Rae Roy's Blog, page 63

Merry Monday – Prose in the Park

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On Saturday, I dropped by Parkdale Park to visit writing friends and take in two panels at the 3rd annual Prose in the Park. The first was called “The Musicality of Fiction,” and I enjoyed listening to the authors speak about music and their books that feature it. I might read all three when I can afford the books and have the time. The authors were Sean Michaels (Us Conductors), Susan Doherty Hannaford (A Secret Music), and Robert Barclay (Death at the Podium). Mr. Barclay said something that I feel was misinformation. He believes young people don’t go to many of the orchestra concerts at the National Art Centre because the maestros choose only old music from long dead composers. This, I and the other young people beside me, felt is incorrect. While I love the idea of them choosing to play some film scores and such, the reason we rarely go to those things is not at all that we don’t enjoy the music, but that we simply can’t afford the cost of tickets, parking, etc for a night out. When we can, we opt for things like rock concerts in part because the option to see our favourite band live is much more limited. Celebrities don’t live as long as the music of Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and the like, so the urgency isn’t there to go to the orchestra. Have some more budget-friendly performances for students and those in the low-income brackets and younger people are more likely to turn up. I often get classical vinyl at thrift stores because I do enjoy the music. Also, I prefer instrumental music while writing.

The second panel was called, “Emerging Crime,” and one of the members is a member of my Monday writing group. I learned some neat things about her and several of the books sounded interesting. The authors on that panel were Dr. Melissa Yi (Human Remains), Michael Blair (The Evil That Men Do), Catherine Astolfo (Emily Taylor Mystery Series), Jim Napier (Legacy), and Patricia Filteau (Kate Roarty, P. I. Series). I also learned about Linda Wiken who is an Ottawa area author of cozy mysteries. I enjoyed Agatha Christie in high school, so I’m going to check her stuff out at some point too.

I also need to get Laurie Stewart’s second book in the Mechanicsville series, Alone in the Night, Benoit Chartier’s new book Afterdeath, and I need a copy of Blackflies by Robert Munsch, which is illustrated by Jay Odjick.

In the past, I spent all day at events like this one, but I didn’t feel like spending my whole day there this year. I enjoyed visiting the members of my Monday writing group as it has been some time since I last saw them. I’m hoping to see them more soon.

Really, I just wanted to be at home continuing to learn more about screenwriting.

Goals Update

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Fitness: I missed martial arts yesterday. With the plus 38 weather making me feel fevered, I couldn’t get into going into a dojo with no air conditioning. I get overheated easier than other people and don’t always sweat because my body hates every part of it that is involved in moisture. Planks are going better now that I know there are beginner versions that don’t use the elbows.

Writing: I’m chunking away at both my spec script and a novel. I think the novel is going better. I feel like I should’ve just bought a copy of Save the Cat instead of doing that one Screenwriting course I did. At least it was free. I’m watching movies of a similar type to see what has been done in those. I’ve been revising the first part of my novel to get back into it and figure out what happens next. I’m having fun with it.

Course: I’m doing the course on Transmedia, but not worrying about the assignments. My goal is to learn the content and just apply it to my own projects that I’m not ready to share with the world yet.

Sewing: I’m working on a new purse for myself. I’m finding it is more pinning than sewing. You can find out more about this goal on my sewing blog.

Cleaning: Slowly getting there. Finishing the reno will help.

Reno: I have misplaced all my measuring things and thus am stuck. I swear there are gnome thieves stealing my tools. This measuring issue is a key one because my drawers have a piteau with a wheel that has to be place in the right spot. I’ve also cut my left index finger and that isn’t helpful for putting things together.

School: I’m booked for orientation in late August. I should be able to get ready in this one day. Everything from lockers, to bus pass, to software. There’s something else to sign up for in September too. I’m supposed to have a copy of my schedule around August 7th. The planner in me wants it NOW, but that’s not an option. Waiting to hear about OSAP.

I guess that’s it for today. I’m debating heading anywhere that has air conditioning to get some writing done. Perhaps I can get by with my fan and a cool cloth over it though.

