Gleeful Tuesdays

I used to do this feature last year and I’ve decided to bring it back with the return of Glee. Part of the reason for blogging about it again is that I’ve spent so much time thinking and talking about Glee in the past few weeks in real life, that I’ve worn my poor husband out. Don’t get me wrong, he likes the show and watches, but he’s nowhere near as obsessed as I am. This could have been one of our conversations last week:

Me: Do you think Finn and Rachel are going to get back together soon?

Husband: I don’t know… I haven’t really thought about it.

Me: Because I think now that Finn knows Rachel is over him, he’s going to be back into her --

Husband: Um…

Me: And I am so shipping Klaine --
Husband (backs away slowly): That’s not even English…

Me: Anyhow, what song do you think the Warblers are gonna do at Regionals?

Husband (cautiously): You know these are fictional characters, right?

Me (stares blankly): Huh?

Husband: They’re not real.

Me: So?

He suggested that I had a teensy little problem with obsessing over fictional characters. My only response to think was, “Ya think?”

I’m writing an entire novel because I couldn’t stop thinking about Jane Austen's characters in Northanger Abbey. I’m going to a Harry Potter fan conference this summer just so I can debate the rules of Quidditch with other nerds fans. The week after I read Twilight, I talked non-stop about what it would be like to be a vampire (my conclusion: not so bad). So, yes, I might over think the lives of fictional characters just a bit.

But, I think it’s a good thing. Not as a person really. It actually kind of makes me annoying because, oddly enough, no one is interested in hearing what kind of cold meats I think Mrs. Darcy would have served at Pemberley. But as a writer.

After all, we spend a lot of time thinking about fictional characters, mostly our own, but it’s also good to think over what makes other fictional characters work. What makes them real? What do we love and hate about them? Why do we get so wrapped up in them and identify with their struggles? If we can understand those things, we can make our characters more believable, real, and interesting.

Do you all do this, too? How many hours a day do you spend thinking about made-up people (both your own and others’)?

Oh, and in honor of over thinking  fictional relationships. Here are all the Glee couples I am currently shipping:

Kurt + Blaine = Klaine. Most adorable thing ever. Please let them get together soon.

Finn’s acted like a bit of a d-bag in the last few episodes, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for him and Rachel.

They kind of work, right? Santana’s a huge witch (or another word that rhymes with it) and Sam is kind of obsessed with being popular. It seems like they go together on some level.

Oh, and another thing. I was going to post some of the songs from tonight’s show, but several of my real-life friends have told me that these are spoilers. I’ve already got all four of the songs from this week on my iPod in heavy rotation, but I certainly don’t want to ruin anyone’s Glee viewing experience (for some reason I can’t stand to hear about book spoilers, but TV spoilers don’t bother me in the slightest). Thoughts? Would you like to see some song previews on Gleeful Tuesday?

-- Lisa