#with no knowledge of how a screenplay needs to flow beat to beat scene to scene

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

Next Goal Wins Movie Review

Dutch coach Thomas Rongen attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners.

After years of delay, Taika Waititi’s latest film, Next Goal Wins, is finally having its wide release after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, in which it received mixed reviews, just like Jojo Rabbit. But those reviews didn’t deter me as I enjoy Waititi’s unique comedic style with his meta commentary and humor. However, I am left disappointed with Next Goal Wins. Yes, it is an entertaining comedy primarily due to its classic underdog story and the ensemble's performance. Still, there is so much left to be desired as Next Goal Wins is an amalgamation of Waitit’s worst qualities as a filmmaker.  

As previously stated, I love Waititi’s comedic style, but here he and co-writer Iain Morris can’t help but throw in a joke every five seconds into the screenplay. These jokes ruin many serious scenes that would have been incredibly compelling if the jokes didn’t force themselves into the room.  Moreover, it becomes incredibly tiring to see the same five jokes being repeated over and over again. It was funny the first time, but after a while, it got old very quickly. It’s similar to the screaming Goats joke seen in Thor: Love and Thunder. Waititi needed to pull the reins back and allow the story to flow naturally. He has proven previously in Jojo Rabbit and in The Hunt for the Wilderpeople that he knows when to be serious in tone and not put in a joke. I am wondering where that person is right now. 

However, that is not the end of Next Goal Wins problems. The biggest problem that plagues this movie is its narrative focus. It’s a mash-up between the classic “fish-out-of-water” and “sports underdog”, that follows these narratives almost beat per beat. However, with these two story tropes, the narrative clashes as it can’t decide who to focus on. Thus causing the characters, their relationships, and their struggles to feel shallow and emotionally manipulative. If it had focused on one of the three points of view it introduces, the coach, the team, or their relationship, this feature would have been much more engaging and impactful. However, because it is a mix between these three, it movie never feels like it has a central focus. 

But the movie's biggest crime is that it’s acting a lot smarter than what it actually is. It states in the very beginning that it’s going to subvert the white savior trope that is common in many sports films. However, it falls right into the trope it sets to subvert because that is what happened in real life. When American Samoa brought in Thomas Rongan to coach their team, he changed their team forever in his single year. He gave them the guidance and knowledge they needed to change their team around, as well as providing him wisdom he desperately needed. Yet, the movie underscores his influence as all the team needed was to have fun to win in the movie.  This could have worked if the team was shown to be somewhat organized before Rongan’s arrival, but instead, they are shown as comically disorganized. Thus when they finally get the speech telling them to have “fun”, and they become an entirely different team, it's incredibly unearned. This could have worked if it had been properly set up like in Ted Lasso, where the team and the coach both needed each other to achieve their goals. That would have been more wholesome and closer to reality. 

With all of that stated, the movie is still very enjoyable and this is primarily due to the performances from the ensemble. Michael Fassbender breaks his dramatic and dark type casting in this oddball comedy. For the most part, his comedic timing works for me even though he does feel out of place at moments. But when it comes to the dramatic parts, he delivers the goods. Oscar Nightley does bring in some great comedic moments and has some great chemistry with the ensemble. However, the biggest standout was Kaimana playing Jaiyah Saelua, the first non-binary trans-woman on a FIFA team. She is the emotional heart of this film and should have been the movie's main focus as she has a very interesting conflict.  Her conflict is a very relevant one with trans athletes on whether they continue to take hormones to feel like themselves or stop taking hormones so they can continue to play the sport they love. It’s a fascinating conflict that I wish was explored more. This was a massive missed opportunity and is especially shocking coming from self-proclaimed gay icon, Taika Waititi. 

Overall, Next Goal Wins is an entertaining classic underdog tale that is heavily reliant on its feel-good story and the performance of the ensemble. But, this movie could have been so much better if there had been several more rewrites to help focus the script's narrative. As well as Taika recognizes that he needs to stop forcing humor into these stories and let them flow naturally again. He has proven it before and I know that he is better than this. Hopefully, with his next feature film, he will finally learn how to do his unique comedy right again. 

My Rating: C+

[deniigi]

Hello! Just about to sit down and read your newest fic, so excited about it! I had a question for you (you very well may have answered this already, so sorry in advance!), but do you have advice for writing? Advice in terms of getting start, plotting out stories, helping get the creative juices flowing? I have all these ideas but seem to lack the drive to get things written out. I know the best advice is to just write, but I'm having a horrible time starting. What do you do in those moments?

Hello my dear!

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. The lord has blessed me with a head cold and ruined all my plans of productivity for the day, so I can finally answer this ask! I’ll talk a little bit about both how to get started with a story and then some little things that help me motivate myself.

I have started a tag for writing advice here: http://deniigi.tumblr.com/tagged/writing-advice

This is going to be a long post, sorry mobile users.

I am going to preface all of this with the understanding that I am technically a professional writer in terms of like, a handful of ways, but I have absolutely zero training in creative writing, so take everything I say with a grain of salt!

So, I personally find that, on the whole, that psychological hurdle of getting started comes a lot from the anticipation of the kind of response a story will get (how many hits, how many comments, how many kudos) in addition to a bit of anxiety or fear over  theloss of sustained interest in that story (by yourself and/or by your audience). I find that this can be alleviated by really, truly internalizing the understanding that you are allowed to write your work however you damn please, for whoever you damn please.

