Oscar Homework

I’m not ready for the Oscars tonight. Well – I’m ready in the sense that I know what party I’m going to attend, what time I’m getting there, and how much fun I’ll have. But other than that, I’m completely unprepared.

For one thing, I’ve seen none of the five Best Picture nominations, and I’ve seen nearly none of the rest of the films. Most years I’ve seen at least a handful, or I’ve done a mad-dash run through the theatres the week before, taking in as many as I can before Oscar Sunday.

This year my calendar has been too packed for that, though, so instead I’ll just sit in front of the TV cheering on none of them. That’ll make my voting card at this year’s party a bit silly.

The voting card goes like this: we pass out lists of films nominated, and everyone gets to check off likely winners. After the show is over, we add up who was correct about the most awards, and there is much rejoicing. It’s a family tradition.

I take that process a bit further. Normally I mark “should win” and “will win” on the list of films, creating a kind of irritating catalogue of details that documents my feelings about each nomination. As if anyone cares. ☺

But this year I won’t be able to annoy anyone with my dissertation on the worth and value of each film unless I invent ridiculous things like, “Slumdog Millionaire WILL win because of the ancient prophecy promising all mortals that Who Wants to be a Millionaire would one day rule over the lives of Earthlings, but Frost/Nixon SHOULD win because that title is cool.”

I’ve also, as my friends and family will confirm, utterly overbooked myself in the past few months, and so my attention will be divided. I’ll be working on a project (the secret one that I can announce to you in a little over a week) during at least part of the Oscars unless I hurry up right now and get that done.

It’s kind of a bummer to go into the Oscars like this. Hrm. I wonder what the schedule is like at the movie theatres this afternoon…

Anybody else super behind on your Oscar homework? Or is it just me?

Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn

"Irene has an excellent writing style that will draw you right into this one from the start."
Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn

Check out this cool review of my book, From Light to Dark!

Posted using ShareThis

Chocolate and Shakespeare

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

I know not everybody likes this holiday. To tell the truth, I’ve never cared much for it myself – except I do like the candy. ☺

This morning, though, my fiancé gave me a card that was addressed “To My Wife.” He’d written “to-be” underneath the word “Wife.” Suddenly I realized I was going to have to get used to that word: wife. It was exciting and sweet and weird all at once.

Then he gave me chocolate, and I started thinking about that instead. ☺ It was a nice way to begin the morning.

Today is also special because it’s the start of the Amway Shakespeare Opportunity’s Twitter of the Shrew – a Twitter-based adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. There are 19 different Twitter accounts to follow (#tots), and each player’s lines are condensed (though still true to the first folio lines) to fit Twitter’s 140-character limits.

For those Shakespeare fans who know Shrew very well, please note that TotS is not including the “play without a play” section that stars Sly & Co. This is the main cast story.

It’s a fascinating adventure, and one that I’m very honored to be a part of. Brian Feldman is the genius behind it all. Last night as we were proofreading his scene one together, complete with emoticons and links to obscure references – even amusing jokes hidden within – I sent a quick IM to tell him, “seriously, Brian, this is genius.”

Those who follow the separate accounts will find distinct personalities in each character – and may even get a better feel for all the fun that Shakespeare’s plays can bring.

There will be one scene tweeted per day over a span of twelve days, so please be sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts.

Well, there you have it. Whether today is Valentine’s Day or Singles’ Awareness Day or OMG I’m Going to Be a Wife Day, there are two special things that are certain to make it a day of epic win:

Chocolate and Shakespeare.

Tweeting Shakespeare, "Txt me, Kate."

February 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact/Interview Requests:
Brian Feldman, AmwayShakes@brianfeldman.com, DM or @AmwayShakes


Who: Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (2009 Inaugural Season) Taking Shakespeare To The Next Level.

What: Twitter of the Shrew - adapted for Twitter by @BrianFeldman from the classic comedy attributed to William Shakespeare, with additional material by @irenelpynn, is a Twitter adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew (1590-1594). Spanning 19 Twitter accounts and presented over 12 days (one scene daily), Twitter of the Shrew attempts to live up to Shakespeare’s “Brevity is the soul of wit” proverb, by condensing the play’s iambic pentameter dialogue down to updates of 140 characters or less. “It’s a great idea!,” says Austin Tichenor of The Reduced Shakespeare Company. For those who don’t yet exist in the Twitterverse, Twitter is that crazy-popular, social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets). Twitter of the Shrew is not sanctioned, endorsed or sponsored by Twitter, Inc.

