Why I Love Bruce Banner

It's hard to pick a favorite Avenger. Iron Man is just so hilarious, and quippy and smart. Captain America is the guy you want your daughter bringing home for dinner. He just makes you feel safe. But ya know, in a lot of ways I think Hulk may be my favorite.

Look at that cover. Just look at it. Bruce Banner is the pingingest of all the Avengers, and that's saying something. 

He's indestructible, yet totally vulnerable. There's just something so appealing about that mix.

I've never been a fan of the alien super-heroes. (Sorry Superman). In fact, generally my favorites are the genius's with no power except their genius. (Like Iron Man and Batman). And kinda Hulk falls into that category too. Bruce is a genius who accidentally scientifically altered himself. I can get behind that. 

Oh yeah, that genius thing. He's a genius.

And played by Mark Ruffalo? Mmm yes.

Science bros and Stark Spangled Banner. Am I right?

And did I mention that cover?

Basically, Marvel kind of rocks. Thanks Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Thanks for this guy.

Sarah Allen

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6 Things Writers Can Learn From Scrubs

I recently finished going through the series Scrubs.

Guys, I'm a little in love.

With all of them. Seriously, the writers and actors on this show knew exactly what they were doing. The deftness with which they moved from gut-busting laughter to tear-jerking poignancy was mind-blowing. And they did it every episode. So what lessons can we writers take from this hilarious and well-done show?

1. Sarcasm + Vulnerability = AWESOME. Dr. Perry Cox was my first love of the show. I have serious thing for grumpy, sarcastic, hilarious old men who you just know have a mushy, kicked puppy center. In other words, Dr. Cox was basically tailor made for me. Somehow characters who are for the most part hardened and witty and then stumble into these desperately vulnerable moments make both the wit and the vulnerability that much more piercing. It is really this character (and the genius that is John C. McGinley) that can take the show from this

to this

and back again faster than you can say Percival Ulysses Cox.

2. Running gags make the audience feel included. I don't know about you guys, but this show made me want to Eagle and drink appletinis and start giving people titled high fives. Because I could laugh along at the inside jokes, I felt included. These guys were my friends. And I think this can work in books too, including stand alone novels. When you know the characters' inside jokes, you start feeling like you know them intimately.

3. Let your losers win one every once in a while. Often we have characters that spend the majority of the story being downtrodden. Often its humorous, like with Eeyore, and my maybe other favorite character in Scrubs, Ted Buckland. Yes, I admit, it's funny to see him be Bob Kelso's whipping boy, but seeing him get a win is extremely satisfying. And kinda freaking adorable.

4. Know what drinks your character likes. Saying that JD drinks appletinis is basically a shorthand. We get a glimpse of who he is just by that detail alone. It's all those little details and quirks that make us as an audience feel like we really know the character. It's like how, if you notice, 93% of the time the camera pans to Ted, he's doing this:

That constant hair-pulling, that little appletini, almost tells us more about these guys than entire paragraphs could do.

5. There's just something about buddies. We love watching their antics, and rooting for them as they conquer the world together. Watching a buddy pair that you just know will never, ever be separated...there's just something so comforting and so bolstering about that. And there's just no buddy pair...okay we'll say it, guy love, quite like Turk and JD.

6. Feminine strength comes in different forms. There was no shortage of strong women on this show. I mean, in their own way, every woman was strong. Carla was strongly grounded in her identity. Jordan was strong in her sharp and wacky ferocity. And even Elliot was strong in owning up to her own neurosis and not letting any of them stop her for long. So just remember that "strong woman" is not a character type, because every strong woman is strong in their own unique way. When you recognize that, it might even help you dig deep into your female leads to see what special thing about them actually provides them their strength.

I hope that helps, even if you aren't super familiar with the show. For those of you who are, are there any other lessons for writers that you might take from it?

Write on!

This Week on Social Media:

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OPPORTUNITIES:

• North Dakota Quarterly: "North Dakota Quarterly, an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, seeks contributions for a special issue on the theme of “Slow.” We invite nonfiction essays, short fiction pieces, poems, and artistic images that address or are inspired by this concept of “slow.”..." Due Oct. 1.
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• How to Get your Blog Post Shared 1000 Times by Denise Wakemen.
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Paying Gigs, John Noble, and The Fault In Our Stars

I've recently started journaling again. I haven't written a journal in long hand since I was about twelve, but I bought a beautiful red notebook at Barnes and Noble and have had a great time. I started typing my journals years ago because typing is just so much faster and I get impatient. But jotting down a few notes with a pen every evening before bed has been really...well, therapeutic.

Can I just say, John Noble is amazing? He is completely mesmerizing. His voice is totally unique and I could listen to him talk all day. I also love real life with paranormal twist plots. Can you tell I've been watching Fringe?

I've been doing a lot of research lately on venues that pay authors. This includes blogs, ezines, magazines, etc. I've found a ton of great speculative fiction magazines, some great writing blogs, all sorts of great venues. After a bit more research I'll do a post all about it. Because I think whether we're working on making a living as a writer or just looking to supplement our income doing something we love, paying venues are a good thing to be aware of.

So, The Fault In Our Stars movie comes out this week and I am a little bit freaking out already. Roommate and I have tickets to the big Thursday night event, and I can't wait! I am prepared to sob my eyes out and love it.