Salut,

R~

Filed under: Musings Tagged: Discipline

Symphonic Saturday – We All Have Struggles

[image error]I have days where I’m really not feeling remotely happy. Where it’s so damn hard to see the positive. I’m a divorced, unemployed woman with food allergies and an autoimmune condition. Sometimes it’s REALLY damn hard to smile.

And this week in particular has been hard. I had several days where I could barely walk because the ankle I hurt multiple times back in my roller derby days was upset between the dancing and martial arts on the weekend and the two days of dismal weather that followed. Pain killers didn’t help. I also didn’t have the spare cash to do anything even if my ankle wasn’t tempting me to request amputation. The only thing I managed to do was buy an inexpensive cane because the golf club I was using to hobble around the house with looked ready to break if it kept bending that way.

Then I had a frustrating day where I questioned my ability to write anything at all, especially movies, because Imposter Syndrome is part of being an artist. And songs. Where the hell am I going to learn how to add drum beats into my songs? Is there free software for that? I don’t even know how to use the audio software I have. Would a whole album of guitar only songs be boring?

I also fought with one of my kitchen drawers. I’m at the point where I’m just going to turn the inserts upside down and put something inside the drawers because I want my house back together, I don’t have the money for other options, and I’m just so tired of this project. Once I locate my drill, I can charge it and finish drawer one of three. It’s taken me several months to fix one drawer. And it’s not because I’m not handy, but because everything I’ve tried didn’t work the way it was supposed to.

But music nearly always makes me feel better.

Seeing this video of a deaf woman named Mandy Harvey having taught herself to sing again after losing her hearing was exactly what I needed to help me continue to plug away at my own goals. It also reminded me of our one-legged swordsman who taught himself how to do kendo, iaido, and jodo again after an accident took his leg. He’s one of the best I know.

Anyway, I’m going to get my house clean, get this sewing business going, do martial arts, and continue with my writing movies, books, and songs no matter how hard life currently is.

But first, I’m going to take in a panel about music at Prose in the Park and enjoy some classic Batman clips to say goodbye to my first Batman.

Salut,

R~

Filed under: Music Tagged: Discipline

Frisky Friday – Dirty Dancing

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After yesterday’s rather long and heavy post, I thought today I’d share this fun movie review of Dirty Dancing with you. It’s very sex positive and for anyone who has seen the movie, it’s funny too.

Hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend.

Salut,

R~

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Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Movies, Sex

Thoughtful Thursday – Writing About Race

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Today on the blog I’m continuing my discussion on research. It seems there are some writers who are clueless on how to do this today at even a basic level or they’re lazy. Especially when it comes to talking about race in their books or scripts. Their default method seems to be to ask a question in a Facebook group which is predominantly full of white people. This always devolves into some attack on someone for their response as some white male feels the need to mansplain why it’s OK for him to confidently state, “Black, white, Asian. If you use yellow, you’re an asshole,” but you can’t say, “Most I have spoken to have told me they prefer black.” Apparently you are speaking on behalf of a whole race when you do this, but he is not. Also, you must provide sources. He doesn’t need to though. He is an obvious authority on the subject matter being a white male.

Having been in dozens of different writing groups on Facebook, I’ve seen this particular discussion and its evolution several times a month for several years now. In these discussions, the few blacks in the groups often suggest not including any race. This is a great idea, especially in a script as directors love being able to cast whoever they want. But sometimes we are writing a piece where diversity is part of the message and we need to. So what do we do?

Well, aside from talking to real, live humans, you can look to the Internet and use it better. If you are wondering if black is okay to use, consider that many of the following organizations will change their name should the majority decide the term doesn’t work for them:

– Black Entertainment Television

– Black Hollywood – Awards

– Black Lives Matter

And there’s a whole lot more here.

Yes, some, such as the United Negro College Fund, will cling to their name anyway even if a new term takes its place. For some, history and legacy is more important than political correctness.

