Melody Platz

Minute Thirty - My Video Introduction

This is the first of my weekly videos. The series will be called "Minute Thirty", where I will talk about things for one minute and thirty seconds.

The song in this video is "In Your Arms" by Kina Grannis. You can see her awesome video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOu0DuxFAT0

No Exceptions on Civil Rights

I completely agree with this video.  There is no excuse to segment a population of people and treat them differently.

Cartoon Temptress w/ Dragon

You haven't heard about Majesta Platz, my evil twin, in quite a long time.  Apparently, over the last year, she gained some Take on Me technology and then got herself a pet dragon.

Here she is tempting unlucky internet surfers into her dark and terrible clutches.  (Warning, web browsers who get too close to her might become a dragon snack.)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

First off, I follow Maureen Johnson on twitter.   She is entertaining, unique and often mischievious.  So I thought, "I better read her book."  Cause I love funny, mischievious people.

I have not been disappointed.  The Name of the Star, so far, is a great read.

What I like about this book:

1.  It starts with a murder and then takes you into the daily routine of a teenager.  Which made me extremely curious, "How is the murder and this teenager related?"

2.  At one point in the story I knew the book was going to scare the pants off me and I still wanted to read it.  (I usually avoid being scared.)

3.  As an insult, one of the characters is called a bitchweasel.

4.  I like the eccentric stories about the family of the main character, Rory.  She comes from a town of odd people, but she obviously thinks of them with respect and fondness.  Which means I can laugh at the stories, but not feel like anyone is being made fun of.

 5.  There's a cool teen who pronounces something as somefink.  hehe.  Love those British people.

 

6.  Oh, yeah, and a very positive thing is that the whole story takes place in London.  WHY didn't I mention this sooner?  English settings make every story better.

 

I am about a third of the way through this book.  If I'm not done reading by Friday, I can totally see myself staying up all night because I GOTTA SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

New Joke: On the Singles Scene

At a single's meet up, a man began giving a random woman a backrub.  The woman yelled, "What the hell do you think you're doing."  The man said, "I'm marketing myself as The Sensitive Boyfriend.  And tonight is your free sample."

Written by Melody Platz 

Unstuck, A Brave New Page

I could have quit again...

 

So I'm working on a novel, and I've already spent a few months brainstorming. 

 

Recently, I came up against a wall.  Actually two walls.

 

1.  The magic system I had created did not lend itself to the story I want to tell.

 

2.  My main character was too perfect.

 

These two obstacles threatened my whole project.

 

In the past, I have been known to give up when I face such obvious problems with a story.  But this time, I just kept cracking at it, and I've come up with solutions to the story's problems.  Why am I sticking with it this time?

 

Because I finally know the story is worth the effort.

 

This is a triumph.  For a long time I KINDA knew what story I wanted to tell, but I didn't know how to tell it.  Then, about four months ago, I had an epiphany.  I was telling my story in the wrong order.  When I had this revelation, it was like a flood gate came open.  I was UNSTUCK!  After that, I began to work, seriously, on my novel.

 

As you can probably tell, writing this novel is not going to be a straight road.  I'm sure I will have to do massive changes along the way as my book becomes what it needs to be.

 

But I know where I'm going, and that makes me happy. 

Parents Are Not Always Easy

I like to be positive.  I'm deliriously happy when I can celebrate things like my Family Choir or I can enjoy random silliness like my Princess Pig.

But I don't want to pretend that nothing is ever difficult or that my life is always just the way I want it to be.

So, in an effort to be honest, I'm going to write the following:

1.  I have a difficult relationship with my mother.

2.  When I find it necessary not to speak to my mother, I end up not talking to my father as well.  (It's complicated.) 

3.  I have made the right choice for myself.  But making the right choice does not save me from feeling the pain and consequences of a difficult decision.  (That's why they are called difficult decisions, because you KNOW they are going to hurt.)

4.  Parents are not perfect people, and sometimes they do things that aren't great for their children.  I will always love my parents, but I refuse to pretend like there are not problems.

5.  I can't explain my whole situation.  It would take a lifetime.  So I will just say: Parents are not always easy, and right now my relationship with my parents is breaking my heart.

 

 

Whip My Hair with Neil Young

Neil Young uses his distinctive voice to make parody gold.

 

Best Book: The Fault in Our Stars

Here's what I loved about The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS) by John Green:

1. The two main characters, Augustus and Hazel, are the two most engaging teenagers you can imagine. I adore them.

2. John Green made this book just fun enough that I could still laugh while I felt like my insides were being ripped out.  (I usually don't like books that try to rip my insides out.  But I love this one.)

3. While the book is easy to read, there are many ideas in this novel that deserve re-reads and deep contemplation.

4. TFIOS shows what being sick does to a person without being morose. It shows sick people as passionate, motivated and likable.

5. Oh, there are so many things to like about this book.

6. The characters play first-person shooter video games and then read poetry to each other.  Dude!

7. Most satisfying revenge scene EVER!

8. When I finished the book, I wanted to hug it and carry it around with me like a teddy bear.

In summary, you don't have to read this book, but your life probably won't be complete until you do.

"Hey Mickey" Video

Here's a blast from my past.  When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I LOVED this song.  The very second it came on the radio, I would hop and dance as if my life depended on it.  And I had to sing/yell the "Hey Mickey" chorus with as much emotion as a pre-teen can.  Fond, fond memories. 

(And, yes, I still love this song.)