David McMullen-Sullivan's Blog, page 2
December 9, 2021
Unconditional Love
In this universe, there are only three beings capable of unconditional love: God, Jesus and dogs.
December 2, 2021
Best Novel Opening Line
“In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
November 20, 2021
Good Writing Advice
"Don’t write fillers. Instead, write a subplot."
"In case you’re blocked, read - it’s how you recover inspiration."
"In case you’re blocked, read - it’s how you recover inspiration."
October 20, 2021
By Pen and Hand
This is writing advice, but it's also a small commentary on human neural networks. When you write something (anything) by hand, your brain is better engaged in the process and so too are its creative centers. There is a real connection that typing on a keyboard, or dictating into your phone, cannot give you. Your mind lights up.
Writing letters into words, into sentences, is creative magic. The hand paints while the brain dreams, a synergy of imagination. Nothing can ever match it.
I've written four books in my lifetime, each one by hand. I have piles of composition books with handwritten chapters, scribbles in the margins, whole sections crossed out and arrows leaping over paragraphs to change the order. I loved the final products, but I also loved the process which gave me equal joy.
Remember, neither a keyboard nor a phone is a writing instrument. You are.
Writing letters into words, into sentences, is creative magic. The hand paints while the brain dreams, a synergy of imagination. Nothing can ever match it.
I've written four books in my lifetime, each one by hand. I have piles of composition books with handwritten chapters, scribbles in the margins, whole sections crossed out and arrows leaping over paragraphs to change the order. I loved the final products, but I also loved the process which gave me equal joy.
Remember, neither a keyboard nor a phone is a writing instrument. You are.
October 8, 2021
July 11, 2021
Leaving Rio
Boy, there are no two words I love to write more than "The End."
I started my current project, a script, back on January 4th of this year, and I finally finished it tonight.
The premise is as follows: A career-obsessed film actor must learn to let go of his manic pursuit of fame to find true love.
It's just the first draft. I still need to do a huge second, but it sure feels good to be on the other side of those sweet two words.
Cheers!
I started my current project, a script, back on January 4th of this year, and I finally finished it tonight.
The premise is as follows: A career-obsessed film actor must learn to let go of his manic pursuit of fame to find true love.
It's just the first draft. I still need to do a huge second, but it sure feels good to be on the other side of those sweet two words.
Cheers!
June 6, 2021
Zombie Roulette
In Zack Synder's Army of the Dead, zombies take it on the road and go to Vegas. Because, if you were one of the undead, wouldn't you? If only for the all you can eat human buffet (I hear the brains are delicious).
Now from here on out there are zombie spoilers. So, don't blame me if you find out the zombies are doing the humpy hump without protection. I know. I was shocked too. I mean, sure they eat people, but the total lack of parental planning was just immoral. Are there even any good schools in Vegas for zombie children?
The general gist of the film is that the U.S. Army was up to some shenanigans and got ahold of a zombie. He's kind of like an MMA fighter. So you know what that means. He's super hot - for a dead guy.
Well, Conor McGregor here needed a ride to somewhere. A secret lab? Walmart?
A crew has him out on the road. They're a top level team tasked with transporting this dangerous cargo. So, of course they're all idiots, and our Sunday outing turns into a scene from the walking dead real fast. Afterwards, the newly dead and their leader see the Vegas lights and think to themselves: Ooo, vacation. We've all been working so hard at this undead thing. Let's go have some fun! Vegas is a hellscape three minutes later, and we're off to the races. Five stars on Zombie Yelp!
There's a suspicious, underworld guy named Tanaka. He's not to be trusted, but you knew that. Tanaka convinces the good guy, Scott Ward played by Dave Bautista, to assemble a team and go after $200 million dollars in a bank vault under the strip. Cause that's just where you keep $200 million in cash. Who needs the earned interest anyway?
Well things go from bad to worse. Scott's daughter comes along. Tanaka's got his own man planted in the team, and this stooge sure can't be trusted (but you knew that).
Along comes a zombie tiger followed up by a feather dancer in need of some Nivea night cream for that bad complexion of hers. She's shacking up with our zombie hottie, and her undead womb is making a zombie junior. I'm just guessing it's a boy since they haven't had their gender-reveal party yet, but I digress.
Mrs. Fan Dancer gets her head chopped off which is the zombie version of an abortion I guess, and dad is super miffed. He decides to ride his undead horse to go get revenge.