Other than that, it's Friday. You know what that means?

Write on!

Sarah Allen

What I learned from watching Leverage

I recently finished going through all five seasons of the show Leverage. And guys, I had such a fun time.

The word 'delightful' can't be used to describe a lot of the shows today, but it works here. Leverage is just so much fun. Leverage is about a team of "thieves" who come to the aid of those being taken advantage of who are not in a position to help themselves. Basically, they steal back what has been stolen, in a bit of a Robin Hood type role.

Here's the thing about this show. There is one thing they did incredibly well, and one thing they didn't do so well.

What they did absolutely wonderfully is character. Each character is wonderfully developed, and all the actors do such a great job bringing the characters to life. They are well enough developed that when things happen you know exactly how each character is going to react and then they do and its hilarious. Their interactions are very well crafted, and a blast to watch.

The issue with Leverage is the occasionally unbelievable plots. Often things happen that do not seem realistic even within the realm of the wacky show. Or the stories work out in ways that keep you from suspending your disbelief.

The thing is, even when the plots seem unbelievable, the characters are so delightful and fun to watch that it almost doesn't matter. People enjoyed the show just based on the characters. However, I think the show would have been more successful if the plots had been dealt with more gracefully.

Lesson to be learned? People will stick around for well-crafted characters. Putting that character in a believable story is the magic formula.

Write on!

Sarah Allen

P is for Pushing Daisies

Where do I start about Pushing Daisies.

I think with this show I have either discovered an unknown gem or, more likely, I'm just super behind the times and have finally come on to something that everybody else has known about for years. In fact I do remember a little bit of an explosion when the show was canceled early and now I can join that kerfuffle and say I TOO AM UPSET.

This show...you guys, this show. It has the adorableness of Kristin Chenoweth and a golden retriever named Digby and pies and bringing people back from the dead and the piningness of two people in love who can't touch or one of them will die.

I can hardly take the pining, you guys. It is just so amazing. The cinemtography is absolutely GORGEOUS. And you know Jim Dale, the incredible, genius, award-winning narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks? Yeah, he's the narrator of this show.

BUT GUYS THE PINING.

Mostly because of Lee Pace. Lee. Pace. I can't take this face, you guys.

and this

AND THIS

Anyway, Imma go now before I geek all over you guys, but let me just say, if you haven't already, watch this show!

Sarah Allen

p.s. I know yesterday and today were both nerdgasms about shows, hope thats okay :) Back to our regularly scheduled writing weirdness soon :)

N is for Night Vale

It's a little hard to describe Welcome to Night Vale.

I guess the best explanation would be to imagine a podcast like Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon mixed with some Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.

The description on their website is this:

WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.

Turn on your radio and hide.

This description somewhat conveys the delightful shiver-down-your-spineness of the show. It's not horror, per se, but it does live in the world of things that go bump in the night.

What this description does not fully convey is how profound the show can be.

 As with King and Gaiman and Keillor, there is an incredibly thought-provoking depth underneath the darkness and the humor. It is so well written and so well put together that I spend the 20-30 minutes per episode just in awe.

They have a huge variety of awesome and very off-beat music and some incredible guest stars (like Mara Wilson.) Their Twitter account makes me flinch and laugh and think every day.

So please. Do yourself a favor and just listen to the first episode. (There are lots of ways to do that, but here's an easy one).

And now, the weather...

Sarah Allen

H is for Jared and Jerusha Hess

Now, I'm going to start off acknowledging that J and J Hess's stuff is not everybody's cup of tea. They are the couple that did Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Also Austenland and Gentlemen Broncos, which I submit may be their best work, though lesser known.

Whether or not you liked Napolean Dynamite, here me out. I think there are things all of us writers can learn from Jared and Jerusha Hess.

I personally think they are pretty much comedic geniuses. I watched Gentlemen Broncos the other night and basically spent two straight hours laughing my guts out.

Here's the thing. The two of them know exactly what they're doing. All of their movies have the same slow, gloriously awkward almost mockumentary feel. They work hard to perfect their specific craft, and its found its audience. A wide one.

I also just love their story. I love hearing about independent artists who just did such great work on their own weird little thing and found just enough luck that it exploded out of its niche and became this huge thing, and that's exactly what happened with Napoleon Dynamite. Nobody expected it to become what it became. But because Jared and Jerusha knew what they were going for, kept creative integrity and were business savvy, things worked out brilliantly. And that success allowed them to keep that ball rolling with Nacho Libre, where they were even able to bring in big name actors like Jack Black.

So whether or not the odd feel of their movies sits well with you, their combination of creative integrity and industry know-how is something we can all learn from. We can work hard to make our own weird little things more widely marketable, and still keep them our weird little things. That way we will find out niche, and with a dash of luck, our niche will explode.

I can't leave without one more plug for Gentlemen Broncos. I do think it may be their best movie, and I don't know why nobody's heard of it. And since it's about writers, it may interest some in this crowd. Do yourself a favor and just watch the trailer:

Enjoy!

Sarah Allen

E is for Eponine

Have you ever had that experience where you're watching a movie or reading a book and about half way through you're like, this side character is a lot more interesting and engaging than the main character.

