Diary of a Scribe Day 30

Holy cow. Day 30 and I'm still here.

Never would have seen that coming.

See, I'm the type to make all these low-bar fantastical plans and then not go through with them.

Then I realized that this could be my livelihood and decided that I'm too old to do stuff like that. If I'm going to buy my way into a nice nursing home, I'd better be getting down to work.

I just need to get my words out there, get some notice. I also need to finish my four current book projects before starting the next three.

See, I have one book finished, but it's still not ready. It's Part One of a three book series. I want to have all three of them done before I send them off. And really, I want to have another done to send in first. It seems a little overblown for my first book to be part of a series...The second or third, sure, but you have to lay that groundwork, eh?

Diary of a Scribe Day 29

I'm almost done with my first "33 for 33" series....The next one will start up immediately after this one has finished, only it's going to be posted in The Rehab Lounge Bar..."33 Cocktails...something something clever title here."

It's going to be a super easy blog to do. Thirty three alcoholic cocktails that I absolutely adore and can't live without. Recipes, pictures, and my reasons, my memories. While I'm posting those easy bits, I'll be working on something slightly more difficult...I may be sorry later on, but I am going to try it anyway.

So. While I'm working on these blogs, I am also going to work on some sort of presentation for the Kickstarter web site. That's a fantastic site where the creative sorts go to raise money for their art. For instance, there is a band is looking for money for a touring van.

My needs are not so simple.

I've always been poor my entire life. When I was young, my daddy gave me everything, and if I didn't get it I would pitch a fit and get it anyway. Not a great parenting strategy, considering where I am today. But I'm not here to blame my parents for stuff...Not right now, anyway.

My dad had always promised to buy me a computer. And I really needed one. No, really, I did. It was hard to get into the Media Center at school after hours or way before school started, and our public library just had books(and there's nothing wrong with that). All of those papers I could have made better with Verdana font, or something to do with Photoshop...Oh, the skill sets I could have had prior to college...

So I never had a computer. All of my computing, paper typing, chat rooming, emailing, was done at the college computer labs. Only one stayed open late and it was usually full, and none of the printers wanted to work...You can see how a home computer would have been a benefit.

My dad liked to make promises, but he never kept them. So after he died, I took my IRS refund and bought a computer. A computer that no longer exists, apparently, and is on its last legs, and is incredibly pissed off because I have dial up internet.

I need a new computer. Actually, I need a netbook. Not a PC, not even a laptop, but a netbook. Just something enough to blog, load pics onto said blog, work on my books anywhere I am. Nothing too special...Just the basic writer's software...whatever that is. And a printer. Lexmark is BUNK. A webcam for video blogging, a mic for podcasts, and a digital camera with accessories for all the pictures I've missed taking this past decade...And wireless internet. Enough for a year.

That's what I need. Well, an oil change, new tires, alignment, glasses that aren't 8 years old and a haircut and color I didn't do myself would be great, too, but the technology is really what I need. This IS the Technological Age, and if I'm going to rise above, then I absolutely need the equipment.

But I already ask enough of my friends....How can I ask for more?

Diary of a Scribe Day 28

I totally forgot to blog last night.

Just forgot.

I had been working on some of the other sites all day, so I think I thought that I had already done it. It's very confusing. And it doesn't take much to confuse me.

But yeah, I've been busy.

In addition to the 4 Rehab Lounge blogs here on blogspot and my Myspace blog, I am now RomanticRealist12 on xanga, imustwrite12 on livejournal, and gossipybitches on WordPress. This blog, and all the Rehab Lounge blogs will be posted on Myspace, xanga and livejournal, with bits of difference, while the WordPress blog is going to be a celebrity blog ala Perez Hilton...ish. It's called "Gossipy Bitches," so that's what I'm planning on doing. Gossiping about stuff I pay attention to. My reviews of The Monster Ball and Inception have already been posted there.

So. If any of that sounds interesting to you, I hope you'll join me. I mean, here I have four followers, but how many people actually read what I write? Jon Jon has been the only person I know of who has posted a comment on my "33 for 33"(thank you, Jon Jon!!!)so I don't know if anything I write has touched anyone...I know that most of these blogs posted here in The Library are mostly "didn't do anything today, but I promise I'll do something tomorrow," but hey, I'm just getting started.

I'm just getting started.

Diary of a Scribe Day 27: Why I Hated Inception, or "Someone Owes Me $5 and My Sunday Morning Back: The Review"

Why I Hated Inception, or
Someone Owes Me $5 and My Sunday Morning Back.

by Samantha J. Goddard


**Warning: This blog is SPOILERIFIC regarding the movie Inception. If you have not seen the movie, don't read this. If you go ahead anyway, it's your own fault. You were warned.**






It seems like I'm the only person who did not like this movie.


Well, there are others, but they aren't very vocal.


I don't like Leo, as a rule, but everyone was talking about this movie, saying that it's the best movie they have EVER seen, so I HAD to see what they were talking about.










Inception was only mildly confusing. Mildly.

Like Taco Bell mild. Like Pace Picante with the green lid. It has all the components but it just isn't complex and spicy enough.

I wasn't surprised.

By any of it.

It wasn't original, like Christopther Nolan's Memento. I had seen this before. In several places.
At first, I just thought about how it was like three movies, but I have expanded my equation to 5:

Inception=The Italian Job + The Matrix+ Doctor Who, with a splash of Catch Me If You Can and Oceans 11...

Tell me I'm wrong.


In The Italian Job, there is an older gent, a mentor involved who is a veteran actor. This is Donald Sutherland. The Matrix has Laurence Fishburne("Morpheus")In Inception, it's Michael Caine. And I wasn't even surprised by him. He IS in EVERY movie ever made.



In both movies, a group of people are trying to steal something important. And there's a lot of riding around in cars. Much of the same can be said of Catch Me If You Can and Ocean's 11. And due to certain circumstances they have time limits, and only certain people can do these jobs.
Everyone could use a forger, right? But only the best. Frank(CMIYC) was a great forger, but not what these folks were looking for.



There is a set of dreams where you have to remember/figure out which is the dream and which is reality, and you have to make the choice to die so that you can live. Amy Pond and The Doctor did that this season on Doctor Who in "Amy's Choice."





And last on the list of things that I noticed immediately, without delving too deep: There is ALWAYS a woman in a basement to save(metaphorically speaking) that almost always steals the show from the lead actor(Charlize Theron outshined Marky Mark, Alex Kingston as "River Song" & Karen Gillan as "Amy Pond" ALWAYS steal the show from Matt Smith, "The Doctor." Neo needs to save Trinity, and the Models, Inc. alum Carrie Anne Moss is a WAY better actor, and so looks so much hotter in leather).




I really wanted Mos Def and Zac Efron to be in this movie. Mos Def was in The Italian Job and he was brilliant. Inception was so similar to The Italian Job that I almost expected him to come strolling in. As for Zac, I thought Cillian Murphy was too mature for this cast and that Zac Efron could have stepped into this role. The two DO look a lot a like, and Zac, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Leo all seem SO YOUNG to me, so that makes more sense.














Ok. Let me break this down.

Saito(Ken Watanabe) needs for Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy) to find the combination to his dad's safe and find the business papers or the will that states that Fischer's father's corporation is going to be taken apart after his death, and then to make up his mind that he wants to let this happen.

