Colorful people

Many people try to write stories and plays and base them on events and people in their lives. My characters are inspired by people I know and Shenan made a good point that if I truly based characters in my play on the people I know, it wouldn't be realistic or believable and would get panned. It makes you realize that life isn't as boring as they say it is. From the pageant girls to the ignorant bigots to those that live outrageously, I could make a soap opera out of my play if I don't tone them down and try to make them "real," i.e. boring. They need to be colorful but plain also--I need to strike a balance and it will probably only involve one really colorful character with moments of realism and lots more down to earth characters. I try to find things in them that make each one unique and hope that they will reveal those quirks to me as I write. Everyone has quirks and catch phrases. I just hope I grow with these characters to find them.

Speaking of characters who reveal themselves, I was so proud of Alfonso Cuaron's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry is starting to reveal the darker side of him and it has made him less one dimensional and more layered. I can't wait to see what happens. Daniel Radcliffe gives Harry so much texture. David Thewlis as Professor Lupin and Gary Oldman as Sirius Black were perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed their dynamic even though these two great actors shared film space for a few brief scenes. It is my favorite book in the series and while Cuaron did not include many of the things I would have liked to have seen like the explanation of who made the Marauder's map, Buckbeak was great and the animation and special effects were incredible in this movie.