This assignment is self-serving. But, hopefully, it will serve you all as well, my friends. I am horrible at brainstorming because I'm excellent at self-censoring. I would like to get over that. Another reason this assignment is self-serving is that the topic is a potential screenplay idea for My Canadian Rose to direct. If any of your ideas do end up in produced screenplay, you'll get a "special thanks" in the credits and, perhaps,*dangles this next as a carrot*, a walk on role (read: extra). Oooooooh!
Topic: A horror movie that takes place in a corn maze. It's Halloween time, or at least Harvest/Autumn time. A group of people (teens, college students, a family, a church group, total strangers detoured to the maze by a washed out bridge) go out to a corn maze for an evening of light hearted fun, not realizing that the corn maze is (duhn, duhn, duhn) haunted! Or perhaps run by a (duhn,duhn,duhn) crazed killer! Or perhaps gets possessed by (duhn,duhn,duhn)demonic spirits! Or gets overrun by (duhn,duhn,duhn) genetically mutated creatures!
Assignment: Brainstorm all week about what horrific, frightening, gruesome, gory, humorous(?) things that could befall our hapless victims. Write them all down. No censoring! So, there should be no assignments turned in prior to Saturday. But do think about it everyday and write down everything that comes into your head. Also, after you write down something say to yourself, "Now that is a million dollar idea!"
Enjoy!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Character Names
1. A loquacious, gregarious librarian.
Jennifer Clark – I’ve yet to meet a Jennifer who wasn’t loquacious.
Jennifer is a young, frustrated writer who became a librarian so that she could be around books all day for ‘inspiration’. If you have a while, sit down and she’ll tell you all about it.
2. The jealous younger brother of a 13th century Scottish laird.
Cailean MacTavish – Gaelic for ‘whelp’. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Technically, Cailean is only a few minutes younger than his twin brother, Fearghas. Unfortunately, he is not as responsible or business-minded as him, either. Showing little aptitude in the running of an estate, it came as a surprise to none but him when it was his brother who inherited the majority of the family lands. But don’t worry about him; he does a fine job of consoling himself with drink and women.
3. A 1920's crooner.
Rudolf Drozkowski – Yeah, I know, right? That’s why his stage name is R.J. Dewolfe.
Rudolf was born in the Bronx to Polish immigrants. While other boys his age dreamt of playing professional baseball, he wanted to be a star! Sure, that led to a lot of conflict with the neighborhood kids, but he made his dream a reality. While the biggest bully of them all now works in his father’s deli, ‘R.J.’ is making quite a name for himself. The ladies love The Wolf. Who’s laughing, now?
4. The lecherous owner of a fast food restaurant.
Enrique Benitez – Don’t call him Ricky.
El es muy suave. Or so he likes to think. Half Argentine, half Heinz-57, he not only embraces his Latino side, he proclaims it, loudly and proudly, whenever the opportunity arises. When he’s not at the store, he’s most likely to be found making the nightclub rounds, where he is a legend in his own mind.
5. A surgeon who cheated on his medical boards.
Dr. Scott Browne – An average name for a man who fears to be average.
Scott was born into a working class family, and was determined to make a better life for himself. He became the first in his family to graduate from college, and was accepted into medical school, and later a residency at a prestigious hospital. As his medical exams approached, the pressure he put on himself, coupled with the student loans he would have to pay off, became too much for him. Not willing to risk failure, he decided to cheat, just in case.
6. The fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant class couple wishing to elevate themselves into the ton. (Aristocracy).
Cecilia Teasdale – A would-be rebel without a cause.
Cecilia didn’t mind being shown off by her parents when she was a child, marched out to play the piano or recite a verse of poetry or two to impress dinner guests. But she is sixteen, now, and has had quite enough of being paraded about like a prize show dog. She finds the seedier elements of London society far more enticing. One day, she’ll escape from her parent’s influence, into freedom! They won’t be able to do a single thing about it, either. They shall never…oh what’s that? For her? Ohhhh, shiny!
Jennifer Clark – I’ve yet to meet a Jennifer who wasn’t loquacious.
Jennifer is a young, frustrated writer who became a librarian so that she could be around books all day for ‘inspiration’. If you have a while, sit down and she’ll tell you all about it.
