Dear Fan-Girl Crushes: Veronica Mars

VERONICA! I freakin love you. And I could basically end there and that would be it, because I heart V Mars something fierce but I think both Veronica and Keith would be disappointed in my writing skills.

The titular character of the most underrated show, we meet Veronica at the very bottom of the popular poll at her school. Considering she once sat at the top, the bottom is that much more bittersweet. But damn, does it help us love her more because the fall and fallout has hardened Veronica. She's the tougher, more moxie full anti-hero than the pretty mean girl she had the potential to become.

She is complete smarts, having the BEST comebacks and insultments (it's an insult/compliment hybrid - English language you can thank me later). Thanks to her PI ex Sherriff Dad, Veronica has a super curious nature and often finds herself helping classmates solve mysteries on both the small and big scale.

Aside from the smarts and quips, Veronica is a real person. She's covering a very wounded soul, thanks to her alcoholic runaway mother, her best friend murdered and her former friends all turning on her. All this gives her trust issues on a mega-scale and like every burdened anti-hero she buries her insecurities deep and makes those who try and reach her jump through some major hoops. She's not all about the fellas (Duncan, Leo, Logan - the fellas can't resist V Mars) but when she loves, it's epic: spaning years, continents, lives ruined, bloodshed: epic. (shout out to LoVe fans!)

So Ronnie is one complex girl but that's why you have to love her. She's damn layered. She's feisty and fiery, she's smart and sassy and she pushes through her pretty messed up life and tries to make the best in a realistic, I've the seen the dark side way.

Dear Writing The Next Phase

I promised to keep you up to date on the book/writing front and as promised an update. After another big re-draft which involved bringing a character back from the dead and major plot corrections, The Proclaimed is done (for the time being).

Right now, she's out with some people who haven't read her before. In a more frightening development, these people are people who review books every day, who see things in this exact field and whose judgement I've seen and trusted before and who are the key audience that I am writing for. Basically, if they hate it, we're in real trouble!

Despite that thought lingering over my head, I'm getting ready in the next week or so to start the contact the agent and beg for representation phase. Why is that the scariest thing so far - because really, they do hold the power. They are the gatekeepers to the publishers I would like to be published by and how I end up as author will be greatly influenced by their acceptance or rejection.

I did though, have a thought - what if in the cold dark night, if I had rejections from all corners of the globe, would it defeat me? I can happily say no. More than anything, I want to share my characters and my stories. I was watching the twitter feed today reacting to both Hunger Games movie teaser and Melbourne Writers' Festival sessions and I thought, man I wish I could have that. And not for the fame factor, I really want to debate Bennett's behaviour, to discuss Meg as a character and why the whole story is about the big question of good vs evil and what being a foot soilder in that fight means.

So, know this - some way, some how you will be able to read The Proclaimed. It might be in a book format, or something similar but it might on this very site and either way, I'll be more happy to share my creation with you!

PS Also, I've got a tonne of ideas for Book Two in The Proclaimed and almost more than Book One, I'm desperate to get it out and share it.

Dear Living Alone

Living alone is awesome! Sure, it's scary and grown-up and really daunting if you have never done it before, but I'm a recent-ish veteran (does that make sense?!) and so I provide this amazing Top 10 Reasons Why Living Alone is Awesome list. Dedicated to those who are brave enough to take the leap!

1. Pyjama Saturday! - If you want, you can spend ALL DAY in your PJ's. Yes, you read that right - all day. No judgement, no eyebrow's raised in question at the 4pm pantry raid in the PJ's.

2. Dinner Choices - sometimes you just want dips and biscuits, or crackers and cheese for dinner. Sometimes you want to eat a whole pizza and then rock on with a block of chocolate. The beauty of living alone - totally your choice.

3. Decorating - Watching couples almost go Jerry Springer on each other at Bunnings has taught me that living alone means I never EVER have to debate how the shade of grey isn't what 'we' talked about.

4. Cleaning - You might be a super clean neat freak or a relaxed I'll get that later person - either way, you'll get to clean or not, in your own damn time.

