Home sweet home

This has been a really weird couple of months for my family. For one thing, we're moving again. We just moved a year ago, but a mix-up with a bad-egg of a landlord has actually opened a great opportunity for us. We just purchased our very first house! Very exciting (I'm loving the fact that I get to paint my room for the first time in my life) but also very stressful. Moving is chaotic, especially when the move-ees are a family of packrats. I hate the idea of stuffing my treasures in boxes and moving them in disarray. It'll be great once we're at the new house and unpacked, but for now, it's just work and stress.
Another fun situation adding to our stress levels is my dad's job. Bad economy equals bad job security, and even large industries like my dad's are looking to cut some employees. My dad's in a good place--he's a great worker, and he has several other job possibilities lined up should he be downsized--but the not-knowing what will come next is still stressful, especially for him.
In the midst of all of this weirdness, there is my favorite activity in the whole widest of the world: theatre. At the moment I'm tap-dancing in/stage mananging a musical called "The Brain From Planet X." And not only that, but I'm fulfilling one of my lifelong dreams: being in a show with my theatre coach, a.k.a. my acting benefactor, a.k.a. my dad. He's in the show, too--playing the role of the ever-suffering and taciturn Private Partz. (Get it? Private Partz? Tee hee!)
The show is hilarious--it's a parody of all those oh-so-cheesy 1950's the-aliens-are-coming-to-take-over-the-world sci-fi movies. Plus it's a musical. Perfection much? The characters are all larger than life, from the hard-working inventor-for-the-government perfect-1950s-father Fred to the faithful-alien-lackey Zubrick to the world's oldest one-star general, General Mills. (Once again: tee hee!)
And besides the show, there's the theater itself. Buck Creek Players is my second home. Ever since I walked through the doors to audition for A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley a year and a half ago, BCP has offered me nothing but opportunities and great friends. Even when I'm not directly involved with a show, I just love being there. I've acted, assistant directed, stage managed, run sound, and built sets. I love it all.
It's strangely grounding for me--amidst all the chaos and disorder of moving, painting, packing, etc., I know that every night, my dad and I will jump in the car, make the half-hour trip to Buck Creek, and sing through the score of the show or block out scenes. I love watching Dad perform on the stage I'm so familiar with, among the actors, directors, and crew members I know so well. I love sharing the experience with him. He's cheered on my acting endeavors for so long, I love knowing that this time, I'll not only be cheering him on, but I'll be right there with him backstage. It's a dream come true.
To a fearless father who wasn't afraid to audition with his daughter, no matter what the outcome: thank you, and all my love. You're the best in the world.

Found

Have you ever had a particularly rotten day, or had something really bad happen to you, and suddenly stumbled across the most meaningful quote, or turned on the radio just in time to hear the perfect song? Something that maybe doesn't fix your bad day, but puts one bright moment into it?
This has happened to me on several occasions. Most of them have to do with music. Once I was trying to get over a particularly bad crush on a guy I knew (yeah, yeah, I know, it's typical teenager-y stuff. Stupid hormones). The guy in quesiton was very cocky and full of himself, and I knew he wasn't for me, but I was still in the process of moving on. And one day, while I was listening to Pandora radio, I came across these lyrics:
"Bye bye love, I'll catch you later
Got a lead foot down on my accelerator and the rearview mirror torn off
'Cause I ain't never lookin' back, and that's a fact.
I've tried all I can imagine
I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion
I've got pride, I'm takin' it for a ride
Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye."
A bit overdramatic, perhaps, but the song totally cheered me up. It was as if the universe had whispered in my ear that I'd done the wrong thing, that there were other fish in the sea, and that it understood.
Another time, riding home in the car and fretting about opening night for a show I was in, I turned my radio to 98.3 FM (Disney channel, lol...I told you before I have eclectic tastes in music) and caught a snippet of a Miley Cyrus* song:
"So I put my hands up
They're playing my song,
And the butterflies fly away
Noddin' my head like yeah
Moving my hips like yeah,
And I got my hands up,
They're playin my song
I know I'm gonna be ok
Yeah, It's a party in the USA!"
And I felt better. I felt encouraged. Maybe it's all in my head, but as a wonderful literary character I'm sure you all know once said, "Of cousre it's all in your head, but why on earth should that mean it isn't real?"
Remember how, in my last blog post, I mentioned that my writing soundtracks are sometimes incomplete until midway through the writing process? Well, one of my OTHER novels--one of the two I said were un-soundtracked as yet--has been untangling itself since then. I've got a good portion of the plot mapped out, a few chapters written, and I know the characters WAY better than I did before. So, naturally...I soundtracked it.
This novel is totally different from anything I've ever written before. It's first-person (meaning I write "I did such-and-such" rather than "she did such-and-such") which I've never tackled before. It's dark. It's spooky. It's futuristic-y. And I only have three main characters, but those three characters are three of the darkest and deepest characters I've ever been introduced to in my time as a writer.
So I spent a lot more time on the soundtrack than I have with my other novels (which are still progressing, just on the back burner.) I made sure each of my main characters had at least two songs. Yet one of the characters (my favorite one, although I suppose I shouldn't play favorites) eluded me. I had a couple of songs that fit certain facets of his personality, but not him as a whole. After tinkering around for awhile, I decided to leave well enough alone for the time being, officialized the rest of the soundtrack, and moved on with my writing.
Then, a few days later, I rewatched the Disney version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I hadn't seen it for several years, and I wanted to reacquaint myself with it. I didn't remember much about it, anyway.
The instant the song "Out There" came on, I sat straight up in my seat. This was it. The song. It had found me. The more I listened to it, the more perfect it became. And before the movie was over, I'd whipped out my iPhone and purchased the song from iTunes. Thank you, internet.
What's my point in all of this? Hmm...maybe that, if you're patient, the object you're seeking will often find you on its own? Maybe I'm using this event as proof that my characters really do exist in some alternate universe and are trying to communicate with me? (I remember reading a book one time that stated blandly that, "It's okay--authors are allowed to hear voices in their heads.") Maybe I just thought it was a really cool occurrence and I wanted to share it? Who knows.
In any case, if you're interested, here is the completed soundtrack for this novel. And just so you know, I had the song God Help the Outcasts way before I rewatched the movie. That was totally a coincidence...weird, huh?
The novel itself: "God Help the Outcasts" from the Hunchback of Notre Dame
The narrator/main character: "Bigger than Us" by Hannah Montana*, "I Stand" by Idina Menzel
The caring but solitary love-interest: "Out There" from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, "These Hands" from Frankenstein the musical, "I Stand All Alone" from Quest for Camelot, "Getting Better" by the Beatles
The vulnerable and immature brother: "No More" from Into the Woods, "Nowhere Man" by the Beatles
The love theme: "These Days" by Rascal Flatts