2. The jealous younger brother of a 13th century Scottish laird.
Cailean MacTavish – Gaelic for ‘whelp’. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Technically, Cailean is only a few minutes younger than his twin brother, Fearghas. Unfortunately, he is not as responsible or business-minded as him, either. Showing little aptitude in the running of an estate, it came as a surprise to none but him when it was his brother who inherited the majority of the family lands. But don’t worry about him; he does a fine job of consoling himself with drink and women.
3. A 1920's crooner.
Rudolf Drozkowski – Yeah, I know, right? That’s why his stage name is R.J. Dewolfe.
Rudolf was born in the Bronx to Polish immigrants. While other boys his age dreamt of playing professional baseball, he wanted to be a star! Sure, that led to a lot of conflict with the neighborhood kids, but he made his dream a reality. While the biggest bully of them all now works in his father’s deli, ‘R.J.’ is making quite a name for himself. The ladies love The Wolf. Who’s laughing, now?
4. The lecherous owner of a fast food restaurant.
Enrique Benitez – Don’t call him Ricky.
El es muy suave. Or so he likes to think. Half Argentine, half Heinz-57, he not only embraces his Latino side, he proclaims it, loudly and proudly, whenever the opportunity arises. When he’s not at the store, he’s most likely to be found making the nightclub rounds, where he is a legend in his own mind.
5. A surgeon who cheated on his medical boards.
Dr. Scott Browne – An average name for a man who fears to be average.
Scott was born into a working class family, and was determined to make a better life for himself. He became the first in his family to graduate from college, and was accepted into medical school, and later a residency at a prestigious hospital. As his medical exams approached, the pressure he put on himself, coupled with the student loans he would have to pay off, became too much for him. Not willing to risk failure, he decided to cheat, just in case.
6. The fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant class couple wishing to elevate themselves into the ton. (Aristocracy).
Cecilia Teasdale – A would-be rebel without a cause.
Cecilia didn’t mind being shown off by her parents when she was a child, marched out to play the piano or recite a verse of poetry or two to impress dinner guests. But she is sixteen, now, and has had quite enough of being paraded about like a prize show dog. She finds the seedier elements of London society far more enticing. One day, she’ll escape from her parent’s influence, into freedom! They won’t be able to do a single thing about it, either. They shall never…oh what’s that? For her? Ohhhh, shiny!
Character Names by Through a Glass Darkly
1. Mildred Platt - with a name like that you -have- to have something else going for you. She would rather spend all day with her books, but she hated doing what was expected of her. So, she sacrificed what she loved to avoid being what people thought she should be. (Mildred Platt sounded so librarian that I thought it fit with perfect incongruity to her put on persona.)
2. Caerell mec Feradec - was so named because he looked a little feminine to his father. He was given his grandfather's name as his byname because his father had little use for that old goat either and he hoped people would assume his son was his brother's son if he left his name out of it. Caerell "renamed" himself Caerell mac Colban mec Feradec when he was old enough to know better, to force his father to claim him. Of course this started the whole goose incident that triggered the minor civil "war" that gave the tatcher's son the opportunity to... but I digress... (Caerell seemed feminine to me :P Obviously it wasn't as it was a male name, but :P)
3. Hypnotizing over the radio waves, fall under his spell now as he steps on stage... Mickey Tark! Women the world over love him... men want to be him... Okay so no one had ever heard of him... but they would! They would! Sure as his name was Sheldon Pew. (Sheldon Pew sounded suitably unfortunate for my hopeful hero and Mickey Tark is a work in progress. Each new attempt gets a new name, he's sure -one- of them will sky rocket him into stardom.)
4. Beatrice "Trixy" Robertson - Her parents had high hopes for their little beauty, but as her self given nickname implies, those hopes were dashed. She likes the slummy, scummy atmosphere of her "restaurant". She likes the kind of employees such an atmosphere attracts. And she definitely likes the fact that she is the boss, so what she says goes... or stays... as the case may be. (I think Beatrice is a pretty name, brings to mind someone sweet and innocent. She didn't want to be sweet and innocent, however, she wanted to be Trixy... and Trixy is anything but innocent.)
