I’ve been doing OK with the writing, although the exercise has already fallen by the wayside.
I’m not filling my quota of words, but I knew that this week would be difficult. Tuesday I went back to teaching (College Freshmen… MS Excel and MS Access) which I gave up when my daughter was born in 2007.
I was amazed and ecstatic about how many views and comments I got on the first chapter of my serial What Would Have Been! Chapter two didn’t do as well, but I’m hoping that at least a few people out there will decide they like the story and want to follow it.
I’m hoping that while my 4yo is with a babysitter or preschool so I can teach, that I can also use some of that time to write. Unfortunately, enrolling my daughter in preschool has been a grueling and frustrating experience, which just boggles the mind. It should not be that difficult to enroll my daughter in school! But I keep having people say “Oh, actually you need to call this other person, in this other office…”
Hopefully we can figure it out by next week. Fortunately, I have the back up babysitter; it’s just more expensive for less time that way, and my little girl doesn’t get to do all the preschool stuff like playing with friends.
How’s everyone else doing with their goals? Is an expected pause or slowdown doable?
The shortlink for this post is http://wp.me/p1qnT4-yP
Robert Damian Mauro The death of a star (or in this case, if memory serves, more than one). IIRC, largely stellar components in gaseous and solid form, all being illuminated from the star remnants that remain after nova.
Robert Damian Mauro No… perhaps the Orion Nebula is a birthplace of stars… I can’t remember. Nebulas are *generally* either one or the other though, if memory serves. Some are potentially caused by other events.
Stephen Dillard From the violent (and beautiful) death of a star comes the creation of every element that makes our life possible. The endless recycling of all things that exist. Awe inspiring.
Dave Mac I just checked the vacuum and wouldn’t you know it, lots of that stuff in there as well. Vacuums must suck up Stuff every where in the Universe.
AmyBeth Fredricksen Yeah, but are socks made of swirly stuff? Because the sock-related stuff that ends up in my vacuum is more lint-like and fluffy.
Dave Mac Yep, and those socks with the little sticky dots on the bottom are made out of tachyons
Dan Bressler Stick-in-the-mud answer: It’s mostly vacuum. What is there is a very diffuse gas, which only counts as “stuff” in comparison to the emptiness around it. The colors are computer-generated because the radiation given out is mostly in the infrared spectrum.
Dave Mac Also Dan, the vacuum of space is kind of a human perspective. Earth pressuse at sea level is 14.7 psi., Most of the universe/space (that we know of) it at “zero” and we are a high pressure zone.
Daniel Beard always remember that “Vacuum” is full of all sorts of things, mono-atomic hydrogen and helium, dust of all sizes from microns to actual millimeters. it is just that we have issues with the fact that we sort of are addicted to a specific amount of oxygen/nitrogen mixture. and we really do not like the withdrawal symptoms.
Google Plus Answers:
Rodolphe D’Inca – whis is it a scifi question? it is a science question! 🙂 What we see is radiation, it doesn’t mean a high density of matter to produce it and ctully the picture is taken on a very loclized part of the universe!
AmyBeth Inverness – It’s a SciFi question because you can either give me the real, scientific explanation (Which I really was curious about, and I knew that +michael interbartolo would instantly give me a great answer thank you very much!) Or, you can act like my facebook friends are currently and give a totally smart-ass answer like “Space Snot”.
Jeffrey Witthauer – Space snot? No. This is the living embodiment of the Aether. Deep within the Orion nebulae are many starfaring races, but not as we know them. They pilot the winds of the Aether, sailing in their great Star Ships across the vast gulf.
(One of these days I’ll find a decent artist and finally produce that epic graphic novel about it. It’s been in my head for years now…)
Anna L. Walls – It is the gods at war, of course. It’s how our universe was created. hahaha Sure looks like it anyway
Rodolphe D’Inca – OK now with these examples, I better understand the meaning of your post! 🙂
Jeffrey Witthauer – +Anna L. Walls Actually it kind of is how our universe was created, seeing that nebulae are really star nurseries 🙂
Anna L. Walls – Yeah, I know. I just love pictures of this nebula. They are so pretty.
Anna L. Walls – near the middle it looks like a fist. to the right in purple looks like a face – sorta. and above center kinda looks like some sort of mask. fascinating.
AmyBeth Inverness – If a human was standing (Like on a starship) at exactly the right place, would it still look like this to the naked eye?
Rogers George – I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t. It would look grey. Two reasons, at least:
1. These babies are very faint; too faint for our human color receptors to pick up.
2. The Hubble takes pictures (long time exposures, which has the effect of making things brighter) thru filters so the astronomers can tell what’s coming in at what frequencies. Then they can assign colors to the frequencies using imaging software. They can assign the actual visible colors of the frequencies, but you get more spectacular pictures if you assign visible colors to the IR and UV, too.
AmyBeth Inverness – Thanks! I always wonder that when I look at these fantastically beautiful images from space.
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I would love to hear what you think! Even if you are reading this post a year or more after publishing, I hope you will leave a comment with your own ideas on this topic.
When I was writing, the porch didn't have snow. It's much nicer in the summertime!
She knew what she wanted.
She sat on the front porch of their run-down starter home, laptop open. The short story had been a resounding success… with her family and teachers. It could be the scene in a larger work.
The fertility drugs were in overdrive, which made it relatively easy to write the sex scenes. Lots of sex scenes. More sex scenes than a romance novel really needed…
The story went on.
And on.
The characters wanted to do more things… to have a life… it couldn’t just end like that, there was more to tell!
The story grew longer. She didn’t know her wordcount because she’d broken the story into multiple files, intending to put it all together at some later date.
The date never came, but the baby did. And a big sister who had nothing to do with fertility drugs.
The story sat in the back of the proverbial drawer, never to see the light of day.
But that didn’t mean the story was unimportant… it was a first novel. That one that every writer has to write. That baby that every writer has to look at and say “This is not my best work. This never will be, no matter how much editing and revising I do.”
Because without that first novel… without however many “first novels” a writer ends up having, a writer can never write that first professional work.
That baby that grows up, gets a job, and takes care of itself.
That work that gets published.
This memoir was written for the Write On Edge prompt “Unfulfilled.” I still have a hard time writing memoir in first person… the words flow so much better in third person, so I just go with it.
