Quirky Monday: New Fluff

So Galavant is back on.

And so is Downton Abbey.

And Reign.

And there’s a new period show called Mercy Street that airs right after Downton.

And the other day at work, where we get to let music blare so long as A) you’re in the right department(media, in this case) and B)it doesn’t blare too loud, I found a Savage Garden album and listened to it all shift. (Savage Garden was my high school obsession. Yes, I’m that old. And we move on…)

Oh yes, and MTV’s Shannara Chronicles has become my Tuesday night TV show after my Shadowhunters fluff-fest(yes, there are a lot of new things I’m watching—it is not my fault all these new shows premiered at more or less the same time, leave me alone :3)

What do all these things have in common? All contribute to my next project.

Remember that one time I said that I have to work on multiple projects or all go nuts; because I’m just that weird? Well, as it happens, that is what this is. Gray Market is my “heavy project” and this new one is my “fluffy project”.

And my “fluffy project” really is that. Fluff.

If Gray Market  is Katie McGarry and my attempt at a romantic drama/urban fantasy take two, then this fluff Galavant meets Austen/Lauren Willig/Shanara—and a fairy tale. Because, really, who can resist a guy in breeches/ frock coat/ leather/ tunic/ all of the above? Not me. Especially if some of them look like this:

Guys, I am super excited about this project. I haven’t written something that is pure fluff in a very long time—and that is what this project feels like.

Research requirements? Minimal to none(this realm has no magic system, so I don’t have to worry about that; but it does have a class system and a monarchy, so there’s those rules to consider—and languages. I have to figure out what those sound like).

Music? I’ll post that later—it’s the fluffiest yet!

And it has Amazons! 

Ok, it has female warriors that resemble the Amazons.

And pirates!

And royalty!

And spies, conspirators, scrappy female runaway slaves(who may or may not resemble certain Reign characters in my head right now)….

Yes, a fairy tale.

Without a title.

But that comes later. 

Tidbit Tuesday: Cameos Galore From the "Writing Closet"

I was having one of those days yesterday where I go back through all my projects to find something to revise because if I didn't I'd do go nuts.

This was after I had spend four hours baking things. My roommates love me, and there is a lot of refined sugar stuff in our apartment--let see if it lasts a week.

Anyhoo.....

As I was going through my projects, I made a discovery--or rather, a lot of discoveries. Check this out:

• Nick Callahan and Johnny Moreno in "Angels Alley". Davey, Dutch, Ash, and Gyp featured
• Davey and Mark in "Not a Criminal". Nick, Johnny and Gyp featured
• Ash featured in "Spider's Web"
• Dutch, featured as an Adult, in "Alley Cats"(with Johnny)
• Davey, Mark, and Gyp(under another name) featured in "Like Wolves"
• Alexis Callahan(Nick's relative) and Max("Maxie") in "Bright Smoke" and "Angel's Alley" 
• Milo(from "Simpatico") is related to Johnny(from "Angels Alley")
• Kiki and Eve("Polterguys") are descendants of Ivy(Kiki) and Julia(Eve) from "Angels Alley" How's that last one for weird?

For some reason, these people insist on getting a relative into whatever story is being told at the time. I've even got relatives of these people in my fantasy stuff(figure that one out).

You guys.

I am unwittingly writing a multi-generational, multi-genre, family saga.

It's weird.

***This discovery has been brought to you by chocolate bread, mint brownies, and cake balls****

Quirky Monday: Open the Door

When I'm with a guy, I expect him to open my door.

All of them.

Whether it's a date, or not.

How's that for weird?

I went to shoot a publicity video with a friend once, and he parked the car, and walked across the parking lot. And left me in the car. I waited maybe two minutes before he texted me "are you coming?" and I texted him "I don't know, are you going to open the door?" And the same thing happened when he drove me home. When did open the door to let me in, he said "it isn't a date".

I'm sorry. Does it have to be a date to open the door? Personally, I don't think so.

With four brothers, who have opened the doors for me, my sister, and my mom from the time they were three(and trust me, there is nothing more adorable than a chubby three-year-old-wrestling with a door three times his size and stubbornly insisting "No! Do self!").

Maybe they ruined it for me, I don't know. But I happen to like when even random stranger guys open the door for me.

I'm the weird female that stands in front of the door when she sees a male behind her to see if he'll open the door for her. 

