Indie # 9 is The Squid and the Whale, written/directed by Noah Baumbach.
Starting Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and a brief Anna Paquin.

Watch the preview.

Admittedly, I will see anything with Laura Linney. However, this heartfelt story is well-written and well-cast.

What happens to a family when 2 literary parents suddenly separate? When each child idolizes one parent and blames the other, seeing things in black and white terms? As the kids begin seeing their parents’ flaws, can they accept the shades of gray?

Baumbach’s simplicity and complex family dynamics strike a chord with me, but I must admit I also have selfish reasons for liking this film. Being a stepmom of 3 for 13 years, it’s frustrating when children don’t see his/her parent in a realistic light, but instead see them as someone without any flaws. Yes, this is imperative when the children are young and need to feel safe. But as the kids get older, I think it’s healthy to begin challenging certain things, making up their own mind instead of automatically accepting everything as fact.

When the movie “Stepmom” came out many years ago, my younger stepdaughter walked out and claimed, “But no mommy could ever do mean things like the mommy in the movie did.” I bit my tongue so hard it turned purple, for in fact that very DAY her mother had done something insensitive and careless which affected them.

As we grow older and (hopefully) make amends with our childhoods, parents, and lives, we grow wiser. This film is a tiny snippet of how that wisdom’s spark begins.

Today I’m taking a break from Indies because I can hardly think straight.

A wonderful thing happened at 2:15pm EST today…I typed the last words of the book!!! WOO HOO!

Finishing a book, especially the first draft, brings an array of emotions into play: elation, anticipation of more work/edits, happiness, pride, fear, depression, sadness, happiness, and back around again!

I’ve learned to let these feelings flow where they may. Stifling them only prevents moving to the next level: rewriting. All writers have their favorite/most hated parts of the process, but I enjoy rewriting. It’s like sifting through treasures collected at the beach, figuring out what to polish and what to discard. Parts of this can be tedious, but in the end I enjoy this part.

I’m taking this afternoon and tomorrow off. Not looking at the manuscript. On Tuesday, I’ll start going through it with a fine tooth comb, editing things such as:

• Layering in Setting. Sure, those scenes have the beautiful Savannah background in my head, but are they clear to the reader?
• Removing those “um” words. You know the ones. In everyday speech, it’s “um” that we say more often than we realize. In fiction, it’s words like “that,” “just,” “really,” “very,” and more. These aren’t bad words in themselves, but like the “um” of a nervous public speaker, overdoing them can take the reader out of the story.
• Correcting my forgetfulness. Was my character from Boston on page 1, but from Miami on page 200? Side character names and features are my weakness. Highlighting those spots in green as I write them helps me correct them easily. It’s not uncommon to see “her boss, whatever his name is” written in and highlighted, and I can find out the name on the 2nd draft.
• Adding in any research tidbits. Nora Roberts claims she writes/researches simultaneously. I will occasionally swing over and do some research, but on some items I’ll wait until the 2nd draft to make the scene fill out more. A simple “research this” note in green highlight reminds me to do some brief Google inquiries. Any research needed from books or human beings, I’ll try tackling in the first draft.

After these steps are done, it’s best to let it sit for at least a few days, preferably a week or more. Then go back through and polish up word choices, make sure it flows smoothly, do one last printout/edit, and then the book is complete!

More tomorrow!

Happy weekend, everyone! The weather here is in the 60s, with a cool breeze shaking the yellow pollen out of the air. Great day to write on the patio! My aim is to complete the first book draft by the end of the weekend.

Today’s Indie (#8) is Neil R. Brown Fine Art Photography. You can see his works on his web site, but you might see him at your local arts festival too. He had a booth at Atlanta’s popular Dogwood Festival a few years back, an annual arts festival in Piedmont Park (although due to the Georgia drought, I think it’s been moved this year). Neil will be at the Inman Park Festival in Atlanta. Those of you close enough to drive, it’s worth checking out!

In addition to many black and white photos of stark nature, Europe, and national parks, he also has tinted images for sale. These are my favorites because they combine black and white with tinted blue streams or purple/yellow flowers. The juxtaposition of the two is intriguing.

You can select any three images to put in a trio frame, if you wish. Currently I have a trio of Banff Lake, Two Car Garage, and The Black Canyon. Then last year, my hubby bought me the 5×7 of Crimson.

While I loved the sharp red rose tint of this picture, it wasn’t until I received it that I had the real gift. Neil signs the back of all his prints, and he informed me this photo was taken in New Orleans’s Garden District. I grew up in New Orleans and was heartbroken when Hurricane Katrina hit, making this photo all the more special.

Check him out – at your local festival or on his web site!

Indie # 7 – Box of Moonlight. Watch the preview.

Written and Directed by Tom DiCillo. Starring John Turturro, Sam Rockwell, Catherine Keener

This Indie film holds a special place in my heart, for many reasons.

The characters are charming, complex, and yet familiar enough for me to recognize in everyday life. Several dialogue lines could be my friends and family, verbatim. This encourages a strong connection to the characters–essential for films or books.

