More Skeletons in the Closet

Maybe this is an idea I should consider next Halloween, though no one but me would see it.

The image above could easily be an assemblage project, something I've been trying to get the people at my work interested in for our art class. Most of them don't understand the concept and have been asking me to make an example. I've already shown them images of such work, now they want to see physical example. I'm trying to get one planned and started.

What Kind of Writing is Best For You?

Today at Writerslife.org:

What Kind Of Writing Is Best For Me?

Whether you are just starting out on your writing path, or have been doing it for years but fancy a change, it may be time to take a step back and ask yourself the question: What kind of writing is best for me?

Many people who want to write just do so blindly, they think they should be writing a novel when actually they have a talent for writing short stories, they spend years laboriously pouring over their poetry, when in fact, they had a best-selling TV script up their sleeve all along.

Of course, many writers try their hand at lots of different kinds of writing, and that is by far the most interesting and useful way – experiment with different types, styles, and genres to see what feels right and inspires you the most.

However, understanding a little more about what you like and your writing style can help you get there quicker. Let’s take a look at some of the most common writing types and see if they sound like they would appeal to you.

 

Articles

Do you like deadlines? Are you super organised? Do you like researching and writing about a variety of topics? Do you like learning new things? Article writing could be right up your street!

I took journalism in high school since I knew I liked writing then. This was my extent at writing articles. I still remember and use the editing techniques we learned then when I'm going over what I have typed, including my current piece of work.

Blogging

Do you have a niche subject or hobby you want to share with the world? Do you love connecting with people? Are you hot on social media? Are you a productive writer? Perhaps blogging is best for you.

Since I have a blog, this is a no-brainer.  I find bogging a way to express things I think of that I want to share. I love reading and commenting on other blogs as well.

Novels

Do you have a unique story you are dying to tell? Do you love using your imagination and being creative? Do you enjoy crafting a tale? Are you disciplined when it comes to your writing? Can you handle rejection? Do you have the time and energy to write a whole novel? You might just have an amazing novel up your sleeve!

Still trying to decide if I want to go this route.  When I began my story last year, I debated over whether it should be a novel or memoir.  Because the notes I began writing sounded like  a memoir, I went that way. I've often pondered attempting a novel, however, and I recently began what I hope to make a YA novel written in diary format. Perhaps even a novella could be something I may attempt.

Memoirs

Do you live or have you led a fascinating life? Do you have a weird/ wonderful/ tumultuous/ terrifying family history? Do you need to make sense of something that has happened to you? Have you learned life lessons that you think others could relate to or benefit from hearing about? Perhaps a fascinating memoir is a way forward.

As all you regular readers of my blog know, I have been working on a memoir of depression for more than year now. I'm still trying to get it done and have been worrying over the word count. Some people tell me it's the effort that counts, but others say different publishers require a certain word count.  I'm almost totally certain I don't want to self-publish, though the word count doesn't matter in that case.

Scripts

Are you excellent at dialogue? Are you the one always telling stories at parties? Do you love to observe people? Do you love creating different characters and being their puppet master? Perhaps script or screenwriting is for you.

I'm not too certain about this one, but maybe I'll try writing plays or any other work that emphasizes dialogue.

Poetry 

Do you love playing with language? Rhythm and rhyme? Do you enjoy experimenting with form, and choosing every word carefully to deliver the biggest impact? Do you like surprising people with your words? Do you love poetic language and using poetic devices in your work? Perhaps you need to awaken the poet within!

I have tried this one and it's easy for me, though I tend to write the kinds that don't rhyme--guess it's easier that way. 

 Short Stories

Do you have loads of creative ideas? Do you find yourself always making up little stories in your head? Are you economic with words and language when you write? Do like to work on smaller projects where you can clearly see the finish line? Short stories could be your niche.

I've tried this one, especially for my creative writing class in college. I may just try again when I need to summon my creativity.

Thinking about what you like to read can also help you decide what kind of writer you want to be, Many writers have broad reading interests, but it’s rare that a person who hates poetry would want to be a poet, and so on.

Asking yourself the questions above can help you determine what sort of writing you might be most interested in and have an aptitude for. Of course, you might want to only concentrate on one type of writing, or you might want to try your hand at them all.

One thing is certain, without experimenting with your writing and the type of writing you do – you might never discover that hidden writing talent and passion within you!

I agree with all of this above. Sometimes you have to stick with what you like writing best, but experimenting with other kinds of writing can release a hidden talent you may have for that kind of writing. 

