Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Reviews, RiffTrax Live, and August Movie Preview


It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the August 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Lisa Buie Collard, Loni Townsend, and Lee Lowery!

August 3 question - When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

I think it’s a blend of both. A writer must be more original and inventive with subsequent books or he loses readers. But one must always please the fans and give then what they want so they will continue reading. It’s a bit of a tight rope to walk.


Special shout out to IWSG Newsletter Admin, Elizabeth Seckman - she had a book release recently and kept it low key.

About Her : A Second Chance Romance

Find it on Amazon



And note to anyone with an embedded Blogger comment box – Blogger/Google have just made it more challenging to comment. There will be an offer to sign in with Google, leave name and web address, or anonymous. Sometimes, it won’t let you sign in with Google and you have to use another option. (Typing in your name and web address yet again.) Sometimes Google is the only option and sometimes it won’t let you sign in:

Note that any blog not on Blogger or one has a popup comment box instead will not be an issue.
Anyone have a clue? There are a couple people I just can’t comment on their site due to this issue.

Mini-Reviews and Stuff


Thor: Love and Thunder

The fourth Thor movie ends up being the least effective. Too corny, too slapstick, and just not enough substance in terms of story. Soundtrack was cool (several Guns ‘n’ Roses tunes plus a Dio song) but overall this film was a letdown. Will not be buying the DVD, that’s for sure.
When viewing the trailers, my wife commented that there appeared to be no plot. She was correct.


What We Do in the Shadows – Season Four

Staring Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen, and Mark Proksch, the fourth season of this movie to series kicks of in a grand and hilarious fashion.
Colin, the energy vampire, died at the end of season three, and a baby crawls from his dead body. Part of the hilarity of this season is watching the creature from Colin grow at an accelerated rate and the insane things he does along the way.
Natasha is determined to open a vampire night club.
Nandor wants to impress is wife with a giant penis.
Laszlo really wants to prevent baby Colin from growing into another boring geek like Colin.
And Guillermo still wants respect and to be a vampire.
The hilarity continues!


The Sea Beast

Think How to Train Your Dragon with sea monsters. Red even looks like Toothless.
That said, it’s still an enjoyable movie although it runs a little long. (Almost two hours.) The animation is stunning, especially the water. It’s a mix of realistic and cartoon, similar to How to Train Your Dragon. With epic battles, adventure, comedy, and a very kind heart.
Main character voices include Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Definitely worth a watch on Netflix.



The trailer for Prey, a Predator movie set 300 years ago into America, looks really good. Fingers crossed it is.


RifTrax Live!


Yes, another RiffTrax Live show is coming.
On August 18, RiffTrax is riffing Return of the Swamp Thing.
And his love interest this time - Heather Locklear!
You don’t want to miss it. I’ve been seeing some of the teasers and it’s going to be good.
Visit RiffTrax Live for a list of movie theaters near you.
Be sure to get there early for the screen shots!



August Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for August. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.


5 –


Bullet Train
Five assassins aboard a fast moving bullet train find out their missions have something in common.
Director: David Leitch
Stars: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Karen Fukuhara, Zazie Beetz, Sandra Bullock
This just might be a bullet train wreck…


19 –


Beast
A father and his two teenage daughters find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator.
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Stars: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copey, Iyana Halley, Leah Jeffries
Family wanted to see lions, they got lions. Quit complaining!


31 –


Three Thousand Years of Longing
A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Director: George Miller
Stars: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, Pia Thuderbolt
Love the director, but wish this film didn’t look so damn odd.

Are you more original or do you give the readers what they want? Having comment issues? Watched Thor, season four of What We Do in the Shadows, or The Sea Beast? Going to see RiffTrax tackle The Swamp Thing Returns? What movies catch your eye for August?
I will be back August 29 with a special feature - Steven Arellano Rose Jr. of A Far Out Fantastic Site are trading Books-to-Movies posts.


97 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - I enjoy learning about the films you recommend, though I'm unlikely to view! Whatever one is writing needs to remember your audience, as well as bringing new ideas into the article/story - we always need to engage.

Re commenting - over the years there've always been challenges with commenting ... I sign into each platform, which seems to makes life easier. I've always kept things simple ... and my blog also allows the comment box to pop out - which as far as I know seems to work. All the best - cheers Hilary

Elephant's Child said...

Between classifying comments as spam (and I have to rescue multiple comments each day) and difficulties commenting, blogger is making it hard for us at the moment. Big sigh.

