So...You Haven't Posted In Over A Month....

*coughs* 

I have been pretty absent from the world of blogging lately, and it seems as if I begin every post saying something to that extent. I have a tag on my list of posts to write, I have movies that need to be reviewed, and the world is so much in turmoil that I could potentially write a "serious" post about how I view current events and such living in Michigan, where so many things are going on. 

But instead, I just binge The Clone Wars...

Oh well, there are worse things. I have never watched the series before, so it's nice to see something new, I suppose! I wasn't totally sold watching the first few episodes, but they are growing on me! And I'm already a quarter of the way through the second season! My husband and I are also watching The Adventures of Merlin, which is thoroughly fun. As a blogger, I've heard TONS about the show, but never actually sat down and watched it, and, well, quarantine is full of opportunities! It's quite fun--I could criticize its faults, but I prefer to enjoy the escapades, silliness, and melodrama, rather than dismiss it. Also, it's a great source of memes and hilarity. 

Anyway. 

What else have I been up to that has distracted me from blogging so much?? Well...since the public libraries are closed, I haven't been working, but I did finish a rewrite of my novel and I am starting to send out query letters to literary agents! It's exciting, scary, and a bit nerve-wracking...but I'm trying to be calm and positive about it. I have a tendency to plummet to the depths of despair at rejection, but as I was researching traditional publishing/agents, I have learned that rejection is normal and if an agent sends you packing, it's probably for your own good; it wasn't meant to be. I probably won't make any progress for months, but it doesn't hurt to try! 

As far as writing goes, that's about all that I've been doing. I'm planning to work on my Honors College senior thesis in June, so you'll probably hear about that, but most novels are paused except for jotting down ideas/notes, and for working on agents/queries. 

With that being said, I would love to hear any ideas for further posts this summer! I PROMISE I will get around to finishing up the last post I was tagged for, and I would really like to review The Rise of Skywalker or maybe Merlin once I've finished it. I'm also thinking of doing an "Ask Me Anything" post next month, but I am eagerly seeking out new ideas! I hope you are well...and I shall leave you now to tag yourself as a Pride and Prejudice character in quarantine: 

The Seven Questions Book Tag!

Hello all!

Well...I said before that I was behind, so prepare to see two tags within, if all goes as planned, a couple weeks! I hope everyone is doing well in this crazy world we live in...and since I'm suck inside, I figured that I'd better stop procrastinating and doing some blog work!

I'm also doing a group NaNoWriMo with my university writing class this month, and I'm about 20,000 words in to re-writing my novel! Woop woop!

Anyway, on to the tag. Natalie tagged me for the Seven Questions Book Tag quite a while back, and I'm just now getting to it! So here we go!

Preference: male or female main character?

Honestly, it depends on the story. Often, I find books with male protagonists to be better written for some reason??? I'm not sure why...but as long as the story is gripping and well done, I have no preference. If the MC is female, she needs to not be obnoxious....ya know what I mean? I love the protagonist Penelope from the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series; she's a great example of a good female MC. As far as male MCs go, I really like John Flanagan's style of male MC narration...(Ranger's Apprentice series) for some reason. 

Do you prefer colorful, attention grabbing book covers or simple, understated ones?

I usually prefer the more colorful ones?? Like, I have a great appreciation for antique, simple book covers, but I like those covers more on classics, like Dickens or Austen. For modern books, I like to see some color and excitement!

A character you'd like to have as your boss at work?

Minerva McGonagall!!! I have been re-reading (well, listening to the audiobooks) of the Harry Potter series and discovered that she is honestly one of the only respectable adult characters in the series. (I could go on a long tangent about the writing/plotting/and all issues of that series, but I still like it cause nostalgia and besides that's another post for another day.) 

Books-a-Million or Barnes & Noble?

I've never been to Books-a-Million, so...Barnes & Noble. Especially when I have gift cards! XD

Would you rather be gifted random "surprise" books from a friend, or a bookstore giftcard?

Ooooooh....I like both. But I think "surprise" books are better, usually. Because that means that someone put thought into the gift, thinking "oh, she'll like this book," and that makes me happy. :) 

What age range of characters do you generally like to read about? (For instance, would you rather read a book about a 17 year old or a 87 year old?)

I like any age as long as they are written well. Usually I read more stories about late teens/early adult characters, but I also appreciate stories about older adults as long as they aren't boring. 

What would you tell someone who defiantly proclaims: "I don't like reading! Why should I?"

I would look at them in disappointment and quietly end the conversation before walking away and never talking to them again. 

See...I've finally caught up! (Well somewhat that is.) I'm not going to tag anyone else, simply because I think this post is way too late to "get on the tag train," but feel free to steal it if you wish! 

