The Journey

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

I haven’t commented on the passing of Robin Williams, liked any comments, or taken part in any of the discussions regarding depression that have taken over my feeds. When a celebrity passes, I almost always remain silent for the simple fact that although they brought us joy, we did not know them. I did meet him once at a party years ago (a thank you to my sister for reminding me, hello bad memory) and he was extremely kind, and I have friends who did actually know him, and my sympathies go out to his family and friends, but I believe that some respect should be paid and hence, I remain silent. Except for today.

The death of someone of Robin Williams’ caliber is sure to strike at the hearts of many, myself included, but in today’s social media stream people say stupid things, tone is lost in translation, and it almost mars the memory and the feelings trying to be expressed. I grew up watching him. My sister grew up watching him. He has been a part of many people’s entire lives. His loss is tragic.

Depression (and a few other disorders) runs in my family. I have struggled at times, very recently in fact (and really, what writer doesn’t?), due to a lack of control. I wrote about this recently, about having to make some hard choices. Those choices have been made, and now it’s just a matter of time before I start a new path. This may sound odd, but the news of this particular death reiterated to me that changing courses is not a bad thing, or something to regret, because it is for the sake of my well being, and that of my sister’s. We have been struggling. I look at my life in its current state and I shake my head. This isn’t where I want be or should be at this point. And although I write stories where people get a second go around, we do only have the one chance and we shouldn’t waste it being unhappy, especially if we have the power to change that.

L.A. is a tough town. I suppose in a way it’s meant to be. And I was not prepared for it. Life is a journey, and a learning experience. And I have definitely learned a few new things. I suppose this is just another step, hopefully forward, even if it is slightly detoured.

I wish you all well, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, seek someone out who can offer you a helping hand. Remember, you’re not alone, regardless of how solitary a writer’s life is.

Best wishes, my friends!

*Maya Angelou’s quote, something I shared when I learned of her passing, seemed appropriate here.

1Aug2014

Flying Without a Parachute

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

Hi friends! Today’s post is going to be a little more on the personal side. I’ve been dealing with an inordinate amount of stress the past few days and it has made me reconsider pretty much everything; from my career path to my living situation, and all the little details that go along with those choices.

Being a writer, like any creative path, is unstable and unlikely to yield any rewards for many years. We have to work in jobs we probably wish we didn’t in order to support ourselves while we use any and all free time to do the thing we love. I, myself, have been unemployed for over 2 years. I have, literally, sent out over 200 resumes, receiving only 3 responses, none of which led anywhere. This is a stress unto itself because my much younger sister has been supporting us all this time. You can imagine what this does to my creativity.

I tend not to share too much about myself for a couple of reasons. One, I feel my writer side is almost a separate entity. Two, I’ve always been a little shy of sharing who I am; I have a small pool of friends, I don’t care for big gatherings where I don’t know anyone, and as you’ve probably noticed, I hide behind an avatar, everywhere, even on my personal FB page. There’s also the small thing about some people who have been in my life knowing that it’s me who writes here.

So when the stress began, due to my sister’s job, I had to wonder if the path we were on was the best choice at the moment. If she were to lose her job, we would for all intents and purposes be screwed. We could not afford to live in LA for longer than a month, and in this current market, it would be unlikely that she would find another job of that caliber in such a short amount of time. And this was an enormous wake up call.

We didn’t have a backup plan.

I am a planner. I am all about lists. Except for outlines in regards to my writing. So the fact that we had never considered what we would do in such an event was a more than a little off putting. It was probably always lingering a bit in the back of our minds, something neither of us was willing to explore or bring to the forefront, like any bad omen, the more you talk about it the more likely it will come into existence.

I’m the big sister. I half raised her from the time I was nineteen (we have a brother too, who, in part because of our move to LA we rarely speak to. That’s a story for another day.). It is my job to take care of her and the last couple of years have been emotionally draining and depression inducing. Because she has born the weight of responsibility all this time, she hasn’t been able to finish school, we haven’t been on any type of vacation, we have no savings, we rarely splurge on anything, and this is a hard pill for me to swallow. This is not how life was supposed to be. I knew moving to LA was going to be a bit of a rough journey, but I never expected this. I suppose that will mean I will savor the success I am damned determined to achieve that much greater.

