Elisabeth Fitzgerald~ Writer of Daydreams and Nightmares

Forgiving and Forgetting

2012-01-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

We all know that it's better to forgive than forget. However, that is easier said than done. Just look at Ross and Rachel on Friends. How many times did "We were on a break!" come up?

Forgiveness is important, though. So important that I wrote a whole article about it. Check it out!

Forgiven Not Forgotten

[Insert Black Bar Here]

2012-01-18T09:40:00.001-08:00

I'm not graphic design savvy enough to actually make a black bar my subject heading, but you get the idea. Like many people, I'm against SOPA. The first writing that I actually shared with other people? Yeah, it was fanfiction. Fanfiction for a horror/sci fi show called "Poltergeist the Legacy." I adored that show and I credit it for helping me overcome my shyness regarding writing and sharing my work. I made zero money from my stories and no harm was done. I was just, you know, creating.

Piracy is a bad thing. Stealing is not good. However, neither is a mandate that could censor the internet. I've had to deal with the MPAA quite a bit in my entertainment career. They're not my favorite organization. I've seen the "standards" on which movies are rated. It usually depends on how much money the studio has or how powerful the people attached are. I worked for a small studio and we constantly struggled with MPAA regulations. However, the bigger studios didn't seem to have the troubles that we did. More money? Probably. Did the whole experience leave a bad taste in my mouth? Definitely.

We need to protect the freedom that is afforded to us by the first amendment. I encourage you to sign this petition and stop internet censorship.

Sign Here!

Also, check out this hilarious video of Hitler ranting about SOPA. This is what's at stake!

THAT Guy (and Why I'm Him...or Her, Rather)

2012-01-16T18:11:00.000-08:00

I love my dog. Like, crazy, ridiculous love. I used to worry that I wouldn't be able to give a child all of the love that he or should would deserve, but my maternal instincts kicked in to high gear when we got Mushu. Now? I'm looking forward to starting a family.

That's a few years off, though, so right now my fiance and I are devoting our time to our pug. And, well, we're THOSE people. The scary dog people. The ones that talk about their dogs like they're babies. The ones that take cutesy dog pictures and post them on the internet and attend doggie events. And, uh, write blog entries about how much they love their dog. Yeah. I take it even farther and actually follow some other pugs on Twitter. Although, I don't tweet for my dog. So, that's progress right? (And, if you want to follow me on Twitter, click HERE!)

What is the point in revealing my insanity, you may be wondering? Well, I recently wrote an article for the Pug Rescue of San Diego County (they rescued our darling Mushu!). Since I am a writer and this is a writing blog, I thought I'd share. I know other dog crazy people will understand. And if you're not a dog crazy person...well, thanks for your patience.

Certain parts of the holiday season are particularly difficult. Dealing with any family drama, ridiculous amounts of eating and drinking, sleeping everywhere but your own bed, all of that jazz. However, the most difficult part of my holiday season was leaving my sweet Mushu in Los Angeles while I was away in Chicago. Oh, he had a wonderful time at his “doggie resort.” He played and romped and was completely exhausted when he came back home. The separation was definitely harder on us than it was on him.

So, it’s no wonder that we showered Mushu with lots of hugs, kisses and presents upon our reunion. He was given several Christmas gifts by his grandparents and took a particular shine to a stuffed cow that makes mooing sounds when you squeeze it. At first, we were concerned that the noise would scare him but the cow (now named “Oliver”) has become his baby. He grooms it and cuddles with it and gnaws at it lovingly. It’s both hilarious and touching to watch him jump all over with Oliver.

Another treat that Mushu particularly loves is deer antlers. We were able to obtain some from a family friend that hunts and did lots to research to find out how to properly prepare them. The ones that we have are approximately six inches long and Mushu thinks they’re pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. He completely ignores his Nyla-bones in favor of the antlers. He will chew on them for hours. The smooth finish on the antlers is now covered with pug teeth marks. The best thing? The antlers are so hard that he hasn’t been able to break them yet. Oh, he’s tried. But so far they’ve outlasted his best efforts.

It’s rather funny that we spend so much money investing in the best food and treats for our furry babies and the things that bring them the most joy are the simple things in life. It reminds me of playing with my Barbie dolls as a child and thinking that there was nothing better than my shoebox car. Hey, it worked! They fit perfectly and my imagination did the rest. Perhaps Mushu feels the same way about Oliver and his antlers. He does not need the fanciest toys or things that light up or move on their own. He’s more than content with what he has. I think that one of my resolutions for 2012 is to take a lesson from my darling pug. Sometimes the only things you really need in the world are a soft toy to lay on and something fun to eat. It’s the little things

Your Collegiate Vocabulary Lesson

2012-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

I've been out of college for a few years. I'm not going to say how many. However, I am glad that no one has ever referred to me as a "slam piece." What's a "Slam Piece," you ask? Well, I have your answer...

The Bro Culture: AKA Things I Learned From My Younger Brother

New Year, New Goals, New Resolutions

2012-01-03T08:49:00.001-08:00

Happy 2012, dear readers! It may be our last year on earth, if the Mayans are correct, so let's live it up!

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? I do, but I have to admit that I've had a hard time keeping them in the past. So, now, I do a little cheat when making my resolutions. I make resolutions that I actually think I'm going to be able to keep. Does that count? I don't know, but I always feel good when I can actually accomplish something. So, I set reasonable goals. ;-)

This year I've set three resolutions:

*To become more familiar with sci fi (reading and watching)
* To do yoga twice a week

* To learn a new word every day

So far the sci fi and the vocabulary have been smooth sailing. I purchased some sci fi at Half Price Books and I've been watching The X Files. No problems there. New words? Also not an issue. There's an app for that. I can see the yoga tripping me up, but I need to do it. New Year's Resolutions are supposed to be about self improvement, right? They aren't supposed to be totally easy.

2012. Let's do this. Namaste.

I'm Just Going to Say It: Vampires Shouldn't Sparkle

2011-10-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

What? They shouldn't! Vampires are evil creatures of the undead. Sparkly creatures need not apply.

Clearly, I'm not a huge fan of the Twilight series. Beyond the sparkly vampires, though, I have real issues with the heroine: Bella Swan. These books are beloved by millions of young girls, right? And, yet, the heroine is so WEAK. Seriously. She's willing to give up her humanity for a boy that she meets in high school and who treats her like dirt. The whole message is: "Your life is worthless if a man doesn't love you!" No thanks. I think our young women deserve better role models. Here are some suggestions:

Top Ten Fictional Female Role Models That Are Better Than Twilight's Bella Swan

Pencil Skirts, Day Drinking and Mad Men

2011-09-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I do mourn for the past (obvs. I mean, just check out my previous blog entry)! I didn't grow up in the 60s, but I think I would have loved it. Yes, things were harder for women. Yes, it was a turbulent time. However, it was a time of great social change. People just seemed to CARE more, you know?

This article isn't about social change or caring. However, it is about good manners. And if we're all nice to each other, maybe we can change the world that way.

New Fall 2011 Trend: Chivalry

Choose Your Own (Life) Adventure

2011-09-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've begun writing a screenplay. I KNOW! It's incredibly Hollywood of me. I've never thought of myself as a screenwriter and, frankly, I may totally suck at it. I'm going to give it a go though. I have a story in me that needs to be told. I've been going through some "life stuff" lately. It's too painful to write about in its purest truth, so I need to create a fictional metaphor to deal with it. Hence, the screenplay.

I sat down today and tried to write. I managed to write a mini-treatment so I was sure I knew where the story was going. Beyond that? I sat and thought, not only about the story, but about all the roads not taken.

We all have things that we didn't do in life. Maybe you didn't ask the cute boy to the prom in high school. Maybe you really wish you'd majored in interpretive dance like you secretly dreamed of doing. Whatever it is, we all have our regrets.

I began to wonder if maybe there are just too many options. I know, the world's my oyster and all that. Sometimes I just wish that I had a manual: if you do this, this will happen. Take this road and these doors will open...

What if I'd joined the Peace Corps like I'd wanted to? How would my life be different?

What if we'd never left Chicago?

What if I'd studied abroad?

What if I'd gotten my master's degree?

And so on and so forth.

When I was in grade school I really enjoyed the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. (Did I just date myself? Are those overwhelmingly 90s?) I always cheated. Don't like outcome of the story? Quick, go back and take the other path! Choose a different ending!

I guess the point of this rambling post is that sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could turn back time and choose a different ending. Or at least, see what might have been.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled lives. Hope you're happy with your adventure.

Our New Little Addition

2011-09-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Boyfriend and I have been together for a good long tme. I'm not going to reveal how long, lest I reveal our true ages, but suffice to say that we've been together through the return of bell bottoms and skinny jeans. We've lived together in LA for nearly four years and we decided the time had come. We were going to make that commitment. We were going to expand our family.

We were going to adopt a dog.

We'd been thinking about it for a really long time. Almost four years, in fact. I've always wanted a pug and The Boyfriend was totally down with that notion. We're both hippies at heart so we decided on a rescue as opposed to going to a breeder or a pet store.

(Side Note: Seriously, please don't go to a pet store. I'm not one of those crazy PETA people, what with my love of a good steak and a leather bag, but puppy mills are major no nos. No animal lover wants this to be the reality for their four legged friend.)

