15:46:00.009-04:00

My husband and I were fortunate enough to get a pass to attend an early test screening of Tropic Thunder last night. We went unsure at how the process worked, much less whether we could get in. But get in we did.

Security at a screening like this isn't scary but it is tight. The woman screaming that cell phones would not be allowed was not kidding. My husband took ours back to our car but many tucked their phones deeper into pockets and purses and were then invariably sent (temporarily) packing to put them in their cars. "Not recording" is serious business.

We were ushered in more than 1/2 an hour before the showing and accommodations were tight but once you've made it past the cell phone Nazi and the 4 (or was it 5?) other people who have to verify your admittance they mostly leave you alone to wait. And in this age where cell phones are the de facto watch for many time stood still. In the bad way. We passed the time mostly by talking over my spec script project and other inanities and watching a mustached man with a legal pad picking various attendees out for extra questions, baffled at his purpose. (We later realized he seemed to be picking out people for on-camera comments.)

At 5 after the appointed time a congenial but business-like bald and be speckled man moved front and center to yell some announcements at us and then it was on with the show.

I wondered, as the lights dimmed, if the credits might be one of the as-yet incomplete parts of the movie and if so if we'd jump right to action or what. I was very confused at the first images I saw. Without trying to spoil anything; just before the movie you will see fake trailers and/or advertisements for the actors being portrayed in the movie. I won't say more than that but some of them are very funny.

I expected, going into this, to see a caricature of a war movie, presented Ben Stiller-style. I was not remotely prepared for how well they portrayed a war movie. Think of We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and more. If the gory blood and guts in those movies bother you then be forewarned about Tropic Thunder; you get that level (in a farcical manner usually) and more. In one instance I actually felt sick to my stomach and a couple of times had to look away. The entire audience gasped 'Eugh' all together in more than one instance.

Additionally, another warning: just like other war and Hollywood movies the language is very heavy. It fits the scenarios and characters portrayed but it's crude, offensive and/or vulgar for 80% of the movie.

That's it for the warnings. Everything else I have to say is glowing. It was a hilarious movie and not always predictable. They really play the audience well at times to wonderful results. I laughed so hard at some of the gags and still smile now thinking of one particular line of jokes. Unfortunately there's really not much else I can say without giving away gags that should remain unspoiled.

Favorite character? Robert Downey, Jr.'s, hands down. The man not only steals the show, but runs off with it, locks it in a chest and sits on it with a come-and-get-me-'tude. He piqued my interest with Ironman and now he's totally hooked me with this role. The guy is a fantastic actor and I'm hopeful we'll see much much more of him now that he's straightened out his personal life.

Least favorite character? Jack Black's. Not to confuse the two I want to say that Jack Black played his role very well. He's a great comedic actor. I just didn't like his character. It's very Rob Schneider on the bad side and he grated on me. It rounded out the mix well and some of his scenes were very funny but overall the character didn't grab me in the slightest.

Biggest surprise? Tom Cruise. I knew he was in it but I was unprepared for how hilarious he would be. This is not the Tom Cruise you've ever seen before and you will love it. When he first came on the screen I hated the character and it took me a few moments of screen time to even realize who it was. But by the end (and I mean complete end) you should be laughing hard at him. He pulled off a brilliant spot.

The movie clocks about 1 hour 45 minutes. I think it's perfectly paced but there's still a chance they could change things before the August 18th release. Most of the movie looked completely finished though I noticed a few little coloration issues. Additionally, there is still some sound work to be done but nothing major.

With the caveats about the gore and language, I highly recommend the movie!

Promo "Viral Video" for Tropic Thunder

Streak Broken?

2008-06-24T14:00:00.002-04:00

I finally made it past random notes today and started on a solid outline for the 2nd script. I laid out the entire case progression and at least part of one scene (my favorite). I hope this is an upswing in writing again. The last week in a creative funk has not been fun. It's a solid start at the least.

Writing Update (Plenty of Distractions tossed in too)

2008-06-23T11:36:00.003-04:00

Apparently I was a little too good at distractions over my nice long 4 day break. I managed no work on Script 1, and only notes work on script 2. I did get a new fanfic chapter up, a new Bones episode review completed and the notes completed for the next one. I think part of that 4 day did involve my guest posting on Searchingbones but it's a bit of a blur now.

