Phantom of the Opera

Well! I saw Phantom of the Opera saturday night, and WOW! It was amazing!

Andrew Lloyd Weber is a master. I loved the movie version of it- it's probably my all time favorite show -but seeing it on stage was a different experience entirely. The wit was funnier, Carlotta was FAR more annoying without a mute button, and everything was just spectacular! The chandelier falling was pretty cool too. The music was absolutely enchanting, and the actors! They were just astonishing in their skill.

They had these flames shoot up on stage a few times. It left my eyes dazzled as they quickly changed scenes. I have never seen costume changes and scene changes done so quickly, smoothly, and professionally. These people are amazing!

Yes, Phantom was fantastic! If I had the money, I'd go see it again and again. For now, the memory will have to do.

I've never actually seen a play or operatta before. I think I will be seeing more of them in the future. The experience is so different from watching a movie. I want to catch more of Andrew Lloyd Weber's if it's at all possible. The man is a creative genuis, without a doubt.

Fishy Eggs

While meeting with the manager of a classy little restaurant I hope to snag a job at, the family and I stopped for breakfast.

Whoever would have thought that eggs and fish went together?

I don't usually care much for omelets... but they served one just packed full with smoked Alaskan salmon in a cream cheese sauce and topped with cilantro. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it! It was by far the best meal I've ever eaten.

And mom got a shrimp scampi omelet. That was amazing too. Dad got a Dungenesse crap omelet. Also superb. We swapped plates.

But really. Fish and eggs? I never would have thought that would be appetizing. But geez it was. I'm glad it was expensive or I'd eat there again and again...and there would go this nice track of slimness I've been on!

An Excerpt From Chapter 17

Fire, pouring deadly from the serpent’s mouth. The jewel on its forked tongue melted and bubbled into a pool of sapphire liquid, dribbling down from the serpent’s mouth. Where it dropped, the ground hissed and sizzled and smoked.

There was a cry of anguish nearby. A man stood, resplendent in his grief, his head bowed and arms outstretched as if to embrace the earth. He fell to his knees in the dust, and the ground split. One knee rested on either side of a great chasm. He was all that held it together. The man lifted his head. Tears flowed from his eyes.

He was aging rapidly- the pain and suffering of the world was weakening him. His auburn hair grew gray, now white. His beard, once close-shaven, was now long and flowing. His shoulders stooped, his skin withered.

He tossed back his head and screamed. Anger poured from him, and the ground trembled with it. He stood, and the chasm split, separating the halves of the world. The ground opened up and swallowed the serpent.

The man, now ancient, bowed his head and wept.

- - - - -

This is a vision, by the way. It's not really supposed to make any sense yet. There's just LOTS of room for the reader to ponder what it means. :-)

I'm Guilty of Pride

I have been writing all morning- I promised him I would keep writing, no matter how bad things got. So, I've been writing.

Anyway, I hit 17,000 words this morning. And if pride is a sin, well, I'm guilty! I've never been more proud of myself than this! The words are so beautiful, flowing across the pages. I love language. I love English! These 26 little letters have created something incredible.

Kissed is nowhere near done. But I'm so PROUD of what I've accomplished thus far!

Hollow

How do you cry when you're out of tears? How do you breathe when there's no air?

He was my everything. He is my joy, my laughter, my present, my future, my wings. Without him there is nothing.

I can wait...we have to wait. India is a long ways away. But he'll come to me. He promised, and I know how hard he's trying. And if the Gods are smiling on us, the future will be filled with as much joy as today is filled with pain.

But I'm impatient. I want next year to be NOW. Every day is a little harder than the next.

When I am rising, he's sleeping. When I'm sleeping, he's rising. We're under the same sky, eating the same food, breathing the same air, but the distance is unbearable. When will this end?

Kissed By Gods

For anyone who would like to see some of my writing, here it is:

http://www.webook.com/project/Kissed-By-Gods

Showing Vs. Telling

Ah, the age old rule- show, don't tell! This used to frustrate me so much. I wondered what exactly showing is. No one seemed able to explain it! Anyway, it looks like I eventually figured it out, because people are constantly complimenting me on my descriptive voice. So, I thought I'd post what method I use.

I tend to just write something first. Whatever comes out. And then I go back over it with a lice-comb. :-) Any words that cater to our senses- sight, sound, touch, taste, smell -seem to be applicable as "showing". It pulls the readers into the writing, I think, which is essentially what we're going for.

Also, metaphors work wonders. If you don't want to actually put metaphors into your writing, thinking in metaphors does help. Know what you want to describe, and then dig for the words that describe it. For example- blue eyes. Why just say they're blue? Are they icy and sharp? Deep, ocean blue and soul-bearing? Saying "Her blue eyes shone." is pretty straightforward. But it's also unimaginative. That counts as telling...right? Instead, I think like this: "The blue of the oceans filled her eyes, starry lights shimmering intensely beneath their surface." It just sounds better, doesn't it? Yep. I think so. :-)

Anyway, that's about all I have to say- cater to the sense. And any words that are picturesque and specific seem to apply to "showing".

Now, your turn! How would you explain showing vs. telling? And how do you keep from telling?

A Place To Write

Where do you write? Do you get better results in certain areas?

I've heard that many authors have certain areas that they go to write, where their creative juices flow the best. Personally, I usually find myself sprawled out on a blanket in the backyard under a sun-umbrella and listening to whatever music catches my interest at the time. But, when I have the bus fair *sniggers*, I enjoy sitting in a corner of a nearby coffee/gelato shop. It's peaceful, and all the smells and sounds somehow keep my creativity flowing. Not to mention the people are fun to watch, and great for ideas.

During the school year, I haunt the third floor of the science building at the local college. There are little tables squished into niches and alcoves along a hallway there. It's quiet, and very very peaceful. In general, I find it to be a good place to write- and they provide plugs for the ever-dying laptop! :-)

I'm curious to know, though. If anyone reads this blog- where do you write, and why?