This is where Leo and his crew come in. They have methods of extracting your deepest subconscious secrets. They are the best at this, but Saito wants to come along for the journey to supervise. And they have to remember that the deeper the go the longer it seems they've been gone. In Dream Land, 5 real life minutes = 1 dream hour. When it's no longer safe, they are given a "kick" to wake them up: explosions, music, falling.

Under a planted flight attendant's watchful eye, the group doses themselves and their target, Fischer, on an airplane. Dream #1. Dream #2 happens in a hotel, if I'm remembering right. This is where Joseph Gordon-Levitt has his awesome fight scene in the rotating hallway, which is the white van....But I'm a little unclear on how they get to this van...at least I remember more about this than the GaGa concert. And that scene in the hallway WAS pretty cool.





The farthest any had been in was a third dream, and that was Cobb(Leo). He told his new architect, Ariadne(Ellen Page) not to give him any info on the layout, and not to use memories. Something he found out the hard way. (BTW, some bad guys had thrown their old architect off a building and--OMG is that Lukas Haas?





Their third dream finds them somewhere cold, right? The mountains? I was done with this movie by this point. I felt like I was in Limbo. But I KNEW that a surprise fourth dream was on its way.

Surprise.

The fourth dream is Cobb's. He's wrestling with old dreams involving his wife who died as a result of his Inception experimentation. She died not knowing what was real. Or did she?

Marion Cotillard was looking too mature for this movie and in fact steals it from Leo. No wonder she isn't featured in any of the promos.

In Cobb's dream, as a former architect, he had constructed his world with his wife made from their memories, something he'd told Ariadne not to do.

He just wanted to go home to his kids since his mother was gone. It appeared he'd gotten his wish.

But then you see his totem, a personal object whose weight and feel is known only to him(the collegiate version is "I've Got Mine, Where's Yours?" which we used as a gauge to find out how drunk we were). It was a metal top that had been his wife's totem. She would be able to tell the dream from reality if the top never stopped spinning.

Mmmhmm. I smell sequel. Oh, lord, do better. Don't do what The Matrix did, and get all weird into mythology and go crazy with the wire work. Just do better.

Click the blog title to check out the Inception timeline from collider.com.

Photos from theplaylist.blogspot.com, snarkerati.com, news.lalate.com, facebook.com, eoghann.com, thedrunkenmoogle.com, impossiblepodcasts.blogspot.com, cracked.com and one other website whose link is broken.

Diary of a Scribe Day 26 Audience Participation

Here's where I need your help. I'm catching up here, and it's 3:30 am. I need to go to bed. So. I need you to fill in some blanks for me. I've been going crazy excited over these blogging shenanigans, but I need some input. For instance, what do you think about my format? My language? Is there anything you hate about it? Do I need pictures on EVERY entry? What sort of things would YOU like to see? I am, after all, writing for YOU. What sort of "33 for 33" would YOU suggest?

I'd really like to know.

Diary of a Scribe Day 25: The Day I Became a Whore

Not literally. I'm not a Sex Whore. I'm an Attention Whore.

Once there was a time when I would keep my work as close to me as possible.

But now, it's time that the world be subjected to things I have to say.

And blogging seems perfect for me. It gets me out there in the world and keeps me busy when I'm blocked on my other projects.

After I got out of that long, dry, boring, predictable Leonardo diCaprio movie "Inception," I went home and got to work looking for suitable blog sites to share my words. ("Why I Hate Inception," or "Someone Owes Me $5 and My Sunday Morning Back:the review" is coming soon)

I found several, but can only do so much on this computer, so this will be a multi-tiered event. In addition to The Rehab Lounge Library and the other Rehab Lounge blogs, I am now a member of the xanga, livejournal, and WordPress communities. All of The Rehab Lounge blogs and the xanga, livejournal, and my myspace blogs will all pretty much be the same, but my WordPress blog is a little more whimsical and silly and called Gossipy Bitches, for which I'm going to be needing help from my friends. It's going to be a celebrity-oriented blog ala Go Fug Yourself and Perez Hilton, but this time, instead of those bitches, it'll be me and my bitches.

See? I've been busy. I just haven't been busy doing what I had set out to do, but maybe this will help me get in the groove. I'm a multi-blogger. I've also decided to carry on my "33 for 33" series after the first is over. The second one will be a little bit easier. It will be "The Top 33 Drinks in My Catalogue" or something way more clever than that.

But there you have it. Even as I'm rushing to make up the blogs I missed, I'm posting all previous blogs on xanga and myspace and livejournal, and am about to post my GaGa review on WordPress.

What do you think? Is this a wise idea?

Where are YOU reading this blog?

Diary of a Scribe Day 24

I thought for sure that Saturday would be the day I'd get back to work. I worked on my review, but that's about it. I was just too tired, and too ready for this week to be OVER.

I mean, I got ready for, and attended a big concert, spent time in TWO gay clubs AND had to deal with my birthday as well as work.

No wonder I was exhausted.

I don't actually get out much. I'm not a hermit, but I'm not the kind to go out to the club on a weekly basis. Only once in a blue moon, when there is a special occasion.

Well, on this special occasion, I got a lap dance from a gay with a white mohawk who was grinding on me while telling me that my roots were showing.

And the second time that week, I had a lovely drag queen buy me a birthday shot. The Boom is da bomb, y'all. That's for sure. Copa no more! Boom is here to stay!

Diary of a Scribe Day 23

So now that all of the birthday and GaGa brouhaha is over, you'd think that I would be able to get back to work on my stories.

Nope. Instead, I've decided to open up my options and spend this next year blogging, continuing my "33 for 33" series. The next series will be "33 Cocktails That I Can't Live Without" or something way shorter.

I was having such a hard time writing a review of the concert...I couldn't remember a thing, so the words wouldn't come. I had to pore over pictures, and listen to what my phone recorded rather badly, and youtube was a big help, but this was a hard one to do since I remembered NOT ONE DETAIL.

But this wasn't the most normal of weeks. Nothing was as it should be, between being finished EARLY with our concert preparations, so that opened the door to chaos the day of, and then my birthday was on the 22nd, so I was exhausted. The last thing I wanted to do was work, when I could sleep. Yeah, it doesn't sound good when I say it, but I knew what that week was about, and it wasn't about writing, not directly.

I had to try to force myself to pay attention to the dancers and the dancers bodies and what this group was trained to do and what it took to put on this type of show.

I didn't care about research. I saw Lady GaGa. And it was better than the Marilyn Manson Mechanical Animals tour, that is for sure!

Diary of a Scribe Day 22--GaGa: Oo La La

I'm going to be honest. I don't remember much about the show.

I arrived in a cab with my friends, all dressed for The Monster Ball. I had an actual seat while the rest of my group was on the floor, so we separated, not keeping to our plan of meeting up for a drink. So I wandered all over the Ford Center, checking out the lack of costumes. I was overdressed. I thought I would be UNDERdressed. There were a lot of people dressed comfortably. And in basketball shorts and dirty t-shirts.




