Why I did NaNo Wrimo last month

 

    I won NaNo WriMo this year. And it feels pretty amazing.

    Do you know the last time I won NaNo? 2011. When my life was even more hectic. (Going to college full-time, 2 toddlers at home, chat moderator, Part of a writing group, book reviewer for 2 professional reviewing companies, and full time care giver to my MIL who had Alzheimer's and Dementia. Not to mention all the other daily life stuff.) My load is much smaller now, so how did I win then?

    The last time I actually participated in NaNo was 5 years ago. Yes, if you look at my profile page it says I was there in 2018, but, I didn't get any word count that year. The last year and the previous years I actually wrote--I just could not get the word count.  It was bad enough that I really thought my Muse was dead. Not just for the creativity of writing, but also in all aspects of creativity. In fact I wrote a blog about the yawning emptiness I felt back in 2018. Click Here to read it. I was in a dark place when I wrote that and it was one of many things that made me sad and stressed that year.

    As this year went sideways and I found myself with much more time when I lost my job, I decided that I wanted to write. I longed to have the writing bug bite me and get lost in a scene or section of my book. And no, that rush doesn't happen during the whole book, but I know it does happen and it is really a rush. I missed it. I missed living in these worlds and being right there with my characters as they shoot off in some random direction that takes me unaware. And honestly for the past few years I didn't feel that. Each and every word I got on paper was simply meh. I felt mentally exhausted simply writing a paragraph. I even tried starting new stories in hopes that they would spark the flame, but they didn't. They ended up being another unfinished failure. I almost gave up my muse as dead. And maybe it was? Perhaps what I write with now is a new shiny adopted baby muse? I dunno. It could be. I used to say that my Muse was the Imagination Movers.

    And then as my muse began dying and becoming more unresponsive to treatment until it became confused and difficult, I thought perhaps it had become Patrick Star when he wrote the song in that one episode of SpongeBob.

    Then there was nothing but the void for a while. There was even a time that I had stopped reading for pleasure. Which I remedied and I continue to this day.

    So here I was with this corps of my muse and plenty of time on my hands, and I decided to do NaNo WriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Nano seemed like a good starting spot because there is an end goal of 50K in 30 days. It doesn't have to be pretty and it doesn't have to be specific. You just write every day. Butt in chair--which I hear is the real secret to becoming a successful author. With that in mind, I remembered what I had learned about forming habits; it takes 21 days to form a new habit and about 66 days to form a new behavior. Alright, sounds like just the thing I need. Nano is 30 days. If I run with the habit and keep writing into December every day I will form a new behavior pattern and will probably finish my novel. This is the main push to do Nano.

    Another reason is the NaNo community. I found that when I was in my writing group M.U.S.E. (Most underappreciated Super Egos) I felt inspired. Sharing my writing and getting feedback and being part of something that the others enjoyed also was wonderful for my creativity. (I think this might be part of the reason I was successful back in the day, honestly.) Hearing four different versions of a story from the same writing prompt was amazing and fun. It gave me perspective and empathy. Mostly, it encouraged me to write and share. Being part of NaNo is kind of like that. I have author friends that root me on and share their struggle. I joined multiple FB groups where I got to interact with other people that are just like me. I gave advice where I knew the answer and got some answers as well. And then there are the prep talks from famous authors that give you a boost and help you realize that they are just regular folks too. This band of brothers and sisters help me want to write and help me feel like I'm part of something more.

    I think it all worked out. I not only wrote every day (mostly) but I won NaNo. And I have been continuing my writing because I want to finish this novel. I also want to finish off all my other forgotten babies that got about halfway before I abandoned them. By the end of next year, I plan to finish all of my WIPs including the first one (Sam Wolfe) who had fought me many times over the years. Then, maybe I'll work on some of the stories that have been bouncing around in my head occasionally yelling at me to pay attention to them. 

    And the best part is that I'm writing for me. Yes, I'll try to publish them, but if they don't make it--that's alright because I actually wrote it and I lived in that world for a while and it'll be out there in the world. And that's enough. That will be fulfilling. Me and my new Muse are at the beginning of our journey together and I look forward to learning more about them and myself.

    Did you do NaNo WriMo? How did you do? How is your Muse doing? Remember to feed, water and cuddle it regularly or it will fade. :D

Outlander Thoughts. Maybe Roger is underappraciated because he is over shadowed

 

Lately, I have been rereading the Outlander series and am caught up to the TV show. The Fiery Cross.