5. Dr. Michael Collins - a rather unassuming name for a rather unassuming man. He often looks around at his patients and co-workers and wonders how it all came to this. He'd tried so hard to rise above his less than auspcious beginnings, but when they told him he'd failed his boards... Well he just couldn't let that happen again, now could he? (Michael Collins sounds like someone you should be able to trust, at least to me. It sounds like someone into whose hands you could put your life. I guess it also sounds like someone who's desperate and a little insane underneath as well. :P)
6. The Honorable Lucinda Sommerset - "... of the Summerlain Sommersets, don't you know... Isn't she just a radiant beam of sunlight, my dear Baron?" Lucinda munched on a crumbcake as her mother talked, but looked up and beamed right on cue... Her smile full of blueberries and walnut bits. (Lucinda means light, so I went with that. I figured her father had enough money to buy her the "Honorable" title... and her mother is a distant fourth cousin to the genteel Sommersets who most of the rest of the family has forgotten about. Not Prunella though, and she is going to make sure they all remember -her-... erm... her -daughter-, yes her daughter...)
2. Caerell mec Feradec - was so named because he looked a little feminine to his father. He was given his grandfather's name as his byname because his father had little use for that old goat either and he hoped people would assume his son was his brother's son if he left his name out of it. Caerell "renamed" himself Caerell mac Colban mec Feradec when he was old enough to know better, to force his father to claim him. Of course this started the whole goose incident that triggered the minor civil "war" that gave the tatcher's son the opportunity to... but I digress... (Caerell seemed feminine to me :P Obviously it wasn't as it was a male name, but :P)
3. Hypnotizing over the radio waves, fall under his spell now as he steps on stage... Mickey Tark! Women the world over love him... men want to be him... Okay so no one had ever heard of him... but they would! They would! Sure as his name was Sheldon Pew. (Sheldon Pew sounded suitably unfortunate for my hopeful hero and Mickey Tark is a work in progress. Each new attempt gets a new name, he's sure -one- of them will sky rocket him into stardom.)
4. Beatrice "Trixy" Robertson - Her parents had high hopes for their little beauty, but as her self given nickname implies, those hopes were dashed. She likes the slummy, scummy atmosphere of her "restaurant". She likes the kind of employees such an atmosphere attracts. And she definitely likes the fact that she is the boss, so what she says goes... or stays... as the case may be. (I think Beatrice is a pretty name, brings to mind someone sweet and innocent. She didn't want to be sweet and innocent, however, she wanted to be Trixy... and Trixy is anything but innocent.)
5. Dr. Michael Collins - a rather unassuming name for a rather unassuming man. He often looks around at his patients and co-workers and wonders how it all came to this. He'd tried so hard to rise above his less than auspcious beginnings, but when they told him he'd failed his boards... Well he just couldn't let that happen again, now could he? (Michael Collins sounds like someone you should be able to trust, at least to me. It sounds like someone into whose hands you could put your life. I guess it also sounds like someone who's desperate and a little insane underneath as well. :P)
6. The Honorable Lucinda Sommerset - "... of the Summerlain Sommersets, don't you know... Isn't she just a radiant beam of sunlight, my dear Baron?" Lucinda munched on a crumbcake as her mother talked, but looked up and beamed right on cue... Her smile full of blueberries and walnut bits. (Lucinda means light, so I went with that. I figured her father had enough money to buy her the "Honorable" title... and her mother is a distant fourth cousin to the genteel Sommersets who most of the rest of the family has forgotten about. Not Prunella though, and she is going to make sure they all remember -her-... erm... her -daughter-, yes her daughter...)
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Names
1. Donna Ridge is my librarian, it just kind of sounds like a librarian name to me.
2. Callum Ainsley wasn't given quite as much as his older brother, although he's obviously the most deserving, at least in his own mind.
3. Bobby Gunn is my crooner guy, I just kinda see him hitting the dives, so he used the last name Gunn to be impressive or some such.
4. Jimbo Jergens is the fast food owner, my studies which are in no way intensive shows that 87.4% of the time you can't trust someone whose initials are J.J. I kind of figure he's probably opened a KFC rip-off in Alabama which is simply Alabama Fried Chicken.
5. Leland Dyson really just seems like the kind of guy who would cheat to get ahead.
6. Kassia Montague is the name for the spoiled daughter, just sounds like a name that's trying a bit too hard to be important, so the parents would have given her that name then spoiled her too much, so she obviously believes the hype of her name and acts accordingly.
2. Callum Ainsley wasn't given quite as much as his older brother, although he's obviously the most deserving, at least in his own mind.
3. Bobby Gunn is my crooner guy, I just kinda see him hitting the dives, so he used the last name Gunn to be impressive or some such.
