C. L. Norman

Walking home alone last night I had the vivid sensation that someone was following me in the dark through my quiet neighborhood. Phantom footsteps echoed on the sidewalks. Shadows reached for me from hedges and rose bushes along my path. I even imagined I heard an audience screaming at me, “Look out behind you!”

All of this resulted from watching similar scenes over and over again in movies and television shows.

Years ago a bank near where I worked was robbed and the only clue the FBI had led them straight to our store. I remember standing at the counter waiting to ring up the next customer. The next person in line was a gentleman in suit who got out his wallet and flipped it open showing me his FBI ID.

Something happened to my hearing as phatom bullets started flying and I worked out where I would take cover from the violence that would soon follow. My heartbeat sped up and my breathing altered slightly as my imagination put me through a shoot out in the space of a few seconds.

When the events finished playing out in my head (ending up with me wounded and of course selflessly administering first aid to another wounded customer) I came back to actual events and had to tell the agent that I couldn’t help him with his question and directed him to the assistant manager.

Again this was the result of too much TV.

Driving down the road alone at night, I can see the specter of a person running into the road in the rain and freezing in the headlights. A police car barrelling down the highway with lights on becomes involved in a car chase with a lot of explosions and cars crashing in its wake. Folks waiting in line at the bank have guns in their bags/pockets and are waiting for the opportunity to take hostages and rob the bank.

These are the things that run through my imagination as I go through life. All as a result of watching TV. That’s right. I blame my paranoia on TV.

What things do you imagine as a result of watching TV?

        

This year I was really excited to watch the Oscars. I had missed them last year and I wanted desparately to see them this time around. The strangest thing about it all is that I didn’t see any of the 10 movies nominated for Oscars this year. Because of that I didn’t care a whole lot about who actually won the Oscars. If you are interested in seeing the winners list go here.

Here are the highlights that I enjoyed about this lavish tribute to the movies.

• The fairytale like dresses. I love the fancy ballgowns. This year they were more traditional–flowing skirts, fitted tops, shimmering and sparkling fabrics–the way I like them. Of course the dresses always look better against the neat, black tuxes. I always think of princesses and princes when I see people dressed up in that way.
• Tribute to John Hughes. Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Jon Cryer, and Macauley Culkin all together on one stage was a trip back in time to my teen years. It was wonderful to see the montage of some of my favorite films. I have an urge to break out my John Hughes collection of DVDs and rewatch them.
• The Horror Segment. I am not a horror fan but my brother use to make me watch them to “toughen me up.” I had fun playing “guess the movie” with no answer sheet so, of course, I got all of them right.
• The Intro Song with Neil Patrick Harris. The fun and pageantry of that opening number reminds me of the theater scene in the original Annie movie. Full of pomp and fun and pointing out everything that makes folks go to the movies. I watchted it with a grin stretched across my face and wished it went on longer.
• And the Oscar goes to… That moment when the presenter says those 5 little words and everyone in the Kodak Theater holds their breath in anticipation. That moment when the family sitting around the TV shouts out their guess for the winner. It is the moment the whole 3+ hour long show is all about.

Did you watch the Oscars? What parts did you enjoy the most? Did your favorite movie/actor/director of 2009 win any awards?

        

Reading

This week I read Caitlin Kittredge’s Street Magic. I am an avid fan of her Nocturne series and have been wanting to try out this other series for a while and finally broke down and bought a copy.  I tried to be all responsible and read it only at night after I had finished the things I needed to get done but by the third night I was heading to bed earlier for more time with my book and the next morning I finished the book before getting anything else done. It was different but exciting. The central mystery of the story was engaging and well thought out. I really enjoyed it.

Tax Season

We finally filed our taxes this week and I learned a valuable lesson. We have always had H&R Block prepare out taxes and I have always been satisfied with their work. This year, my writing is in the shady area where I might be able to claim some deductions because of it and the tax preparers were not prepared to handle those questions. I learned that I can’t trust professionals to know everything about their fields. A good lesson to know. Hopefully I keep this information in mind when I meet with other professionals in the future.

