Writing Tip Tuesday #9

Happy Writing Tip Tuesday, all!

So this week I was finally able to get caught up on emails, and I came across an interesting article that I thought my fellow screenwriters might appreciate – industry vocabulary.

Like all language, industry-specific verbiage also evolves, and unless we’re a part of said industry, we may not be familiar with all the current terminology, enter Lee Jessup’s Industry Speak: Terms and Vernacular for Screenwriters.

As you write, read the trades and related articles, and/or listen to podcasts, etc. you’ll come across a number of these phrases, but there are a few that are tailored to specific situations, so while I was initially skimming the article, because I was already acquainted with so many of them, I saw a few that stumped me.

Sooo, let’s get crackin’ on that professional side and boost our knowledge of the tv/film industry.

Have you read an article that shares others terms we should know? Please link below and Happy Writing!

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Writing Prompt #156

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

It’s time to get this writing community back to Writing Prompt Wednesdays! It’s been a while, and if you feel anything like I do, which I hope you don’t, you may need a little inspiration to get that imagination back up and running.

So one of the story ideas that tried to make itself known during the move was a one-shot fan fiction from Dragon Age.

I know! Don’t even get me started.

It’s a simple idea from a mission in the third game that left a lot of fans in a tizzy at the time, and for some reason, came to me when I didn’t have any time for anything creative. I made a few notes and left it at that.

Then a few days ago, wanting to write anything, I opened up that story idea and wrote about 500 words. Not a huge number by any means, but…it felt good…to be creative.

The idea is of a character left alone in an inhospitable environment and how they might survive.

And then I saw this image and it struck me in its symbolism to this short story I’m working on. So here it is, my impulse choice for this week’s writing prompt.

Are you up for the challenge?

Happy Writing!

Discrepant Writer Update

It’s official.

We are California residents…once more.

After yet another stressful move, we’ve landed and are trying to return to normal. I barely slept for weeks and it took days upon days to feel like myself again. I’m still not sure I’m there yet.

And we’re not done yet – a hiccup in the apartment application process has left us in limbo. Thankfully, we have family here. So all our stuff is in storage, which means we’ll have to load up a truck again. I’m sure you can imagine our delight at that prospect.

So here I sit, a little over a week after a big move trying to find my groove with a mild sense of worry that it’s going to take a bit longer to get to that “vibe” I’m hoping for. The lack of routine and normalcy for over a month has left my creative side on a back burner, another reason I don’t feel like myself, but it was interesting, I caught myself at strange times thinking about my stories.

While loading up the truck, just The Sis and I, we would make off-handed comments about what we could get rid of or how it might feel if we lost everything. It brought me back to my pilot and how I had first become inspired to write the story.

While driving through Oregon, there was this beautiful green, lush landscape that immediately made me think of the protagonist in my fan fiction (I know!) and her journey.

I felt the compulsion to write something, anything at random times, knowing full well I didn’t have time, and regretted it.

And now here I sit.

A change of venue and little else, but a bit closer to the end result I’m hoping for. I’m back in L.A. The people I meet and interact with may be “that” person, the one that helps me become a professional writer. It’s one of the reasons we moved back, and with a little patience and endurance for the next couple of weeks ahead of us, it will hopefully all start to make sense.

So how are all of you? Any big or small news you want to inspire us with? Have a little Monday Motivation to share with the class?

((sigh)) It feels good to be back!

Happy Writing!

Quote of the Week

We’re already a month in to a new year?! How?

Like seriously. How?

And here we are again – a random day for a quote of the week post that I started some two weeks ago. ((insert eye roll))

I was struck by this quote and wanted to share it when I thought it would be the most impactful, right at the beginning of the year, but sure, let’s share it now…a month in.

With a new year comes the idea of new beginnings. We establish new goals, make resolutions, and have rose-colored glasses on…for about a month.

Then the newness sheen tarnishes and you discover that in reality not much has changed except the date.