If you are going to use Facebook to answer your question, instead of posting in a group filled with white people, see if you can ask the question in a group filled with whatever race you are wondering about. If you search black and click on groups, there are thousands of groups filled with black people who would be much better at answering the question. A group such as Black Studies and Critical Thinking, which has over 77,000 members, has probably discussed this very topic. Since the group is predominantly composed of members of the race you are looking for, you’re far more likely to come away with good information. Most likely, you’ll have learned something valuable using this primary research method of talking to real people.

Now, it’s important to check primary research against what other information exists on a topic. While 77,000 is a good number, that group does have more than black people in it and 77,000 is still only one chunk of the whole demographic.

There may have been surveys conducted by someone and you can see the results. There’s always the potential for researcher bias, but the more secondary research you find, the more well-rounded your view will be. I also search Google for “What to black people want to be called,” and it comes up with sites like this one, which give another layer to your research.

One method can be to look at how people define themselves in census, but the problem there is that it varies depending on what country you are talking about. In some countries, East Indians are considered Asian. Most East Indians I know call themselves brown or Indian and don’t consider themselves Asian. Like all groups, there will be generational differences as well. A boss of mine couldn’t believe this young Indian girl couldn’t cook because she was female and Indian. He was near retirement age and she had never even been away from her mother before.

Now, all this came up because the writer was worried about offending someone. They wanted to ensure they didn’t accidentally say something racist in their movie script and have it rejected. So aside from what I’ve already said above, google derogatory ethnic terms and you’ll find lists like the one here. Don’t use those to describe your characters, but sometimes you might need to use those slurs in your writing. You might have a character who is a racist in your story. Most racists are anything but politically correct in their terminology as they spew hatred.

There are thousands of reasons to reject manuscripts and screenplays. I’m of the mind that you need to write whatever is in you to write. There are people who provide the service of sensitivity reading to fix anything that is offensive if you are clueless about what is offensive. Now, some will say to avoid writing anything that is a stereotype. An actual negative racial stereotype is definitely bad. This site discusses it and research good methods. Some stereotypes come into existence because some groups of people seem like that upon first impression. The problem, to me, is that people write these characters that don’t have depth beyond that surface stereotype whether it is a positive or negative stereotype. I may be Canadian and love hunting moose and Tim Horton’s, but I may also be a martial artist, a writer, and a seamstress who loves geek culture. I could be an American who loves guns, freedom of speech, and wants to save the whales while also enjoying horror movies and eating beef. I could be black and not support Black Lives Matter, hate rap/hip-hop, Obama, and Bob Marley. I could be gay and hate Pride and rainbows and think some members of my community are too flamboyant.

So I don’t think you shouldn’t have an Asian character who is a martial artist. I know a ton of Asians who are into martial arts. Sometimes we can over-analyse what is and isn’t OK to write about. I don’t think that’s good either. Maybe you have a black character who is the next Michael Jordan. Cool. But that doesn’t mean he can’t also be an excellent math student. His journey then could be deciding between becoming like Mike or an astronaut.

There are many ways to write a character. If you spend all your energy worrying about offense, you’ll never put anything out into the world. The truth is that at least one person will be offended by what you create. You’ll always have that critic that says you are garbage at whatever you do. There will always be that white male who thinks he has all the answers. That one that will tell an accountant with every financial designation that he knows more than the accountant about finances because he invests in mutual funds.

It’s not simple, but it’s also not brain surgery. Write the thing. Fix it before you submit it. If anything major happens, it’ll be in the news and industry professionals will be blogging about it all over the place. I know many creatives can get immersed in our work and are skilled at forgetting the world exists, but try and pay attention to news once in awhile and seek out information from many sources beyond Facebook. And I know I have linked several Wikipedia sites in this post, but don’t just read what is on Wikipedia. Check their sources and dig deeper. Try to find sources that are neither left nor right biased. Read books. Watch documentaries too. We are living in the information age.

If you have a project that goes deeply into a culture you aren’t part of, try and take on a partner from that culture who can help you tell the story more authentically. That is my plan for one of my stories.