    There are those who have read the books and watched the show, who might wonder why I chose to write about Roger Wakefield/Mckenzie specifically.

    Mostly because there seems to be a split of feelings about him. There are those that love him, especially since they found Richard Rankin to portray him. But for years, there have been a lot of people that dislike his character (at least in my circles). I have a friend that borrowed my books about a decade ago and she devoured them until book 5. Which is a bit slow, but that's not why she stopped. She stopped reading because she hated Roger and felt the book focused on him too much. I tried to get her to read more by telling her that he got hanged, but that didn't help. I waved Jamie and Claire in front of her, but no. She never picked up the books again because of Roger. Now when she saw Richard Rankin, she warmed to the character of the show a bit.

    As for me, I will admit that compared to the indomitable Jamie Fraser and the larger than life Dougal and the sassy smart Claire. And even Bri who I find to be spoiled and selfish at first, she can be charming.

This is what 49 looks like.

     Roger was a little Meh. He was more in his element in the 1960s I believe. But when he went back to the past he had trouble adjusting when the other 2 time travelers seemed to do fine.

    Then I thought about it. The others all have a leg up over him. Jamie Fraser is a manly Man. He grew up during that time. He is at ease among royalty and in the hills living off the land. He can hunt, build, fight, lead and charm people. Claire lived on archeological digs as kid and was a Nurse during WWI so she knows how to live primitively and can adapt to whatever is thrown her way. Now you might be like, What about Bri? She's a spoiled suburbanite American girl. She should struggle, too. Well, she would, but her adopted father taught her to hunt, fish, shoot and rough it. So--another leg up.

    Then there's Roger. A sweet sentimental twentieth century historian at home with books and singing. The whole reason he went back in time, unskilled and unprepared, was for love. He loved Bri and followed her to be with her and protect her. Surprisingly, he did ok for himself thanks to some knowledge of sailing and determination. And then, because of misunderstanding he gets the shit beat out of him and he gets sold to the Native Americans. Nobody talks about how he survived the journey and the "initiation" (He ran through a gauntlet of people beating him with clubs and he made it through--not an easy feat.)

    When he is procured back to the Frasers, he has no real skill but he is willing to try. He can't shoot well because he lacks binocular vision and his first instinct is not usually to brawl as he was raised a scholar. All of these things are looked down on. He does earn respect from others for being a beautiful singer, but Jamie can't appreciate it because he is tone deaf and that particular skill won't bring in crops or protect the "women". Then in book 5 (and the tv show) Roger is mistaken and hanged. It is only because Claire knows how to do a tracheotomy that he survives at all. But his throat is shot. The one thing he had. His one skill is gone. 

    I've heard people say that he sulked and bitched too much. They could understand the PTSD from being hanged, but what's the big deal. He's alive. He can talk (like he has gravel in his throat.) Why is he having an identity crisis?

    Because it was his thing. His calling. The only thing he was good at. Not just good but fantastic. Of course losing that would leave him bereft. He is aware that compared to the others, he sucks at living in that time. But when he had music, he could bring joy or help people grieve. He could fire men up before battles. Anyone who played D&D knows how powerful a Bard's voice can be. It is his weapon. It is his meal ticket. It is the thing that makes him feel part of the community. And it is gone. There is only Roger who can't do things as well as anyone else. Even his wife is more "manly" than him by those standards. 

    I'll stop at season/book 5 since the show is there at the moment. I know, there are 8 books out that continue the story and we get to see all the character's arcs including Roger's but in fairness of those who have only watched the show I will stop at 5.

    In any case, all the other characters are bigger than life. Even Young Ian has a big charismatic personality. And honestly can any man measure up to Jamie Fraser? He is one of my favorite book boyfriends. I could write a blog about why I love Jamie, but for today, I just wanted to give some props to poor Roger. With all those other epic characters around him and in a time period he is not trained for, he is going to be overshadowed and overlooked. His personality is rather meh.

    Thinking about it, I would not do as well as Claire or Bri. I'm not a doctor. I'm not an architect that builds useful things. I'm not an herbalist or farmer. I haven't cooked anything on an open fire but hot dogs and marshmallows. I'd be ok with basic sanitation and first aid, and I could maybe be a ladies maid with my skills as a hairdresser, but honestly I've never used an iron that heated on the stove and I would probably reenact the scene from Little Women where Jo burned off Meg's hair.

