Have you seen Mr. Darcy?

 

                                                

There are those kinds of men women are not interested in, there are these, that would like to have sex with them and then there are those, which women call husband or long-term boyfriend. Let's talk about the latter category.

These specimen don't have to work all that hard to get you, because they already have you. You're in a relationship with them. Fun-time is officially over. Many women can't handle the inevitable end of courtship and that's why they create a little bit of drama to imply that there can never be such a thing as routine or safety, when in fact they have already set in. But be honest, ladies. It's not that likely to pull the relationship plug once you have spent several years together, or even got married, have children. And why would you?

Yes, there is the remote possibility for a fling, some adventure with someone different, yes, it could be exciting, but it won't ever be as interesting as it was back then when we were young and inexperienced adolescents, looking for that perfect partner. These early experiences with passersby are quite the opposite of what you have in front of you right now. They were new and unknown. What you have now is something familiar. Comfort. A connection beyond the physical. An understanding without words.

It feels great to belong somewhere, but, oh no, don't be mistaken it is also quite dull! It's like parking your car in the garage. It's satisfying, but rather unexciting. Especially when you're trying to avoid the typical dramatic relationship clichés, such as: He doesn't pay any attention to me. He doesn't find me sexy anymore. He never listens to me. There are several other he doesn'ts but basically they are all the same.

He doesn't listen when I tell him to listen, because he already knows what I want to say. Many times, conversation is unnecessary. And nagging is boring. Even to my own ears.
He finds me attractive and beautiful, but not sexy, because my body is not brand-spanking new. Neither to him nor the world out there.

This is reality. Still, you might find yourself asking: Where is Mr. Darcy? You know who I mean, he is Jane Austen's most favourite man-figure in Pride and Prejudice. Is there someone like it? Why does it make us feel sad to know there isn't? Or if there is, are we able to acknowledge, that he might turn into a grump after we have gotten to know him?

As so many other stories, Pride and Prejudice is about the early beginnings of a relationship. I admit, it is one of the most romantic ones. Most love stories are about that exciting phase. It's never about that uneventful and quite a bit longer after part of happily ever after. No, it's those interesting 5 minutes when it all begins!

Let me paint an imaginary picture for you. Several years later in the story: Lizzy might find herself annoyed by Mr. Darcy's stoic nature. He never shows emotion in public! She finds herself wishing he would open up a little, and be someone she could really talk to, like that Mr. Bingley... unfortunately that one is married to Lizzy's sister Jane. Damn. She's lucky! No, because secretly, Jane is thinking the same thing about her husband. All those bad jokes. Must he always be so immature in public? Why can't he be a little more serious, like that Mr. Darcy?

Once you have established that you actually are in a relationship, excitement will stop. Don't mourn the loss. Be happy to feel secure, have a friend in him, someone who will always have your back. Don't be disappointed that he's not mysterious anymore. It's not that great when you think about it. Mysterious men are also the ones that get you into trouble. You don't know them fully, you don't have them yet. It can be thrilling. They might steal away from you in the middle of the night, taking all your belongings along with your heart.

I'd rather be annoyed about certain quirks than wonder what he really thinks. It's nerve-wracking not to know essential elements of a person. Will it last, does he like me and all that other stuff you find yourself asking in the beginning. Ugh! Appreciate feeling safe. It's the best thing there is. And another pro: with all those questions answered, all this formerly occupied brain-space is freed up, so you're finally able to do all those other things you never had the capacity for earlier on. Now go ahead and get that Nobel Prize, girls! All the best!


Pride and Prejudice on Blu-ray

The Truth About Idiots & Earthquakes

I am sure you were wondering about my new blog title. I didn't quite explain the switch, except for saying that I didn't like the old one anymore. But there's another plus side to the new one. Some months ago one of my blog posts was titled idiots and earthquakes. It was about people being stupid if I remember correctly. Doesn't really matter, but as I thought about this particular title, I had some sort of epiphany. I suddenly realized what a perfect and simple truth this title contains.

See, a perfect story, one of the sort that captivates the reader emotionally, it both consists of idiots and earthquakes. Has to! It is the ideal ingredient for a bestselling novel.
The idiot is someone (not necessarily the protagonist) who is left in the dark about certain of the goings-on in the story. He doesn't know that something is rumbling, even though there are certain signs that the author carefully planted to let the reader know about it.
Generally the idiot doesn't have to be literally stupid not to see them, but he has to be in some way negligent to overlook certain obvious events. The more elegant version is that circumstance keeps him from knowing, but either way - not for long!

When he finally finds out, the shit has already hit the fan and there will be some huge consequences. The earthquake! The earthquake will transform the current delicate balance into something else, good or bad. Now the idiot will finally know the whole truth and the realization will demand some (heroic) action from him, but he may also fail in his attempt to do something. It depends on what kind of story it is. One of the kind that allows you to exhale or the other kind that makes you want to tear your hair out in the end. They can both be excellent. Haven't fully decided which route I'll be taking in my story. Stay tuned!

Spring Update

Since spring is just around the corner, I finally managed to brush the dust off my blog layout, meaning last year's stinky dark grey and orange had to go. I feel free again, free to use some sort of powerful pink, and a much more friendly shade of grey. After all, my blog will turn 3 this year, therefore it deserves a little spruce of something.

And there's another thing. I decided to let go of all the negative "how not to" crap and that's why I changed the title of my blog accordingly. I am not afraid to combine pink with a new title! So here you go, enjoy, and have fun with the latest adventures with me, idiots and earthquakes, round three.

Movies and Moneybags

Many fantasy and fantasy-related books are being translated onto the movie screen at the moment. People are generally interested in the topics that particular genre brings with it, and movie makers seem to enjoy the visual challenges and opportunities it offers them.

Well, James Cameron made a vast amount of money with Avatar, the visually stunning movie with the new advances in stereoscopic imaging ("4-D"). Something was missing though. And right there is the crux of the matter. Did I talk about books being rewritten as screenplays? No, not in this case!

Avatar isn't book-based, Signor Cameron wrote, directed and produced the whole thing himself and I don't think that was such a good idea. Especially that he wrote it. While he may be a wizard with the camera, the technological aspect of cinematography and the post-production, he obviously doesn't have much practice with the use of a pen.

But since he is a big player in the movie industry, the big business suits let him roam freely and do whatever the hell he wants. That's what I call true success.

The movie brought in profits of about 212 Million Dollars in the frst two weekends alone. Many people went to see it. They were curious about the visual experience. Nobody cared about the story. Well, I did. The movie could have been fantastic - in the true sense of the word - with a great story underneath the stunning visuals, not only musty ideas about morality again. It's about high-end technology, for crying out loud, let the protagonists have a share of modernity!

I have to say that I am a little disgusted by Mr Cameron's callousness. He left out a blank spot instead of a story. I think it was a conscious decision. He didn't consider it necessary to include a story on top. And he was right about that. Success tells its own tale.

Avatar Two-Disc Edition