So, together, we plotted out a couple of options of what to do “in case of emergency”. This is something I would recommend not just to my fellow creatives, but everyone. Me chasing my dreams should not be a hinderance to our livelihood. This week I had one of those moments where I questioned whether pursuing being a professional writer was worth it. I know that writing is my passion. It is the only thing I want to do, and I will continue to do it, but I may have to suck it up and do something else in the meantime for the sake of my family. Although it’s not like I’ve not been trying, but maybe moving out of one of the most expensive cities in the country should be an option. I can write anywhere. I can submit from anywhere.

After our conversation last night, I felt better, not great, but a little more at ease that we wouldn’t be destitute. She and I have decided that we are going to work towards our mutual goal of moving overseas. As many of you who have been following me know, I am an Anglophile. Since I was nineteen, it has been my desire to live in England, and now we are making plans of making that a reality. Regardless of how things continue here, this is our long term goal. Again, this is a story for another day.

Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. Hopefully, one day in the near future, this bump in the road will make us laugh or at least sigh with that sort of edgy relief.

So my tip of the day, and not meant in the Debbie Downer sort of way, Make a Backup Plan! Don’t be caught off guard and be left with choices you don’t want to make and consequences that may affect you in ways you aren’t prepared. Let me be your example of what not to do. 🙂

On a side note, I had a really interesting dream that will probably lead me to a new story idea. So there’s that.

Happy TGI Friday! Best wishes to you all!

21Jul2014

Quote of the Week

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

Last week I didn’t post a quote because I had lots of other things to share, and I hadn’t planned on posting one this week either…until I saw this:

It just immediately struck me. Let us be ourselves! So here’s to a productive week ahead!

Best wishes everyone!

17Jul2014

Article: Why Creative People Make No Sense

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

Every time I come across an article that may be of use to us all, I save it to my computer and mark it with an asterisk so I can find it later. The other day I decided to take stock of that list, which I then broke down into other lists according to subject matter, some of which require more reading, deleted a bunch that seemed fairly useless after a second go around, and came up with an immediate share list of 15 articles.

Here’s one of them, entitled Why Creative People Make No Sense. I’ve saved this for some time, actually forgot about it until the other day, then remembered why I saved it in the first place. It’s a great article, and may settle arguments you’ve had with yourself. We are definitely a breed unto ourselves. We are full of contradictions and those who are not creative will never understand what it’s like to be us. In a way, that’s a reassuring thought. It also unites those of us that are alike.

I was talking to this person the other day who really has no creative outlet. They only read non-fiction, usually relevant to their field, they rarely watch tv or films, let alone anything with any sort of “fantastical” or escapist facet, and they have no other source of interest like art or even music. I find this one of the most perplexing people I’ve ever encountered, because what do you do? What joy is there in your life? I may be struggling at times, but I have passion for my work, hobbies and interests, and a desire to enjoy what the creative world has to offer, in addition to my love of history, travel, and all my other little fancies. I just see this person as incomplete, living a half life. And this made me even more thankful for my creative tendencies.

So embrace your creative side. Revel in your weirdness. Love the things that make you unique.

Best wishes, my friends!

11Jul2014

Writing To Your Strengths

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

Comedy is hard, or so it’s been said. When I let a fellow writer read my first script, Fate(s), one of his notes was I should make it funnier. It’s not a rom-com I countered, but he thought it would work well with more humor. That gave me reason to pause.

I don’t think I’m a funny person. I know I have a dry sense of humor. I know I laugh sometimes at some subtle nuance that no one else notices, example, the remake of Fright Night (written by Marti Noxon who worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I was preconditioned to already enjoy it); a half full theater and my sister and I were the only ones laughing at these little off-handed remarks or random things. That surprised me. I like to laugh, I like people who can make me laugh, but I don’t really know how to write that. I haven’t given it a real effort, in part, because the stories I tell don’t naturally lend themselves to comedy. There can be elements of humor, but to make it even on a romantic comedy level is beyond me, let alone a full blown comedy.

