Sun ain't gonna shine anymore

[itsallovernow]

Until the floods end, the subject lines are gonna stay rain related. Because the rain dominates life around here when it's like this. Leaky roofs and leaky ceilings, the drive home turning into something white knuckled and edgy, and the lines on the road aren't painted with reflective paint, so they're dull and hidden and people have to use their judgement to stay between the lines, and I'm not sure what could be more frightening.

And to top it all off, the rain makes the frelling star jasmine bloom. I hate the star jasmine. It makes my sinuses feel like they're turning inside out.

But our cable didn't go out. Taped Angel, since G. came over to play, but haven't watched it yet.

Wanna know how to get a straight boy to clean? Tell him his boyfriend's coming over. All the dishes were done, everything neat as a pin, straightened, washed. Of course M. didn't vaccuum, but he hasn't done the dishes for three weeks (hah, so not an exaggeration), and yet he did them for his playmate. I want to shake my head in disgust, but I'm too frelling grateful.

G. brought me beads from Mardi Gras. The girlfriend called while he was at the house, and I was not mentioned. I am, mmm, amused, finally. That's progress. I do feel for her. When chemical substances pulse through his veins, he feels guilty, wants to stand near me, tells me that he still wants to go get my piano and drive it back here from my mother's house. It's endearing if foolish, and she just doesn't say anything.

Went to the gym and had my free session with the Personal Trainer. I'm quite willing to cry now. Everything aches, and if I could afford her, I'd look fantastic. I'm wondering if I have the discipline to continue what she showed me.

Watched West Wing, and wanted more of something. I like how they are writing CJ, I don't feel like her character lost anything after Sorkin left. She's more measured, has a different kind of depth, but this episode didn't exactly do what I was hoping it would.

I have writing thoughts, random writing thoughts. I edit with suelac's machete in mind, and with searose's suggestions in my head and it makes a difference in how I perceive things. How I look at sentence structure, at diction and shape and meaning. I am embarrassed at the volume of mistakes, misses in general, that I've made, but it is still something to work and shape.

I'm equally embarrassed when I'm overly prolific. The danger of that, obviously, is that most of what's written is crap. And I worry about that, and repetition, and yes, I overuse the same words, the same themes and moments, and maybe I'm writing them until I write the one that holds it's own and won't take any further interpretations. Or, it could be that I'm just stuck in a loop.

It's moments, I think. I get caught in writing the minutiae. I've always had trouble moving plot forward, too stuck in the 362 details of the scene that I see and want to offer up, but the moments are what capture me visually when I watch something or read something. I have vast passages, lines in my head that haven't ever left, and that always mean more to me than the plot. But, you know, it's nice to have a plot to put those moments in:)

I'd like to propose a general writing challenge, though, and maybe I'll just take it myself. Because I can give you at least 10 words that I always use, and would like to try to write something without those words, I'd like to give them to someone else, and have them use them, and take another 10 words that I rarely use from another person, and try and use them as replacements. See if a shift in my vocabulary will spark a shift in tone or momentum. Any takers?

Comments

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Fascinating idea -- I had to spend some time on my website investigating what's too traditionally Sabbish, though runpunkrun could probably answer in a heartbeat. Anyway, I'm a taker. Gimme words. Me, I overuse:

:: seasick
:: shadow puppets
:: perpendicular
:: rapidfire
:: indescribably
:: squinted/squinting
:: cut/cutting (as in, to walk: "he cut across the room perpendicularly" would be a right Sabby sentence, there)
:: magnificent
:: purported (and with it, ostensible/ostensibly)
:: appreciate (as in, "I appreciate the fact that you don't like me, but...")

Additionally, I'll toss in some actions I overuse, to round out the ten: I've always got someone exhausted and raking fingers through his hair ("raking," incidentally, never "running" or "pushing" though, why not?), additionally, I've always got someone who "smiles with his mouth" which Punk is right ready to nail me for, though I insist it's an important distinction from someone smiling with his eyes, or his whole face. Still

I am going to be *lost* without "cutting" and also "purported," and I'm confided "appreciate" is gonna sneak back in, but I will try my damndest.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I love this list. Just the list itself is so nice, such a round and full collection of words out of context, and I want to put characters and actions to them. I very much like cutting, and squinted.

From me:
bitter
sharp
sigh (as in "with a sigh")
uncertain
still ( as in lack of movement:)
reaching
ache
pale
intent
gaze

There are more, but these are ones I find myself unable to write without.

additionally, I've always got someone who "smiles with his mouth" which Punk is right ready to nail me for, though I insist it's an important distinction from someone smiling with his eyes, or his whole face. But it is different:)

[cretkid.livejournal.com]

Watched West Wing, and wanted more of something. I like how they are writing CJ, I don't feel like her character lost anything after Sorkin left. She's more measured, has a different kind of depth, but this episode didn't exactly do what I was hoping it would.


OKay, finally, someone who doesn't think this non-Aaron Sorkin season blows monkey chunks!

Alright, so you may not have meant the entire season, but I too like where they are going with CJ. She took charge (for the most part) last night so that's she wasn't caught in another nightmare of not knowing ALL the details of conversations that went on in the Oval Office. I like the way she handled the press.

OKay, Ben in my opinion is rather stalkerish, I wish they would resolve that or give us more of a back story so he's not so stalkerish in my mind.