There will be work you write for others, and there will be work you write for yourself. Not all work needs to be published; sometimes, it is really nice to just write shit for yourself; it is a plus for humanity if you decide to share it with others, but you do not have to do that.

Furthermore, I would like to present you with this:

This is what my current folder for under fire looks like. And you might notice that there are almost always multiple drafts per chapter. Yes, I did in fact rewrite chapter four 5 fucking times, you bet your ass I did. And I’m not ashamed of it. I think the story is better for it. And that’s the important thing here: you do not need to produce a perfect draft the first time around. You will not produce that perfect draft. Accept this. Embrace this. Embrace it and your cat at the same time to really ingrain it as a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Liberate yourself from the pressure of needing to produce the perfect, most right draft and you may find starting the piece overall to be a much easier, more pleasant experience.

And along with this beautiful, uplifting spiritual advice, I also bring a practical thought: when it comes to getting started, a lot of times, people feel like they need to set the stage, yadda yadda yadda. Ha. No. Fuck that.

That’s a surefire way to bore the shit out of yourself. Start right in the middle of a scene that captivates you if that’s what you want to write. It’s a free platform. No one’s gonna arrest you if you stick Spiderman upside down in trash first thing. They might even applaud you actually, because you didn’t make them slog through some of that ‘It was the evening of the 25th and it was cold out in the streets” bullshit we all learned from Dickens.

Alright. Now let’s talk about actually getting started making words appear on paper.

So, from my knowledge there are generally two ways that folks write creatively. You have what I’m going to call the planners and then you what I’m going to call the monsters (I call them this entirely affectionately, I’m sure there’s a better word for these folks, but I don’t have it atm, all I have is a headcold). Planners are folks who sit down and work out their major plot points, who write outlines, and who create the scaffolding of their work before they set out on their magical journey. I think of these folks as architects.

And then you have the monsters and these are those fuckers who just sit down and write stream of consciously like the heathens all our high school teachers tried to teach us not to be.

I am both a planner and a monster. And a lot of that depends on the length of work I’m going for. I have never in my life planned a one-shot, for example. I just attack that as it is. I follow my heart, if you will. But when it comes to longer chaptered fics, I really do think that some outlining is super helpful.

You might find it useful for one-shots, though, I dunno. Maybe give it a try and see what happens?

The two main fics I’ve done proper outlines for are Inimitable and under fire and I actually find outlining to be immensely helpful in psyching me up to write the story (I go through and re-read my outlines when I start to lose interest or diverge too much from the plot outlined there in the actual writing. 9 times out of 10, re-reading gets me stupid excited to write all over again) and it also helps me keep momentum going throughout the plot.

Here’s a pic of some pages of under fire’s outline.

Physically writing the work is really important for me because it forces me to only put down key points/feelings/ideas I want to include, whereas typing gives me far too much room to get lost/distracted by extraneous detail. And since my handwriting is a teacher’s worst nightmare and I cross out shit and write huge with emotion, I’ll give you a little bit of what the middle page here says:

Miles-

there’s something thrumming

vibrating in his ears wherever he goes

-closes his eyes and somehow enters blackness- emptyness (Stranger Things style)

beat

beat

beat

“help.”

–BACK - everything is gone

closing his eyes doesn’t bring the space back

–it makes him panic. He doesn’t know why. His heart is pounding. He’s sweating He has a horrible feeling of doom.

beat

beat

beat

its gone.

he goes home anxiously. Pretends everything is normal.

his neck crawls

So basically it’s less of a formal outline and more of a collection of stream of consciousness feelings and screenplay directions which I’ll flesh out in the actual story.

Personally, I love writing these kinds of things because they get me pumped for the story I’m about to tell. I get to write out the key scenes and work through all the hard parts first, and then, while I’m writing, I work through the little fun details and banter and I have to write to figure out how we get from one scene to the next and I love the challenge of having to fit those pieces together. I very rarely stick strictly to my outline, (as anyone who is currently reading under fire can tell you right now), but I do try to stick to the main plot points in it and my writing is certainly better for it.

So yes. Outlining is very good, but it is even better when you do it to some kind of music. I listened to What’s Up Danger from the Into the Spiderverse soundtrack on repeat while I wrote this outline to kind of transfer some of the relentless pace conveyed in that song to the piece’s plot.

I highly recommend using music to set the mood of your piece while/before you write a piece of any length. It helps get you in the right headspace (excited or somber or angry) to write. You need emotion to write creatively. You can’t just make that happen sometimes; you need a little help.

A couple other things which might help:

1. Leave your house or the space you’re normally in. Go to a cafe and find a nice corner and have a think and a try in there. Sometimes moving to a different space helps you escape cyclical thinking patterns.

2. Write what you want to read. Don’t bother writing for other peoples’ interests; that’ll just bore the shit out of you all over again.

3. Find an atmospheric mood sound to listen to on Youtube or smth (I personally like Rain on a Car Windshield for slightly somber fics, but you might be into ocean storms or dripping caves or whatever).

4. Heat your feet. I don’t know why but I am entirely unproductive when my feet are cold. Maybe this one is me-specific, but whatevs. Heat the feets!

