Suspension of disbelief is an inherent part of genre fiction from fantasy to mystery. The term was originally coined in conjunction with the idea that if a writer could develop a sense of reality in setting and plot as well as humanity in characters, the reader would suspend judgement about the potential implausibility of the narrative. Over time the responsibility for suspension of disbelief has fallen largely on the reader instead of the writer.
Anyone who has read a book or watched a movie or TV show has been in a situation that requires this suspension of the implausible, though the degree to which one must stretch the suspension of judgement varies depending on the genre and the particular piece. Also, some people are more willing to suspend their disbelief to a greater degree than others. This can be a conscious choice or something that occurs because one person is more ignorant of facts that another.
For example: I am not an expert on space and astronauts. I do, however, have a fundamental understanding of some aspects of space, such as the lack of sound and gravity, how an extended stay in space will cause atrophy in ones muscles, etc. Considering these things, when I saw Gravity in theatres recently, I really enjoyed it. What I know as solid, factual things about space [such as the silence] were honored to my satisfaction and my ignorance about other things kept me from getting hung up on potentially problematic aspects of the film. On the other hand, we have Neil Degrasse Tyson who, while he gave the movie a positive review, apparently had a harder time not being pulled out of the narrative due to scientific mistakes that he, as the world-renowned scientist that he is, could easily identify.
Now, in writing, as in film, you are never going to be able to please everyone. There will always be someone there pointing out what you "got wrong" no matter how well you research or world-build. It doesn't mean you've done an awful job, nor does it meant that the readers should just swallow whatever you decide to invent. I disagree with the current trend that puts almost all of the responsibility of suspension on the reader/viewer. We are creators of these stories have a serious responsibility to our audiences to write stories with believable characters and with situations and plots that, while they may often be wonderfully fantastic in nature, can still pull a reader along without requiring them to throw all common sense out the window. Readers need to be willing to lay aside what they may take for granted, or assume is true about the world, especially in fiction and fantasy but we as writers cannot write a load of poppycock and expect readers to bear the entire burden of making it believable.
I have read plenty of books and seen plenty of movies where I felt the writers could have done a better job making the story and characters believable. I have also read and seen several where I recognized that my own knowledge of certain topics or my own stubbornness has gotten in the way of enjoying the work because I couldn't stop nit-picking. [This is always the case with movies made from books I've read. I cannot seem to get passed the incongruities no matter how hard I try. It's a serious problem :( ] Creators and consumers share this responsibility and if you are unsuccessful in suspending disbelief as a writer and/or reader, then at least be willing to accept your own short-comings. It's the only way you'll ever learn to improve. [I really am trying to like movies made from books, guys. I really am.]
As a writer, I'm perhaps overly critical of myself as well as other creators for failings in this department. Struggles and near-misses I can understand but this weekend I encountered an example so awful that it completely offended me. My husband has been playing the most recent Call of Duty and finished the campaign mode this weekend. I wasn't home when he got to the end but he told me that, while watching the closing scene, he had the distinct thought that it was a good thing I wasn't present to see it. [He knows my pet-peeves so well] This, of course led into a discussion of what had happened and I'll try to lay it out as well as I can remember for you. [I apologize in advance for any confusion. I'm not a video game connoisseur in my own right.]
The whole game, your character and his brother are hunting down an ex-member of their team who was lost and then turned against you. At the end of the game you have tracked him down and are fighting him on a train which ends up derailing and sinking into the ocean. As you sink, your brother gets the villain into a headlock and tells you to shoot him [the villain], which you do. Your gun is a .44 magnum, a very large caliber handgun which is [according to my husband] completely capable of shooting through the right side of the villain's chest, through your brother's shoulder, and through a window in the train, as it proceeds to do. As the train car fills with water you manage to grab your brother, who is injured, and make your way to the surface and the beach where you rest and contact people to come and get you.
After you have radioed in for pick up, the villain appears on the beach walking toward you. He proceeds to beat the snot out of you and your brother. The scene ends with him taunting you, telling you that you will be turned against your cause as he was and you'll become his partner in eeeeviiiiillllllll [dramatic emphasis added], and then dragging you away down the beach by your leg, your brother left behind, too injured to help you.
If the reasons for my outrage at this are unclear, bear with me as I list them.
1. If you were shot through the lung while inside a sinking train car, you would not survive.
2. Barring that, if you managed to get out of the car and onto land, you could not be in any condition to walk anywhere and would most likely bleed to death.
3. Barring that, if you could survive the death trap and your body was able to push through the pain and damage of a collapsed lung, you would not win in a fight against two people who have survived the same death trap and are less injured than you.
4. Barring that, if you managed to beat those two up, you are attempting to drag away the less injured of the two by his leg which allows him his other leg as well as both arms to put up any kind of fight [which the character does not do in the game].
5. Barring that, if you were able to drag the character away, before you arrived they had contacted people to get them and when they show up the brother will tell them what happened and these people who have managed to track you across the globe the entire game will track you down again, get the character back, and kill you even if it requires cutting your head off and burning your remains.
6. Barring that, if you get away with the character and no one catches you, this character knows what happened to you, the torture and mind games that were used to break you and turn you "to the dark side." The most effective defense against torture and brain washing is knowing what your captors are trying to accomplish by it. From what you know of the character, he would die before he broke and turned on his family and his cause.
For these reasons, this has got to be one of the most obnoxious endings I have ever heard of. The fact that the developers of this game thought this was an acceptable ending and that it would be at all believable is downright offensive to all of my sensibilities as a creator and a consumer. How stupid do they think their audience is that they think this would be viewed without complaint? Apparently these games have tended more and more toward dramatic endings as they've gone on, which is fine, but this is not dramatic. This is preposterous.