My instant reaction when I saw this prompt was “Oh, yes yes yes! This fits in perfectly with my “What Would Have Been” story about Marie Antionette!” And then I remembered that this was supposed to be memoir… But the theme of WWHB is characters whose lives were cut short without fulfilling their potential.
Oh, and if you’re curious about that story in the back of the drawer, it’s still there. I might completely redo it… someday. The short story was called “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and followed the song lyrics while an AI experienced love at first sight. The longer story was “Big Country” and followed the AI and his friend the bard as they romped through a huge asteroid-turned-space-ship.
The shortlink for this post is http://wp.me/p1qnT4-yy
I’ve loved the Arthurian legends for as long as I can remember. The stories have been reworked time and time again, but the original characters are timeless. Every generation finds something they like about them. I loved the 1967 musical Camelot, I was shocked out of my innocence by Excalibur, and I laughed till my sides hurt over Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Trek is going the way of the Arthurian legends. Of course, we know there was no James T. Kirk as a historical figure; in fact, in the timeline he hasn’t even been born yet! From the classic Star Trek, The Original Series (also known as TOS) through the motion pictures, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, the legends have grown in scope and power. Although copyrighted, they no longer belong to owners but to the masses of fans who have loved these stories for generations.
Fan fiction is prolific. Just as hundreds of writers have taken Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere and imagined every possible twist or nuance to the characters, fans have done the same with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.
This isn’t all good. Oh, the idea of the people taking these stories into their own hands and re-creating every possible scenario is wonderful. But the actual stories… oh, there is some terrible fan fiction out there! Personally, I can’t stand the idea of “Guinevere, Warrior Princess” which seems to be a big favorite these days. I also have a bone to pick with J.J. Abrams for blowing up the planet Vulcan.
Last Friday I interviewed Matt Ewald. Matt played Nick Bluetook in the hit SciFi series Galidor. At the tender age of 29, he’s already had a prolific career both as an actor and a writer.
Matt also played a young Cadet James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Phase II‘s episode Origins. He has forever joined the ranks of those whose names will live forever; those who have portrayed a character who lives on in the hearts of generations through all the incarnations we create.
That’s even better than having an action figure.
The shortlink for this post is http://wp.me/p1qnT4-xh
I enjoyed writing Synaesthesia and posting it one chapter at a time on the blog. I decided when it was finished that I would take a few weeks off, then begin another serial in the new year.
For a while I thought I’d post Give Me Your Answer Do, my steampunk mermaid story. But I need to read more steampunk before I finish that one. Another idea was to take the novella I wrote for the 3 Day Novel Weekend, Audacity’s Chance, and put it up one chapter at a time. (Judging for that contest should be over in a few weeks. I’m quite sure I didn’t win, but an honorable mention would be nice.)
Then another story started knocking around in my head, wanting to get out. Marie Antionette kept popping up on my radar, and I took that as a sign I should write this story for my next serial novella.
What Would Have Been follows several characters as they find themselves in a world both familiar and strange. I’m pantsing the story, so I’m not exactly sure where it will go. It began with the idea that some people have a great deal of unfulfilled potential simply because of the time and place into which they were born. Marie Antionette was not a selfish brat, she was a child with a great deal of power thrust upon her, and a completely ridiculous set of expectations from the French aristocracy.
The story has elements that remind me of John DeChancie‘s Castle Perilous, and some that remind me of Roger Zelazny‘s Chronicles of Amber. It will probably dance along that line between SciFi and Fantasy.
The shortlink for this post is http://wp.me/p1qnT4-yo
Matthew Ewald is an actor and author who has appeared in such projects as Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, Plan 9 (the serious-minded remake of the 1959 classic Edward D. Wood, Jr.’s magnum opus, Plan 9 From Outer Space) and Star Trek: Phase II. His latest novel, Whispers in the Cries, is available now from Black Bedsheet Books.
Whispers in the Cries: The Book Trailer
1.How did you end up starring in a popular television series at such a young age?
Fate, destiny, faith…the alignment of the stars or simply good fortune…whatever one wishes to call it, I was simply chasing those stars and got lucky.
I had just turned 18 years old (still very much a pup) and living and auditioning in California like thousands of others. Sometimes you land a project, most of the time you don’t; you either bomb, don’t fit the role as well as someone else, sometimes they’re looking for a “name,” sometimes an unknown. Sometimes you come so very close and other times it’s the classic right place / right time. You land it. The stars align. 🙂 But regardless of the outcome, you keep on fighting. I mean…without our dreams, we have nothing. What are we, who are we if we don’t fight for them? No matter how grand they may seem…who are we if we don’t at least try?
That is how my parents raised me. And I was with my father, having lunch (tuna melts) at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, California when my agent called with that fateful audition. That was a day I will never forget. Sure, it may sound corny, some may even think it a cliche’…but for me, for me it was a new and grand adventure on the horizon. One called “Galidor.” I know, corny right? 🙂 What can I say, actor and author am I.
With “Galidor,” from the moment the breakdown of the characters, the stories and tales told within that production came in — I was hooked. I knew it was mine. I knew it was meant to be. Now, please understand, it wasn’t out of a sense of arrogance, it wasn’t being conceited or even optimistic…I just knew it. It was gut instinct, a whisper of certainty in that area of my…my mind, my heart, that area where all my dreams lie. But I fought for it tooth and nail. Production was auditioning for the role of Nicholas Bluetooth in California, New York, and Canada (from Vancouver to Montreal). Some auditions, I was later told, had come in from Australia. Thousands auditioning. And I fought with every fiber of my being, with every ounce of passion and love. I clawed for it. And my parents were right there beside me, every step of the way — they still are.
I am 29 years old now, I have been so very fortunate, so very blessed in my life and career — I have worked on over 20+ productions ranging from theatrical to straight to DVD releases and all of those in between. I have been very, VERY fortunate. Projects come and go…in my humble opinion: you treat each one as if it were the grandest you have ever been a part of. I don’t care if the production budget is a hundred million or a hundred dollars. You devote yourself to it. You fight to do it justice, to earn it each and every day. But the most important thing to me, is that my mother and father are still helping me to fight and chase those stars. Still helping me to EARN it. The reason “I” continue to fight for this great passion and love of mine is because of them…that is always with me. And it always will be.
How did I end up starring in a popular television series at such a young age? Easy question — because my parents believed in me and my dreams. Because they helped me REACH those stars.
