Vamps Aren't Just for Show

Comedy isn't my favorite genre of book or movie. 

But I do love the madcap silent films like the Keystone Cops, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton. Silly mix-ups, running into walls, tripping over rugs, slipping on banana peels; these are the things that make me laugh. 

I watched Madame Mystery because it is:

1. Theda's last film appearance  

2. one of only six complete surviving films out of the 40+ she was in

When you think Theda Bara, you don't think comedy. She was the first "sex symbol," the first "celebrity."

She played vamps, orphans and power-hungry women (she did have a couple comedic roles but American audiences shunned them).

In color by dontforgetfrank on Deviant Art

 In 1926 she starred as a secret agent in the comedy Madame Mystery. Some say it was an attempt to revive her film career that she left behind in 1919. I'd like to think she just wanted to have some fun mocking the vamp roles she had been so famous for. 

Theda's performance was basically panned by reviewers, but I thought she was great. She was the perfect straight (wo)man (hopefully I'm using that term correctly) to Tyler Brooke and James Finlayson. If you don't recognize Finlayson's name, you might at least know his face. He has the most lovably, comic face. 

Finlayson and Theda make the movie what it is (though Oliver Hardy makes an appearance as the bungling  steamship captain). Finlayson starts the movie out in a flouncy dress and every scene he is in just gets funnier from there.

For a detailed run-down of the film go to  The World's Funniest Dissertation

You can watch the film on YouTube here. Unfortunately, it is truly silent, meaning there is no accompanying music. When it was first shown in theaters there would have been a pianist, or even a small orchestra playing along to enhance the experience (a great future blog post topic!). Half the silent films I come across online have music that someone has kindly played over it, and half do not. 

Many local theaters will have a silent film series now and then and they often have live music accompanying. I highly recommend going at least once. If you live in the Columbus area, CAPA has a summer classic movie series and they include one silent film each year. This year they are showing The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Lon Chaney ("the man of a thousand faces") and Patsy Ruth Miller, accompanied by an organist on The Ohio Theater's original, antique organ "Mighty Morton." It's a fun experience--try it!

For a more recent comedy that made me laugh out loud, try Palm Springs with Adam Sandberg. 

Writing Woes and Writing Wows

I've been on a steady writing diet lately. It feels good. 

Writing begets writing. 

The well remains full.

But, there are days where I feel like everything I write is dribble, utter nonsense. There are days when I feel like an impostor. Who am I to call myself a writer? 

I was feeling quite down about my writing, (and lack thereof) when I suddenly had a string of successes: I won a monthly writing contest in my writing group, a local suburban arts council writing contest, and an Ohio women writers' scholarship. 

This should have boosted my morale, validated my writing skill. But at first these wins made me feel like a guilty impostor. It took me weeks to "own" it, albeit still sheepishly.

After my initial feelings of "winners guilt," each of these accomplishments encouraged me, and helped my writing craft. I learn plenty from my failures, but in the writer's world, you can learn just as much from the                                                             successes.

I am so grateful to Kezia Carpenter and the Sandra Carpenter Memorial Fund for the amazing, enriching experience of virtually attending the Stockholm Writers Festival. I was lucky enough to have an intensive manuscript editing, a session with an agent, and the chance to participate in Pitchapalooza with the amazing Book Doctors. 

I was asked by SCMF to write up my top ten takeaways from the conference and I've included them in this post (see below, if interested).

Also, I made it into the main city newspaper! I'm not going to lie, that was special.  I don't currently subscribe to the paper, but The Dispatch had long been part of my life since I was a kid. I was a delivery girl for the Dispatch for I-don't-know-how-long. My mother got the Sunday paper (and still does) so that we could clip coupons and shop from the sales flyers. For a little more, you could get the Thursday paper too which had The Weekender full of movie reviews and events going on that weekend. We'd plan the movies we could see, and dream of the musicals and ballets that we could not.

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/westerville/2021/05/11/westerville-writing-contest-2021-category-adults/4927964001/

My Top Ten Takeaways From the Stockholm                                                            Writers Festival

1. 1. There is an international community of writers out there to explore and connect with. 

   
   

   2. Put yourself (and your work) out there even if you’re bashful or don’t feel worthy/qualified (book people are kind people:)

   
   

   3. Think about the author’s promise as you read, look for your author’s promise as you write. What kind of expectations are you setting up for your reader?

   
   

   4. Don’t worry if you don’t know everything about your story or your characters throughout your first draft. (Sarah Waters starts with plot, and throughout subsequent drafts, creates characters who fit into it.)

   
   

   5. When pitching to an agent don’t use the entire time talking about your story. Leave time for the agent to get to know you, and why you are the best person to write that story.

   
   

   6. Time, in story, has an effect on the reader’s emotions; time directs the reader’s attention.

   7. Use games with prizes to encourage word-count when writing with a group. For example, whoever gets to 1,000 words first gets a latte from the group, whoever reaches 500 words first gets a cookie, bookmark, new pen (office supplies)

   
   

   8. Create a competitive environment for your book; when querying, reach out to agents you’ve queried with every response of interest from another.

   
   

   9.  When pitching, let agents hear your writing style in the pitch.

   
   

   10.  You can feel connected and “find your tribe” virtually (and it’s not as intimidating to talk in front of fifty people virtually as it would be in person!).

   
   

Thanks to my writing group,  my friends, and my family for all the support💜