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,
I agree there are some serious problems with commenting on blogs using blogger.
As for considering who I write for, well that is a tightrope for me, especially if I am put in a position to write something that I don't want to write.
Shalom aleichem

A Hundred Quills said...

Hi Alex
I like your advice on the tight rope walk. To balance bewteen the two makes sense.
-Sonia

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Prey looks really good!

Brad Pitt is a MO boy. He is a handsome dude, but honestly I've like very few of the movies he's been in. He grew up in a community not far from mine. I won't be seeing Bullet Train.

Teresa

Liza said...

Hi Alex! I have issues commenting when I am on my phone or I-Pad. I seem to do ok on my laptop. I almost added a blogger problem to my post this month too. I have issues now with formatting. Blogger doesn't like me cutting and pasting in text from a Word document. When I do it deletes my standard color and text schemes. I have to go back and edit then in again manually or I have big gaps of white background amid my blue. I am on a new-to-me computer so I assumed it has something to do with that, but maybe it's another way Blogger is challenging us.

Lynda Dietz said...

I don't know how many times I've had a difficulty when leaving comments, not only on Blogger, but a variety of places. Sometimes I only have so much time for blog reading, and all the hoops to jump through waste much of it.

What We Do In the Shadows sounds like a hoot. I'm not sure why I haven't gotten to that yet. As for Thor, I'm so far behind on all those movies that I really just need a week's vacation to binge them all in order.

Hope your summer has been going well!

Cathrina Constantine said...

Alex,I agree with your statement about being inventive! A good plot that will keep readers intrigued.

Congrats to Elizabeth!

I loved the Sea Beast.

Have a nice summer.

Lynn La Vita said...

Speaking of comments, on Monday I had a visitor, named "אילת" with a URL pointing to Israelnightclub. "אילת" left same comment on each IWSG and LCWG post.

My Web host said "אילת" is a bot.

I've installed an invisible Captcha. I have no idea if it's working, 'cuz it's invisible.

It's times like this I wish I had tech support for my WordPress Website.
Lynn La Vita @ http://la-vita.us/


Jemima Pett said...

Ah, now I understand the question!

Oh, if Lynn La Vita has a wordpress.org site, check out the WordFence plugin.

Thanks for all the info, Alex :)

Jemima

Erika Beebe said...

Wow! That was tough but I figured it out. I had maximum privacy attached. One must allow pop ups and the biggest issue is allowing cookies. Google is no longer allowing cookies to automatically attach with permissions and I guess blogger is associated with it. It's in the advanced settings area and it's tough to find.
Happy IWSG Day.

Jemi Fraser said...

I'm with you on the tightrope walking! It's definitely a balance we try to achieve

Natalie Aguirre said...

I agree with you about the tight rope between writing what you want and what readers expect.

I'm also finding some followers are having trouble commenting or have to comment anonymously on my blog. It's frustrating. I agree with Erika that the biggest problem is when people block pop-ups and don't accept cookies. I'll be curious what other people have to say.

J.Q. Rose said...

Alex, Thanks for the heads up on problems commenting via signing into google.

Erika, I'm going into my blog and will see what I have for security for comments. Thank you.

I love Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock, but I'm not the target audience for this movie. I always appreciate your round up of the movies for the month, Alex.

Nancy Gideon said...

Looking forward to Bullet Train after the Thor derailment. After years of loathing him, Brad Pitt has redemained himself in my book as an actor. Yes, writing is a delicate balance of self and audience. Sometimes it's not an easy task pleasing both.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I saw a mention of Sea Beast the other day and added it. Looks fun!

Ugh on the comments! Going to have to look into this. Sigh.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hilary, your popup box makes it easy.

Pat, I just had to sign in with name and url on your site because Google wouldn't let me log in.

Teresa, that's cool.

Liza, many are having that challenge. That's why I've always done the html formatting in Word before taking it into Blogger so I can keep the style.

Lynda, start with season one and enjoy!

Lynn, I'll let you know if it's working.

Erika, thanks for the tip!

Natalie, check your settings as she suggested.

Nancy, great pun! Thor did derail.

Mary Aalgaard said...

The Brad Pitt/Sandra Bullock one looks interesting. Not sure I'd run out and see it, but I'd watch it on one of the streaming services I have. I saw Top Gun: Maverick in the movie theaters. It had been a while since I'd gone to the movies. It was fun to watch on the big screen.

PT Dilloway said...