I said hello to a couple of friends I met along the way, and had a cigarette with them, and continued walking around. My heels starting to chafe, I decided to grab some water and go check out my seat, which was FANTASTIC, by the way, and there was music on, but I didn't really hear what it was, and then I saw some chick onstage dancing, and I was confused. I thought that GaGa's DJ friend Lady Starlight would be providing pre show entertainment.


Yeah. That was her.



















Back outside for some more walking and all of a sudden, Semi Precious Weapons take the stage---they are incredibly loud. Yes, I just said that. I would have been fine had I already been inside at my seat, but my social anxiety and night blindness kicked in, so I waited a bit to go inside. When I did, I was pleased. I enjoyed what I heard, enjoyed the costume change the lead singer did on stage, from one outfit, with a nude bodysuit and Spanx underneath, to a whole new outfit. He's GaGa's Sassy Gay Friend.




Liking what I hear, and planning to check them out later, I go get some expensive ass merchandise to support them. I get a too expensive bright yellow tote bag that says "I can't pay my rent but I'm fucking gorgeous-Semi Precious Weapons" that I HAD to have, and some tiny GaGa pins attached to that bag now.

I spent forever in that damn line. But since the stuff was a birthday gift to myself, I wanted to make sure I got some tiny mementos. Looking back on it, I probably should have gotten the bazillion dollar tour book to help me jog my memory, but what are ya gonna do? There were some window lickers at the counter who wanted to check ALL the sizes of ALL the shirts and practically try them on...It was ridiculous.

I finally got what I needed, decided on a last smoke and a visit to the facilities, and on my way back into the arena, I realized that I was late for curtain.

I wasn't VERY late, but I missed the countdown and the bit of "Finally" by Ce Ce Peniston at the top of the show. I got there just as she was starting "Dance in the Dark." She is unseen at this point, singing from behind a screen. And yes, she IS singing.










Ok. I know the show was about a group of Little Monsters trying to make it to The Monster Ball but their car breaks down. Then they have to take the subway, and somehow, they end up walking through the darkest part of Central Park, where they encounter the Fame Monster, a creature that can be killed by camera flashes, or from having its picture taken. And somewhere in there, a twister comes along and changes Gaga's clothes.

The show was broken into acts, with musical and visual interludes to fill in while costumes were being changed, but I'm not entirely sure what went where. I got the set list online, but no mention of the Interludes is made, although you can see them on youtube.

The Interludes were huge projections with insane, visceral, and evocative images that made you feel sick/react/feel and want to turn away, all at once. But you don't turn away. Not when Stefani is vomiting out her talent all over GaGa. The blue they use for the vomit is soft and soothing and familiar, and it doesn't jar you. Fuschia would jar me. You don't look away when GaGa bites into a cow heart---over and over and over, blood gushing. Now THAT was a fantastic, horrifying image.

There were others, but like I said, I have Concert Amnesia. The memories god blurry after Mother Monster commanded us "Dance you mother fuckers! Dance!"

So I did.

Ok. Act 1 is in The City, where the car has broken down. You can tell it's The City because of all the bright signs and words and steel, including the box that rises and lowers and elevates her...Every city has one of those, right?

She opened with "Dance in the Dark" behind a screen. That's all we saw of her for the longest. And then...purple and shoulder pads.



For some stupid reason, I was fumbling with all of my twentieth century technology while trying to pay attention. The set was awesome. There was a Bentley onstage that had been painted green and was messed up.

Her next one was a song only her "Superfans" would recognize, her demo called "Glitter and Grease." I'd never heard of it. And then she played "Just Dance," which only 35% of the population of the Ford Center was doing. What was the lack of participation about? No matter what she did, she just couldn't get EVERYONE on the same level. I was pretty UP there, practically the only on in my section fist pumping so much that I'm now an honorary member of "Jersey Shore."

Dressed as the craziest looking version of The Flying Nun I've ever seen, GaGa and her dancers head to TMB via subway, grinding on each other in the subway car before busting out onstage with her Disco Stick.


I remember her in a two piece black outfit, and she strode down the runway to the end of the catwalk, and people started throwing her presents. She was wearing a NY Yankees cap and a St. Louis Cardinals jersey when she began the next number. What I want to know is, where was all the OU stuff?

Someone tossed up a copy of her favorite book(a plant, you think?) and she read a couple of her favorite passages. One of them is tattooed on her left arm.

“Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?”

This was the point in the show where I cried. And became inspired and hopeful.

She mentioned her favorite charity and how much money they get every night she has a show. And THEN she "called" one lucky fan(the ungrateful bitch was in MY section) and gave her and her friends better seats. And then "Beyonce" called to phone in her part on "Telephone." This was at about the halfway point, and GaGa showed no signs of stopping.

And when she sat down at the flaming piano to play "Speechless"(written for all the Drunk Assholes she's ever loved, her favorite Drunk Asshole being her dad, who is no longer surprised by anything she says or does, not after all the blood and sequins). And proceeded to play the piano with the stiletto heel of her boot.

After "You and I" she and two of her dancer disappeared into a "twister" and when the twister was gone, in its place was GaGa, dressed in a very-Glinda the Good Witch outfit, complete with wings, which she opened during "So Happy I Could Die>"

And then we encounter the Fame Monster in Central Park. It was a huge, stagehand-driven creature with sharp teeth and many...tentacles. Of course the song here is "Monster." It's during this song that the monster ravages her and tears her apart. Her costume goes first, and then she disappears into the stage floor, reappearing a moment later all bloody, shot up from below, ready to tell us how to kill the monster(by taking pictures of him, letting that flash go0. I guess we got 'em.

And then

I. Went. To. CHURCH.

One of my favorite songs is "Teeth." Her music is permeating 5/6 of my writing projects right now, and this song is one of the most played on the playlist.It started as a normal dance number, but then it became a Black Baptist Gospel Revival. She was writing on the floor, still singing, her voice as strong as at the beginning of the show.



I never heard her voice crack, never saw her breathing heavy, never saw her makeup run, never saw her look haggard like the St. Louis reviewer saw, I saw a gorgeous girl with a nice ass, baskets of talent, words of inspiration, and a reason why Westboro Baptist Church SHOULD worry. I scoffed at the St. Louis bloggers' comment that any Lady GaGa enthusiast who went to the show left a Disciple.

He was not wrong.

After "Teeth" there was an Interlude, and then for "Alejandro," the Bethesda fountain was rolled out(I would LOVE to be a member of her set crew!) and my jaw dropped. I had read about this part, but I had forgotten about it.

I was so starstruck by a PIECE OF THE SET that I didn't even notice the two dudes onstage making out at the end of the song. Well, Bethesda was shooting flames, and I see gay makeout sessions all the time.

"Poker Face" and "Paparazzi' ended the show. When she said good night, I thought I had missed more of the show than I actually did. But then came the Encore.

"Bad Romance."
The curtain went up to reveal her in the gyroscope. She soon stepped out of it to come down for the dancing.

and don't think I didn't know the choreography. I was ready for it. I danced HARD.

And she ended with a bang! She set the place on fire, literally. She shot sparks from her bra and panties. It was awesome.

And then it was over. And I immediately forgot everything I had just seen. I've been asking questions since to fill in the blanks. Seriously. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a a very detail-oriented person(just ask Dr. Don Bristow!) and a memory for bringing up old shit, but I couldn't remember a THING about the show I had just seen. I'm still having trouble.