So--yeah. I'm not even a Historian so I wouldn't know all the little historical events to warn others about. Actually, if I got shot back in time, I think Roger would do better than me because of his knowledge and the fact that he is a tall muscled man that can do hard labor.

    I guess that about sums it up. If Roger hadn't got sucked into the Randall/Fraser mess. If he had never fallen head over heels in love with Brianna and if he had never went through the stones and had just stayed in his time, He would be a great catch.  He is a scholar and professor. He has some money and is skilled at singing and playing guitar and drum. He is Scottish with that lovely accent. He is handsome sporting a large physic, dark hair and glass green eyes. He is good humored and helpful. He is gallant and thoughtful. And he is patient and kind. All of these things are great things in the 20th and 21st century. 

    Love makes us do crazy things. It makes us go outside our comfort zone. It makes us question everything about ourselves. It makes us change whether we want to or not.

Writing sex scenes can be weird

 

    Earlier this morning I came across a post in one of my writing groups. The person seemed almost shy when they asked for advice on writing s*x. They couldn't even write the word sex. They may have censored it because of FB police. But I think it had more to do with the fact that speaking openly about sex is still a bit Taboo.

    We're not as bad as we used to be when it comes to sex and passion, but it is still a sticky subject when it comes to publicly speaking about it. It's more likely that you'll be exposed to Gore and other graphic content then you will be to extreme romance (if you will).

    Which does seem strange to me. I can see a person get eviscerated on a tv show but don't you dare give me the vapors by showing me carnal passion. lol

        As far as writing it you have to get the physical stuff right first. One author friend of mine used her daughters barbies to see if a sex position could be logical. Other's use modeling dolls or software to ensure they are accurate.  I mean, it'll take you right out of the story if the guys penis is at a 90 degree angle and goes around corners. Or if the girl has shelf booty and the guy is trying spooning.

    After you handle the physics of sex, you have to get in touch with the emotional aspect of their love making. You have to remember or imagine that vulnerability and overwhelming sensory overload as well as the psychological ramifications. Sounds simple, right?

    Yes and no. For a while,  when I was beginning my writing career,  my children were small and very needy. My cats were also forcefully lovey and don't give a damn if you want/have to write. During that time, feeling sexy or romantic is hard both in fiction and in real life. I would start to get in the rhythm of writing a tender, erotic scene and the kiddos would fight or get hurt or need food/drink/diaper change. And that would yank me right out of the moment as fast as if someone threw ice water on me in the middle of coitus.  Or the cats would jump onto my computer typing their version of Old McDonalds E-I-E-I-Oooooooooo...

    And even if I was lucky enough to be able to write while the kids occupied themselves or were napping in the middle of the day, I had a vague sense of wrongness to it. Like I was watching porn out in the open in the light of day with the sound up and the doors and windows open. I wasn't but I was so immersed in the scene that I could touch, taste, smell, feel and see the sweat glistening on skin as my lovers whispered sweet nothings to the music of their love making. When I was done, I would glance up startled to see my messy cluttered living room and the tv on a rerun of some sitcom. The fire lit dimness of my mind slowly vanishing to the realism of the day. 

    Most times, I ran around like a crazy person and had no time during the day. I was a full time college student at that time as well and had to write so many dry, logical, APA critical research papers. By the time I slogged through those my Muse was sickly and weak.

    My best time during those hectic earlier days was at night. When the lights were low, the kids and cats were asleep and the house  was blissfully silent. I would finish up my "logical" school stuff and then settle in to write my stories. Many nights I sacrificed sleep just to get those uninterrupted moments in. But, in the dark solitude, I was able to revive my muse and fully pour myself into the sex scenes and with it being dark, it seemed a little more natural and a little wicked instead of out right lecherous. When I came out of my writing daze the night seemed to embrace me and leave me feeling like I'd created something beautiful instead of adolescent directed porn. 

    And as a side note. I read some books from other authors on how to write sex scenes. I read blogs and listened to podcasts. And I had my husband write some of the books from the male's perspective because he knows better than I how things feel physically and emotionally. That's one of the reasons we created Heather Geoffires because having both sides seems to make it more realistic.(For any of you that have read how men write women and how some women write men honestly, you know what I'm talking about.)

    Anyway. Writing sex scenes can be difficult and weird. These are some random thoughts I had this early morning.

    How do you feel about writing sex. What about when you read it? Any advice?

