No Clones Allowed

When today’s date filtered through my noggin this morning mild alarm set in. This blog I am currently writing is due tomorrow, as in March 26^th. I've known it was due because it’s due every month on the 26^th. Does that make a difference? Obviously not. That’s why I promptly forgot it and went about my business for the day. Sitting down at the computer for a totally different reason at 4:15 pm, I was jarred into reality. So, here I sit, totally freaked out. With only one hour before I have to leave for the evening, I’m wracking my brain and coming up empty. Panic time!

Reading the other blogs to educate myself and aid in this process has instead succeeded in intimidating my pea brain. I haven’t figured out the picture insertion process let alone know who most of the actors are. I am woefully ignorant of way too many things. Part of it comes from being a technophobe and the other part is, well, sheer laziness. I’d rather be reading or writing than digging through the geek lingo of an instruction manual. If I have to go on-line for definitions of the words they use, I’m toast. The only language I understand is Farmer Brown English.

But, I digress, back to our characters look-a-likes. I think I have to agree with Nina in her blog. My characters are my characters and they don’t look like anyone else. I see them fully formed with their own unique characteristics, body shape, hair color and facial features. I could try and pick an actor to portray them, but it wouldn't be them. This whole idea is turning my grey matter into mush. They are who they are.

I also agree with Joan’s column. The actors I’m most familiar with are mostly dead and gone. I don’t watch a lot of movies or TV anymore. The last few trips to the theater have been to Iron Man, Thor and Man of Steel. Lots of hunks to drool over but no match. Well, Robert Downey Jr. might work, but that’s plain old wishful thinking. Just because he’s hot doesn't mean he fits one of my characters. J

So, this is all I've got today. Neither exciting nor profound. My characters refuse to be replaced by flesh and blood actors, hunky or otherwise. I’m okay with that. On the off chance they ever make a movie of my stories, I’ll wrestle with who would be perfect then. Not that they would ask my opinion anyway. By the time they chopped it all up and changed it fifty times, I would be too fried to care who they cast. But, here I go down another bunny trail.

When my books are published, and when you read them, feel free to imagine them however you want. That’s the beauty of books. Readers get to participate, inserting their own details into the mix. Imaginations are awesome. Use yours and enjoy!