Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

Today's post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves for weekly updates.

           LOOKING FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER

This week I was on film over at HereandTHERE.Live hosted byDavid Plutado Fugate. This is performing arts venue, that serves, artists, youth and community members in Edina, Minnesota. 

 I liked writing the scene. We had to write a spin off of one of Bill O'Reilly's sketches where O'Reilly becomes frustrated with his film staff for getting the words on the teleprompter wrong.   We had a choice of whether to put our whole written script on the teleprompter or just the words that were supposed to be wrong.  I opted for the one sentence.

  The most intense moment was when the guy behind the teleprompter began counting down 3, 2, 1 and raising his thumb to indicate 'ACTION'.  From there I recited a script that I wrote and did a combination of recitation and improvising.  I really thought that if I improvised some of it- it would bring out the emotion of the scene better. And it worked! Lots of great emotion spilled out as I became frustrated and even threw a pen on the table that bounced and almost hit one of the cast members.  It was a great experience.  I hope to inspire some more people to get out there and try filming.  That's all for this week, please leave your comments below.

CURRENTLY

Reading: The Power of You by Chris Michaels Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson,This Moment is your Miracle by David Hoffmeister 

Watching: Crazy Ex Girlfriend (Netflix)

ON THE BLOG

Current: The Sunday Post 

Upcoming: Wordless Wednesdays

J is for Jaunty Dance Books #AtoZchallenge via @trincarl

Readers if you love love, love great dancing books, you'll love to learn about the books below. These books are soul wrenching and will have you pumped up and ready for dance.

I'm including these books as part of my #AtoZchallenge and my theme of anything Writer(ly).

It's important as writer to write about things you know. I like books about dancing because I've been dancing my whole life. I started as a child dancing at Kay Marie and Carol's school of dance in Robbinsdale in Minnesota. I took tap, ballet, and jazz for seven years. I went on to dance for my high school's dance team and since then enjoyed dance aerobic classes at the gym.

Tinia Moulder #FridayFeeling @mixed_blood @MNTheaterLove #Theater‏

Actress, Tinia Moulder, is with me to discuss her acting career and her most recent performance at Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis Minnesota.  

#Actor Mohammed Hajji Ahmed @HistoryTheatre #amjoy

Actor, Mohammed Hajji Ahmed is with me today to discuss his role in 'A Crack In the Sky' a new play based on Ahmed Ismail Yusuf''s life story and

 his 2013 book, “Somalis in Minnesota,”  Yusuf tells the story of a young shepherd boy’s journey from Mogadishu to Minneapolis.

Mohammed Hajji Ahmed (pictured above)

Mohammed, did you find any similarities between your struggles and the character’s?

I’m an immigrant since 2015. I’ve been in the United States for three years, and I’ve worked for six months now, acting,publishing and getting my academics together. I could understand the struggle of juggling many things. (Like the character, Ahmed, from Somalia who sought refuge in Minneapolis).

How long did you practice? About a month.  The lines were never finalized until the first night of the play.  

What makes the character you played so special?

99% of us (Somalis) are nomads.  He (Ahmed) was the only Somali on campus.  For me, he had courage and will.  The people who helped him were human beings so they didn’t look at skin color or religion. He came from Somalia to America and became successful, I don’t even know how describe that.  That made it beautiful.

Will you be in any future performances?  

You know Somalis are great at oral poetry, we’ve entertained hundreds back home without microphones and without technology. I have plans to do some short films and would like to use social media to publicize those.

Last question Mohammed, being that you were so fearless and articulate on stage, what were you like in high school?  I’ve always been outgoing, engaged with people, regardless of race or religion.  Back home I made friends, with D.J’s, sheiks (religious leaders and even the homeless.

Thanks for joining me, Mohammed.

Thanks for having me.

Readers, please comment below.

#WordlessWednesday #amtraveling #amjoy

#WordlessWednesday #amjoy #stpaul

#SilentWednesdays

    I spent my morning doing Zumba at a gym in White Bear Lake.  Here are more reggaetone and Zumba songs to add to your repetoir:

 

Allez, ola, ole jessy matador https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG7Pr1DFOio

La maquina de Baile Daddy Yankee  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrLeZaOiAos

Estrellita de Madruga  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHv5eufHe5k

Vamos a Celebra -Alex Zardo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DewywvZm45M

Gasoline Daddy Yankee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG2VI9Jvmeg

  

      

Gym short story

   

We'd like to take time for everyone to introduce themselves.  Shiva began.  After you introduce yourself, if you would like to make an announcement you could at this time.  We can't hear you.  I cant hear you.  Spoke a member.  Shiva glanced at the mic in her hands and shook it like a babies rattle.  She spoke louder giving and came off like an angry lion.  Speaking loudly just so happened to rackle her throat, getting a lap ban put in last summer caused her voice to become raspy due to the oxygen the they shoved down her throat.

 

      
st. paul public library 

Shakopee vs. Champlyn Park basketball Tournament

      

Shakopee squared off in a game against Champlyn Park at the Target center.   Lakeville North and Apple Valley High school helped Shakopee Cheer their way through the game.

What I had to love about the tournament was:

Apple Valley pep squad dressed in beach outfits: tank tops, sun hats and swim shorts

I loved the size of Lakeville North's high school band

I also liked the newest addition to the concept of cheering including holding miniature flashlights to distract players during their free throws. 

I also liked the cheers including, "I think were going to win, I think were going to win."

Veronica's Room

      
I went to see Veronica's Room at Ames Theater in Burnsville, Minnesota.

  Now, I love the emotions of the theater like anyone else but during this performance I sympathized with the character to such an extent that I was having anxiety about what it would be like to be looked up in a room and not know what my captors had in store for me.

      

      

Writer's tips

       Writer's tips in Global Dig


1.When writing an historical novel you have to think of every last detail of truth even down to a spy character taking a casual picture with a tourist and the possible change in the spy's future from taking that picture.  You have to think of the things like whether certain trains would have been running in that time period and what would have been their routes or if the empire state building could have been seen from the distance that you had that character see it.


2.In a story, even a minor character's exchanges need to be specific.  You can't just say the tickets were given if there was no one in the scene to give the tickets.


3.  Body language in a scene is very important with a memorable character.  A character's actions need to be over emphasized on the paper whether its their reaction to another character's words or their drastic movements.

Total lack of awareness

   

A poem

Total lack of awareness, stuck on the methadone.

She was totally unaware.

If she asked everyone in the library for a piece of gum  it was fine.

With her she spoke so load that the folks with the headphones could hear her.  She was unaware.  She didn't care.

She hit down on the computer keys with her manicured nails to the annoyance of the librarians whose shush-shushing noises began a cadence of music and sound.