Has Heather disappeared off the face of the earth? No, it's just NaNoWriMo time again

 

    For a week or so there I was blogging every day again. Really just getting back into the swing of things like a champ. Most of my posts were random, which is the way I like it. Although I did try to make them fairly "author-y".

    Then poof. No more blogs. What happened? First Halloween happened, but then November 1st hit and now it's time for NaNoWriMo. 

    What is NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). And the idea is that starting on November 1st through November 30th, writers of all types (amateurs to NY Times bestsellers), sit down every day and write. The goal is to write 50,000 words in that month. It seems daunting to those who don't write daily or are slow writers, but it's not a competition. It's motivation to help you get your writing done. There are many people that are in the same boat as you who need that extra nudge to get shit done. Some people write more, some write less. Sometimes you hit your goal and sometimes you don't. 

    I have an author friend that regularly publishes multiple books a year. She writes fast and she writes all the time. She still does NaNo because it help re motivate her. I also know others who use it for it's community. At Nano you can buddy up with friends, join local groups and do "write ins" and "Sprints" and you can read pep talks from some of your favorite authors. It helps you feel more connected. It shows you that these authors are just regular people, like you , that had an idea and wrote it down.  They all started at the beginning, just like you.

    And here's a bonus. It's not about how great your first draft is. Generally the first draft is filled with grammatical errors. Or as I read one time; You're first draft is a pile of shit, that's why we edit and do revisions. But you can't clean it up if you don't get it on paper. NanoWrimo doesn't care about how pretty it is. It just wants you to vomit words on paper. That's it. Get the words in. Get your butt in a chair. Noone sees your work but you. All Nano cares about it word count.

    So, yeah, you probably won't see me much. I will try to blog from time to time if I remember something other than my novel over this next month. I will try. But my main focus right now is getting that word count. Reaching 50k by the end of November and finishing this novel. And if I can finish this one. If I can sit and write every day and it becomes a habit, then I can finish all my other poor stories that have been in a coma for years. And maybe even barf out some of the stories that have been trapped in my head as well.

    Have you tried NaNo? If you're an aspiring writer, I recommend you check it out.

See you on the other side. And good luck if you're doing it. :D

https://nanowrimo.org

 

Day 6 Life is a mess right now. That's why I'm focusing on positivity

    Everyone will tell you that 2020 is a shit show on so many fronts. 

Just a recap on some of the things:

*All the fires. From Australia to the west coast of the U.S.A

*The corona virus that is getting worse as we head into flu season

*The people fighting about masks versus no masks

*The mess of George Flloyd and his horrible death followed by large gatherings (from peaceful to mobs and riots) during the lock down put into place to try to slow the spread of the virus. 

*The fighting about politics between people who used to be friends or family, and now there are horrible breaks for various reasons.

*The many celebrity deaths

*The stock market crashing 

*People struggling financially and the people who can help too worried about one upping each other over the bills to actually get people the help they need.

*The depression, loneliness and suicides that spiked during lock down.

*Schools being a mess. 

*Jobs are also a mess.

*And the constant anxiety and fear of all of these thing.

    I know I've probably missed a few things but I was listing these off the top of my head. 

    Just listing these brings on a sense of overwhelming hugeness of the bad shit, ya know?

I've decided that I want to focus on the bright side, as best I can. It's easy to brood on the bad and gnash my teeth and cry into my pillow, but I don't want to feel like that all the time. I want to be (somewhat) at peace or as close as I can get. 

    I have been posting to my social media, but it has usually been funny memes, a photo I took, or sharing these blog posts that I'm working on everyday in preparation. Some days I don't stay on social media because there are so many angry butt-hurt people snapping and snarling at each other. Over any of the above things. Politics being one of the biggest as the election is only a couple weeks away.

    It's not that I want to bury my head in the sand and be ignorant, but I have friends and family that keep abreast of the situation. I see things in the short time I pop onto my social media. I read things and hubby watches different news. So, I do know what's happening, but I need a break for my mental health. 

    So, I have been writing. I have been rereading a favorite series. I play scrabble go and can tell when I'm off. I've done some Yoga and plan to walk more once again. And I have had some great conversations with my kids, hubby, parents and some friends on the phone about nearly anything but gloom and doom.

    Most days, it works and I am able to enjoy the positives in my life. Some days the stress, depression and anxiety swamp me and suffocate me. Thankfully it usually ebbs before too long. I go to bed and sleep hard and generally it's a good reset.

