tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12546705092616423652024-03-05T01:22:16.759-08:00In the Shadow of Poetic"But words are things, and a small drop of ink / Falling, like dew, upon a thought, produces / That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think." ~Lord ByronCherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-80415327597574284932013-04-03T14:54:00.000-07:002013-04-03T14:54:29.657-07:00Reaching for Details in Fiction<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I think, I think in broad, sweeping strokes, always
attempting to see the whole essence of a thing at a glance. To me, details are small, brightly-colored
specks of dust that will float in one side of my brain and out the other unless
I can fit them into a larger framework.
In my mind, details have their proper place, but its not first place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, the problem with this method when it comes to
writing fiction is that I can have the overarching plot and purpose of a story
in mind, but because those larger concepts have nothing tied to them, the story
feels like it lacks substance. Good
stories and good prose are rich in detail.
Without them, whatever the author is trying to say floats above our
heads like a lofty cloud which we can see but cannot touch. So then, when big-picture people like me
write, we have to reach through the fog of what we’re trying to say in order to
grasp the details hidden within it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, the question becomes, how do we reach for details? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are a few tricks that can apply to almost everything:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>1. What Things?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we are still alive, we experience everything big and
intangible through <i>things</i> that are
small and tangible. We experience love
through warm hugs, uplifting words, and unexpected gifts. We experience rejection through unanswered
phone calls, condescending laughs, and refusal to make eye contact. Other people can tell you are angry by your
raised voice, frowning brow, and harsh words.
Other people can tell you love to read by the frequent stops at the
library and the paperback that’s always in your purse. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We see the big things in life by looking at the small
things. So <i>what</i> things? Find the
specifics that tell a larger story. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2. Color<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything that can be experienced with the eyes has some
kind of color. Even if the color of
something isn’t that important, you still want to give people an impression of
whether something was light-colored or dark-colored. The story may not be <i>about</i> what things look like, but humans are primarily
visually-oriented, so we must give our readers’ human brains something to work
with. And color is huge. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, I believe it is very important to state a
character’s hair color right away – especially if the character is female,
since female characters tend to have more hair.
This is because hair color has a dramatic effect on the way the
character looks, even if they’re portrayed in a black-and-white movie. I’ve discovered the hard way that it’s very
difficult for me to reimagine a character as being blonde if I’ve already
imagined them as being brunette. It’s
not really about the color as much as its about whether the hair is light or
dark.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The light/dark dynamic holds true for what kind of day it is
(sunny or cloudy), what kind of clothes a character is wearing, what the inside
of a building is like, how a landscape looks, and many other things. If you’re in a hurry, you don’t have to
include much more detail than that – but at least give your reader somewhere to
start in imagining the scene. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>3. Shape / Size</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Short or tall? Large
or small? Wide or narrow? Curved or straight? Flat or three-dimensional? Cubic or spherical? Yes, these are basic things that sound like
they came straight out of the grade-school lesson where you first learned about
adjectives, but <i>basics</i> remain basic
because they are foundational, and give a lot of information in a little
space. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4. What tells the
most?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Find the extra things that say the most about an object,
place, or person. Is the baseball smudged
with dirt? Is the coat of paint fresh
and flawless? Is the pine forest
scraggly? Does the mansion have a large
picture window that looks out over the valley?
Is the man’s hair ruffled the wrong way because he’s been running his
hands through it in frustration? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reaching for a poignant detail takes practice – and it helps
to practice by starting with other details.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Putting it Together<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe you can start practicing hunting for details
before you actually try to write something.
The act of pushing through the vague ideas to something definite will
help strengthen the part of your brain that gives you the words to write. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, let’s do an exercise, putting these four detail-finders
into action. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll start with an assertion – <i>I am a writer</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Really? How would
someone know that? What <i>things</i> say this is so?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I always have a
notebook and some pens in my bag that I take everywhere</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, notebook, pens.
Two good details, but that’s only the surface. What kind of notebook? What kind of pens? Do they have colors? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A green notebook, a
blue pen, a purple pen, a black pen, and a pencil</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s a little better, but we still don’t know what <i>kind</i> of things these are.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A bright-green
5-subject notebook, blue and purple ballpoint pens, a black liquid-ink pen, and
a mechanical pencil.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now we’re getting somewhere.
A few more clarifying details will demonstrate what exactly are my
relationships with these items. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A large, worn
5-subject notebook with a swirling vine doodled on the cover in faded sharpie,
accompanied by two smooth-writing, click-top ballpoint pens in blue and purple,
a fine-tipped, black liquid-ink pen, and a deluxe mechanical pencil with a
twistable eraser on top. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now we know just about everything about what writing materials
I use when I’m on the go. We’ve
described my notebook and my pens exactly as one would first experience
them. However, we’ve spent more time
talking about the pens, and less time talking about the most interesting part,
the notebook. Since the notebook is more
likely to say more about who I am, we can trim down the description of the
pens, and then we’ll have space to say what the inside of the notebook is like.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A large, worn
5-subject notebook with a swirling vine doodled on the cover in faded sharpie –
filled with pages of writing interspersed with the same swirl designs. One section is mostly made up of freeverse
poetry, and in the back a page covered in anime faces can be right next to a
page with a much more realistic sketch of an actor from a geeky TV show</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now we’ve taken a step beyond knowing what materials I use
to write, to knowing a lot more about ME and what I’m like. (Being the private person I am, I’ll stop
feeding you details at this point, if you don’t mind.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you’re practicing the art of coming up with details,
start with details from your own life.
Dig into the objects you care about the most and find out what about
them says the most about you. When you
see how detailed your own life is, you can begin to give your characters and
their lives a similar amount of detail. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is an exercise to help stretch the detail-muscle,
whenever you feel it begin to atrophy:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>List of Things</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make a list of things (including places and people). They don’t have to be related to each other –
in fact, it’s better if they are not.
They just have to be definite, concrete things that you can experience
with at least one of your five senses – and it’s much more fun if you pick
things you like.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are a couple catches, though:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. They cannot be objects/people that are in the same room
you are in (and it certainly can’t be the same place). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. If you do list an object/person/place that you are
familiar with, change it in some significant way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. You must use more than one word to describe each object/person/place. Say exactly what kind of something it
is. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With #1, say you are sitting in your kitchen writing, and
you have with you a small mug of green tea with blue flowers on it. You can still list ‘mug of tea,’ on your
list, but it cannot be the <i>same</i> mug
of tea. It must be a big, brown mug of
tea with a white polka-dot design on it, and the tea must be Earl Grey. You see what I mean? You must use your imagination. Make something up. Once you’ve made it up, take a moment to
visualize what it would be like, sitting here writing with a completely
different mug full of completely different tea.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Try to make the items on your list very different from one
another. Now that you’ve written down a
mug of tea, try thinking of a place. How
about a garden? Yes, but what kind of
garden? Not the little vegetable garden
with tomatoes and cucumbers you plant in your back yard every year. Perhaps a flower garden – a rose garden,
specifically, filled with roses of the most delicate shade of pink. And this garden isn’t a small garden – it’s a
big garden, with fountains and little stone benches to sit on. A royal garden. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now let’s try a person – a pastor, perhaps. My pastor is short, white-haired, and
clean-shaven, so let’s instead imagine a young pastor, tall and lanky, with
close-cut blond curls and some feeble attempts at a goatee. (This would probably be a youth pastor, not a
senior pastor – but what if he was the senior pastor? What kind of church would he be pastor of?) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep making the list.
