A bit of flash fiction – At the Ball Park

/ Ajmorse / 4 Comments

I have about 5 minutes before I have to shower, dress and get around for work tonight, but just wanted to share something real quick with you guys.

I signed up for an online class called, “Creativity Training for Writers” and although the class is clearly geared for writers who are more or less getting into the craft of writing, it has really helped me get back on track and is slowly curing my writer’s block – which is what I hoped it would!

The creative mind is still alive and kicking, and what a relief it is to get my writer’s voice back! Our first assignment we were given prompts and a limit of 5 minutes, in which we were to create a story finishing a sentence with a twist at the end. It is the closest I have ever come to writing some decent flash fiction and I was rather proud of it:

At the Ball Park

They called it a near miss, but I called it a coincidence. Sandy called it fate and I kissed her nose whenever she said this and she would smile at me with that wide, red-lipped smile; the kind that she gave me even after I had broken her hip and dislocated her right shoulder.

I’d tried to swerve to the right, but I just couldn’t move fast enough. There were so many people in the way and the lane was crowded. I’d hollered, “Get out of the way!” And before I knew it, my brown, leather glove was in the face of the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen with red-brown hair. How was I to know that I would accidentally push her down the ball park stairs?

I’d visited her at the hospital after I muttered my sorrys to her on the gurney as the EMTs rolled her away, but that still wasn’t quite good enough. I gave her the ball I caught though, which was signed by every memory of the team. And when I was leaning over her hospital bed, the ball out-stretched in my hand, she gave me that red-lipped smile and asked me to marry her. Turns out she was a Yankees fan, too.

***Thoughts below if you got ’em! 🙂

Safe and Sound and Reading

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

Spending one of my days off as a couch potato since I don’t feel that brilliant, but FINALLY catching up on a bit of my wordpress reading today. I’ve missed a lot of great posts from some really great people and for that I am furiously reading and liking as many things as I can. 🙂

There are a lot of talented people out there!

On that note, whenever someone has a setting on their blog that has a person sign in before they can comment or like a post, it seems that either my browser, or my internet connection is not letting me like their posts. I sign in, and nothing happens! At first I thought it was Internet Explorer, but I have been using Firefox for a few months now, hmm…any thoughts?

So, there are many, many posts out there that I do like, it just won’t let me! Hmph. Here’s a song to make up for it! I’ve had this song in my head for a few days now. It inspires me to tell a story that is so beautiful and haunting at the same time…

Once Upon A Time Review 12/2/12 – Emma is the True Queen of Hearts

/ Ajmorse / 4 Comments

Wow! Much to be said about the fall finale of Once, and while Storybrooke’s fairytale characters got their happily ever afters, did they really?

Spoilers Ahead, (and soon to be rough waters I’m sure!) Arrr!

Photo credit: ABC.

I said it once before and I’ll say it again, Regina has to be my favorite character in this TV show, and she has also made her way into my heart as being one of the best characters ever written on television. It is amazing to me when you are able to write a character that is so well-rounded that one minute she is evil and you are hating her, and the next you feel bad for heartbreak. THAT right there is the mark of good character building. THAT right there is the mark of good writing. I cannot be more in love with this character, ah, thank you writers!

In ‘Queen of Hearts,’ we learn that Regina’s mother, Cora, was banished to Wonderland by Regina, where she becomes the Queen of Hearts. I mentioned before that the Never World reminded me of the Queen of Hearts, but I had no idea how close I actually was, haha. She really is the new big bad!

While Snow and company try to figure out a way to get out of their predicament, Emma surmises that she, the savior, is really a pawn in Rumpelstiltskin’s plan to break the curse. He admits later to getting her where she needed to be, when he needed it, but her strength is all her own. A fact that Cora learns when she tries to rip out Emma’s heart and finds that she can’t. Could it be that Emma really is the savior after all? Planned or not?

Henry is able to convince Regina to stop Rumpelstiltskin’s curse to let Emma and Snow through the porthole unharmed, and while she gained Henry’s respect and appreciation, what did she really gain? She, who loves her son, a son that doesn’t trust her. This is where I feel sorry for Regina. It really is quite heartbreaking!

