pretty little recap: if you didn't see it, it didn't happen

A bit of blog business before we get started. The PLR is late this week because of several reasons that I won't get into in detail, but let's just say it involves a teething baby and a PVR that's recording a lot more than it's playing at the moment... So there's that.
And then there's this: March is traditionally a time when a lot of people pack their bags and go on vacation. They do it because it's been a long stretch since Christmas vacation. They do it because winter sucks. Snow sucks. Lousy Smarch weather sucks (10 points to you for getting the reference).
Sadly, I'm not in a position to go on any sort of real vacation at the moment (where real = beach + drinks + actual restful sleep), but I can take a blog vacation. And that's exactly what I'm going to do for a few weeks. And yeah, I say that, but there's a really good chance I'll still do a Pretty Little Recap for next week's episode because the season is winding down and who am I kidding? I can't take a vacation from PLL! So, that's the blog business! And since we're on the topic of PLL, let's get rolling...

3.21 Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Previously on PLL: We're at that point in the season where way too much crazy shiz has hit the crazy fan to cover properly in a previously on segment. Also, Spencer is losing it.

Funeral flowers = not as romantic as you'd think. Photo credit: ABC Family

Spencer is finally ready to reveal the major Creeper Toby's nose sized secret she's been keeping. About time, Spence. Aria and Emily look appropriately shocked. Kinda. I half expected one of them to faint. Like Aria. Aria should have fainted.

Meanwhile Hanna and her mom are busy dealing with the fallout from that whole attempted/possibly actual murder thing. Man that'll sour an evening! I guess it's time for these two to be on edge for... well, forever, I guess.

Spencer is broken over having to reveal her Creeper Toby secret. So way to rub it in, Aria. Way to handle the news in the worst way possible. Or maybe that's Emily's job. I mean, it makes sense that Emily doesn't want to believe it since she and Creeper T were good friends, but surely she doesn't think she was more of a special snowflake than Spencer, right? Poor Spencer is only getting crazier. I thought finally spilling the creeper beans would be a weight off her shoulders but it would seem it's only brought a new level of reality and pain.

Awkward Ezra's spawn meet and greet! Oh Aria your insane wardrobe is going to give that kid nightmares. Also somebody needs to cut that kid's hair.

Aw man we don't get to see Hanna find out? She was my last shot at seeing one of them faint over the news.

Way to keep everything under wraps, Hanna. As I've said before, acting suspicious is the best way to keep a secret in Rosewood. Actually, that might be true. Since everyone there acts suspicious, it's kinda the new normal. Poor Emily. She may be in even more denial than Spencer was.

More Aria-Ezra's spawn drama. Is this going to be one of those episodes? This storyline is so disjointed from everything I care about in this show. Next!

Ah last week's funeral wreath arrives. So tasteful and yet so threatening. Looks like A is somehow on to Spencer's info spill. Looks like things are about to get murder-y. Again. Must be an odd-numbered episode :)

I know Emily is in denial and Spencer is losing her mind but Emily really does need to just trust her friend and back off. Spencer ambushes Crazy Mona at the coffee house. Oh crazy Mona. You can't deny something and then make threats that directly contradict that denial. It's such a waste of everyone's time.

Creeper Toby's friend is super suspicious! He must be a Rosewood native. Oooh, he's totally on the A team. Or maybe this is just the point in the season where I start to suspect everyone.

Ah!! Wilden is a ghost!! Run Ashley! Ruuuunnnn!!

Spencer is probably right about the EM in the sympathy sash--but by giving it to Emily she's probably playing right into A's hands! The sash is probably a bomb or something! Run Emily! Ruuuuuuunnnnnn!! But don't take the sash with you!

Is this the same day as earlier? Is this timeline wonky? What point in the day is it? Why isn't anyone in school? What's going on?? Why is Aria still wearing those awful green pants??? IS IT THE WEEKEND???? WHERE'S HOT CALEB??????

Oh Hanna stop acting so suspicious! Seriously you might as well be wearing a tee that says, "Attempted murder. Ask me how!"

Emily at the police station. That convenient plotline is just the gift that keeps on giving...

Uh oh. Aria killed Ezra's spawn. Maybe. Probably not. But that would be way more interesting.

Emily is such a savvy hacker. First the costume shop's computer and now the police database. Oh except that her phone distracts her from bothering to look at the photo she's searching for. Yeah okay it's a text from Creeper Toby but maybe put your phone on the back burner while you're doing time-sensitive snooping! Babytown frolics!

"He cut his chin. That's what happens when you're a boy." <------What????? Ok seriously what is going on in this episode? I don't even care about this storyline, but what is Ezra talking about? Is cutting your chin some sort of male right of passage I've never heard of?

Okay, I'll fess up. The police car in the garage TOTALLY freaked me out. But did Hanna really need to watch the full video and see the actual hit and run to realize what it was? "Hey this is a great video... WAIT A MINUTE!"

Aww, Aria isn't immediate family. Always the underage girlfriend, never the baby-momma, huh Aria?

Spencer screaming and chasing Mona through the trees is chilling. I don't think I can believe that Toby's dead. I think they just need Spencer to believe that. Dead body with no facial reveal? DIDN'T HAPPEN.

This Aria-Ezra drama needs to stop. The finale is just around the corner and I don't want precious twisty minutes to be devoted to this melodrama.

Ah! The possible ghost in the red coat! These girls are so ballsy. I'd totally run screaming in the other direction if I encountered half the stuff that they did.

So....Toby's coworker is basically confirming the ghost. And Ah! How does he know Emily's name?? That's beyond creepy. Creeper Co-Wo!

This is the longest day ever. And Emily seriously needs to stop going off on her own like this. Didn't she just lecture Paige about how dangerous that is only last week?

Okay how did Hanna and Aria get the cop car to the lake? And where's Hot Caleb? If I needed to (I assume) push a cop car to a lake and then sink it, I'd definitely enlist him for the deed. Then there could be hot makeouts afterward.
But this? This makes no sense.
"So Hanna, which if your pretty little friends are you going to get to help you dispose of this heavy vehicle?"
"The littlest one, obviously."
"Obviously."
This has bad idea written all over it. Holy crap the flashing light on that car is going to give me a heart attack! PLL, you nail the creepy atmospheric stuff every time!

Sounds like Ashley's in denial. She and Emily should attend a workshop together called, Stop lying to yourself.

Oh Spencer. Yeah. This is rock bottom. If Creeper Toby isn't really dead, Spencer should kill him for putting her through this.

I don't know what to think. I still don't think Toby is dead but I don't know if he's faking his death or someone else is. I hope somebody thinks to check the mental hospital for Spencer.

Uh oh. Hook line and cop hat. I don't think fishing up a hat which could have easily blown into the water would lead me to the conclusion that there's a cop car at the bottom of the lake. But I'm sure by next week someone will have reeled in the incriminating video! Or--god forbid--that horrible horrible flashing light!

Shudder. Until next week!

the writer's arsenal: room for interpretation

In my post on Query Letter Dos and Don'ts, I touched on the fact that you shouldn't praise yourself in your query. I want to expand on that a little bit because I see writers doing it wrong all the time. The rule to not praise yourself is twofold--don't praise yourself and don't praise your writing. Just show your hand and leave it up to the agents/editors/readers to judge for themselves.

When it comes to talking about yourself, avoiding self-praise shouldn't be difficult. Just stick to the facts: What's your writing experience? Notice I didn't say, "What's your life story?" or "How awesome do you think you are?" Right, cause nobody needs to know that. In a query letter, you need only list your credentials. Not "I've written the next bestseller". Not "My five divorces have made me super wise in the way of women". And definitely not "You are seriously missing out if you don't take me on because I'm a literary genius". Again, stick to the facts. Let your reader decide whether or not those writing contests you won make you a literary genius. Factual credentials = impressive, even if they're slim. Overstating your brilliance = major turn off.