Don’t stop until the page is full.
Some of the things you come up with may bore you, but keep going. Don’t be afraid to make things wild and
extravagant, if you have to. But be
specific. Mention things that will raise
questions. Why does the plumber read so
many books on World War I? Who on earth
decided the mansion should be painted that shade of purple? Is there a reason the trees on the ridge are
sickly? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reach. Reach a little
farther than you ‘have to.’ You can
always take out details later, and it’s a beautiful thing to have a wealth of
specifics to choose from.</div>
Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-78570323487921068352013-03-28T10:38:00.000-07:002013-03-28T10:38:20.254-07:00What About The Children?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There are times when you come across a thought which may not
strike you with realization in the moment, but which rolls around in your mind
for years and then, one day, emerges from the midst of your musings and bears
fruit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So I must say that everything that follows is indebted to
Madeleine L'Engle and her observations from her book<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Walking on Water: Reflections on
Faith and Art</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span>which I
read a couple years ago. I didn't agree with everything in the book, but
there were several thoughts in it that were helpful, and the one I found most
helpful was this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In one of the chapters, Mrs. L'Engle relates a story in which her
husband, an actor, was trying to decide whether or not to accept a role in a
certain play. The play was edgy enough to make them uncomfortable, but it
paid well and they desperately needed the money. As they wrestled with
the decision, eventually her husband came up with the question, "Would I
want the children to see me in this?" After asking that question, he
realized he would never want the children to see him in that role, so he turned
it down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mrs. L'Engle goes on to say that the question stuck in her mind
ever after, whenever she was trying to make a difficult decision about what was
and was not acceptable in art -- "What would I want the children to
see?" She says that children can understand a lot more than
we give them credit for, and can understand many of the difficult issues of
life if we take the time to explain them. But there are things that
children shouldn't see, things that will hurt them instead of helping them.
When we make art, we may make things that are beyond a child's ability to
comprehend fully, or that will require a bit of thought before a revelation
materializes, but we should never make something that will hurt them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This thought originally fell into the "Oh, That's Nice"
category in my mind. I didn't realize at the time that if we are looking
at it right, it really is an illuminating standard. Frequently when I have
looked at an aspect of the culture – or American Christianity, for that matter –
that I felt had something wrong with it that I couldn't quite pinpoint, an
application of the simple question, "What about the children?",
suddenly made everything clearer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What about the children? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We've forgotten about them, haven't we? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our culture remembers to deal carefully with many things – it has
to, living in this lightning-quick era where anyone can get offended at the
drop of a hat. But in the midst of
overthinking so many trivial issues, it's managed to forget a number of the
most important things. Children are one of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We've not just forgotten about our specific children, living their
growing-up lives and turning into adults whether we're watching or not.
We've forgotten about children as a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>concept</i>.
I would argue that most of the time, we don't even remember what they
are. We put everyone under the age of 12 or so into a box labeled
'Child.' Around age 13 they are scooped out of that box and dumped into
the 'Teenager' box, where they stay until they are shipped off to live in the
'College' box, and finally once they return from this box they will have the
education necessary to settle into the 'Adult' box. The problem with this
system is that once we have everyone properly organized, we tend to start
dealing almost exclusively with the boxes, and not with the people in them.
It enables us to forget the most obvious and ordinary thing in the world:
that every adult was once a child, and every child is an adult in the making.
The two are inseparable, because they are the same being in different
forms. The thoughts we give the child to chew on will be the thoughts the
adult will rely on. A child's mind starts small and grows to adulthood by
eating whatever it can find – the adult mind will form, by itself, constructed
out of whatever thought-materials happen to be nearby. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This means that, contrary to popular yet unspoken belief, children
have a great capacity to begin to understand the most important things in life
from a very early age. Because the minds are young and small and not yet
fully-formed, the knowledge about life and death and other things doesn't come
front-first or logically, but it still comes. Children observe and absorb
and can reach startlingly profound conclusions because they are paying
attention, even if the adults around them are not. This is why adults<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>must</i> pay attention from
the beginning, because by the time the children are ready to be moved to the
'Teenager' box and modern society tells us that now at last we can give them
real things, it may be too late. The children have already learned an
alarming number of real things, whether right or wrong, and those thoughts will
bear fruit for years and years to come. By giving them little more than
'age-appropriate' fluff until we deem them 'ready,' we are harming them and
robbing them of the foundation-forming thoughts their young minds need. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Is it not, in a way, insidious to save our more complicated themes
in literature, TV, movies, and the like for works that are only appropriate for
older age groups, when they are desperately needed to begin molding the thought
life of the younger generation? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My thoughts on this topic are still growing, but the more I look,
the more I see that the most-forgotten people group in our culture may very
well be our own children. And considering that we were once children, and
our children will someday be us, that means we are hurting ourselves.</span></div>
Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-22821133696051241442013-01-10T16:43:00.000-08:002013-01-10T16:43:37.460-08:00Artists vs. Non-Artists<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I consider myself an artist. But whenever I start to talk about ‘artists’
apart from the I-mess-with-paint definition, people start to get
uncomfortable. The term ‘artist’ in this
culture carries with it a picture of elitism and snobbishness. This is because most artists tend to be
elitists and snobs, and take great pleasure in corrupting the next generation
of artists with the same we-are-special beliefs. But I believe the artists have done a great
disservice to their own name. The word
‘artist’ used in the abstract is a useful term, and I for one would like to be
able to use it without sounding condescending.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So, for the record, here is my view
of artists and their place in the human race.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Artists are not better than other
people. In fact, they are frequently
much worse, since by adopting the vaunted label of ‘artist’ many
artistically-inclined people feel they now have permission to let all their
vices run wild – particularly pride, which is the most odious of all the vices. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Artists do have a special
understanding of beauty and creativity.
But while that may be our blessing, we are constantly dogged by our
curses. We have great gifts, but we also
have such great weaknesses. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
And isn’t that the story of everyone? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
No one has yet mastered the trick
of being a complete and perfect human being.
When we are born there is written on our souls somewhere a list of all
the things we could be and do, all the ways in which we can be human, all the
fascinatingly beautiful things that make life worth living. But as we grow, we grow lopsided. I think that’s part of the curse – some
things that others find hard will come to us naturally, and some things that to
others are easy will, inevitably, be painfully difficult for us. We can pour ourselves into one thing or many
things, but there will never be enough time, energy, and talent for us to grow
strong in everything. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
However, that means we all have things
we can teach each other. Yes, we have
our great leaders, great scientists and explorers, great organizers, great
teachers, great husbands and wives and parents, great healers, great counselors,
great artists* – people who have pursued their gifts to the fullest. But regardless of our gifts, each of us
should try, in our own ways, to learn to explore, to teach, to organize, to
counsel, to heal, to lead, to create.