5. If you’re still having trouble just sitting down and pounding the story out, that’s okay! Maybe it’s not ready to be written yet. Maybe you’re not in the right headspace yet. Sometimes that’s just how it is. One story makes its way out in like, a hour, and the next one takes like, months to finally be written. We all work at different paces. We all write for different reasons.

It might help to figure out why you want to write a story before you write it. Like, if its for attention, it’s gonna be hard as hell. But if there’s an idea that you feel like is important or if there’s a mood you’re trying to work yourself into or out of, then that might be a little easier. For example, I wrote a piece called make it work which is about Fogs finding his motivation to be a lawyer and fight for justice when Kavanaugh was confirmed and I felt super helpless in the face of our present justice system. That story kind of wrote itself and it needed to be written, I feel, not just for me, but for others who were feeling just as helpless.

Writing is catharsis in that way. Maybe you just need to find out what you need to wring out of your soul.

Sorry that got very metaphysical. But I do want to stress that getting started and ending a story are the hardest parts of writing them, so you are definitely not alone if you feel like you’re ramming your head into a wall here.

I hope something here helps you, my dear!

[alwaysandindent-blog]

Oceans

Part One. 

If we're caught in a wave, I will carry you over It don't matter where you are, I'll run to your front door

Two years. Five months. Twenty nine days. Twelve hours. Eleven minutes. Fifty four seconds.

Looking out at the Tokyo skyline the night has to offer, Masamune could not stop thinking about her no matter how hard he tried. It’s been almost two and a half years since she’s left for Los Angeles to finally put her career first. Standing behind the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded his sleek and polished office, he pondered over his memory of the last four years. Though some people consider that a short term relationship, Masamune knew she was the one the moment he met her.

Misao was the epitome of an angel. She had beautiful black hair that always flowed past her shoulders, light brown eyes carried a wide range of emotions, a soft button nose and soft pink lips she nervously bit down on whenever she was nervous. Her body consisted of curves in the right places and she was as patient as a saint. It was no wonder Masamune was head over heels for her. He especially loved the looks he’d receive from other men whenever they past them holding hands.

Yet now, there was nothing left between the both of them but Masamune couldn’t blame her. She has always stood by his side no matter how many times he’s failed from starting his business. While he was working on becoming one of the world’s famous and well paid CEO many saw on the headlines today, she was going to school and studying while managing their little studio. He could never resent her for finally deciding to go after her dream, even if it meant having to leave him.

The day Misao told Masamune of her plans to move across the ocean to pursue her dreams of acting, he asked her if she needed any help financially. It was the least he could do to repay her back for standing by his side like a loyal wife all these years. Not to his surprise though, she turned down his offer and insisted she needed to do this by herself for herself.

His only regret is him not telling her how much she meant to him.

When my head goes in different directions You know my heart's never on the move

Entering her makeup room, Misao sighed as she took her seat in front of the mirror while the hair and makeup teams started working on her. Per her agent’s orders, her hair and makeup was to be ready by 5:30 PM. As exhausted as she was, she only had happy thoughts. Although Hollywood rarely offered Asian actors and actresses any roles, Misao told herself she was lucky to score even a recurring minor role. She repeatedly told herself if she does well in this role, there will be more fruition to come in the future, her sacrifices were not for nothing.

As Misao stared at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but think about Masamune. How was he doing? Was he eating well? Does he remember to double check whether the car doors are locked? She couldn’t bear knowing negligence would cause him another break in, having to deal with it alone. She could feel her heart immediately beating faster by the millisecond at the thought of their past car break in.

But there was no reason for Misao to worry anymore. He was no longer her’s, she was no longer his. She couldn’t still be controlling every aspect of his life, whether it’s the color of his tie for the day or a potential women to walk side by side with. Afterall, Misao was the one who initiated their fall out. All so she could selfishly focus on her acting career over in Los Angeles, one of the world’s most smug places to live asides from New York City.

A tear threatens to escape from their ducts as she recalls the living in Los Angeles for the past six months alone. Everything and everyone was fake. She learned that the hard way. When she was offered a small role in a sitcom, one of the girls playing the lead supporting role was extra friendly to her when they acted a scene together. Off camera, Misao was on her way to the break room when she heard the very same girl making jokes about her slanty, oriental eyes.

There were many times Misao questioned if she was on the right path of her life, if this was all worth it. She’s lost her family as well as many friends due to her career aspirations, mainly because they told her she couldn’t do it; she could never be the main face of a big movie or TV show. The only real supporter in her life was Masamune but even he was removed from her life as well, of course, at her own hands.

But Misao managed to find the light at the end of the tunnel. There was finally a screenplay and director in Hollywood who saw through her talents and asked her personally to play the role of a leading lady. To her surprise, she wouldn’t need to change who she was for the role. Because the role was for an independent, strong, Asian woman who has to break through the ways of Asian conformity. To no contest, Misao gladly accepted the role. Since the film has been released, it’s topped the box office records on opening night and a week into opening.

Through the long journey, Misao finally has success coming her way. With a touch on the lips, Misao thanked the teams before heading over to wardrobe.

And in the dark times, you don't have to question If I'm a hundred with you

Unsurprising to him, Masamune has been thinking about Misao for the past two hours ever since he stepped into work which was well before his employees started their day. Looking at down at his sheen Omega Seamaster, it is currently 1PM over in Los Angeles right now. What he wouldn’t give to be sleeping in his bed to avoid reality?