So then let's talk about that bit of the query where you talk about your book. Writing a good blurb is an art in itself. So is writing a synopsis (and yes, a query blurb and a synopsis are different things--we'll cover that down the line). The blurb needs to tell your reader what your story is about, without just being a bunch of buzz-words. Not "It's a hilarious, touching, awe-inspiring journey through the human condition that will rock the genre to its core". As the author, that's not for you to say. Your blurb should give a sense of the plot and sure, even the themes, without blowing them out of proportion. It needs to walk the fine line between factual and enticing, without forcing subjective opinions into the mix. You can say that your story "explores themes of human frailty", without claiming it will "shatter our current interpretation of human frailty in the modern world". See the difference? If your book is funny, that should be conveyed in your writing, in your voice, in your blurb. It's classic "show, don't tell". Leave it up to the reader to say, "Hey, this sounds funny!"

It's the difference between this:

"Hey guys, wanna know who's hilarious? It's me! I'm hilarious!"

And this:

Okay, maybe you don't find that sailor/pac-man ghost as funny as I do, but that's kind of what I'm getting at here. It's open to interpretation. Don't say you're funny. Be funny. Your query letter, or pitch, is your first impression. You want to make a good one. You don't want to be this guy:

"Who wants to hear some super funny jokes about cancer?"

Semi-related P.S.: You know how some people will occasionally say "that's funny" instead of just laughing at something? I'm totally guilty of that. But I never say it because I'm trying to hide the fact that I didn't think something was funny. Quite the opposite in fact. I usually say it when I'm really impressed by how funny something is. So impressed I need to vocalize my feelings and make it really clear that I think something's funny. Trust me, it makes sense in my head :)

friday5 for February 22, 2013

1. Our dear PLL is getting some serious love this week in the form of an EW cover. And it's a topic worth discussing. YA-TV as I like to call it has often been passed off as "bad" or "guilty pleasure" television, but there are some seriously quality YA-TV shows being produced (much like how people misjudge YA as a book genre until they actually pick up a few and are blown away). And the way YA-TV is exploring the use of social media, not only as a marketing tool, but as an extension of the on-screen content, is fairly revolutionary. Go PLL!

2. Was it really just this past Monday that was a holiday? It feels like that was ages ago. This has been the longest four-day week ever. I swear on Wednesday, I was pleased that the week was flying by, but then Thursday and Friday came and I swear an extra day snuck in there to make this a usual work week. Or maybe I'm still recovering from being sick on the weekend. Yeah, I had a stomach bug. Ugh. Not a fun way to spend a long weekend. At any rate, I am definitely feeling the happy Friday vibes today.

3. Oscar time is almost here! I haven't seen many of the films this year--nor did I last year for that matter. Basically baby = fewer movies. At least fewer new releases. Netflix has everything else covered. But that's not why I watch the Oscars--let's face it, it's the fashion, the speeches and the potential for embarrassing awkwardness during said speeches. But mostly the fashion. I don't know what it is. I wouldn't consider myself a fashionable person. I don't subscribe to Elle or any other fashion magazines. But pretty celebs are pretty celebs. And there's just something about it...

4. We are drawing ever nearer to the film adaptation of Ender's Game. Wanna know how I know (aside from the way time and the calendar works)? Army logos have been released! And they are so very cool. I'm definitely getting excited for this film!

5. I knew what my YA book rec would be this week from the moment I tore open the shipping carton containing my pre-ordered copy! Let's take a look at Mind Games by Kiersten White: 

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

If you want to talk about voice in YA, there's a good chance I'll bring up Kiersten White. Yes, the Paranormalcy trilogy's Evie bore a striking resemblance to another blonde, paranormally-entangled teen (*cough*buffy*cough*), but that didn't make me love her any less. Kiersten has a very distinct voice, a knack for humor, and some serious story-telling skills. While I certainly enjoyed her debut trilogy, I think I'm looking forward to Mind Games even more. The concept is beyond intriguing, but beyond that, it sounds exactly like the kind of book a talented author should write after she's established herself and needs to spread her wings a little further. I can't wait to dive in!

Happy weekend!

pretty little recap: where the wilden things are

Can Spencer fly any further off the handle? Is Creeper Toby ever going to have some 'splainin to do? Is Ezra going to lay the smack down on Brezra's lame attempt to snag his ladyfriend? Let's dive in!

3.20 Hot Water

Previously on PLL: Mama Ezra means business. Relationship drama all around! Spencer manages to make Crazy Mona look sane. Emily and elevators don't mix, and Jason? Well, our dear J-Pouf is missing!

Tension is all about the hand-on-cup/hand-on-face. Photo credit: ABC Family

Liars assemble! ...and be sad and mopey. Wilden is such a creepy dude. I have a feeling he isn't part of the A team though. I think he's just regular type creepy. Which in a way, is worse. At least A teamers have an excuse for their behaviour ("Team building exercise!") but being a weirdo for weirdo's sake is just... *shudder*.

He's definitely gunning for Hannah. And doing it in front of Ashley? Not smart, Wilden. Ashley is deffo the kind of mom who handles her own, you know? Don't mess, Wilden. Don't mess.

Melissa is probably the worst sister in the world. Not because she's gonna narc on Spence, but because she doesn't even bother to ask Spence if she's OK. But we already knew Melissa is psycho...

So J-Pouf is just laying low? That's not very exciting. OR maybe it's suspicious? No, it's lame. Moving on!

Aria + Ezra reunion = more of the same. That scarf Aria is wearing is very fringey. Not that I'd expect anything less. This conversation isn't very dramatic. I guess everything's just okay now. So...great? Oh wait... the whole Brezra thing. How could I forget so easily? Maybe there are some fireworks to be set off... But really, if I were Aria, (there are so many ways to finish that sentence and most of them start with, "I wouldn't wear..."), if I were Aria, I'd just be all "BT-dubbs, Fitzy--your bro totally tried to get all up in this while you were playing baby-daddy with your ex. But I told him it wasn't happening. So get mad at him, not me." How hard is that?

Spencer is being mopey again. Poor, sad Spencer. Is it possible that Aria's mom is going to be the first person to really realize how far Spencer is gone? She probably wishes Spencer was her daughter instead of Aria. I would.

PRODUCT PLACEMENT TIME! Keep trying, Bing. Google will continue to own you forever and ever.

Run Spencer, run away from Aria! Awww Team Sparia. I forgot about that. Okay, I'll allow it. But I still think it's funny that Spencer will semi-confine in some people (Emily, Aria's mom), but Aria sends her running.

Weird tension at the costume shop. More hot lesbians. I swear Rosewood is hot lesbian central. I somehow have a feeling the software Emily is snooping through isn't based on real costume store software (which probably doesn't exist). The interface is a little too perfect for exactly what Emily is looking for. Everybody knows small shops run their inventory on DOS and it crashes any time you try to do anything with it. Or am I just remembering what things were like in the 90s? No, I think you effed this one up, PLL. But it's a clue so I'll allow it.

The tail-end of a phone conversation with Hot Caleb is NOT an acceptable substitute for a real Hot Caleb scene. But mention of Hanna's lesbian allure, followed by Aria storming awkwardly into the room comes close. It's become abundantly clear that Aria has very different priorities than everyone else on this show. Who cares about Ezra's mom? Everyone you know has almost been MURDERED recently!

Wilden and Ashley. Ashley with the death glare. Don't say I didn't warn you, Wilden. You mess with the mama bear and you get the CLAWS!

So Wren was actually hitting on Spencer? That's... awkward. Nothing like using someone's mental health as a pick up line. Weird, Wren. Really weird. But I suppose you'd still be a step up from Spencer's last boyfriend. Have you seen Creeper Toby's do-rag?

Ugh. More Aria relationship drama. Scale it back, Aria. Perspective. At least Hanna and Emily are giving her the "Don't care. Don't care. Don't care." look.

Wren's going for it! Spencer probably isn't in a healthy enough place to get involved with anyone, but where's the fun in that?

Ezra isn't going to apologize for loving Aria, you guys. He just isn't. Even if he realizes what a phenomenal disaster she is and breaks up with her, he's NOT going to apologize. Cause that's how he rolls. He's an adult, yo. An adult dating a young girl. And he won't let his mom boss him around!

