Because I've Never Got Enough on my Plate

You know that feeling you get when you realize you've done something crazy? I'm surprised I'm not used to it yet.

My Sam and I have been talking about writing a script together for almost two years now. We wanted to write a screenplay about pirates. Why? Because we love pirates. Two years later, and we've not only managed to keep from writing a single word of the script, we hardly have a plot. Those years have come and gone and every once in awhile we would tell each other, "we really need to think about our pirate script and come up with a plot."

So, when Script Frenzy came around this year, we did the sensible thing. We decided not to use that script and to simply go with a novel we're in the process of writing together. Jokingly referred to as The Romantic Plot Trasher, or RPT. Okay, we always refer to it as The Romantic Plot Trasher. It has no other name. We called it this because one night I said I felt like writing something with a little romance (I have my moments), so did she. We didn't want to worry about plot. Put the two together and what do you get? Well, if you were the both of us, it would come out The Romantic Plot Trasher.

However, me, being the mostly rather un-romantic writer I am, the romance didn't last long. In fact, by the end of the first scene we discovered it was completely dead. Car crashes just come out of nowhere sometimes.

I'm not sure how long we've been working on this together, but we're only reached a few thousand words. The long and short of it is, we've got a loose idea of where the story is going, but it's a plot trasher. We have no idea what we're doing. Neither of us has ever ventured into the screenwriting world. We just wanna have some fun.

If you want to follow us, or are doing Script Frenzy yourself, my username is GeorgiePenn.

God Given Style

Everyone has different ways of developing and writing their novels. That's just the way we are as humans. God installed something in writers that makes their heart sing when they were supposed to be asleep four hours ago, but stayed up to finish a scene they just couldn't wait to get down. He thought it best not to add that feature to others... goes to prove God truly does know best.

So, we've established that God made writers, and a whole bunch of other people. He didn't stop there though. Within the group of writers He decided to give them each their own style and method. He gave them character. Set one apart from the other.

The fun thing here is that He didn't tell them from the beginning what that style was. He let them grow, learn, and discover for themselves, and, well, the fact of the matter is... I'm still in the discovery stage. I think a lot of people still are and don't even realize it.

If you're unsure what stage you're at, read the following quotes that are rather popular among the "believing they've discovered" stage. If you've ever said, or thought any of them, read on.

"I've only ever written one genre. I don't have to try others, I already know this one is my style."

"I write all my novels the same way. I don't have to try anything different. My method works perfectly."

"I always have a female/male main character. It's just what I know best."

Oh dear. Oh my. I know these sayings so well because I've heard them in so many places, including coming from my own mouth. In the last year, I've learned differently. It started back when I began to realize writing was more then just a small hobby for me. It was something bigger.

I read books on writing. I read blogs on writing, and I continued to write myself. As I found myself writing more and more, I was inspired to try new concepts, new characters, and even new genre's.

Where as before I had remained with fantasy and only fantasy, I discovered historical fiction and sci-fi. My main characters were all girls. Now the role of MC varies so much, it's hard to say which gender I use more often. I once told myself a novel required no planning, or outlining. I'd heard so often that the characters will write the story for you, if you just give them the chance (which I do believe is true, to an extent). What I now consider to be my best novel was around nine months in the planning before I began to write.

I would still return to fantasy as my main genre, but now I've tried something different. I know that out of the genre's I've tried, fantasy will always be home. For now.

I encourage you to branch out and discover. God knows your style, but He can't prove to you what it is if you refuse to try it. I once thought writing couldn't become any more fun. I was wrong. I once thought I couldn't do anything else with my writing. I was wrong. I'm willing to bet you may be wrong as well.

When do you stop searching though? This could go on forever, and I believe it should. You can always learn new things, but only if you're willing to step out from your comfort zone of fantasy and try something new. I doubt I'll ever be done with this hunt. That would leave no room for development, and no matter how good my writing may get, it can always be better.