Another Post From the "Closet"

Here is the next "closet"-themed piece for the week.

About two months ago, I came across something online that no one older than I seems to remember.  But it was only a novelty at the time and is rare today. I was too little to understand it at the time.

From the website Flashback:

In 1977, former advertising executive Harvey Rosenberg gave the world Gay Bob,  ‘the world’s first openly gay doll’.

Every Gay Bob came with a message: “COME OUT OF THE CLOSET WITH GAY BOB.”

“He sits. He stands He gets into any position… And since he is anatomically correct, he can even play with himself without going blind.”

In yer face, Tiny Tears!

Gay Bob is a big 13 inches tall (wow) and made of plastic (or plastique, if you’re very elegant)… He comes dressed in mucho macho plaid shirt, blue jeans that open with a smart snap to reveal his private parts, boots and (naturally) one earring. He lives in a closet and has his own storybook / fashion catalogue. Barbie and Ken move over, GAY BOB IS HERE.”

Barbie move over. Ken, you can stay. ....

(Click the link above to see more of this article)

WARNING!!!! The site contains NFSW images.  

And here is a Youtube video on Gay Bob:

Here's more on Gay Bob from this site:

“It’s another evidence of the desperation the homosexual campaign has reached in its effort to put homosexual lifestyle, which is a deathstyle, across to the American people.”

A lobby group called Protect America’s Children made this statement in 1978—about a doll.

That year, the release of Gay Bob, billed as the world’s first openly gay doll, caused a minor sensation. Enraged consumers complained that a toy with a homosexual backstory would lead to other ”disgusting” dolls like “Priscilla the Prostitute” and “Danny the Dope Pusher.” Esquire awarded Gay Bob its “Dubious Achievement Award.” And anti-gay organizations across the United States blustered.

Gay Bob, who was meant to resemble a cross between Robert Redford and Paul Newman, was blond, with a flannel shirt, tight jeans, and one pierced ear. The doll gave anti-gay organizations plenty to fear; intrinsic within it was a celebration of gay identity, evidenced by Gay Bob’s programmed speech. “Gay people,” Bob said, “are no different than straight people… if everyone came ‘out of their closets’ there wouldn’t be so many angry, frustrated, frightened people.”

In a cheeky move, the box in which Gay Bob was packaged came in the outline of a closet, so that when he left his box, he was literally coming out of the closet. Gay Bob explained: “It’s not easy to be honest about what you are — in fact it takes a great deal of courage… But remember if Gay Bob has the courage to come out his closet, so can you.”

The only problem with taking him out of the closet is that it devalued him, just as taking any toy out of its closet--er, original packaging---would do :-)

This is pretty weird. Even the folks at the Plaidstallions blog don't seem to know about it, and they've featured many toys I've never heard of or wasn't old enough to know about at the time of their release. One toy that the site has featured many times is Pulsar (a Six Million Dollar Man knockoff), whose face looks almost similar to that of Gay Bob. They both looked so old, like someone who could take exercise lessons from Jack LaLanne.




 I won't be surprised to learn that none of you knew about Gay Bob.

Skeletons in the Closet

I don't know where this blog idea came from today, but it's perfect for some things I've been noticing and remembering that fit this title--in some ways.


First, about two months ago, I began remembering a TV show that ran on NBC from 1997 to 2000, called Veronica's Closet.  No one I know seems to remember this. I  know I watched it, especially during the first season, when it aired after Seinfeld (then in its final season).  Marta Kaufman, Kevin Bright, and  David Crane, the executive producers for the long-running hit series Friends, were also the executive producers of Veronica's Closet.

The show's title of course is a takeoff on the real-life lingerie company Victoria's Secret. 

Along with Kirstie Alley's title character, Veronica "Ronnie" Chase, head of the company, the staff included:

Perry Rollins (Dan Cortese), former underwear model turned company publicist

Leo Michaels (Daryl Mitchell), head of marketing

Josh Blair (Wallace Langham) Ronnie's secretary, a closeted homosexual (He came out toward the end of the series just as he was planning to get married)

Olive Massery (Kathy Najimy), the top executive, who was also Ronnie's best friend

These five cast members remained with the series for its entire run. 