It kind of happens to me a lot.

I have pretty much always been annoyed by Marius and Cozette since I read Les Miserables. They're okay, but Eponine is just so much cooler. She's clever, a little bit funny, and most especially, not wishy-washy and spineless like Marius and Cozette occasionally are.

Look at Lord of the Rings as another example. I would be more than okay submitting that Frodo is pretty much the least interesting character in the series. Aragorn is pretty epic, and Gimli is hilarious, but you know who the best character is? Samwise Gamgee of course! His loyalty, stubborness, optimism and just all-around Hobbitness make him the best of all the things.

Or take Harry Potter. Harry himself is pretty cool, but I personally find characters like Snape and Remus a lot more interesting.

I think I've discovered a similarity in all the stories in which I find secondary characters a lot more interesting than the MC's. All of them are Ensemble stories. They rely on a big cast. Harry Potter, LOTR and Les Miserables all have a host of intricately woven character arcs. In Ensemble stories like that, I think it works to have a more neutral main character, because they sort of act as the nucleus for all the crazies running about around them. Maybe Sam and Gandalf and Aragorn are cooler than Frodo, but their stories and their coolness sort of revolve around Frodo. Same with Harry Potter and Les Miserables.

My roommate and I went to the new Captain America movie last night (SO GOOD!) and without giving away any spoilers, probably my favorite moment was when a very minor and very terrified secondary character chose to stand up to the bad guys even though he literally had a gun to his head. So even though it was a very hero-centric movie, and I absolutely adore Cap, stories can still be enhanced by emotionally engaging secondary and minor characters.

And I can't help but leave you with my favorite song from Les Miserables, in large part due to the soul shakingly good voice of another E character--Enjoras.

What do you think? Are there secondary characters that you like better than their main character counterparts?

Sarah Allen

B is for Benedict (Yes. Cumberbatch.)

I know, I know, I talked about Colin Firth yesterday and I'm dedicating a whole post to the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch today, but now I just have to find a way to work in Meryl Streep and my fangirling will be over. (Ha. Ha ha.)

But don't worry, this is going to be more than just a gushy post. I could go on and on (and on) about Benedict's cheekbones alone, but our friend Benny is much more than just a pretty face. He has a freakish amount of talent and has made some smart decisions in his career that I think we writers can learn from.

So here we go.

Five Things Writers Can Learn from Benedict Cumberbatch

1. Do good work by playing to your strengths. Benedicts sharp features and low, rumbly voice are not just ridiculously swoonworthy, they have enabled him to fit well into roles like Sherlock Holmes and Smaug the dragon. If you watch Benedict, he has two sides that can almost be split into dark versus vulnerable, (Occasionally even goofy. Photobombing U2 at the Oscars, anyone?) He's tapped into that unique combination, sometimes emphasizing the dark (Kahn) and sometimes more vulnerable (Hawking). He knows what he can do, and does it brilliantly.

2. Be pleasant to work with. Every interview I've seen when people talk about working with Benedict Cumberbatch, the person always mentions how nice he is, and how easy he is to work with. It's pretty much as simple as that. If you're nice to work with, people will want to work with you. And that way, you can...

3. Work with fantastic people. Martin Freeman's face in that graveyard scene in the season 2 finale of Sherlock...I can't even. Martin Freeman absolutely keeps up with Benedict in that series, and I personally even see the power balance shifting in Martin's direction in season 3. And the creator/writer of the series, Steven Moffat, is also a genius, and has given Martin and Benedict absolutely genius writing to work with. To make that show as successful as its been, Benedict needed to not only be brilliant, which he was, but also work with brilliant people, which he did. There's success enough for all of us, and helping each other is the best way we have of getting there.

4. Vary your work. This is one of the more specifically strategic things I've noticed Benedict doing lately, and I don't know if it's a conscious decision or if he's just naturally making smart choices. The two movies he did in the past year were The Hobbit and 12 Years a Slave, and I don't think you get more varied than that. By taking on such a wide variety of roles he has been able to be in commercial blockbuster movies like Star Trek as well as play with the Oscars crowd. I think that's a lesson we can all learn from.

5. Be sharable and niche. I know that sounds like two things, but let me explain what I mean. The internet subculture absolutely adores Benedict Cumberbatch. If I'm not mistaken he was the most shared person on Tumblr last year. This happened because Benedict Cumberbatch was both niche, and sharable. He was niche because of his roles in Sherlock and Star Trek, franchises the people of the interwebz have adored for a long time. They fit the internet's niche. (The interesting thing is that he was so strongly niche he's now starting to explode into a mega star in blockbuster and Oscar nominated movies.) He is also immensely, ridiculously sharable. Do I need to explain why?

And we don't need knife-sharp cheekbones and luminescent eyes to be niche and sharable, either. All we need to do is tell our own, unique types of stories, stick true to them, and then find visual and sharable ways to reach out to the internet community in our marketing. That's something we can all do, regardless of facial features.

There you have it. Five things we writers can learn from Benedict Cumberbatch. Anything else I should add to this list?