We did our research. Oh, boy, did we research. The Boyfriend is obsessive about information. It's a good quality, but exhausting, too. We have a 29 gallon aquarium and he painstakingly researched every type of tropical fish that went into it. What they liked to eat, what fish they'd get along with, even their personality traits. He is nothing if not thorough.

Our research lead us to Pug Rescue of San Diego County. Yes, I know that we live in Los Angeles. Yes, I know that San Diego is two hours away. And, yes, I know that there are pug rescue societies in LA. However, PRSDC had Mushu an adorable 3 year old pug who had been relinquished by his family because they recently got a more dominant dog.

I fell in love with Mushu right away. The Boyfriend fell in love with Mushu. We immediately contacted the society and they put us in touch with Mushu's awesome foster mom. After speaking to her, we knew that he was the perfect pug for us. And that, gentle reader, is how I would up getting up at 5am on a Saturday, driving to San Diego for a pancake breakfast, and returning with a pug.

I have to say, I'm a tad terrified right now. I imagine people with newborns feel the same way. You're so thrilled with your new baby. He or she is everything you've ever dreamed of. But now there's this living thing. And it depends on you. This, my friends, is going to be an adventure. I'll keep you posted.

It's Friday, I'm in Love!

2011-08-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not Friday. Sorry about that. I know, I'm disappointed too. Of course, I don't know when you're reading this. Maybe it is Friday. In which case, yay!

No matter what day you're reading this, I invite you to check out my article on The Zeros Before the One. I decode the mysterious male "hello" and we also learn our days of the week in a way that kindergarten never prepared us for.

Days of the Week Dating

Does the Facebook Fork Go On the Right or the Left?

2011-08-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Because the thing that society really needs is something else with ill defined rules. Check out my latest article for Commentarista:

The Etiquette of the Social Network.

Ironically, I wrote this article before I joined Twitter. Now I have to learn those rules, too. Tips are appreciated.

A Hollywood Urban Legend.

2011-08-03T21:52:00.001-07:00

The following story is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Okay, I actually don't know if this story is true. I heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend, and so on. This is one of those stories that every assistant really WANTS to be true. It floats around like an urban legend. However, I have invented names. So, that still applies.

The story goes like this: there was an assistant, we'll call her Charlotte, who worked for an executive who we'll call Simon. Simon, like many entertainment execs, was...to put it bluntly, an asshole. He demanded, he demeaned, he bullied...really just take the worst possible traits a human being can have and then give him an ego the size of the Hollywood sign.

One day, poor Charlotte decided that she'd had it. She was through suffering his abuse with a smile. It came to a head when he kept throwing irrational demands at her while she was trying to schedule a trip to the Sundance Film Festival for him.

"Make sure that I'm in the third row, seventh seat for every screening I go to. But I don't know what movies I want to see, so just secure that seat for every available screening of every movie."

"I want to have dinner with Bob Redford. No, I don't know him. Make it happen."

"Make sure that I'm not sitting next to a fat person on the plane."

Our heroine had reached her breaking point. We've all got one. She knew she needed to get out. But how? Simply quitting wasn't enough. Not after all the stunts that he had pulled.

Charlotte played the part of the dutiful assistant while plotting her escape. She wrote up a detailed itinerary for Simon, mapping out all of his insane requests. She included confirmation numbers, reservation codes and phone numbers. Simon was pleased with the it...well, as pleased as he could be.

Until, that is, he got to the airport. Because, gentle reader, his airline confirmation? Didn't match any flight. The hotel? Sorry, no such reservation in our system. And Mr. Redford still didn't know that he existed.

And what of our heroine, lovely Charlotte? No one's exactly sure. After Simon left for the airport, she cancelled her cell phone number, deleted her email address and left LA in her rear view mirror. We can only hope that she's somewhere safe, happy and not being abused.

Charlotte, where ever you are, whoever you are, we salute you.

Would I Jump Off a Bridge If Everyone Else Was Doing It?

2011-07-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

I guess the answer is yes. That's right, gentle reader. I have joined the dark side. I am now on...Twitter. I'm a tweeter. I'm tweeting. Whatevs. I'm there. I never thought I'd do it. Twitter seemed too new fangled for my liking. However, a dear friend convinced me that it was a good move for my writing career. She was incredibly persuasive and the more I thought about it, the more I realised that she was right. So, I guess there's nothing else to say except:

Elisabeth Fitzgerald on Twitter

Don't worry, I'll still be updating this blog frequently. 140 characters? Please. It takes me that long to explain what I do for a living.

Think Before You Speak

2011-07-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hey, I admit it. I'm the first person to make a joke in an uncomfortable situation. Humor is my defense mechanism. My sister does this, too. We've discussed it at length, and we're pretty sure it comes from our father. Sometimes it's easier to just go for the joke.

However.

I need to remember that words can be hurtful and sometimes making "light" of a situation can really be making it worse. Check out my newest piece for Commentarista, and you'll see what I mean.

Stick and Stones May Break My Bones...And Words Can Hurt, Too

One of the most overused phrases of this decade has got to be "in this economy." Nevertheless, IN THIS ECONOMY we should all try to be extra sensitive to the problems of our friends.

I'll Take Door #2, Please

2011-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

There are two sets of frosted glass doors to enter the floor where my office is located. I have a key fab for one of them, and go in and out of those doors several times a day. However, across the elevator bay sits another set of doors. They look the same as the first set, but they are not. I don't know where they lead. I've never seen anyone go in or out. They are the Mystery Doors.

What wonders lie behind the Mystery Doors? A balcony overlooking Wilshire Boulevard? A break room filled with coffee and donuts and (possibly) booze? A magical resting place with couches and a TV that plays nothing but Family Guy, The Office and Absolutely Fabulous? Oh, the possibilities!

Yes, I know it's probably a conference room or an executive office suite. However, I spend the majority of my day sitting at a table that doubles as a desk organizing other people's lives. Let me dream.

Online Dating and Catholic Mothers

2011-07-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

What do they both have in common? Guilt trips (sorry, Mom. I love you!). Seriously, it's easier to break up with an actual partner than it is to cancel a dating profile. Don't believe me? Check out my latest article for THE ZEROS BEFORE THE ONE.

Warning! Deleting This Dating Profile May Lead to a Solitary Life and Dying Alone

Does this count as a science experiment?

Table for One

2011-07-10T16:07:00.001-07:00

While I have a preference for solitude, I don't often do things alone. Maybe it's because I'm in a long term relationship. Maybe it's because I don't really do a whole lot unless one of my awesome friends invites me. Whatever the reason, I'm not much of a "for one" girl. However, that all changed on Friday night.

Let me set the scene for you. Friday night. Beverly Hills, California. I was meeting a friend in Santa Monica for a 7:30pm movie and my work day ends at 5:00pm. The commute time between downtown BH and the movie theatre is roughly 40 minutes. So, I had some time to kill. And, due to a crazy pre-production schedule, I hadn't eaten since 8am. Cranky is not a strong enough word to describe my mood. Flaming bitch might have come a little closer. Translation? I needed to eat, pronto.

My friend was having drinks with former co-workers, so I was on my own to find sustenance. After parking what felt like a mile away I trudged my giant bag, laptop and weary bones to a small cafe on Montana Ave. Any trepidation that I had about eating alone was overshadowed by my intense hunger.

Thankfully, my waitress had a good sense of humor and didn't blink an eye when I greeted her not with "Hello," not with "Good evening," but with "white wine, please!" The wine appeared almost instantly and I suddenly realised that I was sitting in a crowded restaurant...all by myself. Ordinarily, I would have worried about looking "uncool," but I'm not 18 anymore. So...who really cares if I'm uncool? I pulled out my trusty Kindle, loaded up a script and sipped my wine. Other than a brief conversation with the older couple sitting next to me about said Kindle, I enjoyed my BLT and wine(s) in solitude, And, you know what? It was pretty awesome. I never felt awkward or embarrassed to be alone. If anything, I felt in control and mysterious. Plus, everything moved at my pace, no waiting for anyone else. That alone was worth the price of the meal.

I've never been to the movies by myself. I kind of want to see HORRIBLE BOSSES. Hmm...

Industry As A Second Language

2011-06-23T08:22:00.001-07:00

Hollywood isn't like any other place. Where else would you find an entire city obsessed by the world of make believe? Of course, there's nothing truer than the old statement "it's not showFRIENDS, it's showBUSINESS. " This is, most definitely, a business. And, like any business, it comes with its own set of rules and regulations. Lesson One: Language. I majored in Spanish and speak it fluently, but nothing prepared me for this.

Hollywood Lingo

Click the link above to check out the article I wrote for Commentarista about surviving Hollywood speak. Don't worry, there's no quiz.

Give me a T! Give me a V!

2011-06-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

I really could sub-head this post: The Things I Do for Money.

It's no secret that times are tough, economically speaking. Most of us will do whatever we can for some additional money. In my case, that even included...audience work.

What's audience work, you ask? Well, let me explain. Do you ever watch television shows that are "filmed in front of a live studio audience"? These can include game shows, variety programs, talk shows, etc. It may surprise you to hear that a lot of times the audiences for those shows are paid. It's pretty good work, actually. Easy enough, really, and you can meet some interesting people.

Except.