Thank you once again to Natalie! :) 

And with that, I wish you a good day! 

Confusing Times

Me now that my classes are all online

As much as I hate to contribute to the general panic about *whispers* coronavirus, it's kind of a historic

moment in our lives right now, and I want to have some record of it for all posterity. 

Plus, I'm behind on blog posts. 

I have a couple tags that I am planning to get to SOON, so I apologize to those who have tagged me...but the posts are in the works, I promise! 

So, what have I been up to lately? Well, mostly school and work, which is why my posts are few and far between these days. Now, however, my classes have converted to fully online, so I'm still doing homework, etc., but I have a lot more time to just sit around and work on things I want to do -- such as blogging. I also work at a public library, so they have closed down until further notice, which means I am out of a job. 

My husband and I have also been researching blog platforms and such, and he just found out yesterday that any content one posts on the Blogger platform is not actually the blogger's property anymore; it now belongs to Google should they decide that they want it. In light of that, I have gone ahead and removed any of my own writings (short stories and poems) from this platform, not because I'm paranoid, but just because I don't like the thought that Google could steal them. (Not that they would...but you know.) I'm super sorry about this if you wanted to read any, but...you know. 

In the same vein, I recently started re-writing (and by re-writing, I mean that I opened a NEW WORD DOCUMENT and started RE-WRITING) my previously self-published book.....and I'm planning to start seeking a literary agent to pursue traditional publishing. (Perhaps.) So, because of this, I have taken down the information (or most of it) under my "Writing" tab on this blog, as well as discontinued the sale of my Amazon self-published book. 

But! 

Things are not so bleak as they seem. Even with the threat of enforced quarantine (ironically in America, land of the free and home of the brave, though I'm not going to get political here), we should not panic, we should not go into chaos mode, we should not, in other words, go buy all the food and toilet paper that we can. Sharing and helping each other is important, as is common sense. But I don't want to talk about this anymore, and I'm sure you're just as sick of hearing about it as I am. 

Personally, I'm just hoping that more time at home gives me more time to write! :D And possibly do some blog work. I also had time to peruse an antique store, where I found this amazing action figure still in the packaging! (Totally not a waste of money...) 

As a final note, any thoughts about my new blog design? It's still in process, but I thought it was about time for a change. :) 

Why Can't We Have A Decent Treasure Island Movie?? Thoughts On Casting, Etc.

So, this evening, I just watched Disney's Treasure Planet for the very first time. Yes I know it was released in 2002...don't judge me. While I was watching it, I started wondering: is there a "good" movie version of the actual book? I have seen the Muppet version, but I have always felt that R.L.Stevenson's Treasure Island deserves a movie that is not Muppet-ized or Disney cartoon-ized.

Naturally, I hopped on IMDb to see what was up. It looks like there have been plenty of adaptations of the book: 1990, 1998, and most recently, a TV movie made in 2012, but none of these look exactly wonderful (correct me if I'm wrong, I mean, I haven't actually seen any of them). They either look old or badly produced. The 1990 one could be interesting, looks like the best bet for a decent film, but it is 30 years old (nothing wrong with that but I feel like an updated version is in order).

The 2012 version basically relies on the fact that Elijah Wood plays Ben Gunn, which is horribly miscast (again, don't get me wrong, Elijah Wood is a great actor, but Ben Gunn is NOT his character). 2012 also looks much less family-friendly than any other adaptation, which I don't think was Stevenson's intent: I think he was intending his story to be read by adults and children, though of course I'm no expert. And, of course, there is fighting, it's a pirate movie--there's going to be a little violence, but can we keep it at a Pirates of the Carribean style of violence, please? (Plus, it's a TV movie...not a feature film.)

So hear me out: a new, feature-length production of Treasure Island that is accurate to the book, well done, and has good acting. Is that too much to ask? Probably, since I'm not a Hollywood producer....

Of course I have to share my ideas on casting, etc...because what would be a movie idea without casting ideas????? What would be the point????

Let's start off with the protagonist, Jim Hawkins. He's about 15, a good kid, works hard, needs a father figure in his life, and of course he has to be a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected. He seems like a really sweet kid who gains courage and agency throughout the story. I know a lot of you are thinking "Tom Holland, Tom Holland!!!"

To that, I say:

Mr. Tom Holland is not correct for Jim Hawkins, I'm sorry. My idea is actually someone around his age, but not quite as famous. You remember Bard's son from The Hobbit? 

Remember???? This guy??? 