Tanaka's man has the head. That's what he's really been after as Tanaka wants a zombie army of his own. How will he control the blood thirsty mob and not become lunch himself? No clue. It doesn't appear he's thought it that far out, but thinkin sminkin, who plans things these days anyways.
Once he has what he's after, you'd think Tanaka's man would take off, but no. He stays around long enough to have his escape cut off and get killed (like ya do). Tanaka only sends his very best!
From that point, basically everybody dies. Cause when you're caught between a zombie horde and a nuclear explosion, you're just screwed. Is this the nihilistic ending the audience was after? Did you spend two and a half hours to watch everything be for nothing? Well, apparently you did.
There is the glimmer of a potential sequel at the end though. Even though everyone who gets bitten turns up undead in minutes, one guy gets chomped on but has to break out of that vault, walk across most of Nevada, hop a plane to - again somewhere - and looks at the wound in the mirror and just says, "Damn", and when you get done seeing this movie, perhaps you will too.
Now from here on out there are zombie spoilers. So, don't blame me if you find out the zombies are doing the humpy hump without protection. I know. I was shocked too. I mean, sure they eat people, but the total lack of parental planning was just immoral. Are there even any good schools in Vegas for zombie children?
The general gist of the film is that the U.S. Army was up to some shenanigans and got ahold of a zombie. He's kind of like an MMA fighter. So you know what that means. He's super hot - for a dead guy.
Well, Conor McGregor here needed a ride to somewhere. A secret lab? Walmart?
A crew has him out on the road. They're a top level team tasked with transporting this dangerous cargo. So, of course they're all idiots, and our Sunday outing turns into a scene from the walking dead real fast. Afterwards, the newly dead and their leader see the Vegas lights and think to themselves: Ooo, vacation. We've all been working so hard at this undead thing. Let's go have some fun! Vegas is a hellscape three minutes later, and we're off to the races. Five stars on Zombie Yelp!
There's a suspicious, underworld guy named Tanaka. He's not to be trusted, but you knew that. Tanaka convinces the good guy, Scott Ward played by Dave Bautista, to assemble a team and go after $200 million dollars in a bank vault under the strip. Cause that's just where you keep $200 million in cash. Who needs the earned interest anyway?
Well things go from bad to worse. Scott's daughter comes along. Tanaka's got his own man planted in the team, and this stooge sure can't be trusted (but you knew that).
Along comes a zombie tiger followed up by a feather dancer in need of some Nivea night cream for that bad complexion of hers. She's shacking up with our zombie hottie, and her undead womb is making a zombie junior. I'm just guessing it's a boy since they haven't had their gender-reveal party yet, but I digress.
Mrs. Fan Dancer gets her head chopped off which is the zombie version of an abortion I guess, and dad is super miffed. He decides to ride his undead horse to go get revenge.
Tanaka's man has the head. That's what he's really been after as Tanaka wants a zombie army of his own. How will he control the blood thirsty mob and not become lunch himself? No clue. It doesn't appear he's thought it that far out, but thinkin sminkin, who plans things these days anyways.
Once he has what he's after, you'd think Tanaka's man would take off, but no. He stays around long enough to have his escape cut off and get killed (like ya do). Tanaka only sends his very best!
From that point, basically everybody dies. Cause when you're caught between a zombie horde and a nuclear explosion, you're just screwed. Is this the nihilistic ending the audience was after? Did you spend two and a half hours to watch everything be for nothing? Well, apparently you did.
There is the glimmer of a potential sequel at the end though. Even though everyone who gets bitten turns up undead in minutes, one guy gets chomped on but has to break out of that vault, walk across most of Nevada, hop a plane to - again somewhere - and looks at the wound in the mirror and just says, "Damn", and when you get done seeing this movie, perhaps you will too.
January 31, 2021
All Creatures Great and Small
I grew up watching the original PBS series on TV. This was back when there were only 3 major channels and the PBS station. The world has added a few more stations since then, about 500 or so.
The series is a relatively calm walk through the English countryside and the lives of the people who live there. The series is seen through the eyes of James Herriot, who is a veterinarian in the town.
If you need high drama and breathless action scenes, this series probably isn't for you. But, if you're like me, after the last year, a TV show that feels like a warm, bubble bath is just the thing for what ails you.
Every time I watch a new episode, I go "ahhhh."
The series is a relatively calm walk through the English countryside and the lives of the people who live there. The series is seen through the eyes of James Herriot, who is a veterinarian in the town.
