DIARY OF AN URBAN MILKMAID


PROFILE GUESTBOOK OLD OLDER OLDEST
One of the joys of digital cable is the 400 channels you get for about $10 more than you used to pay for 100 channels. Most of which were either in a foreign tongue, or of some religion you don't practice.

I love to watch all my channels. I love them like children.

I love watching Nigella Lawson on the Style Network, whipping up food I would never eat. She slinks about her British kitchen, wearing tight sweaters with plunging necklines. She's always got a finger in her own mouth. Kinda makes Martha Stewart look like a haggard old woman. Oh, wait - she needed no assistance from Nigella on that one.

I love the Trio Network. Last night, at about midnight, I was captivated by a photographer I had never heard of. His last name is Michals - and apparently, he's some great and wonderful shutterbug. They didn't show near enough of his work - which was really nice. He spoke of what it is to be a photographer. All the zen stuff that gets me going. I'm taking my Nikon to the Pride festivities tomorrow. I'm going to practice taking photos of humans for a change. Humans are especially difficult for me.

I love watching Eastenders on BBC America. That's a rocking good soap, and I love watching anything British or Irish, because I see people who look like me. This is especially comforting, as I was raised believing I was German, and that I looked German. None of that German stuff felt right, and I never thought I looked particularly German. Well, what do you know? German - NOT! British/Irish? - Yep.

Back on topic - I also get much guilty pleasure out of SoapNet. They show my favorite soap, General Hospital every night. I have been watching GH since right after it came on the air. I was 8 years old then. I used to watch it with the old ladies at the rest home where my grandmother worked. I know each and every character on that show. I have managed to keep up with General Hospital for nearly - gulp - 40 years!

This week, the characters were mourning the loss of Carly Corinthos. (of course, she's not dead, but funerals make for some great tear-jerking drama). I got to thinking about the character of Bobbie - who is Carly's mother. I remember when Bobbie was about 17 years old. She, and Laura Weber, and Amy Vining were all Candystripers at the hospital. Their lives have interwoven, and over the years, their characters have been enemies, friends, relatives - on and on. Through it all, they have had such great writing on that show. The writers have maintained the characters basic personalities. The audience can feel comfortable knowing the characters will react to a situation in a manner that is predictable. For 25 years, the character of Bobbie has been given that dignity.

I think about these things because I'm very bitter about how the writers on Queer As Folk have not seen fit to give their characters the dignity of the same personality from week to week.

Also - I think about these things because I am studying screen-writing myself. I've got the greatest book Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434. I guess Lew Hunter has written quite a lot of television shows and films. He teaches screenwriting at UCLA. Good old Lew, breaks it down into small, easily remembered bits of information. I'm learning a little bit every day. So far, the story I have up in my head, sounds like it could work. I have started watching films with an eye to the structure of the screenplay. First act - the set up. Second act - conflict. Third act - resolution. I am noticing that in an average 2 hour film, the set up is complete, and the conflict begins at right around 20 minutes into the film. And, that if we the audience, don't care about the characters by about 20 minutes in - the film isn't going to be successful. I hope I can back off of this newfound way of watching films, long enough to enjoy them for themselves. I hope I'm not ruined now... I'm going to keep reading Lew's book. Then, I'm going to write. And, I'm damn sure going to do a better job of writing than some writers of premium station television shows...

"Life Not Worth Living If You Not Take Risk" Brian, QAF

May 18, 2002

Buh Bye!
October 05, 2008

Be Afraid, People.... Really Afraid
September 01, 2008

One Last Bitchfest for the Road
August 24, 2008

Get the Popcorn Ready
July 17, 2008

I'm a Rich Ho-Bag
June 20, 2008



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