A big chunk of time yesterday was committed to the 2nd installment of the podcast I do with a girl from another Bones fansite, The ABY. We have a blast.

It sounds like so much but it feels like so little.

I was definitely completely distracted almost the entire evening last night rediscovering photoshop. I tend to pull it out, learn so much, then forget about it for 6 months or more. Then the cycle of wailing and gnashing of teeth recommences. I wanted a new signature for my forum access on the ABY and here, in the 3rd attempt, is what I'm now using.

My previous 2 attempts:

That distraction may yet continue for awhile...I really want to play with image layering next.

Song of the Day

2008-06-18T15:38:00.003-04:00

My brain has been utterly consumed with writing of late, so much so that I literally have not had a song get stuck in my head on sometime. As my first spec script nears First Draft completion I am left with the 'hard' parts that make me want to run screaming to any willing distraction. So, today I went hunting for music.

Guys and Dolls happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I love musics in general - Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and more - but this one never gets old. I enjoy most every song and even as I sit here I find it hard to chose a favorite. But I will chose a Favorite-of-the-Moment, at the least.

...or two...

Mail Call

2008-06-16T18:54:00.002-04:00

I received two (mostly) pointless mails today. Despite their fundamental uselessness both had high 'neat' factors.

The first was an email. I saw the handy little mail pop-up showing me that I had mail from the festival to which I submitted my pilot script. I swear I think my heart stopped. Rationally, I knew it was too early for any positive notification but rationally didn't exactly kick in quickly. "Could they want more info?" pushed heartily to the front of the line. I stared at the box for what seemed like an eternity. Confirmation of submission and a cheery Thank You aren't nearly as mind blowing, but still...neat.

The second was good old fashioned mail mail. I had no heart stopping trepidation when staring at this one. It was another submission confirmation, this time of my script registration with the WGAw.

Both these mails are confirmation of something important that goes beyond this one contest submission. I have a dream. I want to write. And I'm reaching for it.

Wow. Busy.

2008-06-14T06:45:00.003-04:00

Things are taking off in an amazing, and busy, way. Two months ago I started two blogs. Now this one isn't winning any races by any means. My 5 or so readers are all family and friends. And that's okay. That other little blog is a different story. Lots of readers and lots of fun!

Lots of busy too.

I have a lot on my plate right now:

Writing a Bones spec script
Doing prep work for upcoming Bonecast
Writing posts for another Bones blog that's going to have me in a list of guest bloggers next week

After those 3 things are done:

Writing a Zack episode where he deals with his 'rehabilitation'
Doing more background work on the Pilot I submitted
Writing another spec script for another show...probably NCIS

And that's not including a bunch of other things that don't including writing. Busy busy busy. And loving it!

Books, Books

2008-06-11T10:06:00.003-04:00

Two books arrived yesterday: Television Writing from the Inside Out by Larry Brody and Successful Television Writing by Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin. I've only been able to skim them thus far, but I've managed to take away something from each.

In the first book I pounced on a section about outlining since I'm currently teetering back and forth between refining my outline and the actual writing for the spec script. The few pages I saw made me feel good in that my story creation method is already good (organic, not linear). I'm sure the rest of it will be an awakening on how it could be so much better but reading that gave me a nice boost.

In the second book I've learned...that the authors wrote for Baywatch. Baywatch?! To be fair they also have written for Monk and Diagnosis Murder but the Baywatch stink just won't leave me. Sure, Baywatch had a plot...somewhere. But who actually remembers more than girls running on beaches and David Hasselhoff's chest?

Speaking of that. Check out this awesome site.

Stuck Home

2008-06-09T07:45:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning barely able to move my shoulder so I stayed home from work. The serious downside to this is that I can't write. I can type in short bursts and then it hurts too much. Upside is an anatomy lesson about the muscles that control the shoulder because it isn't every motion that hurts: just those pesky necessary motions of reaching, pushing, and lifting. The Deltoid muscle and the computer mouse are not my friends.

Spec Script Update

2008-06-08T07:35:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I managed to get quite a lot of spec script work done. I know I do the right thing in outlining ahead of time but there's one thing I really still suck at: budgeting pages. What I think a scene on the outline will probably take in pages and what it does in reality aren't matching up so fluidly. Looking at my outline I thought I might end up having to cut parts for time but it looks like I'm going to be adding more instead. But the outline I started with is more than 1/2 written now. Progress is nice!