Sarah Allen

P.S. Welcome to all the new A to Z visitors! I invite you to subscribe to this here bloggy blog or connect on Facebook or Twitter or any of the other places via the big red buttons on the left side and make sure to leave me links to your profiles so we can stay cyber friends even when April is over, and forever! (And have Benedict's chrystaline eyes staring in to your soul for ever and ever and ever...)

Some Favorite Moments from the Oscars

The Academy Awards are a major tradition for my family. Fan-girling is like my biggest talent, and the Oscars provide plenty of opportunities for me to get my squee on. When Meryl Streep and Benedict Cumberbatch are in the same room together it's just...GAAAH.

We had some really great moments from last nights Oscars. Everything from giddy (Meryl shimmying with Pharrel Williams) to really awkward (Adele Dazeem? Seriously Travolta?)

But all in all it was a fantastic night. I adore Ellen Degeneres and she does a fantastic job as host. She is so conscious of her modern at-home audience that she really knows how to hit our happy places and sort of involve us the best she can.

Brad Pitt serving Meryl Streep pizza on a paper plate? YES PLEASE.

Benedict Cumberbatch photobombing U2? YES YES PLEASE.

And of course, the greatest fan-moment of the night and already widely acknowledged as the greatest selfie ever taken:

Overall I was pretty happy with how the awards went, even though I will never, EVER think Meryl shouldn't win. But I mean, Cate Blanchett. And I think Best Speech Award goes to Matthew Mcconaughey. I felt like he was very sincere, and very thoughtful and had some beautiful things to say. And this maybe isn't the same for everyone, but I personally really love when people thank God in their speeches. Ironically, it brings them down to earth for me and makes them relateable. I appreciate that Matthew described his successes as the result of Gods hand and nothing else.

Such a fun night. Now I gotta go work on my screenplay...

Sarah Allen

Writing Lessons from SyFy's Face Off

One of my favorite reality shows--perhaps my very favorite--is Face Off on the SyFy channel. I wish it was more well-known because it is dang cool. In this show they make characters and creatures based on some quite awesome challenges, and it is incredible to see what they come up with. Not only do I find the show creatively inspiring, I definitely think there are some great lessons to be learned from it. Here are a few.

1. Concept First: One of the first things I noticed about the judging process and results is that the judges almost always favor concept over execution. In other words, if two people are on the chopping block and one of them had a cool concept but kinda botched the execution and the other person did an okay job with the making of their makeup but the concept was a fail, they always keep the one with the cool concept. I think this is because you can work with one, but not so much the other. If your story is good, you can work and get help making the writing smooth and pretty. But if you're story is blech, no amount of beautiful writing writing can save it. (Unless your name is Francis Scott Fitzgerald.) 

2. Community Rocks: My roommate often comments on how refreshing it is to watch a reality TV show in which all the contestants are friends and support and help each other. When one person is not going to be able to finish their mold before the day is out a couple other people come and help them. I've seen them take reference photos of each others tongues and ribs. In what other reality show do the people actually help each other? And I think there's a lot to be learned from that. Each book and story is so different that we really aren't in competition with each other, and how many of us read only one type of novel or buy only one book a year anyway? There's room for all of us on plenty of peoples shelves, and we'll all get there faster and happier when we help each other.

3. Critique Helps: Something you notice in most reality shows is that its listening to the mentors and judges feedback is 99% of the time the right decision. In Face Off they have a mentor walk through and give helpful advice and feedback on everybody's works in progress, and almost always the people who don't listen to the advice end up suffering for it. Those who listen still stay true to their vision, but external feedback from wise eyes actually helps them realize that vision more successfully. I like to think of Neil Gaiman's wise words about reader feedback: "Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong."

Anybody else watch Face Off? 

Write on!

Sarah Allen

For my birthday I met Ian McKellen and Zachary Quinto

It's been a whirlwind couple weeks. I was lucky enough to be able to spend the holidays with my family in D.C. We've never been as spread out as we were this year. I've got two siblings out serving missions for the LDS Church and another sibling starting a family elsewhere in the country, so the nest was emptier than its ever been. But it was still incredible to be able to be with most of my family for Christmas and New Year.

The cool thing about being in D.C. (one of many cool things) is that the MegaBuses take you to New York for between $15-20. Isn't that insane? I bet a lot of people feel this way, but I often find myself almost feeling sorry for people who aren't in my family, because my family is so amazing, and I always feel that way around Christmas. This year, we got New York. With a big polka-dot bow atop the Empire State Building and a ribbon around the statue of liberty. Just kidding. But we did get a trip. A kinda freaking amazing one.

My parents are smart about trips. They found somewhere online (I'm too lazy to look up where) that lets you find people who are renting out their apartments or houses for a week. It's a much cheaper way to go than hotels, so we ended up staying in this adorable apartment in Greenwhich Village, renting from a young opera singer who was gone for the week. It was fun to feel a bit like a true New Yorker.

Among all the fun things we did, we walked down Mulberry Street

Found 30 Rock

Visited the LDS Manhattan Temple

Braved the wind and snow to get some quick shots of Lady Liberty

Realized Central Park planners have NOT seen Doctor Who

And of course, played in Times Square and ate at Grand Central Station (best burgers and curry EVER.)

All this was incredible. I was already brimming with excitement and feeling the Billy Joel song about New York running in my blood. And then.

And then.

And.

Then.

