Everybody Hates Chris

For starters, I had a bizarre time trying to get to the stage. I swear it wasn’t my fault. Here’s how it went:

I showed up at Paramount Studios and entered the Gower Gate where a security guard checks people in and issues passes and maps.

Well, there were two other extras in front of me and they weren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed…or at least they hadn’t done this too many times before and the guard got a little restless. She made the assumption that all three of us were going to the same show despite my totally 1983 wardrobe. (Then again, it was Halloween and I’m sure she’d seen weirder stuff on non-Halloween days, too)

She was a pretty tough cookie so I didn’t argue when she drew out the map to Stage 23. I needed to go to Stage 17, but I wasn’t about to say that. I figured I’d just follow the other two and 17 would be somewhere close.

Nope.

I walked around and around and around. Usually, when I go to Paramount, I enter through the Lemon Grove gate. I know my way around better from that side. This kind of reminded me of when I was on Old Christine at Warner Brothers not to long ago–I know the lot from every other entrance but the one I came in through.

Finally, I stop a security guard and he points me past the water tank. Duh. I felt like such an idiot for forgetting there were more stages on that side of the lot…

I get over there and find 15 and 16, but where the hell is 17? I find New York Street where we’ll be filming, but still I had more wandering before I found Stage 17.

The highlight of my impromtu tour was passing down alleyway after alleyway that were most certainly used during the filming of Angel. I recognized so many places including the Angel Investigations building facade on the backlot across from where we were shooting.

I finally come up on Stage 17 and go through the door. The sets are all empty. Where is everyone? I walk all the way through the building and out the other side. I figured I’d see either a group of extras or someone who could tell me where check-in was.

I turn down another dark alleyway and happen to peer in some of the windows… There were ancient generators and a lighting control board from eons ago. See, back in the day, light boards weren’t computerized consoles like they are now. Lighting control was done by numerous huge levers–kind of like old-school breakers except bigger.

I passed four windows’ worth of these huge throw switches assumedly attached to old dimmers, but I couldn’t see inside any of the panels. I was totally in awe. Once upon a time, I was a Theatrical Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, Light Board Operator and Lighting Equipment Repair Technician, so seeing how it all used to be done was fantastic. There were sections chained off as though a tour runs through. I gotta look into it because that stuff really floats my boat. I could geek on it for hours.

I wander back to where I started at Stage 17 and there’s a table set up. I’d finally found check-in. But I was about an hour early (I’d stupidly misjudged traffic) so I had to wait. No biggie. At least I knew where I was supposed to be now.

Background pinball is background pinball. The most exciting thing about the shoot was a bus in motion. Uh-huh. Oh boy. I wish there was more to report, but the only other excitement I had was when the costumer absolutely loved every inch of clothing I’d brought. I was stunned. This is a period show, 1983, and the costumer was actually excited to have me. This was the first time ever on a period show that there was no sigh, “I guess what you have will work” or without even looking in my garment bag “What size are you?”.

Oh yeah, and this was also the first show where I got to be the token white girl. It was fun. I hope I get to do more.

UPDATE: All that and a couple of screen captures to boot!

Pen names

Yeah, I write under a pen name… Two in fact.

Some people do it for privacy reasons. Like they’re deep undercover writing erotic romance while living in the Bible belt or teaching third grade…maybe even both.

Some people do it because their real name isn’t memorable or doesn’t have a nice ring.

Some people do it because they don’t like their real name.

Some people do it because they’d rather go by a different name.

I’m sort of a combination. My real name, Lisa, is okay…sort of a dime-a-dozen growing up so I’d rather have a different name. After too many misdirected shouts on the playground from kids who wanted to play with ‘the other Lisa’ or teachers scolding ‘the other Lisa’, I’d kind of retired it in my head anyway. Yeah, Lisa is my name, but I don’t get upset when people call me, “Hey you.”