Sounds like a lot of work? Yes. Writing IS work. It’s not all parties and book signings. Actually, those things are very little of what you do. It’s butt in chair and searching for correct information. It’s constantly working at your writing skills. It’s learning to do research. It’s learning to use writing software.

I hope it was clear I was not speaking on behalf of any of these communities but encouraging others to find better ways of answering their questions. Here are some guidelines:

Don’t ask a bunch of white people how to write a person of colour.
Don’t ask a bunch of straight people how to write a gay character.
Don’t ask a bunch of able-bodied people how to write disability.
Don’t ask a bunch of non-athletic people how to write sports.
Don’t ask a bunch of sexually inexperienced people about BDSM.
Don’t ask a bunch of criminals what it’s like to be a police officer.
Write the thing and fix it later.

Salut,

R~

Filed under: Musings

Warrior Wednesday – Mind vs Body

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There are many times I know exactly what to do in martial arts, but my body loses part of the instructions along the way.

Sometimes it’s a matter of my muscle strength not being fully developed yet. For a long time, I’d fall over. I’ve been working on my core and it’s helping when my problem ankle isn’t the cause. My right Achilles tendon regularly gets inflamed and is a jerk.

Sometimes the brain just gets in the way entirely and tries to micromanage things. This usually results in a meltdown as my body tries to figure out what my brain wants when my brain isn’t entirely sure because it doesn’t understand what Sensei is saying or doing things on the opposite side of the body just feels wrong.

And sometimes I know exactly what to do and have done it successfully many times before, but for some unknown reason I can’t currently do it correctly. This is the case with Morote Tsuki, kata #6 in the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei set of the Muso Jikiden Eishen Ryu style of Iaido. I’m both dropping my tip and instead of getting under my sword properly while keeping it on the line, I’m waving the thing about like a fool. It’s possible that in trying to put higher level flow, timing, etc into my kata, I have taken steps backward. At any rate, I hope to get back to doing it properly.

I’m at this level where I’m not supposed to be pausing as much now but things shouldn’t fall apart completely when going slightly faster. Growth often looks like this though. Your toddler, who is normally happy, goes through periods where he or she just can’t behave and has meltdowns over ridiculous things like that there’s cheese in their mac and cheese.

So hopefully things will come together for me soon. All I can do is keep trying to do it correctly. Maybe I’ll just practice those particular pieces like fixing a difficult part in a song.

Is there anything you’re fighting with right now that you know you can do but it just isn’t working for some reason?

Salut,
R~
Filed under: Martial Arts

Theatrical Tuesday – Popcorn Flick

[image error]Popcorn flick is a term that I’m not fond of. It’s supposed to denote a film that has only one good thing about it, often only special effects, and is thus considered mindless entertainment.

The odd critic has suggested that Wonder Woman is a popcorn flick.

Let’s break this down while attempting to be spoiler free:

The lead character is a female from a foreign land. It wasn’t that long ago that women and supporters were marching for human rights including reproductive choices, freedom from objectification, pay equity, and more. There’s also banter in the film about women working toward the ability to vote.

The actress is Israeli. In a time where there is so much pain happening in the Middle East, when there are terror bombings happening in London, an actress from a marginalized community is leading a franchise about a badass goddess warrior who tries to help humans be their best selves.

The story features a goddess helping several humans who are struggling between the choice to be good men or to make a quick buck. Many people are currently fighting for a living wage. CEOs stuff their pockets while their employees barely make enough to cover their basic necessities and some have to work 3 jobs just to get by. People live in squalor without access to clean water, while companies like Nestle siphon groundwater and sell it to them in bottles.

Diana grew up reading stories of what a beautiful creation humans were. Meeting them was far from how she pictured them. We all believed things as children like that grown ups were mature and had it together. Ever been in a meeting and realized you were surrounded by adult-sized children? Ever gone back and watched a cartoon you adored as a child to realize the animation was horrendous? Almost like reading a story you wrote at the beginning of your career or coming across your early drawings.