When we stretch ourselves in the things that don’t come naturally, we
discover more ways to live. In a sense,
we become more human.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
An artist, then, is one who teaches
beauty and creativity, because that is his gift and that is what he has to
give. A wise artist must guard the truth
that creativity is for everyone, that no one has a monopoly on beauty, that
these things are a part of being human that should not be fenced off by
elitism. And an artist must remain
humble before those who have strengths where he has weaknesses -- which is everyone, really -- and always be willing
to learn more about the mystery of living.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
---</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
*I mean these outside the strict
occupational definitions of the words. </div>
Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-32775861076209390072013-01-01T13:25:00.000-08:002013-01-01T13:25:56.182-08:002013: Resolution ShowcaseI'm having trouble cutting my list of resolutions down to 13. (You know, 13 for 2013? Well, yes, maybe a little cheesy...)<br />
<br />
So, instead of fighting with it, I'm just going to showcase the resolutions that I'm most excited about! <br />
<br />
<b>1. <i>Write 50 blog posts.</i></b> Blogging more is forever on my list of things I would love to do if I had more time and motivation. No surprise there, right? However, this year I decided to add a number to it. 50 posts a year averages out to about one post a week, which is very doable...and it's a small enough goal that if I get to the end of October and find I haven't posted all year, I can probably still make it. <br />
<br />
<b>2. </b><i><b>Keep a reading journal.</b></i> In 2011, I read 53 books. In 2012, I read 25 books. Now, the reason for the drastic difference in the number of books read between the two years, besides the fact that 2012 ended up being one of the most eventful years of my life, was that I was dismayed at how much I failed to retain from the books I read in 2011. As I look through the list of those 53 books, I found an alarming number that I feel I need to reread, simply because I remember that they were good and not much else. Yesterday, though, one of my dear friends suggested I start a reading journal. She said that if you respond to what you're reading, either in the margins of the book or in another notebook, you retain so much more. I need this -- not so much for the fiction I read, but definitely for the nonfiction. <br />
<br />
And along those same lines...<br />
<br />
<b>3. <i>Form a reading habit. </i></b> I've noticed there seem to be two types of readers: those like me who read randomly, whenever they feel like it, and those who read consistently at a certain time of day (typically every night before bed). I've noticed over the years that readers like me don't seem to read as much as they transition into adulthood, while the consistent readers continue to consume books regularly and don't seem to be hindered as much by an adult schedule. I want reading to be a life-long habit, so I'll see if I can adopt the every-night-before-bed method. <br />
<br />
<b>4. <i>Draw a little something every day. </i></b> This Christmas, most of my gifts to relatives were handmade bookmarks. I had originally intended to do mini collages out of magazine clippings, but in the end I drew all the pictures I used. And I discovered, much to my surprise, that I can draw much better than I think I can -- all I need to do is try. Before Christmas, I would never have thought I could draw an elephant or a cocker spaniel. But now I know better, and I believe I need to spend some serious time growing this skill. Even if it's nothing more than a random doodle, I need to put pen to paper every day and keep the artist awake. <br />
<br />
<b>5.<i> Journal consistently. </i></b> Much like #1 and #2, only more private and more me and <i>much </i>more random.<br />
<br />
<b>6. <i>Write 10,000 words every month (for a total of roughly 120,000 words at the end of the year). </i></b> Not quite sure about this one yet. It sounds pretty ambitious. But at the same time, I NEED to write more, and 350 words per day really isn't bad. These words don't have to all be fiction, either. I want to write more about art, cultural and moral issues, personal reflections, and other things.<br />
<br />
I am really excited for the chance to pursue all these things this year. And the best news is, I can start now! So, I'm off to read and journal and write and draw (maybe all at once). Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-30978062073865814812012-12-12T20:38:00.000-08:002012-12-12T20:38:57.602-08:00Happy 12/12/12 Day!When the hour struck 12:12 this afternoon, my mom and sister and I celebrated with peanut butter truffles. :) We also took pictures of the clock for posterity, which unfortunately I do not have on hand. <br />
<br />
I have been spending this evening (at least pieces of it) trying to piece together a decent plot for my NaNoWriMo novel, which I have given the working title of <i>The Lady in Gray. </i>(One discovers the value of titles when one has had to live without one for more than a month.) The story needs a LOT of work before I can even start writing prose again. I am very out-of-practice when it comes to crafting a story, and it feels pretty overwhelming. Oh well. I've spent a lot of time in the past couple months learning more about the outlining process, and at some point there's nothing to be done but muddle through as best as I can. Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-46527052940028848932012-11-24T21:49:00.000-08:002012-11-24T21:49:06.499-08:00I quit.So, I decided to quit NaNoWriMo today. <br />
<br />
This is my third year seriously attempting it (after winning in 2008 and 2009 and making false starts in 2010 and 2011). I planned for most of October to do it, but after trying to plan one idea I had and rereading everything I could find about outlining and plot structure and the like, I still started November with nothing but a vague handful of ideas about where I was going. <br />
<br />
Due to the fact that I was starting off with a horrible disadvantage, I gave myself permission to include my plotting-words in the word count. Which helped a lot. <br />
<br />
So, good news: I now have 27,000 words, a fair portion of which is story, and most of the rest of which is plot plans for that same story. <br />
<br />
For me, this is actually huge. For a couple of years now my writing life has been stalling as I've tried to recover from burnout, and as I've held off committing to 'lesser' projects as I waited for the 'perfect' idea. Hey, I'd even settle for the almost-perfect idea. I considered myself pretty lax. I didn't need to be <i>Lord of the Rings </i>Tolkien yet, I just needed to be <i>The Hobbit</i> Tolkien. Deal, subconscious? <br />
<br />
NaNoWriMo got me writing again. It gave me the beginning of a story that I feel like I can commit to. By forcing my writer-brain to come up with something, <i>anything</i>, my writer-brain discovered it could actually come up with something good. Under <i>pressure</i>, no less. <br />
<br />
But now, hopelessly behind as I am and with many, many questions about my story still unanswered (What does my main villain even <i>want,</i> anyway?), I think I've discovered the best way to invest in this story. <br />
<br />
And getting to 50,000 words before midnight on November 30th seems like a pretty poor investment in comparison. <br />
<br />
I'm definitely a planner when it comes to stories. Sure, there are some things about my story that I like to discover as I write, but in the majority of cases I like to know where I'm headed. I'm not good at making a story up on the fly. Especially a novel-length story. I've heard all the Wrimo rhetoric for years about how you can always fix it later, but sometimes, you just can't. And sometimes the bad version of the story inadvertently gets stuck in your head, so that even if the problems can be fixed, you no longer care to try. Call me a mystic if you will, worrying about losing the 'magic' of the story. I don't think it's mysticism. I think it's an honest assessment of the way my overly-impressionable mind frequently creates roadblocks for me. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect my first drafts to be perfect. But I expect them to have the soul of what I'm trying to say. I'm not sure you can edit soul into a novel that never had it in the first place. <br />
<br />
I want to breathe <i>life</i> into the story. I don't want to settle for making as many mud pies as I can in the mud wallow of ideas. <br />
<br />
Now, putting words on paper is useful, and reaching for a goal even when it's difficult is an admirable thing. There is a significant part of me that wants to reach that magic number of 50,000, to say I <i>won</i>. But I've burned myself out before. Repeatedly, in fact -- refusing to listen to the warning signs until I'd drained myself of every last drop of motivation to write. That ultimate burnout lasted for three years. I'm just now coming out of that. I'm a fool if I jeopardize this rediscovered creativity for a <i>number</i>. <br />
