Kamis, 29 September 2011

"OH COME ON" Moments



Have I ever mentioned before that my boyfriend hates watching movies with me? According to him, I'm too critical. Instead of sitting back and enjoying the ride (like he insists I should), I'm on high alert for any little feck ups in the story. (And I'm very, very vocal about it when I spot one.) I like to call them "OH COME ON" moments. (Because, nine times out of ten, that's what I yell.)

Here are a few I griped about that all but made my boyfriend throw his bowl of popcorn at me:

(Fair warning: This post will probably contain spoilers. If you come to a movie you haven't seen, but want to, maybe you should skip to the next one.)

The Hangover

OH COME ON Moment:

So, you expect me to believe Doug spent two whole days on a sunny Las Vegas rooftop with no food or fresh water and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING aside from throwing his mattress off the roof? Have none of the writers ever seen I Shouldn't Be Alive? The lengths a human being will go to to save themselves are incredible, and yet Doug couldn't be bothered to bang on the door or call for help to the people below?

According to Wikipedia, "[in Las Vegas] the summer months of June through September are very hot and mostly dry, with average daytime highs of 94 to 104 °F (34 to 40 °C) and night-time lows of 69–78 °F (21–26 °C). There are an average of 133 days per year above 90 °F (32 °C), and 72 days above 100 °F (38 °C), with most of the days in July and August exceeding that benchmark." 

Excuse me, but screw that. Any person in their right mind would've been trying like crazy to get someone's attention. But not Doug.

Superman

OH COME ON Moment:

Is it just me, or did Superman let an entire neighborhood of people die horrifically to save his girlfriend? You remember that iconic (and very silly) scene where Superman reverses the Earth's rotation and turns back time? (However the hell that works...) Remember why he did that? Because while he was busy saving an entire neighborhood from the Hoover Dam's imminent collapse, Lois Lane died during the earthquake Lex Luthor's missile caused. So, Superman reverses time and saves Lois Lane from being buried alive.

But the whole reason he couldn't save her the first time around is because, at the exact same instant, the Hoover Dam was about to collapse and unleash watery death on a neighborhood full of innocent men, women, and children. Sooo...if Superman turned back time and saved Lois instead, logic tells us he couldn't also save those people. Jeez, Superman--and I thought you were supposed to be the good guy. Haven't you ever heard the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?

Speaking of Spock...


Star Trek

OH COME ON Moment:

When Nero is transported into the past, he destroys the USS Kelvin and kills Kirk's father. The next time we see him is twenty-five years later when he destroys the planet Vulcan. But...where the hell has he been for those twenty-five years? My sources tell me a deleted scene included on the DVD actually explains he was captured by Klingons and imprisoned for twenty-five years, escaping right around the same time Kirk and Spock are graduating from Starfleet.

Mkay, I'll take that answer, but I don't have the DVD, and if I didn't have trekkie friends that actually bought it, I never would have known about that scene. I get that they probably had to cut it for time restraints, but they could have squeezed in a line of dialogue or SOMETHING to explain where the feck Nero had been all that time! Because without it, those who don't watch the deleted scenes are faced with a real OH COME ON moment.


Edward Scissorhands
OH COME ON Moment:

This one actually kind of pains me to bring up, because I love this movie. Buuut...it wouldn't be fair to leave it out just because this movie is so close to my heart. (And, to be honest, I like all the movies on this list so far. So...yeah.)

If you've seen this movie, you probably remember the end--Edward has returned to his house on the hill and his ice sculptures are the reason behind the "snow" that falls on the neighborhood ever year. But...where does Edward get the ice to make his sculptures? I mean, he's a recluse who probably doesn't have an internet connection or even a phone line, so it's not like he could just order them. But somehow he has access to enough huge blocks of ice to rain "snow" down on the neighborhood below? C'moooon.


