The List

To add to the collection of awesome moments of pausing the TV, I submit this photo.

I've come to learn that I organize my life best in lists.  There's the list of things that aren't allowed (dying being the top priority), the list of movies I need to see, songs to buy, the ever-changing to do list, and my TV watch list.

It's the TV list I've been working on today.  The TV Watch list is huge.  It includes the things I watch now, the shows I love that got cancelled, mini series, and the massive amount of shows I still need to watch (and they all keep growing!).  Today I put together a virtual version of the TV Watch list.  Granted, I haven't finished it yet, some things are still in the works, but if anyone is interested in seeing what I watch now (or rather in this past season as most shows are ending this week if they haven't already), then check it out here.  The list can also be found as a tab along the header of my blog anytime.

Write What You Know

The oft' given writing advice is to write what you know.  I always feel like I've been cheated out of actual advice when I hear that.  I don't know what I know.  At least not what I know that would be worth writing about.  Rock climbing, Nancy Drew, list making.  I can write about these for a little while, but then I'm not sure where to go with them, and they're certainly not quite fiction material.

People I'm around talk a lot about stories.  How we live our life, tell our life, and learn new things through stories.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Half the reason I remember so much about architecture is because it was told to me as a story.  But when I'm in charge of the story?

It's probably terribly bad form to put what I'm about to say on the internet where future employers can find it, but I feel like part of learning and growing in my writing is admitting what I'm not good at and then trying to find a solution.  I'm terrible at creating my own plots.  I think up wonderful concepts to tell a story in, but when I sit down to write I get stuck because the characters aren't doing anything.

I can find my way out of a plot line any day of the week.  Especially in SciFi or fantasy.  Bring on the twists and I will think of a way to maneuver around them.  I love shows like Once Upon A Time and Fringe because they give me the plot and then they leave me hanging to try and figure out what I want to happen.  And I figure out a way I think the story is going to go.  The next week they show me what their solution is (Sometimes I like my solution better).

Finding plots is something I'm trying to work on.  I want to be better at this, but for now I have trouble with plot.

Somehow I'm An Insider Now

This week has been a bit stressful.  I was working all week pretty much non-stop.  When I signed up for it I thought I would be fine, but it wound up driving me a little bit crazy.  Like taking a nap on one of the prop couches crazy.  Needing to take a walk to Trader Joe's to buy candy crazy.

I love my work.  I love that I get paid for something that I enjoy doing, but I'm not going to pretend that this semester has been easy.  I've dropped the ball on more than a few things, and somewhere in my head I have this idea that I have to have everything done perfectly every time.  While of course that would be nice, I'm starting to realize more and more the difference between what I'm expecting of myself and what others are expecting of me.

My work's big production is called Freq Out.  I have been busy up to my eyeballs getting ready for it nearly every day this week.  I'm solidly a drama girl, but when you spend ten hours on set everyday you learn to find a sense of humor.  Or you try to at least.

All told, we go live tomorrow evening.  Rehearsals are done.  There's nothing left to do, but still miles to go before we hit the ground.  As much as it's been fun, I'm looking forward to it being over.  I've not done any work outside of Freq Out in nearly a week, and I just know it's going to catch up to me very, very soon.  I'm tired of being tired from the ten hour minimum days.  Looking forward to doing homework.

If anyone is interested in watching it live-streaming, the feed will start from HERE at 6pm central time.  There are opening remarks before the actual show gets going, but it's pretty much going to be awesome.

Just Breathe

This week is difficult to describe succinctly.  I've been watching a lot of TV.  Which is good.  In a way.  And bad because I get to be a bit overly emotional over television sometimes.  I didn't get done as much homework as I wanted to, but that happens.  I still have this weekend, and I seem to be in the middle of quite the homework party.  And blogging.  We're working on it.

I feel that in some time in the future this post on taking a sabbatical will be helpful in my life.

Travel Guides?  Yes please.  Isreal and London are both on my list, lucky me.

And traveling on the cheep.  Also yes.

I kind of really want to make one of these rope bracelets.

I know I should have shared all Downton Abbey related links weeks ago, but I'm currently working on a paper which requires me to rewatch the entire series (that's right, I spent my spring break watching TV.  For homework.).  Anyway.  Pictures, name generator, and from the NY Times and The Huffington Post.