Please, please, please do not do this with your writing. You deserve better, your characters deserve better, and your reader certainly deserves more respect than that.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
restlessness, cold, and a satisfactory rebuttal
Have you ever looked around your house and decided you hate half the things in it and want to either throw those things out or just set them on fire? I was struck by this desire last night as I looked around our living room with its horrendously mis-matched couches [yay hand-me-downs!], make-shift tv stand, and general clutter. I started out trying to figure out where we would set up our Christmas tree when the time comes and ended up wanting to cart most of the room to the dumpster. I settled for a little bit of cleaning and rearranging.
Don't get me wrong, I know we are very blessed to have the furniture we do considering it hasn't put us in debt and the pieces are functional. Sometimes I just get fits of aesthetic dissatisfaction that make me long for a day when we have a home with matching furniture tastefully arranged in relation to the available space. I suppose it's a good thing for me that Thanksgiving is next week so I can force myself to remember all the important things I have in my life and resist the urge to go into unnecessary debt in order to obtain an ideal that isn't important.
This is how I've been feeling in the mornings:
In all seriousness, though, our heater hardly ever turns on and it is still roasting in our apartment by the end of the day. Our downstairs neighbors must have their heat cranked and they're more than welcome to keep paying for our heat in my opinion.
It can still be more of a struggle to get out of bed in the winter so I bribed myself with 20 minutes at a library book sale before work to get up yesterday. Anyone who has ever been to such an event knows that there is very little organization involved so I was pretty pleased to snag a Calvin and Hobbes that we didn't have yet as well as the third book in the Hollow Kingdom trilogy. I even managed to enjoy the irony that that's now the one book I own of the three and it is my least favorite. Maybe I can convince Tim to buy the first and second for me for Christmas... I hate having an incomplete set.
I have long been aware of the high-brow/low-brow line drawn between literary fiction and genre fiction. It's an argument I completely disagree with the critics on and generally stay out of because the level of sheer snobbery that can come into those conversations is stifling. I'm comfortable with writing what I like and ignoring whether or not someone is going to think it's ground-breaking but I was recently made aware of an article that attacks [yes, I say attacks] Mormon writers specifically and claims that we as a group are incapable of writing "good" literature because we tend to write genre fiction. I was torn between disbelief and indignant anger by the end of the article for so many reasons that I can't coherently list. However, a friend wrote a wonderful post in response to this article that articulates my feelings almost exactly. You can read it, and get a link to the original article, here. I highly recommend it. The current trend of placing post-modern, literary fiction at the top of the writing totem pole isn't permanent, as none of the hierarchies before it have been permanent and I for one cannot wait until people figure out that genre fiction, as well as Mormon writers, have a lot more depth to offer than they're being credited for right now.
It frustrates me to think about the number of people who may never have tried to follow their writing dreams because someone told them they weren't "qualified" to be a writer. The idea that you have to have had an unhappy childhood in order to convey a true sense of pain, loss, suffering, and struggle as a writer is completely preposterous. The wonderful thing about writing fiction is that you don't have to have experienced everything your characters do yourself. If you did, imagination would be useless and unnecessary and it would be a sadder world for that. A true writer is not necessarily someone who has been abused and mistreated and embittered, but a person who has the capability of taking the emotions they have felt and building on them, extrapolating them out into different situations and contexts that they've never lived but are made to feel real because they are founded in real emotion. Everyone has felt the range of human emotions, we are all able to convey sadness and joy. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
Don't get me wrong, I know we are very blessed to have the furniture we do considering it hasn't put us in debt and the pieces are functional. Sometimes I just get fits of aesthetic dissatisfaction that make me long for a day when we have a home with matching furniture tastefully arranged in relation to the available space. I suppose it's a good thing for me that Thanksgiving is next week so I can force myself to remember all the important things I have in my life and resist the urge to go into unnecessary debt in order to obtain an ideal that isn't important.
This is how I've been feeling in the mornings:
In all seriousness, though, our heater hardly ever turns on and it is still roasting in our apartment by the end of the day. Our downstairs neighbors must have their heat cranked and they're more than welcome to keep paying for our heat in my opinion.
It can still be more of a struggle to get out of bed in the winter so I bribed myself with 20 minutes at a library book sale before work to get up yesterday. Anyone who has ever been to such an event knows that there is very little organization involved so I was pretty pleased to snag a Calvin and Hobbes that we didn't have yet as well as the third book in the Hollow Kingdom trilogy. I even managed to enjoy the irony that that's now the one book I own of the three and it is my least favorite. Maybe I can convince Tim to buy the first and second for me for Christmas... I hate having an incomplete set.
I have long been aware of the high-brow/low-brow line drawn between literary fiction and genre fiction. It's an argument I completely disagree with the critics on and generally stay out of because the level of sheer snobbery that can come into those conversations is stifling. I'm comfortable with writing what I like and ignoring whether or not someone is going to think it's ground-breaking but I was recently made aware of an article that attacks [yes, I say attacks] Mormon writers specifically and claims that we as a group are incapable of writing "good" literature because we tend to write genre fiction. I was torn between disbelief and indignant anger by the end of the article for so many reasons that I can't coherently list. However, a friend wrote a wonderful post in response to this article that articulates my feelings almost exactly. You can read it, and get a link to the original article, here. I highly recommend it. The current trend of placing post-modern, literary fiction at the top of the writing totem pole isn't permanent, as none of the hierarchies before it have been permanent and I for one cannot wait until people figure out that genre fiction, as well as Mormon writers, have a lot more depth to offer than they're being credited for right now.