Dr. Suess

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess. It is such a wonderful thing that children across America celebrate the birth and career of an author every year. I helped with this tradition by reading Green Eggs & Ham and The Foot Book during this week’s storytime. The children never seem to tire of the words of this wonderful writer. A personal thank you to him for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I was reading this book when I was 4 years old. Dr Seuss is the author that launched me into the world of books that I live in today.

Revising/Rewriting

Up to this morning I always thought there was something wrong with me that I never rewrote on as massive a scale as everyone else I have heard of. I touch up grammar and word choice, delete repetitive sentences, and in general only clean up my first draft. I don’t delete huge passages or shift around large blocks of text or any of those other drastic measures revision seems to involve. This morning I read an entry in Dean Westley Smith’s Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing series and am now in the process of letting go of that feeling of wrongness, embracing my method, and working up the confidence to believe in my words despite them being the result of only one or two drafts.

Birthdays

My second child turned 13 this week. That brings the number of teens in the family up to two. I am bracing myself for the fallout of that event. Two teen daughters and only two parents. Things could get wild and crazy around here for a few years. I’ve been told my kids are easy and others are jealous, I have my fingers crossed that that trend continues.

How ’bout your week? Did it go well? Learn anything new?

        

Some days my brain takes longer to wake up. Add to that the cognitive processes I’ve devoted to a couple new writing projects and details slip through the cracks. This morning at 6:30am I slipped on some foot coverings, jumped in the car, and drove to work.

At the store I clocked in and went to my locker to store my coat and purse and a strange thought went through my head.

“My feet are comfy-cozy. And I’m at work.”

I looked down and realized that I was wearing my slippers. My cushy, brown leather moccassin type slippers. At work. Slippers aren’t usually part of the semi-pro look but for today, I made it work.

I think only one out of ten customers noticed.

        

Alice in Wonderland on March 5th: Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, and Anne Hathaway to name a few, this new Tim Burton film is lush and colorful as a Wonderland should be. It looks different and new but familiar enough that fans of Lewis Carroll’s original works should enjoy it. The trailers have everyone in the house from my 6 year old on up saying “I want to see that one” and I am no exception.

Remember Me on March 12th: Yeah, I know, it has Robert Pattinson in it and maybe that would turn hard-core geeks off of this movie but I am interested in seeing what he can do when his character has a pulse. It also has Emilie De Ravin in it and the last time I saw her it was in Roswell. The presence of Lena Olin and Pierce Brosnan seals the deal.

The Bounty Hunter on March 19th: Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler in one movie? It is bound to be funny. And the premise is just ridiculous enough to work.

How to Train Your Dragon on March 26th: Originally a children’s book by Cressida Cowell, this movie is computer animated and fun and most importantly has dragons. Who doesn’t like dragons?

What movies are you looking forward to in March?

        

Reading

This week Kim Harrison’s Black Magic Sanction was released. The last couple books in the Hollows series were slightly disatisfying for me. Not because of the writing but because I hoped certain things would happen that didn’t or vice versa. I enjoyed this book in all ways. The plot, the characters, the pacing; I stayed up late to finish it, flipping pages and holding my breath to see how Rachel would get out of her current predicament. I cried and laughed and had a blast. I fell in love again with the Hollows series.

Rivers of Ink

The local writing event to connect readers and writers is having its second go-round this October and our first planning meeting occurred this week. It is so fun and challenging to share ideas for this event everyone is so passionate about. There is a lot of anticipation that this event go even better than the last one. I personally am trying to build my writing cred between now and October (when the conference is) so that I am better prepared to sit in on a panel or two.