Some details from Wikipedia:

Season one[edit]

As the country’s leading romance expert and owner of Veronica’s Closet, purveyor of lingerie and books designed to keep romance alive, Veronica Chase seems to have it all. Her only problem has been a rocky marriage to a womanizing husband, Bryce, (Christopher McDonald) whom she finally gathered the strength to leave. Having written The Guide to a Fairy Tale Marriage and built an empire as the foremost authority on relationships, Ronnie must now confront the charade she’s been living in the public eye as the perfect wife and career woman. Helping Ronnie run the company and her personal life is her top executive, Olive, who is always ready with solid business advice or a shoulder to cry on.

Season two[edit]

In the second season, Ron Silver joins the cast as Alec, Ronnie’s new business partner and nemesis who buys controlling interest of the company she built. Robert Prosky, who played Ronnie’s father in season one, was written out of the show (no explanation is ever given).

Season three[edit]

In the third and final season, Alec was killed off the show as it was shown that audiences did not like Ron Silver’s character. His widow, June, took over his role in the company and later admitted to pushing Alec into a volcano. Although the final few episodes of Veronica’s Closet did not air in the U.S. on NBC, they were later aired on the USA Cable Network during its syndicated run. In the final episodes, Veronica ends up dating Perry, Olive sells her Internet company and buys June’s half of Veronica’s Closet, making her a co-owner with Veronica, and Josh finally accepts the fact that he is gay and starts dating his neighbor and friend, Brian.

History[edit]

The series premiered on Sept 25, 1997, after Seinfeld, to 35 million viewers. Its title was derived from the “real life” lingerie company, Victoria’s Secret. The show was a top 10 hit, although the initial ratings died down later in the first season. The sitcom spent the first two seasons on Thursdays at 9:30 (after Seinfeld in season 1 and after Frasier in season 2). NBC moved the show to Mondays after Suddenly Susan for the 1999–2000 season. Ratings fell more than 50 percent, and NBC put it on hiatus with Suddenly Susan. The show returned on Tuesdays at 9:30 (after Will & Grace) with only a slight boost in ratings. NBC canceled the series in 2000, along with Suddenly Susan, due to low ratings. Reruns were shown on USA Network for a short time in 2000–2001 and on TV Guide Network from 2011–2012.

The show was taped Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, on soundstage 25.

I couldn't find many episodes, just three here at DailyMotion:
Veronica's Blackout (S1E17)
Veronica's Silent Partner (S1Finale)
Veronica's Great Model Search (S2E3)

And on Youtube I found a clip from an episode featuring an early acting job by Zooey Deschanel:





And these clips of the show's first-season intro  and third-season intro (No intro was used during the second season):
>







Do any of you remember this series? Would you have watched it back in the day? Or now if it should become available on DVD (it isn't as of yet) or if more episodes should surface on Youtube or elsewhere?
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I have another "closet" themed post planned for this week.  Stay tuned.

A New Look for My Blog

As you can see,  I've changed my blog background and theme. It's been so long since I've done so. Change is always good.

You may also notice that I cut out some of the gadgets in my sidebar and moved some of them as well. I also did a cleanup of my blog list. So many of the blogs I had been following either no longer exist or have not been updated for sometime. My apologies to anyone whose blogs I deleted from my following list on Blogger.  I also redid my bloglist in the sidebar of my page, again removing those that have not been updating recently or that have been deleted.  One of the women from my book club just started a blog (I found it on Facebook), which I added to my reading list. 

But that's all I really plan on changing. I'll still be writing about my writing, reading and whatever else comes to mind. 

On that note, there was an article recently on Writerslife.org called:

Finding the Perfect Balance for Your Author Blog:

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I never had any specific intention for my blog, just to write about things I feel I have something to say about.  But since my memoir writing, writing about writing has become a popular topic of mine for the blog. I agree a blog should not have a single focus, which is how I try to keep mine.  Some people have kept more than one blog for different things, but I think one is enough for me to maintain.  No need to decide which one to put a particular story on. 

So although I may alter the appearance of my blog from time to time, I will still be writing the things I want to wrote about.  

Bookish Bingo Spring 2017

Going to do this one, completing as many squares as I can between March 1 and May 31. Sign up here.

Hi everyone! It’s time for another round of Bookish Bingo! The purpose of this challenge is to push ourselves to read more, and to broaden our horizons a little bit.

