Hello Bookworms!
Ok, so I'm still working on my schedule, finding time to blog and all that. So, I noticed that I haven't really posted that much about my book "Shadow of a Leader", or Soal, as I call it. Therefore, today I will be posting a riddle from it. This riddle is what starts the events of Soal, so it's not the kind to solve immediately. I hope you enjoy it!
~
Follow the star of the north ten days,
to seek out the answer, the cure,
Seeking my refuge in wavering ways,
Who'll find the answer? The pure.
From this dark mountain I'll seek my home,
then flee to the fortitude high,
I can return there from where I roam,
There where the answer shall die.
I sought for my rest then was searched for,
Through dark forests many have come.
I seek out the city of Luntror,
To darkness I'll never succumb.
I travel to seek out the answer for all,
Those seeking me will find,
That dark men when finding me will fall,
While only the pure will keep mind.
~
So, I know it's not much, but it is the catalyst for the story. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!
Habent sua fata libelli
Friday, October 17, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Plot summaries, the Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Hello Bookworms!
How time flies when you're hard at work. That's not the actual saying, but it might as well be. It's true! When you are working hard on something, making sure you do everything just right, you use up a lot of time! So, I need to start scheduling my time better. Now, time to talk about a movie. There will probably be spoilers, but I'll try to avoid the main ones. (As if I'm good at that!)
~
So, I finally got around to seeing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty this week. Honestly, I wasn't planning on it, but it came on while I was waiting for another television show. So, I will keep this brief and to the point. The movie as a whole wasn't one of those "Brilliant, edge-of-your-seat action types with tons of comedic references", but it was well done. The basic premiss was more about normal life, and how "It's not so much about that character, but about how the seemingly unimportant things we know end up making us amazing" (Esther). The scenery was amazing! Iceland and Greenland, the Himalayas, excellent.
The acting was good, I especially loved hearing Patton Oswalt as Todd, hearing about all the places Walter was going. Of course, I couldn't help but think about Agent Koenig! Brilliant and hilarious!
My two favorite scenes would have to be when he actually jumps onto the helicopter and then seeing his face when he realizes, "Wait, this is real! I'm actually doing this! What was I thinking?" And when he out-drives the volcano. I loved that scene! (Yes, a bit of a pyromaniac) So, have fun watching it! Definitely a family movie, really well done. And come on, who doesn't dream like that?
~
So, please keep reading my blog, thank you! Please join the site, and PLEASE comment!
Habent sua fata libelli
Oh, and shouting back to my twin sister Elenore Jane! Check out her blog, http://winterripple.blogspot.com/
How time flies when you're hard at work. That's not the actual saying, but it might as well be. It's true! When you are working hard on something, making sure you do everything just right, you use up a lot of time! So, I need to start scheduling my time better. Now, time to talk about a movie. There will probably be spoilers, but I'll try to avoid the main ones. (As if I'm good at that!)
~
So, I finally got around to seeing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty this week. Honestly, I wasn't planning on it, but it came on while I was waiting for another television show. So, I will keep this brief and to the point. The movie as a whole wasn't one of those "Brilliant, edge-of-your-seat action types with tons of comedic references", but it was well done. The basic premiss was more about normal life, and how "It's not so much about that character, but about how the seemingly unimportant things we know end up making us amazing" (Esther). The scenery was amazing! Iceland and Greenland, the Himalayas, excellent.
The acting was good, I especially loved hearing Patton Oswalt as Todd, hearing about all the places Walter was going. Of course, I couldn't help but think about Agent Koenig! Brilliant and hilarious!
My two favorite scenes would have to be when he actually jumps onto the helicopter and then seeing his face when he realizes, "Wait, this is real! I'm actually doing this! What was I thinking?" And when he out-drives the volcano. I loved that scene! (Yes, a bit of a pyromaniac) So, have fun watching it! Definitely a family movie, really well done. And come on, who doesn't dream like that?
~
So, please keep reading my blog, thank you! Please join the site, and PLEASE comment!
Habent sua fata libelli
Oh, and shouting back to my twin sister Elenore Jane! Check out her blog, http://winterripple.blogspot.com/
Friday, September 26, 2014
Shady Friday #15
Hello Bookworms!
Alright, so it's been a while since the last Shady Friday. Still, I've been pretty busy. So, Shady Friday time, what have I been working on? Power point! But don't worry, I don't know how to include power point in my blog. So, right now I'm running out of short ideas and working on longer books, which are harder to include. So, for the next few Shady Fridays I will be working on sharing the book idea I had about a month ago.
This idea is rather simple, and yet fascinatingly complicated. The basic idea is a zombie apocalypse book in second person. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's where instead of saying "He raced" Or "I raced", it says "You raced". Only, I'm also doing it present tense, so it's going to be "You race". Here's a small preview.
