Writing Inspiration: Siblings

On December 28, 2014December 25, 2014 By R. PettyIn Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

sibling quote — Photo by: istanabagus.com

With the holidays coming to a screeching halt, I felt it was time to take a break and get away from the season. We’ve often discussed inspiration and certain things that spark great stories. This week, I’ve been thinking about siblings, their importance, and how they inspire us to be better writers and people.

Our brothers and sisters, blood relatives or not, can help motivate us in ways no one else can. I’m fortunate to have two younger brothers, one 6 years younger and one 12 years younger, and they each add something special to my life. One is more introverted and sarcastic, but his passion for the things and people he loves is contagious. The other is more outgoing and sensitive, but his drive to succeed makes even me jealous. Both are very bright, talented guys who will go far in life.

The Perks

When recently talking to a friend about her sibling she said, “Your sibling is the only person who really understands you and your faults. They know how you were raised and where you came from, and there’s no judgment. Even though we [her and her older brother] are complete opposites in most ways, it’s that foundation and those differences that bring us together … the jabs, the sparring make it fun.”

I couldn’t have said it better. My brothers and I fought when we were younger, but thankfully we have a bond stronger than ever as adults. We are alike and different in many ways, but we were raised similarly. I had it a little harder being the oldest, but it made me who I am today, and I would not trade anything for that. They understand where I’ve come from and who I am, and seldom question my decisions, even when the rest of the world does. We don’t always agree, but we’re always there for one another.

People in a sibling role can remember those little details you forget, making for great stories. They can be a great source when writing because sometimes you have the memory but not the details. I remember one brother acting out The Mask and Aladdin in almost their entirety. I remember the other one dumping an entire case of fundraiser M&Ms and mixing it with baking soda and dish washing liquid when I was supposed to be babysitting him. I got into so much trouble for that …

Helping raise my younger siblings also made me a better mom. I had already changed diapers, rocked a little one to sleep, cleaned up various bodily fluids, and so on, so when it came time for me to have my own, I was somewhat prepared. Over the years, they have become my safe haven at family reunions and holiday functions, and help break the ice when things get uncomfortable in social events. And things always get uncomfortable. As the oldest, I want to set a good example, and I want them to know they can do anything they set their mind to. They help fuel the desire to be a better person.

What If You Don’t Have a Sibling?

My friend also said she was sad she had an only child because her daughter wouldn’t experience the sibling bond. I disagree. I believe you can have a sibling-type person in your life – the kind of friend you’ve grown up or maybe even a close roommate. The kind of friends who get you, the ones who are always there, and you may not always see eye-to-eye, but you know if you need them, they’re there. That’s what it’s about.

This week, try to write a story about your sibling or a person who is like a sibling to you. If you don’t have such a person, pick the person who you fight with the most but still love unconditionally. That sums up most sibling relationships (wink, wink). And if you have an estranged sibling, maybe consider reaching out. As a new year approaches, it may be time to take the step and see what happens. Happy writing!

Holiday in Handcuffs

On December 21, 2014 By R. PettyIn MoviesLeave a comment

Christmas movies usually teach a lesson – whether it’s appreciation for life, realizing we should give more, or maybe gifts don’t matter that much.

Romantic-comedy Christmas movies do the same thing, and usually have a fun love story tied in. And although it’s cheesy, there are two romcoms I have to watch every year, and Holiday in Handcuffs is one of those movies. I’ll give you a moment to laugh 😉

Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez star in this quirky, silly movie. Not known as the greatest actors in the world, but in this movie, they work really well together and give the movie a youthful energy many romcoms don’t have. If you’re still interested but not sure if you should check it out, here’s why you should:

Themes: One of my favorite aspects of the movie is the theme of acceptance. I’m sure many of you feel the family pressure during the holidays. Why aren’t you married, why don’t you get a better job, why can’t you be more like <fillinyourperson>? And if they don’t say it, you know someone thinks it. Holiday in Handcuffs addresses this issue in a natural way. The entire family is looking to be accepted by someone else, and I often think need for acceptance is often overlooked, so it uses not one but all characters in this theme.

The stars: If you grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, this is Clarissa and Slater. The preteen/teen in you will appreciate seeing they haven’t changed much. Hart is still expressive and strong, Lopez is still a hunk and suave. Other stars include Timothy Bottoms (Land of the Lost) and Markie Post (Night Court), and June Lockheart (Step by Step, 90210), who you may remember as well.

Script: The script is well written, and there’s plenty of humor for adults. It’s a romcom for the generation who’s now in their ’30s, but fun for today’s teens too. The interactions between the characters feel real, and the funniest parts are the jabs and digs. There’s a good bit of sarcasm and wit, and tt’s not overly mushy. During the “romantic” parts, it still feels like real life.

Premise: With that said, the movie starts out with Hart kidnapping Lopez because she needs a man to take home for Christmas. (Her loser boyfriend dumps her hours before they’re supposed to be there). Sure, it’s a made for T.V. movie and a little silly, but good romcoms will have that special quirkiness that grabs you and makes you want to watch until the happy ending. And there’s always a happy ending.

