George Bernard Shaw once wrote that plot was the creation, manoeuvering and destruction of relationships between characters. Plot is derived from character and it’s sole purpose is to drive the story so the character can attempt to achieve their goal. Every scene in your script must either reveal something about the character and advance the story. Flat scenes become boring and lose your audeince. Here are some plot devices that can pique your plot:

• DANGER – I cannot stress this one enough. It can be moral danger such as deciding to cheat on your spouse, or physical danger such as being trapped in a burning house. Raise the stakes and make your character earn their goal and pay for their mistakes. Give them insecurities, flaws, problems and issues we can all relate to. Make them fall into a ditch that they must crawl out of. A common plot device in action films is to either have multiple things go wrong at once or sequentially. The victim tries to escape, but they can’t find the keys to the car so they break in. Then there’s a flat battery so the can’t hot wire it to start. Then there’s no cell phone coverage… What’s needed may not arrive in time or not arrive at all. Oftentimes, dramatists use a Deus Ex Machina (literally God from the machine) whereby some life saving event occurs just in the nick of time before all is lost. Make sure this isn’t a lucky co-incidence or your audience will never forgive you.

• TIME BOMB - Give your characters a ticking time clock where something seriously bad will happen if they don’t achieve a goal. Maybe there isn’t enough time to defuse the bomb? Perhaps the main character doesn’t know how to defuse the bomb. Maybe the main character isn’t even aware of the bomb. Does the audience know? Giving either the audience or the main character such a superior position adds intrigue and interest. Alternatively, the main character can simply run out of options to achieve their goal rather than out of time.

• CONFESSION – After deep humiliation make your character confess to a secret, shortcoming, wound or a deep seeded fear or shame. Maybe they realise the error of their ways and take responsibility for their actions. Consider your audience. Being born out of wedlock is generally not considered a shameful act in the Western world. Forcing a pregnant unwed couple to marry may be acceptable is some cultures, but not in others. Play with morality in your plot. The beauty of it is that it’s never clearly right or wrong like a maths problem. Is it wrong to kill someone? What if they killed your family? What if it is in self defense?

• BETRAYAL – The hero’s buddy changes sides or is revealed as a traitor. What if the main character doesn’t realise this, or does so when it’s too late? What if the traitor leads them into a trap?

• DILEMMA – The hero is forced to make a choice between two equally bad alternatives. Consider the family with premature Siamese twins who must decide which one survives and which one doesn’t. What if the main character consciously decides not to act because they are faced with issues of duty for the higher good? Or even love?

• OBSTACLES – External influences such as bad weather or natural disasters forcing them to stop. Car or other vital piece of machinery breaks down and a replacement part is not immediately forthcoming. What if their progress is stalled due to injury, illness or other physical condition such as pregnancy or diabetes? What if someone in their team is killed or kidnapped? Running out of bullets, money, food, air all add to the excitement of danger.

• DISCOVERY – The element of surprise and shock always jolts your audience. Examples of this include a cover been blown of an undercover cop, the presence of an intruder being noticed, an escalating lie has been revealed. A discovery must pivot your story into a new direction, not simply act as a minor irritant. Remember the scene in “Mad Men” where Betty discovers Don’s true identity by opening a locked drawer? She didn’t sigh and carry on, she left him. Discoveries can also be wild goose chases. Following the wrong lead, the wrong map or the wrong advice.

• LOVE – Due to it’s universality, love will always add to a plot. What if a past lover returns? Consider Jodie Foster in “Sommersby”, when she tells her returned “husband” that he’s not the man she married because she didn’t love him like she loves the impostor. Add a love triangle; one bride versus two grooms. Add gender swaps, such as “Tootsie” who had enamored a man who thinks she’s a woman. Also consider the third wheel. The buddy who suddenly becomes the bride’s love interest when he reveals his true self. Love is also used to tame a savage, misanthropic heart.

• TRAITS – Give your character some endearing traits so the audience can partially overlook their negative ones. Give them courage, give them love. give them scruples so they are fighting for a good cause where the collateral damages justifies the cause, make them perform a good deed, make them desirable such as handsome, physical and funny. Make them spiritual, generous and wise. Ensure it all emerges from a place of truth and authenticity. Audiences retract from phonies. Give them fears, traumas which block their growth, masks which prevent other characters from seeing their real self.