Euan Bremner’s role clearly highlights Simple PTSD. His is from war, which is why it’s called Simple PTSD not that there’s anything simple about PTSD. Many people get Complex PTSD from suffering years of emotional and/or physical abuse having never been a participant or victim of war. This type of PTSD is far less known.

There is an indigenous actor playing a role that is integral to the success of the mission. If you want to know more about how this character has been received in that community, check this well written review by Vincent Schilling at Indian Country Today.

If you really can’t find deeper meaning or can’t see how important this film is in the world we are living in today, you aren’t open to seeing it. I’m sure I haven’t even caught all of the depth in one viewing.

Wonder Woman is a fantastic film that is rated PG-13. There is violence, like all superhero films, but any sexual situations happen off camera and they tie into the plot. Many of the deaths are free from gore. Explosions are plot and character driven and not simply there to look cool.

You should see this movie if any of these things apply to you:

You are female or identify as such
You like women
You like superheros
You like diversity
You like action and adventure
You like explosions
You like stories
You’re a Wonder Woman fan
You like to laugh
You like emotional journeys

When I first learned that there was to be a Wonder Woman movie, my excitement was dampened by DC’s track record of late. I also didn’t want to get my hopes up as I’m a huge Wonder Woman fan. In my opinion, with this film DC has rebooted their studios, and they are ready to compete with Marvel.

As I can’t wait until the Blu-Ray comes out, I expect I’ll be back for more viewings.

Salut,

R~

Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Movies

Merry Monday – A Wonderful Weekend

[image error]On Friday, I went to see Wonder Woman. I was a little down as I couldn’t find my Wonder Woman hoodie and also struggled to remember where my car keys were last. Normally, I’d just grab my spare set, but those are currently broken. When I got to the theatre, I had an epiphany. My place is tiny and as it’s getting cleaner, I can more readily see the things I own. With my hoodie nowhere to be found, I realized it had to be in my car. It was! I stripped in the parking lot and donned my hoodie. I was now ready to meet my friend and her brother.

We were going to a regular viewing instead of 3D along with her brother. We had fun playing Timeplay. Then enjoyed the trailers. And then the screen went blank.

The movie wouldn’t play.

As we were close to the door, I ducked out to let them know there was a serious problem. Then I seized the moment for a bathroom break. When I returned the lights were on and we were waiting to hear if they could fix it.

They couldn’t.

But hope was not lost! They upgraded us to 3D for free and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Save a few historical errors, the movie surpassed my wildest expectations. Though, given that it is a DC movie, those weren’t super high in the first place. My dream has come true. Not only has DC produced an excellent film, but my favourite superhero has her own movie. I’ll be talking about the movie more later this week.

Oh, we got posters for free too. Maybe Gal Gadot will come to Comiccon at some point and I can get her to sign it… Goals

Symphonic Saturday – Writing Songs

[image error]I’ve been involved with music for decades now. In elementary school, they started us with recorders, which sounded terrible and I am truly sorry for our teacher’s ears that year. I still have my recorder. I should pick it back up and learn to play it properly.

From there, they bused us to another school for wood shop, home economics, and music. I next took up the clarinet. I never got good at the clarinet, but maybe in the future I’ll get back into reed instruments. The following year, I tried the trumpet, but wasn’t given proper breathing instruction and headaches made me switch back to clarinet.

In high school, I took classes in music and also joined music-related clubs. I was a member of the choir, though never a lead singer. I played clarinet in band and in class until the year a new teacher came and formed an all brass band. I picked the trumpet back up and loved it. The months I couldn’t play due to wisdom teeth extraction were horrible. I took a guitar class and almost ended up singing during the performance, but allergies make my hearing not great sometimes and nerves overcome me when it comes to singing in public. I once performed some songs on trumpet solo for an elementary class, though I didn’t feel it was my best work. We had many performances from massed bands composed of music students from all the schools to those at art gallery nights, morning Christmas carol accompaniment, and graduations.

