LTUE Conference, and my Biggest Pet Peeve in Movies

Hey y'all.


So, I don't know if you noticed, but I forgot to blog on Friday. It's not really that I forgot, it's that I drove to Provo for the LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) writing conference, and I didn't get to my hotel room until 11:30.


And then I forgot.


I went to the conference on and off, because the main reason I was there was to be with my writer's group.
Emily Wing Smith and Bree Despain, 2/6 of the SIX.
Numbers 2 and 3 Crazy, respectively. 


We hadn't seen each other in over a month, and as everyone knows, every month that goes by where we don't see each other, a part of us just shrivels up and dies.


It's random which parts this affects. For me, it was my upper left ear lobe. Emily wasn't so lucky. It was her right eye. Bree lost her writing hand. For Sara, the part that shriveled up and fell off happened to be a baby.
Little Emmi Bolton. Who knew that's how babies were made?
I have to admit, my cup has been runneth-ing under a little bit lately, so it was nice to be with these gals and get a refill.


Other Happenings at the Conference:


*James Dashner displays extraordinary honesty in his keynote address:
Just Kidding. He rocked the house. And only made a couple babies cry.
*Mette Ivie Harrison and Bree were on a panel teaching us about the problems we face when writing sequels, and how to solve those problems.
Mette and Bree: Experts on Sequels


*The next day, Bree promptly forgot everything she ever knew about writing sequels, and had a meltdown about her own upcoming sequel.


*I got to meet up with old friends and meet some new friends. *Waves to everyone*


*We saw I am Number Four.
Alex Pettyfer. He doesn't care the world is blowing up around him.
Now that Alex is in Number four, and they want him for Hunger Games, and the Mortal Instruments series, we're convinced a Young Adult novel cannot be adapted for the big screen unless his name is attached. 

Please, someone out there produce another hot, blond teenage actor. Otherwise, none of our books stands a chance. 

AS FOR MY PET PEEVE:

Also in the movie, my favorite cliche, where the character sets an explosive in a building and then walks away in slow motion, and when the building blows up behind her, she can't be bothered to notice. 
Please say one of those 2X4's whacks her in the head. Please.

What the what? I'm sorry, I don't care how many buildings you've blown up. If something is exploding mere feet behind you... you look! Everyone would look! If you don't look, all I can think is, "She must be deaf from all the buildings she's blown up."

Even then, there is no excuse. It can't be that old. I see fireworks every Fourth of July, and there's no way I would just walk away in slow motion while the show went on behind me. It never gets old! Look! Pretty fire! 

Just once, I want that scene to happen, and then one of the sparks lights her hair on fire. 

Then we can be all, "Yeah, you shoulda looked."

Anyone else see it? What did you think? 

p.s. Update on my dad: He's completed his first round of chemo, and is doing well. Yay! Thanks for all of your prayers and well-wishes.