Six Sentence Sunday

Today we present another Six Sentence Sunday from our WIP, Same Time Tomorrow. Enjoy, and tell us what you think!

"This is the first time I've been alone in a hotel suite with a married man. I'm feeling positively scandalous."

Gabriel grinned, asking, "What would my wife think?"

"We won't tell her." Chloe loosened his tie. "And we'd better not tell my husband, either...."

Raised Eyebrows And Near Disasters At Weddings

Given that we've been writing a wedding lately in the book, we thought we'd take a bit of time to amuse you with some off kilter wedding related imagery! Enjoy!

Romance On The Silver Screen

Scarlett and I thought with today being Valentine’s Day, we might share some of our favourite romantic movies with you, and suggest you tell us some of your favourites in turn. Mind you, these aren’t quite the sort of movies that will make you blush or anything…. unless your tendency to blush is rather unusual. Go ahead and admit to it, we won’t judge you, will we?

Of course not! But then, if you're a regular visitor to this blog and you're still blushing, well....

My first choice would have to be one of my personal favourites. Before Sunrise tells the story of an American (Ethan Hawke) who meets a French woman (Julie Delpy) on a train, and convinces her to step off the train and see Vienna with him on his last night in Europe.

The film plays out through the night as the two get to know each other, talking and seeing things in the city. And the audience falls as much for these two as they fall for each other. They’re both smart, well spoken, and appealing characters, we can’t help but like them. If you haven’t seen this yet, why haven’t you? And if you don’t like it… well, you must be lacking a soul. In which case, a team of exorcists will be coming to see you.

One movie on my list is one I found quite by accident: If Only. With over two hundred satellite channels, one would think there would never be a shortage of things to watch, right? Not so. So...while channel surfing one Saturday afternoon, I discovered this gem of a film about an American musician living in London (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and her British executive boyfriend (Paul Nichols). Ian's preoccupation with his work is a source of deep disappointment for Samantha, who would like more of his attention.

After an argument in a restaurant, she walks out on him—and is killed in a traffic accident. He's of course stunned to find her in his bed when he wakes the next morning. He soon discovers he's been given a chance to relive their last day together. Will he repeat his mistakes, or give his love one incredible last day on earth? What could have been a sappy, overblown romance is instead tender and thoughtful, reminding us that we never know what day might be our last...and that we should never take those we love for granted.

I’d never heard of that one, but that must be remedied post haste!

Another personal favourite of mine must be For Love Of The Game. Yes, it’s a sports movie. It’s also much more. During the last game of a bad season, a legendary pitcher (Kevin Costner) must decide if he wants to retire or not, and while he’s playing the game, he’s flashing back to what’s really important to him: the woman he’s had an on-again and off-again relationship with for the last few years (Kelly Preston).

Their relationship is the bedrock of the film, and the decision he has to make is tied directly to her in every way. It’s a beautifully told film, a terrific character study, and in the end, a satisfying romance.

Another Costner film is on my list: Dragonfly. It's a supernatural tale of love that overcomes death itself. When a doctor's pregnant wife—also a doctor—is killed while on a humanitarian mission in a third-world country, he is unable to accept his loss. He begins to have strange dreams in which his deceased wife seems to be reaching out to him, trying to tell him something.

She had a special fondness for dragonflies, as well as a dragonfly-shaped birthmark, and he's seeing dragonflies everywhere. Ultimately, his obsession leads him to the place where she died...where he discovers she was indeed trying to tell him something. He makes an incredible discovery that leads him out of the darkness of grief and gives him a reason to go on. This film reminds me of another favorite, Ghost.

One film that I frequently kick myself for not seeing in the theatre is The Lake House. The movie brings back together Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, in a manner of speaking. I say that because the two characters, though occupying the same home, are in two different time periods, and yet able to talk to each other, through letters left in the mail box.

None of it is ever explained, and there’s really no need for an explanation. They’re these two wonderful characters, perfectly suited for each other, and the story fleshes them out so well, all the while making good use of near-misses, the rules of time, and the idea that we’re all closer to each other then we realize…

I love The Lake House, too. As you might have noticed, I have a special fondness for love stories with a supernatural element. But I also love romantic comedies, which brings me to my next choice, Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon plays a rising start in the world of fashion who keeps her redneck roots a secret—until her aspiring politician boyfriend (Patrick Dempsey) proposes and they start talking quickie wedding.

