A Christmas script is born

      No Comments on A Christmas script is born

I’ve wanted to write a Christmas script for a while. I particularly wanted to write about some little creatures that populated my dreams. They’re clear to me, as well as cute, nice, intriguing, and in some indefinable way, connected to Christmas.

So, a few months ago I got out my computer and began a beat sheet. It’s usually one of the first documents I create when I’m working on a new screenplay.

I got the entire first act worked out, then got stuck. And by stuck I mean nothing, absolutely nothing, past the first act would come to me.

I was complaining to my youngest daughter about being stuck. She wanted to help me brainstorm and asked for more details about what I had planned.

“I want it to be exciting,” I explained, “like a thriller, or maybe a-“
“Oh,” she jumped in, “like 00Santa!”

Those words were magic. My brain whirled, there was a loud click, and just like that my head was flooded by music, scenes, and more potential ideas than I could ever possibly use.

I scrapped the first act I had written and started over. This time the flow of ideas continued all the way to the end. In two days time I had a completed beat sheet that mapped out my script.

Funny thing, though. While creating the beat sheet 00Santa became 00MrsSanta, and research revealed that there were no consistent descriptions of the woman, or even a consensus of what her name might be.

Bonus! That gave me a LOT of room to play. And play I did!

I had a few more bumps and swerves as I wrote the actual screenplay, but I finished the rewrites two days ago. As soon as I copyright the script, create a logline, and write the synopsis, I’ll reveal more details.

By the time I complete a novel or a screenplay I know it so well that it becomes real to me. Familiar. Sometimes too familiar.

I had the sudden fear that the screenplay might be too similar to other Christmas movies.

So, I did a deep dive into Christmas flicks.

I found nothing, absolutely nothing, that even remotely resembled this new Christmas movie that I wrote.

And that feels very good.

Like I have been given a gift. A Christmas present.

In the middle of summer.

We are not Borg

      No Comments on We are not Borg

My last post talked about fermenting in lock down and suggested a tea party.

Just to clarify, what is happening currently is NOT what I meant.

The violence and idiocy in the streets is no tea party, it’s an attempt to overthrow our entire way of life to make room for communism.

Funny how quickly it all happened. First, socialism was held out like a carrot. When enough people accepted it as a possibility, WHACK, down came the stick.

Communism.

It’s hard to believe how uneducated these looters are. How can they not recognize Marxist doctrine when they see it? Can this many people really be ignorant of what their lives would be like under a communist run state?

No freedom of religion – the all powerful leader is god.

No freedom to rise to a better life – all belongs to the state.

No freedom to create, grow, invent, express oneself – unless it falls within narrowly defined, state approved strictures.

Communist regimes allow no freedom of thought. Citizens belong to the government, mind, body, and soul.

“Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated.”

Nope! I have no intention of becoming a Borg.

It doesn’t matter how much the riotous bullies burn buildings, topple statues, and act like complete idiots, there are enough non-idiots out here that we can stop this.

And I know we will.

We are Americans. We are not the assimilating type.

Fermenting in lock down

      2 Comments on Fermenting in lock down

I can feel it, deep inside, brewing.
A bubble pops, releasing the foul aroma of frustration that expands and grows until it surrounds my heart.
Time passes and the fermenting continues. Bubbles of frustration continue to pop until my heart is surrounded by more frustration than it can bear.

My heart, fully aware of the danger and needing to protect itself, sends its own ingredient into the mix – a burst anger.

And as forced inaction lengthens into eternity, I finally recognize what is brewing in my chest.

REVOLUTION

I am a grown woman.
I’ve been married more than 35 years.
I’ve successfully raised 4 children.
I have a good education (a bachelor and two masters degrees), 10 published books, and more than a dozen screenplays under my belt.

Yet, I’m being told that I don’t have the mental capacity to wash my hands and keep germs at bay.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” they say. “We’ll do the thinking for you.”

As if!

I am, by nature a rule follower. It feels right.

But, for the first time in my life, I TRULY understand how the American Revolution came to be. Once that fermentation process is in full swing everything changes. Nature takes over.

And nature does not like being locked down.

Anyone in the mood for a tea party? You know, like the kind they had in Boston, oh, so many years ago?

Goodbye tree

      No Comments on Goodbye tree

I love this tree.

It is a beautiful tree, a glorious tree.

Until the constant battles got too onerous. No matter how many times I cut the branches away, the tree was determined to take out my roof.

So, I took action. Or, at least, I hired someone to take action.

Now that the tree is mostly gone, I’m amazed how much sun was hiding behind its branches.

Bonus!

Look out summer, here I come!

DTA series review

      No Comments on DTA series review

All three books in the Department of Temporal Adjustment series in one review!