A good remedy for Concert Amnesia?

GaGa in March.

This was just a dress rehearsal.

Dallas, here we come!





to see concert footage from the Ford Center, click the title of this blog. Picture of Rory, Daphne and Tinisha by Random Photographer. Pic of silhouette GaGa by Rory Littleton. The rest of the fab pics are by Lyss Cosplay.

Diary of a Scribe Day 21

I am having a really hard time coming up with a review of The Monster Ball.

It's not Writer's Block. The words would come if the memories would come.

I can't remember much about the show.

Can you believe that?

I mean, I know she was there and I know she was fierce, but I don't remember anything. And it doesn't help that my camera didn't roll out the awesome pics it claims to. I'm having to glean from other peoples' memories and photos. It's slowly coming together, but not fast enough.

My mini Gaga depression was lifted a little last night when David Mays and I hit The Boom for some birthday fun. Renee Hilton performed to Speechless in a bright yellow vinyl outfit. Fantastic.

There's another show next week. And trust me, you're gonna want to go.

Diary of a Scribe Day 20

Ok. It's Tuesday, the day of the show.

I woke up early enough to take down the rag rollers and got to work on time, caffeine in hand.

On the way to work I listened to WILD 104.9FM....they were Radio Gaga for the day...Bad Romance came on just as I got to work. I went in, got that radio turned on, did that choreography before calling the boss, and settled in.

Oh boy, was I anxious. And I was excited that this radio station went Gaga for the day. Until I heard that Eminem/Rihanna song once every hour until I got off work. Don't get me wrong, I'm an Eminem fan(not so much Rihanna, but she's not Ke$ha, so whatever). I like the song well enough(regardless of it's subject matter), but if you're going to promote "Gaga Radio," then you best be playing her music. Remixes, even. I didn't hear another song until 2pm, when i was leaving work to head to Rory's to get ready.

I didn't need to hurry there...He and Daphne had to run some errands, so no one was there when I arrived. So I just went inside, hung out with Louie and Holly(the dogs), and re-rolled my hair. And instead of putting Gaga on, I found me some Doctor Who on the dvr(am I obsessed with this show? Is LOST gone? Ok then).

I was getting antsy. We were supposed to leave his house at about 3pm so that we could go to the Limo place and drop off the booze for the night. Yes, I said Limo.

Well, that finally happened very close to 5pm. We had to drive from the Warr Acres/Bethany area all the way out to Midwest City off of 240 and Sooner.

Jesus H.

Traffic was a bitch. We almost turned around a couple of times.

We were SO freaking nervous. It felt like we were trying to get ready for a theatre production. He had the actor's butterflies, and so did I, which is odd, since I'm a Stage Manager by trade. As a Stage Manager, my nerves would come if I had ESPECIALLY important things to worry about, such as a major quick change or set change...But since I was sitting in traffic with my hair in rags, I had the actor's anxiety.

Anyway, we made it to the limo company, dropped off our stuff, and headed back up to the city to get ready. It took me about 15 minutes to take my hair down, dress, and figure out what I was doing with my hair and makeup....I had to get it done fast. We had to help Tinisha when she got there. I'm sure you can see why, from the "dress rehearsal" picture.

Our cabs had arrived but Tay was late...she was coming from work in Newcastle. We got her ass ready in record time and piled into the two cabs. There were 7 of us...me, Tay, Daphne, Rory, Jeff, Chef Tony and Celisse. Our driver was pretty cool...It was a very New York experience(I assume, since I've never been). He had an accent and he drove like a bat out of Hell. But a nice bat.

We zoomed down the highway to the Ford Center, where we were NOT greeted by a ton of Little Monsters dressed for the ball. Actually, it seemed like WE were OVERdressed. Basketball shorts and Daisy Dukes as far as the eye could see, with some occasional awesomeness. The most awesome was Tay, of course. She was the ONLY "Beyonce" there. What the hell?

And of course, her skirt(her fabulous GLUE GUNNED skirt) tried to fall apart on our way in, so we crowded around her while Rory worked his magic And then, we were off.

A friend had mentioned that security at the Ford Center would be searching us for cameras...I passed this info on to my group before we left...they were a little sad, but Rory had his phone, so not all was lost. And I had a tiny little POS camera and one of those disposable cameras(dark ages anyone?) hidden inside my purse. Ahem. Hidden inside the LINING of my purse.

The pictures on the little camera did NOT come out. Most are non color and grainy. The ones WITH color were just blurs...kind of perfect, since that's how I felt.

I SO could've snuck Tay's camera in...as soon as the guy saw all the maxi pads and tampons in my bag, they sent me on my way...Just inside the door my group ditched me-YES YOU BITCHES DITCHED ME--to head to their places. I had an actual seat, and they were on the floor. The plan was to find our places and then go have a drink, walk around, take pictures. But they ditched me, so I was alone.

I walked around, checked out the costumes, or lack thereof, and the merchandise, which was WAY pricey...And then kept my ass moving to the smoking lounge outside...I met Rodney and Scotty a couple of times, but didn't see anyone else I knew, even though I knew a ton of people who were going. It was actually kind of nice, but I have Social Anxiety Order in a BAD way, so I didn't really get involved...I didn't participate...I only observed.

After a bit I decided to go find my seat. From the 3D view on the Ford Center website, I knew I had a great view. I was NOT prepared for HOW great. My favorite seat in Mitchell Hall is at the VERY back of the auditorium, where I think they now have sound and lighting equipment..at least, that's where it was during tech rehearsals. My second favorite seat in Mitchell Hall is the balcony. From these two Vantage Points, I could SEE EVERYTHING. I don't like having to bounce back and forth between SR and SL, I like to see the WHOLE picture.

That's what I got here. My seat was Stage Left and I was in the second section of seats. I was damn close. My preference would have been close enough to smell the fake blood, but I was pretty happy where my seat was. And it was early, so there was no one else in my row just yet. And since some crazy bitch was badly dancing on the stage to lame music, I decided to get up again(I found out later this was Gaga's buddy Lady Starlight...Um, I heard she was a DJ, but she did nothing but what Bakestar did for Grandma Sylvia's Funeral).

So more walking around, another cigarette and a bottleless bottle of water later, and Gaga's opening band Semi Precious Weapons started to play. I wasn't there for them, and I have problems with stairs in the dark, so I stayed outside for a bit, until I got tired of wandering around in shoes that were scraping my heels, carrying a huge, lidless cup of water around.

I went in and sat for a song or two and decided that I liked the band SO MUCH(the lead singer did an entire costume change on stage--think Spanx and nude body suit) that I got my ass back up and went to stand in the long ass line for some merchandise. I HAD to have the bright yellow tote bag that said, in black letters, "I Can't Pay My Rent, But I'm Fucking Gorgeous." There was a Gaga bag, too, but this one really called to me. After a bunch of picky dumbasses in line finally left, I got my bag,and tiny Gaga pins to go with my backstage psss-looking thing.

At that point, I needed another cigarette. I figured I had plenty of time, since concerts never start on time.

Yeah, guess what? SHE started on time. I wasn't but a few seconds late, but that might have something to do with my show amnesia.