The Empire Strikes Back

OH COME ON Moment:

Y'know how Luke is getting trained in the ways of the force with Yoda while Han, Leia, and the others are being chased by the Empire to Lando's Cloud City? And by the time Han, Leia, and the others arrive on Cloud City and are taken captive by Vader, Luke has already finished his Jedi training? Well, how the feck did that work out?

I thought Jedi training was something you started when you were a young child. How freaking long did it take the Falcon to reach Cloud City? Either that was the slowest trip ever, or Luke somehow covered years of Jedi training in mere days. Maybe the Falcon's engines went out several times during the trip or something. *rolls eyes*



You should definitely watch out for these moments in your WIPs. No one wants their readers to get through an important scene and say, "Wait...but what about (insert detail here)? OH COME ON!"

And, since we're writing books, we don't have the luxury of using excuses like, "The scene that explains where my villain has been for two decades was taken out because of time restraints--it's on the Extras menu, though," and, "The only reason that training process that usually takes years seemed to take a few days was because of faulty parallel editing!"


Have you ever experienced an OH COME ON moment?
Do you watch movies purely for the entertainment or do you have a critical eye?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Jumat, 23 September 2011

NaNo Plans and The Search For A Crit Partner


So first off, I've already started planning for NaNo. I already have half a notebook of notes and details about the story and I created a private blog to collect all my ideas and put them in order. I have the first eight chapters planned out so far. As I've probably mentioned before, it's going to be another YA fantasy, but with lots of steampunk-y bits and *gasp* a male MC. I'm so excited about it. Here's hoping I get all my planning done before November 1st rolls around! (I'm sure I will...probably...hopefully...)

In other news, I'm kinda looking for a crit partner to look over DARK WATER. Sad as this is, I've never had a CP before and I'm a little...I dunno--confused and nervous.

Yeah--something like that. So, if anyone out there wants to familiarize me with the world of CPs, I'd be eternally grateful. If you're interested in doing me the awesome favor of criting DARK WATER (I'll love you forever, lol) or know where I might be able to find someone, just leave a comment or drop me an email. (You can find my addy on the Stalk Me page up at the top.)


Thanks in advance, everyone! 


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Kamis, 22 September 2011

Likability--Nicki Minaj Got It Wrong


Not to say Nicki Minaj is an unlikable person...I mean...I don't like her, but I'm sure there are people out there who think she's great. What I'm actually talking about is her new single, Super Bass


This is the music video, which I have never watched before. I have no idea whether or not this is safe for work, but probably not. Actually...y'know what...without even watching the video, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, this is definitely NSFW.
PS: The following post might not be suitable for younger or sensitive viewers.

Mkay, now that I've got the disclaimer out of the way, let's discuss this song.

The first time I heard it, I thought it was pretty catchy if nothing else--like most music that gets popular nowadays. It was definitely something I could tap my foot along with when it came on. But then I started listening to what she was actually saying.

The FIRST lyrics in the song are:

"This one is for the boys with the boomin' system
Top down, AC with the coolin' system
When he come up in the club, he blazin' up
Got stacks on deck like he savin' up"

Uh...Nicki, you do realize there isn't a real rhyme in that verse right? You can't rhyme "system" with "system" and "up" with "up." Whatever--it's kind of lazy, but it doesn't ruin the whole song. What's next?

"And he ill, he real, he might gotta deal
He pop bottles and he got the right kind of bill
He cold, he dope, he might sell coke
He always in the air, but he never fly coach."

Err...
All right...there isn't any rhyming here either, but that not what got me. 
HE MIGHT SELL COKE?! 
What?! Nicki is that REALLY the type of guy you want?

"He a muthaf*ckin trip, trip
Sailor of the ship, ship
When he make it drip, drip,
Kiss him on the lip, lip
That's the kinda dude I was lookin' for
And yes, you'll get slapped if you're lookin' ho"

Apparently, that's EXACTLY the type of guy she wants...
Ugggh...

