Writing Prompt Challenge Accepted #7

The world is a mess, and the nice thing about being a writer is that we can seek refuge in our work.  We can right the wrongs, we can create better worlds, and hopefully in the end, help others in some small way.

That’s not to say that’s what I’m doing here today…I merely escaped.

I haven’t written a whole lot the last couple of weeks, GISHWHES and stress were big deterrents, so I’m just getting back into my groove.  I’m not sure how much I love the flash fictions I wrote last night, but sometimes you’ve gotta take a little bad with the good.

For the first image I had two distinct ideas, so I decided to explore them both.

ShanghaiWomanShanghai, 1939

War was imminent. The lifestyle she had become accustomed to would soon cease to exist. That didn’t frighten her as much as losing the man that sat across from her now. As she took in the appearance of her English lover, her eyes softened, and she became lost in thought. She wondered what would become of them as the orangey glow of her cigarette continued to burn and draw closer to her fingers. She felt the warmth grow, but she ignored it as she reached out her other hand to rest it upon his. It was a small gesture, but one that seemed to reassure them both.

Shanghai, 1939

Wei was a natural at deception. She had born to a hard life, but she could easily fall into the role of a proper lady or a courtesan depending on what the mission called for. A nice dress and a little makeup were all the disguise she required to obtain whatever she needed, be it access or information. She wasn’t one to ever be considered a threat, and she used that to her advantage. Her current target was completely taken with her, and as she sat there demurely, steeling herself against his longing gaze, she wondered how much longer she would have bear the leers and wandering hands of those in her agency’s sights. She held her right hand up, letting the lit cigarette burn as the signal to her fellow operatives that the target was ready for removal. She kept her eyes level and smiled to herself that he would never know what hit him.

UnderTheGreatTreeThe Trials

The Greenlee family had been the guardians of the final trial for five generations. It was very much a part of who they were. They tended to the stalk, cared for it, and aided the warriors who came from great distances to tackle it as part of their final test. It was dangerous, it took preparation, and those lucky enough to survive could count themselves amongst the most honored. When the eldest Greenlee daughter saw the knight and his horse coming over the horizon, her heart fluttered and sank. It was his time to take on the trials, and if they were both very lucky, their lives would never be the same.

And lastly, I thought I’d share a little of the new chapter of the Dragon Age fanfic I’ve been working on, but it was just a little too long, so I’ll save it for another day.

Happy Friday, and be well my friends!

*Quick edit, and total blonde moment, I accidentally called the first piece Singapore it’s supposed to be Shanghai.  Oops.

Guilty Pleasures

I’ve had a snippet of this post pending for some time, and after reading through some blogs I decided today was the day to talk about something we all have…

TVblueGuilty pleasures.

Admit it.  We all have at least one; be it a book, a tv show, a movie, or what-have-you, that we enjoy for no reason.  It doesn’t have to be Oscar worthy, or popular, but for some reason we just love it.  Geek culture has opened the door to more possibilities, allowing things that were once hidden – under beds, in the back of closets, and only looked at in the privacy of our rooms – to have their day in the sun.  This is something I fully endorse.  It allows us to be more honest about who we are, what we like, and unites us with other like-minded people, even if only virtually.  It gives us a place to be ourselves.

SleepingBeautyI was born a Disney princess.  After many years it felt like it should be something that should be tucked away and that I should “grow up”, but it is absolutely a part of me.  If you’ve ever read my “about” page, it’s all laid out right there.  I do love the color pink.  I love the idea of love at first sight.  When my feminism falters, I do still want my Prince Charming to rescue me.  I want to be wooed.  I love castles.  And twinkle lights.  I love long flowy dresses and chivalry.  I want happy endings.  But this is not my guilty pleasure because although at times I felt it was something I should outgrow, I’ve never kept it a secret.  This is just me.

Dragon Age is also not my guilty pleasure.  My love affair with England (and everything related including its men) is also nothing to be shy about.  But I do have a few.

Confession time.