    No. I won't put my political views on my pages. No, I won't fight over masks vs no masks. No I won't argue over unemployment vs those working. No I won't talk about money or stocks or federal help. etc.. you get it. Partly it's for my own peace of mind. Partly it's from years of conditioning as a hairstylist (we were taught no  talking about topics of conflict; politics, religion, sports, and sex).

    Hopefully, I can keep up the optimism and keep myself sane and content-ish.

    What are some of the things you have done to deal with this crazy world? Are you a fighter or a peacemaker? Are you doing anything for self care? What are some good things you focus on?

Day 5. Why do teens and young adults feel the need to find " True Love" Asap?

 

    I am not writing this blog to answer that question. I honestly don't know the answers. What this is is more of a reflection brought on by some conversations with my daughters. 

    One of my daughters is going to be 14yrs old soon. She occasionally thinks a boy looks cute but that's about it. I have talked to both my daughters about how I didn't really care what their preference was in a mate, but that I wanted them to not get too serious about any relationships until they are at least out of high-school.  I know that some highschool sweethearts stay together but overall the chances are slim. Most young passionate relationships burn hot and then burn out. And that is including a lot of young adult relationships. Attraction, passion and desire are the main forces driving the relationship until the "Honeymoon period" (6mo-1 yr) is over and the relationship has no foundation and crumbles.

    So both my girls plan to be cautious and focus on their lives mostly for a bit. That doesn't mean that they may not date, but I hope that it means that they took my words to heart and will proceed slowly. Both say that they want to find a best friend and partner to enjoy hobbies with. And that sounds good. I hope they stick to that.

    Now my 14 yr old has a close friend who is looking for love. She has already "dated" some boys (thankfully innocently with chaperoning parents or at school get-togethers) And had a toxic boyfriend for a year, where they broke up and got back together again and again. The reason she gave my daughter was that "He was her last chance at love" Mind you, this was last year when they were in 7th grade. 

...

    I mean, What the hell! Dude. You have your whole life ahead of you. You have more options out there in the world than in that one middle-school pond.  Why is she so desperately seeking a big romance at her age?

    I also had a young coworker who was around 20yrs old and she was afraid of becoming an old maid. She hadn't had "Love" in over a year. Her friends were dating left and right but she was alone and probably would be  forever, so she said. And I looked at this pretty (Young) girl and thought; there is no expiration date. There are people in the 80s getting married. You are so young and you have so many years. Enjoy being with you and worry about the rest later.

    Then I remembered being between my daughters' ages and my coworkers age. And even a little beyond that and remembered what I felt like back then. At 14 I was boy crazy. By sixteen I dated guys that were no good, but I was overweight and had self-esteem issues so I was happy any guy liked me. 

    When I was an "adult" 18+. I felt lonely. It seemed everyone had someone that loved them. I was surrounded by friends and family in committed relationships. And I often felt like a third wheel. I also felt unwanted. I remember thinking that I was going to give up on love and just become an crazy cat lady. And I vaguely wished I were attracted to women because being with guys seemed impossible. I felt like an Old maid at 22 and still single.

    I was lucky that when I found my mate later that year, he and I became best friends and partners. We enjoyed all the youthful exuberance but we also enjoyed each others company outside of the bedroom.  And we have grown together and have supported each other. I realize now, as many of the friends' relationships fell apart, that I really did get lucky. But until then I was actively "looking for Love".

    I've thought about the why of it all. Why is there this desperation in the young? Why is there this pressure to be "In Love" so young?

    Back in other eras the life expectancy was lower so people got married (or handfasted) early so they could raise a family. And have many children to help with the family business (merchant, farmer, nobility, etc.)

    Biologically, a young female is sought after because they are healthier and have many child bearing years, while the female usually seeks a mate that is stable and economically secure so they feel safe to start a life.

    Socially We are inundated with romance. It's in our movies and television. In our novels, comics, poetry, and music. Even stories that aren't centered  on Romance usually have romance because it makes the story richer and more meaningful.

    Psychologically many younger people feel confused and a bit lost. There are so many hormones rushing through the body. So many changes physically. And then there is this pressure to figure out what you want to be and which college to go to, when not that long ago they were simply kids. And on top of that general confusion of figuring out who you are as an individual, many young people come from broken homes (to one degree or another) and are searching for connection, intimacy, and belonging. They want to be wanted. They want a person who is home to them.

    Maybe some of these factor into it. Maybe all of them or none of them. I really don't know. 

