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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Updates July 18-22

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.

I’ve been off kilter for a number of weeks. Camp Nanowrimo could be to blame, but that is not true. Since April I took on responsibilities that I low-key regret now. The time I had in abundance to do as I please is gone and there is no real compensation. It is a growing annoyance. Not going to add to that, it would be too much information and utterly irrelevant for the purpose of this entry.

Over the weekend, I saw the trailer of the film Persuasion on Netflix. It seems they have “Netflix Bridgertoned” Persuasion. I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad. Personally, I feel grim about it. The diversity is great. I am not sure about the portrayal of the main character. This is not a question of the skills of Dakota Johnson, but of how we modernize certain characters to fit our sensibilities. It is number 2 on Netflix’s trending list. There will be some buzz about it on YouTube by the Jane Austen experts/fans and the regency/Victorian fashion experts. My YT algorithm has been saturated with politics or I might’ve heard of this sooner. I am all for bad adaptations because, although they may not be made for me, they will entertain and inspire someone. I became a Jane Austen fan because of the most inaccurate Pride and Prejudice film, the one made in the 1940s starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. It is still my favorite. I love the story of Persuasion. There is a soft spot in my heart for the 1995 film and mixed feelings on the 2007 version. Despite the odd feelings, I reserve judgment.

Last week was a hard scramble to catch up with the word count on Camp Nanowrimo. As of the 16th of July, I am still 10k words behind. No matter what happens this week, I will not reach the goal set by Camp Nanowrimo. A little annoyed with that realization, 3rd time is the charm. I will be ready in November with a brand-new story idea. I won’t stop writing Connection Lost until the story is complete.

I finally got around to watch Obi-wan Kenobi on Disney plus not all the episodes, just the five episodes. I paid more attention to the character of Reva played by Moses Ingram. Due to the nonsense that was stirred up. There are flaws to her character like there are flaws in any character. I think all the characters in that series had issues. I don’t blame the actors. Whenever I look at a Star Wars show, I always think they left so much of the story out. Fans literally fill it with head cannon and fanatics get upset when the narrative does not match what they were thinking. I am not like that. This is my opinion of the five episodes, Obi-wan has lost hope. The empire is established and exploiting the known universe. Jedi are being hunted and killed because many have an inherent will to help wherever they can. Some have joined the faction of the Imperial Inquisitors. The overall view is that most people are miserable, but there are also some who are benefitting from the disaster that is the empire. The story does not stay with those people for long. It goes to outer-rim where people live rough lives or over-populated black market planets. I don’t know the name of those worlds or where they are in the Star Wars universe. It looks like everyone there is doing something shady to survive. This is where most of the action happens. Where people make decisions about what they are fighting for and who. It is interesting, this is what we are to think changes Obi-Wan from the person after the 3rd prequel to the man we see in Episode 4. I want to write more about it but I have to stop because I haven’t watched part six. I can say that I have not been pulled out of suspension of disbelief entirely. That might be a good thing? Part six is the incentive I have chosen for the next 5000 words in Connection Lost.

This update is longer than I expected. Not sure what I will read this week. That is a struggle for another update. I have a set writing goal. This week there will be a reading list. I have run out of things to write about. Times are hard and every day we are being told the world is not getting better. I believe it would when we are actually kind and polite to each other however I also believe in boundaries. I hope we all have a good week.

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