Tara Tyler Talks #Goals and Remember Blog Hops?

Anyone fall of the Resolution Wagon yet?
I hope not! Keep at it all month and it SHOULD become a good habit.

I was really feeling the need for New Year's Resolutions this year. The treat train finally came to a stop, and I totally purged my pantry. Better eating is Goal #1 and my method is--if I don't buy it, I can't eat it!

Speaking of goal-setting, one of my writer friends appropriately pushes forward any goals not met the year before. As surprises, emergencies, and other life stuffs jump out at us throughout the year, our goals get shoved aside. Sometimes this is for the better. Maybe we weren't ready to publish yet, which is just one more step toward the worst part of books--the dreaded marketing... Not to mention, some unexpected experiences can add quality to our writing. No worries, we deal with what comes and adjust accordingly. So don't fret if you can't reach all your goals.

The first step toward achieving goals is to write them down (and I love lists). So here are my broad Writing goals for 2020:

• Taking back BEAST WORLD Campaign, Phase 2 - a subtle undercut jab at Pixar for appropriating my unique setting. Would love to have you JOIN THE CAUSE!
• Repub Cradle Rock, Simulation, and Disposal (and tweak Windy Hollow) -- 2 down, 4 to go!
• Publish GERTRUDE - the Nerdy Princess
• Write first draft of CONDUCTION, Pop Travel #4
• Polish and Submit FARTHER ALONG, Christian YA
• Connect more with writer friends by posting more often
• Market more... ugh.

My process: chip away at this list on the weekends and go gung ho during the summer.

What are your goals for this year?? 

Let's help each other stay on track. I'll be checking in more regularly this year. Hopefully that will help!

One way to connect more... Remember Blog Hops? I was just reminiscing about how much I liked them and how I met new writer friends when we used to do them... and BLAMMO!
Patricia Josephine is having one!

Valentine's Day is ABDUCTED LIFE's birthday. To celebrate, Patricia's asking us to write a little story about being abducted by aliens... sounds like fun! I'm making the time.

Here are the deets:

• Possible approaches: Government report. First person encounter. Stowing away on an alien spaceship. Maybe write it from the alien's POV. Go to the Outer Limits!
• 500 words or less. 
• Posts will go up the week of Valentine's Day.

I hope you join in! Sign ups for the blog hop
(This prompt also fit right into another contest I happened to find, so I already wrote my story--submitted to the contest too. Love when that happens. Thanks, Patricia!)

Good luck with your Goals & Keep Writing!

Tara Tyler Talks about #StarWars (spoilers!)

Happy New Year - bla bla bla

But seriously IWSG-ers, I hope you have a great 2020. If things are going badly, I hope you find a way to turn them around. If things are going well, keep up the good work!

January is a time of reflection. I want to raise the level of my blog from a once-a-month series of IWSG entries to more frequent and more substantial posts. I want to be more engaging!

And so, I give you my first post for 2020--

Let's go to the Movies??

Consider STAR WARS. (NOTE - Spoiler Alert! Plenty of annoying spoilers ahead)

There's nothing like the opening burst...

There's also nothing like the original trilogy. Sure, special effects are better now, CGI is amazing, and meeting new characters is always fun. BUT, just like the last season of Game of Thrones was rushed and lacking, this latest Star Wars trilogy was full of spontaneous, easily foiled threats and not much substance or explanation. I'm sorry to say, True Star Wars fans have been let down.

The Rise of Skywalker was a great action-adventure sci-fi movie, no doubt. My hub even liked it, and he's not a big SW fan. But my closet-nerd son and I felt a disturbance in the Force. So many story lines were severely under-developed and conveniently explained away with a glib comment for us all to accept. It was full of miraculous, impossible saves; instant armies, easy escapes, and predictable rebellious behavior... I felt like I was watching a teenager's spoof seeing what he could get away with--wouldn't it be cool if this happened!

Most egregious irritations:

• Poor Fin - so much potential wasted--they made this guy do nothing but annoy everyone, "Rey!" 
• And the Planet-Destroying Cannons upgrade on a surprise fleet of Star Destroyers--where did they come from? Santa? But the placement of the cannons gave me a chuckle. It was like they all got a kick in the crotch... that magically destroys the whole ship **eye roll**

There was No build up. No anticipation. No time to wonder what might happen, we know what's going to happen. As a writer, you know what I'm talking about.

I had more complaints, but I won't torture you further. And there were some good moments.

• I really liked the new female characters, but there wasn't enough time to expand on them. I would've been happier if they'd split it into two films just to give us some backstory and character development.
• Palpatine was a great twist. But what were all those zombie fans??
• Funny thing, I liked Kylo Ren's character arc (Frankly, I would've chosen him over Rey as a true Skywalker.
• It's just a good thing Chewy didn't die! (Told you there'd be spoilers!)

One saving grace for Star Wars fans: The Mandalorian is fantastic! It has everything the new movies don't, plus awesome LOL scenes and Baby Yoda!


Movies in general lately are lacking in quality and depth. Sequels, Spinoffs, and Remakes are the currency of the day. Over the holidays, I also saw JUMANJI 2 which was pretty terrific, better than expected, but still a sequel, with a teaser of another is in the works. And here are the previews we saw:

>>Scooby Doo origins              >>Mulan live-action              >> Dr. Dolittle upgrade

>> Black Widow spinoff              >>"new and improved" Ghostbusters sequel

Absolutely nothing original.
Money is the biggest motivator which is understandable since it is a business. But the industry isn't taking chances on anything new...

So I call on YOU, fellow writers!
Keep writing. Keep improving. And try a Screenplay! Submit to contests. Put your awesome works out there for these sheltered producers living in their Hollywood Bubble. They need us! (I just submitted JOLISSA to an animated screenplay contest!)

Okay, I think I've talked enough.

Oh, yeah. One last thing -- I'm putting together a team!

Disney/Pixar's Onward is coming out soon (you may remember me mentioning how they "stole" my Beast World concept) So I'm starting Phase 2 of my Taking Back Beast World campaign. I re-published BROKEN BRANCH FALLS!! And CRADLE ROCK is soon to follow.

If you're up for helping me promote the ORIGINAL Fantasy Creatures in High School, here's the new FORM
Thanks for your support!

And don't forget to join us for the #WedWrant Twitter chat tonight at 7:30 PM EST - be sure to use the hashtag!

Blessings a-plenty in 20-20!