Pat Griffith's Blog, page 5

Where's the fun in that?

​Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom comes out this week. I am looking forward to it. I have seen some of the headline reviews for it. Not good. But I don’t care because – dinosaurs. Someone said to me, you mean Christ Pratt. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christ Pratt but for me it’s about all the dinosaurs. The trailers are absolutely bonkers. I am not expecting an Oscar nomination kind of movie. I am expecting loads of dinosaurs.
 
When you were a kid you saw a movie you loved it or you didn’t and you moved on. Can we get back to that place of simplicity and purity?
 
I am all for deep, philosophical thought about story. I spent four years in university doing that. I have loved Transformers since they first appeared on American television in 1984. I just bought some recent IDW comics because they know what they are doing so I give them money. I hate the Michael Bay movies and while I have some strong opinions about how he has handled the franchise, I am not going to freak out on him over Twitter. I have better things to do with my emotional energy than get upset over one person’s interpretation of a fictional universe.
 
I’m not saying don’t be passionate about these other realities. Passionate fans are awesome and amazing. I feel very deeply about my Autobots and Decpticons. I have a vested interest in the Skywalker legacy. The fate of Doctor Who & Co mean lot to me. Be the best fanatic you can be. But if being a fan makes you jerk you need to take a step back.
 
If you say Michael Bay, Rian Johnson, Paul Feig, or whoever ruined your childhood, then you are giving them way too much power. Michael Bay may be a terrible director but I still get to enjoy my favorite thing all the more because of his stupid version of it. So I begrudgingly thank him, but I will not spend any more money to see his movies. I will not waste my breath or any more head space on the matter. I don’t want to live my life in a whirlpool of negative emotions over a fictional universe. It isn’t worth it.
 
There is nothing wrong with thoughtful, articulate criticism. And you have the right to your opinion, so by all means state your opinion. But the right to your opinion does not give you the right to be an asshole. Sorry, it doesn’t. If you are so angry or upset about these fictional universes I say it again, take a step back and a deep breath. These things are there for entertainment and if they no longer gives you joy, regardless of the reason, check yourself first. There are too many people in your life and real world issues at hand to give yourself away to a fictional universe that causes you such anger or anxiety.
 
Will Jurassic Park be a good movie? I don’t know. Will it have dinosaurs? Yes. I think I will be terrified and satisfied with the latest installment of a franchise that should have stopped at the first movie. And if I’m not, that’s okay too. I still got my t-rex so I’m fine here. Find what makes you happy and follow that, let go of the rest, you’ve got better things to do with your time and energy.

So You Want to Be a Writer

You poor, delusional soul.

People have this idea that they can write a book because they can write a sentence. Not to downplay that achievement at all, but writing a book that a total stranger will want to read is a lot more than the accumulation of sentences. You have to make a total stranger care enough about what is on the page to finish the book and THEN, if you’re good and maybe somewhat lucky, they will tell another person about it, who in turn may decide to read it too. This is no small feat my friend. These days there are so many things trying to get the attention of consumers that knowing how to spell or construct a beautiful sentence is not enough.
 
I don’t understand the pop culture mystique around being an a writer. In TV show or movies, the writer’s life is portrayed with a kind of wistful bliss. The aspiring writer gazes dreamily past their blank page and is lost in another world. This happens a lot but it doesn’t get any writing done. In Terry Brook’s book on writing, he talks about how the writer has to live in two worlds at the same time. I totally get that.
 
What is this desire to capture thoughts on paper? Thoughts are so fleeting. Writing it down makes it concrete. You can hold in your hand, look at it with your eyes and really contemplate it. I find it hard to focus on one thing for more than a few minutes. Having a focal point that I can actually look at helps to keep my thoughts from wondering too far from their original objective.
 
There are times when writing is easy, really easy. More often than not, writing is damn hard.
 
Where to start.

Write. Get your 10,000 hours in as soon as possible. Write when you don’t feel like it.  Write even if the story totally sucks. Just keep going. Practice really does make perfect.
 
Workshop. Once you’ve got something show, give to other people (preferably writers) and get their feedback. If can be intimidating but it is the fastest way to improve. All writers have blind spots to their work and having others read your work will expose those so you can fix them. Eventually you will see them on your own and you will be on your way to being a better writer.
 