It frustrates me to think about the number of people who may never have tried to follow their writing dreams because someone told them they weren't "qualified" to be a writer. The idea that you have to have had an unhappy childhood in order to convey a true sense of pain, loss, suffering, and struggle as a writer is completely preposterous. The wonderful thing about writing fiction is that you don't have to have experienced everything your characters do yourself. If you did, imagination would be useless and unnecessary and it would be a sadder world for that. A true writer is not necessarily someone who has been abused and mistreated and embittered, but a person who has the capability of taking the emotions they have felt and building on them, extrapolating them out into different situations and contexts that they've never lived but are made to feel real because they are founded in real emotion. Everyone has felt the range of human emotions, we are all able to convey sadness and joy. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
it's only november but...
The holidays are fast approaching, whether we want them to or not!
Gift giving has always been a point of mild anxiety for me because I can be super particular about the gifts I get for people. They have to be just right. Since knowing Tim, my stress level about Christmas and birthdays has gone way up from pure desire to please. I've been lucky though. My husband is really pretty easy to shop for. He actually wants things and talks about them so all I have to do is pay attention and mentally note anything he seems really interested in. This has made things easier for me, whereas he's stuck getting presents for the girl-who-doesn't-ever-voice-a-preference-for-anything.
One problem I've started running into, though, is that when Tim wants something, or gets excited about a game, he wants it now so I get to play a delicate game of sounding interested when he talks about it but not too interested otherwise he'll get it before Christmas. This issue has come up again this year as there are a few games coming out next year that he's geeking out over. I had fully intended on surprising him with one for Christmas but I finally caved last night when he asked, for the hundreth time - joking but not, if I was okay with him pre-ordering it. Sigh. One Christmas option down, hopefully I can hang on to the other ideas I have, haha.
In other news, I managed to sneak another book in amid my Wheel of Time marathon. I borrowed River Secrets from my sister-in-law's friend [practically forced to since she saw me ogling her bookshelves] as I lost my university library privileges before I could get my hands on the third book of this wonderful series. Anyone who's read this blog before knows that I am a huge Shannon Hale fan. I keep finding more and more things to admire about her work and I hope that doesn't end soon.
I was a little hesitant to start River Secrets as I had enjoyed but didn't love Enna Burning and I was somewhat worried that the series would continue downhill for me. I shouldn't have worried. River Secrets is probably my favorite book in the series now. This book made me laugh out loud more times than I can remember from pure humor and witty surprise. Hale's whimsical and quirky narration is a strong presence and makes what could have been an average story wonderful to read. Razo wasn't a character I really attached to in the first two books but I was excited to see how much he grew on me and quickly became my favorite character out of the bunch.
There have been a lot of articles and blogs talking about the female stereotypes in literature and I have no qualms with the issues they raise, for the most part they are completely valid, but I think that male characters suffer from their own gender stereotypes pretty frequently. I think the main reason the majority of my book collection is composed of heroines instead of heroes is because I get tired of these overworked molds - the hero who is perfect in every virtue, especially humility and a lack of desire for personal glory - the anti-hero who broods over everything and doesn't want to take responsibility but suddenly discovers that he's actually a wonderful person - the macho hero who thinks only in terms of physical force to get things done but it's okay because it's not malicious and it's all in the name of justice! There are many many others but we see them over and over again in literature. This doesn't necessarily mean they're bad. They all have their place but I get tired of them and this is why Razo was so fascinating to me.
A lot of things automatically set Razo apart from major male stereotypes. The most noticeable is his stature, or lack thereof. Heroes in this genre tend toward the large and powerful type or the strong silent type. Razo defies both categories with his good-humored, self-depreciating approach to his size as well as his constant stream of random dialogue and jokes. He's a class clown minus obnoxious shows of bravado. Razo does attempt bravado at times but his personality and lack of experience with tact and women always end up making the situation relatably and humorously awkward. Razo is the kind of character you want to like, that you cheer for. He's much more relatable in his imperfections than other character types and his part in the plot plays on the fact that he's not who you would pick out to be a leader or a hero. All in all, Razo was a refreshing hero and one that I am eager to add to my bookshelves. Maybe I should just give Tim my Amazon wish list...
Last bit for today: if you haven't seen Despicable Me 2, you definitely should. Tim and I made a random date night of going to see it in the Dollar Theatre yesterday and we were not disappointed. Good clean laughs abound and my favorites came from Margo's crush on a charming, dark, exotic, skater/emo boy which completely encapsulated the kinds of infatuations that come with young adolescence. I completely lost it at one point when Margo, totally smitten, tells him "you're so complicated." Honestly, that line keeps popping into my head and I crack up every time because it is so perfect!
Gift giving has always been a point of mild anxiety for me because I can be super particular about the gifts I get for people. They have to be just right. Since knowing Tim, my stress level about Christmas and birthdays has gone way up from pure desire to please. I've been lucky though. My husband is really pretty easy to shop for. He actually wants things and talks about them so all I have to do is pay attention and mentally note anything he seems really interested in. This has made things easier for me, whereas he's stuck getting presents for the girl-who-doesn't-ever-voice-a-preference-for-anything.
One problem I've started running into, though, is that when Tim wants something, or gets excited about a game, he wants it now so I get to play a delicate game of sounding interested when he talks about it but not too interested otherwise he'll get it before Christmas. This issue has come up again this year as there are a few games coming out next year that he's geeking out over. I had fully intended on surprising him with one for Christmas but I finally caved last night when he asked, for the hundreth time - joking but not, if I was okay with him pre-ordering it. Sigh. One Christmas option down, hopefully I can hang on to the other ideas I have, haha.
In other news, I managed to sneak another book in amid my Wheel of Time marathon. I borrowed River Secrets from my sister-in-law's friend [practically forced to since she saw me ogling her bookshelves] as I lost my university library privileges before I could get my hands on the third book of this wonderful series. Anyone who's read this blog before knows that I am a huge Shannon Hale fan. I keep finding more and more things to admire about her work and I hope that doesn't end soon.