<br />
Because if I stop here, I've won what's most important. <br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
(And that, friends, is the slightly-melodramatic version of why I'm quitting NaNo.)<br />
<br />
(Instead of feeling sorry for me, think how happy I am finally getting to read all these books I got from the library!) Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-24255095120114547152012-09-02T20:18:00.000-07:002012-09-02T20:18:22.030-07:00Books! Music! Knitting! Me! (But no Doctor Who...)A few days before vacation is not a good time to realize your blog is abandoned and start posting again. Oh well.<br />
<br />
My recent life (in a numbered list!):<br />
<br />
1. I've been staying away from Facebook and Tumblr as much as possible so as to avoid any spoilers for the new series of <i>Doctor Who</i>. I'm one of the poor souls who does not have BBC America and must <i>wait</i>. Oh, the agony. <br />
<br />
2. What I'm currently reading:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Shades of Milk and Honey</i> by Mary Robinette Kowal. Really enjoying this one, especially after listening to the author on <i>Writing Excuses </i>for a while. It's a Jane Austen-esque regency romance, only with magic. I do feel a little guilty reading it, since I've never actually read a Jane Austen book. (I've seen plenty of the movies, though! <i>Sense and Sensibility, Emma, </i>THREE versions of <i>Pride and Prejudice...</i>) </li>
<li><i>A Wizard of Earthsea </i>by Ursula K. Le Guin. As much as I claim to love the fantasy genre, I haven't read much of the 'classic' fantasy stories. I find myself drawn in by a vivid world and a masterful writing style. In fact, I think I would like to do a blog post on this book at some point in the future, because I think it stands in defiance of the 'rule' that in writing one must show and not tell. </li>
<li><i>Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell</i> by Susanna Clarke. I haven't opened it in several weeks, to tell the truth. But, since it is the fattest book ever, I decided things would work out nicely if I bought myself a used copy and took it on a roadtrip. Take that, Kansas! </li>
</ul>
<div>
3. Not doing school is nice. Still trying to find a new mode of operation, but it's good. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. What I've been listening to: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i>The Midsummer Station</i>, the latest album from Owl City! It makes me very happy. </li>
<li>The soundtrack for the Broadway play <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i>. (Rather addicting. Not recommended for all listeners due to lyrics that hint at adult things, but nothing's perfect.) </li>
<li>The NEEDTOBREATHE song <i>Keep Your Eyes Open</i>. Sort of my mantra for this season in my life. </li>
</ul>
<div>
5. If I'm a good girl I'll switch over to a word document after I'm done with this post and work on some outlining. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6. Coming up is the BIGGEST ROADTRIP EVER! (Excited? Me? Maybe a little bit...) New places! New things to see! New TREES! I plan on taking lots of pictures, but not so much that it keeps me from seeing everything. Also, I will probably knit a lot in the car.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
7. ...knitting, yes. I've decided that from now on I will randomly make scarves and throw them at people. (Eh. Second part is optional. Still working out the kinks in the plan.) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Seven is a very nice number, so I'll stop there for now. If you know spoilers for Doctor Who, DO NOT TELL ME. Because you know, I am making scarves. I might just throw one at your head. You have been warned. </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-29242931437243213332012-06-05T18:20:00.001-07:002012-06-05T18:20:17.800-07:00Magika // Tuesday for the MuseFirst, two things:<br />
<br />
1) Yes, I know the name of the group sounds like the scariest rock band ever. They're not a rock band. And they're not scary.
<br />
<br />
2) And yes, it sounds like the <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> soundtrack. Doesn't mean it's not amazing. Just have a listen, and enjoy the music for what it is. Which is pure inspiration, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pbAt34gxdB0?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to my friend Anna F. for sharing this with me on Facebook!</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Most disappointing thing about this song? It's not available for purchase. Don't these people know I would so happily give them money?</center>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-38226477754448207872012-06-03T15:38:00.000-07:002012-06-03T15:40:07.714-07:00I Believe in an Objective RealityMy favorite book on writing is <a href="http://shadowofpoetic.blogspot.com/2011/05/reviw-of-art-of-fiction-by-ayn-rand.html" target="_blank">Ayn Rand's <i>The Art of Fiction</i>, which I posted a book review of back in 2011</a>. I'm not a writer that's into writing fiction for fiction's sake. While I love writing stories, I can't write a good one unless I feel that there's some point to what I'm doing, other than my own amusement. I want people to get something out my stories besides just entertainment. That's just who I am. And because of that, Ayn's book spoke to me more than any other writing book I've read. She tells you how to focus everything in your story on making the point you want to make.<br />
<br />
So, naturally, I was curious when I saw an article titled <a href="http://litreactor.com/columns/why-even-ayn-rand-can-teach-you-something-about-writing" target="_blank">"Why Even Ayn Rand Can Teach You Something About Writing."</a> <br />
<br />
<i>Even</i> Ayn Rand. Well, that's generous of you.<br />
<br />
Mostly, the article is about Why Ayn Rand Can't Teach You Anything About Writing At All. Oh, and she hates humanity. And is boring. Actually, the only benefit the writer of the article believes can be derived from reading her book is the opportunity to practice working past a state of rage so that you can then prove why she's wrong.<br />
<br />
He complains about Ayn's writing all the way down to her prose style, but it's obvious that what he really objects to is her philosophy, Objectivism, which she's not at all shy about espousing. I don't agree with Objectivism because it's a godless school of thought, but it's important to realize that Objectivism and Christianity are on the same side in one very crucial battle. <br />
<br />
You see, both believe in an objective reality. <br />
<br />
This means that both Christians (if they're worth their salt) and Objectivists believe that reality exists apart from our perceptions of it. We either perceive reality correctly or we don't. Two directly-conflicting views of the world can't both be right. Not all views are equally valid. They are valid in so far as they line up with the reality that exists outside of all perceptions. Truth is solid and cannot be changed. It exists. If it contradicts itself, it is not truth. <br />
<br />
Most intellectuals do not believe in an objective reality anymore. They demonstrate this in the art they create and value: books with made-up words, art that destroys boundaries between things, films that tear down the notion of reality. Rarely will they come out and voice this core belief, but it's here, plain to see, in their hatred of a writer who believed that words should have concrete meanings. <br />
<br />
No, I don't think books should be 'preachy.' But I'm willing to use my fiction to say that some things are of greater value than other things, that the universe has meaning that we can understand, that there is right and wrong, truth and falsehood, lines that should not be crossed, ways we should live. <br />
<br />