If you need high drama and breathless action scenes, this series probably isn't for you. But, if you're like me, after the last year, a TV show that feels like a warm, bubble bath is just the thing for what ails you.
Every time I watch a new episode, I go "ahhhh."
December 22, 2020
Worst Rom-Com Ending Ever
What do people want from a Rom-Com? They want a great love story. One they can believe in, even if the main characters are star-crossed lovers. Romeo meets Juliet. Neiman Marcus meets Walmart.
It also needs to deliver on a great ending where the couple professes their love for each other and are never to be parted.
So, there's the formula. Pretty simple. Easy to follow, don't you think?
On all the streaming channels, there are hordes of Rom-Com's. A huge number of these have been queued up for Christmas and have the holiday as their main theme.
Last night's choice of genres was between a horror movie or a Christmas romantic comedy. I wish I would have chosen the slasher film. At least then, I could have felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
This film had the worst ending I've ever seen. First, it should have been entitled A Celibate Christmas as the big kiss doesn't come until the final minutes of the film. It's a miserly peck on the lips, like watching Scrooge make out with a lamp post. To really knock it out of the park, they actually hold hands. Wow. Be still my heart. Though, I guess during this pandemic, that kind of bodily contact is equivalent to a Roman orgy; however, like a Ginsu knife collection that's not all you get. The couple's undying love for each other reaches its climax when - wait for it - they agree to have a long distance relationship.
Stop. It's too much. How will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy ever measure up to this timeless romance. Swoon.
Hollywood, just give the people what they want. Now - I have to go pull that baseball bat out of my TV.
Cheers!
It also needs to deliver on a great ending where the couple professes their love for each other and are never to be parted.
So, there's the formula. Pretty simple. Easy to follow, don't you think?
On all the streaming channels, there are hordes of Rom-Com's. A huge number of these have been queued up for Christmas and have the holiday as their main theme.
Last night's choice of genres was between a horror movie or a Christmas romantic comedy. I wish I would have chosen the slasher film. At least then, I could have felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
This film had the worst ending I've ever seen. First, it should have been entitled A Celibate Christmas as the big kiss doesn't come until the final minutes of the film. It's a miserly peck on the lips, like watching Scrooge make out with a lamp post. To really knock it out of the park, they actually hold hands. Wow. Be still my heart. Though, I guess during this pandemic, that kind of bodily contact is equivalent to a Roman orgy; however, like a Ginsu knife collection that's not all you get. The couple's undying love for each other reaches its climax when - wait for it - they agree to have a long distance relationship.
Stop. It's too much. How will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy ever measure up to this timeless romance. Swoon.
Hollywood, just give the people what they want. Now - I have to go pull that baseball bat out of my TV.
Cheers!
November 11, 2020
Proofreading, Again
I have previously blogged about this subject. It should have been enough, but I can’t take it anymore. Maybe 2020 has driven me to this apoplexy, but I must stand up in defense of the English language, specifically in its written form. The core of my argument lies with the modern day attrition of our linguistic standards. Standards are the bulwark of quality. They ensure the highest level in our work and ideas. This may sound melodramatic, but the loss of them feels like the very fabric of society is becoming unstitched, and I am concerned about the loss of one in particular. Proofreading.
That probably got an eye roll from most of you but hear me out. A lack of proofreading has infiltrated the entire internet, which is not too newsworthy, but should it raise its vile head on such websites as CNN? You would think not. Journalism is their bread and butter. They have many fail-safes to prevent poor grammar, typos, etc. from making it into a story; however, in a recent online article, this sentence made it into the final product: “he's also looking for way to fund his future endeavors…” Where were the editors?
Proofreading people! Don’t make the ghosts of Strunk and White come back to haunt you. Do you think they want to have to come back to earth and hear people saying things like, “Waz up?” Of course not. Please, have mercy on their souls.
Cheers.
That probably got an eye roll from most of you but hear me out. A lack of proofreading has infiltrated the entire internet, which is not too newsworthy, but should it raise its vile head on such websites as CNN? You would think not. Journalism is their bread and butter. They have many fail-safes to prevent poor grammar, typos, etc. from making it into a story; however, in a recent online article, this sentence made it into the final product: “he's also looking for way to fund his future endeavors…” Where were the editors?
Proofreading people! Don’t make the ghosts of Strunk and White come back to haunt you. Do you think they want to have to come back to earth and hear people saying things like, “Waz up?” Of course not. Please, have mercy on their souls.
Cheers.
