The Meet-Cute

One of my recent obsessions is the meet-cute. In writerly terms, the meet-cute is a device dating back to the screwball comedies of vintage Hollywood and has carried through to our modern day romantic comedies. What is it? Our old friend Wikipedia defines it as:

"The contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances. In most screwball comedies and many romantic comedies, the potential couple comprises polar opposites, two people of completely different temperaments, situations, social statuses, or all three, who would not have anything to do with each other under normal circumstances. The meet-cute provides the opportunity."

Finding the right combination for the meet-cute in fiction is not always the easiest circumstance to manufacture.

But what about in real life? Where do people meet each other? I am baffled. I know I live in an area of the country statistically unfriendly to single women. But it seems like new people are meeting each other all the time.

So, tell me . . . What are some of your favorite examples of the meet-cute, whether it be from your favorite movie, scene from a book, or in real life?

Inquiring minds want to know!

xoxo,

bex

Life's Soundtrack

I sometimes forget the powerful effect music can have. A song can have a lot of personal meaning associated with it, depending on circumstances taking place in your life during the times you hear it.

I like to think of the tunes on my iPod as songs selected for my own life's soundtrack. Love songs, happy songs, sad songs, and get-up-and-go songs. Old soul songs. Songs that fill me with an I am woman, hear me roar kind of confidence. Songs that remind me of different times and places in my life.

And I love how everyone's soundtrack will be different.

One question I'm so curious to ask though -- is there a song on your playlist that you'd be embarrassed to admit to downloading? Come on . . . I know you have at least one! I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

Fess up -- inquiring minds want to know!

xoxo,

bex

One Page At A Time

On my other blog, The Moody Muses, we kicked off a Change Your Stars Challenge for 2010. As my fellow Muse, Barb, wrote in her kick-off post:

In the wonderful Heath Ledger movie, A Knight’s Tale, the hero pursues a destiny beyond his status and upbringing. In the beginning, his friends think he’s crazy, but as the movie progresses, he proves that a man can indeed carve his own future. Or, as he calls it, “change his stars.”

I loved this idea. For the past few years, I had gotten really lost with my writing - a kind of, is it the forest or the trees kind of confusion that paralyzed me and prevented me from making any progress, whether it be good or bad.

But thinking about my hopes and dreams in the context of the Change Your Stars Challenge helped me stop looking at so big a picture. At least so far. My fellow Muse, Cathryn, offered the idea of planning in terms of 30 day increments, so that is what I have chosen to do to kick off 2010. To set the small goal to write at least one page a day.

My hope is to change my stars, one page at a time.

Today is January 10, and we are 1/3 of the way through the first 30 days of the challenge. So far, so good! I hate to say this because I sure don't want to jinx my productivity, but so far I have made good on my one page a day goal. In fact, I have written nearly forty pages since the turning of the calendar's page on the new year.

I have a great team of supporters cheering me on, one page at a time, and I want to thank you guys for hanging in there and offering your care and encouragement. I truly hope I have even more good news to report when I next share an update on my progress.

xoxo,
bex

Books I'm Loving - Hip Hollywood Homes

I like to share the titles of books I've really enjoyed reading and hope to do a better job of announcing more good reads on the What's Wilder blog. Most of those reads will be fiction - mostly Young Adult, Women's Fiction, and Romance. I like political thrillers and spy stories too, plus I tend to read an eclectic blend of non-fiction.

Today is all about a non-fiction title.

I really get into browsing home decorating books. Heck, it's not just books. It's web sites, magazines, mail order catalogs, and all kinds of shows on HGTV. I am obsessed with home design and interior decor and constantly look for hints and clues in trying to define my own design philosophy. It's not such an easy thing to do!

I picked up a copy of Hip Hollywood Homes on the clearance shelf at my local Borders. The homes featured are impressive examples of the Los Angeles design aesthetic, ranging from modern minimalism to historic Spanish design, from the glamor of Old Hollywood to the funky mix of the artsy outer communities.

But one thing I hadn't anticipated was how curious I would become about the people whose homes the book featured. I am stalker-like in my quest to learn more about the home owners. How did they get to where they have arrived? Where did they come from? How did they hone their talents? I am fascinated by their stories - the jobs they have held, the adventures they have had, the people they have met, the impact they have made on the vast sprawl of the City of Angels.

The book not only offers a glimpse into some of the hippest residences in town, but also into the lives of their inhabitants. It is equal parts stunning in its pictorial and motivating in its revelations!

I hope you'll check it out!

xoxo,
bex

New Year, Fresh Start

I wanted to take a new tact with my planning and goal hopes for the new year, so I invested in a wall-sized twelve-month calendar. It is laminated and I bought some vis-a-vis markers so I could not only make marks on the calendar but also erase them as my time constraints, productivity, or plans change.

My friend Cathryn from the Moody Muses created a blog post where she discussed doing her goal setting in smaller increments - in this case, setting and adjusting goals in 30 day chunks.

My goal for the first 30 days is to write at least one page a day. It may not sound like much, but when trying to create a new habit I think it's important to give yourself a threshold you can meet. Odds are, most days I will be able to do more than just one page. If I exceed my daily goal, then great! But I am just getting over a bout with bronchitis and a sinus infection, so I know there are going to be days where things will not go as planned and even that one page will be a stretch.

Still, as I weave my plan for 2010, at the very least I want to create a page a day.

So far my new wall calendar has a check mark for productivity in each of the January days that have passed. The only other marks on the calendar represent the time I will spend at the RWA National Conference this summer.

As my plans for vacation escapes, family visits, and other events take form throughout the year my calendar will change some more. The good news is that it is big and visible and should help me anticipate adjustments as the year takes shape.

What about you? Any tips to help you stay on track as the new year gets underway? Inquiring minds want to know!

xoxo,
bex