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2.How did your parents help you to balance the demands of a film career while still having a real childhood?
Well, it is very much like what I had said above — my Mom and Dad make up my heart. I strive, every day that I draw breath, to be a good man because of them. And not just because of them, but FOR them. I fight for my dreams, just as I fight for my family. This is a career, my profession, it is how I make my living, but it doesn’t define who I am. Only actions can do such a thing. How I behave, how I carry myself, how I treat others…
My childhood was filled with adventure and fun, with the wide-eyed imagination of action figures and make-believe, because of their “balance.” There wasn’t a summer, not one. Single. Summer that passed where we weren’t off on some family adventure. Camping or motorcycle trips, vacations all over the country as a family or simply sitting down and enjoying movies together. “Balance” was found by realizing that life is too damn short…and we must make the best of each day. We must try to make each day something grand. We all have to grow up; some faster, some more than others. My parents made sure that my brother and I had a childhood that helped us grow and learn, but one also filled with laughter, love, and fun. One filled with imagination.
They helped me balance the demands of a film career while still having a childhood by simply guiding and grounding the good fortune of success and accomplishment. They taught me that no matter if I’m filming overseas or right in my own backyard (like I used to as a child with my parents’ brick of a VHS camera) — never forget who you are and where you come from. Success is amazing, but it won’t always last…especially in this profession. So you respect it, you cherish it, and you fight to honor each and every role that comes your way…and if, in the end, you are having a rough go of things; there’s always camping, there’s always movies and books to lose yourself within.
There are always adventures to be had — and they don’t always have to be within those pages, or upon that screen. 🙂
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3.What do you think it did to your psyche to have an action figure of yourself before you even turned 18?
If anything, it gave me INCREDIBLE material to use whenever someone would call and ask me what I was doing.
Oh nothing(, I would reply)…just playing with myself. 🙂
What can I say? It was…surreal. Very much so. Here I was: 18 years old, starting production on a FOX science fiction / adventure television series filming in Montreal. I had my own (and first) apartment, the legendary Drew Struzan was bringing our movie poster to life just as he had done for “Indiana Jones,” “The Thing,” “Star Wars” and COUNTLESS other projects I personally love and adore. I find out that video games are being made, I was heading to Europe while on hiatus to lend my voice and likeness to those such video games, manufacturers were making children’s bedsheets and clothing with my ugly mug on them, and then…then one of the produce
rs carries in a Nicholas Bluetooth prototype action figure and…and it was surreal. 🙂
First of all — if I could have supported my family, taken care of those I love — I would have done ALL of this for free…I still would, to this day. My manager loves hearing me say that. But I’ll tell you what…no matter what happens in life, there is NOTHING better than seeing my two little nephews playing with the “Galidor” action figures. Keeping those characters and adventures alive. That is a trip…and it makes me happy.
That is…until they realized that it really WAS uncle Matthew that they were playing with and decided to decapitate me. That’s getting a little old. 🙂
Long story short — “Galidor” means more to me than all of the stars in the heavens. It means something deeply personal to me and I miss it with every. Single. Day that passes. Every single day…I miss it more than even my own words could ever fully convey. And I am grateful that, to some, it is still thought of fondly…that it is still loved and enjoyed. That to those souls and adventurers — the Quest to free Galidor and save the Outer Dimension is still there. That it still means something. Because for me, I am a true fan of this project…no matter if I were a part of it or not. I loved (and love) it. I had spent 9 years trying to bring “Galidor” back to life. 9 years fighting to give a project I love all the way down to the marrow in my bones, finality.
To me, “Galidor” reminded me (although I have never forgotten) why it is I fell in love with not only this grand genre, but with all of those stories and tales told in the first place.
To me, “Galidor” is one of the grandest reasons I dare to dream.
What did it do to my psyche? It taught me the true meaning of the phrase: “ANYTHING is possible.” (Anything.)
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4.Were you a Star Trek fan before you played Cadet Kirk in New Voyages?
Oh yes. A thousand times yes.
“Star Trek…” “Star Trek” means a great deal to me. Very much so.
My father (ex-military, 35 years in law enforcement), clad in his police blues, would sit me on his lap and together (just he and I) we would watch reruns of “Star Trek: TOS” before he would head off to work. Every day after elementary school and just before he went off on patrol we would lose ourselves in the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. “Star Trek,” and all of its incarnations, all of those legacies mean a great deal to me. With “TOS” it is something shared between father and son…something personal, I’ll leave it at that. (Some things I keep just for me.)
With “Next Gen,” it is not only a continuation of that legacy, that universe, but it is also a connecting point to where dreams and adventures meet career and achievement. Marina Sirtis (Councilor Deanna Troi of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) played my mother in my very first film. And she treated me like a prince, like I was truly her own child. Marina was kind enough while filming “Terminal Error,” knowing what a “Trek” fan I was, to ask Mr. Dorn (Worf of “Next Gen”), Mr. Spiner (Data of “Next Gen”), and Mr. Frakes (Riker of “Next Gen”) to come visit the set. To take time out of their busy schedules and life to say hello to a kid working on his first feature film…It was an incredible day to meet heroes and to shake the hands of legends.
“Star Trek” is very important to me, for many, many reasons.
So again I say “yes.” A thousand times so.
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5.How were you chosen for the role?
I had expressed my deep and (again I say) personal interest (and unfaltering dream) to be a part of a legacy that I have loved since childhood. A legacy that I love to this very day…
I wanted to work with professional, but most importantly: down to earth and humble souls. Those who were bringing to life “Star Trek” for the right and true reasons. Where it wasn’t about ego, where it wasn’t about profit, or fame…I wanted to be a part of a “Star Trek” production that was about being a part of a legacy that meant something personal to EVERYONE who was involved. That is what I thought “Phase II” was — and that is why I contacted them those few years back. To see if I could be a small part of a dream.
In my query letter I had written that I would bring water to the cast and crew, that I would sweep the floors or clean the toilets…hell, I even said I’d be a space-goat just floating on past the view-screen. I just wanted to be a part of a grand dream. The role of Cadet James T. Kirk was offered shortly after that.
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6.What are some of the differences between working for a “Hollywood” production and working with a fan production?
“Phase II” is the first, and so far, only fan production I have ever worked with…and the differences can be GREAT between “Hollywood” productions and those of a fan creation. It is a hard thing to say, to judge because there are the obvious answers: budget, studio, cast and crew, levels of professionalism and talent…but I think, in some regard, the greatest difference is “passion.”