The last show I worked stuck me in the front row. I get it. I was wearing a nice black dress. Totally camera appropriate. However, those shows usually want cheering and enthusiasm. That gets really taxing after about four takes for even the most cheerful and enthusiastic of people. And, honey, I am not the most cheerful and enthusiastic of people. We were there for about six hours with no bathroom break, no water and only a candy bar to keep our sugar up and energy high. Unfortunately, all that did was give me a massive headache. I apologise to the good people casting that particular show. You asked for this:

And this is me:

I should probably sit in the back next time.

The Name Game

2011-06-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

It seems to be a source of great debate. Should a woman keep her last name after she gets married? In these days where the divorce rate is 50%, is changing your name more trouble than it's worth?

Frankly, I'm all for name changing, but I have a really rough last name (and, no, it's not Fitzgerald). Check out my newest article at The Zeros Before the One and let me know where you stand on the whole debate.

What's in a Name?

Part of the raw food movement?

2011-06-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

Lately, The Boyfriend has become addicted to Groupon, the site where you can find lots of cool deals on things in your area. Like me, he's not one to pass up a deal so we've found ourselves with a lot of interesting things (ie a dental cleaning at a local clinic -- only $25!). Last night he presented me with a Groupon for a Korean BBQ joint in our neighborhood. I'd never had Korean BBQ before, but what the heck? I'm cultured, right?

We walked in and were instantly greeted by men in white chef's aprons screaming at us. Straight up screaming. I jumped about ten feet and cowered near The Boyfriend. He smiled politely and gave them our name, quietly pointing out to me that they were just saying hello. Strike one for me.

The waiter lead us to a table in the back. It was a large table for two people, with a grill in the middle. That gave me immediate pause. What the heck was a grill doing there? Did I...did I have to cook the food myself? Wasn't the point of going to a restaurant to have someone else do the cooking for me?

The shouting continued as we attempted to order. It took several tries, but we finally got our point across to the lovely-yet-not-English-speaking gentleman waiting on us. The Boyfriend gazed at me tenderly and leaned over to whisper in my ear:

"Calm down. You look petrified."

Strike two for me.

The food began to arrive. There were a few vegetables I couldn't identify and a few meats that I could. As I feared, it was raw. The Boyfriend and I exchanged a glance. "It'll be fine," he said firmly. "It's an adventure. You love adventures." Well, yes, but not if they could possibly end in food poisoning.

After figuring out how to turn the table on, The Boyfriend began to throw things onto the grill. I watched cautiously, nibbling on some broccoli. "Here," he said, piling some cooked meat on to my plate. "You're supposed to wrap it in the lettuce. Go on."

I tentatively took a bite. It was good. 'Nother bite. REALLY good. Huh. Maybe there was something to this cook-your-own-BBQ after all.

The place was an all you can eat joint, and The Boyfriend takes FULL advantage of things like that. We didn't leave until nearly 10:30 at night. By that point, I had come around to the idea of Korean BBQ...although the three gin and tonics that I had consumed may have aided in my epiphany.

I cheerfully bounced out of the restaurant, smiling at the staff that I passed. Once again, they shouted at us.

"GOOD BYE! THANK YOU!" I shouted back. The Boyfriend shook his head.

Strike three for me.

Is It Time for Me To Accept the Inevitable?

2011-05-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday on Friday. Even though I'm [age redacted], I'm still a fan of my birthday. Heck, I'm a fan of any excuse to throw a party. Plus, today is the American holiday of Memorial Day and it's always neat when my birthday falls in line with a three day weekend.

Why am I telling you all this, you wonder? Is it because I'm an ego maniac? Well, maybe, but I do have a point,I swear.

In my line of work, I have to read a lot of scripts. You have to be up on the latest and greatest if you want to be able to participate in the game and I was starting to fall behind. It wasn't convenient for me to do a ton of script reading. My printer is less than perfect, ink is expensive and it's wasteful to print that much. And you can't exactly cuddle with a laptop in bed at night.

My darling boyfriend (who is also in the industry) recognized this and took pity on me, buying me a Kindle for my birthday. I have been diligently avoiding e-readers for quite some time now. I'm not a techno-phobe, per se, but I truly love books. I love holding them and the way they smell and the rustling sound of pages being turned. I used to work in a library and I could get lost in the stacks for hours.

So, you can see why I approached the Kindle with extreme caution. I mean, it's nice. It really is. It's very light weight and it holds a lot of files. But...it's not a book. It's lacking the soul of the printed word.

Or is it?

As a writer, I have to recognize the value of the e-book. To quote Bob Dylan: the times, they are a-changing. A reasonably priced e-book is a great way to get your work out there and reach a broader audience. Case in point? Amazon has a "deals" page in their e-book section. Lots of things are either free or under $2. So I downloaded a couple of them. I had never heard of any of the authors, but the synopses sounded interesting and, hey, FREE. And, you know what? If I like these authors I will surely go and seek out further works by them. As a reader, it's virtually risk free. As a writer, it's a great marketing tool.

Plus, I gotta say, it's a lot easier to curl up at night with the Kindle.

Am I still on the fence about this? Yes. And I will continue to frequent my local library and buy actual, physical books. However, I think there's a big possibility that there's room for all types of technology in the bibliophile's world.

One thing I'm not on the fence about? This awesome gift from a dear friend.

In case you can't tell, it says "And then Buffy staked Edward. The end." I do love a good literary/Whedonverse joke.

The Agent Mulder of Love at First Sight

2011-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

If you ever watched the X Files, then you probably get the reference in my title. If not, that's okay too. I'm simply saying that I WANT to believe in love at first sight. It's a nice notion, isn't it? Two people are so completely perfect for each other that they know it even before they speak. You know what else is a nice notion? Unicorns.

Cool, right?

In all seriousness, I was very curious about love at first sight. After all, most of my stories do contain some form of love. I enjoy romance. I've never experienced love at first sight, but I've also never seen an alien and I totally believe those exist.

Luckily, there are people out there who have experienced love at first sight and I'm lucky enough to know some of them. Check out some of their experiences (and some thoughts from naysayers) in my new article at The Zeros Before the One:

Isn't it Romantic?

Go, read, take the poll. Vote with your heart, it's totally anonymous.

Siempre Selena!

2011-03-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

We all have our things, don't we? Our "Fandoms," if you will. I have a friend that's completely devoted to all things Star Wars. Another sees every Johnny Depp movie the day it comes out. For me, it's Tejano singer Selena.

Maybe you've heard of her. Selena was immensely famous when she was killed in 1995 at the age of 23. Her death shocked her legions of fans. Her posthumous album "Dreaming of You" went straight to number one and the movie about her live launched Jennifer Lopez's career.

So, today, I remember Selena and all she meant to her fans. To me, she represented all that could be accomplished while still being a good person. Selena was never mean, and always had a smile for everyone. She knew that she was a role model for many young girls and she took that very seriously. She was a bright star that dimmed too quickly. Selena vive para siempre!

The Unbearable Craziness of Being in Love

2011-03-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we behave in ways that we're...less than proud of when we're in love. Blame it on the hormones, blame it on the pheromones, blame it on the alcohol. Whatever it is, it can turn normal people into love crazed maniacs! So, of course, I had to write about it. Check out my latest article for the hilarious relationship blog The Zeros Before the Ones.

Crazy in Love or Just Plain Crazy?

It's super fun, I promise. I talk about these two chuckleheads.

And whether or not a pair of these can change your life.

Go on! It's a fun way to procrastinate.

The Best Gift I Ever Received

2011-03-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Confession time: I'm not the most forthcoming person when it comes to my writing. As you may have guessed, Elisabeth Fitzgerald isn't my real name and I'm always hesitant to proclaim "I am a writer!" I don't know why. I AM a writer. There is no question about that. I suppose, when it comes down to brass tacks, I am afraid of judgement. Not necessarily judgement from strangers (please, agents, judge me! Read my work! I'm begging you!) but judgement from people that I consider to be my friends.

You're probably wondering what the heck this has to do with my best present ever. I'm getting to that, I swear. The one person that I was never shy to share my work with was my maternal grandmother. She was SO PROUD of everything that I did. Case in point: when I was very young, probably about 7 or 8, my grandma went into the hospital for a routine procedure and I decided to write her a story to cheer her up (I had already decided that my purpose in life was to write).

Of course, being a child, I had no concept of why people went into the hospital. My mom had gone once and had returned home with my little sister. I was pretty sure that my grandma wasn't going to bring home a baby, but beyond that... So I went with the one disease that every kid understands: tonsillitis. You know, the one where you got to eat tons of ice cream? Okay, that wasn't my grandma's problem either, but it was more interesting than a dumb old baby.

Little Me proudly wrote a story about a girl named Nancy (even at that age I was obsessed with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) who got her tonsils out. It all turned out for the best, because Nancy was super brave and got lots of love and ice cream after her surgery.

That simple little book, written in red crayon and complete with stick figure drawings, hung on my grandmother's wall until she died seven years later. She was proud of my little story and proud of my accomplishments. That, in turn, made me proud.

My grandma was also responsible for my all time best gift. She had the habit of giving all the grandchildren presents on birthdays, even if it wasn't your birthday. She didn't want anyone to feel left out. So, one year for my sister's birthday my grandmother slipped a box into my lap. It was a shirt box, like the kind you'd get from Marshall Field's or Carson's. But it was what was inside that made me so happy...

