Ever ride in a car with someone who uses BOTH feet to push the pedals? I have and it can be rough. The right foot punches the gas and the left foot slams on the brake. You lose that transition time if you are only using the one right foot. It’s just GO and STOP!
My life has felt like that, lacking balance. I think it’s because I lack structure. There is an author I follow, Kelsey Humphries. She’s big on YouTube, look her up. You wanna talk about organized?! She’s a damn fine writer, too, I just finished her novel Happy Christmas and can’t wait to read more. Anyways, she teaches writers how to plan their writing and publishing and it triggered me so much! Why?
I think my fear of organizing the writing; creating a spreadsheet or outline or even a simplified word doc stems from fear. Fear that if I stop the momentum of constant writing, well whenever I cram it in around work and taking care of my mom and the house and… I think you get my point.
I don’t want to be unprepared, actually, quite the opposite. I desperately yearn to have my focus contained, each chapter mapped out, at the very least; a goal! That sounds like bliss to me. Knowing exactly who is doing what, when and how? Sign me up!
So, why can’t I do it? Why haven’t I implemented this glorious new call to action? I don’t know, but I aim to find out. When I do, I promise to share here, this place that I neglect so due to…you guessed it; no structured schedule!
Well, I just wanted to pop on and share some thoughts, random like I do. I do want to take this moment to wish you the very best holiday season – I wish you so many blessings you can’t count them all!
I know we’re a ways past Halloween but since I’m behind on everything; it feels appropriate.
AMUSE NEWS! The eBook version is NOW AVAILABLE on Kindle Unlimited! If you, like myself, have a subscription for KU then Amuse is included. I wanted to make it easier for not only new readers but readers who want to refresh their memory before moving on to Amuse 2 – in progress now! More Amuse news below.
Why am I behind? Besides working full time – 40 hours.
My mom came home from the hospital after months, starting in May with ER then ICU then Long Term Recovery then Skilled Nursing. It was tough when she first came home, really felt like I had 3 jobs, she wasn’t fully mobile, heck she wasn’t mobile, but she has been working really hard to become more independent. Which has freed up a little more time.
I’ve developed a creative writing schedule, it’s called ‘Do you have five minutes?” I write before work, on breaks, after work, in my sleep-if only, right! I did switch from the screenplay back to Amuse 2. I missed Calli and I had the bulk of the story completed, in fact, it had a beginning, middle and end…BUT then I went in and changed everything around. See, when I’m not writing I’m listening or watching videos about how to be a better writer.
You wouldn’t guess it by this post would ya?
In other news! The short delay for the launch of the revised Audible version of Amuse – my narrator got married so we needed to update her name – has become a long delay! Originally, the planned launch date was 10-31-25 (Hey the title makes more sense now!) So now it’s been 14 days. It’s been emails and me going into the details in ACX and updating then confirming then more emails because the revised version isn’t showing on the Audible site. Last email I received, yesterday, stated that all was well and they provided the link for the audiobook-the same link I’ve been going into daily and testing.
Yes the info is showing the correct narrator name, however, the original cover art is showing and when I play, it’s the original. Now when I go into ACX, the details are incorrect BUT the cover and the audiobook is correct. *heavy sigh* Hopefully, this will be sorted out soon. I’ll let everyone know.
Until next time, Love and Blessings! – Karma Marie
I’m back! What? Did you think that would take longer? I can leave and come in again…but I’m already here and it takes So. Much. Effort. Okay, you talked me into it, I’ll stay.
Some updates: I wrote a heartfelt letter to Kevin Smith, then rewrote and rewrote to the point I think it’s about as good as it’s going to get…to rewrite just one more time. You know what they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I need it to be at worse, acceptable and at best, Oscar worthy 😀
The reason for the letter: My son convinced me to send him an Edgar & Kevin & Richard & Wes shirt, I showed that off in a previous post.
The second hardest part, after completing the accompanying letter, is finding the right address to send it to. On Google it mentions mostly their View Askew office and SmodCastle BUT then hallelujah, I found an email address: assistant@smodcast.com so I can get the appropriate address rather than just sending stuff in the mail to never be seen again. I’ll keep you updated!
Speaking of shirts, I created a new design, this time to show off my love for Edgar Wright–er, Edgar Wright’s creations.
The front reads: “Looking for Mr. Wright” with a lipstick mark.
The back reads: “He’s a SPACED out RUNNING MAN, BABY DRIVER with HOT FUZZ, (drinking pints) with SCOTT PILGRIM and SHAUN OF THE DEAD RIGHT next to the ASYLUM, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO and he holds my heart in his FISTFUL OF FINGERS
***SPECIAL NOTE – these shirts aren’t available in the store…yet, we’ll see!
Let me know what you’ve been up to, what you think about the new design, what you think about Kevin Smith, what you think my chances are I’ll get a response to my email…whatever you like to say, here is your chance – comment below…or above, I’m not sure where it’s located tbh.
It was a Tuesday, a little after 6am. Half asleep I stumbled from my bedroom, down the stairs and along the hall. There had been a noise near the front door, perhaps a package had been delivered. Perhaps my new nose hair trimmer from Amazon had finally arrived! I breathed a sigh of relief, albeit a muffled one. I opened the door and peered outside but the porch was sadly empty.
I closed the door a little harder than necssary which caused the “You can’t have rainbows without the rain” print to fall from it’s place on the entryway wall. As I stooped to retrieve it, something caught my eye on the floor a few feet from me. It was a large yellow envelope. The type used for sending contracts, catalogs or autographed celebrity photos. Thanks Drew Barrymore 😉
It was from Edgar Wright…at least that’s what the blue marker scribbling on the front aspired to. Perhaps he had been forced to sign with his non dominant hand and that hand had been crushed or severed by a mechanical gear or one of those great big hammers or wicked pliers due to some unpaid debt to the English mob or a really angry ex girlfriend or a rival filmmaker perhaps? Guy Ritchie, hmmm?