I wish they'd have that Rifftrax Live on streaming because it probably will be good. Doesn't really look like much coming out that's any good. Since I didn't like the third Thor movie I didn't bother with the fourth one, though maybe I'd watch it on Disney+.

Nick Wilford said...

You're right, it's definitely a balance. Hopefully, if you build a loyal audience, they might come with you if you try something different without alienating them.

I was put off by the Love & Thunder trailer too, a bit too self-referential perhaps. I'd seen the first series of What We Do in the Shadows on British TV but lost track after that. Didn't realise it was up to four seasons!

Meka James said...

I agree on trying to keep the stories "on brand" for what readers expect but also keeping things fresh. Yes hitting certain tropes and what not is good, but telling the same basic story over and over would get boring for both the author and the reader.

Diane Burton said...

Thanks for the heads up on the comments. As always, I love your comments/reviews of movies and shows. Hope you have a great month.

Melissa said...

It does feel like a tight rope walk. Good analogy.

Loved About Her! A must-read!

Sandra Cox said...

Bummer on Thor. Congrats to our Elizabeth.
Alex, YOU have a great day.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I, too, have had issues with commenting for years now, sometimes on my blog, sometimes on others. I think I've gotten used to the problem because I stopped giving it much thought; though it continues to be irritating when it happens.

Dear Husband and I went to the movies to see Top Gun. Excellent movie. I tried to watch it on Cinema, but it kept freezing.

Congratulations Elizabeth!!!

Stacy McKitrick said...

I write romance, so I HAVE to give the reader what they want: a happy ever after or happy for now ending. Otherwise, I do try to go about it originally. If that makes sense. Basically, I write for an audience: me! If I don't like what I write, I ain't writing it.

I guess I'm in the minority. I enjoyed Thor.

Don't know if my blog has comment issues. I hope not!

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, Alex!

Mrs. Shady and I watched S-4 ep. 1 of What We Do In The Shadows and were not disappointed. It's a hoot. Every character is well drawn and hilarious. I'm thankful that the Nadja Ghost Doll is back this season!

Prey looks great. Amber Midthunder is an exciting young actress who is landing some great roles.

Enjoy the rest of your week, good buddy Alex!

Jacqui Murray--Writer-Teacher said...

Love your movie reviews, Alex. My taste is usually more pedestrian, but you always make me want to watch the ones you spotlight!

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Alex, I agree that writing is a bit of a tight rope to walk as we have to strike a balance between what the readers want and being true to our vision of the story aka being original.

cleemckenzie said...

Good answer to this month's question.

I didn't know Elizabeth had put out a new book. Glad you gave her a shout on your blog today.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

The Sea Beast sounds better than Beast and I love lions.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mary, nothing beats the big screen.

PT, be prepared for disappointment when you watch it.

Nick, you need to catch up!

Sandra, you as well!

Joylene, glad you got out to the theater.

Stacy, I think you have a popup box, so no.

Shady, it's one of the funniest shows on television.

Lee, she was quiet and sneaky with her release...

Arlee Bird said...

Congratulations to Elizabeth!

So far I haven't noticed any commenting problems other than on a few weird platforms that have been new to me. But sadly I haven't been doing as much commenting as I used to so maybe I'm just avoiding the issues so far.

A writer who writes many books needs to retain their style element while coming up with different ideas. Originality may not be all that necessary, but still the readers need some surprises and different ideas than before. Rehashing same plots and characters can get pretty old.

If the new Thor movie is the worst then it must be really bad. I only saw the first one and though I loved how it opened, I hated where it all went in the end. That was one of the films that turned me off about superhero movies. I prefer the fun of the old Chris Reeve Superman movies--comic books coming to life without trying to take themselves too seriously.

Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

Adrienne Reiter said...

I agree. It's a blend of both and there's room for all.

Hopefully this posts. Just made people laugh by saying, "I'm not a robot!" out loud to my computer. Summer is flying by. Hope you're having a good one!

Chemist Ken said...

Thor was definitely a disappointment. Muddled story, little continuity. My has Marvel gone downhill these days. P.S. I'm traveling today and neglected to submit my TWSG post ahead of time. Bad writer. Bad, bad writer!

Loni Townsend said...

With your comment on Three Thousand Years of Longing, it makes me wonder if that's a case of originality off the rails. :)

My son watched the Sea Beast. I hadn't even heard of it before he started telling me about it. Apparently it was enough for him enjoy! I'm looking forward to watching Thor, but I'll be sure to keep my expectations low and not expect much beyond the occasional giggle.

Carol Kilgore said...