Writing supplies.

Remember, this was before the age of computers (yeah, I'm the last generation that pre-dates the internet) and I was a child. I wrote by hand. Pen to paper. And that was just what my grandma had given me. A box full of notebooks and pens (blue and black!) not to mention a binder, fasteners and paper reinforcers. It was a simple gift, to be sure. It was also one of the most touching gifts I've ever received and it's only as an adult that I realized why. My grandmother knew the real me. She was encouraging my writing, even with this simple gesture. It's like she said: "Go, create."

So now I shall. Thanks, Grandma.

My maternal grandparents...the most special people a girl could have been blessed with.

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, But They're All Dead by February 17th (So Why the Valentine's Day Hype?)

2011-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

So, it's Valentine's Day. You'd think, as an enjoyer of silly love songs, a watcher of sitcoms and a reader/writer of pink-covered, girly books that I would be all about the V-Day.

You'd think wrong.

Yeah, Valentine's Day just doesn't do it for me. When I'm coupled I feel just as "Meh" about it as I did when I was single. It started out as a religious holiday (honoring a saint that was beheaded, fyi), but the rampant commercialism has made it feel cheap. It seems like a day that's made for us to feel "less than." No boyfriend? LESS THAN! No date? LESS THAN! No flowers? LESS THAN!

Frankly, I've got enough in my life making me feel "less than." I don't need Hallmark to do it, too. That's why I was honored when The Zeros Before the One asked me to write an article about how to make it through Valentine's Day unscathed. It can be done! Read the call to action here:

How to Prevent Your Own Personal Valentine's Day Massacre

Let's avoid this today.

Unless it's in your DVD player, of course.

Not with a Whisper, but with a Shout

2011-01-31T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not what you would call a religious person. I suppose I'd probably be spiritual, at best, but the idea of God raises a lot of questions for me.

But sometimes there are signs. And I think I've received a few this week.

I've been stalled on my WIP. It's like it ran out of gas. I've tried to work around it, writing other projects, considering scenes from other points of view, etc. Unfortunately, nothing has really jarred my imagination. You know what finally got me moving?

Rejection.

Yup, you read that right. This week I have received 2 rejection letters for my novel BECOMING MAGDALENE, from agents that I queried nearly six months ago. It sparked something inside me. Some little voice said "Oh, hey, remember this! It's called being a writer. You TOTALLY do this!"

And, you know what? I totally do.

Sometimes the best motivation is someone telling you "no."

ROW ~ Check in Fourth the Win! #lamepun

2011-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

First off, I apologise for the incredibly lame joke. I'm feeling punny tonight.

Yeah, I apologise for that one too.

This week went pretty well, if I do say so myself. I think my routine has adjusted itself to be a Monday-Friday one. That's okay. I write on the weekends, just not as much. It's working for me and that's the point, right?

PS Did anyone else watch the Golden Globes tonight? And, if you did, did you think that the fashion theme was Dynasty-Meets-the-Golden-Girls? Can't wait to see who brings the crazy to the Oscars.

ROW 80 ~ Third Check In...It's Like an Antibiotic, Right?

2011-01-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

If you miss your goal one day, you make it up the next, right? I've been trying to get back on track this week. So far, so good. The only problem is that I am at a sticking point in my story, so it's hard to get enthused. I figure that the only thing I can do is write myself out of this slump. Here's hoping I'm batting a thousand for the next check in (is that good? I don't know baseball).

ROW80 Check In #2 ~ Or, the One Where I Fall Off a Bit

2011-01-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

Well, perhaps I shouldn't have jumped the proverbial gun. I did a lot of writing for the ROW80 Second Check In, but I did not accomplish my goal every day. Want my laundry list of excuses?

1. I was sick (I was! And I also had the NyQuil hangover that goes along with trying to make yourself better).

2. I was seeing Ben Affleck! Come on, that gives me some points, right?

3. My bestie was in from Vegas. So, we did the brunching, shopping, tattooing thing (her, not me. Tattoos look extremely painful).

So, those are my excuses as to why I missed a day and a half on my goals. And you know what? None of them are really good or acceptable. Writers write. I apologise. I will be better this week. I promise! Onward and upward.

Overheard in LA and a Nerd Alert

2011-01-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

You know those conversations that you always hear about but never actually hear for yourself? They're so funny that you think the person telling you about them must be making them up. Well, my friends, I assure you I am not making this up.

Overheard in Los Angeles (and, it must be noted, said in an extremely braggy tone):

"Well, I was talking to Naomi Watts, she comes into my Coffee Bean all the time, and she said that the script went through a ton of changes."

Maybe you had to be there, but this was hilarious. The overwhelming "Know It All" tone turned an innocuous sentence into something that struck me (and my companion) as beyond hilarious. Only in LA.

Speaking of things that only happen in LA, would you allow me a brief nerd moment? Thank you. Okay, here's my full confession. I love Ben Affleck. Love him. I've loved him since GOOD WILL HUNTING and I am nothing if not loyal. I held on through GIGLI and DAREDEVIL and I'm thrilled that he's getting some recognition as a director. There was a special screening of THE TOWN last night (have you seen it? See it, it's awesome, and it also has Jon Hamm) and my future husband was doing a Q & A after. My dear friend called me as soon as she heard about this event and we immediately bought tickets (it should be noted that my awesome friend is not a huge Affleck fan but she is, as previously stated, an awesome friend).

We got there early and got seats near the front. That's right. I was less than 20 feet from BEN. He looked at tad homeless, but still gorgy.

I'm not the type that goes gaga over celebs (it would make work difficult), but there's always that one that makes your hands shake a little. Who is it for you?

ROW 80 ~ Check In, the First

2011-01-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

The first 5 days of A Round of Word in 80 Days is complete. 75 days left!

I'm proud to say that I've met my goal for each day, so far. I certainly hope I can keep up this up. One of my Not Quite Resolutions for 2011 is to finish the first draft of my WIP...and come up with a decent title. I'm terrible at titles.

I'm also terrible at blogging today. So sorry. I seem to have come down with a touch of la gripe. I assume this is from my boss coming to work with the plague. Oh, well. I'll be back on my feet by Sunday (hopefully).

A Round of Words in 80 Days, Parte Dos

2010-12-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of the glories of A Round of Words in 80 Days is that it allows you to set your own goals. As I prefer to be my own boss, I think that this is pretty much awesome. When I posted yesterday, I did not have a word count yet but I think I've settled on...

650-1000 words a day.

It seems reasonable. It allows some flexibility and holds me accountable, which I need. So, there you have it. Now fly, dear readers, and have a wonderful holiday season. I'll catch you on the proverbial flipside. Here's to a happy, healthy, prosperous and productive 2011.

A Round of Words in 80 Days.

2010-12-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

My good friend, and awesome author, Madison Leigh turned me on to a new type of writing challenge: A Round of Words in 80 Days. I've tried NaNo and that didn't work as I had planned. I fell behind, became hopelessly overwhelmed and kind of shut down. Not exactly stimulating to the creative process. A Round of Words in 80 Days proposes the perfect solution to this: you set your own word count and work on your WIP for 80 days, at your own pace with your own goals. Hey, I know you've got a life to deal with. I've got one, too. But the stories are inside, just waiting to come out. Don't they deserve a life, too?

The new round starts January 3rd. If you want to sign up, simply click the link at the top...or click right here: http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com

PS No, I haven't set my word count yet. I will ASAP!

Hash Tags and a Hilarious Line from Family Guy

2010-11-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Does anyone watch Family Guy? I know the humor isn't for everyone, but I really enjoy it. One of their running gags is that Brian, the snarky talking dog, is a failed writer. On

a recent episode he talks about giving up his dream after his first book is a terrible failure. Stewie, the psychopathic talking baby, responds with a classic line:

"You can't give up writing. It's the only thing giving your alcoholism any credibility."

Oh, Family Guy. Hilarious. Off color, sure, but my guess is that Ernest Hemmingway and Truman Capote would have laughed, too.

I don't Tweet. It's one of those things that I feel a little old for. A friend of mine swears that most Twitter members (Tweeters?) are folks in their twenties, but I don't know. I still feel like "You damn kids and your music. Get off my lawn."

However, I do love the "hash tag" thing that's happening on Twitter. I feel like it opens up tons of comedic possibilities. I want to start using it in daily life, like on Facebook or texting or instant messages or random emails. Really, think of the potential...

FACEBOOK STATUS:

Elisabeth Fitzgerald is avoiding work but spending quality time with TiVo. #ProcrastinationMeansYourCreditCardDebtWillNeverBePaid #RealLifeShouldBeLikeLawandOrder

TEXT MESSAGE:

323.555.0185: Dude, wat happnd 2 u lst nite? U left the club early. :(

310.555.6793: Met an awesome girl, went to her place. It wuz da bomb! #BadDecisions #CoyoteUgly #DoesThisLookLikeAWartToYou

INSTANT MESSAGE:

Friend 1: Hi!

Friend 2: I am away from my computer right now. #Lying #PretendingToHaveALife

EMAIL:

Dear Boss,

I will be late today. I have an emergency doctor's appointment but I hope it will go quickly.

