World Without End - reading

Finished "World Without End" by Ken Follett. This takes place in the same setting as "Pillars of the Earth" only 200 years later. I don't remember the first book having quite this much sex in it. It seemed gratuitous. The events of the time were included and made for a nice backdrop. Otherwise, the story didn't seem quite as epic. It was good, but not as good as the first, occasionally bordering on Soap Opera.

48HFP practice session - August 2011

I don't remember exactly when I wrote this, as it has taken me a while to get back to typing it up. It's probably the worst practice session I've done.

Man watching TV (Occupation); Robin Scherbatsky (Character name); The fountain will test you (Quote); Musical or Western (Genre)

Open on an old man watching TV. He's saying, "You know me as Robin Scherbatsky, but back then I was Robin Banks."

"Very funnny, grampa."

"There was this one time..." /dreamfade

OUTSIDE
Man riding a horse, galloping across rough western landscape

VO (woman) "The fountain will test you"
CU rider
Rider (shouted)
"What does it mean?"
Riding at a gallop
VO (woman) "...will test you." (fading echoes)
Riding (gallop)
Rider (shouted)
"Arghh...!!"

VO (woman) "Ride to the edge of the plains; ride until you can't go on and then ride a mile further. The fountain will test you."
Riding, looks exhausted in the saddle. Horse is walking slowly now. Man falls off the saddle. Horse walks away.
Show sun at high noon, beating down. Man lifts his head groggily, looks ahead.
Show landscape shot - mountains without clouds. Show one single cloud rising up in a billow (maybe use factory steam rising if needed)
MCU man (hoarse, dusty voice)
"The fountain"
He picks himself up and walks on, still exhausted, but almost there.
Cut back to the old man and his grandson in a room talking.
"Grampa, this is boring."
"What happened next is really interesting."

...and that's as far as I got. I remember hitting a wall at this point, trying to make it interesting and failing miserably. There's no plot! Nothing of interest! I was too hung up by the "fountain will test you" line to get anywhere. Ah, well.

The Pillars of the Earth - reading

Finished "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I chose Ken Follett because a coworker said he enjoys Ken's books. I read a few reviews of this before I picked it up and can now say that I agree with what those reviewers said. There are definitely times when the author tells us things that we have already figured out, as though explaining it to a child. There are times when the author repeats things that he need not repeat. This is why I went with 4 stars rather than 5.


BUT


As the story unfolded, I could look past that. I was so interested in the characters and the events of their lives in the several decades the story spans that I found myself thinking, "okay, Ken, I know this. Let's get back to the story" whenever the unnecessary explanations came up, but that was it. It was a distraction, but not enough of a detraction. The story itself brought that period of history to life.

48HFP practice session - 2011-07-19

This is the first practice session I've done in a while. I wanted to take a break from my Tuesday-lunchtime-writer-group editing and write something new. I settled on a 48 Hour Film Project practice run. (Click the 48hfp tag on this post to see my other attempts.)


Character:
Random word Lager becomes Margareta Lager or Georg Lager (I used Margareta) for the name
Random word Server becomes Process Server for the occupation


Prop:
Spring


Line of Dialogue:
Random word "falling" becomes "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."


Genre:
Heist


The first impediment is that my laptop's battery was totally dead, so I had to go analog today. The second impediment was the shortened writing session, in order to grab some actual lunch.


Script
EXT. OUTSIDE CLOSED APARTMENT/HOUSE DOOR


MARGARETA LAGER checks her WATCH.
CU: Watch - 12:45 PM
ML: (Knocks on the door, paper in her hand)
BILL BARNES: (opens the door from inside, looks ML up and down) Yes?
ML: Mr. Barnes?
BB: Yes?
ML: (hands a FOLDED PAPER to BB) You've just been served.
BB: (takes folded paper, turns on the charm) I didn't catch your name.
ML: You're right. You didn't.
BB: (charming) I haven't had lunch yet. Would you join me?
ML: (gives a crooked smile, checks watch again) I think I will.
BB: (beams/grins) Great! (tosses folded paper over his shoulder, steps out, closes and locks door as ML watches) You can't be too careful these days, right?
ML: Right


