All About That Jazz

A couple weeks ago, I showed the video All About That Bass. Someone wrote to me about how she couldn’t get into pop music (or America’s Top 40). This reminded me of the disparate styles we see in our writing industry. My point is, we may not be writing literary novels but something can be learned from all styles or genres. This in turn could freshen up—you might be worried—a tired manuscript. Clichés come in short and long form. Avoid them if you can. A guy might write more story and less interior monologue, a gal the reverse. This doesn’t mean that we can’t mix it up. Our own Morgan H Macdonald took on serial killers (romantic thrillers) to great success. Jump out of your female or male skin and breathe and then get back into that skin because I like you just the way you are.

Here’s a jazz version of All About That Bass. It’s not only good, it may make my point. Analogy alert: Jazz is to Pop as Literary is to Genre fiction. True or false?

Bassist Kate Davis sings (Sept 2014)

Extra ridiculous credit: Parody is also a writng style. Here's to all those overworked moms out there:
I Just Need Some Space by MyLifeSuckers. There no end to this song. They even played it at the World Series, All About That Base (that is).

Okay, I promise, no more of this Bass stuff. It's All About The Words.

THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE IS NOT HATE

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”  Elie Wiesel

Lately, I’ve been writing about how activity (by the opposite sex) is much more attractive than static (museum worthy) beauty. Even hate has passion and might be understood but certainly not condoned.

Story: He had narrowed the field of women he was interested in to two maybe three. He liked Christal best. They clicked, had great conversations. They shared similar interests, jobs in science, athletics and intellect. And oh yes, she was beautiful, perhaps not the most beautiful of the three, but what did that matter?

At her car, they embraced. “I kissed your ear.” Dizzy with the closeness, he overshot her cheek. Her ear was tasty, so he didn’t mind at all.

“That’s okay.” Christal said this with breathy enthusiasm, as if to say she wanted more. He was certain of this.

That was the last time she spoke to him. Every time they met she pretended not to know him. She wouldn’t return his increasingly meek hellos. She’d walk away. She'd hide.

Was this hate or indifference? The problem he had with her was not knowing what she felt. He had done nothing wrong. Doesn’t every human being deserve an explanation?

He decided that the problem did not lie within him, because she knew him and he had not changed. But he was willing to grow. He was still that caring human being who believed in the golden rule. Apparently she didn’t. Therefore she was no longer worthy of consideration as his possible mate. Still, he was not heartless. There was still a strong curiosity and a willingness to forgive. Love knows no boundaries.

They may not end up together, but if she could grow (in love)…

She needed to become and stay a mensch.

What was her problem?

ONE LESS PROBLEM WITHOUT YA, Ariana Grande, 2014

 

DEVOTION

DEVOTION

He takes her in. Age has stolen many of her charms but he only sees beauty. He's overwhelmed with love. His heart is full of memories of their life together. Even if she cannot fully participate with him he fills in the gaps and cares for her with every ounce of his energy.

Last week I wrote about how activity of any kind (I didn’t elaborate, so let’s specify movement, attitude and conversation) fully trump static beauty. Next week I'll cover the one exception.

THE NOTEBOOK by Nicholas Sparks shows us a great example of this devotion to a life of love and more, much more. Here’s the trailer for the 2004 movie. In this movie ask yourself what intrigued the boy's initial interest in the girl? Was it her pretty face or was it her beauty and the way she acted?

You may be interested in Sparks' upcoming film, THE BEST OF ME. The film graces familiar ground when a young couple meets resistance from parents, but a brilliant romance writer has an irresistable way of showing his/her story. [Besides, hasn't every tale been told in one way or another when you consider the basics? We supply the fresh take/twist(s)/depth etc.].

Shameless plugs (GIVE ME YOURS TOO in comments below): In a couple weeks my rip off (LOL) of Shakespeare's DOUBLE HAPPINESS will be out. I give it a complete make-over. I mean, what did Billy boy know anyway? In my recently released A MORE PERFECT UNION to quote a reviewer, RW Richard "...has done what no other author has before, made a hero and heroine running for the office of United States President fall in love with one another..."

Well the idea of odd bedfellows is an age old tale as well, but that didn't stop me from trying this twist.

The visual man revealed



It is said, "guys are visual." But what does that really mean? Well, I'm a guy and I'll let you in on a guy secret. Guys are attracted to motion.

 

He's standing before a dance floor. He spots three attractive women. He decides which one he prefers. Then a dance starts and only one is animated, not the prettiest, but he asks her to dance.

 

He's in an art gallery. Three beautiful girls are studying the relative merits of three paintings by different artists. One girl begins to show emotion thru facial expressions for artist number one. The guy also likes the art and buys the painting. No silly, he strikes up a conversation with the enthusiastic girl.

 

Nature is not static. Procreation or its drive revolves around the consumation of movement.

 

This guy, me, is severely attracted to Tahitian women doing the fast dance or Hawaiians doing the Hula. I love their (help me with this description - I'm serious) very long fluffed curled to wavy hair as it sways to the beat of the rhythm of life.

 

A guy might appreciate the 'looks' of a woman, but he knows nothing until that woman moves. This includes all her ways of communicating.

 

What you'll see below may be more interesting for a guy than a girl, but who doesn't appreciate this form of artistic expression. Polynesian dance compilations. This presentation has little to do with me being in Hawaii right now, I swear.

 

 

 

Extra credit: Poetry In Motion, 1960, Johnny Tillotson