Thanks,

Employee #PossibleJobInterview #TooMuchPartying

Yeah, I think we need to start hash tagging more. It can only lead to good things.

For example, I could tag this post #GoWorkOnYourBook #FamilyGuyReadsSouls. Or just #ThanksForSpendingTimeHere

T Minus an Hour and a Half

2010-10-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

...until it's November 1st. And you know what that means?

NANO WRIMO!

(National Novel Writing Month)

Good luck to all those participating. I'll catch you on the flip side.

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions...

2010-10-26T22:51:00.001-07:00

Well, I still have some more movies to post but I am not sure that I am going to make my 31 Horror Movies in 31 Days goal. I had to return to Chicago to deal with a family emergency, and my viewing schedule got all messed up. Damn it all! I tried to watch some scary movies at home, but I was forced to sleep on my parents' couch (with the dog on my chest) and sometimes my father likes to stay up late watching "Gettysburg" which is fine, except that he knows every line and it's not really a scary movie. Oh, and it has a lot of horses. Why are horses bad, you ask? Well, remember the aforementioned dog? You know, the one that was sleeping on my chest? Well, said dog either really likes or really hates horses. We're not sure. Regardless, when he sees one on the TV he jumps up, goes flying at the TV and barks loudly at the horses. When they're not on screen, he has to check behind to the television to see where they've gone to. Eventually he calms down and goes back to where he was (sleeping on me). Unfortunately for me, there are a ton of horses in "Gettysburg," so my night consisted of the dog jumping on and off of my chest. Who knew that such a cutie pie could cause so much trouble?

Never fear, though, I am still diligently watching horror flicks and will update with all my viewings and my thoughts after Halloween. I know, you can't wait, right? Patience is a virtue, dear friend.

However, apropos of nothing, I will share with you this awesome vintage dress that I found at the dollar sale over the weekend. It was a dollar! It's awesome! I can't wait to wear it! A friend is having a party at a swanky Hollywood club next month...what do you think? Too much? Not enough? Hey, Elisabeth, it's not 1970?

You can just ignore Ol' Mr. Bones on the doorknob. He's just hanging out until All Hallow's Eve.

A Letter.

2010-10-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

Dear Pinched Nerve in My Neck,

Please stop being pinched. It's hurting me. It's also rendering me unable to do certain things. Like write. Or hold my head up without pain. Or eat soup. Do you know how hard it is to eat soup when you can't tilt your neck down? Really difficult. And I really like soup.

So, please unpinch yourself if you can. It would be much appreciated.

Love You Lots,
Elisabeth

31 Days of Halloween

2010-10-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

October is my absolute favorite month of the year. Besides being my the month in which my Beloved was born and my parents were married it is also the month in which we celebrate HALLOWEEN! Yes, friends, this is the month of all things scary. Ghosts, goblins, things that go bump in the night...I love 'em all. Every October I make it my perogative to watch a scary movie daily. It makes me happy and I like to share my happiness with a world. So, I've decided to post about my scary movie watching experiences. Enjoy!

ALIEN

This was a double whammy. It's also on Empire's 500 Movies to See Before You Die, which I am trying to work my way through. ALIEN is an amazing movie and one that should be seen by everyone. It's scary, holds up really well and features Sigourney Weaver kicking ass. Check it out!

MUM and DAD

This movie isn't for everyone. It's pretty violent. It's a British movie about a girl who is kidnapped by a family that has an...odd lifestyle. The acting is pretty good, and I found myself actually caring about the characters, which is rare in a horror film.

CHRISTINE

Aah, a classic. A movie based on a Stephen King book that is actually good. Another rarity in the horror world. This movie taught me to fear classic cars. And also to kind of be in awe of them. What does that say about me?

THE NEW DAUGHTER

Um....Kevin Costner. In a direct to DVD horror movie. That I got for free from Redbox. 'Nuff said.

AMITYVILLE 2: THE POSSESSION

This is a complete rip-off of THE EXORCIST and, for some incomprehensible

reason, I can't get enough of it. It seems like it takes

place before the first AMITYVILLE movie, but no real time line is ever given.

The title pretty much explains the movie. It's a POSSESSION!

LET ME IN

This is currently playing in theatres, possibly in one near you. It's the American remake of the

fantastically awesome Swedish film LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. And, really, it's pretty much the same movie as the original. I enjoyed it greatly, but it furthered my theory that people need to learn to read subtitles. Check out the original from Netflix or take a date to the theatre to catch the American version of this excellent vampire flick. You won't be dissapointed.

COMMUNE

This is a truly independent movie. Low budget, smaller actors...but, still, an interesting story and very good direction. The bonus is that this film was written, directed and produced by a woman and I always support my fellow Ladies of Cinema. There aren't enough films by women, so COMMUNE was a breath of fresh air in that respect.

SLEEPAWAY CAMP 3: TEENAGE WASTELAND

Another awesome 80s horror movie. I have all three of these movies, but I chose to watch them backwards. Are they better that way? Meh, probably not. The best part about these slasher flicks is that they know exactly what they are -- B Level Gory Horror -- and they embrace it. Combine relatives of famous people (Pamela Springsteen, Tracy Griffith), sassy one liners, absurd deaths, paper thin characters...80s horror at its best.

TRAIN

Despite the presence of AMERICAN BEAUTY's Thora Birch, this horror movie set in Eastern Europe is essentially a low rent version of HOSTEL. And as I didn't really care much for HOSTEL in the first place, I was less than thrilled by its imitator.

SLEEPAWAY CAMP 2: UNHAPPY CAMPERS

My personal favorite out of the triology. Here we get to see an adult Angela Baker and what has become of her. Poor Angela. She still can't catch a break at camp, but that's okay. She'll show those bad kids whose boss! Pamela Springsteen (sister of Bruce) is the psycho camper and Renee Estevez (sister of Emilio and Charlie Sheen) is the virginal girl that may or may not ma

ke it. This film is completely worth watching for the death of one character...a nasty "Mean Girl." Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

SARAH'S CHILD

This movie about a woman who wants a child so badly that she spontaneously made one appear was more like a Lifetime movie than a genuine horror flick. Yeah, the child may or may not have been evil but it was hard to look past the lousy production values and over acting long enough to care.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

Full confession: I LOVED Paranormal Activity. Like, LOVED it. If someone comes to my house and they haven't seen it, I insist that they watch it. I think that it's an excellent horror movie. It's scary, effective and the relationship between the main characters is real and compelling.

Paranormal 2 is more of the same scares, but they're still effective. And I loved the way they kept the original main characters in the story. If you've seen, and enjoyed, Paranormal 2 then be sure to check out Paranormal 2.

976-EVIL

Fun fact: this was directed by Robert "Freddy Krueger" England. It's a fun film, about a dangerous 976 number that gives callers more than they bargained for. If you dig 80s horror movies, then this one is for you.

976-EVIL 2

Let's be honest here. The first movie wasn't that great. The sequel was not as good. Nuff said?

HELLRAISER 2

The first three Hellraiser movies are awesome! The others...not so much. Especially once they put Pinhead in space. I firmly believe that every horror franchise jumps the shark when they decide to do a space movie. That said, the second Hellraiser was a very good sequel. It picked up right where the first left off and it didn't spare the gore. Viva Pinhead!

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

Yet another exorcism movie that wants to be, but isn't, The Exorcist. This one is lucky enough to feature amazing performances from Jennifer Carpenter, Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson. It's more of a courtroom drama than a horror movie, but there are enough scary scenes to drive fear into the heart of anyone that believes in evil.

LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III

I own this on DVD. Don't judge me. It's fairly hilarious and has a young Viggo Mortensen as one of the cannibalistic killers. That said, it's really subpar. Although, not as bad as the Texas Chainsaw remake with Jessica Biel.

MY SUPER PSYCHO SWEET SIXTEEN

Why did TiVo record "My Super Psycho Sweet Sixteen" for me? Why did I watch it? It should have been called "montage of scantily clad teenagers set to music I don't recognise because I am ten years beyond MTV's target demographic." And there was underage drinking. CHILDREN! Be good.

UNEARTHED

This film was featured After Dark's 8 Films to Die for fest. Evil things live underground and kill when they're awoken. Meh. I liked it when it was Tremors.

UNREST

Another of the 8 Films to Die for, this one about a medical student whose cadaver has deadly intentions. Not great, but definitely not terrible. A solid entry to that film festival.

MY SUPER PSYCHO SWEET 16 PART 2

Okay, I totally asked TiVo to record this for me. And I'm not even sorry! It was super fun. A girl was lit on fire and then ran though a party. There was a twist ending. And more montage hilarity. Well, played, MTV. Well played indeed.

SAW

Oh, Saw franchise. What will I do now that you aren't releasing a new movie every Halloween? Granted, I havent'seen one in the theatres since Saw III, but still. It's the end of an era. And, to celebrate that I decided to watch the first, and best, of the series.

RINGU

The Japanese film that "The Ring" was based on. The rare thing about both Ringu and The Ring is that they are both terrific movies. Scary in similar yet not exactly the same way. I actually prefer Ringu because it has more of the mysticism that Japanese horror movies are famous for.

AUDREY ROSE

I love this 1970s horror movie starring a young Anthony Hopkins. It's about reincarnation and what happens when the soul is not at rest. It's not particularly scary, but it is very intriguing.