Emily and Paige are laying it all out on the table. Looks like Paige has been keeping secrets. This could be a sweet make-up scene, but it just makes me miss Maya. Or wish Emily would hit up that hot lesbian bar and find herself someone who isn't Paige, and didn't try to drown her. So, pretty much anybody there.

General tip: Never listen to headphones by yourself in the dark (you know, unless you're lying down going to sleep). You WILL be startled by something. It's just a bad idea!

Melissa still isn't being a good sister. Even her advice comes off as a threat.

I'm just going to ignore this Ezria scene. Or... I was going to... and then I saw the back of Aria's dress and her ridiculous shiny red pants. I feel ill. She looks like she was mauled by a tiger while trying on a child's Spiderman costume. Who can ignore that??

"Routine traffic stop" for Ashley. What are the odds? Oh Wilden, why you gotta be so squicky?

Uh oh! Spencer is going to over-steam herself like Hannah Horvath did on GIRLS last week! Don't do it Spencer! You don't have a hot guy around to come to your rescue! You just have a scary shadowy figure! Not the same thing!!

Wilden has crossed the line from creepy to scary. But Ashley's not havin any of that! I totally warned you, Wilden! If you're still alive, don't you dare pretend I didn't warn you to not mess with the CLAWS! Mama Ashley will do anything for her Hanna. Only thing more dangerous is a Mama Ashley + Handma team!

CeCe seems pretty genuine and freaked here. I tend to believe her, but it's also possible she's a good actress. So Melissa was with Ali, CeCe and Wilden at the cape, eh?

This is officially worse than Hannah Horvath's steam encounter on GIRLS. No passing out for Spencer, just a whole lot of burning panic. At least Aria's randomness came in handy for once!

Ashley thinks she killed Wilden. Of course, she didn't stick around to find out. Cause when you think you might have accidentally killed someone, you shouldn't stick around to try and save them. You should go back later with your daughter and let her help you clean up the mess. Ashley's tough, but she's not that bright. Also, when you try and kill someone who might come after you and your family, you'd better make sure they're actually dead. Also, don't do it in front of a cop car with a camera recording your every move. Things aren't looking good for Mama Ash.

Spencer is finally ready to spill about Creeper Toby!

I'm guessing that rather lovely funeral wreath the random A teamer is assembling isn't for some side business the team has been working on--Floral A-rrangements or some such nonsense. Looks like more death is on the horizon! It is kind of a nice gesture to provide the wreath. Those things are expensive. The A team may be cruel, but never let it be said that they're not generous!

friday5 for February 15, 2013

1. Happy Valentine's Day! With a baby at home, The past two Valentine's Days have been more about family than romance in my house--and honestly, it's kind of nice. Valentine's Day really is a Hallmark holiday. We should be showing our loved ones we love them all year around. We don't need a special day... that said, while I've never been big on the Hallmark-ness of it all, I am a fan of romantic dinners, chocolates and yes, even roses. But until the husband and I can easily return to that kind of Valentine's Day, I'm perfectly happy just celebrating my family.

2. The spring-cleaning itch. I don't see any reason to wait until spring to start your spring cleaning. Sometimes the mood just strikes and if you tend to have moments of laziness like I do, then you should embrace to urge to purge (not in the barfy way) when it strikes. This week, I found myself flagging articles of clothing in my closet, things I've worn this winter that I'm ready to put in storage or donate, despite season not being over. I always find a good clean and sort to be refreshing and I come out of it with a clear head. In fact, cleaning and organizing is a great project to work on when you have writer's block. Something about the process really clears out the mental cobwebs!

3. This happened. And the internet wept with pure unadulterated joy. Obama is clearly someone who never forgets to be awesome.

4. I don't know what to think about this. Apparently, Shailene Woodley is being considered for the role of Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars film. As I've said before, I have full confidence in Shailene's acting abilities, but given that we're about to see her as Tris in the film adaptation of Divergent, I worry. Is that silly? I certainly don't want any of these young actresses to be pigeonholed or type-cast, but I feel like relatively fresh faces can go a long way when it comes to YA film adaptations. We wouldn't have wanted to see K-Stew as Katniss or Tris. It's not that we can't accept her taking on other roles, but in the mainstream YA film world, she's Bella. On the other side of things, The Fault in Our Stars isn't a series. It's not going to be a franchise of films the way Divergent will. Maybe that's enough of a separation.

5. The YA book rec is a bit different this week. Instead of highlighting a new release, I want to bring your attention to the exciting new cover art for Harry Potter!

I am seriously diggin' this cover! The Harry Potter books are timeless modern classics and I believe they will continue to be taught in schools and read by children for generations to come. It makes sense that the covers will receive a little refresh from time to time to attract new readers. I believe only the cover for the first book (which we in Canada happily refer to as The PHILOSOPHER'S Stone) has been released so far, but I'm greatly looking forward to what else they have in store!

Happy weekend!

pretty little recap: time heals all crazy--except sometimes not

Get those ShamWows ready cause Emily's remembering things, Spencer's gone crackerjacks, and it's a pretty little guarantee that more shiz is gonna hit the fan...

3.19 What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted

Previously on PLL: Ali might have been pregnant, Ezra might be a little girl, and the Grand Master A might be an Ali look-a-like with really vibrant taste in outerwear...

Photo credit: ABC Family

The liars are finally on to Spencer's downward spiral. Thank goodness. She needs help, STAT! Hanna is totally wrong about Spencer not needing junk food, by the way. Everybody knows junk food = break-up food, plus Spencer is looking pretty frail these days. I think a cheeseburger would go a long way...

A has left Spencer a secret message carved into her sunglasses. Come on, A! Why can't you leave a note in her locker like a normal person? What if one of the other liars picks those bad boys up by accident, mistaking them for their own sunglasses and then they're all "OMG, what up with T, Spencer? WHAT UP WITH T?!"

Blah blah blah Aria/Ezra drama.

Looks like Spencer is putting the icular in extra-curricular activities. Strip academic decathlon?

Emily's line about maybe bringing more cupcakes is already a serious contender for best line of the night.

I know the A teamers have Spencer cornered, but it's painful watching her avoid telling Emily what Creeper Toby did. Can't they do what people in movies do when they think they're being spied on? Find a safe room to have the conversation or write it down, or talk about it while pretending you don't know each other at a news stand or water fountain (as one person drinks and the other stretches because they just happened to be jogging in the area). That is how these things should be handled, amiright?

Brezra is rushing around like a guy trying to escape somewhere he's not supposed to be... oh wait.. yeah. Awkward Brezra. Awkward that you arrived in the first place and awkward that you are trying to pack a box of cereal in your bag.

Aria is still working with that photographer? Wasn't that... like a year ago? And hasn't it.. not come up at all since then?

Hanna and Hot Caleb fighting. Sad face. Hanna's concern is sweet, but she needs to respect Hot Caleb's boundaries. It's one thing to suggest and support, it's another to set up unwanted play dates with estranged family members.

Jason's pouffy hair is so distracting. I can't quite follow what he and Emily are talking about because his hair keeps getting in the way... something about boats and... pouffy hair? Wait no, something about Ali's maybebaby.

Clearly Wren is a) fooled by Crazy Mona like so many before him or b) part of the A team. Either way, Spencer has a plan...

Aww, Hot Caleb is wearing a nice shirt and being all sweet! That's so adorable I just want to save this moment in my back pocket so that I can pull it out when I'm feeling down. Sigh. Hot Caleb. You make the world a better place.

Oh no! Hot UncleDad is a no show. Not cool, Hot UncleDad. Nobody upsets Hot Caleb like that. Might have to set the A team on that guy...

Aria + Ezra + Brezra = 2-for-1. Thanks for that grossness, CeCe.

Hooray! Hot UncleDad has arrived! But Hot Caleb is not looking too happy about the delay. Don't screw this up, Hot UncleDad. Way to go Hanna, breaking the ice with pee jokes. That is how you do it!