On TV

I’ve finally watched the episode of Heroes stored on my DVR and found that it was the Season 4 finale. It explained why my trusty DVR hadn’t recorded any more episodes since. I enjoyed seeing Hiro teleport a whole crowd of ’specials’ away from Samual, watching Tracy flow in and rescue Noah and Claire, but my most favorite part was watching Sylar save Emma and say “I am a hero.” Sylar is awesome to observe. The part I was most disappointed with is the lack of Suresh. I’ve always had a soft spot for that character and Season 4 is very Suresh-lite and the final episode lacks him altogether. I hope he comes back for Season 5.

I watched last week’s episode of Smallville as well. As I am also currently re-watching old episodes of Stargate SG-1, the episode was rather trippy. Trippy because the villain of the episode, Conspiracy, is played by JR Bourne who played Martouf in Stargate SG-1, a good guy. He did a good job playing the psycho Frankenstein’s monster type but I kept expected a plot twist that would turn him into a misunderstood good guy.

Writing

I’m working on some maps for a new story. If I can figure out how to scan it into the computer, maybe I will post one or two later this week. I have also been building some background and story elements for this story. I am excited for it. The idea behind it has been percolating in my mind for years and I am hoping to get the story down over the next few months.

RIP Boner

Actor Andrew Koenig AKA Richard “Boner” Stabone of Growing Pains passed away this week. His character was always good for a laugh and as Mike Seaver’s best friend, the couple made a fun team. It is like another piece of my childhood slipping away. My heart goes out to his family.

How was your week? Anything interesting happen?

        

Writing

After the workshops and panels at RadCon last weekend, I became determined to start treating my writing more as a business than as a sometimes hobby. To that end, I have submitted a couple short stories this week and caught up on my novel manuscript so that I may continue with that project.

Another aspect of that is getting myself organized so that I can track expenses and submissions and all the other details needed to be successful. To that end I am working again to get my household finances in order and find a system that works for me in tracking and budgeting them. I am notoriously bad with the details and while I do not have a lot of things to track for writing yet, my household accounts are a good place to start learning the skills to carry me onward.

In addition to the above I have also started reading through Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Freelancer’s Survival Guide. I have only read through the second Money chapter at this point but I am learning a lot and learning that there is a lot I don’t know. Very enlightening and her advice isn’t just for writers.

On TV

I’ve been rewatching Stargate SG-1 this week. Every episode I try to identify which character is my favorite and I can’t make up my mind. Usually it is a toss up between O’Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson but then Carter or Teal’c steal a scene and I am torn between four again. My favorite episode is still A Window of Opportunity. It is like Groundhog Day with science fiction elements. Fun.

Writing Group

This week my writing group met for the first time since we closed the group to all-comers. The meeting was all about hashing out rules for members and set up the structure of the group. I know it is necessary but I found myself wanting to get past all the back-and-forth discussion and get back to the writing. Soon enough.

Gaming

We started a new D&D game on Saturday night. I am DMing the old AD&D campaign, Night Below, and updating it for Pathfinder rules as we go. I don’t have any idea how well the conversion will go but we intend to have fun finding out. My 9 year old son is joining us for the first time and it is entertaining watching him play with the adults and the differences in how he approaches the puzzles in the game.

        

If you read my last post you know that I recently participated in a writer’s workshop and received a lot of encouragement about my writing. In a separate workshop it was mentioned that writer’s needed to have a big ego. I realize I do not have that yet and so the encouragement was hard to accept and made me nervous. Nervous that I would actually be discovered somewhere and everyone would then see all of my faults.

Encouragement is a good thing. When my family and friends root for me and tell me how much they enjoy my writing, I feel loved and my self-esteem is inflated just a little bit more. I appreciate and cherish all those words of encouragement.

Encouragement is something everyone needs. Even if I react in a strange manner to encouragement from professionals, I am grateful for it. Once I worked through the stage fright, the encouragement prodded me to submit my stories again and work on the unfinished NaNoWriMo novel. I am spending more time at the keyboard as a result and that isn’t a bad thing.