Can you believe it's come to this? That we're considered old-fashioned for believing in <i>reality? </i> Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-3692008197304769792012-05-29T19:00:00.001-07:002012-05-29T19:00:42.607-07:00All of Me // Tuesday for the Muse<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9fAZIQ-vpdw?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I debated whether or not I should post another song from The Piano Guys, but in the end I couldn't help it -- this is <i>the </i>song I've been listening to the most in the past two weeks, aside from <i>Dementia</i>, one of Owl City's new songs (which I love but which hardly seems appropriate for an inspiration-themed feature). </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm an odd duck when it comes to music. Unless I'm in a specifically experimental mood, I tend to only listen to the music that I already know I like. As this blog testifies, I've been happily listening to music from The Piano Guys for the past month, but there are still a number of songs of theirs that I haven't yet heard. On top of that, I don't normally go for just-piano pieces. While I like the piano well enough, and there are some things it does better than every other instrument, there's something about the sound quality that doesn't draw me in as much as, say, strings or woodwinds. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">One late night, as I was getting ready for bed, I decided I wanted another Piano Guys song. I thought about the ones I had already listened to a number of times on Spotify, but nothing jumped out as being 'the one.' (Yes, I buy my music on a need-to-have basis.) On a whim, I clicked on the last track of the "Hits" album, <i>All of Me</i>, and before I was 10 seconds into the piece, I knew I was buying it. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">The expression in this song is deep and thoughtful while being blissfully happy, and it has that dancing/flying element I mentioned in my last post. To me, it speaks of discovery, of a jewel summer and a deepening friendship, of a hesitancy that slowly gives way to pure romance, of passionate creativity. Whenever I listen to it, I see the face of someone with that look that says they're not in control anymore, and wouldn't have it any other way -- a blissful surrender to the amazing. And what could be more amazing than God? So yes, for me it is a faith-song. Whenever people look at Christianity with fear -- fear of being trapped, fear of loss of control -- I wish I could have them listen to this song, and show them that <i>it's so much more like this</i>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Fear not: I will refrain from posting more Piano Guys songs until I absolutely cannot help it anymore. In the meantime, enjoy. </center>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-92222713439439393872012-05-22T17:07:00.005-07:002012-05-22T17:07:53.828-07:00Anthem of Hope // Tuesday for the MuseSo I missed last week's <i>Tuesday for the Muse</i> because my life was absolutely swallowed up in graduation-induced insanity. My apologies. I didn't feel like posting <i>Pomp and Circumstance</i> in order to make a point about what my life was like.<br />
<br />
This week I want to share one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite artists, Ryan Farish:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dq24Z5psKio" width="420">&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;dev&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;</iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
This song is another makes-me-feel-like-dancing song, but that because it also makes me feel like flying. There are two different types of dancing, I think: dancing where you just want to move however you can, and dancing where your soul is uplifted and you dance because you cannot fly. This music inspires the latter. <br />
<br />
<i>Anthem of Hope</i> is on my inspiration playlist because when I'm trying to come up with ideas and scenes, I need music that is both high-energy and full of emotion. I have plenty of music that has great energy but no direction, and I have a lot of movie soundtracks that have some beautiful emotion that occurs in brief 10- or 30- second intervals (usually couched within several minutes of music that, frankly, is rather boring). But Ryan Farish's music is perfect because he finds a good melody and stays with it for the whole piece, long enough for my writer-brain to work through a complete thought. Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-11773806624615361402012-05-08T22:39:00.002-07:002012-05-09T21:30:08.713-07:00O Fortuna // Tuesday for the Muse<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gpx4YqMkrfc?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This week I got my Galaxy Player 4.0, which, aside from its many other wonderful features, automatically creates a playlist of your most-played songs. Right now the song in second place (behind <a href="http://shadowofpoetic.blogspot.com/2012/05/peponi-tuesday-for-muse.html" target="_blank">Peponi, which I posted about last week</a>) is, yes, another song from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianoGuys?feature=watch" target="_blank">The Piano Guys</a>. This poem is centuries old and was set to music in the 1930's by the German composer Carl Orff. While the original version is pretty epic by itself...<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GD3VsesSBsw?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">...what The Piano Guys did to the song was just too amazing. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">For me, race cars don't really do the song justice, so I recommend you play the video, close your eyes, and let the music suggest its own theme. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Lately I've had characters on my mind (both mine and other people's) that are centuries old, and whenever I play this song I see an immortal character wandering through ages, seeing the rise and fall of empires and religions, hope and love and so, so much loss. Such a character would have more reasons than most to complain against fate, as did the writer of <i>O Fortuna</i> so many centuries ago. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">(And yes, it's almost Wednesday. I know. Sometimes surprise visits from delightful relatives happen, and blogging just has to wait.)</center>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-20201090031063752022012-05-01T21:22:00.000-07:002012-05-09T21:30:08.718-07:00Peponi // Tuesday for the MuseToday, I'm going to tell you something a little different: don't watch the video. I mean yes, you can watch it, but I recommend that the first time through you just let it play with the window minimized. When I tried to show this video to my sister, she wasn't able to really appreciate the music on the first go-round because of the 'weird dancing.' <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Cgovv8jWETM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">This is, of course, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianoGuys" target="_blank">The Piano Guys</a>' cover of Coldplay's hit song <i>Paradise. </i>Due to the somewhat eclectic circles I run in, I generally don't get much exposure to whatever music is currently popular. I came across the song because I watched this awesome <i>Doctor Who</i> fanvid (warning for general spoilers for Series 5 and 6):</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center>
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GySSFvJjm6A?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">The song's been on my Spotify playlist ever since, but I haven't gotten around to actually buying it. However, I can't get over the gorgeous instrumental arrangement in the <i>Peponi</i> version. Every time I try to listen to it while doing something else, I inevitably stop in my tracks so that I can fully absorb it. I feel like <i>Peponi</i> taps into a little more of the passion in the song, and because the words are in a language I can't understand, it's perfect music for writing. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Speaking of writing music, I've been on a complete Piano Guys binge this week. Their music is gorgeous (and will probably reappear in <i>Tuesday for the Muse</i> sometime soon). If you're looking for instrumental music with great energy and emotion, I urge you to check them out. </center>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-67310694550295735592012-04-24T12:57:00.001-07:002012-05-09T21:30:36.818-07:00Amy in the TARDIS // Tuesday for the Muse<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/goeBFfW9NLA?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Now that I'm more than halfway through <i>Doctor Who</i> Series 5, I felt I could start listening to the first half of the soundtrack. (I generally don't like to listen to music for episodes I haven't seen. Somehow it feels like spoiler-hunting.) This is my favorite song from the soundtrack so far, and I've been listening to it over and over again the past several days. It plays during the scene where Amy first enters the TARDIS, and it conveys a strong sense of magic, of a long-held wish finally being fulfilled, a childhood dream gently becoming reality. All of those are themes that resonate with me, which I think is why I like this song so much. This track actually caught my attention while I was watching the episode, which in my world is a testament to how good it is. Most <i>Doctor Who </i>music isn't written specifically to be lovely, but this piece is just lovely anyway. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Now, to hunt around for a dollar so I can download it from Amazon...</center>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-11769383953828614682012-04-17T12:44:00.000-07:002012-05-09T21:30:36.813-07:00Kingdom Dance // Tuesday for the Muse<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XYfySVrQxto?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></center><br />
<br />
Inspired by my friend Katie and her lovely fashion blog <a href="http://www.beautifully-pure.com/" target="_blank">Beautifully Pure</a>, I've decided to start a weekly music feature, focusing primarily on songs that inspire me (but also including songs that I just plain love). <br />
