Housewives and Dreams (did you get that Cocktail reference???)

So I’ve been pretty good working my way though my Book Architecture project for "The Legacy".  I'm committed to making this book better and giving it the one last shot I think it deserves and then sending it back out into the world, in a version that barely resembles the original, which I think is a very good thing.

So, if you’re writing a book or just have a random interest in how the hell to attack a revision, read on my friend.  If you have zero interest in that and are just here for some pop culture blabbering, just jump down below the pictures…you can start there! 

Okay, so here’s the short version of the Book Architecture Revision Method (so far).  Part One is "99 Scenes in the Right Order" (kind of like 99 Problems.  But not.)  

So first up, you write down all the scenes that you can, from memory.  Just a little something that clicks your memory for that scene.  And when you think you've got everything, print out the whole book out and go through page-by-page to see which scenes

were forgotten.  I actually did pretty well on this part and didn't leave too much out.  (Yeah me!  Pat on the back and a little reward.)  Add the scenes you forgot, and make sure every scene is accounted for.  

Now that the list is complete, run over them with a highlighter to decide what’s good (not perfect, but good enough for now).  What’s bad (needs work, needs to change, doesn’t quite sit right…you get the gist).  The forgotten (there’s probably a reason and that probably is a good sign that those scenes can go).  And if you’re feeling inspired, what’s missing (which you may not know now, or you might. This is the work in process part.)  I've added four scenes and actually changed one of my victims to someone else.  (And yes, if you're new to reading me, my book is a mystery so killing people is totally legit.

And when that part is done, you cut everything up.  Literally.

I oddly found this liberating and exciting. I'm a fan of taking it apart to put it back together again.  

  

So that’s where I am.  Everything is cut apart.  Now it’s time to dig even deeper into each scene.  This is also where it starts to get hard, but as the saying goes, nothing worth having comes easy.

And sometimes the mind just needs a break.  So there’s this:   

***HINT HINT HINT - If you don't give a hoot about writing START HERE***

I’m all caught up on The Real Housewives of Orange-you-Crazy, though oddly enough for some reason I have yet to chime in on it.  How have I been letting this opportunity pass me by each week??? 

Well….truth be told…I’m a smidge apathetic about this season.    It’s a bit on the odd side, feels a bit scripted (I know…how is that possible with REALITY TV??).  Allow me to revise that…it feels more scripted than usual.  And I can’t quite wrap my what-feels-sane-head around it. There’s so much going on yet it’s the same stuff over and over and I feel like it’s not all in context yet, so I’m just going to bullet what’s happened so far.  Maybe after another few eps I can really analyze the hell out of it, in an obsessive, unhealthy way.  So here we go:

• Tamra and Vicky have a wine business together.  When did that happen? And it’s called “Wine with Wives” or something like that, yet neither of them is married anymore.  (Awk-ward) But they also seem to hate each other.  And when they are setting up the office Vicky isn’t there.  And apparently she has a vodka coming out??  How does a person do that?  Can I make Audrey’s Vodka by slapping my name on some Belvedere? Color me confused. 
• Two words - Chin implant.  “It’s not about what Slade said.”  Yet so obviously the exact reason why she got it done.
• Alexis.  Will.  Never.  Learn. 
• Three words – General Hospital cameo.  (LMAO)
• And the other ladies aren’t bullies.  They were trying to be honest but you and your cubic zirconia are just too soft to see it.  (Or hear it.)
• I like Gretchen and Tamra as friends.  They totally crack me up and seem like they can get into all sorts of funny drunk trouble.  Still not liking Slade and his “buying” Gretchen a Rolls, but since we know that in the present tense they get engaged, I’m even less interested in him than I was before.  And bummed to know she won’t be dumping his Real Househusband ass.
• Brooks.  Shudder.  Ick.  Why?  Dump.  Him.  Now.
• Lydia.  I don’t know what to say about her. I found her squeaking noises and crazy eyes a bit off-putting at first.  But when she started to talk about how ridic Alexis is I kind of liked her a little more.  And the fact that she talks about what an insane pothead her mom was (is?) I kind of like her even more.
• But then I’m realizing her entire storyline may boil down to trying to get Alexis to forgive the rest of the gals and all be gal pals again and the whole, “I don’t get angry when my Mom smokes pot”.  Except she does get angry and resents her Mom for wanting to live in the land of the bunnies.  (Apparently it’s much happier there, in case you were wondering.)
• Happy to see the return of Laurie.  I always liked her.  I was hoping she would spread new Slade dirt.  No such luck.  But kind of oddly pleased that her formerly troubled kids are doing well. 
• Heather.  She had me last season.  She won me for life with “anyone who says blondes have more fun hasn’t met me yet.”  Cheers to that, my brunette sister!
• I also thoroughly enjoy Heather on her radio show and on Hot In Cleveland (or at least the part they showed on RHOOC).  “I’m gonna cut you like bad bangs, bitch.” Bravo!

