Go girl!

Great, love how this energy drink which is without a doubt terrible for you, is marketing to the inner feminist in all of us! Go!

Accent or no accent?

I have no idea if other writers go through this, but being of Indian background, when I initially wrote the mother and father characters in Raspberry Magic, their voices were Indian accented. I think when people read the script, they could sense that, and it made the piece a bit funny and unique. But then in this revision, I took out that Indian accented voice, because I felt that it was bogging the script down, that I couldn't figure out the deeper sense of the characters because of the whole accent thing. But when my husband read the draft, he said he felt that the characters were too white washed, that they had lost their unique style and voice. This really stressed me out, because every person who has read the script has liked the voice of those adult characters. So now, I'm taking the characters I have and adding back that flavor. I think this is sometimes tough for writers from an ethnic background. I had an African American student in one of my writing classes whose characters were distinctly black and very unique. But then in some of the critiques, people said one of her characters was too angry, so she scaled back so much that her characters lost their voice. I told her she shouldn't lose the voice because it's what would make her writing stand out. I think it's really about finding balance--making the characters ring true, but still giving them that way of speaking with makes them stand out.

Director's Statements

My producer and I have been very hard at work putting together our business plan and budget, which is a process I was unfamiliar with before going through it. My producer is excellent at this, as she has done it for other films, and really knows what she is doing. One of the toughest parts of it for me has been the director's statement because it's got to be compelling and inspiring without being pretentious. And, it really needs to speak to why I was driven to write this story. I wrote a first pass of the director's statement a couple of months ago, then went back and revised it a couple of days ago. I think my revised version is much, much better than the earlier pass, but it's always tough. Some people might wonder, well, why is it hard to actually write down what inspired you to make this film? Well, for Raspberry Magic, I literally wrote a first draft almost five years ago. With all of the different versions and all of the anxiety of getting the script to a place where you really want it, you almost forget about that deeper inspiration that's driving you to make the film. Finally, I'm in a place where I am truly happy with the script. I am sure there will be more tweaks, but I made some more revisions, and this pass allowed me to delve into some thematic elements. In dealing with theme, I think I finally reconnected with the deeper reasons of why I have to make this film. On some level, it's a coming-of-age story about a young girl, but it's also about parents who feel alienated by their own disappointments. Once we put the website up and get all of the visual collateral together, I'll post the director's statement... I'm just glad it's finally done!!

Making a Movie

It's been a long time since I've been in the blogosphere, mostly because things in my life have been a little nutty... All in a good way. I've been working really hardcore on the basics of getting Raspberry Magic going. Finally, we found a good entertainment laywer to set up the LLC and put together the operating agreeements, and my producers and I have been hard at work on the business plan. I'm also buried deep in another set of revisions. This round is particularly tough because it's all about making those characters really pop. It's going slowly, but I've definitely made progress. Being in this process has been really exciting, it's given me a much needed sense of focus and clarity. For the first year of living in LA, and I felt unclear about what the next step was, but going through this, it's clear... The next step is to make a movie! I saw Guillermo del Toro speak at Film Independent Director's series a few weeks ago, and he was very inspiring. He mentioned how for his first feature he mortaged his home or did something crazy like that. But ultimately it's how he got his career going. I used to sit here and ponder well, should I try to make commercials, sell a commercial screenplay or try to work in TV? I would get overwhelmed with these questions, because I felt somewhat directionless. But, this path feels right. It's not going to be easy because we have a lot of money to raise, but we're taking baby steps and I know it'll come together...