Congrats to Elizabeth on her new release!
I've had a couple of issues with Blogger recently. It seems several online places are trying to fix things that aren't broken.

SpacerGuy said...

Thor numbers aren't good at the Box Office which is a surprise.
I think Blogger sharpens up its act every so often with Googles help which really keeps loyal readers guessing. I like Bullet Train.

talklady said...

Well... I've already had trouble commenting on one person's blog, so thanks for the alert. Another hurdle for us community-minded writers to work out.

Hmm - we'd planned to see the movie, Bullet Train, despite the trailer's actions being so fast that they blur. We go to movies for escape, not puzzling out a plot.

Thanks, as ever, for who you are and what you do.

J E Oneil said...

I get that sign in box almost every time I do my daily blog reading. I just reload the page and it goes away.

The last Predator movie was such an offensive disappointment. I'm really hoping this one is better.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Adrienne - funny!

Bad Ken!

Loni, keep them very low...

Carol, exactly!

JE, wish it would go away when I reload the page.

Anonymous said...

Congrats to Elizabeth on her new release!

Wix used to be a pain to leave comments on. I'm informed they've fixed this problem, but I still encounter it occasionally.

No interest in this month's movies. But I think it's a foregone conclusion that any movie Tilda Swinton is in is going to be odd. 🤣

Victoria Marie Lees said...

Yes, I think the sea creature looks like the How to Train Your Dragon creature. My daughter loves that movie. It’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one having trouble leaving comments on some of the sites. Thanks for all you do, Alex!

diedre Knight said...

Howdy Captain!

True, unless or until you know your target audience it's a good idea to write your "Sunday Best" and see what sticks. Feedback is terribly important ;-)

Congratulations, Elizabeth! I'll have to sneak myself a copy of your new release.

Leapin' Lizards! What a trailer! Now I'll have to see "Prey"

I'm glad to see Brad Pitt out and about again. I wouldn't mind checking out his new film. But did you see him in a skirt? What in the world?

Can't wait for august 29th - Have a wonderful month!

Olga Godim said...

Yes, commenting has become extremely funky on some sites. So far, I managed, if not with Google then with my name and URL (and no avatar), but I'm afraid it might get worse.
The movie "The Billet Train" sounds interesting. I hope it is hilarious.

S.E. White Books said...

I have to admit, the fact that Mark Hamil makes guest appearances on What We Do in the Shadows is the major draw for me. But it's also just a hilarious show, period. Great reviews for this month!

Joanne said...

Good post as always. And I do think a writing mix is natural.
So, slowly catching up on movies. Ray and I liked the latest Thor but we went into it knowing it would be silly. We are so crazy from the heat here that we need slapstick and to not have to think about plot. Chris Hemsworth is in on the joke and hey, he's a fine specimen of a man. 'Nuff said.
The Three Thousand Year....does look weird and Tilda is always in odd stuff, yet intriguing. Stay cool, my friend. That's my theme right now.

kimlajevardi.com said...

I had the comment issue with signing into Google when I tried to use my phone. I had to get my laptop to leave this comment.

Jennifer Lane said...

I like your balance concept, Alex!

Before Top Gun Maverick, I watched a preview for Bullet Train, and it looked like the worst movie of all time! I had the pleasure of riding a bullet train in Japan, and it was a thrill when one train zoomed through the station at 200 mph without stopping.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lee, agreed!

Victoria, you're not the only one!

Olga, the name and url gets old...

Joanne, staying cool!

Jennifer, too cool!

Liz A. said...

I only have problems commenting when I'm reading blogs at work. At home, no issues. I'll have to check out What We Do in the Shadows.

Denise Covey said...

This Google Sign in thing has caused me so much trouble. So until this problem is fixed, I've gone back to pop-ups and it's fine except I can't reply individually. Oh the pain of this constant changing.

Damyanti Biswas said...

I hope this comment goes through. I swear I left a comment several hours ago and I can't seem to find it :( I do agree with your perspective of it being a blend of both.

Steven Arellano Rose Jr. said...

You're right about that need for a balance between originality and giving readers what they want and it can be challenging.

That new sign-in requirement for Google might be a pain both for visitors and bloggers. I think Wordpress has been doing something similar for a while and I've known people to get irritated when they have to sign in just to leave a comment. I'm tempted to switch to a popup comment box for my blog. But I'll see what happens.

I've had my eye on Beast since the beginning of the summer, so as far as August releases go I thing that's the one I'll see in the theatre. It seems like it's going to be kind of a lion version of Jaws yet with it's own story line.