THE EXORCIST

Hands down, the scariest movie of all time. I'm not saying that to be cool. It's legitimately terrifying. When I told my mother that I was going to watch it on Halloween, her response was "Alone?! In the dark?! I'll pray for you." Maybe it's just because I was raised Catholic, or maybe it's because Linda Blair's performace is epically scary, but this is one of the few movies that made me lose sleep at night.

Well, that's that. Happy Halloween, everyone. Be safe and don't overdose on candy!

Shiny Objects!

2010-09-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Some days I feel like I may have a touch of ADD. I just cannot stay on track with anything. I swear, half hour sitcoms were invented for me, because I can't concentrate on anything for longer than 20 minutes.

(To demonstrate, I just had to stop writing this blog in order to IM my friend a picture of the truly unfortunate bangs that Courteney Cox sported in SCREAM 3. Seriously sad. Who did that to that poor woman?

And, can we just talk about the fact that everyone and their mother was in SCREAM 3? Patrick Dempsey! Parker Posey! Carrie Fisher! Scott Foley! Jenny McCarthy! Patrick Warburton! Freakin' Jay and Silent Bob!)

I'm sorry, what was I saying? Oh, yeah. Attention span of a gnat. Well. Think I proved my point on that one.

Unfortunately, the same thing can happen while writing. You're plowing along on one story and it's going B-E-A-utifully. Things are flowing, banter is witty, characters are arching and then it just...stops. Maybe you write yourself into a corner. Maybe you're faced head on with a scene you don't really want to write. But suddenly, it's not so new and shiny anymore.

But, wait, what's that? Why it's a NEW idea! A pretty, fresh idea full of limitless potential. It's so tempting to give up on the hard thing and just start writing the new story. After all, new is always better, right?

Wrong.

Hey, new is great. But, hey, I'm a vintage girl at heart. There are some beautiful treasures out there, just waiting to be rehabilitated. So, take notes on that new idea. It may turn out to be a good one. Just don't give up on the story at hand. No matter what your attention span may be, that story was new once too.

Blogging Random Thoughts from the Emmys.

2010-08-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not there. I wish, kind of. I've done the award show thing and it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's much more fun to sit on the couch, drink wine and make comments. In fact, I think I'm going to share some comments with you! I'm not live blogging, per se, but you know...I'm pre-recorded for an earlier telecast blogging. Don't worry. I'm not going to comment on things that I don't find particularly interesting.

Loving the opening number. Jon Hamm dancing! Also Jane Lynch rocks!

Jon Hamm + Betty White presenting Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy? There's nothing I don't like about that sentence.

Yay for Eric Stonestreet! Love "Modern Family"! (PS Is Jesse Tyler Ferguson crying because he's happy for his co-star or because he didn't win? Thoughts?)

Sophia Vergara's dress is lovely. Gold! Sparkly! Cute accent! Am I the only one that hasn't ever seen "The Big Bang Theory"? And these jokes are falling flat. You know who won't win an Emmy for writing? The Emmys. Hooray for more "Modern Family" love and hooray for writing!

JANE LYNCH for the win of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy! Hell to the yes! My former company did a movie with her and I just love her to death. Go Jane! And she's from the South Side of Chicago! I officially could not love her more.

Lauren Graham and Matthew Perry presenting? Is it 1998?

George Clooney. That's a whole lot of yes right there.

Best actor in a comedy....I guess Alec. I was wrong. Maybe I should start watching this "Big Bang" thing.

Ooh, Kerri Russell is wearing hot pink while she presents with Will Arnett. I like it! I also like Will Arnett. I'm just saying.

Writing in a drama series...I feel it necessary to comment on the writing awards. I'm going "Mad Men" but just because I heart that show times a million. And....I was RIGHT! Go "Mad Men"!

Are we really reading from Twitter on the Emmys? Really? Also, am I the only person that doesn't have Twitter?

Oh, but it's okay. Nathan Fillion is here now. He'll make it better.

I don't watch enough TV apparantely, because Joel McHale and Jeff Probst are the only things I've been excited about in quite awhile.

Oh, and a writing award! Hoorah! Best Writing in a Variety Series goes to...the Tony Awards. Uh, okay then. See you when something else interesting happens.

Oh, Ricky Gervais. I just love you so very, very much.

George Clooney wins the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. I fell in love with George Clooney when he was first on ER back in the day. Still adore him. And so glad that someone is going to give an honorary award speech that I actually want to hear. Thanks, George.

Uh oh. The part with the dead people. I've always forgotten some and then I feel bad. Like, "Oh, shoot, they're dead?!" Wait...did they just put Corey Haim's name on a picture of Fred Savage? Did that just happen?

I've liked Claire Danes since "My So Called Life." I wish she worked more.

Okay, so I think I may be wrong about the Haim/Savage thing. Apparantely, they just look(ed) a lot alike. Whew.

Last two awards, woo hoo! I'm going "Glee" for Comedy and "Mad Men" for drama. Let's see about this...

Drama....MAD MEN! Woot! I'm thrilled because a) I never guess correctly and b) I love "Mad Men" and everything associated with it.

Comedy...Modern Family! I was wrong, but still thrilled! Seriously, "Modern Family" is an AWESOME show. You should watch it.

So, that does it for me at the Emmys. Time to go do something productive. You know, like, write.

For Those Who Think That Los Angeles is Nothing but Freeways and Movie Studios...

2010-08-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Griffith Park is one of my favorite places in LA. It's like an enchanted wonderland forest right in the middle of the city! Peaceful streams, moutain trails, lizards running along the terrain...just an abundance of nature. My friend and I go hiking there every Sunday, but I also like to take advantage of the park when I'm in need of some inspiration. Sometimes home is just too distracting. You know, the television and the internet and the DVD player and the telephone...lousy modern convieniences. Besides, how could I not feel creative with this surrounding me?

It's nice to remind myself that LA is more than just assisants, execs, agents and actors. I mean, sure they're in the park too, but at least I don't have to pay attention to them.

All I need is my writing, my latte and my iPod. Aah, simple joy...

The Art of Being Rejected

2010-08-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Rejection. It happens to everyone. I've come to know it especially well during my time in Hollywood. When I started sending out query letters for "Becoming Magdalene" I joked that while finding an agent would be difficult, I wouldn't let it get to me. After all, I'd already been rejected by every possible thing that can reject you: schools, jobs, family, friends, men, credit cards, insurance companies...and so on.

So far, I've stuck to my resolve. The rejections are coming in, but I'm not letting them get to me. Hey, I know it's not personal. I reject people all the time in my work.

However, the last couple of letters I've received have caused me to throw my hands up (and not in the cheery Miley Cyrus way). Lots of agencies don't accept email queries (totally understandable. It shows you're a serious writer and helps weed out the potential crazies). However, it costs money to send out hard copy letters. Two stamps, at least, one for your letter and one for your SASE. That may not seem like a lot at first, but it adds up. While being rejected by these companies doesn't sting, it does hurt a little to receive a form rejection letter than doesn't even include your name.

My favourite rejection came today. It was slightly smaller than an index card and was addressed to "Dear Author." I understand that my work wasn't right for them, but I wouldn't have minded something that indicated that they actually read my letter. Like, you know, my name. Or the name of the agent that I queried. Something like that. Oh, well. That's 88 cents I'm not getting back. At least I know that they're not feeling me right now.

*sigh* Well, I'm off to send more query letters. Fingers crossed that someone cares enough to ask for a sample letter (or at least sign the rejection in ink)!

On the Lighter Side....

2010-07-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

In case anyone actually did go and Google Jessi Slaughter after reading my last post, I apologise if it left a nasty taste in your mouth. Please enjoy this AWESOME video of a pug that says "Batman." (I love squish face dogs.)

That's it, I'm Getting a Dog.

2010-07-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

I don't have kids. It's not that I don't like them, per se. I like other people's kids just fine. I'm just way too selfish to have any of my own right now. Thankfully, that seems to be the case with many Angelenos. Most people here are very focused on their careers and, thus, don't start having kids until they're in their late 30s.

However, I've recently been made aware of an incident that makes me rethink the idea of having kids completely. Like, maybe I'd be better off if I ripped my uterus out right now. Perhaps you know what I'm talking about. Have you heard of Jessi Slaughter? She's an 11 year old girl that made several YouTube videos after being harrassed online. She told her cyber bullies that she was going to "stick a Glock in your mouth and make a brain slushy." Her father even got into the mix, making an angry video and spawning catch phrases like "cyber police" and "ya dun goofed." I'm not going to post the videos here. You can see all that, and more, with just a quick Google search.

I admit, I'm kind of out of it when it comes to the new hot websites. I'm on Facebook. I check Perez Hilton several times a day. Other than that, I've got nothing. I don't even use Twitter, because I don't understand it. I take the attitude of "You damn kids and your music...get off my lawn!" Yeah, I'm old.

This incident has spawned a multitude of articles about cyber bullying, safety on the internet and the validity of sites like Tumblr and 4chan. However, I'm left with a much more basic question: what is happening to our children? This girl is ELEVEN YEARS OLD. When I was eleven years old, I was...well, I was in sixth grade. I think I had a crush on Jason Priestley. I listened to Mariah Carey (still do, actually). My friends and I thought that a big adventure was going to a movie at the dollar theatre and then getting some fries at Lindy's.