That's who I think of as Jim Hawkins: John Bell. He's grown a bit since The Hobbit, but still has a very young face, and I think he could pull of a 15-year-old pretty well. He's a blond in real life, which is a no from me, Jim is a brunette OBVIOUSLY, but ya know...that sort of thing is easily changed in the movie industry. 

On to the next characters, Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney. You'll have to forgive me because I haven't read the book in a While, but I'm remembering him being a kind, logical, serious, and competent fellow...of course, I'm going to cast someone who I think could fill that role very well. He isn't too young or too old, and I think he's played enough heroic main characters (or villains...). It's time for Tom Hiddleston to step into a logical, gentle mentor role as the kind doctor. 

As for Squire Trelawney, I feel like he's kind of the rich sponsor of their adventure, the one who is all excited about setting out but really doesn't know how to go about the mission...he gives them money and decides to tag along, basically. So, I'm thinking that Dan Stevens could perform a somewhat clueless, cheerful sponsor. 

I know this is from Sense and Sensibility, but still...

All right, on to Captain Smollet! He is a competent, shrewd sailor who is hired (by Trelawney and Livesey) to captain the hired crew and the ship. He recognizes most of the crew as the pirates that they are and is uncomfortable from day one, but still faithfully does his duty. I'm thinking Martin Freeman for this role. 

This leads us to the exceedingly tricky task of trying to pin down an actor for Long John Silver. He is a pirate in every way. HOWEVER, he also becomes a sort of father figure to Jim, at least for a while. He's a Bad Guy, but he's not totally evil. He is also brilliant in a pirate-y way, and people listen to him. I think that Matthew McConaughey would do a great job capturing both Long John's villainous side and his soft side. In addition, he also has the kind of molasses-drawling voice that I imagine Long John would use to cajole people into joining his side. 

From the 2012 film Mud, which I have not seen

Billy Bones is one of the trickiest to cast, I think. He's an old, washed-up pirate who ends up spending his last days alive in Jim's mother's inn, hiding from the black spot. He's gruff, refuses to pay bills for his excessive drinking, and eventually dies in the inn, leaving behind the treasure map that spurs the whole adventure. I'm almost tempted to cast Liam Neeson, but I am really unsure about this one. Also, using Sean Bean as the "haunted guy who dies" is just cliche and I could never live with that...

AH-HA! Andy Serkis as Billy Bones!

Before the only female character in the film (Mrs. Hawkins), I think that the role of Ben Gunn, a marooned sailor/ex-pirate who is able to start a new life, belongs to Mark Ruffalo. I'm not totally sure why, but the role seems to fit him.

And lastly, Mrs. Hawkins, Jim's mother. This is actually not a huge part, but it is central to Jim's character, and so she is important. I would like to see Emily Watson as Jim's mother. She has a motherly face, but can pull of the matter-of-fact, shrewd personality required by a woman running an inn with only her son's help. 

Also here's a quick collage putting all of the pictures together...I literally threw this post together so I apologize for how haphazard it is! 

So there we have it, folks! These are just my ideas for a new Treasure Island  movie...any thoughts? 

Snippets From My English Professor

So, what with the semester wrapping up and everyone struggling through finals week, I thought I would share a college-related post that is not related to anything stressful! I have had the great fortune to be in an excellent "Introduction to Literary Studies" class this past semester, with one of my favorite professors to date.

I'm not going to mention any names, but to give you an idea of this professor's character, I will just say that he has been a professor for years at my school, is very passionate about Chaucer, writes on the blackboard in the Black Speech of Mordor to make a point about translation and transliteration (a long story), is technologically challenged, brilliant, and can make a rabbit trail out of anything.

He is also incredibly gifted at delivering pithy, remarkable comments while he is lecturing and discussing literature, and I started writing them down every time he said something funny or clever.

And so, here, I present you with a collection of useful sayings, which you can use to perplex and amuse your friends, relations, and enemies.

***

"I'm not going to read every bit of the syllabus, but I expect you to."


"I have a civic responsibility to point out correct MLA form to you."

*all the dry erase markers are dead*
*accidentally uses Sharpie on the whiteboard and can't erase it*
"I dearly love a chalkboard!"


"We don't say, 'What a slovenly cat.' That would be weird, even for me."


"Why should you use MLA??? Because I'm telling you to!"


"Even though I am always right and occasionally brilliant, I do sometimes cling too strongly to my own opinions."


*using technology*
"I don't like this, but I'm being a good citizen."


*to computer*
"Are you not on, oh strange machine?"


*in response to a comment*
"Yes, but that's not, at the present moment, relevant."


Student: "So how much of the play has to be suffering for it to be a tragedy?"
Professor: "Three minutes and forty-seven seconds...any less than that and you have a comedic tragedy."