EXT. SIDEWALK BETWEEN APARTMENT/HOUSE AND CAR
BB: Do you mind driving?
ML: Not at all!
ML and BB walk away from the door, towards her car.
BB: So, what do you like to eat, Ms. ... (hinting at her giving her name)
ML: Lager. Margareta Lager.
BB: (stops walking, looks skeptically) Seriously?
ML: Serious as a heart attack!
BB: (seems to realize something)
They start walking again
(small talk)
They reach her car


INT. SITTING IN CAR, ML IS DRIVING
BB: (gets a text on his CELL PHONE, looks at it) Excuse me.
CU on Cell Phone: TEXT: How to get past guard?
BB texts: Fake heart attack. I'm serious! (puts cell phone away)
(small talk)
BB guides ML to RESTAURANT


EXT. OUTSIDE TABLE AT RESTAURANT
BB guides ML to an OUTSIDE TABLE. He checks the view and holds a CHAIR out for her. He then sits down such that he can see the NEXT BUILDING over.
BB texts: Guard in position. Team 1 go
Small talk about how BB is wanted as a "person of interest" in a robbery investigation.
Behind BB & ML, background scene is a MAN FAKING A HEART ATTACK.
GUARD comes forward to help.
People sneak in behind the guard. 
Check arrives. ML offers cash, BB puts his VISA down.
WAITER takes check, returns with RECEIPT and a FOUNTAIN PEN.
Come out in minute with STUFF.


In background, you see one man sending a text
CU on Cell Phone: TEXT: Need something small and metal to stop burglar alarm
BB reads the text, picks up the fountain pen delivered with the receipt, unscrews it and removes the SPRING. He holds the spring between thumb and forefinger and launches it over ML's head as she is reaching for her purse to pay her part of the check.
Man on cell phone catches the spring, tosses it to an ASSOCIATE still inside the building. 
Man faking heart attack appears to be recovering, keeps distracting the guard.
Thieves escape, alarm does not sound. ML sits up again.
Talk between BB and ML at table winds up with, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."


ROLL CREDITS


During credits, cut back to restaurant scene. Show BB and ML leaving, his arm around her shoulders. Show guard returning to his post. Show heart attack faker walking away. Guard waits a moment, then goes inside the building. A moment later, he comes out and sounds the alarm.


THE END

Bloodroot - reading

Finished "Bloodroot" by Amy Greene. The style of the story reminded me a great deal of "This Bitter Earth," except that I couldn't get into a single character in several generations covered. It just wasn't my thing. Also, the quote on the jacket was really misleading in my opinion. I was hoping for a bit more mystical connection than what was delivered. I appear to be in the minority on my rating, so it's probably just a matter of personal taste.

Edited to add: I'm sure my opinion was influenced by the fact that I just finished the Millennium series in which the action and escalation was much more intense.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - reading

Finished "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson. It seemed as though the author was gearing up for a fourth book, but then decided to put all the content into the third since there were so many things repeated in this one. I'm not necessarily talking about the switch from one character's perspective to another's. I'm talking more about the explanations of things that are well established.

As to the story itself, my suspension of disbelief was challenged here and there, but the events were well done. There were some quite shocking moments, and (without giving too much away) the style of the story was different than the previous two books. There were a couple characters who behaved in a way I did not expect, to their detriment. I either expected more from them or expected there would be hints more in line with their ultimate decisions and actions.

And a lot was packed into the epilogue. It seemed like the author had a scene in mind and couldn't let it go.

The Girl Who Played with Fire - reading

Finished "The Girl Who Played with Fire" by Stieg Larsson. This one was a bit more escapist than the first, but still a good story. The ending wasn't so much an ending as it was a break between chapters. I picked up the sequel right away.