When working on some Hollywood productions — you have extremely dedicated and talented people doing their “job.” Maybe that cast and crew are even the very best of the best, the best in their field, the most talented, the most dedicated; doing everything in their power to make that production something brilliant. But, it is also very possible that some of those casts and crews aren’t “fans” of what they are bringing to life. Maybe, to some, it is just about a chance to work with a director or actor or actress. It is very possible that maybe it is just about a paycheck — although I have personally never seen ANY role / production as just a paycheck or stepping-stone — but I would be naive to believe every other actor or actress out there felt the same way. I mean, that IS a possibility. It is a possibility that to some a production is just a job / a role / an opportunity leading to a paycheck or simply onto bigger and better things. And although that doesn’t work for me, who would I be to judge anyone’s motives for doing so?
That is a possibility for some Hollywood productions…
With “fan” productions — you have men and women who have day jobs, families, mortgages, maybe even day-care…but they have a deep-rooted passion for what those Hollywood studios had once created (or still create). These men and women desire to be a part of such adventures. To bring to life their own visions, their own interpretations of those stories and tales. In my humble opinion (and I say this without hope or agenda), but you don’t spend that kind of time and money on a fan production unless you are truly passionate about it. Unless it speaks to you on a very deep and personal level.
Passion is what separates, again: in my humble opinion, Hollywood productions and fan productions. With fan productions it is never about profit over product, because a fan production (unless it is a rare case) cannot earn financial gain off of what they create. They do not own the intellectual property. They are fans expanding a dream they hold dear.
And I personally believe our world could use more of such a thing.
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7.Do you have any amusing anecdotes from your time in Port Henry?
I am going to keep this answer simple and say: when taking the Kobayashi Maru test — it is ALWAYS a smart move to have a nice, juicy apple by your side.
Well, by this time you know my…my “feelings” when it comes to “Star Trek.” How deeply personal a thing this legacy means to me. These characters, their lives and adventures…
Being able to have portrayed James T. Kirk at such a time in his life that we, as fans, have yet to see, to experience is nothing less than an honor. A true and great honor…I love the character, I love the role, and I would greatly love to one day play James T. Kirk again at another time in his life. I would truly love that…
But most of all — and this is just the honest truth — my greatest hope is that I might have honored what Mr. Roddenberry and Mr. Shatner had created with James T. Kirk. Granted, EVERYONE has an opinion on who this grand man is. EVERYONE has an opinion. From emotional standpoint to how he crosses his legs while in the Captain’s chair, from humor to arrogance, and even down to the details of hair color. Jump onto YouTube and give it a look-see. Let me say that again: EVERYONE has an opinion. Hell, even “I” have an opinion! Opinions come with passion — can’t fault anyone there. And I would never dream of doing so…I came into the role with a very, VERY STRONG OPINION of how I wanted to personally play this incarnation of James T. Kirk. Anyone on set who had seen, no matter how briefly, my script book knows that. Lol! I dedicated myself to this role for over a year because of how much I love this character, because of what it means to portray such a loved icon and legend…and I’m not blowing smoke, I’m not kissing ass, and I am certainly not trying to win over any votes. 🙂 I am just being honest.
I was cast to play this James T. Kirk not on how I personally saw him, but how the writer, director, producers and such saw him. As an actor you honor that. And you respect it while also trying to make the character your own. To bring him to life for not only yourself, but for all of the other fans — just like yourself. That was my job and I did it to the very best of my abilities. Almost all of my pages and pages of script notes were not used. And that’s alright — I was there to bring to life this version of James T. Kirk based on those making the decisions. And I hope — I so truly hope — if and when the episode airs, when it is released, I hope people enjoy it. I hope people can lose themselves in the adventure knowing that it was made with “fan passion.” That it is, above all else, about the passion of “Star Trek.” No matter if you agree with the choices made in performance or character, no matter if you consider certain aspects “cannon” or not, regardless of this or that — I hope that when fans of “Star Trek” sit down and watch it…I hope that they will be swept away. I hope that they will realize, even if they’ve never forgotten, that “Star Trek” isn’t just the sum of their complaints, but it is about the sum of their own passion.
It is about what it means to be a true fan of “Star Trek.”
You know…in my career I have battled for the fate of worlds and I have seen the other side of horror (a genre that is my GREATEST enjoyment, passion and love). And no matter what my personal experience was like on “Star Trek: Phase II” (good or bad), no matter what fans enjoy or don’t enjoy based off of YouTube clips or even the final product, no matter what may come from this day to the next — I love “Star Trek” with all that I am. Every day and twice on Sunday. And being able to bring to life James T. Kirk, to be in the company of such a grand legacy (fan production or not)…that is a dream. And one I hope every true fan of ” Star Trek” may one day experience for themselves.
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9.Have you ever had a boring day job, or have you been able to support yourself with your acting and writing?
I have been extremely fortunate in my life, as well as my career, to be able to support myself with my acting and my writing.
No boring day job here. 🙂 Work for me is…heh, it is always an adventure. I am extremely (and beyond) blessed.
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10.When you see that an actor is “Bound by NDAs” what does that mean?
Plan 9
An NDA means: “Non Disclosure Agreement.” And when an actor is bound by one — it simply means that he or she is unable to discuss the project in part or in whole until the NDA is lifted.
I have signed a few in my career, sometimes it is standard practice for when a studio needs to keep a certain amount of information from getting out to the general public. It keeps all of their bases covered.
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11.Do you see yourself continuing to both act and write? Or would you choose one over the other?
Plan 9
I do. Yes. I could never choose one over the other because for me, both are rooted in everything that I do. In my very soul. Acting, writing — to sound dramatic — these two things are like oxygen. Without them…I would crumble. They are my adventures, my nightmares, they are my hopes and dreams, my wishes and desires…without them, like dreams, I am nothing.
To me, acting and writing is about creating stories. Equally. On one end of the spectrum I am weaving those stories and tales told upon the written page, everything is born of me. Everything…On the opposite end, I am (as an actor) a small part of a larger creation. A collaboration of talents. A scriptwriter to create the characters and incidents, a director to guide and helm the vision, wardrobe to dress, makeup to make you look pretty and presentable or hideous and inhuman…and hundreds upon hundreds of more positions and talents from Pre-Production to Post…
Each profession, each dream, is a unique monster. Sometimes I must take a short break (which I have done in the past) from one profession in order to complete another, but the wheel always turns — one minute you can be upon the page and the next: upon the screen.
