Category: Musings

Updates August 01-05

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.

Congratulations to Everyone who won at Camp NaNoWriMo!

Last week was supposed to be a mad scramble to get the words I needed for Camp Nanowrimo. I had already concluded that I was staying in the loser’s club. Instead, there was some research and a decent pace of writing. I am still dealing with an ear infection. I haven’t had one in a long time, so I guess I was due.

Writing news in detail.

Connection Lost is no longer in a holding pattern of sorts. The research included visual cues for characters and answered questions like what is the difference between an MD doctor and a DO doctor. How long is a flight from the east coast to the west? Do birds ruffle or preen their feathers? Important deep introspective questions for the characters’ sake. I don’t exactly have a theme for this story. I want to have a distinct beginning, middle, and end before thinking hard about the theme. However, the point of the story comes to mind often. The story has a lot to do with connections, the main character maintaining old ones and making new connections as well as breaking some. There are connections being made and revealed only to readers. Being alone or achieving on one’s own is all about perspective. The main character does not have the ability of others that surround her but she does have a distinct aptitude unlike any other. She has come to terms with it and needs to use it to save herself and possibly others. At least that is what I wanted the story to be about. The longer I live with it the more I change and the meanings change as well. Something to think about.

Reading news

But first, I’m sorry. I wanted this website to have a review day. My thoughts and pertinent information on various forms of media. But I have not been keeping up with it. I want to read smart interesting books and I want to share thoughts on them as well. I am also 77% lazy. There is so little time. Many of the books, I read are commercial genre books. I don’t have the patients for whatever people call literary books. But I do recognize their prestige. This is the second month of the 3rd quarter. I will do better.

Over the last week, I have come across the beginning of a romance book series by the Amalfi Coast Brotherhood by author Jamila Jasper. I found her on Amazon. I don’t know if she sells wide. It is a contemporary, interracial romance book. What made the book series interesting to me is that the cover of the second book caught my eye. I realized it was a series and found book 1, Forced to Surrogate. The book marketing strategy reminded me of Piper Rayne- Greene Family and Bailey Family series. They pique interest in characters by having them in the books and this continues with pre-order covers. Although I fall for it, I can also see the planning. It is possible that I am envious of all that work.

I also fell into a manhwa hole and started to read several comics. The list is long and there are 2 completed stories. I don’t have all the information not sure where I will start. Consider this a holding pattern until further notice.

This is all I have to write about last week. This week’s goals are similar to last week. Apologies again for this late edition. As usual, the work/life balance is at fault. I hope everyone has a good week. Remember to be kind.

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Updates July 25-29

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.

The bad news first. I did not write 5000 words last week. Sunday was the day I was supposed to reach 25k words according to Camp NaNoWriMo. I should feel bad but I don’t. I had to pause the narrative to get some things clear on my characters. The consequence is I get no t-shirt or mug for July. I also don’t watch the last episode of Obi-wan Kenobi on Disney+. Overall the story is going well. I am not giving up on it. I am keeping to my plan. It only took me 3 quarters of the year to get here.

More bad news over the weekend I got an ear infection. I am 100% sure that I am willing to be deaf in my right ear completely if the pain will stop. I am doing all the things to make it better with meds and home remedies. Hopefully when this entry post I will be feeling better.

Now for lighter notes, the Persuasion 2022 film by Netflix, starring Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, and Henry Golding is on the bad adaptation list. Many YouTube creators who are also Jane Austen fans/experts dragged it. So many people were not happy about it at all. I don’t know how to relay my feelings on it. It was bad but I liked it? If it was good I would’ve loved it. Some commentated on the clothes and others on the dialogue. It was reported that they would be modernizing this story. But I think it went too far. I think what many were upset about was the revamp of the main characters, Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth. The actors were fine in their roles. Dakota Johnson and Cosmo Jarvis worked with what they had. Henry Golding’s role in the film is limited. He plays it well but he comes late in the film. I felt the tone was wrong for Persuasion and out-of-character words and actions were happening that were not these characters. I believe that Jane Austen wrote distinct female characters of her time. Emma Woodhouse is different from Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood is different from Fanny Price. Anne Elliot is also unique and this film took it away from her in an attempt to make the story relatable. That was a disservice to fans and Jane Austen. We are not all sassy girl bosses, some of us live quiet lives and that also needs to be represented.

In reading news, I started to read an easy book My scorned Best Friend, book 7 in the Greene Family series by Piper Rayne. The story could be a stand-alone but is better when previous books are read. It is mostly based in Alaska and the title is exactly what it is about. Xavier and Clara have been best friends since kindergarten. For the past 6 books and 2 novellas it was hinted that something bad happened that ended that rock-solid friendship. The truth is revealed and if you know and love romance stories you already know what it is. The story is like comfort food, good because you know what is in it.

This week’s goals are a little different from previous weeks. I have relaunched the account on Medium.com., I will be posting there monthly. So by all means go there look for J.C. Henry and give me some claps. I will be working on the August post outline this week. August is a special month for me. It is a week away. For Connection Lost, my main character will meet some people she didn’t expect to see. As usual, I will also be struggling with the work/life balance, wish me luck.

That is all for now. I hope you all are doing well. Remember to be open to positive opportunities and be kind to each other, especially when things get difficult.

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