Are we there yet? Effective February 1st? You know, where the glossy veneer has diminished?

Nope. Me either. This year we’re going to do things different. We’re going to do something about “it”. We’re going to change the narrative.

The last couple of years have been rough. Honestly, it’s still not great, but I think we all have hope for what 2023 will bring. In that vein, The Sis and I are endeavoring yet another move, back to California for my career, among other reasons, like our mental well-being. While it was great to give a new place a shot, this never-ending cold, gray landscape is not for us, but that’s a story for another day.

Putting out into the universe the willingness to be ready for the change has already brought some interesting developments, family and new friends with contacts, so I can hit the ground running. It’s exciting, and a little frightening. It may actually all come together.

So here’s to new beginnings!

Book Review: The Martian

*Spoiler Free Review*

I enjoy reading and watching stories of a character navigating an extreme situation – being left on Mars, alien invasions, the apocalypse – and hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I think it has something to do with human nature that we want to see ourselves tested beyond what we think we can endure and overcoming insurmountable obstacles.

What would I do in this situation? What would I do to survive? What would I do to help someone else?

The 2011 novel, The Martian by Andy Weir explores the idea of an astronaut left behind on an unforgivable planet and having to figure out how to survive it…for four years. Mark Watney is hit by debris during a mission on Mars and presumed dead. The crew aborts the mission and Watney is left behind, no dead weight. Luckily he has some tools at his disposal from the mission: a habitat, a couple of rovers, and a bit of food and water. Now he has to learn how he can make it all last the length of time it will take for the subsequent mission to reach the planet and hopefully rescue him.

I enjoyed the continued raising of the stakes. If something could go wrong, it did, and although the science and math of figuring out how to fix things and extend the life of equipment, etc. sometimes went over my head, I didn’t study physics or engineering, reading about how Watney calculated how to solve all the problems sent his way was interesting. Given he only had so many resources at his disposal, he had to rely heavily upon his wits and use those things around him in unexpected ways.

There are, of course, a few things that stood out that bothered me at times. Watney keeps a journal, and although sometimes it comes off a bit juvenile in language and context, he’s alone without anyone to talk to so I felt it was a way of keeping himself amused. I let that slide. Once he’s able to establish contact with NASA, we meet all the people who are working towards bringing him home, among them, Annie, the media relations rep who’s been written as the foul mouthed, short tempered female amidst a slew of calm, brilliant men, and this trope always bothers me. Maybe it’s representative of the misogyny that still exists in these types of environments, because there are a few comments made in regards to the looks of one of the female astronauts on the mission, and that is so irrelevant. And in this near future, can’t we have moved on from this?

My only other complaint is how little we get to know Mark. His journal entries are mostly about fixing things and a few personal notes. We get a little information from the crew and the team at NASA that he’s clever, has a good sense of humor, and the mental fortitude to survive such an ordeal, so while I was rooting for him, I never felt like I knew him, and maybe that’s okay. He’s a fellow human, in a dire situation, and in a bit of a moral quandary. What are we willing to do for one person?

I enjoyed this read. It was quick, it was entertaining, and it was unexpected.

If you have a book to recommend for my 2023 reading challenge, please leave a comment below, or join me on Goodreads so we can share what we enjoy.

Happy Reading!

Writing Prompt #155

I’m currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. I am also playing Fallout 4. I am fascinated by extreme situations and how people handle them. Why? No idea. And I’m not sure exactly what that says about me. Let’s not delve too deep.

Not too long ago, writing prompt #151 actually, I shared a similar image. It was a close up of a woman’s face within an astronaut-like helmet. The lighting was different, and the overall feel was more positive…or so it could be construed.

This image has a totally different feel, and I like it…for the story ideas it inspires.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

I’ve had a number of ideas percolating for the rewrite of my sci-fi pilot, and I’m hoping the dry spell is over, so when I saw this interesting piece of imagery, it felt right that it become this week’s writing prompt. It has a cool, creepy vibe and encapsulates the isolation my poor protagonist is enduring, in addition to an impending threat – what could it be?!

