#7

so, I'm not dead.

I thought I should clarify that, since part two of A Shot of Clarity still hasn't managed to surface. it's not that I'm lazy or disorganised or anything... ok, so maybe I am. but still, I think it's worth mentioning that I'm currently laid up in bed with an ear infection, and that I really don't have the energy to do much of anything at the moment. even if I did have the energy to move around the house, I'd probably topple over from dodgy balance.

I should also mention that the 'Fall' (read: Autumn) TV season has started up again in the US, and I'm totally immersed in new episodes of ABC's Castle, NBC's The Office and NBC's Parenthood.

it's probably a bit cliched that a wannabe-mystery writer like myself is drawn to a show like Castle, but the show is just so amazingly well-written and well-acted that it's fast becoming my favourite show ever. did I mention the chemistry between Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic? wow. just wow. I'm as cynical as anyone about TV's use of the will-they-or-won't-they plot device (read: Ross and Rachel, Bones and Booth, Dawson and Joey), but the chemistry between Castle and Beckett is just so utterly amazing that I'm happy to be strung along every week for at least another couple of seasons.

I should also make special mention of the amazing third season finale, and the ridiculously good job that the writers have done in drawing us into the ongoing Who killed Beckett's mother? mystery. some shows do a great job of setting up the initial premise, but either drag the reveal out for wayyyyyyyyyy too long (read: How I Met Your Mother), or deliver an utterly retarded conclusion (read: Lost). in Castle's case though, the show's underpinning mystery has been handled with such a deft touch that it's almost hard to believe we've been following the story for over three seasons without a conclusion. between the expert drip-feeding of information, the complexity of the mystery's twists and the constant allusions to a bigger conspiracy, the whole thing has me literally on the edge of my seat every time I watch.

if I can reach even half of that level when I finally get around to re-posting The Things You Fear The Most, I'll be doing a damn fine job.

I should also make mention of James Spader's performance in The Office's season premiere, and how utterly amazing he is as a character actor. as a Boston Legal fan from way back, the prospect of welcoming James Spader (and his monologues) back into my TV routine is one that appeals to me on the most basic of televisual levels.


anyway, less TV, more writing. all going well, I'll hopefully get some more work done over the next 24 hours, and get part two of A Shot of Clarity out some time later this week. I've managed to work through most of the tone-related issues that I mentioned in my last blog, so it's now just a matter of turning those dot points into actual sentences and giving the whole thing a good once-over.


finally, I thought I'd include a snippet of an email that I received today, from one of the parents on my Under-14 basketball team. (did I mention that I coach junior basketball? maybe that's another blog for another time). this email was in response to an award that I gave her son at our club's annual trophy night on Friday, and on a day like today, when I'm feeling rather sick and sorry for myself, it was just the tonic I needed:

Hi Matt,

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this to you. We’ve had a very busy weekend.

...

I was secretly hoping that Harry may receive the coach’s encouragement award ... I certainly didn’t expect Harry to get anything else because of the calibre of the other players in the team.

It’s really hard to put into words just how thrilled we were that Harry received the MVP runner up award.. I don’t think you realise what something like this means to a boy like Harry. To see his reaction on stage, he didn’t stop talking on the ride home in the car and then when he got home he rang his grandparents to tell them, (something he never does) just because he was just so proud of it. It just means so much to him and to us. Thank you.

Thanks again for being their coach and for doing such a great job and for all your efforts.

I guess my couple of hours a week really does make a difference...

Peace.