How I became a storyteller

open book
©Mia Salminen 2015

I’ve never been a book reader, and I prefer watching things on TV. If I read something, it isn’t novels. I’ve read a lot of autobiographies, and when I was a child, I read books for kids. The kids’ books were written in Swedish, and they were easy to read, too. I’ve read books in Finnish as well. The book I read the most was a book about Heidi. It was adapted from a movie. I reread it last summer in a day or two. I own some books, but I go to the library when I want to read a book. I own the ‘Lord of the Rings’ book but have never finished it. My late dad bought it for Christmas, and he read it in one evening. It’s too long for my taste. I prefer the movies. The book that I have read by Tolkien is ‘The Hobbit’. I’ve read that a couple of times. I own one in English, but I have also read it in Finnish once. I’m not patient enough to read long books. Unless it’s a fascinating book or an autobiography.

I’ve always wanted to write and was pretty good at it in school. I didn’t want to write a book, as someone thought I would when I said I wanted to write. I wanted writing to be part of something else. The same goes for photography and graphic design. I don’t want to do only one thing. There are different ways to be a raconteur than someone writing books. I became a storyteller after I found my fascination with fan fiction. I didn’t find stories I wanted to read, so I started to write my own. That’s where I shine the most. But writing fiction is only a hobby and doesn’t pay the bills. It’s also a learning curve for learning English, and I don’t need to read books to keep my imagination running. Some might say that reading books teaches you to use words, but you can also learn words by watching movies or TV shows. I want to write with words that anyone can understand. You don’t need fancy words to write a good story. Writing fiction is easier for me than writing about facts.

For example, I struggle with what to write on social media right now. It’s supposed to be in Finnish, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m so used to writing in English, so writing it in my language isn’t easy. The other thing is that Swedish is my mother tongue, so I find it hard to find words to describe something in Finnish. Knowing three languages can sometimes confuse your vocabulary. When I write fiction in English, the inspiration comes quicker, and I could write for hours. But I get stuck when writing about facts about myself and what I want to achieve. The challenging part is writing about it in Finnish. I’m just not a storyteller when it comes to real life. Things would be easier if I could tell a story the way I write fiction. I guess it’s about getting used to things instead of giving up because something is too difficult. You live, learn, and become a better raconteur when you write as often as possible. That’s the way you learn other things in life. That’s how I learned to write in English in the first place. Practice makes you better at what you do.

Movies and TV series I’ve seen more than 5 times

a ipad on a lap top
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What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

Daily Writing Prompt

I’m a big fan of movies and TV series. I’ve seen a lot, so I don’t remember which ones. But I know which movies and TV series I’ve seen more than five times—I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen them. I have a lot of DVD and Blu-Ray discs, but I also watch them on streaming services like Disney Plus.

I would choose movies if I had to choose between movies and TV series. I watch TV series, especially comedies, but I’m not interested in what they show now. They’re too tawdry for my taste. The newer comedy shows I like the best are ‘Modern Family’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’, but I haven’t seen them more than 5 times. Besides comedy TV shows, I enjoy watching crime and drama shows such as ’24’, ‘BBC Sherlock’ and ‘ER’. That show is on repeat now on Finnish TV. It was the show in the 1990s that you couldn’t miss a single episode of. It was a big break for actor George Clooney as well. I’m so glad it’s being shown again. You can’t find it on any streaming service for free. ER is as great as I remember. Another show I’m watching is ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’. It’s on season 25 and will catch up with the US, which is now on season 26.

The TV series I’ve seen more than five times are all British comedies. I have many of them on DVD, which is the only way to watch them repeatedly without commercials. Classics never go out of style. Every time I watch them, I still laugh. I have British comedies on DVD, including ‘Allo Allo’, ‘Blackadder’, ‘The Fast Show’, and ‘A Little Bit of Fry and Laurie’ (with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry). I’ve seen them more than 5 times. The comedy series I don’t have on DVD is ‘Are You Being Served?’ I’ve seen that at least 8 times when you could still see the whole episode for free. Now, it’s only random episodes on YouTube. The show was never shown on Finnish TV, but I had heard about it, so I searched online. I could name a few other British classics, but that would take too long to write about.

The genres in movies are more expansive than in TV series. There is action, fantasy, and, of course, comedy. The movies I’ve seen most are the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy. I can never get enough of them. The next on the list is ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Say what you want about these movies, but I see them as entertainment and don’t take them too seriously. Some people might think the movies aren’t getting better and that there are too many. Trilogies aren’t for everyone; only those with enough patience to watch them will like them. Take ‘Lord of the Rings’, for example, for some about 3 three hours in the movie theatre is too long to sit. But if you’re a movie fan, you don’t care. I saw each of the three movies twice and watched the whole thing to the end. I have only had to go to the bathroom once during another movie, but that was only because I had to. That was only one time, and I have never had to leave in the middle again. The mistake people make when they go to the movies is that they drink during the movie. That’s what makes you want to go to the bathroom in the first place. I think it’s a shame to pay for a movie ticket and then have to leave in the middle of the movie. Tickets aren’t cheap, you know. You should always be prepared for a movie in the theatre, or you might miss something.

