Tuesday, February 17, 2009

A Matter of Perspective

My new webmistress, Heather, tells me I need to work on my blog titles. I'm trying.

But there is just so much you can do with what I write about. And today's blog is a case in point.

I intended to write about writing because that's what I did at the Pink Heart Society where Wednesday's blog (which I wrote) is already up. I talked there about first chapters because when you're just starting a book, they are, um, pretty significant hurdles.

Almost every writer has qualms when she starts a book. For one thing, unless you've plotted the whole thing out ahead of time, you aren't quite sure precisely where the "beginning" is.

It's when things change, yes. But change can be abrupt or it can be subtle. If it's the former, well, you've got a point to begin at. If it's not, you need to do a bit more thinking. And even when you find it, what's the right way in?

And then there's the point of view.

Whose? Is it a given? Or is it a toss-up? See what I mean?

Every story, and the way you tell it, is a matter of perspective. Like life.

Which brings me to the other bit that I wanted to comment on today because it made me smile. I have a google alert for Hugh Jackman. Is that a big surprise?

Of course not. And I'm not the only one who finds him an "inspiration" for heroes in romance novels. So I never mind getting a daily dose of 'news' about Hugh.

Today my google alert on Hugh came, I skimmed over it and found the wonderful meme of "My 25 Things . . . or 15" written by Stephanie DePrez who writes for The Observer at Notre Dame and St Mary's Universities.

If you've blogged for any length of time at all, you've been tagged for that one, and it's making the rounds again.

I liked Stephanie a lot just from reading hers.

She made me smile. She made me remember conversations I've had with attentive squirrels, too. She made me remember college life.

She made me laugh -- especially when I read #6 on her list.

"I have crushes on old guys. Hugh Laurie, Nathan Fillion, Hugh Jackman, Sting. The young ones, eh. They do nothing for me."

Old guys.

Like Nathan Fillion. Like Hugh Jackman.

See? It's all a matter of perspective.

(I just went to IMDB and checked. Nathan Fillion is a year younger than my oldest son. Yikes.)

Frankly, though, I agree with Stephanie. I think Nathan is pretty impressive. As are Hugh One and Hugh Two.

I might give her Sting, but other than that, I'm right there with her on her choice in men.

Even if they are old guys.

One of the joys of writing romance, as I see it, is free license to appreciate guys -- old or young.

But it does make me wonder why all the good ones seem to be too one or too the other.

Is Harrison Ford the only hunk in my generation?

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anne - My daughter is 19 and a big Hugh Jackman fan herself. She also loves Daniel Craig and Michael Buble - all "older" men! It sure is a matter of perspective.

But who cannot love Hugh Jackman - sigh! And I'm of the same age and remember Robert Redford, Paul Newman & Clint Eastwood - don't forget those hotties!

18 February, 2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had a warm'n'fuzzy for older men for years; after watching James Garner in "The Rockford Files" as a teenager, I was hooked, until ol' Indiana Jones came into my life in 1981.

Now, curiously, while I still consider myself a fan of Mr Ford, and I would add Mr J.C. McGinley and Mr A. Lapaglia to the list of older-men-I-fancy, my biggest current crush is "young" Mr Fillion. I say, young, 'cos he's 5 years younger than me. However, even more curiously, that makes him 6 years older than my husband...Age does strange things indeed!!

18 February, 2009  
Blogger Anne McAllister said...

Nina, Obviously your daughter has good taste! And yes, I remember PN, RR, and CE. Good choices, all of them.

Elspeff, it's all relative, isn't it? I just had to smile at the "old guys" comment, though. But when you think about it, Hugh J is quite a bit younger than his wife, too. So it obviously doesn't make a big difference whichever side of the equation you're on.

18 February, 2009  

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