~
Alright, so it's been a while since the last Shady Friday. Still, I've been pretty busy. So, Shady Friday time, what have I been working on? Power point! But don't worry, I don't know how to include power point in my blog. So, right now I'm running out of short ideas and working on longer books, which are harder to include. So, for the next few Shady Fridays I will be working on sharing the book idea I had about a month ago.
This idea is rather simple, and yet fascinatingly complicated. The basic idea is a zombie apocalypse book in second person. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's where instead of saying "He raced" Or "I raced", it says "You raced". Only, I'm also doing it present tense, so it's going to be "You race". Here's a small preview.
~
You really wish your
life had turned out differently. There’s something wrong with you, you know.
Yeah, you know it alright. You’re the type of crazy that knows it. Insane.
That’s the perfect word to describe you. A crazy lunatic that no one believes;
no one appreciates. Well, they will soon enough, those that are left. You hear
the man in the box, He tells you it’s getting worse, the plague is spreading.
You smile a little. Ah yes, this you knew.
~
So, basically it's about this one girl who gets a small hint that the zombie apocalypse is going to happen, but ends up in an insane asylum until two weeks before it strikes. The other thing to keep in mind is that she actually is a bit insane, so I'm not sure if it's actually happening, or she just thinks it's happening due to post traumatic stress disorder, as she was previously employed by the military, and wounded in action.
Thank you so much for reading, PLEASE let me know your thoughts on the book! Thanks!
Habent sua fata libelli.
P.S. Yes, it may have been slightly inspired by Warm Bodies, but the main idea is mine
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Plot Summaries, Warm Bodies.
Hello Bookworms!
Today I am first explaining what plot summaries are. It's basically when I review the entirety of a show, movie, or book, examining the fundamental aspects of whatever work I am examining, all from a writing perspective. I am hoping to be doing more of these later on. Anyway, today I am posting on a favorite movie of mine, Warm Bodies. Please keep in mind, I haven't seen the movie in a few months, so I am going on memory. Anyway, enjoy my analysis!
~
Some people like the movie for the romance. Some like it for the zombie apocalypse setting. There are even a few people, (like my sister) who like it for the social commentary. All of these are brilliant reasons, and I fully agree with all three of those ideas. However, my favorite aspect in the whole movie is the undertones that I recognized before my sister. (Yes, there is sisterly rivalry!) That aspect, is the subtle details that lead me to realize the entire plot was Romeo and Juliet in the zombie apocalypse. (I'm really surprised that no one had tried it earlier.) If you didn't see it before, that's ok. Most people didn't notice it. Anyway, right now I am analyzing it from several of those views, along with looking at my own list of 'necessary film criteria'.
I will be skimming over the romance, as I'm only good at writing it, not analyzing it. They did a good job with it, but when you're following the plot of the bard, it's hard to go wrong. The main point is, (from someone who has never read the play, (I'm getting around to it!) and only seen about ten different adaptions) They seemed to keep the main aspects. Except the part where they both end up dead, but in all fairness he was dead already.
From the aspect of a zombie apocalypse, it was slightly confusing. According to accuracy it didn't do so well. But, for changing the nature of zombies, (as several people do these days) they did it well. The idea of there being two stages of zombies was completely inaccurate, but I don't see any other way to still keep a real villain. I'm not sure if people become zombies only if their brain isn't eaten, that may very well be accurate. Still, for the most part they kept to the main concept as well as they could. So far there is no confirmed cure for zombies, they are generally viewed as evil by nature. Still, they did a brilliant job keeping the scariest sides of zombies. (Although they sense humans by more than their smell.)
From the view of a social commentary, this was fascinating. The main concept I could find was that modern society was causing the destruction of humanity, and spurring on the zombie apocalypse; taking this view, the cure was unity between people, families, and society in general. So, yes. Please spend more time with people, and prevent the zombie apocalypse!
From the story of Romeo and Juliet, I have nothing to say, except to point out the few references I could see. R. stands for Romeo, Julie stands for Juliet. Perry represents Paris, and Marcus is a reference to another of the Bard's characters. (I'm sorry, I don't know who!) Oh, and then the scene on the balcony.
Anyway. Now, it's time for me to analyze a few small things that I feel all stories need.
1. Character developement.
They did a good job with this. Not only did they visibly show R's development, but they also showed a slight change in Julie's mindset of depression, to that of wonder. Never underestimate character development. It's what makes the whole plot mean something.