<br />
This week, I chose a song that I've loved for a long time but only just downloaded last week. It's the music from the <i>Tangled </i>soundtrack (by the brilliant Alan Menken) that plays during the dancing scene. I fell in love with this song the first time I watched the movie, even before the scene was over. Dancing (and songs that make me feel like dancing) have always had a special place in my heart, and this song perfectly captures the energy of a dance while retaining a sweet innocence that we in the modern era have forgotten with our dancing. I personally believe old-fashioned community dances should make a comeback. What do you think?Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-77401353176358939692012-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:002012-04-16T07:57:04.087-07:00A Lonely Library Stack and IntelligibilityI know I'm a little crazy, trying to write a whole blog post in the brief time I have before school. But I've been thinking about my poor, neglected blog all week, and I figure the only way to get something done is to take what small chance you have to do it. <br />
<br />
So, gentle reader, I give you a basic update on life:<br />
<br />
<u>Reading</u>: I haven't been doing very much of it all. I think this is due, in part, to the fact that my stack of library books looks rather empty at the moment. There are plenty of books that I would like to have read and that I think I should read at some point, but I haven't had the inspiration to get very far into any of them. The one book I picked up in the past week that I thought was going to be interesting -- <i>Split Infinity</i>, by Piers Anthony -- I had to put down after the first dozen pages due to sexual content. Blegh. And he had such an interesting concept, too...<br />
<br />
Anyway, what I really need right now is a quick, engaging read that I can blaze through in a couple of days. Probably something YA -- but you know my standards. I won't go for anything with adult content or swearing. If you have a book in mind that fits this description, please send it my way. <br />
<br />
<u>Writing</u>: I have been participating in an informal Poem-A-Day (since this is National Poetry Month), but I started a couple days late and missed the last three days. Oh well. I figure that any poetry I write because of PAD is more poetry than I would have written otherwise. Writing is good. <br />
<br />
Also, I've been a little concerned because it feels that with every time I sit down to write, I make less and less sense. Of course, it doesn't help that I don't have a specific project I'm working on. But it's like I've spent so much time away from writing that as soon as my pen touches the paper, all this esoteric goop spills out. And that's not what I want. I don't write with long words because I want to sound sophisticated. I use those words because they best express what I want to say. There's nothing nearly as wonderful as knowing you used exactly the right word for what you meant. But still, I'm not sure what to do with myself. I would like to be at least a little intelligible. <br />
<br />
<u>Final Note</u>: My life doesn't consist solely of reading and writing, I hope you know. But I have run out of time to talk about anything else. Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-33312523695169196962012-03-10T17:20:00.000-08:002012-03-10T17:20:33.245-08:00Spring and MockingjayToday is the most beautiful, most spring-like day we've had so far this year, even now at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Saturdays are our family house-cleaning days, and today as we traversed the house with vacuums and scrub-brushes, we were able to leave the windows and doors open, letting in a fresh breeze and the sunshine that's lost its winter pallor. As I sit on my bed to write this blog entry, that light illuminates my room, and my window is still open. Things smell alive again, even if they don't quite look like it yet. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I finished reading <i>Mockingjay </i>yesterday. While I've enjoyed the whole <i>Hunger Games</i> trilogy quite a bit, I cannot come to terms with the ending. For those of you who haven't read it yet, the end is solidly bittersweet--with a whole lot of bitter and precious little sweet. Now, I am not someone who has to have a happy ending no matter what. In fact, some of my favorite stories have tragic endings. (I never could resist anything that made me cry.) But there has to be a <i>reason</i> for the ending. If a story ends bittersweet, it should be because a happy ending would have felt wrong. Sydney Carton had to die at the end of <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i>, because if he had just swooped in, saved the day, and taken everyone back to England safe and sound, the book would have lost a lot of its meaning and power. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, so let's start with the concept of meaning and apply it to <i>Mockingjay.</i> The ending would be understandable (and forgivable) if Collins had something specific to say. And I think she does have something to say, but what it turns out to be is something as broad and bland and over-parroted as <i>War is bad</i>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, war is bad. But in my entire life span (which, admittedly, isn't very long), I haven't run into a single living person who thought war was good. So really, did Collins have to sacrifice the ending of this trilogy for the sake of telling us something that we already believe? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, while this is one major problem I have with the ending, I think the real reason I didn't like it was not the ending itself, but the promises I felt the author had made to us that weren't fulfilled. Looking back on the series, I feel like there were a number of opportunities that were wasted, and a number of aspects of the ending that made it distinctively unhappy. For example:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
*SPOILERS AHEAD*</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Peeta's speaking abilities</b> are mentioned and come into play a number of times in <i>The Hunger Games </i>and <i>Catching Fire.</i> Because it kept coming up, I felt, when I was speculating about <i>Mockingjay </i>before I read it, that something meaningful Peeta says in public should have a pivotal role in the book, particularly at the end. Instead, Peeta is a prisoner of the Capitol for the first half of the book, has a severely altered personality in the second half of the book, and the only major part he plays in the end is to keep Katniss from committing suicide after she makes the final decisive action of the book. Yes, that action belongs to Katniss, since she is the main character. But the story is also Peeta's in so many ways, and to have his only role in the book be as a source of angst for Katniss is just disappointing. I wanted to see him act. I wanted to see him come into his own as a well-reasoned, decisive man. I wanted him to have a moment where I could stand up and cheer for him. But the book had none of that. </li>
<li><b>The romance went kaput.</b> Despite how well it was written, I'm not sure I liked the love triangle. Being yanked back and forth between Gale and Peeta created a lot of tension, but after a while I just wanted it to stop. Also, the way in which it got resolved wasn't really a resolution. Katniss admitted that a part of her would always hate Gale for her sister's death, and Gale, for the most part, walked out of her life. And after that, Peeta and Katniss fall back in love again in a very boring way off-screen. After three books of constant romantic tension... that's it? </li>
<li>In the end, Katniss has Peeta again. Great. But <b>everyone else is gone</b>. Even the people who aren't dead are gone, such as Katniss's mother. Throughout the book the one source of comfort for Katniss has been other people, but at the end of the book she's all but completely alone. The book ends with a profound sense of loneliness, which I found very depressing. No reward at all for suffering through all the gruesome deaths that litter the pages of the book. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Those are just the main problems I can think of off the top of my head. In all, it felt to me like Collins performed a series of tricks, dazzling us with her ability to keep us constantly in suspense, jumping higher and higher each time. And then, after all those surprises, she found that she'd left herself only a few options with which to craft a good ending. So she made the ending bittersweet, because that was all that was left. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, the one thing I haven't addressed is that the ending is realistic. In real wars, people you love die horrendous, pointless deaths. Happy endings are in short supply. But most people don't read fiction for realism. We have real life for that. Good fiction tries to make us better than we are, not by reinforcing the hopelessness many of us already feel when looking at the world, but by telling us that evil doesn't always win, and that there's a reason to keep hoping and keep fighting for what's right and true. If a book's central message is "Life stinks," I don't know if it can really be classified as a good book. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But, despite all the negative things I've said, I do think Suzanne Collins is a talented author with great storytelling abilities, and I would still recommend <i>The Hunger Games</i> and <i>Catching Fire -- </i>and, yes, maybe even <i>Mockingjay</i>, though not without fair warning -- to someone looking for an engaging book to read. I won't deny that reading these books has been fun. And I'm still looking forward to the movie. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-31751751669336308442012-02-02T17:45:00.000-08:002012-02-02T17:45:05.311-08:00It is a good and pleasant thing when friends dwell together in craziness.There is a reason no one has yet hired me to write proverbs, as you can see from the title of this post. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I say such a thing because, while the rest of the city prepares for a blizzard like none we have ever seen (if the hysteria in the weather reports is to be believed), my family and I are going with friends to get ice cream. <br />
