New Bloggy Update 5/24/22

Seven chapters to go.

Draft #2 and I have been spending quite a bit of time with each other. As of today, I have seven chapters to write/revise/throw the majority away and come up with something completely different until I can set the manuscript aside for about 2-3 weeks, allowing it to simmer and give my mind a break.

I’ll be honest. As I’m making my way through, I’m pitching anywhere from 50 to 95 percent of what’s on the page. When I write during Nano (National Novel Writing Month – November), I’m basically typing any and all things that come to mind to “create some kind of story and characters”. It sort of makes sense, but it’s pretty superficial and full of, well, let’s just say poor writing. The second draft is where I formulate a story, create the background of characters, and make it more coherent. When it’s time for draft three, I’ll really start to examine phrasing, word choices, plot holes, and flesh out each character.

In all, I generally end up with 9 drafts/revisions. It’s usually around draft 6 when I ask for Beta readers to check things out. That’s not a hard and fast rule – it could be as early as draft 5 or as late as 7, but you get the idea.

I DO want to thank everyone who came out to Bobzbay on May 14. Thanks!! 🙂 It was a great and FAST 2.5 hours. I hope to do it again, perhaps later this year or next spring. The NEXT event is Steampunk: Cogs and Corsets. (info for this can be found in the Events section of the blog). It’s happening on June 3 and 4 – and this time, all the vendors will be in the Bloomington’s Museum of History (not outside where we all have to fight the dreaded wind tunnel).

We’ve seen a few movies and shows as of late:

King Richard (2021) – Yeah, I know. Will Smith. Yes, he is a problem. However, setting that aside, this movie was pretty darn good. I had no idea about the history of the tennis legends (I know who they are, but I never knew their background story). All the actors/actresses did amazing – held my attention from the first shot. I would give this a high recommend if you can see past the Will Smith debacle.

On the Basis of Sex (2018) – Here’s another amazing movie, this one based on the real life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I had wanted to see this when it first came out. No spoilers here, but she DOES appear at the very end and I have to tell you, that really got me. It meant even more because she had since passed away. Another high recommend.

The Quarry (2020) – “After murdering a traveling preacher, a fugitive drifter assumes his identity and becomes the new cleric of a small-town church. While he wins over the congregation, the police chief starts to link the mysterious stranger to a crime investigation.‘ Normally, if Michael Shannon is in a movie, I’m all in. He’s the kind of actor that is so intense, you can’t help but believe everything he says. This movie? Eh…didn’t exactly hit the target for me. It’s not that the actors were bad – I’m going to blame things on the script. A movie that comes in at an hour thirty-eight minutes shouldn’t FEEL over two hours long. This one did. If you like slow and methodical, you might dig this. I gave it a 6 out of 10.

Choose or Die (2020) – ‘A broke student who plays an obscure 1980s survival computer game in pursuit of an unclaimed $100,000 prize. After a series of unexpectedly terrifying moments, she soon realises she’s no longer playing for the money, but for her own life.’ Okay – I thought this might be a fun and silly time waster of a horror movie. Time waster pretty much nails it. Fun? Eh, not so much. Predictable. A little goofy. An attempt to cater to the “I love/miss the 80s crowd” (of which I’m not a part). I gave it a 5.3 out of 10. I suppose if you love all things that revere the 80s, this one might be enjoyable.

Killing Eve (series) – Okay. I might not make any fans with this commentary, but here goes. I can’t stand this show. I watched the first season and the first episode of the second season before I physically couldn’t roll my eyes anymore. Hate? Well, maybe that’s too har…no. No it’s not. The characters are smug, not realistic, and have no awareness of anything in the world around them. It’s supposed to be a spy/thriller that has some quirkiness. Maybe I don’t like quirky in my thrillers. I don’t know. Get Smart could pull it off (I know – that was pure comedy). This falls in line with The Pink Panther movies (although the pro/antagonist is a psychopath). Ug. Nothing about this worked for me. At all. On any level. Charlie is still enjoying it (he’s now in season 3 out of 4). You might like it…or not.

Okay – there it is! Let me know what YOU are up to – what you’re working on, what events you’re attending, what shows or movies you’ve seen. Thanks! 🙂