4. Jimbo Jergens is the fast food owner, my studies which are in no way intensive shows that 87.4% of the time you can't trust someone whose initials are J.J. I kind of figure he's probably opened a KFC rip-off in Alabama which is simply Alabama Fried Chicken.
5. Leland Dyson really just seems like the kind of guy who would cheat to get ahead.
6. Kassia Montague is the name for the spoiled daughter, just sounds like a name that's trying a bit too hard to be important, so the parents would have given her that name then spoiled her too much, so she obviously believes the hype of her name and acts accordingly.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Character Names by Cotton
1. A librarian who prefers the company of people to books and can't be quiet could only be named Miss Peggy Square who works at the Round Hole public library. She also dresses like Madonna from the "Borderline" days.
2. I got help on this one from this website. Unfortunately, it also made me realize that this one required a lot more thought and research than our timeline would allow, so I give you merely a first draft: Neachdan fiz Muirgheal. "fiz" means "son of," matronymically. In this story, the older son was named patronymically and also received the title. Muirgheal was a woman of standing in her own right, thus meriting a son named for her. Neachdan's byname is irksome to him, being a misogynist as all bitter and jealous men are.
3. Headlining this week at the Pink Rose Speak-Eas--uh, Night Club is a fresh face whose sure to make your "hearts buzz," Jazz Babies. Shake your shimmy to the voice as smooth as bathtub gin: Buzzy Hart!
4. Lester Beansley Doesn't your mouth just curl up in snarl when you say it? His does when he says it.
5. Ement Metzger The son of prominent German born Chicago surgeons, Ement always had trouble living up to expectations. Ement from the latin ementior meaning to devise falsely or make false statements. Metzger is German for butcher.
6. Melisande Millar It's a grand sounding name for a lady of grand proportions who would be grand. The surname's spelling was altered by her parents and is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable in an attempt to hide her humble origins.
Speaking of names and meanings, I just watched The DaVinci Code special features. Did you know that Bishop Aringarosa's name means red herring? If I'd have known that, I would have figured out the book even faster!
2. I got help on this one from this website. Unfortunately, it also made me realize that this one required a lot more thought and research than our timeline would allow, so I give you merely a first draft: Neachdan fiz Muirgheal. "fiz" means "son of," matronymically. In this story, the older son was named patronymically and also received the title. Muirgheal was a woman of standing in her own right, thus meriting a son named for her. Neachdan's byname is irksome to him, being a misogynist as all bitter and jealous men are.
3. Headlining this week at the Pink Rose Speak-Eas--uh, Night Club is a fresh face whose sure to make your "hearts buzz," Jazz Babies. Shake your shimmy to the voice as smooth as bathtub gin: Buzzy Hart!
4. Lester Beansley Doesn't your mouth just curl up in snarl when you say it? His does when he says it.
5. Ement Metzger The son of prominent German born Chicago surgeons, Ement always had trouble living up to expectations. Ement from the latin ementior meaning to devise falsely or make false statements. Metzger is German for butcher.
6. Melisande Millar It's a grand sounding name for a lady of grand proportions who would be grand. The surname's spelling was altered by her parents and is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable in an attempt to hide her humble origins.
Speaking of names and meanings, I just watched The DaVinci Code special features. Did you know that Bishop Aringarosa's name means red herring? If I'd have known that, I would have figured out the book even faster!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Heidi's Name Assignment (Debra)
1. Hilda Aldus Milde. Ok, just kidding. I couldn't resist. Levi Mendelsohn. He's a young, brilliant, passionate man who can be rather annoying when he really gets going! Also, he can't work late on Friday's or on Saturday.
2. Leod Dougal MacLachlan. Leod means ugly and Dougal means black stranger. I just imagine him being born and his nasty father saying that Leod couldn't be his as he's a large man with flame red hair and blue eyes and Leod is a small thing with dark black hair and brown eyes. It doesn't help matters that his older brother Bearnard is the spitting image of their father.
3. "And now we'd like to welcome to the Starlight Room, for one night only, Mr. Charles Drake!!!" :) I just love the way it sounds.
4. Brandie Brainerd isn't the owner of the fast food restaurant, but she is the manager. I like the false sweetness of the name Brandie mixed with the sharp sound of Brainerd. I imagine her as greasy and rather plump but not very old. maybe 30. She sees herself as still 16 (and dresses that way) and is constantly flirting with the young men who work there.