And hell, I've even written CJ/Hoynes stories (but then again, I've also written CJ/Danny and CJ/Toby too)... but, yeah... I supppose I wasn't too fond of how they ended the episode.

So, what were you hoping the episode would do?

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Truthfully, I've enjoyed the bulk of this season. Certain episodes I liked as much as anything Sorkin gave us:)

I liked how CJ handled the press, her resolve to handle the problem on her own, and her vehemence and professionalism with Leo and the President.

I think I was hoping for something else from the plot. I'm not sure what. Part of it, I'm sure, is frustration because I've missed the last two eps:) and came in uncertainly to this ep.

[cretkid.livejournal.com]

and I'm sitting (standing, actually) here wondering "What the hell did happen in the last two episodes?" One had something to do with pilots shot down in Korea and Bartlet sending people in to get them, and that's really all I remember... I know I watched them. I remember watching them. I remember discussing at least last week's with a friend via AIM.

Hmm.

I generally like this season too. We're out of international plotline hell. More domestic issues and more multi-story plot lines, which I think the past two seasons have lacked. I'm not so keen on the stories delving into the staff's personal lives, and I would love to see more of the First Lady.

The last two seasons just played too many trump cards and that annoyed me. We could have seen so much more from the fallout of the MS scandal and that would have been fine with me. I wanted to see more campaigning leading into the second election, but no! They decide to give the VP a sex life outside of marriage, give CJ a stalker, kidnap the first daughter. Blah!

Anyway...

I'm gonna have to find my tapes again, because now I'm thinkign up more Smithsonian scenes... and., hey, was this Ryan kid around during Christmas? Heeeee. I'd like to stick him at the Smithsonian too.... when we started writing this, it was assuming 2002 instead of 2003.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes. I need something to focus my energies on, so lets work on the Smithsonian scenes (I'm perfectly willing to hand wave cannon and still the intern from hell in there:).

I liked the international storylines - the stalker not so much:)

And I loved the ep this season when they went to the funeral of the former president. Because how can you not love Toby in Republican hell:)

[cretkid.livejournal.com]

gonna work on the story now...

Toby in Republican Hell was AWESOME! heeeeeeeee

[raithen.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I too am quite liking this season -- which is a surprise to me. Then again, I liked ER when Wells was at the helm, so I don't know WHY I am surprised. I have to admit, however, that this season hasn't been overly MEMORABLE for me. Your dilemma below, of not being overly sure what the last two eps were about, rings true for me, too. I watch 'em, I discuss em, but they don't seem to "stick" like I would like them too. But that said, I THOROUGHLY have enjoyed them while watching them.

However, last night's ep left me wanting more, too. But I think in a good way. First -- a caveat: I missed the first 15 mins because electricland and I were still chatting, which was FAR more important. But I was able to pick up the plot quickly which rather surprised me, because usually I have to watch from the beginning to really enjoy an ep. Anyway, what I liked about it was CJ's quiet strength, her political savvy, the way she handled Hoynes and her consummate professionalism. I also LOVED her discussion with Toby, at the end. Admittiting her own complicity in the brief affair. Saying "sorry" -- Toby's "you don't have to say sorry to me" -- CJ "I have no one else to say sorry to." That was just lovely.

And I really like that they have gotten back to solid sub-plotting/multiple story-lines. And that they are not goofy-Sam sub-plots, but meaty ones. The intern was great last night. I'd have wrung his neck. He is such a cocky, annoying, "right" young thing.

And Charlie, with the Mayor. *ahhh* Just so right.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have to say more than anything, the Charlie and the mayor scenes stuck with me because it's such a valid and difficult issue.

I'm vehemently anti-voucher for the same reasons that were stated last night. And for a slew of other reasons because I believe deeply in public education. With that being said, our public school system is failing the students who need it most because people are so afraid to look at other approaches to education and assessment, so I was pleased that they at least touched on that kind of issue.

But I thought CJ handled things beautifully, and I really like how they're writing her. Giving her different layers than before:)

And I'd have clobbered the intern. He's such an annoying little bugger. I also liked Toby refereeing everything:) But I often wonder if Josh ever does, does anything:)

[rubberneck.livejournal.com]

Because I can give you at least 10 words that I always use, and would like to try to write something without those words, I'd like to give them to someone else, and have them use them, and take another 10 words that I rarely use from another person, and try and use them as replacements. See if a shift in my vocabulary will spark a shift in tone or momentum. Any takers?

Intriguing...I think it's worthwhile just to stand back and pick out my own ten crutches, if nothing else.

breathe, breath, breathing
shift
reach
brow
glance
nudge
curve
knee, kneels
pause
little

*shudders in horror*

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Why is it that knee and curve are such unbelieveably appealling words? They're just so nice.

I'm happy to take them for a test drive, and you're welcome to mine or Sab's. (If I really wanted to disenhearten myself - I'd go count how many times I've used the words on my list. I think it's better not to know:)

[cofax7]

I'm getting the guilts here because I haven't done ANY beta since I sent you the last deposit. I suck.

And I won't have time to before next week. Sorry.

::sigh::

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

No guilt. It's forbidden!!! I appreciate the work you have done, I appreciate any work you are still willing to do!

I kind of like doing some of the edits on stuff I haven't gotten your beta from yet, and thinking, yep, C.'s hatin' that:) Or, oh yeah, gotta add, gotta cut, gotta move this or make it clean.

Alleviate your guilt and give me your 10 signature words - it's immediate guilt relief:)