Granted, we didn't have the internet when I was in sixth grade. In fact, I think that my generation is the last to grow up remembering a time before the internet. Certainly, we knew nothing of "sexting." It was a big deal to even KISS!

Look, I know I sound old. I do. But I can't helped but be disturbed by how fast kids are growing up these days. They know about things that I didn't know about until I was in college. And they don't seem to understand the consequences of their actions. If you take a picture of yourself naked, someone will see it and, more than likely, someone will do something bad with it. It is not private. It will come back to haunt you. It is ALWAYS a bad idea.

So, what to do, then? Who's to blame? Is it the media? Bad parenting? Cow hormones in food? I don't know. Maybe no one is to blame. Maybe this is just a shift in our society. Maybe I'm the one that needs to get up to speed with today's kids.

I'm not sure. All I do know that is if I ever do have kids, I will watch them VERY closely. Or, better yet, maybe I'll just stick to dogs.

Vintage Rehab

2010-07-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

No, not the kind of rehab that Lindsay Lohan will soon be going to (too soon?). I'm talking about FASHION REHAB!

In my novel "Becoming Magdalene" Maggie Vega is obsessed with clothes, especially those with designer labels. In her defense, when I was her age (and I was when I wrote the book) I adored the idea of designer labels and Rodeo drive style clothes. However, I live on the east side of LA (not east LA, the east side. Big difference) and you are totally influenced by your neighborhood. I live in hippie/hipster central so my tastes have evolved to funky vintage threads and big jewelry.

Parenthetically, I think that my sheer adoration for the TV show "Mad Men" has also inspired my love of 60s duds. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a Betty or a Joan? Their clothes are so fab! Big prints! Full skirts! Hats! Loves it.

One of my friends is also a big vintage buff so she and I go hunting a lot. Last week, I found an awesome Betty Draper-esque bed coat for a dollar. A DOLLAR! However, it had a few rust stains down the front. I decided to take it home to see what could be done. For a dollar, how could I not?

It turns out there is a very easy fix for rust stains and it's organic, too! Simply rub lemon juice onto the stain and let the garmet dry in the sun. Wash as usual and VOILA! Good as new!

Now if I could just turn myself into a seamstress, life would be so awesome...

Shameless Self Promotion

2010-07-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone out there a fan of Selena Quintanilla Perez, the queen of tejano music? She was murdered in 1995. Jennifer Lopez played her in the movie of her life. Any fans? Well, I am. A HUGE FAN. Like, I went to Texas specifically to visit Selena's grave and see the museum of her life that her family maintains. Hey, everyone has something.

Recently, I helped a fellow fan out with his Selena site. It's Selena-Quintanila.net and you should definitely check it out. Be sure to take a peek at the articles that I wrote for the site, regarding the Selena movie soundtrack (my net handle is LaEscritora). Peep my stuff here: Selena Movie.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled weekend. Happy Fourth of July to all American readers out there!

Star Wars vs. American Pie

2010-06-29T19:57:00.001-07:00

I know what you're thinking, just by looking at the title of this entry. "Blashphemer! How dare you! We're kicking you out of the Nerd Group!"

Actually, you may want to kick me out of the group anyway when you learn that I'm not really a huge Star Wars fan. I know! On paper, it really seems like I should be. Genre movie fan? Check! Knowledgeable about the Whedon-verse? Check! Versed in comic books and video games? Check mate. Just not a huge Star Wars fan. I think the movies are FINE, but I'm not a Warrier? Warlockian? What's the Star Wars equivilant of Trekkie?

ANYWAY. Last weekend, the BF and I were having dinner and I had a couple of delicious margaritas. This lead to me comparing the two trilogies Star Wars (I refuse to acknowledge Episodes 1-3) and American Pie (Likewise, I refuse to acknowledge all of the terrible sequels that followed American Wedding). Clearly, the plots vary greatly, but think of the film in terms of careers launch and careers deferred.

Let's compare.

Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) vs. Jason Biggs (Jim)
Mark Hamill is Luke Skywalker. End of story. Yes, he's had a lot of luck with voiceover work and he's a good actor in his own right. Yet he will always be known as LUKE. Likewise, poor Jason Biggs will always be the dude that had sex with a pie. I'm sure that both thought that they had career making roles on their hands. Sadly, it didn't work out that way.

Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) vs. Shannon Elizabeth (Nadia)
Both hotties primarily remembered for not wearing a lot of clothes. Using the Carrie Fisher theory, I predict that Shannon Elizabeth will have a career resurrection later in life when people will discover that she's actually pretty funny.

Harrison Ford (Han Solo) vs. Eugene Levy (Jim's Dad) vs. Seann William Scott (Stifler)
This was the subject of great debate. Of course, Harrison Ford was the biggest star to come out of the Star Wars series. That would be difficult to argue (feel free to do so in the comments), but what about the American Pie series? Those movies made Eugene Levy relevant again. He's turning up left and right these days. Likewise, Seann William Scott has worked consistently (the quality of his movies is also up for debate). So...thoughts? Who's the Han of the Pie flicks? Jim's Dad or Stifler?

I know you're probably thinking that I should include Alyson Hannigan (Michelle) in this post, but come on. Girlfriend was Willow on Buffy. Saucy lines about band camp aside, that's a pretty badass career move right there.

And just like that, we've arrived back at my nerd-dom.

Escape from LA

2010-06-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've all heard by now. Times are tough. Unless you've been living in a cave with your fingers in your ears, you know that I've just made the understatement of the century.

Los Angeles is being hit particularly hard. So many of my friends are out of work, and not just the industry peeps either (although a lot of them are industry peeps). It's slim pickings for job seekers, no matter how qualified you are.

Still, we always joke and say "Yes, everything kind of sucks right now, but at least we live in LA." "Sure, it takes an hour to go eight miles, but at least we live in LA." "Yes, the earth just randomly shook on its own, but at least we live in LA." Most of us grew up wanting nothing more than to live and work in HOLLYWOOD! so we're able to forgive a lot of faults.

So, imagine my shock when I had this conversation with a dear friend recently:

Me: How's it going? How's the job hunt?
Dear Friend: Not so great. In fact, the boyfriend and I are thinking of moving to Texas.
Me: Oh, I know that feeling. I just tried to convince my Beloved that we should abandon everything and move to Santa Barbara to live in a trailer on a beach.
Dear Friend: Yeah, but we're really leaving.
Me: Yeah, okay...wait, you're serious?
Dear Friend: Yeah, we love LA, but...we just can't win here. It's time to think about the future.

Wow. First off, I will miss her tons when she goes. She's a dear friend and a wonderful person. Texas is definitely gaining an amazing couple. And, it's definitely LA's loss.

There seems to be some kind of flight from LA lately. More and more people are leaving the city for greener pastures (or snowier pastures, or more mountainy pastures, or whatever). My Dear Friend is moving to Texas. My BFF moved to Las Vegas three months ago. My Buddy keeps talking about moving to Arizona.

Is Hollywood losing some of its glitz and glamour? I don't think so, but I'm one of those crazy people that spends an hour and ten minutes in traffic just to go across the city. I understand what it means to get burned out on a place. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Los Angeles is HARD.

So, what do you think? Is the grass really greener on the other side, or is it bad everywhere?

PS Speaking of grass, my gerainium and basil plants are still alive. So, that's something at least.

Indoor Gardening

2010-06-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

In addition to trying my hand at cooking, I'm also attempting to garden. Like the cooking, I blame this on my mother who managed to raise three kids, cook a wonderful and creative meal every night, always look amazing and grow her own vegetables and herbs in the backyard of our suburban Chicago home. Really Mom. That's a lot for one girl to live up to. Especially an LA transplant who used to think that having extra thyme meant that she could stay out partying a little while longer.

However, I find myself becoming more and more domestic with age. We recently added a ten gallon aquarium and 4 danio fish to our household and I decided that I wanted to try my hand at plant life, too.

The problem?

Our apartment has a north-south exposure. None of that yummy morning or afternoon sunlight pounds through the windows. That makes for a good thing in the summer: lower A/C bills in the sweltering CA heat. But what of my plants?

I decided to just go ahead and try it. What the heck? How much damage could I really do?

Well...there's probably a goodly amount of dirt behind the bed now (our bed is under the window and the plants are on the windowsill. You see the bind I'm in), but I have learned that you can, in fact, grow lavendar and rosemary indoors. Both of those plants are doing well! However, you cannot grow cilantro, snapdragons and, possibly, geraniums indoors. Those did...less than well. I think the folks at Home Depot grew sick of seeing my smiling face. *sigh* I hope our next apartment has a balcony with some sun.

Oh, well. At least the fish are still alive.

Elisabeth and Aida ~ Parte Uno

2010-06-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a cook. My mom is an AWESOME cook, so I never really felt the need to learn while I was living close enough for her to feed me. Why bother when you have the master making you dinner?

However, my mother lives in Chicago. And I live in Los Angeles. Thus, I can't exactly pop round for dinner on a weekly basis. If I want to eat a real home cooked meal I have to cook it. At home.

I've had some disasters. There were the ribs that were a disaster of Clark Griswoldian proporitions. There were the chocolate chip cookies that somehow turned out salty (yeah, I have no idea either). But, I've been getting better. I can cook lots of things now and I haven't poisioned myself or my Beloved even once.