Also, this makes me mad.  In a good way.

This week I like: situations where it is acceptable to collapse on the ground in exhaustion, booking flights (more on that next week), dinners with friends, and how adult I feel when I finish paying the bills.

"Don't Underestimate Pluto. Pluto doesn't quit."

In an effort to begin what will be a theme of Television posts and reviews, I've just finished watching Sports Night and want to tell you about it.

Sports Night was an Aaron Sorkin show from 1998 to 2000, and if you don't know yet you'll soon learn that I sort of have a thing for Aaron Sorkin's television.  A thing that was nearly broken with Sports Night, but seems to be back on given how calm I was when it ended.  Anyway, Sports Night is a show about a show.  The show within the show is also called Sports Night.  It's a lot less confusing than it sounds.  The show revolves around the producers and host of a late night sports news show called -- wait for it -- Sports Night.

Casey McCall and Dan Rydell are the on-camera talent who work with producers Dana Witacher, Natalie Hurley, and Jeremy Goodwin, as well as their fearless leader Issac Jaffe.  They get together and don't get together and sometimes they make some television in there somewhere too.

And now I'm going to dive into spoilers, so if you want to watch the show and are bothered by them, stop here.

Getting Ready For A Bumpy Ride

I am slowly trying to get myself back into the swing of things, blogging wise.  I'm devising a plan, and as much as it sometimes frustrates me to be working with the "old system" while devising a new plan, I think it's something that I'm going to have to get used to, as it is something that is done consistently in Television.

So.  Coming up.  A redesign of sorts which may also include a switch in blogging platforms.  A whole section of Travel that will include advice I've gotten, my favorite trips so far, and local travel.  I've got a category of Television in the works.  I can talk about television in an intelligent way, I just need to figure out how that works with blogging.  I'm a TV student for goodness sakes, I should be able to at least give some good suggestions.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to show off some of my work on this platform as well.  We'll have to see about that one.

Discovery: Once Upon a Time

People have been asking me all semester, have I been watching Once Upon A Time.  Well... no.  Based on the previews I figured that it would be overrated, and over budget.  I assumed that by now it would have already been canceled, and I wasn't too upset over it.  I was more interested in Grimm, NBC's response to the fairy tale that seemed more normal to me.

During the last few weeks of school I was implored over and over that I really must watch it.  People who know my taste were telling me that I would love it.  I was still reluctant, but figured that so many people couldn't be too far off base.  So I dipped a toe in when I went to a friend's house for dinner.  We watched the pilot.  Then the second episode.  I was very much so impressed.

First of all it was great to see Jennifer Morrison again.  She was one of the reasons I loved House as much as I did, and her smaller role in it was probably one of the factors in my giving up on the show.  It was nice to see her as more of a key player.  I think she did a great job and I can't wait to see more.

Can't wait to see more is the overwhelming feeling for this show that I wasn't planning on liking to begin with.  I guess I can't help it.  I think the idea is solid and workable, but I will admit I'm getting slightly confused.  The stories, especially in their fairy tale versions, are getting mixed up in my mind.  Is David/Charming the character from Snow White?  Or is he the dragon-fighter in the King Midas version?  Or both?  How?  As much as I like that they have plenty of different places to go, I'm also really hoping they have a plan.  Will it end neatly?  I know that's probably not what I'm supposed to be thinking so early in the game, but I can't help but wonder.

To some extent I don't even mind.  The whole show is a thing of beauty.  Between the intricate details of fairy land, and the spot on small town feel of Storybrooke, Maine, I don't care if I ever go back (Yes, I sort of used a baseball metaphor right there. Moving on.).  The details and thought put into everything brings me completely into their world.  And their wardrobes!  I'm usually not one for medieval dress, but these costumes are beautiful.  And the modern costumes too!  I want Mary Margaret's closet.  Peasant tops, A-line skirts, I'm taking notes people, believe me.

Over all I think it's fabulous.  The characters are true, and very well played.  It's absolutely beautiful, and double-worldly and twistedly wonderful.  And that cliff-hanger!  Let's just say that between this show, Sherlock, and Downton Abbey all returning in January, I'm very much looking forward to the new year.