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12.What would be your dream acting gig?
Plan 9
Oooh…tough one.
Well, clearly — ANYTHING HORROR. I mean it. Horror (and all of its branches) is…horror is, as far as genres are concerned, my life. I’ve said this before, but when the genre works — it claims you. It is a creature, a titan that opens its jaws and howls.
Horror can rule you and it can be found ANYWHERE, and in ANY genre. Western, fantasy, science fiction, psychological drama, or even romance…horror is like humanity. It is duel-natured and the genre allows us to explore that far beyond our own simple nightmares.
That is part of the reason why I love it so much. Horror is that “thing” that can not only explore the monsters that lurk within shadow, but it can also explore the monsters that lurk within US.
So yes, anything horror — and if someone were to mix the horror genre with a treasure hunting adventure like the “Uncharted” game series (my personal favorite)…Now that…that would be a dream adventure. But to give you a more definitive answer: I won’t get into the reason why — it is a long story and as you can tell, I love to hear myself type. 🙂 But I would love, absolutely LOVE to be a part of the “TRON” world. I am a HUGE fan of “TRON.” Both films. Huge fan…so much so that when I had the opportunity to work along-side Bruce Boxleitner (Tron himself) on my second film, (he played my mentor) I did everything in my power to remain professional and not to turn into some giant fan-boy. But Bruce was so very kind, so very gracious and once the director had told him (without my knowledge) what a fan I was of “TRON,” Bruce was kind enough to sit beside me one day and say with a little grin: “Have you ever seen a movie I did called ‘TRON?'” He didn’t want to embarrass me, but he knew what a fan I was, and so he and I talked for over two hours straight and he shared some amazing stories about that adventure. I am eternally grateful for his kindness. The experience of being able to work alongside Bruce means a great deal to me.
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13.How much writing did you do before getting published?
Lol, when wasn’t I writing. 🙂
I apologize — I don’t mean to drop the ball here, but the simple answer is — I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Little stories, little scenes, full on screenplays to dialogue ideas. I’ve written 13 professional short horror stories and two novels…but for as long as I can remember, I have always been writing something. And all of it, since day one, has always been filled with the spooky.
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14.What kind of stories do you have stuck in the back of the proverbial drawer?
I start production on a new and grand horror series in January of 2012, but the next project I write — I would like it to be a sequel to my second novel “Whispers in the Cries.” I would love to take those characters into a new nightmare adventure. The first dealt with the paranormal, the second would be something…else. Indiana Jones is always in search of those ancient artifacts…I like the idea that Randy Conroy is in search of answers to the other side. That is what I would like to write next…
But there is only ONE, just one story that is stuck in the back of that proverbial drawer…one story I would love (one day) to share with the world. (Or anyone who would enjoy taking a chance on it.)
And that story is a completed, a fully finished novel entitled: “Star Trek: A Coffin of Stars.”
It is a story, a novel I am VERY proud of. Very proud…and my great hope was to submit it to PocketBooks in the desire of possibly having it become an official part of the “Star Trek” legacy. To be a small part of the official legacy. I had taken all that I had learned from selling 13 short horror stories and two novels and used that knowledge to write a horror story for a creation that I love as a true fan. Unfortunately, by the time I finished this “Horror story set in the world of TOS era ‘Star Trek,'” PocketBooks was (and maybe it’ll change one day) no longer interested in “TOS” era stories unless they were found in Mr. Abrams universe. And because my story spanned generations — a young James T. Kirk serving on the Farragut to Captain James T. Kirk battling those ghosts of the past onboard the Enterprise — well, the story and continuity didn’t synch up enough to make changes more in line with the new Abram’s universe.
So, “A Coffin of Stars” is back there…waiting patiently in that drawer. Some have suggested that I release it as a fan-fiction story. Use it as promotion to help promote my novels and such…all good ideas, but there’s that little voice in the back of my head whispering…telling me to wait — to fight to earn my place as anofficial part of “Star Trek.”
And you now know how I think when it comes to chasing the stars. 🙂 Anything is possible.
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15.On what criteria should a bookstore decide whether to shelve a book under “Horror” or “Science Fiction?”
I personally feel that the story should dictate the genre, not the other way around. An author writes for the characters, the incidents and locations born of his or her imagination — an author writes for those ideals. The genre is born from what happens within those pages, not by the label it is given.
The essence of the story — a genre is nothing without that…Drama can easily become horror with the turning of a page, just as drama can easily become about those far reaching echoes and eons of space with yet another turn…One can write poetically about embers in the starlight, just as easily as those embers can become about a raging flame from Hell’s mouth itself.
If an author chooses to write for a genre and nothing more, he or she may fall victim to writing for genre conventions. That doesn’t serve the story. It simply serves the genre. Horror and science fiction easily go hand-in-hand, so it is very easy to see where bookstores can blur the lines between where a novel “belongs” and where it doesn’t. “Whispers in the Cries” is a good example. It is a horror story, yes, but my story, how I wrote it, started off as a mystery…simple as that — and with the turning of a page, with a descriptive little line about a devil’s grin in the darkness everything changed.
Ultimately — my belief is that the criteria a bookstore should use when deciding which section a book belongs in — is what the story holds. If a publisher labels the book as romance, the publisher would know, they want that novel to succeed, to be seen, to get out…I would personally trust in that. Trust in the story. Now…I have A LOT to learn. A LOT to learn in both of my chosen professions, but as opinions go: story dictates genre. Story should dictate which shelf a novel belongs on.
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16.What kind of readers will enjoy Whispers in the Cries?
Thank you for asking that. 🙂 I greatly appreciate it.
I believe any fan of horror would enjoy “Whispers in the Cries.” That may be a bold thing to say, but I say that confidently because I wrote it for myself. A true and hardcore lover of horror and ALL of its branches.