Nice, very nice.

Here’s where you can find the entire review:

It begins with “A fresh, funny twist to time travel, Tabares’s outstandingly hilarious series tells the story of a time-traveler mother of four who gets entangled into a set of hilarious situations while attempting to fix the timeline shift.”

And ends with “A must read.”

With a lot of good reviewing between.

Check it out!

The books are best read in the following order:

1. Department of Temporal Adjustment
2. Time Without
3. True Story of the Perfect 36

See ya!

New review – True Story

      No Comments on New review – True Story

A new review for True Story of the Perfect 36 was just posted.

Let me tell you, “this story is a lot of fun” and “I laughed out loud quite a few times” are probably some of the best compliments the reviewer could give.

Love it!

You should check it out for yourself.

https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/true-story-of-the-perfect-36-by-veronica-r-tabares

Go on. You know you’re curious. What are you waiting for?

True Story book review

      No Comments on True Story book review

Yipee! Feathered Quill Book Review posted a fantastic review! I’ve shared the end of it below, but to read the entire review, please visit Feathered Quill here.


Tabares has created a crazy ride, not just by boxcars in the 1920s, but through the past and future, her vibrant panorama of events heralding the centennial in 2020 of American women’s right to vote. The two teens are forceful, funny, and sneaky when they need to be, making this a rich read for young adults. And the author has clearly done careful research on the events of that critical Tennessee vote – it being the 36th state to ratify – or not – the suffrage amendment – so older readers will appreciate her treatment of historical fact. She has also devised a devious villain, someone with power to deny women’s suffrage, fueled by his frustration at having learned, through Philip’s ill-timed blunders, that Vanessa’s daughters will one day be credited with the invention of time travel, a distinction he is determined to gain for himself. Balancing these minute-to-minute changes are the gradual changes in the teens, who are growing up as they learn to cope with intrigue, politics, social issues and a strange but still quite human visitor from the future. Tabares is a screenwriter and one can easily envision the cinematic possibilities of this history laden, girl-and-woman-themed, rollicking, action-filled adventure.

Quill says: True Story of the Perfect 36 is an action-packed melting pot of near misses, might-have-beens, time travel glitches, thwarted planetary disasters and coming of age revelations that make for an engaging read.

A mystery

      No Comments on A mystery

The weirdest thing happened Friday morning.

A car parked in front of my house. We get packages delivered all the time, so I ignored it, until two men in nice suits knocked on the door.

Few people in Seattle wear suits, and certainly not the ones who deliver packages.

“Hello?” I asked as I opened the door just wide enough to stick my head outside. I instantly regretted doing even that as I was assaulted by a fog of cologne that rolled up my nostrils and made me want to cough. I took a step back.

“Oh,” one of the men said with a confused look on his face, “we’re looking for Spanish speakers. Sorry.”

He looked down at the phone in his hand and checked something on his screen.

“Are you basing that on the fact that I’m blonde?” I asked. I really did want to know. It was my understanding that it wasn’t possible to look at a person and instantly now what language they spoke. Or didn’t speak.

The man hesitated for a moment.

“You spoke English,” he finally answered. “Do you speak Spanish?”

“Not really,” I admitted. It would have been better if I could have responded in Spanish, but my Spanish is a bit rusty. I’d probably sound like a four-year-old groggy from a nap.

“Okay, thanks,” he said.

Without another word the two men slid their cell phones into their pockets and walked down my driveway to the street. When they got to their car I watched as they loaded their briefcases into the trunk, climbed in the front, and drove away.

There are at least nine other houses on my street. They didn’t visit any of them.

So let’s recap. Suits, briefcases, car, Spanish.

No doubt about it. It’s a mystery!

Maybe not the most exciting mystery of all time, but a mystery nonetheless!

Entrepreneurs

      No Comments on Entrepreneurs

My family is full of them!

Today I want to focus on two particular entrepreneurs, who happen to be my wonderful, smart, witty daughters. Both have businesses they created, and both work themselves to a frazzle to make those businesses successful.

Opening your own business is a lot like raising a child. Sleepless nights and worry are a daily occurrence. The new business is so fragile, so needy. Your life is no longer your own, it belongs to the fledgling business.

But I know both of my daughters are ready for the challenge ahead. I watched as each of them took years to prepare. They researched, they learned new skills, they networked, and they built websites.

I am prouder of my daughters than anyone can imagine!

Without any further blathering on my part, I’d like to share links to their sites with you.

https://chaoscuddles.com/
“…super cool, fun, & quirky items for your tiny humans.”

https://www.thesweatstudios.com/
“Sweat. Music. Mobility.”

Check them out!

P.S. I have two other wonderful, smart, witty daughters. They haven’t started businesses. Yet.