• LIKES – Make your characters like children, animals and art. Give them great taste in cars, partners, houses, music, fashion, food and overall lifestyle. Audiences tend to admire what they aspire to be or what they perceive to be desirable.

So go forth and beef up those plotlines.

Understanding relationships or the different friendships I attain?

To be continued.

…reading Deccan Herald. I feel like I haven’t really read the newspaper in a month. Gah! *runs from flying brickbats from DH lovers*

We finally dumped Times of India starting November, coz the number of sleazy pix and crappy articles about sex crossed our limit of tolerance. Divya is a full-time reader and I really didn’t want her reading a newspaper that looked more like a tabloid.

We’ve been through this newspaper-shifting before. And I’ve discovered that I do not like reading newspapers online, so my daily attempt to check the TOI e-paper is failing miserably. DH is just sooooooooo boring, insipid, still featuring dead-body pix and I just can’t relate to it, to the font, to the reporting style, to the stuff they cover! TOI was livelier and I was so used to it.

Somebody help me! Which newspaper d’you read? What do you like about it and what do you not? And if you like DH, please tell me why! Maybe I’ll reconcile myself to it after all

A couple of hours ago, I had to pee.  I could buffer this confession with a euphemism, like, “I had to use the bathroom,” or “I had to do one of my little jobs,” but the “pee” is the crux of the story.  So I went to pee.  We have a lovely bathroom at work; matte pewter fixtures, purple walls, a large basin sink.  It’s very clean.  You see, “clean” is also important to the story, which is why it is being emphasized.  I went to “pee” in the “clean” bathroom.  We are all on the same page.

I settled in, content with my lot in life that I get to pee daily in such a clean, purple bathroom.  Mid-pee, I heard something rustle behind me, sort of like a leaf gently shaken loose from a branch in fall, and wondered what that could be.  I turned to look, and to my horror, that the neatly folded five dollar bill I’d had in my back pocket was now floating in the same toilet bowl into which I was relieving myself.  There was nothing I could do.  The pee had hit the bowl, as the saying doesn’t go.  I briefly said a prayer of thanks that this was not a “big job” I was turning out and finished my business.

Dramatic Re-Creation of Events

I wiped, stood, then considered my options with my pants pooled around my favorite black high heeled boots.  Flush the bill?  Throw out the money with the peewater as the saying doesn’t go?  Maybe if it were one dollar, but this was a five, and I’m a cheap bitch.  I was afraid to leave the room, lest someone come in and pee on my money*.  Like MacGyver, I searched the bathroom for something with which I could extract the money from the potty.  Unlike MacGyver, I came up blank and made a decision I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy:  I went in with my bare hands.  Actually, first I did a dance I like to call “I have to stick my hand in peewater”, which looks a lot like the “I just found a spider in my comforter” dance, only with the “I just did a shot of cheap tequila” face.  Then I went in with my bare hands.

I think at that point I blacked out, because the next thing I remember was washing the money in the sink.  My pants were up, the toilet was flushed, and the only indicator of my crisis situation was the cash being rinsed.    I grabbed a stack of paper towels, laid the bill on them, then covered it with another stack of paper towels while I washed my hands for twenty minutes, then soaped up and washed the sink, then washed my hands again before putting on half a bottle of hand sanitizer.

So the question is this:  what do I do with the bill?  Clearly I can’t touch it again without gloves; it’s currently still wadded up in the paper towels inside of a plastic bag.  I would also not feel comfy pawning it off on the kindly Indian woman at the Subway, half because I like her and half because I don’t want her to make anyone’s sandwich after she’s touched that five.  I’ve agonized over my options, and I’m polling on what it’s come down to:

*If I had a nickel for every time I’ve had to say this–well, I probably wouldn’t have to fish pee-covered bills from the toilet.