This is NOT where the review goes. That is the next post I will make. I have notes and links and stuff that I need to organize before I do that....so here's the continuation of the evening AFTER the show:

I had to haul my ass ALL THE WAY AROUND the Ford Center to find my group in the throng of people. On our way to the limo people kept stopping us to take pictures with Tinisha(once again, you see why. She also had a long, red Bettie Page-style wig like the one Beyonce wore in the "Telephone" video). And then, it was Limo time, with Mojitos and Lemonade Martinis.

We headed to The Copa. Dude, I was too old for that place 5 years ago, and yet we still keep going...that was our last visit, I'm sure. That's just not our place anymore, but we figured if the Lady was going to go out and sign some stuff, that would be the place. So we waited our asses in that long line to get in. The music SUCKED. The only Gaga they played was for their lame ass Gaga look alike contest, and some in the underwear contest(The Big Guy won!) My LIT was HORRIBLE, too.

But I DID get a birthday lap dance from a cute little gay in a mohawk who commented on my roots and Daphne and I got hit on by a weird little Mexican guy named "Twinkie." I was so not interested I couldn't even use my fun flirting technique("Oh, as in cream filled?". It didn't help that he told us that he'd been shut down by 4 lesbians...hello? Gay club?

We got the hell out of there, found the limo, popped some champagne open and headed to Circle J's for some 24 hour BBQ, and then back to Rory's to end the night talking with Michael Dalke about...things. I went to sleep close to 6 and woke up at noon on Wednesday.

I couldn't remember a thing.

Diary of a Scribe Day 19.5

Yes, I'm super late for this one.

I'm not even going to lie. There was NO WAY I could sit down and be coherent on Monday night. I was running over and over my list of stuff I needed to pack up for The Monster Ball.

I'm still having troubles being coherent even now. I have selective amnesia. I can remember what happened BEFORE and AFTER the show, but a good chunk of the actual concert memory is locked away. I think I'm keeping is close on purpose. But I'm working on it so I can do a review of the show. It was truly amazing.

So. Monday. Yeah. There was no way. I couldn't even listen to her music. I just wanted to make sure I had everything. Clothing, make up, TICKET. I went over and over than list. It was INSANE that we were finished WAY before the show even got here. Tay's outfit was the last to get together, and that's just because the corset was coming from Japan by way of Hong Kong. It was slated to arrive some time on Monday, but thankfully, it showed up on the Saturday before.

I did my normal after work stuff, but I also took a peek at the review from the St. Louis show that got me really excited just reading the stuff. I hoped that I could remember half as much as this guy wrote...If you click on the title of this blog it will take you to that particular review.

I actually got to sleep that night, but I'm not sure how. I tried to run myself down at work so I could...The fact that most of the order was still there definitely helped...but then I got home, ate some food, did some laundry, packed up, and rolled my hair on rags...put on a little Doctor Who, and tried to relax. I finally went to bed, being careful of my hair--rag rollers are a BITCH but they are effective!

I woke up in the exact same position I fell asleep in. I didn't move a muscle until it was time to get up, take my hair down, load the car, and go to work.

And that's where Tuesday begins.

Diary of a Scribe Day 19

Hello Little Monsters!

Oops. Wrong venue.

So I neglected to blog last night. I was busy making sure I have everything I need tonight, for I. Am. Going. Gaga.

I'm trying to dress the part of a dancer.....errr..sort of...so that I can kind of get into my character's head...This is the problem with writing a character you don't intimately know...you've got to meet her, get in her head and learn about what makes her tick.

Well, the character that I'm working on is a dancer, a consummate performer. I am neither, nor have I faced anything like this character has. This is hard. But where would we be without challenges? And I'm pretty sure this is one of my easier challenges, so I'm not going to bitch too hard about it. I HAVE to go to The Monster Ball for RESEARCH? Gah, I hate my job.

Whatevs.

Also, that Princess Trainwreck that has taken over Britney's top spot, Lindsay Lohan, is about to go to jail...I'm keeping an eye on TMZ.com to see what I can see....

Man, too bad I live in Oklahoma and don't like to act like the paparazzi...I could do some damage as a celebrity blogger. I'm JUST as cool as Perez Hilton, if not more. Maybe we could be blogger buddies....

Hmm...Dear Perez.....

Diary of a Scribe Day 18

This day was a whole ball of nothing.

Well, not totally true. I cyber stalked Lady Gaga today.

Yeah, that's about it.

Working on an old NYT Crossword and watching Doctor Who...that's pretty much all I've got. I can't even PRETEND to be creative today. Not sure if it's a block or just uninspired laziness.

Yeah, it's laziness.

Frack.

Diary of a Scribe Day 17

I wish this day didn't exist. I just wanted my day off to start. And someone made me talk about my daddy, which, just before my birthday, makes me cry. So that, combined with a couple of other subtle things, messed up my day.

I had a bad day.

Not like, "Work sucks and bad stuff happened," but just a Bad Day. I haven't had one of those in a really long tine...It's not bad BAD, but it's got me a little stuck and mired and I find myself trying to get out of a delicate situation without bloodshed and I am not the most tactful person.

My head isn't in the right place for anything but...mindless clicks on Mafia Wars or Sorority Life. Or watching the bartenders in Bar Society go all "Cocktail" in my faux bar and do the hippy hippy shake.

It's like I'm trying NOT to focus on what I'm supposed to be focusing on. I feel like I'm avoiding the actual story, but I have a scheduled appointment on Tuesday night with Lady Gaga that is actually supposed to help. It's Research. I am not kidding. I don't think I've seen a concert where the artist has dancers and choreography. So this will be a nice treat. And some damn good research.

So I'm NOT avoiding the story, but I am filling the time with my new blog project. So far, I've just infected Blogspot and Myspace, but I'm working on my next move.

I guess we'll see how the next few days go. It's going to be a hard week. Shake ups at work, Gaga, my birthday...yeah, it's going to be a hard week. I hope I have enough strength and patience to get through this.

Diary of a Scribe Day 16

So. I've decided to join every social networking site I can find and put myself out EVERYWHERE.

This is NOT my only plan. One of many layers. If I want to be noticed, I have to make some noise. And I have to figure out a creative way to do that.

I should be up to this challenge. After all, I DID just lend a creative hand to a new buddy who is off and zooming on new projects, just because of something I said. And that's fantastic. I found I have other than the usual methods of using my theatre training. (I've all but retired from Stage Management, so it's nice to use what I learned, the EIGHT YEARS I was there). I made a new buddy, got some merch, and found a new band to obsess over. (Thanks Rodd!) Go to Charlie's Sports Bar in Choctaw sometime, get yourself some Mustang Beer, and listen to some mugfug. From what I've hear so far, their music is awesome, and they will be teaming up with an improv group called Awkward Pause. This blog MAY be brought to you by mugfug.

So I've decided to start developing the blog. It needs to go further than 33 days. Maybe I'll do a special "33" series for my entire 33rd year. 33 recipes for the poor. 33 drink recipes that you'll adore...33 book reports...there are SO many options.

What do you think about me posting portions of my works? I don't want thievery to go on, but I want some feedback.

So...questions? Comments? Rotten fruit?