Before she can marry him, she must go home to Alabama and convince her estranged husband (Josh Lucas) to finally sign the divorce papers. Once home, however, “Felony Melanie,” as she's known there, finds herself with unresolved feelings for the man she left behind. Oddball supporting characters make this film as much fun as a romance can be!

Felony Melanie, huh?

And who can make a list like this without paying due homage to the best film of all time? Casablanca, the classic Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman movie, tells the story of a jaded American stuck in Morocco during the Second World War, and the woman who got away. This is the movie that has it all: a great love triangle, smart snappy writing, memorable characters, terrific villains, and a story that hinges on finding your idealism, courage, and doing what’s right, even if that means letting the person you love go. Oh, and it’s got the best final conversation in movie history.

Ah, Casablanca! Indeed it is the best film of all time. Not much more I can say to add to what James has already said. Bogart...Bergman...an exotic wartime location, an incredible script...a winning combination that remains unmatched to this day!

So that’s our look at romantic movies for this Valentine’s Day. To our readers, we wish you a happy Valentine’s Day. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re spending the evening in between the sheets….

Crossed Wires And Wedding Music

Scarlett and I had ourselves a rather odd turn while writing a specific passage in Same Time Tomorrow. We’ve been finishing off the wedding sequence, getting things polished off. This sort of thing gets passed back and forth between us as we go along, and we’d come to the point where the ceremony comes to an end.

Scarlett wrote a passage, and asked me what I thought of it. Of course, I loved it. It’s Chloe’s point of view during the kiss, and she started out by having Chloe thinking the exact same thing that Gabriel is thinking. Then she asked me what I thought of the Mandy reference. This is the moment that confused me. You see, one of the early moments between the characters has them interacting online, long before they meet. Chloe is most definitely a Barry Manilow fan. Gabriel is certainly not. Despite that difference, they find that they like each other anyway as they get to know each other, and the relationship grows from there.

I was confused by the question. I don’t know the song, beyond the tune and the title, so I looked at the passage, wondering if some little bit of dialogue or something else there referenced some obscure lyric of the song. In the end, that wasn’t the case. It turns out that Scarlett deleted the line before saving it, and hadn’t realized it.

This is one of those moments in collaborative writing where confusion runs both ways, and you find yourself wondering just what on earth is my partner talking about? Of course, it also makes it all the more amusing afterwards!

Have you ever had misunderstandings with a friend or colleague over something you'd written or omitted from an email? That's what happened here.  I've actually lost a good friend just because she misunderstood a text message from me (sarcasm does not translate well to text messages!). I almost had a serious rift with another good friend because of a similar error in an email. Fortunately, James and I didn't come to blows—though now that I think about it, blows might have been quite nice.

The important thing in a collaboration is to ask if something your writing partner has written isn't clear.

Otherwise you’ll be running into confusion unlimited!

In this case, problem solved. We wrote in a bit of a reference involving the violinist at the ceremony… playing, of course.... Mandy.

A Nice Spot For A Wedding

Copyright 2011 Robert A. Crowe

We're in the midst of writing a wedding ceremony for Same Time Tomorrow, and we thought we'd just take a moment today to show you the location. The Pagoda above stands on a small island in Forest Park, St. Louis. Nice spot, don't you think?

Strangely enough, though the wedding in the book is within days of the proposal, it seems this quickie wedding has really taken its time in being written!  Our characters have been glaring at us, tapping at their watches, and frowning frequently, wondering what's been taking us. You know, for characters, they seem to have very little respect for their creators. They keep hijacking the book on us.

We leave you then with something to amuse you....

 

Dana Butler Breaks Through The Fourth Wall

Late at night; a woman finds herself in a large house, having no idea how she got here or quite where she is. This is Dana Butler, magazine editor, outrageous flirt, and occasional target of teasing by Mother Nature. She looks around, confused, and hears moans somewhere nearby. It sounds like the good sort of moans. She follows the sounds, hearing voices, and opens a door. There, in the bedroom before her, a woman is naked, straddling a naked man on a bed, both of them grinding against each other, gasping and groaning as they take each other closer and closer to the edge. It's James and Scarlett, and they're busily in the midst of mating....