The Details:

• Every new season has a new bingo card. This one is for books read in the months of March, April, and May.
• The object is to get as many BINGOs as possible (five across, up and down, or diagonal)
• One square per book
• You do not have to review these books, or even have a blog, this is simply for books read during the allotted months
• At the end of May there will be an international giveaway for all participants. The more BINGOs you get, the more entries you get in the giveaway!
• To participate, simply leave a comment!

The Card:

Now here is a list with some ideas for each category to get you going. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line here or on Twitter.

Here is what I am reading:

1. Historical: Slaughterhouse Five--Kurt Vonnegut
2. Nonfiction: A  List of Things That Didn't Kill Me--Jason Schmidt
3. Retelling: The Goose Girl--Shannon Hale
4. Multi POV: Wonder--R.J. Palacio
5. Blue Cover: A Sudden Silence--Eve Bunting
6. Magic: Lost Horizon--James Hilton
7. Paranormal: Southern Ghost--Carolyn G. Hart
8. Over 500 Pages: Martin Chuzzlewit--Charles Dickens
9. Purple Cover: Crenshaw--Katherine Applegate
10. Sisters: First Comes Love--Emily Giffin
11. Green Cover: Fish in a Tree--Lynda Mullally Hunt
12. Muslim Main Character: Lipstick Jihad--Azadeh Maven
13. Politics or Government:  A Fighting Chance--Elizabeth Warren
14. Series Finale: Real Live Boyfriends--E. Lockhart
15. Thriller: The Hound of the Baskervilles--Arthur Conan Doyle
16. Free Space: Unlucky 13--James Patterson
17. LGBTQIA Main Character: Ash--Malinda Lo
18. Scary: Fuzzy Mud--Louis Sachar
19. Just Words on Cover: Turbo Twenty-Three--Janet Ivanovich
20. PoC on Cover: If You Come Softly--Jacqueline Woodson
21. Adapted to Movie: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly--Jean-Dominique Baby
22. Spring Release: The Rules Do Not Apply--Ariel Levy
23. Dragons: Night of the Ninth Dragon--Mary Pope Osborne

Calling this complete on May 27

Why Writing Makes Your Life Better

From WritersLife.org:

 

Em

Often Often articles focus on how difficult writing is, and all the struggles that writers have to overcome, and while we are not going to disagree with the fact that writing is tough and challenging at times, let’s stop for a moment and think about how incredible it also is, and the true joy that it brings to many people’s lives.

It’s challenging

Writing challenges us. There are always things to learn, new methods to try, and ways we can improve. It’s a constant learning curve that keeps our minds fresh and active. Challenging yourself is always a good thing, and if you keep on pushing and driving yourself forward you’ll reap the rewards at the end.

It’s creative, and so much fun!

Writing is lots of fun. When else do you get to let your imagination run completely wild? When you write you are the puppet master, and you are in charge of absolutely everything that your characters say and do. You can control nature, fate, life and death. You can make pigs fly, make fish rain from the skies! OK so it might sound like we are on a bit of a power trip, but why not? Writing is where you can explore the very depths of your creative mind – what’s not to love about that?

It’s satisfying

Is there any greater feeling than when you’ve finished writing? It could be a chapter, a short story, a whole novel but that glow of satisfaction you get, that little inner high five you give yourself, that feeling that you did something good and productive and worthwhile -it’s a feeling that’s certainly worth having time and time again.

Gets things off your chest

Writing can be an amazing way to express yourself. It is actually hugely therapeutic. Whether you are ranting about your neighbour in your diary, writing a hard hitting memo about your whole life, or creating a character just like your horrible old school teacher who then meets a terrible fate – writing can be an amazing way of unburdening yourself, exploring thoughts and feelings, and learning things about yourself you never even knew.

It’s exciting – that lottery feeling

If you write you’ve always got that feeling that you might be onto something great. It’s kind of like having a lottery ticket and not yet knowing whether you have won! You never know what might be around the corner, and where your writing might take you, and that is a pretty awesome feeling!

It gives us things to read

Reading is one of life’s great pleasures. It entertains and inspires us, and, in some cases, it changes our lives. Without writing we wouldn’t be able to read – so we should always be grateful for that!

So, whether published, trying to get published, or just doing it for fun, writing really does make your life better. If you are writing or thinking about writing then just go for it – it really can make you feel lighter, happier and more fulfilled!

I have to say I agree with most of these points. Sometimes it's a challenge just for me to get something written down. I need to do more of that! Not sure that it makes me feel as if I'd won the lottery, but it is exciting. And I do believe it gets things off the chest and will one day give others something to read.