What do you think? Feeling inspired?

I look forward to you joining me in this week’s writing prompt challenge!

Happy Writing!

The Problem with The Witcher (TV)

When news that Henry Cavill would be leaving The Witcher by season 4, I had to wonder what had happened to make an actor, who had fought hard for the role of Geralt, quit?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt video game is still among the best I’ve played. I wrote a review about it a while back, so you can imagine my skepticism when I initially heard a show was in the works. I’ve read all the books too, but that’s a story for another day. Who could possibly fill Geralt’s shoes? Henry Cavill? That pretty boy? Eh…and then I heard his passion for the character and the story.

Okay. I’ll give him a shot.

And he is by far the best part of the show, because there is quite a bit wrong about it.

So forewarning, I had a lot more to say on this subject than I originally thought I would, so this is a doozy, and I think I could have said more, so…settle in.

When the show was in development, creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich was making the rounds and I remember hearing her say that the writers’ room would be a mix of people who were fans of the games and/or books, and those who may not be familiar in order to add a different perspective.

With Cavill’s departure, tales of what was actually happening behind the scenes started to come to light. The gossip – none of the writers are any level of fan of the original works. Whether it’s true or not is beside the point because watching the show, as a fan, makes it clear that things were amiss.

Season 1 was hard to follow. The time jumps were confusing, as was the whole set up. I liked Season 2 more, but after I wrote about it, which was literally a line about how it was better than the first season, I became more bothered by some of the ideas presented.

For those of you unfamiliar with The Witcher, the story revolves around the relationship between Geralt, a monster slayer from an old order that serves to protect, and Ciri, a princess who is bound to him by destiny through a quirky old world payment system. I was trying to think of a nice way to say this without spoiling too much for those of you still wanting to read, play, or watch. Yennefer, Triss, and Dandelion aka Jaskier are all integral to the story because of their relationships with the other two, and they all have to traverse a land fraught with war, witch hunts, exiled elves hoping to reclaim their lost territory, monsters, and more.

With so much material to draw from in order to create a lush world full of interesting characters and stories, how did the show go wrong?

So, if the writers room is truly filled with people unfamiliar with the world, that would be square one. Not having an understanding of the large stage that The Witcher moves about is a big problem, and it shows. Game of Thrones is still one of the best shows I ever watched, I just ignore that dreadful final season, but those are BIG books, with tons of history and loads of characters to follow but the introduction to that world, the politics, the looming threat, and so much more were presented pretty spectacularly in the first episode.

This is the template The Witcher tv writers should have followed, to some degree. Geralt is at the center of a great deal, or so he should have been presented.

Not understanding the relationships that develop with all these characters is square two. We learn that Ciri is powerful, but that’s not why Geralt is protecting her. In time, they develop a father-daughter relationship, and that detail is Geralt’s primary motivator. Yennefer, who is barren, takes on the maternal role and loves Ciri like her own. Triss becomes her sister. It is these bonds that drive them to action. Yennefer, for all her bluster, wouldn’t do anything to put Ciri in danger, or do anything that would purposefully hurt Geralt, and actions taken in Season 2 of the show go against this basic premise.

In GoT we follow the Stark family as they move about and this is how we learn about relationships, history, and the plot. While we need context for some of The Witcher’s setup, starting so far back, before any of these characters know one another, divides attention away from everything else.

Let’s round the problems to three. Square number three would be in regards to not highlighting the threats, of which there are many, earlier on. There are the immediate threats, like war and witch hunting, but the greater threat is the Wild Hunt. Like the White Walkers, they are coming, and it should have always been on the peripheral because they are a ticking time bomb.

The reason I chose Game of Thrones for the comparison is because it was a massive success. I am not asking The Witcher to be that, but to emulate the delivery of so much information in a better way. Besides, we’re all looking for the next big thing to be addicted to, and unfortunately, given the circumstances, it’s not going to be this. The fantasy trope is widely established, so much of that setup can be sidestepped, but utilizing the characters differently, to impart the happenings of the world at large, should have been better executed.

