Ancora Imparo

The month of November is gone, done, over!  NaNoWriMo this year was, at first, a complete drag.  I had no idea what to write.  A pulp fiction theme zapped me, though it is a new genre for me.  By about fifteen thousand words, I thought the main character was going to make me as depressed, screwed up and jaded as he is.  Mac Grabes (his working title name), is the detective for profit, 1930s middle-aged male, alcohol consuming bachelor.  He is pretty stereotypical for the dime detective character. 

Mac’s secretary, Janelle Atrish (working title name), is also pretty, and pretty typical.  The other characters, some of whom I drew from a story written when I was in grade school.  I liked solving mysteries when I was in my pre-teen years.  Now, I like killing off characters.  One of my beloved characters from my youth did not make it through the story alive.  She did not even start the story among the living, but something has to motivate a main character.

Sticking to the rules of the noir fiction, playing in a 1930s era setting, and killing a few dames, and my feminist sensibilities, was amusing.  The challenge was not enough though, not by random NaNoWriMo standards anyway.  The new twist, an otherkin populated world parallel to that of my human primary characters.  More than halfway through the story, with no prior plot planning, I still did not have a device to reason why the two worlds crossed into one another.  Why?  It is the second most important question, right after, who, in a crime fiction piece.  My answer dropped into my mind after recalling some research into some of the “crazy” stuff that I find amusing.  Vril. 

Vril is a substance, energy, unseen force, The Force(?).  There are many more theories than facts.  It is something that was a big deal in the 1930s though.  Vril meant power, fortune, a step closer to becoming god-like.  There is so much fun to be had with this sort of plot device!  So there it was, my toy to play with, a Maltese Falcon.  More than half way through the story and I am starting to enjoy the game! 

The last two weeks of the month went by the complete one eighty from the first two.  And, believe this, this year, most of my impressive word count leaps, done at work.  Inspired by the monotony of working in a smoke shop that has the same customers stop in on a primarily daily basis, at least two nine-hour days became four thousand words in a very un-boring novel.  In a way, I was paid minimum hourly wages to be a writer, with smoke breaks. 

So, there it is, another National Novel Writing Month down.  I want to give extra special props to my gal, Buz, in Upstate New York, for competing in and completing her first NaNoWriMo!  She inspires me as much as, if not more than, she says I inspire her.  *Much Love*

While I am feverishly writing my life away in the month of November I took a break to let my friends and family know how they can be a part of this adventure. 

If you are a writer and you are willing to take up the challenge of 50,000 words in 30 days I would love for you to join the team I am a part of, The Epics!  We are writing, plotting, and earning money for a great cause, The Young Writer's Program.  This organization keeps writing programs available in schools, libraries and other community locations, for aspiring young writers.

Click the link to join:  https://www.gifttool.com/athon/SignUpJoinTeam?ID=1891&AID=935&TID=7698

Even if you are not a writer we would love to have your support.  Every penny counts!  Please take a moment to click the link below and donate to your favorite author on The Epics.  (Click on the name of the author you wish to sponsor) 

Click here:  http://www.gifttool.com/athon/OurTeamPage?ID=1891&AID=935&TID=7698

We thank you so much for your support this November, and let the creativity flow!

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1891&AID=935&PID=173032

CSTS is NOT sold out! Repeat, NOT sold out! Tickets are still available at the door. See you there!

Thank you to everyone that joined in at Westgate tonight! More great news to come! See you at MADCAP tomorrow!

On a whim, Shaun and I decided to watch Riverworld.  This was a couple weeks ago, when life was a bit less busy and we had a little bit of free time.  I feel really bad about watching this movie, but I hear there is a book series.  The concepts in the movie made me want to read the books, so here is still hope for this story.  Other than that, there is little redemption for the time spent watching.  Oh, and Peter Wingfield was in it, so of course I was personally pleased. 

The idea that the afterlife is very much like life seemed somewhat tragically dull.  If not for the interesting inclusion of characters like Samuel Clemens, I would have turned the movie off in the first fifteen minutes.  There was very little continuity.  Okay, there was no continuity to speak of!  I do not want to give too much away in case anyone wants to give some time to this flick.  My suggestion, rent it or borrow it, if you are going to watch it, put as little money into it as possible.  Do not watch if you have something better to do.  Do not watch with a bunch of people who might think you have good taste in movies.  And, do not watch if you typically question the obvious plot holes in made for TV movies.  Giving a side note, vague and juvenile, answer to why the afterlife is the way it is, does not make for good storyline or plot twist.  It just makes the writer seem trite and annoying.

I was going to attempt a full page review, but there is little more to say other than, Peter Wingfield is still epic, no matter what he does.  That’s a personal tidbit.  Let this be yet another excuse to go back to a more enlightened form of entertainment, read a book. 

Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day all weekend long with the Arizona Corsairs and other valley costume and performance groups!

Start the weekend off right at Westgate City Center in Glendale.  The Arizona Corsairs host a night of piracy, dancing, sword fights, drumming, and, of course, drinking! 

Beginning at 5:30PM behind McFadden’s, a Pirate Parade will kick off the evening.  Possible appearances by local belly dance troupes, as well as Romantasy Cabaret, Arizona Roller Derby team, Surly Gurlies, Arizona Browncoats, Arizona Costume Revelers and others. 

Follow the parade to the gates of McFadden’s for a brief sword fight by the Arizona Corsairs and a welcome to the festivities! 

Purchase $2.00 Corsair Coins to benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital!  Visit the mermaids and wenches, poised at either end of the Water Dance Plaza Fountains.  These lovely ladies will be our purveyors of Pirate Booty, and the Corsair Coins!  Be sure to bring plenty of singles, to make change, of course….  Trade your coins for drinks and specials at any of our pirate friendly establishments, including;

The Shouthouse is not only offering drinks to thirsty pirates for the second year in a row, dueling pianos will fill the air with pirate shanties and other favored tunes, as well.

Calico Jack’s Cantina, where Calico Jack himself will host at least one bawdy pirate contest and offer up even more specials from another favored Jack.  Happy Birthday to Jack Daniels too.

Hell’s Half Acre, a small place with a huge welcome and drink specials!

McFadden’s may be the place with the best offerings including Domestic Draft (Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light or Miller Lite), a well liquor drink or a house wine, for Corsair Coins, but the sword fighters will be hovering around there for another battle later in the evening!

Margaritaville will not be forgotten this year, offering this time drink specials and, like Jack’s, a pirate contest!

With all of these places to go don’t forget the action to see!  The open Drum & Dance Circle at the center of the Water Dance Plaza will be an on-going event throughout the evening and open to all ages!  At 8:00PM, swagger back to McFadden’s for another clash of steel!  The pirates battle it out for… the next round?    

Stay late and wake up early, because The Arizona Corsairs join The Arizona Browncoats on Sunday, September 19^th!  Sailing the action and adventure east, to the MADCAP Theatre on Mill Ave, for Can’t Stop the Serenity Space Pirates.  Sit out that hang over in dim lighting. 

Thunderstump kicks off followed by; Ice Pirates presented by The Arizona Corsairs, Belly Dancing, Sword Fighting, musical performance by Unwoman, Doctor Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog, and Serenity presented by the Arizona Browncoats! 

Booze and booty to benefit The Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Equality Now and Kids Need to Read! 

See you thar! Arrrr!

 

Massive, much needed, office cleaning.  Holy monkeys there was stuff for two months ago that needed filing!  I am discovering how little space I really occupy on a regular basis versus how much I have to stow.  My work space recently has been confined to something close to 3x3x3 feet, if that.  The space required for me, and typically Eclipse, and my Netbook and notes.  But, notes, outlines, receipts, teaching tools, costumes, supplies, inventory, etc, have out grown the space I used to have in the apartment at least three times over!  Time to consolidate!  I just wish I knew where to start. 

I have decided to consolidate my educational goals a bit more at least.  I am tired of mooching lesson planning ideas from friends in the teaching field.  I am going to go for an education degree along with the MLS.  While so many other studies would interest me, I think I need to get practical for now. 

Being in the light or on the stage has very little appeal to me, but watching students grasp something and witnessing their excitement gives me chills!  Mary (Zafirah) and Jane (Has'na) dropped in tonight.  It turned into spontaneous choreography for a Beats Antique song they fell in love with.  I am infinitely excited to watch this come together!  It is beautiful too that these two women became such fast friends!  I am so lucky to be a part of their dance sisterhood!  Thank you so much ladies!

Tomorrow, more cleaning!  Shaun is taking the day off from work.  I foresee us doing homework together....  Maybe we should play some classic Anime or B horror flicks.  Add some microwaved snack foods and it will be just like back in high school.

Meeting with Tamara too.  Some business plan she is hatching. 

I am a jellybean traditionalist.

Thank you to all those who attended Miss Lucy's Birthday Show!  Thank you to Miss Lucy for advertising the September 18th Talk Like a Pirate Day event! 

This show was the easiest by far for the stage hands.  Very few props, easy set-ups and tear downs, all stunning acts!  I was most impressed with Mother Fakir's walking on glass.  That was all real, folks.  My skin crawled every time another shard broke under her feet!

I am still debating going to the October show even though I am not working in it.  It is the weekend of my birthday.  It would be fun to just watch the show, especially the Halloween version!  Either that or a quiet party with just the usual suspects.  Play chess, video games, my choice in movies though.