The Buzz of Technology

Web 2.0 has hit us hard and it seems like there is suddenly a rush to participate in anything video or virtual community oriented. But there's a weird dichotomy with technology as I've seen this week. I teach a Digital Storytelling course at Otis College of Art and Design, I decided this semester to do it differently and integrate the virtual community Second Life into the class. In the past, it's strictly been a writing class, but this time, I thought it would be good to try something new. The ideas was that students would propose some type of community to develop in SL, and we would go from there. Well interestingly enough, after my students, all around 20 years old, spent some time in SL, they decided that it sucks. They basically told me, as a group, that they felt that the graphics in SL were far inferior to the games they play, and that SL was for old people who are afraid of the computer. Being a young prof, I actually found their complaints to be very interesting and perhaps valid. On the one hand, SL is not a game--it's a virtual community, you define the experience you have there. On the other hand, if you are not there for a specific reason, then it might be dull. And, for younger people who are extremely tech savvy, SL would probably feel a bit dated. Some folks at Otis were really surprised by the response of the students, but some were not. I've decided to go back to keeping the course writing centered because then students can focus on being creative instead of on technology. Who knew that my students (who usually hate writing) would prefer writing to SL!

On another tip, I had lunch with a friend who is trying to break into TV writing. She is mostly into comedy, but she is also working on drama specs. She is really bright woman, a hustler who has made a good number of contacts, and I have no doubt that it's going to happen for her. She's being hip pocketed by an agent at UTA, and she was saying, she's been on lots of meetings with producers and agents, and right now, the buzz is for TV writers to have a scene from their script (pilot, spec) up on YouTube. She says everyone she's met with has asked her, "So do you have a scene up on YouTube?" She said people no longer want to read specs, they just want to see something. She was feeling very overwhelmed by this because she doesn't have a camera and has never really shot anything before. But, breaking a new writer is tough enough, and now with so many people going out and making films, the competition has gotten more stiff. A good friend of mine who is staffed on a comedy had been running a pretty successful online comic strip for a long time, which I bet helped him break in. Anyway, my other friend has decided to shoot a short sketch from one of her pilots. Technology has certainly made Hollywood an even more cut throat place...

Never Ending Revisions

Screenwriting is definitely a constant process of rewriting. It takes an unusual force of stamina and patience to go through the rewriting process with a script. This is summer and even into the fall, that was all I did--rewrite two scripts that I really wanted to get out there. Now, with Raspberry Magic in the early phases of becoming a movie, there's more rewriting. I'm working with the producers to polish the script, and my mentors are also helping with more notes. Then, with my other script, Kate's Rules, more notes from friends and fellow profs. at Loyola, and luckily one manager who's been responsive to my work has also given me notes. It honestly feels like it'll never end. But it's a good place to be in, getting notes from producers, managers and people who generally seem to know what they are doing. I find, though, that most of my work in terms of rewriting is deepening characters. The plots are all fine and the general story flows, but there can always, always be more work done on character. Here are some ways I've been deepening characters:

1. Add bits of dialogue to clarify a character's perspectives on things or to even reiterate plot point. I try to keep the exposition to a minimal, but a couple of people pointed out some good places for me to add just a tad more to clarify plot.

2. Adding scenes to reveal character. Not too much of this, but a little scene here and there is helpful to reveal a character's happiness, unhappiness or general state of mind. It is particularly helpful when a character goes through a major emotional shift in terms of plot.

3. Using other characters to deepen your protagonist. Audiences learn about your character through how he/she interacts with other people. Sometimes, adding dialogue or even more interesting actions between your protagonist and other characters can really reveal a lot about your protagonist.

4. Deleting uneeded or repetitive scenes. It's always nice to cut, cut, and cut. The tighter a script can be, the better. It's always nice when people read your script and say you can delete things because they get it.

A Long Process

The problem with creative work is that it is a long and never ending process. Even writing a script, you may revise and rewrite it for five years before you actually feel happy with it. I am currently in the process of making Raspberry Magic as my first feature. I've partnered up with a couple of wonderful producers, and now am working on setting up the LLC. Once that's done, we'll start begging for money, so if there is anyone out there who wants to donate, hit me up! But seriously, my producers keep assuring me that we will make this movie, even if it takes us two years to raise the funds. But I do get impatient, sometimes lying awake at night wondering when it will happen. I get excited about all of the creative aspects--shooting, directing, working with composers, developing the title design... I want it to happen right here, right now. But see, with making a feature, you are forced to slow down. Every little piece takes time, and you have to learn to enjoy the process, step by step, moment by moment. It's better to take it slow and make sure every detail is in place, first, so when you get to the shoot, there are as few issues as possible. Presently, I've been working on finding a good entertainment lawyer. I've met with a few people, and in fact, the person I'm meeting with this afternoon looks most promising. He's done a ton of work with indie film, and his rates seem doable. The great thing about this process, though, is that my producers are very knowledgeable and have been excellent in terms of guiding me in the right direction. I guess as long as there is forward motion, the movie will get made... Eventually.

