Movies to Lighten My Mood

I'm in sort of a blue funk today, don't now why but I suspect my family is involved in it somehow, so I pulled out a movie I really love to watch: Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl. I lost track how many times I saw it in the theater, but I remember Sharron and I sitting through it and reciting the lines from about half the movie.

I've always been a sucker for pirates. The very first romance novels I read were pirate stories and my most favorite was by Danielle Harmon called My Lady Pirate. It had a typical "bodice ripper" cover (and although I HATE, HATE, HATE that term, it pretty much sums up the covers from the 80's romance novels). Books with female pirates, although my favorite (gotta love kick-ass rebellious females) were hard to come by but even so, if it had a pirate it in, more than likely, I was there. There's just something about them that I loved...maybe I was a pirate in a past life who knows...

I was thrilled when the Pirates trilogy came out. Originally, Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow was my favorite (OMG...when he looks over his shoulder and smiles....sigh)but it didn't take long for Orlando Bloom and James Norrington (especially in the second one) to be added to my "hot guy" list as well . But hot pirate guys aside, the movies (all three) worked well. The cast was enjoyable to watch together and the story lines were good. The third one got a bit plot heavy like they tried to cram too much into one movie, but it was still enjoyable. There are lines from the movie I love ( "This is either madness or brilliance" "Its remarkable how often those two coincide") and just the over all fun tone the movie sets from the moment you see Jack sailing in as his boat sinks. I also love the characterization they did, particularly of Barbosa, so that you relate to him purely on the fact that all he wants in life is to be able to taste an apple again. Even the music is fabulous.

So, with any luck, a trilogy night of all three movies might get me out of this blue funk. Then again, maybe it will just ease it back a bit. Either way, it will still be an enjoyable evening.

Now, WHERE'S THE RUM???????

Oooo, mojitos.....

I've decided my creativity only comes out when I'm out of the house and away from the many, many distractions there, so I'm sitting in a coffee shop near my house typing this. I'm going to try posting to my blog as a warm up to working on my book.

I watched New In Town last night, a movie that didn't do well in the theater. I can see why: it was a funny, entertaining, sweet romance with a happy ending straight out of a romance novel.

Something I'd be proud to write.

I don't know what it is about society hating fairy tale stories. I don't understand what the draw is behind movies with depressing or sad endings, or the obsession to watch movies with blood, gore and grim storylines. I guess they are okay some of the time, but what is wrong with a story about something as basic as romance? Notice I don't say "a love story" because that, at least in the romance industry, is completely different. In most love stories (Horse Whisperer, Titanic, etc) the romance is secondary and almost always has a bittersweet, or in my opinion, not so happy ending. My husband and I argue about this often, but I think last night, watching the movie, he got it. He said to me, "this is the kind of story you write. I could see you writing something like this."

BINGO!

Yes, this is my type of story. That fairy tale, happily ever after, boy meets girl kind of story. Together they overcome conflict and end up together. I would've like to have seen a bit more of their emotional story line, diving deeper into the characters rather than just having the external plot line scratch the surface, but it worked okay. And hey, watching Harry Connick is always a night well spent for me (except he didn't sing...darn it!). So bring on more romance and more happy endings!

So, with that in mind, I'm off to write my own story which will hopefully be just as satisfying and funny as New In Town.

Musings

I sit here at one in the morning, waiting for my popsicle of a daughter to get home from Relay for Life (I told her it was going to be too cold but did she believe mom? Noooooo!) and I'm thinking about where I'm at in my life and wondering how I got here. As little as five years ago I was creating stories in a frenzy, coming up with new ones faster than what I could write them. Now my head is empty and I'm asking myself, what the hell happened???

I know it's me and my problem. Nothing anyone can say or do can change my situation. It has to come from within me. But how? I've tried new stories, tried revising old ones, but nothing is happening. My muse seems to have run off to the Caribbean with a cabana boy or something. I was debating about entering the Emerald City opener, a writing contest from the Greater Seattle RWA chapter to which I belong. But what do I enter?

I have this manuscript, the one that placed in three contests...the one an editor called "trite" (after requesting it and then taking a year and three months to give me that little nugget of wisdom). It was destined for Blaze but no more. That line has changed so much from it's conception, it no longer interests me or fits my writing style. I know my heart truly lies in romantic comedy...Rachel Gibson, Jenny Cruise, Christina Ridgeway, etc... So that means rewrites...big rewrites....on this manuscripit. Could it be this is what's holding me back. This story, which I love, isn't finished. There's some problems with the motivation of my charaters which needs to be fixed and there's two secondary characters who really would like their story told but it doesn't seem they want their own book. Maybe that's the problem. I haven't yet finished this one.

But how do I start? The story is cold in my head now, which is sort of good, sort of bad. It's good because it's a fresh eye, I can see things I wouldn't have seen when I was so close to it a few years ago. But the characters, although still in my head, are now cold. I'm going to have to learn them all over again. But maybe I'll see what I'm missing...what they're missing.

So my goal (yes, I'm putting it in writing for all to see) is to re-write this story. I'm going to start by re-writing the first chapter and, hopefully (hey, don't give me that do or do not crap right now) get the first chapter into the contest by June 1st. That gives me a month. One freakin' month.

Oy vey.

I can do it (she says knowing that's what she's supposed to say but seriously doubting it)! No, I'm going to do it. I have to do it. I need to find this spark in me again because I seriously miss it. I'm wandering around the house trying to fill my time with things that aren't all that interesting to me and feeling sorry for myself. STEP AWAY FROM THE FOOD NETWORK CHANNEL! I need to buck up and get off the pity wagon...and stop whining! Yes, I have middle school and high school graduation in a month, yes my work is driving me insane again, but dammit, I want to be a writer! And the only way to be a writer is to write! I have to find a way to write!

So, staring tomorrow, er, today, I'm going to spend at least an hour writing. My lunch hour will become my personal time. It's nice outside and there's no reason I can't find a little place away from life to spend some time with pen on paper.

I feel so....terrified!