Next time you read a story and you come away from it excited or thoughtful or teary eyed, send the author a short email letting them know. You never know, maybe your encouragement will come at just the right time to lift them from a black place and get them writing again. Their next story might be even better for your encouragement.

        

Happy Valentine’s Day

Today is the day for remembering your loved ones, especially those you have romantic feelings for. As always my Valentine’s day is not filled with flowers and chocolates (that is a Mother’s day tradition) but with Magic cards and writing panels. Which leads me to my next topic.

Radcon

Every year since I was a sophomore in high school I attended the local sci-fi convention, RadCon, and this year is no different. I use to go for a mix of panels and gaming, in particular the Delver’s Bash. However for the last few years I go to attend every writing panel I can squeeze into so that I may glean every nugget of knowledge about the craft and business of writing I can.

This year I also participated in a Writing Workshop put together very nicely by Deby Fredericks. As a result of some attendance issues, I had the full attention of both Dean Wesley Smith and Darragh Metzger for the entire hour. And I’d like to thank them for the insights they gave me on my writing and on writing as a career. It is much appreciated and I hope to put your encouragement to good use.

Cavalcade of Authors

The first day of the con, or to be more precise the morning of the first day of con, an event was held for local middle school and high school students. This event had students in workshops with several authors including Patrick Carman, Ben Mikaelson, Suzanne Selfours, and more. My daughter was a participant and had a lot of fun. I helped out with Barnes & Noble, selling books and enjoyed observing the excitement in the kids at the opportunity to speak with and learn from their favorite authors. A very successful event in my opinion.

Reading

This week I reread Transformation by Carol Berg for the third or maybe fourth time. Transformation is the first book in a series of three. I adore the world building in this series of books. So many peoples and cultures are included, some are spotlighted and others fill in all the nooks and crannies around the edges. Even more I love the two main characters, Seyonne and Aleksander. They live and breathe and make mistakes. They have undesirable traits and heroic hearts. A lot is going on in this story but it is presented in such a way I don’t have to slow down my reading to keep track of it all. I highly recommend these books to fantasy or adventure lovers.

My week went well, how was yours?

        

I finished rewatching the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and it got me to thinking of love triangles and what works for me and what doesn’t.

Buffy by the end of the series is in a love triangle with Angel and Spike. Both are vampires with souls and both love her. And let’s face it, both are good looking. So why is it that folks vote for Buffy to choose one over the other?

Personally, I think Spike is who she should end with. The reason why is the same reason I am glad Joey ended up with Pacey on Dawson’s Creek and why I was frustrated with Felicity choosing Ben over Noel on Felicity.

Angel and Buffy was the dream relationship. The first crush. The first love. The hazy, rose-colored, slow-music playing relationship. Don’t get me wrong. I fully believe that Buffy and Angel loved each other and they had a nice run, but they changed and grew up over the next few years and their love was more of a reflex after that happened. It wasn’t real anymore.

Spike and Buffy started as enemies but they grew and changed together. They worked at their relationship or tried to avoid working at it. Their feelings for each other grew from enmity to allies to friendship and finally to love. After all that effort and growth, they should be together.

At least for a while, the whole unaging thing on the part of Spike will get to be a problem eventually. But that is a whole other topic for discussion.

A new vampire love triangle is on TV. This one is on Vampire Diaries between Elaina, Stefan, and Damon. I’ve read the books and despite a love triangle being advertised on the back cover, I never thought that there was any danger of a triangle forming. Elaina was never in any danger of loving Damon and so no triangle. In the tv show that possibility is already there. My daughter is an avid fan and I like it but the triangle possibility is starting to draw me in. I want to see what happens next.

Of course all of this may be me justifying the girl ending up with the ‘bad boy.’ I am a sucker for the bad boy, they are more fun.

What is your favorite love triangle? Which ones worked for you and which ones had you yelling at the book/TV/screen “No!”?