"I said, excuse me, you're a hell of a guy
I mean, my, my, my, my you're like pelican fly
I mean, you're so shy and I'm loving your tie
You're like slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye, oh"

I actually had to look up what "pelican fly" meant. At first, I figured it was just a nonsense lyric, but I actually found a definition on Urban Dictionary.

"Pelican Fly"
When you are completely wasted/high/stoned to the point of totally losing it. Can only really reach "pelican fly" on cocaine, amphetamines, E, LSD. But some people can reach it on marijuana.
Origins from the film "Scarface." Al Paccino is sitting in a bath watching TV and sees a pair of flamingoes flying and says : "Hey Manny look at it .. Pelican fly come on pelican."

So...it's another coke reference. Something makes me think Nicki Minaj is under the impression being a coke dealer (and user, apparently) is pretty glamorous. She should know it's not. I mean, she made a Scarface reference! Didn't she watch the ending??

Anywho--that's all I need to make my point. This (hopefully fictional) guy Nicki is singing about sounds like an asshole.

Why is she so into him? 

Because he has stacks of money?
Because he never rides coach?
Because he has a nice tie?
Because he's shy??

Speaking of which--one of these things is not like the others. One of these things doesn't belong.

How shy can he possibly be if he's in the club popping bottles and obviously hopped up on coke? This doesn't make sense, Nicki! Was it just for the sake of the rhyme? Whatever--that's just me being nit-picky.

My actual point is simple:

Nicki Minaj has created an all-around unlikeable character in Super Bass. A character she claims has her "heartbeat runnin' away." As a writer, I'm sitting here wondering, Why the hell would any chick in their right mind be interested in this guy??

Miss Minaj has pretty much written a clever 101 for how NOT to write a love interest. If his only "redeeming" quality is being able to afford expensive airline tickets, there's something very, very wrong.


What are your thoughts on Nicki's new song?
Have you ever stumbled across a horrible representation of a love interest in a song?
What about a great representation?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Selasa, 20 September 2011

"You Have Good Words"


So, I've mentioned before that my boyfriend, Travis, isn't much of a reader, but I still really like to get his opinion (because if my story needs work, he will tell me about it...in the nicest way possible).

When I finished DARK WATER, he was actually pretty excited to start reading it. He gobbled down all 500 pages in only a few days (which is saying something, considering he works from 4 PM to 1 AM and, like I said, doesn't read much).

When he finished, I turned to him, eyes gleaming, and asked, "Well...what did you think?"

He got that far-off look in his eyes that let me know he was searching hard for the right thing to say. Then, he smiled and said, "You have good words."

My reaction:


Yeah...not exactly what I was looking for.

But then, he went on to tell me he thought the story was engrossing and very entertaining, that he enjoyed my characters, and there were moments that legitimately made him laugh out loud.

My reaction:


Yep. Made me feel pretty good.

Of course, I know Trav's opinion might be a little bias...y'know, since he's my boyfriend and all. But still--it's always nice to hear good things. Especially about something you worked your butt off on.

Now that he's done with it, I'm not sure what I'll do. I kind of want to put some distance between me and the story before I jump into any major edits. Maybe I'll take a little break, do some doodling and play some Sims and plan my NaNo project whatnot.

We'll see....


Has anyone told you you've got "good words" lately?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Kamis, 15 September 2011

I'm Versatile!

I received The Versatile Blogger award from fellow writer and South Carolinian, Barbara V. Evers. Thanks so much, Barbara! You rock!!

By the way, you guys should totally pop over to her awesome blog, An Electric Muse, and check it out.

To accept this award, I have a few things I need to do:
1.)  Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2.)  Share 7 things about yourself.
3.)  Pass this Award along to 15 recently discovered blogs and let them know about it.


All righty--seven things about me:

7.)  I own a t-shirt that says BAMF on the front. Most people think it means "Bad Ass MotherF*cker," but it's actually a reference to the noise Nightcrawler (yes, from X-Men--he's my favorite) makes when he teleports. Why yes--I am a total nerd.