Oh well, no use speculating, for I held in my hands, which were both perfectly functional thank you, something solid, something viable that informed that THE Edgar Wright himself was aware of my existense! SWOON!
I was so overwhelmed with this immense blessing that I fell onto the couch, starry eyed and slack jawed for several minutes before I even thought to examine the contents. So, examine I did. Inside was a single sheet of paper with a printed message.
Lady Karma (so formal, I love it!)
This is a siezendesist (French? Ooh lala) Stop writing about Edgar Alan Poe (You mean Edgar Wright?) Stop today or we will sue for treats and money.
Signed The guy you always write about
(scribbled signature)
My eyes welled up and I sniffed (it is allergy season still) but I was also sad and a little devastated. What had caused him to react this way? Sure, I wrote A LOT about him but it was mostly positive and only a little creepy and obsessive.
It’s not like I wanted to wear him like a suit, (I’m more of a dress gal), I just really love his talent and wanted him to know I was a fan who really really wanted to meet him and work with him on some projects where we would grow closer over time and in the projection room watching dailies he would look deep into my eyes and say,
“Karma, would you do me the honor of being my bestie?” I mean, where’s the harm in that? #GOALS I mean, If I had a nickel for every blog dedicated to me and dreams of being my bestie, I would have negative nickels sure, but I would understand.
I would have to get to the bottom of this, and fast…because I had to start work soon.
So last we left, I was running from the office of Neil Gaiman. Oops! Perhaps next time I should use more than Google for research but there are no telephone books anymore. What am I, the C.I.A.? M.I.6? FOX?
I gotta tell you, I felt pretty defeated, in that I – didn’t – succeed – at – my – mission kind of way. But life is short! Or maybe, it’s long!
I think we can all agree that life is something, right?
Anyways, in my obsess- purely normal interest in this accomplished filmmaker, Edgar Wright, I have been reading interviews and reviews and watching movies and even short films. There is a lot you can learn from this talented and tantalizing -(that’s a director word) – auteur.
I’m especially keen to try out some of his quick cuts and sound effects. I don’t have a fancy camera yet but I will try with my phone. I already have an eager and willing talent to star. Bella Marie!
Anyways, Edgar wrote, directed, filmed and edited the short film Dead Right. A parody of Dirty Harry movies that was filmed from 1992, mostly shot on weekends, and released in 1993.
It’s great fun, I loved it! You can see a lot of his signature style of long shots, cut aways, zooms and of course his trademark editing and humor. It was shot for approximately 275£ or $365.23 American cash. Which is pretty impressive, especially for an 18 yr. old and his friends. I can tell you I wasn’t so ambitious when I was 18. What? What do you mean, you’re not surprised?
It also contained– MORE SIGNS! That’s right, the Universe, she threw me for a loop – yet another film term. 😉 Don’t I sound like I know what I’m talking about? No? Don’t worry I will, just stop paying such close attention.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There is a scene where he uses a viewing of Grease 2 as sadistic torture device! Hell to the Yeah!
Now, I’m not sure if I shared the story of my (totally imaginary) beef with Brett Goldstein, Roy from Ted Lasso but also from the macabre named yet inspiring podcast – Films to Be Buried With. https://www.filmstobeburiedwith.com/
Brett brings on various guests from the film and tv world to discuss the first movie they ever saw, the movie that made them laugh, makes them cry and so on. One such guest was the beautiful and talented, Yvette Nicole Brown and the category was favorite critically hated movie…
The two of them bonded over…GREASE (motherf’n) 2!
They thought it was amazing- in fact they wouldn’t shut up about it. So much so that I experienced a temporary lack of judgement and I…
I watched it.
I know, it was a moment of weakness. I like to believe I’m an incredibly open minded and cultured patron (I have an extremely vivid imagination!) truth be told, I so badly wanted to fit in with the popular kids, so I said to myself, “You know Karma, maybe you didn’t like it the first time you watched it back in 1980 whenever was because you were just a kid and you didn’t get it.”
Maybe I needed 30 years and this charming duo to open my eyes to the wonder, enchantment and sheer delight that is Grease 2.
NOPE! No, I tried and couldn’t get past the first musical number. Sorry kiddos, I stand resolute in my dislike of the sequel to the Olivia Newton John masterpiece.
So seeing it in the movie used in the most perfect way was a definitive sign!
Now for the second sign, there’s a scene in Dead Right where the lead character, Detective Stern, picks up a stuffed elephant! Wait, I didn’t tell you why the elephant is important.
The point of the exercise was to choose an item and when you see it, that is your sign that you are in alignment with G.U.S. – God, Universe, Source. The options were a bear, butterflies, pineapple, blue bird aaaannnnnnddd wait for it……………………………………………………ELEPHANT!
That’s two signs that Edgar and I are meant to be…….
Co creators of an awesome film! Not that I would be adverse to-
Tim: “So what’s the deal with you and Karma?”
Edgar: (shifting uncomfortably) “You know about the deal?”
Tune in next time for more signs, that may or may not lead me towards my goal of director friendships and all about my (totally imaginary) beef with Brett Goldstein over the exclusion of Muppet Treasure Island from any Muppet lists. Why is it always about Muppet Christmas Carol with you mate? Treasure Island is a gem! It stars Tim Curry for crikes sake!
Until next time – cheers! Karma Marie
Wait! Before you go, leave me a comment about whatever you like but extra points if you have a special sign that you call lucky 😉
Karma Marie 