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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Interviewing Your Characters

Yesterday, I did a workshop at the Schaumburg Public Library entitled Interviewing Your Characters. Participants molded a protagonist -- that person being me since nobody else wanted to sit in the role-playing chair -- by brainstorming answers to my "characteristics of a protaganist" questionaire. My husband got to the event just in time to play antagonist. Since he's not the most game-loving individual, he really leaped out of his comfort zone to sit in the role-playing chair.

The protagonist turns out to be a nursing home volunteer whose grandmother, a former arts & crafts volunteer at that same location, was knocked off by either an employee or a relative of a nursing home resident. Our volunteer asks too many questions of the residents, who wind up complaining that she's being too intrusive. This results in a confrontation between the program supervisor and the volunteer.

The antagonist is a married man whom our volunteer is dating. The arrogant SOB has something to do with the deaths of the volunteer's grandmother, as well as several other residents, but we couldn't explore that relationship in a fifty-minute time frame.

It was lots of fun. Maybe you can attend one of my workshops next time!

Jennie Spallone,
author of
Deadly Choices
www.jenniespallone.com

Sunday, September 6, 2009

The Most Wonderful Birthday Weekend

Had such a great time for my birthday, which theoretically isn't until tomorrow. My husband took me to Pheasant Run Resort, wehre we ushed for Married Alive! As I've mentioned a thousand times before, get hooked up with the Saints if you love seeing plays!

Anyway, we started off the evening by eating at a fabulous chinese restaurant on North Avenue just east of downtown St. Charles. It was right next to Dominicks. Sorry, I don't recall the restaurant name, but if you really need to know, just contact me.

After dinner and the play, we went dancing at the bar next to the gift shop at the Resort. Okay, so I'm lousy at remembering names. The band was amazing; they played everything from R & B to old school rock.

Today we relaxed by the outside pool, then drove into downtown St. Charles and went for a long walk along the river. Beautiful big park there! Have a good labor Day weekend.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Review of Unglorious Bastards

Tonight my whole family went to see Unglorious Bastards at the movies. I was scared it was going to be too scary. Instead it was violent. But the plot line was terrific and kept me guessing.
As a mystery author, I kept drawing up different scenarios while I was watching. Fortunately, the writer was so creative in his or her sub-plots, there was never a dull moment. Best of all, my guesses were all wrong. I call that Glorious, Bastards!!