A to Z Challenge

F is for Fusion (or How to Make Beautiful Music) #AtoZChallenge

April 6, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Fusion–the melding of disparate elements– has always appealed to me. There is fusion cuisine which blends traditional foods from varying cultures to invent a tasty new dish foods, and fusion music which blends differing styles or genre to make a new one.

There is something about marrying two seemingly opposing genres that seems so wrong, and yet when it is done well, the result is a harmonious pairing of two conflicting musical styles. Latin jazz. Hip hip and rock. World fusion. Rock and classical music. When one can make such a pairing work it seems effortless. Like magic. Here’s an example of this type of fusion: Lindsey Stirling is a violinist, however she incorporates a decidedly rock and roll edge in her style, and then throws in some dance, just because she can. The combination is pure magic.

As a reader and film viewer, I sometimes enjoy a film that blends two seemingly opposing genres with good effect. For instance, I enjoyed the movie Timer which blended science-fiction and a romantic dramedy (which in itself is a fusion of sorts).

What is your take on fusion cuisine and fusion music genres? Is there a book or movie you like that does a particularly good job of blending two genres?

E is for Ebert and Elementary #AtoZChallenge

April 5, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Farewell Roger Ebert

A quick nod to Pullitzer Prize-winning movie critic, Roger Ebert, who died yesterday. I’ve been watching Roger Ebert share his insightful movie reviews from his balcony since the days of Siskel & Ebert at the Movies. They were magic together and I loved watching them dissect a film–whether they loved it or hated. I’ll admit I got a little thrill out of it when one hated a film as passionately as the other loved it. It taught me that art is truly subjective and that even brilliant minds disagree.

Roger Ebert is as firmly rooted in the history of Hollywood as many actors and directors, and is far more memorable than most of the movies he reviewed. He will be missed. Today both thumbs are at half-mast.

Elementary, My Dear Watson

If you’ve been here more than once, you know I have a deep and abiding love for flawed, damaged characters. However, the danger with flawed characters is that they tread a perilous line between likability and utter loathing. In extreme cases the character’s flaws descend into full-scale buffoonery or an intolerable lack of consideration for others. For instance, I was a fan of the USA series Monk at first. But after awhile I found his treatment of his assistant, Natalie, intolerable, and felt like his countless phobias had become the central theme of the show with each gag going on far too long.

Enter Jonnie Lee Miller’s portrayal of famed detective Sherlock Holmes in the CBS drama, Elementary. A famous, drug-addicted detective with innumerable quirks and a tendency to be brusque is ripe for treading on the side of utter loathing. Initially I gave the show a shot because I have fond memories of staying up late, as a little girl, to watch Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce portray the brilliant, but socially-inept detective and his affable sidekick, respectively. I also found the idea of Sherlock Holmes being given a modern twist–including making the Watson character a woman–completely intriguing.

I watched the first episode, but wasn’t completely sold. I had serious doubts whether I could tolerate Sherlock’s behavior. Still, I was interested enough to watch the next episode, and the next. Each case was complicated, with unexpected twists. More importantly, I grew fonder of the main characters.

Sherlock Holmes – Portayed by Jonnie Lee Miller

A star consultant for Scotland Yard, Holmes falls out of favor after descending into a drug habit and being forced into rehab. He comes to Manhattan where Captain Gregson (portrayed by Aiden Quinn) is familiar with his work and allows him to serve as a consultant on NYPD cases. Sherlock’s father–a man who is never seen, but is, and has always been, detached from his son–insists that Holmes live with a sober companion following his release from rehab and relocation to New York City.

Dr. Joan Watson – Portrayed by Lucy Liu

Dr. Joan Watson was a brilliant surgeon until she lost her patient, her confidence, and her license to practice medicine three years ago. She finds solace in her new career–serving as a companion to recovering addicts. Still, she is painfully aware that her family and friends disapprove of her choice and believe she is simply hiding out from life.