Ah! Creepy person in the bushes! (I assume.) Officially creeped as usual, PLL. Even Jason's pouffy hair is no comfort!

I should have known that Aria and Brezra would get into crazy antics, but really? A spilled wine on the white carpet bit? That's bad even for an Aria scene.

Hanna is looking for ways to keep Hot UncleDad in town. And Ashley is wondering if Hanna wants him there for Hot Caleb or for herself. Is this a Hanna's dad thing? Or... is this going to be an extra-creepy Hanna and Hot UncleDad romance thing? Please, let's not go there...

Wow, Jason's hair is pouffy to the extreme in this flashback! It's blinding!! I'm not surprised he mistook CeCe for Ali with all that pouf getting in the way.

I'm kinda digging off-the-handle Spencer. She's bold and unpredictable. It's like she's pushed through the sadness to become terrifying and mentally unstable, but in an oddly appealing way. I don't know where this train of crazy is heading, but I'm sticking around for the ride!

And we're back to the comedic antics of Aria and Brezra... with Aria offering Brezra the couch at her house. Cause that's a good idea. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't care what Aria and her stripey-polka-dotty-plaid outfit do.

Oh Hot Caleb and Hanna. You are one of the best couples--teen-aged or otherwise--on TV. Sure, they fight, but they're so great together and have such great chemistry! And hooray for Hot UncleDad sticking around for Hot Caleb!

The creepiness continues for Emily and J-Pouf (his new name until he cuts his hair). Where is this going??

Eewww. CeCe's stains. Aria needs to recognize that the time she is spending with Brezra is basically going to destroy her relationship with Ezra. If one still exists.... and he's kissing her. That's not surprising. And yet, I didn't see it coming. I guess things are about to get even messier...

Emily and J-Pouf are basically in a haunted elevator shaft. That's right. HAUNTED. Whoa. What?? Did that just happen? Did J-Pouf just plummet to his death? No, surely, that can't be... Surely, he's just injured, or we're supposed to think he's dead, but really he's part of the A team and we'll later have a big reveal where we find out he didn't die and has been messing with them all along. Right? RIGHT? I don't even care that might about him, but I feel like his pouf and I have grown closer this evening...

Secular pizza time! Uh oh... All is not well with Hot UncleDad after all. Ugh. This is the last thing Hot Caleb needs!

SOS for J-Pouf. He lives! And the picture of Ali and CeCe on the cape is gone. Dun dun dun!

The emergency appears to have jolted Spencer back to reality a bit. Maybe this is the beginning of her return to normal.

J-Pouf? Gone? Nooo! It wasn't until we almost lost him that I realized how much his pouffy hair matters to me! And now you turn around and take him away again? WHAT IS GOING ON???

At least I can take comfort in the fact that the closing A scene once again demonstrates that the A teamers have way too much time on their hands AND must have access to a fairly decent photo printer. Random, A teamers. Really random.

Until next week!

between the covers and beyond

There's an intimacy in reading that separates it from other forms of consumable art. Yes, it can be argued that the consumption of any art is, in its own way, an intimate experience, but with reading, it's more apparent.

Aside from academic settings, authorly events and of course, the bedtime story, reading is typically a solo act--a silent, private act. The reader alone decides which book to pick up--and whether or not to later put it down. While you certainly can watch a movie by yourself, it's generally a group activity. The choice of what to watch is a shared experience (even if one person is calling the shots and the other is complacent). The reactions to the film are shared as well.

Guilty-pleasure reads are easier to "get away with" than guilty-pleasure viewings. And e-readers and tablets make reading an even more private experience. I find myself wondering if books like Fifty Shades of Gray would have taken off if not for the privacy of the e-reader. Not that the readers of that book are all about keeping it a secret. Word of mouth is what allowed Fifty Shades to be the sensation it was. But how many readers would have taken the plunge without the covert nature of the e-reader?

This brings me to the in-development Fifty Shades of Gray movie. I get it. Book sells like gangbusters, film rights are optioned, film gets green lit because there's clearly an audience and money to be made. But this is not another teen movie. I don't see how anyone can expect the film to do anywhere near as well as the book did. This is NC-17 territory. Which is fine because probably nobody under 17 should be reading the books either. But let's go back to what I said about reading being an intimate experience. You can read Fifty Shades of Gray and enjoy it privately. The subject matter is intimately consumed. Now take that content and put it up on a big screen. Ratings aside, how likely are Fifty's readers to go see the story re-enacted in living colour glory? There will certainly be people who have no issue with it, but I can't help but feel that a large portion of the novel's audience would be less keen to bring what had been an intimate reading experience into the very public venue of a theater.

Of course, I may be completely misjudging the times. Maybe we are ready for a mainstream NC-17 film. But I'm reluctant to think so...

Are there any books you've enjoyed as a personal reading experience that you wouldn't as eagerly consume in a more public format?

Photo credit: Hellmy

friday5 for February 8, 2013

So yesterday, we were hit by Snowmageddon. For reals. I was stuck in my car, trying to get to work, and then trying to get home from work, for much of the day. If that's not a good excuse for why I wasn't able to post this yesterday, I don't know what is. The important part is, it's here! The Friday5, appearing on a Saturday (....again).

In a previous post, I mentioned that I'm thinking of making some changes to the Friday5 and that's true. It's sort of evolved into a round-up of pop-culture links, which is okay, but I want to try and mix a little personal stuff into it moving forward. And so, the first step in that direction starts today....

1. Snowmageddon. We're often told that any winter storm headed our way is going to be Snowmageddon. I think the people delivering the news figure that if they always predict Snowmageddon, eventually they'll be right. I'd say that this time, they were. The snow is piled so high outside my house right now, that opening the front door involves shifting snow out of the way. So yeah, that's a lot of snow. Did the whatshisname groundhog predict an early spring? He's probably laughing in his little groundhog hole as we speak. Jerk.

2. Community has returned! It's been a long, long, long LONG wait, but Community is finally back on our television screens. It almost felt like a dream watching it on Thursday. The show is under new management, with the previous show-runner out the door and a couple of new guys in charge. Honestly, I don't know if the show felt slightly different because I knew that or if it genuinely felt slightly different. I still enjoyed it greatly, but it felt almost like... they were trying to pack too much in? I don't know. Like I said, I enjoyed it greatly and I'm very confident that any blip in quality (again, not really in quality, just in...meshing with previous stuff?) will be smoothed out the new guys get their footing. I'm really looking forward to the new season! Even if we are going to randomly get Halloween and Christmas episodes at odd times. I'd take a full season of poorly-timed holiday Community episodes over a normal season of any other comedy currently on network television.

3. Emma Roberts has been cast as Lena in the pilot for Lauren Oliver's Delirium. I don't know Emma Roberts that well. I think I've only ever seen her in a couple of indie flicks. But I recall she did a good job and if she's been cast as Lena, I'm sure she's up to snuff. It's interesting to see film actors showing up in TV more and more (or is it just me?). The husband and I have been watching The Following (not bad, though the Poe references are way too heavy-handed) and it's a bit odd to watch Kevin Bacon do his thing on the small screen. I will definitely be watching Delirium when and if it makes it onto my television--the fact that they've cast "a big name" for Lena is a good sign that they're going to put the effort in to do this series right. 

4. Exciting news to share regarding Harlequin Teen author Julie Kagawa! Julie's new, untitled book series has been optioned by Universal! Hooray for Julie!  Having dealt with Julie in my day job, I can honestly say that she is fantastic and I'm so happy to see her succeeding across the boards. If you haven't picked up any of Julie's books before, and you love richly detailed fantasy YA with strong characters, you are certainly missing out. She's extremely talented and her Iron Fey books have earned their special place on my YA bookshelf. Congratulations Julie!

5. YA book rec time! Another week of fab released, but we seriously need to discuss Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger. Carriger has been rockin it in the adult steam punk world for a while with her Parasol Protectorate books. Now she brings her fantastico writing style to YA with this, and I quote, "Finishing School Book the First".

This cover is way 2legit2quit, you guys.

