mbarker: (Fireworks Delight)
This morning, Mitsuko had the TV on (she likes to leave it running). There was some funny guy in a yellow spandex outfit -- StretchMan! -- showing us how to do some stretching exercises. Stand straight, lift your right arm and stick it out, now grab your elbow with your other arm, and pull your arm around straight across your chest. Don't twist your back! Hold for a slow count of one, two, three, four, fi.......ve! And laugh! Relax! That's hyper-stretch-power! Now let's do the other arm...

I was reading email, Mitsuko was drying her hair, and I happened to notice the audience behind our yellow cheerleader. Just off his right elbow, there was a young woman in a black-and-white sweater top, with black jeans. Who stretched up when he said stretch, and then started to fall over! A woman on her right and left immediately caught her around the stomach, and helped her stand tall again. Her smile flashed, and she stretched again, following the cheerleader. And she tilted to her left. The women pushed her upright. BIG SMILE as she followed the directions.

When he finished having everyone stretch, the women carefully sat her down in the chair. Where she grinned, happily, as the cheerleader told us that we need to stretch every day.

I blinked at this, and suddenly realized that the odd shape by the side of her chair, on the ground, was the arm cuff of a crutch. Given the way they eased her down, I would guess her legs don't move. But from her smile, despite the little wobbles and tilts, she certainly could stretch!

Nice to see. And to me, even more inspiring than the cheerleader. So get up and stretch!
mbarker: (Me typing?)
Writing Excuses Season Three Episode 27: Mixing Humor with Drama and Horror

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/01/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-27-mixing-humor-with-drama-and-horror/

Key points: To blend humor and drama, start with the drama, identify the key points, then add humor. Humor is good while reading, but drama and character make readers come back. When the humor detracts, excise! Be careful about humor that pushes readers out of the story. Make humor fit the character -- don't break characters for a joke.
Chunks of humor, drama, and horror )
[Brandon] All right. Howard, we're going to make you do the writing prompt because you're the expert on this.
[Howard] Okay. Take the most intense character tragedy you can imagine for a character that you've already got and find humor in it for another character to point out. Whether or not it's appropriate, find humor in that tragedy.
[Brandon] All right. This has been Writing Excuses. [The podcast cut off at this point. We can only assume that Brandon provided the tag line "You're out of excuses, now go write."]

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