Take One!

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a script for my novel, Net Switch. Since I am working on several projects, this ‘idea’ is on the back burner for the time being. Even so, I’ve seen samples of scripts and movie quotes to get a sense of how a script is laid out. I have no idea how to write a script, nor do I have the software, but I can’t help being intrigued by the formatting and writing. 

Then I ask myself, “What will you do with the script when you’re done?” The answer is, “I have no idea”. Trying to publish a book the traditional route is difficult, but trying to get it made into a movie is close to impossible unless you have connections.  So, do I write to quench my desire to write the script, or is it a waste of time?

Here are two separate scenes from one of my favorite 80’s movies, The Sure Thing.

Professor Taub: [commenting on students' papers] Miss Bradbury. You, on the other hand, you express your ideas very clearly. Except that, your paper is dry, Alison. There's not enough of *you* coming through. Loosen up, Alison. Have some fun! Yes, sleep when you feel like it, not when you think you should. Eat food that is bad for you - at least once in a while. Have conversations with people whose clothes are not color coordinated.

[class laughs]

Professor Taub: Make love in a hammock!

[class hoots, hollers, and high-fives]

Professor Taub: Life is the ultimate experience, and you have to live it to write about it.

[Alison raises her hand]

Professor Taub: Yes, Alison?

Alison Bradbury: What did you say after "hammock?"

Gib: [talks to Alison while she swims] I flunk English, I'm outta here. Kiss college goodbye. I don't know what I'll do. Dad will be pissed off. Mom will be heartbroken. If I play my cards right, I get maybe a six-month grace period and then I gotta get a job, and you know what that means.

[Alison ignores him]

Gib: That's right, they start me at the drive-up window and I gradually work my way up from shakes to burgers, and then one day my lucky break comes: the french fry guy dies and they offer me the job! But the day I'm supposed to start, some men come by in a black Lincoln Continental and tell me I can make a quick 300 just for driving a van back from Mexico! When I get out of jail I'm 36 years old. Living in a flop house. No job. No home. No upward mobility. Very few teeth. And then one day they find me, face down, talking to the gutter, clutching a bottle of paint thinner. And *why*? Because *you* wouldn't help me in English, no! You were too busy to help me! Too busy to help a drowning man!

[he falls into the pool]

This movie is full of humor and the writing is pretty good compared to some other 80’s movies. I’m not a descriptive writer, so I thought I might do all right with a script.

Is there a genre you’ve been interested in attempting? What are your favorite movie scenes?

Scripts and Chances,

Bea

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

I’ve recently read a disturbing discussion on Goodreads. It seems some readers/reviewers are taking advantage of the ‘glimpse of a book’ opportunity—a growing trend with Amazon reviews. Some people are reviewing books based off the 10% downloaded sample or from the “Look Inside”. The discussion on Goodreads states that a few one-star reviews acknowledge their review is based off the sample. If this is true, it affects the overall star rating.

According to the person who started the discussion, she stated that during a 20-minute browse session on Amazon, she came across five books that received a one-star based off the sample. I spent about 15 minutes and didn’t find any.

If this is truly a trend, and it continues, some of these so-called sample reviewers might not even reveal it’s from the sample. I think it’s horrible that people might want to boost their review stats on Amazon, or people are cheap enough to read samples of books instead of purchasing them. To take the time to give a poor star rating and review of a book you hadn’t read is shameful. Amazon shouldn’t even be allowing such reviews. Reviews are important for all products, especially for Indie Authors who are trying to build an audience.

Have you heard about this new trend? Would you report an Amazon review if you saw it was based off a sample?

Opportunity and Robbery,

Bea

The Last of April's Poems

In my early years of college, when we started reading poetry from the classic poets, I was drawn to Walt Whitman. The weird thing is I can’t remember why. I can’t even remember what poem fascinated me about him. But since I’ve often thought about why I like Walt Whitman, I thought I’d end April, National Poetry Writing Month, with a Whitman poem. I picked this poem because I love the title and how he speaks of a country’s flag.

Bathed In War's Perfume

BATHED in war's perfume--delicate flag!
(Should the days needing armies, needing fleets, come again,)
O to hear you call the sailors and the soldiers! flag like a
beautiful woman!
O to hear the tramp, tramp, of a million answering men! O the ships
they arm with joy!
O to see you leap and beckon from the tall masts of ships!
O to see you peering down on the sailors on the decks!
Flag like the eyes of women.

Patriotism and Poetry,

Bea

I Used to Dance

I wrote this today and decided to make a slideshow out of it with me reading the poem. It’s a free verse poem called, I Used to Dance. It's something different. I hope you like it.

I also want to share an audio piece with you. The rhythm is so upbeat that it makes me want to dance, AND, most importantly, it’s my grandmother singing.