Are you still wearing your socks? Did you somehow manage to retain them in spite of the severe cool-itude of that cover? Well, keep a tight hold on those puppies cause if that didn't blow em off, this very probably will:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Sophronia Temminnick at 14 is a great trial more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners -- and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Her poor mother, desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, enrolls the lively tomboy in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage -- in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

This book will be amazing. My proof? Exhibit A: Boarding school books are the bee's knees. Exhibit B: Boarding school books featuring sassy tomboy heroines who get into wacky hijinks will steal your heart every time. And Exhibit C: Boarding school books + "CURTSY AND THROW A KNIFE AT THE SAME TIME". I rest my case. Carriger: 1 - Everybody Else Ever: 0

Happy weekend!

pretty little recap: deja dead all over again

Alison is dead! Oh wait, we already knew that... well, it's time to bury her again because the first go round clearly didn't stick. Does everybody have their shovel handy? Good, then let's get started...

3.18 Dead to Me

Previously on PLL: Ezra haz kid. Ezra haz brother. Creeper Toby haz secrets. Alison haz journal. Spencer haz sadness. Also a private eye. Cop dude haz Ali's notebook. Dun dun dun!

"Oh crap! I totally left the oven on!" Photo credit: ABC Family

More sadness and moping. Spencer's misery is contagious. Emily's mom's job at the police station is already working its way into this week's episode.

Alison is being buried. Again. But the things she was buried with the first time around are still missing. That's clearly going to be important at some point... Whoa! Spencer's misery is turning to anger. Strap yourselves in, PLLers, we're in for another bumpy ride!

Hanna and Aria probably should ditch their respective Ali souvenirs. Hanging onto such things NEVER ends well. I swear these people never learn their lessons...

I have a sinking feeling Spencer is going to lay thy smack down on Crazy Mona. And I for one can't wait!

Yay for Hot Caleb! I've missed you so much! Oooh Hot Caleb backstory! He's so tortured, but in a heartwarming way, not an intimidating way. And his fashion sense is impeccable in that "it looks like I don't care, but I dressed this way to make you melt" sort of way. Hooray Hot Caleb!

Aria is creepin around Ezra's place...with his brother... that's... probably not going to end well.  And now he's asking her to continue to stop by... yeah, not going to end well...

Spencer is still looking worn out. I'm totally buying this downward spiral. Well done, PLL. Well done. The PI keeping tabs on Creeper Toby doesn't seem to have much to report... hydrangeas? What up with that?

Emily, meet your new after-school hang-out--the police station! Lots of opportunity to stumble across clues there... like a weird French A-centric postcard! Dun dun dun!

Spencer continues to be testy. But Emily isn't havin any of that. Good girl, Em! Looks like the French postcard is yet another memento from chez dead Ali. Spencer's pro translation to translation skills to the rescue! Err, not rescue.. looks like the heat is on and Emily's... feeling the heat? I got nothing...

Looks like the whole Paige/other girl storyline is being explained away rather easily. Paige was merely investigating, not cheating. OR WAS SHE? Nah, I think we're supposed to believe everything's on the up and up there...

Yes! Thank you Hanna for being reasonable and pointing out that Aria is anything but reasonable! The world makes sense. For some reason, Aria doesn't want to ditch the incriminating earrings... which is strange because I seem to recall they were rather classy. So not Aria's taste...

Looks like we're FINALLY dealing with the whole Emily killed someone situation. Looks like she's not so "no big deal" about it after all. In fact, she seems to be a little "Murder is my thing now, didn't you hear?"

Ugh. Tear out my heart, Sad Spencer. Girl seriously needs to stop keeping this Creeper Toby stuff to herself. Yeah, okay, if my friends were as unreliable as the other liars are, I'd be a little hesitant about making myself vulnerable too, but their hearts are in the right place and nobody does break-ups like your best lady-pals. Plus, you know, THEIR LIVES MIGHT BE IN IN DANGER! But that's secondary....

Hot Caleb! Aww and Hanna in a cute farm-inspired outfit! Hot Caleb is being all angsty over family drama. Hanna needs to give him more hugs! More hugs all around!

Ha! Even Hot Caleb's uncle thinks Hot Caleb's hot. No one is immune! Hmmm. Hanna sure is asking a lot of questions. It's sweet though. Hanna and Hot Caleb are never allowed to break up again!

Ezra's brother, who I've just now decided to call Brezra, is working his magic on silly susceptible Aria and her silly outfit-of-the-week. Yeah, this isn't good...

Whoa. WHOA. Emily's hypno-therapy is revealing that she...killed Ali????? That can't be right. It just can't be... Is Doctor S (why do they keep going back to her? She kinda sucks at her job...) using hypnosis to plant ideas in Emily's brain??? Or is Emily just confused?

Awww, Hot Caleb's uncle seems nice. Maybe he should be Hot Caleb's dad! I hope this isn't that last we see of that guy. He has good taste in dudes. Which is totally creepy and weird... so kinda fitting for this show when you think about it.

Emily is freaking. And rightfully so. But surely she isn't the killer. You'll never convince me, PLL! NEVER! Aria, sure, I'd buy that. But Emily? No way.

Spencer's PI has figured out the mystery of the key...now we just need to peak behind door number one...

Apparently Brezra is totally cool with punching his physics teacher's husband in the street WITH A PIZZA BOX! That guy's got flare. Oh Aria, scandal just follows you around! Ooooh hand-holding. Okay, it's the fleeing-the-scene kind, but still. This really won't end well...

So Breza, brother of dates-girls-in-high-school Ezra, hit on his physics teacher? That's classic! He and Aria can totally bond over teacher-seduction techniques!

Hot Caleb, how do you manage to still be hot even when you're bitter? The pic of baby Hot Caleb is clearly warming Hot Caleb's heart. And aww, Hot Uncle has been carrying around that picture in his wallet. Waitaminute... are they pointing toward Hot Uncle being Hot Caleb's real dad? Maybe my suggestion that he should be Hot Caleb's dad was spot on! Gold star for me!

Crazy Mona and Doctor S. Something fishy is going on there... I'm really not trusting the doc. Especially if Crazy Mona owes her...

The key! The room! The big reveal! And it's...an old mattress? Huh. Spencer's crying. She's clearly as disappointed as I am. Was anybody else expecting something super insane and elaborate? A cleaned out room so isn't the A team's style.I half-expected a mini-circus of staged dolls acting out planned nefarious deeds..

"I don't care if it's Santa Claus, consider me creeped." <--Best line of the night goes to Hanna! Gold star for Hanna!

Spencer is really flying off the handle, telling Jason about Ali's maybe-baby. Looks like the other liars are catching on that something's seriously off. FINALLY! Haven't you all noticed that Spencer has "crazy eyes"?

The sprinklers are a trigger for Emily. Looks like she didn't kill Ali. No surprise there. But now we have a blonde in a red coat to focus on... someone who was there the night Ali's grave was dug up. And is the A-Boss according to Emily's (questionable) memory. Not Crazy Mona... maybe Creeper Toby in a blonde wig? Yeah, unlikely...But let's allow ourselves to enjoy that visual for a moment....

Spencer is just beyond now. Carving Creeper Toby's name into the marble of (his mother's grave?) It's deep end time, people! How far will she go down this dark path?

And what's up with the A-teamer buying liquor? Are we to assume this is a clue that they're over 21? That they have a fake I.D.? I'm confused... It's Doctor S, isn't it? Ezra? Mr. Aria? HANDMA? I need answers!

Until next week!

quick update

Quick update to keep you all looped in:

Yes, I realize I didn't do a Friday5 last week.

And yes, I realize I didn't do a Monday post either.

I don't want this blog to turn into constant apology posts. I'm still trying to find a routine that works. There was a wee spot o' life stuff that got in the way last week. But I've decided I'm going to try to draft the Friday5 as the week progresses instead of all in one go like I have been. I'm hoping that will help. It's all about trial and error. I'm also re-thinking the content of the Friday5 a bit. There will probably be some changes down the line. If there's anything you'd like to see included, please hit up the comments! 