The film is set and filmed in the South (near Knoxville, Tennessee). The lush green hills near the Smoky Mountains are an idyllic backdrop, in addition to reminding me of scenes from childhood. Small-town diners, hotel swimming pools with tall fencing, and the vegetable gardens all set a scene of small town Americana.

In one charming scene, Turturro and Rockwell engage in a tomato fight in a stranger’s vegetable garden. While lighthearted and set to upbeat music, this scene isn’t without its purpose—things screenplay or novel writers can learn from. DiCillo is a master at weaving scenes, and this is only one example which people can connect with and writers can learn from.

• It’s humorous, and we see Turturro’s stifled spirit begin to loosen up a bit. Character Growth.
• The threat of being caught by police brings a bond to both characters. Common Goals.
• When the police surround them, Turturro’s white shirt is in view. One cop says he can see it and to come out. Sighing, Turturro begins to stand, ready to face the music. Immediately, Rockwell insists Turturro remove the shirt and hang it on a nearby vine, allowing them both to crawl through the field and escape.

  I love this scene because it’s clear Turturro would never think of rebelling on his own, but Rockwell’s character has introduced him to making changes. Shaping Each Other’s Lives/Transformation.
  

• Turturro and Rockwell both eat homegrown tomatoes, right off the vine. The crimson tomato color and their facial expressions make me crave one. There is absolutely nothing like the fresh, Earthy smell of tomato vines and the flavor of one grown in a garden. Store bought tomatoes are not the same, never will be. Use of human senses – sight, touch, smell.

  These work visually in film. Novelists must carefully select words which convey the same thing on the page, drawing the reader into the story. This part also reminds me of a carefree time in childhood. My grandmother was quite proud of her extensive vegetable garden. We visited there every August where I picked vegetables every morning with my grandfather. One year we visited in December, when I was horribly distraught to learn that vegetables don’t grow year round.
  

• Writer/Director Tom DiCillo was kind enough to share this trivia nugget: The tomato scene, while choreographed and modified for the film, was based on a real-life experience when he was younger. Only he and his best friend had to hide out in the tomato field for several hours before sneaking away safely.

  Incorporating true-life experiences, where applicable, into works of art can give the artist a joy beyond words. Life’s emotional rainbow gives us colored paints to play with, and it’s a delight when we can find a way for something true to life to work in our art. Immortality.

  Watch it, folks! It’s one of my favorite Indie films.

My thanks to Tom DiCillo for the encouraging words and advice as I wrestle with completing my third book. You’re an inspiration to artists everywhere and keep up the great work!

I’m taking a detour from the Indie list to bring you an announcement from my frustrated mind. Ready? Here it is.

A talented cast, sprinkled with eye candy, does not make up for a plot’s lack of motivation.

Motivation is THE key to what characters think, do, fear. It’s the reason they are who they are, and why they want what they want. Does anyone else think it goes without saying, you must research and find out what your character motivations are???

Goals – what characters want. Motivations – why do they want them, what makes them tick. Conflict – what is going to get in the way of them achieving this?

The big 3: Goals, Motivation, Conflict. (Also the title of Deb Dixon’s useful book.)

I just went on IMDB. The #2 movie in the USA this past weekend was “Street Kings.” The #7 movie was “Smart People.” Ahem. In the midst of writer’s block, a lack of other movies playing, and two free movie passes, I went to see them.

First, Street Kings, aka Elaine’s stupid choice.

It seems every book and movie I pick up or see lately has great potential, but they fall through. Why is this? This movie even had Forest Whitaker and Hugh Laurie. Talented individuals. And Hugh Laurie also fits into the eye candy category. (Along w/Chris Evans, but he couldn’t save the movie either.)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention at least one good thing. They DID share some motivations toward the end of the movie, but truthfully, it was too late. Motivations are what help us identify with and care about a character’s journey. If we don’t learn their motivations until close to the end, we can’t care all the way through.

You can write a book or screenplay about pig farmers in outer space who love to go to the opera. (Okay, ridiculous example, but stick with me here…) But you must make their motivations REAL.

Second, Smart People.

This movie, despite the selfish angst by Dennis Quaid which is never really explained, had some snappy dialogue. Original stuff, rare in today’s recycled world. But the motivation wasn’t there. Or perhaps it’s just because I expect a great deal when I pick up a book or see a movie.

Let’s be honest, though. In today’s world, a medical professional would demand the use of a condom before she sleeps with someone. Am I alone in this theory? I can understand someone not as knowledgeable, or a teenager too embarrassed to purchase them. But a medical professional??? That’s cheating to forward a plot which isn’t backed by real motivation.

Sometimes it’s like walking a tightrope, because we also want our characters to have flaws so we can watch their transformation. But when a character does something so completely against who they are, it’s unbelievable, it takes us out of the story, and in the end, it lessens the storyteller’s credibility.

Motivation is key. And it helps characters become more real to the audience.

Soap box is getting plenty of attention. Guess I’ll get off of it for now. Thx!