Darth Vader's Popcorn & Plot-Bunnies

[allana]

We saw Episode III this morning, and it was good! I must point out that I'm not a Star Wars fan, know next to nothing about the franchise. I went purely to keep Dave company but wound up enjoying the film too. No spoilers here and no proper review either :P Hayden Christiansen's (sp?) acting has improved muchly, alas, Natalie Portman's acting was dire. Cinematography was good. R2-D2 is my hero! Even though I was distressed to see an interview with him (Kenny Baker) in the Metro which suggested that him and C3-P0 weren't friends offscreen. Came straight home as (a) it was heaving in Leicester Square and (b) I was going purple....

Which leads us to the popcorn... I fancied some popcorn--I haven't had popcorn at the cinema since I saw ET, and in a fit of nostalgia said "Popcorn!" in a bright and perky way when Dave asked if I wanted anything. Big mistake. I spent ten minutes after the film was over coughing and gasping for breath as some of the unpopped outer shell of the popcorn got lodged in my throat. Apparently I went a fetching shade of purple. Darth Vader should endorse that sodding popcorn. Almost as lethal as his choke-thingie. (Yes, I don't know the proper name for the Sith move he does--Force Choke? I make it all up as I go along. Ask Dave about Bully Droids someday and see him laugh his ass off.)



I've acquired another plot bunny. This time it's original, but I don't think it has a serious hope in hell of getting written. Which is fustrating.

I'm sure I've blathered on about The Ultimate Fighter reality show to a few of you guys on my flist. It's gotten right under my skin, and now I want to write a coming-of-age story, set in the mixed martial arts (MMA) sport. 20-something fighter, trying to move up the rankings, get a contract with a good company (the UFC seems to be the pinnacle of that sport), hiding his sexuality and trying to deal with racism. The racism is the really interesting part for me. The guy running around in my head is white. The racism is coming from the black guys he trains and fights with. Because he's white trash, and since being black is now cool... everyone needs a new social group to be racist towards. It could be really, really good. But as always, there's a problem. For once, this is a valid concern....

I cannot punch. I had to double-check with Dave last night what a jab was--obscurely, I know what a back-fist and uppercut are. At this point we discovered that I really can't throw a punch--which is probably a good thing, in case, you know, I ever have a temper tantrum. But, how can I write a book about fighters... if I can't punch let alone fight? I went to karate classes for about three weeks before I freaked out when someone got a massive splinter stuck in their foot from the floor. It had to be cut out, blood everywhere. No way was that happening to me! So, I quit. And I never got around to trying out another martial art. These days, I'm too fat and unfit to take up any.

Alas, Dave won't write the fighting bits for me. Which sucks. Still, I think I'm going to talk him into getting the pads and gloves out and I can at least learn how to get a decent stance and throw a punch. At least I can already make a proper fist *rolls eyes*

I'm still mournfully looking at MMA sites, checking into the history of it all, and thinking what a great story I could write with a bit of knowledge.

Comments

[dreammonkey.livejournal.com]

I have taken tomorrow off work to get some sleep and get my life into some sort of order (you should SEE my fridge).

It is only coincidence that Star Wars is out tomorrow.

And only coincidence that Tyslothorp (you know who he is...) is thinking of not working tomorrow too :D

[kraftpistole.livejournal.com]

Popcorn = Dark Side Choking. Yup, been there, hacked and weezed through that. I stick to mints and gummies now.

Hmm. Maybe you can read a novel on boxing...? See how others writers do it, then try to build from there? Do they have the For Dummies series [or something along the same vein] over at your end? That might help too. In the meantime, you could concentrate on writing anything that deals with when the hero couldn't throw a decent punch either.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Is there a method behind the madness of that name? It's unpronouncable! Good luck with the fridge... may the unknown substances, lurking in jars, not leap out and tickle your toes.

[screwthedaisies.livejournal.com]

Bully Droids

Just...tell me these weren't Storm Troopers, okay?

As for the fighting, why not pop over to a martial arts place and tell them you're researching a book. I bet they'll let you watch classes from the sidelines, answer all your questions, and tell you way more than you ever wanted to know about just about anything. In fact, you might learn a lot more about this sort of thing by being involved as a researcher as opposed to a participant because you won't be so focused on trying to get the moves right, right?