In the meantime, there will be a Friday5 this week and of course, the Pretty Little Recap!


Now, let's all enjoy this picture of a dog who just got his Ph.D in being adorable:

Photo by Matt Barber, CC License

pretty little recap: things are about to get flamey

Creeper Toby has been exposed! Maybe. Probably. The point is, Spencer basically equals sad face. A lot. Troian Bellisario is some sort of heartstring-pulling-wizard. Brace yourselves, PLLers, this is going to be painful.

3.17 Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Inferno

Previously on PLL: Crazy Mona and Creeper Toby are totes in cahoots, which we basically already knew. We finally acknowledge the whole Stalker Nate fiasco was a thing that happened. And let's re-live the crazy shiz that happened last week with Meredith drugging Aria and Spencer finding out about Creeper Toby! There's no way this week is going to live up to that suspense!

A heartbroken Spencer will break your heart. Photo credit: ABC Family

...And of course we start with a shirtless Creeper Toby in full creeper mode, strangling our dear Spence. But also of course, it's a nightmare. Poor Spencer. Ugh. I have a feeling I'm going to be saying that a lot tonight...
Aria and Emily are back on the Melissa-as-suspect train. Which is fair. But oh man. Poor Spencer. See??

Did we know that Emily's mom is working at the police station? Or is that a convenient new plot point they've thrown in? Stalker Nate's family has sent Emily a bunch of mementos that Emily had given to Alison. That's...a strange way to say "sorry my son tried to kill you". But of course in PLL land, old mementos usually = important clues so Emily should probably write them a nice thank you note.

Good ol' Ashley's back, trying to have a heart to heart with Hanna, as though she didn't recently randomly disappear for a while. As you do when you're the single parent of a notoriously sneaky teenage girl. Of course Hanna did have good ol' Handma around to watch after her. But then what happened to Handma? She left as quickly as she magically appeared... Did Ashley just say something about Hot Caleb in a cape? I can dig it. Really, Hanna should be more grateful that Hot Caleb is looking out for her. Crazy Mona is clearly a real threat. I'd take all the Hot Caleb in a cape help I could get.

Aria and Mr. Aria scene. Snooze. Not paying attention now that his dirty laundry has been aired. Sure, he's still suspicious in the way that he's always been suspicious, but he might as well be wearing a shirt that says "Red Herring" on it at this point.

Oh right. The Ezra haz kid storyline. Man, a lot of this stuff has been taking a backseat recently. But still, it can stay back there if it means we learn more about Creeper Toby and his nefarious deeds! I kind of want a whole episode where Spencer and the other liars question him interrogation room style. Too much to ask?

Ha! Just like that Hanna mentioned Handma! Oh man, if Handma has been secretly corresponding with Ali about beach hotties that would be too cool. Handma needs her own spin-off. Get on it, ABC Family. I want Pretty Old Handma!

I have to admit, I'm not totally hating Aria's dress. Her accessories are atrocious, but the dress itself? Assuming I'm not missing some hideous hidden aspect of it, not too bad. She must still be feeling feverish from last week.

Uh oh. Hanna overheard sneaky Paige talking to Hot Caleb. So many people on this show need to be schooled in the ways of being sneaky! Don't do it in public, people! Rule #1 of being sneaky is to avoid other people knowing you're up to something!

Things are getting tense between Emily and Spencer. Actually, it's mostly Spencer. They did a fantastic job making her look like she's too distraught to care what she looks like. She's clearly falling apart. Poor, poor Spencer.

Ha ha! Okay, Creeper Toby in juvie is hi-larious. What's with the do-rag? I guess doing hard time in juvie changes a man. Okay, this is starting to make sense. Creeper Toby hates Alison because of Jenna. And he probably hates the other liars too. And has been playing them all from the start. Poor Spencer! She can't even bring herself to tell Emily what happened with Creeper Toby even though it's TOTALLY IMPORTANT. Spencer, I get the whole emotional breakdown thing, but important info is important info. Get it together, woman!

Spencer's on a rampage, making accusations and causing trouble after receiving a text from "Aria" about the whole Ezra haz kid sitch. These girls should never trust text messages. If somebody doesn't say something to your face, just assume it's from a bad source. Now Ezra is all "What?" and I kind of don't care because Ezra and Aria either will be or they won't, you know? That's just how they do. And there are more important plot lines to explore! Like what colour would Hot Caleb's cape be? I'm thinking red because he's a classic superhero type.

But for now, I guess we're stuck with this plot line. I suppose it needs to be wrapped up at some point. Ezra is freaking out. Rightfully so. You really should have told him, Aria. It's easy to blame Spencer for this, but if Aria had just told him... This is why mature adults shouldn't date people in high school. Or, you know, knock up their girlfriends and then not speak to them for years. I'm not really sure what the lesson is here....

So yeah, I guess this whole Emily's mom working the police station thing is going to be important since they're bothering to show her on the job. How convenient! What was her job before? I have no clue. See? This is how they get away with it. They made her previous job so unimportant that I now just accept that she's working at the police station. Cop dude (whose name I can't recall or possibly never knew) is definitely digging for dirt. Watch out Emily's mom! I know a Rosewood Sneaky Snake when I see one (because of the obviousness) and that guy has something up his sleeve!

And we're back to, say it with me, Poor Spencer. This is a perfect example of someone who would feel better if she just explained what's going on. Clearly talking to Aria isn't going to help though, what with Aria's disastrous inability to clear the air herself. Spence is definitely working through the stages of grief. I think she's in denial. Or doing the anger thing. Or some combo of the two.

A is not a tough love life coach. Thanks Aria. But now that you mention it, I think that's definitely A's motivation. Let's just stick with that moving forward. A is all about lessons! The liars should probably write a nice thank you note...

Big reveal of the night: Was Ali pregnant when she died? Time to open another can of worms. Baby worms!

Hanna is tailing Paige and I have a bad feeling about this. It would appear there are a lot of attractive young lesbians in Rosewood. Does Emily know that Paige is (I assume) frequenting a gay bar?

Oh Spencer, no! Don't reach out to Creeper Toby! Grab a pint of ice cream, make some popcorn, watch some chick flicks, hang with your fellow liars and wallow--these are all acceptable things. But the one thing you shouldn't do is go and meet with your ex-boyfriend who you recently learned is potentially murderous! That rarely ends well.

Looks like Paige is flirting it up at the Rosewood hottie gay scene, where apparently Hanna could also clean up if she felt so inclined. Seriously, where did all these smokin hot lesbians come from?? I do love me some Hanna as comedic relief though.

Emily and Aria are discussing Ali's potential bun on the oven. It's interesting enough info. But I feel like it doesn't fit in well with the stuff we already know. I don't want the truth of what happened to Ali to be something out of left field. I want it to mesh well with the established facts. So I hope this is just a mislead or somehow works well into the main story.

Oh Spencer. Poor, sad Spencer. It's almost too much. I've never seen such a sad application of mascara. Why even bother, Spencer? It's going to be running down your cheeks within seconds. Crying while applying eye make-up is hella counter-productive.

Cop dude has Ali's notebook now. That's probably a bad thing. I'm not really following what's happening with that pic from Cape May. Is... that the cop? I'm really bad when it comes to certain characters needing to be in their usual uniforms/clothing in order for me to recognize them. But yeah, I think that's him. And I guess he's somehow connected to the beach-hottie-baby-daddy? Yeah, I'm gonna need more info on this one....

Spencer and...who is that? Okay, I fell for it. I totally thought she wanted to meet with Creeper Toby. I'm sorry I doubted you, Spence. I don't know if we've met this other guy before or not, but clearly he's some sort of P.I. My memory is not doing so well tonight or maybe it is and we legit don't' know this guy. Who knows. Looks like I need an IMDB refresher on these actors...

Oh Ashley. You try to be a good mom, but we all know you're not. Just let Hanna do what she's gonna do. Honestly, the suggestion that Hanna use a hot oil treatment on her hair is probably the most parental thing she's said in weeks (because of the not being around most of the time).