But I also wanted the slow burn of a good mystery to be very apparent from the first few chapters. This is a novel about answers and what it means to seek out those answers…it is a novel about what you find at the very end of that rabbit hole of darkness. It is a story about the darkness’ retribution. Now, I won’t lie, I truly hope that people give the novel a chance because the simple truth is: I have NEVER been more proud of ANYTHING that I have ever written…and, like any author, I want my novel to get out there. To be read and enjoyed…but this is more than simply a horror story. There is, I personally believe, something for everyone within its pages. Mystery, romance, history. Yes, horror is there in abundance. But there is also, I humbly believe, an intellectual quality that some horror in today’s world is missing. There is that honest and real life location known as the Queen Mary that one can visit as easily as jumping in a car. There is a truth of experience with something that I had personally encountered while staying and researching onboard that vessel…the “ghost ship” this novel is based upon…there is even photographic proof of the paranormal toward its later pages.
I believe that the readers who may enjoy “Whispers in the Cries” the most — are those unafraid of adventure. True adventure. Not the kind of adventure found within our movies or literature, enjoyed from the safety of our homes or theaters…but the real life adventure we all long for, but not all explore. No matter what genre that adventure may find itself within. Our world, outside of fiction, is filled with mystery and awe, with shadows and questions, with secrets and hidden truths…our world can sometimes be closer to our beloved fiction than even we can fully realize. If you are the type of soul who believes in that statement, even if only a little, this novel is for you.
And I hope that if you take a chance on it — you enjoy it. Even if only a little, but regardless — trust in the fact that what you see on that last page, that…”photographic proof,” is just that. It isn’t a ploy to sell books, it wasn’t cooked up on a computer using Photoshop or with some clever photographic cheat…it…HE was real. I was there. And I experienced every action of its passing, its haunt…I saw, no matter however briefly, the other side and I wasn’t on a set battling for the fate of worlds. Not this time at least. 🙂 I was just a guest on one of the most haunted locations in America. And I wasn’t very well received.
Adventures — no matter who you are or what your profession may be — adventures do happen. And some adventures like “Old Salt” (you’ll understand if you read the book) are all around us. No matter if we want them there or not.
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17.If it was made into a film, would my husband have to tell me when the gory parts were over so I could open my eyes again?
Nope. 🙂 With “Whispers” I wanted to try something different…now, there IS a certain amount of gore, but I wanted to touch base on the idea that gore didn’t drive this story. Gore isn’t what makes “Whispers in the Cries” terrifying. I wanted the TERROR of what happens in the story, to these character to make it what it is. I wanted the malevolence of nightmare, of the paranormal to make it haunting. I wanted the darkness to get under your skin. To burrow deep and make you feel childish to actually peek under your bed or in the closet. This isn’t about gore for gore’s sake. This isn’t about young women dropping their tops for the box office gold. This is about the story. And I wanted this story to be about that moment where you’re lying in bed with all of the lights off and feeling those eyes in the darkness upon you. You know there is nothing there, your rational mind will tell you that you are being silly, that your imagination is playing tricks on you. Yet…go ahead, pull up the covers a little higher…hide…they are just blankets and sheets, fabric and stitch…your rational mind will tell you that the darkness is real. But also that the darkness can be suffocating. That is what I believe a film version of “Whispers in the Cries” would be — you would be watching in your living room or in the theater and the darkness would be…suffocating. But not because of the gore…but because some stories don’t need gore to mess with your mind. Some stories, if told well, will just make you look over your shoulder. Silly or not.
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18.What is your favorite electronic or digital writing tool?
I’ve actually written both of my novels, as well as “Star Trek: A Coffin of Stars” on Microsoft Word. I know that there are many different writing tools and software programs out there designed specifically for authors, but for me — I am very comfortable with Microsoft Word. That is what I use. Good ol’ laptop on my desk in my den.
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19.What is your favorite non-electronic writing tool?
A black Uni-Ball Vision Elite pen and a bunch of post-it notes for when I have ideas for story, scenes, and or dialogue.
What, are you kidding? Han shot that green, bug eyed little bastard before that orange vest wearing turn-coat even had a chance to squeeze the trigger.
I’ll tell you who DIDN’T shoot first. Greedo. Want to know why? Cause’ he was dead.
And let me ask you this — what self respecting bounty-hunter misses at point blank range? Seriously? I’m surprised he didn’t shoot himself…
The day after this interview was published, guess what I got in the mail?
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Someday, I will have an office to where I retreat, where people understand “She’s working.”
Here is what will be in my office.
First of all, it will be in Robert Heinlein’s old house in Colorado Springs. It doesn’t matter that it has been extensively remodeled since he designed it to be the house of the future… it’s in a gorgeous location and the idea of the history in that place means a lot to me. I’ve never been there. I’m not sure what the current floor plan looks like, but I would use one room for my actual office, and other areas would be open to friends and peers. Perhaps I would host a write-in for NaNoWriMo? Or provide other writers at any point in their careers a place to escape to and write undisturbed. Like a smaller, lighter version of a writers’ colony.
I would gather those objects that are meaningful to my writing. The books my friends and interviewees have written, some of which are signed. And there would be artwork… if I could have a digital frame that simply played the same gif over and over, I’d take just the two second loop of the elephant jumping on the trampoline and place it in a hallway. In another area, near where visiting writers would visit, I’d have this video of advice to beginners. Sound would be optional.
Brian Dettmer's book art
And book art! I’ve seen many on-line galleries showing fantastic artwork made out of books. Some, like Brian Dettmer, carve individual books. Other art uses whole books as building blocks.
On the walls I’d have some place for all the tidbits I find, and art by my kids. I’d also have a place for images I use for reference like this gorgeous portrayal of orbital latitudes.
By Rrakanishu, via Wikimedia Commons
And then… then I’d have room to add. Because I’m always finding things that inspire me.
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Yes! I’ve got a thousand words in each day so far, and did my little belly-dance arms workout. Next week I start teaching, and I’ll need to figure out which daycare my 4yo is going to.
I wonder if any of my friends have joined in with ROW80 this time?
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Dede Pazour Google the directions. You should get several options…
AmyBeth Fredricksen According to google maps, there’s one in Texas and one in Maryland. Apparently, to get from one Mordor to the other, it takes 1,356 mi, 22 hours 32 mins, assuming one is driving.
I would love to hear what you think! Even if you are reading this post a year or more after publishing, I hope you will leave a comment with your own ideas on this topic.
Boudoir Beledi Bellydance Troupe by Dance Photographer - Brendan Lally
Happy New Year!
The first Round of A Round of Words in 80 Days for 2012 begins today. I’m psyched, even though it’s 4:30 in the morning and I should be sleeping instead of writing.