    It just seems like there are a lot of really young people searching for some type of intimacy. Even the boys who are driven to physical wanting. Usually that is part of the need for intimacy that is acceptably manly.

    And I guess there is not much we can really do about it. Romance has been in our art and minds for centuries. The beetles said: All you need is love.  We strive to be part of the magic that is true love through our entire lives until we die. The only thing we can do is try to talk to our children. And to try to be a good example if we are lucky enough to be in a healthy committed relationship. And then hope that they don't get serious when they are too young. And know that they will probably get hurt, but hope they don't get their heart broken too badly. And hope that they have learned the difference between a healthy relationships and toxic relationships.

    And continue this trend of telling girls to look forward to more than a big perfect wedding day. Yes, they should enjoy their wedding day. They should want to join there lives with their best friend and lover someday. But they should know that there is more after that. That it doesn't end right after the wedding day like in a Disney movie (And they lived happily ever after...). That they should follow their goals or explore different options as they will have different interest as they grow and change.  Maybe not turn people off to marriage as less and less people are getting married today. But maybe teach them to wait until the "Honeymoon Period" is over to start getting to know each other with their masks off.

Again. This post is more my thought about this more than an answer to the questions. 

Do you remember when you were young? How did you feel about romance/love? Do you have ideas on what pushes the young to search for love? Have you noticed?

Day Four a day late. Life and other inconveniences

 

Life is crazy!

    Life has a way of veering way off course or just getting so crazy busy that you find yourself forgetting to do stuff or simply remembering a week later after the dust settles.

    It hasn't been a week, but I made a goal to blog everyday to help get me in the rhythm of writing every day for NaNoWriMo.  I missed a day and I could beat myself up over it which would make me feel bad and a bit guilty and if I get bummed enough I might just throw my hands up and say "This is pointless. I'll never stick to a schedule. Life's too crazy. I give up!" Then go skulk off and feel sorry for myself.

    But the thing about building habits and continuing toward a goal that you really want to reach is that you have to keep going. There will be obstacles. Life will throw shit at you. There will be days that you just can't sit down and write. And that's ok. That's life. The next day you pull yourself up. Sit down and put words on paper (whether real or MS word doc). And just keep going.

    This works for other goals that you want to make a habit. Want to eat better. Little baby steps and stubbornly moving forward. Will you occasionally eat something that's crap. Yeah. probably. But the next day you won't.  Trying to exercise more. Will you take time off. Most likely, especially at the beginning when you're sore and achy more often. And probably if you get sick or hurt. But guess what. When you feel better go back out there and do some low impact exercise and get back into routine. 

etc. With any goal, you can't get discouraged and beat yourself up. You have to keep Moving forward.

Or in the words of Dory:

    So, here is my Blog from yesterday that I missed. I have it here today. I  may try to do like I do with NaNo Wrimo and do some extra writing today to make up for being late. But I may not. Life is still a bit chaotic and it's hard to concentrate so I may not do extra, But I did get something out there. Better late than never.

Not all tv/movie adaptions suck

 Adaptions suck, right?

    On many occasions I've found this to be true. I bet you can count at least a half a dozen sucktastic adaptions if you think about it.

    Like many book lovers, it irritates the hell out of me when they really go way off the plot. I could probably rant at length about all of them, but with so much negativity in the world, I've decided to only mention 2 that irked me the most before mentioning those that did a good job following the original plot.

The Secret Circle by LJ Smith

   As a teenager, I absolutely loved LJ Smith and the Secret Circle was one of the top series of hers that I loved. it was through LJ Smith that I acquired one of my best friends that I am still friends with after all these year. The secret circle was a great supernatural, coming of age underdog story. By the time it came to the CW, I was skeptical because the Vampire Diaries had already shown me that the CW liked to change the story for more teen drama. And sure enough, I saw the trailer for the Secret circle and read about it--and they changed everything. It seemed that the only thing that was true to the story was the character Faith. Otherwise, everything was a mess. It got cancelled after only 1 season, so, I don't think I'm the only one that was pissed off.

The Queen of the Damned

   When I was 14yrs old I watch Interview with a Vampire. And shortly there after, I read the rest of the series. My favorite of the novels being The Queen of the Damned. I've figure out over the years of reading that I enjoy multiple POVs in my story if the Author writes them well enough that they all feel unique and different, which Anne Rice did with all the characters of QOTD. It is such a rich world with so many interesting facetes. It tells of the beginning of vampires in this world and the end. And none of these things transferred to the movie well at all. They changed characters, got rid of key characters and changed the plot. The entire time I watched the movie I couldn't help bursting out with curses and angry tirades of how this or that didn't happen, until my friend (who doesn't read) yelled at me to let her enjoy this good movie with the hot guy. Is that why they had Stuart Townsend half naked and brooding (far too often to be Lestat btw)  is to try to make people blind to the terrible plot? We may never know.