I took my last name from Jason when we got married. Thus, I became Lisa Stoddard. Yeah, it’s not bad, but it’s also not good. I mean, there’s another Stoddard who writes science fiction. Jason isn’t related to the guy, but the name is too similar.

See, this is where the necessity for a pen name comes in…recognition. I don’t want anyone confusing my work with Jason’s. It’s totally different and if you pick up a Jason Stoddard book expecting a Lisa Stoddard story, you’re gonna be extremely disapointed and vice-versa.

I mentioned that I write under two pen names. That’s only half true. My other pen name is a shared pen name. My best friend and I write as a team under the name Ashleigh Raine. Yeah, we could’ve put both our names on the books, but Ashleigh Raine just sounds so much better and it also has sentimental significance for us.

Now, on to my pen name. Well, in the Ashleigh Raine books, my favorite character to write is Twyla Emerson. If Ashleigh hadn’t been published first, I’ll bet my pen name would be Twyla Emerson, but I’m also glad Ashleigh was published first because I can’t imagine that particular character with a name different than Twyla Emerson. I mean, she’s been a part of my life since high school.

High school… That leads me to being the Raine half of Ashleigh Raine. When I doodled out stories all those years ago, if I didn’t have a set female character name, I used Raine. That’s why the pen name Ashleigh Raine works very well for when I write with my best friend.

Back to high school… There was another character whom I’d noodled out various stories about, but she had a full name… Rina Slayter.

What better pen name than from a character I’ve written since high school? Becoming her in the flesh and mind means I’m ruthless, strong, tough, ass-kicking and intriguing on the outside, but mysterious, sweet and deeply hurt on the inside. Lots of flaws to challenge, play with and work around.

And if the author herself isn’t interesting, how the hell is her work supposed to be? Writers write what they know…

There you have my story on writing under a pen name…and a half!

Invasion

Another day, another dollar. This time it was a TV show called Invasion. I understand it’s getting good reviews, but while I have a TV, I have no form of reception. If I did, I’d never get any writing done.

I showed up just outside of downtown LA in record time this fine morning and went directly to base camp. The maze of trailers was mostly set up, but more were pouring in and arranging as I stood around getting in everyone’s way.

This was the very first time there was no extras holding or catering tables set up and no one really knew what to do with us extras. I found that rather strange. Usually, if there’s no holding, we go to catering, but there weren’t any tables set up other than the ones which held breakfast, so there was no place to sit. Gradually, us extras found each other and congregated until finally one of the A.D.s gathered us up and took us to holding…

…in an old chapel! Yeah, we were shooting in an old hospital and holding was in the chapel. Very weird. One of the weirdest places I’ve ever been in holding. Fancy ballroom down a scary run-down corridor (Boomtown), school auditorium theatre (Hollywoodland) and now deserted chapel with the pews stored in a room next door. Strange, but at least it was interesting!

The scene took place in a restaurant–which was actually a dressed up boiler room, but it looked nifty. My ‘date’ was wonderful. He was very good at the standard background gibberish pantomime. I swear, sometimes I end up with the worst, most wooden or unobservant partners. He was wonderful. I hope I get to work with him again.

I saw two of the stars. I don’t know their names, though. Sorry. As I said, I’m not a TV watcher–at least until shows come out on DVD!

Today was nice and easy…We got there at 7 and left around noon. I haven’t had a day so short in a very, very long time. In fact, I don’t remember the last short day!!!!

Ah well. In between bits of working, I sat in holding and read stories from my critique group and tried to straighten out one of the crappy scenes in one of my novels. At some point, I’ll get that book together. I just keep finding scenes of trash between scenes of brilliance. All in a day’s work, I suppose. I’m kinda glad I didn’t bring my novel-in-progress because for once, I didn’t spend enough time in holding to have been able to work on it.

In other news, I saw Domino over the weekend and discovered I’m, like, totally in it. I’ve never seen my head take up that much space on the big screen before! Plus, I generally land on the cutting room floor, so this was a very big surprise. I hope I get more gigs like that one.

