Author: Writer guy

Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Writer guy

Wallace and Gromit rule. There’s no point in concealing my bias on the subject; it’s inescapable.

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit reunites America’s favorite man and dog crime fighting team from England. Yep, lousy teeth and cheeky senses of humor. Ah, Britain. Like usual, Wallace, the madman inventor, lands them into trouble. Gromit, the unassuming hero and lovable canine, rescues the day.

Such is the formula that drove the classic shorts, and now pay handsome dividends as a full length feature film. The duo operates a pest control operation. They specialize in the humane removal of rabbits. As many customers have prize vegetables and rabbits enjoy sacking gardens, Wallace and Gromit are neighborhood heroes. Until – cue the ominous background music – a new invention goes awry, unleashing the were-rabbit.

Then the carnage begins. Can the team save the gardens before the last carrot disappears?

What works about this movie:
1) For clay based characters, the amount of movement and facial expressions is incredible. Also, the sets are major improvements over the salad days. Niceties like these give the film a polished look the shorts never had.
2) Gromit is the man! Err..I mean dog.
3) The simple premise works for 94 minutes.
4) Ralph Fiennes can do voices. Amazing.

Verdict: DVD purchase. That means less children cackling in the theater.

Truth, Justice and the Italian way

Writer guy

Not since their pact with Germany in World War II has Italy faced such dark times. Unlike the Nazis, the current standoff may end with even greater casualties. And it’s all for pizza. Oh, and lots of money.

Euro driven inflation has pushed the street price of pizza to an all time high. Costly enough that many natives have forsaken dining out and a cultural delight.

To quote Winston Churchill, “this is an indignity of which I will not put.” Pizza is a national treasure in most any country. Because the doughy, tomato sauce, cheese-y goodness is the only dish the Atkins plan offers no meaningful substitutes, I miss the dish with passion. Sorry, Doctor Bob. Eating the toppings off is a poor workaround.

But let us presume a lack of controlled carb crust does not bother the average Italian. That said, the decline of pizza an insidious problem. A world with expensive pizza is like a world where one needs a credit card to eat at McDonald’s. Wait a second, McDonald’s accepts credit cards.

Italy, you stand alone in this crisis.

Infected

Writer guy

Quote of the day:
“I kind of lost the plot a little bit there really. I wasn’t very happy at all. I don’t think alcohol can make you happy.” – Kate Moss.

Despite several rounds of antibiotics and complementary antihistamines, steroids and drops, my ear infection returned. Tenacity like that is impressive, yes? My only wish is that the bacteria picked on someone with a more robust immune system.

All these drugs flooding my bloodstream, I feel like losing the plot a bit myself. Rereading that above sentence reminds me that Kate Moss and I have something in common. Now that really scares me.

The only good news on the writing front this past week – given the woeful page count – a proper replacement title for Velocity. A temporary one served as a placeholder for the past few months, since Dean Koontz released a book by that name. Be the similarity coincidence or fate, it annoyed me; I dug that title. Now since the working title no longer matters, it shall be forgotten, burned and buried in a box. And maybe wrapped in tinfoil and shipped to Abu Dhabi.

As much as I liked Velocity, the latest title is more appropriate. And nope, not a whisper of until its on a query letter. ‘Tis the season for secrets.

Take your 250 and…

Writer guy

The weather took a nasty turn this week and with it, my writing streak. Until Sunday, daily word count averaged in the low 1000’s. For the past few days, it’s back to 250 a day land. Sometimes a twist in the road can be wicked.

With roughly11 scenes left and 10-12,000 words unwritten, the final word count looks destined for the low 90,000 range. As long as the story flows and is uniformly clear, a little less works for me. However, I suspect that the 100,000 estimate might happen anyway during revisions. A top down walk through revealed very few pruning candidates, but shed the light on some spots where the story needed additional details.

October is very doable, at least in terms of finishing the draft. After that an expert team of volunteer readers convenes. Right now the group stands at five. I’m considering a sixth in case of scheduling conflicts. Five can do it, though. That’s enough people who haven’t dealt with me talking through the story.