Whatever.
It has helped my overall productivity greatly to participate in these rounds, celebrating victories with fellow participants and giving myself an auto-reset every few months. This is far better than slowly slipping off track and having to find my own way back. The last round was great through NaNoWriMo, then I fell off the wagon.
Someday, I want to reach 2k in 1 hour. I’ve come close, but never reached that benchmark.
I will begin another serial story and put a chapter up on the blog every Monday.
Although I won’t yet name a date, I will keep evaluating my own progress regarding novels and getting published, and I’ll make sure I have that long-term goal in sight instead of just splashing around in the pool having fun.
And since others are including fitness goals, I’m going to begin by doing one of the fitness workouts from cable-on-demand at least 5 days per week, even if it is just a little 5 minute routine of bellydance arm movements. (Don’t knock it till ya try it… my shoulder muscles are burning!)
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Keith Marshall Nebulian Stuff.
Kyle Chisholm The world’s hopes, dreams, and failures!
Geri Bressler Space snot
Al Hartman God likes to finger paint…
Robert Damian Mauro The death of a star (or in this case, if memory serves, more than one). IIRC, largely stellar components in gaseous and solid form, all being illuminated from the star remnants that remain after nova.
Stephen Dillard From the violent (and beautiful) death of a star comes the creation of every element that makes our life possible. The endless recycling of all things that exist. Awe inspiring.
Dave Mac I just checked the vacuum and wouldn’t you know it, lots of that stuff in there as well. Vacuums must suck up Stuff every where in the Universe.
Elizabeth Sykas-Ringgenberg I think it’s the socks that have gone missing in the wash…
Juno Suk That’s not space. It’s just the swirlies printed on my bowling ball.
AmyBeth Fredricksen Yeah, but are socks made of swirly stuff? Because the sock-related stuff that ends up in my vacuum is more lint-like and fluffy.
Dan Bressler Stick-in-the-mud answer: It’s mostly vacuum. What is there is a very diffuse gas, which only counts as “stuff” in comparison to the emptiness around it. The colors are computer-generated because the radiation given out is mostly in the infrared spectrum.
Daniel Beard always remember that “Vacuum” is full of all sorts of things, mono-atomic hydrogen and helium, dust of all sizes from microns to actual millimeters. it is just that we have issues with the fact that we sort of are addicted to a specific amount of oxygen/nitrogen mixture. and we really do not like the withdrawal symptoms.
Rodolphe D’Inca – whis is it a scifi question? it is a science question! 🙂 What we see is radiation, it doesn’t mean a high density of matter to produce it and ctully the picture is taken on a very loclized part of the universe!
michael interbartolo – gases coallescing due to gravity and intense pressure.
AmyBeth Inverness – It’s a SciFi question because you can either give me the real, scientific explanation (Which I really was curious about, and I knew that +michael interbartolo would instantly give me a great answer thank you very much!) Or, you can act like my facebook friends are currently and give a totally smart-ass answer like “Space Snot”.
Jeffrey Witthauer – Space snot? No. This is the living embodiment of the Aether. Deep within the Orion nebulae are many starfaring races, but not as we know them. They pilot the winds of the Aether, sailing in their great Star Ships across the vast gulf.
Anna L. Walls – It is the gods at war, of course. It’s how our universe was created. hahaha Sure looks like it anyway
Rogers George – I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t. It would look grey. Two reasons, at least:
I would love to hear what you think! Even if you are reading this post a year or more after publishing, I hope you will leave a comment with your own ideas on this topic.
I enjoyed writing 
Matthew Ewald is an actor and author who has appeared in such projects as Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, Plan 9 (the serious-minded remake of the 1959 classic Edward D. Wood, Jr.’s magnum opus, Plan 9 From Outer Space) and 
I had just turned 18 years old (still very much a pup) and living and auditioning in California like thousands of others. Sometimes you land a project, most of the time you don’t; you either bomb, don’t fit the role as well as someone else, sometimes they’re looking for a “name,” sometimes an unknown. Sometimes you come so very close and other times it’s the classic right place / right time. You land it. The stars align. 🙂 But regardless of the outcome, you keep on fighting. I mean…without our dreams, we have nothing. What are we, who are we if we don’t fight for them? No matter how grand they may seem…who are we if we don’t at least try?
That is how my parents raised me. And I was with my father, having lunch (tuna melts) at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, California when my agent called with that fateful audition. That was a day I will never forget. Sure, it may sound corny, some may even think it a cliche’…but for me, for me it was a new and grand adventure on the horizon. One called “Galidor.” I know, corny right? 🙂 What can I say, actor and author am I.
With “Galidor,” from the moment the breakdown of the characters, the stories and tales told within that production came in — I was hooked. I knew it was mine. I knew it was meant to be. Now, please understand, it wasn’t out of a sense of arrogance, it wasn’t being conceited or even optimistic…I just knew it. It was gut instinct, a whisper of certainty in that area of my…my mind, my heart, that area where all my dreams lie. But I fought for it tooth and nail. Production was auditioning for the role of Nicholas Bluetooth in California, New York, and Canada (from Vancouver to Montreal). Some auditions, I was later told, had come in from Australia. Thousands auditioning. And I fought with every fiber of my being, with every ounce of passion and love. I clawed for it. And my parents were right there beside me, every step of the way — they still are.
I am 29 years old now, I have been so very fortunate, so very blessed in my life and career — I have worked on over 20+ productions ranging from theatrical to straight to DVD releases and all of those in between. I have been very, VERY fortunate. Projects come and go…in my humble opinion: you treat each one as if it were the grandest you have ever been a part of. I don’t care if the production budget is a hundred million or a hundred dollars. You devote yourself to it. You fight to do it justice, to earn it each and every day. But the most important thing to me, is that my mother and father are still helping me to fight and chase those stars. Still helping me to EARN it. The reason “I” continue to fight for this great passion and love of mine is because of them…that is always with me. And it always will be.
