My Take on Movies & Videos - Comment for a Chance to Win a Free Book!

We’re talking about movies this month, and it’s not a subject I’m really well versed in. I know people who can recall the plots and quote lines from all kinds of movies, most of which I’ve never heard of. It kind of makes me feel left out when I’m with people who do this. Imagine the scene.

Me: So, what are we doing today?
Friend 1: How would you like a nice bass? Girls like a nice bass.
Me: I don’t see that on the menu…
Friend 2: No? Take that, you dirty yellow rat….

I’m left confused while they fall about laughing. Friend 1’s comment is from Napoleon Dynamite, Friend 2’s is from Home Alone 2….Leaving me wondering who’s the dummy, them or me.

I don’t watch a lot of movies. I did enjoy Noah, and thought Avatar was interesting. I hated Wolf of Wall Street, which was highly recommended by critics and friends. Am I odd?

I do watch television, though, and love English police dramas (Inspector George Gently, Foyle’s War, Dalziel & Pascoe, Endeavor, Inspector Lewis….even Midsummer Murders) And I’m not embarrassed to admit (although I maybe should be) that I have the Young & The Restless on my PVR.

One trend I have noticed – it would be hard to miss – is the prevalence of short videos that have spilled over from YouTube. I have MSN as my home page and many of these are featured in the videos list there. Some are fascinating, some educational, some delightful, and some leave me wondering ‘What just happened?’ Do I really want to spend even 30 seconds watching a video of a cat sleeping with its tongue out? Or how about a clever goat getting some fruit?
Of course, there are some great videos, too – like my talented son, Garth O'Connell,  doing a cover of Crack The Sky… http://t.co/9k5IccpP4F :-)

 As a writer, I tend to look at my viewing time as research. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. I have written two stage plays that have been produced and even won awards, and I was on the list of writers for a proposed new Irish teen soap, except that the project, three years in the making, was cancelled before production started due to budget cuts at the RTE. :-)

So writing a script for television or movies is on my dream list.

One great use of videos is for educational purposes. There’s a wide variety of really informative videos on a huge range of subjects, from health to cooking to car mechanics to fashion, woodwork,  painting…you name it. Some great ones on writing, too, and I’m thinking of putting my writing course, Naked Writing: The No Frills Way to Write Your Book, on video.

When I can find a camera that makes me look good, or at least, human. Oh, and to answer the question I’ve heard so many times about the title of this course, I don’t and won’t do it naked. Believe me, that’s a blessing for the viewers.

So, having successfully led this month’s theme away from movies and onto other topics, I’d love to hear your thoughts on videos. Have you found any particularly funny, horrible, helpful? Have you taken any courses that were run online through video?

There’s a signed copy of the print version of Naked Writing, or of my romantic comedy, the No Sex Clause, for one lucky commenter!

You can read first chapters of my books on my website www.glenysoconnell.webs.com/

 

 

Musing About Success - and the Value of Failure

By Glenys O'Connell

I've thought a lot about success over the years, and the conclusion I have come to is that success is something different for everyone. One of the mistakes we make is equating success to riches - but not every success is accompanied by a fat cheque.

I consider the most successful things in my life are beyond price: a long and happy marriage and four gorgeous kids are among the most important things in my life - they top the bill of successes that make me proud.

There are other successes; different careers I've loved and still work at in various ways; friendships over years and new; homes and places that have been memorable or educational; businesses that succeeded - or failed. I include some failures in the successes, because we can learn so much from failures that that in itself is a success. If that doesn't sound too bizarre?

And sometimes, looking back, there are successes that I was moving too fast to realise at the time were successes. Events, people, ambitions realised that I didn't take the time to enjoy or savour because pressure to succeed in other ways was too intense. Taking time to smell the roses is so important, and yet something most of us only realise later in life.

Being published is a major barometer of success amongst writers, yet it's not the huge royalties (falls on floor laughing) that keeps most of us going. It's the challenge of getting the words on paper, the fun of playing with imaginary friends, the burst of delight and pride when a reader says: I loved your book!

Giving pleasure or helping others can be a major success in itself. I have two recently published non-fiction books: Depression: The Essential Guide, and PTSD: The Essential Guide and already I know these books have made an impact in the lives of people struggling with these problems. That feels like success to me!

Here's an excerpt which talks about success, from Naked Writing: The No Frills Way to Write Your Book, my soon-to-be published book on writing:


As writers, we’re dreamers – and I don’t just mean about characters and plot lines. No, we also fantasize about our careers, about signing books while surrounded by adoring fans, of watching our titles fly up the NY Times bestseller list, of being invited to chat with Oprah, of writing non-fiction that catapults us onto the speech circuit as An Authority.

And then we daydream about what we’ll do with all those millions we've earned through our writing, or how we’ll parlay our growing knowledge into something that will help change people’s lives…. Yes, there are probably as many dreams as there are writers when it comes to thoughts of the life we’ll lead as Famous Writers whose books are Bestsellers.

But here’s the hard truth: these dreams have little to do with your success as a writer – unless you act on them.

To be successful you need talent, yes, and a commitment to your work. You need to mix that talent with a fair old dose of hard work to turn those dreams into your reality. The simple truth is that first and foremost, a writer writes. It’s that simple. The complicated bit comes in knowing what you should be writing and in planning for your success. Don’t give up the dreams; just temper them with a little feet-on-the-ground common sense.

Find a way to turn them into goals. Plan your writing career as you would any other endeavor that’s important to you. Dream big, for sure, but keep one eye firmly fixed on your own reality.

Novelist, non-fiction writer, journalist, playwright and counselor/life coach - Glenys O'Connell has worked hard at them all. She has learned to celebrate success and laugh in the face of failure! She likes to drool over her pages on Amazon, where her books are all available in both print and ebook form.