Θα ξυπνήσεις με ημικρανίες,

έχεις ήδη αργήσει στη δουλεία,

ξέμεινες από καφέ και τσιγάρα,

ατσαλάκωτο το πουκάμισο που θα φορούσες,

το αυτοκίνητό σου έμεινε,

ένας πήγε να αυτοκτονήσει  στις ράγες του τραίνου και είναι κλειστό,

στο δρόμο κίνηση,

ο ταξιτζής με ανελέητο ρεπερτόριο ανακτόρου on repeat,

σου πιάνει και κουβέντα,

στη δουλεία σε ζητάει ο υπεύθυνος,

σου κάνει πρόλογο για την απόλυσή σου,

γυρίζεις σπίτι,

άδειο ψυγείο και το έτερον ήμισυ δεν έχει απαντήσει,

τρως λυγμένη φασολάδα η οποία σου φέρνει και τις αντίστοιχες συνέπειες,

βγαίνεις με τον γλυώδη ένα φίλο που σου απέμεινε που έλεγες πως δεν αντέχεις,

σου σερβίρουν αγνώστου-ταυτότητος-πες-μας ποτά,

το μέρος αδιευκρίνηστο, socializing κωλόμπαρο,

γυρίζεις σπίτι με την μία παρουσία που σε κοίταξε,

αλλά κρίμα, δεν ήταν αυτό που φαίνονταν,

μόλις το ακούμπησες,

ουπς, εδώ δεν έχεις επιλογή,

εμετοί,

το τηλέφωνο χτυπάει, το έτερον ήμισυ σε θεωρεί παρελθόν,

αυτό που μυρίζει έτσι τι είναι;

η χνουδωτή μπάλα που σου κρατούσε συντροφιά

έφαγε φόλα

πάει και αυτή η μέρα.

Η

Θα σε ξυπνήσει το έτερον σου ήμισυ και οι “με πλούσιο εσωτερικό κόσμο” φίλοι/φίλες του/της

βασιλικό πρωινό στο κρεβάτι με nespresso

φυσικά θα σε πλύνουν εκείνοι, ούτε η Κλεοπάτρα τέτοια μεγαλεία,

διαλέγει ο υπολογιστής σου ένα από τα χιλιάδες  Dior Homme/ Chanel outfits στο dress room,

“η ευτυχία βρίσκεται στα απλά πράγματα”

λες με ύφος χιλίων καρδηναλίων,

στο τηλέφωνο ο Steve,

του εγκρίνεις το project,

έχεις και μία συνέντευξη μετά για το Vanity Fair/ Forbes,

πάει καλά, φυσικά, εξώφυλλο,

ανυπομονείς για το αποψινό πάρτυ,

στο ένα σπίτι σου, εκεί με την ψωροθέα, πώς το λένε να δεις, α, Champs Elysee,

φτάνεις ευτυχώς στην ώρα σου,

οι καλεσμένοι young and restless, promiscuous and avantgarde,

μα και καλοί άνθρωποι,

“Ήρθε ο David?”

ναι, και γελάει, ξεκινάει να αναπολεί τις Ziggy Stardust εποχές του,

μέχρι και ο μελαγχολικός ακούνητος γελάει κρατώντας το χέρι της Helena,

η Emily χορεύει, ο Huey μεταδίδει, η Κate με τον Bobby μιλάνε

εσύ τα βλέπεις όλα, αγκαλιάζεις κόσμο,

πηγαίνετε στο πίσω δωμάτιο, ο ένας σκύλος σου είναι έξω και ακούγεται σαν λύκος που τραγουδάει σε συμφωνική ορχήστρα,

“Τον μπάσταρδο” λες, “είχε πάντοτε έφεση”

ξεκινάτε, η σκόνη γύρω γύρω δεν φαίνεται,

αστεράκια στο burlesque δωμάτιο,

άγγελοι με new romantic αμφίεση έρχονται και σε παίρνουν από τους ώμους,

πετάς και βλέπεις σε λίγο τον Πλούτωνα,

κλείνεις τα μάτια,

το παράκανες.

I am struggling with a decision I have to make. I don’t know if I am ok with Ku taking Bresho next April to Poland for a week (!) while I stay in Canada.

What to do?

We can’t all go together because we have a conflict of schedules. Ku wants his grandparents and the rest of his extended family to meet Bresho. I want them to meet Bresho too, but I cannot even contemplate the idea of him being far away from me (in another continent, across the ocean, in a different time zone) for one whole week! It is already hard enough for me not to be able to see him on Mondays, so I cannot even imagine what it would be like not to see him for a whole week!

