Thoughts on the Future (A Poem)

Thoughts on the Future

No one can see ten years from now

if the days will be good to us or

who is finally rich or poor.

No one can see where you will be

but, I hope you are happy.

Nobody knows five years from now

if the world is gone or at peace

or if there is a cure for anything.

Can’t see who still loves each other

but, I’m sure you are beautiful.

No gypsy can predict next year

who is married or dying

and who will always be alone.

But, if you finally let yourself fall,

I hope it healed you.

No fortune teller can see all.

But, there is one thing I know.

Looking to tomorrow and

believing you're there is all I need

today.

By: Brett Merritt (me)

A Writer's Body Language Cheat Sheet

Here at PTA we are very interested in the craft of writing (which for Patrick and Josh means sometimes writing about crafts) so it's important that we brush up our skills as we complete that first draft of that novel we've been working on.

One skill is that of making your characters more real. Here are some excerpts from a cheat sheet I found at ArchetypeWriting.com that will help writers add depth to their characters. I've added my own comments next to some selected signs for fun.

Signs of Anger 

• Balling the fists - A new meaning for baller.
• Crossing the arms tightly - Protecting the heart.
• Tight-lipped smile - My usual smile.
• Clenched teeth - My usual state of sleeping.
• Shaking a finger like a club - I've never shaken a club. How would this look?
• Stabbing a finger at someone - "Hey you! I know you! I know you!"

Signs of Attraction 

• Pupils dilate - I've never been able to remember which on dilate is ... larger, right?
• Women will cross and uncross legs to draw attention to them - Like the Rockettes, got it.
• Mirroring - (usually unconsciously) mimicking the other person’s body language - If it were consciously, that would feel awkward.

Signs of Being Closed Off to Conversation 

• Keeping the hands in the pockets - "Can't talk, I'm pocket texting."
• Arms and legs crossed - My usual state of sitting.
• Sitting back - It's more of a relaxed "I don't want to talk to you."
• Folding the hands together on a table (creates a barrier)
• The “figure-four” leg cross (setting the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other) and then grabbing the lower half of the top leg with both hands. - You lost me.

Opennesss and Honesty 

• Exposure of the palms 
• Arms and legs unfolded 
• Leaning forward 

Submissive Signals 

• Slumping the shoulders - Aka The Charlie Brown.
• Doing anything to appear smaller - Like eating 1500 calories a day, amirite?!

Distress 

• Self-hugging - See your bishop.
• Folding the hands together in front of the crotch (men) - No comment.

Lying

Lying causes a subtle tingling in the face and neck, so the gestures below are attempts to eliminate that feeling: 

• Covering the mouth - can be like a shh gesture, or they may cover the mouth completely - "Cough."
• Touching or rubbing the nose or below the nose - Picking isn't a lying tell; it's a disgusting tell. 
• Rubbing the eyes (especially men) - I knew my allergies were a lie.
• Scratching the neck with the index finger - Scratching with the middle finger is something else.

Superiority, Confidence, Power, Dominance 

• Steepling the fingers - "Here's the church, here's the steeple, close the doors to all the poor people."
• Folding the hands behind the back - I see a lot of Asian men walk like this.
• Hands on hips - "Hey, Macarena!"
• Straddling a chair - My favorite improv stage maneuver.

I hope this helps! Happy writing to all.

Get more writer helps here.

A Writer's List of the Top 10 Movies About Writers

Today on Part Time Authors we'll show how the love/hate relationship many of us have with writing is wonderfully represented in movies. Let's get right to it ...

10. Stranger Than Fiction
Sometimes the characters we write already have a life of their own. We have to find that life and figure out the best way for them to continue to live (or die?) inside our story.

9. Barton Fink
You think you suffere from severe writer's block? You don't know what that really is until you've seen this movie.

8. Capote
Philip Seymour Hoffman is so perfect in this. I think what you can take away, other than sometimes we have to write about hard and difficult things, is that research and process are as much a part of a successful piece than anything else.

7. The Hours 
This one made me cry a lot. I've never read the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" but after seeing what happens to these ladies while reading (writing) it, do I want to? Did I mention it's sad?

6. Almost Famous
The performances are top notch. The story is great. The dialogue is brilliant. And, it accurately portrays the excitement, joy, stress, sadness, and disillusionment of writing. Oh, and that scene where he plays Stairway to Heaven for his mom ... amazing.

5. Adaptation
Not everything we create needs to make sense to other people if it makes sense to us.

4. The Shining
Best horror film ever? It's a least the best horror film with a writer as a [SPOILER] murderer.

3. Wonderboys
Haven't read the book. Ha! But I loved this movie. At the time I saw this there was this conflict inside of me that I really wanted to be Grady Tripp and at the same time never wanted to be Grady Tripp. Do you know what I mean?

2. Finding Neverland
One of my favorite movies. There are a lot of movies on this list that portray writers as sad, depressed, and neurotic. However, this movie inspires me to be not only a better writer but a better person every time I watch it.

1. Sunset Boulevard
It's not only the best movie with a writer as the main character, it's one of the best movies ever made. Period. It's groundbreaking, witty, scary, and devilishly well-written.

So, what do you think of the list? What did I miss?

[Author's note: I didn't really enjoy Sideways.]