I was a little hesitant to start River Secrets as I had enjoyed but didn't love Enna Burning and I was somewhat worried that the series would continue downhill for me. I shouldn't have worried. River Secrets is probably my favorite book in the series now. This book made me laugh out loud more times than I can remember from pure humor and witty surprise. Hale's whimsical and quirky narration is a strong presence and makes what could have been an average story wonderful to read. Razo wasn't a character I really attached to in the first two books but I was excited to see how much he grew on me and quickly became my favorite character out of the bunch.
There have been a lot of articles and blogs talking about the female stereotypes in literature and I have no qualms with the issues they raise, for the most part they are completely valid, but I think that male characters suffer from their own gender stereotypes pretty frequently. I think the main reason the majority of my book collection is composed of heroines instead of heroes is because I get tired of these overworked molds - the hero who is perfect in every virtue, especially humility and a lack of desire for personal glory - the anti-hero who broods over everything and doesn't want to take responsibility but suddenly discovers that he's actually a wonderful person - the macho hero who thinks only in terms of physical force to get things done but it's okay because it's not malicious and it's all in the name of justice! There are many many others but we see them over and over again in literature. This doesn't necessarily mean they're bad. They all have their place but I get tired of them and this is why Razo was so fascinating to me.
A lot of things automatically set Razo apart from major male stereotypes. The most noticeable is his stature, or lack thereof. Heroes in this genre tend toward the large and powerful type or the strong silent type. Razo defies both categories with his good-humored, self-depreciating approach to his size as well as his constant stream of random dialogue and jokes. He's a class clown minus obnoxious shows of bravado. Razo does attempt bravado at times but his personality and lack of experience with tact and women always end up making the situation relatably and humorously awkward. Razo is the kind of character you want to like, that you cheer for. He's much more relatable in his imperfections than other character types and his part in the plot plays on the fact that he's not who you would pick out to be a leader or a hero. All in all, Razo was a refreshing hero and one that I am eager to add to my bookshelves. Maybe I should just give Tim my Amazon wish list...
Last bit for today: if you haven't seen Despicable Me 2, you definitely should. Tim and I made a random date night of going to see it in the Dollar Theatre yesterday and we were not disappointed. Good clean laughs abound and my favorites came from Margo's crush on a charming, dark, exotic, skater/emo boy which completely encapsulated the kinds of infatuations that come with young adolescence. I completely lost it at one point when Margo, totally smitten, tells him "you're so complicated." Honestly, that line keeps popping into my head and I crack up every time because it is so perfect!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
november is a jerk - and other random thoughts
I've decided that whenever I have my own house I want bookshelves to be one of the first things visitors see upon arriving. I'm sure I'll go through lots of decoration ideas and my own funky version of feng shui with furniture and layouts but bookshelves will be a must. You can generally tell a lot about someone when you first walk into their house and I love the feeling when I go over to someone else's place and see bookshelves stuffed full fit to bursting with books. Even if I don't know the titles on them or have a particular fondness for ones I do. Books have a way of making a home feel more welcome and cozy. But maybe that's just me, haha.
It's already the seventh of November and I can't believe it. It's honestly like October didn't even happen. Part of me wishes I'd tackled NaNoWriMo this year but 50,000 words in a month seemed a little to ambitious with where my story currently stands. Some people can just write away without creating a framework first, of any kind, and I am in awe of those writers but that's not really me, not at this point anyway.
Which begs a question. I know that, as writers, our procedures and styles will change a little over the years as we grow into our craft and our voices but how much change really occurs? Has anyone ever started out as a super structured writer and then shifted to a more free-flowing, spontaneous style of writing? I think sometimes we aspire to be a certain kind of writer, from one of these schools of thought or one of the countless in between. Can we teach ourselves to write a certain way. I mean, to make that form of writing feel natural for us. Even if order and planning isn't our natural strong-suit, could we practice long enough that writing with that kind of discipline feels more natural, comfortable, and inspiring that anything else? I'm not sure. I think one of the hardest things is to find what your natural style and pace is. None of them are bad but you need to know what your groove is before you can get it on.
I don't think I've nailed down my writing style to a tee yet but I know certain things like: I write better on paper than a word processor and I usually need an environment with minimal distractions directed at me at least to get started. You'd think I would have realized stuff like this right off but I can't tell you how many times I have tried to make myself write on a word processor instead of by hand, largely because, for whatever reason, I though that was the "better" way to do it. Don't get me wrong, word processors are amazing and once I have a first draft of something I'm happy with I'll take it to the computer [esp. Ommwriter] but there's just something about doing the roughest rough draft long hand that I connect better with. The thing to remember, if you're working on your style, is that there is no "better." I have read a lot of interviews and articles about big name authors and how they go about their writing process and each is so unique. Some I honestly don't understand how they could possibly be helpful or productive but it works for them. So if trying to arrange the "perfect" writing procedure is keeping you from writing then maybe it's time to take a break and just try it however you feel comfortable. No one's watching you :)
In other random news, I've decided to try yoga in the mornings in an effort to put some semblance of physical activity into my life. A friend recommended a youtube channel done by a woman who's not the creepy-intense kind of yogi and I tried a few videos for the first time yesterday. I felt pretty silly sitting on my living room floor and doing stretches and such but it felt good to be doing something. It's too early to tell if this new morning routine will have that much of an impact on my physical well being but I feel a little less guilty for being genetically twiggy if I'm not just sitting around my house.
Isn't it interesting how different people have such different reactions to the same thing? You could collect a room full of girls with my body type and I know that each of us would feel differently about it. Some may never have really thought about how genetics have blessed them while others might be upfront in gloating about it and showing off their effortless figures. I would be in the weird group of girls who feel almost apologetic for what they couldn't help but inherit from their parents. I can't tell you how many times I have censured myself in conversations with other people because I though that something I might say could potentially offend someone because it came from a skinny girl. I suppose high school has that sort of conditioning effect, the place where girls learn to be harsh and disapproving of anyone - how to give and assume offense in the weirdest places. Girls that are naturally skinny may not have to worry about exercising to moderate their weight but they run the risk of offending people just by being what they are as much as girls who struggle with their weight feel they do. That, right there, is something I would never have said in high school. My point [you didn't think I had one, did you?] is that it is utterly fascinating how one actuality, problem, or trigger can result in a myriad of reactions and some more complex than you might think.