6.)  My bedroom is packed with books. I have two bookshelves that are overflowing and a table by my bed that's completely covered. In my dream house, I'll have my own private library like the one from Beauty and the Beast.

 
5.)  I have a budding Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise collection. One day, I hope to have something like this:


4.)  I love music boxes almost as much as I love Nightmare Before Christmas. (I actually have a Nightmare music box. It plays This Is Halloween.) They really fascinate me--especially older ones. I keep four beside my bed at all times:


3.)  I'm apparently pretty good at whipping up sweet treats. My mom calls me the "baker of the family" and, from what I hear, I can make a French silk pie that will "curl your toes." (Yes. My mom really said that.)



2.)  I still sleep with a stuffed animal my brother got for me back when I was seven. It's missing an eye and its nose and has been sewed up more times than I can count. But I just can't bring myself to throw it out.


1.)  When I was a kid, I had three ferrets--Fifi, Pepe, and Niki. I had to get rid of them (one guess why), but I've wanted another one ever since. My boyfriend promises to let me have one as long as I let him have a tortoise. (He's so weird...)



Well, there you go, everyone. Seven completely random things about yours truly. Now, time to pass this award along.

1.) Reinhardt! of The Reinhardt Experience
2.) WritingNut of Writing In A Nutshell
3.) Maria of First Draft Cafe
5.) MC Rogerson of LifeBeyond
6.) Jen Daiker of Unedited
10.) CherylAnne Ham of Making Words Happen
13.) Jessica Peters of Jess Gets Creative
14.) Kadie Kinney of Three Point Perspective
15.) Kimberly of Meeting with my Muse

Thanks again Barbara for the award!! And congrats to everyone I've passed it along to. Hope you choose to accept it!


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Rabu, 07 September 2011

First Campaigner Challenge

First off, I want to say hello to all my new followers from the Campaigns! I'm really looking forward to getting to know everyone!

So, I want to take a shot at this 200 word flash fiction challenge. For those of you out of the loop, here's how it works (copied and pasted from Rach's blog):

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!

 Everyone can join in (but only Campaigners are eligible for prizes), so if you want to join in click over HERE for all the info.

Well, here goes...

----

ONE MORE STEP


The door swung open. I inhaled sharply at the abrupt movement and craned my head up. My heart trembled at what I saw.

I’d dropped to my knees as soon as I reached the temple, weary from long months of searching. I’d finally found it, the fabled spire of the gods. Home to untold riches. Legend said only those of purest intentions can enter.

Obviously, whoever wrote those legends was an idiot. The door opened for me--and my intentions were about as pure as Ol’ Freda’s, my town’s best known whore.

Beyond the opening, mountains of treasure awaited me, glittering in the dim light from the doorway. Coins and diamond-encrusted chalices. Gemstones as big as my head. Chests overflowing with gold and silver.

Treasure. As far as the eye could see.

My insides hummed. Fingers shook. Sweat beaded at the nape of my neck. I swallowed thickly to dislodge the quivering ball of exhilaration that clogged my throat. It exploded, sending a wave of joy flooding through me. I cheered out loud and clambered to my feet.

It’s all mine!

With excitement bubbling in my veins, I took my first confident step into the spire.

The door swung shut.


----

Started with "the door swung open," ended with "the door swung shut," and 200 words exactly, by my count. Whoo! That was fun. A little tricky, but uber fun :)

If you liked it, you could do me the huge favor of clicking HERE and scrolling down the Linky list to "like" my entry! (I'm #258) Thanks!

Oh, and before I go, I want to share this video with you guys. I thought it was pretty epic.

Here's a little background info (copied and pasted from the video description):

500 people holding more than 1,500 (!!!) developed pictures all around Israel, creating a smooth music video within their hands. (Best viewed not on full screen).



HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!