Happy 2018 one and all! Did everyone have a great New Year’s Eve? Mine was as lowkey as you can go in that I was asleep at midnight for the first time in a very long time. I think it’s probably because of being sick after Christmas. I can’t remember the last time I was asleep for the change in the year. Shame, eh?
I’ve only worked two days so far this year (ha!) because I decided on long weekends for winter break as opposed to taking the first week of break as vacation. It would have been a good plan except for being sick. I had things I could have done at work, darn it! Working two days this week was very nice, especially since the office was quiet and people probably thought we were closed like the schools. It was a good way to try and get back into the swing of things. And now it’s my weekend!
So this time last year, I had started on a new fella, one Simon Kassianides. And to no one’s surprise at all, I’m still in it for him. It reminds me of the one time I told myself that I would just concentrate on one fella for a whole year and by February I had a new one on my list except this time, I really did spend the whole year with Simon at the top of my List. (Well, he technically didn’t make the top of the list until spring time but was on the list at the beginning of the year.) I don’t know if I know more about him after a year but I know I still have a long way to go in watching the breadth of his work. I like not really knowing much though. I like discovering him in new roles. He’s still rather mysterious to me and who doesn’t love a darkly handsome mystery? Plus oh my goodness, he makes for a GREAT book boyfriend.
I know I’m quite besotted because I can’t seem to use any of my other fellas at the moment for my current stories. I have at least three stories which feature men who look oh so like Simon. It’s easier when writing (for me at least) to imagine a real person as the character. Actors are great for that because if you’re lucky, you’ll see them in all kinds of different scenarios in their work. Sullivan Stapleton, for example, is a GREAT book boyfriend because I’ve seen him in a variety of situations as his different roles so I can use bits of those moments in my writing. I haven’t seen Simon in as many roles but he has played different kinds of characters so it’s not to difficult imagining someone who looks like him in my stories. It has actually been quite inspiring, especially in regards to my National Novel Writing Month novel, which was just over 70,000 words. Even now, I started another story (short story, maybe?) to take my mind off the arduous editing process of the long novel and the main fella in this new story is once again played by someone who looks like Simon. Being besotted means being inspired, I suppose.
Even though I still haven’t figured out why I started following Simon on social media, I do know the first time I mentioned him on twitter— January 3, 2017. I was awesomely forward and posted a screenshot of my watch face and directed my words to Simon. He actually liked that first tweet (yah!) and this year, when I realized the date, I took another screenshot of my watch face and used it in a tweet to him. It was my way of marking the moment. I was even goofy enough to screenshot my watch face at the same time I did last year.
no really, he makes for a GREAT watch face…
WRITING
I don’t know why I keep writing when no one else reads my stories but I do it. I do it because it is my compulsion. Also, it’s a great way to imagine my fellas in romance novels. Hello! And really, I just like to write and why the hell not?
“The Little One” – This one is the maybe short story. Georgie’s papa meets the pretty lady and with the help of ice cream, grandma, and the pretty lady’s niece, the two single souls feel something unlock in their hearts…
Falling Into Place – I’m mostly pleased with this story and I like it enough to want to actually edit it so that I can let people actually read it. The ending is a bit clunky and needs some work…
MOVIES
Last weekend we caught up on some movies and here are the ones I remembered…
Blade Runner 2019 – This movie was gorgeously shot. Of course I thought Ryan Gosling was amazing in it. The movie was long and felt it, the pacing excruciatingly slow in places. It felt more like a mood piece at times, unnecessarily so. All that said, I did enjoy it and wished it had been a bit tighter. It was a feast for the eyes to be sure.
The Dark Tower – I wanted to like this movie and I mostly did. I felt as though they didn’t explain enough about the characters and this one would have been better served as a two-parter. I’ve never read any of the books but I bet the books were better than the movie. I did enjoy Idris Elba in it. He rocks in whatever he does.
MUSIC
“Take On Me (2017 Acoustic)” – a-ha – I know, an old song but go find the acoustic version online. It is simply gorgeous and haunting and if you liked the original, this one will add to that love in a different way.
“Shoot Me Straight” – Brothers Osborne – A few people I follow online mentioned this song and after listening to the teaser, I just had to get it.
“Symptoms” – Devin Dawson – I pre-ordered Devin’s album Dark Horse and this song popped up this week. It’s haunting me a bit…
LAST MUSINGS
I’ve decided to stay with The Week in the Life format for my blog but I might post randomly during the week as well. We’ll see how I feel about it. I almost wish I had the discipline to post daily again but since I’m trying to work on my stories, I think I should focus on them more than my blog.
because a random shot of Sullivan Stapleton from Strike Back is never a bad thing…
It’s almost been a week of 2018. How has it been treating you?