So, I don't know if you noticed, but I forgot to blog on Friday. It's not really that I forgot, it's that I drove to Provo for the LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) writing conference, and I didn't get to my hotel room until 11:30.
And then I forgot.
I went to the conference on and off, because the main reason I was there was to be with my writer's group.
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| Emily Wing Smith and Bree Despain, 2/6 of the SIX. Numbers 2 and 3 Crazy, respectively. |
We hadn't seen each other in over a month, and as everyone knows, every month that goes by where we don't see each other, a part of us just shrivels up and dies.
It's random which parts this affects. For me, it was my upper left ear lobe. Emily wasn't so lucky. It was her right eye. Bree lost her writing hand. For Sara, the part that shriveled up and fell off happened to be a baby.
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| Little Emmi Bolton. Who knew that's how babies were made? |
Other Happenings at the Conference:
*James Dashner displays extraordinary honesty in his keynote address:
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| Just Kidding. He rocked the house. And only made a couple babies cry. |
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| Mette and Bree: Experts on Sequels |
*The next day, Bree promptly forgot everything she ever knew about writing sequels, and had a meltdown about her own upcoming sequel.
*I got to meet up with old friends and meet some new friends. *Waves to everyone*
*We saw I am Number Four.
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| Alex Pettyfer. He doesn't care the world is blowing up around him. |
Please, someone out there produce another hot, blond teenage actor. Otherwise, none of our books stands a chance.
AS FOR MY PET PEEVE:
Also in the movie, my favorite cliche, where the character sets an explosive in a building and then walks away in slow motion, and when the building blows up behind her, she can't be bothered to notice.
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| Please say one of those 2X4's whacks her in the head. Please. |
What the what? I'm sorry, I don't care how many buildings you've blown up. If something is exploding mere feet behind you... you look! Everyone would look! If you don't look, all I can think is, "She must be deaf from all the buildings she's blown up."
Even then, there is no excuse. It can't be that old. I see fireworks every Fourth of July, and there's no way I would just walk away in slow motion while the show went on behind me. It never gets old! Look! Pretty fire!
Just once, I want that scene to happen, and then one of the sparks lights her hair on fire.
Then we can be all, "Yeah, you shoulda looked."
Anyone else see it? What did you think?
p.s. Update on my dad: He's completed his first round of chemo, and is doing well. Yay! Thanks for all of your prayers and well-wishes.
I could totally walk away from exploding buildings, etc. Totally not impressed. The only explosion that would impress me is if the moon or a planet blew up. I am that cool and that difficult to impress.
ReplyDeleteLoved the post. Loved meeting you at LTUE.
ReplyDeleteNow for the PS...
My dad just finished his war with The Big C a few weeks ago. Cancer in 9 areas of his body. All gone. Like a white board cleaned with a rag dripping with alcohol. Clean. Gone. Like it was never there.
Positive attitude is EVERYTHING. In case no one told you all yet.
Hang in there!
Lesli
It was fun to get to meet you, Brodi. And I'm sure you loved the back handed shout out James gave you, when he ribbed you for having more than one agent vying for you. Was it payback that the picture above has him drinking? ; )
ReplyDeleteAbout the blowing up of buildings. Reality check here. It's not just being so cool you can walk away from the building with out looking, it's doing it without jumping. I ALWAYs jump when I'm blowing up balloons and one of them pops, even when I'm expecting it. I so would jump at an explosion).
But here's the reality check. If it's a big boom, then the percussion of air coming from the explosion (besides throwing that 2x4--and other kinds of schrapnel) could blow that too cool chica off her feet. With my luck I'd not only be blown into something but slammed with something from behind. Pancaked.
Glad to hear your dad's doing well.
Sam- I believe you. When I got back from the conference, it looked like an explosion had hit our kitchen and family room, and you were completely unruffled!
ReplyDeleteLesli- I love hearing those kind of stories! Thank you for sharing, and I'm so glad I got to meet you.
Donna- So happy to meet you in person! Good point about the percussion of air conundrum. Why wasn't that a topic at LTUE? It would fit right in with "The Reality of Being a Zombie" and those sorts of classes.
I hate the slow-mo saunter away from explosives, too! But I hate it even more when they're not lucky enough to be out in sauntering distance, and all they end up with is some strategically placed cut over their eyebrow and some random bruise on the cheek. Like the explosion knew not to mar their insanely beautiful face. Only in the movies!
ReplyDeleteGood vibes to you and your dad!
Gina- Ha ha! Yes, those explosives are so smart, so as not to maim appearances. Only enough to give the star a cut just under her eye, that looks like a tear, and then one by her cheek that looks like a dimple. So true!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the vibes.
My house looked like it exploded when I got home too along with my youngest child's diaper and it didn't seem to bother the hubs a bit. Still wondering if his diaper was changed once the whole time I was gone - good thing I was only gone for one day.
ReplyDeleteSo great to see you. Awesome that James bragged about you in his keynote address.
I didn't even notice the missing ear lobe - you must have a fabulous plastic surgeon.
Glad to hear your dad is doing well.