Resorts

This weekend, Ameet and I had the pleasure of going to Cancun, Mexico for a wedding, where Ameet was the official DJ. He was so stressed about the gig, he spent hours and hours burning music and preparing. Ultimately, he ended up using only a fraction of what he burned, but it's good because he's more than prepared if he DJs another wedding. It was interesting because this wedding was at an "all inclusive" resort, where you pay a certain fee, then drinks and food are unlimited. It's the kind of over indulgence Americans love, and it's no surprise that the place was full of people from the good old US of A, particularly mid-Westerners. It's strange, because people come to these resorts, and they are basically in a Western enclave, never really venturing out to see the city where the locals live. Heck, they even have a Wal-Mart right nearby. One Wisconsonite told us a story about how he got "lost" and had to take one of the local buses. He said he realized just how lucky he was when he saw how "these people" live. The whole thing made me cynical. Yes, I realize I'm American, too, and that I was a part of the problem by being at this resort, but when you leave place like Santa Monica and San Francisco, you realize how many Americans haven't really traveled out of their comfort zone, where they have to cram on buses and walk (yes walk) to get groceries. To me, going to a resort in a foreign country and never venturing out basically defeats the whole purpose of traveling. But, I guess for most Americans, it's what's safe. And safety is good.

Back in the swing of things...

Finally, it feels like things are back to normal after the holidays. Teaching again, starting a new script and working with my producers to put our business plan together for Raspberry Magic.
A lot going on, but it's good to be busy. Recently, a couple of a people from some big production companies read my work and liked it. Though they didn't buy the scripts, they were very encouraging, and asked me to send more of my material over when I'm ready. This was very good news, because I feel that basically, screenwriting, assuming that you've got the skills, is a game of luck and numbers. In other words, somebody has to really support and champion your idea to push it through. So, keeping a wide array of contacts is a good idea. It's good to be writing again, as well. I realize that when I'm not in the midst of writing something, I am restless. I feel like something in my life is missing. So, I feel a little more settled now that it's winter time and I'm moving forward creatively.

Restless energy

Every now and then, I get seriously restless with life. It's an internal yearning to do something totally new, be some place totally new, take on a new project. I am feeling that way right now, and am basically pining to make another film. Yes, I am slowly chipping away at putting my feature together, but I also want to do something in between (or make the feature now!!). Yes, I have a new screenplay to start, another one that several managers are about to read, but I just want to make something else. When I was younger, it was this restless energy that often drove me into depressive states, where I would ask Ameet what he thought the point of life was. He would often get frustrated with this line of questioning because he obviously didn't have the answer, but now days, when I get into that mode, he tells me to get to work. I guess maybe what it is is that I've had a nice couple weeks to chill, so now it's high time to get into intensive work mode. The problem with writing scripts is that at the end of the day, a script is basically a film that never got made. Yes, I learn so much each time I write a script, and it's nice to have something more, but still... At least with a film, even if it's a short, it's something you've made and can show. So, I have a couple of potential short films in the works, maybe something else for Current TV. But for now, I need to quell this hankering with my writing, and oh yes, a very stiff vodka tonic...

Old Projects...