Student: "So what's your opinion on 'No-Fear Shakespeare'?"
Professor: *hisses and backs into a corner*


Student: "Nice sweater, Professor."
Professor: "I try."


"You have lured me out into linguistic waters were my knowledge is too shallow."


"Don't ask me a question - brilliant as I am, I do not know everything."


*telling about a past search for plain felt material*
"It was a FABRIC store and they didn't sell FELT! I STILL haven't gotten over it..."


*makes a point*
*long pause*
*raises hand to continue*
"Yes."
*lowers hand*


*after thinking someone raised their hand for a question*
"Then I'm just hallucinating - I do that from time to time."


*talking about the "poppies" scene in The Wizard of Oz*
"Apparently, snow is an antidote to opium - cool!"


*computer brings up no results for an online library search*
"Surely, you jest!"


"No!"
*stands on chair*
"NO! That's not how professional literary analysis works!!"


*talking about his job as a professor*
"We aren't paid to remember things."


"And today we make lots of typos..."


"I'm not completely convinced, but you make a strong argument."


*on seeing former students outside of class*
"I will forget your name...but I will know exactly who you are."

***

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed the excellent sayings of my English professor...now to leave you with one last quote...used to dismiss the class on one occasion: 

"Go swing for the fences, my metaphorical children!"

The Fantastical and Felicitous Character Blog Tag

Well, today I have another tag for you all!

I have been tagged by Natalie for this one, so thank you!! :) Let's dive right in...I'm eager to get this done because it's all about fictional characters...and I always love talking about them. :D

Rules:
•Answer every question honestly. 
•Use as many gifs and images as possible. *ehehehe*
•Incorporate at least one YouTube video with a favorite scene of a character.
•NO VAGUE ANSWERS ALLOWED. Explain why you chose that favorite character to fit that description. I love details, my friends.
•If you can’t choose just one, that’s okay – give us a few answers and geek out if that’s what it takes.
•Tag at least 3 people.
•Use fictional characters from any fictional story.
•If you get nominated and/or decide to participate in this tag, please put a link back to this post in your post and credit yours truly (Emily at The Altogether Unexpected, *whose original post is excellent*) as the creator.
•Have fun and obsess over fictional characters! 

*consults Pinterest, my bookshelf, and the furthest reaches of my movie-watching history*

Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good

Good old Mr. Knightley...he is such a GOOD person that the extent of his goodness is almost unrealistic, if you know what I mean. Of course, I still think he's a wonderful character. He is always watching out for everyone at once, but isn't afraid to give people what-for if they are being stupid. ("Badly done, Emma!") And when he dances with Harriet at the ball, when nobody else dances with her and she's so lonely....awwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry?

I am ashamed to admit this, but Miguel and Mama Coco from Pixar's Coco made me sob like a BABY. It was so beautiful but also so heartbreaking, and I love it...the way he simply picks up the guitar and sings, and how she remembers it....*sobbing* It really hit home. 

*weeping*

Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking

Holdo (she doesn't even deserve the title of "admiral" or "vice-admiral") from The Last Jedi. 

Now, she doesn't talk and talk and talk in the sense that Sid the Sloth does. But when she DOES talk, she takes things way too far. She says the wrong things at the wrong time and refuses to tell people the right things, the things that would help their situation. For instance...had she told Poe what her real plan was, he wouldn't have gone gangsta on her. Instead, she insulted him to his face and told him to leave. So rude. 

Devilish: Your favorite villain

Aw yessss!! I enjoy well-written villains, and there are a plethora. Saruman, Loki, Iago...I know the original post had Iago, so I won't steal that, though.  And even though Loki is is Fantastic, I think I'm going to be a little bit unconventional and pick...Megamind. 

Now, I know that TECHNICALLY, Megamind turned good in the end..."he was just a silly and misunderstood person," you may say. 

However, hear me out:  at the beginning of the movie, he is breaking out of prison, where he is supposed to serve multiple life sentences. We aren't sure exactly what he has done, but things have been blown up, Roxanne Ritchie has been kidnapped many, many times, and everybody knows that Megamind is a terrible villain. As soon as their hero is gone, they stop treating him like a joke, and we see the city in terrible ruin after Megamind takes control. 

Therefore, he is, in fact, a villain - a SUPER one.

Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry

Now, this is a tricky one. Before I answer, let me make it clear that I am married, have been since last July, and there is no fictional character EVER who I would choose over my dear husband, who is a fantastic individual and my favorite person. Not if I had a chance to make a character real would I choose another man to marry. 

So, with that being said...