Aria + Ezra = OK? Hooray? Honestly, it's fine. I guess if they can survive this kind of thing, they'll survive anything. And they might as well. But it looks like Ezra's going to be out of the picture for a while. Hmmm. Based on Ezra's crying, maybe things aren't okay after all. Get it together, man. You're dating a girl in high school and you're the one crying? Ugh. Who knows with these two. I'm sure they'll be fine again in no time. They're totally BFFs foreva and junk.

Cue the dolls! Because A loves dolls. But again I find myself wondering why everything has to be so elaborate with A. Is it just the crazy? Is some sort of eccentric millionaire backing this operation? Uh oh. Things aren't looking good for Hanna what with the blonde doll being face-torched...

Not as suspenseful as last week's episode, and I didn't want to go there, but I will--Hot Caleb is sorely lacking! Not acceptable! But if that final scene is any indicator, it looks like things are going to be heating up (get it?) and given the target's on Hanna's back, we SHOULD get a decent dose of Hot Caleb soon as well. Until next week!

"he's not really into labeling things..."

Disclaimer: Illness refuses to leave my household. It keeps hitting us in waves. I guess this is life with a child in daycare. This post should have fallen back into step with my previous Monday schedule if I hadn't been passed out, sleeping off the latest round of sick. Sigh. To be on the safe side, let's just say, for the next little while, regular posts will irregularly occur on Monday or Tuesday, depending on what's going down... and now back to our irregularly scheduled post...

Everybody knows somebody (maybe even themself) who's been in one of those relationships where, sure, maybe the whole girlfriend/boyfriend thing hasn't been discussed, or they're panning to "see where things go", or are "keeping things casual". Sometimes these relationships develop into something more--maybe it's just a conversation that needs to happen--but often they go down the road of one person convincing him/herself (usually herself--sorry ladies, but we're suckers for romance and you know it!) that there's a commitment developing while the other is continuing to see other people (yeah, that's usually the dude). When you ask your friend how things are going, you get the full-of-denial-reply, "Oh, you know. He's not really into labeling things..." Sure he's not. It has nothing to do with him clinging desperately to his bachelorhood in the face of something he's not ready for...

The reason I bring this up is because we often find ourselves wanting to label things. It helps us compartmentalize, feel in control. It helps us to better understand a given situation. As a writer, I've often encountered times when someone would ask me what I do (or when I was in school, they'd ask what I want to be) and my day job aside, my answer would be one of two words: writer or author.

Is there a difference? I've come to think so. To me, an author is a writer, but a writer isn't necessarily an author. Let me explain. Writers write. They write poetry, the write essays, journals, articles, instruction manuals, marketing copy, novels, etc and so on. Writers are people who write...well, anything really. Authors on the other hand, are what writers become when they've achieved that occassionally-elusive next level of commitment. A lone chapter does not an author make, but a completed work? I think that does.

"Only the most committed authors proceed to down the contents of their inkwell after a solid writing sesh. Darling, please be a dear and ready the stomach pump!"

It can be a fiction, non-fiction, poetry, graphic novel, picture book--published or unpublished--doesn't matter what, but if you haven't finished something, I'd call you a writer, not yet an author. I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm just saying that's the difference in my mind. It's my personal separation of the two, and feel free to disagree.

That said, when I was in school, even though I'd completed written works (short stories, essays, etc), I still considered myself to be only a writer. I wanted to be an author. It was something I'd talk about in those terms: "I hope to be an author one day" which actually meant "I hope to be a published author one day".  The distinction back then was, published = author; unpublished = writer.

I think that changed around the time I completed my first YA novel. It was such a weighty accomplishment. Even though it wasn't the one that landed me an agent, it was still a tremendous amount of work. It's writing. It's art. And though I'll further revise it one day, right now, I still consider it complete. Finishing it was what made me start to think of myself as an author. And yeah, I think the label is important--it's just not necessarily important to other people. But just as the girl who wants to refer to the guy she's dating as "her boyfriend" views that label with distinction, it's important to me. I don't write as a hobby (well, I do, but not exclusively). I write because I'm an author. I'm a writer and an author.

Where does your distinction between the two land? Or do you consider them interchangeable? If you write, how do you refer to yourself?

friday5 for January 25, 2013

Lots of book-related news this week so let's see how well we can cram it in :)

1. When we think of adapting YA fiction, we most often think of film, but YA is pretty hot on TV too! (Obviously, right? PLL! TVD!) News came out this week that not only is the CW network re-ordering a pilot based on Kiera Cass's The Selection (there was a bit of controversy around this book, and this is the second go-round for the pilot), but also, FOX is looking at a pilot for Lauren Oliver's Delirium. How cool would that be?! I personally can't get enough YA on my TV :)

2. Next up: the info is really starting to flow for the Divergent film franchise. Apparently Kate Winslet is in talks for a role, but no word on which one. I'm thinking Tris's mother, but Kate's so talented, she could just as easily fill the role of villain Jeanine Matthews. Actually, I think I'd like that a lot!

3. And even more book to film news! Variety is also reporting that Chloe Moretz (say no more--she's amazing) is in talks to play Mia in the film adaptation of Gayle Forman's powerhouse contemporary If I Stay. I feel like I can't adequately express how awesome this match would be. Chloe is phenomenal and the very thought of her playing Mia gives me chills!

4. I don't recall if I've blogged about Oz The Great and Powerful on here yet or not, but can we all just agree that this film is shaping up to look stellar? This new trailer pretty much seals the deal. I'm so on board. Say what you will about James Franco, that guy cracks me up.

5. YA book rec time! Lots of great titles released this week, but I'd be remiss if I didn't lavish my love and attention on Boundless, the third book in Cynthia Hand's OMGAMAZING Unearthly series.
The covers for these books... I just.. I can't. I need a moment to recover from the awed state these beauts put me in. Have a look:

Absotively beautious!

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

If you haven't read these books, you seriously need to. Cynthia can write. As in, she can really write. She's the kind of author who makes you question whether or not you ever actually learned to write when you were in school because everything you put on the page looks nothing like what she's managed to accomplish. Just trust me. In fact, don't trust me. Read the books! And then you're more than welcome to thank me later ;)

Happy weekend!

pretty little recap: let's all be sad together

Let me set the stage for tonight's Pretty Little Recap... I've been sick on and off for the past two weeks. After a very healthy year on mat leave, I knew I'd get hit hard when a) I returned to the germy land of public interaction and b) Emmeline started daycare. And sure enough, yeah, we both got hit. She had it bad for about 12 hours and then was fine. I've been hacking and sneezing for weeks, seemingly unending.

Normally, I'm a big milk drinker, so when I get sick, I miss milk even though I don't want it. And then I know I'm on the mend when I suddenly start craving it again. And I do mean craving. Because I haven't been drinking it, it's like my body goes into a depleted state that tells my brain to obtain as much milk as possible as soon as possible. So that's the stage I was at tonight. I drank five glasses of milk during my viewing of this episode. And it was delicious..... Okay, that was really unrelated and unnecessary, but I feel like you need to understand that any and all weird comments are 100% due to the milk coma... This should be fun!

3.16 Misery Loves Company

Previously on PLL: The parents on this show are way crazier than the teenagers! Like, for reals. CPS should probably get involved in this shiz...

Uh Oh. Did Aria's closet vomit all over this bed? Photo credit: ABC Family

The liars are acting all dumpy, especially Aria. I'm surprised feverish, deathbed-y Aria isn't wearing something completely insane. Missed opportunity, wardrobe department. This was your chance to get away with putting Aria in a clown costume. Who am I kidding, they're probably saving that for Prom...

Meanwhile, Creeper Toby and Crazy Mona are speaking in monotone voices as they plot their next move... their next VERY AMBIGUOUS move. Come on guys, give us a little something... You're in safe company--can't you speak openly with each other about this crap?

Oh right, Creeper Toby and Emily were friends at one point. What is with Creeper Toby and the monotone? Did he have a lobotomy or something? Maybe he's still tired from all the random A team assignments he's been running lately. Creeper Toby, you need to sleep. Didn't you ever see that episode of Clone High?