Chicago DARSIT

Geeking out with my badge and program.

Where do I even begin?  Perhaps with the nearly two hour long trip it took my old roommate Sarah and I to get to Yorktown Center, where a conference actually called Chicago TARDIS, a tribute to all things Doctor Who, was being held.  We took two different forms of public transit from start to finish to get there.  We then paid the slightly painful price of $60 to get our badges allowing us free reign of the event space (clearly there will be more planning ahead next time).  And then, AND THEN we had a freaking blast.

This was the first time I'd ever been to a convention of any sort.  I wasn't sure about it.  I wasn't sure I would fit in because I didn't have enough time to make a costume.  I'm a normal girl with a bit of an obsession.  Who happens to want to work in the television industry.  That's what I was thinking, but I now quite clearly see that these reasons were exactly why I needed to go.

I needed the first hand knowledge that fandom was not completely crazy.  I needed to see for myself that nerds are awesome and I can fit in just fine with people if I just be myself.  I knew all of this before.  I just forget sometimes and need reminding.

Panels with titles like "People Dig Chicks Who Dig Time Lords" (It's a book.  Which I now own.), "I'll Tumblr For You", "If Silence Falls In An Empty Forest Will River Song Notice?", and "Inspector Spacetime: The Panel"; I nearly didn't know where to begin (and a call from my best friend while she's in London didn't help matters -- love you Al!)

These panel's taught me more that I ever expected to learn from a nerd convention.  I learned about creative licence verses sticking to the book.  I wrote down at least a dozen names that I need to have a proper sit down to google.  I got to know the entire history of a little known show called Inspector Spacetime all through the experts and show creators.  It was fabulous.

I think the best part of all of this was realizing how attainable it is.  With the Doctor Who fandom especially, the people who are now creating the show have been lifelong fans.  It's been around that long.  And the cycle will only continue.

Discoveries: September 2011

I want to start a series I'm going to call Discoveries.  On the last Friday of each month I will post a short list of things that I have discovered (or perhaps re-discovered) throughout the month that have made me smile.  To some of you, these will be old news, but perhaps you will discover something along the way.

Peanut-butter honey sandwiches.  Pretty simple -- bread, peanut butter, honey, done -- but so amazingly wonderful.

Reading.  This one is a re-discovery.  I feel like I rediscover reading every few months and it's better every time.  Right now I'm about a quarter way through a collection of travel essays.  Awesome.

New TV Shows to watch.  I'm loving the premieres these past few weeks.  My new favorites are New Girl, Up All Night, and Pan Am.  I just want new episodes of these to be on at all times even though I know that would result in me getting absolutely no work done.

Tell Me a Story

I have always been addicted to storytelling.

As a child I was happy just creating a story and a character in my head.  Imagining for a moment what it would be like to be someone else.  Someone older or younger or louder or prettier or meaner.  Someone from a different time period or someone from a different world.  Whatever it was, I would rather be lost in the world of the story than living in reality.  I was constantly consuming new stories, new ideas, and new worlds.

When I was a pre-teen I discovered a new kind of storytelling.  I found a whole slew of new worlds lived right inside of my TV.  I was drawn in by the characters that these worlds presented.  It didn't matter to me that there was murder and gore in CSI.  The graphic nature of House didn't phase me.  I focused instead on the characters, the relationships.  I watched Booth and Bones squabble, Ducky of NCIS talk to corpses, and Margret scream at people on M*A*S*H (I like to think that even as a middle schooler I had good taste in television).

In high school it only got worse as I discovered The West Wing and following 30 Rock.  I longed to create my own characters, but couldn't figure out how to make them realistic.  I took Creative Writing, and I had my first stab at NaNoWriMo (and failed miserably).  I learned that anything could be interesting if I took the time to find the story that was in it.

Now I'm learning even more about how to create drama, and how to make characters seem real.  I'm looking forward to a day when someone will be able to connect with what I've written and believe in what I'm saying. This year I'm thinking about trying NaNo again.  I want to get into a habit of writing more often and between school and this blog I hope to be overflowing with ideas.  Can't wait.