*Side note, my sister and I are many years apart, and although I’m the big sister, she has taught me a few things too. She enjoys things that are a little on the darker side, and showed me that a film like American Psycho is actually funny. Yes, it’s dark and twisted, but if you watch it more than once, you’ll see the comedy. I think exposing ourselves to a variety of genres and different styles can only add to our knowledge banks as writers.

This lead me to a couple of thoughts. One, I appreciate the people who can write comedy and make me laugh even more. Two, as a writer, if you find yourself lacking in an area, what are you to do?

Let’s start with #1 – a few random examples of what I would consider funny.

Archer – an animated show about a spy agency created by Adam Reed. From the very first moment I was hooked. The show is wonderfully written with distinct characters, and it looks good. There are two particular techniques I appreciate; they often use the last line of dialogue of one character to lead into dialogue of another character in another scene. Where one leads off, another begins. I can’t imagine how difficult that must be to write like that. The other technique is that the writers established a fully developed world and characters with backstory from the first scene. *Available on Netflix

Little Britain – a sketch comedy show created by Matt Lucas and David Walliams. This is a little bit on the niche side. If you don’t watch British comedy in general, then you may not find this as funny as I do. Also, as it is a sketch comedy, not all sketches are of equal measure, but because it’s British, they can get away with some sight gags that literally made me burst out with laughter and some language and themes that our prudish little country (the States) would only allow on premium cable channels. The show was popular enough to garner a US spinoff, which unfortunately is not available on Netflix, but *most of the original series is.

The Lego Movie – no description should be necessary as this was a big mainstream hit, with a sequel greenlit a few weeks of its opening. Besides being adorable, I mean c’mon, it’s Lego, it was humorous, good natured, and clever, and you didn’t have to play with Lego* as a kid to enjoy it. I laughed nearly the entire time, I left feeling good, and with most films nowadays, how often does that happen? Maybe in part because it’s animated, it allows for visuals that would otherwise be difficult to capture. Again, it’s those little nuances that I enjoy.

If you review the list, the first thing you might realize is that they are all different variations of comedy, and secondly, that they all have multiple writers; tv shows have writers’ rooms, full length features tend to get rewritten by numerous other people beyond the original writer. The Lego Movie has six writer credits, four for story and two for screenplay. So maybe comedy works best in teams?

So that brings me around to topic #2, what to do if you’re deficient in an area. As writers, screenwriters in particular, we are told to write in a genre and to build a portfolio in an effort to distinguish ourselves. I think one of the first things to do is write to our strengths. When we first start writing, we try a few different avenues until we find what works for us. This doesn’t mean that we can’t grow and change. I currently write reality based fantasies with romance, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to write something else in the future. What it does mean is that I may have to find outside help.

Let’s say I want to write a comedy, by some stretch of the imagination. I would definitely need to find a partner. I would probably need to take some sort of comedy class, do some stand up (I cringe at the thought), and go into heavy research mode. I would have to teach myself, and learn from others, but this doesn’t ensure I could write something funny. I think some things are innate. Comedy being one of those things. This made me pause again.

I’m not sure if not having a specific writing trait should be considered a deficiency or a shortcoming. There are genres for a reason. I like to read and watch a variety of genres, but as of right now I like to write in one in particular. Does that mean if someone thinks I should write with more humor that I listen to that advice? I think we should write to our strengths. I think we should write with passion. That is what will translate.

What are your thoughts?

*Evidently, even though it sounds wrong, the plural of Lego is Lego.

8Jul2014

Quote of the Week

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

Some days are just…a struggle. I’m having one of “those” days. I’ve had a few circumstances that I would normally shrug off, but have somehow compounded and now I just feel blah. I’ve also been doing some life re-evaluating. That is a slippery slope. But it did put a few things into perspective…that’s for another day.

As we have all heard the phrase that happiness is a choice, I had to remind myself. We choose our mental state every day, and as aspiring writers that is key. We have to maintain the positivity in the face of adversity in order to keep us moving forward toward our goals and dreams.

So on that note, here is this week’s quote:

Have a wonderful and productive week!