Several years ago, I wrote/directed a short film called My Narmada Travels, about indigenous people in India losing their land to a large dam. I was fresh out of graduate school when I got a grant from the Human Rights Center at UC-Berkeley to make this piece. Originally, I planned to do something small, like maybe a web-based piece, but when I told one of the producers at Frontline World, where I was working at the time, about it, she got excited, and told me to go for it, that it could potentially air on World. She even gave me a little more money for the film. This was a very tough piece to make. Looking back on it, I can't believe my husband and I packed it up and traveled to corners of the globe where people don't have power or running water. But we did it, then Frontline said they were interested, but never really bit. I ended up writing a story for The San Francisco Chronicle about the situation, and completing the film on my own. It screened in several festivals and even won a couple of awards, but I always felt bummed that it was never really broadcast anywhere, partly because it was so rough to make, and partly because I felt that the film covered an important topic. Recently, a good friend of mine, Robin, who did the music score, encouraged me to post it on the Current TV website for a contest... Though it didn't win the contest, the producers contacted me to air the piece on TV! I can't even explain how happy I was when I heard this. Looking back, that piece was tough not only because of where we had to travel to make it, but also because I did a lot of the work on my own. In other words, while writing and researching the story, I was also learning to use FCP, dealing with audio, graphics and more. On top of all that, I made all the travel arrangements to India, and set up all of the interviews. Now that I think about it, it's not surprising that around that time, I started having serious anxiety issues, and started having severe panic attacks twice a week--the first started while we were sleeping in mud huts in the village. Once we got home, I was super stressed, thousands of dollars in debt, then just plain depressed after my friend Robin blew up at me over a series of misunderstandings. Even now, prepping the film for broadcast brings up feelings of anxiety that I was having during that period. I've been so removed from the feeling, it's strange to feel everything all over again. It reminds me that for the next film I make, I really, really want to have lots of help!! In general, I am just happy that places like Current TV exist, and that they're showing the film.

Unadulterated Travel

I love the feeling of travel for the sake of travel, going places with no real agenda, except to explore and maybe visit people. Usually, I've done this kind of travel abroad, but this winter, my husband and I decided to do a little ten day east coast tour, starting in Boston and ending in Raleigh. We visited a cousin of mine up in Boston, and checked out tourist sites like Harvard Square and the MOMA. Then we made our way down to New York, and stayed with a good friend in the Village. Living in LA, I miss that gritty feeling of an old, crowded place, of tiny restaurants and bars, with shady characters lingering on street corners. Our neighborhood in lower Haight was like that--not that I can really complain about living by the beach, but sometimes you just want a little grit, and NYC was a nice little taste. After that, we did a little trip out to the NJ suburbs as well, to drop in on Ameet's cousin who just had a baby boy two weeks ago. The baby was so adorable, but man, sometimes I can't believe that we're all grown up. Ameet's cousin and her husband are in their late 20's and they've got the huge home in the suburbs, the luxury car, the perfect Pottery Barn furniture... It shouldn't be shocking to Ameet and I that this is what people do when they "grow up," but man, we're definitely a ways off from that. Anyway, then we were off to DC for a couple days with my good friend Kathy, and finally, a quick flight down to Raleigh. Coming home to my parents' place was so relaxing--I literally crashed for twelve hours... The best part was heading to the movies on Christmas day. It was awesome because it was pouring down rain, one thirty on Christmas day, and there was a huge line for tickets. Both day time shows for Dream Girls were sold out, sold out!! Beyonce is unstoppable, everything she does is gold... There was quite a ruckus for tickets... But alas, my family safely got tix for Pursuit of Happyness. A heartwarming story, but the film dragged a little in middle, the plot felt slightly repetitive, but it was good to see Will Smith break out of his action hero roles and do something deeper. We only have a couple days left here, and we'll get in some more shopping (not that I should do any more), and see a couple of friends. Overall, this trip has been the much needed break that we both needed. I'll be fully charged once we get back!

