Shock Theater Ā 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!!!” šŖ°
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.!” š
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. š
This year’s presentation was as silly as ever. It portrays the story of Frank Randall who engineers Ā 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. šŖ°
Follow this meandering and entertaining story if you dare! š¹
Warning! A volunteer screams loudly about four times in the video, so be prepared! š
Greetings Outlander fans! My, I have missed you allā¦ š¤
This weekend I find myself in beautiful Surrey, British Columbia, Ā Canada, attending the Surrey International Writersā Conference, more commonly known as SiWC!
I drove from Oregon to Canada lastThursday. It was a beautiful day but the Ā normally 5.5 hr drive turned into nearly 7 hours due to two collisions in Washington state. Ā 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 Ā iPad. š
Todayās event was titled āCompelling Expositions,ā a panel featuring Diana Gabaldon, Michael Slade, Robyn Harding, and Darren Groth (not shown). Ā K. C. Dyer moderated (also not shown).
Diana looked stunning, layered with in a deep red shawl because the room was freezing! š„¶
Many fruitful topics were covered by the panel. Here are some highlights including Dianaās responses:
Question: Ā Which is your fav scene from your writings? Diana chose the scene from āOutlanderā book wherein Jamie rescues Claire from Black Jack Randallās clutches. They shelter at a tavern – Ā 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 Ā in danger. I must confess, this choice surprised me. I suppose because Diana has written so many splendid scenes. How would one even choose? š¤
This is wee bit of the excerpt from the scene (pp. 249-250 āOutlanderā Kindle version) that is Dianaās fav!
āCome to bed, Jamie. What are you waiting for?ā
He came to stand by the bed, swinging the belt gently back and forth.
āWell, lass, Iām afraid weāve a matter still to settle between us before we sleep tonight.ā I felt a sudden stab of apprehension.
āWhat is it?ā He didnāt answer at once. Deliberately not sitting down on the bed by me, he pulled up a stool and sat facing me instead.ā¦ šÆ
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. (Psstā¦. She didnāt mention that sometimes the answers to questions she raises donāt get resolved until two books and ten years later!) š
Question: How do you deal with slang or dialect? Diana feels dialogue is the most important way to define a character. Ā 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. š„°
Question: Do you plan out a chapter or scene ahead of time? Diana does not. We already know she doesnāt 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. Ā 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 Ā a classic outline. She also doesnāt know ahead of time how a book will end. I guess the one exception here is that she seems to know how the āOutlanderā books will end. Sob! š¢
Question: Who is your favorite author. James Clavell, she answered without a momentās hesitation. Ā Clavell authored the marvelous, āShogun,ā for those who might not know. Although it has been some time since I read it, it is well worth doing so. šš»
Before 2024 San Diego Comic-Con fades in the rear view mirror, I want to share some of the things I have learned and experienced about SDCC over the years.
I attended my first DSCC in 2017. I had intended to go in 2016 but my husband planned a surprise trip to Scotland in honor of our 53rd wedding anniversary!
No complaints because I had a grand time. Don’t want to get distracted from my mission, but here’s a few photos to explain why I chose Scotland in 2016.
We visited the stand in for Craigh na Du. Ā A lovely, quiet, tree-covered mound with a lot of sheep. In the distance you can see Loch Rannoch (photo, left), the site where Claire and Ned Gowan (ep 105) quote from the poet John Donne.
Next is the shop window where Claire contemplates buying a pair of vases (ep 101). The site was supposedly Inverness but the filming actually took place in the village of Falkland in Fife.
I stood on a picnic table to create this short video of Culloden Battlefield and Drumossie Moor. The building in the distance is the Visitor’s Center. The video was actually made in 2017 as my daughter and I returned to Scotland one a year later! š
So, now you know why I didn’t go to the 2016 SDCC. I have been to every SDCC since then except during COVID shutdown.
The following is a short history of this fantastic event.
The first SDCC was held in 1970 with 100 attendees! Now, the attendance is well of 135,000 people, annually. These are attendees with badges or press passes. Many more people gather outside the venue to participate in associated events and activities.
Today, SDCC is held in the beautiful Ā San Diego Convention Center. Ā It is the long building to the right of the palm tree-lined boulevard and is located near the waterfront. It is huge – Ā 2.6 million square feet of floor space. This year, it offered over 2,000 hours of comics, anime, gaming, discussions, workshops and other events relating to the popular arts.
The exhibit hall part is 460,00 square feet of floor space with over 1,000 exhibitors. Aisles are always packed with attendees buying all types of merchandise associated with the Comic-Con genre.
SDCC even spreads onto nearby buildings outside the San Diego Convention Center.
This year, I attended several panels, walked the exhibit hall, visited various exhibits, met with friends, and spoke with attendees.
But, one of my favorite parts of SDCC is the cosplay! What is cosplay? According to Wikipedia, Ā the term “cosplay is a portmanteau of “costume play;” it is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.”
And, believe me, cosplayers take their characters very seriously!
The following are some of my favorites!
This is Ruby Rhod from “The Fifth Element.” Many claim he was the original influencer! You may not know, but Prince was originally cast for this role but withdrew because of costuming issues so the part went to Chris tucker.
And, my personal favorite: Day of the Dead character. I now wish I had asked to photo the back of her magnificent hat. Ā It was covered with flowers, skulls, candles, and other symbols. Stunning costume! š
This is my final post of 2024 SDCC. Saying farewell until next year with shaka sign (hang loose) from me and my longtime Comic-Con buddies, Jody and Jim from Hawaii.
