Five Things Friday: Favorite Christmas Movies

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

Frankly, My Dear . . . :Five Things Friday

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday

I love this time of year. [I say that a lot, don’t I?] Well, I do. The cool temps, the furry sock, the fur-family snuggling up like socks. It’s just so many kinds of wonderful.

One of the reasons I love it is I don’t get strange looks when someone says, “So, whadya do last night?” and I reply with, “I watched some Christmas program.” Yeah. They tend to frown on that in June through August. [Although they shouldn’t. Just sayin’.]

On average, I watch more Christmas shows than, well, average. Oh! Oh! *waves hand emphatically* And I almost forgot to mention that I’ve rediscovered the beauty of old shows on Hulu. Yup. Shows I used to watch as a kid and in my teens (am I dating myself? Well, why not? Someone has to!), like Charles in Charge! [Who remembers, “I loved my life out loud and it broke!”] Last week, with all the streaming apps on my Roku, I binged through Christmas eps of some awesome shows including Perfect Strangers, Family Ties, Growing Pains. Remember all those? My goodness. And how ’bout them old detective shows like Simon & Simon? That’s there, too.

But I digress. This post is about my favorite Christmas movies. I realize now this is a stupid post to write, because really? Only five favorites? That’s like asking a rabbit which of her kids she loves best? There’s too many to consider! But, I’ll do my best.

And since there’s this thing about copyright images, I apologize for not having any visuals to assist you this week. But you understand. Blogging is better when you’re not behind bars.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life. Y’all had better know this one. It’s how my Bedford Manor got its name. This is almost a sacred movie to me. I can’t just pop it in the DVD player on a Saturday afternoon. Oh, no. This is a house-cleaned, phone-turned-off, popcorn-made and chocolate in the mug kind of movie. When it’s dark outside and there’s a cozy fire in the fireplace [oh, please. Where else would the fire be? Wait. This is So Cal. Don’t answer that.] There’s always been a beauty in this movie. George’s ability to discover what really matters, and share that lesson with those he loves. Sigh. Pure beauty.

2. Miracle on 34th Street (1994 version). Don’t get me wrong, I like the original, too. But there’s something about this one that just grabs me. Sure, it’s a remake. But it’s also an original. And it’s well worth time to get the warm fuzzies and say, “I believe!”

3. The Polar Express. Who doesn’t adore this incredible visual delight? The children on the cusp of “Do I or Don’t I believe?” The train conductor leading them closer to Christmas. The singing and dancing elves. Santa! And the jingle bells. This, along with It’s a Wonderful Life (see #1 above, on the off-chance y’all scrolled past it), are the reasons I decorate with bells every year.

4. ELF. I love ELF! ELF’s my favorite! There is singing at the North Pole and in New York. Sugar, sugar, sugar, and wait . . . Oh yes. Sugar. What’s not to love?

5. Christmas in Connecticut. This old-time classic of the writer (go figure!) pretending to live on a farm, and a war hero pretending to love someone else, and there’s a boss and a corporate boss and babies who don’t belong to anyone, and an uncle who’s hired to flip flapjacks. It’s my kind of entertainment.

BONUS: And y’all know I’m not really wrong on this one . . . DIE HARD, the original. Oh yes. Nakatomi Plaza. Argyle. And that most quotable line, which, actually, is not terribly quotable when you’re writing a family-friendly blog. So, uhm. Use your imagination. And imagine Bruce Willis saying it. There ya go.

Five Things Friday: Favorite Christmas Movies

Five Things Friday: Favorite Christmas Movies

With a string of popcorn and something warm in the mug,
Happy viewing!
~Molly Jo

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

How Does Your Character Eat?

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she eats, especially on a first date. Can I get a whoot-whoot nod of appreciation here?

Seriously. Think about it. Are they delicate? Do they play with their food? Do they take time to savor every bite? Or do they get right to masticating their steak? Do they take a bite of everything with one forkful? Or push the foods away from each other? Do they douse the meal with salt and other seasonings? Load up with butter? Or take it as it is? If they’re at a restaurant, do they look at the menu, ask for the daily specials, or just suggest their own version of what’s available? What type of restaurant is their favorite? Do they care that you’re at the table with them?