Some ideas could have been told in flashback, or just mentioned in conversation to lose all that back and forth in Season 1. In the books, there are repeated references to events unseen, and that could have happened for a number of scenes in the show. We don’t need to see everything to understand what happened and how it affected the characters or the world.

I had high hopes for The Witcher. I think a lot of us did. As I’ve learned, it takes so many lucky breaks to get something made, and it’s disappointing when it just doesn’t work. And if it ends up being true that the writers didn’t care for the material, then not only will that upset fans, like me, it makes me question why they bothered. Writers in Hollywood have a tough enough gig, but with so many opportunities now, I would hope that they would at least want to work on something they like. I know that sounds a bit naive, but I write in certain genres, and would not take a job on a show I wouldn’t watch.

I do not watch procedurals, and even something like Lucifer bored me at times. I actually stopped watching it for a while. I don’t like the solve the case by the end of the show setup, so I would despise working on something like that. Personally. It wouldn’t be satisfying, and while I may need the work, need the credit, etc. I don’t want to find myself unhappy doing the thing that brings me joy. I guess we’ll find out if that holds true.

So what do you think of The Witcher? Do you agree or disagree with how it was presented? Do you have any ideas of how you would have done it differently? Share your thoughts below!

First Quote of 2023

Happy New Year!

I wanted to find a quote that really sets the tone for the year I want us all to have. This is by no means a judgement on anyone other than myself, but I want all of us to be able to create the life we want.

I’ve always been surprised by the concept of how little things seem to change over the course of a year, but looking back how different things sometimes are. This is why this quote resonated with me.

I’m of a certain age now where I’ve come to an understanding of a few things:

  • I’m more comfortable with myself and who I am, like I’m not wildly embarrassed to admit I write fan fiction anymore. ((wince))
  • I’m not as hard on myself.
  • I take better care of myself. Thank you yoga!
  • And biggest improvement, I’m learning to love myself. I take a moment during yoga to thank myself for showing up. It usually makes me giggle, but so often it’s easier not to show up. It’s a small step, I am still learning, but since we’re stuck with ourselves we should be nicer.

The Sis has helped me to be brave. Maybe because she’s the youngest, she developed this strong sense of self. She’s self-aware in a way that’s taken me years to become. I still don’t think I’m there. It’s all part of the evolution of becoming who we’re supposed to be.

Where I need the help is in the discipline arena.

With the gray days of winter, I oversleep. I feel the seasonal depression. I’m way off my routine, and I seem uninspired to do anything about it, but if I want to be in the right position to take on Hollywood in a few months, I have to get in gear, and now. I was going strong for a while, but upon the completion of a couple of projects, I lost motivation. Currently it still feels like a void, and because of this I allow myself to become distracted, and days go by…like this post. I started it on Monday. ((insert eye roll))

I need more discipline.

So that is at the top of my To Do List for this year.

What are you hoping to accomplish this year? What strides did you make looking back on 2022? Remember, each day can be a new beginning. Little steps lead to great strides. And who knows, in a year you could be exactly where you want to be.

Best wishes!

xx, Rach

The Last Quote of 2022

I can’t believe we’re here again.

The end of another year.

2023 is on the horizon, and it sounds like the date in a sci-fi movie.

When you consider where your energy and focus were spent this last year, do you notice a pattern? Do feel it was time well spent, or are you now in the chastising phase at year’s end? As I’ve aged, like a fine wine (ha!), and after the Covid shutdown, it has become more clear what is important and what is not worth my time, like wondering/worrying if people like me.

What a tedious waste of time.

RuPaul says:

What other people think of me is none of my business.

Words to live by.