Meanwhile, Mulan and Aurora are left in Enchanted Forest world, where they’ve decided to set out on a quest to get their Philips’ soul back. And while Snow, and Emma have finally been reunited with their families…Hook and Cora find another way to enter Storybrooke…soon to be rough waters ahead! I can’t wait!

Observations:

  • Hook’s incredible likability. While he’s scheming and doing things for himself, we are reminded that he is also not a complete monster. He has layers this handsome Hook. 😉
  • I think it was good to leave Mulan and Aurora where they are, as there is a lot that we still don’t know about them. This also gives us more of a chance to see more fairytale characters that we haven’t met yet. (I seriously hope the little mermaid is one of them!).
  • Regina really has lost everything, will it be so easy for Cora to manipulate her back into being our Evil Queen? And what happened between Cora and Rumpelstiltskin?

Ah, much to be learned and viewed and I just can’t wait!

What did you guys think of the episode? 🙂

Once Upon a time Review 11/25/12 – I Will Always Find You

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

Been caught up with a new job (more on that later) and haven’t had time to get much TV watching in – I know, even my favorite TV show! I might be a little bias, because really it is the only TV show I watch at this time, but anyway…wow lots to be said about “Into the Deep!”

Spoilers ahead!

Photo credit: ABC.

Hook pretends to betray Cora and let the captured princess Aurora go, while meanwhile, Snow and company must figure out a way to defeat Regina’s mother, to prevent her from following them to Storybrooke, (something that both Mr. Gold and Regina fear.) Snow gets put into a deep sleep to go meet Henry in this Never World; although it isn’t Henry that meets her there, but Charming.

It just goes to show what these two will do for love. “I had to see you,” he tells her and “I will always find you.” Awww! (The sap in me teared up quite a bit during their scene in the fiery room. No matter where or when or under what circumstances, these two have a love that lasts! This is the true love that all us fairytale lovers dream about! He tells her that to defeat Cora, they must find the magic ink that was used to stun Rumpelstiltskin, which he conveniently left a bottle of in his jail cell.

While Charming is murmuring “I will always find you,” to a distraught Snow, we learn later on that Hook has taken Aurora’s heart to be used and manipulated by Cora. Just when we are just starting to like the handsome captain…hmm, well, we knew he wasn’t perfect.

Some observations in this episode:

  • Belle and Rumple in the diner finally getting that hamburger. He tells her “Condiments are this world’s most powerful magic.” (Hehehe).
  • We love to see Regina, Gold and Charming working together. (I don’t know if I would have trusted the evil duo to put me under a sleeping curse! Such a brave Charming!)
  • Regina’s balance between good and evil. Here’s an evil character where we actually like to see trying to better herself. She is by far the best character ever written for television. (In my opinion at least!)
  • The Never World is as creepy as can be…especially the room that charming is first in…
  • The “bed time story” that Gold tells a sleepy Henry. In the deepest bottomless ocean, there is a rare squid, only found except by a mermaid –  *gasp* could it be our very own little mermaid?
  • No flash back scenes in this episode, and I have to say that is the first since the season began…it would have been a nice to include some Aurora flashbacks, but perhaps there just wasn’t time. Hmm.

Will post my review on the latest episode in a few days or so! I see that it is entitled “Queen of Hearts.” So excited! Were my earlier predictions correct? Hmm…we shall see!

What did you think of this episode? Thoughts below!

Once Upon a Time Review 11/11/12 – Becoming the Wolf and Bad Dreams

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

I enjoyed the Emma-centric episode much more than Red’s for some reason…and I think a lot of that had to do with the love story. Red’s was great too, but the wolf pack seemed to lack credibility. I think if they expanded the flash back through a few episodes, Red’s relationship with her mother, or lack there of, would have made more sense to me.

Disclaimer: Spoilers in this review!

Photo credit: ABC.

In Story brooke, Red gets framed for the murder of Gus the mouse and another man by Spencer/King George as he tries to take his revenge on Charming. For some reason, he has it in his mind that Charming is not as good as every thinks he is and wants to reveal that he really is just a lowly Shepard who can’t lead his flock sufficiently or whatever. Mainly, I just think King George is dumb.

