Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

Lloyd Dobler - Say Anything John Bender - The Breakfast Club Recognize these iconic moments from classic 8os films?  Each and every one of them get a mention in the 2010 film Easy A , which itself is a funny, angsty teen film reminiscent of the John Hughes era. It shows that a film---even one centered on sex---doesn't need to resort to inane, raunchy humor to be hilarious.   Jake Ryan - Sixteen Candles Ronald Miller - Can't Buy Me Love "Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie ... but no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life." - Olive Penderghast in Easy A  So what's your favorite iconic 80s movie moment?   Was i...

Yeah, me neither. So I've got a recipe that requires only three ingredients!  And the best thing is---these shortbread cookies are killer with eggnog. Santa will not be disappointed:  Brown Sugar Shortbread Ingredients : 1 cup butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour Directions : In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Gradually stir in the flour.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Pat into a 1/3 inch-thick rectangle measuring 11" x 8".   Cut into 2" x 1" strips.  Place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Prick with a fork.  Bake at 300 degrees (Fahrenheit) for  25 minutes or until bottom begins to brown.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Yield: 3 1/2 dozen. Enjoy!  And merry, merry Christmas to all of you and yours. ;)

I can't believe it, but I've received the first submission to my Junk in a Box competition!  The rules are to design an 80s-themed diorama and e-mail a photo of it to elson.nicki@gmail.com by January 31, 2011 . (Now that I've seen people might actually do this, I've extended the deadline to the end of January.) It's that simple. The prizes for the winning diorama are: One Hit Wonders of the 80s CD Signed Copy of Three Daves Your blog & your book (or whatever you want) featured in a post  Plus, all entries will be invited to be a guest blogger here at Not-So-Deep Thoughts and will get a link to wherever they want on my side bar!   Want to see the new entry? It's a recreation of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back ,  released in 1980.   I'm told this is the entrant's first diorama attempt ever.  Nice job! :)  He doesn't have a blog, so I'm linking his diorama image on the sidebar to his excellent Star Wars fanfiction: Such a Q...

Hey, I feel like giving y'all something, and so I'm sharing what is quite possibly the most awesome Christmas playlist ever .  This Lyonaland must be one cool chicka.  The first video is a Christmas card from the characters of The Light Series by Jennifer DeLucy .  And yeah, there just might be some 80s Christmas tunes in the mix too. ;) Enjoy!

Something extremely way cool happened---the alumni magazine from my Alma mater, Eastern Illinois University, did a truly fabulous feature article about my book ! I've had a very good response---the biggest since launch---and I've gotten confirmation of something I suspected all along... My book was published in February of this year, and pretty much from the get-go I've been out there marketing-wise.  I've done signings and website interviews, gotten articles in local papers, finagled my book onto shelves of local businesses, delved into an e-life, etc. etc. Some efforts have been modestly successful, some not so much, and I've wondered many, many times whether any of it's even worth it.  But during my recent bubble in book sales, people have commented something to the effect of: "I've been hearing about this book and keep meaning to check it out, but then I saw this article and I have to read it." So that's it---it might ...

Welcome to the Harry Potter Blogfest   hosted by Michael at the In Time... blog. My entry is a re-worked scene from my novel-length fanfiction Professor Burbage and the Potions Master .  For me, this blogfest ended up being more an experiment in editing rather than writing---the original scene is 900+ words, but Michael's a very strict professor, and his requirement was 500 words, so I've chopped this baby down to nearly half its original size (525 words). It wasn't nearly as impossible a task as I at first thought it would be---merely a matter of removing unneccessary dialogue tags, paring back on overly detailed physical descriptions, cutting redundant phrasing, and searching out ways to say things more efficiently.  That's all.  What's amazing is that the scene lost absolutely nothing, but is now a smoother, sleeker version of its original self.  Editing rocks.  Thanks for making me challenge myself, Michael. Professor Elson and the Potions Master ...

Michael at the In Time... blog is hosting a Harry Potter blogfest on December 11.  To join, write a 500 word scene with any of the HP characters from any of the seven books. It could be anything you want. Funny, magical, serious, etc. And for an added twist, it should be set during Christmas or Thanksgiving   Sign up here: Harry Potter Blogfest  And for more wintertime fun, Night Owl Reviews is hosting a Winter Wonderland Web Hunt until January 15.  Search author websites for clues and win tons of prizes, including signed books and gift certificates.