I wish I could find a complete Bones teleplay online so I could check their format better. I can find transcripts, which are useless to me, and I can find the 'sides' that leak out every time they audition a guest-star but those are usually 1-3 pages only. I'd love to be able to go through an old episode and break down scenes, pages per, formatting - everything. Not even Ebay is helping!

Another Day, another Song

2008-06-06T14:35:00.001-04:00

This one has stuck around for 2 days. It's a beautiful duet with Josh Turner and Trisha Yearwood called "Another Try"

Time for some Book Learnin'

2008-06-06T08:47:00.003-04:00

So far I've been coasting on my own research and analytical skills in the formatting of my scripts. I've looked at countless websites, templates, and sides. But yesterday I decided to bite the bullet and buy a few TV writing books. It's too late to help my pilot with them: for that I'm just praying someone is curious enough to call or email me for more information! I hope they help my future writing immensely, however. I seem to be learning so much every day and I'm trying hard not to punish myself for information I'm picking up only AFTER my pilot has been submitted. I should be simply proud that I got it out and it didn't utterly stink!

One of my favorite sites has turned out to be Jane Espenson's blog. She's insightful, experienced and humorous and I feel that I've picked up so much information already... and I've only read the first 2 months of her archive.

My bad lunch habit

2008-06-05T13:12:00.003-04:00

It looks like my bad lunch habit is here to stay. The 1 hour reprieve from the office is the impetus to get out and the writing progress that I accomplish keeps me happy after it's over.

I completed all the teaser dialog for my Bones spec script during the lunch time today. So the first 5 minutes are complete and just need proper formatting. Step by step I progress. Give it a week to 10 days and I'll have a new script to pass out to friends. Surprisingly, no one is running from me in avoidance...yet.

Writing Update

2008-06-05T06:24:00.005-04:00

Not much to update, serious slacking here this week. I did push out a new fluffy/funny chapter in my fanfiction. Slowly but surely I'm finishing it. I'm not sure whether or not I'll ever do another one after I finish this. There are great and terrible aspects to it. I love the instant audience. But on the flip side of that, an instant audience wants instant meat. You can't really take the time to set up events.

For the stuff that involves my writing future...I've slacked for a few days. I did brainstorm with 3 people more depth to the Pilot, so I've not been a complete bum. But I haven't worked on the newest deadline at all: the Bones spec script. Time to get busy!

Songs that won't go away

2008-06-03T11:15:00.004-04:00

Here's my latest Song that Won't Go Away. It's Sugarland's new single. The chorus is at first annoying but quickly became mesmerizing. Sad, I know.

Edit: They killed the embed on this, grr. It can be viewed here.

Submitted!

2008-06-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

About 12:30 today I received that magic number of submission confirmation. The do or die date for the finals is on or around August 8th. I'm trying not to focus on that. I'm already up to dialog on my Bones spec script! That will (have to) be done by July 1st in order to use it for this and then I'll spend a month working back on this pilot idea and giving the story more form, more details and most of all...more stories!

Sequel Craziness

2008-06-02T19:41:00.004-04:00

30 Upcoming Movie Sequels you didn't know about:

Some make sense, some are absolutely terrible and some are just odd. T

Ones that spark comment in me?
The Brazilian Job: That is far too much like The Brazilian Wax. I can't think of anything but that when I read that title.
Shrek 5: They are really going to take this too far and run it into the ground. Oh, wait...I hear Rocky calling!
Jurassic Park 4: Bad, just bad. And even worse...rumors of David Boreanaz attached to the movie. No, please no. Say it ain't so. I will have to see it then but I will still hate it. Sigh.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The entire list:

The Brazilian Job: the follow up to Paramount’s US remake of The Italian Job is still on the cards, and it’s got a 2009 release date marked. Jason Statham, Mos Def, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are attached, as is director F Gary Gray.

I, Robot 2: All we know on this one is that it’s in the scripting stages still, with a potential 2010 release date planned in. No news on Mr Smith's involvement.

I Am Legend 2: Warner’s huge Christmas 2007 hit could also have a follow up, although it’d be interesting to see if Will Smith returned to it. A 2010 release date is also being mooted for this one.