I have seen movies since I was 3, so I have a lot of experience watching them. I even belonged to a children’s movie club when I was a kid. I was one in the 1980s, so it was mostly family movies like “The Never Ending Story”. That was one of the movies in the movie club. There are movies I’ve only seen once or twice, and then there are movies like ‘Thor’ movies and the ‘Batman trilogy ‘with Christian Bale. I’ve seen them at least 5 times, but I haven’t counted them, but it is a lot. There are many others I’ve seen more than 5 times, but I can’t think of one right now. I’m selective when it comes to movies and TV series. I don’t watch just anything. It doesn’t matter if it’s a blockbuster movie many people want to see. I won’t watch them if it doesn’t interest me, even though everybody else does. Those movies and TV series are on a totally different list.

An interview about me

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Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

I thought it would be fun if you could interview yourself. Asking yourself questions you wish someone would ask, but no one ever does. This is not a selfish act like a particular American presidential candidate does *cough* Trump *cough* It’s only a bit of fun, and maybe get to know me better. The questions are from Gemini (Google AI)

Questions to Get to Know You Better

General Interest

What are you passionate about?

I’m not passionate about anything. I have opinions and things I like to do, but I wouldn’t call them passions.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

I listen to all kinds of music, except music styles where they scream. My favourite band is Duran Duran and Bon Jovi. My favourite singers are Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams. If I wrote every band and singer, it would take forever to write them down. Besides Robbie, Bryan and DD, I’ve been to Pet Shop Boys and Toto concerts. That might give you a general idea of what kind of music I listened to.

Do you have any hobbies or interests?

My prominent hobby is writing this blog. But I also do photography, write fan fiction, cycle, and watch movies.

What is your favourite book or movie?

I don’t read much, but I like biographies and books about different subjects. I love movies, and I have many favourites. (FYI; When I was 10 years old, I belonged to a movie club.) I love Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean. I’ve seen those movies several times on DVD. I also love The Hobbit movies, the most underrated trilogy ever.

Where would you like to travel if you could go anywhere in the world?

New Zeeland, but I probably never will. You need money to travel, and I can only afford cruises to Stockholm or Tallinn. Being unemployed sucks when it comes to money.

Personal and Background

What is your ideal day like?

I could sleep all day and stay up all night, but life is too short to do only that. It would be nice to do things I like, but you don’t get paid to do that.

What are you proud of achieving?

I might be proud of having a good upbringing and the courage to stay alive even if things weren’t always good.

What is something you’ve learned recently?

I feel that all my hard work on social media is being ignored. Maybe it’s the algorithms, or I’m not good enough to be liked for what I post there.

What’s one thing you’d like to improve about yourself?

I wish I weren’t so lazy about starting things. I also wish I could make decisions faster than I do now.

What kind of environment do you thrive in?

Where I can be alone most of the time.

Future Goals and Aspirations

What are your long-term goals?

To find peace. Since my dad died in February, I still have things to do. Some things take so long. I will sell my flat, but the cleaning and all that takes forever.

What kind of work environment do you prefer?

I need a place where I can do my work in peace. I can work if the music is on, but if someone is talking, it’s a different manner.

What motivates you in your career?

I don’t have a career. You need a job to have that.

What challenges are you excited to overcome?

Excited isn’t the word, but I was happy to finish or leave an education I didn’t like.

What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?

I don’t have a job, and it looks like I won’t either. I hope I can be an entrepreneur by then. But I haven’t even started yet, so maybe it won’t happen. If I do, I hope it succeeds fasten then in 5 years.

Deeper Questions

What makes you laugh?

Comedy. People that have a particular look on their faces in comedy shows or movies. Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) has the best one. That’s what made the show funny to this day. Also, Jim Carrey makes me laugh.

What are you grateful for in your life?

I had parents who let me be me. Without them, I’m not the person I am today. I’m also grateful for having a sister, even if I only had her for six years. Having both of my grandmothers was also a blessing. May they all rest in peace.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear used to be dogs, but I got over it. Now, I don’t mind if one sniffs me. I used to be terrified if they got even close. My other fear was losing my parents, but now they’re gone anyway. At least I had them around while growing up. If I lost them as a teenager, then things could be different. Death is part of life, and one day, I will be gone, too. My biggest fear is that I get cancer like my mother or I will get some other illness with lots of pain. I also fear needles. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t donate blood or get a tattoo.

What is something you’re struggling with right now?

To go to bed early and wake up early, too. I don’t have a reason to get up when I don’t have a job.

What is your life philosophy?

You get born, you live a decent life, and then you die.

THE END