All this to say that I’m happy to be making music a bigger part of my life once again. I’m now writing songs and I’m finding it thoroughly enjoyable. Not only do I get the soulful release, but I create something.

In starting this path, I spoke with a friend who is a music teacher about where to start. I wondered if I should choose my key first, the genre, etc. Where I ended up starting was the lyrics. Then I chose a rhythm. Then I trialed chords. Then I broke the chords down into their notes and played around with that. I’m not done yet. I haven’t added dynamics like loud points and soft points.

I’m mainly using my guitar for this as my piano skills are lacking and it sounds better on guitar. Those two things might be related…

I don’t know when or if you will hear these songs I’m writing, but I just wanted to talk about where I am with music today. I feel more energized and happy than I have in a very long time.

I hope you have things in your life that you can be excited about.

Also, if you haven’t read Onder Magazine Issue #5 yet, you should. There is an article in there where I ramble on about how writing songs and writing stories is similar. The magazine is inexpensive and there are a bunch of great stories and articles to read on writing and music.

Salut,

R~

Filed under: Music Tagged: Guitar, Hobbies, Production

Frisky Friday – Primary Research

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I know the title of this post sounds far from sexy, but bear with me a moment.

One of my favourite ways to fact check as a writer is to do primary research. That is doing things like reading studies, watching documentaries, and interviewing real humans. I then will take that information and check online to see if there are more people in the same group saying similar things to see if it’s likely that the sentiment is accurate. I’ll read blog posts, articles, information from reputable sites, and talk to people I don’t know from far away lands. Something the internet is great for. I’ll put less stock in an amateur YouTube video than I will in a Ted talk given by someone who is regularly involved with or interacting with the topic.

Earlier this week I talked about writing what you know. I believe this to be important for writing erotica too. Not just what you know, but what you find pleasurable. It can be helpful to have a partner or partner(s), whatever floats your boat, that are willing to explore uncharted territory here. Maybe you’ll find a new position that is amazing or you’ll just end up uncomfortable, but you will gain experience and be better equipped to write about it. And if you have a character that likes things you’re not in anyway into, it will be harder to write and you’ll then need to do extra research to find out how it feels to someone else. I feel it’s easier to write erotica if I can tap into a steamy encounter I’ve had and I’m far less likely to feel like I’m writing something cheesy rather than hot. If the first time I write that sex scene has me in the throes of lust, I’ve accomplished my goal. Expect it to seem less hot as you revise and edit a billion times because you get used to reading it. Your audience will be reading it for the first time.

Don’t expect it to turn everyone on though. People have different preferences and you really can’t please everyone on the pages or in the bedroom

Thoughtful Thursday – Writing What You Know

[image error]An innocent post on a Facebook group has led me to realize something about my writing. I didn’t do it on purpose, but all my characters have jobs that I have had in a way. The actual interest area or industry is different, but otherwise there are things I have in common with them.

In my current screenplay, my main character (MC) is the owner of a hunting store. While hunting is rather foreign to me, I have worked retail, I own my own business, I have a business degree, and I grew up in areas where little work gets done because so many take time off to hunt.

My novel, the Page & The Magician, has my MC go from working in parliament to helping rehabilitate others like her. I’m not overly politically minded. I have worked for several government organizations and I do have a diploma in social work.

In my WIP, The Blood Waitress Club, my MC works as a game store clerk. Again with the retail only this time bringing in my passion for geeky things. Then she ends up in roller derby and life changes drastically for her from there.

My I-swear-I-will-finish-it-one-day book, Scion, is perhaps the oddball as the MC is a nurse with a lot of scary level survival and fighting skills. I’m literally stuck in the woods on that one and I will eventually find my way out. I need to as I have plans for two of my worlds to eventually intersect. There her job has to do with martial arts I suppose. It’s more of a stretch than my other works thus far. Maybe that’s really why it has been so challenging for me?

Anyway, I found it neat to see that I have been writing what I know without knowing I was doing it. Maybe someday I’ll be able to write from the perspective of a super successful novelist or screenwriter who never has to worry about money! One can dream