Monday, February 22, 2010

News From Germany

My character, Miranda Evans, continues to have a considerably more active social life, at least in Germany, than I do (although I bet I had a better birthday party).

She also blogs more often than I do, although now that I think about it, she has yet to post a picture of Horton, whereas I post Scooter photographs all the time. Which reminds me. I've been watching the Olympics obsessively, but I'm prone to turning the sound off when a commercial comes on, so even though I'd seen the commercial where the bunny rabbit is sickly and the teacher performs emergency surgery with balloons, I only discovered yesterday that the rabbit is named Scooter.

Which also reminds me. When I was watching the compulsory dances the other night, Scooter (the cat) climbed on my lap, taking especial care to step on the remote control mute button. I guess he'd had enough tango romanticas for one evening.

Back to Germany. Miranda posted a new video. You have to scroll down to Feb. 19, because, as I said above, she blogs more regularly than I do (on the other hand, she blogs in German, and I can just barely manage to blog in English).

I love the new video. Dr. Prof. (or maybe Prof. Dr.) Moller talks about something. Probably nothing too cheerful, since there are pictures of volcanoes, which is never a good sign.

But the best part of the video is how the picture goes out at the end. Well, the best part is that the video exists in the first place, part of the astonishing German promotion for Life As We Knew It (whose German name I'll learn as soon as I get my copy). But the second best part is the special effect of the picture going out.

There's a scene early on in the dead and the gone where Alex is watching a newscast, the day after the mooncrash, and a scientist is being interviewed (perhaps Dr. Prof. Moller himself). The newscaster asks the professor something, and I, typing as fast as my pudgy little fingers allow, realize I had no idea how the professor should respond.

So I caused a blackout. Alex loses his electricity, and with it his TV reception, and I was spared coming up with something for the scientist to say.

A long time ago, I read a survey on which super powers people most want to have. My choice, being able to fly, came in second (having access to other people's thoughts was first, a truly bad idea). But when you write fiction, you have the greatest super power of all. You can make volcanoes erupt, and demolish power grids and wipe out entire coastlines, with a mere ten pudgy little fingers (nine, actually, since my left thumb just comes along for the ride).

Of course, you can also make happy things happen with those nine busy fingers. People can fall in love, have babies, win the lottery or the Olympics or both.

But the whole world, albeit a fictional one, is yours to control. Which is an extraordinary amount of power.

Now if I could only use that power over Scooter. I prefer my tango romanticas with the sound on!

12 comments:

Chris said...

Interesting way of describing writing. I like it!

Makes me feel all powerful.

This LAWKI promotional campaign sounds really interesting. I'd like to shake the hand of whoever thought it up!

Wendy said...

I type with my left index finger, my right middle finger, and my right thumb. My hands are fine, but I never learned to type, and that's what ended up happening. Maybe that's why my dissertation isn't finished yet. How does one write a booklength project with only 3 fingers?
Is it weird for Miranda to have a life outside your control?

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi to Chris and Wendy-

I have the ski jumping on TV and the ice dance on the internet (but they're in an ice resurfacing). Have I mentioned that I love the Winter Olympics?

I'd like the shake the hand of whoever thought up the German promotional campaign also. Maybe someday I'll have the chance.

My mother taught my brother and me how to type. She was a secretary, and knew what was important in life. My father handwrote his first book and my mother typed it for him.

And yes, my mother is a saint!

Linda Jacobs said...

I'm ODing on Olympics, too! Vacation this week so I'm glued to the TV.

Love your description of the power of writers!

I've been thingking. Who do you think would make a good main character in the movie of the trilogy? It really should be done!

Fear Death By Water said...

The bunny comercial is second only to the walmart clown comercial for prue hilarity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsvAj6qfmFQ

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello to Linda Jacobs and Fear Death By Water-

I don't know what would be the best away of adapting the books into a movie (should it ever happen). Two thirds of the books are from Miranda's viewpoint, so maybe that should be the deciding factor.

Or maybe Scooter The Rabbit should star in it. He has great dramatic range, combining pathos and hope and lots of hair (not to mention hare)!

Kathryn said...

haha I get it.(hare) :) What you said about writing makes a lot of sense, but it made me think...

Anonymous said...

Lest there be Olympic ennui, the National Science Foundation offers up the science behind it all:

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/olympics/

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello to Kathryn and Anonymous-

Kathryn, if you really want to think (which I certainly don't; what I really want to do is eat chocolate and watch figure skating), you should look at that National Science Foundation link.

My favorite was Science Friction about curling.

Not that I'm a curling fan. Although I suppose if I got to eat chocolate while watching it, I might enjoy it more!

Unknown said...

Your two books were amazing. I know that I'm probably commenting in the wrong place, but it's fanmail, riight?
Every time I look up from the book, I wonder why we have electricity or so much food.
Keep the books coming ;3

-Thomas Tillotson
Hudtloff Middle School.

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi HiddenWords-

There is no wrong place to say something nice, so thank you.

I got your email and will send you some bookplates when the snow stops falling and I can get out!

Meaghan Wright said...

February 19th has been removed, I dont see it. hahaha