<br />
Because, after all, absurdity is best shared... especially when it's tasty. <br />
<br />
I shall dispense with giving-forth of timeless wisdom in order to say:<br />
<br />
HI I'M BLOGGING AGAIN LOOKIE LOOKIE LOOKIE--<br />
<br />
*shoves overly-enthusiastic blogger-self back into the closet* <br />
<br />
*looks around to make sure no one noticed, then whispers discreetly to self*<br />
<br />
That was unprofessional and in very poor taste. <br />
<br />
*turns back to blog readers*<br />
<br />
Ahem. <br />
<br />
Well, as they say, skeletons are best left in the closet...<br />
<br />
<i>Overly-Enthusiastic Blogger-Self</i>: I'M NOT A SKELETON!<br />
<br />
...so we shall conclude this post.<br />
<br />
<i>Overly-Enthusiastic Blogger-Self</i>: BUT I WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE MISSED ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG AND I MISSED ALL OF THEM AND...<br />
<br />
*sighs*<br />
<br />
*pulls out duct tape* <br />
<br />
If you will excuse me. Babblers are best dealt with soon and with strong and sticky substances, after all.<br />
<br />
*disappears into the closet* <br />
<br />
<i>Overly-Enthusiastic Blogger-Self</i>: STRONG AND STICKY WHAT ON EARTH DOES THAT MEAN OH MY GOSH GET AWAY FROM ME THAT IS SO NOT mmph. Mmmph mmm mph! Mmmm-mmnm! <br />
<br />Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-41434211726034644712011-12-30T16:44:00.000-08:002011-12-30T16:44:48.867-08:00Reading(This is a post I posted a couple days ago on another blog, but I decided to move it here.)<br />
<br />
I spent the greater part of today working with books: making a list of all the books I've read in 2011, cataloging my own personal library of books, and the like. I started out this year with the goal of reading 25 books in 2011, and... well, I read 53. I am quite pleased. <br />
<br />
Looking over the list of books I finished this year, there were a couple of themes that stood out. I read 32 fiction books and 20 nonfiction books. I read more YA fiction this year than in all previous years combined -- mostly thanks to Scott Westerfeld, since I discovered his <i>Leviathan</i> trilogy early this year, which lead me to read his <i>Uglies </i>series while waiting for <i>Goliath</i> to come out. I also read a number of dystopias, from <i>Brave New World </i>to <i>The Hunger Games</i>. G. K. Chesterton was probably my favorite author that I read this year. I discovered him in 2010 when I read his biography of Charles Dickens. This year I continued my journey through Chesterton with <i>Orthodoxy</i>,<i> The Flying Inn</i>,<i> The Man Who Was Thursday</i>,<i> Heretics</i>, and <i>Saint Thomas Aquinas</i>. Chesterton is the kind of person that makes me wish I could steal his brain and make it my own. His writing style is gorgeous, and the thoughts he has are so profound. <br />
<br />
While it's tempting to see if I can read even more books in 2012, I think I'm going to take a different approach. Instead of aiming for a number, I'd rather have the luxury of taking my time reading a book, choosing longer books to read, or rereading books. In my eternal quest to improve as a writer, I want to examine the works of my favorite authors in detail to see what I can learn from them.<br />
<br />
And as a rather odd resolution, I've decided I'd like to dive into the Christian fantasy genre. It came to my attention as I scanned the fiction shelves at Family Christian Bookstore the other day that, even though I think of Christian fantasy as the genre I'd like to write it, I haven't actually read that much of it. So I plan to begin my journey with Donita K. Paul's <i>DragonSpell</i> and see where it takes me from there.Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-35164234084024948362011-09-21T08:03:00.000-07:002011-09-21T08:03:57.511-07:00Guess who posted! (Guess who also didn't proofread her post. Being in a hurry is not conducive to some things.)Wow, it's been forever since my last blog post! The little egg timer in my head went off again (rather belated little instrument, that is), so here I am. Since I currently feel like there's not much in my head right now, that means this is going to be a random post. Oh well. Here, I'll turn it into a numbered list to make it look more official:<br />
<br />
1. School (my last year of homeschool high school!) has been going for about a month now, and so far it is turning out to be my favorite year of homeschool ever. Instead of doing regular math and science, I'm doing accounting and economics. Economics is my new love. I'm reading Thomas Sowell's <i>Basic Economics</i>, which explains a fascinating subject with Sowell's crystal clarity. The book may look imposing at 654 pages, but it reads like an intriguing news article, and I don't feel I've worked that hard to get halfway through the book. Do I even need to mention that I recommend it highly? <br />
<br />
2. Today is a busy day, but one of the pleasant side effects of having a busy day is that I get to go to the library (=D) where I have several books waiting for me:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>No Plot? No Problem!</i> by Chris Baty. (This is a reread for me. I just want a refresher, since I really want to do NaNoWriMo but have just about given up hope on the subject, since I have almost no ideas, and the ones I do have don't play nice with each other.)</li>
<li><i>Incarceron</i> by Catharine Fisher. I need a nice fluffy YA read. (No, I don't suppose <i>Incarceron</i> is fluffy, but for me, YA of any kind IS fluff, even if it's an action-packed science fiction YA. True fluff mostly sticks in my throat and makes me gag.) </li>
<li><i>The Lightning Thief</i>, by Rick Riordan. I've heard a lot about this series, so I thought I'd dip my toe into the first book. It's also research of a sort, since the lone idea I've even partially entertained for NaNoWriMo has some similarities with what I've heard about this series, so I thought I'd see how this author handled it. </li>
</ul>3. Look at me, I used a numbered list AND bullet points in the same post! <br />
<br />
4. And unless I want to discover this blog post sometime next week and realize to my shame that I never posted it, I should post it now, since school is starting. Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-87342716401426702882011-08-03T19:54:00.000-07:002011-08-03T19:54:58.231-07:00FrustrationsI have so many things that I love, but I cannot seem to make a story out of them. I have words that swirl about my head like a cloud, but they are miniscule droplets that refuse to come together and form rain – rain that would fill a mountain vale with a purple-grey quiet and make the summer greenery wet and feel like spring again. Like my life, with the trees that sometimes group together to suggest a forest, images gather in my mind with such realism that I believe the story to be there, somewhere; a landscape lurking behind fog, so grand that even the glimpses make you gasp in delight. I do not need an imaginary world to live in. I need a work of art, something to unveil, an expression, something that can be given away. But neither can I labor on with only the barest of purposes, hoping to gain momentum. I am an artist, not an artisan. I must reach for something beautiful, or else I will touch nothing.<br />
<br />
And yet to wait for inspiration is to begin to die slowly.Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-8197429712115265602011-07-25T16:31:00.001-07:002011-07-25T16:31:31.558-07:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2936342-jackaroo" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="JACKAROO" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1208320148m/2936342.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2936342-jackaroo">JACKAROO</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7540.Cynthia_Voigt">Cynthia Voigt</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/186833851">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