It used to be my goal wherever I worked to make sure I was liked, by everyone, even the hard asses. Actually, that was the most satisfying win. I would kill them with kindness, and whatever else I had in my wheelhouse. It worked on guests too. While that helped at the time to ensure a positive work environment (and better tips), it hasn’t really mattered in the long run. I’m not friends with any of those people anymore. I wasn’t even friends with most of them after I left the establishment, so what did all that worrying and effort truly gain me?

Deep down, I know it has something to do with legacy. I want people to remember me fondly, but the clincher is, because I haven’t remained friends with almost any of those people, all that energy was spent without any real reward.

What could I have done with it instead, I wonder?

I tell myself, now, that it was all training for working with people in Hollywood. There are a lot of personalities, sometimes all in the same room, and I have a well developed skill in dealing with them.

There’s no reason not to be who you want. There’s no reason not to chase your dreams. There’s no reason not to build the life you desire.

Don’t waste your energy on those things that don’t support the life you’re trying to lead. Take stock of your life and what drains you. You probably already know what those subjects are. I know I do.

So, what does this have to do with a new year? I know I have a love/hate relationship with resolutions, but I’m gonna make them anyway. How about you? Knowing where I should focus my attention will help in creating a more successful goal setting plan, and that’s what I wish for you. It’s about shifting perspective, and taking inventory of what matters and what you want to accomplish.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season! And here’s to spending our energy where we want to in 2023.

My First Annual Best of List

2022’s Best of Review

Every year I set for myself a number of goals – reading, writing, and watching among them, and I thought, why not share the best of what entertained me this past year.

I am almost always behind the times. I am rarely current on anything, but I figured some of you may be like me and want to know what might still be worth the effort, so I’ve compiled my first “best of” list.

Taking note of the books, graphic novels, tv, films, and video games I enjoyed this year, I realized not all categories had a love option, but there were definitely some standouts.

Books & Graphic Novels

I use Goodreads to keep track of my reading goal, in addition to ratings and what else I’d like to read…eventually. They use a five-star rating system and not one book I read this year received such high marks, although I did have two books that tied with four – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I’ve included the links to my reviews, if you’re interested. Each are unique in their own way, as is the artwork of Harleen by Stjepan Šejić, my top graphic novel of the year, which, too, earned four stars. Although, it really is a piece of eye candy.

Television

I watched a great deal more television than I anticipated, and I still feel Arcane by Netflix based on the game, League of Legends by Riot Games is the best thing I watched. The story, the characters, and the style are all top notch. This may lead you to wonder then at how a reality show made it on my list.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is one of my favorite things ever, and The Sis and I are longtime fans. All Stars Season 7 was a unique experience in which the cast were all returning winners vying for a chance to be called the Queen of All Queens. Not only was this one of the best shows I watched all year, the cast is stellar, but also this is probably my favorite season of the show of all time.

Movies

I made my movie watching goal and then some. Yay for keeping expectations low(er). My viewings this year were a mix of past and current films, those in my genre, and some just because. While most were middle of the road, disappointing, and/or forgettable, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar was never going to be counted among those. No surprise there. The surprise was liking it as much as I did. If you’re late to the party, like I usually am, this is definitely still worth the watch. Runner up, Free Guy. I know, it surprised me too.

Video Games

Yes, I invested in the Legendary Edition of Mass Effect. Did I already have the trilogy? Yep. Does EA need more of my money? Sigh. When Dragon Age: Dreadwolf comes out will they get more? You’d better believe it. Mass Effect 2 is still one the best games I’ve played, and the Legendary Edition only made everything better. Streamlined graphics, all the DLCs save one, and it is still a great time. This playthrough I tried my hand at being a Renegade male Shepard who romanced Tali and made some difficult decisions. That’s the fun of this series, there are so many options to explore, and that’s why we keep coming back, no matter what you may think of the ending. 😉

~ * ~

So, there we have it.

There are so many more books, shows, movies, and games to enjoy, so you can imagine how my new year’s lists are already bursting, but I’d be delighted to hear what you enjoyed most this past year. Please share your recommendations!