1Jul2014

Movies That Inspired Me

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

I didn’t receive any Writing Prompt submissions this week, and I was playing around with an idea last night, but didn’t actually write anything. I know. Besides, my mind was complete rubbish by the time I wanted to write and I was misspelling words or leaving them out altogether. I decided it best to just write down a few notes about the idea so I wouldn’t lose it by morning. So for today, I thought I would talk about movies. I am a screenwriter, and I don’t think I really have as yet…

A friend and I were recently discussing movies, and how different our taste in film is. If she likes a movie, it’s a guarantee I won’t, so I usually don’t bother once she’s told me she really liked something, and vice versa. We met in film school, so the basis of our friendship is clearly not founded on our mutual love of the same films. The funny thing is, she likes my screenwriting, so what does that say?

It got me started thinking about film in general, and those that I like, and have been inspired by. I once tried to make a top ten list of my favorite films, and ended up with a list of seventeen and that was lumping Disney and Pixar films into two. I was heavily influenced by Disney princess films, still am. 🙂 And I think the people at Pixar are brilliant, and I sometimes muse at how impressed they are with themselves when I see the most amazing effects in their films; like Sully’s hair blowing in the breeze, or a puff of dust being stirred on one of Andy’s shelves. Amazing.

The following is a list of a few movies that changed my perception, my writing, or me in no particular order, except maybe when I watched them.

The Dark Crystal – Most children I know personally could never watch this film. I’m not even sure how I was able to. It’s dark (pun intended) and a little scary, but the cast is entirely made up of puppets. Most 80s kids are Jim Henson fans, but most of my friends preferred Labyrinth to the Crystal. Not me. This is still on my top ten list because of its impact on me when I was a kid. The idea of a magical world torn apart, the story of an unlikely hero, and the themes of good vs evil, immortality, and sacrifice were all highly effective on my young mind.

The Princess Bride – I don’t know anyone who does not like this movie. It’s wonderful. I would later grow to admire its writer, William Goldman, who also wrote Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, the screenplay for Misery, among many others. He has a great sense of humor and is one of my favorite writers. The Princess Bride impacted me in the sense of combining fantasy and reality, or the reality we create. It is clever, funny, romantic, and full of adventure and swashbuckling, and it is one of the films that would change my storytelling.

Braveheart – I saw Braveheart shortly after my first visit to England. This was the film that got me interested in Medieval times. The film was gritty and brutal, but it was also romantic, and highlighted the values of honor and loyalty. As I had already discovered I was an Anglophile, this just further developed my passion for learning its history, but also, that writers have the opportunity to sway perspective. As writers, we create empathy for our characters. Unlikeable characters can be given a reason for their traits, and become likeable in the eyes of the viewer depending on how the story is told. Current example: Malificent. *I’m not saying she’s unlikeable per say, as she has always been one of my favorite villains.

Sense and Sensibility – This film was my introduction to Jane Austen. Again, shortly after my first visit to England. I was immediately obsessed. I started watching all the film variants of Austen’s work, long before I decided to actually read any of them. Maybe that’s the difference in being a screenwriter vs an author…? I have watched this and Pride & Prejudice so many times, that if we are ever trapped on an island, or whatever, I could recite or reenact this for you. It was this film along with Braveheart that encouraged me to include facets of the time periods into my work.

Elizabeth – My continuing fascination with English history led me to Elizabeth, and my subsequent adoration of Cate Blanchett, one of my favorite actresses. I have become completely fascinated with the Tudors and their times because of this film. The country was torn apart by war, political, and religious issues, so maybe not the best of times, but Elizabeth, a woman (*gasp), became one of the country’s greatest monarchs. She should never have become queen, but it was her destiny, and even this influenced my writing. (I could write a great deal about Queen Elizabeth I.) It was while writing my screenplay entitled, 217, that I discovered my fascination with certain time periods were all separated by roughly 200 years…revelation. *You can read about it in the Excerpts section.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – I have long enjoyed foreign films and this is still one of the best I’ve ever watched. It combines so many elements I enjoy; unrequited love, history (I’m a sucker for a period piece – can you tell by the list?), fantasy, and women who are not relegated to side/nondescript characters. It also has beautifully choreographed fight sequences. All of this further influenced my writing in regards to combining different elements, which is probably why I enjoy writing “fantasy”. I was driven to watch any and all films that were even remotely related to this style, and I did find Hero with Jet Li, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung. They utilized a wonderful technique of telling the same story from different points of view and changing the color of their clothes and surroundings to highlight the difference. Lovely.

