Just a mini-post here. I don't really have the strength for a full on post. A lot has been going on in my life recently.
My next writing group meeting is April 23rd at 7 and if not then May 2nd. I am going to Borders tomorrow and hope to find comfort with the company of my sister and my friends.
I saw "Last House on the Left" late last night and I thought it was a good example of characterization.
In my opinion, good writing creates a world for the reader. A place of escape from the world. Jane Austen does a good job of this in all of her novels. My younger sister and I began reading "Sense and Sensibility" and we love it. Can I leave you with a quote?
"He was not an ill-desposed young man, unles to be rather cold-hearted and rather selfish is to be ill-desposed: but he was, in general, respected, for he conducted himself with propriety in the discharge of his ordinary duties." (p2 chapter1)
This is an excellent and witty example of describing a character. I only hope I may one day write as well.
25 March 2009
20 March 2009
Day of Snow brushed cars
First off, an addendumn to a previous post. Why I typed "and up to this point am still dating him" I in no way mean that in a negative sense. I simply wanted to be acurate when typing because I did not yet know that I would be writing weekly updates about my writing habits.
Secondly the writer's group last night was nice. We talked a great deal about setting. Even mentioning the show "Cold Case" a number of times. Aparantly it is filmed in Philly. I never knew this.
Setting makes a great deal of difference to readers, if the three other ladies in my writing group are any example of the mases. We like to read about places familiar to us, but we also like to read about interesting places. When stressed, perhap exotic places are nice. The ladies in my writing group like real towns as opposed to imagined ones, except for in cases like Twlight. That damnable series is allowed to have an invented town acording to them because its sci-fi for R.L.Stine's readers. My question now: is Stephanie Myers REALLY the new R.L.Stine?
In my own writing, I just made up a town. "Hackberry, Pa" it serves my purposes. Small population, home to a flag factory, and allows me to create a small town feel in my story. Not only that but the names of the places get to be named after my favorite composers or writers....
I think I will be working on Character-development over the next couple of weeks now that I have my setting set up.
Secondly the writer's group last night was nice. We talked a great deal about setting. Even mentioning the show "Cold Case" a number of times. Aparantly it is filmed in Philly. I never knew this.
Setting makes a great deal of difference to readers, if the three other ladies in my writing group are any example of the mases. We like to read about places familiar to us, but we also like to read about interesting places. When stressed, perhap exotic places are nice. The ladies in my writing group like real towns as opposed to imagined ones, except for in cases like Twlight. That damnable series is allowed to have an invented town acording to them because its sci-fi for R.L.Stine's readers. My question now: is Stephanie Myers REALLY the new R.L.Stine?
In my own writing, I just made up a town. "Hackberry, Pa" it serves my purposes. Small population, home to a flag factory, and allows me to create a small town feel in my story. Not only that but the names of the places get to be named after my favorite composers or writers....
I think I will be working on Character-development over the next couple of weeks now that I have my setting set up.
11 March 2009
A Day of Creation
I have decided to use this blog as an outlet for my writing complaints. My savvy sister says sites seldom disappear from the inter net for ever. You may delete them, but some kind of rug-burn equivalent remains. Any way, I have just finished reading "The Apothecary's Daughter" which reminded me of "Wives and Daughters" however I thought both were equally good. ANYWAY, that and the fact that the writing group I "fascilitate" is a week from today, brings me to my computer, panicky and a little excited.
Before I begin I just wanted to post some insperational quotes from the guys who are mandatory reading in my book, and just good novelists anyway....
The writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit - for gallantry in defeat - for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally-flags of hope and of emulation.--John Steinbeck
En cada línea que escribo trato siempre, con mayor o menor fortuna, de invocar los espíritus esquivos de la poesía, y trato de dejar en cada palabra el testimonio de mi devoción por sus virtudes de adivinación, y por su permanente victoria contra los sordos poderes de la muerte.--Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day.--Papa Hemingway
When a poet speaks to his own people, the voices of all the poets of other languages who have influenced him are speaking also. And at the same time he himself is speaking to younger poets of other languages, and these poets will convey something of his vision of life and something of the spirit of his people, to their own. --T.S. Eliot
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.--C.S. Lewis
Ta-da. That my friends is that. Now I want to write chapter 2 of my present story.
Before I begin I just wanted to post some insperational quotes from the guys who are mandatory reading in my book, and just good novelists anyway....
The writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit - for gallantry in defeat - for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally-flags of hope and of emulation.--John Steinbeck
En cada línea que escribo trato siempre, con mayor o menor fortuna, de invocar los espíritus esquivos de la poesía, y trato de dejar en cada palabra el testimonio de mi devoción por sus virtudes de adivinación, y por su permanente victoria contra los sordos poderes de la muerte.--Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day.--Papa Hemingway
When a poet speaks to his own people, the voices of all the poets of other languages who have influenced him are speaking also. And at the same time he himself is speaking to younger poets of other languages, and these poets will convey something of his vision of life and something of the spirit of his people, to their own. --T.S. Eliot
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.--C.S. Lewis
Ta-da. That my friends is that. Now I want to write chapter 2 of my present story.
Day of nostos
No that is not spelled wrong. Its a greek word.
I haven't written in this blog in 3 years. The last time I wrote in this blog I was preparing to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica. I went. It was a 2 week trip. It was great. Oddly enough I don't keep in touch with anyone from that trip. The people I keep in touch with are from my Germany/Poland trip. After going to Costa Rica in Dec 06; in summer 07 my sister and I went to France and England. Then that Fall 07 I went to Colombia to meet cousins I never knew I had.
I stopped going to my college/career church group soon after that because I was SICK to DEATH of all talk and not action. I guess I have a Martha personaility.
I took 1 year and 2 months off from dating and then I started dating a certain boy, C.A.F. from my college/career group. As of now we are still together.
Oh, and I graduated from college and I am looking for a full-time job. (I wish I could score a publishing gig, but I never interned and aparantly its a rule that you must intern 1st). And reading a lot.
And I'm not sure if I'm going to keep up this blog but we'll see.
I haven't written in this blog in 3 years. The last time I wrote in this blog I was preparing to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica. I went. It was a 2 week trip. It was great. Oddly enough I don't keep in touch with anyone from that trip. The people I keep in touch with are from my Germany/Poland trip. After going to Costa Rica in Dec 06; in summer 07 my sister and I went to France and England. Then that Fall 07 I went to Colombia to meet cousins I never knew I had.
I stopped going to my college/career church group soon after that because I was SICK to DEATH of all talk and not action. I guess I have a Martha personaility.
I took 1 year and 2 months off from dating and then I started dating a certain boy, C.A.F. from my college/career group. As of now we are still together.
Oh, and I graduated from college and I am looking for a full-time job. (I wish I could score a publishing gig, but I never interned and aparantly its a rule that you must intern 1st). And reading a lot.
And I'm not sure if I'm going to keep up this blog but we'll see.
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