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HOLLYWOOD

It looks like it's been a while since I've last blogged. I guess I have nothing special to say. Sort of in a lull, if you will--regarding writing and creativity. Maybe it's from movie overload. This past week I've seen Hancock and The Dark Knight, which just gave me cold chills. I thought I was above the hype, but I was absorbed in it. It surpassed the hype. Mr. Nolan knows how to make a movie. And Hancock was great, just fun. It was a comic book superhero movie done right. And before this there was a trailer for Watchmen, the cult-favorite graphic novel. I read it years ago, and while I thought it was pretty good, I'm not so sure about its creator, Alan Moore. Personally, I don't get the guy and his anti-American comic industry sentiment. But then, I've never been employed at Marvel or DC, so what do I know. Anyway, the film actually looks interesting.

I bring these movies up for one reason. While watching them I actually feel grateful for good writing. I can appreciate what it takes, having written average work up to this point in my life. So I take a little bit of inspiration from these films, like anything we enjoy; but I'm trying to find the line where inspiration can be paused . . . and I just write my own thing. That's a very hard concept for me to understand sometimes. But I had this epiphany while the Joker was strutting around blowing stuff up, marveling at Mr. Ledger's last hurrah. As much as I was completely immersed in this Batman film, it was and never would be mine. I would have to step up my writing, leave inspiration behind, and write what's going on inside my head.

So Hollywood is good for at least one thing. Her films always open my eyes. It's simply up to me to know when to shut them.

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