Shock Theater  is a spooky and spectacular take on a radio play, “complete with show-stopping twists, unexpected turns, and delightfully devious foley sound effects.” This year’s production was “The Fly!!!” đȘ°
Michael is the only one who sees the the script ahead of time; no one else will have seen their parts. Thus, they perform more or less “on the fly.!” đ
For those too young, the original “The Fly” was a 1958 black and white film starring Vincent Price and a host of other actors you probably have never heard of. đ
This year’s presentation was as silly as ever. It portrays the story of Frank Randall who engineers  a time transport machine and Diana as Claire Randall, devoted wife. Frank accidentally transports himself with a fly in the machine! Molecules intermix so Frank emerges from the device with a fly hand and head and the fly ends up with a human head and hand. đȘ°
Follow this meandering and entertaining story if you dare! đč
Warning! A volunteer screams loudly about four times in the video, so be prepared! đ
Greetings Outlander fans! My, I have missed you all⊠đ€
This weekend I find myself in beautiful Surrey, British Columbia, Â Canada, attending the Surrey International Writersâ Conference, more commonly known as SiWC!
I drove from Oregon to Canada lastThursday. It was a beautiful day but the  normally 5.5 hr drive turned into nearly 7 hours due to two collisions in Washington state.  Yes, it was an inconvenience for those on the freeway, but I was grateful to arrive safely and I hope those involved in the crashes are OK.
Thus far, I have attended several events featuring Diana – she is one busy lass! All were delightful and I will share them with you, but not in chronological order mostly due to the technical issues of posting via  iPad. đ
Todayâs event was titled âCompelling Expositions,â a panel featuring Diana Gabaldon, Michael Slade, Robyn Harding, and Darren Groth (not shown). Â K. C. Dyer moderated (also not shown).
Diana looked stunning, layered with in a deep red shawl because the room was freezing! đ„¶
Many fruitful topics were covered by the panel. Here are some highlights including Dianaâs responses:
Question:  Which is your fav scene from your writings? Diana chose the scene from âOutlanderâ book wherein Jamie rescues Claire from Black Jack Randallâs clutches. They shelter at a tavern –  Jamie tells Claire he is not ready for bed and proceeds to whip her with his sword belt. This set up a major clash between the two characters because each POV was justified from their perspective. Claire was trying to find a way back to Frank but Jamie knew her actions put all of their lives  in danger. I must confess, this choice surprised me. I suppose because Diana has written so many splendid scenes. How would one even choose? đ€
This is wee bit of the excerpt from the scene (pp. 249-250 âOutlanderâ Kindle version) that is Dianaâs fav!
âCome to bed, Jamie. What are you waiting for?â
He came to stand by the bed, swinging the belt gently back and forth.
âWell, lass, Iâm afraid weâve a matter still to settle between us before we sleep tonight.â I felt a sudden stab of apprehension.
âWhat is it?â He didnât answer at once. Deliberately not sitting down on the bed by me, he pulled up a stool and sat facing me instead.⊠đŻ
Question: How do you deal with pacing? Diana responded that pacing depends on context. For example, if there is an emergency then the writer wants to keep sentences short and terse. Pacing allows the author to create tension between two elements. A question is raised and then answered to move the story forward. (PsstâŠ. She didnât mention that sometimes the answers to questions she raises donât get resolved until two books and ten years later!) đ
Question: How do you deal with slang or dialect? Diana feels dialogue is the most important way to define a character. Â An author using another language (e.g. Gaelic) needs to educate themself in the language. She watched films with Scottish characters to hear their spoken English. At conferences, if she heard anyone speaking with a Scottish accent, she invited them for coffee and listened to them speak. Diana also recommended reading books written by someone who speaks the language. She read several Scottish authors to help her get a feel for syntax, cadence, etc. Frankly, her devotion to her craft is a splendid example to all aspiring authors. đ„°
Question: Do you plan out a chapter or scene ahead of time? Diana does not. We already know she doesnât write in a straight line. She also does not tell her characters what to say or do. She waits patiently for them to speak to her.  This being my fourth SiWC, I can tell you hers is a unique approach. Most writers I encounter plan out scenes, many even work from  a classic outline. She also doesnât know ahead of time how a book will end. I guess the one exception here is that she seems to know how the âOutlanderâ books will end. Sob! đą
Question: Who is your favorite author. James Clavell, she answered without a momentâs hesitation. Â Clavell authored the marvelous, âShogun,â for those who might not know. Although it has been some time since I read it, it is well worth doing so. đđ»
Good day, all!  Apologies, this has taken a week to get to you! đ
Sunday, October 9, was the final day of 2022 NYCC and, for me, it was the best!
Each morning walking to Javits, we were greeted by a “herd” of pigeons waiting for treats. Roomies, Jody and Jim, point to the feathered army!  Usually, they were perched on the power lines reminding me of the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds! đłÂ
Inside the Javits, more cosplay.
