GCB: Hell Hath No Fury

On March 11th, I watched the second episode of GCB. In the first episode, the protagonist, Amanda Vaughn, played by Leslie Bibb, seemed to be the only positive major character in the show set in a mainly Christian community in Texas. I was hoping the second episode would introduce more positive Christian characters. I missed the first five minutes, but viewers did get to see some of the major characters change for the better.

Heather the realtor, played by Marisol Nichols, finally accepts Amanda's apologies and befriends her, even openly defying Carlene. Cricket the businesswoman advises her daughter Alexandra, played by Alix Gitter, to be nice to Amanda's daughter Laura, played by Lauran Irion, and not throw mud on her in a mean girl ritual.

The strained relationship between Amanda and her mother Gigi, played by Annie Potts, is explored. Gigi is portrayed as a prudish, self-righteous Christian and Dallas socialite whom Amanda had vowed she would never be like. But Amanda finds herself in the same situation with her daughter, when Laura vows never to be a mean girl like her mother was in high school.

The wacky characters introduced in the first episode seem to be getting rounded out. Hopefully, as the show progresses, all the characters will become more developed and show both good and bad characteristics.

GCB: Soap Opera or Real Life?

On March 4th, I watched the first episode of GCB, a new soap opera on ABC. Surprised? I don't normally watch soaps, but I was curious to see how network television would portray Christians. Leslie Bibb, as Amanda Vaughn, a former mean girl, returns home to a suburb of Dallas, Texas, after her husband dies in a car crash. Kristin Chenoweth's character, Carlene Cockburn, now the queen bee in her town and at her local church, who had been mistreated by Amanda in high school, plots revenge, all in the name of God.

To say the least, my gut reaction to the characters and situations was that I was highly offended. I don't know any adult Christians who would act the way Carlene and her gang would act or say the things they said ("Cleavage makes your cross hang straighter"). The characters seemed to be no different from the exaggerated negative stereotypes that are portrayed in the majority of mainstream television and movies, if Christians are seen at all.

Nonetheless, I asked myself, "Instead of bashing the show, what good can come out of it?" I thought about how African-Americans were first portrayed on television as maids, butlers, and negative stereotypes. But now they play important roles and star in shows (although lately the number of them has waned, but that's another topic). Perhaps for Christians, this is a start. There have been other shows in which Christians were portrayed as "the good guys," such as Touched by an Angel and Father Dowling Mysteries, but not in a while. Hopefully, GCB will open the door for more shows and movies with positive Christian characters (and not more stereotypes.)

Another thought: Soap operas are not real life, but lend themselves to over-the-top characters. To have drama, you need conflict, hence, the highly exaggerated Carlene. The pilot introduced Carlene's friends, Jennifer Aspen, as Sharon Peacham, a former beauty queen who is now overweight, Marisol Nichols as Heather Cruz, a successful real estate agent, Miriam Shor as Cricket Caruth-Reilly, a strong-willed businesswoman, and Annie Potts, as Amanda's mother Gigi Stopper. Each of these women has her own problems.

It will be interesting to see if some of these negative characters will change and exhibit good characteristics.

Fremont Area Writers' Triple Play Workshop

Just a head's up: On Saturday, Sept. 24, Fremont Area Writers will present not one…not two…but three mini-workshops in one morning! All for the bargain price of only $25.

Topics:

“My Point of View on Point of View”--Geraldine Solon is the author of Love Letters which has been optioned for film. She is the winner of the 2011 Beach Book Festival-Romance category. She just released her new novel, Chocolicious.

“10 Ways to Get an Audience for Your Writing”--Art Carey is the author of The Gender War. His sci-fi, humor and mainstream fiction has appeared in a variety of Internet and print publications.

“The Volcano Method of Self-Editing”--Carol Hall is a freelance writer and author of For Those Who Serve: A Devotional for Church Volunteers. She’ll demonstrate how to harness creative eruptions and use quiet analysis to make writing sizzle and flow.

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Place: Room 204 at DeVry University, 6600 Dumbarton Circle, in Fremont. Register by Sept. 7^th for a chance to win $25 (The cost of the workshops!). Please contact Geraldine Solon at gsolon082007@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining this workshop or mail a check to Fremont Area Writers P.O. Box #32 Fremont, CA 94537.

A Week at the Squaw Valley Screenwriters Workshop

In May, I received a call from Diana Fuller, director of the
Squaw Valley Screenwriters Workshop and was ecstatic to be invited to participate. The workshop has been held every summer in the Lake Tahoe area since 1985 under Diana’s helm. From August 6-13^th, twenty-two screenwriters plus ten staff participated in informative workshops, inspiring speeches, eye-opening panel discussions, and getting-down-to-brass-tacks mentoring sessions.

Morning workshops covered topics like beginnings and endings, theme and structure, characters, sub-plots and backstory and panel discussions. Afternoons were reserved for individual conferences with our mentors. I had applied to the workshop with a completed screenplay. My mentor, Lisa Rosenberg, had read the manuscript before the workshop and critiqued it. During the week, screenwriters took time in the afternoons and evenings to revise their work. Lisa and I met five times to discuss my revisions and she helped me take my screenplay to the next level.

One evening, before dinner, we played a pitching game in which teams voted for one screenwriter from each team to represent them in a pitch-off. Four screenwriters then pitched their story before the whole group and participants voted on which screenplay they would most like to see on film. My roommate, Mary Park, won for a screenplay about the Korean War.

For breakfast and lunch, we were on our own for the most part. Dinner was provided at the Olympic Village Lodge where we mingled with fiction and non-fiction writers who were participating in separate workshops being held concurrently with ours. After dinner, we listened to speakers or viewed movies made by participants, staff, or guests. Pamela Gray, screenwriter of Conviction, starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, screened her 2011 movie and spoke about the writing process to a receptive audience.

