En ce moment, I’m in between WIPs (works-in-progress). Make that, my WIP of the past two years has become a Completed Work – for now, I’ll call it CW – and is in the hands of my editor. My next WIP is not exactly “in progress” yet; I’ve only written two pages.
But I’ve chosen the title for it, have the plot outlined (très important, as you might imagine), and even know to whom it will be dedicated. All that remains is to write the dang thing.*
My CW will be released later this summer or early fall. It’s very different from my first novel, MAKE THAT DEUX, and my next work will be very different from my CW. N’ayez pas peur: I’ve begun writing the sequel to MAKE THAT DEUX, but some major changes to my draft are necessary, including the setting.
Because change is good.
Δ
The mathematical – and Greek – symbol for change
Which brings me to the title of today’s post: two expressions très bien connus – very well known, I dare say. Tout le monde knows what Vive la différence means; it seems as American as it does French. As for “And now for something completely different”….well (if you don’t know), that’s the title of the 1971 film spun from the television series Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
Actor John Cleese
It’s a great expression title, and it comes to mind when I compare my CW with MAKE THAT DEUX. The two novels are completely different, yet they share a few elements, such as scenes that take place in France (much fewer in my CW) and some lines in French…
Evidemment, I like doing, reading and writing different things, and I love memorable book and movie lines and titles. Perhaps ANFSCD was in my subconcious when I chose two characters’ names in my CW: Monty and John.
I also love French expressions, and I’ve learned some useful ones from my French prof. Here are a few that could describe some characters in my CW:
Elle a le coeur sur la main – She is very generous Elle a du pain sur la planche – She has a lot of work (and things) to do Elle est au bout du rouleau – She’s at the end of her rope Il a un poil dans la main – He’s lazy Il est timbré – He’s crazy!Au fait (by the way), there’s more than one “She” and more than one “He,” as I’m sure you’ve guessed…
* Because now, it’s time for something completely different.
JULIA MCDERMOTT 
How many times have I told the story . . .?
Circa mid ’70s, I was flicking through channels one evening and came upon a strange shot panning a beach with soft classical music playing in the background. The panning continued, and continued until finally stopping on an old victrola sitting on the sand, apparently its LP the source of the music, when, suddenly, the needle sticks and the same musical phrase clicks and repeats itself over and over. The music stops and panning continues until stopping at an office desk sitting on the sand with a fully dressed man in a business suit sitting at the desk. The man speaks, “And now for something completely diff… click… And now for something completely diff… And now for something completely diff…”
Monty Python’s Flying Circus: instant addiction.