Think about how you react to certain things in your life. Why do you react that way? How do your characters react to things? Do their reactions feel real and specific to them with all their complexities? When people talk about how important it is to build your character's background even if none of it is in the story, this is what it's for. So you know how they will respond to different things and why, how their history makes their responses unique and maybe even somewhat unpredictable.
It's already the seventh of November and I can't believe it. It's honestly like October didn't even happen. Part of me wishes I'd tackled NaNoWriMo this year but 50,000 words in a month seemed a little to ambitious with where my story currently stands. Some people can just write away without creating a framework first, of any kind, and I am in awe of those writers but that's not really me, not at this point anyway.
Which begs a question. I know that, as writers, our procedures and styles will change a little over the years as we grow into our craft and our voices but how much change really occurs? Has anyone ever started out as a super structured writer and then shifted to a more free-flowing, spontaneous style of writing? I think sometimes we aspire to be a certain kind of writer, from one of these schools of thought or one of the countless in between. Can we teach ourselves to write a certain way. I mean, to make that form of writing feel natural for us. Even if order and planning isn't our natural strong-suit, could we practice long enough that writing with that kind of discipline feels more natural, comfortable, and inspiring that anything else? I'm not sure. I think one of the hardest things is to find what your natural style and pace is. None of them are bad but you need to know what your groove is before you can get it on.
I don't think I've nailed down my writing style to a tee yet but I know certain things like: I write better on paper than a word processor and I usually need an environment with minimal distractions directed at me at least to get started. You'd think I would have realized stuff like this right off but I can't tell you how many times I have tried to make myself write on a word processor instead of by hand, largely because, for whatever reason, I though that was the "better" way to do it. Don't get me wrong, word processors are amazing and once I have a first draft of something I'm happy with I'll take it to the computer [esp. Ommwriter] but there's just something about doing the roughest rough draft long hand that I connect better with. The thing to remember, if you're working on your style, is that there is no "better." I have read a lot of interviews and articles about big name authors and how they go about their writing process and each is so unique. Some I honestly don't understand how they could possibly be helpful or productive but it works for them. So if trying to arrange the "perfect" writing procedure is keeping you from writing then maybe it's time to take a break and just try it however you feel comfortable. No one's watching you :)
In other random news, I've decided to try yoga in the mornings in an effort to put some semblance of physical activity into my life. A friend recommended a youtube channel done by a woman who's not the creepy-intense kind of yogi and I tried a few videos for the first time yesterday. I felt pretty silly sitting on my living room floor and doing stretches and such but it felt good to be doing something. It's too early to tell if this new morning routine will have that much of an impact on my physical well being but I feel a little less guilty for being genetically twiggy if I'm not just sitting around my house.
Isn't it interesting how different people have such different reactions to the same thing? You could collect a room full of girls with my body type and I know that each of us would feel differently about it. Some may never have really thought about how genetics have blessed them while others might be upfront in gloating about it and showing off their effortless figures. I would be in the weird group of girls who feel almost apologetic for what they couldn't help but inherit from their parents. I can't tell you how many times I have censured myself in conversations with other people because I though that something I might say could potentially offend someone because it came from a skinny girl. I suppose high school has that sort of conditioning effect, the place where girls learn to be harsh and disapproving of anyone - how to give and assume offense in the weirdest places. Girls that are naturally skinny may not have to worry about exercising to moderate their weight but they run the risk of offending people just by being what they are as much as girls who struggle with their weight feel they do. That, right there, is something I would never have said in high school. My point [you didn't think I had one, did you?] is that it is utterly fascinating how one actuality, problem, or trigger can result in a myriad of reactions and some more complex than you might think.
Think about how you react to certain things in your life. Why do you react that way? How do your characters react to things? Do their reactions feel real and specific to them with all their complexities? When people talk about how important it is to build your character's background even if none of it is in the story, this is what it's for. So you know how they will respond to different things and why, how their history makes their responses unique and maybe even somewhat unpredictable.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
promises kept - some Halloween treats
So we got our bowls back from the pottery place on Friday and I have pictures like I said I would this time! See? I'm getting better at this, haha. Before I get to that though, I just wanted to share my excitement for the scene I'm working on right now. My two main girls are arguing over whether or not to let a new character stay with them and while it's still rough I'm really loving the feel of the scene. Sometimes your characters take you by surprise and I was definitely not expecting the one on the "yes" side of the argument to elevate to yelling but it fits so well and her little explosion is by far my favorite part. She's not usually the dramatic one but it seems she has more invested in the argument than I originally thought. The honesty is a bit harsh but more wonderful for it. Anyway, yay!
In other procrastinating news, I'm about 2/3rds through the second book in the Wheel of Time series [which is apparently getting new cover art! people rejoice! because...seriously, they need it] and still loving it. One thing I've noticed is that the reviews on the books always have at least one that mentions how Robert Jordan did a great job exploring Tolkien's world and, oh, isn't it nice? Hold the phone. I don't think I've ever been so offended on behalf of an author before. Jordan and Tolkien both wrote fantasy but that is about the only thing their works have in common and casting Jordan in Tolkien's shadow is doing Jordan a major injustice. For one, Jordan's books don't happen in even close to the same setting as Tolkien's do. Yes, it's fantasy but saying that Tolkien has some sort of claim on creating the genre so everyone after him is just copying or expanding upon his work is wrong on top of being seriously egotistical. Also [prepares to be potentially assaulted by Tolkien fanatics], I think Jordan is a better writer than Tolkien. [Shouts from her fortress: I regret nothing!] I'm not saying Tolkien isn't a good writer, he is, a very good one. I just think that what Jordan did with the Wheel of Time is more impressive.
