And Now, For Something Completely Awesome.

Ranty post over.

Despite the fact that AP is currently sucking the life out of me, there are a few bright spots in this self-inflicted torture:

1. Awesome new novel idea!

-Just about everyone who knows me, whether online or in real-life, knows that I dislike the fantasy genre (save for Harry Potter, and his amazing author, J.K. Rowling). That said, I've been playing this awesome game recently, and have been inspired by characters I've created there; the ensuing attempt at fantasy will be my NaNoWriMo pet-project. Sure, it's 6 months away (okay, 5), but what better excuse to plan, plot, & block?

2. More epic adventures of aspiring writerdom!

-Yes, it's true. I will be participating in the Attic Owl poetry-reading at La Teraz on June 16th. The fun starts with a dinner at 6 pm, followed by poetry at 8, so those of you in the Moncton area should come out and join the party- to sign up for the mailing-list, or for more info, contact Ed and Elaine, our great & fearless leaders.

All's good in the 'hood,
L.

Immo vs. Emo: The AP Upgrade.

Holy lack of postage!

I'm almost sad to see May go... After all of the epic adventures I had that month- Fryefest, Donna Morrissey, Trimedia N.B, Youtube fun- it's going to be a tough act to follow! I can't believe it's gone already!

To add to this ever-growing frustration is the AP upgrade- since I'm not posting there (I can't- I'm staff, and don't have the same rights to free speech as everyone else), I shall let it be known that:

I HATE THE FREAKING UPGRADE!

That site has been my home away from home (away from home) for the last five years, and I'm seriously thinking about leaving. I've cancelled my gold-membership, given up on posting anything, and just can't find the energy to do my job properly. Were I not so emotionally-invested in the place, I'd have already left- I've opened accounts on other sites, including Deep Underground Poetry and Writerscafe.com (they have agent listings there, too).  I've also discovered the AAR Database, which is a great tool for writers- even if I'm not writing at the moment, I can still attempt to market the damn thing.

Onward & upward, I suppose.

Awesome Novel Trailer!

Two posts, you ask? Oh, yes.

Following the last post's obvious fail, K., M., and I have come to a mutual decision that I should never attempt to write a script, ever again. Then again, it's partly my fault- there is no guitar-solo in Act Five (it's actually in Act Four, but M. wasn't having any of it and is now being quite uncooperative). Fortunately, this trailer:

did not require me to manage any annoying characters, or deal with M.'s endless fits of emo. It did, however, require a great deal of patience- editing the clips, timing everything just right, and countless crashes almost put my poor Task Manager out of business! But it's done, so watch & enjoy!

With love/s laskou,
Laura/e.

Life In This Corner, [Un]Scripted.

EXT.   DOWNTOWN OTTAWA   DAY

Fade in-

Closeup of a pretty outdoor cafe on Bank Street. K. and M. are standing outside, drinking coffee and chatting about whose life sucks more.

K.

She scares me, you know. That part, 

where that thing happens? Not fair!
What has gotten into that author of
ours, M.? She used to be so nice!

M.

I don't know. Last I heard, she was

planning to send this thing off to an

agent, or something- how could she

leave us alone? I might break a nail!

Just then, THE AUTHOR appears. She is in her mid-20s and not bad-looking; she is carrying a brown bag and a binder, and takes a sip of her diet Coke as she approaches them.

THE AUTHOR

Hey, you guys.

K.

What do you want now?

M.

Let me guess... They hate us. 

Everyone does. It must be because

I'm so hardcore. No one gets me.

THE AUTHOR

Whoa, you guys... What's up

with all the negativity? I was

just going to tell you what an

awesome time I had at the NB

Film Co-Op's screenwriting class.

K.

That's awesome! I've always 

wanted to be in a movie!

M. 

Just what your big head needs, K.

You're nuts, and so is Ms. Author-

Lady. Nothing good ever happens 

to us... Why is that? Because you

(points to The Author)

are a sadist, and clearly hell-bent

on exploiting us for fun and profit!

K.

Wait a sec. Look, Author Lady...

I'm glad you had fun. Even though

I whine about most of your plot

and really don't like sharing the

stage with a spotlight-hog like M.,

we've had some good times. I'll 

definitely be in your script... 

if you'll have me, that is.

THE AUTHOR

Of course, K. You're pretty cool,

and I'd love to have you... and

M., too, if he changes his mind.

He'll probably warm up to the idea

when he finds out that there's a 

guitar-solo for him in Act Five.

M. 

Really? I think I'm in love,

Author Lady... Sign me up!

THE AUTHOR

I knew you'd both see things

my way. I must be going now,

but I'll be back to check in

later. Peace out, you two!

(Aside)

Now, where did I put that pencil-

sharpener?

EXIT AUTHOR

FADE OUT.

Epic Adventures of Aspiring Writerdom: The Movie.

Well, not exactly.

The title of this post, however, is half-true- I'll be attending the Trimedia Atlantic screenwriting workshop, with Chris Fulton, tomorrow at 11 a.m. This will surely come in handy when I decide to bring K. and M.'s story to life, in a way that doesn't involve Windows Movie Maker and/or The Sims; after last night's/this morning's adventure, I'm not sure I want to look at either one, ever again (I probably will, anyway).

Write on,
L.

K. and M.'s Youtube Dance-Party!

Greetings!

Yes, it is after 6:00 A.M. I have been awake all night, working on this lovely, little video- since I've already spent the last 6 months talking about my characters (and how awesome they are, of course), I may as well put faces to names, right?

Making this video was equal parts amusing and annoying- one scary power-failure, 3 Windows Movie Maker-initiated crashes, and tons of lost data later, I hereby present you with the end-result:

K. and M.'s Happy Dance!

Naturally, I am completely and utterly sick of hearing that song now. ;)

Dancing along,
L.

To Write Love On Her Arms: Do The "Write" Thing.

As a writer, it's important to be passionate about things- and people. With our words, we can make a difference in many lives, and we don't need some fancy degree that, in all likelihood, will sit around and collect dust for years on end, in order to do so.

One such cause is the post-title. Having created M, a character who, like many people that I know and love in the real world, openly struggles with SI and suicidal thoughts has really opened my eyes to the issues faced by both people like him and their loved ones. As someone on Allpoetry once told me, in response to a poem I wrote: "You have an understanding of [self-injury] that I didn't know someone who's never cut herself could have".

In all honesty, my experience with SI came when Sarah*, a good friend of mine at the time, called me one night and said, "I need you to come over, right now". I was both awed and repulsed by both the physical (blood, the deep cuts on her arms) and the metaphysical (her motives and emotions) aspects of that whole night and, at first, I really didn't understand why anyone would want to do such a thing. Now, I feel as though I "get it", even if only a little.

It's an issue that I feel strongly about, hence my decision to join the TWLOHA street-team; signing up is free, and it's in support of a cause that is very close to my heart. To answer the call, click here.

Remember, there is ALWAYS hope. If you (or someone you love) ever feel like hurting yourself, it's important to realize that it's NOT your fault- everyone makes mistakes, and feeling this way does NOT make you a bad person. If this post stops even one boy or girl from going down that path, then my job here is already done.

Stay safe,
L.

*names have been changed.

-

Resources:

S.A.F.E. (Self-Abuse Finally Ends)
What Not To Say To Teens With Depression.
What Is Cutting?
How Do I Help A Friend Who Cuts?
How Can I Stop Cutting?
My Friend Is Talking About Suicide- How To Help.
Youth Suicide Prevention.
Light For Life/Yellow Ribbon Project.