Then again, God made me just a little different then all the other writers out there. Maybe I'm the only one on this road of discovery. God gave me a style... He gave you a style. Do you know what it is?

Unknown

When I saw the trailer for the movie Unknown I got pretty excited. Liam Neeson (awesome person), with a case of stolen identity. It looked like it had car chases, and plenty of scary secrets to discover. It's a thriller, one of my favorite genres.

So, last night, I went and saw Unknown. I was slightly disappointed.

"Do you know what it feels like to become insane? It's a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are... Which do you think wins?" -Martin Harris

Breaking it down into three sections here. Directing/filming, acting, and plot.

Directing/Filming

This was the first Jaume Collet-Serra (director) film I've seen. That doesn't surprise me after glancing at his IMDb page. It looks like he's into horror. Anyway, I was impressed. I loved how he worked in Martin's mind, with the flashbacks and memories. Even in the present it was really cool how you saw things through the character's eyes, putting you in their position.

Flavio Martinez Labiano held the position of cinematographer. Another name I wasn't familiar with, but then again, I'm just starting to get to where I recognize names from those in the crew. I loved the shots in this though, how the whole thing was filmed. The lighting was a little different, but it fit the story so it almost wasn't even noticeable.

Acting

It's Liam Neeson, what can I say? He was amazing? Moving on to everyone else, they were all great actors as well. The beautiful Diane Kruger held her own. The only other thing I've seen her in is, of course, the National Treasure movies. Although she does a good job in those, it's not a performance that I would rate as outstanding. This was. She went up a few notches in my book.

Plot

I'm sure by now you're wondering why I was disappointed with the film. Seems I was happy with everything so far. We can't forget the plot though, it's one of the main things that makes a movie. Oliver Butcher & Stephen Cornwell wrote the screenplay. I liked it when I was just looking at what was going on in that moment, but when you step back and look at the whole thing, things change. First of all, there were several moments where there was a serious lull. If you can't keep things moving, don't write thrillers. Second, and my main annoyance, as it got further into the movie I started to realize, this is a lot like the Bourne Identity. Yeah, it's got it's own little twists, and new characters, but the main story was still there. I understand there's nothing new under the sun, but it is possible to put a new spin on things. This didn't have enough of a spin to set it apart. Not only that, I think the Bourne Identity was an all around better film.

So, if you're ever faced with the choice of Unknown, or the Bourne Identity and you just can't decide, take my advice and go with Matt Damon (awesome person). Despite Liam Neeson's epic aura, he just couldn't bring Unknown up to my expectations.

Beautiful People - Exie

(If you haven't checked out the new blog thing Sky and I are hosting, be sure to click the image above to find out what it's all about!)
I didn't get much feedback on my question of which character I should do this months Beautiful People on. Good thing I've got Sky. She made up my mind for me.
A little information on this character before we get started. She is one of the main characters in my NaNo novel for 2010 (read about The Way We Think HERE), therefore, she has power. A superpower. This superpower is to influence the feelings of those around to her to what she's feeling. The side affect, she has mood swings. She also grew up on First World, which happens to be a world several hundred years ahead of our own. Grant, Luna, Weston, and Ranen are her best friends.
Just to give you an idea of Exie's style...

Exie Shile by GeorgiePenn featuring bermuda shorts

Okay, here we go.
What is your characters full name? Exie Sarah Shile
Does his/her name of a special meaning?I chose the names Exie, and Shile purely because I felt they fit the character. Although, Exie does mean "defending men," which is slightly fitting. Considering she's a superhero. Sarah, however, does have a special significance. It happens to be the name of one of my best friends. Exie just happens to be a lot like this amazing person. You know who you are.
Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality?Would you look at that, I'm already learning new things about Exie. Hadn't really thought about this before and I've already finished the novel she's in, but I digress. It completely depends on what area of her life, but for the most part she tends to be rather disorganized. That being said she's an organized, disorganized kind of person. Her clutter has a meaning to it.
Does he/she think inside themselves more than they talk out loud to their friends? (more importantly, does he/she actually have friends?)Well, Exie's superpower makes it hard for her to keep her thoughts to herself. Everyone knows what she's feeling at any given moment. She does have friends though, four really close ones that are more like siblings. Even without her power she would probably tell them anything. Especially so for Luna, the one she's probably the closest to.
Is there something he/she is afraid of?

"Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone." -C. S. Lewis

I think this quote sums it up pretty well. She's afraid of losing those she loves, and she's afraid of being alone. Thankfully, her relationship with the Lord has assured she never will be.
Does he/she write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph?Oh, yes, yes, yes. The only one that doesn't fit her is dance.
What is his/her favorite book? (or genre of book)Weston gave her a very old book one time. He told her it had once been considered a classic, long, long, ago. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Its been her favorite ever since, although she hasn't really told anyone else about it. Weston's the only person who knows she has it, and even he doesn't know how special it is to her.
Who is his/her favorite author and/or someone that inspires him/her?C. S. Lewis is her favorite author, and Grant is someone who inspires her. She's looked up to him ever since she met him, and he inspires her to step out of her shell and go for the things she may not have the chance to take again.
Favorite flavor of ice cream?Mocha.
Favorite season of the year?Spring/Summer. She does enjoy the winter, but only for a short time before she's longing for the warm summer days once again.

Getting to Know Your Beautiful People

Beautiful People. It's a new blog thing Sky and I are starting. For writers. For the characters they've created. To discover more about their beautiful people.

<a href="http://www.furtherup-and-furtherin.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQqkSK73j3-6YSR6xrIhqDpYncTrjqnw0vFAIEmKJ0WyMM65ZK0ZCz52gGRWFuYKhS3Yd8GHHSBX8uR0-PCBRTUiyYXBpZ9DB1mAkeV7LD-cFI41aTn-hH4AB2JMhd5Jd7U_nWYK4g4o/s1600/beautiful+people+blog+button2-1.jpg" /></a>

So, lets cut to the cheese. Hows this work?

Once a month Sky and I will be posting a list of 10 questions for you to answer about your characters. You can use the same character every month, or choose a new one for each set of questions. Your call. You can answer all the questions, just one, or however many you have the time and energy to answer. Just go for it and have fun.

This months questions are...

1. What is your characters full name?
2. Does his/her name of a special meaning?
3. Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality?
4. Does he/she think inside themselves more than they talk out loud to their friends? (more importantly, does he/she actually have friends?)
5. Is there something he/she is afraid of?
6. Does he/she write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph?
7. What is his/her favorite book? (or genre of book)
8. Who is his/her favorite author and/or someone that inspires him/her?
9. Favorite flavor of ice cream?
10. Favorite season of the year?

Now, my questions for you is, which character of mine would you like to learn more about? I can't decide so I thought I'd leave the choice up to you. You can read short bios of your choices HERE.

Half the fun will be reading about other unique characters, so after you've posted your answers come back to either mine, or Sky's blog and join the Linky!

Life is an Occasion

Strange fact about me: one of my all time favorite movies is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

Dustin Hoffman (one of my favorite actors, and on my list of awesome people), Natalie Portman, a Mutant, and a toy store. I'm telling you, that's an incredible combination.

One of the things I love the most about this movie is its simple theme of living your life to the fullest. Being you, not what people expect you to be. After all, as Mr. Magorium says...

"Life is an occasion. Rise to it."

This was not a movie I expected to be impressed with. In all honesty, I thought it would be cheesy and poorly made. Since then I've watched it to many times to count. I have a tendency of quoting it in every day conversations and not thinking twice about it. The humor, the choice of words, and the lack of a predictable romance just add all that much more to the collection. I could go on for awhile, but I won't. I'll leave you with this quote. Probably my favorite in the entire film.

"When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written 'He dies.' That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is 'He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with 'He dies." And yet, every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words 'He dies,' but because of the life prior to the words." -Mr. Magorium

Just The Facts

Hi. I'm just here to say...