Beverly Hills Cop 4: If Die Hard can still do it at the box office, why can’t Axel Foley? Er, because the third BHC movie was crap, and a flop. Still, it’s not stopped development work going ahead on number four. No further news than that, though.

National Treasure 3: Not a huge surprise, but as the Nic Cage Indiana Jones knock off franchise has proved to be quite a juggernaut, you’ll only have to wait until 2011 for the third film in the series.

Cars 2: We spotted this on AintItCool – is Pixar really looking to make a sequel to its weakest film? Apparently so…

Toy Story 3: This one, after lots of umming and ahhing, appears to be a goer. It won’t, as was speculated, be a straight-to-DVD affair, and Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are both expected back on voicing duties. It’ll be out in 2010.

Jeepers Creepers 3: MGM is running the rule over a potential third instalment in the horror franchise, with director Victor Salva still attached. Hmmm.

Shrek 5: The fourth film was a no-brainer after the tepid third outing made so much cash. But a fifth instalment has also been confirmed. No wonder Shrek is the same colour as an American dollar…

Night at the Museum 2: Ben Stiller is returning for his most commercially successful role outside of the Meet the Parents franchise. We can wait. No news on the proposed Meet The Little Focker, though.

Crank 2: High Voltage: This is more like it. Crank is a guilty pleasure right up there with Snakes on a Plane, and it’s coming back for more. Shooting starts next month, for a 2009 release, and Jason Statham returns as Chev Chelios. As he should.

Transporter 3: Statham again. He’s making this too, and it’s in pre-production. Presumably, he’ll go from Crank 2 straight onto this.

Super Troopers 2: A sequel nobody asked for! Hurray! Expect it in 2010, as it’s in the early writing stages still, we believe.

Silent Hill 2: Sony is looking at a follow up to the crap-but-popular video game adaptation. 2010 is the current slated release date.

The Descent 2: We understand that Neil Marshall won’t be directed this one, which has the, er, working title of The De2cent. He’s attached as Executive Producer, with Jon Harris stepping behind the camera (he edited the first film, as well as the more recent Stardust).

The Grudge 3: Yup, it’s in pre-production now, for release next year. That’ll likely be the scariest thing about it.

Ice Age 3: 1st July 2009. That’s the date you’ll need to avoid if you want to miss the next Ice Age movie. Hopefully it’ll be better than the second one…

Ghost Rider 2: A surprise hit last year, Marvel is developing a follow-up to the Nic Cage comic book flick, and tentatively has 2009 marked for release. No director is thus far attached.

The Untouchables: Capone Rising: A prequel to Brian De Palma’s cracking prohibition thriller of, er, twenty years ago. De Palma is back behind the camera, and the project is in the pre-production stages now.

The Thomas Crown Affair 2: Weird, this. It’s taken them ages to do a sequel, and then they draft in Paul Verhoeven to direct a follow-up to someone else’s film. Pierce Brosnan returns, and filming starts shortly.

The People Under The Stairs 2: No sign of any Wes Craven involvement, though, and release may even be this year. Hmmm. We'd wager DVD will be its home.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: Er, that’s what they’ve called The Mummy 3, which is out on 1st August. Brendan Fraser and Jet Li star.

Punisher: War Zone: Ray Stevenson becomes the third person to play The Punisher on screen. You’ll be able to find out how he did on 12th September this year.

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder: Casper Van Diem is back, but it’s still going straight to DVD, as the piss-awful second film did. It’s due out later this year.

Pink Panther 2: Oh dear. And I’m a Steve Martin fan. It’s out on 13th February 2009.

Ace Ventura 3: No Jim Carrey though, and no chance of it seeing the inside of a cinema. Head to Blockbuster later in the year if you want to catch it.

War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave: Another straight to DVD sequel, but this one’s of note because it’s directed by Soul Man/Hitcher star C Thomas Howell. Blimey.

Jurassic Park 4: It’s taken them ages to sort this out, but the latest is that Laura Dern is still attached, and that it’ll be released in 2009. Don’t hold your breath though, as shooting would need to start really very soon...

Scary Movie 5/Saw 5: You could have guessed at these if you didn’t know about them already. Both should see the light before the end of the year. Sadly.

So, what now?

2008-05-30T10:43:00.004-04:00

My comedy pilot script is as complete as I can make it prior to submission. Come Monday, it will be out of my hands.