*Please, all you anti-Hannah Montana peoples, don't kill me! I can't help it if her songs are catchy!

Providing the ambience

I've been raised on and with music. Ever since I was four, my grandparents have taken me to their ragtime society's annual festival. I grew up dancing with my grandfather to Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb. When I was twelve, my mom got me an MP3 player. I filled it to bursting with an eclectic mix of music (some of which you may hear featured on this very blog.) My mom and I share music; I give her Shania Twain and Hilary Duff, and she gives me Dan Fogelberg and Janis Ian. We share a love of musical theatre, so we swap musical soundtracks. Music has been involved with almost every part of my life for as long as I can remember.
As I think I've mentioned, I'm a character writer. When I weave a story, my focus isn't on the plot--although, obviously, that's an important part of writing, and I treat it as such--but the characters. My greatest joy comes from creating a believable, well-rounded, motivated character who my readers will fall in love with and root for. I want them to cringe when my character makes a mistake--not because they dislike the mistake, but because they understand why the character behaved this way, and because they empathize with him/her. And when the "good" characters triumph and the "bad" characters fail, I want my readers to cheer, cry, hug the book to their chests, and breathe a sigh of relief.
Where am I going with these two (seemingly unrelated) thoughts, you ask?
Maybe it's random (they don't call me Random Ruthie for nothing!) but I like picking theme songs for people. I have several for myself--a few of them are even on this blog. Heh. (Positivity by Ashley Tisdale, Unpredictable by Skye Sweetnam, and How Lucky You Are from Suessical the Musical, to name a few.) I've chosen songs that remind me of my closest friends, my relatives--even cartoon characters who I happen to like. (What?? I did say I was a Phineas and Ferb fan, didn't I?!)
Since this is true, it should come as no surprise that I like to choose theme songs for the characters I create. Not so much with characters from my short stories--I don't need to know them as well as I do my novel characters, so they usually don't garner theme songs. But for the (several) novels I'm working on...(yes, it is physically impossible for me to work on just one project at a time. Why do you ask?) I have soundtracks.
Well...okay, I take that back. For the novels that are currently in-progress writing, (my two "classic" fantasy novels, for lack of a better description) I have soundtracks. For my sci-fi novel and my urban fantasy novel, which are still in the planning-and-musing phase, there's no music yet. Once I'm closer to actually scribbling out a plot and defining the characters more richly, I will pick soundtracks for them as well.
Aaaanyway. The point is, the "theme songs" help me concentrate. They give me a center from which I can build out on my character. Sometimes the perfect song only speaks to one facet of my character. Then I pick more songs, create each character a personal soundtrack. Sometimes I don't find the perfect song at all, or until I'm halfway done writing already. But when I want to get myself reacquainted with a character I haven't worked on for awhile, I pull their song up on my iphone and turn up the volume.
Point being, I thought I'd share the theme songs for my current project with you. Since I don't feel comfortable giving character bios and a synopsis (sorry, guys...not that I don't trust you, I just don't want to chance finding a distorted version of my story floating around a year from now), I figured this would be a good alternative. Listening to the music may not tell you what my story is about or what happens, but it should give you a basic understanding of some of my main characters.
...oh. And yes, the novel does have its own theme song. In this case, it has two. Go figure...it works.
The novel itself: Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood, All You Wanted by Michelle Branch
The main character: Play on by Carrie Underwood
The romantic interest: Mother Earth by the Subdigitals
The best friend: Crazy Dreams by Carrie Underwood
The ingénue: Beautiful World by Dev2.0, Walkaway Joe by Trishia Yearwood
The innocent child: You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins

Huh. Just realized that I have three Carrie Underwood songs. I didn't plan it that way.
...what?
Quit looking at me like that! I listen to more artists than just Carrie Underwood, I swear! Check my playlist down there at the bottom of the page if you don't believe me! Go ahead, I dare you!
Hmmph.

Sharing

My younger brother Ben is one creative little dude. While I'm off at the theatre stepping into a character's skin, he's at home spinning stories and worlds out of the most mundane of circumstances. Ben watches a nature documentary and gets an idea for a new species of animals he can use in a story; he reads a book on art history and imagines a world where art is illegal. There is, almost literally, nothing that won't set his imagination to work. I don't doubt that he'll be a great author and a great storyteller.
Seeing as how he and I are together every day for school, and seeing as how we're about as close as two siblings can be, we tend to use each other as sounding boards for creativity. Hardly a day goes by without Ben tapping me on the shoulder and announcing, "I thought of an idea for a..." And off he goes. I don't approach him with ideas quite as often, since writing and storytelling aren't my only creative outlets, but when I do have a new story concept, he's one of the first to know. When I'm in that stage of writing where I have the idea, but none of the details, Ben is fantastic at listening and giving input. Sometimes all it takes is one little sentence: "That's a cool thought, but what if you added this?" and my story resolves itself into plot twists and characters.
We also work well together when coming up with joint ideas. Ben is all about plot; he loves action/adventure and is fantastic at adding nuance and suspense to a story. I'm more into the characters; I concentrate on populating my worlds with realistic, well-rounded people. Together, we create outstanding characters who take amazing journeys.
But we're not always creating other planets or envisioning magical beasts. Sometimes, our combined creativity is focused on something as simple as making up an episode on one of our favorite tv shows. Ben and I share a lot of similar tastes in television (heheh...cartoon network and disney, anyone?), and we recently discovered Phineas and Ferb on the disney channel. (If you haven't seen this show, I HIGHLY reccomend it. Cartoon or not, it's super-creative and has humor for all ages.) Now we bounce episode ideas off each other all the time, and in fact, I'm actually writing some of them into full-fledged stories. Granted, they're not stories I can dream of publishing, but there's a place for such stories in the world (fanfiction.net, people...but I suppose that's another blog post.) And besides...it's just fun. It's fun writing in a world I didn't make up. It's fun trying to match the style of the show.
And most of all, it's fun creating with my little brother. Love you, Ben.

Quotes

I love quotes. My facebook page is littered with them. It doesn't matter whether it's funny or serious, silly or profound--if a quote appeals to me, you can bet I'm going to share it somewhere. I especially like it when I find a quote that I can relate to or agree with.
One of the gifts I recieved yesterday was a daily planner (something which I've been needing...heh, did I ever mention I stink at orginization?) from my amazing, wonderful aunt. The planner itself is cool enough, but it also includes gorgeous illustrations of whimsical fairies...and quotes. My aunt also gave me a quote box to hang on my wall. It features a quote from Roald Dahl, and it reads, "Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in the magic will never find it!"
Truer words were never spoken, Mr. Dahl. No surprise that such a well-worded revalation came from the man who introduced us to the Big Friendly Giant and led us through Willy Wonka's marvelous Chocolate Factory. The above quote inspired me so much that I decided to share some of my favorite quotes with you--both from my new daily planner, and from other sources. I hope you find some of them as inspiring as I do.
This one is usually attributed to Voltaire, but in fact it was a quote about him, summing up his view of the world, rather than by him. You may have heard it before: "I disagree with what you are saying, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Then there's the ever-wonderful Mark Twain. He's remembered as a beloved humorist and author, but one need look no further than his masterpiece, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," to see that he could also be very profound. One of my favorite quotes of his shows that he was an excellent judge of character: "“A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation."
Here's one that applies more to the creative side of things, and thus fits perfectly on this blog: "How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."--Thoreau. I've talked before about how artists must adopt a unique view of the world, and it seems Thoreau agrees. For instance, how can you possibly create a believable, well-motivated villian for your novel when you yourself haven't encountered a few real-life imps and demons?
From my new daily planner comes a quote from St. Frances De Sales. It is a tender affirmation for those of us who have had our kindness mistaken for weakness: "Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength."
And lastly for today is a quote which applies to all of us--and everything we've ever created, nurutred, or cared for: "The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
Thank you, Nelson Henderson. Thank you.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