Sir Ian McKellen and Zachary Quinto. That's right. GANDALF AND SPOCK EVERYBODY.

I am a fan-girl in a family of fan-girls, so whenever we go to a show we definitely stake ourselves by the stage door afterward and wait for the stars to shine. Man, I'm getting giddy just thinking about it. Who cares that its two degrees (it was.) Who cares that I nearly stepped in human feces on the subway (I did.) ITS FRIGGIN GANDALF AND SPOCK GUYS.

Obviously there was too much of a crowd for a picture with Sir Ian, and we barely got his autograph as it is (thanks to my moms insanely long arms). We saw No Man's Land with him and Patrick Stewart, and it was SO GOOD. I did technically see Patrick Stewart with my own eyes, but he hurried through, motioning to his throat that he was ill and had no voice, and didn't stop for pictures or autographs. It made me feel really sorry for him, and that we were making these seventy year old men stand out in literally freezing whether in sopping wet rain. But they were amazing and wonderful nonetheless. We saw Zachary Quinto in The Glass Menagerie, and he was fantastic. He was also very kind and gracious in talking to fans.

We also met Dule Hill, who plays Gus in the show Psych, and he was perhaps one of the funnest celebrity encounters I've ever had. My nine-year-old sister is a huge, huge fan of the show (when she got her tonsils out, she watched Psych straight for a week. I'm not exaggerating.) He came over and talked with us for a good four or give solid minutes, and answered questions about the show. It was awesome.

Well, I've gone on too long already, but I just wanted to share a bit of the fun and joy of the past few weeks. I'm back home in Vegas now, and its good to get normal life going again. But its also fun to be refreshed and reminded at how beautifully messy and chaotic and exciting and bright and weird and awe-inspiring our world is, and to bring a bit of that magic back to our everyday lives. That's why we have trips to New York, and pictures with Spock, and why we have books.

Keep the magic, everybody.

Sarah Allen

p.s. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook or Google+ (or other places) you may have seen some of these shots already, and for that, I apologize. But yeah, for others, follow me at those places and you can be part of the adventures as they happen :)

Movie Review: Frozen

Oh wow. Oh jeez.

Okay.

SO MANY things done right in this movie. I don't even know where to start. John Lassetter produced, and clearly he just has a magic touch. I don't know why I expected any less. But yeah, Frozen was unexpectedly amazing.

There were several flip-the-Disney-trope-on-its-head moments, which I really appreciated. I'll try not to be too spoilery, but I love how they spend so much time making fun of the engaged-to-a-guy-you-just-met. And the necessary, saving act of love was between sisters. And that its about sisters. It's a sister movie. YISSS.

The animation was gorgeous. Beautiful, and exactly right, despite all the female character design complaints that have been going around. Both sisters were beautiful. And the setting was just as amazing as in Tangled.

I think my favorite was the humor. Let me just say, "valiant pungent reindeer king" are words said in this movie. Also the word gassy is included in one of the songs. And let me just say this. Any movie with a song called Reindeer are Better Than People is BRILLIANT BY ME.

And the music. Freaking Idina Menzel man. Idina Menzel. I would post a video of The Song if I didn't want to spoil it for you. But you'll know it when you hear it. In fact, my main complaint would probably be that they during the credits they had somebody else do an autotuned version of The Song when you already had FREAKING IDINA MENZEL.

Not to mention Josh Gad and Alan Tudyk and Ciaran Hinds.

So yeah, now my roommate and I are listening to Idina on repeat. Go see this movie.

Sarah Allen

My Top Three Most Memorable Villains

I've talked before about how difficult it is for me to write villains. Every time I try, or even try brainstorming and outlining my "antagonist" character, they always end up Snape-like. As in, more anti-hero than true villain. I want my villains to have a tragic back-story and maybe even a last-second moment of redemption, which just makes me sympathize with them and often find them more interesting than my hero. This has even come up a couple times in college creative writing classes, where I was often told that my characters are too nice and my villains not really villainous.

Today, though, I want to take a look back at the three most successful, effective and memorable villains, at least in my opinion. These are the characters I want to personally keep in mind when I do, in the future, try to write truly despicable characters, or at least more really evil antagonists. So without further ado, here they are. My top three favorite and most memorable villains.

1. Benjamin Linus: Yep, we're back to Ben Linus. You know me, I have to bring him up every once in a while or I start doubting myself. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Benjamin Linus is one of the most well-written and intriguing characters on television, and while the writing itself was quite brilliant, a lot of the credit goes to the paralyzingly genius Michael Emerson. You fellow Losties know what I mean. "So yes, I lied. That's what I do." You heard that in his voice, didn't you? For me, Ben Linus is in that same Incredibly Sympathetic and Heartbreaking category as Snape, but I'm adding him on this list because I know plenty of people who find him truly and thoroughly villainous. And while I think on Lost there were more true "villains" than him, none of them held a candle to the complexity and awesomeness that was Ben...er, Doctor Benjamin Linus.

2. Moriarty: How amazing is this character? I mean, the character of Sherlock Holmes needed a villain that could match him, and he got that in Moriarty. The version I'm really thinking of is, of course, the aching and slightly mad version played by the incredible Andrew Scott. I love me some quirk, and Scott's Moriarty has that in insane spades. Sherlock: "People have died." Moriarty: "That's what people DO!" Again, it's that genius voice and line delivery. Maybe it's the voice that truly makes the villain. It gets stuck in your head. "I'm *so* changeable!"

