Sunday, December 03, 2006

Fall Break???

Sorry for not posting last week. Like apparently ALL of my favorite TV shows I went on a small Fall Break. What the hell is going on? Fall Break?? Is it because of American Idol starting? Does American Idol need five nights of itself? Luckily Friday Night Lights is sticking around...maybe now, you will all get a chance to see it's brilliance.

I was going to write this post on how writing is like exercise. Not a totally new revelation that's for sure. I know Sinead and Maureen and I have all lamented that once we've gotten out of the habit of writing, like exercise it's SO hard to get back into. I went home for Thanksgiving (had a ridiculously unsuccessful booksigning the day after Thanksgiving because they put me way way back in the computer book section!! The only strangers walking by me were men who could not make eye contact with me -- not exactly the type of folks to pick up a book called His Best Friend's Baby.) and have come back and still can not get into the groove. I have tons of deadlines too -- I actually have work to do. But still can't get involved. Instead I have done all my holiday shopping on line. Which is good - but not terribly productive in terms of those deadlines - one of which is actually MONDAY.

Well, that was before today when suddenly it was quality romance everywhere. And I am INSPIRED. It all started with, believe it or not Waterworld (which got a bad break off the bat and is actually a pretty good movie) the scene when Jean Tripplehorn (or whatever her name is) offers herself up for the life of the kid and Costner says, obviously lying "you have nothing I need." Over the top -- sure. But I loved it. And then because it's Sunday and on any given Sunday you can catch Unforgiven the scene when the blond prostitute who was cut up at the beginning has that great moment with Eastwood and offers him a free one. He declines, she thinks it's because of the scars and he tells her it's not that. She's beautiful, it's because of his wife that he is still faithful to and then painfully and awkwardly he says if he wanted a free one it would be with her. Great scene -- wounded tortured folk. Love it. So I capped all of that womanly offering up with some rereading of the great Anne Stuart historicals. Clearly not very PC of me or even really forward thinking, but it did the trick tonight and I am ready to sit down tomorrow and get a whole lot of work done.

So what stuff inspires you guys when the going gets tough?

8 comments:

Maureen McGowan said...

Oh, I cannot get on the Waterworld boat with you.

Actually, having said that... I agree the film did have its moments. What killed me were mostly technical things... Like terrible continuity problems where it's sunny one second and cloudy the next... And more importantly chase scene type situations where the editing skipped over whatever miracle occurred to get Kevin Costner out of the scrape he was in. Can't believe I remember that kind of stuff. I haven't seen that movie since it came out. Perhaps I should rent it...

Anonymous said...

Talking to other writers gets me going. That's why I have to go to my monthly chapter meetings, talk to other writers on the boards, blogs, etc. It keeps my motivation up and sparks my creative flame again.

I barely remember Waterworld. Something about jet skis I think...

Anonymous said...

This is great Molly! I like a gal who gets inspiration from old Clint Eastwood movies. I love Unforgiven too. Yesterday, I was putting in time on the elliptical trainer and tuned into The Legend of Josie Wales. I loved the scene when Clint/Josie Wales was setting everyone up for a shoot-out with the Comanche's. He said, "If you feel like things aren't going well and you want to give up, just keep on shooting." It inspired me enough to use it on my daughter later in the evening. There's some good writing in those old movies.

Sorry you had too many computer nerds at your booksigning. I too, have difficult getting back into writing after a break. Seems like the least thing I want to do, but I'll remember Clint's advice next time and just keep on shooting.

Anonymous said...

Family life prevented good concentration on writing ... what inspires me. Well the other day staring off into space while feeding my son pureed green beans and corn seemed to do the trick with figuring out the monstrosity that is my NaNo. I did do an outline for another inspiration that struck at a Christmas party, they started playing the song Rasputin. It's weird obscure things that set me off.

Molly O'Keefe said...

Maureen, Kevin Costner got out of those scrapes because he's Kevin Costner and there was a hot air balloon around. What more does Kevin Costner need. Actually yes -- stuff like that awful and the fact the solution to all the problems the map on the girls' back was simply upside down and no one could figure that out...weak. But I don't think it should have ended teh guys career.

Maia -- I love that line! Great line -- Just Keep Shooting! So perfect. I never used to appreciate Clint but I am singing a new tune these days.

Amy -- simple things are often all I need too - a quiet moment and an empty head usually work. It's just finding the moment and trying to keep my head empty...

Maureen McGowan said...

Ha! The old, I'm Kevin Costner there's a hot air balloon, technique. I should have paid more attention. The movie makes complete sense now. :-)

Anne Crawford-Clarke said...

Great question Molly. I went through a fairly dark, stagnent time where I really questioned why I even bothered to keep coming to meetings and frequenting sites like eharlequin. But the bottom line was, I couldn't NOT go. I missed a few, and it bothered me, so I eliminated the things that were preventing me from attending, hooked up with a really great friend and now I hate to miss them. It still happens sometimes when I just can't shift my schedule around, but ultimately those two things kept me wanting to write, even when I wasn't physically ABCing (Apply Butt to Chair)
Reading is a big help for me, especially in the genre I'm writing at the time. And rewatching movies I love.
I never saw Waterworld, but I did see most of the Postman and kinda liked it.

Wylie Kinson said...

Reading. Reading. Reading. A really good, well written, well plotted story kicks my butt into gear everytime!

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