So how about you? Which films influenced you?

28Jun2014

Let’s Celebrate (With a Little Reflection)

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

I’ve read a few times that as writers we need to celebrate any and all victories. Because the process of writing can take a while to find resolution, and due to the thankless nature of our chosen path, writers suffer from a whole range of maladies, so we need to remind ourselves of why we do what we do and find joy whenever possible. Depending on the victory; a finished chapter, first draft, final rewrite, etc. the reward should be commensurate to the accomplishment. Maybe you buy yourself a new pen or keyboard, you enjoy that limited reserve you drink only for special occasions, or whatever it is you would do for yourself for getting over that particular hurdle.

Hence, I am celebrating that after a couple of weeks of watching that follower counter teeter (and why I finally removed it) at the 200 mark, it’s official. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Now don’t go anywhere, okay? 🙂

Now the question…what shall I do to celebrate? When I hit 50 followers I shared a little personal insight into the evolution of my first script, Fate(s), somehow I missed the 100 follower mark, but did post a little celebration for 100 posts, but this means a great deal more to me – that you share your time with me. So I thought I’d share a little about myself today, something I rarely do.

My name is Rachael, but I do write under a pseudonym. In the novel Timeline by Michael Crichton, one of my favorite books, I fell in love with the character of Andre Marek, portrayed by the lovely Gerard Butler in the horrible film. By the way, it is one of my goals to remake this. The character loved all things about the past, learned how to speak old languages, and to swing a broadsword, so he was the perfect companion to travel into medieval times with, and as I had always felt a little out of place myself, I took his name for my own.

It began when I was nineteen, when I traveled to England for the first time. I can still remember to this day, even though my memory is detestable, the feeling of seeing England for the first time. We hadn’t even landed, we were still flying overhead. My feet hadn’t touched the earth, but I had the feeling that I was home. That moment changed a great many things for me. Not only has it affected my writing, but every other facet of my life. (This will give you a little insight into my love of Jane Austen, Dragon Age, British actors (Hiddleston, Cumberbatch, Tennant, Firth, and so many more), etc.) *Quick edit, I mentioned the boys, therefore I must insert pictures.

Now this is the strange thing. My sperm-donor, yes, I will say that aloud due to the fact I’ve had no association with this person since I was maybe five years old, was English. So it makes me wonder about what things are inherent. I am English by proxy basically, but am more drawn to it than anything else I can think of, besides my writing.

I’m pretty certain I was born a story teller. When I was a kid, I used to tell stories about how things, accidents even purposeful ones, happened which can be construed as lies. Let’s call it early lessons in imagination. I can sort of remember saying a monster burned a whole in the back of the car seat with the cigarette lighter…yeah, that was me. I maintained that “story” for years, never fessing up. I was also stubborn, a somewhat know-it-all, with a lack of respect for authority. Couldn’t tell you why. Oh, and this was all before I became a teenager.

When I was in fourth grade, I started working on my biography, because, you know, so much had happened in my nine years. But it was in fifth grade I was given a blank hardcover book to create a story all of my own design. I think that’s when I was hooked. I wrote about running away from home after my bicycle was wrecked and living in the back of a convenience store of a family friend. There’s a whole lot of backstory to that one.

I tried my hand at short stories, poetry, lyrics, stage plays, and novels but nothing ever felt right. I never really finished anything either. Not until I decided to go back to school and took my first screenwriting class. That’s when I found my passion. And that’s why I decided to write this blog. To share what I’ve learned, to keep track of my progress (you know, because of the bad memory thing), and hopefully help a young writer find their passion. I have a few friends who are still struggling to find theirs, and I can’t imagine living a life not connected to something.

So I must thank, Mr. Sean Clark, my university advisor who introduced me to screenwriting. It changed my life. My writing gives me drive. It makes me look at the world and continually think, “What if…”. It allows my imagination to run wild. And it is for these things I will forever be grateful.

And to all of you, my new friends who are on this journey with me…

xx, Rach

Now…how should I celebrate? 😉

20Jun2014

Insight & Input

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

Happy Friday everyone!