James: Oh, goddess!

Scarlett: Oh...my...master!

Dana: WTF!

The two stop what they're doing and look toward the door.

Scarlett: Darling, it looks like we have company.

James: And just when we hadn't quite finished yet. You look familiar, Miss. Were you there when Scarlett and I had sex in the middle of the crowd at the Governor's Ball last year, or... oh, wait... darling, I think one of our characters broke through the Fourth Wall.

Scarlett sits up on the bed, still naked, in the lotus position. 

Scarlett: How is that possible?

Dana: Could you two please put some clothes on? Or at least you. Him I can look at and enjoy the view.

Scarlett: I beg your pardon--are you saying I'm visually unappealing?

Dana: Yes--no--you're just not my type, okay?

James: A great shame. My Scarlett is a goddess, after all. Radiant, lovely, and divine. I do so enjoy worshipping her. As it stands, we don't like having to put clothes back on. Unless it's just in anticipation of taking them off again later on. So no, we're not getting dressed, Miss Butler, or should we call you Dana?

Dana: Wait a minute... what did you mean, our characters? How'd you know my name?

James: We created you. You're a character in our book.

Dana: You're shitting me!

Scarlett: I assure you, we don't "shit" anybody. You're a secondary character in Same Time Tomorrow. 

Dana: Secondary? That's insulting!

Scarlett: Patience, Dana. You're shaping up to be quite a character. At the rate you're going, you'll have your own book soon.

Dana is excited by the prospect. 

Dana: My own book? Will I finally get a man?

Scarlett: You're making it sound as if you're going to the meat market!

James: At the moment, we're amusing ourselves by having you be the comic relief. Hence the numerous mishaps with animals.

Dana: Wait a minute... the owl? The coyote? All the jokes from everyone else? You mean you're saying you're writing this? You do realize it's making fun of me?

James: Dana, you come across so well like a larger then life character. Making you the comic relief really works. And come on.... you're the one who has a cat named Pussy. Who judges you when you're having sex, so of course you're going to be comic relief. But yes, down the line, we'll write you a book. With a guy who's more then a one night stand or passing fling. If you behave yourself.

Dana: I hate behaving myself.

James: We know. Oh, look behind you.

Dana looks, and gasps. Two coyotes trot into the room, and a screech owl flies in.

Dana: Oh, not these damned animals again!

Owl: If you're going to insult us, make sure we don't speak English.

Male Coyote: You weren't so bold that night in the orchard.

He howls, and the animals all share a laugh.

Dana: You think you're funny, don't you?

Female Coyote: Of course we do.

A bear enters the room.

Bear: Am I late?

Dana: For what? Dinner?

Bear: Now that you mention it, I am hungry.


Dana: Look, this isn't possible. I'm not a character in a book, and wild animals do not speak English.

Female Coyote: And yet we're speaking it so very well.

Male Coyote: Though with a Welsh accent.

Female Coyote: I've always found that curious. We were born on this side of the ocean.

Owl: Simply put, Miss Butler, did it occur to you that you might be dreaming?

Bear: Or that they might be dreaming?

Female Coyote: No, they appear to be mating.

Dana looks back at Scarlett and James, who are all over each other again, groping and moaning on the bed.

Abruptly, she wakes...and finds herself alone in bed. She sits up in the darkness and looks around, making sure there are no animals in the room. Pussy jumps up on the bed and crawls into her arms, purring contentedly. 

Dana: Pussy, remind me never to eat pizza with the works at bedtime ever again.

Pussy: Such a foolish slave you are!

Distracting Ourselves Whilst In Between The Sheets

We're still recovering from our post-New Year's Eve marathon session of being naked and involved in... adult situations with each other, so we thought we'd point you to something we've discovered. Word It Out is a site that allows you to take sections of text and make word clouds out of them. We've played around with this with text from our book Same Time Tomorrow, and these four word clouds are the result. Enjoy!