Le'me esplain...No. There is too much, le'me sum up. [remember, personal opinions here, though they may not be popular]
1. There are no elves or dwarves or hobbits or other typified fantastical races in WoT.
I assure you, WoT is still fantasy despite lacking these stereotypical characters but I'm not hating on elves and such. My point here is that Jordan's characters, with one exception, are all human. The reason I think this series is more impressive because of that is because I think that elves, etc. can become kind of a crutch for fantasy writers due to the fact that the public already has a general idea of what those races are like, their customs and behavior. So when you write them, it can be hard not to follow the template that's already present in our culture which provides a lot of the character development for you in a big way. Jordan, in restricting his characters to almost entirely human, set up a different challenge for himself. He couldn't rely on groups that people already know and can fill in details about on their own. Instead, he created dozens of different cultures and political climates and religions - each unique to different locations. Guys, that takes a massive amount of work and skill to pull it off successfully and I am repeatedly blown away by how completely he does succeed.
2. Tolkien is generally raved about for having created a whole history for his world. But...
Creating a history is a necessary part of world building but some people do it to different degrees depending on need and awesomeness/craziness. Tolkien has written a history for the LotR world which is pretty fantastic and I give major props where they are due. That being said. Jordan has also written a massive history for the WoT but his is integrated into the story whereas you have to read a separate book to get the context for LotR. Now, that could simply be a stylistic decision on the author's part but, my standpoint as a writer, it would take a lot more time and planning to completely integrate a history into the series than to write it separately and choosing to do so makes a more holistic reading experience from the reader's perspective. LotR is exciting and fun to read with great battles and drama and such. WoT is like reading the best history book ever written. It honestly feels like reading a history book, but not the awful kind they give you in school. This history book has been written and is being written as you read. The reader is pulled into the making of history which is an exhilarating feeling.
Anyway, I could obviously go on about this for at least a week so how about we put down the elvin-made swords now [okay, LotR fans?] and get on to the pictures that this post is about anyway!
Behold, or, as the Italians say it - Ecco:
I [obviously] went with a birch tree design which served as a nod to both one of my favorite trees growing up and the aspens that I now enjoy out here in the west.
I'm really super pleased with how the leaves turned out as I wasn't sure if I'd put enough green for it to really show up but I'm happy with the balance. And the black and white reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes which is an added happy bonus!
If you're wondering: yes, I am showing a full 360 of the bowl, and yes, these pictures were taken upside-down. I don't have fantastic lighting for this kind of thing and, right-side-up, the sides of the bowl become really dark on camera.
Okay, one upright that at first glance I thought was taken with drape-y fabric behind it even though I know full well that that's our front door, haha.
So, yes! A successful, awesome time well spent and well rewarded. Man, I love that place.
In parting, because this post is already obnoxiously long, I'll share my newest little friend. No, I am not a My Little Pony person. I was just wandering Wal*Mart with my sister in law and saw these little mystery MLP packages that are created with the intent of getting you to spend all your money in the attempt to collect all the figurines but in fact they've only actually manufactured like half of them. I am powerless against such small, adorable mysteriousness so of course I bought one. Apparently his name is Comet Tail.
Happy Halloween!
In other procrastinating news, I'm about 2/3rds through the second book in the Wheel of Time series [which is apparently getting new cover art! people rejoice! because...seriously, they need it] and still loving it. One thing I've noticed is that the reviews on the books always have at least one that mentions how Robert Jordan did a great job exploring Tolkien's world and, oh, isn't it nice? Hold the phone. I don't think I've ever been so offended on behalf of an author before. Jordan and Tolkien both wrote fantasy but that is about the only thing their works have in common and casting Jordan in Tolkien's shadow is doing Jordan a major injustice. For one, Jordan's books don't happen in even close to the same setting as Tolkien's do. Yes, it's fantasy but saying that Tolkien has some sort of claim on creating the genre so everyone after him is just copying or expanding upon his work is wrong on top of being seriously egotistical. Also [prepares to be potentially assaulted by Tolkien fanatics], I think Jordan is a better writer than Tolkien. [Shouts from her fortress: I regret nothing!] I'm not saying Tolkien isn't a good writer, he is, a very good one. I just think that what Jordan did with the Wheel of Time is more impressive.
Le'me esplain...No. There is too much, le'me sum up. [remember, personal opinions here, though they may not be popular]
1. There are no elves or dwarves or hobbits or other typified fantastical races in WoT.
I assure you, WoT is still fantasy despite lacking these stereotypical characters but I'm not hating on elves and such. My point here is that Jordan's characters, with one exception, are all human. The reason I think this series is more impressive because of that is because I think that elves, etc. can become kind of a crutch for fantasy writers due to the fact that the public already has a general idea of what those races are like, their customs and behavior. So when you write them, it can be hard not to follow the template that's already present in our culture which provides a lot of the character development for you in a big way. Jordan, in restricting his characters to almost entirely human, set up a different challenge for himself. He couldn't rely on groups that people already know and can fill in details about on their own. Instead, he created dozens of different cultures and political climates and religions - each unique to different locations. Guys, that takes a massive amount of work and skill to pull it off successfully and I am repeatedly blown away by how completely he does succeed.
