"...moments before its skies rained down on me."

[greygirlbeast]

Another rough night last night. Is this becoming the insomnia journal? It has been before, so shall it be again. Spooky's calling my doctor in a bit to see if we can double the Prazosin tonight. Tiddley pom. Dreams I won't get into. I lay in bed until sometime after three, then took an Ambien (insuring I'd be a zombie this ayem), got up, and listened to the Audible.com version of Daughter of Hounds until almost four.

Yesterday (which followed a good night's sleep) was unproductive. I have a story due in at the beginning of July that must be both supernatural and noir. Which should be easy as pie for me. I've certainly done it before. But I'm having trouble finding the subject matter of this particular story, trying to avoid lame, done-to-death plots, like hard-boiled, world-weary male detective falls in love with femme fatale who, it turns out, really is a femme fatale (i.e., vampire, siren, succubus, werewolf, etc.). I am looking for the artful solution to this problem, one that won't make me yawn. Because I love the marriage of noir and dark fantasy, when it's done well. Last night, trying to sleep, thinking about potential stories, the title "The Maltese Unicorn" popped into my head. Gagh. No, I will not be writing a story called "The Maltese Unicorn." I wanted to punch myself in the face just for thinking of it.

My thanks to everyone who bid in the lastest round of eBay auctions. Another round will begin soon. Meanwhile, have a look at Spooky's sea-glass jewelery at Dreaming Squid Dollworks.

Last night we watched Olatunde Osunsanmi's The Fourth Kind, a film so stupid that not even Milla Jovovich could redeem it. And that's saying something. I actually enjoyed the most recent Resident Evil film, almost entirely because of the presence of Milla Jovovich. Don't get me wrong, I (obviously) love the "faked documentary" approach, when it's done well. Here, it's not. Never is it even halfway convincing. And don't get me started on the Sumerian ancient astronaut nonsense. Not a good movie, at all.

Anyway, enough for one morning. Comment if you dare. Lately, the number of those who dare has fallen off rather dramatically.

Comments

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I am now trying to imagine the Maltese Unicorn as a hard boiled detective story written in the voice of Lois Duncan and possibly involving a cult of teenage girls with Lisa Frank decorated Trapper Keepers and switchblades. It's really making my morning.

I actually had to stop and look up Lois Duncan, Trapper Keeper, and Lisa Frank...and now I wish I hadn't.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Ahh, the weird fragments of my childhood.

Lois Duncan is an odd duck. My favorite was her creepy boarding school for artsy kids who end up possessed by ghosts. I may have to go out and buy again some of those books I read in school libraries in the late 80s, because I read on her website that she's "updating" them by giving her characters cell phones and whatnot. (An idea apparently from her publisher, as part of their repackaging for their paperback line.)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Spooky laughed when she read I had to Google all three.

because I read on her website that she's "updating" them by giving her characters cell phones and whatnot. (An idea apparently from her publisher, as part of their repackaging for their paperback line.)

That is such a bad idea. There are not words for how bad that idea is...

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I had a couple Lisa Frank folders with brightly colored unicorns on them in elementary school...

This idea of "updating" books seems like the idea of someone in marketing and finance who thought 'kids these days must have cell phones in their books!' It really depresses me. I'm all for transformative work and retelling stories in new ways - but a hacky cut and paste to insert cell phones and digital cameras is bullshit.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

This idea of "updating" books seems like the idea of someone in marketing and finance who thought 'kids these days must have cell phones in their books!' It really depresses me. I'm all for transformative work and retelling stories in new ways - but a hacky cut and paste to insert cell phones and digital cameras is bullshit.

Exactly.

[whiskeychick.livejournal.com]

did she write the one about the two red-headed girls...one like a foster kid or something? I remember reading them in late 70s...or am I thinking of the wrong author. At any rate...your idea above made me spit up my tea. Laughing and chai is not a good idea.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

There's one involving a creepy cousin who comes to stay with a girl, but I don't remember if they were red heads.

[ulffriend.livejournal.com]

I can NOT imagine the school in "Down a Dark Hall" with cell phones, email, and texting...rather defeats the idea that the kids in the school are unable to contact anyone on the outside. I don't know why publishers insist on this sort of update - books are of their time. Next thing we know, Almanzo Wilder will be picking up Laura Ingalls in his new Prius...