2. Mid-range-predictability ending.
Some people write these stories, and you know exactly where they're going, and exactly how they are going to do it. This isn't good. But, the other is worse: having an ending that there is no way to predict. The best way to write a startling ending is to layer it in. If you read or watch something a second time and you think, "There's no way I could have seen this coming!" Then it's a terrible ending. They did it right. You kind of knew where they were going with it, but you didn't see exactly how until it actually happened. You knew that they would likely live, but you didn't see her dad changing quite like that. You knew the societies would come together, but you didn't see her dad having a part in that.
3. Humor.
One of the reasons I hated super-hero movies until a little while ago was that all those super-heroes were too strict, rigid, and single minded that they never seemed real. Their conversations were superficial, and they always seemed to grasp the devastation at hand without ever stopping to think, "This is funny, I should laugh!" Luckily, this movie allowed you to have your laughs, and also your epic danger of the world moments. Actually, it had a lot of laughs. That was really good!
~
Anyway, thank you for reading that randomness, I hope that you keep reading my posts! I'm hoping to post tomorrow about a book idea I had, but we'll see.
Today I am first explaining what plot summaries are. It's basically when I review the entirety of a show, movie, or book, examining the fundamental aspects of whatever work I am examining, all from a writing perspective. I am hoping to be doing more of these later on. Anyway, today I am posting on a favorite movie of mine, Warm Bodies. Please keep in mind, I haven't seen the movie in a few months, so I am going on memory. Anyway, enjoy my analysis!
~
Some people like the movie for the romance. Some like it for the zombie apocalypse setting. There are even a few people, (like my sister) who like it for the social commentary. All of these are brilliant reasons, and I fully agree with all three of those ideas. However, my favorite aspect in the whole movie is the undertones that I recognized before my sister. (Yes, there is sisterly rivalry!) That aspect, is the subtle details that lead me to realize the entire plot was Romeo and Juliet in the zombie apocalypse. (I'm really surprised that no one had tried it earlier.) If you didn't see it before, that's ok. Most people didn't notice it. Anyway, right now I am analyzing it from several of those views, along with looking at my own list of 'necessary film criteria'.
I will be skimming over the romance, as I'm only good at writing it, not analyzing it. They did a good job with it, but when you're following the plot of the bard, it's hard to go wrong. The main point is, (from someone who has never read the play, (I'm getting around to it!) and only seen about ten different adaptions) They seemed to keep the main aspects. Except the part where they both end up dead, but in all fairness he was dead already.
From the aspect of a zombie apocalypse, it was slightly confusing. According to accuracy it didn't do so well. But, for changing the nature of zombies, (as several people do these days) they did it well. The idea of there being two stages of zombies was completely inaccurate, but I don't see any other way to still keep a real villain. I'm not sure if people become zombies only if their brain isn't eaten, that may very well be accurate. Still, for the most part they kept to the main concept as well as they could. So far there is no confirmed cure for zombies, they are generally viewed as evil by nature. Still, they did a brilliant job keeping the scariest sides of zombies. (Although they sense humans by more than their smell.)
From the view of a social commentary, this was fascinating. The main concept I could find was that modern society was causing the destruction of humanity, and spurring on the zombie apocalypse; taking this view, the cure was unity between people, families, and society in general. So, yes. Please spend more time with people, and prevent the zombie apocalypse!
From the story of Romeo and Juliet, I have nothing to say, except to point out the few references I could see. R. stands for Romeo, Julie stands for Juliet. Perry represents Paris, and Marcus is a reference to another of the Bard's characters. (I'm sorry, I don't know who!) Oh, and then the scene on the balcony.
Anyway. Now, it's time for me to analyze a few small things that I feel all stories need.
1. Character developement.
They did a good job with this. Not only did they visibly show R's development, but they also showed a slight change in Julie's mindset of depression, to that of wonder. Never underestimate character development. It's what makes the whole plot mean something.
2. Mid-range-predictability ending.
Some people write these stories, and you know exactly where they're going, and exactly how they are going to do it. This isn't good. But, the other is worse: having an ending that there is no way to predict. The best way to write a startling ending is to layer it in. If you read or watch something a second time and you think, "There's no way I could have seen this coming!" Then it's a terrible ending. They did it right. You kind of knew where they were going with it, but you didn't see exactly how until it actually happened. You knew that they would likely live, but you didn't see her dad changing quite like that. You knew the societies would come together, but you didn't see her dad having a part in that.
3. Humor.
One of the reasons I hated super-hero movies until a little while ago was that all those super-heroes were too strict, rigid, and single minded that they never seemed real. Their conversations were superficial, and they always seemed to grasp the devastation at hand without ever stopping to think, "This is funny, I should laugh!" Luckily, this movie allowed you to have your laughs, and also your epic danger of the world moments. Actually, it had a lot of laughs. That was really good!
~
Anyway, thank you for reading that randomness, I hope that you keep reading my posts! I'm hoping to post tomorrow about a book idea I had, but we'll see.
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