My plan for the weekend: Spend the ENTIRE time in p.js, in bed, reading a book.
It’s been raining here (and kinda snowing–God bless Edmonton). The day is grey, my brain is empty, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out what happens next in my WIP…I mean, I know the BIG thing that happens next, I just can’t fathom all the little things that gets my character there…
Besides, I’ve spent wwaaayyy too much time in the office (though granted, most of that time has been yanking Gus out of the recycling bin–what is it with that cat and paper?!). Still, staring at a computer counts for something, doesn’t it?
Other plans for the weekend: Eat chocolate for breakfast, chips for lunch, and…well, I was going to say “cake for dinner,” but I know my husband. He’ll hold me down and force nutritious stuff down my mouth, so I’ll give him the option of deciding what to eat for supper…maybe if I had a mid-afternoon snack of cake, that’ll make up for any veggies coming my way at dinner…
In other news, do you ever have those moments when you’re watching a t.v. show–one you’ve been unfailingly loyal to–and then the writer does something incredibly stupid with a character, and suddenly, you find yourself standing by the broken plasma television, mallet in hand, and trying to explain your actions to your husband?
Wait, maybe that’s just me.
But seriously, TWO shows did that to me yesterday. How can you write a character, sketch them out as resourceful, smart, tough, then have them totally capitulate in a blindingly stupid manner?
In one show, the characters–MILITARY PILOTS WHO ARE TRAINED TO KILL AND MAKE HARD DECISIONS ABOUT WHO LIVES AND DIES–roll over for THREE CIVILIANS. What? WHAT?! They’re trained to kill, they’re combat ready and some grief-stricken looney manages to get the better of them?! I’m so irritated, I can’t write anymore. I mean, GIVE ME A BREAK, these guys can take out a target at long distances (and I know this, because the writers have spent 2 years showing it to me), but now, suddenly, they’re totally incompetent?
It was the same thing with the other show, where an FBI agent, who regularly carries extra guns, gets his primary gun taken away, but never pulls out his extras. And when the bad guy beats him, he just rolls past the gun on the floor…and the other police guy gets his gun taken away (knowing FULL WELL) he’s going to be killed, because he doesn’t want the bad guy to harm his daughter.
So, let me get this straight: the bad guy has your daughter. If you’re dead, you can’t do anything to protect your daughter, but your choice of action is to have the bad guy kill you IN FRONT of your daughter. Even though you know the bad guy’s history is one where he always leaves the kid alive…and did I mention the bad guy is old, walks with a limp, and the cops are young with biceps bigger than my head?
I’m not saying a cop or military guy can’t be blindsided, but yeesh people, keep it consistent within the framework of the character you’ve created. Don’t have them do something stunningly stupid for the sake of a season-ending cliff-hanger, because at this point, I’m so annoyed, I don’t care what happens next.