I know I am being selfish for wanting to keep him with me rather than let him go with Ku to meet his Polish family. The worst part is that I am taking Bresho to Colombia next summer for four months when I go to do my field research. Obviously Ku cannot come because of work. Bresho (and I) are going to be far a way from him for four months. That is fifteen weeks longer than the trip to Poland.

Pros and cons of this trip

Pros:

Bresho will get to meet his great grandparents who are very very old

Ku will get to bond with Bresho

I will get to be in the same position Ku will be when we leave for Colombia for four months

Cons:

Bresho could get separation anxiety from being away from me

I will get separation anxiety for sure and will probably have a week from hell

I will not get to be with Bresho when he is upset/can’t sleep/wants his mommy

Ku is booking his ticket soon and was told he can “add” the baby later on so we don’t have to decide right now. What would you do? Am I being completely unreasonable for not wanting to let Bresho go on a trip with his dad for a week?

Ikväll var det Börssällskapets trevliga middag med drygt 400 närvarande. Kan konstatera att det liknar mest Rotary, dvs mest män och relativt hög medelålder…hm är där själv snart!! Jacob Wallenberg höll ett inspirerande och personligt tal där han bl a beskrev finanskrisen, före/efter,  BRIC-ländernas utveckling samt de globala utmaningarna som världen står inför. Han sade att krisen är över och att bl a konsumtionen måste ta fart för att världen totalt skall återhämta sig. Samtidigt beskrev han klimatfrågan som en gigantisk utmaning för mänskligheten att klara av. Tricket blir att klara ökad konsumtion och klimatfrågan. Ett dilemma som han kanske inte funderat så mycket över.  Det var 416 nöjda medlemmar och gäster som lämnade salen efter frågestunden, där han verkligen visade på stort kunnande, humor och ödmjukhet. Tre goda egenskaper som inger hopp för framtiden. Då mycket av vår framtid är beroende av Investors utveckling.

Började dagen med vårt riksdagsråd i Skövde. Rådet består av en västsvensk representant från varje parti i riksdagen. Vi diskuterade de frågor som vi just nu har aktuella och vad som händer framöver. Bra ömsesidigt informationsutbyte. Vi fick även en åpresentation av Gothia Science Park, där man bl a satsar på nya företag inom dataspelsområdet. Högskolan i Skövde har detta som ett av sina specialområden. Varje år är det 20 sökande per utbildningsplats och totalt antar man 400 studenter till denna utbildning. Vore roligt om Västsverige kunde skapa ett kluster kring denna utveckling. Hör onekligen till framtiden möjligheter för näringslivet. Vi talar inte enbart om nöjesspel utan även simuleringar för bl a militären, utbildningar och spel som används i rehab syfte inom sjukvården. Spännande!

Quirk gaat u tijdelijk even verlaten. Even off the air. Of beter gezegd: the cable. Ze moet namelijk even prioriteiten stellen. En die liggen even niet op het web. Even dan. Dat kost haar best veel moeite. Ze zit nu zelfs vol twijfels achter haar beeldscherm. Haar hand als door anti-zwaartekracht weggedrukt van de ‘publiceer’-knop. Is dit nu echt nodig? Maar ik kan toch gewoon… Quirk lijdt namelijk aan een ziekte.

Een ziekte die door haar briljant benoemd is als neurologgen. De neurotische aandrang elke dag te loggen. Of er nu iets te zeggen valt of niet (en meestal is dat niet). Dus dit experiment wordt voor haar best een uitdaging. Maar het gaat haar er niet om de ziekte te lijf te gaan. Daar wil ze namelijk helemaal niet van genezen. Waar ze wel van wil genezen is de stapel achterstallig werk die ze maar niet weggewerkt lijkt te krijgen. Dus vrees niet, lieve lezertjes. Quirk verlaat u niet omdat ze leukere dingen te doen heeft. Behalve morgen dan, want dan gaat ze naar Snoop Dogg. Ze verlaat u slechts omdat haar plicht roept. En ze enorm uitkijkt naar weer eens een avondje vrij zijn zonder schuldgevoel over dingen die ze eigenlijk nog zou moeten doen.

Als de plicht gedaan is zal zij spoedig wederkeren. Om u opnieuw te vervelen met onzinnige gedachtengangen, kasteelromannetjesfictie, muziekgewauwel en kleine observaties. Misschien over een maand, misschien over een morgen.