Interactive Entertainment

Technology is moving unbelievably fast these days. I used to feel like I was pretty up on things, especially because I worked as a multimedia designer for so long. But lately, everything is moving faster than I ever imagined. I knew Web 2.0 would be all about the moving image, but I never imagined it would be on cell phones and other mobile devices. I just got a Palm Treo 700p, and it's amazing. I can connect to the Net off that thing from anywhere, and it's pretty damn fast, too. The thing that fascinates me is that digital storytelling, the idea of film and gaming and merging has taken on very new forms, as well. The whole LonelyGirl15 phenomenon is interesting, though ultimately, it is a lot like television. Recently, I've been very intrigued by Second Life, a virtual world where you essentially become a character in this universe. It's fascinating, because it truly is like living a "second life." I've taught a course called "Digital Storytelling" for a few years, mostly recently at Otis College of Art and Design. In the past, I've taught it from the perspective of developing a video game script, and students essentially come up with their own ideas, and then chart out the story and write a ten page treatment. It's interesting, and the students like it because it forces them to think it ways they never have. To me, this kind of model was the essence of digital storytelling. But now, there are so many other types of inetractive storytelling, so I've decided to adjust my course a bit for next semester. I've decided to reconfigure the course and call it, "Digital Storytelling: Second Life Narratives." Instead of students developing original story ideas, we are going to build a presence in Second Life. Students will pitch ideas for the space we develop, then they will create characters who inhabit that space. There will be a hefty writing porition for the class, especially in terms of developing a backstory for their chracter. I will spend class time helping them develop their online persona and creating a life for their characters. It's very different from what I've done in the past, but it should be interesting to see how my students develop their character and what adventures they face. What's nice about teaching at an innovative school like Otis is that they encourage teachers to develop courses like this one that use technology in interesting ways. It's exciting for me, as well, because I get to play with a new technology.

Trimming the Fat

Having struggled with one particular screenplay for the past year, I was terribly frustrated with myself. And while my writer friends and even Ameet told me to let the damn thing go, I just couldn't--that's just how I am when I get something in my head. I'd write and rewrite this script and go in circles in terms of the plot. Nothing I did seemed to make any sense, and I was getting very bogged down in complicated plots and too many characters. I did put it away for a couple months, and then suddenly, something just clicked with it. I don't know what it was, but it just came together. I decided to dig deeper into the emotion, and simplify the plot. I also went through and got rid of every, single character that didn't make sense or that I didn't need. I actually found it much easier to write the damn thing, because I didn't have so many characters to focus on. I worked it and worked it, and finally got to a point where I felt at peace with it. I hardly ever feel this way, but for some reason, I was like, it's done. I know it. Then I had a script reader give me notes, and lo and behold, all my fruits of labor paid off--they said that it was a well written, clear and interesting script. Even my husband, who started looking at me funny every time I mentioned this script, like I was crazy and just really needed to let it go, read it and thought it was good. I have to say that was the best feeling ever. After toiling for something for so long, I finally feel excited to hand it off to two managers who liked one of my other scripts, but wanted to see something more commercial. It's exciting to feel good about something I've written!

What a moron...

I was enjoying a lovely Santa Monica Saturday by biking to the library then grabbing some lunch at The Real Food Daily. While I was sitting outside waiting for a table, I was reading James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia, mostly because I've been meaning to read it forever, and because I am on a kick to read novels that have been translated into films. I was minding my own business, when these two older men glanced at me and chuckled, then one of them asked, "Why is a nice girl like you reading such a dark book?" I was somewhat confounded by the question, because it struck me as one of those "Why is the sky blue?" kind of questions. Or, this guy was just being sexist because he felt that I should be reading a romance novel or something. Anyway, I said, "Because James Elloy is an incredible writer." The guy was even more shocked, because I think he was expecting me to sound much younger than I am, which happens often, because I do look younger than I am. Anyway, he laughed again, and said, "Wow, most of the women I know only read books with pictures in them." I have no idea what kind of women this dude hangs out with, but apparently not ones who read. What a moron.

Screenwriting Lessons

I've been writing screenplays and making short films for several years now, and I will say that screenwriting, to me, is one of the toughest forms of writing. Having worked as a print journalist prior to writing screenplays, I always felt like making the switch shouldn't be too bad, but it was tough for me. I finally feel like I've gotten over a hump with some things, and have some very important lessons about the writing process that I think would have been helpful for me years ago. Here they are:

1. Externalize it. Sounds basic, but every form of conflict and emotion in a screenplay has to be shown visually and through externally created circumstances. In a novel or even journalistic piece, you can tell the reader what is happening inside a character's head through a quote or description, but in a script, there must be an external situation that moves the story forward. I find that sometimes in my scripts, when people read them and don't understand why a character feels a certain way, it's because I haven't shown it through an external situation.