But who was he kidding? Misao occupied his thoughtless mind during the day and came to haunt him at night. He was forced to have vivid dreams of what they had and what they could be if she was still laying next to him. At this point, he wasn’t sure if reality or fiction would be the better option. As painful as it was forcing all thoughts of Misao out of his mind, it had to be done if he wanted to acquire Shiho Bank Ltd. as quick as possible.

He didn’t realize the time until he heard a knock on his door. “Come in.” He ordered without raising his eye to meet the owner of the disturbance, knowing well it was his second in command, Ieyasu Tokugawa.

Known for his strong opinions, Ieyasu was full of wisdom and knowledge. Once a chemical engineer with a Ph. D., he felt unfulfilled at his job creating reusable plastics that he switched careers to becoming the vice president of Iketeru Industries right beside Masamune with an MBA in finance. Being composed was in his nature and he chose his words carefully before making them known. Through the last six years of working together, Masamune and Ieyasu formed a meaningful friendship. He was able to confide in his VP off the record about personal issues without judgment being returned.

Masamune also liked that Ieyasu knew his place. Bowing to the CEO before him, Ieyasu then picks up his head. “I have updates on Project Ripple.” His attention was now divided, but he didn’t pick his eye off the desk. “Stardust is about to premiere on the red carpet.”

Hearing those words, Masamune quickly picked up the remote and turned the TV on, the channel never switched. It was an order he had for everyone who had access to his room to never, ever change the channel. Everyone thought he was nuts but he only did things within reason.

And there she was, appearing like the goddess he remembered her to be. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in big waves and the smoky makeup brought out her light brown eyes. The dress she was wearing was beautiful on her. Strapless navy blue bodice with a gathered skirt transitioning from navy blue to white, she owned the dress as the skirt train slowly flowed behind hair while her steps graced the red carpet.

Masamune couldn’t have been more proud of her. He’s watched the movie so many times and even though it pained him, he couldn’t stop falling in love with her over and over again. Misao, a strong and independent woman, was meant to take the lead actress’ role. With each viewing, he only longed to be in her life, and her in his once more.

A smile escapes his lips as he watched many other celebrities acknowledging her from the sidelines, welcoming her with hugs and air kisses. Afterall, she was the ‘it’ actress at the very moment. He couldn’t have been more proud, wishing he could have yelled at Ieyasu that that was his girlfriend on the screen and strutting her stuff across the red carpet. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms across his chest, enjoying the very sight of the camera following her everywhere she went.

And then, there was him. Masamune’s one eye glared at the TV as he recognized the male actor who co-starred with Misao in the movie. Vinny Mann Jr., another hot celebrity in town. He clenched his jaw seeing Vinny’s arm around her waist, a little too low for comfort. His black button down shirt was open on the chest area and a pair of coral colored fitted slacks was an interesting choice. But Masamune concluded one thing, the dude’s ego was inflated as hell.

Getting up abruptly, Masamune grabbed his long peacoat, swinging it over his broad shoulders and letting them hang like a mannequin on a store display. Just before he was about to exit his office, he looked back at his VP and friend. “I trust you know what to do from here.” Masamune said with a grin only to receive a short nod in return. “Good luck my friend.” Opening the door, he finally leaves the office.

Just as Ieyasu was about to turn and face the windows, Masamune popped in one more time, “get me a ticket to that after party.”

But I've found my way to velvet sands I'll crash right into you

After passing her award for best actress, Misao’s team helped her switch out of her regal gown into a soft pale blue sweetheart dress that stopped on her thighs. Her team also ensured her long, luscious locks were kept in a messy bun, strays of hair flowing elegantly here and there. In no time, she arrived at the exclusive after party the director of her movie invited her to.

Her ride pulled up to another red carpet that led into the venue where dozens of paparazzis were already snapping away. When she finally opened the door, the shutter noises were amplified along with the shouting matches of the paparazzis trying get her to spill any industry secrets possible. Jokes on them, she wasn’t in on any gossip floating around, she thought to herself. Smiling sweetly for the cameras, she waited until her plus one to step out from the other side of the car and walk over to her.

“Misao! Over here!” One paparazzi called out. “Who’s your date tonight?”

Another one joined in, “is she your lover?”

Misao and her best friend looked at each other in the same time before bursting with laughter. “Yes, this is my best friend Riley and I love her to death.” She responded before throwing an arm around Riley for a side hug. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to party it up tonight.” Linking arms, the two best friends walked the very long red carpet together, finally away from the thundering shutter noises.

When the doormen opened the giant entrance doors, Misao and Riley gasped in surprise. The venue itself was actually someone’s home. A large chandelier dangled in the foyer, leaving a significant amount of room between people and the the chandelier itself. Two grand staircases were at either sides of the foyer. Deeper into the mansion, they passed the huge open kitchen where foods and drinks were open for taking. Passed that was a beautiful living room with black Italian leather couches facing a fake fireplace with a flat screen TV so large Misao couldn’t comprehend how big it was.

It wasn’t long before Gerry Nu, the director of their award winning best picture film, came over and started introducing them to all the celebrities in the house. Misao treated this advantageous networking event as if it were any other social event with the press. She could tell Riley was enjoying the time of her life, meeting some of her celebrity crushes in the meantime. She managed to help her best friend get in contact with the Prince of Bellevue.