I'm looking forward to trading Book-To-Movie reviews this month! I'll have mine to you in the next week or so.

Yvonne Ventresca said...

I always enjoy your movie reviews.

Lisa said...

Me too, always look forward to your movie reviews. Hope my comment makes it on here! I'm still working on how to comment since I've had so much trouble doing so on blogger...

Lisa said...

Saw Thor. It was enjoyable but that was it. Saw Sea Beast and LOVED it! My son loves What We Do In The Shadows! I'm so happy my comments are making it on here. Wish they did on others blogs...

Lisa said...

Also, Yay Elizabeth!! I have it on my kindle!

Ronel Janse van Vuuren said...

I think I'll stick to reading... the movies don't look too appealing.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Denise, I know!

Damy, some of mine haven't been going through.

Steven, looking forward to our post exchange!

Lisa, your son rocks.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi Alex,

I am having the SAME issues as you. It is so frustrating. There are at least five blogs I tried to comment on that the comments won't go through...

Congrats to Elizabeth on her new release! All the best!

I agree with you; it should be a blend of both. That way, the author and the readers are satisfied.

Thanks for the reviews, Alex... What we do in the shadows sounds like a HOOT! I loved how to train your dragon, so I need to see The Sea Beast!

Truedessa said...

I hope you are enjoying your summer. No movies here as I have been enjoying the great outdoors. "About Her" sounds like a good read.

Jenni said...

So true that you have to please your fans and be original. Didn't know there was a new Train Your Dragon out. The animation sounds stunning! Hope you're having a great summer!

Kate Larkindale said...

100% agree with you about the new Thor. Not a great film at all...

Nilanjana Bose said...

My poems mostly write themselves and are totally out of my control most of the time. Thankfully, poetry has few fans :)

Anstice Brown said...

I agree with you that being original and appealing to the reader is a bit of a balancing act.
It's a shame about Thor-I was looking forward to that one.
Congratulations to Elizabeth on her new book.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Ugh, Google keeps making things more ridiculous. They've messed with my phone too, which has messed me up in all kinds of ways.

Congratulations to the great Elizabeth!

Be and stay well, Alex. Today is National Underwear Day. I hope you're going commando or whatever works for you.
Smiles.

Mary Kirkland said...

I do plan on watching the Thor movie as well as Prey when I get a chance.

Andrew Leon said...

I entirely disagree with you about Thor.
There is so much in this movie of significance, not the least of which was the introduction of Eternity.
Also, the movie is being "told" by... the rock guy -- I can never remember his name -- which gives it a Princess Bride feel. With not a dissimilar plot.

Anyway...

Lori L. MacLaughlin said...

Love and Thunder didn't sound like it would be up to par. I haven't watched it and probably won't. The Sea Beast looks interesting. Definitely going to check that one out. Not sure about Three Thousand Years of Longing. Might give it a shot. Congrats to Elizabeth Seckman on her new book release!

Rajani Rehana said...

Great blog

Rajani Rehana said...

Please read my post

Botanist said...

Hi Alex, I see I'm not alone with the comment problem! It seems like it's been getting worse over the past few months and has made me almost give up on blogging altogether. Just today I thought I'd go through my reading list to see if the problem persisted. It does, but I hadn't twigged to the difference between embedded and pop-out comment boxes.

For me, some blogs I go to say I'm not signed in, but when I click on "Sign in" it takes me straight - already signed in! - to my reading list. So I never even get to see the part where I can enter my email address and password :( It seems to be a bit random, and intermittently shows up even on my own blogs (though they all seem to be OK at the moment) Very frustrating!

Carrie-Anne said...

So many blogging services seem to want to make it almost impossible to comment! I hope they don't eventually combine this new feature with captchas.

Nicole Pyles said...

Intriguing movies!

J Lenni Dorner said...

The 355.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8356942/
How did you miss this one? Action. Spies. I thought you'd list it for sure.

The Orville season 3 on Hulu was pretty great. #RenewtheOrville

The Sea Beast was actually a pretty great lesson. Very strong ending. Pairs well with Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness.

Prey, set when the Comanche tribe was still free. Many Indigenous people actually worked on that film. Prey is set in 1719, 57 years before the Declaration of Independence. Best Predator film yet, IMHO, and I'm including the AVP films in that.

I hadn't heard of Beast, but I'd probably root for the lion. 🦁
Nice that it's being released during the Leo zodiac.