Don’t know who this is but I’ll wager some of you do? It is a fab costume!Â
And, this intricate tableauâŠ..
Anyone know? Wow! đź
Onto the show floor where Jody quickly found her fav store, Tokidoki!
Next, Jody, Jim, and I were overshadowed by a huge Maga character!
Soon it was time to find a seat at the âTea with Two Highlanders and A Lordâ panelâŠ. although, the title should have included “THE  Lady.â Â
And, who might that be? Herself, of course! đ„°
I videoed the hour-long panel. My apologies for its homemade look. Occasionally, I had to switch hands and I also had to record most of it from the Jumbotron because I was too far back to capture a good stage view.
The panel was great and will speak for itself.
Enjoy!
(Psst….I never got any tea!) đ
Afterward, the panelists retired behind the curtain for official photos. Then, as pre-arranged, Diana and her publicist emerged through a side door and I greeted her with a big hug!
She looked beautiful in her dramatic red cape, although this photo was taken sometime later.  đ (It was a chill and windy day!)
I should mention, her splendid cape is made of warm wool with a tartan-lined hood. The sterling silver clasp appeared to be of Celtic design. I asked if it was from Scotland and she said, âI think so.â đ
Pretty woman!
Then, we  headed for lunch.  It had been almost three years to the day since we shared a meal together and it was wonderful to see her again!
Her publicist took us down a private elevator to the basement of the Javits Center. I was intrigued by all the workings, supplies, and stuff in the âbowels of that  building!â đ
We hopped into golf carts and were escorted to the far end of Javits.
This is a video of our âzip ride.â  You can hear me saying to Diana, it feels a bit  like âJames Bond.â  đ
We were driven to a door that opened street-side and walked to Hudson Yards to enjoy a quiet lunch.
We took a moment to admire the  beautiful  âVesselâ at Hudson Yards.
Fortunately, no fans took notice, and we snuggled in for a quick lunch.
She was gorgeous, as always, with her beautiful big smile and thick black hair. Red is my favorite color on her!
Her nails were beautiful, as always – a glossy, cornflower blue polish (I am sure someone knows its name). Â And, she happily posed for a photo.
Her very strong nails are a gift from her father. She doesnât wear gels, just regular nail polish! I always admire those lucky people who enjoy sturdy nails. đ€
What did we talk about? Well, lots of things:
Children
Grandchildren (new photos of her darling grandsons)
Nails
Her brain đ§
Her corpus callosum
Everyoneâs right and left brains
Scientists
My anatomy lessons and FF using Sam as model
Titans of Fantasy panel
The following is a bit of what we talked about. Â
I complimented her for her splendid performance at the âTitans of Fantasyâ panel.  Her responses were  thoughtful and informative which held my attention. Made me proud!
I shared how her explaining her scientific journey to audiences delights me. Not everyone grasps what it means to be a scientist or the rigorous work entailed in becoming one. I think she helps people appreciate what science can contribute to a personâs life skills.
We talked about how science trains the left brain for details and analysis and how she patently trusts the intuitive side of her right brain.
I reminded her that the last time we met, I said she had an admirable corpus callosum because she clearly engages both sides of her brain.
Her very logical response was, âWell, why would you only want to use one side of your brain and leave the  other side behind?â
To which I replied⊠ âPulling it along like a dog on a leash?â đ
This may seem weird talk to you, but we always discuss things that others might find odd. (I make it a point not to press her for Outlander info. She is my friend.)
As a note of explanation, the corpus callosum is an area deep in the brain which allows right and left sides of the brain to communicate. And her sides communicate very well, indeed!Â
Forty-five minutes flew by and suddenly, it was time to go, she had another panel starting in minutes. This time it would be solo with no backup if she were to be late!
We headed back toward Javits, stopping at the Equinox Hotel where her ride awaited her.  Her publisher was also waiting and took this photo of us, which I absolutely adore! â€ïž
Then a quick hug goodbye and I returned to the Javits Center to grab a seat for the âDiana Gabaldon Spotlightâ panel.
Unfortunately, seating was very close so this was the best video I could shoot. Apologies to the lady in front!Â
Which part of her panel was your favorite?
I loved hearing the excerpt from book 10! â€ïž
But, in addition, I enjoyed learning about her writing Outlander on her husbandâs garage computer! đź
âWhoâs Jamie?â đđđÂ
If only he knew at the time what a juggernaut her âpractice bookâ would become!Â
That evening, I joined members of the FB group, Hudson Highlanders, for dinner. It was wonderful to meet these lovely ladies, two of whom I had only met via Zoom (L to R: Tonise, Lynn, Gwen, Susan)! đ€
Then to bed for an early rise.
Next morning, I had to say goodbye to Jim and Jody. Â We have room-shared many times at various comic cons and they are the best!
In front of the red and white Empire State Building. Â I think they look like newlyweds although they have been married 36 years!
Farewell my friends, old and new. Until next time!