Is Holiday in Handcuffs an Oscar winner? Nah, but not all good movies need to be. Sometimes it’s nice to kick back and just enjoy a fun, heartwarming movie that gets you away from the stress and to-do lists. So, if you need a good holiday movie that won’t make you cry, check it out. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Good Manners: Where Are They Now?

On December 14, 2014 By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

How many of you have been cut off while driving this week? What about had someone let a door close on you? Or received a response just as ‘yeah’ or been ignored completely?

If you answered yes to any of these, just know you are part of a large group of people who suffer from people with bad manners (I’m guessing 75 percent of the population). Normally, I would blame the holiday season because people behave at their worst this time of year, but the lack of good manners is just how society has evolved.

I wasn’t raised in a strict household and forced to say yes ma’am, no sir, etc. I remember my dad trying to instill this in me, but most times I refused because I didn’t respect him. As I grew up, I learned you should use these responses with elders, bosses, parents, and pretty much anyone – especially if you respect them. But most people don’t say please and thank you, so should we expect them to go a little further? Yes.

And here’s why: good manners are dying off. I remember saying yes ma’am to a manager several years ago, and she said, “Don’t call me ma’am, it makes me sound old.” Really? Having someone show respect makes people feel old? I never quite broke the habit, and still answer my desk phone yes ma’am or yes sir whenever possible. Of course, I didn’t want this woman – who was the same age as me – to feel old, but I would always show respect because I had no reason not to. People don’t do this anymore because they simply don’t care. ‘Yeah’ seems acceptable. People seem too busy to have good manners, and I have two words for that: bull stuffings.

What to Do

When I’m at work or a store and hold the door for someone, most times they look shocked. And I’m shocked at their response. I expect people to hold the door, and they should too. If you get to a door first and someone is right behind you, hold it. If someone is coming out and you are going in, open it. It’s probably the easiest thing to do in a day and can make someone smile or feel respected. And this doesn’t apply to just women. Men seem just as shocked and appreciated, and at the end of the day, we’re all the same. We’re just people.

Driving is probably the worst example of bad manners. The Nashville area is notorious for having bad drivers, and one reason is because people feel where they have to go is more important than everyone else. Tail-gating, honking, cut-offs, taking someone’s turn at a stop sign are things I experience every day. We all need to just take a deep breath and relax. Cutting someone off will save you a whopping three seconds and could cause a wreck, so it’s not worth it. And you may find someone who has good manners and will let you into traffic because they know what it feels like to wait. No matter how hard we try, we’re always going to have to wait.

Let’s not allow good manners to die. One person can make a huge difference, and maybe we can get back to a point where it’s not so rare. Good manners have been lost in older generations for so long, so if you’re younger than 50 and reading this, think about it. With a little change in our day-to-day, we can make the world a little easier to live in.

Troop Beverly Hills: A Fabulous Flashback

On December 7, 2014 By R. PettyIn MoviesLeave a comment

Troop Beverly Hills is one of the most underrated girl power movies ever. The movie premiered in 1989, a year on the cusp of the ’90s before the Gulf War began when Hollywood was everything. It wasn’t just about the fabulous life of Beverly Hills residents, it’s a coming-of-age story about a group of girls, their troop leader, and the ultimate teen girl power movie predecessor to movies like Clueless and Mean Girls, both of which have similar themes.

I was 7 years old when this movie came out, and I have watched it dozens of times. As a little girl, it was one of my favorite movies because it gave me hope. I may not be rich or a wilderness girl, but I know – and did then – how to adapt and survive.

Reviewers and critics are often hard on this movie, but it’s worth a watch if you love three things: a good story, comedy, and a happy ending.

Here are my favorite things about Troop Beverly Hills:

Shelley Long – I’ve probably never seen another movie she’s been in, but I knew her from Cheers, so I recognized her at a young age. She’s over-the-top, super girly, and a little whiny. But she is a fantastic mother. As a mom, it’s hard not to respect a woman who never gives up and does everything she can to care for her daughter and troop. Long plays a loving and unconditionally accepting woman who goes above and beyond, no matter what obstacles she faces. She’s a great role model.

Unity – The movie brings together a diverse group of girls – both in the background and ethnicity – and shows how anything is possible when you work as a team. Sometimes we women struggle with female relationships because many times women are overly competitive, sneaky, and too cutthroat. Several “girl” movies deal with girl-on-girl crime, but Troop Beverly Hills shows that no matter what problems you have or how different you are, when woman (or people) come together, great things happen. It adds the team factor.

Relatability – Underlying themes include the struggles of divorce, neglectful parents, coming-of-age, money, power, politics, and fashion. It’s a great mother-daughter movie, although I bet there are some great dads out there who would enjoy it as well. When the movie came out, my parents were on the verge of divorce, so I related with Phyllis (Long) and her daughter Hannah (Jenny Lewis) the most. I could understand how the mom and child felt, and even today I bet there are thousands of kids who could do the same. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or what life you’ve lived, the theme of wanting a fulfilling life, sense of accomplishment, and love are something most of us always want.