5. Dr. Mitchell Banning. Son of the world renowned Dr. Walter Banning. Mitch just couldn't take the pressure of trying to live up to his father's expectations and now he's about to crumble under the pressure of his guilt and self doubt. I liked this one because Mitchell sounds like a rather weak name to me. As for Banning I just think it sounds like a doctor.
6. Miss Dorcas Collier is my fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant. Every time Dorcas' mother introduces her to anyone she says, "This is our lovely daughter, Dorcas. Dorcas means gazelle. It's that just such a fitting name for our little dear?! She's so graceful!" Collier because it means coal merchant. How shameful!
2. Leod Dougal MacLachlan. Leod means ugly and Dougal means black stranger. I just imagine him being born and his nasty father saying that Leod couldn't be his as he's a large man with flame red hair and blue eyes and Leod is a small thing with dark black hair and brown eyes. It doesn't help matters that his older brother Bearnard is the spitting image of their father.
3. "And now we'd like to welcome to the Starlight Room, for one night only, Mr. Charles Drake!!!" :) I just love the way it sounds.
4. Brandie Brainerd isn't the owner of the fast food restaurant, but she is the manager. I like the false sweetness of the name Brandie mixed with the sharp sound of Brainerd. I imagine her as greasy and rather plump but not very old. maybe 30. She sees herself as still 16 (and dresses that way) and is constantly flirting with the young men who work there.
5. Dr. Mitchell Banning. Son of the world renowned Dr. Walter Banning. Mitch just couldn't take the pressure of trying to live up to his father's expectations and now he's about to crumble under the pressure of his guilt and self doubt. I liked this one because Mitchell sounds like a rather weak name to me. As for Banning I just think it sounds like a doctor.
6. Miss Dorcas Collier is my fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant. Every time Dorcas' mother introduces her to anyone she says, "This is our lovely daughter, Dorcas. Dorcas means gazelle. It's that just such a fitting name for our little dear?! She's so graceful!" Collier because it means coal merchant. How shameful!
July 1- July 7 Names by Hurt Fam
1. My social chatterbox librarian's name is BRIANNE SMITH. Brianne is a namesake of a friend of mine who is a very smart, very chatty butterfly. And Smith because aren't all librarians named Smith??
2. ALASTAIR MACMAHON is the jealous younger brother. I dunno...I just don't like the name Alastair. It sounds like the parents gave the better name to the eldest and this was the left-over.
3. BETTE VALE is the name that comes to me when I think of a 1920's crooner. This character didn't state whether the character was male or female, so I opted for a female. Bette was a common name back then and Vale sounds like a name she picked for herself to make her stand out in a crowd.
4. My lecherous fast-food owner's name is FRANK QUAIL. I dunno...Frank seems like a lecherous, greasy fast-foody name to me for some reason *peers*, and Quail is a scurry-run type of bird that would maybe throw some people off the scent of his lecherousness...ess..ess.
5. GREG CARLTON is the name I chose for "Dr. No". Carlton sounds like a name of a Harvard/Yale grad-family who chose this profession for their son.
6. PETRONELLA STAPLETON is the name I chose for our spoiled social-climber. It sounds like a self-important name, and one of a spoiled person. At least to me. And Stapleton is a common-sounding, non-ton name of a merchant.
So there you have it, folks.
2. ALASTAIR MACMAHON is the jealous younger brother. I dunno...I just don't like the name Alastair. It sounds like the parents gave the better name to the eldest and this was the left-over.
3. BETTE VALE is the name that comes to me when I think of a 1920's crooner. This character didn't state whether the character was male or female, so I opted for a female. Bette was a common name back then and Vale sounds like a name she picked for herself to make her stand out in a crowd.
4. My lecherous fast-food owner's name is FRANK QUAIL. I dunno...Frank seems like a lecherous, greasy fast-foody name to me for some reason *peers*, and Quail is a scurry-run type of bird that would maybe throw some people off the scent of his lecherousness...ess..ess.
5. GREG CARLTON is the name I chose for "Dr. No". Carlton sounds like a name of a Harvard/Yale grad-family who chose this profession for their son.
6. PETRONELLA STAPLETON is the name I chose for our spoiled social-climber. It sounds like a self-important name, and one of a spoiled person. At least to me. And Stapleton is a common-sounding, non-ton name of a merchant.
So there you have it, folks.
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