Oooh, Emily and Spencer are up to something....

HOT CALEB! Thank goodness you're back, boy. Don't ever leave ever again! Hot Caleb is being all protective and secretive! I can't bring myself to be suspicious of Hot Caleb. He's not allowed to be bad! Especially when he's so sweet to our dear Hanna.

Is Creeper Toby shirtless in every episode now? Is anybody keeping track? I'm sure there are people out there who dig it, but I can't see the bod past the creeper.

"I hope he likes surprises..." Don't worry, Spencer's Mom. I have it on good authority that Creeper Toby loves the CRAP out of surprises.

If I were Aria, I so wouldn't let Meredith near me when I'm off my game. Bitch is up to something.

Yay Emily and Paige. Oh wait. I don't care. I try to, guys. I really do. Maybe I just miss Maya. Ha ha. Hanna saves the day with her awkward jokes. Love you, Hann.

I'm not keen on Hanna having Emily trail Hot Caleb. I don't want this to turn into a whole "you don't trust me" thing when he inevitably finds out. Then again, he kinda brought this whole thing on by having that mysterious phone call. Hot Caleb, you need to focus on being hot and avoid giving Hanna any reasons to be suspicious!

Since we have to have the whole Emily tailing Hot Caleb plotline, can it at least turn into a comedy of errors? Pretty please? Maybe Emily knocks over a whole display of soup cans at the grocery store?

Was that a fake Radley ID amidst Creeper Toby's things? Ooooh man. He's so gonna get caught soon and it's gonna be awesome!

What is with the mannequins PLL? What is with the dolls and the mannequins and the disturbing imagery? And seriously, I'm starting to question whether or not the A team is getting enough "me time". They seem to carry pretty heavy schedules full of random (and let's face it, often pointless) acts of terrorizing our liars. I hope they get to put in for vacation sometimes.

The Hot Caleb tail continues! He's looking all hot and angsty. Wonder what he's up to.... Paige? Okay, now I'm confused. Ah, it's like a significant others club. I might be able to get behind this. As long as nothing bad happens to Hot Caleb. Paige? Meh....

Interesting that Emily is suggesting an A army instead of just Crazy Mona and "her minion". First it was A, then it was the A team, now... the A army? Things are escalating awfully quickly.

Apparently, Aria plans to be sick and sleepy for this whole episode. And I never thought I'd say this, since they're the cardboard couple and all, but where's Ezra?

Oh good. Another doll. And... Alison? Whoa, what was in that tea Meredith gave Aria? Something not good. And Aria's hallucination is warning her about it? The hallucination from the tea? This just got really circular. Was Aria sleeping with the teapot and cup on her bed? Oh Aria, you don't know how to do anything, do you? Well, I guess you know how to get yourself locked in your own room...

WARM BODIES TRAILER!

And we're back. Meredith is getting ragey at the pharmacy. That's so like her. Crazy woman demands extra drugs, is refused, then erratically tries to buy allergy pills in bulk. Yeah, that pharmacist is definitely doing the right thing by ringing her up and not kicking her out of the store. Then again, it's Aria so....

Creeper Toby! Being scary! Spencer, get with it! You're such a smart girl, you can't keep falling for his creeper act! I have to admit, his hair is looking pretty decent. If it weren't for his creepy ways and his wonky face...nah.

Meredith is way off the deep end now. She may not be an A teamer, but she's definitely scary. I'm going out on a limb here, but I think Mr. Aria should dump her. Even if she did put Aria down with one shot. Sure, Aria's small, but she's feisty! That takes skill, yo!

Thunderstorms are never a good sign on this show. They pretty much mean somebody's gonna get their murder on.

Power outage is even worse. Get out, Hanna and Emily! Save yourselves! Aria's not worth it! Ah! Meredith! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT! She's acting creepy and unusual! And why would Aria have gone to the basement for flash lights when the power only JUST went out?

Man, this show so gets to me. I can't take it! I have a strong suspicious that all this Meredith stuff is separate from the A stuff, but it's still freaking me out!

PVR, how are there still 15 mins left in this show?? This is insane!

Okay, I totally wanna see Hanna open a can of whoop ass on Meredith. Regardless of whether or not Mr. Aria is in on the plan (he's so not), I think the girls should start screaming ASAP. Uh oh. Mr. Aria looks disturbingly calm after what Meredith just told him. Psycho calm. But I think it's a mislead. He's her dad! Looks like they're clearing this whole thing up... or are they? Yeah, it looks like they are. I mean, really, who knows, but for now, I guess Mr. Aria is.... wait, what's up with Melissa? Hmmm....

AHHHH! Creeper Toby! Spencer! The key! Again, I have a feeling this is a mislead. She's going to think he's looking for it for some other reason. And he'll explain his A uniform somehow... stupid commercials! Oh right, PVR...

Ah! Not a mislead! This is really going down! What's going to happen now? Spencer knows about Creeper Toby! And that means Creeper Toby is free to let his true creeper out! Things are going to get crazy for reals!

Meredith gone already? That's...convenient. Mr. Aria's story about Alison makes sense. Besides, we can wrap that suspicion up now that Creeper Toby is on the loose! Out of the way, Mr. Aria! It's time to get serious! Homestretch, baby!

Oh Spencer. I feel terrible for her. She wants so desperately to believe that Creeper Toby isn't a creeper, but if he wasn't, why would he just disappear the way he did? Why wouldn't he stay and explain? Because he's EVIL, Spencer. PURE EVIL!

And there's Crazy Mona, enjoying the fruits of Spencer's foolish labour. Poor Spence.

And I guess I don't get a preview because Much Music (the channel I watch PLL on here in Canada) decided to advertise something other than next week's episode. What the deuce, Much Music?? Not cool. Like, Creeper Toby level of not cool.

bumps in the road

Even best laid plans have a tendency to go awry. There are unpredictable factors you can’t plan for, can’t foresee. So the best way to move forward in any venture is to expect the unexpected or at least train you brain to deal when things going off course.

You know how you can be headed somewhere, to do something specific and then suddenly you forget your purpose along the way? You could just stand there, unable to recall, or give up and go do something else, but it’s often helpful to retrace your steps. To remind yourself of what you were after and why. Focusing on your goal helps you get back on track.

While I was on mat leave, I was able to easily keep to a blogging schedule. My time was a little more flexible (especially when the baby was napping well). Now my time is a lot more structured. As I settle back into my day job, I realize that I’m going to have to shift my expectations if I’m to keep up. Blog ahead, schedule posts, put more thought into planning. Basically, be prepared. I knew things would be different, but until I found myself experiencing it, I didn’t know how exhausted I’d be. I didn’t know how difficult it would be to make time for blogging. But I haven’t let myself lose sight of how important it is. I knew I’d have to find a way to make time. Giving up on it altogether wasn’t an option.

The blog isn’t quite back to normal, but it’s getting there. I’m adapting to the changes that are happening. Or trying to. It’s still something I’m working on.

Sometimes writers encounter bumps along the road as they’re writing. Major life events, lost writing sessions (sorry, I know how cringe-worthy the very thought is) or just plain suffering through a major case of writer’s block. The important thing to remember is that these things happen. They’re bound to happen. We can’t let them trip us up for long and we definitely can’t let them stop us altogether. We have to find ways to get back to our primary objectives. To return our focus, even if it has to be modified to accommodate change.

There’s a world full of curveballs out there, just waiting to be thrown your way. They could come at any time. When they do, don’t let them break you. Nothing is so insurmountable that you can’t work at it over time. Keep your goals—be they writing goals or otherwise—always in view and when something takes your eyes off them for a moment, go ahead and take it in, but then go back and reminder yourself of why those goals were in your line of sight to begin with.

 

P.S. Speaking of bumps in the road, I can't seem to format the font in this post, nor can I seem to upload the picture I was going to include. Since my goal is to post something today, I'm not going to let these little bumps in my bloggy road stop me. Do your thing, post. Do your fonty, pictureless thing.