When: 14 - 25 February 2009 (GMT-5): One Scene Daily

Where: http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes and 19 additional Twitter of the Shrew character accounts:
ShrewKate / Katherine Minola / http://twitter.com/ShrewKate
PetruccioV / Petruccio / http://twitter.com/PetruccioV
Grumio / Grumio / http://twitter.com/Grumio
VeronaCurtis / Curtis / http://twitter.com/VeronaCurtis
Hdasher / Haberdasher / http://twitter.com/Hdasher
Tailor4Petruc / Petruccio's Tailor / http://twitter.com/Tailor4Petruc
BiancaMinola / Bianca Minola / http://twitter.com/BiancaMinola
BaptistaMinola / Baptista Minola / http://twitter.com/BaptistaMinola
Lucenti0 / Lucentio / http://twitter.com/Lucenti0
Cambi0 / Cambio / http://twitter.com/Cambi0
Trani0 / Tranio / http://twitter.com/Trani0
Biondell0 / Biondello / http://twitter.com/Biondell0
MrVincentio / Vincentio / http://twitter.com/MrVincentio
ThePendant / The Pendant / http://twitter.com/ThePendant
Hortensio / Hortensio / http://twitter.com/Hortensio
LitioH / Litio / http://twitter.com/LitioH
PaduaWidow / The Widow of Padua / http://twitter.com/PaduaWidow
OldGremio / Gremio / http://twitter.com/OldGremio
UPadua / University of Padua / http://twitter.com/UPadua

To experience Twitter of the Shrew in real time, be sure to follow each of the character accounts, and set device updates ‘On’ to receive all #tots updates via SMS (only advised for those with unlimited messaging). All dialogue will RT @AmwayShakes.

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54668665562

Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (Brian Feldman, Artistic Director) will never do traditional Shakespeare. Upcoming productions include The Shakespeariment (24 Apr 2009) and, you just knew this was coming, The Twitter of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (May 2009). http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes

Novels, Radios, and Secret Projects

Things have been really busy here, and it’s great.

In addition to my new novel, I’m also working on a project that’s running on another website right now (details about that after it’s over). That project takes quite a lot of time and energy, and last weekend I spent several hours running from one place to another, writing, editing, recording, delivering files, and occasionally banging my head against the wall.

It’s always great to experience the finished product, though, when it finally comes together. That makes it all worth it.

Speaking of finished products, From Light to Dark is doing great at Wild Child Publishing. It has been out less than one month, and in that time I have seen it climb the genre Bestsellers lists (for Fantasy and Young Adult) on their site. It’s a great honor to be rising closer to the top of their fantasy/young adult readership in such a short amount of time!

In other news, I’ll be a guest next month on The Funky Writer’s BlogTalkRadio show! Update to come as the time and date are finalized.

That’s all for now! Back to work over here.

Reduction Production

Today is a wonderful day. Today, the Reduced Shakespeare Company came out with their first video podcast.

I am not connected with the RSC in any way (I wish), except for the fact that my brother and I once saw them in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) when we visited London. They are hilariously funny and smart, and they are totally down with Billy Shakespeare. Nothing could possibly be cooler in my book.

If you ever wanted to know where all the humor in history has gone, look no further than the Reduced Shakespeare Company. It’s all there.

Living with Winter

For Florida, it’s pretty cold. There aren’t tons of winter clothes available in this state, so, for the week or so in the early part of each year when temperatures actually drop down to the 30s, most Floridians wander around with bewildered, slightly irritated expressions on our faces, frozen to the bone by the wind that cuts right through our thin shirts.

Tonight’s one of those nights. I walked out to my car and felt as though bits of ice were forming on my arms. My dog Sprocket (who recently had a haircut, poor thing) hides in the electric blanket and refuses to go anywhere else unless it’s absolutely necessary. The cats, Coretta and Othello, are equally as snuggly.

There is one benefit to the uncomfortable cold – though the weather here never has enough manners to at least bring us a single snowflake – and that is that we can see our own breath. For a few days each year, Floridians return to the thrill of being seven years old and comparing icy breath with their friends. Since it happens so rarely, it’s a fun event for us each time.

Or maybe just for me. ☺

In any case, tonight I’m wrapping up with blankets inside and pets and writing.

What is living with winter like in other parts of the world?

Blog Talk Radio

I was interviewed as a guest on Kim Smith’s radio show on BlogTalkRadio tonight. She’s a great host, and it was a pleasure to talk about From Light to Dark with her. Let me know what you think of the show!

Decisions and Revisions

Today is a day of decisions and revisions.

I’ve been going through my short stories and a novel (requested by an agent) most of today, tightening here and adding there. Whenever I get a free moment, I’m looking at my past work and coming up with what I hope are improvements.

At times this editing process feels as dull as putting gas into my car – just another tedious stop on a long trip that keeps me from my ultimate destination.

But occasionally, revising feels really good. It’s as though I have made a terrible mess of things; there’s mud on the floor and there are clothes crumpled in the corner. Then, like Cinderella, I come whisking in with a smile and soon everything’s sparkling clean, ready for the ball.