2. Use research selectively. Maybe it's my detail oriented mind, but when I'm working on an idea, I like to get into the world and really research every little piece of it. For example, I'm writing something with a computer worm in it now, and I researched the topic to death and knew exactly how a computer worm worked. At first, my inclination was to put every bit from my research into the script, but readers told me they were confused, and bogged down by the details. When I went back in and did a rewrite, I took out much of the info and used it selectively, and I think it's working much better.

3. Use plot as a way to bring about emotion. I think each writer has his/her strength and some are good with plot and some with characters. For me, it was always been characters. Plotting always stressed me out to the millionth degree, and I was definitely getting bogged down with creating plots that were simply one situation after another. I was facing this issue with my tech oriented script, and I finally realized that I was so caught up in the technology and what happened with each step, that I was forgetting that plot is really a device to bring about emotion, a way for characters to interact. It was actually to the point where I wasn't even enjoying writing anymore, and when I stepped away, I realized because I wasn't doing what I love--getting into the emotions.

4. Plans, plots and actions should be simple yet symbolic. This sort of goes along with the previous point, but I used to get caught up in circular thinking with the plot, because I would make it so confusing that even I couldn't understand what was going on. I would find myself overthinking the "plans" or things the characters are going to do to the point where I was confused with my own idea. For example, with the revenge plot in my new script, I had the characters doing all kinds of complicated things to get back at their horrible boss. But those plans weren't really representative of a deeper theme or need. Now, I realize that it's important for the plan to be simple, yet symbolic of the deeper thematic ideas in the movie, rather than complicated simply for the sake of it. In other words, if revenge is about justice, then that plan should be to serve justice.

5. Take time to set up the character's world prior to the inciting incident. I'm not saying that you should spend 50 pages setting up the character's world, but for some reason, I was getting into the habit of just getting right into the conflict by page 5, and people who read my script weren't getting it. I realized with my new script that people didn't know my character well enough to really get into her conflict. In other words, if your story is about a straight laced girl becoming a rebel, then we need to see her being straight laced for enough time to understand just how important her transformation is. As much as all the writing gurus say that it's critical to set up the conflict fast, I've found that most Hollywood films do a thorough job of setting up the world, first.

6. Brainstorm themes early on. You may not know exactly what your theme is when you start a story, but for me, it helps to come up with a list of ideas. Theme, to me, is the point, or what you are trying to say about the world with your film. I guess not all films have to have a deeper meaning, but for me, this is the reason why I like to write--I have a perspective on the world and I want to share it with you. So, if I'm aware of exactly what that perspective is, my writing is likely to be stronger.

He Called Me a Wetback

So, today I was on that misery of a road, Lincoln Blvd., trying to take a left turn into a gas station. After a minute or two, I realized that this left turn wasn't going to happen one, because traffic was terrible and two, people behind me starting honking. I got it. Abort mission. Then, as I'm sitting there about to figure out an alternate strategy, this old guy in a pickup truck, oncoming from straight ahead, flies past me with his window wide open and sticks his head out and shouts, "You can't do that, you fucking wetback." For a moment, I was utterly shocked, then truthfully, a little frightened. It's been awhile since someone yelled a racial slur at me, and yes, I'm no stranger to this having grown up in North Carolina. I've been called a sand niger, a niger, a terrorist, a cow worshipper and the likes, but wetback was a new one. I wished I could have told that fat, old white dude what an ignorant fuck he was, but of course, that kind of satisfaction will only play over and over again in my dreams. Or better yet, in a screenplay. At least he could have used the right slur if he was going to go at it, right? Sometimes I forget that people like this guy exist, especially living amongst my very liberal enclave of friends who come from many corners of the world. I even remember, when I was making my short film, This Moment, about an interracial marriage, one of my friends asked me, do people even care about race any more? Is this even a relevant topic? Yes Kameron, wherever you are, it apparently is.