My darling mother is thrilled with my new found culinary abilities and gifted me with a copy of Aida Gabilondo's "Mexican Family Cooking" for Christmas (actually, the book was technically a gift from the dog. My family is a little weird like that). I've been trying to work my way though it, little by little. While I could never aspire for a "Julie and Julia" situation (despite the title of this entry) I thought it might be fun to document a couple of my tries.

Today, I found myself with some free time (read: I was avoiding writing script notes), so I decided to make some salsa casera. I chopped tomatoes, onions and jalapenos, plucked some cilanto from my windowsill herb garden and gave it a go.

The result?

A little watery and maybe fewer tomatoes next time, but for a first attempt? A definite win. Ole!

Merry Everything!

2009-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a happy, safe and beautiful holiday season. XOXO

And, as an early "present", a parody of a query letter. I don't recommend this, but maybe it would strike the right agent on the right day. It helps to enjoy the humour of a situation, right?

(To the tune of The Beatles "Paperback Writer")

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's a funny book about a funny girl
And I need a job so I want to be a published writer
Published writer

It's a Hollywood story of a Midwest girl
And she's just been thrown in a brand new world
Her dashing boyfriend's technically her boss
It's a risky move, but she wants to be a horror screenwriter
Horror screenwriter

There's an absent dad and a friend or two
As for conflicts, there's more than a few
Maggie's new at this, but she's got great style
Some pretty cute shoes, and she wants to be a horror screenwriter
Horror screenwriter

I really hope you will enjoy my tale
I'm truly quite desperate to make a sale
The rent is due and my job won't pay
So I need a break and I want to be a published writer
Published writer

Maggie's Shoes

2009-12-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

In my book "Becoming Magdalene" there is a scene where the heroine, Maggie, and her friend Tatiana go to an outlet mall in Southern California in search of the perfect outfits to wear to the wrap party for the film they both worked on. I had never been to that particular mall when I wrote that scene, but I did my research and found a great pair of shoes for Maggie.

Or so I thought.

My boyfriend and I actually went to that mall on Saturday. I'm not sure who was dumber: him for suggesting that we go to an outlet mall the weekend after Thanksgiving or me for agreeing to it. Regardless, we had a great time and I found the perfect pair of shoes for Maggie.

Behold, Christian Dior Cruise 09:

I knew, as soon as I saw these, that Ms. Maggie Vega would go CRAZY for them. Sure, the price tag was a little steep at $975.00, but I want my characters to have whatever their little hearts desire.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Could I Create a Time Warp?

2009-11-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

Full confession time: although I am a HUGE fan of scary movies (trust. I am total "genre girl"), I have never seen EVENT HORIZON. I know that it's supposed to be really good, but I have a good reason that it never made it to my viewing list.

The setting: Winter of [date redacted]. I am on a first date with a boy I have a huge crush on. We're in the movie theatre, watching EVENT HORIZON. Only, I'm not really paying attention. It's dark and we're sitting RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. He goes to hold my hand....I'm so nervous! Does he want to kiss me? I think he wants to kiss me. Maybe he'll kiss me. Wait, what is this movie about?

It doesn't matter, because the theatre has technical difficulties and we never see the end.

The relationship doesn't last, but I forever associate that movie with that boy and that date.

Flash forward to the present day: my boyfriend is shocked that a horror buff like me has never seen EVENT HORIZON. He insists that I put it on my Netflix queue. I do, it arrives and I go to watch it.

It doesn't work.

It won't play on either of the Blue Ray players that we have. It keeps skipping and bouncing and pixelating.

My current theory is that I'm just not supposed to see this movie. That if I watch it, I will create some sort of rip in the space-time continuum and it will create chaos for us all. Should I even order a replacement disc or will doing so force us all to come face to face with our future selves (a la STAR TREK) and create an alternate universe?!

Or, will I just get a disc that actually works? Only time will tell.

I'm baaaaaack!

2009-11-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

I'll bet you thought that I'd forgotten you. Mea culpa. My absence was far too long to be forgivable. In my defense, I've had a lot of irons in the fire and I'm only now starting to get back into the swing of things.

Happy NaNo one and all! I'm participating this time around. Maggie Vega and Nick Cooper are getting their final touch up before the query letters go off to the agents. Gulp. I have a healthy fear of agents, despite the fact (or perhaps due to?) the fact that I work in the industry and my boyfriend works for them.

My current NaNo project is tentatively titled "How to Not Be a Movie Star in Seven Easy Steps." I either really love the title or really hate it. I'm undecided. Thoughts? The story is about gossip blogger Lola Reyes who gets a little more than she bargained for when she writes a story about over-exposed movie star Jack Reynolds and he shows up on her doorstep. Between teaching Jack to be a regular guy, calming down her bridezilla best friend Stephanie and figuring out what the heck is up with her long term boyfriend Adam, Lola's life just went from domestic to insane.

How's that? Yeah, I totally used to work in marketing. I still think in blurb.

Off to NaNo. Cheers!

In Defense of LA

2008-06-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Admit it: your probably think it's kind of cool to hate on LA. It's smoggy, right? And full of women with fake breasts and even faker personalities? And everybody is aspiring to be the next Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie. They spend all day at the beach and all night partying, right?

Yeah, not so much.

Excuse me if this is not, in fact, your perception of Los Angeles. Feel free to go check out another blog during this rant. I've recommended a few on the right side of this page.

However, if you do think that LA is one sinner short of Soddam and Gommorah, please hang around.

I hear people LA bash all the time. Even people that live here! The have the aforementioned complaints as well as complaining about the weather. Apparantley, it's boring.

Look, I admit that I'm a transplant, so maybe Los Angeles holds some sort of glamour appeal for me. However, in my time here, I've learned some things. Los Angeles is a very hard city to make it in. It's expensive, it's crowded and there are dozens of people just like you, all waiting for opportunity to knock. People here work hard, because they have to. They work long hours at thankless jobs to try and acheive their goals. They spend hours in their cars and hundreds on gas. They are always "on" because you never know who you are going to meet. They do not suffer fools lightly.

Sure, there is a certain SoCal stereotype that applies. A lot of women are blonde. People diet a lot and eat more organic foods. The three most spoken languages are English, Spanish and Industry.

But, hey, don't knock it until you've tried it. Everyone's life isn't 90210, but we're all trying to live the dream.

Advice to Aspiring (Screen)Writers

2008-04-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

Dear People Who Send Scripts to the Company I Work For:

Hi. Thanks so much for taking the time to send out your script. That takes guts, and I appreciate it. However, may I offer you some tips? Thanks.

I know that Final Draft does not provide a grammar check. A screenwriter friend of mine explained to me that it is because dialogue does not need to be gramatically correct, especially if it is in a certain dialect. I get that. I really do. As a writer who often slips Spanish slang into her work, I understand that spell check is not always your friend.

HOWEVER! you are sending out your script in a professional capacity. You would like to see it produced. You are sending it to very busy people who receive a bevy of scripts each day and do not suffer fools lightly. Thus, my advice:

"You're" means "You Are". It is NOT interchangable with "your".

"It's" means "It Is". It does NOT mean the same thing as "Its". Just because you want to use a posessive tense does not mean that an apostrophe is necessary.

"Get's". I see this often. I'm not sure what it means. However, I do know that the sentence "John get's the wallet from Mary" makes no sense.

Your character has probably not just "kilt" someone. "Killed" perhaps. However, if they are dressed in Scottish garb, please accept my apologies.

Not everyone reading your work is a "Sir". Please address your querey letter appropriately.

That's it for now. Good luck, aspiring writers! I truly do enjoy reading your work and I'm always looking for that diamond in the rough.

Happy Writing.

International Travel

2008-04-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

I am an international traveler. Sort of. Okay, I've technically been to Mexico. But, I did get my passport and I hope to use it soon.

However, in between running errands, chatting up neighbors and fighting Los Angeles traffic, I did manage to go to Persia today. And I was in Japan last week. How? Books. They can take you to exotic places and teach you about new customs.

"Yes," I'm sure you're saying. "Yes, I know this." And I'm sure you do. But, itsn't it amazing? And wonderful?

Take the book I'm currently reading. "A Veil of Roses" by Laura Fitzgerald (no relation). It's about a young Persian woman who comes to the United States to escape from an opressive regime and find a husband. Except she isn't really sure that she wants one. Until I started this story I knew virtually nothing of Iran other than what I've seen on the news and we all know that isn't always pleasant. However, this story has opened my eyes to other traditions and ideas and the beauty of the Persian culture.

So, dear reader, where would you like to go? It's easy enough to get there. Just read.

Welcome to my blog.

2008-03-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings loyal (hopefully) reader,

Welcome to the blog of Elisabeth Fitzgerald, LA based writer of contemporary female urban fiction. I'm sorry, I just do not care for the term "chick lit". It sounds so...mysoginistic. They don't call male-centric books "dick lit" do they? Actually...maybe they should start.

Anyway, thanks so much for coming by my blog. I am currently in the process of finishing up my novel "Becoming Magdalene", about a young screenwriter that moves to Los Angeles to persue her dream and winds up making friends, falling in love and following her heart.

How's that for a pitch? Ha ha.

Hope to see you here soon and often. Let's be friends!