Fun and Innocence – Sure there’s profanity, but it’s not overly done and used in the most passionate times. It’s a wholesome story that addresses serious issues in a fun, innovative way. Some of the fashion is ridiculous, the dialogue is smart, and there aren’t any shock scenes. I miss movies that work off the story instead of trying to amplify it for shock value. I miss movies with little if no CGI and good acting – movies that take a good story and characters and create a great movie. There are no overly dramatic scenes, and when there is drama, it is often followed with comedy to keep it lighthearted. We could all use a little more fun and innocence in our lives.

If you haven’t seen it or it’s been awhile, you should check it out. And feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. We love to hear from you!

Artist Spotlight: Zach West

On December 1, 2014November 30, 2014 By R. PettyIn ArtLeave a comment

Graphic design is in more than you realize. It takes a designer to build those eye-catching ads, the customized phone cases, and awesome T-shirts. This month, we’re spotlighting an up-and-coming designer and very cool guy, Zach West. Be sure to check out his stuff at zwgfxdesigns!

Lindsey Stirling; Photo and designed by Zach West: http://zwgfxdesigns.wordpress.com

Media types: Graphic Design, Drawing, Video Editing, Gaming, Social Media

RevPub: What made you want to become a designer, and are there any artists who influence you?

I started designing shortly after I graduated from high school. I discovered gfx forums, which are message boards dedicated to learning to design. When I joined, the community was focused on designing tags/signatures that appear below the user’s post. Some of the designs that people in the community were designing really inspired me to become a designer. They were industry professionals, but if I showed you some of their work, it would blow you away. THE artist who influenced me was a man on the forums named Cleveland Paige aka +mw.pmi. His work was amazing, and I made it my goal to be that good one day.

RevPub: What are your favorite things to design? Is there anything you want to do but haven’t yet?

My favorite things to design are signatures/tags and photo manipulation pieces. The feeling of accomplishment I get when I’ve finished one of those two are greater than the feeling I get from anything else. Plus, they’re just fun to do. As far as doing something I haven’t yet, I really want to get into illustrating something. Drawing and then using a tablet to ink and color the drawing in Illustrator is something I really want to get into.

RevPub: What are the must-have tools you need to draw or design?

For drawing, pencil and paper lol. That’s all I need. For digital designing, besides the computer and software, the pen tool is a must. The pathfinder bar in Illustrator. All the tools have their uses, but those two I use almost always in my designs.

RevPub: If you could design or draw anything for someone, who would it be?

It’s hard to pick one person lol. Probably Lindsey Stirling because she’s so awesome! 🙂

RevPub: You just graduated from college. Any tips for students entering the field?

Design as much high-quality work as possible for your portfolio and design work that you would be required in the design industry. Also, try to get experience anywhere you can!

Thanksgiving: Take a Break

On November 30, 2014November 29, 2014 By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

This Thanksgiving, I found myself in more of a holiday mood than I’ve experienced in years. I decided this week’s post would be simple, and I hope you enjoy it.

A few weeks ago, I became a little more sensitive to whining and complaining. I really started to listen to people and what they said. It surprised me how much complaining we all do every day. So, I decided to try to stop complaining and focus on – you guessed it – what I was thankful for. I decided I would do a Thanksgiving Day resolution, and since Thursday, I am complaining less and enjoying what I have.

Here are the things I’m thankful for, and as we approach the Christmas/holiday season, I hope this finds you a little nicer and in better spirits. The holidays are stressful and busy, but let’s not forget what’s really important.

1. Friends and family. I combine these because my friends are very much my family as well. Each day, I am surrounded by amazing people who try their best to work hard and support others. For the most part, everyone is happy and healthy.

2. Work. Let’s face it: no one loves to work all the time, but I do enjoy working and I’m happy to have a job that allowed me five days off this Thanksgiving. I so needed it. I’m thankful to my company and that I have a good job, working with even better people.

3. My home. Home is a very sacred place and should be the one place you can hide from the world if needed. It should be an escape, and I’m thankful to have a home that is comfortable and warm.

4. My car. I love my Z for its speed and hotness, but it also gets me where I need to go. I drive that little car all over the place, and it hangs in there. There are days I take out my stress on it, and it keeps up with me.

5. Love, nature and beauty. Love keeps us going in the darkest times, and I feel loved by many. It is truly the greatest emotion to have, so be sure to spread some this holiday season. Also, if you struggle with the grayness and dreariness of the weather, keep fresh flowers in the house. It’ll help. Nature is truly beautiful, and when you stop to smell the roses (so to speak) you’ll be surprised how much better you feel.

Feel free to share what you’re thankful for in the comments section, and here’s to a happy holiday season!

Revenant Publications

Author: R. Petty