Tin Man

I anticipated the new Wizard of Oz retelling on SciFi for weeks. I can't tell yet if I've been let down. The writers took elements and taglines from something original, then distilled and inserted them into the most generic of epic fantasy plots. A young person from a backwater locale has a daily routine interrupted. Her parentage is not as it seems and she has a destiny to prevent a disgruntled family member from ruining a world. It follows the formula from there, with little deviation into inventiveness. A favorite author of mine called it "relentlessly mediocre."

Despite its formulaic plot, I find myself thoroughly enjoying it. The cast has done a remarkable job with what it was given (though who ever heard of a stunningly beautiful Wicked Witch?) Some of the minor roles are unimpressive, but what can one expect of a cable TV miniseries? Visually, the show is delightful-from landscapes to creatures to costumes. There's also enough of the familiar OZ for nostalgia, but not so much that it feels like cheating.

I'm not a reviewer, but had I five stars to give I think I'd hand them three and some change. Tin Man has kept me interested but not riveted. I've only seen two of the three installments, so perhaps a sensation or a flop this evening will force me to adjust.

A little help with business correspondence

In the office, I often sit, staring at a near-empty computer screen while contemplating just the proper phrasing for an email message. I want to be precise but not verbose, and I don't want to sound impolite. I want to walk the fine line between good business language and good English. Ordinarily, I can articulate a thought with ease, but this world of professionalism gives me pause. A solution presents itself: be a character. I am a writer (by nature, not by trade or training), so I can search my thoughts to determine what I'd have a character in my circumstance say.