...and also the busiest, which is why this blog has been neglected for a month.
In the past four (or is it five? Hmm...can't recall.) weeks, a ton of stuff has been going on with me. Creative stuff? But of course. Time-consuming stuff? You bet.
Here's a few of the many things which have kept me on the move and off the computer for the last month:
1) Running lights for Peewinkle's Puppet Studio's Christmas shows. Talk about your adorable holiday activities for preschoolers. I look forward to working this show every year. The puppeteers who perform here are awesome, and the show is so sweet, funny and cute that I never get tired of watching it.
2) Going back to square one on my current attempt at a novel. When I say current, I mean the project that's been hammering around in my head for the last two years. THAT project. *Facepalm* This time, though, I think I've actually made progress. My characters aren't wandering around in a desperate search of a map, a plot and a good stiff drink any more. I've finally figured out where they're going and--with some luck--how they're going to get there. More will come on the blog about that, but for the time being, know that Faery Tail (working title, folks--please excuse) is back on track.
3) Finishing up asst. directing Home For Christmas, Buck Creek Players' Christmas show of the year. This was an amazing experience. The director for this show is one of the nicest, sweetest, most considerate people I've worked with. She gave me a ton of awesome opportunities to try my hand at directing, casting, blocking, you name it. The cast was absolutely incredible--we had a great mixture of veterans of the stage and newcomers, but they were all wonderful to work with across the board. I had a blast--and learned a lot about directing and all that it entails. The show closed last Sunday, and while I was sorry to say good-bye to my Home For Christmas family, I was--and am--looking forward to my next theatre project...which is...
4) MY FIRST EVER SPEAKING ROLE ONSTAGE!!!!!!!! This is by far my most exciting news. I, Ruthie, have at long last gotten a speaking role! The show is "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." It's based on the work of Robert Fulghum, and I've gotta say, it's awesome. It's just the right mixture of profound and silly, heartbreaking and knee-slapping, simple and deep. There's not a scene in this show I don't love. If you haven't heard of Robert Fulghum, take fifteen minutes and google him. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Anywho, I auditioned and was cast in the show three weeks ago. I've attended two rehearsals so far, and the cast and crew are all awesome. I can't wait to get to know them better. We're breaking for Christmas at the moment, but we'll be starting up rehearsals again in January full-force...which means four nights a week. Teh woot! Again, there will be more about this to come. :)
So that's my story, and I'm sticking with it! My current project is pretty much relaxing, rejuvinating, and looking forward to my favorite day of the year...CHRISTMAS! Mwahahaha! The next two weeks are completely school-free and project-free. The only things I've got left to do are wrap a couple of presents and clean my room a bit. Heheh. This week is all about the Christmas countdown, but next week I'm planning on knuckling under and getting some chapters written on my novel. 'Cuz, let's face it...as of January 5th, my creativity is going to be pretty much focused on getting ready for opening night of Kindergarten!
Thanks for the patience with me, guys. This blog'll get a little more consideration now that the holiday rush has slowed a bit. :) Love you all, and more to come!

Christmas Makeover!

Christmas is hands-down my favorite time of the year. The colors, the lights, the decorations, the sense of goodwill, the carols--I love absolutely all of it. I come from a long and proud line of Christmas Elves, and I'm no exception. My family and I decorate our house for Christmas promptly the day after Thanksgiving, and start listening to our vast collection of Christmas music long before that.
It's also my busiest time of year--especially this year! I just recently started rehearsals for a Christmas show I'm asst. directing, which means four or five nights a week of driving a half hour to and from the theater and at least two hours of rehearsal a night. I've also got some paying work coming up: I'll be working at a downtown puppet studio running lights for both of their Christmas shows. Besides all that, I have lots of Christmas presents and writing projects to get done.
As such, I decided to give my blog a Christmas makeover a little early. (What? November can be the Christmas season, too, right?) Since I usually only get on this blog once a week or so, I figure it evens out. ;-) I also have some blog posts coming up on the creativity of the Christmas season, so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, enjoy the Christmas colors and carols that have been added to the Sky's the Limit universe, and breathe in the scent of peppermint and pine needles! (Or just pretend you can smell peppermint or pine needles.) Better yet, go out there and start getting ready for the best holiday of the year...I know I am!