... and action!

Quite a few people have been asking me about my acting experience this past weekend, and while I had intended this blog to be used only for my writing, I don't see any reason I can't deviate this one time. I was hoping to have pictures to post with this blog, but I didn't take any. However, other people who were on the set did, and I will add a few to the blog as soon as I have access to them.

About a month ago, my cousin Teri Robinson asked me if I had any acting experience. The answer, of course, was no. She and her writing partner, Michael Farrell, wrote a short screenplay called "Priceless" for a contest and they wanted to make it into a film. I told her I'd try anything once. After I received the script, my husband and BFF helped me make an audition tape to send to them. Teri and Michael liked it and hired me.

I can't say much about the film as it is entered in a film festival and could be disqualified if it received any publicity before its premiere date. I have been given permission to say that I play the lead role; a mother down on her luck. It is going to take a few months to edit, and I've been told the premiere date is in July, so you'll have to wait a while to learn any more about the film. On the up side, I think the film can be aired on Youtube once it has been shown at all of the film festivals it has been entered in, so there will be easy access.

They also mentioned that the film would be put on IMDB.com (internet movie database), and that I would have my own actor page. I know a few months is far away and most of you will forget all about it by then, but I will post as many links as I can on my blog, Facebook fan page, and personal Facebook page when the time comes.

The film is approximately 12 minutes long. That is why it could be filmed in 3 days. All the same, we still worked our hind ends off. All 3 days were 12 hours "shifts." The hair and make-up person flaked on us everyday, so Suzanne Manthei (location/casting director) and I did my own make-up. Since I played the mom of a young child, we kept it pretty natural and I basically looked like I always do expect with thicker foundation.

Teri produced the film and Michael directed. They make a great team! Our DP (director of photography) was Kal Toth. He is so good at what he does! He is also a musician and his music is worth checking out: www.hearKAL.com (sorry, can't get the hyperlink to work)

I know I made mistakes and probably some ignorant comments too, but everyone was extremely patient with me. In my opinion, my first day was a little rough (being that I had no experience and didn't know what to expect), but that day of filming had no dialogue and was mostly scenery, driving, and time lapses, so I think it worked out. I settled into my role a little more each day and by the last day I was ready for most of the dialogue sequences.

The little boy who played my son, also did a great job, but much patience was required by all. It was his first acting gig as well... and he's only 4.

Without giving too much away, there were a few emotional scenes for my character and tears were encouraged. That part came pretty easily though, since the story hit kind of close to home and just thinking about what my character was going through makes me want to ball my eyes out.

I really have a new found respect for actors though. They are expected to act out the same scene over and over with the same (if not higher) level of emotion and feeling. I had to redo an emotional scene many times, not because I messed up, but because we had to shoot it from a few different angles as well. Grueling is a good word to describe it, but I still loved every second of it.

I should also say that the point behind the film is to inform people about a charity. And, that's all I can say about that.

Overall, the experience was amazing... almost surreal. In fact, if I didn't have a few new friends on Facebook who were there, I'd be totally convinced that it was all a dream. I really stepped out of my box and now I have this awesome experience and incredible new friends.

Mind's Eye Teaser

Hi everyone!

I find myself very busy this week, working on a project that has nothing to do with my book, or writing, so I won't have much time to blog, but I know some of you want to know what my book is about. My husband wrote this teaser and I think it is a good place to start describing my book. Enjoy!

Mind's Eye

Contessa Vasser hoped that moving to New Orleans would be a fresh start. As a recent college graduate, she relished the idea of leaving behind her mundane student life, reconnecting with a long time friend, and enjoying big city freedom and excitement. How was she to know her relocation to the Crescent City would ignite a chain of events that forever alter her life and the lives of those around her?

As her new life unfolds, Tessa assimilates easily to the city and its culture. Securing a job at a popular local nightclub, she finds herself magnetically drawn to her mysterious manager as well as the enigmatic owner, if in different ways. As the pull increases, Tessa is immersed in a world she believed to exist only in Cajun folklore and movies. She must reconsider her view of reality as dreams take on real meaning, superstitions remembered from childhood are proven true, and preconceived notions are shattered.

Under the guidance of her manager, known only as Mick, with the support of her newfound friends and coworkers, and under the ever watchful eye of the bar’s owner Barron, Tessa will learn the true depth of friendship, loyalty, and love—as well as supernatural abilities she and others around her possess. There is a fine line between good and evil, and for good to prevail, she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

To friends and family:

Have you ever asked me, "Hey, how's the book going?" Did you know I wrote a book?

Well, if you didn't, you do now. I have written a 420 page paranormal fiction novel and am in the process of trying to get it published. I will be posting more information about the novel soon for anyone who is interested. Also, in a few weeks, I will be asking my "beta" readers to comment on it here. Beta readers are the people writers ask to read their book before they send it to anyone.

At the moment, I am trying to find a literary agent to represent me and help me sell my book to publishers. It's a long, drawn out, tedious process, and nothing helps you do something tedious like support from friends and family.

You can help by becoming a follower of my blog, becoming a fan on Facebook, and joining my Support Courtney Odell's Literature group on Facebook. After you've done that, feel free to leave questions or comments on any of these 3 pages and I will answer them as they come in.

Thanks so much!

Courtney Odell

*A very special thank you to Peter, my awesome brother in law, for setting up the group and fan pages on facebook. You're really helping get the ball rolling!

If at first you don't succeed...

Try again as many times as it takes!

Ok, so not a lot has happened since I last blogged. I got the green light from a couple of friends to send my query letter out. I sent it out on March 1st and received my very first rejection letter March 11th.

At first, the feeling of rejection was hard to swallow. Then reality came back to me and I realized that the chances of actually being accepted upon sending out my very first query letter were slimmer than slim. Then a friend pointed out that the first rejection letter is like initiation into the writing world. Something to be celebrated! Now I know what it feels like, I know how to handle it and I know how to move forward.

The agent I had queried is very reputable and successful. He’s a busy guy and more than likely, there is no room on his client list for someone new. I’m not saying that my letter was perfect and impossible to resist—I’m sure it wasn’t—but that I wrote it expressly for the agent I sent it to, and he was probably too busy to read it. So, more than likely, a secretary or assistant read it and sent the rejection form letter.

Moving along… I am going to completely revise my query package to the requirements of the next agent on my list. She is just as reputable and successful. I will take my time and do it right. More to come…

Meanwhile, I have begun working on the next installment of the series I am writing. This is my favorite step in the writing process. I sit back and watch a story flow out of my imagination through unbridled creativity and the use of my right brain. Literally anything can happen!

I am a visual person and as much as I may try, I am unable to operate off a written outline while writing. I prefer a large corkboard divided into 35 sections. Each section is a chapter and can hold up to 4 mini index cards. Each card has a plotline, or just an event I don’t want to leave out. The use of a corkboard allows me to move events/plotlines around if they don’t fit somewhere or work better somewhere else. Here is what it looks like:

A thing of beauty, I know! At least that’s what I see when I look at it. So, I’ll keep you updated as soon as something else happens.