I just interviewed for reality TV

I don’t really know why I went, but that’s nothing new. I go with my gut and trust my instincts on stuff and I’m rarely steered wrong. At this point, it was just for the experience, the adventure.

Truthfully, it was even smaller than I’d expected. The show is web-based, so it’s not like any of this town’s big names are gonna show up. Sure the exposure is big–being on the web and all–but it depends on the traffic driven to the site. I mean, there are no guarantees.

Besides, they may not want me anyway. I’m in SAG. I mostly did this to see what it’d be like, not to promote books although it’d be a good by-product. Plus, I’m on the cusp of getting published, so this would be an interesting time to invade my life and splash it all over the web. Hey, could be fun.

To start, there was an eight (or more, I didn’t count) page questionnaire to fill out. Then, a little bit of waiting while they got themselves figured out better. (I was only the second one they’d interviewed) Once I got into the final room for the interview, it went well. I don’t know how good my chances are and I also don’t know if I really want to be in the show.

It’s funny. I thought I’d feel something about whether I wanted to do the show or not, but I left feeling middle-of-the-road.

Maybe that’s from my experiences with rejection letters lately. I don’t get my hopes up about things I can’t control. And today’s experience was reassuring proof of that.

I also thought I’d get nervous, but once I was in the building, my nerves never frazzled. I wasn’t relaxed, but I also wasn’t frozen in fear. Very strange.

As I sit here blogging, I’m still trying to make sense of the experience and even theorize whether or not I’ll get on the show, but I’m a complete blank.

Of course in my own little world, the show should be all about me, me, me because I’m wonderful.

But I also happen to live in the real world–which is a whole lot bigger than my own little world–and I understand how this Hollywood stuff works!

I was asked about how I write erotic romance and whether I had any strife in my family. Mainly, I think I was essentially dubbed ‘The chick who’s livin’ the dream’ and filed away.

Whatever. The experience was worth more than the price of admission and that’s what’s most important. And certain aspects of the adventure will definitely show up in the next book I’m writing. Oh hell yeah.

Life is good…very, very good.

A visit from my parents

My parental units visited this week and I got to play tourguide here around LA.

And I had no idea where to take them, but they had a few ideas of where they wanted to go. We hit up Chinatown and the garment district so we could get some beads. I’ve got a bunch of clothes that I wanna embellish and my mom wants to make some bracelets. We came home and my mom asked if I had some beads that’d be good for bracelets. I calmly reminded her that I’ve been collecting beads since I was in 4th grade.

We went into my craft room and I started pulling out tray after tray after tray of more beads than she’d ever seen outside of a bead store. I had fun and designed a couple bracelets for her. I’m real quick at beadwork. I’ve been doing it since I was in grade school. I used to take apart all the old jewelry she and my grandma had given to me. Some of those old beads are still in my collection ready to be reused for the fifteenth time in some new creation.

When my mom left the craft room, she was overwhelmed, but quite pleased. I can’t wait to hear how adventures in bracelet making go.

The other day, my mom had suggested touring a Hollywood studio, but my dad vetoed for reasons I can’t remember. Anyhow, they got a taste of Hollywood anyway because when we went to Santa Monica, Alias happened to be shooting at the end of the pier. We watched a few takes and then continued on after my mom snapped pictures.

As we approached the set, I thought it’d be nifty to be there as a tourist rather than an extra, but that changed when I got up close. I felt like such a dork. I might as well have been in a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, white socks pulled to the knee and a camera around my neck. Oh well. It was still fun and the first time I was on a set while not on the clock.

Now, I’m back to the old grind and life is very, very good.

My first movie premiere

So, while during a signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, I was offered tickets to go to the premiere of Doom. The other half of Ashleigh Raine can’t make it and neither can my hubby Jason, so I’m relegated to go with his best friend Eddie.

That much I’m excited about.

The torrential rain attacking LA right now…

Not so excited about it.

Then again, when I’m involved, anything is possible. I’m still gonna go and do my best to have a great time.