So, now what?

First, there's a lot more to do with this script and idea. I can work on that story more, flesh out the characters, more plot, etc in case I get a call for more info. This I will be working on as a constant back project. I don't want to write more scripts for this show as it's highly likely that even if they do select me there will be significant rewrites but being prepared to hold an intelligent discussion on my ideas and plans is a must. At the least I could take all this work and down the road flip it into a novel where I could be much more free in ideas and plots.

Second, there's that novel I started that's languished for a month. I still have so much enthusiasm for it but I feel it can wait a bit while I deal with other things.

Then there's that fanfic I haven't touched in 3 weeks. I left it at a moderately crucial but not cliffhanger moment. There are promised events that have yet to be written. I owe the 50 or so fans a completion. There are at least 3 chapters to write.

But then we have this set of ideas I can't get past unless I give into them: spec scripts. Specifically, Bones spec scripts. I've already started writing one. I have the opener laid out, ~5 minutes worth, and the rest of the 38ish minutes broadly planned. I'm very proud of this story and I'm feverishly writing out the details as fast as they come to me. I'm trying to ignore that big hairy question of how you actually get something like that into the hands that could use them. I'm passionate about this particular story and I just know that if the right person read it...yeah...I'm just going to go write now.

I can't worry about that, at least not yet.

LOST Finale

2008-05-29T23:01:00.001-04:00

I'm not good at theories though I do read what other say. I have 2 things of my own:

1) I guessed John was in the coffin at the start of that scene. I was unspoiled and had no clue until right as Jack walked in. Wild guess - he had to move the island which banned him.

2) DES AND PENNY ARE TOGETHER! My LOST wish is fulfilled.

Script is Registered

2008-05-29T15:01:00.003-04:00

So close to submission time...

The WGAw website has a wealth of information that I've been perusing today. Maybe it will matter directly to me soon!

Catspeak

2008-05-28T15:18:00.001-04:00

more cat pictures

I think I'm Finally Happy

2008-05-28T13:41:00.003-04:00

...with my blog look at least.

This template obsession, combined with a random audit at work (yay government paper pushers!) has kept me pleasantly distracted from screwing with my tv script. I think I'll stick with this template now that I have performed a few minor tweaks on it. I'm still messing with link accent colors but overall I think I like it.

Templates Templates - still driving me nuts

2008-05-28T10:39:00.002-04:00

This isn't my first post about this. I'm still utterly unsatisfied with my template choices. I'm about the make the choice to make my own. I've been highly resistant to this thus far, for both sanity and time's sakes. My Bones blog is for the readers, this blog is for me. I want this blog to properly reflect me and the closest one I can find just doesn't quite sit right. At the time of this writing I am using this one, which while pretty is only me on certain days and not at all what I want to convey here.

Garfield ... Minus Garfield

2008-05-27T15:47:00.000-04:00

A friend turned me on to this site today. It's Garfield comics...minus the Garfield.

"Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb."

This is my favorite thus far:

You can see many more here.

Title Page Makes it Real

2008-05-27T13:01:00.003-04:00

This weekend I finally gave my script a title page. It's all so real now. I sat down, over a month, and wrote a pilot. My husband and at least 1 very good friend have helped me immensely but it's still my baby. It has 'written by' and my name on it. And people are going to read it. People who could actually decide it's good and that it merits the efforts of others to turn it into a real live show.

It's at once exciting and scary. I wish I could imbue it with the essence of my intent: blessing it with all the enthusiasm and hope I can hardly tamp down. Blood, sweat and tears come no charge.

Buffywatch: When you have trouble liking the main character...

2008-05-25T21:38:00.004-04:00

My husband and I have now finished watching Buffy and Angel through the ends of Seasons 4 and 1 respectively. Comparing between the two shows I have seen a few things but one really stands out:

I really don't like Buffy.

I love both shows, and I think Sarah Michelle Gellar does a wonderful job but when it comes right down to the character I just...don't like her. Seeing Angel brought that into focus. Angel is a tragic hero but he bears that with grace and strength. Buffy is in some ways equally tragic as Angel but in many ways she's got it much better. Yet she is barely more than a spoiled brat most of the time. And much of her tragedy she brings upon herself. She listens to no one at some crucial moments and can easily get in the way of solutions.