But then I am also full of questions:  

• Will Tamra’s gym ever open? 
• Why do Housewives keep bring psychic-types to cleanse their house?  Tamra.  That little lady in DC who ran the modeling agency.  Taylor in BH.  Is this the new fad?  Will Tamra marry Eddie?  What happened to her flock of children?  Though happy to not have to see Ryan and his inner lip tattoo. 
• Will Gina come back on the scene and stir trouble and have another drink-toss?
• Will Alexis ever get a clue?  Will Jim ever, well, stop being Jim? 

God help me, but I can’t wait to find out!  And if you didn't get the Cocktail reference, look it up.  Horrid movie.  I watched it so many times because of my love for Elizabeth Shue.  

Where There's Life, There's Hope. And Hopefully Lots of Writing!

Someone in my Facebook circle posted a link to this column by Regina Brett.  It’s from a few years back, but I’m always game for some life lessons…..some perspective….and a persistent reminder that writers, write.  And not only on Wednesday’s.

From #18 and everything before and after…..hope you can find some inspiration or solace or truth or an a-ha moment!  Or maybe it'll just kill five minutes.  Either way, happy list reading!

45 Life Lessons and 5 To Grow On:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15.  Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

That's life for you.  And of course, that means there's a song.

"It's funny how I find myself in love with you....it's my life!"

Wednesday Nights - From Wild to Not So Much

Back when I was a frosh in college, Wednesday night was known as “Wild Wednesdays” at Who’s On First, a delightful little dive-of-a-bar by Fenway Park.  It was 18 to party….21 to drink.  Which obviously meant, if you were a girl with a pulse you could drink. 

And in a 'holy crap' moment...it appears
this place is still there!

I know the pulse test to be true, because when I first got to BU not only was I not-quite-18, but I also didn’t have Driver’s License to prove I was only 17.  It was a college ID and a smile.  And BAM!  Wild.  Wednesdays.  (And always, ALWAYS, terrible, miserable Thursday mornings in my COM101 class.) 

But fast-forward a few lot of years and, oh! how the mighty have fallen.  There’s not going to be any question of “who’s on first?” tonight.  More like “who’s on the couch?”.   What can I say? Older and wiser, perhaps.  But really it’s suburban visit + snowy storm + I’m far more selective with my nights out no desire right now to rage.

In the years after college, when I knew deep down I wanted to write, but was too afraid to openly pursue it, I used to devour all sorts of writing advice and books.  My dad actually turned my onto this column in The New York Times, called “Writers on Writing”.  (In case the title wasn’t clear enough, it was writers…well…talking about writing.) And that’s kind of where I’m stealing my new Wednesday theme from….Writing on Wednesday.

I devoured the NYT column.  Because I was eager. And obsessed. And convinced that if I read enough great articles about writing by the writers I admired (and even those I didn’t necessarily count amongst my favorites but from who I gleaned some wonderful writing-life lessons) that I too could become a greater writer in my own right.  (God, that was a little bit of a painful sentence…write….right…right?). 

Now I realize some people might think I’m puffing my little ego by calling myself a writer, but someone once said, “If you write, you’re a writer”.  So there you go.