After making her rounds, Misao guided them to the couches in the living room they saw earlier. Riley took two champagne glasses and handed one to her famous best friend. “So this is what I get to experience as the best friend of Misao.”

“Famous Misao.” She added, laughing at the correction with Riley. “Cheers to our first award show after party!”

“Cheers!” Clinking their glasses, they immediately sip their bubbly. “So how have you been adjusting to all of this? You’re practically an overnight success!” Riley asked.

Misao let out a long sigh, taking a seat on one of the couches where her best friend immediately took the cue. “Honestly, it’s everything I hoped for but at the same time, it’s not. This whole, thing,” she gestured her free arm around herself, “it’s a double edged sword.”

Crossing her legs, Riley placed a hand on Misao’s knee, giving her a soft smile. “Is it because of Masamune?”

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood at the mention of that name. Misao hated hearing it yet she was always reminded of their most happiest memories. She never dared to mention his name, afraid that even whispering it meant breaking down the shield she’s forged during the past two years away from Masamune.

But acknowledgement wasn’t needed on Misao’s part. Even for someone who literally just won an award for adopting other’s emotions and stories, the distraught on her face was clear as night and day. Riley couldn’t help but feel guilty, being the other party who pushed Misao to chase after her dreams. At that time, after losing her love, she convinced her best friend and herself that Masamune’s business was booming and that she should take the opportunity and work on her own career seriously. Although she wasn’t lying, Riley never imagined seeing her best friend facing so much inner turmoil.

“I’m sorry.” Riley apologized with a soft smile.

Misao returned the gesture before something, or rather someone caught her attention. Although many others were dress in a suit tonight, this person was still standing in the kitchen, looking around frantically for someone. His head snapped back and forth before finding what he was looking for, her. Her eyes widened and her jaws dropped, it couldn’t be.

The room suddenly went blurry and quiet except for his figure storming over with those deafening steps he took. His strides were filled with authority, the black suit fitting his figure so perfectly. His light brown hair was styled effortlessly. His eyes, never once leaving her’s, were filled with lust and determination.

“Ma-” Misao only managed to utter before her plump pink lips were converged with sweet warm ones. Immediately, warmth spread all over her body, breaking the ice around her heart. His hands cupped her cheeks warmly and protectively, assuring her she no longer needs to be afraid. She had longed for warmth and familiarity for so long she didn’t dare to disobey his command. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment, kissing back more fervently.

He picked up her body language easily, never forgetting his mother tongue. His hands shifted now, one behind the nape of her neck and the other on her lower back, pulling her closer while securing her into the warmth of his arms. He didn’t care how crazy he looked or acted in front of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars at the moment. All he cared about was how much he’s missed her all this time and how he planned to make it up to her.

There were no words that exists to describe this moment, it was a dream come true. Even Masamune was surprised at himself managing to fly across the ocean within half the duration and crash this exclusive party. Those five hours in the air still felt like a lifetime as he contemplated on what he would say to his love after all this time. He rehearsed it many times to himself in his mind yet his actions spoke louder than those words.

He is still in a daze now that Misao was finally in his arms again and he was actually kissing her. The loneliness and dark clouds that once put him in a stump the past two and a half years were finally lifted and he could feel life once again. He couldn’t imagine how she must have felt moving to a new country and city all alone with Riley being her only true friend. He knew this time he couldn’t let her revoke that pain ever again.

As difficult as it was, Masamune broke the kiss apart, his eyes searching for hers. When he was able to find her soul through those brown windows, he noticed the room grew quiet. “I’m so sorry love, I never meant to hurt you.” He stated, finally finding his voice. “Through all the years you’ve stood by my side and watched my empire grow with me, I never once looked to my side for you. I deserve all the loneliness and heartache during our time apart since I held you back from chasing your dreams. I should’ve stood right by your side through all your failures and successes.” He let out grin, a hand wiping away a tear trailing down her cheek as she beamed a smile at him. “But you had no failures, I did. I let you down. But I never stopped loving you lass and I never will, not even after death do us apart.”

Picking out the red velvet box from his slacks, Masamune got down on one knee while opening the box to reveal a shiny 2 carat diamond ring. The waterworks struck Misao. “Misao, you must know you and only you hold my heart. You have only ever loved me unconditionally and I cannot wait to return the gesture. Then again, it’s so easy when you are the greatest love of my life. This is my vow to you.” He pauses, gesturing the ring to her. “Misao, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive?”

Wiping her tear stained cheeks, Misao was finally aware of all the eyes watching the interaction between the two of them with their phones out. She must’ve looked so ugly crying the entire time. She couldn’t lie, her mind suddenly turned to mush and blanked out. After two and a half years, the love of her life enters the scenes again and confesses he hasn’t stopped loving her. How was any normal person react to that?

“I’ve never stopped loving you either, Mas.” She called him endearingly. “Mas, I never once thought of you as a hindrance or burden on my career. I chose to support you and your career first because let’s be honest, how many Asian actors and actresses ever actually become famous? I’m so touched you’re in front of me right now. And I’d love to make you the happiest man in the world because that would make me the luckiest gal in the world.”

An eruption of cheers fill the silence of the house as Masamune quickly but carefully place the ring on Misao’s fourth finger and picked her up and swung her around. After a few rounds, he places her back down before planting another long and deep kiss. Pulling apart, he says to her breathlessly, “let’s get out of here love.”