LA Reflections

I've officially been living in LA for a year, which is hard to believe. I have to say, for the first year, I felt intimidated by everything here, like the films I had made didn't mean anything, like nothing was going anywhere. Maybe it was because my mother had a horrible accident right when I got here, and maybe because moving is just hard. But I think the root of my problem was figuring out what was next for me--did I spend time making yet another short, or did I move on to a feature? It's hard being here because there is so much happening, that you really have to be clear on your objectives. And, on some level, everyone is dealing with the uncertainties of this business. Last year, making a feature truly seemed overwhelming. Now, I'm in a different spot entirely. It was all a mental thing--this summer, I decided to just stop spinning my wheels and go for the feature. I worked really hard re-writing Raspberry Magic, and it's much tighter and cleaner. In fact, I now have producer on board who really believes in the script, and we're going to make it as a low budget indie. It's going to be a challenge to make it happen, but the wheels are turning, and I know it will happen, with a lot of patience and hard work! As for LA, it can be a tough place, but I love the energy here. You meet so many motivated people, people with dreams who are just going for it. It's pretty exciting.

Screenwriting Expo

I've always been resistant to attending the Screenwriting Expo, because it just always seemed like another one of these cheezy events where the "gurus" give you purported shortcuts for great storytelling. I once sat in on a David S. Freeman seminar, and found it to be somewhat ridiculous. It's like, 36 plot points, 29 character types--I walked out because it was just over the top. The Screenwriting Expo had the potential to be just as lame, so I resisted going for years. But I decided to go this year, and I have to say that I was quite impressed. I think it's all about which speakers you choose to see, and I think that this time, I made some good choices. Steven Barnes blew me away with his discussion of characters--he uses a lot of yoga principles and Eastern philosophy to delve into character motivation and types. In general, he just has some wonderful ways of looking at human psychology, something that interests me a great deal. I've been reading some psychology books lately, and it's so funny because my freshman year of college, I was either going to major in English or psychology--I guess things come full circle. Anyway, I also saw Linda Cowgill speak, and her discussion of plot problems/issues was so, so, so helpful. She goes through a number of common plot problems and how to solve them. I think what really sets the pros apart from the amateurs is flawless plotting--a story that moves forward without getting bogged down in details and events that are implausible. She gave a great list of things to do to clean up plot. I also checked out Michael Ardnt, the writer of Little Miss Sunshine. He did a really excellent dissection of what makes a great movie ending--his discussion was also quite helpful to me. I feel like beginnings are my strong point, but endings, ugh. Overall, I took away a lot, so now, back to writing! It's great because Raspberry Magic is out to a number of people, and it's always so great to hear what people have to say. Everyone's opinions differ so much, but ultimately, it's up to me to decide exactly how I want that story to go.

Old Friends, A Sappy Tribute

My college years were the best of times and the worst of times, as I'm sure is the case with many people. I met my husband, Ameet at the ripe age of eighteen and my very close friends Robin and Neelesh. I didn't grow up with any family besides my parents and sister in this country, and though my parents had friends in the community, there was always a distance that pervaded those relationships. I always felt this strange tinge of sadness when we'd go traveling during the holidays, just the four of us, because it always felt like something was missing, like it was just us in the world. The worst part was that inevitably, my parents would get into some horrible fight, and things would go from being already stressful to even worse. I think this is why my sister and I are so close, because we often had to learn to function in a home with lots of love, but an air of unhappiness. But as I've gotten older, I've been very lucky to develop a close bond with so many friends--friends who I could call in the best or worst of times. I think Robin, Neelesh, Ameet and I have supported each other through some crazy times in San Francisco. We've seen each other go through layoffs, and breakups, addictions and debts. Inevitably, we've had lots of fun and lots of memories. But in the end, I think having those memories it's what's most important. This is an old photo of us looking very constipated, going to a wedding.