Whether you’re just starting to write them, or are introducing them to your best friend-reader, meeting characters is a lot like taking them on a first date to your favorite restaurant. Some of them will fit right in and know how to act. Others will take their cue from observation. And still others won’t care what anyone thinks.

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Osso Buco from Bella Trattoria, Mission Inn, Riverside

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Osso Buco from Bella Trattoria, Mission Inn, Riverside

Because writing is a holistic discovery that includes all the senses, taking your peeps to dinner is essential. Now, I mean this both figuratively and literally. Pros will tell ya, adding good food (like, oh, I dunno, coffee and beignets or maybe a specialty gelato) into your manuscript draws the reader in with something they can recognize. More than just for survival, food triggers emotions and memories. It can do the same for your characters, and lead them through their journey of discovery.

You can also use the #foodie reference by asking, “How would my character eat a Junior’s Cheesecake?” or “Do they fold their pizza in half?” Knowing how your characters eat will help you write them more accurately:

  • Someone who is afraid of sushi doesn’t often go parasailing
  • A traditional Christmas dinner leads to a character reminiscing and embracing heritage
  • Does your character thoughtfully sip their coffee or talk with their mouth full?
  • If your guy is willing to grab a coffee and hot dog from a street vendor, he may be more adventurous than his friend who wipes down the handle of the grocery cart before shopping
  • When your gal pal dunks her shortbread into a cup of hot tea, she might be willing to check out the new movie or bookstore, but less likely to go nightclubbing
  • Do they drink beer from a glass or a bottle? Do they abstain?
  • Is there an after-dinner cigarette involved? Or a stroll under street lamps?
  • Do they prefer a solid, four-course meal or do they pick snacks and finger foods from the buffet?
  • And what about dessert? Pie? Cake? Cupcakes? Chocolate? All of the above?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Do your characters embrace flavor and choice?

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Do your characters embrace flavor and choice?

Giving your character the opportunity to express themselves through dialogue over a table of good food gives you the opportunity to show their mannerisms (and their manners!), and behavior patterns. How do they talk to those around them- waiters, patrons, tablemates? Do they order too much, leave food on the plate, eat from everyone else’s dish?

These are all insights that, whether you write them into your story or not, will give you the information you need to create a character your readers will relate to. And once they relate, they may even turn the page for that ever-sought-after second date.

[Look for The Character Cookbook by Molly Jo Realy, coming soon.]

Frankly, My Dear . . . : How Does Your Character Eat?

Frankly, My Dear . . . : How Does Your Character Eat?

With a coffee cup and a dinner date,
Happy writing!
~Molly Jo

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

Toastmasters International

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

Toastmasters International. It’s an organization I’d been thinking of joining for a few years now. What with the public speaking thingy and the writing thingy and the now-I-work-in-sales thingy, it’s prob’ly not a bad idea to do the train-to-be-a-better-speaker thingy. And maybe stop saying thingy. Yah. Not.

So, you know those times when things keep pointing you in a certain direction? What do you think it means if you’re at a national writers conference and the speaker tells you to get involved with a group like Toastmasters? And then you go to your local writers club and a friend says, “I’ve been thinking of going to Toastmasters. Are you interested?” And then you actually do a public speaking thingy and there you meet two new friends who say, “Hey. We’re in Toastmasters. You should join us.” And then you reconnect with the first friend who says, “Yeah. Still doing the Toastmaster thingy. You wanna come?” Only she’s more refined so in actuality it was more like, “I’m going to another Toastmasters meeting this week. Would you like to join me?”

I think, when all arrows are put in the quiver, it means you’ve got to aim your bow properly. I mean, the mark is obviously right in front of you. It’s time to take the lead and just go where your arrows aim. Oh, hey. Look at that. I tied everything in so neatly and I didn’t even try all that hard.