There are many others. Quite a few Stephen King stories change by the time they get to screen, but that could be because of their size. And there are many others that can't make it.

Now onto the good

    I'll start with a mention of a few off the top of my head that were close enough to be enjoyable tv or films. Then I will mention my favorite adaption.

The Help

   If you haven't read this novel or seen the movie, I highly recommend both. I won't spoil the plot for you, but I will say that the film did great at following the book and their choice of actors was spot on. This is a movie that I rewatch, and that's saying a lot.

Interview with a Vampire

   Although it's sequel movie sucked and still fills me with rage, this story was pretty close to the novel. Yes, they changed the family he grieved for from a crazy brother to a wife and son. And yes, Antonio Banderas was not a 19yr beautiful Parisian (probably to keep things from feeling squicky) and No, Lestat didn't turn Daniel (the interviewer) into a vampire (that was Armond). But the rest of it flowed along the original plot line. And the actors did a fantastic job.

Harry Potter series

    Overall, they did pretty good with the adaption. Movie 4 took out a lot of the personal story and focused on the action. But overall, the series followed the books well and I can enjoy an occasional HP binge watch. 

And to my favorite adaption...

Outlander

    At first I thought I enjoyed the show primarily because the novels are my favorite read by far. Maybe it does lend to my bias. Or maybe I love the actors they chose, but I don't think that is the whole of my enjoyment.

    One reason I think this show works, is that it is a cable tv series that is about 1 hour long per episode. So they have a lot of time to cover the chunky stories in each large novel. Trying to cram these into a trilogy wouldn't work. Neither would having it on prime time tv in 30 min. slot. Of course the adult content also wouldn't work for that either. The Novels are simply too big for those and I think putting it into a long series on cable was the best choice.

    Each season is one novel. We just finished season 5 and currently Diana Gabalden is nearly finished with book 9. So, as long as people keep loving the show, we should get quite a few more seasons, for which I am ecstatic. 

    Now before you ask, No, it isn't exactly perfectly the same as the novels, but some of the changes I liked. If it weren't for the small changes, Murtaugh would have died at Culloden, instead of refound in America. Murtaugh was a favorite character of mine in the books and I was sad when he died in the books. There are a few other small changes, but nothing that changes the story overtly. So, I can deal.

    The last thing I will mention about outlander that is superb is the music by Bear Mccreary. Beautiful. Lovely music. Very nice scores for the intro and throughout the episodes.

There are more but I will leave off here.

What are some adaptions you loved? What are some you hated? What are some that changed but it was for the better?  Let me know. :D

Love Triangle using Zoey's Extrordinary Playlist as example

 

The Love Triangle

    As in many romantic stories, be they in cinema, novels or television, the love triangle is used to give some friction to the story or obstacles for the main protagonist to over come. 

    Often times the person is in a relationship with a person who is either terrible,  merely blase' or just not a fit and the protagonist meets the perfect match for them. They then have to decide whether to stay with  the person they are with or take a chance on love. Some examples are "Sleepless in Seattle" where the main protagonist cares about her fiance, but she falls instantly in love with Tom Hank's character and thinks they may be destined to be together. Another is "Sweet Home Alabama." Her guy is seemingly great but after going home and being reminded of her roots and her deep love for her ex, she realizes that her current beau is not a good fit and that she had to be a different person. There are many others that I'm sure you can recall. 

    So why bring up Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist? 

    Mainly because, in movies especially, the writers work hard to make us either hate the first love interest, pity them, or just feeling kinda Meh about them being cast off.  The main reason is so that as a viewer you don't dislike the main protagonist. I mean, if the heroine has a fantastic guy that she throws over and breaks his heart into itty bitty pieces, we as the viewer disassociate with that character and frankly don't give a shit if she found true love. The heartless bitch. 

    And it gets a bit repetitive. I find myself watching these movies or reading these stories and  I'll be looking hard for the scooby clues that the person the protagonist is with is actually an asshole. (See Hans from Frozen). And although I feel like a super sleuth when the person shows their true nature, I also kinda feel like I've been let down by a trope.

Why Zoey's is different 

    This story is different because both men (Max and Simon) are genuinely likeable and attractive. They both care about Zoey and have her best interest at heart. They also are both very attracted to her and want to be with her even though she can be quirky and at times self involved.

 

    Now there is a good reason she is distracted. First off her father is slowly dying and the whole family is trying to band together to be there for him and each other. The second reason is that after a freak MRI accident Zoey is constantly hearing people sing (and dance) to her about their issues. Her friend Mo calls them "Heart Songs" So, yeah, valid reason for distraction.

    This music is also how she found out that her closest friend Max loves her romantically and it also showed her Simon's pain and allowed her to be able to talk to him about deep issues and get close to him. So now here are two men that want her and feel an emotional connection to and she knows it because of their heart songs. Both men are a little jealous of each other, but neither of them have thrown hands or acted like fools because they know that Zoey has too much going on in her life right now to deal with a pissing contest. The music also brought her a new close friend and confidant in the form of her next door neighbor, the fabulous Mo (Formerly Unique on Glee). Mo gives good advice and tries to help Zoey figure out her musical issue while singing and sashaying into our hearts. 

    By the time season 1 ended, nobody had a clue who she would or should pick. And it will probably be put off another season, not only for the rating but because of some awful stuff happening outside of Zoey's love life. 

    Some people are hardcore Max fans as he knows her so well. He's always been there for her and will probably always be there for her. He comforts her, he helps her when she's floundering at work, he cares about her family, and he called Simon when he thought Zoey might need him more.

    Some people are hardcore Simon. He's smart, sweet, kind and in touch with his emotions. He knows what Zoey's going through as he is still grieving the loss of his father. He's a gentle soul that is there for Zoey when she needs advice or a shoulder to cry on. And the chemistry between them is sizzling.

    I look forward to watching the next season to see how this story plays out. Because whoever she chooses will bring mixed emotions. I will cheer her romance, while at the same time wanting to hug the other man to make him feel better. Which is a nice change from the writers shoving asshole qualities into a potential good guy and forcing us to hate them or feel blah about their loss.

    Plus, it has some great music and fun flash mob dancing scenes that suck you in to the fun aspect of the show.

What do you think of love triangles? Have you noticed this theme of making one of the choices unlikable? Have you seem Zoey's extraordinary playlist? What do you think of Max and Simon?

Let me know. I love hearing from you.

Two weeks of blogging everyday (hopefully) in preparation of NaNoWriMo

 

                           I'm doing NaNoWrimo this year.

    For a while now I have felt uninspired. Even before the pandemic and isolation, I have had difficulty getting up the oomph to sit and write. Some of it has been my husband's health problems, a lot of it over the last couple years was a hectic work schedule managing an understaffed salon. I guess since Covid closed it down for good, I don't have to worry about that anymore. You would think I would have oodles of time to write and I do--technically.  But it just has been a struggle...

    This year I decided that come hell or high water (which both are a possibility this year. heh) I am participating in Nano. 30 glorious days of frenzied writing as I race toward 50 thousand words by the end of November. I stress, but I also work really well under pressure. The one time I specifically remember winning NaNo was during a time that I was going to college full time, had two toddlers, a house to clean, 2 companies I reviewed books for and a writing group that I was in. And somehow, I won. I wrote everyday for that as well as for the writing group and papers out the wazoo for undergrad work.

    If I could do it back in the day, then I should be able to motivate my unemployed, college graduate, teen mom ass into writing successfully this year. I just need some extra motivation--hence NaNoWriMo.

    I don't want to work on the book yet. Somehow it feels like cheating. I know I'll add more words afterwards as 50 K isn't enough for a full length novel. But, I want to wait until November 1st and burst through he door. So how do I get into the rythm of writing every day to get ready?  I don't want to work on other work and overextend or distract myself. And that's when it hit me...

    I'm going to blog each day. 

    I've always enjoyed putting some of the passing ideas I've had out into the world. And I am up in the wee morning hours with hubby when he gets up before the butt crack of dawn and usually stay up a couple hours after he leaves in order to wake my children for online school. What better time is there than when the house is quiet? Hubby is gone, kids are snoozing and even the cats are asleep after an early morning feeding. 

    There you have it. I will be blogging everyday until November first. And who knows. Maybe if me and my muse have a reconciliation, I may continue blogging at least weekly. 

    Let me know if you NaNo.