Anyway…while I by no means have the authority to talk about the craft of writing per say (partially because I though “persay” was one big word until spellcheck just spellchecked my ass in this writing moment.). But for me, Wednesdays are my days to write about writing…..writers I love, books I’m reading or want to be reading, quotes or inspirations about writing, ideas I’m tossing around and all that great stuff.

Now, I’ve oddly managed to have a smidge of self-control in Barnes & Noble these days and have even managed to part with some books that were collecting dust and taking up some very valuable real estate on my bookshelf….books that I will never read once (never mind again) or books that I ditched part way through.  Out with the old and in with the new.

So here’s what’s on the nightstand….or on deck for nightstand status….these days…..

Something Old:

I am the girl who will watch a movie three times over.  And a TV episode twice that.  And who will reread books over and over, even though I know how the story ends.  I’m also the girl who doesn’t understand people who don’t follow this same behavior, but that’s a head case for another day.

So, while clocking some quality time at the parents this holiday season, I made a promise to them (and myself) to go through some final boxes of stuff that are living out their years in the basement. There are lots of letters and pictures from my college and high school days (and I would probably die if my parents read any of them, so thank God they have major respect for privacy).

But my main selfish goal was to find a book I knew I had, that I didn’t bring to NYC with me all those years ago – The Robber Bride. When I was first introduced to Margaret Atwood in college, but way of The Handmaid’s Tale, I can best describe the reading of that book as a total game changer.  In love with her writing style. Her storytelling. Her everything.  I became an instant fan.  And it was one of those ‘a-ha’ moments that solidified my desire to become a writer….to think “I want to write something that impacts some nineteen-year-old girl someday”.

When I read The Robber Bride there was no room for doubt.  Margaret Atwood has been on my admired-author list ever since.  I will admit I’ve lost touch with her books over the years, but saw a quote from The Robber Bride recently and, as usual, I became obsessed with getting it back.

I’m now so So SO excited to have my dog-eared, underlined copy back in my hands.  And even more excited to read it again at a whole different point in my life for a whole different perspective.  By far one of my most favorite things to do is reread and rediscover books that hit home with me….and to see what I get from them after years of life and new perspective….

Something New…

I just picked up Carole Radziwell’s What Remains.  I will full on confess my girl crush started early on in the latest RHONY’s season and when my friend M. told me about Carole’s Bravo blog, the crush got bigger.

I had every intention of getting this book sooner, but you know how that story goes.  And then a few weeks ago I was reading an interview with Chris Colfer and he listed Carole’s book on his “to read” list and it was like fate reminding me to get it.

I expect full tears, as it’s the true story of how her best friend, Caroline Bessette, and then her husband, both die within three weeks of each other.  It’s about pushing through and picking yourself up and how to go on when you feel like you can’t.  It sounds weird to say I’m excited to read this one, so will go with curious and very interested.

I’m also the girl who cries while watching those previously repeated movies…and TV shows….and books and hopefully will come out the other side with a new perspective and appreciation for things.

And something that is filled with clues….

I mentioned Alafair Burke not so long ago, when I was reading Never Tell a modern day mystery set in NYC that opens with a popular prep school girl being found in her bathtub, dead from a suicide.  Or was it murder?  I was hooked. 

In a major reading faux pas, I knew going in that this book was part of a series about Detective Ellie Hatcher…and was in fact the newest book in the series…yet went ahead and read it anyway, totally out of order.  Burn me at the stake. 

But the silver lining - in discovering a series in progress, I don’t have to wait impatiently for the next book to come out.  Still not playing by the rules, I bought the second and third books in the series and am about 100 pages into Angel’s Tip. The back jacket of the book - three girls come to NYC on a Spring Break trip of a lifetime.  One girl is found dead the next morning and Ellie and her partner work to find out the who, what, when, where and why.  So far, so great!

I have to say Alafair Burke’s books are fast-paced, somewhat twisty reads and am so happy to have a new author in the fold.

Three up.  One partway down. 

So what are you reading these days?  Any recommendations? I’m always on the lookout for the next best thing so please….tell me what’s on your reading list.

 Or your writing list if that's more your thing....