Nuts, right?

Yes, guys, I'm a snob.

It doesn't have to be a date for a guy to open the door for a girl. 

The end. 

Name of the Game From the "Writing Closet": What The People I Write Do To Me. For Fun.

Post title sounds racy, huh?

I swear, it isn't what you think ^_^

My characters so enjoy allowing me to transcribe their quirky and sometimes uncomfortable situations.

Don't ask me why, I get this weird little thrill out of it, is all. They tell the story, and I write it down; and I know I'm not the only one. Take this, for example(thanks again to Lauren Willig):

I KNOW RIGHT?!

And don't tell me a guy doesn't have instances like that; and if you say they haven't y'all are lying.

It's not just the romantic bits either(although it is pretty fun to write men who are stumbling over their words in certain situations). Sometimes it's the things they say. Like these--from Supernatural:

The best part is when those characters come off the page and up into the stage--or the screen, or in the reader's heads--in all their entertaining glory.  I have a friend who's world premiere  is coming up in about two weeks(and if you're in the Arizona area, you can get tickets to said world premiere by following this shameless Brelby plug here). I haven't read his script, nor is it very likely I will be able to see it--stupid airfare and hotel prices and life being what it is--but knowing him, and knowing the creative team and actors involved, the show will be killer(yes, that pun was also intended, and if you follow the link, you'll know why)! 

And, because we're all friends on Facebook, I do get to see little bits of the process. Like the mini-video of one character dumping water on the sleeping head of another character. Which, by the way, I have watched eight times; and it still makes me laugh(thank you Instagram). 

Yes, yes, I know that something like this gets done off the stage as well as on, but there is nothing more fun for a writer to do: to sit back and transcribe this story with all it's little quirks, and odd situations, and dramatics and the occasional scene where the males...punch each other for recreational purposes(thanks Lauren Willig for that one; and no, I have no idea why I get such a kick out of that--pun intended!). 

Writer's get to hear and see the whole story before everyone else. We get insight into the lives of people with stories to tell--and we are the first audience they get to entertain. There are times when I am nowhere near any writing utensil of any kind--laptop included--and I get this little scene in my head that A) puts a big stupid grin on my face; B) has my emotions all in a tangle and/ or C) experiencing and adrenaline rush that has nothing to do with the events of my day. 

Guys, I'm not just weird.

I'm a writer. 

Writers get to know the most interesting people, both inside and outside of our heads.

Is it any wonder we have the coolest dang jobs/hobbies in the world?

Tidbit Tuesday: New Year, New Project, New Research

Now that the GRE is over, and all I'm worrying about at the moment is work, I get to go back to doing what I love--writing twenty-four seven. Because I can.

See, this year I'm starting another project; because, let's face it, I'm a playwright and have to be writing or I'll--keel over and die probably :p Anyhoo....This project is new, so this means I get new research material for said new project, because artists need stuff like that(yay muses!)

My Angels Alley cycle relied on the films of the 40s, with special attention paid to the likes of Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney.

Polterguys relied on The Addams Family, and Friends.

NaNoWriMo was a super binge on Urban Fantasy, Rob Thurman's books, and lots of Breaking Benjamin Albums(thank you Youtube).

My newest project obviously has to have new muse and new inspiration, and this one is kinda nice. It's a little throwback to last year of high school and first couple of years of college. I fell in love with this show after one episode, and spent the next couple of days reading up on it so I could understand what was going on--as I discovered it after the end of the third season(I saw the finale as a re-run). It was what everybody who watched CW loved on Monday nights and had clothes and glitter and pretty people and things. The show? Gossip Girl.

I posted about my wild crush on the show's Bad Boy Gossip Girl Chuck Bass earlier on this blog, but that isn't really the reason I'm using this show as media muse for this new project. I'm going contemporary with this one, so I've picked this show and a new author that will keep my muse fed:

Katie McGarry.

If Lauren Willig is my go to for entertainment elsewhere, then Katie McGarry is my YA contemporary fix. Katie writes like "Gossip Girl"--only she does it via the good girl/bad boy or bad girl/good boy romantic duo.....Yeah, ok, fine; it's exactly like Gossip Girl.

But I digress.

This project is contemporary, and deals with things I haven't written about before. There's more, but I think I've given you enough of a tidbit today.  Except for one thing: I'll give you the title.

GRAY MARKET