My Kindle and I are on the outs right now.........I am pretty mad about the Veronica Roth attempt to wrap up her "Divergent" series with the third book, "Allegiant". It took me only a couple of days to complete the first two in the series, and here I am, 8 days in, and I am only halfway through "Allegiant". Seriously.
In sharp contrast is my obsessive need to complete Gillain Flynn's "Gone Girl" which I detested at the beginning. Now, I cannot get enough. I honestly feel like an infatuated, love struck teenager as I troll any internet information about the book. Breathe!! 1, 2, 3. It's healthy, I guess. I am not much impressed with Gillian Flynn herself.........there is just something about her: her hair, her fair complexion, her smug attitude in interviews.
Ok, ok.............I have done some research on her too. She is able to pull off the multiplicity in characterization that Veronica Roth cannot. As a writer, I wanted to find out about that. Isn't that what makes one improve?? Competition??
I would totally hate to be "derivative". Thank "Jersey Boys" for my new word. Derivative. But my use of this word is not to copy the sound of someone else as much as it is not to copy my own sound, over and over. It's quite cliched. And one thing I never wanted to be.............cliched. I think I actually said this week that in trying so hard not to be a cliche, I have become a cliche..........the person trying not to be a cliche. Is it truly still "in vogue"?
Vogue, vogue, vogue.........strike a pose.
So, borrowing from "Jersey Boys"....................I need to re-invent my voice, to not be derivative of my earlier self. Maybe a Stacci, Reinvented? I am seriously laughing at this. How completely cliched!!!
Where, o where do these smug whispers come from? Let's try this on for size. I will allow the smug, arrogant voice in my head to be the voice that echoes in my words. That's pretty non-derivative. Ha! What I enjoy about "Gone Girl" is its brutal honesty. I am completely in love with Amy Elliott Dunn specifically because she is self-satisfied, intense and unapologetic. She is everything I wish I were. Well, maybe not her ruthless destructiveness. Or, maybe that is the point............that brutal honestly can only lead to ruthless destruction. If I identify with a mentally challenged individual, does that make me mentally challenged? (I may erase this question later because it is just a bit too revealing, too shocking). I did say I would let the smug, arrogant voice write, did I not?
I have to say that in the last year, year and half, I have truly been off my game. I have playfully named it "my brain tumor". My eye sight weakens, I forget things, and I honestly have slurred speech and moments of panic when I feel like my hard drive may be malfunctioning. There are so many things that this could be.........stress, stress, stress. Oh, did I mention that I am under a bit of stress lately??
Ok, kindle...............today you and I will find the perfect banana oatmeal muffin recipe so that I can use these very overripe bananas that are sitting in a bag in my refrigerator. They are pretty brown. It's funny, really. I will not even throw out two meager bananas. I just have no idea what in the hell is happening in my life right now, but I do know that I must use these bananas.
Gotta get the bananas.
The analogy of the monkeys in a cage who are beaten when they try to reach the bananas and how as the original beaten monkeys are replaced with newer, unbeaten monkeys.........let me catch my breath. Read it for yourself. It's easier that way. While I don't want to to discuss the analogy itself, what I do want to say is that many of us find ourselves sucked into this monkey culture without realizing it. If you take some time to read the comments after the article, you will see many attempts to import some sense of self-importance, self awareness or even smug whispers that it couldn't "happen to me". In reality, trying to explain how the theory of corporate (community, family...........use any collective noun in its place) culture can be changed only serves to illustrate the analogy even further.
I'm no expert............and in my own attempt to make some point, I am being a cliche..........ha.
So I'll wrap up these lil' tirade with a clip from the London finale of the stage play "Jersey Boys". It's not as sweet as the movie finale, but the music is the same. I gotta hand it to Clint Eastwood. Despite some negative press about the movie, it tells a unique and fairly unknown story. I have my own opinions about Eastwood projects which I'll save for another day.
Muffins need to go into the oven, and seriously, I gotta make contact with Amy Elliott Dunn today.
In sharp contrast is my obsessive need to complete Gillain Flynn's "Gone Girl" which I detested at the beginning. Now, I cannot get enough. I honestly feel like an infatuated, love struck teenager as I troll any internet information about the book. Breathe!! 1, 2, 3. It's healthy, I guess. I am not much impressed with Gillian Flynn herself.........there is just something about her: her hair, her fair complexion, her smug attitude in interviews.Ok, ok.............I have done some research on her too. She is able to pull off the multiplicity in characterization that Veronica Roth cannot. As a writer, I wanted to find out about that. Isn't that what makes one improve?? Competition??
I would totally hate to be "derivative". Thank "Jersey Boys" for my new word. Derivative. But my use of this word is not to copy the sound of someone else as much as it is not to copy my own sound, over and over. It's quite cliched. And one thing I never wanted to be.............cliched. I think I actually said this week that in trying so hard not to be a cliche, I have become a cliche..........the person trying not to be a cliche. Is it truly still "in vogue"?
Vogue, vogue, vogue.........strike a pose.
So, borrowing from "Jersey Boys"....................I need to re-invent my voice, to not be derivative of my earlier self. Maybe a Stacci, Reinvented? I am seriously laughing at this. How completely cliched!!!
Where, o where do these smug whispers come from? Let's try this on for size. I will allow the smug, arrogant voice in my head to be the voice that echoes in my words. That's pretty non-derivative. Ha! What I enjoy about "Gone Girl" is its brutal honesty. I am completely in love with Amy Elliott Dunn specifically because she is self-satisfied, intense and unapologetic. She is everything I wish I were. Well, maybe not her ruthless destructiveness. Or, maybe that is the point............that brutal honestly can only lead to ruthless destruction. If I identify with a mentally challenged individual, does that make me mentally challenged? (I may erase this question later because it is just a bit too revealing, too shocking). I did say I would let the smug, arrogant voice write, did I not?
I have to say that in the last year, year and half, I have truly been off my game. I have playfully named it "my brain tumor". My eye sight weakens, I forget things, and I honestly have slurred speech and moments of panic when I feel like my hard drive may be malfunctioning. There are so many things that this could be.........stress, stress, stress. Oh, did I mention that I am under a bit of stress lately??Ok, kindle...............today you and I will find the perfect banana oatmeal muffin recipe so that I can use these very overripe bananas that are sitting in a bag in my refrigerator. They are pretty brown. It's funny, really. I will not even throw out two meager bananas. I just have no idea what in the hell is happening in my life right now, but I do know that I must use these bananas.
Gotta get the bananas.
The analogy of the monkeys in a cage who are beaten when they try to reach the bananas and how as the original beaten monkeys are replaced with newer, unbeaten monkeys.........let me catch my breath. Read it for yourself. It's easier that way. While I don't want to to discuss the analogy itself, what I do want to say is that many of us find ourselves sucked into this monkey culture without realizing it. If you take some time to read the comments after the article, you will see many attempts to import some sense of self-importance, self awareness or even smug whispers that it couldn't "happen to me". In reality, trying to explain how the theory of corporate (community, family...........use any collective noun in its place) culture can be changed only serves to illustrate the analogy even further.
I'm no expert............and in my own attempt to make some point, I am being a cliche..........ha.
So I'll wrap up these lil' tirade with a clip from the London finale of the stage play "Jersey Boys". It's not as sweet as the movie finale, but the music is the same. I gotta hand it to Clint Eastwood. Despite some negative press about the movie, it tells a unique and fairly unknown story. I have my own opinions about Eastwood projects which I'll save for another day.
Muffins need to go into the oven, and seriously, I gotta make contact with Amy Elliott Dunn today.
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