I hope I like her more in the end.

Songs that Won't Go Away

2008-05-24T13:39:00.005-04:00

Like the last song video I posted, this song is another one that's by a band I'd never listened to before. It features a cast of YouTube all stars which is attractive enough on it's own but the song is completely stuck in my head now. It's called "Pork and Beans" and is by Weezer.

Edit: Embed gone. Video can be viewed here.

Needs more Imagination

2008-05-23T15:57:00.007-04:00

The world can never have too much imagination. This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. Imagine if you could stand on a content, look into a tunnel and see across the world, instantly bringing you into another place. They have done that here.

First, the 'tunnel' must be complete.

New York

London
Today, it was.

And now, people in London can look into New York scenes like:

Something like this should be permanent. This article goes into fantastic detail about the enjoyment of the Telescope. You can view the official website here.

To pick a theme...

2008-05-23T06:29:00.004-04:00

Picking a template/theme on my Bones blog was easy. As it deals with professional content it is best to keep the layout clean and simple. But here...this is more like my surroundings, my virtual home. I want it to reflect me. Only I can't find a good 'mirror' out there, so to speak.

I like old things - old farm buildings, old pictures, old cars. Anything with a fantastic vintage feel. I like flowers of all kinds. I like quilts, old styles of dress from turn of the century through the 50s, old leather bound books...you'd think with such broad ideas it would be easy to find something.

Nope.

I have flipped this template many times. I've tried this one, this one, this one, this one and this one. Likely as not, you're looking at one of those right now. I find her templates to be creative and of high importance - they don't break important parts of the blog. Some do. So I'm leery where I find templates because of just that reason.

Why not make my own? See I have this problem. I WRITE. A lot. I write for my novel, I write for my TV script, I write for this blog, and this blog, and I write comments here and emails to this guy and chat with this person. I have no patience left for painstaking image work and composition.

There is no point to this other than to look each at rock and hard place and congratulate them on a job well done.

Books I should read

2008-05-22T08:18:00.003-04:00

My husband and I went out to see 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' last night. In all honesty, the movie drug out terribly. It was good, but it was long. Nevertheless, it made me want to read the books. I know, it's amazing that anyone makes it this far without reading them. I just...never did. I've read some of Lewis' more cerebral works and I love The Screwtape Letters so I have no doubt that I would love these books as well. I hate to talk about the symbolism without reading the books but I can see a lot already that intrigues me, especially in the role of Aslan.

House

2008-05-21T22:51:00.003-04:00

It's no secret that my TV heart belongs to Bones. But I must say...the House finale was gut wrenching.

Funny

2008-05-21T22:43:00.000-04:00

more cat pictures

Writing Update

2008-05-19T22:28:00.003-04:00

The countdown to the Bones season finale sort of sucked up all my blogging energy over the last week. Fortunately I didn't neglect my script so badly.

Sunday I went through it all and tweaked a bit of dialogue, cut out a whole scene, took one funny bit from that scene and moved it, and other miscellaneous things. I also sat down with my trusty spiral that I take everywhere and wrote out everything I could think of that constituted a long-term plan for the show. It's a bit crazy to do that...I'll be one of 1500 submissions...but that helped me look at the pilot script as part of a greater whole. I hope it helped.

Two weeks to d-day!

Quotable LOST

2008-05-15T23:22:00.004-04:00

"Jesus Christ is not a weapon."

That's definitely a debate worthy quote.

Jesus can be a comforting blanket, a stern teacher, a loving parent...why not a weapon? The line just stood out to me.

Script Update

2008-05-15T06:00:00.003-04:00

Well last night I sequestered myself away from the computer awhile and made some great headway on a new draft in the script. I cut up the opening and reworked its guts and the added and changed quite a bit of the dialogue. I stayed up far too late and woke up far too early.

Mental forecast: blurry.

House

2008-05-14T15:26:00.002-04:00

Okay I haven't updated on my final decision on House so here it is...I'm sticking with it. I caught up fully last night online and I'm hooked now. I'll put aside my nitpicky thoughts for the moment and this summer I'll use my online resourcefulness to watch all the House available and catch up.

I can never watch it post-Bones though. And what is up with them taking 8 days to get episodes online? Grr. Bones usually does it within 12 hours!