Both characters have tragic pasts that drive their behavior and thinking in very different ways. However, over the course of this first season we’ve watched the growth and development of both Holmes and Watson, and the evolution of their complex relationship. From the beginning Watson became increasingly invested in her charge as her admiration for his brilliance grew. However, bit by bit Holmes began to recognize Watson’s unique abilities. More importantly, we’ve watched as he reluctantly began to care for her. He demonstrates his concern in subtle ways, but because of the insight we’ve been given into his character each act speaks volumes.

Have you seen Elementary? Do you love it or hate it? Who are your favorite damaged characters and why?

D is for Determination #AtoZChallenge #BasketballTrickShotKid

April 4, 2013 by ReeseRyan

The video of this amazing little basketball prodigy, Titus, completely blew my mind. First I wondered if this was a series of camera tricks. When I realized it wasn’t, I wanted to scout this kid for my hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.

Titus is adorable, but he also reminds me of four important ingredients to success. Determination. Passion. Fun. The Right Team.

Determination

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines determination as, “Firm of fixed intention to achieve a desired end.” There’s no doubt that Titus is determined to reach his goal. This determination drives him forward. There’s no way the kid makes these crazy good shots without the hours of practice–which we don’t see— where the ball just won’t go in the basket. It’s on those days our determination to achieve our goals carries us through.

Passion

It’s not hard to spot the difference between an athlete that’s just dialing it in or working for a paycheck versus one who is fired up, completely consumed by her passion for her sport. We see this same difference in people we meet throughout our day–from the barista that made our double tall latte this morning to our doctor or child’s teacher. Having that same passion in our work and allowing it to fuel us on both good days and bad results in an end product that we can be proud of, and that end users–like readers–will truly enjoy.

Fun

It’s pretty obvious that little Titus is getting a kick of shooting the basket. We don’t see stage parents dragging the kid somewhere he doesn’t want to go, or threatening him if he doesn’t try one more time. Rather, we see the pure fun he’s having. He loves what he’s doing and he’s having a ball.

If we’re not careful, even our dream job can become a chore (ask any writer). So making it fun, and keeping it fun contributes to a better overall experience, and again has an impact on our final output.

The Right Team

Little Titus loves playing basketball, and his parents and siblings cheer him on fervently, and happily assist in doing what they can to help him get better. We don’t see his parents complaining because he wants to throw the ball one more time, or his siblings sulking in the corner because Titus is in the spotlight…yet again. Instead, they are there supporting him time and again, and show genuine elation each time he makes another basket.

Having the right people around us makes all the difference as we forge toward our goals. There will be some people in our lives who will always point out the negative or respond to good news with a telling “Hmm…” Distancing ourselves from those people physically isn’t always an option, however we can learn to minimize the impact we allow them to have in our lives and on our psyche. More importantly, we must find people who are supportive of our dreams and gravitate toward them.

Sometimes the right team is built piece by piece. The right coach here. The right trainer there. Then sometimes we’re lucky enough to find an entire group of supportive people–like the right critique group or writers’ association. When we find supportive people who are a joy to be around, and who want to see us achieve our goals as much as we want to see them achieve theirs things don’t get much better than that.

What goals are you determined to reach? What are you most passionate about? How have you built the right team?

Photo above captured from video below.

C is for Character #AtoZChallenge

April 3, 2013 by ReeseRyan

As an avid reader, a film fan, and a writer, I’m obsessed with quirky and interesting characters. More specifically, I am drawn to deeply damaged characters whose occupation and actions reflect their past experiences.

Situations in life are rarely black and white. The same is true of people. Heroes often have a dark side, or an ugly past. Villains often have some redeemable qualities, or a past history that provides insight into their character.

I prefer my heroes rough and a bit gritty, and my villains with a vulnerability that allows me to feel some compassion for, or insight into them. Skyfall, the most recent film in the James Bond franchise provides both.

Daniel Craig portrays Bond with a raw vulnerability that we haven’t seen before. I’m a long-time fan of the franchise. Yet I much prefer my Bond bleeding and broken, than polished and nearly perfect.

Dame Judi Dench’s character, M, is a heroine in the Bond movies, but in this film we see glaring fissures in her character, and their tragic consequences.