In de tussentijd: vergeet haar niet.

Humans have been telling stories to each other since time immemorial. They serve a deep psychological and sociological need. Let us examine a few key concepts:

WHAT IS A STORY?

Quite simply, it is a journey of inter-connected events with a beginning, middle and an end providing

• dramatic fulfillment
• education
• knowledge
• entertainment
• emotional stimulation and,
• a satisfying conclusion (we love closure)

Stories began as visual medium when our forebearers painted images on cave walls. or drew with sticks in the sand. They were accompanied by words or grunts. As complex language developed, stories were increasingly verbalized, and later on written. Stories today can be exclusively composed of images, written words or speech, but often times are a combination. Cinema is primarily a visual medium, with a lesser proportion of words (dialogue). Television is more dialogue based than cinema in general.

A story must have a purpose. For instance, the Australian Aboriginal woman at a rock formation called “The Devil’s Marbles” in the Northern Territory told stories to keep youngsters away from these rocks to avoid danger. A story can be as dry as a depiction of actual events or “life-like” events. Even fantasy fairy tales emulate “life-like” events through suspension of disbelief. Whatever dungeons and dragons we use, the events in a story must feel authentic .

Stories also need a theme (exploration of the human condition). What topics or concepts is your story exploring? Racism? The power of the human spirit during disaster? Love always triumphs over evil? Revenge? And the list goes on. This has been discussed in an earlier blog in the 36 dramatic situations by Georges Polti.  Be careful that you are only exploring one central theme and perhaps one or two minor ones. Otherwise your story loses focus which must be found.

In order to make a story compelling, there must be a protagonist (hero), a goal, a dilemma, conflict, an antagonist (nemesis) and a moral (leading to growth) to create a complete experience. And more importantly, an audience. Stories help us communicate with each other, and add meaning and enrichment to our lives. They bring people together through sharing and help us evolve and grow stronger.

Dramatica defines story as a grand argument dealing with a problem or an inequity. Huh? Basically, it raises the issue of a hero with a conflict as they are yanked from their natural world through a critical or inciting incident, and how they go about solving it.

During a recent seminar by Jen Grisanti (a Hollywood writers’ consultant and wonderful person too), she spoke of the importance of finding your story. What is the writer specifically trying to say? Why are they taking up her with a series of events? Is your story too episodic? What do you want your audience to get from watching your film? What message are you trying to convey to your audience?

The movie “Tootsie” spent close to a decade in development until the writer Larry Gelbart finally decided that ‘Tootsie” was a story about a man who had to become a woman in order to better understand them and himself. It wasn’t so much a story of desperation, the lengths people go to to make it as an actor, or about a guy liking to dress up. Consider “What Women Want” with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt which was essentially the same story with body rather than clothes swapping.

Jen Grisanti sees stories as media for building communities. Pretty powerful stuff. A good story must have clarity and must be relevant to the times. How does the story make you feel? These are primal concepts, but difficult to nail down. It must also possess deeper symbolism to have a greater impact on us. She sees the important aspects of raising the emotional stakes in a story as being

• anticipation
• expectation
• participation
• surprise and,
• a delayed payoff

WHAT IS A PLOT?

A plot is simply the way a story is executed, or a cause and effect series of events. A road map. It is the mechanics of your story; how the sequence of events are put together. Many writers confuse the two and think writing event after event constitutes a story, especially in action films. Is your plot linear, non-linear or avariant? Classic examples of unconventional plotting include “Memento”, “Reservoir Dogs” and “Run Lola Run”. Plot also relates to structure, the most common being the Aristotelian three act structure. Is there a clear concept or story idea, which is more specific than a theme? Good versus evil isn’t a story concept.  Is there a well defined central/main character with a clear motivation, goal, a dilemma and obstacles. One way to enhance your plotting is to consider what is the worse case scenario if your main character doesn’t achieve their goal. The ultimate failure to achieve a goal is death.

Subplots are secondary or tertiary storylines. Some readers have complained that, because a writer hasn’t really found their story, some subplots are actually more intriguing than the main plot. It happens in unpolished scripts. Even to me! Another problem I recently grappled with is my choice of main character to drive the plot. In the end I switched the boy to a girl (literally not surgically) and everything fell into  place.