3. Wild Bill Wharton: Ok. When I think of truly despicable, awful, truly evil and completely unsympathetically villainous characters, this is the face that comes to my mind. (Either him or Bob Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird.) In the book he is just as completely evil, but really I think, again, some of the credit is due to the chillingly fabulous and insanely underrated Sam Rockwell. (You've all seen The Way, Way Back, right? Right??) Seriously. Amazing. Pair that genius acting with a character by Stephen King and you've got a match made in...well, Hell. Percy Whetmore, also from The Green Mile, could also deserve a place on a truly despicable villains list like this. Thank you, Stephen King.

These are the first characters that come to my mind when I think genius villain. Mad villain props also have to be given to Dolores Umbridge, more despicable even than Voldemort in my opinion, Darth Vader, and of course, Heath Ledger's Joker. So yeah, I don't do well at villains, but as I try and teach myself, these are the evil masterminds I will try to learn from.

Who are your favorite/most successful/most memorable villains?

Sarah Allen

Writing Lessons from Charlie Chaplin and City Lights

Am I a nerd for spending my Saturday night showing myself a silent movie? Maybe. But it was so worth it!

So City Lights, from 1931, is Charlie Chaplin's magnum opus. It was the end of the silent movie era and "talkies" had started popping up and Chaplin wanted to prove that silent films were just as powerful and effective as they had always been and I think he did just that. I thought this movie was full of heart and so fun and adorable and well-plotted that the 20s/30s quirkiness not only didn't bother me, but made it that much funner.

So what can we writers learn from Chaplin?

1. Be absolutely clear about what's going on. Maybe we have the advantage of dialog, but we need to make sure we're being as clear as Chaplin was without it. Maybe the action and reactions aren't exaggerated like they were in silent films, but that exaggeration made it crystal clear what was going on and we need to be less crisp.

2. Humor makes drama more poignant. I believe that almost any story, regardless of genre, can be elevated with a little dash of humor. Even if you're writing an uber-dramatic thriller, adding moments of humor can do several things for you. It gives the reader time to breathe and sort of register everything that's going on. I believe it can make your story feel less cheesy or cliche. And perhaps most important, it sets into beautiful relief the emotional moments of more heightened drama. One of the best examples of this in the world is the movie Life is Beautiful.

3. Role reversal is a very effective strategy. In this movie, Chaplin's tramp sees and falls in love with a beautiful, blind flowergirl. Through a string of intricate and slapsticktastic events he is able to basically be her benefactor, but at great cost to himself. Then at the end...well, I won't spoil the last scene, one that has been called one of the moments of highest drama in all of film. And for good reason. There is something so entirely satisfying about seeing a character receive true recompense.

4. Braid-style plotting. There are several stories going on throughout this film. The tramp still has the ultimate goal of winning the girl, but the movie moves between scenes. In the end, one plot thread effects another effects another until they all merge together into a dynamic conclusion that addresses all the different elements. Maybe this is a hard type of plotting to pull-off, but I don't know if much else can be as satisfying and jaw-dropping when it's done well.

5. Take it one step harder. For your characters, that is. The tramp finally gets a job around town cleaning up after carriage horses. Hard. We see him at an intersection watching a line of carriages drive by, a look of dismay on his face. Harder. But Chaplin doesn't leave it there. The tramp finally sees the last of the horses pass by. He turns to walk away. And there's an elephant. Make your characters deal with the biggest elephant you can find.

There you have it! If you can find this movie somewhere its definitely worth watching.

Any other Chaplin fans out there? What other lessons do you think he has for us?

One more thing. Today I am over at Scribbler's Sojourn, the blog of the beautiful, wise, and generous Terri Rochenksi, who is highlighting the Hitting the Wall post we had here a while ago. Head on over and show some love :)

Sarah Allen

Top Ten Underrated Movies

There are some spectacular movies out there that have received very little attention. Not everyone will agree with my list, obviously, but these are some of the movies that I feel deserve way more acclaim then they've gotten. And so, in no particular order:

Sarah's Top Ten Underrated Movies:

1. Dan In Real Life: So sweet, so adorable, and the music is awesome. Maybe I have a thing for Steve Carrel, but how can you resist the adorableness? He is perfect as flawed and very real Dan, and with Juliet Binoche as his romantic interest, you know why she's worth the drama.

2. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: This movie does have a bit of a cult following, but fewer people have watched it than should have. Such a genius conglomeration of literary awesomeness, and maybe my favorite action movie (competition being, of course, Red.) And besides. Sean Connery.

3. The Painted Veil: I don't know why this movie didn't win more awards. For its scope and historical intensity, it is a deeply personal and emotional movie. You will feel changed by it. And there is this odd combination of the sinister and the pleading in Edward Norton that adds up to something utterly haunting.

4. The Visitor: So I can basically sum up why I fell head over heals at this movie when I saw it at BYU's International Cinema in two words: Richard Jenkins. Talk about underrated. We all know I'm an obnoxious and predictable sucker for lonely, broken old men, and this movie/character was no exception. Totally real, totally heart-wrenching.