5. Guests - Sometimes, you might have guests that stay the night - usually just one night, if you catch my drift. And often you want to revoke their invitation the next morning. Living alone means, you can pretend to be a biyatch and kick them out ASAP! No explaining to a room mate who that young man was, just marching orders. [That's what I hear happens Mum.]

6. Fridge - Along with dinner choices, stocking the fridge as a single person is pretty damn fun. My freezer has chocolate cookie dough ice cream and vodka at the moment! Yep, couples are kinda jealous now, I know.

7. Bathroom - Ah, the dreaded turf war over hot water, space, smell. Imagine drifting in and out whenever you feel like it? Imagine an entire mirror and cupboard free to you, to store as many obscene beauty products as you want. Luxury like this - it can happen!

8. Speaking Voice - What? Well, as a single person living alone, you do often talk to yourself (it's fine, enjoy it.) What it gets you: an excellent speaking voice that is primed for meetings/public speaking. Should you ever be called at the last minute to cook on TV, you're set because of all the narrating as you cook time you've gathered.

9. Wine Nights - The cheeky bottle of wine you usually have to share with housemate/partner and end up wishing you could have just one more glass: that's all yours my friend! ALL YOURS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgirOQ-Ll1M
Thank me later!

10. Dancing - Often influenced by 9, put on iTunes and enjoy dancing/singing your heart out! All the moves you wanted to try? Tear it up! All the high notes you were afraid to hit? Go for it. My lounge room has no judgement on my audition piece for So You Think You Can Dance.

Basically living alone is what you make of it. You can become a Howard Hughes shut-in, feel sorry for yourself, get lots of cats and scare family and friends OR you can rejoice in the freedom, love the space and enjoy you, because afterall, if you can't enjoy your own company, how do you expect other people to?

Dear Gays vs Marriage

I was planning to write a funny list for my friend tonight about the Top Ten Awesome Reasons Living Alone is Fun but sadly I got sidetracked by something more soap boxy (sorry Paula, I’ll get to it!)

Today during a conservative rally for Pro-Marriage (I’m impressed marriage got a rally!), Bob Katter and Barnaby Joyce got up and made some incredibly inflammatory statements. This is nothing new, these two pollies love to get on the rough end of a opinion poll and throw polarizing opinions out there so I ignored it. Later though, but sheer chance I saw the post on the 7pm Project referencing it would be a story that night and like a worm hole, the debate sucked me in.

I was initially interested to see what the regular panellists Charlie Pickering, Carrie Bickmore and Dave Hughes would say, because I feel sometimes they sit on the fence when it comes time to express opinions. But what lured me into commenting was the raising of the two points: marriage is defined by... and God sees marriage this way.

Now firstly, let it be said, I am Sorkin-ite, I am West Wing fanatic and they covered this topic so very well (from my standpoint anyway) in a few episodes. Firstly the religious issue. My issue has always been in this argument. Our church and state are VERY separate entities. My government should NEVER create or deny policy based on religious beliefs, be they Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or whatever faith you believe in. In this modern world we live in, I absolutely respect your right to adhere to whatever your chosen faith dictates. The key word is CHOSEN. In return I ask that you respect my right to believe or not believe in whatever I chose to. My government should be blind to the influence of faith and therefore the policy it creates, upholds or denies should also blind.

Second, is the always repeated point that marriage is defined by a man and a woman. Can we not accept that marriage when it was originally defined was done so in a world so very different to ours, when slavery was acceptable, when segregation was the norm. Marriage is defined by only those in the marriage. How they chose to love each other is again, only between the two.

I absolutely respect the right of people who disagree with my view on marriage being an equal opportunity arrangement to speak out, but it drives me crazy when it is done with intolerance and fear mongering – such as conservative Jim Wallace attempting to link the London Riots to a fatherless generation.  Or with indifference and insensitivity to the opposition’s opinion – such as when people call Christians’ God Nuts or crazy fundamentalists.

This fight is too important to be crass, too important to be intolerant and too important to be prejudiced. Its love and how we love each other and whatever your opinion, it’s one of the most noblest causes and deserves respect from all sides – not some stupid slap fight in the playground.