2. Tolkien is generally raved about for having created a whole history for his world. But...
Creating a history is a necessary part of world building but some people do it to different degrees depending on need and awesomeness/craziness. Tolkien has written a history for the LotR world which is pretty fantastic and I give major props where they are due. That being said. Jordan has also written a massive history for the WoT but his is integrated into the story whereas you have to read a separate book to get the context for LotR. Now, that could simply be a stylistic decision on the author's part but, my standpoint as a writer, it would take a lot more time and planning to completely integrate a history into the series than to write it separately and choosing to do so makes a more holistic reading experience from the reader's perspective. LotR is exciting and fun to read with great battles and drama and such. WoT is like reading the best history book ever written. It honestly feels like reading a history book, but not the awful kind they give you in school. This history book has been written and is being written as you read. The reader is pulled into the making of history which is an exhilarating feeling.
Anyway, I could obviously go on about this for at least a week so how about we put down the elvin-made swords now [okay, LotR fans?] and get on to the pictures that this post is about anyway!
Behold, or, as the Italians say it - Ecco:
So, yes! A successful, awesome time well spent and well rewarded. Man, I love that place.
In parting, because this post is already obnoxiously long, I'll share my newest little friend. No, I am not a My Little Pony person. I was just wandering Wal*Mart with my sister in law and saw these little mystery MLP packages that are created with the intent of getting you to spend all your money in the attempt to collect all the figurines but in fact they've only actually manufactured like half of them. I am powerless against such small, adorable mysteriousness so of course I bought one. Apparently his name is Comet Tail.
Happy Halloween!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
to read again
Last weekend it became very apparent to me that I would not survive long during the down times at work simply by rereading all the books I own, most of which have already been read numerous times. So far I generally have at least a few solid hours of sitting time at work so I needed something beefy to fill that space in a satisfying and exciting manner. While puzzling through this dilemma I hit on a wonderful idea. The Wheel of Time. I've been saying for as long as I've known Tim that I want to get into this series at some point but the fact that I was almost always reading something else and the series is 14 books long [each at least 650 pages long - and this doesn't include the prequel or the graphic novels that have spawned from it] and I've never really ventured into fantasy deeper than what you find on the YA shelves at Barnes & Noble. This series has been on my "to read" list for ages and on Saturday I realized that I had the perfect opportunity to shove all my excuses to the side and finally sink my teeth into this beast. And it's been so worth it!
Tim's brother kindly brought the first book down for me to borrow on Saturday and thus far I have been consuming around a hundred pages a day. Consider the fact that I am not an early riser and I am now working part time and even I'm surprised at how fast I'm tearing through this. The funny thing is, I couldn't even read for long stretches at a time when I started the book. I'd read a few pages then have to put it down for a moment before reading more because the reading was exhausting in the best way possible. I think I had forgotten how much work good reading can be, how you have to build up your endurance to take in everything the author is giving you. It's refreshing.
Having almost finished the first volume, I stand ready to recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good read. I think in the fantasy genre at large it's hard to find stories in which women really have a viable part outside of being villains and damsels in either idiocy or distress or both [usually both] but Jordan's story sets up a world where fantastical abilities are found in men and women in the complimentary and conflicting ways in which the genders relate in reality. The One Power is TWoT's "magic" source and men and women can both channel it but in very different ways and both are needed which is not to say that sexism on both sides often mars their chances to work together. I am continually blown away at how well he has captured the dynamics between men and women, different political and religious groups and factions - Tim put it perfectly when he said that reading TWoT is more like reading a history that a novel - because it feels so real and relate-able. Most of this is due to the mind-blowing world building that's gone into this series. Jordan keeps a lot of scenic details that people will recognize, like the names of trees, but he'll also throw in one or two names or species of his own making which gives the setting a sense of familiarity as well as discovery. The narration jumps around between characters and while there are a central three, if you had to pick, the full cast of what I think qualify as main characters is pages long. With so many characters to keep track of there is always a ton going on but it never feels unmanageable or unwieldy. I've been told that the first book is slower than the rest [aside from book 9, by general agreement] but even though this volume might not see as much explosive action as the others, the pacing is expertly done and I never got bored which, considering how much of the book is just characters traveling, is saying something for me. There are characters I love, ones I can't stand, ones I can't figure out whether or not I should like them, ones that I can't wait to see grow up, and ones I can't wait to see more of than the brief glimpses so far.
Basically, if you have ever read anything remotely fantasy [Twilight and those paranormal romances don't count. I'm sorry. They just don't.] or have never really considered the genre but enjoy a book that makes your mind work in all the best ways, I highly highly recommend The Wheel of Time be put on your book list. It may not be something you pick up right away, a series this intense requires time and commitment, but it is definitely worth keeping in the back of your mind for some day when you need something like it : )
Tim's brother kindly brought the first book down for me to borrow on Saturday and thus far I have been consuming around a hundred pages a day. Consider the fact that I am not an early riser and I am now working part time and even I'm surprised at how fast I'm tearing through this. The funny thing is, I couldn't even read for long stretches at a time when I started the book. I'd read a few pages then have to put it down for a moment before reading more because the reading was exhausting in the best way possible. I think I had forgotten how much work good reading can be, how you have to build up your endurance to take in everything the author is giving you. It's refreshing.
Having almost finished the first volume, I stand ready to recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good read. I think in the fantasy genre at large it's hard to find stories in which women really have a viable part outside of being villains and damsels in either idiocy or distress or both [usually both] but Jordan's story sets up a world where fantastical abilities are found in men and women in the complimentary and conflicting ways in which the genders relate in reality. The One Power is TWoT's "magic" source and men and women can both channel it but in very different ways and both are needed which is not to say that sexism on both sides often mars their chances to work together. I am continually blown away at how well he has captured the dynamics between men and women, different political and religious groups and factions - Tim put it perfectly when he said that reading TWoT is more like reading a history that a novel - because it feels so real and relate-able. Most of this is due to the mind-blowing world building that's gone into this series. Jordan keeps a lot of scenic details that people will recognize, like the names of trees, but he'll also throw in one or two names or species of his own making which gives the setting a sense of familiarity as well as discovery. The narration jumps around between characters and while there are a central three, if you had to pick, the full cast of what I think qualify as main characters is pages long. With so many characters to keep track of there is always a ton going on but it never feels unmanageable or unwieldy. I've been told that the first book is slower than the rest [aside from book 9, by general agreement] but even though this volume might not see as much explosive action as the others, the pacing is expertly done and I never got bored which, considering how much of the book is just characters traveling, is saying something for me. There are characters I love, ones I can't stand, ones I can't figure out whether or not I should like them, ones that I can't wait to see grow up, and ones I can't wait to see more of than the brief glimpses so far.