Today’s been a little of both. Sometimes smelly petrol, sometimes shiny dance floor.

My new work in progress (Abandoned) is getting some attention, as well, though I need to catch up with my word count. Once in a while you’re having so much fun writing a scene that you linger far too long, and the next thing you know, you’ve lost track of where you were going in the first place. Time to break out the plot map and force some discipline upon myself!

The current scene I’m working on in Abandoned deals primarily with eggs. Not breakfast eggs. Not robin’s eggs. These are giant, cracking, prehistoric eggs that contain a very special secret. Shhh. Don’t tell.

Tomorrow I’ll be a guest on Kim Smith’s radio show on BlogTalkRadio at 830 p.m., EST. Be sure to tune in!

Now. Back to revisions… or eggs.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Author: Mario Kluser

Mario Kluser is an author from the Netherlands.

1. What is the most interesting experience you've had as a writer?

When I got a very long e-mail from a reader of Loser - Director's Cut, telling me that the only time she could lay it down was when she had to cry. The other great experience whilst writing 'Loser' was when I came to my girlfriend's place and found her sitting on the sofa, crying after reading some excerpts. Immediately I thanked her for the compliment, then I asked her why she was crying. She said that she never read such a intense description of loneliness. I know this may sound silly, but this was very motivating for me to go ahead.

2. Do you own any pets? If you do, tell us about them!

I have a 13 year old cat (Upke) that has cancer. She seems to be happy, so I don't consider to bring her to the vet for the final pinprick. Her sister (Dupke) died in my arms 4 years ago. Gosh, I thought I could never be happy again. It's so intense when you look into those kind
eyes for the very last time. I have a rabbit with long ears that reminds me in one way or the other of a Rastaman. That's why I call him Bob, referring to Bob Marley. Never told this anybody.

3. Describe your most recent main character. Compare his or her appearance to celebrities or other fictional characters we know.

My most recent character is Andrew (Andy) Williams, the MC of 'Loser'. As this book is written in semi-autobiographical style, I wrote in the first person and hadn't any celebrity in mind. It was like giving myself the leading role in a movie.
Another MC in my first book is Jack Acers. It was the first time that I wrote, and it was easier to do so when I imagined the whole story on the big screen, and in my mind I gave every character the looks of a celebrity. In the case of Jack Acers it was Nicolas Cage. Thus, if there
is any Hollywood producer out there who wants to make a movie based on this book, please cast Nicolas Cage for the the leading role.

4. What is your favorite book to read, and why?

There are so many. My first thought goes to Harry Potter 1 - 7, even though I'm absolutely no fan of fantasy. Other books that are coming into my mind are Tokyo by Mo Hayder, Immoral by Brian Freeman and Wicker by Kevin Guilfoile.

5. How do you decide on the names for your characters?

Honestly, I don't know. It's just like they fall from above into my lap. But the reason that I named the MC of my first book (Het Orderboek) Jack was that I had Nicolas Cage in mind and thought on his role as Jack Campbell in the movie The Family Man.

6. Do you listen to music while you write?

Most of the time, though it's necessary that the music has a supporting character to the scenes and chapters I'm writing. Some scenes in 'Loser' were musically supported by "Lose Yourself" and "When I'm Gone" by Eminem. I mentioned it in the acknowledgment because this was very important to me.

7. What is the strangest way you've come up with an idea for a story?

For my first book it came over night. I was busy daytrading on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, and in the past I worked as a programmer. One day I found out that under certain circumstances, there was the possibility to manipulate the orderbook if you have the right people in the right place.
Because I was considering writing a book for a while, I nurtured this idea and one morning I woke up and had the complete plot from the beginning to the end in mind. The only thing I had to do was write it down.

8. What is your favorite city in the world, and why?

This is such a mean question! It always was London. London is such a amazing city. I love London. When I visited Ilaria Papini and her family last year in New York, I found out that NY fits my needs as well. I met so many friendly people and had such a big time and felt at home there. This is the reason that New York and London are sharing the first place ever since. But I have to admit that if I had to choose where to live, it would be New York.

9. Describe what your plotting process is like.

In the first case (Het Orderboek) I described earlier it grew over night around the possibility of manipulating the orderbook of the stock exchange.
For 'Loser' the proces was different. I knew how it had to begin and how it had to end. So I wrote the beginning and the end first. As there are two different timelines (one in the past and one in the present) that are switching in every chapter, I wrote a couple of 'even' chapters and then a couple of 'uneven.'
For my third book that's still not yet finished, I just started writing and don't have a clue where it is going to in the end.

10. When you aren't writing, what do you like to do for fun?

I think that the fun part at that moment is writing itself. So I'll write for fun whilst writing.