FINDING YOUR VOICE

These are the less tangible qualities that define you as a writer. Jen Grisanti claims that many newer writers lack a distinct voice which distinguishes them from other writers.

This is a difficult process of self exploration. It means that we need to delve deeper into our psyches than ever before. She made us define a critical or life changing incident where the rug was pulled from under our feet and we are forced to deal with a new reality. Sound familiar? In doing so, we help shape our characters which are products of our creativity and therefore ourselves. Imagine placing your profile on a social website. Think of how you would describe your personality? What are your likes and dislikes? What do you value most in your relationships with other people? Certain patterns will emerge which define you as an individual. Are you easy going? Wound up tight? Chatty? Pensive? Conventional? Alternative? Think about how a producer might discuss what qualities you possess as a writer. If a project is greenlit and a producer is looking for a writer and they say “This project is perfect for xxxx (insert your name)”, it’s because of your voice.

Part of finding your voice involves common themes in the stories we like to tell. Are we animal lovers? Philanthropists? Comedians? Feminists? Optimists? Cynical? Interested in human suffering? Are your characters strong, successful people? Are you strong and successful or do you aspire to be? Are characters underdogs? What is their disposition? Happy? Smarmy? Cheerful? Quirks?

Finding your story and finding your voice is rather like wanting a quick definition of the meaning of life. The only way to find it is to keep searching. And the search lies in the writing. So what are you waiting for?

Back when I was a blogger (as opposed to a student teacher), I used to post selected entries from my paper diary* on Fridays. This can largely be explained by how I’m comprised of equal parts exhibitionism and crippling insecurity. My paper diary is riddled with spelling mistakes, weird period placement, dangling modifiers and inconsistent Oxford commas. It’s not exactly the greatest testament to my ability to teach English.

Well it’s the freakin’ weekend baby and I’m a-gonna post me some diary.

I wish this were what my diary actually looked like.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

I worked on a research paper all day (no really; I skipped a lecture to do it.) Surrounded by books in the bowels of the library, I felt more content than I have in years, academically-speaking. Lately I find myself questioning if I’m doing the right thing… I have the brains to do a PhD, the charisma to get hired and work well under the constant pressure to be published. As much fun as I have with teenagers, I really miss the scholastic aspect of being a student… or even that of being an educated member of society. I feel as though my mind is cluttered with rudimentary concepts and basic ideas. I don’t feel intellectually challenged; I always have a lot of work to do, but it may as well be a colouring book for all the cognitive engagement it offers.

Essentially, sometimes I feel too smart for the program I paid seven thousand dollars to be in.

Sweet Jesus. At least my ego is healthy.

I don’t really doubt or question whether or not I’m on the right path in my life. I just miss being a snob. It’s amazing how little credit people give to public school teachers/college instructors/sessional lecturers. As though we don’t have to know our shit. As though we don’t get asked those insane, Jesus-Murphy-how-am-I-supposed-to-know-that questions from students. Anyway, would it even be normal if I never doubted or second-guessed what I’m doing with my life?

When I asked one of my professors for a letter of reference for teachers’ college, he actually looked at me and sighed, “oh Riff, that seems such a waste of your mind. Haven’t you thought about a doctorate?“

Most back-handed compliment ever.

*I know. How quaint.

It is common practice for literary journals to request previously published stories are not submitted.

I think I have found a quandary of the digital age: what happens when a story is accepted and published by a very fine litzine (Insolent Rudder in this case) but then the online only publication goes out of pixel (for one can’t say print?).

Unlike a story that had been printed in traditional media, where copies would still be around even when the publisher were not, in the digital realm that story has ceased to exist, it has been unpublished.

Does it then still count as previously published if no-one can point to a copy?

(It is not lost like a fabled masterpiece, for I still have a copy. Although, since I wrote it I know what happens, there’s little point in my reading it.)

What is the etiquette for missing stories?