I’m sort of taking the day off. I’ve been under the weather (what a strange term) since Monday, and I’d like to relax and do a little gaming before my sister gets home and takes over the television. I got my priorities.

I’ve been thinking…

When I started this blog, I really had no expectations. I didn’t even know what I was doing. Still don’t. I see followers come and go and endure a small roller-coaster of emotion with every change in that number, so I’m thinking about removing it all together. Then I wondered, maybe I should ask you if there’s something in particular you’d like more of? What are you looking for out of a blog?

I began with sharing screenwriting information (a rather niche market), then wanted the blog to be a bit more personal. I wanted it to be encouraging, hence the Writing Prompts, and I’m hoping to build a community, but what else would you like? Please leave a comment, suggestion, idea, etc.

I appreciate you all! I feel like I’ve developed relationships, albeit virtually, with many of you, and I look forward to our interactions. Keep up your good work and I wish you all the best!

19Jun2014

The Book Blogger Test

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

This was fun! And made me think a bit more than I expected. I was tagged by redgypsophila of Adventures in Writing to answer the following questions. As a screenwriter, I do read, but not as much as I’d like, so some of my answers may relate to screenwriting as well.

What are your top three book hates?

1. I don’t care for writers who try to copy the style of other writers. Someone like Chuck Palahniuk or Quentin Tarantino who have unique storytelling voices are bound to have followers who wish to emulate them, but because these new writers are trying so hard to ride on the coattails of another’s success, they often fail because they don’t understand that these established writers worked on their craft and their voice for years. There is nuance and style, and not appreciating this only creates copycats with no substance. Each writer has a unique voice, and it is knowing that which makes the difference.

2. I do not like when writers use the deus ex machina – the “magical” plot device that solves the current dilemma in order to achieve a goal. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings immediately come to mind because they are both offenders. I realize that as readers and storytellers the further we delve into a world, the more we will learn, but don’t bring in ideas in one book that you never utilize again. For me, in Harry Potter it was the Time Turner in particular, but there are others. In Lord of the Rings, it’s the eagles that save Frodo and Sam. Either find another way out of the situation, or use the damn thing again.

3. Writers who don’t know their genre. I’m going to call out Twilight as well because one of the things that bothered me, in addition to a great many other things, was that the author said she really knew nothing about the vampire mythology. Then call your creatures something else! The vampire mythology has evolved over the years, but there are certain traits and presets we expect. An entire generation now believes that what she created is the norm. I have long been a fan of vampires, since I first read Dracula by Bram Stoker when I was a teen, so if you read that or watch Nosferatu then you’ll understand that sparkles ruined a genre.

Describe your perfect reading spot.

I live in an apartment in LA, and my dream is to have a house one day with a hammock in the back yard under a big tree. That would be the perfect reading spot.

Tell us three book confessions.

1. Okay, I will confess that I have not finished reading either Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. So my #2 book hate is based on the films…mock me and correct me if I’m wrong.

2. Due in part to #1, if I have seen the film I have a hard time finishing the novel. The Princess Bride is one of my favorite films. I’ve tried to read the book, but can’t finish it.

3. My literary education was not the best. There are a great many novels that are “must have “or “should have” reads that I have not read. I have a couple of lists that I work off of now. I alternate one mandatory read with one pleasure read. The nice thing about this is that I probably appreciate them more now than I would have had I been forced to read them.

When was the last time you cried during a book?

I cry during movies all the time, but in novels, not so much. When I was teenager, I read a book by Judith McNaught called Paradise. It’s one of my favorite books. There is a scene near the end when the lovers are reconciling that I remember really feeling their pain and joy. I’m expecting as I get further through Game of Thrones (see below) there may be tears.

How many books are on your bedside table?

Three. The first Game of Thrones, which I’m struggling to get through because of the above mentioned confession – I’m an avid fan of the show – Stephen King’s On Writing, and a screenwriting book.

What’s your favorite snack to eat while you’re reading?

I usually don’t eat while I read because I don’t want to get anything on my books. I usually have a cup of tea though.

Name three books you would recommend to everyone.

1. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. Timeline by Michael Crichton

Show us a picture of your favorite shelf on your bookcase.

A small sample of my history section…