5. Another Year: Everybody has their thing(s) they particularly notice when they watch a movie, and for me it's the script and the acting. I don't typically notice the score or the cinematography or even the plot arc. That said, it means something that this movie made Mike Leigh my official favorite director, except for maybe Pete Docter. The style is very slow, almost documentorial (is that a word?). But his story, his message, for some reason sat super, super well with me, and I have thought about it ever since.

6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: I'm sorry, okay, I will just never get over pining old people. So of course this movie was basically made for me. I acknowledge that, and acknowledge I might have an inordinate love for it, but the writing is spectacular and the performances by the all-star cast are, of course, goosebump incredible. (Oh my good heavens Bill Nighy.) Do yourself a favor, watch this movie, give yourself a smile.

7. Babe: This movie might be one of the more well-known ones, but it saddens me that most people know it as "that pig movie." There is an underrated stroke of genius in this movie, and it is called James Cromwell (Another adorable old man, I know, I'm sorry.) Farmer Hogget just goes straight to my heart. It's not just that, though, that is fabulous about this movie. There are so many genius little pieces, like the fabulous voice-work of Christine Cavenaugh, the hilarious singing mice, the storybook style, and of course, Jim Henson's fabulous puppet work. Every kid (and adult) needs to see this movie.

8. Miss Potter: This one comes with a warning. Definitely watch with a box of tissue, or twelve. Renee Zellweger is fabulous as Beatrix Potter, but I think the heart-string-pluckingness of this movie can be best explained by what happened when I first saw it in theaters. There was a row of girls in front of us and there's a scene where a music box plays and Ewan Macgregor says "I know this song," and the girls in front of me were like "OH MY GOSH HE'S GOING TO SING." Yes. He sings. And then you melt.

9. Phoebe In Wonderland: So, Elle Fanning may be an even better actress than her big sister. In this movie, at least, she is remarkable. This is a unique, strange, difficult, almost uncomfortable movie. In the end it really feels weird to come back to reality, which is important once you know what the movie is about. You feel your brain stretched, in a very good and refreshing way.

10. Shadowlands: Not just a pining old man movie, but a C. S. Lewis as a pining old man movie. I almost don't need to say anything more, but I will, because oh my heart Anthony Hopkins. How he didn't get an Academy Award for this movie I don't know. And since it's Anthony Hopkins saying things written by Lewis himself it is just pure heart brimming all over the place. With all the ache and tears and joyful pain that that entails.

Well there you have it. Have you seen any of these movies? What is your favorite "underrated" movie?

Sarah Allen

While I've been Losing a War Against my Sinuses

I've been watching too much Criminal Minds. But how do you resist Mathew Gray Gubler, let alone Mandy Patinkin? We all know that grumpy old men are my absolute favorite, especially when they look like that. And the show is an excellent illustration of raising the stakes. I.e.: "We have forty-eight hours to do what the CIA couldn't do in four months."

Even though Sudafed does not really work for me (no cold medicine has EVER worked for me) it is still a little bit better than nothing. I've been eating vanilla ice cream because it is the only thing that sounds good. I have been watching American Idol with my mom (Candace better freaking win).

I have been looking up random bizarre creatures like the Barreleye fish. Kind of the weirdest thing I've ever seen. And see those two black things that look like eyes? THOSE ARE NOT HIS EYES. Those are actually his nostrils. The green orb things inside his clear head are the actual eyes. IS THAT NOT WEIRD?

What I have not been doing is writing. Or sleeping. But mostly writing. And that is a problem. Are any of you guys better at being productive at getting words down when your cheek bones feel like they're being boiled in hot mucus? I've tried a few times to be like "Sarah! Don't be a baby, just work," and that gets maybe a couple hundred words out of me but then nothing. My mind becomes mush. I guess its okay to take breaks every once in a while, and hopefully I'm just refueling my creative tank and can get back to business soon.

The other thing I've been thinking about, and I've mentioned this before, is self-publishing a very short short-story collection. Just pulling together some of the work I've done and putting it out myself. I still haven't decided if its a good idea. Thoughts?

And just, also, thank you guys. For sticking around and being so awesome and supportive. I have been in the waiting stage for so long now, and we may be there for a while yet, but I really really hope some good things happen very soon. Prayers and good thoughts for all of us, eh?

Sarah Allen

M is for Movies

Though we writers work primarily with words, it has to be acknowledged that movies have changed the way stories are told, including in literature. I think this is good in a lot of ways. Not to mention that movies are simply a fabulous and awesome medium in and of themselves. So today I want to talk about a few movies that I adore. Not a list of favorites, I could no more do that for movies than I could for books. But these are movies I love, that tell the kinds of stories I want to write. So here we go.

5 Movies I Wish I'd Written:

1. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: This is one of those movies I came out of with a giddy smile on my face. I didn't even need the exotic part. But really, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith all in a retirement home together? DEFINITE YES. Which is to say that I just loved loved loved the characters in this one and the situation. I don't know what it is about old folk romance but this movie is my happy place.