The one thing I miss about my Wordpress self-hosted blog was the ability to filter out spam comments. Blogger lets the same hack-loser comment over and over and over... Losing the battle against "Hawaii's favorite canned meat."

“Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
―Anne Herbert
My IWSG blog post discussed my love of originality. I'm looking forward to the bout of books readathon and WEP's flash fiction later this month.
Life threw me a curveball with a neighborhood crisis this week, but we got through it.
Winnie the Pooh is the world’s Ambassador of Friendship. In the US, National Friendship Day is the first Sunday of August. #FriendshipDay2022

J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Reference& Speculative Fiction Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge

Beth Camp said...

Balance is a goal in more than writing as life keeps challenging us in unexpected ways. Thank you for inspiring us each month to be accountable and to explore ideas about writing. Even if I was late this month, this connectedness is important. And, thank you for highlighting Elizabeth Seckman's new book. I'm looking forward to reading it. Hope your month ahead is a good one.

Kim Elliott said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kim Elliott said...

I dread seeing Thor: Love and Thunder, but I'll get it from the library nonetheless. I'm starting to get superhero burnout, which sucks because I still need to finish my superhero trilogy!

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

I think you've found the only thing that seems to work for now with Blogger comments--use the pop-up box. It's not even a question of being logged in or not. Most of the time now I get a comment line but can't type on it. If it does prompt me to log in (which I already am), it does no good.

I hate that about Blogger, but my writing doesn't make enough money for me to pay for a platform. I guess we get what we pay for.

chickangell said...

I am ridiculously excited about Prey! Love Ms. Midthunder as an actress!

The writing process truly is a tight rope to walk, to be sure.

Sandra Cox said...

Darn google is being such a pain, innit?

Annalisa Crawford said...

Congrats to Elizabeth!

I'm guilty of always wanting to write the most unique story I can, and perhaps sitting slightly outside most genres so I've got no strict structure or path to follow.

mail4rosey said...

I haven't heard of Sea Beast!! We saw Thor. It wasn't the best of them. I learned later that the kids in large part, belonged to the actors, including Hemsworth's daughter. I thought that was a cool fact. I'll probably go see Bullet Train.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Thank you so much for the shout out!! That's so sweet.

My husband has, so far, skipped Thor. I told him there was supposed to be a Thor nude scene. That seemed to dampen his eagerness to take me to see it.

Thanks again!! I didn't set up any blog tours or anything this time around, so it's made my heart happy to see awesome friends pick up my slack. <3

Elizabeth Mueller said...

What an intriguing title Elizabeth has! I'll have to check it out. :)

Also, I updated my comments to pop-out--I've missed you! :P

♥.•*¨Elizabeth Mueller¨*•.♥

Sandra Cox said...

Love the snark on Beast:)

Sandra Cox said...

Prey looks pretty scarifying.

lostinimaginaryworlds.blogspot.com said...

Back again, have rejoined IWSG despite the terrible heat in our oven of a top floor flat, see if I can keep going. Have refurbished my blog, sorted out the problem with the sites that say login with Google - rats! The only thing that keeps me sane with my carer duties is my writing. I'm glad you are here.

Sherry Ellis said...

Yep. I'm pretty tired of the blogger issues. Some blogs I can comment on normally, others I need to go through the hoops.

Regarding the IWSG question, I basically write for fun, so I don't concern myself too much about trying to please the audience. Although, I certainly hope they like what I write. I guess if I was a hard=core writer, I'd be more interested in writing what the audience wants.

Sandra Cox said...

Hope you had a great day and are having a pleasant evening.

Kathe W. said...

Alex- thanks for your kind comments- I appreciate them! Have fun everyday!

Blue Grumpster said...

Hello Alex. Been a while. Hope you're doing fine.

So true. That Thor movie wasn't the greatest movie ever. Bullet Train was so much better than I'd expected. It did remind me of Tarentino.

Talk to you soon.

Blue

https://thatbluegrumpster.blogspot.com/

Sandra Cox said...

To Guillermo: We all want a little respect:)

Deniz Bevan said...

Whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one having that weird commenting issue! Even changing browsers doesn't always work!
Ooh, I hadn't heard of that Istanbul movie. I'll have to check it out (by which I mean, have my mom watch it and tell me if it's any good, ha ha).

Donna K. Weaver said...

Congrats to Elizabeth!

I enjoyed The Sea Beast even if it was derivative.

Patsy said...

I try to give readers what they want and expect, but in an original way.