Ja det er jo ved at være lidt længe siden, men der har jo også været en del at se på, arrhj det var vist en fortalelse, se til selvfølgelig . Jeg har haft en del engagementer på det sidste blandt andet et 50års fødselsdags arrangement i Skiveholme forsamlingshus. Det var fint gang i det frem til omkring kl. 01.30 så gik det stille og roligt i sig selv. Men der blev da danset til nogle af de gode så som ‘Kvinde min’ og ‘Himmelhunden’ i min egen rytmiske fortolkning. Men det er jo lidt ballade med nogle unge der havde rendt og drukket slatter hele aften og ja, lad mig bare sige at jeg er glad for at det ikke var mig der sku gøre badeværelset rent bagefter.

Nå men jeg er jo kommet ud i lidt af et såkaldt dilemma jobmæssigt. Jeg blev ringet op for en lille uge siden. Først så tog konen den godt nok og glemte selvfølgelig at give beskeden videre. Som om man ikke har nok at holde styr på med at skifteholdsjob og showbiz til at gå op i en højere enhed uden at konen går og glemmer ting hele tiden. Men da de så ringende igen fandt jeg jo så ud af det og at de ville have mig til at spille til personalejulefrokost på Skovbyskolen. Ja og det er da ikke fordi jeg ik kan li og spille til julefrokoster, men der er jo lige nogle ting man skal overveje i den forbindelse. Jeg ved ikke om det er helt passende at spille der når nu min søsters eksmands datter går i center10 for så kunne jeg jo komme til at se nogle af hendes lærere på en uheldig måde. Det er jo noget man ellers er vandt til at se folk på slap line som entertainer, men det er som om det kommer lidt tæt på når det på den måde er nogen, der er forbundet med familien. Og så er det jo også lidt kort varsel. Man sku jo også  tro de ville være lidt tidligere ude når det handler om at booke kvalitetsunderholdning. Så jeg ved ikke rigtig om jeg skal sige nej eller bide i det sure æble og så se hvad der sker. Og de skal have svar i morgen så nu må vi se.

Within the Human Heart
Evil spirits are obstinate and destructive usurpers, struggling among themselves to be on a, throne.
This is the real spiritual dilemma within the human heart. Fallen angels whose nature is to possess and covet `things’ with a deep and fierce passion.
Many possessions have become evil, growing and rooting within the human heart and its chief characteristic is, possessiveness: the words `gain’ and `profit’ to allow this despicable hostile power to live in the human heart, is in the end to lose everything!
The human heart is feeble and without protection, and the enemy prevails. Which we tolerate at our peril, the only effective way to destroy these foes: is to journey to the mountain of the Great Spirit, having great expectations.
©2006

I am in a dilemma this week as I have just been offered the chance to get some business premises at basically no cost – that’s right No cost. None at all not even costs to get there! Sounds great right? But here’s the thing, it’s 75 miles away from where I live making a 150 mile round trip every day (3 hours worth without factoring in the unpredictable weather and motorway in the middle). On top of that if I am going to work there then it’s an all or nothing thing – I have to take all of my kit, my computer, paperwork etc so I would be committed to being there at least 4 days a week so will be doing at least 600 miles a week. So, that’s the travel.

The office itself would make a great place to meet with clients, do back office stuff and present my portfolio and products but doesn’t lend itself to being any kind of studio so the time I could spend behind the camera there would be slightly limited.

This is turning into my pro’s and con’s list you know that don’t you….

So let’s do it this way

It’s getting late and that’s all I can think of right now – I would love to know what you think – drop me a comment or two on here and/or answer my poll question. feel free to add any more Pro’s and Con’s that you can see. There are some other more personal factors influencing the decision as well but I figured I would keep this all business.

Will check in tomorrow to find out how we are doing!

Don’t forget to check out the new website and let me know what you think

www.hotcoffeephotography.com

A

I like to think.  I have a thinking face which is basically a scowl, which leads a lot of people to think I’m consistently upset or mean.  Nowadays I try to use a blank face instead, but that makes people think I have no emotions.  Basically I just can’t win.  Anyway, I like to think.  That may seem strange, because anyone who’s met me has probably heard my vitriolic tirade about how I hate philosophy.  Turns out I don’t actually hate philosophy: what I hate is being graded on philosophy.  The same is true about most subjects I say I hate.  Exception: chemistry.  I hate chemistry so much.  That’s off-topic.