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Be Your Own Hero

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Be Your Own Hero

So, blah-blah-blah, long story short [TOO LATE!], the puzzle pieces fit, the arrows gathered, I went to Toastmasters this week. Met some people interested in learning to be better public speakers. Met an Italian. Not a my-last-name-is-like-Corleone-and-my-grandparents-were-raised-in-New-York Italian. Oh, no. This was like, a real-life-from-Italy-with-the-accent-and-everything Italian. I can’t wait to start my Rosetta Stone studies and maybe carry on a decent conversation. [Note to self: Rosetta Stone. Bucket List. Do It.]

There are different “roles” assigned to members each week, and even guests are allowed to participate. After chosen members present their speeches, those speeches are evaluated. Then the Table Topics Master chooses a few participants, usually guests, to give an impromptu speech on an assigned subject. He asked if I’d like to do so, I said sure, and I had about fifteen seconds to come up with a one- to two-minute presentation based on Wayne Dyer’s quote, “How other people react to you is your karma. How you react to them is yours.”

Ready? Set? Wait. Can you repeat the answer, Alex? I’ll take sweaty palms for five hundred, please. Nah. Two deep breaths. One diversion question, and I was off and running. In exactly one minute and eighteen seconds [I know because they timed me. Well, not just me. Everyone who spoke.], I suggested the merits of living in a community where it’s our responsibility to share and emulate respect to and from each other, and on days when that just isn’t emotionally possible, it’s best to lock yourself in a room, alone, until such moments pass.

Yeah. It was more eloquent than that. And it was a lot of fun. There’s a bit of an adrenaline kick that triggers just before I start to speak. The tongue goes dry. The heart beats weird. And then HULLO! The light switches on and I go into Public Speaker mode. I use my PS voice and stance.

And when it’s over, I’m like, humunahumunahumuna braindead for about five seconds.

At the end of the evening, the group votes on who was the best member speaker, and who was the best Table Topics Speaker.

I don’t want to brag or anything.

So I’ll just leave this photo here:

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Toastmasters Best Table Topics

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Toastmasters Best Table Topics

What professional groups are you a part of?

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

Dandelions

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

Let’s set this record straight right now: Dandelions are not a weed. Okay, some may think so. But no. They’re classified as a flower. #truestory

At my first Blue Ridge conference, I delighted in finding a few dandelions.

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Dandelion Hair

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Dandelion Hair

At my return a year later, an entire field welcomed me.

They bring me back to my childhood.

I used to make dandelion wreaths for my hair, like all the girls on the block.

If your chin turns yellow when you hold a dandelion underneath it, it means you’re in love.

Once, we let them grow for a month just to see how yellow the back yard could get. Eventually we couldn’t tell the finches from the flowers.

Dandelions are used in teas, and yes, there’s a real thing called Dandelion Wine. I’ve never tried it, but I’m not opposed to the idea. They were originally used as a medicinal herb.

Dandelion can grow almost anywhere. They spring up fast, but their roots grow deep and strong. It’s how they keep coming back. It’s how they weather the storms and morph into those awesome puff balls (achenes) we all love to make wishes with. It’s how they have the ability to change and radiate their presence 200x greater than the original.

The stalk holds a milky white liquid, and the jagged leaves have a magenta tint. Dandelion dye is purple because of this, not the yellow of the flower itself.

The leaves are hairless, and irregular. The French origin of description is dent de lion, which means “lion’s tooth.”

Why am I telling you all about dandelions? Because I think they have a ill-deserved reputation.

Because they make me happy.

And because someone called me a dandelion. [Not to be confused with a dandy, which is apparently a not-nice thing to be called especially as a woman, in the 21st century.] She meant it as a compliment, and told me much of what I’ve just shared with you.

So I’m going to embrace my strength, my endurance, my colorful life, the ability to bloom wherever I am. And then I’m going to explode and share it all with you.

Just because I can.

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Be the Dandelion You're Meant to Be!

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Be the Dandelion You’re Meant to Be!

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

Monday Motivations for Writers

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Monday Motivations for Writers

Monday Motivations for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Motivational Monday for Writers

"Give them a reason to care about you. Then they'll care about what you write." ~ Molly Jo Realy

“Give them a reason to care about you. Then they’ll care about what you write.” ~ Molly Jo Realy

With a pat on your back and a go-gettem-shout,
Happy writing!
~Molly Jo

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share: