Happy Birthday, Dad

So, just a few days ago I would have called my dad to wish him a happy Thanksgiving, and today I would have called him to wish him a happy birthday.  This is the first year that I'm unable to do these things, since he passed away in September.  Today, he would have been fifty-three.

Dad with me, probably around 1986 or 1987

He died of cancer, and he died the morning that I was flying in to see him.  After battling steadily for two years, his final decline was very quick.  It probably isn't rational to believe that he deliberately died before I could see him--but it is what I believe.  When I first made plans to see him, my trip was to be a morale booster.  He was trying to get healthy enough to take part in the second recruitment round of a drug trial, and I wanted to see him to help raise his spirits.  I was bringing Elizabeth with me, because it's almost impossible to be sad around her.  Just one week before I was to see him, he became so weak he couldn't walk, and at that point he told others that he didn't want me to see him that way.  When he was told "too bad" and that I was coming to see him anyway, I think that he, in his normal, stubborn way, thought, "that's what they think."  I think he didn't hold on, because while I know he wanted to see me, he didn't want me to see him--not that way.  He didn't want me to remember him that way.

Dad with Elizabeth, Christmas 2011

 

 

At first, when it was all so fresh, I felt like it was selfish.  How dare he not consider my wish to see him one last time before he died? How could he do that to me?  He knew I was on the way.  On bad days, that is still the thought that flits through my head.  But on every other day, I know that what he did was one of the most unselfish things a parent can do for their child.  I know he wanted to see Elizabeth and me.  I know it.  But he wanted to protect me more, and spare me the pain of seeing my father in such a weakened state.

Dad walking me down the aisle in 2006

I want Elizabeth to know things about my dad, and I thought I could make sure that happens by starting a tradition of celebrating his birthday every year.  So, today I made one of his favorite cakes--Hummingbird Cake--and I hope to do this every year.  We'll set out a picture of him, and when she's older, maybe go through others.  I'll tell her stories about him, such as the fact that he liked to mess with my head when I was little.  I would tell him that I wanted to be a ballerina or something like that, and he'd respond by saying, "Well, when I was a little girl, I was the best ballerina in the class."

I miss him, but I feel comforted by doing something to celebrate him and his life each and every year.  Happy Birthday, Dad.  I hope you would have liked the cake.

  

Ta'veren Tuesdays: Casting Matrim Cauthon

Mat Cauthon is a really fun character in WoT.  At the beginning of the series, he is a scamp--a girl-crazy prankster who is always in trouble.  He always tries to take the easy way around any task, and doesn't like having to exert much effort for anything.  He strikes readers as extremely self-interested and somewhat lazy.  As the series progresses, the pranks give way to gambling, and he is a rogue who is always trying his luck with the ladies--and he does fairly well.  His aversion to effort seems to shift more to an aversion to trouble and dangerous situations--and who can really blame someone for that? In any case, we are told that he has a wiry build. He is tall, but not as tall as Rand, and I don't remember much about his hair or eye color--so it isn't really mentioned all that often.  Since he is from the Two Rivers, it is likely that his hair and eyes are some shade of brown. Given all this, here are my casting picks:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

 I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt would emphasize the boyishness of Mat's character--women often treat him as if he still is a boy, even though he is the same age as Rand.  Other characters don't always take him seriously, likely due to his preoccupation with gambling, drinking, and flirting.

Tom Hiddleston

 Mat is said to have a charming smile, and Tom Hiddleston has a face that really comes to life when he smiles.  I think he could pull off the boyish charm (though in this picture, those creases around his eyes may give him away as too old to play Mat).  I think he would make an excellent Matrim Cauthon.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

 

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is showing up in more and more movies these days, but most will be familiar with him from Kick-Ass.  He has a self-assured smile that I can easily imagine on Mat Cauthon's face.  He may be a bit too er...beefy...to really call "wiry"--but that's fine because if he isn't appropriate for Mat, he might do very well for Perrin Aybara.  We'll be considering casting picks for Perrin next week.  In the meantime, any suggestions for Mat Cauthon? 

Ta'veren Tuesdays: Casting Rand al'Thor

So, the first character to cast for the Wheel of Time series has to be Rand al'Thor.  When the series begins, I think he is around seventeen years of age (if memory serves).  He is described as tall, with red hair and gray eyes.  He isn't bulky, and the impression you get of him in the first few books is one of a lanky, gangly teenager.  As the series progresses, it becomes clear that he is considered attractive--though not uncommonly so.  I take this to be an indication that he is likely not classically handsome.  Rather, it may be that he has an interesting, compelling face.  Here are my casting picks for Rand al'Thor:

Cillian Murphy

 Though he may be getting a bit long in the tooth to actually be selected for the role (he is around 37 years of age at this time), he can pull off red hair and grey eyes, and his facial features are distinctive and compelling.  I also believe that as an actor, he could pull off Rand al'Thor's range of emotions.  Movie magic would have to make him seem taller than he actually is (he is 5'9'').