In flash back enchanted forest world, we pick up some time after Snow and Red join forces, (after Red has to leave her village for killing Peter and everyone discovering she is a wolf.) Red discovers a wolf pack and coincidentally her mother is with them, surprise! Granny lied again! The pack teaches Red how to become the wolf and in doing so, she can control it.

Meanwhile, Henry is still haunted by dreams that turn out not to be dreams, but a limbo of some kind. Whenever someone endures a sleeping curse, according to Mr. Gold, they return to that limbo in their sleep and to unimaginable horrors. He does, however, give Henry a medallion or potion of some kind that will help Henry control what happens in that world. On the house! Interesting. But, we are not fooled Mr. Gold! Magic ALWAYS comes at a price!

Henry also discovers Aurora in limbo with him and introduces himself and so the episode ends with Emma and Snow in shock. How can their friend dream about Emma’s son, a person she’s never met?

Some Observations:

  • I personally hoped the dreams had something to do with another big bad…sigh. The queen of hearts seemed like such a fantastic idea! But plus side: Emma and gang now have a way to communicate with Story brooke.
  • Rumple so easily giving up a magic solution to Henry for his problems. On the house he says…but remember how giddy he was to teach Regina her magic?
  • The mob and the whole “Kill the beast” feel to the end of the episode. Where was Gaston?
  • Oh! King George burned Jefferson’s hat, his only hope for a portal to enchanted forest world. Charming almost lost it. Maybe he really is just human after all?

Highlights:

  • Granny with that cross-bow again! She’s so awesome.
  • Charming as sheriff. Still looks good. Yep.
  • Ruby and Gus the mouse scene…I wonder when Red will have some kind of romance in her life?
  • Loved seeing the closeness between her and Belle, too!

I can’t believe we have to wait a whole two weeks just to see what’s going on in this dream world of Aurora’s and Henry! Ugh! Does this mean more flashback world of the sleeping princess? Hope so!

A sneak peek below:

Once Upon a Time Review 11/4/12 – What’s so great about Tallahasee?

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I know this review is a little late…okay it is VERY late, but look forward to a review later this week of the more recent episode…

Beware…Giants and spoilers ahead!

Photo credit: ABC.

Hook and Emma make a climb up the bean-stalk in search of the magic compass, while in the flashback world, Emma falls in love with a fellow car thief, Neil. A man, who, coincidentally turns out to be the mysterious man in the very first episode of this season.

Meanwhile, down on the ground, Aurora is haunted by dreams, a side effect from her sleeping curse. While Mulan honors her promise to Emma, by marking time in the dirt with a stick. If she’s not back in ten hours, cut that bean stalk down!

There was a lot of character juicyness in this episode and there is definitely no way that I can cover it all, but here’s an interesting plot twist: Perhaps Henry’s father is not as bad as Emma believes him to be. Does this mean that Once Upon a Time’s loneliest character might actually get a chance for a happily ever after?

While teenage Emma in the flashback world definitely appeared wise and more grown up behind her years, the love that she had for fellow thief Niel was believable. It is even more understandable now why Emma struggles with trust. A fact that becomes apparent to Hook, who gets left behind with the giant.

Some other observations:

  • Every character that has been through a sleeping curse goes through nightmares, a side effect, Snow says. Of a red room, fire and someone watching. For some reason, all I can think about is the Queen of Hearts. A coincidence that every one else has the same dreams? I think not! Snow said that they go away after a while, but she turned away when she said this. Dun, dun dun!
  • Now, what is in August’s box of tricks? My thoughts: maybe it reveals the future.
  • We will see Henry’s father again!

Highlights:

  • Hook! His pirate-ness. “Waste of some bloody rum, if you ask me.”
  • The love between Niel and Emma. He’s not so much of a douche after all.
  • The appearance of August. I wondered when he was going to make his appearance. (He so did not give that money to Emma, just saying.)
  • I loved seeing some back story of Emma, and definitely makes me feel more empathetic towards her character.