I don’t know why and I don’t dig deep into wondering why I will watch, every time they’re on, films like The Abyss, Twister, or Lake Placid.  Every time.  I don’t think I have any tv watching guilty pleasures, because I don’t watch any reality tv or anything I think I should be embarrassed about.  I don’t think.  I did watch two seasons of Brett Michaels’ Rock of Love years ago during a marathon weekend, but that’s it.  I am so thankful to not have cable right now though.  Netflix really limits what I have access to.

I don't know what I'm looking at..But my new guilty pleasure is the whole fan fiction thing, which includes “shipping” (the idea of wanting two fictional characters to get together, and this is regardless of sexuality or even being within the same canon – I found an Alias/Captain America crossover that I just loved, and am waiting for more).  This is something that always sort of floated in the back of mind, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized there was an outlet for it.  In addition to the tamer side of fan fiction (my DA fanfic falls into this category, for now 😉 ), I have been introduced to what can only be considered smut, and as a princess (and still a naive one at that), this is all new to me.  I have to keep Googling terminology.  But I secretly love it.  Well, not a secret any more.

So what about you?  What are your guilty pleasures?  Are you willing to voice them aloud?  C’mon…share. 🙂

Writing Prompt #37

As you are probably aware by now, I am wildly fond of imagery.  It may be why I’m a screenwriter in particular, it’s all about the visual.  I wanted to share the images I had been collecting all these years in the hopes they might inspire a fellow writer.  I, myself, had thought little of writing anything from the prompts, but once I did, I found myself enjoying the escape.

As I’ve been struggling with a rewrite, continuing to say I’m a writer when I don’t write anything else was growing tiresome to my own ears.  So I decided to take on the challenge I was hoping others would partake in and started writing flash fiction pieces; under 200 words, with little forethought or editing.  Just quick and dirty.  For my new friends, you can find those I’ve written so far under the Excerpts section under Writing Prompts.  And if you’re inspired by any of the images, please create and share!

I have continued onto a new chapter in Dragon Age fanfic, and I just added my spec script for the tv series Alias.  You can click here to read it if you’re interested, or find it under the Excerpts section as well.  I was encouraged by a fellow writer and Alias fan to share it, and I was always rather proud of the story.  It was written when the show was still on the air as a spec.

That’s a little update and now it’s on to this week’s Writing Prompt…I purchased a postcard of this artwork from a museum when I traveled through Europe in my younger days.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one to share this week.  It may be in part because I’m trying to get into a romantic frame of mind to finish that rewrite. 😉

Fragonard-TheLock

I look forward to reading the stories your wonderful minds might create!

Happy Writing!

 

I’m Baaack (and I Have a Few Things to Share)

Hi everyone!

GISHWHES has ended and I’m trying to return to my abnormal normal.  That routine I love so much was completely lost in a week full of chaos, slapdash, and mind-numbing exhaustion.  Saturday I had to put my house back together, and Sunday I slept about 12 hours and still only felt partially coherent.  There’s still cleaning, laundry, and reorganizing to be done, but for now, at least I can see my floor again.  For a little insight into what we do, one of my team members created a Tumblr account last year and has been slowly adding pictures from this year’s hunt.  You’ll quickly understand that I am not joking when I say it’s a crazy week; 15 people to a team, usually not in the same place, trying to accomplish 185 items.  Madness.

So, now that that’s over, I need to get back to work.  It will probably take a few days to read all the articles and such that are pending in my inbox, but here are a couple things in particular I’d like to share, both found via Aerogramme Writers’ Studio –

1.  The Cesar Egido Serrano Foundation’s ‘Museum of Words’ International Flash Fiction Contest is accepting entries until November 23rd. The competition is for very short fiction pieces (max of 100 words).  Top prize is $20,000, with three runners-up each receiving $2,000.  Not too shabby. 🙂  Here’s the link for more information.

2.  Wattpad (this is the link to the article) – for writers and readers.  This sounds like a wonderful opportunity, and as I’m still making my way through this labyrinth of information, if any of you are familiar with this site, please share your insights.

And to get myself back on track, here’s the quote of the week:

Sometimes we have to let things go

Happy Monday!  And best wishes to you!

