In my neck of the woods, it's starting to get a little warm; about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For the first time in about a year or so, we turned on our A/C. While I do live 30 minutes away from San Diego, CA and its wonderful weather, I live in the inland area where it can climb up to the triple digits in the middle of July and August. Fortunately, I live 30 minutes from the beach and there's a pool in our complex.
The first chapter of my Jane and Edward zombie series is up. I decided to change the premise from zombies to include monsters like banshees, liches, dragons, vampires, etc. The first chapter isn't very good but it's a start. Check it out here. I will be working on Chapter 2 very soon. I secretly hope that I can find an illustrator and turn it into a graphic novel series someday.
After I got tired of the popular smart phone app, Angry Birds, I am now hooked on the gaming app, "Words with Friends," which is basically Scrabble in app format. If you got a phone and the app, my username is Writer4god. Just let me know that you found me from The Shannifesto blog.
That's all for now. I'm off to work on Chapter 2 of Jane and Edward: Zombie and Monster Hunters. Fin.
Showing posts with label Jane Eyre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jane Eyre. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Opera, BBC movies, and other misc.
Well, I did watch the 1973 BBC version of Jane Eyre and I enjoyed it. It's quite dated and lacks some production values, but it's a great watch overall. I'd suggest renting it through Blockbuster or Netflix. A friend of mine suggested the 2006 TV version which I will rent in the near future. I saw the clips of Toby Stephens as Edward Rochester and he looks fantabulous :) I just need to watch a few films on my list this week before I get to renting the movie: Crazy Heart, The Hangover II, True Grit (the version with John Wayne), and The Mechanic.
I haven't gotten around to it but I will eventually read George Eliot's Middlemarch. It sounds like a terrific read, despite the fact that it's 800 pages long. I'm not a big fan of such books as it takes forever to read, depending on how it's paced. I usually read 100-200 pages a day, which takes longer but the book is eventually read.
I love writing fanfiction and I have an account over at Fanfiction.net. This helps me to improve my writing style and such. I gave thought to writing a mashup of Jane Eyre with a dinosaur (more specifically, a velociraptor) in Rochester's attic rather than a mad wife. Then, I gave thought to writing a sequel series featuring the married Rochesters, Jane and Edward, as zombie hunters. I might pursue both since they sound interesting and something I would read. And yes, I've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters; I am a firm believer that both books should be required reading in all American high schools. Not sure if I want to read the mashup novel, Jane Slayre.
For those who know me really well, I enjoy doing crossword puzzles (from reading this far, you now know that I'm a geek of sorts, but that's a different story). I managed to finish yesterday's New York Times puzzle in about 10 minutes. It took me about the same time to do today's puzzle but I didn't finish it. The New York Times crossword puzzle increases in difficulty each day with Monday being the easiest and Saturday being the most difficult; Sunday doesn't count as the answers to Sunday's puzzle are printed with the puzzle itself. Sometimes I am able to solve Wednesday's puzzle completely, but not in 10 minutes. I was thinking about doing the annual crossword contest put on by the NY Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz, but unfortunately, it's in New York City and I'm in San Diego. Too bad they can't do satellite contests in other cities.
Last Sunday after church, Mom and I saw the last opera on the last day of the 2011 season at the San Diego Opera. Both of us saw a production of George Bizet's Carmen, an opera about a seductive gypsy woman who, apparently, likes to change boyfriends a lot. It has to do with love, lust, bullfighting, and men who can't get the hint that their exes don't want them around any more. I had trouble staying awake in the first act because I didn't have my daily dose of caffeine, but I enjoyed the rest of the opera. This opera was Mom's first and it was my twelfth (I've seen eight live performances and four performances on DVD). However, this was my first time seeing Carmen. I've heard the infamous La Habanera aria sung by Carmen herself many times, as depicted in this commercial for Doritos:
For those who can understand the dynamics behind the aria can understand how it connects with the commercial. Next season, Mom and I have decided to see Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville and I am hoping to score a ticket to see opera soprano Renee Fleming in concert at the San Diego Opera on March 24, 2012 once they go on sale.
That is all for now. I must get ready for bed. Fin.
I haven't gotten around to it but I will eventually read George Eliot's Middlemarch. It sounds like a terrific read, despite the fact that it's 800 pages long. I'm not a big fan of such books as it takes forever to read, depending on how it's paced. I usually read 100-200 pages a day, which takes longer but the book is eventually read.
I love writing fanfiction and I have an account over at Fanfiction.net. This helps me to improve my writing style and such. I gave thought to writing a mashup of Jane Eyre with a dinosaur (more specifically, a velociraptor) in Rochester's attic rather than a mad wife. Then, I gave thought to writing a sequel series featuring the married Rochesters, Jane and Edward, as zombie hunters. I might pursue both since they sound interesting and something I would read. And yes, I've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters; I am a firm believer that both books should be required reading in all American high schools. Not sure if I want to read the mashup novel, Jane Slayre.