Without waiting for an answer, Masamune pulled Misao with him as the path through the house to the front door cleared for them. They rushed past the red carpet where paparazzis were still standing and new flashes emerged quickly. As the paparazzis shouted questions there way, the newly engaged couple gave them no mind before quickly hurrying into his limo.

[reviewape-blog]

My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors |

https://www.reviewape.com/?p=5156 My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors | - Product Name: My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors | Click here to get My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors | at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors | is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. Description:  WRITE AN AMAZING FICTION BOOK WITHIN WEEKS EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A SINGLE WORD BEFORE OR DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START Learn the arts of creating extraordinary characters, developing a captivating storyline, introducing elements of surprise, fascination and thrill, and finding the right words to put it all together. You are in the right place! A Comprehensive Hands-On Mentorship Course to Coach You on Writing a Stellar Piece of Fiction and Getting It Published Within Weeks.  Our step-by-step approach will not only boost your confidence in your writing skills but will help you develop an action plan to get real tangible results in a very short time. Get the Story out of Your Imagination and Have It on Paper. Even if you have no idea about writing fiction or if you are unable to get into that particular comfort zone of writing a great story, this course will help you achieve all your fiction writing goals. Are You Ready to Go from a Blank Slate to Becoming a Word-Crafting Powerhouse? The goal of this course is to give you the knowledge, the system, confidence and the skills necessary to write an amazing fiction story from start to finish. If you want to write fiction, this course will answer all the questions you may have. You will be surprised how making a few adjustments in your lifestyle and retweaking your strategy a little bit can bring you massive results. WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THE MY FICTION WRITING COURSE? My Fiction Writing course has 6 modules, and each module is divided into multiple chapters. Each chapter comes with related resources, worksheets, and action plan so that you develop applied skills as you progress. Discover the key elements of a novel; learn what makes it different from other types of writing and how to write a perfect novel within weeks. Learn about the essential fundamentals that constitute a screenplay, how to structure it like a professional. You will also learn the art of writing a complete screenplay. Understand the importance of outlines and know how it can affect your writing performance; the strategies involved in developing outlines and sticking to them. Learn the art of developing a great story, structuring it right and putting all the parts in the right places. You will also learn how to create chapters and how to link all the chapters together in an exciting manner. Learn the importance of a powerful story plot, how it affects your writing process, and develop the skills required to create an impactful story plot that can keep your reader fascinated with your story. Discover the process of creating unique and impressive characters, blending them into the story and learn the art of revealing them as your story proceeds. Each chapter is so eloquently put that you will not have any difficulty understanding the contents even if you are completely new to fiction writing. As you go through the chapters and practice what you learn, you will feel a massive increase in your knowledge and confidence to write fiction from start to finish. Ideas will be flowing through your mind as if you are in a completely new realm of creativity. You will feel that writing fiction comes naturally to you! The Opportunity to Make It Through Is Right in Front of You. Stop Wondering, Start Writing the Next Fiction Bestseller. MY FICTION WRITING HAS HELPED OVER 100 WRITERS AND BOOK AUTHORS; HERE IS A WORD FROM SOME OF THEM:  Coming from a literary background, writing should’ve come naturally to me; but it didn’t. I struggled for over a year to complete my first novel, but I never went past the first few lines. Everyone around me was supportive, but still, I was nowhere. This writing course changed everything for me, provided me with the elements I was missing, enabling me to write my first short story in just four weeks. I highly recommend this course to every writer. Mark Akkerman – Virginia My Fiction Writing has been the most helpful and informative of my many courses on writing fiction. I was motivated, had a clear vision of what I wanted to do and got to work. Thanks for the resources you provided I am almost there. Thank you so much for this remarkable course.  I cannot thank you enough for creating this wonderful course. I took more than a few writing master classes, attended workshops and training, but I was still unable to bring life to my story. However, the way you have organized the course kept it simple, direct and easy to follow; it was a sensational experience for me. I have already sold 1000+ copies of my children story by now, thanks to you. Keep up the good work. Liam Robinson – Canberra WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU JOIN THE MY FICTION WRITING COURSE? And access to a ton of opportunities to meet and connect with other fiction writers, book authors, and publishers. This is the only program you will ever need! SO, WHAT DOES MY FICTION WRITING COURSE COST? You get instant access to all the resources, training material, guides and worksheets along with lifetime access to all the modules right away.  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)  Why is this course better than any other course on the market? Two Reasons: First, the contents of this course were developed by the secrets and strategies revealed by several master fiction writers and authors of several bestsellers who have sold millions of books and novels. Second, instead of beating around the bush to make the course long, we have kept it focused, result oriented and professional. All the modules in this course are videos. Also, you also get several Tools, Resources, Worksheets And Planners that will amplify your success. The contents, resources, and documents are regularly updated to keep you focused and motivated to achieve results. We have designed this course for aspiring fiction writers and experienced authors who want to write a great fiction book. This course will also help creative copywriters. What if I don’t get results or if it’s not the right fit for me? My Fiction Writing course is backed by a 60-days money back guarantee. If you don’t like the results or feel something missing, let us know, and we will serve a full refund right away.  WE TAKE ALL THE RISK – 60-DAYS MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Yes, you got it right. The My Fiction Writing course is backed by a no questions asked 60-days money back guarantee. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the course, or you feel you didn’t get the value you were expecting, request a refund, and we will process it right away.  MODULE 1: HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL Do you have an amazing story in mind, but you can’t get it down on paper? You’ve got the idea and the characters but soon run out of steam? Perhaps you are a beginner and need help putting it all together. Whatever your reason, this module helps to unlock the secrets of novel writing in simple-to-follow ways that will bring significant results fast. Tips to Write Engrossing Page-Turners This module provides a breakdown of essential aspects of writing Romance, Fantasy and Mystery novels and unveils crucial tips and tricks that will help flesh-out the characters in your book. The course assists in creating compelling plots and weaving stories that your readers will be fully immersed in. A course that quickly gets to the heart of the matter in a clear and concise way. New and experienced authors will rapidly find answers to what they need. Each section is summarized with a series of short questions to help inspire deeper reflection. These are: THE OUTLINE – how to refine major schemes & subplots that make sense to the reader & also your protagonist. THE SETTING – the art of crafting a sense of place & how to work with multiple locations & time-periods. POINT OF VIEW – helping you to form the best character perspectives for your story. CHARACTERS – the best way to choose your central character to drive the story forward & one in whom your audience will discover a gripping read. CONFLICT – how & when to use struggle to keep the reader engaged. ADDITIONAL TIPS – a final section that motivates the author to think differently to engage emotion & lose the reader in the heart of the story. The course helps an author to think outside of the box when faced with over-used clichés, and to deal with the pressures of deadlines and expectations. A Much-Needed Breath of Fresh Air This module reminds us that readers are not expecting a perfect book, just an engaging one. We highlight how our own ideals can stand in the way of a great book being written. At a time when self-publishing and using Print on Demand is gaining mainstream popularity, our course will prove to be the go-to guide for many a struggling author.   MODULE 2: HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Publishing Screenplays Whether you’ve got a completed script, or need help off the starting-blocks, getting a Screenplay formatted correctly to catch the eye of producers is no easy task. A little, professional advice goes a long way, and this module delivers large, for those with big screen aspirations! Top Writing Tricks You Didn’t Know – for TV & Film When writing for the movies, TV, video or computer games, there are essential elements you must get right to show professional competence, and avoid looking like an amateur. The course not only provides the answers but presents them in an easy to understand way that can be read in under a day to bring game-changing results fast. By explaining the best formatting requirements for each genre, the course unveils the blueprints that experts use for Feature film and Television dramas & sitcoms. We examine the best ways to edit-on-a-budget and the 6 Tips for Success that can turn your script into must-have property. Slugs, Thugs & the Theory of Illumination Even if you know your slugs from your thugs, the Theory of Illumination is just one of the many methods the course describes for writing believable, compelling characters that have edge-of-the-seat dialogue. This module gets you in the frame for success and makes sure you won’t fade out of view. From creating beat sheets, to helping you write your first draft, the course looks over your shoulder and breaks everything down line-by-line, to help you style your writing in a properly formatted and accepted way. Subjects Covered Include: Is Your Novel Losing the Plot? Sometimes we can be too close to a story to see clearly. If you find that you begin to change the plot midway, or struggle to think of one at all, this module deals specifically with keeping you on track to create compelling plot outlines your readers will love. Outlining is an invaluable tool for a writer. It helps the author to not feel confined by working to a plot summary and instead, demonstrates how, by following best practices, such a framework can liberate the writer to new levels of creativity. This concise guide also reveals the way to use an outline for those writers who prefer the story to be revealed to them. Both methods help to drive the narrative and create twists and surprises that will captivate your audience. The course establishes a blueprint for both fiction & non-fiction novels and gives useful examples, while considering the strengths and weaknesses of each method. Tricks Any Writer Can Learn Arranged simply and effectively, this guide is divided into four concise and easy-to-read sections that will bring about fast results. These are: THE BASICS OF MAKING AN OUTLINE – considers the flow of ideas, how to present characters effectively against a developing storyline, and the way to refine major schemes & subplots that drive the story forward. FICTION OUTLINE – practical methods that inspire ideas in different ways, to help the sequencing of events unfold in a story & keep sight of the key points. NON-FICTION OUTLINE – four methods to arrange facts & research in a way that will not leave any gaps in the reader’s understanding. BEST PRACTICES – tips to get to know your characters and story more deeply so that your reader will be fully-absorbed in the novel. The module describes ways of bringing in flexibility and simplicity to your outline. Outlining is an essential read for any author, new or established, to form a good foundation of winning principles. It takes less than a day to read but provides a lifetime of benefit. Following completion, the author will know how to arrange ideas around 5 Key Parts of a Plot, the ways to observe proper sequence, and make an outline work for them, not against them. Characters will be developed more realistically, while turning-points that unfold during the course of the story, will leave the reader gripping the page like a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride.  