The week was not all work. If you were not meeting with your mentor or working on your screenplay,the afternoons were free to enjoy the facilities at Squaw Valley. Some people took the tram up the mountain for spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. Others hiked with a naturalist on one of the many trails. Squaw Village is filled with shops and restaurants suitable for all budgets. You could even rent a bike and enjoy many flat trails around the valley.

Screenwriters were given the opportunity to have scenes from their screenplays acted out in front of a camera so they could evaluate whether or not the dialogue worked. Sessions began with table reads of their scripts. Dialogue was changed as needed before filming. A director blocked the scene (decided where the actors would stand) and the actors rehearsed a couple of times before being filmed. My scene was filmed three times. I enjoyed seeing my work on film and learned a better way to end the scene. Unfortunately, the video cannot be given out and was only to be used that day.

Wednesday night, the screenwriters held a pizza party at one of the houses. Friday afternoon, we enjoyed a lunch with producers who came up for the day and had a chance to discuss our projects with them. Friday night, the staff and screenwriters celebrated our last evening together with a sing-along. By the end of the week, I was ready to go home, but eager to implement what I learned into my work. I would recommend anyone serious about writing to check out The Community of Writers at Squaw at http://www.squawvalleywriters.org/.

Su-Ling's Treasure, by Ina Hsiung Wong, Is a Breath of Fresh Air

Su-Ling's Treasure, by Ina Hsiung Wong, is a fascinating novel for 8-12 year olds. This coming-of-age story chronicles the trials and triumphs of Su-Ling Chang, a twelve-year-old orphan from Taiwan, who is adopted by an American family in the 1960's. From enduring a bully's taunts to competing in a spelling bee, her courage and determination carry her through.

Wong combines Chinese culture with Christian values. Her authentic voice is a breath of fresh air in children's literature.

Formula for Danger, by Camy Tang

Camy Tang's latest release, Formula for Danger, takes place in the Napa Valley wine country of California. The mystery suspense novel focuses on Rachel Grant, dermatologist, and her formula for a breakthrough scar-reduction cream. Rachel is the sister of Naomi Grant, protagonist of the previous book, Deadly Intent.

Someone is trying to kill Rachel and steal her formula. Every chapter has non-stop action and keeps you guessing who the culprit is. At the same time, Rachel falls in love with a man who seems to push her away emotionally, but shows up when she needs him most.

An intriguing subplot revolves around Rachel's relationship to her father and her need to please him. Rachel's deceased mother was Japanese, and her father is Caucasian, yet some of his attitudes are typically associated with Asian males. I think one of the strong points of Camy's fiction in that she writes from an Asian American perspective, yet doesn't make it obvious.

The official release month of the book is September, but I was able to obtain an advance copy. It's a quick read that can be enjoyed any time of the year and would make a great gift for the Christian suspense or Camy Tang fan.

Dining on a Budget at South Lake Tahoe

Vacation wouldn't be a vacation without dining out. Who wants to cook? Here are some places we found great deals:

1) Embassy Suites Hotel: All guests enjoy complimentary made-to-order and/or buffet-style full breakfasts. I loved the scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, aromatic country potatoes, fluffy French toast and pancakes. Baked goods, cereal, yogurt, and fresh fruit were also available for the taking along with a variety of beverages. My favorite drink was the fruit punch. Very sweet, but I added ice. Who can resist a free breakfast?

2) Echo Restaurant in the Embassy Suites: We found a $35 coupon online from Restaurants.com for this pricey establishment. Some of our dishes were better than others. My husband's steak and garlic potatoes were scrumptious. I wasn't too hungry and only ordered basil tomato soup and a scallops appetizer. The soup was great, but the three tiny scallops were overcooked and came with an overly sweet and salty soy sauce. The coupon would have been worth more if we had a smaller party.

3) Lakeside Inn's Timber Room: This restaurant in a small casino at the end of the Strip was surprisingly uncrowded. We had eaten here two years ago and had to wait an hour to be seated. Prices are reasonable and the quality good. I ordered a hamburger with avocado and grilled mushrooms for $7.50 and my husband had the tri-tip special for $8.50. Both were delicious.

4) Harrah's Forest Buffet: Instead of going here on Father's Day Sunday, we waited till Monday and arrived a little before 5:00 when it opened for dinner for two reasons: one, it would have been more crowded on Father's Day and two, weekdays are less expensive than weekends. Adult dinners are $18.95 on weekdays. We were seated fairly quickly and went to town on the international smaogasbord: fresh sushi, steaming pizza, hand-cut roast beef, steamed shrimp, Chinese food, Mexican dishes, American. But my favorite area was the desserts: mini chocolate eclairs bursting with Bavarian cream, tiny fruit tarts with custard, lemon cake, chocolate cream pie--yum-yum!

5) Fenton's Ice Creamery: Located in Vacaville in the new Nut Tree shopping area, we stopped off here on the way back to the Bay Area. If you like the one in Oakland, you'll like this one even better. The clean, air-conditioned eatery welcomed us from the heat of the day. Besides frozen concoctions, they serve soups, salads, and sandwiches. I ordered half a crab sandwich with chicken gumbo soup. The sandwich was made with REAL crab. I was saving my stomach for dessert, but ended up sharing a chocolate shake with hubby. Prices are reasonable.

A Tahoe vacation has become a family tradition we look forward to every year. We treasure the time we can spend with our extended family to forge even closer ties. As the teens get older and everyone is busy, purposeful time spent together will help us stay close.