For those who know me really well, I enjoy doing crossword puzzles (from reading this far, you now know that I'm a geek of sorts, but that's a different story). I managed to finish yesterday's New York Times puzzle in about 10 minutes. It took me about the same time to do today's puzzle but I didn't finish it. The New York Times crossword puzzle increases in difficulty each day with Monday being the easiest and Saturday being the most difficult; Sunday doesn't count as the answers to Sunday's puzzle are printed with the puzzle itself. Sometimes I am able to solve Wednesday's puzzle completely, but not in 10 minutes. I was thinking about doing the annual crossword contest put on by the NY Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz, but unfortunately, it's in New York City and I'm in San Diego. Too bad they can't do satellite contests in other cities.
Last Sunday after church, Mom and I saw the last opera on the last day of the 2011 season at the San Diego Opera. Both of us saw a production of George Bizet's Carmen, an opera about a seductive gypsy woman who, apparently, likes to change boyfriends a lot. It has to do with love, lust, bullfighting, and men who can't get the hint that their exes don't want them around any more. I had trouble staying awake in the first act because I didn't have my daily dose of caffeine, but I enjoyed the rest of the opera. This opera was Mom's first and it was my twelfth (I've seen eight live performances and four performances on DVD). However, this was my first time seeing Carmen. I've heard the infamous La Habanera aria sung by Carmen herself many times, as depicted in this commercial for Doritos:
For those who can understand the dynamics behind the aria can understand how it connects with the commercial. Next season, Mom and I have decided to see Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville and I am hoping to score a ticket to see opera soprano Renee Fleming in concert at the San Diego Opera on March 24, 2012 once they go on sale.
That is all for now. I must get ready for bed. Fin.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
CHOCOLATE. COVERED. BACON.
It's official: I'm spoiled. Not just because I'm an only child with no siblings (well, yeah, I guess I am spoiled), but I signed up with a $17 a month plan to rent DVDs and Wii games from Blockbuster. I can rent 2 DVDs or games (or a combination of both) at a time and I can just drop them off at Blockbuster instead of mailing them in. It feels weird and awesome at the same time. According to Blockbuster, I'd be getting the latest movies 28 days before Netflix and all those other guys. The first movie I rented is a two parter from the kind folks at the BBC. There was a 1973 TV film version of Jane Eyre that I had wanted to see and none of the nearby libraries had it in circulation. I saw some clips of it on YouTube and it sounds like a cool movie. Here's a clip of the infamous proposal scene:
Looking forward to seeing it after watching the 1944 version with Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine and the recent 2011 one with Michael Fassbender (sigh, he's so dreamy) and Mia Wasikowska.
I had just started on the short story version of my novel. For some reason, it's painful to write as my ideas and thoughts come out stiff and sloppy. Maybe I should do some writing exercises to keep my abilities in check so they don't atrophy.
About a week ago, I got my San Diego County Fair "best pass ever" in the mail. Basically, I get in free for all 22 days of the fair and the pass cost me $22 (literally, a buck a day). I can go see the concerts, visit the exhibits, eat the artery-clogging food, and watch 4H livestock shows. If you live in San Diego or San Diego County, you can buy it on the fair's website. I've bought my pass two years in a row and I love it! I can't get enough of the Mackinac Island Fudge they sell in the exhibition halls or the Australian Battered Potatoes or the chocolate covered bacon - yes, you heard me. CHOCOLATE. COVERED. BACON.
Right now, all I can hear in my head is the "Habanera" song from Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen. I will be seeing the opera on Sunday. It will be the second time I will be seeing tenor Richard Leech on stage (he will be playing the part of Don Jose); the first time I saw him was four years ago when he played Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. Although I will be equipped with binoculars in the nosebleeds, I am still looking forward to enjoying myself. My mom will accompany me as this is her first opera. Next year, we will be seeing The Barber of Seville together. I hope to get a chance to hear soprano Renee Fleming in concert in March of 2012 at the San Diego Opera.
That's all for now. Fin.
Looking forward to seeing it after watching the 1944 version with Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine and the recent 2011 one with Michael Fassbender (sigh, he's so dreamy) and Mia Wasikowska.
I had just started on the short story version of my novel. For some reason, it's painful to write as my ideas and thoughts come out stiff and sloppy. Maybe I should do some writing exercises to keep my abilities in check so they don't atrophy.
About a week ago, I got my San Diego County Fair "best pass ever" in the mail. Basically, I get in free for all 22 days of the fair and the pass cost me $22 (literally, a buck a day). I can go see the concerts, visit the exhibits, eat the artery-clogging food, and watch 4H livestock shows. If you live in San Diego or San Diego County, you can buy it on the fair's website. I've bought my pass two years in a row and I love it! I can't get enough of the Mackinac Island Fudge they sell in the exhibition halls or the Australian Battered Potatoes or the chocolate covered bacon - yes, you heard me. CHOCOLATE. COVERED. BACON.
Right now, all I can hear in my head is the "Habanera" song from Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen. I will be seeing the opera on Sunday. It will be the second time I will be seeing tenor Richard Leech on stage (he will be playing the part of Don Jose); the first time I saw him was four years ago when he played Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. Although I will be equipped with binoculars in the nosebleeds, I am still looking forward to enjoying myself. My mom will accompany me as this is her first opera. Next year, we will be seeing The Barber of Seville together. I hope to get a chance to hear soprano Renee Fleming in concert in March of 2012 at the San Diego Opera.
That's all for now. Fin.
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