This book started out a little slow, but halfway through things started to get interesting, and by the end I discovered that I had absolutely fallen in love with the book! It was thoughtful, vivid, full of unique and interesting characters, realistic and yet hopeful, portraying the hardships of life without at all diminishing the fantastic moments of adventure. And the ending! It was a legitimate, beautiful happy ending, one that leaves you grinning from ear to ear at the end. I highly recommend this book. <br />
<br/><br/><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5114698-cherise">View all my reviews</a>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-43280133560612549812011-07-11T22:25:00.000-07:002011-07-11T22:25:25.493-07:00Preparations, Flying Music, and ThunderstormsMy aunt (who's more like a big sister to me, when you consider the age difference) is getting married this weekend. The whole family is going to be flowing out to Nebraska in waves. The first wave leaves tomorrow, taking my mom with it. She's packing now, and as I sit and write this blog post and listen to her bustling about, everything feels a little unnatural. In just a few short days the second wave will sweep me off to the plains, but for now I sit in the half-uncomfortable eye of the storm. <br />
<br />
My sister and I will get to see if we can stay on top of the dishes by ourselves. (Dad does dishes only in emergencies.) <br />
<br />
I spent $8 this weekend on the soundtrack for <em>How to Train Your Dragon</em>, and I consider it to be the best purchase I've made in months. Most soundtracks I am acquainted with have tracks that seem to consist of semi-disconnected notes that aren't really enjoyable to listen to outside a movie theater. This soundtrack, however, has so many perfectly delightful tracks that I have trouble keeping track (sorry, bad pun) of them all. The music is upbeat, adventurous, awe-inspiring, and soul-stirring, with a gorgeous celtic theme woven throughout. Tracks like <em>This is Berk</em> and <em>See You Tomorrow</em> are filled with rollicking yet engaging energy, while <em>Test Drive</em> and <em>Coming Back Around</em> make you feel like you <em>are</em> flying. In any case, the number of amazing tracks far outpaces the number of dollars you have to lay down to own the mp3 album. Buy it. <br />
<br />
This week has been full of magnificent thunderstorms, rolling off of the mountains in purple clouds that make your heart beat faster. For once they've actually paused to pour blessed rain into this dry climate -- sometimes gently, other times hurling it down so hard that water abandons the gutter for the sidewalk and you can see the raindrops bounce off the pavement. Between the clouds, the moisture, and my new soundtrack, I've been living in my own poet's paradise. <br />
<br />
I'm sorry that I'll have to leave it for a 7-hour drive of glaring yellow <em>flatness</em>. Pray that the good Lord will send me mental forests to keep my mind off of it. Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-36709375368910876582011-07-11T08:24:00.000-07:002011-07-12T11:45:50.617-07:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5056084-wings" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Wings (Wings, #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275773575m/5056084.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5056084-wings">Wings</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2096360.Aprilynne_Pike">Aprilynne Pike</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/182771296">2 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I think that this book did pretty well on what it was trying to do -- namely, be an engaging YA read that someone could get through in a weekend. I enjoyed it in the sense that there were parts where I couldn't put the book down. However, on reflection, the book just seemed rather...unimpressive. Pike has a great base concept, but that seemed to be the only complicated thing about the book. Everything else seemed a little cliche. I felt like there wasn't enough content for it to really be the first book in a trilogy. <br />
<br />
Or maybe I've just been spoiled by reading Scott Westerfeld. <br />
<br />
In any case, this book is definitely fluff reading -- and since I tend to go for deeper things, I'm not going to spend time on the second or third books in the trilogy. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5114698-cherise">View all my reviews</a>Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254670509261642365.post-39139472835778987272011-07-05T14:46:00.000-07:002011-07-05T14:46:23.728-07:00Books that are, were, and will be (read by me)At least it hasn't been a <em>whole</em> month since I last posted. It's only been 27 days. <br />
<br />
So far I have spent this summer just reading as much as I can. Now that school's out of the way I can actually get down to learning! (Or at least, that's what it feels like.) The problem is that I add about 5 books to me <em>To Be Read</em> list for every book I finish. There's just not enough time to read everything I want to -- and, to top it off, I've come to the conclusion that I ought to be reading <em>slower</em> than I normally do so that I can absorb things more fully. <br />
<br />
This past week I finished reading <em>The Man Who Was Thursday</em> by G.K. Chesterton and <em>Pretties </em>by Scott Westerfeld. Both of them were quite good, and both of them kept me in a dreadful amount of suspense. More complete reviews for both those books are coming shortly. <br />
<br />
There are a couple books that are currently balancing on the top of my currently-reading pile:<br />
<br />
<em>Scribbling in the Sand: Christ and Creativity</em>, by Michael Card. This book, recommended to me by a writer friend, comes right on the heels of having read <em>Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art</em> by Madeleine L'Engle. While on the outset it looks like the books represent two different voices saying the same thing, I am already finding a number of differences. After finishing <em>Walking on Water</em>, I couldn't get over the nagging feeling that L'Engle's approach to art was just not Christ-centered enough. In many ways, she still bought into the age-old cop-out, "Do art for art's sake." For me, that is a pitiful excuse of an idea. There <em>has</em> to be a greater reason for doing art -- a reason that leads back to God in the end, as all true ideas do. And I think <em>Scribbling in the Sand </em>is addressing that. I'm only three chapters in, but Card's ideas are already shown to be substantially different. He says that art is an act of worship -- a response to the beautiful nature of God. That is an answer I can believe in. <br />
<br />
<em>My Utmost for His Highest</em>, by Oswald Chambers. I can see why this devotional is such a classic -- I have only read five days so far, and yet those five days contained more wisdom and insight than most of the books I have read. I think I understand why it is in a devotional format: I don't think it would be possible to read the book without taking an entire year to do it. Needless to say, I'm going to be requesting a copy for my birthday. <br />
<br />
<em>When God Writes Your Love Story</em>, by Eric and Leslie Ludy. For those of us who want to do romance differently than this culture, this is a call to trust God with everything in your life, especially your future marriage. I've read other books about 'waiting' and 'courtship' before, but this one is a classic, and it emphasizes that romance ought to be about God first and foremost. <br />
<br />
And now, the books on my TBR list for the rest of this summer:<br />
<br />
1. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. (I've watched three movie versions of the story but never read the book. I know, it's silly.)<br />
2. Blink of an Eye, by Ted Dekker.<br />
3. Specials, by Scott Westerfeld. <br />
4. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. <br />
5. Animal Farm, by George Orwell.<br />
6. The Face of a Stranger, by Anne Perry.<br />
7. Looking for the King, by David C. Downing. <br />
8. Saint Thomas Aquinas, by G.K. Chesterton.<br />
9. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.<br />
10. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Orson Scott Card.<br />
11. Phantastes, by George MacDonald.<br />
12. Dismantling America, by Thomas Sowell<br />
<br />
Of course, knowing my ADD self, I'll probably finish only half of these, along with half a dozen other books that I don't yet know about. <br />
<br />
OH, and on the topic of books, I have a site that you absolutely must check out: <a href="http://livingescapists.blogspot.com/">The Escapism Project</a>, a collage of thoughts on reading and writing by a group of teenage bookworms and bookwriters, all in pursuit of a more complete idea of what make a 'live-in' book. Yes, I am a contributor. :) Cherisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779743857702452575noreply@blogger.com1