Diary of a Scribe Day 15

I. Am. Exhausted.

But my day wasn't that hard. I think it was the nights I've tried to go to bed "early." I would get to bed at a decent-for-me hour and I would lie there, wide awake and staring at the window or changing positions every few minutes. I just couldn't get comfortable. And turning over in the bed requires a shift of a cushion, body pillow, a sheet, a blanket, and a readjustment of the pillows.

I've got a system. It doesn't take as long as it sounds. But it was absolutely ridiculous.I would be much happier if my fan hadn't died last year. The sound lulled me to sleep, and it kept me cool and my electric bills a bit lower.

I opened, but away two orders, input some invoices, hung out on Facebook, did some internet research on new products...

But then I went to Rory's and we ran errands. In the heat. A/C or no, It. Was. Hot. And I haven't been feeling well since the Sonic incident. Pretty sure I'm partially dehydrated too. Bought a clean gallon of water to drink, have some ginger ale for the nausea that is still keeping me from eating properly. Actually, I feel better tonight than I was earlier today, and actually got to eat Rory's Angus beef tips and rice with mushroom gravy. O.M.G. Paula Deen don't KNOW. I had to take some to-go, but it was still hot and delicious...even though I'm feeling a little meh all of a sudden. Whoops.

I tried to work on some NYT Crossword puzzles, to see if I could get some synapses to fire. No luck. Headache makes tiny stuff blurry. And so do out-of-date glasses. And I just couldn't concentrate. And this is one of my surefires. I can always trust the New York Times Crossword to get me going.

Except this time.

I'm starting to get hung up on visuals and research. Right now, it all hinges on choreography. I need to learn the beats and moves so that I can choreograph my story. By this last, I don't mean choreograph dance steps necessarily. I just think that this particular story should be choreographed like some sort of crazy dance.

I haven't been to a dance show in years(sorry. I barely go to shows at all), and I've only worked on...two. Three never ending days of flamenco and Kevin Kem in his dance belt...so yeah, two, I think. The last musical I worked on was with CityRep in 2003, Little Me. That was a fun show. I was Kerry Robertson's dresser. And I helped the ensemble guys dress. Yup. Eyeful.

I get to do a bit of research, actual research on Tuesday, at the Lady Gaga concert. I have dial up interwebs so it's difficult to easily search and watch performances and videos, so I'll get the real thing, which is something I need. I hope I can remember it all. I don't think I'll be taking notes,

I think I'm going to take this opportunity to go to bed. I can barely keep my eyes open, and there's ever so much going on in my apartment right now. And tomorrow I think I'm going to try to find my copy of The Artist's Way, or some other book on writing I may have and try to find or create an exercise that will get me going.

If YOU have any ideas about any of this blog, please leave a comment.

Diary of a Scribe Day 14

Well, we're two weeks in!

And of course I'm showing signs of stopping.

Bleh.

I don't know if it's my lazy coming out or if it's the story. I'm needing more time to get into this groove. Next week is going to be a hellacious mess, what with Gaga and Nikola and my birthday...I'd better at least TRY to get something done this week.

I've decided on shorter chapters for this story. I think this one needs to be the length of a Harlequin Temptation, or a Silhouette Special Edition. My first seems nearly like the thickness of Shakespeare's Complete Works.

I think another of my problems is that I'm detailed oriented. I've never been to a setting like I'm writing on...In fact, I'm not entirely sure something like this exists, so I can go ahead and do what I want, but I don't want to copycat myself. I have three stories in the grand scheme of things directly involving the theatre, a subject that I know scads about, but I don't know anything about a dance cabaret.
Not a strip club, I have to make that distinction VERY clear.

I need some new viewing material. True Blood is NOT inspirational. Doctor Who IS a bit inspirational, if you really look at the characters. For me, the sci fi stuff takes a back seat to the characters(Dickens, Amy Pond, River Song, Shakespeare). I would love a sonic screwdriver, though.

Diary of a Scribe Day 13

Less physical writing, more research, and more thinking about how I want this scene to play. I've kind of messed up already, but I usually keep going until it's done, and THEN I go back and deal with it, but since this is the FIRST scene in CHAPTER ONE, I'd probably better make sure it goes right.

So tonight, is the list of the few grants and contests that I have peeked through. Everyone knows that research and research for grants is tedious, so I'm just hoping that I'm on the right track. If you've heard about any of these, I could use the feedback.

One thing that I never thought about until today was using Kickstarter, which is a website that basically helps you raise money...Erika W. has already used the program to raise some funding for her Laboratory Theatre project, so I asked her about her experience and what she thought about me using this program to start up the corporation of ME. There are things a writer needs...a lap top, software, a decent printer for the manuscripts...money for the paper for the manuscripts, for the postage...I've already discovered how much it costs for ONE copy of ONE story. It's kind of daunting. So Kickstarter may indeed be where I start.

CHANGE EMERGENCY FUND

Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation

John Anson Kitteredge Educational Fund

RRofine Trophy


These are just the few that I gleaned out of Google.

Not sure that I'll do anything else tonight...I may go back and read the notes I've made for this particular story and see what comes of that. There's just SOMETHING about this story that is pissing me off and I'm not sure what it is...

Diary of a Scribe Day 12

I'm migrainy and nauseous so I'm going to keep this one fairly short.

Still in Chapter One of the 4th story in my series of projects. This one is clunky and reads like a fourth grader wrote it. No offense to fourth graders. I love fourth graders. I was one once.

The next part of the chapter is where the real reason for our hero's presence, which is going to set off a conflict. Yay, obstacles! After the obstacle is [QUICKLY] taken care of, BAM--here comes Chapter Two! Hopefully.

And what does Chapter Two hold? I have no freaking clue. When I got as far as I could in Chapter One tonight, I decided to re-start my grant research. I may post a finding or eighty here to get some feedback, to see if anyone has heard anything about them. Yes, it IS a lot of good, but it's a darn good thing I'm good at research.

I shall bid you adieu. My eyes have decided they want to freak out...pretty sure I need new glasses, a new prescription, but Obamacare hasn't come out and affected me yet. It's all about rent, utilities, gas and food. Really. My only luxury is the internet. And it's dial up. That's right. There's no cable here AND I'm living in 1993. I haven't bought clothing for myself in years, but within a month I bought a pair of leggings(something I swore I'd never do) and two new tops under $6 each.

We're nearly at ONE WEEK to Gaga. Dude. I'd better not forget my ticket.

Diary of a Scribe Day 11

Warning: This blog may contain spoilers about Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." But don't be disappointed if it doesn't.

So, like I said the night before the last post, I absolutely got nothing done last night, but I had actually scheduled that. We are EIGHT days away from seeing Lady Gaga so a good chunk of time will be spent in the Little Monsters Sweatshop. (We REALLY need to be calling it the OLD Monsters Sweatshop, but I'm not even going to get into that discussion.

For the longest time I haven't been able to get inspired on anything related to sewing. Apparently I've taken a sabbatical from my sewing machine AND retired as a Stage Manager, all in one swoop. I've just had virtually no interest in either, although I have many projects in both worlds.

My current project is my costume for The Monster Ball. Really, all I had to do was think of these fabulous ideas and then realize "Nope. You can't wear THAT in July. In Oklahoma." It was going to be awesome and elaborate. Now it's as simple as can be, b/c once the haze of delight started to dissipate, I don't go "All Out" anymore. I'm all about being comfortable. My outfit is mostly comfortable and is only mildly obnoxious.