Silva, the villain brilliantly portrayed by an ultra creepy Javier Bardem, is a complicated mess of a human being who manages to be irredeemably wicked, yet deserving of compassion.

Each of these characters reminds us that the line between good and evil is rarely delineated with an electrified fence. Sometimes the line is barely visible. We don’t realize we’ve crossed it until we’re on the other side. What classifies us as being in one camp or the other is whether we choose to return to the other side.

It’s no secret that I love deliciously-flawed characters. Such intricate, layered characters escalate the level of another important C, conflict. With each character waging a war internally, it’s no surprise that Bond and Silva are embroiled in an external conflict of epic proportions, leaving carnage in their wake.

What about you? Are you a purist who prefers a knight in a shining armor–hold the chinks? Or do you like your heroes and heroines with a hardened edge?

B is for Blogging #AtoZChallenge

April 2, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Despite my tendency to blog with great irregularity, the medium definitely appeals to me. However, I needed to rethink how and why I was blogging. This led to a few changes regarding where I was blogging.

So I forced myself to let go of a blog I’d long-held, but that didn’t necessarily serve my purpose anymore. Next, I committed to building my author blog here. The final piece–participating in other blogs–was a bit more complicated.

Guest blogging is a wonderful way to connect with readers, and fellow writers, especially for a debut author, so I’ve been making plans to do that and am truly excited about the invitations I’ve received to be a guest on some wonderful blogs. But I also wanted to be part of a group author blog.

There are lots of excellent group author blogs out there. But I couldn’t find anything that seemed quite the right fit. So it occurred to me that perhaps I should start one. I posed the idea of starting a group contemporary romance blog on the Carina Press author loop and discovered that many of my fellow authors were extremely interested and ready to become founding members.

The Contemporary Romance Café will be serving up contemporary romance from sweet to sizzling. The Café launches on May 1st, and I’m thrilled to be joining my fellow authors in the venture, and to invite some of my favorite contemporary romance authors as guests of the Café.

Are you a blogger? If so, how have your blogging goals changed or been refined? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Contemporary Romance Cafe logo created by Amber Lin of Book Beautiful.

A is for Action #AtoZChallenge

April 1, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Because I am a very remiss blogger, I figured that the A to Z blog challenge would be just the thing to get me into a rhythm, doing what good little bloggers do. Not to mention that the entire concept brings back fond memories of one of my all-time fave programs, Sesame Street. So today, A is for Action.

No matter how big or small our dreams are, nothing gets done without action. Common sense, no? So why do we so often find ourselves dreaming big, but doing very little to bring those dreams to fruition?

I’ve been an avid reader who loved stories for as long as I can remember. But when I read Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, I knew I’d found the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life–craft story of strong, witty women, the men they love, and their supporting cast of characters. It was fabulous to have this big dream in my little head. Making it happen, that was a different story.

Back then it wasn’t the writing itself that was the issue, it was the action of putting myself out there, and the possibility of being rejected.

Fast-forward nearly twenty years. I renewed my dream of being a fiction writer. The action I struggled with then was completing a novel. I had several partial manuscripts, including a couple of ambitious affairs featuring ensemble casts. However, it took me several years to get it together and finish one of those stories. That action prompted me to complete two others in a relatively short time. But that was only the beginning.

I’ve had to continually force myself beyond my comfort zone in order to advance toward my goal of being published. Taking writing craft classes. Joining a critique group. Attending local writer events. Submitting queries to agents and publishers. Volunteering in my local RWA chapter. Each action helped me move forward. At first it felt like I was inching along, but later it felt like leaps and bounds.

My debut novel, Making the First Move, will be published this summer by Carina Press. But the number of actions required of soon-to-be published authors (and multi-published authors) is no less. Instead, the added responsibilities of building a platform, guest blogging, and finding ways to connect with your audience are added to the mix of plotting, writing, revising, submitting, etc. So I’ll keep moving forward, remember that each action is bringing me closer to my ultimate goal.

What are some of your dreams or goals? What actions are you taking to achieve them? Please share in the comments.