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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Idea for a show ...
My dad used to have a go-to boring TV suggestion when I was little: The History of Asphalt. At the time, my sister and I laughed at him because, obviously, a documentary like that would be ridiculous!
Of course, making a movie or TV show has everything to do with talent and having a phenomenal idea that'll rivet the audience to their seats. Right? I mean, that's clearly why I don't have my own TV show. No one would spend good money and waste everyone's time with crap like Hogs Gone Wild or not one, but two programs about pawn shops.
I feel like Alan Partridge is pitching all our TV shows.
What about all these books I'm reading?
Since I've been at home for the last two weeks or so, I've been reading a lot -- to make my writing better and to ease the boredom.
A few quick reviews:
I, Spy by Kate Johnson
This was quite an enjoyable book. Granted, some parts challenged my suspension of disbelief, but not enough to keep me from reading. The characters were likable and relatable -- and Sophie, the main character's boycraziness was fun. Let's face it: I'm a girl. I like the cartoon-y pink covers. I had fun with this book. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
And best of all, the Kindle version is FREE on Amazon for a little while (the month of June, I think).
This is a Book by Demetri Martin
I love Demetri Martin. His standup is funny, as was his short-lived TV show, Important Things with Demetri Martin, so I was excited about this book. About half was what I was expecting -- unexpected wordings, and very silly, yet somehow obvious things you've never thought of before. The other half consisted of longish stories that were kind of boring and skippable.
Check out this video of Demetri performing.
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
There was nothing I didn't like about this book. Bridget Jones is a wonderfully "real" character with all the excitement and worry of your average woman. I never stopped rooting for her, and had a hard time putting the book down.
Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela S. Choi
This book definitely gets an R rating (sex and violence both). Interesting story about a woman who's tired of having to be everyone's ideal (and tired of being set up on dates by her parents). After running into an old friend from school, she develops a new ... uh... hobby? Killing.
Funny in parts, uncomfortable in parts ... enjoyable if not taken too seriously.
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| Watching paint dry, anyone? |
I feel like Alan Partridge is pitching all our TV shows.
What about all these books I'm reading?
Since I've been at home for the last two weeks or so, I've been reading a lot -- to make my writing better and to ease the boredom.
A few quick reviews:
 |
I, Spy by Kate JohnsonThis was quite an enjoyable book. Granted, some parts challenged my suspension of disbelief, but not enough to keep me from reading. The characters were likable and relatable -- and Sophie, the main character's boycraziness was fun. Let's face it: I'm a girl. I like the cartoon-y pink covers. I had fun with this book. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
And best of all, the Kindle version is FREE on Amazon for a little while (the month of June, I think).
This is a Book by Demetri Martin
I love Demetri Martin. His standup is funny, as was his short-lived TV show, Important Things with Demetri Martin, so I was excited about this book. About half was what I was expecting -- unexpected wordings, and very silly, yet somehow obvious things you've never thought of before. The other half consisted of longish stories that were kind of boring and skippable.
Check out this video of Demetri performing.
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen FieldingThere was nothing I didn't like about this book. Bridget Jones is a wonderfully "real" character with all the excitement and worry of your average woman. I never stopped rooting for her, and had a hard time putting the book down.
Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela S. Choi
This book definitely gets an R rating (sex and violence both). Interesting story about a woman who's tired of having to be everyone's ideal (and tired of being set up on dates by her parents). After running into an old friend from school, she develops a new ... uh... hobby? Killing.
Funny in parts, uncomfortable in parts ... enjoyable if not taken too seriously.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Elusive Dream
Ah, the feeling. Opening my email to what I'm sure is another rejection letter (after a while, you only have to read the first few words: Thank you for your query. Unfortunately ... ), and finding the words, "may we send you a contract?" instead is nothing short of stunning.
The work in question is a short story called The Morning After. It's about two vacationers joining their friends in a wooded cabin, only to find one friend brutally attacked and everyone else missing. Like most of my stories, this one went through a multitude of changes before finally settling into its final form (and after the editors at the publisher get finished, it could very well change again). My critique buddies helped me tremendously with this piece--from telling me which sentences didn't flow well, to which whole pages ruined the suspense. Forever grateful!
After a few days feeling like I kind of suck at writing, this was the ego boost I needed to get back to work.
On a roll ...
Just posted my long-overdue story to Generations, the blog where my Papaw, my Dad, my sister, and I tackle a central topic and write something about it.
The story I posted, Do Not Spoil the Ending, uses a familiar setting (Toronto) and a familiar situation (uhh.. spoiler), and makes something completely fictional out of it. I also used Kat and Bridget, characters from the mystery novel I'm trying to sell, and learned more about their personalities and background.
Something which I have no experience with, but find really interesting, is urban exploration. The story touches on it when the characters wander into the long-closed Lower Bay subway station (which is real -- read about it toward the end of this page: Infiltration: Toronto Subways). Creepy and exciting, huh?
The work in question is a short story called The Morning After. It's about two vacationers joining their friends in a wooded cabin, only to find one friend brutally attacked and everyone else missing. Like most of my stories, this one went through a multitude of changes before finally settling into its final form (and after the editors at the publisher get finished, it could very well change again). My critique buddies helped me tremendously with this piece--from telling me which sentences didn't flow well, to which whole pages ruined the suspense. Forever grateful!
After a few days feeling like I kind of suck at writing, this was the ego boost I needed to get back to work.
On a roll ...
Just posted my long-overdue story to Generations, the blog where my Papaw, my Dad, my sister, and I tackle a central topic and write something about it.
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| Yeah, I played a little with Photoshop. |
Something which I have no experience with, but find really interesting, is urban exploration. The story touches on it when the characters wander into the long-closed Lower Bay subway station (which is real -- read about it toward the end of this page: Infiltration: Toronto Subways). Creepy and exciting, huh?
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