Oct. 22, 2008 Of villains in stories
As my 234th post, I wanted to write something "of purpose," instead of just some random, boring comment. (You guys have seriously hung around for 234 posts? Amazing...)
I remember being a little kid watching Star Wars. Return of the Jedi, in fact. Darth Sidious (Darth Hideous, as we used to call him) intrigued me. I felt certain that if I could get into his mind, I could see the world from his point of view and decide whether he was actually evil or not. Because, obviously, he thought he was doing the right thing. I wanted to know what he saw in the Empire that was right and what about the Rebellion that was so wrong.
Lovely picture, no? Like I said: Darth Hideous.
Anyway, since then, I've always thought about "the other side" in stories. Why was the evil bad guy evil? Was the bad guy really the good guy, but we're only seeing it from the side of the "good guy" and therefore think like the good-but-really-evil person?
Has anyone else ever thought about this?
And another thing I've wondered:
Why is it that the bad guy often gets people to follow him because of lies and deception, instead of people willingly joining him because they believe what he believes? And why do the bad guys treat their allies and subordinates so badly, while the good guys are the exact opposite? Why does strife always accompany the hordes of the bad guys (see the orcs in the LOTR movies)?
This might just come down to this: We want our stories in black and white. Good vs. Evil to the death. Don't throw any gray matter in there that will cause us to use our own gray matter or we won't be happy.
I might be wrong (actually, I probably am wrong). Do any of you have ideas about this? I just thought I'd throw this out and see where it landed. If you have ever read (or written) a novel, I'd love to know what you think. ;-) |
•
Comments (4)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Sep. 4, 2008 So. Yesterday. (writing update)
Writing almost 30 pages can give you a headache. I found that out yesterday. I just got into the zone, and I couldn't stop! Well, I did stop for Sarah Palin's speech. Wow. I adore her. But then I went back to writing and pounded out another 1000 words before bed.
I was at 2500 words before going down to pick beans for dinner, and I'd thought that maybe I'd be lucky and get all the way to 4K before bed. Actually, I hit 4K before dinner. Then 6K before 10 when Mom sent me to bed. I was so happy. And tired.
*laughs* This is fun. I'm at 80 pages now for this untitled novel. No, no one is going to get to read this one yet. I'm going to be evil and keep it all to myself. Mwahaha! |
•
Comments (5)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Mar. 16, 2008 Meine Geschichte
Just in case anyone out there can read German, I decided to post this story that I wrote for school. :-) There are probably little problems with it because I still don't have a full grip on dative and accusative. So, anyway, here it is. If you don't read German, I wonder if maybe you can still figure out how the story goes. A lot of words are similar to English. The only person in it is Regine (all nouns are capitalized).
***
Regines Geschichte
Regine geht an dem Strand zu dem Dock. Es ist sonnig. Sie schaut das Wasser, das ist groß und blau. Sie springt in das Meer und schwimmt in dem kühlen Wasser. Was findet sie da? Sie findet ein großes Schiff unter dem Wasser! Vor vielen Jahren ist es unter das Wasser gesunken.
Regine schwimmt neben dem Schiff. Da sind Entenmuscheln an dem Schiff. Es schaut alt und verfault aus. Regine schwimmt über das Deck. Weil sie neugierig ist, schwimmt sie in die Luke. Es ist sehr dunkel und ruhig, und Regine macht das Blitzlicht von ihrer Sporttauchausrüstung an.
Sie sieht den größte Fisch, den sie je gesehen hat. Regine hat Angst und lässt das Blitzlicht fallen! Das Licht geht aus und sinkt auf dem Schiffs Boden. Der Fisch schaut Regine an und dann schwimmt langsam weg. Regine kriecht weg und ist ganz plötzlich in dem Dunkel verloren.