Habits. If you write every day or the same day every week or month, it doesn’t matter in the sense that your brain loves pattern. If you create a pattern it will prompt you do that thing even when you are in the middle of something completely different. Habit primes your brain to get ready for the next activity. If you are already primed, the creativity has a lot easier time of flowing. So create a habit, whatever days and times work for you just make sure you push through the initial few weeks to form that habit.
 
Take classes. I started at my community college taking the same creative writing class with the same teacher several times. There are tons of online classes. I recommend SavvyAuthors.com. If you can’t take a class then read books about the craft of writing.
 
Read good books. When I read a high-quality author I feel like my writing improves. Our brains absorb information all the time so be sure to fill it with good writing. (Reading bad writing is good for you too, but in a different way.)
 
Research. Again, because your brain is a sponge, read non-fiction books. Even if you don’t catch all of it, that information is now floating around in that gray matter in your skull and will come out on the page.
 
If you’re still committed to the act of being a writer I find that reading books about writing from other authors is really encouraging. My favorites are by Ray Bradbury, Terry Brooks, and Stephen King. 

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about writing so please contact me if you think of anything. Otherwise I say- happy writing!

Crossing the Finish Line, sort of

​I’m done!
 
Sort of.
 
I can’t believe it took me almost three years to get through my first draft. But I have completed the final scene and I have a story arc complete with an inciting incident, defeats and victories, and of course the climax and falling action.
 
But wait there’s more!
 
The first draft, phase 1, is just the beginning. On to phase 2, the rewriting. This is where I get to take all the feedback I’ve gotten from my workshop group and my writing mentor and make upgrades. Rewriting is the heart of writing if you ask me. For a pantsters like myself (writers who don’t use plot outlines,) writing the first draft is like wandering around a dark room trying to find the light. As you grope around you get an idea of the shape of the room and what is in there. Turning on the light is finishing that draft when you get to finally see what it is you’ve got. Rewriting is my favorite part because now I get to really dig into what I’ve discovered and hone it into the best it can be. This is my chance to bring things out, dust them off and let them shine. I can do more nuanced dialogue, stronger foreshadowing, and get the continuity of action shored up.
 
Phase 3 will be finding Beta readers. Phase 4 is the editing from that. And once I am truly convinced of story and all of its parts, I will finally be at phase 5, the actual editing from a professional editor (because you should never edit your own work. Never ever.)
 
Once I make all the updates I get from the editor, I will be ready to publish.
 
Woo.
 
I still have a ways to go, but I’ve  gotten through the gauntlet of getting my idea on paper.

TLJ Predictions

It's been a couple of weeks now and I think I can safely say I was wrong on all accounts except #2 and I give myself half a point for #4.

As I said I would be happy to be wrong and happy I am. It took sometime for this one to sink in. Part of that is on me, I let me expectations get away from me so when this movie went places I did not think possible it took time to absorb. Same was true for Force Awakens. Now that the dust has settled and I've read way too many articles breaking down every tiny nuance I can say I like this one. The best parts have to do with Kylo and Rey. I absolutely hated the whole side mission with Finn and Rose which is a bummer because I really want more for Finn.

The biggest revelation for me is that The Force Awakens and  The Last Jedi run together and the events take place over about a week. That is a lot of change for these characters to go through, all of them, good guys and bad guys. Not sure I will ever buy space Liea but otherwise I like her role and am sad to know her story will be left unfinished in a way. Finally a question that has been bugging the crap out of me, why can't a droid pilot the ships that are set on a collision course? I think Admiral Holdo would have been an awesome addition and we lost her for no reason. 

But in any case, I would say The Last Jedi is worth your money at least once and is taking the franchise in new directions that will ultimately be good for the long game. If you have heard about all the outcry and hubbub around the movie I would strongly suggest you ignore it. The the film is cultural politics. You can dive into the fray if you want to but in the end you have to decide for yourself what you think. As with any creative work, you should decide for yourself if you like it or not.

Recommended Reviews:
https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2017/12/spoiler-review-the-last-jedi-a-surprise-to-be-sure-but-a-welcome-one.html

https://nerdist.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-spoiler-review/

https://nerdist.com/the-last-jedi-star-wars-toxic-relationship/

Last Jedi Predictions

With the next installment of the Skywalker Saga only 7 weeks away it’s hard to contain my excitement. I have detached myself from all social media chatter because I don’t want have any more expectations than I already do. But if you are interested here are my predictions for what will happen.
 