I'm currently studying the movie Interstellar for a screenwriting class and falling more in love with the film every time I watch it or read the screenplay or do any research. Cooper (which is his last name but they never use his first, which is, we think, Joseph) is simply a wonderful character. He's not a simple character, but the way that he loves his children!!! *sniffs heavily* I know he's not a "conventional heartthrob," but I have a soft spot for characters who are good fathers and loyal husbands. Cooper wears his dead wife's wedding ring all throughout the movie, sacrifices himself to save his kids, and is a super intelligent, down-to-earth guy. 

(Quick side note...my actual, real husband is also a loyal, intelligent, down-to-earth guy....HMMMM)

Here are two of my favorite scenes from the movie to illustrate--the first one is just before he sets off on a mission in space to save the world. The second is when he has been in space for over 20 years (due to time relativity and wormholes, I won't get into it, but now he and his daughter are the same age galaxies apart) and now gets to see the messages collected for him. You can see his love for his children on his face, and it's heartbreaking. (his angry daughter calls him something rude in the second one, and I apologize for that) 

"I love you forever, you hear me? I love you forever...and I'm comin' back." 

Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what

:) :) :) :) 

Honestly, John Watson is THE SWEETEST and most noble, loyal sidekick ever. Yes, he grumps about Sherlock and is often annoyed, but he's always there, ready to help out. And this isn't just in Sherlock (I just happen to like Martin Freeman's Watson the best of all the Watsons), this is in every (almost) iteration of John Watson I have seen: annoyed, frustrated, but still always there to give a selfless helping hand. I found this picture of Sherlock and Watson in Tim Burton-esque art, and I thought it was rather well done. 

Complicated: A character you love and hate

Jack Sparrow...mainly because of his moral ambiguity. I mean, he is a pirate...a criminal, thief, drunkard, womanizer...but then, in the end, he always turns around and does something unexpectedly kind and Good. Plus, he's just absolutely hilarious, quirky, and fun, and I do love characters like that. 

Queen: A female character who you admire and aspire to emulate

Minerva McGonagall!!!! She really is a fantastic person...one of the only really great characters in the Harry Potter series, honestly. She's clever, strong, confident, a good teacher, and, although stern, has a soft heart underneath a tough exterior. 

Plus, her snarky sarcasm is absolutely the best...I can only hope to be such a clever and revered old woman someday. 

Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ

Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities. The end of the book is a beautiful one, worthy of a few shed tears. Now, the thing is, Sydney isn't a "good" person. In most of the book, he is one of the least Christ-like characters in the story. But at the very end, he demonstrates amazing sacrificial love for his friends, and through that he realizes the sacrifice that Jesus made to save him, which kind of brings Sydney to salvation and calls him out of his sinful nature, into peace that can only be found in Jesus. Even as Sydney is beheaded, marching to the guillotine, he has a praise in his heart for Jesus and is not ashamed or afraid to die for his friends. 

All right, that's that! Thanks again, Natalie! Now to tag three other people....

Rakayle Hier
MovieCritic
and
MiddleEarthMusician

Have fun, everybody! :D


Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good

Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry?

Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking
Devilish: Your favorite villain
Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry
Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what
Complicated: A character you love and hate
Queen/King: A female/male character who you admire and aspire to emulate
Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ

Apparently, My Costume This Year Was Very Successful!

So, I have never posted a Halloween post before, but this year is a bit special! For one, MovieCritic over at Movies Meet Their Match is hosting a Blog Costume party, for which you can see the graphic up on my sidebar and another one to introduce this post! So, thanks to you, MC!!! :D

In past years, I haven't done much with Halloween, mainly because my family preferred to have a cookout in our backyard and then watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" by ourselves with our own candy rather than traipse around the neighborhood in the cold with small children...but this year, I was PREPARED. I had a costume pretty much all set - it's one I've done before but I've been perfecting over the past year or so. I also had a college professor who offered us extra credit for dressing up on Halloween. So, without further ado, here is my costume! (I apologize for the picture quality and size, but I didn't have anyone to be my photographer that day!)

Compared with Rey in The Force Awakens....

It's not quite perfect (I still can't figure out how to get arm wraps to work right!), but I think the hairstyle really helps! I even ended up winning our class costume contest out of maybe 10 people, so...that was cool.

First, I had a tunic made from a thrift store shirt and sewn-on bits of fabric I had lying around, some gray sports capris, a pair of gray boots and a belt, and a poncho that I borrowed from a cousin for the day! I also had a makeshift lightsaber made from a broken flashlight. With that, and my hair all done up, some makeup on, I daresay it turned out all right!

Anyway, that's that!!! Thanks for the blog party, MC! :)