Let Sleeping Dogs Lie! You Can't Expect Honesty From Them All the Time!

Ahh!!! That slight chilly edge to the evening air wafting in through the open window in my office... I love it. It means two things to me... first, it's almost Hoodie Season. Man, I love sleeping in a  hoodie... hood up, drawstrings close around my face, keeping the back of my neck nice and warm throughout the night... I hate waking up in the middle of the night with a cold neck... *shiver*...

Second, for some reason, a chill in the air makes me want to write. It's good writing weather, I say! Makes me want to unpack my fantasy novel and move Vye, Abbie, Yanni, Shannon and the rest of them through a few more steps of their awesome (IMHO) adventure... of course, I'm going to kill them all off at the end anyway! MUAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Oops... guess I should have added a spoiler alert...

And now, a little Demetri Martin...



So I went to acting class Thursday night... the first class since the Agent Showcase last weekend. I hadn't received "a call" from the agency, so I was prepared to shrug shoulders and move on, keep learning, try again next time, etc. But no one in the class was called, and someone with knowledge about such things said that they normally wait a week or two before making calls (if any) for... um... because... well, he said there was a reason, but for the life of me, I can't remember what the reason was... or even think of a logical reason... anyway, apparently they wait. So the chance is still there!

And, well, I hate to jinx things, but after class on Thursday, the instructor told me (in so many words) not to be surprised if I get a call from them soon... she talked with them (being represented by them herself) and said they spoke highly of me specifically... now I'm all excited again, lol... I came to class ready to move forward, but now it seems it's still on the table... it's hard to keep a clear head about it all.

Obviously, I'd love to get "the call" and sign up with them and start going out to auditions, etc... but of course, being a new, huge step into the unknown for me, there's also a part of me that wants to chicken out... it's the same old back-and-forth that has always plagued me. Fortunately, the far larger part of me wants to grab any opportunity and run forward with it -- it's not like a 50/50 split... still, that doubt lingers. So, being of a spiritual bent, I've taken the advice of a mentor of mine, and have been talking to God about it all, repenting for all the reasons I want to succeed as an actor, and also repenting for all the reasons I want to opt out. Having all bases covered like that is liberating... I think the simple act of just being honest about everything with God is liberating in and of itself. You may or may not believe in God, that's your call... but I like the idea of a Creator I can talk to, who has all the details already, and with whom I can just have open conversations, without feeling like I have to give a lot of backstory first to set up the discussion.

All that to say, I could be reporting some good news in the next blog post or two... if not, I'd like to think I'm ok with it either way.

Wish I had a doggie...

So I finished reading Emperor of Thorns, Mark Lawrence's latest book, the concluding volume to his Broken Empire series. For those with a memory for such things, you may recall me talking very glowingly about volume one [Prince of Thorns]... and you likely don't remember me saying much about volume two [King of Thorns], which you may interpret as a negative... it wasn't a negative, really. The second volume was good, but in no way did it sink its hooks into me like the first volume did. A step down, but still a worthwhile read. What threatened to sink the second volume for me was the fact that it told two concurrent tales, each about five years apart... I got tired of bouncing back and forth in time as both tales moved forward, converging at the end...

Now, Emperor of Thorns is a strange title to pin down... first, I really liked it. I mean, 5 Star loved. I'd rate it right up there with volume one... funny thing is, it also did the "two storylines, five years apart, marching forward to resolve as one climax" sort of construction. However, it didn't bother me this time around like it did in Vol 2. Maybe I was prepared for it, maybe Lawrence just did it better this time, who knows. Whatever the reason, I was able to deal with it just fine this time... it may be because this third volume had a ridiculous amount of killer scenes in it. I mean, scenes that would normally be reserved for the climax of lesser tales are featured liberally throughout the book. Great moments - the book equivalent of "set pieces" in a great epic movie. Wonderful surprises, great "aha" moments, jaw droppers... along with Lawrence's trademark wit and wordsmithery... he is simply a top notch writer. He has solidified his place in my Top 5, along with GRRM, Abercrombie, Sanderson and Pressfield... Greg Hamerton has dropped into the 6 slot... sorry, Greg... I'm sure you'll move back up once I re-read your Lifesong books again (soon)... Hey, Top 10 is still good, right!?

So, yeah, I highly recommend Lawrence, if you aren't the easily-offended type. Great characters, great worldbuilding, great dialog, memorable moments, and some wonderful surprises. Top notch story-telling. But it is gritty and bloody also. Your call.

Is that cat sleeping? Or just goofing around?

Well, I suppose I shall go grab a hoodie and go to sleep! I trust your weekend will be good one... unless you're reading this after the weekend, in which case I trust your weekend was a good one...

Adios for now,

Dave the Anticipator