1) “When I found you… something special.” Is Snoke talking to Rey.

2) “I need someone to help me find my place in all of this.” Rey talking to Luke.

3) Rey is a descendant of Palpatine.

4) Kylo Ren actually saves Leia.

5) Ren is offering his hand to anyone other than Rey. Based on the background I am going with Finn as my first choice but could also be Luke, Poe, or distant a maybe, his mom.

6) Porgs are either Force sensitive or Force negating. They just better have a good reason for showing us Porgs on the Falcon. Their existence needs to be justified.

7) By the end it will all be flipped, Ren will be with the Resistance and Rey with the First Order.

8) As all 2nd installments do, it will end on a cliffhanger

9) Episode 9 will be Operation: Rescue Rey.
 
Other factors to think about:
Jedi is plural, not sure how that all will play out.
                Anakin’s Force ghost
                What is Hux up to
                Rey’s Force vision from Ep 7 @ Maz’s castle
 
What do you agree with, disagree with?
What are your predictions?

State of the Trilogy

Photo credit: http://www.afrikanmbiu.com/ “Good things come to those who wait.” A popular mantra since 1892. I recently saw a modified version of that quote that crossed out “wait” and replaced it with “work their asses off.” In this case, both are true.
 
Some of you have asked, and I really appreciate your interest, when book three will be out. My original hope had been this year, already. I had hoped to be done with it in 2015.  But alas, that is not the case. It WILL be published in 2018 or I will die trying.
 
When I started book one I had no idea it would lead to a second or third book. And I definitely did not have any notion of where the trilogy would (will) end.  (Word to the wise, don’t publish anything until you know how it’s going to end.) Anyways, once I had completed Trespassing, I had no conscious plans to do another book. Linchpin just came out of nowhere and writing it was so easy. So easy. I emphasize this because book three has been anything but easy. Book three, Iteration, is making me work for every single word. Which is fine, it’s just pushed back my timeline. When I was explaining to my writing coach what I wanted to accomplish with book three I realized it is an ambitious undertaking so it will need time to make sure it’s done right.
 
I have had to work for absolutely every word and I hope they are worth it. At the moment the word count is hovering around 100k, the wordiest of the three. I will wrap up the first draft by the end of November and then it will go through the hoops with my workshop group, writing coach, and finally the editor. Who knows how many words will survive after all of that. In any case, the waiting will be well worth it. I promise.
 
As to the why behind a third book, is really because – trilogy. Everybody loves them. Two books doesn’t feel complete. There is something so satisfying about sets of three, ask any art or writing major.
 
For the release of book three, I hope to publish a definitive collection of DPA/Elbie material. Including all the short stories, the graphic novel, and an alternate beginning to Trespassing. It’s going to be a big deal you guys. So I have my work cut out for me over the next six months, working my ass off, so that once the wait is over, you will be very happy with the results.

Big Announcement

I am excited to introduce a new story complete with new characters from the world of the DPA Declassified Files. Brought to you as a graphic novel, find out what happens when Elbie hosts and the DPA team up to be... Coming 2018

Role Models

Optimus Prime from TF Combiner Wars on go90 and Master Cheif from Halo 4 by 343 Industries. All my favorite characters are male. I am female. The trend in society at the moment is to exalt the minority. Which I agree with is a much needed trend. It has been said many times recently that representation matters. I feel like as a female I should be gravitating toward all these new strong female characters that are gaining popularity. But I don't.
​
Am I the victim of societal bias? Maybe. I am already aware that I have a propensity toward messiah figures (Optimus Prime, Ender Wiggin, Master Chief, Aragon, Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane,) but I'm not interested in fictional female characters. I think the idea of representation is at work here.

I actually know strong women that I admire and look up to. I don't need a fictitious example. I was raised by a single mother, who was a cop. Needless to say she had many female colleagues that were officers as well and they all have memorable personalities and dispositions. My mom is a good friend and has lifelong friends, something I've managed to pick up, and each of them are like her- independent, strong willed, tough as nails, grounded, smart, compassionate, thoughtful. I have been surrounded my whole life by excellent women.

Not so much for men. My life has always lacked strong male role models. That is exactly what drew me to Transformers. I always wanted a brother and those characters felt like brothers to me and most people will agree that Optimus Prime is a father figure. When I became a Christian I inherited a bunch of brothers and some father role models as well. But, I didn't become a Christian until the middle of high school and most of your formative experiences are set before then.