A great episode and now off to this weeks episode! Expect a review for that one in a few days at the latest. Did I mention how much I love this TV show? 🙂

The House On Mango Street

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Every writer has a moment where it all began. That point in their lives, where they were 10, or 14, or 42, where they realized that words can be something more than dots and slashes and letters on a page…that words can take you places.

For me it was a book called, The House on Mango Street, By Sandra Cisneros, which I read in eighth grade. The middle school that I attended had a new eighth grade teacher that year; a man from New York City named Mr. Van Dright. He was a bit unorthodox for an upstate New York school strict on curriculum and following the rules. He had long dark hair and grizzle on his face, who wore a leather jacket and drove a motorcycle when he wasn’t in school, who reminded us often how thankful we were to attend a school that was safe and clean with no metal detectors.

And although this unique teacher from the city was forced to resign before the following year, what I remember most about him was that he was an artist. He had that look in his eye of a person who had stories to tell. He showed me, although he probably doesn’t know it, (a very insecure and shy fourteen year old at the time,) that books and words could be something more, you just had to dream them.

“In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting. It is like the number nine. A muddy color. It is Mexican records my father plays on Sunday mornings when he is shaving, songs like sobbing.” (Cisneros,10)

This is from a passage in the book entitled, “My Name.” I remember him reading it to the class that day. What does that mean, he asked us. A name like the number nine?

Perhaps it was because I was obsessed with names. Wondering what it would be like if I had a different name – to separate myself from the ten other girls named Amanda in my school. (I really did graduate with about 5 of them.) Perhaps it’s because later on in the passage, the narrator goes on to describe her name, “as if the syllables were made out of tin and hurt the roof of your mouth.” (Cisneros, 11)

Up until that point in my life, I’d never given much thought into the meaning of words, how with a simple sentence you can describe your name as muddy and we know how you felt about whatever it is you were talking about.

My own writing as of lately, has become its own kind of muddy and I thought I’d take this time to go back and remember where it all began. How words can have inspiration just by how they sound in your mouth mixed around with a word or phrase that can have nuances of meaning. How something simple can change the way you think and view the world. Muddy. Muddy. Muddy.

Nothing was as clear to me as those words on those pages. I wanted to write muddy too.

Once Upon a Time Review 10/28/12 – Regina lets go of the past

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

Well, I FINALLY got to watch last Sunday’s episode and what is more appropriate for Halloween than Dr. Frankenstein? I must say, I love Once Upon a Time’s incorporation of characters from all different worlds and stories. It is a fan fiction writer’s paradise!

Warning! Spoiler Alert!

Photo credit: ABC.

In this episode, Regina tries to let go of the past; the memory of her fiance, Daniel. She is also trying to honor Henry’s wishes to not use magic and visits Archie to talk about it. Meanwhile in present day fairytale world, Cora destroys Mulan and Aurora’s “safe haven” and leaves a survivor behind – Captain Hook. Snow and Emma are not fooled by his tale of being a blacksmith and immediately get to the truth of the matter.

Regina is still haunted by the memory of her lost love in present day Storybrooke, and in the flashback fairytale world, we are reminded that it was Rumpelstiltskin that taught Regina her magic. We are also introduced to a character’s identity: Dr. Victor Frankenstein, or Dr. Whale. And as told by Jefferson, he is the only one who can bring back her Daniel from the dead, because he has something more powerful than magic: Science!

The Highlights:

  • David punching Dr. Whale. “That’s for sleeping with my wife!” (If only we could all use the excuse, “I was cursed!”) 😉
  • David or “Gramps” giving Henry knight lessons. Horseback riding!
  • The appearance of Hook.
  • Speaking of eye candy…Our prince charming looks pretty good with a weapon strapped to his chest and that sheriff badge. Just saying.
  • Regina’s emotion in the stable when David tries to kill Daniel.
  • Oh, and Jefferson! He has this “holier than thou” attitude that I’m just loving.

There was a lot in this episode, including a lot of information about Regina’s past – we love seeing flashbacks of the young queen and any scene between her and Rumple is just the best, of course. The most surprising was the revelation of Dr. Whale’s identity.