MODULE 4: STORY STRUCTURE Shape Your Story Like a Pro If you have a phenomenal story to tell but find you can’t quite make it flow or form in a natural, yet moving way, this module will transform your approach to writing and make your novel a compelling and addictive read. Crammed full of tricks and tips to help both beginner and advanced authors complete their books in an enticing way. Each chapter is dedicated to one aspect of story structures, and begins with a 9-Step Process to dividing up your tale; which includes: STEP ONE: The First Act – Introducing characters & what is at stake STEP TWO: The First Major Plot Point – How to leave readers wanting more STEP FIVE: Second Half of the Second Act – The need to support the protagonist STEP SEVEN: Third Act – Protagonist is forced to face the enemy before being ready The course uses examples to drive home how developing a strong story structure is important to help maintain focus, enrich plot ideas and provide a bird’s-eye view of whether your novel is working. The module elicits the need to pay attention to how your characters develop as the plot unfolds, and acts as a framework to write in a manner that will heighten the reader’s curiosity and desire to see them grow. The course describes how to explain the reasons characters may often act highly irrational in various situations, through character-driven and action-driven change. We illustrate how being able to answer “why?” deepens a reader’s emotional investment in them and serves to create a gripping page-turner! Mastering the Art of Suspense… A good story keeps readers wondering how events are going to unfold and how they will impact the lives of your characters. This module guides the author through Ten Tips to Create Suspense: Tips from Experienced Authors The final chapter gives a look behind-the-scenes at the thinking of real authors and their recommendations regarding whether to adopt traditional structures for your genre or research new ones, how and when to modify a structure template, and the ways to hide structure in your writing.Story Structure is an indispensable guide for serious authors wanting write professionally. Your ‘Why’ for Writing, Will Also Be Their ‘Why’ for Reading Are you struggling to take your story to the next level? Would you like to know the best ways to create intrigue and have your readers rave about your book? This module is a step-by-step guide that takes you through the process of developing compelling plots from beginning to end. With tips and tricks taken straight from professional writers, the novelist will learn how to use plotlines for maximum effect, while retaining creative freedom. This module helps the author weave suspense through improved conflict-writing, centered around a developing plot. Characters are challenged, affected and emerge changed in ways that infuse emotions in your readers, so that they cannot help but be personally invested in the welfare of your protagonist. The course explains in concise straightforward language and with clear examples, the benefits of knowing where you are going with your novel; where the plotline starts (exposition) to how it ends (resolution) and how working with an overview, helps to captivate readers in terms of the lessons learned and the experience of life through the eyes of your characters. 8 Steps to Conflict ResolutionThis bcourse acts as a go-to framework for all levels of writers and introduces an 8-Step Process to adding substance to your story through plotting; these include: From understanding the basic principles of a plotline, to placing your characters into situations that will help you get inside their head more, the course demonstrates the ways to make a plot event a more profound experience for the reader, to activate emotions and keep them engaged until the end of the book. Having a Strong “Why”This module imparts pro-writing knowledge to elicit genuine resentment against the antagonist while showing the real “why” behind your characters’ actions. This aspect of plotting, captures the importance of allowing the characters to resolve their own conflicts and to keep the reader on the edge of their seats with excitement. Creating an effective plot is not easy, however, the course unravels the secret formula and presents it in her own alluring way, and through the opinions of seasoned-writers she presents the methods to take your storytelling to new heights.  MODULE 6: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Need to Breathe Life into Your Characters? You may have a great story but if your characters are flat and uninteresting your readers will find your story dull. If your lead protagonist isn’t generating empathy, then no one cares what happens to them. This module covers every aspect of character building; from developing charismatic and believable people, to making sure they work holistically to drive the narrative forward in realistic ways. Know Your Anti-Hero from Your Antagonist In order to create compelling characters your readers will love, the course introduces the reader to 12-character types and explains how and when they are introduced to a story. She demonstrates the importance of instilling flaws to create a balance of human qualities that evolve throughout the novel in captivating ways. Make Unforgettable Characters Character Development is a much-needed step-by-step guide to help authors create remarkable protagonists and to decide which characters are necessary to the plot. The course delivers a groundbreaking 176 questions to consider while creating characters. An author need never struggle again to generate memorable heroes and villains! 10 Samples of the 176 Character-Forming Questions: By using some, or all of these questions an author will no longer create one-dimensional characters and will have readers gripped throughout their trials and tribulations. There will be many thought-provoking subjects for both beginner and experienced authors that will motivate a much deeper conception of characters, some of which include: Step-by-Step Explanations, At Your Own Pace. Did you know that a large percentage of people learn by listening and seeing? This online video course has everything you need. Once you subscribe and become a member, you can easily navigate through all the modules. If by any chance you want to refer to a module which you had completed, you go back and find it intact and refer to it. Videos can be paused and resumed at any one time. This gives you the freedom and flexibility that you require to take the course. No one is telling you the amount of time you need to finish one module or how fast you have to go through the course. You determine your speed and learning time. No unreasonable pressure from anyone. Your Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Fiction Writer! Taking an online video course has never been this easy and beneficial. Imagine having to go through a course at your own pace as you reflect on your writing and gauge your writing skills as you progress. This video course allows you to do exactly that. It might sound unbelievable, but it is very much possible. Become a member today and take your fiction writing skills to another level. (c) 2019 My Fiction Writing. All Rights Reserved! – Support ClickBank is the retailer of products on this site. CLICKBANK® is a registered trademark of Click Sales, Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 1444 S. Entertainment Ave., Suite 410 Boise, ID 83709, USA and used by permission. ClickBank’s role as retailer does not constitute an endorsement, approval or review of these products or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of these products. This is the bottom slider area. You can edit this text and also insert any element here. This is a good place if you want to put an opt-in form or a scarcity countdown. Click here to get My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors | at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. My Fiction Writing – Discover the Secrets of Master Fiction Writers and Bestselling Book Authors | is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. - ReviewApe - https://www.reviewape.com/?p=5156