Unorthodox Writing

by
Scott D. Parker

Not a lot to talk about this week. I’m further adjusting to the new job and finding new times to write.

I’ve changed my sleep schedule to get up at 5am to write. It’s one of those things where, on that first morning, I was like “Do I really wanna do this?” That question was trumped by another question: “Does you being tired right now more important than you having already written when you get to work (and later when you have more time with your family)?” Easy answer: no. So, I’m back to writing at 5am.

Moreover, I’m finding new ways to either brainstorm the new book (started today) or write actual fiction during my 5-minute breaks throughout my work day. Yes, it’s not hugely conducive to long-form writing, but knocking out 150 words in five minutes on my iPod Touch is actually positive and moving the story forward. I use PlainText since it’s letters are pretty big and the keyboard is large enough for me.

I’m also working with a dictation app on my Touch. I can speak faster than I can type on the tiny screen, so I will make notes using the software and then get my speech recognition software (just downloaded Dragon 13 this on Thursday) to transcribe my ramblings. I don’t usually bother with punctuation other than periods because I just wanna get thought down on pixels.

It’s nice to know that I can write almost anywhere and in almost any circumstance. How about y’all? Do y’all have some unorthodox writing methods?

Movie of the Week: Guardians of the Galaxy

Okay, so I didn’t know this comic when it was announced and I’ve not read too many of them since last year. But as soon as I saw the first trailer, I was in. The music was key, I’ll admit, but so was the talking raccoon and walking tree.

This film is more than the sum of its parts. It’s got action, charm, humor, and more heart and emotional moments than you’d expect. The opening is not unlike the opening to “UP” in its emotional punch.

I’ll say it again: there needs to be an Academy Award section ofr CGI characters. Gollum in the Lord of the Rings was fantastic, but so were Rocket Raccoon and Groot from Guardians. The emotion they display was unexpected and surprisingly deep. Groot’s expressions throughout the film really drove home the depths of his feelings. Rocket’s arc is also nice to see. And Drax the Destroyer, played by Dave Batista, was another nice surprise. He brought a lot to the role and I’d like to see him in future films.

Oh, yeah, and there were space battles, prison escapes, and fights galore so it ain’t all weepy weepy. But that emotional heart really helps this film a lot.

Just go see it. You’ll have a ton of fun!