Eddie Redmayne

 

 I admit that I haven't watched much of Eddie Redmayne as an actor, though in the few things I have seen him in, he seems to give it his all.  He is yet another who could easily pull off the red hair, the gray eyes. He isn't all that tall (5'11'')--but movie magic could likely take care of that.  If he weren't picked for Rand, I could also see him in the role of Gawyn Trakand.

 Nicholas Hoult

 

Nicholas Hoult is both the tallest (6'2'') and youngest (~24) of my casting picks.  I admit I didn't think too much of him in X-Men: First Class, but I loved him in Warm Bodies.  I haven't seen him in much else, but looks-wise I can definitely see him as Rand al'Thor.  

Well, that's it for this Tuesday--next Tuesday, I'll be casting Matrim Cauthon.  If you (assuming anyone reads this) have any suggestions for casting, feel free to leave them in the comments!

 

Wheel of Time Dream Casting Project

So...I adore Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.  A friend encouraged me to read it, and I couldn't stop once I began.  I love epic fantasy--I'm always in awe of people who are good at creating whole worlds with their own language and history.  As a writer, I cannot fathom doing such a thing--the details that have to be hammered out and the hard work that must go into lovingly crafting the cultures and races and traditions and customs is simply staggering.  I love reading it and getting engrossed.  I love that usually, these stories have many, many volumes and take forever to read (because I read a lot).  I'm currently on book twelve of the fourteen books in the series.  You can really get to know a character after you've read thousands and thousands of words about them.  Their personalities (if done well) are so distinct and just...gorgeous to read.

In any case, this series hasn't been made into a movie or TV show yet (and I'm not sure it ever will--I don't see how it could be any less expensive or troubling to make than Game of Thrones, and though the HBO television adaptation of that series is wildly successful, I'm not sure anyone would dare undertake something this massive), but I can't stop thinking about a dream cast for the characters.  Many, many fans of the series have already done this, but I thought it would be fun to do the same from time to time on this blog.  I figure the posts will each focus on casting for one character, and I'm going to try to provide several actors who might be good for that role.  I will also try to provide descriptions of the characters from the books so that we can see how appropriate the casting choice might be.  It's going to be tons of fun (for me, at least)!

Why Does Creativity Strike....

At such weird times?  In response to weird things?

I've been writing like the wind!  Well...compared to the pace I usually write, it feels like the wind. It's almost a compulsion.  And I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about a story I want to write.  It has been occupying at least 70-80% of my thoughts.  I've even had trouble sleeping because I'm still turning things over in my mind.

And it feels awesome.  I love this stage of writing something.  I finally wrote out the first scene today.  I tend to keep a story in my head until I can't anymore, and then I write out a few scenes, then start connecting them together and filling in the bare spots.  It's so much fun!

But it escapes me why this would happen now.  I've had a pretty nasty cold (I was even sent home from work today) and I haven't been sleeping well.  I'm generally busy with work and the baby, and it often feels like I have no free time.  Yet, one of my writer friends happens to mention that she loves dorky romances (those in which the romantic lead is not your typical burly, statuesque Greek god-like guy), and she lamented the fact that people don't write too many of them.  I like them too, and I thought "Hey, I can write one of those!" It's been my obsession for the past few days now. 

I'm going to see if I can, in fact, write one of those.

A Crazy End of the Year...and There Really Aren't Enough Hours in the Day

SO.  We bought the house that I was gushing over in the last post.  I'm not kidding.  We bought it and now it is ours.  It was a whirlwind thing, really--we closed at the end of November and were moved in by mid-December.  I think this more than explains my absence from posting here!

We love it.  We love the space, we love the location.  We are excited about the projects (and they are many).

Now to switch gears....

There aren't enough hours in the day for me to do everything I want to do.  Lately, I keep doing that thing where I think, "Hey, I'd really like to learn to do/play/make ___________ before I die."  And these things keep adding up--there are way too many things I'd love to do before I die--hobbies I'd love to take up and places I'd love to see.  I seem to be stuck on hobbies, mostly.  For instance, here's the list I have (and I'm probably forgetting some):

Learn to play electric guitar
Learn to play piano
Learn to play cello
Become fluent in Spanish
Learn to box/a martial art
Learn to crochet
Get better at knitting
Learn to sew using a sewing machine
Learn Latin ballroom dancing
Study/read about world history
Read a lot more comic books/graphic novels
Learn to draw/paint better
Write more. LOTS more.

There aren't enough hours in the day.