Sie sucht dem Boden auf, aber sie findet kein Blitzlicht. Auf dem Boden ist Schmutz. Regine taschet sich an der Wand und geht zur Luke. Sie ist geschlossen, und Regine öffnet sie. Plotzlich ist es hell! Sie schwimmt von das Schiff und entlang zur Oberfläche.
Das Ende!
***
Was denken Sie? |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Feb. 13, 2008 Very Important!
Hey guys, I know lots of you are writing stories, posting them here on your blogs, and have intentions of then publishing the story.
The thing is...
A publisher's not even going to look at something that has been offered in full for free to the general public for any length of time. I know it's a nice idea that we post stuff and get critiquing, but it's really in your best interest to not do it all. 10% of a story is about the most you should post, and, in my opinion, that's still a little much. It's not just that people can steal your story (which has happened in the past), but publishers figure that if people have been able to read it for free (draft or otherwise), they're not going to buy it.
Not to be Johnny Raincloud over here (or Jenny Raincloud, I guess), but really and seriously, if you want to publish... please, please, please don't post it. |
•
Comments (6)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Jan. 24, 2008 A story soundtrack
I got the idea to put together a sound track for the story I'm writing. These are the ones for my current WIP (Work in progress). Don't mind the funny names the secondary characters have... they're not human. I wouldn't say they're aliens, because that brings to mind stupid little green people saying 'Take me to your leader'. These people look like humans, but not exactly the same. Aside from Aren, they're taller than your average human. Anyway, the soundtrack...
Theme of story: The Battle Belong To The Lord (The minor key alone has that 'oomph' to it that really sounds awesome)
Main Character, Lyric: I'm Alright - Jo Dee Messina (or the Mario theme music)
Secondary Characters...
Aren: Moments - Emerson Drive (It's just kind of sad and depressed like he is)
Cayellis: 'Cause the Chicks Dig It - Chris Cagle (Woah, I just realized how many C's were in that!)
Jade: Everyday Superhero - Steve Harwell (Oh, yeah!)
Lekssi: Stand - Rascal Flatts
There are more, but those are the only ones that are 'set in stone'. I don't know if you guys recognize those songs, as not all of you listen to country music. If you really want to hear them, I think you can look on YouTube for the videos.
Note: I got the inspiration to post this also from Jess. :-) |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Jan. 22, 2008 On this day in 1917...
I've a little story for you all. Marie's already heard it, though. :-)
On January 23rd, 1917, Conrad Berteus Ingeborg Pettersen came to the United States from Norway through Ellis Island. He changed his name to Konrad Berteus Ingeborg Peterson and moved to Wild Rose, North Dakota.
As my Great Aunt tells the story, he heard God tell him to sell everything he had on the farm and move to Washington. On October 15th, 1928 he had an auction to get rid of the farm and everything on it. I don't know what his wife, Cora, thought of this plan. I mean, she had a multitude of kids to look after while they moved! I'm not sure how many they had at the time, but in all there were 13 children (Probably not in order: Kon, Alys, Klarion, Orlando, Pat, Lois, Kathleen, Marvin, Eunice, Janis, Gail, and... two more. :-/)
They settled down in Gig Harbor and Konrad became a fisherman. The kids grew up and had kids of their own (my dad being one of them).
Anyway, the story of my great-grandfather doesn't end there! He lived in Washington until he was an elderly man. One day, God said to him that he only had a week left to live. Grandfather got everything in order that week. He wrote instructions for Grandmother on all the heaters and other machines in the house so that when he was gone she could take care of them and fix them if they broke. One week to the day later, he was down in the barn and had a heart attack. No one found him until he was happily with the Lord of his life.
Grandmother Cora also had that kind of faith in God. I was just a little baby when she passed on, but my dad and great aunts tell me that she was a wonderful person. Dad told me that when he was about 20 (I think), he installed a kitchen sink for her that mixed the hot water and the cold water together like most of our sinks nowadays do. He said that she was so happy to have something like that (after raising 13 kids with the old kind of sink that had two spouts, one hot, one cold) that tears were running down her cheeks. I wish we had more of that generation around to tell us that we ain't got it rough.