But I know that for the most part because of the rain this adventure’s going to be one of those stories that starts with, “Yeah, well the first premiere I ever went to–it was raining cats and dogs so I wore vinyl pants, tall vinyl boots and…”

Who knows? Could be better. Could be worse. I’ll bet there’ll definitely be a story in it, though.

My First Walk On The Red Carpet!

Last weekend, Jen and I did a booksigning at a gothic book shop called Dark Delicacies. I highly recommend going there if you’re ever in or near Burbank, CA. The shop is wonderful (And my opinion isn’t biased because of the thank you gifts they handed out to the authors. The shop really is fantastic and I’ll be doing a lot of Christmas shopping there.)

Anyhow, one of the gifts was tickets to the premiere of ‘Doom’ with The Rock.

Oh hell yeah, I was wanting to go. I’d never been to a premiere before. Jason balked citing too much work to do, but his best friend Eddie agreed to go with me…even though it rained all day.

Once at Universal City Walk, we had some time to kill. Eddie hadn’t realized what I’d meant by ‘premiere’ and ‘red carpet’ until we walked by the front of the theater and saw all the hullabaloo set up. He turned to me, “Is that where we’re going?” I thought, “duh”, but said, “Yup!” and then we grabbed dinner at a crepe shop.

We still didn’t now exactly how this whole premiere thing worked. I mean, there were fences and stuff around the red carpet and because of all the plastic to keep out the rain, it was hard to figure out where we were supposed to go. But we did have tickets, so we walked up to one of the security guards.

I came dressed for rain. I didn’t want to mess around with an umbrella so I wore my knee-high silver vinyl boots, violet snakeskin vinyl pants, green sweater and metallic blue vinyl jacket…oh, and a metallic brown vinyl hat. I really didn’t care what I looked like. The rain had seriously been coming down all day and the last thing I wanted to do was go see a movie while being wet and freezing. Due to my vinyl outfit–and the rain tapering to a drizzle–I weathered quite nicely.

The security guard looked the two of us up and down and was ready to tell us to get lost. (I don’t blame him one bit!) When the guard asked if we needed to go to will call for tickets, he had that ‘get lost’ edge in his voice still. But then Eddie whipped out our tickets and the guard’s song changed to, “Yes, sir. Right this way,” essentially. It was actually pretty funny. We had orange tickets while just about everyone else had blue tickets. I never did figure out what the difference in colors meant.

Anyhow, that guard pointed us toward another 5 or so guards who succintly stated, “Go to your left,” when we got to the infamous red carpet. To the right were all the photographers and at some point the important people. To the left, there was a crowd of tourists and gawkers held back behind the fences. Eddie suggested he hold up his jacket while shouting, “No pictures!” and running me in. I reminded him that it was already too late. They’d seen us and knew we were nobody…unless someone mistook me for Jennifer Beals–which does happen sometimes–but I doubt Jennifer Beals would go to a movie premiere while wearing as much vinyl as I was. She’s got class. I, however…

Anyway, after our stroll along the soggy red carpet (which, BTW I loved just for the sake of getting to walk on THE red carpet no matter how water-logged it was) we got into the theater lobby where we met about fourteen more guards and were given the cavity search. They pointed us up a set of stairs.

Then another guard yelled at us, telling us to stop and wanting to see our tickets again. (Judging by the looks we kept getting, I think the guards thought we were vagrants or something. We didn’t really fit in with the people who were already in the theater. As more arrived, everything normalized, but still, at that point, we were too odd-looking to be there.)

We got sent to two theaters before getting to sit down. If I’d chosen to dilly-dally, I could’ve waited to see The Rock and the rest of the cast, but there’s a weird feeling on the other side of the red carpet.

Yeah, I’d already seen The Rock when I was on Be Cool, but there’s also a sort of different feeling that I hadn’t expected once I’d walked the red carpet and entered the theater lobby. Like the fans and gawkers were all outside and everyone inside shouldn’t gush or drool or whatever over the cast.