• God is good. Without a doubt.
• The Oregon coast is to beautiful to put into words and inspires like you wouldn't believe.
• Second families can bless you more then you would ever imagine possible.
• Writing song lyrics in giant letters on the beach was added and scratched from my bucket list in one day.
• It is possible to get a book, copyright date 1908, for a dollar.
• Adorable four year old boys on horseback melt my heart.
• Coming home from a trip to find a brand new MacBook Pro on my bed would make my night. Oh wait... it did.

Little Known Facts About Georgie Penn

One of the things I love about blogging is the different people you "meet." I found Mrs. Kraft's blog through one of my all time favorite blogs to read. (life is to short not to) wear red shoes. Seriously, this girl makes my day every time I see she's posted. You should check out both blogs, 'cuase they are both awesome.

Imagine the day I find this new blog, she is hosting a blog party. A blog party I can participate in! Always lots of fun.

What celebrity/celebrities would create a "Star-Struck" feeling if you saw them in real life?

The truth is, there are several. The first ones that come to mind are all the guys from Celtic Thunder. One of my very few celebrity fandoms.

Another one would be Steven Spielberg.

Call me a nerd, but there you have it.

What is your comfort food/drink?

To tell you the truth, I don't really have one. Food has never really been something I've turned to when I need comfort. I guess if I had to choose one though, it would be ice cream

. I love ice cream.

Be brave - tell us something very random about yourself.

Ever since reading Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of Four, I don't like to have the blinds on my window up after dark. Every time I glance up and see it I see an ugly fact plastering itself against the glass. Yes. This is the affect Sherlock Holmes has on me. Yes, I still read Sherlock Holmes and enjoy it to the utmost.

Do you have a strong desire to do something you've never done? What is it?

Where should I start? I have a huge bucket list people. A small sample for your enjoyment...

• Visit Australia
• Learn to play the saxophone
• Direct a play if not a movie
• Take a ride (or three) in a hot air balloon

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite

genres?

I enjoy almost any genera of movies setting aside horror and westerns (although there are one, or two westerns I like). My favorites would have to be thrillers and comedies. I humorous thriller makes my day.

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?

Ah! Books! Books! My kingdom for some books! (You can ignore that if you wish, kiddos if you know what I'm talking about) Once again, I love almost any kind of book. My favorites in fiction are fantasy, thrillers, and historical fiction. I also love reading non-fiction on writing and film. True stories are always neat too!

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?

For the longest time I was a country girl and only a country girl (Don't take this the wrong way. I can't stand Taylor Swift's music). In the last year however I've began to branch out. I still love country, but Celtic Thunder, Josh Groban, and Owl City have shown me a new kind of music and I do have to say, I'm in love. I also enjoy film scores, oldies, and folk.

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?

Oregon. I love Oregon. My second choice would be the village they call the Moy in Ireland. Just so I could say, "I live in the village they call the Moy."... and because I love Ireland

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?

Leather. Journals, saddles, boots, they all send me into ecstasy.

What are your favorite animals?

Once upon a time I wouldn't have had to answer this. You would be able to tell as soon as you saw my blog. Alas, even though I love the animal just has much, writing has taken over in my blogging life. To answer the question, "The wind of heaven is that which blows between a

horse's ears." -Arabian Proverb

What movie or book character can you most relate to?

This will sound strange, but I believe the answer to this question

would be Edmund Pevensie. Yes, the boy who turns on his siblings for want of attention and power. Honestly though, while others were talking about how terrible he was for doing it, I was telling myself I probably would have done the same thing. Not because I don't like my family, or feel I need power, but because I'm human. I fall. I make mistakes. The great thing about Edmund is he learned his lesson and in the books to come he is stronger then ever because of it. A character to admire for realizing his wrong's and letting "Aslan" change his life for the better. I can easily imagine how he felt as the White Witch offered him everything he thought he wanted, and how he felt when he realized what a mistake he had made.