So, I like to think.  I think about a lot of things.  I really enjoy thinking about things and finding that I have a decisive opinion about it.  For example: “I’ve never really thought much about writing letters.  But you know, I really like getting letters.  It makes me feel really good that someone took the time to write me.  I bet other people feel that way, too.  Okay, then!  Writing letters is a great way to show people you love them!”  That’s a pretty simple example; just taking a situation I haven’t considered and thinking about it, then deciding how I feel about it makes me feel good.  I also like being able to reason things out.  I like having well-defined, clear-cut answers to things.  Uncertainty and indecision paralyze me.  Basically they’re just obnoxious.

Today I ran into a dilemma.  Dilemmas are my worst nightmare.  Paradoxes don’t bother me because they’re beautiful; to me, a paradox is like a work of art.  It’s not meant to be solved; it doesn’t have a solution, and I’m okay with that.  But a dilemma!  Oh, no.  Dilemmas are horrible, because I know that there is a right answer, a correct path, a perfect solution.  ”That’s comforting, Erica,” you might say.  ”Isn’t it a nice thought, to know that there’s a right answer?”  No, it’s not, because dilemmas are, by nature, difficult (if not impossible) to solve.

That’s a lot of build-up.  As you might have guessed (maybe you didn’t, it was pretty subtle), I have a dilemma I would like to share with you.  I don’t know what the right answer is, which is pretty tragic because I spent a good chunk of time today thinking about it.  Here’s the dilemma:

Two notes to start off:

• As Christians, we are called to rely on God for relational fulfillment.  We know that no other human can fulfill us spiritually, emotionally, or relationally.  If we are relying on something other than God to save us, to fulfill us, it’s idolatry.
• Sometimes people hurt us.  Everyone has scars on their soul from the words, actions, silence, or inaction of other people.  Everyone is wounded.  Tragically, sometimes people hurt each other and don’t know they’ve done it, so they do the same thing over and over again.

No one likes being hurt.  It’s only natural, if one knows that a situation is going to cause one pain or distress, to avoid that situation.  Here’s the dilemma: is it wrong, as Christians, to avoid situations like that?  A few arguments:

• There’s no way it could be wrong.  God doesn’t want us to hurt.  If you know that people are going to hurt you, you don’t need to be around those people.  Even if they aren’t doing it intentionally, sometimes you’re just called not to be in certain situations.
• Oh my gosh you heathen.  God is all we need: even if that situation might hurt, God is there to heal all of our wounds.  We’re called to love everyone, and if that means putting yourself in a situation where you know you consistently get hurt, you need to just love those people anyway, even if they don’t love you.

I think the second argument is better, now that I think about it more.  The idea is that a Christian should be able to pour out love continually without worrying about getting any love back because God is continuously pouring His love into us.  It’s a lovely idea, and one that I have never ever been any good at.  Like, I am terrible at it.  I’ve been working on it for months, and I am still no better at it now than I was when I started.  It’s just ridiculous how often I fall off that wagon.

Anyway!  I would love to hear your thoughts on this.  Let me know what you think!  Let’s talk about it, and hopefully we can find the answer!

I was watching Friends today, and it was the episode where Ross told Rachel he wasn’t allowed to talk to her anymore because his new wife said so. Because she was threatened by her.

Would you have listened to her? or him?

Me personally. No i don’t think i would. MY friends are too important to me, for ANYONE to tell me i’m not allowed to speak to them because THEY are threatened by our closeness. Our relationship should be strong enough for you to not worry about other people. If this is the case, then you obviously do not trust me, and you shoudnt be with me. In most cases, it is the person of the opposite sex who they are cautious of. (E.g a female not liking her boyfriends female friend). Jealously ruins relationships.

On the other hand, if my BF had a friend who i do not like, i have no right to tell him to not talk to them. i cannot control his entire life. Its more than likely that the friend was their FIRST and unless we get married, they will be there after too! Being in a relationship isn’t your ENTIRE life, you should be able to have a spearate life without ur partner being involved. Otherwise you’ll go crazy lol.

However, if you have those friends who are interfering in your relationship, then those people are NOT your friends. And you need to LETGO of those people. Allowe being in a relationship with 5 other people.

But what would YOU do?? Is your relationship worth more than your friendships? Would you throw away years of friendships for ONE person?

Everyone’s different. Leave your opinions here.

MissCherry.x