Wishing a very happy Veteran's Day to all those who serve (or have served) our country in all the many ways, and to their families and loved ones who support them.
For those who don't know, I love martial arts. It has been an integral part of my life since I was fifteen. I absolutely love a well choreographed fight scene. While I'm not big on the traditional old foreign martial arts film style of using wires to an extreme, I do love an excellent martial arts movie. 47 Ronin surprised me in a very big, and wonderful, way. I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect much out of it. Unfortunately that means I didn't go see it in the theater and I regret that deeply. This would have been phenomenal on the big screen. The story was excellent, a good, Americanized retelling of the tale of the 47 Ronin. The acting was compelling and I loved Keannu in this role. His fight scenes in particular were quite spectacular. I was reminded of Brad Pitt's scenes in Troy, only better. Yes, you read that right. Keannu's fight scenes were even better. I can hardly believe I wrote that, being such a big fan of Brad in Troy. But there you have
A new novel is beginning to demand my attention which means I have to do something I dread almost as much as writing a synopsis. What could be that bad you wonder? Outlining. To say I'm not a fan of it would be a gross exaggeration. I hate outlining, it sucks. Why do it then? Why not just let my muse guide me and write? Because my instructor at a writer's retreat I attended forced me to write an outline for a book I'd already finished and it made me see the error of my ways. An outline will point out all inconsistencies, plot holes, and blatant mistakes. I realized that if I write one before I write my novel, it reduces my revision process dramatically. So, though I hate it, I write the outline and my novel is far better for it. A blogging writer friend of mine, Jamie Harrington wrote an adorable post on outlines that changed the way I feel about them. She made outlining fun and~dare I say~easy. Her agent asked her if she outlines her novels. Check out her entertaining a
Though Halloween is over I have a bag of treats for you! Last week was an excellent week for writers on Twitter. Registration for the Writer's Digest conference has opened! You can check it out here: @WritersDigest Registration is open for the WD Writer's Conference: http://ow.ly/2YPmX Chuck Sambuchino of Writer's Digest introduces us to another new agent. Like he says, new agents are a golden opportunity for writers seeking representation. @ChuckSambuchino New agent seeking writers! Denise Little of The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency http://tinyurl.com/2cdqcqu If you live in the New York area and are seeking a job in publishing be sure to check out this excellent link from ex-agent turned editor Colleen Lindsay: @ColleenLindsay taking resumes for awesome entry-level pub job. Love romance? Good writer? Online savvy? Read on: http://bit.ly/bAmYGD I always thought I was kind of strange because my characters talk to me. Now, agent Weronika Janczuk tells me I
Only those who have served or lost a loved one who has understands the dear cost of freedom and war. Thanks for remembering. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Roland. :)
DeleteHappy Veterans Day Heather!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, to you as well, Karlene!
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