Writing Prompt #36

If you’ve read some of my excerpts, you may be aware of my fascination/consternation with the number 2-17.  It’s the date of my birth, and the premise for one of my scripts – the recurring number.  It’s happening again.  I’m seeing it everywhere, and it may be the source of that pressure I mentioned the other day.  After seeing it for years, day in and day out, and I do mean that literally, seeing it again does something to me.  My next birthday is a big one, and in the past I’ve used that date as a deadline, so the question remains…why am I seeing it again?  I thought I was on the right track.

It may be time to revisit this script.  The following image is a little inspiration from this particular piece.

ChatsworthBridge

 

Happy Writing!

Quotes of the Week

I’m still a little scattered…not sure why exactly.  I feel pressured, and a little anxious.  It’s making me raise my eyebrow a bit too often.  So I’m posting a few quotes on focus, as I’m probably not the only person struggling with this, in the hopes we will all get back on track.

*MakeItHappen    *HowFarYou'veCome    *OneBrick    *IgnoreTheNoise

Wishing you all well!

The Smurfette Syndrome

characters_smurfette_002

I took a Women’s Studies class in college, in part because it fulfilled a credit requirement, but I quickly learned it was one of the best classes I would ever take.  It really opened my eyes, and it was then that I slowly began to look at the world differently.  I would also learn that I am a bit of a feminist, but don’t let that sway you. 🙂

I don’t think I made a conscious effort to alter my writing, but the types of stories I wanted to tell were definitely intended more for women.  The majority of my scripts have predominately female casts.  Those were a conscious decision.  The funny thing is, this started long before I learned that there was a growing problem in Hollywood, the place I want to be a part of, in the continuation of a lack of a female presence, both in front and behind the camera.

The Smurfette Syndrome aka “the token” girl has continued its prevalence according to the numbers this summer at the movies.  I saw this article about the trend and felt it deserved a share.  There was also this article from a little while ago from the NY Film Academy.  I can’t remember if I shared it before, but it also discusses the inequality in the numbers.

So what’s my point?  Be sure to include the other half of the population in your storytelling, and not in just some token capacity.  Create an opportunity to balance out the scales.  Since many novels are now the basis for films, it would be wonderful to see a surge to encourage a change.  I’m not saying that you have to change all your characters from male to female, but be aware of stereotypes, and don’t perpetuate the trend.  Think of the younger generation.  How they need more role models in their literature and entertainment.  I mean seriously, no solo Wonder Women movie yet?  The fact that Disney is not planning on releasing any further Princess Leia merchandise?  Maybe the lower numbers at the box office is the start of this awareness.

I guess the phrase “change starts at home” might be some of the most useful advice to encourage diversity.

Write well, my friends!

From Far Away It’s Okay, But Up Close It’s A Big Ol’ Mess

Write&LiveI was a little absent this week.  I had a bit going on, had let some things slide then had to play catch up, and now it’s Friday.  I have a few things to share, so I’m going to lump them in this post, and then post this week’s Writing Prompt separately.  Yep, I’m behind…

I had fallen into a little bit of a rut the past couple of weeks, and on Sunday, despite protests from my sister, took her to Downtown Disney for a little getaway.  Disneyland is our happy place, and since we got our little pups (2 years ago now), we haven’t had an opportunity to go because they have little bladders and can’t be left for too long.  That’s going to change.  I realized walking amidst the throng of people how much I missed it, even if we were only Disneyland adjacent.  Lego had put up a couple of new displays that made me squeal like the girl I am.IMG_1124  *Excuse the lighting, my iPhone camera sucks in the dark.  But yes, that is Maleficent the dragon fighting Prince Philip.  There was also Beauty and the Beast.  Again, insert squeal.

And I also got to see Lady Gaga this week, so there’s that. 🙂

So here are the things I’d like to share:

1. Bang2Write is offering free downloads.  Although primarily for screenwriters, there are a couple of downloads that would prove useful to all writers.

2. There was this funny post about “You know you’re a writer when…” #17, #22, and #29 all made me laugh aloud.

3. I came across this interesting article regarding Writer’s Block from Chuck Wendig.

I have more, but I’ll leave them for another day. 😉  And yes, that is a Clueless reference in the title.  I felt that the jumble that is this post was deserving of such.

Happy Friday!  Have a wonderful weekend!