 And that's how I came to be named Jennifer Cora. |
•
Comments (5)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Dec. 21, 2007 Tagged myself...
CaptainPippinGates did this tag, and I thought it would be fun. I could do this a few times for the different stories I'm writing, but I'll do it about the one I'm revising (97,000 word novel. Well, I've reduced it by taking out some junk.)
1. What time frame does your story take place in? In the fantasy world of Makari, in the year 432. (and I didn't even plan it to be 432! I'd just picked a number for the oldest character to be born and then worked my way to the present!)
2. Who is the main character in your story? Lyric Hunter, 15-yo American
3. What three words best describe your main characters? Lyric: Christian... impetuous... and a little bit 'Jack O'Neill'... (Andi, how would you describe her? Note: This does not mean in any way that you are tagged.)
4. When was the last time you had inspiration for your story? Yesterday
5. What caused your inspiration? I was revising it, and that gets me a little excited about it. :-)
6. What music do you usually listen to when writing your story? I try not to listen to anything. I have this habit of writing down everything that I hear sung. It's annoying, to say the least. ;-)
7. What book/movie most influenced your story? Listening to The Hobbit on tape, because now I can't write anything without hearing Robert Inglis saying it out loud. *big smile*
.
8. How long have you been working on your story? Almost five years. XP Terrible, isn't it? The last half I wrote in a span of 70 days. O.o
9. Do you think better while laying down or sitting up? Lying down. Laying down. What word do you use?
10. Which place inspires you most? Walking down the driveway inspires me for this book (see the picture at the top of my blog. We have a long driveway). I'm known to just start talking out loud and acting out what I'm saying. If only I had a tape recorder...
Since I've already got this tag up, I might as well tell you about something that happened a few days ago. We were having dinner and Mom was talking about something she had heard that day in relation to the mold that is growing in all the houses because of the flood damage and that people were getting 'COPD'. She knew it was a condition that affected the lungs, but she wanted to know what it stood for. Without even thinking, I said, "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease." Everyone turned and stared at me (including David's friend who was eating with us. Michael said, "Wow. She got it right." Mom said, "Yeah, but how did you know it meant?", meaning me. I didn't get a chance to explain that I've done a lot of research on it because there's a character in this story who has COPD (among other health problems. He's been very difficult, but I like him enough that I don't want to get rid of him). Maybe Mom will read this and then she'll know why I knew that random piece of trivia.
Speaking of sick people, Michael's getting better. He was watching 'Saturday morning cartoons' (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and I made him a piece of toast. He survived without his pancreas going wack-o again.
|
•
Comments (9)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 17, 2007 Confessions of a Teenage Writer
The reason I've written very, very little of the next book is that I can't think of a name for the main character. I've wracked my mind for ideas and I just can't think of any more!
Names I've tried to put on her:
Riley (Didn't like)
Wendy (too pretty for this character)
Jessina
Jess (Neither Jess or Jessina felt right)
Gertie (Uh... just no...)
Winter (Named another character that)
Robin (Too delicate)
Seraphina (Too long)
Sera (Too plain)
Raina (Didn't fit her)
Sarah (Too sweet)
Tamsin (Already got someone with a name like it)
Brianna (Too close to another character's name)
Reba (Doesn't sound young enough)
Sonja (Too sweet)
Just ignore me. I'm whining again. Chances are good that a name will smack me upside the head one day and I'll wonder why I didn't think of that before. If it was a guy's name, I could come up with a list of cool names half a mile long. Not so with girls' names. I've the most terrible luck with those. Andrea would be the most perfectest name for her, but Mrs. Marlow is using it in her books.
On a different note but pertaining to names, the great thing about having my own computer is that nifty ability to add all the names I make up for the off-world species to the dictionary. *Grin* |
•
Comments (7)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
|
|
|
Page 1
of 1
Last Page | Next Page
|
|