While appropriate for a Halloween week episode, I was a bit surprised and did not expect that at all. To be honest, I thought Dr. Whale had more of a princely or knight sexual appeal, but there are many interpretations as to the character of Victor Frankenstein. I always thought he was a bit of a coward, though. Here he appears much more lecherous. Still handsome, of course.

Tomorrow’s episode seems to be very interesting! Captain Hook leads Emma, Snow, Aurora and Mulan to a magic compass that when paired with Cora’s ashes from the wardrobe, should be able to open a portal back to the Storybrooke world. Also, more on Emma’s past! 🙂 A sneak peek below:

Any thoughts or comments…you know what to do! 🙂

Hurricane Sandy – Check out these cool pics!

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

Well, still getting battered by the hurricane up here in upstate, NY and probably will until tomorrow evening, (the wind outside right now is terrible!) Can feel the cool air blasting through the cracks in the windows and downstairs in the basement the water is creeping slowly across the floor as it seeps into the house…

The power went out for about four or five hours and we broke out the candles. Ate dinner to candlelight, wondered at the silence when all the humming of machinery is turned off and I cradled my phone to my chest and then sorrowfully shut the power off to save the battery for tomorrow.

I did grab my camera, which was fully charged (and clung to that – yaay an electronic device!) and was able to take some pictures of the storm.

Was playing around with the light settings and got this…(I am not a photographer by any means but like taking good pics as well as anyone), but imagine my surprise when I got this!

Anyway, well the power came back on an hour ago, we turned the TV on to check out the news and I thought I’d share these pics. I’m a tad nervous because I have to be out and about tomorrow – so fingers crossed!

Prayers and thoughts go out to those that were seriously impacted by this storm!

Once Upon a Time Review 10/21/12 – The Crocodile vs Captain Hook

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Well, FINALLY finished watching last week’s episode of Once Upon a Time’s “The Crocodile,” and all I can say is there’s soon to be rough waters ahead!

Beware matey! Spoilers ahead! Arrr! 😉

Photo credit: ABC.

With the introduction of Captain Hook, Once upon a Time creator’s have also introduced a new storyline: Captain Hook has paired up with Cora, (Regina’s mother) in the present day Enchanted forest world in the hopes to get to Storybrooke, Maine. Hook for his revenge on Rumpelstiltskin and Cora for Regina, of course.

This episode focused on Rumpelstiltskin’s back story, whilst progressing Belle’s story in the Storybrooke world. Meanwhile, in the back story of Rumple’s long search for his son, we are introduced to a “Killian Jones,” a ruggedly handsome Captain, who sweeps Rumple’s wife, Mila, off her feet, and who eventually becomes the angry Captain Hook of the Peter Pan world.

With the introduction of a magic bean and a man’s desire to never age, we have the bumbling, weaker side-kick character of Smee. I must say, I am impressed with the show’s ability to introduce so many new characters in one episode but still progress the plot. An ability, I believe, which is lost in a lot of our newer television shows!

Anyway, Highlights and Observations:

  • Captain Hook is hott! Thank you creators! No yucky long-haired wig!
  • Charming has become the new sheriff.
  • Red’s nose is more sensitive lately. (The wolf thing she says). More on her story to come, I’m sure!
  • Belle’s character grows in strength, sticking to the story we know and love – huh, she likes books! Who knew!
  • Rumple finally admitting his reason for bringing back magic…do we believe him? And Belle asking Rumple if he’s ever had a hamburger. Too cute. (I love this because we will get to see the development of their relationship as the show goes on.)
  • Rumple asking Charming for dating advice.
  • No Emma, Snow, Aurora or Mulan in this episode I’m afraid. :/
  • And lastly, this amazing bit of dialogue. As Cora shows Captain Hook her plan to get back to Storybrooke, a vial full of magic and he snorts and says: “Sparkly dirt. Wonderful.”

Will be interesting to see the explanation we are given for why some fairytale world characters remained and why the rest of them were cursed. A protection spell placed on the land perhaps? There was a lot in this episode, I definitely didn’t cover it all. If you have some thoughts, let me know!

Looking forward to the new episode! Finally! More on Dr. Whale!

A sneak peek below:

I have to say, I always thought Dr. Whale was a bit off, but Frankenstein? Hmm, perfect for a Halloween episode!