Well, it is very much like what I had said above — my Mom and Dad make up my heart. I strive, every day that I draw breath, to be a good man because of them. And not just because of them, but FOR them. I fight for my dreams, just as I fight for my family. This is a career, my profession, it is how I make my living, but it doesn’t define who I am. Only actions can do such a thing. How I behave, how I carry myself, how I treat others…
My childhood was filled with adventure and fun, with the wide-eyed imagination of action figures and make-believe, because of their “balance.” There wasn’t a summer, not one. Single. Summer that passed where we weren’t off on some family adventure. Camping or motorcycle trips, vacations all over the country as a family or simply sitting down and enjoying movies together. “Balance” was found by realizing that life is too damn short…and we must make the best of each day. We must try to make each day something grand. We all have to grow up; some faster, some more than others. My parents made sure that my brother and I had a childhood that helped us grow and learn, but one also filled with laughter, love, and fun. One filled with imagination.
They helped me balance the demands of a film career while still having a childhood by simply guiding and grounding the good fortune of success and accomplishment. They taught me that no matter if I’m filming overseas or right in my own backyard (like I used to as a child with my parents’ brick of a VHS camera) — never forget who you are and where you come from. Success is amazing, but it won’t always last…especially in this profession. So you respect it, you cherish it, and you fight to honor each and every role that comes your way…and if, in the end, you are having a rough go of things; there’s always camping, there’s always movies and books to lose yourself within.
If anything, it gave me INCREDIBLE material to use whenever someone would call and ask me what I was doing.
What can I say? It was…surreal. Very much so. Here I was: 18 years old, starting production on a FOX science fiction / adventure television series filming in Montreal. I had my own (and first) apartment, the legendary Drew Struzan was bringing our movie poster to life just as he had done for “Indiana Jones,” “The Thing,” “Star Wars” and COUNTLESS other projects I personally love and adore. I find out that video games are being made, I was heading to Europe while on hiatus to lend my voice and likeness to those such video games, manufacturers were making children’s bedsheets and clothing with my ugly mug on them, and then…then one of the produce
First of all — if I could have supported my family, taken care of those I love — I would have done ALL of this for free…I still would, to this day. My manager loves hearing me say that. But I’ll tell you what…no matter what happens in life, there is NOTHING better than seeing my two little nephews playing with the “Galidor” action figures. Keeping those characters and adventures alive. That is a trip…and it makes me happy.
With “Next Gen,” it is not only a continuation of that legacy, that universe, but it is also a connecting point to where dreams and adventures meet career and achievement. Marina Sirtis (Councilor Deanna Troi of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) played my mother in my very first film. And she treated me like a prince, like I was truly her own child. Marina was kind enough while filming “Terminal Error,” knowing what a “Trek” fan I was, to ask Mr. Dorn (Worf of “Next Gen”), Mr. Spiner (Data of “Next Gen”), and Mr. Frakes (Riker of “Next Gen”) to come visit the set. To take time out of their busy schedules and life to say hello to a kid working on his first feature film…It was an incredible day to meet heroes and to shake the hands of legends.
I had expressed my deep and (again I say) personal interest (and unfaltering dream) to be a part of a legacy that I have loved since childhood. A legacy that I love to this very day…
In my query letter I had written that I would bring water to the cast and crew, that I would sweep the floors or clean the toilets…hell, I even said I’d be a space-goat just floating on past the view-screen. I just wanted to be a part of a grand dream. The role of Cadet James T. Kirk was offered shortly after that.
“Phase II” is the first, and so far, only fan production I have ever worked with…and the differences can be GREAT between “Hollywood” productions and those of a fan creation. It is a hard thing to say, to judge because there are the obvious answers: budget, studio, cast and crew, levels of professionalism and talent…but I think, in some regard, the greatest difference is “passion.”
When working on some Hollywood productions — you have extremely dedicated and talented people doing their “job.” Maybe that cast and crew are even the very best of the best, the best in their field, the most talented, the most dedicated; doing everything in their power to make that production something brilliant. But, it is also very possible that some of those casts and crews aren’t “fans” of what they are bringing to life. Maybe, to some, it is just about a chance to work with a director or actor or actress. It is very possible that maybe it is just about a paycheck — although I have personally never seen ANY role / production as just a paycheck or stepping-stone — but I would be naive to believe every other actor or actress out there felt the same way. I mean, that IS a possibility. It is a possibility that to some a production is just a job / a role / an opportunity leading to a paycheck or simply onto bigger and better things. And although that doesn’t work for me, who would I be to judge anyone’s motives for doing so?
I have been extremely fortunate in my life, as well as my career, to be able to support myself with my acting and my writing.
So yes, anything horror — and if someone were to mix the horror genre with a treasure hunting adventure like the “Uncharted” game series (my personal favorite)…Now that…that would be a dream adventure. But to give you a more definitive answer: I won’t get into the reason why — it is a long story and as you can tell, I love to hear myself type. 🙂 But I would love, absolutely LOVE to be a part of the “TRON” world. I am a HUGE fan of “TRON.” Both films. Huge fan…so much so that when I had the opportunity to work along-side Bruce Boxleitner (Tron himself) on my second film, (he played my mentor) I did everything in my power to remain professional and not to turn into some giant fan-boy. But Bruce was so very kind, so very gracious and once the director had told him (without my knowledge) what a fan I was of “TRON,” Bruce was kind enough to sit beside me one day and say with a little grin: “Have you ever seen a movie I did called ‘TRON?'” He didn’t want to embarrass me, but he knew what a fan I was, and so he and I talked for over two hours straight and he shared some amazing stories about that adventure. I am eternally grateful for his kindness. The experience of being able to work alongside Bruce means a great deal to me.
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AmyBeth Inverness 
Teaching Again
I’m not filling my quota of words, but I knew that this week would be difficult. Tuesday I went back to teaching (College Freshmen… MS Excel and MS Access) which I gave up when my daughter was born in 2007.
I was amazed and ecstatic about how many views and comments I got on the first chapter of my serial What Would Have Been! Chapter two didn’t do as well, but I’m hoping that at least a few people out there will decide they like the story and want to follow it.
I’m hoping that while my 4yo is with a babysitter or preschool so I can teach, that I can also use some of that time to write. Unfortunately, enrolling my daughter in preschool has been a grueling and frustrating experience, which just boggles the mind. It should not be that difficult to enroll my daughter in school! But I keep having people say “Oh, actually you need to call this other person, in this other office…”
Hopefully we can figure it out by next week. Fortunately, I have the back up babysitter; it’s just more expensive for less time that way, and my little girl doesn’t get to do all the preschool stuff like playing with friends.
How’s everyone else doing with their goals? Is an expected pause or slowdown doable?
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