Indiana Jones: the Adventurer

"I can't go to Panama!"

The outcry caught my attention and I turned to watch one of the kids I was watching that day. He was talking to his friend. Last I had heard, they were playing Indiana Jones. Kids after my own heart.

"I can't take it back there! It's what made me an adventurer!"

If I had my way, the definition of adventurer would be "the kid word for archeologist." I'm gonna go re-write the dictionary now.

Alice - Then & Now

I've been reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland lately, and loving it! I've seen the original Disney movie, and the new one is one of my favorites, but I've never actually read the book completely.

The Dormouse had closed its eyes by this time and was going off into a doze; but on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with a little shriek, and went on: "that begins with an M, such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness -- you know you say things are 'much of a muchness' -- did you ever see such a thing as drawing of a muchness!"

This book has a lot of fun quotes, and I've been laughing through the whole thing.

"If you knew time as well as I do," said the Hatter, "you wouldn't talk about wasting it. It's him."

It's interesting to see, as always, what parts of the book they incorporated into the movie, and how the characters have changed over the years. I still love the Hatter, all versions. Alice on the other hand, I find her highly annoying in the book, while I adore her in the 2010 film.

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,

"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.

See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!

They are waiting on the shingle - will you come and join the dance?

Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?

Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, wo'n't you join the dance?

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be

When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"

But the snail replied "Too far, too far!", and gave a look askance--

Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.

Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.

"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.

The further off from England the nearer is to France--

Then turn not place, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.

Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?

Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, wo'n't you join the dance?"

Through the Looking-Glass is next.

Writing Updates

Although I posted the other day saying Sam and I were going to tackle Script Frenzy, we still weren't 100% positive if we would. We knew for sure this evening. The answer was yes. We were going to.

One small thing has changed, however. With both of us being insanely busy this month, we decided to go with the Young Writer's Program. Our goal is 50 pages by April 30. To start with at least. It could very easily grow depending on how well this goes.

Once again, you can keep up with our progress on our joint profile: pippinandsam. I'll also be updating here from time to time.

As for the rest of my writing... more to the point, as for The Way We Think (NaNoWriMo novel of 2010) things are going rather slowly. My goal to finish second draft is still set for June 1, but I think it's going to be a lot harder from here on out. I've reached the point where my plot wasn't thought out quiet as well and things were just kind of meshed together in order to get me those 50,000 words. I'm not really sure how I'm going to strengthen these weak areas, and the thought is daunting me. Put simply, I've got writers block, or editors block if you like.

I've reached 50,414 words in this draft though, and I'm not going to let a little thing like writer's block hold me back. I'm hoping a little brainstorming, a lot of sugar, and an over-active imagination will be able to figure something out in the near future. If not... I'm not sure what I'll do.

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

Inspiration Station

Last night as I opened my NaNo doc, I stared at the words that had been typed there. Where had they come from? What urged me to use them? Why did I start NaNo at all?

The simple answer was one word. Inspiration.

Inspiration: noun:

1. a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.
2. the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions.
3. the act of influencing or suggesting opinions.

If you're a regular reader of my blog you may have noticed I'm actually rather fond of the word inspiration. I have a whole category dedicated it. It just happens to be the one I use the most.

Maybe it's just because the feeling of being inspired to write something you're positive will be unlike anything you've ever written before never gets old. It's a feeling you can't describe, a feeling that doesn't leave till you do something about it. Inspiration.

Last night I scoured all of my resources and discovered the quotes, pictures, and music lyrics that have inspired me in the past. I collected them all into one document, and had it printed off. Then I cut them all out and plastered them all over my wall. I am now surrounded by the things that make me want to write something worth reading. Such as...

~~~

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

~~~

"Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" - The Mad Hatter

~~~

"These mist covered mountains

Are a home now for me

But my home is the lowlands

And always will be

Someday you'll return to

Your valleys and your farms

And you'll no longer burn

To be brothers in arms"

- Brothers in Arms

~~~

"Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you read it several times?" Mo said... "As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells... and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower... both strange and familiar." - Inkheart

The Power of Bubble Wrap

The thing I love the most about NaNoWriMo is everything random that goes along with it. The strange choices you make when it's late at night and you just want to reach your word goal before you fall over dead. Strange choices like bubble wrap.

Another excerpt from my NaNo novel.

~~~

She moved with an easy glide towards the last door, the gang following rather awkwardly behind. “The Practice Hall has been finished with bubble wrap so anyone wanting to practice using their power without putting others in danger can put their name on the schedule and get half hour sections.”

“Woah, what?” Ranen held up hand.

“Bubble wrap. A sheet thin plastic injected with pockets of air, used to wrap valuables in to keep them unharmed.” Weston said.

They all looked at him in confusion and then back at Olivia. “What does that have to do with practicing your powers safely?” Grant asked.

She laughed, “I’m sorry. I should have explained. Studies have shown that as of yet, the only thing immune to any superpower, is bubble wrap.”

Oh NaNoWriMo, When Shall Ye Arrive?

Dear NaNoWriMo,

I have been ready for you to come for months now. In fact, about a month after you left the last time, I was ready to start all over again.

My plot is pretty much developed to its fullest, and what hasn't we'll figure out together. We have before.

Inspiration has been here for awhile now. Junk Food is easily at hand. We are simply waiting for you before starting the party.

Yours Truly,

Georgie

The Genius of Mr. Disney

"Laughter is timeless.

Imagination has no age.

And dreams are forever."

- Walt Disney

I love this quote. So much, I added it to my e-mail signature so every time I send an e-mail someone reads it.

It's so perfect and it would take someone like Walt Disney to say it.