Dave and I went to see The Order of the Phoenix today, and...wow. Just wow. I loved it so much. Of course, I'm a die-hard Harry Potter fan, and I loved all the earlier movies because they brought the books to the screen - but this time, maybe for the first time, I thought it was a movie I would have adored as a smart, wonderful, stand-alone fantasy movie even if I hadn't read the books. There was a new screenwriter, a new director, and a new composer - and wow. I walked out of the theater buzzing with energy and excitement - excitement about the movie, about the story and the screenplay, but also about fantasy and what it can do - and what fantasy writing can do. It felt intimidating but also like a fantastic challenge. It made me want to stretch myself, to try for that kind of intense emotional connection combined with epic storytelling, with such a high "wow" factor at every point. I don't think I could do it now - but then, JK Rowling didn't write the book (nor did the director direct the movie) at age 30. It was a movie that made me want to write, and to write better, which is definitely a good thing.

After the movie, we retired to the nearby Borders café for Signature hot chocolates, and then came home for Maya-cuddles and my favorite Doctor Who Series 2 episodes. Anything would have felt anti-climactic after watching Order of the Phoenix - even just walking around outside afterwards felt like an anti-climax; Doctor Who at least has the advantage of being light, silly, and fun, so it's easy to relax into watching it without making comparisons.

Definitely time to start a writing session now...