I’d assumed once I’d gotten into the building that I’d hang around and watch the stars arrive, but the whole feeling changed once I got my free popcorn. It was like I was supposed to be blase about being in the midst of stars.

Well, as blase as I could be while wearing that much bizarre vinyl.

The energy in the building was nifty because it was the premiere and we were all seeing the movie before the general public. I never did figure out what the orange vs. blue tickets were about.

The movie wasn’t bad, wasn’t good. I’ll admit that it’s been years since last I’d watched someone play ‘Doom’ the video game upon which the movie is based, so perhaps I was a little removed from the movie, but in general the entire experience was absolutely fantastic. I really had a great time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have tickets to the afterparty, but oh well. Maybe next time.

Prize positioning

So, tonight I’ll be going to a rather snooty wine pairing dinner for which the dress code is formal. No biggie. Jason’s got the tux he got married in and I’ve persuaded him to buy me some gowns.

Well, the gown I was gonna wear tonight was too long so I had to have it shortened. Once again, no big deal.

My chuckle came in when I went to pick up the dress.

Y’know how when you go to a snooty restaurant, there’s always nice cars laying around the entrance. I’ve had this happen with my Prowler, Viper, even one of my old classic Mustangs. I still chuckle, but whatever.

When I went to pick up my dress, it was ever-so-prominently displayed in the front.

I guess dry cleaners like to keep the nice stuff up front, too…makes the clientele look snootier. I dunno. It could’ve been a coincidence, but still. I was amused.

My website is coming rather well. I still have a welt on my forehead from banging against my laptop, but the site ain’t half bad. I might be able to upload in a week or so. Hopefully sooner, but all in all, not bad. For a little while there, I was beginning to wonder.

I must start thinking

I gotta figure out what I’m gonna wear to the World Fantasy Convention.

For most people [or at least Jason] packing for a conference is simply open the suitcase and toss a bunch of clothes in it.

But for me…well…it’s not that simple. The last time I tried the open-suitcase, toss-stuff-in method, I ended up with a bunch of clothes, but nary a single outfit. See, my wardrobe is huge and mostly full of weird clothes that barely go with themselves let alone with other pieces.

I have geese with stripes for goodness sake.

And fuzzy, bright blue flamed pants.

And a sci-fi swirl dress.

These are not bits that I’d want randomly tossed into a suitcase for an event where I have to look at least somewhat competent.

I realize there’ll be a certain quantity of time when I’m Jason’s second-fiddle-playing arm ornament. But there’s also going to be time when I’ll be Rina Slayter, author extraordinaire. I gotta come up with stuff that reflects both of those roles simultaneously. I don’t want to hide a spare hat in my bag and switch per role. It didn’t work in acting class, so why should it work in life?

So, once again, I’m in a quandary. How bizarre should I go?

For RWA, I painstakingly plotted out what I was going to wear when and I felt pretty good…like even if I wasn’t altogether with it, my clothes gave the impression that I was. That was good enough for me and I want to continue that tradition.

So here I am, holding up my $30 Armani and a metallic nylon Chinese top while shrugging my shoulders.

Guess I’ll need to wait until the deadline is closer and there’s more pressure.

Thus renewing faith in myself…

I just now figured out how to add links to my sidebar.

Not that I’d been trying and failing for eons. I’d simply never looked.

But mainly what that little endeavor has done is renew my own faith in my web-programming skills. (Not that I’m a programmer, nor want to be, but simply I have now confirmed that I truly do know enough to be dangerous.) To put the links there, I had to physically go into the code and add them. I’d assumed it’d be either a chore or I’d do what I’d thought was right and then refresh and my blog would be gone.

But I done good. Yaaaaay! Go me!

Now I get to figure out if any of that newfound knowledge will actually help me with the Rina Slayter site.

It’s coming along. I learned a ton yesterday–all by accident.

…Well, that is if I “accidentally” banged my head against my computer for three hours…

It all comes down to determination.

And getting smarter than the problem.

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