As you can see from my Spoiler Warning above I finished reading Cuckoo's nest. It was a REALLY good book. I really like how it was told, and the language...And I totally knew how it was going to end. Didn't make it any less....well, less.

I'm going to start on Dante's "Inferno" very soon. I'm trying to wade through the Introduction...I need to prepare myself...I'm not a fan of poetry in general, and the only epic poem I've ever read was "The Odyssey," and of course I liked it. And then there's that Shakespeare fella I knew once who's plays were pretty much epic poems...

So here I am. Nothing to show for yesterday's work....except for this late blog and empty pages waiting to be filled. I'd better get to it.

Diary of a Scribe Day 10

So this week seemed to go by faster than last week, which was good. All was fine until Sonic gave me food poisoning and put me out of commission for well over 24 hours, and then this evening, just before close, it got super busy and it was ridiculous and I got hit by a change artist. Little old black m----- f-----. (If it had been a fat blonde bitch, I woulda said "fat blonde bitch.")Oh, and all of my devices that allow me to be in contact with the world are on the fritz. It's a crap shoot...This blog MAY be on time, but then again, it may have to be saved until I get to Rory's computer tomorrow, another day I bet I won't get much done. Tomorrow is a session of the Little Monsters Sweatshop. Rory's costume is done. It's my turn.

So I am infuriated, and incredibly glad that I got some writing done before I went in to work. I can't really concentrate, and once again, I'm not in the mood for music. Just going to keep watching Doctor Who, and Glee, and LOST. Maybe some Futurama. I could use a laugh.

I'm working on the characters re-meet. It just happened> "He" walks into her club, scares her bartender and creeps her out before showing her his ID to prove that he is a Private Investigator AND her neighbor in her younger years. That's about as far as I've gotten, but I did unearth a good plot point that I hadn't thought of before....Someone's got a stalker....I'll be playing around with that idea while I'm picking up the living room floor and packing my gear for the Sweatshop tomorrow.

"I want your love and I want your revenge; you and me could write a bad romance."

Words to live by.

Diary of a Scribe Day 9

Nope. Nothing. Wasn't for lack of trying.

I made the bad decision last night to have a footlong chili cheese coney from Sonic.

And of course, that decision came back to slap the hell out of me. It took all I had to get through work...Thanks to "Coney Explosion," my stomach is...very angry. I haven't been able to eat a thing today. I JUST got my appetite back...although it keeps going away...my culinary skills are SO sub par that it's not even funny. I can't even cook fake mashed potatoes right.

So no. Food poisoning takes center stage and all else falls to the wayside. I had better be ok tomorrow, or I'm going to be pissed that I can't even focus on a page without it swimming in front of me. I mean, really. Carsick on a couch.

Sonic, you are sonso' bitches.

Diary of a Scribe Day 8

Well, this week is starting off with a bang, eh? The blog is, as of CST, about an hour late. That's how it starts. I get lax on the blog I get lax on the story...stories...

So this time instead of writing or blogging, I decided to make Nestle Tollhouse Cookie bars. I don't currently stock baking soda in my kitchen so I had to fudge a bit and use baking powder. They are in the oven now. We shall see.

I don't want you to think i didn't get anything done today. I did. I think I got the perfect top of the Lady Gaga concert that I can bedazzle and decorate and rip to hell, and, thanks to Jill's tip, got it for under $6. Now I just have to figure out what I'm doing to it.

I also finished chapter 5 of "A. Rose for Justin." It's a working title that I'm trying to work into the story, but if it doesn't fit, the name will be changed. I've been working on that story's first 5 chapters for so long that it's a touch on the difficult side to make the transition to "Just Dance"(it's another working title. I don't particularly like it, so I'm just waiting for Inspiration to strike.) A. Rose...was starting to get fun but challenging, b/c I needed to have a soundtrack, and I wasn't ready for that, and now this new story revolves around music, as well, but different music. Music is too chaotic for me right now. What I want is words, not to figure out what next song should be in the playlist.

So I ended that chapter 5, took a short break, and picked up the next chapter outline. Yeah, it's not gonna work for me, so I'll have to write an outline before I work on each chapter. Hey, I'm trying different methods. Maybe this will work out in my favor.

I finished the opening, which was a flashback to childhood, a SHORT flashback, that is. Then we meet the main character about to get to work. And I didn't mean that in a dirty way at all. The two main characters are about to meet...Or they were, before I decided to make cookies...

Speaking of, I had better check on them. Maybe the chocolate will inspire a few more paragraphs tonight.

Diary of a Scribe Day 7

It's been One Week. Yay! I made it a week! I haven't tallied up my pages yet, but I will before this blog is finished.

I was just sitting here, eating on my Cadbury Fruit & Nut and catching up on Season 3 of True Blood (I haven't seen S1 or 2, and I hate myself for even watching it.) I did get a little bit done this evening, but I'm not sure if I'm close to the ending of this chapter or if I want to go ahead and drag it out. I think I'm going to cut it off and get ready to move on to a different story.

Without knowing the number of pages I finished yet, I already know I need to devote more time to not only writing, but researching grants and contests and background for my stories also. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open.

But for now, I'm going to go shift a couple of things around in my bedroom and probably come sit back down where I am right now...As a matter of fact, I don't think I'll move at all just yet. I still have stuff to do.

And without further ado, I have 34 and one half pages, double sided, hand written in teenage serial killer scrawl(a GIRL serial killer, b;c it's all crazy and bubbly). That doesn't necessarily translate into the same amount of pages, but that comes when I enter my handwritten nonsense into the computer, which is a pain in the neck, but my preferred way to do it. My thoughts aren't clear unless I can write them down.

See you tomorrow!

Diary of a Scribe Day 6

It's technically not the 6th day anymore, but I had the sudden urge to run to the store. Apparently I needed bagels and granola. Stat. So while said bagel is toasting, I am blogging.

I did get quite a bit of chapter 5 done today. My main character is about to step up to the mic for the karaoke competition...not sure what I want her to sing. I think I have an idea, but I'd plugged this idea in later on. I guess that's the good thing about words. They can be rearranged.

My hand hurts. I've had to use a different pen than previously. It works me harder. I've got plenty of other pens if this one doesn't work.

Ok. I don't have much else to say. Wish the blogs were more interesting, but I'm saving all my words and wit for my stories.

Diary of a Scribe Day 5

I've been distracted today. Work. Laundry. Glee. Two Facebook accounts that don't actually require tending, but I'm playing the four games that will actually load on my computer at home...But I've actually gotten way more done today than I did yesterday, and I was off all day yesterday.

I've actually gotten to an interesting part...well, not really, but more interesting than the "new" exposition(if you get to read it you'll understand what I mean). The scene I am currently working on will break off and lead into an evening at a karaoke bar. I personally hate karaoke, but music has been my big inspiration for all of my stories thus far, and is really important to this series of stores. That's why all the Glee and Mamma Mia...There are looong playlists for the two stories in this series. Music kind of motivates these two stories.