Mary- Good to see you too! And yes, I owe James a big high-five for all the times he mentioned me. Hilarious both our houses exploded while we were gone. :)
ReplyDeletecoincidentally, my bro sent me this video yesterday. Cool guys don't look at explostions:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo
It's good to hear your dad is doing well! I thought I am number 4 was a bit boring. (I also thought it of the book) but of course they chopped the book up a ton. I was thinking the same thing about Alex! He's everywhere!! Maybe we'll just have to start a search for new hotties! I wouldn't mind! *Don't worry hubs its research!*
ReplyDeleteI'm going to see this movie in approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes. I will be back to let you know what I think. ;)
ReplyDeleteP.S. So nice to meet you at the conference! :)
Ooh. I want to see that movie. But I do wish the 2x4 would seriously whack someone. That's a huge pet peeve for me too. Have you seen that music video from Will Ferrel? "Cool guys don't look at explosions?" I totally sing that to myself when I watch a movie with a "walker-awayer." Which is just awful made-up grammar. Which isn't grammar at all. =P
ReplyDeleteDid James Dashner have any fun with unmentionables this time around? Think of the charity event back in August when he and Brandon Mull scarred some children for life. ;)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your dad is doing well. I hope he continues to do well.
I was distracted talking to another author after her presentation and missed most of James' keynote. Alas. What was your opinion of the Bella class?
ReplyDeleteLTUE sounds awesome. I'll have to remember not to let anything shrivel up and die, I just can't afford another baby.
ReplyDeleteAlysa- That is so awesome. Especially the keyboard solo. ha ha!
ReplyDeleteAndrea- That's my favorite part of being a writer! Researching the hotties who would theoretically play the characters in my theoretical movie.
Jenn- So great to meet you too! Let me know what you think of the movie.
L.T.- That is my kind of grammar. a Walker-away-er. And I just saw that video, courtesy of Alysa. Awesome!
Jenni- Unfortunately, James did not mention unmentionables, and there was no threat to auction off placentas. So, I guess it really was boring.
Jenilyn- That Bella class was somethin' else, wasn't it? I wanted to go up to the presenter afterward, and say, "Bella's a wuss" and then run away really fast. The classroom would've exploded, I think.
Debbie- I know! Sara wasn't even planning on having another one.
Okay, so I have to say, I loved the movie and I sort of want to be that girl when I grow up... however, if I get to be her, I will definitely look backward when I blow things up in memory of this post. :)
ReplyDeleteJenn- Let's make it a blog oath: If any of us every blows stuff up, we will turn around!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Brodi! I loved all the stuff about LTUE. The title of James Dashner's keynote address was brilliant. I bet he did a great job.
ReplyDeleteI almost lost it when you talked about the character walking away from an exploding building in slow motion. Seriously, how can you NOT look at an explosion???? Too funny. :)
I think that the loss of your upper left earlobe is a travesty. Your beautifully shaped ears are now irreversibly disfigured!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your dad is doing well. It looks like you had fun this weekend. I'd love to a conference someday.
ReplyDeleteI thought the walking away from the exploding building in slow mo was COOL, yes. I enjoyed the movie though it wasn't as intense as I'd expected. I also enjoyed LTUE and thought James Dashner's "boring" keynote was awesome. I waved to Bree, though she probably had no idea who I was, but I didn't get a chance to wave to you. :( I think if Alex plays the dude in your book, you will be loving it! BUT, if I were you and given the choice I'd choose... hmmmm... must think about that one...or maybe I should wait until I read your book!
ReplyDeleteHang in there through all the yuck you've been going through these days.
I'm sure someone else showed you this but my husband ALWAYS sings this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo
ReplyDeleteBummed I missed LTUE- sounds like it was a BLAST!
Kristin- I know, right??
ReplyDeleteLulabell- Fortunately, it spontaneously grew back when I saw my friends.
Heather- Go to Storymakers! It's great too. But as far as cost, LTUE is definitely the cheapest. Hope to see you there someday! And thanks for the kind words about my dad.
Suey- I saw you for a split second, but when I went to say hi, you were gone. Next time, we'll track each other down.
Olivia- That video is absolutely hilarious. And I love your new red hair. (It's new and red, right?)
I got to hear James mention your agent popularity twice. Once while I was moderating his panel on agents and once in the keynote address--which was I gophering. :) Fun times.
ReplyDeleteWhy weren't you on panels?
I'm with Suey--I love it when the big tough hero/ine walks away all unflinching from the big explosion. Don't tell me you don't want to add an big explosion to your book just to Rafa can do the slo-mo I'm-so-tough walk!
*waves back* it was so fun to see you, Brodi! I hope you are a panelist next year.
ReplyDeleteRobin- I should really pay James for all of his free publicity! And Rafa is probably the only human who wouldn't flinch at an explosion behind his back. And Chuck Norris.
ReplyDeleteChersti- Me too! How can we make that happen?
Hope you mean that--I just nominated you for a panelist spot at LTUE 2012.... :D (Oh, yeah. I've got connections.)
ReplyDeleteMy most hated movie clichés:
ReplyDelete1. The almost-drowning rescue. I mean, seriously, Frodo, didn't you just want to stay in the water because you knew you'd get a hobbit boat full of cheese when you came out?
2. The hanging-on-by-her-fingers almost free fall. How many times are we supposed to believe that when someone falls through the air at about 8000 feet per second, a ledge will miraculously appear which the heroine will be able to latch onto with her fingers, and then stay there for five whole minutes hanging in the air from five little perfectly manicured fingers (because you know one hand will slip before the hero comes along)?
Robin- Fabulous! It will be my first gig!
ReplyDeleteKaylie- ha ha! Those are awesome. We should do a whole post on movie cliches.
The least they could do is have the blowing up person trip or something while walking and not looking...a la Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.
ReplyDeleteAmanda- I would've loved that!
ReplyDeleteYou need to watch the SNL skit, Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions! It's hilarious! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo
ReplyDeleteBrodi, just got back from watching I Am Number Four. I so understand why that chica wasn't worried about that explosion.
ReplyDeleteBut you're still right. She shoulda looked. She might be fireproof but she's not 2x4 proof.