As a result, all my favorite fictional people are male. Self-sacrificing, defenders of justice and the powerless, courageous in the face of danger and undaunted by obstacles. I am just now realizing that most of them are military too. Don't get me wrong. I know good men. The kind of men that are noble of heart and make sacrifices for their families and communities but unlike fiction I am not privy to those hardships. And that is the beauty and value of fiction. I know the struggles of my favorite characters and it inspires me to be a better person. They are male and I am female but the traits that I admire most are not restricted by gender or any other label for that matter.

It’s important to examine why we revere the people and characters that we do. The admiration we place on them can be a reflection of who we would like to be.  I am glad that women and people of color are getting more of the spotlight but integrity, courage, compassion, loyalty, et al, these are universal qualities that make up the best of humanity. P.S. Just as I was about to post this article I realized there is one fictional female character that I have always looked up to and that is Wonder Woman. But Wonder Woman was just an extension of who my mom was because both are awesome women.  The amazing Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman for DC Comics

Word by Word

(Source Thinkstock Images) ​The old adage is that writers write. I'm a writer, I have two books you can buy right now. Haven't written much in three months.
 
I'm not going to say I have writer block. It may be, but I'm not convinced. I think it's more akin to extreme procrastination. I am avoiding writing. I don't know why but I am. Once I sit down and start doing it I'm fine, it's the getting started part that I am struggling with.
 
Part of the problem is distraction. Unlimited data is not my friend. Netflix and Hulu must think I'm bed ridden. Ray Bradbury has strong opinions about TV and he is not someone I would lightly dismiss.
 
In addition, for the last two years I have been obsessing over various fandoms. (Looking at you RvB and Star Wars.) Other fans are a source of great delight to me but it is a deep hole that can be hard to get away from, especially if I am facing a hard scene.
 
Lastly, people. There is a lot of demand on my time. I strongly believe that investing in the right relationships is important but it has come at a cost and that price has been my dedicated writing time. I have to schedule that time and I have to defend it, vehemently, or it will never happen.
 
I am not saying any of these activities are bad. All I am saying is that for me they are not helping me advance in my writing. If it doesn't contribute to my current goal of finishing book three it has to be set aside.
 
So. This is what I am resorting to. My goal, once a day, just write one sentence. That's it. Five to fifteen little words in the context of my story.
 
But you see it’s trick. Once I write one sentence the next one comes pretty easily. In no time I have a bona fide paragraph. And then I am on my way. As a precaution I have made myself accountable to someone. I text them that I have done my sentence. If they don’t hear from me they ask about it. Somedays I only have enough energy for the one sentence, but it’s still progress, I am still moving forward.
 
This is nothing new, it's Anne Lamont's bird by bird story. Start with one word, then do another. Don't think about the big picture. Focus on that one thing. Because all I need right now is my shitty first draft and the only way to get that is laying down sentences one word at a time.

Character Traits - The Kids

In the past I have posted pictures of what some of my characters would wear. Since I am working a lot with the four, Brendan, Kristy, Matt, and Derek, in book three I wanted to expand that a little bit. So here you go. Matt Holloway

​Casual but fancy. He wants to appear chill, but put together. He has to live up to his sister's overachiever reputation. Despite being not as A type as she is, he still wants to project that he can deal with whatever comes his way while not losing it, like some people. Kristy Holloway

​As an artist she has to blaze her own path and doesn't care what everyone else is doing. She wants to be the best at whatever she is doing and usually is but when it comes to clothes the more free from trends the better. New or used it doesn't matter, versatility is a plus and color schemes are in the eye of the beholder. Brendan Carlisle

​With no parents around the only ones to impress are his teachers and impress he does. Excelling at every subject in school he tutors the other kids who struggle. Favorite activities include computer languages and anything that can potentially lead to a house fire. Which fits the edgy, rebel image he hopes to project, despite being on honor roll. Derek Bowls

​"Eh?" If that is your reaction to what he's wearing his day has been made. If you get it, that's good too, but he really likes it when you're confounded. Maybe it's the joy of informing you. He has to keep up with the other smarty pants in his group so this is how he stands out. Not in an academic way but in a clever, made you look kind of way. The more obscure the message the better.