I put some "new" music on my ipod...it's not new, it's just stuff that hasn't been on there in a while...and actually, the John Mayer and mugfug ARE new. I can't wait to listen to them. Which I may be doing after I go get one basket of laundry and fold it...It's going to be a long laundry night...and I have to walk a little ways to the laundry room...I mean, it's within eyesight of my building, but who's watching me when I go out there?

So. Laundry and the finishing of this chapter...Karaoke may begin the next chapter...and that will be the 5th chapter...And then I move on to the next story and it's first five chapters...Then I'll have to figure out what my second assignment is going to be.

Good thing I had that Green Monster energy drink after 5 today...I'll be up all damn night....as per usual, only I'll be wide awake. Awesome.

Diary of a Scribe Day 4: The Holiday Edition

Ok. I haven't done a MASSIVE amount of work. I'm just freaking exhausted. But I've got a good chunk of chapter 4 written...Finally the hero and heroine are in the same room. They haven't said anything to one another, but they are aware of each other's presence.

This is the story that is a sequel to the one I've finished. I don't want it to be a carbon copy of the first, Maybe This Time, but the way it is set up, I can't help a little carbon copy, explaining it away as tradition so it isn't forced...You'd have to read the first to get it...

Anyway, I don't type up the first draft. The second draft comes after I've taken pen to notebook paper...It drives me crazy if I don't have that control. I don't know if it would be any different if I had a laptop...maybe then when ideas hit me wherever I was, I could just get them in a data bank and retrieve them later...If I use pen and paper I usually lose the note or scene...

Is this too old school? Should I change my methods? Do YOU have an idea that could wean me from this practice? How about any favorite writing exercises? I can't think of a single one other than Brainstorming, but that's what my outlines are for.

What is going to make me a great writer? One thing that I think will help is having a decent pre-publication editing team, a team of readers for pleasure who also have an eye for details...or maybe a writer with enough work under their belt to offer a criticism? I want to get my stuff out there, and am not exactly sure about how to do that aside from hitting up the publishing houses. I bet it would help if I did more research, but seven things at a time, people, I'm only one woman. But if anyone wants to sign on as part of my editing team, you just let me know.

Back to chapter 4...it's lunchtime.

Diary of a Scribe Day 3

I'm not gonna lie. I haven't done a damn thing today.

But in my defense, I was working all day(July 3rd in the liquor business is a big day).

I've tried to do some thinking, some question answering, but I couldn't complete a thought.

So now Jef and I are at my house drinking delicious beer I've never had before. Mini beer tasting.

It's Day 3, and I'm already punking out.

Fear not. Tomorrow is another day, and I WILL get that next chapter and a half done so I can move on to the next project and then the next assignment.

Color me lame.

Diary of a Scribe: Day 2

Well. I've done practically nothing all day.

Wait. No. I did stuff.

Such as...

I woke up and went to work. Becky and I put away four big ol' orders, then I went to Rory's to get basil and rosemary and got sidetracked by soccer. I dropped some basil off at the store so Jill and Alissa can enjoy it. He gave me way too much. I made dinner, using these herbs...and figured out that I really shouldn't cook red meat. I ruin it every time.

Then I sat down for some Glee inspiration, which didn't come. I wrote about a half a page in two and a half hours. As a matter of fact, this blog may already be longer and it's only taken two and a half minutes thus far. Maybe inspiration from Doctor Who?

I'm great at dialogue. I'm FANTASTIC at dialogue. But it bores me senseless when I have to write exposition. It's so hard, b/c I don't know how to make it interesting. If it isn't even vaguely interesting to me, then it REALLY won't be interesting to anyone else.

I don't know how to paint the picture of settings...that's what a Set Designer is for...But alas, I'm not working on plays right now. Four stories that are the same at their cores, but as different as they can be...No Sci Fi soft core porn here, though, folks. Sorry to disappoint.

But I'm actually starting to get to a scene that really kicks this story off. It's the characters re-meeting for the first time in a long time. She is trying really hard not to be noticed, which is incredibly weird, since that's all she EVER wants. She's shrinking away and hiding from her ex boyfriend (they're fated, don't worry) who happens to be in the same meeting as her. I guess I'm just not sure how I want to play it out. But I guess I'll be figuring that out tonight. It's towards the beginning of Chapter 4...I'm so close to getting those first 5 chapters written...I have my check list of things that have to happen in these five chapters and I am dutifully marking them off as I make them occur.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I won't have gotten much done by this time tomorrow, but I sure will try. Wish me luck!

The Diary of a Scribe Part One of 33

Following in the steps of my fabulous friend Danyel, I turn 33 this year. She had a blog for 33 days during her birth month about buying local. It was awesome, so I decided to totally steal her idea and twist it to fit my purposes.

It is July 1. I turn 33 on July 22. What better day to start my new project?
And this project is going to be [hopefully] about the writing or working that I've done or plan to do each day. Maybe it will help keep me on track.

I have finished my first novel for the second time. I've decided to put it away for just a bit until I work on some other stuff. I have four other projects going on at the same time. Sort of. At any moment of the day I'll have an idea for a scene in one of the four and write it down, and continue...But that's not structured enough. So I decided to get my structure on.

My four stories are: The Long Way Home, a period piece set mostly in England that was wholly inspired by Lady Gaga's "The Fame Monster." Every song on those two albums make up the soundtrack to this story.

Calendar Girl--This is a working title. A good one hasn't hit me yet. This one is about a woman who owns her own business and has a nice enough life but doesn't really date, who suddenly realizes that she is attracted to one of of old college friends. She decides to not actively pursue him; he's currently in the middle of a divorce. He has 2 children, a boy and a girl, who think of the main character as an aunt. The two adults see each other mostly on holidays (Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc). Long story short, she finds herself pregnant, due to a huge bag of defective condoms she'd gotten as a Dirty Santa present.

The third's working title is "Just Dance." Yes, this one is tinged with Gaga, too, but mostly Britney, back when I actually liked her. This one is about a woman who has this dance club, which is similar to a strip club but it's more about the performance than the boobs. She has been having some slight difficulties with the community, who think she's nothing but a flesh peddler. Her father(from whom she is estranged) sends a PI to check things out. This PI is an old friend of hers, pretty much the only friend she had in her younger years. She taught him how to dance, he knows her deepest secrets, including the fact that she faked an injury to get out of her career as a figure skater, once destined for the Olympics. At first she refuses his help b/c of his connection with her father, but he makes her look at her problem logically, and she gives in and lets him give her a hand beefing up security.

The fourth is A. Rose for Justin (the period is meant to be there) It's the second in what I hope to be a three book series. The first one I mentioned, that one that is already done is book #1. This is story #2. Since I'm working on it right now I don't want to talk too much about it just yet. Tomorrow perhaps.

So all four of these projects have pages, scenes written. All have a general outline, the random scenes I write are plugged in to a timeline, and then the scenes are fleshed out.
I decided to give myself formal assignments after the outlines were completed, and there were a few scenes to work off of. My first assignment is to write the first 5 chapters of each story. Beginnings are really hard for me, so this is a great exercise. Endings are scary too...They are almost always one of the first things I write, though. Gives me a goal to strive for.

Ok, I've spent entirely too much time on this blog rather than actually working on A. Rose for Justin. I'm working on getting Annie Rose out of her mom's house and back to the theatre....Gotta get my segue on.

Enjoy the next 33 days.

Cheers!

SJG