Main Character Spotted:

Main Character Spotted

Seen leaving…

Destination: Unknown

Of course to quote Anthony Kiedis, “Now that is a lie.”  If I let everyone know where she was, someone might want to go out and catch her…and then I’ll never be able to finish the book on my own recognizance.

For fun, I’ll test out the idea of letting you know where she’s been: also to prove I finally got to the “inciting incident” and its consequence, so to speak.  You can also check out the scene at that locale [while it lasts] by scrolling down or “hit[ting] the jump” as I like to say.

Spoilers ahead – be warned!

If you DON’T want to be spoiled, you have two options (both which are FREE by the way):

1)  Wait until (at least) July for me to start posting chapters on Figment.

2)  Check it out from the beginning on Authonomy.

If you enjoy anything you see or read, don’t forget that I am still trying to StayClassy – but I’m not the “hard sell” type.

Enough warnings!  Look on if ye dare…

Figment Screnzy Summary Contest

I almost missed this contest opportunity, but I was busy writing.  Today I posted the summary for my Script Frenzy 2012 screenplay.

According to the site, it clocks in at 289 words and takes a minute to read.

Click the pic above, or click here to take a peek.  It’s free to read (no account needed), and having a Figment account means you can leave a comment or give a reaction.

Act D.E.A.R.ly Today!

For all of you who have aversions to dots in acronyms, you might not have known I was trying to pass along a national holiday.  Reading the banner above should give the gist.  For all who want to know just a bit more…

The day is April 12th to coincide with Beverly Cleary’s birthday.  The idea of D.E.A.R. originated in the book Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

If you want to truly Drop Everything And Read, all you have to do is click this link, which will take you to a free excerpt from one of the Ramona books.  What are you waiting for?  =)

Finished a book: The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers by “Miami Mitch“

[How acquired: borrowed - yeah, that's what it was...]

I really was wracked with guilt in obtaining this book.  First of all, I never knew there was a novelization of one of my favorite movies of all time – which I argue is the best pound-for-pound movie ever made.  The only thing I thought ever released in print was Blues Brothers: Private; which I love to death, and own an original copy of (with the poster – which I hung up; couldn’t help it).

The novel is good, but of course differs highly from the actual movie.  There’s a lot of great humor, but it starts pretty drearily…which makes sense to gain sympathy for Jake and Elwood.  The down side is you can’t hear a musical number in a book, but there are a lot of songs mentioned which don’t appear in the movie.  I’ll read it again since it has great replay value [as the movie itself] – and I’ll jot down all the tunes to make a compilation disc.

A cool thing about the novelization is how much more the non-Blues members are fleshed out.  Instead of grabbing half of them in a deft swoop, most of the band is tracked down one-by-one; the final member not making it until close to the end.

A favorite backing member of mine has always been Donald “Duck” Dunn.

In the book, his straight job is a burglar alarm technician.  He also happens to be a bit of an electrical wizard.

Another great things is the explanation of what got Jake tossed into the clink before the movie started.  It was noble – from a certain view.  It would have made a great actual scene, but it wouldn’t have fit well into the movie’s flow.

If you can find it – grab and read it.  I’ll buy a legit copy and return mine to the place it came from…

For clarification sake, I would have bought the book if it was a buck.  I would have paid five or so for it even…to help support the cause.  It wasn’t for sale and I had to read it.  I donated a ton to this particular place, so I can’t say I did nothing for them.  Jake Papageorge would have understood: and he saw the light.

Finished a book: Aaron and Ahmed

Aaron and Ahmed by Jay Cantor and James Romberger

[How acquired: Bookmans purchase]

Of course some will say this is a “comic book” – but I’m not here to debate a graphic novel.  If I read an Archie Digest, that won’t count.  I won’t even comment on it if somewhat open to interpretation.

As you see, the cover states it’s an advanced copy and not reflective of how the final product will turn out.  It was rather apparent when reading this since close to halfway through, the shading gave way to more penciling rather than shaded black and white.

It’s an interesting story and tries to get to the root of subjects such as terror, belief, and love.  The story can seem complicated in scope, but drops off in other areas.  This could be because of the twisted and self-losing journey the story’s main character makes.

I may not agree entirely with this review, but the site Graphic Policy shedding light on this graphic novel.

http://graphicpolicy.com/2011/04/25/review-aaron-and-ahmed-a-love-story

When I finally got a chance to peek inside the real deal, I couldn’t believe it was in color.  The story stays compelling and provokes much thought even in black ink, however.

New Short Story: Q is the A?

As hoped, I got my new (and first) Figment-first short story uploaded.  The title; tagging; summary might change, but the story is online.

This stemmed from a contest by the name of Midnight in Austenland.  The idea was to have the fictional and real world collide.  About a month past the deadline and almost double the maximum word count…but here is the result.

Free to read with no membership/account needed.  Comment here or there:

http://figment.com/books/264701-Ms-Q-

Today is WRAD (World Read Aloud Day)

Taken from Litworld:

“World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology.”

Read something to someone today.  A car commercial’s fine print, prescription medication side effects, or even a story from an Archie Digest laying around – or substitute with a Bazooka Joe comic if short on time.

Maybe I’ll get a new short posted before the day ends…  I’ve been slagging.

To learn more, try here:

http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday

Finished a book: Spilling Ink

Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook – by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter

[How acquired: birthday gift]

I decided to give this book a peek in November; which usually isn’t the best time for Wrimos to to anything related to writing since they are supposed to be writing their novels that month – quantity over quality and all that good stuff.

Reading this in short bursts made me think a little bit more about my story.  It’s really a great book for younger people who want to write but don’t feel like they could.  It gives a lot of pointers on remembering you don’t have to follow any certain rules if you don’t want to.

Both writers are accomplished authors in the young writing field – whether it be picture books, middle grade, or young adult books.  The honest and enthusiastic vibe of this “handbook” makes me want to give a peek at some of their fiction writing.

Only when writing this post did I realize there is a whole plethora of support and encouragement tied to this book.  If you know anyone younger who needs a push to write; or even a little positive reinforcement yourself, give this book a peek.

Even if you don’t read the book, take a peek at all the motivational help and prompts on the book’s site:  spillinginkthebook.com