I had a vague idea for a novel just yesterday. Or rather I had a gimick for a novel. Characters and plot have been reluctant to follow. *sigh*

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

That's a great idea, Joe :) Thanks! And yes, they have the For Dummies series here, as well as the similar series with the orange covers (I forget the name of it).

[madandy.livejournal.com]

I always wanted to be a Storm Trooper. (Then had a mental image of all these huge, white-suited figures charging along and a little stout one at the back, wheezing worse than the boss. The olive-drab suited chap watching makes a *tsk* noise and makes a mark on his clipboard.

"Oh dear, Number 2147637456215. You must do better than that."

*Short stout 'Trooper* = *Wheeeeeeeeeeeze*)

*Sigh*

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

No, they weren't Storm Troopers/Clones. Definitely droids. One of R2's finer moments, I think.

The martial arts place/class is another great idea. Thanks, H!

[dreammonkey.livejournal.com]

It's from a book I think? I'll have to ask him tomorrow if we go to see the filum.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

It took me years to realise that the Storm Troopers were actually humans in battle-gear. I thought they were just... dumb droids.

[madandy.livejournal.com]

Ha! I always knew they were people. I wanted to be one when i grew up. (To be a bloke. *Sigh*)

I was... a strange child. ;)

[kraftpistole.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :)

[kraftpistole.livejournal.com]

Same 'ere. Thought they were droids. It would've helped if, like in Ep. III, they would've removed their helmets once in a while. Only then the whole Jango Fett clones deal wouldn't have worked. Not that I'd really miss it. I had great fun creating Storm Trooper characters once I realized they were humans.

[kelpierocks.livejournal.com]

I will admit to knowing next to nothing about MMA. (A form of professional bias, kind of.) But I do believe that not all fighters in the MMA come from a boxing background. There are several former amateur (read: Olympic level) wrestlers who are doing fairly well in UFC and other MMA arenas. Or are you set on a boxing focus/background for your character? Otherwise, you could investigate other areas that you may find more comprehensible... wrestling, judo, etc. FWIW. :)

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Professional bias? I'm intrigued!

From what I've seen and read, they seem to come from boxing, wrestling, judo and ju-jitsu in the main, as their primary styles of martial art. In all the fights I've seen, they've all thrown punches, even the wrestlers, hence my interest in punching. Just took a quick look at the UFC's site, and there is a very long list of styles which people have competed with. I haven't nailed down what sort of fighting style my character should have yet, so plenty of food for thought there.

As an aside, Dave has just given me a short lesson in punching. I can now do a nice jab and hook combo and have a sound appreciation for just how hard he can punch. Wow.

[feelforfaith.livejournal.com]

alas, Natalie Portman's acting was dire

I have seen her in Closer (that's the one where she played a stripper for part of the movie), and I think I was initially influenced by other reviews of this movie which raved about how good her acting was there, because I also thought it was not bad at all. But then I thought about the movie in general a little more, also about the actors and acting, and I came to the conclusion that her acting was wooden. As a girl desperately in love she didn't elicit my sympathy at all, and as a stripper she gave out about as much heat as lettuce sitting in the refrigerator about two weeks too long.

However, she was by far the least experienced of the four actors, and I want to give her credit for what I think is the most ambitious role of her career so far. I'm looking forward to see what will become of her :).

Oh, and any actress, but especially a young one like she showing at Cannes with a head shaved for a movie role get massive brownie points from me :D.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Closer, it didn't really appeal to me. However, her acting was superb in Leon. Maybe directors have a hard time getting a good performance from her?

[kelpierocks.livejournal.com]

Professional bias, because I have professional ties to the amateur wrestling world. So I have profound disdain for "professional" wrestling, i.e., WWE, Hulk Hogan style. MMA and UFC are not on that level as I think they are actual competition as opposed to the scripted entertainment of the WWE, but still a level of distrust there on my part.

Obviously I've never even seen any MMA matches, so I shouldn't venture any opinions at all. I *will* be very interested to read your story... hopefully I can learn something. Without paying attention to my prejudices. ;)