2. Another Year: Mike Leigh has become my favorite director. I have felt more understood and validated by his films than by any other director, this one included. I really appreciated the simply good protagonists in this movie and their very real life struggles. They are a happy, settled couple trying to negotiate relationships with unhappy people in more complicated situations. That is a very tight balance to walk, and its not often portrayed. As in, we typically see the other side. So this movie and these characters and their story felt very refreshing to me.

3. Dan in Real Life: This movie is very underrated to me. Again, I love the real-life ness (ha ha) of it. How the central focus is the family dynamic. This kind of subtle, simple story is so rarely portrayed, and in my mind, so much more poignant and urgent than a lot of the big blockbuster thrill stuff that comes out. Adorable and sweet. And I don't just mean Steve Carrell, though he's a big part of that.

4. The Truman Show: I am not natural at plot. Which is probably evident in the movie choices I've given so far. They are all very character driven and quiet and many people don't like them for exactly those reasons. The Truman Show is a good example of how I've ended up sort of solving my plot problem. I take a real life situation and then add weirdness. A normal middle-aged guy at a job he doesn't like who wants to travel an then HIS LIFE IS A TV SHOW. Plus, Jim Carrey...I'm a fan.

5. Babe: Another very underrated movie. And James Cromwell is an underrated actor. Really I think he's what makes it for me, the character of Farmer Hoggett. Hmm, this one is harder to explain I guess. I just will always, always love those characters who are quiet and subtle (Hoggett hardly says a thing the whole movie) but who are this well of strength and humor and love underneath. Atticus Finch is a perfect example. And no, I don't think its too much to compare the two of them. And we see them through the clear, wide eyes of a pig or a little girl. And it is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

There's my list! Do you like these movies too? What movie above all illustrates the kinds of stories you like to write most? What movies do you wish you had written?

Sarah Allen

J is for Jester and Joel

Anybody seen that old Danny Kaye movie, The Court Jester? It always reminds me of my grandma because every time we went to her house we would always have strawberry milk and watch that movie. Here is proof of Danny Kaye's genius:

Also, Billy Joel may be the greatest lyricist alive.

"In every heart, there is a room
A sanctuary safe and warm
To heal the wounds from lovers' past
Until a new one comes along."

How genius is that? Here is my other favorite Joel song.

Hope you're having an excellent Thursday!

Be So Good They Can't Ignore You (and Americas Next Top Model)

Of all the proverbs, platitudes, adages and whatever that people throw around, this is one of my favorite and one of the most, I think, useful. This one is from the hilarious, sage, respectable, entertaining Steve Martin. He's always been one of my favorites, one of those rare people whose celebrity hasn't tainted their decency as human beings.

I've had this quote at the back of my mind for a while and it's recently become useful in some interesting context.

So, maybe I was watching America's Next Top Model, and maybe I'm about to impart from the Book of Tyra Banks...don't judge me :) Anyway, on the show there were only like five girls left in the running and their assignment was "go-sees," which is apparently where a model "goes and sees" designers and other fashion-y type people and they see if they want to hire her. So, its obviously important for models to do well on these go-sees because its, ya know, how they get work.

What happened was that at the end judging part Tyra was talking about how each of the girls had something that the designer and fashion-world people could use as an excuse for not hiring her. One girl was 25 which is *gasp* positively ancient in model years, one girl was too quirky, one girl was 5'7'' which means that in the fashion world she's basically a midget, a couple of the girls were black, which, emotion and rightness and whatever aside, statistically still is a huge disadvantage in the modeling world.

Tyra pointed out that there are hugely successful models with each and every one of these "negative strikes." (Tyra herself, obviously.) That anyone with these "flaws" can go into a interview or go-see and just be so good that they are left with no excuse. You have not given them a reason to ignore you.

I think that's the same battle we're fighting in the publishing industry. There is just so much out there and people are looking for every excuse to mentally put us aside and find something better. They don't have time to let us prove ourselves. We're all the same way. If you're reading a sample on your kindle and the story or writing just isn't sparking, we're gonna delete and it not think about it again. Even more than that, when I'm in a bookstore and I pick up a random book and I don't like the first line, that's the end right there. If we're going to make people pay attention to us we have to grab them by the throat from the very beginning and not let go.

And I think we do that by playing to our strengths. I will never be as good a plotter as Stephen King. I will never be as transcendentally poetic as Wallace Stegner or have the same delightful humor splashing through my work as Charles Dickens. Nobody will. But King and Stegner and Dickens don't write like me or any of us, either, and they've all gotten many horrific reviews. (Some delightful person on Amazon says, and I quote, "Stephen King should find somthing new to do like not writting books.") Don't misunderstand me: these three are genius and if I can write half as well as them at their worst than I will feel okay calling myself a good writer. But I also think that part of their genius is that they played to their strengths and did what THEY did so well. So well that despite any bad reviews, despite prejudice at the publishers, whatever, they could not be ignored.

This is not to say that we should not take criticism into account. We all have room to improve, and should be trying to. Yes some critics just don't get it and what they say is bollocks (thank you Amazon), but often it is wise and productive and can cover our literary blind-spots. We need it. But in addition to improving on our weaknesses, I submit that what will help us most is blaring our strengths so brightly that we cannot be ignored, that the weaknesses don't matter.

In short, listen to Steve Martin and Tyra Banks. Be so good they can't ignore you.

Sarah Allen