Basically, if you have ever read anything remotely fantasy [Twilight and those paranormal romances don't count. I'm sorry. They just don't.] or have never really considered the genre but enjoy a book that makes your mind work in all the best ways, I highly highly recommend The Wheel of Time be put on your book list. It may not be something you pick up right away, a series this intense requires time and commitment, but it is definitely worth keeping in the back of your mind for some day when you need something like it : )
Friday, October 18, 2013
first week of new job
Hello hello! I know it might seem like I'm slowly slipping my blog day to Friday but while a move may be in order at some point this post's tardiness is due to a sudden, unforeseeable computer issue that we ran into yesterday that will hopefully be soon remedied.
This has been my first week at my new job and despite the little bumps and snags that I've run into with bus schedules and such it's been a great week overall. I am loving this job. It has a lot in common with my old job which provides some comfortable familiarity but the changes are only good ones. For example: on a day to day basis I have less to process/review than I did working at the library. However, unlike the library, I can read/study when I don't have work to do. This has been both exciting and difficult to get used to because, while this is something that I completely agree with and am ecstatic about, 4 years of habit does not die easily. It might take me a little while to be fully comfortable with pulling a book out while at work but it's something I'm eager to adjust to, haha. The buses have honestly given me the greatest trouble but I think I've figured them out at this point. I got my staff ID today as well so hopefully I can start using the bus pass on that instead of my debit card within a few days. Without a bus pass each ride costs $2.50 so I'd be spending $100 a month whereas the bus pass is $70 for a year. Yes please, I'll take that one.
My body is starting to adjust to the new sleep schedule, primarily by becoming suddenly dead tired around 10pm which is weird but a good sign I guess. Isn't it weird how you sometimes make a better use of your time when you don't have much of it than when you have an entire day to get things done? I'm not super efficient or productive in the mornings yet but I'll be working on that and I already feel more balanced which is primarily what I wanted out of this job in the first place. Being too busy can hurt you but so can having too much time. I've even written a few time within the last week which is an improvement. I keep going back and forth on which project I want to work on but right now I'm trying to tackle a difficult conversation between characters that comes up early in the story line. I'm sure this is something that I'll come back to edit hardcore later on since there is so much I can feel isn't sitting quite right but I need to get to know these characters a little better before I know quite how to fix it.
Tonight we are going to Creativity [one of those paint your own pottery stores] and I am psyched. I have been wanting to go for the almost 2 years since we last went and I've been sitting on a coupon./voucher for about a month which made my reaction a little explosive when Tim asked if I would want to go tonight. I've painted a tile and a bowl so I'm trying to decide if I want to do another bowl, a mug, or maybe a plate or something, along with what I will actually paint on it. I have to keep myself from becoming the "paint ALL the things!" person but it's hard to suppress that. For some reason painting pottery is really therapeutic for me. I'll work on posting pictures after the pieces have been fired as long as mine doesn't turn out to be some kind of monstrosity. : P
This has been my first week at my new job and despite the little bumps and snags that I've run into with bus schedules and such it's been a great week overall. I am loving this job. It has a lot in common with my old job which provides some comfortable familiarity but the changes are only good ones. For example: on a day to day basis I have less to process/review than I did working at the library. However, unlike the library, I can read/study when I don't have work to do. This has been both exciting and difficult to get used to because, while this is something that I completely agree with and am ecstatic about, 4 years of habit does not die easily. It might take me a little while to be fully comfortable with pulling a book out while at work but it's something I'm eager to adjust to, haha. The buses have honestly given me the greatest trouble but I think I've figured them out at this point. I got my staff ID today as well so hopefully I can start using the bus pass on that instead of my debit card within a few days. Without a bus pass each ride costs $2.50 so I'd be spending $100 a month whereas the bus pass is $70 for a year. Yes please, I'll take that one.
My body is starting to adjust to the new sleep schedule, primarily by becoming suddenly dead tired around 10pm which is weird but a good sign I guess. Isn't it weird how you sometimes make a better use of your time when you don't have much of it than when you have an entire day to get things done? I'm not super efficient or productive in the mornings yet but I'll be working on that and I already feel more balanced which is primarily what I wanted out of this job in the first place. Being too busy can hurt you but so can having too much time. I've even written a few time within the last week which is an improvement. I keep going back and forth on which project I want to work on but right now I'm trying to tackle a difficult conversation between characters that comes up early in the story line. I'm sure this is something that I'll come back to edit hardcore later on since there is so much I can feel isn't sitting quite right but I need to get to know these characters a little better before I know quite how to fix it.
Tonight we are going to Creativity [one of those paint your own pottery stores] and I am psyched. I have been wanting to go for the almost 2 years since we last went and I've been sitting on a coupon./voucher for about a month which made my reaction a little explosive when Tim asked if I would want to go tonight. I've painted a tile and a bowl so I'm trying to decide if I want to do another bowl, a mug, or maybe a plate or something, along with what I will actually paint on it. I have to keep myself from becoming the "paint ALL the things!" person but it's hard to suppress that. For some reason painting pottery is really therapeutic for me. I'll work on posting pictures after the pieces have been fired as long as mine doesn't turn out to be some kind of monstrosity. : P
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